#and others that you may have missed before :3

[badly-drawn-doflamingo]

Brook’s Past, Military and Everything Between [ An Essay kinda ]

Brook’s past is not a thing many people seem to mention or think about, at least in full, however it’s something that's plagued me. Not only as a Brook fan, but simply out of the odd implications it has towards the future, if any. Oda’s planted too many seeds for it to utterly be nothing; there’s so much odd and seemingly out of place comments and facts stated by Brook and others towards this missing history. However, knowing that the show is beginning to near it’s end, due to time, I am unsure of what exactly will be done.

I believe however, for folks' interest and so we can have everything in one place, that compiling everything found so far can be beneficial, so, I have.

Starting with what we know for sure, Brook is from the West Blue, born 90 years ago to a certain kingdom, the same kingdom he was a military convoy leader from. We know this due to a few factors, however it’s still open to debate if it *is* the same kingdom, however seeing as he was shown as a child to already know what fencing is, practicing moves with his bow, I am just going to say he probably was. In any case, other things worth noting, on the topic of childhood, is that Brook seems to have had money. At least, stability.

Compared to a lot of the other strawhats, Brook is shown dressing very nice. No tatters, no tears, shined shoes and a full violin and bow. He also, as already stated, seemed to be exposed to fencing enough to mirror the moves. If this comes from his kingdom, it means he was exposed to it at a young age. Knowing that he was a military convoy leader, this could be taken that perhaps there were military demonstrations, perhaps the kid saw castle guard or other displays; it’s really up in the air.

We know Brook, again as stated before, became a military convoy leader. Now, the definition of what exactly that means can differ.

Wikipedia states; A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.

This could mean Brook’s job could’ve been accompanying ships for protection, being a knight for his King, mediating information and goods that come in and out of the kingdom. This would make sense on why his speed was needed, a 9.2 ft man being a great choice for a leader.

His weapon also would make sense for this kind of mission, perhaps secrecy being important or at least the ability to be discreet. His cane sword, a ‘Shikomizue’, is not unique however to just him in the show, one other man using one that has been confirmed so far, that being Fujitora. The pair also share a sea, the west, and both utilize iaijutsu (quick draw techniques.) Fujitora blinded himself with said sword because of something apparently so cruel and inhumane that he rather not see anguish. This may be related to Brook’s departure from his kingdom, which is addressed later in this essay. (Fig 3-5.)

Another thing that’s worth mentioning here is Brook’s attack patterns, being unique even for his kingdom apparently. Once again, during the Ryuma fight, Brook states, and I quote;

“Ryuma: “Now tell me, what part of that wretched excuse for a body would you like me to severe with my special ‘Arrow Notch Slash?’ Brook: You don’t know a thing about that move, so do not use it’s name. I use to serve in my kingdom’s raider squad. The quick draw attack that I was most skilled at was ‘Requiem Lebanderole’. My comrades-in-arms renamed it in regards to my fighting technique.”

(Fig. 1, Brook explains his raider squad and move names. A banderole mind you is a long flag for BATTLE crusades. )

This sets up a few interesting facts. 1. Brook was in a raider squad, a kingdom’s group of marauders, as well as if not the same job as convoy leader. 

2. His techniques were unique to him, or at least specialized to a degree of having a nickname. 3. As expected, he seems to have been close to these men he commanded, adding another layer over Brook loosing the Rumbars. Being in both a raider squad and being a convoy leader at one point, if not the same point, implies either Brook was simply versatile, acting in both in separate years or periods. Or, the most likely, that he was higher ranking than expected, making him a CO, or commanding officer. (Lieutenant Colonel is another equal rank for scale, making Brook just below a Major.) This makes him quite the important figure, especially for a kingdom that seems to value its military so much, so much so that a child of Brook’s age would already know about their style of fencing, as expressed already. Brook’s devil fruit is worth mentioning here, the revive-revive fruit not likely to be found by a crew like the Rumbars. It is spoken about as if he has always had it amongst the crew, being a fact of life. However, when did he get that fruit and why? I propose where it would be useful; in combat. If your military convoy leader, your best swordsman could be shot and come right back to protect the king, would he not be utterly invaluable? You would never let him leave… But he DID leave. It’s not said why, however we have some extra tidbits of information that may tell us why, and that ALSO may tell us the answer to what kingdom he means.

( Fig. 2. Brook states his leaving of the military for unknown reasoning, the word certain being used in an odd way, establishing his bounty.) This bounty mind you all is in fact, using inflation method, 297,000,000 berries. That is a MASSIVE bounty for just a pirate. Perhaps a certain blond stole a treasure a kingdom could not replace; their convoy leader. Lets rewind for a moment and cover something that may be seen as off topic however I will come right back to the subject at hand; Calico Yorki. Yorki is an odd bird, pirate wise. He makes his crew read his bounties and information, is never shown to play an instrument/sing but makes his crew preform/they all do, and makes Brook make him dinner. (Steak, and Brook continues to be able to make it as confirmed by an SBS.) What is oddest yet, other than his large crew and shirtless habits, is his nature. A man that set to sea to play music for “orphans and crying children” as stated by himself; a crew made for “any men who love music.” Now, I could be reading into this too hard, however from his speech patterns, to this apparent need for a large family, it seems that singing to orphans may be a very personal goal. An orphan turned pirate perhaps, with lofty dreams and a heart of gold, it reads to me that Yorki may have been just that. Knowing this, orphan or not, we now can compare these facts to Brook’s life up until their meeting. A child who probably grew up being taught to fight, being around access to education, expenses and the kingdom’s training. Why would a man like Brook ever join a man like Yorki, and if it’s only music, would that not make Brook a deserter? I do not think that is the case. I will now bring forward some interesting evidence regarding Brook’s kingdom and WHY he would leave. Germa 66. During Zou to Whole Cake, a few mentions of Germa are made with Brook around, garnering interesting reactions indeed.

( Fig. 3. Brook listens but chooses not to add anything utter than silence, his music pausing as well.) This silence could be take as simple ignorance, however Brook later admits he knows of the kingdom, in fact, he knows a lot. A lot more than anyone else did, Reiju admitting interest in his knowledge and once again, Brook brushes it off.

(Fig 4, 5, Brook speaks about Germa 66.) He seems to underplay or simply not elaborate a LOT on his kingdom, as if something happened. Perhaps joining Yorki was not out of simple cowardice or need to be free, (which again if he did would both reflect poorly upon his entire character and not be in character for him what so ever,) but in fact, out of necessity. It could have been Germa 66, it could have been some other grouping, however I believe this will come to be something important. The kingdom possibilities are interesting as well, and I will list the following LIKELY possibilities. (Other options are known to not be military, like Ohara, or literally places like Thriller Bark itself.) - Toroa - God Valley - Illsia Kingdom - Soja Kingdom The most likely candidates, because again, it is labeled as certain kingdom (Fig 2.) is Toroa or Soja, however I will personally lean into Toroa. This is because of a man by the named of Byron.

