#anyway this answer continues to slay me for multiple reasons

[wawamouse]

Me? Well, I've... I've mostly been a loner.

[herinsectreflection]

I Don't Sleep on Bed of Bones: The Slayer as a Killer Across the Seasons

A pretty constant question throughout Buffy's arc - arguably the central question of the entire show, that Buffy must answer, is "what is a slayer? What does being The Vampire Slayer mean?". And a major part of that is the question of whether a slayer is just a killer. It's a question central to S5, but ripples throughout the rest of the show too, with some of the most iconic scenes in the show in converstion with each other around it. Inspired by an ask I received about this from @potterkid, I took a look at how this idea develops and resolves itself over the course of the show.

In S1, being the Slayer means accepting responsibility. It's metaphor for growing up - a metaphor that recurs throughout the show along with other ideas, but is strongest in S1. Buffy is torn between her teenage/human wants and her adult/supernatural responsibilities. She accepts her mortality and her duty (fighting the Master), and wins when she manages to integrate that with her personal desires (fighting the Master in a kickass prom dress with her friends and boyfriend). There's some stuff around the classic superhero idea that being around the hero is dangerous -e.g. in Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, but not much on the idea of a Slayer being a killer exactly.

In S2, being the Slayer means making hard choices. It means accepting that sometimes all your options are bad ones, but choosing one anyway, even at personal cost. This is introduced through Ford's story in Lie to Me, with Buffy's words to him forming one of the core thesis statements of the show ("You have a choice. You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice."), and it's climaxed beautifully in the tragic ending of Becoming. There's not much direct allusion to the idea of Buffy being a killer here, but this is a vital moment in that discussion. Ultimately, Buffy does make the decision here to kill Angel - not to slay Angelus, but to kill him. To take the life of her ensouled lover in order to save others. It's kind of the opposite of the decision that Ford makes - the best of two bad choices. It's the classic trolley problem, and Buffy's hand is on the lever by design - she has to make that choice because she's the Slayer. We will see this moment returned to again and again as this Slayer-vs-Killer theme develops.

Also, Ted is a very important episode for later. Buffy herself feels guilty specifically because she used her slayer powers on what she thinks is a regular human, and therefore killed him. Specifically, being the Slayer made her a Killer. It's also notable that this is where the idea of Buffy having a free reign to kill is first introduced - by Buffy's original shadow self in Cordelia no less.

Cordelia: I don't get it. Buffy's the Slayer. Shouldn't she have... Xander: What, a license to kill? Cordelia: Well, not for fun. But she's like this superman. Shouldn't there be different rules for her? - 2x12 Ted This isn't explored massively here but will be revisited again and again going forward.

S3 is where this theme really comes into focus. Faith enters as Buffy's shadow self and a representation of hedonism. How that manifests is as a Slayer who gives herself a license to Kill. She posits the idea that as slayers, they can and should decide who lives and dies.

Faith: Something made us different. We're warriors. We're built to kill. Buffy: To kill demons! But it does not mean that we get to pass judgment on people like we're better than everybody else! Faith: We are better! - 3x15 Consequences

Obviously, this is something that Buffy has to reckon with and fight against. But there is a glimmer of truth here, because at the end of S2, she does take the power of life and death into her own hands. She is faced with the choice between Angel and the world and decides that Angel should die. She had to, that's the position she has to be in because she is the Slayer. She has to be a Killer because she is a Slayer. So the two are intertwined.

More than this, Faith is someone who at least appears to revel in the kill. Up until now, we hadn't really seen Buffy enjoy being a slayer, but Faith does. Buffy is genuinely drawn to that, to slaying for pleasure. The equation of slaying/killing and sex for Buffy is first explicitly drawn by Faith in this season. ("Isn't it crazy how slaying always makes you hungry and horny?"). Slayers are very much like vampires in that respect, blurring the line between sex and death. In general, Faith introduces the idea that Buffy is drawn to killing - not just to protect people (the ideal of a Slayer), but for its own benefit. That's something that Buffy continues to struggle with going forward.

I have said before that Faith in S3 is an echo of Angel in S2, both in Buffy's relationship to them both and how that shifts mid-season, and in how it ends. In Graduation Day, Buffy again is given the power of life and death. This time, it's more personal - she can stop Angel dying by killing Faith. It's not such a straightforward (for want of a better word) decision as Angel .vs. the literal entire world, it's just the value of one life against the other. Another trolley problem, and it's not an easy choice, but it's still a choice. Just as she chose the lesser evil in killing Angel in S2, she kills the person filling the Angel role in S3. And this time, the choice is explicitly tied to the idea of being a Killer. Faith is set up as the person that Buffy could be in a slightly different world, and that person is a Killer, as Faith herself claims.

"What are you gonna do, B? Kill me? You become me. You're not ready for that, yet." - Faith Lehane, 3x17 Enemies

"You did it, B. You killed me." - Faith Lehane, 3x22 Graduation Day

In the act of choosing to pull the lever, Buffy has to kill. In the act of killing, she has become her dark mirror. In the act of defeating/becoming Faith, she becomes again the sole Slayer. Being a killer and a Slayer again intertwined. It's interesting here that she then makes the decision to feed herself to Angel. She unravels the trolley problem by throwing herself on the tracks. It's fascinating that between the dual trolley-problem finales of Becoming and The Gift, where in the first Buffy chooses to pull the lever, and in the latter she refuses and chooses a third option, Graduation Day exists in the middle as a stepping stone where she kind of does both.

The bulk of S4 is a little lighter on this theme, instead examining The Slayer as a role that must be juggled amongst a series of competing roles as Buffy's life as an adult becomes more fractured. There are flavours of it in Fear Itself, where Buffy fears that her friends will leave and her destiny lies with death and the dead, but otherwise not too much jumps out at me. Except, of course, for Restless, which is so heavy with this theme. It's one of the many reasons why I kind of consider Restless an honourary part of S5, as it's setting up the themes and arcs of S5 as much as it's wrapping up the like from S4.

RILEY: Hey there, killer.

BUFFY: We're not demons. ADAM: Is that a fact?

RILEY: Thought you were looking for your friends. Okay, killer...

TARA: I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound. I am destruction. Absolute ... alone. BUFFY: The Slayer. FIRST SLAYER: No friends! Just the kill.

OK, so SO much to unpack here. This is all within the under-10-minute sequence of Buffy's dream, and in that sequence she constantly shows a fear that she is in fact a "killer". It's clearly strong in her mind. Riley calls her "killer" multiple times, and Adam equates her with him, and with demonhood. I also find it very interesting how she responds to Tara's words, which are very literally describing the act of kiling ("the action of death...the blood cry...the penetrating wound"). She hears that and immediately identifies her as the Slayer, so slayerhood and killing are clearly bound up together in her mind.

Central to her concerns is the dichotomy between friendship and death. This was built up in Fear Itself, and it's central here. Riley and Sineya both frame it as a choice, between friendship and "the kill". This is a fear that Buffy has already, since S1, that her Slayer life will stop her ability to have a "normal" life of friends and family, but it also sets up her arc in S5 nicely. She chooses her friends over becoming a pure instrument of death in Restless, but that does not resolve her ongoing fears. They existed before and continue to dwell even more strongly in her mind, with words that both Sineya and Dracula repeat.

"You think you know ... what's to come ... what you are. You haven't even begun."

This sets the stage for S5, and her arc of choosing between family and being the Slayer. Friendship and family are presented as more of less one and the same a few episodes later in Family, and the choice Buffy is faced with in S5 is another trolley problem - the life of Dawn against the world. This time, it's more specifically tied to the Slayer/Killer dichotomy through the prophecy that Buffy is faced with ("Death is your gift"). This frames the similar choices she faced in Becoming and Graduation Day in the same light, with Buffy even specifically comparing this to the former.

BUFFY: I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew ... what was right. I don't have that any more. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that... I just wish my mom was here. The spirit guide told me that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all. - 5x22 The Gift

S5 is soaked in this Killer-vs-Slayer idea, and that's part of why I love it so much. It opens with Buffy having gained an appreciation of killing. She goes out not to patrol, but to hunt. To revel in the enjoyment of the kill, just as Faith did. There's also a constant theme of people identifying Buffy as a Killer. Importantly, it's a theme of her believing them. She knows that there is a kernel of truth there, and it develops from a subconcious worry in Restless to a more concrete fear in Intervention, where Buffy explicitly says that she is afraid that being the Slayer means losing her humanity and ability to love, and become nothing more than a "killer". Eventually, Buffy is so ground down by it that when The Gift rolls around, she simply accepts that the Slayer is "just a killer" as an inevitability.

BUFFY: Yeah, I prefer the term slayer. You know, killer just sounds so... DRACULA: Naked? - 5x01 Buffy vs Dracula

SPIKE: Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp. That look of peace. - 5x07 Fool for Love

FIRST SLAYER: Death is your gift. - 5x18 Intervention

I also like the way that Joyce is repeatedly linked to this idea. Buffy's response to Sineya points to Joyce's death as a rebuttal to the idea of death being a gift ("Death is not a gift. My mother just died. I know this."). Buffy talks about Joyce just before accepting that "a slayer is a killer" in The Gift. Spike's speech about Slayer's having a death wish comes immediately before Buffy finds out that Joyce is going into hospital. The idea of the Slayer as an instrument of death, killing every day, is juxtaposed against the mundane horror of what death is really like, as demonstrated in The Body. As the Slayer, Buffy must cause death, but this is what death looks like. It's hard and painful and mortal and stupid. Eventually Buffy reaches a point where she just can't do this anymore. She can't live in a world where she must choose to be a killer, because she understands death more now than ever.

It's here that the show explicitly connects the ideas of utilitarianism and being a killer. Buffy says that killing Dawn to save the world (and by association killing Angel to save the world, or killing Faith to save Angel), would make the Slayer "just a killer". This goes back to S3, and Faith arguing that the death of one innocent was washed out by the many people that they save, and that being Slayers gives them the right to make that calculation. Tara points to Giles in this episode, the voice of utilitarianism, and identifies him as a killer. Giles himself identifies himself as one when he kills Ben, and here draws a line between being a utilitarian/killer, and being a hero.

BEN: Need a ... a minute. She could've killed me. GILES: No she couldn't. Never. ... She's a hero, you see. She's not like us.

Some people criticise the moral absolutism of this, and could very justifiably argue that killing Ben, or even killing Dawn, would be the most moral thing in this situation. Who are we to say that Dawn's life is more valuable than the lives of a thousand other 14 year old girls, with families of their own that love them just as much as Buffy loves Dawn? But within the context of the show, I think it makes sense for them to reject utilitarianism. Buffy is a Sisyphean story. There will always be another apocalypse after this one is stopped. There will always be another impossible choice with innocent lives in the balance. Through that lens, the idea of "killing one to save a thousand" becomes meaningless, because there's a thousand apocalypses, and if you kill one to stop them all, then you've killed a thousand. That's how Buffy feels - she killed Angel, she killed Faith, now she has to kill Dawn? Where does it end? Eventually it all just gets stripped away, so what's the point? There's no winning move here. The only way to break the cycle is to change the game.

We should also keep in mind Buffy's words at the start of the episode. She fears that the Slayer is "just a killer", but she is also identified by the guy she saves in the alley in the opening scene as "just a girl". And Buffy agrees ("That's what I keep saying."). Buffy is The Vampire Slayer, which dictates that she must make these impossible choices, but she's also Buffy, which means she is a human being with the power of free will. She gets a choice - not a good choice, but a choice. As a human being, she can reject the options in front of her and find a third way. She can transform the whole game, and turn "Death is your gift" into an empowering statement. This was heavily foreshadowed of course - the Guide in Intervention outright stated that Buffy was full of love, and that "love will bring [her] to [her] gift". But it takes Buffy working through these fears and emotions and realising that she simply can't take Dawn's life. She chooses a new way. She avoids being a killer by rejecting utilitarian ethics. To paraphrase The Last Jedi, she wins by saving what she loves. Ultimately, she's not a killer, but a girl, a friend, a sister, a Slayer - a hero.

So season five is very much the climax and resolution of this theme. Very few themes ever disappear entirely from this show though, and this one continues to echo throughout the show. In S6, Buffy again fears she is slipping into darkness. That there is some kind of darkness that is innate within her. But where in S5 this was a fear that she recoiled from but at times seemed inevitable, in S6 it is something that she is drawn towards, that disgusts her but that she takes a kind of comfort in, because it's easier than facing the mundane reality of her depression.

This yearning for her own darkness takes the physical form of Spike, who she uses for what is basically sexual self-harm. Spike steps into Faith's role as Buffy's shadow self for much of the later seasons, and , and like Faith he represents killing as hedonism, and as sex. There's no vampire who so aggressively blurs the lines of sex and death/violence as Spike. Her fear that killing is part of her nature, and her fear of her own sexual desire, are very much one and the same. When she breaks down in Dead Things, she talks about the darkness within her, and of her shame over her own sexuality.

Spike also repeats Faith's utilitarian justifications from Consequences in the episode which forms the climax of Buffy's self-destruction, Dead Things. When Buffy attempts to metaphorically commit suicide by turning herself into the police, she does it while constantly identifying herself as a killed. She repeats some variation on "I killed her" four times in just two scenes. She wants to be punished for being a killer, and not protected for being the slayer. She has grappled with this several times, and is still resolute that being the slayer does not give her a license to kill, but this time she is desperate to be seen as a killer, to give justification for her own self-hatred.

The final way S6 explores this idea is with Willow. When she is after Warren, Buffy tries to stop her, not for Warren's sake but for Willow's. She knows that taking a life changes a person, and implicitly draws on the first time she chose to take a human's life, the moment she "became a killer" on that rooftop with Faith.

Buffy (re: going to kill Faith): I can't play kid games anymore. This is how she wants it. Xander: I just don't want to lose you. Buffy: I won't get hurt. Xander: That's not what I mean. - 3x21 Graduation Day

XANDER: She should be coming down at some point, shouldn't she? I mean, back there she was out of her head ... running on grief and magicks. BUFFY: Doesn't matter . Willow just killed someone. Killing people changes you. Believe me, I know. - 6x21 Two to Go Killing Warren might have been justified given what a complete piece of shit he was - just as killing Angel was justified, just as killing Faith was, just as killing Ben was. That doesn't matter, because Buffy still recognises that the act of killing leaves permanent psychological scars, which she is still bearing.

In S7, we get the final major exploration of the "does the Slayer have a right to kill" idea in Selfless. Here, Buffy seems to have reached the conclusion that Cordelia, Faith and Spike (all her shadow selves) were right, and she does, in fact, have the right to pass judgment because she's the Slayer, when she decides she has to kill Anya.

"It is always different! It's always complicated. And at some point, someone has to draw the line, and that is always going to be me. You get down on me for cutting myself off, but in the end the slayer is always cut off. There's no mystical guidebook. No all-knowing council. Human rules don't apply. There's only me. I am the law." - 7x05 Selfless

However, I don't think the show wants us to take this as gospel. Buffy is conclusively proved wrong in this episode, since killing Anya doesn't work, and it's Willow who finds a third option that saves the day. In S7, the idea of the Slayer-as-Killer is more an incidental theme, while the central exploration is the idea of "one girl in all the world". It explores the nature of that tragedy, that Buffy is by definition alone. Because of this, she necessarily must be a killer. She does have to pass judgement, because there is nobody else capable of it. She has to be the one to hunt and kill vampires. She has to face the choice to kill Angel, to kill Faith, to kill Dawn, to kill Anya.

This is where the theme ends up - as a tragic inevitability. Buffy must always make that choice. Making the selfless choice to kill her boyfriend doesn't stop it. Avoiding the choice and dying herself doesn't even stop it. That boulder just rolls down the hill again and again, and Buffy is the only one who can push it back up. The Slayer is a killer because the Slayer is alone. So the only way to break that cycle is for the Slayer to no longer be alone. There are still elements of The Slayer, and of Buffy as a person, that are linked to death and killing, but she has mostly made peace with those parts, and now can be free of having to be "the law" too.

