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callmeherry · 2 days ago

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Underlust reimagined

Tw: SA; Drug abuse; Child abuse; Violence; Suicide and attemped suicide; Misogyny and miscarriage. None of the topics will be discussed in detail and it will be needed to read between the lines to see them.

Intended for MATURE AUDIENCES

So, as many may know, Underlust was pretty much a +18 au for drawing nsfw of the characters, which there is nothing wrong exactly, BUT I actually think there was a lot of potential for this au that was just… Not used.

In my reimagined I intend to keep SOME elements but most of the stuff will be rewritten or just full on discarded.

Be mindful of the trigger warnings! I don't intend to go in depth on any of them but there will be mentions.

Anyway! Let 's begin!

Frisk:

Frisk is the protagonist of this story. They are 20 years old and was born with partial blindness, being able to see mostly blurry images when things are farther apart. Frisk grew up in an orphanage as their mom died at birth, their father fleeing once he heard. They were very much isolated from the other kids, mostly just reading alone as it was difficult to play with the others with their poor vision. That was, until they met Chara. The both of them quickly became friends. Chara always encouraged Frisk to not care that the others didn't want to hang out with them, they are better off without them. It was clear to both that they were soulmates, what kind it didn't matter to them. As long as they were together they were unstoppable… … When Frisk was 17, Chara took their own life. Frisk could never understand why. What happened? How could they not notice? If they noticed, maybe they could have done SOMETHING… But they didn't… They kept living, but the guilty never left them. They left the orphanage at 18, but life just got harder. All they could think about is how they weren't supposed to be doing this alone. So maybe… Would it be better to just follow their partner? Frisk climbed the mountain many said it was the end of any and all hope. And right when their body ached and they found the opening, they let all the weight of their body leave them, falling into the unknown. But instead of meeting their doom, they are saved by a tiny rose named Rosie. He helps them get up and when he learned about their poor sight made worse by the dim light, he latched himself on their shoulder to guide them through the catacombs. And so, our story officially begins. Frisk will start meeting every single one of the cast, and having in mind the guilt that followed them by not being able to save Chara, Frisk will do anything in their power to help them deal with their problems. While maybe, learning to deal with their own demons in the process…

And that's it for our protagonist! I think you guys can already tell the new direction this version of the story would take ^^

So before I tell you guys about the other character, I need to explain to you guys a bit of world building I've thought of!

World building:

The year is 20xx. Monsters have been trapped for thousands of years and hope has been glowing dimmer as time goes on. As so the children have been getting each passing day more and more rare. The king and the council would do their best to guide the kingdom, but after the death of the king's newborn he has fallen deep into a depression, being unable to actually make any calls. Leaving all the power to the council to call all the shots. The council, however, didn't quite have the people's best interest. Problems kept arising and each time with less and less answers. The council knew that if they wanted to stay with the power, they needed the population to focus on something else. And what better than a common enemy? They hit the most sensitive spot of the monsters, the lack of children. The biggest mystery they had without an answer, well, up until now. The council created a false answer, faking studies and data thanks to one of the members who happened to be the royal scientist, saying that the reason the monsters had such a low birth rate was because of monsters borns from two same gendered parents. They said, each time a monster was born from two monsters of the same gender, the offspring had a lower chance of giving birth. And generation and generation of this, piling up. The monsters got where they are now. The population was horrified, the lie was set. The council watched as they created an enemy the population could hate, and it wasn't them. Same gender pairs were fine just as long it was a fling, but couples were frown upon. The monsters already have such a lack of children! How could you have a partner with the same gender as you? Are you trying to have an offspring with even less of a chance of having future babies?? The underground kept growing and expanding, everything got more and more expensive and the monsters suffered. Everyday, madness and corruption invaded their souls, making them just a spitting image of the ones once were their enemies. Each day, they got more human.

Now that you all understand the world they live in, we can go over the rest of the characters ^^

Toriel:

Toriel, the queen of the underground. She once was one of the fiercest warriors known, not because of her attacks but because of the way she inspired all monsters. That was, until she gave birth to her kid, only for them to turn to dust in her arms. She felt like she failed everyone, not only her family, but her kingdom as well. She failed to give them an heir. She failed to give them hope of a future. The queen left the castle, too ashamed and hurt to continue with such responsibility. She moved to the ruins and opened a humble abode, where she would teach other mothers how to take care of their children. Helping them keep the most precious thing she lost. When Frisk meets her, their goal will be to help her understand that she is more than this horrible loss, and even though being a mother is amazing, she is still first and foremost a person. A person who also deserves love. Once they understand each other, Toriel explains to Frisk the rules of the world and gives them a striped shirt. Most monsters don't know what a human is but all monsters know that someone wearing a striped shirt is a kid. And children are extremely precious to all monsters. So Toriel hopes this will keep them safe.

Undyne:

Undyne is a soldier from the royal guard, she has been training to get in since she was little once she heard the horrible stories she heard about the war, wanting to make a difference. Unfortunately for her, the task was difficult. No matter how much she worked, how much effort she put into being better, her peers looked down at her. And now, a random skeleton comes from Snowding and suddenly he's the “talented prodigy” and the next big promise to make it to captain of the royal guard? Fuck no. So she works even harder than before, she needs to be the toughest soldier from the royal guard. She has to not show any defect. But that is difficult when on top of everything, she found herself taking a liking to the short yellow lizard who happens to be the royal scientist… She knows how frowned that would be. So she pushes these feelings aside… When Frisk meets her, they will help her see that she shouldn't hide any part of her because of others. That her feelings and not being strong all the time is what makes her… Her… Undyne will finally find someone she can open up to, be honest about her frustration and fears and not get judged because of it. A friend…

Alphys:

