#does he rescue himself

[watchyourbuck]

If Buck gets yet another random-rescued-woman love interest arc™️ I might have to retire guys

[silverhalla]

Back at it again with another theory: What if Lucanis’ betrayal wasn’t a betrayal at all?

(obviously, spoilers below the cut)

During The Wigmaker Job, we have some dialogue between Illario and Lucanis about their position within both the Crows and the Dellamorte family. Illario wants Caterina to step down so he can take the coveted First Talon spot. Lucanis reassures him that his time is coming, to which Illario makes a snide comment about whether his cousin would ever go against their grandmother’s wishes. When they continue the conversation after the job, Illario states that Lucanis is the potential heir, that he’s her favorite, and that he’s unlikely to say no to her. Lucanis doesn’t argue, only insists that he doesn’t want to be First Talon, and that he hopes she’ll see reason before that. It’s mentioned again in Eight Little Talons - Caterina favors Lucanis. It’s well-known enough among the Crows that Viago and Teia discuss it in front of her (not on purpose, but she doesn’t deny it). He’s her prodigy through and through.

In the opening scene for the Lucanis quest in Veilguard, Caterina is poised, as you’d expect of the First Talon. She’s certain that the body they buried wasn’t her grandson, that it had been altered with blood magic. She doesn’t pose it as a theory, though: she poses it as a fact. It could, of course, merely be her confidence, but there’s another very unusual aspect to the scene – everyone else discusses how Lucanis was clearly betrayed, that someone must have sold him out in order for the Venatori to capture him. Caterina is the only one in that room who never speaks on it. She doesn’t ask for justice, doesn’t mention vengeance, never acknowledges that her grandson was sold out by someone he trusted – perhaps because he wasn’t. 

What if, when Caterina comes to him with a plan, with an impossible request, he’s still her favorite prodigal grandchild, and he still does whatever she asks? She’s had him tortured before as a child, has tortured and starved and beaten him herself before, because it makes him stronger and more resistant to it in the future. He says in The Wigmaker Job that he used to hate her for it, but now he understands. He justifies it. All Crows justify it, because they have to - if they don’t, then the cruelty wasn’t for survival’s sake, and their suffering meant nothing. Perhaps he doesn’t even question it. When Caterina tells him that she has a job for him, he takes it. 

What if the contract has a caveat? Sure, Calivan must die by his hand by the end of it, a little treat for a job well done, but what if his primary mission is reconnaissance, is discovery? The Venatori are using blood magic to torture and corrupt prisoners. It would behoove the Crows to find out what it entails and how to resist it, before it’s turned back on them. It would have to be someone so deeply, unabashedly loyal to her that when she asked them to infiltrate a Venatori prison, expecting torture at best, their own death at worst, they’d take the job anyway, no questions asked - someone Caterina can trust, certainly, but also someone who has never once said no to her.

And Lucanis has always been a loyal grandson. 

[pianokantzart]

Hey, remember that time Mario flung himself out of a penthouse window because he knew full well his brother would catch him?

[add1ctedt0you]

What a plot twist you were. [x]

[discordiansamba]

have you considered.... vampire zuko

taking him away from the sun! mean to him!!!!

but. i am in fact, considering it. vampires not as undead creatures (because that brushes up a bit too close onto the bum spirit deal AU's uh... deal) but a form of a Fire Nation spirit curse. for a long time, it was simply considered a myth until some fool brought proof of its existence before Ozai and you know his ass was like

'hm. we can use this.'

so he does. the Earth Kingdom has a Fire Nation and a vampire problem. they cannot fucking win. speaking of guys who cannot win- world's unluckiest fire nation prince gets on the wrong side of one and ends up bitten and turned. but he has something on his side that most don't- and that's iroh.

iroh is going to save his nephew.

he prays to any spirit that is willing to listen to him. he will do anything they ask, if they will help his nephew. it is the moon spirit who answers- and she tasks not iroh but zuko with exterminating the vampires who are starting to become a problem. if he kills them all, she'll grant him a boon.

in short order zuko

a.) becomes a vampire

b.) learns that his father was the one behind using vampires as a method to overtake the earth kingdom

c.) becomes much more aware of the violence the fire nation is inflicting upon the world as a result

d.) uncle talks him into treason so much more easily

or: ozai's plan to use vampires to conquer the earth kingdom was going great, until the blue spirit shows up. then it is decidedly going less great. two and a half years later, the gaang will run into the blue spirit in a town that's having vampire trouble and end up working with him to get rid of it.

zuko quickly realizes a) that's the fucking avatar and b.) they don't know he's a vampire. aang takes an interest in the blue spirit and asks if he'll come with them to the north pole. zuko turns him down- his nocturnal lifestyle doesn't make him a good traveling companion. just ask uncle. they part ways there.

