#and i am still down absolutely cataclysmic

[catboygirljoker]

(fully aware of how unhinged i sound) hey is it just me or was he breasting kinda boobily here

[video ID: a short, silent clip of xigbar walking out of a dark corridor towards xemnas and ansem. end ID]

[scorpioriesling]

I was reading through your works, and I am going FERAL. I was wondering if you were still taking requests for your prompt list? If not, feel free to completely ignore this, but I was thinking reader/Xaden/Liam? Like, established relationship? I was thinking the reader has like, really bad anxiety all the time? But despite that is a decent Rider? (I was thinking she could have a signet that let's her create/control plantlife? Like Poison Ivy from DC but feel free to make your own or ignore this part) But maybe get's really hurt during a mission or an attack or something; maybe trying to save one of the loves of her life? But during the healing/mending, while she's unconscious, they find out she's pregnant? Hurt/comfort with a LOT of comfort, with prompts 33 & 40?

If you're too busy though, I completely understand! I just love your work and saw the list and went a little crazy

In The Wake of Tragedy

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairing(s): Xaden x Liam x reader

Warnings: angst, injury, violence, pregnancy, some fluff

Summary: Many times, it is not the battle that we remember, but the cataclysmic shift that follows it.

SR’s Note: This was... interesting, lol. I actually really enjoyed it, I haven't yet written anything with an established 3-person relationship but this turned out to be really sweet! I hope you all like it, and it's what the requester was looking for. This also uses prompts 33 and 40 from my masterlist.

Tags: @mellowmusings @rcarbo1 @lilah-asteria @kitsunetori @velarisdusk @nctsawrus @lreadsstuff @desprrssooo-espresssooooo @freakishfandomfiend (inbox me or comment if you'd like to be added!)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

"Y/N -- I said fall back!"

Xaden's angry, mental shout had you gritting your teeth harder as you swerved through the mass of Wyvern. You'd been training so hard for this, Hell you'd stayed up half the night anxiously awaiting daybreak. You ignored his shout as you navigated Moira deeper into their territory.

Ahead, you watched as two Wyvern rose closely to the ground. Perfect. Quickly, you drew all of Moira's power as every vein in your body tingled with anxiety -- hopefully, this would work. Two stalks speared from the Earth in an instant, and you held steadfast as they speared directly through the Wyver's torso's.

A jolt of excitement flared within you, and you felt your anxious thoughts fading away as Moira praised you mentally.

"Fantastic work!" Her upbeat tone sounded. "Now, let's take care of the rest."

She bobbed and wove through the dense fog, searching for her mates. Neither were seen anywhere, but you were at least close enough to communicate with Xaden mentally.

"Did you catch that?" You flaunted, hoping the message would reach him. "Two more down, if I do take credit for myself."

"Fantastic." You could practically feel his eyeroll, much at odds with the way Moira reacted. "Now please, there's only a few left -- take cover, Y/N."

You huffed. "Do you not trust me? I just took out two in one go for Gods sakes -- an I incapable?"

Xaden was more than just your Wingleader, he was one of the absolute loves of your life. You felt, to him, you were only his girlfriend, a relationship he had to share due to his dragon's relationship. But right now, he was simply one thing; in charge.

"I don't have time to debate this right now," he said mentally, his tone softening. "Please, Y/N, I can't stand the thought of loosing you. Get out of sight or else-"

"They're incoming!" Moira's mental voice was more panicked than you'd liked. Your eyes widened as a group of three ugly, gray Wyvern soared ahead, aiming right for you. Pulling on your power, you managed to uproot a few thick, thorny vines and wrap them around one of the beasts, pulling it down to the ground as it thrashed in pain. A small victory, yes -- however, there were still two more coming. And fast.

Moira roared and prepared to torch them, but something below held her back. You looked down, trying to understand what would halt her in this situation.

Your breath caught in your throat when you saw it. Between the heavy white fog, and beats of Moira's green wings... there was red. And it was ascending quickly.

"Liam! No-"

You shouted mentally, anxiety making an unwelcome approach once again when you found his mental shields blocked. Moira forged ahead, careful to avoid the impending drive of her mate, but to stay close to assist.

"Moira, we have to do something, we can't let him-"

The plea was too late, though. Deigh drove straight up into both bodies of the Wyvern, his teeth ensnaring both of them. They clawed and writhed to escape, however their attempts were fruitless. The large red creature dropped both to the ground below, where they landed with a disgusting crunch.

You were speechless as Deigh pivoted above, soaring back down toward you. However, a million thoughts and voices rang unheard ikn your head as you took in what just happened before you.

"Y/N, look out!"

"Now, Y/N, now! Get down now-"

You turned, not having enough time to even allow a scream to take form in your throat as a large, gray talon swung toward you. It knocked the wind out of you, as well as completely ripped you from Moira's saddle. In seconds, you felt the wind all around you, under you, over you as you free-fell down, down, down.

You heard Moira's roar, but your eyes couldn't focus as you tumbled head over heels toward the ground. Panicked shouting rang through your mind, adding to the pounding headache taking form as you conitnued to lose altitude.

There was a quick moment that you faced the ground, watching as it came closer and closer to you. On instinct, you thrust your hand out, attempting to channel any sort of power to help break your fall. You were yards, then meters, then feet before the Earth as soft petals bloomed, but it wasn't quick enough to provide much aid.

Your shoulder hit first, then your abdomen, then everything else. You'd careened directly toward the thorny mass that encased the dead Wyvern from earlier, and though a few lush roses had began to bloom with your efforts -- it just wasn't enough. The short relief of the velvety petals was fleeting as you passed the petal layer, your body twisting and tangling and crashing through the thick, thorny vines. You'd fallen, branch after branch until you hung only a few inches from the dusty ground, suspended as thorns ripped away at your skin.

You stared face-down at the ground, your nose nearly brushing the dirt as pain made it self all the more aware throughout your body. As adrenaline faded and the sheer amount of pain stabbing at you emerged; you slowly slid your eyes closed.

The dusty, cracking ground was the last thing you saw before darkness enveloped you in whole.

✧･ﾟ: *

Your breathing shallowed as consciousness came back, the waves of reality and real life flowing back into you. Blinking against the severe, blinding lights above, you slowly inched your eyes open, drawing in breath after breath through your nose.

When you finally focused on the scene around you, confusion twisted in your mind. You began to panic as you looked around, first meeting Xaden's warm brown eyes and then Liam's calm blue. Both men were dirty, covered in dust and dried blood -- however, they sat silently to your right, simply looking at you. Xaden sat closest, your right hand clutching his as Liam sat next to him, his thumb brushing over your knee beneath the blanket.

"Oh good! She's awake."

Your gaze slid to the left, and you caught sight of a tall women dressed in mending attire. Her hair was in a tight bun behind her head, and opposite of the males in the room, she appeared pristine.

Xaden sighed, and Liam's hand gently rested on your thigh.

"What's the damage?" Liam asked, and you only glanced at him before the woman spoke again.

"Well," she began, flipping through the papers attached to her clipboard. "Her vitals are surprisingly doing well, all things considered."

Xaden sighed heavily, resting his forehead on his hand as he shook his head slowly.

"However, she has suffered massive blood loss, but-" the mender reassured. "Keeping her here for a few days should be enough to get her back to the level she needs to be at. She is providing for two after all."

Xaden's head shot up, and Liam's hand stilled.

"As far as memory, there's no telling what she does and doesn't remember, so that might just come with some questioning. Light damage to her left leg, and scarring of the torso but we've mended-"

"Woah woah woah," Liam waved his hands. "What did you say?"

The mender stopped, blinking at him.

"Which part?"

Xaden huffed a short laugh. "Uh, providing for two? That part?"

The mender tilted her head, as though the incinuation was the most unmomumental thing in the world.

"Yes? She's with child?" She said, more confused as to why they were confused. Flipping back through her charts, Xaden chuckles.

"Yeah right. I think she'd know if-"

"Sure. It's listed just here," the woman flips to the third page, turning the board as both men leaned in to look. You sat up straighter, but winced at the pain still evident in your side. Xaden stared intently as Liam's eyes widened, straying from the outstretched hand of the mender to instead look directly at you.

"No way-"

"Yeah, no way." Xaden said heatedly. He turned to face you once more, his brows rising as he tried to understand. "Y/N, how long have you known?"

Your face flushed as you were immediately put on the spot, anxiety welling deep within you. Had you known? Sure, you missed a period or two, but-

"She surely would have known prior to this incident -- says here she's four months along," the mender says, and you narrow your eyes in her direction. Since your voice didn't seem to be working, you tried to reach out mentally.

I wish to be alone, please. Can we talk about this alone?

Both boys immediately straightened, and Liam gulped.

"I don't quite appreciate the accusation you're waging, mender." Xaden said, his eyes narrowing on the woman. Her mouth fell open, and his stare intensified. "She didn't know, obviously; and I don't like you putting words in my girlfriend's mouth, thank you very much." Your heart clenched at his words, the way he was so ready to defend you.

The woman's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, and Liam swallowed before speaking.

"What he means to say," he says calmly. "Is that this is a very delicate situation, and we'd appreciate some time alone with Y/N as we navigate this new information."

Your heart swelled at Liam's words -- ever the smooth talker. She forcefully blew a breath out of her nose as her lips pursed, and she flipped the papers back to their natural stack on her clipboard.

"I'll leave you to it, then."

With that, she made a quick exit, and only when the door had clicked shut behind her did Xaden sigh and run a hand over his face.

"So... is it true?" Liam asked gently, scootching closer. "Did you know you were..." he struggles to say the word, and Xaden glances at him.

"Of course she didn't know, Mairi, or else she would've told us." He turns to look you in the eye again. "Right?"

You gulp, trying to reign in your racing thoughts as anxiety tangles your stomach into knots.

"N-no," you say weakly, your vice raw with unuse. "No, I didn't know. I mean, I don't know... I missed a couple periods, but nothing really feels too different. Not different enough for me think that... I'm pregnant," You explain. Liam nods empathetically, and Xaden gets a far-off look in his eyes.

"Well, you don't look four months pregnant," Liam clears his throat, cluckling humorlessly. "So, I wouldn't blame you for not knowing."

His palm squeezed your thigh, and you felt a few of the anxious nerves recede when you shared a small smile with him.

"Do you remember what happened-"

"I'm going to be a father." Xaden said, and the room fell quiet. He continued staring at the wall, trying to wrap his head around this new reality.

Liam clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. "We are going to be fathers," he said, looking to you again. "And Y/N is going to be the best mother to the beautiful little thing."

That got Xaden's attention again, and he finally looked back at you. The wetness in his eyes caused tears to sting the backs of yours, and you allowed one to fall as you grounded yourself in the knowledge that your baby would have the best support system when it finally did come.

Liam smiled, breaking out into a joyous laugh. "We're going to have a family!"

His happiness made both you and Xaden smile, and Xaden chuckled along with Liam as tears flowed over your smiling cheeks. Liam stood, flanking the top of the bed as he leaned in to press a kiss to your cheek, wrapping his arms around your shoulders.

"I'm so happy for you, Y/N," he admitted, burying his face in your hair.

"All of us," Xaden corrected, raising your knuckles to his lips as he too pressed a soft kiss to your skin. "I'm happy for all of us."

✧･ﾟ: *

5 months later

"Oh, before you put her to sleep I needed to change-"

"I've already done it."

"And her bottle? She needs her warm milk before bed-"

"I'm on it!"

You stood, no other bedtime tasks coming to mind as Xaden redressed the little girl in her pajamas and Liam worked in the kitchen, preparing a bottle for the little one before bed. You sighed, wondering what you could do to help when Liam's gaze locked on you.

"Come on, mama," he said gently, pausing the bottle preparation to make his way to you. He took your hands in his, guiding you to your shared bedroom. A small smile played on your lips as he gently helped you into your favorite reading chair, grabbing your current read from your nightstand and handing it to you. "You just take some time to relax, yes?"

You blushed when he draped a soft cover over your legs, then reached to open the blinds so you could catch the rest of the sunset. Your eyes met and he leaned in, pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose before making for the door once more.

"You're sure you don't need-"

"We've got it handled, Y/N," he said, winking at you. "Take some time for yourself."

You did just that, opening your novel to continue where you'd left off. One month post-partum was apparently not long enough to recover before you could engage in rider training again -- so, you'd taken up reading as a hobby instead.

That was, when you were not dedicating all your time to the new precious girl in your life.

You listened as Xaden murmured in the hallway, passing the open doorway with the pink bundle in his arms. He bounced as he walked, whispering a bedtime tale to her as he made for her room.

"...and then, your mom fearlessly dredged two big vines right from the ground, heading right for those ugly Wyvern..."

You smiled as you recounted that day. Your final battle before discovering your pregnancy to begin with, and the day you and the guys realized how much your life was about to change.

In 10 minutes, Xaden was flanking your doorway once more, this time leaning seductively against the frame with a steaming mug in his hand.

You gasped in fake-shock, though your heart swelled at the action.

"Is that for me?"

He smirked, crossing the room in a few long strides before handing the fresh-brewed tea to you. Taking it greedily, you brought it to your lips, groaning as the honey-sweet liquid glided down your throat. Xaden kneeled before you, and you giggled as you lowered the mug.

"She went down okay?"

He nodded, leaning in to press a tender kiss to your lips. You grinned, and his fingers moved to tuck your hair behind your ear.

"She is just fine." He assured, smiling to himself.