[leahxx129]

Feels Like Home: The Ambush (pt.3) (Hvitserk x Reader)

My apologies for the delay and for the length. It kiiind of exceeded 2k words. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! :)

Summary for pt.3: You are on your way to raid King Willelmus’ lands when Hvitserk surprises you with a sudden outburst. Also, things take an unexpected turn regarding the attack.

Warnings: violence, angst

Word count: 2.500-ish

Read PART 1 and PART 2.

Hvitserk pours himself another drink in his wooden cup, sits down on a chair and places his legs on the table. He closes his eyes and listens to the sound of waives crushing against the side of your ship.

Ivar decided it would be best if you and the Ragnarssons used your ship for the raid. His reasoning included the fact that it looks like a merchant’s ship, half not as menacing as a Viking one, but in reality, everybody knew he just wished to enjoy the comfort that the multiple separated cabins had to offer in it.

A loud knock on the door forces Hvitserk to open his eyes.

“Come in!”

As the door opens, Ubbe’s features appear in the faint candlelight. He enters the small cabin and realizing what’s happening, he sits down next to his brother and joins him in drowning his sorrow.  Neither of them says anything for a while.

“You know, the first couple swallows taste like piss, but after an entire cup I think I understand why Y/N loves cherry wine so much!” Ubbe breaks the silence.

“Yes, well I am not certain she loves it as much as she used to… I spent a fortune to get her a keg of the best wine I could find, and she only took a few sips from my horn…”

“Gods, little brother…the last time I saw you this broke and lost was when-“

“Do not dare to complete that sentence!” Hvitserk warns him with a threatening undertone.

However, it does not stop Ubbe from finishing what he intends to say.

“-was when she left.”

Hvitserk stands up swiftly and crashes his cup against the table, spilling most of his drink, almost knocking over the candles.

“I told you not to complete it!” he screams at his own brother like a madman.

In a blink of an eye Ubbe stands up as well, grabs the back of Hvitserk’s neck and pushes his head down, stopping just inches away from the wet table.

“Tell me, brother, what do you see in the reflection?!” when he doesn’t receive a reply, he continues “Let me tell you what I see! I see a miserable man drenching in his own self-pity and insecurities and only the Gods know how tired I am of it!”

“What is your point, Ubbe?” Hvitserk questions through gritted teeth while trying to escape his brother’s grip and failing at it.

“My point is that you are still in love with her, there is no denying that. And yet you are here drinking alone instead of confessing this to her. Gods, Hvit, do you even understand what is going on here? She was taken away from you, but Fate is offering a second chance! Do you know how rare that is?”

He lets go of his younger brother who straightens up abruptly.

“She is on the quarterdeck in case you wish to talk to her.”

“How do you know that?”

“I ran into her on my way here. She’s had a nightmare and needed fresh air.”

Hvitserk stares into his brother’s eyes angrily, but his anger does not come from the violence Ubbe has used on him. It comes from the fact just how true Ubbe’s words are. He is, in fact, still in love with you. And he is, in fact, too scared to admit it. But what if Ubbe is right? What if this is a second chance granted by Fate? He would never forgive himself if it is and he missed it.

A minute later he hugs his brother and leaves the cabin to find you. 

You stand on the quarterdeck and pull your cloak tighter across your chest. It is a particularly cold, foggy night. The moonlight breaks through for a couple of minutes then disappears once again, only things in the immediate distance can be seen. Supposedly, you will arrive by morning and begin the raid right away.

You are pulled back from your thoughts by the heavy steps approaching you.

“Good evening!” Hvitserk greets you when you turn your head to check who the steps belong to. ”Why are you not asleep yet?”

“I told you Hvit, Nótt and I are not friends. But what about you? Why aren’t you sleeping?” you ask, turning your head back to the front to continue staring into the mist.

“That it an interesting inquiry, my dear. Do you really wish to know the answer?”

He leaves no time for reacting as in just a fraction of a second he appears behind you and snakes his arms around your waist.

“You know what? I am going to tell you anyway.” he whispers in your ear. “I am not asleep right now because I am trying to figure out the reason why you have been ignoring me ever since the training, Y/N.”

His lips brush against your neck as he speaks, and your heart begins to beat faster.

“I don’t know what you are talking about! And now… would you be so kind as to let me go?” you can barely control the shakiness in your voice.

He lets out a quiet chuckle and his hot breath sends shivers down your spine.

“You are very well aware of what I am talking about. But if not, let me refresh your memory… I am talking about the time when you were listening to Sigurd’s music and when I joined, you suddenly had to go. Or when you were at Bjorn’s estate and as soon as I set foot in there, you left. Or maybe the time when we shared a dance at the feast but immediately after you disappeared without as much as a word.”

He hugs you even tighter than before.

“And I believe you and I both know that if you really longed to be free, you would have escaped my hold a long time ago, min elskede.”

Where does he get the nerve to call you out like this? Even if he is completely and utterly right…

You elbow him in the chest, but before you can do anything else, he flips you to face him and pushes you against the quarterdeck banister.

“What is it that you want from me, Hvitserk?” you ask, your face is only a few inches away from his.

“I have never stopped caring for you, Y/N, and I think that you are still affectionate about me as well. Tell me I am wrong, and I will never speak of it again!”

The desperate longing in his eyes confirms his words and you cannot hold his gaze anymore.

A second later he gently grabs your chin and makes you look at him.

“So? Am I wrong?”

You lick your upper lip and take a deep breath.

“No, you are not. I still harbor feelings for you, min kære…“ You put a palm on the side of his face and he eases into your touch. “But can we not do this right now? You must have dozens of questions… which I will answer happily once the raid is over.”

His lips curl into a boyish smile and it reminds you of the very first time he rewarded you with one.

“Alright.”

You both lean in at the same time and kiss each other gently. Then all gentleness disappears, giving room to passion. In all honesty, you have kissed many men these past years, but none of them compares to Hvitserk in any aspect. You don’t know how to explain it but the closest to the truth would probably be that he feels like home.  

You break the kiss, gasping for air and you are about to go back in when an arrow lands in the banister right beside you.

Just as Hvitserk yanks you away from it, another arrow lands next to the first one.

You are being ambushed by the nation you wished to do the same to.

“Everybody, up! We are under attack!” he bellows, pushing you behind his back.

A couple of minutes later every single warrior is on the deck and judged by the sounds, the other ships and boats in your armada are alert, too. Ubbe wordlessly hands you and his brother your weapons then turns to face the fog.

And that’s when the first Saxon soldier jumps on the deck out of nowhere.

Ubbe cuts him down swiftly, but then comes another one. Then another two. And then three more. Between killing two men you take a glance to the front and the blood runs cold in your veins. To much of your horror, the bowsprits of your ship and theirs almost touch, creating a bridge for the enemy to cross through and that is exactly what they are doing. Gods, it’s like there is no ending to their numbers, they just keep coming.

Oh, well. If you must go to Valhalla tonight, you will do it knowing that Hvitserk Ragnarsson is in love with you.

Hvitserk is immensely fascinated with how you slay people. There is just something about your determination, your gracefully executed motions, and the way you laugh when blood sprinkles in your face. He is certain he could watch you fight all day. Your voice brings him back to the present.

“My love, behind you!” you shout, but it is too late.

A Saxon delivers a hit to his left shoulder and pushes him off the ship into the ice cold water.

Hvitserk knows how to swim, but his shoulder hurts so bad he cannot move it for the love of the Gods. The cold and the darkness intensify with every inch he gets farther away from the surface. There is not much air left in his lungs but if this is his time to go, he will die happy. He will die knowing that you are in love with him.

He is on the verge of losing consciousness when a hand grabs his shirt and starts pulling him upward. Realizing what’s happening, he tries to assist with his good arm and soon both him and his savior emerge.

“You jumped after me?” he asks, looking at you bewildered.

“Of course I did! Are you alright, my love?” you ask back, swiping a wet strand of hair away from his forehead.

He kisses you in response.

“I’m going to take that as a yes! Now come on, we need to get back on the ship!”

He nods his head in agreement but then a shield comes flying down from the deck and knocks both of you out in an instant.

You open your eyes and automatically lean to the side to cough back the generous amount of salt water you swallowed after you had been knocked unconscious. Which reminds you…

“Sss, Gods…” you hiss in pain as you touch the back of your head and discover a sizable lump. “I do pray this is not permanent… but if it is, I can only hope it is not bigger than Hvitserk’s.“

Your eyes widen and a knot forms in your stomach.

Hvitserk.

He is not with you.

Where is he then?

You jump to your feet and begin walking along the shoreline while screaming his name. He made it to the shore, right? He could not have drowned, that would be an unworthy death for a Viking. Right?

Your voice is starting to get hoarse when you spot something peeking from behind a huge rock. Are those… are those leather boots?

You run up there and collapse to your knees when you lay your eyes upon their owner.

“Hvitserk?!” you scream, but there is no reaction from his side.

Your whole body is shaking as you lean in to check if he is breathing. Tears start streaming down your face when you discover he is not.

“No, no, no…” you whisper. “You will not die! At least not on my watch!”

You straddle him and start compressing his chest, then after a while, you breathe some air into his lungs through his mouth. You do two rounds of this, but nothing happens.

“Come on, my love, you cannot just leave me here! I need you!”

You perform the sequence one more time, but the result isn’t any different from the previous one. A whirlwind of emotions takes over you and you slap him across the face hard.

For a reason that is beyond you, this seems to work, and he starts coughing up water.

“Y/N? Am I in Valhalla?” he questions once he is done.

You chuckle while wiping at your eyes.

“No, you are not.”

“Are you certain? I woke up to a beautiful woman in a wet and rather transparent nightgown on top of me… this situation reminds me quite a bit of the stories I read about Valhalla and its pleasures.”

You smack him on the shoulder.

“I have brought you back from the brink of death just seconds ago and all you can think about it pleasure? Shame on you, Hvitserk Ragnarsson!”

“Ow! Easy my love… I recall being cut on the shoulder before that damn shield knocked us out.”

The cut. You have absolutely forgotten about it.

“It is not that deep, you will live.” you say upon inspecting it. “But I shall bandage it to prevent infections.”

You tear down a strip from your nightgown and tie it around the wound tightly, ignoring Hvitserk’s hiss.

“Are you a grown Viking man or a baby? Stop whin-” but you cannot finish your sentence as he plasters his hand over your mouth.

It takes a good minute to understand the drive of his action... If you concentrate hard enough, you can hear foreign shouting in the distance.

The water washed you ashore at the island you wished to raid, but now they are the hunters and you are the prey, not the other way around as it should be.

You help Hvitserk up and run into the nearby woods, hand in hand.

“Alright, here’s the plan.” you say after hiding behind a bush. “Help me undo my braids so I would not look like I am on of you. Then when they are near, I will run out screaming for help, claiming I have been abducted by you and I will express my wish to be saved. Once they let their swords down, I will disable them and take possession of the weapons.”

“Nonsense, you don’t even know their numbers!” he protests, drawing his eyebrows together.

“Relax, I can easily disable four men all by myself! If there is more, I will allow you to help me.”

He scoffs but then remembers how you smashed him into the ground by using your body exclusively, so he nods.

“Agreed. “

“Great. Then now we wait.”

“That will not be necessary!” a voice speaks up behind your back in a Saxon dialect you happen to understand and when you turn around, a sword’s shaft lands in your face.

The world goes black in an instant once again.

Read PART 4 and PART 5 (final part).

[hddnone]

002 - Witch/Witchcraft - Stuckony - Teen

For @tonystarkbingo, and thanks to @summerpipedream for the idea!!

Tony & Bucky accidentally summon a demon.

***

Tony trudged down the hallway back to his dorm room. 

Hank Pym’s lecture on potion ingredients had taken up the entire afternoon as well as all of Tony’s energy. Tony hadn’t been surprised that Hank had a grudge against his father - Howard had certainly spoken enough about how unreasonable it was - but it still surprised Tony how much of that grudge got carried over onto himself. He wasn’t Howard, but there was nothing that Tony could do to prove that to Hank. 

That Tony could only attend university because he got a scholarship, as Howard refused to pay when Tony could just come work for him, should be proof enough. 

But Hank liked to show that Tony wasn’t as smart as Tony (or Howard) thought he was. Hank quizzed Tony all afternoon, and Tony always had to be waiting for the next question, the next comment, the next attack. And, the questions Hank liked to pepper him with were harder than questions he asked others, or at least Tony thought so. He could’ve answered Clint’s question of what the best time to pick dittany was - the new moon, of course - or Thor’s over the multiple uses of salamander blood - healing and rejuvenation potions, as well as potions that require temperature calibrations. But Hank had wanted Tony to answer what the exact soil composition that dittany best grew in, or how to calculate the amount of salamander blood based on the drinker’s size. Tony was smart, but he didn’t know everything. He didn’t think he did - that was why he was at university. 

It had been another long afternoon. Tony’s brain was tired. He opened the door to his room and almost tripped over a lit candle. As it was, he still knocked it over, smearing the paint on the floor. 

Tony took in the pentagram on the floor with wide eyes, then reached back and slammed the door before anyone passing by could see. 

“What are you doing?” Tony hissed to his roommate. 

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Bucky mumbled through the paintbrush in his mouth. He righted the candle that Tony had knocked over and fixed the smudges it had created. 

“You can’t just do a summoning in our dorm room! You’ll wreck my scholarship!” Tony barely managed to keep his voice from shouting. 

Not that Tony doesn’t get Bucky’s impulse. What was the benefit of going to magical university if you weren’t allowed to do magic? But first years were forbidden from trying any of what they’d learned, not they’d passed exams and moved up to second year. Safety reasons, or some such nonsense. 

Tony has been tempted, but he couldn’t risk his scholarship. Without his scholarship, he’s back under Howard’s thumb or on the streets. The grunge look only works for Tony because everyone assumes he’s doing it ironically because he’s rich. 

Bucky, though, had an insatiable curiosity and was intelligent enough that most things worked out well when he tried them. It made him confident.

“I’ll say it was me and you had nothing to do with it,” Bucky said as he made a few more lines on the floor. 

And Tony believed it, because Bucky was a good guy. 

“You can leave if you want,” Bucky continued. 

Tony thought about it for a second, but he couldn’t resist his own curiosity. He dropped down next to Bucky on the floor, looking over Bucky’s work.

“What are you summoning?”

Bucky grinned, his blue eyes shining. “Pizza.”

Tony knew he had a crush on his roommate. Bucky was kind and he was loyal, and Bucky also had a biting humor that made Tony laugh. Bucky also had gorgeous blue eyes and shoulder length brown hair that Tony wanted to run his fingers through, but Tony thought he hid his crush well. 

But Bucky breaking the rules to summon pizza in their dorm room? Tony might be falling in love. 

“You’re amazing,” Tony breathed. 

Bucky ducked his head, face red, and went back to his work. Tony double-checked over the sigil on the floor. It was neat and precise, lines sharp, just like Tony would expect out of someone with Bucky’s grades from Coulson’s class. 

Except for where Tony had knocked over the candle. Bucky had fixed it, mostly, but two of the lines crossed where they shouldn’t. 

“Hey, wait, here’s -” Tony said, reaching over to fix it. 

“And done!” Bucky said at the same time, connecting the last two lines together to make the point of the star. 

A cold, icy wind blew around the room. The candles that Bucky had lit and placed at every point of his star extinguished, the smoke remaining despite the breeze. 

Tony grabbed for the paint and started sketching symbols frantically in between them and the sigil. They glowed, growing brighter and brighter until Tony finished the last one and a shield of light stood between them and whatever was about to be summoned. 

A naked man shimmered into the center of the star, his skin tinged a light blue. He opened his eyes, and his icy blue gaze stared down at Tony and Bucky. 

