#but with absolutely zero respect for the person in charge of him he would be pulling the strings in that relationship

[juuheizou]

Throwing this concept @ you (age swap igggg????) imagine if Mutsuki was Juuzou’s mentor 🤭🤭🤭

This isn't the first time I've thought about or started and not finished something of a role-reversal in this way, and let me tell you: mentor!Mutsuki that poor, poor fool. I give him 11 minutes, not just to mentor, but to survive.

Like he would have the beautiful kind heart to see a human being behind the bad things his fellow investigators say about junior investigator!Suzuya and specifically want to give him a chance, but I mean, think about where he would be at Suzuya's age without Suzuya mentoring him. Assuming he continued to be an investigator that long without him. Paired with Suzuya where he was at Mutsuki's age at that time? That Suzuya would eat that Mutsuki alive.

[jals-stuff]

Hihi! First of all I LOVE your writing and thank you for feeding us hungry Orter fans with your work (I have been STRAVING for his fic) so if you don't mind, I have a little request! So I imagine in a what if Orter has a crush on someone (aka us and ofc we gotta like the sandman back) who's always on a dangerous mission due to how strong they are who is ALSO his partner time to time and one day, they just went into a coma from overusing their magic. MAYBE when they woke up, the two will confess to each other or?? Idk I will let you cook 🧑‍🍳

(Sorry if my wording is a little confusing!)

good day/evening anon! your wording is just fine no worries

first of all, thank you SO much, this brightened my day by a lot, you have absolutely no clue what kind of serotonin torrent you have unleashed. I am glad at least some people like my writings, that's why I'm doing it.

I don't think this is 100% close to what you described, but I hope you'll like it regardless-

Should be gn!reader if I didn't mess it up...

warnings: SLIGHT SPOILIES, bit dark, mentions of death, bit of despair... not proofread I am so sorry.

word count: 2.8k

note: I apologise for any dumb mistakes because I physically cannot proofread myself at 6am but if I don't post it now I won't do it ever. please don't hate me anon

What if...

As much as he hates to admit it (to himself, of course), Orter had grown a little bit too fond of you. The way you greet him whenever you come back from a mission, or the way you always make sure to respect the rules and act logically while also protecting everyone around you when the two of you would go on missions together. 

The way you whine when your legs are tired after walking long distances, the way you always bring him a little something to eat when you know it’s going to be a long trip. You’ve always been good to everyone, much opposed to the cold man; but it wasn’t the only difference between the two of you.

Everyone has their own logic and, as much as you respected your own, his was quite different. While you wanted to take every single possibility into consideration, he preferred not to overload his mind with useless statistics and just think of a solution when the time comes.

However, a lot of things aren’t affected by logic, such as feelings, and how could the dense sandman guess that you were absolutely enamoured with him? These were variables he would’ve never imagined, even though he was painfully into you as well. 

Of course, he was your top priority, and protecting him from harm even though he was a rather powerful mage was of the utmost importance. He should’ve known that when the two of you recklessly charged into enemy territory in an attempt to weaken the devil’s quintuplets before they would be on the move.

Orter was a man of many things, but “what if''s were not part of his usual reasoning, and that was the biggest mistake of his life. However he only realised it too late when you had to break your own limits to make sure he’d go back safely. It was time to retreat, but the two of you had been completely cornered. 

Having a dormant god inside of your wand had many benefits, but Psyche was not an entity to be trifled with. The Soul Goddess would, each time you requested even a fraction of her power, take a huge toll on your stamina and sanity, and this time it was more than critical.

You were already exhausted from using so much of your mana, and now you were completely surrounded by Innocent Zero's sons. Unleashing your Psyche Inclination and ordering all of the quintuplets to sleep immediately surpassed your own boundaries.

You knew what would happen if you pushed beyond your limits with your personal magic, but it was completely worth it. After all, what was the point of living anymore if the only person you loved was dead? 

All of them were immensely powerful, and neutralising such strong enemies was not a meagre task. As soon as the last one fell to the ground in blissful slumber, you felt something rupture inside of you; like a used rope that suddenly lets go, your breath hitched and you collapsed to the floor. 

It was all pitch black, and your consciousness kept you company just long enough to let you hear Orter’s panicked voice calling out for you. Yet somehow, despite the fact that you were falling into the pitch-black abyss, you felt relieved that he, above everything and everyone, was safe.

But anything beyond the confines of your darkened mind was unknown to you and despite your multiple attempts to open your eyes and wake up, everything went silent.

“No, no no…”

Had you been awake, you would’ve been astonished at how Orter had never been that distressed before, at least not in front of you. The loss of his dear friend Alex Elliot had taught him a painful lesson not to get attached to anyone and to simply stick to the rules, but he had let himself fall for you, and now he was experiencing the trauma once more.

“Please, no… not them…” 

Not only were you unconscious, you had done this to yourself for his sake. He was aware of that fact; had you not decided to literally put yourself through such an ordeal, the two of you would be dead already.

But unlike his deceased junior, your heart was still beating and there was still time to save you. He had never run so fast in his entire life, carrying you carefully in his arms to bring you back to the Bureau’s infirmary, laying you down as gently as he could as the nurses rushed to assess your state.

You weren’t hurt, so to say, but the abusive usage of your personal magic had plunged you into a coma, and it was unsure if you would ever wake up from it. 

It looked like you were peacefully asleep, maybe dreaming of a better place you would possibly join soon; unmoving and slowly breathing, as if nothing had happened. Orter knew you could possibly open your eyes anytime, and it kept him distracted every time he would fill his paperwork or go on a mission.

Whenever he had free time, he would rush to the infirmary to check on you, make sure you’re still breathing, or even talk to you. It could help you come back to your senses, or so the nurses said, and as ridiculous as he felt when he talked to your inert body, he would’ve done anything in his power to bring you back, as slim as the chances were.

But then it suddenly hit him. What could he possibly tell you if you ever woke up? He would for sure apologise, but other than that? How could he face you after you had quite literally sacrificed yourself for him? He wasn’t even sure he could look into your eyes again.

Did you resent him for this?

Would you forgive his recklessness?

Would you give him this warm smile he had gotten so used to?

And would it be time for him to finally admit his feelings? You were right here, in front of him, yet you weren’t there. He missed you so dearly, the sound of your voice, the shit eating grin you’d give him whenever he was wrong and you were right, the way you’d laugh at his disgruntled expression afterwards…

All of these interactions he thought annoyed him were now severely missed and he would’ve given anything to even just see the colour of your eyes one more time. 

And see he didn’t, for what seemed to be an eternity. Everyday, when he’d come to visit you, a small part of him hoped your eyes would be open and you’d greet him the way you always did, but every time, he was met with your inanimate form, comfortably laid in the infirmary bed. 

His hope of hearing your voice ever again gradually vanished with every one-sided conversation he had with your unconscious figure, swallowing down his emotions with every word he said. He was slowly accepting the fact that you might just never open your eyes again.

The more this thought settled into his mind, the more desperate he grew, and suddenly, his usual mindset faded away and his brain filled with “what if”s. 

What if he had taken some time to listen to your suggestions, what if he had thought of a plan B like you always had? What if he had ever told you about his feelings, what if you loved him back? What if you didn't? What if you never woke up?

Dread took over on his other emotions and suddenly, it wasn’t hope that drove him to visit you everyday; it was despair. What if you never opened your eyes again? How could he ever live with your presence replaced by this horrifying feeling of guilt for letting you die in his place? 

You were surely powerful enough that you could’ve ran away on your own, and left him behind if needed; it would’ve been the logical, reasonable thing to do. But the heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of. Of course, he should’ve known that you would never leave him behind, but precisely because it was completely illogical, it never occurred to him that you would willingly let yourself be hurt if he had a chance to make it out alive.

Now he was sitting at your bedside and kept hoping you’d wake up, just open your eyes and talk to him, greet him and say everything was going to be fine, just the way it was before… it seemed like he hadn’t heard your voice in an eternity, and it was weighing on him the whole time. Like a burden he would have to carry forever if you didn’t wake up from this coma you had put yourself into for his own sake.

His eyes never left your figure as he spoke to you kindly, as if you were still awake. Of course, occasional visitors would look at him like he was a lunatic, talking to someone who was obviously not here to answer, but it didn’t matter to him anymore.

Orter was ready to abandon his image for your sake, sometimes even skipping work and breaking his own principles so he could hold your hand for another minute before going on yet another perilous mission. 

The thought of you dying peacefully in your sleep haunted his mind every single day, and his sorrow was great enough that, more than once, he did consider exhausting himself enough so he would be defenceless enough for an enemy to just take him out of his misery.

For weeks, months, his mind was plagued with the thought of you leaving him forever, of not being able to tell you about these feelings he thought were completely unnecessary. Shame and rejection didn’t even matter to him anymore and he just longed for the day you’d wake up and even just look at him. 

He was on a mission, the day he heard that one of your fingers had merely twitched. Breaking protocol was far from his usual behaviour, but he needed to see you. That is how he accidentally drowned an entire area in sand, catching both enemies and harmless monsters in his Antlion’s Nest. 

The rules didn’t matter to him anymore, it was a physical need to see if you were okay and to maybe, just maybe hear your voice. 

However, he walked in on something completely different. Many of the other Divine Visionaries were gathered around you in religious silence, observing you. He had to push through the crowd and his heart stopped for a second when he saw you. 

You were sitting up in your bed, slightly confused as to why everyone was staring like this. For you, mere seconds had passed but in reality it had been literal months. As your eyes travelled amongst the crowd, you saw Orter, who was also staring at you in utter disbelief. 

The infirmary was completely silent, and no one was moving, as if time had suddenly stopped. Ryoh threw a glance at the others and they just silently left. Now it was just you and Orter, looking at each other in both confusion and shock. He stumbled towards the chair that was resting near your bed and he slowly took a seat.

“Well… you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Upon hearing your voice, he let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding. It was like all of his burdens were suddenly lifted off his shoulders and his head and arms simply collapsed against the mattress, much to your confusion. You raised your hand to reach for his hair and upon seeing how your nails had grown so much, you realised something probably happened.

“It’s been months! I thought you’d never wake up! I thought I wouldn’t hear your voice ever again. Why on Earth would you do such a thing? No, no... it was all my fault. I'm sorry, (Y/N), I'm so, so sorry.” 

He sounded angry, but he really wasn’t. You started connecting the dots and it took you a bit of time to understand that you had been unconscious for the past few months, worrying the poor sandman to death, though right now it didn’t matter at all. 

“I’m glad you’re alive, Orter.”

Although you had been unconscious for literal months, seeing the Desert Cane unharmed was such a huge relief for you. However, not everything was swell inside his mind. He still felt extremely guilty that you nearly died for him, and nothing could possibly pay back this humongous debt he thought he owed you. 

But seeing his relieved expression when he looked at you was enough of a payback. He had watched you wither away for months and now you were finally back to the world of the living, eyes focused on him and him only. 

You tried to stand up but as soon as your arms attempted to lift your form, they gave out and you started losing balance. Orter immediately stood up from his chair to catch you, wrapping his arms around your now weak body to support you, but even after you were back to your spot, he wouldn’t let go. He simply sat on your bed next to you, not letting go. 

Almost out of instinct, you rested your head on his shoulder and let out a long sigh, your arms raising up slightly.

“Please, just rest, you must be really exhausted.”

But his words just didn’t reach you, you needed this. After a while and a lot of effort, you managed to rest these weak arms of yours against his shoulders, on the sides of his neck, and he fell silent. You had no strength at all but he could feel you use all of your willpower to embrace him, and you also seemed like you wouldn’t let go.

He seemed fine with it as he slightly nuzzled your neck and closed his eyes, finally relaxing a little after this emotional rollercoaster. It felt so comfortable to finally be in his arms after such a long time spent longing for him, as if you were finally where you belonged. 

“I missed you.” Orter said quietly, close to your ear. His arms tightened around and you would've probably cried hadn't you been so exhausted. Your words were stuck in your throat and you could only nod and hum softly, your voice cutting inside your throat. 

His arms tightened around you further, holding you into a comforting hug, one of his hands gently going through your hair and keeping your head close to him. You exhaled again, wanting nothing more than to keep holding him. 

“Just don't let go. Please.”

Your voice was muffled by his embrace but you were close enough to his ear for him to understand your words, and you could've sworn you heard his breath hitch for a second as his arms tightened even harder around you.

“I won't.” He sighs into your neck, comfortably seated on the side of your bed, and you wanted nothing more than to lay back down and have him hold you, but you were still in the infirmary and it would've been very problematic to be seen like this.

“I won't, ever. I can't.” He held you even closer now, like he was trying to merge with you, your chest and his pressed against each other as if to share your heartbeats.

Although you had never seen Orter being this close with anyone before, it all felt very natural. Just like the way his hand slid from your hair to your cheek, like the way he moved away from you slowly, his usually cold gaze now soft and filled with something you weren't quite used to.

Just like the way he couldn't take it any longer and gave in to the physical urge to softly press his lips to yours. You didn't pull away, of course; the moment too precious to let surprise ruin it. 

You returned the kiss, your eyes now closed to take in the pleasant, wholesome warmth his embrace brought to you, after you'd been so cold for literal months. 

As nothing lasts forever, your lips and his slowly separated, but his eyes were now on yours again. 

“I won't let you fall again, (Y/N), I promise.”

You couldn't help but give a soft chuckle and his expression turned slightly puzzled. Of course, you two didn't share the same braincells.

“I've already fallen too hard.” You breathed out.

His eyes widened for a second before he regained his composure and brushed a few hairs away from your face to place them behind your ear.

“Then I guess we’re both down now.” he finally admitted, his expression just a little softer and his lips almost curved into a smile. 

You were suddenly thankful for Orter holding you so close, lest your heart would've jumped out of your chest. 

