#I truly cannot comprehend this choice

[iamhelenoftroy]

When did tumblr make it so when you tap on images it becomes an endless scroll of hell across posts???

Put it back

(Edited to add video example of what I’m talking about – it’s not even other posts on your dash it’s recommended posts I’m livid)

[thecatsaesthetics]

So many people get Rhysand and Feyre’s dynamic wrong.

Rhys and Feyre are mirrors, they both would and have done the “wrong” thing in order to save the ones they love. They both would rather take on the struggle alone then share the burden. They both don’t view themselves as worthy of what they have, and can only truly love themselves when they love each other. It’s why they work so well, they both mirror the other.

When Feyre says “I see you” to Rhys it’s incredibly powerful because she’s not only seeing him but herself. Feyre only begins to forgive herself for what she did UTM by realizing that she could never condemn Rhys for his actions, because she would have done the same.

Rhys hatred of Nesta over Elain, is because Nesta does not appreciate (at least outwardly) everything Feyre did. It’s not just about Feyre providing for the family and them not, it’s about her treatment she got for sacrificing everything. Rhys knows what’s that like, Rhys has done that and knows what it’s like to be insulted for it. And while he doesn’t ever try to defend himself when insulted he can’t bear to see Feyre insulted over her sacrifices.

It’s the same way Feyre cannot comprehend how people can disregard and insult what Rhys did to save his people. Feyre goes ape shit over any insult towards Rhys, but more or less tolerates Nesta’s abusive comments towards her.

It’s because she’s his mirror, and he is hers.

And if we’re think of in canon, despite all the problems and plotholes with the pregnancy it makes sense that Feyre would be quick to forgive. Feyre would do the same, if she knew Rhys was going to die she would do everything to find a cure before he died. It’s not right, but Feyre takes on the burden of others the same way Rhys does. She understands him and his actions better then anyone else. And he understands her equally as well.

It’s why they work so well and what most people get wrong about them. Feyre does not have “rose colored” glass for Rhys, she understands him. She knows she would make similar choices and she has made similar choices.

[darth-jess]

“Why would Padmé choose Anakin when Obi-wan was right there” maybe because Anakin is truly the only person who ever understood her as their humanity was taken from both of them at a very young age and they have rolls to fill that very few people can ever understand.

Maybe because Obi-wan is 11 years older than her (he was 25 in TPM and Padmé was 14) and also Obi-wan is so rigid in his worldview whereas Padmé isn’t. She sees light in the dark, and dark in the light, and Obi-wan cannot comprehend this. Anakin embraces both sides of himself.

I also think Padmé choosing Anakin says a lot about Padmé as a person, but I think it also says a lot more about who Anakin was. He’s got cringy ass pickup lines but he is raw, he is passionate, and he does not shy away from what he feels even when it’s possibly wrong. Even when it’s definitely wrong. And Padmé always has to hide what she’s feeling in her line of work, so being with someone like Anakin allows her to embrace the full experience of being alive, the full range of emotion, and she isn’t judged for it by him, because he feels it all too.

They are both extremely passionate people.

Anakin’s love burns brighter than anything in the universe, and while it is his downfall, it is also his saving grace. That light never truly is extinguished within him.

Padmé chose Anakin because they were two halves of a whole. Because there was no choice. They found themselves in each other.

[eroguron0nsense]

Garp, Fascism, and Parental Failure

Garp is truly one of the most interesting One Piece characters for me because of the extent to which his dogged, relentless devotion to a fascist system–and the supposed "order" it promises to uphold in the face of anarchy or rebellion–perseveres no matter how many times it fails him and his son and his grandsons. He's fully aware of the deep-seated corruption and atrocity, and feels some kind of moral obligation to bend its rules to protect the innocent (as we can see with his attempts to protect Rouge and Ace), but when faced with widespread femicide and infanticide, genocide, slavery and endless examples of egregious cruelty, he is unable to comprehend the notion that the system is indefensible, or that the only moral choice he can possibly make when faced with that level of atrocity is to leave and resist it. His son recognizing the inherent, inexcusable failures of the World Government and its armed enforcers–literally quitting the force to start a revolution– changes nothing. The order to slaughter pregnant people and infants at Baterilla can't convince him otherwise. The countless instances of bribery, the tolerance of atrocity from state-sanctioned privateers, everything about the history of the Valley of the Gods are all things he's aware of, and takes issue with, but never comes to the conclusion that he cannot affect positive change within a system designed for oppression. The public execution of his grandson–a prime example of the marine's fundamentally irrational, arrogant, vindictive cruelty clearly bound to blow up in all of their faces even before their Pyrrhic victory at the summit war–makes him waver, but even when confronted with this obvious, indefensible injustice against a child he raised and rescued by people seeking to murder him on live TV and desecrate his corpse as a show of power, he cannot bring himself to act against it in any meaningful way no matter how much it hurts him to leave his grandson to die. If he can't veto it, he'll stay Vice Admiral and suffer through Ace being sacrificed on the altar of fascist state control, and functionally leave Luffy for dead in the process while he's at it. He fails every single person he wanted to love–Ace, Luffy, and almost certainly Dragon–and allows himself to be reluctantly complicit in countless crimes against humanity again and again and again because he's so deeply steeped in this notion of preservation of order through state control that he convinces himself that even this disgusting, atrocious, fundamentally flawed and untenable excuse for a government is better than abolition, better than revolution, or just the act of expecting accountability or literally anything better from the systems that issue false promises to protect you. Dadan beating the living shit out of him and calling him a failure as a grandfather, as a self proclaimed defender of the people, is one of the most important scenes in the Postwar Arc because a lesser series might frame Garp as a tragic, helpless figure suffering more than anyone else due to conflict of love and duty, but One Piece refuses to whitewash his actions/inaction or allow the grief and suffering caused by systems he's complicit in to take precedence over its real victims: the D brothers.

There's so much I could say about statism and anarchism and the ways people have internalized the supposed necessity of state violence to the extent they can't oppose that violence even when it ruins them or their loved ones, but that horrible indoctrination and its devastating consequences for both him and his family are what makes Garp so fascinating to watch and so thematically/politically important to One Piece as a whole.

[lionheartedmusings]

bear with me bc this is gonna be a bit of a long one, but i've seen folks talking about how they're excited to get the horrors back on the qsmp and while i totally agree that i miss those blood-curdling, creepy, uncanny valley sort of scenes... i think the beauty of the overall storyline (as much as it's execution can be criticised ) is that we as the audience are seeing things in a vacuum.

the qsmp storyline is a living breathing player alongside our povs, and while we're aware of that, we're also not always engaging with it. we're getting swept up in the day-to-day of it all and getting lulled into a sense of security that ultimately makes us unable to truly comprehend the horror of the last few months until we take a step back and analyze it bit by bit.

children went missing in the night, leaving only their identifiers behind on empty beds. there were no leads. people looked and looked, and found nothing. parents were mad with concern and grief, and the all-seeing, all-powerful entity that rules their lives trapped in this hamster wheel of an island has no answers.

then, the items left behind on those beds vanish too.

then, there's mind-controlling, happiness inducing drugs being pumped into people against their will. still no news of the children. people are falling apart at the seams.

people are led to a maze where a wheel is spun and everything they have left of the children of this godforsaken island is gone. burned up. what does it mean? no one knows. they have to live on.

suddenly, a game is played. a clone of a dead child shows up, leading some of them into the same maze, forcing them to walk through a maze of doors and corridors, only to find a game of dice orchestrated by an unknown entity.

new people arrive, bearing witness to the hopeless, grim, sad reality of everyone who was already there. there's hope — there's always hope — but my god the pain is overwhelming.

there's clues, but there's not. the government keeping them trapped here against their will still has no answers, nothing to point them in the right direction.

faceless bears go missing.

faceless bodies show up on the streets. bloodied. dead. eaten.

suddenly, there's thunder and lightning and oh! oh, their children! of course they'll get on the train, that's where the children are!

but they're hijacked. stolen. once again, their autonomy is stripped entirely as another entity with power they cannot comprehend forces them to split into factions and compete for... something. their children's lives are on the line and they maim and kill those they call family because they fear they have no choice.

everyone went through hell — purgatory was a bad title for what they went through. it was hell, with no salvation in sight.

when all is said and done, when all the murder and backstabbing is over, they see their children through glass they cannot break. one escapes because chance said so, and the rest are left behind as the ceiling collapses on them.

