#his god also tells him to sacrifice himself for the betterment of the world

[chronicallybloodless]

why has is just occurred to me that gale has jesus hair

[b0nten]

HOW ARE BABIES MADE?

[SYNOPSIS] ˚⁀➷｡ ran, rindou, sanzu, takeomi, kakucho, mikey and izana being asked by their children how babies are made.

[NOTES] ˚⁀➷｡ reader is implied to be fem, reader is called “mother”, “mommy” etc. this was so fun to write!!! thank you anon for requesting <3 also, i used tenjiku&bonten characters but everything’s taking place in the final timeline.

RAN is definitely the type to try to explain the entire thing, without any second thoughts whatsoever. He’d definitely hear the question, and open his mouth but before gets to say ‘sex’ he feels a book flat against his head. “what do you think you’re doing?” you whisper-yell from the kitchen, curry udon long forgotten on the stove. “explaining to your daughter how she spawned into the world?” he answers, dodging another decor item that you aimed toward him. upon asking, dramatically and over-exaggeratedly of course, so offended because he just doesn’t know what he was doing wrong, you just stare at him. “we agreed to tell her when she’s 14. she doesn’t even know boys have dicks and you want to explain the entirety of sex and how it goes to her? do you even know how it works?” he sighs, defeated, “let’s go eat, sweetheart, i think i made mommy a lil mad.” he says, picking up his daughter, “that last part was uncalled for, by the way.” “suck it up, mr. club owner. ”

meanwhile, RINDOU simply freezes: “daddy, how are babies made?” what? excuse him? oh my lord, he did not expect this to happen this early. why the hell is his five year old son asking him about coital activity, right when you’re not around? fuck him (himself), fuck this situation, fuck you for not being around right now (both figuratively and literally). “you see! when… uhm.. when two people love each other and they kiss, they make a baby!” he mentally face-palms for what the fuck he just said. “so you can’t kiss girls until you’re twenty-one, yeah?” finally, thankfully, his phone rings, and thank the heavens it’s you. “oh my god, y/n—” “rindou, what did i just hear on the baby cam?” “haha, my love! funny story!!!!”

SANZU just goes feral. he’s having a fucking anxiety attack or whatever so he just texts you while your daughter asks her daddy about how babies are made.

TAKEOMI plays it safe, using the infamous stork. “and it just comes flying?” “yeah, it carries a little basket with its beak and gives it to us!” he smiles, playing into his baby girl’s fantasy. “you sound just like my parents.” you smile and his gaze averts to yours, from his seat on the living room carpet. “well, your own stories inspired me, because, to be honest, i was about to shit myself.” “daddy!” the little one yells, stretching out her palm, “1000 yen!” and her father exasperates “god put me out of this misery of only being an atm, you’re just like your mother. ow! what’d i deserve that punch for?”

KAKUCHO handles it like a pro. “papa.” one of his little girls walks up to him, younger twin following her right behind. “yes, pretty girl?” he straightens his back and crouches down, still sitting on the couch. “how are babies made, papa?” the shyer one asks and his face drops for a split second. “i promise to tell you when you’re older, right now it’s classified information!” he jokes, and the girls giggle. “now… who wants to watch doraemon!!” he does the jazz hands and the twins jump into his lap. not long after, you sit down next to them. “if i didn’t know any better, i would have said you rehearsed those lines from the moment you were born.” you laugh, resting your head on his shoulder. he wraps an arm around you, chuckling, and kisses the crown of your head.

if there’s someone (who thinks they’re) escaping this question, it’s MIKEY. “ ‘tou-chan, how are babies made?” blond locks spin toward him, and the big eyes of his daughter look him up and down. “ ‘tou-chan?” she says again, a bit annoyed. mikey sacrifices the motorbike races he’s watching and looks back at her. “ask ‘kaa-chan, i’m not really good at biology.” he smiles when she jumps from her place and runs into your bedroom, where you’re blow-drying your hair. confident that he’s just dodged a bullet, manjiro returns to his priority — the tv. moments later you storm in, hair half wet, still in your bath robe with the kid in your arms, visibly furious. he knows he’s dodged a bullet but is about to get hit by a cannon.

IZANA is at the dining table doing some paper-work for tenjiku and you’re watching tv when your oldest marches into the kitchen, determined. “daddy.” the blond looks up, eyeing back at the spitting image of himself. “yes?” he answers, and you also look back to see what’s going on. slamming a big book on the table, the toddler points to the cover “how are babies made?” you burst out laughing and your husband snatches the book away, making you laugh hysterically. “where’d you find this?!” he questions, and his forehead is already soaked with sweat and he wants to bury himself into the ground. “your office.” he can’t believe his five year old son walked in there and just so happened to find this book: effective positions for baby-making. his cheeks redden and he scans the room to find you and request your help, but he’s greeted with the sight of you rolling around on the living room floor, trying to calm your laughter down. yay.

[thisfeelslike-iykyk]

love languages ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

pjo boys x reader (percy jackson, jason grace, leo valdez, frank zhang, luke castellan, nico di angelo, will solace, ethan nakamura) backtrack: "hype boy", newjeans inspiration: I love thinking about love languages (little disclaimer that these are all obviously just my opinion)

percy jackson

giving: acts of service

how many times has this guy risked his life to save the world? percy jackson is a true hero, always putting himself in harm’s way to protect those around him, such as when he chose the prophecy to protect nico. he always takes risks to protect his loved ones, and he constantly puts others’ needs above his own.

receiving: quality time

I guess I based this off of percy spending a bunch of time with rachel before last olympian. but demigods are in constant danger, and percy would cherish every moment he spends with his partner because, unfortunately, you never know when it could be the last. I also thought about acts of service, since he was really grateful when annabeth and grover wanted to go with him on that quest in lightning thief.

jason grace

giving: acts of service

jason’s a giver. he literally joined the fifth cohort to bring back their glory. he sacrificed himself for piper (rest in peace jason, you deserved better) and his whole life has been about serving camp jupiter and later, camp half-blood too.

receiving: physical touch

this might be kind of controversial. I just think jason’s been in such a strict, intense environment since he was a toddler that he’s definitely touch-starved. he probably melts at any physical contact with his partner. I also thought about words of affirmation because he’s always been held to such high expectations, he’d really need someone just telling him they love him.

leo valdez

giving: gift giving

lowkey I put gift giving because too many people were getting acts of service. but genuinely I think leo would love making little trinkets and machines and giving them to his partner. he’s not great at being vulnerable with words or touch, so he shows his love through little actions. similarly, acts of service is also definitely a love language of his; think of everything he did to help calypso after all, even though I hate that ship.

receiving: words of affirmation

this is probably the one I’m most certain about. let’s be honest, leo’s been through so much shit, he’s been called so much shit, that he just needs someone to appreciate and love him and tell him that. plus, he’s so used to rejection that one “I love you” will send him into a spiral for days on end.

frank zhang

giving: physical touch

not entirely sure about this one, I need to reread heroes of olympus. but I bet frank would give the best hugs. you’d feel so safe and warm wrapped up in frank’s arms, and I feel like he’d be the most likely to be physically affectionate with others out of pretty much all the riordanverse characters.

receiving: words of affirmation

the second one I’m most certain about. frank is quite sensitive and definitely needs praise. not needs as in he’s an attention seeker, but needs as in he blushes bright red and smiles super wide when someone praises him. it just makes him feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

luke castellan

giving: acts of service

luke is like the embodiment of the statement “a hero would sacrifice you for the world, but a villain would sacrifice the world for you”. he did everything that he did in order to build a better world; I genuinely believe he thought what he was doing was right for the greater good. and he brought back the titan lord and fought a war for a cause he believed in--what lengths would he go to to protect his partner?

receiving: words of affirmation

luke’s never received any sort of praise or recognition; it’s part of why he resented the gods so much in the first place. if he could have someone with him just to pick him up when he’s down, to encourage him and shower him with praise and love, he’d be so happy. although I like to think he’s a touch-starved baby who’s really clingy with his partner too.

nico di angelo

giving: quality time

nico’s not a talker, he’d much rather listen or sit in silence with his partner. spending a lot of time with his partner would let nico feel closer to them. there’s a special sort of connection and understanding that comes from shared experiences. acts of service was also another contender. nico would do everything for those he loves. take bianca, for example, and how hard nico tried to bring her back in battle of the labyrinth.

receiving: physical touch

another touch-starved one. he was taken out of time for seventy years, came back and lost his sister in like five days, went through two wars, had to deal with coming to terms with his sexuality; the poor guy has been through tartarus and back (literally). poor nico. someone give him a hug. I also thought about words of affirmation, since nico constantly struggles with being isolated and would probably really benefit from some reassurance and support.

will solace

giving: acts of service

I mean, he’s literally a healer. he does everything for others. enough said, really. he puts others’ wellbeing first, and in the process sometimes overlooks himself and his own needs. which leads to. . .

receiving: acts of service

will is so used to people taking care of him that he never asks for help when he needs it. the little things, like helping him out when he’s tired, is the way to his heart. no one’s ever really looked out for him since he arrived at camp half-blood, and he had to take over the apollo cabin when he was barely a teenager. it’d be nice for him to have someone take care of him for a change.

ethan nakamura

giving: acts of service

I don’t know why so many characters have acts of service as a giving love language. maybe it’s because they’re heroes and fight and do stuff for their respective causes, so naturally they give off a giving or take-action vibe? but anyway, ethan fought and gave his life in order to gain his mother--and himself, honestly--more recognition. he takes action for those he cares about and always wants to defend his beliefs and help his friends, even though his ways may be a little questionable.

receiving: words of affirmation

really similar to luke. ethan’s always been undervalued and overlooked. he just needs validation and support. encouragement and praise would help him finally feel acknowledged, accepted, and valued.

I wanted to post this on valentine's day but I got too excited

divider by @cafekitsune

taglist: @loveinalocket, @raysmayhem-72

[the-artist-grimm]

Brainworm won't leave me, about angst of your Narilamb but on the other side of the coin.

So Imma just write about it even if I should be sleeping right now. Do what you wish.

