#he is a good man with a strong moral compass and would see through her facade in zero seconds flat

[rise-my-angel]

I am here for your takes on Dani. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought her x Jon smelled of hot garbage. Like at best she was meh, and then when the two of them met I was just like "oh no....you're an entitled bitch". And now that its been years since I last consumed GoT, my thoughts have fermented into "oh no, she really is a conqueror" "oh no, everyone loves her because 'pretty badass lady'" "oh no i'm the fandom minority again". Anyway, where was I. She and Jon had no chemistry. The end.

The *only* way putting them in a romance even makes sense in concept is when you realize Benioff and Weiss gave Jon the Young Griff arc. It's why they gave him a Targ name, beacuse if they call him "aegon" then they can fufill that part of the books without ever having to establish Young Griff as his own character. He is the supposed son of Rhaegar Targaryean and Elia Martell, he goes to Westeros with intentions of using his better claim to take the throne and intends initially on marrying Dany, and it's theorized heavily that Dany will see his claim as a threat and the Burning of Kings Landing will come down to Aegon against Dany.

Jon Snow has nothing to do with that. He is a moral opposite to Dany as a charecter, and we've seen him time and time again be at strong odds against people with her morals. But by giving him the Young Griff arc, it means putting him into the romance spot when it makes no sense for him.

Hey I put a read more beacuse I cannot shut the fuck up about how this relationship is just rape and abuse but beacuse Jon's a man we think he wants it.

All of season 7 Jon is so out of place because he doesn't belong anywhere near Dany's Iron Throne plot, and he's being forced to interact romantically with a charecter that clearly he does not like as a person and is uncomfortable with.

But, Dany is the sacred cow of the GoT/asoiaf fandom. You love her and if you critizize her for villanious actions or morals then you are using bad faith towards her. While I personally don't like her, I don't mind other people liking her but I despise that her stans all refuse to allow any conversation about her being a morally bad person. A person who enjoys cruelty and death, enjoys creating fear and is smug when she can control others. That is not a person Jon would love, let alone even respect.

Their entire relationship wreaks of abuse, of Jon being forced into this and knows he cannot leave it without risking his and his families lives. Remember when Tyrion gave a very small level critisism of her actions and she angrily accused him of treason and siding with his family instead of her? Well what do people think would she have done, if her attraction to Jon was refused? Someone who she took all the defenses away from, all the power from, and could have killed at any moment (dont make an ygritte comparison mimi dont make an yrgitte comparison this is a different anti jon x fandom female fave charecter post).

I don't care how the show frames it, or what the intent was. What we got on screen, was Jon Snow being held prisoner to an immoral, cruel, military conquerer. And when that woman was attracted to him, she essentially forced herself into his life and gave him all but no choice. The Jon bending the knee scene and..the uh...boat...scene...later...uhhh....anyways, those to me feel so out of charecter. You cannot convince me Jon did any of this willingly. He is clearly trapped in this situation and cannot leave and is only with her beacuse she is violent and bloodthrirsty. But beacause Jon is a strong, capable man, it's not talked about as if he's the victim and that is insane to me. (Oh my good god the ygritte comparisons are almost laughable send help).

I don't consider a lot past season 5 to be canon, but if I am forced too, then I refuse to accept Jon was a willing participant in that relationship.

Jon's parentage reveal will always be about the revelations of his mother, and the understanding and acceptance of WHY Ned raised him the way he did. And how it was both his parents, his mother and his adopted father who loved him and kept him safe. The very fact that Young Griff's entire story is based around whether or not he truly is Rhaegar's son as opposed to that being a twist reveal is beacuse HE is the charecter whose Targaryean links is the important one. Jon's story is about him as Stark, and is always shown to be the moral opposite of Dany.

Their relationship in the best senario is not canon, but if it has to be, then there is no world in which Jon is there of his own free will. He is being forced into this relationship against his will. But considering his other love interest was another charecter who essentially forced him into a relationship against his will, and we were supposed to root for that tells me all I need to know.

Dany is a sacred cow charecter, and her stans are unreasonable in defending her. When you can like a charecter and critize them for their actions. Ned Stark was an idiot for ever trusting Petyr Baelish, Catelyn Stark's spiteful attitude and neglect of Jon Snow is was abusive behavior, Theon Greyjoy was a moron who ruined his own life for a father who long since abandonded him. Bam all charecters I love and there are some major flaws that I refuse to defend them for but thats also what makes them good charecters. Their flaws arent writing flaws, they are personal flaws for them as people.

Dany is not allowed to have personal flaws she is always to be justified even with incredibly bad faith defenses, but when she is flawed it's the writings fault not hers. Dany is a cruel, sadistic, controlling, military tyrant who enjoys watching her subjects fear her and her dragons. And she forced Jon Snow into a relationship with her beacuse otherwise then he is against her and we already knew she has no use for people who dont support her to be alive.

Jon Snow deserved better then to have both his love interests be domineering, controlling, abusive women who forced him into a romantic and sexual relationship.

Also, I mean, incest being normal is only a learned trait from Targaryens supporting their own blood purity. Jon was not raised to think incest is normal. Dany thinks its normal beacuse she and Viserys both were raised to think that, and Young Griff thinks marrying Dany is normal beacuse he too was raised with the mentality that Rhaegar would've been raised with. Jon finding out Dany was his aunt would've had Jon looking right at Sam and just

[soarrenbluejay]

Supervillains for a community. (Well, except those jerks over in Gotham, insular lot, but they’re they’re one problem) Of course they do- supervillains are a group defined by strong opinions and a willingness to see them through, often with a healthy dash of societal failures and trauma as a catalyst.

The fentons, while not active even on the online message boards, are well known and explosive when they do show up, full of fascinating insights and hours long rants on mad science on hair pin turns courtesy of that ADHD attention span. Bit of the cryptids you feel honored to bump into kind of deal. Besides, like a good quarter of the community as it aged, they’d settled down and had kids (not necessarily in that order) and taken it very seriously! Out in the middle of nowhere, where even the most fearsome government outpost members, the local branch of the IRS, quake before them in fear. Out of the way.

Reveal gone okay-ish, Danny moves to Gotham still to get some air bc now things are Akward and he landed that engineering scholarship which is loads better than any other college would give him with his track record. So- the mysterious Fenton children are finally crawling out of hiding! Everyone is psyched! And roll in to Gotham en masse to witness the fireworks!

Except Danny is Determined To Be Normal. He’s had enough of the throwing himself into harms way shit for a lifetime- he wants to be free to peacefully built Rube Goldberg machines and unintentional increasingly complex bombs to his hearts content. JAZZ, on the other hand- the coveted token Normal One, has finally snapped! She’s watched her baby brother she practically raised throw himself into danger over and over and could do nothing, and now that she’s exposed to this whole network of superheroes outside of small town Amnity, some of those uglier emotions are coming out. And boy is she pissed! And can’t afford to show it much while filing the paperwork to have Arkham legally razed to the ground!

See I love this idea of like, niches in superhero society. A villain the heroes know they can plop their kiddo down with for an exciting afternoon brawl while they take care of a particularly grisly case and come back to a few hours later ranting about some new life lesson and a new move they really want to try. A villain who has a functioning moral compass despite their somewhat batshit long term goal and you can contact to fuck with another villains’s plan so they can laugh at them and you can have an easy afternoon. One who pries up hostile architecture and fills in pot holes, idk man. Get creative here, there’s such potential!

So Jazz becomes a Training villain- someone the heroes know their sidekicks will walk away from in a fight 100% of the time, usually with some new lesson to ponder and only a couple of bruises. Sometimes even snacks!

She also absolutely ambushes mentors to check that they’re worth the kiddo, which they appreciate once they get over being jumped in a dark alley by a 7 foot Amazon trained force of nature. They are not used to being on that side of the jumping, it’s a little unnerving.

(Yes, she low key adopts Shazam upon checking in with him on cursory ‘is the main hero of this city and asshole’ checkin. Yes, the super clones get yoinked out from under Superman’s negligent thumb to go have a blast with Ellie. What about it?)

This however only encourages more assorted weirdos to crawl out of the woodwork. It’s not often one of their own forfeits their potential spot for the running of the coveted Most Normal I Swear prize, but when they do it’s bound to be good! But jazz is off hounding various heroes and punching the faces in of pedophiles and shit whenever there’s no cape within easy reach, and so is a mite bit harder to contact than Danny, who has innocently gotten an apprenticeship under a clockworker for access to their workshop and is gleefully going about doing nerdy shit with great abandon.