Alphys became the royal scientist a long time after the other one pretty much disappeared. No one knows what happened to him, he just never showed up again and it's as if no one wants to talk about him anymore. Either way, the position was open, and it stayed open for many years, only having a few occupants who didn't last long. Well, Alphys got the job! And she thinks she knows why no one wants to stay, as it is a lot of responsibility and a small pay grade… Which is odd… As she is pretty sure the previous scientist was well off… Anyway, the important thing is that SHE wasn't. It wasn't bad in any way, it was actually ok… But she felt small, not really appreciated monetarily nor socially. That is, until she received a proposition from a raggedy cat who also wanted a better life. He explained that they could team up, as the medicine Alphys can produce would be very appropriated by other kinds of people. Alphys knew it was wrong. And she refused, at first at least… Soon temptation became too much to avoid. Oh how she wished she had enough money for this nice shirt, oh how she wished she could have one of those fancy cars, oh how she wished she could go to this five star restaurant… “Just one time” She said. And then she wouldn't sell anything else. One time… Two times… Three times… She lost count by now. The guilt slowly faded away as she just got a nicer life. Yeah, she still hid it was her, the producer of the biggest dealer in hometown but she didn't care. She felt like she was finally doing something big! That is, until the numbers of deaths by overdose slowly start to rise among monsters. At first, she tried to ignore it. But as the numbers started to rise she just couldn't deny it anymore. It was her fault. She caused this. She IS causing it. And as much as she wanted to stop she just… Can't. She is just in too deep now, she can't stop. Yet she cries every night, telling herself how much of a bad person she is. This is all her fault. She hurts people. When Frisk meets her, they will help her see that there is still hope for her. That even though she did a bad thing she can still change! She can be a good person, if she just tries… They believe in her, maybe she can believe in herself, too…

Mettaton:

Mettaton’s story is pretty much the same as the canon Underlust. The hopeful ghost meets the royal scientist in the dump one day and she promises him a body. Mettaton becomes a star among monsters. But with light, darkness surrounds… The star was desired by those who watched him, but desire can become dangerous. A poison of entitlement and arrogance. So they took what they believed was their right. They broke the star… Mettaton was never the same after that. He asked Alphys to make his robot body less revealing, he hid himself from everyone, he could never look at himself in the mirror again. He knew what people said about him. How it was his fault that happened. That he was the one that showed himself and made them desire, and some days… He thought that they were right… Mettaton did his best to continue his show, to continue his dream. But was it really worth it? Sometimes he thought that wasn't the case… So every time he received those flowers, those cards, he cried. Hugging them close to his chest. Frisk knew from their skeleton friend the robot's story, and encouraged him to meet Mettaton. It was a slow process, a scary one, even. Mettaton was already so hurt, it was hard to believe the two of them were genuine. But Frisk helped him see that there were still good people in this underground. People that care about him. So he does his best to still have hope, him and the skeleton start hanging out more and more and even form a kind of partnership. It is still scary… Mettaton isn't sure if it will ever not be… But he has hope things will get better.

Papyrus & Sans:

The two brothers were sons of the previous royal scientist, W.D. Gaster. They were the result of an experiment to try and make children, unfortunately, Gaster deemed the experiment as too unstable and simply not worth the trouble. Either way, Sans and his younger brother were born from that. Any good parent would never say they have a favorite child, Gaster however, is not a good parent. He made it clear how much he believed his older son to be a failure, all stats measured as one… Now, Papyrus… Gaster had big dreams for Papyrus. It soon became obvious that the scientist would pour all his expectations and hopes into Papyrus while the older brother got all his frustrations and regrets. Papyrus was quickly put in training to become a royal guard, having taken special care so he would grow up to be a strong monster. And the younger brother took that to heart even after their father was gone. He trained and did his best, and suddenly everyone was counting on him. Even his brother. Sans more than anyone encouraged Papyrus, saying how it was obvious he would be the one to become leader of the royal guard. But Papyrus never wanted that… He never got the chance to choose what he wanted to be. His father was the one that told him he would be a soldier and then his brother encouraged him. And Papyrus just doesn't have the heart to tell his brother the truth… And even if he did… He still knows that being a soldier is the best way he can guarantee his brother is safe… To compensate for when they were children… And Papyrus couldn't protect him. Sans was very different when he was a kid, it is to be expected when one suffers so much on the hand of the one that was supposed to protect him. Yet despite everything he would smile at his brother and tell him everything would be ok. Papyrus remembers his brother looking at the clock and noticing the time. He was late… That was never good. He remembers Sans taking his hand and guiding him to his bedroom, helping Papyrus set into his bed, telling the younger one a bedtime story. He remembers both of them tense and scared. Sans patted his head, clinking their skulls together in a good night kiss. He remembers his brother pleading with Papyrus to promise to only open the door when Sans comes to get him. Papyrus promises, like he does every night. And he knows he will regret it in the morning. Sans smiles, getting up and walking towards the door, closing it behind him and locking it up. The key being slided from under the door so only Papyrus can get it… … He wishes he didn't remember the sounds every time he goes to bed… So Papyrus protects his brother. He trains. He gets stronger. And one day, he will make up to him, he will be able to tell him he is sorry for everything… Sans was very different when he was a kid. Quiet, weak, always wearing hoodies. He needed to, his father demanded him to hide the marks of hits he himself left on his bones. Sans always thought it would be easier to just not hit him but oh well… No matter what he did, it seemed like nothing was enough. And he never told anyone. Because he was scared. Every goddamn night he came late Sans just wished he didn't come home at all… It was never the case though…

Some nights he just got yelled at, while others… He is broken down to his core, left alone to pick up the pieces… He could never understand how his own father could do such things, but as he himself said, Sans was just property. He was just meant for that. To be used and someday he will be discarted… One day, he got too scared as he heard the door open. The thought of the many hands, digging, staining his bones. He just couldn't. So he ran to his only friend. But the next day, he knew he had messed up, he had left Papyrus alone with him. So he went back, and for the first time, his father welcomed him with warmth in his voice. “I knew you would be back…” He whispered in his ear. … Next time Papyrus wasn't home. Sans paid the price for what he did… But this time, it was too much for him to handle when he came back to his own body. He broke down in front of a teacher, told her everything. He wished he didn't. Gaster took him to the lab one day, told he had found out, and told Sans… His teacher's dust was in his hands. And now, he would join her. When Sans felt his neck vertebrates being squeezed and twisted, close to snapping. He snapped instead. The next thing he remembers is the door opening, the king Asgore looking at his crying form and a pile of dust in front of him. So, Sans decided to live his life differently when he grew up. He wore whatever he wanted, he was loud, flirted. He wanted to be perceived, he knew the way he acted made him desirable, enough to make people of the bar he attended to make a bet to see whoever could “score him”. And he just didn't. Care. Because now, he was strong enough to be able to deny them, and to hurt them if he wanted. Everytime he told someone off it was… Cathartic… He doesn't care that he's putting himself in dangerous situations on purpose. He doesn't care about the names people gave him. He would continue partying and drinking and taking as many pills as it takes to maybe, just maybe the voices in his ear telling him that his father was right about him will finally shut up. Well, whenever Frisk comes around, they will help Papyrus to be true to himself, help him see that as honorable and genuine his reasons are, he can't allow himself to suffer just for the sake of others. He is stronger when he is happy with himself, not when he is miserable. While with Sans… Well, he is just not ready to start any healing process, and Frisk doesn't push him. But he does appreciate them helping his brother, thanking them to help him see how much strain Papyrus was putting on himself.

