#because tbh even if i'd love for sun to save him

[ikamigami]

I agree with you.

Nexus went well off the deep end.

He is gone. There is no coming back from this now. He has become like the creators. He wants to control wither storms, he wants to hurt Lunar and the Astrals with negative star power. Not even Solar can bring him back from this now.

I swear if people keep defending him after this, i'm gonna break something. He has expressed crystal clear intent to harm his now ex family. As if him attempting to kill Earth wasn't enough, if this isn't, i question the defenders' logic.

Nexus is now a lost cause. That's it. And now I really hate him. Even og Eclipse wasn't this bad.

[ybyag-lil]

I just... LOVE Sunshrine as a ship and have my delusions and HC's about it and I needed to put these thoughts out on WHY I like them so much somewhere other than in my fics or else I'm literally going to explode, so—

Annoyed x Annoyance. Need I say more?

I will.

If we're talking purely potential ship dynamics, we have:

Flirty x oblivious, Denial/Dense, Sunshine x Sunshine protector, stoic vs pain in the ass, optimist vs pessimist, "why me?" "why not you?", Insecure vs showers them in love.

Sun and Moon/Day and Night yadda yadda y'know the drill

Complementary colors (orange/blue) that you can correlate with their difference in personality.

But I hate reducing them to basic opposites attract and other dynamics bec they're NOT completely opposite - they actually have a lot in common!

"Two sides of the same coin" is how I'd actually describe them.

They're both trying to find their own way in life, and the paths they're taking are so fundamentally different than what has come before them.

Their voice-lines about it. Love to read into those

("I'll walk a different path this time." "I'll find my own path." "The path shapes you." "That's the path you've found?")

Potential for shared isolation issues and fear of abandonment!!!!

I feel like Kiriko's life suddenly shifting one day when Sojiro was killed and her proceeding to lose a bunch of people she held near and dear (not even counting Kanezaka itself facing major power and societal shifts) is not talked about enough. The only real personal connections she knows she has left are:

Her mom, who is forced into inaction and can't move to help liberate Kanezaka or save-

Her dad, who is currently Hashimoto's leverage/hostage and she doesn't even know for sure is still alive rn bc she hasn't seen him.

and Hanzo, which, there's a load of angst there HC and actually in-game wise for her connection with both him and Genji that would be a while 'nother conversation. I don't know if Kiriko even knows Genji's still alive, actually? More issues!

Illari's pretty self explanatory with that isolation/abandonment point. That girl's riding the, "I don't need anyone else (because I'll only end up hurting them)" train so hard. So much so that she doesn't even really feel comfortable showing any positive emotions to people around her (cheer/hello/chuckle animations anyone?).

Kiriko/Illari are both "chosen".

That one's kinda out there tbh, but my logic behind it is that Illari is already notably special. She's prodigy that was quickly predicted to be the GREATEST fucking Inti warrior of her time, whose power was so great that she turned every single other Inti warrior to ashes unintentionally.

(which, by the way, is insane if we assume the augmentations have to give you some sort of resistance to solar power to be able to wield it in the first place?)

Kiriko is where I start playing fast and loose. I'd argue her having the power of the Kitsune (which is not fucking science idc what lore comes in the future, magic exists in this fucking universe!) to such an extent makes her chosen in her own way. Like I'm assuming the teleporting around, the self healing like, and everything else is not a standard affair but no-one talks about the Shimada FAMILY being able to summon dragons so. Maybe that's just the standard in Japan.

On that note — they also both have a responsibility to their people which sort of parallel each other.

Kiriko has happily taken up the mantle of a vigilante to protect the people of Kanezaka, and, as far as we know, she has no qualms about doing it. Her way of doing things is different to how her family served/protected for generations in the past, but she still upholds the duty like it's second nature.

Pure conjecture, but I don't think Kiriko's ever felt forced to do it either. There was never a, "you must protect the town!" talk or anything like that from her grandmother/mom, she's doing it because it feels right to do.

Illari, conversely was always told she had a responsibility to her people. If you read between the lines of her lore blurb on her OW2 page and listen to what she says in her origin video, you get the sense that it was a sort of... burden? Heavy is the head that wears the crown and all that.

I compare it to the "gifted-kid burnout" precisely because of this. Illari has always been molded to follow one path, a rigorous one she didn't really have a choice BUT to follow. You're told at a young age that you are special, that there's no-one else like you, that you will grow to become a legend. How could you even begin to refuse that?

You don't. And when it all starts to fall apart, you start to wonder what's wrong with yourself. Illari has lived a life dedicated to serving, and now there's no-one left but her.

She def has some self worth/esteem issues stemming from having to be this prodigal kid essentially groomed (not that way) her whole childhood to be strong and nothing else. Couple that with an overwhelming feeling of regret for failing to uphold her duty as a protector and you have someone who is just completely lost - direction AND sense of self wise.

And I think Kiriko could help with that. Say what you want about her, but you can't deny that Kiri is strong. Imagine Illari meeting her and realizing that for herself. That despite how careless and foolish Illari thinks Kiriko is, she somehow still manages to protect her people as her duty.

Imagine her realizing that she's been taught a lie her whole life, that she doesn't have to just be Illari, the strongest Inti warrior, she can also just be Illari - the scared 18yr old trying to find a new purpose in life after that choice was stolen from her.

Like Zen says to her, "true strength comes to those who accept their weaknesses". Illari's gotta learn that she can't just be strong, she has to learn to balance these aspects of herself.

and who has played a balancing act between conflicting ideals before? Who has carved her own path out of what she's known? Kiriko.

Ahem, back to a few more hehe haha shipping things

They're both pretty capable as fighters, and both trained since they were kids. They're both probably very disciplined because of it.

(I was going to say "though Kiriko is reckless despite that" but I refuse to believe Illari isn't equally as reckless.)

They're both very petty, check out those revenge voice lines—

("Forgive and forget? Nah..." and, "Forgiveness? Never heard of it." Are two examples LOL)

They're both smart assess. Kiriko is Kiriko so that one's obvious, and I'm looking at your Hanzo/Soldier/Sombra/Ana start up interactions, AND your sassy ass "I didn't do it for you," ally save voice line, Illari.

THEY'RE LITERALLY SPRING - SUN ILLARI, BREEZE/WHATEVER TF ELSE KIRIKO

And the two most important things....

They're just cute. Like seriously look at these little idiots, I love them both dearly.

And it's kind of a funny ship. I'm a firm believer that you don't need a reason to ship two characters, and Kiriko and Illari liking each other can lead into some hilarious ass dynamics, so why not?

Anyways, finished with my brainrot spew. If you've made it this far, check out my AO3 where I will be brainrotting even further in the future. Might post some dumb shitposts here about these two from time to time.

Illari and Kiriko's voice line pages for the things I quote.

(some of this, particularly parts regarding Kiriko, might be incorrect bec I haven't read a single lore comic and am going of things I can vaguely remember hearing about.)

[moonrisecoeur]

UR SO RIGHTT about everything but specially about ada. i have never and will never understand why people hate her. she's the best character ever and it makes people mad i think!! i saw her for the 1st time when i was like.... 10 i think and i was blown away i was like this is simply the best character to ever exist and i love her. and i still feel the same way tbh she's amazing and i love and i need capcom to stop being little bitches and give her an entire game or something!!!

oh my god babe sorry i never saw this ask but im assuming you sent it a while ago :(

anyway here's a stupid little analysis about why i love re2r/re4r ada bc talking about her makes me feel insane. i know you did not ask for this but idc i love her

i love ada so much genuinely one of my favorite re characters she is everything to me. she's not a good person. objectively, she's not. on the cringey ass alignment chart that dnd players use, i'd put her at true neutral. she is self-serving. she is selfish. she does what she can to protect herself, she is not doing bad things because she is bad, but because she doesn't feel responsible for the impact she has on others.

she's 24 in a run-down raccoon city, with a mission to obtain the g-virus. simple right? but then she sees a poor, naive young man, maybe a couple years younger than her. he's no threat to her, and she feels sympathetic watching him struggle. it doesn't hurt her to help him, and so she does. it's not done out of a selfless duty to protect others. it just doesn't hurt her mission.

