#I may not have story ideas but I’m trying to chip away at headcanons to get back into the swing of things

[rhetoricalrogue]

Having thoughts about the Astrid, Tony, Markus trio and how I’d fit them into Astrid’s story

Markus would be Normal and send a small, tasteful vase of flowers congratulating Astrid on her promotion to Detective. Tony sent 12 dozen boxes of doughnuts to the office. Everyone had a field day eating them, but they had to share half with the fire department next door

Tony being the one to sense that Something Was Wrong because as part fey he can sense when someone is lying and Astrid has *never* lied to him (small ones everyone does without thinking, sure, but never outright lies) in all the years that he’s known her, but when he asked her how work was going in their regular weekly phone calls, she was telling some huge ones.

“So she knows about the supernatural world now. We should tell her about us.” and panic over if their best friend since forever will reject them or not. This is mostly from Tony, but Markus has that fear too

“So you’re a werewolf? Is it a social faux pas to ask if I can scritch you behind the ears?” (Spoiler: Astrid takes it all in stride and even goes “this explains SO MUCH about you both.”)

“I cannot believe you hid this from me.”/“we didn’t mean to…”/“I mean, you spilled the beans on my surprise birthday party when I turned 21 because you said I looked at you funny, but you can keep THIS quiet for this long?”

Astrid picking up Sir Cashew and looking him dead in the eyes “if you turn out to be some middle aged gnome in cat form whose litter box I’ve been cleaning for the past five years, I’m going to scream.” and Cashie just giving her a confused sounding honk because he just looks like he should be some otherworldly being but he’s actually just a cat that has ears and legs too long for his body.

There is a very big cuddle pile in the Facility’s hospital room when they find out Astrid almost got used as a Capri-Sun and how she beat Murphy’s face in with some rebar after practically biting his nose off a few hours previous. If Markus and Tony hadn’t already designated her as the group badass years ago, she would have gotten that title then.

Markus being cool with Unit Bravo because his little sister Penny is in Unit Charlie. Tony not trusting them at all and even less after Astrid got kidnapped and hurt. Tony also constantly missing bumping into his absentee grandpa Nicky in hallways by minutes and it not clicking with him that everyone greeting him with “hey, Morelli” was because he looks eerily similar to Nicky that they thought he was him and not because he figures that the Facility keeps tabs on all supernatural beings and that’s how they know his last name

Markus sneaking Cashew into the Facility hospital by tucking him under his shirt. Elidor sees right through it but pretends he doesn’t because he instantly fell in love with that broken bicycle horn/noodle mix of a cat the second he heard him honk for the first time.

[zellerysworld]

Hey There! Hope you’re doing okay. May I request a Househusband!Sukuna x Breadwinner! Wife headcanons? I think you understand his character very well and I would love to see more from you :)

A/n: thank you so much for the compliment! I hope you like my representation of Sukuna. This will take place in modern times, with Y/n being an office worker. Enjoy!!

『HouseHusband!Sukuna Head canons』

Tags: Fluff, crack, Sukuna x F!Reader

*chef Sukuna has entered the chat*

Okay no seriously this guy can cOOK. And not some regular old chicken fried rice, or making sandwiches- nah this dude cooks TRADITIONAL Japanese style.

He has spent ages figuring out your favorite foods, and then mastering them

But he’s not that good of a cleaner tbh

he attempts though and that’s all that matters :)

You may or may not have gotten into an argument a while back when he tried to use windex to clean the tv, ruining the tv in the process

Sukuna lowkey loves to sew, but if you try to ask him about it, he’d deny it. He’d say he only does it “because the rest of your clothes aren’t presentable”

But he specifically makes you robes like his, in your favorite colors and with pretty designs/patterns.

Sometimes he makes you sweaters in the winter time

When he gives the clothes to you, he always has this serious expression on him that also has disgust on it, and he’s just like “here.” While throwing it at you.

Children isnt really an option considering you work, and sukuna didn’t like kids.

However, you came home early one day and found sukuna arguing with a kid outside the apartments

They were arguing about which ball was better to throw, his or the kids.

You kinda just watched from the window while they argued until deciding to just use both balls on different days.

It made you think he was warming up to the idea as the two of you got older together.

Sukuna likes to talk to the neighborhood watch dads because he can talk about grills with them

When he goes to the store; he gets super aggressive about shopping but at the same time not??

Like he could spend hours in the vegetable and fruit section trying to debate how much cilantro he needs

Sometimes you have to sneakily buy junk food because sukuna only does it if your period is bad and you crave it.

But usually he only buys the healthiest and best of foods for you and him to eat so you both stay strong and healthy.

It’s sweet he loves you so much that he cares about your health, but at the same time you just want some mf potato chips

Okay so sukuna may or may not have accidentally built a mini zoo in y’all’s apartment

Hear me out, y/n

So sukuna is on his way back from the grocery store, having a resting bitch face per usual. Usually even animals are scared of his intimidating looks.

But this one dog, specifically a chihuahua, felt challenged by the look of his bitch face

The chi stood in front of him and in sukunas eyes, this was an automatic stand off

The entire neighborhood saw and warned you that sukuna was going insane the next day

Back to the story though- sukuna and the chi just stared at each other until sukuna said “the milk is going to go bad.” And walked past the dog.

Of course the dog took offense, but also appreciated sukunas bravery to just walk away so he followed Sukuna home

And sukuna respected the dog for being brave enough to follow him, so he just adopted it-

When you got home, Sukuna was sitting in his usual ground spot, but the dog was sitting next to him on the other side of the square table

The conversation started with you saying “what the fuck?” And ended with you saying “oh, makes sense”

So now y’all have a small demon hound

Anyways, sukuna was on the patio trying to tend to your plants while you were at work, but he heard the sound of plastic hitting something for a few minutes

After looking up, he squinted to see a hamster ball trying to make it’s ball over the curb (you can already see what’s gonna happen here-)

Sukuna goes outside and picks the hamster up. He’s wondering how a hamster even got here to begin with, but seeing as he looked hungry, sukuna went to the pet store and bought the hamster some food and a temporary cage

He might be evil and menacing, but sukuna has a soft spot for animals and nature. You being the only human he has a soft spot for.

So sukuna basically adopts the hamster and when you get home, you find your husband sitting at his spot at the table, with the chihuahua sitting in his, and now a random hamster cage in the spot across from the dog

Sukuna has so much audacity that he just looks at you like nothing is wrong in any way, shape, or form

He made you your favorite meal so you ended up ignoring the hamster and just eating

Sometimes you’ll come home to sukuna playing jazz music since it’s relaxing for you after a long day at work

When you have bad days and come home, sukuna will try to relax you with slow dancing, soul food, and giving you messages

One time, his petco coupon expired and he *almost* had a mental breakdown

⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈

Hope you enjoyed!! I’m almost finished with all the other requests to those wondering for any updates. <3

[kingandfireheart]

Jurdan Fluff Headcanons/ fic ideas I'm too lazy to write out

Too much fluff is about these idiots having babies even though they are literal teenagers, so here are some non-children or wump related moments I would love to read/write

if anyone wants to write these go ahead, just tag me (not because I want credit, but because I want to read it)

Cardan has the dress from the original coronation remade and Jude wears it to her coronation. She still takes his breath away in the new version of the dress, which she saves forever Maybe they used the scrap fabric to tie Cardan up in a different way

At some point they talk about Locke and Dain's coronation, She tells him, "Taryn may have left that coronation with her future husband, but I left it with my king"

Also Jude finally unpacks the "I loved him" and "Sometimes I believe you did" and Jude tells him how she's only ever loved Cardan, how Locke was fun, but she never wanted him the ways he wanted Cardan

Jude getting Cardan a wedding band, and Cardan taking off all of the other rings on his left hand at night except that one. Eventual discussion about how their marriage vows are bound to the crown, and an updated version that reflects their feelings

Taryn, Vivi, and Heather make Cardan a "How to care for a human" guide with a first aid kit, human medicine, information about Jude's favorite foods, and how to take care of Jude when she's sick or on her period, generally things a 19-year old faerie boy would not understand

Vivi regularly brings mortal wine to faerie so Jude can drink with Cardan without hallucinating , Drunk Jude is affectionate as hell, and Cardan is amused.

Jude and Cardan eventually outlaw ensorcelling humans, to the disdain of many of the Folk. They generally make Faerie much safer for humans. Maybe even find someone to get them cell service/electricity/phones

Cardan offers Taryn a similar geas to Jude's so she can't be glamoured or controlled, the condition being that she never impersonate Jude without his or Jude's consent

"You're Mine" "I'm Yours" because SJM has made that a requirement in love stories

Jude and Cardan go to the mortal world and someone comments on how they are too young to be married. Cardan starts to tense but Jude just shrugs and says, "I knew I couldn't be happy with anyone else, so what was the point in waiting?"

Taryn and Vivi make Jude tell them everything about her and Cardan getting together, but Cardan serves as the fact-checker since he can't lie, they both learn a lot about how the other felt

Jude tells Cardan about Valerian and Locke trying to kill her and what happened in the Undersea. Cardan is more angry than she's ever seen him.

Jude tracing the scars on Cardan's back, and telling her how she saw what Balekin did to him

Lots of Jude wearing Cardan's clothes and sitting in Cardan's lap in the comfort of their chambers, and lots of Cardan being caught off guard by vulnerable! Jude (seriously half of my fic ideas have her sitting in his lap idk why)

Jude getting a snake tattoo up her leg as a reminder of serpent days, the tattoo wraps around the same way Cardan's tail does.

Jude, Taryn, Vivi, and Oak talking about what to do about Madoc and Oriana, fun sibling times.

The Palace servants learning to make human dishes and things for their queen, Cardan being enchanted by chocolate chip cookies

Lots of them getting ready together, coordinating outfits, Cardan helping her with makeup, weaving flowers into her hair, etc

[luimagines]

I am not a writer. Nor am I a person who posts stuff online,if at all rarely. But I am capable of typing and I am legally allowed to say that I have won a high school writing contest in my 3rd period English class in Sophomore year.I am still,what they call,VERY RUSTY.Take that as you may,but never in my life have I read an anonymous ask that has made me be burts into a desire to want to write down a bunch of story ideas of a dream that stranger had and then share it to another stranger online, to reply to publicly to about 100 more other strangers online. But none the less I STILL want to share to you sone of my--headcanons??--ideas??--bullshit dream story plotline??--(idk)-- I'll try to keep it limited because i don't want you to end up reading a rant novel-

I like to think that this //reader link? I'll just use y/n as a stand in i guess for this character or reader ??sorry if you dont like it,you can change it if you want?//before meeting The Chain Links *tm,she use to have a lot of problems being a #femaleheroinduringmediaveltimes but not in a way that most might see?I don't believe she would have really care for other people's opinions on the matter because she sees it as something very trivial and people will alway find a reason to look down on you and she also wasn't exactly let off easy for it during her training to be the hero of her kingdom.Even if she didn't want it,she was already destined and chosen for this path regardless of any possible sexist belief anyone had to offer.Her being the destined hero and needing to be strong enough to fight against Ganon was the utmost important thing on the to-do list,So bullshit like that was not accepted and they made sure it was in grain into her brain.

"Don't believe your enemies will ever go easy on you no matter what you are".

Most of the problems she would struggle as female I think ,would be on more on the biological side of things,for example like getting her period but being forced to have to truck though them anyways because she was a hero and it meant that you couldn't just take time off from your responsibilities and duty as Hyrule's saviour "just for some bad cramps" when you have lives to be saving and a world that needs to be protecting.So she would just not show any sign of complaint to the others about it or even let alone tell them about it and it just always seemed like from the outside that she would randomly just get super quiet and little withdrawn for no reason every month or so with a sort of tired/vacant look in their eyes?Anon also mentioned them having more of a military knight background and assuming she had been trained to or at least has lead troops into war/battle before,she could definitely be one of the teams best strategist along side with Warrior Link.I can definitely see them getting closer because of this as they're usually chipping in plans together and coming up with ideas/plans with what the best ways to use everyone on the team's special skills for certain position/roles during possible future battles.But a little bit after the whole "river" scenario i can definitely see legend sort of yell at her like

"wtf you is a girl and did not tell??? eXPLANaTiOn?????" "Because i didn't think it mattered??" "iT DoSe MaTtEr! ThAtS a bIG tHiNg!!"

There would definitely be a bit of an intervention with everyone to talk about the issue from "before". Maybe some what after everyone had gotten redressed and suddenly didn't feel like bathing anymore. After that everyone seem...awkward. No one knew exactly how to continue on with the revelation,so they all just stayed quite.At first she mistook this as a sign that everyone handled it well,she tried to continue business as always.While everyone was packing up to head out,she'd suddenly feel everyone's eyes.... Looking at her. When she turned she everyone just minding their own business.Maybe it was all just in herhead.The rest of the walk seem almost dead quiet.The once cheer mood of chatter was now replaced with an awkward tension filled with only small side glances,little quiet whispering from behind and an inability to look her in the face when she tried chatting with anyone.Is this what it was going to be like from now on?No of course not.They wouldn't let something as trivial as this get in the way of their relationship,right?they were still friends,right?

If you have the ability to but the stories in your head into recorded words then that makes you a writer.

No, I will not take any criticism on this matter.

This is beautifully thought out and it was a joy to read. I had to read it out loud out of fear that I would miss something entirely but I'm glad I did.

I would imagine it to be difficult to be on her period simply because when you're traveling there's no supplies to help out or lessen the situation! No cotton, no pain killers, not a lot of hot water to begin with... And yeah, she wouldn't say anything about it because a soldier wouldn't have the time to take care of it, let alone a hero.

She would also be the most used to blood on her clothes out of the group I think at this point. Just takes it upon her self to clean their clothes because they never seem to be able to get all of it and they don't know what they're doing even if she were to tell them how.

The boys think it's some magic technique but no.... it's just experience.

But the reader here that you mentioned would have had good teachers for burning it into her brain that it doesn't matter what body she has or what other people say because she the hero. She was born for this and there's no pleasing any one anyway. the best way out of this is to do the job and make sure you can get out alive.

What I want of the last paragraph is for her to get a little mad and question what the hell s wrong with everyone and then for someone to reply that it would have been disrespectful to look without direct permission because she would have deserved better than that. Like, they're fine with each other because they all have the same parts so like no big deal, but for them so openly show her themselves, verses her being seen openly.

I think it'll be a mixed bag of them being embarrassed that they were seen and that they saw her.

I think the ones least effected by it would be Wind, Warrior and Hyrule. Hyrule, because there's no like no people in his world so he doesn't have the same perception as the others, verses Wind who would probably be weird in the beginning but promptly not think too much on it because he has a sister at home and would help her bath when she was younger, verses Tetra who has had multiple shirts torn in the middle of battle- so who cares?

I was originally going to put Warrior as one of the most effected but I've played the game.... There are so many female warriors so if they got hit in the boob and needed attention then you take care of it. no questions asked and you move on with your day end of story.