(Fig 6. Byron and his information.) His nose and face shape vaguely resemble Brook, however honestly that is a stretch. What is NOT however is his familiar attire, family line and the placement of his kingdom. This could easily be Brook’s home, however again, this is just speculation. Brook very well could belong to God’s Valley, or the same kingdom as Issoh, fleeing because of something he did not agree with or literally could not stand any longer. But, that falls under possibility, not fact. This concludes the facts section, now comes the final question; What does it mean for the story? And, honestly, that can be debated. What Oda has done is plant odd seeds of information about the man, similar to Sanji and his ties to Vinsmoke, that have not been addressed nor talked about in full, or so I’ve found sufficiently. These seeds MAY bloom into what I hope will be a tie into some huge reveal, perhaps aid from a past member of his convoy or kingdom, or perhaps this will only spark conflict. Perhaps it will be minute, Brook being able to aid due to his knowledge, the man already in Thriller Bark showing his prowess by being able to command the strawhats into defeating zombies via salt and tactic. In any case, we can only hope these things mean anything, tied into some huge story that could explain why a man like him would quit for a redneck like Yorki, other than perhaps love, and what kingdom would let a man like him go willingly.

[bleue-flora]

***UPDATE***

I did some snooping of my own and ruled some out

Alright, by popular demand here it is. There are likely things on here that may not exist yet because the map is from before the finales or don't exist at all or aren’t on this map. I don't know, but that's part of the fun I suppose. :) Feel free to leave the answers in my asks, tag me, or just use the tag: #dsmp scavenger hunt so I can find your posts. <3 Good Luck!

DSMP Scavenger Hunt

Places

1. Staged Duo Island [related post]

2a. Map #1 2b. Map #4 from Dream’s wall in his bedroom cell [related post] (hopefully they are oriented right, I based it on the other wall maps’ orientation)

3. Quackity's storage room (what is in the chests?) [clip]

Given the look of this room and the presumed general area based off of the stream, I searched everywhere and am going to say this no longer exists and must have be changed since April 2021, perhaps it was part of a Las Nevadas building during construction… so no new torture method lore I guess :[

4. Quackity’s birthday poster (does it really say he’s 28? Or that his birthday is on December 28?)

5. Dream’s house (does he actually have one that’s not the prison or his old secret base)

6a. Revival Book Lab [clip] 6b. Punz's secret underground room

The finale secret room has been confirmed to not have been built yet [post] and given that not even the map room exists in Punz’s tower I’m gonna say the lab probably also does not exists. Though maybe I’m wrong… I can dream right? :)

7. Dream’s bed for respawning in the disc confrontation (it had to be close for him to get there so fast [related post])

8. Warden’s prison stasis chamber on the outside [clip]

9. Does Quackity have an in Minecraft calendar? (that Dream mentions [clip] & is shown in vod)

10. Did they make a replica of the cell for the scrapped lore and just never filmed it?

Items

11. Books Dream gave to Techno in prison (are they all empty?)

12. Dream’s letter to Techno

13. Revival Book

14. Are there multiple Enderboo prison waivers for multiple visits?

15. The OG pink bed (shown in old enderchest [from this post] but not later)

So there are actually a shit ton of pink beds on the server a result of Eret’s ‘you matter <3’ pink wool no doubt. So I think this will be pretty impossible, unless we find something that seems like Dream’s house which has a pink bed.

16. Does Dream have any named possessions?

17. Dreamrider [clip]

18a. Dream’s blue shield 18b. Smile shield from staged finale

Enchantments

19. Enchantments of Quackity’s netherite low durability axe

20. Enchantments of Quackity’s diamond sword

21. Enchantments of Quackity’s diamond pickaxe

22. Dream’s armor enchantments after prison (how does it compare to Nightmare?)

Questions

✔️23. Would Techno and Dream have been able to escape from under the cell? [clip] - I think EVENTUALLY yes

I’m gonna probably do a separate post about it

✔️24. Is the End completely untouched? [related post] - Yes

@blockgamepirate has made the observation that no End file exist so presumably they never went to the end before the finale.

25. Are the cow and sheep still at the disc confrontation vault?

Just For Fun - Where are these?

✔️26. KSI portraits from sex class (are there any still around?) - Yes

I do not have the plugin but all maps seem to still be in the school.

27. DEFINITELY NOT PENIS

28. Dream’s Diary

29. “thanks for visiting” prison book

30. The :) book Sapnap gives to Ranboo from Dream in prison

31. Sam’s book that says "I am not an idiot "over and over

32. The L’manberg photo from the finale [clip]

33. Are there any Tales of the SMP sets?

34. Egg 

35. Bones and Skeppy’s house (in Egg Finale) [clip]

36. Antarctica Tommy got teleported to when he was banned on his first day [related post]

37. The ocean monuments missing elder guardians (for prison build)

38a. Fundy's house in mesa 38b. Fundy’s nightmare set in mesa biome [clip]

39. Dream’s parrot’s grave [Dream's parrot]

Helpful Resources

@sumwan’s post [here] tells how to access inventories

And @seriousbusiness4130 left some helpful replies on my post about finding the loaded chunks of a map:

[cosmique-oddity]

Im so happy you like it >:}}}}

In addition, I also got some thoughts I wanted to share about my choices for this playlist hehehe

I mean, fanfic content 🤌🤌 we love that

Tame Impala Borderline : i got no idea why but it gives me the perfect vibe to draw Jazz...in space especially. In this playlist i placed a lot of songs for space vibes, but this one's also for romance vibe, the way Jazz would flirt. You cannot possibly comprehend how this music radiate mech's pilot jazz x Prowl A.U. in my FEELINGS.

Pacific Rim theme : No explanation required ig for this one X)) I LOVE THIS THEME. ALWAYS HAVE. And the whole Au is based on these movies.

Pink Floyd : THE VIBES. Slow music. Perfect to draw. Its more of a 'Jazz would def listen to this' song. Nonchalant side.

Voltron's theme : 1. Mecha 2. I have to bring my propaganda everywhere 3. ‘Funny Jazz doing silly swings with his mech’ vibes.

505 from Arctic Monkeys : very good song to write and draw angst hehe. Talk abt love. Feelings....

Shangri La by The Electric Light Orchestra : RAAAAAAH. The vibes the vibes. Perfect to write angst too heh. This depict with sound how i see a human x cybertronian relation ship, the symbiosis, the feelings, two different bodies, same soul....how am i supposed to describe it X) ?

