#are the highs so high that the fighting is worth it

[the-clock-of-the-time-dragon]

You know what, I'm fucking done arguing with a brick wall.

Hon you can just concede, agree to disagree, and be done with it, you don't have to pretend like I'm a "brick wall" who hasn't been making well-wrought points to refute yours. I took the time to respond very exhaustively to you, point-by-point — give me a fucking break, lmao

Send my apologies to your English literature teachers for having to put up with you.

I mean several of them are dead (it's been quite a long while since I was in school), so I'm gonna stop you right there. All I'll say is: people who are really truly into literature on a professional level, such as my mentors, or myself, have a strong appreciation for deep engagement with a text. What you think of as a "brick wall" (debate, exegesis, and fondness for overlooked details), my English lit teachers held in high regard. We had a hell of a lot of fun dissecting material together. It's fine that you don't enjoy this kind of thing, but don't pretend that it's somehow a slight against you, or that my points aren't worth seeing.

Let me leave you with one thought though, honey. If this is just "reading from the text" then presumably you think Winnie and Stephen agree with your delusions?

Winnie and Stephen pretty transparently wrote Fiyero to be the Early 2000s Slightly Rebellious Male Heartthrob For the Girls to Fight Over and not much else. He's been improved greatly in the film adaptation by NOT being that, and as I've said many times, I would love if they've ended up canonizing the double agent idea in the second film; albeit, as I've explained, I think that he'd lose something if he were made too straightforwardly "good". It doesn't matter whether Winnie, Stephen, or any of the directors or actors that have interpreted Fiyero over the years, specifically "agree" with me. Theatre of all mediums lends itself especially to a panoply of readings. There is no set-in-stone "canon". I just find certain takes to be ignorant of the details of the text, and I've argued against those takes. I happened, in the process, to do analysis which spawned further discourse. But it isn't like my analysis is Word of God: it's just fun to discuss ultima facie instead of prima facie. Your reading may well be closer to prima facie in certain ways — but that's not somehow an argument in and of itself for being "correct". You and I both made our arguments and apparently mine are now left to stand as ultima facie, as you have run out of counters.

Seems awfully cruel of them to go out of their way to save Elphaba from dying at the end of the story to leave her with an oh so awful fascist soldier?

The fact you seem to believe I think of Fiyero as "oh so awful" just tells me you haven't been engaging seriously with anything I've said.

He's a fascist soldier. That is something that should be reckoned with and examined in any real analysis of his character. He isn't "awful" — I never claimed he was, far from it — and he is certainly not the first or last character to have the narrative gloss over more troubling details and implications about what was written for them. But don't come at me for pointing those details and implications out, just because you personally dislike them, lol. I'm not the one who came up with Fiyero volunteering to become a fascist soldier: take that up with Holzman, lol

Also, if Elphaba was happy to fuck Fiyero in the woods and later leave with him, she clearly thought what he did was justified given the circumstance.

Hon, it's not that deep, lmao. They boned because they're passionate people with unresolved sexual tension suddenly given an opportunity — the only opportunity — to resolve it. Elphaba was not weighing his past several years for their moral soundness whilst riding him, lmfao

And I think the biggest Animal rights activist probably knows better than either of us the about the situation :)

Perhaps she does, perhaps she doesn't. We can only speculate. All we know is that she was frightened of him, and was worried he'd bought into the propaganda against her — which is a fair concern, given how he spent those years. She's relieved to find that he hasn't succumb to the hate against her, and that he isn't trying to harm her, and... that's really all that's stated, and that's all that need be stated. It's probably the first time in years that a human hasn't been her enemy — I don't think she wants to go there and review his choices, for her own sake, and I don't blame her for that one bit. But just because she doesn't go there doesn't mean that we shouldn't. We aren't bound to the POV of any singular character: we get to study them from beyond the fourth wall as much as we want, and there's a TON of interesting stuff there.

[Wicked Act II spoilers]

[edited for tone and clarity of purpose, apologies for initial crudeness and frustration]

Okay, obviously I'm biased, but I'm gonna need the Fiyeraba shippers to please set a lot of your people straight about some things. I've seen way too many people trying to say that Glinda is just a selfish bimbo and that Fiyero is a virtuous and selfless figure more worthy of Elphaba's love. I'll set aside for now the idea of "worthiness" in this context. But let's start off with Fiyero joining the Wizard. Hoo boy...

Yes, he was initially somewhat less tolerant of the propaganda against Elphaba than Glinda was; yes, he was secretly trying to find her so he could run away with her or whatever. But honey: those facts DO NOT fully absolve his actions as the Wizard's top officer, or selfish recklessness throughout Act II. I see so many popular threads and posts romanticizing and whitewashing with "oh but he didn't REALLY join the Wizard, he just pretended so he could try to get to Elphie! It's all for love, and he sacrificed everything for her!" As if the literal captain of the literally fascist forces responsible for the oppression of Animals wasn't equally responsible for said oppression?? Hello? Fiyero really didn't think of seeking out Elphaba in ANY other way that DIDN'T involve becoming *checks notes*... the trusted leader of the troops committing all the abuses she's fighting against in the first place???? Like it's cool and all that he helped with Brrr, and it's all well and good that he planned on betraying the Wizard as soon as he found Elphaba (which took literal years, so I guess we're left to assume he was prepared to just keep doing fascism indefinitely if she didn't show up????), but uh... it's kind of concerning to how eager some of you are to make excuses for this dude volunteering as the head of the Ozian Gestapo??? smdh

He didn't accomplish anything from it either, by the way — like yeah, we get it, he did everything he did whilst silently fantasizing about running away with the Witch he was being paid to hunt. Fine. But I can't be the only one who doesn't buy that as an actual excuse???? Like, guys: nobody forced him to join the fascist army — even with crazy ulterior motives. He wasn't coerced into it; it wasn't his only choice or anything. Searching for Elphaba did not somehow compel him to go and volunteer to follow (or to give!) orders in the name of the dictator who was trying to have her assassinated the entire time. He could have just not done all that. (Genuinely so curious how the second film plans on covering that material tbh)

Glinda made several questionable decisions that can be (and have been) debated, but she is still very unambiguously a victim. Her position in the Wizard's regime was foisted upon her. There are things we can discuss, but I find that many folks need reminding that Glinda would undoubtedly have been disposed of (or worse) if she failed to make herself useful. I mean hell: she wasn't even supposed to meet the Wizard in the first place — she was only there because of Elphie. If she'd tried to resist, it would have immediately gotten her labeled the Witch's accomplice. As soon as she'd chosen not to get on the broom, her fate was out of her hands, and all available options were varying degrees of horrible.