The most effected would probably be Time, Twilight and Sky.

Time and Sky because- holy cow, I have a significant other, what am I going to say if they find out I saw another naked woman? Nothing. That's what. I'm a dead man if they ever find out.

Twilight because he was raised with his respect woman juice for breakfast and would have gladly turned away and oh my god- my mom is not going to like that I just didn't do anything this entire time and she's going to think that I just stared like some degenerate and what do I do now?

I think this is a fun concept and I don't mind exploring it more, but I'm beginning to suspect that I'm going to need a tag for the dream saga aren't I?

[loopy777]

RE: WIPs game: Actress Mai. what is she acting in? besides her ongoing starring role as Repressed Perfect Child?

Ah, "Actress Mai." This is a headcanon I keep chipping away at in the hopes that I'll eventually have something I want to publish. I have a whole host of little ideas and scene concepts, but only one actual WIP.

It started with the idea that Zuko and Ursa are theater snobs. Sure, Ursa apparently attended Ember Island Player performances, which Zuko disdained, but my thought is that she took what she could get in terms of live theater with her family even if she agreed with his criticisms. However, I like to headcanon that Mai loves the Ember Island Players, hates classical theater, and generally is the type of person who thinks that Michael Bay movies are great and more people should just turn off their brains and allow themselves to be entertained.

Why?

Well, because character conflict is what makes stories interesting. Zuko gritting his teeth through Mai's praise of how the EIPs finally made "Love Amongst the Dragons" interesting? Gold! Ursa and Mai getting into heated drunken arguments about theater styles? Gold! Mai convincing Kiyi of the good points of the controversial 'Love Amongst the Dragons II: Love Harder' (which is canon to at least two of my Maiko fics) while Zuko and Ursa grit their teeth? Solid gold!

This fun little conflict turned into something more, though. If Ursa and Mai are dark mirrors of each other in terms of theater tastes, then it felt like Mai needed a little acting history to parallel Ursa's own. But Ursa could be a publicly known actress because she was a peasant; such a profession was okay for her. Mai is a noble, though, and an acting job would be seen as beneath her, especially as a woman, as Polite Fire Society knows (or thinks it knows) that 'actress' is really just a polite term for prostitute. This is a takeoff from some real-life history stuff that I first learned of through Sherlock Holmes stories. Apparently, Irene Adler being an 'opera singer' was a thing British readers would recognize as being of a sordid nature.

So I decided that Mai did some secret, illicit acting anonymously during her childhood and teenage years. She stumbled across an opportunity, gave it a try, and found it fulfilling despite the social stigma. She liked being able to project emotions of all kinds in public, while at the same time shielded by masks or makeup or costumes or whatever. She liked being other people, people who find love with their heroes or die tragically to teach everyone a point or villainously ruin everything around them as a force of vengeful nature. It was the only opportunity for expression that she had, as well as a quiet form of rebellion. So for years she snuck out of the capital, down to Harbor City, and acted in all kinds of plays for a troupe that accepted not paying her as a fair trade for keeping her anonymous.

Naturally, moving to Omashu put a crimp on that, and so it ended.

So the idea is that Ursa eventually learns this about Mai after years of their butting heads over theater opinions, sees the parallels and perpendiculars in their lives, and grudgingly comes to respect Mai's completely wrong opinions about theater as at least being informed. And Mai, who is good at acting and does know the classics and would be wasted in the Ember Island Players, helps Ursa out with some plays she writes (still anonymous, although Zuko and Ursa know) even though Mai privately thinks the dialogue is too stilted and the stories kind of cliched.

But I have had trouble beating all of this into a proper story. I want to do flashbacks to Mai on stage, I want to show her conflict with Ursa, I want to reveal how Ty Lee found out and used that to get Mai to accept running away to the circus, I want Zuko's reaction to finding that his wife can recite soliloquies from all the major classics, I want Kiyi becoming an Ember Island Players groupie, etc. It's just missing a plot to hang it all on.

So here's a snippet of one of my attempts to construct something:

Noren grimaced. "Honestly, I was impressed we got enough people to fill out all the parts, never mind understudies. This play-"

"-is important," Ursa finished for him.

He hesitated just a moment before nodding. "And it's important for the same reasons that it was tough to get actors. I'm sure once Zuko sees it and can give it his official approval-"

"But he can't see anything without a Rinzen." Ursa thought about her son out there in the audience, anonymous amidst the 'peasants' of Hira'a. Zuko didn't mind mixing with his people, despite being their Lord, but the only reason he was here, tonight, was because Ursa herself had written the play, and he was a good son who would always support his mother.

Zuko had even brought his friends, including the Avatar. Aang was a delightful young man, and always very nice to Ursa, but she couldn't help but feel trepidation at his presence. After all, Avatar Roku, Ursa's grandfather and Aang's previous life, was a major character in this play, and while the story was based on real events, it was Ursa's hand that had shaped his dialogue and actions. She was putting her thoughts and philosophies, her very heart, out on the stage for public assessment, and this was tricky material. Would it do right by history?

Plus the lead actress was sick, and going by her complaints and the smell of the privy, perhaps dying.

Ursa had to tell herself that her audience, her friends and family and neighbors, wouldn't enjoy this play becoming a disaster. None of them were that bad. This wasn't the Capital. And she wasn't a princess. Not anymore.

So why had she taken it on herself to write this play, to positively dramatize a story of an ancestor who a few years ago was considered a heretic and traitor, to will into being a performance right here in the Fire Nation of a play that featured a heroic Air Nomad character whose actress was currently trapped in the privy?

Because her nation had hurt the world, and she wouldn't leave it to her son alone to do all the work of helping to fix that. That's why.

"Maybe," she ventured, "I could play the part."

Noren frowned. "You? But you're playing the Lady of Glass, and the characters share several scenes."

But Ursa was already analyzing the copy of the script that existed in her mind. "Rinzen has a lot more lines than the glass spirit, and I'm the only one who knows them. And playing a spirit is a lot easier than playing an Air Nomad. A spirit is just a voice, a costume, and some special effects. An Air Nomad character is a performance, and we're fresh out of actresses."

Noren's head tilted from side to side. "We could ask Kiyi. She knows the play by heart. She's a bit young for the part, yes, but-"

"No," Ursa cut him off. "She'd say yes if we asked her, but she hates being on stage. I'm not going to do that to her. I'd rather call off the play and see if our Rinzen is feeling better tomorrow."

Noren blanched at the very thought and made a gesture of good luck. "Well, maybe we can find a new Lady of Glass. And adjust the Rinzen costume. So are you thinking we'll just go on stage and ask the crowd who wants to join the cast, or maybe-"

And then there was a shift behind Noren, the red curtain over the office's doorway being pulled aside to reveal a living shadow. It seemed to Ursa that a chill had entered the room.

Lady Mai, Intended to Fire Lord Zuko, had arrived.

Ursa stiffened as Mai stepped into the office and let the curtain fall back into place. Time and familiarity had not made it any easier to be in a room with her son's lover. She had no real doubts about Mai, no resentment over the early difficulties Zuko that had apparently been overcome, but it was hard to reconcile Azula's shy and dour childhood companion with what existed now. Mai walked around covered with knives, watching everything; she never spoke unless there was an explicit need, but her gaze was always focused and her eyes missed nothing.

And it was in Mai's kind of silent, watchful abyss that Judgement grew. Ursa did not have a good feeling about how Mai likely judged her. How could a child of the Fire Nation's capital, someone who had become strong alongside Azula, a world-class warrior whose last stand for the life of her lover was already the subject of at least one popular poem, have any empathy for Ursa's life or the mistakes she had made?

Mai looked at her with dull eyes. "Is everything okay? The crowd is getting restless, and Zuko was worried. I told him I'd check on things so that he wouldn't miss the beginning of the play."

Ursa hesitated against that flat, low voice, and Noren stepped in to answer, "Our lead actress is sick. Ursa and I were just discussing options. There- uh, there aren't a lot of them."

Mai might as well have been told that dinner was planned to include green sprouts, but they were all out and so the yellow ones would be substituted. "Which part?"

Ursa swallowed. "The Air Nomad girl, Rinzen."

Mai quirked an eyebrow. "The heroine." She was still and silent for a long moment, and then sighed. "Zuko's really been looking forward to this. I guess I can help out. All right, I'll be your Rinzen."

Ursa wasn't quite sure she had heard that right. "You- you want to take the part? But-" Her voice faltered, as all the possible objections swirled through her mind. Mai was, to put it simply, completely lacking in charisma and non-threatening presence. She spoke without emotion. She moved so efficiently that no one in the back of the audience would even notice her. And she was so disinterested in everything that she'd probably nod off in the middle of the performance.

Noren offered a troubled smile. "Thank you for the offer, but acting is harder than it looks. It's not just about going on stage and reciting lines. An actress needs-"

"It's Nomad part, right?" Mai shrugged. "So we want a high, bright voice. Circular gestures. A bounce in all the movements. Here, like this." She stretched out her arms, shook her head, and then-

-and then-

-and then Mai was no longer there. The woman in red and black looked like her, but there was a wide mischievous smile on her face, and her eyes were big and bright. She stepped towards Ursa- no, they weren't mere steps. She kicked her heels high with each one, and the way she shifted her weight flirted with almost being a dance. She held her arms up at her side as she moved, and then when she reached Ursa, swung them dramatically to bring her hands together into a sign of respect.

She bowed, and in a voice that positively rang and filled the room, said, "Are you not the Firebender Avatar, Roku? What a fortunate wind blows to lay my path upon your own!" She rose again, and trotted in a circle around Ursa. "I say, you are taller than I expected, and must be quite heavy. Are you sure you're keeping up with your Airbending, young Avatar?" She raised a hand and held it out to the side.

Noren recovered before Ursa did, realizing what was going on, and quickly found a rag and placed in the waiting hand.

Mai's eyes never left Ursa the whole time, and as soon as the rag was in her grip, she moved again, taking a stance that had clearly been modeled on Avatar Aang's own style, and held the rag out in front of her, dangling it from her fingers and bouncing it in the air.

Mai gave a laugh that was echoed through the little room. "Your beard flutters in my breeze! Come, young Avatar, let's have a spar!"

There was a beat, and Ursa was tempted to deliver Roku's next line in response, but then all at once the younger woman slumped, letting the grandness leak out of her limbs. When she straightened, Mai was back, standing like a blade made of shadow, her face blank and her eyes dull.

Ursa blinked. What had she just witnessed? So many questions swirled in her mind, and she decided to ask the most important of them: "You know all the lines?"

[gffa]

so i was just thinking about star wars (as you do) and i realized... do the jedi (the survivors, that is) and in general the people ever actually all find out that the clones like... had no choice with order 66? i know a few jedi learn about it, but like, is it ever made public in the aftermath of the empire's defeat? 5 years after the massacre (while the empire still exists) cal kestis still believes the clones betrayed them. i'm assuming later the resistance learns some of it through rex? hmmm

I DON’T THINK THEY DO.  Some of them learn the truth–Kanan seems to know, we know Ferren Barr knew, Rex and Gregor and Wolffe knew–but it seems like the galaxy in general didn’t.While it’s possible that it may eventually come to light–it would be very easy to slide in somewhere that Luke or Leia told people the truth, along the lines of that’s my headcanon for how everyone knew Palpatine was a Sith Lord by the time of the sequels–we have evidence that the wider galaxy definitely didn’t know.In Force Collector (set sometime close-ish to The Force Awakens), Karr Nuq Sin goes on a journey to discover the truth, which is difficult because most people don’t really even know the Jedi existed as anything significant (if they believe they existed at all) and Palpatine’s propaganda is still in full effect in many places, like when they go talk to the son of a clone who died during the war, he believes everything that Palpatine said about them:

      Karr beamed. Leaving Merokia was already proving helpful. “Then if your dad was a clone trooper, you must know about the Jedi,” he prompted.      Sconto’s expression fell. A blank look replaced his wide smile.      Karr could see Maize was about to laugh, thinking she had found someone who shared her disbelief, until she noticed that all the good humor had gone out of the room.      “Don’t talk to me about Jedi,” Sconto said, his cheery demeanor taking on a hardened tone.      Karr chided himself for being so carefree about his quest. He forgot that the galaxy was a big place filled with big opinions, and many didn’t line up with his way of thinking. “I’m only asking as a history buff. I’m trying to find—”      But the man cut him off. “My father was killed in those wars. Gone before I ever met him. And I don’t think I need to tell you who I hold responsible?”      “The Jedi,” Arzee said enthusiastically, as if answering a bit of trivia. Karr winced, wishing he had programmed the droid to understand when a question was rhetorical.      “War is an ugly thing,” Sconto continued. “Both sides think they’re right, and many lives are lost because of it. You can’t argue with fighting for what you believe in, but…” He paused as if he was tempering his anger again. “Betrayal,” he bellowed. “To turn on your fellow soldiers in arms, to cheat and strike like cowards! That’s just…” He searched for the worst word he could think of.  “Disgraceful.” Then he spit on the ground as if the word wasn’t enough.      Everyone was a little dumbstruck, but Maize couldn’t help breaking the silence.      “The Jedi really existed?”      “Absolutely,” he said with bitterness. “There were tons of them. But now they’re all gone. Of course, their legend has grown beyond their power by now. It happens that way sometimes, with heroes and villains alike. The truth is never as simple as it seems, in history books or anyplace else. The Jedi were a bunch of power-hungry renegades, a few of whom might have had some sort of abilities.” He waved a hand dismissively. “But at the end of the day, they were violent traitors, and the clones were right to put them down.”

He thinks that the Jedi were the ones to turn on the clones, that they were the traitors, and the clones chose to put them down.  (Which is really painful because he’s actually describing much closer to what happened to the Jedi, that Palpatine forced the clones to cheat and strike at their backs like a coward, never even realizing that the clones weren’t given any choice in this.)Karr’s great-grandfather (a Jedi who left when he was a Padawan) also believed the propaganda about them and it was up to Karr to have to tell him the truth (who had discovered it through his psychometric abilities) and he was devastated to learn about it.  That’s how deeply Palpatine’s propaganda was sold across the galaxy.

