#but hes so based he only wishes to get to choose when to die

[insinirate]

brushing up on sir galahad lore is FUNNY as hell hes the churchs mary sue and he is their meowest little meow

[synchodai]

I get this impression that House of the Dragon doesn't get that "named" heirs aren't really the norm in Westeros. If it were that easy for someone to just give everything to their favorite child, Randall Tarly wouldn't have needed to force Sam to go to the Wall and Tywin could have simply chosen Cersei over Tyrion as heir of Casterly Rock.

If we look at the history Westeros borrows from, the concept of "naming" heirs wasn't really a thing in medieval England. Landed gentry didn't have direct say over the order of succession until the Statute of Wills in 1540. Before then, land and subsequent titles could only be inherited through agnatic primogeniture.

Agnatic primogeniture prioritized the living, eldest, trueborn son. Claims can only be passed on patrilineally. This means that a grandaughter can inherit a claim of her grandfather's titles through her father, but a grandson cannot be given the same through his mother. However, if his mother finally does have land and titles under her own name (not under her father's), only then does her son and other children enter the line of succession.

The reason it was like this was because it kept land and titles under one family. Daughters are less preferred because when they are married, they become part of their husband's family — meaning that any titles they receive will be inherited through a new line. This wouldn't be an ideal situation because it gives two families claims to the titles. The more claimants there are, the more unstable the hold the owner has.

In other words, agnatic primogeniture was practiced for stability. Because back in the day, titles weren't just property or land. They came with governorship over a people, so a stable and predictable transfer of titles was necessary to avoid civil conflicts and questions of legitimacy.

A landed lord or lady wasn't given the right to designate heirs for a few reasons:

Most of them were vassals who oversaw the land in the name of someone higher up. It technically isn't even theirs to give away (see: feudal land tenure).

The wishes of a human being are less predictable than having a determined line of succession based on birth order. What if he becomes incapable of declaring an heir either through illness or disability? What if he's captured and a bad actor forces him to name this person heir under threat of violence?

People died unexpectedly all time. This was before germ theory and modern medicine — child mortality was extremely high. With no refrigeration technology, a single poor harvest could mean dying from starvation. Bandits, cutthroats, and raiders were a constant threat. They could not afford to rely on a person choosing a different heir every time the old heir drops dead, because the landed lord/lady could die just as suddenly.

Even 21st century families stab each other in the back over who gets grandma's house — so imagine having an uncertain line of succession in the middle ages over a life-defining lordship and without a modern-day court system to mediate.

Going back to HotD, whenever Targaryens did go against the established line of succession, they could only have done it by consolidating the support of their vassals. Only royalty seemed to have the power to bend agnatic primogeniture, but even then they were beholden to it.

When Jaehaerys I ascended the throne over Aerea, it was mainly because there were those who saw Maegor the Cruel's act of disinheriting Jaehaerys as null and void. This restored Jaehaerys place in the line of succession above Aerea.

And when Rhaenys was passed over for Baelon, Jaehaerys had to convene his lords and offer compelling reasons as to why — her young age, her lack of an heir, her Velaryon last name, etc. It wasn't a given that just because she was a woman that she was ineligible. If he was doing it purely out of misogyny, he still had to legally justify his misogyny in order to strip away her rights.

Even after consolidating support, the book mentions Jaehaerys I and Viserys I's respective hold on the crown was still weakened. Even though their claims were backed by reasons cosigned by a powerful majority, they still had to ensure the security of their rule through other means. There were people who doubted their right to rule, and those people had to be placated with gifts (by Viserys) or intimidated into submission (by Jaehaerys).

So we come to Viserys I who never gave his vassals a reason why Rhaenyra should supercede his three sons other than, "I said so." Had he convened with his lords and maybe made the argument that a first marriage takes precendence over a second one, then maybe he could have set a new precedent and gathered support.

But no, he didn't. He relied on the power of his own words and the lords' personal oaths — oaths that he didn't exactly plan how he would enforce posthumously.

And the Realm did not choose to adopt a different succession law after Jaehaerys's designation of Baelon in 92 AC or the Council of Harrenhal choosing Viserys on 101 AC. If those two events did change anything, it was that now women were exempt from the line of succession for the crown and only the crown. It did not set the precedence that monarchs could freely choose heirs. It did not upend the whole system; it only made a tweak, as most lawful policy-changes do, by carving out at an exception. It was a committee, not a revolution.

Before and after the Dance, no other monarch, lord, or lady "declared" an heir that went against agnatic primogeniture, save for Dornish who have cognatic (equal-gender) primogeniture instead. Ramsay had to get rid of Roose Bolton's living trueborn son AND be legitimized by the crown in order to be recognized as heir (only a crowned monarch can legitimize baseborn children which is another world-building pillar a lot of people miss). Randall basically had to force Sam to abdicate because he wanted his younger brother to inherit instead. And of course, Tywin despite his intense hatred of Tyrion is forced to acknowledge him as his heir.

The rigidity of the line of succession is a major and constant source of conflict in the series, so it baffles me that people really thought that characters could just freely choose their heirs. That's why we have a civil war. It wasn't a misunderstanding. It's the expected consequences of someone carelessly going against a foundational tenent of the society they inhabit.

[veganineden]

On the Evolution of “Happily Ever After” and Why “Nothing Lasts Forever”

A reflection inspired by Good Omens 2

One of my favorite Tumblr posts on the second season of Good Omens 2 was actually not about the series at all, but our reaction to it, primarily the ending. @zehwulf wrote, “I think a lot of us—myself included—got a little too comfortable with assuming [Aziraphale and Crowley would] work on their issues right away post-Armageddon.” We did the work for them through meta, fanfiction, fanart, and building a plethora of headcanons. Who among us AO3-surfing fans didn’t read and love Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm?

In the 4 long years since season one was released, we did more than seek to understand and repair rifts between two fictional beings: we were forced to reckon with ourselves too. We faced a global pandemic, suffered traumatizing losses and isolation, and were forced to really and truly look into the face of our atrocities-ridden and capitalistic world. The mainstream rise of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice work, and our participation in this work, showed us that the systems in place were built to oppress and harm most of us, and they are. 

So, what does this have to do with the evolution of “happily ever after”? 

My friend put it best in a conversation we had following the season finale, when she pointed out a shift in media focus. The “happy end” in old stories about wars and kingdoms used to be “we killed the evil old king and put a noble young king in his place and now citizens can live in peace” and we’re transitioning into a period of “we tore down the whole fucking monarchy.” 

If we look at season one, written to follow the beats of a love story, it comforted us by offering a pretty traditional happy ending pattern: you get your fancy dinner with your special someone, the romantic music plays, and you have a place to call your own. Season one’s finale provided a temporary freedom for Aziraphale and Crowley, the “breathing room,” but it didn't solve the problem that was Heaven and Hell, or the agendas belonging to those systems of oppression. 

Is it good enough to keep our heads down, pretend the bad stuff isn’t happening, and live our own personal happy endings until we die? Moral quandaries aside, if you don't die (or if you care about the generations after you), then, like Aziraphale said, it “can’t last forever.” There’s a clear unpleasant end to the “happily ever after” that’s based on ignoring our problems– it’s the destruction of our relationships, and humanity. 

Ineffable Bureaucracy can go off into the stars because they do not care about humanity. 

You know who does?

Aziraphale. 

And Aziraphale knows that Crowley cares about humanity too. (He knows because Crowley was the one who proposed sabotaging Armageddon in the first place, who only invited him to the stars when he thought all was lost, because Crowley would save humanity if he thought it was possible, and Aziraphale knows Crowley has survived losing Everything before, and he will do all in his power so that Crowley does not need to experience that again.) 

In season one and two, we see how much they care about humanity, beyond their orders, to the point The Systems begin to frown at them. Aziraphale hears Crowley’s offer to run away together in the final episode of season two, to leave Earth behind, and just like the first time that offer was made in season one, he declines. He knows choosing only “us” is not a choice either of them can live with for the rest of eternity.

