#his instance on protecting people didn't change tho

[curapicas]

More eloquent people have already talked about it so I'll just leave it here

Bonus:

This clown

[ultimateissuessimp]

Ohhhh can you write cat king x dog king please? like enemies to lovers so cute I think! feel free to decline obv

Oooh you guys have no idea how much I adore writing for the Cat King 🥹 If the word count doesn't express that, I don't know what could. Thank you for this amazing request, I had a field day with it 🙏

Also HAPPY PRIDE MONTH Y'ALL! 🏳️‍🌈❤️

Fleabag and a Dirty Mutt

The Cat King x Dog King!Male Reader

Word count: 2,759

Warnings: Mention of a character dying (Don't worry, he's alive 🙌), animal cruelty (does that count-?), violence, suggestive language (Nothing happens tho 😔), can this be passed off as hurt/comfort? I don't know, really

When people talk about the stereotype of dogs and cats being mortal enemies, they're not that far away from the truth. They may bit be exactly mortal enemies, but the hate and deep rooted dislike is there. There are instances when dogs and cats live in harmony, but not these two. The monarchs. The royalty. The Dog King and the Cat King. Both too stubborn to change places where they rule, one at the docks, the other keeping closer to the woods, trying to stay as far away from the other as possible.

They had so many run ins with each other that it was a miracle they hadn't tried to kill one another yet. It surely felt like they were close to it though, especially from a point of view of an outsider. Those outsiders being two certain ghosts alongside a quite powerful medium visiting Port Townsend that started causing a little ruckus. Naturally the Cat King at first didn't care even though he was aware of them, of course until one of them used magic on one of his cats. Then he started closely observing them. While the Dog King, being the, well, being that he was, couldn't help but grow interested the moment he caught their very interesting scent, unlike any other ghost's or person in the town and the number was quite big. From the beginning he carefully observed them, before revealing himself when the, now group, clearly needed his help.

From that moment on they began something akin to a business partnership. They get rid of the damned witch that was only causing troubles for him while he protects them and helps them however he can, either his strength, wisdom or resourcefulness. They worked together, both sides diligently fulfilling their side of the agreement and everything was going really well until that new boy appeared. When he first sniffed the air while the new guy was around, his nose immediately scrunched up in displeasure. He reeked with magic, but he couldn't quite place it why or where was it coming from. Then he started talking about astrology and everything else with Edwin and Y/N's demeanor, while still cautious and distrusting, changed from an on guard one to a more relaxed stance. He thought that that was probably where the stench was coming from. The boy was either practising witchcraft or had it deeply rooted within him which was slowly waking up. He was wrong though, big time.

Then was also Thomas. That fucking fleabag that was a constant pain in his ass. He wanted to just rip his throat out with his teeth over and over again until the being was out of lives, but at the same time he felt like he would probably, ironically, miss the damn cat. That didn't change the fact that he was absolutely getting in his nerves whenever he could. This was one of those moments, the two accidentally bumping into each other at the viewing spot that the Cat King visited previously to talk with, and slightly torment, Edwin.

The large fawn and tan coated Doberman trudged up the stairs, from time to time looking up to the starry night sky to see if any star was shining much brighter than the rest and letting out a quiet, pleased sound when he found one. It was a little something to pass the time, especially when he was on a walk like this one.

When he finally got to the top and took a whiff of the air around, wanting to feel the freshness of the air coming from the water, but instead he could smell a very distinguishable scent of a certain fleabag. He immediately snarled when his eyes finally found the orange cat sitting on the stone ledge. He got an angry hiss in response and a swat of a paw, hitting the air, not even close to the dog. Y/N swiftly turned into his human form, an orange swirl forming around him before quickly disappearing when he stood on two feet instead of two pairs of paws, Thomas doing the same, the cat dissappearing in a purple flame, letting the human form take his place.

-What the fuck are you doing here, you damn mutt? - the Cat King asked, clearly annoyed as he looked at the Dog King with an disinterested look.

-I could ask you the same thing, fleabag. Don't you think you're treading a bit too close to my territory? - Y/N fired back, slightly baring his teeth before crossing his arms over his chest and walking over to the stone ledge, looking out into the view despite it being quite dark.

-Oh don't flatter yourself, I simply felt like having a bit of peace away from everyone and everything. This place seemed ideal, but now that you're here everything is ruined - Thomas answered with sass, he couldn't help the eyeroll that followed his statement as he stayed on his spot on the ledge, sitting on it with his legs crossed, one on the other, arms keeping him up behind him.

-Hm, sweet as always I see? Can your mouth do anything other than talk a load of shit? - Y/N asked another question, his eyes going to the Cat King without turning his head, a clearly unamused look on his face.

-It can also take loads, but you will never get to experience that, so why bother? - the man fired back with a smug smirk tugging at his lips, his canines showing off as the smirk grew into a satisfied grin at the Dog King's reaction that only spoke of disgust.