You sighed before brushing his cheek with your thumb.

"You're a great father, Xaden. You and Liam both."

A faint rose blush colored his cheeks, and he leaned in to kiss you again.

"Couldn't do it without you."

You smiled, and his hands moved, taking one of your feet in his hands as he began massaging. Your head tilted back at the instant relief, but you still felt a tinge of guilt.

"You're sure I can't do anything for you? Liam said to relax, and the two of you have really taken on the new 'dad' title, but-"

Xaden sighed, looking at you pointedly.

"You know, I think Poppy gets a lot of wonderful things from her mother; for example, her beauty, just to name one." He said, and you instantly closed your mouth.

"But, if she never worries half as much as her mother, I think she'll be just fine."

✧･ﾟ: *

[richardsphere]

Watching Revalator

Ok so we're in the sewers doing a training montage halfway into the season. (remember, this might be the 5th to air, but in the intended watch-order, this is the eleventh). So i dont actually know how to feel about the fact that Sabrina is using her previous design in this scene, either its a flashback (which... means they waited eleven episodes to establish what appears to be a basic tenet for the post S5 soft-reboot's rules) or its a continuity error... Either they waited 11 episodes to establish a basic foundation of the new world, or they dismissed all these heroes "growign up" to a lazy training montage that doesnt even get to show the actual training in the montage. I really dont know which i dislike more between those two tbh. ---

Ok this episode is taking way too long getting started. Like... its such a slow lead-in and so much of it is just "lets sit around watching a screen" that even when our characters are actually doing something, it feels like they're only responding. huh, the girl from Ilustrhater (i think her name was maya?) is back. Dont know how i feel about her. On the one hand she's cute, but she feels largely redundant with Manon and the twins. like this scene didnt need to be the S6 new kid... its strange that this kid keeps returning in the new universe but we havent seen Manon return yet. Feels like they've replaced her, which i guess would line up with the fucking worst fan-theory i've seen in a while. (not in the "theory doesnt add up", Lila is hollow enough it doesnt outright make a plothole or anything, it's just a betrayal of the shows oldest, longest and youngest fans) --- im sorry did the subs just have Maribug claim that she's about to Akumatise revalator? Someone should go back and fix that ASAP. ---

Ok Revalator should be dead. The fight has only just started and revalator should be dead. To explain why: Adrien activated the cataclysm with his right hand which as of currently revealed cannon he cannot turn "back off" without first using it to destroy something. (I am only including this disclaimer because they seem to have waited 11 episodes to insert a pre-S6 flashback about everyone's powers changing so who even knows what is and isnt cannon at this point) Maribug prevents him from touching the ball (lest he discover the wish), and he gets hit and vomits up his own ball. Lila tells Revalator to go grab the ball. Now him and Chat (whose cataclysm should still be active) are bumping into eachother, and Adrien places his (left) hand on revalator's face and pushes him out the way, revalator comes back and Adrien with his right hand pushes him from the back, down towards the pavement.

Adrien's cataclysm should be active in this scene and the struggle features both hands making palm-out contact with Revalator. Revalator should be dead. Then he touches the orb and it insta-breaks without needing to re-call cataclysm. Thus confirming that cataclysm is still active in this scene. ---

"But your miraculous ladybug will fix everything". Well given the precedent re:memory-power akuma's and amnesia. It absolutely should. Which is why i hope that we arent about to backpedal on Oblivio and claim that Mari cant wipe memories so we can pretend to respect Catboy by turning him into nothing but an agency-free tool to be used to destroy Alya's memories. Because that would once more be a case of "nominally claiming adrien deserves to be a person, while actively stripping him of personhood and agency". No way the show could possibly do that again... (who am i even trying to kid there) ah, Adricat seems legitimately hurt knowing his lady lied to/abandoned him mid fight. (which.. yeah valid. Plus the implication that the orb must've been bigger then a secret identity, given that identities could definitly wait until after the fight).

--- Ok so marinette does the Miraculous Ladybug. the power that based on all currently established precedents should erase everyone's memories like it did in Oblivio and the "cat-ball" scene hasnt happened yet. Is the plot actually about to do the one thing i feared coming into this: Provide in-name-only lipservice to the idea that Chat deserves to grow into more power as well/be her equal while actually stripping him of all agency in the scene and turn him into nothing but a tool to be used? Are we really about to have him develop a deeply invasive use of his powers that (though admittedly creative and interesting) the show wont actually consider trusting him to use 1-fully informed 2-at his own agency? "nothing is broken, secrets arent physical damage". Never stopped you before. You've "fixed" time, space, reality and memories before. There is no reason for your powers not to work here. I absolutely hate this. This is some monkey's paw shit. We wanted adrien to be given a power-up so he could close the power-gap. But now his power-up only exists so Mari can have a veneer of deniability in this scene while using Chat as, not a person, but simply a tool at her disposal. The one time they refuse to make Marinette absolutely bullshit in ways her powers cant really justify, and it's so the show can pretend Chat is the one responsible for all of this.

--- Ok so from now on, i'll refer to permanent power-ups as "evolved". (to prevent a nomenclature issue with the potions). ---

its the stupid merchfodder keychain again... oh you fucking did not make the message of this episode "people deserve to keep their secrets and decide wether to tell the truth for themselves". YOU DID NOT JUST SAY MARINETTE HAS A RIGHT TO GASLIGHT HER BF. HOW DARE YOU! You did not just make that the explicitly stated textual message of this episode that "everyone has a right to their secrets and we shouldnt force people to tell them" in the middle of a lying to your boyfriend plotline. Like you were so close with Alya's righteous anger at Maribug, and then you had her do the post-villain "moral of the episode" speech and you just fucking ruined it. If this episode was about the importance of truth (juxtaposed with Vincent's influencer lies) i would've gotten behind it, but it's clear that the thing this episode considers Vincents problem isnt the lying its the "revealing other people's secrets at all". Back on the beach, and we're once again doing the sublimation thing where we have the character who literally doesnt know what just happened provide platitudes about how trustworthy and amazing Marinette is so we can pretend she's still a good person. No this is not a "reveal the secret when you are ready to tell it" story, this is an "adrien deserves to know" story.

[runawaycatwalker]

Part 28. Prevaricators' Procession

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Description below the cut

Astrowalker flies above a copse of trees.

Astrowalker (internally): I wish I could have said 'yes.'  But with how little I can trust any of my friends right now?  And with Mayura searching for any sign of Adrien?  I can't risk going home.

Astrowalker’s eyes widen and his mouth pulls into a long, thin grimace as Cosmobug flies up behind him and throws her yo-yo at him.

Cosmobug: YOU!

Astrowalker (internally): Oh no.

Astrowalker, wrapped tightly in yo-yo string (even his wings have been folded in on themselves and bound), hangs upside-down as Cosmobug points angrily at his face.

Astrowalker: Hello, Cosmobug.  I was trying to stay out of your way as requested, but I thought I should be on-hand in case you needed—

Cosmobug: Where. Is. Adrien?

Astrowalker: I'm not sure why you think I can answer that question...

Cosmobug: He disappears and then you appear just moments later?  I don't think that's a coincidence.

Astrowalker, still upside-down, tries to avert his gaze by looking down (which is up).

Cosmobug: Where did you hide him?

Astrowalker: I only followed you here, I am quite unfamiliar with the terrain of this place.  Unless you think I stuffed him inside my baton, I fail to see where I could have put him that was beyond your reach.

Cosmobug: You could have used Cataclysm to make a bottomless pit and dropped him in!

Astrowalker: Or Adrien might have wandered off on his own.

Cosmobug: When he was so close to going home?  Never!

Astrowalker: It wouldn't be the first time he avoided the mansion...

Cosmobug turns away and rubs her forehead in frustration.

Cosmobug: GAAAHHHH!  Talking to you is just a waste of time!  Adrien might be getting into an even worse situation with every moment that passes!  I need to switch tactics...

Cut to Cosmobug flying back to where she left Kagami, towing Astrowalker behind her as he flings around like a ragdoll.

Cosmobug: Kagami!  I need a favor: guard Catwalker while I search for Adrien.

Kagami: Are you sure Adrien is nearby?  I cannot justify staying here indefinitely to my mother.

Cosmobug: Then we'll make him carry you home while you guard him!  Better to keep him far away anyway so he can't interfere again!

Astrowalker lets out a ‘meep!’ as Cosmobug points Rolland’s knife in his face.

Cosmobug: And if Catwalker tries anything, strike swiftly.

Cut to Astrowalker flying while carrying Kagami in his arms.

Astrowalker: Let me know if you're uncomfortable.  I'll fly low and slow since it can get cold without a powered-up suit.

Kagami: What did you do to make Ladybug mad at you?

Astrowalker: Who said she was mad at me?

Close up of Kagami holding up the knife with confidence beaming.

Kagami: She authorized me to stab you repeatedly.

Astrowalker: Fair point.

Astrowalker looks away evasively.

Astrowalker: But it’s hero business.  I’m not at liberty to explain it to you.

Kagami gestures to herself nonchalantly.  Astrowalker absolutely bristles as he loses his composure.

Kagami: I’m Ryuko.  You can explain everything to me freely.

Astrowalker: You’re not supposed to reveal your secret identity!

Kagami folds her arms and looks away, annoyed that she has to justify herself.

Kagami: Shadowmoth already knows who I am.  You knowing isn’t any more dangerous.

Astrowalker: I highly doubt Ladybug would agree with that assessment.

Kagami: Ladybug herself said I was talented enough to stay a hero despite the identity issue.

Full-body shot of them flying from the side, Astrowalker looks ahead as he explains.

Astrowalker: No, I mean that if Ladybug doesn’t trust me, you shouldn’t either.

Kagami: Did you have something to do with Adrien going missing again?

Astrowalker: Ladybug seems to think so.

Kagami: Why?

Astrowalker: Proximity, mostly.  And she knows I've lied to her before, so I'm the most likely to be guilty.

Kagami: And if you're not guilty?  Not defending yourself means that Ladybug punishes you instead of the person responsible.

Astrowalker: What's done is done.  Ladybug has already made up her mind about me.  In any case, Adrien's business is his alone and we should leave it be.

Kagami points the knife at Astrowalker’s face as he tries to look innocently upwards.

Kagami: You know more than you're letting on, don't you?

Astrowalker: Wh-What gave you that idea?

Close-up of Kagami’s face as she argues.

Kagami: When I don’t want my mother to know that something matters to me, I try to convince her it means nothing.  If she believes I don't care, she won't try to interfere.  You are trying to keep people away from Adrien through your 'indifference'.

Astrowalker: Or I might just be indifferent?

Kagami closes her eyes and waves her hand dismissively.

Kagami: I suppose I won't be able to convince you to reveal your true intentions.  If you're lying to Ladybug, you're probably lying to me too.

Astrowalker looks away with regret.

Astrowalker: There may not be much I can really say, but... For whatever it's worth, I didn't kidnap Adrien.

Kagami: Of course not.  He kidnapped himself.

Astrowalker looks at Kagami in shocked confusion.  Kagami looks aside, unconcerned, as she explains.

Astrowalker: Huh?  I thought you were akumatized to hunt down whoever kidnapped him?

Kagami: The ransom message Gabriel Agreste received must have been a fake.  If Adrien had been kidnapped for ransom, he wouldn't have been left alone on a mountain.  He's clearly up to something big that he doesn't want anyone to know.

Astrowalker: But what secrets could a teen model even have to justify vanishing entirely?

Cut to the image of Kagami and Adrien in “Lies,” when Adrien cheerfully gives her a thumbs-up while she holds the lucky charm Marinette gave him behind her back.

Kagami (voiceover): I'm not sure, but Adrien is far more secretive than most people realize.  His affable demeanor hides his deceit well.  You wouldn't even know he was lying to your face unless you held contradictory proof.

Cut back to Astrowalker looking away while Kagami looks at the knife in thought.

Astrowalker: Do you hate him?  For all the lies?

Kagami: No.  I'm a liar too.  His lies just proved we weren't right for each other.  He's... too much of a people pleaser.

Astrowalker: What's so wrong with wanting to please people?

Kagami: It demonstrates a lack of mutual respect.  If he did something I might judge him for, I would rather he told me the truth so we could deal with it head-on.  Instead, he just made up easy to-swallow excuses so he could pretend his ditching me didn't have consequences.  I was willing to show him things I've never shared with anyone.  But he refused to reciprocate with his own vulnerability.

Astrowalker looks over his shoulder.

Astrowalker: What if he couldn't tell you the truth due circumstances beyond his control?  Maybe he wanted to open up, but he couldn't tell anyone what was really happening?

Kagami opens her arms to the side and Astrowalker finally meets her gaze.

Kagami: Then he should have explained what he could about the situation and asked me for privacy.

Astrowalker: Would that really have been enough to salvage your relationship?  Knowing that someone is keeping things from you can be a heavy burden all on its own.

Kagami: Maybe not.  But it would have been possible.  I might have still been disappointed to be excluded, but at least I wouldn't have been disappointed in him.

Kagami waves her hand towards Astrowalker, who looks down towards her in regretful contemplation.

Kagami: But why are you so interested in why Adrien lied to me?  Did you end up discovering the secrets Adrien kept from me?

Astrowalker: No, of course not.  But... I suppose your perspective sheds light on the trouble I've been for Ladybug.  We heroes are supposed to keep everything secret.  But there's still a limit to what I should withhold from my partner.  Even if I can't give Ladybug all the answers, I need to be more honest with her if I'm to regain her trust.