...then the avatar gets himself captured.

zuko sighs. breaks the avatar out. takes an arrow to the head. has a vision of the moon spirit talking to him who says she'll grant him that boon a little early, if he agrees to accompany the avatar. zuko wakes up. it's daytime, but for some reason he isn't dead. moon spirit made him a daywalker. the avatar asks zuko if he'd like to come with him again.

...sure?

[natelia-aldelliz]

Ghost gifts a single tiny ear loop to Soap one day. Says he noticed Soap had pierced ears. That rings keep from handling a gun or a knife properly. He doesn't make eye contact, tries to hide his face, even as he's already wearing his balaclava.

Soap blinks. Ghost has already given him gifts and only behaved that way for the very first one. He doesn't understand. The earring is very simple, but seems to be made of expensive material and not only covered with a thin leaf of gold.

"Didnae it come with another one?" he says, jokingly.

But Ghost flushes, turns his head, and lifts his mask, only enough for Soap to see the glinting of the other earring on his ear. Suddenly he understands that it's not simply a gift. Ghost favoured practicality, but he wanted to give him a ring.

He grabs his hand as it falls back down.

"Simon, what is this?" he asks softly, not daring to be hopeful just yet.

With his other hand, he reaches out to gently turn Simon's head back towards him. His cheeks and his nose are flushed, it makes the warmth of his dark eyes, generally hidden behind a sneer or a bored expression, undeniable.

He looks nervous. Johnny's heart is beating faster. Could it really be...?

"I know", Simon starts then pauses, uncertain. "I know I'm probably not what you thought you'd have, when you were younger" Soap wants to interrupt, to scoff, to protest that Simon is way better than anyone he could have hoped for, but doesn't. He never wants to cut off his love when he's barely starting to open up.

"I know that I'm not easy to be with some days, that I'm not friendly and easy going like you, like someone you'd deserved to be with." he continues, unconsciously pushing his face more into Soap's hand. "But... I love you, more than I thought I could, and I'd like... I'd like to be with you, for as long as you'd have me..."

Johnny's heart is soaring. He has no idea how to react. He'd have to get all the giddiness out first, and the moment doesn't seem appropriate for jumping around and squealing.

"Officially," Simon continues, voice quieter, out of breath. "If you want to."

A gigantic grin splits Johnny's face. All of his limbs are buzzing, he needs to stand up, to run, to explode something. But he's terrified to spook Simon so instead he just squeezes the hand he's holding rhythmically and moves his feet back and forth.

"Baby, are ye asking me tae marry ye?" Johnny says. He's pretty sure his voice is wobbly, but can't really hear it himself as the blood in his ears is louder than the rest.

Simon's eyes do something, what is visible of his face looks like he has an expression on but Johnny can't analyze it now, doesn't dare to see the hope in his eyes, the pleading in his brows.

"I... Yes, I guess I am," the love of his life says finally. "If you want to. You don't have to."

Soap can't keep himself in check any longer. He's making a high pitched noise, jumping up and down where he's seating on the bed, and throws himself at Simon.

"Of course ah fooking want tae!!!"

Simon lets out an excited giggle, swept in Johnny's mood, and tightens his arms around his lover. No, his fiancé.

This is the best day of his life. He just has to deal with this mission tomorrow, and then they can start to plan everything.

[transingthoseformers]

*dumps Soundwave onto Griffin Rock* :)

[sysig]

Go play pretend on your own (Patreon)

[oflights]

my whole thing with the snape redemption arc (beyond it just being poorly written) and harry's reaction to it is just like. when you're a kid and an adult treats you poorly, that's a really hard grudge to shake. especially later when you're an adult and you look back and you're like "that grown ass man hated me, a kid...he should've known better...i'm an adult now and i know better, i would never treat a kid that way"

there just doesn't exist a calculus in my mind that goes "snape was in unrequited love with my mother - low key caused her death - took his guilt and anger out on children + vaguely protected me and contributed to the war effort = he's a hero and i respect him" for harry. it makes no sense!

snape never actually redeemed himself for the harm he caused harry and other kids. the narrative never even attempts to hold him accountable for that and harry is just like "meh he helped when it counted for these loser ass friendzone reasons" and is fine with it.

[sealrock]

decembhyur, day 6: memory

you're gonna go far, kid.

