#and it worked he was well looked after there and probably wouldn't have survived otherwise

[canisalbus]

Machete has parents?? I'm not familiar with their actual lore, so I've been imagining Machete as a desolate victorian orphan boy

Everyone has parents, he didn't materialize out of thin air (or evolve from a crumpled napkin).

But he lost contact with them early on and doesn't remember much of anything about them. Machete was a sickly kid and his family was going through a rough patch at the time, they were constantly struggling to find the time and funds to care for him. Child mortality was high and it was starting to look increasingly likely that he wouldn't make it. He was around three or four when they left him at the closest monastery that accepted foundlings and he hasn't heard of them since.

[lokisasylum]

Listen, for YEARS Armys have ALWAYS found something to use as an excuse or scape-goat instead of taking the hate Jimin gets 24/7 as something SERIOUS.

2015-end of 2016: "He was asking for it 'cause he's a flirt", "He should stop getting so close to X/Y member", "Its because he cares too much about his weight", "He probably has an ED", "Its because he's so insecure", "I wish he would stop posting so much everyday so the haters would stop giving us a hard time reporting".

2017 - They blamed JIMIN with "maybe he did something wrong to piss ppl off--", "He's such a bad friend for forgetting to write his bandmate's name on a chalkboard", to justify the hate.

In 2018 - They blamed it on "Shipping wars" and their solution to the problem? "Just block & ignore them" (the blocking in question was for ANYONE who dared to defend Jimin; ANYONE with a Jimin pfp got targeted instead of the actual shippers, aka TAEKOOKERS, causing the problems).

2019 - They started blaming JIMIN again, even though JIMIN was THE ONLY MEMBER who got targeted and STALKED during their vacation (he was literally followed to EVERY country he visited with his friends, while we knew nothing about the other member's whereabouts for two and a half months).

2020-2021 - They started the "Jimin is lazy", "Jimin is useless without the group", "He's just pretending to be depressed for attention 'cause all the other members are more talented/popular--", "Its HIS fault the other members get forced to sing in high notes" (after it was known Pdogg preferred the high notes in songs because it makes them sound better and only Jimin could sing them)

Early 2022 when he released his first collab outside the group - "We're not gonna support his collab", "He should've collabed with one of the members instead", "See? Even they didn't support it.", "He ruined his only chance to debut solo--"

2022, Post-group-hiatus-announcement: "Jimin is lazy", "Jimin is jobless", "No one wants to work with him", "Jimin will never survive as a soloist, he depends too much on the group", "Its not like he cares about making music".

2023, PJMS had ENOUGH and started fighting back instead of staying quiet: "Jimin solos are to blame", "Jimin solos are the worst", "We don't take solos serious" (even though their biggest "ot7" fanbases ARE run by SOLOS & Jimin antis themselves.)

And its not just on the i-side, its also happening on the k-side as well. Ya'll saw it happen in real time last year when the big Korean Army "ot7" fanbases (like ARMY52Hertz, who we now know is run by a HYBE employee who despises Jimin) EXCLUDED Jimin from all votings so that ONLY JK got most of the awards and everytime i-fans tried to warn K-armys we were told "You know nothing about our country rules" (Translation: "Korean fans only follow ONE big "official" fanbase and do absolutely EVERYTHING they say without questioning otherwise they will be "kicked out") and only came to their senses when it was too late and the whole Kpop fandom were laughing at them.

Its a never ending cycle, I was THERE on every single era, I saw every single snicker and back-handed comment thrown at him from the very fandom that claims to "love him more than anyone". Because they ONLY pretend to love him when he's being a cheerleader to another member, or when he thanks "Armys" in general. But otherwise they wouldn't give a shit about him. Not as an individual. They only care about his validation and acknowledgement of the BRAND-name "Army".

Its why they HATE the idea of him having fans outside of the group; fans who SEE HIM as an individual and TALENTED Solo-Artist; fans willing to support and fight to defend HIM till the end. Why they need to correct and insert the other members under every single media article, youtube reaction or post praising JIMIN ONLY. Because to most brainwashed Armys the ONLY talented dancer is Jhope, the ONLY good singer is JK, the ONLY good looking member is V or Jin, the ONLY talented writers/composers are the RL. Because its what they've GASLIGHTED EACH OTHER TO BELIEVE.

To them Jimin is just "the cute, sexy member" who's also an Angel because he cares about THEIR FAVORITE MEMBER.

Its also why they are quick to attack anyone who self-proclaims to be HIS fan (Jimin stan, PJMs, Jimin solo, ect), but never want to become part of "Army". Because outsiders can easily see how fucked up the BTS fandom really IS and HAS BEEN in the past couple of years and why they've earned the name and reputation as

"The Most Toxic Fandom in Kpop".

[fivelila]

I was thinking about Five's look when Diego asked Lila if she loved Five. At first I thought that Five wanted to know the answer too. Then I realized, Five knows Lila. When she said she has children who need her and she needs them, he said "I know". When Lila said 'I hate you for this, Five said "I know". So I think Five already knows the answer, but he wanted to hear the words. I mean, has anyone in his whole life told Five that they love him?

Yeah, and she knew him because when he told her about the diary, he said she knew why he'd done it—that he'd kept it a secret that he'd found it.

This makes me think it's actually quite possible that they told each other about their feelings. I don't know if it would have been a straightforward "I love you", but it could have been.

I think if it was cut from a scene (even from the ones we know, for example), it wouldn't be a problem to do so. Initially, it might have been made more clearly stated in the dialogues (if there were 10 episodes), but later, they probably wanted to leave it more veiled and vague for the viewers' interpretation.

But even if it wasn't said, I believe they both knew. I mean, they hated each other in the beginning, and they kicked each other's asses a few times. The way they were gentle with each other later on couldn’t be interpreted (even by them) as anything other than love. Plus, Five even called her that, and I think if she wanted to keep things more neutral with him, she wouldn’t have let him use such a sweet term for her. But she fell for it just like he did.

So in the scene with Diego, maybe he didn’t want to hear her say she loved him for the first time… but maybe he wanted to hear it again to make sure her feelings lasted despite everything that happened. Especially after she told him it was just survival.

Even though Five is actually so romantic, I think he’s also the kind of person for whom “yes, I love you, and if that changes, I’ll tell you; otherwise, it’s still valid” might work just as well. He could have interpreted her saying “it’s over” as meaning that love was no longer valid for her.

There are so many possible interpretations.

By the way, I think there were very few such confessions in The Umbrella Academy. Honestly, I’m not even sure if there’s a scene where Diego tells Lila that he loves her.

[chocodile]

Hypothetically speaking, what would one of Hyden’s preceding siblings turned out to be like had they survived into adulthood? Doubly so if Hyden still came to be, courtesy of preemptive pessimism for child-viability, and they shared a household. I’d kill to know what sort of absurd dynamic he’d have with an Older Sister or what her appearance might be like in comparison (contrast ??) to his.

That's an interesting hypothetical!

*BELOW IS ALL NON-CANON SPECULATION*

I think many factors could influence this… the biggest ones would be "how good at magic is this hypothetical sibling" as well as "how physically and mentally fucked up is this hypothetical sibling." Going with the "older sister" route, I can see a couple different outcomes:

Older Sister who is much more sickly and/or unable to use magic at all: Hyden wouldn't be that different. He'd still grow up seeing himself as his family's only real heir. He would probably feel some resentment and anger to his sister for "wasting" his parents' time and energy despite being obviously unfit to inherit the family mantle. Otherwise, though, he'd basically act as if she didn't exist. Their mother Aurelia would immediately switch to caring about her magically-inclined son rather than her mundane daughter. The rejected Older Sister might find solace getting along with Arcturus III, their introverted and ineffectual father… which would only deepen Hyden's dislike for her.

Older Sister who is magically-inclined and not on death's door: This would get interesting. As a male heir, he would supersede her in terms of title inheritance--something she would be quite displeased by if she'd grown up planning her life around being heir apparent. So I could see a serious rivalry forming. I think that especially with Hyden's growth disorder making him get really tall at a really young age she'd see him as a noxious invasive cuckoo chick poised to rapidly overtake her life and replace her.