I believe season 3 will provide an opportunity to “dismantle the system,” but I don’t know how it will play out. I worry that Aziraphale has put himself in the now-dead trope of the “young noble king.” (I wish Crowley had told him why Gabriel was dismissed from his duties.) I worry that he would martyr himself as a sole agent for change. I worry that he doesn’t actually know how to dismantle anything by himself: because you can’t. He needs Crowley. He DOES. He needs Crowley, and Muriel, and other angels and demons and humans without fixed mindsets to help him. Only by learning to listen and making room at the table for all can they (and we) move past personal satisfaction to collective liberation. 

Crowley was right when he said that Aziraphale had discovered his “civic obligations.”

So, I think we will get our modern-day happy ending– and it’s going to involve a lot of pain and discomfort, communication, healing and teamwork– and in the end, it’ll all be okay. There will be a time for rest and a time for “us.” 

And most likely a cottage. 

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

 - Maya Angelou

Support the SAG-AFTRA strike and other unions. Trust @neil-gaiman. Register to vote if you haven’t yet. Hold yourself and others accountable with compassion. Read books. Keep doing the work. Rest. Then watch Good Omens 2 again.  

[vashtijoy]

have you seen the commentary from the p5r artbook going around? the shuake part of my dash is losing it a bit at the implication that their wishes were mutual!!! that seems to be what some people are getting from the commentary at least… amy insights?

Hi! I have been through the artbook. It's great, isn't it? :D

The image above is called "One Ending", and the creator caption (by illustrator Akane Kabayashi) reads:

When I think about how Akechi's wish was to play chess after school with the protagonist, I almost want to call him out with "You liked him after all, didn't you!"

Look at that. We're told about Akechi's wish, and what it included. We're as good as told outright that he likes Joker—and this isn't the only time, there's also this:

—There are a whole lot of things we can imagine, based on how the protagonist was depicted as someone special to Akechi. Those are more or less the exact emotions represented during Akechi's confidant. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

"someone special" here is 特別な存在 tokubetsuna sonzai—literally "a special presence". It means a special person, and more than that; it describes someone you find compelling, someone you can't look away from, someone who becomes one of your most important people, the centre of your world. It's another term that is often romantic, but isn't necessarily romantic.

(In the same way, I think Kabayashi's suki jan! is more tongue-in-cheek than it is a cast-iron confirmation that Akechi was canonly in love with Joker. The language there is teasing, it's ambiguous, it's baity; Kabayashi is joking. This is a rank 6—as they say, if you know, you know. But it is of course ultimately up to all of you.)

There's another mention of this image, down in the creator interview:

Out of all the Maruki ending illustrations, it was Akechi's that stuck with me the most. It made such an impression to see them opening up as friends, having a fun, peaceful time together like high school students should. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

What really strikes me in all of this is the emphasis the creators put on the fact that this is Akechi's illustration, Akechi's wish. Because I've thought for a while that we know Akechi has a wish. You can see him struggling with his refusals to Maruki in the first week of January. And you can hear his wish spoken—when Maruki repeats it back to him, during the boss fight, on 2/3:

Maruki {F1 81}君たちとなら、君も過ちのない道を歩めるかも知れないじゃないか！ {F1 81}-kun-tachi to nara, kimi mo ayamachi no nai michi o ayumeru kamoshirenai ja nai ka! If you're with {F1 81}―kun and his friends, you could begin to atone for what you've done! Think about it! With [Amamiya]-kun and his friends beside you, you could choose a path with no mistakes as well!

So this wish has several parts. First, there's that kimi mo, "you also"; it's tempting to read this as Maruki also wanting his new world to erase his past mistakes. Second, there's the first part, "if you're with [Amamiya]-kun and his friends". Where to even start here?

Being with Joker and the others is a prerequisite for the second half of Akechi's wish. It doesn't just coexist, it enables the rest of it. Just like his words in the engine room, "I wonder why we couldn't have met a few years earlier, [Ren]..."

Remember, Akechi's whole arc is about his rejection of trust and friendship, and his insistence on doing everything himself. This is precisely what Futaba calls him out on—"you trusted no one", or "you played life in single-player mode". This is what he unlearns at the climax of the engine room, when he realises he isn't prepared to let the others die—and follows through to save them.

Akechi is nothing without others, and he knows it. Without their support, which he believes he has no right to, he has no hope of living a better life, even were he to be given the chance—and he knows that, too. He has learned, and he has grown—and yet he knows the things he needs and wants so badly are forever inaccessible.

And his wish is about all the Phantom Thieves, not just Joker. There are many tiny references to this end—not least the original Japanese rank 10 line for his confidant, where he sacrifices himself for all of you. Joker is his compelling presence, his someone special, but he's formed small bonds with the others too, God help him.

and then there's the crime thing

The localisation frames Akechi's wish in terms of atonement, but that's not what's on offer. You cannot, after all, atone for things you never did. We see Akechi's wish put into practice, in the Maruki ending, where he appears with his friends beside him, wholly innocent and with unstained hands. And we see it in the first week of January, after he has finally met Maruki and spoken to him:

Akechi: Ah, that reminds me—there was one more thing I wanted to tell you. Akechi: About the reality Maruki's put us in... Akechi: It seems that Okumura and Wakaba are both considered alive by all accounts. [Ren: They're not dead anymore? / What do you mean?] Akechi: They aren't mere illusions, or cognitive beings—they truly are alive and existing in this world. Akechi: In fact, their deaths seem to have never taken place at all in this reality. [Ren: What happened to Shido?] Akechi: Shido was the only one arrested on the crime of attempting to overthrow the government... Akechi: It seems the Phantom Thieves were causing a stir in this society as well, but there's no record of your arrest now. Akechi: Basically, in this reality, you and I haven't committed any crimes.

While Akechi still remembers his crimes, they never took place. They have been undone, and only his lingering memory—and Joker's, at this point—speaks to them. He objects to this on countless levels, he summons all the strength he has to refuse it, but don't make the mistake of thinking that means he doesn't want it. This is Akechi's wish in action.

People are often very certain that Akechi's resolve in the third semester is like iron—that he rejects Maruki's offers right away, is never tempted, never wavers. But that can't be true. We know he's afraid to die. We know about the bad end where you don't complete the Palace, where Akechi says nothing and stares at the floor, seemingly blaming himself internally while all the others blame themselves aloud, for being unable to say no to Maruki's temptations. We know how he responds to this assertion of Maruki's—Maruki, who has perfectly summed up what we know all the other PTs wanted, and who (even if Word of God hadn't just confirmed Akechi's wish) we have, honestly, no reason to doubt.

Because Akechi never refutes this wish that Maruki describes. He never says he doesn't want it. He just rejects it—like all the others, who so desperately want what Maruki could give them. Futaba's mother, Haru's father. Akechi's life, and his innocence. And the people who might have been his friends, if he could dare, one day, to ask.

Akechi is tested just like the others, and the price he pays for his defiance is perhaps the highest of all.

and finally

[The Maruki ending illustrations are] of Maruki's world, where everyone's wishes are granted and they seem happy. The scene shows their actualised wishes, which were never granted in the real world. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

We shouldn't forget the price Akechi pays for his impossible wish. Sure, the vision of himself being altered like Sumire clearly haunts him, and I'm sure it made the choice easier—but I don't think it made it that easy. Instead of taking the dream Maruki offered him, Akechi chose to face up to what he'd done, and who he'd become; at the very end, in the third semester and in the engine room, he always makes the right choice.

And that choice was taken away from him. Agency over his life and death, his own acts, and who he would even be—Joker and Maruki take it all away from him and make him a puppet, just like Shido.

Maruki's ending isn't pretty.

revision history

Click here for the latest version.

v1.0 (2024/03/29)—first published.

[deathbxnny]

HEBUAWBIAHWUW HEY POOKIE!!!

Sorry I just love the open requests😍😍 ANYHOW!

I've been requesting too much romantic shit.... Sooo, I've got an unusual mixup of characters! Kinich, Neuvillette and Wanderer with child, fem! reader. (I'd like age for reader to be like, 9-11 or even a bit younger but you can play with whatever age you want based on the scenario!)

So, in Wanderer's scenario reader has to be like adopted, since he's a puppet and all.

But for Neuvi's scenario (sorry I can only see him as a girl dad) I think reader could easily be his biological child, kinda like Sigewinne (she's old but looks like a child so that could work). Being Neuvi's daughter EUGHHHHHH I would die for that

In Kinich's scenario reader can be his 'adopted' or biological little sister you can choose!!

