#it's merely a matter of figuring out which characters would take which side

[regallibellbright]

This may officially be the most self-indulgent fic I’ve written in... *checks notes* a while, by virtue of containing both shameless hypermobility projection and Knitting Versus Crochet Discussions.

(Though I’m writing it from the perspective of a knitter intimidated by crochet when I learned the other way around.)

[anisespice]

hi uhhhhhhhhhhhh can i request the tokyo revengers characters walking in on the reader changing u dont have to do it if ur not comfortable sorryyyy

no discomfort here, anon! pretty tame request actually lol not sure if you wanted it this…detailed BUT thank you for your patience and for requesting - hope you enjoy <3333

pairing: college!tr x fem!reader

warnings: mature language, MDI. mentions of sex, dirty-talk, vulgar language, name-calling (pervert, baby, sweetheart, bitch, etc.), them literally being obsessed with you lol and i think that’s it — feel free to let me know if i missed anything :))))

notes: special thanks to @melanatedkink as always for her help <3333 and figured this format would be a lot more fun than trying to come up with several elaborate scenarios lol hope you guys enjoy!

tagged: @fantasycantasy , @spacegirl05

They were waiting in your living room for what felt like HOURS (of which was only a few minutes) for you to get ready, eager to spend the evening with you. A little too eager. Without much thought, they marched straight to your bedroom and came right in. The sight before them wasn’t something they were expecting, but their reactions were for the books.

Delinquent.exe stopped working. His grip around the doorknob became so strong, you’d think he’d rip it right off the wood. Didn’t matter where his eyes landed, you were EXPOSED as the day you were born. And to make matters embarrassingly worse, his pants immediately grew tighter at the mere sight of you. You jump, obviously startled by his sudden presence, and shriek at him in protest. He's still standing there, borderline beatboxing as he fights between apologizing profoundly and gassing you up. 

When CHIFUYU opened the door right as you bent over, facing away as you slipped on a fresh pair of underwear, your entire pussy greeting him was definitely not on his agenda for tonight. The noise he let out was between a choke and a squeak as he practically shoved his fist in his mouth, eyes wide as his face flushed vermillion. It didn’t help when his dick began to salute you, hands quickly reaching down to adjust his body’s ‘not-so-subtle’ response to the display. With a yelp, you tugged the skimpy garment all the way up in startlement, peeking over your shoulder as you shielded your bare upper half. You didn’t even need to scold him, Chifuyu beat you to it as he stuttered over himself, stuck between hiding his erection and reaching for the door as he tap-danced around the situation. God, the image was singed into his brain, he swore he could see it every time he blinked. 

You couldn't even be mad, his stammering too amusing to even hold a frown anymore. Not to mention, the evident tent in his pants he so poorly tried to conceal; he looked so pitiful, how could you not fuck him out of his misery? But, don't forget to make him squirm for it.

" P-please...please, baby, I can't...I can't take it a-anymor-Oh!"

You took your sweet time sliding all the way down his throbbing length, pussy fluttering around him in pulses that nearly drove him up the wall, back arching as he whimpered distressingly. His knuckles were bone white from how harshly he gripped the sheets, teeth clamped down on his lower lip as he fought the urge to buck upward, not wanting to piss you off—You absolutely would leave him high and dry if he disobeyed your instructions to hold still.

"Tsk. Perverts like you should be grateful I'm even letting you near my pussy. Maybe next time you'll knock before barging in on someone changing."

He pouted at the dig, "...said I was sorry..."

"I know you are, 'Fuyu. But, sorry's not gonna cut it this time. Now be a good boy, and take what I give you."

[ also could be: SHINICHIRO, KAZUTORA, SOUYA ]

Immediately slams the door shut. Tries to play it cool, acting nonchalantly as he softly apologizes from the other side. Contemplates his next move when he goes back to the couch, set on not speaking to you for the rest of the year out of shame. Luckily, you made it known he had nothing to be ashamed of.

“Shit-!” was the only indication you had of the door even opening, just getting done with sticking your head through the shirt hole as you caught it being slammed shut at the very last second. Your simmering guest stood on the other side, struggling to ground himself from seeing your bare tits all in their glory. Rubbing the front of his face with a groan, RINDOU had half of mind to just walk the fuck home and save himself the humiliation. The door was closed, for fuck sake! A clear sign that you weren’t…decent. Blaming it on living with Ran all his life, with knocking being a rarity, the walking mullet exhaled deeply before heading back to the living room, sitting patiently on the couch this time.

He'd properly apologize once you came out.

After a few more minutes, you eventually did. However, the expression on your face was far from what he anticipated. You looked... smug? Despite his look of indifference, you could tell how flustered he actually was. With a raised brow, Rindou defensively gave a sharp, “What?” as you continued to scrutinize him.

He half expected for you to call him an idiot, and lecture him on the importance of knocking. But, when you merely lifted your shirt up by the hem to expose your bare chest, borderline forcing him to look this time, Rindou ‘bout busted right then and there in his pants like a goddamn virgin.

With a playful pout, you replied. “Don’t you want a closer look?”

Hell yes.

Doesn’t get any closer than having you pinned down to the couch, your shirt discarded elsewhere as he sucked on your little nubs ‘til they were raw, blowing cool air on them to illicit more delicious sounds from your kiss-bitten lips. Both of his hands multitasked between fondling the squishy mounds and playing with your weeping cunt as Rin stretched you around three of his fingers, dead set on getting you ready to take his dick whole. Probably shouldn’t have teased him like that; he finna ruin you for anyone else.

“Was trynna be respectful ‘n shit, sweetheart…not anymore.”

[ also could be: BAJI, MITSUYA, KAKUCHO ]

Isn’t phased at all, if anything he’d continue standing there and give himself an eye full. You can yell at him, throw things, hide, it didn’t matter—You’ve been keeping him waiting, might as well reward him for his patience thus far. 

“Oo, lookie what we have here.~”

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t hoping for this outcome when he entered your room, unannounced. A good couple of minutes had gone by while HANMA stood in the doorway, greedy eyes soaking up your naked, unsuspecting form until he eventually made his presence known with a low whistle. You squawked out various expletives, quickly ducking to crouch by your bed in order to hide yourself from the Peeping Tom.

“Ohmygod! Shuji, get the hell out!”

“Mmm...nah, don’t think I will. Kinda like the view from where I’m standing.” He all but giggled, too pleased with how flustered you were; how cute.

You seethed, face practically on broil as you started throwing anything and everything to make him leave—A slipper, the tv remote, a stuffed animal, even some of your discarded clothes. Not your best idea…especially when you accidentally tossed your underwear. Of course he’d dodge everything else, but that. The golden eyed devil caught it with ease, the hand marked ‘Sin’ holding up the flimsy garment wearing a crooked grin as he dangled it in front of his face; taunting you.

“Give it.” With as much sternness you could muster from your pitiful position, you held out a hand expecting him to relent. Of course, he doesn’t. Hanma snickered.

“You want ‘em? Come get ‘em, doll.”

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t hoping for this outcome when he entered your room, unannounced. With your face buried in the sheets, a hand marked ‘Punishment’ pushing your back into a deeper arch while he fucked you from behind with the vigor of an animal in heat, Hanma thought he’d won the lottery. The way your pussy practically drooled around his girth with every hard thrust he gave you, your arousal smeared all over his abdomen and even dripping down his thighs, it was a wonder why he never thought to walk in on you sooner.

Even if you still bitched for the knocking, or lack thereof, he knew you weren’t too upset at him—Not with the way you were sucking him back in so eagerly.

“Ah!~ s-so…s’ deep in me, Shu..! N-Ne—Mm! Need you t’ slow down..!” You reached back to push at his hips, your weak attempt futile as he merely held your wrist behind your back. Hanma laughed, angling his thrusts upward to hook your sweet spot just to spite your desperate pleas.

“Had me waitin’ out there forever, [______]. Slow is the last thing I’m gonna do to you. Next time…lock the door.”

[ also could be: MIKEY, NAHOYA, RAN ]

© 2023-2024 anisespice ッ all rights reserved. likes, comments & reblogs much appreciated!

[discoscoob]

YOUNG DONNIE BARKSDALE HEADCANONS

ִ ˙ ✩°˖🍂⋆｡˚ Note: contains upsetting and distressing themes involving teen suicide, murder, abuse and parental neglect. This is angsty as hell, fellas :(

Note ii: I do not intend to romanticise or excuse any of the following, these are merely thoughts and ideas inspired works of fiction. I do not support or defend men like Donnie in the real world. If you think the following will be upsetting or triggering, I strongly advice not reading. You are responsible for your own choices. Thank you!

I’m using Keanu’s character Matt from the film River’s Edge as inspiration and a template for my headcanons for young Donnie Barksdale.

Family Dynamics

➤ Donnie never had a proper father figure in his life growing up and he never knew his real father.

➤ His mother suffered with alcoholism, leading to her neglecting him and his younger siblings.

➤ She would drift between different relationships, often with toxic boyfriends that Donnie would frequently get into verbal or physical fights with in an attempt to defend/protect his mother and younger siblings.

➤ As the oldest sibling, he felt responsible and pressured to fulfill a paternal role for his younger sister and brother.

➤ Prematurely stepping into this paternal role, without any healthy or positive guidance to draw from, meant Donnie didn’t possess the emotional maturity needed in order to fill that role properly.

➤ Donnie received little to no experience of healthy discipline himself growing up, which resulted in him mimicking the only discipline he ever experienced, which came from his mother’s toxic boyfriends.

➤ His first experience of using violence and aggression as a form of control and punishment began with his younger brother.

➤ When his younger brother started heading into a rebellious and reckless phase, without any sign of growing out of it, Donnie attempted to take control of his behaviour by using violence and aggression.

➤ Donnie’s softer side came out towards his little sister, the youngest sibling. He tried to be more protective and nurturing towards her. Despite his intentions being good natured, his attempts to overcompensate for the emotional and physical neglect she faced from their mother, lead to his protectiveness over his sister to become increasingly more controlling.

➤ This overprotectiveness would later extended to his romantic relationships with women and evolve into more possessive and controlling behaviour.

➤ Because Donnie never had a proper, healthy role model to look up to, he was never taught how to properly manage his emotions, leading to an inability to manage conflicts healthily.

His Friends Influence

➤ Donnie’s high school friend group became the only male influences in his life he had any positive association with. His friends were the only thing he had to fill the emotional voids within his life, this made the sense of brotherhood he felt he had developed with them incredibly sacred to him, something which he would protect no matter what.