“I love you, just… in case it wasn't clear enough.” He awkwardly added, and you thought it was just adorable. Another chuckle escaped you with a nod.

“I know. I love you too.”

He hummed softly and sighed deeply in relief. 

That was one “what if” finally satisfied, and probably the first of a long list.

[lilacspider]

TUA should’ve ended after season 2

i am just so kriffing disappointed in this final season. i am disgusted. steve blackman has absolutely zero regard for these characters, their development, and the story. he has no respect for the ACTORS. he threw the entirety of these past three seasons in the trash in just one season. they had so much opportunity and yet he chose to make it a fetish-filled, scandalous, and completely lazy season.

all the vomitting???????? klaus being force fed marigold (which dare i say might’ve made a good storyline for him IF HE WASNT PIMPED OUT AND THEJN NESRLY BURIED ALIVE????) which in turn made him into an alcoholic???

five and lila????? they scrapped fives motivation of saving his family and keeping them together because of his LOVE FOR THEM, all SO HE COULD HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH LILA????? that is probably the biggest mischaracterization altogether. lila would never cheat on diego. they are married. THEY HAVE CHILDREN TOGETHER. it’s NORMAL to have arguments and trouble in a relationship but by no means does it mean there’s room for affairs as a result. it just makes me mad. ritu has known aidan since he was 15, like this is so nasty.

diego being the stereotypical “bad father” for lack of better words because he apparently has no consideration for his family which is NOT TRUE AND IS A HUGE MISCHARACTERIZATION!!????

luther going back to being the guy that no one really listens to because they feel he has nothing of value to offer (it wasn’t super evident but i noticed it which made me sad bc we made so much progress with his character!)???

allison becoming a single mom whose husband, RAYMOND, walked out on her??? that literally makes no sense for raymond or her, yes allison is a strong and independent character but it feels like it’s just stereotype after stereotype.

viktor becoming a womanizer and LEAVING HIS FAMILY BEHIND! all viktor has ever wanted since childhood is to be apart of his family, and they take that away this season??? makes no sense.

dont even get me started on sparrow ben. i have never liked his character he is wayyyy too much of an asshole, but your saying he can’t have common sense??? they turn him into a criminal who is contaminated by this essence that is meant to end the world and ends up making him insanely attracted to the one consistent mystery in this entire show (jennifer/the jennifer incident) and then throw away the entire plot line to just have them end the world. **and then making him and jennifer overly sexually attracted to each other was just straight up weird, where did that even come from?? i had to skip those scenes because it was so kriffing cringe.

because out of no where, abigail had a change of heart. and reginald is somehow one of the only mentally stable characters this season which is new!??? jean and gene were completely and utterly useless. they had no point, the only five i liked in this season is brisket, newspaper, drunk, and season one five. CIA five can leave.

one of the only redeemable moments of this season is the flashback of our brellies. that was good. there were other parts that i liked but that is first that comes to mind. **and the birthday party scene where they reunite. very cute and family vibes. sucks they couldn’t all be together because viktor was straight up kidnapped by some crazy.

and then the subway to different timelines. that could’ve been such a freaking awesome idea and would’ve made a great plot device IF THERE WASN’T ONLY SIX EPISODES AND SOMEONE ELSE WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF WRITING. like why are five and lila the only ones who are aware of this?? this couldn’t have been utilized earlier?? also can we talk more about how ben is an asshole, people focus too much on the attractive aspect of his character (which no offense, i see no appeal to bc the personality is just awful—NO HATE TO JUSTIN H M, he’s fantastic it’s just we did not lose brelly ben for this), like he force fed/tricked EVERYONE into consuming the janky marigold. except klaus because he’s the only smart one there. also good on him for trying maintain sobriety. but still. that is so messed up???? if he had never given anyone the marigold, everything could’ve been fine. they could’ve lived long happy lives in this timeline reggie made.

and then they had david cross, pitch perfect 2 ref, iconic man, play an irrelevant character. i’m so mad. wasted potential right there.

AND! it’s a crime that there is no family dance montage/scene like past seasons. it hurts. **oh and also there being like zero MCR songs is such a slap in the face because if the producers and directors actually listened to the fans opinions and ideas every once in a while, they would know that we’ve been hoping for an MCR song to be included as an homage/reference to Gerard Way.

and then that ending. where they just accept death???? choosing that the world is better off without them??? that is such a lazy end. if they had ten episodes and let gerard way have some sort of say in the writing/directing process, we could’ve had something so good. something so creative and fun and fulfilling. but no. they die and come back as marigolds. **which i personally really liked, out of everything this season i’m not sure why so many people hate the fact they kind of turned into flowers 😭😭 the ending sucked cause it’s so obvious it wasn’t given much thought but it was still sad and seeing the eight marigolds was sweet and gave closure in a sense. as much as it could i guess. **also, the farthest marigold is ben regardless bc brelly ben is dead and sparrow ben doesn’t really consider the brellies as his family. it is not five or klaus or whoever, it is ben. it has to be imo. the two flowers closest together are lila and diego. fight me.**

another thing, all the bad guys having a happy ending? irks me. like they were iconic, but why them and not the brellies? **(while i still agree with the idea of why couldn’t the brellies be happy too, i actually liked the fact that the main villains or side characters had completely different lives had the umbrella academy never existed. like that’s actually crazy sad and really interesting. also two things: is detective patch in that last scene? i’m not sure if she is. and second: why is grace like alive? like she would still be alive, but she was alive in the sixties, so wouldn’t she be like super old by that point in time?? why is she still young? and having kids? the inconsistency is realll)** also i liked the version of i think we’re alone now they used but i think it could’ve been better if they used the tiffany version again 😞

anyway—thank you for reading my rant because i am just so baffled by how horrible this season was. i feel so bad for the cast because even they knew that this season would not be it. that not one true fan of TUA would like it. and it’s sad because this has been such a huge part of their lives and careers as actors. so they did great with what they were given and for that they have my respect.

** signify edits i made — mostly grammatical and clairty edits, and a few of my opinions updated or added on to now that i have had time to really think about what occurred this season.

[mi-nya-mi]

hiiiii i love your art and how you draw Elliott it’s so gorgeous ❤️

also i have to know since you mentioned it. your Elliott headcanons 👀

TYSM ANON 💖 😍

So as for how I see Elliott in my interpretations:

GENERAL

I personally see him being around 34, super neurodivergent (most likely undiagnosed), and having already lived life and a past stable job that wasn’t his cup of tea before realizing he’s getting up there in his years. This eventually would motivate him to take the leap of faith that’s moving to Pelican town and moving into the writers retreat. Of course you’re going to have to suspend your disbelief significantly about him making absolutely zero progress that is his novel in the year long span he’s in Pelican town, so I could only assume that either he worked on publishing shorter form stories and taking up commissions, or already started working on his novel long before the farmer arrives and is just asking for the assistance of a beta reader. Either way, while it’s hard to judge the cost of rent in Pelican Town with regards to staying in that cabin, let’s just assume that he had plenty of money saved in order to work without needing to worry about keeping the lights on.

BACKSTORY

We know absolutely nothing about Elliott's socioeconomic background so it’s hard to glean whether he grew up poor, middle class, or wealthy. Even with his expensive tastes he could fit in any of those categories. Whether he did develop his more gentlemanly qualities from being born with a silver spoon or just developing it in order to give off a certain impression to other people, I wouldn’t know. His lack of interest in divulging his backstory could mean that it’s the latter if it comes from shame, but I could also very much believe that he had a family that were old money and preferred Elliott to take up whatever family trade that they had or a respectable profession(trading firm, banking, business, etc.) To my point, he likely had a family given profession that they pressured him to take up that made him plenty of money, and he saved up enough money to keep him afloat before calling it quits. (And considering his expensive tastes as well as my headcanon being that he’s practically buff, I doubt he would neglect his personal health by ordering cheap foods. He would have the means to eat well.)

LIFESTYLE

On the topic of health! Listen, with Elliott mentioning his rugged physique and him basically being Stardew Fabio, it’s hard to see him as a stick. I think Elliott very much enjoyed sports in his college years such as fencing (albeit he likely wouldn’t be able to deal with fighting monsters whatsoever despite his claim), and maybe even horseback riding/polo. (That man’s a stallion! What wouldn’t be more fitting? Plus shoveling shit gets you fit.) He also likely fished prior to meeting Willy, and still would do it for fun. Much to the contrary of most fan headcanons I don’t think Elliott is much of a regular swimmer, mainly because neither seawater nor chlorine would bode well for his hair. If anything, it would be a leisurely activity as opposed to one related to fitness. The other thing that contributes to his general physical fitness is that Elliott for the most part hardly uses any electric appliances outside of necessities (such as a phone), partly due to the lack of sufficient sockets and amenities in his cabin but largely for the aesthetic. He’s very much unplugged and rarely uses social media. Because he hardly uses electric appliances, he is in charge of all the housework which includes chopping all of his firewood, handwashing, drying, and ironing all of his clothes, and occasionally crab potting his own lobster dinners if he’s lucky. This man is on top of his housework! He genuinely enjoys this meditative routine of housework he has as he mulls over thoughts on his novels.

Overall those are my general headcanons I have so far on Elliott, but if you every have specific prompts feel free to send them my way :D

[aroaceleovaldez]

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the Percabeth parallel (can you call it a parallel if it is the exact same thing happening twice????) in TSATS (also the travel brochure thing)

The entirety of TSATS is very clearly trying to make Solangelo into Percabeth 2 and its one of the fundamental flaws of the entire novel.

Because immediately, Solangelo and Percabeth are such drastically different relationships and characters to one another that trying to make Solangelo into a cheap mirror of Percabeth results in Solangelo feeling so horrifically warped and out of character that it constantly makes you wonder if either author actually had any idea what Will or Nico's personalities and personal themes are supposed to be going into the book.

(Putting the rest under a cut because it got VERY long)

The plot itself is obviously a very direct mirror in trying to repeat the emotional effect of Percabeth falling into Tartarus, but right off the bat it doesn't work because the contexts of each situation are so different. Particularly the thematic elements to it - Percy and Annabeth are both pulled into Tartarus due to their fatal flaws (loyalty and hubris, respectively). It's emotionally charged, it's unexpected, and it's coming right off the heels of Nico returning from Tartarus and us seeing how absolutely horrible it was for him, which sets us up to have this huge impending fear of how this will impact them because we have zero information about what Tartarus is like besides how it impacted Nico (with no further details). Plus, it has a cliffhanger (literally), so it builds suspense so much better because you LITERALLY have to close the book and open another one to find out what happens. Meanwhile for Solangelo, not only is it physically impossible to hit those same emotional notes or suspense, especially within a singular book, but... the quest itself is entirely pointless. With the Doors of Death and Tartarus in HoO, the main point is a.) Nico entered Tartarus willingly to search for the Doors of Death because the gods couldn't because Gaea's army had found it and taken control of it, b.) Nico located it, but he was the only one who knew where it was, the gods didn't. He was able to pass on this information to the rest of the Argo II crew, and c.) Percabeth did not intend to enter Tartarus, but when they realized they were going to against their will, they knew that was going to be their only way out and that they would attempt to solve the problem while they were there anyways. With Solangelo in TSATS, a.) We know that Hades is in control of who can and cannot leave Tartarus on a general level, and is able to release individuals from Tartarus at will, and b.) basically everyone in the Underworld knows that Nyx is holding Bob prisoner. This is literally how Will and Nico learn of this information in the book. In fact, Hades himself is fully aware of the situation Bob is in, and we are directly told that Bob is an employee of Hades' whom Hades views favorably. There is literally no reason for Nico to have had to go to Tartarus. And before anybody says "But Nyx!" - Nyx's interactions with Nico were entirely retconned/fabricated for the sake of this narrative. Bob was not originally stuck in Tartarus because of Nyx- he was stuck in Tartarus because of Tartarus. They even somewhat acknowledge this in TSATS. Also, Nyx shouldn't be able to affect Nico's dreams like she does when he's in the Overworld, because she's too far away to impact any of the demigods (or else Percy and Annabeth would also still be in danger) and Nico in BoO is established to have very strong dream powers. Also, why was Bob reformed but not Damasen? Bob is a titan, he's supposed to reform extremely slowly. Damansen is supposed to reform very quickly, that's his entire thing, because he's constantly fighting the serpent in Tartarus. Literally no part about the plot itself makes sense with what has been previously established, it's all manifested entirely because we needed an antagonist for some extremely poorly executed heavy-handed metaphors.

