#marx could save him

[dayurno]

kevin day is like. he's a child star. he's experienced an incomprehensible amount of labor abuse and inhumane working conditions. he was taken from his home country by a close relative with bad intentions. he's a cult baby. he grew up in captivity underground. every bad thing that could happen to a human being has happened to him at some point. he is happier than most of us when he can kick a ball for a living.

[spheredotorb]

dude im still so obsessed with simonさん(@/kabo_chips)'s magolor gijinka....

mentioned in tags↓ (+other characters bc i love them too)

[julienbakerstreet]

Most audacious claims from Baring-Gould's biography of Sherlock Holmes:

Moriarty was briefly Holmes' childhood math tutor and they hated each other.

Lewis Carroll was Holmes' professor at Oxford and they became good friends.

Holmes met Karl Marx and hung out with his anarchist friends because of their shared interest in assassinations, but wasn��t interested in politics enough to pay attention to Marx's economic theory or attach any significance to it.

Holmes toured America as an actor where he acquired a taste for oysters, met Chicago gangsters, and gained a firsthand knowledge of buffaloes.

Holmes had a lifelong feud with George Bernard Shaw over Shaw's opinion of Sarasate.

Holmes and Irene Adler had a lovechild during the hiatus who grew up to be Rex Stout’s detective Nero Wolfe.

Sherlock Holmes solved the Ripper murders. Watson also solved the Ripper murders, independently of Holmes.

Watson wanted Holmes to marry Violet Hunter so they could have a double wedding.

Holmes particularly liked to assist clients named Violet because it was his mother’s name.

Holmes spent part of the hiatus researching the Yeti at the behest of the Dalai Lama. He discovered the Yeti but found him "a mild, inoffensive creature" and kept its existence a secret so it wouldn't be hunted or imprisoned in a zoo.

During the hiatus, Holmes became the first person to make a partial ascent of Mount Everest. He was able to do this because the Vernet branch of his family are natural-born mountain climbers.

Holmes fought a pterodactyl that his cousin, Professor Challenger, brought to London. Watson saved Holmes from the pterodactyl by killing it.

Watson was an amazing billiards player and he only ever played with the chief maker of billiards in England.

Holmes started eating royal jelly from his bees to prolong his life and lived to 103. He gave Mycroft this royal jelly as well, which allowed him to be the head of the British Secret Service through both World Wars.

Source: Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A Life of the World's First Consulting Detective, William Baring-Gould, 1962

[i-wanna-write]

If One’s Different, One’s Bound to be Lonely - Wolverine Fic

Fic Synopsis: We know Wolverine and Sabertooth but the reader is known as Jackal. Just like the other two, their mutation is animalistic, lending them healing factors, enhanced physical abilities, and animal senses. This fic details their relationship with the Anchor!Wolverine and how they ended up meeting the Worst!Logan

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Chapter Warning: mentions of violence, cussing, dirty talk, SMUT! Minors DNI!

Word Count: 4k+

A/N: Excited to post this one!!!

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You think about your last run in with James often. It always leaves you blushing, thinking of his lips on your own. The feel of his chest underneath your fingers. You haven’t seen him in six months since he saved your life but you think about your kiss weekly. Specifically at night after a bottle of wine. Or in the shower when you’re feeling specifically stressed.

You fantasize about his lips leaving your own to find that spot on your neck. You think about them traveling down your neck, to each of your breasts. Down your stomach to where you want him most.

You fantasize about how he would feel above you, his larger body covering your own. What he would feel like when he was inside of you, your claws elongated and trailing down his back. You wonder what his face would look like when he cums, if his own claws elongated and shredded the nearest object.

A month ago you found a secluded cabin in North Dakota and moved in with your now small library. You have about twenty seven books and went to the nearest town to stock up on the necessities: eggs, bread, booze. You’re now prepared to hunker down and spend the winter alone and secluded, just how you liked it.

Only fate had other plans.

You are seated in front of the fire place, a fire cracking and alighting the living room. Your favorite book back in hand, nursing a whiskey as you continued to annotate it for the umpteeth time. You nursed a whiskey as you found more lines that you liked and spoke to you.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was a book you found yourself reading so many times. Its theme and message resonated with you as you felt like the main character Marx. Being a mutant, you were born for rejection and as your years on Earth increased, so did the hate your kind received. Yet you believed it was due to those who were simply conditioned to believe so.

