#We're Dead but We've been Worse!

[mysteroads]

World Building Post-War MHA, aka:

How Mr. Compress survives, thrives, steals all of AFO's money, and gives a big ol' "Fuck You!" to the heroes by doing a better job at saving people... All while staying classy. 😉

tltr: Mr. Compress steals AFO's money, creates a non-profit, names it all after the League to remind everyone why it's important and also to thumb his nose at the heroes.

So, mostly for my own edification, I started wondering what a Post-War MHA world would look like, and since MHA is a dystopia, how people would go about fixing the problems.

So, MHA dystopia can be described as: "Questioning the root of systemic issues brought about by a society grown both compliant *and* reliant on the protection of superheroes-- who have been elevated to celebrity/godlike status while ignoring 'Heroes' inherent humanity and all the flaws that come with being human-- while ignoring their own responsibilities as humans to help each other."

There's a reoccurring theme of Bystander Syndrome. Regular people growing compliant and being unwilling to step up to help their fellow man. Well, Post-War, I'm betting that's going to change, and that's where our boy Atsuhiro Sako can come in.

We all know Mr. Compress is going to survive. I really hope more members of the League do as well, but we know Atsuhiro Sako's going to make it. More than that, he's going jump headlong into making damn sure the past doesn't repeat itself, even if that means playing nice with the heroes (for awhile). There's going to be some sort of Villain Rehab program, or even a pardon/parole for the surviving LoV member(s). Sako's going to to be the perfect little ex-villain right up until his exit paperwork is processed.

And, since he was 1} in Tomura's inner circle, 2} he's clever enough to get Garaki to talk to him, and 3} he's an excellent thief... I'm going to assume he's smart enough to get the info he needs to access enough of AFO's accounts. 💸💸💸 And even if he's not, he's savvy enough to find the money somewhere.

I see Atsuhiro at the head of a Non-Profit Organization with several subsidiaries dedicated to different problems. Furthermore, as a unashamed former villain, I can see him naming the whole thing after the League... just to spite the heroes and remind everyone why he's doing what he's doing.😈 It's what his friends would've wanted.

The League for the Lost, and it's subsidiaries (colored for funsies):

Dabi’s Fire, for the campaign against domestic abuse and protection for the abused. 

Himiko’s Hope, assistance for so-called villainous and other maligned quirks, with a special emphasis on blood quirks and others with unique dietary requirements. 

Spinner’s Stories, support for mutation quirks and heteromorphs. 

Jin’s Friends, for free access to mental health resources. 

Big Sis’s House, safe spaces for queer youth and adults.

Tomura’s Soldiers, for the war against the trafficking of children with powerful quirks.

Honestly, this is probably the best way for the problems to be solved, and the best way to put AFO's ill gotten gains to good use. I mean, the money is there! It's going to be found eventually. Might as well use it to do whatever they can do to prevent a problem before it happens! And what better way to keep the memory of the League of Villains alive, get civilians involved in helping each other, and provide a warning for future generations-- than to put their names on Japan's biggest non-profit?

And, if he manages to piss off the old-school heroes and cops, while attracting the new generations, then that's just a bonus. 😎

If you made it this far, you are a most excellent person, a ✨gem✨ among readers!💖 And I want to hear from you! All... probably two, maybe three?... of you! What would you like to see from Post-War MHA? How would you fix the problems? Who from the LoV do you think's going to survive, and what are they going to do with themselves in the new world?

[je-suis-problematique]

The CBD oil prescription can't come soon enough.

– Moony

[chronicowboy]

"Hey, Buck, guess you're out on a call. Should've known. Bell probably rang the moment I dropped my last fare off. Anyway, just calling to check in. Hope it's an easy one! Call me back when you get a chance."

"Hey, Buck. You would not believe the ride I just had. Had to take them all the way up to Mesquite. Dead silence the whole time. And they weren't even on their phone! Whatever. It was an extortionate fee, thank God. And they tipped pretty well, but I was bored out of my mind. Hope you're having more fun than me. Call me back."

"Goddamn, you're busy today. Ravi say quiet again? Go easy on the kid. He can't be blamed for your crazy superstitions. Be safe. And call me!"

"Hey, Buck, hope you're doing okay. You've been MIA for hours, and I'm not above admitting I'm a little worried. Got my fingers crossed it's a bunch of fender benders. Nothing big. Just let me know you're good, okay? Even if it's just texting me an emoji from the back of the truck."

"Buck, come on, man. Jesus, I feel crazy. I don't think we've gone this long without speaking since I got out here. Chris has been making fun of me all night for being glued to my phone. Says I'm worse than his friend Jason waiting for Miley to text him back. Like I'm some lovesick teenager. Um. Anyway... Please just let me know you're okay. I'm worried sick over here."

"So many fucking voicemails and I just realised you won't even be able to listen to them if you're that busy. I feel like an idiot. I'm gonna hang up and text you. Please ignore my spiralling when you get home. God, you probably think something's wrong. Fuck. Idiot. We're fine. Everything's fine. I just miss you. Anyway."

Hey, Buck, ignore my voicemails. Nothing's wrong! Everything's fine, I'm just worried about you.

Send me some proof of life?

And call me back when you get the chance.

Be safe out there :)

[cosmic-dust-poltergeist]

Idk, just a thought.

Bruce: WE DON'T KILL PEOPLE, JASON

Dick: Pfft okay

Bruce: What do you mean by that?

Dick: Just saying, for a family that "doesn't kill", we have a pretty high kill count

Jason: Whaaaa?

Dick: Yeah, all things considered, Cass has the lowest count. You'd know this if you talked to us

Bruce: Dick, what are you talking about?

Jason: Wait! Replacement has a kill count???

Dick: He holds the record for most kills currently

Bruce and Jason: WHAT?

Dick, a little too proud: He's going to be so scary when he embraces being a supervillain

Tim, appearing with a pout: Still not a supervillain. Stop saying that.

Dick, beaming: No

Jason: wait, wait, wait, how does he-?? When-?? But I'm a crimelord and Demon Brat was an assassin???? Just how many have you killed???

Tim, ignoring Bruce having a mental breakdown: I lost count after I blow up all of Ra's bases. But a couple thousand?

Jason, shocked: For real?

Dick: See! Baby supervillain!

Tim: I'm not a baby anything, asshole. I'm 19!

Jason: Damn, baby bird. Wait! Does this mean Bruce and you (Dick) have kills counts?

Dick, shrugs: Yeah, Slade still tries to recruit me occasionally because of it.

Tim: Yeah, and Bruce likes to pretend he doesn't, but he does. If we want to add all the people he put in states worse than death while you were dead, who later killed themselves because of it, it's an even bigger list.

Dick, guiltily frowns: I'm not sure I want to add those. My list would get a hell of a lot longer too.

Tim, shrugs: Not all kills are to be proud of.

Jason, flabbergasted: I think I need to process this... my life is a lie

Tim: Talk to Alfred, it'll help

Jason, gestures to the despairing Bruce: What about him?

Dick: We've actually discussed this several times in front of him before, if we set him up at the bat computer, the med bay, or in his room, he pretends the whole conversation was a hallucination or something

Jason: Seriously?

Tim, nodding: Damian is so salty about it

Dick, strong arming Bruce to the bat computer and opening Bruce's latest case: Dami'll understand eventually.

Jason: Man, I need to hang out with you fuckers more often

Dick: I've been telling you!

Tim: There's a lot you don't know that we won't be discussing here, come to my safe house in southend on Thursday. We're having a sibling hangout at 4pm

[ourdawnishotterthanourday]

Oh Baby — Kim Mingyu

✧ Teamwork makes the dream work (and a baby) ✧

Plot: Picture this… your and Mingyu’s dream of starting your own family is finally coming true. 

🎥 Starring: fem!reader x husband!Kim Mingyu 🎥 Genre: domestic au; fluff, established relationship 🎥 Word count: 0.9k 🎥 Warnings: swearing, pregnancy 🎥 Notes: no angst this time but some sweet tooth-rotting gyu fluff 🤭 with a tiny bit of crack 🎥 Shout out: thanks pookie @nothoughtsjustfic for being the best beta bestie 🥰

♡ REBLOGGING AND/OR FEEDBACK WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED — DON'T BE A STRANGER PLS ♡

Set The Scene Masterlist —  Masterlist

“If you squeeze my hand any tighter, we're going to have a serious problem, Gyu.”

