#he's someone who's REALLY good at ignoring thing he doesn't like and brainwashing himself into thinking they don't exist

[singingcicadas]

I find it super ironic that Cyclonus has this highly romanticized, propagandic view of the Decepticons, because like:

This is him 🔽

And this is also him 🔽

Dude you yourself was a member of the ruling elite of the old order. Even if what you said about the Decepticons were all true, you're a big part of why people needed to be emancipated in the first place.

He was part of Nova Prime's inner cadre during a time when bigotry and oppression was even more predominant. Nova. who's literally the founder of functionism, which flourished and peaked under the so-called Golden Age of his rule. And Galvatron's... Galvatron, I don't even want to talk about him everyone knows what he's like. But Cyclonus was somehow fine with being yes-man to both?

The way he spoke about the Decepticons, it sounded as if he's this super dedicated sjw filled with righteous passion about stuff like liberation and revolution and emancipation and 'the people', when in truth it's shown that he'd never cared about any of those things before that point.

Nova Prime's ideology was literally this:

And Cyclonus didn't have a problem with it during his entire life before the Ark, compared to more decent people like Dai Atlas and Omega Supreme who eventually clashed with their group and got kicked off the Ark b/c they couldn't stand Nova and co.'s lack of a bottom line and misuse of the word freedom.

As a matter of fact Cyclonus still believed in Nova Prime after he became Nemesis - not that he was much of a better person as Nova. Where's his sense of justice against corruption? Nova got turned into a literal demon, surely it's hard to get more corrupted than that. But his only complaint wasn't about what Nova/Nemesis was trying to do, it's about the process being too much of a damn ordeal.

He's super excited over the anticipation of murder and has no scruples whatsoever about killing non-combatants. The same thing happened again at Kimia.

He finally grew enough of a conscience to break off from Galvatron in the end but notice his wording. It's not 'you forced me to hurt people', it's 'you forced me to hurt Cybertron'. He even said Cybertron twice for emphasis.

It's not mind control, he just thinks like that. The guy's obsessed with Cybertron - with what Cybertron once was. The Cybertron he lived in. Nova Prime's Cybertron. The Golden Age. He's shown to repeatedly lament over it in his internal monologues.

It's all about the loss of his 'perfect world.' The infrastructure. the scenery. the Tetrahexian real estate lmao. How about let's feel some sadness for the billions of Cybertronians who once lived on it? When did he ever spare a thought for all the people who died?

The Decepticons worked so hard to destroy this. It's a gilded carcass rotting from the inside. It eats people alive. The rot was already there in his own time. He was complacent in putting it there. But he only had eyes for the beauty and nolstalgia.

In the first panel he lauded the Decepticons for wanting radical change. Well he himself seemed to be dead set against change judging by the way he kept wanting things to go back the way they were 8 million years ago.

Back in the Golden Age he would not have looked twice at a bot like Tailgate. He was part of the people who didn't give a shit about the disappearance of one waste disposal bot. He still wouldn't have given a shit if circumstances hadn't forced them together over and over again.

Looks to me he's enarmored with the grandness of the concepts of liberation and revolution and emancipation for 'the people' in the Decepticons' (theoretical) ideology. The concepts of fighting against corruption and bringing down the old order. Just like how he bought into the concepts of Nova's 'spreading freedom to the galaxy' and the glittering prosperity of the 'Golden Age.' Does he know that the Decepticon ideology is a twisted lie built on terror and massacres and genocide and despotism? Does he know that Nova's idea of spreading freedom and enlightenment is galactical conquest and his beloved Golden Age is built upon a foundation of misery and suffering and systematic subjugation? Of course he knows he's not stupid. He's nose-deep in it, it's virtually impossible not to. But he's able to willfully ignore those ugly truths as well as his role in them by only engaging in shallow romanticism through rose-coloured lens and refusing to delve deeper.

It's either that or imperalist mindset and the endorsement of violence and casual murder resonates hard.

[missingbat]

Some very strange AU with suffering, murder, depression, blood-- & A FLUFF, OF COURSE♡(>ᴗ•)♡(>ᴗ•)

And I came up with some random foolishness when I was poisoned and had a fever for three days. Please note that they may contradict each other because I am an inattentive person(ಡ‸ಡ)･ﾟ｡

Ichiji began to have the beginnings of emotions at the moment X, and since he is not a stupid boy, he realized that Judge was leading him by the nose, brainwashing and blah blah blah. Well, he didn't want to dance to someone else's tune, so he cosplays Sora — he swallowed the poison that she drank when she was pregnant, and that's the result. A crippled teenager runs from the assassins of Jerma, cursing the whole world and himself, as well as trying to find a cure so as not to end up like a mother.

In a fit of rage, he cut up his tattoo, and when he came to, he realized that he was now just a weak, pathetic person who was bleeding and who could die from such 'stuff'.

He was taken in once, and then he found out that the family that took him in had been killed by the assassins of the Judge.

Ichi, before meeting the Pirates of Spades, worked as a mercenary and informant who is constantly on the run and has no contact with anyone for a long time.

He says he doesn't have anyone and can't go back anywhere.

Because of the appearance of emotions, he is constantly under stress and endlessly replays in his head the crimes that he committed and could not influence, but still hates himself and blames himself.

Haphephobia is in a very advanced stage. Partly due to ignorance of the consequences after using poison, you never know what will happen to the surrounding people.

Out of habit, he holds back any emotions, and in principle behaves like an arrogant asshole.

The hump is literally loaded with various weapons. If you take it in your hands, you will get a loud metallic crackle of all that metal. But he walks noiselessly, lol.

Like the most normal and ordinary man, sleeps with a dagger in his arms. (Don't go near him, he'll throw a knife at you)

Severe cognitive imbalance when he looks at himself in the mirror.  Ace, like Luffy's real brother, will blurt out that Ichiji looks like Little Red Riding Hood when they first meet. Ichi will say that he must have been hit hard on the head as a child." (WTF? How did you know?!?)

"I'm not a good person, Ace. You don't know anything about me."

Periodically there are attacks of coughing with blood, but he, of course, does not say anything to anyone, does not explain, but snaps and says not to go where you are not asked to go.

One day Deuce is going to get all worked up about how it's really not right and normal for Ichi, that he should be chained up in bed, not running around with a stupid capitan and covering his ass. Ichiji will tell that Deuce is doing the same thing." And Vinsmoke is right, BUT Deuce DOESN'T DO THAT WHEN HIS ORGANS ARE MELTING(＃`Д´)-- (Ichiji persuaded Deuce to keep quiet, and Deuce decided to keep a low profile on this "I can handle it myself".)

Deuce vaguely resembles Niji(if you get stoned in the end and get your eyesight -10, but still-), so Ichiji feels some kind of softness towards him. he or she trusts him more than the others.

I'm still trying to figure out how tumblr works, even though I don't understand English at all and use a translator to understand what's going on (￣ ￣|||)

[yanderefarm]

Basically, nephite with a reader that's a high ranking member of their cult.

Since cults as a whole focus around manipulation, brainwashing ect ect a high ranking member of the cult would know how to manipulate the members below them as well as possibly some ranking members above them.

So, the reader sees Nephite, a cute little omega who fits with him, can easily take advantage of his position, convincing the people even higher then him that Nephite needs a wise older, member of the cult to guide him, be his darling husband and keep him in line so he becomes a good wife.

But once they marry the reader decides to constantly degrade, humiliate Nephite, saying how bad of a wife he is and the only thing he really is good for is being a hole.

Of course outside of the house he's nicer, small comments about what Nephite could do better when at a gathering, making it seem like the reader really is just trying to make him the best wife he could be, so much so that even Nephite himself starts to believe it.

Not sure how much sense that makes really and feel free to ignore this if it doesn't, English do be kinda hard (add on anything you want, this is really just brainrot from my head) (I basically stole the Emil darling special but am pretty sure if you lied that Nephite was cheating with proof he'd get murdered by the cult or get a lobotomy)

-🥺

i love this so much.

cw;; nsft, dark content, abuse, religion, omegaverse, brainwashing, dead dove, mind breaking, domestic abuse

and like you wouldn't even really have to convince the elders because "oh you're a dominant alpha and you want to make the dominant omega your wife? well of course!!!"

i always really love like how helpless nephite is despite being the yandere and the one who kidnaps you in the original story.

he has no power! if you really wanted to demean him and make him feel bad in public no one would even bat an eye. but keeping up the appearance of a really good loving husband is better because it would really help in making him feel crazy. his friends tell him that they're jealous he got such a good husband who's so loyal to the church and so good to him!! and nephite feels bad he really feels like he's a failure and a bad person and everytime he wants to talk to someone about these feelings they talk about how great you are.

you're not even as mean as you could be. you don't hit him, you don't even really yell at him. you're always doing your part as a loving husband, you take care of him and kiss him and treat him so good when he's being good. but then you come home and see he hasn't finished doing the laundry because he got distracted trying to finish dinner. you let out a disappointed sigh and just that sound makes his brain start to panic.

as far as actual punishment goes its so good to watch his own brain work against him. refusing to give him kisses or even touching him because only good wives deserve affection. making him stand next to you while you eat and relax because a good wife deserves to relax after a long day not a lazy one. he'll stand there, the humiliation a reminder that he's not good enough.

