#her heroics cost her a lot

[youngpettyqueen]

went looking for a creation myth

ended up with a pair of cracked lips

[kinardgo]

I saw a post a while ago about Tommy and Buck running into Buck's exes, but I'd be interested in them running into Tommy's exes (boyfriend and/or girlfriends)

i spent such a long time fleshing out an OC for this tiny little oneshot but i could not get this out of my head gfhdhsjjdf.

EDIT: okay this isn't tiny and maybe i got over excited.

bucktommy / rated t / prompt requests still open

-

"Tommy?"

Chim stops mid-sentence, hands still up in a gesture, and his mouth is a little open as he looks over Buck's shoulder, behind him. Hen and Eddie seem similarly afflicted. Confused, Buck turns around, and-

Woah.

Buck's not unfamiliar with attractive people - he works in an environment with a lot of hot, athletic people, who do insane, heroic things, and since discovering that he's playing equal time for both teams, the pool of people that are nice to look at has grown considerably. That's a given. But... woah.

Green. Very green eyes.

"Dan! Oh, shit, how long has it been?" Tommy grins, getting up quickly enough that his chair scrapes against the concrete.

Hen and Chimney are doing their freaky psychic parademic mind melding communication thing, which mostly involves a lot of eyebrow movement and head tilting, and Eddie is glancing from Dan to Buck like he's nervous. This was supposed to be a chill little brunch, a catch up between friends. It's nice, being able to bring his partner to brunch like this, the same way Hen brings Karen and Chim brings Maddie. He never brought Ali, or Taylor, or any of his girlfriends. For reasons he could never quite pinpoint, he never wanted to let his worlds collide like that.

But Tommy is already part of his world. He's got inside jokes with Chim and Hen that Buck still doesn't quite get. He brings his own stories about the job, and he can laugh at everyone elses without getting maudlin and worried the way any of Buck's exes would. Tommy is as much a part of Buck's world as Buck is of his.

Except, Tommy's world apparantly has other things in it. Like Dan. Dan with the very green eyes, and the black hair swept carelessly back off his face like he thinks he's a 90's movie star, a little grey peppered at his temples and a t-shirt that has to be at least two sizes too small. Dan with his arm around Tommy's shoulder, and a 1000 watt smile dangerously close to Tommy's mouth, like he's not 100% committed to pulling out of this extremely long hug.

"What are you doing in California? You miss the sunshine?" Tommy asks, his hand still very noticably on Dan's hip.

"Don't even say that, those Oregon winters are no joke," he huffs, "Nah, I'm down for my sister's wedding."

"Emily's getting married? What the hell, she was barely out of college last time I checked."

"Yeah, Tommy, that was six years ago," he laughs, "All grown up now, marrying some IT geek from San Diego. Don't know what he did to deserve her, but my balls have been well and truly threatened if I give him anymore shit."

They chat for another few minutes, completely oblivious to the audience they have, oblivious to the way that Buck's hands are clenching into fists under the table. Tommy's usually so poised, straight-backed, almost stoic. Even his humour is deadpan, but Buck relishes the moments where he can tease easy smiles and full body laughs and dorky jokes out of him. Dan and his pretty eyes seem to have that down pat, too.

"Uh, I feel like I've crashed a party here, Tom."

Tommy blinks, looking back over at their table.

"Shit, sorry," he says, "I should have said. These are the good folks of the 118 firehouse. You probably know Hen and Howie by reputation, and this is Karen and Maddie," Tommy indicates each of them in turn, and they give a wave, "That's Eddie, and this is my boyfriend, Evan."

He says is so casually, like it costs him nothing, and it drags a smile out him the way it always does. Boyfriend. Buck stands, offering a hand. There are still half-cresent marks on his palm from where he'd dug his nails in.

"Good to meet you, man."

"You too, Evan."

"Buck," he says reflexively, "People call me Buck."

"Sure," he says easily.

Tommy is staring at him, face unreadable, but he smiles anyway, polite, almost professional.

"This is Dan Archer, and he used to be the best damn EMT in California," he says, clapping him on the shoulder, "until he deserted us for the PFR."

"Portland, huh? That's a good department to work for, from what I hear," Hen grins, "You guys were trialling those new electric ambulances in 2019, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Dan laughs, "All green, baby. Not that it matters when you're pulling another hiker out the Cascades in mid-December, but for some reason no one wanted to put the funding into my caterpillar-tread gurneys idea."

Chim snorts, "Shit, that's a good one. We should start lobbying for that, Hen."

"Ain't that the truth," she mutters.

"I don't have that problem," Tommy says smugly. Dan punches him in the arm, "You wanna stick around? This place some amazing bruschetta."

The collective inhale the table takes is probably loud enough to hear across the street. Eddie puts his coffee down like he's worried he's going to have to do something that involves having both of his hands free, like restrain Buck.

"Nah, I'm just doing a coffee run, then I've got to get back to the pre-festivities festivities," Dan shrugs, apparantly oblivious, "And maybe buy a shotgun to clean somewhere in view of Samuel."

Tommy laughs, "Give 'em hell, Archer. And don't be a stranger."

"You neither, Kinard," he grins, "I'll take you up on that bruschetta before I head back North."

"You better."

Tommy sits back down, and puts a hand on Buck's thigh. Nothing salacious or suggestive, just the weight of his palm and the heat of his skin. Familiar. The group lapses back into the same kind of easy chatter that they had before. Maddie and Chim talking about something cute Jee had done last week. Hen recounts in detail the call out they got that ended with having to deep bleach the inside of the ambulance. Buck takes a hold of Tommy's wrist, feels his pulse against his fingers, a steady, paitent beat.

-

Tommy's mouth paints lines of heat against Buck's shoulders. He's on his stomach in Tommy's bed - their bed, really, with how often Buck is here these days - propped up on his elbows. There's a book open on the pillow in front of him, something he found on Tommy's bookshelf about the history of the American rail network. It's been open on the same page for the last ten minutes, Buck's eyes somewhere in the middle distance.

There's temptation here, in the form of Tommy's half naked body pressed up alongside his, the hand on his lower back, his mouth. But Buck's mind is going a mile a minute.

"Baby," Tommy murmers, lips pressed to the nape of his neck.

"How do you know him?"

Tommy stills, just a moment where he freezes, before he exhales.

"I don't know if I like you thinking about other men while I'm trying to seduce you."

"Well, he is a very handsome man," Buck mutters, before he can help himself.

Tommy snorts, "Seriously?"

"It's ridiculous," he grumbles, "He's a paramedic, not a model. What's he even-"

Tommy muffles his laughter into Buck's shoulder, his body shaking with it. It should irritate him, it should make him feel belittled and mocked, but the way Tommy curls over Buck's naked back, smudging kisses into his hair and muttering his name softens the blow.

"I'm being an idiot, aren't I?" he says flatly, and it just makes Tommy laugh harder.

"No, Evan, you're being jealous, and possessive, and very sweet," he says, indulgent. Tommy is always indulgent with him, and Buck aches with how much he doesn't deserve it, "I know there's no way for me to say this without it sounding sarcastic, but I really do think that you glaring daggers at my ex like you're thinking about burying him under a carpark is extremely attractive."

Buck huffs, "So, he is your ex."

"Yes, he's my ex," he says, trailing a finger down the dip of Buck's spine, "We dated for nearly a year, the first year I moved to Harbour. He was my first serious relationship after I came out."

Buck doesn't really know what to say to that. Tommy represents a whole lot of firsts to Buck. First kisses, first touches, first fucks. Not first ever, obviously, but a kind of first all their own. And maybe Buck is always going to be a too much, too fast kinda guy, but he can't imagine getting over that, getting over him. Not even after five, six years.

"It ended amiciably. He got the job offer from Portland. Captaincy. Dan's job is important to him, too important to pass it up. I understood that."

"Do you miss him?"

Tommy kisses his shoulder, "All the time. He's been a good friend to me over the years."

"Do you see him very often?"

"Handful of times, since he moved," Tommy smiles, curling his fingers into the hair at the back of Buck's neck, "Came down for Harris' retirement. Couple years ago, we met up while he visiting family. I went up to Portland last year, too."

"Oh?" Buck says, feigning indifference and probably missing it by a mile, "How was it?"

"It was great. Awesome city. Great hiking in the area, and the ceremony was beautiful."

"What ceremony?" Buck asks, jerking up.

"You would have cried," Tommy continues like he didn't even hear him, like he didn't almost just headbutted in Buck's eagerness tosit upright, "I bet you always cry at weddings, but you definitely would have cried at this one. I bawled like a baby."

Buck shoves at Tommy's chest playfully, and he bounces when his back hits the mattress, laughing again.

"What wedding?"

"Dan's wedding," Tommy grins, "to his husband, Jake. Who he loves very very much."

He groans, shoving his head into the pillow, but Tommy doesn'tlet him mope about it for very long. A strong pair of hands roll him flat onto his back, and Tommy wastes absolutely no time in covering his body with his own, pushing between his legs and kissing him halfway to stupid. Which doesn't bode well for Buck, who's pretty sure he was more than halfway there already.

"You're ridiculous," Tommy says fondly, pressing a kiss to Buck's cheek.

"I know," he sighs, "I'm sorry."

Tommy kisses him again, before propping himself upon his elbows, "We're gonna talk about this properly tomorrow, about you being this worried about me... leaving? Or being interested in other people? Whatever it is, okay? We're gonna talk about it, because I don't actually want you to be upset, Evan," he says softly, "but you don't need to apologise for being jealous. It's just an emotion."

"Not the best emotion on me, though," Buck sighs, "It's not even rational."