➤ His loyalty to his friends was put to the ultimate test when one of his friends, John, murdered his girlfriend, Jamie. Donnie was pressured by his friend group to stay quiet in order to protect John.

➤ This had an everlasting detrimental impact to Donnie’s moral compass and desensitise him to violence, especially violence against women.

➤ The fear of losing the only sense of belonging he ever had on top of his fear of abandonment was enough to convince him to overlook John’s crime.

➤ This is the point in Donnie’s life where loyalty vs betrayal became more important to him than right vs wrong.

Prospects and Substance Abuse

➤ Struggling in school would often lead to Donnie skipping class or not showing up to school altogether. His poor performance in high school, on top of the poor amount of opportunities in his rural town, left Donnie with very few options.

➤ Donnie was already pretty disillusioned by life at a relatively young age, due to the lack of opportunities in his rural town and any dream of escapism he had seemed unattainable.

➤ He would smoke weed with his friends when they skipped school and when Donnie became older and accepted any, usually low-paying and physically demanding, job he could find, he would turn to alcohol and other harder substances as a coping mechanisms and a form of escapism.

➤ His drinking and substance abuse would only contribute to his violent and abusive behaviour.

His Sister’s Suicide

➤ Matt was in his mid to late twenties when his little sister took her own life. She was still only a teenager. She was struggling to cope with her own issues that developed from growing up within her toxic and dysfunctional family dynamic.

➤ At this point in his life, Donnie was already struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse as a coping mechanisms for his unfulfilling life, but it would become far worse after losing his sister.

➤ None of his romantic relationships were ever healthy, thanks to a combination of factors such as his abandonment issues, his relationship with violence and his inability to handle his emotions in a healthy manner (to name a few.)

➤ Most of his relationships failed because any potential threat to the relationship or lack of control triggered his anger and insecurities, usually caused by his jealousy or controlling behaviour.

➤ But losing his sister only worsened his toxic and unhealthy behaviour within his romantic relationships.

➤ He would cling tighter to his partners than ever before and that would manifest as manipulation and control. He would isolate his partner from their friends and family, forcing them to be completely reliant on him. Any hint of disloyalty or emotional distance from his partner would trigger violent outbursts.

➤ Donnie views his sister’s death as another one of his failures in life. Blaming himself for not protecting her enough, even though his protection of her had already developed into something that was toxic and overbearing, unknowingly contributing to the number of issues his sister was struggling to cope with.

➤ Donnie always perceived his intentions towards his sister to be good natured, as that’s how they began and honestly she was the one person he genuinely loved the most. Although he never learnt how to nurture and maintain healthy feelings and emotions, resulting in them all becoming warped and toxic. In his mind, he never hurt his sister or contributed to her turmoil.

➤ Therefore, when she took her own life, part of him saw it as a betrayal after all the sacrifices he made to protect her.

➤ The fragile relationship Donnie developed with masculinity, due to the major influences from his high school friends, his mother’s toxic boyfriend’s and the old rural town’s dated attitudes, left him unable to process his grief in a healthy manner—perceiving sadness as weakness. His grief would instead be channelled in bouts of uncontrollable anger and deep, depressive episodes.

Jamie and Jessica parallels

➤ When Jessica’s body is pulled from Donnie’s lake, it gives him flashbacks to seeing Jamie’s body at the river’s edge.

➤ When Donnie becomes a suspect and later charged with Jessica’s murder, questions about his involvement in Jamie’s murder resurface.

[loonyoz]

Part of what I love about Wyll is how he feels like a character you have to keep pulling back the layers on. Like one of those 3d puzzles you think you’ve got figured out and then you realize you’re right back where you started. Which I guess is just the long way of saying he's a well made character. I’m gonna do a play by play of my first interactions with him to illustrate my point:

When you first meet him you’re like omfg who is this boy with the dramatic theater kid entrance lmao. Wyll, you are so dorky (affectionate).

You next see him helping tiefling kids learn to fight. Not in a harsh militaristic way, more in a gentle and even playful way (eg. When you play as Wyll you can tell them dramatic stories about how Wyll slayed a dragon.) You're like oh yeah this guy has the whole hero thing going on. Very disney prince over here.

Then you talk to him and he talks about an evil devil that must be killed with such adamance and determination. You're like oh wow he can get pretty intense. He's so determined about this, he's willing to put aside the pressing threat of ceremorphosis. This kind of unmoving moral stance, this very good and serious abt it thing, it gives off paladin vibes imo

Ok so thats two sides of him, dramatic storybook hero and strong willed paladin.

Then you get to the confrontation with Karlach, and pretty quickly realize this flaming hot cheeto (idk why I called her that ok, but im leaving it in) of a tiefling shouldn't be killed. Wyll takes some convincing and you're like Wyll you dumbass you're seeing what Im seeing right? The tadpole is showing us she's innocent, why dont you believe that?

Then its only till later you realize he had so many good reasons to hesitate:

He has been doing this job for 7 years now, to break off from the script he's used to, is a risky thing. If he cant trust his 7 years of experience he's left floundering. If he cant trust that he's been only killing evil, then he's broken his moral code too. (If I were in his shoes id for sure be having an existential crisis)

He's learned the hard way to distrust devils, what if Karlach is tricking everyone into thinking she's innocent?

Or maybe he's scared of what it will mean if he doesn't kill her, he'll be breaking his pact, and the consequences for that will most definitely be harsh. I don't think that's selfish or cruel of him to consider killing her out of fear of what will happen if he doesn't. I think Wyll would be unfair to himself for those thoughts tho. Like the whole airplane oxygen mask analogy is a good way to talk about it. Wyll would go to every passenger on the plane and make sure their masks are on, then collapse from oxygen deprivation because he never put his own on. Perhaps an extreme and unrealistic scenario, but illustrative of his admirable but harmful self sacrifice.

In summary, his hesitation and need to be convinced shows a lovely amalgamation of his character, his life experience, and his values, and how it results in a moment of conflict and indecision.

But it takes very little to convince him not to kill karlach. You tell him twice that Karlach is no threat/innocent, and he stops panicking, and pulls himself together with the kind of emotional control/repression that makes you go "uh oh babes has unresolved trauma and needs therapy"

His ability to listen to others when people tell him he's wrong shows that he has a flexibility and emotional maturity that is unlike the stereotypical paladin. Once he realizes Karlach is innocent, the rules he follows no longer matter to him.

He resigns himself to his fate because for him there is no other way for it to be. This shows that no matter how theatrical his heroics appear, it is not merely a guise. You can trust that he truly cares for people because he is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of a stranger.

Then Mizora shows up and his response is to argue against her, to say, "you told me no innocents". Which shows once again where his priorities lie, now that injustice has been pointed out to him he will use every ounce of his will to fight it. It also shows that human weakness again too. His fallibility (I mean who can blame him devils are great manipulators) and his worried questioning of the rules that he has followed for so long.

And then when you put all the drama aside, and listen to his lighthearted dialogue you remember/realize he’s also very goofy and the kind of chill guy you’d want to invite to every friend hangout.

asfgjkl; anyway I have way too many thoughts and feelings abt this guy. If you read all this damn. But lmk what you guys think about my reflections!

Also shoutout to all of the fic writers and random fan posts ive read that have inspired some of these thoughts

[ctheathy]

Yandere Sails Headcanons

Sails x Reader

Yandere Headcanons

Important information that this takes place after Knuckles the Dread got his hands on the prism shard. His insanity gets confused with Sails’ obsession and it causes the crew to fall apart.

Sails/Reader [Romantic//Platonic]

[Gender-neutral Darling|Female Darling|Male Darling]

Potential ⚠️TWs⚠️ :

Possessiveness • Overprotective behaviour • Implied death • Violence • Attempted drowning • Isolation • Abduction • Jealousy • Assault • Forced affection • Clinginess • Threats • Greed • Demise of important character role

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙

Sails is somebody who already grew up in a habitat surrounding both adventurous and tricky situations to begin with. He isn’t one to shy away from taking risks and seems to be in constant search for another case he could deem as exciting. The fox can also be seen as quite the daredevil, not backing down from any challenge being put in his way. But aside from all that, he remains to be a good soul. He holds the kindness in his heart his original counterpart has, looking out and caring for his crew while helping in any way possible. He prioritzes the safety of his team, whom he quite literally views as his one and only family and would do a lot to ensure their welfare.

But ... There has seemingly been one weakness stated during his appearances in the show. One that cannot be healed by any method or through other means, not with his doomed fate among No Place atleast. His gruesome despise towards living the same thing over and over again. One that might be the exact little push he needs to create a brief change in the personality of the sweet fox we all grew accustomed to. And which makes him a lot more vulnerable to the idea of him living in a loop. It feels like a curse to him, traumatizing even. He just has his little need for constant new opportunities and adventure, otherwise life would get rather ... Boring to him, an empty and draining feeling eating away at the fox, unable to be cured no matter how much those around him try to cheer him up for it. Which may even be the start of where the now familiar unhealthy mindset and coping mechanisms start to become noticeable in the first place.

Even just meeting him right from the start is going to end up as one hell of a rollercoaster. Him and his crew aren’t prone to trusting those who they just met right off the bat. But in a way, Sails is going to be feeling intrigued by you. He’s never seen anything such as yourself before. You’re... A new experience. The beginning of everything seemed so innocent at first ... Sails allowed you onto the crew’s ship as he practically kept looking for whatever excuse he could get his grabby hands on to prevent you from just being eliminated on the spot. He promised his cooperation on the Captain’s desires, who was currently obsessing over the shard, and that he’d take immediate responsibility for this new scallywag. And him technically being the brains of the team, both Batten and Black didn’t have much to argue against, assuming the decision to be beneficial for all of them.

Oh, were they wrong ...

Right at the start of your temporary stay, you’d be spending most of your time with Sails around the crow’s nest. And for being a mere stranger, he was sincerely ... A curious one to say the least, and he certainly seemed on the excited side as well. He would constantly bombard you with questions for the time being, some really personal ones too ... The mobian seemed rather at ease and shameless when it came to being touchy with you. It had almost been as if personal space and private information was practically meant to be nonexistent in this universe. It made you uneasy. You may have been let onto the ship, but enough strict rules were attached to it that could have easily made it a regrettable decision. Despite figuring if you should just dip and jump off the ship or not, your thoughts were quickly interrupted by the request to meet ... Their captain. But the fox mobian you grew acquainted with in the meantime seemed strangely unhappy and dissatisfied about the fact you were going to have a proper introduction. He’d noticeably cling to your side for the entire meeting, feeling unusually possessive over you. The conduct leaving the rest of the crew to ponder whenever they made a mistake.