"its such a shame, you really had so much promise when you were younger."

and you don't elaborate so he drives himself insane. he's disappointed you, he's not as good as he could of been, he's worthless. he'll have to earn the privilege to sleep next to you in bed and god he'll do anything for you at that point. if he fails to (which you get to decide arbitrarily) then he either sleeps on the floor or on the couch. regardless of where he's sleeping he'll cry himself to sleep afterwards because he's so mad at himself for being a bad wife and he feels so bad about himself. if he's next to you though he can get kisses and more gentle mind breaking as you assure him you're going to make him a good wife no matter how long it takes, you're the only one who tolerates this horrible behavior of his but he doesn't need to worry because you love him no matter how bad he is.

also i think about omegaverse inspections with nephy so much dude. inspecting his privates before marriage to make sure he's still a virgin and absolutely humiliating him in front of the elders because they all have to be there to validate. once you're married insisting he wear shorter dresses at home that come above his knees and meticulously inspecting his outfits to make sure he fits your dress code. preforming random inspections of his privates to make sure if you wanted to you could sleep with him right then, fingering him and getting him slick just to pull away and say he passed inspection. making a rule that he's not allowed underwear so three times a day you make him go through an inspection, in the morning when he first gets dressed he has to come to you and pull up his skirt, when you get home from work if he's done all his chores he gets to greet you with a kiss and then pull up his skirt to show you again, and then finally before bed after he's changed into his nightgown he has to pull it up and show he's not wearing anything. the constant humiliation of it would absolutely make him embarrassed and fussy at first until his head starts to get fuzzy from all the different brainwashing and mistreatment.

once his little head is successfully mind broken he's just a ditzy smiling wife. he doesn't like to leave the house or go out with friends because that means he doesn't have enough time to do everything that is expected of him. when you get home he'll come up to you and stand very still like a doll until you decide whether or not he deserves a kiss. he's an absolute blushing silly mess for kisses! all he needs is a soft peck on the cheek and he'll start giggling and blushing like a school girl. he's such a good wife that all the younger alphas in the community ask you to teach them how to make their wives into the perfect wife. this includes some of nephite's friends so while you're teaching the alphas he does get to spend time with them again and somewhere past all the brainwashing he actually gets a sick glee out of seeing his friends who helped him be broken like this start going through the same torment and pain he went through.

[dramas-vs-novels]

The show does a really bad job of explaining what the hell is going on from Lian's side of things.

So here's what the novel says:

Lian has never felt good about the engagement to Kuea.

He loves Kuea, truly and deeply, but he, his parents, and even Kuea's parents are really uncomfortable about how it was handled by Kuea's grandfather.

Lian was a teenager, but Kuea was a CHILD, only 6 years old. And it was never a matter of "They'll decide their relationship dynamics between themselves", Kuea has been raised this whole time being told he would be Lian's wife. Being told he had to study his mother and be the perfect Lady. An ornament to decorate Lian's arm, something beautiful to elevate Lian in the eyes of others.

That was what Kuea's mother was for his father. And it's what worked in their dynamic- no shame if that's what both parties want from the relationship.

Side note: Kuea's father hates Lian, hates this deal, and helped Kuea create Kirin specifically because he wanted Kuea to have freedom and be messy. Kuea's father is very much the Final Boss Lian must face to win Kuea's hand.

Lian was his beloved older brother, but then suddenly became distant, and Kuea has been chasing after him ever since. Kuea was too attached to Lian, and Lian, his parents- even Kuea's parents too were afraid that Kuea was kind of being programmed towards Lian.

He left Kuea alone and ignored him at parties so that Kuea would be forced to socialize with other people. Lian was actually the one to bring up the idea of Kuea studying in Europe- to get him away from Lian, isolate him off on his own somewhat so that he is wholly unwatched and unobserved.

Lian wants Kuea to live. He wants him to make friends, have secrets, hell, fall in love- he cannot stand the idea of Kuea being forced into this marriage by the expectations of their elders. He wants a genuine partner, not someone brainwashed.

By this point in the story, Lian has been a fan of Kirin for 4 years (from early in his youtube days), and has known Kirin is Kuea for two years.

Kuea developed exactly as he wanted- he has a personality of his own, interests of his own, a whole life of his own---

But he hides it all behind exactly what Lian *never* wanted. A doll. The Kuea that Lian is fighting with here is a Kuea he can never love. The one programmed to be his perfect little "wife".

Kuea, in this mode, thinks of himself along feminine lines. He considers his mother the ultimate Lady, and wants to be exactly like her for Lian. Gentle, warm, kind, popular with the bluest blood in society. The perfect hostess of galas and parties to elevate Lian in the eyes of others.

But Lian doesn't want an act.

He doesn't want Kuea shoving himself into a box because he thinks that's what is expected of him. He wants the messy drummer. He wants a Kuea who follows his heart and does whatever the fuck he wants, whenever the fuck he wants.

Lian wants what he has wanted ever since he was a teenager:: Kuea, but the real Kuea. The one who will fight him if he's wrong, hate him if he's a dick, and love him only if he deserves that love.

[wishfuldivine]

Can I say something too?

Sergio being called a 'good servant for the team' is an insult (that and Helmut calling him a 'great helper') because we all know he didn't mean it as a compliment, he meant it as another dig, another way to show how little they think of him and I have no idea why anyone is saying that he should be grateful and go without a fight (David Coulthard I lost all the little respect I had for him after that words). The team wanted to destroy him and did so in a way and he should 'thank them for the years together'? Why? Would people be saying the same if someone said this shit about Max in 2028? Where are all the people who were outraged and called Daniel's treatment before he was fired atrocious?

The journalists calling him 'stubborn' and 'defiant' like it was an insult makes no sense because honestly, why should he just agree to all the things RBR did to him? He is not doing anything that any other driver wouldn't do in his situation and I don't understand why people expected anything different. Was he supposed to act like Daniel and just accept that the team used him and wanted him out with no deserved pay off? He has the right to defend himself as anyone would have in his place. Are people mad because he isn't a brainwashed machine blindly believing everything Helmut says? Is the problem only about him not agreeing with the team politics and knowing what he's worth?

Also Nico saying that 'he wants his money back' like it was something bad. It's not, he brought millions to the team in merch sales alone not to mention the sponsors and partnership with Ford HE HELPED SEAL. He gave his all to the team as he said and he has the right to demand something back. RBR isn't a poor victim here, they are the villains trying to change the narrative and paint Check as the greedy ungrateful guy who wants to leave them with nothing. And that's just a lie.

Also also, people ignoring Max who said multiple times that he likes working with Sergio and that he wants him as his teammate and that he is a great driver just to say that they hate each other and Max would be glad with someone else and all this positivity is just a PR play (at the same time praising how he always says what he thinks and doesn't hold back in the media - quite ironic, no?).

Ehhhh

Preach! FUCKING PREACH!

They expect Checo to take all the punches as if they weren't HARASSING him left and right.

Like, what? Do you really think someone who sued Pemex -THE oil and gas company for the entirety of Mexico and won - would not know how to defend himself? The man who saved a bunch of employees from getting fired?

Let's never forget how he has POWERFUL people behind him. Literally. And it all falls to CH and HM foaming at the mouth for not accomplishing their dirty work. Checo is a very smart man when it concerns his contracts.

Shit, can we even talk about how they IGNORED Checo about the car? Did they expect a box of donuts and a thank you card in return for all the hell they put him through? Checo was spat on the face with that. And they STILL demand respect? Nah. Checo doesn't owe Red Bull anything. Red Bull owes Checo for putting them on a high pedestal.

I'm super fucking glad Checo is going for war. That only HE can decide what his next move is. Clearly something that CH and HM aren't used to. And that is hilarious!

[queen-scribbles]

taris agent story mention trap card activated; I'm REAL curious to know how arkady is feeling about how everything goes on taris? a couple credits for his (preliminary at least) thoughts?

Well, first off, he's extremely wary of Lokin. He clocked how dangerous the Affable Unassuming Old Man is within second, just didn't figure out the "can transform into a rakghoul (almost) at will" part. (But really, who expects something like that?)

He hates Taris as an environment. Arkady is a city boy. He was born and raised on Ziost. Sure there was training for different terrain, but that doesn't mean he enjoys it. xD He does not like trekking through swamps and dodging cityscape debris and mud and predators and this is so much worse than the Dromund Kaas jungles.

He's... a bit of a mess mentally for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is the brainwashing reveal. I think that hit him even harder than it did Ody and it flipped her world upside down. He tried to blame it on the Sith, but couldn't ignore the reality of even if they asked for it, Keeper(the First) complied. He hates so much that it proves Watcher X right. Oh, my gosh, he's so grumpy about that. But he's still sorting through it all--Imperial Intelligence brainwashed him, Republic SIS found out how to control him using it, he's supposed to infiltrate and destroy this cell but does he really want to do that? These seem like good people, who are doing what they have to to protect their people, and really, how different are they from him?

(and floating in the background of it all is Watcher Two's voice saying high Imperial citizen casualties from the Eradicators are acceptable if it lets them stop Jadus. Even having joined Intelligence more to get away from home than anything it bothers him that she's ready to make that sacrifice so easily. First crack in his resolve.)

Chance is easy to work with; trusts him to do the job and seems to accept he's working on it even with complications. (Arkady spends half of Taris fighting the urge to ask how long Chance as been an agent bc he's way more trusting than any other spy he's met. >.>) Ardun's reaction to/commentary on Ki Sazen is what makes Arkady suspect the man's a Jedi himself; it sounds like way too personal an issue. Does make him smirk a little the Jedi seem to have the same issues as the Sith with rogue members and the like.