Then there's Nico and Will's actual personalities as presented in the book and other random details - the most notable one being Nico giving his ring to Will (which seems extremely ooc to me, personally), which is very obviously supposed to be a nod to Annabeth wearing a ring on her necklace, alongside the coral on her necklace she received as a gift from Percy. Will and Nico repeatedly referencing gifts they gave each other in the most shoehorned-in way possible is also meant to mirror Percy and Annabeth, except they're cramming about ten books worth of relationship development into one. I suspect this may also be why Will is characterized as such an asshole throughout the book - they were gunning for the Percabeth "loving but frequently bickering/sarcastic" couple dynamic, but ended up with it just coming off as Will and Nico almost hating or being extremely antagonizing towards one another but seemingly putting up with it and dropping arguments frequently for no reason - Nico in particular frequently getting more shit from Will than he gives in return, and feeling hurt about it! But then randomly forgetting about it immediately, which is probably supposed to be like how Annabeth frequently gets annoyed by Percy but finds it endearing, except they did it entirely wrong. I'd bet this is also why Nico is so characterized as helpless, weirdly sarcastic and "dark humor"ed, and randomly completely ignorant about Greek mythology (and maybe even his random boat knowledge, despite completely forgetting about his pirate special interest and the fact that because he grew up in Venice that he'd almost definitely know about boats, since the book claims the only boat Nico's ever been on was the Argo II) - because it was trying to shove Nico into Percy's position, with Annabeth/Will being the exposition (which is Percabeth's dynamic in the first place because Percy is the stand-in for the audience as the POV, so Annabeth has to act as the exposition to teach the audience what's going on through the POV. This doesn't work for Nico because when Annabeth isn't able to be the exposition, that role actually often falls to Nico, so it's extremely difficult to put Nico in a situation where he's supposed to be the POV and teaching the audience new information that he is usually the source of. There's no reason he shouldn't know it, so they have to randomly make him ignorant of stuff he should know, which results in him being completely OOC). If you're trying to make him the POV, you can't make him the type of POV that has a secondary figure doing all the exposition for the audience to learn through, because you have to basically make him forget all the information he logically should know in order to excuse him not previously knowing it (this is actually why, on a meta level, Jason and Percy have their memories wiped at the beginning of HoO, because they cannot reasonably function as that format of POV protagonist otherwise). The annoying thing is that you can have Nico be a POV protagonist, it just requires that you use a different format. First person limited would have actually worked great, because then we would not only get Nico and Will's internal voices, we would also get to see how they interact with the audience. It would have also allowed Nico to explain concepts to the audience rather than not know them for no reason (give me Nico struggling to not infodump excitedly to the audience about the Underworld every 20 minutes). I particularly take grievance with this when they're in Tartarus, because not only should Nico logically know about Tartarus before he goes there the first time, but by the second time he should definitely know the landscape rather than him seemingly being lost both times. There's exactly zero reason for Nico to not know Underworld stuff. You can make that excuse with Percy and Annabeth, or Will, but not Nico. If they wanted to play up the feeling lost in Tartarus thing, then they should have tried to stay in Will POVs for Tartarus!

I could honestly go on about even more details that just clearly spell out this being a cheap Percabeth 2 rip-off that's a complete disservice to both Nico and Will's characters, but this is already so long and I've gone over my main points.

One more thing - the travel brochure thing in particular pissed me off, and actually I have the perfect video to explain why it pissed me off (and why I've disliked a lot of the writing in recent Riordanverse books) - Overly Sarcastic Production's video on bathos. The Riordanverse, particularly since HoO, has had a really bad problem of overusing bathos and rarely allowing scenes of emotional sincerity. The travel brochure thing is one such example of this - we're at a very big emotionally charged moment... and immediately it's broken because we jump into a joke. And because we overuse that format so much throughout both this book alone but also the series in general, it just completely ruins the effect of the scene. And this happens multiple times throughout the book! It's downright aggravating.

[oldsargasso]

YOUR WIP SNIPPET I’M GONNA FALL DOWN!!!

Kenta sitting there and waiting with Kim is so cute to me, Kim’s “are you fucking kidding me” look is HILARIOUS, and oh my god Kenta just tell him you want him to grab you by the collar.

That’s a really good point, especially when it comes to their relationship with Kim. It’s easier to accept someone’s flaws when it’s not you they’ve hurt, and when they didn’t target you specifically. Like how long does it take Kim to process what he went through? Does he have dreams about Winner standing over his body? There’s a level of physical trust that has to be built up from below zero. Winner went out of his way to beat on Kim when he was down (and maybe part of him was bitter that Kim hadn’t embraced him as a teammate, and angry that the person who always turned him into a kicked puppy was so easily reduced to nothing, like “You’re supposed to be better than this. Get up,” kind of complicated, misplaced, nasty feelings). 

Another thing I’ve been thinking about in regards to guilt and penance is Kenta and Dean’s relationship, and the way Kenta pushed Dean down the wrong path? I don’t think Dean would particularly blame him—it was his own choice (unless it turns out that Kenta knew Charlie’s death was gonna be faked and let Dean take the fall for it. In which case there would be a lot of anger, since Dean was already upset about being blamed for something he didn’t do).

But I think Kenta would probably blame himself (when does he not), since Dean would never have done anything if Kenta hadn’t suggested it, if Kenta hadn’t seen him as a set of dominoes ready to topple over. I think it’s something they’d probably fight about and would tie into Dean’s issues with wanting Kenta’s respect.

Oh yes Winner you are such a martyr it is sooo terrible to have to sit there and watch all of that glorious action; whatever would they do without you? 😆

Oh Dean. He’s never not gonna make me hurt. I am NOT ready to talk about him and Alan again ahdjfjfja it is so tragic!!!

How DO they all get together SHFJFJF THAT’S SUCH A GOOD POINT. It’s honestly probably very messy and convoluted, given all of their histories and Winner’s resistance to even caring about anyone. I think things would happen between some of them more easily than others. I will think some thoughts on this. 

I am. Not Optimistic about all four of them surviving. LOL. 😬😬😬 But I am prepared to fully ignore some things that happen and and live in canon divergent land ahdjfkfj. I had the SAME thought about Dean, like oh at least he’s safe behind bars! (The episode may have aired by the time this gets posted so I may already be in “lalala ignoring this” land”)

(WINNERDEAN FIC!!!! 🥺🥺🥺)

WAY HAS A CAR DEALERSHIP AS A SIDE HUSTLE 😭😭😭 Winner at least podiums during the races, so maybe he gets a modest amount of winnings? Idk how racing works BUT I do think he has family money. Like he absolutely has those entitled vibes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes from a racing family as well. 

THE SAME GYM, THE SAME LOCKER ROOM, AND THE SAME BAR. Like I know the city is not that small, why are they always up each other’s asses hmmm (homo reasons)

I just keep imagining all the ways it would go down. it's so dependant for me on how well Kim and Kenta knew each other BEFORE. did they meet that singular time Tony came to watch a race? or was Kenta doing like, personal assistant type stuff and helping Kim get settled in? I can't get past the look they share as Kim is taken away it's SO charged and speaks to a bit of an established relationship (of any sort). but yes Kim should grab Kenta by the collar. both of his shirt and the one Kim's gonna give him.

oof I feel like we haven't discussed Kim's trauma from being held captive and beaten up at all, how have we missed this!! it's definitely the way Winner went about it, bitter and vindictive exactly as you say. like when we first meet Winner and Kim in the gym they're aligned together but very quickly Kim is like "um no" - we see him very much against Winner employing dirty tricks but he's also aggressively not on team Winner before that even. if only we had gotten a handful more scenes of Red Racing before everything kicked off! the guys in the garage Winner's drinking with seem to support him, so he's not the worst all the time. but yes to everything you said! there is a huge gulf between where they have to come from to where we most often place them all together. I guess that's the more difficult part of their story and not half as fun to discuss as them all navigating an actual relationship lol.

wasn't it Kenta who sabotaged Babe's car the other time? he got caught on the cameras but literally only by Kim, who's locked up at the time Charlie's car gets sabotaged. couldn't he just. do it again?and also HOW did Kenta know to go to Dean for that? (my headcanon is Winner introducing Dean to Tony as a like, here's a guy who could be on our team kinda thing. like someone had to know to exploit Dean.) anyway YES. Kenta would blame himself and him taking all the blame of it is taking away Dean's agency. because he DID make that choice - he didn't think it was going to kill Charlie but it was always a risk, car racing is not the safest sport at the best of times. it would tie in very well with the age-related respect issues; Kenta reducing Dean's role in it all is akin to treating him like a child, like he doesn't know enough to know what he did was bad. so far Dean's the only one who's faced actual consequences for his actions!

honestly I can see it starting with any permutation of the four of them lol. I often default to it happening WinnerDean + KimKenta -> all four (after various mixing of three of them) - probably the only way I can't see it happening first is WinnerKenta lol. although that would be the most toxic way to kick of this toxic polycule.

Winner is the one I'm most nervous about since he's a true villain in the piece but I'm Very Concerned about a Kenta self-sacrifice play. but yeah I will be joining you in canon-divergent land if anything actually happens to these four. BEYOND what already has lmao we gotta get Dean out of jail.

(SOMEONE has to write winnerdean fic we are starving. I gotta stop using all my words and energy on these asks lmao but I'm having so much fun)

we have now discussed rich kid Winner in our third simultaneously occurring pit babe-related conversation on this website lmao. at some point in the near future I am gonna go through and collect all the exchanges we have had and put them all together.

FOR REALLL though, x hunter seems to despise Winner yet at no point was anyone like "should we go somewhere he won't be?" of course not. surely I am not the only one who believes one of the reasons Winner hates Babe is because he got rejected by him.

[greatideas-badwriter]

SasuSaku: Sacrificed To The Banished Prince Ch. 17

It made absolutely no sense, but Sakura felt a little better when she woke up from her long sleep after sobbing in Akuma’s arms until her body could no longer take the stress. The ever-present thoughts of escaping this life to avoid confronting her trauma were quieter, less frequent. She remained weak despite this. 

Ino kept her company, having maids fetch books, puzzles, and the like to keep her occupied. Inwardly, Sakura knew how hard Ino was trying to avoid talking about what happened yesterday and appreciated the effort. There were moments when the blonde would get a sad glint in her pretty blue eyes, only to blink it away when the pinkette noticed. 

The blonde talked about anything and everything while never pressuring Sakura to respond. She told the lady of the house about her father, who was one of three men in charge of training the kingdom's military forces. Coming from a well-respected family, it was uncommon for a woman of her age and stature to become a maid, but the blonde explained that her parents attempted to arrange marriages for her. When she refused, she vowed to only marry for love, even if it meant she had to relinquish her title as a noblewoman. 

Apparently, when King Madara was made aware of her defiance, he went above the Yamanaka elders and sent Ino to Prince Sasuke’s manor. That was just over two years ago. 

Sakura sipped her tea as she listened to the maid talk, “It was a blessing in disguise, my being banished to the Winterlands. At first, I was scared because of the rumors about My Lord, but he’s not what I expected.” Ino’s face became sad as she reminisced, her eyes low as though watching distant memories pass by her vision, “The prince’s existence is quite tragic. How he’s remained kind after all his suffering is a testament to his character.” 

“I was under the impression you fear him,” Sakura quietly said. “That everyone in the manor fears him.” 

‘It’s not fair, but it’s the truth. Even someone as dull-minded as me can’t help but notice how weary the staff behaves around Sasuke.’ 

“It isn’t him that we fear,” Ino’s bright blues met Sakura’s greens, “The Curse lashes out when us underlings fail to quiver at the sight of the prince. He sees it as an insult to his greatness.” Her voice was as sarcastic as possible without coming off as too unprofessional. 

The pinkette averted her gaze to her teacup, a frown tugging the corners of her mouth downward, “Somehow, I cannot….” She trailed off. 

She didn’t know what she meant to say. Was it that she couldn’t see him as a completely terrible being? It’d been a while, but she made herself recall their first encounter when he beheaded Butler Yamamoto with zero restraint or hesitance. A good person would never do such a thing. Then, she couldn’t help but remember the times he’d comforted her, the times he’d allowed her to weep into his chest when he could’ve shoved her away and called her pathetic. 

“That’s because you’re special,” Ino disrupted her thoughts. Sakura held her breath in surprise while meeting her gaze. A reassuring, kind smile met the maid’s lips. Her words were warm and non-accusatory, “Both the prince and the demon have changed since your arrival. Perhaps it’s harder for you to notice since you’ve known them only a short while, but the rest of us are in awe of your bravery.” 

“Bravery?” 

Ino nodded, tears welling but not overflowing. Her voice wavered with emotion, “I’ve never seen a man look at a woman how they both look at you, Lady Sakura. It’s as though you’ve given them life anew.” She laughed, blinking while looking upward to try and rid of the waterworks, “My apologies. I’m just relieved the prince has found someone so wonderful. All of us were beginning to worry he’d succumb to the curse.” 

“Lord Uchiha never used to leave his personal quarters. He’d take his meals in his office and avoid being seen for days at a time,” she explained, “Now, he joins you in the dining room, visits the library, and often wanders the halls in search of your companionship and well-being. There is a light in his aura when you’re around that didn’t exist before.” 

‘Is she speaking of the same prince that I know?’ 

Sasuke had been nothing short of a gentleman, but he wasn’t an expressive person. It was rare for his face to show emotion, and he almost always spoke formally. ‘Perhaps she’s right that I can’t tell the difference because I’ve only been here a couple of months.’ Sakura tried to picture the cold and closed-off man Ino described but gave up when the image made her feel disturbed and unsettled. 

Something wet met Sakura’s cheeks, and she blinked, surprised to realize she’d begun to cry. Ino softly smiled, offering a handkerchief. 

The pinkette accepted, feeling vulnerable in the presence of her only friend, “I want to save him. He’s…important to me.” 

The maid’s grin widened. She tilted her head amusedly, “If you ever feel courageous, you should say those words to him. I’m sure it’d make him happy.” 

Akuma visited that night, and Sakura remained awake in anticipation. Ino excused herself, quietly bowing before leaving the room. The demon spared her a short glare but said nothing. Once they were alone, Sakura gestured for him to join her at the tea table, pouring him a glass as he did. 

“Akuma.” 

An unfamiliar expression met his prideful face, “Your demeanor is strange this night.” 

The pinkette’s face warmed as she nodded, avoiding meeting his gaze as she tried to muster up the courage to speak her mind. 

He appeared to understand that because he sipped the tea for a moment before saying, “Say your piece, Mouse. You’re aware of my short patience.” 

‘He’s as brash as usual,” she thought, but her fear began to fade as she finally searched his face, ‘but Ino’s right. He’s changed since we first met. He’s still rude, but he hasn’t hurt anyone.’ 

“Thank you,” she managed to say. 

“You are thanking me for sparing your life thus far?” 

Sakura shook her head, her thumb brushing the lip of her own cup, “For last night. I feel embarrassed for you to have seen me in such a state.” 

Quite unexpectedly, Akuma didn’t pause or offer a sarcastic remark. Instead, he immediately asked, “Who hurt you?” 