(apologies if it's very specific but my cravings for fanfiction are like those weird pregnancy cravings women get)

Anyways, I hope you're doing great mootie! Unfortunately, I haven't been getting better at all... health wise, yeah I got better, but mental health wise? I think I'm just getting worse. But I hope all's going better for you!!! xoxo and flowers for u🪻🌼🌸

Genshin men with a Fem!Child!Reader. | Neuvillette, Kinich, Wanderer

Thank you sm for the cute request, dear moot!! I appreciate it a lot! Also, I completely get how you feel, as I've been feeling the exact same way. If you need someone to talk to, my dms are always open for all!!<33

Content: Child reader, platonic relationships, fluff, slight angst?, sfw

Reader is requested to be female!

((Not fully proofread))

》NEUVILLETTE

This man was elated when he first held you in his arms as a small infant. It was a rainy yet sunny day at the same time, his excitement showing in the tears he attempted so hard to hide. Deep down, Neuvillette felt his loneliness finally lift at your presence, glad to have someone in his life that he could cherish and love to his hearts content.

Therefore, it comes to no surprise that he spoiled you greatly with anything you wanted. He dressed you in frilly, lavish dresses, never sparing any expenses for your many fulfilled wishes. He arranged grand tea parties for you, never shying away from spending as much time as possible with you, despite his awfully busy schedule. It hurts his heart to be away from you for long periods of time, but he makes it up to you with sweets and gifts everytime.

Despite how much he spoils you, he also makes sure to instill a deep sense of justice into you. You are raised to seek truth and handle difficult situations with a righteous yet empathetic moral compass.

Seeing you advance and grow makes him prouder than you could ever imagine.

》KINICH

You were an orphan child he had taken in when you were just a very small baby. Growing up together, he often tried his best to provide you with everything he could, even with his rather difficult upbringing. At times, he worries that what he does isn't enough for you, but he tries his best to make you proud of him as an older brother and caretaker. You are what he fights for every day, and he keeps you in his heart during the annual tournament, especially.

He'll often also bring you trinkets and clothes back from his travels. He tries to spend a lot of time with you otherwise, too, like playing games or taking you out for some mildly adventurous walks.

Unfortunately for Kinich and you, Ajaw is ofcourse always there with you. He had initially banned any contact between you two until he noticed that the grand and allmighty dragon seemed rather docile around you at least. His goal was to make Kinich miserable after all... not you.

Either way, even when he worries that he isn't doing enough to give you the best life possible, it fills him with pride to see you beam up at him so happily. It makes all the hardships he goes through so worth it.

》WANDERER

He took you in mostly against his will at first. Your parents had abandoned you to pursue their academic dreams, and so you were, at the time, temporarily put into his care. He warmed up to you pretty fast, though, as your situation reminded him of his own. And something about that scared him deeply.

He knew that he wasn't the most ideal man, and his erased past very much highlighted that exact fact. But under Nahida's calming and wise guidance, he found himself reluctantly falling into fatherhood for your sake. It wasn't easy, and there were a lot of internal battles he still faces daily years later, that oftentimes can make you bump heads. But he does his best to provide you a good and better childhood than his own.

He tries to be loving, caring, and understanding, even if he doesn't know how to. Wanderer can be harsh and even very blunt, but he learned how to be patient and gentle through you. He spends a lot of time with you even whilst he's working around the Akademiya, often just dragging you along to make sure nothing happened to you in his absence.

He ultimately may not be the most greatest father out there... but he'll be damned if he didn't at least try to be for your sake. Just so that the cycle didn't repeat again.

[diana-bluewolf]

Why NPC’s lines outside quests don’t tell us anything about them

*with rare exceptions

Here we have Duncan saying he'd like to get rid of Muggle-borns like Garlick. And, surprise, then we have Hector Fawley (future Minister for Magic, btw) saying exactly the same line in the same voice.

The subtitles are hard to read, so I duplicated them with text under pictures.

Duncan and Hector: "If only Black had the power to choose the other professors too. Then we could get rid of Muggle-born like Garlick."

Or here Duncan rants about disgusting Mudbloods ruining the school. But look at this adorable Hufflepuff repeating the same word for word.

Duncan and a random Hufflepuff student: "It’s about time Hogwarts put someone like Black in charge. Perhaps now we can stop all these disgusting Mudbloods from ruining the school."

Suddenly, Duncan forgets his own words and says he will miss Professor Garlick or recommends that Garreth ask her for advice.

Duncan: "I can’t wait until I’m a sixth-year - then I won’t have to waste my time with Herbology anymore. I’ll miss Professor Garlick, mind." Duncan: "I wouldn’t bother yourself about that. If I were you, I’d be more inclined to acquire myself some Bubotuber pus. I’m sure Garlick could point you in the right direction."

Garreth seems to have difficulties with making up his mind, too.

Garreth: "Have you been in any other common rooms? I'd love to know what it's like to be in another house - just for a day." Also Garreth: "Even if I knew how to get into the other common rooms, I wouldn't bother. There's a reason I was sorted into my house."

This does sound like Garreth. Until you hear the same from half of Hogwarts lots.

Garreth and a random Gryffindor student: "Sometimes I wish someone would Transfigure me into a squirrel. Then I wouldn't have to worry about doing schoolwork anymore."

The same goes for Leander. Btw, hello Mousey @sparxyv!

Leander: "You think Garreth Weasley would be better at Transfiguration considering his aunt teaches the thing."

I see sometimes people think Leander is a bully because he says some mean lines like the one when he's bragging about a knee-reversal hex he tried on a small Hufflepuff. But it's NOT his lines. It's just the lines that belong to everyone, which means they belong to no one.

I even made a video based on Ominis's lines like this.

Ominis: "Well, my father naturally assumed I'd be a strong Seeker, just like him. I say, thank Merlin Quidditch was cancelled." Ominis: "I met some of my best friends in Flying. Nothing creates a bond like thinking you're all about to die." Ominis: "My friends and I like to spend our evenings watching the sunset from the Quidditch pitch."

Btw maybe Quidditch Champions devs took it too seriously 😂 I agree with the point that Ominis technically can play Quidditch: there are, without a doubt, disabled athletes in the world, and if there’s a wand, that helps him to see why not imagine a broom like this? Still, given his personality, I believe that Ominis appeared in that game just to gather more money from fans, and he's just as a quidditch player, as Seb's patronus is a cat. Because, seriously, Ominis? Saying that, "Nothing creates a bond like thinking you're all about to die." Haha!

From what I can see, random student dialogues exist only to fill the silence with background noise and create the illusion of life, but they can't tell us anything about the characters.

*HOWEVER, this does not apply to situations where NPCs say something to MC, rather than during dialogues with random students.

For example, Ominis’s lines like, “Heard you're defending Hogsmeade against trolls. You know there is such a thing as trying too hard." or “Heard you and Sebastian traversed a mountain in Loyalist territory. You know, that sort of thing could have gotten you both killed.” really belong to our gossip king Ominis.

Or when MC walks past Amit near Hogshead before talking to Lodgok for the first time, Amit shouts greetings to MC.  Those are the lines that really were intended for those NPCs.

[pikahlua]

Fourteen Days of MHA: Day 1

Home

WARNING: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood spoilers (seasons 1 and 2)

You: Huh!?!?!?!?

Oh yeah, it's time for a little mini-meta.

Okay, well, we're not going to get into the ENDING yet, but there's actually a lot going on in MHA that looks eerily familiar if you're an FMA fan. MHA itself is in many ways a referential work, and I don't think all of these parallels are coincidences (though surely some are).

Let's talk about the symbolism of the home.

My Hero Academia has three major examples of "home" that it highlights as symbols: those of the villains Tomura Shigaraki, Himiko Toga, and Touya Todoroki. The villains view their homes as symbols of oppression and pain. We know the home is seen as the image of all that oppression based on how various characters treat the houses themselves.

When Touya returned home after his miraculous survival, he found the home hadn't changed as a result of his death. The "scene" there always looks the same.

And when Endeavor tries to atone, Endeavor acknowledges that the "house" he raised his children in is full of bad memories to the extent that he decides to build his family a new home where they can live without him.