That's not the case with Fiyero. He went to the Wizard all on his own; no one ever cornered or forced him into it. Thinking Animals are people, and having a crush on Elphaba, simply did not stop him from carrying out the regime's orders — for years. It's not clear exactly how long he's been captain at the start of Act II, but the clear implication is that he's been a soldier for most of the time skip. I've seen Fiyeraba accounts with headcanons about him acting as a double agent, secretly doing stuff to help Animals — and that's a great idea, it would indeed serve to make a lot of his actions way more palatable — but until we actually get to SEE some of that (maybe they'll add it for the movie version of Act II; we'll have to see), there is nothing in the story to suggest that. He certainly didn't do a damn thing for all those Animals who were enslaved and caged in the Wizard's palace — and we don't see a single other Animal outside of there in Act II, so as far as we know Fiyero has participated over those years in the near-total removal of Animals from Ozian society. In the name of "finding Elphaba". Not fighting for her cause. Just finding HER. For HIMSELF.

It's fine to have a ship you like, obviously — and there is genuinely a lot to like about Fiyeraba, I don't dislike the idea of them as a couple or as friends — but come on guys: please stop those out there idealizing Fiyero as somehow a clear "morally-superior" alternative to Glinda, lol. The dude had power, access, and opportunities, for years, that he could have wielded in any number of really selfless, revolutionary ways. He didn't. And I propose (apparently controversially): he simply didn't want to. And that — at the end of the day — is (much as some would like to deny it) true to his character. He always WANTED to be self-absorbed and shallow, and all his actions are consistent with that. Elphaba saw depth and discontentment in him, yes: but (and I cannot stress this enough) when given the chance, he channeled that in the wrong direction. He didn't confront that and become a better person — for the most part he just displaced and projected it onto Elphaba as an object of obsession, and put on an even thicker pretense than before.

All his actions — regardless of the complexity he has deep down — are those of a man who never gives one fuck about anything or anyone, except (kinda sorta) Elphaba. But even then: at no time does the care he has for her seem to extend to caring about any of her wants or needs outside of sexual validation from him, or how she might feel about his actions, or indeed the impacts of those actions upon her, her cause, or anyone or anything else. I don't think it should be all that controversial to say: he doesn't think through the wider repercussions of anything he does — thoughtlessness is just one of his core character traits. He doesn't think ahead or see meaning in anything outside of what can temporarily excite him, in the moment. I think people place a little too much weight on Elphaba clocking him with regard to his internal pain, and seem to expect (understandably of course) that she is not only right, but moreover that he will grow from that in a positive direction, based on her influence.

But he doesn't. If anything, we get a surprising inverse: he pretty much proves her wrong. Not to say he didn't have hidden depth and all that, like she said: but his hypothetical heart of gold proves not to really amount to much in practice. He doesn't grow out of his shallowness and his self-centeredness: he grows into it in a way that he hadn't quite yet in school. Where once he was only masking an internal listlessness, after he's been cracked open by Elphaba he decides to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow, not just coasting by. He performs in new ways — as a soldier, eventually as a "fiancé", etc. — but by Act II we meet a Fiyero who has staked the last remaining shred of humanity in him on the vain pursuit of the only object of his desire that has ever been unavailable to him, and firmly chosen to say to hell with everyone and everything else.

When put to the test, Fiyero sacrifices Glinda, the Animals, and all else that Elphaba actually cared about, to pursue his own unresolved crush from college. Mostly to get in her pants, really — as harsh as I'm sure that sounds. But let me be frank: that is literally all he ever accomplishes in the show. He gives her dick one time, and one of his castles, and that's it. That's the culmination of his years trying to find her — years in which he actively worked as one of the stormtroopers (or even the one commanding them) committing untold crimes against Animalkind (who, again, it seems have been all but erased from Oz by Act II): y'know, the very crimes Elphaba sacrificed her life to try and stop????? He spent the most important time of his life — of his own free will — being a fascist soldier, but he "did it for her" somehow, so according to some, it's perfectly fine. Heroic, even. Yikes??

But let's make something very clear (since my original version of this post caught a lot of flak, including slurs and other rudeness):

I like Fiyero. I find his role extremely interesting (I could do a whole dissertation on him, but I'm especially a fan of the way his proving Elphaba's assessment of him wrong presents a fascinating parallel and contrast with Glinda, which I think is lost on a lot of people). But PLEASE stop with all the misguided Glinda slander and idealization of Fiyero. By all means, thirst! But don't give me all this bullshit about him deserving Elphaba more, or being super deep, or being really principled or noble or whatever else. He does have layers, and quite intriguing ones, but his insides are straw — he isn't meant to have some deep, overwrought emotional core or motivations; he has passions that he acts upon when given the chance. That's it. And that's fine. Actually kind of refreshing in a story rooted in simple children's fantasy but rife with intensely complicated personalities. Fiyero makes it his mission to represent denial of depth and embrace of raw, spontaneous desire — and I for one love that, and wish others appreciated it.

