#just one of them is evil and the other one's been retired for AGES and only shows up when circumstances force him to.

[theprinceandthewitch]

Look man... I don't care how well written an age gap pairing is, I'm not going to read/watch something if I have to see an old head make a move on a person who is half their age LMAO.

[corvigae]

Whenever I remember that I didn't set out with the explicit plan to make Page a bardlock initially it just throws me bc it's just. So intrinsic to her character now that I could never imagine her as anything else. Like yeah I planned on making her a bard and that was always a big part of her character, but I really just picked warlock as a multiclass for utility's sake at first. But now being a warlock is so much of a big part of her backstory and her story going forward that if you were to remove that part of her you'd remove a significant portion of her character.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

YASASHII NO DE

HE CAME IN 20 PULLS……………….. ……… ….. …. . … …. .. .. . . … . .. . .. . . . TRULY YASaSHii OF YOu, GOOD SiR 😭

***Crowley Groovy, chibi sprite, lesson lines, and vignette spoilers below the cut!***

Unfortunately, we do not get any more details on his profile. It’s the same as the profile he had before the update. Age and birthplace unknown, 185 cm tall, favorite food is wild game, and his hobby is vacationing.

SDFHEGYOGYFQEN;jkhaCWIDODB A LOT OF CROWLEY'S LINES ARE VERY CHILDISH OR GOOFY... Like he has one where he complains about Grim eating his snacks, tells on students who are sleeping in class, and gets distracted by shiny objects (which, I guess, is par for the course for a crow).

Crowley cannot attend Alchemy class and does not have Chats. His Buddies are Deuce, Vil, and Grim (with Grim being his Duo Magic partner). Deuce and Vil are interesting choices, I wonder why those two in particular... (Some friends and I were memeing earlier about how "all those characters have single parents so Crowley must be a single parent" and, "Vil is the Evil Queen and Meleanor is a princess of evil", etc.) Crowley can, however, attend the other lessons and it’s every bit as awkward as you think it is. (He has a pre-lesson line where he expresses surprise taht he has to do homework 🤡)

THE CROWLEY DOPPLEGANGER ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE 💀 He can just straight up run into a clone of himself during lessons… THE DEVS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING, they even goofily have Crowley say, “Oh! Hello, me!” while the other Crowley is in class for the special lesson… THEY KNEW HOW DUMB THIS WOULD BE 😭 (The dialogue states the Crowley that barges into class is a magical projection…?)

Here are some of his chibi sprites, as well as his Groovy candy. Crowley is not only very yasashii, but also very cute!!

He does, in fact, have vignettes but they are unvoiced. The first part is him running an assembly with the dorm leaders present. Crowley discusses the health of an adolescent apple tree in the school's courtyard, and no one seems to be interested in his speech. Malleus barges in late and, in a fit of anger at having not been invited, starts unleashing lightning. Wow, just like how Meleanor shoots lightning at Lilia... Like husband, like wife/j Everyone retires to their dorms, leaving Crowley to deal with an upset Malleus. The second part features Crowley having lunch with the other staff members (Sam included!). Each staff member is eating something different (Vargas is of course having eggs), and Crowley is revealed to have a great appetite in spite of his age. Crewel and Trein wonder how many decades old Crowley is, since he was apparently still headmaster when Crewel was a student and when Trein started teaching at NRC. Finally, Crowley is walking down main street and spots Yuu, Grim, and some mob students skipping class… so he uses his Lash of Love to discipline them! He binds everyone together and proceeds to drag them back to class. (It was surprising, we haven’t seen the Lash of Love since like… what, the prologue? I almost forgot about it.) Crowley alludes to the fact that even though the students joke about him, he is actually a very powerful mage that shouldn't be taken lightly, you know?? The vignettes end with Crowley referring to his students as "apple trees" that he is nourishing and watching over as they grow, which rounds us nicely back to the apple tree he mentioned in his first vignette.

BUT ANYWay HEREmS thE GROOviY in JUICy DETAIL INkjoW YOU WERE ALL WAiTING FOR

It’s so pretty AaAAaaaaaaaAAAAAAAaaAaaAHHHHH 🥺 His grotesquely detailed hand reaching out to the viewer, who appears to be awaking from within a coffin… and do I have to mention the parallel between Crowley here and the mysterious hand that is offered to us in the mirror at the very beginning of the game????? Which could imply that Crowley is beckoning/summoning us into another world... The dim room, light spilling onto the Mirror of Darkness… So atmospheric!! If Crowley knows how to do one thing well and consistently, it’s drama~ The Groovy totally reminds me a lot of the prologue when Crowley tells Yuu to go before the mirror to get sorted. Omg guys... He's posted like Masquerade Malleus/j

One detail I super appreciate in this illustration is that you can see the dorm leaders in the background! If you squint, you’ll realize that there are 5 of them posing exactly like how they are in the following promotional artwork:

The one without a matching pose is Idia, who is present via his tablet. Though… I feel like we’re forgetting something 🤔 … Eh, I’m sure it’s nothing, nothing at allllllllll~

[thesummerestsolstice]

My favorite Gil-Galads, and some headcanons for them:

Celebrian Gil-Galad:

This is a tragically rare take

Genderfluid just like his mother

Look he's beauty he's grace and she's a butch lady you're getting the complete package here

Takes a lot after Galadriel actually, an absolute badass who gets things done and takes no shit from the quirky evil miniboss squad that calls itself the Noldor court

Born in the late First Age, got the kingship because Galadriel was AWOL (single-handedly ripping through Morgoth's armies)

"Gil-Galad died at the end of the Second Age" you are in fact wrong she just retired to go live in Rivendell with her eldritch half-elf

Cel-Galad and Elrond have the absolute best love story I do not take criticism

No but the devotion

Yes it still took them several thousand years to confess their feelings for each other

And then they got married like a century later because they'd basically already been living as a couple for millennia

Some Random Guy who Looks a Little Bit Like Fingon Gil-Galad:

Look there was a lack of legitimate claimants to the Noldor throne and Gil-Galad looked enough like Fingon to get the kingship

By the end of the First Age everyone knows he's not actually part of the House of Finwe but he's done such a good job that they decide to keep him as king anyway

Doesn't know his actual parents (two random Noldor who died in the Nirnaeth) and was raised entirely by Cirdan

He's a free-spirited mariner at heart, forced by a strong sense of responsibility into accepting a throne that regularly makes him want to tear his hair out

He's kind of a tragic figure, someone who grew up too fast; he and Elrond bond over this

Eventually he gets to enjoy a life of peace and seafaring in Valinor

He probably becomes good friends with Earendil; Earendil lets him on the magical flying boat and Gil-Galad tells him about Elrond

When I make a post about Gil-Galad, I'm talking about one of these guys. Feel free to share your favorite Gil-Galads in the tags, I love all the different takes on who he is and where he's from :)

[glisten-inthedark]

I was wondering why do you like Tom Cruise? It's hard for me considering he is with Scientology and I can't get past that. You don't have to answer but I'm open to new perspectives on this

This has been sitting on my ask box for a few days and I was struggling with how to answer properly.

The thing is that I don't particularly like injustice, and I genuinely feel he's one of the most misunderstood people I've come across.

He's incredibly hard working, for one. Do you know what takes to still do what he does at his age? He doesn't have to, he most definitely doesn't need to do his own stunts, he could've been retired and living on a island somewhere but he isn't. He works relentlessly because he loves what he does, he doesn't freaking need the money, he does because he cares about the industry, he does it because he loves it.

All you hear about him are lovely stories about someone that hasn't allowed fame to get over his head. He treats everyone with dignity, every single person on his crew. Hell, during covid when everyone was judging him for screaming when everyone was doing pretty much the same thing because people's lives were at stake, he made sure every. Single. Person got payed even though they weren't working. He and his crew made sure of that.

Not only that, but during the strikes he didn't talk about only how it would affect the industry, he talked about people whose lives depended on the industry. He talked about small business owners, about movie owners and how much money they'd loose.

If people took the time to actually listen his friends, his costars and everyone that has actually met him they'd see how he's a good person. He cares so much about everyone that works with him, he makes sure they're comfortable at every single take, ensures that they don't feel pressured into doing their own stunts, he isn't controlling because he's an ass, it's because he doesn't want anyone to get hurt on his watch.

Good people don't tell you they're good, they don't have to.

As for scientology, they day people actually take the time to figure out how the cult works, how he got in and why it's actually dangerous for him to get out, we can talk. I refuse to talk to people that call him a terrible person when they seem to be under the impression he founded the thing with Miscaviege.

I'm not saying he's perfect, no one is. All I saying is that he has shown were his beliefs lie when he gave back two perfectly good Golden Globes due to the allegations of the time, all I'm saying is that we'd never have known the production aka him, kept on paying the entire crew for months if Chris didn't mention.