Plus this is Gotham. No one gives a shit if someone in the Mad Alchemist uniform and still smoking from their latest experiment pokes their head in a window to bother the local shrimp teen- none of the usual social rules apply, everyone’s crazy here! So everyone drops any and all attempts at masking and just acts their genuine unhinged selves, much to the alarm of the Bats and frustration of Danny.

Bc he cannot get these mfers to go. Away. Even liberal use of the creep stick has little effect when the interloper is calibrated for an opponent with super speed or laser vision or whatever, and he’s trying to maintain his guise as a Normal College Student Do No Investigate.

So he calls in the big guns. He’s not super active in the supervillain kids group chat ever since things in amnity calmed the fuck down post becoming King and then immediately using a loophole that says he will not take the throne until he is grown, as defined by finishing learning his trade a la the medieval standards Pariah set up. So he can just take his sweet ass time with his graduate degree and out of inter dimensional bull shit that much longer! Point is, he hasn’t taken the chance to rant over there in a while, so his Crazy friends are getting a lil worried.

The change to come over and shout at their batshit crazy but (mostly) well meaning parent AND see Danny? Score!

The bats, however, are getting awfully suspicious about this one kid that villains from all over the country are flocking to, especially young and upcoming ones as of recently! And he’s acting his engineering course- all the worst rogues are known to have flown through their PhD studies prior to Cracking. They seem to have a real problem on their hands with this Fenton guy.

[spicyhamsamson]

I am. So fucking tired of Batman being portrayed as a bad parent and a toxic person. And it’s so goddamn widespread. Fuck, it might be as bad as the whole “Superman being a kindhearted Boy Scout is boring” take.

I get it, the man’s not exactly stable, he watched his parents get murdered in front of him and spent years of his life training to fight crime dressed like a giant scary bat, of course he’s not perfect.

But to say that Bruce Wayne isn’t caring, isn’t empathetic, to call him abusive…it just misses the point of who the character is to me.

Why do you think he fights crime? Yes, part of it is because he’s bitter and sad because his parents were cruelly ripped from him as a child, and he’s lashing out against the corruption of his city. It’s arguably the focus of his earlier years. But he learns to become more than that. He learns to bring hope, a chance to be better.

Harleen Quinzel is the Joker’s right hand lady, but she’s also a victim of an abusive relationship and a woman with a surprisingly strong moral compass and a love for animals, and wants to get better. That’s why we see time and time again that he has a noticeable soft spot for her, because he knows that she’s a good person at her core.

Harvey Dent is a man who will decide someone’s fate on a coin toss(and a pretty inaccurate depiction of DID), but he’s also Bruce’s close friend who clearly needs help learning to live with his condition, rather than try to get rid of it, and someone who he still goes out of his way to visit, even after everything, because he recognizes he’s not just a criminal with a weird gimmick, he’s a man who is struggling with a condition that he’s mishandled his whole life.

Victor Fries is a cold, emotionless man who will callously discard allies and blame them for being careless, but he’s also a man who’s either lashing out because he had the love of his life taken from him, or just desperate to make sure she isn’t taken from him, and is willing to do anything just to guarantee her survival. Of course Batman would understand, his whole life was defined by having people he loved taken away from him.

Even the Joker, arguably one of the most morally bankrupt characters in all of fiction, is someone that Batman has offered a chance to. After the guy shoots the daughter of his friend, a girl he cared for like she was his own kid, and paralyzes her from the waist down, he tells the Joker that he doesn’t want to hurt him. He wants to get him help. He looks at this monster who has taken countless lives and says “You don’t have to be alone.”

For fuck’s sake, he sat with Joe Chill in his last moments so that he wouldn’t be alone. Joe Chill, the man who murdered his parents, who took so much from him, the person responsible for all of the misery and suffering he’s gone through. And he sits with the man to comfort him while dies. Do you know how much emotional intelligence and maturity that must take? To comfort someone who arguably ruined your life?

And you’re gonna tell me the man who did that would abuse his kids?

That he’d hold up the young man whose death was his greatest failure, the boy he grieved, and say this?

That he’d look his goddamn son in the eyes and say this to him?

Why the FUCK do you think he took in Dick Grayson in the first place? It wasn’t because he saw the kid and thought “Ah. A potential soldier.”, it was because he saw a boy experiencing the same heartbreaking loss he had so many years ago, and wanted to make sure he didn’t end up as bitter and miserable as he was.

Why do you think he smiled when Tim Drake presented him a broken watch for Father’s Day? Because he was just happy to see the boy alive and safe.

DAMIAN LITERALLY POINTED AT A COW AND SAID “I’m keeping her. She’s Bat-Cow.” AND BRUCE JUST WENT WITH IT. DIDN’T EVEN NEED TO ARGUE WHY BRUCE SHOULD LET HIM KEEP HER. HE SAID “this cow is my pet now” AND BRUCE SAID “aight, bet”.

The thing about Batman is that he wants to make sure nobody else ends up feeling the way he does. That’s not just about stopping a mugger so a boy’s parents aren’t gunned down. It’s about giving his loved ones the support and care that he couldn’t have, because it was taken from him. It’s about comforting someone who just went through a traumatic experience and letting them know that they’re going to be okay. It’s about going to someone locked away in a cell who thinks that they’re a lost cause and a burden to society and telling them that he wants to help them get better. It’s about EMPATHY and COMPASSION.

That’s what makes him a HERO. He’s meant to inspire us, to show us that we can have that same empathy for others around us, that we can turn our suffering into hope for a better future.

I just wish more people at DC would start recognizing that. But I might as well follow that example myself. Maybe through this struggle of having to see this hero mistreat the people around him and act like a grade-A jackass, people will start to recognize that missing compassion, and slowly but surely, it might come back. After all, what is this post, if not trying to bring attention to the matter in the hopes of fixing it?

[bisclavret]

there's a palpable missing link in gwen's characterization that the show has almost hinted at but never explored in a satisfactory way and after hours of riffing with @morganadismay i think it might be summarized with just. ambition? on a show as juvenile in its moral politics as bbc merlin ambition might be seen as a hunger for something and therefore a sinful bad thing so gwen just seemed to kind of seamlessly and elegantly rise to power, but honestly when you attribute a sense of ambition to her, the entire character that is guinevere clicks into place:

she has the most solid moral compass out of everyone in that castle - and she knows it. by her late teens she is already lady morgana's servant (morgana who, at this point, is the progressive and rebellious "adoptive" daughter of the king - perhaps someone to stay close to if you want to see reform?) and she flocks to merlin the second she sees him stand up to the prince. then, as soon as she realizes prince arthur actually listens to what she has to say and that it has an effect on his actions (makes him more progressive, open-minded, and class conscious) she subtly moves her interest from merlin and morgana onto him.

((affection is a propelling part of all these decisions, of course, anyone that's seen how gwen treats people doesn't doubt that it's with genuine love and kindness and care for their well-being. i'm just trying to argue that there's more to her than that, or rather that it's precisely this love that is driving her ambition as well:))

the show is written in such a way that only one person per episode can have a braincell so gwen's cleverness is often cast to the wayside so another character can have a go at using their brain, but we can all agree she is overall the smartest character out of the core four. and when you're as smart and full of love and worry as gwen is, it's intolerable to acutely feel the kingdom's injustices and do nothing about them. people often talk about how gwen is impossible to upset or make angry because she is just that empathetic and understanding and can easily put herself in people's shoes. these are definitely elements of gwen's personality, but i don't care how empathetic you are, when someone kills your dad - a sweet, innocent man - in the name of tyrannical ethnic cleansing of people with magic, you do not, you cannot brush it away. especially if you are as clever and empathetic as we know gwen to be.

and yet that's what she seems to do. in one of the most tone-deaf and frustrating and nonsensical conversations in the entire show, she tells merlin she would not kill uther, the mad tyrant king that just killed her fucking dad and is killing so many people on a daily basis, because then she would be just as bad as him. and i do think she believes this. because that's how she was written. however, there were other ways for her to show her displeasure with the royal family after they killed her literal dad. and she chose none. instead, she stayed close and hardly ever acknowledged her huge, enormous loss (elyan had been away for years and she had no mother to speak of - they killed her only family).

because she's strong? sure. but have you lost a loving parent? strength has nothing to do with what that sort of grief does to you. and i think it is precisely through that grief that gwen makes her choice to stick around and see this relationship with the royal family through as far as it can go. she lets her anger solidify into determination - determination to turn arthur into a better version of his father so these injustices have a chance at stopping once he's king.

she lets go of lancelot. she becomes more feminine, her hair longer and her corsets tighter every time we see her. she tolerates arthur's indecisiveness and brashness and morgana's increasing outbursts of cruelty. she never fully seems to expect to become queen, always quick to offer to let go of arthur for The Greater Good (merlin could take a page from her book), but that's precisely what makes her ambition a good trait. it's steadfast, it's logical, and the end goal isn't power for the sake of power. it's a slow, borderline sisyphean climb up the social ladder until she has stable enough footing to enact the reform that her contemporaries were too undiplomatic to achieve.

