#both of them spared from the mass sacrifice

[waitineedaname]

I find it very funny that the only time ling and mei directly interact is at the very end and the only time they were ever in the same room together before the promised day is when ling has been freshly possessed. we already know mei gets a glance at greed and is like "is that the yao prince?? why is he here????" and I have to imagine it went similarly from ling's perspective. like he's still reeling from getting possessed on purpose, probably still getting his bearings in there, and he's just experienced potentially the worst twenty-four hours of his life, and then greed starts applauding a little girl's reunion with her panda and ling gets a look at her and is like "oh what the fuck."

[velchronica]

imperfect love ♬~*.°₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ itoshi sae

maybe i'll cry for a love that isn't perfect yet

but i wanna make endless stories

like the ones hidden inside an old book

or, since meeting you, all itoshi sae wants is a sappy happily ever after with you.

content: established relationship, gn!reader, fluff, sfw

wc: 1.0k

sae falls asleep to the sound of your breaths, the rise and fall of your chest underneath the weight of his arm over your waist. he’d rather fall asleep next to you every night���and most nights he does—but sometimes it simply cannot he helped, so when he’s away from home, he facetimes you until one of you falls asleep or has to go.

he easily falls asleep to your voice over call, phone on the bedside table next to him, and you only hang up once he’s quiet for at least half an hour and is no longer responding to you with a barely-there ‘mhm.’ after all, sae has never been much of a chatterbox to begin with, per se, so it’s not unusual for him to just listen, to savour your voice telling him about your day, to bask in the mimicry of nomalcy as you go about your day as usual on the phone to him, as if he’s there with you.

people are, more often than not, surprised by the sweet and affectionate nature of your longstanding relationship. while you’re all soft smiles, sunshines and rainbows, he’s terse, with sharp edges and a mind and mouth just as sharp. he’s cold, and spares no effort to sugarcoat his opinions nor fake humility to the masses, whereas you are warm and modest, never asking for anything in return for your kindness and hard work. still, despite this, your relationship is built upon strong and sturdy foundations, and the home you have built together is full of love and joy.

where he is can be too closed up, sometimes too wrapped up in himself, you encourage him to be more open-minded and compassionate. where you can be careless and impulsive, he is there to tie up any loose ends you’ve left behind. though your worlds do not excessively collide, they do overlap. while you don’t necessarily need each other to complete your own individual existence, you bring out the better and the best out of one another. you’ve learned through time and patience that symbiosis is often the better alternative to codependency.

there have been ups and downs to your relationships. you’re both only human after all, and no relationship is perfect; with personal flaws can come misunderstandings or miscommunication. the thing that sets successful couples apart from those that break up, however, is how you maintains and manages the things that strain your relationship. to maintain a balance between your independence and your time together is key, especially when sae is away from home so often.

it’s not uncommon for you to fall asleep in sae’s arms, only for the bed to be cold and half-empty in the morning. sometimes his voice or his face over the phone isn’t enough to keep out the doubt and anxiety gnawing at your heart. you don’t want to welcome him home with frustration and tears, but on the rare occasion you do, sae understands. he knows how much trust and faith it takes for you to wait for someone who will leave not long after.

but you also know it was your choice. you knew, when you agreed to start dating sae, that it wasn’t always going to be candy-floss and kitten fluff. you knew how much sae treasured his dreams, his work, his success, how much effort he had poured into crafting the formula to take over the field. you admire him for his tenacity and diligence, and you would never expect him to give up football for you.

you’d never understood why people say you should be willing to sacrifice in a relationship. compromise, yes, but sacrifice? if the person you love can’t accept you for what you are and do, then they don’t love you, not really. at least, that’s what you think.

but that’s why sae is your forever and always. sae loves you for your flaws, not despite them, and that makes all the difference in the world. he never expects you to show him the ‘best side’ of yourself at all times, because he knows how much faith you have in him to bare yourself wholeheartedly to him, to not shy away.

you’re lucky, you think, so unbelievably lucky to have sae in your life. for him to love you. for every day you spend with sae.

unbeknownst to you, sae thinks the same thing. he thinks it so often, hundreds of times a day, and he thinks you’ll say yes if he grabs that little box out of his suitcase and gets on one knee someday soon.

he hopes you’ll cry—tears of joy, not anguish or pain. that way he can wipe them away for you, hold your face in his hands and kiss you like there’s no tomorrow. hold you in his arms like the fool in love he is, so utterly enamoured and enchanted by you.

he doesn’t know how it happened, but he’s not complaining that it did. somewhere along the line he’d ended up completely bewitched by your mellifluous laughter, your sunny smile. there’s something perfect in coming home to you, knowing someone yearns for him in such a way. perhaps it isn’t this penthouse that’s home, but your warm and loving presence. he’s not quite sure. almost, though.

but what he is sure he knows is that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. where he once wanted to write his name into history with a football career like no other, something deep inside would be wholly content to just have the memories of being yours. he wants to spend every day cherishing you, loving you, never yearning from thousands of miles away, but rather holding you close, lovesick and sappier than ever. happier than ever. happier than he’s ever known.

itoshi sae’s happily ever after is a forever after with you.

he can’t believe what you’ve turned him into. a lovesick, lovelorn fool. but still, waking up to the sound of your shallow, breaths, your body curled up into his, and the warmth of your presence—it’s fine.

this is his happily ever after, an imperfect love it may be.

© velchronica 2024

[lovesick-x-prince]

9: Obsession for the whump thing?

Prompt: Obsession - Broken Window | Bruises | “Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble” Fandom: Hermitcraft Pairing: Desert Duo/Scarian Notes: Some warnings for blood and off-screen mass murder. The mass murder is 'justified,' but pretty badly. Also, since the prompt was for obsession, this may be obvious but! Warning for an unhealthy and codependent relationship. Thanks for the ask. <3

The gravestones were covered in creeping mycelium, visible due to the sheer amounts of it despite the deep dusk of twilight surrounding Scar as he strode forward with confidence he didn’t feel.

The only visible sign of his internal turmoil was his hands, which trembled and shook uncontrollably at his sides, dried blood stuck under his fingernails and in his nail beds where he had missed some while cleaning himself up. I had to do it, he told himself, even though he had repeated those words so many times, the true meaning of them had practically worn away. I had to kill all of them. He was going to leave me.

His heart jerked painfully, and for a second it was hard to breathe.

It was fine. Grian couldn’t leave him now, insisting he was better off with his own kind - not when there was no longer anyone of Scar’s ‘own kind’ for him to return to.

Everyone in the village deserved it. Even now, fully aged, armed with magic and power, and respected everywhere he went, Scar couldn’t forget the treatment he had received when he was young before he was discovered as one of the gifted. The way he had starved, abandoned, and spit on.

Scar had spared the children, at least. Directed them to the next nearest village, provided them with a glowing light that would guide them there. Whether or not they made it… well, that was out of his hands, now.

“Grian,” Scar demanded, as he crossed past graves, and moved into the center of the graveyard. When his call received no response, he snarled, feeling his magic crackle under his skin. If Grian had left already…  “Xelqua,” he snapped.

“What did you do.”

Grian’s voice was utterly flat, and his face, when Scar spun to face him, was carefully blank.

Scar took Grian in. He was as beautiful as ever. His eyes were entirely black, his head heavy with a deep purple mushroom cap, and long thin strands hung down from it like a veil around his head. Mushrooms grew, sprouting from his skin, and when he parted his mouth, Scar spotted rows of sharp fangs there. It was the most inhumane form Grian had ever shown him, since they had stumbled into each other years again, both of them bleeding, and down on their luck.

Both of them promising to help one another, and fulfilling their promises through blood, sweat, and endless sacrifice.

As Scar took him in, Grian seemed to do the same - sweeping his gaze across Scar. Abruptly, he froze, and that blank expression shattered. “You’re hurt,” the creature snapped (for Scar had truly never understood just what it was Grian was), suddenly in front of him and grabbing his hands.

As Grian raised Scar’s arms to look at them closer, Scar became aware of the bruises and thin cuts that decorated his knuckles, wrists, and lower arms. There were similar injuries littered across his body. Some of the villagers had tried to fight back.

“I broke a few windows,” Scar admitted instead, recalling those who had chosen to hide inside their homes, instead of coming out to face him.

“You broke a few-? Scar!” Grian huffed, admonishing. “You need to take better care of yourself, honestly. What would you do if I wasn’t…” he cut himself off, faltering. They stared at each other, and then Grian tried to let go of Scar’s arms. Scar moved quickly, threading their fingers together, and holding on tightly before Grian could move away.

“What would I do if you weren’t around?” he questioned, finishing Grian’s sentence. “I don’t know. I won’t have to find out. I can’t go live with the villagers like you want, for you see, there’s been a terrible accident…”

“There are other villages.”

“What if terrible accidents happen there, too?”

Grian stared. Scar stared back, transfixed, unblinking.

“... What we have,” Grian said, “isn’t healthy.”

“We found each other covered in mud, blood, and on the verge of giving up. We found each other when we had nothing, and no one, and clung to each other far too tightly,” Scar agreed. “It’s not healthy, but I can’t let go now. I wouldn’t, even if I could. Even if you wanted me to - then why are you still here? Why haven’t you left, yet?”

Grian didn’t answer, and that in itself, was an answer. Finally, he sighed. “I knew you would get yourself into trouble, somehow.” His voice was light again.

Scar grinned back and squeezed Grian’s hands tight. “Then, you need to keep me out of trouble. For the foreseeable future.”

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group A, Round 1, Poll 4:

Propaganda under the cut

Azula

Personal gain and because she was gaslit herself.

100% pure girlboss. So good at lying and manipulating that the magic human lie detector can’t figure her out. Gatekeeps her father’s “love” from her brother

Azula was considered a prodigy in firebending at a young age. And she manipulates and plots to get what she wants.

They (gas)lit stuff on fire, gatekeeped the avatar from the Fire Nation, and girlbossed all the way into insanity

Akane Kurashiki

Zero Escape spoilers! Akane Kurashiki is dead. Died in an incinerator as a child. But she's right here, isn't she? She's talking about mummies and the Titanic and I'm holding her in my arms. But also she's Zero, mastermind who trapped us here and threatened our lives. That guy literally just exploded. But Akane couldn't have done that, she's so sweet and she's so scared. Also she's dead? But wait, she's right here, and she has a fever again.

lied to a group of ppl including her childhood bestie so they'd enter a death game she planned, she's so funny. also later planned another death game to save the earth etc

GASLIGHT: - Lies to everyone and pretends to just be an innocent quirky girl when in reality, she is the mastermind behind the situation everyone has been put in. - Pretends to be sad and concerned when the bastard who almost killed her pretends to do a heroic sacrifice to get everyone's sympathy. - Pretends she's put bombs inside everyone's stomachs. Really, she only put bombs inside the people she wants revenge on. - Pretends that she and her brother aren't related. - Erases her fiancé's memories and makes him forget he proposed to her so she can go to the moon and stop the outbreak of an apocalyptic virus without him getting in the way. - Puts herself into a schrodinger's cat situation where she's both living and dead until you decide what door to walk through. - Manipulates her way into a Mars mission program. - Makes a guy think he is 45 years younger than he actually is. - Pretends she is going to stab two people to force them back in time. - Manipulates a child into participating in his father's research so he can act as a spare if necessary. GATEKEEP: - A psychic who gains near omniscience in some circumstances, but refuses to explain snything unless it suits her plans. - Says ""Only God decides who lives and dies!"" But she kills several people. Perhaps only God and Akane Kurahiki decide who lives and dies. Or maybe they're the same person? - Manipulates a woman into breaking up with a man so she can kidnap him and bring him to the moon. - Refuses to let her boyfriend meet her when it doesn't suit her plans. - Kidnaps two women and puts them into a coma for 45 years. GIRLBOSS: - Very willing to kill to achieve her goals or get revenge. - Queen of random trivia. Will info dump about her interests whenever it suits her (including when she is trapped in a freezer with two people). - If anyone touches a hair on her boyfriend's head she will not hesitate to cut them down with a chainsaw. - Stages not one but two mass kidnappings and killing games (that we know of). - Great at multitasking, she manged to save her own life and dispose of the people who almost killed her at the same time. - Uses her knowledge of the future to manipulate the stock market and become super rich. If that doesn't scream girlboss I don't know what does. - Starts her own organisation to fight cult leaders and save the world. - Has two nemeses, the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, whose life she completely destroys and a >100 year old cult leader. - Co-runs a moonbase where she has command of AIs and robots.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Please read or skim the descriptions below the poll and approximate as best as you can before voting. (If you disagree with any of my character interpretations, feel free to comment.)

Hephaestus (or Kyma) - Can and will set their pride aside to help others. E.g., Hephaestus held back and did not stand up to Vulcan in order to save his fellow Evers and spare them from further punishment. He took the selfless way out, instead of going after personal satisfaction. Both he and Kyma care for others, and in doing so, save themselves, too. Yet, they also seem willing to sacrifice themselves. "All against Evil" mentality.

Hook (or Midas) - The "neutrals." These two get their own category, slightly outside of the Kyma to Rhian spectrum. Will save himself first if he has good reason to neglect others. Is willing to betray, lie, and cheat, yet cares for those specifically aligned with him. He cares for those on his side (sometimes, meaning only himself) and that excludes everyone else, the masses. Has an "us vs. them" or "us against the world" mentality.

Rise Rafal - Mostly "Good," or if not Good, honorable on some level, but cannot set his pride aside. Slightly narrower than the Hook category. Deserts and tortures everyone with almost no qualms. Yet does possess a conscience. Has a cynical mentality of: "I will save myself and hang everyone out to dry, to fend for themselves" or essentially, the classic: "Every man for himself." Assumes the worst of human nature, under normal circumstances—unless someone gives him reason to believe they will do Good. Also: "So long everyone. I only care about myself, and will do nothing for you." Plays defensive sometimes, but only for himself with few exceptions (like protecting Rhian). Overall: "Me and my personal gain against the world" mentality.

