#hes still gonna fail to save what matters most in the end

[i-upset-to-dead-65]

I'm genuinely confused as to why people are so upset about Percy getting 4 pearls. Is it not obvious that he'll lose one? It would be weird as hell for Posideon to give him 3 and be the reason he has to choose.

It makes more sense that Posideon would try to help Percy acheice his goal AND get his mother back. And it's gonna be even more gut wrenching when one of the pearls gets lost or broken and we watch his hope fade in real time.

[femslashspuffy]

Ok one more thing

I am not doing great after this one

[steddieas-shegoes]

“any regrets? anything you’d do differently?”

eddie knows the interviewer is just doing her job, probably doesn’t even realize that’s the worst question she could ask. but the guys tense and the air gets thick and something shifts inside eddie’s chest.

“it’s been two years and i still haven’t apologized.”

the interviewer doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about, but she doesn’t need to. he’s not gonna explain more than that and he doesn’t care if people make their own connections and excuses.

maybe steve will hear it. maybe robin will. maybe dustin will convince steve to call him.

or maybe he was cryptic for nothing and steve will keep ignoring his calls. he used to think his timing sucked until mike let it slip that he lets all calls go to his answering machine to avoid picking up when eddie calls him.

eddie only calls on bad nights, if he’s drunk or high, or sometimes on the nights that could only be better if steve was by his side. eddie calls most nights.

the interview is done and eddie is being whisked away, getting berated by their publicist about his answer to a question that can never have a good one. the guys are pretending not to listen, but failing. eddie loves them for trying.

the next interview, he stays quiet, at least as much as he can get away with. he fakes a smile, a laugh, whatever it takes to seem like he didn’t just admit that he fucked up on live television.

they get to sleep in their own beds tonight, but tomorrow is the start of their radio show tour to promote their album. it’ll be two weeks long, hitting the major stations daily until they’ve answered all the hard hitting questions like if gareth snores or if they ever find time to eat healthy on tour.

but his bed is his least favorite place to sleep, and no amount of tossing and turning is gonna give him what he needs.

so he calls steve.

“harrington’s house, you’ve reached the harrington who actually lives here.”

eddie’s so shocked that steve answered he barely even registers his words.

“hello?” steve’s voice turns serious. “anyone there?”

“stevie?”

eddie shouldn’t have started with that, but he wasn’t in control of his body anymore.

steve hangs up.

somehow it’s worse than if he hadn’t answered at all.

but eddie is fine. he is.

he’s gonna close his eyes and go to sleep and maybe not dream about dying or fucking up the only good thing he ever had.

his phone rings and he’s almost certain he’s dreaming already.

“hello?”

“sorry i panicked.”

steve’s voice is like a reverb in an arena, sending chills down eddie’s arms.

“you’re not the only one.”

“but…you called me.”

“because you never answer.”

“so why call? if i’m never gonna answer.”

“because if you do answer, i can hear your voice.”

steve sits with that answer for a minute before he speaks.

“dustin played me the interview.”

“yeah.”

“was it me? was i your regret?”

how could steve think that? how could the man who saved his life ever believe he was anything less than a gift? in no universe would eddie regret steve.

“no. my regret is making you ever think that you could be a mistake.”

eddie should end it there, let steve marinate with that. he knows no amount of apologies will actually help, but he could give it a try anyway.

“i’m sorry i left when you needed me. i’m sorry i was selfish and chose to get out and leave you behind. and i’m sorry none of my sorries even matter because it’s too late.”

for a minute—yes, eddie counts— there’s silence. and then there’s a small shuffling sound and eddie’s almost sure that steve’s gonna hang up.

instead, steve sounds like he’s holding back tears when he speaks.

“are you gonna come back?”

eddie can’t. he can’t just put a pause on the band or any of their plans. it’s not fair to the guys or the fans or himself.

but he can do something he should’ve done two years ago.

“will you come with me?”

the question hangs in the air for what feels like forever. steve may say no. that’s part of why eddie didn’t even ask the first time. but he may say-

“yes.”

“you will?”

“on one condition.”

“anything.”

“you stop trying to forget all the bad parts. the bad parts sucked, but they brought us together. running from them means running from me. at least hold my hand so i can run with you.”

eddie thinks maybe he could write a song about that.

and he thinks he’d like to hold steve’s hand while he does.

[milksnake-tea]

━━ duty calls.

Created around the same time and having trained with one another, you and Casper have always butted heads. You'd compete over seemingly anything - how many souls one could reap, the days one could go without catching soul sickness, and the list goes on. Casper has always found you to be obnoxious, but when he sees you crying by yourself, he finds himself torn.

grim x gn!reaper!reader

contains: fluff, hurt/comfort, set before the main storyline, reader is NOT the mc, brief mentions of child death, USAGE OF GRIM'S REAL NAME, reader is a little shit

word count: 4.2k

a/n: FORGIVE ME IF THE WORLDBUILDING IS OFF I WAS TRYING MY BEST and ive only done one ending oops (finals hurts okay :((( ) also ... im not sure if reapers names are classified just to mortals and not other reapers but ykw imma take my liberties

"Seriously, do you ever get tired?"

Casper groaned irritatedly, running a hand through his snow-like hair. Blood like rust coated his scythe, spoils from his most recent hunt. The corpse still lay fresh in front of him, but their skin was cold and their eyes dead.

Boisterous laughter erupted above him. Sitting on the balcony of some person’s apartment, you grinned down at him - that infuriating, shit-eating grin that never failed to tick him off.

You kicked your legs childishly as you leaned back over the railing. Nestled against the crook of your arm was a scythe similar to his own, save for the more detailed design and color palette. Unlike him, you would constantly say, you liked to live a little.

Bold words coming from a bringer of death.

“Don’t blame me for you being slow,” you called down to him. Casper rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he glared up at you.

“I am not ‘slow’,” he grumbled. “You’re too eager. And get down from there, you’ll be spotted.”

You tilted your head. “It’s like, 3 A.M. What kind of idiot’s gonna be awake at this hour?”

“You’d be surprised. Humans will do anything but take care of themselves.”

“I guess,” you sighed, jumping down. You twirled your scythe absentmindedly, Casper leaning back to avoid getting hacked to pieces.

“Be careful with that,” he scolded. You, of course, ignored him.

“So are these the last of the guys?” you wondered, kicking at a corpse with your foot.

The alleyway was practically lined with bodies, so many that management had called upon both you and Casper to deal with the remnants of the massacre. Gang fights were a pain to deal with, second only to pandemics and war.

“It would seem so.” Casper gave you a look, to which you responded by sticking out your tongue. You were very mature, after all.

You stretched thankfully, rolling out your shoulder. “Thank God, I was starting to get depressed from all the dead people.”

“If you’re getting depressed from just this, perhaps you should consider a different career choice.”

“Nah.” You smiled. “If I left, who would I bully? You’d get all sad and lonely without me.”

“Hardly,” Casper scoffed. “If anything, I’d be relieved.”

“You wound me.”

“Good.”

“So mean,” you pouted. Casper paid you no attention, as per usual. It didn’t matter, though, since you immediately perked back up. “Hey, boo?”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“I have an idea.” And just like that, your cheshire grin returned. Casper sighed, already beginning to walk off.

“How wonderful,” he said sarcastically. “Share it with someone else.”

“Uh-uh, no.” As quick as a flash, your scythe was out, the blade curving in front of Casper to prevent his escape. “This one’s good, I swear.”

“Your definition of what is and isn’t a good idea needs some desperate fixing.” Still, he made no move to escape, instead turning around to face you.

“Let’s race.”

Casper raised a brow. “Race?”

You nodded eagerly, your eyes shining like jewels. In the darkness of the alleyway, the two of you were illuminated only by the neon blue lights of the city. Yet, as that same blue was captured in your eyes, Casper was reminded of a kaleidoscope, changing and turning in a multitude of different colors.

It was… captivating.

“If I win, you have to buy me a drink.” 

Casper snapped out of his daze, a light flush blooming across his fair skin. Thankfully, though, you didn’t seem to notice, too entranced by another one of your ridiculous competitions. Seriously, there had to be a limit to how unprofessional you could be.

“You assume I have the time to buy you one,” he said with faux calmness, grateful for the night’s shadows hiding his complexion. You huffed.

“You could do it while you’re rebalancing yourself,” you said, as though it was obvious. “Besides, it doesn’t have to be anything big, just a coffee or a tea would be nice.”

“Fine, let’s say I stoop down to your level and agree to this… race,” said Casper. “What do I get if I win?”

You shrugged. “Then I'll just buy you a drink.”

Casper shook his head. “I’m not like you. I don’t drink on the job.”

“But you do cuddle an axolotl plushie when you sleep,” you pointed out. Instantly, Casper flushed red.

“Wha- What does that have to do with anything?!” he protested.

"I just thought about it randomly," you shrugged. "But seriously, that thing is huge, where did you get it?"

“Never mind how I got it," Casper crossed his arms and averted his eyes, his bottom lip turning up in a pout. “We’re getting off track.”

“Oh, so now you care about my games,” you teased. “Anyways, on how I’ll reward you…”

You spun your scythe back to your side, tapping its staff against the ground as you thought of a fitting reward.

“Oh! How about this?” You snapped your fingers, a figurative light bulb lighting up next to you. “You get to cash in one favor from me.”

“Any favor?” A smirk creeped onto Casper’s face, his interest finally piqued. “That’s a dangerous game you’re playing, [Name].”

“As long as it’s within reason and isn’t embarrassing,” you snapped, crossing your arms. “If you make me kiss your feet or something like that, I’ll kick your ass.”

“Of course,” Casper chuckled knowingly. “So, where to and when are we racing?”

“Hey, if you weren’t paying attention to the rules, then that's your fault. As for when the race starts, how about… now.”

“Wha- Hey!” Casper barely dodged as you shot past him in a blur of black. Hooking your scythe into the walls, you stuck out your tongue at him as you propelled yourself through the night.

“So long, Casp!”

Casper cursed under his breath. Quickly, he made haste to follow you. He flew through the air like a bird, twisting around light poles, skyscrapers, and billboards alike.

You weren’t as elegant, instead jumping from building to building like a modern superhero. You’d catapult yourself through the sky using your scythe as leverage, your laughter echoing in the slumbering city - free like the wind.

Casper didn’t have to follow you long to know where you were heading towards. Invisible to the mortal eye, yet painfully obvious to the eyes of reapers, was an entrance to the Underworld, a whirlpool of black and red that led straight down to your home.

As you launched yourself into the air once again, Casper came up next to you, his hair billowing in the cold night wind like smoke.

“Nice of you to join me,” you teased, elbowing him in the side. Casper rolled his eyes once again, speeding up. “Hey!”

Smoky tendrils of crimson and ink curled around your figures as the two of you neared the portal. The center of the whirlpool was a void seemingly leading to the abyss itself, but you’ve worked in this job long enough to know just what lay beneath.

True to his character, Casper wasted no time and shot straight into the thick of it. You, on the other hand, were a little more dramatic with your landing.

You spun in a backflip off of the last of the skyscrapers before letting gravity take you for a ride. Wind whistled past your ears as you fell, yet all you could hear was the rapid thump of your own heart. Adrenaline filled your veins. Soon, black and red lined your vision as the Underworld engulfed you.

The second you saw the tips of red-stained towers, you flipped yourself to face the ground. Closer and closer, you could practically taste it. If you delayed any longer, your life as a grim reaper could end prematurely.

Like the eyes of a devil, your pupils glowed in delight, activating your abilities. But rather than slowing your descent, you sped it up, shooting towards the ground like a missile.

Black blobs, the fuzzy images of your coworkers, scrambled to move out of your way. Turning your body, you landed hard on your heels, narrowly missing a fellow reaper.

For a moment, all you could see was dust. Before the clouds could disappear, you shook off the sting in your ankles and stretched.

“Woo!” you cheered, kicking your leg. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

“Quiet down.” Casper grabbed your shoulder and pulled you back. “Honestly, is there ever a quiet moment with you?”

You giggled. “Boo, you’ve known me long enough to know the answer to that. Oh, by the way, I’m craving some-”

“Hold it.” Casper bonked your head. “I only agreed to buy you something if you won.”

“Didn’t I?”

“No you didn’t,” Casper retorted. “Anyone with working eyes could see that I reached the ground before you did. Therefore, I won.”

“Uh, no.” You crossed your arms. “Are you gaslighting me? You’re gaslighting me. That's not very nice of you, Casp.”

“I am not gaslighting you.” Your white-haired coworker rolled his eyes. “As grim reapers, we cannot lie. Someone of your caliber should know this.”

You blinked innocently. “Did you just compliment me?”

Casper spluttered. “What in the world made you come to that conclusion?”

Taking a step forward, you leaned towards the reaper, a cheeky smile growing on your face. “You said ‘Someone of your caliber’. That means you think I’m capable.”

“You’d have to be a special kind of stupid to be incompetent after working as a reaper for so long,” Casper crossed his arms, fighting down the blush rising onto his cheeks. You were close, way too close. “Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised, seeing as how that was the only thing you heard from what I said.”

Heaving a sigh, he pushed you away with his finger.

“But don’t distract yourself from the fact that I won the race,” he said, a smug smirk replacing his exasperation.

“I was honestly trying to forget.”

Casper huffed, a pout forming on his lips. But the moment wouldn’t last long, as a ding sounded from both of your phones. When you checked it, you groaned when you saw a notification of unexpected emergency.

“Seriously?” you complained. “Overtime? Did a bunch of reapers die off or something? My soul’s going to get tainted at this rate.”