Tony shivered. “You sure you weren’t hungry for something else?” Tony muttered to Bucky as he took in the naked man. 

It could only be a demon, an attractive demon. Blond hair, blue eyes, and muscles to make Tony drool. He was tall, too, towering over where Tony and Bucky still knelt on the floor, which put them right at the perfect level to appreciate the demon’s - 

“Oh my fucking Merlin,” Bucky whispered as he stared up at what he’d summoned. 

“You summoned me,” the demon said. He squinted down at them. He didn’t seem pleased. “What has your enemy done such that you would try to curse them with me?”

Tony coughed. The air was still cold in his lungs. “There, uh, seems to be a misunderstanding. There’s no enemy.”

The demon blinked at them. “No enemy?”

“None,” Bucky seconded with a firm nod, though his eyes are still wide. 

The demon seemed confused. “Then why was I summoned?”

Tony stood, and yanked Bucky off the floor with him. It didn’t put Tony at eye level with the demon, as he was too short, but at least Tony had a less-awkward sight line. Besides, the demon’s chest was a nice view. 

Tony tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t make them look like easy prey for a demon, like stupid witches who did a wrong summoning did. 

“You don’t happen to have a pizza, do you?” Bucky asked with a wince.

The demon blinked. “A… pizza? Describe it.”

Tony and Bucky stared at each other. 

“You’ve never had pizza?” Tony asked, turning back to the demon. 

The demon tilted his chin up. “My name is Stevyen. I was born of ice and blood and have conquered civilizations. I am the most summoned war demon of my kind. Do not mock me.”

“But you’ve never had pizza,” Tony pushed. “I mean, we don’t need any civilizations conquered or enemies killed. Please don’t kill anyone, actually. But really, you’ve never had pizza?”

“Tony,” Bucky cautioned. 

Tony continued, ferevent. “It’s bread and cheese, and I like a lot of meat on mine, but veggies are good to. It’s baked in an oven, and it’s warm and delicious. It’s like - life.”

Stevyn’s face was hard. “No, I’ve never partaken. Demons do not need to eat.”

“Well, then, sorry for the - wait,” Bucky said, thoughtful. “You don’t need to eat, but do you like to?”

Tony elbowed Bucky.

“What?” Bucky hissed. “I want to know!”

Stevyn’s face unfroze, and he looked confused. “I - it does not matter. I do not require food to function.”

The lost look on Stevyn’s face pulled at Tony’s heart. He looked at Bucky, and saw the same sympathy in Bucky’s gaze. 

“Have you ever been summoned for anything other than killing?” Bucky asked Stevyn gently.

Stevyn snorted in derision. “I am a warrior.”

“Taking that as a ‘no,’ then,” Tony commented dryly. He took a steadying breath, then used his toes to smear out the sigils of the light wall that protected Bucky and Tony from harm. 

The wall of light disappeared. Stevyn did nothing, just as Tony had guessed.

“Come on,” Bucky said as he walked to his closet. “You can wear some of my clothes, and we’ll go out for pizza.” 

Stevyn still looked confused, standing in the center of the star. 

“Food, big guy,” Tony said. He patted Stevyn on the arm. The guy wasn’t nearly as cold as Tony suspected. He was actually surprisingly warm. “Hmm,” Tony said as he ran a hand along Stevyn’s skin. 

Stevyn stared down at him. 

“Sorry,” Tony said, snatching his hand away. “Anyway, food. We aren’t going to make you eat, but you should at least see it, and smell it, and if you’re feeling daring you can try a bite.”

“Here, put these on.” Bucky tossed some sweatpants and a hoodie at Stevyn. 

Stevyn caught the clothes, looking bewildered.

“Ground rules, though. No attacking or warrioring when we go out, okay? Like we said, we didn’t bring you to slay our enemies. Just - just a buddy to go out for pizza, yeah?” Tony said, trying to make it seem like this wasn’t all one big accident. 

Bucky nodded, catching on. 

“You summoned me for pizza,” Stevyn repeated, still bewildered. 

“Yup,” Bucky said swiftly. “So let’s go!”

Stevyn put on Bucky’s clothes, which were a little tight on him but still publicly acceptable. Tony tried not to think about Stevyn taking them off again. Naked was a really solid look on the guy. 

When they headed out, Stevyn had a small smile on his face. 

Bucky and Tony gave each other a high-five behind Stevyn’s back. 

[fedorasaurus]

For the questions about the character, could you do Nash, fang, and bison? Sorry if it’s too much, but thank you in advance

No problem! I enjoy discussing characters that I’m fond of.

Nash

favorite thing about them - I really, really like that they put a “face” to the “dead best friend” that Guile’s whole motivation revolves around in Street Fighter II. Making Charlie Nash a playable character in Street Fighter Alpha gives a whole other level to the lore beyond a vague relation to one man who would eventually avenge his murder. Both of them being real, lovable characters makes me appreciate them that much more, and puts that much greater of an emotional impact on Charlie’s death and resurrection.

least favorite thing about them - (THIS ANSWER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE GENERAL STORY OF STREET FIGHTER V) It disappoints me that Charlie gets killed off in multiple games and other media. The first time is fine, but was it really necessary to bring him back in SFV, only to have him sacrifice himself at the end, to no avail? I understand that the plot is maybe going for a theme of the futility of seeking vengeance above all else, but it gets complicated when you consider that Charlie was pushed along as hard as he was by Kolin pressuring him to accomplish HER goals. I’d have preferred if they let him, you know, reunite properly with Guile and team up to fight Bison together, rather than him feeling obligated to take the challenge on alone. Let Nash live for once, eh, Capcom? There’s more to him than “dead best friend!”

favorite line - Shameful, but his “you nervous?” taunt gives me the shivers, bigtime.

brOTP - Hands down, his interactions with Rashid are so pure. A little one-sided due to Nash’s coldness during the story, but seriously, the way Rashid is so open and friendly to him despite having just met this grumpy undead man, it makes me want to see the two of them hanging out more. He’s good for his mental health!

OTP - GUILE GUILE GUILE GUILE I’ve been shipping GuileNash since I first ever got into the SF series with Street Fighter Alpha a million years ago. I love them so much, you wouldn’t believe. My heart melts over best friends in love!

nOTP - Charlie/Bison isn’t really my jam.

random headcanon - Nash and Guile have a lot of stupid inside jokes between them. When they reunited during the storyline of SFV, it was a reference to one of the jokes that made Charlie smile again for the first time in years.

unpopular opinion - I don’t know if this is unpopular or not, but I prefer his young, pretty look over his SFV zombie look with the greenish parts stitched on. I get it, he’s been resurrected, no need to drive the point home THAT hard with “Frankenstein’s monster” aesthetics! But, that said, his new look has grown on me quite a bit!

song i associate with them - Maybe Monster, by Starset, if we’re talking Street Fighter V era.

favorite picture of them - I commissioned this artwork of Captain Commando Nash from AirSlasher on Twitter a while back, and it turned out so damned good, I’ve used it as the background image on my tablet ever since:

(This post is getting long, so the others are going under a pagebreak!)

F.A.N.G

favorite thing about them - His whole… over-the-top 90′s villain shtick. His high-energy personality and screechy voice not unlike a squawking bird, it slays me!

least favorite thing about them - As much as he cracks me up, I got real uncomfortable when he started threatening the kid characters. Even if it was empty threats, come on, dude. You don’t threaten kids.

favorite line - “LORD BISON WAIT FOR MEEEEE!”

brOTP - I love his banter with the other Shadaloo bosses. Both Vega and Balrog have that fantastic family/rival dynamic going on with him.

OTP - F.A.N.G / M. Bison is really, really good, man. I have… fanfics.

nOTP - I’ve seen F.A.N.G / Rashid, and I understand that people started shipping them before there was actual story context to make it… bad… but yeah… I’m uncomfortable with that ship. I mean, I guess Rashid is a kind and forgiving dude, but it would take a lot in my eyes for that ship to be good for me. Rashid deserves someone who doesn’t gloat about hurting people he cares about.

random headcanon - The reason M. Bison is a sexy silver fox in SFV is because that’s F.A.N.G’s type. If he’s responsible for bringing the boss man back, he’s gotta have him looking his BEST.

unpopular opinion - M. Bison is technically the “big bad,” but honestly? F.A.N.G is the main antagonist of Street Fighter V.

song i associate with them - Nnnghh stupid and obvious answer, but Poison, by Alice Cooper (also the cover by Groove Coverage which is more my music style preference than the original, as great as AC is!)

favorite picture of them - No picture in particular, but I really like his Nguuhao outfit. He was cute when he was young and had long hair!

M. Bison

favorite thing about them - Sexy silver fox.

least favorite thing about them - He killed my favorite Street Fighter character at least once, so I can only enjoy him but so much!

favorite line - Not a specific line, but the time in SFA3 when he called Sodom a piece of trash and then suddenly became interested in fighting him when he said he wanted to show him his special moves was pretty great. It’s such a M. Bison thing to give a person the time of day when they offer to show him their strength, even if that person is a big goofy weeaboo who maybe isn’t entirely prepared to fight a supervillain, but who has a hell of a lot of heart.

brOTP - Depending on the continuity, I could definitely see him being bros with Zangief and/or Sagat!

OTP - F.A.N.G / Bison is still amazing, t-trust me guys.

nOTP - Bison/Nash, Bison/Guile, but also I really don’t ship Bison/Rolento at all anymore. I know I was big on that for a while, but man, I’m way more inclined nowadays to want the villains hook up with a loyal villain in their own faction, you know?

random headcanon - After possessing Rose’s body, M. Bison held onto some of her traits, such as a sense of fashion and a love of taking baths. Considering that they share a soul, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have overlapping interests despite being on opposite sides of moral alignment! (Anyway, he’d look amazing in her sort of fancy clothes, and also that stink man is in need of a bath, if you ask me)

unpopular opinion - I don’t want Tumblr’s rules to get on me about this, but let’s just say I see him as being the ah… submissive type, if you know what I mean!

song i associate with them - Uhhh maybe Telepathic by Starset? I’ve been listening to a lot of Starset lately. The songs that come to mind are usually from their albums!

favorite picture of them - Did you mean “the best M. Bison alt costume in the entire series?” We got ourselves a sexy silver fox in a low-cut leather suit with his tiddy out and everything. Does it get better than this?

Honorable mention: this part in the Street Fighter Animated Series:

[lala-the-rebel]

For the prompt thing: Logince with either “I’m not gonna let you get yourself killed!” or “I’m in love…shit” - Roman-is-a-gay 💜👑

(This took a long ass time, I apologize lmao. Congratulate yourself for being my first prompt I've posted in a while and the first sanders sides writing thing I've posted since I finished the theatre fic)

Prompt Tags: @roman-is-a-gay @fandersunite @anxious-fander-talian-bean @smileydog101

Word count: 2,003 (I took this and ran ya yeet)

Warning(s): character injury (nothing graphic trust me), mention of weapons (does that count? I dunno; either way if there's something I should mention tell me and I'll edit it)

Logan didn't know how he let Roman convince him to go on his stupid quest. He didn't even know why Roman wanted him to join him. But he agreed to it anyway. He had a soft spot for the guy.

Not that he would let anyone know that, of course.

There was a certain reason he had that soft spot for Roman. And, yes, of course he denied it the first chance he got. Logan, developing feelings for someone? Highly unlikely.

Or so he thought.

The more he obsessed with it, the more he realized it was true. And denying it wasn't doing him any good, so he accepted his fate. Besides, he figured there was no way Roman would reciprocate his feelings. And if his theory was proven true at any point in time, then he would make himself forget he ever thought what he did.

Inconveniently, Roman would prove it wrong by interacting with him as much as possible. It seemed platonic. Whether he had any romantic intentions, Logan wasn't sure. He was enough of a tease to make it hard to determine.

Logan kept on thinking about things as he walked behind Roman. Why was he invited along? Did Roman have different plans that what he said he did? Was he acting sincere around him or faking it?

Logan was so deep in thought that Roman practically had to yell at him to get his attention. The other jumped as a result.

“Logan!”

“What?”

“Didn't you hear me? Where do we need to go from here?”

“Oh,” he muttered. The issue wasn't as bad as Roman made it out to be. “No, I didn't hear you.”

Roman sighed loudly. “What good is having a navigator if he doesn't even navigate?! Give me the map.”

Logan reluctantly handed it over. “Where are you even planning to go, and why did you drag me along?”

Roman opened the map up directly in front of his face, blocking Logan from his view. He still answered him despite not being able to see him. “There is a castle deep in these woods that I plan on seeking out.”

“Don't you have enough of those here in your little realm?”

Roman peeked over the top of the map, raising an irritated eyebrow at the other side. “No, I don't,” he sarcastically replied. “And I brought you because you're the least talkative out of everyone and you do what I ask you to do without question. Usually no distraction, too, but that seems to not be an option today.”

Logan paused for a second. “What do you mean by that?”

Roman folded the map back up and handed it back to Logan. “I hope I don't have to do that again. Now, follow me.” He began walking forward, Logan in tow.

“You didn't answer my question.”

Roman turned his head back at him. “I was about to.” He looked at the other’s face, raising an eyebrow. “I watch you any time we talk, and I've noticed that you're kinda out of it. Is something up?”

“N-no. I'm fine. Perfectly fine.”

“If you say so.” Roman turned away and continued walking normally.

Logan licked his lips. He was super nervous now for some reason. Probably because he pretty much just got called out and denied it.

He shook his head. Why was he in denial so much recently? He was one for being up front and honest. Being direct, not avoiding subjects. Not lying. But he had done so much of that this whole time. He didn't like it, but his alternative wasn't much better. He wasn't entirely prepared for that yet.

But he was definitely prepared to get Roman's motive for going to this castle out of him.

“So, why are you going to this castle again?” he asked, almost running into a branch that Roman recklessly smacked away from himself.

The prince turned around, brandishing his sword. “Because there is a terrible beast in this castle I must slay!” He turned back around before Logan could answer.

His usual reaction would be to roll his eyes and make a sarcastic remark, but this time he didn't for some reason. His actual reaction was, “You're gonna get yourself killed!”

“I've done it multiple times before,” Roman returned with a shrug. He then swung his sword to clear out a huge mass of branches. He stepped over the resulting pile of sticks, Logan following him, into a clearing. Just ahead was the castle.

“We're nearly there,” Roman grinned confidently. “I can smell the dragon's fear. They must know we're close.” He walked out into the clearing briskly, Logan barely keeping up with him.

“If the dragon knew you were coming, then wouldn't you think it would be prepared to retaliate against you and your forces, or rather just your force?”

“Perhaps, but I mustn't let that deter me from my quest!” He stopped walking as something was blocking his path. Logan once again nearly knocked into him.

“Will you stop with your sudden...stops?! I've nearly rammed into you more than once this entire trek, and I don't plan on doing it anymore!” he squawked.

“Well, there's no need to plan anything else, my dear friend,” Roman assured him. “We're there as soon as we cross this bridge.” He gestured towards it.

The castle could have been a hellhole inside for all they knew, because the outside proved otherwise; it looked innocent, no visible dangers to be seen nearby. The walls seemed a bit faded, but who knew how long it had stood there. Cracks ran along the bricks of the bridge, which was over what looked like an endless chasm. They walked across as quickly as they could, hoping nothing would happen as they did so. They did end up crossing safely, but it was the least of their worries. What would be inside the castle terrified them even more.

Roman took a tentative step into the darkness before them, Logan following him as usual. A few steps led them to a huge room dimly lit by torches on the wall. From what they could see, nothing was there. Roman still looked around, in case something were to pop up out of the dark. He was met by a pair of glowing yellow eyes. He raised his sword up.

“Who dares to disturb my slumber?” the dragon roared.

“It is I, the magnificent Prince Roman! You have preyed on my land for too long, beast, and I'm here to put an end to it! You've met your maker, so prepare to lose!”

“What makes you think you have it in you to defeat me? Who's to say I am the one pillaging your land in the first place, mortal?”