-As if I'd ever even let your face get anywhere near me that isn't at least six feet of distance - the Dog King said, distaste in his mouth at the simple thought of such a scenario.

That night went by in snarky comments and teasing before finally one of them decided they had enough of the company and went back to their kingdom. That was a few days ago, after that more pressing matters appeared that had the Dog King speeding to the forest in his Doberman form, picking up speed with each small sounds he was hearing in the distance. He knew those kids would get into some serious shit, but the fact they had a spy between them? A spy that worked for someone that wanted to kill them without any remorse? That was beyond trouble.

He was slightly late to the party, Monty already being exposed by the Cat King at whose sight Y/N rolled his eyes, before he reminded himself why he was there. He needed to help the kids, even though if that meant going against Esther and the agreement they made a long time ago.

He changed into his human form at the moment when Thomas was telling Edwin that the second kiss was always better before pressing his lips to Monty's for a brief moment. Y/N stared in surprise, as if frozen in his spot a few feet behind Edwin. A weird feeling started to appear in his chest, tugging as if someone smashed their hand into his chest, wrapped it around his heart and started squeezing. He winced in displeasure, before becoming mortified at the realisation that what he felt was jealousy. He was jealous of Monty.

He quickly shook his head before finally coming into the light, facial expression serious as he looked at Monty, trying not to let it slip how he felt not too long ago. There were more pressing matters to tend to than his silly feelings. He could take care of them later on when there wasn't a second death threat looming over the two ghosts and a first one for the two girls with them.

-I think it's time for you to go, Thomas. You've said what you wanted to say, if you have no intention of helping further on, just go bother someone fucking else - Y/N said, a little growl behind his words as he remained an eye contact with the Cat King while speaking, his nose scrunching slightly.

-Whatever. I'm out. Have fun, mutty - Thomas said, rolling his eyes before disappearing in purple flames, taking the source of light with himself.

Y/N looked at Edwin and then Monty carefully, assessing if there would be any action necessary like protecting the ghost from the crow or any other threat that Esther might have coming for them. When he didn't see or feel anything wrong in particular, he relaxed just a tiny bit, still on high alert for any danger while Edwin went at it, spewing out how betrayed he felt because of Monty.

When they were done there and reunited with the rest of the group, took care of the massive mushroom that tried to suck them into itself and be ultimately their demise alongside Esther, seemingly getting rid of her by sending her into a different dimension with the mushroom, only then could they let out a breath of relief while resting in Niko's apartment room. After some time Y/N decides that it's time to go back to his territory, letting the group properly rest after a night full of, well, bullshit. That was also his excuse to think about his feelings towards the Cat King. After just a minute of thinking he realized he was fucked. Utterly and royally fucked.

It was not that long after, a day or two maybe, when Y/N felt something was wrong. His mind was running a thousand thoughts per second while he felt squeamish and uneasy. Finally one thought became the beacon amidst the sea of them. The Cat King. Something was terribly wrong and it made him worried. That's why he turned into his dog form and sped towards the dogs, being careful enough with the cats he was passing, but also not letting them stop him in any way, growling at some that tried pouncing on him.

When he finally got to the docks and basically slammed through the warehouse doors, uncaring about the damage, he felt a sense of dread fill his body when he saw the last hit that a very pissed and determined Esther delivered to the Cat King's body, easily taking away his third life with her cane. He knew the man still have quite a few lives left, but it still mad him enraged with the witch, that damned fucking witch that was an ever bigger pain in his ass than the Cat King that was currently trying to get used to his new life and changing into his human form.

Before Thomas could even get a word out, Y/N let out a loud growl and a warning bark before launching full speed at Esther, leaping over the Cat King who slightly covered when he heard Y/N approach quickly. He landed right on her, making her slam down onto the ground while his full weight rested on her. He bit harshly into her upper arm before standing up and trashing his head around, tugging on it, causing some damage to her body, her head hitting concrete already making her slightly dizzy. When she got the chance to free herself, she shouted in frustration and anger, clutching her arm tightly to her chest before landing one strong blow with her cane to the Dog King's head. While she put some space between them, he changed into his human form, a clear sign of damage she made also visible on his temple that was bleeding down the side of his face. Yet he still stood there seemingly unfazed, shielding Thomas with his own body, standing in Esther's way if she happened to get another surge of violance out of herself.

And then of course when he got out of his initial shock, the Cat King had to start shouting about Esther making his lose his third life and blabber out the fact that Edwin had been through Hell, literally and metaphorically, clearly giving Esther an idea, judging by the look on her face. He simply couldn't shut the fuck up when he should.

When the witch left, Y/N turned towards the Cat King, assessing his new look, his heart skipping a beat once or twice. While he didn't like the circumstances of the change, he really didn't mind the new aesthetic. It suited him. Anything suited him right ally, but the black looked especially... Nice.