Taking a look at his yandere behaviour, it’s important to keep in mind any of the realistic aspects on real pirates and the traits whom they may hold; unmerciful and ruthless ... Stopping at nothing to gain whatever caught the eye. Being a pirate, he’s naturally going to feel lured in by things that could be deemed as shining, and his attraction only goes so far. Unknowingly even having turned into a predatory and power-hungry mobian over time, a part of him who he would have wished to avoid in modern times. But atlas, his greed would noticeably start to grow recklessly, to where at some point he is literally close to unrecognisable.

It’s horrifying to even witness for anyone around, to realise what affects selfishness can have on a once charming and adventurous soul. Even his crew would have no idea what to do with him, as while the growth of his violence and these new boosts of aggressiveness can certainly help during any considerable fights; he grows more and more inattentive torwards them too, finding them to be insignificant. Over time, he starts operating more on his own instead of that with his crew. His selfish and unbeneficial actions speaking for themselves as he slowly grows more distant.

He also deems the others to be delusional whenever they mention his change in literal identity. You could easily notice him growing more confrontational when the topic is brought up, leaving the crew to slowly... Lose hope on him. And the worst part is that the team considers Dread having been preoccupied by the light of the prism shard as reason behind why Sails is behaving the way he is, being the influence behind his sudden changes in behaviour. While realistically, these reasonings are far from connected with one another. But despite this;

That won’t change the fact that a life was lost that day after the abandonment .

As for harm’s sake, he is surprisingly one of the most brutal. Living amongst the ocean limits a ton of the punishments for his doings and it sure has brought in a lot of confidence in getting away with what he does. Something that he had started realising aswell is how it also wouldn’t really require much to keep any of his nemesis in their place. As he takes care of the threat, usually resulting in either just dumping the said problem overboard, leaving the sharks to deal with the defenseless mobian on their own or by simply pushing the razor sharp tip of his cutlass at their throats, being left at his mercy. But he won’t be hesitant to take a darker turn when it includes your sake either.

There’s one of the many, many events you had remembered in particular, one that had gone so unimaginably bad. One that resulted in the use of some more brutal lengths to defeat the said ‘thief’ attempt. The poor creature was being held remorselessly by the calf with Sails’ mechanical hand, an obvious way too tight grip on the leg as they were being left to dangle above the deep oceans. They were being swung around which could have easily caused the breakage of the said limb, all while they were continuously being dunked into the waters with no sign of mercy or regret being visible in the act. Every time they were forced to stay put underwater for longer ... And longer. All while you could do nothing but watch fromout the border of the Angel’s Voyage. You could clearly see the glint in his eyes. There had been a terrifying gleam of insanity in Sails’ once gentle blue eyes. One of pure joy all while he was attempting to drown the victim who was now desperately trying to free themselves from his grasp. It hadn’t been until you yelled at him on the top of your lungs that he quit the torturous deed. But that memory. That horrifying imagery of him yet continues to live on in the back of your mind.

He would likely reach a point where he’d most certainly consider you his treasure ... Making him a whole lot more possessive than his other counterparts. He deems you to be a helpless being in need of his guidance in order to survive the current circumstances you’re in. He knows you’re stuck here and quite frankly have nowhere to go to. And now with the lack of hope and distrust considering the rest of the crew and the absence of a proper captain, he makes sure going to them for help isn’t even an option for you anymore. As you were looking down upon the water’s waves below from the top of the crow’s nest, you knew.

He wasn’t gonna let you go.

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙

[queenvhagar]

And I agree with most things you said...It's true that this mentality—of taking what is owed to you, refusing to back down, and unleashing annihilation on all who oppose you—"seems" absent. But I’d argue that this is just Rhaenyra. She was supposed to be emotionally and physically compromised, but the show turned her into this “boss girl” who bounces back in a way that feels inhuman. Grieving is for the weak, and she is not that 🙄. What the show did was take her drive for revenge and made her useless. Honestly, it would have been amazing if she had gone full "burn them, burn them all" mode! Her desire for vengeance is downgraded in favor of a restrained version of leadership, and I hate that for her. Still, even with all the downgrades they did, Rhaenyra embodies a blend of self-entitlement and superiority of her Targaryen heritage (I would argue, though, that these traits are present in every great house.)". From the way she gaslights her sons ("You are Targaryen, and that's all that matters") to her unyielding claim to the throne ("my throne Daemon mine"). Gee...she gives dragons to the dragonseeds even when others tell her otherwise. We need to recognize that Rhaenyra’s actions aren’t devoid of the fire and blood mentality; they’re simply expressed differently. When she discusses subduing the Green strongholds, it’s not just a strategic move—it reflects a willingness to embrace violence if necessary, even at the cost of innocent lives. Look, I want to see Rhaenyra embrace her dark side, that "evil god complex," as much as anyone, so I’m hopeful she’ll go full throttle in the next season. I still have hopes for Dark Mode Rhaenyra. As for Aemond and Aegon, they embody the brutality we’re discussing. They clearly act on their impulses, showcasing a willingness to inflict violence as a means of asserting power. The show does hint at the idea that controlling dragons is an illusion. Alicent and Otto try to rein them in, but Aemond and Aegon act on their own desires, which Alicent claims have been corrupted. Aegon’s rampage following his heir's death demonstrates that he is not only motivated by revenge but also by a sense of entitlement to his Targaryen identity. He can because he is a Targaryen King.Meanwhile, Aemond believes himself superior to both Aegon and Daemon, feeling better than anyone else because he rides the largest dragon. He’s even excited at the idea of his uncle viewing him as a threat, and he is willing to burn his brother to claim what he believes is rightfully his. Their actions reflect a complex interplay of desire for dominance.The problem, however, lies in how the show handles this chaos. The show attempts to justify or soften the morally questionable actions of the characters. Explaining away (or ignoring) their brutality rather than acknowledging the inherent ruthlessness and chaos that define them. Instead of embracing their violent, self-entitled "fire and blood" mentality, the characters are reimagined as sympathetic figures who are merely reacting to circumstances rather than actively choosing their ruthless path. And the fandom eats this and reinterprets these character's actions through a more sympathetic lens, transforming them into tragic figures who only act out of necessity or because they were pushed to the brink. "uwu poor baby"This desire to make the characters more "relatable" or "likeable" transforms the narrative from one of ambition, fire, and destruction, into one where characters are constantly portrayed as reacting to circumstances rather than embodying the very chaos and dominance they are supposed to claim. My God!!! Just Let them be the unapologetic war criminals they’re meant to be—on both sides. Let them act on their brutal nature! I want to see them fully embody their destructive nature instead of this watered-down, justified version we get. The fire and blood mentality is still there, but it's hidden behind layers of restraint and rationalization that it doesn't need.

Generally agree, though I disagree that Rhaenyra is the only one whose fire and blood mentality has been tampered with.

Rhaenys' fury at the idea of her husband having bastards outside of their marriage, so intense that Corlys knew better than to speak of them or be seen with them while she lived? Her ruthlessness in fighting the Greens at all costs? Nah, she's super chill with Corlys' boys. And she wouldn't want to burn the Greens when she had the chance, Alicent is a woman in this man's world and she couldn't do that to another mother 😢

Baela's boldness, taking after her father the Rogue Prince, fiery and determined, a full woman and character in her own right outside of her relationships to others, determined to fight this war with fire and blood? Nope, she's just a one note cheerleader to Jace and Rhaenyra, and she balks at the idea that innocents could and would be killed during a war she's fighting for her queen who has lost people and who in her eyes has good reason to want revenge against the enemy at all costs.

Daemon the Rogue Prince, feared for his unpredictable nature and willingness to use fire and blood, bringing fear of his dragon and the might of his house to force the Riverlands into submission? A man who used his connections in King's Landing to explicitly arrange the death of a child in front of his mother to fulfill a terrible, dark, fiery need for vengeance? Nah, he lets random lords shout at him and question him without consequence. Even a 12 year old lord can put him in his place and talk down to him. A Targaryen dragonriding prince. And it was a misunderstanding and accident that a six year old was murdered! He didn't mean for that to happen! And of course Lucerys' death is barely even part of the motivation and it's never mentioned by Daemon at all. He was just scared of Aemond so he sent assassins after him and it's their fault a child got killed (and also you're supposed to root for the assassins because one has a dog and it's like a heist movie! Woo!).

Only the Green Targaryens are allowed an ounce of fire and blood to shine through, and it's only allowed to try to heighten their villain status. Aemond burns villages. Aegon presses for war and vengeance for his son's murder. And the narrative treats them like idiotic baffoons for acting like this. Aemond is scolded by his mother for wanting vengeance and is labeled an insecure man using violence to feel good (as if he's entirely out of his mind and solely ego driven in his efforts to fight a war he was raised to fight and avenge the death and injury of family members). Aegon is scolded as incompetent, petulant, a fool for taking any action against those who would do him harm, including, yes, ensuring no rat catchers would ever use their knowledge of the castle to harm him again (but those poor innocents! And Cheese's dog is lonely now 😢 all the while nobody cares that Rhaenys murdered at least ten times that amount of innocents a couple of weeks ago for no good reason at all, because that's not something worth exploring in this story at all and was only added for meaningless spectacle, not for any exploration of Targaryen nature and their opinions of the smallfolk and vice versa).

Wildly enough, even Helaena's intense emotions are drawn back. They should've had this in the bag! A grief-stricken mother driven to madness, haunted by what she's witnessed, incapacitated and closed off to anyone and everyone? Nah, she's barely sad about her child being murdered before her very eyes, and in the end she's not even angry at the people responsible. She actually reaches out to the man responsible. There's no fire or blood or even any messy emotion. It's all gone.

I do believe it all stems from the removal of Rhaenyra's fire and blood, but she is definitely not the only one whose been stripped of the fire and blood mentality of their book counterparts. The only thing that really makes the show characters Targaryens are the appearance, the dragons, and the occasional language switch. But the key parts of their personality beyond that are removed. In truth, it's almost like the characters above could belong to any other random house if you changed their hair and mode of transportation. All other parts of their essential Targaryenism have been erased. The house words are gone, those who follow them are idiotic outliers, and the story ceases to be one of true Targaryens destroying themselves.

