#he WILL make a death tower just for keith

[cardsarepower]

"Why would- why would I fucking make this up??" He was no goddamn clout chaser, and if Kaiba needed cold hard proof, he'd go to Jersey and find every single skin and blood cell he lost at Action Park himself. He shook his phone screen-displaying the Cannonball Loop-for emphasis, as if that would will more truth into his words. "I went when I was like 15, it busted my face right open." As he said this, though, he smiled, as if recalling a fond memory. "Was fucking awesome. The real kinda fun, not like your dumb kiddie shit Kaibaland." (@keithhoward)

Kaiba is so close to being invested in this story. Action Park is garbage, but it's legendary garbage. He can't help but be interested in stories--especially firsthand ones!--of significant theme parks. There's even a tiny spark in his eyes as he looks at the Cannonball Loop, some remnants of youthful enthusiasm that didn't get fully stamped out.

But it flashes to anger immediately when Kaibaland is insulted. It's for kids you brain damaged buffoon. "You like danger, hm?" He folds his arms. "Are you staying in Japan for a while?"

// @keithhoward

[thekissofaphrodite]

Can you do a smut part 2 for “Waterloo” where clarisse gets really jealous and tells reader that if she breaks up with her boyfriend she will ✨reward✨ reader so reader breaks up with her boyfriend after some contemplating. When clarisse found out that reader actually broke up with him she drags reader somewhere and smut pursues.

THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I IMAGINED IT??!??! HOLYSHII

Take a chance with me

Clarisse La Rue X Daughter of Aphrodite!Reader

PART 2 OF WATERLOO

Summary: After the incident in the bathrooms, Clarisse decided she had enough of your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend.

Warnings: (Light) SMUT. Cursing and cheating, misogynists (Remind me if i missed one!)

Author's note: THIS TOOK KINDA LONG SINCE THIS IS A COLLABORATION WITH MY BESTFRIEND, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS! (i added a little twist in the end)

Collab with -🍵 <33

__

It was another painful day with your boyfriend, Keith. Camp Half-Blood was still in its normal route, Daily Practices, Bonfire singalongs, Games, But there's someone who you can't stop thinking about.

Clarisse

Her chapped lips moving in sync with your soft ones while your lipstick smudged. It was all tempting.

But now here you are, With you boyfriend's gang, trying not to cringe every time they made a bad joke, You could only stare at Clarisse from afar, while she trained with her siblings, Yelling at them at the same time.

I love charlie, But you aren't mine.

"How 'bout you, Y/n? why're you here? shouldn't you supposed to be in tea parties making friendship bracelets and painting your nails?" Asked logan, One of Keith's friends. Then, all of them started laughing, You looked at your boyfriend, trying to spot any signs of empathy, But he, himself laughed along with his friends.

That bitch.

Then you snapped.

"The only thing that you should be doing right now is to keep that pretty little mouth shut" They walked towards you, Your boyfriend, Keith had the same look they had, Rage. You wondered for a second, Why was he looking at you like that? Why was he siding with the people who wronged you?

"How about you? Logan? Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on your Godly parent since you haven't been claimed yet?" You raised a brow at him while looking stern, "I'm certain any God would be embarrassed to have you as their son. Hence being unclaimed for almost two years straight" Your lips curled into a small smirk as you watched his eyes widened in fury.

The gang then stood up and looked at you, eyes fuming with anger as if it could eat you alive. You never meant it, You even felt sorry for the poor boy, But you couldn't help it, They were like this every time you were with them, Is it so bad to stand up for yourself?

You stepped back, carefully analyzing their faces, keeping an eye for any upcoming blows or attacks, As they slowly walked towards you, You bumped into someone.

She held her head high, towering over you even though you were only two inch shorter than her. Seeing Clarisse, you felt relief wash over you, internally sighing, You let your guard down a bit, but not entirely.

Shit. You thought. Your mind panicked thinking that you got cornered by them and on instinct you immediately thought of using your charm speak, trying to find an escape route. Yet determined to fight against them you couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the amount of people you're about to fight.

As you were trying to find the right words to use against them, You felt a strong body behind you, you quickly turned around and saw none other than Clarisse La Rue. Her usual intimidating demeanour still plastered on her face as she glared at the group of boys.

"Is anything the matter?" She asked, Her eyes darting from you to the group of boys.

"None of your damn business, La Rue. Let us do our thing" One of the boys, Yuan, said.

" By 'thing' you mean terrorizing MY 'friend' her to death?" Hearing those words you refrain to sneak a glance at Clarisse, As if she didn't just fucked you inside the camp bathroom days ago.

Someone scoffed, It was Keith. Looking at Clarisse with a judgeful look.

"She's MY girlfriend, La Rue. Therefore my property." He said with a boastful look. "Who are you to stick your nose around our business? You're just an outsider in this.. —" Registering Clarisse's words, he sent a scowling look towards you, Forgetting the current situation he turned around to face you fully. "L/n." There was it again. The use of your surname and that warning tone he uses whenever you two argue.

You loathed moments like this. Every argument you had with him you always felt belittled while trying to fight for your rights, but it always ends up with Keith shifting the blame to you every.single.damn.time. "What? Levine." You answered firmly, But this time, You aren't backing down this war of words.

Your expression changed, Your eyes says it all, But you kept your head high. When Clarisse was about to defend you, you quickly stretched out your arm to refrain her from doing anything rash. "You've got the nerve to say that when YOU'RE the one who's following them around, doing EVERY SINGLE THING that they asked for!"

Keith then sneered at you, He was never used to you talking back, But here you are, standing proudly, ready to defend yourself. But of course, he bites back. "Friends? really? Impossible, You know your mother and her father had relations, Long story short, Fucking. Plus, look at La Rue, Compared to her, You're just an attention seeking lapdog"

At that moment, Clarisse was ready to pierce her spear into your shitty boyfriend's head, Thinking about it.. the sight of him with his head pierced pooling with blood made her quite satisfied.

Keith's expression changed, He knew what was gonna happened, That's why he stepped up and approached you, Trying to hold your hand.

"I'm sorry baby" He whispered,as he got a hold of your hands. "You know I didn't mean to insult you like that, I love you Y/n, you know that right baby? I love you so much Y/n". Clarisse raised her dark brows, Looking at you, waiting for your response.

"Okay...I forgive you.." You whispered, Your breathing became normal and you didn't know why, You didn't know why you always give in his sugar coated lies but you couldn't refuse his touch and those doe eyes of his. You could've easily be more mad at him but you knew better than adding fuel to the fire when a lot of people are watching.

Not long after hearing your response, Keith then smiled 'sweetly' as he hugged you. Pressing his nose against your soft hair as he inhaled your sweet scent.

Clarisse's POV

Clarisse stood there awkwardly, Watching you with careful eyes wondering, Why the fuck you forgave him and why the the fuck were you still willing to be with that sick bastard.

__

I clutched my spear in hand, whilst watching Y/n from afar, Already with her pathetic excuse of a boyfriend. It had been a week since that incident in the mess hall happened, I wondered why she would submit easily to his will, Just a simple apology wouldn't make the cut.

Then, I saw her kiss her boyfriend's lips before getting up, the sight of keith's lips touching her was enough to make me gag. I wanted to talk to you, shooting one last glance at my half siblings, I slipped away and followed Y/n.

Y/n was heading towards the Amphitheatre, I suppose she was there to meet her friends, But before she could even reach the steps, I pulled her aside near the armory, When her back hit the wall, I slammed the door shut and opened the small light switch.

She was about to scream, But as soon as the light illuminated the room and revealed me, She closed her mouth and sighed.

"Clarisse..What—" Before she could even answer i cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes, Her brows furrowed, Her eyes darting to my eyes and lips.

Then, I kissed her, Not because of passion, Because i was mad at her, Because she was still with the boy either of us hated, Mad at her for kissing him every stupid arguments when she was supposed to be mine. I kissed her hoping that this is the final time I get to kiss her in the shadows. "Break up with him." I said to her in a whisper as I pulled away from the kiss, her eyes widened in shock, lips quivering nervously or was it excitement?

I waited eagerly for her response, Imagining all of the things we could do together without her boyfriend sticking his nose into our business, wanting her back while she's still in my arms. My trance was broken when I saw her face deplete in a disagreeing expression, I immediately pecked her lips before whispering in her ear. "Because if you do, I might just give you a special reward in return"

I winked at her, My arms still gripping her waist, "What kind of reward?" She asked, Her eyes beaming with hope. I then caressed her cheeks "You'll have to find out"

That sentence made her think for a moment, I watched her carefully, Praying to the Gods that she will agree, So that I can finally hold her hand and kiss her right in front of everyone. Loudly and Proudly.

After a moment, I was rewarded with the sight of her nodding in agreement, "Yeah, I'll do it" I smiled, so widely that my cheeks hurt, But I couldn't care less, She also smiled, Making my heart melt as i felt her lips touch mine.

It was now the next day, the day after that talk you had with Clarisse in the armor room and the day you'll finally dump your shitty ass boyfriend. Making you way through out the camp you walk towards cabin 9, opening the door you welcomed yourself into your boyfriend's- well soon to be ex boyfriend's cabin. As you were about to call out his name you heard a noise, "What if someone sees us, Honey?" You heard a female voice say — It was between a moan and a gasp.

__

You walk into the room more careful not to disturb their "love making", you cleared your throat. "Excuse me?" you said in an uninterested tone, you watch the two quickly pull away from each other, Keith even pushed the girl away, making her yelp as her body hit the cold ground.

You peaked through the small corner that seperated you and— well, Keith and and his lover. The girl that Keith was kissing sat on top of the counter you onced sat, Her hands roaming around your soon to be ex's body, Followed by his groan. "Then let them see my love, let them see how much we love each other" Keith said to his lover while letting out a small breathy chuckle.

At first you wanted to back down from all of this and break down in your cabin but then you remembered Clarisse's words.. 'Break up with him. Because if you do, I might just give you a special reward in return'. That's when you realize you're not going to lose anything except a little bit of face and reputation,but you'll be free from your shitty boyfriend's manipulation, you'll be free from the toxicity of this relationship, you'll finally be with Clarisse.

"What was that for?!" She yelled, her hair disheveled, But keith ignored her, Stuttering and trying to find right words to explain what you just walked into.

"Sweethea-"

Before he could even explain, You slapped him, Fast and Sharp, He tumbled lightly, But thanks to his muscular body, he managed to keep his balance. Keith clenched his jaw.

"Save it, Keith. I don't wanna hear excuses coming from your mouth that once touched mine! You're disgusting"

You glared at the girl, ready to attack her, but your instinct stopped you, You looked at them with red eyes one last time before leaving. You didn't care if they started kissing again, You didn't care if they talked shit about you, All you cared about is that you're free.

After storming out of the hephaestus cabin, Your first thought was Clarisse, There was no more plotting on how to conduct your affair without him seeing, for the Gods see everything.

You then ran around camp, trying to spot your lover for you had missed her so dearly, craving her touch every second that passes by.

Then, You noticed every camper huddled into small groups, heading towards the camp fire, the ares cabin slowly emptying itself, But Clarisse was nowhere to be found, You felt disappointed but there was a little hope inside you, That's why you walked towards her cabin, You could've sworn you saw her silhouette, Peaking, You saw her sitting on the edge of her bed.

She looked- Nervous...? But her face changed when she saw you, The Ares girl stood up and ran towards you.

"Well?" She asked breathily, Waiting for the response that can change your lives.

"We're over, Him and I" Clarisse felt like a big heavy boulder has been lifted up her shoulders, She then proceeded to cup your cheeks, Her eyes glistening with love.

"Good, He doesn't deserve you" She whispered before kissing you, Pushing you into her bed, You groaned and ran your fingers through her messy curls as she bit your lower lip. You let out a small moan before feeling her palms going in your inner thighs, She pushed you, until you felt your legs touch her bed, She laid you down, straddling you. Clarisse pulled away, taking the matters into her own hands, she undressed you herself, revealing your red bra, It lifted your breasts, That made her smile, watching it rise up and down.

You then tugged on her shirt, Desperate to see her, Clarisse smiled and undressed herself, Her bra was a black one, with laces, But it didn't held your breasts up, It seems like her bra was merely a decoration.

It all then happened so fast, Clarisse's sweaty body pressed against yours as you two moaned, Legs intertwined, moaning each other's names. Her peppering your neck with hickeys mercilessly while her legs rubbed between your thighs creating unimaginable frictions, Her fingers inside you, Curling themselves. Clarisse watched you carefully, gasping and moaning gripping her sheets for dear life, She didn't care if her fresh sheets were stained, as long as it came from you.

Clarisse pressed her lips against your red ones, Gripping the back of neck, pressing you closer to her, she whispered "He doesn't love you like I do, Honey.." She then proceeded to kiss you, trailing her lips down to your breasts.

You two were so lost in eachother you didn't even noticed it, An invisible golden net dropped down the ceiling, You screamed as Clarisse fought against the net, But it was so strong and thin, No matter how hard Clarisse looked, She couldn't even see it. You and Clarisse both thrashed and fought against the metal, Until a shadow emerged from the doorway.

Keith.

He looked quite broken, seeing the scene before him, his face said it all, He had not want to believe it, and it hurt him...To the core.

For a second, Clarisse almost felt sorry for the wrench...Almost. But then his face hardened and he burst into a fury. He cursed obscenities to you, And then called out into everyone to see the shameful scene. And in their hoards, they came running. Clarisse turned to you and shielded you as best she can from their prying eyes. Courses of laughter ran out around us and The Hephaestus Boy looked satisfied.

He called out mocking words, and threatening to keep you and Clarisse naked and trapped for all eternity as a punishment.

But Clarisse held her head high and spoke;

"If i had a choice, There is no place i'd rather be...Trapped with the love of my life? What a punishment indeed..." Clarisse mocked him, Then all of the Demigods started laughing...But this time, at the little fool, Keith. And he shrunk in on himself, he turned red in embarrassment.

No one knew that you and keith had broken up, That's why you and clarisse were the hot gossip.

The Hephaestus boy stormed out, as the fit of laughter became louder, dragging with him the net that had trapped you two, But Clarisse couldn't care less, She demanded the door to be shut and be alone with you, so the campers did left.

As Selene crossed the skies with her silver chariot, You laid with Clarisse and dozed of, Still bare from the activities you guys had done.

And when Helios crossed the skies in the morning, Clarisse wrapped her arms around you and inhaled your scent, Knowing that you're hers...Loudly and Proudly.

A/N: HOLYSHI THIS TOOK SO LONG. I ADDED A LITTLE TWIST SINCE I WANNA MAKE THE 'The history book on the shelf, is always repeating itself' ACCURATE! WHATCHA THINK ABOUT IT? SORRY THIS TOOK LONG! <33 I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS!

-🍵

[silentwillowwhisperer]

Day 23-HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEEF

It’s Keith’s birthday!!! Have the happiest of all happy birthdays my dear sweet traumatized child!