There are numerous people that have met Tom that talked about how kind he is (I've known people that met him and that talked about he treats everyone with so much decency and kindness regardless of their wealth or status), everyone that knows him personally has only the best things to say about him

I already talked about the scientology situation, my feelings about that are very much clear. Just because people don't want to acknowledge the fact he's as much of a victim of it as anyone else doesn't mean I'm going to, doesn't mean I'm just going to throw my degree away and treat him like he's Miscaviege when I understand far too well how cults work and how they operate and if anyone has a problem with that, gi right ahead and block me for all I care.

I take actions over words any day, this isn't just about what people say about him, it's about what we saw him do for others. The fact he doesn't feel need to flaunt every good thing he's done (hence why he seemed hesitant to state he paid for his sister's education) tells me he doesn't care that people think he's evil incarnated, he only cares about what people that actually know him think of him and that's more than we can say about most celebrities that are constantly virtue signaling everyday.

When people show me who they are, I believe them.

[a-butterfly1]

==✦NINJAGO AU MASTERPOST✦==

This is an AU I've been working on, I will actually work on it on writting ( on AO3 ) instead of making a comic/manga because I tend to procastinate when it comes to drawing panels ( if you have been keeping up with other pojects of mine you would know this), hopefully I will keep this updated.

==❤︎CHARACTER INFORMATION❤︎==

Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon

Age- 1000+ (immortal) Height: 5'8 (1,73m)

Lloyd has lived many years, of course, now he's immortal, he doesn't have much of a choice but to continue living on. He was many things throughout his life: a bratty child, a son, a master, a hero and now he's nothing more than a myth, while still a part of ninjago history many actually question if he ever really existed or not. He ostracized himself from society for a reason, after all,- it's painfull to make relationships when they are so short lived. He is considered a god by many, but he denies that being the case, maybe the embodiment of the balance between good and evil but he wont try to call himself anything more. Lloyd now lives with the spirits of his family with the occasional visits from Morro and Garmadon, his father.

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Jay Walker

Age- 1000+ (spirit) Died at 115 Height: 5'10 (1,78m) Status: Nya's husband

He was a man of the spotlight, he shined brithly- TV shows, TheyTube channels, he was knowed worldwide. Not that he minds the retirement, he lived his life; he had two beautiful twins with the love of his life, Nya. He died happy, even if he was the last one to die, 3 years after Nya had passed. His last years were spent with Lloyd. In his many years in the Ninja team, he's come to realise he doesn't exactly have the same type of strengh like the others so he created a different weapon one that creates iron alloy strings, that resemble spider webs. He also practiced racing with his wife in his free time and created all kinds of machines and weapons which ranged from house equipment to ninja tech, like mechs, weapons and transport.

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Kai Smith

Age- 1000+ (spirit) Died at 95 Height: 6'2 (1,88m) Status: Skylor's husband and Nya's bio brother

Kai was a little bit of an influencer in his younger years, but as the years went by he settled more into being a family man with his wife Skylor and his little girl. How did he become a spirit? Well it was his idea; well his plan was to become immortal like Lloyd but he was intersected by Morro, so he opted for the second best option: giving his powers to Lloyd, so even if he was dead he would be with Lloyd through his power; what wasn't part of the plan was he actually becoming part of Lloyd as a spirit, not that he is complaining, he got what he wanted in the end; and since he was the one that piched the idea to the ninja, he just involved them all into the mad plan- one that Lloyd was unaware of. He trully is a mad man, no one, and I mean, no ONE, puts themselves between him and his family, the last person who did so, is no longer amoung us, the last thing they saw was Kai becoming a demonic ball of flames.

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Nya Smith Walker

Age- 1000+ (spirit) Died at 112 Height: 6'0 (1,83m) Status: Jay's wife and Kai's bio sister

Nya, famous racer, only had to step down from the hobbie/carrer when she got into a small accident, while she wasn't gravelly wounded that was enough for her to be proibited from competitive racing. From that day on she still raced but became more of an idol than a racer per say. She ended up working on engineer projects, solo or with Jay, mostly out of boredom. Now, since she is dead, she has more free time than ever, and uses it to learn and explore every digital corner of the internet, catching a few criminals in the way. Many say she is mystical and her strengh is as crushing as the waves in a storm can be, yet calm and relaxing as the days in the beach, others, like the Ninja themselves just see her as they're beloved sister.

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Cole Brookestone

Age- 1000+ (spirit) Died at 87 Height: 6'8 (2,03m) Status: Vania's husband

Cole, King of the Kingdom of Shintaro, Husband of Queen Vania, father of the prince of Shintaro, and our beloved cake lover, sadlly passed away early, well earlier than his siblings at least, the unknowed illness that had taken the life of his mother had decided to claim another. Cole fell gravelly ill, bedridden in his late stages of life. Bedridden in the castle, he invited Lloyd over for most possibly a final goodbye, although he didn't think that Lloyd would stay around the whole time it wasn't completly unexpected, right there he was the first one to execute Kai's plan, and the first to discover the side effects of the plan; from then on he was part of Lloyd and made sure to let the others know of the end result.

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Zane Julien

Age- 1000+ (nindroid) Height: 7'0 (2,13m) Status: P.I.X.A.L's husband

Caretaker of the rest of the Ninja team and their children, especially since those little kids sure liked uncle Lloyd a whole lot and would visit constently. He stayed with Lloyd in the monastery alongside P.I.X.A.L and Morro (who visits soo much he pretty much lives there, has a room and everything). Him and Lloyd share house chores, and Zane is in charge of looking at news around ninjago, to ensure it's safety, as well as helping in some researches since Lloyd is only one person and can only intake soo much information at a time. He is the only one that hasn't partaken in Kai's plan, since there is literally no reason to, Zane obviously doesn't die of old age, one may claim that he could possible get rusty and need repairs at some point but Lloyd and P.I.X.A.L are always around is any issue is to come.

==✿ADDITIONAL INFORMATION✿==

The Ninja team, many years after most of the team's death, has move the location of the monestary far away from the main ninjago island, and instead now lives in a far away island that Lloyd created west of Ninjago city, around the middle of Ninjago and the dark island (thats has been sealed away by Lloyd). The reason for that change is because of something rather strange, it's not just to ensure Lloyd's ever soo wished isolation but also because a merchant had attented to buy the place, with the intention of turning the monestary into a tourist attraction. Lloyd got a bit peeved and decided to pick up the mountain where the monestary was on top of and relocated it;

The only reason the Jay was living with Lloyd in his last moments, was because he genuenly belived he would miss the mark to execute Kai's plan, because he belives himself to be quite clumsy and distracted; either way he didn't miss it and now is with the rest of the team (which is a way to say that he can now torment the Ninja forever);

Lloyd has a cute nickname for all the Ninja's kids, and spoiled them to no end (he is the fun uncle who takes everyone to Disneyland), he calls Kai's daugther "munchkadee", Jay and Nya's twins has "Starlight" and "Moonlight" for the girl and boy respectively, and Cole's son is "Duckling";

the age diference of the Ninja are, from youngest to oldest: Lloyd - Nya - Jay - Kai - Cole - Zane ( to say, with maybe the idea of the 1 season, Lloyd (8->15) - Nya (15) - Jay (16) - Kai (17) - Cole (18) - Zane (30-40? he is old);

(conceivable for change) As of right now, Lloyd's power is one that could rival gods, the source of said power is something OP is still considering but the possible main reason might be related to "source dragons", has to why the other Ninja's had powers even after having kids is related to Lloyd giving them an artifact that has their specific element embodied into them (the artifacts are not phisical and can only be visualised when the Ninja have already passed, the artifact will most likely have the form of a card); (the reason of this possible change is the development of the plot of "Dragons Rising").

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Austin Grossman’s ‘Fight Me’

On July 14, I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! On July 20, I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

In Fight Me, the novelist and game developer Austin Grossman uses aging ex-teen superheroes to weigh the legacy of Generation X, in a work that enrobes its savage critique with sweet melancholia, all under a coating of delicious snark:

http://www.austingrossman.com/fight-me

It is, in other words, a very Gen X kinda novel. Prodigy (AKA Alex Beekman) is a washed-up superhero. As a nerdy high-schooler, he was given super powers by a mysterious wizard (posing as a mediocre teacher), who gave him an amulet and a duty. Whenever Alex touches the amulet and speaks the word of power, reaclun (which he insists is not "nuclear" backwards) he transforms into Prodigy, a nigh-invulnerable, outrageously handsome living god who is impervious to bullets, runs a one-minute mile, and fights like a champ. Prodigy, he is told, has a destiny: to fight the ultimate evil when it emerges and save the world.

Now, Alex is 40, and it's been a decade since he retired both Prodigy and his Alex identity, moving into a kind of witness protection program the federal government set up for him. He poses as a mediocre university professor, living a lonely and unexceptional life.

But then, Alex is summoned back to the superhero lair he shared with his old squad, "The Newcomers," a long-vacant building that is one quarter Eero Saarinen, three quarters Mussolini. There, he is reunited with his estranged fellow ex-Newcomers, and sent on a new quest: to solve the riddle of the murder of the mysterious wizard who gave him his powers, so long ago.

