#a monstruous thing

[epitaph-of-rebirth]

I always will remember when someone wanted to dunk hard on bg3 having bugs and always having to patch those, comparing with Pathfinder WoTR, saying that Pathfinder was a well done game and had no big issues and got mad when I pointed that actually crpgs are very complex and hard to make, and always has lots of bugs on the start and that, in fact, Pathfinder WoTR still has bugs and hotfixes and even through is very good, is not perfect like they wanted to make seem.

So guess my happiness when I saw on my steam that Pathfinder WoTR (a game released on 2021), now on 2024, in less than a week the game got two big patches not only for the new dlc but also... for bug fixes and then they just pushed a few days after ANOTHER hotfix.

[thewhitefluffyhat]

@mayasaura​‘s tags:

and she was most definitely on the ground fighting   she knows at a glance whether the devil are possessing a living body or a corpse   their treck through the Ninth she's on edge and hypervigilant   she's seen some shit  possibly even worse shit than she saw in Canaan House

So... about Kiriona and why she's Like That, and what's been happening these past six months.

She hasn't just been living her worst monkey's paw life as Ianthe's chew toy and bored prince, acting as emotional support for her new dad in his dismyriad crisis. Which would all be bad enough on its own. At least half that time she's also been actively deployed. Like, in the military, in a combat zone. Probably in a command position with very little experience and exactly zero training.

From the scattered mentions we've seen of Antioch, Kiriona was most likely deployed there to quell a rebellion. No doubt a terrible experience that would have expected her to do horrible things. Then these things—the devils—turned up.

Anyone who was infected by the devils, she had to dismember them and burn the corpses. Edenites, House, and civilians. That means regular old people who had nothing to do with the fighting, and people under her command. Either they became shambling zombies with mouths for eyes, or they were mercy-killed and burned before they could be taken.

How many people did she see die? How many people did she kill, and how many of them did she consider herself responsible for?

So if we're counting the reasons Gideon might seem a little off, we might want to take into account how she took a detour though a fucking zombie apocalypse while we weren't looking. Shit.

[gassyandnasty]

The Jock Formula - Part 2.0

JOINING THE FRAT: THE HAZING CEREMONY

Josh and his friends invited me to their frat. I've never been to one, people say that some are pretty chill and others are dangerous, but regardless of that, I don't belong in the chemistry lab anymore.

So I packed my things and went to the adress they gave me. It was night already, the place was pretty loomy, and the house was all dark. I wonder if they forgot about inviting me. But I knocked anyways.

Knock

"Come in" a group of guys say ominously, as if they were expecting me behind the door. It was open, so I came in.

The hall was lit only by candles, as I saw a lot of shadowy and BIG figures all over the place, but three stood in front of me.

"Welcome to your hazing ceremony, Drew." Josh starts.

"The tasks will decide if you stay with us or not." Sal completes

"If you are a true jock, or an eternal nerd." finishes Jongho.

They were looking at me dead in the eye while all of this scene sent chills up my spine. All broke down when Sal started to laugh, and the other boys followed.

"Dude, you almost pissed yourself!" Sal mocks, and patting my back.

"This never gets old!" Jongho says in a laughing fit, high-fiving some other guys in the back.

"So... this dark hazing ceremony is a joke, right?" I try to break the ice.

"As much this scene was a joke, the hazing is real, pledge." Josh says, like a boss.

_________________________________________

They said the first task would be easy, as I was led to the kitchen, being met with a table STACKED with hot dogs.

"Sit, buddy" Jongho says on the other side of the table. He was a pretty big and buff guy, I mean, all of them were, but he was specially bulky, and I was about to find out why...

"To stay here, you have to beat the CHAMP!" Jongho said as he punched his pecs like a gorilla, as all of the guys howlered and chanted his name.

"This task is simple as I like things to be, who eats the most hot dogs, win." Jongho said, as Josh rang a bell and he started to DEVOUR the hot dogs. This dude was like a monster, I swear I saw him eating two with just one bite. I was a scrawny guy, like... yesterday? I was satisfied with a BigMac, how on earth could I beat him?

I knew that competitive eaters used a technique to swallow the most they could storage, so they wouldn't get sick. Something like flexing abdominal muscles, or your jaw... but then I rememberd...

Fuck this nerd bullshit.

And went FERAL on the hot dogs.

I can only describe flashes of this deed. Sausages everywhere, desperately looking for a cup of water, Jongho was chewing so loud it looked like a dog, and when I noticed, my belly was full, and the table was empty.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPP!!

The end of the match was announced by Jongho filling the room like a dragon with a MONSTRUOUS belch. I looked around, and all of the guys were shocked, even Josh.

"Easy, haha" Jongho said, taking his shirt off. His muscles gave space to the food, so when the pat his belly, it jiggled.

I was a little drowzy. I only remembered eating the most I could, then I felt a hand on my back.

"Are you alright, dude?" Josh asked.

"How... many?" I asked, with my belly full.

"Did you think we were counting? That was wild! One of the best eating matches this frat ever saw, right guys?" Josh announced, and everyone howlered with him, chanting my name and Jongho's.

Jongho got up and approached me. "This dude was the only worthy opponent I met. I declare Drew VICTORIOUS!" Jongho lifted my arm in celebration, and all of that force dislodged the gas that was dying to explode out of me.

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPP!!

That felt so good. And what was even better? Hearing all of the frat chating my name.

But there were still two tasks...

_________________________________________

I went to another room that was dark and already stinky.

"Yo, we are up next. Congrats haha never saw anyone eating like Jongho." Says Sal. He was sat having some snacks on a table. He was one of the guys I heard most of. Many girls and boys swoon over him. When I got up close, I grimaced: onions, anchovies, milk, beans, and the list went on with the most unpleasant food you could think of.

"Sit." He says, while eating an entire can of anchovies. "This is the nasty gas challenge. We have to eat the most disgusting food and see the one who brews the worst gas out of it."

I was skeptical of this. My nerd brain thought that was impossible, but that stink was already making me pass out, and I heard that their gas was really disgusting, imagine with all of this, it would be- UUUuuuUURRPPP

A wave of a DISGUSTING belch hits me. "Haha, wake up! Didnt you hear what I said? You have to eat this." Sal says, blowing the stench on me.

*COUGH* COUGH* "Okay... I was just thinking..." I was about to say when he slapped me.

"Think less." Said Sal sternly. And I couldn't agree more. I was only able to eat all of those hot-dogs when I stopped to racionalize the situation.

I did it. Mixed beans with anchovies, ate it all down with a glass of milk. It felt bad, but it felt wild too.

"Good haha you learn fast, fella. Now we have to put it to test." He says, patting my back.

"Test?" I ask.

"You didn't think I was going to judge, right?" Sal claps his hands in a signal, while I hear a bunch of guys coming upstairs.

"LET GO OF ME! YOU JERKS!" I hear some whining too.

The guys break down in the room bringing a whimp in their arms. They put him in a chair and tie him down.

"So, this little fella right here was caught spying on us. Trying to take pictures, a total perv!" Sal says, while took some polaroid out of this guy's pockets and showed a bunch of pictures of their windows, focusing of their butts, muscles.

"IT'S NOT FOR ME... I... I WAS GOING TO SELL..." he was about to say when Sal interrupted.

"So... this perv is going to be the judge pf tonight's nasty gas challenge!" Sal exclaims as this guy watch in horror.

"So, would you do the honors, Drew?" Sal challenged me.

And yeah, that disgusting meal and all of the hot dogs were doing a number on my stomach... poor little perv.

I bent over so we were face to face, I only patted my belly and let it rip.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRPP

This one felt specially good, as it rumbled deep within the depths of my stomach. What was even better? Watching this perv cry and gag by the smell. Lucky it wasn't on my face.

*COUGH* *COUGH*

All of the guys laughed, mocking the perv as he had to endure my gas.

"Good one." Said Sal. "Now watch the boss." Sal took my place in front of him and started to swallow air. He swallowed very deep, and forced out a NASTY ROAR on this guy's face:

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOO9OOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

I swear I could even see this guy's hair blowing, as he GAGGED on this cloud of gas. Sal finished by blowing the nasty bits on his face and grabbing the guys head.

"Take a big whiff of that you little perv." He said with a smirk while the guy gagged in his hands.

"Wow, you are totally owning him!" I say in admiration. It's nice to see that whimp be put in place.

"That's how you gotta do, Drew. No mercy, c'mon!" Sal says, patting my back.