Ice flooded the pinkette’s blood, her face paling. 

Blood-red eyes held hers and refused to look away, “Tell your master.” 

“I-I don’t know…” She tried, praying he’d believe her.

Akuma’s voice raised, the chaotic aura surrounding him flaring wildly, “Shall I cut out your tongue for lying?” 

Tears stung Sakura’s eyes as she shook her head, lifting her hands in a calming manner, “Please, Akuma.” His rage simmered if only a bit. Sensing his attention, she pleaded, searching his face desperately, “I can’t bear to speak about it further. Please don’t ask that of me.” 

It took a long time, more than a minute, for the demon to respond. When he did, he sighed, shaking his head, “I suppose we can avoid the subject for tonight, but I will discover his identity, and when I do, I’ll offer you his head on a pike.” 

Sakura couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Why would you go so far for me?” 

‘Akuma is a demon; one that hates humans and calls them insects. It makes no sense for him to want to punish my brother. Does he care about me, or is there a self-serving reason of which I’m unaware?’ 

“I…” He began but hesitated. It was bewildering to witness such caution in the usually assured and confident curse. The pinkette looked over him in disbelief when he reached across the small table to take her hand into his almost delicately, “I wish to destroy all who cause you to fall asleep with tears in your eyes.” 

If this was anyone but Akuma, the girl would’ve blushed at the unyielding way he was holding her gaze. Instead, she shook her head in awe, “But why?” 

He finally looked away, down at their hands. His voice became quieter, so she could barely hear it, “I do not know.” 

The next day, Sakura felt strong enough to join the prince for lunch. He seemed surprised to see her enter the dining room and sit across from him at the table. She nervously spoke, “Is it alright if I join you?” 

“Of course,” the man responded almost too quickly. 

It went quiet between them as the meal was served. The kitchen staff did little to hide their intrigue or curious glances. Only once they were back in the kitchen and the pair alone did the prince speak again. “I received letters from both our families this morning.” 

Sakura made an affirming noise, braving a glance in his direction as she chewed her food. 

“Your father wishes you a speedy recovery.” He quickly moved on, knowing the topic was sensitive, “And the King intends to send someone to speak with you regarding the incident. They plan to investigate until the culprit is identified and punished.” 

Sakura swallowed hard, nodding because it was too difficult to speak. ‘Just how talented are the people they’re sending? Will they be able to tell I lied about knowing my attacker?’ 

“Until they arrive, let’s focus on the wedding, shall we?” 

She met Sasuke’s gaze in surprise. The dark irises seemed warmer than before, silently encouraging her to do whatever made her comfortable. She could tell by how tightly he was holding his knife, how white his knuckles were, that he was struggling to control his own emotions. Sakura felt grateful. 

‘He’s trying so hard for my sake. I can’t let his effort go to waste.’ 

“That sounds wonderful,” she bashfully offered before taking another bite and turning her gaze to the table. ‘What will the wedding be like? Simply being officially engaged at the party was overwhelming.’ Truthfully, Sakura was grateful for such a massive distraction. Having something to focus on other than what happened could only be a good thing. 

So, for the next two days, the pair spent most of their time together. They dined, conversed, and made decisions about their upcoming nuptials. Things almost felt back to normal, how they had before their visit to the royal castle by day three of planning. Sakura felt warm and comfortable in the prince’s presence even though he was a man of few words. His often curt responses didn’t come off as rude, but maybe shy or socially anxious. Since she often suffered from the same things, the woman was overwhelmingly understanding. It seemed the prince picked up on that because his manner of speaking became slightly less formal. 

After breakfast on day three, the tailor from the capitol arrived with the wedding dress he’d constructed to perform the initial fitting. The prince initially joined them in the guest room, where she was being assisted by Ino behind the dressing shade but had to excuse himself when a butler arrived and requested his presence for something. 

Ino whispered as she tightened the lace on the back of the dress, “Don’t worry. I won’t let that creep do anything weird. I have permission to castrate him if he makes a move.” Sakura’s face paled, but she nodded gratefully. 

Minutes passed before she was able to step out from behind the shade. The tailor beamed, eyes searching her appearance, “You look marvelous, My Lady! I knew you’d made the correct choice. Allow me to pin it so I can perform the necessary alterations.” 

He stepped behind the woman and began working. Ino stood nearby with her hands on her hips, and her blue eyes narrowed threateningly. Either oblivious or fantastic at acting, the tailor spoke comfortably, “The prince is a lucky man to have a fiance as elegant and gentle as you, My Lady. When the kingdom sees you in this dress, he’ll be the envy of many, as will you.” 

Sakura tried to be respectful, “So long as my husband is pleased.” Then, her face burnt with blush because Ino gave her a knowing grin. ‘How odd is it to refer to him as my husband? I never thought I’d be getting married, and to someone so incredible at that!’ 

Time passed, and then the tailor was finished pinning the dress. He guided the pinkette to the tall mirror and gestured to her reflection, “Tell me your thoughts. Are there any changes you wish to be made?” 

It was gorgeous. The dress was white and hugged her body in only the most flattering way. A strip of lace was sewn to the off-shoulder neckline, where a thin, sheer cape fell to drag behind the dress as a train. Her mouth opened, but no words escaped. 

Ino gushed, her cheeks rosy with excitement, “You look amazing, like a real princess. I bet you’ll take Lord Uchiha’s breath away when he sees it.” 

“I agree,” the tailor chimed in, his eyes crinkling as he beamed, “Choosing the same style of dress as his mother was a grand choice. I’m sure he’ll be touched by the sentiment.” 

A knock came at the door before Sakura could figure out how to respond. All three turned as it opened. 

The warmth and hope she’d found over the last few days disappeared as though she’d been thrown naked into an icy river. Dark green eyes locked onto hers and narrowed. Hihara offered a tense smile, stepping inside and waving off the butler who’d accompanied him before shutting the door, “You make a stunning bride, Big Sister.” 

It took everything in her not to fall into an emotional heap on the ground or to cower in fear. She was sure she’d be able to avoid her brother until the wedding and then forever after that because she’d soon be dead. Here he was, though, and it was obvious he was silently threatening her to act normal. 

With a pale face, Sakura inched toward the dressing screen. She quickly came up with an excuse, “A lady shouldn’t be seen in her wedding gown before the day of the event.” 

“Not even by her little brother? You’ll hurt my feelings,” Hihara jokingly said. He didn’t stop Ino or her from disappearing behind the screen to change out of the dress, though. 

‘What is he doing here! Has he come to hurt me again?’ 

It was all Sakura could do to not break down in front of Ino, who at least appeared oblivious to her panic. All the pinkette wanted now was for her brother to go away. If she couldn’t have that, the next thing was to selfishly wish to be by Sasuke’s side because she trusted he wouldn’t allow any harm to come to her. 

‘But how can I keep my secret with Hihara here at the manor? Is he trying to get both of us killed?’ In her mind, if anyone found out about the disgusting act that’d transpired between half-brother and half-sister, they’d both be executed. The prince would surely hate her. 

All the healing she’d done in the past few days began to unravel as she stepped out after being redressed in her usual clothing. Respectfully, she bowed to the tailor, “Thank you for your skilled work. I look forward to wearing the finished product.” 

The elderly man seemed satisfied with her actions and returned the gesture, “It’s an honor to serve you, My Lady. Until we next meet.” 

Ino guided her and Hihara to one of the tea rooms, where she excused herself to fetch libations and subsequently left Sakura with her attacker. Once the door was closed behind her, the Haruno man wasted no time. He hissed, eyes glued to the entrance to ensure no one was coming in, “You useless whore.” 

Sakura’s limbs shook as she sensed the murderous aura surrounding him. She couldn’t bear to speak and instead cowered when the man turned his glare onto her. “Suicide? Seriously? You can’t even die without messing something up!” He pointed at her, lowering his voice even further as he threatened, “You’re going to convince the prince to call off the investigation, or I’ll tell everyone you drugged and forced yourself on me.” 

This time, the woman couldn’t help but respond, “That’s a lie!” 

Hihara scoffed, looking her over with a sneer, “Who will they believe: the whore-daughter of a traveling slut or a pure-blooded nobleman?” 

Her mouth clamped shut in shock. ‘He’s right. If it comes to his word against mine, no one will believe me.’ She watched the terrible man carefully, “...If I stop the investigation, you’ll leave the prince and his family alone?” 

The prideful smile that appeared on Hihara’s lips was reminiscent of Akuma’s but not quite the same, “On my honor.” 

[xxonceuponafuckxx]

👀🍑🌹🏳️‍🌈🌈💘😔😋🌸👌👅💋3️⃣😡🤑👗💦🔥🤗🍆☠️🛏️🍸😘😉😰 ((“Sexy Time Headcanons” list again. For Billy. This is the last one, ‘cause he’s the last muse I’ve interacted with as a main muse in a thread with you.))

Sexy Headcanon Meme!

👀 - What do they look for in a sexual partner? Billy is looking for someone who is genuinely kind, but also someone who will take control. Because he literally cannot be in charge.

🍑 - Top/Bottom. Do they have a preference? Billy is likely a switch more than anything. Because he'd do whatever made the other person happy.

🌹 - Dom/Sub. Do they have a preference? He's 100% a sub. He doesn't really want to admit it because it makes him feel like less of a villain, but he's a sub.

🏳️‍🌈 - What is their sexuality and romantic alignment? I really wanna call Billy straight. I really do. But, he's gotta be at least bi-curious. For romantic alignment, probably panromantic with a preference toward gyneromantic (female-presenting partners). I also wanna call him some form of demisexual because he doesn't jump into bed.

🌈 - Sexual fantasies? He just wants to be loved.

💘 - Kinks? Not super sure on his kinks. But, I know that touch is definitely a big thing for him.

😔 - Any sexual fantasies/kinks they’re ashamed of? He hasn't really explored enough to know.

😝 - Are they loud/vocal, or do they stay quiet? He is a mix of the two. He is loud as hell because he's enthusiastic, but he doesn't want to bother anyone so he tries to be quiet.

😋 - Spit or swallow? Swallow. So sure about it.

🌸 - Do they have an aftercare routine? Absolutely. It's extensive. Lotions, water, snacks.

👌 - Favourite position? Missionary. He's a virgin.

👅 - Oral sex. Do they prefer giving or receiving? Giving. He doesn't want to inconvenience anyone.

💋 - Do they prefer casual sex or relationship sex? Relationship sex. He can be convinced to do casual, but he is gonna follow you around like you're in a relationship.

3️⃣ - Pick 2 characters to join them in a threeway, and explain why you picked these two. Honestly either Hammer and Penny or Penny and Moist. So, either hate/jealousy or love/friendship. Not sure which is more interesting.

😡 - Are they into hate sex? If yes, name another character they might have hate sex with. I wouldn't say into it... But, would he kiss Hammer if it happened during an argument? 100%

🤑 - Would they hire a sex worker? Would they do sex work themselves? Probably not. Maybe though? Billy respects sex workers, but he honestly is too nervous to know what he's doing. He'd probably talk to them, honestly.

👗 - Clothes off or on during sex? Billy definitely wants his clothes on. He's super anxious to expose his body.

💦 - Any traits or physical attributes that really turn them on? I don't really think there's something that physically attracts him. He loves for heart. But, obviously, he is still a man... So, probably tits.

🔥 - How sexually active are they when they’re single vs. in a relationship? He is a virgin and he's never had a girlfriend, so... Yeah, this man has zero fucking rizz.

🤗 - Do they like to cuddle after sex? YES. Absolutely. He's stuck like glue after sex.

🍆 - Do they prefer rough or gentle sex? Okay... Okay. So, here's where I'm gonna not 100% answer. I feel like both. Billy loves gentle sex. He's a sensitive boy. But, he also kinda likes when someone can treat him like shit.

☠️ - Do they have any bad sexual experiences? Billy is still a virgin, so pass.

🛏️ - Do they like having sex outside of the bedroom? If yes, where? Probably not. He honestly is so anxious. He'll do it for someone, but he will be so nervous.

🍸 - Do they have any methods of courtship for getting people into bed? Billy doesn't really aim to get people into bed. Because he's so fumbling. But, I think he is all about service. He brings you things that he remembers you like, mentions things from a story you told him. He is a guy that will remember that you mentioned in a one-off that you like donkeys and bring you every donkey-themed thing he sees until you have a donkey shrine.

😘 - Are they affectionate during sex? He definitely is. I think he follows you around like a puppy after sex.

😉 - How flirty are they? He's very flirty, but it's an anxious, fumbling flirtation. He gets flustered and says dumb shit.

😰 - Is there anything sexual that they find upsetting? I don't really think so. He'll try anything.

[tigresslanzhu]

It’s Your Character That Counts: Buster Moon

Yeeeeeeah, things aren’t looking that great for Buster, but we all expected that.

We all know that Buster absolutely sucks here. The guy kept up the facade of the $100,000 prize money in the first film (although in his defense, the extra zeroes were an accident), he kept promising previous stage crew employees that there’d be payed, but because of financial constraints, couldn’t do so and COME ON! He was willing to steal electricity and water, all for the sake of keeping his theater afloat!

And don’t get me started on the second film. He stole equipment to break in to the Crystal auditions, promised a major celebrity would perform in the newly pitched space opera and of course, continued to lie about it, even when he got caught. To be honest though, he did try to find Clay Calloway and was confident that he’d get him to agree to perform after 15 years of solitude.

I can’t really say anything for the future of Buster Moon, as we’re not getting any solid information on a well deserved Sing follow-up, but I think we all know that Buster is going to lie to get his way again all to get ahead!

Well… he’s getting there in regards to respect.