"Maybe," Tommy shrugs, "but I wasn't lying when I said I like it on you sometimes. I don't regret my relationship with Dan, so what's rational about me liking how much you wish you were the only one who has ever touched me?"

Tommy's got a talent for taking Buck's most ridiculous thoughts, his worst traits, the ugliest sides of him, and rearranging all the pieces so that they actually make sense. He's so steadying, like a hand on his back while he feels like he's constantly walking on a tightrope. All of it is like water off a duck's back to Tommy, even when it feels like Buck's about to drown in it.

"God, please just kiss me," Buck whispers, half because he wants to, he always wants to, and half because it minimises the risk of saying anything else stupid, like 'I hate your gorgeous hero of an ex just because he got to kiss you before I did', or 'I like myself better when I'm with you than I ever had before', or 'I love you', or 'please don't talk about weddings around me because I'm terrified of the images in my head right now and how good you look in a suit'.

"Yeah?" Tommy breathes, his mouth hovering just over Buck's, "You gonna be thinking about him again?"

"Thinking about who?" Buck mutters back, just to be a brat.

Tommy laughs, a gentle, soft little thing that's so, so fond, but he kisses him anyway.

[sophrosynesworld]

With all my love, pt. 3

Part 3 is finally here and *gasp* lore?!

Do you know how hard it is to escape your top 5 pro-hero ex-boyfriend? His voice plays on my radio during my commute. His image is plastered across the news in the lobby this morning before lunch—he’s acting irrationally again. He’s always been too much of a hothead.

His recent heroic deeds have garnered both admiration and scrutiny. My departure seems to have affected him, causing some of his harsher traits to resurface. I never anticipated that he would notice, let alone react like this.

"I don't care if he's a jerk. Dynamite is one of the best heroes of this generation," I overhear one of the news anchors saying. The radio in the small restaurant makes it hard to miss.

"Dynamite is one bad decision away from killing someone," the woman says, clearly frustrated with her cohost. "I don't even know if it would be on accident."

"He has saved more people this year than Deku. How is that not a hero?" the cohost argues back.

"He's also cost this city thousands of man-hours repairing the damage his blasts created."

I set my tablet down, trying to push their argument out of my head. The familiar chime of bells rings, drawing my gaze to the doorway.

A redhead stands there, his eyes scanning the restaurant until they find mine. His face softens as he makes his way over, pulling out a chair and sitting across from me.

"You look good today," he says warmly. "Changed your hair?"

"No, but I did change my relationship status." I roll my eyes at his attempt at small talk. I know my ex-boyfriend's best friend didn’t just call me up to chat.

He chuckles, a sound out of place given the tension. “Look, I know things have been rough for you.”

“Rough? That’s putting it mildly.”

He leans forward, elbows on the table. “I want to help. He’s worried about you, you know.”

I sigh, glancing at the drawing in front of me. “He wasn’t worried when I was crying myself to sleep.”

“I get it,” he says softly. “But he’s struggling too. The hero life isn’t as glamorous as it seems. You know that better than anyone.” My heart skips a beat at the reminder of my early retirement. “The constant pressure, the expectations... it’s taking a toll on him.”

I look up, meeting his eyes. They hold sincerity, a genuine concern I hadn’t expected. “What do you want from me?” I whisper.

“Talk to him. Just once. Hear him out. You both deserve that closure.”

I lean back, the weight of his words settling over me.

“Fine,” I say after a long pause. “I’ll talk to him. But this doesn’t mean anything beyond that.”

He nods, a small smile playing on his lips. “That’s all I’m asking. Thank you.”

He settles back into his chair and picks up the menu. "Why don't we order something?"

I nod, grateful for the change in topic. "Sure. I hear their ramen is amazing."

We browse the menu, tension easing as we focus on the food. The waitress comes by, and we place our orders—spicy miso ramen for me, tonkotsu ramen for him.

As we wait, the restaurant buzzes with lunchtime chatter. Clinking utensils, humming conversations, and occasional laughter create a comforting atmosphere. It feels almost normal, a brief break from the chaos.

“So,” he says, breaking the silence, “how’s work? Still drawing those amazing designs?”

I smile, appreciating his interest. “Yeah, hectic, but I’m managing. Deadlines are killer, though.” He laughs as our waitress places two bowls in front of us.

“I can imagine. But your work is worth it. You’ve got talent, always have.”

“Thanks,” I say, feeling more at ease. “How about you? How’s hero life?”

“It’s... a lot,” he admits, mouth full of food. He swallows. “But it’s worth it, knowing we’re making a difference." I hum in agreement, tasting my food. The flavorful broth dances across my tongue, making me do an unconscious happy dance.

"We really do miss you though," Kiri says, his voice trailing off as he scratches his neck. I feel a pang of remembrance. I've never stopped missing being a hero. I hate not being able to work with my best friends.

"I don't get a retirement package as a hero," I reply, forcing a smile to mask my heartache. But it's clear my facade fails as regret fills Kiri's eyes. Apologies spill from his lips, but I don't listen. Instead, I reach out and gently place my hand on his for a brief moment.

"Eijiro, I promise you I've moved on. I don't blame anyone for what happened," I assure him, pushing another smile onto my face. "I got over that a long time ago."

I withdraw my hand and continue to eat, the conversation flowing more easily after a few moments. We reminisce about our days at UA, share laughs about our coworkers, and for a while, it feels like old times.

By the time we finish, I feel lighter, the past weeks’ weight lifting slightly. It’s not a solution, but it’s a start.

“Thanks for meeting me,” he says as we stand to leave. “and for agreeing to talk to him.”

I nod, a sense of anticipation blooming. “We’ll see how it goes.”

As we step out into the city’s noise, I unblock his number from my phone and watch in horror as hundreds of missed messages flood my phone screen.

[hypnoticmoth]

Some informations about After the tower fell setting ! And some tidbits ! - It takes place a few months after the events of season 1. The Vees are slowly taking over some new territories in the city as they have been unaffected by the Exorcists's attack on the hotel. Just like they said, there is now a power imbalance in Pentagram, and they are taking full advantage of it. Rosie has lost a lot of her cannibals during the fight and is weakened, forced to defend without any possibility to attack back. Carmilla Carmine has also been weakened after lending so much angelic weapons to the hotel, putting her in a precarious situation, even with Zestial's partnership. Basically, the Overlords are at each other's throat, trying to gain in power and the Vees are taking full advantage of it, using the tense climate to turn everyone against each other through misinformation and manipulation. (It also doesn't calm anyone that Lucifer is back and might have a hand in what the Overlords are doing in Pride) - Vox is fearmongering the population of Pentagram city by slowly corrupting the informations about what happened at the hotel. Turning a heroic battle into a severe misstep that will costs Sinner's lives (and using it all to sell his products or future products). He speaks of Heaven ready to wage a full on war against Hell. Not only he is slandering the hotel, but also turning the citizen of Pentagram hostile toward the patrons and Charlie. - Heaven stays silent for a while, merely mourning the loss of Adam and observing the events in Hell. Between the Overlords' squabbles and the Sinners of the Pride ring becoming restless, they fear a war will be inevitable. And eventually their fear proves true. Sinners and Overlords now know how to kill Angels, and with their numbers growing exponentially, Angels have to put a stop to it for the sake of Heaven's souls. - The V tower collapses soon after the beginning of the war with Heaven. Alastor lured Exorcists to it and rampaged through the halls as well before vanishing, but not before making sure all three Vees knew it was him. He wanted to make sure they knew he didn't take kindly to being relentlessly taunted and slandered these last few months. - A lot of the Vees's employees died, breaking a ton of soul contracts, weakening them considerably. Some other soul contracts got erased because the Overlords broke specific terms. (I spoke about it more in another post) - Vark is Vox's only pet that survived. - Valentino and Velvette are blaming Vox's unhealthy obsession with Alastor for their downfall. During the months leading to their end, they tried, multiple times, to reason with him to stop attacking the hotel and to focus on the other Overlords instead.

[raayllum]

Seen some discussion on this and I think the big takeaway being "Rayla is taking Runaan's place here as the leader" is underselling it in some ways, tbh, since I think it's a lot more indicative of how S7 is going to challenge Rayla at her core of whether she's like Runaan, and what version(s) of Runaan that means.

Rayla has always had similarities to her father / mentor. Keeping secrets about her own harm, the emphasis on sacrifice, her view of herself as an assassin, goodbye kisses to their lovers, leaving people at home to protect them, her little silver pauldron that matches his, wielding his bow-blade in S5, and her ponytail hair clasp, etc etc. Some of the lessons she's learned from Runaan have been helpful, allowing her to protect herself and her friends; some of them have been less so.

I told you: I am already dead.

I've talked about this before but the bulk of the characters in TDP have a 'shadow self' for lack of a better term—a person in the narrative/history or in their family that they are struggling with whether to be like, if not actively striving against it (Janai with Queen Aditi, Ezran with Harrow, etc). However, it's a bit more complicated than that. As noted in previous metas, Callum's parallels to Viren have gone from being indicative of a mostly negative path (dark magic use to the point of corruption, Aaravos' manipulations, etc) to also indicating a positive path: breaking away from Aaravos and dark magic (5x09) and doing more heroic deeds (6x08) because you refuse to sacrifice the people around you. It's shifted from "Callum is like Viren" to "Callum is like both of Viren's arcs, bad and eventually good," as when he inevitably breaks away from Aaravos' hold, he will ultimately be paralleling his main foil in a positive way as well.

It's a similar matter for Rayla with Runaan, with the way Runaan parallels Viren being a fun bonus, down to being resurrected and deeply regretful of how they've treated their child(ren).