Astrowalker flies with Kagami towards the horizon.

Kagami: Assuming she doesn’t simply take back your miraculous once she gets back to Paris.

Astrowalker: Right.  There’s that.

Below is the same image as above, only without text:

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 11/5/2024

i am going to do my absolute fucking best to stay off the internet today. also the next time i write one of these i will be goddamn thirty. yeesh.

listening

it took three hours to make a normally brisk 50-minute trip back from the airport on sunday bc there were simply so many accidents. my phone wasn't charging, i was kind of locked into the one way i actually knew how to get home, it was pouring, and the only radio station that was reliably coming through was the local dad rock station.

i don't think i've ever actually heard this song all the way through before! i have of course heard the chorus in eight billion advertisements and trailers etc, but i tuned in right at the lyrics

I was a willow last night in my dream I bent down over a clear running stream Sang you the song that I heard up above And you kept me alive with your sweet flowing love

big ren faire lady of shallott vibes.

-

reading

witch hat atelier, the first twelve volumes that are out in english anyway. let's yoink the setup from the fan wiki.

Coco, a girl living in a small village, had been dreaming of becoming a magician since little. But people who don't know how to use magic since birth are unable to become magicians, or witness the moment magic occurs. But one day, Coco accidentally saw Qifrey, a magician that was visiting the village casting a spell. Ecstatic to finally know how magic works, she tries it immediately and transforms her mother into a stone statue. With the help of Qifrey and his disciples, Coco will embark in a magical journey to save her mother.

this gets a lot of ghibli comparisons, and i get it-- there's a lot of concern about healing scars from a near-cataclysmic magical war, lots of contraptions, bucolic countryside, loving shots of food, etc. i think there is a focus on academia and cohort-building, and how networking is a profession all to itself, that we do not generally see in ghibli films. i think the comp pull should go beyond the aesthetics, as well, but ghibli is still a good comp-- the world of witch hat atelier is dangerous and can hurt or kill you, but it treats the reader's heart with the same care a ghibli movie will. things may not be happily ever after or go perfectly at all times, but there are no twists for the sake of twists, and it doesn't sneer or make fun of you for caring about a character. there are no whedonesque "well THAT happened!" moments. these characters are going to learn and grow and you will learn and grow along with them goddamnit. it is queer but incidentally queer. the folx side of the fags-folx spectrum will feel very welcome here but this is not a tenderqueer kind of gay book. characters are incidentally gay because of course they are, that's just how the world works, look at all the fullness of human expression you can encounter in your one short life, why NOT be gay

i did not expect this series to kickstart a fresh wave of grief for my own academic experience. coco leans on her cohort so much and they truly do work together to solve problems and come up with good solutions and i wish i had had that kind of astronomy experience. it's kind of cold comfort that i don't know and have never heard of a woman having a good astronomy experience.

witch hat atelier: very fun to sink into the details on a page (Kamome Shirahama knows how functional but pretty clothes work), endlessly charming veneer on a very taut game of political ethics happening in the grownups' background

-

watching

happy noirvember!!!

Another Man's Poison (1952, dir. Rapper) courtesy of Kanopy's little revolving carousel of new noir films.

An English mystery writer (Bette Davis) kills her husband, then tries to kill a man (Gary Merrill) posing as her husband.

In his review in New Statesman and Nation, Frank Hauser wrote "No one has ever accused Bette Davis of failing to rise to a good script; what this film shows is how far she can go to meet a bad one."

a plot that could only happen in a country where appearances are everything. i must agree with mr hauser and most of the critics of the time who said Huh???? to the script and basic premise. AND the ending is a little too pat. a breakneck ninety minutes filmed in three months where its stage play bones show. however i really like Bette Davis and it's so much fun to watch Bette Davis pace around an English manor house like a caged tiger.

-

playing

fallow week, i am having a consistent problem with the now five year old gaming rig overheating and once i solve that issue i am very excited to play Red Dead Redemption the original (thank you again @pasta-pardner !)

-

making

deep cleaned my entire house. drove three hundred miles this weekend to pick up my sister and her friend from the airport, go to the ren faire, come back from the ren faire, and take them back to the airport. houston delivered to me some of the worst fucking driving experiences i have ever had here. really upsetting torrential downpour for nearly an hour on a road with no shoulder to speak of.

the actual ren faire was fun! i did not realize how vital a chair or bench with a fucking back was to my rest and recovery. it was nice to go with fellow adults and not help wrangle several small children, as fun as a kid-friendly experience can be. got my overpriced gyro for the year. got my bootleg anime merch for the year. wish it hadn't rained but i feel very smug for packing enough umbrellas and ponchos.

[theerurishipper]

Gotta appreciate how the Paris special is being consistent with Ladybug not giving any emotional support back to Cat Noir in their partnership.

He is instantly supporting her the moment she starts freaking out again while he was now forced to Cataclysm the SECOND person in one day and that being his own evil alternate self. Both Monarch and Claw Noir forced Cat Noir to cataclysm them because their both suicidal wrecks.

One would think at one point Marinette would even just ATTEMPT at trying to give Cat some kind of emotional support in what he's constantly going through. But no I guess?

Ladybug never ever gives any support back in return besides the barest minimum she absolutely HAS to while constantly being showered in his support.

Man, she's just a bad partner at this point. And leader. And guardian. And friend too. Why is she being characterized like that, how am I supposed to NOT call this out for the awfully one-sided dynamic this is? Of course Adrien by the s5 finale ended up fearing his one powers and emotions so badly that he gave himself up because of the nightmares and his circumstances. He can't ask Ladybug for help in anything and Marinette is out here not reacting accordingly as a partner should to the most obvious fucking problems Cat Noir could have in front of her eyes!

Why does she apparently need an invitation and 30 pages essay of explicitly explained proof that Cat after having been forced to cataclysm Monarch and Claw Noir MIGHT for once actually need the emotional support from his friend, partner, leader and guardian!

Who could have fucking guessed! Oh wait everyone with a braincell could and SHOULD be able to figure that, then why is Marinette Galaxy brain Dupain-Cheng STILL doing nothing in this dynamic besides receiving??

At this point, I've honestly just given up on expecting that the writers will ever allow Marinette to return the support Chat Noir gives her. He literally just got back from being forced to Cataclysm someone and had it happen again, and we didn't even a get a little enquiry from her asking if he was alright. She saw that he was horrified, she herself was horrified, but not even a second was spared to ask him if he was okay after that. And yet, he gives her a pep talk when she breaks down again (this is the second time tonight) and supports her through it again. And true enough, he couldn't overcome this issue, and guess who spent the finale locked in a white room because he got no support from anyone for anything?

Shadybug and Claw Noir post-redemption are probably gonna have a healthier relationship than main universe Ladynoir atp. I almost wish we could just watch their relationship develop instead.

Thank you for your ask!

[viridescentelf]

Halsin x TAV Fanfiction "Until we meet again, my heart"

DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS FOR BALDUR'S GATE 3 ENDING. My TAV is a tiefling, so I wrote it with that in mind. You can substitute whatever race your TAV is, if you'd like :)

If you want me to continue, please let me know! I wrote this, because I am truly a sucker for everything Halsin and I wish for soooo much more in the Romance Ending, although I am really happy with the Canon ending of it. I hope you enjoy!

_________________________________________________________

Halsin cupped TAV’s face with his hands and initiated a long, deep kiss. They leaned into him, wrapping their arms around his broad back as much as they could and enjoying the overwhelming surge of belonging, relief, love and peace. The Absolute was finally defeated and Baldur’s Gate could finally return to its former self. The wind blew gently around them, as the city lay before them, engulfed in golden light.

Slowly, the druid released his lips from theirs and stared into the starry eyes of his lover. TAV smiled and noticed that his took a bit longer to form than usual.

“Is something wrong?” they asked carefully.

“No, my heart. Nothing is wrong.” His hands dropped from their face, but he still stood ever so close to them. “But I feel a greater purpose coming out of the shadows. One that I cannot ignore, as much as I’d like to.” His eyes were confusing. On the one hand, the tiefling felt the radiating love they always emitted. On the other, there was a spark suddenly appearing and they agreed, it was hard to overlook.

“What do you mean?”

Halsin sighed briefly, and gently rubbed TAV’s cheek. “We have defeated the Absolute. And I am overjoyed at our victory. But there are so many displaced citizens, refugees, orphans... animals that need my help. Nature needs to heal and it is my calling to help it do so.” There was a slight pause, as he blinked slowly. “I cannot stay with you here, if I am to fulfill my duty.”

A sting. TAV felt their stomach collapse within itself, heat engulfing their spine and neck. They felt as though their body would erupt. But all they showed on their face was a slight consternation that swiftly turned to understanding. They smiled, as much as they could, mirroring the forced one the druid was displaying: “I see. It pains me so much to see you go, but…”, they took hold of his hand on their cheek, kissed it gently and held in their own, “I understand.”

Halsin sighed once more, this time deeply and TAV couldn’t tell if it was out of relief or sadness. He pulled them into an intense hug, one where his arms shook slightly from the pressure. TAV reciprocated and held onto their bear as if their life depended on it. There was no telling when they would cross paths again, so this moment needed to last. TAV felt the druid’s breath in their ear: “My heart, I adore you. This isn’t goodbye. We will see each other again, I promise. But this is something I have to do.” TAV sunk into the embrace even more: “I will miss you dreadfully, until then.”

The embrace lasted eons to TAV, but even that wasn’t enough time. Halsin released his grip, looked into their eyes again and gave them another, long, passionate and gripping caress. Finally, after smiling gently down at TAV for a while, he stepped away, turned to leave and said with his head still turned towards his lover: “Until we meet again, my heart.”

The druid walked away.

TAV stood at the same spot and watched Halsin walk with purpose, once again. They couldn’t help it. The sting, the heat, the overflowing cataclysm of sorrow overwhelmed them and as much as they tried, they couldn’t stop the tears from streaming. Turning to the lake, having the setting sun warm their face, TAV crumpled down on the landing stage and sat there ever so still, letting the tears run down silently.

Not much time passed and TAV’s three closest friends started to gather around them on the landing. Karlach sat down behind TAV and pulled them into a bear hug, her legs dangling with theirs. Shadowheart joined on TAV’s left side, sitting down gracefully and looking into TAV’s tear-stained face. Lae’Zel finally completed the foursome, plopping down on TAV’s right, staring intently into the setting sun.

Karlach tightened her hug and said: “Don’t be sad, soldier. We’re here for you.”

Shadowheart continued to look at TAV, analyzing the state they were in carefully, and choosing her next words with extreme care: “Love can be a wonderous thing. But terrible at the same time.”

TAV nodded, closing their eyes and letting another tear run down. Shadowheart rested her head on TAV’s shoulder, unsure on how else to comfort.

Lae’Zel didn’t say anything, but placed her hand on TAV’s, continuously looking at the horizon.

Finally, Karlach spoke once more: “You really love him, don’t you?”

Those words intensified the heat even more around TAV’s throat. Barely able to control the water leaking out of every orifice, TAV finally nodded intensely and let out a painstaking "Yes". All three companions edged closer to them, offering only their company as solace.

They sat together on the docks for what felt like ages. Being together, having survived the most intense and horrifying battle any of them ever have and probably will in their lives, was a gift they all appreciated greatly. TAV had convinced Lae’Zel to stay with them, which meant they would need to outwit the githyanki, who will surely come after her at every turn. TAV even convinced Karlach to go back to Avernus, promising fiercely to visit as often as possible, letting Karlach come back into Baldur’s Gate occasionally, and most importantly, letting her live. Shadowheart would accompany TAV and Lae’Zel, seeing the little camp of theirs as a new family and one she truly belonged to. Their company would ease some of the pain TAV felt, but it would never fill the hole that Halsin left. They travelled through Faerun together, making camp or allowing themselves a nice stay in a city once in a while, frequently returning to Baldur’s Gate, to see Astarion, Gale, Jaheira or Wyll, but mostly so that TAV could see if Halsin wrote.

It took some time. Too long. To the point where TAV convinced themselves that the druid had forgotten about them. The companions were walking the streets of Baldur’s Gate, Lae’Zel disguised as a halfling by Shadowheart, when a duck fluttered in front of TAV’s face. Surprised, TAV stared at the flapping poultry in front of them and finally noticed a small, rolled up piece of paper stuck to the bird’s leg. Hastily, TAV untangled the note from the animal’s leg. As its duty had been fulfilled, it plopped down on the ground and greedily pecked at the cobble stone for nuggets of food. They unraveled the note and read quickly:

TAV, my heart,

I hope Collin finds you swiftly in Baldur’s Gate.

TAV looked down at the duck vehemently pecking around their shoes. This is “Collin”, supposedly. They continued to read, with a beeming smile on their face.

There have been so many amazing things, that have happened along my journey. I have found a lovely group of helpers, some former refugees, who have assisted me in building homes, repairing the land and adopting children. Most importantly, through my travels, I got to see Thaniel and Oliver again. The former shadow-cursed lands are truly a sight to see. And I want to show you what you have changed here.

If this note finds you, meet me at the Last Light Inn on the day of the full moon.

I have much to tell you and we have much to catch up on.

I miss your eyes, lover.

Until we meet, my heart.

Yours,

Halsin

[melishade]

Attack on Prime New Age Anthology: Game Plan

Main Story

Catching Up Part 2

Released from Quarantine

Reunions

The humans start discussing a game plan on how to tackle a world without titans.