All of my agents are what might seem too forgiving of Ardun and Chance using the keyword and even if he's not questioning as much as, say, Jaaide or Ody, Arkady's no exception. In fact, I think he's bothered by it almost the least(might be tied with Ody), bc with his ruthlessly pragmatic streak he would do the same as Ardun without hesitation. (He wouldn't even be sorry; this is a war and protecting your assets comes first) (Besides, there's that slave you inject with what's basically the prototype serum for the Castellan Restraints back on DK, so it'd be massively hypocritical bc he DID do the exact same thing)

Him saving Chance instead of letting him die is the second crack in his loyalty. He should be "eliminating the enemy" and this is literally the perfect cover; he wouldn't even have to do anything, his inaction would be enough. Just let Chance succumb to his wounds. But he doesn't. Bc he's not a bad person, and pragmatically speaking, helping Chance will further ingratiate him with the team.

By the time he actually confronts Ki Sazen, he's pretty thoroughly convinced she's crazy. Also acting like a petulant child who ran away from home bc she didn't get her way. He killed her, bc there's no way Arkady is going to suggest someone join the Sith, and he wouldn't think she has the temperament for spy work so SIS is out too. (Also that line about "You were a savior. Now you're a martyr" is a banger)

I don't think he'd completely sorted through all his thoughts and emotions about his, uh, circumstances by the time he left Taris. He definitely dislikes the Sith even more now(haha can't wait til he romances Lana and has to Rethink Biases), he picked up a new nexu pet who will love him no matter what his decisions, and he's further embedded himself with Kothe's team, which he tells himself is good bc it'll let him do his job better. Not bc he's actually starting to like most of them. >:3

[melishade]

In your Optimus in episode 1 timeline, how does Optimus earn Levi's trust? He helps Levi when he loses his team and even reveals a bit about his own love life in the original. But Petra is still alive at the time, she and Levi probably aren't as close in episode 1 as they were in the original, and Annie won't be able to hurt her until years later. So unless Levi can stay paranoid for a really long time, Optimus found another way to prove himself.

Previous Episode of TFP Optimus in Episode 1

Oh, Optimus does prove himself through his actions. And yeah, Levi has been in the Survey Corps longer than Petra, so they wouldn't have had the time to develop a relationship in the span of 5 years. Now that I think about it, I think she's the youngest out of Levi's squad. I could be wrong.

But let's get on with it.

So Levi, naturally, doesn't trust Optimus the minute he sees him. In fact his first instinct is to stab him.

Levi no

Levi yes

But Optimus' bravery, aid, and popularity among the people clearly win out, and he's handed over to the Survey Corps with ease. Welcomed with open arms even...Levi doesn't like that. Everyone's swooned by this titan, and Erwin is happy because Survey Corps enrollment has gone up. But Erwin fully understands Levi's concerns and allows Levi to spy on him. He also doesn't really tell him to tone down his attitude. He gets it. It's in Levi's nature, and earning Levi's trust takes more time.

But it takes a bit, like a good few months during and after the gate's reconstruction, so Erwin decides to pair them together to do a milk run essentially and get some supplies. It's mostly quiet between them. They don't talk. Levi is still suspicious and Optimus is already used to people either not trusting him or straight up hating him. But they get stares as they pass through the market. Levi ignores them mostly, and despite Optimus' quiet and reserved nature, he's more than willing to give a simple greeting. He's polite like that.

Things are going normal, and then Eren shows up begging Optimus for help, with Mikasa trying to pull him away. Levi doesn't want anything to do with this, but Optimus decides to go to their home. Levi's thinking why and Optimus just doesn't want to say no in the event it's actually serious. If it's a domestic dispute, maybe they could hand it off to the MPs.

But since it's the Earth shattering revelation that humanity isn't extinct. They have to think fast. Levi and Optimus are on the same page when they need to take Carla, Mikasa, and Eren out of that house for their safety. And Levi sees that before the Survey Corps go to read the notebooks in private, Optimus is doing everything he can to reassure Eren and Mikasa that they'll find their dad, and Levi is quite stunned at how gentle and caring he is. He doesn't have to be, but Optimus is choosing to.

What would really turn the gears in having Levi trust Optimus is when they read the notebook, and find out about the outside world, specifically the Eldian Warrior Children. And Levi is the only one in the room noticing that Optimus is looking tense. Really tense. When the meeting is over, Levi goes to check in on Optimus, only to find out that the most stoic titan is having a fucking mental breakdown. And Optimus is just saying that he broke his moral code. Levi's a little confused at this. This guy fought in a war. Why is he so pressed about taking the life of someone who tried to kill them?

"I thought the Armored One was like the other mindless titans in the city that day." Levi could see the stress in Optimus' optics, "I thought their only desire was to consume humans. I had no idea that it was a human when I killed the Armored Titan. But based on Grisha's information, I may have just killed a human child. I swore to protect humanity, but I killed a child without even providing the opportunity to stand down. They might have been brainwashed, forced into becoming a titan shifter. They might have had a family. A mother or a father. I may have ripped a child away from someone. I...broke my vow."

Optimus is just devastated, and Levi...can't be suspicious anymore. He has no ulterior motive. The fact that Optimus is concerned about an enemy, concerned about their life and how he wanted to find a way to bring peace? That's genuine. It has to be. It's surreal to find anyone that genuine, but it is real. And Levi...provides his own reassurance. You couldn't have known? How could you? You made a split second decision with the limited information that you had. Even so, you made a choice that saved thousands of lives. That may not fix the reaction of killing the Armored Titan, but Levi admits that he's grateful...and he thanks Optimus for giving the Walls hope.

After this, Levi and Optimus finally work together without hostility and have a mutual respect for one another. So Erwin's plan technically did work out after all. It does ultimately help with the united front of overturning the monarchy and the ultimate negotiations with Marley Military and Willy Tybur. However, every single time the Marleyans bring up the whole 'Optimus killing Reiner' schtick, Levi can just tell that this is bothering Optimus and part of him wants to just threaten them but Optimus tells him not to.

And then Megatron shows up to be a fucking jackass.

Levi was one of the first to realize that something was up with Megatron, or Galvatron, because pot calling the kettle black, they are both assholes. Levi's an asshole with a soft spot; Megatron's an asshole just to be an asshole. Sure, his dynamic with Optimus leads him to believe that they might have been involved a lot more intimately, but Optimus explains that Megatron's the guy he's been fighting for four million years and well...Levi still wonders if he won that bet.

That doesn't mean Levi doesn't take it seriously. He still does, but it's not the same hostility in the main AOP timeline. Levi hasn't seen the full capabilities of Megatron yet, but he is cautious. But this doesn't make Levi distrusting of Optimus. He does go to the Prime and ask what are Megatron's weaknesses so that he can be prepared to fight him. Optimus is a little hesitant because he doesn't want Levi getting hurt, but Levi reminds him that this is his job. This is what he was trained to do, and he needs to be prepared. So Optimus gives what he's observed in Megatron's behavior and actions in the past.

But I'd imagine that his and Megatron's interactions would be more like this:

Megatron: You are aware of who I am, aren't you?

Levi, taking a sip from his tea: So what if I am? Are you going to do something about it?

Megatron: ...I am still deciding.

Levi: Then I'll make it easy: mind your business, do your job, and we'll be fine. Hurt anyone in the Survey Corps and I'm taking out your eyes.

Megatron, thinking it over: A fair trade.

They are more civil and don't act like animals that throw insults at each other on the regular.

[a-non-ymouswriter]

Some questions to hopefully help with getting your wheels turning again-- these are for as many or as few fics as you want to answer! "X" is used to represent that just for coherence's sake. And feel free to give multiple examples or no examples on a case by case basis. Or ask for me to resend this split up so you can do it in parts instead of all at once. Or even ignore this entirely!

I know that, for me, one of the best ways to get my ornery muse to cooperate is to talk with others about whatever I'm trying to write about. And since you've expressed frustration over struggling to write, I want to help at least a little. I know you've also expressed that you've got some irl stuff going on, so I don't want you to feel like it's an "oh god someone is expecting me to write but I can't write and ahhh" thing. If you don't feel up to answering, or it doesn't work for you, that's fine! The goal is to be helpful, not make you feel guilty for struggling. Because, uh, I'm definitely in that particular boat, too. (/cough cough rewrites cough cough)

So! That said!!

-What are your favorite scene/s from X? What about the scenes you were most excited to see the reactions to?

-Who would you say is your favorite character out of everyone you write? Or top 5ish, if you can’t just pick one.

-If you stuck your variants of character X in a room together, what would happen? Like, all the Tommys, all the Dreams, all the Ranboos, etc.

-Who do you think needs a therapy pet? Is it Theo with a dog or calf (or a polar bear) that goes "you are anxious. That means it's 🌟floor time🌟"? And Theo is then bullied into laying down, his therapy pet flops on top of him, and he just has to chill there for like 20 minutes until said pet deems him sufficiently calm again?