      RZ-7 agreed, as gently as he could. “Sir, you took such noble measures to protect your family—and those measures were successful. But there was no need to turn your back on the Jedi. They never turned their back on the Republic. Or you.”      Naq Med sank slowly to the floor. His grip on the can he used for a cup loosened, and it fell—spilling its contents across the rug. “But if that’s true, it was all for nothing. The Grand Inquisitor…?” he asked of anyone who might answer. Karr said, “A pawn of the Emperor. He turned on his own kind.” He paused. In the back of his head, an idea gelled. He spoke slowly, putting the words in order as they occurred to him. “The dark side won. The bad guys won so completely that when they were finished…there was nobody left to remember the good guys. No one to tell their side of the story. No one to collect their history and write it down—not once the Temple was gone. They say history is written by the winners, but it should be written by those who remember. Those who care about the facts.”      The old man settled in a loose cross-legged position, his arms at his sides, his hands lying limply in his lap. “It was all a lie. My whole life, everything I lost…”

(It doesn’t help that the Empire erased anything that talked about the Jedi or the Force, so there was nothing to contradict their story.)Ultimately, there is hope, though.  The Force seems to have chosen Karr specifically to show him what really happened, how the Jedi were betrayed and that they had never turned their backs on the Republic, that his role isn’t to become a Jedi himself, but to tell their story, the real story of their courage and bravery.And that seems to be reflected in Star Wars Propaganda where an author writes an entire book on how one conflict led into the next and while the Jedi are a small part of that book, as well as it doesn’t directly focus on Order 66 much or anything, it does show that the Jedi weren’t part of the corruption eating away at the Republic, that their problem was one of being really shit at PR more than anything.So someday the galaxy should know the truth.  There’s hope out there!  But it’s going to take awhile because the Empire was really, really thorough in scrubbing out the actual truth and replacing it with their own narrative.But glimmers exist.  The crew in Alphabet Squadron discover a Jedi Temple and realize there may be more to them than the Empire said.  Savi from Black Spire knew the Jedi were good and did much to protect the galaxy.  In-universe stories from Myths & Fables survive.  Poe Dameron speaks incredibly warmly about the Jedi and their traditions in the Poe Dameron comics.  Maz Kanata knew them and she liked them.The truth may not be widespread, but it’s not dead in the GFFA and one day I’m sure the whole galaxy will know it again.But in the meantime, it’s heartbreaking that nobody knew for so very long.  Nobody knew the Jedi bled and died for the Republic, for the clones, for the citizens.  Nobody knew that the clones were victims of the system, were treated like disposable cannon fodder, that they weren’t given much of anything once the war was over, that the best they could hope for was, yeah, I guess you’re a person now, and if you want, you can work for the Empire to train Stormtroopers, with the few days you have left because of your rapid aging.  Nobody knew what those chips in their heads did to them.  Nobody knew the trauma and guilt and horror they had to live with having shot their Jedi in the backs.  Nobody knew any of this for a long, long time and some details will probably always be lost to history.

[gayregis]

which characters are trans this is a scientific inquiry

all of them except vilgefortz and leo bonhart

ok ok jokes, ill go more in depth... some of this is taken from things ive written before but not posted. also for anyone reading this im non bee nary so know that im not trying to describe the experiences of different identities in first-person, i’m basing this off of both my own and my friends’ experiences... none of this is “OMG YES CHARACTER ANGST >:))” but rather depicting personal struggles in fictional characters, so just know that  the more difficult subjects that may be covered are not there just to see the character in pain, but rather to think about their eventual resilience against it and development afterwards

for geralt and yennefer i have more specific reasons why i think being transgender actually fits with their canonical characters & related story arcs, and then for the rest i have headcanons and maybe some reasoning but not a lot.

geralt: geralt already represents how a struggle with toxic masculinity and expectations of masculinity can influence one who wants to be seen as masculine to deny and bury their emotions. him being trans develops upon the aspect of his struggle with emotions, ive seen my friends who are transmasculine / myself when i used to ID as transmasculine struggle with showing emotions bc of feeling like you’re going to be misgendered if you shed a single tear. in canon, we already learn that kaer morhen has a bit of a macho culture (just fyi eskel and lambert and coen are trans too now, don’t go getting any idea that those guys are cis) and i believe that the “witchers have no emotions” thing is like 5% actual biology and 95% being raised to fight and not to feel. vesemir is a good father but he just wasn’t very emotionally nurturing, it’s the caste’s way of raising kids that geralt breaks out of.

i think geralt’s self-image also speaks a lot to the feelings of harsh internal transphobia. he constantly others himself from others and feels like people view him as different, which is metaphorical for any marginalized group under the sun, but also is very common for lgbt ppl. again this is smth ive really struggled with within the past few years so im just projecting/know what it feels like and feel that how geralt sees himself in canon is similar to a view suffering from internalized transphobia.

geralt's character already redefines manhood because he has to learn what it means to be a good father. and i think him being trans would be representative of his constant learning and growth as a person, yet also somewhat involved with his self loathing and feeling like just Him Existing is an affront ... but of course he unlearns this with time and love from others and all of his character development

yennefer: yennefer’s whole backstory revolves around defining who she is and defying the people who mistreated her and told her she was nothing. canonically yennefer of vengerberg is the story of the successful self-made woman... her life as janka she would rather forget, no one calls her by that name, and no one ever would because its not who she is nor who i think she ever was. 

shes incredibly strong-willed and knows what she wanted from life but some things are terrifying to reach out for, like love and acceptance. yennefer has a conflict with love and being loved because that was never a safe topic for her ... (also sapkowski handled this specifically poorly imo, but:) yennefer canonically struggles with being loved for who she is. i think she deals so much with her previous abuse and again, expectations from parents, and coming to terms with the fact that she survived it all. also this isnt even touching upon her arc regarding motherhood. wanting to give a child your everything and everything that you never had... the love and kindness that no one gave you...

ciri: ciri hesitated to ever identify with “girl” or “boy,” she’s also i think the representation of childhood in general, she’s naturally curious about gender presentation as she ages and just never really cares to commit to gender. i think she’d say she was a girl but only reluctantly bc she just doesn’t care much.

dandelion: [from his TV Tropes page:]

he’s an artist and a musician, he’s not gonna be cishet...

ok in a more serious context i think he’s a nonbinary guy, i think him being trans might explain why he has way more friendships than relationships with family members. dandelion, like yennefer, is also someone that had to define who he was for himself, i mean for one his stage persona of dandelion is entirely an artist’s creation/hyperbole of himself, i think he also had to think abt his inner identity too

his gender is also just “your friend that comes to your house and eats all ur chips and drinks all ur beer and passes out on top of you on the couch”

milva: ok unfortunately i currently think milva is the token non-trans friend (she’s nonbinary just doesnt think of herself as trans) but it’s only because her major arc in baptism of fire revolves around her pregnancy and miscarriage and just bc she is not trans doesn’t mean she doesn’t go through her own difficult struggling process surrounding her womanhood. she struggles enormously throughout the series and in her backstory with defining herself between two rigid identities: the feminine maria and the cutthroat milva. in her talk with geralt, she reveals how she feels trapped between these two identities and feels like they cannot coexist. i feel like she’s a nonbinary/gender non-conforming butch* lesbian whose struggles with sexuality intersect her struggles with gender and what it means to her to be a gnc woman. also you have to consider that milva was raised in a small village in lower sodden so she understood gender in the very strict roles ascribed to men and women, so she felt like she couldn’t be a woman unless she was this very traditional idea of what a woman is “supposed to be like,” which she’s both been trying to shape herself to be and also running away from simultaneously. she learns to accept herself within the hansa bc they love and support her for who she is, and she doesn’t need to be strictly feminine or masculine to be understood by them

* i know the terms nonbinary and gnc and butch didn’t exist in the 1260s tyvm, i’m just saying this as how i interpret her in a modern context

regis: gender is a human sociological construct so basically don’t ask him unless you’re prepared to listen for 20 minutes. vampires can exist noncorporeally so they can exist without gender, also i hc the telepathic vampiric language is nongendered as it’s a transmission of pure thought, will, and force, so it doesn’t even use any grammar. i also hc that vampires just appear the way they feel in terms of appearance and age (e.g., regis at around 300 when he died still looked 25 bc he was as stupid as a 25 year old, now he’s calmer and understands more, so he looks middle-aged). when chilling out with humans regis will be referred to as a man bc that’s just how he appears but it’s an identity he had to learn about and adopt, not something he was assigned. most vampires look androgynous anyways bc they just feel androgynous, how are you gonna feel a gender when you don’t know what a gender is... if you HAD to understand him with human labels / put it in a modern context (like if i was making an modern real life AU) i’d say he’s a nonbinary trans man. 

cahir: much like geralt i think cahir’s story is one of living up to expectations, but cahir’s actually takes it a step further because his major motivation in his backstory is trying to prove to his mother that he can be a good son that will make her proud and gain honor for the family... he seeks validation from external sources but faces ruin when he learns that war is not the way to prove one’s prowess and skill

angouleme: shes trans and i simply say so bc shes very cool and funny and i dont think a cis person could be this cool and funny. also i think the story of a runaway teen who was abandoned by her biological family and found solace in a new family is both very good and featured in a lot of trans ppl’s narratives. she kind of exudes this “im finally at a point in my life where i’m safe and cared for, i can start HRT now, let’s gooOOoooOOooo” energy. 

[the-final-sif]

I've been meaning to make a post like this for awhile, but I kinda,,, kept forgetting. Since I just hit my 6 month anniversary and 300k words written milestone though, this seemed like a good a time as any to introduce myself properly, as well as talk a bit about my plans for the future.

So, without further ado... Hi.

I go by Sif (and sometimes Rosae), I'm a college student, and I'm a girl (she/her). I'm a fanfiction author in my spare time, and I also do fanart sometimes. I've been publishing fanfiction online for nearly 6 years, but I've been writing since I was 8 or 9 years old. My very first fanfiction was called 'Shoppingcats' and it was a handwritten warrior cats fanficton that from what I can recall was warrior cats but all my OCs and set in a mall.

As you may have guess from my blog, I adore birds. I volunteer with raptors, and I have a pet Timneh African Gray named Cecil who I love.

I'm definitely a nerd, and I have a special place in my heart for biology. I also love sci-fi, fantasy, and I currently love BNHA because it's got such a weird and expansive world to play with as a creator.

I tend to ramble on about stuff a lot, on the internet and in real life. Despite being pretty talkative once I get on a subject, I’m actually kinda shy. I get flustered by praise very easily, which is part of the reason I can take awhile to reply to stuff. I end up reading people’s nice comments and I just,,, melt. (stares guiltily at the 2000+ unanswered comments on my A03)

Other interesting things about me as a writer include:

I 100% blame my love of hurt/comfort on Bridge to Terabithia which wrecked me as a kid. That book taught me how powerful writing can be.

I tend to write to fill a void. If can’t find anything fitting my specific craving, then I often end up writing a story to fill it instead.

I have (accidentally) won an award for my writing before.

I don’t know where my ideas/headcanons/etc come from either. They sneak up on me, latch on and then I gotta do somethin’ with the little buggers.

I type quickly, and I get intense when I’m writing. This has lead to people asking me if I’m okay/if I’m angry about something while I’m typing out anything from fics to homework assignments.

I overthink everything I’ve written ever, and a lot of my fics contain small references to stuff that I spent way too much time figuring out.

And honestly, that’s pretty much all you’ll ever need to know about me. So, now that I’ve introduced myself, I wanted to just kinda give people an update on what I’m working on + what will be released next.

This is basically my to-do list, and knowing me it’ll probably change around and get interrupted by other cool ideas I get. But you know, this is roughly what’s going to happen. Maybe.

1. A (long) commission for @wyvernspirit​ - A Hawks & Jeanist fic that I’m having a ton of fun writing. Currently at ~1/4 chapters done, and hoping to get it done this week.

2. The Forced Family AU - This is going to be my next long fic, and it’s my own take on “The Villains Got Away With Katsuki”. I’m going to be writing the entire rough draft before I start publishing, so it will have an actual goddamn update schedule unlike some of my fics.

3. The Dandelion AU - This is... This is a big project. The Dandelion AU is something I’ll talk about more once my design lineup is done, but it’s going to be a mix of comics/artwork and attached fics. I’ve been planning it out for ages and chipping away at it, but my art takes me a long time (plus finding time to draw is harder for me), so this is probably going to be my most long term project on this list.

The Dandelion AU is going to be a Dabi centric major canon rewrite... that’s mostly canon compliant. A lot of it me trying to sit down with canon and find a way to fit puzzle pieces together while making it my own. I’m still not sure when I’ll start releasing it though, I’ve got a lot left to do, so I’ll just have to see.

4. Some various one-shots that I wanna write at some point are all getting lumped in here. Some silly, some sad. Some very sad.

5. FBNAS’s Epilogue. //looks the other way while whistling as I pretend I don’t see my WIP for this one.//

6. At least 3 more follow up stories for the Katsuki Hakamata AU. Honestly probably more eventually,  but there’s 3 I wanna write out for sure. Those 3 will go into Katsuki’s Internship, him meeting and bonding with Eri, and his second year sports festival. It’ll be awhile before these are out though.

So yeah, that’s roughly what I’m going to be working on for the next,,, while. I’m really excited about a lot of the projects I’m working on, and I can’t wait to share them with y’all!

[peepingtoad]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO / 50-50 (There’s a lot of love and a lot of hate, but I think many are actually pretty neutral on him too!)

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / 50-50 (I’d say he may be an... acquired taste? Of course a lot of people I know here find him sexie so it’s hard to say for certain, heh. We may just be the weirdos of the fandom :P )

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO

Are they underrated?  YES / NO (Not in terms of ability, but underrated for just how complex and multi-layered he is, I’d say)

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main character?  YES / NO /

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL (I honestly think he’s a man of many reputations, both in canon and in fandom :’D)

How strictly do you follow canon?  —  I’m very much a ‘use the bones of what we got in canon and do my best to flesh them out’ kinda roleplayer. There are some things that can be taken too easily at face value that I see fit to build upon. For example, I think Jiraiya’s feelings on the prophecy and his relationship with Konoha is something that could be too easily played off as simplistic, or like they were immovable constants. But that’s unrealistic for a man of his years and many experiences, so I try to put myself in his emotional setting at various points in his life, and trace how his feelings and behaviours change, if that makes sense? 

I try to avoid saying that any of the writing was straight up wrong because it’s disrespectful to the creator. But especially for Jiraiya, who had such a significant role to play in the narrative that it sometimes took precedence over his actual character, I do find some of his actions, and the way some interactions were handled in the canon to be a little OOC... so I’ll work with it and try to spin it in a way that I feel fits how he was characterised.

Basically, I’d say that I follow canon, but I like to enrich it in areas that were lacking detail or a nuanced view that took in all the surrounding events of the time. After Jiraiya’s canon death, of course, that’s when more divergence comes in to my portrayal... otherwise I wouldn’t be able to play any post-war scenarios! But the essence of his character is the same, which I try to keep as close to canon as possible.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.   —  A man of many experiences! You can bet that any topic that comes up, he’ll have some sort of amusing anecdote to share, or be able simply to talk shit about it. He's seen so much, and has a sensitive soul enough that he’ll give anyone a chance; he’s very open-minded and non-judgemental, and honestly is a humanitarian that wants to help those in need. Might leave your muse a little baffled as to how he could hold the status of ‘legend’, only to show it when they least expect it. You never quite know what you’re going to get with him: he’s generous and selfless, yet has many vices that seem selfish at times; he’s both a lover and a fearsome fighter; he’s immensely resilient at the same time as incredibly vulerable and damaged; he’s a himbo and a bit of a jock with the soul of a poet. Love him with no restraint and invite his love in return, and you’ll get not only a lover, but a devotee. Wears his heart on his sleeve... or does he? Chip away at him and find out!