"I do apologize for everything that has been happening in the past month," Bryce explained as he sat down at his desk. He gestured to the two chairs in front of him, and Kenshin and Willy sat down in each of them, "But we do thank you for being cooperative."

"What is this about?" Willy asked.

"Your world is in chaos," Bryce stated bluntly, "You faced a cataclysmic event of untold proportions, one that hasn't been thought about here on Earth. Your ecosystem has been ravaged, we are still counting the death toll, and there is a possibility that damage has been done to the ozone layer. If we sent the people we have here back home, there is a chance they would not survive due to the drop in oxygen levels."

Bryce picked up one of the papers on his desk. "However, the biggest concern we have been hearing from many of the denizens is whether or not the power of the titans have been destroyed. The Autobots have conducted enough tests to absolutely confirm that, but it's uncertain if the people on your world would trust titans from beyond the stars."

"...you want us to be your mediators," Kenshin concluded.

"More ambassadors," Bryce corrected.

"General, our world is in chaos like you said, and many countries have either been destroyed or destabilized. Not to mention, I lost some of my political influence prior to the Rumbling," Willy explained.

"Your sister was on the front lines, and she sacrificed herself to save thousands of people," Bryce retorted, "I think that has helped redeemed your name."

Willy's eyes lowered to his hands, doing his best not to cry.

"I doubt I'd be much help," Kenshin proclaimed, "Willy's not a ruler of a country. I am, and I'm certain that many of Hizuru's top officials have been killed during the Rumbling, along with a good portion of the land. I have no idea how many of my people are alive."

Bryce pulled out his phone and showed them a picture of their world's map. "The Autobots also calculated how far the Colossal Titans have gotten before Optimus destroyed it. Marley has been wiped off the map for the most part, along with a good portion of the Middle Eastern Region. Hizuru has been ravaged, but the entire country hasn't been destroyed. There have been a few continents left unscathed or barely touched. The region we would call North America had only just been hit by the Rumbling when the event stopped. This continent that we would call Australia, along with a few other islands haven't been touched mainly due to the distance from ground zero."

Bryce put the phone down. "If you have allies, political influence anywhere, then it would help to use that in order to mitigate the chaos and prevent infighting over basic necessities. We can help you provide food and water to the people that have been disparaged, along with medical assistance."

"What do you want from us in return?" Kenshin demanded, "No one asks of something without something in return."

"I doubt that we would be able to provide you anything," Willy retorted, "Your world is much more advanced than our own, and we need all the help we can get. What would you need from us?"

"Earth has been trying to find life on other planets that would be hospitable to humans from Earth," Bryce explained, "Even though we've come into contact with Cybertron, the planet's not hospitable to humans, and titans like them are considered fictional to the wider populous. You've already had the concept of titans for thousands of years and your world has been similar to that of ours. We could start interplanetary relationships. And your world is prime ground to run some tests of our own."

"Such as?" Kenshin narrowed his eyes.

"Repairing the ozone layer, food growth and restoration, so far many scientists have been wanting to test environmental impacts and repairs," Bryce answered, "Our world is slowly going through a climate crisis, and to test out how to repair that crisis on a world that has had their climate completely altered would be revolutionary in terms of progress. You will be receiving a tremendous benefit by having your world repaired at a quicker pace, but we will also be benefitting from this as well by preventing our own demise."

"We could use this help." Willy turned to Kenshin.

"I know for a fact that you have much more to gain that you're not telling us," Kenshin accused.

"You're right," Bryce confessed, "And this information is something I'm not allowed to disclose to you, especially since this a developing situation. But I assure you that this will be beneficial to you if you cooperate with us willingly."

Kenshin grimaced at that before glancing over at Willy.

"We have nothing to lose from this, and we can't repair the world on our own," Willy reminded, "And I think many of the people from our world would like some sense of normality."

Kenshin sighed in defeat at that. There were many already dead, injured, or displaced, and that number was going to continue climbing. He just knew it. "Fine. We'll do your alliance."

===

"Alright, I got the huge bags of chips I saved in storage!" Miko declared as she walked up the steps to the common area of Unit E with four giant bags of different flavored chips along with a bag of Styrofoam bowls. The 104th and Onyankopon were either sitting down on the couch or the floor, with the exception of Jean who was in his wheelchair. They were watching Jack write a list on a white board with a red marker.

"Potatoes." Sasha's mouth watered at the familiar picture of potatoes on the bag.

"Don't be greedy," Miko warned her as she sat on the floor opened the bags, "We have Lays, Doritos, Cheetos, and Tortilla Chips."

"I thought you had spicy chips," Rafael remarked as he continued typing away on his laptop.

"They're not going to be able to handle Hot Cheetos." Miko ripped open the bag containing the Styrofoam bowls, "Alright, dig in."

Sasha jumped at the potato bag, but Miko quickly grabbed her and pinned her to the ground.

"Wow." Jean was impressed as Sasha squirmed in Miko's grip.

"Mikooooo!" Sasha whined.

"Be patient!" Miko scolded her.

"Thanks Miko," Armin said as he got himself a bowl of Doritos, "It's usually pretty hard to stop Sasha when it comes to food."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Miko commented.

"Okay." Jack turned to the audience as he pointed at the list on the whiteboard. "So these are the things that we have to take care of. One." Jack pointed at the top of the list. "Providing aid and relief to the people affected by the Rumbling. This going to be a consistent, top, priority since the death toll is still climbing. Two."

Jack pointed to the next item. "We need to check up on Paradis. Historia, you mentioned you're the queen and the military has effectively been dismantled."

"I don't know who would be trying to take control right now," Historia explained from her seat on the couch, "It could fall under a dictatorship fearful of receiving retaliation for the Rumbling."

"So we need to find out what's going on there and prevent a dictatorship," Jack declared, "Three: hold a funeral procession for Connie."

"Why can't we just do that right away?" Sasha demanded as Miko got off of her.

"Paradis needs to be stable first before we can do the funeral," Jack answered, "Someone could interrupt funeral proceedings, try to kill you, desecrate Connie's grave. Paradis needs to be stable first. Four, we find Mikasa."

"But Mikasa's been missing for over a month!" Armin exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's the problem," Jack sighed in defeat, "She's been missing for over a month, we have no leads on her location and finding her without the technology we have on your world is going to take longer. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

Armin thought it over. "She might have gone back home?"

"To reverse Madagascar?!" Rafael exclaimed, "I thought you guys were a hermit country everyone hated! Who the hell would be willing to take her there if there are any available mods of transportation?!"

"I don't know!" Armin exclaimed, "Maybe she went to civilization?!"

"Hey, wouldn't it be funny if she actually swam back to the island?" Miko quipped.

"Knowing her strength, she probably did," Jean proclaimed seriously.

"There's no way!" Miko snapped her head at Jean.

"Maybe we can ask the locals and see if they spotted her?" Onyankopon suggested.

"Maybe, but it still might not be as effective," Jack admitted, "We do have pictures of her, thankfully, but still, it's finding a needle in the haystack. Also, do we really know if she made it to Paradis in the past month?"

"I know that she would have gone back home," Armin declared with confidence, "It's the only place she has a real attachment to. No where else."

"Well..." Jack trailed off, "We'll check the sight of the final battle first, go to the closest refugee camp to ask there, and if we can't find her there, then we can scope out Paradis once we can stabilize the government. That's the bed plan I can come up with given the lack of information we have on her."

"...okay," Armin relented.

"Additional items include Jean staying behind on Earth to learn how to walk again," Jack continued.

"Make sure to bring me back home when you have Connie's funeral," Jean declared.

"Will do." Jack nodded, "We'll also need to have a video prepped to send over to Optimus once he wakes up."

"What?! Optimus is feeling better?!" Onyankopon exclaimed.

"Yeah, we received some texts from Ratchet saying that Optimus' recovery has been stable. He doesn't need life support anymore and hopefully he'll wake up sooner rather than later."

"That's great!" Sasha exclaimed with delight, "We need to tell the others!"

"Pretty sure shark lady's already in the loop if she's with Ratchet," Miko commented.

"Can you stop calling my wife that?" Historia demanded.

"She used to turn into a shark! What can I say?!" Miko exclaimed.

"Once we finalize all of this then we'll let Erwin and Hanji know," Jack declared, "Levi's still unconscious according to Jean."

"Yeah, his injuries were pretty bad," Jean declared.

"And I'm certain Bryce is talking to Kenshin and Willy," Jack surmised.

"Ugh, the golden spoon." Miko rolled her eyes.

"Why would they need to talk to Bryce?" Onyankopon asked.

"Politics," Jack replied, "Want to create alliances."

"And steal resources," Rafael mumbled to himself.

====

Hanji removed their glasses and rubbed their eye before eating the granola bar that was placed on their table. "They're going to execute Megatron."

Erwin didn't reply to that. He was merely flexing the fingers on his cybernetic arm when he heard them speak. "...you want to save him."

"That's the plan," Hanji grumbled, "Or a plan. I know I'm completely outclassed here, and I bought myself extra time in quarantine because of my stunt from earlier. The humans here are advanced, Cybertron is way above anything Earth is, and so many people want Megatron dead, both human and Cybertronian, and who knows how long Optimus will be out of commission before they decide to reach a verdict."

"Something tells me that he doesn't want you interfering in his situation, if he cares about you," Erwin assumed.

"Is it fucked up that I give a shit about him now?" Hanji asked him, "I mean, originally I just wanted to study him, but damn it, he was actually putting in the effort to be a better person to the point I was willing to put my trust in him. But I've heard his war crimes. I doubt Cybertron is going to see it that way, considering how much harm he's done to other people."

"I doubt you're going to get far," Erwin proclaimed.

"Well according to Jack, they looked into his head and saw his memories and now don't know what to feel. Not to mention Buckethead saved some people that he had screwed over in the past, specifically the Bot that killed him before his body got hijacked by Unicron," Hanji explained, "Our interactions with Megatron are making them second guess."

Hanji looked back at Erwin. "C'mon there has to be something between you and Megatron that would get them to second guess themselves."

Erwin sighed in defeat. "Hanji, he came to me as an insurance plan, and it felt like manipulation when we were talking. He ended up forcing Nile to stay after he found out about us, and Kenny-!"

"Hey, Kenny was on you. You broke him out of prison," Hanji cut him off, "But Floch and Louise got involved. With the way that they were acting in regard to Eren, how did Megatron convince them to stay and not blab about his team?"

"He didn't," Erwin declared, "He gave us a choice."

Hanji stared in surprise. "What?"

"Megatron said that he was going to stop both Zeke and Eren regardless of whether or not he stood alone," Erwin explained, "He gave all five of us a week to come to that decision: to join him or leave the cause. No repercussions. No threats of death. He knew that Floch and Louise were a risk,...but he still let them go."

"Erwin this is fucking big!" Hanji slammed their hands against the glass, "Megatron: the big bad who forced everyone to do his bidding or die, is giving organics a choice to follow him?! Megatron, putting his life on the line for organics! Megatron choosing to save those he had wronged! Megatron choosing to save the one who killed him! Erwin, this is a case; however small, it is still a case! We have to try and find a way to fight for him!"

"Hanji, do you really think that you can somehow get their attention while Optimus is in the hospital?" Erwin asked, "And if you do make your case, you are defending a war criminal. It is like defending Eren's actions to the rest of the world he just slaughtered."

Hanji grimaced as they pushed off of the glass.

"Hanji, I need to know." Erwin pressed his cybernetic hand against the glass, "Are you prepared to do this? If you defend Megatron, you will be aiding and abetting a war criminal who is clearly guilty. They can and will target you. They might kill you for defending someone that has ruined so many lives."

Hanji shut their eye in response.

"Is Megatron really worth your life?" Erwin demanded.

Hanji looked back at Erwin, and could see the concern in his eyes and felt bad. Even though the power of the titans were gone, they were still putting themselves in danger once again. Was Megatron really worth any of this at all?

Hanji took a deep breath. "If it wasn't for a good portion of Megatron's decisions, I'd probably be dead right now. Part of me is still uncertain if Megatron's truly changed for the better. But at the very least, I owe him a debt for keeping me and my comrades alive for so long....You gonna stop me, join me, or remain neutral?"

"...If you said they looked into his memories...I don't know how that would be possible," Erwin commented, "Then I'm certain that they did see me. Like it or not, I have to provide a case for him."

Hanji smirked. "Alright, looks like we're going to try and fail to defend a genocidal maniac! The hypocrites we are!"

"Levi's not going to like this," Erwin declared.

"Oh, Levi's gonna fucking hate us for this," Hanji snickered.

(Alright, I know a lot of the focus is on the humans, but we will go back to the Cybertronians! I promise!)

[carabas]

Dragon Age Veilguard liveblogging, through the end of the game -

Bianca's broken pieces really were left on Varric's bedside table this whole time, not sure if that's better or worse than if she was part of Rook's hallucination.

And now it's Bellara's turn to send me codex entries from the future, talking about wishing Harding was here now that we've... solved all the big endgame problems that we absolutely have not solved yet? Spoilers, Bellara. i mean, i did already expect to defeat the big bad and save the world in the end. This does rather squash hope for Harding making a last minute Titan-magic-fueled reappearance though.

