#Tragic tale

[chekhovs-slinky]

Is this anything?

[nottogetpoliticalbutwtfisoatmeal]

fellas is it gay to get your ass kicked in a sparring match

[moliathh]

the scorpion and the frog

[madbard]

Gravity Falls is, first and foremost, a story about family. The core of the story is not the supernatural threats or anomalies. It is the bonds between siblings being tested, torn apart, and forged anew.

This is made so clear at the culmination of the series, when the Stan twins prepare to make one final sacrifice to save the world. In another story, their plan may have been just that - a clever plot to destroy Bill. But in Gravity Falls, the show about the importance of sibling bonds, this plan (which was only possible because they came back together again) becomes all the more special because of how exquisitely it mirrors the events that ripped them apart in the first place.

First we have Stan.

Decades ago, Stan paced through rows of science fair exhibits, mind clouded with dread and helpless aggression. He was about to lose his brother. Everything he’d dreamt of was about to fall apart and he lashed out with sheer physical strength and anger (because outside of strength and protection, what else had he ever been able to offer?) He lashed out and broke everything. He lost his family. Because of this moment, he went on to lose everything ever he was.

Now, at the end of everything, Stan is finally able to see straight. Surrounded by chaos and destruction, he exercises self control. Tempered by decades of deceit and restraint, he is able to make his mind cold, clear and empty.

Like his brother, Stan is offered a bright future in that moment, filled with riches and anything he could wish for. But Stan is not his brother. Nor is he the teen who destroyed that machine. No.

This time, when Stan lashes out, it’s not the futile strike of someone afraid of losing everything. Stan punches Bill with all the power of a man who has chosen to sacrifice everything he ever was or would be, in exchange for his family’s safety and happiness.

Once, Stan was controlled by fear. Now, he is able to overcome that and face destruction with grace. He protects his family. He always has.

And because of that, they lose him.

Then we have Ford.

Years ago, Ford looked out to the future with hope, ambition and excitement. As much as he loved his brother, as time went on that love was more and more accompanied by the nagging sense that Stan would only hold him back. The future was so delicate, and so bright. And it belonged to Ford, not Stan. And in a single moment, Stan carelessly wrecked it.

Ford could not emphasize. Not then, and not for years afterwards. Regardless of how much he loved them, Ford always had trouble seeing the world from others’ perspective. He projected his own emotions onto them, or he held himself apart. Ford was so angry with his brother, and he could not emphasize with him, and because of this they grew apart.

Now, Ford looks back on decades of suffering and missed potential. Now, Ford stares down the barrel at his brother, the failure, the one who destroys everything he touches. And he sees himself.

Standing there, quite literally in his brother’s shoes, Ford prepares to destroy his brother’s past, just as Stan once destroyed Ford’s future.

This would never have happened if Ford hadn’t made that deal in the first place. If Ford hadn’t failed.

His hands tremble. Ford, always so singleminded and determined, always pushing forward into the future, hesitates. He has to look away.

Ford pulls the trigger, and loses his brother for the final time.

This could have been the end of the show. It would have been a good ending. It would have made the audience cry. (I know it made me cry.)

But in the quiet and the grief after Stanley Pines was erased, Mabel Pines refused to believe she’d lost her grunkle. In those quiet moments after the apocalypse, Stan’s family rallied around their fiercest member, the one who had given everything to protect them. In those gentle hours, they fought harder than they ever had before. Not with fists and guns, but with all the love and memory they had. He didn’t remember himself, but that was alright. They remembered him.

Dipper, Mabel and Ford loved Stan so much. And that saved him.

Decades later. A second chance. The brothers lost each other a final time. And when they were reunited, they were finally able to live out that childhood dream.

Sailing the world with your brother.

Spending time with your sibling.

Not so childish, after all.