the world is ending and their salvation is one singular boat a thousand blocks away. lovers can't say goodbye, friends run for their lives together, a father and a son dash desperately with no hope in sight. some stay behind, through choice or chance.

the government official that has made their life hell returns the children to them, and brings some new ones. those new children get carted off to new parents without option (again) and suddenly everything's supposed to be fine! nevermind your friends are gone! nothing to see here!

behind the scenes, the all-seeing all-knowing government is breaking apart, there's something far more horrifying and twisted at play in the background... but it's nothing the islanders can help with. nothing they can do. they have to live on and pretend their golden cage is fine and dandy bc at the end of the day, it's their only option.

one-eyed creatures show up demanding something "of theirs" back and bc humanity is strong, one islander refuses to hand someone kind and innocent off to them.

it dooms them, as their humanity has every single time.

now, they're under attack and they can barely defend themselves despite months of prep and having amazing gear — again, they try their hardest but everything is stacked against them. they fight, and fight, but their children are on the line and that's their main concern.

every fight? there's bodies littering the ground and panicked screams. explosions. chainsaws revving, and worry, and it's a war ten times a week.

a child loses a life, and now it's personal, but what can they do? no one listens to them, no one has ever listened to them.

and in the middle of all of this? their family is still gone, trapped in a wasteland, or missing, or... dead.

there was no funeral for q!maxo bc there's no stopping to smell the roses on quesadilla island, not really. where's slime? where's pol? where's the people who they haven't seen yet? gone, yes, but they don't have time to stop and worry about them. they don't have time to mourn losses and grieve their dead.

luffy, who came to try and help their friends, was stolen and hurt.

those eyeball workers? they were people once, maybe good people. maybe the best people we never got to meet, but they got shifted and changed into something monstrous and out of their control.

my point being: the story that the qsmp is telling is innately horrifying. it's not just creepy — it's twisted, and tragic, and absolutely terrifying. it's about loss of agency and running on an endless hamster wheel of someone else's making, and how you just sort of... live with it after a while.

and i think that's really fucking cool, because like these characters we too get used to the tragedy of life, little by little, and forget to see the whole thing from a bird's eye view (pun intended).

[yandere-sins]

Yan-Poll #13

[Mermay Special Part 3 a/n This is an interactive story, your choice continues it, so choose wisely!]

"I... I need to go home. Now."

Raising a hand to your head, the headache was banging painfully in it. You didn't feel nauseous, didn't have the symptoms of a migraine, but by the gods, it hurt. You could barely look straight, much less think, missing the brief discontent washing over your friend's face as you refused their invitation. But you'd not be lulled away again, following their invitation blindly. That was your last word on the matter.

"[Name], are you alright?" your friend asked, worried, swimming up to you the second you began to hunch over. You didn't fight them as they helped lower you to a soft surface, sitting you down and eventually even laying you down to rest as you couldn't move. 

"I feel terrible," you confessed, hearing your own slurred words. 

The word "Fuck," slipped from your friend's mouth, their voice so sharp and agitated that it ripped through the massive headache, causing you to convulse as the pain dragged through you. "Shh, shh," they calmed you, suddenly sounding a lot more nervous than agitated, but you could barely crack one eye open, even when their hand rested over your forehead, spreading a gentle, comforting cold from their palm. 

"I'll be right back... could be... I will ask..."

You were confused as to why your friend was whispering, but it was your conscience that slipped away as the pain overwhelmed you. How could it have come to this mess, you wondered before you fell into the darkness, hoping everything was alright with you.

»»———————— ♡ ————————««

"What were you thinking?!" was the first thing you heard as you awoke again. The throbbing in your head had subsided, but the confusion weighed heavily on you, exhausting you completely. You were too tired to open your eyes, sighing as you enjoyed the cold waves washing through you instead, pretending to still be asleep to get a few more minutes of calm before facing reality.

"I did what father said! I went out there and found my mate! Why are you so angry with me, mother?!"

"Humans are not mates. We do not lure them back here to let them live, son, and you know it. Their bodies are too weak to withstand the changes."

"Not them!" your friend screamed in frustration, and it made you jump, giving away your state of alertness. 

Immediately, the cold sensation disappeared, and you were forced to open your eyes as your friend swam to your side, shaking you not-so-gently awake. "How are you feeling?!" they asked, desperation in both their voice and their gaze. "I thought I lost you when you suddenly collapsed."

"What happened?" you croaked, slowly trying to get up when another hand reached up to your shoulder, pushing you back down. 

"Rest some more. Your body is still experiencing complications from your form change."

Your eyes moved to the other person in the room, her presence unmistakable. The queen's gaze was still as judgemental as it was cold. "You need to leave, human. You cannot bear the changes and will die if you stay here."

The severity of the situation was a little much for your barely awake mind to comprehend. Still, you nodded slowly as her words began making a little more sense when you repeated them over and over in your head.

"That is not true!" your friend suddenly protested. You had believed that for a moment, their mother had convinced everyone that it was better this way, but your friend glared at her defiantly. "I chose my mate because they can withstand the changes. I know it's rare, but I knew they could do it the moment I looked at them! They are special and will allow me to do what my father was incapable of doing with you!"

A moment of hurt flashed through the queen's eyes, but it was gone just as quickly, replaced with anger. "Truly, what a brat you have become. Well, ask your 'mate' what they want. Do they even want to help you unite our people? Merfolk and humans are just too different; there's no way it will ever work."

Her attention shifted to you as she addressed you directly: "What will it be? Do you want me to send you back, or do you want to stay and help my son with his illusion of peace that hasn't worked in a hundred reigns before his?"

"Don't!" your friend hissed, and for the first time, you saw his less human-like side, teeth bared threateningly. It was as if he knew something more than you did, warning his own mother of consequences he didn't need to voice. Your friend quickly returned their attention back to you, their expression softening immediately. 

"Don't listen to her! She will kill you if you accept her offer. My people used to lure and eat humans all the time, but I will put an end to this. You and me, we can do it! Your body can accept the change, and we can work towards a bigger goal together. You'll never suffer as long as you stay with me; your life will be fulfilling and wonderful, and I will love you unlike any other person ever could. So please—please don't waste your life by becoming my mother's dinner."

It was all a lot to take in. Your eyes went back and forth between your friend and their parent. Had they not technically kidnapped you here, you wouldn't have such a problem trusting them now, but did you even want the life they were envisioning for you?

"You'll not like what awaits you if you stay, human. Don't make the same mistake that so many have before you," the queen warned you. "You go back, and we'll treat this as if nothing ever happened, I promise."

(Reasoning and discussions welcome! ♥)

[howdoesagrapewrites]

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗜 𝗱𝗼

CW: Lovesick!Mammon x reader, angst, sfw

Notes: Hey, I've been cramming for the really important exams I've told you guys about, so I haven't wrote anything, but I found this on my drafts. I know a lot of you are here for spider-verse content, but this is all I had

Imagine choosing Mammon not because he's your favorite, but because he loves you the most. When you had to choose, Mammon's name blurted out of your mouth so effortlessly that one might confuse it with true love. And you do love him, but he'll always love you the most.

All of your suitors love you, all of them in a sickeningly, aching manner, but none of them compare to Mammon. The others would gift you the universe, to him, you're the universe, the others the others love you more than life itself, to him, there's no life without you. Mammon hopes with all his heart he'll never have to choose, but if it's you or his brothers, it's you. It'll take him time and tears to decide if he had to, but the answer is you.

When we are seduced by greed, we keep wanting more and more, more money, more attention, more pleasure, more than we can handle, but you have greed incarnate longing for nothing else but you, not even his sin is strong enough to make him desire something or someone if is not you, he gets sick to even think about it.

Mammon who would call the most beautiful, divinely crafted creature "ugly" if they ever propositioned, and he would mean it, no one can even dream to compare to you.

Mammon who wouldn't sell you for the ability to control every particle of gold in all three realms

Mammon who isn't even dramatic when he tells you he feels like dying when you're not around

And after knowing this, one would think that Mammon's love for you is absolute, the absolute epitome, the absolute unreachable true meaning of love. But you'd be wrong, because Mammon's love is like universe expanding before our very eyes, but we, feeble creatures cannot comprehend everything that the expansion of the universe entails, just like not even Mammon is capable of completely grasp how much love he has for you, he just knows it overflows, that his body will never be able to contain it, that he fears one day he just won't be able to keep it together and something will happen to him.