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  —  The pervy, flirty, jokey schtick could get grating, or come across as disingenuous. In romantic situations, he’ll keep quiet about putting a label on whatever it is, and beneath his overall sweetness and devotion there may be an underlying reek of commitment issues and a fear of admitting he is afraid. He also has a habit of deflecting negativity in general, and playing things off as if they don’t matter or they’re a joke, making him actually rather a difficult person to get to know the heart of. One might feel as if they’re getting nowhere with him...

... Either that, or they get the complete opposite. Yes, as equally as he can be guarded, he can overshare like crazy, and has a tendency to become codependent with those he gets attached to, which is inconsistent with his free-spirited nature, and how adept he is at keeping others at arm’s length from his less sunny side. This inconsistency might make him seem unreliable—if the fact he’s always off who-knows-where doesn’t do the trick already.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  I’ve been a big fan of the Sannin ever since I first read the Deadlock, but being a very young person at the time I perhaps couldn’t relate enough to people who had experienced so much to do them justice in my teenage fic-writing endeavours, so I remained on the sidelines enjoying content by other people (there may also have been a little bit of ‘what the fuck, why do I dig the old dude so much’ denial in there haha). I’ve picked up and dropped my obsession with the series several times over the years, and my love for those three seemed to grow each time. They really are ‘the lost generation’, and as the sole survivors—alongside having a huge impact on the plot, how the shinobi world is shaped, and the three main protagonists—there’s a lot of juicy material there, a lot of emotional background, along with decades of history that basically goes untapped in the canon. 

Anyway, I digress. Coming to the Naruto RPC for the first time around this time 2 years ago at the age of 25, I made this blog and my Deidara one on a whim, but focused on the latter at first. Villains were always comfortable territory for me in my other RP experiences, and I think it made me doubt that I could possibly do someone who is frankly a lovely guy any justice, no matter how much I loved him. I even had the intention of making him fully Akatsuki/Missing-Nin AU at first. Yeah. That’s how stuck in my villain/anti-hero zone I was! But, I think in the end, the fact he actually isn’t a two-dimensional typical ‘hero’ was something I chewed over and realised would be incredibly enriching to write, worth stepping out of my comfort zone for. And being a little more mature and less angst-ridden myself by that point, I found I could resonate with his feelings and ideals in a way that I know I couldn’t have as a teen... but I was still tentative. 

Anyway, after leaving his blog empty for a bit (with its placeholder URL ‘frogdaddy’, which sadly got hoarded by someone else), I cosplayed the old bastard, along with my partner as Orochimaru. We’d been stanning that particular ship and talking about how great the Sannin are in general for quite some time by that point, but being casually in character for fun while drunk off my tits at a boat party, was a bit of an epiphanic moment. Not long after that, I threw myself right into writing this chaotic-good old bastard with gusto, and here I still am :’)

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  Taking breaks to recharge as and when I need to. Seriously. The death of all my other blogs has been pressure (mostly from myself) to be there and force myself to put out regular content, so I went into this not thinking that way and it’s really helped! 

Of course, there’s also the fact that there simply seems to be no shortage of areas I can delve into with this guy. Again, it’s his age and all the missing years in canon... but I think it’s also how much love he has and his genuine eagerness to engage with others that makes him one of the most naturally bountiful muses I’ve played. Because honestly? Most of my villain muses wanted people to just fuck off :’D this guy is open to everything.

That aside, I guess I just gel with him more than I ever expected to. I’ve changed a lot as a person and gained more confidence since various areas of my life got better, and I really just vibed with this chill, funny, romantic, pervy, big-hearted energy. I enjoy angst, but my real love is peppering the serious and heartbreaking with romance and comedy—and isn’t that just befitting of him? Writing through his eyes also helps to keep my outlook positive, so that keeps me stuck on him as much as the seemingly limitless content potential. 

And this is without even going into my cross-fandom AU ideas I have on the back-burner. Honestly, they’re there but I want to put a real effort into them while keeping his essence the same, which for some, involves brushing up on my lore!

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO.

Do you frequently write headcanons? YES / NO.

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO / RARELY. (depends on whether I get a flash of inspiration—which mostly comes with random asks that happen to stir up an idea for a scene, such as this one (NSFW warning))

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day?  YES / NO.

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO.

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO.

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / 50-50 /NO. (I tend not to take things personally but am also very passionate—call it my innate Leo-ness!)

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  Hmmm. I haven’t actually had any critique on my portrayal, so I’m not sure haha! I’d say if it’s constructive, then I’ll take it into account and consider it, especially if it’s a case where it helps me realise I’ve perhaps not gotten across what I intended to very well. But I’m also quite fond of my portrayal in its essence, so I may end up just thanking the person for their opinion and carry on as usual :P

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  Absolutely! I’ve had some wonderful ones recently and it’s exactly the kick I need to get ideas out, some of which I’ve had on the back-burner but not had a framework within which to write it without it getting derailed. I definitely appreciate a question that will keep me at least a little on-topic, otherwise if I go off on my own volition I really tend to... well, go off! Even if a question is a similar topic to something I’ve already done, it’s a good exercise for me to go back to the similar headcanon and see if I can build further on it, deviate, and link it to show what past thoughts I’ve been working with. A great way of keeping some consistency in my portrayal while making improvements, I find! And then of course I’ve had some questions that are entirely new morsels for thought, and it leads me to something new and fresh, which I greatly appreciate.

Basically, any questions at all, fire away! I may take a while but I will get to them eventually!

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  Yeah. I mean I think it’s just polite to present a reason as to why not, instead of just being like ‘this is wrong/a bad take’ or whatever. Source material is down to personal interpretation, so if I draw different ideas from it to another person after discussion, then we can simply agree to disagree on it. 

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  They are welcome to disagree with me I guess? So long as they’re respectful and don’t then treat me as if my interpretation is ‘AU’ or talk about ‘canon Jiraiya’ as if he’s obviously a different entity to my own, then disagree away. But if prompted enough, know that I will most likely defend my portrayal with what I consider to be justification from the source material :P I did pay close attention to it, after all, and I do consider my portrayal to align well with it.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  Depends on the nature of it and the conduct, really? Like, people are allowed to dislike characters. I myself find a couple of characters pretty annoying or don’t particularly care for them (granted, usually it’s in a love-to-hate or simply a ‘this character doesn’t interest me’ way), but that doesn’t affect how I behave towards the RPer of a character. It’s just manners, really. People tend to RP characters because they like them, so why would you take negativity right to their doorstep, in this space they’ve made as an expression of enjoyment for, and to develop said character? 

There’s been some people who admitted to me that they didn’t care much for Jiraiya, but then began to like him more with my portrayal and that’s more than fine; I take it as the highest compliment in fact. It’s also the kind of open-minded attitude I like to have with portrayals of characters I don’t necessarily like or have much interest in, because by and large, people do tend to add more depth and nuance than the busy and character-packed canon allowed.

However, if it’s the type of hate that’s got its own devoted circle of bitter bitches, who seem to use so much energy hating a character... then please, don’t engage me. Doesn’t matter who the character is, don’t expect me to follow/keep following your negative ass if it’s constant on the dash—and if the target character is any of the Sannin then frankly I’ll have probably blocked/blacklisted in a heartbeat. The ‘critical’ views of them tend to diminish them as humans, diminish the context and events that surrounded their choices, and in a way that I find is a gross double standard compared to what people will allow other (read: young, attractive, fandom faves, ‘babies’ or ‘beans’) to get away with and excuse the behaviours of. I don’t need that kinda negative energy sullying my hobby, nor do I need moral superiority that isn’t applied consistently across the board.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  —  Absolutely! I meticulously fret and check, and cringe when I get a reply and happen to spot errors while rereading what I wrote before it! I edit a lot but don’t always pick up on errors, so I’m more than happy to have it pointed out. Chances are, I’ll be far more brutal to myself about it than anyone else would be!

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  Overall, yeah. I’m not possessive or clingy (I don’t think) and don’t expect the world from people, nor for them to focus on or favour me or be super fast. I just expect the same respect in return. Having said that, I will express it when I don’t like something or it makes me uncomfortable, provided we’re familiar enough, because if we’re strangers I’d feel like I was coming across as entitled to your energy and emotional labour. I do my best to be diplomatic about it though, and rest assured it doesn’t mean I’m forever mad at you or turned off in any way just because I have a small grievance. I just find that being honest with each other rather than letting things pile up and fester makes a friendship more solid, and basically more genuine and long-lasting.

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

Tagged by: @dokuhebi​ Tagging: Whoever hasn’t done this yet!

[joyandeggs]

May we have some SFW Shoot headcanons, please? 😊

You just said the magic word. 💓 This is just going to be a bunched up list of ideas and other things I've thought of over the past year and now. I literally have notepads full of things about my sweet Shoot.

There's the usual headcanon where Shoot, since losing his left arm for unknown reasons, ends up using his Nen hands to help him do little things around the house, like braiding his hair in the mornings, holding his book while he reads, grabbing things on the top shelves even if he's tall enough to reach with his right. He doesn't even need to use his left hands, but It's a little habit of his when he isn't thinking.

Before Shoot was able to use his Nen, he lost his arm. He was left sad, weak, in pain, defeated. Defeated because of the fact that he had so much struggle trying to only use his right arm. Luckily, that's his dominant. Maybe he created the left hands to make up for what he lost, but also using it as an advantage when fighting. (I remember seeing this old fanart of Shoot where the artist headcanoned that when Shoot lost his arm, it was cut into three pieces. I always thought that was interesting to me.)

Now that I'm typing all of this, maybe Shoot made Hotel Rafflesia first before his hands? I don't know. I've never thought of that until just now. I only assumed he had made them at the same time. Maybe he created one ability before the other, depending on how he was trying to go about it at the time through his life.

Shoot is more of a serious, quiet person, but even around Knuckle and Morel, gradually Knov and the others, and even with a significant other, he'll loosen up. When he's more comfortable around them, especially Knuckle or a significant other, he'll make his own comments or smile and laugh at something they say. It's captivating when he breaks out into a smile or laugh, which he has a habit of covering with his hand.

Him and Knuckle actually do a little bit of everything together. It doesn't help that they have the same teacher together, but they end up hanging out quite often, either by themselves or with Morel and company. Or just Morel, since he takes them out frequently in between breaks or after missions. Sometimes they still clash from being different people, but they are such good friends. They're like brothers. They really do care for each other so, so much.

(The Hunter Four) Shoot and Knuckle are best friends, of course, but he would also get along with Kite really well. Kite would enjoy how soft spoken Shoot was, and even if he's quiet, he's relaxed around Kite. They both have that relaxing atmosphere. Kite and Shoot would get to talking about all of the different things they've done as hunters, with Shoot learning a lot from Kite's stories.

(The Hunter Four) Shoot doesn't speak to other hunters at all much, only to his small circle Morel has cut out. But if he were to meet Hanzo, they would be sweet friends with different dynamics. Hanzo is a little more outgoing and talkative, while Shoot is more quiet and introverted. Shoot enjoys talking to Hanzo and listening to what he has to say always. Hanzo brings out his smile when he gets to rambling on about whatever, even if it's about something completely random, and it makes him happy that he wants to listen, even wanting to engage more often. At least he wasn't annoying him. Hanzo found Shoot to be intimidating at first, almost not becoming friends at first due to how scary he looked. That was poor judgement though! Hanzo of course just came up politely and started speaking to him, and Shoot found him to be so nice and friendly. Same with Hanzo.

Shoot tends to get much more quiet than normal when he's sad, keeping to himself and bottling up his emotions. It isn't the best thing, but he doesn't want to bother anyone with his feelings. He's suppose to be strong after all! If you compare him to Knuckle, he and him are the same when they are emotional. It will pour out of them when that barrier stopping them will break apart as they do. If someone asked him if someone was wrong or if he's okay, he'll actually try to tell them he's fine, and not to worry over him. Even with close ones like Morel and Knuckle, despite being more open with them. But when he's breaking down and at his lowest, darkest point, he would tell people to go away. He feels awful when he does that though, he really doesn't mean to do it. He just needs a little space to take deep breaths and let his troubles out of him. When someone does help him through these times, either just sitting and keeping beside him, maybe rubbing his back or hugging him comfortingly, he is incredibly thankful that he didn't make them mad or hurt them for being too emotional.

Whenever Shoot is happy in any way, his has the sweetest smile on his face. (He deserves to be happy. His smile is so cute and warm.) If something makes him laugh, he has a rather small laugh, but sometimes will either hum quietly or pop out loudly. It just depends on what gets to him more. For the most part, his happiness is shown through his eyes and lips. The soft look in his eyes and the soft quirk of the corners of his mouth will definitely show how happy he is, even if it isn't a toothy wide grin compared to someone like Knuckle.

Shoot doesn't get violent at all when he's angry. I can definitely see him as the scary, quiet type. In the series, he isn't openly angry or raises his voice at all. He would raise his voice rarely, but it's still quiet. He tries to keep calm and collective when he feels like this, which is surprising considering how some other feelings affect him.

As he travels with work, he ends up either staying with Morel in many different places, or staying with Morel at his little rented home. Most of them are little hotel rooms which are shared with Knuckle. renting an area with multiple rooms ends up being more expensive, and Morel tends to try and save money a bit. Regardless, he always tries to keep his living space clean. No trash anywhere, no throwing clothes or anything on the floor. It makes him feel better when there's no clutter. If he has his own stuff with him, he's not the best organizer but he does try to keep things together. He's more of a tidy person, and always cleans up after himself. When it comes to Morel's rented home, he honestly doesn't know what to do when he has his own bedroom. The only thing he would keep is a closet full of clothes that barely takes up the space, and some books. His room would always look so bare.

Some of his favorite foods are a lot of egg, noodle, or chicken/pork based meals. I've always thought that he would enjoy breakfast food and coffee. He would like traditional tonkatsu ramen or maybe sushi whenever he goes out for food. (Meve, what do you think Shoot's favorite sushi would be? Rainbow roll keeps coming to mind. 🍣❤) If at home, a simple bowl of curry, omelette rice, or stir fry. Enjoys vegetables greatly. Fruit, too. He isn't picky with anything. I think he would really like fried foods, too! Like takoyaki and dumplings, and seafood pancakes.

Absolutely loves cooking. For him, it's relaxing and fun. His favorite things to cook are breakfast, fried rice, and a lot of other Japanese foods. Also has a talent for baking when he wants to bake any treats. He's a sucker for some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, or a small vanilla cake.

(Self-indulgent) I believe Shoot would be a really nice singer, as far as Yuuji Ueda's music sounds. Just as lovely as his natural speaking voice. It's soft and low, but can get a little higher. He never sings out loud when no one is around him though, so no one has ever heard him. Only in private. He hums along to songs and tunes when he isn't thinking though. Knuckle has actually caught him singing softly to himself in another room, he just doesn't know it.