I only have 30 minutes till today is over, yay me!

I have never gone paragliding before, nor do I feel like researching so yeah.

—————————

Paragliding.

When Lance told Keith they would do anything he wanted for his birthday, he had expected something like ‘going to a party’ or ‘going for a hike’ or even just an eye roll.

But no.

Keith wants to jump out of a foreign aircraft on some random (but admittedly very pretty) planet with nothing but a flimsy little piece of fabric stopping him from falling to his death about a gazillion feet below him.

Now, Lance is not about to risk his life like this for no reason.

But Keith has his chin resting on Lance’s knee and is staring up at the blue paladin with wide, content eyes, and Lance cannot possibly say no to his precious bundle of boyfriend.

And that brings us to now, where Lance is fidgeting with the straps on his bulky harness. Their guide is a bulky man, towering at least a foot above them both. He hacks away at purple foliage blocking their way on the winding path that will deliver them to the top of a mountain.

Keith has a stupidly wild grin on his face. His eyes glow like fire and his hair is sticking out in every direction thanks to this planet’s rapidly fluctuating humidity. Lance is sure his own hair can’t be doing much better.

Keith is strangely chatty as he walks. A couple days before this, he had insisted that Lance just ignore his birthday, but it’s obvious that he’s enjoying every second of this. Their hands are clasped together between them both and swing back in forth as they hike. Both of their palms are sweating rivers by now. Lance squeezes tighter with every step.

Keith giggles softly. “You scared, McClain?” He nudges Lance’s shoulder with his own and his face is curved with a teasing smile.

Lance scoffs indignantly and mimes flipping a nonexistent ponytail over his shoulder.

“ I could out-fall you any day, Kogane.”

Keith snickers but gives no response. He goes back to pointing out every new thing they see with quiet joy. Lance can almost the sparkles flowing out of Keith.

He gets so caught up watching his partner that he doesn’t notice they’ve made it to the top till it’s too late.

There’s a blur of buckles and snappy instructions given to them by their guide and now Lance and Keith are strapped into their parachute for two.

Keith sends him a radiant grin. His eyes have fiery challenge swirled in. He drapes his arms over Lance’s shoulders and leans in close. “You ready?” he whispers.

Lance gulps and nods shallowly. He feels a trickle of sweat run down his temple.

“Here we go!”

And now they’re falling. He fails for a moments before throwing his arms around Keith’s back. All he can hear is the wind whipping around them and Keith’s faint jingle-laughs.

He has his eyes squeezed shut tight, but feels dumb after a moment and cracks one open just enough to see in front of him.

Keith is watching him carefully. His lips quiver, Lance can tell the other boy is laughing at him.

By now, the fabric has caught the wind, and they float gracefully through the air. Light shines through their paraglider and creates a splash of vibrant colors across their faces.

Keith throws his head back to cackle again. His hair looks terrible, black locks poking into his eyes and whipping around with the wind. His eyes are shut tight with amusement and Lance has the urge to trace the crinkles around his eyes. His skin is painted over with a mix of red and blue from their paraglider.

He’s a mess.

And he looks absolutely radiant.

If they weren’t already flying through the sky, Lance would say that his heart was carrying his straight up into the cosmos.

They make it back to the ground eventually, and Lance find himself missing the decent. They begin an awkward shuffle to untangle themselves from the mess that is their harnesses and scout out the area.

They’ve landed on a hill overlooking a sprawling market, and dammit if Lance isn’t going shopping, he just went through a life-threatening experience.

Keith is dragged around from stall to stall as Lance gets distracted by anything and everything that catches his eye.

He zones out for a while, occasionally lifting his arms or hair to let Lance try various accessories out on him.

He comes back to reality when Lance pats his head and looks down at his chest.

Dangling there is a red pendant. It’s a uncut stone almost like a ruby, but deeper with layers of pink and orange that remind Keith of a sunset. The best part is, the charm is naturally shaped so that it almost looks like a strawberry.

Lance’s smile overflows with affection. “I found that on some planet a while ago and thought of you. One of these merchants helped me put it on a string and you didn’t even notice because you zoned out so hard. Do you like it?”

There’s no words to describe the buzzing in Keith’s stomach correctly, so he just crashes his body against Lance, and they embrace so close they might’ve melted together.

Later, they’ll go back to the castle and Hunk will present a pretty cake to him. They’ll all have a movie night and a big dinner of almost-pizza (it’s actually soup but alienified to taste like bread, saude, and cheese) and Keith will spend the night pressed up against his boyfriend. Eventually they’ll be forced to go to bed and Keith will lay in Lance’s arms, turning the new necklace back and forth in his fingers endlessly.

And the whole time, a glow too big to possibly fit inside him will rush through his veins as he drowns in a happiness entirely surreal to him.

——————————————-

Yes, yep, it is totally still the 23rd, shush it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING BABY BOY! You deserve the moon, the stars, and all the worlds above <3

[sukoshininja]

Cornered

This wasn't how he thought he would die, torn apart and mauled to death, Lance reflected as he turned down an alleyway only to be faced with a dead end. 

"Fuck!" Keith yanked fistfuls of his shaggy mullet.

Lance reached out for him. If this was going to be his last moments, he might put his timidness aside and grab hold of Keith. There had been small moments, flickers, where he thought the future he wanted with him might be possible. Something about the corner of his lips when Keith smiled at him, the softness in his eyebrows. Lance never dared to make that push forward, afraid that his own feelings were influencing what he wanted to see. He couldn't stand to lose what relationship he did have with Keith. But none of that mattered now.

They were going to die. Together. Gruesomely.

"Keith," Lance gently captured Keith's wrists, easing them from his hair. "Keith, come on. Stop. It's alrigh--"

Keith shook him off, hands forming into combative fists at his waist as he turned his back to Lance. "No, it's not! Everything is messed up! Just, mmm--argh!" He kicked the wall angrily, most definitely breaking some toes.

The howling was growing louder. They didn't have much time.

Lance could feel tears forming, hot and ready to spill. This isn't how he wanted it either.

He had wanted to shoot his shot after graduation, when they would have normally parted ways. Sure, they could have kept in touch, being inseparable friends throughout college, but Lance knew they would get busy with their own lives. It couldn't last forever. Unless Keith felt the same. But Lance had been too frighted of the ways it could go wrong to find out.

But circumstances being what they were Lance realized he would never get that chance.

Keith's muscular back heaved under his black shirt from heavy breathing. Lance approached and hugged him from behind.

Keith did not react.

"I was gonna ask you out, you know," he whispered softly as he laid his head on Keith's shoulder. "And then, after a couple years, I was going to ask you to marry me."

Keith stiffened.

Lance didn't need an answer, he just needed Keith to know. It was enough.

"Fuck me!" Keith exclaimed, angrily, whirling around and slamming Lance into the wall. He pinned him there, one hand wrapped around his neck, his fingers squeezing tight as he growled, "Of course you had to fucking say something now!"

Lance gave him a sad smile. He actually told him.

Keith's snarl was only growing angrier as his eyes flashed dangerously. He slammed his other hand into the wall, next to Lance's head as he towered over him. "I should have known better than to let you get close to me. Fuck! This is what I get?"

It was, more or less, the reaction Lance had expected. He had never had much hope to begin with. But at least his feelings were heard. Lance was at peace with it.

"Fine! I will take what I can get while I can," Keith declared as he towered over him, his grip on his neck shifting.

Lance braced himself, but he did not look away. At least in his last moments, Keith's full attention would be on him.

But the strike did not land as he anticipated. It wasn't until Keith pulled away, blood dripping from his long canines that Lance realized what happened.

The guy had bit him! Right where his neck met his shoulder.

"Wha--" but Lance wasn't able to finish forming his question before Keith's mouth was on his, kissing and licking aggressively. As Lance's eyes slipped closed, he could taste the salty tang of his own blood as Keith's tongue pushed into him. Keith's kiss was like a fire, scorching, spreading, and deadly. Lance couldn't think, his mind going blank as Keith moaned into him.

"That," Keith purred, his voice deep and distorted, Lance's bottom lip between his teeth, "was for me."

He bit down, drawing more blood.

Lance was too breathless to notice.

Keith gently cupped his face, stroking his cheek with his clawed thumb, unexpectedly tender after that violent display. He was taller, way taller than he should have been. His proportions were off, changing as Lance watched. "If I asked you to close your eyes, would you?"

Lance looked into his glowing yellow eyes. He did not understand what was happening, but he was not going to miss a second of it. He shook his head.

Keith chuckled, sounding more like a rumbling lion than a boy. He pressed a kiss to Lance's forehead.

With that, Keith withdrew, turning his back to him and facing the on-coming creatures. "When you change your mind about...us, I want you to know I understand."

And then he became something that wasn't human at all.

my whumptober masterlist

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #47: 1996

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Los del Tio, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, Celine Dion, The Tony Rich Project, Mariah Carey, Tracy Chapman, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Donna Lewis, Toni Braxton, Keith Sweat. End description]

More information about this blog here

A lot of major moments to talk about this year. Like my birth. I was born out of the Macarena Summer.

In 1996, the Bayside Boys remix of Los del Rio's Macarena became a cultural phenomenon as well as an incredibly popular song (I'm clarifying it's a remix, because the non-Bayside Boys version also reached the Hot 100 at number 98). The track's record for longevity in the Hot 100 would only be broken almost two decades later by Adele.

Speaking of record-breaking songs, One Sweet Day, the duet between Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, is a towering R&B number. At 16 weeks, the song held the record for most weeks at the number one spot until Lil Nas X came out with Old Town Road in 2019.

One Sweet Day is a song about grief, specifically the track was inspired by the ongoing AIDS epidemic. It's not the only song on this poll related to this issue. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony wrote Tha Crossroads to honor Eazy-E, one of the establishing figures behind the West Coast rap scene who passed away from AIDS-induced pneumonia in 1995 when he was just 30-years-old.

Sadly, the stretch between 1995 and 1996 would be marked by several losses among legends in rap and hip-hop. In 1996, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur would be murdered with only a few months between their deaths. These losses will be relevant in a direct manner when we get to the next poll, but it's not an exaggeration to say that the music world was shaken by their deaths. There were those who were quick to make bad-faith arguments blaming the violent subject matter of the music itself. And while the coast-based rivalries did get extremely intense, I think this is a reductive conclusion to come to. To many, however, this moment in music history felt like a nation-wide wake up call.

As rap became more mainstream and started to absorb more of pop music influences into its sound, the genre was bound to change. We've already seen this with the increasing number of R&B fusions and rap verses on pop songs. But some mark this year as another turning point for the genre, as the gangster rap era starts to fade in the mainstream music scene. Even outside of rap, after this point pop music starts to feel a lot sunnier, for lack of a better term. Whether this is due to coping with these recent tragedies, a larger demographic of younger music listeners dictating the majority taste, people gearing up for the new millennium, the record industry reaching record numbers in profits, or genuine positivity and optimism (think that might have been still a thing lol), the times are certainly about to change.

[yonaaaahowell]

Posting on how my OC, Yona and Keith met...

NO NSFW WARNING, DON'T WORRY~

◦•●◉✿ ɴᴀᴍᴇʟᴇss ᴍᴀɪᴅᴇɴ ✿◉●•◦

In the heart of the vast and sprawling forest of Jade, there lay a secluded area shrouded in mystery. Not all corners had been thoroughly explored or documented by its inhabitant. In this undiscovered territory, a humble dwelling was nestled among the towering trees - home to a mysterious maiden and her majestic white stag companion.

The maiden had spent countless years in her secret sanctuary, surrounded by the tranquil company of her white stag named Wonder and an assortment of creatures that called this secluded paradise home. She led a life far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city's politics, embracing a simpler, happier existence filled with innocent joy.

However, a fact remained that this maiden has no name, no one knew her existence in this hidden corner of Jade's forest. She couldn't recall any parents or her infancy - all that remained etched in her memory was Wonder, the white stag, by her side from a very young age. She had learned to survive amidst the forest's wilderness with his guidance and comfort, always ensured by Wonder who fiercely guarded their solitude.

One fateful day, Wonder guided her to the eastern part of the forest - a journey that would alter her peaceful existence forever. There she stumbled upon a towering man cloaked in royal, his dark-olive hair contrasting against his pristine attire. Struggling to breathe, it was clear this stranger had been poisoned, fighting for every gasp of air lest he succumb to its deadly effects.

Keith's weak fingers motioned towards his satchel, silently pleading for help. Swiftly, she rummaged through its contents and discovered a small vial holding the potential cure. She handed it over to him, only to notice he had fallen unconscious - lifeless in her hands. Employing her innocence-laden instincts, she made a split-second decision and drank the contents herself. Closing the gap between them, she used her soft lips to feed him directly as he desperately needed assistance.

Keith felt a cold liquid trickle down his cheek and onto his tongue, just before he could make sense of what was going on. He felt the maiden's soft lips pressed against his own, her delicate hands carefully holding his head in place.

The kiss was a surprise, but a welcome one. For a moment, he forgot the pain he was in. That was until the maiden withdrew, and the poison's full effects hit him all at once. He coughed as bile rushed out of his system. Suddenly, he inhaled sharp, clean air as strength slowly returned to his weary body.

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦?" He inquired. As the effects of the poison began to wane, his voice grew weaker still as he uttered a singular query repeatedly - her name. Despite her attempt at remaining unnoticed, his persistence eventually got through to her.

Realizing her exhaustion to his repeated query, she hesitated for a moment before ultimately answering his insistent inquiries.

"𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺," she whispered softly. Her response carried an unspoken weight - a subtle revelation that perhaps this encounter was as alien and puzzling to her as it was to him.

Although baffled by her lack of identity, the prince chose not to probe further, allowing the fog in his mind to cloud his judgment. A decision then formed - an overwhelming gratitude for her selfless act and unparalleled kindness fueled his next course of action. He resolved to bestow upon her a name, one that would suit the exquisite beauty, benevolence and singularity she embodied.

Choosing a name that represented peace, harmony and serenity seemed fitting for this stranger who had saved him from the jaws of death. Her presence had evoked feelings of safety and comfort within him - a calming aura that enveloped him like a soothing balm. Softly yet intimately, he whispered her new name "𝗬𝗼𝗻𝗮. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘯𝘢. 𝗠𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝗻𝗮."