Fate is irreversible. The Lamb would die a sacrifice, even the God of Death couldn't prevent it. Sure they had delayed it; allowed the Lamb to show the Bishop of Old that their fate was already written. But with it done, there's nothing stopping fate to strike once more.

The Lamb could feel it in the air, in the bones. Perhaps the crown had allowed them to feel the presence of an end. And theirs was soon to arrive.

Perhaps Narinder still had hope, that their weapon could return after their sacrifice. That the Lamb could be kept by his side and that of his kits. Yet the Lamb knew better than to rely on only hope.

The Lamb's heart was full, of love for who is now considered family to them. For Narinder, Aym and Baal. And for them, The Lamb would do it. Sacrificing their life for their freedom. For the kits to finally see the world the Lamb has told them so much about. For Narinder to feel the rain against their fur once more.

With a resolve of steel, the Lamb is ready, in an outfit they've carefully curated for their last moment. Perhaps it is full of old memories; inspired by any remaining traditions of the sheepfolk who will soon vanish with the Lamb. Maybe something akin to marriage; as they have accepted that they would never see the day of their own and that the freedom of their loves should be the happiest day of their life.

With a sad smile, the Lamb dedicate their death to the three person who fills their heart with love. Ripping it from their chest and crushing it; letting the large amount of devotion they had for their God, and the Red Crown, float back to its rightful owner. The Lamb swore they heard the screams of Aym and Baal, calling for the first time their Baba. They could feel a pang tug and their heart, even if no longer in their chest; never knowing before how much they longed for the both of them to see the Lamb like a parent.

Their weapon discarded, both kits rushed to the Lamb's side, begging, pleading for them to not leave; grasping at the Lamb's ever colder body.

Maybe in a moment of clarity, The One Who Waits sheds their gargantuan form for that of a more reasonable one. They are silent, whirlwind of thoughts and emotions flying through their head yet they chose to ignore most; going straight for the Lamb. Tears already flowing unbeknownst to him. Maybe they were the Crown's.

It's kinda funny, the Lamb never thought they would had been able to hold Narinder in their arms fully; yet even in this form he is as beautiful as the day they first met him. The Lamb smile softly at him, barely hearing him talk about promises to bring them back, cursing himself for his greed and his stubbornness, that he shouldn't had ignored his feelings when really the only thing he now desired was fading infront of him.

Maybe, just maybe, the Lamb can reach for a goodbye kiss. Not the one they had dreamed of, but it was their last chance before vanishing into the same ashes that covers the entirety of Narinder's realm; leaving now three black cat free, yet so cold and alone.

THIS IS AMAZING WHAT THE HECK. ALSO HOW ARE YOU IN MY HEAD (adding the angst art first in case people don't wanna read my lore dump lol)

Like Anthea WOULD have died had Narinder not let slip just how much he cared about them. He didn’t confess his love-he wasn't ready to do so just yet, but upon seeing the lamb break down in the ruins of their home village shortly before they'd started on Silk Cradle, seeing them finally let all the years of grief and anger and guilt take over and swear that no matter what they’d get him and the kits out-that while they couldn’t save their family they would save his even if that meant their death, in the ‘good’ ending sort of speak (which yeah has the betrayal but it leads both to grow and eventually be happy again), he tells them no-that freedom isn’t worth it without the lamb leaving the gateway alongside the twins and himself. He would not accept any outcome that didn't have them by his side.

Having spent their whole life giving up things for others, Narinder essentially saying he’d give up his freedom, the thing he wanted most, for them was what made the lamb want to try and have a future. Because here was someone who wanted Anthea by his side because he cared for them, and they realized they wanted that too. It's why in the good end Anthea starts weaving a courtship sash for Narinder, because while they didn't bet on his feelings being romantic, that admission was what made them realize they'd long fallen in love, and it was the one thing they could do to show just how much those words meant to them. A promise in return to be by his side as well in whatever way he'd have them. A promise to live.

Had Narinder held his tongue and not given into the impulse to say ‘no’, or had he instead told the lamb that their fate was to die, then Anthea would have laid their life down one last time. They might've realized they'd fallen in love sometime before that, but the desire to see their beloved and their children free would've outweigh the desire to be 'selfish' and want to be free with them.

5 chains bound the god they’d grown to love, and though 4 were linked to his siblings the 5th metaphysical one could only be unlocked by the sacrifice of a devout heart. It had been Shamura’s final failsafe. They knew that Narinder may be able to kill the bishops in his rage, but had counted on him never finding someone willing to sacrifice themselves like that.

But the main theme of Crimson Angel is expressing your feelings, and in the bad end, neither Anthea or Narinder learn to do so. Narinder keeps his love close to his chest, while Anthea loves the one way they know how-through sacrifice.

So yeah thank you for the fic and I shall now add it to the little metaphorical trinket box of ‘fanart/gifts to look at in awe'

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to The Incomprehensible's Chapter 327

Brief summary: Cale's plate is broken. Source of the world saves Cale and repairs his plate. Cale briefly sees the true appearance of the ancient powers. Aipotu is revived.

==========

We now had actual confirmation that Cale's plate was broken. Mila was cursing as she tried to fix it, but CH could tell that she was scared of Cale dying. Even CH felt helpless upon feeling Cale's body that was getting colder. Only Ron remained calm and wiped the blood off Cale's face.

Meanwhile, Cale's anger and annoyance at DHB's sacrifice was what kept Cale from losing consciousness. Fortunately, the Source of the World came to Cale's rescue, infusing him with the power of life, as well as using Cale as an air purifier... 😂

Amidst the brilliant pillar of light that enveloped him, Cale's body and plate was healed and upgraded??? The reactions of the ancient powers to Cale's upgrades were hilarious though. 🤣🤣🤣

SR: What? This, huh? This is getting bigger than I thought. Fire to VoH: Hey, hey! Youngest, if this continues, won't Cale's plate be in a problem? SEW: What problem! You piece of shit! It's a good thing! We're fighting gods, not dragons, so we need to strengthen it to this extent! Shield: Mmm. This tastes better than the source of the world. Everyone: silent at glutton's words Shield: munching the life power of the source of the world DA: …I'm scared…

Our poor cowardly DA, scared of all the APs... 😂😂😂

But during Cale's plate upgrade, he managed to get a glimpse of what the ancient powers looked like:

Vitality of the Heart - an elderly man with a sobbing face

Indestructible Shield (glutton priestess) - a woman who looks like a young girl

Sound of the Wind (the thief) - a middle-aged woman with both eyes closed

Fire of Destruction - A jovial, playful-looking young man

Sky-Eating Water - a woman with a pure impression but a disgruntled face

Super Rock - a hulking, rigidly built man who reminded one of a rock itself.

Unfortunately, DA never got a physical description. 🙁 And Wind seems to be taller than Shield because she patted Shield's head.

Air Purifier Cale's appearance though... 😂

There was Cale. And there was a great energy radiating out from him, a stream of light, a pillar of light, stretching out into the world. And the air was so refreshing, warm, cool, and clear, yet also cold, hot, and chilling. It was like- "Yes. This is nature." Heavenly Demon said to himself as he looked at the marvelous sight. Then he heard the voice of a man in his ear. "The world-" No. "It's returning." His enemy, the dragon, gasped. "The world is returning to normal." I didn't have to hear the voice to know it. The world is being redefined. A return to the way things should be. It could only mean one thing. Something they wanted so badly. The white snake of the beast people, Wisha, cried out, unable to contain her excitement. "The world is coming to life!" Aipotu is coming back to life. And we live, too. No, we can live more. In this place.

Is this the birth of God Cale's legend? The birth of Caleism in Aipotu? And with Cale rejuvenating Aipotu, will he be known as some sort of creator god? 😂

Clopeh-nim, where are you? Are you recording this now? Please record it! Cale is now one more step closer to godhood! Slacker life? What's that? 🤣🤣🤣

Ending Remarks Ah, the flags of God Cale keeps multiplying. 😂 Next chapter will be about the aftereffects of Cale and the source of the world's actions. The Aipotu arc is finally reaching its end.

[deaddovedecadence]

(Guess which fucker is suffering from his uterus again? ME! Bevcucase I am suffering you get to hear how I think each member of the batfam (sibs only cause im mad at bruce rn for something he did in another story)would deal with you aggressively swearing at the Universe)

*Transmasc Reader on their period headcanons*

Dick Grayson

“I am going to stab a motherfucker in the throat and sacrifice them to the sun god if means he’ll end my pain”

surprised af, looks at you like you’re crazy

mildy concerned that you’re muttering under your breath swearing vengeance at the universe for giving you a period (apparently the uterus thing is fine but the period thing isn’t?)

Eventually asks what’s wrong and when you tell him that everything hurts, he’s very much going ooh and calling up babs to ask for some help with managing your pain. Once that’s happened he takes you to his room because his mattress is heated and wraps himself around you for a nap

Jason Todd

“If one more person tests me I’m telling Damian that they pissed me off”

He’s surprised with the viciousness of your throat and then pissed when he realizes that you have his favorite hoodie

you have to give him all the puppy eyes in the world to convince him that you need it and it smells like him and that makes it safe.

He understands better then a lot of people because his working girls complain to him when they see him.

helps your make even more creative threats because it’s funny to watch the horror on dick’s face when he hears them.

Cassandra Cain

“I’m going to rip out my uterus and feed it to the ground”

Dies laughing to herself at the absolute violence you threaten yourself with too make the pain stop then scolds you for threatening to hurt yourself

you explain to her that you aren’t actually going to hurt yourself and that you’re just in pain and severely dysphoric.

To combat this, Cass calls you brother (well signs it aggressively) while she cuddles with you in Dick’s bed (it’s the best bed okay!)

Tim Drake

“I hate my everyone and everything”

Finds you crying, and swearing at your body in front of the mirror. Immediately goes into damage control mode, bundling you away from the mirror and calling bart, because Bart’’s also trans and ergo he might know how to help with your freak out.

