#i personally have always used it as greed!ling

[0gata]

We don't give Greed enough credit 💥

Under the cut is a long rant on why Greed leaving the Homunculi is so cool <3

Given the fact that the homunculi are a piece of Father's soul and the way Greed acted when he was brought back; it looks like they're born with full dedication to Father and their belief that humans are an energy source far below them. (Though it is a bit different in Gluttony and Sloth.) It looks like he can alter the souls of his children before he gives them their bodies so who knows what he programs into them. While that's pure speculation, even if it's false the Homunculi are quick to be taught that. Their full time job is essentially to brutally fuck over humans in mass and manipulate them. Their group is an echo chamber parroting that humans are inferior and to be used for their plans.

Also given the timeline, Greed most likely carved a crest of blood, specifically the Soapman incident in frisk. Also with his personality and him being one of the first Homunculi to look like an adult human he was def given his fair share of jobs manipulating/killing people. (Think Lust and Havoc)

Greed lived with that for 100 years. He says his avarice made him leave but he could've had anything under Father. The Homunculi had Amestris in their hands!

He could've had a stable supply of souls to give him the closest thing to immortality too !! If his goal was always to betray father on the promised day he could've just followed orders until the day of but, he still left !!

And he didn't just leave, he then coexists with humans for another 100 years and he had morals too??? He doesn't lie and doesn't like fighting women, who taught him such manners ?? His living conditions throughout those years were subpar at best; the dude is stuck in hiding as a known criminal. Fulfilling his Greed isn't practical or possible.

Also the group of humans he chose as his gang? Yeah they're his family's human experiments. It's canon that chimera's are strong but have you considered the health issues they have? There's no shot a majority of them are in good condition, mentally or physically, when he rescues them.

Now fast forward to Greed's soon to be first death: he has the option to go back and still refuses ! After he's brought back, he lasts like a month before leaving again and immediately interferes with Fathers plans !!

While sharing a body with Ling he does what he can to help humans and discourage them from fighting. He gains nothing from this.

Sure, Greed almost sacrifices the country so he can try ruling the world BUT that attempt was so weak and he immediately gave up he gets a pass.

Either way I love this confused loser sm. <3

[twistedtummies2]

So Then seven fandoms you said...

Twisted Wonderland

Disney (general)

Kung Fu Panda

The Bad Guys

My Hero Academia

Hazbin Hotel

Fullmetal Alchemist ...Name one character from each franchise that you would use as butt pillow

Oooooh, interesting choices...gotta think about this...

You'd probably expect me to say Leona, but I think he's more likely to use my face as a pillow for his butt. >///> I think the one who would tickle my fancy there most would be Jack Howl. I can see him letting an S/O do that while blushing all the while, claiming he's only doing it so they won't bug him...but he secretly enjoys it. Plus, he's canonically got one of the biggest butts at Night Raven, so that helps. XD

Disney on the whole? Oooooh...oh, that's tough...there's so many options, I'm not sure. And I don't want to cheat and use TW again. XD Hmmmmm...I'm gonna saaaaaay...Pete. As in the Mickey Mouse villain. Him being a big smug lummox about some adorable little "pipsqueak" and their kinks, laughing that heavy, mean laugh of his, or maybe even getting flustered himself for comedy's sake...both are yes please. <3

Po. This was the only easy answer. LOL Moving on.

While Mr. Wolf is my favorite crush from "The Bad Guys," I feel I have to say Mr. Shark on pure principle. XD

Oooooh, another toughy...hmmmm...I'm gonna saaaay...Kirishima. Which may seem like an odd choice, especially with the hardening ability, but a.) he doesn't HAVE to use that, after all, and b.) I think he's got the right balance of personality, if that makes sense. My other immediate options would be Midoriya or Bakugou, and one of them is way too innocent and the other...well...FREAKING INSANE. :P Kirishima I think has the right blend of being able to be playful and kink-teasing while also being sweethearted and maybe slightly flustered in his own way as well, which I think fits this type of scenario best.

Ahhh...this is tough, because the thing about Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss is that most of these characters don't really HAVE magnificent rear ends to speak of. The art style is very angular, with the characters having more sharp points and strict lines than major curves. And with all three of my top three biggest crushes for "Hazbin," specifically, the same rule applies...plus, NONE of them seem like they'd be remotely into that. XD I actually don't know with this one. I'm into a lot of characters sitting on me, but allowing my head to just rest on their rear like a pillow? (shrugs) Maybe Husk? Because it would be hilarious for the Grumpy Cat to just be all, "...Seriously? What the Here? -_- " And try to shake someone off with no success. Hey, when in doubt, use comedy. :P

FMA: Brotherhood is SUCH a weird show for me. There are so many characters that SHOULD be kinkable for me, but...well...almost none of them ARE. There's always some kind of caveat involved with them, where I go, "They could be majorly appealing to me EXCEPT...!" There are only two characters who are exceptions, and even they aren't among my STRONGEST crushes: those characters are Greed (both versions of him, pre-and-post-Ling Yao) and Envy. And between the two, Greed seems the most likely to ALLOW that WITHOUT horribly murdering me, so I guess we'll say him. 'XD

And now, SURPRISE EIGHTH FANDOM: "Moriarty the Patriot." I choose William James Moriarty himself. For no other reason than he's my favorite character, my biggest crush, and canonically looks QUITE curvy in several pieces of official artwork. >///>

[lovelymessybubbly]

I binge read fullmetal alchemist about 2 weeks ago, and I absolutely fell in love with the story and all the characters.

I headcanon that Winry would be the best ler, like she could wreck the hell out of eldric brothers, but she's also the sweetest.

She helps remind Al that he's still human and comforts him when he has nightmares about being stuck in old metal body or feels like he's not making enough progress in alchemy.

She's constantly tickling Ed when he thinks that he's not useful anymore without alchemy. Not to mention, I'd imagine those areas where scars would be from losing his arm and leg would be pretty sensitive.

My favorite character is hands down Greed/Lin. Like he would be a great ler but also a fantastic lee bc man's spend so much time thinking he wants everything, but he just wants friends, so there's no better bonding technique. In short, he needs to get wrecked but also wreck the hell out of someone bc they said they loved to laugh, so he wants to keep them laughing, right? The switchiest of switches.

I have so many thoughts, okay

ahhh i am so excited you loved it, it is so so good, right ??? (੭ु˶˭̵̴⃙⃚⃘᷄ᗢ˭̴̵⃙⃚⃘᷅˶)੭ु⁾⁾~ the wide variety of unique characters was one of the main charm points to me, as well.

all your thoughts are spot on hehe; winry always struck me the same way, since she is so compassionate and kindhearted, yet has that bit of feistiness and stubbornness. tickling seems like it would be a sort of “tough love” tactic to her lol. like, digging into ed’s armpits every time he catches an attitude, or pinning al to the ground and scribbling all over his tummy after he expresses doubt in himself. just a very “hey !! listen up !! you are wonderful !!” sort of ordeal lol.

and i totally agree about greed uwehh, he does have a super switch personality just based on his desire to have EVERYTHING lol. and his time spent in ling’s body must have only heightened those instincts; before, he surely would have been a total ler, the devious bastard, but after being stuck in the body of such a young, impressible, and hyperactive individual, he was definitely subjected to things he would not have allowed in any case before, such as tickling (ᗒᗜᗕ)՛̵̖ i mean, normally, that sort of touch does not get to him right away, it would take more than that to bring down a homunculus. but, somehow, now the tickling is way more unbearable, and it’s all because this kid he is stuck with is so damned ticklish !! so greed gets caught by a tickling attack, and all of a sudden laughter is bubbling up in his throat wayy faster than usual, and he feels much more hysterical than he would have expected. meanwhile, cut to ling’s internal monologue, and he is laughing his precious head off, writhing around, hiccuping out “that tickles !! that tickles !!” not even trying to fight it haha. so, that does not leave greed with a lot of options. sorry, greed !! so i bet he became accustomed to that nonsense real quick.

but, as we know, ling ended up rubbing off on greed a bit, so perhaps he learns to embrace it after a while…

thank you so much for sharing these with us !! i am so happy you loved it kyaaaah, it really is just an amazing series °₊·ˈ∗(( ॣ>̶᷇ᗢ<̶᷆ ॣ))∗ˈ‧

[kitxkatrp]

🎨,🖤,🏹,💔,🎄,❌(Lan Fan),🗡️,😶‍🌫️,❤️‍🔥, 💄, ❤️, 🎀, 🧪, 🤔, 💀(Fu's death), ✍️ all for LING YAO c:

🎨 ARTIST PALETTE— what are some hobbies that you like to partake in? do you think they're just to pass time or to distract yourself, or do you believe some of them potentially have therapeutic outcomes for you?

"I like eating and trying new foods that I haven't tried before! It's loads of fun, but also, I tend to faint if I don't eat very often, so it's beneficial for me anyway. Besides, it's relaxing."

🖤 BLACK HEART — what would you say is the darkest thought you've ever experienced? what do you think caused you to have that thought? have you ever planned on or fantasized about acting on it?

"When Envy changed into Lan Fan...I was horrified....but a part of me wanted to rip him to pieces, slowly, carve his tongue out and rip out his eyes for daring to defile the image of someone I cared about." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't get the chance to, but I still think about it sometimes. I'm...a little upset I never got the chance to have a go at him, but I hear Mustang did a good job of it by himself."

✈️ AIRPLANE — have you traveled anywhere that helped you discover something about yourself and/or about the world?

