#My Thoughts RTA

[romancemedia]

This is gonna sound harsh, but I gotta say after seeing what the Corona Guards were like throughout the entire series of Tangled, it's no surprise how Mother Gothel was able to sneak into the castle and kidnap Rapunzel when she was a baby.

The guards weren't always on their A-Game and it's shocking just how much stuff got by them. It's just as Lance said in one of the last episodes, "Have any of these guys ever successfully guarded anything?" I could make a list, but I don't want to add further insult to injury. I will say they are in better hands now that Eugene is charge. (Sorry Cap)

[punziebunnie]

frying pans! who knew, right? 🍳💛💜🌸

[kamenriderblade2004]

In the Halo terminals, the way Sesa talked about Thel being the only one that would be able to convince the Sangheili of the Prophet’s lies and the sadness in his voice when he realized the truth to Spark’s words that Thel would be exact type to be made Arbiter fucking gets meee.

[stripedchickens]

If I had a nickel for every time I projected my gender confusion unto an animated character whos a nerd and is awkward…I’d have two nickels, which isn’t much but it’s weird that it’s happened twice-

[lazlolullaby]

Lost Royal Eugene Plot Bunnies~

hot takes and plot ideas on Eugene and his royal heritage being significant to how he ended up as a thief...because the brainworms are wriggling again

Normally in these kinds of fantasy stories, there’s a letter, or an item, or even a caretaker that stays with the Lost Royal and reveals the truth either when they’re old enough or when the chips are down.

Eugene doesn’t have that. He didn’t have that at all.

It can be argued in the movie (if he knew) he didn’t mention it because -

A (the letter): he just met Rapunzel 2 days ago, she’s not getting everything at once. Plus if he has proof his family abandoned him, even for good reason, it still hurts.

B (Royal item): he’s got a family heirloom that’s stashed somewhere that he can’t sell because he’s sentimental. May or may not know where it came from. Backed up by: the entirety of Tangled and also: the engraved comb and the scrapbook of wanted posters from RTA.

C (caretaker): He’s proudly a Thief, and a New Adult, who wants to tell their parental figure what they’re actually doing for a living??? This is assuming that they’re a Decent Person - if they were abusive and Eugene paralleled that with the Gothel situation - hoo boy now that’s a rabbit hole filled with plot bunnies~

The only thing Eugene ever had in his possession that hinted to his Royalty was a two-headed coin. That’s it. I suppose that was part of Edmund’s master plan - keep him as far from the Royal Line as possible so he would never find the Moonstone at all.

But he was carried away as a baby - he had to have had a nursemaid at least to feed him.

So in canon. We’ve got a gap between being sent away as a baby and being a “employed” by the Baron as a teenage thief.

I’ve uhh...got a theory.

The world isn’t kind to immigrants. Even in a lighthearted "never say die”, fantasy world, it’s going to be rough. The nursemaid (for funzies, let’s call her Claire) tries to support herself and baby Horace. And some people are kind enough, but there’s people that see Horace as a meal ticket, an obligation or a trade for a later reward when he’s King.

So Claire changes their names and runs, further than anywhere anyone she’s known has ever been. Claire throws herself into maintaining an orphanage in Varadaros, essentially hiding orphan Eugene in a stack of orphan needles.

Meanwhile, a Princess is stolen and a King tries to eradicate every criminal possible. The unlucky who are accused of more than what they're guilty of flood Varadaros.

The panic creates a power vacuum and one man rises to the top of the dust heap ; a man who styles himself as royalty, mimicking their manners and excess. The Baron.

Plague happens and there's no magical Flowers to save anyone. Claire dies when Eugene is around five, young enough to vaguely remember her voice but not her face. Claire’s possessions are gone through and divided.

The letters for Eugene are read. At first they think it’s a joke - ah, of course her favorite kid is a Prince! What a funny family joke! But the more they talk to others - they realize that he does line up with the facts.

Word gets out. Sure, it’s not the Lost Princess, but it’s something.

The Baron hears about it. And the one thing he wants that he can’t ever have is a Royal Title. So he shows up at the orphanage. Talks to them real gentle-like. Tells them to look the other way when he brings Eugene over to his gang.

They refuse.

Baron puts the pressure on the orphanage, threatening them and cutting off their supplies. And - in an effort to save everyone else - they relent. Baron gets the Royal item and the letter. It’s lucky that Stalyan takes a shine to Eugene - they could legitimately marry and cement the title in their family. If he doesn’t work out - he still has the letter, he could pass off another kid as Horace. It’s not like there’s a shortage of brown eyed kids anywhere.

And that's the story of how Prince Horace was swindled out of his destiny for the first time.

[lizarr7]

this post has probably twice as many notes as even the most popular of any of my other posts ever. The image was initially being sold as a YCH (your character(s) here, for anyone unfamiliar), and after I purchased it, I was having trouble deciding between 3 or 4 different couples I was thinking of choosing for the commission (I am nothing if not a shipper at heart XD). As soon as I finally settled on cassunzel and told the artist, I was excited. And I was SO happy with the result. But now that I've shared it here, I'm doubly happy I spent the money on this because so many people have really enjoyed it! I feel like I did us all a service, lol. And it makes me really happy to know there is still a healthy community of cassunzel people out there, even if most of us aren't very active with it anymore.