And he knows that you chose him because of this, he accepts it, he won't even touch the subject, afraid he might do something that will drive you away from him. But you're honest, you always tell him why you are with him, and you aren't a bad partner at all, you love him, truly, you would die for him, and he knows he has your loyalty, you won't be unfaithful, even if it's with the one that you really wanted, your first choice.

Mammon who in the night, holds you so tight, as if you'll disintegrate in front of his own two eyes if he doesn't keep you together by force. He breathes your scent, you play with his white locs.

"Don't ya dare leave me for some other guy" he tries to sound tough

"Mammon, love, don't say nonsense. They don't love me like you do."

[hopelessromantic5]

Arthur is found by a little old witch in the woods, and is cared for.

But the witch realizes that her magic is no good on him.

She hovered her hands over Arthur’s body, with her eyes closed. Arthur could see the light cascading out her fingertips but he could not feel anything.

“Ah.” She said, smiling at him sweetly. “You are protected by one very great indeed, young warrior. My magic cannot even help you, let alone could it hurt you.” She giggled, as if this was something funny.

Arthur, high on pain and unable to move at all without searing hot flashes of it, was a tad put out.

“Is there something wrong with me?”

She shook her head.

“The opposite. The magic that protects you is more powerful than any I’ve felt, in all my years. And there were a lot of years, believe me. The person watching out for you, Arthur Pendragon, must care for you a great deal. Especially in knowing how you feel about the subject of sorcery.” She rattled these things off as if it were idle chitchat, as she went about the room collecting herbs and creams and throwing them into the pot in her hands.

Arthur was extremely confused. About everything that was said, but definitely one thing.

“You know who I am?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t invite anyone into my home without knowing who they were.”

“You helped me anyway? Knowing my father executes magic users?”

Arthur could not find it in himself to be afraid, he knew he was in no danger, and she’d just said she couldn’t hurt him or heal him with magic. So that’s good at least. She could’ve left him for dead, another reason to be thankful.

He had no intention of mentioning any of this healing excursion to his father.

“You would not turn me in. I know you have a true and noble heart. You are the Once and Future King.” She smiled over her shoulder at him and continued on her way.

Arthur played back the entirety of what she’d mentioned previously and his brows furrowed even more, if possible, giving him a slight headache.

He didn’t mean to appear rude but the question just came tumbling out of him.

“Someone powerful is stopping you from using magic on me? With magic?”

She turned back to her work station, which faced Arthur’s bed, and nodded again.

“Your guardian angel.” She smiled again, very sweet but also secretive. A smile of knowing things that Arthur had yet to even begin to comprehend.

Arthur was struck back to his fathers voice saying that same phrase. And all the numerous times he’d come away from a battle he thought lost, with nothing but a few scratches.

Someone was saving him.

Time and time again. Someone was always there.

But who?

The woman’s head snapped up from her working hands as if reading his thoughts. But still no malice was found in her eyes, only concern.

“Heed my words.” She began. Nothing good ever started with that. “They are not your foe. They have been there time and time again, you know it. In your heart of hearts. A moment will come when you must make a choice. If you turn this into a war, as your father did, everything you hold dear will be lost. Your kingdom, your happiness, the color of the world through your eyes. You will see nothing but grey ash.” A tear slid down her cheek and Arthur could feel them welling in his eyes, though he didn’t know why.

“But,” she smiled wetly. “If you choose to trust your heart, and open it to them willingly, you will prosper. Even in death, you will not truly die, as so many men do. You will be the Once and Future King, and your soul will live forever.” Arthur blinked, and he felt the wetness because he knew he was crying. But he didn’t feel sad, he felt ecstatic. Like it was bursting out of him, but he couldn’t move. Because everything was still broken and sliced open, making him vulnerable to everything. Even the feelings in the air, which Arthur usually held a dutiful immunity to.

“Who?” He managed to croak out, when he regained his princely manner.

“I will not tell you, Arthur. And you would be wise not to go looking. The answer to your question will come in its own time. For now, keep learning.” And then she winked, like Arthur was supposed to know what that meant. And how was he supposed to just keep going with the knowledge that someone close to him, or someone who thinks highly of him, has protected him even in knowing they could be caught at any second, knowing they would die. All to save Arthur.

At the thought, he wondered why his life was worth so much. Yes, knights uphold their honor and would fight and die for Arthur or Uther. But Arthur didn’t meet many sorcerers with loyalty of that kind.

Or maybe he didn’t really meet any sorcerers. Unless they were heading to the pyre and looking down their last minutes.

Of course, the sorcerers he’d come in contact with didn’t fancy a chat, because Uther never offered it. There was never a question. Magic equals death. It didn’t matter if it was healing, or helping a dying crop, or growing a shade tree for the children.

In the low light of the old woman’s tent, everything made perfect sense.

But it didn’t.

Because, not very many people knew that Arthur didn’t always agree with his father on these matters, Uther would never allow that to be made too public.

Maybe guards had heard something and whispered their secrets to handsy maids, or stable boys. Whatever the preference.

It would be entirely possible for the staff of the castle to know things that they shouldn’t.

So that narrows it down to about…three hundred people give or take.

Lovely.

Arthur took a deep breath and heard the old woman’s words in his head.

So he stopped thinking of it, stopped trying to find an answer and just waited for it to come to him. Or for death. Whichever came first.

The next day, as he woke, he almost startled realizing he wasn’t in his bed, and wouldn’t see Merlin first thing, but then didn’t because it hurt too much.

“Do not fret. It is almost time for you to go, Arthur Pendragon.”

“What do you mean?”

Then he heard it. A faint voice. Like music to his ears.

Yelling his name.

Oh thank heavens.

Merlin found him.

He always found him.

A pang of…something hit his heart before he could stop it and it upset him deeply.

But then the smile returned, because he was about to go home.

The woman came and helped him up, dressed his various wounds with her mysterious poultice once more, and then turned to look him straight in his ocean blue orbs. Right into the very depths of him. Hers were almost clear, like the sky.

“I know you have love for your father, but he lives in fear every day of his life. All of his decisions are made out of that fear. You cannot be the King your people need you to be if you follow in his footsteps. Choose love instead. Always. Even when it’s most difficult.”

She walked him out of the canvas tent and into the cool winds of spring morning.

“I wish you the best of luck, my King.” She bowed her head. The first sign of respect for any title, she had ever shown him. He almost blushed because of it. And he felt proud. To have someone like her rooting for him.

He would think about that old woman and what she told him, for years to come.

“Arthur?” The voice was getting closer. Then a lanky body burst through the line of trees and found him standing there, strapped together with bandages.

Arthur turned back to introduce the woman to Merlin, but she was gone.

And so was her tent.

It had all vanished.

For a moment he thought he was insane. But looked down at the helpful linens that were holding ointments on his carved skin, and knew that he hadn’t made it up.

“Arthur!” Merlin ran straight for him, but stopped a few feet off, clearly seeing he was hurt.

“Thank God you’re alive. I mean I knew you were, I knew you wouldn’t leave without sending me to the stocks one last time for good measure.” Arthur was smiling, he could feel it. He’d missed his friend. More than he should’ve.

He wished he could hug him, but as previously stated, he could barely move.

“I could go for a hug,” he admitted. “But I can’t really move anything without…ya know, pain.” He was still a little woozy and wanted to just get on with the journey.

“Guess I’ll have to help you on your way then.” Merlin sighed, but smiled anyway and looped Arthur’s good arm around his shoulders.

Then they walked.

And walked and walked and walked.

And neither of them said anything.

Arthur was lost in his own thoughts about destiny and the people that would one day rely on him for protection and peace.

Merlin had issues of his own he was meddling through, Arthur assumed.

And when the limping boy realized they’d been walking all day in complete silence, and hadn’t stopped once.

He finally voiced a question.

“Were you wounded?”

“What?” Merlin asked quietly.

“In the battle. Trying to get away, were you wounded?” Arthur’s eyes scanned his body and did not see any marks on his pale skin.

“No, I got away unscathed. Can’t say the same for you though.” He looked down, assessing Arthur’s own wounds.

“Did someone help you?”

“Yes.” He answered shortly. “An old woman. She was very kind.”

“She looks like she knew what she was doing. So I’m glad.” Merlin didn’t ask any more questions, Arthur was grateful.

“How did you find me?”

Merlin looked sheepish for a moment, but schooled it, and managed to get the redness out of his neck before it spread to his face.