As Hyden has previously stated (?), "madness" runs in his family, though. There are… solutions… to an undesirable usurper poised to steal your title that are available to the morally flexible noble. And, well, he was always sickly, right? If poor, dear baby brother were to pass away in his sleep after something was slipped into his wine glass at dinner… who's to say it wasn't a death of natural causes? Maybe it would even be the kinder option. I mean, the family healer always said that he was unlikely to survive to adulthood…

Baby Hyden's longevity here would probably come down to whether or not he figured out what his sister was plotting and turned the tables on her before it was too late.

A related possible path: He goes against inheritance norms and bows out of the wizard family title battle entirely, giving up on his magic schooling and allowing Older Sister to claim the role of Viscountess. He gets an arranged political marriage to a woman from another noble family and goes into another line of work. Maybe being a political advisor or researcher of magical artifacts something.

As you can imagine, this would be not be voluntary. More of a "Mom and Older Sister have leverage against me that I cannot overcome and were planning to kill me to get me out of the way, so we reached an agreement." Hyden would not be happy feeling like he'd been discarded and cheated out of his birthright. He would probably spiral downward over the years, chronically unable to find fulfillment or satisfaction, which he would blame on the fact that he'd been denied the life he was obviously supposed to have.

There would, of course, be many whispers about why the male heir would give up his title, though. It would be a really bad look. They'd figure there must be something terribly wrong with him.

Long story short: They wouldn't have a good relationship. The Hyden family dynamic is doomed to be a mess no matter what because everyone involved is extremely spoiled, extremely inbred, and extremely desperate to grab whatever power they can. They'd scheme and murder each other until there was one left standing no matter what.

[esta-elavaris]

Heya! I know, I’m extremely late for the OC Ask Box game but I could not resist 🫣😁

If you don’t mind I’d love to hear your thoughts about 18 for Theo and 17 for Liawyn? (or the other way round if 18 is a bit too much on the nose for my all-time favorite pirate girl 😋)

Thank you so much and have a fantastic Sunday evening!!

Fr tho feel free to ask me about ask games I've reblogged years ago, I really enjoy it, it's all good!

If your character were trapped on a deserted island, what three things would they want to have with them? Which person would they absolutely hate to be trapped there with? Which person would they enjoy being trapped there with?

I think from a practicality standpoint, she'd want a good knife - works as a weapon, also works for practicality reasons, great starting point. I think she'd be able to make herself some form of shelter, so I'll avoid my initial instinct of saying "a tent" or something like that. Maybe sunscreen? From her past trauma 💀

Aaaand one thing I think she'd really miss from modern times is the music. So maybe an iPod? Especially if she could have one of those solar powered chargers with her so it wouldn't be useless after a few days? Like Theo is very practical but she also loves fun and isn't just out to suffer for the sake of it, so I think she'd view saving at least one of those three items (even though the charger would probably count as four but she's also a rule breaker) as a morale-booster, and therefore sorely needed.

I did half-consider maybe replacing the iPod with a Kindle (if she could still have a way of charging it) loaded with books, but that feels like stretching the rules a bit much, and I think the silence would get to her more than a lack of reading materials.

As for who she'd want with her, James absolutely. No explanation needed. Who she wouldn't? Jack, as a general nuisance, but Beckett in terms of "he would make it utterly unsurvivable". Though, oddly, I think putting them on equal ground like that and forcing them to work together for survival - with no others around for Beckett to manipulate and play mind games with - might actually have them in this one instance, so long as it's before all of the shit he did to her (because otherwise she'd kill him on sight), working quite well together. He's resourceful, he does what he needs to, once he got over himself a bit he'd probably actually pitch in because god knows she wouldn't help him if he was useless.

Is your character holding any grudges? Are they likely to stop?

I don't view Liawyn as a grudge holder! Out of all of my OCs, she's probably actually the least likely to hold a grudge. I think she's very empathetic and can always look at things from the other person's perspective, and so long as she can kind of see why somebody might do something - even if she doesn't agree with it - and if they're truly sorry that they did it, she'll forgive.

The only exception would be if it was something really heinous and unforgiveable, and then I think they'd effectively be dead to her. She wouldn't go out of her way to make their lives miserable or anything, but she'd act like they didn't exist and never let up on that once her heart was set on it. Her anger, long term, for sure burns cold rather than hot.

...I also think Haldir would very much like those two things about her 😭

Thank you!! 💜

OC Askbox Game

[afreakingdork]

I'm sorry about your wrist, hope you get better soon! Take a break if that's what you need!!!

And also yes, truly heartbreaking my (our) husband murdered both our girl and with her our ship. I get it, but DAMN

It would've been something!!

I guess?

How would've it been to have been to have AENEM Kendra and WS/SP Donnie interact? Or AENEM Kendra and reader?

With reader I believe they could get along sort of well, I mean, yeah, why not? Conversation could tackle a few awkwardness down, find a middle ground on something.

With Donnie?

I believe they'd have a small rivalry but like, nothing they would indulge too much in. Mutual understanding, perhaps? I mean,

The possibilities 🤌🤌🤌

Tho I can't shake the feeling Donatello would look down at Kendra for letting herself get imprisoned, lol. That just speaks how 'sloppy' her work was.

I'm just rambling

- That one anon that still gets insecure with their wording. English is complicated

Wah!! Thank you!!! I'm hoping 3 days does the trick because I refuse to lose writing time this weekend!! 😤

ALSO YOU KNOW JUST HOW TO SPEAK MY LOVE LANGUAGE INGENIOUS ANON!! (I WILL BOOST YOU UNTIL YOUR CONFIDENCE IS AS HIGH AS THE ONE I HAVE IN YOU!!!) I'M FEELING BETTER ALREADY BECAUSE KENKEY!!!! 💞💞💞

It's hard because both AENEM and WS/SS are canon compliant to an extent, obviously WS/SS are divergent while AENEM picks up after canon, but they sequences overlap for the show progress. WS/SS Donnie killed Kendra when she first tried to take his tech to make a show of her. If WS/SS Donnie was in the AENEM universe, he would have done the same thing if she got anywhere near him.

SO LET'S CHANGE IT UP!! I BELIEVE KENKEY CAN HAPPEN ANY NUMBER OF WAYS!! 💖💖💖

So the only way for Kendra to survive is to not fuck with Donnie. Purple Jacket didn't happen the same way in WS/SS because Donnie did the Nakamura job while the Purple Dragons were still planning it. That's how she finds out about him and hatches the stealing tech plan. Instead of luring him with bugged clothes, they just bug his apartment while he's out because he was still new and getting his footing in the human world at the time.

Let's move up the timeline! Donnie hits Nakamura before and the Purple Dragons aren't aware of him. Nakamura has already beefed up security and thus the Purple Dragons go for smaller potatoes. Without a foil like Donnie, they probably succeed and become mainstays in the tech world eventually because heist style villainy only takes you so far when the tech sector basically relies on stolen data, patents, and the like.

The probably go legitimate and found their own company. Lined pockets and the world as their oyster I can see Jase and Jeremy becoming two different kinds of complacent. Jeremy likes the work and doesn't wanna take management seriously because he loves what he does. Jase flourishes in a board positions because he gets a power rush he's otherwise been denied. Then, there's Kendra. Our girlie surely wouldn't have enough even cornering her own market and then out of nowhere Genius Built suddenly exists. How can I company that has had no trace suddenly be their biggest competitor? Kendra's furious and wants to take it down, but finds layers of red tape and nonsense. For her probing and hunger, Donnie finds it too tedious to kill her outright, so he takes everything from her in one swift buy out that no one else at Dragon Tech (I bet I could think of a better name) can refuse.