TL;DR you cannot get where gwen gets by the end of the show through true love or luck or a series of accidents. it would be a disservice to gwen's character to ignore the hints of calculating ambition in her actions and to pretend the compromises she had to make to get where she ends up were easy. what's amazing about her is that she is the sort of lovely, warm woman whose kindness could get taken advantage of until there is nothing left, but instead she turned her love and wisdom into an asset that helped her, essentially, win the game of thrones. i just wish the writers had let this side of her shine through.

[rebellionmoon]

Why I write a fanfic about a wierd guy who has an obsession with moss and teeth

this is the guy:

I think Illumi Zoldyck is a very complex character and my fanfic (Where Shadows Touch) is my way of exploring him. It's part character analysis and personal headcanons; a boy who was brought up to be a merciless killer but listens to Florence & The Machine for hours in his room, has a gifted mind in the natural sciences that manifested into collecting bones and moss and teeth in glass boxes stashed underneath his bed, and a voracious appettite of the macabre through books and movies to such a degree that it would even give R.L Stine a fright. And, most definitely, believed he deserved fangs ever since he was a young boy, and still does.

In this fic, I wanted to craft Illumi as his own person, and that he is so much more than the emotionless robot like what he is percieved to be. We see him laugh and smile and have an undying love for his family---though warped and dangerously obsessive. My fic is my attempt to answer why that is and how he is the man who he is today because he was born a Zoldyck and what that meant for his upbringing, as well as for the rest of his siblings as they all play crucial roles in this fic, just as they do in each others lives. Watching the anime, in ARCS where Gon and Killua are off on adventures, I always wondered what Illumi was doing during those absences. I wrote this fic to give myself that answer.

As for my female lead, Psyche Moiraio, I knew immediately that she has a strong moral compass, that is broken and irreparably beyond repair. I wanted a girl whose strong convinctions allowed her to stand on her own. An assassin in her own right, who believes she is capable of committing atrocities, but also good. She is a merciless killer, but a romantic at heart. This fic is just as much about her as it is about Illumi. At its core, it's about two broken people, that hopefully become a little more whole together. If they can overcome their own internal battles, learn that their abuse does not define them, and allow their truest selves to be vulnerable, seen, and accepted without judgement. And above all loved.

We are our most bravest selves in the shadows. That is the crux of Where Shadows Touch.

I hope, dear reader, that you give this fic a chance.

[quin-ns]

Inevitable (Kang the Conqueror x Reader)

Word count: 1.8K

Summary: you don’t know kang, but he knows you

Tags: antman and the wasp: quantumania spoilers!!, canon divergent, avenger!reader, one-sided affection, soulmates (kinda), denial

Request: anon: “Ohohoho the DRAMA of a Kang fic okok so how about an avenger who’s super powerful, and loves Scott as a friend and is a good person and has a strong moral compass, somehow they end up in the quantum realm with scott and cassie etc…. And when they meet kang it’s like he knows her… he shows her them in the future being lovers etc… it’s almost like they’re soulmates and she is horrified, she thinks he’s good looking but nuu he’s a bad guy…. How will it all turn out o.O”

A/N: loved this prompt- I did deviate a towards the end but still hope it lives up to expectations. kang was fun and interesting to write for. complex villains are the best ngl lol

Misc masterlist + main masterlist

You didn’t blame Cassie for her invention going haywire and pulling you all into the Quantum Realm. Still, it wasn’t exactly ideal.

When you, Scott, Cassie, Hope, Janet, and Hank all got sucked into the Realm, you all got separated. You, Scott, and Cassie ended up together thankfully. You could only hope that the others were all together as well.

The three of you did your best to stay out of trouble. Except that’s exactly what you got into because, well, who knows? Avengers seem to have bad luck. If you were superstitious you’d say that you and Scott both being there amplified that.

There was an attack by what you thought was a sun—you all quickly found out it wasn’t—and then some big purple… thing. You were saved, but then next thing you knew, you were being captured by what Cassie called quantum people.

Great.

They separated you and brought you to their weird town. It was a marvelous setting, but you didn’t exactly get to admire it all that much. The people surrounded you and chanted loudly, spiking your anxiety. At first you were scared, especially when they poured red ooze into your mouth. You suddenly could understand them.

The leader, Jentorra, warned you that because you were from above, he would be hunting you. The Conqueror. He didn’t sound like someone you wanted to be captured by.

The attack was sudden. Ships shooting blue lasers descended. Robots, or what you thought were robots, began to go after people. It was a mess. Some of them evacuated, some fought. You, Scott, and Cassie ran. You all knew that you were the targets and you couldn’t get captured. Not before finding the others. You saved as many people as you could along the way.

There was a giant floating metal head—MODOK is what it called itself—that stopped you.

Turns out, it was an old acquaintance of Scott (and sort of Cassie). Darren, they called him, showed his—maybe this was mean, but it was true—hilariously ugly giant face. He took you to a tower and divided the three of you into cells. Scott cracked some joke about how he had been in jail four times—one more than Cassie.

Darren revealed that he worked for the Conqueror, who built him into what he was. As it turned out, the Conqueror built a lot of what you were seeing.

You were pacing around your cell, trying to devise a plan, when the sound of heavy footsteps began to echo through the hall. It caught your attention. You watched as a man in a green and purple suit approached Scott. His face was veiled in blue and his eyes shone with the same color.

He walked right up to Scott’s cell and they began to conversate. You were diagonal to Scott and next to Cassie. You weren’t sure if the man even saw you.

You heard Scott tell him he was an Avenger, and the Conqueror casually asked if he’d killed him before. “I’ve killed so many, they start to blur together…” the Conqueror mused.

Scott asked who he was, the Conqueror told him he was the man who had lost time. He began to explain that he had a plan for Scott.

You couldn’t fully hear him, and you decided to speak before you could think to stop yourself. “Hey, if you’re revealing your evil plan, can you clue us all in?”

The Conqueror fell silent. He turned to face you. The moment he laid his eyes on, a chill ran through your spine. The blue mask was gone. You could see him more clearly now. The look on his face… there was recognition in his eyes. Sure, he said he’d killed the Avengers in other universes, but this didn’t seem like that.

“Oh, you…” the Conqueror said, seemingly surprised. Pleasantly surprised. “MODOK said there was one he never met. I didn’t know it was you. I should’ve, though.”

The fact that he was handsome threw you. You were expecting someone… scarier looking? Or more alien. Although you supposed not every villain you dealt with after Thanos would be like him.

“Am I that much of a surprise?” you asked, raising your brows.

“A bit,” he admitted. “You look so… well, like you.” The Conqueror approached your cell, Scott forgotten.

“Okay, what does that even mean?”

“I haven’t seen you in so long,” he sighed out. There was a longing in his eyes that seemed so out of place given everything you knew about the man. “It’s good to see you.”

“I don’t know you,” you told him, shaking your head.

“Oh, but you do,” he replied smoothly.

The barrier on your cell dissipated suddenly. The Conqueror extended his hand out to you, passing easily through the barrier that had once been.

“If you would come with me, Y/N.”

You hated the way he said your name. There was an unearned sense of familiarity. Despite the allure in his tone and the gesture of his hand, you ignored it. The Conqueror let out a sigh. He turned on his heel and began walking away. Slowly. Waiting for you to follow him like he knew you would.

You looked to Scott’s cell. His eyes found yours. He didn’t speak, but he was trying to warn you silently.

