#its about the loss of childhood its about it never being over despite how much you sacrifice its about all the innocents you do it for-

[estercity]

if i may have the stage for a moment,

they are the same character to me.

[livingsurreal]

Thoughts and theories in regards to my favorite senior necromancer

This man swept me of my feet so completely that I am still reeling. He is my new Solavellan and the amount of feels I have about him, its ungodly.

So I present to you my way to long essay about why Emmrich is the saddest and greatest man Bioware ever created, right next to Solas.

Please be aware of spoilers if you have not completed the game yet.

Also, shutout to @jaal-ama-daravv - you were looking for others peoples thoughts and theories. Also, thank you for all your posts and love for Emmrich.

My second meta post is here!

(Edit for typos)

Their whole romance starts with dear Rook trying to flirt with him. And Rook being Rook their flirts are… questionable. I image Rook always doing a facepalm “Oh god, what did I just say?” afterwards. They… are not really that good at flirting. Half the time he doesn’t even seem to get that Rook was flirty with him.

But, oh, he did get it. He just couldn’t really comprehend it. This pretty, young and exciting person, flirting with him?!? Rook can be anything up to their mid-40s according to canon. That is not that much younger than him. But to him, they do SEEM young. Despite them being somewhat younger than Emmrich, I do think though, in quite a few ways, they are more experienced and knowledgeable than him. Emmrich led a pretty sheltered life. His childhood seems to be a happy one, despite them being poor. The loss of his parents had a huge impact on his life. To a degree where it still impacts him in a major way, even now, a lifetime later. But outside of that, I don’t think there was much strife or adventure in his life.

He is a quiet man who loves his books, and his time and work in the necropolis. He rarely even left the Necropolis. He never saw much of the world outside of it. But he always wanted to. Always dreamed of some kind of adventure. I think this is one of the reasons he so readily agreed to help Rook. A chance for adventure (and to help the world).

So here he finds himself in the company of a vibrant adventurous Rook who has seen and experienced so much. I think no matter their age difference, they would seem younger, “fresh faced” and vibrant to him. They are so full of life compared to him, who has not done that much living in recent years. They are less stuck in their ways, are out in the world and not sequestered in a life of routine.

In some ways he seems to be older than he is. That man is in his 50s. That is NOT old. But he seems to have lacked the courage to take life by its horns and just ride it. He is cautious, a coward in many ways. But somehow this dear Rook seems to bring out a different side of him. An almost forgotten yearning for more.

So, Rook awkwardly flirts with him. Bumbles and stumbles over words to flatter him. And he is exhilarated, touched and most of all confused. Why would this beautiful, vibrant person be interested in HIM of all people. There are other people around who should be so much more interesting to them than him. And how could he not be interested in them himself? They are, in a way, what he wants to be. Adventurous. Full of life. Indomitable. No matter what life throws at them, they refuse to yield. They have a courage the lacks, or thinks he lacks.

But that man is so much braver than he thinks. The fact that he is so open with Rook about his thanatophobia, even with a Rook that is not romantically interested in him is so touching. He tells them his most inner fears and all he wishes for it in return is some respect and kindness.

So, after some light and awkward flirting he tells them. If they DO mean it, he is interested. Emmrich is a deeply romantic man. In the dept of his heart he does not want a short-term affair. He wants someone to spend his life with. He wants something real. He wants everything.  It’s what he always wanted, but never found and had completely given up upon.  So he opens up a bit more.

But around that time, he also realizes that he absolutely has to tell them about his plans for lichdom. He tells the Rook on the friendship path why he hopes for their help in regard of Johanna. He explains why it is so important to him to find and stop Johanna.

Same goes for Rook on the romance path. But here comes the other side of the coin. Lichdom puts a possible halt on their fledging romance. He cannot know if Rook would be willing to continue what they’ve barely started.

They may either continue under the understanding that they have just temporary affair. What he never wanted. He always wanted that eternal flame – but by the Maker he wants to be with them, even if it is just a short time. He is still all feely at this point and the whole scope of his emotions have not yet hit him.

Or even, can he dare to dream, beyond that point of no return and stay with him after he becomes a Lich.

But he must put it out there. He cannot go further into their romance pretending his plans do not exist. He thinks Rook has a right to know what they are getting in to, and he is correct (and much respected) for that.

At the end, Rook commits to being with him with the full knowledge that Lichdom will come, sooner or later. If they stay with him from that point on is still undecided, but for now they are his. And how can he say no to that. He certainly did not expect this. I believe he fully expected this to be their end. But his confession ended truly in a night of unexpected splendor.

So, we know he always wanted “enduring affection”, love and commitment. And he had his fair share of lovers, paramours and affairs. I would think that he is someone who, when he does fall in love, loves so deeply and completely that it often scared his lovers away.

Not necessarily in an unhealthy way, but he is, underneath all that poise and manners, a deeply romantic man with strong emotions. I don’t think that Rook is special b/c he loves them more than he could love someone else, but b/c they not only accept all his love, more so, they welcome and return it in equal measure. They accept him and want him, even with all the baggage he comes with.

I think he was burned quite a few times in the past. So, he is trying to hold back, “be normal about it”. It’s just hard when this person he loves so much looks at him like he is their moon and stars and flame eternal. It’s hard when he feels finally and completely seen. He told them about his deepest fears, his plans about lichdom, and they are still here, willing to be on his side all the way. And while they seem to act like teenagers being all over each other, all want and need and stolen kisses, I think what they feel goes way deeper from the start.

At the same time, I also think that is partly at fault for not being able to find a lasting relationship. He had people in his live who did not want to fully commit to him. But I also think, the he never truly committed to anyone. He did, surely, on a more surface level. But a part of him always stayed closed off. He never gave himself completely. His fears made sure of that. What happens with Rook, the wonderful, oh so romantic start of their relationship? Only to end in this uncomfortable limbo because he lacks “the guts to say how he feels”? I think that was not the first time a relationship ended sour this way for him.

Take the amount of his feelings, add to that his thanatophobia, and that poor man becomes more and more a complete mess. What starts out as exciting and new and OMG THEY LIKE ME, becomes soon a new target for his fears. All those feelings inside him warring with each other. He wants to pin them against a wall and declare his undying love and run and hide at the same time.

Then comes Manfreds sacrifice and his big decision. Will he restore Manfred? Will he give up his friend to achieve his dreams?

Since I went with Manfred, I will mainly describe my feelings regarding mortal Emmrich. Though I believe Lich Emmrich suffers from the same base fears, they just find a different target.

Tbh, what Lace says to him certainly would not have helped. Her words feed into his doubts and fears and give them credibility. See, even Lace says this might not be right. Rook is younger. They move too fast. He will die earlier. Rook will be devastated. A whirlwind of emotions and half formed thoughts fueled by fear.

All he ever sees and what is constantly on his mind is not the time they can spend together, but the end of their time together. His death, their death, it does not matter. One of them will be gone and the other will be left with the pain he felt after his parents died. A pain that might even be worse than what he felt back then.

Rook being younger just becomes the vehicle by which he tries to convince himself that this might not be such a good idea after all. But its all his fears speaking.

And fear can be so strong, so overwhelming.

When they had this fight, my read on his words was that he wanted to break up with Rook. His words at that moment are condescending, bordering on mean.  He is lashing out. We know he can be vindictive when he feels wronged, but he is nothing but kind and gentle to those he likes and who treat him with respect. I think, in a way, that it was not necessarily a conscious decision, but more of an instinct to hurt Rook. To make them angry and not love him anymore. To make it easier to end it, spare them the pain of breaking up now and of loosing him to death one day. By protecting himself from the pain of their death should he outlive them.

As if that would work and make any difference to Rook, or him. They are already so madly in love with each other.

And I think, what makes Rook different from his previous partners is that they realized, if they let him finish this sentence, he might break something beyond repair. Even if it was his fear speaking at that moment, not his love. Running away from his feelings is a recurring theme for him. And he does not WANT to break up with them. But his fear tells him its better this way. Fear is a liar, though.

So they speak a harsh truth. It’s his fear, insecurities and cowardice speaking. They do not let him get away with it. It is harsh, yes. But I think it was also necessary. It spells out a truth he did not want to admit to himself. He is afraid, insecure and a coward. And the big question, is that what he wants to be? They are, in sadly not the nicest way, telling him to get hid goddamn shit together. And sometimes that’s needed. Especially for an academic man like Emmrich. No Emmrich, that is not logical. It is pure emotion and fear is running your life, not you.

In a perfect world they would have told him so in a calm and collected manner. Less harsh words and more kindness. But would that have had the same impact on Emmrich? Rook is a person too, with their own fears and hopes and dreams. And Emmrich right now is breaking their heart. I think he needed that. To see the pain and hurt he inflicted on them.

Can you imagine the regret he would feel in the end? If he left Rook? It would leave him a broken shell of a man. His final defeat. Fear had won. Nothing would be better, and no one would have been spared any pain. I would just be a lifetime of regret and what ifs. The one person who accepted him fully, loved him so deeply, and HE threw everything away.

I think, the time Rook was trapped inside the fade prison might have been the best thing that could happen in the long run. It’s all his fears come to reality. Rook is gone. He lost them. And he just wants to curl up and hide. But he can’t. He needs to find them. If he lets fear win now, Rook might be lost forever. He cannot allow himself to be coward now. I think this time was a come-to-Jesus moment for him. It forced him to look at his fears and what they’ve cost him. It’s a moment where he needs to stop letting fear control his life.

The last real private moment they had was a fight, filled with fear and anger. (That short apology in the middle of a battlefield was hardly private and could in no way make up for the words that were said.)

That last evening should have been a time filled with love. A memory to cherish. But now it’s a memory one would want to forget. And that was his own doing. It was not something out of his control, like “death”. It was his words and actions that tainted their time together. And what if that was the last time they’d seen each other, been with each other? What if that is his last real memory of them? The look of anger and pain and hurt on Rooks face, caused by HIM, by what he had actively said and done? I think this might be the first time he realizes that his fears take more from him, than death ever could.

Phobias and anxieties are not cured that easily, of course. I think in a way, they will always stay with him, to a degree. But I do think he had some important realizations that will put him on a path of growing. At least in regards of how he deals with his fears.

And then he found them. He found his Rook. They are back and they are alive. He can hold them in his arms again and how could he ever even think about turning away from them? They are a gift, a miracle, the deepest wish fulfilled. A wish he’d given up upon. Something he thought he would never have.

