#and everyone else just?? doesn't give a rat's ass

[arolesbianism]

Shakes the bars of my cage I need to draw soooo bad I need to draw I need to draw let me draw I have to draw I need to draw I must draw (<- has been too sick to be on electronics much and doesn't like doing traditional art)

[stressfulsloth]

I've seen a couple of takes about Disco Elysium being copaganda going around recently, and beyond the fact that DE is relentlessly critical of the police force in general and makes explicit reference to the failures of the system that allow the officers in game to abuse their power, I also think it's important to note that there very literally is an in-world version of copaganda that the writers of the game use to parody that romanticised view of the brutality of policing. The RCM at their inception were structurally inspired by in-world copaganda- their culture, their "fashions, even weapon preferences, borrow heavily from classic Vespertine cop shows." Every investigation is it's own little drama, every officer imagining themselves to be the bad-ass hero of their own crime serial. Detectives name their cases like they're naming episodes of a TV series in a "robust but literary system"; a title that "draws inspiration from snoop fiction and Vespertine cop show staples". They give themselves nicknames to sound like cool, suave fictional officers- Ace, Dick Mullen, etc.- from the cool, suave world of copaganda.

The legend of the RCM's inception, the "point of contention" over its uncertain origins, is even an extention of that; the whole organisation is shrouded in this self-fictionalising mythos that allows for distance that in turn obfuscates much of its violence to the officers that participate in it. They get to convince themselves that they're not abusing their power; they're the hero of the story! The dichotomy of "good guy" taking out the "baddies," a manifestation of the libertarian fantasy of the "good guy with a gun" who does what it takes, just like in Annette's detective novels, and at the same time who rails against oversight bodies like Internal Affairs/'the rat squad' because due process slows down the immediate satisfaction of Swift Justice, despite Internal Affairs existing to protect the citizens from overreach on behalf of the police. "Wanton brutality" from police in their real world is a cold bitter reality but Dick Mullen was "made to crack skulls," "bend the rules and solve cases no one else can," and which version of that story is more comforting to the overworked, underfunded officers of the RCM?

The level of fantasy and detachment required for the cops to still see themselves as the good guys after everything that they do in the line of duty mimics The Pigs and her breakdown too; she parallels Harry so clearly. Both "did right by the kids" in the past, hoping for a better future- Marianne (The Pigs) by looking out for Titus and the Hardy boys when they were young, Harry in his role as a gym teacher. Both abandoned and left behind by the system that the RCM uphold- a brutal capitalist landscape with no safety nets. Both turning the source of their trauma into a costume, a performance, a shield, shaped by "radio waves and cop shows." The Pigs uses RCM items scavenged from the Esperance where they'd been thrown away, while Harry uses the Dick Mullen hat that Annette gives him but both are essentially in costume.

Harry identifies himself with the fictional detective as a kind of wish fulfilment; Dick Mullen is "wicked smart." He doesn't fuck up his cases and when he's sad it's not pathetic; it's effortlessly cool brooding and everyone sympathises. Everyone loves him. His violence- "skull crack[ing]"- is justified because he's a "good guy" enacting that violence against the victims of police brutality sorry "bad guys". He doesn't ever face repercussions; "Dick Mullen won't be sent to the clink for the sake of some legal niceties!" So if Harry is Dick Mullen then his failures, his breakdown, they're all just a part of being a "bad-ass, on-the-edge disco cop." He's not wrong, he's a hero! This idealised fictionalised idea of the police force, this "new, sadly better, reality" that both Harry and The Pigs cling to is "escapist stuff," "receed[ing] into a ludicrous fantasy world," so far removed from the brutal material reality that they're in.

My point is, idk. Disco Elysium is so far from being copaganda. It is a multi-million word long dissection of it, of the purpose of policing, of state sanctioned violence and its interaction with capital and the fallout experienced within the wider community as well as the trauma cycle created for individual officers. A dissection of how copaganda interacts with RCM culture and perception, and by extension how we interact with irl perceptions of police through that lens.

[bluecollarmcandtf]

Revenge Body

The day he dumped my sister...

This is a photo of Eric the day he dumped my sister. According to him, she wasn't good enough to be with a hotshot architect like him! Eric thinks highly of his career and appearance, and he loves himself more than he could love any woman.

My sister had to find that out the hard way.

What Eric doesn't know is that his ex-girlfriend comes from a family of witches. In fact, her speciality is contacting the dead, and that's exactly what she did...

My sister summoned me, her dear-old brother, from beyond the grave and spilled the tea on her ex-boyfriend. Even though I was dead, I was furious with the man, so I agreed to help with my sister's revenge scheme. It might've been petty and unethical, but I was in! Eric needed to lose what he loved most...

2 months later...

"He's fattening right up!" I sent a selfie to my sister, cradling the bloated gut that hung from my chest.

That's right. I jumped into Eric's body and possessed his ass! In only a short time, I'd completely transformed the jerk's entire existence. I was dragging his perfect body and career down the drain!

After performing Eric's dramatic emotional breakdown at his architectural firm, I got fired and kicked out of the building. I strutted his body back to his place, and quickly sold everything he owned. I got rid of his fancy clothes, his shiny sports car, and his luxury apartment. All the money went directly to my sister. I used what was left to rent out the crappiest little apartment I could find.

It was in that seedy rat-infested motel that I gleefully began to destroy Eric's carefully maintained body. I packed his tight stomach full of beer and fast food, shaved his perfect head of hair, and donned an unwashed outfit I thrifted from a GoodWill.

Now that he was unemployed, I got him a job with a construction company. I made sure to get started with the same crew that Eric used to supervise as the architect. Needless to say, there were a lot of angry tradesmen who weren't happy to see him...

6 Months Later...

Apparently, construction workers really don't like architects, so they were all constantly badmouthing Eric behind my back. I didn't really stop them, but I also didn't really keep them from doing it to my face either. With me in control, Eric was just a pathetic, submissive loser, and all his new coworkers knew they could push him around.

I didn't wash Eric once while wearing him. My nose eventually became numb to his ripe body odor, but I noticed the disgusted looks on everyone's face when they were near. His skin was constantly itchy with dry sweat and dirt too, but I didn't bother buying him anything else to wear. As far as I was concerned, Eric would get up, work, and sleep in the same repurposed clothes I bought for a few bucks.

By this point, the lean muscles he'd been so proud of were long gone. A heavy layer of blubber hung off his whole body, and he was practically unrecognizable with his shaved head and unkept beard. Giving his heavy beergut a jolly shake, I chuckled and knew it was finally time to move to the final phase...

Present Day...

It was mid-afternoon when I jumped ship. I abandoned his body after a long morning of heavy lifting, leaving Eric exhausted, sweaty, and caked in mud.

Eric regained control of his senses for the first time after 6 months of being possessed by me. He stood there for a moment, all 280 lbs of him, simply staring at his surroundings in disbelief and confusion.

He didn't start yelling until he looked down and saw the state of his precious body. I doubt he had ever felt so slimy and gross before. As I said, I made sure to leave his body as disgusting as possible for him.

Don't feel bad for him though. My sister and I just made Eric as disgusting on the outside as he was on the inside...

[twstfanblog]

Imagine if Yuu was the only one who actually got Malleus gifts based on his actual interests and likes meanwhile everyone else gives him gems, jewels, jewelry, expensive clothes that in no way fit his style or sometimes don’t even fit him, basically a lot of expensive shit that he couldn’t give a rats ass about and if the Crowley Duchy sent a gift, Crowley was probably the one that sent it in cause ‘he’s YOUR adopted nephew Dire!’ And Crowley just sends in something generic like everyone else probably something shiny for the growing dragon and Malleus is just hit with the fact that he misses the birthday gifts that Yuu gave him along with the fact that he’s never felt so alone at his own birthday

EHEHEHEHEHEHEHE.

I saw this just as I was gearing up to post the next part. But yes, you read the script. Yuu would get Malleus thoughtful gifts even though they were bad like 70% of the time. But she's a child and put a lot of thought and effort into them.