You take another sip of your whiskey, allowing it to burn down your throat when you hear a thump from outside your front door. Your ears listened as the wind traveled through the air and took a breath in through your nose to determine if someone was near the cabin.

That's when you smelt blood.

You place your book on the coffee table and rise, quickly growing your claws. You tried to scent who or what it was but could only smell the blood. You quietly made your way to the front door before breathing again.

A familiar scent hit you.

You opened your door and it revealed James, body slumped on the porch and unconscious. He was dressed in only jeans and a tank top as if he wasn’t expecting to venture into the snow. His shirt was torn, holes littering it and dried blood showing. Your eyes trailed his handsome face and noted dried blood there as well. His usually kept hair was wild and out of place, also full of blood.

What you didn’t expect to see though, was his claws. Or rather what was left of them. They were somehow still sheathed, but instead of standing at their usually long 12 inches, they appeared to be cut down - only about 5 inches remaining.

A gasp left you and you immediately knelt down, feeling for his pulse. It was steady and strong beneath your fingers, a gracious sign that despite this horrific injury, it wouldn’t kill him

Not knowing how he got here or where he came from, you reached down and lifted him up, your enhanced strength easily allowing you to do so. You closed the door with your foot behind you and brought him to your couch, laying him down.

The man still did not stir with being moved so you sighed, assuming he’d heal and wake up eventually. So you grabbed your discarded book and drink, curling up in your usually vacant chair and resumed your annotation.

Five minutes later a popping sound is heard and you look up to see bullets spilling out of James chest. A total of seven pop out and fall to the ground with a crash. You watch amazed, having never seen another heal the exact same way as you.

Despite the bullets leaving, his healing seeming to kick in, his claws continue to remain the same as does James - unawake. You stare for a moment before turning back to your book, reading your favorite part.

You continue for another five minutes or so before a gasp brings you out of it. You lower your book to see James shoot up from his lying position on the couch. His breathing is heavy and his chest seems to move with each breath. You immediately discard the book and go to him, kneeling down and carefully placing a hand on his shoulder.

“James?” You say quietly. “It’s Y/N. I found you passed out on the porch so I brought you inside.”

The man immediately looks up, his brown eyes meeting your E/C. Recognition slowly seemed to make its way into them before he looked away, eyes catching his broken claws which now appeared to be about 8 inches long.

“Fuck.” He growls out, clenching and unclenching his fists as he examines them.

“Yeah… you looked like absolute shit when I opened the door and I noticed that your claws were - well that. What the fuck happened?” You question, arm not leaving his shoulder.

“Another mutant. Some guy the size of a train. Got into a scuffle and well, it seems he took a piece of me with him.” James explained, not adding any details.

“Where’s Victor?” You question, eyebrows furrowed at his brother not being here.

“He’s been hunting’ some other mutant for a fight he lost. Wants revenge.” James scoffs, showing his displeasure with the action.

“Okay…” You drift off, rising from your position to think of what to do.

With the snow storm starting to brew outside, you knew that it was more than likely James would be stuck here for a day or two - not that you were complaining.

“While that doesn’t explain how the fuck you ended up on my front porch, I have to ask - do they grow back? Cause I swore they were shorter when I brought you in.” You were dying to know, eyes locked on his claws.

Though you’ve now run into more mutants since those years ago when you met the brothers, you still know very little about their mutations. You were dying to know more. Perhaps if his claws grow back, your own would if, God forbid, they were cut off too.

James raised them into the front of his face, once again clenching and unclenching as he too examined them.

“Huh.” He started. “Guess so Sweetheart. Never had ‘em broken before.” With that, the claws sink back into his knuckles and the wounds heal over as if they were never there.

You nod, seeing the reason but a little upset more information wasn’t given to you. If his mutation was just like yours, which you understood it was, his body heels and regenerates faster than an average person. So why couldn’t his claws do the same.

“Well, since you're here, want dinner?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

James nodded.

…

After dinner you told him about the storm and how he probably shouldn’t leave until it died down. You both knew the snow and cold wouldn’t bother him - that he could’ve left as soon as he awoke, neither one of you acknowledged that.