Talking to Emmrich about when we stopped Solas's ritual back at the very beginning of the game. "It was a team effort. Me, Harding, Neve. And Varric." And the conversation goes on to be specifically about Varric and mourning, no more mention of the others, but that list of names laid out like that is hitting me - Rook is the only person on that list who is not missing or dead. I mean, I've got my fingers crossed for getting Neve back. But the specific people who were lost were the entire team Varric put together, no one left in the Lighthouse ever met him, Varric's team is gone except for Rook.

Talking with Lucanis, Rook questioning if he actually got out of the god prison, this could be more of the Fade... i'm just. flailing in the general direction of the mental Ossuary about this.

And also thinking about all the Dread Wolf's legends about traps, and Rook following in the Dread Wolf's footsteps in this too, both in his own story and as this foundational part of this love story, Rook as the person who opened the door for Lucanis

Also Lucanis wanting to hear Rook talk, "your voice is a comfort" - Rook's voice actor is pretty great, I get it. Pretty sure my love for Rook is mostly due to Alex Jordan's delivery.

Assigning the team to different missions with the allies we've gathered and seeing that play out in this big final battle - feels like everything we did mattered, Dragon Age has really learned from Inquisition's mistakes on this front. Honorary Crow Taash, omg, they get to fulfill their childhood dream!

SOLAS. incoherent flailing in delight about the Rook-Solas confrontation, but WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T TEAR DOWN THE VEIL, the gasp I gasped, YOU TAKE THAT BACK. Turning on Rook in order to escape the trap wasn't a betrayal, we knew he was going to do that, Rook himself repeatedly said he was going to do that, this is a betrayal. What are you thinking, talk to me Solas... oh, fine, i'm too happy about fighting side by side to be that alarmed right now. One cataclysm at a time.

Bellara thinking over all the questions she had for Solas and what she really wants to know is why he killed Mythal ;_; my girl. i'm so glad I brought this team. And Solas also refers to Spite as a spirit of Determination!! I was starting to wonder if that comes up in this game at all if you don't happen to bring him to fight in the Hall of Valor but Solas points it out too, I'm so happy about this. Lucanis and Spite refusing Solas's offer to separate them, oh my god, everything I want all the time in this game!! except the veil coming down i guess.

BIG WOLF MONSTER SHAPESHIFTER BOYFRIEND i still can't believe they put that in the trailer IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE RETURN OF SHAPESHIFTER WIFE, this game is for shady apostate enjoyers specifically

Oh thank god it was a trick lmao, Veil tearing down plan is still on, why did I doubt that, of course it was a trick.

TEN YEARS SINCE INQUISITION. TEN YEARS. and they get their happy ending, lavellan's role in this story was everything i could possibly have dreamed of, no words.

my solavellan heart is very full.

...my mage-rights-obsessed, spirit-loving heart on the other hand is having mixed feelings. i am not surprised the veil did not come down but i did not feel great about turning solas away from that purpose, not without offering him some kind of alternative, someone else picking up the duty he's finally laying down - Lavellan says the people he has wronged are asking him to stop, and indeed some of them are, but the spirits are still so desperate to get back into a world they were separated from that they twist into demons and abominations, Cole in Trespasser was so delighted to discover the Veil was not natural and that he wasn't a wrong thing... but then all my reasons for wanting the Veil torn down come from the previous games and not from Veilguard, why would that be in the ending when it wasn't in the previous hundred hours. Lots of smoothing over of previously complex subjects happening in this game, most of which I'm happy to roll with, but this one's so central to Solas - and the reason this game otherwise works for me even with all its changes in style is because it usually seems to have been built entirely out of love for Solas.

Anyway. I was so incredibly tempted by the option to try to trick the Dread Wolf himself. I want Rook to follow in the Dread Wolf's god-imprisoning-trickster footsteps so badly. But Mythal. And Lavellan's hope for talking Solas around. The lasting reunion for Solavellan that I'd hoped for but wasn't sure we could truly get. So. I haven't looked up what the other endings are like yet, maybe trickster Rook can be something for my Dorianmancing Inquisitor's worldstate.

That post-credits scene - I feel properly rewarded for doing all the sidequests and they've got villains set up for another game if they want them, but by Dragon Age standards that's not even slightly a cliffhanger. The four-game-long story is over. I don't know how I feel but I'm feeling it.

Oh, there's no playable epilogue. I appreciate Bellara's codex entry from the future now.

...okay so I wrote out those last few paragraphs and then actually I couldn't stand having talked him into giving it up, I went back to play through what happens if Rook tries to trick the Dread Wolf and I feel better lmao, it solved my mixed feelings by giving me another, different set of mixed feelings, the mixed feelings balance each other out. I had a blast with this game, we're ending on an odd note, i'm going to be chewing on this for a while.

[ninadove]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤️

Thank you Sunny! 🖤☀️ You know how much I love talking about my own fics. Hehe.

I love each and every one of them, notably a Layton one I can’t show yet, but for now (in the order I find them back):

I know there’s been pain this year (But it’s time to let it go) [🦚]

“What? Nooo! Adrien doesn’t hate Christmas.”

“Are you absolutely certain? What was he like last year?”

“Well, he —”

Marinette furrowed her brow, scanning her own memories. Of course she was absolutely certain. At least, she thought she was.

Okay — she could not ignore that Adrien had run away from home that night, wandering the snow-covered streets to escape the freezing cold of his own home. Nor could she brush away the disintegrated Morris column, cataclysmed for the crime of bearing his own face.

Oh, and the shaky videos circulating on YouTube. That musical number was… Concerning, to say the least. Still, it was no smoking gun.

Right?

“Oh my god,” she squeaked, plopping down against the counter. “Adrien hates Christmas.”

I had been trying to write this fic since I was 14, with the wrong characters and the wrong tools. I have many feelings about what makes a family and what it means to heal and what magic truly is and I am so so so happy to have finally stitched it together!!! Plus it has the cousins and Feligami and Amelie and Duusu and Plagg. This fic is the Christmas ornament I will always find a special spot for on my tree! 🎄❤️

Daedalus [🎩]

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

The words are soft, but certain; for all the accusations that have been brought against him, this one stings in a unique manner.

Luke settles on the limestone bench, facing away. His gaze lands on the tip of his shoes, or perhaps sways with the blooming lilac.

“The little boy in the statue,” he finishes, even though there is no need. “I don’t know how I didn’t put it together back then.”

This one is just me going back to my roots, and at my roots are Clive and Hershel. One of these days when my emulator works I shall stream the rest of the game so you guys can understand

Satellite [🦚]

It hits him like a truck, or rather it doesn’t: the truck metaphor would imply a projectile, a concentrated blow set in motion by a well-known mechanic. It would imply that Adrien asked for it, that he crossed the street while the light was still red, or that maybe he sat in the middle of the highway and waited.

But no. He is at the mansion when it happens, in the atrium — not even in the study nor the basement nor the attic, not in any of those places he is not supposed to lurk in. Earth itself reshapes under his feet, cracking open to swallow him whole.

SUN FELIX YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS TO ME. ☀️

Ou bien dans les étoiles [🪶]

Cyrano’s light would be a gift and a punishment: a finger pointed straight at the vileness of the world, the caress of April upon a dandelion. As for the darkest parts of his soul, the threads of self-hatred he had danced on all his life, Le Bret would guard them with the devotion of a hellhound.

OR: Le Bret never finds the words to talk about Cyrano, but someone else does.

I may translate this one at some point… Cyrano de Bergerac is a love letter to the French language, after all. 🖤🪶

Mayday mayday (This ship is slowly sinking) [🦚]

After years of spatial exploration, Adrien lets his ship drift into nothingness.

A century later, Argos is born.

I just. Have. Thoughts. And feelings. About this one.

[wanderlustmagician]

Welcome weary intergalactic tumblr travelers to my humble blog amongst space.

I am Wander (or Magi). A simple alien who enjoys writing, learning, and is in general a very excitable dog in a trench coat.

Fun Facts about me can be found at the tag -

#wander facts

I apologize if you came here for my writing and found a lot of shit posts and yelling about food crimes. I use the following tags for;

Shit posts/posts about life: #wandering thoughts

Food related: #food talk

I have several feral cats (mutuals) that I interact with a lot that have their own tags. I did absolutely steal the alliteration thing from Cheeto. No regrets. :D

hotcheetowastaken - #cheeky cheeto

somer-writes - #sassy somer

evablueblanket - #effervescent eva

estelian-01 - #effortless este

marcusdoodlesalot - #marvelous marcus

needfantasticstories - #super skip

There a probably a couple I’m missing but I’ll update this as we go.

I am always open to receiving asks.

Please do not be afraid to send me something. I will be very enthusiastic about answering any questions*. 💛

*unless the ask is rude, cruel, or mean in nature. This is a safe space for fun and silliness. Anything of the prior listed nature (rude, cruel, or mean) will be unanswered and deleted.

As I said before, I do write! I have an AO3 account under the same name -> wanderlustmagician

My current word count there is: 31,020

My goal word count for the end of Feb 2024: 45,000 (69% achieved)

Writing tags:

#wandering pen / #theres an au for that

I currently mostly write and post for Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda). Though I have written for HxH (some works still up under an old user), Tokyo Ghoul, D. Greyman, DC Comics/Batman/Young Justice, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn. Some are posted under a different user, some have been taken down due to personal reasons, and some will never see the light of day.

All tags will be listed in the tags on the post

Now that you’ve had a wandering glance me and who I am… Click the Read more to see my current posted works, ongoing writing projects, and future projects.

My Current Series:

Everything but Blood -> Linked Universe Modern AU

Posted Works Count: 2 // Status: Ongoing

Visions of a Calling (Complete)

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, Want to Stop (Complete)

[Stealing Clothes WIP]

[Adopting Imp WIP]

Tags: #lu modern au // #everything but blood

Cataclysmic -> Linked Universe Witch AU

Posted Works Count: 2 // Status: Ongoing

The Truth Begins (Ch 1/?)

Heretic (Complete)

Price of Ignorance (Complete)

Tags: #lu witch au // #cataclysmic

Skyloft Valley -> Linked Universe Stardew Valley AU

Posted Works Count: 1 // Status: Ongoing

Welcome to Korok Town (Complete)

Into the Valley (Year One) (Ch 2/3)

Tags: #lu stardew valley au // #skyloft valley

The Sages Journal -> Linked Universe Atlantis AU

Posted Works Count: 2 // Status: Complete

Lanaryu’s Blessing (Complete)

Path to Thriving (Complete)

Tags: #path to thriving // #lu atlantis au

My Other Posted Works:

Ongoing Works:

Lost & Found (Ch 5/?)

Also known as the big brother Time AU of my Modern AU setting.

Tags: #lost & found // #lu modern au

Potential Upcoming Projects:

A Links Meet series that I’m called Forged. It’s still in the planning stages and I’ve not decided the end of it yet.

All of these will be updated as I make and post content. I have over 300 notes of writing. So there is always something in the works! Drop me an ask or at @ if you’re ever curious.

Thanks for wandering through and sticking around for that bad joke!

Hope to see you wandering into my asks or comments soon! Gotta blast!

[olympeline]

FrUK hanahaki AU, part 2! (Part 1)

So, Arthur tried a mysterious spell to get rid of his love crush infatuation unfortunate mental affliction for Francis and it’s left him with a good dose of the blooming cough. How does the land of Shakespeare, Milton, and Keats react to this?

Arthur:………………..FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!! *Coughing fit*

Seems about right 👍

Anyway, the writing’s on the wall now. Arthur is a brave nation who likes to solve his problems alone and hates to show weakness, but even he has his limits. Swallowing his pride (and a few petals) he goes to talk to Norway and Romania. Arthur doesn’t admit outright why he’s there (he’s not that desperate yet!) and instead shows them Atlantis’s spell. He hopes his friends might have a way to reverse it, but no luck. The magic looks too old and unstable. Norway says an antidote could take years of study or even decades. Arthur feels his heart sink. He knows he doesn’t have years. As he is now, one year might be pushing it.

Arthur swallows more pride (and petals) and goes to talk to his last hope: Yao. China isn’t a wizard himself, but he is one of the most magically attuned nations (can still see his dragons and the like). He’s also the only remaining nation who met Atlantis. Yao was a fresh faced youth during Plato’s “Single day and night of misfortune” when Atlantis sunk into the sea and was lost forever. They have tea and Arthur relies on a millennia of diplomacy to bring up the subject delicately: nothing gets Yao to shut up like a box faster than mentioning Atlantis. Arthur can’t afford to be kicked out. He needs detail that only Yao can give.

It’s not easy. The moment Yao sees the book and realises what Arthur wants, the atmosphere in the room turns arctic. Yao tells Arthur to drop it. Arthur won’t. Yao angrily tells Arthur to leave. Arthur won’t. Yao is about to try and throw Arthut out, when pain burns Arthur’s throat and chest and he doubles up, coughing. He can’t catch every petal and one flutters down to Yao’s feet. Yao picks it up, hand shaking.

“Oh, England,” he whispers. “Oh, you fool…”

It’s a long time before the fit subsides and Arthur can speak. China helps him to a chair and brings more tea. There’s no point pretending now: Yao knows. Arthur looks at the sheer, crushing pity on his face and is furious, mortified, and terrified all at once. Just from that look, he has his answer he came for: Atlantis cursed himself with hanahaki while trying to get rid of unwanted romantic feelings for someone. The curse won out, and Atlantis was doomed. Arthur asks who it was that Atlantis loved. Yao says it was Ancient Rome, or Grandpa Rome as the young nations knew him. Atlantis fell for the great empire in his early days when he was just a small city state. But the feelings weren’t returned and Atlantis, who was a master sorcerer, took drastic measures. Then all the other ancients could do was watch in horror as the disease consumed his entire being - land, people, culture - body and soul, until the cataclysm.