Malleus gets kinda numb to the useless gifts, it's the thought??? that counts??? He's not sure how much thought was put into giving him a bejeweled corset...

Later on, Malleus can look back on Yuu's gifts and see them for their true worth as a friend trying to make his life of luxury a little easier by trying to solve the small annoyances he had.

Malleus actually HATES Crowley's gifts because he doesn't gift him anything but ancient spell books that he can't even really read, they're so old.

(Lilia in the background freaking out on where the fuck Crowley found a book on dark rituals. Anyway time to put it in the magic-enforced vault with the other concerning books Crowley is GIVING AN OVERPOWERED FAE CHILD.

[throwawayhero]

hii!! could u please do headcannons for katsuki in a relationship with a trans man reader?? Tysm!!

Of course lovely! And thank you so much for sending in a request! Please feel free to correct any mistakes that I make, but I'll try my best! I wasn't exactly sure how to make the hc's specifically relationship orientated, so it's sort of a thin line sorry! c/w; afab, lgbtqia+, course language, menstruation, no quirks mentioned

He honestly had no clue you were trans when the two of you met for the first time. He had no reason to. And tbh, he didn't give a fuck when you told him. He sort of just.. shrugged and moved on? Nothing more, nothing less. But if you weren't already out when you met him and you realised how you truly felt a bit into the friendship.. he still didn't give a fuck! He accepted you, obviously, and he 'encouraged' you, in his own way, to test things out.

"Okay? Fuck does that have to do with me?"

He especially liked helping you pick out clothes. When asked to go with you to go clothes shopping, he would complain and tell you to get someone else to go with you.. but he would still grab his keys and rush you out the door (: (That's why your style is majorly inspired by his.)

When you told him what your new name was, he immediately said that it was better than your other "shitty ass" name. He also changed your contact name as soon as he could.

When you got your first masc hair cut you didn't tell him beforehand, so when you bumped into him and surprised him with it he stared at it for a good minute with a frown before saying that it looked better than the "rats nest" you had before. Bonus points if you did any form of bleaching and/or dyeing it, he says it makes you look less boring.

"At least now you look like you actually have a personality."

If he catches someone calling/referring to you by your deadname, whether it was intentional or not, he's onto their ass IMMEDIATLEY and he is NOT polite about it. He will sass them tf up.

"Who's that? Oh, you mean ****, right?" "Come again?" / "Excuse you?" / "Pardon?"

Kinda had no idea what binders were before you told him what they were used for. Insisted you got ones with cool designs and called you boring for getting solid colour ones only.

Genuinely became so much more involved with the LGBTQIA+ community because of you. His first Mardi Gras was a night he will literally never forget, for both good and bad reasons. If you dare MENTION a feather boa, he'll start having flashbacks.

He doesn't put that much thought into his sexuality. He's just the type of person to not gaf, yk? Call him what you want, he wasn't gonna sit there and confirm or deny. He just knew that he had been attracted to girls and guys his whole life, regardless of the extra stuff.

When you got your period for the first time around him he was pretty neutral about it. When you mentioned the dysphoria it gave you he did try his best to console you, but it just ended up making you laugh. He really did try to keep you distracted, even if he struggled exponentially. He let you use his Netflix to watch a movie/TV show while you hung out. ACTUALLY understood that cramps hurt like a bitch and gave you pain relief and snacks.

"Jeans cannot be comfortable for you right now, ya masochist."

Went with you to every T-shot appointment. He wasn't obvious about it but he always made sure that his hand was there for you to hold if you got paranoid about the needle hurting. Noticed the effects quicker than everyone else and claimed that he "won" at being the most supportive.

"You guys suck at this."

He helped you save up for top & bottom surgery and surprised you with the rest of the money you needed on a random Tuesday night. He'd never admit it but he "almost" teared up at the sight of how happy you were that night. And you'll pretend like you never saw the tear roll down his cheek.

[twcfaces]

before ;

Harvey Dent can't decide whether to stand or sit for his portrait.

He has to have one, of course - everyone else does, for press reasons, and he had his photo taken when he became ADA, but now he's no longer just an assistant. Nobody gives a rat's ass how an assistant looks. The DA, on the other hand, gets a significantly large amount of press.

Should he sit or stand? Smile or look stern? He looks over the previous attempts and doesn't particularly like any of them.

In this one, he had an itch he couldn't scratch. In that one, he looks unmistakably irate.

The photographer is losing their patience, and he understands, but he simply can't decide what kind of face Gotham wants to see.

Should he look properly prosecutorial, or benevolently just? Should he be liked, or feared?

It's not until his wife stops by that things start to resolve. His shoulders relax, the tension in his neck eases away, and Gilda leaves a brown bag lunch on his desk.

"You're an artist." he points out, to his well-renowned artist wife, who nods at him like it's the most obvious thing in the world, "What do you think would make a good portrait for a district attorney?"

She quietly thumbs over his options, and while she thinks they're all perfectly fine, she can tell Harvey doesn't feel comfortable.

"Would it be all right if I held the camera?" she asks, and the photographer rolls their eyes before handing over the camera - clearly with some reservations, but some relief is in sight. Soon, they'll be free of Harvey Dent and his hand-wringing.

She points the lens at him, and gives him a gentle smile.

He loves her.

He gently smiles back.

[ddollfface]

𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲

𝙆𝙞𝙮𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙞 𝙆𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙪 𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨 (𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 2.)

Warnings; yandere behavior, bad writing, stalking, creepy letters, misogyny, pushy behavior, me rambling, groping, touchy behavior, reader is a girl, not proofread, Tumblr's a bitch btw :/ If I missed anything, then please let me know ♡ I'm fully aware that nobody wanted this (I see all of you in my inbox, I'm getting to you, trust), but this little rat has been stuck in my mind. Ngl I have a love-hate relationship with Kiyosumi, but it's whatever. Enjoy :)

Okay, I don't like Kiyosumi. He's mean, brash, loud, arrogant, and doesn't think before he acts, overall there are no redeeming qualities to his personality. And I don't think he'd ever change for someone else, whether it be his master, Doppo, a lover, or a friend. He's stuck in his ways and doesn't want to see the world in any other way. And I just know that if I were to ever meet Kiyosumi (if he were real), we would absolutely loathe each other.

Everything about him genuinely pisses me off, and I can't imagine how anyone could enjoy his presence, so this is why I think Kiyosumi would be an absolute freak to have on your ass. There's no way any sane wo/man would ever consider being in a relationship with him unless they were being held hostage.

I believe that Kiyosumi would be a stalker, through and through. He doesn't have the charisma that Jun or Katsumi (though it's clumsy) have. He's rude and annoying, which is clear throughout the series, but this doesn't mean he doesn't have experience with women. He does, but he doesn't retain any of the information, his head is too stuck up his ass to recognize what works and what doesn't.

He doesn't know how to get a woman into his bed without paying her; he doesn't know how to get a girl to laugh, nor does he know how to get someone to like him. Even though he's an attractive man, he can't seem to get anyone to stay.

Kiyosumi is the butt of the joke, no matter who he's talking to. Everyone makes fun of him and sees him as a weak martial artist, leading him to use extreme measures to appease his own ego, seeing as no one else will. This is why he uses underhanded tactics while fighting, and I think this applies to his dating life. Now, this leads me to the type of girls Kiyosumi would pine after.

The first type is sweet, caring, and sensitive. She can't stand up for herself and flinches at the slight raise in tone. Overall, this type of girl is very insecure and usually sticks to herself or her very, very close circle (who she's likely known since she was a little girl).

If this matches you, then well aren't you lucky. Now you have Kiyosumi tracking your ass. He won't leave you alone, no matter how many times you whisper for him to back off, albeit politely. He takes every stutter, breaking off eye contact, and flushed cheeks as a sign that you're interested in him, not able to get it through his thick skull that you're uncomfortable.

