#and it got a bit long-winded

[fictionadventurer]

I’m not from the US so I don’t know much about it, but someone once told me that the civil war was fighting for two different things. The north was fighting to end slavery and the south was fighting because they didn’t want the government to be able to dictate to them what they did with their property (the only problem was that the south saw people (slaves) as property).

How much of this is correct? Or is it a simplistic view?

It's complicated. There are a lot of historical forces--social, economic, religious, political, legal, cultural--surrounding the lead-up to the Civil War, and you can take as simplistic or as detailed a lens toward it as you'd like.

Before the war, the South did want to protect their property. Slavery in the territories became such a huge issue because slave owners wanted to be able to migrate to these new territories with their property, which included slaves. The majority of the soldiers who'd fought in the Mexican-American War had been Southern--were they going to be barred from the territories that they had fought and bled to win?

Of course, the North argued that people couldn't be property, and their insistence that slavery was evil only made the South get more defensive over it. At the end of the 18th century, a lot of Southerners believed that slavery was an unfortunate evil--not an ideal situation, but not one they could realistically do anything about. (What were they supposed to do with all these free blacks, for one?) But as the South got more defensive, they started to argue that slavery was a moral good, giving these slaves much better lives than they'd have in Africa, and allowing for a white upper-class that could devote itself to civilized culture rather than the rat-race of industry in the North. Their way of life, they believed, depended upon maintaining slavery.

So the war absolutely was about slavery, but the South considered it the main issue long before the North did. Secession started pretty much as soon as Lincoln was elected, because he'd been painted as a "Black Republican" who was going to free all the slaves as soon as he came into office. In his famous "A House Divided" speech, Lincoln argued that the long history of maintaining balance between slave and free states wasn't going to be sustainable. Because Southern slave owners wanted to be able take their slaves through the whole country, and wanted to get their slaves back if they escaped to freedom, either the nation had to abolish slavery or slavery would take over the whole nation--there was no middle ground that would be acceptable to either side. Because everyone knew Lincoln considered slavery a moral wrong, the South thought this speech proof that Lincoln was going to free all the slaves, so they seceded to protect their "states' rights".

The ironic thing was that Lincoln didn't believe he could free the slaves. He was a lawyer through and through, who held the Constitution as a nearly religious document. The Constitution explicitly protected slavery, so as much as Lincoln would have liked to end slavery, he didn't believe the president had the power to do anything about it--that was up to the states. Not long after Lincoln came into office--in an attempt to bring the seceding states back-- both the House and the Senate passed a constitutional amendment that would have explicitly prevented the federal government from interfering with slavery; the war was the only reason it never went to the states for the vote to make it official.

Once the war started, the North was very clear that the purpose was not to end slavery--it was to keep the Union together. Lincoln believed that the Constitution as written did not give the states the right to secede, and that doing so was traitorous and made the Constitution meaningless. Remember, a democratic-republican government had never been attempted on such a scale before; several other similar governments had fallen in recent decades. If this American experiment was going to succeed, the nation needed to prove that an elected government could maintain power even when there was disagreement among its citizens. The war couldn't be about slavery--the North had to bring the rebel states back into the fold and then solve the slavery issue through civilized legislative and judicial measures.

So the North was very careful not to make the war about slavery early on. Early in the war, the ardent abolitionist general John C. Fremont took over Missouri, declared martial law, and issued a proclamation freeing all the slaves. Lincoln was pissed, and he immediately reversed the order. Several border states in the Union still allowed slavery; if they thought the war was about ending it, they'd join the Confederacy, and the problem would get even bigger.

That view only began to shift after the war dragged on. After so much bloodshed, could the North really be okay with going back to pre-war business as usual, with the issue that had led to secession unresolved? Black soldiers were beginning to fight for the Union and showing immense bravery--could we let them fight for freedom and then send them back to slavery?

Ironically, Lincoln was only able to issue the Emancipation Proclamation as a war measure. He still believed the president didn't have the power to end slavery--it's why the order didn't free any slaves in the Union. But slaves were an important resource in the Confederate war effort; men were able to go off and fight because they could leave their families and farms in the care of slaves. Slaves were being used for physical labor in army camps, freeing up the white men to do the actual fighting. By freeing the slaves, Lincoln was furthering the war effort by depriving the South of a vital resource--a legitimate use of his expanded wartime powers, with the added bonus of ending a horrible system of bondage. If the South hadn't seceded, such a measure wouldn't have been legal.

By the end of the war, the North was fighting to end slavery, and the South was desperately trying to spin the narrative to prove that it had been about anything other than slavery. But no matter how you spin it, the South seceded specifically to maintain slavery, and the resulting war was the only reason it was able to end.

[maomao-words]

Work did more than just slam me with a hammer, so I am barely alive at the moment.

I am still answering some of the asks I received (you guys have the best ideas!!) in both SL and WB fandoms. But meanwhile, here are some self-indulgent HCs I wrote half-dead lol.

No TWs. Fluff with a hint of trickery on the part of the MC in the first two parts, and on the part of Suo in his own part.

Wind Breaker: How they behave as your fake boyfriend (Kiryu, Sakura, and Suo).

Kiryu Mituski:

Kiryu would be the perfect boyfriend.