Is she going to be Runaan the assassin, who keeps their oaths/promises no matter what even if that means sacrificing everything they hold dear, including their family? Who believes that the mission is too far gone now for a detour, or to go off track entirely? The Runaan who put duty over love and tried to kill someone he loved, even if it ended up destroying himself, too?

Or is she going to be the Runaan who regrets doing so, who is lost but found through love, who is brought back and brings others back? Who carries Runaan's bravery and guidance but sheds the lesson of sacrifice at all cost, of yourself, of others? And instead is devoted to preserving life, rather than taking it?

CALLUM: Rayla's brave. She saves people. [...] Rayla is selfless, strong, and caring. That's what makes her a hero. That's what makes her Rayla.

As Runaan and Rayla have both had time to unlearn their previous mindsets and build upon new ones, I think they will continue to challenge each other to reject the duty > love mindset, and that they've had to embrace a healthier, more balanced view of love and sacrifice for themselves and its impact on others around them.

[thelonelyfairy]

Fractured Bonds

Chapter 1

( Shouta Aizawa x Reader x Toshinori Yagi)

Summary: Your time working alongside All Might was cut short due to his devastating injury and Sir Nighteye’s grim warning of the resurgence of All For One brought you no choice but to part ways with your lover for the greater good.

Upon your return, you took up a new role as UA’s next nurse, under the guidance of Recovery Girl. Yet, as you re-entered the lives of your old friends and stepped back into the growing conflict with the League of Villains, your past, connections, and the secrets buried deep within you would challenge you resolve and ultimately shape your destiny.

Note: Tags of this story will be on my master list which is linked below! Happy reading!

Masterlist Chapter 2

Note: I absolutely despise reading any x reader fics with any mention of (Y/N) so I added a name here, you’ll see it scattered here and there but I did not add any physical features that’ll throw you off since that is up to your own imagination. Lastly, Minors DNI 🛑 Happy reading! 🫶

Day 1

The sterile smell of antiseptic fills the air as you stand by the entrance of the U.A. infirmary. Once you step foot into the room—with its white walls and clinical cleanliness—your mind and body finally begin to ease.

Recovery Girl sits at her desk, scribbling away at a stack of medical reports, her short figure barely visible behind the pile. “Welcome, dear! So glad to see you doing well after all these years!”

You offer a small smile, though your nerves twist tighter as you approach her desk, your fingers fidgeting with the hem of your coat. You’re not used to standing still—action, movement, and fighting was your norm. Healing, while always a part of your Kitsune quirk, has never been your primary focus.

Recovery Girl stands, her cane tapping softly against the floor as she moves towards one of the examination tables. “Your healing abilities with that Kitsune spirit of yours intrigued me the moment you enrolled, but you need to learn how to harness them properly in this kind of environment.”

You nod, healing was always something you did on the sidelines or in the heat of battle, never in a controlled setting like this.

“And one more thing,” Recovery Girl adds, her voice softening slightly as she gestures for you to come closer. “I know you’re carrying a lot from your past, child. You’re not just here because you’re talented. You’re here because you need healing too.”

Day 2

“Absolutely not, Yamada,” Nemuri hisses, keeping a firm grip on the back of Hizashi’s jacket as he tries to push forward, eyes alight with excitement at the sight of you and Recovery Girl on the way to tend to the injured students after the entrance exam. But while Hizashi is eager for a reunion, Nemuri knows better, aware that seeing the faculty, especially after all these years, would turn your stomach into knots.

In the dimly lit security room, Aizawa leans against the wall, his eyes heavy with fatigue as he attempts to ignore the banter between Nemuri and Hizashi. His attention, instead, stays locked on the screens, observing the aftermath of the students' battles, each one fighting for a place in U.A.

As he mentally tallies the students' performances, his sharp gaze focuses on the feed that switches to a familiar face—Midoriya, lying broken in the debris after a heroic but reckless display of power. The boy had saved another student, but at the cost of his own body.

Aizawa sighs, already planning to mark Midoriya down, his thoughts centeres on the boy’s lack of control over his quirk. Then, something—or rather someone—unexpected enters the frame.

Your colored hair steps into view, a fox-like spirit at your side, guiding you towards the injured boy.

‘Yan…’

“Who’s that?” one of the faculty members mutters, leaning in as the camera zooms closer.

Aizawa doesn’t answer. He already knows. Half of the staff in the room already knows.

Beside you stands Recovery Girl, the two of you examining Midoriya’s broken form.

Aizawa watches closely, his heart tightening unexpectedly. He hadn’t seen you in years, but there you are—compose, calm, your movements precise as always.

The room grows quiet, everyone transfixed as you kneel beside Midoriya. Your Kitsune glows softly, casting a warm light over the boy’s battered body.

With practiced care, you place paper talismans, ofuda, on his limbs, each one pulsing with healing energy. Slowly, the light spreads, knitting his shattered bones and torn muscles back together. Midoriya’s pained expression eases as the healing takes hold.

“Fox Face…” All Might’s voice breaks the silence, confusion lacing his words as he leans in for a better view.

Aizawa clenches his jaw as you stand, your Kitsune wrapping itself around your shoulders. You introduce yourself to the students, with that smile full of life, confidence, so different from the shy, hesitant girl he used to know.

“Looks like things are gonna get interesting from here on out,” Nemuri whispers to Hizashi, who chuckles softly, nodding in agreement.

Day 3

You stand just outside the teacher’s office, clutching a stack of paperwork to your chest. It’s your third official day back at U.A., and despite all the years of training and experience you’ve accumulated, a heavy sense of nervousness still resides.

Rumors already circulating that this year’s Hero Course will face unprecedented challenges, which means your workload will only grow. But for now, your task was simple: drop off some forms and avoid any familiar faces.

You peer into the office and sigh in relief. Empty, just as you hoped.

“Alright, get in, get out,” you whisper to yourself, stepping into the quiet room.

You place the paperwork on the desk with a quiet thud, your body finally starting to relax.

“Yan.”

The deep, familiar voice sends a jolt through you, a rush of warmth and dread coursing through your veins.

You turn slowly, already knowing who it is before you even meet his eyes. Toshinori Yagi—All Might, even in his slimmed-down form—leans casually against the doorframe, his smile soft but with a glint in his eyes that hints at more. He’s not here by accident.

You catch your breath before meeting cerulean, “Toshinori,” you greet coolly, though the softness in your tone betrays you.

He steps further into the room, gently closing the door with his foot, leaving it slightly ajar. His gaze drifts to the teacher directory on the wall. “Quite the lineup of teachers this year,” he muses, his finger tracing down the list. He pauses on one name in particular. “Aizawa... EraserHead, huh? Heard some... interesting things about him. Expelled a whole class, didn’t he?”

You stiffen, your heart sinking at the mention of Aizawa.

“He’s... thorough,” you say carefully, forcing neutrality into your voice. “Harsh, but fair. In his own way, at least from what I remember.”

Toshinori glances back at you, his eyes lingering a moment longer than necessary. His gaze feels like a gentle weight, as if he’s trying to read more from your words. His lips quirk slightly, a knowing expression—he’s always been good at reading you.

"Thorough, huh?" he says with a raised brow, teasing. "Sounds like you’ve got some experience with him."

You bite the inside of your cheek, debating how much to reveal. “We studied together. He’s... not the easiest person to get along with.” You force a casual shrug, hoping to mask the sudden heaviness in your chest.

Toshinori’s smile widens, but his eyes soften with understanding. “Well, I was thinking of having a chat with him. Get a sense of who he is before we start working together. But—” his voice lowers, gentler, “—maybe you could join me? Help break the ice?”

You blink, caught off guard not just by the request but by the tenderness in his voice.

Your immediate instinct was to refuse, to avoid the inevitable awkwardness of facing Aizawa after all these years. But Toshinori's warm, steady, almost pleading gaze makes it hard to say no.

“You know him better than I do,” he continues, “It’d be a good way to ease into things... together.”

You finally exhale, your resistance crumbling. “Alright,” you whisper. “I’ll come.”

Toshinori’s face softens with gratitude. “Thank you.”

You nod, glancing down at your hands, realizing they’ve tightened into fists. This was going to be... interesting. To say the least.

The warm afternoon sun filters through the trees as you crouch beside Toshinori, hidden in the bushes near U.A.’s training field. The gentle rustling of leaves matches the anxious beat of your heart as you peek through the branches. Out on the field, Aizawa stands next to Midoriya, the boy you saved back in the entrance exam.

Toshinori, in his All Might form, leans closer, his broad shoulders brushing against yours as he watches with intense focus. “This is where we see what the kid’s made of,” he whispers, his voice low but brimming with enthusiasm.

You raise an eyebrow at his excitement, “Really? Don’t you think this is too much?” you whisper back, nervously glancing up at his massive frame. Even after all these years, it’s still surreal seeing him like this—tall, powerful, and confident, as if his injury never happened.

Toshinori chuckles, the deep sound sending a wave of nostalgia, “A little pressure never hurts anyone.”

You sigh, he hasn’t changed at all. But despite the ease of his presence, a shy flutter stirs in your chest. You had never quite adjusted to seeing him in his All Might form again, not after everything you’d been through together. Memories flood back—his soft whispers and kisses, desperate but gentle touches, his grunts turning guttural with your sounds of pleasure and whimpers—rushes back to you. Those days were exhilarating and loving, but now it felt nothing but a distant dream.

“Wait, wait, is he for real?!” Toshinori’s sudden exclamation pulls you back to the present, his eyes widened with surprise.

Following his gaze, you see Midoriya, his expression full of determination, hurl the ball skyward with such force that it disappears into the clouds. The sheer power of his throw elicits cheers from the other students, their excitement electric as they crowd around Aizawa to see the score.

All but one.