Touya's opportunity to demonstrate his feelings about his home arises with Himiko Toga. She returns to her abandoned childhood home out of curiosity and finds it full of hatred and derision, symbolizing her experiences there.

Touya does her a "kindness" by destroying the house.

Then he reveals that doing so, to him, is a way to get back at Endeavor--at the man who created Touya's own broken childhood home.

This scene in particular evokes the famous imagery of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood of the Elric Brothers burning down their own childhood home.

The act of destroying their own home is so important to them that Edward chooses to commemorate the date by engraving it inside his pocketwatch, "Don't Forget 3.Oct.11." To the brothers, this act is a symbol of their resolve--of their chosen path to atone for their sins and restore their bodies. There can be no going back home if there is no home to return to.

In other words, the purposeful destruction of one's home represents a threshold, a point of no return. By destroying their homes, the villains of MHA demonstrate their conviction for the paths they've chosen.

The problem is, there's another reason one might destroy their own home.

To run away. To hide. To forget.

Why does Himiko call Touya's act of destruction a kindness, even if Touya denies it? Because he has destroyed the largest reminder of the pain of her childhood.

The League of Villains seek to destroy the world because they were rejected by the world and wish to reject it back. Those homes were the world to them at one point, when they were children. To them, the world is just an extension of the suffering they experienced.

Tomura wants to destroy the world to justify his existence as a destroyer, but in reality he doesn't want to face the fact that he killed his family by accident.

The tragedy of his childhood was so traumatic he repressed the memory and only found his concrete motivation to destroy the world once he remembered his past in Deika City. As soon as he remembers that house, he wishes to destroy it again. It's already been destroyed, but the memory of it continues to hurt him long after. By destroying the world, maybe he can forget it again. Maybe the pain will make sense and he won't have to think about it anymore. Maybe he'll stop being a crying child deep down.

The villains seek to destroy their own origins, which is by nature a self-destructive cause. Paradoxically, they will end up destroyed in the end no matter if they succeed or fail in their goals. Either the world will be destroyed and they along with it, or they will die trying.

To save Tenko's heart, Izuku has to bring that memory of the house to the surface. He has to recontextualize it to validate Tenko as he is.

And the recontexualization is All For One.

By contextualizing Tenko's life as a product of All For One's machinations, it gives Tomura a new reason to destroy that memory and that house: to destroy All For One.

And with that comes a new justification for Tomura's existence.

The destruction of All For One.

[weenwrites]

hey, same person who requested Medium/Psychic Reader. I've noticed you wrote only for 2 characters but is it okay if u do the same for Optimus and Ratchet please?

[ Please do not repost, plagiarize, or use my writing for AI! Translating my work with proper credit is acceptable, but please ask first! ]

Optimus

The rides back to base from the church are always haunted by this eerie and tense silence, and it's impossible to miss the stark difference in their demeanor before and after the church congregation. He's unsure whether it's normal for humans to seem exhausted and on edge after attending a religious congregation, and though he momentarily considers this may be part of their religious culture, he's far too concerned to simply leave it be.

He asks the question up front and directly, it's clear he's not beating around the bush, and he wants an answer because he's concerned for their welbeing not only as their guardian but as a friend. If they choose to lie to him, it'll be hard persuading him to leave it at that unless they're a very--and I mean very--good liar. He is by no means a lie detector, but he's good at picking up on the signs and interpreting them.

If they're honest with him, he believes them rather quickly, given the general belief of the existence of an afterlife in cybertronian culture. However he finds it fascinating, given how it's not exactly clear that humans have a "spark" or a "soul" that would be reborn, and yet some persist after death and take the form of a ghost with the potential to grow malevolent and harmful towards the living.

When he goes to pick them up, he'll offer to escort them back home early and so they can rest and relax from whatever it was they had to do that day. However, if they don't wish to be alone in that moment, he'll bring them back to base and they can sit near the rails as he works, or they can join him on a brief patrol around the area.

Ratchet

He's not one to poke and prod at business that doesn't concern him, no matter the rumors he hears about it, yet the only exception is when said business ends up hurting others. In this case it has to do with his charge. He's heard the kids gossip about the local church in town, and they talk about ghosts and the paranormal, and of course he doesn't believe in such things... Or so he thinks.

His eyes are sharper than they'd expect, and he tends to notice a lot of things that they think they're hiding well as he drives them back to base. He doesn't miss the haunted look on their face, or the tense periods of silence after attending the "assembly" at church, or the way they jump at the creaking of the metal pipes that run along the walls once they're back inside.

And one day he'll ask how "church" went after picking them up. If they're clearly reluctant to talk, he'll push, insisting that it's obvious that they don't look well after whatever they had just done, and as their guardian, he needs to know what's happened because he's concerned that it's causing them some sort of harm.

But if they're honest, he'll hesitate to respond. He's skeptical that ghosts and spirits exist, seeing as humans don't seem to have any sparks that persist after their bodies die, but if humans are the spawn of Unicron, then perhaps this is a result of that? If this is genuinely what is causing them all this stress then he'll take it at that. From then on, every time they finish "church", he'll offer to take them for a drive around the town to get their mind off all the stress they no doubt endured during the exorcism or whatever else it was they had to do that day.

[alwaysthefool]

Minds (fake dating Chuuya)

Warnings: Toxic ex mention, abusive family situation, reader is rich-ish (ik ik, just pretend), mafia activities mention, public humiliation but in a traumatising way okay not a spicy way, based on true events so reactions are anxious and personal-ish, weird grammar, cringed when writing this I’m ngl lol

Tags: Long, Fluff, dramatic, kinda angst to fluff, comfort, slow burn

-

The club you were in was mostly used by the Port Mafia for entertaining rich people’s voyeurism, certain business dealings, and getting high off drugs or abilities most would never even hear of. One could only enter with an invitation but your reputation preceded you, and even the bouncers knew to let you through, even past the VIP section as they whispered something into their mics.

The environment was stifling and disgusting, with people having public threesomes on sofas despite there being several rooms, the lights flashing too fast, and music that gave you a headache. How people could tolerate being there was beyond you, but the freedom they enjoyed was something you craved. You took a deep breath and tried to look for the executive, cringing when you’d spot someone’s ‘regions’ on accident, hoping his bright ginger hair would make the ordeal faster, sticking out like an angel. Finally, after some traumatising sights, you saw him in a booth drinking alone, talking to somebody in his earpiece. As you approached him, the music faded and you could hear what he was saying “…didn’t know about that.”

He met your eyes when you stood right in front of him, arms crossed with an unimpressed expression. “Right. Found them.” He took off his earpiece, and smiled at you.

“This is a rare sight.” He smiled as you sat down across him. Surprisingly, he had a good taste in whiskey, and judging from the bottle, he was completely sober too, which was a relief considering your plan.

“I have a proposition.” You placed the contract on the table, his gloved hands giving it a look, laughing almost immediately.

“Someone put you up to this as a prank?”

You sighed. You were prepared for this as someone from a rich family asking to get in a fake dating situation with a criminal. You spent weeks researching who to choose, terms and boundaries, and how it could be turned into a fair deal for you both. You met his eyes that bore into yours as he took the first sip of his whiskey. “You need my reputation, and I need your protection.” You spoke, both of you not breaking eye contact.

“Hm.” He finally looked away as he put down the glass, looking back at you almost immediately. “Is reputation all I’ll get out of this?”

You or your family didn’t have nearly as much money as he did, but were well known and respected in both the underworld and overworld as a dying but established elite business that sold handmade cigars. Unfortunately for you, the falling stocks meant you had to get married to your now ex, a horrible human with whom you’d spent every waking moment wishing to die. Any refusal would mean getting kidnapped and forced through their contacts at the port, as your grandfather was good friends with the previous boss. But what better way to avoid that possibility than by dating the very executive of that mafia?

“You get access to all my connections.” You tried not letting your desperation show, looking away from his eyes. “And um, if you’d like, you can get my shares at the company.”

Chuuya laughed at that. “Well, it’s a fine deal.” He added after some thought. “And I do need a date to the investor’s event.”

Investor’s event… the one he will be at.