“Oh, shit! Sorry, baby. I'm just nervous,” he mumbled, gently rubbing his thumb over the area he'd been close to crushing. 

“I am too.” You sighed, leaning to the side to rest your head on Mingyu's shoulder as you wiggled your fingers to stimulate the blood flow. “We've been trying for months now with no success. What if there's something wrong with me?”

That shook your husband right out of his nervous state. He turned to you and grasped onto your chin to tilt your head upwards with his thumb and index fingers. 

“Hey, listen to me.” His eyebrows furrowed. “There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. We both got checked and everything is fine, remember?”

“I know bu—”

“No buts. I don't want to hear you say that ever again. We're in this together and we're both doing everything we can to make this happen. It's just taking a little more time than we expected. So no matter what the results say, promise me that you won't think any less of yourself.” 

His voice was stern, which told you that he was dead serious. And you were not going to argue with Mingyu when he was all determined like this. Besides, he was right, after all. There was absolutely no indication that something was wrong with you.

“Alright, I promise,” you whispered, offering him a small grin. 

“That's my girl.” He returned the grin before leaning down to plant a kiss against your lips. As he pulled back, a worried expression replaced his cheerful features. “Fuck, how much time is left on the timer?!”

He looked around frantically, moving pillows and blankets aside to look for what you assumed was his phone. It was quite an amusing sight, you had to admit. But you didn't want to make the situation worse by adding more stress.

“Gyu!” You giggled, reaching out to stop him before he was about to lose his damn mind. “Would you please calm down?” You held his phone out for him to take, the display showing that there were about forty seconds left on the timer. 

“Oh, thank god,” he heaved and plopped face-down onto your bed. ”If this takes any longer you might have to revive me, baby. I can’t fucking handle this.”

You rolled your eyes at your dramatic husband but moved to lay down beside him anyway. 

“That makes two of us,” you mumbled, soothingly running your fingers through his black locks while you waited for the seconds to pass. 

The moment the alarm went off, the two of you made brief eye contact, and then you were both off the bed, racing towards your en-suite bathroom. At least, you were until you decided to freeze on the spot when you were halfway through the door. 

Mingyu, who was right behind you and luckily paying attention, was able to stop himself from barreling into you by quickly grabbing a hold of the door frame with both of his hands.

“Baby? What’s wrong?” he asked when you swiftly turned his way, your eyes squeezed tightly shut. 

You shook your head. ”I don’t know if I can look.”

“Yes, you can. We’re doing this together, remember?” Mingyu cupped your cheeks in his hands. 

Your eyes slowly opened to see him already looking at you. The affectionate expression on your husband's face made you feel all warm inside, and if you were honest, you didn't even know why you'd been so worried in the first place.

No matter what, he'd be right there by your side. 

“Together.” You nodded and accepted the hand he offered before tugging you towards the sink where you’d laid out the four pregnancy tests. 

A moment of silence passed between the two of you as your gazes trailed over each of the sticks. 

Holy shit.

“Am I dreaming?” Mingyu squeezed your hand.

You swallowed, picking up one of the tests to look at the tiny screen up close. 

“No,” you breathed, feeling tears start to prick your eyes. “This is very real. Oh my god!” you squealed excitedly, a big smile making its way onto your face as you threw yourself at your husband. 

“We’re having a freaking baby!” he exclaimed just as excitedly as he spun you around, all while kissing the shit out of you.

To go from being disappointed again and again for months on end, to now finally getting the results you’d been longing for was everything you could have wished for and more. And being able to share this moment with your husband, the love of your life, the man who would go to hell and back for you, made it feel all the more special.

“I can’t fucking believe it,” Mingyu mumbled against your lips. “I’m gonna be a dad!“ He pulled back abruptly, eyes widening at the sudden realization as he put you back down. “Oh shit! I’m gonna be a dad!”

“Yes, a damn good one.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. You’re a natural with kids,” you answered with a smile, wrapping your arms around his neck.

Mingyu moved a hand to your stomach. “You’re right. I think our baby will be just fine with us.”

You placed your hand over his and glanced down at your joined hands. “I think so too. Plus, with so many uncles around, I’m pretty sure the little one will have everything a child could want.” 

Your husband sucked in a breath. “That reminds me. The guys are definitely going to fight for the title of best uncle. We need to come up with a game plan before things get nasty.”

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad, Gyu.” You chuckled but it quickly died down when you spotted the serious expression on his face.

“I’m serious, baby. We better come prepared because someone is going to end up crying, and it’s not going to be our baby.”

“Oh boy.”

🎥 Join the Set The Scene taglist: @wonuilu @choco-scoups @whoisbaek15 @vixensss @babycaratdeul

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[colorlessjay]

Did Dean put in their wedding vows that Cas has to promise to die after him? Like Dean is 100% DONE with watching Cas die, Cas either lives a bit longer as a widower or they go at the same time no ifs ands or buts.

Yes Dean knows that’s like an impossible promise to definitely keep but he threatened to call off the whole wedding after HE was the one that insisted on inviting everyone unless Cas let Dean put that promise in their vows

Y/N?

Ngl I imagine he does this on the spot so Cas can't talk him out of it

Like it already took him at least 15 proposals before Cas actually said yes, Dean's not about to get this shot down

So just imagine

at their wedding, it's small and casual. Friends and family together in their backyard, Dean managed to talk Cas into wearing cowboy hats. Cas managed to talk Dean into wearing a suit

And just as Cas finishes his heartwarming, tear-jerking, love-in-his-eyes vows that leave everyone's hearts exploding

Dean kisses Cas' hands, smiles, and says "I vow to kill myself immediately if you die before I do"

Dead silence

Cas stares at Dean wide-eyed "... Dean"

"I'm serious. I've watched you die too many friggin times. Each one hurting worse than the last"

"Dean" Cas getting more concerned

"Burning your body felt worse than being in hell"

"Dean..."

"And when the.. the empty took you I just-" Dean lets out a humorless laugh "Fuck, Cas, I asked myself what the point even was any more"

"Oh Dean..."

"And if I have to watch you die again, after everything we've been through, after everything I've put you through? It's gonna destroy me"

Cas grips his hands tightly, his eyes glassy with more tears as the frustration he felt earlier melts

"So" Dean takes a breath, staring down at their joint hands as he speaks from the heart "While we're alive, while we're married and together, while I still have you down here slumming it with us mud monkeys, I'm gonna vow to make sure you never have any doubts. I'm gonna spend every waking moment making your life here so good, you'd wanna live forever with me"

Castiel breaths in shakily, stopping himself from telling Dean that was already the plan

"I can't promise it's gonna be easy. I've never been easy to be with" Dean winks making Cas chuckle "But this is it for me. You're it for me. Hell, heaven, purgatory, the Empty. Wherever you go, I'll be right there with you"

Castiel sniffles, refusing to turn away

"Till death do us part my ASS. We ain't parting for shit"

"I love you"

The kiss comes a little earlier than expected, but it's not like they care. Not like this was ever a traditional wedding (They have pie instead of cake, and God himself is officiating the wedding)

They're happy

Cas is gonna have to talk to Dean about the potential suicide though

---------

anyways, ba-dum-tsk

[bingbongsupremacy]

Marry Me?

Pairing: Spencer Reid x reader

Warning: I haven't seen criminal minds in a bit so idk if the Spencer in this is 100 percent accurate

Summary: Spencer asks you to marry him at the most random time. Garcia does not approve.

*Not Proof Read* ABC List Criminal Minds

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

" That's horrifying. " I wrinkle my nose at the sight of the bloody decapitated woman in the photos lying scattered around the table. This is why I work with Garcia.

Sticky notes are messily pasted onto the photos, illegible scribbles covering them.

" It is. " Spencer agrees.

" Why did you call me in here? " I ask, confused why my boyfriend called me in if he isn't going to expand further on the topic.

Spencer picks up a large Manila folder and shuffles through the contents. " I think I might have figured out the pattern we were looking for. " He pulls out a small stack of papers, each with the name of a high school in the corner. " The Unsub is killing girls from the same high school. Each girl attended the school at a different year. It's like he's going down the line of years. If I'm right, he'll been picking a girl from 2002 next. "

I scan over one of the papers he hands me. " Shit, you're right. " Excitement fills my body. We've been working on this for hours. He figured it out! " Spencer, this is fucking amazing! You figured it out! We need to tell the others. "

" Yes. I also think I might know who the next potential victim is based on other patterns I picked up along the way. " Spencer rambles on. " I think he might be going after Piper Johnson next, the woman we saw on the news interview. We need to check if she's okay. By the way, do you want to get married? "

His words come out so fast it takes me a second to process.