“Don’t complain.” Casper nudged you, but even you could see the irritation on his face. “It’s our job as reapers to reap souls on time, no matter what.”

“I guess. Still doesn’t make it any less annoying.”

“Agreed.” With a sigh, Casper summoned his scythe. “I must be off, now. See you on the other side, [Name].”

As he made his way back to the opening of the portal, his feet lifting off from the ground, a gloved hand reached out to grasp your chin. Gently, he guided you to look at him as he ascended.

“I look forward to cashing in on that favor.”

━

For as long as you could remember, things have always been this way.

Your earliest memory was of waking up to the crimson skies of the Underworld. Unaware and unknowing, you allowed yourself to be dragged around by older reapers, their voices blurring together in a droning buzz. Everything had gone by so quickly, and you struggled to keep up with it all.

If you were to say it bluntly, your first day felt like a fever dream.

But amidst the chaos, the tutorials, and the gifting of your first scythe, there was one thing that you remembered clearly.

“...Snow.”

Your mentor’s lecture halted at your voice, barely audible. They followed your gaze to a white-haired man, looking to be around the same age as you. Like a drowsy child, you lifted your finger and pointed at him, looking back to your mentor.

“He’s like snow.”

Their eyes softened by the tiniest bit, having seemingly realized that you were still disorientated. After all, in a sense, you had just been born.

“I suppose he is.” Putting a hand on your shoulder, they guided you away from the man. “Now, as I was saying…”

Their voice faded away into the background as the white-haired man noticed your gaze. He turned to look at you, his ruby-like eyes like blood speckles against the winter landscape. You stared at each other for only a few seconds before you turned to follow your mentor.

You quickly forgot the pretty stranger, but you would stay in his memories for quite a while before you’d cross paths again. In the darkness of the Underworld, you were like a lantern - radiating warmth and familiarity.

You were beautiful, like a flower in summer. That was, until he met you for the second time.

Swiftly and ruthlessly, holding true to your occupation as a reaper, you cut apart any premonitions he had had about you. When you were put against him to spar by your mentors, the drowsiness had worn off - instead replaced by insufferable audacity.

As your scythes clashed, sparks flying between the two of you and burning him in the process, your mouth just wouldn’t stop moving, stop talking. The innocently sleepy look on your face was replaced with a shit-eating grin as you blocked his attacks, trapping him in a frenzied dance.

“What’s wrong, boo?” you laughed, twirling your scythe to drive him back. “Don’t tell me you’re getting tired already.”

Casper’s eyebrow twitched at the nickname; you wouldn’t stop calling him that ever since you learned his real name. He didn’t understand where it came from, but just the way you said it was enough to annoy him.

“Hardly,” he scoffed, his boots kicking up dust as they skidded against the ground. He was quick to lunge back at you, his movements precise as he swung his blade. “If anything, I’d wager that you’re the one tiring out.”

“Ha!” You ducked under his attack and sprung forward, Casper’s hair tickling at your face as you came nose to nose with him. Startled, Casper had no time to react as you slammed the end of your scythe’s staff into his chest.

Before he knew it, Casper’s back was against the ground, your boot on his chest, and your scythe at his neck.

Your breaths were heavy as you looked down on him, but your eyes glowed with triumphant victory. The fight may have been more exhausting than you’d like to admit, but the view you had was well worth the effort.

Beneath you, Casper struggled to catch his own breath, his chest heaving under the soles of your foot. His white hair splayed around him like a halo, and his face was tickled pink from the fight.

Even in defeat, he was beautiful.

You leaned forward, putting your weight on your knee. Casper grunted as you pressed harder on him. Just for the fun of it, you pressed your scythe’s blade against his chin and guided him to look up at you and your grin.

“I win,” you sang mockingly.

Casper groaned, letting his head fall against the floor. You laughed heartily, stepping off of him and instead extending your hand to him. Without a second thought, Casper took it, allowing you to pull him to his feet and dust him off.

“That’s what, victory number twenty-one?” you asked, stretching. “That means I’m in the lead now, Casp.”

“Whatever,” Casper scoffed, dusting off his chest where your foot had been. “I’m sure the score will even out in no time.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you squinted at him. Casper stuck his tongue out at you.

“I don’t know, what does it mean?”

You hit his chest playfully. Casper grunted, glaring at you from the corner of his eye.

That’s how it had always been, after all. You and Casper would go back and forth in this tantalizing dance, exchanging jabs and jokes at the same time. 

To Casper, you were insufferable, but annoyingly capable. To you, Casper was way too serious and stuck up, yet had that charm about him that made you want to tease him at every possible opportunity.

But for many, many years, your relationship never went further than mere friends - if Casper even wanted to call you that.

━

The day Casper’s view of you changed was like a stormy sky - dark, yet light still managed to peek through.

You’d come back to headquarters with a solemn look upon your face. For someone who had just come back from a mission, you were oddly… clean. There wasn’t a trace of blood on your clothes, yet your eyes were dark, haunted. Even your scythe’s shine seemed dull.

For the reapers, to have someone normally so loud and full of life be reduced to this, was frightening. They’d grown used to your smile, your voice, your light. You parted crowds with your uncharacteristically serious aura; if there was anything a sensible reaper feared, it was the wrath of a joyous soul.

Immediately after turning in your report to headquarters, you disappeared from the public eye.

When Casper first heard the news, he had brushed it off. You were probably just having a bad day, he tried to assure himself. Maybe you’d finally realized the grimness that came with your profession. Maybe the soul you’d reaped was especially troublesome and gave you a run for your money.

Despite his attempts to make up explanations for your behavior, he couldn’t stop the worry from gnawing at his heart. It twisted in his chest like soul sickness, an ailment that he wasn’t used to nor did he understand. It even followed him into his work, plaguing his mind and distracting him as he reaped soul after soul.

He’d made haste to return home, knowing that this illness would only worsen if he stayed out.

The Underworld was always dark, but that day, the sky was pitch black. Eager to return to the comfort of his bed, he quickly made his way to one of the many apartment complexes in which reapers resided.

However, just before he opened the door to his room, his hand stilled at the sound of crying.

Now, sadness wasn’t an uncommon emotion in the Underworld. Ghosts, sinners, and demons alike wailed and screamed their woes into the night. Their cries were as common as the sound of rushing cars in a human city.

But not for reapers, especially in their home. Reapers, at their core, were cold, emotionless, and ruthless - they needed to be, in order to do their jobs properly. A reaper’s tears were rare, almost taboo.

The more Casper listened, he soon recognized a familiar voice among those sniffles: yours.

Could it be? He looked up to the rooftop, his hand wavering. His soul pulsed in his chest, warning him to ignore you and focus on himself. But his heart argued back.

Casper glanced once more at the doorknob to his room. Cursing himself, he heaved a sigh and walked away - moving towards the staircase leading to the rooftop.

As he emerged onto the rooftop, the first thing he noticed was how clear the sky was. Its crimson blanket was more like that of a rose’s rather than bloodstains, and if he squinted, he could perhaps delude himself into seeing a few stars.

Then came you.

Casper’s heart plummeted in his chest when he saw your form curled into itself. You sat at the edge of the rooftop, your knees pulled up to your chest and your face buried in your arms. Your back was to him, but Casper saw the way your shoulders trembled.

He tried to take a step towards you, tried to reach to you with his hand, but hesitated. What would he even say? What could he say? What could he do?

His thoughts halted when you took a deep, shuddered breath, your voice raw from cry.

“What do you want, Casper.”

Casper. Not Casp, not boo, not any of the annoying nicknames that you called him by.

“I…”

He stepped back, feeling fear for perhaps the first time in his life. For the first time, he was unsure of what to do.

You couldn’t see him, but you heard him walk away and descend the staircase. You laughed hollowly, wiping at your face with your hand.

“What was I even expecting…” you muttered bitterly, gripping at your own arms for support. “Why would he of all people…”

You shut your eyes tighter. Without the company of the sky and the city, you were left alone with your thoughts. Memories of what you had witnessed laughed in your mind, latching onto you like a parasite and refusing to let go.

You were never afraid of blood, nor of death, but today, just the thought of it made you nauseous.

Something soft nudged at your elbow. Blinking your eyes open, you warily looked to your side.

However, instead of seeing a person, you came face to face with a bright pink axolotl plushie.

You and the plushie stared at each other for a good minute, neither of you knowing what to make of the other. It wasn’t until you heard a familiar, exasperated sigh from behind the plushie that you realized what it was.

“Don’t just stare at him,” Casper mumbled, pushing the plushie against you. You blinked owlishly, before hesitantly taking the plushie into your arms.

Hugging it against your chest, you rested your chin on top of its head. The plushie was oddly warm, yet comforting. Casper sat beside you, silent and gazing up towards the sky. For a while, the two of you simply sat in this silence, with the only thing breaking it being your quiet sniffles.

“...She was just a kid,” you finally spoke, catching Casper’s attention and making him look at you. You, however, kept your gaze straight ahead to the city lines, refusing to meet his gaze. “She was just a little girl, and yet they… they…”

You hugged the plushie a little tighter.

“I just can’t understand how humans can be so cruel to each other.”

Casper’s gaze turned downcast. “That’s how they’ve always been. Life is cruel, even to the purest of souls.”

“It’s not fair.”

“Hardly anything is.”

“It shouldn’t have been her. It should’ve been that bastard that murdered her.”

“He’ll get what he deserves. Karma will catch up to him.”

“But what if it doesn’t? What if he gets let off?”

“He won’t.”

Unexpectedly, you let out a snort at Casper’s deadpanned voice - so assured and serious. Casper raised a brow, looking at you inquisitively.

“You know,” you said, raising your head. “You’re somehow really bad and really good at comforting people.”

“What?” Casper wrinkled his nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” you said softly. “I didn’t mean it as an insult. Actually, that’s one of the things I like about you.”

“That I’m apparently a bad comforter?”

“No, silly.” You leaned your head on the plushie again, only this time you were looking at your coworker. “Your seriousness. How you’re always so confident in yourself. How even if you don’t know what you’re doing, you still try.”

Red bloomed across Casper’s face like a flowering blossom, reaching from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. He rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze.

“It’s not fair when you start saying things like that,” he mumbled. You giggled a little, leaning onto his shoulder with his plushie still in your arms.

“I’m just being honest,” you hummed. “Or maybe I’m coping. I dunno.”

Casper chuckled, but made no move to push you off him. You closed your eyes. The turmoil in your heart was still there, of course, but with Casper against you, it eased up just a little.

“Seriously though, thank you,” you said. “For coming up here for me and, well, everything.”

“It was nothing,” Casper replied. “You were looking pretty pathetic, all depressed and all.”

You huffed. “Just admit you care about me, Casp. Is that so hard?”

Casper grumbled something unintelligible, before lifting his arm. You squeaked as he wrapped it around your shoulders, pulling you closer against him. With your head laid against his collarbone, you could feel every breath he took as well as the rapid beat of his heart.

“[Name],” he said quietly. “Remember the favor you promised me? For winning the race?”

“Mm… yeah. What about it?”

“I’d like to cash it in right now.”

“Oh lord,” you chuckled. “Alright, what do you want?”

“Whatever happens next, don’t tell anyone,” Casper whispered.

Your lips curled into a smile. “You know, Casp, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were about to do something weird.”

You couldn’t see him, but you knew he was rolling his eyes.

“Be quiet for a moment, will you?”

You grinned. “Ah, but that’s two favors, not-”

Casper shut you up with a soft kiss to your head. It was brief, so quick that for a second you almost thought you had dreamed it.

In your stunned silence, Casper spoke again.

“Forgive me if I’m being greedy, but I’ll ask for a third favor,” he said. “No matter what happens, promise me you won’t deal with it by yourself.”

His grip around you tightened.

“Please.”

You nuzzled closer into the crook of his neck.

“...I promise.”

reblogs w comments are appreciated !!

[youronlydarlin]

Hi dolly!:) silly idea, have you ever tried writing for the hybrid cod guys? Ie: dragon hybrid price or werewolf hybrid soap, not a Request, I just think their neat. Also, probably good for Halloween as it's nearly October!

warning: none. Crack and fluff kinda, hybrid tf141

Ah of course, writing for hybrid cod is tradition at this point

Romantic bits aside. I like to think that each of them are annoying in their own special way. Intentional or not.

For starters, DragonHybrid! Price just reeks off burning wood. No matter how many times he's taken a shower, –no matter how long too!– he always ends up smelling the same. Like a fuckin' pizza oven.

Must be because he's half dragon– you'd think, so you can't really hold it against him. But out comes the second problem, which what seems to be his unhealthy relationship with cigars. What good does he have for temporary, man-made, chemical smoke, when he can produce his own. More natural, more efficient, and quicker too. But alas. It's just one of those cases where you try one thing once, then you find yourself doing it all the time, over and over.

You love the guy, really, you do. But getting any closer than 5 feet would set fire to your lungs, a guaranteed visit to the nurse's office. Doesn't help that kissing him feels like swallowing a dozen lit matches.

While Price's stench is still somewhat tolerable. WerewolfHybrid! Soap's constant howling at the moon might just make you consider transferring to another task force. Unfortunately for you, you also love his stupid face too much to do that. Sigh, the things you do for love. He just can't seem to get enough of that stupid fucking rock floating in the ink of night. Like he was some desperate firefly, who can't reach the light of a bulb. Well, at least he'd be a very handsome firefly.