-What does your process for writing look like? How much Inane Background Detail™️ do you wind up just not using? Or what about stuff you DID use but people didn't really notice? (Worldbuilding my beloved)

-Do you make art/moodboards/collages/playlists for any of your works? Have you gotten some from others? If so, did they wind up subtly nudging the story/characters in a different way?

aw thank you cocomere :) this may or may not help but it's the thought that definitely counts!

my favorite scenes huh? one of my top ones is definitely from rewind, i was so excited and also very nervous for people to read the climax between tobi and theo. because it was all just emotions and yelling and some violence, but it was great to see the readers who came from the beginning finally see those two idiots get on the same level.

favorite character out of everyone i write? tommy, theo definitely with much bias, but yeah tommy is one of my top 5s to write in my stories. the next would of course, be tubbo, tobi, and finally technoblade even though sometimes writing for him is somewhat difficult lol

oh god, sticking all the variants into one room would be chaos. the tommy room is full of trauma- have you seen the stuff i put the guy in?? theo was abused, brainwashed and branded, tommy from wishes was tricked into selling his soul and throws himself into danger like its going out of style, and tommy from stream labs- well i haven't written out his full backstory but the bits you all got so far is horrifying; disarmed, disabled and temporarily dead.

and that's just tommy! the other characters- y i k e s

i've talked enough of theo, so i'll be going with tobi, he definitely needs a therapy pet as well. mayhaps a bee, mayhaps a dog, or maybe yes. a polar bear. god now i'm just imagining a therapy polar bear sitting on BOTH tobi and theo. that's great XD

my writing process huh? ehhh, i just store bits of the chapter in my head, get them all down on the screen and write out the connecting bits. it's frustrating because sometimes (most of the times now) those connecting bits don't fit or can't be written, or also the bits i had in my head are suddenly not that good in my mind.

i love worldbuilding, it's fantastic, but i have the bad habit of not writing down the worldbuilding beforehand and i don't think i'll be breaking that habit any time soon. it's mostly just in my head for now, but i thankfully, usually, remember the worldbuilding when i need to and if i don't i reread my stories to try and remember.

i don't remember the details of what worldbuilding it was that i was disappointed that no one noticed- or if that happened at all. it has been a while. all in all, most of my worldbuilding seemed to be noticed by some people and i'm thankful for that :D

the only thing i used to make for my stories myself was art. sometimes i did draw art for my stories- you all remember the now dust-gathering blog that is stream labs live. but my motivation for drawing has bitterly died, it might revive at some point but for now it's dead and down. i haven't done the rest, moodboards, playlists, collages- i think other people did make those for my stories.

and maybe they did subtly change a few things, like i said it has been a while so the details are fuzzy.

thanks again cocomere for giving me the ask!

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

Unpopular opinion: The narrative favors MARINETTE over everyone else, so get over yourselves if you think Adrien is being coddled or everyone else is not punished enough.

If it seems like she's being blamed for shit she didn't do, that's the narrative forcing the plot to center around her instead of someone else. If she does something that actually warrants punishment like stalking Adrien or leading Luka on, it gets brushed to the side. If she goes out of her way to snoop somewhere she doesn't belong like say, the Agreste Mansion, that's the narrative shoehorning her in instead of giving screentime to characters who needed it more like everyone who was already at the exclusive party (not just Adrien, but Kagami and Chloe too. Them along with Felix were in the same room and it's a waste the narrative didn't do shit with it). Marinette always "learns" the lesson of the day because she's the PROTAGONIST. If someone else were to learn their lesson, that's taking away from Marinette and the show doesn't allow that. If people like Chat Noir or Alya or Fu seem incompetent, it's because they needed to nerf everyone else to make Marinette shine because this is supposed to be her show and Marinette needs to be the most powerful piece in the board. If it seems like Adrien is doing nothing, it's because the show doesn't know what to do with him outside of being Marinette's trophy. He has to be "perfect" if he's gonna be a good prize, so the narrative pretends he is and ignores his less than pleasant sides. His actions ultimately don't matter. He can save the world from a giant pastry and it's just gonna be a footnote in the episode. He can "get away" with shit cause the spotlight refuses to hang around him long enough for it to bite him in the ass. He has no real power within the narrative. Everyone else has even less than him. They matter less than him. It's why the narrative doesnt say shit about your saint Luka for lying to Marinette's face about him knowing her secret identity.

It's always Marinette who has development and agency and power and can make a difference. She's not the martyr you like to paint her as. She has everything, the good, the bad and the ugly.

(The post this anon is referring to)

Okay, I will once again admit that I really phrased my response to that ask in a terrible way, and once again, I apologize for that bad take saying he was worse than Chloe and Lila combined, but I still stand by my claim that the show doesn’t call Adrien out for the things that he does compared to Marinette getting punished or blamed for every little thing she does.

Are you really going to ignore every single terrible thing Adrien has done while acting like Marinette is the real bad guy here? If not, here’s a recap of the things Adrien did in Season 4 alone...

He actively slacked off on his duties and got excited at the idea of someone almost getting akumatized, in addition to disregarding the responsibilities Ladybug now has as Guardian (Lies)

He repeatedly disobeyed orders for petty and selfish reasons (Lies, Sentibubbler, Wishmaker, Strikeback)

He refused to understand the boundaries Ladybug placed regarding their relationship (Glaciator 2)

He almost harmed innocent people, intentionally and unintentionally (Hack-San, Rocketear)

He got himself captured or brainwashed by an Akuma (Mr. Pigeon 72, Mega Lech, Guiltrip, Ephemeral, Penalteam)

He literally gave up being a superhero and left Ladybug to deal with the fallout (Kuro Neko)

He talked shit about her behind her back because he was left out of certain discussions and plans like the identities of the temp heroes, but as soon as she had no other allies, he acted like he always cared about Ladybug’s best interests. Oh yeah, and before that, he even whined about Ladybug not always trusting him WHILE SHE WAS HAVING A FUCKING PANIC ATTACK, FULLY AWARE SHE DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS CAT NOIR. (Strikeback)

And here’s all the stuff Marinette has had to go through in Season 4...

She wasn’t able to enjoy her relationship with Luka thanks to the growing amount of responsibilities in her superhero life (Truth)

She was yelled at by another Guardian who did nothing to actually help her (Furious Fu, Ephemeral)

She was shamed by Mylene for not doing enough to help the environment because I guess saving lives as Ladybug didn’t count (Mega Leech)

She had to deal with nightmares about losing to Shadowmoth (Sentibubbler)

She blamed herself for her mother getting arrested by a bunch of aggressive cops (Qilin)

She was influenced by her Kwami’s severe case of the munchies that she couldn’t control at all (Dearest Family)

She worked herself ragged trying to find a replacement for Cat Noir after being left high and dry by him (Kuro Neko)

And after learning her best friend went behind her back to not lose her boyfriend (Rocketear) she lost all of the Miraculous, and by extension, all of her other allies after being stabbed in the back by someone she thought she could trust while simultaneously being shamed for not trusting people, and need I mention the panic attack again? (Strikeback)

That’s not even getting into the routine stress of always needing to save the day while Cat Noir either slacks off in battle or sacrifices himself on a whim because he thinks her angry face is cute (Lies), or the fact that once she retires as Guardian, she’ll lose all of her memories relating to the Miraculous and her life as Ladybug (Miracle Queen).

After all that, you think Adrien has it harder? Adrien, the person who routinely screws around while lives are at risk, never takes responsibility for his actions, and will threaten to quit if he doesn’t get exactly what he wants, if he isn’t throwing hissy fits first? You think he has it harder than Marinette?

I get I said something stupid about how bad I think Adrien is, but you can’t act like he’s entirely blameless in this situation.

[specterthief]

I been thinking why Joker goes out of his way to help Maruki and even save his life. Objectively Maruki is an awful person who abused his power and hurt teenagers in really terrible ways, but Joker wants to help him somehow. Even as a Maruki fan I don’t get it, which I hc him as Joker both liking Maruki and seeing himself in him. It the only thing that makes sense to me and I don’t like to headcanon my way into solving character motivations.

joker is a traumatized teenager who has both been horribly mistreated by adults and seen everyone he loves be horribly mistreated by adults. even sojiro is, while not nearly as bad as any of the villains, frankly kind of awful to joker when he first meets him. maruki is pretty unfailingly kind to him from the moment they meet, respects his intelligence and opinions and maturity and treats him like an adult friend he can equally depend on rather than a problem child (and treating joker like an adult peer is actually a huge issue with maruki—and several other adult confidants—and a generally inappropriate way for an adult authority figure to interact with teenagers, but having been a lonely sixteen year old who thought i was super mature for my age, is something that can feel really cool when you're the kid rather than the adult who now knows better.) maruki's ideals, that joker has been learning about in depth through their confidant, are also incredibly close to the phantom thieves' own, if ultimately way more extreme, but they don't seem that extreme before third semester actually happens. there's a point in maruki's confidant where joker has two dialog options that are both praising maruki's ideals and plans in different words—one of the immutable facts of joker's personality, as can be gleaned from the things he can say, is that he really does think maruki is a good person and that his ideas about how to treat trauma and psychological pain are admirable.

and no matter what choices you make, joker will always be tempted by maruki's deal at every point it's offered, even if, when taking it on 2/2, that means both going directly against akechi's wishes in the moment and breaking the phantom thieves' "unanimous decision" rule when they've all agreed to stop him. even if you don't agree, he always at least falters. he can even take the deal if you've romanced sumire and doing this would mean allowing his girlfriend to be brainwashed into believing she's a different person again, when he knows at that point that that was never good for her and she can heal on her own. joker does believe, no matter what, that maruki's intentions were good, and the comparisons between them that are drawn directly in the text are, i believe, meant to show that they really are similar people. taking yaldabaoth's deal in the vanilla ending can even put him in a very similar position to maruki with regards to absolute power over reality, and as much as that bad end kind of gets ignored, that can at least feasibly be something joker could want.

even if joker ultimately proves himself the better person (which i think also largely comes from the fact that he actually has an entire support structure and proof positive that people, including him, can move past their trauma) he's still tempted, he still has doubts—what would it say about him if he tried to treat views he believed in as irredeemably evil, you know? and the PTs don't even kill people they do see as completely evil. he's not going to just let maruki kill himself.

this is someone who he thinks of as a friend, who he feels has been nothing but kind and supportive to him for the greater part of the year. would he even admit to himself how much he was manipulated? maybe not. taking on burdens adults shouldn't be putting on his shoulders isn't something that's exclusive to maruki's confidant. how bad this is is obvious to akechi because he doesn't have any personal connection to maruki to make him want to give him the benefit of the doubt—he's very personally dealt with a would-be tyrant who thinks he was chosen by god and manipulates teenagers for his own gain before, nothing else here means anything to him. joker has a very close (mostly) positive relationship to try and compartmentalize here.

there's a point in the royal guidebook interviews where they say that the point where maruki uses akechi's life as a bargaining chip is the point where he really proves himself an enemy to the phantom thieves, but joker can still agree then and there. i think joker still caring about maruki and seeing him as someone who could start over and do better, and deserves that chance, makes perfect sense from his perspective. (i don't even disagree that he could and probably ultimately does in the true ending, as much as i also think it would be very cathartic to just drop him lmao)

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

Yeah, the best way to make one's bias against Wanda known is to make a video that basically tries to paint Agatha as a good guy while ignoring how she didn't care at all about the people in Westview, took Wanda's kids hostage, and manipulated Wanda every chance she got.

