#i just wanted to ramble about this because its really bewildering to me

[meowmedusa]

the crazy thing about how people talk about polyamory on this site is one of two things happens: 1. People shit on polyamory & those who practice it. OR 2. People talk about wanting polyamory or not wanting it respectfully but are fueled by an inherent misunderstanding of what polyamory is. Frustrates the hell out of me but what are you going to do, y'know? People are so stuck on this idea of triads being the polyamorous norm and I honestly think no one cares to learn otherwise. Triads can work, but man. They are not the norm nor a realistic goal; especially when you're going "well I would want to date with my partner so it feels balanced"- okay, so what if the new partner wants to break up with you but stay with your partner. Would you force them to break up so it "feels balanced" again? Idk. Some people on this site treat polyamory like it's the avoid jealousy at all costs game instead of a relationship structure that takes work & is, quite frankly, not easy. If you can't manage your jealousy enough that you NEED to date as a unit with your partner then like... why are you even practicing polyamory? You don't want polyamory, you want polyamory without any of the icky feelings that come with it (which won't work anyway, because those feelings will STILL come up). Also polyamory isn't free from jealousy idk where some of you got that idea. On that note, experiencing jealousy also doesn't mean failing polyamory. HOWEVER: If you cannot learn to emotionally regulate yourself, you will not do well in polyamory. You need to be able to deal with your jealousy on your own. You can find comfort in your partners, but you can't expect them to cater to your jealousy.

[gamblersdoll]

cw: semi cheating trope, cucking, doggy style, masturbation (m) spitting, katsuki being really mean in this one, slapping.

this felt dirty and wrong, izuku thought. the way he felt about you was greater than his past crush for ochaco, yet here he was. the obsessive and adoration he had for you was no match, but here he was.

here he was pressing down on katsuki’s head as he went down on izuku, him slightly gagging on his length and pushing away. “fuck– you getting too rough, deku.” he spits, glaring up at him. “calm down this time.”

he nods, eyes filled with lust and his judgement clouded. he didnt notice the two missed calls you had given him, nor the four missed messages. his fingers trail through katsuki’s head, yet his balls lurched when katsuki licked his lips.

“zuku, what are you—“ you say, opening the door and looking at your phone. until your eyes meet the two, katsuki on his knees while izuku sits on his bed, manspreading.

both of their hearts thump, a cold nervous sweat on both of their faces and hands as you just stand there, bewildered. your heart clenches, feeling sadness, but more of disappointment and rage filling your veins.

“baby—“ izuku starts, but gets cut off by you.

“nah nah, fuck you!” you shout, turning around and slamming the door. it had to be about nine in the evening, so everyone was already downstairs chilling out.

it took you about a month or two to settle your nerves, feeling rage and betrayal from him just getting his dick sucked from his childhood friend.

a friend who also just so happen to be friends with you, surprisingly. thats what threw you off, katsuki just so suddenly became friends with you and wasn’t completely an ass to you. you at first thought nothing of it, but now it made sense.

your mind stops thinking, your ears and eyes being drawn to the message ping on your phone. izuku had texted, asking to meet in his dorm to talk.

should you even fucking bother? maybe. let hear what this bitch had to say.

“so— first i want to say im so sorry.” he starts, hands on his bouncing knees and eyes darting around. he picked at his nails, katsuki having to pull his hands apart. that only added salt to the wound, because what the fuck was he doing here?

“and why does bakugou have to be here for this?” you ask, growing impatient and tapping your foot. he looks up to your eyes, the glare you gave was mean, hurting his heart.

the “because he has involvement with this— its not what you think!” he quickly says, hands up in defense and looking to you and katsuki.

“so..”

“uhum–“ he tried, swallowing thickly and takes a deep breath. “so.. you remember when i told you i was bi, right? before we got together?” he starts, knee bouncing faster harder. you nod, eyes raised in a “yeah, no shit.” look. “well.. kacchan and i had been talking since we made up, and we started to like you as well.”

youre feet stop tapping, heart stopping and you start a glare. “hold on! and we started to like you and it kinda separated us for a couple weeks, thats when me and you were first dating and we had that big fight that you had to separate.” he rambles, katsuki flicking him to stay on topic.

“and uh, me and kacchan made up again after you both became friends and we wanted to ask you in person if you could give a threeway a shot!”

you just stare, looking at the both of them and watching katsuki just lean back. that made your blood boil, the way hes just acting all casual.

katsuki notices, manspreading himself and staring right back at you. “if you got something to say, say it.” he states, testing to see who and what you were.

you say nothing, biting your tongue and looking back to the green haired boy. “that’s absolutely bullshit and you know it.” you say, finding that shit unbelievable and quite frankly, offensive. “you mean to tell me that you both were fucking on the down low and then i just peaked both of your interest, you got together with me and all of a sudden you want a three way?”

“aint that what he just said?” katsuki finally speaks and chimes in, eyebrow raised.

you feel like a snapping point, like your ready to reach across and slap the fuck out of him for even speaking to you at all. “you can shut the fuck up, baku—“

at that point, he had heard enough between you and izuku. he reaches out, grabbing you by your throat and giving a slight choke. your thighs quiver, it being an instant trigger for you to become a mess.

“kacc—!”

“nah, you took too long with your fuckin’ delivery.” he says, hand groping a breast and leading you to the bed. “youre the one who told me this the shit she likes, so i’m fuckin’ her.”

and if those words werent a trigger for you, it was for izuku. his cock grows hard, his shorts becoming a restriction to his length and he groans.

katsuki’s lips crash onto yours, him effortlessly taking a hand and freeing himself from his boxers and tapping it against your skin. “you want it, dont you?” he teases, ripping the shorts off of your skin and rubbing circles into your clit.

his hand pries open your mouth, his eyes lowering. “open.” he says, curling his lips and spitting into your wet cavern. he looks over to izuku, izuku already freeing himself and spitting on his own length. “you see that there?” he points, whispering in your ear.

“thats what he does when he thinks about me fucking you like some common whore.” he reveals, chuckling in your ear. “he been waitin’ for this, to see me fuck you relentless and he watch.” he says again, slapping your clit and pinching it.

“zuku—“ your voice tries, sounding hoarse and katsuki focusing on your face now. he lands a somewhat hard slap to it, forcing you to look only at him.

“dont look at him, why are you looking at him? whos about to fuck you?” katsuki presses, fingers digging their way into your walls. “huh? whos about to fuck this pussy hm?”

you stutter, the intrusion being too much and you claw at his skin. “katsuki! shit—“

“yeah, thats right. im the one fucking you, not him. he assures, fingers finished from curling inside onto your gspot and forcing themselves into your mouth. “you dont get to cum, yet, either.”

you suckle on his fingers, eyes rolling back from the sheer force of his demands and tossing. he flips you over, face in the mattress and him grabbing you by your hips. shit, could you do this? doggy you cant even handle with izuku.

you try to look up, only catching a glimpse of izuku fisting his cock and his face flushed.

you squeal, feeling the heat from katsuki’s tip slip inside of your walls and hitting that spot already. the spot that hadnt been touched in however long you and izuku hadnt talked. “fuck, i can see what you mean by her being a tight space.” katsuki groans, hand gripping a hip and shoulder blade.

he starts immediately thrusting at such a violent place, but you knew he was going to be like that. “some fucking girlfriend you fuckin’ had!” katsuki laughs, his hips snapping into yours and balls slapping at your clit. “just some fucking whore that needed a good dick!”

you moan into the mattress, drooling against it and eyes rolling harder to your skull. you clawed at the sheets, hearing izuku lose himself in his fist as he watched his fuck buddy, his childhood best friend fuck his pretty girlfriend.

you choke, his cock angled at a different spot that had never been used or touched. “oh shit, you havent fucked her this way either, huh?” he grins, his hips angling themselves better and he spits onto the curve of your back. “yeah? he doesnt fuck you good like i do, huh?” he asks, a harsh slap to your ass.

“no— no no fuck!” you moan, going stupid from the intrusion, the sheer force of his hips alone making you go dumb. your tummy clenched, feeling your clit throb more than anything until it hurt.

“fuck, shes about to cum, deku.” he growls in a praise, his palms pressing down on your lower back as he slams his bodyweight into the thrusts.

you squeal, that coil tightening and hearing izuku lose himself in his own orgasm at the same time. you had missed hearing him cum, you both usually always have a simultaneous orgasm together at the same time.

“cum in her— breed her pussy please, kacchan.” he pleads, his hand shines with his seed and sweat that came from fucking his cock.

katsuki loses himself in a matter of time, approximately two minutes after you both had came and it was all because of how good you felt and that izuku just wanted to watch you get fucked by his childhood friend. his own rival.