But oh he cries for it, howls for it, and makes everyone suffer because of it. Heartless monter. A part of you thinks that he's just feeding into the cliché –that his kind is unable to resist that shiny ball of white floating about the dark sky– and the other wonders if he just Palov'ed himself into doing that by accident, and now can't quit.

Next up is your dear HarpyHybrid! Gaz, darling boy he is. He's not much of a nuisance save for the occasional stray feathers you'd find scattered all over the damned base. He has no control over it.

Besides, it's not too much of a problem on most days, but if you're unlucky enough to catch him on a bad mood you'll be left with more feathers than the ones you ordered to clean. And if you happen to hit a very specific nerve he might just ask a favor from his bird friends to shit on your car. Or your head. Whatever quells his thirst chaos at the moment. Is that a new suit? Well it's definitely not gonna smell like one anymore, baby!!

Very petty, and pretty would be the top description for your love.

Lastly we have WraithHybrid! Ghost. Who definitely lives up to his call sign. Never brings shame to it. He haunts the halls like he gets paid to do it, said he'd love for that to be the case. But no. The prick just can't be bothered to alert anyone of his presence.

You'd feel him before you see him. Unexpected taps to the shoulder has you jumping out of skin, and bumping to an invisible body never fails to bring a chill up your spine.

But when you do see him? On the dead of night? Out to get a snack? Ohh, lucky you, if you're a horror fanatic because the worn out material of his mask. That soulless skull. It's enough to give the boogeyman nightmares. Scare the monsters out from under your bed. You'd be glad that it was just skeletons in your closet, and not his dark, grim, saturnine, figure.

The last thing you needed from that was the introduction of the bane of your very tired existence, or as others would call it, "the swear jar". Price was just looking to take advantage of your very consistent "Oh fuck!'s towards Ghost.

a/n: I forgot how much I loved writing. I missed all of you so much.

yours, truly

–Dolly

[midnightarcheress]

and they said speak now

it's no use, i just love you. pairing: simon 'ghost' riley x f!reader cw: nsfw bits. angst (with comfort?). sad yearning simon. sad yearning reader (in denial). enemies to... something. reader is part of tf141. no use of y/n. part 1 | part 2

Simon hasn’t heard from you since that catastrophic day. 

the day he turned your life upside down. the one in which he ruined your wedding, blurted out a hushed love confession, and broke your heart by spilling the truth about your ex-fiancé. the day he watched you walk away in a tear-stained wedding dress, without the certainty that you would ever come back. 

how much time does someone need to process all of that?

the following weeks felt like years. the days were unbearable, drowning in paperwork in a frantic attempt to keep his mind from sulking on his actions, possible by the strange lack of assignments during the period. did the terrorists take a break? his other option - admittedly the one he would spend most of his time doing - was staring at the ceiling of his quarters for hours as his body created a permanent indent on the mattress, a perfect tailored grave for his crestfallen soul.

the nights were even worse. he kept dreaming about you. sometimes it was warm, you snuggled in his arms, back pressed firmly against his chest while you fidgeted with the fingers interlaced with yours and he planted kisses on your shoulder, your neck, your cheek. sometimes it was ugly, your eyes shooting daggers to his heart and your enraged voice piercing through his eardrum in another daily fight, taking a toll on his mind like a frightful PTSD flashback.

sometimes it was erotic, his eyes savoring the view of your bouncing tits and beautiful flushed face whilst he pounded every inch of his cock in your tight cunt, filling the room with your pretty moans and pleas as he guided you to your third orgasm. sometimes it was horrifying, hearing your agonizing screams and watching you being repeatedly shot while he tried to rush to your position, without ever actually moving his feet, only adding your body to the long list of people he had failed to save. 

no matter the scenario, it would always end with Ghost jolting awake to heart palpitations and heavy breathing, struggling to get a hold of himself. as much as your presence would drive him to madness, your absence managed to make his brain spiral. went down an endless rabbit hole and missed every chance to grasp the flimsy rope of reality.

he thought about calling. almost did a few times, glaring at your name on his contact list but never pressing the button, especially after nights out in the pub with Soap. “what ye gonna do about it, Lt? think the lass is gonna give ye a chance?” but in truthfulness, he didn’t know what to say; no words were enough to describe how guilty he felt and how sorry he was. he just needed to hear your voice. know that you were okay, or at least, alive and breathing.

no one really knew how you were, where you were, or when you’d be back; Price only stated that you extended your honeymoon leave for an indefinite amount of time. despite being your captain, he wasn’t going to question your necessity for serenity, after all, he was there when your life crumbled apart - one minute Simon was quiet on his seat, the next he was standing in the middle of the church, twisting the team’s perception of your strained relationship and leaving their jaws in agape.

while Simon deteriorated in remorse, already grieving the lost possibility of you ever being his, you made use of the no-refund policy of your honeymoon trip. a week in an all-inclusive resort by the beach, enjoying the crystal clear waters and the too-many-to-count cocktails to numb your achy heart that almost made you wake up in different rooms a few nights.

still, the only thing the hotel didn’t include on the menus was peace. as much as you tried, your mind kept reliving the wedding over, and over, and over. the memory of Ghost standing up and daring to violate your sacred moment, the sight of his wide eyes when he confirmed your doubts about your then-partner, the troublesome twinge in your chest as he begged for a chance to love you - a relentless feel you’ve been carrying everyday.

seven days at an alleged paradise were not enough to cleanse your spirit. the light waves of the ocean cradling your body couldn’t soothe your distress, as the deep end seemed to have a higher draw on you, luring you to a darker place where you could wallow without shame. misery loves company, i guess. 

despite your best efforts, the following weeks were equally bleak. while you managed to maintain your focus out of your own life during the day, the dark blues of the nightfall outlining the nature’s silhouettes seen from your flat’s balcony only brought back the daunting awareness of duty. you couldn’t hide forever. it was time to be back.

your footsteps echoed in the base hallways as you made your way to the conference room, anxiety pooling on your insides and almost making you empty your stomach right there and then. in a way, it was nice to finally be back at work, fingers itching due to the need to hold a rifle and unload an entire cartridge at the first target that comes into sight. in another, you were dreading the idea of coming face to face with your friends after that disastrous day and, more importantly, dreading the inevitable confrontation with Ghost.

your frame on the doorway interrupted Price’s speech during a long awaited briefing for the team’s next mission. the atmosphere in the room suddenly got heavy, crisp air filling your lungs as four pairs of eyes glanced in your direction, taking your unforeseen arrival with the same shock as if you were a mythical creature.

“good to have you back.” the captain said, gesturing to you to join the reunion.

with a silent greeting, your legs made their way to a seat around the table, avoiding the prying looks as much as possible but ultimately failing. their watchful gaze dawned on you like cars slowing down next to an accident site, everybody stopping to see the wreckage and pity the poor life stuck in the rubbish. 

but there was one set of eyes in particular that never shifted. without even facing him, you could feel Simon’s glare boring into your figure, urging you to turn your head in his direction, pleading for an ounce of awareness. his heart was beating rapidly for the first time in weeks, your presence being enough to send him to an overdrive and to turn Price’s words into white noise in the background.

in the milliseconds in which Simon looked away, you were gone. the briefing didn't last long and you decided not to linger around after it ended, fleeing the room in a hurry to avert any conversation. he was hoping for an opportunity to check on you, to talk, to explain. to pour out his feelings once again, without the pressure of trying to stop you from getting married, wishing that the time you spent apart was enough to earn at least some compassion from you. 

running away from him again almost made you feel like a coward. you had always been able to stand toe to toe with Ghost, rebutting each of his snarky statements with even more venomous remarks, not caring if it would ever truly affect him. he didn’t act like it did. but in that moment, you couldn’t shake the anxiety that dominated your senses.

after years doing it, you knew that working out was a great stress-reliever and you didn’t hesitate on heading to the training room. focusing on a repetitive task that exerted your body to maximum was the easy way out of the teetering breakdown crawling its way to the surface. the sound of dull blows on the punching bag ricocheted in the empty area as you cleared your brain of any thoughts regarding him. it had been a while since you exercised, but instead of getting tired, each punch only gave you more energy, the sting on your fists only fueling your anger to the brim. 

“careful there.” the gruff voice filled the nearly silent room and made you startle, quickly snapping your head towards the entrance. Ghost’s tall frame was leaning on the doorway, eyes carefully watching you as you furrowed your brows at him.

he takes a few steps in your direction, easing his way into your eyesight like a stray puppy who just wants a home. you simply choose to ignore him and go back to the punching bag, pushing aside the desperate need to ignite that fire again, to feel the fireworks bursting your chest the same way it did when his warm tongue swirled around yours.

“can we talk?” he asks, searching your eyes for even a hint of compassion but being met with nothing but a cold silence, “please?”

“no.” 

your tone is harsh, grating his ears as you keep your stance, landing countless jabs in the sack. Simon is quiet, observing the intensity of your moves and how you don’t flinch despite having sore knuckles at this point. probably imagining it’s my face, he thinks, glancing around the room until his gaze falls on the sparring mat, getting the gears of his brain turning.

“let’s fight then.”

that stumps you and makes you raise your eyes. “what?”

“if you don’t wanna talk, let’s fight. we’re good at that.” he says, already stepping on the mat and stretching his arms, preparing himself for the match.

“i’m not gonna fight you, Ghost.” your eyes roll at the proposition.

“scared of getting your arse beat?” he teases, reminiscing the way he’s used to treating you. he knows you never back off from a challenge, especially coming from him, no matter how insane it sounds. you’re aware of his size and how easily it’d be for him to break you, even with your skills in single combat, but you can’t prevent your blood from boiling at the mocking undertone of his question. 

without another second of doubt, you follow him to the mat, making small jumps to get your limbs loose and your blood circulating. his attentive gaze never leaves you, happily taking in your rage over the recent apathy with a pleased grin plastered on his face, the first genuine smile he has in days. at least it’s something.

the first move is his, throwing a quick blow at your head, which you swiftly avoid by stepping back. you’re determined to not let him win, your competitive side always overruling your better judgment. but you are even more determined to not allow him to let you win. 

grunts and thuds fill the air as you exchange blows, each strike hitting harder than the previous. “i’ve missed you.” he says, lunging forward to kick your side. you roll your eyes in annoyance, but it’s truly exciting to finally have an adrenaline release in your organism, even if it means confronting the emotional turmoil threatening to spill out of your throat. 

“when?” you ask, retaliating his kick with a jab in his midsection.

“when what?” his head tilts to the side, not understanding your question for a second. 

his ears perk up as the sound of your screams muffles the gunfire around him. you had managed to disarm the soldier on top of you after being stabbed in the stomach, but the gushing laceration in your abdomen was getting the best of you, blood pressure dropping as a bullet pierced through the man’s skull.

Simon rushes to your side as soon as the lifeless body hits the ground, seeing your blood pooling on the concrete. “bloody hell.” he mutters, quickly applying pressure on the punctured point. your eyes roll as the pain increases, making you struggle to stay awake.

“don’t you fuckin’ dare die on me! keep your eyes open, come on,” he urges, gently tapping your cheeks to keep you conscious while he blasts the comms requesting an urgent medevac, “yeah, just like that, you’re doin’ so good for me,” he coos as your blood stains his ungloved hands, “no no no, come on, please, stay with me, you can’t-”

you use his moment of distraction at your advantage, landing an intense punch on his jaw. he stumbles back a couple steps, already sensing the metallic taste on his tongue. at that, the suppressed anger he’s been keeping under covers during your missing weeks comes to top, hot magma erupting like an exploding volcano. he aims for your stomach. your legs. block your arms. you dodge it barely, but he keeps going. 

“the time you almost died in my arms,” he finally answers, gritting his teeth. he’s an enraged man, tackling you to the ground and firmly gripping your hands, pinning you to the mat. you grunt at the movement, heavy breathing hitting his neck as he leans even closer to your face. “you can’t tell me that you don’t feel it too. it’s there. everytime we’re together.”

Ghost’s masked face hovers over yours as you struggle to breathe. you don’t hear the shots around you anymore, only Price’s voice in the comms telling him that evac is two minutes out. you glance at your surroundings, barely processing the sight before falling unconscious again. 

your brain shuts down, but somehow you still feel his touch. despite the adrenaline and his familiar roughness, the hand stroking your cheek carries a tranquilizing softness you didn’t expect. a light at the end of the tunnel that guides your way back to the living plane.

your eyes flutter open in the medbay, after feeling a sharp pain on your ribs. Ghost is sitting on the chair near the bed, unaware of your awaken state, looking out the window. his face is still covered, but you catch the slight twitch in the corner of his eyes - you’ve noticed it always happens when he’s too focused on something. you wonder what goes through his mind at the moment. yours can only recall the cracks in his voice as he held you in his trembling arms and pleaded you to stay awake.

“i don’t,” you lie, glaring at his hazel eyes. of course you feel it. the fucking fire that scarred you from the minute you had your first fight. the flame that etched his initials on your chest and marked you forever as his, even if you can’t fathom the idea of belonging to a man like him, “get off me!”

your restless squirms help you free yourself from his grasp, pushing his bulky figure to the side while simultaneously striking multiple punches on his chest. and he just takes it. he indulges your wrath, blissfully accepting your blows with nothing but tenderness. your vision gets blurry as you break the remains of his armor, stripping him of the faint defenses still guarding his heart.

he feels the power of your hits weaken when a teardrop rolls from your cheek and falls on his face. not enough to put out the wildfire devouring his soul whenever you’re near, but enough to turn it into a peaceful bonfire, whose cracks soothe your aches like a lullaby. he takes your wrists in one hand while the other reaches for your face; loving eyes, once so cryptic, gaze at the storm behind yours, signaling that it’s okay. it’s okay to feel it.

you sink into his burly arms, bathing in the heat radiating from him. for the first time, you don’t see Ghost, the shadow that haunts your nightmares and the shell of a broken man, you see Simon. the faceless man in your dreams, the one who understands you by one look, the one that fuels your deepest desires - it being a hunger for love or for lust - and still inflames all of your anger.