Bart has to stop Tim from freaking out and very patiently explains to him that sometimes bouts of dysphoria happen and there is nothing that anyone can do about them. Tim ends up asking again if you want to start t and when you say no, he just sits with you on the ground while you come back to yourself

Duke Thomas

“Fuck these motherfucking cramps,”

As the only other trans person in the manor (though Duke is agender to your transmasc) you feel a special kind of bond with him. He makes you feel comfortable and safe when your skin is itchy and all you want to do is explode

Laughs at you swearing at your cramps, and offers you some aleve and a heat pad. The two of you watch an anime together and argue about ship wars. It’s great!

Damian Al-Ghul Wayne

“I am going to rip out the universe’s entrails and give them to damian as a gift”*

Thinks that it’s perfectly reasonable to be angry at your body for failing you.

Makes you spar to get all of the anger that lives inside of you out. It’s very funny to watch the two of you. scream in different languages as you attempt to beat dummies into a pulp

He of everyone understands that it’s hard to keep control of anger and keeps you start to notice when your hold on it is fraying

*(the line that inspired everything)

[masterqwertster]

I so agree, with your thoughts about Ashton!

It's odd, to me, that Ashton in particular has garnered so much hatred. If you look back on all of Taliesin's characters across every campaign, he's ultimately not that different in personality from the others, save maybe Caduceus. Percy, Molly, and Ashton are all people who have been deeply beaten down by the circumstances they were forced into, and they gained a rough exterior to protect themselves because of it.

They're snarky, and try to act aloof to keep people at an arm's length, but at their core, they still have bleeding hearts that love much more deeply than they probably wish they did. In other words, they are interesting, multilayered characters, that don't just have one note. It's strange then, that these same characteristics are so widely celebrated with Percy and Molly, but are treated as reasons to hate Ashton in the same breath.

Taliesin is a master at making characters that make you think, and I think Ashton deserves to be celebrated as such, just as much as the others!

To be honest, I can't speak much of previous PCs' reception since I only got into CR Tumblr around Bells Hells arriving in Yios, but I think the difference is framing.

Taliesin has stated that his through-line on his PCs is the characteristic Confidently Wrong.

I would guess that the reason Ashton is catching flak is because:

a) they've got shit Charisma and Taliesin plays that as Doesn't Know What to Say and/or Doesn't Know When to Shut Up. Which on a disillusioned/cynical punk is... abrasive to say the least. They tell their truths with little to no filter, or much thought at times about how true those things are for others. Meanwhile, Molly and Percy are charming in carny and nobility ways respectively, while Caduceus has a calm, homey charm. Ashton is semi-intentionally off-putting, and pretty constantly cranky to some degree from chronic pain.

and b) Recently, Ashton is Confidently Wrong about a subject any attentive watcher can tag as being wrong and has major consequences on the world if acted on. Like, yes, you don't want a heartless, powerful murderer to push the Doomsday Button. But your group of caring, weak(? not really anymore) chucklefuck friends pushing the button doesn't change its doomsday nature or really make it any better. Also, all your information on what the Doomsday Button does exactly is suspect. I don't think any of the other's Confidently Wrong subjects were so potentially devastating for more than themselves or their parties rather than the globe. It's easier to grant grace when you're fucking over less people.

Now do I wish Ashton would get a clue that releasing Predathos is bad, period? Absolutely. But I also have been watching him and when they get an idea in their head, he tends to stick to it until proven wrong (think the Spark mess. Fearne hesitated last second, Ashton didn't). And the idea in their head right now is: The gods need to leave, their thrones need to be destroyed.

I think part of Ashton's rage at the gods that fuels this idea is wanting someone to blame that isn't himself for his shit life, and finding the gods a good target for blame, as Taliesin has mentioned on 4-Sided Dive before. And I think part of it is that FCG did a lot of proclaiming to be on the anti-Ludinus/Predathos stuff to save his goddess, and then he died as part of their missions, and then Ashton was shown a video about how the gods absolutely will sacrifice their followers to save their own asses. Which is kind of the situation FCG died in, if you slant it a bit and act like FCG wasn't mainly choosing to save their friends in the moment rather than the gods long-term. So it probably feels better to Ashton to throw some of that anger about FCG making the sacrificial play that he's been trying so hard to prevent at the gods who FCG was trying to serve.

And I get that not everyone wants to do the analysis on why Ashton is picking the path he is. That they don't want to take time to acknowledge his lack of social graces and the bias of his views, and would rather just get to attacking the faulty, insensitive rhetoric Ashton's spouting at the moment. But like, there's reasons Ashton is the way they are, and it doesn't hurt to acknowledge them even as you hard disagree with what's being said or strived for.

[mgnifique-tion]

— from the heart.

summary || ``the scientist, y/n l/n, finds the key to the god of mischief’s hardened heart.``

pairing: 2012!loki x gn!scientist!reader song recommendations: i’ll be your man - btob / covered by park jeup, choi suhwan, and kim seunghun (build-up) lowercase is intended… »» read part 1 here

— themes and warning/s: open-ended (yet again), very mild swearing, the enemies have turned to complicated lovers, religious/christian metaphors, angst, death of family member (mentioned), thor mentioned 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥 (just a heads-up)

— a/n: entry for april! what the hell, y’all… how did i get so active writing about loki, i’m not even into the mcu that much anymore (idk, probably because he turned into a tree and that was sad?) anyway, this is the second part to “human reaction” so if you haven’t checked that out, just click the link on the title for some backstory. this has also turned out longer than earlier so wow, i think i’ve gone crazy for loki (thanks a lot, tom 👍) — edit: hello, so this was supposed to be up for april but i'm posting it now on july because, unfortunately, i have a very busy life with unexpected events taking place. enjoy reading!

[ total words: 2.5k ]

support me on ko-fi! ☕

───── ❝ ❞ ─────

it was past midnight and that self-proclaimed god had brought you to the top of a hill, telling you to wait for him as he’ll be taking some time to converse with his allies.

allies in ruling the world? yes.

“faen!” you heard him growl into the darkness, which startled you from the rock you were sitting on. but of course, that sudden shock died down due to how tired you already were; sleepless and alert from anything that could happen if you’d ever close your eyes. there was that fear that you may never open them again if you had left them closed shut even for just a little minute. 

there was a long pause until you decided that it’d be somewhat of a good idea to say something. a single word at least just to fill in the silence. “... so, did the meeting go well?–”

“oh, will you just not question it!?” loki grunted, startling you again. well, he did say he wouldn’t lay a finger on you so erupting like a volcano right at you wasn’t technically breaking any rule. “don’t you see? it’s obvious that nothing else had gone well, you imbecile! what else would i have to offer you in exchange for your eternal silence!?”

then, he proceeded to take in a deep breath, closing his eyes to collect himself and his emptied patience while you just stared at him. yes, of course, you hated his guts and the fact that you couldn’t really do anything against him but you never intended to offend him; that question was genuine.

in fact, every single response you’ve ever given him was genuine.

“sorry,” you blurted out, “i was just asking. i didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or something... just wanted to know what went on.” the way your voice sounded so hazy and somehow breathy had given him the impression that you were already exhausted, not just mentally but rather physically. you couldn’t think of the words to respond anymore and maybe it would’ve been better if you had just said nothing.

but surprisingly, this was just another reason for loki to take interest toward your gift: humanity, as he’s said. “... did you just?–”

“yes… i did. i did apologize!” you didn’t even notice how your tone had changed; you’ve never raised your voice at him for the sake of him doing the same for you but you’ve had enough. you weren’t a friend, you weren’t even anything to him. you were just a total mortal stranger he spared, which does not give any reason for both of you to yell at each other but that rule has been broken.

after all, you’re just human and that is natural.

“i have never insulted after you’ve spared me,” you reminded him bitterly, getting up from that rock you’ve been sitting on ever since the past hour. you don’t even know why this god had brought you here and something about it was just familiar to you, just like the sacrifice of isaac. “i couldn’t sleep... i couldn’t eat... i couldn’t even ask you to stop whatever the fuck you’re doing to my world anymore but the moment i asked you about your stupid meeting, you just– you just blow up at me! is this what i get from saving you!?”

and that was the first time you’ve ever startled a god.

loki was stunned. slightly amused but completely out of words. just by staring at him, you’d know that he would start thinking of something with a smug smile but there was nothing on his face; he was fazed by you. 

“right,” he said with a low chuckle, “i must’ve forgotten you were human with feelings all over the place... natural... real.”

as the scepter started glowing again, panic rushed in your head and you damn knew that you had to run – just like the many times you’ve thought of that scenario but it just never took place. “you want a meal and an hour of sleep?”

“make it at least two–”

“four, it is.”

and despite the second peak of terror just occuring, that was also the second time he’s ever shown actual generosity. “you humans are too fragile,” loki commented with yet another chuckle as you huffed since that’s all you could do; you don’t trust his promises after all and you might never will. “... you really do need a proper leader. a god you can see, feel, and touch… not some written messiah.”

oh.

that statement must’ve crossed borders.

“... where do you want to eat?” he asked softly, almost as if he’s returning that genuine question he didn’t even bother to listen to. you were starting to wonder whether this was a symbol of your last meal. the last thing you’ll ever eat before your execution. 

who knows what else he could do with that scepter of his. “... well, in-n-out is open for twenty-four hours so…” you trailed off, looking away for a bit as your eyes scanned the area. every hill and path already turned into several landmarks in your mind as if you were the first person to discover it. “... would that be okay?”

once those uncertain words left your lips, the god of mischief smugly smirked back and nodded once. “i have one condition, however.” loki, of course, had to have some benefit from allowing you to take your basic needs as he stood before you, his hands clasped together and shown rather than his usual. “you’re not allowed to eat alone, therefore, once you purchase your cheap delicacies, we’ll come back here.”

so, a total bummer? of course, loki would know how to ruin your chances of escaping even if you hadn’t plotted against him… yet. “i wouldn’t want my apprentice to attempt freeing themselves, would i?” he knew what he was doing and you just had no choice; you needed to eat. you needed sleep. you needed to survive and in order to do so, you must abide by his rules.

he did spare you, didn’t he?

and as time passed by, you were now seated in the same mountain area, eating a take-out burger with a god. you didn’t know whether this was an early breakfast or a late dinner but nonetheless, you were somewhat grateful. “... are you not hungry?”