"I traveled to Amestris to find the secret of immortality, but...while I was there I think I got stronger as a person. I lost some important things and a person along the way...and I still walked out of it accomplishing my goal. I think...because I did that, I can lead this country more efficiently."

💔 BROKEN HEART — is there anyone in your life you wish you had a better relationship with? if so, how come? what makes this person important to you?

"I'm not sure if this counts since he died not that long after I became Emperor, but I wish I had a better one with my Father. I wish that I wasn't just a number to him. I wish it wasn't all /games/ to see who was succeed him. I wish he had actually cared for each of us individually. For us he was one person. To him, we were all melded together like a stew. I always despised that about him."

🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your favorite holiday and why?

"New Years, New Years Day specifically. I like the festivities, and I like the promise of a new year. It means you survived yet another year, you're still alive, and you get to celebrate being alive. What's there not to like about that? Oh...also the food."

❌ CROSS MARK — how would your life be different if [name of person] had never been in it? would it be better or worse?

"I--honestly I don't want to think about that. But...I think I would have failed my quest. I don't think I would be Emperor without her support and I don't think I would have survived very long. I....she's always been by my side and made me feel safe. Without Lan Fan...I don't want to know."

🗡️ DAGGER — what is something or someone you know you can't afford to lose? how far are you willing to go to make sure you don't lose it/them?

"Lan Fan or Greed. I refuse to lose either of them. I nearly did, both of them, multiple times, and that was the worst feeling I've ever felt. I refuse to let myself fall into that state again and for that, I need them both with me. They are my strength."

😶‍🌫️ FACE IN CLOUDS — is there something you're hiding from the people you love? if so, how urgent is it for them to hear it? what's holding you back from sharing it?

"I....am both proud of myself and hate myself just a little. I am proud for making it this far...but I am...ashamed of what it took to get me here and the sacrifices that had to be made. If I had been stronger, Lan Fan would've never lost her arm and Fu might still be here. Even Greed, I wasn't strong enough to avenge his friends either. They...don't need to know I feel like this. They would tell me it wasn't my fault, or responsibility, but....I can't change how I feel."

❤️‍🔥 HEART ON FIRE — what angers you the most? what triggers this anger, and how do you cope with it? what does this anger feel like, if you had to describe it?

"People like King Bradley that claim to rule a country without a care for the citizens they govern. That sort of selfishly driven person isn't suited to lead a country, nor should they hold their head high like he did. The fact he not only called me a fool for caring about my country's citizens, but also had the gall to harm those close to me, makes me angry. I wish I had been the one to bring him to his knees, if only to prove to him that he was wrong. This deep burning feeling inside of me, it was the first time I've ever felt it."

💄 LIPSTICK — have you had any romantic or sexual experiences that made you realize something about yourself?

Ah hell, they just had to ask this one, didn't they? "Well..I..." He swallowed thickly. "Realized that I really like to be touched....more than I thought I ever would....and I actively desire it. I....didn't realize I was that kind of person." Just from kisses too.

❤️ RED HEART — what is/are your love language(s)? how do you use it/them to communicate your feelings about others?

"Sharing a meal! Oh? Does that not count? I guess...hugs and kisses, and paying attention to the little things. But to be honest, I think that might be less of a love language and more of...something I've learned to survive." Considering how many people were trying to kill him-- "But either way, I like to think it says that I care. I'm....a bit too awkward to say it out loud most of the time."

🎀 RIBBON BOW — how confident are you with your physical appearance? is there anything about it that you are insecure about? is there anything about it that you are happy about or gives you confidence? how do you think people perceive you based on your physical appearance?

"...." He hates this question. "...Do I have to be honest? ...Okay fine, I don't think I'm handsome or attractive at all. I don't like any of it. I wish I could change how I look. I don't even know what it is about it that I hate, except all of it. I don't know how people look at me, but I do know how I feel and I just...don't like it."

🧪 TEST TUBE — if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what is one thing you absolutely have to resolve and/or do before then?

"....Spend one more night showing them how much I love them. Maybe say it to them a few times to their faces, and hold them the whole time until my last breath. And I'd hope....that the last thing I'd see would be their faces."

🤔 THINKING FACE — what three emotions tend to dominate your mindset? do you know why they do?

"Hungry, exhausted, and determined. I'm always hungry, I'm always tired and never get enough sleep, but I always pull through and never give up."

💀 SKULL — how has [name of person] 's death influenced your outlook on life, if anything?

"I...feel like that naive part of myself died with him. The part that still thought I could achieve my goal without anymore sacrifices. It...really kicked my ass into gear and told me a lot about what being a ruler means. I won't....forget that lesson." He missed Fu.

✍️ WRITING HAND — what is one thing you wish you were better at? this can be a tactical skill, social skill, hobby, etc.

"....Expressing my feelings. I really do think I'm terrible at it. When I try to say something profound to someone I love, I get frightened and lose my will...it's kind of embarrassing."

[icharchivist]

Wait, of course

Avatar is made up of a thousand souls screaming in agony

Not unlike a Philosopher's Stone

And it is currently inside of Belial's body (providing him with increased healing)

So wouldn't it be funny if the mindless creature made with an endless thirst for destruction actually looked at what they were doing and turned to Belial and went "Aren't you tired of being batshit? Wouldn't it be kinda cool to chill?"

And Belial says "No, I need to do this for Cilius", so Avatar gives him 8 billion points lava damage (and then heals him again), because all of the souls currently stuck inside of it ended up there because of Lucilius, so they're obviously mad at him and also, Jesus Christ, dude, don't you realize how good you have it, having a body that's yours and such? Don't throw that away

Belial ends up stuck in group therapy

Which is worse, because he knew most of the primals that went into Avatar

But I like the idea that they're more mad at Lucilius than him, so they're trying to get him to see the light first and foremost

oh

OH

OHHHHHHHHHHHH????????????

ANON YOU'RE A GENIUS OH MY GOD

I was blind. I didn't consider just straight up Belial's situation with Avatar when talking about the Greed&Ling story. I was so thinking of Belial = sin = Greed that i didn't realize we can just swap Greed's and Ling's morality core and just keep the situation and it works. you're a genius.

Also there is something so funny about Belial, who spent his life keeping everyone at bay away from him, refusing to be vulnerable or opening up about his problems, taking in the world's most destructive power of all time, and instead he gets a thousands of buddy who all are forcing him through therapy. It's not like Belial can kill them!!! he's stuck with them!!!!

Though continuing on Avatar = Philosopher Stone idea, we know thanks to Hohenheim that it's possible for the souls to remember who they used to be, but it's the chaos not listening to them for centuries that made the souls coming from Father to be just chaotic beings with no connection to their past self anymore. For Avatar, with the thousand of years twisted into the Pandemonium, it will be more of a Greed situation yes-- but Belial can always have to face that he knew all of these souls personally, like Hoheinheim had to work through his own relationship with his souls.

Forcing Belial in a "either you get therapy from the souls, or you have to give therapy from the souls", without letting him know that it's not actually a choice and doing one will be doing the other too.

It is so perfect though. Please now i want that.

And i love love love Avatar "punishing" Belial for doing all of this for Lucilius because "hey what the fuck", both on their and on Belial's behalf.

it is so good. Thank you anon. you made me see the light. Now i want that for Belial, 100%.

[littlebigmouse]

I think that depends entirely on what Ed values.

The entire finale, nay, the entire series, was about stopping someone who used Alchemy to make themselves into the most special, uber-god-like-being there is. Father climbed that ladder, and didn't even enjoy the view, because Father was so obsessed with getting even higher up that ladder that he eventually fall down into nothing, rotting among the corpses he'd shoved off the ladder in his mad climb. Father loved Alchemy and Father loved being the best and had absolutely no regard for human life.

Yes, alchemy was a LOT to Ed. But it wasn't EVERYTHING. Ed got the prodigy view, got the money, prestige and power, and didn't give a single shit about it at any point in the story.

Ed values family. Genuinely. The entire time. He stays mad at Hohenheim for leaving for years. He sets out to fix Al's body because he genuinely cares about Al. He loves the Rockbells. He respects Shou Tucker as an alchemist and a father, and loses all respect for the man's alchemical achievements as soon as he finds out that Shou Tucker doesn't value his own family. Ed is livid that Tucker values alchemy over family.

So Ed looked at Father, killing people to feel special, looked at Shou Tucker, killing people for scientific achivement, and decided: Fuck this shit. Ed didn't want to live in a world without Al because his brother, his family, will always be more important to him than Alchemy.

Also. That part about not being special. That's the point. Alchemy is all about the circle of life. Ed and Al are stuck on the island during their training and realize, compared to the whole universe, how insanely small they are. Just insignificant ants, really. But they also realize - these ants are important.

Ed practically tells truth outright: He never was special. Being good at alchemy didn't make him any more special or important than anyone else he's met. He's met so many people over the course of the show, many of them alchemists with greater or equal skill than Ed, many of them decidedly not alchemists with their own passions, their own lifes, and every single one of them is not any more or less special than Ed.

Ed values every single person he's met on this journey, values family and community. Yes, he loves alchemy, and he will miss it, as he said, but he doesn't need it to 'feel special', he can still research it, and he'd much rather have his brother back by his side.

That's why giving up alchemy is almost a no-brainer to Ed. No one is special. Everyone is a perfectly average small ant in the grand scheme of things. But these ants matter, and not a single one of the villains realizes that.