Bakugo—spiky blonde and unmistakable—scowls with fury, clearly unimpressed by Midoriya’s display. Without warning, he charges at Midoriya with a guttural yell, ready to tackle him.

But Aizawa is faster. His gray capture scarf snaps out like lightning, coiling around Bakugo’s arms and torso, stopping him mid-charge. The explosive student thrashes wildly, but it’s no use. Aizawa has him locked down within seconds, his eyes glowing red, hair floating in that familiar storm-like halo, signaling the activation of his Quirk.

You bite back a smile. There’s something about Aizawa’s battle-ready stance—the glowing eyes, the quiet authority, the way his hair moves like it’s caught in an invisible wind. That quiet intensity he carries always draws you in, no matter how much you’ve tried to push it away.

Toshinori, oblivious to your shift in focus, continues watching in awe. “Young Midoriya has so much potential,” he mutters, still marveling at the boy’s strength.

As Aizawa loosens the grip of his scarf, Bakugo grumbles under his breath before stalking back to the group, glaring daggers at Midoriya. Midoriya, relieved, exhales heavily, tension melting from his shoulders.

Aizawa hands Midoriya a referral slip, likely sending him to Recovery Girl. Just as you begin to relax, you feel a sudden, sharp tug,your Kitsune spirit, stirring with urgency. Alarmed, you see the ethereal fox dart out toward the training field.

"Kitsune!" you whisper urgently under your breath, leaving Toshinori behind to admire the glowing trail of Sakura blossoms that always follows your departure.

A gentle breeze, shimmering with glowing Sakura blossoms, swirls around you as you materialize in front of Midoriya, paying no mind to Aizawa being behind you as Your Kitsune spirit coils around you in a radiant, ethereal light.

Midoriya, wide-eyed, in awe at your sudden appearance. His injured finger—the nail bent and bruised—is quickly noticed. Without missing a beat, you pull a healing ofuda from your pouch, wrapping it carefully around the boy’s finger. The Kitsune channels its energy through the talisman, and in an instant, the bruising faded, the injury vanishing as if it had never existed.

"Th-thank you! That was amazing! Aren't you the new nurse? You're incredible!" Midoriya’s words tumbled out in a rush, his face full of awe.

You offer a soft smile as the other students whisper among themselves, intrigued by the display of your Quirk. “Take care of yourself, okay?” Giving Midoriya a final nod before your Kitsune flicks its tail, signaling it was time to retreat.

Before the students begin to flood you with questions, you teleport back to Toshinori, leaving behind the usual shimmering trail of Sakura blossoms.

As you reappear beside Toshinori, hidden in the bushes, he chuckles warmly. “You’re quite the showstopper, Yan.”

You smile, humming softly. “You taught me all of that, after all.”

But before the moment can settle, Aizawa appears. His sharp eyes, trained on the glowing cherry blossom trail you left behind, track its faint shimmer—something that would’ve easily escaped the ordinary eye. His expression is unreadable, though a faint tension lingers in the air.

“Aizawa, that was a rotten move!” Toshinori chimes in, clearly referring to the expulsion tactic used earlier.

Aizawa’s gaze flickers between you and Toshinori, and though his tone is dry, a subtle smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. “And what were you two doing over there in the bushes?” The passive aggression in his voice lingers, cutting through the cold detachment of his words.

For a moment, you were back in high school, bantering and teasing like old times. But this wasn’t the same Aizawa you once knew. His cold demeanor, the years that separated you both—it built a wall you weren't sure you could break through.

Toshinori, the complete opposite of Aizawa, brushes off the tension with his carefree demeanor, waving a hand. “I’ve heard rumors about you, Aizawa. Expelling a whole class—bold move.”

Aizawa’s eyes narrows, his gaze locking onto Toshinori’s. “And?”

Toshinori continues, his tone more serious now. “The threat you made earlier about expelling the student in last place—it wasn’t a bluff. You saw their potential and acted on it. But that can only mean, you see the kind of potential in young Midoryia that I do!”

Aizawa’s expression remains stony, but his eyes shift toward you, scrutinizing closely. “So you’ve both been lurking here for a while, watching.”

You drew in a breath, steadying yourself under the weight of his gaze. You’ve never gotten used to those piercing eyes. Your mind scrambles for a response, but Aizawa didn’t give you a chance to speak. “And you just happened to show up in time to heal Midoriya’s injuries. Convenient.”

A small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of Aizawa’s mouth before he turns on his heel, walking away. “It’s cruel,” he mutteres, his voice just loud enough for you and Toshinori to hear, “to let a kid keep dreaming of something that’ll never come true.”

His words lingered in the air, biting and cold. You stood frozen, the weight of his judgment sinking deep into your chest. Even as he disappears from sight, the intensity of his presence remains, swirling around you like a storm cloud that refuses to clear.

Day 4

The next day was more calm to your liking since Allmight planned on mentoring Aizawa’s students with an indoor training session, leaving you busy at the infirmary with Recovery Girl.

With all that’s on your mind and with the insistence of Recovery Girl, you step into the breakroom, your nerves still buzzing from the encounter with Aizawa yesterday.

The breakroom was quiet, except for one familiar figure lounging on the couch.

Midnight, or Nemuri as she preferred to be called by those close to her. Nemuri glances up from her cup of tea, a smirk instantly pulling at her lips. "Well, well, look who finally decided to stop by," she teases, her voice smooth as silk.

You manage a small smile as you cross the room, "I figured I should finally make an appearance," you joke lightly, though the exhaustion in your voice was hard to hide.

Nemuri’s eyes narrows, "You seem tense. Does it have anything to do with a certain someone who goes by the name Eraserhead?" Her voice was teasing, but there was genuine curiosity underneath it.

You wince,"It’s nothing," you lie, but Nemuri wasn’t buying it.

"Uh-huh," Nemuri leans back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest. "Well, if you say so. But I know that look. You saw him, didn’t you?"

You sigh, knowing there was no point in denying it. Nemuri had always been sharp, especially when it came to reading her friends. "Yeah, I ran into him yesterday," you admit, "It was...awkward. I don’t even know how to act around him anymore."

Nemuri frowns, her teasing tone fading. "You know Aizawa can be a tough nut to crack, even for those of us who’ve known him for years. But give it time. He’ll come around again."

You nod, though you weren't entirely convinced. Aizawa wasn’t the only reason your emotions were tangled up. Your return to U.A. had brought up so many memories—both good and bad.

Nemuri studies you for a moment before her expression softens. "What about Hizashi? Are you okay with seeing him? You know how he is—loud, excitable... the complete opposite of you." She chuckles, though her concern was clear.

Hizashi Yamada, Present Mic, had always been a whirlwind of energy, constantly shouting and bursting with enthusiasm. It was hard to keep up with someone like him, especially for someone like you, who thrive in quieter spaces. But at the same time, you do miss him. You missed the friendship you all once shared.

"I think..." You begin slowly, unsure of your own words, approaching one of the couches across from Nemuri "I think it’ll be nice to—“

Nemuri grins at your approval, just as the door to the breakroom burst open, and in comes Hizashi himself, his voice already at full volume before he even stepped inside.

"YAAAAANNNNN!!" Hizashi practically screamed with joy, the break room door burst open, and in comes Hizashi himself, his voice already at full volume before he even stepped inside.

He rushes into the room with arms wide open, hugging you from behind. His blonde hair bounced wildly as he practically jumped toward her, his enthusiasm infectious. "It’s been forever! I can’t believe you’re back!"

You barely had time to brace yourself before Hizashi plops down next to you, pulling you into a tight hug, his sheer energy making you laugh.

"Hi, Hizashi," you managed, your voice muffled by his shoulder. "You haven’t changed a bit."

"And you haven’t aged a day! You’re making me jealous of that Kitsune of yours," Hizashi beams, stepping back to give her some space but still buzzing with excitement, surprised that he still remembers the other pros of your quirk.

For a moment, you regret avoiding them for so long. These were the people who had been by your side through thick and thin. Sure, they were loud, chaotic, and sometimes overwhelming—but they were your friends.

As Hizashi begins his exuberant storytelling, arms flailing dramatically with every word, You couldn’t help but smile at his antics. He hadn’t changed one bit, still the same energetic force of nature. But just as he was getting into the climax of his latest radio escapade, Nemuri suddenly stood up, a sly grin forming on her face.

"Yamada, dear," Nemuri begins in a sweet, almost too innocent voice. "Why don’t you take a little rest?"

Before Hizashi could even react, Midnight raises her hand, releasing her quirk—a subtle wave of pink, sparkling mist that drifted towards Hizashi. His animated voice trailed off mid-sentence, and his eyelids drooped instantly. Within seconds, Hizashi slumped into the chair, fast asleep, still smiling from whatever ridiculous story he’d been telling.

You blink, glancing between Nemuri and the now-snoozing Hizashi. "Was that really necessary?"

Nemuri shrugs, her grin widening. "It was either that, or listen to him go on for another hour. We’d never get a word in." She plops back down on the couch, patting the seat next to her. "Come on, we need a little girl talk, just us. I’ve been dying to hear what’s going on with you, especially after becoming All Might's sidekick.”

You hesitated for a second but then sank into the other end of the couch with a soft sigh, finally able to enjoy the silence after Hizashi’s whirlwind of energy.

Nemuri leans forward, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes twinkling with mischief as you look down, her fingers nervously tapping against your thigh. Of course Nemuri would go straight to the heart of the issue. And now, with Hizashi out cold, there was no escaping the conversation.

"It wasn’t anything serious," you begin softly, trying to brush it off. "I mean, we were both… well, we worked closely together. That’s all."