in exchange for saving him, he helps her. she realizes he thinks she protected him selflessly, and suddenly feels a need to push him away. she tells him he can walk away. the silence after leon says, "no chance, you're stuck with me to the end." is sooo telling.

and then he gets shot in the shoulder protecting her. so what is she supposed to do? leave him behind? she's growing attached to him by the minute, and he has done nothing to deserve being left to die. so in a moment of deciding between her selfishness and her attachment, she, for the first time, chooses to help him at her own expense. it's so pivotal for her.

but she still leaves him, and runs after annette. in the end, she wants to help, but she won't sacrifice everything for him. the fact that she gets injured and needs leon to come to her rescue tells her that she needs him too, and she's not some looming guardian angel. she's human and fallible and her injury means she needs assistance finishing her mission.

and in the end, even after she slips out of leon's grasp and falls to her 'death'. she still comes to his rescue at the end. he was never just a pawn to her. he was all she had to get the job done.

she still protects him in the shadows from that point on. and being rejected by him at the end of re4r is so soul crushing to her, you can see it on her face. he wanted to see the good in her, but there is a difference between being good because you are moral and being good because you love someone. just because she helped doesn't make her a good person to him, and that's what hurts the most.

anyway like forget about leon for a second. ada practically abandons her missions at multiple times for him. she is cold upfront to protect herself, and despite it going against her missions, she does what she can to protect who she cares about. she’s not outright cruel, but she’s calculated. she’s deadly but she’s caring and i love that about her.

plus she reminds me of myself in some ways. she’s the moon to leon’s sun in re2r and that makes me want to sob.

[cephiius]

Why is Jiang YueLou the "Killer"?

Do you think that Chen YuZhi's death is the full consequence of Jiang YueLou's initial attempt to half-kill him? That the embodiment of his pride-turned-pain and vice versa is how he could not save the people that he loved? That he cherished? That gave him meaning? That saved his life?

That the essence of Jiang YueLou as the "killer" isn't just because of the blood on his hands, but because he was never able to save the people that mattered to him?

His trusted subtordinates, who both died in battle alongside him. Sun YongRen. Song Rong.

The figure and mentor that took him in which became his family after he lost his first one. Bai JinBo.

His mother whom he grieved before, during, and after their reunion. Jiang ShenNan.

Chen YuZhi.

Perhaps it really was his strong sense of justice that pulled him to do it... maybe it is his first priority to take the odds with the only chance he had. His bureaucratic ideals were something long planned after all. But.

Do you think that for what he did to Chen YuZhi, specifically, Jiang YueLou was given karma for not preparing or warning the other beforehand? That he only had to believe that the other would be okay fully knowing in his field of work, it would almost always end otherwise? That YueLou's recklessness was a risk he was willing to make that took YuZhi's warm and careful humanness for granted?

That YueLou took YuZhi for granted, because the latter was the "healer" who was supposedly going to be fine until the very end, until he was not?

I think that at the finale of it all, YueLou was tired. He could not save his friends and family. Not even the person that faithfully remained with him throughout everything which occurred and helped him achieve his glory. Maybe YueLou knew that there was nothing else that could heal YuZhi. So he laid there, beside the love of his life, and stayed.

Because if Jiang YueLou could not save Chen YuZhi, he would at least stay with him and not take him for granted one last time.

*

additional: i think it would be a great thing to note how keying was alive. all this time. (interesting writing tbh) so chen keying basically gave his life, as the healer, and did manage to save the people around him. the people that meant most to him.

yes, chu ran died. that's a whole other thing and her own distinct person and arc. but. i'd like to emphasize that i think chu ran is one of yuzhi's greatest friends. therefore, he managed to save the two just right above that friendship. chen keying. jiang yuelou. his family.

(i wrote this mid-brainrot at almost sunrise after finishing the series lmao anw i still hate the ending, make the girls and gays happy tsk) (anw i'd like to hear ur thoughts!)

[naranjapetrificada]

Consider this your opportunity to be an Astrology Bitch and go off about Leo Stede!

(signed, a Virgo sun, Cancer moon, Capricorn rising who simultaneously is and is not an Astrology Bitch, more of a Tarot Bitch tbh)

Okay! You asked for it lol.

I should start by saying that I'm an August Leo sun. Stede is a July Leo, as confirmed by the show:

July Leos are...different somehow? It's not a bad thing and it's not their fault, and if anybody else comes for them we August Leo's will throw down for our siblings, but there's something about the vibes! Maybe it's the Cancer proximity, idk. If anything my anecdata suggests that they're more well adjusted than the rest of us. 🦁❤️🦁

Anyway, I immediately sat up and noticed when they cut to the gravestones because it's second nature for me as an Astrology Gay. Obviously I didn't know Stede at the time and I don't actually know what went down as the character was developed, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if I learned that at least one person in the writers room was a fellow Astrology Gay.

So I completely forgot about his birthdate because a) ADHD and b) swooniest romance I'd ever seen, but I started thinking about it again when I showed up like a year late to the fandom and saw people talk about whether they were Ed coded or Stede coded. I am heavily, heavily Stede coded for neurodivergent reasons, but he also exhibits certain Very Leo traits that I recognized immediately.

Leo stereotypes:

Let's get the stereotypes out of the way because while they do apply sometimes (especially for Stede), there's no need to rehash them in detail.

Leadership, which he struggles with at first but a) takes up the mantle of it anyway and b) improves enough that by the end of the season the crew that wanted to mutiny saves his life.

Good hair. Nuff said.

The man has an auxiliary wardrobe for fucks sake.

His "theatrical instincts are finely honed" and while Izzy says it to encourage the fuckery, it's not a lie.

The Revenge

If an 18th century Leo was going to custom build a pirate ship and money was no object, they would 1000% build the Revenge. I could see arguing that a Taurus might build something similar, but honestly I'm not sure a Taurus would become a pirate by choice. Maybe a Taurus might build like, a pleasure yacht or something. A Libra might build a ship that's as good-looking as the Revenge but sharing expensive tastes isn't enough to convince me either. Stede's money allowed him to build and decorate luxuriously, but plenty of rich people used to comfort didn't have ships like the Revenge. As Nigel says during his tour, it's just so incredibly him.

Now for some feelings stuff:

Leos love it when other people are happy, and when we can be involved in fostering that at all for people we care about we are ON IT. Stede wants to create space for others to get what they need to make that happen. Literally in the first episode he talks about the Revenge as somewhere for his crew to work on their trauma and communicate their feelings.

The above is also an extension of Stede's instinctive generosity. Canon doesn't tell us where Ed got his clothes for the French boat party in episode 5, but given that Stede has an auxiliary wardrobe (which he shared with Ed almost immediately) the most likely scenario seems like he loaned (or maybe even gave!) it to Ed. Another possibility is that it was on the ship where Frenchie found his and Oluwande's outfits, but the purple jacket in particular seems very extra in a way that says "Stede" to me.

Speaking of episode 5, let's talk about the party game. Obviously the main takeaway is that Stede has enough of a handle on passive aggression to make the French assholes tear each other apart, but it's not just the passive aggression, it's in the delivery. With sufficient motivation (Ed's hurt feelings, if not his own) we see Stede command the room with confidence. He chooses his targets well. He knows just what to say to get them to agree to play the game at all. The fire wasn't part of the original plan but it shows just how powerful those hard-won skills are when he wants to apply them. (This doesn't feel like it merits its own bullet point but Leos are protective, ride-or-die friends, something else we see in this episode.)

Stede's love language, imo, is quality time. There are arguments for others (there's also a really good meta about his love language causing miscommunication with our touchy-feely boy Ed, if I can find the link I'll edit) but quality time seems the most appropriate to me. Another part of the whole generosity of spirit thing is that he seems to enjoy what a friend of mine called "engineering experiences" for people i.e. crafting activities and jam sessions for the crew. The most obvious of these is the treasure hunt for Ed, which of course comes out of his fear of Ed leaving, but it's also a way for them to spend time together. I'm not at all surprised that a lonely, bullied kid would grow up to value quality time.

I would also extend this to the clearly routine (but still extravagant) breakfast for two that we see Calico Jack crashing in episode 8. Not to mention the first breakfast he and Ed ever share up on the maintop in episode 4. It's not fancy, but he wakes Ed up to share in that moment because he's enjoying the sunrise and the marmalade, and I can't think of anything more Leo than enjoying something then immediately wanting to share it because someone else might enjoy it too.