" W-What? " My eyes widen. Did I hear correctly?

Spencer is looking at me his gaze steady. He looks serious. " I know it's a little random, but this case really had me thinking. We don't know how much time we have together. God forbid one of us gets hurt or worse. I don't want to waste any more time with you. I love you and I want to be with you. I'd be the happiest man on earth if you said yes. "

For a moment I forget we're surrounded by gruesome shit. All I can think about is Spencer and our future. All of our plans.

A large smile makes its way onto my face. " Of course I will, Spence. I love you. " I smash my face into his, our lips meeting and immediately sending shivers through my body.

" I love you too, Y/N. So fucking much. " His voice rumbles against my lips.

" You did not just fucking ask Y/N to marry you in a room surrounded by dead women. Spencer, what the fuck. " A surprised voice interrupts us.

Surprised, Spencer and I pull apart to find the owner.

Garcia stares at us, her mouth hung open in surprise. " And you accepted his proposal? Are you insane? Don't get me wrong, you guys are perfect for each other. This proposal was just...so...gory. " She glances at the pictures around the room. " I'll help you plan out a real proposal, alright? Let's press pause on this until tonight. I'll have it all ready by the time you guys get back. " She says confidently, taking on the task we didn't ask her to do.

" It's really not that big of a deal- " I begin.

" It'll be done by tonight. " She says sternly, holding her hand up to stop any argument. " Now, you go let the others know what's going on with the unsub. " She points at me. " You are staying here with me while we set everything up. "

She gently pulls me towards the door, snatching the pack of information out of Spencer's hand.

" But-! "

She doesn't let me finish, swiftly kicking me out of the room.

Behind her, Spencer stand watching me in surprise.

Garcia shuts the door in my face, leaving me standing on the other side alone.

This day has been so confusing.

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY *  assorted dialogue from part 1 (2014) and part 2 (2015), adjust as necessary

it is the things we love most that destroy us.

do you have any other conditions?

if we burn... you burn with us.

do you see that?

you know, i like you better without all the makeup.

i like you better sober.

i never wanted any of this.

i want everyone who is watching to lay down their weapons.

everyone's either gonna wanna kiss you, kill you, or be you.

they're coming, [name]. they're gonna kill everyone.

are you fighting, [name]? you here to fight with us?

i'm in pain. that's the only way i can get your attention.

they let us go.

you did it, [name]. you showed them.

he's not even afraid of us.

it's almost not fair.

hello, [name]. this how you greet an old friend?

maybe i don't recognize you sober.

i drag myself out of nightmares and there's no relief in waking up.

it takes ten times longer to put yourself back together than it does to fall apart.

we can't guarantee her safety.

i want to go.

and if you're killed?

make sure you get it on camera.

no, no, listen to me. no one else can do this.

we need to make it personal.

that's not the issue.

this is the only choice you have.

we will make you the best dressed rebel in history.

this is where you kissed me.

i didn't think you remembered that.

i would have to be dead to forget that.

i thought she went to find you.

there's no one on the stairs.

you know everything old can be made new again.

isn't that what i promised you?

did you have a nightmare? i have nightmares, too.

someday i'll explain it to you.

i'll tell you how i survive it.

i make a list in my head of all the good things i've seen someone do. every little thing i can remember.

it's like a game. i do it over and over.

there are much worse games to play.

you love me. real or not real?

stay with me.

what do all those deaths mean?

we all have one enemy.

stop killing for him.

promise me you'll find it.

we're very familiar with each other's screams.

you really think i gave the order?

i've been watching you. and you watching me.

i'm afraid we've both been played for fools.

i don't believe you.

i thought we'd agreed never to lie to each other.

may your aim be true as your heart is pure.

your favorite color is green. is that real?

now you're talking.

i wish he'd hurry up with the last part.

you're still trying to protect me. real or not real?

that's what you and i do. keep each other alive.

i know you.

i'm here to kill him.

the bullet didn't even touch you.

what are your injuries?

nobody likes me.

they're afraid of you.

i, of all people, know that it's always personal.

i guess there are no rules anymore about what a person can do to another person.

give me one reason why i shouldn't shoot you.

bury them alive.

there's gotta be a better way.

[batboyblog]

So…..Trump wants the US to make the rules in Gaza apparently. What are your thoughts about that at least from what we do know about it?

its really a little hard to know what the fuck is going on,

based on Trump's public comments and his fucked up repost of an AI video of Trump Gaza, it sounds like what Trump wants is the the US to... basically take over Gaza not as some kind of peace keeping mission or UN Mandate but as.... a colony effectively? and to largely if not totally depopulate it of its Arab Palestinian population to be replaced by ???? Americas maybe? Gulf Arabs? tourists for sure but who will in fact live and work in this beach front tourist hot spot with Trump branded properties? unclear.

there's a lot of debate about how real or serious this idea is. My default is not to think that Trump is playing 5D chess, so much as eating the pieces. Trump clearly has a hang on on the 19th century and wanting to be William McKinney and get his own American Empire he's made a lot of comments about different things, like all the shit with Greenland or Canada, or about McKinney himself etc. So I tend to think at least Trump himself is serious.

That said it came out the other day that the Trump Team went behind Israel's back to talk directly with Hamas, something no past US government has done. The Israelis told them not to, particularly without any preconditions, Trump's team ignored them and didn't even tell the Israelis they were doing it.

Now normally I'd say this is a play, Trump is wacky in public to pressure Hamas in private "look we're reasonable but the boss is crazy, work with us to get a deal before..." and maybe that's the line these people are using on Hamas, but I'd be shocked if Trump was in on the play, because he's stupid, lazy, and crazy. Someone told him Gaza would be nice beach front if not for all the war and his rotting haunted house of a brain ran with that to his happy place "making money from my scams"

any ways. It's really bad when the leader of your country is floating ethnic cleansing as a policy idea, and while the why is not important there's something super insulting and depressing that the reason is "so I can built a casino" Trump really wants to be King Leopold (look it up) in Gaza.

finally... a lot of people in America, just don't live in reality when it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Don't have any understanding of what October 7th was, what it was like, I'm lucky I didn't lose anyone close to me, but I had met a few people in passing and they were dead and that was November 2023 realizing "oh shit, I know him" about people who were killed in the worst ways imaginable. I can only imagine what it was like inside Israel when it was your friends, neighbors, family, through work I've met a lot of hostage families and that suffering is just unimaginable. Any ways point being Israel suffered a 9/11 level event, with rape and torture on top of the body count. The Two State Solution has been on life support since 2001, with slowly worsening vitals every year. 10/7 killed it for the Israelis.

And this is where the unreality many Americans live in comes in, they don't understand Biden's involvement in the war was a last ditch effort to keep that Two State Solution alive, time and time again pushing Netanyahu off from re-settlement or annexation in Gaza, pushing to involve the Palestinian Authority, forcing a refocus on hostages, over and over again.

so certain people loudly declared that nothing could be worse than the war, that it didn't matter who was President, that punishing Biden, Harris, Democrats mattered more than any results that might come from Trump.

well here we are, the President of the United States endorsing ethnic cleansing in the name of enriching himself... that is, at least on paper, the policy of the United States, we've gone from Biden's policy of a path to statehood, to Trump's of "GTFO of Gaza so I can build a Trump Casino!"

at the very end of Biden's term he managed to deliver a ceasefire that brought home most of the hostages and stopped the fighting and had Israeli forces pulling back. Under Trump that ceasefire is falling apart. I think that's the clearest split in the timeline? like what would have been vs what we will see.

idk what's gonna happen, I don't have a great deal of optimism.

[thewertsearch]

And now we have to deal with this motherfucker.

It’s probable that Scratch knew things would play out like this, which means this message was always intended for Karkat.

...it's probable that that's the case, but there's always a slight possibility that we're in one of his dark pockets. If so, then Karkat wasn't supposed to see this message, and might be about to learn something Scratch doesn't want him to know.