Nemuri rolls her eyes, giving her a playful nudge. "Don’t play coy with me, Yan. You and All Might were practically glued to each other back when you were his sidekick in America. Something was definitely going on between you two."

“We just work together like we’re supposed to…”

Nemuri raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Oh, please. You don’t just look at someone the way you look at him if it was ‘just work,’ I’m surprised no one caught on."

Your face begins to heat up, recalling those late nights on missions, the moments between battles when you two would steal glances and in private of his home filling up with euphoria from his guttural grunts and your sweet gasps, along with late night cuddles and soft kisses . It had been a different time—a simpler time, before Toshinori’s injury, before he had to carry the burden of being the Symbol of Peace all alone. Back then, you’ve been by his side, helping him, loving him.

But that was the past.

"It was complicated," You admit, her voice barely above a whisper. "We were both so focused on the job. And when his injury happened, everything changed. He couldn’t afford to be distracted, and neither could I."

Nemuri hums, leaning back with a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “So… how big was he?” she teases, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Your eyes widens in shock, Of course, the R-Rated Hero would go ask that.

“All I’ll say is I never got used to his size…” You quickly covered your face, embarrassed by the answer that escaped your lips. Thank goodness Hizashi was still out cold—there was no way he could keep something like this to himself.

Nemuri chuckles. “Come on, Yan. We’re all adults here. Why are you acting like a blushing virgin?”

You stiffen, avoiding her gaze as the silence stretches between you. It didn’t take much for Nemuri to put two and two together.

“Wait… Are you telling me… that All Might… All Might, the number one hero, was your first?”

You groan, desperately gesturing for her to lower her voice. “Keep it down! The last thing I need is for the whole school to know that.”

Nemuri mimicked zipping her lips, though her expression was still one of utter shock. “I can’t believe it. All Might took your virginity?” she whispers, disbelief written all over her face.

You sigh, running a hand through your hair. “It wasn’t planned, it just… happened,” you explained softly.

“I thought you lost it to Shouta?"

“You know this,” You explain, “He’s not the same anymore, and neither am I. We’ve both… changed. The breakup had to be done.”

Nemuri shakes her head. "Girl, you’re not getting off that easily. You can’t just bury your feelings forever. I remember the way you two were back in highschool."

"What do you mean?"

Nemuri scoffs, "Oh, don’t play dumb. I remember seeing how flustered you got when he teased you. You two have history, you two were well known as the Highschool sweethearts. Even in the yearbook voted that the two of you would marry in the future!”

Aizawa has always been a constant presence in your life—steady, reliable, and still completely unreadable. But even after all these years, something about him still made your heart race, especially when his sharp eyes locked on yours in that intense, unblinking way of his.

"It’s not like that anymore," your voice strains at the loss of what you two had. "We’re just… co-workers. That’s all."

Nemuri chuckled, rolling here eyes. "Yeah, right. And Hizashi’s a quiet introvert."

You begin to rub your temples. "It’s just… complicated, okay? With both of them. I don’t even know how to feel anymore. Coming back to U.A. has brought up all these old memories, and I just… I don’t know."

Nemuri rests a hand on your shoulder. "Hey, I get it. It’s hard being back here after all this time. But just remember, you don’t have to figure it all out right away. Take your time. See how things go with both Toshinori and Aizawa. You’ve got a history with both of them, and that means something."

You nod, grateful for her friend’s understanding. "Thanks, Nemuri. I just… I guess I need to figure out what I really want."

Nemuri grins, pulling you into a quick hug. "That’s what I’m here for. We’re best friends after all aren’t we?”

You smile as all the weight leaves your chest. Maybe Nemuri was right. For now, though, she was grateful for the support of her friends.

Nemuri stands up, stretching lazily as she glances at the still-snoozing Hizashi. "Now, I’m going to wake up this loudmouth before he drools all over the furniture. But remember, if you ever need to talk, I’m here."

You chuckle softly. "Thanks, Nemuri. I’ll keep that in mind."

As Nemuri leans over to nudge Hizashi awake, you take a deep breath, A sense of relief washing over you.

———

Feel free to comment below if you’d like be tagged on the tag list for upcoming chapter updates! Reblogs, likes, and constructive feedback are greatly appreciated 🫶

[clean-casual-analysis]

When the villain is a philosophy

When you think of the word antagonist, the first thing that comes to mind is a villain. This is completely natural, given that stories of good vs evil tend to follow a heroic protagonist fighting against an evil antagonist. But once you get into the definition of the word, a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something, moral alignment doesn’t dictate whether a character should be a protagonist or an antagonist. The most recognizable examples of this would be the likes of Invader Zim and Megamind, characters that are villainous in nature but are still the protagonists of their respective stories.

But villain protagonists and hero antagonists aren’t what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the antagonists that aren’t entirely focused on, at least in the traditional sense. Antagonists that, despite being the source of conflict in the narrative, don’t actually show up a lot of the time. These antagonists, while characters in their own right, are more symbolic in nature. The protagonists of these stories aren’t just trying to defeat the antagonists, but the rotten philosophies that these antagonists have. The beliefs that push the antagonists to do their villainous acts.

White Diamond: Uniformity and the Status Quo

In the entirety of the original Steven Universe series, not counting the movie or SU Future, White Diamond appears in three episodes out of one hundred and sixty episodes. (Two if we don’t count White Pearl/Volleyball) That’s not even one percent of the series. In most series involving a good vs evil plot line, we usually switch perspectives between our heroes and villains to understand how they’re reacting to the events of the story. But SU is entirely told from Steven’s perspective. The audience only gets new information about gems, homeworld, Rose Quartz, etcetera, when Steven himself learns it. Because of this perspective, we don’t see the final antagonist of the series until the very end of the show.

But even though White Diamond is not present throughout the majority of the show, her homeworld subordinates and beliefs fill in the place of the hurdles that the protagonists must pass. Think about what the show is about and what lessons it teaches. Relationships are intricate and need mutual respect, being proud of who and what you are, and (most importantly) societal roles do not define you. The development of the main characters each involve acceptance of the self and bucking of what’s expected of them. Pearl fully moving on from Rose, Garnet improving her self-love, Amethyst fully accepting herself for what she is, Peridot’s disillusionment with Homeworld and growing appreciation for earth, Connie disobeying her mother’s strict rules, Steven slowly becoming someone better than even his own mother, I could go on. It’s honestly surprising, looking back, how most of the characters’ core issues stem from the lack of self-assurance and how homeworld views their flaws.

White Diamond and her Homeworld regime ultimately represent how systems put limits and stigma onto people for the sake of uniformity. The consequence of living inside your own head. A fusion cannot happen between two different gems, Pearls must be servants, Quartz gems must be big and strong, and Diamonds must be the perfect leaders. Why? Because that’s just what gems do. Because that’s how the system works. Homeworld’s status quo is one of creating an ever-expanding empire at the cost of independence, self-expression, unique lifeforms, and healthy relationships. The system can’t be wrong, White Diamond can’t be flawed, it’s how things have always been so why change what isn’t broken.

Sauron: Dominance and Corruption

While he has more screen presence and is a much more a significant part of the story of Lord of the Rings than White Diamond is to SU, the dark lord Sauron is similarly one small part of a larger tale. Heck, he doesn’t even have dialogue in the book trilogy. Also, like White Diamond, Sauron is best represented by his many underlings. Ruthless orcs with crude but effective weaponry, colossal beasts to crush his enemies underfoot, massive armies dedicated to the dark lord’s cause of dominating all life in Midde Earth. But what’s most notable about Sauron isn’t the great power he possesses or the armies he commands, it’s the way he corrupts and deceives those that stand against him.

The betrayal of Saruman the White, the nine Nazgûl once being great kings of men who were turned into terrible ringwraiths, and most notoriously, the enticing power of the one ring. Boromir, believing that Gondor can use this evil weapon for good. Smeagol, utterly degraded into a deceitful cave dwelling throttler named Gollum. Frodo, forced to carry a heavy burden that weighs him down both physically and mentally. To Sauron, the corruption of good is a weapon he wields with unmatched lethality.

The insidious nature of his villainy is what makes Sauron the great representative of dominance and corruption that he is. The promises of more enticing good people to do evil for the “right” reasons and the ruthless conquest for dominion over all is all too real an evil to ignore.

The Martians: Colonialism and Warfare

I debated with myself on whether or not the martians from War of the Worlds should be included here. Unlike Sauron or White Diamond, the martians are clear and present throughout the story. On the other hand, there isn’t a named martian general or a big bad that’s shown to lead the alien invaders into combat. In the end, the fact that the martians are made to purely represent the darkest parts of humanity outweighs the secondary theme of this essay.

One of, if not THE first alien invasion story, War of the Worlds messaging is clear and easy to understand. The tentacled beings from Mars are coldly intelligent, remorseless, and regard our world with envious eyes. They use human blood as sustenance when they aren’t vaporizing us by the hundreds, their tripods are horrific machines of mass destruction, and their invasion is one of slaughter and destruction. But the book is quick to remind us that humanity isn’t so morally innocent compared to the martians. The consumption of our blood seems horrific, but humans have also killed animals and each other for food and resources. Their tripods are colossal and terrifying, but humanity has made countless destructive war machines. The invaders are dead set on wiping out humanity, but humanity not only brought extinction to animals like the dodo bird but to entire groups of our own kind. The martians are not simply an alien invasion to fight back against, it’s a cautious look into our worst future. A humanity that prioritizes ruthless colonization and military might is a humanity doomed to be parasitic and heartless.