While Y/N was taking the view in front of him in, the Cat King started ranting about how stupid he was for even risking his own life like that, taking a couple steps towards the Dog King and taking his face firmly, yet carefully into his hands, turning it to the sides however he seemed fit, checking for any other damages than the most obvious one on his temple. When he didn't see other wounds, he sighed before tugging the sleeve of his coat more onto his hand, trapping the material with his fingers to his palm to keep it covered and bringing it up to Y/N's temple, gently cleaning it off of blood.

-Why the fuck would you do that? Have you gone completely insane, you dirty mutt? - Thomas huffed out in concerned annoyance, wiping away at the side of the Dog King's face, being careful not to irritate the wound further on.

-Long time ago, kitty. I felt that something was wrong and I just couldn't ignore it. You were in trouble and you expected me to just stay away? Really? For how long have we known each other that you still think such bullshit? - Y/N replied, raising one eyebrow at Thomas while his half lidded eyes slowly traveled all across the man's face, the Cat King clearly not noticing his stare since he was too engrossed in patching the Dog King up, even whipping a small cat themed bandaid out of thin air and placing it on the wound.

-Yes, clearly. If you were in trouble and I knew, I wouldn't give two shits, honestly. One annoying mutt less and did you just call me "kitty"? The fuck? She really smacked you hard, damn - the Cat King said, shaking his head and huffing out in an annoyed way, yet the concern written all over his face spoke of something else and so did the barely there blush that appeared when his brain finally processed what Y/N had called him, his heart doing a little flip.

-Mhmm... For sure - Y/N replied shortly and simply, a small cheeky smirk pulling at the left corner of his lips, his eyes still roaming all over the man's face before finally settling on his eyes, the Cat King's own dilated ones staring right back into his.

They both continued looking into each other's eyes, before Y/N finally had enough and leaned in after cupping Thomas' face in his hands gently. His chapped lips pressed sweetly, yet a bit needily into the Cat King's own soft ones. Needy to feel that everything was okay. That Thomas was okay. That he himself was okay. That they were and will be okay. The Cat King responded rapidly by wrapping his arms around the other man's neck tightly, keeping his close. They only pulled away when breathing comfortably started to be a struggle, chests heaving as they breathed deeply, forehead pressed tightly together.

-Don't... Don't ever do that again. Don't try to save my life or one of them when your own gets compromised because of it - Thomas whispered out, his eyes closing and scrunching slightly as an image of badly wounded Dog King entered his mind, but he quickly shoo'ed it away. He swallowed hard before opening his eyes once again just to be met with a big grin on Y/N's face.

-Can't promise that, kitty. Especially not when I know that now you're an unlucky black cat - the Dog King fired back teasingly with a chuckle, his nose rubbing softly against the man's in his arms that were now comfortably resting, wrapped around Thomas' waist.

-Oh fuck you - he got as a reply, a chuckle of his own leaving the Cat King moments before he was the one to initiate another kiss. That one softer, filled with gratefulness and something else entirely. Something as sweet as a cherry blossom tea with a plate filled with chocolate chip cookies.

-If you wish, sure - Y/N said into the kiss, both of them unable to contain the smile that were gracing their faces as they kept close to one another. All they had to do now was simply revel in this new feeling and let it grow like a bush of roses.

[clonehub]

Episode 15 of the bad batch

The pacing of this show is insane what do you mean this is the penultimate episode and you actually haven't moved the needle on characterization in any significant direction. What do you mean world building has progressed an inch. They had the chain codes but those appear in other parts of star wars. This is episode FIFTEEN. Episode 13 was a waste imo. The writers for tbb gotta get in touch w the writers for Andor and arcane bc this pacing is not it

Damn not Gregor gotta chill w cid

Why are my subtitles only half working

I think this character (the Black woman) lives. I hope so.

Okay I wonder how omega knows about this landing platform if she's never left Kamino. They might reveal it soon tho

Are there other cities in Kamino I wonder

Okay Nala se told her

Wonder where they put all the regular clones.

"the empire will be phasing out clones next" "not the ones that matter" again Crosshair really does think he's above the regs and I know this is obvious to anyone who has eyes but like this fear of a) not having his power/prowess affirmed by the state and b) his being relegated to the same position as the regs he derides so much is whats fueling. Is there love for his brothers? Probably yeah. Is crosshair ultimately a very selfish person who'll pick ego over family? Yeah. Also any instance of the batch hating on the regular clones looks racist soz

Also sidebar bc it's getting on my nerves but deliberate changes to something cannot make that thing defective. Omegas not defective if the Kaminoans specifically made her the way they did on purpose like huh. Having special skills isn't defective AGAIN they'd have to have their ability to perform or their health impeded in some way in order to do that. How the hell is being a genius or really strong a defect who tf thinks like that 😭