[retshirou]

local egomaniac experiences pure unconditional love and devotion and doesn’t know how to process it

rambling about their relationship below the cut

Betrayus has always been kind of an enigma for people to place on how he’d handle romance and love in general, especially since he flip-flops so often between just being a manchild with massive insecurities and a guy who literally committed war crimes. for me, i think he IS lonely and DOES want adoration and care given to him, but at this point has only registered these things as things you have to earn, either through respect or (in his case) fear. he GREATLY exaggerates just how much he “suffered” growing up, but does still have the mentality that kindness is just a tool for manipulation, and that love is something that you have to fight your way to get, and even then any who shows it to him does it for superficial reasons. it’s both sad, but also a good reflection on the fact he himself is a dishonest and selfish person, balancing it out so its not TOO sympathetic.

that’s kinda where Paz comes in. she’s also kind of an enigma when it comes to love. compared to Betrayus, she is FULL of it, much more than any desire for evil or to cause harm. if she loved someone normal, she’d be seen as a very kind and compassionate person who’s a bit quiet and keeps to herself. but she doesn’t love someone normal, it’s BETRAYUS. all this compassion and pure unconditional love that’s held in her tiny heart is focused on this guy, this annoying high-strung and arrogant supervillain. and when her love is focused on someone, it’s loyal and dedicated to a detrimental degree. really, the things shes done for him should classify her as just as evil, if not more. but it’s weird, as its not exactly like an axe murderer obsession kind of love…

she genuinely cares about him and his happiness. she’s genuinely tired of seeing him angry and upset at the world 24/7, and wants nothing more than to put a smile on his face. she’d never force him to do anything he didn’t want, and she doesn’t even really mind if he never loves her back that way, as long as he’s got her as support. the populace gets terrorized by ghosts, and she performs problematic-to-terrifying kinds of spells for his plans, but all purely with the intent of making him happy because she loves him. it’s a weird situation of evil actions all with an endgoal that, by itself, is extremely wholesome and well-meaning. it reflects a weird detachment in her brain that as long as it makes Betrayus happy, its necessary. she can probably be classified as insane for this.

and Betrayus’s reaction to it… once it slowly registers with him just how deep this loyalty goes, he’s stunned. even if i think he both exaggerates and lies about HOW “cruel” everyone treated him in life, i do think the experience of unconditional love outside of his family is a foreign one to him. especially love he never had to earn. he’s done much more to logically prevent someone from ever seeing him in such a light, but here was Paz, ready to fight the world and Pac-God himself just for him. it wasn’t even someone loving him for their own benefit at the expense of his comfort like Ghoulasha, or because they wanted something out of him. for once, its someone that for whatever insane reason, just wants to see him happy and content and that was it. no strings attached. such a simple goal that, despite his superego, still perplexes him greatly.

there’s probably a nugget of self awareness deep inside that ego of his that he’s definitely the Worst, and everyone thinks this. so interacting with even just one person who disproves that opens that self awareness back up, and Betrayus is left completely bewildered. how is someone managing to say such sweet and sincere things to him? how is it they don’t want ANYTHING from him but his happiness? normally he’d be suspicious its all an act, but for what other endgoal there’s no clue for. everything Paz has done has always proven to be sincere, as she barely gains anything just for herself from the experiences working as his assistant. but still, her patience never weakens, and she still gives him that same adoring smile no matter how much he screws up or acts obnoxious. so as a result, for the first time he actually has to reflect and really try to absorb the kindness someone shares with him. to figure out how it makes him feel, and how to properly respond to it. does he have to be kind back now? he knows its his nature not to be. but the sincerity of it is infectious… and a small part of him actually wants to meet her love with his own positivity, to create more of this feeling. which of course has him feeling like he’s going soft/crazy. but eventually, he does realize this IS a feeling he enjoys having, of being loved unconditionally and wanting to give that love back.

considering what he learns of Paz’s own insecurities and her self-image issues (read my fic for more context), her love for Betrayus could partially be some kind of coping mechanism, to feel like she’s making a difference with someone by giving them something the universe deemed didn’t fit its system for them to have. but that’s just a small part, she really DOES love him and all his little obnoxious mannerisms. once Betrayus does catch wind of her low image of herself though, that and his growing enjoyment of sharing in her kindness gives him that FINAL push to actually step out of his ego and focus on bringing someone else up other than himself. an out of character move that has realistic motivations and development for it!

in the end, i DO think even a war criminal like Betrayus is capable of love, as he’s shown to have a lot more sad and kind of pathetic emotions going on beneath the bad-guy shtick. its something he wants deep down, but just needs to figure out how to handle it and respond to it so it doesn’t die immediately, and with Paz he’s given the patience and loyalty to figure it out on his own terms. and in turn, he realizes the person who loves him has ACTUAL problems of her own regarding her mental health and self esteem, and his ultimate act of understanding love is to help her with that and make her feel loved. so it comes full circle, and what was once a possible unhealthy coping mechanism becomes a healthy realtionship for both. 💖

so yeah. sorry that was so long, they just make me think too much

[birchbow]

I don’t know if this was previously asked but how would the troll language sound like to the human ear? I was also wondering if there are different dialects depending on the caste.

In most of my fics I don't really go into it, so everybody's speaking Space English lmao. But in the fics where Alternian as a language is actually a point of note, I like a very insectile vibe. I kind of like the idea that it's difficult and uncomfortable for humans and trolls to learn to make the noises for each other's languages--trolls do a lot of work with parts of their throat/chest/thorax that humans don't actually have, and are bewildered by how much jaw, tongue, and breath human languages require. Humans aren't physically able to make some of the noises trolls use for language, because they don't have the parts, and learning to make imitations of the various clicks, rattles, chirrs and trills is quite a learning curve.

RE: dialects, I could probably ramble for 1000+ words about,,, actually let me bullet point some thoughts because this paragraph is massively rambling.

my god though, the conflicting linguistic possibilities of a race that's apparently pretty aggressively homogenized overall, but also has incredibly disparate lifespans between very clear castes

do seadwellers speak an older version of Alternian? did shorter lifespans and rapid generational turnover among warmer-blooded trolls lead to "low class" vs "blueblooded vernacular", ie "load gaper" vs "toilet"?

Does the social pressure to stay on top of all the castes below you lead to more heavy enforcement of that divide??

ALSO the concept of like, the vocal posture of USING a "highblood" word being considered a dominant posture or power move--either just because of the associations of it, not using the most respectful language, making it clear "i'm a lowblood, a lower blood than you, I respect that", or for practical reasons! Saying this simpler (more archaic??) highblood word shows your fangs, the longer lowblood terminology developed partially to avoid that sign of disrespect! AHH

And also how much regional dialect DOES one want to write on Alternia?

I think I've written once or twice that Gamzee's got a "seaside accent", because I was thinking that rather than a certain section of land further on-shore, lots of purplebloods might gather spread out along the coast, as the caste right on the border of land- and seadweller. divides along location, but also along bloodcaste and color...

Does Alternia have countries? Does one assume those countries or continents have their own language and culture, when the population apparently only lives there for some short period of years/sweeps before being shipped off into space?

On Beforus we have evidence that other languages are a thing, but Alternia has apparently done away with all sorts of things in the name of the empire--conflicting languages seems like a liability in the march of conquest, so it seems reasonable to me that the language would all be the same--and how does it effect localized dialects and accents, if grubs are all hatched in the same place and then shipped out to different cities, continents, etc?

Or out to different planets/ships! Apparently the empire is ludicrously huge--do settlements on ships far from Alternia develop their own linguistic drift??

Or only if they're colder-blooded trolls, maybe, since trolls as we get them in canon can't reproduce amongst themselves and have to send back to the home planet to create a new generation--so therefore warmer bloods who die or get culled more quickly don't have much chance to develop and pass on new culture before a fresh wave of younger trolls from Alternia come in the follow them?

Does the new generation that's shipped out have its own weird culture drift in a DIFFERENT direction, as Alternian youth culture goes one way and a ship full of adult trolls far from their central civilization goes another?

The concept of a version of PoF where I went in with this as a focus is fascinating to me--Meenah whose mode of speech is written exactly the same but when younger trolls hear it they note that she sounds to them like she's speaking some ancient like, vintage dialect, ala someone who talks like a fancy victorian vampire. Kurloz is hard for the baby clowns to understand sometimes because he's speaking Old Clown and the slang and terminology has shifted over the hundreds and hundreds of sweeps he's been alive. a mix and match of his own speech and hundreds of sweeps of evolution along the way. Young trolls sometimes use terms/slang/dialect that even the generation shipped out before them don't recognize.

Relatedly though it feels like it would shake out to some degree ala various German dialects versus Hochdeutsch, but cranked up to a million--one Technically Textbook Correct version that a person could speak and be understood, maybe that you'd learn in schoolfeeding and that hasn't changed since basically forever, and then whatever billion personal little spins

just, holy shit, the subtle indicators you could get on someone's color, age, location, the amount of time they've spent with their elders off-planet, how old those elders have gotten, the linguistic habits they have--and the linguistic habits they enforce, what's considered polite, how rigid those rules are

I need to go to bed but holy shit man, there are so many axes you could fuck around on, I'm so damn feral thinking about this shit. it makes me into a wild raccoon. I am turning the concept of alien culture over in my pink little hands and splashing it in the water so I can consume it for power

[kanidkid]

Looking at your bio and seeing FNAF, and I wanted to ask, what's your favorite bit about FNAF? The characters? The story? The designs?

I've loved following along with the story throughout the franchise through all the theories. I find the story so interesting. How every game there was some new huge development that always seemed to kind of bewilder me. It's also a nostalgia thing as well. The 1st game came out when I was 9, and I was sooooo hooked on the game and letsplays. OG game has always been my favorite because of that fact, with Sister Location being a close 2nd.

I hate to say it because it really was a good game and loads of fans loved it, but Im not a huge fan of security breach. Dont get me wrong, the characters and designs were absolutely delightful and fun, and the graphics are insane. I just felt like the story was being milked too much yknow. I think its a great game stand-alone, I just think the story from game 1 to Ultimate Custom Night is peak fnaf lore.

The other thing is that I love creepy animatronics!!!!! I just get this feeling when looking at them. Im sure its just uncanny valley type of fear, but its just something I cant look away from, thats why I adore the fnaf VHS videos!!!! Just so eerie i love it!!!

Anyway I know i'm rambling, fnaf is just one of those things I could actually talk about for hours. I'll leave a doodle of mine as well! Thanks for the question!!! :DD

[eros-thanatos89]

some thoughts on Dune

It's 5 AM and I can't get back to sleep, so clearly it's time to ramble about Dune on the internet.

I recently rewatched part one of Villeneuve's movies and then saw part 2 in theaters this week.

I've seen the David Lynch Dune a couple times in the past few years, mostly because I wanted to see the Villeneuve. I love Lynch, but his adaptation is wild--very fun, but it feels like a fever dream, and he has spoken openly about how the studio fought him and the process of making the film was awful for him. It's also such a dense source material, that it's so hard to fit into one two hour movie. Hence, the last 45 minutes try to cover major plot points and it feels rushed and scattered.