Perfect enough to fool the stalker who has haunted your days for no end, who persistently chased you no matter how many times you rejected his advances, before you finally decided to lean on Kiryu for support. Kiryu only took two seconds before he held your hand in his own, smiling brightly, not even hesitating to accept your request.

Kiryu would be perfect enough to fool even your closest friends, who turned red each time they saw him waiting for you after classes, a soft smile on his lips, and a bouquet of your favorite flowers in his hand. They would laugh and poke fun at you, hands eagerly pushing you toward Kiryu, before showering you both with compliments and happy wishes.

But Kiryu would also be perfect enough to fool you. With each passing glance, each fleeting touch, and each tender peck, you found yourself falling in love with Kiryu. Falling in love with the sweet smile he offered you each time you met, with the gentle hands he used to guide you through crowds and warm you during late evening strolls, and with the protectiveness he never seemed to run out of whenever you were involved.

You were falling in love more than you originally bargained for, more than the first time you fabricated the story of a stalker and asked the pink-haired beauty out, just to have an excuse to be closer to him.

Little did you know that Kiryu knew everything from the start. How could he not, when he knew you better than he knew himself? When his eyes followed your every move and drank in your every action, like a starved man, hungry for your attention and affection? When every guy that ever thought he could mess with you or harm you was never able to cross paths with you again after Kiryu dealt with him?

How could he not know? Kiryu was also in love with you.

Sakura Haruka:

Sakura would be living the hardest and most amazing time of his life.

Don't get him wrong. It's not that he disliked being able to enjoy your company more, being able to feel your gentle touches, and witness your sweet smiles. All of the perks that came with pretending to be your boyfriend never failed to leave Sakura eternally parched, aching for one more moment with you, and desperate for the affection and love that he was miraculously granted due to the persistent stalker you gained.

But, by God, did you have to make him fall in love more with you? Sakura had already been a mess since the day he laid his eyes on you. Blushing, stuttering, and awkwardly behaving whenever you were around. Never being able to hold your gaze for long, but never leaving your side for more than a few moments.

And now that he had your hand entangled with your warm one, your soft body close to his, as you proudly nodded and confirmed that he was your boyfriend in front of all your friends, Sakura simply felt he was losing his mind. His heart was a fluttering bird, begging to be released from its cage, and sharply aching behind Sakura's ribs.

Getting stabbed in the chest might have been preferable for Sakura, at this point, knowing that he might end up dead once his heart runs itself into the ground with its intense beating.

A piece of advice, dear? Try not to tease him too much, no matter how much you enjoy his lovely reactions to your tricks and traps. Sakura is bound to explode one day, either to punch himself for starting this mess and accepting your request, or to loudly yell out his feelings for you in a reckless confession that will cause him to disappear from sight for a week at best.

Take it a tad bit easy, and you just might end up winning the fight!

Suo Hayato:

A perfect gentleman from start to finish. Suo barely blinked at your timid request, eyes curling upwards with his typical glint. His smile slightly widened at the way your face brightened, hearing his acceptance.

But no matter how many dates you both go out to, just to show off that you had a boyfriend to the persistent stalker you gained not long ago, you were simply unable to spot the man in question any longer.

Not when you invited Suo to your favorite coffee shop and spent an hour begging him to try some of your chocolate cheesecake, beaming in happiness when he finally indulged you. Not when Suo picked you up after your lessons ended, warm hand curling around yours, while his other hand took your bag off your shoulder and refused to hear any of your protests.

I'm your boyfriend, aren't I? His gentle voice echoed near your ear as he slowly took off your bag's strap, sending your cheeks aflame at the close proximity.

The stalker never showed up. You were unable to spot him, not in front of your house, school, or part-time job, and all of your fear was turning into confusion. Was this the calm before the storm, or could you truly let down your guard?

When you ended up confessing all of your worries to him, Suo simply smiled at you, gentle and affectionate, before he patted your cheek with his fingers and brought you closer to him in a tight embrace.

You were safe, you thought to yourself, as you breathed in Suo's clean scent and clung further to his arm. You had Suo after all. All you had to do was trust him.

If only you had the sense to look up and gaze at Suo's face at that moment, you would have seen the light smirk adorning his lips. Poor, poor lamb, not even knowing that she had walked into the wolf's den, never to leave again.

Or wait, was this your own will?

[maraschinotopped]

brothership stamp collection... 2!!!! featuring mainly character stamps! ignore the top right one.

part 1

[skyward-floored]

Swapped

Part one of the Incredibles au power swap fic lets gooooo

I don’t know how many parts this is going to be total, maybe four..? I tried to keep it short, but that... didn’t work, heh. This is set after movie stuff at some point, don’t know exactly when, not too long... but supers are legal at least.

But anyway, enjoy part one!

Part two

————————————————————

Wind woke up slowly, his ears ringing in his skull.

A dull pulse of pain rippled through his middle, and he winced, putting a hand on his chest and rubbing it as he tried to think through what had happened. He remembered a voice talking, and something about intruders being free test subjects...

Oh. Right.

And a big explosion that had sent them all flying.

Ow...

Wind rubbed his eyes, wincing. He supposed a weird explosion shouldn’t be that surprising, since they were trying to break into a crazy-secure science lab. They’d gotten some information on all sorts of illegal experiments going on here, with supers allegedly involved, and they’d all suited up and stormed the place.