Now the same will happen to Arthur, to Britain, unless they do something. Arthur says there must be a cure, they just have to find it! He’s been through worse than this. He’s not beaten yet. A reversal of the spell would take too long but, there must be another cure out there. There must be! (Cope, Arthur, cope)

Then Yao sends him into another choking fit by demanding to know why he doesn’t just confess to Francis already

Once he calms down, Arthur asks WTF mate and Yao gives him the biggest “I am four thousand years old are you shitting me” look in existence. Did Arthur think he was being subtle about his feelings for Francis or something? Nope! Nope! So much nope! So just confess already, Arthur! Confess and get cured before it’s too late

Arthur is thunderstruck - he thought he hid his affliction masterfully! - but he recovers and retorts that Yao is wrong, it’s not Francis. It’s totally someone else! Totally absolutely! Someone else. Yao doesn’t know him (he lives in Canada). Yao gives him the look again. Arthur ignores it and says thank you very much for the tea but now he must leave immediately, goodbye forever. Yao calls after him that he can deny as much as he likes, but confessing is his only hope at this point. So don’t be a coward, Arthur! Your people need you. Confess!

Arthur pretends not to hear

Confessing would do no good anyway. Not when Francis doesn’t love him back

No confession! He’ll find a cure instead

When he gets home, the next fit brings up the first full flower

(I’m cutting it here for now, but I hope you’re enjoying my rambles! Stay tuned for part 3 at some point.

Should also mention that just for this AU, Arthur represents the British Isles rather than just England. So this is an alternate history where the Republic of Ireland never split from the United Kingdom. Also, UK bros Wales, Scotty, and N. Ireland don’t exist, like in early Hetalia. I call Arthur “England” a few times just because I’m used to it, but, in reality, he’s either “Britain” or “British Isles.” Otherwise what I have planned wouldn’t work (´ε｀ )♡)

[lydiathane]

Revenant

A sharp whistle cuts the tension before I can take the first steps toward making a fool of myself. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm lookin' at a ghost," a sailor's shit-eating cant calls out.

"You ever seen a ghost with an ass like mine?"

"Turn around, let me think about it."

A tree trunk of a man leans on a shovel and shields his eyes from the light. I see the blotchy ink of sun-scorched tattoos snaking up his bronze arm, naval mythology merged with flesh just the way I remember. I can feel the dread-thump of a resistant heart being violently kickstarted by an absolute dream, jolting me awake. It's a perfect, cerulean day in La Noscea, and the chaplain himself is shoveling shit on several acres of the island's best volcanic soil. Spectacular.

"How's it going, Leon?"

"I've had it worse. Still kicking, so I can't complain."

"You look healthy."

"I am healthy. But what about you? Last I saw you…"

"I was blasted on drugs and dancing on the edge of disaster. Bet you thought I danced right off the dock and into the ocean." It's a joke, but it's not.

"That's...one way of putting it, yeah." Leon scratches at the short hair on his chin and cheek with a free hand and looks me over as he mulls what exactly to say to a screaming heap of unfinished business made manifest on his humble yard. I can see it in his eyes that he's wary, the walls being bricked as high as he can make them before the bad humors get in and asphyxiate everything they touch.

"I know this is out of the blue," I admit, in the most obvious possible fashion. Fuck, I am so stupid. "I guess I could've sent a letter or...messenger bird. Smoke signals..." I'm trying to joke again, but unlike Arius, this one gives me a pitying smile. Grow up, Lydia. You fucking idiot.

"What are you here for, Lydia?" The smile fades fast as I watch him try to piece together my intent with a swell of suspicion, and I can't blame him for the outcome. "Listen, I know things happened on the Basilisk, but I...don't live like that anymore, and I have no desire to go back. The drugs, the debauching...I'm not proud of what I did there, but I'm set on a better path these days. I'm making up for lost time."

"No, no. Hey." I'm moving before I can stop myself, boots sinking into the supple field, treading on his work in a way I am all too keenly aware of. "Listen, I'm not here to drag you back, I swear to you. Actually, I'm drying out too, in just about every conceivable sense. I don't want that, either."

"I looked for you, you know. Looked for a body more than anything, expected to find you face down in the current. Didn't find out until later that you'd walked off with a stranger. I didn't understand it."

"Yeah, well…" I begin, ready to deflect with more sour humor and then immediately turn away from the vulnerability this perilous conversation requires. Instead: "I'm…sorry. I'm sorry you had to do that. That was fucked up, the way I walked out of all that. I don't have an excuse, and I'm not going to make one. I owed you more than that."

I see his brows raise, but he doesn't voice his surprise. He doesn't need to. "I appreciate that."

"You're...such a good fucking man, Leon. You're one of the best. You didn't deserve it. It's that simple. I kept thinking about you after I left, and it's not to excuse how I walked out, but even before then I knew I was an anchor and I was dragging you to your death. I was poison. The Basilisk was...it was..."

"A cataclysmic fuckfest," he completes on cue. "Yeah, it was a disgusting, sweaty, nihilistic shitshow and everyone there knew it, but you didn't do anything to me that I wasn't already on the way to doing to myself. It was a dark time, Lydia. We lost our minds when faced with the end. In a way, I'm grateful it happened, because it showed me who I really was."

"You never seemed lost to me."

Leon unfurls an endearing smile, his eyes crinkling up with easygoing mirth. "We're born lost, Lydia. We're all just stumbling around in the dark trying to do our best with a little bit of light and direction until we die and get the big picture." He's been building up to this line, I can see it in his expression that he's pleased. "Thankfully there's a divine Navigator."

I smile back reflexively and feel my heart punch madly against my ribs, beating my dumb ass internally with every blow. Part of me wants to cover the spot with my hands as though he can see it, but I settle for crossing my arms casually instead. We stand there staring at each other stupidly for far too long as seagulls scream in the distance.

"Hey, so can I just…" I begin. "I don't expect anything out of you. Let me be clear about that. I don't want money or favors or anything, okay?" I've got his full attention and it's making me nervous, but I'm committed now and there's no turning back. "But...maybe you wouldn't mind giving me a little bit of your time? Let me buy you a drink or dinner or both." I can feel the color creep up my neck, which is abso-fucking-lutely undignified. This isn't like me, but I can barely hear my own higher thought over the steady wardrum going off in my chest. "You can absolutely tell me to go fuck myself if that's where your heart's at, but if there's even a remote chance--"

"Sure."

"Sure. Sure? What's that mean, sure?"

"You're as thick as you always were," he scoffs, turning to walk his shovel back toward a freshly-painted barn, leaving me to scramble after. "You can't just tell me you want to talk or that you're feeling some kind of way, so we've got to do this song and dance where I pretend I don't know you and you get to pretend you're getting away with something. It was the same deal when I first met you on the boat to Terncliff, you were scared shitless, but had to come at it all sideways." He leans the shovel against the wall and ignores me to work the knot on his bandana to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I know you want to say some things, you think I might want to say some things, and you want to put a cap on this open chapter one way or another. So let's do it. Take me on a date, Lydia Thane."

Leon takes his time to pull the bulky gloves from his hands and throw them on a workbench, finally glancing over his shoulder to see me looking dumbstruck. His laughter is loud enough to echo all the way down to the shoreline.

[axxolotlqueen]

THE MIRACULOUS MOVIE WAS SHIT. THEY SPENT ALLL THE BUDGET ON ANIMATION AND FORGOT TO GIVE IT A PLOT. OH MY GOD IT WAS TRASH.

Now I'm being harsh here and I know it, but below are some of the very real reasons why this movie absolutely let me down. (Also is this unfair and am I hating on it? Yes. But I cried bc I couldn't watch it this morning because my dog ate my glasses. We literally paid 400 bucks so I could see this movie today. I wasn't even that upset about the glasses I just wanted to see the movie)

Marinette's VA is LITERALLY A SINGER and they chose to have someone who sounds NOTHING LIKE HER sing instead. It sounded like Olivia Rodrigo and I'm not shitting on her but the voices DO NOT MATCH! the singer for chat was immaculate tho. Much better than the Christmas special.

The storyline was so weird. It felt way too fast paced, also, LADYBUG NEVER USED HER LUCKY CHARM ONCE! they only transformed once on screen, and the cataclysm was only used once. AND THE CATACLYSM WAS WET! IT WAS WET AND BUBBLY! WHAT THE HELL!?

Also they tried to make Gabriel seem like a good father. Adrien forgave him in the end. And he doesn't seem like a sentibeing in this movie. Is it true there's gonna be 2 more movies? How? Everything was wrapped up, and the butterfly is WITH FU so it's not like it'll get lost again.

It was such a cheesy movie, which, while expected, still makes the show look like gold. There was barely any angst, and the angst was SO OVERDONE OH MY GODDD..

One thing I did like though is how they portrayed Chloé. They made her meaner, and even more of a bitch, even presumably coming to actually beat up Marinette (or make Sabrina do it most likely). I loved that because it matches more with pre-show Chloé that we learned of in s5e14.

The animation was beautiful, but again, I think they spent all the money on that and forgot to save any for the writing.

Also, HAWKMOTH CAN'T AKUMATIZE HIMSELF UNLESS HE DETRANSFORMS!

ALSO ALSO

Apparently they got rid of the status quoyo, so the damage legit just stays there? Except the ending, where ladybug earns back restoration powers through love and believing in herself. Not to mention chanting ladybug was ripped out of the s4 finale. So all the REALLY BAD DAMAGE was taken care of, but like, THE NOTRE DAME WAS FUCKING DESTROYED AND IT HAD TO BE FIXED BY HAND!

ALSO also also, no such thing as breaking the akumatized object, hawkmoth just deakumatized them when they failed. Also, why the hell is everyone reading the paper?? Bro it's digital now??

I think I would've liked the songs if they'd had Christina, or at LEAST someone that had ANY SEMBLANCE TO HER VOICE AT ALL.

Overall, 11/10 animation, 0/10 story, 6/10 music

[msvorderofoperations]

Time for another dream journal! This is a fairly short one, but still interesting enough to warrant writing down.

I dreamed that I was participating in a community event for a local comedy troupe that does a lot of fundraising. This is a real thing I have done with this community many times. The notable thing thing was that they were also, for whatever reason, doing a World of Warcraft raid in a private instance/server. Except, that it was real? Or at least real enough that we had physically act out our players actions in real time, in something that appeared very much more like real life rather than the exaggerated art style of the game.

I have played a fair bit of WoW in my time (mostly from vanilla to early Wrath of the Lich King, and a single month of Cataclysm after I got gifted it because someone thought I still played) and I mostly played straight DPS classes. My main was always my mage, but I also dabbled a little with a rogue and death knight when I felt like a change. Since there was nearly 14 years of content that came out after (jesus) I stopped playing, I figured that I might as well do something different anyways. So when roles were being decided, I chimed in to say I wanted to be a healer.

This tangent has nothing to do with this dream, but is relevant context. For the longest time, I had always assumed I would be terrible at playing support classes (both in and out of WoW) because I had found so much success in playing pure damage builds. But one time many years ago, while playing Team Fortress 2, our team was completely bereft of any support players. And so I bit the bullet and switched to playing Medic. And shockingly, I was amazing at it! Seeing how poorly things go if Medic's don't prioritize their targets, and knowing when to push and when to fall back from all of my hours spent playing other classes meant that I was damn near godlike. The next round, I decided to try my hand at playing Engineer. I ended up with 32:1 kill:death ratio, so yeah I did all right. All this to say, given that there was not really any stakes with this event, playing a support class even though I had no experience made sense.

Sorting out roles in an MMO raid is always a hassle, so me volunteering for what is often the most important but least desired role took a lot of pressure off everyone else. I opted to stick with playing a Priest, since the way they heal is still centred around simple spell rotation (much like a mage), not things like totems, shifting forms or other gimmicks. The weird thing was though that we couldn't sort out skill trees or builds before we headed in. In the dream I thought it was a touch unorthodox, but given how impromptu this whole thing was, I didn't think it was too big a deal.

As I said, I have not played this game for a very long time, so when I see that the raid boss is wild west themed, I am unfamiliar but not exactly surprised. You kinda have to get weird with it when making 20 years of content for a game. The whole thing is that the boss we are fighting runs a demonic rail system, and is nominally responsible for maintaining supply chains for a greater scope villain. I am not terribly invested, given that I am jumping into this story mid-way through, and I absolutely will not be seeing it through to the end. But still, it's reasonably compelling and the boss we're fighting is still fairly charismatic.

After the brief introduction we're given, though the fight starts. I'm taken completely off-guard by this, as I'm still trying to figure out my character's build. This is true for everyone as well. This is basically akin to having to lace up a parachute after you've already been thrown from a plane. I'm having to read tooltips on the skill tree, and try and work out the most efficient spell rotation as I'm fighting for my life. For all that, we manage to make it to the thresholds for phase transitions when he pulls in his cronies. We eventually make it to where there is a pause in the fight, and we are offered an alternative: stop this fight and just take a victory by destroying the infrastructure, or go after the boss and try and stop him for good. For whatever reason, no one else responds. I take the brief lull in activity to fully finalize my build, and then I rip out the button that would have demolished the facility, and smash it into the boss' face.