Jack to the Bone : only there for atmosphere. Nice background song when you are easily distracted by lyrics. Drawing song. Chill.

Heads Will Roll : KILLING QUINTESSONS TIME W PROWL >:D also this one got the mood i love for this A.U., the whole « undying warrior Jazz because his mecha dont feel pain so he can freely battle »concept.

Diva Dance from 5th Element : i have a thing for this song. And....vibe again. Always vibes. Always. But yeah, slow music, feelings about beauty and grace ….. a waltz between two mechs in space.... and then BLACADABAM !! The second part where its

B A T T L E T I M E.

Interstellar's theme : IT MAKE SENSE. it just make sense because yk stars, space....also very good music when you want to draw the space abysses. Moody song.

David Bowie Space Oddity : Probably the more lore-accurate song . I mean, its litteraly a song about a man, who's slowly loosing contact with Earth, diving into space (its not exactly the same thing tho).... May be good for depicting eventual Earth homesickness. Lyrics song.

Cet air : french song. Propaganda i was so obliged. But yeahhh melancholic shit....the voices are angelic and pretty. Nobody will understand the lyrics so its perfect. Talking about melancholy and times gone by. Song to listen if there's a separation Jazz/Prowl angst time in ur fic. (Or if one of them die haha...or any other separation.)good for grief.

Sweet Dreams : Omg i dont know. Jazz seeking adventures i guess. And him being playful with Prowl. shielding himself by using the word VIBE to explain everything.

I dont Want to Play around : Nobody can tell me this song is not space coded. Jazz would listen to this i know it.

Starlight, Muse : the name of the song. The fact that this is a love song. Talking about going very far, seeking for 'Starlight' Dreams....not caring about anything.. did i mentionned love song ? Nah i love the lyrics. Lyrics song.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road : Blues song. Elton John, young boy -yes. I keep in mind how Jazz will ultimately either pull us an Avatar or die before Prowl-. Earth melancholy (im thinking a lot about that, he wouldnt miss Earth that much. BUT. HUMAN MUSIC. Human culture etc....hahaha yes he will miss that part).

Wildfire (Cocolia Boss Theme HSR) : Fighting even if you are far from home. Teaming even if you are in cold space. This song was created for a Boss theme but is also very...idk....it display a lot of emotions....so. Epic Battle, eventually when one of the two are injured and surrounded by Quintessons or other ennemies. When they first loose hope and then just go 'fuck that lets win'.

Fall Out Boy, Immortals : Aahhhh

....Jazz is a tiny human....Prowl and him are in a middle of crazy fights....but just if they are together, they could be Immortals. Again an action-battle Song. Im a battle writer i juste have to learn how to draw battles so i can fully turn into the ultimate edgelord.

Fine, Lemon Demon : This one's got an history, i discovered this song via a Rottmnt edit about Donnie. For me this song is about being represented as a grumpy and angry person, but deep inside its a 'disguise' and the person is a sweet sunshine (or just hide a bright side). Just a person who struggle to show HOW they are thinking. Whats the process and who they really are. And yes. I see some similarites between these two characters.

David Bowie, Starman : I love incorporating a shit ton of space sings in there. But hear me out :

Prowl is Jazz's star man.

End of the hear me out. Spaces vibes again.

Jamiroquai Cosmic Girl : Prowl is the Star man, but Jazz is the Cosmic 'girl' depicted in this song. An odd being but....spacey, his feeling are never landing from space. Dreaming about exploration, got a strong magnetizing power. "She is just a Cosmic Girl from another Galaxy".

Elton John Im still standing : Some of Keferon's ask mentionned Jazz doesnt minding getting his mech hurt because well....he cant feel its just a machine. So i feel like it works very well with an eventual liberated fighting style. Also 'feeling like a little kid' could refere to well...piloting giant robot. Who doesn’t want to be him among us ?

Sooo

Since my heart is full of tiny human Jazz hiding in a giant mech, Cybertronian Prowl learning about a new specie and cool spacey romance with some badass fight, I made a playlist

Every song is quite its own mood, but most of them are calm and could help drawing and writing about this alternate universe.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLo-Kslg8kXDBq2ixffKrojLFNByeRelg&si=SJsMyJ_AaF-I7kzP

:^

Have a nice day

OOOOOUUUHHHHH This is so cool fjfngnfn

I know what I'm listening tomorrow>:D

[awsugar]

And I forgot about the DRUMS!!! I think this is an album they may have been working on for years. I think they are going for a magnum opus

yea so i read this went you sent it at 6am cause ive been out of work sick for a few days now and my sleep is allll messed up. and i tinhatted EXTREMELY close to the sun on this one. but i kind of think im cooking. so let me explain.

also ill just say i think because we know somethings coming but we dont know what BUT we know there are threads throughout somehow connecting things from years prior like. all tinhatting is plausible until proven otherwise. if we want to draw a connection between two things we CAN. and i think thats why im so on board with mcr5 now when i havent been since 2019. bc ive done this before. i was in the trenches for the danger days rollout/promo and the transmissions on the website and everything and THAT was one of the most exciting times of my life and THIS reminds me of that. im glad people never gave up on mcr5 but they never gave me ENOUGH before now to really run with. and now they have and its a free for all. THIS is what being an mcr fan is about. tbh. this is what this fandom has been missing for AGES. when they dont give us teasers and lore and crpytic messages we devolve into like theorizing and arguing with each other about who they are as people. but this is the basis of mcr community to me....getting together with your pals inside your phone and inside your laptop (who now have grown ito irl friends for so many of us) and dissecting every shred of info they give us. thank god for my chemical romance.

ANYWAY sorry that. went down a path i didnt intend when i started. so yes um so what you said about them going for a magnum opus. let me tell you a little story. when i was in my first year of being a my chem fan, i was 13, i became QUICKLY obsessed, first with the black parade and then after i spent i think 2 months straight listening to nothing but the black parade on repeat all day every day (literally) i ventured into their other stuff and got like really sucked in to everything else, reading articles and interviews and watching every video of them youtube had to offer and talking about them 24/7 on the forums instead of doing homework, i would sneak the family laptop into my room at night so i could keep reading about them and talking about them instead of having to go to sleep it was THE most exhilarating and exciting time of my life. anyway. i remember (16 years later) reading a specific review of the black parade that said something like "my chemical romance will never top this album and they know it" and i STILL REMEMBER sitting on the couch and crying over it. because i had never listened to music that had made such an impact on me as the black parade IN MY LIFE. nothing had ever made me feel that way and that strongly as listening to that album. you know how we all always say we wish we could listen to my chem for the first time again just to have that feeling again. that was me. i had never experienced an album of their when it came out and i felt like the author of the article was telling me that i would basically never acheive that high again. it was devastating. i promise this is relevant. bc regardless of your PERSONAL FAVORITE my chem album, it is generally agreed upon that the black parade is their magnum opus. it just is. both in scale and musically and its impact on pop culture and its the best known to a general audience.