Nobody had realized they were expected.

Wind sighed, and sat up with another wince, grateful his supersuit was so sturdy. If he’d been in his civilian clothes, he’d probably be a smear on the wall right now. Or at least dealing with some broken ribs instead of just the weird soreness he had.

He shook his head, trying to disperse the ringing in his ears, and looked around, wondering why it was so quiet. Something about the air seemed weird, like something was missing from it.

A frown settled on Wind’s face and he reached for some wind, trying to listen and see if there was anything moving nearby. Then he froze.

He couldn’t do it.

Wind thrust his hand out, twirling it in the motion he always used when he directed the winds, but nothing happened, no matter how he moved his hands, no matter how hard he tried.

Something was wrong with his powers.

Wind breathed in shakily, and looked down at his hands, trying not to get swamped with panic. He was fine, he was fine except for the aches and lack of powers, he was fine. He probably just... needed to recover a little more from being unconscious. Yeah.

That had to be it.

Wind swallowed and looked around, suddenly zeroing in on Legend lying nearby. He wasn’t moving, and Wind shakily got to his feet, stumbling over and crouching at his side.

“Legend?” Wind asked, and gave his brother a light shake.

Legend didn’t move, not one inch, and the sight of his brother so still made something lurch in Wind’s stomach.

He paused in trying to wake him, and turned his attention to the rest of the room. He’d been separated from the others in the explosion, and the only other person besides Legend and himself in the hallway was Warriors. And Warriors looked like he was beginning to stir, a groan coming from his direction.

Wind stood up again, the absence of his wind all the more noticeable when he tried to draw on it for assistance. He swallowed and kept going, and knelt by Warriors’ side as his eyes flickered open.

“Warriors?” he asked in a shaky voice, and his uncle groaned, pressing his hands to his ears.

“Not so loud...” he bit out in a whisper, face screwed up in a wince. “...why is it so loud?”

“...I’m the only one making any noise,” Wind said in confusion, and when Warriors winced, he switched to a whisper as well. “...Sorry. It’s not loud at all Warriors, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t... know?” Warriors bit out, trying to sit up. “Ugh... I feel like I got hit by a truck...”

“Did you hit your head?” Wind asked anxiously, and Warriors slowly shook it, still wincing.

“No... everything is just... loud.”

Wind waited a moment for him to wake up a little more, and Warriors breathed out, slowly sitting up. Pain still showed in the way his face was creased though, and Wind felt the bubble of anxiety in his chest get a little bigger.

“That was a weird thing they hit us with... are you sure you’re okay?” Wind said as he helped Warriors sit up, glancing worriedly at the rubble separating them from the others.

“Yeah...” Warriors mumbled. “You okay, Wind?”

Wind swallowed.

“I... I don’t know,” he said honestly, wishing his voice wouldn’t shake. “I only woke up a bit ago. I found Legend too, he’s still unconscious, but Wars there’s— there’s something wrong with my powers.”

“What?”

Wind bit his lip. “I can’t get them to work. Ever since I woke up I haven’t been able to feel any wind or anything, there’s something wrong.”

Warriors’ face creased in concern, but then he paused, and held out his hand with his palm outstretched.

Nothing.

He tried again, a little more frantically, but still nothing happened, and he exhaled, looking down at his hands.

“Looks like mine are on the fritz too,” he said worriedly, then gave Wind’s shoulder a squeeze. “We’ll... we’ll figure this out. There’s probably something blocking them, I’ve seen this before. We just need to find the device.”

“You’re sure?” Wind said shakily, and Warriors nodded, giving his hair a quick ruffle.

“Yeah. It’ll be fine, kiddo.”

Wind gave him a small smile, then decided to check on Legend again since he still hadn’t moved. His brother’s face was still pale and blank, and while he didn’t look injured, Wind knew stuff could be hurt on the inside where they couldn’t see it.

Warriors joined him a few moments later, still wincing, and got to a knee beside Legend. He began looking him over, brushing dusty bangs from his face, and Wind watched in silence from beside him.

“Warriors, what do we do now?” Wind asked quietly, and his uncle hesitated, flinching when a sound rang out in the distance.

“I... don’t know just yet. Let’s recuperate for a bit, see if we can wake Legend up. Maybe try and contact the others. Then... I guess keep going. Somebody has to stop this scientist guy.

“And that somebody is us.”

“Right-o,” Warriors smiled. Then he stiffened, ears pricking as he looked down the hallway. “Someone’s coming.”

“I don’t hear anything,” Wind said in confusion, and Warriors shook his head, gathering Legend up into his arms.

“I can, there’s someone coming, trust me. We need to—”

Footsteps clattered towards them, and Warriors flinched, quickly tugging Wind and Legend behind a piece of rubble. A handful of guards came around the corner, and Wind crouched down further, watching them nervously.

Normally four guards would be nothing, but without powers and Warriors in a questionable state... Wind wasn’t sure they could handle them.

“Wars?” he whispered, and Warriors put a finger to his lips.

The guards drew nearer, spreading out and looking around the rubble. One came closer and closer to where Warriors and Wind were, and suddenly looked behind the rubble, spotting them.

“Hey!”