Wow...

I've seen bad takes before but holy shit, that was so bad 😂🤦‍♀️

It doesn't surprise me that OP seems to be pro-Accords with the kind of stuff he says. This line: "Wanda walks away from her crimes instead of submitting herself to human punishment" is so disgusting I can't even. See how OP doesn't call for accountability, they want "punishment". Yikes.

OP says everything Agatha did was for the greater good, to the point of claiming that brainwashing Ralph and Herb is alright because oh she just wanted Wanda to see the truth, and he says that getting in their minds to get info out of Wanda is the same as dressing as someone else to sneak into a lair. Are you for real? Brainwashing someone and wearing a disguise are the same thing? 😂😂

Then he says Sparky wasn't real (even though Agatha herself says she killed it), and he compares her wanting Wanda's power to Stephen saving the Hong Kong Sanctum in DS1 😳😳😳

OP: "Wanda has great power but no responsibility, she cannot be trusted with these abilities, and Agatha is the only one who can stop her". Is it just me or this sounds like Ross? "The enhanced can't control the power they have, they need to give it up or have someone to control it for them". It's the same!

He says there's nothing wrong with Agatha wanting Wanda's power because, and I'm not kidding, he literally says this: Agatha wanting that power is the same as Steve in CW when he says the 'safest hands are still our own'. No, really, he compared those two 😂

But then comes this gem: "Agatha is just like Stark" when he used the sceptre for Ultron. This guy has seen AoU I assume, he knows how that one went, right? He knows what Stark did was wrong? Like, it was pretty obvious it was, he even said so himself? 😂

And this one: "Agatha is trying to protect reality from people like Wanda. She's just an old witch looking out for her reality just like Doctor Strange"

You heard it here first, folks. Brainwashing innocents, kidnapping children, and killing your coven is exactly the same as everything Stephen has been doing since DS1.

I think I lost all my brain cells reading that transcript. Lucky me I didn't have to watch the video... 🤦‍♀️

[emblemxeno]

People really need to stop talking they way they do about Cyril. I just encountered someone who claimed that Rhea forces him to do all the work he does, which she doesn't because he likes to do everything, that she prevents him from learning to read, which she also doesn't because he hides that he can't read, and that he doesn't have a place to sleep, that his bed isn't shown doesn't mean he doesn't have one, otherwise Alois for example also doesn't have a bed. But whatever makes Rhea look bad.

A lot of people only care about Cyril when they can use him to hate Rhea.

Never mind that she literally rescued him from slavery, that Hilda’s family kidnapped him and made him into a slave, that he had to grow up fast because Almyra failed him, that he works hard because that’s the only thing he thinks he’s good at.

People deliberately ignore everything that Cyril said just to say that Rhea brainwashed him. It’s borderline infantilization; they think Cyril is a younger teen then he can’t possibly have the mental capacity to have opinions about shit that’s happened in his life, or that he couldn’t be smart enough to know when things or wrong, or can’t ever make decisions for himself. It’s performative wokeness for a game that barely tried to incorporate a prejudice subplot, coming from people who ignore information to suit themselves.

Ironically the people who do this are usually the Angry Claude stans, despite the fact that Cyril literally told Claude that the Almyran royal family did jack shit for the general populace and that he lost his parents and became an orphan on the streets because no one cared enough to help him.

Cyril unknowingly told Claude that the latter has rich privilege, which yeah, he does. Claude may have had to deal with bigotry from both Almyra and Fodlan and deal with attacks and assassinations, but he was ultimately ignorant to the general population/common class of his home. Hell, he literally says “Being a noble has nothing to do with how hard your life is” to Kostas in chapter 2, Claude seriously had some growing up to do. Which I feel like he does just that in Part 2, which is why I like him a lot.

Anyway yeah.

[paipayaseeds]

Haiyato had let out a small laugh, a little out of it--different from his normal, carefree one because they were exposed to the eyes of many--being careful of his image. he had always been blind to his actions, unconsciously doing as what he was supposed to, especially when others were watching him. it had been habit at this point.

he blinked at Iris’ actions, stopping the rolling cart with his foot as he held Akane almost defensively, as if Iris had tried to openly attack them. he wasn’t aware of it though, maybe he was just jumpy.

though, from the people around him--whom he didn’t exactly want to see--he could see that...around them, if he did decide to put the girl in the cart, he wouldn’t be the odd one out.

his actions contradicted his thinking--he wasn’t going to cook or eat her, he wasn’t going to hurt her, he wasn’t going to put her into shock or anything of the sort. he just wanted to...calm her down. make sure that she had a reason to obey him and not try to kill him.

though, he supposed he could use Iris as a way of threatening her, but he doubted that would work much, as the girl... she was now a despair--someone who wants despair and is for despair--and wouldn't mind being beaten into submission if she wanted.

well, he wasn't unwilling to mention Iris, of course, but to keep the act up that he really had been brainwashed by Junko, he needed some grand plan that would scare her into the despair she craved so much.

"i'm just… going to cook for her," he spoke, rolling the cart that had the unconscious despair inside of it, "Akane had always loved food, but if she doesn't calm down after then…. i'll have to improvise, i guess."

his grip tightened on the handle of the cart, sighing as he calmly rolled along the streets--as calmly as he could.

"but i'm... not sure if i'll have everything i need, nor do i know if any of the ingredients are good, so… i'd also like your help, if you'd be willing," his gaze was anywhere but Iris, both embarrassed and scared of his effort, "it's fine if not! i can make do with the skills i have.." it felt like he left off on an odd note, though it could have just been his overthinking.

as soon as the three had approached a building, it had been the center of Haiyato's attention. it wasn't extravagant or fancy, or tidied up to cater to his "likings", but it was… normal--still affected by the whole world ending--but, normal.

he could feel himself get a little giddy as he quickly rolled the cart inside, avoiding the body near the doors out of respect and trying to hide a small smile forming on his face. he'd never been in an apartment building before--it was always over-the-top hotels or too-clean houses with people that were always licking the bottom of his mother's shoes.

he inhaled slowly, the noise that had reminded him of everything--screaming, yelling, crying, guns--grounding him again. his tense shoulders from excitement had relaxed, knuckles turning white from how he handled the cart.

he bit his lip, trying to ignore the sounds and remain excited to see "normal" things, "let's go on the elevator!" he suggested, not waiting for an answer as he rushed towards a sign that led towards the machines, "wait, what floor do we take?" his voice seemed artificial as the doors opened with loud creaks, and he stepped inside the small space with a gulp.

the apartment was nice. if it were a sunny day with blue skies, the windows that followed the elevator up would have been nice to look at, and calming the tensed Haiyato.

his back faced the window, hands going to cover his ears.

now that he had nothing to distract himself with, all he could do was stand still and listen. but he really didn't want to do that.

{{ tag anon }}

Izuru watched as Haiyato practically skipped into the apartment building, the excitement he had been emitting, clear as day. With a focused demeanour, his red eyes scanned the machine from the outside; judging from the broken down frame and the dented elevator doors, it had been severely affected by the chaos.

Even so, the idiot Haiyato seemed to disregard that fact and went inside anyway. The braided man had to follow, knowing if he didn't, Haiyato would somehow get himself into another harmful situation.

Silently stepping inside behind the way-too-excited man, he pressed the button of the floor he had somehow remembered from seeing the outside of the building that hadn't been too affected.

Glancing over to the boy who had his hands over his ears, Izuru's mind immediately went back to the time Haiyato had done his hair for him.

Izuru bit his tongue, eyebrows creasing as he heard his own strange and peculiar thought ring throughout his head, 'Doesn't playing with hair make him less stressed- God damn it, why do I remember that.' Since when had he started caring about whether he was stressed?

Then again, theoretically speaking, it'd be better for both of them if Haiyato's stress levels lowered.

Clearing his throat and mind of the thought, he muttered bluntly underneath his breath as if his time had been oh-so-precious to him. “This elevator is inefficient.” Then again, he had been very emotionally distant.

You know what? No. This wasn't weird unless he made it weird. Whatever Izuru had been planning to say next, had been completely out of the fact; it would only inconvenience the two if Haiyato threw a tantrum— Okay maybe that was a little harsh- No, it wasn't.

Izuru had temporarily left his body for a moment, as he had been focusing on the battling thoughts in his head. God, why did this always happen?