Crosshair ain't even being fair here this is so funny. "We didn't have a choice but to leave you because you were trying to kill and us specifically targeting a child" and he's like. Well I didn't have a choice either. And it's like yeah the chips but again you did say "aim for the kid" like were they supposed to stand there?? And let you kill them and the BABY? TBB wanting to live trumps crosshair feeling abandoned sorrryyyy

She's dry now

"your MUTATIONS were ENHANCED in this room" methinks the writers just. Keep flipping back and forth on what they want tbb to be depending on the mood they're going for

I wonder how old omega was when she saw tbb being created

Again with the I in the name but nobody says AZI it's just AZ

Hunters eyes annoy the shit out of me why can't the animators pick a color

An interesting conflict between hunter and crosshair would have been their strategizing skills, like if it's clear that crosshair is as good as or even better than hunter in terms of planning and execution, that could be something they'd butt heads about before the chips and O66 were even a thing

Echo's ARC training would ideally be kicking in now

I'm surprised they don't have more weapons

"we're running out of time commander" this man's voice

Not crosshair saying he'd be justified in killing them fbsndnmsdns

"you weren't loyal to me" again. You Tried to Kill Them. including the Kid.

And the use of loyal from him feels to me more like how someone in power expects loyalty, not how equals expect it

"we're not like the regs. We never have been. We're superior" die. die!

This is one of those lines that gets approved bc not a single person in the story telling process was like paying attention at all to what they were writing and they have like no clue of their own context for their series.

But anyways crosshair thinks caring about other people is something those mean gross """regs""" do. He wants tbb together but does he really want to take care of them? Does he want them to take care of him? No. He wants power. Hence why even w the chip out he stayed w the empire.

"think of all we could do" "the empire can't protect the galaxy without strength" "this is what we were made for" he's a fascist idk why ppl still try to argue about this

Kinda weird he actually believes in the ability of the empires protection

You know what else this is? All these TK troopers were PoC and now they're nearly all dead

God he's just. So fascist he's SUCH a fascist. "Don't become my enemy" like goddamn

The theme will NEVER FIT IN it's always such a punch to the face

These droids seem tougher than what the clones actually have to fight in the war

This is like the only part of the series that has emotional depth, when they fire on Kamino.

This delivery 🥴

See this would be more sad if I felt the bad batch earned any of the emotional pay out they're expecting. The destruction of tipoca city is huge. As evil as the kaminoans are, this is also an entire people that's been displaced (depending on if there are other cities on Kamino w other populations)

Anyways this is the kind of conflict that we should have been steadily fed from the beginning.

[noxthesleepymoodyoverthinker]

Personally, I actually prefer the redeemed villain trope, especially if that villain is sympathetic or was a monster created by the society it was in.

What I love about the way Belos is portrayed, tho, is that it does do that on some level: He grew up and survived in a Puritan society. He absorbed all those extreme values and ideology, the violence with which any kind of outlier or difference or independence was handled. So his society did create this monster.

BUT! He also lived for centuries in The Boiling Isles, where people proved him wrong, where he had multiple human lifetimes to change his views, where he had multiple human lifetimes to see his ideology disproven. Heck, he even had his brother as a very direct and positive example of how someone entrenched in that ideology could change.

He even met Luz so many centuries later that proved him wrong in thinking that his brother was merely an exception to that rule.

So, very much unlike a lot of other sympathetic villains whose origins could be traced to their tragic backstory TM and traumatic past caused by their family / society / village / uncontrollable circumstances, Belos had both multiple opportunities and a lot of time to change or at least consider that he might have been wrong.

Instead, at every instance, he not only puts on an act to get people's sympathy before promptly betraying them, but at every point that he faces resistance or cannot win an argument or person, his reaction is to blatantly pretend that resistance or argument is not worth thinking about, because it doesn't serve his wants.

Anything that doesn't serve exactly what he wants is automatically not worth his notice and/or something to be destroyed. It started with his brother Caleb, likely when his views differed from him and he wanted a different life to what Philip decided he should live. Then he killed him. And then he manipulated an entire realm of people to gain power just so he could exterminate them all -- but, he would do so only once he was sure he could escape back into the human realm.

Then Luz showed up. A child. A human child from the realm he was apparently trying to protect -- And the moment she disagreed with him and resisted him, she was something to destroy as well. There was never even a flicker of doubt.

How irredeemable Belos is -- because he simply does not want to -- is obvious especially in how he created and treated his "Golden Guards". He made them in his brother's image, maybe because he missed him (but missing someone and wanting them to live and believe only what you want them to do is not love or guilt). And they were always, always, his subordinates, someone to control, to order around. Someone to throw into danger as he wished. Someone to do his bidding without question.

And the moment they questioned Belos too much? He destroyed them and made a new one.