so you say they're going for a magnum opus. when the black parade is DEAD. they killed it. (in the new lore they were sent to the MOAT which i assume is some kind of exile and stripping of their status as the national band)

and so i started thinking about "in the face of extermination say FUCK YOU" and i think this applies here two-fold actually. MAYBE 3-fold. on one hand, in-universe. extermination being the concrete age, the dictator holding the people down and exterminating their livelihood. but also the extermination of the black parade! and then - irl - we have the extermination of mcr's chances of doing something huge again like this. music publications resigning them as soon as the album came out to never achieving something as epic and grand as that again.

and the FUCK YOU being, the opposition of the dictator from the people, the black parade being reinstated but? maybe they have plans to overthrow the dictator? IRL mcr saying fuck you, we can actually use the concept that you said was the best we would ever do, completely turn it on its head, and make something even more grandiose and epic and MAGNUM OPUS.

and also hail just reminded me obv of the UNKILLABLES drumhead in sydney. which both relates to franks personal experience there but also like. with this concept of in the face of extermination say fuck you. along with his end of tour post being a cockroach, notoriously unkillable! notoriously a target for extermination!!!!

god theres so many layers to this but i needed to get it off my chest do you still like me

[ceraga]

50 punishments

thanks to Lizzy for helping with the list read this first for some context https://www.tumblr.com/ceraga/765556872396865537/40-rules-while-under-ceragas-care

a timeout

pacigag

early bedtime

2 hours of bouncy time

dress up runway model for other littles

paci kisses with another little for an hour

temp check next change

triple diapers

oatmeal in your clean diaper(or next clean one)

Make you write an apology letter to another little using only crayons with your non-dominant hand while sitting in a messy diaper.

a bottle every half hour for the day

mouth soaping

making you give each diaper in a pack a name and write the name on each diaper

ask another little you've been intimate with out on date

given a mouthful of hot sauce and a bottle of milk

a spanking

another little as your babysitter for an afternoon

being my chair for half an hour

no potty privileges for a month

make you choose 3 pills from 8 to put up your butt where 4 pills among them are suppositories

Lines

you will be given a crossword every word you don't find in 5 minutes another half an hour before a change

having to wear underwear under your diaper for a day

no walking privileges for the day only crawling

baby food meals for a week

list 10 liquids other than water and get an enema of a random one, another little may remove boring options

being left on the changing table from one change to the next without removing the restraints

chastity time for a week

making you count each swear in a media you watched and getting a spank for each swear you caught, 10 for each swear you missed

no change and a 5 hour date with Mrs.Buzzy Wand's big sis Ms.sybian (no breaks)

a change and aphrodisiacs

change and the a date with Mrs. buzzy wand (remember rule 8 from)

lose 1 star

only baby entertainment aside from the stuff i put on for a week

suppository while my friends or your friends are over

no furniture privileges for a week

for a month each time you ask for a change, check or say how used your diaper is you must wait 3 hours before a change minimum

Dozen Ice cubes in your clean diaper(or next clean one)

a fleet enema and regular underwear for an hour (for when you think you can hold it like big kid)

make a top 10 list of punishments and a paragraph on each why you enjoy them, you will read it aloud to the other littles

locking mittens, diaper cover and booties for 2 weeks

getting your night time diaper put over your current one instead of a change for bed time

letting the other littles write on your body

for 2 weeks each time you mess you must make cummies in the living room no longer than an hour after messing or you will have to write 20 lines for every 5 minutes late after the changing

making you ask an a little you've been intimate with before, what punishment should be delivered for what you've done wrong

Take photos of you in various embarrassing poses, which will be used as your phone's lock screen and wallpaper until you spend 10 stars to change it.

making you change another little out of a nonmessy diaper without using your hands

for a week check every littles diaper by your pressing your face into it when you meet them

the words I, Me, and you will be treated swear words for a week

for a week you'll have a hollow catheter and hollow buttplug inserted in you and' you'll have to take a laxative every day

[olive-main]

I want a 1930s/40s Bucky x reader fic. Maybe bucky survives his fall but is sent home because he definitely shouldn’t be serving for a while and reader and bucky just living together and being in love and *screaming sounds*

Scars and All

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: After Bucky’s fall readjusting to life had been a difficult task— but not impossible with his Doll by his side.

Wc: 1.7k

A/N: I loved this request so much bcs I love Bucky so much <3 A bit angsty at first but then it turns into tooth rotting fluff. Also this is kinda not edited? And don’t mind how I keep changing my pov in each fic…I’m still finding which one I prefer writing in :’)

——

The bustling streets of Brooklyn were a strange symphony you had grown accustomed to, a rhythm that melted with the laughter of children playing stickball and the cries of vendors shouting about everything from fresh bagels to bundles of fruits. You stood by the open window, a warm breeze carrying in the scent of the city, and watched as Bucky made his way down the sidewalk, his hat pulled low over his eyes, a half-smile playing at his lips. It was a smile you hadn’t seen nearly enough of since he returned, but on the rare occasion it did come, it was something you committed to memory.

It had been six months since Bucky was sent home. Six months since the army had delivered him back to Brooklyn, battered but alive. The day he’d returned, you had hardly recognized him. His face had been a map of new scars, his body thinner, his eyes dimmed with shadows. The Bucky you knew had always been the strongest person in the room. Seeing him broken, a man cracked open and laid bare by what he’d been through, had shattered something inside you too.

But somehow, you had found a way to put each other back together. Or at least you were trying.

You turned away from the window, busying yourself with folding laundry, but you couldn’t stop your thoughts from wandering. You had gotten used to the way Bucky sometimes flinched at loud noises or went quiet when he thought no one was looking, how he would wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, trembling and gasping like he was back on that godforsaken train. You had learned to navigate those moments, to hold him until the fear subsided, even when he refused to talk about it, even when he pulled away and wouldn’t meet your eyes.

The front door creaked open, and Bucky stepped inside, his hat in hand, his hair tousled by the wind. He paused for a moment, as if he needed to remind himself that this was real—that you were real, and this home was his sanctuary. Your heart clenched at the way he stood there, lost in thought.

“Bucky?” you called softly, your voice gentle.

He blinked, his blue eyes finding yours, and a slow smile spread across his lips. It was the kind of smile that had once come so easily to him, but now it felt forced every time you saw it. He crossed the room in a few quick strides, setting the paper bag of groceries on the table before wrapping his arms around you. His embrace was warm, his fingers digging in like he was afraid you might slip through his grasp.