And then the last scene with the coffin. Okay here I go the Astarion route and I am absolutely convinced that that coffin is his. Of course he had planned all things in regards to his death. He had chosen the crypt he wanted to be buried in. And at that moment he took them there. The place that had been the mark of the final end, now the mark of the rest of his life. And Rook? Rook still wants him, after everything. They still love him.

When they pull him into a kiss? He doesn’t see the end of their time, but the start of the rest of their life together. That look on his face when Rook leads him to that coffin? This look of absolute vulnerability? I think, in a way, this is a first time for him. All open and vulnerable. All he is and feels no longer hidden away but cherished and loved. He will always fear loosing them, them loosing him, how could he not. But they are here and HE is finally able to truly commit. He is finally giving everything. He will always fear, but now love wins. Rook holds his heart in their hands, and he trusts them completely. He gives himself to them. He is theirs, forever.

Hell, that man breaks my heart in so many ways.

So what’s in store for them in the future? Sadly we do not get epilogue sliders for our LIs.

But those two I truly think are in it for the long haul. There will be many good days, filled with happiness and laughter and kisses. They will go on adventures, see the world, experience life together in its fullest.

There will also be bad days, when fear rears its head, and his chest hurts from the sheer pain it inflicts on him. But I hope he comes to a point where he is able to turn to Rook in those times, instead of pushing them away. Where he lets them comfort him, hold him, until this feeling loses its grip on him.

Those bad days will never diminish those wonderful days they have together, though. Just a rain cloud, hiding the sun for a day or two. And it can’t rain forever.

Then, when one of them finally goes on to their last journey, they will wait for their love. And when they are united again, they walk eternity hand in hand.

[adelheidvonschicksal]

Hello! I’d love to read your vision of the LoD boys x MC in high school. (High school to adults, just high school, childhood. Anything!) Alllll the cliches appreciated, haha.

Coming-of-Age HC's with the LADS Guys

pairing: fem!reader x Zayne, fem!reader x Xavier, fem!reader x Rafayel

content: fluff, alternate universe (kinda)

Childhood with Zayne is filled with increasingly hot summers and snowy winters. It’s memories of an extroverted young girl dragging along her much more introverted best friend (well, Caleb’s friend first) to make popsicles under the blaze of the June sun and snowmen in the cold of January. In the same way snow melts with the coming of spring, you chip his shell away, making a friendship that’s stronger than any of your lifetimes.

Those years with Zayne are like a pleasant dream, soft and gentle, like his hand when he wipes away the tears from your cheeks whenever you fall or when he places a band-aid on one of the many injuries prone to an adventurous spirit.

Middle School with Zayne is when you first feel fragility in your friendship. You’re realizing you might be growing in different directions.

Zayne is intelligent, often getting attention for his grades and participating in scholars tournaments while you’re busy with your own hobbies and friends that come with them.

There’s hope your friendship will persevere each time you walk home together, each time he lets you share his umbrella on heavy rainy days, and each day he saves to spend with you.

High school with Zayne is confusing. Growing into adulthood is an exciting and nervous situation for anyone but even more-so when everyone but you seem to realize that you have feelings for your childhood friend.

Your grandma is constantly reminding you how smart and handsome Zayne has become. He’s going to study to be a doctor, you know! Maybe you should ask him to prom?

Caleb complains about how Zayne usually takes your side in arguments and does what you want all the time. He frequently teases you every time you sigh over the older boy. Isn’t getting a crush on your older brother’s friend too obvious?

They’re right though, and it’s awkward. What’s more awkward is the stolen kiss with Zayne in the new car his parents got him when he first got his license. You don’t talk about it even after he goes to college.

Meeting Zayne as an adult is nostalgic yet new as you learn about each other again. The trust you had in each other never truly left.

With each trinket, you realize he’s still the same Zayne, quiet and stern on the outside but with a patient and gentle center. However, his smart mouth still rears its head as frequently as it did back in high school.

You watch out for him more as an adult, because you see that he isn’t actually good at caring for himself despite all his intelligence. You make it so he can rely on you to get through the past days and future ones.

You try new things together. You adapt to how your views of the world differ so you can mold those differences together, creating one shared experience in the life you build with one another.

Childhood with Xavier is innocent. Being born on Philos is like being born in a fantasy book. Your world is sword training and ceremony rehearsals, your feet always chasing after the decorated knights and lightseekers before they board their spaceships. In your mind, the world is as limitless as the starry sky promised just beyond its surface.

Xavier is the same way. He says he likes sword training because it’s the only thing he’s good at. Truthfully, he loves that sword, carries it around with him everywhere like a third arm, and you love training with your new fellow student.

As you get older, things start to change for reasons you don’t really understand. The loss of innocence is slow, dragging out like the death of a star. It starts when silly days sword practicing becomes military drills. Then, Xavier’s ceremony rehearsals become real with each trial he has to overcome. It culminates when you find out that he will probably be betrothed one day against his will, which manifests into doubt that you would ever be on the list for a prince to marry.

Military Academy with Xavier offers a surprising amount of freedom as you discover yourself away from the watchful eyes of the royal family. It’s reintroducing him to your favorite snacks and music and sneaking out of the barracks to watch the stars and anything else he couldn’t do under the iron grip of his family.

There’s also many nights helping him study and focus so he can become the best version of himself because he still has rebellious tendencies after all these years.

These tendencies lead you to covering for him and also him talking you into one too many bad ideas. Ideas that leave you carrying one another home on stumbling legs after too many rounds with random wanderers or rounds with liquor way stronger than you know how to deal with.

It’s okay. You have each other to keep the other safe, so attached at the hip that Jeremiah always wonders where the other one is whenever he catches the two of you apart.

His light shines only for you. If you asked, he would give anything to make sure you’re happy: his time, his freedom, his life.

The jealousy and longing to be with you grates against the cage his title keeps around him whenever he sees someone else who has seen your light and fallen in love with you too. It’s written love letters, never signed, but left in your locker, the ones that smell like forget-me-nots and written in a prose that Xavier hopes you won’t recognize as his when he sees you fawning over the little notes.

Your looming graduation reignites the worries about your relationship. You have to come to terms with your respective role as a knight and Xavier as King. Xavier feels the same way.

Yet this part of your life quickly becomes filled with sweet nothings – promises to run away together, carried on his wishes to be with you for the rest of immortality, all wrapped in the little star charm carried on his sword. It makes you realize your feelings were requited all along.

Adulthood with Xavier fills like achieved dreams and nights you never want to end. It’s basking in the company of one another, adorned with kisses and released longing that couldn’t be given years prior.

It’s becoming more than just his guiding starlight but his entire galaxy, and he shows it with each kiss he gives you.

Childhood with Rafayel feels like you’re dreaming. Mermaids aren’t supposed to exist but there’s one right in front of you.

You learn so many things from him. He loves talking about almost anything from his culture to your culture. He loves art, the sunset, and music.

You bring him lots of things from land that you think he would like, spending long days at the beach trading items with him and showing him human toys. It becomes normal to strike out early every weekend to meet the Lemurian boy again and again.

He braids Lemurian ribbons and clips seashell accessories into your hair. He teaches you Lemurian lullabies and sayings. He often gets in trouble for accidentally gifting you family heirlooms without realizing the weight of said items. He just thought it was pretty. Even if he got in trouble, it was worth it to see you smile.

Your time together eventually develops into trying to think of ideas to explore further from the beach. You train to hold your breath a little longer with hopes of making it further into the sea than last time.

Your first kiss is because of the legend that Lemurian kisses can let one breathe underwater. It wasn’t really a big deal back then. However, the memory of it makes your face hot many years later when you think back on it.

The end of summer marks the slowdown of your free time together. It always ends with a pinky promise to spend your next free day with him.

Your 8th grade year with Rafayel is a collage of photos and videos filled with cawing seagulls, the serenade of his harmonica, and the first time your feet were able to touch the surface of the water. Rafayel always seems to want to show off his new powers as the next God of the Sea.

He’s still a child though, which means he is still insistent to sneak to school with you to see what human classes are like. He still talks too smartly to the other students, and you still have to talk him out of a fight with one of the other boys.

It’s an exhausting day but he seemed to have fun running around town with you, saving the day in the strip of pictures printed out from the photo booth and the memory of his first surface world sunset.

Your later teenage years offer even less time together but each time you visit him feels more meaningful than the last even though you can’t go further than the crackle of a bonfire at the edge of the beach. You’re happy with these late nights though because you love the boy from another world.

No matter how many years pass, he’ll always be the boy who gets shy and makes excuse after excuse to avoid singing for you despite being born a siren. He’s the boy who constantly complains about his classmates being idiots for saying you’re going to steal his blood and make him into oil and how they tease him for being friends with a human. He refuses to tell you that it’s more because of his crush on a human. Despite all that, he has no issue dropping hint after hint about how Lemurians can bond with others by giving one of their scales.

Years later, it still makes a lovely necklace to wear when he finally makes his choice to be on land, with you, his beloved bride.

[cosmicjoke]

The Tragedy and the Hope of "Attack on Titan's" Ending:

I swear, the people that criticize "Attack on Titan's" ending and, particularly, the people that complain that it rendered everything that came before meaningless, don't understand what "Attack on Titan" was actually about. They don't understand Eren and why he did what he did, and what the overall message was warning against.

They wanted Eren's actions to actually solve Paradis' situation and for the island to be saved, but Eren didn't enact the Rumbling for Paradis, and if the island had been saved by his actions, it would have undercut AoT's actual themes, which ultimately warns against persecution and generational guilt and war. AoT isn't meant to have a happy ending, it's meant to show the consequences of forcing people into a corner and leaving them no recourse. It's meant to warn against cruelty and prejudice and greed and revenge and ideological movements that lose sight of humanity, etc... by showing us the inevitable and tragic end result of those things.

I see people comparing JJK's ending to AoT's and saying both suck, and that just tells me how little those people actually understood what AoT was saying.

The cycle starting over demonstrates how prejudice and war and cruelty never lead to anything good and doesn't solve anything. It just creates an endless cycle of violence and hate. That's the point of us seeing Paradis destroyed in the end. Cruelty only begets more cruelty, only creates more destruction and despair and waste. If Paradis had been saved by Eren's actions, it literally would have sent the opposite message, that peace and prosperity can be gained through hate. That's what Floch's whole character represents. He doesn't just want to secure Paradis' survival, he wants to literally punish the rest of the world for the persecution of the Eldian people. He wants to make everyone pay for that. He's a hateful character, and the island being saved through Eren's actions would only have lent weight to what Floch was preaching. But instead we see Paradis destroyed, the same hate it began to spread under Floch's and the Yeagerist's cruelty eventually coming back onto it, the same as it came back onto Marley.