“gods don’t need to–”

“i bought you one, too.”

for some reason, loki just couldn’t say no to that as he continued to sit down next to you while your hands scrambled into the paper bag, searching for the other burger. at the moment, this was the only thing you could afford since he’s taken you under him once he’d given you that offer: wherein he or his blue-eyed minions couldn’t hurt you yet you still had to be somewhat his subject; a witness and a bystander.

after all, how could he lead humanity without being familiar with one?

“why aren’t you making attempts yet?” loki asked, “this is your perfect and only way of taking the hit and setting yourself free from my commands.”

“because i stick by my words,” you said back effortlessly, “i’ll be here until you let my co-workers– my friends go.”

he was silent again. in some way, he expected you to tell him that you were staying because you simply wanted to but a whiplash of reality quickly swept him away from his delusions. “so, you’re telling me that you’d wait until i let them go, huh? you’re willingly waiting for ages, then.”

the god hardened his heart and set aside any chances of letting your friends go as he chuckled before taking a bite from his burger. on the other hand, you just sat there, rethinking your choices; there’s no way nothing could convince him to let them go, right?

“yet i do admire your everlasting… hm… patience,” he pointed out, later letting out another low chuckle. “now that is something i don’t have… how do you do it?”

for the very least amount of times, he actually was genuine with that question. “well, i had a baby sister and she definitely trained me a lot with my patience.” you laughed, the delayed silence seeping in little by little, which made him cock his head to the side, curious about the matter.

“... had?” he just had to ask about it. “she passed away.” and you just had to tell him.

hearing your solemn, guilty answer was enough to make loki hooked to that story behind your younger sister’s passing. it wasn’t something you’d openly talk about but it surely was the only thing you endlessly blamed yourself for. 

“... oh,” loki uttered with a rather bitter tone, “i’m sorry for your loss… how old was she?”

“twelve.”

considering the fact that he was thousands of years old, his eyes widened after finding that out. “... that’s young,” he commented rather blankly but the look on his face was otherwise; you weren’t the only one terribly heartbroken about the incident. loki took the lives of eighty individuals in two days but never did he think of taking the life of a young child.

so, that was terrifying to think of. “and that happened because of?”

“... terminal disease.”

no matter how casual you sounded to him, your heart shattered. “well, actually, it could’ve been her twenty-second birthday last month if she made it… i’m a bit sappy now, aren’t i?” reality woke you up and told you to snap out of it; you weren’t talking to a friend, you were talking to a dictator. an alien. the god of mischief.

this story was not supposed to be and shouldn't be disclosed with him. “be sappy all you want,” he said, taking a sip from the straw of his cola. “after all, a god should be able to listen to his people’s messages, right?”

narcissistic? yes. but empathic? weirdly, that too.

“... that thing you used earlier,” you took a pause, letting out a sigh and then, a laugh. “it was supposed to be for her… well, for people like her at least.”

loki was giving it his best to not feel sorry – guilty for using the thing you’ve made but who knew that a sibling tragedy would soften his heart? he wouldn’t admit it, of course, but it was there. present at the moment and served as a reminder that he too had a sibling.

well, has.

“it was up for testing but of course, it was used for something else,” you said, eyeing him down as he managed to fake a chuckle; he couldn’t let himself show weakness after everybody else in his life made him feel like a nuisance – a tiny, little problem they’d have to deal with every day. not ever. never again. “... but i guess i still saved someone? and i still don’t know if i should be happy about that but it still provided its purpose.”

“oh, please.” he laughed, facing you more than he ever did before. “you saved me, your god and not anyone else… you should be celebrating this for your whole life.”

“you’re not the god i worship, loki.”

“well, i suggest you must. it’ll make this all easier for you.”

and he talked like a noble deity while eating a french fry. cheap and comical but it didn’t lower his status. “and, oh, if you do, there would be a lot of kneeling that’d occur.” that statement made you turn around and look at him with your brows either furrowed or raised; you had no idea how to react properly to it.

“... what–,” you were then stopped midway.

“i meant in praying.” he choked out.

this was one of your weirdest, most out of place conversations with the god so you just had to slowly turn away again and face the hills below both of you while munching on the burger in your hands. and then, he told you the truth you’ve kept deep in your chest, “... oh, i see it clearly now… you saved me because you want to prove yourself that you’re capable of keeping someone away from death. that you’re… worthy of things.”

it felt like time had stopped the moment you listened to him say that. for the first time, he was actually right with what he’d told you. he’d always claim the most bizarre things about humans and gods but this time, he was so close to the truth that he just blatantly told you what it was.

you were guilty because you couldn’t save her.

“i have a brother,” he added, “that’s why i… um… figured it out.”

“well, where is he, then? did you kill him?”

loki laughed at that. despite the hatred and fueling anger he had for his older brother, he wouldn’t end up killing him even though he’s close to it. the scars of the past made him into who he was now but the wound that his brother’s death would leave him absolutely destroyed. alone. all by himself. consumed by nothingness. just like what his old, so-called friends would tell him.

“he’s alive,” he said so soothingly, “and he’s living against what i had planned for this world.” those following words were much bitter, angrier than what he’s said before. it’s almost as if he’s relieved to see his brother again but upset enough to know that he wasn’t on his side.

“oh, you totally miss him.”

“... silence, peasant.”

and yet another unexpected scenario happened: sharing a laugh with the god of mischief who wants to rule over your world like a second hitler. “... but you can’t show that, can you?” you questioned and he nodded right away, politely letting you finish despite already expecting that you’d ask that. 

when the cold air and the rustling leaves collided, it was time for you to ask him the question that might just change the entire situation.

“is everything all from the heart?” you asked, pointing towards your chest as you stated him down. “... are you saying all of this from the heart?”

it took loki a while before he accepted it; he did speak about all of it from the heart. all of it. no lies were told for once and it was chilling for him. he didn’t even know that he was capable of opening the doors to the secrets he’s kept locked and buried in but that was the effect of the midgardian sitting next to him; the human who made him realize why thor loved jane.

the human he was willing to rule and to love. “... if i asked you now, would you kiss me?”

and for some reason unknown, your lips did brush against his, caressing them softly while you brought your hands to the back of his head, tangling your fingers around his waved locks. maybe you had been caught up by the moment but for him, this was real. this was the moment he understood why thor wanted to protect this world.

because humans spoke from the heart. 

but how could he take everything back when the damage had been done? when the chaos had taken over?

he pulled away and asked with teary, glistening eyes, “what have you done? why did you do it?”

one thing about him was that his need was also his one and only fear; it was love. 

you were startled once again, still keeping your hands behind his head. was it a trick? was it some test? you didn’t know anymore. you were bound to do whatever it took to save your friends and if a kiss that you’ve been longing for could do it, then what else could go wrong?

well, things may have not gone wrong for you but to loki, this was his one and only wake-up call.

wake up, loki.

you’ve fallen for the human.

[bookwormbynight]

please tell about your lawlight hades and persephone au 👀

Oh boy here we go lol.

Alright so its title was "Seasons Don't Fear the Reaper". The cast went like this:

Persephone (goddess of spring) - Light. He doesn't know his actual parents, probably gods, but honestly he could have also just been another instance of castrated-testicles-fall-into-the-sea-and-make-a-hot-person, fuck knows. Aphrodite found a very pretty baby and adopted him. He cultivates gardens because he connects better with plants than people, likes to experiment with it, and he's not really ever let out of the house, so he doesn't have anything better to do.

Hades (king of the underworld) - L. He's the king of the underworld by technicality, but he actually devotes himself to and is seen as the god of posthumous justice, because he likes to spend his time unwinding murders back to the living for fun. I'll talk more about underworld worldbuilding in a hot second. Also, L grabs Light because the Oracle said that Light was the one, and L was like “fuck it, he’s hot”. There’s really no feelings on either side at first.

Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, love, sex) - Misa. If you know Aphrodite myths, enough said.

Charon (guide into the underworld across the river Styx) - Watari. I haven't thought about him too much, I just want him there.

Thanatos (personification of death, god of the dying) - Ryuk. He's going to be Light's first friend in the underworld, because Light isn't gonna like L very much at first lmao. He's also the one who tells Light about The Rule.

I don't have a solid plot but here are some bullet points I got going for me:

Light hangs out with mother-approved naiad friends at the base of a waterfall for a bit, until he manages to slip away thanks to an intense storm. Unfortunately for his bid for independence, he gets entranced by a red tulip (plucked) in his path, and stops to examine it. From where the flower left the ground, a hole opens up, until it’s wide enough for L to fly out, scoop Light up, and drag him down to the Underworld.

Misa comes back to collect Light, and discovers that he’s disappeared. She flies into a horrible rage and turns all the naiads into sirens as punishment. You bet your ass she throws a tantrum and murders some nymphs and shit. Also she makes the entire animal kingdom infertile out of spite (she calls it mourning).

Light gets to hold Ryuk’s death scythe bc That Image (he has a fleeting thought to just fuckin take it and run)

A scene where Ryuk is eating apples in the garden, (talks about human world apples being better but), Light reaches for one, and then the exposition about the rule with underworld garden fruit (i.e. it binds you to the place) bc Ryuk is an asshole but a good frien :)

A scene where we acknowledge the fact that humans are using the nickname "L" to avoid calling the death god’s attention by using his true name… L (“what is L short for, anyway?” and L just gets the most shit-eating fucking grin because humans really fucked that one up and he thinks it's HILARIOUS). This is rooted in superstition that actually surrounded Hades and Persephone at the time the myths were formed.

Anyway Earth's going to shit because Duh, and Zeus (just called the King, only ever going to be mentioned and the reader will never see him) finally relents to what he views as Misa's temper tantrum, because sacrifices have stopped, and humans are panicking because no babies are being born and neither are any of the animals they work with. I'm thinking maybe after 7 months, because that's approximately how long Light and L interacted face-to-face total in canon. The King tells L to give Light the fuck back. L does not tell Light anything about any of this.