Instead, you ate on the couch next to each other, recalling the past few months since you’ve seen each other. You were glad to just spend time with him, for once not having to deal with a mutant, Victor, or some other issue that seems to get in the way.

Once you were both finished, you washed the dishes before pouring yourself and him a glass of whisky, bringing the bottle with you as you resumed your seat next to him. He thanked you with a nod - not a man of many words.

You sat in silence, his arm occasionally brushing against yours as he raised it to sip his drink. If he noticed the goosebumps appear on your arm every time he did so, he didn’t say anything.

Your thoughts ran wild since you brought him inside. The silence has you thinking. You came to a realization after he saved you from the Mutant.

You felt comfortable around him, natural.

You weren’t used to it. You weren’t used to being around someone else for so long. You could only last a few hours. You could bear having a drink in a bar but that was it. You loved being alone. You hated being around people, mutants or not. You were a solitary creature and preferred it that way.

But with James, it felt different - it felt natural that the two of you could sit in silence when you were with each other and didn’t need to fill it. You could just relax around the other and not worry about all the other people around.

This fact startles you.

You hated being around others.

“Are you reading Brave New World?” James' question cuts you out of your thoughts.

You see his gaze has traveled to your now abounded book on the chair. You nod, turning to him and realizing now just how close the two of you have gotten.

His right leg is pressed against your left, his head almost entering your personal bubble. Your eyes meet when you turn to look at him, the brown dark and the fire reflecting off of them.

“Yeah.” You answer. “It’s my favorite. I think it kind of relates to how we live now if you think about it. Without a mutation, people have the same thought, but that thought was engraved into them and they never knew differently.” You state, trying your best to explain why you like it so much.

“If one’s different -“

“One’s bound to be lonely.” You finish the quote, surprised he knew it. “You’ve read it?”

James nods, his eyes quickly flashing to your lips before back to your eyes. You almost think you imagined it.

“I didn’t know you could read.” You tease, a smile pulling at your lips.

“Smartass.” James states, shaking his head and growing a smile of his own.

You smile back, just staring at him as his eyes are locked on your own, as if searching for something. You’re not sure who leaned in first, maybe you both did and met in the middle. But before you knew it, your lips were touching his.

You couldn’t explain. You’ve kissed others before. You’ve fucked others before. But it never felt the same when you kissed James. This was different, better. Natural.

His lips fit perfectly over your own, moving gently, almost hesitant at first this time, before throwing caution to the wind and adding more force. His lips were surprisingly soft as they formed against yours.

His tongue pried your lips apart easily and you almost fell apart. He tasted just as you remembered, like the whiskey he was drinking but also like tobacco from a cigar he probably smoked hours prior. It was a taste you couldn’t get enough of.

You moan as his stubble scratched against your cheeks as you moved, the dominance in both your mutations not wanting to give up easily. You placed your hands on his chest, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt as they traveled up. They finally reached their destination: the little tufts on either side of his head.

This time you didn’t think about the fact that you were in a fight with another mutant. That your home was destroyed and you had to move again. This time you were truly able to take in the moment, focusing solely on his lips on yours.

You grabbed his hair tufts into your hands, pulling tightly which released a groan from his mouth. You pressed your thighs together, your core beginning to ache as you think of what other sounds you could get out of him.

James seemed to notice that you’re trying to lead things and he quickly sets you straight. His own hands travel down to your waist, gripping your hips before pulling you towards him.

Somehow he’s able to maneuver you without breaking the kiss so that you’re laying with your back on the couch. Your hands are still entangled in his hair but he’s on top, his hips pressing into your own and his cock saying hello.

This is way better than your fantasies.

You try to buck up - to get some type of friction where you desperately need it but he’s having none of that. As if he enjoys teasing you, he lifts his hips away from your exploration to deny you that friction.

Sooner than you’d have liked, you need air. So with great reluctance you pull away from your favorite kiss ever, mouth parting from his.

“Fuck.” James groans quietly, his breath fanning your lips. “Been wanting to do that since you pulled away last time.”

You laugh - you can’t help it. Because you felt the exact same way. You tell him that.

“Seeing you there - truly you with no Victor around, it was like seeing you for the first time.” You revealed to him, suddenly nervous at your admission.

But James doesn’t tease you or mock you. No. He smiles, showing all his teeth and appearing happy.

“I’m glad you saw me Sweetheart.” He says before leaning back down to capture your lips again.