Frankly, I don't know whether he kept making Golden Guards in his brother's form simply because he wanted to see his brother be subordinate to him, to be under his control... Or because he was looking for a way to create the "perfect" version of Caleb who never strayed from exactly what he, Philip, said -- to further confirm to his ego that it was Caleb who was wrong and Philip who was right. Because by the time we see proof of the Grimwalkers in "Hollow Mind", Belos's reaction to destroying his Golden Guards when they stray is very blase. (Almost like he'd started enjoying it even. The sheer power that remaking Caleb whenever he didn't like what he was saying and manipulating him and controlling him again gave him.)

Frankly, studying his behavior and motivations from a psychological point of view would be fascinating.

But yeah, he is an utterly reprehensible villain through and through. (And, I think, the only other time I found a villain of the same reprehensible caliber was "Lord Prime" in the 2017 version of Shera.)

Do you think Belos is not as complex as his fans makes him out to be?

I don’t think it’s a case of more or less complex, it’s that a lot of Belos stans mischaracterize him to the point they make him a different character.

The “Belos” a lot of Belos stans present is the guise he wears to manipulate others and himself, hiding his actual character and nature beneath.

Belos is one of my favorite villains, because he manages to be a truly reprehensible villain with no redemption in sight, while also having a lot of layers to his psychology. He’s a villain whose thought process/general psychology I find fascinating to think about, as I think it’s quite well-written and reflective of people like him in real life.

With a lot of people, there’s this perception that in order to be interesting, a villain has to be sympathetic or redeemable in some capacity.

This is an attitude that comes from the backlash against cartoonishly evil villains who just are evil for the sake of it, in simplistic morality stories about the good guys defeating the bad guys, with no real nuance. People are either born good or evil, and they fight.

That is an easy narrative that isn’t reflective of real life, so a common solution to this is to give villains sympathetic motives or backstory, and even redeem them. That avoids the “I’m doing evil things because I’m evil” type.

And this type of villain can absolutely work, it’s just not necessary for every story, or for a good villain. You can have a complex, layered villain whose psychology is fascinating to think about, without them actually being sympathetic in any way.

Belos doesn’t think “I’m doing evil things because I’m evil.” He justifies himself with a twisted line of thought built around his own selfishness, insecurities, immaturity, and possessiveness, as well as the Puritan ideology he embraced.

A lot of Belos stans erase what makes Belos, Belos. A big part of his character is that he warps reality in his own mind to suit his needs. That’s why his mindscape is literally layered, with the beautiful, heroic paintings at the start hiding the more true, ugly memories. He isn’t just lying to other people; he’s lying to himself. He’s so caught up in his own delusions and persecution complex, he’s lost sight of reality and starts to be confused by his own lies.

The show makes it clear how his view of the world, that he is an oppressed victim, is delusion. It shows Caleb embracing his brother warmly in the Boiling Isles, despite the terrifying aggression he displays. It shows people were friendly and trusting during the time period he arrived, and only lashed out at him once he began to kill and oppress, like the demons avenging their trusting brother Blue Fang. His child disguise used to manipulate Luz is shed to reveal the true sinister man underneath.

His misery is of his own making. He killed Caleb, he refused to change. Even after four hundred years, he refuses to do anything but whine about what witches and demons took from him, despite the fact he was always the aggressor.

Belos’s story is the story of a man driven by an extreme selfishness, a desire for coddling and protection, to have everything revolve around him and his needs, at the same time as he claims to want to purge the sins of others for being selfish and evil. A man who is so caught up in his layers of lies and manipulation, he himself loses sight of what he believes, and eventually descends into a crawling, whining monster, still screaming about humanity, while he changed himself into anything but.

It’s a pathetic end that is his own fault. He caused the events that took place, even though he insists on shunting the blame to others. It’s a fascinating exploration of this type of person, how they think, and the horrific impact they have on other people.

But Belos stans want to ignore all that in favor of believing the simple narrative he presents at face value - that he was a mistreated kid whose brother abandoned him to cruelty and persecution on the Boiling Isles. They take the story to be a simple “tragic orphan was wronged and now he’s bitter” instead of an exploration of the psychology of this kind of truly reprehensible human being, who absolutely does exist.

The thing they portray is fine for a character story, but it’s not Belos. It’s so blatantly missing the entire point of his character, that they might as well just create an oc.

We have to shed this idea that a complex villain means a sympathetic one. You can have a rich, layered character who has basically always been a piece of shit, and remains so. Sometimes those are the best villains out there, depending on the themes of the story.

So no, Belos isn’t less complex than they make him out to be. He’s just a different character entirely.