[godtier]

so i wasn't gonna make a separate post about this but @sapphire-weapon had a post (that i reblogged a few days ago) in which someone mentioned that they think it was a missed opportunity in RE6 for jake to not have spoken to wesker. i had a p long conversation with sirea about it and my thoughts about that sentiment, but it was also nearly 3 AM my time when that happened so i dunno if i was even articulating my thoughts properly lmao

and yes... this is technically a meta post and i know i said i was gonna do the mmx meta post first... but this one isn't gonna be nearly as long (i hope) and i gotta get the brainworms out before i die

(quick edit note: i reworded the list item below from saying he was "likely a drug addict" to "likely a recreational drug user" because i feel like that better encompasses what i'm trying to get across

(another edit note: i made another post regarding jake's usage of drugs that stemmed from this post! it's marked as mature bc of drug usage, so it won't show up in tag search. if you're interested in that, look here!)

so the idea that wesker being alive in OG RE6 would have brought an opportunity for jake's character is kinda, imo, antithetical to the purpose of jake's character in the first place.

when we meet jake, we know a few things about him, right off the bat:

he's a mercenary

he's likely a recreational drug user or at least heavy/risk-taking user

he doesn't give a fuck about anything but making money

his whole character journey is going from this selfish, money-focused dickhead to someone who actually cares about doing something good, just because it's the right thing to do. at the start, jake refuses to simply give his blood away when sherry mentions needing it for a vaccine. no, he wants a cash payout. 50 million dollery-doos for a pint of his blood. by the end, he lowers the price to a mere 50 dollars. one could argue that was symbolic and he actually didn't care if he was paid or not, but that's neither here nor there.

but why was he like this? because his childhood was shite; his mother was sickly, he had no father figure, and by 15-ish, jake had to learn how to hustle to keep food on the table. and by "hustle" i mean "do a bunch of mercenary work and killing people." and when shit went south with his little group of mercenaries (their entire group was sold out by a heel-turner), jake basically went "fuck alla y'all" and lost all sense of conviction or morals.

during the game, he expresses his bitterness for his father, wesker, pretty clearly. even though his mother still loved wesker, tried to raise jake to respect him despite never knowing him, it didn't matter to jake. he hated that guy. well, really, who doesn't?

we're not gonna talk about excella rn ok

jake's entire character arc is built up around this hatred as well as a subconscious fear of becoming his father. the fear part doesn't show up until later in the story, after he and sherry were captured by the Big Bad's organization. they were both experimented on for several months, during which jake overheard the researchers talking about his father, wesker. this gives jake a sort of "explanation" as to why he is the way he is; he takes the "nature" side of the nature vs nurture argument.

ofc sherry scolds his ass and basically tells him "grow up and take responsibility for your actions."

and here's the thing... this fear, narratively, works just fine without wesker being there.

(since this got obscenely long, pls continue below for the actual explanation lmao)

jake eventually comes to the conclusion that yeah no it's definitely up to him to not become wesker, not his genetics. he does this without wesker being there. that's the entire point of his character journey. in order for an interaction with wesker to even matter or have any sort of impact on jake's character arc, his character arc as a whole would need to change.

see, imo, wesker being there diminishes a lot of the power of that journey. in the game, he isn't there for jake to scream at, to question. all those thoughts in his head that might be circulating around, like why he left his mother, why he did what he did, etc, cannot be answered. this is not a bad thing in a character arc as this is shit that happens to people all the time. people don't always get the answers they may want from family members because those family members are dead. they have to learn to move on without those answers or they have to rely on people who knew that person to fill in the blanks. this is what jake already does in game. he has to rely on sherry, and by a smaller extent, chris, to fill in those blanks for him.

but we as players, observers of the narrative, already know the answers to some of those questions. why wesker did what he did, primarily. anything else is only pertinent to jake and him knowing those answers doesn't change anything for his character arc as it is.

if wesker was there in the game, what would that even add to jake's narrative? a scene where jake yells at his dad? asks him "why did you leave?" when wesker wasn't even aware that he had a kid in the first place? remember: wesker had no fucking idea that he had a child. there would be no reason for wesker to even believe jake in the first place. sure, there could be a scene where he goes "well i'll be damned, ig he really is my misfired chromosome," but... then what? what does that add?

you could argue that wesker could use jake, maybe try to manipulate him into doing shit for his plans, but... that wouldn't work with the way jake's characterization is mapped out. his entire characterization would have to change for this to work in a satisfying way.

jake already hates wesker without ever meeting him. he would not willingly participate in anything wesker offered to him. he already knows that wesker nearly destroyed the world multiple times and had a hand in destroying an entire city. even if jake has no moral compass at the start of the game, by the time he learns about what wesker really did, who he really was, he's already showing that he does have one, it was just dormant up until that point. he's clearly disgusted by what wesker did. what foothold would wesker have that wouldn't immediately result in it just falling flat?

given how wesker is, i could see him perhaps belittling jake, maybe saying "wow you suck for being my spawn," or something during a fight with the intent to rile him up. would that work? no, not narratively nor not in the way jake is characterized. again, jake doesn't want to be like wesker. why would insulting him and saying he's not "as good" as wesker expected him to be motivate jake or even anger him? it shouldn't, because jake doesn't want to be anything like wesker. if anything, it may annoy him, but that's kind of a lame reaction, right?

if anything, the most i could see culminating out of this would be jake standing over wesker after he's defeated again (because it's resident evil and obviously wesker can't win) and having a "wow idk what i was worried about" moment. that's it.

but he doesn't need that. having a scene like that cheapens the weight of him figuring that out himself, without wesker there as "proof."

because the point of his story, of his character arc, is that he figures that out on his own (and with the help of sherry and the events he witnesses) because he has to. he doesn't need wesker there to spoon-feed that to him. he figures that out by working with sherry, by seeing the effects of the C-Virus on everything that it infects. wesker being an abstract entity in his life is enough, because the frustration of not seeing him, not being able to put a bullet in his skull himself, fuels the rest of his journey.

this is where i think that people who make these observations or criticisms (primarily those who think that jake's character would have been improved if wesker was there) need to understand the difference between what's good for a character as a person and what's good for their arc.

interacting with wesker would be good for jake as a person, in that he would no longer need to wonder about it. the answers would be spelled out for him, and he wouldn't have to do any wondering about the what-if. he wouldn't have any doubts left that he'd need to untangle.

but in doing that, it cheapens his arc; it would do more of a disservice to it, imo, than anything else. it would make his journey more formulaic and boring.

it would also clutter up the already cluttered narrative of that game. you have him not only struggling with his heritage, struggling with the fear of becoming his father, struggling with needing to be the "savior" by giving his blood, struggling with his moral compass, but now also struggling with seeing his father for the first time in person?

it makes his arc top-heavy. in that scenario, you could easily replace him with another, completely new character who has zero ties to wesker and the story wouldn't change in any meaningful way. the reason why it works the way to does now is because wesker is already dead. it creates that internal conflict, that internal frustration, that jake has to learn how to deal with since he cannot take that frustration out on his father in-person. he has to make peace with that struggle in other ways.

now, that's not to say there aren't ways that adding wesker into the story of RE6 that don't disrupt that balance. primarily, when it comes to a potential RE6 remake, the writing team can (and hopefully will) rework aspects of the entire game to make the plot more streamlined. this could include adding wesker in and redoing jake's characterization and character arc entirely.

this would be the only way i could see it working out. if jake's entire motivation was changed, his entire backstory was tweaked, then wesker being around could probably work! an interaction between them could be made to make sense and not bog down the rest of the plot as a result.

sirea also mentioned to me in our conversation that adding wesker in to RE6 remake could actually help streamline the plot and i do agree with that. she mentioned that all of the main characters have a tie to wesker in some way, which is absolutely true. having him there would neatly tie their campaigns together in the plotline and make the game as a whole feel less disjointed and messy.

this is especially true when we consider there are 4 fuckin campaigns that all run alongside one another and intersect at random points. it gets so fucking difficult to page through and figure out when certain things happen in the plot. you'll see them happen in order in chris's campaign, for example, then you go start leon's campaign and have to start over again and try to remember what happened at the same time during chris's campaign and so on.

now imagine that not with just two campaigns but four. it gets gross quick. sure, there are parts where the characters run into each other and that helps ground a general timeline in your head, but as far as time elapsed... it's so fuckin hard u guise

there's a reason why it's so hard to summarize the plot of RE6. it's because there is just so much going on in that fucking game.

anyway, that's my rant/sort of meta analysis about why i think wesker didn't need to be in OG RE6 and probably would have made jake's entire arc stupider than it already was

[ellendiere]

Umineko & Gender Expression

I recently played through all of Umineko no Naku Koro ni, and I was honestly taken away with the themes it explored in Chiru. It's not a topic I would have expected to see from Ryukishi07 after Higurashi, but then again I guess he has always played with identity issues, albeit in a different light.

I knew that Ryukishi was always very knowledgable in psychology, but given the nature of Higurashi and even earlier parts of Umineko, I couldn't have expected the series to become such a stellar example of gender identity issues.

The catbox that is Yasuda Sayo may be hands down the most interesting and intricate thing he's created.

And because it's so fascinating and complex--it boggles my mind that I see a large chunk of the community lean towards only one interpretation of Yasu. Or feel they need a direct answer.

One of the biggest themes surrounding Yasu as a whole is indecision. Interestingly, the fragment meant to represent their hope is in the form of Lion, who takes on an ambiguously gendered identity. I can't see this as a mere coincidence.

I ruminated on the topic for quite a while after I finished the game, and came to the realization that no matter which answer I tried to choose, none felt quite right. And that's when I realized--an answer isn't needed. Yasu doesn't require a label to be understood. What Yasu was born as, what their gender is or their current genitals--just does not matter. As Will said, it's an answer that lies outside the catbox (of the game). We don't need to know it to understand Yasu as a character and the struggles they go through.

I think ultimately, what Yasu was born as is irrelevant. Yasu's birth genitals existed for a very short amount of time, and there is a strange importance placed on something that may not have even existed for a year and did not impact their gender. Damaged or removed sex organs leads to a hormonal deficiency, and affects the development (or non-development) of sex organs and whether or not your body goes through puberty. Yasu was raised female and believed to be so, until their body failed to show signs of puberty. Dysphoria can be caused by a number of factors, and not all have the exact same symptoms. Yasu's dysphoria appears to be a symptom of lacking those organs entirely, rather than due to a gender assignment given to them. However, we do not have enough information to determine if that is the sole factor.

Due to Lion's existence, we can surmise that regardless of the incident, Yasu would have issues with their identity to some extent. Hence, the cliff incident is irrelevant in the overall picture--and thus to the story at hand.

