#it is first and foremost a story of survival and humanity

[color-beyond-lines]

Haoren scraped by the asphalt, holding his injured hand, saying it hurts over and over because he’s finally letting himself feel again. After years spent not allowed to feel pain, numbing himself repeatedly, something finally hurts.

And Chihiro doesn’t know the extent of Haoren’s suffering, but he knows that he still has the ability to feel and care, knows that crying means his heart is still beating.

So little by little, they patch each other up even as new wounds are made and old scars reopen. But as long as they have each other, they have a reason to live. A reason to hope that living is worth the effort.

[snk-warriors]

Can't Stay Away

Levi Ackerman x F! Reader

Summary: After the war ended, Levi finds himself at a familiar doorstep.

Warnings: Bittersweet angst, smut, not proofread

A/N: This blog is still officially inactive, but this story is a little gift for my dear friend @antivan-dragon. It was a joy to write it for you! <3

This is wrong.

He shouldn't be here - not after everything that had happened.

How long has it been, ten years? More?

It's hard to tell when you're used to live from moment to moment. Never knowing whether the current day might be your last really messes up one's perception of time.

All Levi's sure of is that the brief time he had allowed himself with you was the happiest he's ever been - than he ever thought to be capable of.

And yet, from his very first breath, his fate was clear: To him, living had always been a fight. Whether it was in the underground for food and safety, or against titans and humans alike under the clear sky mattered very little in the great concept of things.

The only home he's ever known was on the battlefield - until he met you, at least.

And still, Levi went back to the frontlines again and again and again because it's all he's ever known, the power he's born with a burdening duty upon the weak...

...but what place does a soldier have now, in a society without war?

This is what he fought for, right? To achieve peaceful times. Avenge his fallen comrades, honor his commander and protect as many people as possible from the unnecessary suffering this cruel world eventually provided.

Protecting you, first and foremost.

Your wellbeing has always been his greatest priority, and yet at the same time Levi was the one responsible for so much misery. Back then he convinced himself it was for the better, that he was doing you a favor by removing himself from your life.

In the end, all that's left for him now is the bitter feeling of regret.

Levi was aware that you would've waited for him, no matter how long it'd take until his return...

...but he was certain that his death was inevitable - a sacrifice he'd gladly take if it'd meant ensuring you a long and fulfilled life. And even if the impossible case of his survival would occur, he'd be a different man by then.

Ultimatively, he has become exactly this: Unlike you remember him, and definetly nothing close to what you deserved.

Maybe even in different circumstances he could never live up to the expectations he had set in himself - at least when it came to you.

But he felt as if you were like pure sunlight and he was a moth, drawn to it. No, he was the moon - selfishly absorbing and covering your brightness.

So, in order to make things easier for you, he pushed you away despite his soul screaming for him to stay at your side until humanity would reduce itself to ashes.

When no words would dring through to your devoted self, he announced an engagement to Petra, efficiently shattering your heart in the process.

Nothing Levi had ever done was as hard a task.

Given time however you'd find someone worthy to give you the life he longed for so deeply but never could, at least that's what he thought...

...yet when he heard that you never married even after all this time, his rationality stands no chance against the aching of his own loneliness.

Just to look how you've been he told himself on the way, and for an overdue apology.

Your little cottage on the outskirts of Wall Rose still looks as if he never left. It always smelled of lavender and honey, and whatever you were baking at the time.

Levi switched from the wheelchair to his cane, still able to walk by himself at least for a short distance. Only a few stairs separated the two of you, and it was the longest he's ever took - not because of his disability, but rather to gather all of his courage.

Facing his enemies was a piece of cake compared to this right now.

Though it felt wrong to do so he peeked through the window, his face twitching into an almost-smile as he finally laid eyes upon you again. The inside was cleaned spotless as always, neatly yet minimalistic decorated. You on the other hand were currently preparing some pastries, contently humming to yourself.

It felt like he never left.

What about you, he wondered. Had there been others after him? What was your life like these days? He wants to know everything.

That goddamn cat was still alive as it seems, curiously pricking up it's ears as it recognized the familiar - altough mangled - face. You and him had argued a lot about letting feral animals into your home, due to Levi's concern for hygiene and especially that damn fur everywhere in the house.

One glare from the man and it hissed, jumping down from the front porch and bolting into the forrest. Shit.

Living alone and isolated from civilization was dangerous, especially for a single woman. So it was no wonder how hyper-aware you still are, immediately swinging the door open with a clocked rifle.

Oh, how much he missed that side of you. The perfect combination of cute but deadly.

"Levi..." His features immediately softened at the sound of your voice. To him that name had been reduced to a battle cry, something for his enemies to curse and his superiors yelled to wield their human weapon around.

But coming out of your mouth, he could listen to it all day even if it was just to hurl insults at him.

Instead you put your welcoming arms around him before the weapon even dropped to the ground, heartwrenching sobs echoing against the pinewoods. "God, Levi, you-you're back. You're finally back...I-I knew you'd come!"

The former Captain should be relieved, and frankly, he is - nevertheless, things shouldn't be this way.

He had left so you could live...and you simply didn't.

This wasn't fair. And it drove him insane. There was an immense fury at the pit of his stomach at the realization that his withhold was for nothing, that you had wasted both of your lifetimes through your stubbornness.

You should have found yourself a man that could give you a family, a stable life, goddamn it the whole fucking world shall you ask!

However the sheer fact that he was finally able to breathe the same air as you again overshadowed any grudge with pure gratitude.

His whole life Levi had been was a dedicated, dutiful combatant, unquestioning to his orders. Now that the war was over, there was nothing left for him to do, nowhere left to go.

This one time, he'll allow himself to be selfish.

A hand on the back of your neck pulled you to close the remaining distance between the two of you, sealing his mute promises with a longdue kiss.

Levi had kissed you before - always rough and demanding. That's how things were between you, after all: He came to your home solely to get a taste of what normalcry, being human, was like, just to disappear after having realized his mistake.

If it meant he'd stay in your life, if only feebly, that was more than enough for you.

But this kiss...it was different. Tender, savouring, unwilling to pull away even tor so much as breathing air.

When your lips finally parted, you placed another, small peck to the corner of his lips. Your hands reached for his face, cupping it on both sides as if to make sure he's really there.

For a moment he pulls back, doubting his decision.

After all, the man in front of you was a shell of his former self, old and disfigured and broken. Petra was long since dead, you'd heard about the tragic circumstance.

He never wanted to give you the impression that you were just a last resort for when everyone else had forsaken him.

Noticing his internal struggle - an amazing talent only you possessed, since his expression was as still as a statue - you clutch the fabric of his shirt, gently tugging him inside. He has to lean onto you for support, stumbling into the all-too-familiar room.

You feel calloused hands on your body, caressing every inch of your exposed skin and sliding under your clothes. "Tell me to stop" he speaks breathlessly, sternly, "And I will."

Instead you frantically shake your head as you moan into his ear, one leg wrapping around his waist as he pushed you against the wall, busying yourself with rising blood on the skin of your neck. Fuck, he's missed your scent.

"B-Bed" you manage to wring out as his hand slips under your skirt, fingertips tracing the wet spot between your legs. He was eager, intoxicated one might say, but you could clearly feel how his own legs were close to giving in.

The thrill of the moment was briefly overshadowed by the humiliation of his new reality. In the past he would've taken you anywhere in the house, would've been able to lift you up and throw you onto the mattress if you so desired.

Another jab at his conscience that he'll never be good enough for you. If only he knew this was the way you'd always wanted him: Slow, passionate, caring...

"Don't worry about me" he speaks nonchalantly, yet the determination in his glare makes you shiver. Levi dropped to his knees just like that, his hands wandering upwards each of your legs. "Let me worship you."

You half-laugh, half-whine when he sunk his teeth into the flesh of your upper thigh, remembering how much he loved leaving little marks like love-letters on your skin. Old habits die hard, even when trying to be gentle.

Without hesitating, Levi twirls his fingers around the hem of your already dripping panty, pulling it down just enough to put his mouth to work. His teasing made you a whimmering mess, taking his time tracing kisses around the area close enough to feel his breath on your clit.

"Shi-it, Levi!" you let out a scream as his tongue slid along your folds, muffling your own noises by a hand on your mouth until Levi tugs at your arms. "I need to hear you, love. It's been too long."

And so you did, begging and moaning shamelessly as Levi ate you out like a man starving, palming himself through his trousers with eyes never leaving yours.

Hearing you like this made something in him snap, and yet you tugged on his hair, tugging him away just before you'd fall apart in front of him. "Not like this" you pant heavily, head spinning from lust, "I need you. Completely."

He simply nods at the request, unable to keep his hands from you even the short way to your bedroom. Your gown fell to the floor as he watched, a low groan escaping his closed mouth at the sight.

Time sure had taken a toll on both of you, he thinks as his knuckles brushed along your cheek, diving in your features that had slowly faded in his memory over the years...

...but your eyes, those damn beautiful orbs that showcased the love you held for him, they didn't change a bit.

And their effect on him was also still the same.

Before you first met he was sure that all those hardships had turned his heart into stone, but now this yearning had become a dagger he desperately wanted to pull out, make his heart bleed in reverence.

Levi was a man that spoke through actions, however.

Your fingers intertwined when he aligned himself with your entrance, searching your face to which you gave a permissing nod. He entered you carefully, adoring every microexpression, every reaction of yours when he started at a slow pace.

Even in his current state, his skill lacked nothing from his former peak: It was as if you could feel his hands and lips were everywhere at once, hitting all of your weak spots as if your body was a map he had learned by heart.

"I love you."

Your pupils were blown wide at his declaration, those words you had already long since made peace with to never hear coming out of his mouth.

A look that could only be described as pure affection plastered on his face, kissing along your collarbone up to your ear. "I love you, Y/N" he speaks again, more firmly now and smiling sincere as never before now that this self-inflicted weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. "Always did."

Tears dwelled in your eyes, vocal cords lost their ability to form anything else than sobs and moans as your lips found his again, smiling against his mouth.

Words were never needed when it came to the bond of you and Levi, after all.

As his thrusts became more clumsy, ragged breaths whispering sweet affirmations barely audible to your ear, burying his hips against your pelvis as he rode you through your high. He followed closely after you came undone, stiling above you without any intend to leave this sweet escape he found in your arms.