That was Scott, always looking out for you. But if you had a chance to negotiate, maybe get you all home unhurt. You had to try, right?

You stepped out of the cell. The Conqueror hadn’t gone out of sight. The moment he heard your movement, he halted his own. You didn’t know the man, but you could see the victorious smile he wore before he even turned to face you.

“I knew you couldn’t resist,” he said knowingly. You began walking towards him cautiously. “I have something to show you, dear. I think you’ll find it quite enlightening.”

You stopped next to him, jaw clenched. “Who are you?” you questioned. “I want a name.”

“Kang,” he revealed. “You can call me Kang.”

You nodded. Okay, that was something. You waited for him to lead the way, and he did. He didn’t offer his hand again, he realized you had no intention of making contact with him.

You looked over your shoulder one last time. You couldn’t see Cassie from the angle you were at, but you gave Scott an assuring look. The one he returned didn’t quite match your confidence.

“I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Kang revealed once the two of you were alone.

“Yeah, because this is what I had on my schedule today,” you replied sarcastically.

Kang let out a laugh. It was short, but genuine. It was an odd sound to hear from someone who’d sent an army to take out civilians. That reminded you that you in fact should be scared of him.

You arrived in what appeared to be the center of Kang's tower—or whatever the hell he wanted to call it. It didn’t matter what it was, it was where he had been leading you.

“What’s on your mind?” the Conqueror asked, looking your way. You were put off by sincere curiosity.

“Okay, what is going on?” You couldn’t keep it in any longer. “Why did you bring me here? Huh? Why just me?”

“Nice to know some things never change,” Kang said, mind distant for a moment. Then, his gaze refocused on yours. “You always were a curious one.”

“Stop talking like you know me!” you snapped.

Kang remained eerily calm. “But I do. That’s what I wanted to show you.”

Without further word, Kang turned his attention to—well, you weren’t sure what it was. Your best guess was something similar to a projector. He did something, you couldn’t tell what, but suddenly beams of light shot out of it.

In front of you was a projected image of… you? You weren’t alone, though. At your side was the Conqueror himself. His arm was around your waist and your head was resting against his shoulder. You were both dressed formally. You couldn’t tell where the two of you were or what you were looking at, though.

The way the projection displayed, you were staring into your own eyes. It was unnerving to say the least.

“I liked this universe,” Kang spoke up. You nearly jumped, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that he was at your side in reality as well. “We had a lovely wedding.”

Your head snapped to him, unable to believe his words. Kang looked at you and let out a content sigh. “We’re married in a lot of universes. And even in the ones where we aren’t, we’re bonded.”

“You must’ve forced me.” It was the only explanation you could think of. “You say you’ve killed the Avengers—I’d never abandon my friends to love someone who’d do that.”

“There was no force.” He sounded briefly offended before regaining composure. ���As for the ‘why’?” Kang allowed a small smirk to cross his face. “I won’t spoil the ending, dear, but I’ve seen it. I’ve seen every ending.”

“Why are you showing me this?” you asked.

“Because, I need your help. Well, you and your friend. Scott, right?” he finally recalled. “I need to get out of here,” Kang explained.

“I saw what you did to those people,” you argued. “Why would I help you?”

“My future directly impacts yours,” he explained simply. “If I get out of here, you could come with me.”

You let out a mocking laugh at that. “No way. I already told you, I’d never be with someone who has done the things you’ve done.”

He looked offended. Hurt, even? But it wasn’t like you lied. There was even a flash of anger but he regained composure.

Kang stepped close to you and you stepped back. Behind him, the holographic image changed. You and Kang. Then it changed again, then again. Picking up speed. You were watching as your future in hundreds of different universes played out. Different paths, different lives, but they all ended up the same way. With Kang.

He was proving a point.

“You and I are inevitable, Y/N. In every universe where we exist,” the Conqueror revealed calmly—calculating—and continued to approach you.

You shook your head. “No,” you stated firmly.

Kang tilted his head slightly, eyeing you curiously. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

It was right in front of your eyes and yet you refused to accept it. “I know it’s not true.”

“You don’t know anything,” he dismissed passively. Like he just knew he was right and didn’t see the need to genuinely argue. “Not yet, at least.”

It wasn’t until Kang’s hand rose to your face, his gloved hand brushing your cheek, that you’d realized you had fallen still in front of him.

“But you will see,” he revealed in a way that you could only label as ominous. “You always do.”

[fallingskiesandrisingseas]

More Poppy War content because I cannot sleep.

Chen Kitay is the most dangerous person in all of the books. He's more dangerous than the Trifecta, Nezha, Rin, Vaisra.

Because Kitay is fucking SMART.

Kitay holds the power over the greatest weapon Nikan has had since the Trifecta. Kitay can control the Last Speerly, can subject Rin to not having fire. And, if that doesn't work, suicide will end the Phoenix for good.

Kitay is a terribly competent soldier, able to fight off Nezha, who is regularly described as almost superhumanly adept in combat, for minutes before surrendering. Even better, Kitay knows Yin Nezha personally, deeply

Even worse, he's the smartest of them all, both strategically and absolutely. He has an eidectic memory which makes him capable of remembering everything he reads on the first try. He is able to understand new Hesperian technology in days, he's able to design a machine that makes Rin fly.

Kitay sits in the war room of the Dragon Lord, the richest and most powerful man in the empire, and is listened to because he makes so much damn sense. He could see the Dragon Lord's water campaign failure coming from miles away, is a strategical linchpin in the campaign of the Southern army. He is adept in personal strategy too, immediately correctly guessing why Vaisra would betray them, giving clear and sound reasons. He's, in conclusion, a brilliant commander.

And he's ruthless, when he wants to be. He breaks Rin's hands when they need to escape, he is able to design traps that kill dozens of soldiers when Sinegard is under attack. After that he manages to fight and survive the onslaught that is the siege on Sinegard, which means he must have taken lives. It happens to be Rin who narrates, who is very unreliable. Kitay is her blindspot. She wants him to be a good man, a hero. He's the most moral man in the series, but don't let that fool you. The fact that he is the best person in the Poppy War character gallery doesn't really mean much, when comparing him to, say, Rin or Daji. Kitay is willing to kill, and more than capable of it. That only he has a moral compass that still somewhat works doesn't make him a good man in the slightest.

He's mentally unbreakable, too. He survived Golan Niis with nothing but wit and cunning, he withstood interrogation for weeks at least. He manages to let the Phoenix run through his mind without the side effects on his reasoning that Rin seems to be suffering from. I'd argue that he's mentally about as strong as she is, but he is just not willing to fight her. Everyone else should rightfully be terrified if Kitay decides to come for you.

And we haven't even spoken about his wealth. Kitay is the son of the defense minister, one of the richest inhabitants of Sinegard, canonically lives in a mansion with servants. We should believe that his influence extends far beyond the city's walls.

Kitay will outhink you, outmanouver you, remember your every move, then stand back as Rin burns you to death after he figured out a way around you using your own tactics. He might not have a god, but he doesn't really need one, either.

The Pantheon knows he'd be way too powerful then.

[hatsue-exe]

snooze | rayleigh x fem!reader

summary: small bits of a relationship with the dark king, kinda of reader as shakky? 15/20 year age gap, ray and reader met after the roger pirates disbanded.

wc: 0.9k | cw: none

Being with Rayleigh is, surprisingly, refreshing.

He's great company, quiet and comforting most of the time, but also the easiest person to make conversation with, someone you could have actual discussions with that didn't turn into fights. And he's good. A good man, with a strong moral compass and sense of justice; a good lover, with a sweet tongue and the most attentive eyes, doing your body like nobody could.

Most of all, he's good for you. Silvers Rayleigh is an early bird, and waking up to fresh coffee with him made you enjoy mornings a bit more. He's organised and keeps you in line with him, you haven't missed a laundry day or slept with dishes dirty, and people were apparently right when they said your mood reflects your space. He's loyal, in his own way — you know he goes away for a while, sometimes you do too, but you can always come back to each other. There's never doubt that someone better will come along, no bittersweetness in your goodbye kisses. You part with a "see you, darling" and come back to the same welcome you'd give the other if you had just gone to get food on the next island. 

He's lighthearted, bantering with you while doing your hair. Brushing it, braiding it, you call it, he's got it. 

"I'm retired, love, we have all the time in the Grand Line."