The Newcomers – an amped-up ninja warrior, a supergenius whose future self keeps sending him encouragement and technical schematics backwards through time, and an exiled magical princess turned preppie supermodel – have spent more than a decade scattered to the winds. While some have fared better than Alex/Prodigy, none of them have lived up to their potential or realized the dreams that seemed so inevitable when they were world famous supers with an entourage of fellow powered teens who worshipped them as the planet's greatest heroes.

As they set out to solve the mystery, they are reunited and must take stock of who they are and how they got there (cue Talking Heads' "Once In a Lifetime"). With flashbacks, flashforwards, and often hilarious asides, Prodigy brings us up to speed on how supers fail, and what it's like to live as a failed super.

The publisher's strapline for this book is "The Avengers Meets the Breakfast Club," which is clever, but extremely wrong. The real comp for this book isn't "The Breakfast Club," it's "The Big Chill."

When I realized this, I got briefly mad, because I've only had two good movie high concept pitches in my life and one of them was "Gen X Big Chill." Rather than veterans of the Summer of 68 confronting the Reagan years, you could have veterans of the Battle of Seattle living through the Trump years. One would be on PeEP, one would be an insufferable Andrew Tate-quoting bitcoiner, one would be a redpilled reactionary with a genderqueer teen, one would be a squishy lib, one a firebreathing leftist, etc. The soundtrack would just be top 40 tracks from artists who have songs on "Schoolhouse Rock Rocks":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock!_Rocks

Every generation has some way in which they seek to overthrow the status quo and build a new, allegedly better one, after all. "Big Chill"'s impact comes from its postmortem on a generation where it was easy to feel like you were riding destiny's rails to greatness thanks to the sheer size of the Boomer cohort and the postwar prosperity they lived through. A Gen X Big Chill would be a stocktaking of a generation that defined itself as a lost generation reared in the Boomers' shadows, armored against the looming corpo-climate apocalypse with the sword of irony and the shield of sincerity.

Which is basically what Grossman is doing here. What's more, doing this as a superhero story is a genius move – what could be a better metaphor for a teen's unrealistic certainty of destined greatness than a superhero? Superhero fantasies are irreducibly grandiose and unrealistic, but all the more beautiful and brave and compelling for it.

You know, like teens.

At 52, I'm a middle-aged Gen Xer. I've got two artificial hips and I just scheduled a double cataract surgery. My hairline is receding. I'm an alta kaker. But I wasn't always: I was a bright and promising kid, usually the youngest person in the room where we were planning big protests, ambitious digital art projects, or the future of science fiction. I had amazing friends: creative and funny and sweet, loyal and talented and just fun.

We're mostly doing okay (the ones that lived; fuck cancer and fuck heroin and fuck fentanyl). Some of us are doing pretty good. On a good day, I think I'm doing pretty good. I had a night in 2018 where I got to hang out, as a peer, with my favorite musician and my favorite novelist, both in the same evening. These were artists I'd all but worshipped as a teen. I remember looking at the two selfies I took than night and thinking, Man, if 15 year old me could see these, he'd say that it all worked out.

But you don't get to be 52 without having a long list of regrets and failures that your stupid brain is only too eager to show you a highlight reel from. No one gets to middle age without a haunting loss that is always trying to push its way to the fore in order to incinerate every triumph great and small and leave ashes behind.

That's why there's a "Big Chill" for every generation. Each one has its own specific character and meaning situated in history, but each one has to grapple with the double-edged sword of nostalgia. Not for nothing, John Hodgman (a bona fide Gen X icon) calls nostalgia "a toxic impulse."

Grossman really makes Fight Me work as a Gen X Big Chill. He's a great Gen X writer; his first novel, Soon I Will Be Invincible, was a knockout debut about superheroes and supervillains that had a very "The Boys" vibe, you know, that neat little move where you contend with the banal parts of a super's life and show how super powers don't make you a good person, or even a competent one.

His followup to Invincible came six years later. YOU is a coming-of-age story about the games industry with a second-person narrator (think "Zork"). Grossman is an accomplished game dev (Tomb Raider Legend, Deus X, Dishonored, etc), and he uses YOU to really plumb the depths of what games mean, what fun is, and how working on games isn't just work, it's often really shitty work, the opposite of fun:

https://memex.craphound.com/2013/04/16/austin-grossmans-you-brilliant-novel-plumbs-the-heroic-and-mystical-depths-of-gaming-and-simulation/

Grossman's last novel was Crooked, a very daffy alternate history in which Richard Nixon is a Cthulhoid sorcerer locked in a Lovecraftian battle of good and evil. This is a purely hilarious romp, wildly imaginative and deliciously certain to offend reactionary jerks:

https://memex.craphound.com/2015/08/26/austin-grossmans-crooked-the-awful-cthulhoid-truth-about-richard-nixon/

All those chops are on display in Fight Me: a book that covers its brooding with wisecracks, that spits out ten great gags per page even as it drives a knife into your heart. It's a great novel.

Fight Me doesn't come out in the US and Canada until tomorrow (it's been out in the UK, Australia, NZ, etc for more than a month). Normally, I would hold off on reviewing this until the on-sale date, but this is my last day on the blog for two weeks – I'm leaving on a family vacation early tomorrow morning. I'll see you on July 14!

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/01/the-big-genx-chill/#im-super-thanks-for-asking

[spacebarbarianweird]

The Dead, the Half-Dead and the Undead

Synopsis: Baby Alethaine is ten and, apparently, the thing she is a dhampir isn't the only problem Astarion and Tiriel have to face.

Tags: dadstarion, dhampirs, necromancy

Alethaine's age: 10

Thanks @queenofthespacesquids for beta-reading!

Read on AO3

Masterlist

Headcanons

Astarion immerses himself in one of his books. It is a complex text that has been written by some ancient magic who had probably been completely insane

Necromancy is an interesting subject, but damn difficult for those without an innate aptitude for it.

It's still midday, but out there in the underground part of Daggerlake, it doesn't matter. The city is divided into two parts, above ground and underground. The city is mostly populated

by dwarves, halflings, and humans but for some reason it feels like home for Astarion.

Besides, the town dwellers had decided they'd better have a vampire of their own than be threatened by other undead.

Astarion is still puzzled by this. Yes, these people should be grateful to him and Tiriel for saving them from a particularly nasty fairy pact. But letting them stay? Tiriel, a half-elven warrior, is one thing, but him, a vampire? Do they really want to share the town with him?

But they are fine. They treat him like others would treat some retired wizard or a former mercenary. But he knows he must be careful - one mistake and the neighbors will remember who Astarion truly is and that there is a reason why he never goes to the upper town in the daylight.

And there is a complication Astarion always has to take into account.

“Dad! Dad!”

Astarion looks up and sees ten-year-old Alethaine. She is upside down, but the hem of her dress brushes the ceiling, ignoring gravity. There's a bit of forest dirt on the girl's shoes, and he can distinguish the smell of wood.

“I told you not to go alone,” Astarion says. When she was younger, Astarion often found it difficult to parent her. The moment she asked something or started crying, he was ready to do anything just to make her feel better. It took him time to get a grip and establish boundaries. He is her father. If he wants the best for her, he has to be strict sometimes. Even if the response is tears and anger. 

“I didn’t go to the woods! I was in the meadow. It’s still in the town!”

Fair enough. The meadow is a favorite place for town kids since it is indeed the forest but their asses won’t get whooped by their parents.

“So, what is it, princess?”

Alethaine jumps on the floor with a soft “thump” and she inclines toward him making direct eye contact. Astarion still wonders sometimes if her eyes black because his eyes used to be, too, or because of her dhampirism. 

Dhampir.

Half-undead. Does Alethaine even understand what it truly means to her? Town kids don’t really care and adore her ability to walk on ceilings and steal sweets for them. But will it last long? She is ten. When she and her friends grow up, they will notice things that make her different. Will they start fearing her the same way town dogs start howling if Alethaine or Astarion pass by? Will they avoid her? Will they force her out of town to go seek her own kind?

“I want a kitten.”

“Princess, last time I checked cats don’t really like us, either.”

Alethaine sits beside him and forces him to close the book. “No, you don’t understand! A week ago, I found a kitten! She didn’t like me at first but I’ve been bringing her food. And today Wyv let me hold her! She doesn’t mind me at all!”

“Wyv?” 

“She is albino! She has red eyes and white fur! I think she went missing from her litter. Or maybe her mother's cat forced her to go. Please! Pretty please! She is so tiny, she won’t make it on her own! And I will take care of her!”

Alethaine stares at him with puppy eyes and her elven ears twitch with anticipation.

“Mum won’t mind, she will be happy there is an animal that doesn’t react to me as if I am some evil entity!”

“Princess, there is a very big chance this poor creature will run away once it senses me in the house. Last time I checked I am still undead.”