Your hands rested on his shoulder blades when he felt safe enough to collapse in front of you, his head lying on your chest as your heartbeat soothed him just like back then.

He was alive. And you were his.

"Please" you sniveled, anxiety preventing you to endulge in the afterwaves of your ebbing high, "Never leave again."

You clung to him for dear life, limbs entangled as if he was just a pleasant dream that would disappear as soon as you dared letting go.

That moment Levi made an oath to himself: No matter his insecurities, for the rest of his life he'd dedicate to become the man you see in him.

There was a lot to make up for.

"If you'll have me."

[flippinpancakes64]

Can you please do something with Carlisle having a pregnant mate?

Carlisle with a Pregnant! Mate

So I try my best not to look at asks before I sit down to do them (element of surprise) and I feel like I predicted this one with the one I did yesterday

Also I feel like this is self explanatory but in this story the reader is a female human. This pregnancy is going down Bella style

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!

He’s scared first and foremost

He knew this would be a possibility following what happened with Edward and Bella, but he’d been so careful

You really wanted a kid, and he did too, but he didn’t want to put you through the pain and agony of carrying a vampire child

You were on birth control, he used condoms, but it still happened

You were insistent on keeping it, and he couldn’t tell you no

After all, you know what Bella went through

And you also know that Carlisle knows how to help you survive through this

You have full faith in your Vampire Doctor Husband

He does not

He’s fretting over you the whole time

Constantly fluffing your pillow, fetching you more blood, getting you whatever food you want, anything

He’s so worried

All he can see in his mind is you dying, him not being able to save you, everything horrible

And even though you look a lot better than Bella did, he can’t stand seeing you in pain

He gets you the strong stuff

Best painkillers the market offers

And he does that tiktok thing where you hold your partner’s pregnant belly

He just wants you to be comfortable

He is literally at your beck and call

He never leaves your side, either

He calls off from the clinic

He can’t even think about being away from you

When it comes to the actual delivery, he is there no questions asked

He’s fully prepared with the morphine this time

You don’t feel a thing

And everything goes smoothly

He can finally relax again for the first time since he found out you were pregnant

He is fully one of those partners that, yes, is very happy about the baby, but is more worried about you

He lets Rose hold the kid as much as she wants, he’s preoccupied with you

He is a FANTASTIC dad

I mean, he’s been practicing for about 200 years, he better be good at it

This kid is so loved it’s crazy

And this time the Volturi leave you guys alone so it’s a win win

Overall, he is so doting and caring

You can’t even think about lifting a finger before he is there with whatever you need

You are in great hands

[carowleysposts]

It’s okay to care about things.

These past couple of days i’ve been noticing that a great part of our fandom is being relentlessly shamed for still loving Good Omens and not wanting it to get cancelled, and I thought i’d share my feelings about it, as I myself have been receiving hateful messages and comments because of it.

First and foremost: many people who judge don’t seem to be able to understand the power of fiction. Fiction is the art of translating reality through magical lenses and making it easier to deal with. It’s something that brings people hope, joy, comfort and brings them together even if they’re thousands of miles apart. Fiction is a shoulder to cry on, a portal to escape through and a friend to rely on. Fiction is magic in its own way, and it can (and has!) change the world in countless ways. Whether you have a happy, fulfilled and busy life or you are going through a rough patch, fiction is always there to help you navigate your own journey, and that’s why it means so much to so many people.

Secondly, it’s important that people fully understand that we do not necessarily associate our favorite pieces of fiction with the creators behind them. After JKR and all of the newly outed zionists, it’s becoming more and more clear that art can be appreciated for itself, and not tied to the person who brought it to life. Sometimes, shitty unforgivable people can make incredible things. And, as long as you don’t support or defend these people, it is okay for you to care about things important to you. It’s okay. You aren’t bad for loving something that has brought you comfort and joy.

Besides, there’s a certain power in taking things back. In looking at the person who made it and saying “this is mine now, and you are not going to ruin it for me”. And that is exactly why so many of us want this show to go on. We all want Gaiman fired. He himself has offered to step back because he is not his art and that story isn’t his anymore. It’s ours. Going on without him would only prove that, and it is okay to root for the show to survive after all that has happened. We are human, and humans need fiction. We need our little bit of magic, and that is perfectly okay.

And lastly, I would like to say that I believe in all the allegations. Even if there’s a chance of it being untrue, it’s not in my nature to doubt victims or to take someone’s side blindly just because I think they are good at their jobs. I believe his victims, I want him to pay for his crimes and I would never, ever support him. You can feel both things: despise for him and love for what he’s created alongside Terry Pratchett. You can want both things: for him to go to jail and for the show to go on in spite of him.

It’s okay to feel how you feel, to love what you love and to be vocal about it. It’s okay to advocate for your favorite show, only you know what it means to you and why. If you need to talk, I am here, I see you and I understand.

I promise we’ll be okay. 🩷✨🫶🏻

Edit: this is meant to comfort the people who are dealing with this situation as well, please refrain from commenting negative things, this is one of those “if you want to judge, do it silently” kind of things. It’s okay to stop enjoying things after stuff like that comes out, but it is also okay to still love them and care about them. Thanks! ✨

[adamnablelittledevil]

"There is Lestat, first and foremost, the author of four books of his life and his adventures comprising everything you could ever possibly want to know about him and some of us. Lestat, ever the maverick and the laughing trickster. Six feet tall, a young man of twenty when made, with huge warm blue eyes and thick flashy blond hair, square of jaw, with a generous beautifully shaped mouth and skin darkened by a sojourn in the sun which would have killed a weaker vampire, a ladies' man, an Oscar Wildean fantasy, the glass of fashion, the most bold and disregarding dusty vagabond on occasion, loner, wanderer, heart-breaker and wise guy, dubbed the "Brat Prince" by my old Master - yes, imagine it, my Marius, yes, my Marius, who did indeed survive the torches of the Roman Coven-dubbed by Marius the 'Brat Prince,' though in whose Court and by whose Divine Right and whose Royal Blood I should like to know. Lestat, stuffed with the blood of the most ancient of our kind, indeed the very blood of the Eve of our species, some five to seven thousand years the survivor of her Eden, a perfect horror who, emerging from the deceptive poetical title of Queen Akasha of Those Who Must Be Kept, almost destroyed the world. Lestat, not a bad friend to have, and one for whom I would lay down my immortal life, one for whose love and companionship I have ofttimes begged, one whom I find maddening and fascinating and intolerably annoying, one without whom I cannot exist.

[...]

But Lestat was calling. Lestat was, or so he claimed, afraid. I had to go. The last time he'd been in trouble, I hadn't been free to rush to his rescue. There is a story to that, but nothing as important as this one which I tell now. Now I knew that my hard-won peace of mind might be shattered by the mere contact with him, but he wanted me to come, so I went.

[...]

Of course I knew the very moment that he left this world. I felt it. I was in New York already, very near to him and aware that you were there as well. Neither of us meant to let him out of our sight if at all possible. Then came the moment when he vanished in the blizzard, when he was sucked out of the earthly atmosphere as if he'd never been there. Being his fledgling you couldn't hear the perfect silence that descended when he vanished. You couldn't know how completely he'd been withdrawn from all things minuscule yet material which had once echoed with the beating of his heart. I knew.

[...]

I didn't fear for Lestat, not really. I had no hopes for his adventure, except that he would appear sooner or later and tell us some fantastical yarn. It would be regular Lestat talk, for nobody aggrandizes as he does his preposterous adventures. This is not to say that he hasn't switched bodies with a human. I know that he has. This is not to say that he didn't wake our fearsome goddess Mother, Akasha; I know that he did. This is not to say that he didn't smash my old superstitious Coven to bits and pieces in the garish years before the French Revolution. I've already told you so. But it's the way he describes things that happen to him that maddens me, the way that he connects one incident to another as though all these random and grisly occurrences were in fact links in some significant chain. They are not. They are capers. And he knows it. But he must make a gutter theatrical out of stubbing his toe. The James Bond of the Vampires, the Sam Spade of his own pages! A rock singer wailing on a mortal stage for all of two hours and, on the strength of that, retiring with a slew of recordings that feed him filthy lucre still from human agencies to this very night. He has a knack for making tragedy of tribulation, and forgiving himself for anything and everything in every confessional paragraph he pens. I can't fault him, really. I cannot help but hate it that he lies now in a coma on the floor of his chapel here, staring into a self-contained silence, despite the fledglings that circle him for precisely the same reason as I did, to see for themselves if the blood of Christ has transformed him somehow and he does not represent some magnificent manifestation of the miracle of the Transubstantiation. But I'll come to that soon enough. I've ranted myself into a little corner. I know why I resent him so, and find it so soothing to hammer at his reputation, to beat upon his immensity with both my fists. He has taught me too much. He has brought me to this very moment, here, where I stand dictating to you my past with a coherence and calm that would have been impossible before I came to his assistance with his precious Memnoch the Devil and his vulnerable little Dora. Two hundred years ago he stripped me of illusions, lies, excuses, and thrust me on the Paris pavements naked to find my way back to a glory in the starlight that I had once known and too painfully lost. But as we waited finally in the handsome high-rise apartment above St. Patrick's Cathedral, I had no idea how much more he could strip from me, and I hate him only because I cannot imagine my soul without him now, and, owing him all that I am and know, I can do nothing to make him wake from his frigid sleep. But let me take things one at a time. What good is it to go back down now to the chapel here and lay my hands on him again and beg him to listen to me, when he lies as though all sense has truly left him and will never return. I can't accept this. I won't. I've lost all patience; I've lost the numbness that was my consolation. I find this moment intolerable."

THIS CHAPTER ISN'T OVER YET AND IT'S ALREADY PEAK INSANITY OMG

[ruh--roh-raggy]

To Be Human (Monster! William Afton x Fem! Reader Beauty and The Beast AU) - Part I

Hello hello! First and foremost I would like to wish a huge belated Happy Birthday to my dear friend @yellowbunnydreams this whole AU is dedicated to her 💜💜💜 If you like princesses and castles and ball gowns and Will being a giant fucking monster definitely give this a read, I think this story is going to be very fun! If you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know!

WARNINGS: Mostly plot/set up, Will's kind of a dick, kidnapping I guess but not really, it's a Beauty and The Beast AU there's going to be some underlying themes of Stockholm syndrome if you squint. Not proofread, sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes!