So the new Villeneuve adaptations have more time to really introduce to Dune's world of interplanetary Empire, the warring houses and factions under the Emperor, and the planet of Arrakis which is coveted by the Empire for its precious resource of Spice--and therefore exploited and oppressed.

I didn't really catch the very clear commentary on imperialism and extractive capitalism until I saw part 1 of Villeneuve's Dune (because I was just so bewildered by the fun fever dream quality of the Lynch movie). But it's so clear--especially that scene where the Atreides first arrive on Arrakis and leave their ship with their flags flying and an honor guard playing bagpipes and Duke Leto and Paul in ceremonial Caladan attire while Lady Jessica has donned traditional Arrakian clothing. It's so clearly an intentional parallel to the British Empire in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

What's wonderful about Dune 2 is now that the stage is set, we really get to dive into the world of Arrakis through the lens of its indigenous population, the Fremen.

A friend and I binged through the SyFy Dune miniseries between part 1 and the release of part 2. And something that has been pointed out in video essays, and was very striking and meaningful to me, is that the novel and every adaptation show us Arrakis through the eyes of Paul Atreides, Princess Irulan, and other outworlders. Villeneuve's Dune is the first adaptation to open with a quote from a Fremen, Chani, who says "My planet Arrakis so beautiful when the sun is low..." in the opening shot of part 1, as the camera pans over a sea of sand dunes, glimmering in the evening light. It really sets the tone for both of the new films: Dune is Arrakis' story; it's the Fremen's story.

And in part 2, we get to watch Paul transform personally and reach mystical, messianic superhuman status (against his own will and intuition) but just as importantly we watch him integrate himself into Fremen culture and learn to fall in love with the culture, language, and ways of the Fremen, as well as falling in love with Chani. It becomes her story as much as his (FINALLY an adaptation where we get to see Chani really become an interesting character in her own right! I don't really remember her from the miniseries; she has an active role, but clearly didn't really stand out to me. And she barely has any lines in the Lynch movie).

Part 2 lets us see the anti-colonial struggle for independence and autonomy and protection of the planet and native culture from the perspective of its native people, and also the harm of outside cultures like the Bene Gesserit co-opting and exploiting the desire for freedom and independence to spread religious zealotry.

The debates between Chani, Stilgar, Lady Jessica, and Paul regarding the messianic prophecy and the counterpoint that the Fremen should save themselves is so compelling and rich!

I was reminded throughout the film of the story (and movie) of Laurence of Arabia. Which I now want to rewatch. In interviews Villeneuve pointed to the film as a direct cinematic influence on not just Dune but his entire process as a film maker. And Frank Herbert cited the real events of Laurence's time with Arabic Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in WW1 as a direct influence on the first novel in the Dune series.

A couple friends and I all started listening to the audiobook recently and have started an accidental book club. I really love the prose and the richness of the world Herbert creates and his focus on the environment and ecology of the planet Arrakis as well as the political intrigues and critique on colonialism and extractive capitalism.

So the other day I was curious about the social context of the novel and other inspirations Herbert may have had, so I consulted my favorite scholarly journal Wikipedia (as the hilarious hosts of the podcast the Bechdel Cast call it. If you like movies, intersectional feminism, and funny people, give it a listen. It's so fun!) and was quite surprised that one of the major influences that inspired the novel (published in 1965) was that in the 1960s that state of Oregon in the USA where Herbert was living was having a crisis of sand dunes shifting and moving, due to the native grasses that anchored them dying out. Herbert had several Native American friends who grew up on reservations in Oregon who were actively writing about ecology and environmental protection and who were activists. He was inspired by the notion of these sand dunes potentially swallowing up whole cities and the crisis of an environment becoming uninhabitable due to human destruction of the environment.

I was fascinated to learn that Dune is regarded as one of the early examples of novels tackling themes of climate change and ecology and environmental protection, along with Silent Spring. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

Anyhow, this is a really long and rambling post so I'll wrap up. But I encourage anyone who's interested in really rich, complex sci-fi or fantasy which grapples with real-world issues like colonialism, capitalism, and the environment as well as the hero's journey to give Dune a watch and/or read. It's such a rich world! And the new films are a stunning sensory experience! The aesthetics alone are captivating. Good shit.

[sleepykamukura]

i think ashe is one of the most agonizing characters for me to think about because she’s just like me

her family is a shitshow. i’ve never seen people acknowledge that her parents were genuinely abusive past “ashe’s family sucks.”

neglect is abuse, manipulation is abuse, and it’s implied in a one-off that her mother threatens to hit her

so, long long ramble analysis of ashe’s parents

Graduation Day

ashe’s day starts well, excited to graduate, finally be out of a shitty school with shittier peers. her parents promised to be there, and they weren’t. this also isn’t the first time, according to ashe

she’s upset, she wants to be alone. unfortunately, being alone is what gets her into trouble

The Fight

so obviously a 17yo girl getting cornered by two teenage boys is definitely not a great situation, and the cops not believing ashe was defending herself baffles me

her parents have me even more confused. do you have so little care for your kid that you’re more worried about your image than your safety?

they tell her they’ll disown her, which is fucked. this is a threat, this is abuse

Calamity

when the original gang(tm) have her come up with a code name for their trip to cutthroat trout’s, ashe doesn’t think of a nickname or something badass, she thinks of her mother fussing at her over an accident

The House

this is the biggest piece to me.

ashe’s parents are home on her birthday, they’re angry, they’re either unaware of or unbothered by the fact a kid (cole) has been kidnapped off their property, they’re unbothered that their daughter was inside a burning building, they’re more bothered by their money being at risk

“Oh honestly, Elizabeth,” she said, sounding exasperated, “did you really believe we were going to disown you? Our only child?”

Ashe blinked at her parents, utterly bewildered.

“You were out of control,” her father continued. “You needed to be taught a lesson. Yes, it was a drastic step to make you think we were going to cut you off, but something needed to be done to convince you to clean up your act!”

The world seemed to warp around Ashe, twisting in some way she couldn’t comprehend. Were they telling the truth? Or was this simply a performance, a rewriting of the punishment they’d threatened, in order for her parents to save face in front of Bellerae’s police force?

Something needed to be done.

You needed to be taught a lesson.

to me, this implies that ashe’s parents rewrite their punishments frequently when it doesn’t go how they want to emotionally confuse her

Her mother looked surprised, but only for a moment. Then her eyes went hard. “You know, Elizabeth, I used to think you were misguided, a little too spirited for your own good. I thought having to confront the idea of being on your own would be to your benefit. But now I know better: At your core, you’re nothing more than a base, common criminal.”

“Strange,” said Ashe, glaring right back. “I would have thought that made me the perfect candidate to work with you and all those corporate buddies whose boots you line up to lick.”

Her mother’s hand flickered up, as if she was about to slap Ashe, but it stopped halfway. “Sheriff,” she called instead. “Get over here.”

wow! ok! even if she doesn’t actually hit her, its still wrong to threaten people (let alone your kids) with physical violence

The Aftermath (Part One)

Less than an hour later, she was free. And poor, once again. Her bail, covering the many crimes she was accused of, had been astronomical—taking almost everything there was in the gang’s shared account. That had left a feeling like a hole in her gut, but it was nothing compared to the one eating deeper and deeper as the minutes ticked by and the Diamondbacks still had [Cole]. And yet, she couldn’t help but reflect on how her parents’ interference had left her exactly where they had intended—eighteen, penniless, and without anywhere to call home.

But even if her blood relations had cast her aside, Ashe had found a new family to take their place.

And one of those people was in trouble.

ashe’s family isn’t blood anymore. her parents have hurt her over and over again for eighteen years, and to me i can interpret this of her being drained of every possible drop of love for her parents. they don’t seem to love her, why should she be obligated to love them? the gang treats her better, they respect her, they’re an emotionally stable environment.

The last few months had been the first time in years she’d been happy in this house. Now she was walking its halls for what was likely the final time.

The thought didn’t bother her half as much as she might have expected.

the house is devoid of ashe’s real family (the gang), making it worthless to her in the end.

Packing only some clothing and a few personal items. Everything else, she was happy to abandon. It wasn’t her, not anymore. In the end, the entirety of her life at Lead Rose Manor came to less than half a rucksack.

nothing in the manor mattered to her, i interpret this as her only things she brought was things she bought with her own money

If her parents had kept their promise, she never would have met [Cole], or Julian, or Frankie. And that opened a bigger hole in her than the thought of never seeing Lead Rose again.

This was no longer her home. Arbalest was no longer her company. And her parents were no longer her family.

<- refer to last excerpt’s comment

The Aftermath (Part Two)

right after ashe declares the gang is her only family, it’s revealed that julian is the one who betrayed her. obviously this is messed up, it’s upsetting, and she’s angry.

Frankie’s expression turned even stonier than when she’d looked at Julian. “I’m not saying I don’t understand, but … I’d never betray you—or Jesse, or even B.O.B.—like that. I thought you’d know that by now. But I’ll give you that one mistake.” She locked eyes with Ashe. “Next time you doubt me, I’m done. That’s not something I’ll forgive twice. Understood?”

to me this feels like ashe’s treatment in her childhood has altered her perception of others. her parenrs betrayed her and broke promises a lot, at least as far as we’re told. obviously ashe is quick to jump to conclusions, but luckily frankie is willing to give her a chance to learn not everyone is like that

But even though [Cole] was smiling, one of his eyes was nearly swelled shut, and there was dried blood on his chin from a split lip.

Ashe wheeled on Bez and shoved him into the wall of the cavern. “What did you do to him, you son of a—”

this isnt super important, to me it’s just ashe taking on the overprotective role her blood family never did for her

Seeing them now, gathered and wearing their new insignia for the first time, triggered a strange feeling, one that was so unfamiliar it took her a moment to identify it.