You didn’t know when Chuuya gestured to the waiter, but a glass was put in front of you, Chuuya pouring in that expensive whiskey. You weren’t in the mood to drink, but he toasted to the agreement, signing the papers you handed to him. “Uh, sure.” You shut your eyes tight and took a sip, wincing at how strong it was. Chuuya let out a chuckle. You smiled back. Maybe this agreement wouldn’t be as intolerable as you thought it would be.

The next day, you met him at a high end restaurant filled with both mafia and your family’s business associates, trying to ‘officially’ announce your relationship. Eyes fell on you, fingers typing away on keyboards, as you hugged Chuuya, taking a seat next to him. You knew there’d be more perceptive eyes so Chuuya’s hand played with yours while talking, smile and eye contact unwavering.

“Well, ‘babe’, what should we order?” He spoke a little louder to make sure people heard. You drowned out their whispers with your own voice “Whatever you decide.”

Your acting was abhorrent compared to his, which could’ve won him an academy award in his debut film. You gulped, a little stressed people would figure out, glancing away, until he held your hand tight, making you look back at him. “Relax.” He whispered. “Don’t look at them, look at me.”

You nodded, as the waiter, most likely another informant came to take your order. “Your best wine, and… is the steak good with you, love?”

“I’ll just have the Greek salad.” Both your bank account and your nerves wouldn’t allow you to have a steak, as the stress reflected in your body.

“Doll, a salad?” Chuuya frowned. He seemed genuinely concerned, probably seeing the pallor in your face.

“I’m not well.” You faked a weak voice. “Probably because of last night…”

Chuuya seemed to have choked on air, coughing. The waiter too, cleared his throat, excusing himself and hurrying back a little too fast.

“You think they’re gossiping about that in the kitchen?” You joked, taking a sip of water. You knew Chuuya definitely didn’t expect that, as he laughed into his fist. “You’re really something, huh?”

After a while, however, Chuuya’s concern returned. “Why didn’t you order something nice? You know it’s on me, right?”

“I’ll return you the money when I get home.”

The waiter returned with the wine, pouring it as Chuuya kept his eyes on you, his chin resting on his hand supported by his leaning elbow. You both thanked the waiter and it did not go unnoticed by him how Chuuya simply couldn’t take his eyes off of you. He’s one hell of an actor, you thought as his eyes finally darted when the waiter left.

“When we get home.” He corrected you. “And don’t you undermine my chivalry with that. All meals and drinks are on me. Always.”

‘Always’ You hoped Chuuya couldn’t see the red creeping up on your face as you tried covering up by downing the wine glass whole, resisting the urge to throw up there and then.

Before Chuuya could say anything, you started to ‘panic-change the topic’ again. “Chivalry? Could you get any more cheesier?” You didn’t look at him as you realised your attempt at humour came out as a bit rude, refilling the wine glass again. But being as cool as he was, he joked it off “Absolutely, sugar. You just haven’t given me the chance yet.”

You shut your eyes downing the glass again, trying to ignore your tugging heart and worsening nerves. No, you told yourself you could not flirt with the guy you were fake dating. This was a strictly professional relationship.

Chuuya laughed again, seeming to enjoy the sight of you drinking one of the most expensive wines in the city like it was water. You hoped he didn’t realise how nervous he made you, but seeing how he toned down the flirting, he probably did. Having feelings, how embarrassing…

The rest of the day went perfect, as he drove you to your hotel, staying till you walked in, texting if you were alright from all the drinking and you realised he hadn’t taken a sip of the wine he ordered. You decided against your better judgment, strings on your heart pulling your fingers to text him.

‘Just realised you didn’t drink’

His text back came almost immediately.

‘Wanted to drive responsibly lol’

You smiled, laying down on your stomach, feet kicking in the air, as you propped yourself up on your elbows, already engrossed in the conversation.

‘Is texting and driving responsible?’

This time, his reply took a little longer.

‘Alright, you got me. I just wanted to drive you.’

Your face was red, from texts alone. Why was he like that? You knew better than to trust sweet words, and yet you couldn’t help enjoying that taste.

‘If you keep talking this way, I’ll think you’re really falling for me.’

You knew you were going too far, but you couldn’t help it. Your hands held more confidence than your lips ever did. Chuuya left your message on read and you couldn’t blame him. How was one supposed to reply to that anyway?

The next time you’d meet would be at the investor’s meet the day after, and Chuuya told you you two didn’t have to go since your ex would be there, but you knew him being there meant you had to go. You’d show them you were with Chuuya, and everyone would leave you alone. The more you thought about it, the more you realised Chuuya did not have as much to gain from it as you did, so you vowed to yourself to reimburse him somehow, someday, but for now you had to shamelessly take his help.

Besides, the arrangement would be over after that anyway, and you wouldn’t speak to one another, a fact that made your heart sink but you’d move on as usual, just another relation to lose.

You put on your most expensive clothes, your best perfume, and as you put on your stainless shoes, you heard a knock on your hotel door. “Come in!”

Chuuya walked in with a bouquet, dressed in an Italian leather coat, and a custom tailored suit from some French brand you couldn’t even pronounce the name of. He set the bouquet down, and kneeled in front of you, helping you put on your shoes. “You look gorgeous, doll face.”

“You look like my 8th grade mafia fantasies.”

Chuuya chuckled, still on his knees in front of you. “You’re getting better at fake dating talk.”

“Learned from the best.” You smiled, getting up and offering Chuuya a hand, which he took graciously, but his hand creeped up to take off your jacket. You looked at him confused and red from the feeling of his gentle arms pulling at you. “Oh you know, so I can give you my jacket later on.”

You nodded with an ‘oh’, he was truly very good at things like that. “Do you watch a lot of rom coms?” You asked, as you two walked to his car.

“Nah, just have a lot of experience.”

“With real dating, or fake dating?”

“With watching people get fooled.”

That was something you had experience with too, the world of business and crime being full of tricks and deceit. “Same. I’ve never seen real love. Everything’s just so transactional.”

Chuuya opened the door for you, closing it for you too after you sat, your eyes unable to leave him as he walked over to the driver seat.

“This may be ironic, but,” He looked over at you. “You’re the most sincere person I’ve met lately.”

You smiled back at him, “Yeah, you too.”

The rest of the ride was silent but tense, worries about your family and ex overcoming you. Chuuya, the master of making your heart want to explode, made things even worse by placing his hand on your thigh as an effort to calm you down. You felt like you were holding your breath, relief held back until his hand slithered back to the steering wheel, when you finally reached the hall, the whole building lit up, carpet on the path inside, security guards and valets busy in their work. The sort of environment you hated and associated with forced silence and stifled words that brought shame to your family.

Chuuya had already opened your door, teasing you with his sweet words as you zoned out. “You not only look like a dream, but act like you’re in one too.”

You apologised, grabbing his hand a little tighter than you should have and walking out as he handed over his keys to the valet. Chuuya didn’t seem to mind your tight grip, stroking your hand with his thumb, whispering his usual sweet words, that of course made your nerves worse. Him holding you closer and tighter as you walked in the hall of polished faces, fancy scents, and minds so different from yours.

Everything felt wrong. Everything was wrong, the feeling something bad was about to happen creeping all over you. Once you two were sure your ex hadn’t arrived, Chuuya left you in a relatively quiet corner to get you a drink to calm your nerves.

And as if waiting for it, akin to snakes, they chose to attack when you had no one beside you.

“There you are!” Your ex smiled at you, immediately grabbing your arm. Of course this was happening.

“Go away. I’m with Chuuya now.”

“Of course you’re not.” He replied back. “Why would someone like him date someone like you?”

Stop.

But he continued. “I mean, have you looked at your face?” You did not want to cry but tears fell out of your eyes almost immediately, begging him to stop. “I mean, you’re not even enough for me, let alone-“

“They are mountains above you.” That hand was pushed off your arm, Chuuya’s hand holding your again, fingers intertwined. The drinks he brought for you and him were spilled on the floor, and soon, so was your ex, bleeding from his head.

The good side of you wanted to call the ambulance as guests scrambled away, someone even screaming, making you laugh a little. “Thanks, man.” You smiled through the stream of tears that stopped as abruptly as it started.