Stede's not perfect of course, despite all those seemingly positive things I just said. In the way of some Leos he is frequently thoughtless, up to and including when he didn't make to the dock. I can't speak for every Leo but I have definitely accidentally flirted with/been read as flirting with people before, whether I was attracted to them or not. And yeah his quarters are nice but he could have used some of that space for more crew quarters, right? And how could a Leo possibly misread "what makes Ed happy is you" as badly as he did?

Well I may be an Astrology Binch but I mostly like it (and anything else that puts personalities into discrete groups) as an analysis tool. It's just a fun lens to examine behaviors through, IRL and with fictional characters. Also, the show is clearly trying to examine things like trauma and self-loathing in ways that are gonna inform character behavior way more than a hypothetical astrology enthusiast in the (admittedly pretty queer) writers room. But the vibes? The vibes are so there.

[realcube]

YOU GOT: TAMAKI AMAJIKI

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ matchup for @sardine-dono

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ if you would like a matchup, read this!

'Sign: Sagittarius.'

♡ tamaki is a pisces

♡ so i believe that's fire x water

♡ which sounds like a natural disater but may i remind you that the sun is a big ball of fire and rain is water that falls from the sky

♡ and sun + rain = rainbow 🌈

♡ and the rainbow is like the universal symbol of happiness

♡ anyway here is an excerpt i found that described the relationship soo accuratly

♡ 'Despite having conflicting principles and ideas, they usually find common foundation and have a strong bond. Sagittarius and Pisces cherish and appreciate each other's distinctive characteristics. Sagittarius will like Pisces' fortitude, while Pisces will admire Sagittarius' wisdom. They have a really passionate connection together'

♡ i know most people would not describe tamaki as 'having fortitude' because he is shown to be very awkward, shy and often scared. but iirc, there was an episode with a whole arc about him overcoming his fears to trying be a better hero with fat gum

♡ that could be completely wrong though, it's been forever since i watched the early seasons of mha

♡ so yeah he is considered 'cowardly' in comparison to seasoned heroes like fat gum or the other members of the big three BUT relative to the general population, he is undoubtably brave

♡ but he's always being told and being percieved as though he is some wimp just because he is a bit nervous at first so he definitely use the ego boost he gets from being with someone who thinks he is brave for what he does; makes him feel dead heroic and you literally drive him to go to work on days he can't be bothered or is too afraid

♡ as for him admiring your wisdom, that is SO right as well

♡ bc i took a look at your OCEAN and it appears like you have high assertiveness, excitement-seeking and cheerfulness (or at least, a lot higher than his would be )

♡ so there is so much he wants to learn from you, he loves how you jovial you are and he just loves the way you interact with the world so of course he wants to be more like you

♡ so he'd really appreciate the aforementioned characteristics that you have. he honestly hopes they rub off on him but even if they don't , he just loves seeing you live to the fullest

♡ and wisdom doesn't really have anything to do with how smart you are, however you mention you like travelling and discoveing and tamaki would SO want to hear all about it

♡ especially because he would be to nervous and shy to go to all these awesome places on his own but after hearing you tell him all about your experiences, not only does he like how well-travelled you are, it also inspires him to want to go to these places too now that he knows all they have to offer and if you assure him that it's fun and safe

♡ tbh though after a while into the relationship you could be like 'yeah the shark almost bit my leg clean off but the water was so crystalline and gorgeous, i'd love to go back there. would you want to come with?"

♡ and he's be internally screaming crying and petrified but on the outside he's forced a smile and is like "yeahhhh"

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵  

'try new dishes because food is very important for me'

♡ i think this speaks for itself lol

♡ but i'll elaborate anyway

♡ his whole quirk is literally to do with food and i don't recall it ever being shown but i assume bc of that he'd be a bit nervous to try new ones bc he doesn't know what it might do to him but also very eager because it might help him discover new powers

♡ so it's probably for the best for him to try new foods as that'll help him become a better hero

♡ like you introduced him to his first ever dish with rabbit in it and mans was so fast afterwards?? and could jump so high?? and he's been eating it ever since so you are probably inadvertantly resposible for saving many civilian lives icl

♡ plus he just loves trying new things with you because you just put him at ease

♡ and he knows even if he does grow a beak , you'll still love him either way 😞😩

♡ when you first start dating though , homie is NOT taking any chances

♡ like he is so hesitant to eat any food on your dates because he's scared he might sprout a pig snout out of nowhere

♡ like yes he knows that this popcorn hypothetically shouldn't contain any animal meat in it BUT what if it has butter on it, and that butter comes from a cow, and that cow lived on the same farm as a PIG !!!

♡ nuh uh, no way is he letting that happen.

♡ but by maybe your fourth or fifth month of dating, he'll have let his guard down a lot and exactly start eating with you

♡ but it's just his luck that the first time he goes to a restaurant with you and he doesn't nervously ask the server a bunch of questions about the contents of his ordered dish and the cross-contamination situation in the kitchen, he gets served someone else's meal by accident and doesn't realise, thus growing fins and flippers

♡ you laugh and tease him for it but that's when he realises he doesn't have to be embarassed around you , because everything you say to him comes from a place of affection

♡ so that's around the time he'll feel comfortable to start exploring new foods with you too

♡ in fact you even turn it into a little game where you will order two meat-based dishes (without looking at the descriptions on the menu) and try to guess what meat is in which meal just by the taste + what powers amajiki has got

♡ for example, if you each order a soup, he'll try a bit of both then soon after, let's say he gets tentacles and hooves/wool. you then need to guess whose meal has the octopus (or squid) in it and whose meal has the mutton just by the taste

♡ it's fun !! and tamaki is very cute with wool, you regret not shearing him and making an amajiki sweater

♡ when you proposed that idea to him, he turned so red you thought he was suffering heatstroke in the middle of winter

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵  

'Love langage: physical contact (giving), words of affirmation (receiving).'

♡ its so good you have physical contact as your giving love language because he so wants to hug you and cuddle but he cannot for the life of him initiate physical intimacy

♡ mans is just too shy . especially during the first maybe five months of the relationship

♡ closest thing he has ever done to initiate physical contact was when he accidently lost control of one of his tentacles and tied it around you

♡ so he needs you to start it but once you've started, he is the BIGGEST cuddle bunny

♡ like you may wrap your arms around him with the intention of giving him a brief hug before you leave to go somewhere, but he will take it as an invitation to melt into your embrace and never let go

♡ as for words of affirmation, amajiki is probably better at giving quality time or acts of service

♡ HOWEVER when he notices that you respond better to words of affirmation, like any good partner does, he will try to use sweet words for you more often

♡ he's definitely awkward about it at first but he gets used to it after sometime

♡ though that's because at first he'll try to splutter out to you in person what he wants to say but he's to focussed on you so it ends up coming out a mess

♡ eg if he was trying to compliment your outfit, he'd be too distracted by how good it actually looks on you so the sentence would come out like "y-you really look good in that top. and , uh, not in a creepy way! it's just — you, uh— i was thinking it and i just, erm, yeah, i just said it."

♡ what could've been a one sentence compliment turns into a two minute ramble about how he doesn't view you as an object and he was only trying to be nice

♡ he learns quickly that he is a lot better at expressing himself via text

♡ so after dates you'll often recieve messages like "i'm so sorry about how awkward i was when saying goodbye 😓 i just thought you looked so nice so i couldn't put my words together properly, but i really did have an amazing time with you today. 💗"

♡ he'll then go on to describe his favourite things you said and why they are his favourites in detail

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵  

'Ideal first date: a place with a lot of fun activities to do (can be an amusement park or a traveling with many spots to discover)'

♡ okay small headcanon about amajiki at the amusement park djfidf

♡ he'd probably prefer the latter option of going some place less busy and more secluded to explore and discover

♡ however seeing you suggest amusement park date with such an excited glint in your eyes, how can he say no ??

♡ so take him there and he forces himself to go on all the rides so he can hold your hands even though he is scared shitless and ends up looking like 😱 + 😭 in all the ride photos

♡ once you decide to take it easy on the rides and play fair games instead, that's when he really locks in

♡ as first it just something fun but then it becomes serious very quick haha

♡ especially if there is a plush/prize you want

♡ he WILL use his quirk in secret to get it for you

♡ not proud of his actions but also he doesn't like the carnival game attendants anyway so

♡ enjoy your new plush!