I had to do something bold. My guys were starting to stir up, so I had an idea. I picked some of the pictures the guy was carrying and held one that was showcasing a guy's pecs and pits. I took my shirt off and I could catch the guy thirstily looking at my muscles. He was really a perv.

"So, taking pictures only? Why don't you get a taste of those up close?" I mock, grabbing the guy's head and burrying on my pits. The smell was unbearable, almost as bad as my gas, cause I saw the guy trying to get free.

"LET ME GO!" He screams into my pits while I rub all of my sweat on his face. I wouldn't let this guy go this easily.

"Let go? Oh, I will let something go!" I taunt him as I pick him off my pits, and when he thinks he will take a breath of fresh air...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPP!!

Damn right, that was so nasty. He took it all right on his face, all the stink, even the bits of food leaving my mouth because of the force of the gas. This guy was in true hell.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA" All of the guys boomed in laughter, I think they liked my display of dominance. With a glimpse, I catched Sal winking to Josh in approval.

*COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH*

"YOU GUYS... *COUGH* ARE GONNA PAY FOR IT!" The whimp tries to say while he gags on my stink.

I see Sal doing the same as me and picked the first picture he could find. "Oh, look at this!" He showcased the picture to everyone. "It's my ass!" They all laughed. "Nice pic, perv, since you wanted to see it so bad, I'll let you have a nice cheekful of my buns." Sal said, teasing. He indeed had a very nice ass, toned, round and bubbly, almost eating his shorts.

Sal turned around and bent over the perv's face.

"NO! NO! NO! I know what you are going to do, please! I won't do this anymore!" The perv begs, while Sal's huge cheeks are only an inch of his face.

"Do you know what I'm going to do? But I was only showing you the ass you wanted to see so bad..." Sal smirks. "Take a look on it... I know you want to..." Sal jiggles his ass a little, and the perv is almost hypnotized by it. "Bury your face in it..." Sal says, and he does it.

All of the guys grimace as the perv goes face-first on Sal's ass, and with a smirk, he says:

"I guess you really knew what I was going to do, perv." Sal says, grabbing the back of his head and really making he go deep in it.

"NO-" The perv was about to say, but it was a really bad idea to open his mouth...

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!

The deepest, loudest and nastiest fart I've ever heard. Sal was red for forcing it, scrunching his face to get all of the stink out. And it was a LOT, of stink. Some guys opened the window and others even ran. When Sal was finished, he

"Aaaah, enjoy that, perv" he sighs in relief as he gets up. The little guy's situation wasn't good. His face was sweaty and squashed as he passed out, and his eyebrows were gone by the brunt of the gas, Sal completely destroyed this guy. Sal looked behind and laughed: "Oops."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" that ensured laughter from all the room. Josh, Sal and Jongho approached me where the air was fresh.

"Very good." Sal says.

"Good? That was AWESOME!" I answer in enthusiasm. "But... I didn't win."

"Don't worry, you captured the spirit and put that creep on his place. That will make you as good as we are. For me, you are in, but Josh gets the next task. Haha, try not to die." Sal says proud of me, leaving chills up my spine.

________________________________________

They said I should be careful, but I don't think there is any challenge I couldn't beat at this point. But there was he, Josh was waiting me outside the house in his car. I don't know much about those but it looks expensive. He really got it all, all the girls, the looks, the frat, the team, this car, a total bastard. How I wanted to be like him.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To your final task." He answered.

It was late at night in a stranger car, he was certainly up to no good, but I kept quiety all the way. He was taking a familiar path, if I'm not mistaken... to the local library.

"Library? You know I don't fear math like you guys do, right?" I ask.

"That's what we'll see, ex-nerd. Stop making questions and follow me." He answered sharply.

I followed, and we came in. It was totally empty, only a few lights on, I don't even know how he had access to that.

"Now hear me out. There's your nerdy friend, if you can bully him, you're one of us. If not, I will take care of you both." Josh threatens.

I pondered. George was really my friend, and I'm finally like this because of him. But all I wanted was this power, force, can't go soft now, I have to-

WHACK

"Ouch, what was that for?" I ask Josh as he smacks my head.

"Stop thinking, will you go or not?"

I just make my head tall again, and approach that poor nerd.

"Want some studying tips?" I smack my hand on his table and have a seat.

He gasps. "Andrew... so you're one of them now. After betraying me. Never thought you were this jerk. What are you hear for? Flaunt your muscles?"

"Actually..." I take my shirt off and start bouncing my pecs, display my huge biceps, and my ripped abs. "And I got more..." I turn around and showcase my back and blades. I can hear Josh laughing from afar, as George is pissed in front of me.

"That formula was only for making you muscular, not idiot! Stop that!" George snaps. "What now? Wet willies? Wedgies? Stinkfaces? Youre a dissap-"

"Since you are asking for it..." I say as I drench my finger in saliva and rub it deep in his ear.

"DISGUSTING!" He grimaces as he has to suffer from my wet willy. I had enough of George's drama. Gosh, now I understand why they bully these nerds. They are so annoying!

"STOP!" He complained.

"Hmm, wet willy... check. So next, you were saying wedgies, right? Now here we go!" I say as I yank his underwear up with full force.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" He SCREAMS in pain as his underwear is snatching his parts down there.

"I WILL GET MY REVENGE ANDREW! I WILL FIND A WAY TO TRANSFORM YOU BACK!" He threats. He can try haha.

I drop him on the ground and he catches his breath, red from all the pain.

"By the way, it's Drew now, nerd." I turn around and bend over. Those hot dogs and that food are still making a number on my stomach, and since he asked for a stinkface...

"Incoming..." I grab the back of his head and bury into my butt. I can feel my cheeks molding over his face, and his screams are muffled by my now fat ass. This is the life. I grunt and push, and then... boom.

PBPBPBPBPPBPBPBPBPBPBPBPBPBPBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

I force out a CRUEL fart right on his face. It rumbled and echoed through the halls for a long time, and I held his head so he could get the most stink out of it.

"Aaaaah, get a taste of your formula, George, thanks." I mock as I leave him gagging there.

"Am I in?" I approach Josh as he was proudly watching everything.

"Welcome to the frat, Drew!"

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Okay, so, there's one thing that I'm kind of tired of beating around the bush with white fans about, and it's this: if you pretend to "ignore" race in OFMD, you will miss a lot of what the story is trying to tell you.

Now, I do not truly believe that race is something you can ignore in a story. I just don't think it's possible, and when you try, what you wind up with is something like the conservative worldview of "not seeing color." Trying to ignore race will make you sound racist and ignore important racialized themes.

You can't understand Stede's need for character growth at the beginning of the show if you just focus on how he's "cringe" instead. When Stede makes his crew members of color serve them at dinner when the English board, this is gross, and their faces tell us exactly how they feel about it. Stede unlearning his biases here isn't subtle (guy who called him and Pete "fucking racists" I love you forever), and learning to take all of his crew members seriously as fully actualized people, moving away from the sort of Kindergarten-teacher behavior at the start to truly valuing them as people and taking their input and suggestions, it's an important aspect. Stede asking Abshir for intel at the party isn't just funny, it's also proof he's learned to see value in people in positions like Abshir's.

You can't understand the motivations behind Ed's actions, especially the violent ones, if you ignore the racist overtones. Ed is not a randomly violent person - he gets angry at a captain for calling him a "rich donkey," and if you think it's unreasonable for a brown man to want to get revenge on a white man for calling him that? Then fuck I'm glad you can't see the conversations I have with my other black friends, man. Ed's anger and frustration at the party aren't just because he fucked up with some spoons, lol, you can't get it unless you realize he's the only brown guest in that room. Yeah, he's ignoring Stede's advice, but he's immediately under a pressure Stede never has been. Ed's wanted posters in s2, too, rely on heavily caricaturizing Jewish features to make him look grotesque and monstruous. We're supposed to be horrified by that aspect.

And, yeah, when we ignore the racist tones to Izzy's behavior, I think that's undermining an important aspect of who he is as an antagonistic character. Him buying Ed from the English should feel like a gross violation, because it is. When he sits in front of the crew eating and making Fang and Ivan serve him, I think it's a pretty obvious parallel to how the crew members of color were similarly insulted in the pilot. It's impossible to ignore race in the way he dehumanizes Ed and tries to force him back into a caricature of behavior he hates and is horrified by - when he calls Ed a "wild dog" in s2, if that doesn't cause a visceral reaction of disgust in you, I dunno what to tell you. This doesn't mean that Izzy is irredeemable - just as Stede wasn't - but it does mean that racist biases are things Izzy had to unlearn.