You held him just as fiercely. “I missed you,” you whispered. He may have been gone for only a couple hours, but every moment spent away from him felt like an eternity.

Bucky let out a breath. “Missed you more Doll” he murmured, pressing his lips to your hair. His voice sounded almost desperate, the weight of his words heavy with something unsaid.

“I’m right here,” you assured him, running your fingers through his short hair. It wasn’t as long as it had been before the war, but it had started to grow back, thick and dark. Sometimes, he complained about the way the army had sheared it off, how he didn’t feel like himself anymore, how he couldn’t even recognize the man in the mirror.

You pulled back slightly to look at him, and that’s when you saw it—the haunted look behind his eyes, like he was caught between the present and some far-off memory that you couldn’t reach. His jaw clenched, and for a second, he looked like he might crumble.

“Bucky,” you said, your voice breaking. You cradled his face in your hands, your thumbs brushing over the rough stubble along his jaw. “Talk to me.”

He closed his eyes, leaning into your touch. “Sometimes,” he started, his voice hoarse, “I can’t believe I’m really here. That I made it back.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “And sometimes I wish I hadn’t.”

The confession hit you like a punch to the gut, and your vision blurred with tears. You knew he was struggling, but hearing him admit it out loud felt like a knife twisting in your chest. “Don’t say that,” you pleaded, your fingers trembling as they held onto him. “Please, don’t.”

Bucky’s eyes opened, and the pain you saw there was unbearable. “I don’t mean it,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Not when I’m with you. You’re the only thing that makes it worth it. But the nightmares… the fear… it’s like it never lets go.”

You pulled him into your arms, holding him like you could shield him from everything that haunted him. “We’ll get through it,” you promised, your voice thick with emotion. “We’ll get through it together, Bucky. I’m not going anywhere.”

He buried his face in your shoulder, and for a moment, the strong, indestructible Bucky Barnes you had once known was gone, replaced by a man who was desperately trying to hold himself together. You could feel the way his body shook with silent sobs, and you knew it was a rare and fragile moment of vulnerability, one that he’d never let anyone else see.

All you could do was hold him tighter, hoping that your love was enough to keep the darkness at bay, even if just for a little while.

——

You weren’t sure how long you stood there, holding Bucky as he unraveled in your arms. The silence between you was thick, broken only by the occasional sound of traffic outside or the laughter of kids echoing through the street. But eventually, his grip on you loosened, and he pulled back, his eyes red but no longer clouded by the same hopelessness.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, wiping at his cheeks with the back of his hand. “Didn’t mean to fall apart on you like that.”

You shook your head, gently catching his hand in yours before he could hide his emotions. “Don’t apologize,” you whispered. “You don’t ever have to be sorry for how you feel.” You gave his fingers a squeeze, feeling the roughness of his calluses, a reminder of the walls he had to build up around him.

He looked at you for a long moment, something softening in his gaze. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, you know that?” His voice had that familiar warmth, a hint of the old Bucky, the one who could charm his way out of trouble with an easy smile and a few sweet words.

You grinned, leaning up to press a kiss to the tip of his nose, which made him scrunch up his face in mock protest. “Oh, you’re a handful,” you teased. “But I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world, James Bucky Barnes. Not even when you leave your muddy boots all over the floor.”

He laughed—a real, genuine laugh—and it was like a glimpse of light breaking through the storm clouds. “Hey, now,” he protested, a playful glint returning to his blue eyes. “I was going to clean those up. Eventually.”

“Sure, you were,” you shot back, and before you knew it, he was pulling you in closer, his hands resting on your hips as he buried his face in your neck. He tickled you with his scruffy chin, making you squeal and squirm.

“Stop it!” you laughed, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. “Bucky, that’s not fair!”

“All’s fair in love and war,” he teased, but his voice was full of affection, and the tension from earlier seemed to melt away.

You finally managed to escape his tickling, grabbing a dish towel from the table and playfully swatting at him. “Go on, then, soldier. Put away those groceries before they spoil. That’s an order.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin wide. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, the old spark of mischief dancing in his eyes. But instead of obeying right away, he leaned in and stole a kiss, soft and sweet, the kind that made your heart do a silly little flip.

You roll your eyes in annoyance , but your smile betrayed you.

Bucky’s laughter was what home sounded like, and for a moment, you could almost forget the shadows that still lingered. Because right now, in your tiny, cluttered Brooklyn apartment, he was here. You were here. And every little piece of happiness you carved out together felt like a victory.

As Bucky turned to finally unpack the groceries, he glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, and by the way Doll,” he said, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the excitement in his voice, “I picked up something special.”

Your curiosity piqued, and you stepped forward to peer into the paper bag. Inside, you found a small bouquet of flowers—lilies, the ones you loved most—and a bottle of your favorite wine.

“Bucky,” you said, your throat tightening with emotion. “You didn’t have to…”

He rubbed the back of his neck, hoping this small act of love could reflect a fraction of what he truly felt for you. “I know,” he said, his voice softer now. “But I wanted to. I wanted you to know how special you are to me.”

You set the flowers down on the table and wrapped your arms around his waist, holding him close. “You’re my something special,” you whispered, and you felt the way his breath hitched, how he melted into your embrace.

For the rest of the afternoon, the two of you danced around each other, cooking a simple but perfect meal together, laughing when Bucky burned the garlic bread and insisted it was still “edible.” When the sun dipped below the horizon, you dimmed the lights, put on the new record, and danced slowly in the living room, the music crackling through the old speaker.

Bucky’s arms circled around you, pulling you in close. “You know,” he murmured, resting his forehead against yours, “I think I’m the luckiest man in the world. Scars and all.”

You tilted your head up to meet his gaze, your love for practically radiating off you. “And I love every single part of you,” you said, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Scars and all.”

Wrapped up in each other, the rest of the world seemed to fall away, leaving only the warmth and light you had built together, one piece at a time.

——

Constructive criticism and feedback always welcome. Thank you beauties ~ <3

[frozenjokes]

THE TIME LOOP AU IS ALL WRITTEN!!!!!!!!!! MY GUYS!!!! I can not wait to share the rest of the story TY FOR THE SUPPORT!!!!! ao3 link

below, some snippets from the final chapters. the next will be up tomorrow :3

Cleo smirked, “Keep talking kitty kitty, your days are numbered,” Cleo started to twirl the lasso, and Scar scoffed.

“Keep dreaming.”

Predictably, the first three times Cleo attempted to throw the lasso she missed terribly; Scar had mostly been teaching her the tricks and this required a completely different technique! To emphasize his confidence, Scar tucked all of his limbs under his body, commencing his groom. The sad fwap of the lasso hitting nothing along with Cleo’s continued threats were music to his ears. He frowned as he nosed through his chest fur, coming across a small shard that had wedged itself into his skin. Gingerly, he plucked it away, spitting it back at Cleo before continuing to ignore her. Stubborn, silly creature. He licked away the remaining beads of blood without concern, eyed contentedly shut.