He shrugged.

“I’m not really sure. I just had a feeling. Like I said, I knew you weren’t dead. So I just, kind of, followed my gut. And it led me to you standing in a field all by yourself.” He chuckled, as if the scene were funny.

“Hmm.” He said. Then looked around, and noticed there was water running somewhere.

“There’s a stream nearby, and it’s getting dark. We’ll stop and finish the journey tomorrow.”

“Alright. I’ll gather wood for a fire.” Merlin led him to a log and leaned him up against it for support.

Arthur could only watch as Merlin went about gathering dry wood where he could find it.

In the process of that, Arthur fell fast asleep.

In the darkness, Merlin crawled to Arthur and began to heal all his many wounds. Black smoke rising from them as they closed and left nothing but a scar.

Arthur would think the old woman’s poultice worked well. And they would be able to get home that much quicker.

Before Arthur opened his eyes the next morning, he knew something was different.

He tested his leg and it moved without delay or surging pain. His arms in the same strong condition.

His eyes flung open, and he ripped the bandages off to reveal closed skin.

Arthur might be a bit dull sometimes but he knows fairly well that nothing of any mortal nature could heal him so quickly.

But the old woman. She’d said no one could touch him with magic. Helpful or otherwise.

So what had done this?

His eyes glanced his surrounding and found only one clue.

A body curled in on itself with dark curls springing out.

Merlin.

But it couldn’t be. Merlin might not be as much an idiot as Arthur usually claimed. But he was no sorcerer.

Was he?

The pieces started clicking together. Merlin was always the one to conveniently drag him to safety.

He’s always the one there when unexpected victories are won.

Merlin.

Of course.

Something in Arthur must’ve known. Because he was not surprised even for a second. It almost seemed right in his mind. Merlin. Magic. Of course.

But that means Merlin’s been the one risking his life every single day, just to do what? Muddle about and polish armor? Muck out the horses?

If Merlin was as powerful as the old woman said, why did he stay? And why didn’t he trust Arthur with his secret?

Merlin started to rouse.

Arthur had to make a decision.

Confront him or act oblivious?

[chuele]

Saezuru: Why You Need to Read it Twice (5) The Title Speaks Volumes: Twittering Birds Never Fly 𓅪𓅪

How can I understand the title of this story?

Indeed, the first time I read it, I was impressed by the title. Using the image of a bird to describe Yashiro's existence in the underworld, it's also a poignant metaphor for Yashiro's love.

A bird that sings but cannot fly - the contrast between singing and flying: being a bird but unable to soar, being in love but unable to speak up, having to run away and hide behind reckless actions.

As Yashiro thought, 'If I accept his feelings, I will have to abandon my true self'. That true self is the shell has shielded him from the wounds of his childhood.

Yashiro had expressed his heartache to Doumeki, but Doumeki at that time, hadn't fully comprehended the extent of his suffering.

What about Doumeki? Doumeki is also the embodiment of a bird - able to sing and fly.

The image of the bird flying high in the sky at the moment in the hospital, when Yashiro lied about losing his memory about Doumeki, silently looking at Doumeki next to his mother and sister, the bird was truly free, as Yashiro 'wished'.

But ironically, what we want is not always what others need. Yashiro's way of expressing love is to choose to give up. As for Doumeki, in order to exist in that person's world, he chose to give up his own freedom.

The title is incredibly clever, highlighting the dichotomy between Yashiro and Doumeki choice. i love so bad about this contrast, how can I love something that also confuses me so much!

And what makes me admire the clever implication of the title is that right after the frame of the bird flapping its wings, implying that Yashiro let Doumeki go free, immediately below the frame is a scene 4 years later, depicting a bird with beautiful tail feathers locked in a cage.

This frame means a lot - the colorful bird is a metaphor for Yashiro, implying that for Doumeki to leave the Yakuza world, the price Yashiro must pay is to continue being imprisoned in the cage called Yakuza - "forever unable to escape".

A detail conveys deep emotions through a simple image cleverly arranged: A caged bird - beautiful but heartbreaking.,.

(to be continued...)

-------------------------//------------------------

Previous parts:

Part 4: (4) Has Doumeki changed?

Part 3: (3) The impact of Yashiro's words on Doumeki

Part 2: (2) Rain and the Echoes of Trauma

Part 1: (1) A single glance from above

[leaderoffestivals]

(Lookback) The Heartbeat of the Sea: Abyss Chapter 1

Kanata: … … Mikejima—  You are not he, are you? Your scent is different— *Lick*—Yes, and your taste is different, too. Souma: HYAAAAAAH—?!

Season: Winter (In the past) Author: Akira Characters: Kanzaki Souma, Shinkai Kanata, Mikejima Madara

<Thirteen years before ES was founded. At a funeral hall somewhere in Tokyo.>

Souma: I have been granted freeeedom~!

(Now then, what should I do? Think carefully, Souma! There remains but a half-hour of this precious free time left to me! That’s, uhhh, about thirty minutes, more or less!

I must use this time wisely and do… Something! Anything at all! It would be such a waste, otherwise!)

Souma: … … However, I am feeling rather famished at the moment.

I suspect my mealtime may have slipped my esteemed Father’s mind. 

(Uuu. What should I do? It is impossible to do battle on an empty stomach.

My esteemed Mother is usually the one who prepares my meals... However, she is due to give birth to my dear little brother soon.

She is finding it difficult to move about due to her advanced state of pregnancy. That is why there was no helping it. She could not undertake the long journey here, burdened as she was by her increased weight—

—even though this funeral ceremony is for an exceedingly august personage, one whom our household cannot possibly disregard. 

That is right. It seems someone has passed away. 

That person seems to be someone who is of very great importance to us, a highly esteemed individual. 

Oh no! Will I be scolded for using the word “person” when referring to them?

That person… seemed to be like God.)

Souma: (... … But even so, a funeral for God? Can God die as well? Hm~~?

Well, I suppose that when it is time for one to die, they will indeed pass away! Father and Mother would never speak untruths after all!)

Souma: Uuu… Pondering so hard has made me hungrier. I am famished. Even the great Regent (1) could not have anticipated I would be suffering the miserable prospect of starvation in bountiful modern-day Japan…

(Perhaps I could ask Father to prepare a meal for me… … However, he seems to have his hands full, and he is always saying that men do not belong in the kitchen. 

Umu. In that case, it seems I have no choice but to seek out a meal myself. 

If I search, there ought to be insects or other creatures around which can serve as sustenance somewhere. 

Huh? But, wait. On closer inspection, there is an array of food laid out all about me.   

Am I hallucinating this?

I do not fully comprehend, but this must be Heaven’s blessing too! In other words, uhhh, God must be granting me a divine favour! Yes!

I shall accept with gratitude! 

… … Am I allowed to eat these without permission, though? Will anyone be angered? And yet, with no one around, I cannot seek permission from anyone either?

Besides—Ugh~—I am truly hungry!)

Souma: I humbly partake of this food!

*Chew, chew* Ug~ghh. The flavours are much too strong. The flavours of the meals Mother prepares are so much more refined than this… 

(Sound of footsteps) 

Souma: (Ah! Someone is approaching! This is bad, it would be disgraceful to be caught indulging in pilfered food! It is shameful conduct for the child of a samurai family!

I—I must hide. Under that desk, there seems to be a screen with which I can conceal myself… …

Make haste, Souma! Run for it! Yaaaa!)

Kanata: WAH—Oh?

Souma: … … … …!?

Kanata: Hm~? Hm~? Hm~?

Souma: … …? … …?

(EH? Ehhhh?! What? Who? An intruder~!

Who in the world is… this fellow? He has such a strange air about him—)

Kanata: Who is that, over there? Is it Mikejima?

Souma: (Huh? Eh? What is he saying? 

His voice has a peculiar resonance to it… … I cannot make the words out clearly… …)

Kanata: … … Mikejima— 

You are not he, are you? Your scent is different—

*Lick*—Yes, and your taste is different, too.

Souma: HYAAAAAAH—?! *What* are you doing, all of a sudden? Are you a demon—?

Kanata: Errrm. Who are you?

Souma: A-and who are you? What are you doing in a place like this? 

Kanata: Ohhh. Kanata is not doing anything at all. 

In a sense, what Kanata is doing is ‘nothing’. (2)

Souma: ? ? ?

Kanata: Do you not understand, mortal child? 