This kiss is sloppy, tongues immediately meeting and teeth smashing against each other. You’re tongues battle for control over the kiss, neither relenting.

You wouldn’t have it any other way.

You rely solely on your instincts. On your mouth meeting his, tongue fighting his. His entire being consumes you. His large body is covering yours, his scent of tobacco, whiskey, and something entirely just James invading your sense of smell.

He pulls your bottom lip between his teeth, sucking and pulling another moan out of you. This time he’s the one that pulls away first, lips kissing along your jawline before reaching your pulse point.

You know it’s racing beneath his lips and you buck your hips as he begins to suck. The sensation shoots right down to your core and need some type of friction between your legs.

“Fuck.” You moan, the feeling unlike any other.

Thankfully he doesn’t pull away this time, grinding down into you so you can feel his hardened cock. You sigh at the feeling, finally having some relief. His hands travel from your waist to the bottom of your shirt, silently saying he wants it off. His mouth leaves your neck as you push him away, watching as he leans back so you can quickly discard your shirt. Already up, you make quick work of taking off your bra.

“Fuck.” James says lowly, his eyes darkening.

He licks his lips and goes to discard his own shirt in one go. You don’t get a chance to admire him like he did you as he immediately pushes you back down, lips now attacking your breasts.

His lips attack your right one, his hand going to your left. His mouth immediately finds your nipple, sucking and biting. You moan at the sensation, eyes closed and moving your hands to travel up and down his bare back, feeling the muscles ripple beneath.

Your claws elongate and they continue to trail up and down, creating scratches on James’ back that seem to heal the moment they appear. The action causes the man to groan, hips grinding harder down on you.

His lips leave your breast and you want to cry at the lost but they don’t leave your body, trailing down your stomach with open kisses. He reaches your waistline, and hear a schlit, opening your eyes to meet his brown ones.

You catch his gaze and see his right hand has elongated his claws- now fully healed. You realize he’s asking your permission to remove them. You nod, wanting nothing between him and your core. His claws quickly slice through your pants and underwear, James grabbing them and tossing them over the side of the couch.

His lips return to your body, your hands back in his hair. He places kisses on the inside of your right thigh, traveling up and over your mound before moving to the other. He finds one spot that elicits a moan from you and bites down, causing you to buck up into his face.

“Ugh fuck.” You moan breathlessly

One of his arms finds its way across your stomach to hold you down. He seems to be everywhere except the one place you want him to be.

“Been wanting to taste your juices sweetheart.” James says, his warm breath fanning your core and bringing goosebumps to your skin.

Finally, after what feels like forever, his lips find your clit and he places a kiss there before running his tongue along it.

You through your head back at the new sensation. “Fuck James.”

The man uses that as motivation, starting to suck and sometimes adding his teeth in the mix. You’re core is soaked at this point and jolt slightly as he travels down and licks along your slit.

“So sweet baby.” He groans against you.

His tongue prods in and out slowly as you try to buck up to get him to go deeper but his hand prevents you. His mouth travels back to suck your clit and he suddenly presses a finger into you, giving you no warning. You immediately tighten around him, trying to buck your hips again but to no avail.

“Ughh.” You moan, feeling as his finger slowly, torturously, moves in and out of you.

He soon adds another finger, setting a slow pace. “That’s it. Look at you squeezing around my fingers like a good girl.”

You nod, feeling yourself get more turned on at his words. His fingers move occasionally to curl up, hitting the spot you need most and your hand in his hair try to push his mouth further to your clit.

You start to feel the familiar feeling set in your stomach, pulling and gripping his hair tighter. The fire starts to spread in your stomach, reaching your throat like you can’t breath and pulsating at you’re core. He seems to get the hint, immediately stopping his motions and pulling back entirely.

Your eyes snap open, looking down to see James sitting back on his knees, just watching you. He chuckles lowly at the state you’re in and you know what he probably sees. Skin flushed, breathing heavy, hair mused. Face annoyed.

“You’re not cumin’ on my fingers sweetheart.” James says, before reaching down to remove his jeans, revealing to not be wearing underwear. “I want to feel you cum on my cock.”

You core tightens at his words, your gaze taking him in. His hair is all over the place from your gripping. His stubble is drenched in your juices, own skin flushed and chest heaving up and down.