Ok, it is unacceptable of me that it took me SO long to post this. I kept forgetting about it! Shame on me. Anyway, this is NOT my art! This is a commission I had done for me a while back by the very talented artist Remarin. I got her permission to post it over here because it's amazing and I want to show it off :D

The only social media I know of for Remarin is her Deviantart account (which is where I follow her), so here's that: https://www.deviantart.com/remarin

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

RTA, do you have a record of when exactly the first rumours about Harry and Meghan divorce/separation started? Or how? And what was being said at that time?

My Spidey senses have been tingling every since it was reported that Meghan shoped for a post divorce book deal. I wonder if Meghan herself is fanning those rumours. It serves the dual purpose of needling Harry as well as bringing back some interest in her. As cringe and embarrassing as she is, a lot of people are saying she is the one who seems to be working while Harry just wants to lounge by the poolside.

To be clear I don't think so, some people I've talked to say this as a joke. I think whatever money they have or have coming in is because of Harry and not because of her.

This is beginning to look a lot like a devaluation phase of Harry.

Divorce/separation rumors about the Sussexes have been around the wedding. In other words, very few people outside of the Sussex Squad thinks (or thought) they were together for the long haul. So divorce has always been swirling around them. Some serious, some not.

But if I had to say, I'd say the vibes around Sussex divorce rumors changed in late 2021/early 2022.

Late 2021 was right after the Sussexes finally launched their post-Megxit strategy for American success. First was the Time 100 cover (aka Hair Stylist Harry), then was the NYC visit (which included their first red carpet gala) which was all panned, criticized, and ridiculed.

And hot on the Sussexes' heels - also pushing them out of the spotlight in a very major way - was a glamorous royal red carpet at the James Bond premiere, followed quickly by William's his first Earthshot ceremony and an emergency hospitalization by The Queen (which scared everyone). It's probably one of the better "this or that" comparisons in the Cambridges vs Sussexes dynamic and the Sussexes definitely got a very losing stick.

Springtime 2022 is when tarot readers and astrologists began picking up on divorce for the Sussexes. It started in March 2022 and went through about September 2022. This time is one of those instances where many different readers across several different platforms (including some that I know aren't aware of each other) are "seeing" similar things, so I feel pretty comfortable saying that there was something in the universe at this time legitimately about a Sussex divorce.

Hindsight being 20/20, 2022 was a pretty big 'make or break' year for the Sussexes. They had their first "major" tour (The Hague Invictus Games), their first visit back to the UK (the secret Windsor visit and the Platinum Jubilee, and Netflix and Spotify were demanding content. So everything had to go well for them. But it didn't.

Bad News #1: The secret visit to Windsor. No one even knew they were there till Meghan leaked it herself, and then no one really cared.

Bad News #2: The Hague IG. Meghan stole all the media coverage with her couture fashion and the criticism was loud. Very loud.

Bad News #3: Netflix dropped Pearl, Meghan's girl power show for children. Aw, so sad.

Bad News #4: Platinum Jubilee. Worse than no one caring, the public booed them and the family publicly shunned them three times (no carriage or balcony at Trooping, seats in Siberia at the jubilee service, no one going to Lili's birthday party).

I think this is when Meghan decided she needed to ditch Harry because it wasn't going well for her. She "separated" her brand from Harry's the first time, doing an interview with Vogue, a second interview with The Cut, and releasing Archetypes. Harry wasn't in the picture anymore. So perhaps this when she shopped her divorce memoir.

(And we all know what happened next - the European tour rudely interrupted by The Queen's death, followed by 3 weeks trapped in London for royal mourning and the funeral. She may have decided to stay, thinking that Harry was going to get a few upgrades now that he was the son of The King.)

Anyway, just a theory and speculation.

So long story short to answer your question: actual/real divorce rumors started in 2022 but the speculation has been around since the engagement, basically.

(Also, I don't have the link anymore but in May 2022, there was a YouTube tarot reader who predicted a 2025 divorce for the Sussexes. We will find out this year if they were right.)

[twisting-echo]

My Top 25 Crossover Couples (Pt 2)

(Please click on picture for better quality)

It's finally finished! I've had this sitting in my PicsArt drafts for over four months, and that's why some of the other pictures are blurry because it's been rendered so many times, but there had to be changes made based on my mood!

Top 25 Crossover Couples (Blank) by Daniarts19 on DA.

(This will also be the last time that I'll use this template by Daniarts19 due to her disrespecting my DNI and breaking her promise about not saying mean/rude things to me.)

Loona (Helluva Boss) x Izuku (MHA) (Dekoona/MoonRabbit): My friend @amethystoceandespiser got me to ship them. I'm invested in their chemistry and emotional connection.

Sunita (ROTTMNT) x Tucker (Danny Phantom): My friend @amethystoceandespiser brought this ship to my attention and I love it!

Octavia (Helluva Boss) x Danny (DP) (Spectral Owl): This is the ship that started the friendship between me and @amethystoceandespiser and I love it! Their emotional connection and chemistry has my heart.

Jazz (Danny Phantom) x Raph (ROTTMNT) (Tough Cookie & Smart Cookie): This ship came to me after my friend and I made our Scott Pilgrim AU. They're both older siblings who just want the best for their younger siblings. They understand each other's pain.

Mayor Lionheart (Zootopia) x Anna (Frozen): My reasons for shipping Anna and Mayor Lionheart are explained in this post here.

Sparky (Atomic Betty) x Amethyst (Trollz) This ship came to me as a kid.