With this type of reader, I see Kiyosumi being an abusive, manipulator who's taking advantage of someone who's smaller than him, both physically and mentally. Kiyosumi enjoys the control you give him, seeing as you don't demean him like everyone else. You're nice to him, though you shouldn't be. You're unnaturally giving, and at first, it makes him conscious, believing that you've got some trick up your sleeve.

Kiyosumi has genuinely never felt such kindness that he's developed major trust issues, which have formed into anger issues. He belives that he's being underappreciated in the martial arts, but you give him the recognition he's looking for. You don't say anything mean to him, if anything you're complimenting him (you're not)!

I feel horrible for this type of reader, far too much of a nervous wreck to say shit to Kiyosumi, letting his hands wander where they shouldn't be. You feel as if you're not in a place of power, in a high enough authority to say anything. Maybe if you just keep your mouth shut he'll leave you alone, right?

It's better to just ignore how his hand slowly creeps down, down, down, settling on your ass, cupping the fat, and squeezing; to ignore how his eyes linger on your cleavage, which you've covered as much as possible, not wanting any attention from Kiyosumi. Or how he wraps his arm around your shoulder, pressing his chest to your back, forcing you to feel ever muscle, the raw power they hold.

Though Kiyosumi is weak in the grand scheme of things; you don't know that, so he uses that to his advantage, forcing you into compromising situations. You're clearly not comfortable with his advantages, tugging on his hand when he caresses your waist, his sweaty hands practically leaving stains on your light sundress.

He chooses to ignore when you actively lean away from him, not wanting to catch a whiff of his alcohol-drenched breath, no gum can fix his rank breath. The grease colllecting in his onyx hair, made the gel shine a little too much.

Kiyosumi is just gross, and clearly not a ladies' man. Hell! You doubt that Kiyosumi has even interacted with a woman who isn't his mom! But you'd never tell him that, you don't think you'd survive the stare he'd give you seconds after. Living for others' approval has been your goal since you were a little girl, and seeing such a disapproving stare would break you.

But that's what Kiyosumi likes about you. You're just so soft, so nice, and sweet. You'd never undervalue him like all the other women do, like Doppo does. No, you wouldn't do that to him, you're far too kind for that (he acts like he knows you better than you know yourself).

Kiyosumi will try to pressure you into advancing your "relationship" at a rapid pace. At one moment, he's following you around work, trying to get your number and the next he's sleeping in your bed, hogging the blanket like an ass.

It makes your head spin and knees quake. Your life has spun upside down, no longer looking the same as just a few months ago. Kiyosumi has weaseled his way into your life, securing himself in your home like a leech.

Now he can make sure that no other man is getting even close to you. No, no, no you cannot even speak to other men. Kiyosumi wants your eyes on him, and only him. He's not letting you go, not after he's found the jackpot, you. You're the only person who's "appreciated" him on this level; you're like his sweet, little honeypot, that only he has. He doesn't want to share his new toy with the other boys, not when you're so damn cute.

UGH! He's literally the definition of an ICK. I hate him so much because, c'mon angel face, don't you know we're in this together? All you have to do is trust me, and let me take the reins, yeah? Just let me be the man. Now, just sit your cute ass down, and shut your mouth.

[neverchecking]

Maybe some yandere legend headcannons with a reader that dotes on him as they are aware of the things he does for them but loves him back close to a yandere degree and shows public ways of claiming him to other people like sitting in his lap or kissing him so much to the point he turns the same color as his hair.

Legend is like that fugly little rat in the corner that I tried hating but now he's just my baby boy.

Fugly ass rat (affectionately).

This was written under the idea that Reader, when paired with Legend like this, takes no shit. Eats name and takes ass. Stays in drugs, doesn't do school. You know, the Cool kid.

The Cheaper Things in Life

・❥・So, Legend isn't used to open affection. And I know the obvious route is that he's against it, he hates PDA, yadda yadda yadda, BUT-

(It's my comfort character and I'll mis-characterize him if I want to-)

・❥・Hear me out. It's the exact opposite. With the Yandere mindset, Legend is constantly reminded that things can be torn away, just like that`, constantly. Marin was a grim reminder of this fact. Honestly, Legend swore of love entirely because of the trauma the loss of her left him with.

・❥・But then you, in all your divine glory, come bulldozing into his life, probably flipping off his trauma along the way, and throwing him on his ass along the way.

・❥・He didn't even know how to react when you went right up into his face, barking at him to back off from the taunts when he pushed a little too far one too many times.

・❥・He had been stuck falling for you ever since.

・❥・It took a lot of pride time for him to apologize to you, but he did so, gently asking if you could give him a do-over. And to his surprise, you eagerly agreed, holding out his hand with a wide smile. Reintroducing yourself as if every syllable wasn't already branded onto his tongue.

・❥・He played along however with a small tilt to his lips and a cheeky bow-- even going as far as to take off his hat and holding it in the hand that folded against his torso.

・❥・From then on, your interactions become much more amicable. He'd even go as far as to say (Heart-racing, soul cleansing, spirit leaving-) friendly.

・❥・You seem to be a relatively affection 'friend' however. He can't number the amount of times you've bounced up to him, pressed a sin stained peck to his cheek before bounding off with a laugh on your lips and his hat on your head, leaving him sputtering for a second.

・❥・Or how many times you've come to lean on the back of his chair, arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders as one of the others goes on about a battle plan.

・❥・Or how many nights you've spent cradled in his close embrace, muffling your sobs into his shoulder as you mourn your life previously lived and have broken his heart with your cries about you miss it.

・❥・He would do it all over again, in a heartbeat though. He would fight Hylia herself should you wish, just to minimize your anguish.

・❥・That all being said, he can't even find himself to think of you two as friends anymore. What sort of friends do that? None that he knows of (Never mind that he never lets anyone close enough to do that sort of thing).

・❥・So you must not be friends! You must be too shy to call him otherwise! Which just wouldn't do. How could he let everyone else know you were his and his alone and he would die to keep you by his side or pit his blade against anyone who dares to try and take your place were taken?

・❥・He's the one to ask you out, sitting on a high enough branch that the others couldn't hear you, but you could still watch over them.

・❥・He took a mental picture of your red-cheeks and flustered expression as you stumbled over your words before ultimately nodding slowly.

・❥・After that, it was as if you had been dating for years rather than hours, days, weeks, etc. He just made it so easy.

・❥・You spoke of him with such awe and grace, like you believed the hero title bestowed upon him. You spoke of the little things he did like they were worth tenfold what the monumental ones were.

・❥・And it was so perfect. You didn't care for all the heroics or the adventures, you cared for him. You didn't care if he could take out armies of bokoblins, no, you cared much more when he took the time to fix a hole in your pants. You didn't care if he had solved more puzzles than he cared to remember, but you did care when he took the time to set your bed mat out near the fire before you got ready for bed to ensure it was warm enough for you before nightfall. You didn't care for all the trinkets and rings and items he had that did incredible things. But you did care when he let you lay against his chest, watching him work through more sewing work, with some tune hummed under his breath.

・❥・Golden three above, he couldn't get enough of you.

・❥・At first, he assumed that you were taking your time to warm up to him, and he was giving you your space to do so lest he chase you right out of his arms and into someone else's He wouldn't let that happen, he wouldn't, not again, not again, notagainnotagainnotagainnotagain- . He was fine with that.

・❥・But when he's talking to some unnamed daughter of a merchant, who's much to talkative and trying way to hard to show off her chest to him-- something he took no interest in, not when he had truly ethereal you-- he figures that no, you are in fact holding yourself back.

・❥・You had gone off to some stall, looking at an assortment of fabrics with Legend following obediently after you, aweing over the different textures and colors as he stood on watch. That was when this...wench appeared, twirling a long lock of red hair around one of her fingers. He merely scoffed at her, turning his attention back to you. You were carefully examining two different red fabrics, pinching them closer together to view them side by side. You had an absolutely adorable little pout on your face that he just ached to kiss. He went to do just that before this HARLOT was getting in his way.