[devotedtosadpoetry]

every now and then i remember friends on the other side from princess and the frog exists and i have to go to listen to it or watch it and appreciate it AND LET ME TELL YOU WHYYYYY

the instruments perfectly match every vibe they got going on— Dr. Facilier is a slippery eel and the horns slide up and down with him, and when he leads them into his parlor the horns start hopping with him, bouncing and giddy for what’s about to come. when he talks about voodoo you got some funky instrument that almost sounds like it’s going “ooooohh!!” when he’s talking to the prince and his life you hear another horn that sounds like the trumpet you hear to announce the royal is coming and you should bow. the music sounds so hopeful yet mysterious when he holds out his hands to them, then is immediately interrupted by the BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMS WHICH IS THE MOST DELICIOUS VIBE SWITCH IN EXISTENCE and the whole time it sounds like a sweet Louisiana song

the lyrics DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE LYRICS okay okay okay Dr. Facilier got that sweet charm, the lyrics must match his speech patterns which is why he says “you need to marry a lil’ honey whose daddy got dough” AND DID YOU HEAR THAT SOUND????? “marry a lil’ honey” that sweet eeee sound from the y’s and then the d’s in “daddy got dough” IS DELICIOUS that’s such a good line

BUT THE BEST LINE THEY SAVE AT THE END like this entire time he’s talking about his friends on the other side, which you know aren’t his actual friends as soon as he says “i hope you’re satisfied, but if you ain’t don’t blame me, you can blame my friends on the other side” is such a sick end BUT THEN THEY GO EVEN FURTHER WITH THE BACKUP SINGERS just belting “you got what you wanted but you lost what you had” ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEEE SCREEEEEEEEE ending the song with a “hush” is such a sweet notion like he’s saying to not tell anyone what happened in here.

the genius of the vibes make me drool. neon lighting for villains always makes me kick my legs like a little girl it brings SO MUCH JOY. his parlor is full of so much detail, and LET ME TELL YOU THISSSS: often in villain songs they have their minions sing back at them (think be prepared or in the dark of the night or savages) but it’s just dr facilier out here by himself. so what do you do? have the voodoo chilling with him join in on it, then go ham when the lighting changes to bright neon.

it’s like another world inside that parlor, and it’s a genius song for a genius villain: dr. facilier has a sick design, being tall and lanky he TOWERS over everyone, not only that, but he has a shadow that moves on its own and is at his service. his walking stick makes an excellent prop for him to flip around and make dramatic motions.

they do him justice by giving him a SICK DEATH literally those friends on the other side betraying him and sliding him down to hell by HIS SHADOW WAAHHHHHH

and pulling it all together is the divine voice of Keith David. his voice was made for this role. so charming, easily draws you into that parlor then turns dark and slippery and slimy and harsh ready to take your soul for his own to feed to his friends like WAHHHHHHHH so so so so good and forever my favorite disney villain.

[nihilight]

i haven't been remembering my dreams for about 2 years. even more rare is when i have the epic -- be it good dream or nightmare -- Whole Sleep Dream. the kind where, even hours after you wake up, you remember EVERYTHING.

last night i had both, & it went a little something like this:

CW: animal death, SA.

your usual apocalytic setting. the weather was frightening & gorgeous. the sky was a juxtaposition of sunlight & storm. snow came. falling ice shards. so much snow & sunlight; it can't possibly be so hot & cold at once, but it is.

my house is some hybrid of my house, my mom's house, and the basement of shy's grandfather's house, where we lived briefly in 1996 in a moldy, spider & ant infested room, with an even worse bathroom on the other side of the basement.

keith is keith, but keith doesn't look like keith? it's a male, same approx build, but i never see his face, either because of a face shield/ski mask/scarves, etc. the voice isn't right either.

people are frantic. the snow is piling up & the hot hot sun won't melt it. planes in the air are crashing, falling. news can't keep up, but towers that carry signals are exploding by the second, all over the word, so we're all on our own.

i'm trying to figure out how to get shy, J, & my mom back to our house. keith tells me to start reinforcing windows & get the girls food, needs, 1st aid stuff, basic food, water, & everything gathered. we decide given the pace & direction of the weather that our bedroom will be our hole up spot.

we are a solidified unit, a team. we got this.

i do this, he takes the blazer to fetch the family, chilly, ruby.

<i wake up here. i turn over, push mina a little, readjust, go back to sleep.>

4 hours later, keith returns. they only live like maybe 2 or 3 miles away, and it took 4 hours. by now, there are a few more people in our house bc i can't say no. people who i let in, had something to contribute: food, radios, flashlights, water, blankets, etc.

i go into hyperfixation mode & get everyone organized with a little spot, that still leaves room to quickly move around, etc.

it takes forever to get the door back open against the snow & ice over it, that the sun is somehow still not melting. (yet how did i get people in? idk, dream logic) vehicles are smashed & on fire here & there but it isn't melting anything either.

as we're getting everyone in, some monster truck comes flying through out of control, having hit an iceblock in the road. it smashes into our blazer. 'fucking hell,' keith says, & then magically sparrow is there, runs out frantically bc she's confused, & gets hit by another car flying through.

i lose my shit. keith says to stop being emotional because there isn't time for that. i feel my heart both shatter & flare with anger at those words. i say nothing, & help get everyone inside as 2 more planes crash in the air, & pieces fall down.

<i wake up here, cold sweat. i spend a few minutes petting mina with my face in her flank. mina rumbles, does big comfy breathing sighs. i fall back asleep>

chaos at hume home across the street. half the building is smashed from airplane parts. 'can you come cook a few meals to get us through a couple days? we'll send you home with a few huge cans of veggies, milk, cooler boxes...' (we don't have cooler boxes IRL, but sure.)

it takes me about 25 minutes to get over there (2 mins IRL), over all the ice chunks, busted cars, bodies, airplane parts. i do the cooking, they tell me cleanup doesn't matter but i do it anyway (???), and then i work on making the trek back home.

i see keith talking to the dude with the monster truck who hit our blazer. i call out for help dragging these cooler boxes full of shit, but they both just look at me. 'you've been doing kettlebells,' says monster truck driver, looking me up and down, creepy. 'you can handle it. it'll keep you warmed up.'

'for what?' i ask. i need to know what's coming. i need order. i need... something, here, bc so far i've been doing a damn good job at not losing my shit, especially with sparrows body getting covered up by ice that the sun won't melt, 15 feet away in the street.

they don't answer. when i get to our driveway, keith grabs the boxes, says thanks, kisses my forehead and adjusts my hat and scarf, then gets inside. confused, i go to follow him, but monster truck guy grabs my arm.

'just be quick,' keith says to monster truck guy, then goes inside and shuts the door.

s*x traded for the truck.

'it was you or your kid, i mean... it's a monster fucking TRUCK!'

so, that happens. on a jagged pile of snow & ice that the sun won't seem to melt.

when i get all my layers put back on, wipe my nose, ignore all the cold/hot cuts on my back, & get inside, i start to cry.

"you have to stop being so emotional about this," my mom says, tiredly, from a couch in my living room that's purple now, instead of brown. part of me is frantically trying to point this out to another part of me (forcing lucid dreaming--it's a long explanation), or look for my hands, or something. 'everything's different now, we have to make sacrifices.'

shy & i's eyes meet from across the room. 'wake up,' they said.

there's a pounding at the front door, & someone yelling that i need to get back to work. the sound of collision, an inward sucking of air that pulls everything into silence, & then a crash as more airplane parts drop on the front porch section of the house.

shy's at my elbow now, their little hands curled around my bicep. 'wake up,' they said again.

i woke up, and it was 8.45a, mina was curled against me. i exhaled. i started to just sob, hard, for maybe ... idk, 20 seconds?

but i stopped, bc i was ✨ being emotional ✨ & now i'm just angry & feeling sad.

i guess the gist here is that something in me is damn sick and tired of being pegged as emotional, crazy, or bitchy, when things keep changing with no pre-amble or slight explanation, i get pushed, or etc, & even more sick & tired of having to explain why to save face. i feel like i'm being gaslit & brain-r*ped when people do it.

yeah, i see you out there, i heard what you said, with your MA in psychology. it sure does seem like i'm using my NDs as an "excuse," doesn't it? it's because i fucking have to keep explaining why.

but i'm done! :) i've cared too much about people liking me, or being the one that people DON'T have to whisper about. well, whisper away... cause i can't be myself happily when juxtaposed with having to embarrassingly explain myself too. i'm turning 40-fucking-5 tomorrow. i'm halfway to 90.

i literally don't have it in me to care about people outside my circle anymore, if they aren't even going to take 10 seconds to try to understand someone outside their norm.

& also when the world ends? i hope it's that fucking gorgeous.

[candylovesans-officialaskblog]

doing this bc no one will ask me. I also did this for all separate characters, bc i'm in way too many fandoms. I left a few prompts out bc i felt like it.

🌱 Keith (V:LD) (I know, I was literally 9 years old.)

🥀 False Gabriel (Mandela Catalogue) (Self explanitory.)

🎉 Orb Wheatley/Android Wheatley x OC (Portal) (My OC is named Sorren, they like tinkering/inventing, so they like making little things and upgrades for Wheats to test out. They also carry orb Wheatley around like a purse. (affectionate))

📦 Keith (V:LD) (I grew out of the fandom, and even though I'm back in it, (with a remade OC btw) I'm just not as big of a Keith fan as I used to be.)

🎵 Narrator x OC (TSP) (Sweet Hibiscus Tea-Penelope Scott, Your Stupid Face-Kaden Mackay, Home-Cavetown

📝 Death x Red Riding Hood based OC (PIB:TLW)

Red was no stranger to wolves, but she did not like the fact this one followed her around. Sure, she lived her life on the edge, but she was also cursed. Cursed to be stuck in a state between life and death. It had gone on for so many years, but she just couldn't die.

It was confusing, trying to bargain with a sorcerer to bring her mother and grandmother back from the dead. She apparently had managed to piss the sorcerer off, and was now sruck like this. Doomed to have danger waiting around every corner.

But it was okay, at least she had her new friend.

Oh, did she mention the fact her new friend is Death?

Straight up.

💢 Head Engineer Mark (ISWM) (He has a pretty good head on his shoulders. He's not the goodest golden retriever boy all the time, and in some cases, he actually despises the captain. He's still the goodest golden retriever boy, but he knows how to be smart.)

🚩 sans (Undertale) (Lazy, unmotivated, lack of empathy.)

💌 Howdy Pillar x OC (Welcome Home) (While bagging some of Daisy (OC)'s groceries, Howdy sneaks in a little love note. Daisy takes her groceries home, but doesn't unpack, because she forgot she was having a picnic with Julie.

She doesn't see the note until the evening, and sprints to the bugdega as Howdy is locking up. Howdy was a little sad, because he assumed the note got lost or he got rejected. Daisy runs over to him, jumps into his arms, (he catches her, ofc) and Daisy covers him in smooches <3)

💗 Wilford Warfstache x OC (Markipler Connected Universe) (Wilford is drunk off his ass, and is flirting with (his already partner,) Michael (OC.) As he progresses, it gets more emotional.

"Hey, Y'know I- *hic* absolutely adore you, right? I think I'm in love with you..")

🌺 Mordecai Heller x OC (Lackadaisy comic) (Will (OC) and Mordecai rarely cuddle, despite being in a relationship for quite a while. They don't even sleep in the same room half the time, due to Mordecai's need for cleanliness and order.

But whenever Mordecai comes home especially battered and bruised, or even bleeding out, Will cleans him up and they spend time reading together on the couch. The only thing that could be considered 'cuddling' is these moments where Will leans against Mordecai's shoulder or vice versa. I also headcannon Mordecai is not a fan of physical touch, even with an S/O.)

🛀 Rad x OC (OK KO, Let's be Heroes!) (When the Plaza is not being attacked, they like to go shopping at the Lakewood equivalent to a Sanrio store would be.)

🎀 Sammy Lawrence (BATIM) (His chest- I mean tibbies. I mean-)

🎠 Tintin (The Adventures of Tintin) (His perseverance)

🎡 Axel/Lea (Kingdom Hearts) (Just a simple sea salt ice cream date at the clock tower.)

💚 Stanford Pines (Gravity Falls) (I'm so jealous of his big smart brain.)

🌠 Bill Cipher X OC (Gravity Falls) (You see, it started as crackship. Bill would always flirt with Maxwell (OC) while dishing out death threats to them at the same time.

"You make me wish I had two eyes, so I could stare at you for twice as long."

"0///0???"

"I could also see your skin peeling off better too!")

🎇 IRL me x therapy (I actually have therapy, but my therapist thinks i'm cool.)

♨️ Susie, Kris, and OC (platonic) (Deltarune) (Peri (OC) is one of Kris and Susie's teachers. She ended up following them into the cyber world, and meeting Swatch.

Kris just silently cringed while Susie made fun of Peri for quote:

"Being a full ass adult, and still not knowing how to function around hot people. Get a damn grip.")

🍦Markipler egos x OC (Markiplier Connected Universe) (They all have mixed opinions of each other, but they all came to an agreement to not screw things up with Michael (OC.)

-

my fingers hurt from typing. it's 1am.

✩ sleepover inspired selfship asks! ✩

send one or more emoji's alongside a fandom or specific f/o! (if applicable)

🌱 Who was your first F/O?

🥀 Talk about some of your fictional crushes and why they aren’t your F/O!

🎉 Tell us some fun facts about your newest selfship!

📦 Who are some F/Os you no longer ship with? Why?

📸 Make a moodboard for you and your F/O!

🎵 List three songs that remind you of your selfship.

📝 Give us a piece of a WIP involving your F/O (writing, art, etc.)

💟 Give us an embarrassing/secret headcanon you have about your F/O!

🧾 What’s your favorite headcanon someone else has made about your F/O?

💭 What’s your favorite uncommon headcanon about your F/O?

💢 What’s an unpopular opinion you have regarding your F/O?

🚩 What are some of your F/O’s flaws? Any red flags?

💌 How did you/your F/O confess your feelings to one another?

💗When did your F/O first say ‘I love you?’

🌺 How do you and your F/O cuddle?

🛀 What’s your favorite mundane thing to do with your F/O?

🎀 What’s your favorite thing about your F/O’s appearance?

🎠 What’s your favorite thing about your F/O’s personality?

🎡 What’s your dream date to go on with your F/O?

💚 Who are you most jealous of when it comes to your F/O?

🌠 What’s a crack selfship that you’ve thought of?

🎇 Which is the most CURSED crack selfship you’ve thought of?

♨️Did your platonic F/Os tease you about your feelings for your romantic F/O?

🔒 What does your platonic F/O think about your F/O? Are they overprotective of you?

🍦 What do any familiar F/Os think about your romantic F/O?

proshippers dni - this isn't for you ✩

[twdmusicboxmystery]

TWD 11x05: Out of the Ashes - Details

Okay, let's talk details of 11x05.

 ***As always, spoilers abound below for 11x05. Don’t read until you’ve watched!***

We start with Aaron's dream. First of all, there's the full moon. Remember that Still had a full moon at the beginning, and every time we saw Beta on the outside, such as singing or walking with walkers, it often showed a full moon. In Beta's case, it's probably because his nickname as a singer was Half Moon, but he also had a lot of Beth symbolism around him. I think it’s likely that the reason they gave the name Half Moon was to indicate Beth symbolism.