Buttercup (PPG) x Nergal Jr (TGAOB&M) I love Tomboy x Nerd dynamics, but it's even more interesting considering that Buttercup fights monsters for a living and Nergal Jr. is a monster-demon-demigod-nerd-boy, lol.

Lobster Claws (SVTFOE) x Bubbles (PPG) (BubbleClaws) This crackship is based on a joke between me and my sister @small-tragedies

Goo (FHFIF) x Blossom (PPG) (GooBloss/PinkGoo) This ship came to me when I was a kid, and I thought that they were cute together.

Alice (AMA/AMR) x P/Pinocchio (LOP) (Palice) I have to thank my friend, @frie-ice for getting me to ship them.

Violet (The Incredibles) x Varian (TTS/RTA) (Virian) I have to thank @virianhaven for getting me to ship them.

Lola Bunny (TLTS) x Minnie Mouse (Minola) I have @dawn64 to thank for getting me to ship them so hard.

Lucifer Morningstar x Poppy (DuckPop/PopStar/ApplePop) I have @hah-studios to thank for getting me to ship them. Watch this video here.

Rapunzel (Tangled) x Fred (BH6) (Fredpunzel/Rapzilla/Sunzilla) I have to thank @rapunzelcrossoverqueen for getting me to ship them.

Minerva Mink x Marvin Martian (Minervin/MartianMink) I have to thank @dawn64 for getting me to ship them.

Panini (Chowder) x Lincoln/Warren (Loud House): I had an idea based on the "White Hare" episode, where Lincoln has a dream about being a rabbit named Warren with 15 extra sisters but instead has an Alice in Wonderland-type adventure being transported to Marzipan City, and you can probably guess the rest.

Ami (Sailor Moon) x Sonic (Sonic X) (SonAmi, I guess, lol): Being a die-hard SonElise shipper, it's easy to assume that Sonic has a type~

Daisy Duck x Cruella (Cruaisy): I started shipping them years ago when I watched this Disney short called Electric Holiday. I've made a couple AUs where Daisy works for Cruella in the fashion industry, and they become close friends and lovers in a May-December relationship. 

Tom (Tom & Jerry) x Bright Eyes (Pound Puppies Season 1): I like to headcanon that Tom and Bright Eyes are childhood friends to lovers. I explain it more in this post here.

Frank Wolff (Jungle Cruise) x Jack Sparrow (TPOTC) (SparrowWolf/WolfSparrow): I don't really ship characters from live-action movies and shows, but Disney Mirrorverse got me to ship these two goofballs.

Cinderella x Gojo (JJK) (Gojoella): Don't get me wrong. I love Sukuella, but I solely blame @peachudumplings for giving me Fairy-God-Gojo, and thus I ship Cinderella and Gojo too, lol.

Stitch (Lilo and Stitch) x Tinker Bell (Peter Pan): My reasons for crackshipping Stitch and Tinker Bell are explained in this post here.

Alice x Peter Pan (PanAlice): I've always shipped Peter Pan and Alice, but because of their Disney Mirrorverse counterparts, I shipped them harder.

Yuji Itadori (JJK) x Yuliy Jirov (Sirius the Jaeger) (YuYu): They have so much in common! That's all I'll say about these two for now~

Tiana x Nanami (Tianami): I have to thank @peachudumplings for getting me to ship them so hard. They're perfect for each other~

I am cringe and I am free!

Here is a link to my Top 25 Crossover Couples (Pt 1).

🚫IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THIS SHIP, PLEASE DON'T COMMENT OR REBLOG 🚫🚫 PLEASE DON'T STEAL OR REPOST MY EDITS 🚫

[iteratorsex]

i had a shower thought a bit ago about chasing wind and grey wind being two different iterators and the follow up thought of that was "what if they were 2 iterators in one chamber/facility" and I thought to ask you how. that would even work if it could.

ive been thinking that the superstructure would likely be bigger than other cans because of the possible extra processing but if it isn't obvious I'm not good at complexly thinking about these and I'd rather hear someone else's perspective and take before acting on the idea.

I've seen people have the take that CW/GW is a system or that their full name is Chasing Grey Wind. My take is that that's just their nickname and they prefer Chasing Wind instead

As for the two iterator thing, I do have 2 iterator ocs that share a can, and its basically just... conjoined twins. What benefits one also benefits the other. They share the same cooling pipes and iterator GI tracts and all, but they have separate brains and separate RTAs Usually they have to compromise and one stops processing so that the other can continue. It sucks for them but its so they don't accidentally kill themselves

There's a lot of ways you can take the "2 iterators sharing the same facility" thing. Hell pebbles and moon do it already, but they're still separate even though they share resources

[romancemedia]

There is one thing each of these 3 Disney couples have in common and it's REALLY romantic. When Cinderella, Aurora and Rapunzel first met Charming, Phillip and Eugene, none of them knew at the time they were a prince! I always love the TVTrope where someone falls in love with a royal without even realizing, only to find out later.