“And I am half-undead! Wyv got used to me, she will get used to you, too!”

Astarion flicks the tip of her nose. “But if your mother asks, you forced me to say “yes”.

Alethaine squeals and wraps her hands around his neck forcing him to drop the book. Astarion chuckles when he feels the soft prickling of her teeth on his skin. 

“I will be right back!” Alethaine rushes outside, slamming the door.

He had 200 years of pure misery and it still hurts him to see how much was taken from him. But then… Thirty years of something else. Something he hadn’t wished to have.

A woman to hold and to love who is brave enough to trust and care. 

Fifteen years of adventures, when they could go wherever they wanted and do whatever they desired. Then, they were offered to stay in Daggerlake, a small town near the Unicorn Rim.

Home was a concept unfamiliar to both of them and Tiriel sometimes begged him to return to the road.

But he was adamant. He needed a home. He needed a place to stay. To own. He wanted a place to stash all the artifacts and books they'd found, a comfortable bed to sleep and make love. 

Tiriel wanted it, too, though didn’t admit it.

And five years later the thing he’d least expected happened.

He barely remembers how it was - he was so drunk on blood, he felt his undead heart beating. Then he found Tiriel and dragged her home to pin her to the bed.

As a result…

Alethaine.

His daughter. His flesh and blood. 

Sometimes he treats Alethaine as a matter of course. Most men in Daggerlake have children, and usually more than one. But sometimes Astarion gets distracted and forgets where he is, and only comes back to reality when Alethaine taps him on the shoulder and then Astarion looks at her in awe, wondering how he even deserves her.

Ten years. Such a tiny piece of time but Alethaine’s whole life. Astarion can already see the woman she is becoming. The woman he will be proud of, the woman who will have the freedom he had to fight for.

Suddenly, Astarion realizes Alethaine has been missing for far too long. The meadow isn’t really far away and it’s already sunset - Astarion feels it.

Astarion locks the house and goes looking for his daughter.

It's already night when he gets to the meadow. Alethaine is there sitting on her knees with her head bowed.

“Alethaine, what did we talk about not being outside after sunset?”

She doesn’t answer. Astarion comes closer and sees that her face is red as if she has just stopped crying.

“Princess, what happened?” 

“It’s my fault” she sniffs. “I should have taken her with me right away,” her shoulders tremble and Alethaine bursts into tears once again.

Astarion kneels beside her, not knowing what to do. He still hasn’t learned how to react to her tears properly - so he does the only thing that works all the time with both her and Tiriel and also works for him.

He hugs her.

Through her muffled cries Astarion manages to understand that the albino kitten got out of the shelter and someone kicked her with such effort she died instantly. Now the kitten’s body lies in a small hole in the ground with her mouth wide open and stains of blood on the white fur.

'It's not your fault, it’s the fault of whoever did this, not yours.’

“No, you don’t understand! I could have taken her with me! If you had said “no”, I would have given her to the neighbors! And now she is dead! She is dead because of me!” Now Alethaine almost screams with all the sorrow a ten-year-old girl is capable of.

Astarion hugs his daughter tighter. He often stays with her on his own when Tiriel leaves to do some adventuring job - and usually, Astarion has no trouble. But right now the only thing he needs is for Tiriel to be at home. Because she can find the right words. She always can. Because what exactly does he need to tell Alethaine? It’s the first time she’s witnessed death. And it was the vilest example possible. 

An innocent creature was killed for fun. 

Well, maybe he should find that person and break their legs. It won’t help but maybe it will make Alethaine feel better. 

“Alethaine, let’s go home.” 

Alethaine doesn’t answer. 

“Princess, come on,” he repeats.

His vampiric senses feel that something is wrong. As if something eerie, and unnatural has started to happen.

Astarion glances at the dead kitten.

Then the kitten moves.

“What in hell…,” he mutters. 

It opens its eyes which glow an unnatural green color. The paws twitch, and the mouth opens showing small fangs. 

“Dad! Look! Wyv is alive! She was just wounded! And I thought she was dead!” Alethaine exclaims, grabbing the dead kitten. “We need to show her to the healer!”

Alethaine’s eyes glow with the same eerie shade of green.

Necromancy.

Alethaine has just used the “Rise Animal” spell.

A spell so difficult it takes mages years to learn it. 

Alethaine drops the dead kitten on the ground as if it were a poisonous snake.

“No… What is wrong with her, Dad?”

The kitten immediately sits up and freezes. Waiting for orders. 

“She is dead, isn’t she?” Alethaine sniffs. The kitten doesn't move, staring at her with its resurrected eyes.

Necromancer. If being a dhampir wasn't enough for her. Necromancers have always been outcasts with their abilities to raise the dead and cast the darkest of spells.

Alethaine is one of them. Twice an outcast.

“Alethaine '' Astarion makes her face him. “Listen to me carefully. There must be strings, connecting you with the kitten. Like a puppet doll. You need to cut them.”

“But she will die”

“It is already dead. it’s not a life. Put it to rest.”

Alethaine wipes tears and the weird glowing fades. Alethaine concentrates, looks at her hands, and then makes a movement with her fingers as if she were tearing threads.

The dead kitten falls on the ground like a puppet.

Alethaine sits down tired and exhausted. Resurrecting a creature, even small animals, is a difficult spell requiring much energy even from adult mages. For a ten year old it’s the equivalent of hiking in the mountains. 

Astarion takes Alethaine in their hands.

“Dad?”

“Hm?”

“Will you and mum still love me if I am a necromancer?”

“Of course, we will.”

“You can’t get necrotic damage, can you?”

“Well, I am very undead myself. So fear not, you won’t harm me even accidentally”

“And mum? She is mortal, she can get hurt.”

Astarion sighs. Damn, ‘Tiriel should come back sooner, I can’t answer all those questions’.

“You won’t hurt her. Don’t worry.”

Silence. The little dhampir doesn’t believe him. Alethaine sniffs again.

“Did it hurt when you were resurrected?”

Astarion has to make an effort to keep himself composed. It is still traumatic. Still hurts. Two hundred years of pain. Tortures. Isolation. Transformation.

“I am a vampire, not a ghoul. Ghouls don’t feel anything. They are already dead. you resurrected the flesh but Wyv didn’t feel anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. Alethaine, promise me you won't try to practice alone, all right? No one must know you are a necromancer. People won’t understand. ”

The rest of the walk home is passed in silence. That evening Alethaine refuses to eat, and all attempts to cheer her up fail. She's heartbroken and scared, and whatever is weighing on her mind, she just can't process it. 

He needs to think something up. The sooner, the better. Before Alethaine harms herself or someone in the town.

**

Alethaine can't sleep. 

It's been a week and she feels terrible. There are whispers on the edge of her mind, dark and frightening, they call to her, they promise her something. 

Alethaine can't shut them up.

She sees threads stretching from her fingers to the dead animals. Worse, she feels the threads leading to living people.

Cause them necrotic damage, the darkness whispers. It is going to be fun! Strike fear in them, make them scream, make them cry! And drink their blood if that’s to your liking!

Tiriel didn’t say anything when she heard what had happened. But Alethaine sees uneasiness in her eyes. Of course, she is afraid! There are strings attached to her as well, one or two necrotic spells and she is dead!

Astarion left two days later - he said he would try to look for something. Alethaine cried and begged to take her with him, but he refused. 

Alethaine has locked herself in her room, barely leaving. But the silence and solitude are the fuel for nightmares. For the darkness. For tempting whispers.

The little dhampir gets out of her bed and goes to her parents’ bedroom. Tiriel is fast asleep under a blanket. Peaceful and quiet.

Alethaine fumbles at the door. She is ten, not three! She is too old to sleep with her mother. But the thought of spending one more night alone with those whispers feels awful.

“Kitten? Are you alright?”

“Mum… can… I…”

“Come here.”

Alethaine gets under the blanket and her mother’s arms immediately wrap around her.

“I am afraid,” Alethaine finally admits. 

“I know, Kitten. Dad will think something up.”

“What if I hurt you while he is away?”

“You won’t”

“How can you know that? I am a necromancer!” 

Alethaine turns around to see her mother’s face. 

“Alethaine, you are also a dhampir and I don’t remember you ever trying to drain me. And you’ve had your fangs since you were five months old.”

Alethaine relaxes and hugs mother back. 

“Mum, did you always know dad was a vampire?”

“Hm, I learned it on the third day I think. Woke up to him trying to bite me. He is lucky I’d already liked him.”

“And you weren’t afraid to be with him?”

“No. Your father was a troubled person, not easy to handle. But he was worth it. I know you are scared. People don’t take it easy when someone can cast dark spells. But it doesn’t mean you have to be alone or be a bad person, even if it’s expected. You will meet people who will accept you for who you are. Who will love you. One of the kindest men I knew was a warlock with a devil pact. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Your mother’s blood is so warm! You’ve tasted it once, remember? When you were dying of bloodlust! Bite her, take what is rightfully yours!