There's Kendra, her company suddenly gone with her and she's totally disillusioned. She basically has no say as she's been the one put in some holdover position unless she retires and starts again. She could, but that was her company, but by bureaucracy, there's no feasible way to get it back. She's disillusioned and has nothing to do (think Ton in season 4 of Aggretsuko where he's shoved off to that little office without real work). She ends up skipping days and bumming around town. She's got more money than anyone ever needs and was wiped out by a ghost. She's sulking in bottomless mimosas one day when she hears someone talking mad shit. We know a certain someone does brunch and AHH I CAN'T SAY MORE BECAUSE SPOILERS!!!!!

ALSO MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN ALL THIS. I MEAN I AM WEARING A SPLINT BUT IM NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TYPING BUT HOW CAN I NOT WITH A PROMPT THIS GOOD!!!

Thank you so much for this!!! I hoped you like it and I have a million more kenkey meet cutes because I wuv them!

[stormyoceans]

might be a weird question BUT if you had to put the couples/friend combos from we are into a different genre, what would they be and how do you think it would go?

it’s not weird at all, anon, this is actually such a fun and interesting question!!!!! which is why it took me some days to answer you, because i’ve probably thought about it way too much ;;;;;; i also wasn’t sure if you meant picking different genres for each pairings and friendship combinations, or for the ensamble cast in general, but in the end i went with the latter because otherwise this would have gotten way too long ;;;;;;;

ANYWAY. my first thought for this was some kind of mystery comedy!!!!!! something like only murders in the building, or scooby doo, or even ghostbusters, where the premise is ‘group of people not really qualified to do so looks into murders or paranormal activities’

i just can perfectly imagine peem, q, tan, chain, and pun establishing a paranormal investigation service and having the most bizarre encounters and chaotic adventures. toey and matt would be their very first real clients: they found a body somewhere and there were weird lights and noises all around and they can swear they saw some kind of creature not of this world floating above it but the cops didn’t believe them so they decided to go to peem’s friend group’s agency after seeing one of their ads on the internet. and guess who are the cops who are also investigating on the case and do not believe in the supernatural and are always clashing with peem and the others!!!!!!! why of course phum, fang, beer, and mick. well to be fair mick does believe in aliens, monsters, and ghosts, and beer is a ‘when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’ kinda guy, so it’s mostly phum and fang costantly bickering with peem and tan and thinking their agency is a scam, at least at first. however things only get more complicated when phum and fang actually start believing them (and developing feelings [coughs]) because their father is like. a chief inspector or something and he wants to shut the agency down, which makes his relationship with phum even worse

the other genre that i think would fit we are really well and that would be incredibly interesting to explore due to the big cast and all the different relationships between the characters is survival thriller/horror!!!!!!! something like lost, or yellowjackets, or the wilds, where they end up stranded somewhere and have to find a way to survive and then weird shit starts to happen. im personally a sucker for this genre, for some reason i just love it a lot, and i think that when it comes to we are it would showcase all the dynamics really well. my only issue with this one is that i wouldn't want anyone to die, which does kinda take the edge off from it, so im having a bit of a hard time coming up with a plot that would work out

aaaand this already got incredibly long so last one im gonna mention just because im obsessed with it is PERIOD PIECE!!!!!!!!! i don't care if it's not gonna be historically accurate, just give me everyone dressed in suits and slow dancing and sexual tension so astronomical they could never make the characters meet indoors because having so much of that in such a confined space would kill everyone around them immediately!!!!!!!!!

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

We can be Heroes.

Right up there! I see them!

I'm on it!

*Parked in the hangar is a Future Foundation helicarrier, a big chopper used to store several items at once it it's lofty back. A few of the Foundation members, namely Hina, Hiro, Sakura, Taka, Chihiro and Miaya, jump into the back of this vehicle as per Byakuya's request, and Hiro hurries to the front and takes control.

Gonna be honest here Hiro...I had no idea you knew how to pilot one of these things.

Yeah, I learned shortly after the Final Killing Game, but my skills are a little rusty. Still, can you put up with me for at least a little until we get all these guys to safety?

It's ok. I trust you.

*Hiro steers the chopper to an upper level; where several injured or otherwise indisposed Future Foundation soldiers are stuck like sitting ducks on a higher platform; being careful to stay just out of the range of the licking flames beneath them. Taka and Sakura pry open the door, and eagerly start beckoning them all inside.

COME ON, LET'S GO! EVERYONE IN, HURRY!

HUP-TWO! HUP-TWO! HUP-TWO! COME ON!

*The soldiers make their way into the chopper and start to fill it up. Some saunter on slower than others, due to their injuries. Chihiro and Miaya immediately start providing them first-aid.

...Hm...

Woah!?

Wha-!?

Huh!?

*Taka meanwhile, looks down at the ground below, as familiar faces and allies look like they just pop into existence in a safe spot in the forest, far outside the factory.

Hm...Kamukura works fast...VERY fast...

All the better for us. We'll have to leave it to our allies to make sure the explosion is redirected. Then all will be over...hopefully.

I don't like that "hopefully" at the end there.

I'm trying to be optimistic, but I'm also being realistic. Our chances of surviving this are slim.

Hold on...Captain, is that you!?

FF Captain: M-Ms Asahina!

You know them?

Yeah, these guys are Branch 13. They're my squadron...At least they were...

FF Captain: You're technically still Branch 13's head, so I still need to report to you.

Alright then. What's the status, Captain?

FF Captain: Thankfully, we managed to clear this whole floor on the way out. No outright casualties, but not everyone is accounted for. One soldier is missing, presumed dead.

Alright. Good work. That's a shame though...

Everyone, hold on to something! We're getting out of here!

*Hiro starts to move the chopper.

We should probably go and pick up Uchui. We don't wanna leave him like a sitting duck while the ground beneath him explodes.

Right. Hiro! Let's get a move on!

Got it!

*Hiro starts to close the door to the carrier, but before he can, he's halted.

W-Wait! Stop!

Huh!?

Do any of you...hear that...? Well, no, I suppose you wouldn't...

Hear what?

*Miaya pulls up a scanner on her monitor, and repeats some audio that reaches her.

???: H-Help...S-Somebody...help...

Who...is that...?

FF Captain: Sir! Remember what I was just saying about how we had one soldier unaccounted for! I'm pretty certain that's them!

Really!?

[canisalbus]

It's probably fair to say that, as a child, Machete's goal was to just survive. Even as a young adult, survival obviously remained a principle goal.

But slowly, over time, he gained power, and is now a cardinal. He no longer struggles to fend off death (weakened constitution notwithstanding.) He probably still sees himself as trying to survive day-to-day, but clearly it becomes more than that, even if he's not fully cognizant of it.

I guess what I'm wondering is, besides "survival", what are Machete's goals? As a cardinal or otherwise. What prevents him from leaving or resigning his post? Does he have aspirations other than Vasco? Does he see himself as subservient to God, or is it something else?

I'd say his aspirations are pretty mundane. Security and stability are probably the biggest priorities overall, financially and health-wise. He doesn't thrive in unreliable and unpredictable surroundings. The fact that he knows he will have his basic needs met for the foreseeable future, there are people ready to prepare him a warm bath at a moment's notice, a reputable doctor to look after him, and armed guards that are never too far away, eases his mind considerably. A large part of his work revolves around routine, carefully crafted plans and immutable etiquette, with relatively few unpleasant surprises. He's so high in the hierarchy that very few people can treat him disrespectfully and get away with it.

He wants to prove that he's capable, competent and useful. His deeply rooted inferiority complex (that largely stems from the demeaning and belittling way his mentor treated him when he was his apprentice) has made him a lifelong overachiever, which in turn has served him well in his career. He's ambitious and driven but I wouldn't call him power-hungry in an egoistical way, he can come across as overbearing but it's because he's a perfectionist control freak who's obsessed with doing his job well and has a tendency to think most people around him aren't up to the task. He isn't in it for fame and wealth in itself, it's more about having a purpose that makes you worthy of respect.