Home. This felt like home.

“But more than a gang,” she continued, “we’re a family. And like a real family, once you’re in Deadlock, you’re in it for life.”

ashe’s blood family is gone, but she has the gang now. maybe her methods are harsh, but she does it in a way they gives out the feeling of love and safety her parents never provided for her

The Aftermath (The Finale)

although we don’t see cole’s betrayal, to me it’s implied he was forced to cut contact with ashe. maybe it’s just a throw away line, but ashe remarks that cole promised he’s right, yet he never did. ~20 years with no contact doesn’t seem like something usual for cole, even if he was disagreeing with how deadlock was straying from its original path.

ashe had been stabbed in the back before, first her family, then julian. of course it hurt when she thought cole betrayed her, the first person to attempt to even understand her, the person she was willing to risk her life to save.

cole having contact with ashe probably wasn’t forcefully cut off, but he instead decided it was safer for her and the rest of the gang for him to not contact him, in preparation of his contact being tracked by overwatch to potentially do another operation on the deadlock gang

okay it’s 4:30am and i’ve been writing for 2hrs now and i’m done uhhh i would love any additional content and observations and analysis ^_^ i like seeing other people’s interpretations

[chaotic-tired-cat]

Hey I was wondering If you plan on updating your legacy fic on Ao3, It was really good I've read it multiple times. Although it took me awhile but on like my 6th or seventh re-read I just realized the names of the chapter titles make a really good poem though I'm unsure if that's intentional or not.

Almost everything midoyria does I'd a giant metaphor with him being a gardener planting seeds in the present for the sake of the future. No matter how much he refused to directly fight his brother it seems like he's been planning this kind of thing for hundreds of years. I wouldn't be surprised if One for All was behind the creation of UA or everything going on in its current society.

-Sorry for the long paragraph your story is wild and completely insane, I really want to read about everyone's expression of shock when he come out because otherwise I'm pretty sure they'll never find out otherwise who he is as AFO brother.

Heyo, I am thriving abt your ask! It gave me fuel to go back and edit a bit of Legacy's next chapter. Also, I'm downright flattered that you've read Legacy so many times!! Considering it a huge compliment. Losing my mind. I am very hopeful for reveals to live up to expectations. And yep! The poem by Clare Harner is 100% on purpose. I'm including corresponding imagery in each chapter/title as a scavenger hunt of themes and more literal moments, though some (like Ripened Grain -> Harvest/Seasons/time passing -> Ochako eating rose petals & students moving towards self-sufficiency) are pretty abstract.

Gardening!! Learning to think of life and potential happiness beyond the next immediate harvest is a big theme and you're absolutely correct on that. Cannot confirm or deny suspicions on what specifically is in the works for Izuku, but please know I am delighted with what you said. To tide you over, I added a tiny & mildly unedited snippet under the readmore that your ask me very impatient to share.

Legacy absolutely will be updated and finished. I'm just dealing with a limitation irl where prolonged typing is difficult sometimes. (Feel free to poke me whenever for a snippet, though! I know the agony of waiting ages for a fic to update and wouldn't wish it on anyone.)

Legacy spoilers beyond this point:

“Why gardening?” Tsukauchi asks finally, wrapping chilled hands around his coffee cup. “From what I'm understanding, you’ve been around long enough to get practiced at pretty much anything. Why… plants?”

He doesn't mean it in a rude way, and Midoriya smiles a bit at the blunt curiosity Tsukauchi cannot help.

“Because they’re like us,” he says. 

Tsukauchi gives him a bewildered look. “Plants?”

“They can’t be completed,” Midoriya says firmly. It sounds like a lesson that was hard learned. “I can make my garden better. I can plant seeds and weed it, I can water it and fret over every last insect that enters it, but it will never be finished. There will never be a point where I’m done and can abandon it. Somehow, people do it anyway. They keep trying.”

Tsukauchi frowns. “So this whole time, it’s been a metaphor for.. what? Mental health?”

“Finding happiness,” Midoriya says. “Or maybe it’s just a hobby paired with an old man’s ramblings.”

His statement rings true for both. Midoriya brushes dirt off his hands and uses his wrist to push green hair back. Sometimes Tsukauchi wonders if Midoriya’s original quirk was earth or plant related, and if All for One swapped it with an immortality one before anyone knew any better. It’s impossible to tell.

Tsukauchi washes the thought back with bitter coffee and winces when it burns his tongue. “That’s a complex game to play.”

“Not a game,” Midoriya tells him. He sets aside his tools and stands up. Here in the garden, Midoriya seems more at home than he could ever be on a battlefield. 

Nezdu sees it too.

He asked Tsukauchi to meet with him and Nighteye tomorrow about possibly placing Midoriya in a modified track for heroics. Nothing will happen without the groundskeeper indicating he’s like a life in the very industry that’s protecting him, but it’s a good plan. If he gets a heroics license, Midoriya will have a job waiting for him at UA once the investigation is over.

Even Tsuakuchi can see the heroic spirit Midoriya carries.

Toshinori says he's a good teacher, too.

[Yall, it's so hard not to add the following three paragraphs to this snippet, but they are low-key massive spoilers. apostriavin, those lines are now dedicated to you.]

[laughinglynx]

Some ramblings on plays, because I can't share this with my professor but thought I might as well share it here.

The play I just read was about some young men in a boarding school who decide to kill one of their classmates by picking a name out of a hat. There is no punishment for the guilty. It is senseless violence for once character's enjoyment, and it is treated as nothing more than an interesting moral question. I have been asked to pick one moment in the play that really symbolizes the play as a whole.

I spent over an hour today in tears over this.

I don't understand what this play is supposed to make me feel, other than abject misery. This play does nothing other than hammer in the message that humanity is either evil to the core, or sheep who will play along with that evil. It says, "See? See? The world is awful! We are all irredeemable, and we should all just give up." It makes fun of us for having any remaining notion of goodness, and grinds that under its heel.

And yet I am so scared of what will happen when I go to class and discuss this with my classmates. I'm scared that they will focus on the moral question. I'm scared that they will say how interesting it is, how it connects back to the political or social climate when it was written, they will talk about the references to Oedipus and Creon. And I will sit there, left adrift, completely bewildered by how they aren't talking about the misery and hopelessness of this entire story, and unable to say anything without being brushed off with a laugh.

I am scared of this because it happens over and over again.

The first day of class, I mentioned that I'd seen the play we read. When the professor asked what I thought of it, I joked that I needed some fortifying ice cream after I saw it, and everyone chuckled at that. I didn't say that I felt like all of my emotions had been scraped out with a spoon, with only sadness and terror left over, and that I just barely told my mother I needed OUT before I started sobbing.

The second day of class, our play was about prison rape. They talked about the interesting portrayal of queer characters. I wanted to scream.

Last year, I tried to talk to a professor about why the plays we study are like this. She told me I was just misinterpreting the stories.

Every time I try to express this, I get brushed off.

Why are the stories we choose to put on stage all about hopelessness? Why is there no joy? Why do playwrights insist that humanity is all evil, and that the world is an awful place not worth saving? Why are all the characters awful, why are they all 'explorations on morality' or 'interesting depictions of queer characters' or 'the struggles of girlhood'?

I'm not even saying I don't enjoy dark stories. I watch mostly horror. I actively seek out stories that hurt, because they are interesting.

But those stories have hope in them. These plays do not.

Here is what I know: the world is beautiful. The smell of rain is beautiful. There are trees, and ferns, and moss, and so many wonderful, brilliant things to discover. People collect spiders in cups and escort them outside, because we don't want to kill them. People hug one another, and share stories, and laugh. When my mother and I were eating our ice cream after seeing that horrible, awful play, some very drunk young men wandered over to delightedly compliment her on her brightly colored hair.

People are good, and the world is good, and it makes me so sad and so angry that playwrights want to insist neither of those things are true.

That is my response to this play, and to this class so far. It made me miserable, and it made me cry until I was nauseous, and it made me terrified for theater if this is the sort of story we think is valuable.

But of course I can't send this to my professor, as much as I wish I could. Instead, I'll come up with some pretty, polished response to this fucking play about killing a kid. Maybe I'll write about Oedipus and Creon. Why not. Because no one here wants to hear that, to me, this play is just plain sick.

[lunarfortune]

okay im just gonna type some shit for the moment or whatever but elise mf origin post because it's super funny to me

long rambly post with a bunch of card game images

anyway way back in like 2020 and early 2021 Legends of Runeterra had its Lab of Legends mode. Similar to Path of Champions but like, way more basic since it was the earlier version. You pick a champ and fight through a series of 9? stages or so, theyre all the same each time, with the bosses being Thresh, Sejuani (FUCK Scargrounds stage) and Viktor (and FUCK Guard Bots stage too). Each first clear with a champ would grant you a unique player icon for them, but I wasn't super concerned with collecting them all, I really just wanted Miss Fortune. The problem was that her starting deck is kind of Not Great and it's especially easy to get reamed by bad rng and her ability is straight up a hindrance against Scargrounds. I was having so much trouble with MF runs it was unreal. My friend cleared it relatively quickly, but I could not for the life of me get a good run going. I struggled with it on and off for WEEKS. I was just resigned to never clearing it.

So one fateful day in February of 2021 I am going through yet another MF lab run and get offered a choice between Zoe, Elise and Jinx as my deck's support champs. Fuck it, I'm thinking, just take Elise for laughs, who gives a shit anymore.

While I'm playing I'm shitposting on discord with a friend and making jokes about the whole thing, and we all know what happens when you make jokes. Didn't win that run but within a day it did get the gears in ye olde brain turning.

(i've now had this sitting in drafts for a month btw LOL i forgor)

The next month I'm starting up yet another run, and at this point I'm so demoralized by my bad luck with this I'm just like, yeah okay whatever Elise again, I'm just gonna lose at Scargrounds again like always

So I'm just going through the motions with this run and being more excited about the loot I'm getting of the Empires of the Ascended event. Somehow got quite lucky through Scars and Sejuani because the ai wasn't pulling followers to play.