Fall Rafal - Inclusive of the above description. Plus: Will actively, preemptively hurt (or endanger) others, when necessary (could be "necessary" in his mind). Uses people, and sometimes, treats them as disposable. Escape Clause: If he's feeling particularly vindictive or sadistic, as events take a turn for the worst, the definition of "necessary" will widen to accommodate him. Salient addition of the: "I'm always right" mentality.

Fall Rhian (or Marialena) - Self-serving to a greater degree than Rafal is. Believes other people are Good, that humanity is fundamentally Good (or that it can further his cause), and leaves himself vulnerable... He will lie, cheat, and deceive to save his own skin. Plays dirty. Will actively, preemptively hurt. He cares for himself, and will harm and tear down others if it will benefit him. "Me with the world until the world hurts me" mentality.

[adoseoftrees]

There were many Valarin songs about Uinen and Osse.

No. Aule did not plead her to save Osse. He would ask no one to do that. It was just an ordinary day, when he walked to the seashore and looked east, still grieving the ones left with Melkor. A Maia of water approached him, and they talked.

There were whispers, about the conversation between Uinen and Aule, how she left her friends and family in secret, her long journey into Utumno with every wave trying to push her back, how she offered her service to Morgoth, the dreadful acts she committed as the unwavering deadly sea, and the time when everyone believed she was lost like many others were.

Melkor remade her the same way he remade Osse and other Maiar that submitted themselves to his will. She let him to reshape her into the chains that kept Osse in line. 

Uinen was gentle, quiet, and she kept secrets. She was a good actor, or she wasn’t acting at all. Melkor did have trouble differentiate anger and fear. And Melkor never fully understood to what extent one can do for the other; he expected Uinen to serve him for Osse, but he did not expect Osse to betray him for Uinen. After all, Osse sang with him in the Song.

Uinen eventually stirred up a small-scale rebel. She did not come to Utumno for Osse only. She gathered a small group of Maiar that did not want to serve Melkor any longer, and ran for the ocean when Melkor was away. Osse followed her.

It turned into a bloody, desperate fight. They very likely melted some ice and left a small part of Utumno temporally flooded. They knew no one would come for them; Osse created that mass extinction, and Uinen had her share of atrocities when she was undercover as well. Melkor made sure that everyone served him became traitors unredeemable.

Eventually they were cornered and Melkor came to get them himself. They were not prepared for the fate they would suffer; no Ainu could possibly prepare themselves for the horror Melkor would do. Both of them considered shredding the other to spare them from being made into some mindless beast. 

Then the land split open beneath them, and the sea flood into the crack and swept them away.

They were expected to be jailed or exiled, but both Aule and Ulmo pleaded for them. Yavanna did too; she was not entirely happy with the mass extinctions, but she was happy to have a few of her former Maiar leaving Melkor and contacting her again. (They refused to come back, but they were now doing fine and making things on some remote islands.)

----------

Uinen was swiftly accepted back into Ainur community. She was always loved by everyone before she left, and her friends were too happy to find out she was on the good side all the time. 

However, nobody knew what to do with Osse. The fucker really only came back for love; people remembered him happily singing with Melkor & committing atrocities.

Only an Ainu could fully understand what Uinen sacrificed for Osse. The things Melkor did to a Maia was permanent; she was never the same again. Not all her friends and family considered her sacrifice to worth the outcome, and they definitely blame it on her horrible awful boyfriend that made evil life choice. 

----------

So yeah, the tale of Osse and Uinen was considered a great love epic among Ainur. But the story was very controversial and there were different versions written by multiple parties.

Ainur sang about them the same way Noldor sang about Fingon & Maedhros and Sindar sang about Beren & Luthien in later ages.

The universally accepted idea was “What Uinen did was crazily heroic but the mess was all preventable if someone (pointedly looking at Osse) could make wiser decision about who to follow in the Song.”

[darthkvznblogs]

What's your honest opinion on the Diamonds (and Rose as well). I know a lot of folks demonize them and hated they're redemption. Personally, I loved the concept that people can be fundamentally changed for those they love. But curious about your own take?

I'll preface this by saying I really love the Diamonds and their incredibly messy family history and relationships, as well as just their existence in general - which I think is pretty obvious from the way I've written about them, both in-universe and in various asks.

I think any problems I personally have with them are due to two very significant factors: the fact that their family drama and resolution really clashes with everything we've previously known about them as cosmic tyrants, and the unfortunate shortening of their arc making their redemption (which is a bit too generous a word for their character development, at least until Future rolls around) feel pretty rushed.

I definitely agree with you that the show's thesis of change through love and understanding is amazing, and generally, super well realized! And I obviously love the general lore of Homeworld and Gems as a whole, as evidenced by my responses to many asks on here. But I think it's hard to argue that there isn't a bit of a disconnect between the two - we are presented with these larger than life figures who can and have snapped their fingers and condemned their subjects to death, who want Earth and humanity eradicated, to whom the notions of personal agency and freedom are alien, borderline unthinkable, and then the show asks us to consider not just an alliance, but forgiveness of what, to us, would be crimes of the highest order. That's what's difficult to parse, at least on a surface level.

Then again, Darth Vader exists.

If you really think about it, his crimes are as bad, if not worse, than the Diamonds'. Mass murder before he even got stuck in the suit, treason of the highest order, the heartless slaughter of defenseless children, becoming the executioner for an interstellar tyrant, killing his own men on numerous occasions, hunting down survivors from the very purge he led, exterminating so many rebels for the crime of wanting to restore peace and democracy to a ruined galaxy, and (though he didn't give the order) presiding over the genocide of the Alderaanian people with nary a word spared but to criticize the method employed. And yet, when he tosses his master to his doom, saving his son's life by sacrificing his own, we feel for him. We celebrate his change of heart, despite the atrocities he's committed. We mourn his loss along with Luke, an unequivocally good person who (by our measures, at least) should have no business feeling anything but scorn for a monster like Vader.

I think it's, to be honest, rather silly to apply our real world standards to fictional characters one-to-one. Obviously, we can't just ignore them either, and I'm not advocating for that, but the fact remains that Steven Universe isn't trying to portray what should realistically happen if a teenager managed to talk down their intergalactic family of dictators, causing them to rethink their way of doing things practically overnight. They're trying to tell, through the lens of fantasy and science fiction, the tale of a broken family finding a way to stitch itself back together, and I think it succeeds at that, like Star Wars succeeded at telling the story of a monster finding their way back to the light through love and self sacrifice, and like many other stories have managed to tell other such stories of "unrealistic" redemption.

[booksdaydream]

The Blind Rider - Prologue

*SPOILERS FOR HOGWARTS LEGACY GAME*

Characters: Everyone. Like, literally. MC – Magnus Agathe and You, of course.

Summary: Magnus was the new 5th year, with incredible ancient magic and the role of a hero to fulfill. He faced hardships and made friends, sacrificing his own well-being. And you will be the new 6th year, reborn in a dragon riding family, the Draggunnars.

Warnings: A bit of angst, a bit of fluff; mentions of violence (duel, end battle, blood); mentions of death (Ranrok, Solomon); rewriting the end of the game.

Word count: 2,4K+

A/N: Heya, I’m somewhat back. This is the prologue to the long fic I’m writing. I’m quite deep into it already but wanted to have some of your opinions before I continue. Sooo… I have used the game MC as another OC -Magnus Agathe- as you guys can see in this prologue. He’s an important character, but not the main one (since the pairing remains as OMINISXYOU). I had two questions, but decided to just ignore it and go with it. Hope you guys like it. I'll be posting the actual thing on AO3, because it's going to be pretty long. So here's a link to it.

AO3: booksdaydream

The Blind Rider

________________

The end of the year was the hardest part for Magnus Myles Agathe since he had come to Hogwarts in his 5th year. Not being the new student: he was fortunate enough to find friends that welcomed him with open arms. Not having to figure out his unimaginable ancient magic: his brilliant mentor, Professor Fig, had traversed his journey with him. Nor having to carry the pain of his friends’ sorrows: he learnt he was never truly alone in any step of the way. Except perhaps the end of the year. To survive it all by his own sacrifice was certainly painful.

He knew that day under the school, fighting Ranrok, had changed him forever. If not for his doubts, for his physical changes. Was silencing voices clamouring for change the correct path? He wasn’t sure defeating Ranrok was the right thing to do, but alas it had become a surviving situation. As the magic repository Isidora Morganach created with the emotions of her students and the keepers were protecting had burst. Ranrok’s search for ultimate power to free his kind had targeted that mass of energy. And it was Magnus’ job to contain it, having passed every trial the keepers presented him with.

Alongside the last-minute help from the professors, no goblin was able to interfere, and he defeated Ranrok corrupted by the ancient magic. He had turned into an impressive creature, massive and powerful. But Magnus fought bravely and won, but could that be considered something good? Yet he had no time to think, only focusing on the danger the repository was. The unruly power had dispersed upon Ranrok manipulation. Then, he had a choice. He could absorb it, accept its magic, and become stronger. Possibly corrupted such as Ranrok became. Or return it to its previous state and restrain it. Not without sacrifice as it’d require a great amount of determination.

Magnus couldn’t see himself following a similar path as Isidora nor Ranrok. He believed both had honourable intentions. In her case, trying to spare her loved ones from pain and misery, while he tried to achieve freedom for his equals. But both followed the wrong manner in which to attain them. The ancient magic without rules perverting their noble purposes. Magnus, instead, decided to contain it. Let it remain as it was, away from him. But he was only a 5th year. With limited magic knowledge and control. So, Professor Fig needed to help him. Or at least, he thought so.

With his wand raised, a unicorn hair core and cedar wood with 12cm and swishy flexibility, Magnus casted a purplish spell to return the repository to its original shape and position. Professor Fig stood next to him, following his stance. His spell was whitish, devoid of ancient magic and thus weaker. They both moaned and writhed in pain, their magic being drained as the repository was contained. Slowly diminishing and taking a roundish form as it moved through the air back to the spot it previously rested in. Professor Fig’s hand faltered, a heavy breath escaping his chapped lips in a tired sigh, and Magnus could see sideways his mentor’s light fading. And he didn’t think twice. With a rather brute shove, he stopped Professor Fig’s spell as he fell to the ground. He wouldn’t allow his precious mentor to fade away. Magnus focused on his wand and his magic, putting all his energy on the repository.

And suddenly, everything stopped. As if time had rendered still. The repository was in place and roundish once again. His wand did not cast any light upon it anymore. Magnus feel to the ground, in pain and breathing heavily. His muscles hurt as if he had run a marathon, but something inside him ached even more. He wasn’t sure what. Professor Fig quickly came to his side, his eyes focused on the boy. Magnus could barely remember, but the elder took his shoulders and held him in place as if that was the only support keeping him up as Magnus knelt down. Professor Fig whispered breathlessly, “Well done, well done.” Tired himself with the effort of controlling that enormous magical repository. Then, everything went dark.

--

When Magnus woke up, he was in the Hospital Wing. Poppy Sweeting sat next to him in an apparently uncomfortable chair, right next to his thin bed. She snored quietly, her head hanging low, but her hand held his laying by his body. The rebellion was over, the battle was over, the repository was safe. Magnus had barely opened his eyes and he closed them again.

--

It took Magnus a couple of hours to realize he wasn’t fine. Madam Blainey couldn’t tell. Nor could Professor Weasley nor Professor Fig. He thanked Merlin that Sweeting and Amit Thakkar, who kept him entertained at Magnus’ bedside with his long amusing explanations of nightly terrifying trips to observe the stars, also didn’t notice. But he could feel in his core the unsteadiness, the rumbling magic he had just spent a year learning about pulsating and shuffling inside himself. Just as if he had an upset stomach, but a little bit higher on his chest. That feeling of churning. But using his ancient magic seemed to be fine. Until it wasn’t.

While helping his friend Sebastian Sallow in his quest to cure his sister Anne, he found a relic that awoke inferi everywhere. Magnus tried to stop him as he had gone far enough thinking he could control them and control Anne’s curse with such dangerous object. But that encounter became serious as his uncle Solomon Sallow joined them, destroying the relic. And the duel that followed was not pretty. At first, it seemed standard practice for Magnus. He had fought poachers, ashwinders and other kinds of adults. His magic worked fine and seemed to alarm the older gentlemen, as Magnus destroyed inferi after inferi. Time or another casting a spell towards Solomon himself, who would protect against it with uncertainty.

However, his ancient magic failed him suddenly. As Magnus casted lightening on a group of three inferi, Solomon sent a basic cast his way which he was able to defend with a simple protego. But, when he turned to Solomon and casted a levitating spell to throw him around as he had done plenty of times before, the magic ricocheted and he was launched backwards, hitting the stony wall. He moaned in pain feeling the impact spread from his spine throughout his back. The churning feeling on his chest made him sick, more present at that moment than ever before, but he couldn’t stop fighting as more inferi seemed to continue appearing.

Magnus stood slowly, a foot on the ground after the other and scowling at the pain shooting down from his spine to his toes. Certainly, he’d have some bruises to remember that night. The fight carried on, but his magic did not fail him again. Of course, he did use it more carefully and with less frequency, which seemed to have been a good idea at the time. But did not solve the problem as he continued with unstable ancient magic for a long time after that. Yet, during the fight Sebastian lost his mind in his madness and casted an Unforgivable on his own uncle, “Avada Kedavra.” And just like that Solomon Sallow was lifeless on the catacomb floor and Anne Sallow had apparated into the room.

She condemned Sebastian’s search for her cure on the dark arts and destroyed his source, a book. Then, she disappeared with Solomon’s body. For a second, Sebastian couldn’t understand where everything went wrong, where had he failed and when had his judgement become so cloudy. But he seemed to conclude he had crossed a line he shouldn’t have, driven mad by the corruption of the dark arts. From then on, Sebastian and Magnus returned to Hogwarts devastated in their own misery. Sebastian having lost both his uncle and his sister. Magnus unsure if he had lost his ancient magic.