“Many have spotted you flying around after many tragedies, and so they have tracked your directions. They lead to here.”

“Fair enough. But, you still did not answer my first question, my dear. Do you honestly think you can defeat me?”

“What makes you think I can't?”

The dragon let out a maniacal laugh. “Oh, Roman, you fool. You say this every time, yet I nearly crush you in my grasp. And, for some reason, you keep crawling back for more.” The voice now had a more feminine tone. The yellow eyes also disappeared. “I should have taught you a lesson a long time ago. You do not learn. Maybe it's time you did.”

“What are you saying?” he questioned.

“I'm saying, Roman, that I'm trying to get rid of you for once and for all.”

Roman gasped. He knew now. This was no ordinary dragon. In fact, it wasn't even really a dragon. How he didn't recognize her voice before now was a mystery to him.

Before he could speak his revelation, an arrow was fired at him. It made a home in his right shoulder. His eyes went wide while Logan screeched his name. With one glance at the arrow poking out of him, he let out a squeal and then fainted, falling backwards onto the floor. Logan quickly rushed to his side, aiding him in sitting up once he was conscious. Roman wasn't completely coherent, though, so he waited to say something until he was. As he did, the dragon witch flew down from her high perch above them, landing on the floor somewhat gently, still laughing. Logan glared at her until Roman spoke.

And when he did, he uttered one simple sentence. “The dragon witch.”

“The one and only, baby,” she snarled. She held her hands out, palms up, displaying herself to them. She flashed an evil, toothy grin.

“You don't frighten me. Not one bit.” He kept his voice from shaking as much as he could. He was more in pain than anything, and she probably knew that, but he wasn't gonna let it stop him. He had to fight.

“Don't lie, my dear, it only makes the matter worse,” she crooned, her voice still in the demonic tone. “Be honest with me. I know you want to get rid of me just as much as I want to be rid of you. But, you can't do that so easily.”

“I can and I will!” he shouted. “Even if it kills me!”

“No! I'm not gonna let you get yourself killed!” Logan interrupted. He got Roman's attention if he didnt have it already.

“I'll...I'll be fine, dude. Don't worry.”

Logan frantically shook his head. “You are far from it. I'll fight in your name. In your honor.”

“Logan, you have no experience. She'll destroy you more than she will me!”

“Then that's a risk I'm going to have to take,” he insisted. Desperation was clear in his eyes; Roman saw it. Logan cared a lot more than he thought. He kinda admired that. But would he let him take that risk, even it he didn't want him to?

He had to.

He unbuckled the belt that held the sheath of his sword and handed it over to Logan the best he could with his free arm. Logan took it quickly. He looked at Roman pitifully, wishing this didn't happen to him.

“I...I wish I could have done...more to, you know, prevent this.”

Roman shook his head. “You didn't need to. All you need to do to for me is this. Just fight.”

Logan looked down at the ground, then back at him. And, then he did something he never thought he would do: he hugged Roman.

“Of course.”

He grabbed the sword out of its sheath, leaving it with Roman, and took a few steps closer to the dragon witch. He held it up with confidence, poised and ready to fight. He had no issue in holding it; it was perfectly balanced in weight. The witch did the same with her sword, smirking as she did so.

Whatever conversation they were having, Roman blocked it out. He stared at Logan, sword in hand, and realized he was really captivated by the sight. He was even more so when they started fighting. The way he moved seemed effortless, like he had been in battle before, when in reality he never had and probably never would have had it not been for Roman. But, knowing Logan, he probably studied the moves so much he could do them from memory. He looked just as skilled as Roman himself, if not more. He moved with such elegance, such speed, such fluidity. It left Roman impressed. On top of looking like he knew what he was doing, Logan somehow physically looked good doing it. Roman didn't know how or why, but he just knew it.

Maybe it was because of the fact that it was him Logan was fighting for. It was Roman he was protecting. He admired that, a lot. Although, this time, he seemed to have admired it a lot more than he cared to realize. He thought it over once, twice, three times, until he finally got it.

“I'm in love...shit.”

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 3 Chapter 11

• Again, fam, I'm not entirely sure I'll have this QT out in time but I hope I will. My surgery has been fixed for next Thursday, and I'd like to finish whatever I can before I leave for hospital. It's going to be hard, but fingers crossed I can get it done.

Here is Part 2 of Chapter 11's Quick Thoughts once you're through with this one!

• I'm noticing a narrative pattern here! Whenever something devastating is happening right in front of us (like the two attacks in the palace) they immediately pick up from where they left off in the previous chapter, bring that portion to its dramatic conclusion, and then play the opening theme (in this case, it's the sad version of the TRR title track). They used a similar narrative format in Chapter 1 of this book.

• This is also the third time the sad TRR track plays in the book. The only time it was played sans the narrative style of Chapter 1 and Chapter 10's openings, was in Chapter 6, after the orchard at Applewood was burned. All at points of time when all hope seems to be lost, before our lead characters get up, dust themselves off, and resolve to keep going despite everything and everyone against them.

• It was pretty clear that Constantine would sacrifice his life in this chapter, given the way he was talking at the end of the last one. It's the kind of symbolic send-off one tends to write for a character one knows will die sooner than he anticipates. Which is why even though I'm kinda pissed that Leo comes now when everything seems safe, I understand why having him there is so important. In the narrative, Leo is an important part of the closure that comes before Constantine's demise.

•

A few notes on Constantine's demise:

1. He's right about one thing: it definitely is a better end for him. He dies a hero. Cordonia never finds out that he was going to die anyway. No one gets to know what he did to the future Queen/newest Duchess either. I'm still going to be unhappy about this because it's a way better end than the man deserves.

2. I know I would find it disturbing if the man who arranged for me to be harmed in multiple ways in his own house was hailed a hero during his funeral, with only me and a handful of other people knowing he had done, and without the option of ever opening up about who was really behind it. I don't know about you, but my MC Esther would definitely feel conflicted about that.

3. Also..."everything I did, it was for you...whether or not it was right". Sorry Constantine, but that's a load of bullshit. After all this time, this man is still making excuses just before he dies. Liam answered this brilliantly in the last book - Constantine had a choice. He always had a choice. There were other, better ways of getting the MC out of the competition if that was his goal but no, his mind went straight to privacy violations and assault.

4. Also, while he pledged to help us under pressure from Liam, the fact remains that the brunt of his actions were borne by other people. The MC's name was dragged into the mud and SHE had to run around and make all the effort of setting it right. Liam was forced into a loveless match that would have culminated in a disastrous marriage had Tariq not cooperated, and he had to work on figuring out who was behind this not knowing his own family was involved. In all this, Constantine did all the work of making his own home as unsafe for his guest as it could possibly get, and very little of the work in restoring her reputation in the eyes of all of Cordonia. Did he apologize? Sure he did. But that doesn't change a damned thing. It doesn't change the fact that he sowed evil and left it for other people to reap.

5. I find his last line to Liam quite poignant though. "You are Cordonia". That's a very loaded statement, and a very accurate one. And I think if there is anything that can keep Liam strong and carry him forward, it's that. No one in this book is as immersed in the culture, history and spirit of Cordonia as Liam is - which is why he makes the best king for the nation. Because he knows it intimately and cares for it, he knows what this country needs so it can heal. Even if it takes a while for Liam to realize that himself.

6. So long, old man.

• Title: Cold Fire. Kinda fitting, considering our tour has now moved to Lythikos, but the 'heat' of the tensions within the court have turned up several notches. It could also refer to that sick, sick burn Drake delivered to Madeleine today though 😂😂😂

• Alternative titles:

Drink What Everyone Else Is Drinking. Good For Health.

Drake Doesn't Need A Sword to Slay Assholes. Nor Does Olivia, Apparently.

@callmetippytumbles suggested a shorter and better alternative title to that one, and it's: Drake Roasts And Gets Roasted.

• I was hoping we would spend at least a chapter in the Capitol and, yknow, actually help Liam work through his grief, but nope. Flash-forward it is.

• Bastien is in hospital now, with injuries sustained from escorting people out of the palace, so Mara (who apparently hasn't been sleeping since the attack) is the one doing the debriefing on his behalf.

• It's clear to Liam and our friends NOW that whoever has been conspiring against us was a part of the Unity Tour and working from the inside (bruh, I could have told you that long ago). I'm thinking now that if Neville is part of this plan, perhaps the duel was meant to serve as a distraction so arrangements could be made within the time that the entire court was out in the courtyard. Just a theory.

• This was also alluded to in Perfect Match, when one of Nadia's alternative identities is Steel, a guest in the 'royal's tour who is actually an assassin.

•

This is perhaps the closest we get to Liam confessing how much all this has been affecting him, and sadly enough, he doesn't have enough time to really work through his grief. The suggestion to continue to Lythikos and get their answers there comes from Liam, and he speaks of it as something Constantine would have wanted. It isn't entirely healthy, but I think this is the way Liam has been brought up and it's hard for him to give himself time to be vulnerable, to give himself the space to grieve properly. Because now more than ever he has an entire country depending on him, and the royal family is known for projecting displays of strength and stoicism even if they don't feel it. It's not a good way of working through one's issues, but it's probably the only way Liam knows to deal with his trauma. I feel like in a lot of ways he's reliving especially the assassination attempt that happened earlier, but worse because someone he loved actually died this time. I'd definitely see some signs of PTSD at work here, even if it's suppressed. Particularly given that he speaks of feeling empty.

•

Waitaminute...are you telling me that Esther, the future Queen of Cordonia, is going to attend a Ball, her fiancé's father's funeral, a meeting, and an entire trip to Lythikos in this fever dream of a costume???

Fine. Fine, Esther, I give up. Fanta bottle inspired Stephanie Seymour gown it is 🙄

• What Madeleine says about the effect the MC has (particularly if the MC chooses all the right options during the tour) on people is very very similar to the last thing Constantine said before he died:

I'm guessing in a lot of ways this is seen as the MC's personal victory. Constantine and Madeleine were the two people who believed least that the MC had anything of value to give if she became Queen or a person of power in Cordonian politics. It was a long hard road to achieving this level of confidence even in her naysayers, so in a lot of ways the MC now truly is a unifying factor. Which makes me wonder what they say if you do a gag-run instead where the MC fails miserably during the tour. I know @boneandfur is doing such a playthrough as of now, but I don't know exactly if Madeleine and Constantine's words to her change in such an eventuality.

•

OMG. The design team is KILLING IT with the OOTD this week! It's gorgeous, and it tells us plenty about the Lythikos duchy and the Nevrakis House! For those of you who haven't read my House Sigils essay, I theorized that red was one of the house tinctures (colours), and that the sigil was either a sword or a spider. The flaming sword is attached to the gown (possibly as a brooch pin). @i-dream-so-i-write and I discussed this, and it was she who pointed out that Diavolos signature weapon was the flaming sword, as can be seen from the above picture. I'm not sure which metallic colour would form the second colour/tincture, but evidence seems to be learning more towards silver (there is a little gold on the brooch-sword, so it could be either). Tldr: I love this gown. It has that grace and effortless style that I've come to associate with Nevrakis fashion.

• Olivia is wearing the gown she wore for her Coronation. Come to think of it, the Scarlet Duchess moniker that Olivia got would refer to way more than her fashion. Given that it's one of her house colours and she was proud to be a Nevrakis especially at the time, Scarlet Duchess would mean so much to her. So much.

• So we're seated in the front and served fresh, piping hot food. SWEET! XD This time we get to order stuff. Maxwell gets fondue, Hana gets glazed salmon and Drake has ordered for ribs.

• Olivia: I had to request a few changes for your more...rustic palette.

Drake: Are you expecting a thanks? Because you're not getting one.

You're in for the meal of your life, Walker 😂

•

If you've never liked Olivia at all before? This scene in reason enough 😂😂😂

• Lucretia drops by to make more heavy hints about marriage prospects for Olivia (including relief that her niece wasn't scarred from rubble. How...caring).

• Olivia and Liam then perform the opening dance (like they did during the social season) and Liam takes this opportunity to find out what she knows. He gets little, beyond her worries about having to marry someone Lucretia will pick for her. Hana points out that perhaps "one has to wonder who Lucretia wants Olivia to marry". Good question.

• But before that, Kiara comes up to the MC to tell her she will be withdrawing from court after the Winter Festival ends. Kiara's argument is sound - she had already extended her public support and seems to be attending the wedding. But now is a dangerous time to be a part of the court, and Kiara's doing what she can to stay safe. Remember, she was the only noblewoman in court injured during the attack at Homecoming Ball, a fact that was given hardly a minute of consideration before the MC "convinced" her to join them again.

• Hana mentions that perhaps they can speak to her before she returns. I hope this means we will FINALLY address what happened to Kiara and look into possible - very valid - concerns about her safety. This is something we SHOULD have been talking about when we meet her at Castelserraillian, but no. PB decided to create a whole new character instead just so Kiara wouldn't get the attention she deserved as a character.

• Then again, she is seen as a suspect in a way none of the other court ladies (besides Olivia, and she's only viewed as such because of her family history) are. Sigh. The MC gets the option to speculate that she "knows something" and Drake gets to answer that "we must suspect everyone". DRAKE. Who ALSO got wounded at the same Ball that she was wounded in. Ugh. I mean I shouldn't be surprised considering he gets angry about people not supporting Liam barely hours after he got shot, but he's friends with the King. Kiara is not, and if she gets wounded again wouldn't it be their fault for not addressing the concerns she and her family had in the first place? Apparently Penelope's and Madeleine's concerns should be given ample consideration, but Kiara? Kiara who?? Oh right, Penelope's love interest's sister 😠 While we're at it, let's just make her suspicious for no reason!

• CONGRATULATIONS MAXWELL STANS on getting your first character development scene! There isn't a lot of overt character development but the scene does show us how observant and resourceful Maxwell is, pointing out the hole in the armoury wall that will allow us to overhear people's conversations and give us a better idea of who we should suspect. It does this while still establishing him as goofy, fun-living and always ready to live life king-size.

• Maxwell and the MC engage in what is known in European folklore as an apple-shot (Apfelschuss in German. The most popular folk tale involving this feat of archery is that of William Tell, a Swiss folk hero, who was ordered to shoot an apple from the top of his son's head by a cruel nobleman named Albrecht Gessler. Thankfully, he succeeded).

• Oooh now comes my favourite part: the weapons!

• This is an amazing Easter Egg in two ways if you're a TCaTF fan. One is that it reminds me SO MUCH of when Val gets to be the narrator, which is ALWAYS fun! Case in point are the names she gives the Iron Empire soldiers at Ennan: Pointy, Mr Fancy, Birdface, Grumpy and That Other Guy. Here, the MC gives names to all the weapons.

• So if you're someone who has played TCaTF and forgotten the weapons, no problem! I'm here to list out what these weapons are actually called, where they originated from and how Kenna (if the reader pays) gets them!

• The Weirdly Fancy Dagger is the Black Asps Dagger (which I think might be venom-tipped, like Adder's Fang) which Raydan gets from a Black Asp agent when he is imprisoned under Azura's orders. I see this weapon as being associated most with Abanthus/Lythikos in this list of weapons, because it comes from Adder's team of Lykos spies and assassins, and eventually (if Kenna chooses so) Adder can get to rule over this kingdom either alone or alongside Princess Zenobia (or not at all).

The Dragon Face Hammer! is actually the famous Wave Hammer, made by Kailani Keawe of Ebrimel - a fierce warrior and a skilled craftswoman - from Heart Oak Wood sneaked in from Thorngate. Heart Oak has all the appearance of wood with all the strength of metal, and makes for an amazing secret weapon.

The Ram Head Thing is Crown Guardian Leon Stirling's signature weapon - The Ram's Head Mace. This is a weapon clearly associated with Stormholt as Queen Adriana bequeathed it to him. Leon gets to pass it down to Kenna upon his death, if she so chooses. This mace is strong enough to crush armour, and Leon won the tournament at Ducitora with it before Azura killed him.