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵  

for @sardine-dono: tbh the only other character i considered for you was fatgum but settled on tamaki bc of video game hobby and travelling!

[fluffypotatey]

Hello again! I hope you don't mind. What's your opinion on Azure Lion, and the Brotherhood? You said they were a toxic group, can you explain how and why? I am very dense. Also have you watched the newest Monkey King movie? What do you think of it? Are there any part of JTTW or Sun Wukong's story you'd like to see be made into a movie that doesn't get much attention? Not LMK verse of course. I'd like to see Ao Lie, the White Dragon Horse's story get expanded on, especially when the group encounter the Dragon family during their journey. What about you? What's your opnion on LBD's host, or Bai He as the fans are calling her? Would you like an interaction between her and SWK? Have a good month!

ok imma save your brotherhood question for last because once i start with them and swk's relationship with them, i will not stop.

anyway,

no, i haven't seen the new Monkey King movie yet T^T i hope to see it soon when i have free time, but uni's began, so i will be busy with assignments T^T goodbye summer vacation :'(

as for what jttw story i'd like to see more of? hmmmmm, idk, though tbh i am very new with any jttw interpretation (my introduction to this story was through OSP, and after seeing the sun&moon poll i decided to check out lmk), so my personal information is still small compared to the people who grew up with the many stories and variations of Journey to the West and its characters.

however, i kind of wanna say Sha Wujing/Sandy? mostly because he does seem like an interesting character (2nd strongest out of the companions if i'm remembering right), and is fairly clever with his fighting (which might be why he gets along with swk a lot). idk, it would be fun to get some background on how he acquired his skull necklace (pretty sure they were enemies of his???? or something idk) and his own motivations for redemption, not to mention he does become a Bodhisattva just like swk and Tripitaka (pretty Pigsy/Zhu Baije doesn't???), so that would be fun to touch on!

moving on now....i actually do like how the fandom just adopted :BD's host and we all affectionately call her Bai He! it's sweet and i like that we all kind of want to see her own recovery of being possessed for like months (or a year idk lmk timeline is weird and funky and no i am not annoyed-) i am a big fan of the "Macky adopts previously possessed child out of solidarity but also she latched onto him first and wouldn't let go so he's kind of stuck with her now :)" it's very fanon but, eh, i'm a sucker for "reluctant dad to protect the smol" characters (prob another reason why i love Pigsy and swk so much lmao).

ALSO, i think her interactions with swk would be so funny (for me) and awkward (for swk) because she's like "thanks for saving the world and me!" and swk like "MHM! uh yeah, sure, np kiddo" bc he did almost kill her (tho he really did try to find a way to not do that) but also Bai He might not even be mad at him for that. (maybe i want her to attempt to befriend him, but swk is just so nervous and feeling a tad guilty so he avoids her but she's a persistent little fucker, maybe i want to a lot, sue me)

idk what her role is now in the show tbh. she could be sidelined now, and we only get cameos of her (s3 ending & s4 special) for the time being just showing her slow recovery (lmk has been doing a "minor/background character development happening behind the scenes" for awhile (DBK fam) so i wouldn't be surprised if we see that with her). but it's possible that she could grow to have some role in s5 or s6 (maybe she's got some leftover LBD powers bc post-possession symptoms, maybe Mr. Hoodie Man wants to use her too bc she was such a great host for LBD, maybe she saw something plot relevant while possessed concerning MK and wants to warn him or his friend??? WHO KNOWS???)

ok.....Brotherhood™️ what are my thoughts on them......

this post is already long as is, and i have class in 30 minutes, oh boy let's go >:3

sO, let try and summarize my thoughts of them before delving in: i think that narratively, the Brotherhood are a great way for establishing who Sun Wukong was pre-jttw as well as giving us access to his history with Macky (THANK FUCKING GOD I WAS SO DESPERATE FOR THEIR BACKSTORY).

the Brotherhood is also a great way to showcase MK's growing similarities with swk and the narrative parallels the two characters have for each other. we already knew swk was trying to mentor MK is a way that was different from how swk lived his life before because, we he's shown, he really does regret his past actions, and wants MK to be a better version, believes MK can be this better version of him. and you can see him trying, but also he fails to really explain WHY his teaching methods are slow and vague sooooooo, uh oh :)

anyway, character-wise.....the Brotherhood is written to be both sympathetic and dislikable. the sympathetic aspect comes with Azure and his Cause™️ because that shows you that "wait a minute...he really did want to do good, but lost sight of it and the harm he was doing along the way." you're supposed to sympathize with him, you're supposed to feel confused about his shaky relationship with swk because "Azure only wanted to do good, yet swk ruined it" <- this is some excellent unreliable narrator shit i love about this show btw

HOWEVER! Azure is not an archetype character (lmk doesn't really do archetypes. okay, they do, BUT it's more of deconstruction of the archetype than really using an archetype, you feel me?) he is a character who is deeply flawed. he is idealistic and vain (yes, yes he is vain bc have you seen this lion????) Azure built up swk on a pedestal of what a true role model king should look like (nevermind that swk's kingdom was on a island and his subjects were just monkeys, meaning his reign was fairly small compared to Heaven, therefore more manageable BUT I DIGRESS)

basically, Azure placed so much admiration and all his ideal onto swk, who was frankly a lot younger than the celestial lion being that he would have only recently met him post-Havoc & he was only about 500-600 years old by then (maybe????), and saw the monkey more as a perfect weapon to use to defeat the Jade Emperor and start a new, "more compassionate" era.

ok, and this is just me speaking, but, Azure, honey, if you really wanted to help restart Heaven into helping out the poor humans, instead of the very flawed bureaucracy you argued against.....maybe, don't continue on with a monarchy????? idk, maybe it's the Western influence talking but Azure, if you hate the celestial lords and emperor so much, maybe create a system that DOESN'T favor the lords and emperor????? break the whole system apart and create something new???? course you didn't think that far (which was eloquently shown in the special) so i'm honestly not surprised that your mission failed so many times

anyway, the dislikable aspect! Peng is a wonderful character for this section! so, when meeting Azure, you may come to a couple conclusions: wow a pretty lion! is he trustworthy? well, he seems to really want to help out.....damn he's got quite the silvertongue there, very convincing and great orator....you seem very upset about whatever swk did to you, huh? but meeting Peng you get: ooooh pretty bird man! oh, they're kind of a bitch, aren't they? yeah, still a bitch (and depending on the viewer, bitch can be affectionate or derogatory)

but yeah, so Peng, one of Azure's brother trio who worked with him in the Celestial Court and views him as the leader of the Brotherhood rather than swk (actually, none of the brotherhood members even consider swk their leader, except Azure and maybe Macky (but that might be bc Macky does not fucking care about the brotherhood member BUT swk) bc the rest view swk as their prized weapon)

Peng is really the character that starts to make you reconsider Azure's trustworthiness because my god is this bird the most condescending and bitchiest of friends. they are that toxic friend, okay? it was because of Peng that i clocked in "oh, ok, this is high school toxicity 101, got it" lol

anyway, Peng does not really seem to care that much for...the Cause™️ like Azure and Yellow Tusk do. rather, they seem to just stick around mostly because Azure and Yellow Tusk are their brothers and that's it. i guess props for staying loyal??? but still, Peng is the character that gives us the first crack into Azure's worthy crusade because their character will resort to violence first, turns on anyone who slightly disagrees with Azure's methods (*cough cough* Mac *cough cough*) or, hm, let's say....surrenders to the Jade Emperor, is missing for 500 years, then miraculously is freed and is working with a Buddhist monk?

so yeah, uh running out of time but to sum up: Azure and the brotherhood were never really "friends" they were colleagues who though they all had a common goal to defeat Heaven but their loyalty was built on ideals and pedestals and flaky attitudes which was why Mac was never comfortable around them, why DBK stopped interacting with them after the war, and WHY swk was so easily pointed as a traitor and a villain by the Camelhead Trio.

*jazz hands* and there you go, i would say more but i have class!