Unexpectedly, upon meeting the third member of their friend group, Ominis Gaunt, Sebastian took a serious tone and announced he was turning himself in. He had also concluded, upon contemplating, that he should never ever, ever, allow such a thing to happen again and, for that, he’d willingly have his friends bring him to justice. Hearing that alarmed Ominis. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to let him go, as he already felt guilty for not managing to stop Sebastian on walking down this path, the path of the dark arts, as well as for keeping a secret from him. His sister’s location.

Anne buried her uncle alone and went to live with Mr. Ndiaye and his twin daughters until she had found a better place to stay, letting only Ominis know her whereabouts and making him promise not to share her location with Sebastian as she wasn’t ready to see him yet. In truth, she didn’t know if she’d ever be ready to see him again. Anne told Ominis she wanted Sebastian to face the consequences for his actions but could not see another family member suffer. So, she left.

Ominis was utterly devastated with the situation. Not wanting to lose his friend, but thinking he had no choice but to turn Sebastian in for his actions. Yet that would destroy Sebastian as well as destroy Ominis too. So, he asked Magnus for his input. He thought Sebastian still had hope, yet if they sent him to Azkaban then they’d lose him forever. As Azkaban would consume all goodness that remained in Sebastian. So together, they decided to keep his secret.

Sebastian was incredibly touched by his friends understanding and forgiveness, he cried for what seemed like hours on both Ominis’ and Magnus’ arms on their special hidden place, the Undercroft. He couldn’t muster the correct words to show his gratitude as he knew they were both risking their reputation and future for guarding that secret of his. But they didn’t mind. It was their friend they were supporting, and their friend they were protecting.

“I’m indebted to you. Forever. This sort of kindness is… something I’ll never be able to fully repay. But I will try, every day, for the rest of my life.”

Sebastian said weakly, in a whispered shaky breath amongst emotional tears, Magnus offered him soft pats of comfort and Ominis’ could only muster some quiet tears. Sebastian shared his pain, his thoughts, his guilt, and his gratitude.

“I don’t believe I deserve your forgiveness, but I’ll never forget how good you're to me. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to earn it.”

He continued and it didn’t matter how much Magnus and Ominis quietly protested, Sebastian seemed settled in doing better. He held on tightly onto his friends as if to remind himself their forgiveness was real, that this was actually happening and he wasn’t fantasizing their compassion.

“I won’t use the dark arts anymore if I can help it. You were right, Ominis. You were always right; it makes me feel empty and I didn’t realize I was making the sort of choices no one should ever make. So… I’ll make sure I never have to do them again.”

Sebastian finished with strength to his voice, although it still sounded muffled by his tears, because he wanted to make sure they knew he meant every word. He promised he’d never forget what they’d done for him. He promised he’d never do anything like this again. He promised if he’d ever felt like going somewhere like that again, he’d reach out for them. And he apologized for worrying them.

Lastly, he tried not think about Anne. He had decided he’d never use the dark arts again, not even to save her. But he knew she had told Ominis, and only him, about her location and that stung. It truly hurt him, deeply. Yet, he also knew it didn’t hurt as much as the pain she must’ve been on. Solomon was a terrible parenting figure, but he was someone she could rely on. If Sebastian had to sacrifice everything he shared with Anne for her to get the life she deserved, he would do it. Although he hoped it wouldn't be that extreme, and he dreamed she would find in herself a way to forgive him. Even if very slowly.

Taking part in that moment made Magnus consider if he’d ever go that far for anyone, or for himself. If he’d risk everything or cross a line to save something that he believed could be lost. Perhaps the stability of his own magic that had been risked by him saving Professor Fig, the entirely opposite situation as Sebastian had been in. Magnus wondered if his regret would reach one tenth of Sebastian’s, even if he believed to have done the right thing.

--

And at the official end of the year, Magnus arrived at the Great Hall for the final feast with his bravest Gryffindor friend, Natsai Onai, that had previously sacrificed herself and taken an Unforgivable for him. They approached the Gryffindor table observing all the other students in a festive mood and watched as their house won the House Cup for that year.

He noticed Poppy Sweeting clap with a smile from Hufflepuff table; Everett Clopton, the troublemaker, and Amit Thakkar wave excitedly at him from the Ravenclaw table while Duncan Hobhouse, the one scared of puffskeins, seemed upset; Sebastian Sallow, Ominis Gaunt and Imelda Reyes, the toughest quidditch player he’d never play against, cheer from the Slytherin table. And celebrated with Natsai, Garreth Weasley, the potions master-to-be, Cressida Blume, one who loved flying books, Lucan Brattleby, the Crossed Wands secret club organiser, and Leander Prewett, the other Gryffindor, at the Gryffindor table.

While Professor Black, the Headmaster, gave his closing speech, you were on the Hebridean Islands returning from another successful raid. Confidently riding your beautiful dragon through the night sky, the cold salty wind hitting your face and your long braided black hair flying wildly. The poacher’s camp was suspiciously close to the coast on the mainland and the tools they carried were definitely for the hunting of dragons, so your family and you had to interfere. Your brilliant yellow eyes scanned your two companions riding their own dragons as one of them carried a heavy humanlike bag, dripping blood slowly. You were still young and mostly took care of backup, so you could only observe the others and support them from above. You were good, talented and had absolutely no idea a letter had just arrived at your home with an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Again.

–––––––––––––

*No reproduction of this text allowed without credit*

[thxnews]

Israel Government Aid: Lifelong Support for Filipino Victims

  A Heartfelt Gesture in the Midst of Tragedy

In a poignant move, the Israeli government has pledged unwavering support to the families of the four Filipinos tragically killed in the Hamas attack on October 7. Ambassador Ilan Fluss, in a press conference held in Taguig City, announced a lifelong commitment to aid the bereaved families.   Monthly Aid for Survival Fluss revealed that Israel would provide a base monthly aid of PHP100,000 to the immediate families of the victims. The amount, he emphasized, would vary based on the family's status, considering whether the recipient is a parent or a spouse, and the number of children.   Beyond Financial Assistance Expressing the understanding embedded in Israeli law, Fluss stated that the aid is essential for the families to continue their lives. Notably, the recently released caregiver, Jimmy Pacheco, could also qualify for monthly aid following his 49-day captivity.  

Commemorating Lives Lost

The Israeli Embassy conducted a Mass to honor Angelyn Aguirre, Loreta Alacre, Grace Cabrera, and Paul Castelvi – the four Filipinos killed in the cross-border attack by Hamas. The event saw the participation of Philippine government officials, including Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega, Migrant Workers Undersecretary Patricia Yvonna Caunan, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Arnell Ignacio. A Mother's Grief Erlinda Aguirre, mother of Angelyn, expressed the unbearable pain of losing her "precious daughter" and her "source of strength." She questioned why such a tragedy had to happen to her family.   Last Words of Fear Angenica, Aguirre’s sister and a survivor of the October 7 attack, recounted their last online conversation. Angelyn expressed fear, and their exchange reflected shared apprehension. Angenica's attempt to reach her again went unanswered.   Tragic Sacrifice Aguirre, a newlywed nurse from Pangasinan, chose to stay with her elderly ward Nira during the attack, leading to both of them being brutally murdered.  

Coping with Loss

Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum praised Aguirre for her "unbelievable humanity and loyalty." Nicolas, Aguirre's husband, shared his disbelief and the emotional struggle, expressing pride in his wife despite the painful circumstances.   Long-Distance Grief Nicolas, grappling with the loss, revealed his struggle to accept reality. He described moments of waking up, unable to hold back tears, and expressed the hope that the war in Israel would end, sparing others from similar suffering.  

Humanitarian Pause Offers Respite

Amidst the tragedy, a humanitarian pause has begun, allowing for the delivery of aid and the exchange of hostages in Gaza. The pause is a glimmer of hope in the midst of the ongoing conflict.   Sources: THX News & Philippine News Agency. Read the full article

[the-autistic-digital-circus]

tell us about some of your oc's!

hold on anon, i know this is an old ask but i deadass made an excel spreadsheet so let me just pick a few numbers and talk about whatever characters they corollate to. picrews/drawings, if any, will be below a cut

231.

Prince Ereson Luna is the heir apparent of the kingdom of Shadd and is named after one of their gods. For as long as he can remember, he's had the ability to see the auras of those around him. Around himself is a tar-black mass that writhes like worms. Around Prince Landon of Lyth is a white-gold aura that shines brighter than any other. Ereson's aura corrupts anything it touches, and he cannot control it. Because of this, though he cares deeply for Landon, he avoids him. This is quite the struggle considering that, as fate would have it, Landon is both his soulmate and his mortal enemy. You see, Ereson is what is known as the Nocturne, the prophesied child of the aforementioned god Erese, who is destined to drag the world into his father’s divine realm of the Endless Dream, diametrically opposed to Landon's own destiny as the Lucerene, a vessel of the god of light, who is meant to lead the war-torn world of Pandora into an era of peace and prosperity.

33.

Cedric Maximilian is the elder of the two Maximilian siblings, being 13 years old. He and his little half-sister Lucy had been out trick-or-treating when they managed to slip through the Veil separating Earth from Samhain, the land of monsters. The only one willing to help them was an antiques shop-owning demon named Monarch, who informs them that the Veil has shut behind them and offers to be a guide and guardian in their search for some other way out. Cedric is a nervous wreck to start, but as time goes on and the trio meets all flavors of monster throughout Samhain, he overcomes his fear and develops a strong compassion for those around him. When he sacrifices himself to protect his newfound friend group, the truth about how the Maximilians slipped through the Veil is revealed: Cedric is not entirely human (he's half-phoenix, to be precise) and this monstrous heritage makes the Veil especially thin for him. Lucille was only able to come through because they were holding hands when he fell.

256.

Leah Edmonds was human once upon a time, but a get-together with friends gone horribly wrong led to her and her brother Jackson becoming the sole survivors of a vampire clan's feeding frenzy. The clan leader who turned them, Arturo, claims that the two "owe" him for sparing their lives, and with the threat of that second chance at life being taken away looming over her head, Leah works as a traveling nurse to pay off her supposed debt. When she's done, and she very nearly is, she plans on making sure Arturo never does this to anyone ever again.

Prince Ereson Luna (picrew by Brightgoat)

Cedric Maximilian

Leah Edmonds (picrew by Naylissah)

Prince Landon Sol

Jackson Edmonds

(Figured I'd include images for a couple of the people mentioned, so I had a drawing of Monarch here as well but for some reason it breaks the post?? rip)

[warsofasoiaf]

American generals wouldn't like what they see. They realize that Sergey Surovikin is competent and has enough authority to impose his views on Vladimir Putin, even when those come with political cost. This would mean that Vladimir Putin wouldn't let matters of personal prestige to get in way of operations anymore. With an effective and free... [1-6]

General to act against them, they know his predecessors' mistakes won't get repeated. The campaign to destroy Ukrainian infrastructures is rapidly progressing with 40% of Ukrainian energy system getting destroyed or neutralized within a month. Vladimir Putin initially wanted to spare Ukraine and its people to focus on Kiev's oppressive government and its neo-nazi units... [2-6]

While Sergey Surovikin has imposed a war of annihilation, which will impose the true cost on the population of its blindly support for Kiev. Yesterday, Mark Milley suddenly appeared to talk of peace and the impossibility for both sides to win on the ground - These statements are intended to save time. Despite CIA's intense propaganda, Kiev is... [3-6]

Axed on the ground. For one Russian soldier lost, Kiev sacrifices seven. Currently, Kiev has eight hundred thousand soldiers on the front and couldn't hope to mobilize more. With such a rate of destruction of troops, this would become impossible to replace experienced officers and soldiers. The average quality of forces is inexorably declining, weakening the front... [4-6]

And opening the way to increasingly bloody offensives. Also, millions of Ukrainians have already fled. With the destruction of the energy system, many more millions will follow. Without a break, Kievan forces will face a severe crisis in the front and in the rear with the likelihood of significant ground losses. The peace talks mentioned by American officials... [5-6]

Are based on this reality and aim to temporize for replenishing Kiev's reserves. Washington's goal is to exhaust Moscow but what happens is its own pawn's exhaustion. Other countries will soon have to be thrown into the conflict against Moscow in a more frontal way, as the president of France implied in yesterday's speech. [6-6]

Look here everyone, this is unrefined cope, nearly fresh from the fields. The Kherson retreat has probably prompted a strategic release even of unprocessed cope. But you know what, I feel like being nice today, so let's debunk these points, one by one.

"They realize that Sergey Surovikin is competent."

That's debatable. The quotes about his competence have always stressed that he is considered competent by the standards of the Russian army. Before his appointment as supreme commander, he was primarily in charge of the Southern Grouping of Forces, which while it succeeded in taking Kherson, completely failed in its attack toward Mykolaiv and repeatedly left its air fleet vulnerable to bombardment on the ground. Kherson has been abandoned by the Russian Army, the defense of which fell primarily on Surovikin's command.

Moreover, his military career and overall strategy (mass bombing of civilian infrastructure) isn't really going to help him well. Terror bombing has so far been unable to generate calls for surrender within Ukraine. Russia is running low of precision-guided munitions and doesn't have the industrial base or components to make more at scale. Russia made significant strategic errors in overwhelmingly using Iskander and Kalibr missiles in an attempt to demonstrate their strike capability to Western observers in an attempt to prove their legitimacy. Without these, precision strikes to starve Ukrainian armies of their supplies simply will not be very effective - unguided munitions are going to wear out artillery tubes and Russian ALCM's like the Killjoy are simply too prone to failure and too inaccurate to do the job.

"40% of Ukrainian energy system getting destroyed or neutralized within a month"

This is an incorrect interpretation of the estimates, which I've found here. The actual report says that 35-40% have suffered damage or destruction, not destruction or neutralization.

"Vladimir Putin initially wanted to spare Ukraine and its people to focus on Kiev's oppressive government and its neo-nazi units..."

This is a common refrain among apologists for Russia's war. It's a transparent lie, an attempt to tie this war to the Great Patriotic War and the Soviet fight against the Nazis.