The Skull...Flail? is Val Greaves' signature weapon, The Deadman's Flail, which is powerful enough to crush armour. Kenna can use this weapon in her fight against Severin Cale, Leader of the Mercenaries. Val herself uses it often in battle.

The polo mallet is just...there.

• Ooh finally! It's time to investigative.

1. Madeleine approaching a man the MC has rejected in favour of her current fiancé. If you're marrying Liam, this man is Drake and he gets to roast Madeleine like she's never been roasted before ("Liam does get what he wants. That means he also gets to throw away what he doesn't want"). If you're marrying Drake, Hana or Maxwell, she is talking to Liam, addressing the king-sized elephant in the room. Liam doesn't pull any extra punches - he just looks extra annoyed and tells her he's "had other matters to attend to". It may seem like a weak defense in comparison to Drake's explosive comeback, but to be fair the man is going through some crazy shit here, and I don't think anyone in that state can actually expand enough thought to form a rebuttal at all. I doubt he'd have either the inclination or energy to actually respond with more than "I've had other matters to attend to". It's particularly awkward if your LI is Maxwell because he is standing right next to you hearing all this, but that hardly reflects in his dialogue. Basically, I view this sequence as telling us more about Madeleine than about the men: she may have changed a tiny bit, but she's still just a huge shit-stirrer.

Possibly, this might be set up for the apology that will ensue if we save Madeleine's backstabbing ass next chapter. It'll be something along the lines of "oh forgive me, I was so wrong, what I did was so wrong, I'll never do that again" etc etc yadda yadda getouttamyfaceyoufakeassbitch.

Also, I believe that the part of the reason Drake delivered that zinger to Madeleine was because he was still stinging from Olivia's burn at dinner 😂

2. While there are very few differences between the first and last conversations, the second conversation changes drastically depending on who your LI is.

a. If your LI is Liam, Hakim comes up to Liam, gives him his condolences for Constantine's death, and then comments positively on Esther and the upcoming wedding, which leads to a discussion between the MC and Maxwell about wedding preparations. I think this is mostly because Kiara never really interacts with Liam, so they got Hakim to do the honors. Over here though, Hakim and Liam's conversation about the wedding forms only a tiny portion of the conversation, as opposed to the entire thing.

b. If your LI is Hana, Kiara and Hana have a lovely, lighthearted conversation about the latter's upcoming wedding. Kiara expresses great happiness at Hana getting married to the MC, and Hana confesses to being so nervous she constantly dreams about it. I love the way Hana and Kiara's friendship is written here: how open Hana is with Kiara and how encouraging and supportive Kiara is towards Hana. I think it's so beautiful to see 😭

c. If your LI is Maxwell? It's Hana and Kiara again, this time speculating what the MC's wedding to Maxwell will be like. Kiara confesses that she plans to skip a cousin's reception on the same day by pretending to be ill, just so she can attend their reception instead. Together they discuss what surprises the Beaumonts might spring during the reception - from dance-offs to ball pits to hot air balloons filled with kittens. Here too, it's a lovely moment - two of the smartest court members having fun talking about weddings.

d. If your LI is Drake, Kiara talks to him instead. First about the offerings at the dessert buffet, then about the wedding. Kiara is overly chirpy and happy and excited about the wedding, and Drake tenses up when she turns the topic towards the wedding preparations, because those are "complicated". Of course, if you do the LI scene with him at the ice palace, you will find out that he doesn't like talking about it because he would rather keep things simple and focus on his bride, and the nobility is all about perfection and elaborate preparations. Very possibly the Kiara-Drake conversation was written this way as a lead-up to his conversation with the MC at the snow palace. (and perhaps also to dissuade people who would like to ship Drake and Kiara, especially given the backlash Kiara got from fans just for having a crush on the man).

The main focus of this conversation of course is to give out the message that the MC's upcoming wedding is something that still excites people, and that even people afraid of staying in court don't want to miss it.

3. The third conversation between Olivia and Lucretia is given the suspicious sounding music from ES, and begins with Lucretia trying to find out more about the MC. Olivia doesn't tell her much beyond what everyone else knows, and Lucretia leaves her with this cryptic statement:

I feel we're going to have a Big Reveal about what actually happened to the Nevrakises and whether they really were traitors or not.

• With that we finish our little stint at investigation, and in comes our next chance to spend diamonds on our respective LIs!

• I love how Liam's outdoor kink has been referenced two chapters in a row now 😂

•

(Screenshots: @kennaxval for Hana, @mariamatsuo for Drake and the Vika Avey YouTube channel for Maxwell).

Again, like the previous scene, the LIs have their own individual stamp over their ice palace scene. The beauty of it is not just that they all seem different in the way they make love to the MC, but that their reactions to the ice palace itself vary from LI to LI.

Liam gives us a legend. He tells us about the prevalent pre-wedding tradition in Lythikos, where an engaged couple would have their village build them an ice palace the following winter. Kind of like a seasonal barn-raising, which also involves a community coming together to build something for the couple. It says plenty about Lythikos and its people (I won't elaborate because at some point I'm going to be writing essays again). But it also confirms for us how immersed in Cordonian culture Liam is, and how much his Queen will learn when she is with him.

Hana gives us a fairytale. She tells us a story her mother used to read to her at night, about a frozen kingdom, an ice palace and a princess with a frozen heart, which thawed the moment she found true love. The fairytale Hana tells us bears similarities to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen", and more to the film it inspired, Frozen. But snow maidens are a staple of certain European cultures (particularly Norwegian and Slavic legend), so it could be a mix of many stories. It's fitting that Hana relates the ice palace to a story, connected as she is to literature and folklore and romance. In a lot of ways, hidden beneath the fable of the ice princess is Hana's own story.

Drake gives us a memory. As a follow-through to the conversation between him and Kiara in Maxwell's armoury scene if the reader bought it (unbeknownst to him, because he doesn't know the MC was overhearing them) he gets to be more open about not being very interested in planning weddings. His ideal would have been to take his bride to his mother's ranch in Texas for a wedding very reminiscent of his parents' union, and were Cordonia not in this condition that's exactly what he would have done. It's very like Drake, whose most powerful emotional associations are connected to his once-happy childhood and his memories of his parents, particularly his father.

Maxwell gives us an gift, made with his own hands. When he brings the MC to the ice palace, he suggests creating ice sculptures, and both make one of each other. It's a sweet, funny and affectionate scene, with both of them exchanging cute banter about Maxwell's "secret affair" with "Ice MC" and his tongue getting stuck in ice while pretending to kiss her 😂 It's very Maxwell. He's very hands-on, likes to do fun things, likes to entertain. And that's exactly the vibe I'm getting here.

The love scenes are tender and sweet and hot, and I think each of these scenes is worth the diamonds you'll spend. The scenes are tailored perfectly to fit the personalities of each LI. This is exactly what I hoped to see with scenes like the bathtub scene at the beginning of the book, and the spa scene. If they continue with this kind of quality content going forward, then I'm really really glad they took that hiatus.

• Okay we're back to the ballroom now. With Madeleine super drunk on...um...some pineapple drink.

• Madeleine is the only person to have the pineapple drink, and she seems to have an affinity for pineapple's since Maxwell offered her that Pineapple Paradise Punch in Fydelia. Everyone else is drinking Lythikos Nog.

• Madeleine collapses in the middle of Olivia's speech!

• The security detail uses "Code Locusta" to refer to poisons. Which is fitting, because Locusta was a very notorious maker of poisons during the time of Claudius and Nero (around AD 54 was when she contributed to the assassination of Emperor Claudius, and his son Brittanicus a year later). She was not only someone who was an expert on poisons and hired for that purpose, but also someone who used her skills to bring down royalty at the behest of their enemies. This could be a bit of a stretch, but I think this ties in symbolically with the plot of the movie scene in Liam's playthrough, where the enemy of the throne is someone who also can claim to be a royal. Especially considering poisons have been used to kill Liam's mother, and now to kill a supporter of the Crown and the MC, and a member of a very powerful Cordonian noble house. And yet...the other noble house - the Nevrakis family of Lythikos - stays untouched.

• The last time I recall "Locusta" being used in literature was in Alexandre Dumas' (père) The Count of Monte Cristo. A chapter of this book, in which a woman attempts to poison her stepdaughter so the family fortune could be passed on to her son, was titled Locusta as well.

• Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, folks. Or should I say, in the Kingdom of. Cordonia?

• Can I just say I love the parallels between Lythikos in Book 1 and now? We learned a little about Olivia's past in passing from Liam here, and now it will hit us in full force in the form of Lucretia. Constantine didn't seem to be in Lythikos, and returned to tell Liam that he was going to die soon, and now we visit the same estate after he has given his life to save his son.

Olivia gave us the worst place and the worst treatment then, and the best now. We convinced Kiara to support us in this very ballroom, and perhaps we might have to do so now too. It was here that Madeleine proudly claimed she was neither unrefined or insecure...but now she doesn't care about propriety.

I recall it was here for the first time that Maxwell stans were given the chance to express affection towards him, and it's here that they now get his first character development scene in Book 3. Most of all...it was here that the initial 3 LIs started to open up to us, in different ways, (if we paid) and now we return...an engaged couple - shedding all our layers and keeping each other warm in the cold (again, if we pay). I have many fond memories of Lythikos, and this chapter definitely brought me back there xD

• Tumblr isn't allowing me to write further for this post, so I will be writing my theories and who I believe is involved in the next post.

[inthedusksynria]

honestly I want Canas to get Ayra's because best boi deserves to be +10 merged at optimal IV;s, and if he's free he's probably going to have no Prf weapon

Hi!! Sorry for the late answer!(also sorry for the lenght)

I can definitely understand wanting to +10 him, heck it was what i was planning to do, before seeing the trailer. i was so ready to drop my orbs for both him and legault  are absolute favs!

I definitely understand to wanting to get him powerful too! Fuck, if any set ups say he needs some skills i am ready to destroy my blyn, takumi, halloween sakura and some others for him! It would be so awesome if he got the legendary weapon, especially to make him viable! (He is on my board of only summon for if this unit is in it )

Anyways, we will have to see his stats and weapon(tho i think it will be red owl tome) to see which roles he can feel. However, thanks to powercreep and the pletora of characters available currently, it is possible for him to get a unique weapon or skills. 

Check some of our TT rewards, and most recently Kaze(CG reward, which i will be assuming will be how Canas will be distributed), and you will see that the powercreep, even with free to play units, helped them! 

Kaze comes with barb shuriken with is basically slayer dagger, which no dagger character had before, iceberg(best special with his high res), awesome speed, and generally, incredible stat spreed. If a free character was like that, then i am sure Canas will have something and even if he doesnt… The power of the red + tomes availables is immense! there is a reason most of mage fliers and cavalry and armors, use the blade/owl weapons even with original special weapons 

Add the fact that some limited weapons can be inherited can make him great for many roles! Raurblade, Red owl tome, and possibly in the future Redserpent(With comes with distant def in it AND the ability to refine it, fucking broken, i want 10) Can be and help him to fill a shit ton of roles. Add skill inhetance into the mix and the sheer amount of skills we have available currently, it is possible to make him a monster even if his original skills are bad. 

Even with special weapons, look at all the characters that have awesome weapons *will smith pose* and yET if you fight with them in tier 20 +10, you will see them using weapons that arent their own

-> Said by someone who every fricking arya i encounter is using slaying sword + to proc her fucking regnal astra.(ps: i am in tier 20, fighting defense teams that have at least 2 units +10 units, and scoring 728, ) 

Which means that even if he was to have a legendary tome, sometimes the best tome for him/for his future role would be a completely different one.

Anyways, having said all of this, what i want to say: Is that no matter what character, a arya situation again(Separated banner, sharing color with someone else) is just bad. Because it is BLANTLANT baiting the fanbase and make a great deal of F2P have to decide between favs and grind their teeth to choose which banner to summon from when they could have been easily on the same one and it is blatantly a move to make people spend money. And if they saw that hey! people are spending the money and not sending angry feedback, they would continuing doing so for every single fourth character. What about the people who love both and then have to choose between one banner to summon them from? because if the arya situation happens, it means that regardless of which banner you pull, as the banner will be happening in the roughly same time as the other, the other units wont be available at the pull, and then you will be faced with a decision between them, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A F2P WHOSE ORBS ARE LIMITED AND NOT GUARRANTEED TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING. 

I just.. i am bad with words but i love the FEH and i find it highly enjoyable and one of those parts is that it lets you use the characters you love and gives you some characters for free, which allows you too make a decision to not pull on every banner if you want to keep playing or pulls the carpet below you, so it forces you to keep summoning or to pay money to be able to get what you want. The arya situation causes me a lot of anxiety because it would mean that you would have to be even more extremely cautious and frankly it would make things a lot less enjoyable and prioritize even more P2P players than the F2P ones, being left in the dirty. 

The thing is: my biggest fear with the arya situation is that the prioritazing of P2P players gets more important, to the point where the game would be highly frustating to play it. 

-version more tl dr here below

Solution for this situation : Dont ask for a arya situation, but for a way to have acess to multiple copies. See those GHB rotations? Canas and others TT rewards/GC rewards could be re-run on quests on some way. Maybe use the Tab Battle as a way to rerun them(As, with no quests, it is basically abandoned), add a 5k more score on the 60k of the TT+, where the rewards are the older prizes, make monthly events or maps where you can get them if you complete them. Maybe even put them as rewards for rerun GHB or BHB(example: Berkut rerun GHB, the reward is tobin or clive; julia and seliph, the reward is arden(fin?); BhB of corrin and azura, the reward is kaze)

There are multiple ways to rerun the F2P units! That wouldnt involve we having to /have/ a arya situation, since even if a unit has busted weapons, sometimes the best weapon for them is other(Example:arya herself, every single mage flyer who wants colorblarbe more and etc). I think if we all send a feedback, asking for it and showing interest in more quests, they would give it to us as they would win having more interest in daily plaaying the game or re-completing a map you had already done!

Thanks for the question! I hope i was able to express what i meant. I am…not good at wording what i mean :/  i tried but i cant put the sheer fear i feel (and felt) should a arya situation happen again. Sorry for the long answer! 

[poesticbeauty]

Under Your Skin Pt2 ( Bloo X Reader )

“Where the hell did I put the kit?” she grumbled to herself as she searched each cabinet. “Ah.” she said in victory as she found the medical kit. She grabbed a few towels and a warm bowl of water and walked towards the beat up male.

His eyes followed her as she pranced around in one of his shirts he left at her apartment and a pair of shorts that came up mid-thigh. she grabbed a small canister to sit on and began to pull out all of the stuff to treat him.

She’s so pretty without even trying.How the hell does she just walk around like that? He unconsciously licked his lip tasting the iron of his blood.

She wrung out the warm towel and began to clean the male’s bloodied up face. The male hissed in pain as the towel touched his cuts making Y/N chuckle. He glared at the girl as she continued to laugh at his pain.

“Don’t look at me like that.” she glared back playfully,“ Honestly how many times are you gonna be in front of my place bleeding out?”

“ Until the day you stop helping me” he looked at the girl with a playful glint in his eyes.

For the last few months, Bloo and Y/N have gotten to know each other. They became friends surprisingly after a few times meeting coincidentally on the street. They annoyed each other to no ends but it was always nice to know there was someone to look forward to seeing. Well, that’s what Bloo thought. Sometimes he hoped to get into fights or run into his old crew so he can have an excuse to come crash at Y/N’s house to have petty arguments just like these.

“I’m so close to doing so. I’m tired as fuck and you keep coming when I need to sleep.” she scoffed.

“ Whatever asshole. If I went missing you’ll miss me.” he hissed as she dabbed the medicine on his cheek.

“Whatever floats your boat,” she said putting a bandage on his face.

“ You love me just admit it.” he chuckled but soon hissed when she purposely put the medicine roughly on the side of his lip.