Re: Al ultimately leaving Ed: they were already seperated on their journey for a good chunk of the manga as well, and yes they missed each other, but they were fine with that. There is no timeline for anything happening post canon, whether Al permanently moved to Xing, how long they all travelled for etc. The only thing we have is a family picture presumably taken in Amestris of Ed and Winry with kids and Al and May in the background, and a picture of Ed with a suitcase and jacket.

Personally, I'd think the notion cruel that Al would have to stay at home to make Ed happy. Just because Ed wanted to settle down didn't mean that Al shouldn't get to decide differently. And again, we don't even know how long or how frequently Al stayed in Xing.

And a lot of the other characters also had to make great sacrifices or suffered great losses during their journeys. Yes, they largely get what they wanted in the end, but not without sacrifices, because that's how life/stories/alchemy itself work. Ling becomes Emperor but loses Fu and Greed. Mustang regains the sight (eventually) he lost in the finale in the first place, and then continues working for his redemption (we don't actually know if he ever becomes Fuhrer, and lets remind ourselves that his ultimate goal was to abolish the military state, so to abolish the Fuhrer-position, and to get all the war criminals of Ishval, including himself, on trial for their war crimes). Most characters got some, lost some during the series. It ends mostly well for all of them. And it does end mostly well for Ed too. He got Al's body back. Maybe his arm is impacted/needs surgery/therapy but that is not implied or discussed during the finale (it looks fine when he's on the roof). He met a lot of great people. He lost some of them too. He eventually settles down with his loving wife and kids, which is presumably what he wants and which definitely makes him happy (he's smiling wide in that picture with his family).

I'm not saying Ed didn't go through hell and back during the show, and I'm not saying Alchemy is not a loss on some level. But calling Ed's last transmutation a tragedy practically misses the point of the story.

Okay, but real talk for a second… Journey’s End is not a happy ending.

Like… We can talk about Ed realizing he doesn’t need alchemy and all that jazz, but seriously?

Let’s take this step by step, because lawdy but I have been stewing about this since I finished the show two months ago.

Firstly… Everyone else gets their happy ending. Al gets his body back, gets the girl. Winry gets the guy, and gets to keep making at least one automail limb for said guy. Roy gets his eyesight back, and (presumably) becomes Fuhrer. Hohenheim gets to die and abandon his kids again so he can be with his dead wife. Ling gets a philosopher stone, and becomes emperor. May Chang gets her knight in shining armor, and the safety of her clan.

But Ed? He got his brother back… Still has an automail leg. Lost his alchemy. Most likely either had to amputate his arm, or lose a lot of functionality, because Truth is a goddamn asshole, and just shoved that arm back on over top of the STEEL PORT.

And he was a prodigy. Not that I give a shit about how Amestris feels about losing their prodigy, but… Personal story time, when I was a kid, I was a piano ‘prodigy’. One of those kids who could just sit down and play anything. If I heard it, I could play it. And then, through a rather depressing chain of events that are irrelevant to this post, all of the fingers, and many of the smaller bones on my left hand were shattered. Even after months of rehab, I still couldn’t play like I used to. I could barely play for more than five or ten minutes before my hand began to cramp up and stop moving.

And this thing… This thing that I did better than anyone else I knew… It was gone. Just gone. This one thing that made me stand out, that made me special, that made me feel good about myself… and it was just gone. I could still pick apart any music I heard, I still knew exactly how I would play it… If I could. But I couldn’t.

And for Ed… Alchemy was who he was. It was what he did. It was an integral part of both himself, and how he viewed the world. And it’s just… gone. Boop. No more alchemy. All gone now, thanks for playing, kid. You’re no longer unique, you’re no longer special, you now have nothing that sets you apart from everyone else. You dragged yourself to the top of that pillar, and enjoyed the view, until a squiggly outline asshole Sparta kicked you off it, and then ground your face in the mud for good measure.

But, Nightmares, you say! He got his brother back! He still had Al!

Ah, but he didn’t, dear reader! That’s the thing! No Al hate here, because I love Al as much… well, nearly as much as I do Ed, but like… Al got better -and we all know who helped him through the months of recovery -and then bounced right the hell off to Xing. “Haha, yes, Brother! I shall go a thousand miles this way, you go a thousand miles that way, and we shall research this thing that you used to be able to do, that you used to be a prodigy at, that you can no longer do! Don’t forget to write, dear brother!”

…

Okay. I’m slightly less angry now. But seriously, that ending was just… ugh, utterly heart-breaking. Watching Ed trying to transmute the roof, and then just sigh, and say, “Well, at least the view’s nice.” was just… painful as hell.

[pyroclastic727]

Owl House said fuck capitalism

So this episode was interesting. Lilith pretty much killed her sister. Why the fuck would she do that?

Even more interesting: why is Belos like that? How did Hooty put his head through one of those guards? Who the fuck is the Titan, and why does everyone like him? And how are these all tied together?

This episode was a metaphor for capitalism

...and another delicious step towards radicalizing the youth into dismantling this fucked-up neo-feudal system.

We’ll start with Belos. 

Emperor Belos is a weird name, don’t you think? We all thought it was spelled “Bellows,” but it wasn’t. In fact, it’s five letters, starts with Be, ends with os, and describes a megalomaniac emperor that restricts people’s freedom in order to accumulate wealth for himself.

Sound familiar?

Emperor Bezos Belos created capitalism. He saw the beauty of magic and decided to make himself the most powerful.

Belos created a system that destroys the masses and boosts his power.

 I’m dipping into fan theory a little, because the fan theory fits. We know that people get branded with coven magic that makes it so they can only specialize in one area. We know that Belos is the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles. We know that the excess magic, magic created by restrictions, has to go somewhere.

It’s the same system that many viewers see all the time. A job takes up all your day and tires you for the night, so you can only do one skill for the rest of your life. Jeff Bezos is the most powerful man in the United States. Excess money, money taken by restrictions, has to go somewhere.

The magic goes to Belos, like how the money goes to Bezos. Belos created capitalism, and he won it.

The guards aren’t real. 

Look, we’ve never seen their faces. They’re all the same. Why would you work so hard to get to the top, just to become a nameless, faceless killing machine?

Oh, also Hooty stuck his face through one. There is nothing under the armor.

Why? Well, it’s the same reason you see all those celebrities going around flaunting their wealth and bragging about how hard they worked. Like all those songs about how they grind every day and work harder than everyone else while you’re out clubbing, and that makes them dope. And then you take a closer look at them and see that they had a small loan of a million dollars fueling them, or an entire talent agency behind them, or their dad was a famous country star in the 80′s. 

They’re fake. They’re hollow. They’re a ploy created by the capitalist emperor to try to delude you into working harder. 

Let me put this into perspective. I guarantee that every single one of you has heard stuff like this: “Hard work makes you successful.” “I put in the work, and that’s why I’m successful.” “If you work hard enough, then you can be as successful as Mark Zuckerberg.” 

And unless you’re a robot or really lucky, I’m sure all of you have failed at this. Maybe they told you that hard work would make you good at math, so you spent 22 hours a week working on calculus, only to pass it by 3 percentage points and have it destroy your perfect 4.0 GPA. Maybe they told you that if you talked to people enough, then you would make friends, so you spent a lot of time talking to people, only to end up lonely and friendless. Maybe they told you that if you did well in school, you would get a good job, so you spent all your time working hard to be a good student, and then ended up in a soulless, dead-end job.

The guards are there to delude you. Look, who really gains from you being productive? The answer is the ruling class, the CEOs, the government, the bourgeoisie. It has always been that. All you get from working is a paycheck that lets you survive. They get a paycheck that lets them get rich. Just like Belos gets the magic and productivity of the specialized coven witches.

The guards are there to trick you. The truth is that nobody can join the Emperor’s Coven. It’s just there to make you think that hard work will make you successful. Then you spend your entire life working hard, trying to prove to the person in charge that you’re worthwhile. You give your whole life to the Coven, and they give you nothing. 

Magic is supposed to be something you pursue for fun. Being skilled at things, being good at something beautiful...that’s supposed to be something you do because you want to. But they took that and made it into a source of productivity. It doesn’t matter if you make good content. All people fucking care about is if you upload the day of premiere, if you make a lot of content quickly, if you maintain a million different conversations with strangers who expect you to be the most interesting person in the room. They don’t care how it hurts you. They don’t care how you crack from the stress. How you cry when you think no one can see you, and then you check your phone and someone can see you, someone did see you, and you have to put on your face and be the charming, magnetic person they want you to be. (oh by the way that’s why I wasn’t online much last week)

And it ruins it. Suddenly you can’t watch The Owl House without being stressed. You can’t make any content. You can’t make spells as powerfully as you want to. Your passion is replaced by perfectionism and insecurity, a voice telling you to keep being the best at what you do, or else they’ll forget you and let you die.

There’s also the Titan. 

So nobody has mentioned him before, because in addition to the Boiling Isles being a hellscape full of witchcraft and queerness, it’s also full of atheists. 

But suddenly we have people saying all this shit about him? Shit like, he gave witches the gift of magic, and then they learned to use it in a civilized manner, since being uncivilized was disrespectful?

I mean, first off, that’s fucking wrong. The island gives people magic. The island, which just so happened to be shaped like a titan-sized human. But the island/titan gives everyone all types of magic. Hell, even Luz gets to use magic, and she’s human. 