War of the Worlds also takes a critical view towards solving problems through warfare. Violence is sometimes needed to fight evil, but that does make violence a good thing. The action and battles in War of the Worlds are not thrilling or glorious, they are horrific and even bumbling to an extent. Much like the early British imperials that they represent, the martians are arrogant and only win because they have the better technology. Even the destruction of a tripod has severe consequences, a flaming wreckage falling into a lake and boiling the humans hiding there alive. There is nothing pride or goodness to found in destruction and death. Warfare and violence should be the last resort of those trying to survive, yet humanity and martians brandish their weapons without care or empathy for those beneath them.

The Truth, In-Fighting, and the Seemingly Insignificant

These antagonists all represent a morally dangerous part of humanity. The stubborn refusal to change a flawed status quo, the desire to dominate and corrupt those who don’t, needless conquest and bloody war. But despite all their power and influence, these philosophies that the villains believe in fail them in the end.

For White Diamond, her ultimate failure stems from the mortal enemy of all tyrannical systems: the truth. In the last episode of Steven Universe, White Diamond removes the gemstone from our protagonist’s body. Believing that the mischievous Pink Diamond is merely hiding in this human body, White seeks to end this silly game once and for all. But once the gemstone is removed, it does form into Pink Diamond or even Rose Quartz. It forms a bright pink Steven. In the final act of Change Your Mind, White Diamond is faced with reality and all its implications. This gemstone is Steven, it’s always been Steven. This half human is not the irrational or childish person, it’s White. The leader of Homeworld, the one who’s supposed to know all and make things better, is wrong. But in order to do that, she needs to leave her own head. One of the hardest things for a person to do is admit when they’re wrong, that their foundational beliefs holding up a status quo is deeply flawed and objectively false. But accepting that you were wrong, learning from and fixing your mistakes, and becoming something better than what you were before is the greatest reward anyone genuinely looking for redemption can ask for.

For Sauron, his victory over Middle Earth comes so close. Minas Tirith has been ravaged, the army of man outside the black gates are crumbling before his might, and the ring bearer has been corrupted. However, just when all hope is burned to ash, something unexpected happens. Gollum, the epitome of the corruptive power that the one ring possesses, attacks Frodo to get back his precious. Whether it’s through struggling with Frodo like in the movie or not paying attention like in the book, Gollum falls into the fires of Mount Doom with the ring in tow. In the movies, we’re told that the eye of Sauron can pierce through cloud and stone. Because of this detail, I personally wonder what was going through the dark lord’s mind as he watched Gollum plummet to his death. The one ring’s defense, Sauron’s greatest strength, corrupting others into fighting amongst each other, was what led to his ultimate downfall. This is not the first time something like this has happened. Think back to the orcs fighting amongst themselves, or when Wormtongue stabs Saruman in the back. Not to mention that the mercy of both Frodo and Bilbo is what led to Gollum reaching Mount Doom in the first place. Even with all his armies and power, Sauron underestimated the petty infighting amongst his followers and the little acts of kindness of his enemies. Even when the forces of darkness seemingly succeed, all they’ll have left is each other to destroy. As Frodo himself said in the Two Towers book, they can’t conquer forever.

For the martians, their demise comes outwardly from nowhere. Their Tripods fall silent and they all die due to sickness. The book states that the martians either never encountered bacteria like earth’s or they had wiped out all disease on Mars. In both scenarios, the martian’s belief in their untouchable superiority over earth led their death. As soon as their invasion started, they were doomed. War of the Worlds isn’t just a hard look at what humanity could become, but also a love letter to all types of life. Bacteria, the seemingly most insignificant part of our world, is our savior here. It is so, so easy to despise germs and how they make mankind ill. But they also decompose dead flesh, helps the human body digest food, and are just as vital to our world as so many other creatures’ humanity takes for granted. All forms of life has a place in this world and to undervalue, let alone actively want to eliminate, all of it is foolhardy and black-hearted.

It’s how these stories come to an end is why I’m attracted to the idea of villains representing abhorrent philosophies. They show the inherent flaws of such morally bankrupt ideas and how their failures are inevitable. The desire for uniformity and belief that your status quo is flawless cannot stand up to the truth of the situation. Great and powerful conquerors seeking to corrupt will find themselves destroying each other when there is nothing left to dominate, while small acts of generosity and sympathy keep their opponents afloat. Arrogant war lords with their mighty machines will crumble to the things they deem to be insignificant.

[atlantis-fell]

Storm, A Hero's Hero

Well, let's kick off my coming back to tumblr with a review for my favorite character, Storm. Ororo debuts in her solo series in the most heroic way possible. She's saving civilians on the ground and helping with repairs at an apparent nuclear reactor meltdown. The way this is shown on-panel is beautifully drawn and gives off a Superman-esque energy that feels natural to Ororo. After years of being a veteran leader of X-men, Goddess to many lands, and her role as Regent of Arakko and Voice of Sol, Ororo finally makes her presence known to everyone that she's carving out her own individual path with the resources and experience she's obtained over the years. This also includes leveraging her global adoration from civilians, superheroes, and beyond.

Storm has her own base of operations! The Storm Sanctuary. A literal sanctuary that is mobile and includes shelter and habitat, even for animals. A lot of fans asked where all of this came from. Storm being a former Regent of Mars and being Voice of Sol clearly paid well. Her home is also on the Storm Sanctury, and we see her grand closet and room designs. Murewa Ayodele and Lucas Werneck are already delivering on the promised wardrobes.

Storm's mission is to tackle and address the problems of the world on her terms. After declaring her intentions, she's immediately faced with multiple conflicts and a moral dilemma. The first conflict was discovering the nuclear meltdown was a mutant manifesting their powers for the first time. The second conflict and moral dilemma rolled into one is deciding to reveal to the public a mutant caused the meltdown after her heroic deeds tipped the general public in favor of Storm and mutantdom. The honesty and transparency come at a high cost because mutants are collectively subject to mutant bigotry and oppression. A show of integrity and power is not always meant to appease.

The future is bright for this solo series for Storm as we're already introduced to a much deserved spotlight, foundation, and story centered on Storm and her individual journey. There's also the foreshadowing of her ascension to Eternal Storm. I've made plenty of essays on Storm's godhead and elemental powers, but Eternal Storm appears to be a succession of both. From what we can tell from the last page of issue 1 and promotional art, it looks like Storm is going to become the Avatar of Eternity, the embodiment of all of existence and time. Now, G.O.Ds introduced Avatars, and we've known avatars of greater powers like Jean Grey and Phoenix Force and Thor and his Odin-Force. We are also informed Oblivion, the embodiment of nothingness and non-existentence, will be her foe in some way. Clearly, this series is going to be a defining moment for comics and Storm for years to come, and it's exciting.

- The Creation of Eternal Storm

[ice-cream-nekogirl]

BNHA 420: Nothing About This is 'Okay'

It never fails.

After BNHA 420, I'm definitely done. The only thing that's stopping me from being OFFICIALLY done is the sunken cost fallacy. And some nostalgia in that I used to LOVE BNHA. I mean I still do, I love early BNHA, but the ending is really bad.

This last chapter pretty much did everything I feared. And I was just about to eat a slice of humble pie when it SEEMED like the author faked out the idea that Eri's Rewind would be utilized. But as it turns out... I WAS RIGHT! XD They used her after all.

For once I am not happy to be right. Because what went down was just so WRONG.

Because Eri almost seems GLAD to be used. And these so-called heroes are ENCOURAGING it. She literally mutilated herself just because she thought it would 'help' Deku and the others. This child hurt herself, a child way, way younger than the high-school aged 'heroes', hurt herself. And nobody's worried about it. Not even Aizawa! I don't count that look of shock as worry, otherwise he would have been a lot more upset with her.

But no, he just accepted what this little girl did to herself. No moral qualms about it whatsoever.

Using Eri no matter what was always going to be horrible, but the way it's been done is even more horrible than I could have ever imagined. And it has an extra horrible implication.

Hurt yourself to help people, and let that person hurt themself, even if they're SIX YEARS OLD because it's a 'rational' decision. That is such bullshit btw, how in the hell is that 'rational'? That's actually extremely concerning and yet nobody is even concerned, they just think it's a heroic act? My ass.

I'm still pissed that this little moeblob is truly an example of a perfect little victim who just seems innately good even though she really shouldn't be after everything she's been through. It makes ZERO sense and I really hate it.

I really don't like Eri or her role in this arc as many others are saying now, and I never have. People love to give me flak for it, but I don't care anymore. This is definitely the last straw for me and it just validated that my concerns were right all along.

An adorable little plot device that was always meant to be used for Deku and the heroes. Even though she was used by Overhaul, it apparently makes it 'okay' if the heroes use her because they're heroes. If anything, it not only makes them just as bad as Overhaul, it actually makes them WORSE than Overhaul.

Overhaul at least never pretended that what he was doing to Eri was okay, but the heroes are such hypocrites that they're using her too and calling it 'rational' and an act of heroism on her part. It's not.

And the worst part is the fandom seems to believe that this makes Eri 'so good' when no, it's deeply concerning for a child to do such a thing to herself. Her actions should NOT be praised, and I don't like the kid, but that doesn't mean I want to see her hurt herself!

It's not okay. None of this is okay. And I am once again, really not okay with this.