“You want to fight?” he glared.

“ If you weren’t acting like an ass then it wouldn’t hurt so much. Plus, You know I would but I don’t fight the injured.” she chuckled making the male tsk.

“ I should’ve just laid out in my blood. You’re an asshole,” he complained.

“Same. You add too much to my tired ass day.” she rolled her eyes she tried to finish up the male’s lip. Bloo looked at her as her face seemed to be close to his.

“Have I ever told you how cute you are when you’re not being an asshole,” he said as his eyes trailed down to her lips. After all of this time being around her he always wonders how it felt to feel her lips on his.

He liked her and he wouldn’t deny that. What other reason would he have to keep coming to see her? He just liked the dog and cat relationship they developed over time. It was fun but sometimes he wanted to cross that friendship line. Today was most definitely one of those times.

“Great you must be still drunk,” she said pulling away from the male. He released air that he didn’t even know he held and looked up at the girl.

“Asshole.” he tsked.

“Are you gonna take off your shirt?” she asked as she stood up. He instinctively covered his chest and looked her up and down making her laugh.

“Buy me dinner first,” he said making Y/N roll her eyes.

“You’re acting like I never saw your bare chest before. Stop playing and just take off or I’ll take it off myself ” she chuckled.

“You sure you could do it yourself?” he habitually bit his lip making him hiss in regret.

“Dumbass” she mumbled to herself, “ Just take your shirt off so I can check.”

“Nope,” he smirked and she rolled her eyes.

“You’re such a kid I swear.” she grumbled, “ Fine, I’ll do it myself then.” her hands curled in the hem of the male’s shirt and she carefully pulled the fabric off of him. His slightly toned body was littered with old and new bruises. Bloo’s eye followed the girl’s every movement as she gently ran her fingers across his skin to check if he was broken anywhere. It felt as if his skin was burning at the small touch of her small hands. He hissed but his eyes became lidded as he stared at her.

“You’ve not broken anywhere but they did bruise you up pretty badly. We should get you an X-ray just in case tomo-” she pauses as her eyes caught onto his,“ Why are you looking at me like that for? I didn’t press that hard, did I ?” she asked with her head quirked.

“Y/N…” his voice became deeper as continued to stare at her.

“W-what? You’re being weird,” she said with eyebrows furrowing.

“ Come here.” he signaled her to move closer but she just looked at him weird in response.

“I’m already close. What is it?” she asked.

“Just come here.” He pulled her body closer making her fall on him.

“B-bloo -” she was suddenly caught off guard with him tackling her to lay on the couch.

“Can I be 100 with right now?” he looked down at the shocked girl under him.

“ T-that would be a great thing right now. Like what the hell you’re doing right now?” she squeaked as his hands began to softly rub her sides.

“ I want you. Do you want me?” he asked looking straight into her eyes making her squirm.

“B-bloo…”

“ Let me know if you don’t want me as bad I want you and I’ll stop.” he inched closer.

“ I-I” she was silenced by the feeling of his rough lips on his. The taste of iron invaded her mouth as the kiss became passionate with a few nibbles on her bottom lip. She never thought his lips would feel this good making her moan into the kiss. Unconsciously, her body began to move on its own as his body began to grind down her. Her hips moved up to meet his as she felt his bulge rubbing against her thigh.

“Fuck.” he groaned as their lips separated.

“That’s not fair you didn’t let me answer.” she chuckled.

“I was too scared to let you.” he shyly smiled down at her soon giving her multiple pecks on the lips, “I like you too much to hear you reject me,” he said as he sat up in between her legs massaging the soft skin of her thighs.

“Plus, how is a dude supposed to act when the girl he is hella attracted to prance in them shorts?” He questioned as his lips soon began to trail down her thighs making her mewl at the feeling. Y/N didn’t even know she was that sensitive but then again her body just seemed to love to tingle under his touch.

“You should know s-self control.” she stuttered as his finger began to play with the cloth of her shorts rubbing her.

“ I’ve been trying to control myself for a few months now. ” he said laughing at her squirming body, “ Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to see like this? Not being able to control yourself because of me.” his hands gripped her shorts pulling it off so quick leaving her only in his t-shirt.“ To touch you like this..” she moans as his fingers began to rub against her exposed clit in a circular motion making her legs shake .

“F-fuck Bloo. Ugnn”

“To hear you call out my name like that and make you wet by just a little touch.” he leaned down to kiss her lips as he continued to play with her. Y/N became uncoiled under his touch as her body tingled and burned.

Her hands tangled with his belt making the male to smile at the girl’s attempt to feel him. He gave her one more peck before lifting up and taking out a condom from his pocket then took off his pants and underwear. His dick achingly bounced out of the cloth making him groan. He slid the condom on making him moan at the feeling. He was sensitive and he knew that he wanted to just pound into her but decided to be more loving for their first. Well loving in their own way.

“Fuck do you see what you did?” he said situating himself in between her legs again.

“What did I do?” she smirked as the male glared at her.

“Even when you’re like this you still manage to act like an asshole.” he laughed going down to kiss her again.

“But aren’t you the one who wanted this asshole SO~ bad?” she teased as he kissed her.

“You’re so much cuter when you’re moaning my name instead.” he teased back as he rubbed his tip against her clit. She sucked in air as her hands curled into the couch.

“S-shut up.” she glared at the male making him laugh at her.

“But you’re definitely right, baby girl. I’ve been waiting forever to call you mines and after tonight you’re mines.” he said looking into her eyes.

“ Then I’m yours then.” she looked right back at him seriously and a big smile touched his face.

A/N: ALright, I haven’t wrote straight smut in awhile so dont slay my soul okay. I’m lowkey high off of no sleep or food so I kind of rushed it a bit. I hope you like it anyways. A few more parts will be added later but thanks for reading. If you have any suggestions than go ahead and comment or message me.

[franeridart]

Whats your opinion on the headcanon that bakugou is hard of hearing because of how loud his explosions are? If you dont mind my asking

I think I answered this q on this blog already? Maybe? But anyway, I don’t exactly mind it, but I can’t say I share the headcanon myself - for one, because I’m of the opinion that their bodies are built to withstand a safe use of their quirks (a bit like you can’t break a leg by simply walking, you know), so in general I’m not a fan of headcanons that include damages caused by simply doing what their bodies were born to do? 

But also because generally, even under the assumption that his body isn’t made to hold up with his explosions, isn’t it awfully convenient how only his ears take damage in these scenarios? What about his eyes? How come he can still see with no problems even with the continuous exposure to the explosions’ light? How about his hair? How come he can stand so close to fire without it ever being damaged by it? His palms have thicker skin and we know that thanks to his UA file, but what about the rest of his body? How come he can stand smack in the middle of an Howitzer Impact without getting even slightly burnt? When you say “only his ears aren’t made to withstand his explosions” what you’re telling me is that his whole body is tailord to deal with his quirk but his ears, and that just feels unrealistic to me - by which I mean, when this is the scenario we’re talking about, you can’t give the fault of the damage to Bakugou’s quirk. It’s a problem his body has, not a natural consequence of having that sort of quirk. And imho with those premises you sort of end up with a different kind of story, you’re supposed to write it differently - that’s what I think, at least

Anon said:Maybe the reason Baku raises his voice so often is because he can’t hear very well, which isn’t due to his explosions, rather, he was born with bad hearing to protect him from taking damage by them.. and then his other senses are sharper to even it out, and his body can even subconsciously notice air vibrations, resulting in really fast reflexes.

Ah, this is also another reason why I’m not a huge fan of the headcanon - don’t get me wrong! If you like it then go on, I’m not trying to stop anyone from enjoying ideas and possibilities!! But personally I like Bakugou not having any reason to be loud-mouthed and rude, that’s just his personality and how the environment he grew up in made him, and lately I’ve seen the hc used to justify his behaviour more than I like? Bakugou being an asshole is just who he is, and I love it! I love that his life made him like that and I love that he’s working hard to fix that flaw, giving him an external reason, something he has no control over, to justify his personality changes the core of his character too much, and that’s not something I’d ever want to do tbh

And it’s also cool to think that he was somewhat genetically engineered to be better in a fight to compensate for a lack of earing (though again, why only his ears and not his eyes or his sense of tact too), but that goes to cut on all the hard work he put in becoming as good as he is, right? If that’s what you like than who am I to stop you! But Bakugou’s hardworking nature is one of the things I love about him, I don’t really feel like taking away from him all the effort and work he put through the years in becoming as good as he is now

Anon said: Kiri’s grades suddenly getting sky high after Baku started kissing his cheek for every correct answer

Kirishima: “OKAY NEXT CHAPTER LET’S GO”

Bakugou: “the fuck, no, we’re done, that’s how far we went in cla–”

Kirishima: “GOING A BIT AHEAD CAN’T BE A PROBLEM CAN IT”

Anon said: Kiri is seriously talented at dirt doodles

lmao it’s just stickmen hahaha

Anon said:aww your miri/tama collage is so precious! have you considered doing something like that for kiri/ kami as well? those boys are in desperate need of some love.. totally understand if not! have a wonderful rest of your day/night :3

Uh, well, it’s not like I “haven’t considered” doing it, but more than a collage it’s… just how I always draw? Only usually I cut the pics for each of them to be a different image so they’re easier to see, while yesterday I was too lazy to do that and left them all on the same canvas haha so I guess yeah next time I’ll feel like drawing krkm if you’d like I can leave the drawings all in one pic, that’s just less work for me after all lol

Anon said:Ahhhhhh~ I had had… Such a need for miritama after that chapter and I couldn’t find anything w the right feel or anything and ??? Then you just??? Bless you thank you they look wonderful and so so soft and happy and I’m just !!!

AHHHH!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I’m glad you liked them :O

Anon said:thank you good lord you’re gonna help me get out of the depressive spiral chapter 152 has put me into

BOI ANON DON’T I FEEL YOU it’s why I drew those to being with hahaha

Anon said:DUDE YOUR PINING KIRISHIMA GOT ME DEAD HOLY FUCK SO PURE SO AWESOME 10/10

THANK YOU!!!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ 

Anon said: I just recently became obsessed with MomoJirou because it’s an incredible ship and I can’t get enough and then you give us these adorable drawings of them? I cry

Anon said:fran….your girls…… they’re so good……..

Anon said:I love how you drew Momo 😍

Anon said:FRAN THANK YOU FOR THE MOMOJIROU CONTENT I LOVE IT I LIVE FOR IT I HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF MOMOJIROU FOR SO LONG AND NOW I CAN SEE SOME BEAUTIFUL ART OF THEM IN YOUR STYLE WHICH MAKES IT TEN TIMES BETTER THANK YOU

AAAAHHHHHHHHH BOI THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I’m ??? so glad you guys liked them???? Momo is so hard to get a grasp on for me, it makes me happy to know I did her right!!!!

Anon said:What do you think about futakuchi? xox

He’s my fav in Dateko!!!! Also one of my two biggest #same in Haikyuu haha (the other’s Kuroo lol)

Anon said: I haven’t seen semi on your blog for a while? ;)

That’s 100% most probably because there hasn’t been any haikyuu on my blog for a while, I’d say :O

Anon said:You keep drawing… So many soft things I’m in love… momojirou is so sweet it cleared my skin (and !!! I know you said you have no idea how to draw her but she looks wonderful and I loved it!!) And pining Kiri his face at the end??? Saved me. And STUDY DATE I CAN’T FORGET tbh baku looked so good esp the way you drew him kiri I Understand. Anyways you’re a blessing and I hope you have a lovely day!!!

God anon….. you just go……….. and slay me like this……. how am I supposed to deal………………………. (ilu)

Anon said:Does the Octopus Team still exist? I was scrolling through Shouji tags and saw the art.

I’m not sure what this ask means :O like, are you asking me if I’ll ever draw them together again? Because tbh that one doodle sort of just… happened while I was doing something else……… oops….

Anon said:Is it just me or are you getting more and more notes a lot quicker? Bc congrats my friend

:O thanks!!! But to be fair I think more than on my art this is mostly on the Bakushima becoming a much more popular ship, lately! The anime will do that haha

Anon said: I literally check your blog multiple times every day to see if you’ve posted anything new, your art just makes me so happy??? Like it could literally be bakugou as an orange and kirishima as a strawberry and I would reblog it faster than lightning and stare at it for five mins. Your style is just so nice and it like…. flows well?? Is really clean??? IDK HOW TO DESCRIBE IT MY DUDE but BASICALLY i love everything you do and thanks for blessing us with all the cute kiribakus and bokuroo :))

sob thank you ;O; so much ;O; holy shit ;O; ;O;

Anon said:So I’m new to the BNHA fandom and you’re probably the first artist I stumbled across but I am HOOKED. I love your bakushima A LOT and your headcanons are so perfect I get so hype when I see them on my dashboard *v* Do you ever think about what would happen if Bakugou’s family found out about his new relationship? Do you think they would love Kirishima? (Of course they would it’s impossible not to). I imagine that would be an interesting scenario!!

I’m 100% sure Mitsuki would be like “HOW THE FUCK did you manage to get such a nice kid to like you” but when we’re being honest Masaru is a super sweet man married with a firecracker too so does she have any right to talk? Nope, she does not 

And thank you so much for the compliments!!!! :O this fandom is super full of talented and nice people, I hope you’ll have a great time in it!

Anon said:Dude like mate honey love bunch bro man,,,,, YOUR FR*CKING ART!!!! SO H*CKING GOOD???? BAKUKIRI (cries because I love them so f*dging much) LOOK SO GOOD IN YOUR ART STYLE? SO PURE! WHOLESOME!!! I just went through your art tag for the last hour and I love everything. Kirishima is my FAVE I LOVE HIM!!!$ and the Baku squad mm mmmmmm good shiz right there. AND YUUJIIIIII AND BOKKUROOOOO AND THE VOLTRON AU!!!! Honestly we have such similar tastes ah. Anyway I’m running out of words love you fran xox

HOLY HECK I LOVE YOU A LOT TOO ANON!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS!!!!!!!!

Anon said:Kirishima and bakugo furiously (not mad just intense) making out I know what your thinking but please give it a try

I mean the idea isn’t something I mind at all, but drawing this sort of things requires a specific mood for me which isn’t easy to come by and more often then not when I do draw that sorta stuff I don’t finish nor post it? So in general that’s not the type of things I’ll draw as a suggestion, sorry orz

Anon said: Whenever I see a new post from you but it’s reblogged I immediately go to your original post so I can read your tags. I love them so much!

Heck !!!!! I’m glad you enjoy my nonsense? hahaha

Anon said:*whispers* hey hey…. kiribaku hide and seek got any thoughts on that

Are you asking about one against the other or hiding together? …either way I can only see that ending in disaster and explosions ngl lol

Anon said:It came to my mind after reading your last comic that Baku usually dresses up pretty nice¿? Its canon that his family works for the fashion industry and his costume is SO EXTRA™, we never really see him in cringey or weird clothing (please correct me if I’m wrong (?)) but I still like the idea of him having lots of skull/punk tees and struggling to find normal stuff lol

Wouldn’t call them cringey or weird, but it is canon that every time we’ve seen him out of his costume/uniform in the manga he’s worn either plain black tees/tank tops or t-shirts with skulls on them :O that’s actually his canon style, I wasn’t taking a wild guess back there haha

Anon said:I miss your art on my feed on the days you don’t art. So I scroll through your old posts whenever that happens. (This is not a plea or pressure for you to do anything more often btw. You make so much amazing art and contribute so much to this fandom. I love going back and looking at all your art. We are not worthy!) I literally can’t think about Kiribaku and the Bakusquad without thinking of your art.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you!!!!! Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;O; 

Anon said:Cons of Kirishima being the protagonist of MHA: He would constantly be hurting himself and making us as the audience suffer in the worst way. Pros: if the recent chapters are anything to go by, he would be /very very pretty/ by now due to how much he’s been beaten up

I still prefer him healthy and happy tho ｡ﾟ(*´□`)ﾟ｡ once in a hospital bed is enough for me //sob

Anon said:I can’t describe how happy these deathstar doodles made me?? Your art is top notch as always but you drawing one of my all time favorite ships when there’s so little content for them gave me strenght for the next 57 years, thank you sm!!! And have a good day!!