The supposed "oppression" of the Ukrainian government, either in Crimea or the Donbas, is laughably easy to disprove. The "Crimean protest" to join Russia as they were an ethnically Russian province was wholly manufactured by Russia only after they invaded, as evidenced by tapes with Glazyev, Putin's advisor, discussing it. Even as late as 2014, Crimea, the most ethnically Russian province in Ukraine, did not have majority support for uniting Ukraine and Russia into a single state, either through annexation or the Union State model that exists in Belarus. Since this sentiment didn't exist naturally, Russia used irregular forces (the "Little Green Men") to create a fictitious organic separatist movement. As early as April 2014, Putin admitted that there were Russian military operatives in Ukraine. These irregulars, however, were unable to stop the plundered and ineffective Ukrainian army from attacking their positions, and so in August the Russians had sent in regular army forces to compel Kyiv to sue for peace (the Minsk Accords). So rather than this "shelling of ethnic Russians in the Donbas," this was a response to a deniable asset war initiated by Russia.

The far-right in Ukraine has actually suffered significantly in terms of popularity from its high-water mark in 2012, where far-right parties had ~10.4% representation in government. In 2014 that number had fallen to 6%, and then to 2% in 2019. So in terms of handling "Neo-Nazi" units, it seemed that Ukraine was actually doing just fine on its own marginalizing and eliminating the influence of the far-right in Ukraine. This is in stark contrast to Russia, which has significant far-right representation in the military such as the Russian Imperial Legion which openly espouses white supremacist and ethnic cleansing rhetoric, along with complaints from ethnic minorities in Russia who suffer from political repression and disproportionately make up members of the "mobiks" to spare ethnic Russians from dying on the front lines, just ask the Crimean Tatars or Dagestanis. The deputy chief of Wagner, Utkin, actually has for-real Nazi eagle tattoos on his collar. It's unsurprising, then, that Russia has turned to "de-Satanizing" Ukraine, these are clumsy, random ad hominem attacks to justify naked imperial aggression.

"While Sergey Surovikin has imposed a war of annihilation"

It's already been a war of annihilation - Mariupol suffered extensive damages and casualties, there have been numerous categorical atrocities such as those in Bucha. Russian military doctrine is cavalier with civilian casualties to begin with, in part due to terror being a weapon of military doctrine and in part due to poor accuracy of weapons systems due to shoddy design, and this has been evidently true since the Syrian campaign.

"Yesterday, Mark Milley suddenly appeared to talk of peace and the impossibility for both sides to win on the ground"

Re-read his statement. He says that "there has to be a mutual recognition that a military victory is probably, in the true sense of the word is maybe not achievable through military means" in order to "turn to other means" and seize "a window of opportunity for negotiation." He has not explicitly said that Ukraine cannot achieve victory on the ground, it's that in order for a peace conference, both sides must come to the conclusion that battle will not achieve their goals, similar to the response I made earlier.

"Despite CIA's intense propaganda, Kiev is...Axed on the ground."

Last I checked, it's Russians losing territory, not the Ukrainians, or did you not see the latest battle maps? And if what I'm reading from Russian Telegram is any indication, the Kherson retreat isn't going well.

"For one Russian soldier lost, Kiev sacrifices seven"

This one is particularly funny. Not even the Russians claim this high of a casualty count. According to Russia's own statements (which no honest observer believes), Russia has lost 10,065 troops among the VSRF, Wagner, and forces of the Luhansk and Donetsk DPR, while they claim 61,207 Ukrainian KIA, that’s six-to-one, not seven. 

"The average quality of forces is inexorably declining"

This doesn't seem to be the case actually. Ukraine is still capable of multi-theater operations and their largest operational constraint doesn't appear to be manpower or expertise, but materiel. You don't see calls for more volunteers or foreign fighters, but equipment. Contrast, Russia has severe problems with troop quality, including open-source reports of rampant drunkenness and disorder, and this is only getting worse with the arrival of the mobiks.

"Also, millions of Ukrainians have already fled."

According to most estimates, as many as one-ninth of Russians have fled to avoid conscription. Comparatively speaking, while there are Ukrainian refugees and IDP's, manpower does not appear to be the sustainment concern.

“Other countries will soon have to be thrown into the conflict against Moscow in a more frontal way, as the president of France implied in yesterday's speech.”

Macron is looking to strengthen the military and make an independent European one, that’s been a goal of his for a while (and a pipe dream). Tell me, who’s going to be thrown in there? Frankly speaking, the Russian army is so incompetent that it would probably lose a war against Poland and the Baltics.

So there you have it folks, we've got the full gamut from Surovikin becoming the next Steiner, out-and-out lies about casualty counts, and the good old-fashioned Ukraine Nazis myth. Have fun with it!

Thanks for the contribution, Vatnik. You just made my day with how hard you're trying to cope.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[bokunowtv]

Hey, first of all, sorry for not putting that wall of text under a cut. I've been away from tumblr in a while so looks like I forgot… --' And thanks for the polite reply, I really do enjoy these debates.

Loooong reply under the cut!

So, to start with, just to clarify, I think you misunderstood me on some points:

1) I'm not saying that people in the west do not visit their criminal relatives - even in Japan a lot of them do actually. But Touya is a particularly extreme case, and in extreme cases like Touya? I really do not think that "it's a given" that the father would stick with the son (let alone visit him everyday) no matter the country. And - again only talking about extreme cases like Touya - afaik they are likely to face social stigma even outside of Japan. To give a few concrete examples, in the US, the parents of mass shooters like Nikolas Cruz, Adam Lanza, Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, etc. all struggled with social backlash (blame, threats, etc.). Note that Touya is a much worst case (he's responsible of the death of many more people and displaced millions). (I do 100% agree that it's even worse in Japan though!)

2) I don't think you hate Enji, sorry if I implied otherwise. And I agree that it's not a matter of "sides" between Touya and Enji and that you can like both. On twitter I follow several accounts who are crazy about both of them and their relationship. I also find all of the Todorokis interesting personally, though I'm still figuring out my feelings on Dabi's character (the adult version) - maybe that's why I enjoy discussing him.

3) "If I hadn't misunderstood you, you wouldn't forgive a murderer. Another person can chose not to forgive an abuser, even if said abuser says he's sorry." -- I absolutely could forgive a murderer! I do not even think that murder is always bad lol. And tbh, I have already fantasized about murdering an abuser, so I definitely understand people who refuse to forgive.

------

Regarding Enji accepting Touya's death, I think I just don't see it the same way as you. First, everyone reacts differently to death and I won't judge a person for not having the "right" emotions or not entering a state of denial. I don't see it as lack of love - especially since Endeavor is a top hero who has been trained all his life to handle crisis and is hard-wired to always think about saving people. In that situation where the story didn't present him with a way to stop Touya's fire, I see Enji being willing to sacrifice his life for Touya (and atonement to the rest of his family) as love. It was at that point the only thing he could do to atone to his son.

The comparison with Rei doesn't work for me, because 1) she (and Fuyumi and Natsuo) didn't have all the elements when they jumped into the fray (they couldn't have known Touya was no longer capable of rational thought or what state his body was in, so they couldn't have known how hopeless the situation was), and 2) I think that she was doing essentially the same thing as Enji anyway - I think the story implies she went in there to die with them. When Enji tells her she'll die she doesn't deny it or say something like "I have to do my best to save him" or "it's not too late as long as he's still alive" - instead she replies with "so will you and Touya", which sounds resigned. She doesn't talk to Touya to try and make him stop, she just apologizes. She even panics when she sees that Fuyumi and Natsuo followed her even though they also have ice they could use to cool Touya.

IMO, the whole situation was different from that of a family in a hospital. In these cases, there is no urgency, no danger to anyone, whereas Touya is like a terminally-ill suicide-bomber that has completely lost his mind. Enji had to make his decision under duress: people were going to die. Idk, like, think of these stories from the Holocaust or Rwandan genocide of parents being coerced into killing one child to spare the rest from further torture or death. It's cruel to blame them whatever they chose because of how terrible it is that they have to make this choice at all.

And another difference is that the families you saw in real-life probably aren't dealing with a killer zombie as their loved one. What you wanted actually already happened with Enji the first time Touya died: he was that parent who refused to believe it, who kept looking for his son even after finding a piece of his jawbone. But Dabi isn't just Touya, the boy they loved and mourned for a decade. He's a Touya who came back from the dead but very horribly wrong, so the Todorokis don't get to feel joy at him being alive - rather horror, sadness and a sense of responsibility. It's not just Enji: all of them accepted easily enough that Touya was slowly dying in the epilogue. And it makes sense to me because I did not get the impression they were ever uber-optimistic in the first place about Touya's future (apart from maybe Shouto). Rei literally asked Enji to "fight Dabi" (knowing he couldn't do that without burning him so?) and they all talk about "stopping" him, not "saving".

------

But weeeell, that's an analysis from a Watsonian perspective, and it may be pointless to argue about it (says I after writing an entire essay on one single moment lol) because if I understood correctly the crux of your issue seems to be Enji's narrative arc from a Doylist perspective?

Personally, I think Enji's atonement (which, btw, is actually only part of his larger arc imo) is fantastically written and hit all the right notes. It worked for me, since imo Enji gave each one of his victims what they needed from him. Just to recap:

Rei needed to know that he (unlike her own family) hadn't abandoned her (that he no longer blamed her and still cared for her). He personally went to gift her her favorite flowers and accepted that they would only meet if she was ready without pressuring her. Later, he built a house for her to make sure she'd have a space where she'll be able to recover and rebuild her relationship with their kids away from him. After Dabi Dance, he kept fighting at her behest to atone for all of them, in spite of his initial resolution to retire immediately. And in the epilogue he promises he'll still take on the brunt of the consequences of Dabi's crimes, even if Rei was also his parent.

Fuyumi wanted a happy family and it's implied he made efforts to spend quality time with her. He also tried to be part of her dinner parties and when that failed he built the new house so she'd be able to enjoy meals with the rest of their family, and to take the pressure of being the peacemaker off her shoulders.

Natsuo needed to vent his anger and to be reassured that it was ok not to forgive him. Endeavor let him rage at him, validated his feelings, took responsibility and reassured him that he was still a kind person. He needed space to be able to bond with his mom and siblings without having to deal with his trauma, so again the new house was the solution. And at the very end of the last battle Enji found the strength to attack AFO one last time with his burnt and broken body because Natsuo asked him to.

Shouto wanted his help and guidance as a hero, as well as a chance to compete with his friends. Endeavor accepted to train them all together, and to train Shouto on Shouto's terms. It's in that environment that Shouto was able to master Flashfire Fist and "stumble onto" Phosphore. Even before that, Enji had told him he was proud of him and that he would strive to make him proud too - which is something Shouto thought about when he was afraid his father might die against Hood, so it meant something to him. Shouto also wanted more than anything to become his own hero, and that was basically Endeavor's entire motivation for fighting - he wanted to protect his son's future: against AFO, this was the thought that allowed him to go plus-ultra.

For all 3 of his younger kids, he of course also promised to shield them from the fallout of Dabi's reveal and make amends for the rest of his life, while freeing them from filial duty.

Your original post already went into details about how Enji atones to Touya: the public admission of guilt, his attempts to contain him without hurting him in the war, his resolution to keep visiting him every day, etc.

And there's of course the apologies.

So, at the end of day, Enji got to atone in multiple ways to each one of his victims based on their individual needs. He listened to them and acted accordingly, respecting their boundaries. In addition, the story makes it clear that 1) this is only the beginning and he'll continue to atone for the rest of his life, and 2) nobody has to forgive him and he's not doing it for a reward. It shows him making mistakes (e.g. saying the wrong words to Natsuo, misunderstanding Shouto coming to him for the internship as him opening up to him as a father) which he then tries to rectify. And the most important thing for me is that it all feels very real: it's all stuff that a father who abused his family in real life could and should do. There's never an easy way-out (e.g. he doesn't get to save Natsuo from Ending) just like in real-life you probably wouldn't get a magical opportunity to physically save your kid and call yourself redeemed.

It's consistent, it's nuanced and to me it feels complete (his atonement is not done but the arc went over all the points it needed to) - especially since BNHA has so many characters and there's limited space to tell Enji's story.

(It's actually incredible how much love and attention the Todoroki subplot got, taking the time to flesh out 3 background characters that have absolutely nothing to do with Deku or the main plot. Deku's own family got no screentime in comparison, neither did Bakugou's or All Might's or Shigaraki's or even AFO's.)

But back to the actual point of contention: did Enji, in addition to all the above, also need to save Touya to "succeed"? And here we have different interpretations of the story. If "saving" means physically saving him, then I disagree that was ever Enji's narrative role. Enji's wish that Touya could sit with the rest of the family around the dinner table was never meant to be a story objective imo (he wasn't even thinking of Dabi but a fantasy Touya who never died). Of course, it's true that Dabi is a challenge for Enji, but the text never makes that challenge "saving him".

Imo, the Todoroki narrative after Dabi Dance can be read on 2 levels:

On the surface level, their challenge, their actual stated goal, is to stop Dabi (the "family sin"). Enji's duty is to keep being a hero in spite of his broken heart but for the sake of atonement this time: atonement to society on behalf of the family. He has to shoulder the responsibility as the Number One Hero and the blame as Dabi's father.

On a symbolic level, Dabi is a ghost of the past. He's the one who's been left behind, the child whose future was taken from him, the pain nobody wanted to look at. That pain turned into hatred and came back to haunt them. So for me, their narrative challenge on this level was to face Dabi, to see him and listen to him and heal his soul - especially Enji and Rei. And since in the past they let the stress of dealing with Touya divide them, their challenge this time was to do things right, show they learned from their mistakes: to support each other and take responsibility together. The story gives them both the opportunity to do that. Enji accepts Touya's invitation to dance. He looks at him, admits his mistakes and resolves not to abandon him this time, to die with him as his father -- or after they both survive, to keep dancing with him in their own makeshift hell, until Touya can finally rest in piece.

So if "saving" means something like "soothing his anger", I think Enji (and the rest of the Todorokis) actually succeeded - or it's implied that he will eventually. Dabi's eyes reappearing after hearing his father's apology to me is symbolical of his lost humanity/love returning to him (and before that he had that moment where he finally feels seen and valued when Enji is looking at him through the fire). And in the epilogue, Dabi is at first his usual venomous self, but the rage seems to evaporate after Enji swears to keep visiting him and he visibly softens - and later even sort of reconciles with Shouto.