There's so many themes in AoT though, and one theme that's vitally important and which is also demonstrated by the ending, with the 104th and the warriors coming together to try and secure peace, and with Levi ending up with Gabi and Falco and helping to rebuild what was lost, is the importance of compassion and empathy and carrying on even in the face of the world's cruelty and indifference, and also how it's important to fight against the inevitability of that cycle of hatred, even if ultimately it's a war that can't be won. The point is to keep trying, and to not lose sight of compassion, to not lose sight of our humanity in a world which does its level best to beat it out of us.

That's also why I always say Levi is the character that most embodies true heroism in AoT, because he's the character that's the most compassionate and kind, that most retains his humanity, despite having lived the cruelest and most deprived life. It's truly a heroic thing, and a heroic man, who can retain his humanity in this world. Levi retaining that empathy and kindness even in the face of the total despair and horror of his childhood and young adulthood, and in the face of so much loss later on, encapsulates this idea of never sacrificing our humanity even when we seem to have every justifiable cause to do so. That's the hope in AoT's otherwise very bleak ending. That's the hope that can be held onto even when people like Floch and the Marleyan government will always continue to exist and sew destruction and inhumanity.

That's why we see Levi doing all he can, even against the backdrop of a ruined and desolate landscape, to bring a little joy to others. That's what makes that final shot of Levi in the anime so meaningful. Here's a man who's lost everything. Lost his mother. Lost his childhood. Lost his innocence. Lost every friend he ever had. Lost the use of his body. A man who spent years alone and in total isolation from anything good or kind, surrounded instead by the most mercenary and cut-throat people imaginable, discarded by society completely, raised in violence and taught to be hateful and selfish. And yet, he's the most selfless character in the series, the most giving and empathetic and understanding. Despite all he's had taken from him, he finds it in himself to keep giving whatever he can. We see that generosity and unending kindness manifested in the simple gesture of him handing out sweets to refugee children. Levi has nothing to his own name, not even his great strength, but he continues to give.

Despite having every reason to become as cold and cruel as the world around him, as cold and cruel as mankind always insists on being, Levi instead remains full of love. And again, that's true heroism.

And so he truly encapsulates then that theme of the world being "cruel but beautiful". The cycle of hatred may never stop, because bad people will always exist, but so too will good people to stand against them and what they represent, and that's what makes the fight worth it. That's what gives us hope even against the tide of horror and despair.

[pinkcreamypeach]

Rosalina's final redesign in my au. (Human)

"Waluigi & rosalina "

Here's some more info about them in my au.

In my alternate universe, Waluigi's real name is Jerónimo, and he's a Puerto Rican. Despite being known for his frequent suit stealing and robbing offenses, he had somehow managed to evade punishment. This was most likely because the stolen suits didn't cost that much, and as a result, the authorities chose not to prioritize his case.

Nonetheless, it was still a crime, and Wario would have undoubtedly found it amusing to see Jerónimo behind bars for such petty offenses. He even sported the stolen suits to try and impress Rosalina, which added another layer to the absurdity of the situation.

It seemed as though Jerónimo was simply a master of crime and deception, able to dodge consequences with ease. However, there was no telling how long his streak of good luck would last before he was finally caught.

Rosalina, the powerful and majestic space princess, has remained the same in terms of her personality and powers. However, with certain traumatic events and the passage of time, her character has evolved and now she displays a motherly demeanor, acting as a protective figure to those around her.

In her quest to find the secrets of the universe, Rosalina's powers have developed to include the ability to read the stars. When a constellation appears, Rosalina is able to harness its energy and create new stars, which in turn yield valuable cosmic energy. Furthermore, Rosalina's pyrotechnic powers, when combined with the fire flower, are capable of reaching temperatures of up to 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing her to manipulate fire and heat in impressive ways.

Despite her extraordinary abilities, Rosalina has also faced her fair share of challenges, including her trauma which has left her with both visible and internal scars. Despite these setbacks, Rosalina has remained committed to her duties and continues to use her powers to help those in need, spreading light and hope wherever she goes.

The young and innocent Rosalina, whose life was forever altered by the devastating loss of half her civilization and her parents, was forced to grow up far too quickly. Left to lead as a queen of the stars, Rosalina amassed vast knowledge and wisdom about the universe, but not much about the world of humans.

Despite this, Rosalina remains a fierce protector, using her newfound leadership skills to ensure the safety and well-being of her people. However, while she may be knowledgeable about the stars and the universe, her understanding of Earth cultures and the concept of romance is limited, as she has only ever experienced the love of family and her children, never having had a chance to fully experience the joys of childhood or the complexities of adult relationships.

Rosalina and Waluigi's relationship in this alternate universe is a complex one, as they started out as complete strangers before gradually developing romantic feelings for each other. They would often meet under the moonlight, alone, where Rosalina's beauty and voice would captivate Waluigi.

Over time, their conversations revealed their similar experiences with losing beloved parents, causing Waluigi's fake personality to fade away, allowing his true self to shine through. As he opened up to Rosalina, he gradually let go of his fake persona and became more genuine, revealing his insecurities and feelings to her.

Rosalina found Waluigi intriguing due to his appearance, and his true self began to emerge, causing them to relate on a deeper level. Despite their romantic feelings for each other, the two have yet to act on them, but their connection only grows stronger with each passing night spent in each other's company.

The blossoming love between the two characters is a gradual and inconspicuous process, and they are both oblivious to their developing feelings for some time. It is only much later in their friendship, when they have both grown closer and had the opportunity to know each other better, that they start to realize their true feelings.

Despite the slow pace of their journey towards love, their friendship has served as a foundation for deeper emotions to form, and they find comfort and peace in each other's presence.

(Next post will about mareach and Luaisy children)

@bberetd @maceincognito @house-of-xiii @magnas27 @peaches2217 @awesomewolf27

[blackbat05]

Everything

Jack Draper X Reader

Plot: Your childhood friend and love has experienced a meteoric rise in his career, but what does this mean for the two of you?

Genre: Angst. Like ANGST. (Somehow this man’s good looks inspired me to write angst in a long while)

A/N: I usually don’t write for real people but after writing for Carlitos, this man has again endeared me to no end especially after his post match interview! Only wishing the best for his career! Credit gif to @aliassimes!

Prompt: Harvest moon 🌕 night time walks; Theme: Melancholy ☁️ as the trees shed and the flowers wilt, we feel a sense of loss. Write a tragic tale. -> Slumber Party Autumn Challenge by @the-slumberparty

I hold onto my cup, as I try to ground myself.

The street lamp gives off a warm glow as everyone goes around their Sunday evening. Jack jogs over, looking absolutely dapper despite casual wear.

He brings me closer and my heart thumps wildly against my chest. Can he hear it? Will it give me away from what I’m about to do?

Jack’s genuinely happy to be out and about without the prying eyes of the media and fans that for a moment, I forget what I’m here to do. Maybe I can prolong this for a while longer.

I just want this evening to be ours.

“Well done champ!” I give him a tight squeeze. “How you feeling?”

“Better. Much better, now that I’m here.” He takes me in his hand and we stroll down the park. No one heeds any attention to Jack, as if he never had his biggest breakthrough this season.

“So, what’s next on your schedule?” I ask, not wanting to hear the voices in my head.

“Davis Cup and the Asian swing.” He mulls over the hectic schedule and a slight frown appears on his lips. “I have a few days here and it’s back to business again.” He looks at me, like an excited overgrown puppy. “Maybe we could hang out? There’s this cafe that I saw during the tournament but never got the chance to try it out.”

You’re a horrible human being.

All thoughts of me ending this dissolves into thin air. I can’t deny him this.

“Sure,” I say. “Let’s make this count.”

Eventually, I have to tell him.

***

Three days breeze past and I find myself sitting at the table in the hotel room, pen in hand. I don’t want to start but sometimes the hardest things is the right thing to do.

Jack,

I don’t know how to start but we should end this.

You are destined for great things, and I am only going to slow to you down. From the beginning, we are meant for different paths.

I know you’ll do great. You always do. And you will never be alone in doing it.

I always be your biggest fan and greatest supporter.

I love you so much.

I take a deep breath, clicking the pen back into its place. Folding the paper neatly into an envelope, I blink away the tears that threaten to spill over.

This is for the best.

My luggage rolls behind me as I prepare to lay the blow on Jack who is waiting for me at the lobby downstairs.

He spots and waves me over, his excitement vanishing away as he sees the forlorn look on my face.

“Love, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

“Jack… I’m so sorry.” I attempt to gently break the news. “There’s no better way to put this so… here.” My voice breaks as my hands tremble to place the envelope into his.

He glances at the paper blankly. I can’t bear to look at him. Jack removes the contents from the envelope and reads my carefully penned out words. The lobby is buzzing with guests, but I can only hear his heavy breathing.

“Please tell me you’re not serious.” Jack pleads. “Did I do anything wrong?”

His immediate response to automatically blame himself finally forces me to confront this.

“No. You did everything right Jack. And I’m so happy for you.” I tell him firmly. “But I’m not meant for this life. I can’t drag you down.”

I think about the life that I see other tennis professionals get thrusted into together with their families and loved ones. It takes a certain kind of steel, one that I don’t have.

Am I selfish? Perhaps. But I am protecting the both of us.

“I’ll make this work.” Jack is determined with a wobble in his voice.

I don’t say anything for the fear of changing my mind.

“You were always the best part of my life Jack, don’t you ever forget that.” My voice comes out, barely audible.

He hangs in his head in defeat, the very same hand that held mine now in a tight fist.

I think, Jack knew it too.

That this day would have to come.

“You have been with me, since the beginning. When I was a nobody, you told me once that I was everything.” Jack gives me what will be our final hug. It’s bone crushingly tight and it says everything it wants to say.

It’s telling me not to go.

“I love you so much. Good luck out there champ.” I kiss him on the cheek.

Preparing my belongings, I wheel my luggage out where a car waits for me to the airport.

I’m finally going back. To my world, my reality.

As the car drives off, I glance back for one last time to see Jack’s figure becoming smaller in the distance.

The radio crackles and it happens to be news about Jack’s meteoric rise to success, once again a stark reminder of the fact that we belong to two different worlds.

I let my tears run freely.

Because he was my everything, I was willing to do anything.

Even if it meant ending what we had.

[shivblogger]

It’s been one year since the end of my dear, dear world of a tv show, and I wanted to try and reflect a little bit on why I love it so much. I’m sure all of this has been said before but I love my little tv show and I love discussing it with all of you and I will be talking about it until I die! 