OFMD so often takes so much care with how its characters of color are depicted. We get thoughtful, relatable moments (those French boat people getting humiliated and setting their boat on fire after they'd tried to touch Ed's beard is so satisfying, guys) and excellent, supportive friendships between men of color. The characters of color on OFMD are clean, smart, respected, and it's wonderful. And just because these things aren't always relatable to you specifically doesn't mean they're not important parts of the story.

[moshpitgamma]

•According to the poll our winner was........ THE FLOYD X READER NSFW HEADCANNONS!!!!! So, I really hope yall enjoy this and also if you requested this Floyd x Reader NSFW Headcannon, your request/message in my inbox has finally been filled. GAMMA OUT!!!😝•

••••••••Floyd X Reader||NSFW Headcannons••••

————————————

🎀-Floyd may look innocent and all, but he is just the biggest flirt and undercover fuckboy ever.

🎀-He likes to do sly shit when no one's looking. Will literally do the eating pussy motion with his fingers or the sucking dick motion when everyone turns around and will just laugh when you get shy, and everyone is confused to why you're blushing.

🎀-His ears are super sensitive and will literally go full whimper mode if you do anything to his ears and also his tail.

🎀-Will pull your tail and hair in bed (If you have short or no hair then just your tail.)

🎀-He is a switch, but prefers to sub

🎀-Floyd is not quiet AT ALL. Full blown whimpering and whining while making monstruous moans if he's subbing. If he's topping, then there's growls and moans.

🎀This man likes to keep it clean but isn't afraid to make things a mess. Including YOU...

🎀-His kinks are bondage, edging, mommy/daddy kink, overstimulation, and Cock warming.

🎀-If he's needy he will just rut against you till you touch him and make him feel better.

🎀-Likes to fuck you in front of a mirror just to show you the tears streaming down his face because of how good your body is for him.

🎀-This man is a whole thigh and ass man. Loves to just have his head between your legs giving you head while biting and licking your thighs. (Has bitten your ass during 69 before;>)

🎀-When I said he doesn't mind getting messy, I meant it because he will have you covered in cum like an oily body massage.

🎀-He will have condoms on standby, but if you push him and show him your motherly side, then heads up but you're having kids now buddy.👀🤷🏿‍♀️

🎀-He's sometimes sneaky and probably has done a sneaky fuck in a dressing room before a Brozone concert and has done it in the same room after the concert too.

🎀-You guys have probably got caught by at least 3 times by the other brothers and sometimes you wonder if he does it on purpose.

🎀-(He has a secret kink from where he likes to be watched by others when he's fucking you or he's getting fucked.

🎀-Loves being recorded and will act like you're in a porno together.

🎀-He's a soft dom and doesn't like to degrade, but there are times where he has slipped up and said them at least two times.

🎀-WILL ABSOLUTLY NOT HIT YOU OR PUT YOU IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN.

🎀-Floyd loves to call you sweet nicknames when he's fucking you and loves to just praise you for being a good girl/boy/lover.

🎀-His aftercare skills are to DIE for. Will pick you up and wash you up without you doing anything and will prepare you a good nutritious snack and will watch a show or cuddle you till you go to sleep.

YOUNNNNNN😝🎀He’s so Babygirl🤷🏿‍♀️

[splatashahowlett]

Nighttime frenzy

logan howlett x reader

part.2

you trusted charles with your life, everybody knew it. but sometimes he had the tendency of making the dumbest decisions known to mankind, at least from the outside. one of those senseless decisions was sending you and logan, the person that annoyed you the most in the whole world, on a mission on the other side of the country.

that's how you ended up in a trashy camping car in the middle of texas. what a great spring break! as if the smell of the vehicle or the broken ac wasn't enough, logan had decided to be even more irritating than usual. the begining of the trip could be summarized by unrelenting bickering; like logan tying you to your seat with the seatbelt after you threatened him to jump out of the window while he was driving.

you were conscious that you both acted like children, but you couldn't help it. you both seemed to awaken something in each other but couldn't quite put your finger on it. so you manifestly chose to hate each other. you accepted this mission for charles' sake and absolutely not cause something within you wanted to spend more time with logan.

"stop. it." logan fussed at you, who wouldn't stop pressing every single buttons before you: resulting in turning on the headlights, changing the radio channel, folding and unfolding the rear-view mirrors or activating the blinker. you knew you were getting insufferable but you had to occupy yourself during the trip right ?

"damn, you're so lame. you're the worst person to do a road trip with" you rolled your eyes, wishing it was ororo next to you. logan didn't answer, probably also wishing it was someone else next to him. so you kept going: "you're telling me charles has all those fancy cars and we're stuck with this piece of crap ? how is that even possible ?" logan, again stayed silent, but you knew he agreed on this one.

you both fell silent. the only thing you could hear was the occasional car driving by and honking at logan -considering the truck was going way too slow for everyone's liking- which would inspire logan's need to swear. each time he muttered a "fuck off" or honk in return you would let out a soft laugh, followed by a death stare from logan.

the heat was excruciating and you desperatly needed a shower. so you begged logan to make a stop for the night.

"logan, I know you want it too" you coaxed, giving him a pleading gaze. logan abrubtly stopped the truck almost sending you flying through the windshield if it wasn't for his arm suddenly coming infront of your stomach.

"fine" logan said firmly. you bit your lip, amused but also embarassed by being corrected like a child. "I'll go for a walk while you're showering" he continued, stepped out the truck and slammed the door with enough strength to shake the entirety of the vehicle, including you.

half an hour after your shower logan was still gone and you started to feel dumb for acting frivolous. was he really mad at you? did he get lost? it wasn't your problem anyway, if you could finish the mission alone it would be better for everyone.

so you climbed into the only bed, thinking logan was not going to sleep anwway. you didn't care nevertheless if he wanted to, you would get the bed.

you woke up in the middle of the night, crickets basically singing to death. it was still extremely hot which explained your choice of clothes: a light tank top with a small short. what couldn't be explained was the presence of a monstruous bear in your bed. well, logan had enough of walking you guessed. it's only when your eyes adjusted to the darkness that you noticed logan was bare chest, and even if you hated it, this made your heart flutter.

right as when you were falling asleep, logan started shifting franticly in his sleep. you tilted your head, confused as to what was happening until you heard him mutter somehing along the lines of "let me go". ororo had told you about logan's recuring nightmares and you figured this must be one of those. you didn't really know what to do, being woken up by someone you don't appreciate much must be even worse than having a nightmare and you also didn't want to end up with his claws in your guts. so you found nothing better than to fill an old bucket you found in a cupboard with water and to drown him with it.

logan woke up instantly, claws coming out his knuckles. this definitely wasn't the best idea but at least no one got hurt. logan looked at you, not an ounce of anger in his eyes but more of worry. he got up and seated himself on the stairs leading to the outside off the camping car.

ten minutes later you joined logan by leaning against the doorframe. you didn't love the guy to death, but you knew those kind of nightmares were merciless and left you reliving things you wanted to forget over and over again. you didn't have to get a degree in psychology to guess logan wasn't doing great right now, his arms were crossed over his knees and his eyes fixated on the ground.

"come on, I changed the sheets" you spoke softly, scared to disturb his thoughts more than they already were. logan didn't move at first so you assumed he needed more time. you were about to join the bed when you heard a gentle protest.

"I'm sorry" logan said. you stopped in your tracks, surprised at how logan was acting. this was the first time he showed a sign of weakness. this made your heart melt and you immediatly answered. "there's no need to be sorry logan, you didn't do anything wrong". logan looked up at you and you sweared you saw a glimpse of gratitude and maybe even more. he stood up and followed you in the bed. you were facing him, not wanting him to think you didn't mean what you just said if you turned your back to him. logan looked down, not wanting to show he felt miserable. you took his hand in yours and brushed your thumbs against the back of his hand in an attempt to bring him comfort. you guessed it worked cause when you looked back at him, he was looking straight into your eyes. usually you would find this interaction awkward and immediatly get out the bed, but if logan didn't take his hand back that must mean that he needs you to stay and show him that he is not alone. so you stayed.