Is it so difficult to understand the words Kanata is saying? 

Souma: Eh? Ka—katana? No, what you said was “Kanata”, was it? And that means—?

Madara: POW! (Sound of a loud punch)——In the nick of time, Mikejima appears!

Souma: Gyaa--UGH—!

Madara: Whoo~oops! I punched his lights out in the heat of the moment, but, who is this guy? God, do you know who he is? 

Kanata: Kanata has not become God yet, that is why Kanata does not know anything. 

Mu—And besides that, you took such a long time to return, Mikejima. 

Madara: I’m sorryyy! I had a little trouble finding a place we could break in and enter by, that’s whyyy~

Souma: (Wh—who are they? These guys? They appear to be… children of my age and yet… …?

Oh no, this is bad. I was already light-headed from hunger earlier, and now the shock of being punched has made me even more dizzy… …

I am… losing… consciousness… …

... ... ... ...)

—————-To be continued——————-

Chapter 2

Translator’s Notes: 1) Souma says 太閤さま (Taikoo-sama) which means Imperial Regent and is commonly used to refer to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a samurai who lived in 1537- 1598 and regarded as the second “Great Unifier��� of Japan.

2) Kanata means that he is actively carrying out ‘the act of doing nothing at all’. 

[katsu28]

kait's book corner & cafe

update: this celebration is now closed!

note from me to you: hello friends! the time has come again where i must be sappy. i know, i know, just bear with me, okay? i truly cannot comprehend that there are over two thousand of you lovely souls here now. i appreciate every single one of you who have taken time out of your own lives to join me in my delusions, more than you'll ever know. every like, every comment, every reblog with an indecipherable keysmash—i cherish them all. you all are what push me to grow as a writer, and to keep writing. thank you, thank you, thank you <3

navigation, characters, guidelines

rules:

you don't have to be following me to send something in! this celebration is open to anyone and everyone!

you can send in as many celebration asks as you want, but please only send one request per ask.

as always, please pay attention to my writing guidelines, and please be patient with me!

for one shots, please stick only to characters on the list of ones i write for. please also include the actual prompt and which list it's from, not just the number. this makes things much easier for me!

this celebration will last until halloween—so today, october 15 to tuesday, october 31 at 11:59pm pst.

so without further ado, welcome to my cozy little bookshop. pick a book, settle in, and enjoy 📚

feeling hungry? thirsty? i know i always need a little beverage when i read. we've got something for everyone. come on over to our cafe counter, take a look at our menu!

send ☕ along with a prompt from any one of the lists below and a character of your choosing, and i'll write you a one shot to satisfy your craving!

✤ list a ✤ list b ✤ list c ✤ list d ✤ list e ✤ list f

we all know it, we all love it, it's the reason why many of us are here on tumblr to begin with. welcome to the fictional section, home to blorbos and brainrots. if you've ever wanted to know more about a character, here's your chance!

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wander on over here to the nonfiction section next, friend! here you can read about anyone's life story.

send 📝 along with a short description of yourself (appearance, hobbies, things you enjoy, etc.) and your fandom of choice from this list, and i'll pair you with a character and tell you why!

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send 💌 along with any fics, blogs, or folks you want to give a little extra love to today!

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send 🐈 for a handwritten love letter from yours truly and a song that reminds me of you <3

tagging some lovely moots (signal boost if you'd like, but absolutely no pressure <3): @inkluvs @starryeyedstories @sunlitide @roosterbruiser @headkiss @familyvideostevie @stevebabey @maddipoof @yellowjaxxx @bradleybeachbabe @buckysprettybaby @spideystevie @sokkigarden @alwritey-aphrodite @sunshinesteviee @witchwyfe @astermath @brettsgoldstein @fanboyswhore9 @crappymixtape @annab-nana @boneblushed

[kismetconstellations]

I loved your post on Shiro and there's so much I agree on with it. Now I'm interested in seeing your take on Keith for the character game plz!!! ❤❤❤

Aww, bless your heart. Thank you! I'm glad you found something to enjoy in all of my heavily biased, opinionated, and probably unhinged rambling. ^///^'

I'll give it a go, but, just a small warning/disclaimer in advance:

I have not watched Seasons Three through Six in their entirety. I am vaguely aware of certain developments from these seasons, thanks to my interaction with fanworks incorporating them, but I cannot offer any sort of detailed analyses based on events exclusive to them. For example, I can't comment on Keith's relationships with the Blades in any meaningful way, as I'm only familiar with his interactions with them in Seasons Two, Seven, and Eight.

My answers for Keith are not going to be anywhere near as in-depth as they were for Shiro, since I watched this show for Shiro. But, I will respond to every question to the best of my ability.

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

I like Keith because of the hidden depths to his character. Superficially, he's the hot-headed loner stereotype. He's a "discipline case". He stole the car of a renowned ace pilot sent to recruit students for the local military academy. He spent a number of years in the foster care system after being orphaned at a relatively young age, carries a knife on his person at all times, and doesn't take well to being challenged or having his abilities called into question. He's prone to rash decision-making and acting on impulse, and will lash out and say callous, hurtful things that he doesn't truly mean in the heat of the moment. ("Are we even friends?")

But, he craves love and acceptance from the people around him, even when his instinct is to push them away for self-preservation's sake. He scarfs down his food like he's never going to get another chance to eat, again. He can be a bit slow to pick up on the meanings of certain concepts or ideas, and some aspects of socialization are completely lost on him (not comprehending Lance's "Voltron" cheer). He likes cute things in a reserved, understated sort of way. He likes hugs.

Though he'd never admit it.

He's rash and quick-tempered, but it comes from a place of passion; from a strong sense of justice, and desire to protect the ones he cares about at any cost.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

That he's very much a semi-feral cat in human form. Shiro is his Person, the one who earned his trust and unwavering devotion, and he's slowly learned to open himself up to trusting others, but he'll still bite someone's finger off if they're not Shiro and have the misfortune of making him angry.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

He seems to have lost some of his internal fire in an effort on the part of the writers to turn him into Discount Shiro.

Shiro is "retired" from his position as Black Paladin and head of Voltron, and sidelined completely through no choice of his own because Keith has taken over his role on the team.

Keith gets to kill Shiro's personal tormentor after Shiro couldn't so much as best Sendak in combat.

Season Eight has Keith retreading ground that Shiro already tread, laying into Zarkon about his being unworthy of piloting the Black Lion and Paladinship. Even though that exact confrontation between current and former Black Paladin had already been handled in a much more impactful manner back in Season Two, when it was Shiro engaging Zarkon in a hand-to-hand fight inside of the Black Lion's inner quintessence while the Black Lion, herself, spectated and had the final say in who was the victor.

Not only did Shiro and Zarkon's conflict have higher stakes, both narratively and for the characters, as Zarkon was actually still alive and an active threat to the universe, rather than existing inside of Haggar/Honerva's head, Shiro and Zarkon had history. Shiro was imprisoned and held captive, forced to fight in the gladiatorial arena, on Zarkon's ship. Zarkon was able to wrest control of the Black Lion out from under Shiro mid-battle on multiple occasions, and used his persisting connection to the Black Lion to track Voltron down across multiple galaxies.

These two finally getting to face one another on the battlefield was a longtime coming. It had proper build-up, felt completely earned, and provided all parties involved (Shiro, Zarkon, the Black Lion, and the viewer) ample reason to be invested in the outcome.

It was also a visual treat, with dynamic, impressively animated choreography and physics highly reminiscent of Saiyan battles in Dragonball Z, against a gorgeous backdrop.

Contrast that with Keith yelling at a Mega Zarkon inside of Haggar/Honerva's head, because the showrunners had to artificially up the ante somehow, while standing stock still against a backdrop that isn't nearly as stunning.

And, the Black Lion immediately coming to his aid when Mega Zarkon decides to strike,

instead of watching as her Paladin is slowly strangled until he says the right thing that convinces her that he is worthy.

Keith had Shiro's essence teach him how to "see through the Lion's eyes" in order to unlock the Black Lion's wings,

something Shiro, himself, had to fight to figure out with no one other than the Black Lion guiding him.

Despite Shiro's bond with the Black Lion being the strongest bond between human Paladin and Lion, indisputably and unquestionably, Post-Resurrection Shiro has no connection to her at all. He's a silent passenger in her cockpit, or the cockpit of whichever other Paladin-Lion pair chose to carry him. He might as well not be present at all for all of the acknowledgement and deference he's given by both his found family, and the show, itself.