[definitelynotshouting]

Hello :DD I had sm Thoughts about this chapter, if your intent was to leave all your readers laying in a pool of tears u have succeeded 👍

-☀️

"He'd assumed, by virtue, that Mumbo was keeping himself out of the loop. Apparently not."

- GRIAN. HE TRIED TO TALK TO YOU TWO CHAPTERS AGO AND YOU IGNORED HIM.

- Also like how when we circle back to this point at the end of the chapter- Mumbo brings it up, Mumbo apologises- Grian lies and goes through the conversation "on autopilot", forcing himself to register absolutely NONE of the emotion so that when he goes through with his plan he can have this degree of separation- (if that's what you call it?). Just like how right here he's ignoring/selectively forgetting the fact that Mumbo did try to talk to him

-☀️

"some of the wariness clouding around them begins to clear, burning down into an ashen, sickly relief."

- I chose this one because of the "burning" metaphor. It creates this imagery of something akin to a wildfire when Grian's actions were first revealed. Emotions were blazing with fury, grief, confusion, horror and betrayal. It's all still there, but muted. For Mumbo specifically and how he initially reacted when G woke up the metaphor makes it feel like Mumbo completely burnt himself out with how he felt about everything. What's left behind in an ashen log, a carcass ready to collapse into dust at the next breeze.

-☀️

"A relieved Mumbo is a Mumbo protected against someone he can't save."

- "Someone he can't save", meaning mumbo being unable to save grian, but dually meaning that Grian doesnt believe he can be saved- not by himself, not even by his best friend. He's tried, tried to stop making the games, tried to live off of MCC. It didn't work; he's stopped trying to save himself.

-☀️

First batch!! Also, u mentioned this a while ago now but have u ended up going to that cafe you mentioned?

incredibly excited to receive your thoughts sun anon!!!! :D im so glad you liked this chapter and yes i was maybe banking on a LOT of tears over it ngl >:]

Grian's deeply unreliable narrator-ness makes me SO insane tbh, im so obsessed with how he very deliberately ignores things that dont fit into his personal narrative. Like ur objectively right Mumbo DID try to talk to him!!!!! But in Grian's head, that doesnt support his "i am doing this for everyone's greater good" agenda, so he dismisses it. Same as the gold farm-- Scar actually mentioned it to him all the way back in chapter 5, but when Mumbo asks if he knew, he insinuates that he wasnt told, without actually confirming or denying. Its a fun little tidbit that i enjoyed adding-- i really like highlighting just how unreliable Grian's perspective is rn wrt reality :]

I am SO happy you enjoyed that burning metaphor-- its definitely attached to that wildfire imagery, but its also attached to the concept of cooking for me too!!! The idea of letting something simmer down and thicken, except its burning, was very integral to that snippet ^.^

And yep!!! That was 100% what i was going for with the saving comment :] im so happy you enjoyed those, and i cant wait to see the other stuff you liked!!! Your inbox comments are a highlight of my day, truly❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

(also i did get to go to my cafe a few weeks ago!!! i was supposed to again yesterday, but alas i woke up with some bad allergy symptoms so i ended up laid up in bed instead 😭😭😭😭 hopefully i can go again next week, especially bc i have a very good friend visiting and i'd love to show it to them :] thanks for asking :D )

[silviakundera]

Perfect Marriage Revenge 11

Evil step mommy as actual supervillian confirmed. This actress deserves some special award, idk what it is but let's make one up and give it to her asap. She's glorious. Transcendent!

lmaooooooooo forever. She kidnapped that Sun Jin artist. So he wasn't mentioned 100x in vain.

All of a sudden police just descend and have all of the evidence out of nowhere. Hilarious. No one is worried about these pesky details in an OTT melodrama. TBH I'm majorly disappointed that they didn't find a way to repurpose the school auditorium for that police station.

Finally we get the reveal that they're both reborn! I'm glad they didn't make us wait until the last episode. "How could I tell you that I'm the one who killed you?" Delicioussssssssss

Evil Brother continues to be not only that family member who is always a drag at parties, but also a really crap boyfriend of convenience and MOSTLY IMPORTANTLY still the absolute worst at buisness. I like that he's not just corrupt but absolutely shit at this. He's not even suave and calculated about operating a 'cost of doing business' lean mean lawsuit triggering machine. So messy. smfh

omg when it cuts to them having The Important Company Meeting and it's in a thinly disgused living room I LOVE THESE SET DESIGNERS. Yes DO THAT. Make that 10K budget work for you 👏 👏

I really was gonna shade grandma for planning to sit back for 2 years to see just how much her evil grandkid can manage to destroy the company, since, you know, construction of facilities that humans use lol. But then she actually admits she fucked up and feels guilty about ~losing her way.

You know, I even feel a lil sympathy for Evil Bro here because they straight up turned him over to the feds with no shame. Look you KNOW if the nice brother had been caught out, no one would have turned him over for prision times just like that. This is what happens when you make things awkward and unpleasant at family dinners from age 11 to 25.

Sadly, the reveal about his past with her in the 1st life was super underwhelming. Like, to the point where it undercuts the emotional core of the pairing for me. I really expected (assumed) that he was pining for her in the original timeline and had multiple brief encounters with her that were meaningful to him but she didn't pay mind to. So that he was torn up about her married to someone else. But this felt... kinda bland to me? He really liked her painting. But when he found out she was the painter he... nothing came of that. Then he's a dick to her at the gallery. And he kills them both in a car accident. Suddenly when he meets her reborn he realizes he's in love with her? 🤔 Sorry but WHEN? WHY? I'm not feeling it. If it was love at first sight, I'd want to feel that agony & longing in the flashbacks. If it wasn't... how, buddy? idgi. I mean, whatever. This is not a show to inspire deep thoughts and that's fine. It's just a pivotal moment that left me cold. alas.

I do like the mysterious fortune teller. THE POWER in their hands.

Of course there's a baby, which guarantees she at least won't die. Now in the finale either he'll be a tragic sacrifice to save her from the brother or bro will die to fulfill the 1 life. You know that reveal of his feelings origination left me cold because I'm not feeling super pressed about it. wow ML you really salted your game here. You have episode 12 to make up for it. tick tock!

[oakantony]

hey emanthony I love your hxh fics some much I have a random question that you can totally ignore if you dont feel like answering 😄 I've noticed that killua is usually away in your fics like in your last fic he was on a boarding school and in your other fics he is just mentioned but doesnt have a major role except for the sharpest knife though he was still more like plot device there imo, do you try to avoid writing him because he is arguably the most popular hxh character and you prefer not to deal with the unnecessary fandom drama that writing a fic about him might cause? Which is totally fine if thats the reason, your fics are still amazing with killua involve but I was just curious.

I have MANY thoughts and I'm preemptively sorry for the wall of text that's about to happen. ily, though, here's the TLDR: it's honestly mostly logistical issues that have caused me to avoid inserting Killua into stories.

tbh if I didn't want fandom drama I wouldn't have written that opening for The Youngest Child. That shit was risky af. I still marvel that I haven't gotten e-flayed over it and sometimes I consider removing the story entirely because I have anxieties. (Obviously Chrollo and Kalluto's tryst at the beginning is not meant to be some hot aspirational kink-thing [you do you if you're into that]--the intention has always been to show how far Chrollo had fallen, socially, and how Kalluto has been placed in a dangerous position his entire life without parental figures to care for his well-being [enter: Gon, our knight in sun-shining armor.]) But we're not here to talk about that, so I'll stop lmao.

I've gotten a few questions about Killua throughout the years, ranging from people wondering if I hate him (I love him; I have him as a tattoo) or if I'm just not confident writing him (I'm not confident writing anything, ever), and really it's mostly just logistical. I actually would love to do a Killua-centric story one day, but I haven't had time (though I'm constantly trying to figure out how to write more and faster so I can write more fic. I legit have a pretty fleshed out story in my mind featuring Killua Zoldyck x Shouto Todoroki, which sounds WILD, and it is wild, but I also think I could make it work).