Like I really cannot stress how lackluster the rng through this run was, I was genuinely surprised I got through Sejuani lmao

I guess purely to spite me, this run makes it past Foundry and Guard Bots and gets to Viktor. It's.... dicey. Elise's spiders give me more fodder to keep the nexus safe but between Elise's support cards and Sarah's starting deck, I don't really have any big hitters if Viktor starts to beef up, and I was never able to pick up anything from round rewards.

The Ruination I picked up comes in an early draw and comes in handy, clearing the board. I'm in the damn trenches clutching my spiders and fighting for my life. Another Viktor comes out, I draw a second Ruination and pop it. Viktor plays a Nyandroid.

He doesn't seem to have anything else to play. With both Sarah and Elise leading the charge, I attack.

Finally, finally, after so many attempts, I was FREE. Love fucking wins. Sarah's Love Tap took out the 5/1 bot that would have killed Elise during the Guard Bots stage. These champs speedran enemies to lovers through a month of me suffering through to get my first clear. I was utterly bewildered.

So anyway thats the story of how Elise/Miss Fortune was kind of a joke and then not a joke and I have given very serious consideration as to how they could encounter one another and how that would go.

Elise Does make trips to Bilgewater btw, thanks Ruined King!

[kill0mtr]

25 for your oc verse!

25. best scene you havent yet written, but have an idea for?

context i guess?? seth goes to a seer to ask about his family. a seer (fortune teller thats actually legit, though they are quite vague and sometimes misleading) tells seth that he can find his family in a church down the street, he hasnt seen his family in YEARS, and he KNOWS his bio family is dead, so whats the seer up to?

(under the cut cuz it got long sorry)

seth (element of darkness) goes into a church building. the walls are wooden, with a red-purple carpet adorning the floor. seth is slowly but surely stepping towards where an altar would be, but instead theres a curtain covering the stage (idk what its called... yknow how in a church you go up some stairs and theres the altar and everything??? idk) the curtains a pale purplish blue. he grips the curtains, and tears them back, revealing a man writing something at a desk. the man looks up, and his eyes widens at seth. seth immediately summons shadows around him, getting into defensive.

the man stares at him, before raising his hand in greeting. "hello, are you alright?" seth makes the shadows recede, not realizing he had gone defensive. "im f-fine. i was, uh, told by a seer that my... family, uhm, would be here? who are you? you... are, uhm... well, uh, not who im trying to find." the man chuckles, eyes softening in understanding.

"my name is timothy. this church is now my home, as it was abandoned many years ago. and a seer, you say? you are aware that they mislead you, if they so desire?" timothy, a man in his middle ages with grey in his otherwise thick brown hair, plays with a clock hes working on. seth places his hand together, looking pensive.

"ah...then, uhm... i've been f-fooled? thats... i spent a few coins for that..." timothy looks at him. "how old are you, young man?" "i'll be turning, uhm, 21 in the fall, sir." timothy nods. "you remind me of my daughter. though... she's been missing... for quite a while now. she was quiet, and quite polite... i miss her, but i have not a clue where to start looking."

seth stared at him, memories of a fuzzy childhood coming to the forefront. "your...uhm, daughter? what...what was her name?" timothy paused his fiddling, face scrunching up. "sabrina... she disappeared when she was... oh, god, when she was 13. she... i should've been a better father. it's been 8 years and i never looked for her. i should have. i could have. i had all the time in the world, but..."

timothy paused his monolouge, noticing the pale face on seth. "oh! i apologize, you probably do not want to hear an old man ramble about missing children. you said you were trying to find your family?"

"sabrina. sabrina umbrud?" seth shakily asked, taking a step forward. "how... how did you know her last name? not just her last name, but mine as well. who are you?!" timothy reached for a screwdriver, eyes trained on seth's face.

"because, uh... i... i am... well, wow, this is..." seth fumbled over his words, looking around like the words would physically appear if he did. after a moment, seth blurted out, "do you know what transgender means?"

timothy looked bewildered, before his face morphed into understanding. "oh. is... are you implying what i think you are?"

seth nods quickly, shame creeping into his face. "i- yeah, i mean i- y'know, the hormones kind of changed my face, and i totally forgot about you, which, y'know, i REALLY shouldn't forget my own adoptive father, and-"

a hug interrupted him.

"i'm not sure i believe this, fully. but if this is real, and you are to be my... son. then... i'm sorry, i never looked for you. i... are you still- what should i call you?"

"seth. hi."

"seth... it's a nice name. i guess that seer was correct, after all."

-

ermm. i have no idea how to write characters. or if thats like, organic??? also this kinda turned into an actual story, oops

[introvertbard]

Building on my post:

So Bailey is definitely TALENTED, not saying he isn't at all. He did some psychological/thriller stuff like American Psycho's musical(!!!) and he was in a Doctor Who episode (which is notably soft sci-fi and known for scaring the shit out of people, and you COULD say that the step from "science that's basically treated as magic" to "actual magic" is very small from there).

But there's a reason miscasting is a thing, and "acting posses/stables" are a thing, and why actors tend to settle down into a genre or two. The meme where "fantasy is when Karl Urban has long hair, and sci-fi is when he has short hair" is very much true in many cases, because when you're doing X Genre, you WILL want to get an actor who is a safe/proven bet.

You can only learn so much in one career/life, and in the performing arts, you gotta get fucking GOOD at what you do. Many actors CAN do any genre they're cast in, in that they will do the job right, but few actors are real "chameleons" who are PHENOMENAL AT IT, and those actors are in FUCKING HIGH DEMAND.

You can learn to do everything well eventually, too, but it takes DECADES. Bailey is in his thirties; being talented is not a substitute for the acting experience that someone like Orlando Jones has, to just do whatever the fuck he wants after starting as a comedian on MAD TV.

I don't know if Bailey's done ACTUAL fantasy before, and the world of Oz is a VERY specific work as a hallmark of American media.

Bailey strikes me as an actor who's good at period pieces and Shakespeare, and he obviously wouldn't be in the cast if he didn't have a good/acceptable singing voice. Getting a Shakespeare-trained actor CAN be good for Wicked, with its antiquated dialogue and setting... or it can be that all these great parts just don't end up working right for some reason, or he doesn't have the right chemistry with the cast. Then the reactions to his Fiyero become "well he's okay but not GREAT (which some actors find more painful than ACTUALLY being bad!)" or "he's really nice, but not as Fiyero, PLEASE SWITCH HIM WITH X ACTOR" or "Why is Anthony Fucking Bridgerton even HERE?!"

Anyway, I stayed up too late again. Dear readers, this would-be actor rambling is NOT out of bitterness or jealousy. It is the strange and bewildered feeling you get when "the stuff I loved ten years ago just decided to come back in my thirties, like an ex-boyfriend in a Hallmark movie desperately ringing my doorbell, and when I open the door, he looks like shit."

I'm still happy/sad about fucking GAMBIT showing up in Deadpool and Wolverine, and finding out his actor spent ten goddamn years being yanked around by various companies.

Like, for fuck's sake, why are you all here now? What took you so long? Do I need to call 911?

Sooooooooo as a former musical nerd who never actually got to be in musicals, I find it very poetic that Ariana Grande is infamous for having an affair with Ethan Slater... and Glinda's fiance ends up running off with her best friend. Also, Ethan Slater is Boq in the Wicked movie and I have to wonder what the director was thinking when he cast BOTH of them. I'm of the camp that dating your cast-mates is REALLY risky.

ALSO also, I know I made a crack at Jonathan Bailey being a foot taller than both of his co-stars, but I'm basically watching this for Cynthia Erivo because I don't care about Grande OR him. I was constantly irritated with Anthony Bridgerton, and Bailey just seems the most vanilla person you could EVER cast as Fiyero.

Like, Fiyero is HEAVILY a supporting role in the show/movie about the two most famous witches of Oz. I feel like they only cast Bailey because he's already played Anthony Bridgerton, a rich and conventionally attractive nobleman.

SPOILERS FOR ANY NON-THEATER FOLKS ABOUT WHY I DON'T KNOW IF BAILEY CAN PULL OFF FIYERO!!!

So while Fiyero starts out as a careless prince who pretends to be brainless to avoid the gnawing sadness/ennui in his soul, he eventually becomes a rebel with Elphaba to start freeing Oz's sentient Animals from slavery. He gets captured and tortured, and while Elphaba is trying to save/heal him, she accidentally turns him into a scarecrow.

The productions explicitly show the sentient Monkeys being forced to grow wings as painful, and Boq's actor can also play his own transformation into the Tin Man as horrific and painful as well.

I don't know if Bailey's done anything like that, and I especially don't know if his fans crossing over from Bridgerton are gonna be happy when they find out his pretty mug is going to turn into a sack with a face painted on it. A lot of Fiyero's other actors like to imitate Ray Bolger's walk from the 1939 film, where he's always tripping on himself and bending weird.

Since Fiyero is being tortured and gets turned into fucking straw, Bailey is gonna have to dig DEEP and find some Cillian Murphy Scarecrow vibes for that.

To Future Me, next month: If Bailey actually ends up being like Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine and just absorbing the character into himself for like ten years, I will eat my words without question.

[twisted-wonderland-but-gayer]

Do we have a mafia boss yuu?? Cause I would love to talk about one

I can just imagine them coming in during chapter 3 and ruining azul’s plan so quickly.

Azul is trying to get them to sign the contract yet yuu is just playing some mental games on him, or just flirting to catch him off guard

Azul is turned on Furious at this yuu because how did he get played at his own game???