You can find my Masterlist here!

Word Count: 2,849

Part II (TBA)

You squeezed your legs harder against your horse’s sides, promoting him to run as fast as he possibly could. Tears sting your eyes as you race through the forest, sharp branches snapping at your face, your haste not allowing you time to care about watching out for them. The heavy gallop against the damp, muddy earth, quickly turned into loud, clattering hooves that fell against the cobbled path that formed at the opening of the tree line. The dark castle twisted up into the black sky, its gnarled, jagged appearance not much different than the branches that tangled the perimeter of the clearing. Your body instinctively jolted as a loud clap of thunder rang out across the courtyard, a crack of lightning illuminating the night. You found a small spot of shelter to tie up your horse, pulling the hood of your cloak as far forward as an attempt to stop the rain from pelting you in the face. You were already soaked to the bone, your dress clung to your body, your hair fell in long stringy tendrils across your face. You hurried up to the large castle doors, having to throw your full weight against it in order to get it to move. The creak that came from the ancient hinges was nearly deafening as it echoed through the grand foyer inside. “Father!” You call into the pitch black room, barely being able to make out the shape of the grand white marble staircase that took up a large portion of the space. You hurried inside, pushing the door shut behind you with a strangled groan. You knew what you were doing was dangerous, being so careless left you with a major possibility of losing your life. Your father had been taken captive by the tyrannical monarch who resided in this palace. “Please, answer me! Where are you!” You continued to call.

At this point you didn't care about what could happen to you, you were more concerned about what had happened to him. You raced up the stairs, nearly slipping in the water that streamed off your body, leaving small puddles in your wake. You continued to call out for him as you ran through the halls, your voice echoing off the grand arched ceilings. You hear someone shout your name from deeper inside, your head snapping in the direction of a door you hadn’t noticed. You ripped it open to reveal a winding stone spiral staircase that seemed to lead up impossibly higher into the castle. The heavy wrought iron handle slammed against the wooden barrier, the loud bang echoing through the halls. You could hear thunderous footsteps hurrying in your direction, someone was coming. You hurried in the direction of your father's voice, your hands wrapping around the thick metal bars as you saw a cell with a single candle inside. He calls your name again, this time in a soft harsh whisper. “What are you going here? Leave before he finds you.” His eyes darted down the stairs. “My darling girl, I love you too much to have you resolved to a fate like this. Leave me, take care of yourself.”

“I'm not leaving here without you.” Your voice trembles as you speak.

“You have to, if he catches you I'm not sure either of us will survive.” He explains quickly. “Go.”

“So, this is your insolent little brat.” A voice growls from the darkness.

“Your Highness she came-”

“I don't believe I ordered you to speak, farmer!” The voice snarls. “I thought I was being generous, allowing you to pay off your debt for stealing from my prized garden. Now you're responsible for another trespasser.”

“I'm here to take his place.” You step in front of your father, blocking him from the Monarch's view.

“Absolutely not-”

“This is your last warning farmer, step out of line again and it'll be your head.” He snaps. “Now, as for you.” You could feel him sizing you up despite the fact you couldn't see him. “You want to take his place, hm?” Your eyes widened as he stepped into the dim light. You scramble back, his monstrously tall form too close to you. A white linen shirt stretched tight across his broad shoulders, thick, light brown fur streaked with grey flowed out of its deeply plunging neck. His fingers were tipped with sharp, black claws, fur matching his chest seeming to cover every exposed area of skin. Long ears swooped towards the back of his head, tied at the nape of his neck like a ponytail. The soft rounded muzzle of a rabbit was a stark contrast to the intimidating energy that rolled off of him in waves. Darkly lined silver eyes studied your much smaller form from his towering advantage. “Your father promised me servitude for the rest of his pitiful life just so I wouldn't take it away from him, is that something you're willing to give up?” His eyes narrowed, you swore you caught the faintest sight of sharp canines situated behind his squishy nose.

“If it means you'll let him go, then yes. I'd do anything.” You make your best attempt at sounding strong, you could see from the sneer that stretched across the creature's face that it wasn't working. He scans over your shaking form, your hands balled into tight fists at your side.

“You're free to go, farmer.” He quickly takes the heavy wrought iron keys from his very pocket and tossed them at you. You yelp at the sudden action, stepping to the side and letting them whizz past you and clatter to the floor. “It’ll be nice to have a new pet around for a change.” He spits before turning in his heels and disappearing into the darkness. The moment he was out of sight you scrambled for the keys, slotting them into the lock and ripping the door open. Your father crushes you in a hug, cradling your head against his chest as you break down into tears.

“I'm sorry, you got into this mess because of me and I am so sorry.” His voice cracks as he attempts to comfort you. “I'll bring others, we’ll get you out of here, you just need to buy yourself some time.”

“I'll be okay.” You sniff, wiping harshly at your eyes. “You just focus on getting out of here and back to town, but do not come back with the others.” You lower the volume of your voice, attempting to check around for the beast that lurked effortlessly amongst the shadows. “I will find a way to get myself out of here. It's too dangerous for anyone to come save me.”

“I'm not going to leave you here with that monster.”

“You don't have a choice.” Hearing you say this out loud, your father knew you were right. “If we disobey him, he would kill us both before we even had a chance to argue. Now come, I brought Etienne, he should have enough strength to get you to the next village from here.” You tried your best to remember the way you had come, winding up getting stuck at a few dead ends before finally stumbling into the massive foyer once more. You both looked around, the beast was nowhere in sight.

“Come, if we hurry we can get out before he-”

“Now, now.” Your blood ran ice cold at the sound of the voice. “You've both made it so far, I'd hate to have to take drastic measures.” Your breath caught in your throat as he dragged a long claw across your neck, pausing over your pulse. “Leave this place and never come back. If you do, I'll kill her and make sure you're not around long enough to tell about it.”

“Go.” You locked eyes with him, both of you understanding the severity of the situation in an instant. You stood deathly still as you watched your father slowly descend the stairs and slip out into the storm.

“Such a shame.” His claw leaves your throat, his hand harshly squishing your face. “You really are a pretty little thing. Now, you're going to be stuck here, withering away until you're nothing but an old crone.” He chuckles as he pushes your face away with his thumb. “Pathetic.”

“What are… what are you going to do to me?” You stutter.

“There's a lack of good company in this castle.” Your eyes trained straight ahead as you listened to him pad slowly behind you. “Your job is to sit there and to not get yourself into any more trouble.” He says sternly. “When I've determined whether or not you'll be of any use to me I’ll give you a more specific set of tasks.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I'll kill you.” Tears welled up in your eyes at the thought. You stared at the door, a million thoughts racing through your head. ‘Maybe if I ran I would be able to get enough of a head start to make it out.’ You jolted as a warm, soft hand wrapped around your wrist. “I wouldn't act on whatever idea is rattling around in that head of yours.” His lips pulled back into a snarl, now giving you a much clearer view of the sharp canines that filled his mouth. “The more you struggle and resist the harder this is going to be for you.”

“So you're just going to keep me as your prisoner until I die alone in that cell?” You spit at him.

“Oh, that all depends on you, my dear.” A low chuckle rumbles from his chest, sending a shiver down your spine. “If I hadn't caught your father stealing from my prized garden with his filthy hands neither of us would be in this mess, now would we?” He grabs you harshly by your shoulder, dragging you up the hallways behind him. “If you want to take the place of a thief you are to be treated like a thief. You can either behave and accept the consequences and make your time here much easier on yourself or you can scream and cry and carry on like I'm expecting you to do. But trust me sweetheart, I am not a very patient man, it would do you well to be in your best behavior if you want to continue to have any hope of ever getting out of here alive, do I make myself clear?” You're roughly shoved to a stop, your shivering form now standing in front of the same dimly lit prison cell that had previously held your father. You stumble slightly as he shoves you inside, the door slamming loudly behind you.

“I'll bring you a meal in the morning, until then I don't want to hear a sound out of you.” He gives you a warning look before slinking into the darkness. You stood in silence, the only sound came from your shaky breath bouncing off the walls. The slow squeak of the hinges closing on the door below signaled that you were left alone. You took a few steps backwards, your shoulders bumping into the wall before you slowly slid to a sitting position. A steady drip of water splattered against the floor overhead, the soft squeaking of the rats that poked around curiously just outside of your cell made your skin crawl. You were in a complete state of shock. Just this morning you were harvesting berries from the garden to make preserves for the market in town, now you weren't sure if you would ever see the light of day again. What felt like days had passed when in reality it had only been a couple of hours. You huddled into the back corner of your cell as you heard the door open once more. You perked up at the sound of two voices you didn't recognize bickering from the stairwell below.

“I cannot believe he would do something so… so… revolting! To lock anyone away up in this old tower, especially a lady-”

“Sunny, you're acting like His Royal Highness is some sort of lap dog. Just be happy she’s still alive. The last time someone stole from his garden it didn't end up nearly as pretty.” Two tall figures stepped into view, the hallway too bright for you to make out any defining features. “oh, look at her, the poor thing is terrified.” The female voice of the pair coos.

“Honestly,” her male counterpart snaps, “for a king he has absolutely no manners!” A heavy key is slotted into the lock, the door quickly opened as one of the figures steps inside. Long white sleeves billow down his stick thin arms, a red velvet vest embroidered in gold thread molded perfectly to his torso, a pair of striped pants in matching colors ballooned at his ankle. Golden points whirred around your saviors face, a permanent smile carved into the features of what you were assuming was a mask. “My dear girl, are you alright?” He cautiously offers his hand to you, not wanting to startle you by moving too quickly.

“Who-” your brow furrowed as the second figure stepped into the light. You're met with the sight of a long snout tipped with a shiny black nose, her long, multi-colored hair tied into a long braid down the middle of her back. “Who are you?”

“My name is Sundrop,” the jester smiles warmly at you. “And this is Roxanne.” He motions to the wolf behind him. “Before we get ahead of ourselves, what might your name be? Our lovely little captive.” He helps you to your feet, Roxanne keeping her distance from you as you mumble out your name in response to Sundrop’s question.

“You do know you're going to get in a lot of trouble if you take her out of here, His Majesty is not going to be pleased.” Roxanne shoots Sundrop a warning expression.

“And when did you become so uptight? You're really going to let her freeze up here just because he's having a bad night?” He argued with her.