He grabbed for his gun, and Warriors shoved Wind behind him, launching himself at the guard with a snarl. The man shouted as he fell backwards, and despite the pain on Warriors’ face, he managed to wrestle the gun away from him.

The other guards heard him though, and Wind’s stomach lurched as they surrounded Warriors, unsure if he should go help or stay where he was and defend Legend. Warriors was hurting, but Legend wasn’t even awake, what was he supposed to do?

Two guards split off and went for Wind, and he yelped in panic, backing up so he could better protect Legend. The guards both reached in the nook Wind and Legend were tucked in, trying to grab them, but Wind avoided their hands and kicked at their arms.

Warriors was still struggling with the other two guards, but when he heard Wind’s yelp, his head shot up, eyes going wide when he saw one of them pull out a gun.

“Get away from them!” he shouted, eyes glowing, and was suddenly doused in shadows.

A familiar noise hummed through the air, and Wind and the guards stared in shock as the shadows dispersed, leaving a grayish-blue and white wolf on the ground where Warriors had been.

The wolf looked utterly shellshocked, and Wind felt much the same as he stared at it.

What.

Wind suddenly realized the guards were all distracted by the abrupt appearance of a wolf, and he shoved his shock to the back of his mind. He pushed the two that were trying to grab him, knocking them both over, then darted out and grabbed a piece of metal that had fallen on the ground.

He slammed it into one of the guard’s heads, sending him to the floor, but by then the others had snapped out of their daze.

But Warriors had too, and it didn’t take long for him and Wind to take out the other three guards. All four lay unconscious in short order, and Wind panted heavily as he wiped his face.

Then he stared back at the wolf, who was staring at his paws with his ears back.

“Um... what?” Wind spluttered, disbelief coming back. “Warriors that— how?”

The Warriors-wolf whined, his eyes wide, and he paced around in an anxious circle, nose twitching and ears flicking.

“How did you do that?!” Wind repeated, and Warriors flinched at his raised voice, ears folding back again. “...sorry. But why do you have Twilight’s powers?!”

Warriors repeated his whine, tail between his legs, and suddenly the shadows whirled around him again, blocking him from view. When they dispersed, Warriors was back to normal, sitting on the ground and looking somewhat nauseous.

“...Warriors?” Wind asked, and Warriors slowly sank down and laid on his back, then put a hand over his eyes.

“Gimme a sec,” he croaked.

Wind went quiet, and for a minute the only sound in the room was Warriors’ somewhat-shaky breathing.

While his uncle got a hold of himself, Wind gently tugged Legend out from the hiding spot, setting his head in his lap as he sat down. He ran a hand over Legend’s hair while he watched Warriors, and finally his uncle exhaled, and took the hand off his eyes.

“I think I know what the problem with our powers is,” he murmured. “Somehow... they switched.”

“But how?” Wind said as he stared at his uncle, and Warriors sighed, slowly sitting up and setting his hands over his ears again.

“I don’t know. But... I think it has to do with that weird energy pulse. I’d guess somehow it switched our powers.”

Wind stared at him in shock, and Warriors grimaced as something made a sound in the distance.

“How... is that even possible?”

“I have no earthly clue.”

Wind petted Legend on the head again, trying to wrap his brain around the idea of powers somehow swapping. Their powers were a literal part of them, how could anything switch them around?

“So... so you somehow have Twilight’s powers,” Wind said, and Warriors nodded. “Does that mean Twilight has yours?”

“I don’t know. But based on the whole wolf thing and the fact that I can hear so much as a pin drop, I definitely switched with Twilight,” Warriors said, then winced again. “Eugh. How does he deal with being able to smell everything? Or hear people breathing?”

Wind shrugged. “So... what was it like being a wolf?” he asked curiously.

“...Weird. We should get moving before the guards wake up,” Warriors said, dodging the question, and Wind sighed and nodded. Obviously Warriors didn’t want to talk about it.

...he’d get it out of him eventually though.

Wind looked down at his hands as Warriors moved to pick up Legend, flexing his fingers, and wondered suddenly if the same thing had happened to him.

Had he just gotten his powers blocked, or had he switched with somebody too? Was that why he couldn’t feel his winds?

Wind focused on himself for a second, trying to remember back to when he was smaller, and accessing his powers was more difficult. Normally there was a sense of the winds around him that he drew on, a thrum in his heart that moved in time with them, and he could usually draw on it with little to no effort.

That feeling wasn’t there anymore, but as Wind focused, he realized there was a different thrum inside of him now, one that felt blindingly strong.

Wind cautiously drew on it, but it was like turning on a firehose, and a flood of whatever power he had now came rushing at him, startling a yelp from his throat.

Warriors called his name, but Wind barely heard him, focused on the power rushing through his middle, spreading to his limbs and stretching out along his face. It was nearly overwhelming, but Wind held on against it, gritting his teeth as power buzzed all over throughout his skin.

The rush ebbed finally, enough that Wind could open his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was that the floor seemed a lot further away then it had before.

Also Warriors staring at him in shock.

“What?” Wind asked, then startled at the way his voice echoed.

“You... you also swapped,” Warriors said in a somewhat strangled voice.

Wind blinked, then looked at his hands, feeling the current of power run through him, feeling so powerful that he could probably punch his way through the walls if he had to.