With how quiet and reserved Shoot appears to be, you find the times sitting in a complete, comfortable silence with him is what makes your times with him special. Both of you don't need to talk constantly or anything. If you both run out of things to say, you or him could always speak up later if you or him wanted to. If you were taking a walk or just outside to get some fresh air, the birds, residents, or the ocean/river banks are the things speaking to the both of you for now. You never find Shoot's silence awkward or boring. It's always soothing. You do enjoy when you get to listen to him speak though. He finds himself speaking much more than what he usually does with you though.

Whenever Shoot seems to find himself wanting to ask someone he likes out, he has no idea how to go about it. He's going crazy over the idea in the first place. The man is so shy that he is just silently battling his own mind in worry, until Knuckle suggests his own ideas to him. His friend of course tries to help in his own way. Knuckle thinks he's a wingman, much to Shoot's annoyance. He appreciates his help, he truly does, until Knuckle suddenly shouts, "You just gotta tell them how you feel, fool! If you don't, then I will!!" Shoot immediately stops him before he could reach you first, and that's how he finally asks you out. He is a nervous mess, but he sees how nervous they are, which eases his nerves just a bit. At least Knuckle didn't blurt out that Shoot was in love with them or something. That would have been really embarrassing.

Or Shoot would eventually find his way to them naturally, quietly admitting how much he really likes them. The man has the strength to overcome fears. Even if they approached him first, if the time was just right, Shoot could do it.

Shoot is incredibly affectionate whenever in a relationship with someone he truly cares about. When comfortable enough, he wants to be around them or as close as possible to them, both in public and in private. In public, he just likes to sit beside you, even hold your hand or place his hand on your thigh. He gets a little shy when it comes to PDA, but he will give you a small kiss to the forehead or lips when he sees you. In private, he just wants to be as close as he physically can, wrapping his arm around them, maybe even snuggling up while sitting or cuddling close together in bed. He just loves sweet physical gestures like that. If his partner were super affectionate like he shyly is, then he actually melts. The man feels loved. He wants you to feel the same way he does when he's with you.

Shoot, in a relationship, is very romantic. He's secretly a hopeless romantic with certain things. Holding your hand, giving kisses to your forehead and cheeks, it's the little intimate things that he absolutely loves to do with you. Intimacy actually makes him melt. He enjoys writing you letters from time to time to surprise you, especially on anniversaries. He's also a flowers type of man, he would absolutely love buying flowers for his significant other. I can just imagine him staring into someone's eyes, telling them how much he means to him and how happy he is they're in his life, all while holding their hand and rubbing his thumb tenderly on their knuckles. When he's just himself, he can be very suave and romantic in his own ways without even realizing it.

He also does that thing where he'll just...stare and admire you, either into your eyes or at your lips, rubbing his thumb over the bottom of your lip. It's just the little things. It's the little things that will get to him, but he also does them to his significant other.

Sadly, Shoot wouldn't see his significant other often. Since he travels for work, being gone for various periods of time that vary from mission to mission, he has to leave from time to time. When he does finish a mission and has the time to do so, he is coming right back to see you, even if it's just for a handful of hours. Sometimes if he can't see you during work, he'll call you for a brief chat, checking to see if you were alright and how you had been doing while being apart. I think Shoot would be that type of person that would make time for you. It's nice that Morel has a little home Knuckle and himself go back to after their work is done, otherwise you may never see him.

[travllingbunny]

The 100 rewatch: 4x10 Die All, Die Merrily

I solemnly swear to myself that I’ll start writing short rewatch posts starting with the next episode, because I would like to finish this rewatch before the end of season 6. This will have to be the last long one...

This entire episode is basically JRoth and The 100 trying to do a Hunger Games episode, only without the essence of The Hunger Games series – where this violent death match between (usually) 12 participants was portrayed as a terrible thing, an example of the cruelty, privilege and voyeurism of the ruling classes and the oppressiveness of the system, while here, in The 100, it’s just a Grounder tradition that the show doesn’t seem to pass any judgment on and that’s just a way to have some cool sword fighting action on screen.

But a lot of people really love this episode. It’s probably the most overrated episode of the show. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is a very good episode. What is does – the fights are well staged, unlike the one in 3x04, and the action, the drama, even some the emotional moments, it all works very well. That’s why I gave it a pretty high rating. It would be in my top 30. Maybe not my top 25? But I’ve seen so many people, including media articles, call it one of the best episodes of the show, put it in top 10 or even top 5 best episodes…and that’s just odd. Come on, it’s not top 10 material. It’s not in my top 5 episodes of season 4 (let alone the entire show). But I guess people really love sword fighting?

In retrospect, the main purpose of this episode was to set up Octavia as the Osleya – Red Queen/Blodreina, making her the winner of this version of Grounder Conclave, and the ruler of the bunker. Now, pretty much every viewer could have guessed she would win, because she’s one of the main characters and has a massive Plot Armor, but in-universe, Octavia was the dark horse, the least likely to win out of the 13 participants. She’s been training in Grounder fighting for some 6 months, but that’s nothing compared to all the others, who had been training and fighting all their lives. The show hasn’t often been too realistic about her fighting skills, but this time, to be fair, her victory is made to look a little bit more realistic because her tactic is to do what she is uniquely qualified to do – hide, let the others kill each other, and wait for the moment when she can kill the last living opponent.

This is Octavia’s most triumphant moment, when she wins, and then when she decides to not keep the bunker just for Sky people (who would have filled just 400 out of 1200 places) but to share the bunker between all the clans. * And with that, Octavia becomes the Queen and Savior in the eyes of the Grounders and unite all the clans, living the dream that Lexa tried but failed to make happen.

* …Oh wait, wasn’t that the exact same thing Clarke suggested to Indra, Roan and the other Grounder leaders in the previous episode, and they all ignored her, because they preferred war over the bunker, and then to fight the Conclave, and flat out told her that they wouldn’t listen to her because she’s not a Commander? If you want Grounders to listen to you, you must either kill a dozen other people in the Hunger Games-like sworf fight, and/or have “special blood” from birth and then have a chip with dead people’s voices put in your head. You may have good ideas, Clarke, but it means nothing if you can’t fight with a sword.

From the point of view of the characters in-universe, they gained absolutely nothing with this Conclave that they wouldn’t have had if they had accepted Clarke’s suggestion – except 12 of them would be still alive. Roan, who suggested the Conclave, only managed to get himself killed. But in terms of the narrative purpose, this is the show raising Octavia high, making her the hero/savior/queen, just to make her a tyrant and a villain in season 5. It’s also why some other characters needed to die so Octavia’s dark story could happen – Roan, because having a strong and sly Grounder leader in the bunker would prevent the same power dynamic; Ilian, because his relationship with Octavia was starting to become (gasp!) healthy and healing, and we can’t have that. And then there’s Luna, who goes full grimdark, wiyh the worst “DEAATH TO EVERYONE! Humanity doesn’t deserve to survive!” nihilism, so she could be the main antagonist, and also push Clarke into her own desperate actions.

Luna’s character turn used to be one of my two main problems with this episode. I used to really like her, and this seemed like a completely OOC twist. But she is the character I’ve changed my mind the most on during my rewatch, and now I think this turn was foreshadowed and in character for her.

But my other big problem with this episode still stands. It de-protagonizes Clarke, and pushes her into a pseudo-antagonist role, by framing the episode as a battle where the audience roots for Octavia (and Bellamy) and spends all the time with them and other people involved in the Conclave, directly or indirectly, while not letting us see Clarke’s perspective and her decision-making for more than a few short moments early on, which are easy to forget when you’re watching the episode for the first time. Obviously, the goal was to make the twist ending more surprising. And because of that, I was really confused the first time I watched this, and didn’t understand how Clarke went from asking for everyone to share the bunker (and refusing to let Roan be assassinated, so only Arkers people and Trikru would share the bunker – which, apparently, even saintly Kane agreed to!), to stealing the bunker for the Arkers with Jaha. But on rewatch, Clarke’s motives and state of mind are so much clearer and more relatable to me throughout season 4 – and, to be fair, this episode does set up her reasons early on. It just distracts the viewers too much with the Conclave itself, which the viewers know Octavia is likely to win. But looking at the situation as the characters themselves see it, Clarke’s decision to steal the bunker makes sense – certainly a lot more sense than the Conclave itself, which is an incredibly stupid way to make decisions on the survival of the human race.

 I used to be one of the people who really liked Luna and thought she was this wonderful voice of morality and non-violence, and when she appeared with the whole “I fight for death!” thing, it seemed out of nowhere. But she’s the character I’ve changed my mind the most on rewatch. What was I thinking? I guess I was just tired at the time of all the people celebrating violence and ruthlessness. Rewatching seasons 3 and 4, I realized that 1) this turn was, actually, in-character, and that 2) even before that, her pacifism was of the wrong kind and her moralizing was always hollow. She was running away because she was scared of humanity’s, or rather, her own capacity for violence, but she was OK with letting the rest of the world fall apart, as long as she could stay in her little bubble and not get her hands dirty. Maybe that’s a bit harsh. I’m aware that she’s been through terrible things – Grounder traditions are awful, she had to kill her own brother, and then everyone she loved died and she remained the last of her people. But even before the latter happened, she was flat out refusing to take the Flame and save the world from ALIE. Which, fine, her choice, and having voices of dead people in your head is pretty messed up – but she didn’t care if the rest of the world was enslaved by ALIE, as long as she thought her people would stay safe on their oil rig. Then, in season 4, after all of them had died of radiation, she didn’t want to help save the entire human race from Praimfaya, and had to be convinced to do it. Instead, she was moralizing about how humans may not deserve to survive. If you don’t want to save people because they aren’t morally perfect enough for you, there’s something wrong with you and your own morality. Having that in mind, it’s not OOC that she ended up making the step from letting the human race die, to actively trying to kill everyone.

(BTW, does Nightblood give people superpowers – and I don’t mean the ability to survive radiation and have the Flame or mind drives in their heads, but things like superior strength, agility, speed…? In season 4, I was definitely under the impression that it does, since Roan made that remark in 4x08 about Nightbloods like Lexa and Luna being superior fighters. And that would explain why Luna is supposed to be the most dangerous warrior of them all, which otherwise wouldn’t make a lot of sense, since she hasn’t done almost any real fighting for about a decade (I don’t know if she trained, I guess she should have just done it for sports), but she’s better than all of those other people, many of whom are physically much stronger than her if Nightblood doesn’t give you superstrength and who have been training and fighting all the time. You can’t even headcanon something like “she has the skills of all the previous Commanders in her head” as you can with Lexa.  But nothing we’ve seen with Clarke, Madi or the Primes suggests that about Nightblood, so I’m very confused now. To be fair, The 100 was never very realistic about fighting skills, especially not when it comes to the Girl with a Sword characters.)

In any case, for the purpose of the show, Luna is the clear favorite, and Octavia is the least likely to win. Clarke is well aware of it, though she pretends otherwise in order to give Octavia encouragement. Bellamy is also aware of it, but he has to put all the hopes in his sister, because he loves her so much and can’t accept the idea of her dying. He also gives Octavia the best advice - use her experience of hiding as “Girl under the floor”, hide and let the others mostly kill each other.

While Kane also decides to hope for the best, Jaha really isn’t happy about having the Conclave as a way to decide who survives, and thinks it’s stupid (of course, he’s right), but, unlike the others, also doesn’t believe the Grounders would honor the deal if Octavia won. However, Kane assures him they take the tradition as sacred. We can see Clarke listening carefully – and, no doubt, thinking that Luna is most likely to win, and if they really honor the outcome, that would mean everyone would die (except Luna, that is – who really would be the last person on Earth). Clarke then goes to find Roan and tell him they have to stop Luna (while Echo is listening), but Roan blames her for disrespecting their traditions etc. Clarke tells him that she wants the humanity to survive, even if it’s not her people. (Which shines more light on her motivation. As she points out in 4x11, excluding any of the Arkers from the bunker means that the Grounders wouldn’t have anyone to run hydro generators and produce artificial food etc. But she made her decision to steal the bunker only after Luna entered the picture, and the possibility of the human race all dying became very likely.) Roan doesn’t listen and tells her to leave before she “dishonors her people even more”. Huh. Interesting views on honor. This is a guy who has no problem ordering assassinations and wasn’t upset when his army was burning villages and killing people just for the sake of it, but he takes Grounder traditions very seriously, as seen later when he banished Echo for cheating at the Conclave. However, Clarke’s words seem to have gotten more than he was ready to admit, because, in the end, he came to his senses and offered Octavia an alliance against Luna, deciding that, after all, the most important thing is for the human race to survive.

There are hints of what would happen that I didn’t notice the first time: Close-up of Clarke in thoughts. Close-up of Echo, also deep in thoughts, and deciding to cheat at the Conclave. IMO, Echo’s actions in this episode are more defensible and understandable than anything else she’s done up to this point. Everything else she did was for Azgeda to get more power, or she used the “I was following orders” excuse, but this time, it really is a matter of survival, so I can’t even blame her for deciding to kill a bunch of people to ensure that Azgeda gets the bunker, in the sneaky way, rather than by the rules, as Roan is trying.

One of the strengths of this episode are all the emotional moments. There is a big one between Indra and Octavia, as Indra genuinely gives her advice to help her, which Octavia finds strange, since, if she won, it would mean her people wouldn’t get the bunker, but Indra tells her she’s her people, too. The meaning of the phrase “my people” means is something the characters are constantly defining for themselves. (Interesting that same phrase “You are my people” was said in season 2 by Clarke to Lincoln, at the time when he still wasn’t living in Arkadia.) Indra is Octavia’s surrogate mother in a way, and considers her family. Besides, I don’t think it’s that odd to wish her luck, since the odds of her directly facing the Trikru warrior aren’t high anyway.

Gaia and Indra get a rare mother/daughter moment, when Gaia cries in her mother’s arms after the Trikru warrior is one of the first to fall. As far as they know at that point, this means death for them and all other Trikru.

Octavia and Ilian later do their best to pretend they are Katniss and Peeta in the first Hunger Games, since he is saving her and offering her alliance against the others, while she is rejecting it because she’d then have to kill him. He claims he didn’t volunteer to be there because of her, but it could have been a combination of motives. His entire family is dead, he will also die, but in a much worse way, of radiation, in a few days, unless one of this people wins the Conclave, but I’m sure he also wants to give Octavia more chance to possibly win, and the odds of the two of them being the last are very slim.