Chuuya wiped the remnants of them off your cheek with his gloved hand. “You wanna get out of this mess?”

“It’s fine.” You smiled, taking in a deep breath. It hurt, and your ex was right, you weren’t enough for anyone, let alone someone like Chuuya, but you were worthy of friendship and the kindness Chuuya showed you. “I’ll find my way out.”

Chuuya looked at you, his head tilted slightly to get a better look at you. “And can’t that way be with me?”

You frowned, wishing he wouldn’t speak those sweet words. “We don’t have to pretend anym-“

“But I stopped pretending a long time ago.” Chuuya took off his hat, setting it near his chest, bringing your hand that he had interlocked with his own close to his lips. Looking back at his actions, when he texted you sweetly, comforted you, bought you a bouquet, he really meant it.

“But you gain nothing from it…” You muttered, realising the hall was almost clear. Chuuya took you away from the stench of blood mixed with wine, and to the sofa in the center of the room.

“Does every relation need to be about gain or lose? I just like you.”

“I like you too.” You replied almost too quick, before your thoughts could stop you. You didn’t care at that moment if it was part of some plot, and you’d be betrayed somehow, but focused on everything he did for you. Whatever the case, Chuuya defended your self respect, saved you from pain and humiliation, and that was all that mattered. Both Chuuya and you loved like stray dogs, loyal to whoever showed you any kindness and love, persistent yet proud and unwilling to sacrifice your pride.

“Then how about we go to my place?” Chuuya offered.

“Yeah. I’d like that very much”

——x——

Finished at 2am T-T

[anathemaspeaks]

what was i made for?

character(s): toji fushiguro synopsis: toji doesn't believe he deserves love - until you come along. word count: 0.6k warning(s): none, it's purely fluff a/n: tried something new lemme know how you feel about thisss

reblogs, follows, and likes are appreciated :)

i used to float, now i just fall down i used to know, but i'm not sure now what was i made for?

toji who thinks he is not worthy of love. he is not a man deserving enough to have someone to care for him, someone who chooses to stay with him simply because they want to, not because they gain something out of it. all he did was cause pain, anyways. he was better off alone.

what was i made for?

his path had been one of solitude for god knows how long. looked down upon by everyone, barely surviving physically and mentally - a man, no, a monster who gave up his own son. people like him don't get second chances.

nobody can love a monster. nobody even wants to be around one.

taking a drive, i was an ideal looked so alive, turns out i'm not real just something you paid for

toji who had no one left in this world, nothing to live for, nothing but a shell of the man he used to be - the man he could have been. he was useless. empty. a man without a purpose. someone else's puppet. he didn't have any power over his own life. he was pathetic.

what was i made for? cause i don't know how to feel but i wanna try

vacant, brutal words engraved onto his soul. he was a monster, and he always will be. that is just how his life will be - his destiny. he would just be alive, never quite living, silently wishing he could end it all.

i don't know how to feel but someday, i might

and then you - who crashes into his life in all your frustratingly captivating glory and finds a home in his heart. you thought toji fushiguro was no monster, he was just a man who had been hurt and misunderstood far too many times. a broken man. you saw right through his tough façade. you were the first person who showed him how it felt to be seen as something other than a fraud of a human.

when did it end? all the enjoyment i'm sad again, don't tell my boyfriend it's not what he's made for what was i made for?

falling in love with you was the easiest thing he ever had to do. you, with your kind eyes and gentle smile. you, with your warm words and and comforting presence. you, who never pitied him. quite the opposite, really. a man who had been through so much, and who still fought so hard every single day, how could you not be wonderstruck and completely infatuated by him?

you, the only person who made him feel safe.

cause i don't know how to feel but i wanna try

toji, who would rather die than ever see you cry. toji, who doesn't really know what love is, but gives you the whole world. toji, who isn't used to healthy communication, but for you, he tries. toji, who still has a lot to learn, but is perfect in your eyes. toji, who is only happy when he's with you. toji, who is always there for you. toji hadn't been sure of anything in his life until you.

i don't know how to feel but someday, i might

toji who gets his spark back. he knows who he is, and it's all because of you. toji who fixes his life, but can he even call it his when it's all for you? toji who doesn't even have to think twice about it when he asks you to marry him.

and you don't have to think twice about it when you say yes.

think i forgot how to be happy something i'm not, but something i can be

toji who would gladly spend the rest of his life with you. he was a man who had nothing, but with you in his arms, he has the whole world. a man considered to be stoic and unaffectionate, absolute putty in your hands. you would always have him wrapped around your finger.

and he would have it no other way.

something i wait for something i'm made for

toji, who finally gets the happy ever after he thought he didn't deserve.

this is all based on a true story btw, we're getting married soon 💋

[ryanthecomic]

ZONA: THE PAFL RPG

For the past few months me and my brother were working on a tabletop rpg system based on Parties are For Losers, just for fun, and then we started trying out some graphic design adjustments, putting some cool images from the PaFL MVs and then boom, holy crap, we had an decent looking book, turns out that came out some time ago and i never did make a tumblr post on it, so here we go!

A Tabletop RPG system based on already popular RPGs such as Call of Cthullu and Ordem Paranormal, we made ZONA share a lot of horror adventure mechanics from CoCthu, such as the six-sided die being the only you need to actually play the game, any proficiency just means you get yet another die, some threats are not supposed to be brawled through, like the anomalies. Anomalies, Mutants, Powers, Artifacts and everything that you could find in the Zone is possible in your adventure, the book has only been tested in quick 3 session campaigns which is when this system works best, since there is no way to progress your character without artifacts and/or special equipment. Zona is the type of book you pick up when you want to play spontaneously with your group of friends, but if you wish to add a very rudimentary sense of character power progression, there is a "Level Up?" section in the book where you can adopt to your campaign, making your characters *just a tiny bit* stronger!

Choose between 3 classes for your character, each with certain strengths and weaknesses, there is a tutorial along the book that will teach you how to make your character! If you choose to be a mutant, you will have access to a whole new feature called powers, your character has 6 points they can spend to make a power for themselves, that they'll use in the campaing, this power can either be an offensive power that deals damage and effects to enemies or an utility power that grants you bonuses when rolling for checks, healing people or even creating structres like ice walls or earth structures. Lets explain powers a bit more in this post, since the book will teach you how to make a Mundane Character.

These 6 points will be spent this way: Dmitry uses 4 points to make a 004 mutation called "Maximum Output Teleknysis", an offensive mutation that deals 1d6+4 paranormal damage to up to 5 creatures, and moves them in a direction he chooses until they hit a wall or get out of sight (very strong i know, but that is the point.) since its a 004 degree mutation, when using this power, Dmitry spends 4 humanity points (Read the book to understand this better!) Due to choosing a 004 power, dmitry also gains a mutation trick, which is Teleknysis, he can lift objects as if he could reach them with his hand, but since it's a trick, he wont be able to lift anything that he normally couldn't with his body strength alone. That leaves him with 2 points, which he will spend to make new uses for these powers of his.

If Dmitry exerts himself too much and goes beyond humanity's border, he will start to go insane, all the effects on the insanity table is made with the solely intention of retiring your character from the campaign, either making them crazy or just plain right losing them to the GM.

Thank you to everyone involved in the making of this book and making their drawings and assets available, you can download ZONA and check out the people who made this work possible in this link: https://ryanthecomic.itch.io/zona

Glad to be of use once again for the PaFL fandom!

[lily-alphonse]

So I finally finished watching ATLA (the animated series) all the way through, for the first time. Here's my final reaction post! You can see the others at the first tag listed below (lily's atla reactions)

I had always known it was a good show from what little I saw of it. Im not a big TV watcher because a lot of it gets too intense for me. I can’t separate reality from fiction and get so stressed I would actually die watching something like Game of Thrones lol. So I’ve started going through series from my childhood and of course I was going to start with this classic.

(Im cutting this in case you are like me and took forever to watch this and dont want spoilers)

I unsurprisingly love this series. My boy Zuko stays on top, I love his emo ass. Uncle Iroh is a close second, I know, based lol. I was very pleasantly surprised by the Earth King, an unexpected little side character fave that I latched onto and WILL be writing for.