"I'm sorry for throwing water at you" you muttered, almost inaudible. the corner of logan's lips twitched upwards and you couldn't help but smile. you scooted closer to him and hid your face in his chest. one of your hand left his and found its way on his back, hugging him. you could hear logan let out a sigh of relief before planting his chin on your head, keeping you close to him.

"thank you".

you would go back to hating each other tomorrow, right now you just wanted to hold each other as long as the moon was glowing.

[novthewolf]

Hello how are you? You’re Edward Cullen fic was amazing!!!!! Could you please write another one?

Edward Cullen confessing his secret to you :

*-*-*

- Edward had never been so scared in all his life.

- Watching your bright beckoning him to join you in among the mountain flowers would normally make him melt.

- It was almost enough to push him down on his knees and thanks the universe for allowing him to be share the same air as you.

- So he dared challenge the Heavens up above and took his defiled being to the angel roaming on earth.

- As the sun gently grazed Edward's skin, your eyes shimmered in the reflect of the brightness of the man's diamond-like epidermis. But despite how beautiful he might look, nothing would ever compare to your beauty.

- He heard your soft gasp, the same one you let out when he offered your favorite childhood book or when his speed saved you from slipping on thick ice.

- Mostly shock, but he felt so unsure if it was the simular happiness or the same fear.

- Brows furrowered in worry and care, he took a small step forward.

- You barely tensed up, but of course, he felt that and froze on the spot.

- "Y/N... I'm not going to hurt you.." Edward assured softly, but the skin revealing his vampire self caused his fangs to slightly show.

- Your eyes darted to his fangs, lips slightly parting before looking back up at his eyes.

- His heart missed another beat, as always, as your eyes met his. Damn it did he love your eyes...

- But this way... it was like someone was holding a sword just above his neck. Yet the thought of losing you was even more painful.

- Yet, he couldn't bear to read your thouhghts, filled with dread at the idea of hearing you growing terrified of him.

- Instead you slowly reached in your bag, causing his eyes to squint slightly in confusion.

- What are you doing..? Are this scared of him that you would try something against him ?

- It hurt him visceraly, more than anything you might ever do to him.

- He took a step back, his shoulders slacking in defeat, not trying to reach out anymore.

- But then, you took out a book, 'quileute legends', and stopped him in his tracks.

- "I mh... I kinda knew..." You waved the book with sheepish chuckle, struggling to keep eye contact.

- He stared at you, for once at complete loss of words. You knew ? But how...

- Then Edward remembered the first trait that drew him to you. Your curiosity. Of course he considered being dangerous for his secret but the way you just react... It gave him hope.

- "The cold ones are mh.. vampire right...? I noticed your cold skin, your speed and changing eyes. So... I tried to solve this by reading, you know me.." You chuckled with a sheepish smile.

- The way the words left your mouth heated up his beatless heart. You were just too sweet.

- Edward looked at you like he laid eyes for the first time. And this time, without the feeling of being an monstruous creature.

- "Yes.. I am.." He whispered, voice gentle and walked toward you, into the small clearing.

- "Is that why you stayed away from me at first ?" You took a few steps toward him too.

- "I was afraid that what I felt for you was simply bloodlust but.. then I got to know you and..." Edward smiled almost shyly, and his eyes darted away. "I discovered what an amazing person you are."

- That's sweet blush on your cheeks was enough motivation for him to keep complementing you forever.

- "Then.. why did you never tell me..? You trust me right ?"

- More than anything. He wanted to lay this information so softly onto your heart.

- "I just didn't want to lose you." He whispered, looking down at you with almost pleading eyes.

- Losing you would be the greatest tragedy of his life and the last thing he would be able to bear.

- Whether because of the Volturies, nomads or your own fear.. each end would be devastating.

- Then, ever so softly, he felt your warm fingers wrapped around his larger palm.

- His eyes turned goldens and he swore he never felt this relieved by someone else's presence.

- "You won't lose me... as long as you don’t drink my blood." I chuckled, tiny bit nervous but playful.

- Edward scoffed out a chuckle and squeezed your hand gently.

- "No... I'm afraid I won't, darling..." Edward grinned and leaned in to whisper in your ear. "But something far more dangerous."

- He drink in the way you shivered, but so thankful when your expression didn't show any fear, but rather bashfulness.

- "Don't say it like that..!" You chuckled, slapping his stone like chest and hummed in surprise. "Are you a statue or something ?"

- He laughed with you and grinned. "No, just hellacious." He winked, feeling himself relaxing just by being playful with you.

- "Nice word, bit presumptuous, don't you think ?" You tease with a grin.

- "I'll show, dear." He chuckled before softening looking down at your joined hands and whispered, vulnerability shining through.

- "If you want to.."

- And the smile you gave him was enough reassurance as it was.

- "I'd love to." You nodded softly.

- That's when Edward swore on his immortal life he'd keep you safe and happy, to make sure your smile is engraved in his soul.

*-*-*-*

Check out my Tipee page and get exclusive content ! ;)

*-*-*-*

[absolute-ferret]

So if the solver is still around... What would solver Uzi look like?

Not quite As monstruous as the Ddemons, but still not that pleasant <:3c

Lil' sabertooth spider bat mix thing <33 freak <333

It's fine tho she's going thru weird girl puberty (Sorry i think Im so funny)

I have further uhh lore ideas for the Solver, which btw to answer fully, is still somewhat around, the au story still vaguely resembles the canon timelines lol :3 !! as soon as me and @sodascreen find time to talk more abt the au we shall reveal mmore :3

i am SO glad i managed to like sneak in a doodle as i worked on a school project, still pc banished unless school related siigh

[hello-nichya-here]

Do you still like talking about ASOIAF? see you like SanSan and wanted to know your opinion about something I was reading. I was reading some discussions around Sandor's character and there seems to be a division of opinion about whether he is in fact a total bastard, but he met Sansa (who was the first to give him empathy and kindness) and so he does kind acts but only to her (or when she is near) OR he always had a "good side" somewhere inside him (still a bastard, but I think you get the ideia of what I mean?), but was too comfortable with his view of the world and become totally apathetic to the things around him (until he met Sansa and she kind of challenged his worldview). I thought I'd ask your opinion on this, if you don't mind, because I think you usually have interesting thoughts on things.

George R.R. Martin likes complex, messy characters that are very firmly in the grey area. The full on pure monsters in the story (like Ramsay and his dad) are not as large as the group of grey, or even good, characters, and they usually don't get as much attention. There's a reason we'll see the POV of Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion, but not Tywin - they have more humanity and vulnerability in them, so Martin has something more interesting to work with and develop. He even went as far as saying that even the iconic "A Targaryen is either great or mad" thing is a LIE, because ALL OF THEM did things that could make them look great or mad in people's eyes.

With Sandor in particular, lets get the most ridiculous "take" on the character out of the way: He is not kind ONLY to Sansa or ONLY when she's around. For fuck's sake, he goes out of his way to remind her of every awful thing he does/thinks in hopes she'll stop giving a damn about him and he can thus stop questioning his entire existence, and is repeatedly exasperated that nothing seems to do the trick.

And while he is kinder to her than to anyone else, he REPEATEDLY proves that he wants to stop being just a killer. We see in an Arya chapter that Sandor wanted to just live in a quiet, peaceful village until the end of his days, but he is kicked out because of his past and is clearly upset about it.

He kidnaps Arya because he wants to return her to the Starks in the hopes that they will take him in. And after the Red Wedding he still saves Arya, and after being VERY cruel to her in trying to get her to accept that her family is dead, he changes his tune literally overnight because, come on, she's a kid and what happened is horrible, he shouldn't have snapped at her and he knows it.

For fuck's sake, he CRIES confessing his sins Arya when he is "dying", and then changes his ways when he is rescued and taken to the Quiet Isle.

More important, during a public event in which his brother is trying to kill Loras for beating him in a duel, Sandor steps into to the rescue. It would have been THE perfect way to get his revenge on his abuser without any consequence - he'd just be defending himself and another person. No one could truly hold it against him if he had killed Gregor right then and there, not even Sansa. But instead, we are told this:

"Thrice Ned saw Ser Gregor aim savage blows at the hound’s-head helmet, yet not once did Sandor send a cut at his brother’s unprotected face."

George R.R. Martin went as far as creating an two distinct, very easy ways to highlight to the readers that this character has both a human side and a monstruous side - and that the human side would eventually win in this internal conflict.

The first is his identity as "The Hound." It represents his anger, his violent impulses, his willingness to obey unjust orders because it benefits him, his alcohol abuse, his tendency to snap at people for the smallest thing, and his refusal to accept that this behavior is not "just how the world works" and is in fact a problem he needs to work on.