L discusses a plan with Watari after a week or so of keeping it from Light (Zeus is coming to get Light that day) - Light was eavesdropping. Obviously, this is an asshole move so Light fuckin socks L across the face, especially since they had been kind of falling in love yotsuba--arc stockholm-syndrome style, so it feels like betrayal even though it's not at all surprising.

MY FUCKING NOTES-- ONE LITERALLY SAYS "Rain scene(?) Can it rain in the Underworld??". I've decided yes it can because I need that. Another one says "When Light first got brought there his whole scheme was just to escap but oh nos! It backfired!" 😭 help

Light weighs his options while in a garden, realizes he doesn’t want to leave anyway, and remembers the foreshadowed thing Ryuk said about food grown in the underworld (L didn’t know about this rule - it’s Ryuk that’s the crazy fuck bringing non-dead souls into the underworld and vice versa, just because L doesn't leave the house enough to think of that). He plucks a pomegranate, eats some, and goes to L and demands that they bring him to Zeus when Zeus comes.

The Underworld:

Souls don’t go on living after death - that defeats the purpose of death. The underworld, or the land of the dead, just stores the souls, which would be everything that made up an individual, but the souls can’t be conscious or anything without a body because that’s the other half of what makes a person. Maybe the souls should be like dim little stars? According to this one website I found, souls supposedly went down there to slowly fade into nothingness. I guess they would disappear when there is nothing tethering them to the Earth any longer. Coco-style.

The underworld is also supposed to be UNDER the earth, but it also seems to be imagined in the modern day as vast, with high high high ceilings and lots of mist at the top ig, although it’s dark and shadowy.

THE FUCKING FLOWERS hoo boy are you ready for this shit I spent fucking ages researching flowers I could draw upon within the story because Light is a flower boy and then used NONE OF THEM because THIS is what made me lose passion about this thing but here you are:

Anemone (red) - tragic love (sprung from Aphrodite’s tears mixed with Adonis’s blood as she tried and failed to save his life)

Baby’s Breath - everlasting love, or new beginnings (really good for weddings and births)

Basil - murderous intentions, or romantic intentions (apparently it started as a symbol of hate in Greece because the name recalled a literal monster, implicitly cursing the Basilisk upon the person you sent it to, and then morphed into a declaration of an intent to marry in Victorian England - an enemies to lovers arc if I’ve ever seen one)

Belladonna - silence, death, poison

Blackthorn Blossom - this plant made up Jesus’s thorn crown, but the flowers are gorgeous

Camellia (red) - honorable death, or eternal love

Carnation (pink) - heartfelt gratitude and motherly love (given on Mother’s Day in the West)

Carnation (red) - love (common Mother’s Day gift in Japan but romantic in the West)

Cherry Blossom - rebirth, renewal, spring

Chrysanthemum (white) - death, mourning, grief, devotion, loyalty (funeral flower, especially for those who died young)

Daffodil - prosperity, or rebirth and spring, or regard and esteem (also called the narcissus)

Daisy - childhood, innocence

Hibiscus (red) - love, delicate beauty, brief existence (withers within a day of blooming)

Orchid - fertility, elegance, charm, beauty

Poppy - consolation, eternal sleep, peace in death

Rampion - the German word for the plant is ‘rapunzel’

Rose (red) - romantic love, desire

Rose (white) - innocence, virtue, purity

Spider Lily - final goodbye, death, funerals

Do you have any idea how much fucking time it took me to research these goddamn flowers fuck you Persephone and fuck you Light

Tulip (red) - a love confession, passionate love (apparently created from the blood of a Romeo-esq dude in Persia who committed suicide when he falsely believed his beloved had died)

Violet - watchfulness, modesty (created by Artemis to protect her nymph from Apollo’s advances)

[adeptune01]

alright sorry to go on a supernatural rant in 2023 but...

it makes me feel insane.

Not to beat a dead horse or anything but like destiel will be it for me. Nothing else will ever compare to it. Like a man is raised by an absent father- a father who demands to be obeyed without question. A father who praises guilt, who tells the man that he is his brother's keeper. That he is responsible for all of his actions and those actions affects on others. The weight of the world is on his shoulders and he must bear it alone.

This man, the one that is single-handedly trying to save himself along with everyone he's ever crossed paths with, fails. He sacrifices himself to save his brother and he dies. He's sent to hell, a land of eternal punishment. 'No less than I deserve' he probably thinks.

But then he is saved. Not because of anything he's done. Not because of a deal he or his brother or his father has made. He is saved by a cosmic being of unfathomable power because of his nature which has been deemed by THEE Abrahamic God as being fundamentally good. The man who has hated himself his whole life for not being enough, not doing enough, is declared to be good.

And he feels guilty as hell. He didn't deserve this. Of those hundreds of people he's helped over the years...one of them...ANY of them is better than him. If he's God's strongest soldier then God is going to lose. He is going to fail God just like he failed his own father.

The man spirals while the heavenly power that saved him watches from afar. The power understands the man. He understands what it's like to hold Father to the highest esteem. He understands what it's like to blindly follow orders, hoping for the best. He also understands that the man has the brightest hope-filled soul he has ever seen.

So the power decides to help, and to do so he breaks away from the rest of heaven's contingency. He grows into his name- Castiel. The shield of God (I am not joking that is what Castiel means), created to protect humanity. AND become a pair with the Michael Sword- the man who believes he is unworthy- DEAN.

Through the years- DECADES- there's ups and downs. Divots and cracks in the Almighty's plans. But nothing they can't handle. They grow close and become more than allies in the fight against ghastly horrors beyond comprehension, they become best friends.

They have wild west movie marathons in the basement room designated as Dean's own "Fortress of Deanitude". They hang out late at night at crappy diners eating crappy pie. They go out cruising the town. They listen to the same music. They play pranks on each other. They learn about and remember each other's interests.

Their relationship grows deeper.

They fight. They lie. They attempt to kill each other. They raise a son together. They try to mentor a daughter. They leave. They come back. They mourn. They celebrate.

Together.

Two beings- one human, one angel- who were alone- whose defining characteristic was who their fathers were- prove that it's possible to break free from predestination, from circumstance. Their love, first as friends, then as something more, is as strong as the force that binds the universe- stronger, even.

And then they die.

Separately. Both convinced that the one thing they've wanted, the unnamed thing they've been fighting for, is the one thing they can't have. Because their fathers said so.

Despite everything, in the end, their fathers won. Dean died on the job he couldn't quit from an accident he couldn't help. Cas died obeying the first and most important commandment his Father gave him- to love and protect humanity.

THAT story is what I will never be able to get over. Not mentioning the gothic Americana aesthetic, the clear Protestant 'for by faith' message, the criticism of hyper-masculinity, the exploration of the 'American Dream'.....

[fandomspacenqueue]

Transformers One has been living rent free in my brain for the last few weeks. It's definitely one of my favorite movies of the year and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it. I just wanted to ramble about some cool things that caught my attention here. Spoilers for the entire movie, and also I am pretty much completely unfamiliar with any other Transformers media apart from one or two of the live action movies, so everything in this post applies to Transformers One only.

First, the juxtaposition between Orion Pax and D-16's respective ascensions to becoming Optimus Prime and Megatron. Orion is deemed worthy by Primus, the god of the Cybertronians himself, due to his act of self sacrifice for the greater good. D-16, on the other hand, takes Megatronus Prime's cog by force, essentially deeming himself worthy. Which isn't inherently a negative thing, except his actions both before and after doing so are incredibly self-serving. He brutally kills Sentinel Prime without any semblance of trial or due process, prioritizing his own desire for revenge over rebuilding their society, even killing his own best friend who was pleading with him to consider the bigger picture. Megatron then doubles down on this when he orders the destruction of the city's infrastructure, putting innocents in harm's way and even looking like he might kill Bee and Elita, his friends, when they try to intervene. In fact, this makes him a direct parallel to Sentinel Prime, who also seized power for his own sake and whose actions were also destructive toward other Cybertronians. Like sure, tearing down every vestige of a corrupt regime might feel cathartic, but in the end it isn't constructive. It doesn't do anything to make the world better. Revolution is only as good as what it intends to install in the place of what was formerly in power.

In fact, there were already hints of where D-16 and Orion would end up in the scene after they see the truth of Sentinel Prime. Orion says he's focusing on what their next move should be, but D-16 berates him for getting them into this situation in the first place, accusing Orion of only thinking about himself. D-16 frames Orion's attitude negatively, but I would argue that this is precisely what makes Orion a good leader. Prioritizing the things that one can control, namely one's own actions and responses to external circumstances, is how we can change our future, whereas merely focusing on what happens to us or what others do to us, which we can't control, is an exercise in futility. Sure, Orion might be a little reckless at times, but his heart is always in the right place and he always takes responsibility for his own actions. He tells Darkwing that he was the one who broke protocol in the mines and he tells Sentinel that joining the race was his idea, fully expecting to be punished both times. And while doing the right thing can lead to negative consequences, especially in an oppressive system, they're clearly still worth doing. Even Elita, who got demoted because Orion broke protocol to rescue Jazz, eventually admits that saving Jazz's life was a net positive and rightfully took precedence.

That scene also showed something interesting, that D-16 might actually prefer living a comfortable lie to knowing the terrible truth of his reality. He gets angry at Orion for leading them down the path of learning the truth, despite the objective misery of their and the other miners' lives, because he was apparently advancing within the ranks of the system by following the rules and is upset that it's now revealed to have been all for nothing. He scoffs at the idea of revealing the truth to the rest of the city, claiming that no one wants to know the truth, but it's clearly just him projecting when it turns out that everyone immediately turns against Sentinel when the truth is revealed in the climax. This goes a long way to explaining why he persists in setting himself and the newly branded Decepticons against Optimus Prime at the end, despite himself acknowledging that Optimus is very much the real deal with Primus' undeniable approval in the form of the Matrix of Leadership. Megatron is so convinced of his own righteousness that he'll invent a conspiracy that doesn't exist to avoid confronting the reality that he might've been in the wrong. (Not to mention it's a little hypocritical for Megatron to go "No leader can be trusted. Except me, you should all follow me.")