I’ve turned succession over in my mind so much that I don’t even know where to begin. There is so much being discussed at once. Corporate greed, American politics, extreme wealth and its consequences, generational trauma, familial inheritance, the death of old media. How power and status become all that matter when money is something that never even passes through your mind. How tying your personal identity to capitalist structures so closely makes your humanity become a weakness, a roadblock to be trampled over as thoroughly as possible on your way up. 

Of course, the siblings are the true heart of the show. The weight of Waystar being put on Kendall’s shoulders at age seven, only to be shrugged off by Logan in adulthood. Roman, forever the weaker dog, playing the fool to avoid fighting for something he didn’t want. Shiv’s stubborn insistence that she can be seen on the same level as her brothers despite endless evidence to the contrary. The icy, wealth insulated bubble they were raised in; never having to live as real people, but only knowing abuse, isolation, and mistreatment from their family. Their complete disregard for how their own power and wealth affects people, and their endless ability to fail with no repercussions. Clawing to their goals with everything at their disposal and nothing to lose, but still losing anyway. Learning from childhood that loving their siblings means tearing them apart and spending the rest of their lives fighting that endless uphill battle because it’s all they’ve ever known. 

Does it even matter that the love is there, when all that love means to you is knowing what soft spots will hurt the most when you hit them as hard as you can?

And the worst part is, they’re fighting for nothing, they’re bearing their teeth while everyone else laughs on the sidelines because they’re a complete fucking joke. They’re unqualified children fighting for the throne of a dying empire that can only be won by gaining approval of a man who despises them for the upbringing that he brought upon them.

There are very few pieces of media that are able to depict tragedy in the true sense of greek or shakespearean classics. Where the events and actions are framed in such a calculated, gutting, beautiful way. It physically pains me seeing Succession framed as “the business show” when the humanity and tragedy of the roy siblings is written and developed so thoroughly well that I know I’ll never be able to find something comparable to it again. The characters are so fully formed that you can see their mistakes and losses coming from a mile away. Every decision made is informed by countless layers of development and backstory. Every line of dialogue matters and even seemingly throwaway lines make you reinterpret characters’ actions from episodes or seasons ago. “Dad’s view was, yours aren’t real.” One line in the last ten minutes of the series finale, completely reframing kendall as a character.

I could go on about the writing, directing, production and costume design, cinematography, blocking, the choice to shoot on film, the absolutely perfect casting… but this has already reached an insufferable length, so, another time.

There’s lots of speculation on what happened post finale, if they could ever come back from that board room. I don’t think there’s any way through life for the siblings other than hand in unlovable hand. What’s crawling back to each other one more time, after all of the hurt and betrayal that you’ve already let pass? “He never saw anything he loved that he didn't want to kick, just to see if it would still come back.” It’s the only love they have. It’s all they’ve ever known. 

[acerathia]

pink camellias || Chapter 2: geranium

Chapter Summary:

geranium: folly

Wordcount: 3.8k

Read on AO3 || Masterlist

Pairing:

Bakugou Katsuki / Reader

Tags/CW:

royalty au, inspired by Mulan, war and its consequences, violence, childhood friends to strangers to companions to lovers (i am sorry), Angst, Acts of Service, Character Death (Major, and Minor), swordfights, misogyny, f!reader, kidnapping, implied torture, let me know if I missed anything lol

Note:

second chapter, yippie!! going to post this story every second monday, soo 👀👀

Swords clashed and slashed. Tiny bursts of stars seemed to be drawn from every swing and hit. The two opponents acted as if they’ve been at if for hours, but it only has been a matter of a handful of minutes. Every single grain of time held close and dear to their movements, as time could help them achieve their desired victory.

The untrained eye didn’t have the capacity to recognize any disadvantage between them, thus leading to the surprise of the tiny crowd when one sword finally shook and linked its blade with the guard cross of its opposing blade, tossing it into the entirely wrong direction, upwards and pointing to the clouds above. The wielder of that particular blade didn’t even think of pointing the tip of their sword towards the one who lost, as their loss was deemed irrefutable.

A moment of silence, only disturbed by the sheathing of the sword, before a praising clap thundered across the sand, over the heavy gasps of breath. Despite that loss, there was no guilt or thoughts of vengeance, on the contrary, their smiles mirroring each other, one much older and wiser, the other winning and crooked.

“It seems the student has outgrown their master, congratulations. With this battle and its win, you officially hold the title of a swordmaster”, the loser, the now-retired teacher announced with happiness tinting his voice despite the glaring loss against someone younger than him, someone like you.

This act of kindness was not usual, it took you slightly aback. The knights and squires of this court tended to sneer behind your back, never to your face, challenging you properly like they were supposed to do. They would not dare to fulfil such an outrageous act, not against the only lady of this household. The heir of this marquisate. Consequently, you weren’t allowed to act on your urges. Because every time you noticed their laughter and their mock, your veins flooded with hot steam, and the desire to punch them grew. But alas, it was improper of a lady to even raise her hand, much less a sword, despite your current disposition. You were allowed to hold a sword, but never to raise it against someone outside of training. And this newly acquired title would not change anything about this circumstance.

This led to you putting all your anger and frustration into working on yourself, working towards your current objective. This first hurdle, the just gained knighthood, had been the fruit of the hard labor of months; your hands aching and ripping skin. But now you could work towards the higher ranks. Even if you didn’t quite know how to achieve that, due to the likely refusal of many, simply not even taking it into consideration to take you under their wing, to train you in any way or form. In their opinion, all your hard work was nothing but a joke. A female knight? Bordering on a scandal, about to escalate if you even dared to carry your title outside of this tiny place. That meant you were stuck, this position signifying your first and yet last step into the higher achievements of a knight. A swordmaster with no real power to the name.

At least with this title, you had something to show for yourself, your work and your training were not in vain, despite what everyone might say, despite the possibility of it being the last you could even achieve in the first place.

So you couldn’t help the grin stretching across your face as you dabbed the sweat off your eyebrows and neck. You ought to take a proper bath as soon as you were dismissed by your now-retired teacher. But he hesitated. He had been happy by your victory, but something seemed to lay heavy on his might, indicated by the slight furrow of his eyebrows. That was the reason you were aware that something was about to come, something that would displease you, especially after he started a light conversation with you, something he usually avoided so vehemently.

How did you feel? Any tiredness, pain? With every topic, every question or simple conversation starter the talk slowly descended to the more serious matters, at least in his opinion, as he tried his best to ease you into them. What were you planning now? What was your father thinking? Did he even agree with your plans, and was he going to offer you a position in his own army?

And at the beginning you were patient, answering everything truthfully to the best of your possibilities. But the audacious mention of your father made your insides boil, steam filling your lungs and threatening to burn him with your tongue as the lighter.

With a slow inhale you stuck your tongue against the inside of your cheek, trying to dampen the fire sizzling between its pores. You managed not to snap or tell him off in any way, rather smiling and cutting the conversation short, because oh, it was almost time for dinner and your father was awaiting your presence at the table.

With that excuse you didn’t even wait for his dismissal, you just left him on the training grounds, trying to get some proper words in order, but you were already marching with sure steps towards your room, taking several steps at once. You were absolutely ready for a mighty scrubbing.

But on the way you couldn’t do anything but stop in front of another door. The office. Surely your father was inside, swamped in his work once again, and you thought about how it had been some time since you had visited him or seen him outside of your shared meals. He surely wouldn’t mind you entering wearing your current garb.

Your knuckles against the wood, light seeping through a gap, carrying the ongoing conversation, and your movements halted.

“Yes, I am sure. I shall join the assembly tomorrow…” the voice of your father echoed to your position, to your eavesdropping. And you were aware of the butler responding, yet could not discern his words properly.

“I know, but… ugh… they sent for someone from every family. There is no one but me, who can carry the burden of fighting in such a senseless war… no, she’s my only daughter, it would kill me to lose her in such a needless endeavor…” A sigh had escaped your father, showing you how he surrendered to his fate.

His words would usually flare the fire in the back of your throat, daring you to step in and to confront whatever decision had been made on your behalf. Yet the realization of the ongoing topic felt like a fall, harsh and sudden, and your insides hurt, nauseating you. A call for war. Was it truly a necessity for your father to go? Surely there was another way, some kind of connection to avoid this misfortune befalling your family. You couldn’t…

Before you even dared to finish this thought, steps slowly approach your tiny gate between worlds, and you had to get on your toes, to be nimble to escape from this compromising situations, lest the butler caught and reprimanded you. You had no other choice but to flee, despite your initial plan to visit your father for a piece of his time.

For the rest of the way to your bedroom, a dizzy spell had started to occupy your brain, depositing a formation of rocks upon your chest, constricting your limbs, suffocating you. What were you supposed to do now? After this unintended revelation? You could not bear to lose your father too. But did you even have a choice? Your possibilities were as limited as the cords binding your hands, restricting every idea.

Arriving to your destination you swallowed heavely, trying to get rid of the boulders blocking your airways. You simply didn’t allow yourself to show your swirling, conflicting feelings, rather you put the same little grin on your face, even if it felt a bit strained. Your maid should not suspect anything to be wrong, or she would forward her worries to the lord of the place, your father, and you should not burden him more than he already had to carry.

Acting the same, trying to hide the trembles in your fingertips and the pitch in your voice, you took a bath, as usual, as expected of you. And you tried to distract yourself by rubbing your skin raw, getting rid of grime and sweat, the heavy guilt and regret.

As much as you loved to swing the sword, the consequences of such were rather tiring, hard to get rid of in varying levels. A necessary evil maybe.

After drying your skin, you allowed your maid to slip a simple, green housedress over your head, preparing you for your venture to the dining hall

The hall itself had changed quite a bit in the last years, the memories painful, burdening your soul with a longing ache. The stinging arrangements got replaced, finding a new home in a storage room, collecting dust and drying up, taking the memories with them, but never the pain. It stayed a constant companion, and what kind of host would deny its guest, albeit forced.

So you had no other choice but take your seat with the usual greetings towards your father, and you both began to maintain some easy talk, something that could be done without much thought if you were versed in the court etiquette.

That was until the subject of your newly acquired knighthood was mentioned. He, of course, congratulated you, but the question about your future plans did not even come up in the first place. Almost like he assumed this whole thing was finally over, that he could keep you safe, maybe even arrange someone to marry you, to be an actual heir to the title. Someone to take care of you while he had decided to join some nonsense war.