[violets-r-purple]

Ok so we all agree that The Fall is c!wilbur, so welcome to my short essay on how another just released song-- Adele's Easy On Me-- is entirely written by and for c!tommy

L'manburg. Specifically during and after exile arc. Tommy has always held onto the hope of freedom and unity tha l'manburg originally stood for even after it getting blown up and had stood by its side even when he was initially exiled. However, as the days went by he began to lose that hope and literally became drowned out as his communication with basically everyone but Dream was cut off and left to himself. He begins to lose hope in l'manburg as a people since they essentially left him behind in his mind.

So I see this as refrencing two different people: c!techno during the bedrock bros arc and c!tubbo during exile arc. Before exile, Tommy was already beginning to take notice of how the pressures of the presidency and Dream was changing Tubbo from who Tommy used to know (and you can't blame him but Tommy is a simple man and likes his few close constants one of which is Tubbo especially during this time after the 16th). Tubbo wanted one thing and Tommy wanted another when it came to dealing with Dream and it caused their friendship to crumble no matter how much effort Tommy put in (creating and explaining like three different plans to deal with dream the day of exile). And then u have the more obvious bedrock bros fallout. Again, Techno and Tommy right from the bat had their goals said and never changed (Techno to get rid of l'manburg and Tommy to get the discs back). They did communicate this of course and even tho they both grew from the experience together (especially with Tommy starting to heal from exile) they were just too set in their ways to come together when the time came. And from c!Tommy's perspective of both of these instances, these lyrics fit pretty damn well

Two main thoughts:

- A major point as to a good chunk of the plot in general is the general consensus of other characters seeing c!tommy as this loud, impulsive kid who values two discs over people. They look at the exterior without seeing his selfless, honorable intentions to take care of and protect those he loves. I don't remember the exact quote from him but it was like "I never wanted to be a hero" and it goes completely over the others' heads that this annoying kid could be anything more than just that.

- His hope and resilience is one of the exact reasons c!dream went after him so much. Went out of his way to break him and strip him of these because c!tommys morals and sheer strength of hope would persist throughout anything dream could've thrown at him.

And finally

The real tragedy to his character: a child soldier thrust into too many wars that left him scarred and traumatized and still somehow managed to manitain some of his youthful outlook on life even through all the hell he's gone through. Yes, he chose to fight for l'manburg in the revolutionary war and lose his life twice in it, and yes, he chose to follow Wilbur to pogtopia and back. But he didn't choose to be exiled not once but twice. He didn't choose to be torn, broken, and worn down miles away from his friends and family, who he had no contact with at all. He didn't choose to be forced to protect his country-- his home only for it to be destroyed beyond repair.

He didn't choose what others did to him.

And he didn't choose to be a hero.

So go easy on him. He's a child, and he's been through too much.

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

I enjoy and appreciate the conversations on this blog. Funny thing is it is digging up old wounds from being in the closet to half the people in my life, dating on the dl, hiding from my legal partner of nine year's parents, not being out to co workers, being criticized by my partner's best friends for not being loud and proud enough after it being conditioned to be anything but and a million other considerations a person partnered with a different sex person might not have to think about. When considering lgbtq relationships, certain and uncertain ones, the 'rules' don't apply the same. The standards aren't the same. The treatment isn't the same. The expectations can't be the exact same. I got married last year and internalized homophobia from being treated as below-human by people and institutions still lives under my skin every day. That isn't the experience of all others and I am glad. Still, it feels irresponsible to talk about a person younger than myself and with less legal protections and liberty than myself if I haven't lived his life. I don't know the journey from "I'm Still Me" to "To those that don't like me, So what?" I don't know what the aftermath of GCFT was for Jungkook. I like how no one here claims to know what is really going on in that mind and have learned a lot about how other people meditate on their own perception. So thanks!

I'm sorry you had to go through all that, I know it's not easy and it's not a mindset you can escape in one or two years. I hope you don't still feel that way. Gay marriage and adoption are legal here and I still think that the only way to have a real family is with a man. I'm bisexual, I like men too but it's a recurring thought that I have and can't escape. It's literally like having two brains, one knows that you should be able to have everything straight people have in their romantic life, while the other is telling you that you can only get that stuff if you're actually straight.

I think, tho that sometimes people fail to consider that Jimin and Jungkook are kind of protected by the idol industry. Their kpop idol status is a huge, almost perfect I'd say cover up for queernes. Even actual Korean people wouldn't be able to tell you for sure if they're together or gay. Jimin said once that his profession has taken away some things but he has also gained so much freedom, "For instance, even if I lost friends, I learned who my real friends were and got to make new friends. It may have felt like I lost my freedom, but I’m enjoying even greater freedom. I think I got to learn these things as I grew and matured.���

I can't say Jungkook feels the same way because he has talked about completely opposite things like he needs to wear a mask and not being himself in front of the camera. I think that's changing, I've said that I think this is the most real they've ever been, even if at the same time it's the most private they've ever been.