///

“I don’t think you understand how your violence affects other people. I’m still looking for snares every time I walk through a hall. I still feel it around my neck. Sometimes when I think about you it feels like choking.”

“That.” Cub paused, not quite faltering, but not exactly facing Scar with the same confidence. “That was a long time ago.”

“May as well have been yesterday.”

///

“If you want a story so damn bad, tell one yourself. That, or leave it,” Cleo huffed, and Scar mumbled a quiet agreement, moving to cuddle in with her as she finished settling down. Cub stayed where he was, sitting on the edge of the bed. Scar thought the conversation was over then, and the silence had lasted so long that he’d started to doze off when Cub spoke.

“Used to feed the crows in my backyard.” Cub paused for a moment before amending, “Birds. Small animals with wings. Anyway, before my cats died we still had a bit of food left, and my family never really threw anything away. I always took little baggies into the woods when I’d go. It was great. Whole flocks would follow me around, thirty to fifty birds.. I got in trouble for feeding them too close to the house since they figured out where I lived. Cawed all sorts of noise very early in the morning.” Cub nodded to himself, closing his eyes where he sat.

Scar waited for him to continue. The waiting grew increasingly more awkward until Scar couldn’t help but prompt him, “And what happened next?”

Cub yawned, moving to settle in under the sheets beside Cleo. “I stopped feeding them.”

Scar waited. Cub did not elaborate.

…

Maybe this is why Cub had never contributed a story before. He wasn’t particularly talented at telling them.

///

“True soldiers, born in blood,” Grian mumbled, turning away, “Battle forth ‘til his pads are raw, face grave. But never stop. Whether he is good leaves no relevance; however, he certainly is true. As for I.. I can not take his sword. But his family?” Grian sighed, “As long as he chooses to keep it, I will not interfere.” He left them without another word. Scar couldn’t stop staring.

[kalisburnerphone]

The Colors of You // C.SC

Mini Series || will contain adult themes and language, minors do not interact!!

Overall Warnings: idol!seungcheol x gradstudent!reader,Afro-IndoLatina!woc, implied curve/plus-sized woc!, emotionally constipated reader, seungcheol is lowkey a simp but so is reader and neither are that good at hiding it, reader considers herself demisexual, reader and seungcheol have a discussion on curly hair maintenance at some point, arguments occur, this is for my tall girlies,reader is just an inch or two shorter than cheol, seungcheol on his glucose guardian agenda, kkuma makes an appearance, pouty cheol, a bit cutesy, a bit domestic, a bit angsty, smut in various ways, reader has tattoos, seungcheol has some not so innocent realizations about himself, I think that's all for now.

A/N: I do not own Seventeen or any of the members. This is a work of fiction and not meant to accurately depict any of the members personality in real life as I only know what I've been shown. Seventeen and any other mentioned idol are just used as face claims and character names.

Unofficial Playlist:

Kidult - SVT

Amazing - Kiana Lede

Naughty - Devita

Natural - Kiana Lede

난 (Me) - 에스쿱스 (S.COUPS)

It's a work in progress, I'll update it later.

1.Color Rush - release date: 23rd or 24th November 2024.

Summary: You’d never given much thought to the idea of meeting your probe. Having spent your entire life as a mono, your color spectrum limited to the multiple shades of gray, you’d gotten used to it. You had never met anyone who made you see color so you had figured there wasn’t anyone out there that would bring color to your world. You were okay with that, you’ve seen what finding a probe can do to a mono and you refused to become like that. You liked your simple life but you had no idea that all that was about to change. All it took was one VIP ticket, your eyes locking with the leader of one of the biggest groups in the world and suddenly there’s an explosion of color popping around your irises before you pass out.

2. Color Drive - release date: tba!

Summary: Somehow you've been convinced to give this 'thing' -because calling it a relationship makes it seem too real- a chance. You both agree to take things slow while he's away but even though you agreed you're still hesitant and skeptical. Trying to keep him at a distance proves difficult even when he's thousands of miles away because there's one thing that Choi Seungcheol is, it's determined, a bit clingy and very stubborn. Despite continuously trying to break down those walls you've built so damn high, he starts feeling like he's the only one trying. One phone call turns into an argument which in turn leads to you going radio silent. The last place he expects to run into you is at his favorite restaurant while he's visiting home during their short break for the holidays.

3.Color Me In - release date: tba!

Summary: Tour is finally over and while he has some time to rest you're about to start another semester. It doesn't stop him from trying to be in your space every chance he gets or spending money on KTX tickets to have you in his no matter how much you protest. Seungcheol doesn't remember the last time he's felt like this or if he's ever felt like this before but he's 100% sure that you were made for him and him for you. You on the other hand, as much as you keep denying it you know you're falling hard and deeply despite it barely being five months since you both met. He makes it so easy too that you only realize how down bad you are when he's not in your orbit. When his scent has faded from your space and you find yourself missing him. If Seungcheol had noticed the number of t-shirts and hoodies that disappeared during that winter then he makes no mention of it because lowkey or maybe high-key he already knows how you feel. Him finding out that he’s your bias may have clued him in on that but a win is a win.

Release date schedule may change, I'm up to my neck in assignments for grad school so please bare with me. I'm trying to complete and edit the first part which will probably be posted before or after my conference in Seoul next weekend. I'm aiming to have part 2 out by the end of December or early January. The timeline is loosely following real life with the tour dates and such so the final part (subject to change depending on its performance) is set for February 2025. It's a loose schedule that I would like to finish during winter break as long as research and work don't drown me.

[intotheelliwoods]

Collaborative 2AL Comic Calling and Info!

Oh BOY did this blow up...

Ive polished up dialogue and framing, in total there should be 30 panels, exactly the tumblr image limit haha! Everyone who is participating gets to draw a panel! I will message you the dialogue, and a general layout once I get everyone in! :) I look forward to this!

30/30 Participants [full!]

If you are interested in joining, please message me here on tumblr or Discord! [Discord would be preferred in the long run]

--------

-> Deadline for panels?

2 Weeks! Hoping everything can be ready to go to post by September 24th!

---

-> What style to use?

Your own! I would love it if you can have as much fun as you can making the panel! The more unique each panel is the better, I dont want to constrict anyones artistic ability outside dialogue, where characters are in a room, and a vague framing idea/expressions.

As for coloring, fully colored and digital would be preferred! Just blue blobs can also work! With the exception of 4 specific panels, flashback panels, in a black/white/red scheme to help differentiate what panel is a flashback, and what panel isnt. I will let you know if your panel is one of those specific 4!

---

-> How will posting and crediting work?