Mr. Vantas.

Dang it.

I'm delivering this message through the console of one of my numerous unwitting proteges to give you a word of advice, and then you will not hear from me again.

Characteristically unhelpful - and in fact, it might not refer to either of Eridan's victims. We still have Tavros's corpse to deal with, and I'm sure there'll be more bodies hitting the floor before the day is out.

All of the bodies in the room remain as they were. There is clearly nothing to be concerned about whatsoever.

Feferi has an eldritch connection through the Horrorterrrors, and they could probably pull some dark magical shenanigans to get her body moving again. I think that's unlikely, though, since Feferi's ghost is active in the Dream Bubbles, and I don't think she'd actually want to be revived. After all, she's go a job to do.

I'm still convinced that Kanaya's coming back, but it's hardly going to happen while our back is turned. We're out of Kernelsprites, so she can't be prototyped - and we can't use her Dream Moon Slab, if it even exists, because Prospit's been destroyed by Jack.

Frankly, I can't think of a single realistic way to revive her short of time travel, and that's not a road we want to go down. I'm really trying not to think about what that might mean.

I guess that leaves Tavros.

There's definitely something going on with him that we don't understand. He was about to smooch Vriska before she stopped him, and the Breath symbolism surrounding the act makes me think it was more than just a typical Dream Self revival kiss. He has a hidden power, and that power seems to kick in when someone's dying.

Could Tavros be a little less dead than we've been led to believe? It's possible - his arc doesn't scan as complete to me. He'd only obtained the merest shred of confidence before Vriska brought him fatally down to earth, and I think there are still many interesting places you could take his character.

CG: THERE YOU ARE, YOU HAD ME WORRIED DUDE […] CG: QUIT THE BULLSHIT PARTYCLOWN ANTICS AND GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE. […] TC: shut up. CG: WHAT… TC: I SAID SHUT THE MOTHERFUCK UP, MOTHERFUCKER. TC: honk honk honk :o)

Gamzee’s rocking a new quirk. He’s still swapping cases, but they’re alternating every message rather than every character, as though his mind is less scrambled than it used to be.

Could this be how he talks when he's off the slime? He already seems more aware than before, and his grumpiness evokes a hangover - but he's honking more than he used to, which is the opposite of what I'd expect if he was sober.

CG: SERIOUSLY, GET BACK HERE NOW, AND HAVE A SLIME PIE TO RELAX OR SOMETHING. TC: SLIME? TC: there is no more slime, brother. TC: AND ANYWAY. TC: shit was motherfuckin poison, didn't you know?

Yup. It looks like Gamzee’s gone cold featherbeast.

It's not a great time for this to happen, but it's not like we can stop it now. I highly doubt Gamzee was forward-thinking enough to reproduce his pies through alchemy, and things are a little too tense right now to try getting clever with an Appearifier. For better or worse, his supply has dried up for the foreseeable future.

So now, for the first time, we're interacting with a Gamzee who isn't out of his mind on soporifics. His shift in personality is already pretty drastic, and I'm interested in seeing what the real Gamzee is like.

[hannsluvely]

after hours

after hours : a live action buggy x fem!reader fanfiction

for some odd reason, you have no idea who he is. and he fucking loved that.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

chapter one chapter two chapter three

chapter four | suede. stalking. silly.

his pov;

"Your wanted poster."

Those three words settled in my mind as I stared at the distraught girl in front of me, watching as she fumbled with her hands, a nervous exterior brushing over her. She seemed to be so horrified with the fact that I was once a pirate sought after by thousands- wanted dead or alive, though much preferred dead. Many still wanted me dead but due to my brilliant idea of hiding out here, the chance of anyone getting my bounty was thin. I, however, didn't see it being as much of a big deal as she deemed it so. The real issue I found was tucked away in one of the books within the nightstand which I was so fucking thankful she didn't find. I'd rather her not have been looking around but if she were to find one of the two? I was glad she found the poster.

I tossed another slice of apple into my mouth then set the knife down on the cutting board. I approached Y/N but instantly halted when I noticed how nervous and uneasy she was. "What's wrong?"

"H-How many people did you kill?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Does that really matter?" I asked, waving my hands up in the air to hopefully exaggerate my point. "It was almost a year ago."

"That doesn't change the fact that it happened!"

"I know, I know." Despite her discomfort, I took a seat next to her anyway. She tightened her arms around herself, almost to make sure there was as much distance between us without her actually moving. Clenching my jaw, I patted my hands upon my thighs. "I know it's a terrible thing, and there's nothing I can do to change that. It's in the past and if I could go back and alter things, I would. Being a pirate was all I knew. My old friend was one, too. Then we separated onto different things and-"

"Did he kill people?"

"Lots of pirates kill people. It's part of the hype, ya know? It's very unlikely to raid another ship without there being any casualties. But I stopped because I got tired of it. I wanted something more."

"It's a pretty big bounty. I mean- come on, fifteen million berries?"

"Don't think about turning me in now," I chuckled, wanting to add a bit of lightheartedness to this unfortunate predicament.

"I'm not like that. I know I'm in need of money but-"

"I didn't mean it like that, Y/N, come on. Give me some slack."

"Well, why exactly did you stop? Did you lose the thrill of stealing from others? O-Or did you get bored of killing innocent people?"

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. "We've all done some shit we're ashamed of. We're humans. I did a lot of fucked up shit," I said as I pointed at myself. "But I changed that. I moved and let all that go. I left my crew, made someone else the captain, and abandoned ship. I left all of that shit behind and came here."

"But why?"

"If I say this, I'll probably make things worse but I don't want to lie anymore," I said as I laid back, folding my hands over my chest. I stared up at the ceiling. "You've obviously heard of the One Piece, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, I was one of those pirates absolutely obsessed with finding it. Fuck, I even dreamt about it. It was the only thing I truly desired in life. It was the only thing I thought about. Not riches, women, alcohol- just the One Piece. I was making somewhat decent progress but then I heard that a group of Straw Hats-" I grimaced at the thought. "-made off with the map which they stole from one of the Marine bases. I happened to track them down and I managed to steal the map from some kid named Monkey D. Luffy. But all good things must come to an end and I lost it. I was back to square one. And then I discovered his bounty was thirty million berries." I frowned then sat up, turning to face Y/N. "Can you believe that? Some newby pirate-wannabe received a bounty double my own! Seeing that brought me back to reality. So I dropped everything then came here."

"All because of him?"

I nodded my head. Just the thought of that kid irked me. There was no one, other than Shanks, who I despised more than my own self.

"So, yeah, I know what I did was fucked up. But there's a reason I'm here now. There's a reason I've given you so much. It's because I want to be a better person, maybe redeem myself for what I've done. And I can do that by helping you, by making your life a little less miserable."

"Do you pity me?" The girl asked, finally meeting my gaze.

"What?" I laughed, almost obnoxiously. "Of course not. If anything, I envy you."

"Me?" Y/N pointed at herself. "You envy me?"

"You have no bad conscience. You've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to make up for. You have a clean slate."

She shrugged, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "Thank you."

"So, uh, do you hate me now?" I asked, forcing a frown to mimic a pouting child. She giggled at this and shook her head. I sighed in relief, wiping 'sweat' from my forehead. "Thank god. I don't know what I'd do with myself if you hated me."

"I knew you were a pirate but it's still shocking to learn about your past. It'll take me a bit to get used to it but I don't hate you."

"So, we're good?" I extended my hand.

"We're good." She shook it.

I felt as if a huge relief was lifted off my shoulders. And as long as she stayed out of the nightstand, there would be no more issues. But if I hid the book, then I would be even more safe. I pondered the possibilities before I watched as she rose from the confines of the bed and approached the counter. My eyes trailed down. The backs of her thighs were exposed and the shorts clung to her ass so divinely. I bit my lip and crossed my leg over my lap.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me," She mumbled as she started to chew on an apple, then began to cut into an orange. "I do have a question for you, though."

"Go ahead, shoot." As soon as she turned around, my eyes met hers and I smiled.

"Are devil fruits real? Or is that just an old tale? I've never seen one up close and I heard they cost a fortune, even for just one alone."

"They're real," I said with a small laugh. "I would know, I've eaten one."