Grillby:

Grillby is the owner of a very famous club in Snowding. He spent his whole life watching people around him destroy themselves and just not listening to him when he tried to help. And things just get worse when he develops feelings for his favorite patreon and best friend. He does his best to protect him, but he knows he can't. Grillby never fully committed, he was never fully truthful with himself. The fire elemental would put on a mask, showing everyone how sturdy and capable he was, but he knows it isn't true. But he also feels he is incapable of doing anything. How could just one monster change anything in this world? It's impossible. So he just sits back from behind the bar, watching and never interacting. Frisk however, helps him see that is not true, yes, one monster can't change the world, but he doesn't need to. If he is able to change a single thing, as small as it is, it will all be worth it.

Asgore:

The king consumed by grief and guilt. He is unable to rule, unable to do anything. That is, until he found that small skeleton, shaking and scared. Once the king found out the horrible things his previous scientist did he was enraged. After a long time he finally made all remember why he was the king. W.D. Gaster is to be forgotten. His name erased from their history, left to rot on his insignificance. Obviously, the other members of the council didn't understand, they questioned him, where even was the scientist anyway? But the king was firm. And soon, they learned not to question. Asgore adopted the young skeleton, together with his younger brother. He did his best to accommodate them despite everything. Even if he felt inadequate to be any kind of father figure… It was a hard process, both kids were fragile, especially the older one, but he did his best. And they both grew up. Once they were old enough to leave, they did. They still call him from time to time, his older one visiting him frequently thanks to his “shortcuts”, and he couldn't love them more… But he knew deep down they weren't really his kids… His kid died at birth… Asgore he… The skeletons didn't come from his soul… They are not truly his, and he could never truly be their father... Right? And now, after everything, they have word that a human has fallen into the underground. The council want to use their soul so king Asgore could have an actual heir. A being half human and half monster, the most powerful being that has ever been seen, perhaps strong enough to break the barrier keeping them underground. And the king is conflicted, he is supposed to do what is best for his people, and a monarch would bring hope to his citizens… But he doesn't want to take the human's soul… He is lost. He is alone. He is hopeless. And he just doesn't know what to do…

The end:

When it is time to face the king, Frisk and Rosie go on their own, ready for whatever the king decides is the right thing. When they arrive, they talk. The king offers them tea and brings them to the garden of roses, telling both about his late child. Frisk also tells him about their late friend, being empathetic with the king's pain. They explain that they were ready for it to be over, but it wasn't. They were here, and if their life could serve for something, they would like to be for something good like bringing hope for the people, and if that was the case, they would happily die… But at this point, Toriel; Papyrus; Mettaton; Undyne and Alphys arrive. They confront the king and the human, explaining how important they were for them, and how much Frisk helped them be true to themselves. Telling both how much more important the human's life is than what they give themselves credit for. The king was conflicted still, but at this point Sans arrives. He tells Asgore how the human managed to give hope for someone who didn't want it. And he asks his father to please, don't listen to the council. Spare the human's life. With that, Asgore decides it. Frisk life is too valuable to be lost by a foolish dream.

Everyone is happy, hugging the human and singing them praises. But at this point, the members of the council arrive, they tell the king they knew he would disappoint them. The guards move, circling the group. Asgore and Toriel attempt to call them off but they don't listen. They belong to the council for some time now. The whole group is captured and tossed into the dungeon, just until the council decides what to do with the human soul. But, Rosie the rose finally lets go of Frisk's arm, promising he would get help. He slips between the cracks of the stone walls, his soul full of the hope the others had for him. And when the council returns, ready to take Frisk's soul, the castle is invaded. Led by Rosie, all the other monsters the human helped came to everyone's rescue. They managed to overthrow the council, freeing the captured monsters and human. The king and queen made a formal speech, thanking Frisk for their kindness and for giving them all hope. Weeks after. Life still wasn't perfect, but it was a little better. Monster were happier and now with the queen back, life conditions were better. Alphys working on another way to break the barrier when she and Undyne find out they are carrying a souling. Of course, it felt obvious now. Monsters souls are made from hope, so when the parents had so little hope to give, they were unable to create a child… But having the answer for it didn't mean it would be able to be fixed out of nowhere, but it was a start. A start of something new. Something beautiful. Frisk knew it. And they would do their best to help everyone along the way, and everyone would be there to help them. They can't help but smile, maybe Chara would be proud of them… Either way, no matter how hard it would be, they had hope. Things will get better.

Comments and Funfacts:

I imagine Papyrus and Mettaton’s relationship on this reimagine to be queerplatonic! Papyrus being aroace

My main goal with Mettaton and Sans’s storyline is so that they would parallel each other, of how that kind of trauma could make the victim respond and the difference between healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms (Having a support system vs abusing narcotic substances)

Where Frisk fell, there would be many tombs from other humans, and the only reason they survived was because Rosie healed them

Toriel and Asgore were never really in love, they had a lot of care for each other but not in a romantic sense, so when Toriel returns to be the queen they are also platonic

Alphys was Sans's dealer and they would get into an argument later in the story when she cuts him off

And I think that's it! This was a lot so thank you if you read this far! ^^ If you have any questions please feel free to ask them and I'll do my best to answer them!