Coughing as if he had a gumball stuck in his throat, he suddenly broke the silence with his blunt tone, which unusually raised and lowered awkwardly. "... You said something about how hair always calmed your nerves before a shoot," He stated, seemingly having more to say but pausing for literally no reason.

Looking straight ahead, he refused to make eye contact as he glued his eyes to the elevator doors in front of him. Acknowledging the boy's stress, he continued, "I don't care if you touch my hair or not,"

His tone had been flat as usual, as if he didn't care whether the boy touched his hair or not; which had obviously been a lie. "..." Izuru definitely had more to say, but for whatever reason, he had stopped there, letting the Haiyato choose what he wanted to do with that remark.

[xxconclusione-aperioxx]

Okay so I'd like to share what I commented on this video. I watched it and it sent me into a whole rant about the motives and characterization of Draco. I recommend watching before reading this:

@quinncurio is the original poster

Here's the copy paste of my comment/ Essay. I was slight heated when I wrote this, but my points still stand.

"OH BOY. HI, HELLO I VERY MUCH DISAGREE. ALSO: DISCLAIMER: DONT TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY, YOU WILL FIND I HAVE A VERY LOGICAL EXPLANATION, FOR WHY THIS ANALYSIS DOESN'T WORK.

Calling a Draco a cowardly bigoted bully, and a carbon copy of Dudley is the most SHALLOW and LOW EFFORT CONCLUSION YOU COULD POSSIBLY DRAW. IT IS LOW HANGING FRUIT. I'm going to have to break this into sections to truly explain why your conclusion is soooo incredibly shallow. You may have done your research, but I feel like you learned nothing more about Draco then if you'd never seen more then 5 min. So I'm going to start the same way you have and break this down into the same points.

PART 1 : AN ANALYSIS OF HARRY MEETING DRACO

I'm not going to go into detail of Harry's impression or ideas of Draco, because this analysis is about Draco, Not Harry. Also remember the books were written from Harry's POV, not a neutral party. I'm not obliged to Harry's opinions, just facts. Which brings up the first true conclusion about Draco's character. *Draco Malfoy feels a strong need to impress others, to gain their affection.* He does this through incisive bragging, trying to make people believe he knows best, and tearing down the reputation of others, so the object of his desires sees Draco and the most obvious choice. Where we differ is:

You believe Draco does this, because he thinks, he's better then others.

I believe,(which circumstantially has more evidence), Draco does this because he wants the affection, and acceptance of others

Whether you believe he acts out this way bc of how he is raised, his privilege, or something else, it doesn't change the fact that Draco was truly trying to make a friend, perhaps the only way he knew how.

In noble wizarding society, traditions, and your family does mean a lot. Not even looking at it from a pureblood view, imagine having a family that old and known. They really are a type of nobility, with family Lords even having political seats in the Wizengamote just because of their family name. The Longbottoms and Weaselys hold this same political influence, and it's not tied to Slytherins, pureblood ideals or anything like that. Draco is an only child, and an heir to his family line, so he is going to be treated importantly bc of that. He is raised with that responsibility, and in social situations not only represents himself, but the whole heritage of his family. Draco hasn't had the ability to act like a normal petulant child (part of the reason he tends to act out at Hogwarts.*ie. away from home*). He's been taught to act proper, make good allies, and impress others for the good of his reputation. I'd say most noble wizarding children probably get the same training and lectures, and have their own customs and culture of educate. What may come for Draco as polite, and diplomatic, may sound rude or arrogant to Harry. This is because Draco was not aware how different Harry's upbringing was from his own, and has never dealt with not having enough. Perhaps if Draco knew how different and ignorant Harry was he would have felt pity, or a sense of wrongness at Harry's injustice. Though Draco is just an 11yr old boy, who's only ever had a loving family, and almost anything he wanted. It is difficult for him to relate to the lack of others. As all wizarding children, he probably grew up with the story of the boy who lived and may have even been excited when his father said he wanted them to become friends. He truely was excited to meet Harry and genuinely wanted to be friends. While yes Lucius definitely wanted Draco to befriend Harry to help lighten their family reputation, I also think that Draco, being a child, would more likely be more excited of making a famous friend. Maybe he even had some hope seeing he'd met Harry before when he saw him on the train.

Part 2 : THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DRACO AND DUDLEY

Draco's sense of superiority comes from his traditions and pride in his family, while Dudley's is strictly from his own greed and selfishness. Draco would't do half of the things Dudley does simply because it's incredibly unclothe, and he has better ways of getting what he wants. Dudley isn't smart enough to compare to Draco. Though Draco and Dudley might both have things handed to them, Draco is not gluttonous or greedy about it. Dudley will trash his gifts and belongings, constantly wanting more, and viewing things given to him as disposable. Draco wants things yes (like every child does) but he's proud of his possessions and cherishes them, brags about them. Dudley is an animal compared to Draco. He doesn't have the same skill, smarts or self control. Dudley is abusive, and a tyrant in his bullying. Dudley wants to see Harry hurt and bleed. He is very violent compared to Draco. While we constantly and repeatedly see Draco shy away from violence, and use more his words.

Part 3 : DRACO'S "HARASSMENT", STRATEGIES AND EVOLUTION.

Draco despite his threats and facade is Not a violent person. This is because despite all Draco's bravo, and cruel words, Draco is kind. Yes he is conflicted, but that is only more proof of his inner kindness. If he didn't feel guilty, he wouldn't feel conflicted. Which means he really doesn't want to be mean to others, but he's just acting out based on how he thinks he's supposed to feel/act, but doesn't really enjoy it. I think when you strip Draco back behind his actions, and pose, you'll find a very different person. The half-blood prince gave us some of that, but it's another thing to see it in Draco from the beginning. Essentially Draco's attempt at bullying started when Harry rejected his friendship. Draco had probably never been rejected before, and probably couldn't possibly fathom why Harry would choose anyone else over him. While yes that's a bit coincided, Draco was also incredibly sheltered and probably wasn't introduced to children who weren't already tied to his family. Harry's rejection irrevocably shattered Draco's confidence and perception, which sent him into literal years of lashing out at Harry for his hurt emotions, and pining for his attention. It is the most pathetic excuse for bullying, and Draco antagonizing Harry is the equivalent of pulling a girl's pigtails. Draco did get quite shrewd with words, but he was really just trying to get the biggest reaction, especially since Harry is so volatile at times. The truth of the matter is Draco is actually very jealous, because deep down he really admires Harry. He want's the same freedom Harry has. He doesn't want to worry about his duty or who he has to be, but to be able to live authentically the way he views that Harry does. Draco really just wants to be more like Harry, but feels he is stuck, by the Dark Lord, his family obligations or anything else. Draco isn't a bully, he's just sad. Not even Ron or Hermione take him seriously after a while. *cough*this is why Drarry is so huge*

Part 4 : He had no choice?????

Everyone has a choice, but I think you over estimate how easy a choice can be. Family is important to Draco, they are probably the only people who love him for who he is, not what they can get out of him. As a child Draco felt pride in his family, and family made him feel special and important. As he got older that pride turn into expectations, and responsibility. Lucius and Narcissa value the preservation of their family above all else. They are protective and loving and those feeling extended to Draco. It's where he gets his kindness. It is indeed a Slytherin trait to value those you care about above everyone else. We protect our own, a loyalty probably stronger then Hufflepuff for those select few a Slytherin deeply cares about. Draco's parent would let the whole world burn to save him, and Draco would do the same for them. While Draco's family did hold pureblood ideals, after the first war Voldemort was not someone they willing wanted to follow. The light sided also would have never offered aid to death eaters, because fundamentally they were still against the dark, and there was no other place for dark wizards to go except Voldemort. Most of the death eaters had actually been somewhat relived at the news of Voldemort's death, and the boy who lived, as Voldemort had already become insane to the point of torturing his own followers, and wasn't getting them anywhere near their goals. Except for the also insane brainwashed few like Bella who'd follow her lord to the grave, many of the death eater's were content to be peaceful and stay quite after the war. Probably even grateful for it, as there were many needless casualties on both sides. I feel like the Malfoys were one of those families that were happy to get out. If the side they are on is harmful or losing, they are ready to abandon ship. This may sound like they are cowardly with no resolve, but if it was the life and death of your family, and your loved ones, I think you might think differently. I feel like we aren't too far off in agreement here, but where we differ is in judgement and motives we feel the Malfoys, or Draco had. Lucius made a mistake in the first war, and spent the second trying to keep his family out of danger. I can't imagine the fear he had in Azkaban for his family, the dementors feeding off him and what he thought the Dark Lord would do to his only son, his wife, his family. Meanwhile Draco was left with the threat of his father rotting in Azkaban, and his mother being killed. His mother also with the thought of her son being killed. So yes Draco could have made a choice, and he did make a choice, a choice to protect his family, and honestly I can't see that as wrong. Maybe if Harry would have actually taken his offer of friendship things could have gone differently and it wouldn't have come to that.

Part 5 : Abuse Theory

I definitely agree with you here. The Malfoys were not abusive, and get a better anthology for racism then something which in fact could be solved with a study on culture rather then blood. If you want a good parallel for racism in HP forget muggleborns, and look at creature blood, not dumb house elfs either, but werewolves, goblins, centaurs beings just as intelligent as wizards. The bigotry towards werewolves especially is horrific, especially from the "light side" who avidly labels them as dangerous dark creatures. *Also note about the scene in Borgen and Berks* Lucius stopped Draco from touching the artifact because it was probably cursed, as many dark artifacts are. Even if you know what you're doing they can be dangerous to handle carelessly. So Lucius was actually very wise and protecting Draco, his 12 yr old son, from getting badly hurt. Why the cane? If touching a cursed object curses you, then its better not to get close with your actual hands. Using his cane to push Draco away was actually a precaution. Lucius is anything but careless,

Part 6: Draco's Wand and Symbolism

I generally agree here too, but I believe this symbolism is more reflective of the things Draco wishes he could have had, or done differently. If anything the wand and symbolism Draco has is representative of the good in him, and not cowardice, or inability to do enough.