Y/N nearly jumped before she darted over toward me, her hands grabbing at my shoulders. She still had a slice of half-chewed apple in her mouth which made her struggle to properly speak. "WHAT? You- NO! You didn't?!" She let go of my arms and instead planted her hands on my chest, shoving me back. I collapsed back against the bed, laughing. "You ate one?!"

"Years ago, when I was fifteen."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not. It was a mistake actually."

"What happened?"

I chuckled and pushed myself back up. "Give me an orange and I'll tell you."

If my reflexes weren't so quick, the fruit would've hit me in the face with how quick she threw it. But I caught it and began to pick apart the peel. "Easy, next time," I smirked and took a bite from it. "Well, when I was younger and was a pirate-in-training, the crew I was in raided this ginormous ship and hit the motherload. Not only gold and jewels and anything you could think of, but there was also a devil fruit. I found out how much they were worth and tried to steal it but I was caught in a predicament and I tried to hide it in my mouth."

"And?"

"I swallowed it whole."

She gasped, "And you're alive?"

"It doesn't kill you. It just takes your ability to swim when you're in the ocean, in salt water. It's like the sea turned its back on you."

"Did you get a power from it?"

I shrugged and winked at her, taking another bite. I licked the juices from my hand. "Guess."

"You can fly?"

"Ha! Nope."

"Read minds?"

"It's body-altering."

"Wait," The lovely maiden smirked, taking a seat on the bed. "Did it give you that red nose?" She snickered.

"Guess again," I said flatly, my expression turning cold as I stared at her. She gulped, clenching her jaw. I laughed and looked down at my lap, now using one hand to hold the orange. I continued to chew on it. But while she was distracted with her numerous attempts to guess what kind of body-altering power I had, I detached my left hand at the wrist. It floated behind the both of us and tapped on her right shoulder. Y/N jumped up, her head shooting to look at her side. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed together before she spotted my floating hand waving at her. She gasped and slapped it away. I broke out into a fit of laughter, my hand reconnecting to my wrist. "Impressive, huh?"

"You- what?" She was still flabbergasted.

"I ate the chop-chop fruit. It allows me to pretty much chop any part of my body. Like I can-" To avoid grossing her out, I chopped my left leg from my thigh instead of my head from my neck. She watched in amazement. I smiled at this. "I can disconnect anything from my body from my toes to my ears to my-"

"Even... ya know?"

I winked. "Oh, yeah. That, too."

"That's so cool. How come you haven't done it before around me?"

"I don't know. I just never found a reason to." Shrugging my shoulders, I allowed my leg to snap back. I continued to chew on the orange before finishing it and tossing the peel into a small bin to the left of the bedside table. Y/N finished hers as well. She wiped her hands down on her shirt.

"So, uh," I chewed on my bottom lip. "Do you think you and your mother will be okay?"

"Yeah. We fight all the time. Her drinking doesn't help."

I cringed. "Really?"

"Yeah, she's one of the reasons I hate it so much."

I pursed my lips and nodded my head. I knew I needed to cut back on it but it was something I've done for well over more than half my life. Though, I was destined to do it. Not only for myself, but for her, too. I'd do anything for Y/N. "So," I began, "what do you want to do today?"

"I need to go make up with my mother. That's a big to-do. I can't stand her ever being upset with me." The girl said as she stood up, slipping her shoes back onto her feet. "We can have dinner tonight if you want. Maybe you could meet her."

"Meet your mom?"

"Yeah, why not? She was wondering where all that money came from. She thought I stole it."

"Hell, I don't know. I'm not good with meeting new people."

"Will you, at least, consider it?"

"Sure," I smirked.

"Thank you." Y/N reached for the doorknob, giving it a strong and firm tug before it yanked open. A gush of cold wind washed over her, almost knocking her back. I tossed her my coat to which she whispered another 'thank you' then slipped it on. "I'll see you, Buggy."

"Bye," I murmured with a smile.

As soon as the door shut, I jumped down from the bed and pulled the drawer out from the nightstand, dropping it on the stone floor. I sorted through the numerous books and grabbed the novel I was so fucking thankful she didn't look through. As I opened the cover, the hollowed book had contents that almost spilled out. Papers among papers, among sketches fell out, wafting along the floor. Several notes about Y/N puddled on the floor. One, which was my favorite, was a letter I wrote to her- well, I refused to send it. If I sent it, any last fiber of my confidence would be crushed like a scrambled egg. My fingers lined the rigid edges as I unfolded it.

Messy paragraphs lined both the front and back of the page.

I smiled. How long ago did I write this? I haven't looked at it in so long. I usually added a sentence to it each time I saw Y/N, which is why it was so long. But I stopped pouring my thoughts and desires into it when I actually had the pleasure of speaking to her.

If she saw this, I would kill myself.

I'd purposely jump into the ocean with two anchors attached to my feet.

I looked over the first paragraph,

'I've never wanted something so badly in my life. To say I yearned for her would be a complete understatement. I longed for her, I yearned, I desired- In simple terms, I wanted her. I mean, how could I not? She was an angel. She was a siren. I would purposely listen to her enchanting song, allowing my boat to crash, just if it meant I could be graced by her presence, by her beauty. I was obsessed with her. If she found out my thoughts, my desires, she would never let herself be seen with me. I wouldn't blame her, though. I was obsessive. It was unhealthy, I knew that. But I didn't care. I wouldn't say I loved her because I didn't know what that felt like. I've never experienced it. But perhaps I did love her. I didn't know, I couldn't tell. All I knew was that she was the only treasure I wanted. Not the One Piece, no. Not even that could match up to her alluring person. If I had to travel every sea in order to find her, battle every sea snake in order to touch her, I would. I would in a heartbeat.'

I grimaced, cringing at what I was reading. Thank god, she didn't see this. I didn't even want to see this.

I tucked the papers back into the hollowed-out book, closing it. I slipped the other novels into the drawer then slid it into the nightstand. With the book of secrets, I needed to hide it somewhere she could never find it- where even I struggled to find it. I didn't want to throw it out for I would be completely discarding all of those moments we had together, although she couldn't reconcile them with me because at that time, I was nonexistent to her.

Maybe I could follow my own idea and form my own message in a bottle. I never mentioned her name, nor my own. To an outsider's perspective, it was anonymous.

I shook my head and slipped the book back into the bedside table. She wouldn't be back anytime soon so I had enough time to properly execute a fool-proof plan.

But right now?

I needed to go get another coat.

-=-

her pov;

My mother and I resolved things, just like always. And when she caught wind of a pirate suddenly becoming very fond of me, she begged me to invite him over for dinner. I didn’t think that was the best of ideas. Going out to dinner? Sure! But to have him over? At our house? I cringed at the idea.

She fell ill months ago. Nothing too major, but ever since she’s gotten better, she despises leaving the house and even made me bring her bed downstairs so she could sleep next to the kitchen just in case she had a hankering for something to eat. It was ridiculous, I knew that. But I couldn’t just tell her no. She was my own mother. While I was old enough, I definitely wasn't going to willingly disobey her.

She persisted that I go and grab Buggy so we could have him over for dinner, while I insisted we all go out to eat. She hated the idea and told me that it was her house, her rules.

I grimaced at the thought.

Now, I was just outside Buggy's home, knocking on the stone door. I hoped he was home, though there was no possibility of me being able to ask him prior to my arrival. I knew he was busy. He was a very busy man. I was surprised he made time for me.

With another knock, another silence fell. I groaned and backed up.

My eyes trailing down, I stared at the doorknob and chewed on my bottom lip. He wouldn't care if I waited inside, right? We trusted each other. He knew where I lived and I knew where he lived. As far as I knew, he never crossed any of my boundaries and I definitely didn't cross any of his- well, except for maybe 'snooping' through his nightstand.

Without thinking too much more about it, I grabbed the rusted doorknob, gave it a firm twist, then shoved it open. I almost fell through the doorway.

I caught my balance and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Without the lantern being lit, it was rather dark, but the bright blue sky helped to illuminate the small room. He must've not been home since I left.

I looked around, admiring everything.

As I took a seat on the edge of the bed, I noticed a piece of paper laying on the floor. It wasn't there before.

I raised an eyebrow and reached to grab it but before I could, the door flung open, a certain blue-haired pirate standing in the entrance. When he noticed me, he smirked. I gulped.

"So, we're breaking and entering, are we?" The man grinned as he took a few paces forward.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, scratching the back of my neck. "I came over to ask you about dinner but you weren't here so I figured I would wait."