And before I can see the fight through to the end, I wake up.

[crowdusk]

CHAPTER 1136 THOUGHTS

[note: i read the official version when it comes out so i keep away from scan spoilers]

interesting that Who's-Who is (maybe) back considering he was the first to name and talk about Nika

Luffy so cute

I still don't like that we're getting a feast first thing in the arc...does not bode well but oh well let's go

more reinforcement of Elbaph being isolated/insular (which is weird considering Harald seemingly did so much to try and open it up...what was this dude doing)

speaking of which, I'm more and more suspicious about this dead king...I know I said he probably was just naive but hmmmmm. the fact that Jarul put him on the same level as Loki (a character that so far most giants have described as evil), the theme of misinformation and reputations being misleading, that the sword in Jarul's helmet looks like Harald's, that Jarul is definitely hiding something about Harald's death and Loki (look at his eyes in the panel where the giant is saying Jarul was there and tried to stop Loki). Harald smells fishier and fishier to me by the chapter, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was working with the Holy Knights/Elders in some way, maybe offering giants as military assets in exchange for (diplomatic) power. we also hear that he would leave Elbaph for periods of time which isn't all that suspicious by itself, but to me speaks to a disconnect between what he was doing and what his people were aware of.

so much lore!!!

interesting that a) Rodo says all giants growing up want to be the sun god and rule the world and b) there are different versions of Nika, which makes complete sense. Luffy literally does embody almost all the aspects mentioned - laughter, destruction, liberation - but it's interesting that the one thing Luffy has absolutely no interest in is ruling. he is a leader because people want to follow him, not because he wants to lead - how much is that true for Nika as a god, too?

I personally wasn't that surprised at the revelation that the world has been destroyed twice - I always thought the Void Century wasn't the earliest 'catastrophe' since the arrival of the people from the Moon was much earlier than that, and probably itself was a big cataclysm/reshaped the planet. plus, Nika probably comes from the Moon people (like the Shandorans) and so must be much older than the Void Century.

I am interested in the Harley, though (I SAID THERE WAS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT MYTHOLOGY PASSED DOWN IN ELBAPH). wondering if Robin could glean some information from it (pleaseeeeee) - but of course she's not there because Oda's smart and tricksy and annoying like that

the idea of change being both destructive and generative gets reinforced, and that it's to do with the toppling of power structures

of course, we need Luffy to reject the 'chosen one' fate, which he always does - he wouldn't be free otherwise

we kind of get told of Loki's deeds, finally. importantly, they're described as pranks and we actually see Loki laughing in the exact Nika pose Luffy takes on in gear 5. again, this idea of Loki really embodying the destructive but also comical and mischievous aspect of Nika makes me think he isn't a real antagonist to the Strawhats. plus, as we know with One Piece, the more someone is portrayed as one-dimensional by reputation (take Zoro for example), the more Oda likes to subvert those expectations. to me, Loki's pranks sound like a child acting out and messing around.

confirmation that Shanks caught Loki and that's probably what made him an Emperor, but seems like there's more to the story if Loki's calling him a coward. from later parts of the chapter it's clear Loki embraces the Elbaph warrior principles, so it doesn't seem like he'd call Shanks a coward if Shanks had beat him in a straightforward fight (but we'll see). this also makes me think, along with the last parts of the chapter, that Loki might actually take deals seriously and therefore may not have lied to Luffy (maybe he knows where Shanks is because he knows where the last road poneglyph is).

we get Zoro being pretty perceptive, and some explanation to why he was on edge. I maintain he's stressed and not quite himself post-Egghead, probably because he doesn't feel like he's as strong as he needs to be (and the crew isn't as strong as they need to be) - so he's being extra serious and careful. interestingly, Zoro is going off of Loki's reputation and as we know reputations are often false (as in his own case)

as we knew, Luffy's solution to Loki maybe tricking him is just 'well i'll beat him up if he causes any problems' - very much like his approach to Law and other pirates

i'm interested to see what Luffy Nami and Zoro will find in the castle, if they go there (any hints as to what happened with Harald?)

I thought the Knights were either going to try and kill or recruit Loki, but to be honest was leaning more towards the killing possibility so, I was wrong (although let's see what happens). I imagine it's to do with his devil fruit and general strength making him a useful asset. i'm actually leaning more towards his devil fruit being something related to prophecy/predicting the future/fate, since there was a mention of Harald prophesying his own death, and he keeps talking about fate and the future. plus, eyes are often a strong symbol of prophetic ability, visions etc and his eyes are covered. a strong giant with some kind of future-related ability? invaluable to the upper echelons of the World Government.

i did enjoy Loki calling them trash a lot, and it made me think that the Holy Knights may well recruit people from different countries across the world so that they have a network (notably since Gunko doesn't have a 'Saint' title and therefore may not have been born as/may not be a Celestial Dragon)

also very funny that the agents they sent got taken out by Rodo's weird scheme

obviously Oda giving us absolutely nothing wrt Shanks twin's face but atp we know it's not Shanks

it feels to me like the Shanks guy is her superior, since he kind of chastises her for getting ahead of herself

we see that Loki seems to follow the old warrior principles and beliefs, like Dorry and Brogy. he also isn't heartless, since he actually talks about his feelings quite openly (and not just rage but sadness too, which he also mentioned during his conversation with Shaggy). it feels like there's a strong emotional drive to his desire to 'destroy the world', not just cruelty and the enjoyment of senseless violence. i look forward to finding out where that comes from.

One Piece Chapters 1134 + 1135

SUMMARY (I simply cannot be concise so I thought I'd add summary points for anyone who doesn't want to read a whole long piece. Clown music though because even the summary is long. I can't help it.)

Also you can find previous Elbaph thoughts/predictions here.

I believe Elbaph’s current culture of peace and absolute non-violence came from Harald (who was probably an idealist) and Mother Carmel, who was – and is still – seen as a holy woman and saint by the giants. Her rhetoric was all about ‘everyone living together in peace’ in a superficial, unrealistic and one-dimensional way that hid and enabled a lot of violence. Including, of course, her literal job providing military assets to the World Government in the form of orphaned children to be made into spies and soldiers. 

Mother Carmel’s infiltration may have led to Harald developing a relationship with the World Government (which he probably wanted Elbaph to become a part of), while we know that the Five Elders are wary of giants and have always sought to co-opt their strength. This might explain how the two Holy Knights looking for Loki were able to teleport into the castle (I believe there must be physical rules/limitations to the magic circle transport, e.g. some kind of physical anchor to the place you’re going).

This arc is going to look at and explore questions around peace and violence. Peace by and for whom? For example, ‘peace’ can look like the people at the center of society living without disturbance or discomfort while those on the margins suffer and are silenced (neoliberalism). Peace as defined by the absence of overt conflict doesn’t mean there is no harm or violence – it can be repression, manufactured consent, etc. True peace cannot be imposed from the top, it must be collectively built. And so forth. Conversely, violence and conflict are sometimes necessary to protect what you care about (your treasures), as we see with the Strawhats. Creating a peaceful and knowledge-centric society doesn’t have to be at odds with warrior culture, since being willing to put your life on the line is important in some instances. What will happen if external factors threaten Elbaph’s treasures? 

Last review, I talked about how I think one of this arc’s central themes will be the juxtaposition of reality and fiction, truth and lies, stories and lived experiences. Illusions will shatter and false gods/idols will fall – I think the giants’ idolisation of Mother Carmel and Harald will end, one way or another. For the latter, I don’t necessarily think he was evil. More so that he was just one person who made mistakes and had flaws, rather than a perfect king who only ever brought wonderful changes to Elbaph. On the other hand, Loki may not be a god but he could have the powers of one, and I think the first impressions we got of him will be changed and shown to be misinformation to recast him in a more positive light. I think he had a good reason to kill his father, and that the events of Harald’s death are another false story that must be clarified. Oda loves a good character twist. (Honestly if Harald turns out evil, I’m here for it). 

I also said in my last piece that I thought there would be internal divisions, and I still think this is going to be the case. For example, we don’t know why Hajrudin initially left Elbaph – could part of it have been feeling stifled by the loss of warrior traditions? This would make sense, since he wanted to follow in Dorry and Brogy’s footsteps. However, I think we might just see more of a spectrum of positions, rather than, say, two clear factions. Nevertheless, I still think the Strawhats will have to bring a lot of people together to fight a bigger antagonist, maybe even including Loki (as the potential king??) – but they’re pretty good at that. 

Last time I wrote about 1132, I was still a little unsure about Loki’s vibe, but I didn’t think he would be the big villain. This is now pretty much confirmed for me and I think will become even clearer once we get the truth of his backstory. The more we see of him, the more we see a silly side – one that hides genuine care for people under a violent and fearsome facade. I think he’ll probably end up as an ally (even if he’s still morally ambiguous). Classic case of Luffy’s gut being right once again. I am particularly interested, though, in what this means about Loki’s proclamation that he’s the sun god who will destroy the world. Is it metaphor? Does he want to declare war on the WG? Is he still going to do some fucked up things? Unclear. But I still think divinity, myth and belief are key to Loki’s character and his juxtaposition with Luffy, and I’m interested to see exactly how.

I wrote about strength after chapter 1132, and I still think it’s going to be an important theme. What I’d like to add is that I think it will be specifically about strength in relation to pride, and warrior culture in general. Essentially, it will be about why people fight. Why people want to be strong, and why they take pride in it. The Strawhats fight for what they care about, especially people. This also includes things that carry the wills of people who have died, like the books of Ohara, or even the concept of people’s dreams. This arc will look at warrior culture, and the difference between a warrior society and an oppressive/hegemonic society which uses violence (fear and the threat of death) for extraction and control. Fundamentally, all these themes are about power in relation to collective freedom, and what it means to live a good life. There is rightful pride in being able to fight from a place of knowledge and connection, to fight for what you love and believe in (including people’s freedom) as opposed to the soulless genocide and extraction from those considered less deserving of life. 

I think the declaration of the warriors at the feast might also be a foreshadowing of exactly what the Strawhats will do in Elbaph. Understanding and protecting their ancestral pride as warriors, and helping them reconnect to it as a country. Freeing them from ignorance (revealing the truth of what really happened with Carmel, Harald, and Loki). And saving them from being destroyed (this one’s pretty self-explanatory, but I believe it will be to do with Yggdrasil).

Ok if you’re here for the full whammy, yay! SO MUCH HAPPENED IN TWO CHAPTERS. GAH. Let’s just get straight into it. 

So, in chapter 1134, we open with the strawhats meeting Saul outside the library. I don’t have much to say about this part thematically (same with the previous chapter) because I think it’s pretty straightforward. I’ll summarise: I loved it, Luffy poorly copying Jinbe was extremely funny, the reunion did actually make me cry, and I am forever crying over Robin just – being happy now. Being relaxed, content, smiling more, bonding with Bonney. My heart, my heart. 

We also see Lilith introduce herself to Saul as Vegapunk, and explain to him (and us, for the first time!) that she has brought a “perfect re-creation” clone of Vegapunk with her. She plans to settle down in Elbaph and build a new lab. Ok, cool. Honestly, I’m a little eh about a Stella comeback (because I think it’s more interesting for him to be embodied by just his satellites) but just because that’s the plan doesn’t mean it’ll go smoothly, or happen for sure. On the other hand, I’m genuinely pleased that there’s a potential to bring Kuma back, not that he was ever never actually dead. We’ve had so many hints that there’s hope for him. Plus, he’s one of the characters that truly just went through the worst of the worst over and over for the sake of liberation and his loved ones, holding onto faith throughout. I think he deserves to be a father and be happy, I don’t care if that’s cheesy. But again, no guarantee that will actually happen. 

Love and Light Only 

We then see the Walrus School where the children are educated and hear that it was founded 20 years ago by Saul, at the behest of the former king, Harald. Once again, huge huge kudos to the assistants because wow. I want to live there. What follows is Luffy’s encounter with some of said children, who turn out to be, well, absolute wimps. They don’t use ‘bad’ or potentially insulting words, and they’re not going to be setting out to sea to fight ruffians when they’re older. They’re learning in school, rather than being trained to be warriors. In fact, as their teacher Ripley tells us, being a warrior nowadays isn’t fashionable, because “insults, violence, pillaging, war” are just “not the world we live in anymore”. [Side note: the number of beautiful giant women Oda is giving us??? It's tough out here for a gay]. Absolutely nothing even close to violence or antagonism are allowed, not even petty insults, specifically by the children, which tells us this is very much the way they’re being raised and taught. It’s giving weird, cloying, toxic positivity. I was even going to say there is no war in Ba Sing Se, but I don’t think we’re dealing with brainwashing here – just insularity and idealism. 

We see this reinforced by the repeated mentions that Elbaph has very little connection to the outside world – they don’t pay attention to it, they don’t get news coos, they just mind their own business. Interestingly, we also know that any “intruders” immediately get captured (presumably to be vetted and potentially kept out if they risk disturbing the peace). I honestly can’t remember if the news coo thing has come up before in the context of non-WG countries, but I don’t think so? Anyways, that’s pretty bad. Like, if a country isn’t in the World Government (which, remember, requires paying literal tribute to the Celestial Dragons) they just don’t get information about what’s happening in the world? Wild stuff. In some ways maybe that’s protective, but in other ways, extremely dangerous. 