None of this is Keith's fault. But, it's difficult not to feel some measure of anger, watching him usurp Shiro's role entirely, while Shiro is sequestered off on his own ship to be nerfed and disrespected for a full thirteen episode season. Especially when Keith is younger and able-bodied and easily achieves or has handed to him things that Shiro fought with all of his might only to either fall short of (defeating Sendak), or barely scrape by on the skin of his teeth (cementing his bond with the Black Lion to unlock her ultimate power). Keith's success at Shiro's expense only serves to further fuel the noxious ageism and disgusting ableism perpetuated by this show and its fanbase.

And, Keith's own personality seemed to suffer for it. Perhaps it's meant to be character growth, but he seems so flat, void of the traits that made him distinctly Keith, throughout Seasons Seven and Eight, following Season Seven's opener. I'm positive there are passionate fans who could and have elaborated on this with the detail and insight necessary to fully illustrate the dearth of Keithness. But, I think it says something that even someone like me, who watched this show for Shiro and skipped over nearly four entire seasons due to the absence of him, picked up on the less-than-satisfactory change.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

A shonen anime series, either Sci-Fi or Isekai, where he can be the hero who reluctantly heeds the call of Destiny and pull off risky, reckless maneuvers on a futuristic vehicle, and/or masterfully take down foes with a great big sword, to his hearts' content.

5. What’s the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

"Hold On", by Chord Overstreet; only because of this Keith/Shiro video.

6. What’s something you have in common with this character?

I, too, love dogs and would die for Takashi Shirogane.

7. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Treating him like the competent adult he actually is. The one who lived on his own in a shack in the middle of the desert for a year, and set off bombs to distract Garrison security personnel while he snuck inside of the quarantine zone to figure out what they were up to. Before even realizing they had a miraculously alive Shiro sedated and strapped to a table.

8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Feminizing and infantilizing him, always in service of a ship. Keith has moments of emotional vulnerability, because he's meant to be a multi-faceted human/alien hybrid. That does not make him a weepy blushing "uwu" uke who sobs, wails, and cries while being choked and split open on Lance or Shiro's intimate parts and calling them "daddy".

He's a semi-feral cat in human form. He'd more than likely use his teeth, inflicting serious damage on those very sensitive parts, should someone try to make him choke on them, and I can't see him ever wanting to be sexually dominated by anyone. Putting aside that Shiro is a bottom and would never, Keith would sock Lance or any other man square on the jaw, or drive his knee or foot into an even more vulnerable area, for so much as trying to pin him down and make him "take it".

And, I know this is a popular headcanon and the show, itself, tried to lend credence to it by having Krolia thank "Kuron" for looking after Keith for her, but Shiro did not "raise" Keith. Shiro was an ambitious ace pilot in his very early twenties, contemplating the prospect of engagement and marriage to his long-term partner while their relationship began to unravel, battling a terminal degenerative illness, and planning to pilot a voyage into deep space. When was he meant to have found the time amidst all of this to have adopted or parented a preteen/early adolescent?

He and Keith were close, as a mentor/protege and friends typically would be, but Keith certainly didn't look to Shiro to be a stand-in or surrogate for his father. Nor did Shiro view Keith as his son. Keith confronting Shiro over Shiro's attempt to conceal his illness from him plays out exactly the way a confrontation between two peers who view each other as equals would.

Keith marches up to Shiro without so much as a greeting, very abrupt, direct, and upfront, unafraid of castigation or reprisal. The opposite of what one would expect from a cadet approaching his senior officer, or any kid confronting an adult authority figure about a perceived deception.

Likewise, Shiro steps down to put himself on the same level as Keith.

While maintaining a respectful physical distance, Keith leans forward into Shiro's space, resolutely standing his ground and refusing to let Shiro hide or deflect.

And, Shiro ultimately gives in and chooses to be honest with him, rather than pulling rank and brushing Keith off, telling him that everything's fine, or it's none of Keith's business, and treating him like a child.

Their relationship can't be so simply and neatly classified. Though Keith does refer to Shiro as his "brother", there's enough ambiguity there to be threatening (see Keith tenderly touching Shiro's face

and pausing over Shiro as if he intended to kiss him

), and I think that's why very specific shippers dilute Shiro into Keith's parental figure, even going as far as interpreting Shiro and Keith as, or outright making them biologically related. It's a transparent attempt to rule out any possibility of a romance between them while pretending to pay perfunctory tribute to their bond.

As if these shippers actually care about it or Shiro in any way, shape, or form.

And, it's sincerely grating to have to scroll past.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

I see no reason why I couldn't be. Though, I don't think my cat would get along with Kosmo very well.

10. Could you be best friends with this character?

Once again, I would be too nervous to approach him.

11. Would you date this character?

No. He's way too young for me.

12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?

I have to go with the fairly popular(?) fanon reading that Keith falls somewhere on the Autism spectrum. Canon seems to back this by some degree, with the aforementioned "I say 'Vol', you say--" "Vol-tron?", and showing Keith covering his ears and closing his eyes on the carnival ride he and Hunk get stuck on, as if suffering from overstimulation.

13. What’s an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

▬▬ι═══════ﺤ

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

Probably cliche and expected, but... Biker Aesthetic. Leather jacket in black or red, fingerless gloves on his hands, of course, tight jeans, perhaps with a tear or two in the legs, and heeled boots.

He'd also definitely wear hoodies and hooded jackets with drawstrings, so he can pull the hood over his head and secure it tightly when he's feeling overstimulated and wants to shut out the world.

15. What’s your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn’t matter if it’s canon or not.)

Keith/Shiro. Their love for each other is legitimately, canonically death-defying.

"Keith, I was dreaming. Keith... you saved me." "We saved each other."

I get emotional every time.

16. What’s your least favorite ship for this character?

The portmanteau starts with a 'K', and rhymes with pants.

17. What’s a ship for this character you don’t hate but it’s not your favorite that you’re fine with?

I think Keith/Acxa is interesting and has potential, and I kind of wish the show would have done more with Keith/Allura than the brief ship tease we got in The Ark of Taujeer.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

I think Keith and Hunk's friendship is very sweet, Keith and Kosmo are adorable, and in a purely platonic sense, Keith and Lance do have their moments (that I don't reflexively tune out because the fandom has caused me to dread any interaction between them.)

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don’t like?

Nothing comes to mind.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

I think Keith has some pretty solid friendships as is.

21. If you’re a fic writer and have written for this character, what’s your favorite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?

I like how concise, direct, and to the point Keith is. He doesn't meander, or waffle, or embellish, or put on airs. He says exactly what he means to say the first time, and doesn't put up a facade for anyone.

I've yet to find something I dislike about writing for him.

22. If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?

I like when he's actually written faithfully to his canon characterization, scrappy and slightly rough around the edges, but fiercely loving and possessing a strong- if sometimes somewhat misguided- sense of justice.

I hate when he's infantilized and portrayed as a soft, weepy, fragile child in fics that are meant to take place during the show's main timeline. It comes across as borderline fetishistic, and kind of creeps me out. Especially when he's being paired with Shiro and the author continues to emphasize how "delicate" and "small" he is in contrast to Shiro's strength and size.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

Just as Shiro reminds me very much of the 2003 iteration of Leonardo, Keith invokes 2003 TMNT's Raphael. Short-tempered, always ready and raring to deliver a well-deserved beatdown, prone to acting rashly, strong sense of justice, intense, unbreakable bond with his team leader.

The major difference is, aside from Keith and Shiro not butting heads like Raph and Leo frequently do (and obviously not being siblings), Raphael never lost his internal fire over the course of the series, no matter what trauma he endured.

The same cannot be said for Keith.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

I can't recall my first impression of him, truth be told. Now... Admittedly, I'm not quite as taken with his character as I sort of hoped I would be, given how he's portrayed in well-written fanfiction. I like him just fine, but...

Maybe it's the product of me being overexposed to him by a fandom that is utterly obsessed with shoving the milquetoast pairing of him and his "rival" down everyone's throats. Or the fact that he's made to usurp Shiro's role, to the point that some of his fans openly wish that Shiro would have remained dead in service of Keith's character arc.

Regardless of the reason, Keith kind of doesn't do much for me. Strange for someone who happily ships him with their favorite to say, but that's the reality of it.

----

Thank you so much for the submission! I hope my answers were somewhat satisfactory, and not completely incendiary. (I'm not really equipped to handle torches and pitchforks.)