 Then, Aaron says to Gracie, "we’re almost home." Part of the home theme, and also kind of showed me that this was a dream. There's absolutely no reason why Aaron would randomly be outside the walls with Gracie at night. I don't have a whole lot more to add to the scene than what I said yesterday. I do believe it's a foreshadow of something happening with Gracie, but it also may be a foreshadow of other things that are coming, including stuff with Beth.

This is kind of a funny detail, but I have to say that I love the Jerry bit at the beginning. We see him tiptoeing over people, trying not to wake them on his way to the bathroom. So, we have an entire sequence that can be summed up as, "Jerry pees.” ;D

The next thing we saw was the Commonwealth video. The really cheesy one with Lance Hornsby that we saw in the trailer. Some of the symbols we saw in that video were interesting. Such as a bunny cake (rabbit theme), someone playing a guitar (Beth played a guitar in 5x09), 

ice cream (both Eugene and Stephanie talked about ice cream and it became sort of a Bethyl theme, especially because there were so much Bethyl symbolism around them during those conversations; also, Daryl had his “I never” about frozen yogurt in Still). We see a plaque that says, "The Great War,” (probably a reference to World War I, but also part of the Revolution/War theme).

There was also a blond, Beth-lookalike nurse in blue scrubs.  👀

I also noticed that the Commonwealth badge looks a lot like the UK flag. Not so much in its shape or design, but rather the colors. It's got the same red and blue shades as the United Kingdom flag. Remember that we saw the UK flag around Juliet Ormonde's character in the world beyond. So, we think it's a symbol of the war to come with the CRM.

When Yumiko goes into the bakery looking for her brother, there's a song playing called “Three Speed Girl.” It was just the three that caught my attention. (Look up lyrics). They all a lot of apples in the bakery. Not real apples but glass, decorative ones. Not only Apple theory, but specifically what apples represent.

I've theorized before that the apples could represent separation between loved ones. For example, in 6x14, we see Michonne and Rick wake up together in the room and they both eat an apple. I came to believe that was a foreshadow of Rick leaving in S9 and two of them being separated. @frangipanilove, however, explained it differently. She says that rather than them being separated, she thinks apples represent them coming back together. As then, a reunion after the separation.

I know that sounds like the opposite of what I explained, but really all amounts to the same thing. The kind of separation that I mentioned is what we see with Rick and Michonne being separated, Beth and Daryl being separated, perhaps even Carol and Zeke being separated (if he does, in fact, get a death fake out). And that's always going to result in a reunion down the road. So if we explain as a separation, it will always lead to a reunion. And if we explain as a reunion, it in order for reunion to take place, there must've been a separation first. See what I mean? You can explain it either way.

So, the apples make total sense in the scene. Yumiko has been separated from her brother for a long time. She said it's been years because the two of them were somewhat estranged, even before the apocalypse happened. And now, in this episode, we see a reunion. So, I think were spot on about the Apple symbolism.

As for Beth, we didn't actually see her eat an apple. I think that would've been too on-the-nose. But, given the Snow White symbolism, or template of her arm falling, remember that Snow White ate an apple, which was poisonous, just before we fell she fell and we saw her arm. So, if TWD is using the apple to represent separation, we didn't actually see Beth eat one, but her arm falling like that represents the Snow White template, and right after that, we see her separation from Daryl and the rest of TF. I think it lines up rather well.

When Eugene and Stephonie are walking around, we see a white horse drawing a mail truck. It's a combination of several very potent symbols. We talked about white horses before and how they represent Beth, and life. Then there's the mail or Communication theme. We've seen so many mailboxes on the show, and this was a horse drawing a mail truck. I’ll talk more about the mailbox theme in a few days. Just keep this in mind for now. They're very purposeful symbols and they do represent specific things in the show.

I also noticed that Stephonie is wearing red rimmed glasses. Remember how last week I talked about how Norman was wearing some funky glasses on TTD? Sorry to keep teasing but this is another thing I’ll post about later in the week. I was going to anyway, so seeing the glasses here jumped out at me. For now, just notice that Stephonie is wearing these and they’re red.

When Stephonie decides to help them talk on the radio, they go into the train station. Of course, there are no actual trains running, but the train is a very potent symbol. It's actually being used more as a civic building, and the group tries to be innocuous, though it's obvious they're up to something. Stephonie and Eugene walked calmly through the building while Princess and Zeke take up positions down in the common lobby area. Meanwhile, Mercer is watching them.

Princess tries to head him off and we have a humorous moment where she tries to flirt with him, and tells him he has beautiful eyelashes. It is not exactly the same thing as the eye theme, but I could almost see them going for the eye theme, but twisting it for the sake of humor, because, well, it's Princess. So, she goes with beautiful eyelashes.

 Eugene does manage to get on the radio with Rosita, who tells him the Whisper War is over. They only talk for a moment or two before they lose the feed. Once again, I think that was very purposeful on Commonwealth's part. I think they allowed him to connect with Rosita, but only for a short time before interrupting the feed and bursting into arrest him.

Meanwhile, back in Alexandria, I noticed that Judith asks, "Is he gone?" I sat and thought about this line for a little bit. Obviously, it's the “gone” theme. Usually, the way TWD always uses someone being "gone" to mean that they have disappeared for short time but will return. Very often they are presumed dead. That's why Daryl's, "she's just gone" about Beth is so important. Also, her line to him, "you're going to miss me so bad when I'm gone."

 In this case, I don't think either Judith or Rosita suspect that Eugene is actually dead. She just means did they lose him on the radio feed. And here's something that occurred to me what was thinking about this. It's actually very common when someone loses communication with someone else via radio or walkie-talkie to use the phrase, "get them back." So, something like, "see if you can get them back," or, "I'll get them back." In that context, it just means to raise them on the radio again and reestablish a connection so they can communicate.

The reason this is interesting is that Daryl has said this more than once about Beth or people who were kidnapped. In 5x06 when he was with Carol, he was talking about Beth and said they would observe Grady and then do whatever they needed to do to get her back. I know they also said something similar about Sasha when she was taken by the saviors, and Sasha had massive parallels to Beth during her death arc. So, that had never occurred to me before, but it's almost like they specifically took that line about “getting them back” from radio lingo and are applying it to Beth.

When talking about whether to go to Hilltop, Aaron mentioned that he didn't want to abandon ship. So, a water/ship reference, but it's also close to something Abraham said in 5x05 about going down with the ship.

When they get out Hilltop, I noticed that we have a shot of the water tower, which is now burnt. When they start questioning Keith, he says that Alpha is dead, and someone says that all that does is prove that “he has eyes.” Earlier in Alexandria, Aaron said, “Eyes open.” I know these are really small potatoes references, but there were a LOT of eye mentions in this episode.

A couple of things where Negan and Maggie are concerned. When they get to this house, the cars out front are really interesting. There's a red car out front, which reminded me a lot of the red car that was seen during the filming of the missing 17 days in season five. There are also just a lot of cars with doors or hatchbacks open, which represent the door being opened in 5x09, when Beth disappeared. The hatchback being open can represent the trunk being open. So, just kind of some interesting symbols.

I also thought it was cool that Judith is teaching other kids how to fight.

I think that’s it for Details. Anything I missed?

[lostinthewiind]

Brave Heart: Chapter Two

Attack on Titan

Rating: Mature

Warnings: sexual themes, death, gore, mature themes, extreme violence, body horror, blood, weapons, major character death, age-gap relationship

"Hey, Mop-Top!" Drill Instructor Keith Sadies belted, his round, beady eyes bearing down at the boy with long, blonde hair and a stature that very much resembled Vera's.

The boy straightened on instinct and saluted. "Sir!"

"What do they call you, Maggot?"

"Armin Arlert, from Shinganshina, Sir!"

Sadies scoffed at the boy's response, more or less just trying to get a reaction out of any and all cadets that he could. Thus far, Vera and the others who made up the 104th Cadet Corps had been standing in the sweltering sun for hours getting verbally berated by the man who was quickly becoming their personal nightmare.

"Wow, seriously?" Sadies retorted. "Why would your parents curse you with such a dumb name?"

"It was my grandfather, Sir!"

"Cadet Arlert, why is a runt like you here?"

"To help humanity overcome the Titans!"

"That is delightful to hear! You're going to be a great light snack for him." Sadies grabbed Armin by the head and forcefully spun him around. "Row three, about-face, runt!"

As Sadies stalked through the rows of cadets, looking for his next prey, his eyes settled on Vera for a split second longer than some of the others and she could tell she was already on his shit-list. Whether he got to her next or dead last, she knew the day wouldn't end without the drill instructor screaming insults at her.

"What do you call yourself?" Sadies stopped in front of a boy a few people down from Vera.

The boy, who had short blonde hair and a muscular build, answered without hesitation. "Sir, my name is Thomas Wagner. I'm from Trost District!"

"I can't hear you!" Sadies shouted. One by one, he worked through the recruits until he had thoroughly crushed any remaining spirit any of them may have had left. When he stopped in front of Vera, the girl straightened up and saluted before he even had the chance to speak.

"Eager one, aren't you?" Sadies cackled. "I've never met someone so excited to march into their death. Tell me, Cadet, what makes you so eager to die?"

Vera swallowed hard. Even though the other cadets were instructed to look forward, she could feel multiple eyes on her. "If giving my life is necessary for humanity's fight against the Titans, my sacrifice would have been worth it, Sir!"

"And what a pitiful life it will have been." Sadies shook his head. "Who are you, Cadet?"

"Vera Kline from Shinganisha, Sir."

Sadies looked back at Armin before furrowing his brows at Vera. "Does Shinganshina only spit out sickly runts?" he barked.

Vera stared back at the drill instructor, wondering if he actually wanted an answer to his question or not. Before she had to choose one way or the other, however, he had decided he was satisfied and had moved on to his next victim.

"What do we have over here?"

The next recruit, a taller boy with dirty blonde hair, saluted. "Jean Kirstein, Sir. From the Trost District."

"And why are you here, Cadet?"

The boy actually smiled; the first smile that had been seen since the sun rose that morning and the very first day of cadet training had begun. "To join the Military Police, Sir. The best of the best."

Sadies rolled his eyes. "That's nice. You want to live in the Interior, do you?"

"Yes."

Before Jean had any time to react, Sadies had lunged forward and headbutted him with as much strength as he could muster. Hands clutching his head, Jean dropped to his knees. "No one told you to sit, Recruit!" Sadies towered over the injured boy. "If you can't handle this, Kirstein, then forget about joining the Military Police!"

Sadies' next target was a gentle-looking boy with freckles named Marco Bodt from Jinae. With a bright smile on his face, he proudly announced that he wanted to join the Military Police and give life and limb in service to the King. Sadies wasted no time verbally tearing him apart.

After Marco was Connie Springer from Ragako village, who Sadies promptly grabbed by the head before lifting him a good two or three feet off of the ground. "You have it backwards, Connie Springer. That was the first thing you were taught," he seethed, referring to the way the boy was saluting. "This salute represents the resolve in your heart to fight those bent on the systematic destruction of our people! Is your heart on your right side?"

Before Sadies had the chance to crush Connie's skull between his hands, a crunch sounded through the otherwise silent gathering of cadets. Unable to quell their curiosity, the rows of recruits turned toward a girl who was holding a potato in her hand and eating it as if it were the most logical thing to be doing at that point in time.

Sadie's face flashed with a look of pure confusion and bewilderment. After dropping Connie to the dirt, he marched toward the girl. "Hey, you there. What do you think you're doing?"

Avoiding eye contact, the girl took yet another bite of the potato. Hands clenched into fists by her side, Vera readied herself to watch the drill instructor actually kill someone on the first day.

"You are officially on my shit list!" Sadies screamed in the girl's face. "Just who in the hell are you?"

Swallowing the chunk of potato in her mouth, the girl saluted. "Sasha Braus from Dauper village, at your service. Reporting for duty, Sir!"

"Sasha Braus, huh? And what is that you're clutching in your right hand?"

"A steamed potato," Sasha answered truthfully. "It sat there in the mess hall begging to be eaten. Sir!"

Once again, Sadies was floored by the girl's response. Whether she was brave or just plain stupid was yet to be determined, but Sadies was going to find out one way or another. "The theft I understand. But here? Why eat it here, of all places?"

"It looked quite delicious. And it was getting cold. So I gave it shelter in my stomach, Sir."

Sadies continued to stand in place, dumbfounded. "Why? I can't comprehend. Why would you eat that potato?"

Sasha paused before replying. "Are you asking me why people eat potatoes? I'm surprised you don't know, Sir."

The looks that the fellow cadets shared were ones of complete and utter disbelief. Across from her, Vera made eye contact with the boy with the shaved head, Connie, and the two of them tried their best not to make it too obvious they had adjusted their bodies to get a better view of what was happening.

Removing her left hand from behind her back, Sasha broke the potato in two and offered half of it to the drill instructor. "Here, Sir. Have half."

Unsure what to do, Sadies took the offering. "Have half? Really?"

With chunks of potato stuck to her face, Sasha's mouth curled into a smile toward Sadies. However, if she thought that showing kindness was going to get her out of any sort of trouble, she had it dead wrong.

Stunned by shock, Sadies stared at the potato in his hands for a good minute or so before ordering Sasha to run until the sun went down. Then, unable to deal with any more stupidity that might arise from the newest recruits, he dismissed everyone and stormed off.

With that, Vera turned on her heel and headed toward her barracks. Before she could get very far, however, she was stopped by a hand grabbing at her sleeve. Turning around, she came face to face with Armin, the other pathetic specimen from her home district.

"You said you're from Shinganshina, right?" he asked and Vera nodded in response. "So am I, and my friends Eren and Mikasa too." He turned to point to the two others standing behind him, a boy with brown hair and a girl with long black hair. "I've never seen you though."

Vera shrugged. "I'm older," she said, not wanting to admit that the reason he and his friends had never seen her before was actually due to the fact that she had never attended school.

"Oh, okay." He accepted her answer at face value. And thankfully, he didn't ask how much older she was. Vera was already very aware that most of her cadet peers were three years her junior even though she looked to be the same age, if not younger.

Later that night, as the sun began to set, Vera sat atop the porch railing of her barrack and watched as Sasha jogged up and down the training camp, never stopping once even though it looked like her legs were going to give out at any second.

"Man, I thought Sadies was going to kill Potato Girl." A voice startled Vera, and when she turned, she saw that Connie and a few others had come out to join her on the porch. "Has she really been going this whole time?"

When Vera realized the question was directed at her, she nodded. "Yes."

"What a hell of a first day," Eren, the boy Armin had introduced briefly earlier, spoke up. "It's funny. Being told to run till the sun sets didn't seem to bother her nearly as much as losing meal privileges for the next five days."

"I think she said that she's from Dauper," Connie added. "If I remember right, that's a small hunting village up in the mountains."

Before anyone could comment on what Connie had said, Eren noticed something and drew everyone's attention to it. "Hey, what's that?" He pointed to a horse-drawn cart heading out of the training camp.