#fanart #digital #digital art #art #undertale #sans #alternate universe #sansby #grillby (undertale)#sans au #sans x grillby #alphys #undyne #frisk au #underlust #alphyne #underlust reimagined #asgore dreemurr

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wisteria-lodge · 1 day ago

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A question I have always had about Snape's Classes is why they seem to be so hard. Because it seems to be that if you are following the instructions that Snape writes on the board (as I'm pretty sure he does but I could be wrong?) then you shouldn't have too much trouble.

Like I kinda have to assume it is Snape himself making his class harder for kids with his attitude. His constant targeting of Harry just distracts him and makes him not want to pay attention, and he's only able to excel when he doesn't realize he's following Snape's instructions. And his constant bullying of Neville seems to keep him from being able to do anything in his class correctly.

But I might be underestimating how hard this class is.

My Teacher!Snape breakdown ended up mostly focusing on how he treats his students in the context of his job, and I think you've nailed down the main problems of the instruction part of it.

Snape is a very hands-off teacher. He writes the ingredient list + instructions on the board, and then only steps in when someone is making a mistake (or ~occasionally~ when he wants to point what a super duper good job Draco is doing, like he does during the first potion class in Book 1.) In Book 5, which goes into his actual instruction style the *most,* he'll occasionally call out what your potion should look like / what you should be doing to your potion now in terms of timing.

“A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion,” called Snape, with ten minutes left to go."

He basically runs his classes like the Great British Bake Off, is what I'm saying.

So why is Potions a "hard" class?

1. Snape gives a LOT of homework

Snape had given them so much homework, Harry thought he was likely to be in the sixth year before he finished it - CoS

His teachers at Hogwarts had given him a lot of holiday work. One of the essays, a particularly nasty one about shrinking potions, was for Harry’s least favorite teacher, Professor Snape - PoA

Harry sat finishing a nasty essay on Undetectable Poisons for Snape - PoA

This includes EXTRA homework if you don't do well in class:

“You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?” “Yes,” said Harry furiously. Snape had already given them homework, and he had Quidditch practice this evening - OotP

Snape also seems like a pretty mean grader who is looking for a VERY specific answer.

Ron was now struggling to finish a viciously difficult essay for Snape that Harry and Hermione had already completed. Harry fully expected to receive low marks on his, because he had disagreed with Snape on the best way to tackle dementors - HBP

He also absolutely seems the type to throw some really mean pop-quizzes at you:

They had got as far as agreeing that [the assignment]was likely to be something extremely difficult, just to catch them off guard after a two-month holiday - OotP

2. Snape is a very stressful person to be around

Harry (and Neville) do a MUCH better job at potions when Snape is just not physically there.

Compared to what [Harry] usually had to endure from Snape in the way of taunts and snide remarks, he found the new [silent treatment] approach something of an improvement and was pleased to find that when left well alone, he was able to concoct an Invigoration Draught quite easily. - HBP

With Snape absent from the [OWL testing] proceedings he found that he was much more relaxed than he usually was while making potions. Neville, who was sitting very near Harry, also looked happier than Harry had ever seen him during a Potions class. - OotP

(and Harry does indeed score an E on his Potion OWL, although he does attribute this partly to the long answer portion being ~specifically~ about the effects of Polyjuice)

[Harry] was still having difficulty with nonverbal spells, something Snape had been quick to comment on in every D.A.D.A. class. On the other hand, the Prince had proved a much more effective teacher than Snape so far.

oh the irony. Snape is a MUCH better textbook writer than he is a teacher.

Once Snape gets out of his way, Harry's pretty GOOD at potions. Snape's theory that Harry lacks "subtlety" and doesn't understand "fine distinctions" just - doesn't seem to be true.

3. Teaching Method

Snape's focus on exactness, "fiddly" instructions, cutting roots to exactly uniform sizes, perfectly timing heat fluctuations and stirring pattens - is probably not a good fit for Harry specifically. He very much does read as ADHD to me, and he's already got a large chunk of his working memory taken up with just - dealing with Snape the human being (and also Malfoy.) He forgets steps, and that makes sense. Harry has a few "difficulty concentrating" beats and one "difficulty seeing the board" beat.

According to Slughorn, having a more "intuitive" approach to Potions is indeed a thing, and probably a better match for Harry specifically. It also seems to be more how SNAPE (or at least the Half-Blood Prince) thinks about potions during his free time. It's the difference between one cook being incredibly exact about ingredients, and another talking about "a pinch" "seasoning to taste" "until it looks ready."

The person who seems to ACTUALLY gel with Snape's teaching style the most is... Hermione.

“All we’d need would be some Polyjuice Potion.” “What’s that?” said Ron and Harry together. “Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago —” “D’you think we’ve got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?” muttered Ron. - CoS

Harry basically has to charm his way into a good grade during Slughorn's antidote lesson - because even though Snape spent the entire fall semester of Fourth Year covering antidotes - Harry has ZERO idea how to backwards-engineer a poison and synthesize one. But Hermione knows exactly what to do.

She was now decanting the mysteriously separated ingredients of her poison into ten different crystal phials. More to avoid watching this irritating sight than anything else, Harry bent over the Half-Blood Prince’s book and turned a few pages with unnecessary force. - HBP

#hp #severus snape #harry james potter #hermione granger #snapes teaching style

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morganmnemonic · 15 hours ago

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I must confess that I read the Gregor the Overlander series as a kid, and those books, despite not being very well written, permanently rewired my brain to make it 10000% more difficult to ignore that children should not be fighting wars. I've never been the same since.

And with world trigger, you do have to ignore it a bit. The plot collapses under its own weight if you don't. If you take the time to think about how they are sending a thirteen-year-old to a hostile country as part of a search and rescue team, that suddenly becomes the most important thing going on, and it shouldn't be. There are so many other interesting things going on. I am ignoring the child soldiers to the best of my ability.

The best of my ability cracks a bit at yuma. There's a scene where he's talking about how great the training rooms are for offering the opportunity to fight where no one really has to get hurt. And it's just like. Buddy. my guy. little man. What is the alternative you've been living with until now? But I can see it, how without the training rooms and without bailout even friendly sparing could be intrinsically risky. If you send a barrage of bullets at someone and the first bullet breaks their trion relay system, suddenly there's a lot of bullets heading towards their fleshy body.