Sandor struggles to let go of "The Hound" even though, as I like reminding people, no one hates that fucker more than Sandor himself does. He struggles because this bad behavior is a toxic coping mechanism. It was what allowed him to survive in a cruel, unjust world - in an Arya chapter, after WINNING a trial by combat and thus being forgiven for his own sins AND the sins of his brother, we have her describe him as looking like a frightened child after he gets burned. Sansa compares the kiss she's given by Sweet Robin, a little boy that latched onto her, to her imagined kiss with Sandor. The Hound is the mask a frightened, traumatized child that never matured in healthy way hides behind.

We even see Sansa herself adapt parts of "The Hound" into a healthy survival skill - righteous anger at her abusers and their enablers instead of just blind rage at every living thing, suspicion and caution around people until she's sure they can be trusted instead of believing EVERYONE is rotten to the core.

Sandor is called "The Hound" less and less as the books go on, until we reach the point of him being on the Quiet Isle, basically going through that world's equivalent of rehab and therapy, and then hear the very clear message of "The Hound is dead, Sandor Clegane is at rest." We even have an actual bad guy steal his hound helm and see how people are WRONG in assuming that Sandor Clegane is the monster running around raping and killing people because THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS MAN WANTS TO DO WITH HIS LIFE!

And that's despite him saying shit like "If you can't fight for yourself, die and get out of the way of those who can" - which brings us to the second way Martin used to highlight the duality of the character: his feelings on what it means to be a TRUE knight.

Sandor will constantly tell Sansa that true knights don't exist, that the very concept is ridiculous, that the world is awful and he's just honest about it, that knights are for killing and that killing is the sweetest thing there is.

Yet he refuses to take on the title when he joins the King's guard. Whether that refusal happens because Sandor doesn't think he deserves the title or because he is disgusted to be in the same class as people like Gregor, he is still letting the truth slip in the moment: deep down, he DOES care about honor, even if just a little. He DOES think there's something wrong with cruel, corrupt men being give praise and status for being "heroes" when they're actually monsters. He DOES have lines he doesn't cross and that nobody can make him change his mind on.

Now, obviously a true knight doesn't get "drunk as a dog", doesn't comment on a 12-year-old girl "having tits now" (especially not when that girl is noble AND the king's future queen), does work for corrupt lords, doesn't kill an innocent child because a spoiled prince threw a tantrum, and doesn't hold the 12-year-old he is trying to save at knife point during a PTSD episode.

But a true knight would prevent Sansa from killing Joffrey and being punished (and possibly killed) as a consequence, would give her advice on how to protect herself from the King's wrath and from potential manipulators, would scream in protest when she's being beaten and humiliated in public and then give her his cloak to cover herself up, would save her during a riot, would offer to try and get her back to her family - and would accept her refusing that offering - and he would remove his white cloak, the symbol of his honor, to demonstrate he is ashamed of having done something that goes against his code.

Sandor Clegane is a complex, deeply flawed man. He knows it. But he WANTS to be Sansa's knight in shinning armor because, deep down, he shares her beliefs. And she recognizes that, and Martin goes out of his way to show us that she prays for his soul.

"He is no true knight but he saved me all the same, she told the Mother. Save him if you can, and gentle the rage inside him.”

No matter how awful The Hound is, Sansa Stark is never gonna take it as proof that Sandor Clegane didn't deserve justice for what Gregor did to him - not even when she's saying, to his face, that if he doesn't change his ways the Gods will send him to hell. And she's going to call him "Ser" whether he likes it or not, and question why he lets people call him a dog, and will thank him and call him brave whenever he helps her out. He can complain all he wants, she's not gonna stop.

No matter how flawed of a protector he is, Sansa will always remember him as the closest she got to meeting a true knight - to the point that when she's about to be sexually assaulted in a later book and someone saves her, her first instinct is that her savior MUST be Sandor, even though she knows she's either half a continent away or full on dead by now.

And that kindness, understanding and faith in him is what Sandor had always, desperately longed for, but didn't think he would ever get or ever deserve. And for that, he feels he owes Sansa a debt he can never repay, so he is at his kindest to her, and steps up to protect her from Joffrey because he simply can't help himself.

Sandor is not putting on an act for Sansa or changing his behavior only towards her. She is the catalyst for his character arc. He gave her tools to survive, she gave him a REASON to survive.

It's why their last interaction has her wraping his cloak around herself, accepting him as her knight, after singing this song to him:

"Gentle Mother, font of mercy Save our sons from war, we pray Stay the swords and stay the arrows Let them know a better day Gentle Mother, strength of women Help our daughters through this fray Soothe the wrath and tame the furyTeach us all a kinder way"

Sansa's dynamic with with the Hound - not Sandor, the Hound - was pure "Kill them with kindness." Beauty killed the Beast. Sansa saved Sandor from the Hound, and now he feels it's his duty to protect her.

[virgobingo]

maki is an interesting character, bc she is generally acknowledged to be one of gege's best written characters in jjk, period. regardless of gender.

but the reason she is so great, is because her arc is centered around her experiences as a girl in a patriarchal society. not one that fits into the standard either.

she's born into a family that is considered misogynistic by other clans' standards. as a twin, no less, which is considered a bad omen. with little to no curse energy to boot.

still, for a large portion of her life, she desired to prove herself to them. in a way that reminds me of the myth of meritocracy? that idea of "if you work hard enough, you can do anything you want and you can prove yourself to the naysayers."

but in her journey she learns it's impossible for her to rise in an institution that actively works against her.

this happens, specifically, when she goes to the zenin clan during the culling games (to simply collect tools). she's confronted by reality in ways that echo momo and nobara's conversation (about the weight of misogyny in their lives).

"A scar on the face can be a good thing for guys. But not for girls. You think the world of Jujutsu Sorcerers is based on skills? [It is] Sure. But only for guys. Even if a girl is skilled, if she's not cute, she is looked down upon. Of course, if she's only cute without any skill, it's the same. Women Jujutsu Sorcerers aren't expected to be skilled. They're expected to be perfect." (Momo, Chapter 40)

the first thing she is told when she visits the compound is "yikes, what a face. that ain't gonna heal. what are you gonna do Maki? [...] all you had going was your face and now it's wrecked. no one will even look in your direction anymore." (Chapter 148, p.2-3)

after that, she crosses paths with her mother, who, at face value, echoes the horror tropes of mothers that "fanatically conform to the institution" (i think her actions later make her more complex).

then, finally, maki comes across her father, who remarks on maki and mai's "worthlessness" to him. he's convinced himself he would be better off in life if they were dead.

maki's continuously told she has no value in this world. for things that are out of her control.

of course, this all leads to the loss of mai, who sacrifices herself in order to essentially push maki forward as a character bc "to gain something, you must offer something," in the world of jujutsu kaisen. this is not exclusive to them. it also leads to mai telling maki something that aligns really well with what "female rage" means to me:

"Destroy… Everything" (Chapter 149, p.12)

why?

i think there is no amount of climbing you can do in a society that is actively pulling you down. no way to become clan head in an institution that wants you dead.

i believe it's this realization that causes maki to embrace her "monstruous femininity" that ultimately results in her ascension (as a person, as a sorcerer).

i know some people criticize her decision to kill the zenin in honor of her sister's memory. but, i think the message here is that some institutions simply cannot be reformed.

also, note that with their destruction, maki's narratively released from their expectations.

anyways, what comes after is honestly hilarious. i think it's a mockery of what gege expected misogynistic readers to say. "you're not toji!" (Chapter 151, 6-19) as if drawing a parallel implies that she's his copy.

another charming detail to maki's character is how sumo helps her find freedom/her groove. considering how, in traditional sumo, "women are considered impure and cannot step into the ring". it's just something so fitting for maki who continually defies gender expectations.

long post to say: i honestly love her and i think ppl often ignore how entrenched her story is in the female experience bc they just see how buff she is.

[randomnameless]

Why do we still have in 2024 stupid takes like Rhea created and enforces the crest system?

Bcs Rhea BaD anon.

More seriously,

FE Fodlan is one of one of the most divorced FE verses from its fantasy elements (see : Nabateans being as important as Ignatz's leather shoes) : Tellius has the Laguz existing, Archanea/Ylisse has manaketes hanging around and being a core point in FE Archanea, Elibe has its entire history involving dragons and the best ending finally be about acceptance between the two races, Magvel has zombies, Valentia has terrors and in SoV we have dragons and magic dragon blood, Fates has dragons (and laguz-like!) and even Jugdral have people with magic dragon blood.