Ramshackle is their base of operations, and I’d feel like this yuu might recruit NPCS

This yuu would never be blackmailed by Crowley, they would find dirt on him and indirectly threaten him with no hesitation

Bonus points if they have some cool looking tattoos

Ok this gave me a mini idea. Forgive me for this ramble but i am verybtired. Nor exactly a super mafia boss type. Maybe an ayato or just clever yuu but:

I heard mafia ans immediately thought like a royal guard in charge of rules oops

Jade: is this your first time her-

Yuu: Cut the shit I know how this works. Let Azul know we need to speak to him. I'd like a cola and get Jack here a tea. Also if you woukd be so kind to allow me to change servers to Ace, you wouldn't mind would ya leech?

After yuu enters the VIP room they give a kiss to Azuls hand, surprising him before sitting down.

***

Jack is staring at you bewildered. "You aren't actually gonna make a deal with him are you?"

"Hmm not yet. I want to see those three squirm for a bit more" yuu smirked and laughed.

"It was their fault for signing a contract so easily, after all. Not even bothering to look it over. Taking the easy way out... in a way i admire how Azul run things..."

Azul beamed "Im flattered and glad we have a mutual understanding. Its good to know that someone in that group has a bit of brain."

"Hmm yes, however sadly, we both know I'm not here for idle chatter. If it were up to me I wouldn't bother with any of this, but Crowleys orders, yknow?"

"I understand. Here is the terms of the contract." Azul reveals the golden paper to Yuu, who takes it and thoroughly reads it.

"Now perhaps if you three actually payed attention in your classes, you would have learned how to see through such deceptive wording." Yuu tutted.

"Oh please you never pay attention in classes!" Ace retorted. "You have no room to talk."

"Well I already graduated college alongside royalty and doctors by my side to serve directly as the Queens right hand man. I don't really need to pay attention to what I already know. I pass every test anyways."

Ace huffed and Deuce looked away. "Okay well good for you. You don't have to try because-"

"-because I already did. Now listen Ace. Imagine if your in charge of practically... everything and always have to keep up appearances. Then suddenly you end up in a place where no one know you with no responsibilities and have to attend a school on the same level as the kindergarten you attended... wouldn't you also skip a few classes?" Yuu raised a brow, their voice eerily cold. "That's what I thought. Now..."

***

As Yuus eyes skimmed through the contract, Jack nudged them. "Dude, you cant be serious."

"Oh but I am. Besides I'm not too worried. Even without me this is a situation that would most definitely solve itself."

"Oh? And what do you mean by that, Yuu." Azul inquired smugly.

"I've seen this exact scenario play out time and time again, Azul. Do you want to know they all ended? In failure."

"Oh please, you doubt me."

"I don't doubt you. You and I both know you're quite smart. However, how much longer do you think you can manage all these contracts realistically, Azul?"

"Organization is key when-"

"Allow me to rephrase that. How much longer do you think your contractors will put up with you?" Azul frowns at that.

"You see, Zul. There are a few ways to get out of contracts like these. To destroy the contracts. To kill yourself. To kill your contractor. Or a rebellion. Usually they all happen at once. No matter how clever you are, you can never account for any of that. Given your reputation, it wouldn't do well to hear some of your clients decided they were better dead because of you. And when that happens, people get angry... people will figure out how to overthrow you. It's happened to kings before."

Azul sat in silence, eye twitching ever so slightly at the gall of this... nobody.

"You have set yourself up for failure. You sit at the very peak of your achievements, the only way to go from here is down, Azul. And when you inevitably do, take it as a lesson. I've seen many promising figures such as yourself dissappear into obscurity. Believe me."

'It was practically my job to ruin stuff like this' Yuu thought. 'Just plant the bait now. Then wait for the fish to come.'

***

"Before I try and negotiate this, answer me this: do you expect a heist from me, Ashengrotto?"

"Oh no, that would be ridiculous. The photo you would be stealing is public property if anything. Nothing more than gum on the wall, no one would notice it missing."

"Uh-Huh and what about it being under the sea."

"You will be provided a premium potion to help you breath underwater. Rest assured, I made it myself."

***

Azul raised a brow when they saw Yuu scribble, circle, and underline certain words and sentences on the contract before pulling out a small pocket journal and ripping out a few small pages.

"I must applaud you work, Azul. You definitely know your way around a contract like a true scumbag."

Azul merely chuckled off the insult. "Of course, however I'm most curious on what your doing with that notepad of yours."

Yuu examines Azuls contract one last time, before ripping it in two, making Azuls eyes widened.

"How about, you make a deal with me?"

***

Azul quirked a brow at the small piece of paper in front of him.

"I have made a simpler deal that sweetens the pot for you. I'm sure you would enjoy it."

Azul looks at the paper, smug grin back on his face when he reads it.

Jack looked over at Yuu confused, before he could ask they answered.

"I have to retrieve that photo in that time span of three days. If I am successful, you release everybody. If I fail, not only will Ramshackle belong to you, but I will transfer to Octavinelle as your personal secretary or butler, no anemone needed. All of my knowledge and experience, yours. I've had a lot of experiencing serving, so I am sure you will be satisfied."

***

"That's crazy!" Deuce yells. "He's gonna run you ragged!"

"I'm part of a corrupted monarchy as an... upholder of the law... There is nothing worse than that. Besides. I win either way."

"How?" Deuce asked.

"Right..." Azul smirks. "I'll sign your contract then, Yuu. Just one—"

"Is there any benefit to staying in Ramshackle? Truly? If I win, Crowley gets what he wants and I get paid and fed. If I loose... well. Would I really? I would be in a new dorm that isn't rotten. I would have more access to food. Crowley couldn't boss me around as much. All this with the only downside of being a servant which I probably will get paid for— something Crowley doesn't do. I don't see a downside for me really."

'Plus if things turn out bad. I can just kill the bastard' Yuu thought.

"You need something from me to make sure I uphold this deal and don't try and change it, yes , yes... give me one moment."

Out of a hidden breast pocket, Yuu pulled out a small decorative box. It's design wasn't like anything from twisted wonderland and it looked quite expensive.

"This is the only personal item I was summoned with. The only think I have left of my family and home. If this ends up ruined in anyway, the deal is off, and depending on how bad the damage is, I may even have your head." Yuus voice stayed eerily calm as ever once again.

Likewise, the fellow businessman Azul stayed calm as well. You both understood each other. This was an act. "Alright then, so far this sounds like a deal..."

"And to calm your nerves, Azul, I'll show you what's in the box so you know I can't lie about anything being broken." Yuu opened up the box and carefully took a few items out. Old friendship bracelets. A couple foreign coins. Damaged Polaroids. "That is all." Yuu said, before putting them all back in.

"Now I would like to receive the potion right before we both sign this to ensure there is no time wasted." "Of course Yuu. It's a deal."

"May the best man win."

***

After another kiss to the hand and exchanged formalities, it was back to the Savannaclaw dorm, where you informed the others about what happened.

"You seriously just signed your life away." Leona snorts.

"Oh please you doubt me. I have a plan. One that you may enjoy..."

"Oh yeah?" Leona asks, unimpressed.

"The entire box is a lie." Leona looked over at Yuu, raising a brow.

"You see, there is several small machines within that box. Regardless if the box is places in that safe of his of not, they'll find a way in and seize all the contracts."

"You really think it would work?"

"If not i have a back up. However I would appreciate if you can be a part of this plan."

"Tch, what's in it for me?"

"Aww, I was being so kind to let you watch Azul squirm..."

"To the point."

"You see my first thought was to burn the contracts, but then I realized they may have a protection spell on them. That's where you come in. You're unique magic can turn it all to dust. Considering that potion you had for that stunt you pulled a while back, I'm sure this isnt your first time making a deal with him too, huh? And don't you hate the bastard? Not only do you get rid of any old deals you made, but you also get the snuff out the light in his eyes."

Leona smirked at your proposal.

"Do we have a deal?"

[grossrottie]

can you share some of your TigerFire hc's? I'm really desperate for new content for this ship.

Of course!!!! Ty for the ask!! c:

I’m not sure what kind of hc’s you want, so here’s a lil rambling that is a lot longer than I anticipated oOPS

Tigerclaw didn’t like Firepaw at first. He thought Thunderclan would be weakened if the other clans found out they fostered a kittypet, much less *invite one in*.

Firepaw was stunned speechless when he spotted the huge tabby tom dwarfing all the other cats in the Thunderclan camp. His fur was so thick and well groomed, and his muscles rippled beneath his pelt with every step he took. His eyes were so beautiful and—Oh shoot, he was looking this way!

Tigerclaw caught Firepaw staring and glared at him, which caused Firepaw to avert his gaze and blush.

The next few moons were full of Firepaw’s training, his transition into the clan, and making eyes at Tigerclaw when he wasn’t looking. Tigerclaw would catch him from time to time and wasn’t sure exactly *why* Firepaw was so nosy in his business. He suspected that Firepaw distrusted him or was influenced by Ravenpaw’s fear of his own mentor.

Firepaw confessed his feelings a few moons before he became a warrior. Tigerclaw was stunned, definitely, and he also suspected that Firepaw was simply having a dumb little kittypet crush. He grumbled something akin to “Put focus into being a warrior instead of being a smitten fool, and *maybe* I’ll grow to respect you.”

Firepaw heard this and was thrilled. If he grew strong and was a loyal member of Thunderclan, then Tigerclaw might return his feelings!!

(Tigerclaw seriously didn’t think Firepaw was invested in this little crush, so he brushed off the situation and forgot about it. Firepaw didn’t.)

Then, at Firepaw’s warrior ceremony, the flame furred tom bumped noses with Tigerclaw and softly murmured “Do you respect me now?”

Tigerclaw made a face, unsure of Fireheart’s meaning. “I respect all Thunderclan warriors.” He replied vaguely.

Fireheart beamed. Throughout his vigil, his mind wandered to the brown tabby warrior. Surely that meant that Tigerclaw would return his feelings, right? He clearly indicated that he respected Fireheart now.