“come on, love,” he says, pulling up to his feet and extending his hand in your direction.

your knuckles are hurting, partially from the blows on the punching bag from earlier, partially from your rampage against his body. you take his hand and he guides you out of the mat, sitting you on top of a table. furrowed brows meet his half smile, as he positions himself on a chair in front of you and starts tending your bruises. 

“i guess it has always been there,” he says, delicately holding your hands and cleaning the drying blood from it, “the feeling. buried way underneath. i didn’t understand it in the beginning, you’d drive me so insane i couldn’t even look at your face.”

you recall your first encounter with Ghost, feeling the tension of his icy glare penetrating your bones, freezing you on the spot. but somehow also feeling your chest filling with a warmth you’ve never had before. the missing puzzle piece finally returning to its place.

“i know you feel something. the intensity is there, in each bloody fight, everytime we're together, in or out of the field. i’m electrified whenever your hand brushes against mine. i’ve been dull for so many years of my life, and then you came-”

“Simon.”

your sudden interruption makes him stop talking. he raises his eyes from your sore hands to your irises, seeking for a hint of recognition. “this could never work,” you say, letting out an exhausted sigh “you know that.”

yes, he knows that. but he is also not one to evade conflict, especially with you. he doesn’t care how much trouble it’d be to make a relationship with you work. doesn’t care if you wanna change everything about him, put him in a tiny little mold where he obeys your wishes and barks at your command. hell, he’d gladly wear a collar if it meant having you as the one pulling the leash. he’s tired of concealing his emotions behind the persona. he wants you to see him for what he is underneath the pain, the trauma, the rage. only Simon. 

the man who craves your proximity, your presence by his side as he lays down to sleep and every morning when he wakes. your sweet scent, your soft skin, your sparkling eyes. the one who craves your touch, reaching for every inch of his body and bringing him closer to the heaven gates in a way that no religion could. the image that feeds his most terrible nightmares and his brightest - and most obscene - dreams.

“we clash all the fucking time. as much as i hate to say it, we’re too alike, too stubborn, we’d repel each other like magnets, we-”

“yes,” he interjects, leaning closer to your face, “we are too alike. that’s what makes us good. tell me i’m not crazy. you irritate me so much because you always know what i’m thinking. what i’m feeling. my weaknesses are all at your display even when i don’t show it. you know exactly which buttons to push and which to leave alone.”

the skull balaclava covers most of his face, but you don’t mind, his eyes are the most important part. they’re familiar. you know every crease at its corners, the place of every single one of his lashes, the nuances of the color. you’ve studied them several times, trying to decipher the enigma of Ghost. you’ve gotten good at it, so his words are true. you know him. know him too much to consider the idea of being together, because the mere possibility of losing him would maim you forever. 

“we're too similar because we’re two sides of the same coin. each side with its singularity, markings, engravings, but still part of the same thing, destined to be together, intertwined. two flames meant to combine, to heat each other, become one,” the faltering in his voice surprises you, but you don’t see it as a sign of bad faith. his vulnerability is a breath of fresh air after years of unbreakable security, “can’t you understand it?”

silence.

Simon senses his defeat with your hesitance. there’s no use. he goes back to patching up your hand, finishing the bandages as if it’d seal the wounds he opened on you with his actions. years of pent-up aggression planting the doubt of his true affection for you, and there’s no one else to blame but him. is there really no use at this point? the muscle inside your chest is beating loudly, threatening to burst out of your chest, but the logical part of your mind is still screaming to take back control. it’s a worthless tug of war. the brain may be astute, but it can never outsmart the strength of the heart.

“Simon.” he doesn’t dare to gaze at you, even with your saccharine voice tempting his eyes, too adamant to give more of himself in a seemingly hopeless situation. your hands move from your lap to cup his jaw, forcing his head upwards to meet the smile on your lips. it’s small, timid, soft. laced with something he’d never seen on your face but filled with the confidence you always exhibit. love.

“so,” you breathe deeply, “what now?”

took me so long omg but i think i'm finally happy with it. hope you like it. was listening to 'no use i just do' by hayley williams when i got to the end and i feel like it sums up a bit of the feelings.

also, if you see an error, no you didn't. my brain is all mush now.

[yuri-is-online]

Tokyo Debunker Intro Text/Notes

When the world is collapsing around you... Whose hand will you take?

It appears that whoever is asking this question is lighting a mesmer match, and blows it out just before we transition to the character select screen. The voice actor feels to me like the MC's, implying she could be asking this question of and using the match on herself.

Since Ancient times, humans have gathered around fires, fearing the fall of an eternal night. Yet they cannot help but peer into the shadows that hide in old places and pool in empty streets. Foolishly they yearn for it-- For the unknown that lies beyond the edge of darkness.

As this text plays the MC is running through a burning building that seems like it is the school's main hallway.

The following text does not change no matter what dialogue option you pick:

Frostheim

Luca

"I'm sorry... Yet again I have failed to protect the people most important to me... Please don't make that face. This is the only path left."

Jin

"We were just playing out a fixed match. And I was nothing but a figurehead all along... There's no time left. Get out of here. That's my final order to you."

Tohma

"Just look at the state of your hair. You really ought to go get tidied up. You simply cannot help but stick your nose in everywhere, can you?* I'm counting on you to handle the fallout."

*this is said fondly, he's not actually upset

Kaito

"I really was weak and useless all the way to the bitter end, huh? I'm sorry. I'm probably just delaying the inevitable, but... this is all a guy like me can do, you know?"

Vagastrom

Sho

"What're you doing here? Geez... What am I supposed to do, huh? I'm the only guy for the job. Pfft... what's with that face? At least send me off with a smile. Well... it's been a fun ride. Thanks for everything.*"

*Sho refers to the MC as senpai when addressing them

Alan

"Don't come any closer. I don't want to hurt you any more... Time's up. Sorry..."

Leo

"Life sucks and then you die, right? I just want to make the assholes responsible regret it. Gross, don't make that face at me. You think I'm suddenly pathetic enough to be moved by your ugly crying?"

Jabberwock

Towa

"Heh heh... ♪"*

Haru

"Gahaha! Why the long face? Head on back now. Everything's gonna be just fine.* I just couldn't do it in the end. Couldn't protect my home, or you guys, or anything at all..."

*this first part is said very upbeat before transitioning into a very defeated sounding, quieter tone. almost like he is talking to himself while still addressing mc

Ren

"This is exactly why I didn't want to do this! I knew this was how it was gonna end! What am I even doing here? This is all your fault..."

Sinostra

Ritsu

"I see you've guessed my intention. It's of little consequence. I suggest you get as far from here as you can. Father... I was unworthy to be your son. I hope you can forgive me."

Taiga

"Gyahaha! Time to cash in your chips! Guess this while thing was just a busted flush*, huh? Tell me something, would you? What could I have done different to change this outcome?"

*poker term, also slang for "a promising person or thing that turns out to be unsuccessful"

Romeo

"Tch. What do you want? Coming up here now... you're just getting in my way! I've got one last job for you. Tell everyone I looked flawless in my final moments."

Hotarubi

Haku

"Sorry. Guess I couldn't be the guy you wanted me to be. Ha. Ha... Don't look at me like that. Never lost faith in me, did you?*"

*it's brief, but I think I caught him thanking the MC. Also he's got some serious crazy eyes as he falls...

Subaru

"This is all my fault. I don't expect you to forgive me, but this is the least I can do... Please take this as my final act of good faith."

Zenji

"Ha ha... All the greatest literary masters departed this world before their time. I won't be leaving a masterpiece behind... but if I can save you, and our friends, I could ask for nothing more."

Obscuary

*this dorm is missing two students at the time of writing

Rui

"Ha ha... You found me! Geez, are you in love with me or something? Hey now. Don't think about trying to grab my hand. Just be happy enough for the both of us, ok?"

Mortranken

Yuri

"It's all going up in flames... all of my research... the fruit of my blood, sweat, and tears! Ha... HA HA! AH HA HA! AH HA HA HA!! Goodbye Mama..."

Jiro

"There's no coming back from this. I will struggle until it's over though. Dying always looks like it hurts. I hope I can save you at least, but don't get your hopes up. Bye."

at this point, the character will jump off the balcony the were standing on, some will reach out to the MC (Towa really looks like he is) other just kind of let the arm hang (Zenji committing to the noble sacrifice and Leo you fucking bitch-) The screen will then go black...

Please someone tell me... Where did we go wrong?

[butchboyvi]

song lyrics that remind me of vi and her story 🥊

i wanted to include song that i think could depict her emotions, especially her pitfighter arc in s2. most of these are indie rock/alt rock/post rock songs + some ambient folk, all with very gritty and emotional lyrics. i tried to think of songs that could encapsulate the feeling of despair and loneliness shown in the “nothing to lose” clip with my own personal twist i guess. also i had in mind the latest christian linke interview, where he said that we're going to see a very different version of caitlynn, stripped down of her optimism and hopefulness, and that vi is not going to recognize her anymore, and everything that this is going to entail in their relationship.

shadowboxing - julien baker

i know you were trying to help / but you're only making it worse / tell me that i shouldn't blame myself / but you can't even imagine how badly it hurts / just to think sometimes / how i think almost all the time

so break me down / fold it over your arms / like an unloaded shotgun / dismantled and harmless / even you couldn't manage to pull / the fuse from the back of my head

work out - rainbow kitten surprise

well, there's two sides to a fair fight / and you're the third man out / i was hopeful with a slow hand / and i got gunned down / well you asked me if i could grow up / but i don't know why / for i don't know much, i'm a palm frond / dying on a front porch

sour breath - julien baker

but i shouldn't have built a house in the middle of your chest / plywood boards joined at your breast / splinter in my arm where you rest your head / checking my watch till you come to bed

kiss me goodnight with your sour breath / breaks on my face like a wave of emptiness / and when i talk just taste regret / you're everything i want and i'm all you dread

ringside - julien baker

beat myself until i'm bloody / and i’ll give you a ringside seat / you say that it's embarrassing / i’m sorry that you had to see me like that

so you could either watch me drown / or try to save me while i drag you down / want to fix it but i don't know how

bloodshot - julien baker

middle of the night, all i can see are stars / pulled 'em from my eyes and your ex-lover's arms / throw hook after hook, and if i were you / after all that i did, i'd have done it to me, too

isn't like i did it on purpose / i just forget the second i learned it / everything i get, i deserve / you whisper to me, "don't you like it when it hurts?"

lefty - title fight

bad luck never leaves / your jinx just floats around / like the taste inside your mouth / or the sound when your skull cracks / feel the growing pains / it means you're growing up too fast

sleeping with the lights on - searows

we've been watching different movies / and i've been talking to myself / i’d like to think that you knew me / better than anybody else

i know you're probably standing there / wishing that i wasn't here / you know i'd follow you anywhere / so, do you honestly believe that i would let you disappear?

appointments - julien baker

i think if i ruin this / that i know i can live with it / nothing turns out like i pictured it / maybe the emptiness is just a lesson in canvases / i think if i fail again / that i know you're still listening / maybe it's all gonna turn out alright

good news - julien baker

in the thin air, my ribs creak / like wooden dining chairs when you see me / always scared that every situation ends the same / with a blank stare / me and the tap water circling the sink drain

callous - sasami

i know it's not your fault / you were born with a spoon in your throat / and a gun in your hand and a plan for yourself / i'm not grieving / it's just a matter of time and a matter of what / and you've known since birth what you like / and i'm happy for you until my face is blue

perfecto miserable - king krule

i guess i have to go / and in my silence / it's so menacing / and when i'm left alone / it's so damaging / and in this violence / the walls cave-in / i'm not able to escape it all

cold love - rainbow kitten surprise

chained to a lie, we're the same you and i, we're the same / not the same we hurt differently, but consistent in our pain / equal and equidistant in the way we laugh / to lay bear the weight of our cold love affair / recalling the days where we were, we weren't, we were

putting the dog to sleep - the antlers

unstitch that shit i've sewn / to close up the hole that tore through my skin / well, my trust in you is a dog with a broken leg / tendons too torn to beg for you to let me back in

black dog - arlo parks

i'd lick the grief right off your lips / sometimes it seems like you won't survive this / and honestly it's terrifying

famous last words - ethel cain

my lips are still burnt from kissing your face / and feverish forehead, the blood that you waste / i'm tired of this, watching it wash out of you

cementality - king krule

enter my bed through that window / i hit zero / as guiltless loveless sins flow / through me, you threw me / i descend smoothly / my concrete bed beckons / can you hear me?

out getting ribs - king krule

and lay me out across the grey / hours i should have kept at bay / well i had no chance to get away / i can't escape my own escape / even more when it's sweet to the taste / red stairs lead sense astray / i look up and seek for faith

is it really you? - loathe

face away / deal with the pain / your own way / how could they deal with the pain? / i knew / that it was mine too / and you? / is it really you?

baldpate driver - fleshwater

and a year goes by / just as silent as a tear on a face you hide / keep chasing heaven / i'm begging for the ending

nightmares - newdad

i wish you were everything i hate in the world / not the best person in it / don't want to love 'cause then i'll misbehave / don't want to think of you and feel safe / don't want to drown if there's another way / so at the end of the day / i hope you're in my nightmares / 'cause to dream of you is unfair

to rage - daughter

i left the room destroyed / oh, you know me in more ways than that / i split the walls for warmth, i shook your town / i smashed the floors / to rage, my love, back then / well, someone had to

i'd never loved a living thing so much / i was not equipped to just / sit and watch you quit on us

[stellocchia]

i was wondering if you have any ideas for how hopper chara would look besides being yk chara + if you have any other theater au ideas you wanna share :D

Sorry it took me a while to respond, but I actually wanted to try and design Hopper, so here's a look at them:

Humans are not my strong suit, but I'm satisfied with how they came out!