She sighs, shaking her head in response. “No, no that wouldn't be right.” She picks up the candle, holding it out in front of her to light your path. “Let’s bring her to Moon, he’ll have a better chance of keeping her hidden until you can figure out a plan to explain yourself.” You found yourself tucked safely in between the two of them, both of them surveying every darkened hallway and slightly ajar door as they led you through the empty castle halls. You eventually came to a stop in front of a wooden door that looks no different than the other hundred you had already passed. Roxanne reaches out, softly tapping against the barrier with one of her claws. There was a loud crash, followed by some muffled cursing as whoever was inside made their way over.

“Roxanne, I thought I specifically told Sun-”

“I know you're busy, but this is urgent. Your brother,” she shoots an accusatory look towards Sundrop, “has decided to get himself directly involved in the King’s affairs.” There was a tense silence as Sundrop stared back at whoever was on the other side of the door, still blocked from your view.

“You can't be serious.” The voice sighs before letting out a small sound of distress. “What was it this time? Knocked over one of the busts in the hall? Trying to get back at him for calling you unfunny-”

“That has nothing to do with it and you know-”

“Gentlemen!” Roxanne cuts off the argument before it has much of a chance to get started. “You can fight later, it's only a matter of time before he figures out that she's left her cell.” The hidden figure clambered into the hall, paling when he saw you standing alongside the others.

“You took one of his prisoners?” He whispers harshly in Sundrop’s face.

“I am not just going to leave a poor young woman up there to freeze to death. I will do whatever the King asks of me but I will not let him torment an innocent bystander.” He instantly rebuttals. “He’ll come around, I just need to warm him up to the idea.”

“Or he'll dismantle you the moment he gets his paws on you.” His brother scoffs.

“Moon, you know as well as I do, what that man needs is a companion. He's spent so long locked up in this god forsaken castle for so long that all he has left is us.” Moondrop’s gaze drifts over to you, his expression softening as he studies your terrified features.

“You are to go smooth this over at once. I'll keep her here with me in the meantime.” Sundrop thanks his brother excitedly, Moon pressing a comforting hand in between your shoulders as he guides you through the door. “Make sure he understands that this was your doing and not hers.” Moon warns before hurrying you inside, leaving your fate entirely in the hands of these three strangers you had just met.

Tag List: @yellowbunnydreams @zoey5252 @loudchaosking @weirdoartist21 @residentevilbeast @lokanda @emmbny @yukkkiki @dij-ology @maria-moll (if I missed you or you would like to be added please let me know!)

[marciabrady]

it's so funny to me that the princess our culture associates fundamentally with passivity offers credos which are among the most active and powerful of any in the fairytale canon

first and foremost, cinderella communicates that we all are what we contribute.

cinderella saves the mice and fosters an environment of collaboration, harmony, and unity that's harbored by her own industrious nature. mind you, she does all of this against her stepfamily's wishes, actively defying them, and creating a counterculture in the process.

as the story team intended the animals to be a reflection of their human counterpart, notice how cinderella's kindred are uniformly hardworking, intentionally kind, and approach every situation with their best foot forward, adapting a problem-solving mindset that collectively aids them all in their shared progression toward the betterment of themselves and the world around them. take the very first scene in which we see cinderella and the culture she's created, for instance:

everyone has a hand in the first chores of the day and they're all choosing to do it with a smile on their face. key word: choosing. because this isn't an idly happy lot whose joy is an accident of their own nature or something that's easy. their happiness is something they have to be mindful of and, in many cases, fight against themselves to achieve. because, guess what? their life is terrible. they've been reduced to living in a dusty attic room of a decaying house. many of them were saved from death by cinderella, herself, and know that if they venture too far outside of the safe quarters she's provided, or if they allow themselves to be seen in some way, they'll be back at death's doorstep. the danger and stress they live under would cause anyone to snap, or anyone to never want to get out of bed, which is why we see them looking like this in one of the most relatable openings of all time:

i mean, cinderella canonically hits the snooze button:

the birds literally have to force her to wake up, initially:

and once she does wake up, she's playful and pleasant and kind, yes. but that doesn't last long- the clock immediately tries her by reminding her of the daily toil she must face in order to maintain the food and shelter that's tantamount to, not only her own survival, but that of this tiny community that she's the unofficial mayor over and continues to be responsible for. she has to sustain herself and the others she's collected around her by choosing to live life the way she does. this kindness is something she has to pay for, every day. and she physically snarls at being reminded of the hand life's dealt her:

and you know what? that's a very human quality that everyone can identify with in some regard because it's hard, even if you are someone who loves life and the people around you, to keep going in spite of the challenges you face. being positive, plainly put, is something that's difficult and you have to keep reengaging yourself to be because it isn't a natural state for most people, and especially not people that have been treated as unkindly as cinderella. let's not forget that she lost both of her parents at a young, formative age, and from that time in her youth when, like all other children, she deserved to be supported and loved and protected, she was literally "abused, humiliated" and "forced" into being a literal "servant in her own house." she had no security- both of her parents were gone, she had no money to fall back on, no education, no means with which to leave the house, and to try to get a job in that world and environment- as unlikely as it would've been to obtain in the first place (which, again is so relatable- look at the staffing shortages and people struggling to find employment today)- would've been contingent upon references of some sort, and we all know that lady tremaine definitely would've either a) ran a smear campaign against cinderella to absolve herself and the family name of any personal fault or b) prevented cinderella from ever leaving in the first place so that no one would ever know that atrocities the tremaines forced her to endure from the time she was practically an infant.

she wakes up after barely being able to sleep, probably, due to all the daily chores she must, alone, accomplish to keep an entire estate afloat. everyone is depending on her, from the stepfamily to the mice to the grounds of her family's home itself. her body's practically aching from the lack of rest, the physical work she's forced to do every day, from sleeping on such an uncomfortable bed. the only place she feels remotely safe is in this drafty attic, which smells of fraying wood and aging artifacts and is in a constate state of decay, with weeds growing in the sides of the tower. that's not even mentioning the emotional turmoil, the ptsd, the grief, the neglect, the physical abuse she's also processing at any given moment

so, yeah, cinderella snaps. and there are times she snaps later on in the film but she always reels herself in and consciously makes the choice to never succumb to her circumstances. this is what makes cinderella extraordinary. she singlehandedly- and actively- ends the cycle of abuse through the behavior and choices she partakes in every single day.

and, again, this isn't something that's easy for someone who has been in survival mode for a majority of their life. but the conscious choices, active efforts, and mindful decisions cinderella makes is what frees the household from that cycle of abuse continuing. i mentioned earlier that the animals are supposed to be a parallel to their human counterparts. remember how we meet gus? he's just been caught in a trap, doesn't have anything to wear, and is literally recoiling in fear. due to his terror and his own need to defend himself out of instinct, he attempts to make himself come off as threatening as possible and is ready to pop off the minute that jaq approaches him:

but, through cinderella's influence, she's able to give him hope once more. she treats him warmly, pairs him up with a buddy to go through life with, comes up with a name- and even a nickname- for him, gives him a community, a safe haven, and clothes him. in that short time, look at the difference she's made in his mood, his demeanor, even his approach to life:

and it isn't just the mice cinderella's this way with. in the opening slides, we see cinderella holding an adorable puppy dog. but as the film progresses, and the narrator details the despair the family estate has fallen into, that puppy dog turns into an old, starved bloodhound who's secretly sleeping on the floor of the cold kitchen to keep from freezing to death. he has to keep even his dreams to himself so as to not be heard by the stepfamily and potentially kicked out. he openly hates lucifer but cinderella encourages him to think of lucifer's good points too, even if she can't think of any herself, to be able to continue successfully cohabiting this environment with him. and when he pounces on lucifer, deserved or not, she puts an end to this:

because cinderella knows what will ever happen if bruno allows himself to give into his impulses, to treat others as life has treated him, to attempt to retaliate in an impossible environment when the odds are already against you. you'll harm yourself the most and perpetuate that cycle.

but, just as bruno is a reflection of cinderella, notice how gleeful lucifer is in falsely incriminating bruno, so that another being who's never wronged him will be unjustly punished and suffer:

this is what separates cinderella from the tremaines. this is why she is the heroine and they will never be, despite how many people you see empathizing with how unfairly life must've treated them for being the "conventionally unattractive" characters in the film, or for having a single mother which to them denotes less resources, or for being awkward, or for whatever other reason of the month they're being rewritten to be the victims.

if we are the sum of our contributions, the tremaines are nothing and that is definitely a reflection of their reality. they only feel alive when they're making fun of cinderella or humiliating her by continuing that cycle of abuse they passively adhere to and never challenge. remember how we met cinderella and her friends, gathering their spirits and putting on a smile, despite how hard it is with the troubles that face them? how they look past that to work together and try to change life for the better?

the tremaines can't be bothered to get out of bed. the truly passive, lazy characters, they grog about in dim rooms, turning around in their fine silks and ornate finery, while a being they literally enslaved is being forced to do their bidding. and they refuse to actively participate in their very charmed and privileged life. they can't even find a reason to be happy- but instead are upset when cinderella enters their room. they want to know why she's taken so long, to hurry up, to continue to wait on them, hand and foot. when she asks them how they're doing, they grumble, "as if you care." because they don't care about anyone else, so why would others care about them? and that type of apathy breeds resentment, which- in the wake of such sedentary creatures- seeks manifestation and results in destruction. the stepsisters get out of their comfortable beds only when they have the opportunity to point their finger at cinderella, to get their mother to punish her. again, they feel alive by inflicting pain on others, it's literally what gets them out of bed:

again, as the parallel, this goes for lucifer, too:

as cinderella nears lady tremaine's bed, her stepmother's eyes blaze with fury, hatred plain on her face:

lady tremaine doesn't move, her hand only lifting to stroke lucifer, who has the biggest grin on his face. meanwhile, the desperation is evident in cinderella. she isn't quite defeated, because she does stick up for herself three times in the scene. but she's tired of this. she's tired of being tormented by her only family, of having the odds stacked against her even when she's doing everything in her power to live as peacefully and productively as possible, of being forced to fight a losing battle that will never result in peace but will only further prompt hatred, and division, and anger. in her expression, there's almost a plea for lady tremaine:

it isn't until she sees cinderella's expression, she hears cinderella try to explain what happened, that she livens up. because she has the opportunity to, again, keep that cycle of abuse alive, to actively try to destroy cinderella's quality of life and to profit off the position of power she's in over cinderella. look at the difference in lady tremaine's expression in the previous cap, and in this one, when she believes she's silenced cinderella and is preparing to tear into her:

one of the best instances through which i can further illustrate this ideology (you are what you contribute) is in a later scene, where we see the stepsisters discard their fine wares, labeling it trash and flinging the luxuries life's afforded them to scorn. it's nothing to them.