[booigi-boi]

My tired artist ass omw to draw something TGWDLM related for Christmas cause the proshot was released on YouTube then

It'll be low effort but at least it's something

[uncivilcivilservice]

The Vampire Chronicles, or The Vampire Armand's ever more hopeless quest to find a blonde man capable of domming him

[glitchervius]

I made a silly poster

I made a funny OEJ poster just because I want something to hang in my room. So enjoy I guess

[bajaja-blast]

Just gonna drop this here… 🤭

Ah yes, my comfort ship: Blonde Superman x Supreme Commander of the Argo II <333

[mangledskull]

My two favorite old men

[chronologiical]

why can't the entirety of the tunguska event just be taigong wang & daji's flashback

[tedlebred]

imlosing my mind .i am slowly goign insane

[igneouswyvern]

finished my replay of zestiria a few days ago and something that's been really on my mind is just how incredibly hard all of this must have been for mikleo in particular. we all know the tragedy of mikleo waiting multiple centuries for sorey to come back but what about the immediate tragedy. he literally lost zenrus right before the final showdown and then he loses sorey right after. the two people he's known as long as he can remember. both of them snatched away from him in one fell swoop. what must that have been like for him? he still has the rest of the party, but they aren't what gramps and sorey were to him. the extent to which he can emotionally lean on them for support is just not as great. so he probably had to bear most of the grief by himself. and of course he knows sorey will probably be back in some form, but he also knows it will be longer than he can imagine. lonelier than he can imagine. and what can he do while he waits? elysia isn't really elysia without gramps. without sorey. exploring ruins isn't as thrilling without sorey. seeing new places, meeting new people, adventuring? sorey is what made all that special. what can mikleo do without sorey? a thousand years is a long time.

something that's even more tragic to me is that i know mikleo would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat to help sorey. he knew the risks involved with being used by seigfried in that way and he didn't care one bit. he'd throw his life away without question if it meant sorey would be able to accomplish his goal. and instead, he's cursed to live on. muse is dead. zenrus is dead. sorey is in stasis for so long he may as well be dead. only mikleo remains, cursed to survive. cursed to walk the earth for all of eternity, cursed to lose everyone he loves. cursed to loneliness, as he waits for a day that may never come. a foil for heldalf, although this is a curse of circumstance rather than of malice. and i just. i can't imagine what that must be like. to have lived your whole life with people and then to suddenly have them all taken from you at once. how do you even go forward at that point? how can you carry on?

but he did. he waited something like a thousand years, and he never gave into his grief. he never succumbed to malevolence. he lived a hundred lifetimes, all alone, and he stayed pure and holy. and sorey really did come back for him. all that loneliness, that heartache, that waiting, was all worth it in the end. and i'm crying

[three-realms-archive]

Hello! We all know (or hopefully perceive the idea) that Satan would be a sweet romantic at heart! So imagine Satan x MC in an arranged marriage in TSL AU! For eg: everything was going well, they’re slowly falling for each other but MC has to keep secrets that hurts Satan! So MC tries gaining his trust by being honest, while Satan falls for MC again, as much as he denies it!

Of course, feel free to discard the idea, no pressure :)

Just A Small, Little Lie (TSL Arranged Marriage! AU)

(first request! i won't lie, i'm relatively new to the fandom and couldn't find any specifics for the tsl!au other than mc being henry and the demon brothers being the seven lords. but! i hope this suffices! all the tsl writings out there seem to have a more darker, sombre tone, too - so i hope that comes across :D but thank you so much, anon, for being my first requester! i hope its decently alright ahaha)

(Full fic under the cut! And feel free to plop ideas in the idea box :D)

Synopsis:

(Takes place in the TSL! AU - reader is Henry).

You used to be a knight serving the Seven Lords, popular amongst all in the realm. Then one day, without warning, the Lord of Corruption orders you to marry the Lord of Masks; of whom you had the closest relationship with out of all his brothers. However, the feelings for him that had once been growing in your heart turn sour as you're required to give up your knighthood, your life and your freedom for this arranged marriage.