・❥・Could she not get the hint?

・❥・Scathing insults laid on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be fired before your hands, soft and understanding, full of nothing but pure love in touch alone, landed on his bicep. Your gaze was sharp and dangerous, honeyed lips leaking venom as you feigned innocence, asking what she was doing.

・❥・He knew he was completely ruined for anyone else when your smile turned razor edged, now a full blown smirk, and your tone remained saccharine sweet.

・❥・He was down so bad.

・❥・You, without breaking so much as a sweat, much less this character you had donned, tore this witch to absolute shreds, watching with some sort of amused glint in your eye as tears welled in her eyes before she was storming off in an embarrassed huff before you were dragging him in the opposite directions, completely oblivious to his lovesick gaze.

・❥・"Their fabrics were cheap anyway."

・❥・Great Din's tits, he was going to marry you someday.

[aetherdoesthings]

Resend of my request because you said so lmao (ima just copy + paste)

Hi, m'back :D and because I love hurting myself, can I request a hanahaki au! Reader x Robin? :))) if you thought the enies lobby one was angsty, that one was just a test. I'm feeling evil to myself >:)

If you're not familiar with what hanahaki au! is, basically nothing changes about the world except there's now a disease called hanahaki disease, and essentially, someone can get hanahaki disease when they have unrequited love for someone. Symptoms of hanahaki disease include flowers growing in the victim's lungs, and the first signs of the disease come when the victim starts coughing petals. The longer the hanahaki disease prevails (it can go on for years), the more intense and painful the coughing can get and can eventually lead to coughing up whole flowers (stem, petals, and all) until the victim eventually dies. (Fun, right? 🥰) Hanahaki disease can only be cured if the victim decides to lose their feelings for someone or if the victim's crush likes them back.

Typically in Hanahaki au! Fics, the victim hides their symptoms in fear of revealing their romantic feelings. In some fics, certain actions can trigger their coughing, for example, if someone mentions the victim's crush's name, or if the victim sees their crush with someone else, they may start intensely coughing at that moment. Although less rare, some fics make the hanahaki disease non-lethal and more of just a life convenience. This is an option you can put as well. I'm not picky. :)

I thought Hanahaki Disease might fit given Robin's Devil Fruit. Reader would have the Hanahaki disease (so reader likes robin, but robin doesn't like her (yet?)) and because I love to share pain, I'll let you decide reader's fate :). Does she let go of her feelings to live, does Robin like her back to live, or does reader die without the chance of confessing?

Take as long as you need :333. Go ahead, break my heart. I wonder if you're just breaking your own in the process as well :D anyways, TYSM ILY 🫶🫶

the day has come, Eneis Lobby anon. the first part of the hanahaki au!reader x robin fic. i don't break my heart writing stuff like this. only robin's past can make my heart break and cry.

forethoughts: ooffff probably gonna be a three parter? idk, depends on how much i write and how much i want to drag out y/n suffering.

notes: fem!reader, modern au!, high school

You hated going to school. You hated waking up at 7 am in the morning, to trudge to school in a uniform with other adolescents that didn’t make your life any better. Sure, it was your junior year; one more year and you’ll finally be done. But you didn’t want to wait for one more year. You wanted to just end school now.

As much as you loathed sitting at a desk looking at the whiteboard while your teacher rambled on and on about the lesson, there was one good thing that came out of school.

Nico Robin.

Another junior in your grade. The popular and extremely unbelievable smart girl everyone loved. She was the center of attention during lunch, where other juniors would swarm her just to have a word, or beg her to help them with their homework. You sat there on the side, watching it all happen, hoping you could be one of them. One of her close friends. It pained you to see so many people who didn’t even give a rat’s ass about Robin and only talked to her for her intelligence. Robin was so much better than her brains or her brawns, even her beauty. She was a goddess in your eyes; in everyone’s eyes, and all you wanted to do was be seated by her side, basking in her beauty and appreciating her smarts. She didn’t deserve to have other juniors crowd around her and leech off of her brains. She deserved better. She deserved someone who would treat her well and treat her with kindness instead of selfishness. She deserved-

A harrowing cough was ripped out of your throat, as you buckled over until it stopped. You stared at the ground, and found a single cherry blossom petal right where your shoes were. You rubbed your throat, searching for a reprieve to the sudden pain you just felt. Was that petal always there? Couldn’t be. There was no way you coughed out of a petal. But it wasn’t anywhere near cherry blossom season… 

You kicked the petal that was in between your shoes, and to your dismay it moved. You weren’t hallucinating. A cherry blossom petal was there, even though it was nowhere near cherry blossom season. You looked back up at Robin, who had disappeared, and so did the entire table of juniors.

It’s fine. It’s nothing. I’m going crazy. I’m just batshit insane. Yeah. That’s what I am. You nodded your head at that statement. While no one was looking, you picked up the petal, shoving it in your pocket as you moved on with your day, pretending nothing ever happened. You weren’t coughing up flower petals, and even if you were, there’s no reason for you to be coughing up flower petals. Who even coughs up flower petals?

History, the one class you shared with Robin. You were good at that subject; history was your thing. Of course it was her thing too; Robin was the biggest history buff ever. She knew how the Earth was created and every single era leading up to now. During group projects, everyone wanted to pair with her, and you were left to work by yourself. 

Class began, and the teacher started to talk.

“Alright, class. Today we will begin working on our project regarding absolutism and absolutist rulers. We’ve gone over a few classes talking about absolutism, and now it’s your turn to present. I will be pairing you with another student, and the two of you will have a week to work on it before presenting it in front of the class. I will be assigning a country to you, and the two of you will choose which absolutist ruler you would like to do. Do I make myself clear?” The teacher announced. Once the teacher heard a chorus of mumbles and agreeing nods, he began to walk through the rows of desks, pointing at students and saying a random country.

“Robin and Y/N, England.” Your eyes widened when the teacher said your name and Robin’s. You looked at Robin, who was sitting in the second row, just diagonal to your desk. She gave you a warm smile, making your insides do a flip. You watched Robin move her stuff next to you, taking a seat by your side.

“Hey! You’re Y/N, right?” Robin smiled at you.

“U-Uhm, y-yeah. Mhm. Yep.” You stammered, your face heating up at the moment.

Robin let out a chuckle at your response, opening her computer. “So, England. Do you have a ruler in mind? I’m open to any.”

“Uh…” You cleared your throat, feeling a strange lump in your esophagus as you pushed it down. This was your chance. To talk to the one girl you never talked to before. Not because you were shy, well, maybe because you were, but because you never had the time to. This might as well be the only time you got to talk to her before she’d get swarmed by her friends and other desperate juniors. Might as well show what you got, right?

“I was thinking of Elizabeth I; I can think of some absolutist traits about her that could be worth a presentation.” You regurgitated each word out. You felt that strange lump again, as well as the urge to start coughing up a storm. You suppressed the urge to cough, as you waited for Robin to reply.

“That could work. Alright, let’s do Elizabeth I. I’ll share a document with you. You can type down whatever you already know about Elizabeth, and we can just add more information as we go, until we have a basis of the things we’ll talk about.” Robin replied. You reloaded your email, suppressing your urge to cough and your surprise at her reaction. That worked? You could just voice your opinion and she’d listen? That was certainly a development.

You opened the document Robin sent you, your fingers moving furiously as the urge to cough became much harder to suppress, the urge becoming much more unbearable.

“Hey, Robin!” A boy walked up to Robin, a big dumb grin on his face. “Which country are you doing?”

“England, Franky. Go back to your partner.” Robin chuckled, brushing him aside. The moment you heard Robin reply, the floodgates burst open. You coughed, as an onslaught of coughing ensued. It felt like you were vomiting, minus the vomit and the strain on your throat. The entire class fell silent at the sound of your cough, all eyes on you. You lifted your head up, removing your hand from your mouth as you let out a deep breath. The class went back to work, quiet chattering ensuing. 