Even if we are saying the problem with this isn't that yuma was no older 13 when he almost died and then took up the war effort that his father left behind, he's undoubtably lived a difficult life. He has a lot of skill, but it comes from lessons he's learned the hard way, and near brushes with death.

Spending time on earth Is taking it easy compared to what he's used to. Yes, there are border agents who know what it's like to fight a war, to have lives in your hands, to kill or die, to have your back to a wall until one of your friends becomes a black trigger as a last ditch attempt. But I think that until the large scale invasion arc, a lot of the newer border agents simply didn't have that experience. Border puts kids on the front lines, but it keeps them physically safe in the process (gnawing my arm off about them sending kids on the away mission. Its Fine. I'm ignoring it.) Ko, Kage, and Midorikawa are all skilled fighters, but I don't get the impression that any of them have ever killed someone. For them, fighting is fun, its training, its defending the city, its a job. It isn't looking someone in the eye and knowing that the only way for you to survive is for them to die. And I think Yuma is really enjoying getting adopted into that culture. He hasn't killed anyone either since he got to earth. I fully believe that he's killed before, and that this is a nice change of pace for him. That's all i meant by him having a good time in border.

About Mikumo. I haven't been giving his accomplishments a lot of attention, because the thing about this dynamic that makes me feral isn't the depths of kuga's loyalty, but the the fact that I'm 99% sure that Mikumo has no concept of how deep kuga's loyalty runs. He's blind to all the ways that he's earned it, and so it just won't occur to him that when yuma says "I would do anything my captain asked me to." he really means it. why would he mean it?

But Yuma knows exactly who Osamu is. he Knows. A side effect that lets you know when people are lying is crazy. Most people can only ever guess, have to take a leap in the dark every time they choose to trust, and yuma just Knows. And Osamu backs up his words with action time and time again.

As an audience member, i think a turn to evil would be a betrayal of Mikumo's character. There's a lot he'd do, if backed into a corner. I think, if pushed he'd take hostages, or do a bit of blackmail, or even kill someone, but only to save the life of someone else. Only if he earnestly believed that it was the right thing to do, and would help more people in the long run. Villainy doesn't suit him, and would be such an incredibly unsatisfying resolution to his character arc. With how the story is set up, if he ever decides to start a war with border's management, I expect him to be completely in the right for it.

rewatching World Trigger. I forgot how gay it was. Osamu straight up says "hey Yuma. I know that we've only known you for like five days, but I can't help but notice that you aren't doing anything with your life right now. Mind if I borrow it for a bit?"

And then Yuma responds with "while its true that we've only know each other for like five days, your kind yet stubborn nature has compelled me. Sure. Why not? From this moment on my life is yours to do whatever you want with. One condition, though. You have to be my boss" and then throughout the story he occasionally makes these little remarks like "I'd do anything my captain (osamu) asked me to."

Like bro what? I really don't think that Osamu fully realizes the weight of the loyalty he somehow managed to earn from Yuma. I don't think he could realize it. From his perspective he cringefailed his way into b rank while Yuma did all the work. "And now Yuma would kill or die for me" is just not a conclusion that would ever occur to Osamu based on the avaliable evidence.

And like, what's going on here from Yuma's perspective? I get that he was a man on the brink when the story started, pursuing a sincerely suicidal plan, and then said plan failed and he was left with absolutely nothing, but I still feel like there has to be more going on here. He decided that he would follow Osamu through hell and back the very same minute that Osamu asked anything of him at all.

It's like, combat is all Yuma has ever known. He doesn't see any future for himself at all, but he especially can't imagine a peaceful one. But he's not a bad kid. He doesn't go out of his way to hurt people. Osamu has proven to be a pretty decent person, willing to sacrifice himself to save the lives of relative strangers. Maybe, the way Yuma sees it, yeah he's a weapon, but if he follows Osamu at least he'll be a weapon pointed in the right direction. He'll fight because it's all he knows how to do, but osamu would only ever ask him to fight for worthy causes. Y'know?

Anyway. The point is that Yuma accepted helping Osamu as his new purpose in life after knowing him for less than a week, and that's A Lot, no matter how you look at it.

#world trigger #Honestly same #I just like to argue #To see things from angles I might not have considered before #about 57 people total have watched/read this story #in the english speaking world anyway. I hear its more popular in japan #And yet for me its the only Manga that I'm still keeping up with #its so good #I know its been said before but it really does have all the advantages of a sports anime #a large cast of fleshed out characters with their own motivations #To the point where even when they are opposing the main characters you can't help but root for them a bit #except the sport is urban warfare #and every once in a while they all team up to fight a giant robot and you get to see the side characters win and kick ass #but not to the detriment of the mcs #Its all so well thought out #the characters aren't just there to fill space #they've got their own thing going on that impacts how they interact with the world #like people do #my rambles

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habaritess · 2 days ago

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CarmyxTherapy,

"Carmy should be in therapy, not dating"

This is something that I’ve seen in many of the controversies surrounding The Bear. It’s an argument that I’ve find hard to wrap my mind around because, who, in terms of main characters in The Bear, does not have issues within them that could make them a difficult partner? I see so many people say that Carmy should be in therapy and not date, but never say the same thing about a particularly loose canon of a character like Richie. In my time on Reddit and many other online areas who openly hate sydcarmy, I never see them speak on Richie's character needing therapy. Richie’s went on dates and is now potentially being linked with Jessica and still I have not seen anyone say he needs to be in therapy. Trainwreck Richie. Richie who, not so long ago, accused one of his coworkers of doing sexual favors for a good review. That Richie. But all I see in those carmyxtherapy circles is nothing but praise of his potential match with Jessica. So why the difference with Carmy when he is nowhere as problematic as Richie is?