On a more personal level he's passionate about reading, studying and learning. Partly because he's inquisitive and genuinely enjoys it, knows he's good at it and feels good about being good at it, but also because he wants to be the most learned, most cultured and most academic person in the room. Not necessarily for bragging rights, but to feel like being smart will always keep him one step ahead of the others and that way no one can pull the rug from under his feet.

He would never be able to afford the things he wears and the luxuries he has access to if his life hadn't taken the exact turns it did. He spent his early childhood in a monastery and was trained by a priest who valued asceticism and self-denial so he didn't have a lot of nice things growing up. Now as a high ranking church official he has more spending money than he could've imagined, and while he has an expensive taste, he oftentimes fails to enjoy the benefits of his status properly. He has a comfortable home with a massive bed, but it's not uncommon for him to sleep in his office or forgo rest completely. Even though he could be savoring the rarest most complex dishes every day, there aren't a lot of foods he likes eating. He would like to look pretty but even his outlandishly costly and carefully tailored silk garments can't redeem the fact he doesn't feel comfortable in his skin.

He can't resign because his sense of self-worth and lifestyle are tied to his job. It's the one thing he's demonstrably skilled at. He's worked himself to the bone to get where he is now and the prospect of losing it is simply unfathomable. He doesn't have ties to his biological family and his friends are few and far between, if he gave up his position he'd have functionally no one to rely on but Vasco. On top of that he does feel like he owes his life to the church and serving it to his best ability is his lot in life. His state of faith and relationship with God is complicated at best but he's nonetheless terrified of what might happen and how he might be punished if he ever chose to abandon his post.

[askthedespairkids]

For Building A Future Together

*Sly paces around his room with a very serious look on his face, gathering different tools and equipment as Maki sits watching him go back and forth*

Sly: Everything should be on the move now. I’ve already given out the order for the agency to split into different factions. I’ve communicated with all the heads about the locations of Future Foundations bases and they should be leading their factions to them as we speak. Had to convince the old man to stay at HQ, to give support to our groups and in case anything happens to us. Regarding us, I’ve decided that the front lines will be just you and I. We’ve already got a lot of Future Foundations best on the front lines so the agency should be able to make up for that and support our other bases in case anything happens. Am I forgetting anything?

You have to remember to let the heads of the mainland bases know how to identify the agents otherwise it might lead to a misunderstanding. Last thing we need is any friendly fire because they thought the Despairs started attacking first when it's just our factions. Other than that I think you've got everything covered.

Sly: Right right, that’s a good point. *He grabs a notebook and sits next to her. Jotting down notes* That’s why you’re my partner.

...*She looks over at Sly's neckline again, seeing that his dogtag is definitely missing* Why aren't you wearing your necklace? You never go anywhere without it.

Sly: Hmm? *She takes him out of thought as he rubs his neck* Oh, I uh, gave em to Naegi. It’s weird right?

You what?! Why would you do that?

Sly: I don’t know really, it just kinda…felt right. Was the best way I could think of to show her how much I trust in her hard work and her abilities. I told her to return it after the fight as like a promise we’ll both survive but I think I’m gonna let her keep it. It suits her.

That's...well, as long as you're getting it back in the end.

I'm surprised though, I never thought you'd seriously take on an apprentice...let along someone like that kid.

Sly: Like that kid? Oh my dear Harumaki, you’re not jealous are you?

As if. You could train her for a full year with no breaks, and I wouldn't have trouble with her still.

Sly: Who knows after all this is said and done assuming we win you might start to get rusty. Living the peaceful life with Akamatsu… *he smiles, but soon lets out a sigh* This is really it huh…

It is, yeah...and I suppose you'll be away with Otonashi as well?

Sly: Probably. We’d have a lot of potential things to talk about.

Maki: Yeah, so do we...I think though that I want to open an orphanage. A real orphanage to take care of the kids affected by the tragedy.

Sly: *He smiles at her* Ya know, I’ll still have control over the orphanage you and my mom grew up in, I don’t know if you want it but I wouldn’t have any issue with giving you ownership over it. Fix it up to be however way you want.

Are you just looking for a reason to stick nearby me after all this?

Sly: I’m no idiot. I know no matter where we go or what we do, we’ll always be connected. Like you said, I just can’t get rid of you.

Yeah, I suppose not...*She takes a breath* So, Akamatsu and I have been talking about...some things.

Sly: Bout you being an assassin? She talked to me at the wedding. I think she had you pretty figured out. Smart girl

Huh? Oh, yeah. She did mention that. That's not what I'm talking about though. We...spoke about you, actually.

Sly: Huh?! I didn’t make her uncomfortable did I? I know I pretty much dragged her around my handful of a class. My apologies.

No! Ugh...she wasn't uncomfortable, she's about as social as they come. It was about us. Me and you.

Sly: *He looks at her confused* What about us?

*She turns away* We've known each other since we were kids. To say our relationship as been full of highs and lows would be an understatement...in fact, I even ended up hating you for leaving me at one point...until of course I ended up here and we saw each other again.

Sly: I’m thankful to Kurosaki for that.

...I thought that I could stay mad at you when I saw you. I mean, your life seemed so much better. You seemed so much happier, I couldn't believe the Ultimate Assassin, of all people, was surrounded by so many...friends. Like you had moved on from this life like I had always wanted to myself.

Even still, despite my best efforts I couldn't stay hating you forever...because I don't think I ever could.

Because I love you.

*There's a silence in the air as Sly stares at her, shock-stricken*

And Akamatsu knows, by the way. She's the one that convinced me to...to tell you, so...this is me telling you.

Sly: … *He looks at her in the eye. In all the time they’ve known each other he’s never seen her look at him the way she’s looking now. He can’t take stop looking at her but his voice is no where to be found. After he takes a moment to process everything he speaks* …You…You’ve never been so forward about it before. I don’t know what to say. What…what do you want me to say?

I don't "want" you to say anything other than how you feel. That's the whole point of this. I might not get another chance to put these feelings to rest.

Sly: *He takes a deep breath* Maki I’ve made it clear since the first time we sat and talk one on one at Future Foundation how much I care for you, how much I missed you. You mean everything to me. Everything and more. You gave me a reason to keep moving forward and even though you piss me off sometimes, I could never really leave you behind. Of course I love you. More than as just my partner in the agency and more than just as a part of my family. You’d have to be stupid to not know that… *He takes a second*You helped make me who I am. You tie me to everything I’ve ever known. I’ve always loved you. But…. *He trails off*

...Otonashi, of course. I'm her friend, so I know that's what you're gonna bring up...

Sly: Ryouko ties me to everything that I want to be. She makes me believe I can exist in your world without assassins and be okay. I won’t ever let her go again.

I'm not asking you to. I know she's important to you...Akamatsu, well...when she confronted me about my feelings she actually told me she would be comfortable...if I was dating her and you.

Sly: W-What? Are you serious?! Is this why you got so flustered when I mentioned keeping us to yourself? That was a joke ya know

Of course I know!

Look, the point is this; you aren't obligated to commit to anything. We've been fine as we are so far, and that doesn't have to change...just...if you want to talk to Otonashi about it, that option is on the table for you and Akamatsu is already fine with it.

Sly: …I-I’ll talk to her about it…After the battle though. *Talking moreso to himself* Yeah right we can figure it out afterwards.

*Casually* Probably for the best to wait. Gives you a chance to receive any other pending confessions...

Sly: *Still talking to himself* Maemi is never gonna let me live something like this down. *He realizes what Maki just said* What? What are you talking about Harumaki?

Nothing. Just joking around.

Sly: *He groans* Not you too. *He stands up with a different more serious demeanor* In order to get all this stuff settled, we’ve got a last mission to get through Maki. *He reaches his hand out to help her up* Are you ready?

Heh. When am I not? *She takes his hand*

[inf1nyxw0rlds]

pspspspsps 4 the infinite asks: 3, 18 n 26 :eyes:

oooo ALRIGHT here goes !!