"I'm aware, old man, just want to be sure you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Oh now I'm old? Cause last night I was…"

"Ray!"

His laugh thunders through his chest. It makes you laugh too.

On summer nights, he'd take you to look at the sky, teaching you little navigation secrets he learned in his time on the sea. Never in a cocky way, showing off how much he knows or belittling your knowledge. He was just stating facts, sharing things he loved and many times missed so dearly, still not used to the idea of not having them, and you were wise enough to learn from it.

Being with him made you a better version of yourself, even through the uncertainties.

"I'm not sure I like who I am, or even know who that is in the first place.", you whispered, back against his chest while you watched the moonlight and the waves.

"When people ask me about Roger, I never know what to say. He was just so… Himself. He was a great friend, the king of pirates, the worst singer I've ever heard. But those things always seemed to be parts of him, not what defined him. Maybe you're trying to put a finger on something none of us will ever be able to."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"You, for once. When I look at you, I see someone with so much passion, who thinks she has to be everywhere all at once. I see my insane lover who decided to waste her youth with an older man like me. Even if I could list all the things that are a part of you, when someone asked me about you, all of them would not be enough. I believe we're a bit more than just what meets the eye, that's all."

You digested his words while he took a sip of sake, putting his arm around your waist to pull you closer.

"It's a nice thought. How do I like this thing I don't see, then?"

"I've no idea. I just woke up one day and knew."

"That you like who you are?"

He smiled, kissing your forehead. "That I love you."

You had ups and downs, sure, but it was never devastating, voices were never raised. Sometimes you both needed a bit of space to cool off, although it never got in the way of the immense respect and care you had for each other. In the rare occurrence tears got to your eyes, Rayleigh would stop and apologise, hugging you tight and not letting go.

"I'm sorry, my love, I'm sorry."

"It's 'kay. I'm sorry too. And I love you." You sniffled a bit, his warm hold comforting, home.

"Love you so much."

Being with Rayleigh was a constant surprise.

"Ray, why are you looking at me like that?" you asked him, your sweaty bodies tangled under the sheets. "I know I'm great at it, but compose yourself."

He half chuckled, pulling you closer.

"I agree. However, I was thinking about something else."

"Enlighten me."

"How do you feel about marriage?"

"In general? Doesn't seem like a great idea. Seen many, most were shit. But you know what? When I think of you, of us, I'm willing to take a shot."

"Good to know."

Rayleigh pulled you to him again, kissing you, covering your body with his, and you knew you'd get very little sleep.

Now, many years later, from behind the counter, you couldn't quite see your husband's face as he talked to an excited black haired, straw hat wearing boy, but you could still tell by his voice what lines were popping up around his eyes, what hand gestures he was making. You loved him differently and all the same. It was still refreshing, however, you found a better word.

Being with Rayleigh was a blessing. And when he looks over his shoulder and smiles at you, you know he thinks so too. 

i got a bit philosophical with this one. been thinking a bit too much about the silver headed man i like, so i had to get it out of my system. hopefully this was it.

[sugudoe]

Hey there! New follower here 👀 heard your ask is open (disclaimer: it's been a while since I've sent asks so I forgot how to format these) I was wondering if you could matchmake me with a character of your choice 🫶🏼

My characteristics:

• I'm an academic girlie and like helping peoplel around me (I take a lot of leader roles in uni)

•I can be quite bitchy in a way because I don't tolerate shit (or you can call it headstrong)

•I think I have a pretty good moral compass

•Very reasonable and logical when it comes to problems

•People say that I'm an independent woman (I am but I also secretly want to be babied by my S/O

•Plays volleyball

•Physically chubby but confident with my body

•Loves books, reading, and dancing

Thank you so much! On another note I hope we can interact more in the future, I'm looking forward to new moots/friends on this app🫶🏼🥹

hii luv, first of all, i want to say that you seem like a role model, i love intelligent strong woman! and pls, let’s interact, i would love to as well.

✶ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: nanami and gojo.

ps: this are different relationships, not a throuple.

The thing that made Nanami Kento entranced by you was your strong input on whatever displeased you. Some people might think you’re an unpleasant company, but he loves to hear your complains on anything, mostly because he shares them as well. You both are the couple that “tsk.” whenever anyone pisses you off, and side eye each other, as a way of saying “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

This man loves your independence, he is a feminist (that’s a fact), he encourages you to do anything in this world, says it’s all yours to conquer. But, let’s be real, you haven’t payed for anything since he started to take you out. You dare whine, although is something you secretly loves, Nanami just smirks. He knows you, this facade you are putting only makes his smile larger. Nanami believes your money is yours and his money is for the both of you.

Your relationship is a very mature one, something the two of you are grateful for, because whenever a problem arrives or there is a slightly miscommunication, you sit down and talk your feelings to the other — that’s how you both have engraved in your minds the other’s mannerisms.

Whatever your job is, your academic inclination makes you his students’s favorite person to go whenever in need of help. Yuuji is always scratching his head with homework but you teach him well, Megumi is smart himself and just need clarification in some topics, while Nobara tries to girly talk with you. Your way of teaching her is through painting her nails and pretending the subject is gossip, as a result, her grades are top of the class.

Nanami tries to give you space when the students are over at your house individually, studying in your dinning table, but he’s always pulled by something and sits on your sofa, catching glimpses of you teaching, it makes his heart swell with pride and love — he hopes in the future is you with your babies, actually.

Nanami, as said before, loves to spoil you. He knows all your tastes, once every three weeks he stalks your cart from your favorite stores’s app and chooses what to buy. All is gifted to you with a bouquet of different flowers surrounding your favorite one and sweets. The audacity he has to be the most perfect man ever.

He does take you by surprise with a small weekend getaway for a little island, presenting you with tanning, all massages he can provide and playing volleyball with you. He is not as good as you, but Nanami can make some points. He blames the sand or sun on his skin, forgetting he have sunglasses on.

You love your body, Nanami loves it more. He likes to buy the dresses for your most expensive date nights, all eyes on you, but only his matter. He knows that, that fuels him a lot. Seeing you in summer dresses and bikinis does make him salivate — is summer, hot and sweaty, but he is by your side all the time. You haven’t applied sunscreen on your self since you arrived, his hands do it for you.

Every night on the trip, and every night on your home dates, Nanami and you are always at some point slow dancing to a calm song in the background, while you both whisper love confessions and asks about the day. He kisses your head every chance he has, and you peck his lips in response.

Loving Nanami is an easy task, you both fit each other perfectly, like mind reading. He loves to spoil you and at the same time to let you be the strong woman you are, letting to baby you inside your house, where all he does is hug you and say many many many “I love you.”

────〃✿ FUN FACTS.

◛ ₊· What made him fall for you was you snapping and shouting at Gojo — it was also the first time ever he saw you.

◛ ₊· He has a collection of watches to wear on special days, some of those he bought with a matching bracelet to always use with you.

◛ ₊· You used to be a jujutsu sorcerer, by your headstrong and moral compass, I think you would leave it all at some point after meeting Nanami to purchase a normal career, he hopes secretly to do the same some day and starts a new life with you.

◛ ₊· In the future, you both would be living in a coastal area, he is going be a bakery owner, making pastries, and his most famous piece is named after you.

──── ✿ ──── ✿ ──── ✿ ────

Gojo Satoru loves to be an annoying ass, but annoying you specifically has his knees weak. It’s not that he is an asshole, he just likes to pretend to be so he will get a reaction out of you — he always succeed.

Let’s say that you are still studying, maybe even purchasing a doctorate. Satoru is the proudest person ever, but he still will come behind you on your desk and kiss your most sensitive spot on your neck and behind your ears. His tactic works, unfortunately.

Every exam season, on your last one, Gojo always comes picks you up in his clearly expensive car, with bouquets and chocolate. He once tried holding a sign of “so proud of you” but you threatened to empty his snack drawer.

Gojo is a sucker for your “bitchy” personality. Wether is directed to him or anyone else, he loves how snappy you become and your comebacks. That’s why he loves to get you worked up, kissing your angry self is something he desires from time to time.

You try to make sure your boyfriend knows how important your independence is for you, but Satoru doesn’t care. He sends you the money for your whole school tuition, so you can leave your part time shitty job and focus on college (you begrudgingly accepts), he wants you to achieve your dreams, and hard work is really important to build character, but Gojo thinks you already are perfect and humble, and you have the right to have things easier — he is begging for you to use his money.