And in all seriousness, shipping wars aside: by the end of the story, it's Glinda who is ultimately vindicated, and has — for all her faults — made the necessary choices to fulfill Elphaba's wishes, bring down the regime, etc. And all that despite herself. She's miserable: not just because of the mistakes she made, but because of her correct moves as well. Fiyero is simply not — and could never be — that person. And that's okay! Like I said: I am not anti-Fiyero. Fiyero's willingness to throw it all away for the sake of sheer, overriding passion is a huge part of what people like about him, of course — and it's an obvious factor in the attraction between him and Elphaba, because she has her own flavor of that impulse as well — but I'd actually argue that it's not romantic, it's his fatal flaw. And thematically that's fantastic! But I just don't believe that it somehow means he "deserves Elphaba more" because he "gave up his life for her" or whatever. In part because NOBODY truly "deserves" Elphie tbh, not 100% (and I question anybody who claims otherwise), but ultimately because I don't accept the idea that his fleeting acts of passion make up for all the shit leading up to them (or even proceeding after them tbh). At least Glinda managed to do what Elphaba always wanted in the end — but I would die on this hill even if Gelphie didn't exist.

You don't have to agree with my analysis of Fiyero and his choices, relationships, etc. — that's fine. What isn't fine is trying to portray Glinda as some kind of spineless traitor whore for the Wizard and Fiyero as a conscientious hero who earned Elphie through self-sacrifice. That's just not the story that was written. It's WAY messier and more interesting than that.

[portraitofalinkonfyre]

For writing requests, could you write something with Wind and an older sister reader?

Glycerine

Pairing: Wind & Reader

Warning(s): None, just some found-sibling fluff!

Notes: Inspired by "Glycerine" by Bush. This is actually a bit angsty so prepare yourself lol.

Masterlist

You found Wind on the beach, sitting on the pale sand as his outstretched legs toed the line between surf and sand. It was a beautiful afternoon on Onset; the sun was high, the sky was clear, and tears had no place on the young hero's salt-swept cheeks.

"Wind?" you called, toes scrunching when they met sun-warmed granules, your boots kicked casually onto the grassy bank meters away. "Buddy?"

There was a gasp. The Sailor's shoulders jumped. He whirled to face you, already rubbing beneath his sea-colored eyes with a fist. He said your name, once, and forced a smile that looked entirely too watery for comfort. "H-Hey... I thought you were teaching Aryll how to sew."

You shrugged, taking a seat beside him. A part of you wanted to cringe at the thought of all the sand you would undoubtedly find on yourself when this was over, but a larger, stronger part whispered that it was worth it. For him. "I was, but she's a quick learner, like someone else I know."

Another soft, uncharacteristic smile, nothing like the blinding grins he usually treated you with. The muscles in your jaw ached as they fought to keep a neutrally-friendly expression. "Yeah," said Wind, sneaking unusually pensive glances at the roaring ocean. "Wild's pretty sharp, huh?"

Your brow furrowed. You scooted an inch closer. "I meant you, kid."

This time, he looked at you. This time, he seemed to see you. "I'm sorry," he apologized. A habit, you assumed, though it was wholly unnecessary. Tone heavy with an emotion that had your heart twisting in your chest, he continued: "I've just been... thinking."

Oh dear, it was one of those days. You planted your hands behind you, using them as makeshift anchors to lean back a few inches. A thick, salty breeze swept through the beach, further ruffling Wind's nest of hair. You debated running back to the house to grab a brush, but refrained. "About?"

Silence. You didn't push, but you did watch. Red-rimmed eyes, fidgeting hands, suspicious stains on the sleeves of his tunic. In so many ways, Wind was a fully-fledged adult. He could fight, swear, and scream, but it was always the little things that reminded you just how young he was.

The hero chewed his lip, knees drawing up to his chest. Your eyes flicked to the pants he wore–a gaudy orange that you weren't sure had come from teenage rebellion or a treacherously misguided fashion sense–and immediately settled on a small rip near the right ankle.

"I know Legend's prickly, but he'll help you with those if you ask," you mused, almost to yourself. Wind immediately glanced at his pants, and a heavy breath slipped past his chapped lips. Too sad, too old; something was definitely wrong.

"Oh, wow, I hadn't..."

'Noticed it' went unsaid, so you decided to fill the silence.

"You're only going to miss her more if you stay out here," the words slipped off your tongue like silk, though they could have weighed more than a thousand sparkling suns. Maybe they did, and you were simply used to the reality where hard things were said without a second glance.

"She'll miss me if I go back," said the young, vibrant, effervescent hero in a tone that was so melancholic that you briefly considered calling Time over from the comfort of the home's sleeping area, but the memory of him downing no less than four bottles of Elixer Soup suggested the eldest hero had plans that didn't include comforting whichever boy decided today was the day for a long-awaited existential crisis.

You sighed. You closed the distance, wrapping your arm around Wind's shoulders. They were broader than you remembered, but you'd be damned if you let the fact that he was growing intercede with hug timeTM. It didn't take long for the Sailor to accept his fate, shoulders finally dropping as he exhaled a breath typically observed in divorced men in their forties. You'd have to tell Warriors that one. "It's hylian nature to miss someone," you said; gently, not because he was a child, but because he needed it. "It means she cares. Means you care."

"Does it?" was Wind's response, and you couldn't help the snort that escaped you.

"Of course it does," you paused to let the meaning sink in, then added with a conspiratorial grin: "Didn't anyone tell you not to question your elders?"

Wind's ears perked up, but you couldn't find it in you to regret giving him an in. "Yeesh, I didn't know you were that old."

"Rude, I'm actually like, super young," you huffed, injecting as much faux irritation into your tone to hide the fact that you were secretly rejoicing the spectacular return of his borrowed dad jokes, because, really, one could only spend so much time around Warriors and Time before they too found themselves corrupted. You shifted in the sand, gaze turning to the sun, hovering above the horizon like a firebrand, and a small part of you was glad Twilight was currently consumed with that tile game Four played almost religiously. "It's getting late," you told the Sailor. Softly. Kindly.

Wind's toes curled in the waterlogged granules. A foaming wave washed forward, crashing against the boy's pruning skin. His response was a mere whisper above the roaring surf. "She cried when I left," a sandy-colored head leaned against your arm, soft enough that you could have pretended it wasn't there at all.