Part 7: Redemption

Tbh I'm part of the crowd that would have liked that deleted scene to stay in the final cut. However I understand what's justifiable for one person, may not be enough for someone else. This is where you get more into the topic of morality, and how much are you morally responsible for as a person. Harry has been drilled with the mindset for years that he has to save everyone, and that if your not in it for the greater good, ready to lay down your life you better forget being in it at all. Personally I don't believe Harry has any right to claim that rhetoric, as Dumbledore(and by association Grindlewald) practically spoon fed it down his throat; but I wont talk about that as it's a whole other issue. Draco, you have to understand has a whole type of different morality. Objectively I believe he's a good person, if not pressured by the echo chamber of ideals around him. Yet Draco repeatedly gives signs, and expresses the desire to want to do good. In order to properly analyze Draco you have to look past his outward facade, and actions, or you'll never see him as anything more then he pretends to be. If you can only read plain text, if you can't see past the obvious, you will always have a very flat one dimensional view of a character or a person. To me there's no redemption needed. Draco is already good, more good then his parents, and perhaps more good then some who claim goodness.

In summary Draco is a very complex person, who tries to over compensate for his flaws, struggles to express honesty, but deeply cares for others, especially his family. His duality lies in how he wants to be good to others, yet how in the end he always chooses to save the ones he loves, over the majority. Draco will always have his flaws, but he will always have his goodness too, and I hope you won't disregard that.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

P.S

Kudos to anyone who read through all that.

[ficletsbynaria]

Hello! Hope you don't mind, I'd like to request something very specific and kinda personal... For maybe Tokoyami and Shinsou? Where their S/O plays an instrument but doesn't want /like to play infront of other people? And now there's recital and her mom makes her go as always but this time S/O didn't have enough time to practice (maybe bcs of hero work) and feels ashamed to play? 1🙏

“I have 20 minutes to get there and can’t stop crying 😖 I just like to imagine there is someone to hug me after… I’m so sorry, delete this if you want to ❤️ love u 2🙏”

worry not anon ! i’d cater to any requests no matter how specific it is 😊😊 as someone who writes self-indulgent fics i would know ,,, and who wouldn’t want hugs and kisses from tokoyami and shinsou ?? 💖💗💓

alright let’s get to it !

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱: 1,740 words

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔰: Tokoyami Fumikage, Shinsou Hitoshi

𝔱𝔞𝔤𝔰: none

𝚃𝚘𝚔𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚖𝚒

You clutched the bow in your hand, stopping yourself from throwing it across your room. Hot tears threatened to fall from your eyes as you inhaled deeply. It took everything in you not to cry in front of her that day.

“You are going to that recital, or I will drag your stubborn self there.”

You kept your tone steady. “Mom, I didn’t practice enough. Can’t I just miss one performance?”

She let out a scoff at your suggestion. “What an irresponsible request. It’s your fault that you didn’t practice, and you will pay for the consequences.” Your eyes went wide. Your mother was willing to embarrass you in front of a crowd.

“I knew that U.A. school was bad for you. You should’ve pursued classical music like me.” 

“I don’t want to be like you. You wanted me to become a musician. You never asked me what I wanted.”

She stared you down with a dark expression, her gaze making you flinch. “Don’t talk back to me, child.”

The sounds of knocking made you snap back to reality. You realized quiet tears stained your cheeks and you did your best to wipe any traces off with your sleeve. Violin and bow in hand, you swung open the door, revealing a dark (but welcome) figure standing there.

“Fumi?” The boy’s hair ruffled at the sound of his nickname. Tokoyami rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture he made when he’s a bit shy. Something he only does around you.

“Um, dinner’s ready. The others told me to come over and tell you.” He glanced at the instrument, “Since you seem busy and all.”  

You were slowly forgetting your sadness from before. Tokoyami couldn’t have arrived at a better time. 

“Oh! Are you practicing the violin now, Y/N?” Dark Shadow crept from behind Tokoyami, pointing at your instrument. You lifted it up and stared at it with tired eyes. “Yeah, just a bit.”

“You were in your room all day. I don’t think that was for ‘a bit’.” Tokoyami interjected. Your face felt hot at his comment calling you out.

Waving your hands defensively, you stammered out an excuse. “It’s not that! I was just perfecting some parts, that’s all.”

Tokoyami gave you a look and you sighed in defeat. Of course, your perceptive boyfriend would know if you were lying to him. 

“Is it your mother again?” He also read your mind so many times now, that it scared you.

“When is it not?” You joked. He, however, was not in a laughing mood. Looking you over, you felt small in his gaze, albeit almost being at the same height.

“Move aside.” You took some time to process his words but realized you were blocking the doorway to your dorm. You stepped aside, letting him in, and closing the door behind you.

This was a regular occurrence for both of you. Tokoyami sensing your sour mood and opting to stay with you in your room to help you feel better. 

Even though he initiated the dorm visits, when it comes to what you do in the dorm, you were the one making the first move.

Placing the violin and bow in its case, you quickly hopped over to your bed, where Tokoyami was already seated. Snuggling up to his side, you let out a quiet sigh. His hair tickled your cheeks and you smiled to yourself at the thought.

“My mom didn’t allow me to skip my recital. Even if she knew I would just mess up in the middle of it.” Tokoyami was quiet, letting you speak. “I mean, yeah it’s my fault I didn’t practice that much. But she should at least understand my reasons.” Your hands gripped the fabric of your pants. You anticipated another wave of tears coming, but your mind went elsewhere as you felt something warm wrap around your hand.

Tokoyami was facing away from your surprised face. It was unusual for him to initiate physical contact. You must be in a really bad mood for him to do that.

“You shouldn’t beat yourself up for something that you couldn’t control.” A man of a few, but wise words, Tokoyami continued. “Besides, you’ve practiced enough. So it’s unlikely that you’ll mess up.” He went silent again after that. You also couldn’t form any sentences after the initial shock of him holding your hand.

To make matters worse, he started rubbing circles at the back of your hand with his thumb. At this point, you were too flustered to think of a response. Finally, Tokoyami looked at your direction. His expression became serious. “If you’re nervous on that stage, think of me and how proud I’ll be of you when you perform.”

Your heart was hammering in your chest. Tokoyami was intense, but this was the first time he directed that intensity to you, in a good way. Regaining your composure, you glanced back at your violin case. 

If you’re nervous, think of me and how proud I’ll be.

You felt yourself grin at his words. Unable to contain your excitement, you gave Tokoyami a peck on the side of his beak. The contact startled him off your bed. His eyes darted around the room, avoiding yours. You couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction.

“Thank you, Fumi.” You beamed up at him.

Tokoyami peeked at your face, then faced the other way, crossing his arms defiantly. 

“Don’t mention it.”

“Hey you’re blushing!” Dark Shadow popped out again and teased Tokoyami, causing the bird boy to curse it out.

.・゜゜・　　・゜゜・．

𝚂𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚞

You hid around the stage curtains. Your hands were becoming clammy at the worst time. You tried rubbing your hands together to gain some heat from the friction. Scared didn’t even begin to describe your state. You hated crowds, terrified of the eyes landing on you. Seeing your every move. 

Lucky for you, you had a piano recital coming up in 10 minutes. With a gymnasium packed to the rafters, and your whole family on the front row ready to watch. You considered begging your tutor to call off the performance, but you thought better of it. Besides, the wrath of your mother when you cancel the recital was a fate worse than death. 

One thing kept you from running away though. From hiding under your blankets, away from the world’s judgmental stares. 

You peeked outside from your corner, looking over at the audience. Your eyes lit up when you spotted a mop of purple hair somewhere in the third row. Maybe this recital wouldn’t be so bad, after all. 

As if feeling you ogling at him, Shinsou locked eyes with you. A smirk appeared on his face and he gave you a wink. The action made you blush and you whipped back into your safe corner. Of all times, he chose now to be a cheeky little shit.  

“Five minutes till showtime, Y/N.” Your tutor reminded you. Your nerves were on fire, and his little reminder did not help. Gathering your courage one last time, you checked again for Shinsou. Surprisingly, you couldn’t find him in his previous spot. That made you even more nervous. 

“Oh my god, I’m hallucinating.” You thought you saw your boyfriend in the crowd. Looking again for the third time, you confirmed that everything was in your imagination. 

Great. I’m going insane. 

You weren’t usually on edge. This time was different, since your practice was minimal, and you had no formal rehearsal beforehand. You wanted to quit piano when you got into U.A. but your mother told you that the general studies department didn’t have the same load as the hero course. She was right, in that matter, yet her reasons to force you into continuing piano lessons were a stretch. Arguing with her would lead to nothing productive, so you decided to humor her for now. 

Still, you were hoping to avoid recitals during your first year. With where you are now though, you deemed your hopes were ignored. 

“Sir, the backstage is for authorized personnel and performers only! Please go back to your seat.” 

Your attention went to the commotion behind you. You almost squealed out when you saw who was in the middle of it. 

“And what if I don’t want to?” 

The staff suddenly froze in their spot, eyes glossed over.  