[sorcerous-caress]

If you have the time, could you do a Wyll request with a durge!tav who is waaaaay too selfless to balance out the violent parts of their brain. Like Wyll is about to take a massive hit and tav just pushes him out of the way, taking the damage and bleeding out on the ground but they just offer a smile to Wyll in return. They don't know how to express that it makes them feel less of a monster when they do this stuff.

Into my arms | Wyll

[Angst, comfort, themes of indirect self harm/destructive behaviours, getting better together, Durge Reader, Nb!Reader]

[ part of the Wyll's Week event]

To bleed is to know you have a soul.

Oh, how reassuring it was, the sight of your own life essence escaping your veins. A cleansing shower of red that washes away all of your sins.

All of your father's sins.

To be bathed in your own blood, to bear the scars of every arrow and sword that you dived in front of, it's proof to the world of your innocence.

Your companions, your friends, the people who accepted you for who you are, you can't fail them.

So you closed off your walls, built a fortress of steel and enchanted the bricks to deflect all of your emotions and urges inwards, on yourself instead.

To protect the ones you loved, to spare the world of your cruel heart.

If your brain craves for blood to be spilled, it will be yours. A member to dismember, will come from you.

Wyll was the most vocal out of your other companions about his discontent with your ways of indirect self-flagellation masquerading as selfless kindness, your constant sacrifice of precious parts of you until you hoped nothing will remain.

“I am grateful for you sparing me from that arrow, truly,” Wyll sat down next to you just as Shadowheart bid her goodnight after healing your wounds, “but why put yourself in front of me? Why tempt death constantly by using yourself as a shield for me, for all of us.”

He sees the way you look at him, at all of them. As if they were something precious, as if they were doing you a favour by giving you a decent treatment. A stark contrast to how hollow your gaze becomes whenever you glance at a mirror, face your own reflection with disdain.

You would carve out your own flesh to feed them if you had to, it was written in your soul clear as day. And that notion was far too scary for Wyll's brain to comprehend.

You haven't given him a reply, merely smiled. Too tender and sweet of a smile for someone who's ready to sacrifice their own body for him, for someone who already did countless times.

He isn't blind, he is far too familiar with this kind of overcompensation. The idea that if you let the world punish you enough, drag your limbless form through the mud and dig deep, then maybe just maybe salvation will be an option.

An attempt to balance the scales of fate, the unfair hand you were dealt in this life, the child of a slayer god. Bathed with blood and adorned with carcasses since the day you were born, not that you had any choice in the face of your ever so doting father.

Where is he now? Wyll wonders. Where are any of the gods? When they turned their backs on him that damned night, when he begged on his knees for a devil to deliver what the divine couldn't care to.

They only reared their ugly head when it suited them, and yours seemed to only send you the best of gifts after forcing your own hand to rip something equally as precious from your world.

The campfire flame cackles at both of your miserable states, your joint desperation for approval.

Wyll tries to offer you what he cannot give himself, to be the person he needed most that night.

Reassurance.

“You're not a monster, you don't deserve to bleed just because.” He tells you the word he repeated to himself once before, “you don't have to be strong for us.”

You can be weak

Be weak and drop the weight of the world from your shoulders, be weak and fear death for your life is worth living. 

Be weak and cry when you get hurt, stay down when you fall, hug yourself when you crumble. 

Please be weak.

“Let me have your back, be your sword and shield.” The campfire light reflects off of his horns, he just like you, already paid the price.

The bandage around your waist where the arrow struck is still fresh, you wince as you try to get closer to him. Before you could force your body to move again, Wyll himself closes the distance, leaving his seat and kneeling on the ground in front of you.

“Please.” You see your reflection in his eyes, “promise me you will at least try, depend on me, on all of us.”

The words are dry in your mouth, his lips look especially lovely as he pleads his case.

So many words unspoken, so many thoughts swirl around your brain.

I can handle it.

It's my fate.

It's what I deserve.

I rather die than watch you get hurt.

It claws at my skin every second demanding I give in.

You deserve more than I can afford.

I'm death incarnate.

I should be hurt.

I can't handle it.

Then your mind blinks away, a blank state as you feel his lips, those same lovely lips, kiss your bruised knuckles.

Then, emotions.

You almost forgot you had them, almost forgot you deserved to feel them.

You cup Wyll's face gently with the same hand, hold him tenderly.

“I promise,” you vow, “I will try. For you, I will do anything.”

[littlebluepillthatmakesppsmall]

Fan vessel concept: The Horror (a self loathing princess)

Buckle up, this is a long one.

This is in some ways the gentle princesses equivalent of the specter, you have to go downstairs without the knife to immediately attempt to save her without hesitating at all. When you do the princess actually ask you if you know why she's locked up down here. You can either hesitate and remain silent, which leads to the normal chain of events and the Damsel, or you can be completely honest and tell her that you were told she was going to destroy the world. As always she thinks the notion is ridiculous.

You cut her free and when the narrator tries to take over your body there's a new option, one created by your unwavering determination to save the princess, one that can push back against him so completely that the princess doesn't even have to kill you. The Voice of the Hero hands the blade to the princess to make sure that the narrator doesn't get another chance like that and the two of you leave the cabin, the narrator ranting and raveing the whole time.

You go up the stairs and out the cabin door, and as you do, the narrator begins to fade away. Then, the world also starts to fade. The princess is shocked. She looks around at the world disappearing and asks if you're doing this? If you knew this would happen? If... she's doing this? Then it really hits her, she truly realizes that she is destroying this world, she feels the cold and the horror of the situation, and before the world can disappear fully, she tries to stop it by taking your blade and plunging it into her own chest, she is dead before the Shifting Mound can take her.

It's too little too late, and the world continues to fade out until you are left standing in nothingness the only thing around you, the dead body of the princess. Having never even seen the mirror and having made a vessel that Shifty cannot use.

You get "the bad ending"

And get the choice to either stay here for eternity resulting in getting one of the five stages of grief scenes where Shifty takes you and yells at you and all that.

Or just like in the good ending, you can kill yourself. Take the blade from the body of The Princess and stab yourself

Then you wake up on the path in the woods but rather than the narrator's voice, the first thing you hear is an echoey distorted version of the princesses: "you're on a path in the woods, and at the end of that path is a cabin, in the basement of that cabin is a princess, you are here to slay her" her voice breaks, a sob cutting through, "please..."

The narrator is confused, and for the first time we see him suspicious. He immediately picks up on that you have had to have been here before, because unlike other chapter twos this beginning is too different for him, the woods are as they should be but the princess taking his place even for a moment is something he can't ignore.

He suspicious that she is asking you to slay her, he tries to hide it but he's clearly wondering if maybe she has some sort of actual plan to use her death to escape. He can't comprehend that she might actually want to die, tying with both his mistrust of The Princess and his belief that anything is better than oblivion. He can't comprehend that Princess might want to make the same 'noble' sacrifice that he did.

The princess on the other hand serves as a voice for this chapter, she is able to hear the voices and the narrator throughout the chapter, (or maybe the piece of her within you does) and is adamant that you need to kill her. Her doing it didn't work. It has to be you.

I think you would get the voice of the contrarian as well, because as much as I love him in stranger, I didn't even know he had his own chapter until I found a list of all the routes after firt playingthe game, that's been fixed a bit in the pristine cut, but I still feel like he needs a more content heavy dedicated chapter.

Narrator is busy trying to both insist that you need to slay the princess, but also imply that maybe you shouldn't do it now because it seems like killing her is what she wants and it'll probably let her escape somehow, while still trying not to put too dangerous of an idea in your head. He's torn caught in a loop of reverse reverse psychology.

As you move forward towards the cabin, the narrator eventually settles on the position that you need to do something about the princess but just stabbing her in the heart with the pristine blade is clearly what she wants somehow and you shouldn't go through with it, you'll have to find another way. "Maybe burn the cabin down or feed her poison, maybe there's a bottomless pit we can drop her in. It feels like that would work."

The princess insists that nothing else will work, it has to be with the blade and it has to be Quiet doing it.

The hero is sad but is on team kill the princess with the blade having seen what freeing her did and listening to her wishes, where as the contrarian is the one who still insists on trying to save her. He believes there has to be a way, and despite everyone disagreeing with him, he keeps pushing for it.