“Are you alright, Y/N? That was quite the cough.” Robin looked at you, her brows furrowed and eyes filled with concern. “Do you need some water?” “I’m fine.” You replied, looking down at your palm. Three flower petals. You balled your fist, shoving them into your pocket as you looked at Robin with a tired smile. “I’m alright, thanks.”

Robin was not convinced at all, but she stopped asking, as she went back to work. “Alright then.” 

Your mind was racing, heartbeat pounding out of your chest. Shit. Shit. Shit. What the fuck was that? What in the fuckknuckles was that? How the fuck did I just cough up three fucking flower petals? I’m going insane. I’m actually fucking insane.

You spent the rest of class trying to work, writing a few lines just to not raise Robin’s suspicion and act like you were contributing.

Once the bell rung, you shoved your computer into your bag, your body shooting up like a rocket as you darted to the door.

“Wait, Y/N!” You paused in your tracks, moving backwards to face Robin. She still had a smile on her face, but by the way her eyebrows crinkled you could tell she was suspicious of your cough. 

“Yeah?” You responded.

“Message me sometime, alright? You already follow me on Instagram, right?” 

“Oh! Uhm, y-yeah. Sure. I’ll do that.”

“Cool. Hey, get that cough checked out, okay? That’s not a normal cough. Get better soon, okay? We have a presentation coming up.”

“I will. See you tomorrow.” You smiled at Robin, before booking it out of the classroom and out of the school. Immediately, the urge to cough disappeared. You reached your hand into your pocket, staring at the flower petals. You pulled out your phone with your other hand, opening a new browser as you searched for an answer to your symptoms. 

The fuck is hanahaki disease? You thought to yourself, clicking on the link as you read the entire article. Your heart dropped to your stomach, mouth open as you read the description.

You had a crush on Robin. And that crush was going to kill you. 

I just won’t think of her. That’s easy. Then I’ll stop coughing up flowers and I won’t die. That’s easy. You thought to yourself. Oh, how wrong you were. The entire walk back home, your head was clouded with the thought of Robin. The sound of her voice was already enough to make your knees buckle and hypnotized. Whether it was lust or love, she was on your mind. And she’d never go off your mind.

Shit… I have an entire group project I have to do with her… what do I do? Your mind raced for ideas, anything that could work, just so you wouldn’t have to come into contact with her or see her in person.

Nico Robin was going to be the death of you.

But somewhere inside your heart, you were content with that.

[imlivinginyourtrashcan]

Hi hello and howdy

Since I can't contain my thoughts here's all the "Mirage" logicistics. Basically they either swap or enhance ones personality, heres a few examples:

Mirage Lenore is way more looney and impulsive, with a practically nonexistant off switch having to be dragged off screaming before she sets anything on fire, her group mainly sticks with her for fear of their own lives and she and Annabel are ALLOWED TO BE GAY!!! HOORAY!!! They still have the pretend to hate each other thing but thats mainly due to Annabel's paranoia

Mirage Duke is a shit magician who constantly looses parts of his tricks, he's also like WAYYY too overdramatic, the kinda mf to fall over if you steal his chip,

"MY CHIP!!"

"Its... its just a crisp.."

"I WAS GOING TO EAT THAT!"

"Oh my god..."

So yeah, pathetic cringefail looser LMFAO, but he is the kinda person to pull a "OMG MY BEST FRIEND! MOVE!" And shove whoever out of his way

Mirage Pluto is if you took a wet cat and made him a golden retriever. He's very hyperactive, social, easily distracted. Mf is like "wanna hear abt my hyperfixations?!" Talks and doesn't wait for an answer a neat thing i did with some characters Mirage's is i inverted stuff abt them like hair, emblems, all that. He still thinks M! Duke's magic is cool

Mirage Berenice is a feral little creature, constantly biting or nibbling on things (mainly Eulalies arm, or her own. I dont think chewlery exists in the victorian era). She's also the queen of being unhinged, in spectre form shes somewhat normal at least. For the most part she's in her own world

Mirage Eulalie is the mean autistic, less into creepy/old things n thinks their lame and/or weird. She's the one dragging Berenice around and keeping the gang from falling apart. Her and M! Morella really out here sharing the only group braincell, shes also blunt as fuck and wont hesitate to tell you you look bad. I wanted to lean more into the japanese part of her character so she just kinda- speaks more of it now (lol idk how else to explain it)

Mirage Morella, like M! Eulalie, is a mean autistic. She's less emotional, and more of "I dont give a damn just get me out of here.", sticks with whatever group she's feelin that day tbh. Won't tell you you look bad, will probably just call you a dumbass and leave

Mirage Annabel is kinda like regular Annabel but without the "Life is like chess" mentality. So more jumpy, kinda a walking talking mental breakdown waiting to happen. Excess paranoia and increase of hallucinations cus pookie and I decided we aren't giving her a break

Mirage Prospero is no longer fancy and polite, he is sopping wet germaphobic wet cat. He will go through great lengths to avoid disease, faints around blood and puke, screams at the sight of his own rats (or just rats/bugs in general), actively raising his and Annabel's blood pressure with how scardy he is.

Mirage Montresor is imo the funniest one cuz he's just a polite little gentleman, doin all the chivalry shit like opening doors, pushing chairs in and out, saying his pleases/thank yous/welcomes, he's even calling everyone "Sir" and "Ma'am". He's still an asshole, but you really gotta provoke him to see that

Tbh, I didn't think much abt Mirage Will since Will to me is kinda just there as Monty's lackey who gets kicked around. SO he's less of a pushover, more demanding, up and refuses what people tell him, bullies M! Monty, he tried bullying M! Ada and M! Morella but bro got his ass kicked. On top of it, he's unfortunately more sexist and stubborn. No more people pleasing ig 🤷‍♀️

Finally, Mirage Ada. What I wanted to do for her is have her be an absolute girlboss who is always serving 100% of the time. Everything she does is her choice and for her and her friends, and and and shes Aroace too, pretty chill when she has to reject someone just like:

"Hey i like u"

"Oh! I don't feel the same but we can still be friends?"

"Ok"

EPIC HIGH FIVE

She also beat M! Will up, good for her

So uh, yeah! Thats all i got. If you have questions, feel free to comment or ask in the askbox. :)

[wildfire317]

@liveleaker @jaquesmes

Alright listen here you little inbred, KKK wannabe chucklefucks news flash neither of you are main characters and your barely even background characters so quit acting like you dumbfucks are worth more than the dirt under your toenails. Nobody in their right mind actually thinks your dumb racist, homophobic and sexist comments are funny or cute, you two just look like absolutely moronic dipshits with micro-dongs and chihuahua complexes. And another thing you living condom usage advertisements, Nobody wants your defective sewing needle sized, piss poor excuses for cocks that not even a rat could choke on or your rotting in the middle of a dry summer sewer smelling, flatter than a piece of paper asses any where near them and if you think they do your even less intelligent than a single cell organism. You both claim to be adults so goddamn act like it because as things are right now you're both acting like a pair of rocket propelled spaz maggots spring-loaded face first up the asses of psychedelic freakout weasels on idiot drugs. Also you want to call someone swagless and bitchless you might want to take a good long look in the mirror because I don't see a singular molecule of swag on either of you or a single bitch and I'm not surprised considering you both look like the kind of guys that order boneless, dry rub chicken wings and then lose a fight to a chihuahua. And by the way just because you pieces of dick-cheese started putting out at twelve and peaked at 15 doesn't mean you get to drag everyone else down the perverted dunkass tree with you. Also your 8 decade curse is the biggest joke in the history of curses from any religion it isn't even an actual curse, it barely even qualifies as a jinx and thats ignoring the fact that it's basically useless the way you attempted to use it anyways and was over all a monumentally stupid waste of everyones time so stuff that in your prison cell and sit on it. You two blithering, feculent, shit holes are such lame wastes of genetic material i would not be surprised if both of your probably absentee fathers wish they had worn a condom at the time of your conceptions which explains your blatantly fatherless behavior and I bet your mothers change the subject when anyone asks about you and envy people who have never met or heard of you. Your "your momma" jokes are the most pathetic I have ever seen, were either of you actually even trying or was that the extent of your creativity? Because they were the weakest, most uninspired and embarrassing "your momma" jokes I have ever had the displeasure of reading to the point that they barely even qualify, And don't even get me started on your insults because I have met 3rd graders who have better insults. Your "oh look at me I'm a terrorist" shtick is so stupid and pathetic i couldn't help but cackle at your waste of energy like what do you want a cookie? Because you don't even deserve the crumbs of crap after someone else ate a cookie so who even gives a barfing fuck about it? You jackasses are about as threatening as some mild flatulence. I hope you piss ant's have fun dying alone and unwanted and that every time you think you have to fart you end up shitting your pants, i hope that every time you go to put socks on they are soaking wet and ice cold, i hope that the next time you are anywhere near a lego set or box of thumbtacks you step on one, i hope that every time you go to bed both sides of your pillow are annoyingly hot and give you lice, and lastly i hope that every single time you go to walk past a piece of furniture that you bang your toes on it hard enough to break your toe bones. Isn't it funny how quickly your bullshit unravels when someone actually intelligent calls you out? Do the world a favor and delete all of your social media, go apologize to whichever trees are working their proverbial asses off to replace the oxygen you're both wasting and then sew your mouths shut you cowardly wastes of skin. Id say you could learn from this but then I'd sound just as stupid as you two. Sayonara you worthless, crotch-stained barf-puppets.