3. what's your favourite part of his design? why?

honestly a fucking difficult question but i'm reaping what i've sown. it's very close between mask and hair – the mask is so iconic in it's shape, i love the asymmetry and the attention to detail in that the right side is blacked out, likely because he doesn't need to see. it's crisp, it's edgy, it's a moment and a vibe and i love it. sure, if you wanna draw it at funky angles it could be a nuisance, but because it's shapes are so distinct u CAN break it down. and use references baby!

his hair i love because i'm just a sucker for guys – or, in his case, guy who is not a Man but is a boy in a dog way – with long hair. let them have it. please. it suits him so well and you can style it in a lot of different ways even besides the iconic locs !!

18. how do you feel about shadow killing squad jackal? do you headcanon otherwise?

okay this topic is one that i've seen a LOT of differing views on, and i definitely understand the divide on it because shadow's character in general is one that can never really be agreed upon among fans. my own take isn't one i've shared here yet so here it is – i think it depends on circumstance.

i can see it going either way depending on how things actually went down. rather than just asking why would shadow kill squad jackal, i like to ask why wouldn't he? both questions make you think about it from a different angle, i think. i can see him not caring either way; they're willing allies of eggman, but they're not a big deal. they're insignificant, whether that means their lives are unimportant, or not worth the energy to take. i don't think he would do it with outright malicious intent, though he is still an asshole.

i veer more toward he wouldn't, because he doesn't really give a shit and it isn't worth the energy. knocking them unconscious suffices just fine and they don't seem to be as dangerous as villains he's faced in the past. at the same time, i understand how his indifference could go the other way. he's also impulsive, and trained to take out anything in his way – it could be instinctual. my opinion of shadow is that he's neither killing enthusiastic or opposed. he deals with things case by case. he's not a monster, but not against doing what has to be done.

these are incidents from different sources, so take it with a grain of salt, but he extended an offer to metal sonic in archie to turn over a new leaf, though in cases like eggman and tinker, eggman shows much less, if any, promise of potential change, and that's where the line gets drawn.

shadow doesn't know anything about squad jackal and why they're allied with him, but on the basis of just working with eggman, would that be enough? i don't think so personally but, that's just me. again, i see it being more instinctual, a means of completing his mission, if he did. tunnel vision sort of deal, you know?

what happens in my fic, however, is complicated. that's all i'll say on the matter :)

26. what does his self-care look like?

it doesn't. okay jokes aside, i think he's always had a rough time looking after himself, between mental illness and being on the road for years fighting for his survival. he cares about his appearance a lot, but at the same time, it's hard for him to manage it and this really applies after losing his team.

he likes baths over showers, though, and if he had the option he would probably like one with candles, just allowing himself to lay there for a bit. he cares a lot about his hair and it has high priority. comfy clothes on a bad day, music appropriate to his energy levels, cookies and a blanket. he tends to take space and just withdraw to reenergise if he can. i also headcanon him letting his emotions out through art, writing, and being very elaborate and often brutal BUT that's post-war

[tia-amorosa]

Sunset Died - Bachelor/Clavell/Wan (?)

One day, early in the evening. We're with the Bachelors, well, what's left of the family. To everyone's regret, the family is no longer complete. The parents of the two children died in the disaster. Now Xander is looking after them. He has also lost his parents and so they have joined forces in order to survive.

"uh, oh man, I'm so hungry"/ "Uncle Xander will hopefully be back soon"/ "yes, hopefully ".

While waiting for dinner at home, Michael and Xander are on the lookout for all kinds of edible things to bring home. "Man, sometimes I get the feeling that the others have already snapped up all the stuff"/ "by no means everything, check the garbage can to see if you can find anything useful there"…. Of course it's an unpleasant thing to rummage around in a garbage can for useful things, but what don't you do to improve your standard of living a bit?

A few minutes later. "Why didn't you tell me straight away that something edible was growing behind the house?"/ "I'm sorry. Look, The lettuce has grown so beautifully. I believe that the spirit of Mama lives in every single plant. She gives us food and looks after us"/ "Yes, that's how it will be… And again, it's just a salad today… Oh, what I would give for a delicious sausage"

A little later. "Did you get anything?"/ "Heads of lettuce, lots of them". Pauline wrinkled her nose and threw her head back in annoyance. "oh man, I'm getting sick of all this green stuff"/ "well, maybe something can be done, I saw the boss bringing a few boxes to the back of the warehouse today, it looked like canned food"/ "W-what?". Her eyes widened.

"Yeah, I don't know where he got the stuff, but I'll find out"/ "yes, please, if they withhold anything from us, I'll get really angry. I'll make us something to eat now… Wow, salad… at least there are still a few onions and tomatoes growing in the garden". Pauline stood annoyed at the kitchen counter and prepared the food.

"Are you otherwise well?"/ "Sure, since i'm with you, hn". Pauline is leading a double life at the moment. And that's why she's not always honest. She not only shares a bed with Xander, but also with Hank, with whom the relationship is nevertheless difficult. The official story is that they have broken up. But Pauline has a mind of her own. "Hank and I … That probably wouldn't have worked out in the long run and besides, I really wanted to know who the guy was that he was always talking about when he came home from work …"/ "You've got a thing for bad boys?"/ "hnhn, not really, but you're … Just different, and I like that.".

Bella comes back into the house. "Where have you been?"/ "I just had to pee"/ "Let me know next time, okay? I don't want you to be out alone in the dark"/ "but I don't want anyone watching"/ "nobody's done that before, we've always stood in front of the fence"/ "but you can hear the peeing noise"/ "Oh nonsense, come on, Pauline's made salad"

"Salad… Always just salad. Can't we bake a cake again?"/ "We need eggs for that, and they're a bit scarce at the moment because we don't have enough chickens"/ "Then you'll have to get a rooster to make the chicks"/ "Oh, you know that?"/ "Of course, that's what… Mom told me".

Michael had to smile a little. "Yes, Mom knew a lot…". It's often a difficult situation for Xander when the children talk about their parents. Because it's not just them who have lost their parents, he has too. Until now, there has never been a proper funeral or memorial service for the deceased. Everyone had to deal with the new situation from one day to the next. But some of the residents want to take care of the cemetery soon.

"And please take care of this 'matter' tomorrow, okay? I really want to know what's going on…"/ "Don't worry, I'll find out what the Altos are up to. "/ "They lead a much better life than some of the others here. They have running water, electricity. They should finally support us. I bet they have some kind of contact with the outside world"/ "mhm, for sure".

Since Pauline has been living in the house, the atmosphere here has changed. So far, they've managed quite well without another roommate. And of course Michael also understands that you need someone to talk to… But at the moment it's probably just about exchanging bodily fluids. No one will ever be able to properly replace the parents of the two children. But they are being looked after.

The kids go to bed. "hey, this is actually my bed"/ "but it's much cooler than mine, you built it all by yourself, mine is old"/ "but it's still in good shape…fine, then I'll be the princess tonight"/ "thihi… Which book did you get from the shelf?"/ "You'll notice in a minute".

While Michael reads his sister a bedtime story, the adults next door are busy with other things. "Have you taken the pill?"/ "That's the last pack I could get, after that we should be really careful"/ "Why, don't you want children?"/ "Under the current circumstances? No…".

While Michael reads his sister a bedtime story, the adults next door are busy with other things. "Have you taken the pill?"/ "That's the last pack I could get, after that we should be really careful"/ "Why, don't you want children?"/ "Under the current circumstances? No…".

"well, if need be, I can pull 'him' out early"/ "chuckle, but that doesn't always help"/ "I'd say we just take our chances… I'll take care of it, bunny".

Less than 20 minutes later. "Sleep well, sis… At some point… Hopefully everything will be a bit more normal again. My friends are all madly in love… great, and I'll probably stay a virgin until I'm 30…". It's not easy for Michael to put up with the other couples' affections. Everyone here has their own individual needs.

End of this part

--------------------------------------------------------------

@greenplumbboblover 😊 , Thanks for tagging me, by the way. Unfortunately, I find it infinitely difficult to pick out a sim and write facts about it. I like them all very much.^^ But if I do come up with something about someone at some point, I'll let you and others know😊

Note: I know some parts are quite long and contain a lot of text, but they can't be split up any other way and I like to write a lot 😉

[izzy-b-hands]

"He never goes hiking alone again," Stede says. "That's thing one that we'll need to address."