------

Last point regarding Enji having to "pay a huge price" to atone or the need for "negative consequence of equal value for him": I personally do not mind Enji's ending (he made honorable sacrifices as a hero and as a father and I respect that the consequences stuck). Buuuut the idea that he had to suffer to atone is a pet-peeve of mine. Who does it help, that Enji is disabled now? Is it going to improve their lives? Not even Touya seemed particularly happy about it. And like, promising abusers pain and ostracization if they try to atone isn't going to help them want to admit their sins. A message is only meaningful if its applicable to real life, and in real life, I do not believe that this is the philosophy with which we should approach wrong doers ("we gotta make them suffer as much as the victims").

(I mean, if we're thinking like that, they should be torturing Touya for his remaining lifetime instead of giving him a peaceful death - and even then he wouldn't have repaid the suffering he caused to his many many many victims. Should we wish for him to burn in hell until he pays his debt?)

Did Enji atone to Touya (and his family) and stepped up on his role as a father?

Boku no Hero Academia has a grave 'flaw'. The fact that's strongly tied to Japanese culture and Buddhism makes it a very interesting work but also makes it a hardly international work because way too many cultural things are left unexplained because they're assumed to be a given. Only they're not when the work is read by foreign readers. And this lead to confusion.

The Todoroki plotline is an example of this.

In the west many feel Enji did nothing for Touya or did too little because the little he did is a given in the west. The point is... it's not a given in Japan. In Japan is a BIG DEAL. So let's go though it.

First, the fact that he doesn't want to kill Touya even though he's a criminal

Todoroki Enji ‘Ore wa ikinobite mo... ENDEAVOR wa shinda. Tairyō satsujinsha (read: musuko) to tatakaenai.’ 轟炎司「俺は生き延びても...エンデヴァーは死んだ。大量殺人者（むすこ）と戦えない。」 Todoroki Enji “Even if I survived... Endeavor is dead. I can't fight against a mass murderer (read: my son).”

Let's compare it to these two scenes of "Death Note" and see how Yagami Soichiro, a policeman, is taking the idea his son might be a killer and how, although Misa protests, the story doesn't present it as him being crazy but as it being his duty.

That's why Hawks doesn't want to send Enji, who's on an atonement path, to face Dabi, because Enji might end up in a situation in which he would have to kill his son and he would refuse... which is more or less what happens.

Second, Enji acknowledges that what Touya said is true, Touya is his son and Enji did what he did. In such a situation many would lie. Dabi's video proves nothing. He is a Villain, they had a doctor in the team who could create Nomu, the paternity test could be fake, even if Dabi were to provide a sample of his blood or skin they could insist that's fake.

Society didn't want the truth, they don't want Enji to confess, they wanted him to reassure them, they even commented he should have lied because yes, that's what's done often.

Basically he put his honor on the chopping block. A public apology like this one is a BIG DEAL in Japan. It's much more serious than in western countries and he does it when he could have spared himself and say Dabi lied but that would have meant to deny his son.

Third, it connects to the first in a way. While Enji is unwilling to kill Touya, he's willing to die with him. It's ‘shinjū’ (心中 Lit. “Mind/heart center/inside” but more likely means “oneness of hearts”, probably reflecting a psychological link between the participants) and it’s a word used in common parlance to refer to any group suicide of two or more individuals bound by love, typically lovers, parents and children, and even whole families. People who commit shinjū believe that they would be united again in heaven, a view supported by feudal teaching in Edo period Japan, which taught that the bond between loved ones would continue into the next world, and by the teaching of Pure Land Buddhism wherein it is believed that through shinjū, one can approach rebirth in the Pure Land. By volunteering to die with him, Enji is basically agreeing to remain with him in their next reincarnation.

For us it's crazy, it's Enji giving up on saving him. In Japan it sounds like 'I love you and I want to be with you'.

Forth, he'll apologize to Touya. As said before it's a BIG DEAL, especially since Enji is the family head and, although for us most of what he did is wrong, in Japan most of what he did is well within what he can do. Marrying a woman you don't love in a combined marriage to expect the child who'll be born from it will fulfill your ambitions and not really bothering to raise it because that's a mother job, well, things are changing in Japan but none of the above is a crime. In a not so distant past it was actually the norm. Yet Enji apologizes even though normally a family head wouldn't.

Fifth it's a bit in the first point and in the second but it'll drag on through all the story, Enji won't reject Touya. He's the only one (except Fuyumi who however doesn't get to say much) who never calls him Dabi after the reveal, and he won't strike him out of the family register but will keep on considering him his son.

Look at the Tobitas instead and at how they kick their son out.

Don't think Hawks is cutting strings with his parents solely because they were abusive, the Tobitas show us how you should just cut strings with a criminal. Same as the Togas.

Have "Theseus no fune" in which a man accused to be a murderer, send a birthday gift to his son and watch the reaction of his wife.

They don't want to keep contact with a criminal. It's scary because they'll be mistreated if they are discovered to be related to him.

And, in this vein, the fact he wants to go see him, that he'll keep on seeing him till the end instead than turning his back on him, is seen as important. It's seen as him being his father.

To many of us it seems as if he's forcing his presence upon Touya. Actually, from a Japanese perspective he's instead not abandoning him like many others would.

And since Touya is dying, very likely the talking will be the talking that's done in a Buddhist culture when someone is dying. Death should occur in a calm and peaceful environment, with close friends and family in attendance. Together they should reflect on the good deeds the dying person has done throughout their life, in the hopes it will help them in their next reincarnation. Additionally, family and friends can perform good deeds on behalf of them, which they believe will be of merit to the deceased.

So, since Touya is dying he won't get a scolding like Chisaki, they'll all only tell him nice and soothing things so he'll die peacefully.

Now... in the west all this is absolutely way too little, and in some points even feels wrong. Dying together instead than insisting in trying to save him? Deciding unilaterally to show up every day? Not our thing...

We can totally say 'thanks, I hate it' because we grew up with Darth Vader who instead gave his life to SAVE his son. All this accepting that Touya instead is going to die so Enji can at best die with him or keep him company until he does... well, it's mostly not our cup of cultural tea.

In in Japan though, all Enji does is important. Enji is doing something for Touya as a father, something important many fathers wouln't do for their sons.

Does it would satisfy a Japanese audience? They'll get the message better than us... but things are changing and anyway it can still feel too little. "Death Note" is dated 2005/2006 and back in it Misa was already questioning the idea of a father killing his son and then killing himself. BNHA is more innovative as Enji doesn't think to kill Touya but he still goes for the 'let's die together' route... and Horikoshi subtly criticizes it by having the rest of the family decising they'll try to stop the fire before just giving up. They're willing to die, but not before trying.

Enji represents plenty of old theories after all, which Horikoshi acknowledges were moved out of wrong beliefs, not moved by mean intents... which, is possible, would still not be enough for Japanese readers either because among teenagers, the target audience, there's an increasing number of teen who, in Japan, are forced to leave home (the Toyoko Kids) and often ends up committing crimes to survive and the league seems to be based on all the kind of homeless people Japan has.

While for a kid at home with a loving family being told that your father will die with him if he messes up instead than just dumping him might be comforting... for a kid that was abused and forced to leave home this might feel not enough.

People want to be saved, being told it's too late to save them, might be a lesson for those who hadn't done anything wrong yet so that they won't do it, but it's surely not a hopeful message for who instead got himself into troubles.

But well, that's something for the Japanese audience to ponder.

There's also to point out that, even though the message is not hopeful, Horikoshi is seeing the homeless people and acknowledging they should be helped.

Japan in regard to the Toyoko kids is mostly like the old woman who pretended not to see Tenko but that, in the end, helps that new boy.

I think Horikoshi's message desperately wants to be hopeful even for them, that he wants BNHA be like Midoriya's final stand, something that will push people to acknowledge they exist and reach out to help them.

It just that... it gets lost in what I'll call the 'litteral translation'.

No one explains us how we should jusge the scenes and, since we lack the cultural background, to us they are perceived differently because to us things work differently.

And, personally, even when I think I figured out the author's intent and can see the positivity of it, the cultural filter is still too tick and the picture gets blurried.

It's like being beginner at speaking a foreign language and having to constantly translate it in your head. The message loses its natural beauty, get simplified and not fully grasped.

I think I understand how Enji's atonement work in regard to Touya... it still doesn't feel fulfilling to me. But enough about Touya.

'Now,' you might rightfully say, 'fine, I'll bite, let's assume what Enji has is an atonement arc for Touya. It doesn't work at all in the west but let's give it a pass. What about his other kids?'

Natsuo and Fuyumi's wishes are in conflict.

Fuyumi wants the five of them to be a family (at the time she doesn't know Touya is alive), Natsuo doesn't want to be part of a family with Enji.

Enji's solution is giving Fuyumi a house in which she can welcome her mother and live with Natsuo (and Shouto when he comes home), while he removes himself from the equation. The solution fulfills Natsuo's wish of not seeing Enji because it makes him feel bad. It only partly fulfil Fuyumi's wish because it'll allow her to have her mother back (Rei couldn't bear meeting Enji either) and to stay with her siblings... but Enji takes responsibility for it, he doesn't tell her it's due to Natsuo that he can't live with them, so, in theory, it won't be Natsuo the one who's stressed to be at home when Enji is there and the one who has to leave home because he can't stand the sight of Enji.

There are many things I can say on how this is not a good solution (it doesn't make Natsuo feel better, it just stops him from feeling worse), but there are two points to consider. The first is that Enji is getting old and it would be his children's duty, due to filial pity, to take care of him, instead he's basically giving them the means to leave and take his wife with them.

Actually, since Natsuo is now the oldest MALE, it should fall on him specifically. Yes, Enji always intended to have Shouto inherit his mantle but this doesn't free Natsuo from his duties. Instead Enji is letting all his children free.

Even with Shouto, he doesn't insist anymore for Shouto to learn Flashfire Fist as his heir but just as an intern.

I take this is big in Japan.

Here again, not so much, especially in the countries in the west that think kids should leave their parents' home as soon as possible and we don't think our children are obliged to inherit our mantles.

Note how the story implies that this was meant to be the end for the Natsuo/Enji arc.

Natsuo made clear he didn't want to meet Enji again, he does it solely because they've to stop Touya and, once they've stopped Touya, he makes clear he doesn't want to see him again.

If we want though, the fact he's leaving the family can be seen as a concession in a way.

Since apparently Rei wants to stay with Enji (and likely their old house was devasted because that's what happens to relative of criminals) Enji can now move with Fuyumi and Rei and Natsuo won't have to see him because he'll leave home... to make his own home.

As for Shouto... Horikoshi answered his request by basically showing him Enji being a father for Touya and then promising he would protect them from the fiery fallout, which Horikoshi doesn't show at all because it's another thing that's a given in Japanese culture, it'll be hell for Enji to protect them, but not for us.

Just to get an idea of the fiery fallout here are some images from "Theseus no fune" again showing you how bad is this sort of thing.

Back to Enji, Horikoshi gives us verbal confirmation that Enji is now being a father by being willing to do this, by having Natsuo, who never called him as such, calling him father for the first time.

For Horikoshi that's Enji being a father.

Again, we've no idea of which hell Enji will suffer because that's not part of our culture. I've posted above screencaps of "Theseus no fune", that's how the fallout should be so not pretty at all.

So the fact that Enji will try to protect them from it is, again, BIG.

So yeah, Enji did do BIG things to atone and keeps on doing them and if he'll ultimately get forgiven by Natsuo (the rest of his family wanted to forgive him way before he were to do something), that's up to Natsuo... Horikoshi likely left this as open ending because he wanted to let it up to readers so as not to make them feel they were forced to forgive Enji.

In the general hopeful theme of the manga and with Natsuo acknowledging him as a cool father I guess his idea is that Natsuo too will eventually forgive him because he's kind.

I don't want to say that Natsuo forgiving Enji would be a culture clash because there's people even here that forgive their horrible parents and that's valid. Forgiving is a personal choice and one has the right to make it even if said horrible parent did nothing to deserve it.

It's up to you.

But sure is, if again we take the story at face value and not in its cultural contest, we can't see what Enji does to atone, because for us is nothing big.

It's even made worse by how Horikoshi doesn't show at all the hell Enji will go through (as for him is a given) so for us IT DOESN'T EXIST. We see Enji as having it easy, talking big but not having to face anything at all.

Honestly though... I think this is a bit of a flaw of the manga as a whole.

Way too often it prefers to focus on the good than on the bad so that the bad gets sidelined to much to the point people forget it.

There were horrible Heroes who committed crimes and had no intention to repent or stop... and we never met them. Nagant killed them off but we never met them.

Mountain Lady, who became a Hero for money and fame, then sticks to the job even when it's bad. Desugoro, who left the job when it turned bad, then came back to help. Enji is on an atonement path and, anyway, on work he was always a good Hero.

In the same way Horikoshi prefers not to show Enji's hardship but focus on how he'll have the support of his sidekicks, driver and Hawks... partly also because it ties in so well with the general message of everyone reaching out.

The result is that the Midoriya plotline of everyone reaching out becomes more important of the Enji atonement arc and overshadows it.

Enji's atonement arc ends in 426, chap 430 doesn't feel the need to tell us if Enji is keeping up with it despite the hardship, nor how his family is doing. It feels the need to reassure us that people will reach out for him even if he's in hell, that even if he had to give up on his family, he now as a new found family.

It's thematically consistent with the theme of reaching out but... the fact it overwrites the atonement arc honestly FOR ME doesn't work so great.

I think it's an overall problem of the 'reaching out message'.

While in itself is beautiful... it saves nothing I was lead to care about.

In Enji's case I was interested in his atonement arc, in how he could help his kids. I wanted more of that, partly because his atonement arc is so far from my culture, partly because it touched characters I cared about, I wanted to be reassured he would keep on working on it and that his family would be well.