( @warringwarrioridiot @p1n34ppl3-c4t24 for your reading entertainment)

[princess-of-the-corner]

Great response, sorry XD and this line in particular jumped out at me for a different surprise reason:

She just doesn't understand why someone with a Perfect Life™ would change without going through some kind of suffering that forces introspection.

Because I am reminded of a fic that managed to speedily (Seemingly) weave in a Chloe redemption arc & Marinette friendship within the first like, week of the new school year in a totally believable way.

Long story short, Adrien fucking died during Stoneheart.

Specifically, he got crushed by a thrown car before he even got into his house. Gabriel went into a depression slump & Marinette blames herself.

Then she gets to class before anyone but Chloe whose not wearing make up, her hairs barely above a rats nest and she's wearing what is obviously a boys over shirt and quietly crying.

She's too nice to ignore that and then she finds out Chloe is crying about a boy "so lonely & so kind" he could evoke such grief and love from a girl Marinette previously thought incapable of those things.

Then Chloe completely breaks down in her arms & just... Does not bounce back to her usual energy after that.

Marinette, as well as a few others, continue to be gentle presences. To the point where Sabrina gives Marinette's picture to the door man so she can go up to Chloe's if she wants.

Then later, Chloe gets Akumatized into "Anti Hero" but she ignored Gabriel's orders for a week because her focus is on "saving everyone, no one else will lose anyone like I lost Adrien."

So yeah, that kind of event is one I can easily see Marinette perceiving as both revealing new depth to Chloe & that she could rationalize as inspiring change, thus inviting her understanding.

Also spoiler but Adrien's not for real dead, he got mixed with a butterfly, Plagg and Gabriel's wish to become perma Chat Noir.

Just thought that was interesting and a good contrast to show ways in which Marinette can be super compassionate and reach out. VS circumstances under which it would go against her every instinct to do so & both being totally valid reads on the character.

Semi-rip to Adrien but also like.

Yeah just. Showing how much Chloé can genuinely care for another person goes a long ass way toward the shattering of the illusion that she's a 2-dimensional bitch.

[chirpingfromthebox]

Making Mischief

With all the depressing and worrying news from the league these days, I figured it was time to distract myself by dusting off and finishing this old draft o' mine.

I don't know enough about hockey to make posts making insightful comments on the intricacies and nuances of the sport. So I'll stay in my lane: hyperfixating on weirdly specific topics.

With that being said, here is my attempt to convince the higher ups (in this case this being all you cool kids on Tumblr) of my idea for the best name for PWHL New York.

First of all, I am not a New Yorker. Gotta get that out of the way upfront. So, New Yorkers, feel free to judge me all you want.

[jk, New Yorkers don't need permission. they were already doing it anyway.]

Second of all, there is no chance outside of the biggest "donation" you've ever dreamed of for them to be named the Pizza Rats.

It's just not gonna happen.

It's too much fun and too internety.

Sports teams tend to want names that are edgy or strong or cool. But more than anything they tend to want something that's as inoffensive as possible so as to be blandly palatable to everyone.

But I'm willing to compromise!

Part 1:

The Name

Okay, so we can't have Pizza Rats. I'm also going to imagine they'll never go for The Rats either. So I present to you an option that works for everyone:

The New York Mischief

Is it tough/cool/etc?

I would argue it's that perfect middle ground of tough, cool, and fun. This team is out here causing some trouble, but, you know, like misdemeanor-level trouble. The rebellious fun kind of trouble. And who doesn't love a rebel?

[Wait, does Canada have a Misdemeanor vs. Felony system for crimes? In case it doesn't, Misdemeanors are lesser crimes: shoplifting, graffiti, indecent exposure, simple assaults, trespassing, etc. As opposed to felonies, which are major crimes: treason, murder, arson, kidnapping, etc.]

Does it sound good?

I think so! It sounds like a special brand of trouble you can only find from the Empire State. You'd see someone do something wild and go, "Oh snap, that's some New York mischief right there."

But most importantly: Does it involve Rats?

Thank you for asking! And YES it does!

"Mischief" is the collective noun for a group of rats!

And this is how we sneak the rats into New York.

Part 2:

Rats are Amazing and If You Don't Agree You Are Wrong

I get it, people hate naming teams after animals they consider to be "common" or "pests". They want apex predators! They want something deadly and muscley with some pointy bits!

But please bear with me as I make a case for why rats are awesome.

Let's start by debunking the general reasons why people would be averse to associating their team with the humble rat.

Rats are the weak prey to stronger creatures. People love to name teams after apex predators and megafauna. But you know what's almost universally on the endangered species list? Apex predators. They sound cool, they're tough, they could kick my ass, but if you face the facts they are generally not survivors. But rats? People have been actively trying to kill them for centuries! And we have failed! At best you can hope to win a battle with them, because you aren't going to win the war.

Rats are disease carrying vermin. I can't really say this isn't technically true of some wild rats. But if we're scared of Sharks because they might eat us, we're afraid of rats because they are inevitable. You can stay away from sharks, but you can't stay away from rats. They're coming for you. You can see them lurking in the shadows. You can hear them in your walls. If you give them any chance they're going to gnaw their way into your house, shit in your oatmeal, and just generally fuck up your stuff. Just look at the definition of vermin: "small common harmful or objectionable animals...that are difficult to control" And remember, dear readers, the rats aren't bringing trouble upon rats, they are bringing it to everyone else. Only the non-rats have to fear the Mischief.

Rats don't have the values we want in a team. Ridiculous! Anyone who thinks such a thing doesn't know anything about rats. As anyone who has had pet rats before can tell you, rats are actually highly intelligent and very social. They love to play. They are excellent problem solvers. They are scrappy survivors capable of flourishing in almost any environment. And they laugh when you tickle them.

And what says "New York" better than scrappy survivors who won't go down without a fight, work together when things get tough, and are always disrespecting other people's homes?

And while I've never had the opportunity to try it, I suspect that New Yorkers might also laugh when tickled.

Part 3:

Imagery

Okay, so "Mischief." In terms of imagery, how can you sell that?

And I'll tell you!

You do it by NOT having a little cartoon Rat for a logo. I can't help but imagine whatever marketing firm they hire trying to do some San Jose Sharks style thing with a rat biting through the hockey stick. Or a Penguins-style thing with a rat in skates or something.

I know I might be alone in this, but little cartoon animals for logos is really hard to do right. It is just way too much of a representational image for something inherently ethereal: a sports team and the community around it.