“Go and tell your boss to give Y/N five more minutes.” The staff member slowly turned around and walked towards your unaware tutor. Meanwhile, the culprit was sauntering towards you. You hid your smile in your hand, clearing your throat.

“I told you not to brainwash innocent people.”

He chuckled. “He was taking away my alone time with you, how’s that guy innocent?”

Shinsou walked around you and hugged you from behind. You let out a tiny shriek as he nuzzled himself into your neck. 

“I missed you, you know? You kept practicing after class for the whole week.” Shinsou’s voice was muffled into your skin. You relished his warmth, using it to distract yourself from your nervousness. Back then, you didn’t consider him as the touchy-feely type. A few weeks into your relationship and you were proven wrong, however. Not that you minded.

“That whole week wasn’t enough prep. I’m going into this unprepared.” You sighed, pulling away from Shinsou’s embrace. He glanced at his watch, clicking his tongue when he realized he had a minute or so left.

He placed his hands on your face, compelling you to look at him. His dark purple eyes were boring into yours, and your focus momentarily went over to the ever-developing bags under his. 

“Listen to me when I say this.” Your eyebrow arched at his statement, thinking better of answering him if he decided to brainwash you now. He’d use his quirk on you as a joke sometimes, but when you noticed that any hint of playfulness was gone from his expression, you answered.

“Alright, I’ll listen.”

He smiled at that. “You worked hard to get to this point. Believe in your abilities, and you will  never feel like you aren’t enough.” He stated, removing his hands from your cheeks and placing them in his pockets. 

“Now go out there and knock ‘em dead.”

Shinsou gave you a quick kiss and ran off before more staff members came to scold him. Watching his retreating figure, you weren’t sure why you were so nervous in the first place.

After all, he believed in you.

[shizekarnstein]

Zeke is determinated to save his brother from the shackles of Grisha's poisonous influence. If Eren is refusing to go along with their dream the only reason is more than obvious: their wretched father has brainwashed him and only Zeke himself is able to free him of that burden. Only once he manages to undo the damage will the two of them stand together as brothers and put an end, once and for all, to the cursed fate of the eldian people.

Xaver stoods in his mind as Zeke's personal saviour. From his pov he was his real father: a father who listened and played with him, an adult with whom he felt safe and comfortable. The person who finally opened his eyes to the monstruos nature of his birth parents characters, and encouraged him to turned them over to the marlean authorities instead of joining them in utopia.

Zeke has never questioned his mentor's motives or the type of person he was. He only saw one side of him: the loving man who had his best interest in mind. To this day he never pondered over the fact that this very man basically turned him into the executioner of his own parents and how terrible is to put that burden on a child. How cruel and manipulative is to tell a seven years old that his own parents never loved him.

Claiming that Grisha has brainwashed and mistreat Eren as he did with Zeke himself all those years ago, refusing to even consider the possibility that he could have been a better parent to Eren, and not even listening to Eren's thoughts on the matter, he goes ahead and brings their foreheads together. To show his brother the truth.

But forcing your ideals and pov into another person is no different from what both his parents and Xaver did to him. So I have to ask: by using the FT powers to force his own convictions onto Eren, at the end, is he really that different from those he claims to loathe? Who is really trying to brainwash Eren at this point?

The brothers enter Grisha's memories and witness how this man interacted and raised his younger son.

This quest objetive is to reveal the true face of Grisha and all his wrongdoings. But along the way I can't help but wonder if what Zeke was really looking for, on an unconciouss level, was seeing their father again. Zeke was conditionated and encouraged by Xaver to hate and despise his father, but little Zeke loved him more than anything. He tried to put up with all the things he and Dina asked of him. Even when he thought those things were wrong and put him in danger, he did soldier on. What really brought him to a breaking point was not only his parents neglect, but the possiblity of all of them together being shipped off to paradise. For someone who to this day is still craving affection as a starved animal, I have no doubts that even if he convinced himself of hating him, a part of him is still that little boy who adored him. In order to move forward he had to believe his father was a monster.

When confronted with the reality that Grisha really seemed to care for his new wife and son, his bitterness and denial are palpable. He's jelous bc some part of him still wished he could have had something like that. Eren himself is going along this painful trip down memory lane, having to endure witnessing all those dear and simpler days with a deep sense of longing.

But no matter how hard he searchs, nothing seems to match Zeke's expectations. He's desesperatly trying to find the instances when Grisha acted as a selfish man who puts his own ideals ahead of the safety of his family. The months pass and all he can find are wholesome family moments. They get to see how Eren was clearly loved and doted upon, how his father spent countless hours playing with him, taking him on walks, witnessing his very first steps. The tranquil family dinners where no talk of politics or revolution ever graced the table.

Even then Zeke keeps searching for the devious facet that he knows must exit. Grisha infiltrated the walls to locate the FT and restaure the Eldian Empire. His new family is an accessory, just like his previous one.

Eren himself is done with this futile quest. Unlike Zeke, he knows the two sides of the story. He knows his father's faults, even believed for a time the worst of him when Rod Reiss triggered the memories of the chapel massacre. He has come to terms with the fact his father was a flawed man who payed dearly for his dreams and came to repent and love his new family in all the ways he couldn't with his former one. Eren knows all about his guilt, about his sins and regrets. About how much he cherished him and his mother, and how he never forgot about Dina and Zeke.

But what good does it do to argue with someone who's utterly convinced of his own truth? Trying to force his biased version on Eren is nonsense and Eren is very aware of this fact. Of course father is a demon, isn't that what you want to hear? We can move on and euthanize our own people next now that I know your true Zeke. What an evil man! Forcing your vission onto others without giving a damn about their own side of the story or experiences is such a wonderful and foolproof plan. Can't you see how the brainwashing is coming undone thanks to you showing me all these things? It's useless to try to talk with someone who doesn't listen.

But then both Eren and Zeke learned that they didn't even knew all there was to know about Grisha and how far he had evolved from his younger self.

He gave up on his old dream. He learned from his faults. When faced with the choice between his mission and his loved ones, this time he made the right choice. He was able to cast away his old self and previous mistakes and return to his family, finally deciding what was really more precious to him and clinging to this choice.

Humans change and grow. But without taking the time to sit down and listen to other people we are unable to trully grasp who they really are as persons. We allow our own missconceptions and prejudices to blind us to the facts. What Zeke is experiencing now is a total subversion of what he was convinced was an absolute fact. But in order to allow himself to consider this possiblity, he had to witness it with his own eyes. Ignorance itself is a formidable enemy after all. That is the brothers motto, but the only one living by those words was Eren.

All the doubts Zeke still harboured and his last sanity rope was the utter conviction that his father never loved him. Mister Xaver told him so. It has to be true. Even if he changed in regards to his other son, Grisha never cared for Zeke. He was nothing more to him than a tool, a royal blood vessel that would help him to make his dream come true. Grisha found happiness with his new family, merrily forgetting all about his past one and the hell he put them through. Listening to Grisha utter "I'm sorry, Zeke" has began to utterly shatter this view.

While Zeke was blabbing, Eren noted how his father still gazed and kept close his only memento of Dina and Zeke. He never forgot about them. How could he?

Kruger himself said that anyone can become a god or a devil, all it takes is for someone to believe in it. For Zeke and Rod Reiss Grisha Jaeger was a monster who gladly crushed children and anything that stood on his way. Marley and Willy Tybur convinced the whole world that Eren Jaeger is a demon hellbent on destroying everything in his path. We as readers were convinced that the Beast Titan was a devil who utterly lacked even an ounce of human compassion. Xaver appears to Zeke as a wonderful person; we as readers know better than to believe such a thing of someone who installed the idea in a child that his parents hated him and forced him to tarnish his hands with their blood. Just going by the flashes we saw this chapter about Grisha, an uninformed party would conclude that he was a good man with not a single fault to his name. To trully grasp others we need to get rid of our bias and missconceptions and learn to actually listen and see for ourselves what's true and what isn't. That has always been a theme in SnK. Zeke's journey isn't different.

Now both brothers experienced radically differnet sides of Grisha. Just bc he came to regret his previous actions and worked to better himself as a man, spouse and father doesn't mean all is forgiven. Zeke has the right to still resent him and the way he treated him. But he can only make that choice freely once he knows for certain all there is to his father's story. And the journey has only started.

I find intriguing how at the beginning it was Zeke who command the pace of their journey and kept selecting to continue. Now that his convictions have been shaken, and not Eren's, is Eren himself who seems to be in charge of the itinerary.

If inside paths realm the stronger mental will is the one who prevails, then the outcome of this little journey is very much on Eren's favour.

What's Zeke going to do? It's there a way to make him give up on his dream too? Or is he still fully convinced of the true of Xaver words? Memories of the previous shifter have a degree of influence on the current one. If Zeke can say with security that Eren was being controlled by their father, then how deep is the real hold of Xaver in all of this? Is this really only Zeke's dream? Xaver shared this dream with him when he still lived, and the two of them agreed to make it a reality. Even now he remains a dear person and highly respectable in Zeke's mind and heart. At the end I don't think it trully matters if his hold on Zeke is being reinforced by his memories living in him. The only one who can decide what to do is Zeke. Time may be infinite inside paths realm, but even so the clock is still ticking.

This chapter was monumental and has so many things to comment upon. I plan to do another post pondering over something I've been wondering for a long time: can shifters actually sense when someone down the line is witnessing/reviving some of their memories? Going by Frieda and Grisha this chapter, my tentative answer is yes. Hint: Grisha sees Zeke in front of him, but there was someone else behind Grisha who had the same view as him, and that someone would later be the vessel that holds all of Grisha's memories.