"Everyone cries, Link," you reassured him, though the results had yet to be seen. "It's what makes us hylian."

Silence.

You heaved a breath.

"Give your sister a hug, kid."

A pair of arms wrapped around your waist, and The Hero of the Winds began to cry in earnest.

"How is he?"

You were torn from your thoughts at the sound of Warriors' voice, glancing up at the Captain, who looked just as tired as you felt. His armor was nowhere in sight, leaving him in an off-white button-up and a pair of tan trousers.

A sigh forced itself from your lips, and you finally spared a glance at the sleeping boy on the mat next to you, one of your arms caged in his tight embrace while the other rested on your stomach. It had taken some convincing--and a hell of a lot of luck--to get the youngest hero into bed, and you hadn't the heart to tug yourself away when he latched onto you, face buried in the soft flesh of your bicep.

"Better," was your response, the ghost of a yawn tugging at the heels of your words. "If you couldn't tell, he's had a rough day."

The floor creaked as Warriors got comfortable beside you, keeping a respectful distance as he settled on one arm, gazing down at the both of you. "I'll say," he murmured, quiet enough that you hardly heard it. A pause, then: "You should rest."

This time, you didn't bother stifling your yawn, uncaring of how it might negatively affect your case. "Someone's gotta keep watch, Wars."

The Captain was unimpressed, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow in obvious disagreement. You were almost jealous. "Yes, me. You're going to have just as rough a day as the Sailor if you don't sleep."

You rolled your eyes, hoping to draw things out as much as possible. You didn't want to leave Wind alone, you couldn't. "Pshh, who needs sleep?"

The floor groaned just as Warriors opened his mouth to offer what you assumed to be a spectacularly-planned rebuttal, only to let it click shut when Time's rumbling baritone filled the small room. Fuck. "What's this about sleep?"

Warriors cerulean eyes found yours, and it was a battle unto itself not to hiss at the smug glint that filled them. He nudged your shoulder, and you went ramrod straight, praying it wasn't enough to disturb Wind. "Just trying to convince a certain someone that insomnia isn't the answer."

That jerk!

"Is that so?" You could practically feel Time's gaze on you. Piercing, all-knowing; like a fucking owl. The floor groaned once more, and you turned your head to watch Time settle on your other side, directly behind Wind. Between him and Warriors, this was turning into a very unnecessary hylian sandwich. "The Captain is correct," said the eldest hero in a tone that sounded like he was laying down a law rather than talking about something as mundane as needing sleep. "Rest. We'll take turns."

"After you drank all that sleepy-time soup? I think not," you shot back, feeling a bit braver than usual. Maybe it was the night, or maybe it was because some twisted part of you wanted to be the only one to protect the youngest hero. "You two need it more than me. It's hard being old."

The Captain sputtered in quiet disbelief. Legend would be proud. "You think I'm old?"

"Actually, the word I meant was 'ancient'–"

"You're so lucky the Sailor's here."

"What're you going to do, lecture me to death–?"

"Quiet, you two," Time interjected, sounding every bit the old man that he was. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes, allowing yourself to fall silent for Wind's sake. Warriors made a huffing sound, but also quieted, shuffling to lean against one of the beams protruding from the wall. "There's no reason for all of us to stay up," ugh, that's why you were doing it for them! The Hero of Time said your name like an errant child, followed by a very punctuated: "Go to sleep."

There was no fighting with Time, you knew. He would win, and you would still be on your back next to the youngest hero whether you wanted it or not. Fucking heroes, always trying to look out for others before themselves, and Hylia knew the boys practically drooled at the prospect.

With a drawn-out sigh that rivaled Wind's in supposed age, you let your head fall against the woven mat, a springy thing that would have coaxed you to sleep hours ago had it not been for the boy clinging to your arm. "Fine," you relented, a mere breath in the inky, candle-shadowed expanse of the room. Eyes shut, but not asleep, you mumbled: "Night, Wars, Time."

Warriors' arm stretched over your stomach, his hand reaching to pat down the hem of Wind's shirt as it stretched up, revealing pearly flashes of the Sailor's skin, warm with sleep and rising with steady breaths, not unlike the gentle rocking of a ship upon the Great Sea's waters. Even after the youngest hero's modesty had once again been preserved, the Captain didn't move his arm, and you suspect its purpose was as much to keep you in place as it was to correct a potential wardrobe malfunction. "You're a jerk," you mumbled in half-hearted exasperation.

The Hero of Warriors' chuckle was loud in your ear. "Takes one to know one."

"Children," said Time from the other end of the sandwich, and you rightfully shut up. Fuck him, you could wield a sword as well as any of the others, which meant you were basically an adult by those criteria alone. Plus, you were dashingly attractive and that had to count for something!

Whatever, dad, you thought with an imaginary eye roll, because the eldest hero practically had eyes on the back of his head. He would know, and you were in no mood for another lecture after the one you received for aiding Wild in his quest to ride animals that were most certainly not meant to be ridden.

Sleep never came easy when you were worried, but something was different. While Warriors wasn't mashing himself to your side like Wind seemed intent of doing, the Captain was no less warm, and it was a battle not to hum when an errant insect brought him scooting closer, the heat from his chest soaking into your other arm. It was becoming increasingly obvious: you were trapped by these lovable dorks, and when Time's miraculously un-armored arm swung over to plant across the three of you, the deal was all but sealed.

Darkness blackened the corners of your vision, and the last thing you saw was Wind's sleep-soaked grin uptick in the candlelight.

Someone was calling your name.

You cracked your weary eyes open, ears straining to catch the ghostly mumble of your name; a strange, simultaneously booming and whispered call that seemed to ring in the very recesses of your eardrums. A soft groan left your mouth, only for something to slap down on your face.

"Shh, shh, they'll wake up!"

...Huh??

There was something– nay, someone above you. Someone with stormy blue eyes, wavy blonde hair, and–

"Wind?"