Which meant...

“I got Dad’s, didn’t I?” Wind said.

Warriors sat back down.

“...Yep.”

[majorproblems77]

Four. By Hylia do Four. Honestly I don't have many ideas for an actual prompt but since I saw that you love Sky, maybe Four looking up to Sky (since he's the hero right after him) and Sky feeling guilty for the curse and the like. Or could be them bonding over it if you want it to be fluffy lol

(this was fun, and good practice for me, I dont write four very often! But this was fun!)

Link It was amazing to hear from you, It calms my soul to know that you are in good company on your quest this time. As for what you've told me, It surprised me to learn that you are travelling with the Skyloftian hero of legend himself. I did a little digging for you and from what Zelda tells me The skyloftian hero was a kind-hearted man who put others before himself in every way.

I understand your concerns, but Sky seems the type to air your concerns too. He doesn't seem the type to not be observant and if you've been avoiding the conversation for long enough he's probably taken note by now. He might even try to speak to you himself. Remember link you're a hero too, and im sure he knows that and trusts you. But your inner thoughts seem to be fighting again. Maybe you should ask your brothers in mind to talk it out for you. Maybe ask him if you can hold that sword you keep telling me about. I've still not found out how exactly he forged that thing with no equipment to speak off but my search continues.

Just keep that in mind. Write soon Grandpa

"Hey four! You got a letter from home again?" Wind bounded over to the smithy as he put the letter back in his bag. Musing over its contents.

"I did, i asked my grandpa for some advice." He said softly, smiling at his bag before facing the sailor. "How can I help you, sailor?"

"Sky's been asking for you. Not sure why, he's doing his 'just do it but nicely' voice again." The sailor sat beside him. "Probably to spar with him. I know pretty much everyone else has by this point."

"I'll go and see him."

Grandpa was right...

"Thanks, smithy!" The sailor shouted as he ran off towards the captain.

He walked through the camp, smiling to the others as he looked to Time expectantly. the man shrugged his shoulders and pointed to a gap in the trees to the other clearing they'd made into another part of camp.

"Sky?"

"Hey, four!" The skyloftian smiled, and picked up a training sword.

"Wind said you were looking for me?" He questioned, crossing his arms as he looked to the skyloftian.

"Yes..." The skyloftian paused, looking behind the smith before smiling again.

'That was weird...'

"Fancy a spar!" He waved the sword in his hand, before throwing it towards the smith. It landed on the ground with a clatter.

"Sure." He looked to the sword on the ground as Sky picked up his own weapon. "Any particular reason Sky?"

"No." He rolled the sword through his hand. "you're the only one I've not had the chance to spar with yet."

A chance to spar with Sky is an opportunity we shouldn't pass up!

"That sounds like fun."

You know he's only doing this to test how good you are. It's the logical choice unless he needs to speak to us.

"Great!" The skyloftian readed his training sword holding it across his body in a defensive stance. "Okay. So I'll maintain a defence, if you try to break through it we can see..."

Why's he doing this in the first place? Does he not think we can do anything?

Sky's seen us fight plenty of times. It dosent make any sense.

Unless he wants us to get in close.

He wants to talk to us. But doesn't know how to approach

We aren't exactly the easiest person to approach.

"Four?" The skyloftains question broke through his inner turmoil. As he blinked back to reality.

"Oh yes!" Focus link... "Ready when you are."

The skyloftian raised his sword, sitting in a defensive stance again.

This is highly irregular.

You think he's still on that conversation we had the other night?

The timeline talk?

Where we very much looked upset that we were second on the list.

Sky's direct successor...

You think we make him proud?

"Four?" Nothing. "Smithy?"

"Link!"

"Im here. Im here." Stupid overthinking. "I'm good."

"If you're not up for it I can ask Wars to spar instead." The skyloftian placed his sword down. "Everything okay?" He approached and sat on the ground. Patting the grass beside him in an invitation to sit down.

"I'm fine Sky." Now isn't the time to make him think you are anything less. He sat beside the skyloftian loth of them looking to the sky above them.

"Okay well now your lying to me." Sky didn't look at him, his eyes tracing a cloud that swam laizly across the sky.

"Im not."

"What is it really?"

"I..."

"I noticed you've been avoiding speaking to me directly. Where you can speak to the rancher easily. Or even the captain, or Hyrule." He sat up, pulling his knees to his chest.

HE KNOWS?

"Did I do something?" The skyloftian asked, his eyes searching for any sense of an answer for the smith.

Sky feel's bad? Why does Sky feel bad?

"You've not done anything directly."

"Then me being here then." The Skyloftian thought back. "You've only been avoiding me since..." Realisation shined in his eyes as he visibly deflated. "Oh..."

That was not the reaction i was expecting

Wait, sky looks sad. Sky looks so sad!

His eyes! Did you see that?

"The only explanation is that now you know where we fall in the timeline. You wish it wasn't me before you."

Where did he get that idea from?

"What? Sky?"

"Or you're ashamed."

"Sky... Sk im not ashamed of you, I. Oh god."

I wish we'd split. I'll give him the talk he needs.

You are the last person I would send into this

And what's that meant to mean?!

"Im sorry. Im sorry I failed to stop the darkness and that you had to live the life you have." The skyloftian looked away, gripping the corners of his sailcloth as he took a steadying breath.