And let’s talk about therapy being used as the be all, end all. Like as if people go to therapy and automatically come out of it as a person who has completely overcome their issues and is no longer problematic. That is not how it works. Therapy can help in many ways and can even be transformative with some, but it’s not usually something you go to for 3 months and come back as a different person. Plenty of people have been in therapy for years and, get this, still have issues. For many people, therapy is the start of confronting many issues and those confrontations can actually cause people to regress. Recovery is not linear, it is a zig zagged line. Carmy being in therapy, isn’t going to disappear all of his issues. Does he need it? Hell yeah! There are a lot of things he needs to confront and therapy would be one of the ways to do it. But do I think that he needs to do therapy before being in a relationship? Hell no. Because therapy doesn’t fix you. It can help get you to a better place if you are mentally open to working with it, but it does not fix you. Making this a solution to Carmy' problems is lazy.

Then we have the Sydney-deserves-better crew. I have no issues with this. People have their reasons. Hell they could simply just not like Carmy and that is still perfectly fine, or they think other characters fit with her better. All good.

The only thing I would push back on is the idea that it’s wrong for Carmy and Sydney to get together. The usual argument will list Carmy issues and needing therapy first, and some will list how Carmy treated Claire and how they don’t want that for Sydney.

First point. Carmy is wrong for Sydney because he has too many issues. I disagree vehemently with this. Carmy has shown, time and time again, that he has the characteristics of a person who is stable and even a great catch. That most important characteristic being that he not only apologizes when he is in the wrong, but he can recognise when he goes too far and actively tries to change it. Do you know how many people, even people who appear to be well adjusted, hate apologizing and can’t recognize their mistakes? Far too many, while Carmy not only acknowledges his fk-ups, but also tells Sydney if he ever is doing something she doesn’t like, to make sure to tell him. Being able to openly criticize your partner, especially as a woman to a man, and not have to worry about him giving you backlash for it, is an amazing thing.

Carmy is flawed, but he got a lot of things going for him. He believes in talking it out. Whenever something is going wrong between them, he gives Sydney the floor to speak out about it. He isn’t afraid to say sorry. He is constantly working on himself. He has a good heart. He tries not to be an asshole. He wants to know everything about the person he loves. He actively tries to learn more about Sydney. Sydney can talk to Carmy about anything and he listens AND gives his input. He wants to make her happy. The main reason he is trying to get a star for the restaurant was for Sydney. He doesn’t have anger issues. Marcus broke his phone trying to toss it to him and the dude took it in stride. Didn’t even miss a beat. Mind you, I don’t have anger issues and Marcus would have heard a little thing or two for that one.

He isn’t toxic towards her. He doesn’t start fights with Sydney just because. He doesn’t put her down. He doesn’t try to manipulate her into doing what he wants. He doesn’t try to dominate Sydney. He doesn’t pressure her. He could have easily been annoying and repeatedly asking Sydney about when she was going to sign the partnership agreement and trying to guilt trip her into doing so, but he doesn’t.. He brought it up once, just to inform her about it, and never brought it up again. In comparison, look at how Chef Adam reacted when Sydney turned the offer down. Straight up started insulting her, gave her attitude, made her feel like she was being stupid.

He doesn’t lie to her. He doesn’t talk her ear off while ignoring what she has to say. When it’s just the two of them, they are at peace. No arguing, no yelling, no passive aggressive behavior, no snarky comments, they are actually having a dialogue with one another, getting each other's input and trying each other their suggestions. But you got some people saying that Carmy is too unstable to be in a relationship. Unstable where? Carmy is actually a very remarkably well adjusted human being, despite his background.

I’ve seen people point out how Carmy was with Claire as to why it shouldn’t happen because Carmy was a bad partner to her, but I will die on this hill that it was Claire’s doing that made it bad. Claire deserves a good 80% of that blame because Carmy tried to avoid it and never would have gone out with her if she didn’t force him into her life than guilt tripped him to hanging out. If Claire was a man, most people would have seen her actions for what it was. Carmy's biggest flaw in all of this was that he should have been upfront about his feelings after she contacted him after the fake number incident rather than going along with it, but I went into detail already on why he did that, so I'll just link it here.

Carmy respects women. He listens to the women around him. He has no issues being told what to do by them. Carmy doesn’t talk about women like a piece of meat. He was disgusted hearing his brother and Richie talking about Claire’s body. He told off Richie when he called Sydney “sweetheart” when they first met up…

But no, Carmy shouldn’t date. Carmy wouldn’t make a good partner. All Carmy needs is therapy. It makes no sense. I can never take this criticism of Carmy character seriously because he honestly just acts like a normal human being most of the time. Not someone so unstable that they shouldn’t date. Dude is going to be a good boyfriend to Sydney. Probably even a great one.

@endlesslyhyperfixating

#carmy berzatto #the bear #the bear fx #sydcarmy #sydney adamu #the bear season 4 #carmy x claire #carmy x sydney

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uniquethingtastemaker · 2 days ago

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I updated Floyd's Dreaming of You comments in the Update Masterlist for the Dreaming of You Series!

It went from... I don't think I saved what I had, but I remember it said something like "He missed you and it shows." It had a little description and some comments to a sophisticated and thought-out summary. It's the closest to an actual summary than any of the others, surprisingly. This is the Updated Version:

"After falling in love with you in the real world, the line between reality and dream blurs for Floyd. Things take an uncanny and disturbing turn in his relationship, and he freaks out. He tries everything to bring you back to your usual self, but nothing works… He’s never been that skilled with the emotional stuff. That was always your job. Now, you’re not the same, and he can’t ask for help. He forces himself to leave before the situation gets worse. It seems like you’re a lost cause… He kinda hates you, but also misses you a lot. When you meet him in the sea, all he wants to do is get you away from him. Floyd doesn’t trust himself to not accidentally hurt you again…… (that was a noice summary on my part) Original Little Mermaid reference. Floyd gets ADHD meds and uses his newfound powers for chaos. Everyone should watch out, because he’s become consistently smarter. My second favorite is Azul. Although Jade is beyond exceptional."

Very exciting! Floyd lovers, get ready! I finally figured out how to write him in a way that makes me feel good and is in character. He confused me for a long time. However, I pieced together what my issue was and how to resolve it.

It felt like Floyd didn't care about other people, because he didn't think about others before he acted. The problem was that I knew Floyd did care about people, like Jade and Azul. There were certain moments where it showed, like whenever Azul was sinking into darkness at the end of his dream. Floyd was panicking and trying to get him out, so he does care. It's just that his actions don't usually show it, since he doesn't consider how he affects others.