(i ranted and ranted and ranted under the cut, so it's a bit long)

Unlike Fodlan, Jugdral's "people with magic dragon blood" are a key element to the story told at large, and it bleeds through the mechanics used to tell that story. FE4 wise, toddler!Seliph has a S rank in swords when Beowulf, even if he trains his entire life, will never achieve A rank in swords. Base!Julia with her holy weapon can smack Loptyr, when max!invested (at least lore wise) Forseti!Ced will never be able to kill him.

It's unfair for Beo and Ced, but that is how the verse works because, in that verse, some people are mc guffins or "the only ones" who are able to do something, or even, straight out, stronger/have more talent than others.

In traditional fantasy settings we have the "same" sort of rules, you have elves who do X and Y, humans won't can't, dwarves who can't either but they can do W, orc who can do J, etc etc.

Even for all of the "deconstruction of the genre!" gimmick ASOIAF has, according to some people, Dany is fire-proof and Jon most likely survives after being assassinated because he is a Stark and can use his doggo as a back up save, both things Edmure Tully will never be able to achieve.

Tolkien has Numenoreans being straight up blessed by the Valar/stronger/longer lived/etc etc than middle-earth humans, on top of also having elves, dwarves and ents.

Ergo : power inbalance is baked in the fantasy genre.

And yet, the writers often manage to tell some version of "the ones who have less power are no less important", like with Tolkien, it's a bunch of hobbits who manage to take down the greatest "evil" of their era, or some message like "having more power/being more important means you are bound to help the ones who have none" thingie.

In Fodlan, the "beings who have more power" than humans are the Nabateans (+ Sothis herself!). Sothis can create life, her daughter - through unknown means - can create artifical beings, one her children can control weather (the one who was turned in a milkshake for Charon!), one of them has monstruous strength (the one turned in a milkshake for Blaiddyd), one of them could communicate with animals (Timotheos iirc - if we assume he was a Nabatean or got his powers from his crest), her granddaughter can set up an AOE to heal what would otherwise be fatal wounds (it's heavily implied this is what Flayn did when she overused her power and went comatose) etc etc.

This is the original power inbalance in Fodlan.

Then some humans "stole" this power from Nabateans, and got a share of it themselves, which is what is later called "crest" : aka, some humans got a part of the super/magic powers that Nabateans originally had and thus, because, for all intents and purposes, "super-humans".

Now, Fodlan discourse started with FE16 being released in 2019, not that long after GoT's ending - which was trash - and in an era where fandom turned from "harmless fun" to "something that looks like activism and earns you point if you manage to use it to express your real life opinions".

In 2019, after Dumb and Dumber tanked GoT and removed most of ASOIAF fantasy parts to deliver "sex that sells" with a moldy plot, some part of the fandom started to conflate and harass people over what they like, and how it, apparently, reflected on their real life opinions ("if you hate this female character it means you hate women!"/"if you think X becoming king is a good ending, you don't value democracy!").

So, we have this fantasy setting with its inherent power inbalance... that quickly became something that is/was unacceptable, because IRL, power inbalance is based on bullshit and something everyone decries - so if your beloved media reflects on what you like IRL, you can't like a setting with an objective power inbalance, even if is justified by magic which doesn't exist irl like shooting eyebeams or some people being more "special than others" who can live up to 1500 years old.

Fodlan's power inbalance, for some parts of the fandom 2019, cannot be justified by traditional fantasy settings so, those settings/fantasy elements are straight out ignored.

Thus the "crests"' magic effects/powers are ignored, and dumbed down to, roughly, what a middle school student would think "nobility" is/was in the Middle Ages/Renaissance.

Jean-François Marie Pierre de Bourbon isn't inherently better at smashing things with a sword than Bob, or at healing than Roger, any "advantage" Jean-François Marie Pierre de Bourbon has over them is, maybe, that he started training earlier.

In Fodlan?

If Jean-François Marie Pierre de Charon has a major Charon crest, he can dance and clap in his hands to summon rain. Bob and Roger, no matter how hard they train, will never be able to do that. Jean-François Marie Pierre de Charon will thus be seen as having higher "value" or being straight up "better" than Bob or Roger, because as long as he is here, your crops will never suffer from drought.

But... we can't have that, because if you confuse fandom and real life opinions and aspirations, you cannot admit that some people in Fodlan are inherently "better" at something, only because of their blood, otherwise, what would it translate to IRL?

This is why, imo, part of the fandom (and the game sure doesn't help! Fodlan is no Jugdral and its gameplay lacks coherence regarding the in-game lore! Remember how Raphael can use a relic and only loses 10HP, when Miklan, plot wise, was turned in a demonic beast?) that loves this take, arguably, reduces crests to a title and family name.

Why should the Bourbon family rule over us, when they're no better than Roger or Bob? Isn't it unfair the Bourbons are still valued nowadays when the only thing to their fame is their name, and not what they are actually doing?

The game plays coy about crests - we know each of them has a specific power - but it never reveals what are those powers (lore wise!) save for 2 of them. So are crests superpowers, or just a family name with a particle, or both? Is the "system" (a friend made a post debunking any idea of "systemic" application of this notion in the three countries) based on bullshit, or on, objective superpowers?

Dimitri tries to tackle the issue, but only around relic usage : the Gautiers are valued if they have a crest because they can use their superweapon to protect the border. But what about valuing House Charon's ability to bring rain and guarantee good harvests? What is the other superpower tied to the crest of Gautier that isn't "use a femur and wreck havoc with it"?

If Marianne's ability to talk to animals is tied to her crest, why isn't it more developed? Instead of having useless shit like talking and befriending horses like a Disney princess, we could have Maurice-blooded people be masters of counter-intelligence, imagine if they can talk to birds/rodents and ask them to scout various areas or spy/ask them what they saw ! Hell, we could have had a situation where in a fog of war map, where Marianne, if, idk, through Billy fed enough animals in the monastery, would have a better field of vision than anyone else, with some blurb/one-line about her relying on the animals around to know and see what is going on! Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

FE16 eludes the question, because the character who "questions" a world centered around "crests" is the marketable asset of the game, and cannot be challenged in any meaningful capacity v- she feels it's unfair that her crest seemingly dictate her life, and only in the gacha game with ery serious writing like the Heavy Plate Corps or Sniddies, does she get a modicum of self-reflection - or at least someone challenging her - where she is told that she could use the superpowers she has to help people instead of blaming the world for getting one.

In a traditional FE setting, where some Lords question why they were born with power/or are in powerful positions, the answer is always that no matter what they were born with (or without in Leif's case!) what is more important is what they decide to do with that power. Elincia never wanted to become Queen? She will still fight and protect Crimea and its people. Marth is the last hope of Altea, even if it means leaving Elice behind. Seliph doesn't want to fight in Thracia anymore or feels like he's a fraud? He can turn tail and return home, while the world around him falls apart. Leif also feels like a fraud because he doesn't have superpowers like his cousin? Does that mean he should turn his thumbs and watch as his people are being caught/enslaved/sacrificed?

In Fodlan you have no reflection like this : Linhardt is, imo, the best example.

Dude hates blood and has a crest (aka magic powers) geared towards healing, you could make a case that for someone who has hematophobia, being a healer is difficult and this would be the reason why he refuses to heal/use his powers to help people around him... but no. Lin's laziness is played for laughs, and his refusal to do anything not related to his topic of interest is never questioned/analysed under the angle of, say, a head nurse who has no crest and laments that she couldn't save everyone who was hurt during an assault, who snaps at him for having the "gift" he has and not using it for the sake of people around him.

"What Lin decides to do with his power?" : Well, nothing.

Instead we have a reflection on his bright mind going to waste if he lazes all day long, culminating in his Supreme support where an Imperial facility is created specifically to cater to his tastes, that will enable him to research crests as much as he wants...

But still, nothing about his innate "healing" power!

In the end, it's no surprise that part of the fandom latched on that "crest = nobility title" because the Fodlan verse refuses to develop anything about its fantasy elements (hell, iirc Nopes swaps "crests" for "blood" and "titles" in its Supreme route ?).

"Sure, but where does Rhea fit in this nonsense?"

Rhea is, in this vision, the ultimate target !