Of course, this episode also has big emotional moments for the Blake sibling relationship, and brings them together after almost two seasons of conflict – or rather, of Octavia being angry at Bellamy. Which leaves me halfway between feeling its’s heartwarming. and feeling bitter that it’s still all about Octavia forgiving Bellamy, after beating him bloody at one point. It’s a two-episode storyline - at the beginning, Bellamy regrets he wasn’t able to tell his sister that he loves her, even at the end of the world. (He gets the chance to do that in the next episode.) When Bellamy realizes that Echo is cheating, he decides to go in there to stop her. (I like how the show made it look for a moment like Kane will be against it, but then it turns out he just tells Bellamy to wait till it’s dark, so he wouldn’t be discovered.)

After killing a few people including mortally wounding Ilian, Echo tries to kill Octavia, again, and Bellamy stops her, and in their fight, almost chokes her to death. Bellamy chokes or strangles people quite often. Four episodes later, these two will be an item. Sure, it’s 6 years in-universe, but for the viewers, very short time, and Bellamy and Echo will have just one one-to-one scene together before they become a couple. I guess trying to kill each other counts as setup for romance on The 100, it’s like an equivalent of at least six months of dating.

Roan stops him and then banishes Echo, and Octavia overhears Bellamy talk about his love for her – telling Roan that he was the “lucky one” to have her as a sister. Is feeling unconditional love lucky, even if that person treats you like crap most of the time? Anyway, Octavia is very moved. I guess she really did not realize before how much Bellamy loved her, which is almost unbelievable - if anything was always super-obvious, it was how much Bellamy loves his sister and how much he was willing to do for her.

There are a lot of mentions of Lincoln. Octavia’s final decision to share the bunker is obviously supposed to be something inspired by what Lincoln believed in - and Octavia and Luna even argue over who Lincoln would be ashamed of. Which is silly, because Luna must be aware she’s talking nonsense and that he wouldn’t approve of what she’s doing. But most of what she says in this episode is BS, as when she goes on about how Skaikru taught her that people are selfish and awful. (Really? The Mountain Men didn’t, the Grounders fighting each other all the time didn’t, making her kill her own brother and fight other children in the Conclave, nothing? But when Skaikru tried to find a way for everyone to survive Praimfaya, which ended with Clarke injecting herself with Nightblood and volunteering to risk her life and be tested? That convinced her that people are awful and selfish? OK then.) She only starts making sense when she finally admits it is all about herself – she clearly has been traumatized and afraid of her own capacity from violence and darkness since she killed her brother in the Conclave.

Twist! Bellamy is kidnapped. And then we get the twist ending OMG! Shock! They stole the bunker! “They used the gas to knock everyone out, as in Mount Weather". Dum dum dum – another comparison to Mountain Men OMG, they are as bad as the Mountain Men, because they can use gas and… they knocked those people out that stood in their way, instead of killing them all (as Azgeda and Trikru had a habit of doing this season)? Uuum...

Timeline: There are 3 days left until the death wave comes, and the conclave lasts  one day and one night.

Body count: All the people who die in this episode die in the Conclave: 12 Grounder warriors, chronologically:

Two warriors, including the Fio of Trikru (recurring character – he’s the guy who used to beat up Octavia in 2x11), killed by Roan;

two are killed by Echo’s arrows;

one warrior killed by Ilian, who was helping Octavia, another by some other warrior, one by Octavia (this was during one four-way fight);

two by Luna;

Ilian, mortally wounded by Echo and then Octavia mercy-killed him at his request (dramatic irony – she threatened earlier that she’ll kill him the next time she sees him);

Roan, killed by Luna, in a pretty horrifying manner, slicing his stomach and drowning him in a fountain of radioactive rain;

Luna, stabbed from behind by Octavia, after falling for a pretty cheap trick.

Rating: 8.5/10

Bonus:

Episodes 4x09-4x10 in a nutshell:

Grounders * fight a war for the bunker *

Clarke: The end of the world is coming! Instead of fighting, we could all share the bunker instead! There is place for more than just one clan!

Grounders: Meh. We don't care, we prefer war, and we would only listen to you if you were a Commander!

Clarke * is exasperated by everyone's stubborn and stupid behaviorand the probability of everyone dying * OK then, I'll make myself a Commander *

Roan: She became a Nightblood through science! Blasphemy!

Grounders: What an insult to our sacred traditions that were started 90 years ago by a bunch of nutty cultists and a scientist who made Nightblood through science so people could get computer chips in their heads! So, let's have war.

Roan: Let's have Hunger Games instead. The one tradition we love more than hereditary special blood that lets you get a computer chip in your head. A dozen people killing each other with swords is the best way to decide the fate of the human race!

* everyone agrees*

Luna: Hi. I'm the strongest fighter by far, and I want to fight so I can destroy the entire human race. DIE DIE DIE! DEATH TO EVERYONE!

Everyone: Well, that's fair. She will probably win and everyone will die. Reasonable. Let's hope that it doesn't happen.

Clarke * is really exasperated * Oh, hell no. I better make sure at least some people survive. * steals the bunker *

Octavia: * wins against all odds * We should all share the bunker!

Everyone: This is such a great idea, because someone who can fight with a sword said it! Hey, wait, what happened?

Clarke: .........

[so-shiny-so-chrome]

Witness: Icarusdusoleil

Creator name (AO3): Icarusdusoleil

Creator name (Tumblr): icarus-doodles

Link to creator works: http://icarus-doodles.tumblr.com/

Q: Why the Mad Max Fandom?

A: I have always enjoyed the Mad Max movies and I fell even deeper in love with the franchise with Fury Road. The characters were fascinating and the world seemed so fleshed out, despite only catching small glimpses of it. It felt very lived-in and real, because of the rich visual storytelling. Wanting more of Max and Furiosa in particular, I dove headfirst into looking at the beautiful art and reading the well thought out fanfiction and meta that the fandom had created. I have never encountered such a passionate, creative, observant, and welcoming fandom as the Mad Max fans. I fell just as much in love with the fandom as I did with the movies. I knew I had to create my own art and writing to express my love and admiration for Mad Max.

Q: What do you think are some defining aspects of your work? Do you have a style? Recurrent themes?

A: I'm definitely the most interested in Max and Furiosa, so my art and writing mainly revolves around them. I like to explore their companionship because they very much seem like soul mates--somewhere between platonic and romantic. I think I often use ravens and creeping vines to represent them symbolically in my work... but that may just be because I had a dream once where Max was a raven.

Q: Which of your works was the most fun to create? The most difficult? Which is your most popular? Most successful? Your favourite overall?

A: I think my favourite work overall is my fanfiction "Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things". I built a playlist of songs that made me think of Max and Furiosa and "A Horse With No Name" by America really stuck with me. The fic became very introspective and someone once likened it to Max acting as a ferryman taking Furiosa to heaven. Writing it was incredibly cathartic and the positive response I got was overwhelmingly wonderful. I also greatly enjoyed sharing my raven!Max dream, because Donda used the idea for the Corvus Cormax fic, which I enjoy so much. It was so cool to see my silly idea turn into such a beautifully written work. I love drawing raven!Max.

Q: How do you like your wasteland? Gritty? Hopeful? Campy? Soft? Why?

A: Truthfully, I think the wasteland is a character in itself, because it is such a tangible and metamorphic force in the movies. So I think I would describe my wasteland as a mix between gritty, hopeful, and spiritual... maybe ethereal. The wasteland is certainly not gentle or kind, but there are moments of quiet and peace that lend to a certain thoughtfulness.

Q: Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished product. What's your prefered environment for creating? How do you get through rough patches?

A: When I draw, my process is very much just stream of consciousness. Sometimes I use references, especially if I'm trying to draw Max and Furiosa realistically, but other times I just draw from my head. I draw both digitally and traditionally. For writing, I am much more meticulous and organized. I prefer to have a story completely planned and outlined from start to finish before I begin. I like using inspiration from history, mythology, and folklore, so I end up doing a lot of research whenever I write. I always listen to music, whether it's soundtracks or my Mad Max inpsired playlist. And whenever I hit a rough patch, I just take a break until I'm feeling ready to work on it again.

Q: What (if any) music do you listen to for help getting those creative juices flowing?

A: I have a whole Mad Max inspired playlist! Some of songs that I associate the strongest with the franchise are "A Horse With No Name" by America, "Cruel Sun" by Rusted Root, and "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. The song that reminds me the most of Max is "Wasteland" by Woodkid. And the one that belongs the most to Furiosa is "Chi Mi Na Morbheanna" by the Rankin Family.

Q: What is your biggest challenge as a creator?

A: Finding time to create for myself has always been tough, because I have a full-time job as an art teacher. I often feel burnt out and don't have the energy to create indulgently.

Q: Which character do you relate to the most, and how does that affect your approach to that character? Is someone else your favourite to portray? How has your understanding of these characters grown through portraying them?

A: Furiosa is by far the character that I relate to the most. I instantly felt connected to her burning determination, her incredible rage, and her open vulnerability. I often wish I had a character like her to look up to when I was a child. Max is the other character that I really enjoy, because I also identify with his disjointed anxiety and desperate need to help. I love writing and drawing both of them, because they don't fit into the conventional action hero and heroine roles, which is really refreshing.

Q: Do you have any favourite relationships to portray? What interests you about them?

A: This comes as no surprise... but Max and Furiosa. I've mentioned before how I view them as soul mates that ride the line between platonic and romantic. They are such complex characters with very weighty pasts behind them, so exploring how they would interact and play off of each other is a lot of fun. I would also like to explore more of Furiosa and Angharad's relationship in the future, but I haven't had the inspiration to do so yet.

Q: Do you prefer to create in one defined chronology or do your works stand alone? Why or why not?

A: Drawing-wise: I'm all over the place. Lots of AUs, lots of canon, lots of "i don't even know but this was fun to draw". I just draw what I want because it's really fun to explore different ideas! Writing-wise: So far everything that I've written can be tied together or they can stand alone. I haven't though much into it.

Q: To break or not to break canon? Why?

A: I break canon so much when I draw, because it's fun to just say "what if Max was turned into a raven" or "what if Furiosa grew out her hair and got a cool new arm".  When I write, I actually stay fairly close to canon. I like using my writing as almost filling in the blanks of the established world. That being said, I really do like to add little twists here and there.

Q: Share some headcanons.

A: I really only have one that I'm super passionate about. I subscribe to the idea that Tom Hardy's Max is the same as Mel Gibson's, because I really enjoy the thought of all movies tying together. My headcanon vacillates between the idea that Max is immortal or that he died years ago, but his spirit still wanders restlessly through the waste.

Q: Who are some works by other creators inside and outside of the fandom that have influenced your work?

A: "Drifter" by @kaasknot was the very first Mad Max fanfiction that I read and I was blown away by their version of Max. It truly stuck with me and was one of the reasons I jumped headfirst into the headcanon of an immortal Max. I also love "He Just Wouldn't Stay Away" by @cygnaut, "The Length and Breadth of Fury Road" by Proprioception, and of course "Corvus Cormax" by Donda ( @thatonezombiecosplayer . I'm also so incredibly inspired by all of the gorgeous art that has been produced in the fandom.

Q: What advice can you give someone who is struggling to make their own works more interesting, compelling, cohesive, etc.? 

A: First and foremost: create for yourself. If you're not enjoying what you create, then find something that you do enjoy and make that instead. Take your time and start small. Your creation doesn't have to be a masterpiece. If you are truly stuck, then take a break or maybe ask someone to take a look at it with you to get some feedback.

Q: Have you visited or do you plan to visit Australia, Wasteland Weekend, or other Mad Max place?

A: I would love to go to Australia!. Not even just for Mad Max, but just because I have always been fascinated with Australia. And I would like to try Wasteland Weekend, because I know a lot of people who go... but I feel like it would be very out of my comfort zone and I would just be an anxious mess the entire time. So I'm not sure!

Q: Tell us about a current WIP or planned project.

A: I'm currently working on a Furiosa-themed punk vest. It's been a slow process, but it's been a lot of fun to work on. I hope to share it soon! And of course I'm going to keep drawing fanart, because it just feels like coming home every single time I visit the wasteland characters. I have also been slowly trying to chip away at an idea for a fanfiction. I've had this idea for a couple years and it includes an older Furiosa, Max as either immortal or a spirit, and disappearing children. I've been calling it "Babes in the Waste". I'm hoping to actually start working on it this year.

Thank you @icarus-doodles

[marshmalleaux-queen]

Does anyone want to hear about the extensive headcanon I have for Ghirahim in a pathetic (but non-serious and all in good fun) attempt to somewhat justify his ruthlessness and villainy

i’m pretty sure the answer is no so I’m gonna spare you the headache by giving you the option to hear it under the cut or just keep scrolling bc it’s 1 am and I’m sleep- and sick-drunk and just babbling random shit

So a headcanon I've always had for Ghirahim - mostly (and shamelessly) to make up for the fact that my self ship with him would absolutely sink if we went strictly by canon - is that even though he's Demise's sword and does things exclusively to please his master, it doesn't exactly mean he enjoys doing so or wants to. I have two ideas/reasons for why this might be:

Before he was sworn to Demise, he was his own person (er, Sword Spirit), with his own free thoughts and desires, and similar to Fi, he was simply waiting for his master to come and claim him (whoever that may have been). As far as I'm concerned, the only weapon that's ever had a "you must be this pure/sinful to ride" requirement is the Master Sword - so what if the sword Ghirahim resides in doesn't hold that requirement? Who's to say that he couldn't very well be claimed by some powerful but benevolent warrior who's sole purpose in life isn't to be an absolute monster? Who can say that Ghirahim didn't actually have a benevolent personality himself, or at least a neutral one?

Another possible reason is that Ghirahim was created not as a weapon of evil, but for the purpose of balance. We've already seen one instance in which a hero wielding the Master Sword began to think that he was invincible, when in reality, holding that sword requires one to know their own strengths, weaknesses, and limits, and that even the simple initial action of pulling the sword from its pedestal is not always without its drawbacks. (And yes, I know that I’m referencing Hyrule Warriors, which is is a non-canon game, but none of this entire post is canon either okaydkjfhgdf)

Perhaps the intention (keyword here, "intention") of Ghirahim's creation was a means to remind those heroes of their vulnerability and weaknesses, be it from someone wielding him or by his own actions (as we've seen him summon many a monster and possess powerful magic and strength of his own). Even the good guy should never have too much power or control. Ghirahim's creation could ensure that there will always be a counter, a balance, a force going against the awesome and "good" power of the Master Sword and its wielder - not necessarily an "evil" force, but just a force to ensure that nobody has more power than another.

But surely, if he was only intended to serve as balance, then it wouldn't make sense for him to fall into Demise's possession, right?

Well, the Master Sword can only be drawn by certain people - and the circumstances change. Sometimes you have to be pure of heart, sometimes you just need to have a ton of resolve and complete an insane amount of trials, and sometimes there's no requirement other than bearing a piece of the Triforce. Once it's drawn, though, the sword spirit residing within is bound to serve that person without question - which makes sense, because the person already proved themselves to be good and trustworthy just by pulling it. But even afterwards, the person can change - like the example before - and it can still be in their possession anyway.