"They're dropouts," one of the other girls who Vera didn't know the name of said. "They'd prefer to work in the fields."

"But it's only the first day." Armin watched as the cart of former cadets rolled out of sight.

"That's the way it is." Eren shrugged. "If you can't handle the pressure, you've got to leave. I can't believe anyone would rather pull plants than fight."

"I know about some of us, but you never mentioned where you were from, Eren." Marco turned to the other boy.

"The same as Armin," he answered, settling a hand on his friend's shoulder. "From Shinganshina."

Marco gasped. "Oh, wow. That means . . ."

"You saw it. You were there that day," Connie interjected despite Marco's attempts to prevent him from saying anything insensitive. "The Colossal one? Did you see him?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"What about you?" Connie turned to Vera next. "Did you see it too?"

Vera, who had never signed up to be a part of the conversation in the first place, just shrugged. "From my house, yeah."

At that moment, Vera had answered the question in hopes that the others would leave her alone and stop pestering her. If she had known, however, that her simple response would elicit people following her and asking her questions all day, every day, she would have just stayed quiet.

While Vera tried desperately to avoid any and all attention, Eren seemed to almost thrive off of it. During dinner, people would swarm him like insects, asking questions about what the Titans looked like and what it was like to watch wall Maria fall.

During this time, Vera would sit in the furthest corner from the crowd and eat her meal in peace; but it didn't stop the occasional straggler from wandering over and trying to engage her in small talk.

Sitting across from her, one of the larger boys with blonde hair, Reiner, settled into place and began picking away at his meal slowly. Vera pushed her soup around her bowl with her spoon, waiting for him to pester her with one thing or another. After a few minutes of silence, however, Vera accepted that maybe he was sick of all the chattering as well and returned to her meal. Together, they ate without interacting and listened to the nonsense going on around them.

"Those stupid Titans." Vera heard Eren say with a scoff. "They're really not that big a deal. If we focus on mastering the omni-directional mobility gear they give us, then it's Titan payback time. I've waited years to be trained as a soldier. All of a sudden, the reality is sinking in. I'm joining the Scout Regiment. Then I'm sending the Titans back to hell. I'm gonna butcher them all."

"Hey, are you crazy or something?" Jean spoke up from one of the other tables, the look on his face displaying that he thought Eren was a deranged lunatic. "Not that it's my business, but signing up for reconnaissance is like a death sentence."

"I guess we'll see." Eren eyed him. "Or at least I will. You seem content hiding in the Interior with the MPs."

Jean rested his head in his hand and rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm just speaking honestly here, kid. I think it's better than being some loud-mouthed braggart tough-guy wannabe pretending he's not as piss-scared as the rest of us."

Standing from his seat, Eren glared down at Jean. "Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"Stop it, you guys." Marco tried to settle the quickly brewing storm, but it was no use.

"All right, sure." Jean stood at well. "Makes no difference to me."

The entire mess hall watched as the two boys approached each other, coming to a halt about half a meter apart. Before either one could start anything, however, one of the bells outside chimed, promptly ending anything before it could even begin.

"Hey, I apologize. I'm sorry for calling you names and dismissing your choice of career." Jean smiled as he held out his hand toward Eren, his sudden change in attitude coming out of the blue. "Put 'er there, kid. What do you say?"

Eren took a moment of contemplation before returning the gesture. "Right. Yeah, I'm sorry as well."

With that, the two made up and went their separate ways. When the situation turned weird by Jean nervously trying to talk to Mikasa, Eren's friend and adopted sister, Vera tuned out. It wasn't the first time she had seen one of the boys fawn over her black hair and the fact that she was a different race than the majority of people, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"What about you?" Reiner finally spoke up; his deep voice startling Vera a little.

Vera eyed him quizzically, slightly taken aback that he had decided to strike up a conversation after sitting in silence for so long. "What about me what?"

"You've seen the Titans. Do you think they're 'no big deal'?"

Pushing her empty bowl to the side, Vera sighed. "They are the single most terrifying thing I have seen in my entire life," she told him matter-of-factly. "My dad died when they attacked the wall. I lost my home and everything I cared about. But they're just like any predator, I guess . . . if we give them the respect they deserve and learn from them, we can overcome the threat they pose as well."

Even though Vera was fully expecting Reiner to regard her as a lunatic just like Eren and leave her be, which was what she may or may not have been aiming for in the first place, he actually seemed impressed with what she had to say.

"I think that's the most you've said since we all started training."

Vera shrugged. "Guess I just don't have a lot to say."

Reiner watched her for a few moments before piling her empty bowl on top of his own and standing up. "Well, what little you do say carries more meaning than most of the garbage that spews out of the mouths around here."

Without another word, he left the table and, after placing the dishes in the dirty bin, exited the mess hall.

Vera chose to stay behind a little longer and wait for the majority of the crowd to clear out. By the time she started heading back to her barracks as well, it was pitch black outside and she relied on the glow from the scattered lamps to guide her back to where she would be spending the night.

During her walk, she passed by Sasha, who had finally stopped running and was now shoving bread down her throat at an impressive speed. With Sasha were two of the other female recruits, Ymir and Krista. Ymir was a tall girl with long brown hair and freckles while Krista, a stark contrast, was shorter with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

The three girls eyed Vera as she passed by, but neither one said a word, so Vera kept up her pace and left them to their own devices. As she walked away, a small part in the back of her head nagged her to turn around and properly introduce herself, but she decided against it. If she was going to make friends, it could wait a few more days until she had a solid grasp on who was worth getting to know and who wasn't.

Vera knew that when all was said and done, she would probably have to watch at least half of her class die at the hands of the Titans. If she could help it, she would rather the inevitable bring her as little grief and disturbance as possible. She had more than enough of that for one lifetime.

As harsh and cold-hearted as it sounded, the fewer connections she made with the people around her, the better off she would be in the long run.

The following day was the 104th Cadet Corps' first day using the ODM gear, and Sadies was over the moon at the prospect of getting to watch the new recruits fail and subsequently shout at them for it.

"It's aptitude test time, so listen up!" Sadies stood at attention in front of the nervous cadets before himself. With the way he was practically shaking with excitement, it wasn't hard to figure out that he thrived off of the misfortune of others. "There is no place for you here if you cannot perform! Fail and be shipped to the fields."

Sadies split the large group up into four smaller groups and then, one by one, the cadets got their first try at using the ODM gear. Vera was lucky enough to get the opportunity to watch a few of her peers go before her, and after observing where they excelled and where they failed, mixed with her previous knowledge of the gear and how it worked, she felt confident when it was her turn to strap in.

Although the gear took some getting used when her feet first left the ground, Vera found that keeping her balance was actually a lot easier than she thought. If she mentally pictured all of her weight coming together in her core, she was able to stay almost completely still.

The instructor in charge of her station didn't give her any outward praise for her performance, but when she wasn't yelled at or scolded even once by the time her feet touched down on solid ground again, she considered her attempt to have been a success.

All around Vera, cadets were passing with flying colours or failing so miserably that it was almost embarrassing to watch. One of the most prominent examples of the ladder, unfortunately, was Eren Jaeger, the big-talker himself. His attempt had ended so badly that he had somehow ended up upside down with a crowd of amused onlookers gathering around him.

"What is your major malfunction, Jaeger?" Sadies stomped over when he noticed the commotion around Eren. "Straighten yourself up!"

Eren, whose eyes had grown wide with shock, almost seemed frozen and unable to move. Vera guessed that he, just like the others around him, was wondering how on earth he had ended up being so impressively bad at using the ODM gear. She surmised that his head was swimming with self-doubt and suddenly, he was regretting all the confidence he had displayed to the others.

Because of Eren's inability to master the gear by the time training had ended for the day, it was no surprise that he and his friends, Armin and Mikasa, had stayed late to continue practicing. What did come as a surprise to Vera, however, was when Eren and Armin, along with Bertholdt and Reiner, approached her for help that evening.

"You want me to do what?" Vera asked, annoyed that she had almost made it into her barracks for the night when she had been stopped.

"Teach me how to balance using the ODM gear!" Eren was so desperate he seemed to be seconds away from dropping to his knees and begging. "Please! I don't want to be sent to the fields. I need help and Reiner said you used to work in a factory making the damn things. Plus, everyone said you were really good."

Eyes shifting towards Reiner, Vera furrowed her brows at him. "How did you know I used to work in an ODM factory? I didn't tell you that. I didn't tell anyone that."

Before Reiner could answer, even though it looked like he wasn't going to bother anyway, Eren interjected. "Please, I'm begging!" He looked utterly pathetic, especially because of the bandage wrapped around his head from the many times he had smacked his skull against the ground during training.

Bertholdt, who, up until that point had remained silent by Reiner's side, finally found his voice. "I don't even know why you guys want to be soldiers so badly," he said. "Aren't you guys originally from Shinganshina? You should know first-hand how terrifying the Titans are."

"I didn't see the things Eren did," Armin answered. "He saw their bloodlust first-hand before anyone realized how bad it was. And I . . . I knew I couldn't sit idly by as the Royal Government forced the citizenry into the failed territory retrieval operation."

"I see." Reiner folded his arms across his chest.

"So where are the two of you from?" Armin inquired, eyes darting back and forth from Reiner to Bertholdt. And just like that, the conversation had taken a sharp turn into a territory Vera did not want to venture into.

"Oh, Reiner and I? We were both from a mountain village just Southeast of wall Maria."

Armin's eyes flashed with fear. "But . . . then that means-"

"Yeah." Bertholdt nodded, his expression changing to one of sombre remembrance. "Unlike the more prosperous river towns, our village didn't receive word right away. The Titans were on us before we even knew what was going on. It happened at dawn. All the livestock were so restless. Soon after, we heard these strange rumblings that just became louder and louder. Eventually, I realized those rumbling were the sound of death getting closer. I . . . I looked out my window and . . . after that, well, everything is just a blur. I think we all just panicked."

"Hey. Easy now." Reiner turned to his friend. "You're just getting yourself worked up again."

"Sorry." Bertholdt sighed. "Basically, what I've been trying to say is this: the five of us aren't like the rest of them."

Armin tilted his head like a confused puppy. "'Them' who?"

"The others here who have never been witness to the Titan's horror." Bertholdt clarified. "Most of them are here for show. To do just what society expects. In a world where you're labelled a coward if you choose fieldwork by the time you turn 12, propriety demands our service. With that said, I'm really no different from the others. I joined the ranks hoping for assignment to the Military Police. Tucked away in the Interior. If that doesn't work out, I'll give up entirely. I don't really have the fortitude for anything else."

Silence fell over the group of five for a few moments and in that time, Vera had resigned herself to spending her night helping Eren master his ODM gear. If she was going to spend time getting to know anyone, she figured the people most like her—who could truly understand what she had gone through—was a decent place to start.

"There's no shame in caring about your life, Bertholdt. We all do," Armin told him.

"Do we?" Reiner huffed. "I'm going to return to the home that was taken from me. That's all I care about now. I will do it. No matter what."

"What about you?" Bertholdt looked to Eren. "Why did you sign up?"

"Why'd I join?" Eren's gaze shifted off into nothingness as he thought, most likely back to memories that were similar to Vera's; dark, gruesome memories that played on the back of his eyelids on repeat whenever he closed his eyes. "I decided I have to kill them. I won't stop until every single Titan is dead and rotting. Dead. Every last one."

Reiner gave an impressed nod. "You saw what those monsters are capable of and you still want to take them on?"

"Damn right. It's just, after screwing up the training, I don't know if I'm cut out to be a soldier."

"Well, not with that attitude, you aren't." Vera pushed herself off of the barrack's railing that she had been leaning against before adjusting her green cadet cloak over her shoulders. When the others look at her, confused, she just waved for them to follow. "We're killing moonlight, boys. If Eren is to be an expert before tomorrow, we shouldn't waste any more time."

Elated, Eren followed behind quickly, followed soon after by the other three. On the walk through the woods toward the ODM training grounds, Bertholdt caught up with Vera and fell into pace beside her. "I noticed you changed the topic before anyone could ask why you signed up," he pointed out. "Care to share?"

"Not really," Vera answered honestly.

"Look, you're standoffish and hold everyone at arm's length, I get it," Bertholdt started, his gaze never leaving the uneven terrain as they talked. "But a big part of surviving is having each other's backs. No one can do it alone. I'm not saying you have to wear your heart on your sleeve and spill your deepest, darkest secrets to everyone . . . but maybe just something to show that you actually have emotions? Start small."

Vera exhaled sharply, but deep down, she knew that Bertholdt had a point. She hadn't always been this way, that much she knew for sure; she just didn't know when, exactly, she had become the shell of a human she was today.

"I joined because I have nothing left to live for," she said. "And dying making a difference is a whole hell of a lot better than dying in the streets of a district I can't even call home."

Before Bertholdt could pry any further, Vera picked up the pace and pulled ahead, leading the group the rest of the way to the training grounds. When the five of them finally arrived, the clouds above parted and the blue hue of the moon shone down on the field, illuminating the ODM tripod structures.

"Okay, Eren, you ready?" Vera asked, her hair blowing lightly in the breeze.

Reiner clapped Eren hard on the back. "Of course he's ready. I know he's got what it takes. I can see it in him." He looked down at Eren. "Am I wrong here?"

Eren shook his head frantically. "No, I won't fail. Thank you, guys. Thank you."

Throughout the night, Vera and the others worked tirelessly in order to prepare Eren for the ODM aptitude test the following morning. To say Eren wasn't a natural would be an enormous understatement, but despite the challenge he was facing and the odds he was up against, Eren didn't give up for even a second.

When the group of five had finally run out of time, Eren had managed to balance himself just long enough to pass the test. It was all he could manage by then and it would have to do.

Less than a couple of hours later, after Vera and the others had already passed their aptitude tests with ease, they gathered around to watch Eren.

"Eren Jaeger." Sadies eyed the boy, his stare enough to make anyone crumble under the pressure alone. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Sir!"

With a glance toward the ODM instructor, Sadies commenced the test. "Proceed."

As the ODM instructor turned the crank, Eren's feet slowly but surely lifted off from the ground. As he rose, he held his arms out by his sides just like Vera and the others had taught him; and sure enough, for a few seconds, he stayed perfectly balanced. Just when Vera thought she could let out the breath she had been holding in, however, Eren's stance faltered ever-so-slightly and he was a goner. With a dramatic flail, Eren flew backwards and smacked his head against the ground once more, his pained body left dangling upside down.

The others let out a surprised gasp and Vera, who was sure she wouldn't have cared much if Eren passed or not in the end, found herself feeling the slightest twinge of disappointment. Whether it was due to Eren's failure or her own failure to teach him properly, she was unsure, but either way, she was genuinely upset at the thought of Eren being shipped off to the fields despite the fact that he was overconfident and talked way too much.