Naturally this thought train of yours stayed in your brain, and you refused to give him the chance to even begin with his ideas, even if they weren’t quite there yet. Still, he did not even dare to start explaining his conundrum to you. Maybe he thought it would be better for you to stay ignorant? To notice him being gone, to belatedly read a letter with the scrawly letters telling you his excuses. To him, that also would be protecting you, but this simple idea of him risking his life, of omitting important details bothered you. This silent refusal only fueled you more, a plan starting to weave itself onto your consciousness, more holes than knots, but you decided to overlook that fact.

After finishing your meal, you excused yourself. As soon as you stepped out of his view, your steps sped up, bringing you to your room. Arriving you quickly dismissed your maid, before crawling to grab something from under your bed.

Barely grasping the fabric you plucked a jute bag from the hidden cave that is the space between your bed and the ground. A bit of dust had settled on top of it and you had to shake it off with a sneeze. Maybe you should have looked for a better hiding place, but that was a thought for the possible, rather impossible, next time.

With barely contained thoughts you started pushing some of your fencing garb into the bag. Almost worn-out pants and shirts. Some bandages. Gauze and disinfectant, for some first aid. Some money and a map. After a couple of everything, you decided to be content with your small luggage. Your sword would be attached to your strap, ready to be used at all times.

The only thing missing was the letter with the official stamp. You needed it, lest they thought of you as a liar. Fortunately, you knew when your father was supposed to leave his office, so you put on some proper traveling clothes, meaning a pair of pants and a shirt, to make it easier for you to sneak into the halls without any noise. And if you managed to get caught, you always had the possibility of using your training as an excuse.

Once the clock has struck, you left your room to stride slowly to your fathers office. In front of its door, you bowed slightly to check for any lights coming from the keyhole, before opening the door a crack, just until it was about to creak. Of course you knew about that secret threshold, you have been living in this place for years. Even considering the whole possessing the body of another problem. You quickly slid between that just-right-sized opening into the office.

You didn’t allow yourself to look around, to look at the shelves cram-full with books or the paintings on every free space on the walls. Rather you carefully stepped around the papers strewn around on the ground, careful to not bother anything that could incriminate you, well more than you were guilty of at the moment.

His working table seemed to contain more documents than possible, stacked on top of each other and dangerously leaning over the edge. You bit your lips in thought, where would such a document belong? Despite your knowledge, you never understood that orderly chaos of his. So you decided to look into the drawers first, inspecting their contents, but not finding what you were looking for.

After having carved into the depths of those drawers, you carefully looked over the papers on top of the table. At first you didn’t dare touch anything, of fear of toppling anything over, of fear of being discovered before you accomplished your goal. But after not seeing the document you began to leaf slowly through every stack of documents and letters. Still nothing. With a resigning sigh, you stepped away. Maybe he had taken that piece of paper into his room, for safekeeping perhaps.

With some remaining hope you let your gaze wander across the table once again. Suddenly something bright orange caught your eyes. You knew it didn’t belong there, wasn’t supposed to be here at all, after orange was the official color of the royal family, only their letters and decrees had an orange seal. That was why you realized that you actually found what you were looking for. The letter had been pinched underneath the paperweight, which your father usually never used.

Consequently you could easily lift that paperweight shaped like a bird, because it just didn’t disturb anything around it. Once the letter laid in your hand, you carefully opened it and skimmed through its content to confirm the identity of the letter.

A lopsided grin broke itself across your face while you pocketed the letter with soft movements. After reaching your goal, you went through the same steps again, only in reverse order to leave the room.

Once in your room, you stashed the letter into your bag, before throwing it over your shoulder. Almost forgetting to put a letter on your pillow for your maid to discover the next morning. You still had to make a trip into the kitchen for some food for the oncoming travels. So you walked down the halls until you arrived in front of the passage for the servants. These secret corridors led to every place a servant could be needed, of course the kitchen was one of these places. And you knew that unless they were a guard, most servants were already asleep. For this reason you could just walk into the kitchen and take some pieces of bread and an apple. Why an apple? You just craved one at the moment.

After filling your bag with your acquired loot, you left the mansion through the servants entrance. These things were neat, you thought, making it easier to sneak around. Which in hindsight was a strategic disadvantage, but all mansions were built like that. You supposed the wall and the many guards outside were a proper defense, at least for some direct attacks. Assassination and infiltration? Definitely the weak point of many nobles.

Deep in thought you stopped in front of the wall. Of course you weren’t going to take the main entrance, your sneaking would be null and void if you got caught just walking out in the deep of the night. That was why you were looking for that one hole in the wall, hidden by some bushes. The knights and squires probably used that hole to escape training and to get drunk at the village. But their foolery had bought you a rather great advantage. This way you had the possibility to just escape the grounds without notifying anyone.

There! You spotted the crack in the massive wall and after pushing some leaves away you could gaze into the other side of the barrier. You got on all fours to crawl through the small gap. The passage was almost too tight to properly let you through, but with a bit of wiggling you managed to tumble out of the hole.

With a triumphant grin you jumped onto your feet, before walking down the road in direction of the next village. You didn’t need your map yet, but you knew that you had to acquire a proper horse to travel, or else you would need days to arrive. With a horse it would only take you a day and a night.

First, you needed to arrive at the village in the first place. Which shouldn’t be a hindrance, but after quite some distance, you began to regret your decision to start your barely-planned adventure once the dark swallowed everything in front of you. You couldn’t have carried a torch with you either way, but you dearly wished for one. Nonetheless you kept on walking on the path through the forest, not leaving your gaze lingering, lest you begin to think of horrid creatures hiding and reaching for you.

No wonder your muscles released some considerable tension, once the lights of the village seeped through the woods. Finally stepping over the invisible border between forest and village, you quickly glanced around to locate someone who would sell you a horse. And even if the streets were supposed to be empty, quite a crowd was still bustling around. Seemed like some kind of festival, you thought to yourself before diving into the bustle.

It had taken you quite some searching and haggling to acquire that beautiful white stallion, on which you were currently riding on. Maybe you should have bought more money on your person, but despite the hole in your funds you couldn’t seem to feel any regret. Especially after traveling with him for the last day and a half. He was, in your humble opinion, the calmest horse you ever had the chance to encounter.

With a comfortable trot you both were heading towards the borders of the country, close to the war, but far enough to have space to train in. Probably. Everything was just an assumption, while you studied the map of your destination. With that, they probably also assumed that everyone, who was sent by their family, would have the proper education about fighting in a war. Maybe they were just going to push a sword into their hands and use them as cannon fodder. In your opinion, it depended on the oncoming personnel. But you, you were determined to survive and maybe to even make a proper name for yourself. Despite your ambitions, you were aware of the conditions, war was a messy thing, and nothing, truly nothing, could promise a proper hold onto your life.

A hum escaped you, as you considered taking a rest. But before you had the possibility to choose, your gaze caught onto something further along the way. So you pushed your horse to go a tiny bit faster to assess whatever was in front of you. After a couple of minutes you slowly came to a halt, stopping fully in front of a wooden gate with a pair of guards. Ah, you had to have arrived already.

With a swing you descended from the black stallion, rummaging for the letter of recommendation that was issued to your family, and of course something to prove your identity with, even if the letter in itself should have been more than enough.

You showed both things to the guard, who had a condescending smirk while checking the content of the letter, before handing it back to you and opening the gate. Stowing the papers back into your bag, you took the horse strap and led your dear horse through the gate.

“Hah, you’re probably gonna do anything but fight.”, a guard snickered haughtily, letting his gaze wander over your pants.

Without second thought you pulled your sword and let the tip scratch his throat. Your face twisted in disgust. “I could just get rid of you, here and now… don’t test me, rat.”

You felt the need to spit at his feet, but you thought that he was already humiliated, so you just continued your walk through the gate. Your trusty sword returned to its home, while bringing your horse to the stable.

Taking care of your stallion you hoped, no one else reacted like that guard did. You’d hate to deal with condescending people, who thought they were better than everyone, especially you. But whatever happened, you were confident in your abilities to best them all. After all, most of them were nothing more than spoiled noble kids, with no experience in any kind of combat. You would bet the rest of your money, you could break the noses of at least half of the recruitments here.

With a content nod, you led Noir, as you decided to call the black stallion, to some proper resting space. He had been carrying you for quite some time after all. After making sure he was all set up, you went looking for whatever place you were supposed to register your arrival at.

With a sigh you settled on your assigned bed. Even if your definition of bed and mattresses were quite different, you didn’t even think of complaining, some already didn’t take you seriously. Even the person who had shown you your new place had their nose slightly wrinkled and had pulled their eyebrows up, once they glanced at you. But you didn’t mind, because you were sure of your abilities, you would surprise them and make them eat their words. And their contempt and whispers held nothing to the royal court and the gossip at festivities. You would survive this.

You had planned on resting for today, but you felt quite fidgety. Usually you would have wound up outside to train with your sword, but alas, you couldn’t pull that string in such a new place. Which sucked, especially because you had to adapt to whatever expectations and rules existed.

Without any other option you closed your eyes and tried to delve into other thoughts, maybe put some more detail in your current story, and if you fell asleep, no one would be wiser.

[chambersandfogg]

November 21st, 1918

They said we’d be home by Christmas and, against all odds, that may very well be true.

It’s over. We will not have to endure another endless winter in the mud and ice, watching our fellow soldiers’ toes turn black. I only suffered one such season, but I believe I may be done with both the cold and the outdoors for quite some time because of it.

I am not built for this. If I am being honest with myself, I don’t think anyone is built for this. There is something inhuman, unnatural, to this war. I understand that man has fought with man for as long as we’ve walked this earth, but this war is something beyond the realm of human conflict. It is as if we’ve been given the power of the gods and have decided to wage war with it despite being mere mortals ourselves.

They are calling it the Great War. Or the “war to end all wars”. I think the former lends it too much grandiosity and the latter is foolishly optimistic. We are all tired, worn out from the endless tension, the dwindling rations, the howling whistle of mortar shells before they explode, and I have no doubt that the other side feels just the same. And yet I also have no doubt that even this unending destruction has failed to sate the blood-lust that seems to run so deep in the veins of man. This war will not end wars; it has merely changed them.

There is no glory in battle. This is what I have discovered. It is not like the tales of knights and kings that I read as a boy. It is brutish and cruel, turning man into something less than he is. I feel diminished.

When it became clear that I had been given the great gift of, at the very least, an exceptionally long life, if not an unending one, I began to revel in the idea that I should get closer to experiencing every aspect of the human condition than any man has ever come before. And I set out immediately to make that true. I have traveled far and wide, have performed on the world’s great stages, have taken lovers on two continents, have read more books, attended more theatrical performances, eaten more delicious food and drank more expensive wine than I could have ever imagined. I have been to war. I have killed.