The circumstances regarding who can pull the sword that Ghirahim resides in are a complete mystery - but let's say, for the sake of the argument, the requirement is that the wielder needed to have a sincere desire to maintain balance and nothing more. No greed in their heart, no thirst for power - just a drive to make sure no one force is too strong. Who's to say that before Demise began causing all the chaos that he did, he didn't truly intend to keep balance by using the sword, and consequently could have drawn it? And who's to say that, just like the example with the Master Sword, he didn't get cocky once he realized how strong it was, and wanted to see just how much good he could suppress with it? Or maybe it's a lot more simple than that - maybe it's like how the Triforce of Power being bestowed to Ganon was a "divine prank," and Ghirahim being claimed by a destructive and evil force like Demise could simply be another cruel twist of fate.

Regardless, Ghirahim's not particularly interested in the whole "world domination and take all the power" thing himself. But, as fate would have it, he ended up being claimed by Demise. And Demise's cruelty has no exceptions, even to his own sword.

I imagine that since Demise is the very first incarnation of Ganon, completely built on hate and ruthlessness, he doesn't even attempt to show a shred of mercy to his own weapon. When Ghirahim fails to perform a task correctly for his master, he is punished for it - be it physical punishment, isolation, anything to demean Ghirahim and remind him that he is nothing more than a tool - a useful tool, but a tool nonetheless. Demise attempts to teach Ghirahim that the only reason he is still in one piece is because he is a powerful weapon, and that he should be afraid to disappoint his master because he will only stay alive as long as he is of use... And it works.

Ghirahim is no longer his own entity - now he is afraid to show that he is anything but malicious, cruel, and devoted entirely to his master. Even though there were no limitations as to who could claim him, his purpose as a Sword Spirit is to serve that person without question - it's simply what he was created to do. Since he is now unfortunately at Demise's mercy, he's forced to carry out a myriad of wicked deeds that he doesn't always feel are right, and any attempt to object or voice his own concern gets him ridiculed, punished, and ignored by his master.

Perhaps it explains his numerous encounters throughout Skyward Sword? He often claims to have spent too much time "toying" with Link during their previous battle and "allows" Link to walk away with his life. Ghirahim appears uninjured at the end of their fights, but the next time they see each other, his body is suddenly more and more damaged, revealing his true form underneath. Why is it that cracks and chips don't appear across his body during the fight, but are suddenly there upon their next encounter? Why does he only show signs of being hurt after he leaves and returns entirely? Perhaps it's because Link isn't the one that truly damaged him... Perhaps someone else saw it fit to harm Ghirahim - and not because he was trying to eliminate Link... but rather because he didn't eliminate Link. I think about this a lot: Clearly, Ghirahim is a powerful entity - he's extremely skilled in combat, has a ton of magic at his disposal, not to mention he himself is a literal weapon. It's not entirely irrational to think that, if not for the fact that you play as the hero and have to win the game, Ghirahim would be more than capable of wiping the floor with Link. For the sake of the argument, let's take the "forced to win" aspect away from the story, and just focus on the fact that Link always bests Ghirahim. What other explanation would there be if not that Ghirahim intentionally goes easy on Link - both to show his true benevolence (that he is desperately trying to hold on to and show others, in light of this constant charade) and to increase the possibility of Link stopping the reincarnation of his master - and when Ghirahim returns to his master, he is punished and harmed for it?

...And yes, I know the other explanation would literally just be "he's the villain, he's evil, and he is canonically just a violent and vicious asshole." Yeah, I agree, that's canonically true. Like I said, if we went strictly by canon, I know that my ship would absolutely sink because Ghirahim would never canonically act benevolent to, or give a shit about, anyone who isn't his master or caters to his master's wishes. Ghirahim doesn't even really think for himself in canon - just what Demise wants. But look this is just a big dumb massive headcanon cut me some slack and let me have fun okay ksjdfhgkjdf

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Write Me a Lullaby Part 27

Summary: Delilah has been writing to her Penpal for almost six years. She doesn't know his real name and she doesn't know what he does for a living. When she's set to meet him, she's surprised to find out she's been falling in love with Sebastian Stan

Chapter Summary: Luca meets his baby sister for the very first time. Sebastian is sick of the hospital. 

Warnings: Hospitals, fluff, fluff, and more fluff, a little sexual reference at the very end. 

           Luca walked into the hospital room with my doctor. She smiled warmly and let him run up to Sebastian.

           “He’s so big.” My doctor sighed. “It feels like just yesterday we were swaddling him up and handing him to you.” She touched my shoulder.

           “I know.” I felt a wave of nostalgia. “Well, I think we’re stopping at two.” I decided and picked Anamaria up out of her bassinette.

           “That might be a good idea.” She agreed. “Your pregnancies tend to be high risk. The more children you have, the more dangerous it can get.”

           “Well, we’ve got the set now. A boy and a girl.” Sebastian scooped Luca into his arms. “Ready to meet your sister?”

           Luca looked over at the bundle and wrinkled his nose. “No.”

           I laughed a little. “Luca, baby, that’s not very nice. She’s been waiting all this time to meet you.”

           “I don’t wanna.” He buried his face in Sebastian’s neck.

           “Luc, she’s not going away, might as well meet her now.” He chuckled. But our son didn’t budge.

           “Let him warm up to her. Most siblings are a little nervous when it comes to meeting their baby brother or sister.” My doctor assured me. “How are you feeling?”

           “Good, just tired. I feel a lot weaker than after Luca.” I winced as I tried to sit up.

           Sebastian set Luca down and helped me. “How much longer will she have to stay?” He asked. I could tell he was getting sick of the hospital. He just wanted to be home with me, Luca, and our newest addition.

           “Let’s see how the rest of this day goes and assess from there.” My doctor said.

           I nodded. “Thank you,” I said and she left the room.

           Luca wandered around the hospital room, trying to touch things but Sebastian guiding him away.

           “Buddy, you can’t touch any of the machines, they’re helping mama.” He pulled Luca away from the heart rate monitor for the third time.

           “But I wanna see it!” Luca started to whine and stomped his feet.

           “Luca, no.” Sebastian knelt down to scold him. “Other people are trying to sleep in the hospital so we need to have quiet voices.” He hushed.

           “I don’t wanna be here!” He started to cry and flailed his hands.

           “Hey, I’m going to have bunica come and pick you up very soon if you don’t behave.” My husband made sure our son was looking him in the eyes. “You’ll have to go home and you won’t be able to see your baby sister until tomorrow.”

           Luca scrunched up his face in a big pout and started making noises, which I liked to describe as a muffled racecar engine.

           It was always hard to take him seriously when he was making growling noises with his lips tightly pursed. But Sebastian wasn’t laughing like he usually was.

           “Luca Christopher Stan, I’m going to count to three. You better cut out this behavior or you’re going home.”

           Luca glared at him and continued his noises.

           “One…”

           The racecar noises faltered a little but Luca crossed his arms over his chest.

           “Two…”

           Plan two formed in Luca’s head and he ran to me with tears in his eyes. “Mommy!” He cried.

           Sebastian sighed and stood up. “Luca…”

           “It’s okay,” I assured him. “Baby, you need to start behaving or you’re going to have to go home,” I said and stroked his hair back. “So please go sit in that chair for a minute. Daddy will come over with Anamaria if you’re being good.”

           Luca sniffled but it seemed to do the trick. He walked over and climbed up into the soft armchair in the corner of the room.

           Sebastian walked over to me with an exhausted look on his face. “I hate this hospital.” He grumbled.

           “I know.” I reached up with my free hand to touch his cheek. “We’ll be home soon though.” I kissed his forehead. “I put one of Luca’s favorite books in my bag. Why don’t you go read to them?”

           He sighed and smiled. “You’re the best mother.” He murmured.

           “And you’re the best father.” I let him take Anamaria.

           “Alright, are we all out of the grumpies?” Sebastian asked and walked over to the chair.

           Luca wiped his nose and nodded.

           “Good. Let’s read to Anamaria then. She hasn’t had story time yet.” Sebastian got them situated so Luca was sitting on his lap, holding the book open. Sebastian held Anamaria and wrapped an arm around Luca too. “Okay, Luca, this is your baby sister. Anamaria, this is your older brother.”

           Luca peered into the swaddle and studied her face. “Hi.” He said quietly.

           Sebastian smiled and kissed Luca’s hair. “Look at that, we’re all getting along. Now, let’s get this story on the road. Once upon a time…”

-----------

           “Ready?” I whispered and slowly opened the door for Luca, Anamaria, and Rocket. Luca was six and Anamaria was just shy of turning two. “Go get him.” I unleashed the wild kids.  

           They ran into our bedroom and scrambled up onto the bed where Sebastian was still fast asleep.

           “Daddy!” They both shouted as they started jumping on the bed. Rocket got to Sebastian’s face and started to lick him.

           My husband groaned and reached for a pillow to shield himself from the slobbery kisses. “Oh, boy…it’s father’s day already?”

           I laughed and turned off the video and saved it to post later. I walked over to the bed and helped Anamaria down. “Go get daddy his presents,” I said and shooed Rocket away.

           Sebastian set the pillow aside and looked up at me. “You know, it gets better every year.” He sighed.

           “Well, it’ll probably get worse once they start getting bigger.” I giggled and leaned down to peck his cheek.

           “Oh trust me, Luca’s getting up there. This year I thought we were in the middle of an earthquake before they started yelling.”

           “You love it.”

           “Well, it makes me feel like I deserve the presents.” He grinned and brought me closer to kiss him properly.

           “Ew!” Luca and Anamaria returned to find us kissing. “Gross!”

           I laughed and pulled away. “Ew, Sebby, don’t kiss me, that’s gross!” I accused. “Boys have cooties.”

           “Nu-uh! Girls have cooties!” Luca yelled and launched himself back on the bed.

           “That’s right. Girls have cooties.” Sebastian stuck his tongue out at me and cuddled Luca close.

           “Oh well, I guess when I make breakfast in bed it’s going to have a heap of cooties in it.” I sighed and went back to the kitchen.

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

           When I returned with the traditional father’s day breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes, strawberries, bacon, and lots of syrup, Luca and Anamaria were talking to Sebastian about their gifts.

           “That’s Rocket, and that’s me, and that’s Luca, and that’s you and mommy. You two are on the moon because I built a rocket and flew you guys up to the moon.” Luca pointed to the drawings on his card.

           Sebastian laughed and nodded. “Awesome, mom and dad have a summer home on the moon?”

           “With a pool!”

           “Sounds fun.” I got cuddled up in the nest of pillows and blankets. I set the tray of food down and handed out napkins first. Usually, post-father’s-day-breakfast meant a whole lot of washing chocolate and syrup stains out of the bedspread. But it was worth it.

           “Mine, mine!” Anamaria shoved a small, wrapped gift towards Sebastian. She gave him a toothy smile.

           “What’s this?” He unwrapped the rock that she had found on a trip to the park. She’d taken a few sharpies and scribbled on a little masterpiece. “Wow! Is this an original Anamaria Stan work?” Sebastian gasped. “Look at the colors, I’ve got to say, baby girl, this is one of the best ones yet.” He kissed her cheek as he reached over to set the rock down on his nightstand. There was already a growing pile of rocks that she had found for him.

           Anamaria grinned and hugged him tightly. Luca reached for his present. “We made this in class.” He said and gave it to Sebastian.

           “Wow, buddy, look at this!” He pulled the small pin that read ‘Best Dad Ever’ in Luca’s scrawling penmanship. “I think I’m going to have to wear this to my next event.” And he would. In fact, he would wear it to many events and always kept it safe with his cufflinks and tie clips. The Internet went into a little bit of a frenzy when they found out Luca had made it for Sebastian.

           Luca beamed proudly. “I used your favorite colors.” He said. “And I learned how to write a big B instead of a little B.”

           “It looks great, buddy, thank you so much.” He hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead.  

           “Mom’s turn?” I raised an eyebrow.

           Sebastian grinned. “Sure.”

           I pulled out a box and a sappy card I’d spent a few days writing. Holidays were always a good time to reflect on how much I loved him.

           Sebastian opened the box after reading the card. Inside was a small photo album he could take with him when he was traveling. It was full of pictures dating back from when we first met to just a few weeks before when Luca turned six. Underneath was an all black tie.

           He looked a little curious. “For a special occasion?” He asked.

           “We’ll talk about it later.” I nodded innocently. “Why don’t you guys go get daddy’s coffee on the kitchen counter.” I’d purposefully left it there so I could have a second to explain my gift.

           Eagerly, Luca, Anamaria, and Rocket all ran to the kitchen. I leaned over to kiss Sebastian softly.

           “Alright, let me know what it’s about.” He murmured when I pulled away.

           “It’s just a little prop for tonight.” I shrugged and batted my eyelashes.

           “Tonight?” He raised an eyebrow.

           “I may or may not have gotten Chris to babysit for tonight.”

           Sebastian groaned. “Oh hell yes.” He smirked. “I think I’m catching your drift now.” He murmured and kissed me again.

(Headcanon: Luca doesn’t actually have a middle name. But since both Chris and Anthony are his godparents, Sebastian interchanges their names to sound more serious. Luca Christopher Stan or Luca Anthony Stan. It’s a dark day when he uses both names. LUCA ANTHONY CHRISTOPHER STAN) 

Masterpost

[if-i-want-to-dance]

Dance with Devils headcanons for when the boys’ S/O are on their period

Guess what time of the month it is over here...

Rem

-Doesn’t get how women just walk around all day while they’re constantly bleeding. Probably didn’t know what periods were until he came to the human world. And given his lack of female acquaintances, he probably didn’t put all the pieces together until he met his S/O and had to be flat out told. Probably still doesn’t understand it entirely and is now too embarrassed to ask

-Has a rough idea what he’s doing. Lets you binge, but doesn’t necessarily understand it. He’ll get you your chocolate if that’s your thing. Probably gets you the nice types of chocolate too. Like, the types they import from Switzerland or Belgium or wherever it is that they make the world’s best chocolate, I don’t know. Painkillers? He keeps a bottle of them for you in a drawer of his desk in the library, just in case. He’s ready and prepared.

-On that subject, he’ll probably encourage you to stay home the first couple days of your cycle, depending on how bad your bleeding and cramps are.

“Are you sure you want to be walking around when you’re in this state?”

“Rem, I’m on my period, not dying.”

-Is taken aback by the hormonal grumpiness the first few times, quickly figures out you don’t mean half of what you’re saying and just gets used to it.

-Cramps? He feels bad for you and just does whatever he can to make you feel better.

-Kind of just learns from your cues how to act when you’re on your period.

-Will buy you your pads/tampons if you ask. He’s a little self conscious about it though. He knows it’s a biological function and that you need them and why, so he gets used to it and learns to ignore the feeling, but it’s always there in the back of his head. Not that he ever actually indicates this to anyone. People giving him weird looks for it get glares in return.

Urie

-Tries to be more affectionate than usual. Depending on what you like, this might be great. Or it might tick you off.