The glitching gets more or less intense depending on how much determination they've managed to accumulate. If the determination gets too low, they become translucent and lose their corporeality (is that what it's called?).

As for other details on the AU:

Gaster is the director. He's the boss here, meaning he chooses the play they're gonna perform, assigns the roles, and directs all the behind the scenes stuff too. He does not act because he feels that his appearance is too unsettling for people (he's just very insecure).

Asgore only looks behind the scenes. He works on the lights, the costumes, the props, and the scenography. He has too much stage fright for acting, but he likes keeping busy, so the behind the scenes stuff is perfect for him.

Killer is an actor, but he also helps with the costumes because he discovered when giving it a try randomly one day that he actually quite enjoys the process.

Hopper also takes part in the acting, but also helps with the lights and whatever technology there is. They're an iPad kid, they're good with that stuff.

Mettaton of course is the star of the show. He always tries to get the main roles (all of them. He'd play both Romeo and Juliet if given the chance basically). He also always insists that they should try doing a musical because he's a big fan of those, but so far he's never had any luck

Undyne loves acting but she's unfortunately really not good at it. She's got so much passion though that Gaster always gives her a role. Though, for the most part, she tends to take care of dance choreographies and whatever other physically demanding stunts she manages to convince the others to put in.

Also, I mentioned it before, but all of them had some troubled pasts.

I mentioned that Hopper was locked in a never-ending fight with the Player. However, with the cast of their world being unaware of the Player's existence, they were just left with the feeling of unease around Hopper given by the fact that they'd been possessing them. After getting rid of the Player, Hopper couldn't handle the constant suspicion and distrust from everyone else, so they tried to erase themselves... Thankfully, Core found them in time and offered them an out.

Asgore is from a classic AU and he's still dealing with the grief of losing his kids, his wife, and having to kill all those children. He's especially awkward around Color because he can see the human souls and the guilt that resurfaces paralyzes him every time.

Undyne comes from a Dancetale AU. Unfortunately, she was always just as aggressive as a classic Undyne which ended up making her rather unpopular in her world. Especially since she was just as rough with Frisk as she's always been and, well, with Frisk being the savior of monsterkind that was... quite something. That said, she doesn't particularly care about what people think. She's got a girlfriend and a best friend in her Papyrus and those are all the people that matter to her.

Mettaton is from an Underfell AU. He was built exclusively as a murder robot and he can't fight to save his life. It goes without saying that he was considered a failed experiment and he was sent to be dismantled. He managed to talk his way out of the execution but only just barely, though that did mean that he wasn't front and center when the human came in, so he managed to survive their rampage. All the survivors were led out by Core, but Mettaton avoids them all as much as he can. He does, however, get along with the Flowey from his world who also did manage to survive.

Gaster is just a cryptid ngl. My guy is supposed to be scattered across time and space but he said 'no' to that. Nobody is quite sure what his deal is. He's there though. And he's got a passion for theatrics and literature. He sometimes mentions things like "I'm banned from most AUs" or "I lost my teaching license due to The Incident™". He's such a weirdo, but it's hard not to get along with him.

[cressthebest]

Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 12

chapter 22:

1. 😟😟 all james wants is for sirius to be there for james the way james ALWAYS was for sirius

2. 😟 james wished hodge happy birthday even though hodge died yesterday. i- i am not okay

3. “Regulus never fails to look up. Evan would be proud of him for that, he thinks.” 😧 that was vile to put in there

4. james has resorted to BEGGING for medicine from sirius and can’t understand why sirius won’t send any. this hurts so bad

5. nope. i’m done. i can’t read any more. james started looking forward to death cause he would be out of this arena and out of pain. jfc i’m done

6. anyways. i’m back cause i couldn’t stop reading.

7. REGULUS AND JAMES ARE REUNITED!!! THANK GOD!!! 😊

8. 😧 wait nevermind. james just mistook regulus for sirius. “James has never, not once in his life under any circumstances, mistaken Regulus for Sirius”

9. james is delulu from medicine and reg just found out that the plan has always been to get reg home. this hits like a motherfucking truck

10. james is high as a fucking kite, can’t figure out why “sirius” is being mean to him, cause he’s never been mean to him. and is also wondering why “sirius” is oddly attractive for being mean

11. it takes james half a chapter, and reg cutting his shirt for james to realize it’s not sirius. cause sirius has different scars. i love james sm 😭😭

12. “What was Sirius thinking? Drugging James? In the middle of the fucking hunger games? That might be the most idiotic thing Regulus has ever known his brother to do, and this is Sirius he's talking about, so that's saying a lot. Sirius once flipped a cigarette in the air and tried to catch it with his mouth while it was lit, and kept doing it until he could actually consistently manage it, no matter how much it burned him. Though, in fairness, he can still do that trick to this day.”

LMAO WHAT??? that’s so random and i love it

13. 😧 legit sobbing. reg says that james lost the spark in his eyes. and he’s the one person he expected to never lose his spark

14. reg reveals that they both can go home. james’ spark is back. i’m sobbing harder now. they’re so in love

15. i eat, breathe, and dream those author end notes. bizzarestars writes their end notes the way my brain processes the fic. <33

chapter 23:

1. starting the chapter off with pain, i see. losing vanity changed james. like. horribly changed him.

2. “What Regulus hates more than James is his suffering.” jfc he’s so emotionally constipated

3. james is sad and all reg can think is hmmmm i want him to start flirting with me again, because it meant he was happy bitch wtf

4. awww they’re cuddling and just got a package! my babies are gonna make it out!

5. reg realizes he has to put on a show, so he offers to feed james. and wants to gouge his eyeballs out for offering that. 😭😭😭😭

6. i’m dying from embarrassment but this is also so fucking funny. reg is like. let’s talk about our feelings. for each other. and james is just like *head tilt* ???

7. “"You weren't my first crush, James," Regulus whispers. "You were my first love."”

james didn’t just make reg feel good, he made reg feel and i am NOT okay.

8. “This whole time, Regulus has been steady on the fact that he wouldn't kiss James to save his own life, but he's apparently willing to do it to save James'.”

JFC why is he so emotionally constipated???

9. THEY KISS????? james is gonna be heartbroken when he realizes it was all an act

10. oh thank god james realized. at least it broke his heart now and not in two weeks

11. *squints* now reg has never wanted anything more than this kiss. girl. please. realize.

12. god, i’ve never read a kiss more beautifully and emotionally desperate written.

13. 😏 reg called him baby again!

14. oh god, maybe i’m just as bad as everyone in the hallow. maybe i’m just as bad as them. cause i enjoy their romance. i enjoy it so much. maybe i’m just as bad as the hallow for that. i- i think this every time i read the hunger games.

15. “James wants to sink his teeth into Regulus and leave the deep imprints of his teeth from one jutting hip bone to the other.” sometimes i forget that jegulus is a little unhinged in ways like this. and every time i’m reminded, I LOVE IT

16. “"You treat me like I'm stupid for daring to see good in people, but if there's no good in anyone, then what's the fucking point?"”

this entire section. this. this is what james is all about

17. 😟 authors note just told me i’m no better than a hallow. for my excitement over jegulus. and- yeah. i guess so. i’m so sorry y’all

[dear--mars]

Bloodthirsty

── Synopsis: "The sun gave earth the most light but the earth is slowly destroying itself." Childe wasn't made for love and he knew this. So why does he keep trying? And why do you keep letting him try? Opening your arms for him to fall into even after everything, showing him such warmth that he thought he could only get from the sun.

── Character: Childe/Tartagliaa/Ajax

── CW: Toixc relationships, fighting, taking it too far.

── Notes: This is my 2nd and LAST birthday post. Enjoy the angst. [angst/slight comfort]

── Word count: 800+ words

Ever since he fell into the abyss, the euphoric feeling and the adrenaline that fighting gave him was one of a kind. As friendly as he seemed to outside people, he couldn’t care less about anyone other than his immediate family. 

He didn’t feel the need to connect with others, they would only get in the way. They don’t get him the way fighting does. Fighting doesn’t need to be logical, it didn’t have feelings he pretended to care about. In the world he was living in, he only needed himself and his own two fists. 

Being one of the Fatui harbingers didn’t help him either. If anything it made him worse. Childe became a slave to the adrenaline and the Tsaritsa took advantage of it, using him as a killing machine. 

But Childe never batted an eye, he knew that the Fatui was using him but it didn’t matter to him. He couldn’t be happier to be fighting and with his position as a harbinger, he gets paid an absurd amount of money for doing something he loves doing. Not to mention he’s able to support his family as an extra bonus.

He’s a family man but at his core, he's no better than a bloodthirsty dog. Someone like him is destined for violence, driven by anger, as he treats the world as if it’s only for conflict.

So what happens when he meets someone with the same kind of bite?

Your relationship with Childe was doomed to fail the moment it started. Both of you were too competitive, wanting to win everything, and treating everything like a competition. 

It was harmless at first. After a defeat, one of you would give a joking glare or side-eye before laughing it off and you’d be in each other’s arms at the end of the day, still madly in love. 

But as his work days get longer and your love fades, your competitions turns into more than just a lover’s quarrel or friendly banter. The two of you can't remember the last time you laughed together. Only screaming, yelling, and genuine arguing. But one day, he crossed a line he could never go back on.

“Well, at least, I didn’t try to kill myself over a minor inconvenience!” He yelled and the room stilled and Childe knew whatever happened after this day, your relationship would never go back to what it was before. 

You stayed silent, only able to hear the sound of your own voice. You bit your lip as anger took over you and you too, crossed the line. “At least I didn't run away from home because I was bored and fall into the abyss as a child and almost die!”

“You’re going there?!”

“Yeah, I am. What are you gonna do!?”

“Big talk coming from someone who almost got sexually assaulted and needed me to save them!”

“You bitch…. I don’t want to hear anything from the Tsaritsa’s lapdog!”

“I enjoy being in the Fatui!”

“I’m sure you do but your family doesn’t. I know you can see it. The way your parents and older siblings look at you, they're afraid of you. Because you're a monster. How are you going to feel when Tonia, Teucer, and Anthon find out who you really are?”

“Don’t spout any bullshit about family to me, when you killed yours with your own hands.”

“That wasn’t me! I was possessed!”

“It doesn’t matter, it was still your body, your hands that killed them. So who’s the real monster?”

“Still you! Can you even call yourself human with that foul legacy transformation of yours? You are the antithesis of what it means to be a human.”

“You know what? I’m with this!”

“Yeah, run away like you always do.”

“No, [Name] I'm serious I'm done with this.”

“So you’re breaking up with me?”

“For a fact, I am!”

“Then just leave!” was the last thing uttered before Childe slammed his hands on the table before storming out of the house. You sighed before running your hand through your hair. You knew he’d be back in a couple of days. This was a routine for you two but now you were doubting if you guys could go back and pretend that nothing happened.

It had been over 5 days and Childe still didn’t come home and you started to think that it was truly the end of your relationship. But you heard the door open, your head shot toward the sound of the door slamming shut. You saw Childe walk in, he looked a bit disheveled, there were clear eye bags and his hair was even more of a mess than it usually was.

We had eye contact and you bit back your usual questions, asking where he was and such. You saw Childe’s shoulder sag a bit before he walked up to you. Your eyes widened when he flopped onto the couch, his head in your lap. It was clear he wasn’t able to get much sleep. 

You let out a sigh before running your fingers through his hair, comforting him. You felt Childe melt at your touch, letting out a small groan as he nuzzled into your lap even further. 

That argument was never brought up ever again…

- Navigation -   - Prismarine -

[aspoonofsugar]

Hi Sugar!

I was reading your analysis of the five couples you see as endgame (this one here) and I really enjoyed it! But I was wondering; how do you think that Pyrrha plays a role in Jaune and Weiss's relationship? Is it something like Cinder or something unique, or maybe nothing at all?

Hi,

thank you so much for this ask! I really really love White Knight, so asks on its structure and thematic meaning are welcome!

So, Pyrrha is 100% important, as it is Ruby. They both are key for Weiss and Jaune's relationship. Of course, I am headcanoning WK is gonna be endgame. However, even if this isn't the case, I think many of the things below will still hold true in a platonic sense :)

TRIANGLES

Let's consider these two scenes:

What do they have in common?

They focus on Weiss and Jaune

They involve a dynamic among three characters

They deal with the choice of a partner

Both Jaune and Weiss have a specific partner in mind. Jaune wants Weiss, while Weiss wants Pyrrha. However, the end results are different from what they expect. Weiss finds Ruby, while Jaune is chosen by Pyrrha.

Why is that so? It is a case of want vs need. Here is an extract from the above linked meta:

By this point Weiss and Jaune are pursuing a superficial dream of heroes and monsters. They figure their most perfected selves beside the "right" patner.

On the one hand Weiss wants Pyrrha to be the "knight" to her "princess":

Weiss: This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable!