You can see that during his open auditions he let anyone who wanted to perform, and at least unlike Jimmy Crystal, he let them all finish before making a proper verdict. That doesn’t stop him from axing some good performers for ridiculous reasons, (nervous flatulence, being too tall to communicate, etc.) And even with the acts he wanted to keep, he still belittled most of them in some way. “A soulful guy like you tenderly playing the keys” to Johnny, him rolling his r’s when addressing Rosita the first time (DUDE, just because someone is named Rosita, it doesn’t automatically mean they are Hispanic) and don’t get me started on his “pop star princess” suggestions for Ash! Also we know that the real reason Buster didn’t want the red panda idols in his show was because he had never been taught about Japanese culture before so communication was almost impossible. It’s quite clear that he had ZERO tolerance for these performers who didn’t speak English.

The second film? Much better. He treats his cast much better, although he’s still not perfect. Buster notices that Meena isn’t very comfortable with Darius, but because he had won a bunch of awards, he still pushes her in the role. And do you call breaking into a reclusive rock star’s mansion respectful? No siree Bob! Even if it did help Clay in the long run, I’m sure there are more proper ways to get his attention. Maybe he could have tried to contact Clay’s lawyer? I dunno! 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is sort of conflicting… In regards to perseverance, Buster has got it down natch! In regards to doing what he should and setting reasonable goals? Uhhhhh… NO! The guy said he wanted to do a singing competition, but went about it the wrong way! Instead of selecting only six slots for his favorite acts, he should have charged for an audience to watch these performers and vote on who they wanted to move on!

It takes him a long time to realize the consequences of his actions, but to he honest, he does try and correct his mistakes on occasion. When Jimmy confronted Buster about him “firing” Porsha, he told him that it was a misunderstanding, as he wanted to give the lead role of Out Of at his World back to Rosita, not that the mogul listened, but the koala did try!

This one is a pinch higher than the last pillar, but only slightly. As mentioned before, Buster did give everyone a chance to audition for the Singing Competition and left no one behind. While that definitely helps him be a fair person, the theater owner is awful at one important aspect of fairness… BEING A GOOD LISTENER!

If you think long and hard, the main contribution of the conflicts in the first film were because Buster didn’t listen to his co-stars. No matter how many times Ash points out that she’s not going to wear pink or sing cheesy pop songs, hehe koala still expected her to do what he wanted. He didn’t seem to want to hear any of Johnny’s concerns and he clearly seemed to favor Mike a lot more than everyone else.

Okay, this one is pretty self explanatory and the fullest pillar of them all! All his decisions, good and bad are mostly because he cares! He cares about his theater, his dad’s efforts, his cast and crew… that doesn’t make it right, but Buster does want to do all he can to show that he’s a compassionate person!

Yeah, no!

I only have this a little higher than trustworthiness because after the first film, I think he got a little better at managing money and is better able to pay his dues when necessary. The guy still broke the law on several occasions in both films and even used Meena as an accomplice. Heck, by Sing 2, he makes everyone an accomplice! Once again. I should state that if another Sing movie happens, we can guarantee that he’s gonna disobey more laws and that he’s lucky he’s not dealing with a lifetime in prison!

[crossdressingdeath]

#THIS!!!#it always sort of#idk frustrates me i guess#when people say it makes no sense to switch protags#but the game gives you a very solid reason why is absolutely does make sense#and it has nothing to do with the inquisitor losing their arm / the anchor#as some people like the say and counter with them having a dope prosthetic#it has everything to do with solas KNOWING you#and thus knowing how to counter you#which#like#respect#even if you hated the dude and were never friends with him#he still was there to observe#to know your tactics#etc.#anyways new protag just makes sense from both a narrative stand point but also cause i wanna romance someone new and have a fresh experienc (tags via @hipandhorrific)

To be fair I believe one of the writers actually did essentially say that Quiz can't be the protagonist because they lost an arm (which people understandably didn't take great); at least, that's what I've gotten across the internet grapevine, so I can't really speak to its accuracy but if it is accurate that would explain a lot of the issues people have with the whole thing.

The issue for me is that while from a tactical perspective it makes sense for Quiz to step back from the search and put someone Solas doesn't know in charge, the emotional core of this conflict is Quiz and Solas, not some random person with zero connection to this situation and Solas. It might work with Quiz and Solas both keeping to the background while the DA4 protagonist and companions on one side and Solas's agents on the other are the ones doing the actual fighting, kind of making the whole thing one big chess match with you taking on the role of the queen of one side? ...Actually thinking about it that would be cool, I want that. But of course it relies on Bioware being able to pull it off, which given DAI's writing is a pretty big if! Basically switching protagonists means that DA4 will have to do some very delicate manoeuvring to keep the emotional core of the story going, and I do worry that Bioware won't be able to pull it off.

(But also yes the ability to romance a new person is very important.)

One thing I forgot about Trespasser is that it does slightly justify the protagonist switch right at the very end; when it's pointed out that Solas knows both them and their companions and everything they're capable of, Quiz decides that if Solas knows them so well they'll just have to find people he doesn't know. So I guess it is possible to make the new protagonist work, as long as it's made clear that they are working for and with Quiz and their companions.

[ladyluscinia]

I've been thinking about whether Izzy is manipulative - yes and no, still pondering - and that led to how Izzy interacts with others, and then trying to suss out how Izzy functioned as a First Mate at all. So thoughts I've had:

First and foremost, in command Izzy functions as part of the Edward-and-Izzy unit (aka Blackbeard). He's not equipped to function on his own, but neither is Edward. The difference is that Edward can hide that fact for longer because he's the one with the instant charisma whose issues trip him up later, while Izzy cannot take control of a situation for the life of him but probably doesn't suck once he has it and a clear goal. This is, I think, the root of why Izzy struggles so much on the Revenge. Edward effectively abdicates his role as unquestioned top of the hierarchy, which cuts Izzy off from the source of his authority.

And while Edward can keep riding charisma / the Blackbeard mythos / his relationship with Stede to stay on top anyway, Izzy is left to fend for himself in his personal hell.

Izzy is small, and loud, and mean. He wants people to do shit because he tells them to and he knows what he's doing, but he has zero patience to actually persuade people of this. He dresses like a goth businessman which is very professional and also really not that scary. No badass scars or huge visible tattoos. His only real ability to enforce his will is with a sword - usually overkill and counterproductive - or with the threat of punishment - toothless against Stede's crew because they know the Captain won't back him.

Basically he needs people to respect him, but they are immediately primed not to due to all his Izzy-ness, and the very laidback and consequence free situation in the show deprives him of any method of proving his worth. (Worth he hasn't had to prove in fucking forever because he's fucking Izzy Hands, right hand man to Blackbeard!)

So what would Izzy be like in a different situation? Like aboard the Queen Anne?

Well Izzy is kind of a shit manager of people no matter what, but I think an established hierarchy would help him a lot. No one is going to love Izzy, but if they have to obey him, then they are more or less forced to observe that he's a dick who knows what he's doing instead of just a dick. Then suddenly there's a reason to put up with him. Also in a stricter hierarchy he probably wouldn't have to directly manage or interact with everyone. People have pointed out that Izzy doesn't do work himself, but "delegator of tasks" is a job of its own once the sphere is big enough. And often the overall delegator has smaller "team lead" style workers below him - people who do work but also can be in charge of making sure a bigger task gets done.

Izzy probably didn't interact with the base labor force on the Queen Anne beyond a knowledge of who's who. He'd just know a small group of guys he considered competent and reliable, and then assign everyone else to them. After all, Izzy doesn't have to personally check every sail stitch. He just needs to know William won't let anybody else on sail duty fuck up, and be satisfied with what he sees when he passes by.

And Izzy is a lot nicer when he doesn't think people are fucking up!

In episode 4, the main notably not-dickish interaction is when Buttons spots the Spanish and shows them to Izzy (aka does his job). Izzy gets pissed but doesn't take it out on Buttons at all. Just runs to tell Edward because that's the chain of command. Buttons -> Izzy -> Edward. This is because Izzy, for all his dickishness, is not a sadist (and really good that he's not, because it's the main thing keeping his management style functional). He doesn't punish people for the sake of punishing them or for shit they can't control. Still not great at positive reinforcement, but you can absolutely have a "good" working relationship with a boss who ignores you as long as you do what you're supposed to.

(And now we're back to Edward-and-Izzy as a unit, because Edward is great for the morale boosting that Izzy can't provide, and Izzy can just work on keeping Edward happy and the crew neutral but functioning when he isn't. Still not easy, but at least possible for him to succeed at.)

This theory is also somewhat backed up by Fang and Ivan, who seem to fall in Izzy's category of "competent and reliable" crew. Other than yanking on Fang's beard - which was a deliberate reminder of hierarchy and light punishment for questioning Edward - he seems to have great faith they will do what they are told without micromanaging and he effectively promotes them to the task of managing Stede's crew in the absence of clear leaders. Unfortunately, Fang and Ivan both fall into the muppetverse and simultaneously realize Edward won't enforce Izzy's authority on them either. They don't seem to hate Izzy, but they aren't inclined to defend him. Not a great trait in the only muscle he has to lean on.

In the end, I can see how Izzy's whole deal would work in a system that he was already integrated into. If you are a new sailor on Blackbeard's crew then the First Mate is a dick, yeah, but he doesn't talk to you. The Captain trusts him implicitly, everyone knows better than to openly disrespect him, and the senior crew who you report to have an established professional rapport with him. And then he leads a raiding party and you go "Oh shit this guy is so good at murder" right before he pays you a lot of money.

Whereas if you are Lucius, this small angry man follows Blackbeard onto your ship to rescue your Captain out of nowhere, spends a day getting increasingly anxious as his Captain ignores him and really shatters the terrifying myth of Blackbeard, moves onto your ship but isn't really given any authority over you, and then yells a bunch. He can kill people, yeah, but you don't have any particular knowledge of or respect for that skill, and you have no reason to think he's allowed to kill you. He's just a dick trying to force you to respect him, and you are Lucius and live to be a bitch right back.

No wonder Izzy just wants to go home.

[meowzfordayz]

hey hey could i request zenitsu with a g/n shy and insecure reader? hurt/comfort with fluff !! ty

Hii. Ty for your request! 💝 I def leaned more into the comfort/fluff than the hurt, but I'm overall content w/ how I wrote this. 😁

Author’s Note: my DMs are always open to anyone and everyone feeling lowkey/highkey shitty.

shy/insecure

Agatsuma Zenitsu x Reader

Word Count: ~1,200

CW: explicit language, traumatic references

~faqs~

Shy

Zenitsu isn’t really canonically shy

#will you marry me ?? after what, 5 seconds ?? #darling desperate boi lmao

But he’s certainly cowardly (don’t come at me — Ik he’s working on it! 🥺)

So having a shy partner wouldn’t feel entirely foreign to him

(the first time you ever properly smiled at him, he basically evaporated)

*poof* 🤗

You never explicitly tell him, “Oh btw I’m shy.”

It’s just something he naturally adjusts to (similar to how he gradually adjusts somewhat to Inosuke’s lack of shyness 😂)

First and foremost, he always goes out of his way to introduce you as his 🥰partner🥰 to literally everyone

—Stopping by a ramen stall for a quick lunch?

“Hello! My wonderful partner and I would like to order blah blah blah.”

Only slightly embarrassing 🥲

Also encourages you to order for yourself, but happily takes charge if you’re feeling overwhelmed

—Run into someone from either of your pasts?

“Did you know [y/n] and I are partners now? Aren’t I lucky?”

If he wasn’t so 🤩, then you’d smack him endearingly, ofc

He can’t help it !! He’s your hype man !! 24/7 !!

And super proud of himself for getting to be your partner

—Even on missions ffs this man’ll still mention you

If you’re together? “Demon! 😡 Before I decapitate you! Isn’t [y/n] incredible? 😃 *gestures to you* They’re my partner. Aren’t they so cuuute? 😃 If you say they’re cute, then I’ll make this painless maybe. 😃”

If he’s solo? “Can we get this over with? 😒 I miss my partner. 😞” Thunder Breathing, first form…

Second, he’s attentive of your cues (nonverbal and verbal), and is mindful about both letting you take the reins and stepping in

—Hanging out in a group setting?

He’s your, “What was that, [y/n]?” person

Chuckles-at-your-witty-jokes/remarks person

Your, “Ooh tell us more?!” person

Patiently supports you throughout the entirety of group activities/conversations, and gives zero fucks if anyone snickers at his doting behavior

Recognizes when you begin fidgeting, glancing at possible escape routes

And is an expert at polite, “Oops, we’ve gotta go!” goodbyes

Overall, he approaches your shyness intimately and thoughtfully

—Doesn’t want or need, let alone expect, you to change for anybody; but is 1,000% your #1 fan if you decide to change anything for yourself

“Can I order for us next time?” “Absolutely!” and then he’ll listen to you, practice w/ you, hold your hand — whatever nurtures your security

—Checks in w/ you constantly: “How are you feeling?” and “Is this okay?” and “I’m here for you.”

“I’m here for you,” is one of his favorites bc it conveys that you’re in control as well as subtly reminding you that he’s got your back ~just in case

—This is cliche af and kinda related to an aforementioned point, but he just… accepts and loves you as you are

Speaks a plethora of “languages” to reassure you that he’s as enamored w/ your shyness as he is w/ the rest of you

Poking your nervously flushed cheeks

Pecking your forehead when you anxiously lower your chin

Complimenting you when you ramble about your new outfit, “Does it fit alright?” Perfect “How does it look?” Stunning

Content in times of silence, trusting you aren’t necessarily mad or sad — just feeling quieter, and he respects that

He respects you 💗

Insecure

Ooh ooh ooh

What happens when an insecure person falls in love w/ an insecure person?

In the real world, it can backfire horribly 💀

But this is the lovely, idealistic world of #author makes the rules !! 😇

So you and Zenitsu inspire, motivate, and build each other up

Feeling disappointed in yourself?