[fefairys]

"The session always "knows" things about players. It knows Karkat has blood issues, so it gave him a planet full of bright red blood. It knows Dave has a thing about broken swords, which is tied up with his personal mythology related to the intersection between intense combat training for his destined role as a warrior, and deeply traumatizing abuse which causes him to resist the call to such heroism. He cites said abuse in the text above, in case there's any doubt this issue has been inseparably woven into the lore of his arc at an early stage. There's a lot to say about the broken sword as a symbol... First, there are two symbolic modes, an "Unbroken Sword" and a "Broken Sword," which have meaning in relation to each other. The simplest translation is that the unbroken sword is "The fully manifest, wholly embraced heroic arc. Suppressing reservations, answering the call, putting the tough training to use, despite the cost to oneself." Versus the broken sword, which is "The fractured heroic arc. An incomplete, broken self stemming from past trauma. A conflicted semi-refusal of the call, resulting in pursuit of combat and quest-fulfillment navigated through half-measure, wavering resolve, and compromised investment." Only one of these symbols can be fully embraced, and it means something to embrace one over the other. It becomes a statement Dave is making about himself, and the type of person he wants to be. But the statement has to be understood by him to be meaningful, and this understanding comes through his long-term inner reflections over his arc. The game also seems to provide frequent clues to help him understand these symbols and choices. It keeps offering up broken swords, or more specifically, a whole sword that can only be obtained by figuring out how to break it."

"So here's a spin on the Arthurian legend (Caledfwlch is another name for Arthur's Excalibur) where the sword, instead of being removed through strength or the divine touch of a chosen one, must be broken to be freed. There's no other way, since this is how this game challenge was designed to be solved. It says, "This is a symbol for your heroic journey, and to some extent, who you are as a person. Now, what will you do with it?" In the long run, this sword-based Sburb quest does appear to have a formal endpoint, which is Dave using this sword to have his denizen forge the Royal Deringer, a much fancier mythical sword. And in forging that sword, he "heals" it, converting it to an unbroken sword symbol. Heroic arc, back on track, right? Except to wield that sword, Dave has to break it too, simply by touching it, as if his identity being linked to a broken sword is inescapable."

"There are ways of reading into what this means. Maybe it's that making yourself whole as a person isn't so simple? Maybe it's that Dave embracing the broken sword as his heroic talisman corresponds with his embracing who he is as person, flaws and all? Those things aren't going away, and they contribute to making him who he is. Similar to Rose's arc, which is more about embracing her imperfect sense of humanity rather than satisfying an external sense of obligation that includes the false promise of repairing the flaws of a damaged person through a path of shallow narrative regimentation. There are echoes of "two people who can't be fixed, and that's okay" in each other's arcs, but a lot of differences in the way their respective roads are paved to reach the destination." -Andrew Hussie

[queenvhagar]

It seems like a lot of House of the Dragon's writing issues in the first season stem from the disastrous final season of Game of Thrones, specifically the rushed implementation of Daenerys' Mad Queen arc. It feels like the writers and HBO are hyper aware of Daenerys' ending being fumbled and the negative audience reaction it garnered, and now they're trying to correct the mistakes of the main series through the prequel series and specifically its characterization of Rhaenyra. Both Rhaenyra and Daenerys are Targaryen dragon riding queens motivated by their perceived birthright, but the similarities between the two characters are surface-level. In reality, Daenerys and Rhaenyra are not the same character, and the story of the Dance of the Dragons is not the story of the War of the Five Kings.

Daenerys is the last Targaryen (as she knows it), a former slave who seeks to use the power of her dragons to reclaim the throne and in the process abolish the institution of slavery as it exists in the world, a true revolutionary who seeks to transform society through fire and blood if need be (and if a Mad Queen arc appears in the books, it will undoubtedly be because the existing Lords in Westeros would likely oppose a restructure of society - after all, they are the primary beneficiaries of the feudalist society - and this could lead to conflict with Daenerys, which would escalate).

Rhaenyra is the named heir to the throne. Her position is "quite comfortable" - she enjoys her privileges (which is very fair of her). However, her privileged position above others leads her to act according only to her own desires and not her duty as heir. She fights only for herself and her own (although the show added the prophecy to obscure this motivation), and despite having the power and influence as the most powerful woman in the realm to promote "a new order" as she once envisioned a child, she repeatedly reinforces existing structures to further her own power (like defending Lucerys' illegitimate claim so her own looks stronger with her son as Lord of Driftmark instead of advocating for Baela to inherit as Laena's eldest daughter, something that ironically could have really supported her own claim of "eldest child inherits" in the process - and she could have sidestepped the bastard issue). Rhaenyra wants to be the exception to the rules; she doesn't seek to rewrite them for anyone else. Rhaenyra is a "rebel" only in the sense that she's breaking the law and then using her privilege to avoid facing the consequences of her actions at all costs.

You can argue that both Rhaenyra and Daenerys are breaking ground when it comes to becoming queen of Westeros, and both are motivated by their beliefs in Targaryen supremacy and their perceived birthrights to the throne. They might both be known as a "Mad Queen" - Rhaenyra's arc will come, and when it does, I'm really hoping it will be because of the reasons it was in the books: her suspicion and distrust leading her to isolate herself from her allies, eventually turning on them, and her disregard for the commonfolk leading to her being driven out of the city and the death of dragons (though I won't be surprised if the writers shy away from this, in fear of repeating any aspect of Daenerys' portrayal). But fundamentally, trying to write Rhaenyra to be Daenerys 2.0 so that they can fix the mistake of the Game of Thrones ending kind of ruins the Dance.

The Dance wasn't written as just the tragedy of a heroic girl taken down by sexism and misunderstandings, which is the story the show seems to be trying to tell. It's the tragedy of a family tearing itself apart, of the cultural conflict between Westeros and their Valyrian conquerors, of the desire for power and the lengths one will go to in order to get it.

But the writers are more interested in trying to tell a largely black and white story where they can make up for what they did with Daenerys' arc. Unfortunately for everyone, Rhaenyra is not Daenerys, and the Dance is not the War of the Five Kings.

[utilitycaster]

I love your thoughts on Astrid and I think a lot about whether her initial ambition to become powerful for the sake of power turned into the ambition for power so no one else has power over her. I truly do not think she begrudges Wulf his faith any more than she begrudges Caleb his new life though I would not be surprised if both are sources of some pain for her. (in a way the three of them remind me of trees. Caleb lost a part of himself but that allowed new sprouts to come forth. Wulf found faith that allowed the damage to be lessened by giving support to the damaged part of the tree. And Astrid is the one with neither who grows around the damage in the only direction she ever knew though it costs her much more in the long term than the other solutions)

Hi anon,

So I think I say this whenever I get similar asks - completely valid to have your own headcanons, but (and this is foreshadowing for the rest of this ask) I am not much of a people pleaser and I will openly disagree, as I'm about to, and this might be a conversation better had in DMs or replies or something because doing so via anon gets to be a lot of back and forth.

I really respect people who relate to Astrid as a survivor of abuse who finds some measure of peace and who simply acknowledges she, Eadwulf, and Caleb all found separate ways to move forward. I completely understand that can be very meaningful and would never take that interpretation from them.

With that said, I happen to personally prefer a view of Astrid who is capable of that bitterness. I like the possibility that she is not just ambitious (which, that on its own is often considered sufficient to lambast female characters; see the Suvi Kedberiket discourses surrounding Worlds Beyond Number) but also very angry, and at times bitter, and at times resentful.

I think a lot of fans struggle with the gray area between unambigously heroic women and unambiguously villainous ones, both because in that gray area is a complexity women in fiction are frequently denied, and also because it requires a look at specific emotions women aren't supposed to have. Women can be sad; they can be traumatized; and they've been granted such qualities as "determined" or "can use a sword" or "leaders" but I think people really still struggle with anger, and especially anger that is not specifically directed towards abusers (like Beau or Yasha or Vex) nor righteous (like Keyleth) but petty or even simply irrational.

I like Astrid as a woman who might hold a grudge she knows intellectually is unfair but who feels it anyway. I think about how she wanted to kill Trent in the moment, and that Fjord (someone whose story is very much about both forgiveness and the legitimacy of grudges and a desire for power) validates her for it even though it's true that Caleb's method of exposing Trent's crimes is probably more effective. I like her as someone who is incredibly intelligent and who probably has an idea of what the "good" thing to do is and still feels a lot of ugly feelings and possibly always will, even though she has found a much healthier way forward. I don't know quite how this interrogation will go, but it is interesting that she's in hiding in Zadash and has apparently not openly broken with the Assembly.

It's funny, because this is on some level what many people want for much of Bells Hells - they want them to be angry at the gods for neglecting them. It's just...they also want that anger to be righteous. And sometimes anger isn't. Anger is often petty and detrimental and yet still very real. What appeals to me about Astrid is that she is very much a complicated person who does straddle a line between ally and antagonist and is permitted a depth and messiness and moral ambiguity that many fans deliberately try to excise from women (and, for that matter, characters of color/in-world racialized characters and many queer characters). So I do like an Astrid who clearly cares for Caleb and for Eadwulf and does not treat them poorly, but does perhaps nurse some privately-held grudges.

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

@steddie-week Day 3 - mutual pining

i'm challenging myself to keep each of these at 660 words; see day one for more of an explanation!

Eddie's campaign notes:

Front:

Broad-chested paladin named steve stephano stevas with immaculate golden skin and chestnut hair, oath of the crown watchers, who decides to come along when he finds out the party is heading to

young rogue meets the party and wants to tag along but their overprotective older brother stolas (stop with the st names!!) insists on coming along in order for the rogue to join

jeeves carrington, eventual big bad who butles for the party while they're at the

Asshole King prince stefan havisham (great job getting away from an st name, idiot) who wants to join the party on their quest and get out of the palace for a while

He’s part of the kingdom of the sun so he takes his family’s heirloom, the Sun Blade along with him (he's trained as a knight and is already proficient in long swords) ((1d8 +2 bonus to attack and damage, radiant not slashing undead = + extra 1d8 rad. damage.))