Anon said:Ahhh you have no idea how much of a blessing it is to see deathstar in your artttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!! I love you so muchhhhhh!!!

I’M!!! HAPPY!!! YOU GUYS LIKED THOSE!!!!! I never understood why there was so little content for them tbh, like??? Okay the anime didn’t reach any of The Good Stuff for them and most fans never read the manga, but the manga makes them such an obvious ship?? So good so right so healthy and supportive and beautiful b o y rereading that manga gave me a lot of feelings bless the two of them ｡：ﾟ(｡ﾉω＼｡)ﾟ･｡

Anon said:Oh my god, I was just looking through like all your art and I realized how much you’ve improved. Like oh my god you’re fantastic, all your art looks so great. I mean this as a compliment and that’s you’ve improved a lot and you’re so great. ❤️❤️

THANK YOU OH BOY (●´□`)♡ this means…………….so much…………. gahh

Anon said:i got so busy with college apps and entrance exams that I stopped watching the anime around the intern time and I stopped reading the manga around about the time sun eater faces off against those guys. man I have so much to catch up on but I still don’t have much time at all. all I know is Mirio is being an angel and I’m at peace with that.

Mirio………… is such a good boy……………….. he deserves so much more…………….. so much better………………….. o

[xagrofiction]

Pointed talks

A belated birthday gift for one of the best people out there, @mab-speaks. Happy birthday, my dear. I hope all is going well.

Betaed by the kind and sweet @percyinpanties.

Read it on AO3.

“Thing is, as I was choking just now, I kept thinking: this is payback for Akhlys. The Fates are letting me die the same way I tried to kill that goddess. And… honestly, a part of me felt I deserved it. That’s why I didn’t try to control the giant’s poison and move it away from me. That probably sounds crazy.”

Jason thought back to Ithaca, when he was despairing over the visit from his mom’s spirit. “No. I think I get it.”

Percy studied his face.

Jason stayed silent for a moment, weighing his words. Just when Percy looked like he was about to change the topic, he spoke.

“I mean that when I felt the Imperial Gold sword go through me and burn my skin, I felt like that was punishment, too.”

His hand went down to his belly where he could almost feel the burn of the scar seething through his clothes, and a wry smile creeped on his face.

“Like some kind of joke - It was a roman, an ultimately traitorous spirit at that, who did it, and the guys from Camp Jupiter probably are saying now I backstabbed them by siding with you, not to mention what happened with mom. So really, I can relate.”

Percy said nothing. When it looked like Jason had nothing more to add, Percy opened his mouth to say something, but Jason continued.

“Look, I get it. Your pain is valid, dude. But you don’t deserve to die - not like this, not ever. You make mistakes, we all do. But beating yourself up over self-defense that happened in the heat of the moment - that’s understandable.”

Percy chuckled without humour.

“Look, I appreciate the thought, Jason, but we should head back, shouldn’t we?” His smile didn’t reach his eyes, and he seemed to know it because he wouldn’t meet Jason’s gaze.

Jason took a deep breath.

“Yeah, let’s. Wouldn’t want to make them think we actually ended up kicking the bucket in your element.”

Jason started when he heard a knock on his door, his mind worn out after guard duty.

“Jason?” a voice whispered. Percy.

“Come in.” Jason said, trying not to slur his words.

Percy came in, but then stood there as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Take a seat.” Jason said, waving in the general direction of the bed, and Percy sat down.

“So, what do you wanna to talk about?” Jason said as gently as possible.

“Why did you think you deserved it?” Percy said, his eyes averted.

Jason tilted his head. “I already told you. What do you mean?”

“I know you said that you think Camp Jupiter thought that.” A brief, choked-sounding laugh wrought its way out of Percy. “But why would that make you believe that you deserved it?”

Jason stared at his hands, folding them in his lap, noticing Percy’s eyes followed the motion.

“Asking whether you believe in fate is stupid, but… See, did the people at Camp Half-Blood immediately try to make you a leader of the people because you’re the sea god’s son?”

Jason heard Percy shuffle, probably frowning while moving.

“Not immediately. They did act weird once I was claimed, but people still trusted Chiron more with leading the camp than me.”

Jason couldn’t help the huff.

“See, that was different in Camp Jupiter. Once I was claimed, they immediately tried to groom me into the praetor position. Offered me a spot in the first cohort, and I refused, picking the least favourite. I figured that if all cohorts really did have the same rights, they’d have no problem and wouldn’t speak up, but they did and I mostly joined to defy them.”

His hands separated and he traced the lines on his forearm with slightly trembling fingers.

“Not that I had a choice about joining in the first place.”

“I heard. I mean, I was thrown in with the cohorts, too, son of the sea god and all - even if they put me in the fifth right away.” Percy said.

Jason nodded, then continued. “Things didn’t stop there. For every good deed I did, they tried to offer me a promotion to get away from these oh-so-awful people. ‘Centurio’, they whispered, ‘then general, and then praetor’ - raising in ranks swiftly. They weren’t stupid enough to tell me personally, but… it was obvious.”

Percy chuckled, a little dark-sounding. “Yeah, they tend to underestimate kids.”

Jason chuckled himself. “For whatever reason anyone might think you’re stupid. Anyway, after destroying the throne on Mount Othrys and slaying the titan, I couldn’t reasonably say ‘no’ anymore, so - praetor it was. People expected Reyna and I would become a couple because we were colleagues, which… that’s still a bit fuzzy. Then I vanished.”

Percy nodded. “I went on multiple quests myself as the leading demigod, but we never really had one of our own leading outside of that, or battles and Capture the Flag, I think. Well, aside from the whole head counsellor thing. Chiron usually takes the responsibility as our instructor, and Mr. D shares the same right if he wants to or not.”

Jason laughed weakly. “Sounds like a dream, at least for the most part. And even then, it’s more like a parliament.” He paused, looking Percy in the eye.

“Promise you won’t take the next thing personally? Because it’s not meant that way.”

Percy raised an eyebrow.

“I’m careful with promises. But I’ll try not to judge.”

“Fair enough.” Jason breathed in and out, feeling more awake after their chat so far.

“So I vanished and was gone for half a year after I defied them and what they called my birthright - my role in life as set by the Fates. Reyna held out with no other praetor. And then you appear - son of a hated god, and you turn everything upside-down. You retrieve the Eagle.” Jason inclined his head. “Thank you for that, by the bye.”

“No problem,” Percy said.

“You help with the ensuing battle. And from one second to another, everyone forgets about their oh-so precious son of the highest god. You’re immediately voted praetor and Reyna takes an interest in you.” His eyes narrowed. “Then I come back and am quickly welcomed, but awkwardly at best, and I feel the pressure flooding back already- and then the attack happens and everyone is happy to follow Octavian’s accusations that I’m traitorous graecus scum. No offense.”

“None taken.” Percy looked guilty. That must be that infamous kicked seal baby face Annabeth had talked about. “It wasn’t - that’s not what I wanted to do, Jason -”

“I don’t blame you for it.” Jason said. Percy looked at him normally again, and Jason returned the look with a wry smile. “You were thrown in there like I was. It’s almost funny how what happened to us kind of mirrors the other, in a messed-up way.”

Percy laughed bitterly. “Oh, tell me about it.”

Jason’s smile turned solemn.

“I defied them - not entering the first cohort and getting easy promotions, but working my way up the ranks instead. Not choosing prestige, but outsiders. Not choosing traditional romance -”

Percy made a noise at that, though whether it was a snort, a huff, or something else, Jason couldn’t tell.

“- but friendship. I challenged them in their ideas instead of just falling in line like a good soldier. And that’s just the things I recall from the top of my head.” Jason shook his head.

“And I lost my memories for it. I sided with reason, I thought, and with Camp Half-Blood, not Camp Jupiter as I would’ve been expected to be. I betrayed them and was backstabbed myself.

Of course I deserved that - I mean, judging from what happened with you... I-I was easy to replace to begin with.” He had to choke out the last words and was fighting back tears and bitterness. Jason had his hands placed in his lap again to keep from  fumbling.

Percy scooted closer, one hand raised. “May I?,” he asked, and Jason nodded. He still stiffened when he felt Percy hug him before slumping.

“I made my decision, Percy. But sometimes, I can’t help but feel like I should have died in those ruins.”

Percy hugged him harder, and tears began to flow.

“And I told you - I feel like I maybe should have died from that poison. But I didn’t.”

Jason slowly returned the embrace.

“So you see what I meant? No worth in taking a stab at it.” He said humourlessly, but neither of them commented on his pun.

They separated, and Jason couldn’t help but ask. “So, you told me the basics, but would you mind telling me more of your career as a demigod?”

Percy chuckled, sounding exhausted himself, but more liberated. “Only if you tell me about yours.”

“It’s a deal,” Jason smiled and lay back on his bed. “Just tell me. We can talk and, if needed, fall asleep. We need sleep. And -” he struggled with the words, “And if necessary, we can tell each other - after.” He said it carefully, as if not to test the Fates, as if there would be no ‘after’.

Percy regarded him silently. “That sounds like a plan.”

Jason looked forward to it.

It took time until they got to talk again, longer than Jason would’ve liked. They ended up not dying to Gaea, fortunately, and after the buzz of victory subseded, Percy approached Jason in his cabin. It would not be much longer until Jason would be on the road and fulfilling his duties.

“Come in,” Jason said, raising his head when he saw it was Percy standing on the door. “Ah, it’s you. Take a seat.”

Percy took Jason up on the offer, less awkward than last time. “I wanted to talk to you again,” Percy said. Eyes averted, he added, “I didn’t know how to before, with all that happened.”

Losing Leo still hurt, so the words stung more than they should have, but Jason appreciated the sentiment.

“How are you holding up?” Percy asked.

“I’ll live,” Jason said. “I survived a stab to the gut, I’ll live with a stab to the heart.”

“Dude.” Percy said.

“Don’t appreciate my brilliant jokes?” Jason said with an empty smile. It slipped quickly. “It hurts, just like any other time when I lost someone.”

“Do you wish it had been you?” Percy asked, and Jason jolted at the question.

“You ask that as if you were asked the same, and answered yes.” Jason said.

Percy frowned. “You’re dodging the question, but yes.”

“Kind of, yes. Through fire or storm, it said. It could have been me.” Jason buried his face in his arms. “Maybe it should have been me, Percy.”

“And that’s where I have to stop you,” Percy said with a hand on his shoulder. “This thing is called ‘survivor’s guilt’ and it’s dangerous.”

“You sound like an expert,” Jason said.

“That’s because I started going to one,” Percy answered. When Jason looked up, Percy shrugged. “I have plans, man. Will told me about PTSD after the Titan War... and told me to see a therapist. I didn’t really have much time for it before -” there it was again, that humourless smile with a handwave as if it was nothing, “- what with the kidnapping and all, but I had a session with a demigod therapist yesterday.” He started rubbing his hand in circles, giving Jason an emphatic look. “You should, too. These talks with you help, but they can’t replace a professional.”

“Look at you, acting all grown-up and mature,” Jason said, eyes at half-lid. “You’re not even a year older than me, Percy.”

“And you have barely an inch on me, that balances it out,” Percy teased back.

They shared a moment of silence.

“Would you mind telling me about this ‘survivor’s guilt’ of yours?,” Jason asked quietly. Percy nodded.

“Back when I was still pretty new to being a demigod, I was on a quest to find some demigods - Nico and his sister, as it turned out.”

Jason raised his head. “I don’t like where this is going.”

Percy nodded. “Well, we managed, but Annabeth got lost in the process, so as usual, some people were sent on a quest. And Bianca, Nico’s sister, was among them.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t?”

Percy shook his head.

“I wasn’t told to go with them, but I was worried about Annabeth. I couldn’t not go. So I went with them in secret and broke the rules.” He took his hand back, turning more towards Jason. “We were on a junkyard and there was a figurine of a game Nico liked. He was so happy and chipper and frankly annoying back then, you wouldn’t have recognized him.” He clenched his fists. “Taking the figurine triggered an alarm and a giant junk robot awakened. Bianca went to shut it down and did it, but never returned, as told by the prophecy.”

Jason blinked. “That’s - harsh. And Nico didn’t take it well.”

Percy shook his head. “I’d promised to keep her safe, and I failed. Nico blamed me, and I blamed myself, for her death and for Nico disappearing after.” He looked Jason directly in the eye. “What happened after isn’t my story to tell, but I blamed myself for it. I still kind of do, just like for what happened to Calypso, who I left behind to help the people here, or Beckendorf and Silena, or Castor, or Michael, or Bob, or Ethan, or - or Luke even.” His voice had grown quieter with each name, and Jason had a feeling that they weren’t the only ones. Hesitating, Jason let his hand hover in the air, unsure of how to act, before he rubbed his hand in soothing circles over Percy’s shoulder.

Jason frowned, concerned. “Percy, that’s not your fault. We can’t save everyone. You did what you had to do, and you did your best.”

“I did. It doesn’t change the fact that I failed,” Percy emphasized, “but I did, and I’m working on it. And I still catch myself looking at Nico and wondering whether he’d still be that upbeat kid if I had managed to save Bianca.”

“I see where you’re getting at.” Jason said. He opened his arms for a hug, and Percy accepted. When they broke apart they smiled. It didn’t quite reach either of their eyes, but still, they smiled.

“Thanks, Percy. I really appreciate it.” He looked down. “I appreciate you.”

“No problem, man,” Percy said. “All in clear communication.”

Jason chuckled. “Man, imagine how awkward things would have been if we hadn’t talked.”

Percy snorted.

“You say that as if your personality allowed leaving people alone.” He patted Jason on the shoulder. “You’re a hopeless people person, and that makes you awesome.”

Jason snorted himself. “And what about you? Have you ever looked back at your history, man?”

Smiling, they went on to a friendly fight of out-praising each other. And later on, they fought in the arena, feeling good about having found an equal in mind and fighting capabilities.

(The beginning was taken from House of Hades under Fair Use)

[made-from-galaxies]

Here’s Why Black Widow Didn’t Get a Memorial at the End of ‘Avengers: Endgame’

(Major spoilers ahead for “Avengers: Endgame” and the whole situation with Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff, but you probably already knew that given the headline)

The scenes in “Avengers: Endgame” that take place after the film’s climax are all about Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), first with the big funeral for Iron Man after he died to defeat Thanos and his army, and then with Captain America’s big retirement scene to close the whole thing out. They were the two main characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so fine, whatever. But it still irks me that Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) got only the barest of mentions after she sacrificed herself in the second act.

If she hadn’t killed herself on Vormir so that Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) could return to the present with the Soul Stone, then they wouldn’t have been able to save all those people Thanos snapped, and then Tony Stark’s snap to wipe out all of Thanos’s forces wouldn’t have been possible. Her sacrifice mattered just as much as Tony’s did.

Also Read: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – That Last Scene Makes No Sense

But when we get to the end of the movie, we get a big memorial for Iron Man with a huge number of famous heroes showing up to pay their respects, while Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) hang out in the corner having their own private mourning ceremony for Natasha and Vision, who apparently nobody other than them — and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), I guess — cared about.

It would have been a great moment to elevate a character who always operated from the shadows, never getting the acclaim that Tony always received. The one time Black Widow stepped into the spotlight was at the end of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” when a US Senate committee threatened to put her on trial. The people of the MCU finally had a chance to give Natasha the respect she was due, and they just didn’t.

On the commentary track on the home video release of “Avengers: Endgame,” co-director Joe Russo addressed this concern, and blamed next year’s “Black Widow” movie for the lack of a memorial for Natasha.