It sounds really fucking familiar. (tw for discussion of homophobia and colonialism and misogyny). It sounds like when the news is on and they show some Tr*mp supporter talking about how fetuses have more rights than people and it is their holy duty to take away a woman’s control over her body and force her through unbearable pain and into an 18-year commitment she didn’t want to make. It sounds like all the times people tried to say homosexuality should be illegal, citing a single line in a book written two thousand years ago and heavily edited by a European king. It sounds like all the times people said God wanted them to conquer, to own the entire earth, to force the other races into pain to support them.

This is that bullshit thing people do where they commit awful sins and justify it by citing the will of God. 

Or, it’s the Coven using religion as an excuse for evil.

Look, the Emperor’s Coven is clearly colonizer-coded. Saying that people’s original form of magic was wild (and showing a picture with the same joyous, rowdy energy of an 18th or 19th -century Black or indigenous party), and that it was God’s will for them to be “civilized?” Sounds like that thing that powerful white people did where they went and murdered people and forced them into their twisted capitalist system. God, gold, and glory, is what they said, because history books just love to omit the gore.

Lilith is passing the abuse cycle along. 

You know, like a good little colonizer. God I fucking hate her. She’s a MILF, in the sense that she’s a Mother I’d Like to Fling off a cliff. 

Ah, enough screaming about how much I want to drown Lilith in a tub of Hooty’s mucus. Let’s go into why I want to do that, and how she took the evils of capitalism and just...adopted those.

So, Lilith is sick and twisted for what she did to her sister. But, uhh, that’s the point. You see, there are so many other people out there like Lilith who would do the exact same thing, if given the chance. These are the people who do mean things when the teacher isn’t looking, and then act nice and try to frame you. These are the people who will hate you if you’re better than them. These are people who would do anything to bring you down, if you dare outperform them.

It’s greed, my friends. The mental illness that capitalism blesses us all with.

Lilith herself said it: she dedicated her entire life to the Coven. What she wanted was to be the best. And she almost was...except for her own sister. Someone who lived with her, annoyed her at home, bested her at school. Someone she could never beat, no matter how hard she worked. And her sister was younger than her, too! How insulting was that? Lilith wanted to be the best, and someone in her exact situation did better than her.

Lilith was insecure. And it consumed her.

But why? Why does insecurity consume her? I mean, no one can be motivated by insecurity forever. Well, not unless someone conditions it into you.

The lovely thing about the capitalist system is the morals it teaches you. Things like: “You’re only useful if you’re the best.” “Being school smart makes you smart, while being social smart or sports smart or creative smart or fandom smart is worthless.” “Your worth can be quantified by numbers and is based off arbitrary measures like your income or your grades.” Things that can and will drive us crazy if we let ourselves believe them.

And it did drive Lilith crazy. She got so twisted by a society that said being good at magic is her only worth. Look, Lilith used to be good at things, probably. She was good at sports. At times, she slips up and does an okay job of being Eda’s sister. She has a powerful presence when she’s in a room. And she’s wicked good at manipulating people. 

But that didn’t matter. Lilith bought into the lies. She let herself believe that magical skill was the only way to measure her worth. And since she needed to be the best, she hurt Eda for it.

The beautiful thing is, Eda didn’t buy that. "It’s my power, kid. And before you showed up, I spent my whole life wasting it.” Is what Eda said, as she used up the last of her power, the last of her life, to save Luz. In her final moments, she proved that she’s not like them. She’s stronger than them.

None of this matters. Not magical prowess. Not the hierarchy. Not the promise of joining the Coven and having more power than anyone else.

The only thing that matters to Eda is her family. Her real family. Her Luz, King, and Hooty. And by extension, Willow, Gus, and Amity. Those are Eda’s real reason for fighting, for dying: to protect them. Look, there’s no way she would’ve come out of that fight alive. She has a family, and her love for them is stronger than greed or jealousy or capitalism. 

Lilith never understood that. She thought the water of the womb was thicker than the blood of the covenant. Or, that the water of the womb and the blood of the covenant are stronger than the bonds of found family. She thought it didn’t matter if Eda loved, her, only if the Emperor loved her. Fucking bitch.

And now, a little something to worry about, before we go. Amity Blight. The girl who wanted to join the Emperor’s Coven more than anything, who dedicated her whole life to doing well in school, to being the best, to being perfect.

And then she met Luz. She fell for Luz. Now she’s in a tricky place, where habit and conditioning want her to join the Emperor’s Coven, but her heart wants her to do the impossible and destroy capitalism.

She wasn’t in this episode. Funny that being injured and unable to work ended up saving her from watching her future mother-in-law die. So she bought some time.

But Luz’s true mom is dead. This is the second mom she has lost, and she’s only fourteen. As powerful as King and Hooty are, Luz needs Amity. Luz needs Amity to support her and help her get back her mom.

So Amity has to make a choice. Fear and insecurity, or love and a high chance of death? 

She’ll probably choose death. Because that’s the message that this family-friendly show is giving us kids. Fuck capitalism. All you need in life is to do what makes you happy and be with the ones you love.

[haleigh-sloth]

Part 2 to this mess.

To phrase my point concisely: BNHA is more focused on putting relationships to the test, as opposed to relying on already solid relationships to move the plot.

Examples off the top of my head that don't rely on personal conflicts (like BNHA), but actually rely on the characters' interactions and pre-existing relationships with each other to drive their plots forward:

Because I'm literally reading it right. now.--Soul Eater is a big example. That entire story moves forward by relying on the friendships among the seven main kids. It develops their relationships with each other, and hell, the weapons and meisters literally have to synchronize their souls and emotions with each other in order to even make it through a fight. These are already solid relationships that only get further development throughout the story. The conflict/plot in Soul Eater is driven by the main cast deepening their bonds with each other.

Because it's the manga I always refer back to for everything--Fullmetal Alchemist. In FMA--yes the big conflict is fighting Father and the homunculi, but what drives the plot forward and adds so many layers to it is the main characters' abilities to trust each other despite all their differences and perspectives. Edward and Alphonse place the value of a human life above all else, and have to learn what having mercy is going to cost them. Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye have helped in committing genocide and show no mercy, but want to redeem themselves. Ling and Mei want the philosopher's stone that requires human lives to be sacrificed to be created, but have to get mixed up in another country's affairs in order to do so. All of these characters have to learn to reconcile with their differences and work together to save the world, and themselves. And the story does actually put some focus on how uncomfortable the two main characters are sometimes around their soldier friends superiors, and around the Eastern Envoy's desire to obtain immortality through the Philosopher's stone. But the plot moves forward by them ALL putting their differing perspectives aside and working together. And in the end, Greed even hammers in the impact of their friendships right before his death. They were all together from the beginning and stayed together until the very end (and most of them are all shown together in a photo! 💙)

Gonna use Naruto again--Naruto and Sakura already had a bond with Sasuke before he left. That friendship they all had is what kept them going and moving forward. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, while still mentor/mentees, eventually developed into them being on equal ground and relying on each other to move forward. And of course in the end, friendship saved Sasuke. Although Naruto does align with BNHA in that its personal conflicts between people drive the story (Naruto and Sasuke/Sasuke and Itachi/Kakashi and Obito).

And it's plain as day. Look at the relationships BNHA's plot line is depending on:

First and foremost: Midoriya and Bakugo. The entire story focused on them trying to work their feelings out. Finally they did, 322? chapters later. Whether it was handled well is up to each person to decide, but that's where the story put the MC's focus. Now where to go from there?

The Todoroki Family: Shouto's arc is literally about reconciling his family's abuse. Which, imo is probably the toughest relationship dynamic the story has to offer.

Last but not least: the heroes and villains. The LOV trio and their kids, Aizawa and Kurogiri, Endeavor and his son, Touya and his mother, Touya and his other two siblings.

As beautiful as found family is, and as strong as it can be, BNHA doesn't put emphasis on it. If it did, we'd have more detailed bonds among the kids at UA, because the Found Family trope is definitely pushed on them. But they're all too 2D for it to make any real impact. If found family/power of friendship was the answer to BNHA's conflict, we'd have so much more focus on the interactions among the LOV members where that trope is pushed as well, and not just get one-sided dialogues from a few of them here and there. If you really look at what BNHA puts emphasis on (and the author himself did this for his own personal reasons I'm sure) it's the impact your family that you're born into has on you. Not everybody has to like that, I get it. Blood is not everything. But Horikoshi obviously put time and effort into showing that your family impacts you BIG. They can hurt you, but they can save you too (Touya). They can hurt you, but the fact that they existed and wanted YOU to exist can be a comfort in its own (Tenko). But sometimes, you really do need acceptance from an entirely different group of people to thrive (Toga).

These are the relationships driving BNHA forward, the endgame to the story, and none of them are solid relationships. They all need to be reconciled in some way in order to come to a conclusion. In these set ups, the conflict is not only physical (fighting), but it’s rooted in emotion (saving), and is extremely personal (realizing what it takes to really be a hero).

I think my bottom line is: BNHA is not as friendshippy as it's made out to be outside of canon. I don't think people are thrilled with the outcome right now because it's not focusing on the UA kids (all of them), or because the LOV aren't getting any emotional scenes with each other digging into their connections (for now, I'm not expecting this to happen but it's possible), or because the heroes are going to basically be given everything by not really developing, and will just be extending a hand to the villains and saving the day that way.

I think that was always the plan for the story btw, but I don't blame anyone for disliking the way the heroes have been handled thus far. They're pretty stagnant as characters.

BUT--that being said--I think the story is going to end on the note of the heroes being rewarded by accomplishing their challenges. Which, isn't really rooted in any found family or friendship relationship in the story.