He pays for everything the two of you do, he only lets you pay for his sweet treats from time to time. Satoru loves the date nights and random trips to anywhere in the world, but mostly he actually loves paying for anything college related, he wants you to achieve your dreams. Besides the tuition, he gives you a new notebook, ipad, comfortable clothes, pays for any side courses you may want to take and study trips for conventions.

Satoru may be annoying, but he is the most supporting person ever. If any presentation you have is open to the public, your man is going. After, he gives you a lot of hugs and takes you out to dinner in any place you want.

Gojo does enjoy to test your buttons, but in sincerity, you would’ve never chose any other way! A man who worships any achievement of yours, that encourages all your desires and still, at the end of the day, hidden in your apartment, treats your as if you were a delicate flower to his touches and kisses, yeah, you are not letting him go — and he doesn’t want that either.

────〃✿ FUN FACTS.

◛ ₊· Gojo first thought of you was how pretty you looked with a scowl on your face.

◛ ₊· If given the chance to change his eye color, he would chose yours.

◛ ₊· Whenever you are studying in your house, he likes to sit by your side. Once he told you that he read somewhere the best way to learn something, is to teach others. He may be lost in whatever you are explaining to him, but he is wonderstruck with how smart and perfect you are.

◛ ₊· He loves to feed you his favorite candies so he can kiss you after and taste them on you.

◛ ₊· Satoru is easily satisfied! You once paid for strawberry ice cream, randomly, and he was the sappiest person on the planet for the rest of the day.

[captain-clandestiny]

Hello, this is your g/t secret santa! Hope you're doing fine. I wanted to ask you if you could explain your likes/dislikes a bit more. Blue Sleeves is your own story/universe, right? Do you have any wishes or pointers for me (or just feel free to ramble about it if you want ^.^) Also I hope you're okay if I write something for you, I'm not that good an artist.

HII i am so sorry this week has been so busy aa i didnt see this 😭😭 ofc ofc that;s awesome!!! im so sorry aabdjshj i didnt know LMAO

Bluesleeves is indeed my own story! its a sci-fi military fiction, basically just kinda "what if there was an official branch dedicated to experimental technologies to be used in warfare and (questionably ethically) peacekeeping?" Half glorification of the incredible advancements of man, half satirical statement on the horrors of the military industrial system.

ill try to ramble about the whole plot here without spoiling anything below here lol. but whatever you wanna do go for it!! the whole thing is still a massive work in progress, so i encourage you to interpret the story as you wish!

So i'm sure that scrolling through the blog you're somewhat acquainted with the whole crew, but i'll give some short character descriptions of everyone here

Captain (also just goes by 'Cap,' true name to be revealed)

5'6" - she.her - white - dark blonde hair(usually up in a bun), hazel eyes

biological recombinant, lead subject of the Avian Task Force (ATF). specializes in a variety of skills, the most notable being reconnaissance, first aid, and long range combat.

basically just a random human woman with wings grafted onto her back lol. most of the story is just the corps figuring out what to do with her

sarcastic, spirited personality, though a bit oblivious and insensitive at times. could probably use some media training

has a strong moral compass when it comes to consequences of life/death. this often leads her to struggle with coworkers and the responsibilities of her occupation

prides herself in being a leadership figure, but likes to quarrel with higher-up commands too. she'll do what she thinks is right without thinking much about the collateral.

Lanning

~60' - he.him - mech - not really sure how to put the physical description for a robot lmao

big robot. yeah.

usually a no-nonsense, nonchalant figure, but will entertain an interaction outside of his productive hustle every now and then

maintains security operations when not deployed (both digital and perimeter security around HQ)

heavy support figure in combat, tertiary defense in more desperate scenarios

doesn't express a lot towards the mortality of organic creatures. his apathy is often regarded as his primary weakness by everyone else that knows him, though he personally disagrees with that.

would never admit it, but he feels a lot more than he expresses :(

---- Greyson ('Grey' for short, first name not yet revealed)

6'3" (but you can choose anywhere from 20'-90' if you wanna write him giant!! it varies throughout the story) - he.him - hispanic - dark hair(buzzed), chestnut brownish eyes

trial subject of the TITAN project, a force that is still very much in development with two other subjects in active operation (who are yet to be officially introduced, so you can ignore that for now if you want). just the government messing around with growth serums to make giant soldiers!!! what could go wrong here.. (famous last words)

important point!!! - his real appearance beneath the heavy tactical gear he always wears has not yet been revealed in official writing!!! so for now you can assume that no one's really seen his face underneath the mask

just kinda wears the generic army outfit : combat boots, cargo pants, tactical vest and headgear, etc.. customize bits as you desire, but he keeps his face concealed at all times!! since he doesn't show his face though, he usually makes his body language very visible to all he interacts with (doesn't have to try very hard though when he's big haha)

kinda quiet guy, speaks through his actions rather than words a lot. will speak up when it comes to professional proceedings or a formal discussion

quiet, but not shy!!! will grab you if you;re being an asshole with no consideration for personal space

big fitness nerd, always either working out or staring into space in his free time

its been hinted at that he carries a heavy trauma on his shoulders.. something prior to being inducted in the TITAN project that haunts his every move, but no one really knows... (yet. again, another thing that will later be officially revealed in the future)

General Malik

90' - he.him - white - light, buzzed hair, almost white-ish blue eyes

unhealthy complexion, very pale and malnourished features

a leading general of the Røzvivat insurrectionist forces, cooperative subject of their experimental faction (basically- giant general yippee!!)

cold, driven personality. the son of a foreign spy, taken as a child and raised in a Røzvivat indoctrination camp where he grew to become... the nightmare that cap meets today

unsettlingly interested in psychology and desires a modern education in strategies of deception

for now, is under heavy control of Røzvivat propaganda. will both kill and be killed for the 'global freedom' the High Houses promise they fight for

sneaky and manipulative, but not well versed in combat with someone of his same size!

Bluesleeves surrounds Captain's journeys in a world built upon lies and deception, painted as a patriotic fever dream. A modern gilded age of sorts. As an experimental soldier for the WFEO (Western Forces Experimental Operations, a broader branch including experimental factions from other countries) she pledges her life to the repair of international connections, and just kinda tries to survive each day. Whether it's a support mission gone awry or accidentally upsetting one of her looming coworkers, whatever you choose to do is up to you! If you want a list of hypothetical situations that the crew could go though to write about, just lmk <33 and however deep you want to delve into the themes of this story is entirely your choice!! if you wanna write something silly, fluffy, or bloody, just know i will love whatever you make, whoever you are!!! anything else i can provide to help (i know im not the best at rambling in a coherent fashion ahah) just send an ask i gotchu 🤙🤙 have fun!!

[saucerfulofsins]

https://www.tumblr.com/saucerfulofsins/755751308382945280/lou-has-publicly-stated-multiple-times-that-he-is

before like where put private on twt we where able to found that he liked pro trump and pro life tweet

also one of his stans was followed by him and she was very very happy and decided since he was following her to make a video presenting him a go fund me for a family in gaza that needed help she said that since it’s something very important to her it would be wonderful if he could’ve made a donation

he then unfollowed and blocked her

also on his ig profile there was ableist, sexist, racist, xenophobic and fatphobic meme posted by a 30 yo man and also he took pics of women at the gym and posted on his ig

he deleted the photo just now after being dragged about this thing

and let’s not forget how he told how tommy behavior towards chim and hen was just silly corny and teasing

Yeah I didn't wanna say anything I couldn't back up with sources, but I don't think any amount of sources about LFJ's personal issues could make me like this guy. Big ick.

And like. These are choices he is making! This is the way he chooses to present himself! And I know I keep coming back to this, but it's his focus on his own masculinity that I find most fascinating. It reminds me of a text I read for my BA thesis (which I did on representations of masculinity in 3 Middle English romances):

Experience indicates that the masculine gender is fragile and tentative, with weaker biological underpinnings than the feminine. It requires strong social support to maintain fictions of superiority based solely on a measure of physical strength. (Jo Ann McNamara in Medieval Masculinities, p.3 (1994)).