Also Read: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – Who Is That Random Kid At the End of the Movie?

“People have asked why Natasha didn’t get the same amount of screen time post-death as Tony did,” Joe Russo said. “Well, Tony does not have another movie. Tony is done. And Natasha has another film. And Marvel Universe obviously does not have to move forward linearly anymore. But that character still has more screen time coming.”

So there’s your answer — Natasha Romanoff didn’t get a big memorial in “Endgame” because of the prequel movie coming out next May, whereas Tony Stark is not gonna be in the MCU again for the foreseeable future. Though they didn’t mention Vision specifically, there’s probably a similar reason for the lack of love for him after he died in “Infinity War,” since he’ll be back somehow in the “WandaVision” Disney+ show in 2021.

There is an interesting sentence in that answer, though, that caused a big exclamation point to pop up over my head, though: “And Marvel Universe obviously does not have to move forward linearly anymore.” Since the MCU has done multiple prequel movies that didn’t involve time travel, including the first “Captain America” movie that was the fourth film overall in this franchise, it seems incorrect to say that the MCU ever “had to” move forward linearly.

Also Read: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – What Happened With Loki and the Tesseract?

To me, this implies that the “Black Widow” movie will be more than just another prequel like “Captain America: The First Avenger” or “Captain Marvel,” which took us to the past to set up heroes that would have an impact on the present. To me, the implication is something I have long suspected about “Black Widow”: that it will involve characters from the MCU’s post-“Endgame” present somehow.

But Marvel still has yet to confirm anything along those lines about that film. When they presented footage from the film at Comic-Con a couple weeks ago there was no indication that it would be anything other than a straight prequel — one that likely will set up a new player for future movies, like probably Florence Pugh’s Yelena.

We’ve got a while to wait before we find anything out about what the “Black Widow” movie really has in store for us. It’s nine months until the movie comes out, and it’ll probably be December at the earliest before we get a proper trailer. So sit tight.

All 58 Marvel Movies Ranked, Including ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’

It’s hard to believe — and sad, too, if you like these movies — that “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is the last Marvel movie of the year. There’s no more on the calendar until Fox’s “The New Mutants” early next year, and given how many times that one has been delayed it may not be safe to assume it actually will be the next Marvel movie.

Anyway, the point is just we’re about to get into an extended hiatus. No more MCU movies, no non-MCU Marvel movies the rest of 2019. We’re getting a bit of a break from comic book movies, with only DC’s “Joker” origin movie left.

58. “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”

Just a nightmare. A total nightmare. There have been a number of bad superhero movies, but from the talking gas cloud the filmmakers cast as Galactus to Jessica Alba‘s dye job, this one transcends bad.

57. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

A totally chaotic stir fry of nonsense that tells the story of how Wolverine got his claws. Features an early version of Deadpool (also played by Ryan Reynolds) whose mouth is stapled shut, which should tell you all you need to know about it.

56. “Elektra”

That five minutes when they tried to turn Jennifer Garner into an action star went about as well as it should have.

55. “X-Men: The Last Stand”

Just a total mess, incoherent from the word “go.” After losing director of the first two X-Men films Brian Singer to the first Superman reboot attempt, replacement Matthew Vaughn gave way to eventual director Brett Ratner, who might have killed off the superhero genre entirely were “Spider-Man” not blowing up the box office.

54. “Fantastic Four” (2015)

There could maybe have been a good movie in here somewhere — the cast (Michael B Jordan, Miles Teller, Kate Mara) certainly warranted one. But this Frankenstein of a film is a behind-the-scenes horror story, and you can see it in the totally disjointed final product.

53. “Daredevil”

This was basically “Early-2000s: The Movie,” with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell and Michael Clark Duncan as the main players. The cherry on top of this turd sundae was that damn Evanescence song.

52. “Fantastic Four” (2005)

Tim Story‘s first “Fantastic Four” is just sort of there, challenging you to remember it exists. With Chris Evans, who played the Human Torch here, going on to embody Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that gets tougher every year.

51. “The Punisher” (2004)

This is the Punisher as a straight revenge thriller, and it’s not bad. Thomas Jane performs admirably, but the whole thing is missing that extra something that would have elevated it beyond standard genre fare. Setting it in Tampa didn’t help.

50. “Spider-Man 3”

Maybe the bad outweighs the good here, but Emo Peter Parker’s dance number remains one of the greatest single moments in any comic book movie, sorry, haters.

49. “Howard the Duck”

A notorious flop at the box office and, yeah, it’s not exactly “good.” But now, 30 years removed from its premiere, “Howard the Duck” is pretty fun as a relic of the ’80s.

48. “The Punisher” (1989)

Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett Jr. star in a low-rent ’80s grunge C-level classic. This one’s all novelty value.

47. “Ghost Rider”

For a movie starring Nic Cage about a dude who rides a Harley and turns into a flaming skeleton, this is a surprisingly mundane movie.

46. “The Amazing Spider-Man”

We may never figure out what went wrong with Marc Webb‘s Spider-Man duology, but his choice of Andrew Garfield to play Peter Parker is still brilliant. It just sucks that this movie doesn’t really make any sense.

45. “X-Men”

The beginning of the current wave of theatrical superhero movies, “X-Men” was kind of a cheapie and it showed. Novel at the time, now it just comes off as unremarkable mid-budget action fare as Fox was merely sticking its toe in the superhero waters. Timid.

44. “The Incredible Hulk”

It’s sometimes hard to remember that this one counts as part of the MCU, since it placed Ed Norton in the Dr. Banner role since inhabited by Mark Ruffalo in the “Avengers” films. It’s also hard to remember because it’s generally not memorable.

43. “Thor”

The fantasy Marvel movie is directed by Kenneth Branagh, who covers the whole movie in canted angle shots and theatrical stylings. It’s pretty boring, also, but at least it looks cool.

42. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”

More of the same impossible-to-follow hack-n’-slash plotting from the previous movie, offset by Andrew Garfield continuing to be awesome and Jamie Foxx going way over the top as the big bad.

41. “Thor: The Dark World”

“The Dark World,” in contrast to the first “Thor” movie, is certainly not boring. If anything, it suffers the opposite problem, going so hard and fast that it loses substance.

40. “Blade: Trinity”

Starring a pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds basically playing a vampire-slaying Deadpool, throwing out one-liners like his mama’s life depended on it, this may not a “good” movie, but it sure is fun.

39. “X2: X-Men United”

A big step up from the first “X-Men” both in production values and quality, it still lacks much in the way of energy. Which is inexcusable when you’ve got Alan Cumming as the teleporting mutant Nightcrawler all over your movie.

38. “Spider-Man”

Sam Raimi truly assembled the prototypical superhero movie with this first entry in the “Spider-Man” franchise, in 2002. Like “X-Men” before it, “Spider-Man” is a bit underwhelming today, but unlike “X-Men” it was proud of its nerd roots.

37. “X-Men: Apocalypse”

Could have been a bizarre ironic summer classic if it were structured like a real movie and had any character development whatsoever. Instead it’s just a shot of visual adrenaline that I’ll probably want to revisit at some point — but not when I’m sober

36. “Avengers: Age of Ultron”

“Ultron” is frustrating for what it lacks — chiefly the feeling that it’s advancing the overall story arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But as with the first “Avengers” movie its weaknesses are overcome by great character work.

35. “The Avengers”

The story is a total mess, relying heavily on moviegoers’ memories of previous MCU films (if you didn’t remember or know coming in what the Tesseract was, hoo boy). But the novelty of the Marvel’s first big superhero team-up was irresistible, and director Joss Whedon balanced his ensemble expertly, giving everyone plenty to do so none of them ever fades into the background.

34. “Blade”

Pure B-movie trash, which is fine because that’s precisely what it aims for: bloody, crass, awesome. Blade, by the way, remains the only black comic book character besides Shaquille O’Neal‘s “Steel” to get his/her own movie, though Marvel’s “Black Panther” is slated for a 2018 release.

33. “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”

For the sequel, they tapped the “Crank” director duo known as Neveldine/Taylor. It was an inspired choice, because “Spirit of Vengeance” was exactly as nutty as you’d hope a PG-13 comic book movie would be. Shame that it was apparently stressful enough to break up the tandem of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.

32. “Captain America: The First Avenger”

A lot of folks like to complain that all superhero movies are the same. But this was actually a pretty good World War II movie, too.

31. “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Plot-wise, it never really adds up to anything, but the strength of the cast and the bizarre world they explore more than make up for it.

30. “Blade 2”

Beloved nerd Guillermo del Toro took over for this one and ramped everything up to 11. More vampires, more blood, more people getting sliced up — and of course baddies whose jaws can split open and swallow a person’s head whole.

29. “Big Hero 6”

Disney Animation Studios made a Marvel movie, and it’s really sweet. Sure, it’s the kiddie version of Marvel, but that doesn’t prevent it from being a wholly satisfying experience.

28. “Captain Marvel”

It’s fine, but “Captain Marvel” feels like a movie from before Marvel Studios really hit its stride in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Right now it’s a movie that seems very much out of place.

27. “Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2”

An improvement on the first film, and an absolute delight from moment to moment — but it never quite coalesces into a coherent whole because so many subplots distract from the core story and rob it of its emotional impact. Would be a top 5 comic book movie if it had just reigned in the plot.

26. “Iron Man”

It was Robert Downey Jr.‘s reemergence on the big screen, and he’s flawless in this origin story that takes Tony Stark from billionaire playboy weapons manufacturer to billionaire playboy other-things manufacturer.

25. “Avengers: Endgame”

This movie is, frustratingly, far from perfect. In fact, it’s kind of a huge mess. But it’s also awesome and thrilling and hilarious and contains some individual moments that are perfect. I wish it was better, but with everything required of a movie that exists to wrap up 21 movies’ worth of story arcs, I’m glad it’s as good as it is.

24. “Hulk”

In 2003 the modern wave of superhero movies was still in its infancy, and Ang Lee — still the best filmmaker to do a comic book movie — got experimental with “Hulk.” And what he made was an incredible melodrama with visual stylings meant to ape comic book panels. It didn’t sit well with audiences, but “Hulk” remains one of the most compelling and interesting Marvel movies to date.

23. “The Wolverine”

This was, like, just a legitimately enjoyable melodramatic action movie. Sure, it turns into a video game boss battle by the end, but for most of its running time it’s just an actual movie. 

22. “Punisher: War Zone”

Whereas the previous “Punisher” movie was melodramatic and contemplative, this one is just murderous. And it’s awesome.

21. “Venom” 

How can anybody resist the pull of Tom Hardy doing comedy? This movie knows exactly what it’s trying to be, and what it’s trying to be is dumb and fun and nothing else. And it is extremely fun.

20. “X-Men: Days of Future Past”

Its time travel logic is a bit iffy, but “Days of Future Past” is still tremendously entertaining because, while epic, it’s not overly serious. As “Back to the Future” taught us long ago, you can get away with a lot of logical leaps if you strike the right tone.

18. “Deadpool”

In the angsty and angry times we live in, “Deadpool” is perfect. Aggressively violent and flippantly meanspirited, it’s the exact emotional release we needed.

17. “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”

The main series “X-Men” movies have never achieved any sort of greatness, but at least “Dark Phoenix” ends the whole thing with one of the best efforts of the bunch. And that sequence on the train in the third act is easily the best action sequence of these movies.

16. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” 

It’s frustrating that it doesn’t really deal with the immense fallout from “Avengers: Endgame,” but it’s still as visually creative as any movie in the MCU, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio is an all-timer of a villain. Dude goes all the way out in this.

15. “X-Men: First Class”

The first “X-Men” movie that could be described as “fun.” It’s basically two movies crammed into one, story-wise, but director Matthew Vaughn‘s touch is so breezy and enjoyable that it totally works anyway, thanks in large part to a brilliant cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy.

14. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” 

Not quite the best “Spider-Man” movie, but still an absolute delight, with a cast full of scene stealers. Michael Keaton as the Vulture makes for one of the best Marvel villains ever.

13. “Deadpool 2” 

While you may get whiplash from the “Deadpool” sequel’s occasional very serious and emo scenes, the rest of the movie is thoroughly delightful, somehow managing to be even funnier — and more hilariously violent — than the original.

12. “Ant-Man”

“Ant-Man” represented a first for the MCU by being a straight-up comedy. And it’s a very good one, with a cast that’s perfectly suited for it. Aside from Paul Rudd who plays Ant-Man himself, Michael Pena is the true standout as Scott Lang’s best friend and former cellmate.

11. “Ant-Man and the Wasp” 

It’s ever so slightly frustrating that this one doesn’t fully integrate into the “Infinity War” situation, but even so it’s thoroughly a delight. Evangeline Lilly is so good at the Wasp that I’m retroactively irritated that she didn’t don the suit in the previous “Ant-Man” movie.

10. “Doctor Strange”

If it weren’t hamstrung with all the requisite elements of an origin story, “Doctor Strange” might have been the best Marvel movie ever. That’s the power of the astonishing visual imagination on display here. People love to talk about the nebulous concept of capturing some long lost childlike sense of wonder though the magic of cinema — “Doctor Strange” is one of the only movies I’ve watched as an adult that really accomplishes that.

9. “Spider-Man 2”

This is a movie that fully understands its main character and taps into what made him such a captivating figure for so long. Yeah, Peter Parker’s a superhero, but he’s also a college kid working a minimum wage job to make rent while also taking university physics classes. Peter buckles under the pressure, something we can all relate to.

8. “Iron Man 3”

As far as I’m concerned this is the “Iron Man” movie. Somehow, Shane Black was able to infiltrate the MCU and make a legitimate Shane Black movie with all the wit and raw humanity you’d expect from him. It carries exactly the sort of authorial identity we should want all these movies to have.

7. “Thor: Ragnarok”

A thorough delight. This might be the most fun we had at the movies in all of 2017, and so we can’t help but love it.

6. “Captain America: Civil War”

Multiply the two previous best Marvel movies by one another and you get “Civil War.” It packs the sort of emotional payoff all the disconnected Marvel movies can’t really provide. And as an action film it’s easily the best of the superhero genre.

5. “Avengers: Infinity War” 

You could certainly make the argument that “Infinity War” does not really hold up on as a complete movie on its own, because it kinda begins with the second act. But I don’t care. The culmination of this ten-year shared universe experiment should stand on the shoulders of the movies that came before it. The fact that it packs such a profound emotional punch, however, is what really makes it work.

4. “Black Panther” 

It’s held back a little by being saddled with standard “origin movie” issues — introducing audiences to the world of Wakanda isn’t a quick and easy task, and it could use an extra 15-20 minutes to flesh out the supporting characters — but still manages to be the most substantial superhero movie ever. It’s kind of amazing that Disney let writer/director Ryan Coogler make this overt a political statement — it’s the most openly political mega-budget movie I’ve ever seen . Also, while I’m listing superlatives: Michael B Jordan delivers the best performance ever in a superhero movie. Good lord.

3. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” 

The best superhero movies, and movies in general, are the ones that are truly most human. And “Spider-Verse,” despite being animated, despite the wacky cast of Spider-People, despite the outlandish premise, is as real as movies get.

2. “Logan”

James Mangold’s small-scale western is a game changer for the entire superhero genre, daring to defy pretty much standard by which you expect these movies to operate. It’s just a great movie by any normal standard. Where “Civil War” elevated the genre, “Logan” opts instead to be something else entirely and we’re all the better for it.

1. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

The Russo brothers, who made their entrance to the MCU directing “Winter Soldier” before taking the reigns on “Civil War” and, eventually, 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” really impressed with “Winter Soldier.” It’s a classic spy thriller with a superhero twist. And Robert Redford as the bad guy is a really nice touch.

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Decades of big screen Marvel adaptations demand a long, ranked list. This is that list

Source: https://opengeekhouse.com.br/2019/08/10/heres-why-black-widow-didnt-get-a-memorial-at-the-end-of-avengers-endgame/