Sure, there have been teams that have made it work. But it requires a truly skilled graphic designer and you can't bet on the suits upstairs finding one of those. Like, if you're going to have an animal logo you gotta get a little representational with it.

(speaking of which the MN Wild has a dope logo and I wanna throw hands with all the people who talk shit about it. From a graphic design standpoint that logo has more thought put into it than any other logo in the NHL.)

I also have beef with logos that are just letters. Listen, I love the art of typography, but if your logo is a letter that you added a modicum of flair too? You were out of ideas.

You told your graphic design team, "We don't want to seem boring, but we also want the bare minimum. Give us the most broadly palatable thing you can make."

I am not a great artist and definitely don't know anything about designing logos. But to put my money where my mouth is I sketched a couple of basic ideas just to prove that it's possible and that there's potential here.

I was trying to riff the idea of the Rat King because I think it fits in with the idea of rats as being more than animals, but part of legends and mythos all their own.

Throwing one onto the actual jersey for fun:

I dunno! This if this is just me messing around. Imagine what you could come up with if you paid someone with actual talent!

The End

Anyways, that's my pitch. Thank you for listening to my idea. Please feel free to come up with your own. It's not like they're listening, so we might as well have fun here in the shadows.

And you know who else likes to have fun in the shadows?

That's right!

THE RATS!

[michaelmilligan]

I know it has been pointed out before, but the parallels between Adam and Raphael just make me insane.

Like. The third brother who is mostly forgotten after getting a few episodes and then being killed/landed in Hell?

The archangel who is traditionally connected to healing and the boy who was studying medicine.

Everyone else gets revived over and over and shows up in many seasons, but not them. (And while Adam finally returns in S15, and even gets some moments, he seems to be mostly an add-on to Michael, and is written out of the story again quickly to never be mentioned again.)

The brother who is often scorned most by fandom. The one who is said to be harsh and emotionless, even though he shows plenty emotions on screen.

The brother who replaces his eldest brother in his role - Adam becoming Michael's vessel instead of Dean, and Raphael taking over as leader of Heaven, replacing Michael.

The brother who wants to help, who wants to execute the Apocalypse, but really it's more about what happens after (peace/seeing his mom).

The one who doesn't really give a rat's ass about his dad. The one who stays loyal to Michael.

The one who is never even brought up by his father.

[blackstarchanx3new]

FSR Rambles 15 times Shadow took the kids

Dark's utterly confused face here sends me every time.

Because DARK knows that Shadow doesn't actually give a rats ass if he's okay. HOWEVER.

This is where Dark's weird understanding of lying comes in.

Because I have faith in you you can see right through Dark's clear lies.

His phrasing is ridiculous paired with his expression being deader than a fish.

Dark is lying through his teeth here and guess who taught him how to do that... :)

Vio and Shadow-

Vaati fell for it. Lmao. Not like he hasn't been betrayed before.

Shadow tries intimidation buuuuut-

Well shit that only goes so far when you haven't proved yourself to act on said intimidation.

Shadow is still afraid of Vaati, and we know from Zelda's fight with him Vaati isn't easy to kill soooooo.

Reasonably so I'd say.

Dark is saying what we've all been thinking "Lmao let's just pull out Vio and the McGuffin sword"

Lol wait- Oh yeah Vio can't because of Dark.

Haha. Woopsie.

Dark going to just deal with it himself and being reeled back by Shadow is sweet to an extent.

Dark's confused about what this physical interaction means, whether or not this counts as a hug. Because let's be real Vaati isn't something he considers as a threat rn what else is his mind gonna focus on?

Shadow's angry Dark's so reckless but Dark's unfazed by the entire situation.

It's sad to consider Dark probably assumes temper tantrums are a normal behavior considering how frequent everyone he's watched so far has em...Just a thought.

Ngl Shadow's use of the word "Fool" in the OG manga always got a laugh out of me. His dialogue is so evil villain I try to capture that in FSR Shadow.

Shadow wanted to try to formulate a plan with Dark to get Vaati to go away but Dark questions why they'd even do that. Flabbergasting the fuck out of Shadow.

Dark HAS no sense of people working with HIM. Obviously Dark would know what team work is since...He's literally watching the team work pride parade but no one has offered HIM team work.

Vaati just bosses him around after all.

Dark's thought process on how his existence works is on full display.

He's alone. He WORKS alone and no body but him is going to get things done. Thanks Vaati.

...There's also the angle to consider he's actually learned this behavior in some capacity from Link...Link HAS been doing this shit by himself for a long time now....

So Shadow offering help is smth that gives him pause.

In the last pane the motif of Dark Link being his own cheer leader/being generally self aggrandizing pops up again.

His wording just being odd aside, he doesn't communicate what he actually WANTS to do, just that he needs Shadow's help getting close...

and from the quotes around help and the knowledge Dark can move fast as fuck on the reader's side, it's implied Dark is just placating Shadow's idea of helping rather than Shadow being actually useful in this interaction. At least from Dark's perspective.

Shield is up boys RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.

Shadow points out reasonably Dark is not being a very good team mate. XDDD

Be nice to him Shadow he's new to this whole "Team" thing.

Panel 2 here is funny because Dark makes the most NON Dark Link expression it stands out particularly just because it's funny but also like, take note of what he called Vaati here.

He just called him "Vaati".

Not "Master Vaati" or "Lord Vaati"

Just Vaati... HMM.

He also flung himself at Vaati full force so there's that.

OH FUCK IT'S YAOI- Oh a serious note...

Prepare to get bamboozled.

Yeah there's a reason Vaati is fucking confused. Dark was taking another conversation out of context to try and comfort Vaati.

So if there was any doubt about if that was what Dark was doing or not: Let me put those questions to rest that is what he was trying to do. XD

The kiss particularly is funny considering...Well yeah Shadow did kiss Vio a lot.

Shadow being, reasonably flabbergasted at this interaction just gets a laugh out of me.

Vaati's got nothing to say that shit hah. Dark isn't making MUCH sense in this interaction.

Dark does show he's still loyal in some way to Vaati though.

Turns out: Vaati's just not in the mood to deal with Dark's nonsensical behavior and points out an...interesting caviat to the whole "let's recruit Dark link" plan.

They have to kill him.

In no uncertain terms, to destroy the curse would be to destroy Dark Link. So having him on your side really doesn't mean anything. As he'll do what he was created for by nature.

In a way it brings you to question how much free will Dark truly has in this equation. Also, it makes you kinda realize in a messed up way Dark and Link both suffer due to the curse. They're chained to each other on a drowning ship.

Shadow's hypocrisy on display again. He JUST helped this dude and now thinks about killing him. XD

But also: What's the answer to this?

It's a train track scenario in a lot of ways.

Also since Dark's a curse, destroying his body or hurting him won't do much good to actually get rid of the curse itself.

His body will just regenerate or he'll retreat into the headspace.

There's also the thought of, if Link died, what WOULD happen to Dark Link...

Dark is insanely hard to argue with. Because dude can read you like a book and play you like a fiddle.

You can't LIE to him and he'll speak how he feels based on what he's seen.

Like, Dark isn't even just slinging the "you're gannon" ace up his sleeve card at him. He's bringing up things Shadow himself has actually DONE. And that pisses Shadow off.

No matter how much Shadow removes himself from his past self, he still DID those things.

And it does bring to question which of these two are more "Moral".

Dark hasn't killed anyone while it's at least heavily implied in the manga Shadow at least COULD HAVE and shows the willingness to do so to Vio at least.

Dark's "reason" for not killing people is "They stop being fun."

Dead people are boring. Like Link's dad. Which is just, a roast and a half.

Dark takes his aim and fires. Bro doesn't miss a shot. He'll drag everyone.

Shadow also has hurt Vio.

Really the idea Shadow and Dark have a LOT in common is a theme.

Like Shadow can get pissed off as much as he wants at Dark, he's done WAY WORSE than this lil demon guy and can't even argue about that.