That's my biggest pet peeve. Floyd doesn't listen to anybody, including those he cares about. You also can't force someone to listen, either, so if he's not willing, he won't. Therefore, in his current state, I couldn't see him being a reliable, good, or healthy partner. You can have someone unpredictable and fun, while still listening to you. Some people might find a different way to handle this issue, but I decided to have Reader give him ADHD meds. You take one glance at the man and can tell he has severe ADHD.

As someone with ADHD, I understand the difficulty and symptoms that he has. If anxiety weren't a huge factor, I probably wouldn't care about others' reactions to me either, especially if I had people who supported me no matter what. Floyd was also the spoiled/favorite child, so I don't think people had a fundamental issue with it. They just learned how to navigate around it. Therefore, he doesn't see anything wrong with his behavior and how it affects others. That implies he doesn't have an intrinsic drive to change it. Obviously, his stance could easily change if he met someone he was dedicated to, but I imagine it would be extremely irritating, frustrating, and distressing to try to change it. That's how I would feel. It's also different from challenging and interesting. Floyd challenges people for fun... It's hard to explain, but trying to work on something more difficult, like a fundamental aspect where you don't get dopamine from it, is painful. If I weren't forced to do it, I would quit because it's too hard. He lived without changing that part of himself, so he'd probably take the easy solution, which is to leave. Again, I would, too. Therefore, taking an easier route, like ADHD meds, would help a lot.

I'm taking from my own experience, but medication changed my life. I could think and be myself while doing tasks I usually wouldn't be interested in. It was great! It also freed up space in my mind to think about other people. I was getting what I needed, dopamine, so I didn't have to worry about myself all the time. I think it would be the same thing with Floyd, so that's what I'm doing.

What do you think? If you have ADHD, do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst x reader #fanfic update #author's note #behind the scenes #floyd leech #twst floyd #twst jade #jade leech #azul ashengrotto #twst azul #octavinelle #dreaming of you #dreaming of you series

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the-immortal-restless · 2 days ago

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Where the heck did that come from?

Lavashipping fanfic -

Important details: Transmasc and indian/asian mix kai, blasian cole, shaky plot that makes sense, set in a time that hasn't past in ninjago canon aka post merge and everyone lives at the monastery including jay but excluding arin who lives (nearby) with his parents.

This is taking place about 10 months after they defeat thunderfang and it relies on suspension of disbelief because they haven't had big bads since thunderfang. Cause kai is pregnant i dont feel like figuring out the logistics of how that baby survives their fight scenes

Cryptic pregnancy for fun

Based on this video by @arttrashking about @quesocheeso 's 3am au

thank you to @goldentigereyemania for giving me a burst of motivation for the very end!

Let me know if you want more about this! I really like the ending!

–

Kai had a problem.

It had been 10 months since they’d defeated ThunderFang. They hadn't had any major villains in a while, thank FSM. Kai had been busy though, mostly trying to help Nya jog Jay's memories or help Lloyd try to figure out what to do about Arin, who seemed determined to help Lord Ras.

Finding Arin was proving to be difficult…

He had been having incredibly bad cramps all morning. These were beyond normal cramps during his period but he was kind of assuming that was because he had been so stressed these past months due to Nya being stressed over Jay’s amnesia.

He didn’t even realize until two weeks ago that he had gained 8 pounds and his stomach had bloated a bit. He’d been having intense heartburn lately and really bad nausea. He’d considered going to zane to make sure it wasn't anything bad. But he didn't want to take his attention away from more pressing matters. Like Jay’s memory, or finding arin.

Kai hated seeing Nya this way. No matter how much he masked his concern with tough confidence, he was a worrier.

One of these intense cramps came as he was trying to drink a glass of water.

Unfortunately for the skin of his hands, Kai was stronger than a glass cup and the glass shattered in his grip. His hand was immediately lacerated by the shards and he groaned as blood seeped around the shards.

Both Nya and Zane’s heads snap toward Kai at the sound of shattering glass. Both of them look shocked, concerned, and worried about their friend’s sudden show of immense strength.

“Kai…” Nya spoke in a gentle and evidently worried about her older brother.

“Yeah I think I’m having just some bad cramps, I'm long overdue for a period,” Kai responded. “Though I suppose I'm going to need some bandages now.”

“Even late periods are not supposed to hurt enough that you break glassware because of the pain. Follow me to the medical bay and we can run a routine scan.” Zane stepped toward Kai with Nya standing to follow. “I’ll come with,” She said quickly.

“Fine, but it better not take too long. I wanted to go to the amusement park with you and Jay,” Kai said as they walked down the hallways towards the medical bay.

Zane helped Kai onto the hospital bed so he could sit on the end of it.

Another cramp hit Kai pretty hard and he grabbed the bed railings and Kai made a pained noise as he actually bent the bedrail slightly. Nya stood at his other side and placed a hand on his shoulder as he began to breathe heavier.

Zane scans over Kai’s body before humming quizzically.

“Kai, were you aware you were pregnant?”

Both Kai and Nya freeze up in pure shock before they both look at him and shout; ”WHAT”

“Yes, you are, in fact, in active labor. Your so-called ‘cramps’ are actually contractions.”

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I’M PREGNANT?!” Kai shouted worriedly

“I SECOND THAT?” Nya says only slightly less loud than Kai had been. “How?!”

Zane sighed before using his internal systems to contact P.I.X.A.L to let her know the situation and request her assistance.

“Children are conceived through–” “I KNOW HOW CHILDREN ARE MADE!” Nya shouts back

Another contraction hits Kai like a molotov cocktail hits a building. Hard.

Kai wailed quietly as a feeling of tightness overtook his abdomen. “Can we talk about this another time?!” Kai begged as a painful sensation overtook his lower regions.

“I agree that you both could continue this discussion at a later time.”

Nya makes a noise of hesitation before agreeing and helping Kai scoot back and properly lay against the hospital bed. “I’ve already contacted P.I.X.A.L., she should be here shortly to aid in delivery.”

“Can you contact Cole aswell.”

“What? Why Cole?!” Nya asked with an accusatory tone.

“I’ve already done so. Though he is currently on a mission with Lloyd, he will likely be unable to arrive in time.”