[saturnstrays]

Halo and ULTRAKILL ramble uhhhh

Ermm spoilers for halo 2 if you gaf but that game is literally older than me so.. also halo 3 but I'm older than halo 3 I think <3 and also ultrakillz spoils

I just realized Thel 'Vadam (Arbiter) and Gabriel have a lot in common in their arcs (Halo 2-3 and Ultrakill act 1-2 respectively) in how they were weapons for their religion, and then after failing their prophets, they were punished and sent after a heretic to kill them. But the heretic ultimately changed their viewpoint and led them to killing their religious leader(s) (if I remember right Arby only killed one of the prophets himself but still)

They also are very different in how Thel was the "will of the prophets" after he failed to prevent the destruction of one of the Rings or Holy Halos or whatever they were called, and Thel's new status as Arbiter actually made him a disposable soldier who was sent on 'noble' missions that were also incredibly dangerous enough to get him killed. As one of the prophets said (I can't tell any of those old sacks apart, it was probably Regret because I Regret looking at his ugly ass) "The tasks you must undertake as Arbiter are perilous--suicidal! You will die as each Arbiter has before you. The Council will have their corpse." I'm citing my evidence are you proud English teachers.. He was Arbiter not because he was such a good soldier, but because he was being punished for failing the Prophets EVEN THOUGH IIRC HE LED LIKE THE SECOND LARGEST FLEET OF ELITE SHIPS AND OBLITERATED MILLIONS OF HUMANS so clearly he wasn't THAT incompetent but I guess that's why they made him Arbiter instead of killing him. He was still useful and devoted to The Great Journey (their religion) so the prophets used him without having to value him.. damn... kinda what they had going on with Gabriel..

And GABRIEL was like the opposite in status.. he was one of the best angels, he was never defeated until that cute bastard V1 ground him down to size... he sat in shame before the council as they wrenched a scream from his throat with the agony they put him through (Just like Thel). He had wrought bloodshed and destroyed countless souls with blind faith..jUs LIKE THEL HEEHEHEHEHE.!!! I don't really think there's much I can go into with ultrakill that hasn't already been said because you ultrakill fans are beautiful thoughtful yappers. However the halo fans are... mostly homophobic Xbox players... so.. yeah as far as I'm aware not a lot of deep reflection happening there LOOOL also I'm just scared of them because they're usually unpleasent in my experience

I might go more into depth because this was just a ramble I started and ended in like 20 minutes, there's surely a lot more to be said, maybe I'll write a little essay if I have the time because I love these games so freaking much. Halo I played since I was a wee lass with family and friends and myself so I hold it very close in my heart. I love Thel so much he's awesome. And I love Master Chief too but Arby is special to me.. also I think Master Chief and that guy he's stuck with in Halo Infinite should kiss and get married. ANyways, Gabriel.. well.. I like what he represents but Gabriel himself.. I have fun objectifying him 💗

Also unrelated but I love Rtas 'Vadum he's awesome too and him and Arby should kiss also (?? What is wrong with me?

[kroganloveinterest]

Getting to know your mutuals

tagged by @illusivesoul thanks so much for tagging me!!!

I'll tag @baede-6 @spaydekingcayde @silverforestglove @crystariumrose @heywizards @herrshepard but don't feel any obligation to fill it out or anything. Also if you've already been tagged in this or completed it, I apologize for the extra tag!! And please still fill this out even if I didn't tag you! You can still tag me if you do. :3

(questions under the cut)

What's the origin of your blog's title?

It's a quote by the Spider from the Scavenger's Fate loretab in Destiny 2.

Favorite Fandoms: I'm listing these by what I personally enjoy engaging with, rather than what the fandom space in general is like. With that said, Destiny, Pokemon, My Hero Academia, Mass Effect, and The Elder Scrolls are probably my top 5.

OTP(s) + shipname: I really only have one technically, which is Thel 'Vadam and Rtas 'Vadum from the Halo series. I believe in them so passionately...even if I no longer am the ThelRtas blogging giant I used to be years ago on here lmao.

special mention to all my indulgent oc/canon ships too naturally.

Favorite color: I really like blues!

Favorite game: Of all time? Pokemon Crystal probably. First Pokemon game to have the option to play as a girl, the Western release date was on my birthday, and Johto/gen 2 is my favorite....it was written in the stars ngl.

Song stuck in your head: For once, there isn't a song looping through my mind at the moment.

Weirdest habit/trait? Only thing I can really think of is that I tend to idly pick at the skin of my fingertips semi-often. Hard habit to break so far.

Hobbies: Video games and making gifs. Seems sad that I can't really think of anything else at the moment. They're just always my main go-to for an enjoyable time killer.

If you work, what's your profession? Unemployed atm.

If you could have any job you wish what would it be? I always wanted to be a marine biologist or some aquatic science/biology job since high school, but that's no longer an option.

Something you're good at: Nothing comes to mind.

Something you're bad at: Writing.

Something you excel at: Nothing comes to mind.

Something you love: Beefy fictional characters keep me going ngl.

Something you could talk about for hours without off the cuff: Good question, not in a self-deprecating way, but in a "I genuinely don't think I have anything I'd be able to talk for hours about" lmao.

Something you hate: Moths, tbh. I very much respect them and don't go out of my way to kill them or anything, but god do I simply not like them fluttering about near me.

Something you collect: Nothing now, but I used to collect General Grievous figures and Godzilla figures too so I have a modest sized collection of both.

Something you forget: To take my medication. Literally still forget about it even with a daily phone reminder plastered on the lock screen.

What's your love language? Not sure.

Favorite movie/show: Movie I'd say 2004 Van Helsing, and for TV show I'd say Monk.

Favorite food: Steak.

Favorite animal: Crocodilians. Sharks, dogs, sloths, and elephants are also up there.