As if hearing the intrusive thoughts, Tiriel hugs her daughter tighter. 

“Whatever happens, we will always be with you. We will help you, we will support you, and no matter what happens, you can always trust us. Even if you do something really bad. ”

Alethaine sniffs and buries her nose in her mother’s neck. 

The darkness steps away, and the girl falls asleep.

She doesn’t have nightmares for the first time that week.

“Alethaine,” she feels a soft tap on her shoulder. “Wake up.”

Alethaine opens her eyes and sees she is still in her parents’ bed. Tiriel, fully dressed, stands at the doors.

“Hm?”

“Dad is back. Could you go down to the basement?”

Alethaine, still half asleep, dresses up and goes down. Her senses immediately tell her Astarion isn’t alone. 

“Hello, princess,” Astarion strokes her head the moment she gets closer.

A man in a dirty red robe sits on the wooden bench. His head is bald and his right eye is missing. Instead, there is a blue gemstone with intricate runes. 

“Astarion, don’t you tell me she is a dhampir.”

“Oh, she very much is! Alethaine, this is Nris. He is going to be your teacher.”

“Astarion, I deeply appreciate you for saving me from that devil but I am not morally ready to teach a dhampir necromancy!”

“I doubt you will be able to pay me. My services are expensive. And I can always sell you back to the devils. I need you to teach my daughter necromancy. End of story.”

“For fuck sake… How old are you?”

Alethaine steps back. “T-ten”

“Fuck, this is the worst age ever! In a year she will hit puberty and it’s bad even without dhampirism and necromancy!”

Alethaine looks at her father.

“Dad, I don't like him.”

“He is a necromancer, princess. People aren’t supposed to like them.”

“Astarion, I knew I shouldn’t have made deals with you! A devil is better than a vampire! At least with devils, I know what to expect! Alethaine, you know what your father did? He took advantage of my desperate situation and forced me to make a pact with him.”

“Nris, don’t be stupid. It’s a working agreement!” Astarion grins. “And I can summon your former master any time, and, I fear, this time he will be harsher on you.”

Nris curses again, and Alethaine makes a note to use one of the slurs next time she gets into a fight. 

The necromancer stretches his right hand, covered in weird tattoos. “Come here, Alethaine.”

Nris sends a shiver down her spine, but Astarion only nudges his daughter slightly, forcing her to approach the mage.

“Dhampir, necromancer, and all this with Fey blood. You did pick the wild cards out of Tasha’s cauldron. What exactly did you do to make your father save my ass from the devils?”

“I-I revived a kitten.”

Nris flinches. “I hate sorcerers to my guts! I’ve spent decades learning how to revive small animals - and you did it just like that! But good for you that you didn’t resurrect a human because if you had, the townsfolk would have burnt you alive. I was trying to make the darkness talk to me and it still doesn’t answer back but it calls upon you like an old friend. Life is truly unfair, Alethaine Ancunin.”

Alethaine is silent, unable to stop staring at the gemstone in the eye socket. The runes move resembling trapped flies. 

“Very well, let’s start from learning the basics!”

**

Astarion leaves the basement. When he glances back he sees Alethaine drawing runes on the floor while Nris is giving her the lecture.

Astarion is tired. He didn’t have time to rest during the week, and besides, the worry of leaving a ten-year-old necromancer who didn’t understand how to control her powers alone with Tiriel plagued him like a nightmare.

Nris doesn’t look like the most decent or talented mage but he is bound to him by a pact and doesn’t have any desire to return to the devils. So, he is going to live in the secret basement under their house and teach Alethaine as much as he can. 

Wild cards out of Tasha’s dungeon. Yes, that’s true. An unlikely child with dangerous skills. 

Astarion finds Tiriel in the inner yard, throwing axes into the wooden wall. He approaches her and hugs them from behind, placing his chin on her shoulder.

“Tired?” she asks.

“Can I take your blood?”

She touches his curls with her tender fingers. “Of course.”

Astarion indulges his fangs in her neck. Blood streams down his throat, calming him down. Tiriel falters. He immediately releases her neck and takes her in his hands to carry Tiriel to the bedroom.

When they get there they lie together on the bed, their fingers intertwined. Due to sharpened hearing Astarion feels a distant echo from the basement. It seems like Alethaine and Nris have started a screaming match.

“You really didn’t warn him, did you?” Tiriel asks, drawing invisible symbols on his back.

“Maybe. Kind of.”

“Well, at least I won’t be the only mortal in the house.”

“Tiriel, don’t make him your drinking pal, I beg you!” Astarion laughs.

“What? A mug of ale after a difficult day hasn't hurt anyone yet.” Tiriel touches the tip of his ear. “Meditate. I will be with you.”

Astarion nods. Thirty years of happy memories are enough to give him bliss. He concentrates and lets the flow of memories take him to reverie.

Astarion holds Alethaine for the first time. A newborn girl is probably still in pain after being pushed into the world. He hears her fast heartbeat as her living heart pumps half-undead blood through her veins.

He cradles her in his arms. Alethaine is so warm, so delicate, so innocent. It’s not yet clear if she is a dhampir but Astarion knows he loves her. It’s a different form of affection, unknown to him. A selfless love for a child, a desire to make sure she won’t endure the same hardships as he did.

And she must not know.

Astarion gives himself a promise. His daughter will never know about his past. it will never taint her. The pain, the touches, the humiliation, the violence - she will not know a word of it. 

Her mindset will be free of that dirt and of that darkness. He won’t pass it. 

“Thank you, my love,” Astarion whispers. “This is a gift.”

--

Tag list

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[2346khith]

Bi Han’s irony and pain

So I was doing some research for my mortal kombat au when I came across Bi Han tower ending from the first game.

This stuck out as a little weird to me because well… retiring? From the Lin Kuei? The clan who kills people without remorse? Who are willing to kidnap children to recruit to their ranks? Who will sacrifice their members to create cyborgs. Who are willing to team up with know threats to Outworld? Yeah, if anything I think it more likely Bi Han was going to run away from the Lin kuei and you live off the money he got from the kill. But then that got me thinking… since is from first timeline, he was born in America and raised there with his mother right? What if he was specifically trying to run away to America to find his mom. Okay yes I know that probably not what they intended but ,at least for me it makes sense. We’ve already other timeline Bi Han’s having high reverence for their mothers.

What to say original timeline Bi Han the same. But that got thinking on how that might explain Bi Han actions. Again hear me out. We know Bi Han tends to be more hotheaded and aggressive than his younger brother. But what if the reason for that isn’t arrogance or bloodlust but anger at the Lin kuei itself. Imagine your just living your life as a normal child when all of a sudden you’re kidnapped but some strange people to work for them, forced into hard training regime your body isn’t used too and forced to commit horrific acts at such a young age. We don’t know how old Bi Han was when he was taken but we do know he was a kid when it happened so his mind and sense of self were still developing and he had some time to live a normal life before he was taken. His stubbornness and hotheaded nature were a result of him angry at the Lin kuei for taking what essentially his life away. And maybe his more aggressive ways could be due to trauma caused by the Lin kuei, damaging his mental state. This might also explain Kuai Liang as well. We don’t know how old he was when he was kidnapped but what if he was only a baby when it happened. He wouldn’t have know any other life other than the Lin Kuei. The harsh training and killing wouldn’t affect him as much because in his mind it this was normal. He wouldn’t have a reason to be more angry or aggressive because to him this was fine. Heck who knows maybe while Bi Han may have become more aggressive he could’ve taught his brother about morality to ensure his brother didn’t go down as much of a violent path as the rest of the Lin kuei. Maybe this is why he spared Sareena, not just because of mercy specifically but because he saw another soul who was forced into a life they didn’t want and he was felt bad for her and wanted to give her a chance. But honestly the thing that stuck out the most was the complete irony of his situation later on his life. This is a version of sub zero who constantly fought for his freedom, yet when it was in his grasp, he was killed. And when he entered the Netherrealm, even there he wasn’t freed as he was then made into a servant of Shao Kahn and Quan Chi . Maybe that why he hates his brother in that timeline. Kuai Liang escaped the Lin Kuei, he was free yet he went back to the Lin kuei he wasted his chance which Bi Han in his alter state despises. Or maybe he was envious of the time Kuai was free, feeling that it should have been him. Maybe he tried to take over the Lin kuei to destroy it or build it into something else so no one else would feel the pain he felt. I know all of this seems illogical and stupid and it probably wasn’t what Netherrealm had intended but I can’t help think what could’ve have been, something that could’ve made Bi Han more interesting. But nope now we got a Bi Han Lin kuei extremist who just completely evil and not broken. But hey the noob sailboat trailer gave some interesting hints, which could redeem his character. But then then again, we’ll have to wait and see.