She wants someone strong (body) that complements her intelligence (mind). She thinks that in this way she can't fail.

On the other hand Jaune wants Weiss to be the "princess" to his "knight":

Jaune: Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?

He wants someone who is beautiful and looks frail, so he can protect her. He thinks in this way he can appear strong.

Both are wrong obviously. This is why they end up with respectively Ruby and Pyrrha as partners.

Weiss needs to realize what complements mind is not body, but heart. This is why she is paired with Ruby, who lacks physical strength, but has more than enough heart to guide Weiss. Throughout the initiation, Weiss herself has to act as a Knight by saving Ruby from the Nevermore. And later on, she needs to follow Ruby's plan (so Ruby's mind) to take down the Grimm and pass the trial.

Jaune needs to realize a real knight is not physically strong, but is wise (mind) and brave (heart). This is why he ends up with Pyrrha, who is both and challenges him in two different ways. She doesn't fit feminine stereotypes and sees Jaune's value not in his superficial traits, but rather in his willingness to help. Throughout the initiation, Jaune shows this by staying behind to lead others into kiling the Grimm.

In short, Jaune wants Weiss, but needs Pyrrha, while Weiss wants Pyrrha, but needs Ruby. Let's make two considerations:

1- WK is built on "triangles". A triangle is a trope where one character wants another, but this other wants a third person, who is instead interested in the first. This is obvious in Weiss, Jaune and Pyrrha's dynamic. Weiss wants Pyrrha, who wants Jaune, who wants Weiss. The song Dream Come True strengthens this idea, as Pyrrha sings to Jaune, while throwing shades at Weiss.

Obviously, the triangle is quickly solved. Weiss warms up to Ruby as her partner and Jaune gives up on Weiss and falls for Pyrrha.

Still, this early setting is important. As a matter of fact RWBY plays with romantic archetypes in its ships. Two examples:

Renora deconstructs and reconstructs the childhood friend to lover trope. Usually, there is a character, who falls first and supports the other, until their love is reciprocated. Here, though, Nora eventually realizes that to stay with Ren, she needs to grow as her own person. Both partners need to change, so that their dynamic can transform.

Bumbleby uses a harem to explore Blake's developing interiority and animus. Each one of Blake's love interests tie into her sexuality, inner maturity and fairy tale symbolism. By going through Blake's "harem", we get many different relationships that help Blake explore herself, until she is ready for Yang.

In short, RWBY gets inspiration from love tropes, but it makes them thematic. The same can be said about WK and triangles. The point isn't that W,J and P or W, J and R are in romantic triangles, but rather that these characters make 2 thematic trios. In other words, Pyrrha and Ruby foil Weiss and Jaune and are both important for their relationship. Similarly, Weiss and Jaune's bond is key for their respective dynamics with Ruby and Pyrrha.

2- Weiss and Jaune's want vs need struggle applies to more than just the choice of a partner. It actually defines their whole arcs.

Weiss wants to honor her family legacy, but needs to define herself outside the Schnees. Jaune wants to be a strong hero, but needs to love himself for who he is. That said, Weiss and Jaune will both realize their early want. Weiss is gonna define a new legacy for the Schnee Family. It is just that the SDC is no more a part of it. Jaune is gonna bloom into a hero. It is just that true heroes are not always the strongest. Both are getting their want, but in an unforeseen way.

The same holds true for their preferred partners. Weiss is getting Pyrrha (yes, really) and Jaune is getting Weiss. Confused? No worries, it will all be clear in a minute ;) For now, let's analyze both Whiterose and Arkos and what they mean for White Knight.

WHITEROSE - HUNTRESSES

Weiss and Ruby are each other's "hunting" partners. They fight side by side to save lives and pursue the same dream of becoming Huntresses. This is the thematic heart of their relationship, which is mirrored in their intertwined allusions. As a matter of fact there is a Hunter in both Snowhite and Little Red Riding Hood.

On the one hand Snowhite's Hunter is weak. He wants to help Snowhite, but all he can do is not to kill the princess and to leave her alone in the woods. On the other hand Little Red Riding Hood's Hunter is the hero of the fairy tale. He kills the wolf and saves the protagonist and her grandmother. What does it mean for Whiterose?

It ties in how Ruby inspires Weiss. Let's consider this scene:

Ruby: Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath...

In the fairy tale, the Hunter kills a boar to help Snowhite. It is his one good deed. Similarly, Weiss kills a Boarbatusk with Ruby's help to act as a true Huntress. This is why the Grimm later on becomes an avatar symbolic of Weiss's Huntress side:

Port after Weiss kills the Boarbatusk: Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!

Weiss in the aftermath of the party where she summons the Boarbatusk for the first time: The Schnee family legacy isn't yours to leave. It's mine, and I'll do it as a Huntress.

The metaphor is clear. Ruby (LRRH's Hunter) inspires Weiss (SW's Hunter) to grow into a hero. She leads Weiss towards a better version of herself:

Weiss: Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have!

This is the perfect set-up for Weiss to eventually inspire Ruby back. For her to become the Huntress who saves Little Red Riding Hood:

Weiss: I don’t know who you think you are, but let me tell you who I am: I am the granddaughter of a hero and a child of a villain. I am a citizen of a fallen Kingdom and an heir to nothing. I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it. I am Weiss Schnee, and I am a Huntress!

Past Ruby: So, are you a Huntress? Like the ones you read about in books? Ruby: I… I don’t know…

Volume 9 offers Weiss a perfect chance. Ruby is lost and is eventually eaten by two Big Bad Wolves (Neo and the Curious Cat). However, Weiss fails:

Ruby: Don’t worry. We’ll find a way outta here and we’ll go back home. Weiss? Weiss: It's… It’s all gone… There’s nothing left for me to go back to… Just like Beacon… Ruby: You did the best you could for Atlas, Weiss. Weiss: But it wasn't enough! We hatched a crazy plan that put a whole kingdom at risk, and we don't even know if we saved the Relics from… Maybe… Jaune and Winter were able to get them out, despite… everything… despite us…

Several times Ruby notices Weiss's pain and tries to comfort her. Several times Ruby is similarly struggling, but Weiss can't support her. Weiss herself explains why:

Weiss: Maybe she didn’t feel like she could… Ruby has always been the one to get us through the hard times. We say things like “We believe in you”, “We can count on you”. I know we mean well, but…

Weiss idealizes Ruby too much and downgrades herself. She thinks Ruby can lead them all, but Weiss has actually grown enough to guide others too. She shows it by helping Jaune:

Weiss: I think you’re asking too much of yourself. We’ve been telling ourselves that failing means we’re no good. But I can guarantee even the best Huntsmen in history… they’ve all lost. But they were still incredibly brave… and good.

Weiss's speech here is an inversion of her initial dialogue with Ruby. There she feels her best is not enough and she drowns in self-hate. Here, she realizes that even if she and her friends lose, they are still good people.

It is a game of mirrors. She fails to see Ruby because she can't help herself. She sees Jaune and saves herself by helping him.

In short, Weiss fails with Ruby, but succeeds with Jaune. I think this is key for Weiss, Ruby and Jaune's dynamic.

At Beacon, Weiss is too immature for Pyrrha and doesn't see Jaune as a romantic partner. She needs Ruby to grow as a person.

In the Ever After, Weiss depends on Ruby too much and needs Jaune (who is Pyrrha's legacy) to develop.

So, she grows with Ruby until she and Jaune are ready for each other. Now, her bond with Jaune is helping her to bloom in the friend Ruby needs. It is a virtuous cycle where both Ruby and Jaune help Weiss mature, so that she can be the best partner ever. Platonic for Ruby and romantic for Jaune (imo).

If this turns out true, then Weiss's Nevermore might be tied to both Ruby and Jaune (other than to her team and family).

It is already strongly associated with Ruby, as team RWBY killed the Grimm together. Moreover, Weiss first tries to summon it to save her partner:

Later on, she materializes its wings while fighting with her team minus Ruby:

And eventually conjures the whole thing, as Ruby comes back:

It is possible the Nevetrmore will be linked to Jaune, as well. After all, he is the one who calls Weiss "Snow Angel". The Grimm is meant to show that Weiss can indeed be an angel to others:

Ruby and Jaune are equally important for Weiss. She needs Ruby to end up with Jaune and she needs Jaune to be the Huntress Ruby deserves. At the same time, Ruby and Jaune represent two sides of Pyrrha, the partner Weiss initially wants.

I usually don't use spinoffs, but I think Ice Queendom makes it pretty clear:

Weiss looks at Pyrrha in awe, but the ones she needs are Ruby and Jaune.

Ruby is a paragon, just like Pyrrha. She has both mind and heart, like our Achilles. The main difference is that Ruby is younger, so she lacks experience and fighting prowess. Weiss needs Ruby for 2 reasons:

She needs to reconcile with her inner-child that has been suppressed by Jacques's abuse:

Weiss: I always wanted bunk beds as a kid.

She needs to see what's important is the heart (Ruby's idealism) and not the body (Pyrrha's fighting skills).

What about Jaune? In which way is he Weiss's Pyrrha? Let's discover it.

ARKOS - ANIMA

Pyrrha is Jaune's partner and his love interest. She is also the key character of Jaune's story, as his allusion makes clear. Jeanne d'Arc is a maid whose actions are inspired by God. Similarly, Jaune is a knight able to perform miracles:

Whose hands and resolve are guided by his Goddess:

Jaune: No. I don't think I'm healing her. Our Aura heals our bodies. It feels… it feels more like I'm using my Aura to amplify hers! Nora: Wait, aren't you worried about running out? Jaune: Pyrrha once told me I've got a lot of it. I still believe her.

Pyrrha is Jaune's deity and inspiration:

Pyrrha: For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee.

So, Jaune's arc is about:

becoming like Pyrrha

overcoming Pyrrha's death

Still, how can Jaune become like Pyrrha, while leaving her behind? Aren't these 2 objectives contradictory? Only superficially. What Jaune must do is to integrate with his anima. In Jungian Psychology, the anima is the feminine part of a man. It is a side, which is often suppressed, but that needs to come to light for the man to truly mature into a balanced person. A person, who can have positive and healthy romantic relationships.

This is the crux of Jaune's character. He is inspired by Jeanne because she is both maid and knight. Similarly, Jaune must transform into a knight, who is also a maiden. A hero who overcomes his toxic masculinity by accepting his feminine parts. The only way for him to succeed is to integrate with his anima, who is represented by Pyrrha. From the first meta linked:

Jaune's journey through the anima is well conveyed through 4 stages, which stand for archetypical female figures. Each one represents a different level of maturity:

Eve is the mother - The boy has no romantic attachment and sees the woman as a source of protection and nourishment

Helen is the seductress - The boy feels romantic attraction and sees the woman as a talented individual, but pays no attention to her spiritual or inner life

Mary is the virgin - The boy feels mature love and sees the woman as a paragon of virtue, but pays no attention to her negative traits

Sophia is wisdom - The boy is ready for a relationship with a woman as an equal partner and sees the feminine as a source of wisdom with no need to objectify the woman anymore

These phases describe Jaune's general approach to women and how it changes. He arrives at Beacon looking for a girlfriend because that is what a man should do, which in itself is a very childish behavior. Then he grows to see the girls around him as powerful individuals, but he can't go behind the surface. This is true for Weiss, but also for Pyrrha, whose struggles he ignores. After her death, Pyrrha becomes an ideal, but she isn't the only one. For example, Jaune believes Weiss and Ruby can save Pyrrha from Cinder and later on he keeps idealizing them. In volume 9, he learns to let go of his idealization and to see others as their own people. He is stepping into Sophia (wisdom).

Pyrrha is Jaune's anima in the sense she represents the feminine side Jaune needs to acquire. At the same time, the way Jaune's relationship with Pyrrha changes highlights the boy's maturation:

Eve > Jaune is nurtered and protected by Pyrrha to the point he even compares her to his mother:

Jaune: Bring it on, Ice Queen! I'll have you know that I have been told that I am a natural born leader! Weiss: By who? Your mother? Jaune: A-and Pyrrha! Pyrrha: Hello again!

He feels no attraction towards her.

Hellen > Jaune grows attracted to Pyrrha, but struggles to understand her interiority. For example, he is unable to see her feelings for him or to fully grasp her inner conflict about the Maiden powers:

Pyrrha: I don't know if I can do it. Jaune: Of course you can. The Pyrrha Nikos I know would never back down from a challenge. And if you really believe it's your destiny to save the world… you can't let anything stand in your way. Despite Jaune's intentions, this doesn't bring relief. Instead, Pyrrha looks absolutely shattered, covering her mouth as she begins to sob.

Mary > Jaune idealizes Pyrrha and sees her as a paragon of heroism and virtue. He tries to emulate her and to become a hero like her:

Jaune: I think… I think she knew she wasn't going to win. That she might not come out alive. But… she also knew she was the only one that could try. Ren: So she did. Nora: Maybe we should too. Jaune: Yeah, we should.

This idealization is heartwarming, but it's what's keeping Jaune stuck. He can never overcome Pyrrha's death if he transforms her into an idol. Not only that, but it is something Pyrrha herself would not have wanted:

Pyrrha: I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place. Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people. That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me.

Pyrrha is drawn to Jaune because he is the only one who does not put her on a pedestal. However, after her death, this is what our Knight does to an extent. So, a good resolutioin would be for Jaune to see Pyrrha for who she is. A brave girl Jaune loves and who dies too soon. This is the only way Jaune can forgive both Pyrrha and himself. This is where Weiss (Sophia or Wisdom) steps in:

Curious Cat: I am talking about you, Wise Huntress.