Wind grinned at the sound of his name, his teeth glimmering porcelain in the faint candlelight. His hands returned to your shoulders, shaking softly, and you realized you were still in bed, surrounded by the limp, sound-asleep frames of Time and Warriors, the latter of whose arm was still slung tightly around your stomach. "That's me," he whispered, nearly vibrating with excitement. Ominous, but you were here for it. And, as if the Goddesses themselves had heard your plea for answers that weren't complete horseshit, he continued: "I thought of a new game to play! But I need to test it out first."

Ah, right. If anyone liked games, it was Wind, and you were his all-too-gullible partner-in-crime. Only, these types of exchanges usually occurred at respectful hours of the morning or afternoon, prompting another, less exhausted groan from your mouth. "Can't this wait until morning, bud?"

The Sailor paused to consider the conundrum. "I just..." fuck, he was bringing out the wet baby seal eyes. Little bastard knew you didn't stand a chance. "I don't want to forget it..."

As predicted, your resolve crumbled in the face of his patented sad animal eyes. "Okay, okay," you relented, sitting up on your elbows, keeping your tone especially low to keep the adults trapped in their slumber. "But you have to help me get past Wars, yeah?"

"Duh," was his response, and you had no choice but to crack an equally conspiratorial grin as the Sailor helped you lift Warriors' arm up. He held it as you slid free, snagging a stack of blankets from the corner as a decoy.

Until the Captain grunted, expression scrunching as he registered the change in warmth, and your soul nearly burst out of your chest. Gently, shoving Wind to the side, you bent down to whisper in the Captain's ear in your best barmaid sexy voice: "I'll be just a moment, sugar, then we can continue where we left off ;)"

Another grumble left Warriors mouth, but it was significantly softer, and punctuated by a smacking noise as he attempted to kiss the blanket pile, which would have made for spectacular blackmail, if you were being honest. Where was Wild's Shiekah Slate when you needed it?! With the Captain distracted, you slipped around him, linked arms with Wind, and skipped into the pseudo-darkness like the troublemakers you were.

Once outside, you turned to the Sailor. "So! What's up, buttercup?"

"Well..." and thus began Wind's explanation of his latest 'game', which honestly sounded more like an excuse to run around on the beach than something with actual rules, but, once again, you were here for it. Until he got to the part about rolling in the waves in the dark. Especially when he got to the part about rolling in the waves in the dark.

When he was done, you placed your hands on your hips and grinned like the responsible older sibling you totally were. "That sounds super unsafe, so it'll totally be fun!"

Wind's mirroring grin could have outshone the sun, which was especially helpful considering it was nearly pitch black outside. "Right?! I bet we can get Wild to play today, too!"

"Wait, don't you mean tomorrow?"

"Huh? It's totally today; you were asleep for a while."

"...Wind, were you watching me sleep?"

"What? No! That was Time," the Sailor jammed his thumb into his chest, not passing up an opportunity to throw shade on his brothers. "I have manners."

You raised your hands in faux distress. "Ah, my mistake, good sir! My deepest apologies."

"You should be!" There was a roar, and Wind's head instantly whipped to the foaming surf. "Okay, let's go play before Time and Warriors wake up."

"I'd love nothing more," you patted his shoulder, subsequently raising your palm to meet his in a high-five that rang through the beach like a particularly juice ass slap. Not that you knew what one of those sounded like, per se, but with Legend and Warriors' playful rivalry still going strong, you didn't need to.

"Last one to the waves is a crab!" Wind yelled, dashing towards the waves, with you hot on his heels as an answering whoop tore from your throat.

The game without rhyme or rhythm carried well into the night, until the early morning light bathed the crashing ocean and footstep-marred sand, kicked up from hours of play. Your legs ached from running, and you were sure even Sky could have overtaken you in a race at this point, but it didn't matter. You were free, and you were having fun.

"Can't catch me!" Wind screamed in delight when you tried to tag him, dancing just out of reach like the agile little shit that he was, but you had been preparing for this moment your entire life, using the last of your energy to perform a sort of lunging dive, catching him in the stomach and sending the both of you rolling into the shallow waves, coughing and sputtering as you fought to catch your breath, soaked from head-to-toe and damn proud of it.

"You were saying, you slippery munchkin?!" you giggled, nose throat sore from all the saltwater inhaled over the course of the night. The Sailor sorted, reaching into the shallows and flicking a clump of seaweed at your face. You shrieked and dodged spectacularly, but he was ready with another, larger wad that managed to smack against your cheek, effectively sending you into another half-sputter, half-laughing fit as gallons of saltwater soaked the thick fabric of your tunic and trousers.

"Eat weed, loser!"

"Never!"

Your hand sunk into the sand and, before you knew it, a large clump of it was flung in Wind's direction, catching him in the blue-clothed chest.

Wind gasped.

"Oh, it's ON."

The following ten minutes devolved into what could only be described as a sand-ball fight to the death. Sand was thrown, dignity was abandoned, and you were absolutely positive you would be picking granules out of your holes and hair for the next month, but the sound of his laughter was worth every single grain.

It was only when the front door to the house slammed open and a near-frantic Warriors stumbled outside did you pause, sand pouring from your half-cocked hand. "WHERE–" the Captain caught sight of the two of you, covered in dirt and grinning like the maniacs you were, and simultaneously looked like ten years of his life had been spontaneously snatched away. Rumor has it his groan could be heard on the next island over. "–oh, you've got to be kidding me..."

"I'm a crab!" You called over the waves, eager for yet another opportunity to screw with him.

"Actually, you're a–" Warriors paused, placing his hands together like he was about to pray that your stupidity didn't infect him, too. His mouth moved with exhausted desperation: "Calm, Link, calm."

You and Wind exchanged a glance, but it was quickly broken when Time's silhouette filled the doorway, face curiously blank as he surveyed the scene over the defeated captain's shoulder.

A beat passed.

Time turned on his heel. Time went back inside, steps heralded by Warriors' betrayed whimper. You and Wind high-fived.