When the panels are all done, I will gather them up into a singular post on this blog. Below the comic itself in order of panels would be everyones @ to the blog they want credited, Multiple blogs can also be credited ofc (For example If you drew panel 3 you will be the third @ on the list)

You are also free to add a signature or @ to your blog in the panel art itself!

[hiraganasakura]

Hi so me being me I've decided to hyperanalyze the conversation Qrow and Raven had in Higanbana practically line by line bcus I have Many Thoughts and this is the best way I can think of to get them all out. If you can't tell I'm absolutely obsessed with these two. Btw.

Thanks to the RWBY wiki for providing transcripts for every episode, otherwise I definitely would have missed smth despite having just watched this scene recently lol

I put it under the read more for easier scrolling due to how long this post got!

I immediately noticed smth in the very first lines of the interaction:

Raven: "Hello, brother." Qrow: "...Raven."

You'll notice throughout the whole conversation that Raven never calls Qrow by his name, only condescendingly referring to him as "brother" this one time and never calling him anything else. Meanwhile, Qrow directly refers to Raven a total of three times throughout the conversation, and only one doesn't call Raven by her name (which we'll get to shortly)

On the other hand, Qrow doesn't bother with even so much as a greeting beyond simply stating Raven's name

It's different ways of communicating their distance. While Raven holds her relationship with Qrow over his head — never once, even outside of this scene, does she call him "brother" with affection iirc, only derision and condescension — Qrow doesn't seem to rly know how to greet her. He hesitates before saying her name and approaching her, as if trying to assess the situation before acting

Qrow: "So, what do you want?" Raven: "A girl can't just catch up with her family?" Qrow: "She can, but you're not. Now how 'bout we get on with it? Unless you plan on keeping these [drinks] comin'."

Again, Raven seems to bring up her familial ties with Qrow as a tactic to get him to do what she wants — in this case, stick around to talk to her despite him not seeming to rly want to. Frankly, it feels manipulative. We're gonna put a pin in this for now and come back to it in just a moment

Additionally, Qrow already knows that Raven's not just here for a friendly chat between two siblings, and sees right thru her facade that it is. Raven is here bcus she wants smth from him. But interestingly, it is Raven in V5 that says, in an almost frustrated/disappointed tone, "Family. Only coming around when they need something." There's another pin; keep both in mind

Raven: "Does she have it?" Qrow: "...Did you know Yang lost her arm?" Raven: "That's not—" Qrow: "Rhetorical question, I know you know. It's just obnoxious that you'd bring up family and then carry on like your own daughter doesn't exist." Raven: "I saved her." Qrow: "Once. Because that was your rule, right? Real 'Mom of the Year' material, sis."

Qrow dodges Raven's question about the Relic and instead brings up her hypocrisy in how she treats family. And it's a good point. Here she is lording her siblingship with Qrow over his head while simultaneously defending and upholding her rule that she is only obligated to help her own daughter a single time. Another pinpoint on our little conspiracy board

Also, here's the one time in this conversation Qrow refers to Raven as "sis". Like Raven's use of "brother", Qrow's use of "sis" is very pointed and with intent. But it's not to manipulate Raven, it's a snarky jab meant to rly hammer home Qrow's point

Raven: "I told you Beacon would fall, and it did. I told you Ozpin would fail, and he has. Now you tell me. Does. Salem. Have it?" Qrow: "I thought you weren't interested in all of that." Raven: "I just want to know what we are up against." Qrow: "And which 'we' are you referring to?"

A few things of note here. At some point in the past, Raven expressed an outright disinterest in Ozpin's inner circle, at least to Qrow. Qrow also feels excluded in the "we" Raven mentions being against Salem. To me, there seems to be a distinct possibility here that it wasn't that Raven felt personally disinterested in Ozpin's operations, but that she somehow felt excluded and feigned a lack of interest in order to protect herself. An idea that is further supported in my eyes by the following dialogue:

Qrow: "You should come back, Raven. The only way we'd beat her is by working together. All of us." Raven: "You're the one who left. The tribe raised us, and you turned your back on them." Qrow: "They were killers and thieves." Raven: "They were your family." Qrow: "You have a very skewed perception of that word."

And there it is. Raven's problem is laid out here for us, loud and clear: She feels like she was the one abandoned, not the one running away. She says it outright! "You're the one who left." To her, Qrow is the traitor, the one who left their family behind. If you ask Qrow (or, for that matter, Tai, Yang, and even Summer based on the scene in V9), it's the opposite

Bcus they have different definitions of family

Another thing to pin (I promise this will all become clear soon)

Raven: "I lead our people now. And as leader, I will do everything in my power to ensure our survival." Qrow: "I saw. The people of Shion saw, too." Raven: "The weak die. The strong live. Those are the rules." Qrow: "Well, you've certainly got someone strong on your side. I've seen the damage." Raven: "We couldn't have known the Grimm would set in as quickly as they did." Qrow: "I'm not talking about the Grimm. And I'm not talking about you, either."

Notice Raven's shift from "the tribe" to "our people". More of that guilt tripping!

Additionally, Raven is *obsessed* with rules. One save. The weak die, the strong live. Raven lives and breathes rules, even seemingly arbitrary ones. Guess what this is? Another pin!

Raven: "If you don't know where the Relic is, then we have nothing left to talk about." Qrow: "I don't know where the Spring Maiden is, either, but if you do, I need you to tell me." Raven: "And why would I do that?" Qrow: "Because without her, we're all going to die." Raven: "...And which 'we' are you referring to?"

Qrow's "either" here implies that he also doesn't know where the Crown of Choice is, which is... interesting. He's one of Ozpin's closest lieutenants, and is in the dark on where Beacon's Relic is? Wherever it is, it is such a closely kept secret that even Ozpin's best spy doesn't know where it is (maybe so that in the event Qrow gets captured by Salem he can't be forced into giving her the information?)

Meanwhile, Raven's "And why would I [tell you]?" implies that she does know who the Spring Maiden is (obviously. Raven's the Spring Maiden lol) but refuses to disclose to Qrow

A lantern sputters out after Qrow says "Without [Spring] we're all going to die." Now, I genuinely can't remember if this is headcanon or canon, but iirc Misfortune seems to act up when Qrow's upset. He's clearly tired of this little game of dancing around topics that Raven's been playing with him

And once again, Raven indicates a feeling of exclusion from Qrow's life in the iconic final line. She gets the final word in before leaving

We've finally reached the end of the conversation. Now what does all of this tell us?