[gayelderstourney]

OLD MAN YAOI BRACKET ROUND 1

Propaganda:

Fiddleford McGucket/Stanford Pines:

lab "partners" who broke the laws of physics and nature together but it went horribly wrong and one of them got stranded in alternate dimensions and the other wiped his memory so hard he went mad. 30 years later and they were finally able to reunite during the apocalypse. even though both had changed so much they wanted to forgive each other and move forwards

if fiddauthor isn't real then why is there only one bed in the bunker. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did they go stargazing and talk about wanting to start a family. if fiddauthor isn't real then why "my partner" and "my fiddleford". if fiddauthor isn't real then why does fiddleford subconsciously hang out around the shack decades after he stopped living there. if fiddauthor isn't real then why does ford have dreams about him every night. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did fiddleford leave his son and his failing/failed marriage to go live alone in an isolated cottage in the woods with his best friend from college. if fiddauthor isn't real then why is ford's ideal world one where he gets to work with fiddleford for the rest of time. if fiddauthor isn't real then why "life would be a nightmare without them" and "it's the most meaningful thing in the world". if fiddauthor isn't real then why did alex hirsch change that one scene in the book to sound less gay. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did fiddleford make his laptop password ford's name. if fiddauthor isn't real then why did they hold hands while hugging. if fiddauthor isn't real then why "i could have sworn that as he joyfully played, i could see the age lift off his face, and see the fiddleford who had been my friend so many years ago". IF FIDDAUTHOR ISN'T REAL THEN WHY DID FORD'S MORE HONEST RETELLING OF THE PORTAL SCENE FEATURE HIM GENTLY CRADLING FIDDLEFORD IN HIS ARMS

Xehanort/Eraqus:

they had a divorce scene where xehanort blasted eraqus in the face with no remorse which permanently left a scar and in the novels when he sees xehanort again (who is literally lying and manipulating him in the given scene) eraqus like. tenderly and lovingly smiles and touches his scar like WHAT

First of all. Eraqus is going gray but doesn’t look insanely old but as proof of age I’d like to say that he’s very close to Xehanort in age in Dark Road, the prequel in which they are teenagers, and Xehanort in the main time frame is extremely visibly old and was included in Retirement Home Rumble so Eraqus probably just aged extremely well. They’re trauma bonded through all their friends getting brutally murdered back when they were teens and the two of them were the only survivors (Dark Road was MESSED UP). I’m not sure if they entirely qualify only because they’re like the super divorced elder gays here but they’re definitely old men and definitely yaoi (noncanon but their end in KH3 was so so gay) so I’m submitting them anyway. Anyways the plot of Birth By Sleep was a weird divorce struggle between these two estranged lovers in which Xehanort manipulates Eraqus’ kids in a weird darkness plot because he went evil mode without his husband around to stop him. They have a decent amount of material being gay as their younger selves but that’s not what’s important here WHAT’S IMPORTANT HERE IS THE END OF KH3 when Xehanort’s evil plans were almost finished and then Eraqus appeared out of his basically-son Terra’s hair as a ghost. And talked it out like some kind of mid-battle relationship counseling. Then they put their arms around each other and Xehanort accepted defeat/death/whatever and they just??? faded into sparkles??? smiling at each other??? after like 11 games of buildup to this final battle??? They’re so Divorced Old Men Yaoi your honor

I hate these bitches but nobody does old man yaoi divorce like them. Inseparable "pals" until the tragedy happened, eventually sending them on two separate paths. Eraqus worried that xehanort would fall to darkness, refusing to see that he already had. Xehanort pushed all his feelings away, trying to see eraqus only as a tool for his goals. Xehanort literally stabbed eraqus in the back, killing him. Eraqus forgives him.

in birth by sleep eraqus is voiced by mark hamill and xehanort is voiced by leonard nimoy so in a way their friendship turned enemyship turned always still cared abt each other represents the love/hate relationship between star wars and star trek fans

they’ve been best friends since they were young, Eraqus just pointedly ignores how blatantly evil and DarkTM Xehanort is and then Xehanort murders Eraqus, then later they just casually move on to the afterlife together??? listen I want to shred Xehanort apart with my teeth but these old men are so incredibly gay for each other it’s insane so I HAVE to submit them

[esa1900]

Whatever goes around, eventually comes back to you

Teaser

Mha x avatar quirk! Reader

Tw: mentions of kidnapping, mentions of adoption, reader is half Egyptian

“y/n”

the large figure seated on the huge chair in the middle of the room called to you, a white light lit above him in the dark room.

“come here.”

you looked up at him as he was seated with his legs crossed, his head resting on his palm as he signaled for you to reach to him with his free hand, palm facing the ground while his four fingers went back and forth in a semi circular motion

the image 6 year old you can remember is of a bald man, hooked to multiple devices that looked like they keep him alive, even hs eyes werent ‘working’ anymore.

despite all this, he always had this… smile on his face.

even you could tell there was something wrong with that smile at your young age.

it was a wicked, evil smile, the one people give you when they want something from you.

or when you do exactly as they asked, just for you to fall intio their trap.

you knew that smile all too well from the place were you were raised. or atleast the place you lived until he took you.

when your elders and the other kids would trick you into leaving your food or belongings for them, or when they would sway your mind into doing theyre jobs at the place.

but it didnt matter anymore, at least thats what he tells you.

“you’re here with me now, ill make sure you get what you want from others, not the other way around,”

behind you stood a boy, he couldnt be older than 11.

he watched as his the man talked to you with his red eyes from behind the door frame of the huge room you were in.

only his head was peaking out to watch with such jealosy how that man was talking to you.

wasnt he supposed to be the one in your place? thats how it always was, and you just came and ruined it, stupid child

“so, have you met tomura?” the man asked as he noticed the boy peaking at you both.

you turn around to see the boy clutching onto the door frame so hardly that his small hands are shaking, his eyes are filled with rage and his breathing is heavy, what exactly are you supposed to do in this situation?

“come here boy.”

and thats when the water works come in for tomura.

immedietley, tears start streaming down his face, his eyes filled with such rage looking at you, as he grinds his teeth against eachother, before he runs away to his room.

hte doctor, at least thats what theyve been calling him ever since you came here, was also present in the room, only shakinbg his head at tomuras outburst before calmly walking out of the room for him.

“and that leaves just the two of us.”

shigiraki said, looking down at you with that same wicked smile hes had on his face, but this time its deeper, more genuine.

the announcement bell on the airplane breaks you line of. thought as you listen to the pilot speak.

“ladies and gentelmen we are pleased to announce that we will be landing in tokyo japans airport soon, please make sure to fasten your seat belts, thank you.”

you look up at the seat belt sign above you which was now turned green, signaling for you to fasten your seatbelt.

it was hard to believe you were going back to japan after such a long time, you haven’t been able to get the last time you were here off of your mind ever since you made it to the airport back in egypt.

you know a lot of things have changeed since you were last here, for one, the hero known as allmight who was also the one who save you from that man, shigiraki was his name, yes, retired, you heard it was due to another fight with the same man.

it was wierd that you didn’t visit japan often, esspecially since your mother was a Japanese woman.

it seems like the egyptian hero commission never really cared much, as long as they trained you to be a hero.

and why does it matter anyway? you’re half egyptain too, and thats where your mom lived after she got adopted, you are rightfully egypts avatar.

the seat belt sign turns off on the airplane, and as all the other passengers in the first class get up to grab their luggage, you and your friends stay seated, as you know youll have to wait for instructions from your teacher and egypts hero commission agent.

“okay everyone.” the hero commisions agent stood up and looked to the three rows behind him where you and the rest of the avatar team are seated.

“we are going to wait until all the passengers get off before we exit the plane to avoid too much attention from the public, stay seated until we say so.”

and that was the last thing he said before sitting back down, now he was trying to wake up the teacher accompanying you on this trip.

and thats what left you waiting even more on the plane, waiting for everyone to get off.

it was a long flight from egypt to Japan where you were supposed to intern in another hero school called UA, its said to be the best in the country, the school had 6 places open for students from your school back in egypt, two for each grade, as there were only two her course classes per grade in that school, so along side you, five other students were chosen to come with you to japan, to earn new skills .

you and the rest of the team finally get up and grab your luggage to head out together, as the japanese hero commisions leader and her agent have come along side the principle of UA and one of his teachers to welcome you to Japan and UA high.

“aaaahhh that was a long flight, now wasnt it?” you bestfriend said as she stretched her arms far up to loosen her muscles.

“sure was.” the other boy from you team answered as he pulled his bag from above the seats.

“okay everyone lets keep moving.” the agent said.

“يلا يا ولاد" (yala ya wlad)

Come on kids, your teacher said, as both the agent and Mr Sayed lead the way out of the plane as all six of you followed.

You all finally make it to the very end of the airport, all of you ready to get to your dorms and lay on your new beds in your new school, tired from the long flight.

And that’s when you see four figures being approached by your teacher and agent.

“That must be them.” You say.

“Is that a rat?” “What is that thing?” Your school mates keep asking questions behind you concerning one of the four figures in front of you.

“Stop it you guys, that’s quirkest.” You whisper to them hoping that your group was far enough that non of the adults could hear what they were saying.