[bisexual-inuyasha]

What He Wants

What He Wants

Prompt: “That’s a lot of blood.” + “You give me a piggyback ride after I got out of a brutal fight and I can barely stand.”

Feels like I've known you my whole life

I can see right through your lies

I don't know where we're going

But I'd like to be by your side

-- “Are You Bored Yet?” by Wallows

Ling couldn’t move his arms or his legs. His thoughts were slow, like when he first accepted Greed and had to fight his way through all the souls. If he fell asleep, he’d maybe not wake up for a long time. Maybe he wouldn’t ever wake up. Something about the thought made him feel warm.

Then he was bounced, his whole world rocking up and then down and his nose settling into thick, golden hair. He hadn’t even felt the arms wrapped around his legs until then. Now that he’d been jostled back to awareness, he could hear a low stream of grumbling in front of him.

“Ed?” His voice didn’t sound right. The last time he sounded like this, he’d been eight cups deep in his mother’s ceremonial wine. Of course she was dead, so it’s not like she’d be missing it.

“Ling!” Ed’s hair shifted in what Ling assumed was him turning his head. Ling couldn’t lift his head to see. “Is it really you?”

“Who else would it be?” Ling buried his face in Ed’s hair, resting his nose and mouth in the cradle of Ed’s neck. Ed smelled like oil and metal and fire kindling. “Are you carrying me?”

“Yeah, and you’re heavy.” Ed’s shoulders squirmed under Ling’s body. “Not to mention you’re way taller than me. How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” Ling considered, trying to figure out why Ed was carrying him. Was there something wrong with his legs? Ling couldn’t remember what he’d been doing before. “Confused.”

“You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

“I have a lot of blood.” It was a stupid thing to say, meant to be vaguely comforting. Ling closed his eyes. His stomach rolled, his senses detached from his surroundings. He opened his eyes again. “You smell like work.”

“And you smell like death. Don’t talk too much, ok?”

Ling nodded. He tried to concentrate. He started recounting a Xingese lullaby. The song wasn’t words, so much as it was sounds. Sounds meant to mimic the sounds of Xing from the sea to the desert. Ling had always had a nice voice. Lan Fan used to tell him so when he’d sing her to sleep.

He must have fallen asleep.

A dangerous, dangerous failing.

He woke to Ed slamming him into the ground, shaking him too roughly. His hair fell into his face. They were somewhere dark now.

“Ling, you’re not dying, do you understand?” Ed was peeling strips of dark red fabric from Ling’s torso.

“That is a lot of blood.” Ling frowned. “Are you ok?”

Ed scoffed. “What? You’re the one who nearly bled to death. And who won’t stop opening up your wounds moving around.”

Ling tried to move his arms. “That cannot possibly be true. My arms weigh at least three thousand pounds.”

“You’re so fucking,” Ed waved his hands around, searching for words. “Fucking! Fucking infuriating, you know that?!”

Ling winced. “You don’t have to shout.”

Ed turned away from him, shoulders shaking. The full metal alchemist was angry, and not in way that he got angry when someone called him short. This was genuine anger. This was anger that came from fear.

“Why didn’t you ask for help? If you were planning on trying to kill Wrath, why didn’t you ask for help?”

“I didn’t decide to fight Wrath.” Ling took a deep breath. He was starting to feel the first real stirrings of life back in his body. It wasn’t pleasant. When he was healed and present again, he was going to feel like shit.

Ed went completely still. “Greed couldn’t stick around long enough to heal you?”

“Greed is dead.” Ling didn’t want to think about it. “He died right about the time Wrath broke the ultimate shield.”

Luckily, the ultimate shield had still managed to slow the blow down or Ling would be in two halves on either side of Amestris.

Ed sighed. His back was stained with Ling’s blood. How long had Ed carried him? And where even to?

“Where are we?” Ling grunted, tried to see if he could set up.

“Al and I hid out here one time while running from Envy. We can’t stay here long, but I need to heal you.”

“And how,” Ling gasped. He managed to push himself up on his elbows. His arms tingled, buzzing as too little blood tried to force oxygen to move into his muscles. “How are you going to do that? You don’t know alkehestry and Greed’s philosopher’s stone is all used up.”

“I know how to use a soul to heal now. It’ll take a few years off my life, but hey. I’m probably not going to make it past the promised day anyway.”

Ling hissed and fell back to his back. “Absolutely not. You’re not wasting your soul on me. I’m going to be fine.”

“You’ve got holes in your insides. Don’t be stupid.” Ed’s hand rested against Ling’s stomach, in a place where he knew he’d never been wounded before. “Besides, I’ve done it before.”

“Even more reason not to.” Ling sat up again. This time it took twice as much effort. “One day I’m going to be ruler of Xing, and I’m going to need to know you’re out there somewhere. Shouting at some unfortunate tall person.”

Ed shook his head. “It’s not even like you could stop me if you wanted, Ling. You’re too weak.”

Ling took a deep breath and held it. Then he pushed himself to his knees. The world swam, his thoughts sloshing around his eyes and out his ears. He almost passed out again. “Try me.”

Ed leaned forward to push Ling, and Ling took the opportunity to shift, just slightly, and grab Ed’s metal hand. He couldn’t flip the alchemist over, but he could pull them both down. And falling down with a boy half made of metal was not at all pleasant. But being stuck on top of that boy, well. Ling had spent too much time with Greed not to recognize something he wanted, even if he was half dead.

“God, you’re heavy Ling. Are you sure Greed isn’t in there?” Ed squirmed, pushing at Ling’s limp body.

Ling shifted up just enough to see Ed’s eyes. “You aren’t going to use your soul as a philosopher’s stone. I’m not going to let you, even if it kills me.”

“Why are you being so stubborn, you jackass?”

Ling wrapped his fingers around Ed’s shoulders, sloppily shifting his body over Ed’s. He leaned his forehead on Ed’s, breathing heavy. “I’m a greedy bastard. I don’t sacrifice the things I want.”

Ed’s cheeks burned. He barely caught Ling in time before the Xingese prince was passed out again. “Idiot prince.”

Ling’s hand grabbed his, though there were no other signs he stirred. Ed sat there, holding his hand and hoping to whatever was out there Ling didn’t die before he could clarify exactly what he meant.

[aforementionedthought]

"Eh, not much in Central anyway 'cept the military." And Greed tried his best to stay clear of that. He didn't want anyone in the military finding out who or what he was. He didn't need that kind of attention. A part of him wanted to leave the country, but he always came back and stuck around. Mostly because of Ed. Greed had never been one to let go or give up people he cared about, and Ed was one of his most important people.

He got that. It was nice being your own person with no one else to answer to. If anyone deserved that kind of life, it was Ed. "Have you seen anything interesting along the way." There were some days when Greed was bored out of his mind with trying to find something interesting to do. He didn't have a job. At least not a regular one nor was he interested in working what humans called 'the grind'. There was nothing appealing to him about being under someone else. "Out of all the places I've seen, I think I like Xing the best." It helped that Ling was the Emperor and Greed was always given the royal treatment when he visited.

Greed grinned. "Yeah I'll come inside. Give us time to catch up." He wanted to hear the stories Ed had to tell, and maybe he'd tell a few of his own in return. Greed opened the gate and came through. "I wanna hear about what you've been up to, and don't leave out any good details."

The hand was sniffed at by Den with a soft huff before she seemed to accept the pat to the head. She could try and hide it but the tail repeatedly smacking against Ed's leg said she was pleased being included in the conversation, "Long while, I don't think I've even been back to Central since Al and I both were cleared to leave the hospital." with strict directions of what not to do, half of which were broken the second they got home. Ed just didn't have it in him to try and make Al be any more cautious or wait any longer than he had to for the things he'd missed over the years. Who said no apple pie for two weeks when there was a perfectly good one in the kitchen anyways?

"I kinda come and go anymore, it's pretty nice actually." he leaned to the side to give Den a few scratches on the ear but was quickly abandoned in favor of investigating Greed more. And possibly trying to get more attention from him as well, "Sometimes I wanna travel around and look into it, sometimes I just want to bring things back here and actually be in one place for a little while. I've only been here for a few days and been helping around in the meantime." he explained, and it seemed like he chose the right time to come back. There were parts of Central he didn't miss, like the military as a whole, but there were people that he did.

Ed looked back up at Greed and nodded back to the Rockbell home, "You wanna come in? Winry and Granny are in town getting stuff but I'm sure they won't mind if you hang out a while."

|| @aforementionedthought ||

[misstrashchan]

Pyre/Greedling Meta:

I remember in the earlier volumes that a fair amount of people in the FNDM would compare Cinder to Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist, due to her femme fatale persona and voice seeming like an impression of Laura Bailey's Lust.

But as we learn more about Cinder and meet Salem in vol4, it's very clear that the version of herself she likes to present herself as is meant to come across as an impression, an imitation. Because she's trying to imitate Salem, the person who defines what power is to her.

And as that facade crumbles and we slowly start to see how deep Cinder's desires really run, it's far more clear to me that her character and story have much more in common with Greed, not Lust.

:read more:

Greed is the only homunculi who is willing to follow his deepest desires to the fullest, regardless of where that placed him. He was certainly willing to do evil, but wouldn't if that evil didn't personally benefit him. And, over time within the series, Greed comes to realise that his obsession with power, glory and seeking to become God, were nothing more than vain attempts to cover up his true emotional emptiness caused by a lack of connecting to others. And once he finds a cause and people to support who help and support him in turn, his character arc finishes with him, Greed, looking on all that he has, his friends, and is grateful. Content.