I'm sure a lot of people think it's naive to say this but... being in the idol industry has actually given them so much "freedom" to get away with things that they would not have gotten away with had their lived your life or mine or any regular Korean man life. Because in the end it's just "kpop" and they're doing things a lot of idols do. A lot of idols have done even worse than jikook.

There was no "public" aftermath of GCF in Tokyo. He was so happy to post it, he didn't look nervous at all. Everyone saw it as a lovely video and a really nice strategy to showcase the chemistry between two members. Inmediately after GCFT was posted, Blackpink and Monsta X released videos with the same concept of the two members "traveling" and having date-like moments. Everything about those two videos was staged tho, but it told me that no one saw anything suspicious about it and they even wanted their idols doing the same thing.

To this day, it's a cute thing for idols. https://twitter.com/adorejmjk/status/1394590519519375362?s=20

[jellojolteon]

Hi! I know you get a lot of asks on the grey long Ay but I was curious about something. How are some of the main characters supposed to get Akumatized. Eg. Nino wanted Adrien to have a birthday party but that didn't happen because Gabe was being a jerk, or Alya when she got Akumatized because she wanted to find out LB secret identity. I know this might be too much to ask but I'll ask anyway. Could you make a master list of how the Champions were made in this AU? (pt. 1)

No, no worries! Every ask I get makes my day! In fact you made my dreams from last night come true by filling my inbox haha ;u;

So as a basic pretense, the champions still come about the same way; the folks who get made into Champions are still upset about something when Greyling reaches them, but it’s the handling thereafter that makes the difference between what Hawkmoth does and what Greyling does. I can still make a master list for you of people who have been akumatized up to S1 (sorry if I miss anyone lol), but there are only a handful of changes. 

As for Chloe? An excellent question. I think it’s complicated because she’s still Adrien’s oldest friend and now she’s indirectly doing him a huge favor, but he is also much quicker to wake up to the bully she’d become since he see what she’s like when he “isn’t watching”. 

Unfortunately for this end of the story I’m more interested in the interactions between the main three, so it’s likely that a lot of this, if I can get this big ol thing off the ground, won’t make the actual cut.

(See below cut- numbering is not indicative of order, but if order is important I’ll mention it. Also note that this may change in the final go, if I get there.)

1. Stoneheart - This is LB’s first fight against Tux and while the theory of it is the same, Greyling does not exist yet to bring Stoneheart to life. Marinette encourages Ivan much the same way as she does in canon and he and Mylene still get together.

2.  Stormy Weather - We’ll go with this one as Greyling’s first Champion. Aurore loses the weathergirl competition, but Adrien tells her that if it’s recognition she’s looking for, he might be able to help. Help he does.

3. Mister Pigeon - Ramier gets chastised by the police for feeding the pigeons. Adrien consoles him (somewhat regrettably considering his allergy) and tells him that pigeons are not inherently bad, and that a good way to show how honorable and invaluable pigeons can be might be for Ramier to help enlist them to fight Tux. This champion marks the beginning of Mari’s internship.

4. Lady Wifi - Alya snoops in Chloe’s locker, she pitches a fit, gets suspended. Greyling comes to her explaining that he knows her intent was innocent, and that if she really wants to show everyone she’s the bigger person, perhaps she can help him fight Tux today. Alya is of course like “oh fuck, I’m communing with my homegirl’s crush” and wholeheartedly agrees. Things look dire, and hers is the first instance of possession we see. I’m going to (unoriginally) henceforth call this special “ability” the Butterfly Effect.

5. The Bubbler - Mari introduces Adrien to Nino and Alya via video chat. Adrien is super excited to have friends and both Nino and Alya want to meet him. Adrien’s birthday is soon and Nino suggests a party. Gabe never yells at him directly but Nino finds out from Adrien that it’s a no and gets upset on Adrien’s behalf. Greyling suggests later, when Tux attacks, that it’s no birthday but hoo boy would Adrien think it great if Nino helped fight one particularly nasty adult. It might help get all those negative vibes out.

6. Copycat - This one might ultimately not happen in the AU, just because the pretense is so intertwined with the canon dynamics.

7. Kung Food - This is the first time LB witnesses and must repair a cataclysm death. Mari is lucky that her Uncle is in town to help her through the experience. Greyling reasons with Kung Food in Chinese (which is much better pronounced than in the show) that the cooking competition isn’t the end of the world, and that he’ll help him get another chance to prove himself in a fair environment.

8. Darkblade - not sure where this one falls, but when D’Argencourt loses the mayoral election, Greyling explains that maybe he can help show Paris true nobility by standing up to another person who has usurped the peace.

9. Vanisher - Greyling catches Sabrina at a low point when Chloe is snubbing her. He points out that there are many many unsung heroes throughout history but if it would help her, he might be able to arrange something that would get her recognized in the form of assisting LB.