Honorable mention also to Appa. I adore Appa. His episode broke me. Absolutely broke my heart to see him lose his trust in people, and then when Suki found him OH MY GOD 😭 I was so relieved. (Which, btw, did not expect her to be such a big part of the series that was nice)

Speaking of animals though, the hardest I cried was for Roku dying with his dragon. When the dragon just jumped back in to the flames to die with his master I fucking lost it bro. It reminded me of how Aang and Appa nearly died together, and how Aang’s instinct with his dying breath was to protect them BOTH in that ball of ice BRO I SOBBED ALOUD.

Oh as far as characters I also have to mention the explodey eye guy. I love action and he was SO menacing I was always on the edge of my seat when he was around.

In general I love the scenery, I love pretty scenery and colors and I was so well fed. I am worried that if I continue on to LOK I won't like it as much, considering the time jump to the industrial era. I'm a renaissance faire girlie lol.

I love the heavy messages they didn't shy away from. I think the show probably helped conceptualize a lot of really heavy subjects for kids, and I'm grateful to it for that. How revenge hurts everyone, how mistakes don't define you, how grief works.

I love the friendship and found family, the Zuko adventures episodes were probably my favorite. I can see where everyone is coming from with their various Zuko ships, I'm hearing all of you. If I had to choose one, though, I might actually be pro Zuko/Aang? Which is kind of wild and unexpected because Aang isn't my favorite, but I honestly felt like their characters complemented each other the best. It's funny because I share Zukka art all the time and the only fic Ive read was a Zukka fic lol. They're hot together what can I say? I do like Sokka and Suki together though! I think the show really did them justice as a couple.

There were a couple of really cool moments in the ending. Toph falling onto the metal door and metalbending herself armor? SO badass. And Sokka's boomerang coming in clutch again. I love clever moments in action like that.

Overall, unfortunately... I did not love the ending. I wish I had more of a reaction for you, but I found myself being too critical in it, and that is not how I want to contribute to the fandom. I recognize it is a kid's show and I am an adult, and probably wouldn't have anything to say that hasn't been hammered into the ground over the years since it aired.

I loved the show, expect to see an Earth King fic from me someday (and maybe other ships? who knows). I might watch Gravity Falls next since I can't handle adult television lol. We shall seeeee

[circyexistforcontent]

❝ DID YOU GET ENOUGH LOVE, MY LITTLE DOVE? ❞ (ANGST)

❀ synopsis: Everyone is bound to die eventually. Either by accident or by purpose, it can even be a natural death. Sadly, yours seem to be an early one. How does the one left behind feel about all this?

❀ request: sibling scara but reader fuckign DIES :33??? please 🥺🥺🥺🥺

❀ warnings: implied death, Scaramouche is this close to going ape shit.

If he were younger he would’ve screamed at you for abandoning him like the last human he bonded with. He would’ve cried and maimed your corpse until he couldn’t recognize it. But that is if he were Kunikuzushi, he is wiser now. He knows you didn’t choose when your life would be forcefully taken away, it is all in the hands of fate—his immortal enemy.

He could never forget how your usually radiant and warm skin now looked pale and felt cold like his. Your eyes were vacant, there was no life present in them, not anymore. How could anyone come after you? You hadn’t done anything deserving of death, unlike him. There was only one logical explanation for your death and that’s someone finding out you were someone dear to the Harbinger, and they went after you to pay for the crimes you never committed.

His rage surpasses all the times he’s been “betrayed” before, and it’s not directed at you. Oh no, it’s directed at the perpetrator of your death. How he wishes he could drive his fist to their chest and rip out their heart just so they could feel a fragment of how he’s feeling. And he’ll make sure they're alive through the entire process. He won’t allow them to feel the relief of death so early.

Other than his unbridled fury, his other side mourns for your death. After a moment he cradles your lifeless body with all the tenderness and care he wasn’t able to receive from his early years as Kabukimono. He would beg for you to not pass on, to not leave him behind and please, stay awake for him. If any nearby outsider or subordinate of his caught sight of this moment he’ll either yell at them to leave or he’ll kill them. 

The emptiness in his chest seems to grow even larger than before your death, the room seemed more still, too quiet for his liking. When his mind isn’t occupied by his duties as a harbinger and he gets to have a moment to himself his thoughts would drift to moments you both spent together. He doesn’t even have a heart but the ache he felt in his chest is unlike any he’s ever felt.

Why is he like this? Why can’t he get over you?

He doesn’t get it, nothing makes sense to him anymore.

“Please-!” Scaramouche breathes out as he holds your body close to him, doing his damn hardest to stop the bleeding from your abdomen. Your eyes have closed long ago, but your heart still beats. But how much longer until it eventually stops? “You can’t do this to me! You can’t!” He yells out to you, it’s like he’s reverted back to his old self. His old, pathetic, and vulnerable self had no idea of how the world worked. Hot tears drip down his cheeks and onto your cold cheek, falling down the bloody grass panes.  He buries his face on your chest, trying to seek comfort from you like he did before. Instead of the warmth you usually radiate, he was greeted with the familiar touch of a corpse which made his throat constrict, he could feel another sob threatening to escape his lips. “Don’t leave me, please… not again…”

notes: based on a real-life experience of mine, thought I might as well write it down on one of my comfort characters.

[meekmedea]

Haven't been able to get him out of my head today, so enjoy some snippets of him in the time travelling clemmie au ~

Based on a previous ask by @tumblingghosts about Hector entering the narrative.

I.

Once he could have confidently said – he will never choose you over me. But Hector has been gone a long time and Max is no longer the same–

Max. The name tastes bitter in his mouth. Volumnia’s work. Only she had ever called Maximinius such.

Hector misses the days when it was just Magnus and him.

~~~~

II.

Is it better or worse that he has no home to return to?

Because his home – their home, the one Cleopatra and him had decorated, the one where he’d kissed his wife and son goodbye before he’d gone on that trip – it’s gone.

The war took it. Along with Cleopatra and the last memories of his life.

All he has now is his name, Maximinius had insisted on it, even as Volumnia protested, arguing about logistics.

And well what Maximinius Ravinstill wants, he usually gets. He's stubborn like that.

So on a gloomy day in October, Hector Dovecote is declared alive in the eyes of the law. 

~~~~

III.

Some days, looking at his son is hard. They’re nearly strangers. A son he never got to watch grow up and had a family of his own.

To all the people who say his son is his exact mirror, Hector wants to tell them that they are blind. For he sees Cleopatra in Endymion’s every move.

From the way he takes his coffee to the way his brows furrow when he’s trying to solve a particular problem. And how can he forget – the piano is all Cleopatra, for Hector never had a drop of musical talent in his blood.

`

And his granddaughter – she is clearly her parents’ child and he is so very proud of his son.

But she is also a stranger to him. With his son and him, they had Cleopatra. With his granddaughter, Hector doesn’t know where to begin.

He is willing to get to know her, but with all that’s going on, he’s ashamed to say that he has not put in as much effort as he should have. Cleopatra would have had his hide had she known.

`

Just as things begin to die down and people stop asking after his miraculous return to society, she says, “Grandfather, may I confide in you about something?”

Except the words that come out of her mouth are not ones he had expected.

In a way, she is like him – neither of them belong to this time.

And as he pulls more of the story from her, Hector feels a pang of jealousy that she got to live a full life where he could not. But it doesn’t stay for long, for he knows her life was not an easy one. There is a different type of burden on her shoulders that he wishes he could carry for her.

~~~~

IV.

Cleopatra would have bundled up their granddaughter in her arms, known the right words to say and do. She’d have approached it differently, but because his love is no longer with him, he must do it his way instead.

“I don’t follow–”

“Just swear it. Promise me that when I die again–” He ignores the way the President flinches. “–you will keep my son and granddaughter safe.” Especially from Volumnia.

“Hector.”

“Swear it, Magnus. Swear it on whatever affection we shared during our friendship in our youth that when I die, you will keep them safe from anyone who wishes them harm.”

“You foolish man.” But when Hector refuses to budge on that matter, the man sighs and agrees. “Very well, you have my word.”

~~~~

V.

For reasons that nobody else can fathom, Hector and his granddaughter visit District 11 often.