(Oh, the miscommunication.)

So for quite a while after Fireheart becomes a warrior and gains his full name, he is under the impression that Tigerclaw and him had discussed his ‘crush’, and that Tigerclaw is well aware of it. Fireheart tries to be a great warrior, he fights and hunts and obeys his senior warriors, but still, as the moons pass, Tigerclaw doesn’t initiate anything. Sure, he invites Fireheart on patrols, but he never gives Fireheart more than a sideways glance.

Tigerclaw has no clue that Fireheart expects anything from him. He assumes that Fireheart is satisfied with being a warrior and earning respect.

So therefore a *second* confession is in order.

More heartfelt than the first one, more mature, but just as clumsy.

About six moons after he became a warrior and this one-sided dance truly began, Fireheart finally manages to go on a hunting patrol with just Tigerclaw, and he confronts him. Was he not a good enough clan cat? Was it because he wasn’t clan-born? Was Tigerclaw just stringing him along? Was there something he did wrong? Was there—

“You *still* have a thing for me?” Tigerclaw asks, bewildered. He was *sure* it was just a kitten crush, had he been wrong to assume?

Fireheart stares up at him, seemingly baffled by the shocked response. “Yes?!” He exclaims, his tail bushing out to twice its size. “Of course I do!”

Tigerclaw gapes for a split second before schooling his expression. Why would Fireheart have a crush on *him* of all cats? He is silent, quickly flicking through his memories of Fireheart’s behaviour in the past moons. Sure enough, the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes “Oh Starclan, I must be oblivious.”

He stammers for a second.

Fireheart waits impatiently, almost standing on his toes in his anticipation of Tigerclaw’s response.

“…”

“…”

“So…” Tigerclaw clears his throat, floundering for something to say.

Fireheart butts in, saving Tigerclaw the stress of words. “Do you want to go on a hunting patrol tomorrow?”

Tigerclaw hesitates, meets Fireheart’s gaze, and sees that the ginger tabby’s expression is hopeful and forgiving, not hurt or offended.

“Yes. That might be nice.”

[slightlycrunchy]

questions

For @biaz5548 prompt, chats between training with Aizawa and Shinsou! Thanks so much for being patient! 💛

Rated G, dadzawa and shinson

“Sensei?” Shinsou begins one summer morning, the heat already thrumming through Shouta’s veins even at the early hour.

Shouta looks over at the boy who sits beside him, a carbon copy with his legs drawn up and arms thrown loosely over his knees. His fingers twitch and fiddle and Shouta thinks it interesting that he won’t look over at him even as he addresses him. Shouta lets his answering silence wash over them both, comfortable and familiar as the older man brings his foot towards his body, stretching his hips comfortably as they rest between rounds. They’ve been going at it hard, trying to get Shinsou used to the rigors of hero training, and Shouta is more than willing to say the boy has done well so far.

As expected, eventually the silence gives way to words.

“Do you…I guess I mean– Do you have…? No, that wouldn’t be it, of course you would have, everyone does–” Shinsou begins to ramble to himself. Shouta is mildly amused to find that this is not unexpected. At length Shinsou seems to settle on just what he wants to say. “What’s your favorite food?”

The question takes Shouta by surprise, but even more so does the look of earnestness that blankets Shinsou’s face as he turns to look at him. Slowly, Shouta unfurls his leg until they both stretch before him where he sits on the ground. He feels his lips purse in thought.

Where is this coming from?

“Shoyu ramen, but only from a specific place I first discovered back in my broke, trainee days,” Shouta says easily. There is a stifling breeze making its way across the UA grounds, irritating in its incapability to cool anyone down. He turns to the boy and smirks. “You were probably expecting something along the lines of jelly packets, weren’t you?”

Shinsou’s sweat-damp skin comes alive with a bewildered expression as his hand comes to scratch at the back of his own neck. “Uh, no, not really. I just…well I didn’t know, did I? I guess I had hoped no one’s favorite food was jelly packets,” he says sheepishly.

“You got me there.”

Shinsou takes a breath. “And, what about color?” 

Shouta quirks up an eyebrow.

“Sorry, I mean what’s your favorite color,” he corrects. 

Shouta takes a moment to answer this one, eyeing the boy with a steady gaze. Shinsou is obviously uncomfortable under his watchful eye, but far better than he used to be, in the beginning of their…relationship? Agreement? Shouta still isn’t sure what to call it most days. All he knows about it is that he feels a certain tug, a connection he finds comes easily with almost all of the children he teaches. The curse of having a soft heart, Yamada would say. 

“Yellow.”

The boy smiles slightly. “Is that why your sleeping bag is yellow?”

“The sleeping bag is yellow because that was the first one I could find that I thought was comfortable, but it is a nice coincidence, I suppose.” Yellow reminds him of the golden buttons on his UA uniform gleaming on his first day of highschool, of meeting his best friend, of the faded collar his childhood cat used to wear. 

Of his goggles that hang around his neck when he’s in uniform, a reminder both of duty and something far heavier.

The breeze causes the ends of his hair to tickle just at the edge of his chin. He scratches absently.

“There’s not much yellow around your apartment that I’ve seen,” Shinsou says, almost as if to himself. “I- I mean, not that there should be, I’m not telling you how to decorate your house–”

Shouta interrupts his stuttering with a wave of his hand. “I know kid, relax,” he says amusedly, a huff of laughter exiting through his nose. “That’s just because I can’t decorate, I don’t think that will come as a surprise. How often do you see me wear anything other than my uniform and the same monochrome black outfit? The less choice the better in my opinion—variety is not always the spice of life.” Shouta enjoys streamlining an otherwise stressful existence; why make it harder with extra decisions when he already must make those of the life-or-death variety regularly?

“Those pink sweatpants aren’t monochrome.”

Shouta whips around, eyes wide. “I thought you said you didn’t see those?” He eyes the boy suspiciously.

“Kinda hard not to, sensei. You were just that much too slow closing your door, I guess.”

Oh, they’re teasing now.

“I’ll remember this, kid. If it ever gets out that I own such a thing, I will know where it came from and there will be swift retribution, mark my words,” Shouta deadpans, but even so he sees Shinsou’s mouth wobbling from his attempt to not burst out laughing. “Swift is my middle name.”

“Yamada-sensei said you don’t have one, so I don’t think that’s true.”

“Well aren’t we sure of ourselves today?”

And even as he says it, he marvels at the exchange between them right now.

Seeing Shinsou like this, comfortable in his own—slightly embarrassed—way, when at first it had been like pulling teeth to get the kid to talk to him in any capacity other than ‘yes sensei’ and ‘no sensei’ and repeated promises that Shouta wouldn’t regret helping him, makes him feel like the sun isn’t doing its best to beat him into the dirt. Like the suffocating air around them is instead cool and refreshing. 

Shouta places his hands behind him, leaning all his weight onto the small bones of his wrists. “So where have the twenty questions come from? Got something on your mind?” he asks casually. This has been going well but Shinsou will draw the line somewhere, as the past has taught him. Shouta will respect the boundary when it is presented.

Shinsou clears his throat. “Oh, um… I guess, just…I don’t know much about you. Or, I realized I don’t think I do, and we’ve spent time together but I sort of realized that I didn’t know the things you find out about a person when you first make a friend and–”

Shinsou stops, even his breathing halting in his chest as Shouta watches the realization wash over his face of what he has just said. 

Shouta has to fight back his own bark of laughter, now.

“Friends? You think we’re friends?” he asks invitingly, his head tilted in question. He can’t hide all of his amusement, a smile fighting to curl up his mouth, but sue him, he’s not perfect. 

“A-ah I– I don’t– I’m sorry sensei I shouldn’t have said that–” he stutters, something like actual fear overtaking his body. Shouta sees as he begins to shake and his eyes seem just a bit more bright than they were a minute ago.

The boy goes to stand. 

“Sorry I asked, I was just being nosy, I feel better now! Super rested! Let’s just get back to it, yeah?” he babbles and Shouta watches as he turns away.

Shouta does not move from his spot on the ground.

“Shinsou.”

It’s a trained response the way Shinsou stops everything he is doing, still turned away but every nerve focused towards Shouta’s quiet voice that barely rises above the wind.

“We can be friends.”

At first it’s almost as if nothing was said, the boy held at attention like a deer caught in headlights, unsure whether it should run or stay its ground, but as the seconds pass, Shouta sees how the tension bleeds from Shinsou’s shoulders. His cheeks are ruddy and his mouth is slack as he turns around to face Shouta who is still a level below him.

“F-friends?”

Shouta allows the smile now, small and soft. “Sure, kid. Friends. I’m still your mentor, and you have to listen to me as I’m in a position of authority over you, but I don’t think both things can’t coexist. You’re smart enough to know when one is required over the other, I’m not worried about it,” he says matter of fact. He rises now, the scant few inches he has over the boy who only seems to be growing more like a weed every day becoming more prominent as he walks forward. Shouta holds out his hand, open in the space between them. “Friends.”

As Shinsou brings his hand forward and grasps Shouta’s, the handshake leaving a little to be desired on the boy’s side of things, Shouta feels all the pieces come together. 

Shinsou had been nervous to try and get to know Shouta in any capacity other than mentor-mentee, and he’s proud of the kid for attempting the icebreakers every child learns at a young age. Shinsou’s natural propensity for seclusion and low self-esteem only makes what he’s attempted today more impressive. Shouta brings his other hand forward, placing it firmly on Shinsou’s sun-drenched shoulder.

“You did good, kid.”

Shinsou all but beams.

As they walk back to the middle of the field they have reserved for the next hour, a new sort of thread tied between them that hadn’t existed moments prior, an idea suddenly strikes Shouta.

“So what’s your favorite color then?” Shouta asks nonchalantly. He doesn’t look over, his eyes focused forward as they walk but it doesn’t take much to hear the small catch in Shinsou’s voice when he answers.