He catches on immediately: can tell w/ the most fleeting of glances when something’s off

—Sometimes you’re open, self deprecation flowing desperately, despairingly, from your quivering mouth: “I’m so weak, so useless, so hopeless.”

He doesn’t interrupt bc he cherishes your vulnerability (even as it saddens, confuses him)

“How can you be weak when you’re here? Breathing, persisting, hurting? Hurting isn’t weak — it’s living, and living isn’t easy. You’re strong, [y/n].”

“I know it’s hard waking up to the faces you’ve lost, the memories you’ve let down. But [y/n], you’re also waking up to the faces you’ve saved, and I swear, I promise. Your memories are proud of you.”

“I’m sorry you feel hopeless, [y/n]. Is there anything I could do? Anything I could say? I understand if it isn’t enough right now, but I want you to know that you’ve got me. My hope is yours. I am yours.”

—Sometimes you’re closed, the almost indiscernible, involuntary curving of your body into itself the only hint of your distress

He doesn’t press, question, or hover

He simply reaches for your hand, your shoulder, your cheek; gripping, squeezing, caressing softly; murmuring, “Tomorrow will come, and you will be as magnificent as you are today.”

Feeling uncertain about your appearance?

—When you’re explicit about your intrusive thoughts, he counters logically, reasonably, firmly

Never invalidates your feelings; never confirms your intrusions

Doesn’t slather on shallow remarks like, “But you’re so pretty!” or, “Shut up, how could you think that?”, bc he knows your thoughts are far from shallow: they’re genuine, soul deep, with no quick fixes

Doesn’t agree w/ you either tho, bc—not that he would ever communicate it like this, but—you’re just so wrong: your body is his favorite temple, your smile his favorite prayer, the sound of your voice his favorite pastime, how you move, how you glow, how you express and dress yourself

In his opinion, you have a singular appearance — beautiful

—When you’re silent, erratically checking and picking, “Nobody’ll notice.” He does

But he doesn’t pounce, berate, or assume

He’ll try increasing physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation

He’ll go through all five love languages, carefully, slowly, figuring out which one you need most

“Thank you,” you whisper, without elaboration

“I love you,” he whispers, knowing exactly why

Overall, he approaches your insecurities appropriately and consistently

—Doesn’t love bomb (definition from Cosmopolitan: excessive attention, admiration, and affection with the goal to make the recipient feel dependent and obligated to that person) you when you’re down

—Doesn’t ignore you when you’re up

—Makes ample time to just talk: to ask you, “How are you physically?” and, “How are you mentally?” and, “How are you emotionally?”

Perhaps this degree of maturity seems ooc for Zenitsu, but I wholeheartedly believe in his desire to be a loving, reliable partner, and maturity is vital for that

There’s def a time and a place for “childish” play!

Like surprise piggy back rides, racing to the market, and blowing bubbles

Youthfulness is scintillating, enthralling, important

And guess what? 😉

Maturity and youthfulness can coexist ☺️

P.S. Those last two sentences were not intended to be condescending or sarcastic !! 😅 I just wanted to emphasize that Zenitsu can totally still be his whining, sniffling, absolute baby 😌 self and be a healthy, communicative partner

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

do you think the jedi prohibit 'frivolous uses of the force'?? because i see it a lot in fic but i swear i distinctly remember obi-wan using the force to pull a literal chair over lmfao

Yoooo, I've been wanting to write a post about that for like a week xD Okay, so here's the thing: I started answering this one, confident that I knew where the use of the word 'frivolous' came from - but it turned out that I was wrong, so I'm actually a bit baffled about its origin. But here goes:

(@cacodaemonia I know you were interested in this topic?)

No, I don't think the Jedi prohibit that. I don't think the Jedi even have 'frivolous' use of the Force as a concept. The idea that they prohibit it, or at least frown upon it, is very likely rooted in the AotC scene of Anakin levitating a piece of fruit.

Wookieepedia cites that scene and that scene only on the topic of frivolousness in the page on Telekinesis.

But the word frivolous isn't used in that scene! Who came up with it? Obi-Wan being grumpy about Anakin levitating the fruit could mean just about anything. Maybe Jedi frown upon showing off in front of a diplomat you're meant to be protecting in a professional way. Maybe Obi-Wan and only Obi-Wan disapproves of Anakin levitating stuff because he kept doing it around the apartment as a kid, just to be a little shit. Maybe Jedi frown upon playing with your food with the Force, which wouldn't necessarily be linked with it being 'frivolous' but just with 'don't be gross.'

Now I thought it came from the novelization using that specific word, but it doesn't! The novelization is based on the original script as opposed to the dialogue in the movie (it actually came out before the movie, so that's why) and the scene is longer in them both and seems to confirm what I said about how it could mean a lot of other things (because he isn't just levitating it originally, he's playing with it):

(novelization)

PADME: You did that? [ANAKIN looks up - wide-eyed innocence.] ANAKIN: What? [PADME scowls at him. PADME jabs at the fruit - ANAKIN subtly moves his hand and it lifts up from the plate and hovers in front of her.] PADME: That! Now stop it! [PADME laughs. ANAKIN laughs. She reaches out for the fruit - it loops.] PADME (continuing): Anakin!! [ANAKIN moves his fingers. The fruit flies into his hand.] ANAKIN: I'm not really supposed to do that... for fun, I mean. If Master Obi-Wan were here, he'd be very grumpy. [ANAKIN is pleased. He cuts the fruint (sic) into several pieces and sends one back to PADME. She bites it out of the air and laughs.]

(script)

Even taking Anakin at face value, this does not say there is an Order-wide ban on 'frivolous' uses of the Force. Again, maybe Force-assisted food shenanigans are frowned upon. Maybe Anakin isn't supposed to mess with people with the Force for fun. Maybe it's just Anakin assuming, as he sometimes does.

I think 'frivolous' might come from one of the EU books - it's not from No Prisoners (the Karen Travis TCW book) though, so I have no idea who might have used it in that context first??

Anyway, the issue in fic is that 'frivolous' is often confused with 'casual.' Hence the Obi-Wan thing imo.

One, 'frivolous' is judgy - it gives it a sense of sin, something that the Jedi... don't seem to have that much of a concept of? Dressing 'immodestly' isn't condemned, for example. I don't see the Order as a whole (there are sticks in the mud everywhere) having a thing against a concept as vague as 'frivolousness.' I mean... Yoda? His whole idea of fun is to mess with people and cackle, and his teaching methods include massive trolling, teasing the grown-up Masters with his gaggle of kiddos and whatnot. You cannot tell me Yoda never tugged on somebody's cloak to make them trip.

Two, frivolous and casual aren't the same thing. Obi-Wan pulling the chair falls into the casual use category imo - and yes, we do see him and others do this kind of casual stuff many times! (Off the top of my head: Obi-Wan grabs the map-ball thingy from the map-reader in AotC - in front of younglings, so there's no fear of a bad example being set - Yoda calls his stick to his hand in AotC, Obi-Wan pulls a chair in TCW s2, Jedi call their lightsabers to them all the time - though it's usually in combat settings, so it doesn't necessarily count, Obi-Wan closes a door in AotC - I think Ewan was the one who thought it'd be neat to do it? Idk...)

And I don't agree that "it goes to show their hypocrisy" or whatever. What, because we assume that's what Anakin meant in the AotC scene and because we assume it's 100% an Order-wide thing, and we assume that the Jedi would view using the Force for daily tasks as frivolous, then every single instance of Jedi using the Force for simple every day stuff is hypocritical?! Even though floating freaking fruit around somebody's head and pulling up a chair are absolutely not the same thing? The latter is something you would do no matter whether you use the Force or not - pulling a chair is a normal thing to do. Playing with fruit around someone is a rude thing to do. There's a difference whether or not 'frivolous' stuff is frowned upon.

And also, using the Force is a natural thing. The Jedi do it like they breathe - it's all around them and they're aware of it constantly, and it's not always something they can turn on or off. It's natural that they would use it for daily stuff, and the level of respect that comes attached with using it would necessarily vary from one Jedi to the other. Just look at Quinlan. What, jumping out of a gunship to make an entrance isn't frivolous? Well, Quinlan is a Master, so his views on it are just as valid - just as Jedi - as anybody else's. (Plus Obi-Wan - the Council Member - gives him grief for being late, not for just for being ridiculous, so again - rudeness.)

I can see some Masters being against using the Force with carelessness - and yeah, I can also see some Masters being against using it in a 'fun' way - because you have to be careful with that stuff, but it probably would generate debate. There wouldn't be a definite consensus on what is too much and what isn't.

If "the Jedi all frown upon casually using the Force" is something that Lucas intended to convey in the movie, please correct me and give me a source.

Though it is also entirely possible that Obi-Wan was meant to be a bit hypocritical about it - because he and Anakin have their tensions, and as somewhat of a parental figure it's only natural that he would scold Anakin for stuff that isn't that big of deal, or that he himself has done, because that's what every person who's ever been in charge of a younger person has done at some point. So sure, maybe Obi-Wan scolded Anakin for being too casual with the Force? But I still don't see it as a Big Rule that is in the Jedi Code That Must Not Be Violated and that get you Shamed and Shunned if you dare to have fun with the Force.

(Honestly, it reminds me of 'your Lightsaber is your Life' thing, and Ahsoka and Anakin both separately whining that their Master was going to kill them for losing/breaking theirs. There's a certain level or respect and care expected, the Masters (or... only Obi-Wan and Anakin, lol) nag a bit, aren't always careful enough themselves, the kids make a big deal out of it in front of other people, but ultimately there are zero repercussion whatsoever for actually failing to follow the Master's nagging. Like, Jocasta tells Ahsoka Anakin would totally understand, and it's Ahsoka who insists he wouldn't and makes it into a big thing.)

Again, having Masters tell their students to be respectful of the Force and not to treat it like a joke? Sure. Showing off with the Force in a rude manner being called 'frivolous,' and it being a bad thing? I could see it. Having Masters get pissy about pulling chairs, closing doors or whatever - about doing things you can do with your hands with the Force instead? Maybe, but it wouldn't be an Order-wide thing.

One thing's for certain, we never see a Master directly scolding a student for using the Force casually in the Prequels, the OT or TCW, much less calling it 'frivolous.'

So yeah, gimme Jedi levitating stuff to clean up under the furniture xD

[sir-yeehaw-paws]

Sorry about how MESSY this is going to be but this post has given me brain worms for a while now because-if we take aside the (truly astonishing) power imbalance of their first meeting aside; Kaz is 100% on the same wavelength, in terms of ideology, as Big Boss. If anything-he might have an even more aggressive view of the world. Something Big Boss could later both understand-and try to exploit. (I think one of the main reasons they had such a harsh falling out was because in the end, Kaz didn’t fall beneath the control. He didn’t just instantaneously fall under whatever magnetic spell Big Boss casts on people. He put up a fight. He wanted to be in charge too, they butt heads in that regard.

This isn’t to say that Kaz wasn’t also obsessed with him-he was. But it was different. In the sense that there was some initial animosity, and some difficult personality clashes to get through too.

But I like to always remind of a few things too, namely: (more below cut)

It was Kaz who suggested taking Peace Walker’s nuke and keeping it on mother base.

It’s Kaz who tells Venom-without a single hint of irony about the ‘United States of Force’ which is a terrifying insight into how Kaz might see the world at large. (As hostile, unwelcoming. Where you either fight for what you have, or all unite under one banner-that banner being ‘violence’). He talks about being ‘free of government control’ but doesn’t seem to realize a nation controlled by mercenaries is still a type of control. Or he does and is being willfully obtuse about it.

Kaz is no stranger to using people to achieve his own goals. This isn’t new to the series nor singular to him. Big Boss does the exact same thing-and that includes each other. Ironically enough that same thing ends up breaking them apart. Because of COURSE it does.

Ocelot is known for torture in series, but Kaz isn’t a stranger to it either. Sure, while we only see him torturing on screen in MGSV, I HIGHLY doubt that was his first time in such a position.

Big Boss needed a person with a strong head on their shoulders, a desire to do whatever it took to get things done. Someone military and control minded-and he got all that and more in Kaz. Kaz, who has been angry since the day he was born. Kaz, who as the original post says-left the JSDF because he was-at large-too violent for them. Kaz who had no issue keeping a nuke. Who has no problem and seems to see nothing wrong with military-lead nations.

As an aside, he also claims that what drove him to align with Zero was to ‘make the world one’. For a long time this rankled at me because it didn’t seem to align with what I knew from Kaz, Until I listened again to the tape where he talks about the United States of Force. Different methods-and different phrasing, same goal. The goal is one single essence of control.

For Zero, this is information. For Kaz, this is people united by violence.

When Big Boss formed the MSF, I don’t think ‘military nation’ was his original outlook. Because I don’t believe Big Boss thought that far ahead. But, I do imagine in talks with Kaz, perhaps, he got the idea to formulate. Big Boss may have started in with the idea of a place for soldiers to be respected-and where they have real purpose mixed in with his backwards interpretation of the Boss’s will. Kaz, with his own intelligence and knowledge, and personal goals, probably had some influence on how he saw the MSF, AND what it could eventually become.

I think other factors drew Big Boss to Kaz. I imagine the sheer boldness he displayed in their first meeting intrigued him. He saw a defeated man with dead bodies left in their wake (since Big Boss basically slaughtered his unit) and saw Kaz ‘give in’ then, when he thinks he’s won-turns the tables and pulls a fast one on him. That is absolutely the sort of thing Big Boss would find interesting, attractive and perfect.

Kaz, in turn, after going through the various trials and whatnot, probably understood in time the kind of person Big Boss was. And with his power-hungry desires, understood precisely how that could be shaped and molded.