“Ah, well if it isn’t the lovely avatar team.” You hear a soft voice say and you realize its the small one who said those words, you all look down at him with curiosity.

“Hello there, i am principle Nezu, principle of UA high.” He says with the most friendliest tone ever, accompanied with a small wave.

“It’s a pleasure to have the great avatar team here in japan, we hope you all have a wonderful stay.” They all bow at once, forcing your side to bow to them in respect as well.

This was all new to you guys, you never bowed where you came from, but you were told that here we bow instead of shake hands, so maybe you all just had to listen.

“Thank you, principle Nezu.”

The agent thanked Nezu as you all got up from you bow.

“And you must be allmight”

“Yeah that’s me.” The man says with a slight giggle to his voice.

Although as soon as you heard the word allmight you came from behind the agent to look up at the man.

Definitely, he looked nothing like the last time you saw him, but although he has lost all his muscle, he was still pretty tall, standing at at least 2 meters.

You couldn’t help but look at him with such curious eyes, yet this was different from how you looked at principle Nezu.

This time you looked at all might, curious about how the man who took you from shiitake was, they claimed that all might saved you, and that shigiraki was an evil man, but was that really the case? That’s not how you remember it.

“All might?” You say in the faintest voice as you look at him from behind your agent.

“Oh, young l/n”

He looked down at you with a friendly welcoming smile.

“I remember you.” You say, not wanting to ask if he remembers you, in case he doesn’t, you didn’t wanna embarrass yourself in front of all these people, especially not in front of him.

“Oh yeah, same here, i remember the last time i saw you, you were just a little girl.”

“Yeah.”

The conversation doesn’t continue for long, before another person introduces themselves.

“I’m sure all might will take good care of you while he’s here, just like he did before.” A woman in a blue dress takes a step forward and speaks up cutting you’re conversation short.

“Im the leader of the Japanese hero sommision, you can call me madam president.”

The woman introduces herself with a slight bow to the head.

“This is Mr yokumiro, he’s going to be the one in charge of your sec dual along with many other stuff along side your current EHC (Egyptian hero commission) agent, your name was Mr Reda i believe.”

“That’s right madam president.”

Reda nods his head.

“Wonderful.” Principal Nezu starts again.

“Why dont we take the kids to the school now, im sure they are tired.”

[athanasia-things]

Some headcannon about Athanasia

• She's a mama's girl.

• She has a Damian-Dick relationship with Jason.

• She's more of an anti-hero like her mother than a hero like Bruce.

• She's closer to Mara, Damian,Jason Rey, Rose, and, surprisingly, Kon than the other bat kids.

•Rose is her babysitter.

• She feels weird that Jason and Rose are dating because Rose is Rey's brother, Jason is her brother, and Rey is also her brother.

• She's closest to Rey (hidden child trauma).

• She hangs out with Lena ll on the weekends (Bruce doesn't know what to make out of her friendship with Lena ll).

• Their trio is Athanasia, Lena, and Adrina (Aquaman's daughter).

• People are kind of afraid of her rbf (understandably).

• For me, I don't think she will take up a bat mantle or work for Batman, or I don't want her to work for him because we already have Damian. For that, I wanted her to have a different path. You know, becoming an anti-hero might be the best option for her character. I meant she can definitely change, but her overall character can stay in the anti-hero zone.

I really like her relationship with Alfred. I think it's cute to have a nice relationship with your grandfather.

•Alfred repeatedly reminds her of Ubu because of their gentleness. And Ubu is the one who primarily takes care of her.

• She's the student council president.

• She likes control (where she gets it) and

• Surprisingly, a very messy person when left alone (Talia Lexcorp era)

• She can actually make people cry because she's really mean.

• When she gets used to Gotham and starts hanging out with teenagers her age, her vocabulary really expands. Batfam doesn't really know what she says half the time.

• She gets scared when animals are around her because she might hurt them.

• Idk but i really wanter to add this even thoug This is a bit controversial but when she's in stykers Island one of the guards is really bored and he's a Christian and started bringing the Bible on his duty and athanasia bored been locked up for a few months take interest in the guard and started asking him questions about it and she got hooked up and because she got nothing to do because she's in prison he started to ask the guard to read the Bible to her and the guard is an older gentlemen and felt locking up a sixteen year old is heartbreaking and because her own granddaughter is also 16 he took pity in her and started teaching her about how it all started and she got curios and asked a question why did God gave human a free will the guard answered because God does not need a robot who only knows how to follow orders and wanted us to have our own choices weather it is to do good or to do evil and because God wanted for us to choose him and when you don't have another option that just force love because there no other option that's why he gave us free will.

• And that really opened Athansia's eyes because all her life she's always been told to want to do and to follow orders, not ask questions, and just to know that someone is telling her that there's a God that gave us free will so people will choose him willingly, which is quite hard to grasp—more than killing and violence. When the guard finished reading Matthew to her, she fell silent, and she asked the guard why they killed him (Jesus). He did not commit any sin or do anything wrong. The guard responded that someone has to pay the fine so we can come to the Lord without sin, and only through him can we get to the Lord.

• After that, she repented and started getting better, and after a few months, the old man is retiring, and his last gift to Athanasia is a Bible.

That's all. I added a lot of things.

[kidcataldo]

Random Kim Possible Post-Show Headcanons (bc why not):

controversial one but Ron’s worse fear comes true and he and Kim break up after high school

Kim bails out on college last minute (much to her parents disappointment) to take a job with Global Justice, while Ron stays behind to focus on school and work

Nothing happened, they just drifted apart while doing their own thing and after trying to make it work long distance, they both agreed it was time to part ways (mirroring what happened in a sitch in time)

Shego becomes a sort of mentor for Kim during this time, offering advice when her problems/enemies are no longer black and white (Kim discovers global justice is actually super shady and Shego’s like uh yeah, “why do you think I rebelled against them, Kimmy??? They’re the reason I’m evil.”)

And Ron befriends Mr. Barkin, of all people. But in that weird age gap work friend kind of way. Barkin no longer treats him like a student and instead treats him as his equal, even having a few beers with him and some other coworkers on occasion (while also emphasizing the dangers of alcoholism/DUIs bc, at the end of the day, Ron’s still just a kid and Barkin is still very much a responsible teacher just trying to guide him to do what’s right)

Eventually (obviously) Kim and Ron drift back into each other lives after a few years and get back together

Drakken briefly joins the good side. After his 5 seconds of fame are up he returns to villainy, though noticeably less of a threat than the newer villains arriving

He’s not quite retired, but also not as “bad” as he once was

Years later, he gets a sort of renaissance when a younger audience discovers Rappin’ Drakken and he becomes TikTok famous (he’s been “cancelled” a few times but always bounces back)

Shego’s image tanks after Graduation, so she ventures out on her own for a while to try to regain her evil rep

But finds her way back to Drakken after admitting to herself she wants something a little more than just world domination

Shego helps her brothers and Kim form a less corrupt system where Heroes aren’t exploited for profit and Villains are defeated more ethically, creating a level system that prevents powerful heroes from defeating/killing villains who are lesser than them and vice versa

Shego’s in charge of keeping the villains in check while Kim handles the heroes. They make sure the system is balanced

[jinxquickfoot]

So I finished my Age of Ultron rewatch. It's been a couple of years since I last saw it, and here are some random thoughts I had on it:

Things I will maintain I like about this movie:

It has some of my favorite jokes in the MCU, and they're usually the little moments. The little nod of validation Rhodey makes after getting a laugh at his "Boom! You looking for this?" story. Clint telling Steve he's no match for Ultron and Steve replying with, "Thanks, Barton". Clint's "Yeah, you better run" after Pietro has long since disappeared with Wanda, there are loads of them.

I like Vision, Wanda and Pietro. Despite being secondary characters with not a huge amount of screen time, Wanda and Pietro feel like real people with real backstories, and Paul Bettany is wonderful the first time we see him as Vis.

It's the only movie we get to see the Original 6 hang out as friends.

I love that Fury randomly shows up in the middle and is like "let me make a sandwich while we discuss how not to let the world end also by the way hi Tony I really care about you"

Other casual appearances of other MCU characters, something that is so lacking Phase 4 onwards. Sam being at the party and Thor going to Selvig for help makes the world feel lived in.

RDJ's never dropped the ball as Tony but his performance really stuck out to me here, god he's good

Steve and Thor have multiple moments of teaming up and working together, what an underrated duo

Hulk vs Iron Man suit inside an Iron Man Suit fight

The Avengers do their best to evacuate Sokovia before Ultron attacks, which does not excuse the amount of damage caused there, but I do think is a plot point everyone forgets about (myself included)

And things that annoy me (skipping over the stuff everyone talks about like the Natasha/Bruce plot):

I hate how Joss Whedon writes Steve, both here and in Avengers. He only feels like Steve when he's being given jokes, otherwise he is so self-serious and stiff, the core of Steve is his heart and it is nowhere to be found in this movie

The movie spends so long setting up character arcs that feel promising and have no payoff. What is the point of Laura telling Clint the Avengers need him if he's going to retire at the end of the movie. Steve has several references to finding home in a way that doesn't go anywhere (Until Endgame, I guess). Don't get me started on Natasha.