yet, to the mice and cinderella, it isn't nothing. because, remember, the royal proclamation declared that every eligible maiden should attend. at first, the stepmother refuses to let cinderella go and even the stepsisters brush her aside with classist comments. when cinderella sticks up for herself by reminding them she's still a member of the family, and by trapping them in the language of the royal decree "every eligible maiden," lady tremaine has no choice but to consent- on the grounds that cinderella is able to make herself eligible through producing a suitable dress. because, remember, cinderella isn't seen as a person. she's seen as subhuman, someone who's reduced to wearing tatters and isn't seen as a person in the eyes of their society unless she has social indicators of wealth via her clothing, in this specific instance. drizella and anastasia never have to think about that, because they exist as people of value in their society due to their good fortune that they had no part in creating. they don't know what it's like to be laughed at, to not be considered eligible or even a person in the eyes of society the way that cinderella's lived experience has reflected since her father died. meanwhile, the tremaines are so deep in their own privilege, that they're literally waving it around like it's a rag and carelessly tossing it away. yet, what does cinderella do, with much less?

cinderella makes do with what little she has, always to help someone else. and because of this active kindness, it changes the mindset of those around her. since she's afforded this to so many of the mice, what do they do for her in return?

what a difference in how cinderella and the stepfamily approaches what's, essentially, the same material? and this community that cinderella has established and continually maintained and influenced comes to each other's aid, time and time again. whether it's cinderella freeing the mice from death, or giving them clothing, or allowing bruno to sleep inside unbeknownst to the stepfamily, or the mice turning into a LITERAL army and battleground in cinderella's honor:

again, this community is just as active and vital as cinderella, herself, is. because those values i mentioned earlier, of helping one another and rising above your circumstances and working together, aren't just whimsical morals cinderella sings about. they're constant behaviors she's actively taking part in and impact the household they all share, to the point where when they help each other take action when the time is right. they're constantly conferring with one another on how to best use their community and the resources this offers to get closer to victory. (meanwhile, the stepfamily is only for themselves; anastasia and drizella literally repeatedly hit each other and compete, even to the point of giving conflicting stories to the grand duke that makes their pathetic attempt seem all the more discreditable at alleging they were the princess at the ball the night before) we see it in how cinderella and her friends accomplish their chores together, in how the mice plan to get her dress remade while she's busy, even in how cinderella's quick thinking leads to calling upon bruno, who must be awoken by the birds with an interjecting call from the horse, and how this leads to all of their escape:

because, this community also knows when it to fight and support one another in times of battle and when the goal will bring about a victory that will ultimately reign peace; they know when it's worth it for a shared goal and the benefit of all parties involved. and the difference cinderella brought into that household is what gave them all glory and helped them, not only survive, but succeed. it isn't just the poor scullery maid we see ascend in the closing chapter of the film. we see the same bluebirds who attempted to wake her up in the beginning of the film holding her wedding veil:

we see those same mice that she nursed from death, and clothed, and fed, and loved; the mice that risked their lives in remaking her deceased mother's dress so that cinderella might, too, have a chance to go to the ball; they're still here, cheering her on and throwing rice in blessing at the happy couple, their own clothing being upgraded to reflect that of the royal staff:

we see that starved bloodhound and the old horse leading the royal regiment, as beautiful and shining and proud as their majestic counterparts:

and this is the world that cinderella, as a character, offers. not a world in which multiple parties are at competition with one another over who's the prettiest, or the wealthiest, or where hatred breeds continual hatred. but she presents us a world in which everyone deserves to be seen, heard and valued; where everyone can find a community they can contribute to and have purpose in and be worthy of experiencing love, whatever you determine love to be whether it's romantic or in the form of a found family.

a world in which everyone can go to the ball:

[catras-breakup-song]

how do you feel about the whole "you always wanted more" line that got cut? at first i was wondering why they did that because adora didn't want more until it made me think "huh, what if prime was just running on catra's memories and didn't actually know adora?" but i'm curious as to what you think

OH MY GOD I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED THIS. i am such a sucker for the cut STC script. back in late 2020 & early 2021 i had a twitter layout based on “that little spot on the roof that only they knew about” because S3 is my favorite:

even better, i have another old twitter fancam saved from around that time too that used that screenshot of the script in the beginning. it was by the username yoosene but is now long gone, so i reuploaded it to imgur here (the hands part, i’m going insane…)!

anyway, as for interpretations, it was absolutely to manipulate & guilt-trip adora. i recently saw someone say (i don’t remember where though, sorry) that he was torturing both of them by setting up that nasty fight against both of their wills and had planned to kill catra all along — despite saying he wouldn’t right after she rescued glimmer and was imprisoned for it, in my opinion there was an unspoken “yet” even though he did technically say that word but you know what i mean; “you will be of use to me, and then everyone from your blighted planet, including yourself, will be destroyed.”

that’s the thing about what the show was trying to convey through her stay on prime’s ship via glimmer’s desperate pleas, isn’t it? her illusion of power was only ever temporary. once she no longer had anything of value to serve, what would she be worth? how could she have genuinely believed that he wanted to save her, of all living beings, from the curse of humanity & will of consciousness? what makes one individual different to an omnipotent god compared to countless others across the universe throughout space and time? i truly believe that he was subtly mocking her when he talked of her being “exalted, raised up above the other wretched creatures of [her] home world.”

i was actually trying to find another five by five takes quote about this, because mentioning them is always an obligation for me, but surprisingly i didn't really find anything about how catra had worked her way up to prime's recognized single subordinate (only that moment of reflection afterward, which is just this entire short video), and was under the false impression with a cocky & confident attitude that her position meant something for her safety & survival; i'm mostly referring to this moment:

the horde's the horde...even in space. as long as i'm of value to horde prime, i've got a place in this world. i can work my way up here, just like i did before.

actually y’know what… i’m going to tag @horde-princess because this is starting to dive into religious meta which is like… her whole gimmick thingy. we would be blessed (pun intended) to see your take on this writing that never made it to the show, if you haven’t given it already!

now this is veering too far off from the original point after getting sidetracked. the tone of those quotes in the alternate script is (fake) pity, and horde prime was entertained by the struggles of mere mortals. to make adora a failure of what she represented would surely force her to give up she-ra to him, because what would even be the point anymore of living up to expectations if she couldn’t save catra first & foremost (that’s something that she struggled with since initially leaving the horde over three years ago due to how catra made her feel about supposedly breaking their childhood promise… but it’s a story for another post)?

i don’t doubt that your thought process is at least partially right too though, anon. prime didn’t read adora’s mind thoroughly at any point, so it’s entirely possible that he just read off catra’s intense feelings of abandonment & betrayal. that being said, if he really did see all as he claimed, maybe he was able to recreate an objectively accurate collection of events and knows what really happened and what the intentions behind certain actions were. i also wonder if catra secretly knew deep down that adora’s defection wasn’t directly about her but just couldn’t admit it until she had time to deeply reflect on it during “corridors.”

i’ll leave this messy, unorganized post with an amazingly relevant gif set made by an editor whose work on here i really enjoy:

as i said a long time ago, you just had to be there on november 19th 2020 when that excerpt was released because the hype was crazy!

[mydearestbeloved]

hmmm. am i crazy to think that reader is actually reincarnated/fragment of the absolute being and thomas reacted like that towards her bc the ruler in him responded to their creator out of instinct? is that why you said that it doesn't matter if reader is stronger than jinwoo since it's the matter of her complementing him, who is ashborn vessel? bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. have i cracked the code yet? am i getting close to the truth?

?System¿:

[ Ask reviewed as of (26/11/2024) . . .

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System will now connect you you to 《AUTHOR》 ]

.

.

.

You’re getting close! Since you’ve guessed this far, let me give you a bit more information:

Trial Player!Reader’s Origin-Identity

First and foremost, Trial Player!Reader is human—a normal human—from our world. So no, she isn’t the reincarnation of the Absolute Being. While her powers are related to a fragment of the Absolute Being, she herself is not a fragment of him.

Thomas Andre’s Reaction

You are correct that Thomas, as a Ruler’s Vessel, reacted instinctively to the part of TP!Reader’s powers that is related to the Absolute Being. But that’s not the whole story.

TP!Reader Complementing Jinwoo

Yes, this is one of the reasons I mentioned that it’s not entirely a matter of being stronger when it comes to TP!Reader and Jinwoo—it’s about how they complement each other. Jinwoo is Ashborn’s vessel, and later, his successor, while TP!Reader’s powers connect to the Absolute Being—Ashborn’s creator. They have a certain balance and synergy, one reason is because of these connections.

Let’s face it, if we just look purely at raw strength, the Absolute Being is the strongest beings in all of existence, rivaled only by the other gods. However, despite how much power he possessed, the Absolute Being seemed to be incapable at using it in battle and as a result, the Rulers were able to kill him without much of a struggle. Ashborn would also later claim that despite the fact that the Absolute Being was a god, he did not possess infinite power and that restriction not only applied to himself, but also to all of his creations.

While TP!Reader is not the Absolute Being himself, and Jinwoo later became a successor instead of just a vessel for Ashborn, they still reflect certain aspects of their predecessors’ (not really ‘predecessor’ in TP!Reader's case) dynamics.

It’s already established in the story that TP!Reader excel in the support role, which can be a parallel to the Absolute Being’s abilities and inability in battle. While versality is also an important asset to her, it is secondary, something which she taught herself to be to survive, which also diverge from the Absolute Being supposedly lacking good judgement and extreme carelessness.

_____

That’s all I can say for now! I have to admit—you’re quick on the uptake, or maybe I’m just too obvious in my writing? Hopefully not. Or if I am, I hope I didn’t take too much of the interest away...

Either way, thank you so much for your interest and support!