"No, not yet!" Eren fought against the gear as the instructor came to untangle him. "Once more! I can do it!"

"Lower him," Sadies ordered; and just like that, Eren's short-lived career as a cadet was seemingly over.

As soon as Eren's feet touched the ground again, he collapsed to his knees, eyes filled with panic. "I-I'm finished," he stuttered.

"Wagner, please exchange belts with Mr. Jaeger." Sadies turned to one of the other cadets. Without explaining his reasoning, Sadies hooked Eren back up to the ODM structure once he was wearing the new belt and, to everyone's surprise, Eren balanced with no issues whatsoever. "Your equipment was defective." Sadies finally explained once the overwhelming fear of failure had come and gone from Eren's expression. "If given a piece of functional gear, you might not be worthless after all. Quartermaster didn't notice this broken clasp. Might have to visit the supply depot and crack a couple of skulls."

Before long, the crowd of gathered cadets had begun to mutter about how impressive it was that Eren had managed to balance at all with the broken belt he had been wearing.

"So, you mean . . . I didn't wash out?" Eren asked, his body hanging almost effortlessly from his ODM gear.

"You made the cut. Now keep training, Cadet!" Sadies affirmed, making sure not to show any ounce of emotion, other than anger, to his cadets.

"It seems like things worked out for him," Reiner commented.

Armin grinned as he watched his friend. "Look, his eyes are saying, 'Check me out!'"

"They're not," Mikasa corrected, earning glances from everyone. "His eyes are saying he doesn't have to leave me. Not anymore."

Once Eren was let down, Mikasa and Armin rushed over to him. Once only three of them remained huddled together, Bertholdt bumped his shoulder against Vera's and smirked. "I saw you holding your breath." He snickered. "Admit it, you're happy he passed."

Vera just rolled her eyes. "Am I happy there's another body that'll be fighting the Titans by my side? Yeah, of course, I am," she said. "But what I'm not happy about is that I missed a whole night of sleep training him when all he really needed was a functional belt. Waste of time."

Bertholdt just chuckled. "See? There you go. Emotions."

Vera huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah, well . . . starting small and all that."

[lobakmerahs]

One: Painting and Its Secrets

Summary: This series is about Levi’s slow burn relationship with the reader who is not only a squad leader but a spy who works under Scouts Regiment.

Warning: mentions of death

A/n: I hope you, whoever you are that will read my series will enjoy it as much as I do when I wrote it. Thanks and have a pleasant reading! :)

~ 🎨

3 weeks before...

A blond platinum wig in a pixie cut, button down shirt in beige, a dark brown suspenders, a pair of pants in olive green with a jacket in the same colour. Last but not least a black fedora on top of the head. You stared at your reflection in the mirror, making sure that you looked completely different from the real you at the same time not wanting the disguise you were wearing would catch unnecessary attention. After you were fully satisfied with your look, you took your steps outside your little home.

It was supposedly your off day and you were strolling at the Stohess District and went to buy a newspaper before taking your seat at an empty bench while facing the river. After a few moments had passed, you glanced at your watch and stood up to head to your destination. 

Hans Art Gallery. You were on time when you stood in front of the art shop as the business was just begun and you were the first one to enter. 

“Good morning and welcome to Hans Art Gallery. Is there anything that I can help you, Mrs?,” the gentleman asked. 

“A bouquet of tulips for the man with the black shoes.” You answered to the gentleman who was not wearing a pair of black shoes but upon hearing your sentence and clearly understood your code, he went to the back of the gallery before returned to you and handed the canvas piece that was neatly wrapped with an oil paper. 

You calmly walked to your home and naturally looked around you to make sure no one was tailing before you entered your house and produced a soft click sound as you locked the wooden door behind you. You didn’t go straight to your room, instead you climbed to the attic and yet again locked the door. Slowly you unwrapped the frame and brought out your forceps as well as your scalpels, no need to ask how did you get those. The canvas held a drawing of an evening sky which was rich with every shades of orange colour capturing the beauty of the sunset, it seemed like it could bring calmness to whoever that laid their eyes on it, but what people didn’t know, didn’t have to know as well as didn’t have the right to know was what lied beneath the drawing. Yes, the drawing was undeniably beautiful, it was made by none other than one of your assets in the Wall Sina that disguised as an art dealer among the nobles. The said asset had planted a few layers of documents under his drawing which was the main reason you were about to form a surgery on the work of art. Meticulously, you ran your scalpel on the border of the drawing, next you brushed your thumb along the already cut borders to make the edges curled upwards then you used your forceps to peal the drawing away, revealing layers of papers which were believed to be the documents that were hidden beneath it. 

“Hmmh.. hmmm~ yare yare, found ya’.” You whispered to yourself and smiled in relief, taking out the pieces of papers and gave it a read. 

The documents contained the Military Police reports of Nicholas Lovof’s crimes that included bribery, kidnapping, murders and any other atrocities that were enough to put someone under justified punishments. Not only that, the documents also included a detailed descriptions as well as names of the people that were in charge to kill Erwin Smith, a good colleague of yours, thanks to Nicholos’s manipulations. The said people were; a young red-haired girl styled in pigtails, another young man with a light-brown hair and persumably the oldest one of the pack,a sharp dull blue eyes man with a black hair styled in an uppercut. 

Then, you made a copy of the documents and kept them in a scroll so you could send them to Erwin, where the original copy of them were properly sealed in an envelope for you to send them to none other than Dhalis Zachary.

~🎨

You took a deep breath, inhaling the morning’s crisp while staring at the blue sky. It was always your favorite thing to do, starring at the sky, focusing on the colours that it held. From the wide ranges of blues, to the variety tones of the white from the clouds and sometimes the contrast colours of orange or pink that appears during dusk or dawn. 

After you had enough of your morning pill from the sky, you stepped out of your chamber and was greeted by your best friend, Hange with a raised of both your eyebrows. Both of you did not need much words to greet each other most of the times. You were best friends since your Training Corps years. Morning wasn’t the time for you guys to start acting real with each other. So, both of you walked by each other to the mess hall to get your breakfast then attended the assembly Scout Regiment’s concourse. 

During the morning assembly, you lined up beside Erwin as you were also a Section Commander and had your comrades under your unit to stand in a line behind you. As you were standing, you could see there were 3 people standing beside Commander Keith Sadis, and were introduced to the whole Scout Regiment as the new Scouts. One of them was a girl with red-brown hair tied into two pigtails, named Isabel Magnolia, the other was a man with dark blond hair named Furlan Church and the last one named Levi, a shorter man with black hair styled in an uppercut. All three of them were assigned into Flagon's unit much to his dismay. You glanced at Erwin by your side and he gave you a knowing look. While others found those new Scouts’ names foreign, both of you were exceptional and for a good reason. 

They were surprisingly good during their training, for some people who never had a formal training using the ODM gear, they performed fantastically well but they still needed some polishing for their Titans killing skills, except for Levi. You were always up to offer help to them but they often misunderstood since you usually looked cold and always a bit brutal during your trainings which were a famous fact among the Scout Regiment. Farlan and Isabel often thought that you hated them since they received resentments from severel other Scout cadets and thinking that you were also in the same boat as the other Scouts. Levi was always with his bored expression, you could barely read his expressions let alone his thoughts, unlike the other two. There was a time where Isabel blurted about why you insisted to help training them when you seemed to dislike them.

“It doesn’t matter if I like you guys or not, people train to kill the Titans and to survive. You guys seemed to rush things and hiding something, as if you wanted you to get done with killing Titans then move on to do something else that isn’t Titans related and I’m here trying to help you not to get killed by Titans”, you answered. There was a short silence followed after your answer. You could tell their breaths hitched for a moment but you remained stolid nevertheless.

“Well, we have to move on to do something else as in to focus on the formation right?”, Furlan replied with a hint of nervous. 

“Yeah, let’s hope so.” You answered. 

~🎨

In life, there were a lot of moments where the air would be tense and the night before expedition was one of them. The night was calm and quiet but you couldn’t ignore the heavy feeling in your heart. Tonight was just another night inside the wall but to some in the Scout Regiment, it would be their last. Tomorrow’s expedition would surely cost some of your comrades’ lives and might even yours, for the sake of humanity. 

You took a deep breath. But it still didn’t help to calm your nerves. You had been pacing in your room since dinner. You couldn’t stay still, palms were sweaty and heart was beating unsually fast tonight. Something bad was going to happen tomorrow. You could feel it in your guts. You recognized these telltale because whenever you felt like this, you’ll end up receiving death news be it your favorite neighbour from your hometown, your beloved pets or even the Scouts that you had helped in training. Deciding that sitting in your room wouldn’t help lessen the nerves, you grabbed your pencils and sketch papers then headed outside to gaze at the starry night sky to do some sketches in hope of easing your mind. 

As you arrived at you usual spot at tower of the Scout Regiment barracks, you slumped down and took a glance at the sky. The moon hadn’t shown itself yet, and there were thick clouds hanging everywhere. Then, you stared at your paper and pencil. Blank. No idea. No inspiration. Stuck. You sighed, and continued to stare at the night sky hoping to relax your mind for awhile. Then, you heard the sound of clicking boots which meant that there were people not far from you. It was Furlan and Isabel whom just arrived, they walked to a figure that you assumed to be Levi. You remained quiet and peeped them from your location. You could heard Isabel and Furlan trying to convince Levi about them joining tomorrow’s expedition. As you were eavesdropping not that you planned to in the first place, suddenly your hand started to sketch the paper, starting with the clouds and adding the diamonds in the sky, slowly without you realizing it, you were sketching the trio starring at the starry night sky under the moonlight that shone magnificiently. 

When you were done with the sketching, you returned to your room as quietly as possible and continued to add colours to your drawing before you got sleepy and finally free from your anxious feeling earlier. Before you headed to your bed, you jotted down the date behind your work which now known as painting, no longer just a sketch.

_

During the expedition, you and your squad were put around the right flank of the long range formation. There were few Titans appeared throughout the journey, none that your squad could handle. You were beyond grateful that all of your squad were still well and alive at the moment. Then, you received a signal to tighten the formation since the sky started to show sign that it would rain soon and a heavy one at that. You commanded your squad to pull on the hood of their capes and stayed as close as possible with you and each other so that no one would go unnoticed and it would be easier to assist if anything happen.

Despite the heavy downpour, your squad kept moving forward and you efficiently assisted your squad in killing any Titan that came in the way, it was always your promise to make sure everyone under you would return to the wall safe and alive. Then, suddenly you heard a weird noise coming from in front of you, not the usual strange noise that a Titan would make.A load, short but multiple groan as if a Titan was in pain. So, you rushed to the direction of the sound assuming that there might a cadet or a squad that needed your assistance. 

You arrived at the same time as Erwin’s and some other squad leaders, surrounded by an Abnormal Titan’s and plenty of your other comrades’ corpses. Then, you noticed Levi standing next to the Titan’s dead body with blood all over him and Isabel’s head in front of him with half of Furlan’s body not far from him as well. Levi seemed to be the only one survived from his squad. His head hanging slightly low, with his hair covering his eyes but the tears streaming down his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed by you. So, this explained the sweaty palm and racing heart you had another night- to see two cadets that you helped with training days ago, only now left with just just head and half of a body. You felt your shoulder fell and knees slightly shaking. You felt like your breath had been taken away.

As the rain started to stop slowly as the sunshine gently peeking from the clouds, you watched how Levi was about to kill Erwin which was stopped by Mike then Erwin explained about the Nicholos Lovof's situation causing Levi to stop his actions and stood silently, digesting the fact that he was caught up in Erwin’s plans. 

You did feel bad for Levi, Erwin wasn’t the only who knew about him and his friends’ true intention of joining the Scout Regiment. You knew about it too. It was your assignment to obtain the information about Nicholos Lofov’s crimes and sent it to Erwin as well as finding out the person who was assigned to supposedly kill Erwin. It was just a simple guess as to why those three didn’t refuse so much on joining he Scout Regiment when Erwin offered them to.

You were assigned with that task since you were not only a Section Commander but also a spy under the Scout Regiment as well as the cadets under your wings and some were also assets scattered across the town in disguise as an art dealer in Wall Sina, a commoner who opened a bakery shop or could be anyone in the town that simply invisible to the world but not to you. You needed to sniff around to obtain crucial informations that could contribute to the Scout Regiment strategies, formation and as well as humanity. 

~🎨

The barracks became quieter after the expedition ended which was normal due to the lost of lives. You were at your room that night, just checking your report before you could submit them to Erwin the next morning and decided to write some notes in your book. You opened your drawer and saw the painting that you made before the expedition took place. Levi, Isabel and Furlan staring at the sky. Two of the were smiling in admiration to the sky while Levi just being Levi, stoic as ever except his eyes where they were packed with ......hope. 

You suddenly felt drenched and decided to go for a glass of water at the kitchen before you headed to sleep. You inserted the sketching into your notebook and brought them with you to the kitchen, it just came across your mind to let Levi had it since you remembered how shattered he looked when he was kneeling in front of Isabel's head. The kitchen was empty when you arrived so you went to grab a cup and filled it with water.

As you took a sip of water from your glass, you saw Levi entering the same room as yours. Both of you were startled for a second yet no words left your mouths before he proceeded to make himself a tea and you with your drink. The room was filled with silence but not an uncomfortable one, at least for you. That was when it slipped your mind that you wanted to give the drawing to Levi. Only if he would accept your drawing. You thought he might wanted it since that drawing was an evidence of a sweet memory that his two friends left him during their short time in the Scout Regiment. Probably something for him to look at when he felt lonely. He was stirring his teaspoon with his back facing you when you called his name. Probably the first time having you calling his name. Probably the first time you would ever interact with him ever since he joined the regiment.

“.....um..Levi,” you called. That’s when your heart skipped a beat. And you felt a bit....just a bit nervous to see him reacting to you. Then, he turned around and faced you, intense dull blue eyes focusing on your eyes, expecting you to continue. You gulped. Man, was his gaze always this tense? You never noticed that before for sure.

“I was at the tower the night before the exhibition, with my sketching utensils because I needed to calm my nerves. Then suddenly you guys came and I made something. I didn’t plan doing it, I just went with the ideas flowing in my head,” you stopped and brought out your painting to his attention. He stayed focus listening to you and eyes never left your face before he took the drawing and examined it. You couldn’t say he was amused but his gaze did soften a little. 

“I’m sorry I draw the three of you without your permission.I know I should have asked your consent. And um, you could keep that...... If you want though,” you continued. You felt quite nervous not because you were scared of him, shy probably but not scared. You were nervous because one, you wished your drawing didn’t remind him of his late friends in a bad way and caused him more sadness, two, you didn’t want him to get mad at you for drawing him without his permission and three, um...what if your drawing looked like a toddler’s work? That would suck.

“It’s nice,” Levi finally spoke. His deep monotone voice comforted your ears. You breathed out a relief. 