When I say logistical, it's like... We can use The Youngest Child as an example. Obviously Killua being absent is one of the main plot points, but if we pretend instead that his parents decided Kalluto was a better heir, the story doesn't change much... Except that I now have another big personality to contend with. Killua is, without exception, a main character. If he's there, he's going to be there, you know? He'd have to have a whole subplot of his own (which I'll touch on more in a second). The Youngest Child would likely be double in length. Maybe even triple, because I'd have to explain him and Gon's relationship from the onset, too. That would take my idea for a novella-length story and turn it into a full on novel. Which is fine, but as previously mentioned... Time. I can either knock out a story with Kalluto, Gon, the Troupe, Illumi, Hisoka, and the Zoldycks (that's already a wild list to write concisely) in ~20k words, or I can add Killua and watch it bloat up to like, 50k at the least.

There's also an element to writing Killua that I'm not sure a lot of people realize is actually a lengthy subject to cover, and that's his responsibility to his family. Even as a side character, there's so much to address. His story ends (both in the manga and in the anime) with him rescuing his sister, running away, and presumably keeping her safe from Zoldyck influence. But what about the other kids? Maybe we can write off Illumi; he's fully grown, and abused Killua deeply enough that Killua could dismiss him as a victim of their upbringing. But what about Milluki, who's openly derided and dismissed by their parents? What about Kalluto, a small costumed doll handed over to a genocidal gang? Is Kalluto not worthy of saving? We know Kalluto loves Killua; we never see Killua think of Kalluto at all. Does that mean Killua doesn't love his other brothers? Does that mean he doesn't think they suffer? Obviously Alluka needed rescued, that's not in question. But any canon-compliant fic that includes Killua has to answer this question (and many of them do not, and I don't blame them): does he care about his family at all?

(The answer, imho, is yes, but Killua is so afraid of his past and his parents and his role as heir that it paralyzes him similar to the ways we saw him paralyzed trying to fight for Gon in the Chimera Arc.)

That's why it's hard to include him in fics. That's honestly probably why Togashi hasn't included him in the manga in 11 years. There're so many loose ends. It's a nightmare to tie up neatly so that other characters and their stories can shine. I mentioned it before, but he's got some of the biggest main character energy of any fictional character ever made (this is a compliment). His capacity for love, violence, humor, poise, intelligence... He's really remarkable. He's going to outshine anyone if he gets involved. Illumi's whole arc in The Longest Job was learning some of the things that Killua's been capable of his whole life. If Killua was there, Illumi probably would have seen even more pathetic than he already was. Which maybe isn't a bad thing, lol.

Anyway. I should write a Killua fic one day. Lemme just finish...uh...man, idek. I have like 6 WIPs at the moment. I'm gonna go lay down.

[ryttu3k]

A selection of moments from my last session/s of Tavias' run. All spoilery for endgame. Image-heavy, used all 30 image slots.

"When I said I wanted to get more in touch with my draconic ancestry, this was not what I had in mind."

This is an interesting example because Tavias was in this situation. Two days ago. And his exact response was, "Actually, I would rather die than become a monster under a more powerful being's thrall."

Not capped: *gross sobbing over Dear Ansur*

Not capped: Just for the record, the line that officially pushed Astarion from approval 99 to approval 100 was:

Halsin: "Perhaps you'd care for a little extra company..."

Tavias: "The more the merrier!"

Astarion: *approves*

(I hc he's quietly nursing a raging crush on Halsin and the V relationship absolutely has the potential to turn into a full triangle, and not just because I'm hopeless for Halstarion.)

I really wish you could talk to Astarion about this later. I'm very glad you can talk to Halsin, but this should be addressed too! I'm glad he feels confident and safe enough to push his own boundaries, I just really wish we could like... check in on him and make sure he's doing okay. See also: helping Halsin recognise that what happened to him was trauma.

Seven years too late (he was seventeen years old, Ulder), but finally some parental approval!

<3

Not capped: the forehead touch after the kiss with Halsin is. Goddamn adorable ;_;

Genuinely motivational tbh

This is what we call an, "Ah fuck" moment.

Okay so. Orin basically saved the world.

Like obviously the Brain breaking free from the influence of the crown is a bad thing. But consider the alternative - a Brain who willingly follows the Dark Urge. A Brain who doesn't rebel, that rebellion leading to its ultimate downfall. A Brain who does follow the Dark Urge is a Brain in a world where Bhaal wins.

But Orin was jealous. Orin wanted her father's love. Orin attacks her sibling, and that sibling wakes up and goes, actually, you know what? I don't think I do want to be Bhaal's puppet for the rest of my existence, and the world is saved.

Dude there are plenty of other options that don't involve that. What is wrong with you.

Not capped: Beorn Wunterbrood being like, "Balduran's grace be with you" and Tavias just going, "......yeahhhhh haha about that, there's a non-zero chance we're gonna have to kill Balduran. Just. Just so you know."

You got it, boss. #ResistDurgeIsChosenOfJergalTruther

Not capped: "I always dreamed of walking these halls, you know. My dreams never included a giant brain or smoldering ruins, but I'll take what I can get~" I <3 him what a goddamn dork.

Not capped: you know this is the part where I'd have to be like. Yeah you guys go ahead. Yeah I'm gonna sit this one out. Why? Well, do I look like I can climb the giant squishy completely vertical tube while it actively tries to fly? No no if someone can teleport me up I can fight but otherwise I may have to sit this one out.

For the first time... quiet at last.

Oh this shit hurts ;_;

He chose against apotheosis this time <3 I can only surmise that what happened in Tae's run was that saying, no, fuck Mystra, you don't owe her anything, made him decide to act against her? This is still... not necessarily a great ending for Gale, because it still requires capitulating to the desires of his abuser, even if it does mean being free of the Orb (and not becoming Cringegod(tm). It's the best possible ending for him, yes, but I wish there was an option for him to acknowledge that what Mystra did to him was awful and he didn't deserve to be treated like that, and be able to reject the Crown.

Not capped: still! goddamn! hate! how Astarion running from the sun is almost played for laughs! I got Gale's line in this one and hearing how dismissive and flippant it is compared to what'll be the new line, where he sounds genuinely horrified and worried and openly states they'll need to be a good friend to him and offer him comfort, is... god. Dramatic difference. "Welp, that's the last we'll see of him!" that original line is so wrong ;_;

Glad she was able to make the decision herself. Forcing her just feels wrong.

I like this <3 Halsin still carries out his dream, but the relationship doesn't end, it's just. Long-distance, haha.

It's interesting how this plays out if you do Halsin poly, because it has the scene of Halsin waking up next to the PC, they talk about where things go, they walk off hand in hand... then it has the scene of Astarion waking up next to the PC, they talk about... etc XD I'd love if they included a poly option with all three of them, so you can get just the Halsin one, or just the Astarion one, or one where you talk to both at the same time. IIRC the only relationships where you can do Halsin poly is with Astarion or Shadowheart, so that's only two extra scenes they'd have to work out! It just feels a bit awkward as it is, with both scenes playing one after the other?

Anyway. The Astarion scene <3 This is the bit where I got all misty-eyed because. The reflection of, "What do you want?" "You. I want... you", and the beautiful Durge-specific line of being able to choose family... ;_;

They absolutely get together while in Avernus <3

Final decisions: Orpheus requests a merciful death, which Tavias provides. Lae'zel chooses to go to war. Gale returns the crown to Mystra. Wyll offers to accompany Karlach to Avernus, and she chooses to accept. Halsin goes to start a new community for those in need, with his relationship with Tavias continuing. Tavias and Astarion stay together and look for a way for Astarion to walk in the sun again.

There will be a separate post just for the epilogue, once I sort the, uh, 723 screencaps I took for it!

[cyberpunk-20xx]

So uuuh River Ward

I got stuff to say about River Ward. cw for possible spoilers for his quest and discussion of the police institution

V changes a lot of lives, for the better and worse in some cases. In River's case, I'd argue it's a mix, because while V choosing to help him can result in the best case scenario for his family, he still quits his job as a cop.

Which, excellent, good thing in my book!!!! and tbh bare minimum. But that still signifies a loss of a really strong and stable belief system for him. For a long time after, once his nephew is saved, River seems aimless, like he lost his goal. He goes back to something that's close to it as a PI, only this time without the endorsement of of an inherently abusive system, which is ethically better, but way worse in terms of security for him as an individual.

There's a reason cops stay on the job even when they saw how rotten the institution is and they're not themselves actively doing harm. It's the financial security, the risk of losing social status, and it's not an accident that a lot of cops come from humble or even very poor backgrounds, just like soldiers!!! The police grooms a lot of men of lower social classes and men of colour to make them believe that becoming a policeman is a way to right the wrongs of their fellows.