Your husband gradually drops his mask, as he falls deeper in love with you.

And you gradually put up your mask, as you fall further out of love with him.

_

You don’t tell your husband that your fingers hurt, as you wind the stems of green willow between them into something that maybe, possibly resembles a flower chain. Fake green willow; because nothing survives here except him, you and the cats he allows to come and go from the castle. Fake green willow; with plastic that splits into sharp prongs that dig into your flesh when you bend it. Your husband’s flower chain is made with real green willow that has long since withered away; but today, for whatever reason he keeps behind the mask he wears, he’s decided to bring the flowers back to life by winding them into a chain. And, for whatever reason, he’s demanded you do the same.

Your flower chain looks horrible. His chain looks perfect. Like your perfect husband, with his perfect kingdom, and your perfect marriage.

The perfect, perfect marriage you never even asked for.

You don’t tell your husband much of anything, nowadays. You remember your days as Henry, the brave knight, who fights against evil and protects the seven, wise sages of the realm. You used to talk with the Lord of Masks before heading off on excursions, during breaks in military council meetings, over private, celebratory dinners… Anytime you could, you’d seek him out. You remember shifting in your seat the first time you had invited him to dinner, avoiding his gaze bashfully as you both had placed your hands on the table, fingers inching ever closer to touch. You remember he had taken your hand in his, lifting it to his lips. You even remember the exact knuckle where his soft, gentle lips had kissed. Such a romantic night; where you were free to speak and laugh and smile as you pleased. Free to possibly even fall in love with him.

… Free. You were free, until the Lord of Corruption had suddenly forced you over to the Lord of Masks as a prize. He had stripped you of your title as a knight, had forbid you from entering any other kingdom, and presented you to his brother with a shackle on your ring finger and a matching mask to wear.

So now, you do what you do best as a knight and steel yourself, putting up your guard. Everything you want to think, say or do… you keep secret.

_

The Lord of Masks doesn’t realise your fingers hurt, as you wind the stems of green willow between them into something that maybe, possibly resembles a flower chain. Fake green willow; because nothing survives here and he wanted you to have only the prettiest things which come close to matching your beauty. Fake green willow; which pales in comparison to the adorable expression on the face of his dear, beloved Henry, your tongue poking out of the corner of your mouth in concentration. He, himself, doesn’t really know why he’s decided to come to your room in the middle of the night to make flower chains, but he tells himself it’s to keep his spouse entertained. Nothing more than his usual behaviour and cunning. To keep up the façade of an upstanding, untouchable member of society.

He marries Henry and keeps them happy.

He shares in Henry’s immense popularity and gets the knight’s military prowess at his disposal.

Such a good deal for Henry, the Lord of Masks thinks… ignoring the unfamiliar, warm heat spreading over his flushed cheeks when you hold out your finished flower necklace out to him.

A good deal for Henry - no, not himself - indeed.

He tells you too much, these days. He remembers talking to you: Henry, the knight - not Henry, his spouse. Faking his smile in the breaks between council meeting and pretending to care before you headed off on military excursions.

But then you had invited him to dinner for the first time after a victory. Then, he had seen expressions he had never seen you show anyone. Not even his brothers. The Henry that wasn't just the tool he could use to conquer territory; nor the Henry he could use to gain status. This Henry smiled at him. Stuttered and faltered and even blushed when he kissed their hand - like the princesses in the fairytales he pretended he didn't love to read, or the fairies illustrated in the bedtime stories he read as a child. Someone enchanting, perfect and loving in a world where's he's only known masks.

So he does what he does best and dons his own mask. Through his various connections in high society, he had covertly pulled the strings and had the marriage arranged himself; masquerading it as his idiot older brother's idea. It’s on-brand; a marriage proposal masked as pure business, so he never has to face what he really feels. But he can pretend. Pretend he was brave enough to get down on one knee, ring in hand. Pretend that his story was exactly like that of the heroes of his favourite tales.