"He didn't 'go hiking'," Izzy scoffs. "He ran out of gas and went walking to get more, and probably wound up going the wrong way."

"That's a kind of hiking, because this is a mountain!"

"That's...it can't work like that!"

Their Lyft driver seems all too glad to drop them off at the base of the trail. Ed's car is parked incredibly shittily (presumably because of the running out of gas, otherwise he'd better have some other excuse), but Ed himself is nowhere to be seen.

"Where does it show his phone?" Stede reaches for Izzy's phone.

"It shows as close as it can to the nearest tower, aka this mountain, the same as it did on the way here," Izzy leans back, phone in his outstretched hand. "And you don't need my phone to know that!"

"Just let me look!"

Why is the tire iron on the ground?"

Stede turns back to Ed's car. "Huh. Odd, right? The tires look fine."

"We should get going and find him. The text that he was out of gas and finding a place to stop was hours ago-"

Stede walks away from him and picks up the iron. "There's blood on this."

--

"How long has it been since you've done this?"

Of course Bonnet doesn't know. They share Ed, sure, and fuck each other, but it doesn't go beyond that, and this is why. He doesn't fucking listen.

"Last weekend," Izzy sighs. "Jim and I tried a new trail. Remember? They sent an email out with pictures to everyone?"

"Because I love a good nature walk, but this seems like it might be more intense," Stede continues. "We'll weather it together though."

"As if there's any other choice."

"What was that?"

"I said," Izzy panics. "Don't raise your voice. Um. Cougars."

"Are there any here?"

"Why would I know?"

"Why wouldn't you?!"

Izzy fights the urge to throw himself or Stede off the mountain. Besides, at such a low height, the fall would barely maim them, let alone kill them.

"Jim and I stick to trails with posted signage, so we know from that what to look out for."

"No research beforehand? That's a dangerous game, Izzy."

Again, he thinks of the brush smashing into his face, if he would simply fall over and start rolling sideways now.

"We don't have to talk," Izzy sighs.

"No, I suppose we don't. Just... it's a nice distraction."

It is. Ed is probably fine, but finding a tire iron with blood on it isn't the most encouraging sign either.

That, and he hasn't texted again. Not even after they both texted him, called, at Stede's insistence tried a video call too.

His phone might just be dead.

"I read a good book for this situation," Stede continues. "Have you ever read Hatchet?"

"...probably?"

"Then you know the secrets to basic survival as well!"

"Oh," Izzy says. "No, I don't think... it's a kid's book, right? Not a bad one, I mean, but-"

"Here in the States they have Boy Scouts, maybe Ed's run into some of them! That would be good luck."

"They don't prowl the woods in packs!"

"But they do camping trips! I loved reading about that as a kid. Yeah, we had our version, but back then the American version was the It Thing-"

Izzy splutters. "They're people's children! They don't just wander the woods ceaselessly!"

A branch snaps.

"We should probably get a move on," Stede mutters. "It'll be dark soon."

--

"Everyone is going to ask why we didn't call the police first," Izzy says. "And I do start to wonder why we didn't."

"Would they go out this soon for an adult? I didn't think the Americans did that."

"The sooner we leave this country, the better," Izzy grumbles. "I know, ultimately the work project has been a good one. But you own everything to do with it now, so you can move us back home, or somewhere that isn't here at least."

"I admit that would be nice," Stede sighs. "Should we stop, eat and rest for a moment?"

"It's getting darker by the minute, can we really afford to lose that time?"

They press onwards.

--

"If there was no sign warning of animals," Bonnet whispers. "Then there probably aren't any here. That logic tracks."

"Does it?"

"Kiss me as a distraction?"

"We don't have time for-"

A huff of breath.

"Don't run," Izzy murmurs. "Just keep walking."

"I'd really rather die making out, if I must die out here-"

"I know, but shhh!"

"Izzy-"

Something crashes behind them, and he grabs Stede's hand.

"Run ahead, and find. Well, if it's a bear actually going higher won't work and-"

Something heavy thunks him in the back.

"What the fuck?"

"Oh!" Ed's voice emerges from the shadow. "It is you guys. Oh my god! This-it'll be funny once I tell you-I thought you two were some, I don't even know, out here to murder me!"

Ed cackles, and holds up his hunting knife. "I nearly smacked this into the back of your neck, thinking I was protecting myself! Holy shit, wow, fuck, actually that. That could have been bad. Oh god-"

"Let's put that back in the sheath," Stede says softly, taking the knife from Ed. "Glad you carry it though, considering how dangerous this area seems. And right by the highway!"

"Where else would...nature doesn't-" Izzy rolls his eyes. "Never mind. But he's right. Good that you have it, though thank you for not outright stabbing me."

"What about the tire iron?" Stede asks. "We found it and I touched it and oh my fingerprints are on it, Ed-"

"There was a snake," Ed interrupts. "So I beat it to death with the tire iron."

"I didn't see any remains of a snake."

Izzy shakes his head. "Nothing. Maybe an animal-"

"Oh no," Ed says. "You know how I am with snakes. He was beaten, to death, and into pieces, and then oblivion."

Izzy blinks. "When did you last eat?"

"Lunchtime."

"We need to get out and get you food."

--

"You know," Stede says as they drive down the dark highway, towards the nearest open diner. "I didn't hate that. I hated the reason we were out there, of course, because I was worried about Ed. But the actual walk..."

"You don't want to do that again."

"Did you really hate it?"

"...no. The quiet bits, both of us not snapping at each other, those were relaxing. I'd just rather not be out there because we're rescuing Ed."

There's a snore in the backseat. Not surprising, because Ed fell asleep even before AAA got to them with more gas. He's probably out even harder now.

Stede smiles. "Well then. I'm free this next weekend."

"Oh-"

"You're free this next weekend-"

"I am-"

Stede shrugs. "If you'd rather not..."

"I didn't say no. Just...not this trail."

"Oh god, no, we'll go to a different one. A better one. With a field to lay in."

"You have a fetish for being covered in ticks?" Izzy asks. "Because out here-"

"Ah, that's right. We'll just have to fuck in the car before and after I guess."

"I guess we will."

[mochilorddrakeinferno]

Greetings, I hope that you are well: I'm very interested in your Dimentio/Merloo theory. It is a great theory, and I think it works quite well as I believe it ties in quite a few loose ends and serves a wonderful further contrast between Dimentio and Bleck's characters, though there are a few points I would like to enquire about towards the theory:

Does the theory pose that Merloo IS the son of the Master Magician if Dimentio is Merloo, if that's the case, wasn't the son not heard from again after the accident? The usage of "some say" presents the survival of the son is ambigiuous so...Wouldn't the people know that Merloo is the magician's son if he is presented as important enough to get a stain-glass window?

Is the prognositicus directly stated to be difficult to decipher? I understand that the Light prognosticus would be difficult to transcribe as it was activley written. But who actually wrote the dark prognosticus? And when was it actually made? "But no person after obtaining this amazing book ever found happiness". The fact that obtain is used here possibly suggests to me that anyone who had the book in their possession never found happiness and to me that implies that there isn't an "old language" barrier needed to be crossed for the Dark Prognosticus to be read. The Light prognosticus was written by the ancients to counter the prexistimng Dark Prognosticus, so to me it makes sense that the Light Prognosticus would need to be deciphered to understand, but not the Dark. I may be missing something though. 

This would imply to me that Dimentio still could have stolen the Prognosticus when the count wasn't looking, even if he wasn't Merloo, and still would have been able to read it. 