For all of the "I ignore fantasy elements", Rhea is always (in FE16 at least!) turning into a dragon : no matter how hard you want to ignore fantasy, she's here to remind you tht, in this verse, dragons exist.

But most importantly, as Fodlan must be analysed through an IRL lens otherwise modern fandom cannot engage with it, Rhea, by virtue of being the lady in charge of a religious organisation called "Church", is also seen through a lens : Rhea BaD bcs Religion BaD and Catholic Church BaD.

FWIW, thanks to the five years of discourse we had, I learnt more about cultural values and differences existings between, here and the rest of the world - especially a place that is overepresented on fandom spaces - on organised religions especially the catholic church. Of course this bled on fandom takes and analysis, which projected some users' irl bias against the Catholic Church on the fandom organisation and entity that is the Church of Seiros. Combine this with secularism being now weaponised and used to ridicule people in spaces like r/atheism and you have a perfect recipe for "Religion BaD = Catholic Church BaD = fictional organised religion with a catholic flair BaD".

Granted, given how a certain loLcalisation team also originates from this place, it's no surprise that some "creative liberties" they took tried to hammer even more, let it be in the script or the fucking "what is this game about?" page on their website, how this fictional organisation is basically a squenix trope of "evil cult manipulating everything in the shadows and sekritly controlling the world".

Besides, the main heroine of the game (even if that comes with a twist!) opposes this faction (CoS and especially its leader!) and, by the way those games are built, as seen earlier, they cannot disavow her too much, else the entire gut-punch the devs were gunning for (you are betrayed by your beloved character! But unlike what happens in Baten Kaitos, you only are attached to her because she is your avatar's simp) will fall apart. So she must be, somehow, right and not motivated by more personal and heinous reasons, like not accepting "non-humans" to have powers over humans, or thinking the world is not a place for them (this was carefully scrubbed out in Nopes, btw!).

If Supreme Leader, who we are supposed to root for and whom the game ultimately rewards because "reforms" happen in the endings, says that the CoS is the reason why humans value superpowers, she must be right, or at least, not completely wrong???

Which raises the final point on this topic : FE16 came in 2019, which was election year in the US, and we all know that election time in the US means the rest of the world is also affected, even if the rest of the world, well, isn't the US. As I mentionned, the US is over-represented in fandom spaces, and fandom is far from being a safehaven from all the mayhem and passion that always boil during election time and its immediate following.

Coupled with the "my fandom faves define my real life opinions" thingie I already wrote about, and we had an explosive cocktail for bad takes, needless aggressivity, ridiculing people with dissident opinions because they are seen as "wrong", etc etc. And let it be something trendy or not, especially when (young?) people are arguing about "politics" in online spaces, but it always boils down to gross simplification of various complex issues and/or using catchphrases or "shock-value" words to win over whoever is reading/listening.

(et je ne dis pas ça parce que certains de nos politiques font des "immigrés clandestins ou pas" la source de tous les maux, ou le fait que nos députés font la même chose en ce moment, Jonluk et Marine main dans la main, pour paralyser l'Etat afin de pousser Manu à la démission et éviter la case prison pour Marine)

I always thought the "CEO of racism" was a meme, but through Fodlan discourse, I started to wonder if it was something started seriously by someone who really thought that "racism" is caused by one person.

And we finally get to the point : somehow, somewhat, Rhea is supposed to be responsible for people/humans valuing superpowers.

Forget that the same "quest to obtain those superpowers" led to the extermination of her kin, or how the devs themselves explained that people - at least in their setting - always want more power :

As a result, what would happen to humans who gained power... they would want even more power, and find a dragon much stronger to beat in order to collect materials forcefully, in order to make even more powerful weapons... and so that was the cycle that was born. And that was the birth of Fodlan's Ten Elites

Wait, kill that, those superpowers don't exist since the game and the characters (bar Catherine, but I agree with @9thwither here, Cat is one of the most overlooked characters in this fandom!) never talk about them, so they don't exist...

Rhea is thus the reason why people value bloodlines - especially since those bloodlines don't come out with superpowers.

It sounds better and closer to what you could "hear" irl, from someone who's discoursing on the internet to explain "why" some people are more valued than other, it's because of religion and the Pope! It cannot be because of, well, human greed or just the need to have more power (for good or wrong reasons), no.

"But random, the Church most likely promotes a "divine right to rule" doctrine and let the 10 Elites' families rule over their clans in Faerghus thus gain nobility!"

Sure, but everything is moot if you consider this : to make this take viable, we ignore the game and consider that crests are just bloodlines, and not, objective sources of superpowers.

So why are we, discussing about this hypothesis/theory, even arguing about what the game says and/or does?

Bob Blaiddyd can kill a giant lion/wolf with his fists at base level, is it because of a supposed doctrine that people rally and want to be in Bob's graces, or because Bob has the power to protect them all? Karen Charon can summon rain, are people siding with her because Rhea told them to, or because Karen can make crops grow?

In conclusion : why people are still, in 2024, sprouting those takes?

1- Because they refuse to engage with the game and realise that it is a fantasy game belonging to a very specific genre

2- Because fandom opinions reflect on your real life opinions and likes : so they must find a reason to oppose what their perceive as an unacceptable power inbalance otherwise it means that they support the various inequalities that exist IRL

3- Because Religion BaD and bar the "projected takes from transposing feelings about an IRL church on a fantasy one" more and more people tend to prefer an "easy to proceed" solution than think about multi-causal issues and find solutions that might not.

Of course, I can already guess that some people might argue that they don't "refuse to engage with the game" since this take is more a less a condensed version of the Supreme spiel, and as developed above, the game does - willingly - a shit job at demonstrating that her spiel is nonsense (they had to add the "greed" part in an interview released after the game and its only and final DLC!), just like her sockpuppet who supposedly learns how misguided he was in certain routes... only to end with the same ice cream, albeit with a different topping.

However, Dimitri and Sylvain mention how crestless children are disowned in Faerghus... when Dimitri's own uncle is ruling over a domain himself, Ingrid's brothers exist in the background and Gustave is still Baron Dominic's brother, on top of having been the royal master at arms for at least, depending on the route, 3 generations of Faerghan kings.

In a game where Dorothea can blame the Goddess for fighting in a war her bestie started - without anyone pointing this out - it's obvious this verse has unreliable narrators, but after 5 years and having played all routes in both games + a DLC + a dev interview explaining how and why some humans acquired crests...

Tl;Dr :

Reason 1- is most likely the most prevalent why this take exists anon, "because some people refuse to engage with the game" with the added topping of "save for what Supreme Leader and her sockpuppet say that I can use to demonise the characters I don't like".

[rasqeu]

there's a lot that we don't know about what would happen to shen qingqiu if shen yuan "went back to his original world", but assuming that it'd also mean death for the host body... if there wasn't a punishment avaiable back when sqq failed zhao hua monastery's quest, and he died right there, i can't even begin to think how that would wreck binghe's mind, which was already being fucked up by emotional turmoil + xin mo's evil energy. he'd destroy the other three sects, of course, blaming them for killing his shizun, but i don't even think he'd stop there, he might destroy huan hua palace, for all their recently found out history with his biological parents and because it was once one of the four major sects, idk i think he'd just destroy every single fucking thing until there would be nothing left in both realms. it is such a key point in the story, so close to climax, that oh boy the consequences would be monstruous

i think about this a lot

[horreurscopes]

four days ago on monday my (radical queer black) therapist told me they were an adult when 9/11 happened, and not only is the current zionist propaganda being pushed by the united states the exact same playbook, but they said it was "hundreds of times more intense" due to social media. they said it was surreal to experience it again. i said being overwhelmed with feeling makes me feel like i'm making it about me, someone with no ties to the middle east. they said it's the most natural, human thing to experience horror and grief when being made to witnesses a holocaust of innocent people.

three months from turning 30 i thought i knew everything there is to know about the evils of the world, and yet i find myself surprised to realize there was still a last sliver of innocence within me left to lose. history will remember the short-lived american empire as the single most sadistic, brutal, barbaric, monstruous and bloodthirsty sovereign state to ever plague our species, and i can only hope to live long enough to see it burn to the ground. هي فلسطين من النهر إلى البحر

[vasito-de-leche]

Arcana is so trans to me but not the mtf trans but like eldritch horror being realized that she likes to be perceived as a mortal woman

nonnie we are holding hands, we share the same vision, the same dream, the same eldritch transgenderism <3

there was a tweet recently (I think it was a tweet?) about a very specific type of character design--non sexualized, nude humanoids presented as otherwordly and entirely alien, off kilter, merging monstruous characteristics and that's exactly what I love and think about when it comes to the thing Arcana summons, the Guiding One's Creation

Arcana is so transgender to me in a very specific way of using the feminine figure as a way of both luring and keeping everyone at bay <33333

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I've been working on a fic lately that has me thinking about how Ed responds to Stede killing Ned Low, and the more I think about it the more I really love it.