-Chocolate? He gets your chocolate. Probably gets you nice chocolate too, like the stuff you get at Purdy’s or from an actual high end chocolatier, not just some bars from Walmart. Anything your cravings desire shall be yours. Can you tell I have some chocolate cravings right now Do you want ice cream? He’ll get you ice cream.  Chips? Chips are yours. No matter how weird anything you ask for is, it shall be yours.

-You want to stay home? Sure, stay home with him. He’s not complaining. More time with you is always a good thing in his book.

-Has a little bit of trouble figuring out out the moodiness as first, but after a couple months he figures out all the right things to say and do and takes it in his stride.

-Cramps? What does his lovely butterfly need to make her feel better? He’ll rub your stomach or get you tea or whatever.

-He’ll buy you pads or tampons or whatever you need if you ask him to. I headcanon he carries them around for the girls he knows because he’s around them a lot and it comes up. (Guys like that do exist, I’ve met one or two. It’s a long story.) He’s had all of those weird butterflies/fangirls for a while - it must have come up before. It doesn’t even register to him that he could be uncomfortable when he gets them.

Mage

-Googles what to do because he’s completely clueless

-Like Rem, he respects the fact you can go on normally with your day while bleeding and being constantly in pain.

-Whatever you crave is yours. He’ll probably go get you tons and tons of whatever it is you want. Chocolate? Ice cream? Chips? He’s got you there.

-He doesn’t deal so well with the moodiness, to be honest. He tries, he really does, but he’s not exactly the most patient so you have a tendency to tick him off. Learns over time how to deal with your moodiness, but honestly leaves you alone most of the time unless you ask him otherwise.

-Affection? All yours, if you want it. If not, he’ll leave you alone, occasionally sliding chocolate bars and whatnot in your direction.

-He’ll buy your pads and tampons. He’s super embarrassed the first couple times, but gets used to it.

Shiki

-Has no idea what he’s doing and just kind of goes along with it.

-Cravings? Sure, knock yourself out. Eat anything that makes you feel better. He doesn’t care.

-Too tired/in too much pain to leave the house? Sweet. He can stay with you and spend time with you. Always a good thing in his book.

-Has way too much fun annoying you if you’re moody. Harasses you and drives you absolutely mad for kicks.

-If you like extra affection, he’s all over you. If not, he’s annoying you with it anyway so that you’ll get mad.

-Enjoys watching you try to move around and live with cramps. The worse they are, the better. Probably hides the advil or whatever painkiller it is you like so that he can see you in more discomfort. Try that on me Shiki and I will murder you quickly and painlessly so you won’t enjoy it

-Will get you pads/tampons, no questions asked. Chill about it, does not care at all, doesn’t see a reason to be embarrassed.

Lindo

-Grew up in a house with a little sister who he doted on like mad, he knows what he’s doing.

-He’ll feed your cravings, but won’t let you go overboard on chocolate or something. He’s the mom boyfriend and he’ll only indulge you so much.

-Will tolerate mood swings. Tolerate. He won’t let you get away with too much. Mostly stays a bit out of your way, but if you want affection and attention it’s yours.

-Cramps? Activate Mother Hen Lindo. You need advil/hot water bottle/hot chamomile tea/a hot boyfriend to rub your stomach? He’s got you there. He probably hovers too much, to be honest, and you may eventually want him to go away.

-Spoils you a little bit, though, and won’t bother you about staying home from school if you’re really feeling bad.

-Will buy you pads/tampons/whatever you use. The only comment will be “What kind do you need?” He probably did it for Ritsuka in the past, he doesn’t see it as a big deal.

Roen

-He understands how it works from a biological standpoint. From how it actually affects you, not so much. He learns pretty quickly.

-He’ll let you eat to fulfill your cravings, but not to excess.

-You are not getting away with being a moody brat. Not in a thousand years. Childishness or grumpiness is not an acceptable way to deal with your hormones in his book. If your moodiness really bad, though, and you request it, he’ll leave you alone unless he needs you for something.

-On the bright side, if you’ve got cramps or want affection, he’ll cuddle with you in puppy form. Unless you want to be left alone. Painkillers? He’s got them. Hot water bottle? All yours.

-If you need to stay home, that’s fine. Stay in bed and he’ll bring you tea and cake. He might encourage you to spend the time reading or working on something, if you feel up to it, but he won’t push it if you feel really bad. If you feel up to it, he’ll talk you on a walk because it’s supposed to help. You can have him in puppy or human form for this, he has little preference as to which.

-He’ll buy you pads/tampons, and he’ll stare down anyone who gives him an odd look for it.

[januskrug]

10 Favorite Female Characters

Started as a reblog from @lynmars79 , but it has become a “thing” so I’m putting this in its own post to avoid stretching everyone’s dash. There will be spoilers for video games, books, and tv shows; to avoid you’ll want to avoid the blurbs and just enjoy the names and pictures.

“RULES: write your 10 favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people.”

10: Ms. Pauling, Team Fortress 2

Ms. Pauling makes the list by being both a fascinating character with her fiction of origin, Team Fortress 2, as well as the game’s first Knight of Cerberus. Introduced as the overworked assistant to the mysterious “Administrator”, Ms Pauling was depicted as a sensible, inexperienced-yet-capable office worker who just happened to be both ethically alright with and quite skilled at disposing of people whom the Administrator decided were more troublesome alive than dead. Even in the insane world of Team Fortress 2, Ms. Pauling stood out as ruthlessly competent and loyal to the shadowy powers that be, easily manipulating people around her and expertly disposing of evidence that would ruin her boss’ plans, all with the intent of rising to the top alongside them. Her starring role in the TF2 comics and the final cinematic short released by the team only served to expand on her nature as one of the most competent and capable characters in a fascinating series.

9: Satya “Symmetra” Vaswani, Overwatch

Overwatch is one of my favorite games right now, and it has a host of awesome ladies, but by far my favorite of them from a story standpoint has to be Symmetra. A brilliant autistic girl and amputee (though we do not know when she lost her left arm, particularily if it was before or after she was recruited), from the slums of futuristic India, Satya was recruited by the mega-corporation known as Vishkar at a young age, and all but raised within the company to become one of their finest hard-light architects. Her upbringing engendered great loyalty in the young woman as she mastered the cutting edge technology developed by Vishkar, and she dreamed of using the technology to create a new world for humanity, one of perfect order where suffering is nothing more than a distant memory. So capable did she become that Vishkar created a special costume and armor so that she could be sent on clandestine missions to uphold Vishkar’s interests and expand its influence in foreign nations. After the events of her first comic however, Satya is questioning if Vishkar’s path is truly the correct one.

Symmetra fascinates me as one of Overwatch’s most complex characters in general, not just the female ones. Her struggles between her loyalty to Vishkar and growing recognition that it may not be the benevolent overlord it is painted as resonate deeply, and I am a sucker for stories of a good person stuck in a bad environment with the potential to grow into a true hero.

8: Veronica Santangelo, Fallout New Vegas

Veronica is a member of the dwindling west coast Brotherhood of Steel by the time she meets Courier Six in the Nevada desert. Spending most of her time outside the Brotherhood’s bunker in order to scavenge for tech and supplies, Veronica is probably the most forward thinking and levelheaded member of the nearly extinct force that was once the most feared in the former southwestern united states. Yet another woman who’s struggle largely is due to conflicting loyalties; the Brotherhood is her family, both in blood and love, but their refusal to grow beyond what they are as they slowly die breaks her heart, as does their refusal to accept her as a lesbian since they feel every brotherhood member’s duty is to breed another generation, since they refuse to recruit outsiders or change any of their failed doctrine. There are no happy endings for Veronica, and that hit me harder than any other companion story in New Vegas. I cared for her in ways I didn’t with the other companions, and she provides a stark reminder that in the wasteland, there are no truly happy endings.

7: Aveline Vallen, Dragon Age 2

Aveline from Dragon Age stands out in the game that features her as the Serious One and probably my favorite version of the “Mom friend” in fiction. After joining the Hawke family in their flight from blight-doomed Fereldan, she essentially adopts the main character as a little sibling that needs to be watched out for. She mutters, complains, and advises Hawke even as she steadfastly marches at his side in full armor, intent on keeping them safe from harm, even after she rises to Captain of the Kirkwall city guard. She is an amazing straight man in nearly every scene, a much needed voice of reason among the companions, and her special companion quest where you get to wingman for her on the most ridiculously poorly thought out date ever is probably among my favorite Dragon Age moments across the entire series.

Also she can become immune to boss phase transition stuns and that is the most badass thing ever.

6: Karrin Murphy, Dresden Files

In a series filled with magic users, monsters, and gods, Karrin Murphy is the badass normal to end all badass normals. Introduced as the reasonable police officer willing to take a risk and hire a Wizard out of the phone book to help with strange cases on the Chicago PD files, throughout the series Karrin shows again and again why the smarter supernatural beings in the universe are wary of humans even as they prey on them. She doesn’t know magic, she doesn’t have super strength, and only occasionally will deign to pick up a magical artifact to lay down an ass kicking, as she prefers human made weapons like her signature p90 submachine gun, sometimes loaded with special ammo depending on what she’s up against. She’s very much a paladin who shines on her own alongside literal holy knights of god in the series, to the point she was scouted by them before turning it down. Her dedication to protecting her friends and the innocents of chicago gives her the strength that other characters need supernatural sources of, and it’s all wrapped up in 5 foot blond package of kickass and dedication to the rule of law.

5: Makoto Niijima, Persona 5

Makoto is definitely my favorite lady from the Persona series, and that’s saying something since the long running rpg series has had some great ones. Makoto stood out to me in the dichotomy with how awkward she is in social situations (typical for a japanese student valedictorian dedicated to their studies) and how effective she is when she has a clear goal put before her. The moment where she joins the Phantom Thieves is a big one for the team, as she quickly realizes that while the protagonist provides leadership, he doesn’t provide strategy, and quickly starts analyzing situations and filling a much needed gap. Her connection to the metaplot is also incredibly strong; as the little sister of the chief prosecutor on the phantom thieves’ case, Makoto gets to struggle not only with her sense of identity but also with familial loyalty, and the game makes a decent case of the idea that, perhaps, she’s the traitor who sold you out. Finally, in a genre that so often uses the “Silk hiding steel” trope, I’d argue that Makoto is Steel hiding Silk, as her intimidating and business like ways cover a softer side around her found family that she will do anything to protect and guide, both as their friend and their student council president.

4: Ashley Williams, Mass Effect.

Ashley is my #1 bioware love interest because I honestly feel like she’s the most three dimensional and believable of them all. A career soldier trying to wipe away an undeserved black mark on her family name, she is dedicated, honorable, and close minded early on, and this sets her up for a fantastic growth arc that ends with her becoming a Spectre second only to Commander Shepard.

Ashley starts off with her main obvious traits being untrusting of aliens and desperate to prove herself as a soldier Earth can be proud of. However, her feelings towards aliens are not simple bigotry, but a belief that they are in fact too human; and thus when the chips are down likely to be happy to sell out humanity to save their own skins (a fear that proves to be well founded come mass effect 3). However, the ability of the player to influence her though process, taking the high road, fighting alongside alien races, Ashley comes around by the 2/3 point of the first game, willing to fight to protect her alien comrades just as hard as she would any human, eventually adopting Paragon Shepard’s view that all life is worthy as she fights at his side. Her absence in mass effect 2 and the rocky step in the friendship/romance that it takes is fully understandable to me; Shepard is wearing Cerberus colors, a terrorist organization that performs terrible experiments on living beings and assassinates politicians that investigate it, and that believable rockiness continues on into the third game when they rejoin to stop the Reapers. She watched Shepard die, only to have them come back filled with Cerberus tech, and even when she accepts that yes, this is indeed actually Commander Shepard, who knows what that tech can do? Finally she is asked to choose between her pragmatism and her faith in Shepard as the hero of the galaxy, and she overcomes it, saving the lives of the council and following Shepard all the way to the end. 

I 100% headcanon a happy ending after the destroy ending because, dammit, Mac Walters cannot take that from me.

3: Maiev Shadowsong, Warcraft

Maiev Shadowsong is absolutely my favorite female character across blizzard franchises, and it’s a damn crime that they didn’t use her more in Legion, though at least they were smart enough to realize that her portrayal in the novels was friggin’ stupid and gloss over them. A driven, harsh jailor of the Kaldorei’s greatest traitors and criminals, chief among them Illidan Stormrage, she goes too far in a believably delicious way as she is antagonized again and again throughout the strategy games. From Tyrande shooting her way through the Watchers to release Illidan, to the loss of so many of her Warden sisters including, let’s be honest, her beloved Naisha, to having to choke down Tyrande’s presence in the reinforcements who come to aid her in capturing Illidan, she is neither hero nor villain but simply a narrative force, dedicated to justice and seething with rage at those who get in her way. No warcraft character gets as many headcanon hours out of my head that she does.

2: Elisa Maza, Gargoyles

Every character on Disney’s Gargoyles was fantastic. Elisa is the best of an amazing group. A detective in New York who stumbles across the titular Gargoyles and becomes their best ally in a strange, new world because she recognizes their nobility, and who with nothing more than a firearm and solid martial arts training of the kind you’d need as a woman in the NYPD, stands by her friends against whatever threat comes at them. She fills the role of guide to the new world, particularily the rules and laws that govern it, source of supplies for her friends who can’t just head down to the store themselves, and as a thorn in the side of every human force seeking to abuse the gargoyles since, unlike them, she is very much a public figure who has the power to Ask Questions that get in the Official Record. Her mixed lineage provides fascinating stories, and her loyalty to those who need her and refusal to back down in the face of danger garners the respect of hero, villian, and viewer alike. She’s featured in nearly every episode, and those that don’t have a lot of her suffer for the loss.

1: Esme “Granny” Weatherwax, Discworld

Granny Weatherwax is the ur-witch. She lives alone in the woods in a strange looking cottage, the villagers for miles around fear her temper, she’s grouchy, eternally single and fine with it, snaps at anyone who says something stupid in her presence (And oh boy does she have a wide and well-defined view of stupidity), and is one of the greatest heroes the Disc has ever known. Not in the Cohen the Barbarian sense, but in the “standing between the bad guys and the little guys” sense. When something threatens the lands under her care, be it treacherous nobles, fair folk, vampires, or anything else foolish enough to disturb her idea of order and calm. it can be sure to have a run in with a Granny Weatherwax who can’t be having with this. It is easy to see that despite her craggy demeanor, she cares deeply for the people who live under her care, serving as a healer, veterinarian, and midwife, and feeling any loss that inevitably comes with the same power as those who suffered it. For all her magic and headology, Granny is just so very human, and that makes what she does even more incredible. The world would be in a better place if we stopped to think once in a while what Granny would say about what we’re doing.

Tagging: You’re all adults. I did enjoy this exercise, so I encourage anyone considering it to go in and do it. We need more celebration of awesome ladies in fiction.