“I want to keep it,” Levi said, hand still holding your drawing, eyes travelling back to yours with a softer gaze and as if asking for your permission. 

You nodded, “sure, make it yours, I do hope it’ll help you feel better, if that's even possible”, you replied with a soft chuckle as you slowly stood and got ready to head back to your room.

You saw Levi took a glance at the drawing then looked at you again before he replied you with, “thanks, I’ll treasure it.”

You flashed a small smile before yawning and took off to your room to get your sleep. Feeling light and at ease, knowing your drawing could help lift up someone’s mood.

Little did you know that, back in his chamber, Levi stared at your painting. He indulged himself into the painting that you made, every drop of colour as well as every line and traces left on the paper by you, realized how he missed watching his lost friends’ smiles and thanks to you, he could see his friends’ smiles once again eventhough it was just on a piece of a paper. Not to mention, he finally got to interact with you. You striked a mysterious aura when you first appeared before his eyes which intrigued him to get to know you, yet he never had a chance or a reason to talk to you but you were always there somewhere in the back of his mind. He was utterly grateful with the drawing you made, at least he could carve the smiles of his friends into his mind, their smiles might no longer exist in this world but it would always be in his heart and mind. 

                                              Next chapter

[shirlleycoyle]

How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon

Every fictional character you can think of has experienced 9/11 in fanfiction.

A Clone Wars veteran with two lightsabers is on United Airlines Flight 93 and prevents it from crashing. Ron and Hermione get caught up in the chaos as the towers fall. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friends watch the attacks unfold on TV from Sunnydale. We have spent 20 years trying to process what happened on 9/11 and its fallout, and that messy process can be tracked through the countless, sad, disturbing, and sometimes very funny fanfiction left across the internet.

Many of the fanfics written in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks seemed to directly respond to the news as it happened, processing the tragedy in real-time through the eyes of characters they loved. In the absence of a canon episode where Daria Morgendorffer paid respects to those lost, writing fanfic about these characters also experiencing trauma helped fans cope.

One YuGiOh fanfic published on fanfiction.net in May 2002 could have been ripped exactly from what this writer experienced that Tuesday morning. “It started as a normal day,” user Gijinka Renamon wrote. Yugi and his friends were in school, where their teacher informed them of the attacks and sent everyone home from school.

“After reading people’s 9/11 fics, I decided to write my own, and put a certain character in it. And Yugi and his pals were my first choice,” the author's note reads, explaining the connection they felt to United flight 93 and the World Trade Center attacks. Given that they lived in Pennsylvania, and “it’s close to New York, I felt really sad about it.”

Stitch, a fandom journalist for Teen Vogue, told Motherboard that this reaction to 9/11 is not at all uncommon in fandom.

"Fandom has always been a place that positions nothing as 'off limits,'" she said. "Historical tragedies like the Titanic sinking and atrocities like… all of World War 2 show up regularly across the past 30 years of people creating stories and art about the characters they love. So, on some level, it makes sense that 9/11 and the following 20-year military installation in the Middle East has joined the ranks of things people in different fandoms turn into settings for their fan fiction."

Reactions depicted in a handful of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfics published in the weeks after the attacks ring a little truer to the characters. “Tuesday, 11th September 2001,” written by Anna K, almost echoes the lyrics from “I’ve Got a Theory,” one of the songs in the musical episode that aired in November 2001. “We have seen the apocalypse. We have prevented it. Actually, we’ve prevented quite a few. So we know what they look like,” they write, before taking a darker turn. “They look a lot like…New York today.”

Killing demons and vampires doesn’t phase the Scooby Gang, but when preventable human death is brought into the picture, it’s gut wrenching.

“What am I supposed to do…When I can’t do anything to save the world?” Buffy cries  into Spike’s chest, watching the attacks unfold on TV in a fanfic the author described as being “about feeling numb and helpless.”

In “Blood Drive,” Kirayoshi writes about Buffy and her friends saving a van full of donated blood meant for victims of the attacks from a group of thirsty vampires. One Buffy the Vampire Slayer fic even takes a blindly patriotic turn, where noted lesbian witch Tara McClay helps Xander hang an American flag from the window of the magic shop to make Anya feel better.

Experiencing 9/11 as a young teenager was overwhelming not just because of the loss of life. Almost immediately after the event itself, it was as if the entirety of American culture re-oriented itself towards an overtly jingoistic stance. As we get distance from the attacks, seeing the tone of television and movies from the early 2000s is jarring, and some have gone viral on Twitter. In the world of pop music, mainstream musicians like the Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, were blacklisted from the radio while Toby Keith sang about putting a boot up the ass of terrorists. On the Disney Channel, a young Shia Labeouf reading a poem he supposedly wrote about the events. The poem concludes with the line, "it's awesome to be an American citizen."

In a world so completely saturated with this messaging, it is not surprising that fanfic authors started including 9/11 in their work so soon after the event. Even The West Wing had a strange, out of continuity, fanfic-esque episode where the characters reacted to 9/11. In some cases, it made sense that the characters in the stories would be close to or a part of the events themselves.

"For characters like John Watson or Captain America, the idea works to an extent," Stitch told Motherboard. "In the original Sherlock Holmes works and the 2011 BBC series, Watson had just returned from Afghanistan. For Captain America and other Marvel heroes, 9/11 was something that was addressed in-universe in The Amazing Spider-Man volume 2 #36. Technically, 9/11 is 'canon' to the Marvel universe."

In “Early Warning: Terrorism,” a fanfiction for the TV show Early Edition in which a man who mysteriously receives tomorrow's newspaper, predicting the future, avoids jingoism, but tries to precent 9/11 from happening. This fanfic remains unfinished; it’s unclear if the characters successfully prevent 9/11 in this retelling.

Largely in fanfic from the era just after 9/11, when many young authors were trying to emotionally grapple with it, the characters don't re-write or undo the events themselves. It's this emphasis on the reaction to tragedy that colors the fanfiction that features 9/11 going forward.

Although fanfiction authors have been writing about 9/11 consistently since soon after the event, whenever that fanfiction reaches outside of its intended audience, it looks bizarre.

A screenshot of a Naruto 9/11 fanfic on the Tumblr subreddit comes without any context, or even more than two lines and an author's note. It’s impossible to suss out if this falls into the category of sincere fanfic without the rest of the piece or a publication date, but modern-day commenters on the Reddit thread see it as classic Tumblr trash.

Screenshot from r/Tumblr

“Bin Laden/Dick Cheney, enemies to lovers, 10k words, slow burn,” one user joked in the replies, underscoring the weirdness of Naruto being in the Twin Towers by comparing it to a What If story about Cheney and Bin Laden slowly falling deeply in love.

It’s hard to tell how much of the 9/11 fanfic and fanart starting a few years after the attacks is sincere, and how much of it is ironic, and trying to make fun of the very concept of writing fanfiction about 9/11.

A 2007 anime music video (in which various clips, usually from anime, are cut together to music) that combines scenes from The Lion King with Linkin Park’s “Crawling” and clips from George Bush’s speeches immediately after the attacks feels like the perfect example of this. Even the commenters can’t seem to suss out if this person is a troll or not.

There’s no way that My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 9/11 fanart could be serious, right? Especially if the description pays tribute to “some of the nation's most memorable buildings,” and features five of the main characters as child versions of themselves. The comments again are split between users thanking the artist for a thoughtful remembrance post, and people making their own headcanon for why Twilight Sparkle is surreptitiously absent from the scene.

Screengrab via DeviantArt

There’s Phineas and Ferb fanfic that combines a 9/11 tribute concert with flashbacks to Ferb being rescued from the towers as a baby, written on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It jumps from introspection to lines like, “‘Quiet Perry the Platypus. I’m trying to listen to these kids singing a 9/11 tribute.’”

The author's notes make it more likely that they meant for this to be a tribute piece, but it doesn’t quite make sense until watching a YouTube dramatic reading of it from 2020, fully embracing the absurdity of it all.

“For me, 9/11 is synonymous with war. It completely changed the course of my life," Dreadnought, the author of a Captain America fanfic Baghdad Waltz that sees Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes fall in love over the course of the war on terror, told Motherboard. "It’s the reason I joined the military, and I developed deep connections with people who would go on to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. These very much felt like my generation’s wars, perhaps because people I graduated high school with were the youngest folks eligible to serve at the time.”

Dreadnought told Motherboard that although they didn't deploy, their career has kept 9/11 and the trauma from it in their mind. After seeing that people who fantasize about Steve and Bucky getting together seemed particularly interested in reading fanfiction that related to 9/11, they decided to try their hand at it.

"I had to do something with all of that emotionally, and I’m admittedly a bit emotionally avoidant. So I learned through fic that it’s easier for me to process those feelings and the knowledge of all the awful stuff that can happen in war if I can turn it into something creative," Dreadnought said. "Give the feelings to fake people and then have those fake people give the feelings to readers!"

To Dreadnought, who is a queer man, the experience of researching and writing this was more cathartic than they first expected, especially as a way to navigate feelings about masculinity, military culture, and queer identity. But they said the research they did, which included watching footage of first responders at ground zero, was what helped them finally process the event itself.

"It was like a delayed horror, and it was more powerful than I expected it would be." Dreadnought said. "When I was eighteen, I was pretty emotionally divorced from 9/11; I just knew I wanted to do something about it. So coming back to it in my 30s while writing this fic, it was a very different experience. Even the research for this story ended up being an extraordinarily valuable exercise in cognitively and emotionally processing 9/11 and all of its second and third order effects."

Fanfiction that features 9/11 provides an outlet for people who still grapple with the trauma from that day. But Stitch warns that the dynamics of fandom and how it relates to politics can also create fiction that's less respectful and more grotesque.

"With years of distance between the stories written and the original events of 9/11, there seems to be some sort of cushion for fans who choose to use those events as a catalyst for relationships—and Iraq and Afghanistan for settings," Stitch said. "The cushion allows them room to fictionalize real world events that changed the shape of the world as we know it, but it also insulates them from having to think about what they may be putting into the world."

The tendency of turning these events into settings or backgrounds for mostly white, male characters to fall in love has the unintended effect of displacing the effects that the war on terror has had on the world over. Steve and Bucky might fall in love during the war on terror, but they would also be acting as a part of the American military in a war that has been criticized since it started. Fanfic writers in other fandoms have come under fire for using real world tragedy as settings for fic before. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake Supernatural fanfiction about the actors Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki going to the island to do aid became controversial within the fandom. There have also been fics where characters grapple with the death of George Floyd that is written in a way that displaces the event from the broader cultural context of race in America.

"A Captain America story where Steve Rogers is a 'regular' man who joins the US Army and 'fights for our freedom' post-9/11 is unlikely to deal with the war’s effect on locals who are subject to US military intervention," Stitch said. "It’s unlikely to sit with what Captain America has always meant and what a writer is doing by dropping Steve Rogers into a then-ongoing conflict in any capacity."

After enough time, “never forget” can even morph into “but what if it never happened?” A 19k+ word Star Wars alternate universe fanfic asks this question, wondering what would have unfolded if someone with two lightsabers was on United Flight 93. This fic, part of a larger fanfic series with its own Wikia, considers what would have happened if Earth was a military front in the Clone Wars.

In this version of events, a decorated general who served in the Clone Wars is able to take back control of Flight 93 before it crashes, landing safely and preventing even more tragedy from happening that day. In the end, all of the passengers who made harrowing last calls to their loved ones before perishing in a Pennsylvania field survive thanks to the power of the Force, and are awarded medals of honor by President Bush.

Twenty years after the attacks, it’s painful to think about what would have happened if people got to work 15 minutes later, or missed their trains that morning. There weren’t Jedi masters deployed to save people in real life, but for some of the fanfic writers working today, the world of Star Wars might feel just as removed as the world before September 11, 2001.

Fiction serves as a powerful playground for processing cultural events, especially generational trauma. The act isn't neutral though; a decade's worth of fanfiction that takes place on or around 9/11 shows how our own understanding of a traumatic event can shift with time.

How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[voltrition]

Would it be possible for a Alien Princess Reader x Blade Keith?

(I’m sorry it’s my first time asking for these kind of things)

I like this request cause I can go poetic angst. Here is my best effort (and by that I mean here is some trash cause I can’t write to save my life). Again, I’m sorry for all of these being so late all the time. Went through a low point but I’m up and running ^^;

Warnings: capture and slight mentions of death and blood. its war so u get it also fluff

Blade!Keith X Alien Princess!Reader: Found

Loosing a kingdom was gut-wrenching. A once prosperous and lively planet where peace reigned supreme above all else; no one had ever desired to disturb the land and it’s people... that is until about a week ago.

7 days prior to the current date, the Galra Empire had invaded the planet of (planet name), your home, with it’s dark poisonous grasp spreading like a plague throughout the planet’s surface without any mercy. Despite the army’s valiant efforts to stop the empire from flooding in, the kingdom was soon left devastated and in ruins. Families became broken through spirit and numbers as they lost one another in the wreckage, in the rush to find safety, and most of all in the bloodshed. Some were lucky, if you could even call it that, as their lives were spared in favor of becoming prisoners- some might wish for death rather than being a puppet, a source of information, an experiment, or the Galra’s sick idea of entertainment.