It wasn't always easy staying positive when it came to life, but with them, you were willing to try.

Whew! That was a long one! I was super inspired for this, and I hope y'all enjoyed!!

A 'lil extra for y'all:

"Time to get back to bed... sugar," Warriors visibly cringed at your appointed nickname, arms crossed over his chest, and Time looked a hairs-breadth away from smacking his palm to his forehead in exasperation.

You and Wind exchanged a glance that spoke a thousand words. Ignoring the vexed shouts from the older heroes, the Sailor jumped on your back and the two of you sped off into the sunrise, whooping like the madlads you were.

[sowhatnotcreative]

Intensity in romantic relationships doesn't need to be toxic and it shouldn't be either.

[turtleblogatlast]

Leo being put into a situation where there is absolutely no fighting, just verbal manipulation and perception games, would be amazing to witness. We see a lot in the series how good he is at subterfuge and how he uses his perception to manipulate to great effect, so it’d be so cool to really see it put to the test even more.

Manipulation is one of the most effective tactical strategies of all time, so just imagine Leo putting this skillset of his to the full test. Imagine the boys slowly get up to busting bigger and more powerful criminals, including those with networks of crime under their belt, and a simple fight isn’t enough to take them down. For criminals like this, Leo’s skills in subterfuge would be deadly.

[weathermanpolls]

Alright, Glim-Glam is your Isekai partner. You also get to get one OP thing.

Sword: Classic storied / hero weapon. The most versatile of melee weapons.

Other Melee: Despite how much emphasis there is on swords, there are plenty of other weapons. Spears, Axes, Hammers, Maces, Picks, Flails, etc.

Tool: Something not meant to be a weapon, and definitely works as a too. But, that said, you can definitely fight with it. Sickles, Scythes, Bills, Mauls, Hoes, Shovels, a Folding Chair, etc.

Exotic Weapon: Meant to be a weapon, but specific and rare. Boomerang, Chakram, the crescent swords the Night Elves uses in WarIII, the various glaives the Night and High Elves use in WarIII, Crossblade from Darksiders, Khopesh, Twinsword, Nagamaki, Sun-Moon blades, Katar, Ball and Chain, Giant Scissors, Tessen, etc.

Pre-Modern Ranged Weapons: Bows, Crossbows, Slings, Spear Throwers

Firearm: For obvious reasons. You get the ability to either make ammo for it, or use magic through it, (like Dante).

Musical Instrument: It doesn't have to be something simple like an ocarina, as you know fully well how to maintain it.

Tool: Shovel, Maul, Bill, Hoe, Trowel, etc. You can use it like a weapon in a pinch, but it's mostly a tool.

Pen / Stylus / quill: The Pen is mightier than the sword. Especially if you can use it in magical ways.

Magic Accessory: It's a magickal world, so it could be something like a magic painting, or a comb, or mirror, or something.

Boots: Shoes, boots, magic or mundane. We tend to focus on more exotic things, but as someone who was in the infantry, I can tell you, a good pair of boots are worth their weight in gold. They can also be magickal, to allow you to walk without draining stamina, or do super leaps.

Computer: Smartphone, Tablet, ReMarkable, Laptop, Desktop, etc. It will be powered by magic.

You will be proficient with it's use.

You will be proficient with it as a weapon.

You will know how to maintain it.

You will know how to create anything it needs, like oil and ammo.

You will be able to use magic with it, (at least as much magic as you are capable of of).

This is not Konosuba, so Goddesses are off the table.

A magic talking horse won't seem that out of place for an isekai protagonist. You're probably going to get op magic and unique magic items.

Rarity: Most feminine of the Ponies. Very supportive, if sensitive. From a practical perspective, she's a seamstress, giving her fine dexterity, and has a magic spell to find gemstones, which would likely give her a bonus to appraisal. She will probably be your only source of food that is not burnt bread and pottage.

Fluttershy: Contrary to most logic and precepts of Pony magic, she has Wild Empathy. Along with basic flight and the power to land on clouds. As her name implies, she is extraordinarily shy.

Rainbow Dash: When the three tribes united, the Pegasi never fully demilitarized. Of the Pony's martial race, she joined the martial class. She can fly faster than the speed of sound, and her first instincts when cornered are to kick. Very brave, to the point of being foolhardy. Her job before being a Wonderbolt was literally controlling the weather, though not through spells, but through moving clouds.

Applejack: Earth ponies draw their power from the earth, which gives them great strength, and an affinity for plants and animals. Applejack takes this to the extreme. Her big brother is built like a tank, and when using hysteric strength can pull a house off of it's foundation, without noticing. Applejack is built like a tankette.

Pinkie Pie: If you take Pinkie Pie, your isekai existence will now follow the magic rules of comedic timing. Instead of MacBeth you'll get Much Ado About Nothing.

Starlight Glimmer: A bold scholar with magickal abilities. To put this into context, when the God Princesses were having a spat, she felt it would be a good idea to (thankfully temporarily) reverse their destinies. Whatever you want to do in the isekai world, Glim-Glam will help you. Just be careful what you wish for.

Trixie: In a world of real magick, Trixie is a traveling stage magician. She's basically Zatanna, but rather than being good and heroic is more chaotic neutral. If you bring her, you are not going to be a traditional hero. More of a shady vagabond.

Cutie Mark Crusaders: Since they will isekai as fillies, you get all three. They are chaotic, and have not yet unlocked their destinies. To quote Arizona from Them's Fighting Herds, (quoting her dad, Texas), "Sometimes the thing that got you into trouble is the thing that will get you out again."

Tempest Shadow: For those that was a (redeemed) villain. She has power and ferocity, and was only redeemed because of the power of princesses.

Generic Martial Orders

Royal Guard Stallion: Pick which one you want, (not Flash Sentry). The closest to Knight Classic in the setting. They have strength, dexterity, and armour, and will fight valiantly for you. The main downside is that this is MLP, so they likely will fight non-lethally. Have the Unicorn power of telekinesis, allowing them to use any weapon, or help you in other manners.