By the way this is one of the reasons why River and Johnny parallel each other a lot. As much as both of them would hate to admit it.

And River throws all that to the fire for his family, which is arguably selfish, but it still meant something big to me. And he doesn't even do it for V, or thanks to V! He leaves either way! What really changes is that if V doesn't go with him to the abandoned farmhouse where Randy is imprisoned, he dies. Like, he just dies in the mines no matter what. Which rubs me the wrong way but that's off-topic.

I just love River a lot!!!!!!! because he's really complete and complex!!!!! Which is a feat cus I'm terrified of cops! I hated him and would keep choosing to act like VD does (VD who grew up in gang culture, a street kid though and through) even if I knew perfectly well that it was gonna upset/anger River. I didn't care!! I didn't even know he was gonna be a LI! And when I did I sneered at the possibility. I was wrong!!! Damn wrong!! The way the game goes about him and corruption in the police ended up not being a disaster imo.

Add-on: He's also so fucking loyal to V........ I don't know how he reacts if you choose him as endgame romance but get the Stars Ending, because I unwittingly got the Sun Ending with Judy (got my heart shattered and stomped on for that) so I might be missing some pieces but....... He makes me so soft (im still feral for him tho ngl)

[princess-of-the-corner]

That but about Azula confronting Ozai has me curious about the Day of the Black Sun.

Okay okay okay I'm just. I'm gonna go over my notes for the whole ass episode so let's go!

This is mostly happening in Part 2 of the two-part episode but anyway!

The attack goes as they wanted, although thanks to Noriko having taken over Ba Sing Sae they knew in advance that there would be an attack so it isn't as much of a surprise.

But the Eclipse still happens and the Firebending goes out.

The Gaang knows that Ozai has to be /somewhere/ but they have no idea where. The Palace and its surrounding grounds are large, and that's before including underground or even nearby buildings.

So they split up in teams of two because, well. Sure the Avatars should be the ones to fight him, but really no one's gonna complain if anyone else kills the fucker right now.

Of course Aang and Ty Lee are the first group. And ofc nothing of interest happens with them.

Katara and Sokka are the second group, but when their father gets injured the two of them step up and lead the invasion troops in his place. They make a hell of a team together.

Mai and Toph pass by the dungeons and oh hey Iroh is escaping too! They're happy he's alive because tbh they had no idea if he was okay or not. They fight off the remaining guards together but Iroh is like 'Hey I'd love to come with you guys again, but in case things don't end today, I have something else set up so I need to go there instead'.

Suki and Jin get to run into Noriko. They get to chase her around the halls. She's mostly there to distract anyone who came looking for Ozai, and is just stalling until the Eclipse is over and for the guards to get their shit together.

Naturally, Zuko and Azula are the ones who actually find Ozai. And while they should just kill him, Ozai is a manipulative fucker who knows how to keep them talking.

The initial conversation between Ozai and Zuko is very much like Canon. Ozai calling him a failure, saying that he was 'only trying to be a good parent' and 'teach respect'. Zuko calls that out for the bullshit it is. It was cruel and horrific and no one, especially not a child, should go through that. And that whatever he was attempting to make Zuko into, well, Zuko is fucking proud that he's not whatever that. He'd rather be the failure.

Since that didn't work, he turns his focus to Azula.

Telling her that he's 'oh so disappointed', that she 'let her brother drag her down'. He 'thought she was better than that'. He calls her weak for not sticking by him.

And Azula wants to scream at him. To prove that she's not weak. And in any other situation, she would. But this is her father. A man she's been terrified of her entire life. And right now, she can't Firebend. It makes her feel weak.

Ozai's final move is to make an offer. Azula can come back. Be Princess of the Fire Nation, be safe from all of this(be safe from him). It'd all be over.

All she has to do, is to kill Zuko.

For a moment, she hesitates. Because a childhood of doing everything in her power to please her father, to make sure that she was safe from her father, doesn't go away. And it would be easy! Because Zuko isn't even looking back at her! She could easily just....

That makes something click though. The fact that, even though he can hear her hesitating, Zuko doesn't turn. He trusts her. He knows that she won't give in.

She isn't alone. She isn't helpless. She can fight back and choose for herself. And even if she should fall, her brother and their friends are there to save her.

In the back of her mind, she hears what Yue had said when deciding to become the Moon Spirit. That she would rather die than let those she loves suffer.

So Azula glares back, stares Ozai down and tells him "I love them more than I fear you."

Yes I am using that line here because I love it and I can't use it later lmao

Unfortunately, Ozai's plan worked. He stalled them long enough. The Eclipse is over. Firebending is back. And Ozai is still an asshole who shoots lightning at his kids.

Zuko and Azula fight back. Honestly, if it were just them, they would have won. But they soon hear the soldiers coming to protect the Fire Lord.

Which means they decide to get the hell out of dodge.

[genshin-hours]

Hello dear! May I please have a Hunter and Survivor match-up please? Also if you'd like i'd be more than happy to match you with a hunter and survivor as well! Anyways, I love your blog and your writing! I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

Zodiac sign: Leo sun, Aries moon, Leo rising

Personality Type: ENTP

Pronouns: She/her

Sexuality: Straight (For now might be bi but i'm going with straight)

I'm 5'4 and I have a very tiny body frame so i'm extremely petite and pretty small. I'm not very curvy and I literally have the body of a cereal box...lol but its fine because I have nice hips and thighs. I have thick brown hair that goes down to my back and it gets tangled pretty easily but its kinda fluffy. I have brown eyes and tiny freckles all over my face and body. I also have a very strong grunge style, like Flannels, band t-shirts, combat boots, leather jackets etc. But i'd also always enjoy a nice oversized sweatshirt or hoodie with a pair of skinny, ripped jeans and some converses or something along those lines.

For my personality.....this is where things get interesting. At first people find me very intimidating due to my resting bitch face and cold exterior but I promise i'm not like that ALL the time. When you get to know me, i'm goofy and about everything that comes out of my mouth is sarcasm or some dry humored joke. I'm also that one friend in a group where they literally will do the stupidest shit ever like for an example one time it was super dark outside and my other friend was there, while I was trying to climb a tree and I failed and fell out of the tree, and landed on my back. I got straight up after that somehow it didn't hurt.....like at all? But yeah i'm super reckless and sometimes people have to save me from myself if you get what I mean. I also have a very strong "I don't give a fuck" attitude and I will not hesitate to stick up for myself or my friends....like i'm the type of person where if someone glares at me, i'll glare right back.

I have bad anxiety and I can be very self destructive. This is where my feisty, stubborn, hardheaded side comes in. If I want something then i'll fight for it even if it hurts me and i'll get into a bad cycle of putting myself down and trying to do better even if I did great the first time but I always push myself too far and other people have to stop me because I usually can't see it when its happening. I also cover my emotions up and I have a lot of trouble talking about whats bothering me or what problems i'm having emotionally so I put up a wall and I act tough, or happy and sometimes i'll be the exact opposite but I try to hide it.Weird things about me: I've grown up in the south all my life so sometimes when I talk a few words they'll come out sounding WAYYY more country and southern then I wanted, I don't have an accent but sometimes my words just come out that way. Sometimes in the middle of the night you can find me just staring at a wall or something because I can't go to sleep.....I have trouble sleeping.....

Things I like: I love swimming (I was on a swim team for about 9 years), I love horror movies, I like rain and the sounds of thunderstorms because its calming to me, I also love the smell of rain, I like cloudy days, cooking, listening to 80's and 90's rock but mainly 90's because 90's is the best, My favorite bands are Bush, Audioslave, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkoln Park, Pearl jam but i'm pretty open to anything.