And so you were. A captured princess, without a clue as to where your family could be- dead or alive- and only the willpower in your veins left to keep going. But the situation was impossible. As every minute past, on your knees and chained by the wrists in what once was your Father’s throne room now tarnished with despotism. Your mind raced with thoughts and ideas of some way to get out of this alive and if not save the kingdom or even a small portion of it, then at least yourself. You knew it was selfish... but what else could you do? It’s not like it mattered anyway. Everything was lost and soon you’d lose your life as well. Your head hung low, knees beginning to become sore from the hard surface below you as old tears began to dry on your cheeks as you heard heavy footsteps in your direction, calling your attention up to find a large brute Galra man towering above you with a terrifying presence. “My, my, princess,” he snarled with an evil grin, “what a lovely home you have here. On behalf of the empire we thank you for your hospitality.” He knelt down on a padded knee and pinched your face between his thumb and index finger uncomfortably. “It’s a shame you can’t stay longer- Lord Zarkon’s orders- you are a beauty. I could’ve had a nice pet,” he purred lowly, trailing his thumb over your lips. Growling, you instinctively bit him, successfully drawing blood. If looks could kill, he wouldn’t be standing here right now. No one in this room would be and your kingdom would be as it was. The soldier- or captain, rather- stood quickly, calling out in shock. “Why you little-” he started, before you cut him off. “You won’t get away with this! You, your troops, and your precious Zarkon will see your end soon enough. Even if you kill me now and burn this planet to ashes, your actions will catch up to you in the end and you will fail,” you sneered, venom on your tongue. The performance, even you yourself must admit, was quite convincing, but you knew that your words betrayed your inner thoughts. Your heart was saturated in doubt and your mind grew weary as hope seemed to dwindle faster then ever. Maybe dying was the best thing to do... or at least the only option left. Just as the commanding officer was about to speak again, he found himself stopped once more by a lower ranking soldier. “Sir! We are being breached- what should we do?” “What? How?! Get those doors barricaded and get more soldiers on it! No one is going to make it in here- do I make myself clear?!” The man barked orders, a hint of fear lacing his otherwise authoritative tone. Without a word, but simply a nod, the other galra man quickly went to work, sounding alarms and typing in commands into his own computer. It surely couldn’t get worse. For a moment everything seemed at peace. A small grace period that only lasted less than a second but seemed to prolong in this one room. The tides were changing. All at once chaos ensued once more but instead of a terrifying sense of defeat, a new rush of hope came bursting through the large doors just before they were able to double up on the barricades. Wide eyed, you watched as these unfamiliar masked... heroes?... began to sweep through the throne room, their blades swiftly cutting down robots and men who were unwilling to back down like butter. The larger of the three mysterious men, who you still couldn’t quite gest a grasp on in terms of their purpose here, spoke with a cool smooth voice as he told the others to hold their positions. He leaned into his com and confirmed to his comrades that the “base” was secured. Secured for what? The next, medium sized of the three, masked man had the Galra commander on his knees, arm locked behind his back. “That’s enough struggling, you’ve lost.” Lost? Already? and why; who are these people? You thought perhaps they were soldiers of a nearby planet who may have heard destress signals and came to your rescue- but then if that were the case, there surely would have been more of them. Finally, the smallest of them all, a shorter leaner boy, sheathed his blade away after it shrunk in size (magical), and walked over to you. Instinctively, you had bitterly shied away from his hand when he had knelt down to assess you. He was noticeably taken aback by your glare. “It’s okay, princess, we are here to rescue you.” His words left a bitter pit in your stomach. “Rescue” what a thing to have been reduced to. Unable to shake your anger you spat out questions. “Who are you; what do you want with me?” The boy put his hands up and motioned for you to calm down.  “Whoa whoa, calm down. I know you might have a lot of questions but there’s not a lot of time. We will be more than happy to answer your questions when we are well out of range, but you have to come with us now.” He tried once more to reach for your chains, but you pulled away again before he could even come close.  “And just how am I supposed to believe that? How am I to know you aren’t just taking advantage of this attack and taking me to be sold somewhere for money? Besides, I hardly know anyone who would be trusting enough to be “rescued” by anyone who wont even show their faces.”  “Hurry, boy, we don’t have much time.” The big one warned. Sighing, knowing there was no time to argue, the youngest lowered his head and removed his mask, revealing to you a human boy with jet black hair, and the kindest gray eyes you’d ever seen. It was enough to bring a blush to your cheeks. He looked to be about your age and clearly had a lot of secrets behind those eyes if the scar on his cheek wasn’t telling enough of that fact. “We are the blades. My name is Keith, and we are here to help. Please, come with us and you’ll be safe. I promise.” The sincerity of his words were much easier to make out now that the mask wasn't muffling his voice and it honestly gave you no reason not to trust him. Funny how that works, huh? Frowning in defeat, you grumbled, “f-fine... get these chains off me and let get out of here.” You had come to realize quite fast that if these men were here to get you now instead of your mother or father, then they were likely a lost cause in one way or another. You could cry about it later, but as this “Keith” had said already, there was not enough time right now. So you allowed him to free you and lead you back into a ship and out of orbit.  -------------------- It had been months since that day now. And all this time you had been coping with the loss of your kingdom, your family, and all your loyal subjects. But the one thing- the one light in your endless dark tunnel- was Keith. He promised you that day that he’d never leave you alone and that you’d at least always have him by your side. He knew what it was like to loose the ones you loved- heck, he didn’t even meet his own mom until late. But he offered you so much when you had so little. It wasn’t long before you ended up being a plus one in the Voltron crew and then you had learned that not only was he a blade, but also the pilot of the black lion. His mom became your mom at some point, and you had related with Allura on a lot of things beyond your shared traumas. All the while he kept his promise. You were safe and happy, although you were sure your past would always haunt you, it was easily snuffed out by this boy. And now you couldn’t be without him. Now, sailing over the stars in the atlas, you found yourself alone with Keith watching the far abyss together like you had grown accustomed to doing quite often. His leaned his weight on his hands a you both sat back, your head resting on his shoulder and your knees tucked up, arms secured around them. His legs were outstretched comfortably, a faint smile on his lips as well as your own. “I could stay like this forever,” you smiled. “Out in space?” “...with you,” you decided. Keith felt his cheeks heat. It was true that you both had grown a liking to each other and often sat close like this, but never had a confession passed either of your lips. “That’s a bold statement, princess. Are you sure I’m the best option?” You lifted your head from his shoulder and looked up at him. “And why wouldn’t you be?” Keith shrugged, eyes still trained on the space on the other side of the window. “I mean... I’m short tempered, ill mannered at times, definitely don’t have a real skillset other than fighting and piloting, plus I’m not very romantic.” “Keith, stop it, you are plenty good. I like all those things about you and I certainty don’t need you to be any specific way. Romantic or not, I like you for you and that’s all.” You placed a gentle hand to his cheek, successfully gaining eye contact. “If it wasn’t for all that you are, I likely wouldn’t be here now. I owe you my life, Keith.” As a man who never got much praise aside from Voltron successes, Keith was moved. To think that someone could actually believe these things and just- rely of him like the girl in front of him did. He supposed he could just be good enough to be able to have her. “I still feel like I’m out of your league. But if you say so, the I believe you. I’m also grateful for you, (Y/N). I can’t help but feel connected to you and now I can’t see myself away from you.” You smiled warmly, a cute blush on your cheeks now. “My thoughts exactly.” Gently, you guided his face closer to yours, urging him to press his lips against yours. It was about the sweetest feeling you’ve ever had and it warmed your heart. It didn’t take long for Keith to gain some confidence and kiss you once more deeper and longer, his hand cradling your head lovingly.  Slurrrp “Hate to rain on your parade, but I need the room to recode the navigation system.” Pidge held a soda can, standing there in her pajamas. “Pidge!”

[gon2ba1e]

MK11: My thoughts (positive)

I have very mixed feelings about this game. Not just on its own but also in comparison to the most recent previous games. On one hand, it has blown my mind with exciting new stuff. On the other hand, it left me bitterly disappointed. For now, I’d like to share what impressed me about MK11.

Part 1

1. Shang Tsung

First and foremost, this man totally captured my attention the moment his trailer was dropped. With his inclusion in Mortal Kombat Aftermath, Shang Tsung easily became the best thing about MK11. It helps immensely the sorcerer of Outworld is voiced by the OG actor from 1995′s Mortal Kombat Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. He’s still got it! Shang Tsung’s cold and calculating demeanor, his deceptive ploys, and his fighting style were amazing to say the least. Having him being the creator of Kronika’s crown was an excellent, as well as him using the crown for himself. And, as heartless as this may sound, but I much prefer Shang Tsung’s final ending. He deserved that win and I’m no goodie two shoes. I genuinely hope to see more of Shang Tsung in the future.

2. Spawn

I was first introduced to Spawn via Screwattack’s Deathbattle. I knew right then and there Spawn was a badass. After watching some of the TV show and his movie, this fact was further solidified. Spawn’s god like powers, no bullshit attitude, and stellar voice actor Keith David make Spawn the King of the Mortal Kombat universe. I also love how they tease the familial relationship between Malebogia and Kronika’s family. It would make a kickass spin off series. Plus, this Hellspawn has the most bitchin set of foul language dialogue. He easily towers over everyone else. Hands down, Spawn is the most dope DLC character NRS decided to include in Mortal Kombat 11.

3. Mileena

I always thought Mileena was one of the more interesting characters of Mortal Kombat. Her upbringing was crazy and her development as a pinnacle part of Mortal Kombat was fascinating. I especially liked Mileena in MKX. I was admittedly sad when I witnessed her death scene (Fuck you D’Vorah). Like everyone else in the Mortal Kombat community, I was thrilled to hear Mileena was to be added in the Mortal Kombat roster. Like Shang Tsung and Spawn, Mileena’s gameplay trailer blew my mind. Her intro dialogues was also just as entertaining. The intros I love most are the ones where Mileena perfectly imitates Kitana’s voice. I was fucking speechless. Mileena’s hybrid fighting style, her unwavering savagery, and brilliantly talented voice actress Kari Wahlgren were a real treat to have. I can say without a doubt Mileena is the most vicious character in the Mortal Kombat roster. She’ll always be one of my favorites. 

4. 1995 Mortal Kombat actor skins

As someone who watched the original film at a young age, I was stoked to hear NRS brought back the original actors for Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, and Christopher Lambert. Though they may not have been top notch with their voice acting, I very much noticed the effort they each put in. I was anything but disappointed. Some of the intros the original three voiced are better than the ones done by the MK11 voice actors. Props to NRS on this decision. I appreciated the nostalgia.

5. Friendships

For a game containing some of the most graphic violence, it was comforting to see Friendships added to the game. Many of them surprised me. Some of them I loved. Some of them I didn’t. My favorites include Jax Briggs, Mileena, Fujin, Scorpion, Rambo, Robocop, Kung Lao, and Lui Kang. Jax had the most entertaining friendship. Mileena had the most adorable. Fujin, Rambo, and Kung Lao reminded me of activities I did or wanted to do as a kid. Robocop was very much fitting for his character. Overall, very well done on the friendships.

[thejudgingtrash]

Well. I’ve gotten quite the reactions to my hot takes//unpopular opinions. So here’s part two! For everyone new, here’s part one!

Percy radiates the blandest straight energy. I don’t see why you people think he’s bi

Hazel > Frank > (Leo > Piper) > Jason and that’s that story (Leo and Piper can switch positions)

Everyone giving Percy some heat for not realizing that Annabeth had a crush on him is fucking stupid. Shit is going down, he’s an insecure boy who got a lot of flag in a very short time by everyone in his environment and you think he’s supposed to dive nose deep into some coochie? Damn y’all are some horny bastards

People that still bash on Perachel (and I’m saying that as a hardcore Percabeth shipper) and harass those shippers should just walk out of the fandom

Hazel‘s background story is a gigantic fucking mess and should have been kept in the drafts

All the godships (Caleo, that whole Walt/Sadie/Anubis thing) across all series are trash

Jason’s death in TOA was cheap as fuck. He should’ve died in HOO and not as a side character in another bland sequel

People that don’t realize that Paul magically doesn’t erase/fix the abuse that Percy and Sally have suffered from are... fun. More on my stance on Paul here

Leo was always fucking annoying but pre-MOA Leo is someone we can deal with

Percy is the only dude with a beard and chest hair. Everyone else looks like they’ve glued three pubic hairs into their faces

Making Piper rely on the white man is a huge fucking no

The fact that every important kid/protagonist is a descendant from one of the 12 Olympians and not a kid from a minor god in the follow up series proves that neither the gods nor Rick Riordan have changed. Luke’s funky ass proves that even Riordan’s a douche in that regard

If you think that Percy is going to disrespect Sally in her own house by doing some intricate cooch research with Annabeth you are fucking mistaken

The musical as wonderful as it may be, isn’t canon. It’s another artist‘s interpretation of a work. Riordan giving it a thumbs up doesn’t mean jack. Using the musical as an argument is meh at best

People that ask in 2020 why Riordan‘s works are problematic are the same people that type ’Google‘ into Google

I can’t stress this enough but Annabeth’s favorite song is Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith

Pretty sure Annabeth’s hair equals a rats nest 90% of the time. Princess curls where? Is she hindering missions because she isn’t done with deep conditioning? Bitch is a walking mess!

The fact that both Underworld kids are time travelers that just seem to manage modern times all too fine is fucking stupid

Also people that are forgetting that Nico is Italian, not Italian-American are tiring. The likelihood of him understanding racial issues of Italians in the US are next to none

Also a bunch of people have accents and slang which would’ve made everything funnier

Riordan really loves to make his latinx characters bland and awful, huh?

Too many people lack basic reading skills part II

The fact that people are seriously fighting over the pronunciation of a shipping name/neologism is pathetic to the max. Pronounce it however you want. Who gives a shit? People disagreeing on something doesn’t hinder you in any way

On that note, Percabeth is an awful ship name. Why not choose Seaweed Brain? It was already there. It was a given. It was sweet and easy to digest

The only iconic female performer that Percy willingly listens to is Her Majesty Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Meg is fucking annoying, more so than Leo

Same goes for Lavinia

Same goes for Alex Fierro from the bits I’ve read

The scavengerhunt plot that Riordan set up to mark Hera as the evil queen is the messiest and dumbest plot device of HOO. Periodt

Cecil Markowitz‘ portrayal is fucking racist

Same goes for Julia Feingold

Same goes for Samirah Al-Abbas

Hades would’ve never had kids outside of his marriage. Sorry team Nico & Bianca

The Trials of Apollo are so forgettable and bland I can’t recollect anything that happened apart from Jason being turned into kebab and missing lesbian rights for Reyna

Classisists coming for Riordan are morons at best. This series is meant for kids. As shitty as the gods are portrayed (and we all agree that the portrayal could’ve been waaaay better) there’s only so much one can do for a middle school audience. Also the gods aren’t the focus of the series. Shouldn’t you be happier about the fact that Riordan gets more kids interested in Greek Mythology?

On that note, Poseidon is a piece of shit and not the cool dad

Hellenistic polytheists have more reasons to be offended as Riordan bashed their views on their religion (sorry guys)

Everyone who is trying to erase Grover as Percy’s best friend deserves to get hit with a deadly chancla

That also goes for everyone that has no issues with applying racist canon to fanart (Piper with feathers, light eyes for poc, giving Annabeth Trump‘s tanning treatment)

Annabeth Chase is white

Percy and Jason aren’t friends. Idgaf.

Realistically speaking Thalia would’ve immediately dipped the hunters after Kronos funky ass got defeated

Pretty sure you would be able to smell a demigod from a mile away. When do these stinky bastards have the time to take a shower?

Annabeth needs some therapy with a focus on managing her aggressive outbursts. That judo flip wasn’t cute. The fuck.

Apart from that I still stan bold, unapologetical asshole Annabeth

Why are all the kids either dead poor or fucking millionaires? Does the middle class not exist? Will the next series in the Riordanverse be about the struggles of capitalism?

The tattoos from Camp Jupiter make absolutely no sense as Romans thought that tattoos are barbaric. And no, saying it’s a modern spin is fucking stupid especially when New Rome is build with the old rules, principles and ways in mind. Slave branding your child soldiers is a fucking no from me

New Rome having fucking child soldiers

The fact that all protagonists basically jump onto the praetor‘s position in little to no time is stupid. Why place the rule that you have to work your way up in the first place when you basically can just toss nickels at passerby’s and get the spot?

The Tower of Nero will be worse than Blood Of Olympus