Night Guard: Pegasi blessed by Luna. I gave them night-themed powers, borrowing from their God Princess. There is no lore in canon, but SOMETHING happened and gave them bat wings, and they only appear with Luna.

Wonderbolt: One of the other Wonderbolts. You might think that not being main characters would mean they don't have main character syndrome. You would be wrong, as they were patterned off of real pilots.

Crystal Paladins: Again, very little in the lore, but they exist. I gave Crystal Ponies high Spirit, and allow them to heal.

Them's Fighting Herds:

Arizona: Basically Applejack, if she was a Cattle nomad instead of a Pony apple farmer. Cattlekind pull carts and wander the prairies. Arizona became the "champeen" of the prairie, because no one else wanted to. Cattlekind would rather spend time just wandering around. Basically like Hobbits have to kidnapped to go on adventures. Her "magic" abilities have her use a lasso.

Velvet: Rarity if she was a Reindeer. As an aside, Feared Love United have them unite with Winter Deer. Anyways, Reindeer are the great northern civilization in a world of uncouth yokels. *eyes Arizona* They have winter magic, and basically have fairy servants.

Paprika: Never played as her, but she is an Alpaca, obviously patterned after Pinkie Pie. The difference is that Pinkie Pie knows when enough is enough, while Paprika's zany antics have almost killed everyone... a few times.

Oleander: Twilight Sparkle, if she spent less time on friendship, and more time reading a daemonic grimoire. She can summon an unknowable horror from beyond, (that she calls "Fred", because his name is basically impossible to pronounce). Unicorns in this setting are more classical unicorns, i.e. holier than thou high elves.

Pom: A sheep. She has the timidness of a sheep, but comes with a pack of dogs that does most of the fighting for her.

Tianhuo: Rainbow Dash if she was a dragon horse. She can manipulate her firey main to glide, and can breathe fire, (a bit), and is an expert martial artist.

[justheretoposttrash]

day 8 of me ignoring how long a week is so i can keep talking about endhawks:

i find it hilarious how, once i'd put the shipping goggles on and strapped in for the ride, the endhawks rabbithole just got ever-so-gayer by increasing increments. the promotional materials, the official art--

like, sure, i know hawks facing the same way as the interns in image 1 is supposed to give "looking towards the light of the future" and that the over-the-shoulder in image 2 is supposed to give "ambiguous feelings, double-agent-ness, and being cool alongside teamwork/rebirth", but...why is it also giving wistful-soul-bond in the first and femme fatale in the second. who is responsible for this

"oh biiiig deaaaal two 2D characters exist in 2D space relative to each other congratu-fuckin-lations" and honestly,,,,, yeah!!! so true! lmao

i'm also including the image below bc i only stumbled upon it the other day and it's pretty darn cute. (this kinda makes hawks appear more essential to the interns/that particular arc than he actually is...? he and endeavor really are a set)

and these are just the tip of the iceberg--it really does just keep going. "oh they have merch? 😊 --oh there's a LOT of merch--whattaya mean there's a RING???"

also tumblr didn't let me post multiple vids yesterday and is weird about audio so here's a tacked-on spotlight of another voice acting moment i liked from the anime. i just really got a sense of the devastation hawks feels for endeavor's sake in the AFO fight:

the whole onlooker-who-cares-for-person-now-upset-over-said-person-receiving-horrible-knowledge is such a very specific trope (it's giving riza hawkeye grimacing right before roy mustang goes ballistic and roasts envy in fma) and i love it, even when it necessarily gets less time to breathe in the middle of a shonen fight.

[lala-blahblah]

I will never make this because it would be for an audience of one (me) but ever since reading "If we Were Villains" (story about serious drama kids in college who perform shakespeare and deal with a murder) I have been entertaining the thought of a crack fic crossover with High School Musical The Musical The Series where the staff decides they will no longer put on shakespeare after the tragic accident that happened at Thanksgiving, because Shakespeare plays would only increase the tension and drama. So they hire Ms. Jen who decides their spring play will actually be High School Musical (which exists in the 90s in this universe) and it ruins the vibe so much that everyone gives up on being dark and mysterious because they're universally pissed at Ms Jen for making them learn choreoraphed basketball dancing.

[leashme]

Honestly? I don’t think we’ve lost. We are still here after all, and it’s pathetic to just let some wannabe dictator achieve his fucked up dreams because we let it happen!

Sophie, I can’t decide the choices of you or any of your readers for you. I can’t make you do anything, but if you want the future to be plural?

Fight for it.

There is no paradise that is not earned, so why wait? What happens now sets the tone for the presidency and I will not give up hope. We don’t want you to either, ok? He is not worth your respect, and he is not worth your fear. He has only earned my contempt, and his attempts of gain my fear have only hardened that.

Let him fail, and stop him however you can. Sure, he might make progress, but if our actions give one more person a slightly higher chance of success and survival? I’ll take that trade.

You have already accumulated more than one follower, and I think you’d make the same trade. Keep it up.

He hasn’t gotten that far yet. Every move of his is made with bravado and bluster, but we don’t think he’s nearly as powerful as he wants you to believe. It’s the cheapest trick. He doesn’t have the power to overturn to constitution, and the only reason he made any progress is because people assume that he has the power to do any of this.

This is not some unstoppable threat, but that doesn’t mean we can brush it off either. Keep the fight up, and know that while you’re not allowed to give up, there’s a pretty high chance you’ll win.

-Aspen, 🍋, and Abby

Maybe the future isn't plural...

It's hard to believe that anymore when the world feels like it's plunging towards fascism. People will believe whatever billionaires believe. Billionaires control the media. Billionaires can funnel tons of cash into AI bots to make it look like they have the majority of the population on their side. And billionaires can use their algorithms to hide anyone who they don't agree with.

I don't know how we can compete with that. And I know the fascists are not targeting plurals specifically. But any plural rights movement necessitates trans and neurodivergent rights.