Not all human experience is made equal. This is at the very heart of the discovery I have made. Fighting in this terrible conflict, seeing the light go out of another man’s eyes, has put into stark relief just how blessed I have been in my life. I had an inkling of my own good fortune, of course. Lord knows my parents always made sure to tell me that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and that I would be a fool to spit it out. But my life had not been without its hardship. I spent decades toiling in a career that I was ready to give up on before the tides turned. I have had public failures and hundreds of arguments with my family. I have been lonely. But I hadn’t experienced true pain until this last year.

Charles has experienced pain in his life. Many times. The loss of his mother hit him terribly hard, and I suspect his childhood was difficult, though he has never told me all that much about it, despite my occasional prodding. He has always been the yardstick against which I measure my accomplishments, but in recent years he’s become a kind of mirror as well. After all, who else on this earth could understand me or the way that I experience the world?

Except he doesn’t understand me. And I don’t understand him, not really. I’m sorry to say that our arguments over my joining the war effort did not cease as the months marched on. I had gone to great lengths to conceal my injury from him while I was still under the watchful eye of the medics—he had no reason to discover that I was receiving his letters to the infirmary—but he uncovered the truth all the same. And it didn’t seem to matter that, by that point, I was back in the field with only a scarred thigh to show for it; he took every opportunity after that to chastise me for getting blown up and encourage me to abandon my compatriots and go home. Yet he refused to be reasoned with when I suggested he be the one to leave the war.

It angered me, that he could so clearly see how ill-equipped I was for the front. Especially considering that he was never in combat the way that I was. How should he know what it takes to drive a bayonet through a man when all his killing occurred in a lab?

I shouldn’t squabble over the ways in which the war has scarred us. And, to be fair to Charlie, I have no idea if he is still relatively unscathed. I know he’s alive, he wrote me on the eleventh, seemingly as soon as he had heard the news, though I only just now received the letter. But I have not seen him in the flesh since his leave in London in ’16. Despite being, I imagine, mere miles apart at times, the war never did bring our paths together. Just as he had wanted. But it does strike me as strange, that I have run into him unexpectedly so many times in my life, but the moment I make an effort to find him, he eludes me.

Perhaps that is precisely the problem. Perhaps whatever means he used to learn of my injury also alerted him to every instance I tried to learn his current whereabouts. Perhaps it wasn’t that I couldn’t find him, but that he didn’t want to be found.

[from the personal diary of J.S. Fogg]

[listen to New Year’s Day wherever you get your podcasts. to read the pre-1917 entries, join atypical artists and get access to the archive of 24 entries (5,000+ words), as well as ad-free episodes. to receive future monthly missives straight to your inbox, sign up for free here]

[mcalhenwrites]

I just finished reading Seasons (old) and some of its side stories. What would Graham and Vivian do differently if they were sent back in time? I’d say between either The Starting Foundation or Stolen Summer Songs.

Hey there, thank you for reading Seasons! I think Graham and Vivian would go back to different times. Graham would probably rethink his relationship with Vivian entirely at first, because without him, Vivian wouldn't have dreamed of a home and family. Then he'd think about how much he loves his children, and he couldn't erase them by never being with Vivian in the first place. If he could get Vivian to agree to starting over with him, that'd be a different story. The two of them could start with Shannon. They'd have better knowledge from Phineas - if they retain that knowledge - to raise their children in a safer environment and work at being not just better parents, but better husbands. They'd have to carefully agree to still have the other kids at the same times they did, though, under the exact same circumstances, so they would still have the other four. There's a lot of complications with just going back in time, though, and I think they're both aware of that. That said, Vivian would certainly want to time travel back far enough to change things with Howie, and when Sophronia visited, he would reach out to her. He would show he wants to make a change. He'd be honest with his children instead of hurting them further. He never would have beaten Howie with his magical strength that night, that's for sure. Then he would ask Sophronia how to contact Shannon, and he would reach out and apologize and offer to talk. You said you read the old version of Seasons, so I'll cautiously mention spoilers: Vivian grieves hard for the permanent loss of Howie and Sophronia in his life. He will probably never give up trying to reach out to them, either, because he has nothing to lose by doing so. He already lost them, after all. I think this would make him reckless about fucking with time travel. I guess it's lucky that his magic doesn't include that? Since he could fuck up so many things. Despite all the horrible things he put his children through, they wouldn't be quite the same without the people they met and the experiences they've had. Shannon knows Phineas because of his horrible childhood and living on the streets. And that ended up being perhaps the best thing for the entire family in the end, is having Phineas in their lives. Thanks for the ask, it's really interesting to think about things like this! ;A;

[tkachuksoralfixation]

For those curious, here's a little excerpt of what i wrote :3 i will... Eventually release it. Maybe. It depends.

Its currently nameless but enjoy

Despite that absolutely shitty loss, Matthew gets up the next day for practice and he gives his all again. He shoulders it and moves on. And he does that for the entirety of the winter portion of the season, making it through road trip after flight after road trip. He's exhausted by the time All Star Weekend comes around, but he's glad for the days off. The late January air is kicking his ass, despite it being Florida of all places. Unlike literally everywhere else in the world, spring is in full motion in the unique place that is Sunrise, Florida, and it's making Matthew want to keel over and die.

He'd always had the worst allergies in the spring. Maybe it was just that he spent most of his childhood in places that made his fingers nearly freeze off that spring wasn't as bad, but god was the pollen horrible in the lower states of the US. He felt like he was suffocating every time he stepped outside.

That being said, Matthew enjoys his time off from thinking about making the playoffs. He thinks, now, about how he's gone through an entire box of tissues trying to clear his sinuses and at least half a bottle of nasal spray. He begins to think he has a cold or a sinus infection or something, but the medical staff on site said he was fine, so all he can bring it back to is allergies.

Fucking allergy season. Kiss All Star Matthew Tkachuk's ass.

He continues to be miserable the first couple of days he's in town. He and the other teammates that made it on the roster had flown in early, having no games prior to the weekend off. Grateful for their four day weekend, they landed in Florida two days early, and Matthew nearly spent the entire first night curled up in his hotel room a miserable mess. Maybe he was being dramatic. Maybe the pollen particles were waging war on Matthew Tkachuk himself and literally no one else. He was miserable, that's all that mattered.

The morning after, he woke up with a nose so stuffed he thought for a good few minutes he would never be able to breathe again. And then he took an allergy pill, blew his nose as much as humanly possible, and used the rest of the tiny bottle of nasal spray he'd gotten at the airport. That shit had been ten dollars and he hadn't even gotten a day's use out of it. Now that was some bullshit if he's ever seen it.

Thirty minutes later, his nose was dry and he finally felt peace. The relief that flooded his chest felt better than a blanket fresh out of the dryer, and that's fucking saying something. Well enough to go out and have fun, though, Matthew promised all of his friends in town for the day that they'd spend time together. It was rare that they were all under the same roof, the lens of competitive hockey nature out of the way. Really, he genuinely looked forward to it.

He had lunch reservations with Auston, Mitch, and a couple of the guys he flew in with. Standard stuff, just shooting the shit and hanging out. Their group was rushing out of the hotel, a tad behind on getting there, when someone shouldered him at the back of the group. He should've seen it coming, really, but he was in a rush and trying to keep up with the already pretty intimidating size of their group.

"Hey, watch where you're-" a familiar voice snaps, then screeches to a halt as he whips towards Matthew. Granted, he was stunning, he couldn't blame anyone for being so enraptured with him that they stopped speaking, but Leon Draisaitl was not one of those people. In fact, Matthew was sure he'd only ever stop like that if he was jaw-droppingly ugly, like a cake made to look like a baby that got dropped on the floor one too many times.

"What?" Matthew reaches up to touch his face, "Too beautiful for you? Keep moving, Draisaitl."

Draisaitl blinks slowly. Matthew was already far behind his group. No way he'll catch up now. "Uh," his eyes search Matthew's face, and then his hand, and that's when Matthew realizes something has to be wrong. "You. Um. Dude, you're covered in blood."

Matthew looks down at his hand from where he had touched his nose, and, yeah that was a lot of blood. "Oh, yeah, that'll do it." Suddenly his head starts swimming, and maybe he shouldn't have overdone it with the nasal spray. Or maybe the stupid weather change was getting to him and it gave him brain damage, or whatever the hell causes nosebleeds. He looks out to where his friends have already pushed out of the busy hotel doors. He'll have to call and tell them he'll be there later.

Seemingly horrified, Draisaitl looks around the room before his gaze inevitably comes back to Matthew. "You are way too calm for there to be blood pouring out of your face," he jabs, hooking his hand in Matthew's arm and dragging him god knows where. He's not really up for fighting it. "Is this, like, normal or something? Or did you just happen to have a nosebleed the second I walked into you?"

Shrugging, Matthew finally sees their destination is the men's restroom. The hotel is pretty fancy, so it's one of those single public restrooms with an actual toilet that shuts. He's grateful that his nice pants won't be tarnished by random bathroom germs. "Well, you know, I just thought it would be funny if I had a nosebleed the second you appeared. Because I totally saw you coming." He grins up at Draisaitl, who scowls and shoves him over to the toilet.

"Sit down, you dick. You're lucky I'm even helping you at all." He very clearly bites back anything more offensive. Matthew can't help but make fun of him for it as he sits.

"Oh, is that what this is?" Matthew laughs, watching Draisaitl do whatever the hell it is he's doing over by the sink. "Well, thanks, but I can take care of myself. I'm a big boy."

When Draisaitl turns around, he's got a condescending look on his face. An eyebrow raised, face wrinkled in that permanent frown of his. "It looks like you dipped the lower half of your face into a plate of spaghetti." He says it so nonchalantly and Matthew is so caught off guard, his mouth drops open in disbelief.

It takes him a moment to think of something in response. The fog in his brain is to blame for that, he thinks, because normally he has no issues keeping up with Leon Draisaitl when they're chirping and insulting each other. "You're messing with me." Matthew guesses, studying Draisaitl's stony face. He doesn't even crack a smile to show he's kidding in the slightest. "It doesn't actually look like that, right? It can't be that bad."

Draisaitl shrugs and makes his way over, a couple wet paper towels in each hand. "It's pretty bad," he chuckles, finally, and Matthew relaxes ever so slightly. He kind of hates that he does as Draisaitl crowds around him, his touch gentle as he tips Matthew's head up to face him. There's something so precarious, so strange, so intimate about it that doesn't feel like two guys in a bathroom cleaning up. Matthew internally hopes the blood on his face masks the way he flushes. "I'm surprised you didn't notice," he says as he carefully drags a paper towel against his upper lip, "I mean, you talk so much I can imagine some of it had to have gotten in your mouth."