"No worries, I'm only teasing."

"So?" I folded my arms, leaning forwards.

"So what?" Buggy questioned as he slipped his coat off. Since when did he get a new coat? And why? I was only borrowing the one he lent me. I didn't plan on keeping it. But I guess now it was okay if I did.

"Dinner? Are you available?"

"Hmm, it depends. What time?"

"I don't know, sometime tonight? Only for two hours or so. My mother wanted to meet you. I told her about you."

"What did you tell her?"

"That you've been a friend of mine for a few weeks now and you've been fortunate enough to treat me and help me out," I said with a smile. "She thought you were my boyfriend." I chuckled.

"Heh, that's rich," Buggy said as he turned around to close the door.

"So? Can you?"

"I guess so. Just don't leave me alone with her. I really don't want to be bombarded with questions." The man said as he folded the jacket over his arm then slung it on the countertop. "Did you tell her about my nose?"

I laughed, confused. "No? Why would I?"

"It's my defining feature. It's hard not to notice it when you see me."

"I didn't tell her. I didn't think it was important. I even forget it's there."

The clown burst out in laughter, his eyes closing as he clutched his stomach and nearly fell back with his fit of giggles. I pursed my lips. "What's so funny?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

"It's cute how you're trying to be nice to me. With a nose like mine, how can you forget it's there?" He replied while wiping a tear from his eye.

I felt flustered with the first part of his monologue but I ignored it and shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know, I just do. It's not all I see whenever I look at you, ya know. It's not my main focus point when we speak. I look at your eyes, not your nose."

"And yet again, you prove to me that you're different than others."

I smiled. "Hope that's a good thing."

Buggy smirked, winking his left eye. "Of course it is."

The pirated approached me before he knelt down and picked up the piece of paper. He examined it for a moment then laughed to himself. "Grocery list," He explained as he shoved the paper into his pocket.

I paid no attention to the paper. It wasn't any of my business. "Speaking of groceries, want to go help me get food for dinner?"

"What's on the menu?"

"No idea, but let's just grab something so she won't be bitching later."

"Guess I'll be needing this again," The blue-haired man said as he reached to grab his jacket. He slipped his arms through and adjusted the collar. "We match now."

"Mine's more vintage than yours." I winked.

"Oh, so it's yours now?"

"No?" I gulped.

Buggy giggled. "It is. I got my own now so no worries about giving it back. Unless you'd like to trade from time to time."

"No, I like this one."

The man looked at me, an eyebrow cocked upward.

I paid his look no attention and instead looked down at the tattered suede coat I wore. I inhaled softly. It smelled like him.

A soft odor mixed with whiskey, coconut, and cinnamon. And while I hated the stench of alcohol, it worked for him.

I couldn't imagine him without it.

[very-straight-blog]

What do you think of a lot of the meta-discussion around Aegon being Aemonds BIGGEST bully since the beginning?

Well, first of all, as far as I remember, Aegon didn't cut out his eye, did he? This is where this discussion can end.

In general, we're shown two episodes of "bullying" and both of them are rather dubious, although in both cases Aegon behaves like an asshole.

The pig situation. Well, teenagers can be cruel, and siblings fight and even feud at this age, it's sad, but in general it's normal and doesn't necessarily affect their relationship in adulthood.

The brothel situation. Things are worse here due to the fact that this isn't a petty showdown between some boys, but a public humiliation. However, I have already written many times that I don't consider this to be something planned or malicious. Aegon was dead drunk, and in this state he thought it was funny. You don't even have to dig deeper like "he's mad at Aemond because of Jaehaerys." People do shit when they're drunk, that's it.

What worries me more is that fans talk about these two situations but don't talk about this:

In a moment of danger or shock, Aemond instinctively protects his brother, and this, by the way, is after the pig situation. Yes, he probably does it because he hates him or is afraid of him.

And Aegon, in turn, instantly rushes to protect his brother during the conflict over dinner:

And we also have a scene of their little dialogue before dinner, which seems quite peaceful and doesn't show that they have any open dislike for each other:

Aegon:"You don't drink enough."

Aemond:"You drink more than a Braavosi Sea Lord."

Aegon:"I drink just the right amount."

Aemond:“Even when the noose is so tight, they expect us to break bread.”

Overall, I think they have a complicated relationship - there's rivalry here, a certain lack of emotional intelligence, and yes, Aegon often acts like a moron. But we've been shown literally two episodes of bullying over the years. This is very similar to the reasoning that Alicent physically abused Aegon, because we were shown how she slapped him twice. That's not how it works.

[traversety]

mona getting sick of waiting on gala to actually do anything (this is going to take multiple posts)

hi @gala-xyzz isnt writing so im gonna slowly work my way through my favorite bit of her sky au which i am totally normal and not sick in the head about. its almost 1am someone stop me.

this is the first bit bc i cant keep going rn ;-;

They found Mayhem standing at Eden's gate. He was staring deep into the rich red light the inner depths of the gate cast outwards, so still and motionless that he seemed dead or frozen.

Zumi tugged on his cape. "Mayhem? Why are you standing and staring into that big creepy light?"

Like a freshly wound music-box, Mayhem snapped to life, jolting and stepping back so quickly that he crashed into Zumi and knocked her over. "Oh, shit, sorry, uh. Wow. Fuck, didn't realize you guys were here already."

"Well," Vega snapped, "it's one in the morning, and you said you wanted to talk. So talk. If Lyra somehow wakes up and realizes I've left the house after I just got back—"

"—She's going to lock you up in your room like a damsel in distress, I know." Mayhem let out a spiteful chuckle and rolled his eyes before continuing. "Look, Ringer and I didn't tell you guys about this, we really, really didn't want to, but I've been thinking about it since we came back home. And Ringer thinks we should tell you."

The girls turned around to look at Ringer, who was hovering shyly near Sesha. Even beneath his mask, there was a visible flush on his face. "Um… Mayhem and I… we… oh, how do I-"

"JUST TELL US!" Zumi screeched.

A sigh. "Once Mayhem and I were done making our report to the Elders about Ismyth, we were about to head home and… well, Ismyth came. Physically."

A heavy mist of silence graced the air in the moments after that announcement. Zumi started to scream again, but Sesha quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. "Zumi, shut it, you're going to wake the entire village-"

"He WHAT." Vega's tone was furious. "I thought he said he couldn't get into the Vault physically! I thought he could only present himself physically in the Wasteland!"

Ringer sighed again. "It only gets worse from there. He congratulated us for completing a pilgrimage, and then said that if wanted to make the final push, make it a real pilgrimage, he'd…" Ringer seemed to be choking on his words like they were poisoned.

Mayhem cut in and finished for him. "He said if we went to the Storm he'd tell us every fucking secret he's held back from us. Who he is, what's his deal, all the shit. Everything."

Sesha, still keeping a tight rein on Zumi, said, "We're not going. Absolutely not. Not a single one of us is going there. We just can't! Are you crazy?! No! Vega's core is too fragile, Zumi's too young, and besides, we're all still on official lockdown! Even if I wanted to go, we couldn't because of these two!"

Zumi looked ready to have Mister Cuddles chop Sesha's hand off at a single kick. Although, there was already a fair amount of kicking, so the crab probably wouldn't get the signal. Hopefully. Maybe.

"Look," Mayhem said, grabbing his staff off his back and gesturing towards Eden, "I don't like going in there anymore since my accident, you all know that, but I am ready to march in there all by myself for no other reason besides finding that fucking prick and beating the light from his core for my own enjoyment, lockdown or no lockdown. We might as well get some answers out of it, okay? And Ringer can get his first pilgrimage properly finished! It's a win on every side! I get to claw Ismyth to bits, we finally get the answers we've wanted, and Ringer gets to finish the pilgrimage! I saw we go, and we go now."

Vega gripped Mayhem's shoulder. "You're crazy. I'm going to die if I go in there. That's what the physicians all told me. We can't go in there."

Zumi finally broke free of Sesha's grasp. "I agree with Mayhem!"

Ringer's face broke out into a panic. "Zumi, we're under orders from the Elders to stay here and you can't-"

"I DON'T CARE! I AM SICK OF BEING TOLD NO AND I WANT ANSWERS!"

Before anyone could even try to stop her, Zumi dashed through Eden's gate.