You can’t help yourself as your gaze travels down to his cock. Your eyes almost pop out of your head. He’s large, there’s no denying that. Probably 8 inches, and his girth is the largest you’ve seen. His head is red and angry, precum leaking from his tip.

Next time you’re gonna have a taste.

But you don’t get to tonight as he moves back on you, returning to cover your body with his. His lips meet your own again and you moan as you can taste yourself.

You wrap your hands around his neck and move your legs wider apart, trying to make room for his legs between your own. He seems impossibly larger now and you relish in the feeling of his bare chest against yours.

You feel his hand slide down your body, gathering some of your juices. He grunts, seeming to be pumping himself before you feel his tip against your entrance.

He rubs it over your slit, continuing his teasing form earlier as he moves his hips forward, allowing just his head to enter you before pulling back. He pulls away from your mouth, breath on your face and eyes staring into yours.

You stare into the dark brown, seeing only lust and trust in his eyes. He looks almost vulnerable, if not for the fact that he’s a very large man, in every aspect.

Before you can kiss him again, his hips shoot forward and his cock is sheathed in you. You gasp at the intrusion, his fingers not at all preparing you for it.

“Fuck you’re so tight.” James mumbles before leaning forward to catch your lips again.

You’re tongues continue to lazily dance together. He sets a slow but brutal pace. His hips pull back slowly, agonizingly, before he slams them back into yours, filling you up.

You try to meet each thrust, bucking your hips every moment to drag him closer. Your claws continue to drag up and down his back, creating more bloody scratches that heal.

His own hands are gripping each of your hips now, their strength forming bruises that you know will heal once their pressure is gone. He pulls you into him everytime he enters, your eyes seeing stars everytime.

He pulls his mouth from yours, moving to your neck to kiss, suck, bite anywhere he can. At one point you’re sure he draws blood before he’s sucking it again as it heals.

You never imagined it would feel like this with him. His large body covering yours, sweat mixing with your own. You’re senses filled with nothing but him, his scent, his blood, his body, his cock.

It’s perfect.

“Fuck James, don’t stop,” you say, moving one hand from his back to rub your clit, feeling the pressure start to build.

One of his hands leaves your hip to grab your own, bringing it up to the right side of your face to pin it down.

“That’s my job sweetheart.” He grins wolfishly at you before letting your hand go to find your nub.

He immediately does and pinches it hard before rubbing in circles that somehow match each thrust.

“Fuck baby you feel so fucking good.” James praises into your ear. “You gonna cum on my cock? You been wanting this since you saw me, huh?”

“Mhm.” Is all you can ge tout, nodding along to the dirty words he’s spewing. “So bad James. Moment I saw you. Every instinct was to fuck you.” Your reveal the truth.

“That’s a good girl.” He grunts, his hips picking up place as his hand moves faster. “Want you to cum my cock. Wanna smell you for days.”

You moan at that, the words doing something deep in you. Your pressure continued to build and build and you’re almost at the edge.

“Fuck James I’m gonna-“

James cuts you off my moving faster then you think anyone can move. His fingers press harder into your clit and soon you’re seeing stars, entire body tensing and core squeezing him tight. Your claws dig deep into his shoulders, holding tightly.

“Ungh Fuck”

It’s enough to send James over the edge too, his own body tensing and breathing heavy. You hear a schlitt and then he’s groaning in your ear and you feel himself empty into you.

“Fuck sweetheart.” James breaths, slowing the movements of his hips.

You can’t say anything, mind completely blank. You never imagined it would be this good with James. You knew it would be good, but this was beyond any fantasy.

His body stills above you, hips still planted firmly against your own and cock still deep inside. His entire weight is pressed onto you and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

You didn’t see him as the rough type, or dirty talker. But the words that came out of his mouth only made him hotter and more appealing to the animal inside of you.

You retract your claws and run one hand up and down his spine in a soothing manner as both of you try to gain control of your breathing. Your other hand scracthes his hair at the base of his neck, noticing that it’s surprisingly soft.

James carefully exits from you but doesn’t move his body beside that, content to just lay there. His face is pressed into the right side of your neck, occasionally kissing you. His right hand comes up and carresss the other side of your neck, moving up and down your pulse point.

You didn’t take him as a cuddler.