[anneapocalypse]

The Ascians are infinitely memeable and a lot of the jokes are funny but when I look at Emet-Selch and his mausoleum at the bottom of the sea I don't think "what a pathetic loser," I think of how grief haunts the narrative of FFXIV going all the way back to A Realm Reborn (but not a realm unscathed). I think of the surviving Scions haunted by the memory of their lost mentor, the twins haunted by their lost grandfather, Alisaie needing answers so badly that she must descend into a metaphorical underworld and confront his (not quite literal) ghost before she can face the world he died to save. I think of Lyse Hext in her grief making herself a memorial to her sister because she cannot bear that the world should go on turning without Yda. I think of Tiamat and Shanti, desperate to believe the false promises that their loved ones could be returned to them. I think of Nidhogg, consumed by his grief, even after a thousand years saying, no, I cannot forgive, I cannot forget. I think of Hermes, whose repressed grief nearly brought about the end of all life. I think of the Meteia, even as they sought to engineer that end, making their nest a memorial to the dead peoples that I think some part of them could not help but grieve. And that's before we even get to Dawntrail. This whole story has been about grief the whole time.

The false promises of the Ascians that summoning could resurrect the dead were always cruel, but it was a cruelty they inflicted upon themselves first and foremost. If we only persevere, gain enough power, sacrifice enough, we can restore what we've lost. It was always a lie, but it's lie they themselves believed, so it's no wonder they were able to be so persuasive. It's wrong, but it works because the Ascians aren't that unique. Because their deepest desires are so profoundly (for lack of a better term) human. They want to believe that grief and frailty and sorrow are a result of the sundering, but Hermes already proved to us that they are not. They're a byproduct of being alive. The ancients aren't and never were exempt.

It's always been about grief.

[shini--chan]

Yandere Character Sheet I

1p Lithuania: Tolys Laurinaitis

A continuation of the Baltics hcs ask

Trigger warnings: kidnapping, controlling behaviour, poisoning, isolation, neglect, battery, mind games, murder

Attributes - What sort of Yandere is he/she?

First and foremost, he is possessive. During his whole life, Tolys has had to struggle to hold fast to what he considers his, with circumstances inflicting hardship after hardship on him, he has a vice grip on what he considers his. To him, you would be a person that he would have to keep safe from all the dangers of the world, and in turn, he would be a safe haven to him where he can be rid of his emotional baggage. And like any hot tip, he'll want to ensure that as few people as possible know of your existence, not even mentioning your virtues. Why should he have to share you with other people? After everything that he has endured, doesn't he deserve a person that he can consider wholly his own? 

In total, he is also frugal. Demands for expensive jewellery and exotic holidays will be met with raised eyebrows. Are you a golddigger? That would be the question that would come to mind. To him, life is more than material possessions, and it reflects in his lifestyle. If anything, you'll have to conform to his morals and way of life. Any compromises that you demand he participate in wouldn't be regarded well. Are you trying to manipulate him? Likewise, excessive flattery and unexpected gifts would be seen as you buttering up to him because you want something from him, not because you sincerely like him. Should you give him a present, the gesture would be appreciated more than the actual gift itself. 

This all is conjoined by his controlling tendencies. Tolys is not a controlling or domineering character in total, it isn't in his personality. Rather, the need from control stems from a need to ensure he isn't oppressed or used. By taking the reins in his hands and holding them in vice-grips, he would intend to prevent something like that ever happening again. On top of that, he would be so scared of you leaving. Looking for any warning signs and acting accordingly when they appear would help him in preventing you from leaving. Having you under his total control would give him reason to relax a bit - but even then it would never be fully, since he would constantly suspect that you think ill of him, and want to leave. It would just be a part of him that is never fully able to buy into true happiness. If everything is alright and dandy, then it is either just a facade or trouble is lurking around the corner.

Tolys would also be very connected with nature. Don't worry, it wouldn't be along the veins of the industrialised and overhyped nature fetish, but the sort where he could simply walk into the forest and live a somewhat comfortable life for the next few years. It would be a life he would love to share with you. With the cottage being deep in the woods, you wouldn't really have a chance to escape. Should you nevertheless contemplate running away, then he could scare you with stories of packs of wolves and hungry bears.

You would be dependent on him, since a life off the grid is hard and unfamiliar to modern humans. With all the tasks you would have to complete, you would have enough to distract you. The upkeep of the household would keep you busy, especially with the absence of a lot of electric appliances. It would also teach you that you can't survive without him and that you need each other. Providing acts of service would also be how he would show his "love" for you. You would have to get used to it, because, else he wouldn’t be really forthcoming when it comes to affection. Rarely would he give you heartfelt smiles, or words of affection, in part because he would have become reserved when it comes to such things over the years, and because he wouldn’t want to be viewed as soft or weak by you. In a way, he needs to be needed, because if he is useful to you, if you can’t live without him, then you can’t discard him and you’ll be forced to stay by his side.  

Cornering - How would they get you?

Tolys would know his desires and wants regarding you would be amoral, but he would find a thousand and one ways to justify his own vices to himself. Still, he would do the courting in a traditional way in the hopes of soothing his fears and obsessions. Flowers, dates at cool locations, doing sports together, winning and dining with you - all cutsey couple things meant to advertise his suitability to you and lure you in. The trap would spring when you would be in close enough; or in the case that you would try to leave him prematurely. 

Eitherway, it would be very cliche - drugging you and then bringing you to a secondary location, or breaking and entering and tieing you up. Should you make him angry, then he would stage the whole affair in a way that would make you think he is a serial killer: Ski-mask and daggers and hateful words - he would leave you awake and aware for the whole ride, maybe even dragging you out the car by your hair once you arrive at your new home. 

Expectations - What do they expect of you?

He would want you to idolise him. Above everything else, he would yearn for somebody that would see him as their personal hero, and he would do a lot to create such an image in your mind. This would be part of the courting phase, where he would do his best to show off all his skills, and also have a few third parties brag about his achievements to you. Afterwards, the need for this would grow all the more - he would want you to cling to him at night, to seek his approval in the most minor matter (but still be a person with independence and agency). It would tie in to the fact that he would desire you to be needy. Oh, sometimes he would wish to have alone time, but distance makes the heart grow fonder, and it would stroke his ego immensely to have you throw yourself in his arms when he comes back to you. 

A person with his levels of introvertedness and vulnerability would also be an important requirement. The only person you should confide in, the only person you should trust, should be him. You should be closed off to the rest of the world, and only in him find a person that you can confide in. He, Tolys Laurinaitis, should be the only person around whom you discard all your masks and show your true colours. That should be an honour that is reserved for him and him alone. 

Along the same vein, he would require you to be honest with him. Now, there are people that go through life saying nothing but the truth while still being deceitful. That is something that he would loath - you’re to be open with him, communicative and honest. It would also be in your best interest - without him second guessing all your words, his paranoia would flare up less often. You wouldn’t have to bat away accusation after accusation, and life would generally be easier. Heavens, he would prefer it if you would say you hate him to his face instead of plastering false smiles on your face while holding a knife behind your back. Honesty would make it easier for him to adjust his treatment to you, and he wouldn’t suffer the feeling of walking on eggshells around you. 

Furthermore, he would expect a certain degree of humility from you. This would make living with you a pleasant affair for both of you. The last thing he would want to do would be having to cater to excessive demands - it would make him feel like a butler, or a cash cow. Additionally, it would make guilt-tripping you easier, and result in less fuss once he squirrels you away. It would also lead to you being more open-minded, and more inclined to view him in a sympathetic light once he tells you the tragedy of his life. Though, with all this being said, the humility you present would have to go in the direction of self-sacrificing altruism to be the most attractive. 

Be resourceful, and your esteem would rise in his eyes. Little is more annoying than these modern types that need a special tool for every task. It would certainly be a beneficial trait to have, since you’ll wind up living in the middle of nowhere. This would also be a sign of reliability and agency in his eyes, and an assurance that he wouldn’t be courting a child. 

Faded - Would they let go of you in any way?

It goes without much elaboration that he would be very unwilling to let you go, and would construct circumstances so that it isn’t really possible for you to leave. That being said, one way that he might be forced to relinquish you would be if he grows too weak to keep you and somebody else swoops in to snatch you away. Tolys would vow to retrieve you, but the question would be if that would be feasible in the first place. Time weakens bonds. Out of sight is out of mind. With enough time, his obsession could fade. 

A similar principal would apply if you’d die or successfully escape and evade him for long enough. Though, you would have to avoid detection for a very long time. To him, you would be a source of happiness and purpose, without which he would teeter close to nihilism. As such, he would invest a lot of time and energy in retrieving you. You’d have to serve up another chew toy to keep him busy and keep his mind off of you. 

On that note, he would also be willing to allow you more freedom and time away from him if it is in the name of duty. Perhaps you’ve devoted your life to educating children, or have found your calling as an author and have to bring your scripts to the publishing house every now and then. Anything that is in service to the community and is important will be embraced by him and he’ll enter comprises for you for that sake. Watch out though - any ego-driven endeavours will never receive his blessing, and he would be quick to remove you from them. I.e - that YouTube channel is quickly going to go on permanent hiatus unless you can argue you’re doing it to educate the masses and not for clicks. 

Punishment - How would they proceed if you do something they disapprove of?

He tries to be mild with you, really he does his best to do that. So, his first punishments would be constructed in ways that wouldn’t even register as punishments to either of you. Guilt tripping, gaslighting and neglect - and it would all be played in ways that would leave room for him to claim that he is innocent as a lamb. He would spill tears and roll out sob stories to make you feel guilty for perfectly normal acts, would give statements that would contradict your memories and make you doubt reality, and would leave you to do the chores around the house. In case you two already live in the woods in an isolated cottage, he would offload all the chores on to you as a punishment, and then watch you struggle. When it is just the two of you, like that, he’ll be more bolder and open about his punishments, since there is nobody you can run to, nobody to reprimand him for his less than ethical actions. 

Punishments can also have much more concrete forms, mind you. Such as him giving you something to eat or drink and then telling you it was poisoned. He’d derive schadenfreude from watching the panic unfold, and from listening to your pleas. He’ll squeeze a few concessions out of you, or turn the whole affair into an interrogation, and when he has what he wants, he will reveal it to be a farce. On the rare occasion it might even really be poison, and he’ll wait until the symptoms set in, and let you suffer a bit and then give you the antidote. 