I've also seen some speculation on why the High Guard didn't interfere when D-16 was challenging Starscream but tried to help Megatron fight Optimus, that maybe they just really believed in Megatron's strength or were themselves disillusioned with the "Age of Primes" as Megatron had put it. I think there's a simpler explanation: Megatron is a clear believer in their "might makes right" philosophy and was playing by their rules when he challenged Starscream. Whereas Optimus might well be mightier than Megatron, but he definitely does not subscribe to their beliefs and would not allow the High Guard to push anyone around no matter how tough they are. And it's hardly like they were knights in shining armor when they were first introduced, appearing more than a little like bullies to be quite honest. Just fighting against the bad guy Sentinel Prime doesn't necessarily make them good guys.

Honestly, Orion Pax/Optimus Prime is just so good. He's the one who goes back for Bee when the latter stumbles while they're all running from the Quintessons, he's the only one to protest when Alpha Trion tells them to leave him behind while they flee, and he never holds himself above anyone, willingly allowing Elita and D-16 to take the lead, kneeling down so he can speak to the other miners as equals after he's gained a cog and became a "transformer," and expressing his sincere gratitude to Elita and Bee for all their help and acknowledging that he'll continue to rely on them. His very first act as a Prime after defeating Megatron and the High Guard is to restore the flow of Energon and the miners' stolen cogs. He declares that "freedom and autonomy are the rights of all sentient beings," proclaiming himself a protector for all his people, no matter which faction they might've belonged to, against the Quintessons and any other external threats. Truly there could be no worthier successor to the title of "Prime."

I love this movie so much. Definitely looking forward to any sequels that might follow.

[astro-can]

I like Rick Riordan's characters, but...

I like Percy. He's stupidly smart, reckless, sassy, sarcastic, and insanely strong. I like how he's able to come up with risky plans on the spot that actually work. I like how he's funny and views himself as just some plain ole boy with cool water powers when in reality he's this crazy powerful god-level kid that can summon hurricanes and tsunamis.

I don't like Percy because sometimes he gets too oblivious, and sometimes it's hard to read from his point of view when he's unable to notice the obvious. I don't like it when he just lets Annabeth take the reins for anything. I want him to stand up, tell Annabeth to take the backseat for once, and let her know what he truthfully thinks instead of going "oh yeah its Annabeth so she's right"

I like Annabeth. She's smart, resourceful, a people person, and she matches Percy's energy. I like how she's social and is able to confidently lead her peers into battle with a solid plan. I like how she doesn't let herself get talked down by anyone, whether it be a man or woman.

I don't like Annabeth because she can get too proud, which is her fatal flaw. I dislike how easily she takes control in a relationship. Percabeth was written badly by Rick, so I'm not blaming the character for anything, but she can be easily interpreted as toxic or abusive, and I want someone to call her out for it.

I like Piper. She's intelligent, observant, and is good at reading people's emotions. I like how she detaches herself from the Aphrodite stereotype that all kids of Aphrodite are girly and into makeup. I like how she takes action to prove herself to her peers in order to show them that she's valuable.

I dislike how Piper's character was written by Rick. She could've been so much more than "i'm not like other girls", and she got annoying when all she would ever think about was Jason. I wished she could've been portrayed better, not just by the "i'm not like other Aphrodite kids" trope.

I like Leo. He's funny, crazy, and smart. I like how he uses humor as a coping mechanism, because it's super relatable. I like how even though he's usually seen as the comedic relief, he's insanely smart and is able to fix and build just about anything. I like how he's selfless enough to sacrifice his life for the world, but more importantly, his friend.

I dislike how Leo can be mean with his jokes sometimes. His initial 'humorous' comments towards Frank left a negative impression on the latter, making Frank feel insecure about himself. I also disliked how he neglected Nico and trapped Nico into the stereotype of "dark emo distant" instead of making an effort to get closer to him like Jason.

There's more, but you get the point. I love all the characters, I just feel like their relationships and just the overall characters could've been written better by Rick. But we can't all get what we want, so! I'll shut up now.

[dokidokitsuna]

Our Hero

Looks like Dream Alliance is gonna win the poll-- in any case, even if it slips into 2nd place by the end, it’s the oldest AU on the list so it takes priority. ^^ The art train has already left the station~

I thought it’d be nice to start off with a picture of good old Mad Scientist Magolor. I’ve never actually drawn what he would look like after his big adventure is over, during the brief year or two when he’s considered the universally-beloved savior of the world…y’know, before Consequences™ start to muddy the waters. ^^; He’s basically the same; the only changes are his scar and Nova-freckles, updated vambraces, and of course, the wheelchair. I originally intended for his dimensional overcoat to carry his weakened body around, and I guess it could, but visually I like the actual chair better. :] It makes him feel more down-to-earth.

So, if you remember, a while back I wrote out a “bad ending” epilogue for Dream Alliance, which I admitted I didn’t actually consider “canon” to the AU. "So then," you may be wondering, "what IS the canon ending? What actually happens to Mags and Division Six after they save the world…?"

Well, I gave it some thought, and as painful as it is…I think the true ending would be very similar to the “bad” one. Hyness is the problem-- after all’s said and done, the various leaders of the world would probably want him dead for inciting a global genocide. And it would be hard to blame them…but at the same time, I simply cannot imagine a Magolor who would sit quietly and let his father be executed. Even if it meant having the whole world turn on him, even if he truly felt the punishment fit the crime, he would still have to try to save him. He just loves him too much.

There would only be two major differences, and the first would be the position of the Dream Alliance: one of the conditions of the “good ending” is that Susie discovers the truth about Magolor, but understands where he’s coming from, due to her relationship with her own morally-bankrupt-yet-loving father. She does have a talk with him, but keeps it under wraps, and generally ignores the issue until the public finds out that Hyness exists. And even then, although she’s duty-bound to respect the wishes of the rest of the world (and kinda does want to avenge President Haltmann Sr., who died during the Void fiasco) she feels bad about having to oppose Magolor on this, and holds back a bit during the final fight.

The second (even more painful) major difference would be…I think Magolor would decide to sacrifice himself to end the conflict. 🥺If the world wants a life to take, let it be his-- after all, that would be the harshest possible punishment for his father, and he knows it. Nothing would hurt Hyness more than to live out the rest of his days knowing his beloved son died for his crimes.

And it would also quell any concerns regarding all the power Magolor amassed during the story: if he dies, the Void Destroyer System dies with him. No one has to worry about the god-killing mecha or alien auxiliaries falling into the wrong hands; it will all be gone. That extra detail, I think, would be enough to convince other world leaders to accept the deal.

His angels would agree unanimously to die with their creator, because that’s how they are (Morpho might even pull a “see you on the other side”, being part death-god, after all…he knows they’ll meet again in some form~); Gryll and Adeleine would be inconsolable, the other generals would be low-key devastated too (I think MK would be hit the hardest); and Hyness would probably still be alone in his cell, able to ‘sense’ the loss of his child even without anyone telling him…and wishing for nothing more than to join him from that moment on.

[nunalastor]

Zelda au

Similar to the Zelda's royal bloodline, Alastor in this AU has the blood of the goddess running through their veins. Alastor is female in this au and is the descendant of a mortal who is reincarnated from a goddess. The goddess could be the sibling/daughter of God that created this world. When Lucifer gave Eve the apple in this AU, it caused a chain effect where Roo/Demise was released unto the world. In order to stop the spread of malice and evil, the goddess sacrifice herself to seal the evil away and banished it to the deepest pit of hell.

Like any Zelda game, seals don't last forever and needs to be renew every once in a while. So the goddess chose to be reincarnated as a human, and whenever it seems the seal is about to break, the descendant of the reincarnated human will be able to perform a sacred ritual on earth to re-seal the evil. The bloodline is almost 100% guarantee go to heaven. Especially the one that perform the sacred ritual, they are practically saints.

However, Roo/Demise has gotten smarter over the thousands of years of being seal and re-seal away. They hatched up a plan, they would trap the latest descendant that would be performing the latest sacred ritual in to hell. This would allow them to corrupt the descendant and use their divinity power and bloodline to free them from their prison. Unfortunately for Alastor, she was the one who will be performing the sacred ritual that year. After Alastor performed the ritual, she can feel something is wrong. The seal is renewed, but something is very wrong. She can feel it in her soul.

This is proven correct, when after she died, she ended up in hell. Alastor was very confused at first but since it's Alastor she just rolled with it. Cue her being an Overlord very quickly, with divinity power and all. By the time Hazbin started, everyone has the impression of Alastor of being super evil and probably has very dark magic, ironically.

Meanwhile, Heaven is freaking out because their latest saint is missing and no where to be found and the seal on Roo/Demise is acting very strange. I can also see Lucifer freaking out when he first meet Alastor. Like this woman is reeking divinity but is also very hot?!!? Why is she in hell?? Is heaven planning an attack??? And again, why is she so hot???

Anonymous asked:

Zelda Au

Since Alastor is a descendant of a goddess in this AU, she is willing to give redemption a benefit of a doubt. Make no mistake, she still thinks sinner should be damned for their lives and deserved to be in this pit of cesspool for the rest of their afterlives but she can also see that there are people who just made mistakes and can get better. Whether or not is up to them, after all you can't get better until you choose to want to get better. After seeing Charlie commercial on TV, she figured why not? It's not like she has anything better to do and the princess redemption plan does have merit no matter how disastrous as it is.

When Alastor show up at the Hazbin Hotel, she is met with somewhat hostility. This is due to her divine blood causing the demons/sinner to subconsciously trigger their flight or fight instincts. Everyone seems a little on edge with her with the exception of Vaggie who seems a bit more relaxed due to being an angel. After the partnership is established, Alastor summons Husk and Niffty.

Husk and Niffty is a bit different in this au with Alastor being different and all. For Husk, he is still the same but can tell something is different about Alastor. He can sense that Alastor is not a normal sinner and probably not even a normal human to begin with. Alastor won Husk's soul like in the canon. But in this au, Alastor saw there is Husk can be better. So in a mess up way to help Husk, she leash his soul so that she can keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't lose himself any more further than he's currently is.