What?

Sky dont say that!

"Sky. My life as a hero has been eventful yeah. But I wouldn't change it for the world. I dont think any of us would."

"But you've gone through so much pain, lost loved ones. Lost friends." He gripped his hand. Covering the back of his right hand with his left.

"If he was here my friend would slap you."

I miss him.

"I've been avoiding you... yeah. But not because of that."

"Then why?"

Come on! We can do this!

Sky is the kindest of us, if anyone gets it it's him

He took a breath before looking the skyloftain square in the face. "Because. I look up to you. I have my whole life."

"What?" The skyloftian sounded genuinely shocked to hear this. His face swam with a mix of emotions.

"The hero of Sun, or the hero of skyloftian legend. is a story that people in my time read to their young before they go to bed." He fiddled through his bag. "I dont have a copy on me now, but Ill ask my grandpa to send me a copy with his next letter."

"It is?" Sky asked. "I'm a story?"

"Yes. It tells of a man from the clouds clad in green chosen by the gods to save the world. He broke a path through the sky itself to defeat a rising evil so dark it would shroud the world in darkness forever." He sighed. "When you told us about your journey, I discovered that I was the only one to know of your legends like that..."

"You figured your place."

"I did."

"So, you're a successor that can't have come much after me. A few generations at most."

"I think so."

They sat in silence for a moment before Sky shifted again, placing his hands behind him as he looked skyward again. "When you get that book from your grandpa, I'd like to read it if that's okay. I'd like to see how history remembered me."

"If we make it to my time you can ask Zelda, I know she's done a lot of research into the hero of old."

Sky gave a laugh as he stood, offering a hand to the smith. "Come on, we should get back."

"Sure thing." He smiled, taking the offered hand and standing. "We should 'spar' more. Helps quiet the thoughts."

"I can agree with you there."

[tsunakautism]

the light is there

[angels-all-sin]

do you use a watch? (analog ot digital?)

also favourite Disney princesssz

6 & 20

Oh my god, I was hoping someone would ask the watch question because I DO wear one all the time!

It’s analog, by the brand Guess and it’s a, kind of, rose gold-ish color (though it’s pretty faded now and has a lot of scratches). My older brother gave it to me as a birthday gift when I turned fifteen! The battery has died out so many times, but I’ve kept on replacing it, over the years, because I’m very sentimental and I’ve grown used to the feeling always wearing a watch on my wrist.

I also have another one that my mom gave me. It’s also analog, by the brand Rodo, the color gold (it has some wear, too, but less scratches than my other watch). She used to wear it—back in the 90’s, when she first got it—but, stopped because the battery on it also died. When I asked her if I could have it, she finally got around to replacing the battery. But the funny thing is… the battery’s died again and I also haven’t gotten around to replacing it since I tend to wear the Guess watch more often.

My favorite Disney princesses are definitely Rapunzel and Tiana! I rewatch Tangled almost every year because it’s one of my comfort movies (the floating lanterns scene is the most perfect thing in cinema history and it really, truly makes me believe in love). I love the storyline and the setting in The Princess and the Frog and how gorgeously it’s animated (I hate that Disney doesn’t want to put out more 2D animated masterpieces like it).

[if-loki-was-a-fox]

if I draw him enough times I will eventually figure out what he looks like

(reblogs appreciated ^^)

[leofrith]

hello leovor community. 🧍🏻‍♀️

[fiona-fififi]

Make me write game 💕💕💕

☺️

💕 Post vow renewal

Okay, so technically this is well over 9 sentences, but I do believe I only actually added about 12 (maybe a little more). Several parts of this section were already written, but I added in multiple spots to link pieces together and flesh out the scene, so I figured I'd offer the whole thing. I have not proofread it, though, so please forgive any awkwardness or typos because I'm sure there are plenty.

And then Buck's reaching, but Eddie's pulling away, shifting himself up and off of Buck's body, off of the bed, and Buck feels himself panic, a quiet plea of Eddie's name pulled from his lungs before he can stop it. But Eddie's there, still so close as his careful fingers strip away the last of Buck's own clothes, discarding them in some haphazard pile beside the bed as he murmurs gentle reassurances that have Buck sinking back into the mattress beneath him as Eddie works. 

When Eddie finally, finally manages to strip them both down, Buck is lost, all thought swept away at the sight of Eddie bare before him. Before Eddie can find his way back, Buck is reaching for him, gentle fingers tracing soft skin that stretches over hard muscle, dipping into the divots of Eddie's abs before tickling back over his hips as Eddie crawls back up over him. Buck sighs into the feel of Eddie's lips trailing kisses back up to his mouth, whines softly at the feel of Eddie's skin against his own as Eddie blankets him once more, not a breath of space left between them once Eddie settles back in above him, petting gently through Buck's hair as he presses delicate kisses over the sensitive skin of Buck's face. For long moments, Buck lets Eddie play, gives him all the access he needs to explore, but when Eddie's mouth tickles over a particularly sensitive spot beneath Buck's eyelids, he can't help the way a quiet giggle bubbles out of him. It should be embarrassing—should leave him shying away—but he's not, can only smile bright and content, as Eddie shifts back just the tiniest bit, just enough to let his eyes trail over Buck's happy features, and then Eddie's smiling, too, and chuckling just a little, those eyes full of all that soft, hazy brightness Buck had never quite learned to read until this moment, and Buck is absolutely giddy with it when Eddie finally whispers "you're beautiful, sweetheart.”