Or he would dress you in armour, and tie you up, and use you for target practice - bow and arrow, crossbow or spear. That, or he would beat you up a bit with a dulled sword. You’d sport some pretty impressive bruising afterwards. 

Aside from that, you would really be dependent on him, and at times he would make that very clear to you through neglecting you. There would be no running water and he would leave the cottage on a hunting trip, or he would lock the shed containing the firewood and leave. Of course, he could go the traditional route and just subject you to solitary confinement for a week or two. The silent treatment would also be an option here. 

Reaction - How would they react to you escaping?

He would be more worried about you than angry, at least a first. Fragile, vulnerable you, stumbling through the forest with all those wild creatures. What if you trip and sprain your ankle? What if you fall down a steep slope and break bones? What if… what if? Constant worries and horror scenarios would be circling around in his head. He would resort to pacing, at some point wearing either the carpet or his shoes through. 

However, he wouldn’t go after you unless you’ve been gone for three days already. You see, the aim of this game would be to teach you a lesson, with the lesson in mind being that you can’t survive without him. Only he would know the way back to human civilization, so you would be lost without him, both in a literal and a metaphorical sense. Soon enough, you would come to realise that and return to him, with you fleeing the quaint shared life no longer being an issue. 

Still, the longer you would be absent, the more worry would morph into anger, with his thoughts about you becoming more dark and malicious with each passing hour. God forbid he would have to go out to retrieve you - any ailments causing you misery would be left untreated, provided that they are not fatal, with him even exacerbating them if he would feel especially wicked. 

That is only talking about how things would be if you are in his complete control. Should you elude him during the courting stage, then he would still view it as an escape. The problem here for him would be that he couldn’t make too much of a ruckus, and he would know this. Maybe he would try stalking you over social media, or tracking you through your phone. Perhaps he has people that would willingly come forth with your whereabouts and doings, or spill the beans with a little encouragement. 

Turnabout - Scenario: You have the upper hand? What would be different from their usual MO?

Not well, not well at all - as mentioned above, he needs to be in control of the relationship for his own personal comfort. You taking the steering wheel in your hands would be a big, fat red line in his books. He would do anything in his power to prevent it, even going as far as to mutilate you and kill people in front of you to get the point across and make you back down. 

Should all that be in vain, then he would resort to malicious disobedience. The tables would also be turned as soon as possible, and he would use every opportunity to make your tenure as his master/mistress as unpleasant as possible. Food would be over-, or undercooked, oversalted or the wrong spices/ingredients would be used. The living quarters would eb half-heartedly cleaned, and any technology that you’d possess would malfunction frequently. To be especially petty, he would take some things you would tell him too literally, and cause problems that way. Perhaps he would be even further, and leave glass shards lying around, or attempt to smother you in your sleep with a pillow. 

Don’t think that removing him from your life would fix this problem, because he would still find ways to harass you. The more you would ignore him, the more extreme his actions would get, ranging from insistent text messages to sending letter bombs and framing you for murder. Tolys would somehow commit all these acts in ways that would ensure that law enforcement wouldn’t convict him, but that you would know it is him. 

Vengeance - What would they do in the face of competition?

Lithuania’s solution is either removing you from the scene or the third party. In the case of the former, he would cook up an excuse to take you away. These could range from more innocent ones like saying he was to talk to you in private to sending you away to a different country to straight up threatening you to make you remove yourself from the scene. It would depend on your willingness to be in a relationship with him and at what stage your relationship is. 

In the case of the latter - either one of two extremes: mild reproachments or physical violence. Leaving it at that there. 

Art doesn't belong to me, nor does the character!

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Back with event with Crewel daughter after the guys trying to steal Persephone gem/crown, she still invite what limited guests she can for the Plentiful Harvest at her school, where her dorm and villainess school ( Black Cat Academy) have plenty of harvest of Persephone and Nyx as the two dorm from opposite schools are in a good relationship for centuries, and also Crewel daughter is very popular with the villainess school to the point she sometimes get invitation to go there

Let's say Ruggie, Malleus, Lilia, Idia, Rook, and Vil went to the harvest festival

( now separately pls for this ask )

Let's say they see her wearing a toga that looks liked a wedding dress as it's represented how Persephone return to the underworld with Hades, and they teases her making her blush, but she did admit she wanted to married someone who she love and doesn't mind if the person who she love have flaws, rich, or poor, as long as he's educated, able to listen, and make her happy and to not cause her harm she be happy to married them, just need her father and grandparents approval as it's custom for her home

Well first and foremost Crewel’s daughter doesn’t blush and if you do it's only lightly because you can keep your cool like that

Who’s daughter do you think are 

And the Princess academy you attend would not be welcoming to your Night Raven friends 

Especially friends that have already been found to cause trouble 

Hence your own punishment and double crossing in the first place

But let's say we pick a different venue 

A neutral ground for both the Black Cat and the Princess Academy 

inviting RSA and Night Raven as well (and maybe Noble Bell if their students cough cough Rollo behave)

To celebrate a day for a Plentiful Harvest the schools will choose their patrons to represent a greek goddess or god depending on the artifact or descendent that’s present

While Harvest isn’t the typical time period to celebrate Persephone you still maintain her image

If only to honor the surviving relative of Demeter who is the main focus of the event

Thus you fashion yourself in a form fitting white dress only slightly modernized from the Ancient Greek bridal dress

Finally able to pull away from the various rituals and festivals  

You sit and relax as you watch different students compete in a retelling of Demeter and Persephone’s story letting the lucky few from Night Raven slip:

Ruggie Bucci

“Nishishshi is the lucky bride not happy with her groom? Maybe trading him out for me?”

As happy as he is that he’s getting free food all throughout the event he’s not happy you’re wearing the equivalent of a wedding dress and hanging on the arm of someone who can barely stand to look you in the eye Idia

You tell him about your preliminary wants in a husband 

skillfully dancing around who in your circle could fit that description

He’s slick in his own way and notes that you weren’t necessarily excluding him 

It bothers him but he’s not discouraged

You quite clearly informed him that you have options and last he checked he fit all those things just fine

Not that he wouldn’t mind changing anything about himself to do that

But it seems he won’t have to 

“Well if you ever decide to really be a bride one day it wouldn’t be too much trouble for the lucky guy to be me.”

Malleus Draconia

“You look divine, (Y/n) more so than usual. In truth I plan to see you in the position of a bride, any requirements suggestions?”

Unlike you he has one requirement and that's you

He takes you telling him this as an obvious sign that he’s allowed to court you

Blatantly revealing your requirements automatically has him especially excited 

He’s heard humans recently haven’t been fond of long term commitments so this is reassuring

It helps with any lingering desires to burn the the crops away out of sheer spite

He doesn’t love that you're pretending but if it means the real wedding is with him he can stomach it

“Then for the future do you favor this style? Me? I could hardly care what you wear for that day it’ll look gorgeous because its on you…but in the end it will be coming off anyway.”

Lilia Vanrouge

“Enjoying your play-marriage?” 

He’s a seasoned fae and he’s pleased that you know what you want

Not to worry about your family’s approval that he’s sure he can easily win

A general knows how to negotiate

a parent knows how to offer the illusion of choice

He knows how to do both on the daily

Not to mention the fact he knows he’ll be a good husband for you 

Or at least he will make sure you believe that before he gets that ring on your hand

Either way is fine 

it's up to you

not really

“Hmm do you want a Winter wedding or a Summer one?“

Idia Shroud

“Uhhh-so being married, huh? Like the highest tier in a love simulator, huh?”

He’s been overwhelmed with all the extrovert activities he’s had to take part in today and all without getting to rely on Ortho

You were there but he could barely think straight before his hair was turning pink and he felt like passing out

Too many times had he actually touched you today within the rituals of the Plentiful Harvest

So to hear you so easily lay that out…he’s writing that down 

This obviously means he’s gaining favor with you for you to so clearly lay out what you desire from him

He’s most definitely the smartest guy you know 

And he’s well-versed in how to respect women cringe compilations told him so 

Now to marry your teacher’s daughter that's like the pinnacle of the forbidden lovers trope

The perfect game with Professor Crewel as the mega boss

It wouldn’t be easy but it sure will be interesting

He just has to get the right strategy down 

And Idia Shroud is never one to back down from a good game

“Just wait for it, (Y/n)! I can be the ultimate groom for you!”

Rook Hunt

“Madamoiselle Crewel you resemble a goddess in all your beauty!” 

Ever prepared to listen to you he’s pleased with what he’s hearing

It's been euphoric watching you all throughout the day for the event 

Your beauty is next to ethereal when you reveal something about yourself

And he’s swooning 

Despite his incessant devotion to you he can’t help but watch stalk from afar only to discover something new about you

Its always exhilarating 

It’ll be even more so when he makes you aware that that's exactly his prerogative

“Madamoiselle Crewel your hand is a prize for those who should earn your love! Those willing to persist in the hunt for the beauty you hold within and out. Shall we commence in a life-long chase?”

Vil Schoenheit

“As expected you look gorgeous, I only wish I could have taken the my place by your side.”

He’s already on it

Even working your family relations has been something he’s working to gain

His beauty stems deeper than just looks

All he’s waiting for is you

And while that may take awhile he’s aware this is a marathon 

not a race

So as long you stay within reach and never forget how perfect you both are for one another

He’ll be fine with that

“Surely, you’re aware of what your words mean to a young man like myself? Now I can’t have you off with anyone lesser, now can I? Not that I’d let you anyway but decorum is something we both have an affinity for.”

[thescarlettbitch]

Inanna / Ishtar Queer History <3

In my recent masterpost on Inanna, I forgot a major part of her story, and rather than just tack it on as an after thought, I figure I'd make a whole post.

First and foremost, Inanna has always been a feminine goddess, but more than just feminine, she was also seen as the god who could change someone's sex, and wears the armor of a man in most depictions.

Because of this, her cult of followers was predominantly people outside of the binary. She had transgender and "drag" prostitutes working as her priests and priestesses, who often had sex with each other as a ritual to the goddess, regardless of biological sex. Her high priestess would mate with new kings to ensure their fortune, and her other "lesser" priests and priestesses were musicians, singers, and dancers.

Though it is disputed whether or not these prostitutes actually engaged in sex, or if it was symbolic, there were men who started dressing in feminine clothing and using the feminine only dialect, and women assuming the masculine. The "male" would castrate themselves, and were known as Kurgarra, and "female" were known as Galatur. Both were seen as being transformed by the goddess herself, or being created by the god Enki to rescue Inanna from the underworld (see the Descent Of Inanna).