P.I.X.A.L. arrived at that very moment, as if the situation could get more chaotic. “I am here to aid in this endeavor.”

“Welcome to my personal hell,” Kai whined as he gripped the bedrail.

P.I.X.A.L. hums before she walks over to Kai’s right side and does her own scan of his biometrics.

“Nya could you go grab something else for Kai to wear, preferably something open to allow the baby to come out,” P.I.X.A.L. suggested as she placed the back of her index and middle finger to Kai’s forehead.

Nya nodded with a bit of a shocked and worried expression before looking to Kai for reassurance, of which he quickly put on a brave face and nodded.

“Has his water broken yet?” She asks as she places the electrode stickers to his chest.

“Not to my knowledge” Zane answers

“I think it might have broken last night. I thought I was sweating. It was really hot last night.”

“Well at least we don't have to worry about that” P.I.X.A.L. said, trying to be somewhat positive about the strange situation.

After a long time Nya came back, holding one of Kai’s hanfu style robes. P.I.X.A.L. helped Kai sit up and he changed into the robe. “How on earth am I pregnant? Should my stomach be much bigger?”

“It is very likely you are experiencing a cryptic pregnancy. It is roughly one in a million. But it is possible,” Zane adds, “I need to attach an IV.”

“Go ahead” Kai says casually, “Great so I just happen to be one in a million.”

Zane sticks the small needle into the back of Kai’s hand. Kai laid back against the bed his temperature rising, thought he barely noticed, he was the master of fucking fire, a little fever wouldn’t hurt him.

Kai was trying to stay calm as P.I.X.A.L. guided him through starting to push, making sure that he wasn't pushing unless he felt a contraction. It was necessarily a proven method of preventing tearing, but she had heard of many, many cases where it had helped more.

Nya stood on Kai’s left side while Zane stood on his right, monitoring his vitals closely.

After several long and painful hours of pushing, a sharp cry rang out through the medical bay’s room P.I.X.A.L. announced, “It’s a girl!”

Kai was breathing hard, the pain beginning to subside, leaving only a burning below his waist.

“I have a daughter?” Kai said with a softer tone than usual, he always had a soft spot for kids. Maybe that's why he took in Lloyd so quickly.

P.I.X.A.L. wrapped the baby in a soft red blanket, using the sensors in her body to weigh the baby girl as she did so, 6.53 lbs. P.I.X.A.L. took notes of the baby’s vitals, noting that she was rather healthy. P.I.X.A.L. handed over the newborn baby girl to Kai.

Kai looked over at his baby girl. She had a darker tone to her skin, darker than Kai, but not quite as dark as Kai, though her hair was an inky black just like the master of earth. She was a little smaller than most babies, being only roughly 5 pounds by his guess.

“Nine months in my womb makin’ me suffer…” Kai adjusts his hold on the baby, making sure to support her neck. She made a fussy noise before settling down in her fathers arms. “And she looks like her other dad?” Kai chuckled softly before slouching backward tiredly and laying the baby against his chest. He tugged his own blanket over his chest, double layering the baby with warmth.

Zane’s right eye pulsed and he spoke up. “Cole and Lloyd are back, they will be here in approximately five minutes.”

Kai hummed in acknowledgement just as Cole burst in, panting heavily like he'd just run a 10k. ”WHAT’S HAPPENING?! Zane told me Kai’s having a medical emergency?!” He shouted worriedly, quickly stepping inside, his brow tight with worry.

“Kai is alright, they are both right here.” P.I.X.A.L. informed him.

“Oh thank the first– wait did you say both?” Cole says, still oblivious to the fact that Kai had even been pregnant, let alone given birth.

At that moment Rogue came in. “Whats all the yelling for?” He asked with a firm look, slightly annoyed even. When Rogue finally saw Kai laying on the bed looking like he’d been hit by 67 consecutive trains, his curiosity peaked and he raised a brow. “What happened to that guy?”

It seemed that everyone was appearing now, because Lloyd had caught up to Cole, who had run so fast to get to the medical bay. “Cole holy fuck can you run a little slower next time–?” He wheezed quietly before standing up straighter. “Is Kai okay?”

Kai chuckled at his lover's worry. “Cole, come here, I have a surprise for you.”

Cole immediately moved to Kai’s right side, looking like a worried dog. Kai smiled and pulled at his sleeve, bringing him down for a kiss.

“Here.” Kai strains to sit up slightly higher, P.I.X.A.L. coming to his left and helping him sit up. He allowed the soft blanket covering his chest to fall lower and bunch up around his lap. Kai pulls the half-swaddled lump away from his chest, a soft noise akin to an infant's coo coming from it.

Is that a baby?

Kai holds out the swaddle for Cole to take into his arms. As predictably as possible, Cole rushed forward, fearing the hothead would drop the newborn baby, which in reality, wouldn't have happened. Kai has experience with kids and he is more careful then he lets on.

“You left this in my vagina,” Kai says with the casual demeanor of someone telling another person they left their phone behind on the counter.

Everyone in the room except the nindroids, who had pretty much immediately deduced the situation pretty much immediately, gave Kai a shocked look.

Cole looked down at the baby, who was staring at him with big brown eyes almost identical to Cole’s.

“WHEN DID YOU AND COLE GET TOGETHER?!” Nya shouted in shock, having been the only one not to clock their pretty obvious relationship.

“Nya what do you mean they've been dating for years.” Lloyd piped up immediately

“WHAT?!”

Kai laughed at that. “Nya we’ve been dating for so long, what are you talking about?” Kai looked at his sister with a smile.

“This cannot be real.” She put her face in her hands and laughed softly at her own stupidity.

“Is this our baby?” Cole said, not having been paying attention at all. “Is she actually ours?”

Kai chuckles softly and smiles. “Yes, she's ours.” Kai answers with a loving look at Cole.

Cole smiles down at the baby girl and then back at Kai. “She has your face.” Cole tells him.

“And your everything else” Kai replied with a chuckle.

“But she is a damn cutie.” Cole countered playfully. “What do we name her?”

Kai looked at the baby girl with a thoughtful look, a deep hum coming from him.

“I really like the name Lily.”

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