10. Antibug - Here’s a fun one! This one doesn’t go super hot but I think this is where Chloe develops a little bit. Greyling tells Chloe that if she really wants to make a good impression on LB, maybe getting in the way isn’t the answer. But what if she was a champion instead? Chloe is too bitter to be working alongside LB at the moment, but things eventually turn out ok, even if it involves Tux getting the upper hand for a bit there.

11. Horrificator - Mylene is scared and Greyling explains that sometimes it takes some help to face your fears. I’ll help you face down the scariest monster in all of Paris, and I assure you that you’ll always be able to face your fears after that. This one is also a bit of a shaky one but it works out ok because as she grows bigger, Tux gets more frightened by her.

12. Timebreaker - another that I’m not sure happens? I feel like time travel is a bit of a slippery slope in this AU for some reason.

13. Princess Fragrance - After Chloe belittles Rose, Greyling compliments her heart and says that helping him fight tux might be a good way to prove Chloe wrong. (Aside: I can’t imagine a lot of these kids would normally have the sense to take down a murderer. But Ladybug hasn’t lost anyone yet and the trust they put in her to keep them safe is immense)

14. Reflekta - You might see that showing Chloe what a good person looks like is a pretty common thread here. Greyling gets good at convincing people that Chloe is wrong and that fighting Tux with the things she demeans about them is a great way to prove it. She slowly learns.

15. Evillustrator - Nath wants a date with Mari, and also for Chloe to Not. This one doesn’t go well.

16. The Puppeteer - This is where Greyling figures out that Tux is his dad. In his rage, he makes a very bad decision to send out Manon after Tux. Granted she’s not doing anything directly but still. Ladybug deadpans him a look through Puppeteer and he has an ‘oh shit’ moment. He pulls her out and goes for Simon Says instead.

17. Simon Says - Adrien isn’t quite ready to let go of his petty yet and this is just as much for himself as it is for Simon. Nooroo and Adrien have an important talk about choosing champions after this battle is over.

18. Heartbreaker - Much of the same spiel about proving Chloe wrong, though I don’t know how his powers could be of threat to Tux. Not sure if this one makes the cut.

19. Rogercop - After getting fired, Greyling hits Roger with the whole “If you really want to serve and protect, boy could I really use your help.” After Roger’s proven bravery against Tux, he regains his job. There are probably more long-winded effects of this in the au but I’ll have to get there before I figure it all out.

20. Animan - When Kim insults Otis’s prized panther, Greyling suggests that maybe a catfight is exactly the kind of shakeup Tux needs, and it would certainly prove Kim’s ridiculous comments wrong. As for Alya and Nino getting together? I can still see them getting locked in the exhibit for their own safety.

21. The Gamer - Mari and Adrien kick ass in a gamer tournament, and Max gets upset because he’s overthrown by someone he’s never even met. Adrien just has a lot of time to play video games when he’s shut in, y’know? But Adrien realizes he may have gone a little too hard and requests Max’s help defeating Tux. He fluffs Max’s confidence by pointing out what a skilled and analytical fighter he is. Ladybug could use someone like that (instead of someone who sits from afar… hm…) in her fights against Tux.

22. Guitar Hero (pffff oops) - “Hey Jagged Stone, you know what would absolutely skyrocket your popularity? Riding around Paris on a DRAGON while blasting a cat man with SOUND WAVES. Does that sound like some killer album art to you? It sure does to me. Also I’ll throw in glowy tentacle hair as a bonus, I’m a big fan of your work actually.”

23. Pixelator - Greyling says, “Hey, man, maybe let the guy have some space, y’know? Being famous is stressful. Here, if you really want to be like him though, help me fight this guy.” Please don’t ask me how that works Greyling just gets real good at his job at some point.

24. The Mime - Fred’s meddling understudy tricks him into missing a performance, but Greyling sees an opportunity for the most kickass show of Fred’s career. He’s not wrong.

25. The Pharaoh - unfortunately, another one I’m not sure happens? Remnants of this ep might be involved though, with Jalil helping LB uncover some of the history of the miraculouses. Looks like the Kubdels get off easy in this story haha

26. Volpina - Lila’s compulsive lying gets her into a sticky situation (probably actually not with LB tho) and Greyling tells her that maybe he can give her a true story about herself worth telling. Greyling has been itching to get out for a few attacks now and this is where he finally gets the opportunity to go out. He just has a bad feeling about things and goes out to check. As I mention in the comic about their first “meeting”, Greyling’s intuition is correct and he saves LB from a nasty head injury as she passes out on top of a building from a previous wound. This also incidentally marks, for the most part, the end of Greyling’s use of others to fight. He still brings a few out (maybe I’ll get to integrate some from S2?) but this pretty neatly ties up most of the pre-outside timeline.

Sorry this got so long, but thanks again for the ask, @randomstar365! I hope this is a satisfactory answer.