But, nobody gets away with betraying Big Boss, and that is the real undoing. Kaz either misread what aligning with Cipher would do to Big Boss, or miscalculated. But even when they’re apart, even long after Kaz knows the truth about Venom; the ideas they share don’t exactly change. I do think Kaz grew to have regrets as he aged. That didn’t stop him from using Solid Snake to kill Big Boss *or at the very least, having a strong guiding hand in doing so*. It didn’t stop him from staying in the type of environment he was so familiar with, and in the end, it sure as hell didn’t save him.

(I feel like I do have more to say here, but I’m gonna let this be as is for the moment, and let more discussion happen).

I think we too often overlook the part where Kazuhira left the JSDF and became a merc because he wanted to kill ppl for real

[theggning]

I Hate the Alternate Ending of Blind Betrayal, and Here's Why!

DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: Massive spoilers for Fallout 4 abound. This post discusses Blind Betrayal, a quest with suicide as a heavy theme. Content warning applies.

DISCLAIMER THE SECOND: This post discusses cut OFFICIAL content from Fallout 4 that has since been repurposed into multiple mods. I am not criticizing any modders or their implementations of this content. Mods are fun and people can enjoy whatever the hell kind of game experience they want with whatever mods they want.

I am ONLY interested in discussing the original cut content as Bethesda had written it, and how it would have impacted the story and lore of Fallout 4.

So, yeah, it seems there was originally going to be another way to conclude Blind Betrayal (BB).

As described in this Kotaku article (citing this post by Tumblr user tentacle-explosion,) there are unused audio files of Danse’s dialogue that show an alternate ending to his pivotal quest. These lines are the only evidence we have of this ending (suggesting that it was cut fairly early on, as no other actors/characters seem to have recorded for it.)

From what we can tell, in this alternate ending of BB, Danse comes up with a possible way out of the sticky situation re: his identity as a synth. According to the Brotherhood Litany, he is able to challenge Maxson’s authority as Elder via combat. If you agree to this idea, you go with Danse to challenge Maxson. The Paladin and the Elder duel one another, Danse wins, and Maxson dies. Then Danse names the Sole Survivor the new Elder-- or with a hard charisma check, you’re able to convince Danse to take the job himself. It is unknown how the main plot would have progressed beyond this point, as there is no other evidence of what being (or influencing) the Elder would have been like or what choices it would have given you.

There is understandable disappointment in learning that this ending was cut. Choices in games are great, and it could have been fun to have multiple different options for how to resolve the quest. In many gaming circles, people complain that this theoretical ending is superior to the one we got and shouldn’t have been axed. The Kotaku article calls it a “way better” ending, and you’ll see many players lamenting that it wasn’t implemented, saying Bethesda was bad at writing for cutting it, etc.

So why did Bethesda get rid of the Elder ending of BB?

In December 2020, after the Fallout 4 Cast Reunion, Danse’s voice actor Peter Jessop answered questions in a private signing session on his Instagram. Peter Jessop is an extremely kind and gracious man, an avid gamer, and a huge fan of Fallout. During the stream, he reflected on the alternate ending and remembered recording the lines, but stated the content was ultimately cut because Bethesda decided it was lore-breaking.

Peter Jessop is right. Bethesda was right. The Elder ending of BB is a bunch of dumb nonsense. It sucks, I hate it, and I’m glad they got rid of it. And now I’m going to tell you why!

SIDENOTE: King Shit of Fuck Mountain

There is no wrong way to play a single-player video game. If you are having fun, then you are accomplishing the task for which the game was made. Good for you! Play it on easy. Play it on hard. Mod it. Speedrun it. Make up an intricate roleplaying scenario. Perform “challenge” runs. Kill everybody you see. Ignore the story and run around collecting wheels of cheese. Games are meant to be fun and there is nothing wrong with enjoying a game however you damn well please. This is especially true for RPGs like Fallout, which are designed with player freedom in mind.

There is an RPG playstyle I like to call King Shit of Fuck Mountain: a naked power fantasy in which your protagonist is the most powerful person ever, even beyond normal RPG plot significance. Through brute strength, incredible charisma, or having completed tons of quests for world-breaking artifacts and weapons, your character wields godlike influence, able to control people, factions, and the fabric of the world itself. A game enables KSoFM gameplay when it allows the player limitless freedom to gain as much power as they like with zero consequences to plot or storytelling.

A great example of this is the Dragonborn in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. If the player chooses to pursue every questline in the game, one single person can become Harbinger of the Companions, Archmage of the College of Winterhold, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Nightingale and Guildmaster of the Thieves’ Guild, hero of the Imperial/Stormcloak army, the chosen one of like, 11 different Daedric princes, a bard, a Blade, and otherwise just, absurdly goddamn powerful in completely unrealistic ways. And that’s not counting DLCs. A fully-kitted-out Dragonborn is King Shit of Fuck Mountain.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing KSoFM if you like to. But I’m not a big fan of this style, personally. Sure, my first Skyrim character became KSoFM while I was figuring out the game, but after my first playthrough I preferred my characters become coherent figures in the story of the world. I pick one or two character traits and things that my Dragonborn is good at, focus on them, and make them part of some overall story. My honorable Imperial paladin werewolf is in the Companions, and hunts vampires on principle. My Argonian sneaky archer is a gleeful thief, but would never jive with the College or the Dark Brotherhood. I like creating protagonists who fit into these settings immersively. I don’t care about power fantasies or being in charge. I don’t WANT my character to be all-powerful, because that ruins my immersion and my little story.

Additionally, in a plot-driven story-focused game like Fallout, KSoFM tears the narrative apart. Skyrim is fairly light on story, so the Dragonborn can be the leader of the Companions and the Dark Brotherhood and whatever other factions without any of them noticing or caring. But FO4’s themes, faction drama, and the main thrust of the plot don’t work at all if the Sole Survivor is able to become too powerful or too influential. The Sole Survivor cannot become the leader of every faction, solve every problem, or eliminate every inconvenient bend of the conflict because it makes the lore of the entire setting implode. Thus, the game forces you to choose between factions. You cannot be with the Minutemen and the Nuka-World Raiders. You cannot be with the Railroad and the Institute. And you cannot become Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel.

So if you’re the kind of person who loves playing KSoFM, if you like plots that your character can “solve” with relative ease, or if you just think it would be super cool for your Sole to become Elder regardless of surrounding storytelling, then you might think the Elder ending sounds super cool. You are absolutely allowed to disagree with me here. Install all the mods and write all the fic and have all the headcanons you like. I respect that. There is no wrong way to enjoy a single-player video game. Have fun!

But if you’re a big nitpicky pedantic lore nerd like me, a fan of cohesive storytelling, or if you just want to hear how the Elder ending of BB absolutely fucking ruins Maxson, Danse, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the entire plot of FO4 from a narrative perspective, read on!

1. The Synth Thing

The Elder ending requires the stupid plot contrivance of the BoS forgetting about Danse’s synthhood.

One of the biggest problems with the BoS as an institution is their strict and dogmatic beliefs, which include a widespread dislike of non-human species. Perhaps more than any other non-humans, the BoS hates synths. Synths are, in their eyes, machines given free will, a violation of the sanctity of human life and the ultimate example of technology run amok. To them, synths are not sympathetic, they are not slaves, and they are not victims of circumstance. They are weapons that left unchecked will destroy all of humanity for a second time. Synths are anathema to everything the BoS stands for, and finding out that one of their most beloved and trusted Paladins is one is an earth-shattering blow to their integrity and sense of security.

It is completely absurd that the BoS would allow a synth within their ranks, particularly as they are waging war against the Institute, who created synths in the first place. It is even MORE absurd that they’d allow one to influence their Elder, or even worse, to become Elder. It completely undermines their mission in the Commonwealth, and the core tenets of their extremely rigid beliefs. No matter the Elder, no matter the Litany or obscure BoS law, no matter how valuable the Sole Survivor is as a soldier or how much influence they wield. Danse is a synth. He’s the enemy. He is physically the embodiment of everything they hate.

Not only wouldn’t they trust a synth in general, but the BoS specifically believes that Danse is an infiltrator for the Institute. Even Danse believes that he is a danger, that the Institute may be able to take control of him and use him as a weapon. Sure, we know none of this is actually true, or possible, but the BoS don’t know that. And given how quick they are to order Danse dead without even the possibility of surrender, I don’t think there’s any charisma in the world that’s going to convince them otherwise.

According to Peter Jessop, this, ultimately, is the reason why the Elder ending was cut. He talks about it around the 11:30 timestamp in his Instagram stream, linked above:

“We recorded an ending where you keep Danse alive and you take over the Brotherhood. But there was a question of content… there’s no way the Brotherhood, once they knew he was a synth, would let him be even the right hand of the person in charge.”

Bethesda correctly recognized the incredible narrative contrivance for the BoS to shrug off the reason they’re trying to execute Danse in the first place. Whatever other beefs I have with this ending conceptually, they all come in second to just what a big dumb leap it is to get beyond this first and most important problem.

2. The Complete Death of Conflict

The Elder ending of BB destroys the conflict of the quest, and potentially the conflict of the entire game.

Greed is a poison. There is no such thing as a perfect ideal or a perfect organization. Power corrupts. Humanity has the choice to build back better. War never changes. The Fallout games are full of themes, depicted by the characters and quests and factions we play out.

Blind Betrayal is rightfully praised as one of the most powerful quests in FO4. Not only is it well-acted, but it puts the player in a very difficult position. The BoS has given you clout and glory and free power armor and lots of firepower, but now you see the price: unquestioning obedience. You are ordered to execute your friend and mentor Danse for the mere fact he is a synth. Are you going to follow that unjust order? Are you willing to give up your principles on command? Or is this where you can no longer stay quiet and stay in line?

To be honest, I’ve always thought the fact you can talk Maxson out of killing Danse but still remain with the BoS in good standing was a cop-out. BB goes 90% of the way to forcing you to choose between a companion and a faction, and then chickens out at the last second to let you have both, if your charisma is high enough.

(I believe this has the fingerprints of Skyrim’s development on it-- Bethesda’s writers got nervous about doing another Paarthurnax choice involving the fan favorite Brotherhood of Steel. That’s right. Danse is the Paarthurnax of Fallout. Frankly, I understand why they chose not to go there, but damn, wouldn’t it have been wild? You want to run with the BoS? Then kill your friend and feel the burn. THIS is what it means to follow orders without question.

As for me, I’d pick Danse every time and sleep soundly without the company of shitty bootlicking dieselpunk LARPers- but I digress.)

Anyway, you know what would have REALLY been a copout? If the game asked you to make a difficult thematic storyline choice, and you solved the problem by just not choosing at all.

You are supposed to feel uncomfortable when Maxson orders you to kill Danse, because the game is telling a story about how it is maybe a bad thing to thoughtlessly follow orders without question. It is asking you to think about what the BoS is, what they are doing, and how they are going to run things, if you choose to let them “win” the Commonwealth. It is pointing out that there is no room for gray in the BoS’ black and white. That a good, loyal man may die because of the way he was made, through no action of his own. That soon, you’ll be killing other people on command. The Railroad. Fleeing Institute synths and scientists. Others, down the line. It all depends on who’s giving the orders. Are you going to follow those orders?

Eesh, that sounds thought-provoking and unpleasant and difficult! Let’s just skip it by killing Maxson and making ourselves the boss. Now we get to tell everybody else what to do!

It’s unknown what powers the Elder ending would have granted the player, or how it would have interacted with the other factions. There is speculation that you’d have been able to ease back on the BoS’ dogmatism, or change some of the later events of the game. For instance, perhaps you could talk the BoS down from attacking the Railroad, sparing popular characters like Glory and Deacon who must die in the normal BoS storyline. Perhaps you could have made the BoS a kinder, gentler faction and directed them to run the way you want them to.

If this was indeed the case, then the Elder ending would not only suck the gravitas out of BB, but torpedo the entire main plot.

If you can get rid of any and all downsides to siding with the BoS, why in the hell would players side with anybody else? With the player given total power, the BoS becomes a perfect faction with no drawbacks, no weaknesses, no tough decisions to be made. Screw slumming it with the Railroad or the Minutemen, let’s take over the BoS. Free power armor and a giant robot! Forget the whole intolerance thing, I hereby proclaim the BoS No Longer Problematic! Now to force all the factions to get along, completely removing all conflict and nuance from the plot!

That’s some real anticlimactic “tell Legate Lanius to go home and then he does it” bullshit right there. King Shit of Fuck Mountain!

Look, it might be nice if there was a perfect path like that to take through the game. It would be cool if our characters could be that powerful and the game was that tailored to our individual choices. On the other hand, “I change all the factions to suit my exact liking” might be a fun idea for a fanfic, but it’s an incredibly boring plot for a video game. “I get to make everything in the world exactly how I want it” is Minecraft, not a story-driven RPG with a complex and intricate plot.

It would be great if complex conflicts could really be solved that easily and effortlessly, but hey, you know what? War never changes.

3. The Assassination of Arthur Maxson (Literal)

Arthur Maxson’s death is too significant and fundamentally disastrous for the Elder ending to make any sense at all.

Hero, villain, leader, monster, tortured soul, brutal dictator, immature twerp, bearded sex hunk. However you personally interpret Arthur Maxson, there is no denying that he is a venerated, popular, beloved figure in the BoS. He is the blood heir of the organization’s founder, a powerful warrior, a brilliant tactician, and a charismatic negotiator. He is responsible for reuniting the East Coast BoS with the Outcasts, leading the new, stronger BoS with a sense of shared purpose. There is a damn good reason his name is Arthur and he named his ship The Prydwen, echoes of King Arthur and the legends of his glorious kingdom of Camelot. Arthur Maxson is so beloved that many view him as a demigod, a messiah sent to lead the BoS into a mighty and prosperous future.