The key factor here is ambiguity and indecision. Yasu was unable to choose whether to pursue their lifelong view as what they considered to be a normal girl in the form of Shannon, or to find a new life and happiness in the form of Kanon. Kanon was not necessarily born out of want; but as a means to cope with the reality of their body and lack of expected development. Despite Kanon initially being a persona that Yasu shoved all their ugly and negative feelings on, Kanon eventually gained importance as a person due to Jessica, thus leading to further identity struggles.

I think that to label Yasu is to take away their struggles. The fact that they hadn't decided what kind of life to lead. That they were unstable, swaying between sides, unable to choose just one identity to go forward with.

Not everyone in this world fits cleanly into a box, into one single label. Many reject it outright for their own idea of freedom. So who are we, to label Yasu, who was still in the midst of figuring out who they were? To deny their indecision and decide it must be one way? There is a lot of discussion about agency regarding LGBT+ characters, yet all the talk of interpreting what one must be, to have one, true labeled identity, erases that very agency.

Yasu is interesting and complex because there is no answer. There are many works of LGBT+ characters coming to terms with their identities, but not very many where one dies in the midst of that journey.

Many themes in Umineko are left up to interpretation--including many things regarding Yasu--so while it's not necessarily wrong to think on it, I also want to present the avenue that not coming to a clear answer can be an answer in and of itself.

[ask-athena]

ᅠ₊⊹"To silent vessels, I give voice!"⊹₊

blog intro/💀/ Hello! this is an IC ask blog as my favorite character ever, Athena from Final Fantasy XIV! I am a huge lore nerd and have been obsessed with Athena going on a year now... I am very new to tumblr RP specifically so this'll be a learning curve.. and as well as an ask blog, I wouldn't mind dabbling in RP in messages...but yes! This post will just be saying who I am and what kind of asks/interactions I'd like and some smaller headcanons and criteria for my characterization!

OOC

☆ athena (yes thats what i go by ooc.. u can just call me 💀 or thena')

☆ transfem ☆ she/her ☆ 21

twt ☆ bsky ☆ ao3

ooc posts start/end with /💀/

IC

☆ Athena, 'Lady Athena', 'Chief Keywarden Athena'

☆ transfem ☆ she/her ☆ mid 20s-50s~

☆ carefree, highly intelligent, cocky

「✦ "Why.. Greetings! It's not often I have visitors... no matter. I am Athena! Chief Keywarden of Pandæmonium... ah, and wife to the esteemed Lahabrea.. as well, of course. I do suggest you watch yourself in my facility, while the magicks of our warders is unmatched... accidents do tend to happen... familiar."✦」

IC canon info Based off of the content of the ask, or if you specifically request a certain one, I will switch between three key time periods:

☆ Pre-Pandæmonium 🎭

This would also be before Hephaistos takes the seat of Lahabrea, before Erichthonios exists, and before the Heart of Sabik's influence. She would be a mere researcher in the Words of Lahabrea...but still a top one at that.

☆ Chief Keyward ⛓️

This will be the most commonly used time period. For simplicity sake, it's the time period in which the Abyssos flashback takes place. Erichthonios has existed for a few years, Hephaistos is now Lahabrea and barely sees her, and she oversees her great facility... with nothing shady going on on the side at all!

☆ Anabaseios // Limbo 🌌

This would be a more theoretical time period. Simply set with my interpretation of her behavior at the finale of the raid series or a state of existence where the raid series has happened and somehow shes still able to interact with Erich, Lahabrea, Themis, etc. In other words this is the 'don't really try and make sense of this one' time period.

You may request a specific time period by including the corresponding emoji to the one you'd like. This is optional!

⸻Though, on that note...

Do not take a lot of what's said on this blog very seriously.

Athena is a bad person believe it or not! But, I (, Athena,) am don't think I personally am! She can be condescending, has a god complex, and with this being clarified I will do my best to not hold back on her characterization and how I think she'd actually reply to any asks I receive. This is a roundabout way of saying I don't condone anything this character does or the way I act IC. Though, this also applies to the rationalization of this blog! Obviously it'd be hard to be in a scenario where she'd even answer silly questions of any kind, and this isn't even mentioning the timeline jumping and limbo stuff. I'm here to have fun, and I hope anyone else can do the same! and i promise im not a weirdo using shit like this to justify racism/homophobia in RP lmao Anyway, with all that out of the way here's some general head-canons for the character!

headcanons

☆ from bad to worse

in short, i mean i specifically characterize her being Slightly unhinged before the heart of sabik, and then More unhinged based off the amount of time she's had it.

☆ Lahathena

this is a HUGE umbrella term because a lot of my headcanons for her are moreso about her and Heph's relationship. doomed love, eventual cheating, spite, crazy for eachother figuratively and literally, etc.

☆ TransFem!Athena / TransMasc!Lahabrea

this is a hc that probably wont need to be referred to often, but it is one i hold very dear! i have a whole doc adding justification even, but that being said! i don't mind any sort of identity on them.

you will likely pick up on more of these HCs as time goes on!

ask criteria HONESTLY, I am looking for almost any kind of ask.

If you'd like you can give a little bit of context as to whos asking, nothing lengthy just simply name/pronouns/and if they're an ancient or a 'familiar', by default she will call everyone a familiar.

(Cybelle | She/Her | Ancient | OC) text text text ask ask ask?

☆ YES ☆

☆ NSFW/18+ - Though, if I do not find it appropriate to answer I will not.

☆ Joke/Meme/Trendy questions are encouraged even!

☆ but at the same time, Philosophical/Theoretical or just Serious questions as a whole are as well! I will answer best to my ability and will appreciate the exercise!

☆ Asking specifically an OOC question is fine as well! Just make sure it's obvious it's for me and not her.

☆ NO ☆

☆ Controversial subjects such as SA, racism, p_dophilia, etc.

☆ Any reference to the Lahabrea family being incestuous in any way. (i main as an athena npc in-game. this has happened before. sadly.)

☆ While I am fine with NSFW asks, I would prefer no NSFW images in my inbox.

☆ Highly specific asks relating to your character. (while im sure your character is cool, I don't think it'd make the best ask if I had to try and understand your lore first or something)

As long as its within this criteria ANYTHING GOES!!

NOW thank you so much for reading and showing interest in my blog! Happy asking! I'm always down to make likeminded friends on here ill abt the same stuff! So don't feel too scared to even just... send me a message or whatever!

Divider Credits: cafekitsune, web.archive.org

shitty pandaemonium gif by meeeeeee

[den-kunn]

Worries.

Characters: Raiden, Den "Raycoon".

Pairing: Chaos Storm - Rai/Den.

CW: none.

Rain slowly poured down as the wind carried the chimes, the gentle sounds are what drove Den out of his trance. The scent of the soil getting wet invades his nose, humming in response. The blue mechanical pencil is left hanging on his hand while his eyes look away from the paper towards the open doors.

He didn't notice the day has gotten gray while he was sketching bodies. Leaving his spot and the pencil, Den approaches the engawa as he runs his hands on his arms at the slight temperature change. The scent grows stronger as soft drops fall in front of him, he could swear the rustling leaves could deaf him and he would be okay with it.

Den glances at the distance and spots a blue figure near a tree, taking a few seconds to focus on the shape of the man sitting under it. The chaos man considers ignoring him as to not disturb him yet he feels drawn to him. Barefeet, he takes the first step on the wet grass before making his way to the tree, his hair and clothes get soaked while more drops fall on his face, blinking a few times to not lose the target out of sight.

The distinct hat protects the older man's face as he sits with his legs crossed, his back straight while his arms rest on his knees. Den can't help but admire the image, the calmness and peacefulness the god radiates is intoxicating, his aspect almost ethereal combined with his firm stance makes the chaos man get lost in thought.

"Is something the matter?"

Words ground him to reality, frowning slightly once his sight can form the details of Raiden's hat with clarity.

"No, no. I was just- no. Did I interrupt you?"

A light blue sparkle appeared under the hat for a moment, his head soon shifts to face Den.

"I was meditating, but I can make time for you."

In silence, the chaos man sits right next to the god, leaving a small amount of space as to not disturb him more than he already is. Glowing eyes glare at the small mortal next to him.

"You're underdressed, you will catch a cold with the storm."

"I don't get sick so easily," Den answers back, not measuring his tone. "But- uh... thanks for caring."

Raiden snorts at the comment. "I used to think I was incapable of getting sick as well, do not overestimate your own immune system."

"Yeah- yeah... wai-" Den immediately shifts towards Raiden. "Gods can catch colds?"

"You would be surprised how often Fujin gets sick of his own windstorms."

"So that applies to you too."

"Oh no, I don't get sick so easily."

Both stared at each other for mere seconds and chuckle. Loose leaves fall from the trees close to the pair, what once was the deafening music of the wind chimes is no longer audible. It was just them and the storm.

Den's glare lingers as he takes a very needed deep breath.

"The day feels so..." He blinked, pupils dilatating, as the word finally comes to mind, "Monotone."

Raiden frowns, thinking he caused Den some sort of distress. A thunder roared behind them making the chaos man become aware of his poor choice of words. The younger man rests the side of his head on the god's arm, almost as if he was protecting his left ear.

"Not in a bad way."

Raiden glances at the chaosrealmer with a puzzled look.

"It's... how I like it. When the sky gets cloudy, it feels like a movie, a melancholic one. I like it. It's also... a good inspiration."

"How so?" Raiden asks.

"I don't really know how to explain it, but when the day is like this, I feel more relaxed, more free to explore what's on my mind. I daydream often and this... it helps the mood."

Raiden dwells on the thought as both men feel the cold wind hit them from the front, causing Den to separate from the contact. The soft rain gained strength as the minutes go by, the petrichor on the air which was once present back in the temple completely fades away once all grass is covered in a thin layer of water.

They sat in silence to enjoy the scenery the younger one pointed out. The thunder god usually chooses this particular spot to connect with nature and gain wisdom through self reflection, the storms that cover the sacred grounds are of his mental turmoil looking for answers for the betterment of Earthrealm. Knowing someone else could enjoy his tempest to create art makes Raiden feel content.

"I still have not heard why you wanted to see me."

A nervous chuckle comes from Den, "What- I need a reason to see my favorite man?"

Raiden's eyebrow raises at the question, intrigued by the nervousness.

"I-" The mortal clears his throat with a small hit to his chest, "I eh..."

The older man was amused by the reaction, the sudden shift from cockiness to awkwardness was something he has seen previously when his apprentices and the chaosrealmer chatted, but he didn't expect to cause it without saying a word.