There's so much behind it—Eddie's words so full of the delicate devotion he's shown Buck from their very beginning, and Buck can't quite help the way his smile turned to a quiet gasp that escapes him at the awe in Eddie's voice. Finds himself reaching up, tracing careful fingers over the frame of Eddie's face, letting his touch come to rest at the cut of his jaw. And then Buck's urging him closer with those gentle fingers, guiding Eddie in for a soft press of a kiss that doesn't go further, but lingers, the both of them breathing the same air for long moments after they part, and Buck lets his gaze wander over every delicate feature his eyes can reach.

When he meets Eddie's eyes, he feels flayed open—like Eddie can see every complicated part of him he tries his best to hide. “Make love to me,” Buck pleads, whisper quiet, and for a moment he feels silly and cliché. But Eddie's eyes only soften, a sweet adoration Buck knows well suddenly settling into a whole new context he'd once expected he could never have.

Eddie doesn't answer, really, not in words, but his eyes study Buck's features like he’s something precious, and he presses his body closer than Buck think should be possible, leaving every inch of Buck singing with a sweet pleasure unlike anything he's ever felt before because it's Eddie, and he thinks maybe Eddie's touch is everything he's been searching for.

Eddie dips in to kiss him, then. A sweet, searing kiss that's over too soon and has Buck whimpering as Eddie shifts to mouth at the curve of his neck. Buck hopes he might leave traces there, marks Buck might get to keep even after he leaves Eddie's bed.

“I'll give you anything you want, Buck,” Eddie promises, then. Whispered words he hides in the crook of Buck's neck that leave Buck gasping and clinging tighter. “Anything at all.”

"Eddie," Buck whines, and it's desperate. A sweet, delicate, broken sound that trips over his tongue and catches in his throat that has Eddie smiling against the curve of Buck's neck, and Buck whines again as his breath hitches. "Eddie, I want you. Please. Tell me-tell me you want me, too."

"Sweetheart," Eddie presses into Buck's skin, lets his lips form gentle, reassuring kisses that linger as he pulls back, just far enough to catch Buck's eye, lets the fingers of one hand stroke through Buck's hair and then trace delicately over the birthmark at his brow, as he studies Buck's face, "of course I want you. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

For a moment, Buck's quiet, trying his best to blink away the overwhelming emotion that settles over him at Eddie's words. But then he's reaching, sinking his own fingers back into Eddie's hair, hand cradling his neck. Then, near breathless, “How do you want me?”

“Forever.”

Make Me Write

[the-monkey-ruler]

Why is Wujing the most wishy washy when interpreting his design?

I think that in most cases he is both the easiest, and can be the hardest to interpret. Technically speaking, he is built like a man with mostly human features and can be interpreted as a normal human with the occasion of red hair and tinted skin but otherwise doesn’t need prosthetics like Bajie or faux fur like Wukong. Not to mention that because Wujing has the one of the least impact characteristic he is the most likely to be changed in personality depending on the medium. I have seen him being portrayed as a Gentle Giant with not much to say but always has a big heart, to a Raging Brute with a short temper but while emotional still tries to never give up, to even a Quiet Genius where his quiet nature comes from more of a quizzical point of view. Wujing in the story is shown to be thoughtful, caring, and ruthless, so any of these depictions wouldn't be inaccurate but rather a highlight of only one of these traits.

But design-wise, he could be considered the hardest as if accurately portrayed he would be nearly 12 feet tall, completely blue, and have a full red beard. None of these can be practically done and so most people settle with just making him a normal man with perhaps some monstrous features. I have seen the most in Japanese media that he is portrayed often as a kappa because these are popular river spirits and Wujing is a river spirit himself.

It really just depends if you’re watching a live-action TV show, which is more likely to use the more practical design, or if you’re watching a cartoon or animation that would benefit from the unique indifferent character choices. Depending on what the director wishes to portray Wujing will heavily influence his design. If he is to be seen as a Gentle Giant he might be given a more soft look, allowing the audience (perhaps aimed for children) to be more sympathetic. If he is seen as a Raging Brute he would be more intimidating in appearance whether human or demon. And if he were to be a Quiet Genius they would give him a more noble bearing like a scholar. You have to think more like a producer or a costume designer for a movie when it comes to where you want to put most of your effort into the prosthetics and fur costumes and at least have two characters with simple designs.

You see more in most cases for more long-running tv series or for more domestic movies there are human Wukong designs, mostly inspired by the beloved 1987. There are cases that which most of the cast can look more human as well, making Wujing stand out less. Some of these looks range from hiring tough intimidating men to older more soft spoken men depending on the character.

With Xiyouji movies there is a higher chance of Wujing being more detailed since it is a one-time production compared to TV shows where it has to be consistent. These are either full face makeup or full body paint and you have to see the dedication when it comes to putting on such details. A good example is how the 2014 Monkey King Wukong looks the most human out of the four as he is to be seen as a Gentle Giant, while in the second picture, Marble Mountain 2022 Wujing is given striking fish scale prosthetics as he is a Raging Brute in this movie. Demon Strike Back Wujing leans more to Raging Brute with his such temper hence his intimidating eyes and fish prosthetics, but he said the role by proving himself to be one of the most insightful and thoughtful characters in the movie as he is able to analyze his journeymen emotionally and mentally, giving sight of that Quiet Genius.