It's trying so hard to have a theme but it never says anything unique. Bruce, Tony, Natasha and Vision all refer to themselves as monsters. Ultron decides that the Avengers are the bad guys. Steve has a speech all about proving they're not the monsters Ultron says they are. Based on WHAT? What is the message of this movie?? That the Avengers are better than the evil AI who wants to kill everyone?

(I half-feel there was a previous draft where Clint was their heart, or something, or he died and they were like whelp Phil Coulson 2.0 let's go avenge him, and the random pieces of that are still floating around the script with nowhere to go)

NO ONE is remotely concerned enough when their friends are getting hurt (maybe just the hurt/comfort lover in me, but still.) Natasha comes across as the only person who cares when Clint sustains a life-threatening injury. No one seems to be bothered that Natasha is being held captive by a psychotic supervillain. Tony shows more emotion over a fictional future where they die than when someone is actually in danger.

They really could have had a premise where they weren't allowed to access technology at all and could have gone retro with everything and they didn't and that just feels like a wasted opportunity. Clint and Natasha digging out old spy tech. Steve being like "Yes! This is familiar! I got this!" Tony making genius inventions out of tech from fifty years ago. Come on, it was right there.

[dailyadventureprompts]

I was wondering if you could do something of a Monsters Reimagined for Luthic. It always struck me as odd that even though she is a deity of childbirth and fertility and motherhood she is evil simply because she is an ORC deity.

Monsters Reimagined: Luthic, Cavemother

There are no easy births: it always a matter of blood and broken bones and shit and curses and pain in the desperate hope of getting through it alive and maybe bringing something good into the world in the process. It would stand to reason then that the god who claimed birth as her domain would have to be strong, hopeful yes, but tough as old boot lather and not afraid to get her hands dirty.

Luthic is that god, who lends her strength to those who bear life as the process threatens to rip them apart, who councils with midwives, grannies, bonesetters, and village witches who keep the hardwon knowledge of the fever-herb and staunching poultice.

It is said that before she took her current form Luthic was a god of the dark and secret places of the earth, who first encountered mortals when they sheltered in her caves from the bickering of other gods and their aims during the primordial dawn age. The mortals were new, not yet knowing the design of thier own bodies, and when it came time for the first generation to give birth to the second, someone had to step up and help them through it. Like any mother Luthic encouraged them through their explorations, as playing with sticks led to spears and tools, and painting on stone walls led to art and language. When they were ready, she brought them blinking into the light, and then retired to a well deserved state of distant reverance as her adopted children took their place in the world above.

Adventure Hooks:

Like the great bear that is her crest, the cavemother likes to keep to herself much of the time, unless some idiot stirs up enough of a ruckous to wake her from her hibernation. This time it's some upjumped priest king that's convinced that if he can just impregnate the right woman he can sire a word redeaming chosen one. The only problem is that he's not giving the "right woman" much of a choice in the matter, and has decided to invade the party's homeland to search for and capture her. Luthic isn't going to stand for it, and appears to the party in the form of a local medicine woman to set them on the right path and patch their wounds along the way. Once they've earned her trust, she'll put an ancient bone knife in their hands sharp enough to cut through an army of zealots and imply that they should use it to feed the priest king his own cock. Something about a lession in not sticking it in where it's not welcome.

The caves marked off as sacred to Luthic are wellsprings of primordial power, resounding not only with the wisdom of previous generations but the energy of creation itself. Its said that if you pilgramage into their dark depths one might emerge remade, free of illness or debilitation, or reborn into a body more fitting of who they truely are.

Seeking the holiest of holy places to consummate his marriage to his longtime rival and off again on-again flame, an orcish champion has sought out a long-abandoned mountain temple dedicated to the Cavemother. His dreams of altartop honeymooning has been shattered however as he's discovered that the temple and surrounding highlands are overrun by the brood of Shub-Nuggrath and her cultists. Having perhaps bitten off more than he can chew, he requests the party's aid in ousting the "goatfuckers" from the region.

Titles: Cavemother, She of the Bitter Roots, Bellycarver,

Signs: Unnatural darkness, Rumbling in the mouths of caves, clawmarks in stone, particularly angry bears.

Symbols: The Orcish rune for cave entrance, The Cavebear, or the Jawbone of one.

Despite not being one of the more widely published deities Luthic has been one of my most requested gods to rework, and after I published my take on Gruumsh my inbox I got even more. Normally I won't go into the racial sub-pantheons more often than not because of how conceptually thin most of the entries are, but the asker (and a few others) rightfully noticed the oddness of having Luthic be marked out as an evil goddess despite her domains being centered around fertility, birth, healing, and the earth... all classic mother goddess stuff we could imagine any good aligned druid talking about.

It took me a little while to understand that Luthic's evil was strictly rooted in the idea that she was helping more orcs be born, orcs being a primary enemy of all good people and thus contextualizing a wholly unselfish and natural action as something counter to the forces of good. Remember kids, dig too deep into d&d and you WILL find genocide apologia waiting somewhere under the surface. The same goes for her healing aspect, which is repeatedly brought up as being crude and inferior to the medicine of other races (Her priestesses carry dirt to rub into the wounds of those they care for, because even though it's healing it needs to be gross and inferior because they're orcs and orcs are a standin for anyone the writers subconsciously think are gross and inferior).

That said, removing the one conceit that Luthic is evil ( and all the misogyny baked into her original writeups) we're actually left with a very interesting addition to our pantheon: A goddess who presides over the unpleasant and frequently gruesome process of pregnancy and birth, a fact of life for the historical-ish settings that most d&d campaigns but one that is seldom touched upon. I can easily imagine Luthic's acolytes being the ones to hand out herbs that deal with unwanted pregnancy or to be called for in the difficult case of a breach birth. Luthic likewise being the god who presides over caves because most of the more well-known deities that deal with the underground are specifically mining related, and there's a delicious tension there between between places below the earth that exist to be exploited, and others that exist as sacred, liminal spaces that we merely visit.

Art

[fsfghgee]

Are you looking for a strong female character to support in MK1? I'll introduce you to them!

Kitana

Princess of Outworld (and general of Outworld's army now)

If there is a more relevant female character in MK's history, I haven't met it yet. Now, extremely loyal to her sister (really twins now, not her twisted clone anymore), Mileena. Kitana is still a strong female character, giving the best for her realm and her family. She doesn't pay attention to those who advocate that she should replace her impulsive sister as empress and is determined to protect her family legacy and guide her sister in the right direction.

Bi-Han (Sub-Zero): Living in your sister's shadow wastes your potential.

Kitana: It is my duty and privilege to serve her.

~

Madam Bo

Retired Lin Kuei and businesswoman

This veteran fighter, can be hard as nails when necessary (especially with her apprentices to make them responsible and stronger), but her cooking skills, always praised and highly sought-after, shows that she may have a softer side.

*If you want to support a npc to be playable, you should go for her. Her potential is the biggest when you accept that she's also, pretty much, a gender swapped version of Bo Rai Cho in this timeline.

~

Sindel

The late Empress of Outworld (and my first main ^^)

You may not like her in mk1 for whatever reason, but she's a very strong woman even dead (and she only died, because her evil version bested her in kombat, so you know what it means...). I don't know stronger woman than her. And you won't find a more powerful one.

Jerrod, as her consort and beloved husband, was important to her. But who ruled was her!

~

Li Mei

First Constable (former leader Umgadi)

Do everything by the book or she will beat what's illegal out of you!

She doesn't play on service and she won't let anyone play with her.

At a very young age, when she was just a baby, she was taken from her parents to be trained in kombat and loyalty to the royal family. She swore an oath to just protect and defend, don't expect her to break it.

Do you like honest cops with powerful magic skills? Go for her!

I trust Bi-Han's words. And if you know him well, you know that this guy does not throw compliments around....

Bi-Han (Sub-Zero): I hear your skills are formidable.

Li Mei: As are those of all who have been Umgadi.

*Was he flirting with her? Sounded like... His tone when.. Who knows

~

Nitara

Status: Hungry! Don't play with the heroine of Vaeternus!

You may disagree with her methods, and she is not a good girl (not to everyone. If you are not her ally, be ready to become her food). But despite everything, she's only seeking the best for her realm. She won't stop until she feed her people. Don't stand on her way and you will be fine.

You like the strong-willed type?

Go for her! Give her your support and appreciation!

If you recognize the symbol on my profile, u know why I'm here on my free time. So, I'm sorry if I'm not gonna extend on this post. You can always find more informations playing/searching for it and even other possible strong female characters on the main cast that may fit your taste better...

If you really wanna support strong female characters from Mortal Kombat games. And show that you really care about female representativity in the game.