However, Raiden soon realized the change of mood wasn't due to a playful matter as Den began fidgeting while his back was growing tense.

"Whatever is in your mind, you can confide it to me," Raiden reassured.

A long pause was present while Den's mind kept rearranging his thoughts, rereading the imaginary sentences to make sense out of them, the time passing felt like an eternity before the younger man was able to speak.

"What am I going to do once this is all over?"

That exact question was what worried Raiden as well. Before any word could come out of his mouth, Den gripped his sweater.

"I can't go back to how I used to be, I can't return to the life I once lived." His voice was slower than usual, almost unsure if what he's expressing was correct. Raiden stayed quiet.

"I am a different me. I don't recognize who's in the mirror. I don't feel this is me. I don't know what me is anymore. I don't feel my body nor my soul. I feel... like a floating consciousness, with thoughts and feelings, but I can't process I am a living being with a different living body."

His eyes begin to sting, feeling uncomfortably hot as he continues, "I can't think of myself as a person. I'm an extra in other people's lives. I act when they are near me until they're gone. I feel numb when I'm alone."

Once a shaky sigh left Den's lips, Raiden finally asked.

"Is that why you don't want to be alone?"

The smaller man's hands gestured almost as if to not lose track of his words. "I'm scared of feeling numb forever. Being around people makes me feel real emotions, they make me feel like I am a real human being."

"Do you feel real when you're with me?"

"I feel alive."

Raiden moves closer until their arms touch, pulling Den towards him for a hug. Den's head rests on his companion, his burning eyes release tears that mix with the raindrops, which cool his tired eyelids. His heart is beating so painfully tight against his chest, almost as if it wanted to get out of the prison that is his body. An arm slowly envelops around Raiden, his shaky fingertips holding onto any piece of clothing he could grasp on while his breathing sharpens.

He never felt so vulnerable near someone before.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for."

"I'm a burden."

"You are not. You never were."

"You know we're only here talking because of what I became."

"And I couldn't be more glad we get to do it."

"Why?"

"You just want to be heard and cared for."

"Lies."

"Are they though?"

"... No."

"I will not leave you alone. I will not let you feel you are not real."

"Why?"

"I like it when you are you."

"You don't know me."

"I have all the time in the world to do so, if you allow me."

"I will make you worse."

"Then I will be worse with you."

"Cheesy."

"You enjoy it."

"I do."

"And I do too."

Both men close their eyes, feeling each other's presence as the rain pours down on them, lightning striking far away in the mountains that flash for mere seconds, the rumbling somewhat relaxes the younger man. At peace, his eyes draw a path to the horizon as his concerns disappear with the wind.

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Tomorrow. The examination."

"What troubles you about it?"

"I overhead the scientists talk about experimenting with my head."

"Are you afraid your power will not help you?"

"I never tried to actually... harm myself like that. I never managed to pull it out or break something to heal it. What if..."

"It could kill you?"

"Yeah."

"I know some native chaos citizens were capable of reattaching their heads the same way they did their other limbs. I cannot say I have seen someone regenerate it though."

"I'm anxious they could harm me permanently."

"Your hearing," Raiden realizes.

"It's sensitive. It always has been. Their machines are loud and... invasive. This translator thing has been bothering me for some time, it feels like a bug trying to get in my ear... I'm terrified they will insert needles or something," Den finally confesses.

"It is a common fear but I assure you they will try no such thing."

"How can you be so sure?" Den asks bluntly.

"I will go with you to reassure you there is nothing to be scared of."

"What- you're gonna protect me or something?" The chaos man awkwardly laughed.

"From any danger that might harm you."

"Aren't you busy during my little appointments?"

"I will always make time."

"Wow- you are cheesy."

"Does it embarrass you?"

"No- no," He clarifies. "It's just... you're very sweet," a shy smile forms at the suggested idea.

"Then it's settled," The god's hand holds Den firmly, rubbing his thumb as he soothes his companion.

[yurisorcerer]

If anime were appraised solely on their last episodes, Metallic Rouge would be pretty decent, but they aren't, so it isn't.

I'm not going to recap all the various little revelations and plot twists here because honestly who could possibly care? The gist is that the events of the preceding twelve episodes don't truly matter because everything was really just building up to this, a showdown between Rouge and her father figure Dr. Jung, a character who is barely in the show before this point (even in his hooded guise as The Puppetmaster), and who feels ancilliary to much of what the series was trying to do before now.

The actual events of this episode feel very random and I'd almost say fanficky? In isolation it's not a terrible finale but finales of course do not occur in isolation, when taken against the backdrop of everything Metallic Rouge could've been, and indeed *actively tried to be.* The Neans' plight doesn't matter because the entire thing was orchestrated by Doc Jung, which he demonstrates in a long monologue that comes off as trying way, way, wayyyy too hard to make this boring cutout of a Super Intelligent Chessmaster type character seem interesting. If the show had just focused on this from the start instead of interpolating like four unrelated plots along the way, it might've worked a lot better, but it's inherently hard to know.

It would certainly feel less distasteful. I cannot get over the fact that this series treated "serious examination of discrimination and a moral question over the ethics of armed struggle," regardless of its (deeply shitty and unbelievably milquetoast) conclusions, as just another hat it could put on and take off at will. None of it ends up mattering! At the last minute Rouge just decides to free the Neans, because *now* she thinks it's the right thing to do. If we were going to build Rouge up as some kind of liberator and savior it would've had to start many episodes ago, and despite occasional toothless gestures in that direction it, really didn't. I hope fellow tumblr user @naomiortman doesn't mind me digging up the comments they left in the tags of their reblog of my last writeup on this show, because honestly, they're completely correct and get to the heart of the problem of why *this specifically* was a pose that the show should never have attempted to strike if it wasn't going to commit.

The whole thing is just very offputting!

And as for everything *else* the show tries to do, the genre-hopping was occasionally fun when it remembered to not be stupid about it, but that was really only a handful of episodes in hindsight and if someone doesn't feel that that's enough to make up for the show's *many* writing mistakes, I find it very hard to disagree with them.

And then there's the last couple minutes of this episode which....reveal at the end that Clown Robot Girl was secretly a Usurper all along and installed a virus turning all Neans into murderbots, which just completely threatens to saw the legs off what happened mere seconds before, and then it turns out to completely not matter because Gene installed an antivirus beforehand because he knew this would happen somehow? (Gene is a nothing of a character and is another reason this show's writing sucks eggs.) And thus Neans have freedom now, because of a completely unforeshadowed, last-minute minor plot twist that occurred offscreen.

This show is hilarious, and deeply unserious. My friend Sredni (@ihfsttinuf) also pointed out that apparently a bunch of this a wholesale bite of the end of RahXephon? I haven't seen that show so I can't comment, but like, lol. (EDIT: That's apparently by the same guy, by the way! So if anything it's self-plagiarism.)

Just so this entire post doesn't come off like an angry rant, there are a few things that work. Mainly the buildup of real, mutual trust between Rouge and Naomi. (Or maybe I just want it to work because otherwise this show truly does have nothing going for it on the writing side.) At the very least, it's delightfully gay, I like the visual of the two of them together inside Rouge's mindspace. Although even this comes with an icky side effect in that Naomi is now like, functionally dead as her own physical person. IDK man, any time I try to give this show credit for something I find another way in which it could have so easily done better.

Hey, at least they brought the dedicated combat theme back, that's good. And Cyan is right, Rouge's new form does look really cool. (Why did they feel the need to kill Cyan, by the way? You can't both have a shitty central narrative AND kill all your best characters.)

I don't want to come off as though I just completely hate the thing top to bottom. It was entertaining on a week to week basis, but in trying to do so many different things it just kind of does nothing, and I find it really frustrating for that reason. The visual aspect of the show remains compelling (I love the Gladiator designs, seriously), but I could never in good conscience recommend this to someone even if I don't "regret watching it" per se.

What a mess! Glad it's over.

[rosehippiefield]

Mental strength part 3: Kanna and Shin

The other posts on this topic:

Part 1: Sara and Nao

Part 2: Reko and Alice

Part 4: Keiji and Gin

Part 5: Kai and Q-Taro

Part 6: Joe and Mishima

This time I want to discuss our greeblings: a meek girl that misses her sister and an extremely scared guy that just wants to live, as they also display signs of unbelievable will and undying determination. Sometimes you need it to survive, and sometimes it helps you to stay yourself and be kind. Also warning, this post is quite long

Kanna seems so weak and fragile, grieving after her sister and being manipulated by Shin. But is she realy weak if she continues to hope, to bring out the best in people? She lost her close person, being 14 years old, then is kind of isolated from majority in chapter 2, believes she needs to be useful to the point of readily taking a deadly card from Sara and offering to be killed in second main game. Note, by the way, that her motivation there differs from the first main game: at first she just wanted to reunite with Kugie, basically to give up, now she makes a conscious sacrifice to save somebody else and help the group. The best thing is, if this little girl lives (which would cause her brother figure's death), she is finally determined to see it through, to defy Midori of all people even after learning horrible truth about her wish! Despite her struggles she tries to help, and her kindness is her strength - she is the first to see glimpses of real Shin Tsukimi, she is the one perceptive enough to know Sara is in danger and to actually take action, and in her last moment she still wants to assure everyone she loves them. Kanna goes through a massive character development, and she would never do that if she was truly weak.

Nearly whole fandom loves affectionately making fun of Shin's weaknesses, both physical and mental. The infamous 0.0% makes this completely understandable, as does the act of abandoning himself. Self-esteem of this guy has reached depth of the Mariana trench, his own shadow talks to him, his social skills are nearly non-existent. Heck, how is he still alive? On the other hand, his desire to still fight for survival despite all odds is intense. Shin could end it all in a black room, there was a sharp object, but he didn't. Sure, his shenaningans are... something, but to be able to replicate someone's behavior drastically different from his original personality is honestly impressive. I must add, it is difficult to know where "Sou" ends and "Shin" begins, but he considers himself to be weak and meek, hiding it quite well after "frying pan insident". In third chapter he loses his cool way more often, but what surprises me is his ability to quickly get back to his bravado. For example, after learning Midori manipulated him to sign consent form, Shin panics for a moment, and almost immediately reverts back to fake smile. I probably shouldn't remind anybody that Midori was akin of a brother to him, so to see this person on kidnappers' side is heartwrenching. Not to mention his health problem, I am sure something serious is going on. Of course our deathnote evader didn't go to gym to get better, but after being hit with a blunt object and presumably fainting in chapter 2 he still goes on despite his weak body. Finally, the mere fact Shin kind of wants to believe in group despite being hated by it, no matter the distrast sowed by Midori and 0%, shows me that hope is eternal, as does the fact he can still sacrifice himself for the sake of others. In second main game he on purpose tries to sway everybody to vote for Kanna, knowing she would pick Sara. Is this weakness, if his desire for survival is strengh? Not completely. He is fighting with his own ego to save someone else. And then he finally opens up, which is painful and scary. And afterwards he offers his life, admiting he was being awful (so he can also self-reflect). In short, this originally insecure fellow changes in the wrong direction, but he has strengh to not give up despite 0% and to still, despite cynicism, work with others when needed.