Are you musical? Not anymore, used to play the flute for 6 years in grade school though. I miss it. :C

What were you like as a child? Unhappy, repressing trauma and near constant traumatic experiences, extremely withdrawn and shy, really low self-esteem, undiagnosed anxiety/depression, etc....but now I do what I can to take care of that little kid still inside me to this day, rip.

Favorite subject at school? Math, believe it or not! It just always made sense to me and that was comforting. I always liked my science classes as well, but math for sure was always my favorite.

Least favorite subject? I loathed English and History classes because I thought they were so boring, honestly. There's definitely a "no wonder you suck at writing and can't even discuss media in a meaningful way" jab opportunity there, but that's honestly just what my preferences were back then.

What's your best character trait? Not sure.

What's your worst character trait? Also not sure.

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? To not have all my close friendships be eroded away to nothing so now I feel like I don't have that support system like I thought I did? That's what's been killing my mental health lately anyway lmao.

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet? A dinosaur.

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics I'll rec @intrepiddreamx 's Destiny 2 fic Diplomatic Ties any day, any time. 😌 (please mind the rating if necessary)

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Finals

Special propaganda below:

Thel's mind was still on the textual transmission sent to him when a sudden visitor broke his train of thought. It was one of his staff, letting him know that Admiral Lord Hood was making a sudden call request. Already suspecting what brought that on, he gave his approval. Only a few moments later, he was connected to Lord Hood via small holographic messaging - and couldn't even get a greeting out.

"I sincerely apologize for the overreach in boundaries that intern caused. I swear, the unauthorized decision to send that does not reflect at all what the UNSC stands for, and we greatly respect our alliance with the Sangheili."

Thel raised a hand. "I can perfectly see that, Lord Hood. For what other reason would your people be holding an... 'popularity tournament', if not out of respect?"

The grim line Lord Hood's mouth formed suggested there were other reasons, but Thel chose not to pry. Although, admittedly, it did make him curious on just how somehow could intend disrespect over a popularity contest. Perhaps because the nature of only one winner could be seen as an insult to all the losers? Even if most Sangheili did not particularly care about humans' opinions on themselves - either as a species or as individuals - it was probably safe to keep this secret, just to be safe.

"Civilians can take matters down... interesting routes, on social media," Lord Hood continued. "It was already a trend to run these contests over everything imaginable. When someone got the idea to do this with all the known Sangheili individuals, it was decided to hold off on addressing it. No need to bring further attention to it.

"But no one could've imagined someone trying to actively bring it to your attention."

He was clearly mortified. A bit embarrassed, too. And while Thel would love to throw him a bone and allow him to quickly put it out of mind, there was a thought he just couldn't leave unspoken. It was all that had been on his mind in between receiving the "tip" on the contest and Lord Hood's call.

"I see it as a compliment, that so much of your population can see me - and others of my people - so positively, in spite of how young our alliance is. There is one piece of feedback, though, that you could perhaps forward to... 'social media', on my behalf."

Thel could almost swear the shading of Lord Hood's holographic face got brighter, lighter in color. "I can try and pull some strings. Depending on the message."

Leaning closer on his desk, resting his elbows on the surface and interlocking his hands, Thel began, "I can understand why so many humans would vote for me in the case of a popularity poll. I am the one with the closest relationship to your kind, with the most cases of notable - peaceful - interactions, outside of my Covenant career. I am possibly the only Sangheili much of your kind even recognizes on an individual-level.

"But I must make a case for my opponent, Rtas 'Vadum. His leadership and diplomatic abilities surpass my own. He has a way of connecting with those hostile to him in ways I have yet to replicate - the Prelate that initially sought personal vengeance being one such example. It is the reason I trust him so much with the task of searching for the lost San'Shyuum - he is perhaps the only one capable. Capable in finding them and capable in forging peace. And while I am sure his crew are loyal to the Swords of Sanghelios, if they ever had to choose between myself and their shipmaster, I am also sure what their choice would be. And he has earned that loyalty.

"I also must point out his accomplishments - which hold less awkwardness than my own, particularly in the context of relations with humanity. He is the reason the Flood did not infect my fleet at the first discovered Halo, emerging the sole survivor of a perilous situation. His actions at the second Halo, I truly believe, ensured the strength of the Separatists that went on to aid humanity. It was him that did a lot of the rallying, it was him that claimed the crucial Shadow of Intent, and it was him that held our forces together in my absence. Again, his ability with words were valuable in maintaining morale, during the final hours of the Covenant. And his tactical mind, in emerging victorious when the odds were 3-1 against him.

"In conclusion... I feel the victor in this little contest should be him. Not me."

As Thel had explained his reasoning, Lord Hood had crossed his arms, eyes intently focusing. Maybe not necessarily on the Arbiter. When he finally had the opening to speak again, it seemed that he had become the one who couldn't help but let a pressing thought out.

"Really? Him? You're arguing he is the better leader, military man, diplomat - than you? And humanity should recognize that?" His arms uncrossed and went to his sides. "Do you know that to some, laying even a finger on Earth is more egregious than glassing dozens of colonies - even glassing Reach?"

"That is why I said less awkward." He should have braced for this skepticism, especially from Lord Hood. After all, he and Rtas did have a verbal spat that one time. Perhaps Lord Hood could never forgive Thel, but he certainly could maintain peace around him. There were valid reasons - not related to duty - as to why those two's paths never crossed again. Surely, Rtas would feel a bit of the same - he was not apologetic for Africa's partial glassing back then, he certainly wouldn't hold any regrets now. Not with anything related to the Flood.