As for Niffty, she just saw this crazy sinner and decide "Yeah, this is my daughter now". Lots of cute mother-daughter fluff (Charlie is somewhat jealous. Mommy issues.)

[erosjournal]

‧₊˚໒꒱ i cant save us, my atlantis, oh no...

────────────────────────────────────────────

~ characters : technically featuring all of the argos ll and calypso + will, leo valdez x jason grace, a little piper mclean x reyna avila ramírez-arellano

~ synopsis : once leo told his plan to hazel and frank, they couldn't just sit by and tell no one. they thought telling jason would be best, but made him swear not to tell anyone, not even leo, that they'd spilled. jason snuck a note into leo's pocket before he defeated gaea, which he opened once he'd gotten safely to calypso.

~ tw(s) : mentions of fire and death and queers. im so sorry there's a lot of spoilers. leo is in love with calypso, jason and piper aren't together. also pipers the only one who knows about jason's feelings, since they'd seperated over feeling romantic feelings for people of the same gender.

────────────────────────────────────────────

"WHAT!?" jason yelled. hazel's eyes widened, and she slapped her hand over his mouth while frank glanced around uneasily.

"shut it, grace!" she hissed. "leo can't know we told you!" he nodded, and she eyed him. "better not spill, ok? no one can know." she lowered her hand, and jason stood there, unable to process exactly what hazel had told him.

leo was gonna go through suicide to save everyone else? he felt his breath shorten, his heart heave. gods, he couldn't let leo do that. he just couldn't. he felt his head swim, his chest ached.

"um, wait," he stumbled, stepping back as he started to lose his footing. frank reached out, pulling him back up. hazel and frank glanced at each other nervously, watching jason struggle. "repeat exactly what had happened again?"

hazel took a deep breath. "um, so, uh," she felt her own nausea overcome herself. she couldn't believe it herself.

"leo's gonna sacrifice himself at the final battle. he's gonna, um, cause him and gaea to explode, and he has the physicians cure in his possession. um, i think he has a way to administer it to himself," hazel murmured, getting light-headed. jason nodded, listening to her explain again.

"no..." he muttered, shaking his head. "he can't. storm or fire. it could be me," he said, trying to reassure all of them. frank sighed, shaking his head.

"nike told us one of the four that had gone down was gonna die. leo is the only person who overlaps both requirements." he frowned, and jason swore he saw tears sprout in franks eyes. frank quickly blinked back his emotions, looking into jason's eyes. "it has to be him."

jason couldn't believe it. no. no. he felt himself beg. he didn't want leo to die. not before he got the chance to tell him that he loved him.

"no. it won't be him. i can stop him, i'm his.. best friend." his voice lingered on those last words, shaking his head again. if he said the words enough, he hoped they would come true. yet, deep inside, he knew frank was right. leo had to die for the world to be saved.

"jason. leo can't know we told you. we.. we promised him. but we knew you deserved to know." frank tried to reason, putting a reassuring hand on jason's shoulder. gods, jason thought he was gonna faint then and there. his legs trembled, his body uneasy.

"but..." he looked up at them, blinking back tears. they both looked at his sad figure, like a dog you just wanted to hug. "leo. he can't just die on us." jason muttered. hazel glanced at frank, and they shared a knowing look.

"jason, is this really just about leo dying for us? is there... anything else?" she said, sniffling. he looked into her eyes, the glossy gold startling him.

"no. i just, don't want to lose my best friend." he assured. he took a deep breath, and looked at both of them. "i won't say a word to anyone. i need to be excused." jason said, asking for permission to leave. they both nodded sadly, and he rushed out, his chest squeezing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

once jason was alone in his room, he finally let himself understand what was happening. he felt tears spring into his eyes, and seconds later he was crying. gods, he didn't want to be weak like this. he couldn't let everyone see that the leader was breaking down in his room, crying over everything. but he couldn't stop. all of his emotions from the past flooded through, barriers crashing down that he didn't even know he'd had.

he finally calmed himself, his breath still unsteady and heavy. he took a deep breath, glancing around his room. he decided to finally think about what had happened, what the reality of the situation was.

jason knew frank was right. leo had to be the one to die. he was the person hera had chosen from the start, since he was born. he was destined to defeat gaea. he smiled a little, imagining leo beating up gaea, but the thought of him dying resettled in.

he promised that he wouldn't tell leo. he knew he couldn't anyways. leo's death was inevitable. no matter what he said, nothing would stop the future. the fates decided on it themselves. so, instead, he decided on what he could do. he got up, walking over to a small table that had a pad of paper and some pencils on it. he grabbed the supplies, and sat back down. he touched the tip to the paper, and words started flooding. his emotions, his feelings, his love for leo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"jason~" piper muttered, knocking on the door. she'd seen him angrily close the door earlier, and wanted to check on him. they were still best friends, even after their break up. she felt some rustling inside, and a crash.

"wait! don't come in!" she heard jason yelp as she started opening the door.

at a single glance, the situation was unreadable. jason was laying on the ground, the top half of his body all the way under his bed. his legs were flailing, and he hit his head, again, on the bottom of the bed. she heard him curse, and closed the door behind her.

"jason? are you... ok?" she asked, walking over to kneel next to him. jason quickly crawled out, blushing furiously.

"i-i said don't come in. ok?" he said, glancing uneasily under the bed. she followed his gaze. he was hiding something.

"jason. what in the hades is going on!?" piper exclaimed, moving jason so she could look under the bed. he pushed her out of the way and she looked at him confused, and angry.

"stop it! stop going through my things!" he argued, frowning. she shook her head.

"gods jason! what's going on! seriously! i'm your best friend..." she said, looking at him sadly. he hesitated, then sighed.

"i just... wrote something for leo. maybe, i might just confess." he admitted. piper nodded, a little surprised.

"is that what's under the bed?" she asked, looking back at the space under the bed. a folded up wad of paper was underneath.

"yeah. i would prefer if you didn't look at it." he said sharply. piper nodded again. she wasn't a terrible person. of course she'd respect her best friend's privacy. but something felt... off.

"you know i'm the daughter of aphrodite. i can tell when somethings off. is that really all?" she asked, standing up and holding out a hand to pull jason up. he accepted it, pulling himself up. they sat down on the bed, jason fidgeting. piper bit back a laugh. it reminded her a little too much of leo.

"no.. but.. i seriously would rather not talk about it." jason stated, and piper frowned. she was curious, but she was a good friend. if he seriously didn't wanna talk about it, she'd understand.

"ok, just know i'm always here. ok?" she smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. jason glanced over at her, grinning.

"i know, pipes." he leaned into a hug, holding piper close. she hugged him too. gods, this hug felt better since they weren't dating. they sat back, smiling.

"ok, well, i gotta go... um... talk to annabeth. yeah." she said, standing up and walking to the door. jason laughed.

"yeah sure." he teased. "not thinking about doing anything else, especially thinking about someone named reyna..." he smirked, and she blushed.

"well, i'll tell her when you tell leo." she muttered, walking out of the room. she heard jason laughing still, and it made her smile a little.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

leo was working on some fine tuning of his mechanical work on the ship when jason knocked on the metal next to him. he jumped, and held a hammer out to him.

"gods!" he exclaimed, once he'd realized it was jason. jason was giggling, his hands up in retreat. leo put the hammer in his belt, shaking his head. "don't scare me like that again! how'd you even sneak up next to me?"

"magicians never share their secrets." he smirked, and leo felt his stomach churn. he couldn't believe he was gonna leave piper and jason. especially jason. his best friend. leo felt his smile slip, but immediately pulled it back up.

"well, gonna have to teach me one day, houdini." he teasingly punched jason's shoulder, then went back to working. "so, whatcha here for?" he asked, using a screwdriver to tighten some bolts.

"i... i just wanted to check in on you. you've eaten today, right?" jason asked, a more serious demeanor on his face. leo nodded.

"of course! aint gonna let my bro worry about my health." he grinned, glancing at jason. jason smiled, but still looked concerned. "seriously. i made some tacos for me! and dont worry, i drank water."

"ok. the official battle with gaea is tomorrow, are you sure you're ready for, um, that?" jason said, uneasily. leo felt his heart pang and his stomach unsettle.

"of course dude. i got some wicked plans up my sleeve!" leo noticed jason grimace still, and so he sighed. "jason, what's wrong? you've been acting weird. you like me or something?~" he teased a little, but saw jason bite his lip, and could've sworn he blushed.

"leo, gods, i'm just worried about you. ok?" he said. leo felt like crying. gods, he couldn't just leave jason like this.

"i'll be fine." he said firmly, resting a hand on jason's shoulder.

"swear it."

"what?"

"swear it on river styx." jason harshly said. leo felt taken a back. it was like jason could read his mind. he bit his lip. he couldn't just say no, or jason would know something was up. he looked away.

"jason, i'll be ok. i'm not doing anything stupid."

"leo, please." leo looked back into those eyes of jason's, sky blue, with hints of begging. he sighed.

"fine, whatever. i swear on the river styx that i won't do anything dumb." he said, and jason seemed a little better. technically, leo wasn't lying. he was going to be ok if this worked out. which it should. right?

jason grabbed leo in a tight hug, which felt out of character for jason, but he melted in it. gods, he was gonna miss this sap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"hey." leo grinned, which was unnerving in the flames, his teeth like molten silver ingots. "i told you i had a plan. when are you guys going to trust me? and by the way -- i love you guys."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

hours had passed, and the battle between the greeks and romans had subdued. jason refused to go the infirmary after his fall, stumbling as he looked in the sky, for a single trace of leo.

piper sat on the ground, still where they'd fallen. she was sobbing, her face in her hands, hazel rubbing her back.

"why didn't he tell me! he could've avoided it! maybe the prophecy was wrong!" she cried, her words coming out in hiccups. hazel grimaced, and held piper as she shook in a hug.