And I don't see that happening in a world where more people voted for Trump over Kamala Harris, and even Democrats have been turning against trans people.

A world where so much of our media is controlled by a few who are all more than happy to bend the knee to fascists.

I worry that my whole "the Future is Plural" thing has gone from something that I felt was inevitable to the naive bluster of someone who still hasn't realized they've lost.

Maybe there will never be a day when plurals can exist as plurals publicly. A day when we won't have to hide who we are.

And all that I can think is just... How fucking unfair that would be!

How many plurals throughout history were forced to repress their headmates? How many convinced until the day that they died that their headmates were evil demons or hallucinations or something else?

How many millions of lives of plurals have been destroyed by cultures that treat them as crazy or demonic?

Don't we deserve to be able to live is whoever we want? Free from prejudice? Free from having to live in somebody else's head in order to actually be accepted?

[helladventurers]

OK, no I'm not done with my grinding, at all lol

my current armor set is horribly under powerforming against both fatalis and alatreon, it's so terrible that some of their attacks deal 90% of my health LOL

so time to revamp this, evasion isn't nearly as tight as it was in the 3ds games (and also not a necessary considering you have infinite healimg items in this game) so time to swap my to focus to mitigation and damage

[boyfriendyke]

idk whats worse the idea that my parents genuinely dont believe that mental illness exist or the apparent reality that they Do believe in mental illness they just dont think people need accommodations or medication. is this a joke. taps on the glass let me out of my enclosure

[elvhenmage]

doing the descent and the jaws of hakkon dlc before what pride had wrought is so fun. nailah has the worst time of her life in the deep roads because being underground scares her, then she has a fascinating but heartbreaking time learning about ameridan and the history involved, then she gets to wander around the temple of mythal and be completely in her element, and THEN she gets dumped by her boyfriend after he tells her the well she drank from to be closer to her goddess was a terrible idea and that her vallaslin honoring said goddess are actually slave markings. just a real shit couple of weeks for poor nailah

[danielnelsen]

continuing my dai solo nightmare run

i did wicked eyes and wicked hearts around a week ago and it was fine because there's very little combat, but ive been really putting off here lies the abyss for that reason. it scales up to level 15 and im at level 17, which is still scary because magic hits through armor, but i also realised that if i wait any longer im not gonna get any xp from it

but i do get two npcs fighting with me in the fade i guess. they're usually inconsequential when i have a whole party, but they might be getting me through this

[bastardborne]

cassian is an incredibly disciplined person in several aspects of his life. something that i deeply disliked about those books is that cassian seemed incredibly quick to anger, and while i do love the concept of him wearing his heart on his sleeve, i think there's a level of impulse there that just doesn't translate well when you take into consideration that this man is a five hundred year old period, but also a five hundred year old soldier. he is very passionate, but it's that same passion and care that drives him to make sure he is always giving his best and on his game, both in life and in battle. he is a great warrior, and in that, he is highly skilled at both strategy and adapting to the unknown. cassian always has multiple plans that factor in dozens of different possibilities, and even then he has backup plans for those plans, and most of the time he's making them up on the fly. but there is, to him, a heavy responsibility that comes with having to take into consideration the lives of not only his people but the people they are protecting. he has an intrisnic need to be the best because people will (and have) suffer(ed) for his failure if he isn't. all in all, cassian leads with his heart in work and in his personal life. he is a force of nature, he has earned his ranking as one of the top most powerful illyrians to have existed, and it is integral to him that he remains focused on what's important when it comes to utilizing his power, which, in turn, ends up becoming a tension point when he feels as though he's lost the sight of what he's after in the first place. to circle back to my main point, cassian does keep his feelings in check a lot of the time, especially now that he's older and not young with something to prove. he still has his passion, he still burns hot, but it's more prominent when he's fighting for something or someone rather than based in ego. there is also a lot to say about how cassian is viewed by the people close to him, and how those changes don't seem to register and there's often a default that is also problematic when considering the history and culture of illyria that cassian is a "hot-blooded illyrian male". cassian is actually incredibly patient, does his best to be understanding, again, leads with his heart first, and is a strategist that prefers to have as much information as possible before making a decision and even then, will always do the best with what he has. that didn't come naturally to him (aside from his big huge heart), it's something that he worked and still works on to achieve. his work on himself is never finished, and he strives every single day to be and do the best that he can do and even go above that

[leconcombrerit]

I'll write a proper post once I've cooled down but given the argument I just had with my boss, who's blatantly pressuring me to resign, underhanded financial blackmail included, I'm definitely going to open whatever commissions I can get.

I'm looking for new job prospects while also trying to get enough proof of their shady methods to drag their ass into a legal mud race, but in the meantime said shady methods will in fact work and get me seriously broke.

[quietwingsinthesky]

lied again. it’s also a game preservation issue to me. last year, the wii and 3ds e-shops closed down. i believe there was an effort to archive all the games on there that went as successfully as it could, but that was only games on there available before it closed, not counting games removed beforehand for one reason or another. how many games did we just. lose? because game companies don’t give a shit about preservation, and even less for preservation of games that just aren’t impressive, aren’t meaningful in the way things like. the legend of zelda are.

who in their right mind would dedicate resources to making sure that Rio on the ds is made continuously available for archival purposes, right? but it matters. even the shit games matter. every terrible atari game from when people really didn’t know what the hell they were making, every nes title that probably has its own angry video game nerd rant dedicated to it, and every terrible wii tie-in game that no one asked for. leave it up to the companies who made those games, and they’d disappear. especially nowadays with the prevalence of digital copies over physical ones, it feels so precarious. at least there was some stability in know that there were probably going to be thousands of physical copies made of those past games. take down a digital-only game when nobody’s looking, does it make a sound?

idk. it upsets me, the idea that these things, even as seemingly worthless and bad as they are, could be lost. would be lost, if the people in charge had a say in it.

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

Maybe "do any of you know what treason is?" "I know what torture is" is the true heart of the show