Ed seems to be the only person at Calypso's birthday who fully understands that Stede is seriously about to kill Ned. The others are surprised (but definitely pleasantly surprised) when Stede does it, but Ed's warning takes him completely seriously before anyone else realizes what Stede's thinking. Ed warns him not to do that because killing someone intentionally like that is something he thinks "you can't come back from" - he's worried killing Ned will fundamentally alter the way Stede thinks about himself and his ability to be compassionate with himself, just like it did for Ed himself.

And it would've been so, so easy for this to be a big part of the leadup to Ed and Stede's argument in s2e7. For Ed to get an "I told you so!" moment, for him to see Stede celebrating with his fans and stress that Stede has somehow been changed, that he's too much like Ed now.

But they don't play it that way at all. Ed gets one moment of quiet disappointment, but from that second on his priorities shift. It's happened, Stede's done it, and not even for a single second does Ed blame Stede or be cruel to him about it. He just wants to make sure he's okay. When he sees Stede's hurting, all he wants to do is comfort him and be with him. He finds it so easy and natural to empathize - "I was a mess after my first kill - well, it was my dad, so..." It's by far the most casually Ed's ever referenced that event, because it's something he has in common with Stede, now, and he can no longer depict it as a fundamentally monstruous thing because Stede's not monstruous at all!

I think it's an important element of Ed's beginning to forgive himself. Ed has been trying for so long to make up rules to allow him to live with himself, and he's always held others to a different standard than himself, but with Stede it's different. They just know each other too well for Ed to distance himself from what Stede's done. And maybe, just maybe, if someone who Ed loves so much did something very similar to Ed and killed someone to protect the people he loves, then maybe Ed was never all that bad after all.

[lightlessons]

How to Read 108: A Chapter-by-Chapter Death Note Analysis

Hello everyone!! Welcome to my revived Death Note blog. I recently had the opportunity to rewatch the anime (twice) and fell back into my old obsession, so I thought I’d re-read the manga with a more critical eye and share some of my own thoughts as I go for anyone craving more meta and analysis from one of my favorite pieces of media ever.

Mainly I will concentrate myself on analyzing dialogue, narration techniques and characterization, since that’s what I mainly take note of when I consume anything, but I will also try my hand at doing some research on contextual information and artistic choices, dividing my analysis chapter by chapter.  Something to keep in mind is that this analysis is fully made for people who have completed the manga in its entirety and will be riddled with spoilers for further chapters. Sometimes I will break down a chapter analysis into two parts, like in the present case.

Without further ado, let’s go!

Chapter 1: Boredom. Lilith’s Breakdown. Part 1

Key takeaways:

Themes and Parallels: Ryuk and Light

The main antagonistic forces in the story.

Themes and Parallels: Ryuk and Light

We begin our story and the very first thing we are presented with is a parallel between two worlds: The Realm of the Shinigami and our own Human world. Through the juxtaposed dialogues of our initial characters, this exposition directly links their character motivation and narrative arcs. They have a common problem: Their worlds are rotting, and every day seems like and endless, tired routine for them both.

It’s interesting to note the artistic choices to depict this sense of forlornness. We have to keep in mind that Death Note is a Shonen and aimed at young boys from ages 12 to 18, so what better scenario to mirror a dour fictional realm than a packed middle of the day class where all kids wear the same uniform and very few, in any, seem to have any interest on what’s going on in front of them. If you look very closely to all the students in this picture, none of them are actually looking towards whoever is giving this lecture, in the same way that Shinigami are not interested in doing their task.

Light and Ryuk are both non-conformists in their respective realities. Creatures who stand out from the crowd and who, by their acute awareness of what’s wrong in their world, feel boredom more deeply and painfully than the rest. Ryuk is not a shining being of intelligence like Light is, but we will see throughout the story that he’s a pretty self-aware and insightful Shinigami, when compared to every other that we meet.

Ryuk as a choric narrator

In classical Japanese Noh Theater, there is a figure called the jiutai (地謡), sitting at the outskirts of the main plot happening on center stage, they serve as the chorus that helps narrate parts of the story, reveal inner thoughts and emotions of characters, and offer reflections of the unfolding events, much like the classical Chorus in a Greek Tragedy. They, however, do not affect the narrative and serve more as a mediating connection between play and audience.

Although Ryuk’s role is certainly not confined to a mere commentator, seeing as he is the one who instigates the main narrative (and eventually ends it), Ryuk’s status of not only a God, but an apathetic one who is barely physically or emotionally affected by the events of the story, gives him a role above and separate from any of the other characters’.

Clad in skin-tight dark bodysuit meant to highlight his monstruous, lifeless appearance, gothic accessories consisting on spikes, chains and skulls, black, tattered wings and feather accents, Ryuk immediately gives the appearance of a preternatural, terrible bird of death. However, the face paint-like make-up, unmovable grin and feathers reminiscent of a medieval suit also give the impression of a clown or a jester, which Obata, Death Note’s artist, will expertly use to his advantage depending on the role Ryuk will take on at each present moment.

This is Ryuk’s dual nature in the narrative: he is there as an ironic chorus, laughing at every tragedy and obstacle the characters and the world faces, providing comic relief, and breaking the tension in a rather grim and suspenseful story, but he is also there as the Grim Reaper, a constant reminder of the destiny that looms over every character, and specially our main character, for as he first states it:

Ryuk may not have chosen Light, and Light is anything but a man without agency, and yet the series often makes you question how much of Light’s fate was set in stone since the start (We will analyze this tension between chance and destiny through the story) Ryuk, the dark figure literally hovering over Light during his whole time as Kira, emotionally detached from the human drama around him, will often be used to remind us of the irony of this whole story, as well as of the inevitability of death every human has to face.

Which brings me to my next point.

The Antagonistic Forces: L and Light.

There are few instances in Death Note where an extradiegetic narrator appears in the story, so let’s examine this first moment. Immediately after the opening scene in the Shinigami world, when Ryuk makes the first disruption that sets forward the story’s events, the following narrative is introduced as an all-out battle between two chosen people.

Now, with our understanding of what befalls one half of this pair, we will examine how well this premise holds as the story unfolds. For now, however, the narrative presents itself as a man-versus-man conflict between the 選ばれし者 (The Two Chosen Ones), and yet again we are compelled to question the role of fate's hand in shaping their paths.

We could interpret 選ばれし者 in two ways: one tells me that Light and L are two extraordinary individuals whose abilities led them through a certain path since the moment Ryuk dropped the Death Note. However, the use of the word “chosen” invites deeper questions. Chosen by whom? Was their all-out battle an inevitable consequence of their existence—fated from the start? Does a cosmic force guide the events of this world, or were they chosen specifically for this conflict? Alternatively, does the concept of a “Chosen One” imply that they would have remained special, even if the notebook had never entered their lives?

I did some research both online and with Japanese-speaking friends and the consensus seems to be that the phrase carries a dual interpretation to it, suggesting both fate and merit when used in literature. At the same time, the archaic grammar し in 選ばれし gives the phrase a poetic or elevated tone, which strongly suggests a higher, almost divine selection to a first-time reader.

That external narration, and this first panel are all the hints we have about the other half of the "two chosen people" in this first chapter. A man working from the shadows gathering information from the world’s largest international police organization, his identity hidden even from us as readers by obscuring his eyes, exhibiting a weird-ass floor computer set-up for some reason. He’s lean, he’s black-haired. He’s mysterious. As a first impression, you’d probably expect a cool Byronic type of anti-hero. Brooding yet charming, dark and isolated yet wretchedly attractive, with a troubled past, but good intentions at heart. Well! In the following chapters we will see how both L and Light continue to fulfill or challenge our expectations and examine how well L fits the shoes of our protagonist’s antagonist force.

Next up! Chapter 1: Boredom. Lilith’s Breakdown. Part 2

3. Establishing the protagonist:

Light and expectations

Light’s resignation

Light’s cognitive dissonance

Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your own thoughts.