She has always been a young woman, she has never been mythologically depicted as a mother figure or a faithful wife. She has always been true to herself, regardless of how she will be perceived by anyone, especially men.

Despite eventually the ancient civilization succumbing to a patriarchal society, they were not always. Not to say the roles were perfectly equal, or that it was originally a matriarchy, but eventually many female deities turned to male. Inanna managed to withstand this, surviving as the Akkadian Ishtar, the Hittite Suarte, and the Phoenician Astarte. This decline in femininity started with the rule of Hammurabi. Before this, they had significant female deities, and they seemed to have a vast understanding of femininity with the variety of deities, and having one (Inanna) with such a bold personality.

Within her mythology, she is brash, independent, vindictive, impulsive, but also calculating and manipulative. In Inanna and The God of Wisdom, Inanna purposefully goes to Enki with the intention of stealing the Meh, and then purposefully gets him drunk so that he will be compliant, and eventually she becomes Queen. In the Descent of Inanna she has her husband imprisoned in her stead after she finds him with other women when he should've been mourning, and then later decides she misses him, so she forces his sister to take his place for half the year so that she can have him back. Inanna made people want to serve her because of who she was, not what she had to offer, that's why she survived.

She has had multiple lovers throughout mythology, including her husband Dumuzi, but also Sargon of Akkad, and Zababa.

Despite being a highly sexual goddess, her assailant in Inanna and Su-Kale-Tuda is not seen as a lover. In fact, he was regarded as a coward, and her level of consent was never in question. A goddess fell asleep beneath a tree and a human man saw her and assaulted her. And then he hid. He ran away and he hid. And she reigned terror down on the world until she found him and killed him, telling him that he will be forever be remembered as a coward. Not once did anyone say that she was asking for it. Not once did anyone ask what she was wearing. Not once did anyone say that she has sex all the time. It was seen as divine justice for a heinous crime.

[feekins]

so I'm re-reading the manga (Dark Horse and Overhaul translations side-by-side jsyk) along with @trigunbookclub and, as I was going through ch 7 of Trigun Maximum vol 4...something struck me.

"I will send Knives to Hell" - up to this point in the manga, Vash has consistently cited that as his ultimate goal, yeah? off the top of my head, I remember him saying as such as early as ch 1 of Trigun vol 2.

which is. interesting. bc so far, Knives is the ONLY person we've seen Vash express REAL, PERSISTENT DESIRE to KILL. and call me Captain Obvious, but doesn't that go against, like...Vash's whole-ass thing??? as he says in ch 7 of Trigun vol 1:

which begs the question, Vash: what about Knives' life?

Knives (albeit indirectly) killed Rem. Vash wants to get revenge and kill Knives - even though it goes directly against what Vash promised Rem. that tells me that Vash, too, fundamentally misunderstands Rem's sacrifice. see, Rem's decision to stay behind and die doing what she could to make sure at least some of those in cold sleep would survive the Fall? it could've partially been about the survival of the species, sure. makes sense. but first and foremost, it was an act of love.

neither Knives NOR Vash has a healthy idea of what it means to love - and we see that in the terrible ways they live for each other. everything Knives does, he does with the ultimate goal of creating a world that's safe for him and Vash - even if it means working with the humans he so hates, even if it means trying to force Vash to join him. meanwhile, Vash willingly, even intentionally suffers extensive harm over the years at the hands of humans because ultimately, the only person he's set on killing is Knives. like...despite everything he says and does, it's not really about wanting to protect humans - it all comes down to getting revenge. Vash lives to kill Knives. because Knives killed someone Vash loves.

so. yeah. both Knives' AND Vash's respective ideas of love are fundamentally flawed, and their stories (individually AND together) hinge on how they navigate that.

[finnegansundaysociety]

vacant souls: dream & nightmare

DISCLAIMER: i know next to nothing about dreamtale. VS!dream and VS!nightmare are not literally dreamtale, some elements are taken and used as inspiration, but the VS designs are not dream and nightmare, they're their own characters from their own timeline

basic idea: sans gets split into two monsters by gaster experimentation, leading to various shit hitting several fans. gaster peaces tf out

ONEIRIC

When Sans was split, his happiness and hope was made into Saccharine. The underground beheld Saccharine as the one who brought light.

When Saccharine saw how the underground treated his counterpart, he was afraid. He couldn't imagine falling into the disapproval of the public.

Keep the public happy, keep the public in your favor, and you stay in power.

Stay in power and you survive.

His foremost concern was staying in power.

Using his magic, he gave happiness to everyone. Existing in perpetual happiness, nobody wanted to oppose him and everyone loved him.

It was a self-fulfilling cycle. The happiness fueled the public's approval. The public's approval fueled his magic. His magic fueled the happiness.

Saccharine became stronger. He gained more control over people's minds. He became Oneiric.

Oneiric is meant to serve as a secondary antagonist in the story of Vacant Souls. His SOUL has been overloaded by the artificial HOPE of the entire underground and it burst and formed into a mini sun.

Oneiric's number one fear is people hating him. He keeps people under his spell to keep them subdued. Those under Oneiric's spell have a glowing halo over their head.

Some are specially chosen to do Oneiric's bidding. These halos are especially bright and come with wings made of light behind the subject's head.

Oneiric's Saccharine Halo can only be cast over someone that already trusts him. He will often create visions of happiness to win someone over, but as long as someone's resolve doesn't waver they cannot be brought under the spell.

Oneiric has done things he is not proud of in order to maintain his hold.

Visually, Oneiric has bright yellow eyelights shaped like four pointed stars. He had a crown before becoming Oneiric, but it transformed into a halo. He has rings of light around his arms and massive wings made of light. His clothing is primarily white, yellow, and gold, with lots of gold accessories. He wears essentially a toga. I have a very specific idea in mind but i can't really put it on the page SOBS. i do know i want his sun-soul to be visible

EMNITY

When Sans was split, his pessimism and despair was made into Bitter. The underground beheld Bitter as the one who brought darkness.

Bitter was hated. He was a being of despair that spread it with a touch. He was taught he was the lesser half. The only reason he existed is so that Saccharine could finally be free of him.

Bitter fell into isolation. The only place for him in the underground was the ruins.

Then, a human fell. A human who showed Bitter kindness for the first time. Bitter appreciated the gestures of the human, but knew the human would be better off with Saccharine's widespread positivity, and so he sent the human out to the rest of the underground.

The human didn't see happiness though, the human saw zombies. Monsters without control over their own lives, slaves to the spell promising them happiness.

Instead of offering kindness, like the human did to Bitter, the human showed anger. The human antagonized the enchanted monsters, which shocked them out of the spell.

The human returned to Bitter and told him how the underground needs him. Darkness can't exist without light, joy cannot exist without sorrow.

Oneiric saw a threat. Which Oneiric swiftly disposed of.

Bitter witnessed what his other half had become. As he held the dying human in his arms, his despair turned to hatred. With their last breath, the human gave their PERSEVERING SOUL to Bitter, and he became Emnity.

Emnity is the perfect opposite to Oneiric. He uses his Bitter Shadow spell to shake Oneiric's hold. Emnity no longer cares about being hated, as everyone's distaste of him merely fuels his hatred of Oneiric.

Emnity possesses a blackened monster SOUL made of HATRED as well as the human's SOUL made of PERSEVERANCE. His hatred keeps him immune to Oneiric's magic.

Underneath his fury, Emnity wants Saccharine back. More than anything, he wants to be one with his counterpart again.

Visually, Emnity is very purple. He still wears the crown given to him at split, though it has turned from gold to black. He has a purple robe and black pants. The robe has two silver-purple moons on either side facing away from each other and exposes his ribcage and his two souls. His purple eyelights are shaped like Oneiric's but are tilted to look like X's.

-----

Both of them have a different design before their "breaking point," aka before they became Oneiric and Emnity and were Saccharine and Bitter.

instead of apple imagery, they have grape imagery. im not sure how im going to incorporate that bit, prolly in gaster's experimentation.

i am fine with people shipping Oneiric and Emnity! they aren't siblings and i have a lot planned for their story.

ONEIRIC AND EMNITY WILL BE OPEN FOR ASKS THEY ARE SUCH GOOBERS OMG

[bedknees]

I agree totally with your post about Levi and a portion of the fandom erasure of his postwar disabilities and that it's wrong, but I still don't get why his character had to suffer so much. Why did he have to be the only one permanently disabled and why the hell did Isayama put him through that?? I just don't get why he was so targeted in the last part of the story 😭

Oh dear anon, not only is it extremely thematically important for Levi to be the one left in such rough shape. It's even more important that he lived through it.

Let me break it down.

In the end, Attack on Titan is a story that promotes one point very chiefly and blatantly: War Is Hell. War Is Bad. War Causes Everyone To Suffer.

Once you detach yourself from any biased affection you have (and I GET it he is the Character Ever for me!!), you'll see that Levi as a character is, first and foremost, an important tool to tell a story. As are most major characters in good stories.

Levi is Humanity's Strongest Soldier. He is flawless and nigh-invincible in battle. Aside from the ankle sprain early on, he is godlike in combat. The perfect fighter. He hardly ever gets more than a scratch on him even in the most precarious of situations.

Until, well, he does.

Because if you want proper payoff to the very important message of the story, a character that's as uber and untouchable as Levi must get hurt. It hammers in that no one is safe from the consequences of war. No one, not even the most capable and skilled can run from the devastation it wreaks.

Levi is a lot of things. He is incredibly complex, but the concept of loss is one of the utmost core parts of him. He is a character marked and shaped by loss. He lost most of his loved ones. And eventually, he loses his physical fortitude and a good chunk of his mobility, forever bearing the scars in an extremely visible way.

Because war does not discriminate. It takes and takes and takes and has no favorites. Not even humanity's strongest can escape it's unbiased cruelty.

And, it's just as important that Levi survives! He is the living embodiment of Attack on Titan's core message. He is the fading memory of a war past. Of it's consequences. Of the ugly truth of it all.

Is it fair that Levi had to be the one to suffer so greatly? No! But it's not about fairness. He is thematically tied to the point of all of it. Of the narrative. Of the story.

And guess what? War isn't fair, either.