And it really feels like he feels superior because of his physicality/masculinity, when personally I find that quite threatening? I don't think there's anything inherently cool about it either, and most of all, I don't think that is the message 9-1-1 as a show is telling. It's completely out of tune with the show's message of talking, opening up, being vulnerable, letting people in. His "edgy humour" is also doing the opposite, it feels very late 2000s youtube, completely lacking any sort of moral compass or empathy. (I hate it enough that I've ended friendships over that kind of bullshit).

I think the reason I keep circling back to masculinity is because I think everything he does is filtered through it. It's the first thing he says about Tommy, and he clearly sees Tommy as more important than Buck, which I suspect is because he considers Tommy more masculine. And I hate it! I fucking hate it! Because if masculine masculinity is the epitome of cool, and that's admired by him, then everything else is automatically the OPPOSITE of that and therefore weak/not good.

[sailforvalinor]

Who doesn't like Edmund??????? HOW can they not like Edmund?????????? He's the best of the Bertrums!!!!

Well, to be fair, being the best of the Bertrams is not too difficult, lol.

But yes, a LOT of people dislike Edmund, like, probably the majority of the Austen community. I agree!!! It’s so frustrating!!!

Like, Darcy insulted Elizabeth’s family to her face and actively separated her sister from the man she loved, Captain Wentworth ignored Anne’s existence and courted other girls in front of her on purpose, Edward was engaged to another woman while courting Elinor, and we give them passes, but we come down so hard on Edmund for *checks notes* letting Mary ride on Fanny’s horse for too long.

Yes yes, obviously there was more to that incident, but the point still stands—Edmund has committed far less grievous mistakes than most Austen heroes, but he’s the most hated. Why is this??

There’s a couple reasons for this, I think: we never get to see him actually in love with Fanny, and, unlike most Austen heroes, he never gets to perform any sort of grand gesture to make amends for his mistakes. We know that he does fall in love with Fanny and that these amends must have been made (especially seeing how quick he is to apologize to Fanny when he realizes he's been neglecting her in other places in the novel), but Austen deliberately chooses to narrate these events without actually giving them to us directly. Admittedly, this frustrates me, but I understand why: Mansfield Park is not a love story. There is a romance in the story, but that isn't what the narrative is fundamentally concerned with--the narrative is fundamentally concerned with Fanny's development and strength of character independent of (you might even say in spite of) the other characters in the novel. Unlike Pride and Prejudice or Emma, Fanny's character development is not incited by the actions of the hero (which, to be clear, I don't have any issue with--Mansfield Park just has a different narrative formula). Fanny overall is what you might call a static character--not in the sense that she is not fleshed-out or well-developed, but in that she does not go through a lot of character change. Rather, instead of her arc being about changing to become a better person, her arc is about her struggle to remain the good person that she is in spite of outside pressure to change to become more like the rest of the world. (For a really good example of a static character arc, look no further than Captain America!) It's not that Fanny doesn't go through any character growth whatsoever, she definitely does, but this growth overall roots her more deeply into what she believed before, rather than inciting change. The more I think about it, actually, the more it seems like Mansfield Park is a typical "Austen" story told from the perspective of the love interest.

It is actually Edmund who goes through the more dynamic character arc that we associate with most protagonists--which is why I've been thinking for ages that a retelling of Mansfield Park from his perspective could be REALLY interesting. Because told from his perspective, Mansfield Park undoubtedly becomes a love story where it did not hold that status previously. And Edmund would make such a great protagonist!!! There is SO MUCH about his character that I find absolutely fascinating. He of course has a very strong moral compass, which is something I've always admired him for, and despite his attraction to Mary and delusion about her character, is never once even tempted to change his profession from a clergyman to earn Mary's love. We really don't give Edmund enough credit for coming out so well-adjusted and morally upright as he did, coming from a family like the Bertram's. He is also fundamentally very kind, but what's so interesting about him is that he is not, though he certainly tries, always the most attentive. He certainly never neglects Fanny on purpose and is horrified when he finds out that he has, but the fact still remains that he is not the most emotionally perceptive (I'm actually very tempted to draw some parallels between him and Catherine Morland here). Edmund possesses a lot of book-smarts, but is somewhat lacking in social intelligence--or, for lack of a better term, street-smarts. I don't know what textual evidence there is to support this, but I've always had the impression that up until the beginning of the novel, Edmund hadn't had much experience mingling in society, given how as soon as he finished college he was brought straight home to manage Sir Bertram's estate while he was away in Antigua. Regardless of whether or not this is actually the case, it's clear that Edmund is a terrible judge of character despite how morally upright he himself is, which is absolutely fascinating to me. (Again! Catherine parallels!!) Fanny makes a direct contrast to Edmund in this regard--she does not possess the same book knowledge or have the advantage of the education that he had, but she is, though unconsciously, the most emotionally intelligent person in the room and the best judge of character in the entire book.

It is this contrast, but with their shared beliefs about the world and what is right and good, that cements my belief in how well-suited they are for each other. Edmund does not challenge Fanny to change, but Fanny's steadfastness of character does motivate Edmund to change--when he realizes that she perceived what sort of person Henry Crawford was all along and that she was right to refuse him, it exposes to him just how blind he is to the character of others. Edmund basically goes through the same sort of arc that Austen's heroines go through, but this time the roles have been reversed! IT'S JUST SO COOL

Anyway, sorry for rambling. TL;DR, I'm not going to try to convince you that Edmund Bertram is on the same level as Mr. Knightley or Mr. Tilney, but PLEASE examine him critically before you write him off as trash, because he really isn't.

[bokipop]

the maka ramble i mentioned because im still autistic

ok so im rewatching as i speak and like skipping through to find the evidence for my claims so claims will be in order of when they come to me

lesbian maka is canon because near the end of the first episode she's literally screaming about how she hates men and wishes they all would just die. i can literally never see maka in a relationship with a man other than MAYBE soul (DISCLAIMER i DO NOT ship soma i will die on the hill of qpp soul and maka) but thats only because she literally says as she's screaming about killing men that soul was the only man she ever decided to trust (this is a whole other segment that i may or may not discuss in this rant)

can we talk about the skill maka demonstrates when she's fighting with soul. she's what. 14? and she fights with aura of years of experience. like soul's pretty much just along for the ride it's maka who's doing all of the actual fighting 90% of the time (10% when soul's being a self sacrificing dipshit and jumps in front of a hit meant for her)

can we talk about how in uhhh episode 4 when they're fighting sid and sid like attacks maka with his gravestone and she says "people need fear to survive, we experience it so we can grow stronger" LORD DEATH IS SO RIGHT WITH THE COMMENT "if she wasn't afraid in this situation id call that reckless, but maka has the courage to fight in spite of her fear"

i saw a tumblr post about it but unrelated why does dtk say "my father's school is exactly like i expected" as if he hasn't been there before

also unrelated but BLAIR IS MY BIGGEST OPP SHE'S LITERALLY A PEDO I HATE HERRRRR

anyways can we also talk about how maka and soul did soul resonance without any warmup or discussion before hand it was just "hey lets do it" "ok" i mean yeah they missed the hit but they still did the skill

jumping wayy forward to the crona vs maka underground fight in ep20 can we talk about even just maka's intuition alone. like she had the vaguest hint of whatever she detected in crona's soul and decided to go full blast with it. adding onto that can we talk about her compassion and empathy? like it takes a truly good person to do what she did for crona and she did it without the expectation of anything in return she simply wanted to help them. she has such a strong and admirable moral compass i think i said this before but she's literally one of my biggest inspirations ever

i'd talk about the last episodes where maka goes inside soul's. soul. and saves him from the black blood but i dont feel like rewatching that entire episode right now and i've only seen that specific episode like twice so i cant do it from memory

but on the topic of soul and maka can we talk about their incredibly intricate bond. their trust in eachother is out of this fucking world liek if you asked either one of them "if x asked you to jump off of a bridge with them would you do it" they'd say yes without hesitation or second thought. they care so much for one another and i love how the writers of soul eater portrayed it without it being inherently romantic. i love male female duos who ARENT in love. have i mentioned how i'd die on the hill of qpp soma. THEY'RE QPPS YOUR HONOR. i had something very specific to say about this and then forgot. it'll probably come back to me later. its later as i type this specific sentence and it still hasn't come back to me so i'll probably end this post here. stay tuned for more i think i have more in me

[burninblood]

A little rant about Captain America Cold War Alpha

mostly about Bucky, ofc, ‘couse you know, he is like that...