And here is where all of those pins I wrote down are relevant. As I mentioned, the twins view family very differently

Qrow's view is pretty obvious: he views family as the ppl in his life who matter most to him. Unlike Raven, he does not view the tribe as family despite the fact that they raised him, disgustedly referring to them as "killers and thieves". It's implied that he was, in fact, neglected and/or likely abused by the Branwen tribe, saying in V6C4, "No one wanted me... I was cursed..." further explaining his distaste for them. Furthermore, despite not being related to Ruby by blood, they clearly consider one another family throughout the series, and he even seems closer to her than he seems to his niece who's actually blood related to him (I personally headcanon that he keeps more of a distance from Yang bcus she reminds him too much of Raven, who he feels abandoned and hurt by, but that's neither here nor there). Bloodlines and debts are secondary compared to loyalty, if they're considered at all. He is obviously furious that Raven only insists on saving Yang once and never directly interacting with her beyond that, despite Raven constantly guilting Qrow over abandoning his so-called "family" of the tribe. And yet. And yet. He still offers Raven a place back in his life, even if only to unite against Salem

Raven's view, to me, has been an enigma for a while. But after hyperanalyzing this conversation, after noting down all of those points of interest, I feel like I've finally cracked the code. Raven views family as an obligation, an exchange that always has an ulterior motive behind it. She seeks out Qrow only bcus she desires smth from him despite showing distaste when someone does the same to her; condescendingly calls Qrow "brother" more than his actual name and calls the tribe their "family" to try guilting him into doing what she wants; and feels fierce loyalty to the tribe but barely interacts with her daughter, only seeming to count one of the two as true family. She views the concept of family with cynicism and seems to feel an obligation to the tribe, as if she "owes" them for raising her

I think the two's perceptions of what defines family are all to do with the way the tribe treated both of them. This crosses a bit into headcanon territory, but as you can see by the above quotes and analysis, I rly don't think I'm just making it up entirely

As I already mentioned, I think it's implied that the Branwen tribe neglected/abused Qrow. In fact, we could probably blame their treatment of him for the deep self-loathing he has due to his "cursed" Semblance. But what about Raven?

Well, it's simple: I think she was abused, too, just in a different way. While Qrow was likely shown and told on a consistent basis that he was unwanted, unloved, undeserving of good things, Raven may have been shown and told she was wanted, loved, and deserving of good things... if she did what the tribe told her. If she repaid them for raising her and her brother, for being her "family". The way she uses her familial ties with Qrow as almost blackmail may be exactly the way the tribe treated her. Her obsession with following rules may stem from the fact that she had to follow the rules the tribe set for her in order to be accepted and deemed worth smth

As for her distance from Yang... honestly, I wonder if Raven is aware that Yang deserves better and keeps her distance as her way of doing that. When Summer confronts Raven in the V9 scene, Raven says, "...You're better at that life. Better than I was." She seems to have a fear and insecurity about being a good family member, a good mother, and maybe that's why she fled. Maybe she was scared of being like her abusers due to how she emulates them as a self-preservation tactic in so many other ways. Not entirely sure about this point tho

And I think too this is why the twins don't rly understand one another. They may have been unaware of the different ways in which the other was treated. Qrow, constantly unwanted and loathed, can't understand why Raven sticks around with the tribe; Raven, who obeyed the tribe and, in doing so, garnered enough of their favor to even eventually become leader, can't understand why Qrow can't just be "good", earn respect, and stay

This dissonance between the two experiences may also be completely intentional on the part of the tribe; abusers will often eliminate their targets' support systems in order to make them completely reliant on the abuser, so it's highly likely that the wedge was intentionally driven between the two siblings so that they could not find support in one another. This would also tie into why the twins seem to feel excluded from one another's lives and abandoned by one another: bcus they were made to feel that way by their common abusers, and did nothing to challenge these assumptions bcus they saw no reason to — and only seemed to keep proving one another right if they did

Which rly has some disturbing implications about how the Branwen tribe works. Like, do they just pick orphaned kids up off the street and abuse them into being perfect little bandits, molded to be of the greatest possible use and discarded if they're deemed worthless? Plus Qrow says his Semblance is how he got his name, which implies that the tribe also renames the kids they scoop up (possibly as a form of control or a way to make sure they can't be tracked down by any remaining family)? Plus there's the whole thing where Qrow and Raven were originally sent to Beacon to learn how to kill Huntsmen, which carries with it the implication that the Branwen tribe grooms literal orphan children into becoming stone-hearted murderers? What. The heck.

And if I'm right, if the Branwen tribe is that severely abusive, then like... wow, no wonder Qrow and Raven are Like That. They're both very deeply hurt people expressing it in different ways

I was considering adding their conversation at the Battle of Haven to this post, but I think that would be better as its own thing. Also I haven't gotten there on my rewatch yet so I may miss some details if I try to analyze it rn; it's better to wait overall methinks

But I have reached the point of my rewatch where we see Weiss and Whitley interact, and I think it would be very efficient to sum up what Qrow and Raven's relationship seems to be by using those siblings as a point of reference. Qrow = Weiss, actively trying to break free from and fight back against their abusers in different ways, while Raven = Whitley, continuing to do as their abusers want and have wanted as a method of self-preservation. Only, unlike Weiss and Whitley, Qrow and Raven have yet to come to a point where they can understand one another. I think that's a good way to briefly summarize the uh. Absolutely massive post this is.

In conclusion, I may have cracked the majority of the Branwen twins' pre-Beacon backstory purely by hyperanalyzing a single conversation. Oopsies

[mars-ipan]

Tomorrow Is Election Day And I Am So Fucking Stressed

[skitskatdacat63]

If anyone(read: nobody) was curious about Ustinya's scale :D

[magentagalaxies]

going to a comedy open mic tomorrow mostly to watch my friends (it's at a cool venue that my improv troupe performs at once a month and a few improv troupe friends are doing standup there) but when these friends were asking if i'd be interested in coming they were like "btw there's usually a ton of open spots on show days if YOU want to do something... and they're not strict about it only being standup either, people have done character pieces and sketches etc like they embrace the weirdness... and they're not strict about time limits you could probably do anything between three and eight minutes... sometimes if there's not enough people signed up they'll even let you go twice..." and i'm like god damn it i thought i was gonna take a break from aubrey but this setup is like tailor made for an aubrey appearance lmao

[comradecowplant]

I don't follow blogs ran by people being racist about rap so I'm only witnessing the secondhand responses to the recent "discourse" and sadly 'tumblrinas being racist about their bad taste in music & low lyrical literacy' is exactly what I'd put on my 2024 bingo card for this steadily declining shithole....

[slimeciclecock]

qjaiden death got me so fucked up I have about 30 posts worth of queue about her

[arolesbianism]

I have obtained a new oc and in the process I've already signed myself up for needing to make at least 3 new ocs for his story which he now has despite me initially Intending for him to be a side character for a different side character to hang out with. My townhouse has over 200 characters on it.