"Although..." He sighed. "I can see why having a Sangheili other than you receive positive recognition is diplomatically valuable. If the peace between our species is centered solely on you, then it risks falling apart as soon as you're gone."

"Yes... there is also that angle to this."

"I will forward your argument to my colleagues and leave the choice up to them. They're the ones who deal with civilian matters more, anyway."

A funny thing about jointly occupied territory, is that it sometimes meant alien access to humanity's Waypoint - the interstellar network where the current iterations of social media called home. Such access would mean becoming aware of discussions of aliens online - including a certain popularity contest. And such awareness might warrant, to some, the passing of knowledge via word of mouth or transmissions. Even if no one directly told the Arbiter about the contest, it would have reached his ears eventually.

Just like with the Arbiter, there were those curious as to what Rtas' reaction would be like, and it thus reached him, too.

"Of course the Arbiter would win their approval," he said. "He deserves it. His higher reputation amongst humanity aside, he deserves it. He is the Arbiter, the one who freed our people from the Covenant's lies, the one who resurrected the Swords of Sanghelios, the one who proposed the Concert of Worlds. There is nothing I could do that he could not do better.

"Why is this even a contest? Amongst humans, no less? It was his word that kept me from glassing their entire planet, just to stop a Flood outbreak. It was his word back then that caused many Sangheili to ally with humanity, rather than fight both the Covenant and humans. It is his word now that continues to keep many Sangheili from seeking another war. Because he has proven his wisdom, and he has proven his honor. Those who continue to doubt either are fools that hold our people back. And their leaders cannot even match him."

"Well, hold it right there," Stolt, one of his most prominent subordinates despite being an Unggoy, cut in. "Have you seen the rest of this? The Arbiter is trying to convince these humans to vote for you."

Admittedly, he barely even started. When he saw it was nothing but a meaningless popularity poll human civilians were running, he stopped giving it much thought. Partially, it was due to already being convinced of the outcome - that the Arbiter would reign supreme and he would hardly been given notice. The only reason he wasn't questioning the fact that he was even named in this poll in the first place was due to there not being very many notable Sangheili in the human public eye, as far as he could tell. But he and the Shadow of Intent had played an important role in the end of the war, after the alliance had been forged. It wasn't completely out of the question that he garnered a bit of human attention over that - and not just from ONI spies.

It also wasn't out of the question that the Arbiter would speak of him around humans and make them more aware of his existence... such as now. He skimmed through what had been sent until he reached that part, quickly absorbing it.

Then he shook his head. "He is far too humble. A good chunk of this is mere exaggeration. How he even got the impression I was this grand, I have no idea. I am only doing what he asks of me to the best of my abilities. He deserves no less than that, and that does not make me superior. He would excel at all the same tasks had he the time to do them - it is only I who succeeded, because someone had to in his place.

"Besides, he is forgetting some of his own accomplishments that have nothing to do with humans. When he first became Arbiter, he passed his first mission with flying colors. I honestly did not expect him to even survive, pulling off the stunt he did - selflessly cutting the safety cables of that mining facility to draw out his target, while allowing all my men to retreat to safety. He did that knowing I would not come back for an Arbiter - he did it unaware that anyone would."

"Ah, but that was a mission to kill 'Heretics', right?" Stolt said again. "I'm sure the bitterness of knowing they were right all along and didn't need to be killed is why he would never even think that a merit."

"The target is irrelevant. The sentiment of his actions is what matters." Leaning back into his shipmaster's chair, he continued with a softer voice, "And he is wrong. About his talent for speech. And Infinite Succor... The fact I was the only survivor should say enough regarding my leadership in that moment. And the fact I was able to go back into the field, to command troops again... should say enough regarding his ability to speak to those under him. He has earned more loyal soldiers than I - and not entirely because he meets more people than I."

Clearing his throat, his voice hardened again. "Take the colony of Om'a'Varo, for instance. Those who settled on Rak. I believe it is not just him being humble that he's selling himself short - he takes the cases where his words are not enough to be a failing on his part, and not the failing of the other's mind. There are some who will just not listen. But he has gotten many to do so."

"So what I'm hearing is... we need to send in our own message to the humans to counter his?"

Rtas huffed. "That will not be necessary. Even with his endorsement, the humans will still choose him. I am certain of that. In the time we could draft a pointless transmission, we could be using our time and systems for more important tasks. This conversation, too, holds little worth - the only value being a stronger reiteration of what is already known."

With that, Rtas was finished with the subject. Well, almost, maybe. It crossed his mind to maybe, instead of sending his passionate argument to the humans, sneak a bit of the sentiment in his next report. Not obvious enough to distract from the report's actual content, but subtle enough to let the Arbiter know fully well that Rtas had heard him - and strongly disagreed.

[lunareyes-shifts]

Tyde rises

the part of the show where I get to ramble about one of my Drs!

star of the week🥁🥁🥁🥁

surprise, it's not the owl house (though someday)

Today, it's Avatar: The Last Airbender!