“Purple.”

“Should have known.”

Even the heat can’t bring down the burning energy they both seem to find during what’s left of their session.

[ultraericthered]

Now this is a bit of a miscommunication. When I say the nobodies were lackluster as villains that means we, the player, should've seen them a bit more. That does not mean Sora had to, that doesn't even mean they needed to do more in the worlds. The final mix even addressed that issue by adding scenes from the KH2 Novel. Whether they did good or needed more will vary on personal preference. As enemies to fight, we'll have to agree to disagree. They shouldn't take up more time than heartless due to their sapient nature but I do feel they should've done a bit more.

That's the thing: the FM edition, which is the definitive and most widely available version of the game as of the HD Remasters, pushed harder with the Nobodies and the Organization compared to the initial release to the point where there are more sections of the games featuring Nobody activity than there are lacking them. And I'm in agreement that "a bit more" was still left desired even then, which is what I was talking about in that post I just linked to.

No, it wasn't. Even if Re:CoM did a good job here it does not fix it in KH2. KH2 is the focus of this ramble for a reason.

CoM was the bridge game from KH1 to KH2, and Re:CoM was made specifically to be packaged with KH2:FM, thus made over to be more in line with KH2 compared to the original GBA game. And even with that aside, the line in CoM that established the Organization as being a thing was about how unlocking all the secrets of the heart was the Organization's one true mission, it's very reason for existing. There was nothing ruling out the possibility that the Superior created this group as means of learning enough about the heart and about Kingdom Hearts itself so as to attain hearts for them, the Nobodies (which is always what CoM positioned them as, with Axel and Vexen both using the term). There was realistically no way to connect the larger Organization's motives and schemes in KH2 to those of this six member faction in Castle Oblivion in any way that wouldn't ironically feel forced rather than organic (like if the Organization in KH2 wanted to steal Sora's Keyblade or make Riku embrace darkness or just kill Sora and Riku to avenge their losses at Castle Oblivion, etc.)

This is the same miscommunication as earlier. I seek for them to be more present for me, the audience, not Sora. Comparing DDD & KH3 to this is also comparing apples and oranges to be frank.

We know all too well by now that what the audience might think would be best for them isn't always what's essentially required for the story and characters. The Organization is best suited to be this shadowy menace that only steps into the spotlight at some crucial points rather than ever-present antagonists to the Disney worlds.

I also can't agree on worlds feeling more alive that way because I fundamentally do not like Maleficent in KH2 nor did 2 do decent enough with the villains it did use for me to have faith in this idea.

Big minority opinion there, I'm afraid. KH2 was, for the most part, really good with its villains and in juggling the variety with them. If you start seeing black coats and hoods in most visits to every major world that the game has to offer you, it starts to feel too contrived.

If you don't wish for "more of the same of what KH2 gave me", you just plain don't like KH2. It'd be fine if you could just admit that.

We'll agree though I do worry you're more focused on the whole than Kh2. I list the whole but that focus was KH2. Or, in more blunt terms, KH2 itself lost me on the nobody concept for reasons already mentioned. Later game entries just made it worse.

The concept of Nobodies notably snowballed into something more convoluted, bewildering, and at time even self-contradictory by KH2 than what it began as when KH1:FM introduced it. I think you, @themattress and I can all agree as much. But even when looking at it through only what KH2 gave us, the fundamental underlining intent behind the concept and its implementation at various stages of the narrative and how it mattered to the characters was always crystal clear. They're beings that have an emptiness where their sense of self used to be, are hollow, semi-corporal vessels who lack the hearts with which to truly feel and experience any of the emotions they may still express, are fully sapient and capable of thought, planning, and choosing their paths unlike the more beastial, instinct-driven Heartless, and do not belong to Darkness but are cast away from the World of Light, rendering them as belonging only to the neither, the "nothingness", of the in-between. To me and to an untold many who played and loved KH2, that's a damn solid and invaluable concept.

The expansions did not instill that pointless feeling in me, KH2 did. Everything after just made it impossible to ignore. lol

So, you cast blame onto KH2 for being the "downfall" point due to its clumsy execution of stuff like Nobodies. Yeah. That is lol-worthy.

Nobody Ramble

No, I’m not gonna rant about how I think nobodies should’ve been a heartless type again. I still think that but I also think that the idea just suffered from KH2′s writing and the later games alterations.

I wont say KH2 was outright bad, since to some it wasn’t, but I do think we can all agree it had a lot of good ideas it didn’t execute that well. Like the entire plot spectacularly built up during Roxas’ prologue vanishing for half a game the moment Sora wakes up.

And yes I think the nobodies were one of those poorly executed things. However the idea is damn good on paper. I mean it makes sense, what does happen to a physical body after it’s heart is stolen?

It’s a fantasy series so it’s not like we need a huge level of detail. The set up is damn perfect, the heart’s will is so strong it clings to the body as it’s being stolen. Boom, you have this tortured being that remembers what it’s like to feel or be “whole” but can’t be.

It brought on a lot of great debates back in the day. It’s something we can all identify with, a “what would you be willing to do to be yourself again?” motive for their actions.

It also contrasted their heartless counterparts greatly. The heartless are mindless, the very heart of a person turned into a monster due to darkness. The nobodies are bordering on nothing, they can think but they can’t feel, they dont have instinct.

Even the names contrast. To a degree, the heartless are the true nobodies since they dont even have awareness. In turn the nobodies are the true heartless since they are bodies without a heart, a body lacking it’s mind/soul in our real world terms.

It’s all edgelord as hell in retrospect to me but it was 2005, the era my gen hit that phase. Still, the concept works really well which makes me wonder where it went wrong. Sure I can peg things added later like in DDD but during KH2 it’s a wonder almost as to how.

A good portion of it was KH2′s writing just bouncing around, we rarely seen our antagonists and when we did it felt kinda lackluster. They also showed more emotion than a being lacking feeling should. It broke the illusion. Originally it was stated they do this because they’re acting according to memory. this would’ve worked real well if they had kept that logic for each one.

The best example, I think, was Demyx. His personality just vanishes when it’s time to battle, it played into the sense he’s showing his real nature. It was kinda eerie tbh, that these creatures can drop their perceived persona in a heartbeat. Of course this is undone as he screams in horror because he’s fading, showing fear, but I think it would’ve done real well if every nobody displayed this trait and stuck to it.

Thinking on it, that may have been the problem. These characters were supposed to be emotionless, faked personalities, but it’s also really hard to write interesting villains that way. KH2 had to balance the act and follow up the rather good writing of Chain of Memories.

At this point we didn’t know what nobodies were which let the original version of the game (alongside textboxes) have more freedom with the characters. They had personality and motives aside wanting to be “whole”.  This hurt KH2 in a way as well I think, they had to persevere the mystery of the “Organization” for Kh2′s release but they wrote the members like normal people. The whole scheme of the game is Marluxia’s thirst for power/keyblade for example

The only one really true to a nobodies nature in the game was Axel. He had a persona forged from what he remembered but he clearly didn’t care what he was doing. Such as the death scenes of Vexen and Zexion. (not counting the scene Axel mentions feeling something)

The final main problem, I think, was the aforementioned bouncing of KH2′s writing. We rarely saw our villains and when we did it was…uh…a mixed bag. You’d get scenes like Sora telling a grown man “you gonna cry!?” then scenes as fucking soul crushing as Roxas’ basically dying at the start of the game.

More importantly though, you didn’t see them. Sure the Final Mix added scenes but it just feels a bit weird. Of the titles, KH1 & CoM had the best presence of a villain. You regularly saw them watching Sora, talking to one another, being cohesive and plotting.

Basically put, the writing of KH1 & CoM introduced the villains to us early on. Sora didn’t meet them until later but we the player knew they were there. This sense wasn’t in KH2. The nobodies had no presence.

They want to collect hearts? Ok then show them doing this. You dont necessarily have to copy KH1 & CoM but you should show the nobodies being counteractive to Sora.

Given the context of the Organizations goal, all you really had to do was show them in the disney worlds being the source of chaos. They want hearts, Sora, their only remaining means of getting them, is free. Have the problems in Disney worlds be due to nobodies.

Throw out Pete, have the Organization or even mid boss nobodies releasing heartless into worlds. Have a moment or two when the nobodies save Sora to further confuse him. (sora wouldn’t know they need him at this point)

Explore the nature of nobodies and Ansem, have more of the Organization level bosses behave like Demyx did. Having personalities they show only to drop the facade once they’re in battle or dying.

Rather than fear, hate or anything, show how truly lost they are when they’re fading away. No sadness, no tears, just fade away. Play on the creepiness of these beings. 

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Don’t have Sora be so antagonistic to them. Yes Sora isn’t some saint but have him behave more like KH1 or CoM. In CoM Sora openly questions what they are, aghast Axel would kill one of his own with no emotion. Bring this back, play on both Sora’s anger and his empathy.

The Nobody premise was really good on paper, it just needed minor tweaks. Play on the creepiness of their false personas, the tragic nature of a being that can’t feel. Their motives for being villains was damn good and it sparked so much debate.

Keep the nobodies as they are and just expand on them properly. I know newer fans or those loving the newer material wont get it but, to me, it was truly sad to see Nomura “patchwork” them later.

“Oh they act like they feel? That’s because they can grow new hearts!” “They werent’ that relevant in their own game? Dont worry they’re relevant now and human again too!” “Roxas could cry? Easy, it wasn’t nothing special he just had a heart of his own and Ven’s.” “The nobodies had this morally questionable reason to get kingdom hearts? Nah Xehanort just wanted to yoink 13 extra bodies.”

Kh2′s writing lost me on nobodies before but these additions added later really threw me off to them as a concept. They feel moot and I think that’s sad. Now I’m speculating what could’ve been or worse, wishing the concept wasn’t used at all….

Thanks for reading.