"I change my mind," Vega said. "We can't just let her go by herself."

*****

[miss-musings]

"Omega Needs You Both": A Deeper Look at Crosshair's Plan 99 Monologue

So, I had an interesting exchange with someone on Twitter about the 3.15 "change of plans" scene and what exactly Crosshair meant -- specifically by the line "Omega needs you both."

I figured I'd share my thoughts here, and do a breakdown of the dialogue in this scene.

We start with Crosshair seeing Tantiss' defenses and his hand starts shaking uncontrollably. But, he clenches his fist and gives his brothers an update:

Crosshair: They've got heavy patrols guarding the perimeter, with lurca hounds. Wrecker: Told you we should've brought Batcher.

Wrecker, who was mauled by a jungle creature in the previous episode, has basically been running on a combination of adrenaline, determination and med patches for at least an hour. As Wrecker says this line, he chuckles and then groans with pain from his wounds.

Crosshair notices and gives him a look that Wrecker can intuit even under his helmet.

Wrecker: Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine. Crosshair: No, you're not.

Crosshair sees the situation they're in: Their five-man squad is down two people already.

Tech is dead. (RIP, bestest boy! 😭)

Echo is inside the base, but they can't coordinate with him. For all they know, he might've been captured or killed after deactivating the science vessel's sensors at the end of 3.13.

And now, on top of Crosshair's own hand tremors, Wrecker is severely injured.

Clone Force 99 is down two people already, two of the remaining three aren't at full strength, AND they’re going into Tantiss without any (known) back-up. 😬

Even if they manage to get past the patrolling stormtroopers and lurca hounds, they still don't have an easy way in. (Of course, the Zillo beast solves both of these problems about two minutes later.)

So, knowing full well what they're going up against and seeing the bad shape his squad is in, Crosshair offers a solution:

Crosshair: Change of plans. You two head to the communications array and try to contact Rex. I'll infiltrate the base myself. Hunter: Not happening. Wrecker: Yeah, we've handled worse situations than this countless--

Wrecker of all people knows that their squad isn't invincible. But, I think he's trying to infuse some optimism into the conversation and convince Crosshair not to do something rash.

Meanwhile, Crosshair basically tries to do the exact same thing to Wrecker, but in a much harsher way:

Crosshair: Wake up, Wrecker! Clone Force 99 died with Tech. We're not that squad anymore.

Crosshair says what they're all probably thinking:

Clone Force 99 charged into every battle in the Clone Wars with full confidence and zero hesitation. Maybe they weren't exactly stupid about it, but they were definitely reckless.

Crosshair is trying to tell Wrecker that they're not that invincible squad anymore. They lost their MVP in Tech. They cannot afford to go recklessly charging into battle like they used to, which he believes Wrecker is suggesting.

Crosshair: I've been inside that mountain. I know what we're up against. If we all go in, we're not all making it out.

Again, even if they manage to get inside, Crosshair knows exactly how well-defended Tantiss is. He's trying to convince his brothers to get to safety, because he knows the odds are stacked against them and he doesn't want to lose them.

He wants to keep them safe. He wants to protect them. So, he uses the best logic he has to try to convince them: 🥺

Crosshair: Omega needs you both.

I know a lot of people look at this line and interpret it as: "Crosshair thinks Omega doesn't need him (like she needs Hunter and Wrecker)."

There's definitely an argument to be made for that.

Crosshair has major self-esteem issues throughout Season 3, and he definitely feels like he failed Omega after missing the shot to track her ship in 3.11.

I do think he believes that Hunter and Wrecker matter to her more.

I also think he doesn't know or fully accept exactly how much he means to her.

But, he must have some sense that his well-being is important to her — that she cares about him.

She refused point-blank to leave Tantiss without him. She spent five months telling him, convincing him, that they were going to escape together. For all his efforts to push her away, she never gave up on him. And when the opportunity finally came, she kept her word and freed him.

Between 3.05-3.11, Omega spends a lot of time with Crosshair.

She helps him reintegrate back into their family and reconcile with Hunter. She doesn't like when he suggests taking on CX-2 by himself. She tries to help him heal his hand and his mind. When she tries to convince them people can change, she reminds Crosshair that she never gave up on him.

She also told him multiple times in Seasons 1 and 3 that he was her brother. Omega always saw him as part of her family, and she wanted him in her life.

(EDIT: It’s also totally possible that Crosshair realizes Omega cares about him while ALSO believing she doesn’t need him. “She cares about me” =\= “she needs me,” especially compared to how much she needs Hunter and Wrecker. He is still weighed down by guilt and insecurity, after all, and feels like he failed her in 3.11.)

Again, I do think Crosshair underestimates and/or doesn't fully accept how much he means to her (or how much she needs him).

But, I think he’s ultimately trying to tell his brothers: "You two can't die, because Omega needs you."

Crosshair knows how much they care about her. He probably thinks they'll agree to anything -- no matter how stupid -- if helps guarantee her safety.

Omega is the best reason he has to convince them they need to live.

In general, Tech went through a similar process in 2.16.

He first told his family to "sever the connection hinge now," and Wrecker refused. He called for Plan 99 and Wrecker still tried to talk him out of it. So, he shot the connection hinge himself, because he knew they'd never let him go even if it meant they’d all die too.

(RIP. He really was the bestest boy and the squad's MVP.)

Crosshair is doing the same thing: he's trying to convince his brothers to let him sacrifice himself to ensure their safety. 😭

Now, Tech's situation was different. It really was "either he dies or they all die." There was no way around it.

But that's not a guarantee here in 3.15, although Crosshair thinks it is. (And as we see later, he's basically right. The CX operatives could've and would've killed them, but Hemlock apparently wanted them alive.)

Anyway, let's close out Crosshair's monologue:

Crosshair: So, I'm doing this alone. It's-- It's what I deserve.

Pairing this with his previous statement that Omega needs Hunter and Wrecker, it can definitely sound like "I don't matter to Omega (like you do), so I need to sacrifice myself." Again, there's an argument to be made for that.

(EDIT: I really think DBB’s delivery of “Omega needs you both. So, I’m doing this alone. It’s what I deserve” is a BIG part of why people interpret it the way they do. And they’re arguably not wrong to do so. It does feel in-character for Crosshair.)

But, I'm guessing he means that sacrificing himself will finally atone for everything he's done -- hunting down and nearly killing his family, killing all sorts of people for the Empire, failing his loved ones, etc.

He's telling them: "I've made so many mistakes. Let me make up for it now by keeping you safe."

Thankfully, Hunter and Wrecker talk him out of it.

Hunter: Don't even think about Plan 99, Crosshair. Omega needs all of us, and so do those clones. Wrecker: We've always known the risks, and so did Tech. We do this together.

Hunter affirms that Omega needs all three of them. He's using the same logic that Crosshair tried: "Don't throw your life away, because Omega needs you too."

And Wrecker tells Crosshair more clearly that he knows their squad isn't invincible anymore. But, if they're going to do anything, they're going to do it together.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Crosshair planned to keep arguing with them, but then they got distracted by the Zillo beast. 😅

In summary

If I had to rewrite Crosshair's monologue so it would more clearly convey what I think he's trying to say, it would go something like this:

Crosshair: Wrecker, we're not wild Clone Wars frat boys anymore. If we go rushing into Tantiss like we used to, we're all gonna die. You two need to live for Omega's sake. So, stay here and stay safe, and let me sacrifice myself. I nearly killed you all, and did a whole bunch of other bullshit, so I need to make up it.

As I said, I think a lot of these points are open to debate and discussion. But, I wanted to offer alternative interpretations for some of these iconic lines, because I feel like everyone keeps landing on the same (wrong) ones.

Feel free to comment/reblog with your thoughts!

[lavendertarot]

Now that we know for a fact that Muu was bringing Haruka food that whole time, I have to say it's an amazing addition to her character. Because while Muu must've had some positive intentions giving Haruka his meals and leaving them with him, in reality it must've been torture. Haruka was starving himself for Muu and to finally do something that had a positive impact on somebody. All the while though, the person he was doing it for was constantly giving him reminders of what he was giving up. Starving himself to death kind of had to be Haruka's choice, because Muu was showing him the alternative.