On the topic of language, we also immediately see ways in which these cultural rules are being broken. The way Ripley speaks is rougher, as she herself calls the kids brats and says she teaches by “negative example” (do as I say not as I do). So we’re seeing a clear generational rift in culture between what Ripley later says is the “last generation of warriors” (presumably she’s around the same age as Hajrudin, Loki, Rodo, Gerd etc) and the current children. When we meet Collun, we also immediately see that the way the other children treat him isn’t exactly kind. Despite strictly following rules around things like name-calling, they outright say they hate him. He replies in kind, but it’s not hypocritical of Collun in the way it is for the other children. He’s clearly the rough “wild child” who’s following the older warrior culture, whereas the ways in which the educational system is teaching ‘non-violence’ clearly doesn’t preclude them from excluding or being rude to a kid who’s different from them. In fact, they’re just following the rules and it’s ok to be mean to him because he’s always causing trouble and not following the rules, so he deserves it. They even basically imply why are you here. I think this kind of petty behaviour isn’t abnormal or horrendous for kids, but it does highlight to me that the kind of ‘peaceful’ culture Elbaph is aspiring to feels extremely one-dimensional, oversimplified, and somewhat superficial. Even the way Ripley talks about it feels so smoothed out and idealistic, which is strange coming from the mouth of someone who still looks and behaves like a warrior. What happened from one generation to the next?

Ripley goes on to say Harald’s policy was “don’t fight other countries – trade with them!” Sound familiar? Yeah. Those were exactly Mother Carmel’s ideas for the giants a hundred years ago, when she lived on Elbaph. This was following the dissolution of the Giant Warrior Pirates because Dorry and Brogy had started their century-long duel on Little Garden, when she appeared as a “wandering holy woman” and ‘saved’ some of their crew from execution by beseeching the marines for forgiveness and an end to violence. The giants understandably see her as a saviour and saint who performed a miracle. We only learn later that this was a stunt pulled in collaboration with the marines and the World Government, which allowed her to gain the trust of the giants and infiltrate Elbaph as a child trafficker.

Now, I’m not saying Harald was aware of Carmel’s true nature, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was inspired by/agreed with what she was saying, thus starting Elbaph’s current era of ‘peace’ with the Giant Warrior Pirates out of the way. Carmel was a perfect human link to the WG who could help Harald carry out his ideas, while her saviour position in the eyes of other giants helped him convince his people. This is important, because that means this peace was potentially built with a foundation of deceit tied to military strategy. Carmel wasn’t operating alone – she was specifically selling orphaned children to the WG to be marines, spies and agents. We see her talking to and dealing with CP0, who work directly under the Celestial Dragons and the Five Elders. Mother Carmel was a morally putrid money-hungry old hag, yes, but she was also an instrument of the WG. We also know that the WG has long been interested in harnessing and controlling the power of giants (from Carmel talking about getting giant children into the navy, like John Giant, to MADS’ and later Caesar’s gigantification experiments). In a world based on power inequality, oppression and authoritarian domination, the giants are military assets – if only they can be assimilated into the system. And who is easier to indoctrinate and control than children? 

To be clear, I think peace with a focus on education and knowledge is great! I would love for the world to be that way. And I definitely don’t think the “goal” of this arc should be to renounce those ideals or simply go back to being a completely war-based culture. Knowledge is extremely important in One Piece – that’s quite literally a central theme of the whole series. And of course, we are shown time and time again how horrific and devastating war is. However, history – why and how things come to be is crucial. Is something coming from people’s informed collective desires, or is it coming from the decision of one person/a few people? Is it something that benefits everyone? Is it growth from a place of understanding, or historical amnesia and bypassing material reality? The truth is that right now, the One Piece world isn’t past “violence, insults, pillaging, war”. It’s very much full of those things, specifically because it is rife with inequality. Elbaph so far has been sheltered from these problems, but what happens if the problems come to them? 

This is one of the central questions I believe Elbaph is going to grapple with. What is peace, and what is violence? How can true peace be created? Can violence truly be eradicated from the world? What different kinds of violence are there? 

I think the books from Ohara, the Owl Library and Yggdrasil are going to be of crucial importance to these questions. We know that Yggdrasil is extremely important to Elbaph, and we also know that accumulated collective knowledge and education – as represented by the books – are beyond precious. So, the giants have something to protect that isn’t just their own lives: they have a collective treasure. I wouldn’t be surprised if threats to these treasures are the catalyst for the giants’ reconnection to their warrior natures. Pillaging and engaging in violence just for the sake of it or for sadistic pleasure is unnecessary and cruel, but being a fighter and a warrior in order to protect what one cares about – one’s treasure – is important. All the warrior cultures we’ve seen so far in One Piece have shared this reason for their strength, from the Shandorans protecting their sacred ancestral lands and history, to Wano with Pluton, and the Minks with their poneglyph and Zunesha. 

Elbaph can be a peaceful nation that focuses on education and knowledge, and still be able to protect that knowledge if necessary through maintaining relationship to the core aspects of their warrior culture: honour, courage, strength, skill, freedom, etc. I think that’s also where pride can sit, in the space of being strong enough to do what’s needed to protect life, dreams, love, and what we care about. This is, after all, what we see time and time again in pirates like Luffy and the Strawhats – that fighting and strength are absolutely not everything, and look different for everyone, but are ultimately important to protecting what’s important to us. There is pride in embracing one’s dreams, taking action, resisting oppression and injustice, and having a strong relationship to life and death as warriors do. As an aside, I do think Usopp will be a key person who inspires this shift and re-invigorates the giants’ pride (big speech time!). 

Ideals and Idols

Two things jumped out at me in this section of the chapter. The first is that multiple people have referred to Harald as a “great king”, or something along the lines of ‘beloved by everyone’. Now, that’s not so strange. He could’ve just been a really caring or charismatic leader. But the emphasis makes me a little suspicious about what was going on behind the scenes, especially since we know what Mother Carmel was really doing, but the giants still don’t know the truth. They still see her as a holy figure and miracle worker who saved them and even cared about Linlin, a “god of disaster”. I think it’s no coincidence that the figures of Harald and Carmel have been set up as key figures of this hundred-year period who are idolised by the giants, and the illusion is going to crumble at some point. I believe the truth about Carmel being the epitome of ‘peace and love’ hypocrisy will come out, and so will whatever truth about Harald. Again, to be clear, I’m not saying I think Harald was evil or had bad intentions – it’s more likely that he was tricked and manipulated by Carmel and the WG because of his idealism. I think he probably wanted to make Elbaph part of the WG (in order to pursue his goals of peace and trade), he wanted Elbaph to open up to the world, and he wanted ‘peace’ in the sense of blanket non-violence. 

That last part we already saw expressed with terrifying clarity in a child Linlin, when she locked a bear and a wolf in a cage to stop them fighting because “fighting is bad”. I won’t get into analysing that metaphor right here (I think I’ll make a separate post) but it is so on the nose – forced peace and non-violence is itself violent and creates more violence, especially because it requires imposing your will on other beings and taking away their freedom. Peace for whom? And by whom? I believe the truth of Harald’s engagement with the WG, and either his collaboration with them or his mistakes in dealing with them will come to light, and I’m sure Loki’s reasons for killing him are related.

In this way, Harald opened Elbaph up to infiltration and engagement from the WG, who I’m sure were only waiting for an opportunity to gather intelligence and start undermining the giants’ power or bend it to their use. Like I said previously, I strongly believe that the Warland giants had ties to the Ancient Kingdom and the events of the Void Century. It would absolutely be in the WG’s interest to bring them over to their side and disconnect them from any remaining traces of that history. In fact, Mother Carmel’s House of Lambs also centered around the idea of ‘reforming’ children and helping them leave their ‘problematic’ past behind. This same idea of reform has been used to describe Elbaph itself. This treats history as something to bury and leave behind – something shameful, rather than something to acknowledge properly, learn and grow from. And of course if we know anything about One Piece at all, we know that forgetting or erasing history is literally one of the most central problems/mistakes/evils of the series. We see this further shown in the fact that Ripley is the one to bring up Nika to Luffy, and that she specifies she’s from the last generation of warriors tells us that the children might not even know about him. Why would they, if he’s a warrior god and they’re actively being taught to be anything but warriors? It gave me chills, no joke.

So the ‘peace’ in Elbaph feels especially uneasy right now, despite Ripley’s words. There are antagonists working for Garling/Imu on the island. There is what seems like a red herring of an antagonist (Loki). There is misdirection and mystery galore. So many illusions and false stories to be shattered. False idols to be toppled. Funnily enough, the one story we know is real right now is a literal living myth (Luffy’s Nika form), who is also just a guy. Ideals and idols need to be brought down to earth for real living people to connect with materially, instead of being held aloft and out of reach. What did the arc open with? Rodo pretending to be a god. We’ve also had another character claim to be a god in Loki, meanwhile we know Celestial Dragons (including the Holy Knights) pretty much believe themselves to be gods. Yeah, I’m reiterating my point that ideas of faith and divinity are going to be crucial in Elbaph. In fact, I will put it out here right now that we’re going to get more information about the Lunarians, who were also called gods (I have a whole theory about that). 

Updated Loki thoughts 

The last thing I wanted to talk about is some updated thoughts on Loki. Basically, he’s a tsundere?? Love to see it. It seems that at least part of the unhinged and violent temperament we’ve seen from him so far is a facade, since his long-term friend ‘Shaggy’ says “I’ve realized recently that those fearsome words of yours hide your kindness”. We see that Loki has a friend he’s never met or seen, but known for a long time through den den mushi conversations. He empathises with said friend’s recent traumatic experience, saying it hurts him to hear it, while overreacting when they call him kind. Typical bluster, which seems to compensate for what is a sense of compassion and understanding. Not a heartless villain, then. This of course consolidates the idea that he isn’t how he appears on the surface and how he was first introduced, and that Luffy’s instincts were right. This does make me feel much better about their ‘promise’, even if it will still probably end up causing chaos. On top of that, it reinforces my feeling that he reminds me of Law, and will probably end up as an ally to the Strawhats in some way. Maybe by the end of the arc he will even be restored as the king of Elbaph, potentially alongside Hajrudin. Speaking of which, I went back to the previous chapter where the Giant Warrior Pirates were talking about Loki and Hajrudin, and the description of Loki as “another official child” of Harald makes me think Hajrudin is probably his illegitimate half-brother. But we’ll see. 

All of this has me thinking about the other giants calling him the “shame of Elbaph”. Initially I thought this might be because his actions are considered dishonourable, and I still think that’s probably the case. But having had the developments about Elbaph’s cultural shift, I wonder if part of the dishonour is just doing any kind of violent acts in Elbaph at this point. Thinking about how the other children treated Collun, and talked about insults, is there a sense that anything ‘barbaric’ on the island is shameful? Have they maybe even been taught to be ashamed of their violent past as Warland? I wouldn’t be surprised. And if so, that makes me even more worried about how that happened and the consequences of such revisionism and reform. As I said earlier, it’s one thing to want to change and improve, to move forward collectively for everyone’s good. It’s another to completely reject the past and bury it. Shame can be an important part of reflection and acknowledgment, when deserved, but it can also prevent real growth. I worry that Harald and Carmel’s approach was just to give Elbaph a PR-style culture change that has left them with a flimsy and fragmented social structure. One that is particularly vulnerable to hegemonic influence and external danger. 

Speaking of which, my thoughts on the two strangers (I’m going to call them Holy Knights because I’m pretty sure they are) looking for Loki are that they are either here to kill him, or to influence/recruit him somehow. I’m sure they’ve had intel on the situation in Elbaph, including the fact that there is no king since Loki didn’t ascend to the throne. Given that it seems Harald wasn’t a threat to the WG, I assume they know that Loki is different somehow. We also know that the Holy Knights are essentially the military special forces unit of the Five Elders/Imu, so I don’t think they’re there for a tea party. Even if their mission involves diplomacy, I think violence and threats are probably part of the plan. Hence, persuading him of something (with force if necessary) or assassinating him. We saw Loki has a “special” bounty, probably because he killed his father and/or has a legendary devil fruit, so it makes more sense to me that the knights are there to take him out. Plus, from a narrative point of view, if Loki is a rebel compared to his father, and is likely to ally with the Strawhats, he’s probably a character that is going to be set in opposition to the World Government. 

I don’t have much to add to what everyone’s already saying about the Shanks lookalike Danks, other than I agree it’s not Shanks and is either a relative or a clone, especially with the way clones keep being brought up. They’re clearly very powerful if the bandage person is anything to go by (bandage-bandage fruit?? the way they used it to break the guy’s bones was something), and I’m hyped for more. I’ve been waiting to see the Holy Knights since we got the God Valley flashback. I’m so ready for new villains. I'm also pretty scared, since we're getting a feast at the beginning of an arc. That doesn't bode well for the ending to me...but let's enjoy the good vibes while they last.

Honestly it feels like these last two chapters just left us with more questions than answers, and knowing Oda, we might not get those answers for a while! But let’s see. The opening parts of an arc are always the most fun to me because of that.

Bonus favourite bits:

Saul asking why Vegapunk's a woman and Lilith being like "who gaf"

Robin being happy always

Chopper and Robin library time I cry

Ripley being excited to see Nika Luffy, and Luffy's response

BIG ANCIENT OWL!!!!!!!! I LOVE

Bonney, Chopper and Robin on giant books

Luffy's interaction with Collun - truly big brother

the way Stephen Paul translated the kids' speech (vylence, vishus)

the new outfits, very cute (especially love Jinbe's)

the Jarul gag????? unserious