Which ties into the lesson of the Fall Maiden in the Tale of the Four Maidens in which Fall begs the Hermit to look around at all he has and be thankful. To be satisfied and content with oneself, which is a lesson Cinder has to learn in order to truly become a Fall Maiden.

Greed's desires are similar to Cinder's own ambition for power driven by her fear and insecurities, seeking to become a "godlike maiden badass" wanting to fill the emptiness and craving she feels, not yet realizing that this will not be what brings her true satisfaction to her, well, greed.

"Greed may not be good, but it's not so bad either. You humans think greed is just for money and power! But everyone wants something they don't have"

"You Atlas elites are all the same! You think hoarding power means you'll have it forever. But it just makes the rest of us hungrier! And I refuse to starve"."

I think it's very important to point out that Greed doesn't become good or redeem himself because he sees the error of his ways and wants to atone for the things he's done, rather he starts on the path to redemption by refusing to be a pawn to Father any longer, when realizing the power and glory he craves he wouldn't be able to obtain by staying and working underneath Father like the rest. His greed and dissatisfaction are what motivates him, though it is ultimately Ling who gives him the final push and convinces him to side with the protagonists.

And Cinder at the end of vol7 seems to be heading towards a crossroads of whether or not she'll stay with Salem, given how the Grimm arm that was "gifted" to her by Salem seems to be slowly consuming her body, she might have doubts about whether the kind of power Salem has promised her is really the kind of power she wants, and whether she's prepared to sacrifice herself to obtain it, or whether she could choose to strike out on her own. Again, some villains start on the path to redemption solely out of self interest.

It's also not just Greed's story I think Cinder's is remarkably similar to, but the stories of Ling and Pyrrha and the role they play in Greed and Cinder's stories, as their souls and stories are intrinsically intertwined.

The ouroboros tattoo and its meaning was the first thing that caught my attention, as it the ouroboros symbol represents eternal cyclical renewal. Of life, death and rebirth. And how that aligns with Pyrrha's incantation used to unlock Jaune's aura:

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

Cinder also has a tattoo of her own symbol that appears after connecting to Amber's soul and taking half of her power, just like the ouroboros tattoo appearing after Greed and Ling's souls were intertwined and he had taken over his body. Cinder takes the other half of the maiden powers after Pyrrha had been bound to them as her and Amber's aura were intertwined, making it likely that Pyrrha is a part of Cinder in the same way Greed and Ling are.

Both Pyrrha and Ling are considered to be people in positions of power and prestige with great expectations placed on them that they intend to live up to. Ling as an Xingese prince, Pyrrha as a world renowned champion fighter and promising huntresses, the "invincible girl". Both agree to becoming a maiden/homuculus respectively, despite the inhumane means of doing so and risk to their body, soul and life, as they believe obtaining this power will help their people.

"We can't transfer Amber's power to you but we can give you what those powers are bound to."

"Her aura"

"Her life... would become intertwined with yours. The question is-"

"What's that gonna do to you?" - (RWBY Volume 3 Chapter 6)

Greed and Cinder's stories are body horror stories about what you'll sacrifice for power, and the power they are "gifted" by their masters, Father and Salem, is concentrated in their left arm.

Interestingly, Greed's power that transforms him into an inhuman monster is his "Ultimate Shield" that makes him invulnerable, which is the exact opposite of the "power" that Salem grants Cinder that slowly crawls up her left arm threatening to turn her into a monster makes her more vulnerable than most, because she doesn't have aura to protect those parts of her.

Both Greed and Cinder are the most defiant of their masters wishes, and often Father and Salem experience losses and failures because they underestimated Greed and Cinder's ambition. What should have been an easy win at Haven for Salem failed because Cinder was overly ambitious in her need to to win, to feel powerful, and Greed's betrayal of Father is simply because his own ambition is greater than his, thus he would never be content to work underneath him, to be less than him.

Both are charismatic individuals and good at convincing others to work with them. They like to surround themselves with others and both are the only ones under Father/Salem to have their own subordinates (Wrath doesn't count since it was always Father's intention to have him become Fuhrer). Despite them clearly needing human connection, their relationship with their loyal subordinates we are introduced to alongside them is... Not Super Great. They might care about them to a certain degree, but at the end of the day they ultimately view them as useful tools and possessions.

Both of them speak of an emptiness they feel inside of them:

"All of these souls inside of me, and yet I still feel so... empty"

"It's... an emptiness. It burns. Like a hunger."

It's ultimately Ling thst acts as Greed's consciousness, as when he doesn't show any remorse over killing Bido, the last of the old Greed's followers, on the orders of Father, Ling is the one who drags out all of his repressed emotion, being able to feel his pain and see his memories, he forces Greed to face them and how terribly he treated his "friends", and to reevaluate his priorities and self, pushing him away from Father.

"It's nothing personal. I'm just doing my job. I am sorry, honestly!"

"What have you done, Greed? Are you determined to prove you're a monster? What kind of sick creature... would kill his own friend!?"

"He wasn't my... friend..."

"Then why do you remember him? And are you gonna try and tell me Bido was just making everything up?"

"Those were the last Greed's memories! They're not mine!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU IN SO MUCH PAIN!?

Pull yourself together, Greed. I'm warning you. I'll take this body back if you drop your guard"

"They aren't mine... Father purified me and purged the old Greed's memories. Those memories aren't a part of me any more!"

"No! You're wrong Greed! It's not that easy! They'll always be a part of you! You can't just erase them from your soul! They were the only part of you that you chose!"

"Look at them! Can you not hear their souls crying out? You abandoned them. Your real family! You threw them away like trash!"

"Fool. If you turned your back on something you wanted, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO CALL YOURSELF GREED!" (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood episode 44, Greed and Ling)

If Pyrrha were to return, it's likely she would manifest and communicate more directly with Cinder than maiden predecessors usually do (though in all fairness we don't know the details of if maiden predecessors do or not), being more similar to Ozpin and Oscar's situation, rather than just being a part of her soul, because of how unnatural her interference with the fall maiden's power transfer was. The way Ozpin looks and speaks about it makes it clear he knows there is a very good chance he was recreating his own curse the GoL bestowed on him, and that this isn't like when he was the Hermit, giving his magic happily to the Maidens.

There's also the parallels between Ozma and Pyrrha's situations too, and how readily they accept their mission and fate, and in how they die, and I believe we still haven't seen the full payoff to those parallels with Pyrrha.

When Ozma reincarnates the first time, it's implied that he completely overtakes Ozma 2.0/ Oisín/Diggs (why do we have so many names for him), having not yet learned how to live with the souls with which he had been paired. It's not until much, much later when Oz is beginning to have doubts about whether he should stay with Salem , but still continues to go along with her plans that Oisín makes himself known, (and we know Ozma isn't used to him communicating with him with how suprised and shaken he is by this, which is strange considering he's been paired with him for a long while, unless Oisín hadn't made himself known before this) and is the one who finally pushes Ozma to leave Salem.

"What are we doing?"

With Cinder returning to Salem's side, full of doubt of whether she can go through with Salem's plan for her, to hurt and destroy herself for this power, and Emerald and Mecury (probably Neo too) likely betraying and cutting ties with Cinder too, which is going to leave her full of even more doubt, hurt, anger and additional feelings of betrayal and confusion. And more than anything, alone. Which would be the ideal time for Pyrrha to say to Cinder like with Ozma, "What are we doing?" To push her to reevaluate her priorities and self.

Imagine Pyrrha finally being able to manifest or communicate with Cinder, realizing she's bound to the woman who killed her. Knowing her emotions and memories in their entirety, feeling her pain and anger as if it were her own. And Ruby describing her as "Pyrrha thought that if there was even the smallest chance of helping someone that it was a chance worth taking" the Pyrrha who told Jaune "Everyone needs a little help sometimes" understanding what Cinder went through, and that if she couldn't save the world or make it better by attempting to kill Cinder, then, maybe as she is now, the one thing she can do to help save the world, to make it a better place, is by helping Cinder be better, helping her use her talents for good, like a true maiden should? (On a more fun note, imagining Pyrrha deciding to help Cinder but not missing any opportunity to be a playfully snarky little shit towards her. Because what is Cinder gonna do? Kill her again? Like tell me Pyrrha would not Do Both. And Cinder's not sure which she hates more: Pyrrha teasing her or feeling sorry for her)

Another interesting thing is how in The World of RWBY: The Official Companion states that Salem's goal is to possess all four relics, and to absorb the power of all the Maidens, which she means to at some point, absorb Cinder's power. It's likely part of why she favours Cinder and has such an intimate relationship with her (the Relic of Choice might have played a role in why Salem chose Cinder specifically) That transition of maiden powers from Cinder to Salem would be made much more seamless for Salem if she was grooming Cinder to be more like her, and was slowly becoming more Grimm, if she was treating Cinder like an extension of herself, because to Salem, she would be. Which is again, similar to Father and Greed, as Greed literally was an extension of Father created from him, and absorbed back into him when he became too disobedient and remade and reborn again.

The finale of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood has Father absorbing Greed's philosopher's stone in an attempt to claim his power, but Greed ends up sacrificing himself by inverting his Ultimate Shield inside of Father, making his whole body incredibly fragile and vulnerable so Ed is able to defeat him. In the end, Greed ends up being the key to their victory against Father.