Back:

He butts heads with all of them at first but learned a lot from the party and becomes actually a good dude)

The prince ends up falling for a tiefling bard they meet in passing on the road

Prince would’ve been an asshole to the tiefling at first, but when the bard saves him from a very obvious trap, he starts to back off “Watch where you’re stepping, sunshine.”, “Why do you call me that?”, Edmund (needs to be something different or they'll catch on!!!), who’s fallen head over tail for the prince already: “Because i’m a creature of the night and hate the sun, obviously”

him and Stefan butt heads the whole time he's along for the journey but when the bard is gravely injured it’s revealed how much he cares for the prince. The prince too has fallen for the bard and rides off with him to the nearest village to a healer

The prince and bard get married and live happily ever after

ugh, gross. too much, eddie

Steve's (L to R, top to bottom):

May 25th

It’s been a couple months since spring break and Eddie and Max are finally out of the hospital. We got lucky, I think, our plan working out and all, but seeing them both there really sucked.

Max’ll get her cast off eventually, and Eddie's “heroics” cost him a pound of flesh but they’re alive and so is Hopper.

Now we just gotta get Eddie's name cleared.

July 18th

I think there’s something wrong with me.

The assholes were over again today and that meant Eddie was too. Shirtless... In the pool.. Wet.. tattooed…

You’d think that seeing his scars would make me sick, make me think of the blood, the crying, that goddamn place.. But there was a whole different kind of swirling in my gut about it

Ew! Gross!

Robin, stay out of my journal

Oct 11th

Ok. yep. I definitely want to kiss him.

I want to kiss Eddie Munson on that stupid pretty face of his.

Robs and I went to indy and found this bookstore heading back to the car from that cafe we like and it was a gay store. it had books and pamflit pampflet brosures booklet things about gay stuff and the cashier was super nice.. we spent hours there. 

I’m bisexual.

Nov 5th

Gross!!!

ROBIN STAY OUT

Ok, this isn’t fair.

Every single thought in my brain recently is about him. How would he kiss me? Would I make the first move or would he? What would it feel like if it was his hand instead of mine? Would his rings hurt? Nope. they’d feel amazing.

I want to hug him, i want to hold his hand, i want to fuckin marry him..

Steve Munson Theodore Harrington? ❤ (<- can you believe that’s actually his first name?? I couldn't believe it when Wayne told me).

Wait. You can combine names when you get married (no, I haven’t been researching anything, shut up) So Harringson? Munington?

We’ll have a fall wedding.

it was still 660 words on wordcounter.net too 😌

on AO3 here!

[tragicbeauty1991]

So I know I’m extremely late to the party, but I FINALLY got around to watching Wish now that it’s up on Disney+ and…I genuinely don’t understand why it got so much hate?? Sure, maybe it wasn’t on par with things like The Lion King or Frozen in terms of the lasting effect it’ll have on pop culture but it was still a good, fun film with original characters and plot and catchy songs. While I can see where some of the complaints are coming from, I feel like ultimately most of them blow the issues out of proportion. As for my personal thoughts on the film…

- The songs were good overall. Maybe not as memorable as some of my favorite ‘90s Disney jams, but topping Phil Collins and Elton John is admittedly hard to do. Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine were great, though. I honestly had no idea Chris Pine could sing so well. “At All Costs” was by far my favorite song of the entire film. I would have loved to see it as a love duet rather than singing to the wishes but regardless, it’s beautiful. “This is the Thanks I Get” got a lot of flak, but honestly, I thought it was catchy and fun—rather reminiscent of Gaston’s pub song about himself.

- Speaking of Magnifico… More backstory, please! I would love for a sequel to do what they did with Frozen and explain all the things that were not fully developed in the first film. I want to know details on what happened to Magnifico’s family… But man, oh man… Was I EVER happy to get a “real villain” again with more of a classic Disney feel—dramatic, over the top, a little unhinged…and just FUN. I think the reason so many people seem to be having a problem with him is that they don’t quite know how to categorize him, though, before his ultimate downward spiral after being possessed by the book. (I think after that point, no one would argue about him being a villain.) But before…while he’s definitely narcissistic and has a temper…he’s not straight-up evil. There’s a big difference in being a bit of a jerk and being someone who makes you legitimately fear for your life. In fact, we have several heroic characters in the Disney canon who at least start out their story in a similar vein. Prince Naveen, Peter Pan, and Emperor Kuzco, for example, are all full of themselves and entitled…but they ultimately choose to do the right thing when it comes down to people they care about. That is to say, Magnifico’s less than ideal character traits we see early on in the film shouldn’t automatically qualify him as a villain. He could frankly go either way. And then when he does “go dark” it’s ONE stupid decision on his part (going for the book) that ruins any chance he had of being like the aforementioned characters. Personally, I like the complexity…and the tragedy of what it means for Queen Amaya. Which reminds me…

- Yes, a villain power couple would have been fun. But honestly, I think I like this better. Partly because of the angst potential here. For all his faults, Amaya DOES genuinely love him, and watching him slowly lose his mind and himself to the power-hungry monster he becomes has to be absolutely heartbreaking for her. Also…maybe it’s just because I identify with Amaya here. I have been in a bad relationship where I did truly love the other person and thought they loved me…but ultimately, they seemed to love themselves more. And I made excuse after excuse for his behavior for a long time because I couldn’t see what he was doing to me…didn’t want to see it…because I loved him. People say Amaya had to have known sooner that something rotten was going on but I don’t know that she ever allowed herself to think anything other than the best of him. Amaya has a good heart…and sometimes those people see the best in others even when it isn’t there. What I really would have loved is to have Amaya and Magnifico sing a short reprise of “At All Costs” in which Amaya is asking, “Really? You’ll hoard all these wishes for your own selfish reasons even at the cost of losing your people’s love? Of losing me?” And Magnifico is just…stoically resolute. That would have hurt but it would have been so good!

- Similarly, I don’t get the complaint about Star. I wouldn’t mind seeing Star Boy like he was in the concept art and having a romance with Asha. But also…Star is ADORABLE, okay?? He may not speak but he has so much personality. Makes me think of like…Pascal in Tangled or even Tinkerbell.

- I know a lot of people complained about there being too many references to other Disney films but this just seems like a silly argument to me. Disney has always liked to leave little Easter eggs in their films and have some fun with crossovers. I am thinking of the Genie imitating Pinocchio and pulling Sebastian out of nowhere in Aladdin. Hidden characters in the background of other films like Flynn and Rapunzel showing up in Arendelle. Hidden Mickeys. And of course shows that were all about a Disney multi-verse that sort of pokes fun at itself like Once Upon a Time, House of Mouse, and even Ralph Breaks the Internet. With this being a special anniversary film, of course we ought to expect more nods to other films and Disney animation history. I thought it was cute. Especially Magnifico’s jab at Asha’s little moving drawing. (“Is that a talent?”) Made me literally laugh out loud.

- I think the one complaint I do agree with at least in part is the, “But Magnifico was right, though??” Some dreams shouldn’t come true. Especially if it’s a wish you’re making when you’re 18. There are definitely things I wished for at 18 that I am glad I did not get in hindsight. Sometimes what we wish for isn’t what’s best for us or others. And while Asha’s wishes are selfless and for others…she seems to assume that everyone else will also have equally harmless, selfless wishes. It’s sweet but perhaps a bit naive. Also…Asha has good intentions but it is rather funny and frustrating as the adult to watch this teenager come in and try to upset the whole system thinking she knows better than the person who has been running the kingdom for years. That said… Asha isn’t totally wrong either. The wishes do ultimately belong to the people who made them and it’s better even if it’s painful to have a dream in your heart than to be lacking purpose. It may be easier to forget the wishes entirely but certainly not healthier. Ironically, if only these two could have worked together, they actually would have made a great team.

Overall, I liked the film. And I think if I was still a child myself, I would have enjoyed it even more.

[todaysromano]

01.10.2024

Today, Romano found some photos of himself from the Risorgimento.

(Thanks to the wonderful @hwsforeignrelations for this commission! Everyone should give her some love.)

Two additional views and some info from the artist below.

The uniform is amalgamation of various officer uniforms, with some creative liberties ;))

The Bersaglieri, today, are marksmen troops in the Italian Army. Although their kingdom of origin, Sardinia, was in Northern Italy (and a sizable island off the cost of Rome) I think their tactics and are best suited for Romano. Because the Bersaglieri are some of the oldest sectors of the Italian army, there is a lot of heroic and violent disciplinary history associated with them, just as there is with any famous and long-lasting military uniforms. The most notable aspect of their uniform is the wide brimmed hat pinned with capercaillie feathers

[adracat]

Hi.... Do you mind if I ask, what do you think are Suletta and Miorine’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Thanks if you want to answer....

For Suletta, I'd say her greatest weakness was learning how to communicate her wants and be proactive in reaching for them. Before, she always relied on her mother and then Miorine for agency. Made more obvious when the revelation that her list was something written by Prospera and not something she devised for herself. She was always following a script. That's why the last act is so powerful. I'd say Suletta's greatest strengths are her ability to understand, empathize, and forgive. She's also amazingly competant under pressure, evidenced in show and her heroics on Mercury.

A lot of Mio's weaknesses revolve around her father. She kept everything at an impersonal distance out of self-preservation and learned Delling's need for control. She cares deeply, but only knows how to express it by exerting her will. Action over words. Like Suletta, it's a failure to communicate (highlighted througout the series) At the cost of sounding cheesy, her greatest strength is love. Love for Suletta motivated her actions throughout. While it also led to her greatest failure, it moved her to become a more open and complete person. Love also served as her trump card over Prospera. Her intelligence and cunning are also impressive.

Sulemio's dynamic touched me because it's about two people who learn to love and communicate healthily despite not having the best basis for either. Despite being so different, they complement. Their bond literally saved the world. And that's not something you can say about every ship.