"Okay, ouch," Matthew grumbles, trying to pull away, but Draisaitl's hand stabilizes him and keeps him in place. It sends a little shock into his gut. "Listen, we were running late to our lunch reservation, I didn't really have time to think, okay? I just-"

Matthew is promptly interrupted by a phone ringing. Oh, shit, he forgot he had to call his friends. Leon pulls away as Matthew scrambled for his phone, not even looking at who in his group was calling before hitting answer. He can barely even get out an explanation before a very loud, concerned voice broke through.

[tarot-by-tabitha]

Hi, well i would love to participate in your past life reading. Myself Jasmine, capricorn-sun virgo moon and Taurus rising.

I don't have much good memories from my childhood but if i were to say a memorable one it would be me when I was 3, i got on the stage of my school and confidently answered that i wanted to be a teacher and teach students when asked what i wanted to be when i grow up even tho that's not my aim now i was definitely way too find of being a teacher that I used to teach invisible students on my blackboard and be like a total teacher haha those memories are something I'll always cherish i was way too passionate about it.

Thankyou so much for allowing me to participate, have a wonderful day ahead of you. 🫶🏻🤍✨🧿

Hello 🌿 thanks for sharing your childhood memories 💓

Sooo I got connected to one of your past lives, could be your recent past life around 1914-1945 in northern europe, could be Norway or Finland. could also be Sweden, Denmark, Estonia or Latvia.

Your Life in Northern Europe during the World War Era

In one of your past lives, you lived in Northern Europe during the World War era. Life at this time was difficult and you faced a lot of hardship especially due to oppression from the war and the control it brought over people’s lives. You were a strong person, someone who knew how to survive in tough times but you often felt burdened by the restrictions and struggles that came with living in such a difficult period.

Your faith in this life was either agnostic or atheist meaning you didn’t necessarily believe in a higher power or religion. You were practical and grounded, focusing on what you could see and do in the world around you rather than relying on spiritual beliefs.

Love, Loss, and Loneliness

In this life you lived as a spinster, meaning you didn’t marry. You had a deep connection with someone you loved but for one reason or another, the relationship didn’t last. The Loss of a Loved One card suggests that this person may have disappeared or abandoned you possibly due to the chaos and instability of the war. This loss left a deep mark on you and you carried it with you throughout your life.

Despite this, you had a lover’s heart. You loved deeply even if that love wasn’t always returned in the way you hoped. The feeling of abandonment shaped how you moved through the world, leaving you more guarded and self-reliant but you never fully let go of the love you once had.

A Life Close to Nature

You had a deep connection with animals in this life. The Animals card suggests that you were either a herder or simply someone who loved animals and found comfort in their presence. This connection to animals helped soothe some of the emotional pain you carried. Whether you worked with them as part of your daily life or kept them close for companionship, animals brought you a sense of peace and grounding.

The Trauma of Oppression and War

During this time, you experienced the heavy weight of oppression likely related to the war and the strict controls placed on people’s lives. You lived through a period of conflict where personal freedoms were restricted and many had to follow the rules of powerful forces beyond their control. The War card suggests that either you were directly involved in the war effort or deeply affected by it. You may have lost loved ones to the war or been conscripted yourself.

The trauma of living in such a tense and dangerous environment left its mark on you. You learned how to navigate difficult situations but you always carried the emotional scars of being forced into circumstances you didn’t choose.

Leadership in Your Own Way

Despite these challenges, your greatest lesson in this life was about leadership. Even though you may not have hold a formal position of power, you naturally guided others through tough times. The Ace of Pentacles and The Empress show that you had a nurturing, grounding presence in your community. You knew how to bring people together and help them through difficult situations whether it was offering practical support, sharing resources, or simply being a comforting figure.

You led through balance and patience, which is shown by the Temperance card. You were the person who could stay calm in a storm, offering practical solutions and keeping people focused on what mattered most. You were a leader not through power, but through wisdom and care.

A Long Life and Final Peace

You lived to an old age, and by the time you passed, you had seen many things, both good and bad. The empress card reflects your role as someone who took care of others and brought a sense of stability even in the hardest times. By the end of your life, you had found some peace within yourself despite all the hardships you faced. You understood that life is a mix of joy and sorrow, and you embraced both sides with grace.

The Lesson for Your Present Life

In this life, the lesson of leadership continues to guide you. You may not always feel like a leader in the traditional sense but your strength comes from your ability to stay grounded and support others, especially in difficult times. You have a nurturing presence and others often look to you for guidance even if you don’t realize it.

Your connection to nature and animals from your past life may still be strong in this one. You likely find peace and comfort in being around animals or spending time in nature. These moments help you stay balanced, like they did in your past life.

you may still carry some emotional weight from past experiences of loss or abandonment but your strength comes from your ability to move forward with resilience. You have a quiet leadership quality where you help others find balance without needing to be in the spotlight.

I hope you like your reading and please leave a feedback 🌿 thanks

[atherix]

Most people: Let’s add Cub to the poly ship!

Me: But how about the angst potential of that instead?

Like, just imagine Cub looking over them years after everything settled or in a little gap of peace, happy for Scar for finding happiness and love, but sad that he can’t be part of it.

I like to think that Cub and Scar had that “There is nothing worse than meeting the perfect person at the wrong time”

The unintentional betrayal Cub had done to Scar, can’t earn back the time Scar lived in fear of betrayal and abandonment.

They could obviously still have feelings for one another, but what is love without trust?

Belle has you locked in their crosshairs, Anon <3

Everyone knows I love a good angst mmm but I love a good happy ending even more. That being said, if Cub ever does join the polycule, it would be WAY into the future, beyond the end of the series, when they've had time to reconcile everything. So Midnight won't ever be explicitly Mumconvexian (unless I write some self indulgent future fics) and as far as the main series goes I'll probably leave it open ended to how Mumscarian's relationship with Cub can go, but I'm a bit of a romantic when it comes to fictional men and, as someone who had a bit of a "childhood romance" (as much as literal children can have, anyway), the idea of two people who were "right person, wrong time" coming together again, finally at the right time, is just so... mmm.

Now there are absolutely YEARS of this, Cub being the "family friend" who is so so so happy that Scar has finally found a place that he's happy, finally has that family he always wanted and just wishing he could be part of it, so you're definitely right at least for a WHILE.

More thoughts below the cut thank you~

So the thing with Scar and Cub is that... things will never be the way they were before, but that doesn't mean they can't find forgiveness and rebuild trust, rebuild some kind of relationship again. It would take years to do (on Scar's side) but I'm a sucker for stories of forgiveness and moving on. And at its core, that's what Midnight is; it's a story about moving on from the past, about forgiving (others and your self), it's about breaking cycles and confronting the darkest parts of yourself- and of others- and finding it in you to love anyway. It's about not erasing the past but learning from it, growing and looking to tomorrow instead of living in yesterday. It's a story of grief and loss and hope and dreams and love.

And yes, there are things that can't be forgiven, but everyone gets to make their own choices on that.

As far as Cub's unintentional betrayal- there is time for Cub to prove to Scar that the way he thought things were, wasn't how they were. There's time for him to prove that he was Scar's friend because he wanted to be, time to show him that what they had wasn't fake, to prove that he really did love Scar as much as any fourteen year old could love another. And life's too short to linger in the past. It's been more than fifteen years by now, and really... Scar is so tired of being afraid and alone, and now he isn't alone anymore and he's not afraid anymore, and nothing will ever erase those years but god, he just wants to move on from it already. And despite it all, Scar misses Cub.

They haven't had time to talk about it. They haven't had time to even begin trying to come back from it- but that doesn't mean they never will.

And honestly, after what I'm about to put Cub through, I think Cub deserves to be loved hjgfdjkkjfsd-

[kamenstrikerace]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Side Of Dimensions Review:

Nostalgia Bait Gone Wrong!

This movie was made to cash in on my childhood, and it failed miserably since I outgrew Duel Monsters years ago.Today I decided to review a movie that I've had a visual loathing problem with since its inception back in 2016. I need to go into more depth because I can't simply ignore it.I have finally decided to review Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions and its mixed reception at the box office. There's a lot to talk about with this movie, and I hope I can cover it all since MyAnimeList has a limit on the amount of text and characters I can use.I am also going to explain two major topics. One is about production problems and nepotism, and the other is about reception and box office gross.

Oh god, this movie is going to suck, isn't it? Oh, wait. It is!

In The End It has to be this way: To me, Dark Side of Dimensions will always be the movie that killed my interest in Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, despite it being the third movie primarily focused on Duel Monsters. Let's delve into a bit of history regarding the Yu-Gi-Oh! movies. Firstly, there was the Toei Yu-Gi-Oh! movie from the late 90s, which was never released on DVD or Blu-ray, either because it was non-canon to the story or simply never considered canon. It's never been explained why it wasn't released on DVD. Then, in the early 2000s, we got the first movie for the Gallop Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Pyramid of Light, which received mixed reception. In its defense, it was created to rival Pokémon movies, but unfortunately, it didn't succeed. This led to the fandom's first uproar, with some blaming Takahashi for it. However, Takahashi wasn't responsible for it; it was actually 4KIDS who commissioned it from Japan. It's surprising that people are still misinformed about this in 2024. Next, we had Bonds Beyond Time, which was the only good movie in my opinion. And then, we have this disaster I'm reviewing.