Inside the cabin is cordoned off, wooden planks covering the windows, all haphazardly nailed into place, as if in a rush. The door is barred and also nailed shut. Covered in signs that tell you to keep out, and stay away for your own safety.

The blade is in a case with a sign referring to it that says 'in case of emergencies take this'

The princess and hero want you to take the blade, the narrator doesn't, and surprisingly the contrarian wants you to pick up the blade.

And then he tells you to throw it out the window.

If you do that, or choose to leave the blade, the princess freaks out. Calling you a monster that's doomed of the world and many other things before her voice goes silent, and you feel her presence leave your head.

She still goes silent if you take it and don't throw it out but only after thanking you, telling you how to open the door.

The princess tells you she's sorry for the inconvenience she just wanted to make sure she couldn't leave, just in case she ever wanted to.

You slowly pluck the nails from the door, and as it opens the princesses the voice leaves your head, "see you soon..."

You head down the stairs. The narrator describes the basement as a constraining place, if the princess lives here slaying her would be a mercy.

No matter which of the stair dialogue options you pick the princess responds with something more or less like.

"I know you're here we were just talking"

When you get downstairs the basement is a more classical dungeon, prison bars separating you and the princess, you can see her through them, she has taken on an appearance with elements invoking the idea of Eldritch horror, she has an extra set of eyes on her face and her hair looks more like tendrils, moving on their own.

Her dress looks more like she is coated in a dark liquid that flows off of her rather than a proper gown. The hand that you had cut off to free her, has been replaced with a long set of tentacles, them wrapped around a ring hammered into the wall rather than her being shackled. She's the one holding herself here.

You ask if you can approach, she tells you the key is on the table beside you, and you can decide to take the key and leave her in the basement (which triggers the shifting mound to take her), or open it and talk to her.

This is a princess who has the kindness of the damsel, but has seen the destruction she can bring to the world and is terrified of it. She believes she can only hurt people, and rather than embracing it like other vessels she she quarantined herself.

She believes her death is the only way to protect everyone. She trusts you to be the hero for everyone else like you were for her, but a part of her is suspicious that you knew that letting her out would really end the world and intend to, but you're the only person who can do this so she has to trust you.

If you come down without the blade, or in the process of your conversation get rid of the blade somehow she will panic and ask you why you did that.

You can tell her that you don't want to kill her and you think there must be another way.

In response she is scared and confused, driven by her emotions her tentacles unwrapped from the ring, and they reach out and grab you, constricting you while she asks how you can have seen what you've seen and still think there's something else for her, that she can be anything else.

In the process she accidentally crushes you, and as you die she has an emotional breakdown, believing that she shouldn't have trusted you with this, and that this is proof that she can only hurt people, when you die you get an alternate version of The Thorn, one with different dialogue (like how the fury has different dialogue depending on if you came from the tower or the adversary.)

If you manage to slowly convince her that she can be freed safely she will come with you and hesitate as you near the door, eventually she will step outside, and things will seem fine for a moment, she will smile, and then the world will start to fade again, and she looks at you with hurt in her eyes, heartbroken at what she thinks is all her fears being proven right. And then the hands take her.

If you try to forcibly free her, by cutting the tentacles that are serving as her shackle she will take it as you actively trying to end the world, and it will kill you taking you to whatever her unique chapter 3 would be, (probably something involving her trying to keep you both chained up forever since killing either of you doesn't seem to work.) You'd also get the voice of the stubborn for that chapter.

If you listen to the narrator, and go against the princesses wishes by trying to kill her in some way other than the blade, (I don't know maybe there's a bottomless pit in her cell or something,) it will net you "the good ending"

Eventually, the contrarian will decide to kill you, and if you don't have the blade, he will have you jump into the bottomless pit

This also bring you to that unique chapter 3, except with the voice of the cold.

I think she would make for a remorseful heart

[fromdarzaitoleeza]

This post is not related to literature, books or art , please skip the post since that's what u thought and stumbled upon it , this post is all about me and my personal thoughts on various chain of things in my life , which I want to write down here since Tumblr has been my safe place .

I went through my blog yesterday and tried to look up what i have been posting since the last few months, it gave me a lot of blue vibes altho it is a representation of what's going on in my head , on Tumblr specifically I only post what goes through me & what I been feelin , I have lived in every peice of quote I have posted over the span of months, i have resonated with them not just only once but multiple times over the period of time , but I don't want to post them always, I want to feel so many other emotions that exist out there so that I can post about them , intimacy love happiness faith youth friendship I want to feel them I want them to happen to me the way I feel blue heavily, intensely ,constantly ! I post on this blog so I can find people who have felt things that I have felt so that I know I am not the only person who has felt it this way & again I sometimes think about the people who felt the same things as they felt and wonder how miserable it has been for them too. I am never not thinking about the quote from van Gogh when he says I want people to touch me through my art I want people to feel my art I want them to say oh he feels deeply he feels deeply.

This year has undoubtedly been one of the worst years of my life i have suffered great losses not just of people but also of the person I was , I don't recall a single day in this year when I looked in the mirror and felt happy looking at myself ( I am not talking about the physical appearance here ) . This year has made me weak on all levels & i can't write down all the reasons for it cuz they won't justify anything, this year I have spent more time somewhere else rather than in myself, despite what i am writing here trust me I am a very optimistic person I still keep the faith & hope to do better in life everyday I am the person who will fall down ninety nine times and stand tall again on hundredth, i don't give up and sometimes i think thats what goes wrong with me I don't know when to give up which l believe has significantly hurted me over many things , indeed nothing has hurted me than my very being & my mistake cuz i have done a lot of them but the what makes me more ridiculous is I am the most intelligent person in my family tree and it's branches ( no i am not trying to praise myself)my opinions/choices are asked for decision making over lot of important things in their life which amusingly fits them well and satisfies them but the same wisdom/intelligence doesn't benefit me,it has caused me more damage than good , I read the quote from Bukowski where he says "Sadness is caused by intelligence, the more you understand certain things, the more you wish you didn't understand them" and i have never looked at myself in the same way again

As much as I believe in efforts and action I also believe some things are not just subjectivity enough with them for example my experience with love and friendship, i believe one of strongest reason I loved Leeza was the resemblance of our tragedies in the past , there is quote from nagato ( pain from Naruto shippden) where he says "" unless people comprehend the pain as others they truly cannot understand one other"" here the pain i and Leeza shared was very much similiar I thought we would understand each other best out of anyone in this planet, which made to put my 100% into loving her but unfortunately that was not enough

I wanted to meet people who would want to understand me ( only /atleast those who already knew me inside out) based on the way I did things and what happened to me & how much of what changed me overtime as a person, because i don't want to explain each time I do something to the person who already knows about me ,maybe this doens't make a lot of sense since this by far has been the most delusional thing I have ever thought of , I have never met someone as such i am being very honest about it ,and this is solely due to my own fault I am an over expaliner cuz i think people are overthinkers ( simply because I am one) .

I am trying my very best to change my life in every way i can , even if things aren't beautiful I am grateful that I am alive, i will always hope that things will get beautiful over time, sincerely and most Genuinely I want to feel those things ,i can not describe how badly i want nice things to happen to me , how i would like to be friends with someone who won't hurt me & to be loved by someone deeply enough that i can find my peace in them.

[confusion-est]

"What I once feared, I have become!" Heyyy so it's time to be insane and ramble about things that don't make sense I need more people to portray flaggie as someone who has doubts and fears istg. Like yes. Yes being Light's bravest boy going through anything and everything throw at him is his schtick I don't deny that. But as much as it is fun to explore the fanaticism, no one seems to explore the more tender side of things? That he's still experiencing pain (not in a masochist way), that it still hurts, that this quest is scary for him and that he seems to not see value in his past life as beggar? That he believes this is the only thing he can do since he used to be good for nothing lowlife? Why no one talks about the tragedy that he cannot fathom the idea of experiencing something pleasant? That any act of kindness towards him he sees as 'temptation'. Bro cannot comprehend that he could accept someone's gift without it being a terrible sin (why do you consider that a sin anyway? Brother do you not believe you deserve nice things in life? Do you truly believe you can only experience suffering? Are you as pure as you claim to be or do you have a compulsive need to atone for life you did not have control over? Did you choose this life because for once you could make a choice instead of wasting away forever?) If his role is that of a shepherd (as he claims), why does he want to die so much in the final quest? So many questions. I need to study him under a microscope and he's arguably very 1 dimensional. Pain.