Born from two different fathers, we share one loving mother. Aang was sent off before me, as they figured there was only one avatar and he was born more recently. As our family moved along the coast, a few Air Nomads came across me and tested me. I thought it was a little dumb, but played along. Next thing I knew, I was shipped off to the Western Air Temple. I trained there for years and, despite starting late, grew faster than any of my peers. I realized I was a boy and, after telling the nuns, they allowed me to stay, saying knowledge transcending our physical vessels and whatnot. I excelled at water and air control. But, eventually, my mentor told me that I would have to reunite with Aang, and that there were two avatars. I freaked out. How would Aang feel about meeting a brother who he thought was his sister, that he barely knew?

In this dr, I'm Aang's older brother and kinda the bonus to the avatar. There's two spirits in this reality, but there have only ever been two avatars in times of great desperation. Foreseeing what would happen, the spirits put me into the world. Raava and Rta (order) melded with Wan and his brother, Yu Ni (with you), and they helped restore balance. Centuries go by without the reincarnation of dual avatars, so that story becomes legend and Yu Ni and Rta are regarded as fiction. So when they’re discovered, as Aang and I were, they’re kept separate, to dissuade any possible fear or speculation as nothing momentous had happened yet. Obviously, that doesn't last long

lil picrew

I flew off and crashed in the sea, and I panicked, and while drowning, screamed for Aang. He heard me, through the avatar state. So Aang and I froze at the same time, albeit across the world. After he discovers what happened to the air nomads, his avatar state breaks me out of my ice. I wake up scared and alone in a world that’s nothing like what I knew, just off the coast of Kyoshi Island. After a bit of swimming, I end up there. I meet Aang a day and a half later. The locals take nicely to me, but become wary after realizing there’s a second Avatar, because it shouldn’t be possible. But it is, because the spirits knew Aang could not save the world on his own. so yippee, there's me!!!

My robe is a token from my dad, who was from the northern water tribe, and the orange shawl is from the southern air temple that was shipped to us when they were planning to tell Aang he was the avatar and what it would mean.

Officially, I meet the gaang when they get to Kyoshi Island, and from there, tiptoe around mentioning the whole trans thing until the end where aang almost drowns. When he doesn't, he's like "you are.. different than I was told" and I'm like "still avatar tho :D"

I get my air bending tattoos for making the spicy toss (because I am of the owl house 😔) which is throwing two fireballs in the air and spreading them with air. it doesn't really hurt anyone unless focused, in which case it would be two quick swipes of fire and then forced and focused with air, though it makes the air uncomfortably dry.

Toph and I vibe in a way that's the equivalent of "you're my friend. we're having soft tacos later" but she could beat me up!

Sokka and I are insufferable jokesters but I still bear with him in the serious stuff better than the rest of the gaang.

Aang is really awkward at first, but he eases up once we have a bonding episode.

Katara and I are the group therapists, but since I have seniority, I always make sure I hear her out. (my waiting room therapist gets all this tea.)

So yeah! all fun times! I'll spin a wheel or something for my next dr rant!

[arvoze]

[2/3] HHNFLARTAS - hell hath no fury like a rescue team association scorned

hell hath no fury like a rescue team association scorned not a fic or anything, i just ramble a lot about my pmd ocs in a digestible format that's more or less that kind of content. random yearly event for rescue teams. covers no more than like, one week of VV content

[ 1 / X / 3 ]

hey guys just realised the abbreviation for this says "flartas" this is so embarrassing

hell hath no fury like a rescue team association scorned #2

(sorry this keeps repeating this is just how i organised it all)

and mike's right to worry. it's the team's worst nightmare, for obvious reasons -- it's fire. they're grass. it's a fucking volcanic location. there's no water or anything. they're screwed from the get-go.

but that's the point. you can't always pick and choose where you're headed. sometimes you have to suck it up and get over it and just deal with it. that's the point the RTA try to make, here.

keith's team - well, guildmaster rime, probably, actually - would argue against that. yes, you can't pick and choose all the time, but actually, yes you can, you pick the jobs you can do, and you're an arrogant asshole if you take a job in a place that leaves you at a disadvantage. what are you trying to prove by doing that? just leave it to a team more suited for the job, for the sake of the pokemon that need to be rescued.

right. the pokemon that need to be rescued.

it's a gruelling journey. the team is surviving, barely, always hanging on by a thread, but hey, at least it's a strong thread. it's not a total nightmare for them, for now. but it's going to be. it has to be, because the requirements are to save the rescue and bring something back from the end of the dungeon to "prove" that you completed it (in case the rotom drones aren't watching). their inventory is stacked up enough for this. keith's body is a machine that turns reviver seeds into plain seeds.

..

moderately deep in - about halfway through the dungeon, which is deep for grass-types - the rescue has been found. keith's team go about the regular procedures: are they injured? are they famished? what kind of help do they need? are they in danger? the rescue is the priority. the rescue is the priority. they're safe, thankfully. they're an "actor", so of course they're safe, but it's mandatory to check anyways - keith's team take this stuff seriously when it matters.

they've got to make a decision. for many teams, they don't have to worry about this. but for keith's team, it's only one way or the other.

take the rescue home, and abandon the latter half of the job (to reach the end), or take the rescue with them to the end -- on a journey they can barely survive themselves, endangering the rescue.

the answer is clear: why not do both?

hell hath no fury[..] #3

why not split the team? one takes the rescue home, the others continue pressing on. this is the logical solution that the three come to.

luwel says that the RTA are probably gonna hate it, but that it's easily justifiable to do. keith and mike are in agreement, because when it comes down to it, the rescue is the priority. two of them can take the fall in a fight if they need to - the rescue got home, which is the most important thing.