Let's compare these 2 scenes:

Both have Jaune struggling with grief and self-hate. In the first one, he has just lashed out at Oscar out of anger for Pyrrha's death. In the second one, he has just lashed out at Ruby out of anger for the paper pleasers ascending. Both times, he is doubting himself. Both times, a woman comes and reassures him. The first time, Pyrrha's mother/ghost/vision encourages him to keep going. The second time, Weiss encourages him to let go. Both scenes end with a family like re-union (team JNR and team RWBY).

Not to count there are mystical leaves flying around:

Someone coming back in an unexpected form:

And a giant stone:

Both situations emphasize that even the best heroes fail. Still, they give this lesson a different spin. Pyrrha teaches Jaune the importance of going on despite the risk of failure. Weiss teaches Jaune the necessity of forgiving one-self for failure. Pyrrha acts as Mary and guides Jaune towards an ideal. Weiss acts as Sophia and leads Jaune towards his real self.

The final stage of the anima is about seeing one-self and the other clearly, both strengths and weaknesses. The romantic partner stops being objectified and is simply accepted as their own person. So, Jaune's final step towards self-actualization will be to let go of Pyrrha's idealized memory and to embrace Weiss, for whom she really is. This conclusion would be perfect for his bond with both girls:

Jaune would overcome Pyrrha's death by stopping his idealization of her. He would put Pyrrha down from her pedestal and love the girl in all her beauty and contradictions. He would finally be able to understand her fully, which is what he fails to do at Beacon.

Jaune would love Weiss for her true self, instead than her superficial beauty. He would appreciate the girl because she shares some of Pyrrha's best qualities, like her bravery and her heart, which is that of a Huntress. He would accept some of Weiss's most masculine traits, that he initially ignores.

In other words:

Jaune needs to mature by Pyrrha's side to be ready for Weiss

Jaune needs Weiss's help to face the memory of Pyrrha properly

As a matter of fact only by seeing Pyrrha clearly, Jaune can fully integrate with her, which means he can fully bloom into a hero like Pyrrha. Not only that, but he can succeed, where Pyrrha fails. What are Pyrrha's 2 objectives?

Pyrrha: I've always felt as though I was destined to become a Huntress - to protect the world

Nothing, even death Could separate our souls 'Cause you're my final goal

Pyrrha's 2 destinies are to be a hero and to be in love. She fulfills them both tragically. Jaune will fulfill them both in a more positive way.

He is guiding Cinder towards her destiny, by conveying the meaning of Pyrrha's words (heroism)

He is getting his happily ever after with Weiss (love)

In other words, Jaune is fulfilling Pyrrha's legacy thanks to Weiss and is ending up with Weiss thanks to Pyrrha.

THE BEAUTY OF WHITE KNIGHT

Let's summarize Weiss and Jaune's arcs.

Weiss's story is about overcoming her father's abuse. This starts with her affirming who she is outside her surname, goes on with her healing her family and it ends with a new legacy and a new romantic interest. The Schnee name is dirtied when Willow is caught in an abusive relationship with Jacques. Their marriage twists Weiss's perception of romantic relationships:

Weiss: All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name.

So, it would be the cherry on top of Weiss's arc for her family to be reborn together with a new love. A bond with someone who genuinelly likes Weiss:

Jaune: It's Weiss. I'm completely head-over-heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented. I mean, have you heard her sing? I-I just wish she's take me seriously, y'know? I wish I could tell her how I feel without messing it all up.

Jaune's story is about loving himself for who he is, as a whole. Strength and weakness. Masculine and feminine traits alike. The path to do so is to integrate with Pyrrha and become the hero she was. At the same time, he needs to work through his grief over Pyrrha's death. Both goals can be celebrated with the beginning of a fresh relationship. A bond with someone Jaune has always admired. That would be Pyrrha's final gift to him:

Pyrrha: Then do it. Tell her exactly what you said. No ridiculous schemes, no pick-up lines. Just… be honest. You can't get it wrong if it's the truth.

This is why I personally don't believe either Weiss or Jaune ending up single fits their stories. Weiss deserves a romantic partner who loves her, so she can write a story different from her parents'. Jaune needs a new relationship to give both himself and Pyrrha closure.

In conclusion, I personally think both Whiterose and Arkos are intertwined with White Knight.

Arkos especially is a part of White Knight. White Knight would not be possible without Arkos. At the same time, Arkos would lack a powerful catharsis without White Knight. They are 2 bonds that are bound to grow and develop thanks to each other.

Thank you for the ask! I hope my rambling made sense :)

[thenixkat]

Decided to look up the comics that Scarab (lady assassin) firs showed up

also Tim Drake had parents, that were around for a while b4 they got killed off. Apparently, he was hiding the superhero thing from them

Bruce beating Tim's ass in training

and high expectations

apparently, Bruce is upset with Tim for killing someone huh

wow. nice parenting. Maybe Tim needs some therapy for having killed someone instead of his ass beaten and held to very strict expectations

ah yes fire the child sidekick when they're going through it

so batman is a bad parent

i doubt bruce is a good boss at wayne tech if he's like this when an employee disappoints him by going through shit

and Tim's gonna get it when he gets home from lying to his parents

damn Drake parents

just the downsides of not telling yer parents shit

of course the guy that tim thinks he killed is still alive and plotting

what the fuck is up with the ladies in the Batfam being down with hurting their partners?

if Tim wants to retire? let him? just cause you'd rather be on the field doesnt mean he's not going through it believing he killed a man

Tim has to stay a hero, even though his heart isnt in it rn which could lead to him getting hurt or killed or failing to save the day, b/c he saved the day and helped people and most people dont have the temperament or skill to be superheroes

Mr. Drake found Tim's stache

Mr. Drake pulled up at Bruce's house

apparently, they used to be neighbors, the Drakes fell on some hard times i guess

Alfred dont try to gaslight this man when youve been helping endanger his child

Mr. Drake is not having that shit. Good on him for being pissed off at the adults who's been endangering his child

wow, Mr. Drake decided to pull up on Bruce with a gun for endangering his child. Good on him. Gods below, imagine if that's how Batman died? The parent of one of his child sidekicks decides to take him to task on the child endangerment.

haha! Pull the trigger Mr. Drake! End Batman's miserable fucking life!

damnit Mr. Drake you waited too long to pull the trigger

man imagine if Bruce ever had like lasting consequences for the child endangerment that just fucking takes him out/he has to actively deal with it instead of brooding and moving on. Like clearly the dead child as of this comic wasnt enough

also yeah, makes sense that Batman would have a bad rep with common people. His costume is intent to scare and he frequently maims and cripples people

expose his ass mr. Drake!

Bruce really goes out his way to put in insults talking to this kid

someone is grounded

Tim you are literally a child and Bruce is the adult, it doesnt matter if you volunteered Batman had no right to take you up on the offer. Given the minor without parental permission

Bruce that is not a fucking excuse for child endangerment. You could literally go out and get an adult to be yer sidekick or replacement…only adults arent as moldable and controllable as kids huh?

also Bruce, its not a good look to yell at the child who's not yours that you've been endangering infront of his parent

Bruce can't even hold back his shitty parenting to look less awful infront of Mr. Drake

the war

the war against… crime is that fucking serious

Mr. Drake you should still expose Batman b/c fuck him. And also demand Batman offer some fucking compensation for all this

yeah that makes sense. Mr. Drake should still demand payment for all the fucking child labor

[angrygirlromero]

OCEAN EYES PT. 3

Summary: In which the son of the God of thieves, is head over heels in love with the daughter of the sea God.

Warnings: possible grammar mistakes.

Pairing: Luke x daughter of Poseidon x Little brother Percy.

A/N: I'd just like to just come on here and say I'm sorry if I've offended anyone with my tags, I was most definitely not aware people took it so very seriously and I've learned from my mistakes, so I'd like to kindly ask everyone that if you have any more issues with my tags please just message me and we can figure it out, thank you and I hope you all enjoy. Once again sorry for any grammar mistakes.

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Percy Jackson was never one to be afraid or to overthink things but since hearing the Oracle's words his mind had not stopped racing.

“You shall go west, and face the god who has turned. Make the wrong choices and you shall loose everything. You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend. And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.

He now stood next to Chiron with a group of selected camper before him, but the words of the Oracle repeated in his head, he wanted to choose his beloved sister, she was skilled, she could fight they'd make an excellent team for sure, but the prophecy said if he made the wrong choice it could coast him all, Ella was his entire world now she was all he had now, he couldn't take the risk of losing her.

He wanted to choose Luke, the Hermes boy who his sister trusted, he was a skilled fighter and had proved to be an excellent friend. But if he was going on a quest with the intention of saving his mother he needed someone who would be more than willing to sacrifice even him to see his mother's safe return.

Percy's eyes met his sister's as she stood in the middle of everyone else, he couldn't read the look in her eyes, was it fear or worry? Percy didn't know, he had block out Chiron's words a long ways back, he hadn't even noticed he was still explaining, but all Percy knew was that he needed a leader.

"Annabeth" choose Percy, Chiron froze "Customarily, one waits to at least hear a name of two before choosing" said Chiron,"Are you sure?" asked Chiron, "This thing, Zeus's master bolt, we need to get it back, right?"

"Yes"

"And it's gonna be hard to get, right?" asked Percy, "Extraordinarily" answered Chiron "And if the mission required someone to sacrifice me to succeed, You'd want someone who won't hesitate when they do it. And I also choose Grover" said Percy cutting Chrion off, Percy's eyes met Luke's as the Hermes boy simply nodded in approval, as Chiron announced his quest mates.

Percy couldn't meet his sisters stare, "The rest of you campers are dismissed" stated Chiron, Ella turned in silence walking away past Percy, "Ella wait I-" froze Percy as he attempt to call out to his sister as he watched her walk down the path Luke jogging behind her to catch up with her.

"In all honesty I thought you were going to pick her" Said Chiron, to which Percy sighed, "I thought so too" "so why didn't you?" asked Chiron.

Percy finally looked up at him his eyes moving away from the sight of the Hermes boy wrapping his arm around his sister's waist as they walked, "Because of what the Oracle said, about loosing everything and failing to save what matters most, I've only just found Ella I'm scared that if I choose her I could be the reason she doesn't return" muttered Percy under his breath.

"Oh Percy, but are you sure Annabeth an Grover were the right choice?" asked Chiron, "Like I said Annabeth would be more than willing to push me in front of a train if that meant completing this quest, and Grover is my best friend I'm sure I made the right choice as long as Ella is safe and happy" said Percy to which Chiron smiled before nodding.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ella hadn't spoken much to Luke since arriving at her cabin, "Maybe it's for the best princess, besides the moment you step out of camp an entire trail of monsters are gonna be on your tail, even worse than Thalia herself and you know that, and your mom or dad aren't gonna be able to intervene" said Luke as Ella laid back into his harms, her body placed between his leg.

"The trail of monsters doesn't matter Luke, what matters is Percy being safe and completing his quest, he's my father's second Forbidden child Zeus is more than informed about his being by now love, if he can he'll take a shot at him and I won't be there to prevent it" spoke Ella softly.

"I can't loose him Luke, we've only just found each other, I can't stand the thought of harming coming to him" Said the demigod, he voice begging to break, "Hey, hey don't cry, don't get all sad on me pretty girl, Percy's a strong boy, for the gods sake he killed a minotaur on his first night, he's more than capable of protecting not only his self but also Annabeth and Grover" said Luke in attempt of calming his girl.

"I know Percy can take care of himself but that still doesn't stop my worry" trailed off Ella as her eyes watered, "Besides I even started teaching him to sword fight this week, if anything happens Annabeth and Grover are gonna be right there at his side to help and guide him" said Luke ripping soft nothing circles into Ella's hip bone.

As Ella was about to reply but the cabin door creaked open reveling a nervous Percy, "I should get going, I have to go check on the younger kids's training" said Luke as he softly got up from Ella's bed placing a kiss on her forehead, whispering a soft goodbye to her before walking towards the door where Percy stood, "You guys should talk" he suggested before opening the door wider to leave.

And then there were two, Percy made soft steps toward Ella's bed as she stared at him with her brows frowned and watery ocean eyes, "Ella look I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, I truly wanted to choose you but I can't loose you not now, not ever, if I had chosen you and something happened I couldn't live with myself so please don't hate me, I-" Percy's Rampling was soon cut short by Ella opening her arm for him.

Percy quickly rushed to embrace his sister, she rubbed nothing circles into his back "It's alright little one, I get it I don't think I could live with my self if something happened to you either" said the ocean beauty as tears silently rolled down her cheeks.

Percy held onto his beloved sister, embracing her as if it was the last time he would ever see her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luke Castellan had found himself with a soft spot for the children of Poseidon he wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but he knew from the very first moment he saw little Ella arrive at camp and instantly get claimed, she was to be his.

As for his relationships with her brother Percy was different, Luke knew what was coming, there was no stopping it and he would do anything in his power to make sure his sweet Ella never found out, Percy Jackson was nice boy, Luke had taken his under his wing and guided him taught him how to fly in other words.

He didn't want any harm to come to the boy, because if it did it would mean losing Ella forever if she ever found out, the Hermes boy made his way down the path towards the cabin of the sea God, making his way up to the cabin climbing up the stairs Luke was met with the sight of Percy sitting on the steps of the big fountain packing his things, the cabin door and windows were wind open allowing the blissful breathes to flow through the empty house.