Yes, he should be in hell, but the story didn't really work hard on trying to make me worry for him as it established already a support network for him. The story made me worry for the kids, for Touya, who was dying, for Fuyumi, who wanted back her family and won't have it, for Natsuo, who's marrying an unknown character so young, for Shouto, who has to cope with the loss of the brother with whom he wanted to connect.

I don't really care Burnin, Onima, Kido and Hawks are willing to continue to protect Enji, to reach out to help him, I knew they would, I wanted to be reassured Enji's kids are safe, well and protected. I wanted to see ENJI reach out and help them.

In this vein I don't really care the old grandmother saved a nameless abused kid, or, at least, not as much as I cared for Tomura to be saved. It's nice she saved him, it's nice he gets to live the life Tomura was denied but honestly, he's a mob character with a super tragic backstory created deliberately to force us to emotionally connect to him.

The message he now will be saved is good, but my emotional investment to him is too little.

The same applies to Uraraka's Quirk counsueling program, we knew next to nothing about the Quirk consueling previous program beyond that it didn't work (a real problem in Japan as they have a school consueling program that didn't work... and changes are in progress) and that now it supposedly does.

To how Shouji now solves peacefully plenty of conflicts caused by Heteromorph discrimination, which Horikoshi tossed in later and never really showed how to solve (and, don't take me wrong, it's not solved even by Shouji, he just solves peacefully the conflicts, how is up to everyone's speculation).

Long story short, I think Horikoshi worked really hard for BNHA to have an optimist, hopeful message... but part of it goes lost in cultural differences and part of it goes lost in how the story didn't try to get me invested in the things it's now saving.

So yeah, I'm still sad for this little panel in chap 430

I guess I'll eventually get over it. Today though, it's not that day.

On a positive note... if we count the pages of all the chapters that should go in vol 42 they're only 132. The chapters that were meant to go into Vol 39 had 165 (which yes, Horikoshi further expanded once the volume was released).

So yeah, unless Vol 42 will be slimmer than usual or that he'll add to it some sidestory or extra story, it's possible we'll get more plot in terms of epilogue. We'll see.

(also yes, I'm not touching Rei in this post. Rei is another can of worm entirely and one, I fear, Horikoshi doesn't care about. The poor woman doesn't even get a profile while Ikoma Komari does. And really, I do think Rei is much more important than Ikoma Komari)

[perpetual-help]

If I might ask, how did you return to Holy Mother Church?

Well, the short answer would be by the graces won for me by The Blessed Mother. I owe everything to her intercession.

I was a cradle Catholic who fell away from the Church during my later teenage years. I abandoned God out of anger and also out of a growing curiosity in the occult. I studied and practiced (and eventually mentored in) witchcraft for about six years. Towards the end of the six years, my pursuits into witchcraft grew darker and more sinister. To give you an example of the mindset I was spiraling towards - back then, I was becoming more acquainted with groups who condoned human sacrifice / cannibalistic rituals / cursing for the pleasure of causing chaos and misery / knowingly working with demons. I thank God that I was spared from going any further in these groups than simply learning what they do or what they encourage to be done through text, and nothing more.

I met someone I will call “H” through a mutual friend (in person.) My first impression of H wasn’t a very good one, given that I could tell from our first interaction that H was a Christian. Back then, I could differentiate between Christians and non-Christians by the feeling of the air that would surround them, and if I found them to be Christian, there would be an immediate swelling of hatred towards them. I had a tarot reading done for H and I to see whether it would be worthwhile to humor a friendship with a Christian, and the person who gave the reading claimed that H and I were actually soulmates. I took this seriously and decided that, since H and I were apparently connected in such a way, I had to make an effort towards H’s wellbeing, even if it never led to anything romantic. H attended a small Pentecostal church that would post its service online, and I would occasionally watch some of the sermons in order to mock and laugh at the ridiculousness of it. They would “speak in tongues,” give “words” to people, run around in “the spirit,” and do other things that I found stupid but thoroughly amusing. My interest was especially piqued by the idea of “speaking in tongues” - because, when some of them would “speak in tongues,” I could understand what they were saying. (More on my present thoughts about this later)

H suffered from depression, which I considered a blight to the both of us, given that we were allegedly soulmates. One Sunday, H said they did not want to go to church because of the depression, and so I offered to go with them, knowing that they would leap at the opportunity to drag a heathen to church. On my way to the church, the voices I recognized as my “spirit guides” at the time were leaving me with strong internal impressions such as: “He is going to say that your chains are breaking, ignore him.” And “he is going to single you out, don’t fall for it.” My answer to these impressions was “fine.”

When I entered the Church, I felt an immediate repulsion. People were dancing and singing pop worship songs, and I internally questioned why I had chosen to do this. Sure enough, the pastor did single me out. Most of what he said to me could be attributed to cold reading, but it was entertaining. I was told “Your chains are breaking. You wear your past bad relationship like a scarlet letter on your forehead.” and “You’re going to meet a Godly man and your relationship will be like out of movie. When you do, cling to him.” I’m not sure how to describe some of the sensations I felt during parts of the service. At times, I felt like my skin was crawling, or like my skin was burning, and other times as though my throat were closing and I was being choked. I initially brushed these feelings off and tried to convince myself that it was social anxiety, but that experience lingered with me even after the service. H and I talked a lot after church, mostly about the Bible and different parts in the scripture. I had a lot of questions and H was kind enough to offer loving and well-thought-out answers. I went home and cried, and it was the first time I had properly cried in several years. I wasn’t sure why I cried at first, but the day’s events recurred in my mind’s eye and I recalled how horrible I’d felt while people worshipped around me. At that moment, I genuinely wanted to know the truth - I wanted to know whether God was real. And, if He was real, I wanted to know whether He would help me. So, I prayed. I asked God this: “If you are real, please touch my heart so that I know.” Immediately, I enveloped by this warmth and peace, and something I can only think to describe as perfect love and tranquility. My heart felt this so intensely that it seemed to be overflowing in and through me, and I wept. I only then was able to realize how absolutely miserable and exhausted and anxious and depressed and wrathful I had been for so long. I wept, and I promised to give myself entirely to God. In return, I asked Him to help me to become a servant pleasing to Him - to love Him more, always. The demons I once considered my “spiritual guides” and “deities” showed their true colors after this experience. I would say, for the first year of my conversion, I was tormented a lot in different ways - but especially in my dreams, and by feelings of intense anxiety and despair that would be thrown upon me out of nowhere and that coupled with the sensation that the walls were closing in. The voices and impressions I once recognized as “friends” started to say things like “you can’t be saved, you’ve already given yourself to us.” among other lies. These torments continue today, and in other ways, but they aren’t as constant as they were towards the beginning.

I threw away six years worth of junk I had acquired which left my room essentially empty, but it was a liberating feeling. I started to attend the Pentecostal church, but my time there didn’t last. They hosted a woman who called herself a prophetess who spoke in tongues, but what she would say would be blasphemies. People would shout “amen” and “alleluia” to these utterances, and I began to understand that this group didn’t know how to discern the spirit. The breaking point for me was when the pastor claimed that Jesus had to learn how to perform miracles - that, and, the glaringly obvious inconsistencies between his sermons and scripture. There was an unhealthy focus on titles of ministries and “what God can do for your health and wealth.”

I lasted three months at that church before it clicked in my head that the Catholics were right. This, was also in part due to my rediscovery of the Bible verses that referred to Jesus’ command to eat His flesh and drink His blood, and a dream that followed. So, I went to confession for the first time in probably 8 or more years. It was a frightening experience and I cried during the entire confession like the wimp I am, but the liberation I felt afterwards far outweighed it all. A couple of days after my confession, I attended Mass with my mother. During the Transubstantiation, while the Priest held up The Body and Blood of Our Lord, I smelled a strong incense. I only noticed the smell because I normally disliked Church incense for how strong it is, but this one, while it was strong and impossible to ignore, it was the most beautiful smell I’ve ever encountered. (There was more crying) After Mass, I asked my mom whether she knew what kind of incense they used, and she deadpanned “They didn’t burn incense.”

Now that I have had more time to process the beginnings of my conversion and especially my encounters at the Pentecostal church, I am of the impression that I was able to understand their “tongues” because it was demons speaking through them. I’m aware that there’s a Charismatic Movement of Catholics who also claim to speak “in the tongues” but I am always wary of such claims, and I avoid such practices like the plague.

God is so merciful and so loving, and my entire life is a testament to this. I did nothing but offend Our Lord and hate all things good and Holy, but still, He called out to me and saved me from the miserable state of death I hadn’t realized I was in. All Glory to God.

As St. Germanus of Constantinople said: ”There is no one, O Most Holy Mary, who can know God except through thee; no one who can be saved or redeemed but through thee, O Mother of God; no one who can be delivered from dangers but through thee, O Virgin Mother; no one who obtains mercy but through thee, O Filled-With-All-Grace!”

For this reason, I also attribute these great graces given to me by the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, and I owe her nothing less than my life in return for this favor she has shown me.

I hope my answer has satisfied the question without being too tedious.

God bless you, and keep you.

[starshipsofstarlord]

Jim and Jody - Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary; it was one of the biggest decisions of your life, but will you change your mind before your future is sealed?

Warnings; angst, mentions of abortion (everyone is permitted to do what they want with their body, in this imagine the reader wants to keep the baby, but pro choice, as everyone deserves control over their bodies and all 🤍), brief mention of sex and threats

Masterlist Link

To see him so relaxed, so completely and utterly himself was a paradise all on its own. There was a heaviness aboard your shoulders, but as you watched him goof tirelessly about, you had no other concerns, not even as you subconsciously raised your hand over your stomach. You shook your head at the sentiment, the two of you had already made the decision to abort this child, it was unknown how the poor fellow would turn out to be; with the combination of your powers and his super everything, it was sure to be quite the complication, and not one that you supposed was to be an easy course.

A smile pried at your face, simply from viewing him with the pack of children, the wind from the docks swept your hair into your face, and in turn, you swept the locks out and away from your vision, so that you had further access to watch the man that you loved in his absolute element. Through the years, past and recent, he had lost so much, and this child was just to be another mantle on the wall of memorial in his mind, it was sad really. If the two of you were normal, with average and lives that had perceptions with no regards of being heroic, there’d be no query about it, you’d keep the baby.

That life though, to your grave misfortune, did not exist, it was merely a fantasy living painfully inside of your mind, haunting you whenever you closed your eyes, with the flashing images of a resolution and end to the errors in your lifestyle. There’d be a big house, yet nothing to prissy, just enough room for the pair of you and few children of your own, a grand garden with a swing set and sand pit, where the infants could grow up and play in once they were older. Then there’d also be a shed for Bucky to work on small projects, such as attaining some love and care to his motor bike, as well as storing the supplies that he’d need to do so.

All that is a universe away, muffled from possibility by the stars expediting through the gorgeous veil of the galaxy, corrupting the possibilities of ever gaining access to such... peace. That was the one thing that the pair of you wanted, however catching a break was rather rare within your predicament. A stifled laugh reeled from the conjunction of your lips as you simply and endearingly surveyed how the boys, specifically Sam’s nephews hung from the vibranium branch of his arm. It was all your attention was focused on, until an extra person took a seat on the picnic table beside you, his sweet yet musky scent detailing whom it was. “If your not going to eat that, I’m sure Barnes Junior might want an opinion on that.”

The underlining of the words caused an abstract grimace to forlorn your features, as you stared not at the speaker of whom you were close with, but instead the slather of cake that was planted on a paper plate before you, the icing beginning to become slightly sick from the beating of the viable son. “You’re glowing, you know? Motherhood is a good look on you y/n/n, I wouldn’t be so soon to let that go.” Your fingers pried at the dismantled crumbs off your section of desert as you looked to your new captain, a resonating conformation fo bridled suffering and hopelessness clouding your view of his attempt at making you atone before you made a sin that you’d forever regret.

He, like many others, knew that the family life was what you wanted; you wanted to be your child’s hero, tending to their each necessary (and unnecessary) need, them being your main focus and project and life. Instead, you had been handed your options on a short stick, and thus, your decision, albeit somewhat of a sensible one, didn’t make it hurt any less. “Sam.” You spoke his name, observing from the corner of your eye how Bucky paraded around the dock with Jim and Jody. It’d be nice to give him a slice of this kinda life, he was thriving as an adult around children, you could only imagine him in the case of this one being birthed into the world. “It’s not that easy.”

“No one said it was going to be easy.” Sam responded quickly, affirming your fears to your nerve wrecked face. “I get it, I do. People will be after this kid, and that is no way to live, but you two aren’t alone in any of this, nor will you be in that. You have me, along with many other old friends of ours, hell even the Wakandan’s. Do you really want to sacrifice this one life so you can continue living this one? You and Bucky have both lost so much, you don’t have to force yourself to willingly give away something else. The decision can be changed the last minute, it’s a lot to take in, I get that, but I see the way Buck is with my nephews, and how you watch them when you think nobody’s looking over at you. With your state pardon, you two can retire, and go far away, and abandon everything for this one little guy or gal, because I know that if you do, no matter what, they’ll be worth it.”

Bucky wailed a warrior’s shout as Jim and Jody playfully struck him down, his unsheathed metal hand grasping at the cloth that was tightly aboard his addictive chest. He rolled on the ground as the children ran to retrieve their toy lightsabers, leaving him to be expendable against their weapons. There was a giddy and fitting smile smouldering his usual stoic expression. It was no wander why he found calm in visiting Sam and his sister’s small, and accepting family. The kids brought out another side of him, which he had been tortured to refrain from showing, but you had seen, and were contemplating many things within your mind. You were lapping up the image, as though you were dehydrated and the sight of him appeased by the company of young ones was a source of water.

Sam was right, he always was and had been. “The decision was on both of our parts, you don’t think Buck’ll change his mind, or do you?” You were invested in getting a responsive answer, yet the man spluttered a laugh at your confused expense. He heaved for a moment, bracing his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. There was nothing stopping him from gaining it back, unlike Bucky whom had grabbed a saber of his own and lightly began to paddle against the one that was directed against him, other than another round of hysterics that abandoned him. A reasonable smile resonated a comfortable position upon the former falcon’s face, as he tentatively patted your knee, watching as you broke off a small rupture of cake and popped it in your mouth, feeding not only yourself but the inmate within your womb.