like clockwork, a monster house will spawn. they still have the rescue. the RTA can't help it, they love a well-timed monster house.

the team is split using the following thought process:

keith is one of the two that stay in the dungeon. this is a given, both because he's the team leader, and also because he's really, really shit at running away as he's a notoriously slow runner (can you blame him). he is the most physically defensive, as well as the most physically strongest (i mean, mike's strong, too, but a regular punch from keith is gonna be a lot worse than a regular punch from mike).

luwel can be fast, but he's not all that strong. he is, however, the best at problem-solving and adapting to situations as they happen, at least out of the three of them. he's also the one who planned their inventory in advance, so luwel actually knows what's in their bag that can be used for situations like these. he's staying with keith in the dungeon.

mike is fast, can fight off stragglers on the way out, and can also carry the rescue on the way. mike's going to be the one splitting from the team to ensure the safety of the rescue.

mike will take out a few pokemon from the monster house before upping and leaving. he can't risk staying for too long, as unfortunate as that is. he doesn't want to go. he knows the situation. he is terrified for what might happen to the others. but he is reassured, constantly -- not reassured. yelled at, really, in that one way keith sounds when he's serious. go. now. just take them and fucking go. despite how long they've been on the job together, it's not a side of keith that the other two see often.

mike's gone. the rescue is gone, too. it's just down to keith and luwel now. oh, christ, it's down to keith and luwel, who are already drained at this point, surrounded by fire types, in quite literally the worst place either of them could be in. the realisation is starting to dawn. gears are turning in luwel's head. the same can't be said for keith, but that's to be expected.

..

thank xerneas one of them knows how to prepare for the worst.

hell hath no fury[..] #4

keith does what he can to take a few of them out, but the exhaustion is really starting to kick in. he can only take so many more hits, under this heat, and bless luwel for being there with him but he's not exactly pulling his weight in a two-on-who-knows-what -- they're tired, drained, dehydrated, everything. they're probably even wilting at this point, the poor bastards.

luwel has a last resort, per the norm. years of the worried and paranoid "what if" scenarios playing in your head before every possible adventure will do that to you. he'd waited until the worst of the worst to use it -- and one could argue that this was as bad as it gets.

he has one singular flood orb, a moderately expensive upgrade to the rainy orb. his ass is not getting compensated for using it by the RTA. whilst the rainy orb generates, well, rain for a short period of time, the flood orb will generate torrential downpour, flooding the floor. overuse could lead to serious disasters in a dungeon, but nobody's got enough money for that. and nobody's got enough balls to ask kyogre to keep upgrading their orbs -- how long had keith had that in storage, anyways? there's not a chance in hell that he's seeking out kyogre ever again.

it's enough. even if it's just a break, it's enough. if keith wasn't the anchor that he is, he'd probably end up getting swept away by the flood that started to form in the room. luwel is holding onto him, of course, whilst keith berates him for using that item, even though he jokes about the fact it's actually fine and he's not mad at all. it's not total garbage water either, which is perfect for keith, because he loves his water absorb ability. it's keith's dungeon now, we're all just exploring in it.

thanks to the water absorption, keith's body has become as resilient as ever - he's slightly larger, now, to accommodate for the water* [note*], and he feels better than ever. better than he was before he even entered the dungeon. he'll take the world on, he doesn't give a shit. luwel is just idly getting by. it's nice to not have to deal with the heat for a little while. the orb fades in his hands, its blue hue transitioning to a dull, deep grey before crumbling to nothing. it was nice while it lasted, he reckons. he'll make a mental note to look for authentic upgrades orbs in the market when the time comes.

most of the monster house is just… swept away to a different part of the dungeon. they can move on, once they've taken their breather. the RTA will probably ban the use of upgraded orbs after this, but modern problems require modern solutions.

hell hath no fury[..] #5

they… get there, in the end. they reach the end of the dungeon. there were further hiccups along the way - luwel's body is a machine that turns reviver seeds into… well, we've heard that one somewhere before. they grab whatever it is that's needed at the end, and then they fuck off. they don't want to be there anymore.

(the details themselves aren't that important… it's just a regular dungeon exploration for the most part. fighting things, taking hits, healing, missing, whatever. all that good stuff. there's no point detailing the actual dungeon stuff itself right now).

mike is finally reunited with the guys. he's been living his best life outside of the dungeon, dealing with normal temperatures and - heaven forbid - a dip in the lake to cool down. mike's doing his best to not laugh about the state his brothers are in. why the fuck are they bald. (they are no longer bald)

..

it takes a while, but the RTA get back to them with their results. they've got to assess every team that took part, of course, so the waiting period was to be expected. for this particular trial, keith's team was met with, well…

a failure. they didn't pass. it's not something to be demoted over, but it cuts them out of qualifying for the top hundred teams in the continent. they haven't been failed in a good number of years. what gives? they did what they were told, didn't they?

yeah. but it's more intricate than that.

[pt 3.]

-

*[note; borrowed from swagulousbeing @ twt]

[locitapurplepink]

I never thought I would be on one of these and here I am.

I think I am in this postion because I'm making the most favorite TTS/RTA episode rounds lately and I'm on my way to make round 3.

Taglist: @photogirl894 , @kanerallels , @bigfrozensix , @lucy-shining-star , @animationfan3000 and anyone else who's a fan of this series.