“Fuck James.” You whisper, eyes staring at the ceiling as you relish in what just happened.

You feel James body vibrate with a chuckle. “Feel the same sweeheart.”

He pulls away slightly from your neck and you turn to look at him, eyes meeting.

“Never had ‘em come out like that before.” He reveals, referring to his own claws.

You look down and see identical puncture marks on either side of you hips. This couch has definitely reached its finish line.

You shoot him a soft smile, liking this vulnerable side of him. “It’s never felt like that before.” You share with him.

Your eyes stare into his brown ones, neither of you relenting. His are back to trust but there's something else there this time. Something you’ve never seen in another's eyes before when looking at you.

“I leave for vietnam in a week.” James whispers to you.

You stare into his eyes, seeing something vulnerable at his admission to you. You’re not sure what to say. You guys aren’t together or anything. Just a few run-ins and this amazing night together. But you’d be lying if you didn’t think it would change something between the two of you.

Maybe more run-ins. Maybe more of tonight. Maybe moments together that are a week long rather than a day.

“Visit when you come back?” You whisper, hope in your voice.

James leans forward, capturing his lips with yours. “I plan on it.”

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Tag List: @randomblogzsblog, @sebastianstanblog, @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @somiaw

[qiu-yan]

a lot of what nie mingjue does makes sense if you consider his specific code of ethics, his position, and the fact that he's known for pretty much his entire life that his cultivation path will kill him and has accepted this fact entirely....but the one thing i don't understand is why he swore brotherhood with jin guangyao. from nie mingjue's point of view, jin guangyao is already the guy who faked a suicide to escape from nie mingjue after nie mingjue tried to bring him to justice for straight-up murder, and that's not even getting into all the fear, anger, and trauma nie mingjue must still be bearing from the wen yao confrontation at nightless city. why would you want to tie yourself via sworn brotherhood to someone who has already done all this shit to you?

consider also the fact that nie mingjue knows his saber cultivation will lead him to become more unstable, impair his judgment, and may even affect his perceptions of reality - which means that he needs confidants he can trust. jin guangyao, via the whole suicide gambit, has already proven to nie mingjue that he is not trustworthy. so if nie mingjue knows that trustworthiness is necessary and that trust is something he's going to need, why would he choose to tie himself to someone he already thinks of as untrustworthy?

some potential reasons i can think of (written from nie mingjue's pov, so they might read uncharitably):

first (1), there's nie mingjue's stated reason of "wanting to correct jin guangyao from the path of evil" (something along those lines). there's at least two different ways you can take this:

1A: nie mingjue wants to do this in order to protect others from jin guangyao: first, nie mingjue sees jin guangyao as an emerging threat no one else has yet recognized, and so wants to keep an eye on jin guangyao / keep him in check. if jin guangyao can be "corrected to the righteous path," then fewer innocent people suffer. second, nie mingjue wants to protect lan xichen from jin guangyao. from nie mingjue's pov, lan xichen has been completely taken in by jin guangyao's charm, so jin guangyao could pose a danger to him as well; by inserting himself into the sworn brotherhood, nie mingjue can be there to protect lan xichen.

1B: nie mingjue wants to do this in order to save jin guangyao himself: nie mingjue still loves jin guangyao and wants to save jin guangyao from the path of evil, for jin guangyao's own sake. confucius (and aristotle, and marx, and a whole bunch of other dudes) does say that if you see your friend doing something morally wrong, then as their friend you have a duty towards them specifically to object to their behavior.

second (2), there are also some more practical / political reasons:

2A: the sworn brotherhood secures a more stable future for nie huaisang, since it entails long-term connections with the jin and the lan.

2B: a sworn brotherhood between high-profile members of different sects after the ordeal of the sunshot campaign could help in encouraging more postwar intersect unity, which would be necessary and beneficial in a time period in which everyone's still struggling to recover from the war. this sworn brotherhood ties the jin, the lan, and the nie together as allies, meaning they can share resources and information as they rebuild. of course, this does entail the exclusion of the jiang - but my personal opinion is that they all lowkey expected jiang cheng to fail and for the jiang to decline / be absorbed by another sect.

third and finally (3), there are the simple interpersonal reasons, unrelated to morality or politics:

3A: nie mingjue still cares for jin guangyao and therefore still wants a relationship with him. at the moment he swore brotherhood, he was still willing to try and mend things with jin guangyao.