The question of how much Dark truly means here is also up in the air as Dark will just say things on other's minds.

Reminder Dark is straight terrified of Shadow Link and just kinda shuts down when Shadow gets peak pissed off at him.

Dark sees Vaati as a fool who needs his help, and seeks Shadow as a threat who's going to hurt him.

Usually actions would speak louder than words, but in Dark's case feeling someone's emotions is 10xs more important. And what Dark knows is Shadow genuinely despises him.

Haha remembering the time pig dad abused you.

But this time Shadow takes the place of gannon being the threatening imposing force.

Thought to consider: Shadow's fear of gannon is reflecting in Dark's fear of Shadow link because...Well Shadow is a piece of gannon. They're in a way afraid of the same entity.

Shadow puts the mask back on and tries to be good boy.

Visually Dark's tendency to grab his hat and keep it close is similar to an animal keeping it's tail tucked between it's legs.

Welp, the beans have been spilled. Dark IS still working for Vaati...Kind of.

In Dark's own words it's not "For"

but Dark never makes sense to anyone other than himself so...

He also just, assumes Shadow knows what he's there for. Which is amusing. Dark in general assumes everyone else should know everything he does.

The comparison to Zelda is baffling but if you really think about it, Dark does make some semblance of sense here:

Link protects Zelda.

Dark protects Vaati.

Tis the same thing. According to Dark Link.

Dark Link in his own words is a hero.

Shadow's reasonable question of "What's wrong with you" is such a genuine reaction to that shit it makes me laugh. Dark's actions make no sense to Shadow but Dark's affections for Vaati aren't logical hah.

Dark wants to see Vio tho and Shadow just, shuts down thinking about this situation

He didn't give Dark an answer so Dark just goes to pick flowers. XD

Shadow's in a tight situation here. What's the best course of action?

"What to do with Dark Link" and "How to introduce him to the others" is a very...difficult one to answer.

If Dark was a mindless curse with no person attached it'd be easy to just destroy him guilt free. But he's not.

Shadow can't tell if Dark's behavior is genuinely malicious or if he's just socially inept (Third option Shadow: He's just acting in accordance to the curse.)

And another thing: How does dealing/handling Dark affect how Shadow should be treated?

After all they're very alike.

Final panels shows Dark offering up a flower to Shadow.

This page is both hilarious and disturbing.

Dark offering up the flower with a cute lil hopeful expression, paired with a happy looking eye on his chest.

Shadow accepting it and being like "Ah we're cool then right-"

only to see Dark vomiting up a bunch of flowers is just, funny. I find it very funny.

"You like one!? :D HAVE A BUNCH MORE!"

It's a reminder Dark really has no sense of how horrifying he is as he's trying to be nice here. XDDD

Which Dark being able to be kind (In his own way) is again smth worth noting. Dark isn't stuck JUST making people misseriable as he actively tries to do the opposite.

Dark continuously breathing out pollen is just a very funny thing to me.

The sense of "I've fucked up" seeping back.

I was listening to the song "Nuts" from adventure time while working on these pages. I feel like that song kinda relates to Dark and Shadow's relationship.

"You're so annoying you pitiful old man. I'd like to help you but I dunno if I can. I thought you were nuts. But, you're REALLY. REALLY. REALLY NUTS."

Actual page shit:

Shadow understands what Vio meant now. XD

Running away from your issues just FEELS easier in the moment sometimes.

Shadow's confessions of being "not a hero" and being terrified about their future make Dark visibly sad.

The comment "We are afraid of very different things Shadow Link" is I think the first time really Dark's directly addressed Shadow as such without the quotation marks or general disbelief in that name/title.

If it's not, at least the moment is impactful because Dark is giving Shadow respect in a way he typically chooses not too.

Shadow is very much afraid of Vaati, so Dark not relating to that emotion is a stand out.

Him fidgeting with his hands is a detail I just find cute.

"I feel that thing you hate" - directed at Vaati is Dark confessing he feels pity for Vaati. Since in FS Shadow says he despises pity.

Dark explains WHY he pities Vaati, he just finds Vaati utterly pitiful. XD

They have a little moment of bonding over their shared experiences with Vaati.

Dark mimicking Vaati here showing what he wishes Vaati would say to him:

Dark Link wants praise and affection and relationships with others.

But due to his very nature it's very difficult to actually gain these things, and the people he's spoken to outright deny him of these in any meaningful way.

Shadow's question of "Aren't you afraid of what he'll do" just gets "I like Vaati" in response. Pff.

Yes we know buddy, very insightful.

The 2nd to last panel shows smth very insightful:

Firstly that "Nobody loves Vaati" Any care Dark DOES have towards Vaati isn't just him mimicking someone else as it's safe to say everyone hates that guy haha.

More disturbingly:

Dark Link doesn't consider himself a "Somebody" and starts trailing off at the end of his sentance.

"I think it's sad, but it's his own fault...he rejects the only-" and then stops.

Dark Link referencing himself as the "person" Vaati continuously rejects but stops before he calls himself a "person" verbally.

You could imagine his continued sentence would be "He rejects the only person who cares about him"

Somebody's hair and eyes changed.

Instead of being white at the roots Dark's hair shifts to being Vio's complete hair color.

This is where we dive into psychological horror realm.

What IS Dark if not a person. IS he a person? What qualities does he have that make him a person?

Dark struggles with the distinction of if he's a "real person" or not but quickly dismisses it as smth Vio has been thinking. Which...Is true but also, considering his line about "Nobody loving Vaati" despite very much so caring about Vaati. Dark's identity crisis isn't exactly smth he has a firm grasp on.

PAGE. LIMMIT. Wrote this while sick so I'm sure I missed shit Aghhh.

[gffa]

Hey! I feel a little dumb for asking but in the Mando S3 Trailer Bo says that "your (Din's) cult fractured our people" … was Bo not part of the cult aka Death Watch herself? I’m a bit murky on her story line and when she left DW and when in that timeline Mandalore fell. Is she just being an ass here because Din still tries to follow the DW rules and she got out?

Hi! It's not dumb at all, because the connection between Death Watch and Children of the Watch is unclear--they must be connected in some way, but they can't be the same thing because: - Din was rescued by Mandalorians with Death Watch on their armor, but we don't know that he was raised by them, he says he was raised in the "Fighting Corp" and doesn't recognize the name "Children of the Watch" when Bo-Katan says it to him - Pre Vizsla and the other Mandalorians who refused to give up the violent warrior ways were living on Concordia and he was the leader of Death Watch, so it's probably safe to assume they had a strong presence there. The Children of the Watch were living on Concordia at the time of the Empire glassing Mandalore, which is why they weren't killed along with everyone else. - Death Watch does not live by the rule of never being able to take off your helmet, so it can't be the exact same thing as the Children of the Watch. (Further, the way Bo-Katan says it, while you can argue that she is kind of a hypocrite--girl, YOU were part of the group that brought Maul to Mandalore, you don't get to be high and mighty about him being a problem there--I don't think the show meant for us to assume she was once part of COTW.) - It's unclear how much of a presence COTW had in the galaxy or how hidden they were--Paz Vizsla says that the Empire is why they're hiding like rats in sewers, but Din is extremely unaware of any other kind of Mandalorian, so were they just running around Concordia? Or is it bad writing that wanted to ignore there were other types of Mandalorians running around? Or is it just that Din doesn't know shit about fuck when it comes to Mandalore? - There may be more context to Bo-Katan's line of "your cult fractured our people" that we don't have yet--did something happen with COTW after she got the Darksaber? Is she referring to them being hidden when they needed them? Is she lumping them in with Death Watch or blaming them for the shitshow with Maul and not fighting back against him? Too many questions without an answer yet! tl;dr: While I think Death Watch and COTW are related somehow (perhaps an offshoot of Death Watch?), they're not the same thing and Bo-Katan never was part of Children of the Watch. Anything else, I'm not sure we have enough info on!