[selunesfavouriteprincess]

do you think Arnell kissed his little girl’s forehead on the day she went into those dark woods and told her not to be afraid? do you think Emmeline slipped the moonstone pendant around her neck and carefully secured her hair so it wouldn’t fall into her eyes during the journey? do you think they cuddled her close and blew raspberries on her face until she giggled, knowing their brave girl wouldn’t be scared of the woods? did she smile up at them, missing a couple of baby teeth? did she love the affection or was she getting restless, eager to get started and prove herself? how long after they waved her off did they find out something was wrong? did Arnell promise his wife that he’d bring their girl home safely, did she kiss him and tell him Selûne would guide him to their precious moonbeam? did Emmeline pace the floors of her home, clutching a sending stone in her hands, feeling her heart in her throat? did she hear people approach and throw the door open, only to be met with dark cloaks and masks? was she only reunited with her husband when they both awoke suspended by Shar’s curse? did they hear their little girl’s cries as she was forced before the mirror, memory after memory torn from her head? was the next time they saw their daughter as an empty shell, looking right past them, the Mother Superior’s hand on her shoulder? which was worse, their little girl being forced to torture them, or watching her be punished when she refused? did Arnell feel ashamed when the Mother Superior threatened his child with being left in a wolf den, afraid he had caused that same fear? did Emmeline watch the Mother distort the meaning of the title, desperate to comfort her little girl as the Mother reprimanded her?

did they ever wonder why Selûne let this all happen to them?

[armandcock]

& btw my kid armand pov feelings will be further explored in the hypothetical third chapter of paterfamilias

[daily-hanamura]

[morocosmos]

FFXIVWrite 2024 Day 11 - Surrogate

Masterlist Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Characters/Pairings: Leofard Myste & Warrior of Light Rating: Teen & Up Additional Notes: Takes place at during HW patch 3.5. Major spoilers for the Shadow of Mhach alliance raid questline. Ao3 Link

Lady Raimille. The picture painted by Stacia's tale was everything an orphaned child could want from a parent. Everything except that she'd passed on too soon — but not before giving her foster son one last gift.

The noblewoman’s real portrait hung above them, enshrined in Leofard’s quarters. Presiding over his affairs and his family; watching over the man himself. Moro'a knew that paintings like this cost a considerable sum to commission, and that taking care of them required specific knowledge and attention; unexpected obligations for a sky pirate. 

But the painting gleamed, immaculately free of blemishes. “I had wondered as to the origin of his vessel's naming,” Cait Sith said softly, his voice touched with emotion. “‘Tis a most beautiful painting.”

Moro’a’s time in Ishgard had also taught him that portraits like this one were made to memorialise — a likeness captured in brushstrokes, preserved from time. Remember me as I was, in this moment. Remember what this person means to us. Situated where their loved ones could gaze upon them, and never forget.

I doubt I'll ever feel worthy to sit where he sat.

Throughout their adventures, Leofard had pretended as though the portrait wasn’t there, and it was all Moro’a had needed to know not to bring it up. He’d accepted it without judgement, without ever considering otherwise. What was he here for, if not to hide from ghosts and broken hearts; from memory?

But now that Stacia had told them what Leofard would never impart himself, the pieces that made up the leader of the Redbills had finally begun to click: why a man who prized freedom so highly would build his new home a stone's throw from the Holy See, and why the loss of his airship had made Leofard retreat into himself, like a creature seeking familiar refuge. 

It seems she kept him safe until the very end, Utata had said, and Moro’a’s heart had clenched so tight that he thought it might shatter.

It wasn’t any of his business. The voidsent had been stopped, and Cait Sith had found a new home. His time with the Redbills was coming to a close. It’d been an engaging distraction, which was precisely what Moro’a had needed; there were no stones left to overturn, no more accidental revelations to be had. He would go his separate way, into the unknown, and then…

Later, as he was stowing the few essentials he’d brought into the manacutter, Moro’a heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see Leofard, who was already dressed in a clean set of clothes and red-tinted goggles. “I almost forgot,” the sky pirate said, as breezy as could be now as he held something out in his hand. A Redbill scarf.

“You didn’t have to,” Moro’a murmured, feeling a strange mixture of reluctance and guilt. 

“And I say otherwise, Warrior. I reckon you’ve done more than you’ll ever need to to have earned this.” His hand stretched closer, and Moro’a considered refusing. He was ready to quit this place, to move on. I’m not who you think I am, he wanted to say. 

Instead he found himself reaching out for the scarf, and tucking it in with the rest of his things.

If, after he'd said his farewells, his hand reached under the collar of his shirt to gently hold the necklace that rested against his chest, to remember, he was the only one who needed to know.

[jrueships]

Isiah probably thinking omgggg why am i the only one popping my Fucking pussy rn. i’m the only bitch serving cunt here 😭😭😭 omg 😭 i’m soooo embarrassed 😭😭

[dafry-shenanigans]

Found this old drawing and decided to finally finished it...

I'm very surprised this crossover isn't a thing because it's so perfect-

Just imagine the chaos the two can get into lol