I want to make it clear that I don't personally think RWBY will end with Cinder dying or "defeating" Salem. At least, not in the traditional sense. I can draw as many comparisons as I like between Greed and Cinder but at the end of the day they're two different stories with different themes. And I don't believe that kind of ending would align with RWBY's. One of the themes of Cinder's story is to find a way to keep living no matter what. And as for Salem, the only way she can "die" is to learn the value of life and death, which would require a much more different approach.

But either way, I do believe Cinder will end up being their key to victory one way or another, similar to Greed.

[pear-pies]

Wom Journal - Oct 2000

(really, really awful google translate of the OCR scanned text below the cut)

The desires of Brian

More serious topics, healthier lifestyle more

                                 Responsibility hopes to satisfy her third album

                                            PLACEBO their greed for change

As a placebo in 1996 with their Seat        but on the English Musitnar they offered the dazzling alternative ill de inogenic bands of Brit pop. Yours Guitar rock that was clearly ambiguous tare .. Frontman Brian Molko and the urge ZtegülnICKee they turned around self-shielding lings of the music press Provocative sayings dent 'former drama student Molka about the cast Lippert. Times he sold Sex monster, sometimes he flirted with his consumption. Placebos self-destruct trip - Frustration and emptiness that the band Asii at dee, attended their second AlburnWITHOUTIfretVM Accompanied NOTHING    "We milked our music like Cow. "Molko leans on the Hoteldnigl his voice is deep his americans ground despite the many years in Londortjkrbeai We are months with the songs about the Globilige * tours. Then when we went to the studio then a bunch of new pieces about ddlniibentAtni                                        .1 + interest in wincler's own music                                     , .. " wake up. "It took nine months for Placebo'.fQr third baby BLACK MARKET MUSIC. Instead of that. A superstar producer's ego below the band produced together with Patti Coikeft for the first time itself. Never before has it unlike trio so easy Record songs. Fun and friend- determined the studio atmosphere sphere. The one they usually take care of Rock 'n' roll lifestyle was behind the Music back "Today we are focused more, our music enjoys the first Priority, "says Brian Molko." Body It will also be more strenuous shortly before the opening we celebrated like in 1997. After that I couldn't move for three days was the slogan for the studio: the party is over. Henceforth health food diet "    This time placebo were on the “collaboration trip, "says Molko. On the electronic rock single" Taste In Men "Caroline Finch from the Brit band Ling- leum the BacIdngvocaLs. Rob Ellis, drummer from PJ Harvey, arranged the strings on the hidden. Track "Black Market Blood". And for that probably The most piercing piece of "Spite & Malice" filled the friend

                 Placebo singer 1341

                                         itannitdti.dat word Oh

                                            vet gold mine "we were                                             like a hiba red,                                             Film and am Hest * eiäältill dw                                             But people are so.                                             When we started, wielanges wore                                          we Guth. Then we became the Glani.Bend But:                                         mine is a movie, and placebo is that rea * lebeg,

US rapper Justin Warfield chanted the chorus. The approach to the US market is no coincidence. Was at the debut Sex d. I% Mai balm second                                                                   Obilia11 which the Ban '                                             , to Aid SLACK MARKET MUSIC                                                                 arctic american themes iep                                                 .. 'itch placebo 2000 with political: ii •                                                 MA (jipite & Malice "), the American pop                                                 'Dissen of the parents ("Blackeyed") and init;                                                                     ,                                             ! racism, ("hemoglobin"). "We lik ''                                                 always oppose any form of prejudice. ,,                                                 globin 'is our version of Billie Holidays                                                 b.,,,                                                 fruit of old jazz from the fifties .2                                                 some strange fruit in the southern states                                                 sees dangling .. black people,                                                                                    .- ..;                                                 hangs whales. '"                                                     There is also on BLACK MARKET                                                 Placebo-typical love songs. But there are:                                                 telling and the characters that ie in the songs                                                 ebidergr Lind. "This is a natural Enrid. C3,21                                                                                           3rd,                                                     BOnpritings. If you go to 30                                                 jit you more on what's happening in the world                                                : 'biletideitständig busy with yourself. Nap                                                 . make tin * nigh flitch angry. '., Ic

                                                            Minden, healed in the lyrics                                                 to zt4Inpatiev1isen degrees around myself '!                                                 • With BLACK MARKET MUSIC you have placeh                                                 various phases of self-experimentation                                                 Reliance level reached. Even if the complete •                                                 HUG of samples now live a backup key                                                 Molko leaves no need for it                                                 that their development is only successful                                                 well the badd of the synergy of the triangle, p,                                                 i, placebo works like a triangle. On.                                                 So it will never be even more than                                                 give. "KATJA 'SC

An offer, the role of Judas Priest in You refused to play "Metal God". I got the Hollywood script for a film with Jennifer Aniston and Marky Mark. At first I thought: Wow, this is Holly- wood! When I got to the second page of the script I said: No, • we are not rent-a-band for film bizz!

With the album title BLACK MARKET MUSIC associ is forbidden. Music on the black market is also a popular topic. The album title takes up what is currently on Napster and MP3 expires, the black market of the 21st century. It is attractive, something To have illegal things that are only available under the counter. But it is illegal if our album is in the Download the Internet from unauthorized sites. About it you no longer in control. It is not fair by an artist too expect him to work for nothing. Nobody works for free. Artists bear responsibility like everyone else. We want not living poor as Van Gogh. The artist life becomes novel represented by people. the hard work, the band brings with it, do not appreciate. It would be to these people no matter if we are hungry or unemployed.

As band members you all have a very different background. What welds you together?

We have the same ideas, the same goals, what we do with placebo want. We like the same drinks, vodka red bull in large Amounts. We all grew up with the feeling that to be more. That made us extremely independent individuals, and that's probably the bond that connects us.

You worked with David Bowie. Do you look at him like fans, or is it now? a friendship? It's definitely friendship. Placebo and Mr. Bowie have mutual respect for each other. Uncle Dave supported us before we even recorded the first album. With the Friendship has grown through time and tours, until it finally worked on "Without You I'm Nothing" came. It is indescribable when David Bowie calls you and asks: "Can I sing on your song?" And then it's natural incredible when this legend sings fin studio to your music. An absolute fulfillment for me.

It was probably a fulfillment. not meet for Calvin Klein lit placebo To take photos; which then biered in Prussia have never been published. ekuelleAmeri- Wasn't your butt 'Eärian Molko pretty enough? eg • qpitarrist, 27), My butt not pretty enough? You psexuals wanted me without makeup and in. ". ch de Stefan Olsclairriiirsist, 26) and oversized men's clothing images lietmovDirrnellsr nri H4witt I wanted to wear a skirt. Drummeh 21M out of the way. Molko and I didn't manipulate myself, A 5 first demos, leave as they would have liked. Her, Mtt acted as an alcikushilfsdrummer. The photos are then different from ChEm 1996 forth from their self-titled when she imagined it to be a Mairrer, D, LaPel, this time ben But at least I was able to use Robert Schultzlscrich * drums. Keep clothes. melee ii Jain luckid1 as she as                                             - -stifle tour ein.Hewitt                                                        ,.> ,, A5A'A •                                            came back to Drumm-lei Piacr? bo. About your buddy Marilyn ilf AnIriJrie VC'n Michgel Slkpe (REM.) You once corsored Manson, irk Dire Siind im says: "Marilyn makes the" Velrict Golf stefan". best blowjob. "Personal. cl: s yen steve orsbeirme: produ- • Experience with it? ricrte album l.'JlITHOkik 'irk!) I'M NO- Yes, but that's not exactly true. I flIflG 1999 it ii ilern theme song have never said that Marilyn makes the best DMett Florrvie again. With makes a blowjob. I already have the single hEvery 'feu, Every Me "on had better. em soundtrack "Ertl old angels" was     INTERVIEW: KATJA SCHWEMM ERS Placulko still popular in Germany                                            aier, Nettie CD: BLACK MARKET MUSIC.

[mysterylover123]

My Top 10 (current) Villain Crushes (male)

#10. Greed/Ling Yao from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

OK Greed is about as nice a character as you can get and still technically be a villain. But hey, still part of the Homunculi, still kidnapped Alphonse. Definitely the sexiest and coolest of the Humunculi. Arguably the best character in FMA, and that’s no mean feat. Especially when he’s possessing Ling, who is already a hot anti-hero.

#9. Obito Uchiha from Naruto

Naruto is chock full of pretty boy villains. Like, literally every single one of them. But Obito really takes the cake for both pretty and tragic/lovable. He’s the perfect villainous foil to the protagonist, and also super shippable with Best Boy Kakashi due to the whole “used to be his friend” thing.

#8. Norman Bates from Psycho (1960)

My first ever villain crush - actually my first movie character crush in general. Interestingly, Hitchcock deliberately made sure audiences would have this reaction by casting handsome rom com leading man Anthony Perkins to give the performance of a lifetime as the broken serial killer.

#7. Harvey Dent/Two Face from Batman

Batman villains definitely have a massive following for their sex appeal. Harvey/Two Face has always been my personal crush out of the group. I’m actually really partial to both Comics!Harvey and 1990s Animated Series Harvey, though Dark Knight Harvey is certainly handsome too. I love me some half-faced, conflicted split personality villains.

#6. Spike (and Angelus) from Buffy

Buffy has some of the sexiest villains ever, both male and female. Angel is mostly a hero throughout the series, and his villain counterpart is hot but also really evil. Spike is a bit more redeemable, dumbass writing choices in Season 6 aside. Spike is another villain who is just made by the actor’s performance. James Marsters (who also plays crush-able villains as Brainiac and even live-action Piccolo in that terrible movie) just makes him.