“There isn’t really much for me to say, it’s easy, look at him. He will be fine with whatever decision that the pair of you succumb to, after all, it’s your body, but it will pain him like nothing else ever has if you go through with the abortion, and if not, then trust me, we’ve both seen how hard he fights; think of that but ten times the mass in consideration of this baby, because I am certain that he’d do anything for them. He lost his entire family when he awoke from his mode of hydra assassin, this could be him getting it back. Different members, but a family all the same.” He stole a little of your cake, making you lightly elbow him as a smirk rendered a beauty upon his face.

“What’s that going to make you, the patriotic uncle who just can’t keep himself from flashing his shield?” Now it was his turn to retaliate, he lightly scuffed your ankle with a feather light tap of the toe of his shoe, causing you to promiscuously roll your eyes. “I’m joking, that was Steve’s aesthetic, this new version of cap is your baby, I have great faith in you to make this world a better and safer place. The funny thing is, when you finally accepted that shield was yours, that’s when my mind shifted to the possibility of keeping this kid. It was and has always been a sign of hope and protection to Bucky, maybe it could be the same for our little one. It was just a thought, I’m not meaning to put pressure on your or anything bu-“

“I get it, and I’m honoured. And if that is how it seems, then I want you to know that I’ll be there to protect them too. The main bump in the road for now is for you to talk to that grumpy ass boyfriend of yours and figure this sperm plus egg equation out, send Jim and Jody over here, I got somethin’ to show those two anyway.” With a nod and a grateful pat upon your friend’s head, you slowly plodded over to where Bucky was being cornered against the side of the truck by the boys. His blue orbs danced around their small and imaginative beings, until they landed on you, it was as though his pupils were calling out for help, begging for you to spare some mercy upon him.

“Jim, Jody, your uncle Sammy has something for you two to see.” They groaned lightly, having been pulled away from the narrative of their play time, but nevertheless their faces were clean slates as they expressed hyper smiles, and bolted their route towards their mother’s sibling, carrying their lightsaber replicas along with them. “Two kids beat an infamous, deadly badass with a metal arm. I think you might be getting too old for these kinda battles Buck, you were losing, and quite terribly if I say so myself.” Crossing your arms, as he came to an upright stand, hoisting himself off the ground, so that he could be more level with you.

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in. Thought you were supposed to be supportive of me and all that, as you said to Zemo, you’d quite happily cut his dick off if he compared me to the shadow that I used to be.” His brow raised, as he reminisced on the thought of you threatening Zemo; it was hot, and certainly had gotten him going, which had shortly left you in this predicament, trying to save the world and execute the one last thing that exhumed hope to either one of you. The baby. It was almost a certain and solid fact that the little one inside of you had been procreated on the Baron’s private jet, more specifically, the small and clean bathroom that had became dirty with your primal sins.

“And I still regret not doing that, he’d have had much less leverage in any sense of the word of phallic if he had it sectioned off.” Silence emitted between the two of you, although a humoured smirk tantalised upon Bucky’s graceful face. For a change, he was not prompting the expression of a grumpy cat that was refused its nip, no, instead he could be compared to a future - actually, he already was a father to the bean held in the shield of your body, having been an ample ingredient in bringing the small person into being. “So, you having fun with Sarah’s kids, sure looks like you were quite in your element before I cut in.”

“I’m always in my element when you’re around doll.” He smiled, wrapping his uncoordinated hands around the oval of your waist, and tugging you sentimentally closer, your hips bumped with his, as your eyes ogled infatuatedly up at him. “They’re great kids, makes me realise exactly what we’re gonna be missing out on.” Bucky gulped, sparks of emotion taunted the behind of his eyes, like saucers of resentful fire. “You’d be the perfect mother, you know that right? After all you’ve done for me, you’ve nurtured me close to the man that I once was, the only difference is that I want to settle, but I don’t know how to go about dropping everything. This kid is killing me, he’s making me question everything.”

“That’s what kids are supposed to do, unborn, or very much avidly attacking grown men with false lightsabers.” Bucky deeply into your frustrated and corresponding eyes, your hands reaching up to play defiantly with the smooth dip in his chin that could be seen through the shading of his light stubble. “What if we did have a Jim and Jody of our own some day? We could keep him or her, they’d be our greatest concern, we don’t have to go down this painful and longing, rusted road. We could bring something good into this world, protect them against all forces that threaten to disrupt their life, I want this with you Bucky. We could move far far away, or go somewhere close to home.”

“Brooklyn.” He stated, causing a line to crease gently in the plain of his forehead. “I want to call them Brooklyn, if I am to fight the rest of my life for something, I want it to be my home. Last time I had to leave there, but it’s my amends to never leave this child of ours, if we’re going to do this, we need to put them in front of everything, and I mean everything.” He spoke, in reference to the other avengers and other aliases that you had stood by for so long. Bleakly you nodded, grasping his jaw down for an amorous kiss, humming against the palette of his lips, as your hands entwined behind his neck, pulling his face closer to your own, prompting his tongue to travel deeper within the realm of your mouth.

“Brooklyn is a nice name. How about Brooklyn Margaret Barnes? I think that has quite the ring to it.” You offered, and he hardly reacted, instead quickly appraising a pleasant smile onto the canvas of his work of art face, as he ducked his head down, conjoining the pair of you into a passionate and meaningful collide of your lips. Sam smiled as he watched the pair of you, pointing at you two from afar, as his nephews from afar. He was giving them a man to men talk, offering them advice that they would have valuable usage of in the future.

“Now that is love. You don’t give up for the one thing that connects you, and those two, well Bucky and y/n have been through a hell of a lot. They deserve this, and when you meet a woman when you’re older, and your mum is watching on towards the two of you, I want you to make her proud by treating your girl like a princess, willing to sacrifice everything simply to create the future that she wishes for you.” He emotionally wiped his eyes, rushing to stand before he grasped a lightsaber, leaving the other to spare for one of them. “Now Jim and Jody, which one of you will be my padawan?”

[slashbitch2]

Extra Complications

never expected to be crushing on an animated character but here we are

Next Chapter

It was sneaky. Perhaps cheating by some standards. But from your perspective, it was a damn good plan.

Ironically you'd seen the advertisement for the Alchemax internship right after being flung into a wall by the very same woman who'd likely approved the broadcast. Olivia Octavius, or Doc Ock as you ought to refer to her in costume. Though she'd given you little time to read up on 'how to apply', as moments later a car was thrown in your direction, which was very inconsiderate of her, but was also all the persuasion you needed.

At this point, you'd be willing to do anything if it contributed to thwarting her, surely, very evil plan. Of course you admired the woman for her general genius and eccentricity, but the constant unprovoked conflict was becoming tiresome. It felt as if she were trying to determine how much of a threat you posed, whereas, you liked to think your legacy as 'that Spider-Person who sometimes saves the day' was all the evidence necessary.

Honestly, you weren't certain as to what exactly her, no doubt, villainous plan entailed besides patrolling the streets in green swimming goggles and black spandex with ridiculous plastic tubes jutting out of her back. In fact, it was ridiculous that no one had made any attempt to stop her yet. Unlike your identity, kept secret by a more modest spandex suit, hers was public knowledge.

Sometimes, it seemed as though you were the enemy here.

Which is precisely why infiltrating her team of scientists was more than appropriate. You were about to single handily take down an international threat, one hidden in plain sight, but left untouched due to the company's vast money, leverage and prestige.

Someday the city would thank you for your many sacrifices. Specifically for voluntarily working another job without pay. Y/N Y/L/N, broke intern by day, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Person by night.

"Excuse me?" A voice called from the left, your vision of them obstructed by an inconveniently placed potted plant. "Are you the new intern?" The person stepped closer, briefly glancing up at you, then back down at a sheet of paper. "Y/N Y/L/N?" The woman's timid appearance hardly screamed villainous scientist, but then again, looks can be deceiving.

"Yes, that's me." You stood, reaching out to shake her hand.

She sighed in relief, shaking your hand a tad too enthusiastically. "Lovely to meet you. I'm Marie and I'll be getting you settled in for the first few days."

A spark of disappointment flashed across your mind. Olivia hadn't been there for your interview, nor had any sway in your hiring, and now she wasn't even the person greeting you on your first day. Although you had no right to be, you felt rather offended by the lack of challenge she was providing. It was almost too easy.

---

To be fair, Marie was the perfect candidate to give you a tour of the facility. She was kind and patient, but not condescending. She seldom spoke beyond what was required of her, unless you asked something work related, when her lengthy response would affirm her status as an epicure of scientific knowledge. By midday, you'd decided she was someone to befriend, and subsequently accepted her invitation to have lunch together.

You were also hoping that the team would eat lunch as a group, but alas, more disappointment. Instead, you spent the break sitting in an awkward silence with Marie, who seemed to loose basic communication skills when presented with food. In spite of her lack of engagement, you still took the opportunity to try and ascertain information about the project you'd be working on, though each time she expertly diverted the interrogation, or ignored your question entirely.

Who knew working for an evil, secretive corporation would be so boring?

It was a test of patience to be sitting in the same building as Olivia Octavius, while forced to shadow an incredibly kind, but slow eating woman. Realistically, you knew there'd be plenty of time to investigate, though you were reluctant to end the day without any progress. So, while Marie was still distracted by her lunch, you excused yourself to go to the bathroom.

She dismissively approved with a wave of her hand, allowing you to slip away from the dining hall. You vaguely remembered the location of Olivia's office as being on the top floor, indicated by Marie's imprecise pointing. She'd explained that very few had clearance to get in, but you'd already thought of a way to get passed the security.

Who aside from the highest ranking scientists had access to every room? Janitors, of course. Because, for some reason, cleanliness was more important than security.

It didn't take long to locate a cleaner, or much effort to pickpocket the security card. To be on the safe side, you even had an excuse ready: that the man had dropped it, that you were simply looking for him to return it. And if Olivia caught you in her office, well, she wouldn't (Spider-Senses and all). Again, it was almost too easy.

There was a minatory silence as you walked along the final corridor toward her office. Part of you felt as though this was some kind of elaborate trap, the repeated phrase 'too easy' coming to mind as you reached the door. Though the logical part of you must've known this was a fatuous suggestion, and took control.

With a final pause to confirm nobody was approaching, or was already waiting inside, you scanned the key card. The action was rewarded with a satisfactory beep, followed by the door sliding open so fast it appeared to have vanished.

The office was smaller than you anticipated. Or maybe it was the bareness of the room that caught you off guard. The woman was insane, yet her work area hardly reflected her deranged mental state. Everything was so perfectly neat that you began to wonder if you'd actually walked onto a movie set, or a photoshoot, which would've explained the strange ring lights hanging from the ceiling.

Upon reaching the centre of the room, you were struck by the realisation that you truthfully had no reason to be here. Even if the office had been as messy as you'd expected, it was unlikely that she'd leave her super evil plans lying around. Rather, It'd been some morbid curiosity that had lured you here. To see where The Doc Ock worked, where the alter ego was likely created. The reality was underwhelming to say the least.

Deciding that you'd spent enough time admiring an incredibly bland office, you exited back out into the empty corridor, nonchalantly throwing the security card behind you, certain someone would eventually return it. Then, as if right on cue, you sensed somebody approaching, soon followed by footsteps resonating from around the corner. With no way of avoiding them, you kept your head down with the intention of blending in.

Olivia Octavius rounded the corner, not sparing a glance up. She was frowning at a piece of paper, her full attention directed to it, blissfully unaware of your presence.

Instinctively, your entire body tensed at the sight of her lithe frame and mass of hair spilling out of its messy bun. Any other circumstance and you'd have fled by now, through a vent, out of the window, it didn't matter. Though you had to remind yourself that there was no reason to be afraid now. There was no possible way she could know your identity.

Nonetheless, as you passed her with less than a metre of space, you held your breath. She said nothing and you both kept walking in opposite directions.

It seemed the coast was clear. You released the breath you'd been holding and kept moving until. "Hey, wait a minute."

You froze, aching to ignore her and escape. Her voice was deep, more so than you were prepared for. While fighting, few words were exchanged, and even then they were unintelligible. Although, now was the worst time to be thinking about previous interactions, so with much difficulty, you cleared your mind. As far as anyone knew, including yourself, you were just the intern.

You ran a hand through your hair nervously, straightening out your lab coat and turning to face her. She was stood at the far end of the long white corridor, entirely unthreatening when compared to Doc Ock, who would've loomed over you menacingly.

Remembering the role you were meant to be playing, you choked out a response. "How can I be of assistance?"

"You're the new intern, right?"

"Yeah." You considered approaching to shake her hand, but the idea of awkwardly marching the length of the corridor to greet her was rather unappealing. "That's me." You settled for a polite smile and shoulder shrug instead.

She screwed up her face in consideration before crooking a finger. "Come with me."

Swallowing any concern, you nodded hesitantly. The prospect of returning to the office you'd broken into only moments ago had you dragging your feet.

She waited patiently until you were by her side to continue. "Don't worry." She scanned her key card. "I don't bite." Her tone was playful, her eyes kindly mocking.

"Good to know." You muttered, following her inside. You took a second to look around the room with mock curiosity, feeling her eyes trace your every move. Like a predator, eyeing up its prey, determining your weaknesses. Unlike the encounters with Doc Ock, it was uncertain who had the high ground here. Her gaze was putting you on edge, not dissimilar to how your character of 'the intern' would react.

"So..." She shuffled some papers around on the desk, finding what looked to be your application. "Ms. Y/L/N right?"

You confirmed with a nod, summoning the resolve to amble toward her desk.

"Take a seat." She gestured to the chair opposite, letting you sit before proceeding. "Tell me about yourself, Y/N."

You started to think of an adequate answer, but she interrupted a second later, contradicting her initial inquiry. "Are you okay with me calling you Y/N?" She leant her head on a closed fist, narrowing her eyes.

Although the question sounded considerate, you didn't feel the implied sincerity. Even if you wanted to say no, that didn't feel like a suitable response. "Sure."