Pretend it wasn't the prince, instead, who was hopelessly, foolishly, in love with his loyal knight.

_

The Lord of Masks smiles. If one looks closely, past the haze of the lamplight, they might be able to notice that the smile reaches his eyes. He takes the necklace made by his spouse and barely squeezes it over his head and around his neck. Green willow-shaped plastic digs into his skin.

You try to smile, too. You look at him and try to remember the man who had lovingly pressed a kiss to your hand on that night, small specks of emotion spilling out from under his carefully-crafted guise. You keep his true image in your eyes - that of your rage-filled captor - a secret. It’s the only way for you to keep up your own act… and maybe stop yourself from breaking the heart of the gentleman you once held feelings for. If he was even still there at all.

“I love you.” The Lord of Masks says, forgetting how tight the flower chain had felt around his neck only seconds ago. His mask slightly falls forward, loosely, as he leans his head against yours and gently nuzzles you - like a cat would. He even rubs his nose against yours, basking in your scent. Internally, he curses himself. His body is betraying him.

“I… I love you, too.” You say, the band of your own mask chafing painfully into the back of your neck. You're unable to move when your husband shows his affection and you ready yourself to play it off as nerves. But something in your heart - as you look at him and see the man who had leaned forward to kiss your hand - falters. Were you still holding out hope, even now? Internally, you curse yourself. You need to learn to be better at acting.

The two of you stay there a while: the Kingdom of Masks' happy, perfect couple. Your foreheads touch, your fingers intertwine and, yet, your hearts are far, far apart. Into the darkness, the two of you continue to utter that sentence:

"I love you."

It's a whole-hearted truth after a lifetime of hiding, for one...

… And one of many, many small, little lies, for the other.

(hello, anon, i hope you enjoyed this! i went kinda tragic love story route; with hopeless romantic satan and a trapped mc, though i'd like to think mc is still holding out hope that the man they fell in love with is still there. if you wanted something a little happier though, anon, please let me know and i'll write a sequel, this premise is one i really enjoyed!)

[manderleyfire]

– What's keeping us apart ain't even real, your daddy, his religion, it's got nothing to do with us. – It's not just his, it's mine too. I've got the same spirit in me, why don't you see that?

Alice Englert and Walton Goggins in Them That Follow (2019), dir. Dan Madison Savage & Brittany Poulton

[gas-station-chai]

Do you think Tony asked Jack to grab a drink with him because he knew what was to come? Like there was an internal gnawing in Tony that let him know that he was going to be found out soon? And he didn't want Jack to die without feeling at least a little happy one last time?

Sorry, I'm listening to the books again, and that thought occurred to me. (This could probably be worded better, sorry, but I'm sleepy.)

You're making it sound like Tony thought of it like,,, taking a sick dog out to have chocolate for the first/last time before being put down. I'm SOBBING.

I do like to imagine that tony was just really gay for Jack and it was a. Horrible fumble in asking him out on a date, but realistically, yeah. I think you're right on the money with this one; Antonio did want to save him, he had hope that he could convince his bosses to "bring Jack over," but if all else failed,(when all else failed), at least Jack could remember a time when Tony was actually his friend, where they enjoyed each other's company outside of 'work'.

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Cries about Luke Fon Fabre and how how his own crisis of self was nightmarishly ignored or denied by the same people that fostered and built his ignorance to try to absolve their own guilt of how they raised a child born from and for trauma.

His own guilt of his compliance to that ignorance leads to the breaking of his own self worth and his desperate want to do better, be better, and place others wellbeing above his own even at his own detriment. While all the while wanting to make amends to those he had hurt and wronged because he thinks he is the one that needs redemption and forgiveness for his complacency in the ignorance his guardians manufactured and forced upon him.

All while being faced with the fact that not even the name of Luke was ever his to have and the man it did belong to refuses to keep the identity of Luke all while denying Luke that name as well.