While in cartoon movies or television can be inspired by the live action, or wish to portray him more accurately. Even in animation, the 1986 is so popular that even when they can use a more accurate design, his human design is still seen! I believe this is because this is the softest version of Wujing that would give children that Gentle Giant persona that is most likely being portrayed.

But personally, I enjoy when production allows him to have a more monstrous form and allows him to finally look like a demon. We see this only in a few movies and shows but surprisingly it is increasingly popular in comics and video games. This could be allowing Wujing to be more of his Raging Brute persona but surprisingly many of these examples are Quiet Genius as well with Monkey King Reborn 2021, Saiyuki 2001, and Adventure through China Wujing all being seen as Geniuese in their own right despite their monstrous appearances. I would say this is a clever contradictory visualization to have their largest and most-human but still not member to be one of the smartest rather than having him play a Brute.

In any case, there are a lot of ways that people can utilize the beloved Wujing as because his character is one of the most subdued he is easy to play with. We have seen him from Gentle Giant to Ranging Brute to Quiet Genius to anything in between. Whether he is quizzical or thoughtful or just doesn't have anything to say at all he is always a delight to see and given the time he deserves to be fleshed out. I think that the greatest design for a Wujing would allow him to show his Gentle nature without erasing his Rage either. He is a man who is haunted by his past of having a single mistake ruining his life, and pushing to perform cannibalism to survive. But he is a kind man at heart and is shown to be a Thoughtful and Clever individual when he is given the spotlight allowing him to move past his rage and self-hatred to show his earnest feelings of wanting to be a better man. In any case a Wujing is loyal, earnest, and honest to a fault and those are consistent qualities that make him wonderful. Wujing isn't given a lot of screen time but I think that he has so much to offer from anguish, comfort, and philosophical discussions.

[pigeonclaw]

Honestly, I think Splashtail has a point. Nine lives is a messed up amount of time for leaders to stay in power. And StarClan sucks and makes harmful decisions all the time, so why should the Clans have to turn to them to make any choice? StarClan, who let Ashfur into heaven despite being guilty of conspiracy and attempted murder and not feeling sorry for it in the slightest. StarClan, who threw Juniperclaw into hell for making one choice that he thought was justified and then using the last moments of his life trying to atone for it. StarClan, who considered banishing a loyal medicine cat to hell for breaking a rule they encouraged her to break when she was young, despite living several years after that and making no other mistakes. Many other examples but those ones stick in my mind a lot.

I miss the older (OotS) concept of StarClan as just a thing that exists and cats wind up there for reasons unknown. But if the series isn't going to use that anymore and instead is going to use StarClan as a judge who makes you review your whole life to decide whether you belong in heaven or hell, then I'm going to criticize their actions. If they are such poor judges of character that they bless villains and punish the innocent by mistake, then they should not have any say in living Clan decisions!

[sheyshen]

got the shakes suddenly when i started drawing tonight and went "huh, y'know i had pancakes for dinner maybe my blood sugar just dropped and that's what's causing it" so i checked it and lower 70s, so ate some cereal and the shaking stopped soon after so hey.

about to head to bed so testing it now since it's been about an hour and it's at about 95 so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[potahun]

about 1141 flashback to itakura and haibara: mhmm ok ok ok ok this is how the sound of wind can still win.....;;;;;;

[thatone-churro]

told my professor i’ll totally be able to have a draft of this paper by tomorrow and now i have to actually meet with him tomorrow to show it but ive only got topic sentences for the rest of the paper barring four paragraphs so guess who’s probably gonna have dreams of an ominous raven that only chants “nevermore” when i ask it about my ex tonight

[hazardous-who]

I LOVE your fanfic "to loose is to gain" !! It reminds me of Killing Stalking. The vibes of two mentally ill people in a mindfuck toxic relationship.

NO, I DO NOT APPROVE THAT and I will never think that they cute together of course. But it's rare people writing about this sad reality involving shocking descriptions and disturbing content. You describe them perfectly and what I like is that you're not romantising them. 👍🏻

I'm going to read your new fanfic (⁠づ⁠￣⁠ ⁠³⁠￣⁠)⁠づ

I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far ! I'm a fan of darker written stories personally, and think portraying the different mentalities of how things can devolve is pretty important to consider rather than the straight dive into co-dependency or love that sometimes can be portrayed in some stories like this. Not everyone has the same reaction to things, some people freeze, some people fight- There's also the case where people adapt on the spot for the sheer sake of survival or to avoid any more pain then they're already experiencing right from the get go. I honestly want people to dislike my Obito. At the end of the day, different people do different things, but knowing where each person stands and thinks also helps you realize why they come to the responses they do- which is one of the main things I'm trying to achieve in my fic. I am rambling now. Also I've never personally read Killing Stalking, but I'll take that as a compliment ! Maybe ?? I'll assume it is ! Otherwise I hope you also enjoy my other fic, for it is WAY more lighthearted.