"How much money did they give you?" asked Luke as he stood at the door of the cabin with a gentle smile, Percy looked back at the bag they had given him inspecting it before speaking, "Um, 200 dollars in cash and bag of these" Said the boy, observing the bag of weird looking coins.

"I think they're Canadian, maybe? or from Chuck E. Cheese, I don't know." said Percy causing Luke to chuckle from his stance, "They're golden drachmas" said Luke as he began taking steps towards Percy, "Dollars are for human world, drachmas for mythic world, don't mix them up." explained Luke, standing before Percy.

"I brought you this" said Luke causing Percy to stand to his feet to revive the box, "Um they certainly are interesting" said the son of Poseidon as he sat down to open the box revealing a pair of red shoes.

Luke looked around his attention falling onto Ella's bed as he chuckled at Percy's words, "Where's you sister?" asked Luke randomly, "She left early this morning something about some fish migrating this week, she dived through the fountain" said Percy with a shrug.

Luke laughed at Percy's words, "That girl's something else sometimes, she just starts talking about sea animals that I didn't even know existed, but I love to hear her talk so it's a win, win" sated Luke reaching forward to grab a shoe from the box he had gifted Percy.

"Maia" he called out, and wings spread out from the side of the shoe, "A gift, from my dad." explained Luke. "Do you guys get a lot of gifts from your godly parents?" asked Percy remember Annabeth's hat and his sister's necklace she had shown him.

"Not really only if they think you've earned it" said Luke with a shrug, "Your sister on the other hand, your dad showers her with gifts so she has a bit of everything" said Luke.

"That makes sense" said Percy as Luke called out to the shoe once again causing the wings to disappear once more before retuning it back to it's box.

"Um I haven't asked Ella this yet because I don't want her to feel bad about me not choosing her or anything, but do you know why Poseidon has never sent her on a quest if she's his favorite?" asked Percy, "Chiron and the other kids believe it's because your dad has bigger plans for Ella, I don't know if she's told you this as yet, but Ella was raised to be perfect in every aspect, to fight for her people and to rule, be a perfect little princes and heir. When she first got to camp she had problems finding out who she was without her father or mother's judgment, it took her long while to find her place and eventually she did, and now everyone loves her" said Luke.

"What do you mean by bigger plans? if anything she should be the one to go on this quest to get back the mater bolt, if she's Poseidon's favorite and has the experience" said Percy. "Your quest is meant to prevent war, Ella's entire being was to wage war, she can't be the peace keeper that's your job buddy, If anything her quest will be a war not a quest" said the Hermes boy.

There was a small moment of silence between the two teens before Percy spoke again, "I thought about choosing you before grover, you know" said the son of Poseidon to the son of Hermes.

"Hey, Grover's a lot stronger than people think" said Luke in attempt of calming the boy, "I was afraid. I have a chance to rescue my mom from Hades, I can't let anything stop me or loose anyone while trying, you have no idea how badly I wanted you and Ella at my side but the prophecy said-" Percy was interrupted mid sentence by his sister emerging from the water.

She every so gracefully made her way out of the fountain, taking one step at a time causing Luke to quickly turned around revealing Ella in a pretty blue bikini, Luke quickly stood to his feet his heart beat unsteady.

"You're back just in time" announced Percy shoving the last bit of money into his bag, "thank the gods, I was hopping not to miss you leaving" said Ella in relief dripping water on to the cabin floor, her gaze finally meeting Luke's, she flashed a pretty smile at him before speaking.

"Luke love, would you be a darling and pass me my towel it's by my desk" spoke Ella causing Luke to rush around the room to retrieve her towel quickly passing it to her, as he watched Ella take it to begin to dry her hair.

"So what did I miss?" she asked, Percy opened his mouth to speak but Luke spoke before he had the chance to, "Nothing much Princess, I just came to wish Percy good luck" said the Hermes boy as Ella walked in front of him by her bed to grab her shorts, "That's good darling, I'm guessing you'll be coming with us to bid farewell to sweet Annabeth."

"Of course Princess, where you go I go" Said Luke grabbing his sweater he had gifted Ella a few months back, "Thanks love" she said kissing his cheek, Percy sat there watching them, maybe he had nothing to worry about, maybe Luke and Ella really did belong together, maybe he had really made the right choice, or so he though.

Tag list:

@yummytootybutt 🎀 @mxtokko @poppyflower-22 @starryhiraeth @trashmouthsahra @purplerose291 @iloveneilperry @onlyreadz @mahidahi @stevenknightmarc @loveryoushouldcomeoverr @leopard-skin-pillbox-hat-ok

A/N: Hi everyone sorry this part is so short, but lately I've been getting a bunch of anon hate and they've made me loose a bit of inspiration. But please feel free to comment your thought, my tag list is still opened, thank you sm for reading hope you enjoy! REQUEST ARE STILL OPENED FOR PJO, HOTD, GOT, HUNGER GAMES, OBX, ETC.

[getvalentined]

An autogenerated YT playlist threw The Final Fall from Tears of the Kingdom at me and I straight up started crying so I'm gonna ramble here a bit because it's my blog and I can post if I want to.

I feel like I got a lot more out of the ending of ToTK than a lot of people I saw talking about it, because I've been with the Zelda series from the start and I've been elbows-deep in the lore basically since I could read and was capable of detailed abstract thought, but I really wish I knew how to put into words how it felt to beat that game without rambling for a hundred years.

There's a sort of intense, personal investment in the series from decades of engagement that I never expected to feel had "paid off," but that's really what it was. We've gone through this story again and again, trying over and over and over to set things right—and we've learned a lot along the way.

Ocarina showed us that this was kind of Zelda's fault from the start, since she set off the chain of events that gave a piece of the Triforce to Ganondorf in the first place, thereby awarding him immortality and effectively locking her and Link into the reincarnation cycle until they could finally strike him down. Skyward Sword showed us that it was actually even deeper than that, implying that Ganondorf is the mortal vessel of an ageless horror that the goddesses themselves chased to ground ages ago, and that Zelda and Link are the result of Hylia and the warrior she chose never really being able to kill it once and for all—the reincarnation cycle in which they're bound started well before Ganondorf took his place as Din's champion. Hyrule Warriors showed us that no matter how many times he's sealed away, no matter how long he's sealed away, he'll always come back. The Legend of Zelda showed us that he doesn't need to be entirely sapient to continue causing terror. WindWaker showed us that even the goddesses themselves can't strike him down, and Twilight Princess showed us that no power can defeat him save for his own—not so long as he has a goddess at his back.

We've been through this story again and again, and never really won. It's never really final, even if he "dies" there's still openings for a return, there are too many gaps through which Demise—not necessarily Ganondorf, as they are separate entities, just the same as Zelda and Hylia are separate entities after SS—can squeeze back through.

The Calamity continuity is very clearly on a different timeline from the rest of the series. I understand the devs have said that it's "so far in the future it doesn't matter," but in-game that doesn't actually appear to be the case; the Imprisoning War is very clearly a different take on the events of OoT, on a timeline where Link never existed, where Hylia never manifested in mortal form, where she never started that cycle of reincarnation in the first place.

Beating ToTK felt like we finally did it. After almost forty years in the real world and thousands of years in-series, we finally did it. It's over. Everything we learned through all these different attempts came together to give us this one chance to set things right, to fix what we accidentally helped to break, to finally end it once and for all. A culmination of decades of effort and attempts and failure after failure after failure—because we did fail, every single time. Even when we won, we failed.

We didn't fail this time. We did it.

And to have the last stage of the game require the most high-stakes iteration of the repeated tests of courage given throughout the game, throughout the series—the fact that Link can't save the princess who spent ten thousand years saving him if he's not brave enough, if you are not brave enough to fall as fast and as far as you can? The final stage of the entire game reiterating the simple statement of the Stewards who taught you how to fall, "you have to be brave"—I choke up every time. Every single time. I can't put into words the rush that whole final fight gave me, from jumping into the pit at the bottom of the depths to diving to catch Zelda's hand. I can't describe how perfect it felt, how complete it felt, how finished the story feels to me now.

It took a lot of pain to get here. Decades. Centuries. But this time, those who are left really do get their happily ever after.

Because we finally saw what it meant to be wise, we finally learned how power can be reclaimed, we finally learned what it meant to be brave.

No goodbye has ever made me so happy. We did it. It's over.

[crystallizsch]

Hello Ian! ♡

I'm so glad you liked the first Jamiyuu fic I wrote! Here is the fic we discussed based on your glomas drawings!

I hope you enjoy! ♡

No matter the crowd, no matter the room, Jamil and Yuusha are always able to find each other somehow.

A masquerade where masks are adorn, identities meant to be concealed. Yet, here they were again, their eyes locking from across the room.

The ballroom was filled with people, some dancing while others mingled. Jamil stood near some of the others, looking around and taking in the sights. The room was extravagant, from the architecture, to the decor, to the outfits of those in attendance. His gaze lingered on the dance floor for a moment, watching couples as they twirled around. They looked to be in their own world, laughing and enjoying the company of their partner as they danced. The sight made Jamil's thoughts stray for a moment, imagining himself out there, dancing with Yuusha.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind, his eyes leaving the dance floor. As he looked away he locked eyes with someone across the room, the very person that wouldn't leave his thoughts. It was just like at Night Raven, during one of Kalim's parties or in the halls, his eyes never failing to find Yuusha's. Just what was it about her, that he couldn't look away? Just what was it about her, that caused him to stare?

At first it wasn't anything nice, he had plans after all, goals that he needed to achieve. He had to keep an eye out, had to watch out for her, as he couldn't let anything, or anyone, interfere. Yet, as his plans crumbled before him, he found himself still looking, still watching, unable to look away. They had grown closer since then, closer than Jamil could have imagined.

He found himself smiling, his eyes still locked with Yuusha's as she smiled back. They've truly come far from how they started, Jamil closing his eyes as he turned away. As he was debating leaving, he heard someone approach him, a familiar voice behind him,

"Where do you think you're going?"

He turns to find Yuusha standing before him, her hand held out towards him,

"I believe you owe me a dance"

He looks at her, at her outstretched hand, and considers it. Here, they weren't Yuusha and Jamil. Here, they were strangers, their masks making their identities. As he takes her hand and they make their way to the dance floor, he pretends. He pretends that they met under better circumstances, holding her close. He pretends that she was his, as they twirl by other couples. He hopes this won't be their last dance, pretending the masquerade didn't have to end.

Oh, to dance with you, forever and always

No matter where or when, my hand will always reach out for you

My first dance, my last dance, the only dance I crave

Let my love move you, with the words I dare not say ♡

Thank you! ♡

HELP I AM SOBBINGG --

I’M JUST GIGGLING KICKING MY FEET EVERY TIME I REREAD THIS IM HNDBAJSHS THANK YOU

I REALLY LOVE YOUR TAKE ON MY GLOMAS POST IM NOT NORMAL ABOUT THIS --

my glomas brainrot hngghh and dancing is one of yuusha and jamil's love languages so i'm just ,,,, aaghhhh save me

BUT ANYWAYS IM GONNA RAMBLE A BIT -- (also i love the whole thing i just want to point out the things that im most crazy about hdshsj)

Just what was it about her, that he couldn't look away? Just what was it about her, that caused him to stare? At first it wasn't anything nice, he had plans after all, goals that he needed to achieve. He had to keep an eye out, had to watch out for her, as he couldn't let anything, or anyone, interfere. Yet, as his plans crumbled before him, he found himself still looking, still watching, unable to look away.

ur honor ;;; his plans are being foiled by this woman how is jamil going to save himself from this (he cannot)

AKHDJSKSJ OKAY SO

i’ve been crazy about the idea with jamil being having future plans for him and himself only and then suddenly he finds someone that he actually genuinely likes that he cant imagine those plans without them???

ugh good food good food i’m so happy this was here it is SO cute 😭💕

Here, they weren't Yuusha and Jamil. Here, they were strangers, their masks making their identities. As he takes her hand and they make their way to the dance floor, he pretends. He pretends that they met under better circumstances, holding her close. He pretends that she was his, as they twirl by other couples. He hopes this won't be their last dance, pretending the masquerade didn't have to end.

AUGHHH MY HEARTTT

jamil sir all you do is pretend it is time to let your true colors (and feelings) fly

i love that he is thinking about the what ifs and also how he is hoping he continues to spend time with her knowing it’s not gonna be possible

AND ALSO the line “they weren’t Yuusha and Jamil” and the following one -

i am goin insane about it i don’t know how to put it all properly into words but im gonna try --

like YEAH despite the masks, despite knowing who each other is underneath it, they don’t truly know each other, but it doesn’t matter because right now it’s just this dance, nothing else, and only each other 🥺🥺🥺

Oh, to dance with you, forever and always No matter where or when, my hand will always reach out for you My first dance, my last dance, the only dance I crave Let my love move you, with the words I dare not say ♡

AND THIS LAST PART ^^^^^^ I’M OBSESSED THAT YOU ENDED IT WITH THIS IT’S SO ADORABLE AND SO FLUFFY

my thoughts on this too is basically the last thing that i said about only being them in their own world basically especially with the last line ,,, oughh i’m just sobbinf --

AAHHHH ANYWAYS I ATE SO WELL WITH THESE SHEEP YOU HAVE NO IDEA THANK YOU

AND I COULDNT HELP IT BUT I DREW FOR THEM AGAIN AHHH

(ack the masks kind of hid their expressions so i didnt put it on them and i realized that’s kind of against the point but im stubborn and i NEED to show their expressions)

(also this hamilton lyric fits the vibe of this but omg this musical needs to leave me aloneeeee)