#5. The Phantom of the Opera/Erik

Yes, I too had a Phantom Phase. Most (straight) girls do. And I think we can all connect to being isolated organists dwelling in the Opera basement these days. I’ve seen every Phantom film and three different actor performances of the stage play. I’d say the appeal rankings are something like this: Phantom ’98, Phantom ’89, Phantom ’04, Phantom of the Paradise, Phantom ’25, Phantom ’43, Phantom ’62 (hammer), Michael Crawford, Ramin Karimloo

#4. Dabi/(SPOILERS) Toya Todoroki from My Hero Academia

I mean, I always noticed he was hot, but I didn’t develop a hardcore crush on him until these recent chapters. But hey, come in swinging with a gleeful dance as you reveal you’re secretly the tragic long lost brother of Human Cinnamon Roll Shoto? Spilling your whole tragic backstory while shirtless over the air? Pleading for understanding while showing us all your cute baby pictures? Yeah, that’ll do it.

#3. Loki  from MCU

Yep, every (straight) girl also has a Loki phase. Specifically of course Tom Hiddleston’s Loki from the MCU. Doesn’t need much explanation. The good looks, swagger, badassery, and for me especially the dorky hilarious comedy (I love me some funny trickster villains); the eventually redeemable nature. The guy’s just a magnetic, impossible to hate and inherently lovable baddie.

#2. Zuko from ATLA

Duh. Though admittedly Zuko is a lot sexier when he redeems himself and goes all adorably dorky in Season 3. Though Part 1 Season 3 is Zuko at his most evil and antagonistic and also at his second most sexy, so they count. The lovable, best redemption arc ever having, tragically sympathetic and victimized Deuteragonist of ATLA is a big part of the reason why ATLA works as well as it does. Great character and irresistibly hot.

Hon mentions: Ulquiorra Cifer from Bleach (he might make the official list once I get to know him better), Sylar from Heroes (trashy show but almost worth it for Sylar), Amon/Noatak from Korra (the reason I started watching LOK), the Once Ler  (yes I was one of those) Luke Castellan from Percy Jackson (best homme fatale) , Sasori from Naruto (not terribly complex but sexy as hell), the Count of Monte Cristo (best villain protagonist), Michael Myers (the prettiest slasher villain)

#1. Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z

There might some day be a sexier villain that Vegeta. It’s conceivable. But I doubt it. The Saiyan prince turned servant of Frieza, the truly unstoppable villain of the first arc of DBZ; the best redemption arc in the series (aside maybe Android 18), the future DBZ  Best Boy who goes from caring only about power to fighting to protect wife and kids to the death…and of course the deep, throaty voice, skintight spandex, Saiyan physique and cocky smirk don’t hurt him any.

[nitefise-art]

what are your headcanons for kabu and nanu relationship? romantic or platonic-wise

Hey anon sorry for the late response, I'm not on tumblr desktop often and must have missed this notification!

Honestly if I had to say I think there's like 0.001 chance they would actually have met lol so I mostly tend to draw them interacting in an FMA AU where Nanu is Pride and Kabu is the Flame Alchemist.

Nanu is as always a Bastard (TM) and Kabu is a military straight-ass whose sole intent is to hunt down this "shadow monster" who's been terrorising entire cities. Then they go through a Will/Hannibal-esque phase where nobody knows what's going on except they're not trying to kill each other anymore. In this AU Pride!Nanu is more like Greed!Ling in FMA in that he used to be human and so has two personalities, with the addition that occasionally the Pride side goes out of control.

[fillingthescrapbook]

Rewriting The CW's Kung Fu, Part 3: The Mythology

One of the biggest problems I had with the show's mythology was that it didn't seem planned out. Like they were adding bits and pieces to it because they thought it would make the show cooler, or more complex...when it only made things more confusing. So before we map the season, we're taking a little detour to talk about the mythology of Kung Fu since it pretty much informs Nicky Shen's journey throughout the first season.

There's two parts to the mythology we were given: the first one is that Nicky Shen is a descendant of a legendary warrior, Liang Dai-Yu, and the second is that there are eight mystical weapons that can call upon a magical power called "Bian-Ge" when brought back together at the Forge. But how does one really connect with each other? And why were the weapons created in the first place? That's something that was never really touched upon on the show, so let's make up a reason.

We begin with the Huainanzi text on the cosmic creation. With a few tweaks, of course. So we start with primordial chaos--before two spirits brought to life by Qi (or "chi," which is what we call the force of life) establishes Heaven and constructs Earth. These two spirits are the embodiment of yin and yang. One is a being of light that carries darkness in it, and the other is a being of darkness that carries light within.

With the two realms being established, Qi gives more life: to the sky, the lakes, the fire, the thunder, the wind, the water, the mountains, and the ground we walk on. Eight forces that balances harmony.

Something threatens this harmony though. A demon who used to live in the primordial chaos is angry that they hadn't been given a chance to create their own realm. Now they wants to take over Earth. Being a powerful creature, they are able to match the spirit that constructed the Earth realm punch for punch--so the spirit that established the Heavens decided to help out. Together, they sourced a power from Qi that could transform the demon's envy into something else. Something better. They created "Bian-Ge."

This power resided in an obsidian stone that was given a place of honor in the place where the demon changed into a human being--like the ones that populated the Earth realm. And the stone became a sacred and honored place where people would come when they have a problem they feel they could no longer carry on their own, for "Bian-Ge" to transform into something better.

As the years went on, the obsidian stone became the subject of people's greed. Why make a pilgrimage to the stone when you can own it for yourself? So it can always make your life better? And so a few human beings started to plot on how to steal the stone.

During those years, eight families also started to live around the sacred area--not because they wanted to monopolize the power of "Bian-Ge" but to keep it accessible to people. One family became food providers, one family focused on building places for rest, one family built a forge to create tools, and so on. These eight families became known as guardians of the Obsidian. And these eight families were there to protect the stone when the greedy humans started to go after "Bian-Ge" for personal gain.

One night, after ten months of continuous fighting against those who wish to take the stone from its sacred place, the eight families were outmatched by the armed forces of a feudal lord. But when the army tried to take the stone, the Obsidian broke into eight pieces. One of the families, those who trained in metalwork, took the pieces of the Obsidian. They ran. And they hid until the feudal lord lost interest in chasing after "Bian-Ge."

Years passed. The people learned to live without the power of "Bian-Ge." But from time to time, someone would get the idea of searching for the eight pieces of Obsidian that would grant them the power to transform anything they wish. But no one did find them.

The other seven families who guarded the Obsidian had moved on in their lives. They sometimes wondered about the eighth family and their well-being, but for the most part they were just happy that they no longer had to fight people. Until someone from the eighth family sent them all a letter to visit a monastery in Yunnan.

A member of the seven families each sent an envoy. At the monastery, they were received by two brothers who told them that the Obsidian stones are ready for their safekeeping again. To the family that provided food, they gave a short sword; the family that built homes received an axe; the family that guided pilgrims were given twin-hook swords; the family that hunted were given a crossbow; the family that created entertainment were given a meteor hammer; the family that braved the bodies of water to find new land were given a longsword; the family that cared for cattle were given deer-horn knives; and the eighth family--the ones who forged tools--kept the last weapon, a dagger.

The two brothers explained that the eight weapons were created from eight pieces of the Obsidian. That they wish to separate the eight now to make sure it never falls into the wrong hands. And that they forged them into weapons so that the guardians will always have a way to protect their piece of "Bian-Ge."

The envoys all seven families accepted this mission. And they became the guardians of the eight mystical weapons. One of the envoys, from the family that braved bodies of water for exploration, was the great-grandfather of Liang Dai-Yu who was still a young man at this time.

When he grew old, he entrusted the longsword to his youngest son. But when this son grew up and had his own family, and his own grandchildren, he was called into war. He had not been able to entrust the longsword to a new guardian before he died in battle. But at the province where his family lived, where no men remained because of the war efforts, a young woman found the longsword and used it to protect her family and neighbors from opportunistic raiders. She was Liang Dai-Yu.

Seeing how defenseless their community had become when no men were present, Liang Dai-Yu decided to teach those who are willing the martial arts she had learned from her grandfather. Eventually, she grew up and had her own family: one son and one daughter. She bequeathed the longsword to her daughter, telling her to follow in her footsteps. To rise above what is expected of her. And to her son, she gave the scabbard that came with the longsword. Saying that he too has a mission: that for every aggressor there must be someone to keep the peace. The sheath the sword. That some challenges can be won by fighting, but an equal amount will be won by talking things out.

Over the years, brother and sister too had their own families. And their roles in each others' lives evolved into something more. The family of the brother became guardians. Trainers. They made sure that the sisters' descendants are always in fighting form. Meanwhile, the family of the sister became warriors. Fighters. They always stood up for what was right and fought for the defenseless. Even when the longsword's scabbard, where the map back to the Forge was engraved in the decorative jade "window," was stolen, they promised to always remember what their fighting for.

But the passage of time makes people forget where their legacies come from. Eventually, the sister's family line had no more reason to fight so they returned the sword to the brother's family line. But the brother's family line always had one guardian who is tasked to remember. May it be an eldest son, a second daughter, or a secret child. There is always one. Until it was finally entrusted to Zhang Pei-Ling on her mother's deathbed.

And that's the mythology we're going with for this rewritten version of Kung Fu.

Want to know where we began? Check out:

Part 1: The Characters

Part 2: The Pilot