(I wouldn't be surprised though if the writer (Co writer Merloo) who wrote the light prognosticus by using the Dark Prognosticus this measure likely DID go insane having to read the Dark Prognosticus and transcribe it in his language thoughm, the hypnotic - And that does make me ask why Merlumina didn't go insane if she ALSO contributed to the writing of the dark prognosticus but this is a bit off topic-)

If none of the ancients in the bridge between Flipside/Flopside are alive anymore, only their descendants, is there direct evidence of the lifespans that could dictate that could Merloo still be alive? You make the point of "the public had have had no way to know of the Pixl Queen until the uprising of 1,000 years later". Please can you explain the evidence of this towards the ancients being able to live at least 1,000 years? I probably missed something when going over Carson's dialogue- You also mentioned that the apprentice had lived for at least 1,000 years. Is there direct proof of this within the game?

Is there much direct symbolism between Merloo and Dimentio? As you touched on in the Lore wiki, the visual ties and pallete are very weak, and symbolism across the type characters in that respect doesn't seem to viable. Even though the painting has Dimentio's colours, the painting also has other colours in the background that aren't affiliated with him. Had Merloo any symbol of a diamond, or any design connection of the sort, I think the connection maybe be a little bit stronger?-

"Oh, and some say the son of the magician miraculously recovered from the accident. If so, the bloodline of the magician could endure... Did they find happiness? Or otherwise..." Was this line different in the Japanese verssion to refer specifically to the son finding happiness? Doesn't this alter the meaning of the line quite a bit? 

I think that the theory is a unique and interesting approach to Dimentio's characater and makes him seem far more interesting, and honestly I'd love to see it being official lore for the character, though, when comparing how the rest of the game presents its lore, the theory seems a bit...farfetched, even with the abundance of evidence provided. 

When looking at how lore is generally presented in the game, the lore seems a bit...Scattered..outside of Count Bleck and Timpani's as well as some of the direct lore you can find in locations like King Crocaus's castle detailing the stories of his family tree and the glass window section of Flipside's main Co-founders/contributors. The rest of the lore practically comes exclusivley from Carson and is relativey... Easy to put together, so to speak. 

I have no doubt that the writers wanted to tie in Dimentio with the Magician son part of the theory, as the term "magician" has been used to describe his character and I certainly agree that Merloo is connected to his character a least in some way as he also uses dimensional magic and has the key word "magician" to determine him and as there are no descendants of Merloo present, but that lack of really any noteworthy visual connection and the way the other lore is generally presented  is one of the few reasons why I think him actually being Merloo might not have been the intention despite how good the theory is?

Apologies for the ask and I hope that you have a nice day!

Glad you asked, and happy to answer! This will be a very long one. So long in fact that it broke the character limit again, so it's Google Doc link time again. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eLguKB4Guepv55BkRF0i3U98_2ObJ3SVWAHETEDjptQ/edit Enjoy!

[soniclozdplove]

What happens if Meliodas never betrayed the demon race?

With the demon race winning and becoming more dangerous with Meliodas in their side. The goddesses race decided to seal them all thus losing their physical form.

The og gowther won't sacrifice himself to stop the holy war and still might be with the TC. The vampires still got sealed since even without Mel's betrayal they fought back or Zeldris sealed the vampire race so they won't get affected by the war and Gelda.

How would Britannia survive?

Honestly not sure. Maybe The sins will still formed but Elizabeth would be the leader. How? Well, the SD gave Eli immortality and tasked her to look after the seal so the demon race won't be resurrected.

I would like this au because I love evil baddass Mel and demon gowther and Mel friendship maybe even brother bonding between Zeldris and Meliodas since there is no Estarossa.

You can't tell me otherwise that Gowther doesn't stay by Mel side and is his best friend, the one he is most comfortable off, and everyone knows that. It was obvious.

When the TC got resurrected, Gowther was beside Mel as they listen Fraudrin talking, informing them what happened for 3000 years even in Edinburgh.

If Meliodas never betrayed the clan, things would be VERY different. For one... he and Elizabeth would never be in love, nor would the Sins actually exist! At least... not in the same way they do now, at least. The series as a whole would be fundamentally changed because there would BE no Great Holy War, there would be no Giant and Fairy King Drole and Gloxinia joining the Commandments, which would mean that King's disappearance and resulting amnesia wouldn't result in Elaine being the only one to protect the Great Forest and Fountain of Youth, meaning Ban would never have had to drink the Fountain, because Gloxinia would still be around.

With Drole around than there's a chance Diane wouldn't have had to suffer as much as she did growing up and might not have been abandoned because Diane would be very much like Drole. Even if he isn't present, the actions and events affecting her would change as well because he would most certainly challenge the death of Matrona, even if she isn't a queen she was at the very least one of his chieftains, and he wouldn't have let Diane simply take the fault for her death simply because she was present. The political world would look completely different!

That's not even getting into the changes from Demon Clan and Goddess Clans or the changes humans would have because, with no Great Holy War, there would be no sealing if the demon clan. The way magic worked would be fundamentally different. Humans would not have nearly as much power as they have on present-day Brittania! Even if they did get sealed and war did happen anyways, it wouldn't have been nearly as bad as it had been when Meliodas had betrayed the clan. There'd also be no Estarossa, and Elizabeth probably wouldn't even NEED immortality because she'd have never been resurrected as a human and would have retained her goddess form, effectively making her immortal anyways!

[cannibalisticskittles]

alright so i talked about this way fucking more than i thought i was going to when i started, so this one gets a readmore for length. below the cut is just a bunch of thoughts on how amity views sex, and how astarion views sex, and how the relationship could’ve started just a bit differently in light of that.

when i do amity's astarion-romance run again, i am going to be extra analyzing everything. in general but also specifically with the aim of figuring out how likely an alternate start for amity's romance would be. don't get me wrong: i really don't think it would be out of character for amity to accept astarion's proposition(s) the way it all happened in-game; i wouldn't have gone ahead with it otherwise.

but. that doesn't mean that it's what she's most comfortable with. and given how astarion viewed this whole thing, and his complicated view towards sex....... it does make me wonder how things could've played out a bit differently. 

it is hard to not contribute to that sense of ‘sex as a tool/self as a tool,’ until he starts to unwind the skein of how he views sex and his own value and disentangle those concepts. and i think that having some intimacy with him, such that he believes you are going to trust and look out for him, builds some of the pathway to that mindset. not that he couldn't get to where he does in the game without that, but that it would take longer, and he might not be ready for that at the point when it happens. 

but wouldn't it be nice to… feed into that less?

plus it's a bummer! a bummer to be another time when astarion had sex with someone because he felt like that's what he had to do to survive, even if the circumstances are different and he didn't technically have to do that now; we know that that's how he felt about it still. and it's also a bummer to think that amity makes what is, for her, a pretty big personal step forward by deciding that yes, actually, it's probably okay if she's intimate with someone else when they are being very clear that they view this as a good thing, a thing they are interested in, a thing that would be fun for both of them…… only to find out later that, no, actually, there is trauma in pain wrapped up in this.

(she would probably also feel like, if she had been less wrapped up in her own head, she would have noticed that he wasn't truly enthusiastic and she could've avoided contributing to that sort of pain. she'd feel guilty for not declining.)

so, alright. first thoughts, focusing on amity. 

amity definitely has hang-ups with sex, but they aren't sex-specific. they're tied in with all the other hang-ups she has about her appearance and her value as a person and her mindset that romance and intimacy aren't something she can realistically expect to ever happen for her.

she has no view of sex as sinful; she's barely religious anyway, and oghma and gond genuinely would not give a shit. she doesn't view it as needing to only happen after marriage, or even within a committed romantic partnership; her own parents never married, and if they ever had any romantic inclinations towards each other, those were gone long before amity was old enough to perceive them. they're just work and business partners who happened to have sex and had amity as a result of that, and now they platonically co-parent well together (To Her. objectively they are both shit at being parents, but subjectively, amity believes they're good at parenting together).

those hang-ups are still there, though. being seen as Funny-Looking by all her peers, her appearance being taken as a sign of something infernal or demonic or otherwise non-specifically evil, and knowing that when she's disguised as a regular human, she gets a much warmer welcome – all of that feeds into an extremely strong belief that she is awful to look at and to be around (and thus she must preemptively make up for that fact by being as useful as possible to everyone around her). 