[sayurifellfrost]

Prompt #21: Shade

Character: Saranzaya Himaa

Age: 22

With furrowed brows, Saranzaya slowly turned over Zuttant’s hand by the grasp she held of his wrist, ensuring not to touch the damaged area upon his hand as she did. His fingers were bent out of place, broken and looking as if they had almost been crushed with a deep cut running from his palm, circling up to the top of his hand. 

The Duskwight in question grimaced as his fingers twitched, an annoyed sound mixed with pain leaving him. Saranzaya’s gaze slipped from the wound and to Zuttant’s face, eyeing a deepening bruise on his cheek before meeting his eyes.

“What the hell happened to you?” She asked.

“Does it matter?” He growled irritably.

“Well. I do have to log it.” She half-lied in return.

She did need to log it, but she also asked out of her own curiosity - but Zuttant didn’t know any better. He was a tracker, not a healer.

His gaze trailed over to Eanwin who sat in the other end of the infirmary, deep in paperwork and not quite seeming to pay attention to what was happening behind her. His eyes returned to Saranzaya, lips thinning into a line.

“Vairg.” He muttered.

“.. Vairg?”

The Xaela’s brows rose, a small pang of hesitation making itself known within her. She wasn’t quite willing to aid those who in any way, shape or form had ‘wronged’ Vairg, fearful of losing the progress she had made with him in the process. She had come to the conclusion that she wouldn’t - only if she had been outright ordered to do so, to which she could not hold blame for doing it.

“What did you do?” Saranzaya asked, the question halfly putting blame on Zuttant rather than Vairg.

“Why the fuck would I have needed to do anything? He’s fucking insane.” The defensiveness in the Duskwight’s voice was enough to tell his guilt, not masking it particularly well.

“Because I don’t think he would’ve bothered with you unless you did, or said, something that garnered his attention.” She responded nonchalantly. “He usually doesn’t, unless he deems you worthy of his time, which… I doubt.”

Her comment worked as planned, making Zuttant’s features draw into an irritated scowl.

“Oh, you doubt I’m worthy of his time, but you, a measly little member, is?” He snapped.

His comment merely gained a raised brow from Saranzaya, her head tilting faintly to the side.

“I don’t recall claiming that I was.”

“Oh please.” Zuttant rolled his eyes. “Everyone knows what your constant visits to him are.”

She knew exactly what he meant by saying that, but opted to feign ignorance to the meaning of it.

“Well, considering I wander through the halls carrying his tray on, well, a daily basis.. I figured even the dumbest among us could figure out that I bring him food.”

Her gaze sharpened enough at the word for Zuttant to realise that she was insulting him, however well hidden it had been in her sentence - just as she wanted.

“Watch your fucking mouth, you bloody harlot.”

Saranzaya merely met him with a smile, her hand slipping from his wrist to ram a thumb into his palm, prying a yell of pain from him as he tore his hand from hers. Ripping her from her concentration, Eanwin shot a furious glare over her shoulder at the two, seething in silence.

“You little–”

“I honestly thought that pissing off Vairg was going to be the most stupid thing you did this sun, but now you’re opting to insult the one who’s meant to take care of the injury caused, too? Were you born that dense?” Saranzaya jeered, keeping a steady gaze in Zuttant’s. “Find another healer, you dumb fuck.”

“Saran.”

Eanwin’s voice loudly made itself heard, gaining both Zuttant and Saranzaya’s attention, the Xaela peering over to her with a raised brow.

“Do your fuckin’ job and send him away.”

“None too tempted to help the one who’s deciding to insult me while also asking for my help.” Saranzaya shrugged. “Besides, the only thing that would help him here would be to cure his stupidity, and while I am good, I am not that good.”

Zuttant balled his healthy hand into a fist, seemingly preparing himself to swing it forwards but halting as a huff emitted from the entrance to the infirmary. He, Eanwin and Saranzaya all peered over to the source of the sound, finding Grymahtyn stood with the faintest curl of his lips that may have suggested Saranzaya’s comment brought him amusement. Eanwin shoved herself out of her seat and approached, halting by Saranzaya and Zuttant for a moment.

“Heal him, Saran.” She ordered, before snapping her gaze over to Zuttant. “And fuck off when she has. You put one fuckin’ hand on my healers and Vairg will be the least of your fuckin’ problems, got it?”

“.. Understood.” Zuttant grumbled.

With that, Eanwin continued her walk and slipped out of the infirmary, joining Grymahtyn as he headed into his office alongside her.

[terabyteturtle]

SSBU Roster's Building Skills

Would (insert character name) be good at building something? (These are merely my headcanons.)

Mario - 1000%. One of his alternate costumes is a builder costume for Pit's sake.

Donkey Kong - Not really. Would probably use too much brute strength and accidentally smash something. Besides, construction sites jog too many bad memories.

Link - Pre-Ultrahand? Maybe. Post-Ultrahand? Absolutely.

Samus - Definitely, but I think she'd be more well-versed in futuristic technology stuff as opposed to the classic hammer and nail.

Dark Samus - Would rather destroy something.

Yoshi - The most he could probably build is a Lego set, and even then, he probably couldn't keep himself from trying to eat the pieces.

Kirby - Same as Yoshi, except he somehow nearly choked on a Lego once and hasn't dared to try eating one again since.

Fox - He knows a little bit on how to repair ships, but for the most part, he doesn't have much knowledge on building things. Typically, he lets Slippy handle that stuff. He'd be a quick learner, though.

Pikachu - Probably wouldn't be able to sit still for long enough to do it. He's best used as a retriever for parts and tools.

Luigi - Absolutely. He might not have had his builder outfit make it to Smash, but he's just as capable as Mario.

Ness - Doesn't have much experience, but this kid can build whatever he puts his mind to. He might need some helping hands, though, because there's nothing you can't achieve with the power of friendship on your side.

Captain Falcon - Better at repairing than building. I can honestly see him being the type of guy to turn the instructions upside down when something confuses him.

Jigglypuff - Could probably build a Jenga tower if she tried hard enough, but would rather tell others to build stuff for her.

Peach - Doesn't have much experience with building anything, but she's determined and won't stop 'til she gets it right. She'd probably want to have the assistance of the Toads.

Daisy - Same thing as Peach, except she'd be too stubborn to ask for help.

Bowser - Depends on what it is. If it's something for his kids, then he'd try his best to make it himself, usually coming out with amazing results. If it's anything else, he'd step off to the side and let others do it for him.

Ice Climbers - Sure, they're handy with toys and stuff, but they don't really know where to start when it comes to bigger projects. Hand them a set of instructions and things might turn out okay.

Sheik - Yes. Sheik's smart enough to build anything, no matter what it might be.

Zelda - Also yes. She can construct a phantom knight with her powers, and wisdom is kinda her whole thing, so she'd be good at figuring out how to build something. Plus, she has the blood of the goddess, so she could probably just wish to build something and---ta-da!---it's done.

Dr. Mario - Same as Mario. I mean, they're the same person, after all.

Pichu - No. This adorable fluffball would have too much energy and not enough attention span.

Falco - He also lets Slippy handle everything construction-related, but he has more knowledge on the subject than Fox does (at least, when it comes to spaceship stuff).

Marth - Has probably never seen a hammer used for anything other than combat in his life. He'd be good at giving commands, but he'd rather leaving the building itself to the professionals.

Lucina - Pretty good at building models, but has never tried her hand at anything life-sized.

Young Link - Yes. He's actually gotten quite skilled with crafting things out of wood.

Ganondorf - Why build something yourself when you can just take someone else's work and call it your own?

Mewtwo - Are you kidding? This guy has telekinesis on his side; he can build whatever he puts his mind to. Literally. Which is probably not a good thing for the other fighters.

Roy - I don't know for sure, but he could probably put those strong arms of his to good use.

Chrom - He'd probably be pretty good at it, considering how strongly he believes in being able to achieve something with enough faith and determination.

Mr. Game & Watch - Only good at building extremely specific things. His 2D-ness kinda limits his options.

Meta Knight - Bro built his own airship. I think he's more than capable.

Pit - Now here's a guy that I think would be pretty good at building something. Unless you hand him a set of instructions, that is.

Dark Pit - Same as Pit, except he'd find a way to burn the instructions out of frustration.

Zero Suit Samus - Would actually be more capable than before now that she has two working hands as opposed to one hand and a cannon arm.

Wario - He's actually quite handy, but more often than not, he's too lazy and would gladly let others do it as long as they don't ask to get paid for it.

Snake - Yes, yes, yes. This man is good with his hands.

Ike - I can see him being able to build weapons and help out with the heavy lifting on big projects.

Squirtle - Isn't great at building things himself (especially if they're taller than him), but is a great assistant.

Ivysaur - Contrary to what most might think, she’s pretty good at building things. Her vines help her do a lot of heavy lifting, and she’s smart enough to figure out how to put stuff together.

Charizard - Tries his best, but accidentally ends up crushing or destroying whatever he's trying to build. Can not handle delicate projects.

Diddy Kong - Absolutely. This little guy is incredibly crafty, having fashioned his own peanut popgun and rocketbarrel jetpack.

Lucas - Again, with the power of friendship, anything's possible. Would rather build stuff with buddies than do it by himself.

Sonic - No, mainly because he wouldn't be able to focus. Sonic strikes me as the type of guy who just can't sit still for too long.

King Dedede - Yet another lazy one who'd rather have minions do it for him. Also, he ate concrete once just because he was curious about the taste.

Olimar - Probably one of the best builders on the roster. Calm, cool, collected, and has plenty of experience with numerous types of builds.

Lucario - Doesn't have much experience with building things, but would be good at it considering he's got nerves of steel.

R.O.B. - Can easily build and repair stuff as long as it's not himself. If that's the case, then he might have a few problems.

Toon Link - Will try his best, but needs tons of extra help and guidance.

Wolf - Is best at building and repairing guns and spaceships. Can not work collaboratively. Do not pair him up with anyone else unless you want to witness a fight.