And Muu - She never tells Haruka to stop in the video. She asks him why, and she warns him of the dangers. Whether that's because she believes his death will benefit her or if she respects his autonomy, she never outright denies or forces Haruka to eat or go back on his decision. Her questioning doesn't come across as manipulating the situation for her benefit either (although I'm relying on the subtitled TL). Regardless of her intentions, she is allowing Haruka to make this decision to help her and fulfil his own wishes for himself, something he desperately wanted. And her inability to convince Haruka that this isn't what he wants ends up both increasing his suffering (have fun starving yourself next to a plate of food) and exacerbates the ways that her own rocky interpersonal relationships and communication problems have forced these unnecessary sacrifices.

Rei shouldn't have died, Haruka shouldn't have died. I firmly believe these deaths are intricately linked in Muu's narrative through the fact that both are active sacrifices in the game that is "will the 16 year old high schooler Muu Kusunoki suffer?" With both being linked to the persecution of Muu for her actions. She's eternally stuck in this cycle (the turning of an hourglass, if you will) of people holding her accountable for her actions, her attempting to accept that accountability, and people dying when she fails to communicate that she is sorry in a way that satisfies those prosecuting her. I firmly believe that Rei's death was semi-accidental and that Muu genuinely did just want to make Rei see how sorry she was for her actions, but her failure to do so adequately meant Rei died. And Haruka again - Muu wasn't able to repent for Rei's death adequately and received a guilty verdict, suffering. Haruka noted this suffering and fulfilled his own promise to attempt to do something good for somebody, hurting things to prove that he was a person worthy of note once more. So Muu, this person who has never been good at communicating explicitly, makes things worse for Haruka while attempting to help him and stop him from dying again because of her. Now, Haruka is dead.

So we're back at the beginning of this cycle. So far from the little we've been given with regards to her post-guilty t2, it's hard to say whether she has broken out of this cycle or not. I doubt it though, because we've just started this cycle again. We're holding her accountable, now not only for Rei's death but also Haruka's - a male character who was related to and honestly loved quite a bit in the community from my standpoint. And whether or not Muu's response will finally be adequate now that the stakes are so much higher is something I don't think we as Milgram the Audience can trust.

So, maybe the only way to break Muu out of this cycle is to accept her apology. Maybe we have to forgive her, because if some theories are true then two guilty verdicts could mean she's the next victim of her own cycle. Or maybe she'll be able to break out of this cycle herself, after all, third time's the charm.

[argisthebulwark]

TES Summer Fest Day Three: Ghost/Hungry

summary: Vilkas swears that he's just being a good friend - you're stuck far from home and he can't let you starve. gn vampire reader/Vilkas, no gendered pronouns or y/n used. warnings: blood obv, fangs in skin, description of biting/feeding. sexually suggestive, minors should not read or interact with this post. @tes-summer-fest TES Summerfest Masterlist

"Just do it already."

"No. I told you I'm not doin' that." Vilkas rolls his eyes and bites back whatever insult his tongue has lined up next. Your crossed arms, the guarded way you're standing a few steps away from him, the way you won't meet his eyes - it's unlike you. Usually he's begging for an inch of personal space yet he quickly decides that this distance is far worse.

"We don't have an option."

"Of course we do. I can wait."

"You plannin' to starve?" He barks, stomping closer. He notices the nervous flush in your gaunt cheeks and can hear the way your heart kicks up when he grows near but your glare is gone. He's heard your stomach growling and seen the way you struggle to eat the salted meats he's offered - it's not enough.

"I'll be fine -"

"We've been snowed in here for days. We're out of options." Grinding his teeth together, Vilkas swallows back against his temper. He sees the fear in your eyes as they stare up at him, hands nervously playing in front of your chest.

"I can't ask this of you." Your voice wobbles, tears gathering in the corners of your eyes and his rage fizzles out. He's choking on words he can't bear to say aloud, choosing instead to grab your wrist and tug you toward the bed.

The blizzard began five days ago. If the mission had gone as intended, a branch of the Silver Hand would be extinguished without issue and you'd both be warming up in the grand hall of Jorrvaskr. Vilkas snorts at the mental image of your nose pressed to a frosted window demanding that he, your 'very best friend', play in the snow with you.

Instead, you'd taken an arrow to the gut and Vilkas' pack was abandoned in favor of speed. He'd carried your broken body to the nearest village and pleaded with the one healer to patch you up enough to get home. He didn't give a shit about the villagers glowering from their porches, he knew how terrifying he'd appeared; a bloodied stranger limping in to town and begging for help fixing some half dead vampire didn't inspire much warmth from the locals.

Vilkas is relieved that you fall to the rickety bed at his side. This abandoned cabin doesn't offer much but coverage as you wait for the storm to pass, expired rations enough to keep Vilkas alive and a couple blankets to stop your shivering. Your fingers are chilly when he feels them on his chest and he stomps down on the fucking ramming behind his ribs.

"What if I hurt you?" You whisper, big eyes staring down at his face. Vilkas fights to convince himself that his heart is hammering because he's about to let a vampire feed on him, that it has absolutely nothing to do with the idea that your lips will be on his skin. He forces his gaze to remain locked in yours, staunchly refusing to look at your uneasy grimace.

"Just stop before I'm dead." He grunts, squeezing his eyes shut. It has to be because he's looking at you that he's so flustered; your wide, worried eyes and the way you bite so nervously at your lower lip. It'll be over in a moment and he can forget everything.

Fuck, he's wrong.

Your lips sear into his skin when they press to his throat. Your hands are pressed to his chest and he knows you feel the breath he sucks in, praying that you interpret it as mere nerves. His skin is tingling when you lean in closer, lips lingering over his throat just close enough to tantalize him.

"You sure?" Your breath ghosts over his skin and fuck, all those walls he's built up are crumbling. Vilkas spirals from the threat of your mouth on his skin, entire body suddenly alive.

"Get it over with." His words are missing their usual venom. Excitement colors his cheeks as anticipation chokes out whatever quip he tries to make, mind going blank when you bite him.

Sharp and quick, Vilkas feels your fangs sink into the sensitive skin of his throat. He'd worried about the pain or discomfort but he hadn't prepared for this - the shameful, all consuming arousal flooding his brain. Fists clenched at his sides he swears to withstand this without making a scene.

Vilkas fights to tame his mind, though each slight shift of your body against him leaves him wishing once more. The feeling of you relaxing into him, fingers curling into his shirt and lips resting easily against his throat, it takes time to curb the need to touch you. This is a necessity, an offer to keep you alive. Nothing more.

He will get through this. He repeats those words to himself over and over, gritting his teeth and forcing his body to remain rigid against the bed. It is for survival. It means nothing. He will remain calm. He will not make a fool of himself.

It takes all of his willpower to disregard the little fucking noise you make as his blood flows over your tongue - the soft sigh of contentment. His jaw aches from holding back the filthy sounds your touch summons, even the hint of pain feels good because it's you.

Vilkas isn't ready for your tongue to run over his throat. It's quick - the sensation of your fangs slipping from his skin and tongue skimming over the little marks but it's enough to wreck his self control. Some needy little sound rumbles through his chest and he's grabbing for you, dizzy from the loss of blood and drunk on your touch.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?"

Vilkas gazes up at you, completely speechless at how beautiful you look. Loose hair falls in pretty strands over your worried eyes, cheeks fuller and more flushed after feeding on him. And oh, the way your parted lips are smeared with the bright red of his blood - he can't look away. Vilkas watches numbly as his hand raises to your cheek, thumb swiping at the stain on your soft lips.

"No." He mumbles, distracted only by a tickling on his neck. He watches your eyes dart to where you'd bitten him and instinctively Vilkas arches his chin back, pleading with you for one more touch.

Fuck, your tongue traces up his throat once more and Vilkas sees stars. His need for you consumes every thought, each nerve in his body alight in a way he'd never felt before when you press a little kiss to his wound. Some desperate sound claws up his throat and Vilkas can't clamp down on it anymore. He needs you.

"You should rest." You instruct, tugging a blanket around his body. Vilkas wants to thank you or curse you for breaking down his walls but his mind is shamefully empty. He gazes up at you, one hand closing around your hip in a silent request for you to stay.

Thankfully, you remain at his side. Vilkas' eyes drift closed once he feels you curl into his chest, whispered thanks and apologies occasionally floating to his ears. He doesn't say a word, too focused on the feeling of your finger tracing little circles around the mark you've left on his throat.

He hopes it leaves a scar.