So I’m sure nobody’s going to be upset when some wasteland jackass recruited a month ago stumbles in with a synth, kills him, and takes over his job. Right?

It doesn’t matter that it’s “honorable.” It doesn’t matter that it’s done “by the book” via obscure BoS rules. There is no codex or litany or rule so binding that it’s going to overcome the cult of personality around Maxson. There is no way that the BoS is going to accept the death of Arthur Maxson, a man whose reverence borders on worship, especially not when he is immediately replaced by a wastelander, or a synth.

The death of Arthur Maxson removes the unifying glue that’s been holding the BoS together since mending the rift with the Outcasts. Maxson’s death eliminates the one person that both sides of that conflict agreed could steer the organization in the right direction. Some level heads may try to keep the focus on the mission and the Brotherhood tenets, but Maxson loyalists will never forgive the new Elder for his death, and that amount of passionate righteous anger will not be quelled by appeals to the rules. The new Elder’s war on the Institute is basically over before it begins, when the forces splinter and start infighting over the change in leadership.

And this is if the new Elder lives long enough to actually give any orders. I give them around 24 hours after the duel before some angry Maxson loyalist “accidentally” pulls the trigger and “tragically” empties a clip into their back.

24 seconds, if it’s Elder Danse, the dirty synth abomination.

4. The Assassination of Arthur Maxson (Figurative)

The Elder ending of BB falsely pretends that Arthur Maxson is the biggest and only problem with the BoS.

In the Elder ending, as written, the conflict of BB is considered completely and totally solved by the death of Arthur Maxson. The core problem, that Danse is a synth and considered an enemy by the BoS, has not gone away. But by getting rid of Maxson, this apparently no longer matters. Nobody else is going to take offense to Danse’s nature or protest his presence. Nobody else is going to attack him or try to follow through with Maxson’s prior orders. Nope, that meanybutt guy who gave the order is gone, and everybody else is going to welcome Danse back into the fold like nothing ever happened.

I touched on this a little bit on an ask about Maxson a few weeks back, but a lot of people seem to believe that the FO4 Brotherhood of Steel is the way they are purely because of him. That he is the one making them treat non-humans as second class citizens at best, and enemies to be slaughtered at worst. That it’s his fault the BoS is so vehemently against synths and the Institute. That he is the one influencing their imperialistic tendencies, and treating the Commonwealth like territory to be conquered and people to be ruled over by their betters.

He’s not. That’s the Brotherhood of Steel, guys.

The charitable, altruistic, virtuous BoS that many of us met for the first time in FO3 were outliers. Lyons’ group was literally disowned by the rest of the faction because their kindness to wastelanders had gone so far astray from the “core” tenets. The BoS as a whole has always been exclusive, isolated, and seen themselves as “superior” to the average wastelander. They have long disliked or outright hated non-humans (and even Lyons’ BoS in FO3 use ghouls, feral or not, for “target practice” if they get too close!) The rigid dogmatism of the BoS is not something that Arthur Maxson started, but has always been part of their fabric.

Now, it’s true that Maxson is absolutely going hard on the BoS tenets, and extremely dedicated to upholding them. His BoS are the way they are and act the way they act because he believes that this is the way it should be. Is it possible that a different leader may be a little more flexible? Absolutely. Could a skilled Elder eventually show them the benefits of a softer approach and a more generous worldview? Totally. Is getting rid of Maxson and replacing him going to make that happen overnight, or going to make the rest of the BoS who supported him shrug and follow suit?

Nope.

Blaming Arthur Maxson for everything unsavory about the Brotherhood is unfair to him and also foolishly ignoring the deep, massive problems that are far older than he is-- problems that plenty of its members wholeheartedly believe are not problems at all. Getting rid of Maxson does not make the BoS kinder or gentler. Even pretending Maxson isn’t as personally beloved as he is, any new Elder who steps in and starts trying to fundamentally alter the way the BoS operates and what they believe in is going to face some major, immediate pushback.

Like, a full clip of bullets in the back type of pushback.

In the face if it’s Elder Danse, the godless freak of nature.

5. The Un-Redemption of Paladin Danse

Last, and my personal least favorite!

At first glance, Paladin Danse is a steely jackboot, a die-hard Brotherhood loyalist who fully and firmly believes in their cause. Many immediately dismiss him as a humorless brute, or completely ignore him because they think that’s all there is. But if you spend any time with Danse at all, you’ll notice a sort of weariness in him. He is tired, overworked, and his years of service are starting to weigh on him. He has watched friends, comrades, and mentors die in horrible and gruesome ways, and he suffers from PTSD. Though he has always been told that his own sacrifices, the sacrifices of his brothers and sisters have been” worth it,” he’s starting to question if that’s true.

After telling of the incident where he personally executed his best friend Cutler, who’d been turned into a super mutant, the Sole Survivor is able to console him:

Player Default: You did the right thing. Danse: {Somber} It's what I was taught. I don't know if it was right.

This line is an excellent summary of Danse’s entire character arc. He learns to question whether to believe what the Brotherhood has taught him, or to believe in himself. His gut feelings. His sense of justice and his own ideas of what’s right and wrong.

(In the interest of not turning this into an essay about Danse’s character, I won’t even get into how this also applies to his beliefs about his worth as a person. But keep in mind, that dimension is there, Danse just covers it up by making everything about the Brotherhood.)

During Blind Betrayal, after getting the orders to execute him and hearing Haylen’s plea for mercy, we may expect Danse to be ready to fight back or flee. But when you confront him in the bunker at Listening Post Bravo, he’s compliant and suicidal. Danse is so deeply poisoned by the BoS’ rhetoric that his own feelings or will to live don’t factor into the conversation. He demands that you follow your orders and execute him, because he believes, as the BoS does, that all synths are dangerous and must be destroyed.

Danse: {Stern} Synths can't be trusted. Machines were never meant to make their own decisions, they need to be controlled. Technology that's run amok is what brought the entire world to its knees and humanity to the brink of extinction.

{Confident} I need to be the example, not the exception.

Through various dialogue options, if your charisma is high enough, you are able to talk Danse off the ledge. He is able to consider, at least, that the BoS’ merciless judgment of him is wrong and that what he was taught isn’t right. He is a thinking, feeling, self-aware synth, and that makes him as much a person as any human. Danse is no danger to humanity-- and maybe, most synths aren’t either.

Danse is an example, not an exception.

Later on, if you manage to get him out of BB alive, Danse shows further acceptance of his nature. His approvals about synths begin to soften slightly (or many of them do, at least… it’s not perfect.) He is still struggling with his identity and reconciling it with his former hatred, but his dialogue suggests that he’s on the road to being more open-minded and understanding. Along with this, Danse learns that he has value as a person beyond the Brotherhood. He no longer needs to define himself with BoS beliefs or judge himself by how useful he is to them. He learns that he is worth caring about, worth being friends with or being loved because of who he is-- not what he is, in any regard.

[SIDENOTE: Many players, myself included, are frustrated that Danse’s arc leaves off sort of midstream there. Due to the open-ended nature of the game, we don’t get a real conclusion to his arc-- even though much of his idle dialogue doesn’t change and he still espouses pro-BoS sentiments ( an unfortunate by-product of writing for a video game) there is every indication that he’s started down the right path, but understandably has a ways to go.

Also, Peter Jessop agrees with us.]

Meanwhile, in the Elder ending, Danse doesn’t get a redemption. His entire character arc, actually, hits the skids and does a total 180.

He never leaves the BoS. So scratch the need for Danse to ever think about himself as separate from them. He never needs to question what they’ve taught him or whether they’re right or wrong. He never needs to find any worth in himself beyond his use to the BoS. Why would he? He might be the Elder. The BoS is all he needs to care about anymore. The BoS is all he ever needs to be, ever again.

And I think, most horrifying of all, this Danse never needs to change his mind about synths. On the contrary, one of the surviving dialogue files includes Danse’s speech to reassure the rest of the BoS of his stance:

Danse: I want to make one thing clear to everyone. This body might be synth, but my heart and mind belong to the Brotherhood. The Institute is still a tremendous threat to the Commonwealth. They possess technologies that need to be confiscated or destroyed. And even if that means I have to pull the trigger on my own kind, I’m willing to make that sacrifice.

Elder ending Danse doesn’t grow more understanding on the nature of synths. He doesn’t accept that synths are people, or anything more than technology run amok. He won’t even accept that for himself. Elder Maxson wasn’t wrong about synths-- they’re the enemy and they need to be destroyed.

But, see, he was wrong about Danse. It’s okay for Danse to exist in spite of his nature. It’s okay for him to never fully accept his own personhood, and to outright deny it to his kind. Because his body is a machine, but he’s different from the rest because his heart and mind belong to the Brotherhood.

He’s the exception, not the example.

CONCLUSION:

The Elder ending of Blind Betrayal is dumb, contrived, stakeless, character-derailing powergaming crap at its finest and I’ll happily dance on its grave.

People give Bethesda a lot a shit for their writing-- whether it be stuff they left out, stuff they left in, or stuff that they never, ever could have made work due to the limitations of writing for a video game. Plenty of it is well-deserved, or at least worth a discussion. But from the minute I found out about its existence, I have always wanted to extend a congratulations to Bethesda for cutting the alternate Elder ending of Blind Betrayal. It was a good choice. A very good choice to cut a very dumb plot that would have fundamentally altered the story they were telling, and characters that I’ve grown to love. I think the writers deserve some credit and a hearty handshake for the wisdom of this decision.

Now as for why Nick Valentine isn’t romanceable--

[astaroth1357]

Hi!! I've been a fan of your writings! So very well-written and I absolutely love how you make stories! I could like actually flesh out and imagine them. And tbh, that's sometimes hard to do for me with most stories, but yours. Yours are amazing!

But I do wanna apologize if I sound dumb for asking this, but have you ever thought of how they'd react to an MC who keeps making mistakes / extremely clumsy / basically pathetic-like?

I keep reading MCs who are like, yeah amazing and confident and stuff which is great! But, I wonder, what if the Human they got is, like, you know, low-grade if there ever is a thing? How would they react?

I'm sorry!! This sounds like a downer, I'm just really curious how you'd flesh a story out of that ? But if not, still ok! I'm just happy and lucky you got to read my ask!

Thank you for taking the time to read my ask! I'll continue supporting you!

Awwwe thank you!! 😊 I honestly just kind of fell into this writing thing so it really helps my confidence to hear that people enjoy my storytelling (I get all smiley for, like, hours 😅). I'm bouncing through a lot of ideas right now, but I hope this is kind of a taste of what you were going for!

The Brothers with an MC Who's like… Just Below Average at Stuff

Lucifer

Well I see Lucifer going one of two ways: either he's frustrated to have yet another borderline competent charge to deal with or he actually likes their "weakness" if that makes sense.

You can't tell me this guy doesn't get an ego boost from being the most capable man in the room and people asking for help highlights that fact.

So like, he'd like them. But in a condescending headpat kind of way.

"Come here, you pathetic little thing. I'll help you" 😌 (They're trying their best, you prick...)

Mammon 

Like, bro. Same though.

I mean, for demon standards, Mammon isn't great all that much… Or at least that's how everybody sees him anyway, so a human who's also kind of a fuck up will get him right in the ol'chest thumper.

Gets kind of defensive for them, especially if they do the same for him. He can tell that they try their best…

Even if their best is like, not great, they're trying dammit!! Leave'em alone! 😠

Levi

Yeeeeah, he's going to tease them. Like a lot. But he won’t be an ABSOLUTE jerk about it…

Expect a lot of: "LOL, of course that sucked!" or "Well, that's a normie for you." comments if they fail at something.

But he doesn't do it to hurt them and will back off eventually if they say it hurts their feelings. He's a jerk, but not a monster (ironically enough).

Pointing out how clumsy they are though? Always fair game. It's such a… beloved trope after all. (Okay I personally dislike it, but other people don't and I can respect its relatability. He's going to poke fun of it relentlessly though.)

Satan

Honestly just takes pity on them more than anything else. It must really suck to be so pathetic… that poor human... 😔

So like, he'll help them out but it's always got that air of, "Oh honey, you're waaay over your head right now. Let the grownups take over here." to it.

Better than outright making fun of them, I guess… but still.

At least sometimes he'll TRY to teach them how to do things right and his patience isn't terrible as long as they're doing their best. He's less condescending than Lucifer if nothing else…

Asmo 

I mean. I'm not even sure how an entirely unremarkable human gets a pact with Asmo to start with… Man craves novelty.

A pity pact, maybe? Probably not. At best, he may try using his beauty skills to salvage something out of their completely unnoteworthy housemate.

Asmo could make a dead possum look Devilgram-able if he put enough effort into it so that might go somewhere, but they can't just ask him for it. It's gotta be offered.

Otherwise, he's nice enough but not nearly as all over them as he usually is... Take from that what you will.

Beel

Is kind if worried they're going to end up hurting themselves, tbh…

If there's zero chance they can take care of themselves, that doesn't bode well for them. He might be a little rude before getting to know them but after that they got themselves a guard demon.

Even if they're not the best cook, there's no way they can be worse than Solomon so he appreciates their effort if they try (and then pays for takeout so they both don't starve 😅)

Between him and Mammon, they'll find the most understanding ears for their totally average plight. If nothing else, they can seek refuge there.

Belphie 

Is 100% going to make fun of them and really doesn’t care about their feelings on the matter.

Okay that's only half true. Like Levi, he doesn't do it to make them feel bad, but his response if they bring it up would be along the lines of: "I'm not doing it to make you feel bad so you shouldn't feel bad about it." (Truly award-winning conflict resolution from Belphie, everybody 🙄)

From that point their only options are to hack it and grow some thick skin or let it go until they start crying. Tears would shut him up real quick.

Not enough to make him stop, of course, but enough to lighten the severity… Man he's such a jerk sometimes… 😒