The President frets far too much on such excursions. Maximinius is hard to fit into a category these days. He’s not quite Hector’s Magnus, nor is he Volumnia’s Max.

`

It is here they can mourn for things that were and that never will be.

“I am beginning to forget their faces,” Clemensia admits one day. “What kind of mother am I to forget the faces of my own daughters?”

Hector squeezed her hand gently. Whereas Cleopatra's memory lives on in his son and granddaughter, Clemensia isn’t afforded the same luxury. The more they change, the further her future strays from what she once had.

`

“Do you think the pain ever goes away?”

He still thinks of Cleopatra night and day. And of all the what ifs had he not gone on that on that fateful trip. “No, but we learn to grow our life around the grief.”

~~~~

Edit: part 2 here

[oldhalloweentape]

🐀Junkrat (OW I & II) x (FtM) Reader💣

(Trans Man Reader Edition!)

(Request here! Hi baby bats! I’m glad to write about Junkrat once again, he’s one of my favorites from Overwatch and I’m glad other people have this love for him as well!)

- Junkrat comes from a society that was the direct result of an apocalyptic event, leaving many to carve their lives from the ground up or die out in the radiated Outback, and the surviving groups whether they liked each other or not was necessary. In a way it brought people of different religions, races, identities, and etc, together. Forming the idea of what it means to be a junker.

- Keeping that in mind, it’s well established that Junkrat is proud of being of a Junker, living by the rules and lifestyle even though he got kicked out. He’s follows it like a lifeline and who can blame him?

- The idea of being apart of something that is bigger than himself alongside people of different backgrounds from his own is something he was brought up upon, and I can see him having no exception to this rule when it comes to you, his boyfriend.

- To him, there is no stigma based off of being trans, in general that kind of thing doesn’t matter— keeping in mind that the culture he comes from value one’s skill to fight, contribute, and survive.

- If you come out to him, pre or post transition, romantic relationship or not, he’s not going to bat an eye when he gives you an a smile and an enthusiastic thumbs up as he says “Thanks for telling me mate! I’ll keep that in mind!!”

- And that’s it, he’s naturally respectful (cause come on he’s a junker not a degenerate) and supportive in the oddest way possible.

- (Ex: stealing you things that help you be more confident in your gender identity, like snagging you a truck supply of testosterone and Roadie’s just standing there, processing the fact that he did something so ridiculous because of Jamison— He doesn’t know what to think.)

- If you’re ever feeling dysphoric about your body, trust it will be dealt with accordingly, he has no qualms with telling you what he feels. You’re handsome goddamnit and he’s not afraid to say it.

- If you EVER and I mean EVER say something like “I wish I was a boy,” without hesitation he’ll be like “But you are?”, like genuinely confused as to why you’d say something like that when you’ve told him you’re a boy only for you to try to invalidate it. He doesn’t go back on what he says when he tells you that you are a boy and you are his boyfriend.

- I mean, it’s Junkrat he’s not afraid to say anything that pops into his brain, even if it’s gross. The voice line of him talking about the fucking mantis arm stuck in between his molars tells us all we need to know.

- Says shit with his chest and he’ll be damned if you try to deny what he says as him just being something he says to make you feel better.

- If anyone says otherwise and aims to invalidate you and your life their ass is getting bear trapped or getting an upper cut from his prosthetic arm, sorry not sorry.

- There’s gold to be collected, money to get snagged, BOMBS TO BE MADE, and they choose to hate on other people for being themselves? Get the fuck outta here.

- Celebrates every step you take for your transition goals, like if you get top surgery when y’all are in a relationship he helps you out and gives you a handmade card with “GOOD RIDDANCE” sprawled in his messy ass handwriting that’s hard to decipher.

- If you’re already post op and he sees your top surgery scars, he’ll then promptly show off his own scars from missions off, in a “I THINK SCARS ARE SO COOL AND I LIKE THAT YOU HAVE SOME AS WELL” kind of way.

- He does his best and he does it better than everyone expects him too as the guy who can’t take many things seriously, even life or death situations or him and Roadie getting kicked out of Junkertown to fend for themselves in the unforgivable Outback.

- Get’s confused when someone asks him why he’s more serious about this than literally dying, cause to him it’s easy. He perceives you as both his boyfriend AND one of his very best friends (besides Roadhog ofc) so of course he makes the effort.

- Trans or not you have him wrapped around your finger and that’s not going to change as long as he is on this world with you at his side.

- Much like how he is with his lifestyle and with his community, he’s set on your relationship with him, no one can change his mind. You are who you are and he loves you very deeply, something he again doesn’t hesitate to say whenever you’re down.

- It’s as simple as that, no debate, conversation, discussion, or deep dive on how he feels. He adores you for all that you are, you’re his boyfriend after all.

(Soooo, um hiiii 😚✌️, this is a request from a friend, @horrific-angelz, that I met on Overwatch recently and I’m glad to have gotten it from him, love you man!!!)

[enakane]

Hi, I figured you'd have an interesting take on this, as the #1 The Emporer fucker (affectionate) on my dash. I've always seen Ansur's attempted murder of the Emp being less "you're a horrifying monster who I must kill before you turn on us, even if it kills me to do so" and more "the man I knew would never want to live as a mindflayer, the man I knew would be horrified at what he's become, the man I knew would rather die" but he didnt consider that the man he knew was dead the moment he turned into a mindflayer, as it's (I think) canon that mindflayers feel and think differently than other races, so the 'man he knew' had been fundamentally changed in such a way as to become unrecognizable in his thought process, and thus, would no longer agree with his past-self. So while I don't think what Ansur did was right, I don't think he's the out-and-out villian some people paint him as, just someone so blinded by grief and fear and sadness, that he doesnt realize how changed Emp was. And then when you show up, the Emp at your back and an elder brain on the rise, I think Ansur is blinded by rage, and grief, and betrayal. He thinks all his worst fears about Emp have come true, and that you're, at best, a pawn in Emp's game, and at worst, a thrall, so that's why he attacks. Havent played that section in a while, so I might be talking out of my ass, but that's my take based on what I remember. Thoughts? (Sorry this is so long, I am a Verbose Bitch.)

(brb gonna get "#1 Emperor fucker" tattooed somewhere on me, truly an honor)

I totally agree that Ansur's intentions were first and foremost to enact what he thought would be Balduran's wishes! As far as he knew, he was dealing with an illithid puppeteering Balduran's body, and after failing to bring him back to the way he was (if I remember well, Ansur tried for some time to restore Balduran to his former self but failed), killing him was equivalent to putting down a zombie.

Mind flayers indeed canonically think differently from other races, plus (depending on the source), the host's mind either mostly or completely disappears once ceremorphosis is complete. There was a high chance he was dealing with a master manipulator that only pretended to remember who it used to be to be set free. Ansur was hardly evil for wanting to end Balduran's cursed existence/kill the thing pretending to be him, and Emp was hardly evil for choosing to live.

(If I start talking about how the Emperor wanting to live despite everything ties in perfectly with the game's theme of choosing to live in spite of irreversible changes + the I Want to Live song, I may never shut up, HE'S JUST LIKE US FR-)

Ansur remains as a ghost due to his unfinished business, so when he feels Emp near and speaks to you and him... The situation hasn't really changed for Ansur. Either Balduran is still an illithid or there's still an illithid pretending to be Balduran, and like you said, the chances that you're either a thrall or being manipulated are very high, so why wouldn't he try to finish the job and consider you an unfortunate collateral damage? There's no more evidence that Balduran is actually in control than there was the first time. Plus, I'd never considered that Ansur might feel the Elder Brain nearby and assume Emp is responsible; that would indeed make him feel betrayed and more willing to attack.

I definitely understand why people aren't too keen on the idea of trusting the Emperor bc mind flayers have a Reputation(tm), but how people came to hate Ansur is kind of weird imo? He's not a villain at all, his decision to kill Emp was a desperate last resort, a way to free Balduran from his torment and save the many people who were gonna get their brains eaten if he got out. I know some people dislike that he possesses Tav, but I played that scene before reading about it and it never bothered me, I mean... he's a ghost. If I'd played through bg3 without getting possessed at least once I'd be lowkey disappointed.

Thanks for giving me an excuse to ramble about my bg3 fave, I hope I'm coherent lol