Somehow, it felt like she was establishing dominance through the polite act, and combined with being under her scrutinising glare, the performance was working.

"Great." Suddenly, she leant back in her chair, all evidence of the hostile act disappearing instantaneously.

"What'd you want to know?" Mirroring her relaxed posture, you attempted to re-establish some control.

"Oh, anything." A flicker of something passed in her eyes, piqued interest possibly?

You began routinely rattling off some basic facts about yourself, nothing too specific or personal. Facts that would answer any follow up questions she might have, and yet said nothing about you. Surprisingly, she seemed hooked on your every word. The thought crossed your mind that this might be the real interview, that everything else up to this point had been a sham. But you settled on a more unsettling justification. That she was committing everything you said to memory.

Coming to the end of the informative monologue, you decided to take a risk. "Do I get to ask a question?" You raised an eyebrow challengingly.

"Inquisitive. I like that." She stated, folding her arms on the desk. "Go ahead."

You decided to see how far you could push your luck. "Tell me about yourself." You smugly repeated her vague first query. It was the Doctor's turn to come up with an answer to the ambiguous demand.

She scoffed, realising your plan to make her struggle. "Touché. But I'm rather busy, so how about you pick a more specific question."

Narrowing it down, there was only one thing you wanted to ask. "Can I see the-" You waved your arms around, imitating tentacles. "the suit?"

She chuckled, slowly standing. Judging from her lack of surprise, this was likely a request she'd heard many times.

First, she removed her glasses. Then slipped out of her lab coat. Next to go was the shirt, which she pulled over her head while maintaining eye contact. You wanted to look away, out of respect, yet you didn't. Without the shirt, you noticed she was already wearing the suit underneath and had the harness strapped to her back, confirming your suspicion that she always had access to the weapon. As she was stepping out of her trousers, the arms (tentacles?) inflated, and within moments were threateningly extending to their full potential.

She smiled proudly, enjoying your stunned expression. "As good as you expected?"

"Better." Unable to resist any longer, you stood to investigate the suit in further detail. You'd never seen it stationary, or had the opportunity to try and gauge the details of how it worked. Although you argued this would be beneficial for your next fight, in reality you just wanted to admire the contraption. You circled round, marvelling at the simplicity of the design. It was convenient, yet elegant. "It's beautiful."

Coming to a stop in front of Olivia, she had an unreadable expression. A mix of emotions, most prominently confusion. To your delight, a faint blush coloured her cheeks. Whatever unspoken game you'd been playing, you were winning, or were until she said. "How'd you like to intern for me?"

You quickly recovered. "I already do."

"No." She sighed. "I mean personally. As my assistant? You'd get your own desk, an almost guaranteed job at the end of it and so much more experience than you'd bargained for." She leant forward, a little too close for comfort. There was an unhinged look in her eyes more reminiscent of Doc Ock that both convinced and deterred you. "So what'd you say?"

She genuinely wanted you to work with her.

This hadn't been part of the plan. You'd expected to spend no longer than a few months working at Alchemax. To uncover their evil scheme, figure out how to stop it and hopefully take down the company. An optimistic plan, sure, but one you'd been assured you'd stick to. Although, the opportunity to work closely with Olivia Octavian, with the Doc Ock, was too good to pass on. Not to mention, infinitely more interesting.

You grinned, embracing the insanity that your answer would incur. "I'd love to."

She clapped her hands together. "Great!" Then offered her hand for you to shake formally. "I'll sort out the paperwork and details this evening, but right now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

She left before you had the chance to say anything else, still in her suit, which left you confused for the following half hour. You finally understood upon catching a glimpse of a news alert on your phone.

Doc Ock Seizes Bank, Has Taken Hostages!

You sighed. Today was going to be a long day, and things were only going to get more complicated.

[stromuprisahat]

His pride inspired him to protect the Grisha who were being horribly treated, looked down upon, shamed, killed or maimed.

Actually, it was his compassion.

He understood then. The Grisha lived as shadows did, passing over the surface of the world, touching nothing, forced to change their shapes and hide in corners, driven by fear as shadows were driven by the sun. No safe place. No haven.

There will be, he promised in the darkness, new words written upon his heart. I will make one.

Demon in the Wood

But he didn't actually protect them in the end, did he?

No, he was murdered by his own and his enemies took it as permission to freely hunt Grisha even on Ravkan soil. Khergud, Fjerdan breeding facilities...

He fought for Ravka, fought for Grisha as long as he was the hero and his vision was what saved them, and did not care for the sacrifices that were made so much that I would argue he lost his original goal. The fold makes sense considering how often Ravka is at war, but was taken to too much of an extent and killed many, making people hate Grisha again.

A bit of contradiction, don't you think? The Fold makes sense, but it was too much?

It killed "many"? Who? One village docks city (depending on the book...)? How many were destroyed by Fjerdan raids? Or Shu Han? But we never get to see these, do we. That might make us question the narrative and who's the real evil here.

I can agree The Fold shouldn't have been used on Ravkan territory in books, that doesn't make sense, but I've always seen it as bad writing in order to make the Darkling the villain Alina needs to defeat. Not the stategic mind we're introduced and shown again and again.

How do we know Aleksander doesn't care about sacrifices? Because he doesn't break down every time something bad happens? He's been watching the most horrible events for centuries, often helpless to do anything about it. It might have made him numb enough not to cry about it, but that hardly means he doesn't care. He merely learnt to make every single sacrifice count. And he's the first one to make them, when it's needed, to a point of self-destruction.

“I have lived a long life, rich in grief. My tears are long since spent. If I still felt as you do, if I ached as you do, I could not have borne this eternity.”

Ruin and Rising- Chapter 15

He paused, studying me. “How are you finding life in hiding, Alina? You don’t look well.”

“Neither do you,” I said. It wasn’t just the scars. He wore his weariness like an elegant cloak, but it was still there. Faint smudges showed beneath his eyes, and the hollows of his sharp cheekbones cut a little deeper.

“A small price to pay,” he said, his lips quirking in a half smile.

Siege and Storm- Chapter 1

He let a nichevo’ya form behind Azarov, towering and bewinged. Calling on merzost was painful, like a breath torn from his lungs, a moment of terror as his life was ripped away to form another. Creation. Abomination. But he was used to it by now.

Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33

The funniest part is saying (parrotting the author, really) he's been doing his job "as long as he was the hero". That happened when, exactly? Because the Darkling we're introduced is feared and hated, othered by masses and Alina both, yet it doesn't stop him. He's readily embracing the role of a villain, if it serves his purpose and he'll be allowed to continue his carefully laid out plans.

Alexei insisted that I retell the story of the Grisha coaches, and it was met by the usual mix of fascination and fear that greeted any mention of the Darkling.

“He’s not natural,” said Eva, another assistant; she had pretty green eyes that did little to distract from her piglike nose. “None of them are.”

Alexei sniffed. “Please spare us your superstition, Eva.”

“It was a Darkling who made the Shadow Fold to begin with.”

“That was hundreds of years ago!” protested Alexei. “And that Darkling was completely mad.”

“This one is just as bad.”

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 1

“Someone has to lead, Alina. Someone has to end this. Believe me, I wish there were another way.”

He sounded so sincere, so reasonable, less a creature of relentless ambition than a man who believed he was doing the right thing for his people. Despite all he’d done and all he intended, I did almost believe him. Almost.

I gave a single shake of my head.

He slumped back in his chair. “Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.”

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 21

I'd also love to see that utopia, where Grisha weren't merely tolerated it Ravka. Even the Retcon duology admits they're hardly equal citizens...

“Perhaps you don’t give the people enough credit,” said Yuri.

“No?” said Zoya from her perch. “The people who still call Grisha witches despite the years they’ve kept this country safe? Who bar them from owning property in their towns—”

“That is illegal,” said Nikolai.

Zoya raised her glass in a mock toast. “I’ll be sure to inform them the next time a Grisha family is driven from their home in the middle of the night.”

King of Scars- Chapter 12

And the retaliation and punishment for going against him was severe and enforced by him. Was it necessary? Hell no. This part of his pride, the selfish, controlling pride was what made him the villain, and is clearly negative.

Are we talking about him not treating traitors and deserters in kid gloves? Really? Because what would you have him do? Sit them down, patiently listen to their fears and objections and explain his every single move?

That's not about someone's pride, but actual order and how military usually works. Do you think disobedience is tolerated in organization build on the opposite? This is 19th-ish century army, not democracy of 21st. You don't like the comparison, don't use the set pieces.

From what I can tell others such as Alina and the Triumvirate are positive activists. People like them have his old pride, have his rage and need for justice. But they aren't as selfish and have more compassion. Even Zoya. And that's what separates him from them.

Genuinelly laughing my ass off on this.

Alina- an activist? Alina "I want to be left alone" Starkov? She isn't proud, she's persuaded the world revolves around her and has love/hate relationship with the notion. Totally different thing.

Also have no idea, where you gathered those "heroes" have "rage, need for justice, compassion and aren't selfish".

Poor Genya became one-dimensional perpetual victim and anti-Darkling mouthpiece that likes to blame everything on him, probably including fall of Roman empire and they don't even have one...

David's personality is "loves his wife, tinkers and occasionally feels guilty for helping the Big Bad". We don't really get to see more of him, his main purpose, aside from the above, is to die, which tends to anger anyone, who liked glimpses of his (NOT)autistic ass.

Don't even get me started of LB's overpowered self-insert. She likes to list all her people, who died due to the Darkling, but the living matter only as long as they're one of hers. Facing hard choices, she has plot armour to make everyone love her and bow down to her just in time to save those 3.5 people she cares about and knows by name. That's unlikable character and bad writng right here.

“This is a trap,” said Genya. “Not a negotiation tactic. He wants you to do something rash. Zoya? Zoya, what are you doing?”

Zoya stalked back to the tent. “Something rash.”

“We have a strategy,” Genya argued, hurrying to follow. “It’s working. We need to stick to it. And Nikolai needs you to help guide our rockets.”

…

She shook her head and plunged into the tent, stripping off the First Army uniform she’d worn to disguise her identity. “There are other Squallers,” she said as she dug through her trunk for something less recognizable. “Adrik can guide the missiles. And I’ll be back in plenty of time. With Nina Zenik in tow.”

“She may not even be alive.”

Zoya nearly tore the roughspun shirt she’d drawn from her trunk. “She is not dead. I forbid it.”

Rule of Wolves- Chapter 36

Pretty sure if the Darkling had the power to make his wishes come true, we wouldn't be having this conversation...

The part of his pride which made him want to fight for and protect Grisha was could have made him good, or at least the person Grisha and Ravka needed. But he failed and became the monster Grisha haters needed to confirm their beliefs. That is where he went wrong.

I don't know how you think prejudice works, but it's sort of in the word itself. It's about judging pre-meeting whoever it's against. There was no excuse needed to hate Grisha. That's been happening this whole time, Ravkan General's military decision or not. The Fold just got on the list of reason, why is it justified, and it's terrifying to watch real, living people accept such notions.

But then again, operating on Good/Bad scale is rather tell-tale... We're not in a fairy tale.

#sorry for disagreeing but I think it definately needs to be remembered#I agree with the point that his orignal pride was admirable and courageous and if he'd stayed like that he would be the protagonist #except he wasn't #and he killed and punished many

I know the narrative likes to treat his actions as a result of arrogance, but he's literally military leader and the only person actively doing anything, offering real solutions, not just "Let's make a pretty speech and hug it out!".

#plus i disagree with the show in the banning of Keftas# like bruh #their Keftas are what makes them proud to be who they are in a time and country where what they are is frowned upon #like a pride flag or something

They're certainly a symbol. (And protective garment.) Not the only thing making Grisha proud, but celebration of their difference. And their enemies know it.

A large pyramid-shaped skylight looked down on what seemed to be a training room, its floor emblazoned with the drüskelle wolf’s head, the shelves lined with weapons. Through the next glass pyramid, he glimpsed a big dining hall. One wall was taken up by a massive hearth, a wolf’s head carved into the stone above it. The opposite wall was adorned by an enormous banner with no discernible pattern, a patchwork of slender strips of cloth—mostly red and blue, but some purple, too. It took Jesper a moment to understand what he was seeing.

“Saints,” he said, feeling a little sick. “Grisha colors.”

Wylan squinted. “The banner?”

“Red for Corporalki. Blue for Etherealki. Purple for Materialki. Those are pieces of the kefta that Grisha wear in battle. They’re trophies.”

“There are so many.”

Hundreds. Thousands. I would have worn purple, Jesper thought, if I’d joined the Second Army.

Six of Crows- Chapter 30

@glitter50000:

#I feel like also his pride in why its viewed as negative is that he doesn’t like to admit he’s wrong #Or it’s rare for him to admit that and he doesn’t like it when people get the best of him either

He's literally crawling to Alina any time she beats him somehow. He even offers her the throne after she tricks and almost kills him.

#You know he made the little palace and thanks to it the grisha are feared and respected at least by others and they don’t have to hide #But then his own actions with the Fold regressed that progress and he doesn’t want to admit it even if I believe that he knows that’s true

So we're back to "otkazat'sya have reasons to hate Grisha and it's the Darkling's miltary action, not the fact they've been doing it this whole time anyway"?! Please...

#But to admit it would mean to have to change how he’s been going at this for years but he thinks he’s right in how he views it #When how he thinks goes more for how it was when he was growing up and not now. When he was growing it was a dog eats dog world for grisha #Better to strike first and give them something to be afraid for then give them any chance to get you but #they’re not really in that world anymore in the present time

I bag you pardon, where? Look, I know the show made sure to skim over or straight up erase Grisha oppression, but how are Grisha better in present? When the best case scenario is live in Ravka with life-long military service and being basically property of the Crown, frowned upon, distrusted and viewed as something other?

The Darkling's pride is constantly presented as a negative trait, but I'd argue it's the exact opposite. He's living in a world, which treats "what" he is with suspicion at best, disgust and outright hatred more often than not. Not only he's refusing to accept such views, he's openly defiant. That takes a lot of courage and for me, it's worth admiration, not negative judgement.