and then, when she's older and the family business is experiencing a boom and her father becomes part of parliament, she starts getting marriage proposals and propositions – sometimes from the same patriar shits that mocked her mercilessly as children, as though she could ever forget that. she has a tendency to forgive far more bullshit than she should, but there is no world in which she would ever believe that anyone, let alone these rich motherfuckers who made her life hell as a child, think that she's attractive now. (she would phrase that more kindly, but that's what it comes down to.) she knows it's just another play at power; she has money and status, and her father has money and status, and so a union with her is now seen as palatable. 

and it's awful. she wishes they'd just leave her alone. 

i imagine she has, sometimes, received a genuine proposition. she did get lightly flirted with during her first campaign, after all. but unless someone is exceedingly clear and direct with her, she is going to assume that they aren't actually romantically or sexually interested in her at all, and that it would be extremely presumptuous to think that. and the few who have been clear and direct about it came at times that were less than convenient. 

like hey, sorry, you are very nice, thank you for being direct, however, her party has been out in the wilderness for weeks and she was really looking forward to walking around athkatla at night for an hour or two, and then she has to speed back to her party so they can crack open a lich's skull, sorry! good luck… getting lucky with someone else tonight!

or… she just didn't want to. even if the timing is a bit more convenient, like if she's settled in one place for a few days or weeks and doesn't actually have anywhere else to be, she's going to have doubts. why on earth would a stranger approach her about this? why not someone… nicer to look at?? her self-esteem issues make her view the idea with extreme incredulity, and she'd turn them down. 

so. sex is not something she has any personal level of comfort with. 

secondly… look, amity isn't, like, wise. wisdom is famously her dump stat. (she actually has a higher strength score than wisdom score -- 9 vs. 8. it's bad.) 

she has a tendency to somehow still roll well on insight but she also doesn't know what the fuck to do with this information because it feels rude as hell to be looking for reasons to doubt what someone says. plus, even if someone thinks something different from what they say, they might be determined to act in alignment with their words rather than their thoughts. so amity has made the deliberate decision to nearly always take someone at their word, even if that means she lets herself be manipulated or lured into a trap, because she feels that demonstrating this form of trust is the Right and Good way to go about things. maybe it'll help them out. (she’ll just… carry around a knife and a rope so she can get out of situations like that if/when they go wrong.)

so she wants to take astarion at his word, and trust what he says. and yes, he propositions her, he's the one that brings up the idea. and, yes, he did make it seem as though it's something he's interested in. and yet….

is he, really? 

amity would have less doubts in this instance than she would in those cases where she was propositioned by a stranger – all that a stranger has to go off of is how she looks, and she knows that can't be a draw, so what the hell is it? but with astarion, well, they know each other better than that. not much better, mind you; they still hardly know each other at all. but they have fought in battles together, they're in the same boat regarding tadpoles in their brains and are working towards a shared interest. so, there isn't that same, immediate doubt as to why he's asking her; it's not her appearance, it's the fact that she's there. that's acceptable. that's logical. 

and yet. 

sex seems like a pretty big way to repay a favor. it's so intimate. so vulnerable. so… fraught with potential danger. so many ways someone could hurt you in those moments. 

(her mother, a cold, calculating, manipulative, Literal Actual Devil, made sure that amity was well-briefed in all the ways that vulnerability could fuck you over. amity chooses to ignore that most of the time, but she's still aware of those lessons. get lectured enough on all the ways you make it easy for someone to plunge a knife into your back and that lesson will stick with you.)

sure, she let him drink some of her blood, but that's not really that big a deal, right? it was hardly an inconvenience, she barely stumbled over her own feet the next day, anyway, and she could still mostly see straight when flinging spells. 

there is also the fact that she has extremely little experience with anything like this. she has never been in a real relationship. she has technically kissed someone/been kissed before – but like, as part of playacting with a childhood friend, or an adrenaline-fueled 'i can't believe we survived that' post-battle moment. never an intentional kiss. 

and. she's never had sex with anyone before. 

she doesn't put too much stock in the idea of The First Time, or view it with particular reverence; anything that can be done has to have a first time, right? but. first times don’t always go great. they're messy. flawed. and she's nervous! about her inexperience and about potentially fucking things up and being a shitty partner and ruining it for him.

now, amity has A Hard Time Saying No to people. and it is extremely hard for her to say no to someone when she wants to be useful and helpful and be on good terms with them. 

this situation is no different. astarion has made an offer. for all her trepidation, it is hard to refuse. and… he's very pretty, and they might all die suddenly and painfully and maybe it would be nice to not die without having had this experience. so it's not that she has no desire to do this, she's just… nervous!

so, she accepts. and then… tries to deflect. put it off. busies herself with setting up camp each night so there's never a free moment and then, oops, she's already asleep. or she just offers to let him drink her blood again when she sees him at night; maybe she can distract him enough for him to forget about the whole thing entirely. that'd be swell. at least, it would be preferable to feeling like she's somehow bartered sex from him by letting him feed on her. 

but he’s not going to forget about it. he needs to secure protection of some kind, and this is The Way He Knows How To Do That.

i'm not sure if i think astarion would lean more towards bemused acceptance of this, viewing it as just. an extremely slow seduction. earning her trust and her affection bit by bit, each time she lets him feed – and she does make that offer quite a bit, and my, how she shivers, how she squirms at the lightest touch on her face, her neck, her chin to reposition her. maybe he doesn't even feel the need to push it farther, even tho this isn't quite what he's used to; maybe she's just exceptionally easy to win over. that's less effort for him, overall. his midnight snacks double as reinforcing her interest in him. 

or, perhaps he'd be more annoyed by this, not thinking that anything is secure until he's put his full range of skills into use. all this… waiting for her to let down her guard more means that this is far more time and effort than he'd like to spend on this sort of thing, why on earth does she have to be this apprehensive? isn't that just his luck, for things not to go his way?

now, here's the other thing – for all her inexperience, i think amity would at least want to be an active participant. she wouldn't be content to, like, be lavished on, or have the majority of the attention on her. she'd much prefer it the other way around. 

and that's… not astarion's bag! not at this point! 

it does make me think of a dynamic where he expects to take things further, as is The Expectation That Has Normally Been Set For Him, gently pushing past mild protests of 'oh, you don't have to do that' (re: the 'you've done me a favor, and now i have a favor for you, xoxo' proposition [maybe a semi-pointed 'i don't have to do anything now, darling.' this time, it isn't at cazador's behest]) bc hey, he's gotta carry out this seduction; gotta secure that protection……… but then retracting when it becomes clear that she's eager to put the focus on him.

telling himself that drawing back is really for her sake because, after all, she said she's fine with that, and he supposes that listening to her builds her trust more, doesn't it? when it's really mostly borne from his discomfort at being vulnerable and the association with sex as a tool and the attention being on him… challenges that, juuuuust a bit. 

it ought to be, 'i do this thing for you, you are won over, you give me trust and protection.' he shouldn't need to have to… put on an act where he's lapping up the attention. it's too much. 

and, to be clear, i don't think that having someone want to focus their attention on him would be entirely strange to him; i'm sure some of his previous victims wanted to lavish him with attention. 

but. now is… just a bit different. even if he's not recognizing why he's feeling this way, the fact that he doesn't have to put up with something he doesn't want means he's subconsciously allowing himself to shy away from it, when he would previously (have to) put up with it as part of His Purpose For Cazador. 

so, he pulls back, and things stay intimate, for sure, but… there's less of that direct seduction.  and she speaks up for him when his vampiric nature is brought up, and she has no qualms with his feeding habits, so it seems to be going swimmingly, but it's still a bit strange. 

i think that could work. …my astarion romance scenes actually triggered at different times than they were supposed to so i'll have to keep all this in mind the next time i go through his romance, but these are the thoughts i've been having. 

anyway jesus this is four fucking pages and i don't really have a conclusion, uh. goodbye.