I’ve been ok with a lot of things Bucky has done through the Sentinel of Liberty run, I was ok with him shooting at Steve to kill the old Revolution, I was ok with his choice to join the circle to tear them down from the inside, I was ok with him doing the dirty work once again (not in the way I’d like to intend the sentence, LOL, but ok you get me, sorry for the stupid joke) and all because I could see where this all was coming from: he felt betrayed for yet another time in his life, discovering he was all along a pawn of something greater and more twisted than what he thought, he was lost and he wanted to act, no matter what. I even liked it to some extent, to see him trying and having agency for once, on his own.

But Cold War Alpha threw me off in a way.

I mean, Bucky may have his own moral compass, different from the one Steve and Sam look up to, he has endured some dark things and experimented the worst of mankind on his own skin, and these things are now part of who he is, no matter what, but in spite of all the bad he has never been a heartless, cold person. On the contrary. He may be a disillusioned man with still a tiny spark of hope in his heart that redemption is still possible, even coming to such a high cost (a cost he is ready to pay when it comes to HIMSELF).

But “torturing” Ian, he who was tortured for most of his life himself? Saying he won’t be happy when the Captains will be DEAD - well at least- but that he will be winning then??? Well, this is going a bit too far, tbh. I feel like the writers are now really pushing too much for shock value and they’re starting to lose grip on the character. Yes, there’s still the possibility this is all for a show off, all double agent criss cross shit, and probably this is how CW will end, but still, it felt really too much for me.

Also Peggy involvement is a bit too forced. She isn’t a saint for sure, but isn’t an evil person either. If I was in Steve, Sharon and Sam place I would think these people are just gone straigh insane, lol. I don’t know, it feels like the Outer Circle’s excuse is not strong enough to justify all this madness.

Maybe is just me, idk.

Btw Sam and Misty were the cutest.

Still hoping Natasha will beat some good sense into Bucky’s head next month. I’m more scared than ever at this time, but still...

I know this was supposed to be a short rant, LOL, but shortness? Never known her in my whole life, I assure you!

[katyspersonal]

Here's an interesting question: What's the best Paleblood Hunter ship and why? Would love to hear your thoughts on this lol

This is a quite hard question because even if you take the default Hunter (some guy with grey hair and grey/blue eyes we always see on the merch with something-something distant Cainhurst affiliation), the story still allows such flexibilities for that;;

I am personally compelled to think that Paleblood Hunter must have some moral restrictions and compass, even if he might be not completely lucid as the game functions like a dream and he loses load of memories upon awakening after Blood Ministration! And pair that with exhausting as many questlines as possible - so, wanting to help Alfred and seeing what happened, saving everyone and sending them to Oedon Chapel, completing Eileen's questline, having both Eileen and Valtr retire (they are still alive because I say so AAAAA!!!!!), all that. And let's presume that despite having to murder quite a lot of people, Hunter doesn't fall for needless cruelty and like, cares ok? He is not simply a murderous psychopath!

So yeah, Bloody Crow's ass is kicked to carry on Eileen's quest, Alfred certainly wrecks him up by showing his true face, Beggar he murders after the first victim (though still feels pangs because of the 'I did not ask to be like this'), Brador is seen as a total bitch, Imposter Iosefka is perceived as insane and Hunter would not really get behind her motivations, Micolash.... well, after wading through a whole village of display of his atrocities, and finally seeing THE man guilty for all this, I think this would be when Hunter actually loses it and murders him very cruelly, like, to the point of forgetting himself! You recall anon ask that suggested this scenario, and I still agree!

Basically? I feel like Henriett or Simon as the best ones! I talked about Henriett's potential as a character in this ( x ) post more, but she could be the similar type of a friend as Simon. Both knew some lore and are willing to share with Hunter, both follow us, both share reasonable and noble motivations (to stop/expose the Healing Church despite having once been part of it). I just really like this type of dynamic it seems? Paleblood Hunter is roughly following a good goal too - to find "paleblood" and stop the ritual that is fucking everyone over! And I still really love the idea I've got that since Bloody Crow has Repeating Pistol and is in Grand Cathedral and there is cut content Henriett's corpse file - he killed her, so- Yeahhh, these ships are very much straight vs gay version of one another, you feel?? xd It is a good type of a buddy that resonates with an interpretation of a Hunter who is rather a decent guy, not evil and callous, still in touch with the humanity despite mysterious connection with the paleblood on his own. These awesome buddies are as close to humanity and human values as our Hunter could stay, without ascending. And they are qualified to fight along his side, though Simon would be more like sniper + rogue and not blunt close combat like Henriett. There is not just ship potential - there is companionship potential, that I love. Like... let's just say that 'death' is a strong word for Bloodborne setting and they can live yet again. I mean, if Henryk was given second life just to fight again, clearly Yharnam functions a bit different :')

Funny enough, Eileen or Valtr are of the same nature - straight or gay variant of the same dynamics; an old person with very grim quest that is sort of in secrecy from the others, who also retires at the end and passes the mantle to Hunter! They are second best ships, yeah. There might be just drastic age gap (I think Paleblood Hunter is not really old, but rather 'colored' by paleblood and hence hair gone grey early), and a gap of mentor/student thing - nothing bad here, just that more "equal" ships are a personal preference!

____________________

Honorable mention: Things might get.. interesting, following the idea of Paleblood Hunter being incarnation of Laurence (elaborated on here: ( x )). That could create really heart-rending bond with Gehrman (and also with Micolash, Fauxsefka and Brador maybe? depending on how much of the sentiments long gone resurface), but I do not even know where to begin with this idea... @_@" It always felt quite hefty with how many factors there are to keep in mind. But Hunter x Gehrman is very good regardless, even if doomed. @ Flora pls get SECOND host of the dream for a change ;-;

Thank you for an ask!!

[novelmonger]

Faramir x Éowyn, Fëanor x Nerdanel, Anakin x Padmé for the ship ask game?

(those are all canon couples, but I assume that's what you're mostly asking for?)

(Feel free to ask about any ships, but it's true that canon ones are most likely to be ones that I ship ^^')

Farawyn - Ship It

What made you ship it?

Then the heart of Eowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her. 'I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun,' she said; 'and behold! the Shadow has departed! I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.' And again she looked at Faramir. 'No longer do I desire to be a queen,' she said. Then Faramir laughed merrily. 'That is well,' he said; 'for I am not a king.'

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

A love that heals. The way Eowyn turns from despair and her hopeless infatuation with Aragorn (or rather, the life that she might have with Aragorn), and instead of longing for glory and death in battle, she sees a future full of light and hope and growing things, a future where she settles down in a garden with a man who is not and never will be a king. The way Faramir looks on her, understands her, and is touched by her despair, rather than turning away from it.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Hmm...I don't think so? Farawyn seems to be a pretty popular ship, at least in my circles. Maybe my unpopular opinion is that I ship it, but I'm not feral about it XD

Fëanor x Nerdanel - I ship it,

but I have literally no thoughts about them, sorry ^^' Other than that Feanor is a jerk and Nerdanel deserves better (because just about everyone deserves better than Feanor). I ship it because it's canon (and obviously it must have been a functional marriage, see: seven sons), but I don't, like...have strong feelings about it. (Does that go against the definition of "shipping"?)

Anidala - Ship It

What made you ship it?

This is another case of me mostly shipping it just because it's canon ^^' While I find a lot of their interactions kind of cringey in the movies (more due to the writing than anything else), I've found that they can be very sweet and wholesome in fanfiction. So the moral of the story, I guess, is that these characters work really well together in the right hands, and I'm more or less excited about shipping them depending on who's in charge.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

What Baby Novie couldn't see, back when the prequel trilogy was first coming out and she was too busy gagging over just about every romance she came across, was that Anakin and Padme are actually very well suited to each other. Yes, they end up in a very problematic place, but that's exacerbated by Palpatine's influence. I guess we'll never know for sure what would have happened without that, but it would at least have given them more breathing room to actually work through their problems with communication, Anakin's fears of losing those important to him, etc.

All that's to say, when the Dark Side isn't mucking things up, they make a very good team, bringing very different insights and experiences to the table as well as a lot of compassion and support for each other. I think that's sweet.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

...I've been wracking my brains, and I honestly can't think of any. I don't have a whole lot of opinions on them to start with, and most of those are fairly generic.