Villagers - Definitely. These cheeky little dudes are excellent craftsmen and are natural-born leaders. Their cities and islands wouldn't be where they were today without them.

Mega Man - He was originally created to be an assistant to Dr. Light, so chances are he probably would be pretty good at helping with a project.

Wii Fit Trainers - No. They're too focused on exercise to know how to do anything else.

Rosalina & Luma - Absolutely! Rosalina created an entire functional Comet Observatory, for Pit's sake!

Little Mac - His hands are made for punching, not building.

Greninja - Probably not due to zero interest and zero experience.

The Mii Fighters - A troop of train wrecks. I can't see these guys getting anything done, especially if they're in the same room with each other.

Palutena - She's a goddess. She could probably build whatever she wants.

Pac-Man - Not unless he has plenty of Power Pellets to eat. This guy gets cranky and demotivated on an empty stomach.

Robin - This tactician has no building skills whatsoever aside from making D&D models.

Shulk - Can repair weapons with ease, but doesn't have much experience otherwise. If he's really feeling it though, he'll stop at nothing to make sure that whatever he builds is perfectly functional.

Bowser Jr. & The Koopalings - Now here's a crafty bunch. All of them have immaculate crafting skills and can find a way to make something no matter what you give them. Putting them all together, you have one hell of a construction crew. If only they'd use their building skills for something other than mischief...

Duck Hunt - Tries, but fails every single time (which is kinda expected considering neither of them have opposable thumbs). The sheriffs usually have to step in and take over.

Ryu - With his calm mind and big, strong arms, I think he'd hit the nail on the head (more so with construction projects than with anything technological).

Ken - He doesn't have the calm mind, but he does have the strong arms, so I think that would count for something (also more so with construction projects than with anything technological).

Cloud - Yes, but is more well-versed in weaponry and some forms of technology. It's not one of his most prominent skills, but it's something he has under his belt.

Corrin - They don't have much experience due to their upbringing, which makes them a little clueless to the process as a result. However, they'd be quick to learn if another fighter showed them how to build something.

Bayonetta - Would rather have others do it for her, and if anyone has any complaints, they better ask their mum how to speak to a lady.

Inklings - No. It wouldn't be long for it to turn into a turf war.

Ridley - Would rather burn everything to the ground.

Simon - Is resourceful when it comes to constructing weapons and preparing holy water. Has more knowledge about old-school structures than modern ones.

Richter - Same as Simon, except that his knowledge extends to different types of traps as well.

King K. Rool - This is the type of stuff he has minions for.

Isabelle - Doesn't have any experience when it comes to building itself, but would be excellent at organization.

Incineroar - Would be good at it if he focused enough, but unfortunately this is not the case. Would somehow turn the whole thing into a competition and crush whatever he built if he didn't win.

Piranha Plant - Doesn't know how to build stuff and doesn't care either. Would probably eat the materials, as well as those trying to use them.

Joker - Yes, he's crafted various items that are useful for phantom thievery and is smart enough to comprehend how things are put together.

Hero - Also yes, especially if all of them are working together.

Banjo & Kazooie - I can see Banjo being good at building things, but Kazooie might have some problems.

Terry - Better at knocking things down than building things up, unless he's giving you a pep talk.

Byleth - They've definitely got the smarts for it. I wonder if there's a unit on architecture in their lesson plan...

Min-Min - Yes, she's pretty good at pottery when using her normal arms. Don't expect her to be able to build anything with her battle arms, though.

Steve & Alex - I don't even need to answer this one.

Sephiroth - Would rather burn everything to the ground x2.

Pyra - Not really due to inexperience, but is interested in learning how to forge weapons. Is great at working with others collaboratively.

Mythra - Also not great, except she'll try to learn stuff herself and would be too stubborn to accept help (which usually doesn't end too well).

Kazuya - Typically pays others to do it for him. Firmly believes that his hands were not meant to create but to destroy.

Sora - Yes, but he'd need help and assistance from others, especially if there's something he's stuck on. He's a firm believer that two heads (or more, if possible) are better than one.

Note: These are just my headcanons. Some characters I am less familiar with than others, though I tried my best to do some background research on them. If there is some sort of discrepancy here, please kindly let me know, and I will revise it.

[wuxianxkexing]

GIVE ME 5 REASONS I NEED TO WATCH/READ MDZS

I can only speak on the live action version The Untamed. I haven't been able to find anywhere to watch the donghua for free and while I have the books I haven't gotten around to reading them yet. 😅 I'm currently stuck in the Heaven Official's Blessing rabbit hole. Don't send help, I'll probably get out eventually.

1. If you have any siblings you will probably really relate to either the Yunmeng siblings story or the Twin Jades sibling story. The dynamics between them are all very realistic and you even get representation for those who have been adopted into a family (which is pretty rare in media, but as someone who was also adopted I know that the dynamics are more complex than "Yay! Family! Happily ever after!" or the typical horror story tropes of adopted children.)

2. The story has various different villains. Some of them have a good point, but not all of them. A lot of the media I consume tries to always give the villains a "good" or "understandable" reason for being like that, so it's nice to have a story where I can take a villain, spin them around in my head, and be like "Nope, no matter how I look at it I just don't get it. A lot of villains get called "crazy" but you? You actually take the cake."

3. I love the fact that side characters are actually important in this story. Granted I have had a life long love of random side characters that I think are cooler than the main character but some people have been annoyed by how unexpectedly important the side characters are. They forget that this is a story about /society/. Wei Wuxian's story is nothing without them. Or at the very least it would be a very different story without them. They can't be removed or replaced without changing the entire narrative and that is good writing. No one is just there without a reason.

4. This is also a story about the very real human experience of change. I have heard that The Untamed does a better portrayal of this than the book (in regards to Wei Wuxian) but things change, for better and for worse. It's bitter and remorseful but it doesn't matter because life will go on regardless. Even if you try to hold onto the past with a death grip things around you will change and you yourself will change even if you try to resist it. I personally haven't seen any other media, aside from the Legend of Korra, that actually tackles this subject well. Most other media seems to resist change, or will only accept the "good" changes. That ain't life. You don't get to pick and choose.

5. Along with studying society as a whole it also does a good job of studying individual characters. Because you know what? It's easy to just make society "like that", but to examine the characters that actually make up that society and see in which ways they contribute to that society, for better or for worse, through mere thought or actual actions, is really interesting! And it's not even just the big things, the little things can and do end up changing the entire course of the story.

As for watching The Untamed my only "tip" is that the first couple of episodes are set in the present and then the story goes into a long flashback. However it never tells us that this is a flashback so if you watch it completely blind like I did you'll be pretty confused until you figure it out. I'm a kind of go with the flow person so I was just like "I guess this is just the story now" but other people might get frustrated and drop it because they don't know what is going on. So that's my heads up. I guess they chose to start the story like that because the book starts like that as well and it does have some artistic merit in making the viewer feel pretty much as confused as Wei Wuxian but when it comes to making television for a wider audience they probably either shouldn't have done that or at least put something on the screen telling viewers about the flashback. But maybe I just know too many people who don't have the patience to watch a story long enough to figure things out for themselves. 😅 If you do decide to watch it I just don't want you to drop it because of that confusion.

As for my "silly" reasons to watch The Untamed.

1. Wei Wuxian is pretty.

2. Jiang Cheng is scary and sexy.

3. The music is beautiful. I loved it so much that I actually bought a working replica of Wei Wuxian's flute so I could learn to play the music, I just haven't gotten around to actually playing it. 😂☠️

4. Jin Guangyao's dimples.

5. Zidian is so pretty. Like if I ever have enough money to spend on a piece of jewelry like that I would 100% get an exact replica from the show made in my size.

[meimi-haneoka]

To continue the topic of Kaito and Akiho's age gap, sometimes I wonder whether the fandom would be less harsh on him and more accepting of this potential relationship if Kaito is only a few years older. He could be in the 3rd grade of middle school and enroll in Tomoeda middle school, or he could be a HS student enrolling in Seijo high school. Either way, we would see him in school uniform and people would not mistake him as an adult in his 30s. He could still work as her butler, making up reasons such as he is saving money for college and his father is the butler of Akiho's family in England. 

However, their age gap is actually crucial to the story, because Kaito needs to be older enough to meet and talk with Lilie before Akiho was born. Kaito was a small child when he met Lilie (he looked around 6 years old in that flashback chapter?), so the age gap is already the minimum to make the story works.       

My dear friend, I know. I perfectly know that, if their age gap was reduced to 2/3 years maybe they would've received less backlash and side-eye from the western fandom (I always need to specify this because the JP fans are always pretty relaxed, since it's a trope and it's even depicted in the most respectful way possible). Or maybe not. Akiho and Kaito's age gap for some is just an excuse to hate on them for the most varied reasons (like, they wished one of them was crushing on someone else, or they wished they weren't introduced in the story at all), so even without it, they'd still receive their amount of criticism. The mere fact that Kaito is taking care of Akiho (which, if you think about it, in this story literally means to help her surviving, since the bastards basically sent her away alone, and she didn't know how to cook, clean or taking care of those things, as opposed to Syaoran for example) would still be enough for people to consider him on par with a familiar figure for her, like a brother, and so their eventual relationship would still be frowned upon (no matter if none of the two characters show signs that they consider themselves as siblings).

But as you said, their age gap is truly functional to the story. I try to imagine this story with them having a smaller age gap and somehow it doesn't make much sense to me. Like, having a guy only 2/3 years older than Akiho working for her as a butler doesn't convince me, it's like having a kid working for another kid. I don't find it would make much sense, to me. Also, as you said, Kaito needed to be older enough in order to meet Lilie at an age when he would remember what she told him and would've had enough of an impact on him to push him to raise that hand and say "I'll go" some years later. I also think that Kaito was 5/6 years old back then, and Lilie was about to marry her love, so it wouldn't be long before Akiho herself was born (I remember a phrasing in the JP text of chapter 61, while Akiho was recounting the story of her parents, that put the doubt on me about whether Lilie was already pregnant with Akiho when she got married - but it's just a feeling I had from a present tense of a verb).

And then, come on, we know CLAMP love their couples with a difference in age, this is the typical case of "CLAMP being CLAMP", take it or leave it. In this story, the age gap is functional. But that's also why AUs fanfictions are out there to be experimented with, and I invite anyone to write one if they feel uncomfortable about the canon gap, I'd happily read it! 😂 As long as the souls are always the same and IC, and the story makes sense, I'm sure I'd love it all the same.