Two Birds and One Stone Troupe: Now, let's delve into two topics I want to cover simultaneously: Animation and Directing. I'm going to be quite salty about this one. You see, one of my pet peeves is the apparent nepotism and the overemphasis on pretty colors and stereotyping in this movie, which I strongly oppose. This isn't me being biased or offering subjective criticism; I detest the prioritization of 'pretty colors' over substance. In today's media landscape, there's a tendency to mock older shows for not being 'flashy action,' 'self-inserted,' or 'well-made.' People often jump on the bandwagon and promote fake agendas like 'nepotism,' which is another problem I need to address. You cannot judge a movie solely based on animation. This isn't just the recurring issue with My Hero Academia and its animation; it's a problem I like to call the Yugioh Zexal fiasco.Animation production is expensive and often costs way too much. Despite how much money a show or movie makes, its value is ultimately determined by its reception at the box office. Personally, I disliked My Hero Academia because its cinematic animation received more positive reviews than its main series did. It felt like MHA was using the movies as a platform to showcase better fights because the main series itself seemed lazy and uninteresting. So, what does this have to do with the review? Well, people tend to be aggressive towards the media and often blame anime studios for being outdated or lazy. Studio Gallop was never a mainstream studio nor was it financially stable. The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and movies had above-average production quality before the Zexal era, but then it shifted towards flashy visuals and over-the-top animation, which I found to be a mishap of nonsense. In fact, this movie is why I've disliked its production since 2014 because Konami seemed to be on a death wish to produce another movie that would likely result in financial losses. The movie was primarily focused on impressing the audience, trying to position itself as a 'savior,' but it ultimately failed miserably since people could see the excessive cost of production. The biggest problem with the movie lies in its direction, which was mediocre and poorly choreographed. To make matters worse, it was helmed by the same director I loathe, Satoshi Kuwabara. His tendency for poorly paced animation hiccups makes him a prime example of how not to hire a good director. Kuwabara comes off as lazy and immature in his approach to production. However, Yu-Gi-Oh! fans seem to get upset when his work is criticized, even though it's riddled with flaws. People often only point out issues with localization, blaming the wrong sources. But in reality, the direction of the movie was mediocre at best. He was responsible for the previous screw-up known as Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal and its mixed reception in the West due to the disaster of the anime. He was in charge of that series from day one. What I found particularly strange is that he never gave interviews or tried to explain what was even happening in the show. He appeared mostly lazy and inconsistent, in my opinion.

Nepotism Is as it's peak: This section is about Takahashi, who didn't understand his own logic in the first place. While people defended the movie for its flashy animation and nostalgia bait, Takahashi received universal criticism because he is solely at fault for this movie's failure. In the 2010s, people didn't blame him enough for Zexal, but he was blamed for this movie being a total disaster. It focused on stereotypes, dehumanizing the first Yu-Gi-Oh! show by portraying the characters as nothing more than jerks, and in the process, proving the critics right. In fact, this movie catered to those wanting another political card game war, leading to many people being divided due to his ego once again being involved.

Nepotism characterized the movie, with character assassination and story points being dropped in favor of it being a love letter to Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 6 that never happened. This whole movie is just Pyramid of Light recreated with dumb animation borrowed from Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V's production, solely to improve the movie and divide the fans once again. He tried to cover the movie's tracks under the rug because he couldn't take the fact that he knew personally if he stole animation or writing budgets from another ongoing Yu-Gi-Oh! project, it would lead to fandom wars.

Many Yu-Gi-Oh! fans know that he screwed up big time and never apologized for the movie's faults. People are split because of Takahashi's opinions and his ego regarding how Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal turned out to be a disaster, as he was involved in that series but left at some point to start early production on Dark Side of Dimensions. Many fans say that Takahashi wasn't very involved with the series, but for reasons he doesn't want to take part in a show. The reason for this is that Takahashi has an ego that lets him anger the fandom because the story wasn't in favor of anything but solely overpowering the show's credibility and creating a dumpster fire, just like how Zexal became that way.In short, he is the reason why Yu-Gi-Oh! is doomed. He can't seem to improve the story and let it progress, as his original anime, Duel Monsters, was never fully adapted. The manga was left with plot holes and a lack of depth due to arcs being cut too soon. In short, Yu-Gi-Oh! was doomed because any show past 5D's became unlikable and disrespected. This man wanted to push an agenda, much like how Zexal was supposed to be Duel Monsters 2.0.

We hated ARC-V for this? That brings me to the production itself, which was undermined by his lackeys and others who tried to make this movie happen. The movie was made sometime between 2014 and 2016, and it's largely at fault for stealing the budget from shows like Arc-V. I'm not one to just jump on the bandwagon and start supporting a movie because someone told me to. There is no movie in the whole universe I have ever been hyped about just because many people tell me to support its production rather than focusing on the actual story and characters.Studio Gallop was never a mainstream studio like Studio Mappa or Studio Bones. Gallop was a studio meant to handle shows made for children, not mainstream abominations that performed terribly at the box office. These movies were universally panned because their stories were either handled poorly in the manga or never completed. The studio often misled their fandom, promising that the movies would be gold standards, but this was a lie. The movies were more meant to be tie-ins rather than delivering what the fandom demanded.

The Box Office Disaster The movie was a box office disaster, failing to recoup its production costs and falling short of expectations. Despite the hype and nostalgia surrounding the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, The Dark Side of Dimensions couldn't draw in enough viewers to be profitable. This was partly due to the overly ambitious budget that prioritized flashy animation over a coherent and engaging story. Fans were left disappointed, and critics panned the movie for its lack of depth and substance, leading to its poor performance at the box office.

The Duels The duels, which should have been the highlight of the movie, were also a letdown. They were poorly choreographed and lacked the strategic depth that fans loved in the original series. Instead of thrilling, intellectually stimulating matches, the duels in The Dark Side of Dimensions felt rushed and overly reliant on flashy visuals. This focus on style over substance left many fans feeling cheated. The duels failed to capture the essence of what made Yu-Gi-Oh! great in the first place, ultimately contributing to the overall disappointment with the movie.

Overall The movie is just nostalgia bait 101. You can't tell me that many people have a bias for it just because of the animation and pretty colors. In fact, people hated this movie because it was made with money taken from another project, which left their fandom unhappy. If you tell me that I'm being negative because I prefer 5D's, which was universally better than this movie, it's only because you refused to watch 5D's. I'm starting to believe that Konami never planned for this movie; it was a last-second attempt to make money.

[3seerlaymoon]

Reflections on Past Lives

My mind is still reeling over Past Lives. What a heartbreakingly beautiful movie. I keep thinking about one of the last scenes where they walk in complete silence together because there’s so much to say but they don’t know how to say it. She is the one who always leaves but this time he is the one leaving. When they were talking and laughing about all of the ways they could have met in their past lives I kept thinking how sad it is that in every life they are certain they would have met, however fast or fleeting and they would have had a relationship, but not in this life. They dream of reunions but in their current life there is a constant theme of parting. When he contemplates if this life is one of their past lives and they have already met, and he continues that what if game of what are they in their next life and she says “I don’t know”, “me too” he replies. If in every life you talk about the different ways in which you meet, but why not for the next one? Because of course she wants to meet him in their next life as well. Maybe they would have the chance of being in love in the next life. Because to admit she wants to be together in their next life would make them question well why not in this one? She dreams in a language her husband can’t understand and he is one of the few who still speaks to her in that language. He is the only one who still calls her, her given name. I think about how when they tell each other “i miss you” or “i’ve missed you” its really a simplification of all the things they want to say. There was always so much said unspoken between them and in-between the lines. I miss you is really your existence is vital to my being, the world is not as beautiful if you’re not in it. I miss you is I want you here, but you live over there and so I ask when can you come visit me in Seoul and when can you come visit me in New York. I miss you is I need you in my life and so i’m waking up early despite not being a morning person because of our time difference and so I am making this effort to see you. I think about how much she lost after moving and how so much of him kept her tethered to her childhood, culture, and self. I wonder if she had ended up being with Hae Sung would she have never stopped dreaming of the next award she wanted to win. I miss you after not knowing anything about you for decades because I will always love you, and this is why I endeavored to find you. And they again became integral parts of each other’s every day lives once they started video calling every day. They got used to each other again, they laughed together, reminisced, and started imagining what their futures looked like. I think about how they were both falling for each other, and she chose to stop her falling. She needed time away from him because he was distracting her from her life and her dreams. I think about why she had to forsake her love of him and what could have been for her goals. Could he have not been a part of that? Why not? The distance was great but she created a greater one in that parting. She is the one who leaves and what if she had been the one to stay for him? What could have been? We love each other so much we imagine ourselves together in every life but this one? Is that what she’s thinking about as the tears and sobs come after he finally departs? She is grieving all the love that exists/ existed between them. With words she was at a loss but the tears knew exactly how to flow. This time he was the one who left. If there is a next life for them, I hope they are madly in love and that distance won’t separate them, and they can say more to each other than I miss you, how have you been. That they can say I need you and I love you and in this life can we stay. Because in every life for me, its you. 

[void-soulwhisper]

Rumination - OOC

Leonar has been a lot of different things over the years in which I’ve been writing him. He’s never landed on a definite ‘this’ or ‘that’ at any point. Every stage of his life has been just an act in a worldly play which had led into the next one. He never truly felt as though he was defined as anything in particular

At first he was nothing more than a newborn babe, as we all are when we take our first breaths in this world. I didn’t think about him all too much as a character and, likewise, he didn’t think about much. Of course there were small moments here and there, with his mother especially, in which small breaths of life were aired into him but, for the most part, he simply and happily resided in his own world by his mothers side. But then life happened and he was thrust into adulthood much faster than anyone should ever have to experience. But he still had those memories of his childhood. And where his own memories rightfully should have been as he grew up, someone else’s stood in their place. They weren’t his. They never were. But they were in his head all the same. He took those memories and ran with them, despite them not being his own or perhaps even in spite of that fact. He curated his life around all the things he could remember and equally could not. There was joy and love and passion and wonder. But there was also loss and sorrow and grief. More grief than he could imagine and that led him down a path he should have never even glanced at, had life gone its intended route.

He took up arcane magics he knew he shouldn’t have - practicing necromancy in a vain attempt to fix what no elf nor human could rightly fix - only for his arcane to be stripped away from him. So he picked up his mothers bow and walked in his family’s footsteps of becoming skilled archers. And, when it came calling, he took to the void like a fish to water.

The guard never much cared for him and false accusations against him were just as numerous as those which were founded in truth. Being the son of a wanted man across both factions did not do him any favors either. Any job he had, he lost. Any friends he had, they too left just as swiftly. Those who remained, he held near and dear to his heart. He cherished them and trusted without question.

First a newborn babe, then a young and bright man with the world ahead of him and flowers in his hair. A student of the arcane - both underground and above. A necromancer. An archer. A man who could twist and contort his own body to look like anyone or anything with the help of the void. He was an addict. A husband. A wanted man. A sailor. A captain. And now he is little more than a wanderer and a father.

For all these reasons, and surely no doubt more in which I cannot recall, I have struggled with the idea of Leonar. He is too much of everything at once but, at the same time, not enough of any particular thing.  But that is how life is. It is not fair nor kind. Every adventure Leonar - or anyone else for that matter - has, is only a small part of a play which leads to the next act for that is simply the way of things. Feeling confusion is normal. As is the frustration I had with myself and with him as a character.  Leonar does not need to be any one thing. He is who he is, and that’s okay. He is unique in this world for there is only one of him. Others may have lives like his, but none are the same. And there is a beauty in that I cannot find the words to describe.