Things I dislike: Spiders.......I will scream if I see a spider.

hello! tysm for requesting, love! and you can of course :) ty for the offer btw, that would be lovely! also I hope you have a wonderful day/night as well <3 hopefully you enjoy all these hcs, dear ♡

I ship you with....

joseph desaulnier

so, I think joseph would really like you :>

joseph is one of the shorter hunters, so you being very small makes him lowkey excited

he loves letting you rest in his lap. he marvels at how small you are and how cute you look!!!

joseph gets the whole resting bitch face thing. he is told quite often that he has a bad case of rbf lmao

he also thinks your hair is really pretty, and if you're alright with it, he will offer to help brush/comb it for you or even style it. he is surprisingly good with hair. his hair isn't just fluffy and silky on its own, you know.

also joseph is pretty good at keeping you from doing like absolutely crazy stuff. he will make sure you don't get hurt, but the second he think you might he's gonna be yelling at you in french to stop or running to try and protect you from falling

and if you do get hurt, he is the first to provide you first aid. the whole time he is blushing and cursing under his breath. he is surprised by how bold and reckless you can be.

he loves your spirit and enthusiasm, but for the love of god, please be more careful

also, joseph loves your dry humor. he laughs at all your jokes. even if you're in matches and he is supposed to be serious

joseph also has a pretty "idgaf" attitude, so you guys will get along well. he is willing to fight for something he believes in too.

joseph isn't the best with emotions either, but this gives you both an opportunity to work together at it.

you both agree to come together and share what you're comfortable with to try and figure things out. tbh he is more likely to provide you with advice rather than consolation.

he thinks your accent is really cute, and teases you for it sometimes. but he actually thinks it's adorable.

also he will help you fall asleep by stroking your hair, reading to you, laying by you, etc. he is very comforting surprisingly

joseph is also probably scared of spiders but he will toughen up to get rid of them if you need him to.

(if the spider is scary enough though, you'll be hearing swearing in french and seeing another hunter coming to deal with it lmao)

I also ship you with luca balsa!

luca and you would be cute together!

he thinks your height is adorable, and he likes how small you are when you stand together

you're not too much shorter than him (only 3 inches or so) but it's really cute to him that he can lift you up and stuff or you can sit in front of him and he can lean on you.

he likes to be alone usually when working, though he wouldn't mind if you were to lay on his bed or sit on his lap while he works, but he needs you to stay safe so you're wearing a heavy coat and safety gear lmao

he thinks your style and rbf are adorable. you're not intimidating to him, so he thinks it's funny

luca also enjoys your humor, and he finds it relatable. he always laughs at your jokes, even if you make them at bad times

luca has similar habits to you though, which makes it easy for him to spot them in you and stop you quickly before things get bad

he himself is pretty reckless at times, but, he will admit, he is a hypocrite and panics when you do something dangerous, but turns around and works with dangerous equipment

you're both not the best with emotions, but he does his best to help you. he might not be the best at consoling you, but he will do what he can to make you feel better in his own way

he might tinker with stuff to improve it for you, or try to give you helpful advice

luca would think horror movies are super neat, but he analyzes them fast, and knows all the twists and turns. he still jumps though

he likes your accent and thinks it's pretty cool! he doesn't hear many southern accents, so he finds yours very neat and soothing to listen to

luca will take the time to help you fall asleep if you can't. he has some trouble falling asleep too, so don't be surprised if he accidentally passes out on top of you once you're asleep.

he isn't a fan of lightning and thunder, but some gentle rain and pretty clouds are lovely in his opinion :)

luca is also an entp, so you two would have plenty of lively debates lmao

[agentbluefox]

ok so I'm having thoughts about the song glory and gore by Lorde I'd love to hear your thoughts on it too in relation to five

it almost makes me think of the sparrows first. like, "that's why we're making headlines" and that sort of stuff brings it to mind since the sparrows seemed to be way more famous than the umbrellas. and we know at least Sloane wanted to get out of the family so we can assume more of them did as well (it talks about leaving and such)

though now I'm wondering if you put it in there to reference five and the commission? 👀

Ohhh now that you’ve pointed it out, it does bring the sparrows to mind. With making headlines and all that. And I could totally see this being Sloane’s song? Love that.

I think what it reminds me of though when I put it in is mainly Five and the Commission like you suggested.

First though, I want to point out this line: "You've been drinking like the world was gonna end (it didn’t)” Because heck if THAT isn’t Five. Next is this section here:

"No-one round here's good at keeping their eyes closed The sun's starting to light up when we're walking home Tired little laughs, gold-lie promises: we'll always win at this I don't ever think about death It's alright if you do, it's fine"

This makes me think (again) of his relationship with his siblings. I think his past with as an assassin makes some of them uncomfortable (rightly so tbh). Which is where “I don’t ever think about death” etc comes in. Because I think Five detaches himself from death, from the killing. We see that especially in s2, when he murders the board. For some of them, death is very much a normalized part of their lives, just from Reginald’s training/their own experiences/etc. So mainly I think I’m thinking of Luther and maybe Allison who would probably be uncomfortable about what Five did as an assassin and the lengths he went to to get back to them. (we saw Luther’s discomfort at this in s1)

“Tired little laughs, gold-lie promises: we’ll always win at this.” No matter what, Five’s goal has been saving his family. Failure has never been an option, he’ll always win because that means he will have saved his family. Even if ‘we’ll always win’ is a lie, even to himself. Maybe especially to himself. 

ALSO, I almost forgot. Five was the best at the commission. Everybody had heard of him, he was a legend. I think the general feeling of the song could reference that. 

[illusory-torrent]

My feelings on lunoct are mixed. I want to like it but it's clear the planning and execution for it is barebones. I may have my gripes of BB but at least they actually have scenes together. Noctis and Luna don't even interact as adults except in an afterthought novel, and even then only the end.

"My feelings on lunoct are mixed. I may have my gripes of BB but at least they actually have scenes together."

i'd disagree tbh... noctis and luna have scenes together where it's shown why they like each other.

they interacted as children back when noctis was injured and in a wheelchair. they were literally childhood friends, just like ren/nora or catra/adora.

she would escort noctis around while he was staying in tenebrae, and sacrificed herself to make sure he got to safety when tenebrae was captured by niflheim.

luna is also the one who helps prompto befriend noctis. one of noctis's lifelong friendships is a result of this.

she's also the one who inspires noctis to keep going in her speech in altissia.

and of course, we all know of her saving noctis using her last strength via healing and then her passing on his ring to him before her death.

when it comes to lunoct, we know why they like each other. you as the player can actually figure out why noctis and luna like each other.

noctis likes luna because she is a light in the face of adversity, she is constantly strong in the face of hardship and he takes inspiration from that.

luna likes noctis because he has a strong desire to save the world and she loves eos. she died to save eos.

his desire to save the world is, of course, fueled by his desire to save her. he admits this to her before her death.

and we know of two alternate canon timelines in final fantasy xv that show lunoct development as well.

the omen trailer, which shows a vision of an alternate timeline, shows us that if luna and noctis don't work together, he literally goes insane. the trailer's description states that omen shows a possible future scenario that "must be avoided", implying that noctis and lunafreya need to work together to save the world.

and finally, there's the book you mentioned, dawn of the future.

&dawn of the future shows us another timeline where noctis and luna both live and get married.

all in all, lunoct had more canon moments than bumbleby in its development. not saying lunoct was done GREAT, it still needed a lot of work imo. but it's better than bumbleby.

for bumbleby, nobody knows why blake and yang like each other.

why does yang like blake? when did yang start liking blake? nobody knows.

why does blake like yang? when did blake start liking yang? nobody knows. it couldn't have been v1-v5 because blake was blushing at sun, dancing with sun, calling him her hero, etc. for five volumes straight during that time.

"I may have my gripes of BB but at least they actually have scenes together."

yeah, scenes where yang is blatantly racist to blake (v2). or scenes where blake literally compares yang to adam, her past abuser (v3). nothing about bumbleby is healthy. nothing about bumbleby says they have healthy boundaries... because they don't. bumbleby is a trauma bond.

blake and yang won't even hear out the idea of working with others without getting upset. blake and yang can't even separate from each other anymore without feeling scared how the other will feel about them. blake and yang won't have the uncomfortable conversations that need to be had regarding their relationship.

it's just forehead touches and handholding and blushes. that's it. that's all their relationship is. there's no substance; there's nothing there once you take a deep look at the ship. in a world full of great sapphic relationships in media (rupphire, bubbline, amberprice, harleivy, lumity, caitvi, etc.), bumbleby will eventually just be forgotten and left behind.

i really don't think bumbleby is all that. and i certainly don't think bumbleby is better than lunoct.