"piper, you couldn't have done anything. i'm sure of that. i'm so sorry." she was on the verge of crying herself, but piper took it harder.

and jason couldn't believe he just watched as it had happened. everything was too fast. falling out of the sky, watching leo blow up. his last words... gods, he felt his stomach churn. he was pacing along the grass, holding back tears. will and nico stood there, watching him.

"jason! you have to go to the infirmary! i will drag you there myself!" will groaned. jason shook his head, and kept walking.

"nico, so you're sure? he's not here?" he begged. leo swore he'd be ok. jason should've been the one to die. jason kept kicking himself mentally for letting leo pass like that.

"i'm sorry." nico repeated. they'd had this same conversation about 10 times in the past 3 minutes. "i can't feel his presence anymore."

"he was supposed to live. he has the physicians cure. why isn't he alive?" jason said, mostly to himself. the others watching in complete sadness and fear. leo's destiny had been written from the day he was born. he couldn't have died. not yet.

"jason, you seriously need to rest." nico argued.

"hypocrite," will muttered, and nico shot him a glare.

"not now, solace. jason, please." he begged. jason shook his head.

"maybe i can go up in the sky, look for him. there's probably a trail from the explosion, i can just follow it."

"jason, we talked about this. you're barely in any condition to stay here, much less go be superman." will argued. jason looked up and glanced around at his friends, the feeling of death and sadness settled around them.

no. jason refused to believe leo was dead. he couldn't be. he couldn't be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

leo woke up startled by the feeling of intense pain shooting around his body. he groaned, attempting to sit up on his metal dragon.

"f-festus? gods, where are we?" he muttered, his body feeling like it had exploded. well, technically it had, but still.

festus let out creaks and leo smiled a little. his plan had worked. first, he was alive. that was good. he watched festus put away a compartment that had the physicians cure. second, their navigation system didn't work.

he was gonna see calypso again.

"let's go! my plan worked! as they always do," he grinned, hugging festus. his sides hurt, but he was too happy to think about it.

"gods, that physicians cure hurt more than the explosion itself. did we do a good job boy?" he asked. festus nodded, creaking more. turns out he did save jason and piper from a painful death, and defeated gaea. wow, he really was a hero.

"good, good." he sad, his heart sore. it might've been from the cure, but leo was sure it was from the idea of jason and piper. he couldn't believe that everything that had happened actually happened.

leo bit his lip, and immediately regretted it. jason always bit his lip when he was nervous. piper and him always made fun of jason, saying he'd split it and bleed. leo shook his head, and kept looking forward.

soon the clouds parted, and they spotted the island. there was a girl who was frowning, suitcases at her side. leo smiled, and blushed. he was so excited to see her again. calypso.

"hey buddy, let's land. i'll do some quick repairs on you once we get down, yeah?" he asked, and festus started gliding towards land. leo couldn't remember exactly what occured, but next thing he knew, he and festus were crashed onto the sand of the island.

leo felt bad, seeing festus in such a mess. but he shook his head. he'd fix him. just, first he had to see calypso.

calypso jogged over to him, still frowning, but a smile teased her lips.

"you're late."

"you know, it's hard to tell time when you're in the real world." leo argued, grinning. we walked over to her and kissed her, the sweet taste of her lips making him smile harder. she wrapped her arms around his waist, and leo yelped.

"oh, you ok?" she said nervously. leo shook his head.

"yeah, i just must've had something in my pocket..." he mumbled, reaching his hand into his pocket. it was a folded piece of paper, but it was uneven, stabbing his side.

"what's that?" calypso asked, staring at it just as much leo was.

"not sure." he opened it. and he gasped.

hey leo, it's jason. i wrote this letter to you about a couple days before you died. frank and hazel were worried out of their minds, and told me. and be thankful they did. now, if you really did survive, you should be reading this. if you didn't, well, i'd rather not think about that.

if everything worked well, you are a hero. you saved a lot of people and kept innocent lives, well, alive. and you should be appreciated properly. i'm sorry i couldn't save you. i swear, i tried.

i really do hope you didn't die. gods, i might not be able to live with myself that had happened.

i love you, leo. like, more than friends. that sounds dumb, but yeah, i really love you. even as a friend. and i could never lose you like that. i was too scared to finally admit it, so maybe this letter could do that for me. i hope you're happy, safe, and alive. piper and i love you so much, and appreciate you more than you'll ever know.

with all due respect, jason.

leo bit back tears, blushing as he read jason's confession. he felt his heart rate speed up, his breath uneven. of course, even in a sappy love note, jason had to be formal at his signature.

"leo, everything ok?" calypso asked wearily, frowning. leo snapped back up, forgetting she was there. he sniffled, rubbing his eyes.

"yeah of course. let's get, um, going." he said, hopping onto festus' back. calypso eyed him nervously. leo noticed this himself, realizing he felt more distant from the girl now. she got on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, which he flinched at.

he felt confused. he loved jason too, but he wasn't sure if it was all platonic like he'd thought before. and the feeling of calypso next to him definitely wasn't helping.

he knew he was supposed to fix festus, but now he just wanted to get out of there, see his friends as soon as he could again.

he had to find them, tell them he was ok. he wasn't gonna leave like others did to him. he couldn't.

he was gonna go back to piper and jason. he swore it on the river styx.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ an:

YAY! i was so excited to write this, sorry it is super time skippy and like, choppy. i started with thinking about what could've happened if jason knew about leo dying, and tried to do something about it. obviously, i wanted to mix valgrace in it. sorry i didn't use all characters in this, i got tired towards the end. thats why the leo pov chapter sorta sucks, but i loved this idea.

i did take an excerpt from the blood of olympus, leo's real words. it's page 465 for those who wanna see it.

i hope u liked this little angsty fic, and i rlly did like it. :3

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

Season 2 OFMD: Replace Prince Ricky with Benjamin Hornigold

Hear me out.

S2Ep1: Introduce Hornigold in disguise to Stede. Make 'Ben' an old trusty sea dog who still knows a bit too much about Stede Bonnet. Have Ben compliment Stede in the same way Ricky did. -HAVE STEDE TRUST HIM- Ben being an old pirate who misses the life, the adventure, the brutality. Make Stede sympathise with him.

Make him wear a shitty disguise at Jackies until he's caught near the end of the episode (and gets away), because DUH. That's Benjamin fucking Hornigold, Jackie fucking hates him(we see her shoot at him as he runs). Maybe have Jackie tell Stede he's dangerous, only for Stede to reply 'that's just an old man' and brush off her concern.

NEXT WE SEE HIM:

S2Ep3: ED'S DREAM SEQUENCE

It's finally revealed to the audience through Ed's dreams that the old man they left behind is the infamous turncoat Hornigold. Change the line about abandoning Ed's body at a beach, to at a port town, and the 'Ed was mutinied' lie can be told like how it was in ep 3. But now we as the audience can catch hints that Ben isn't acting right. Ed still sees him as the brutal pirate and not the old man Stede met a few episodes ago.

THEN(replacing Ricky's speech on that British ship):

Hornigold discusses how brutal pirate life is to the British sailors under his command. Focus on how best to hunt them down. We can even have another sailor remind Hornigold that he's a pirate hunter due to Ben's signing of the act of grace.

Him and Zheng on Zheng's ship: Keep the scene the same. Auntie points out that Ben betrayed his pirate crew to go serve the English. Have both captains talk about how pointless this all is, but make it clear that he's willing to negociate. Have Ben roll his eyes at the British's gifts(clocks), but say it's all a formality and they can 'sell them off if she wants'. Knowing that she won't have the time to in the next 24 hours and that this will be her ships downfall.

The Zheng and Stede Fight: I hate that she gives this whole speech about defeating idiot men, only to get defeated by Ricky- an actual idiot. From this scene on she's less 'Pirate Queen/Captain' and more 'badass side chick that fits in with the crew'. BUT in this write, she lost to a pirate legend. Who sold his crew out for his own freedom. She lost because she was outmaneuvered, and she SHOULD have known better. (seriously though, why did Zheng trust Ricky, he was a british fucking officer, GOD I hate that shit)

NOW THE FUCKING PAY OFF:

Hornigold captures the crew post ep 7. We can keep Stede and Zheng getting away. BUT HORNIGOLD AND IZZY INTERACTING? Izzy siting up and defending his family from a person from his past????

Look, we know Ed has been a pirate for at least 20 years (he's known Fang for 20 years), so there's a very good chance Ed and Izzy were together on his ship.

Let Izzy give the speech about crew being family, about how you sacrifice everything for your crew. Spitting in the face of the piracy Izzy himself once lived his life by. Of this dog eats dog world.

Also: Izzy would have absolutely searched Benjamin fucking Hornigold for weapons. Now. We can keep Ben killing Izzy, maybe he runs up and grabs a sailor's gun, I don't like it. (Izzy didn't need to die for the story to work) But at least NOW Izzy died to a man whose haunted his every life's decision. A person he said he would never be, and slowly did become through years of trying to survive. It's not a good ending, but now it has a bit more meaning than Ricky getting a lucky shot he didn't earn.

Make Ed furious over Izzy's body, but show him visibly holding back from getting revenge. That throwing himself back in won't fix Izzy. So he fixes himself. This also pays off the consequences of signing the Act of Grace. Showing that this might just be the end of piracy as Ed knows it if his former bastard Captain was willing to turn coat.

This also means a BIT more for Stede, as his blind trust in Ben in episode 1 meant a dangerous pirate got away. Maybe in episode 1 Stede tells Ben about Ed. About how worried he is his 'friend' has gone off the deep end. Ben of course, actively hunting down Blackbeard and doing anything to get to his old prodigy. Have Stede regret that his 'plan to sell off Hornigold to the English' got Izzy killed. Have Stede learn to hold his cards closer for next season, to be slower to trust people. This would be a better arc than 'stede learns to be an excellent captain for his family and gives it all up in the end as soon as he can get his dick wet'.

It's still REALLY shallow, and I don't like it. This season should have had a better villain than trying to introduce the possibility of Zheng hunting them down, Ned Low, AND the British. But now, at least it fits better thematically for Izzy and Ed's arcs as growing past the traditional pirate life and Stede for learning to control his ego, showing him that he STILL has a lot to learn.