3B: nie mingjue wants to make lan xichen happy, and lan xichen clearly wants the sworn brotherhood.

3C: if nie mingjue refuses to swear brotherhood, lan xichen may very well go ahead and swear brotherhood with jin guangyao anyways. which would lead to lan xichen and jin guangyao becoming closer, while lan xichen by contrast drifts further way from nie mingjue.

probably some aspect of all of these (plus some other reasons i forgot) are true at once. what's interesting, though, is that one can construct two overlapping yet also separate categories of reasons - separated by whether one believes nie mingjue still holds personal affection for jin guangyao or not.

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

Why doesn't Marx want Kirby to forgive him, is it just the guilt thing?

Long story short, this is a combination of "the fear of getting hurt/rejected" & "shame and guilt," which results in self-sabotaging, but the main reason is...

HAMELIN REALLY MESSED UP MARX!

So, like Kirby with Cappytown... Marx was Hamelin's hero, but they betrayed him and thus turned to the dark side.

This all ties into his initial hatred for Kirby... he's very much angry at his former self for being so foolishly naive, and Kirby's good nature is too reminiscent of his former self.

That also makes it the main reason he could never truly hate Kirby... a younger self that he can't help but connect with. Leading to his "fake friend act" to accidentally grow to care for him and actually want him as a friend.

However, Marx knows he deceives Kirby the same way the people of Hamelin did to him... "pretending they cared for him." Using the very same methods, the townsfolk did to him... ("became what he hated")

This is why Marx doesn't have the heart to forgive himself... even though Kirby was always ready to forgive him and welcome him back with open arms. Because he knows he can never forgive the people of Hamelin... Why should Kirby? And, of course, he does!

The restoration of a friendship between Marx & Kirby happens~, But unlike the people of Hamelin, Kirby has this unconditional love for Marx and wants more than anything to have him back in his life.

I'd say these events happened after Planet Robboot... Marx finally makes his return and "saves Kirby?!" (I'm not gonna reveal from what because of spoilers)

With my interpretation of Marx, I wanted to take him into a sympathetic route (to make him stand out from the others). He still has the sass and mischievous charm, but I wanted to give him a proper reason why he is the way he is. It's a more heartfelt version of Marx that Kirby would want to be friends with and him in turn.

Marx represents "self-worth"; if people don't appreciate or treat you the way you deserve, then they don't deserve you. (Minus the piping all the Dark Matter back into the town as revenge...) KNOW YOUR WORTH AS A PERSON PEOPLE!

And he stands as one of the main reasons why Kirby ultimately chooses to become a star warrior. Moved out of the Popstar to travel and pursue his aspirations & dreams.

Please keep reading for spoilers & quick bonus comic~

So Arthur pretty much reveals Marx's backstory to the rest of the Kirby gang... and needless to say, they're speechless!

He still doesn't want to be forgiven, so he stays with Magolor (which I cover here with Magolor's lore), but yeah, of course, Marx opened up to Mags about Hamelin. And that's why Mags is there, while Kirby & Marx are back in his place telling his story to Kirby. (Kirby saw it because of "empathic touch" but didn't know the exact details of it..)

And Dragato, yeah, he was already on his redemption arc (Falspar's already went through his with Fluff, so he's there for moral support, plus it's the reason why Arthur partnered up together).... he already knew he messed up. But now, hearing the full story that he was, not only did he fall for the people of Hamelin's lies, but... MARX WAS THEIR HERO. (I know kinda of shoehorned the crew for the sake of missing the gang, I just missed them I had to...)

There's actually a small bit of tragedy... while the adults sold Marx out, the children who really loved him would've vouched for him... it'll tie back into his character later.

And I know it seems like I'm painting Dragato in such a bad light, but it's part of his character development. And for those of you who don't know... HIS MENTOR WAS DAME MORGAN (LE FAYE)! So yeah, high standards, little affection, never impressed~

Which is why I still need to establish her a bit more! More Morgan coming up soon

I'm trying to get to the old asks I wasn't able to answer before (since I was still developing the lore...) And I just need a little break from the tournament plus, I've been working on some Kirfluff stuff for Oct.: Kirfluff week!

Also, little funny side notes and gags' "Hero to Zero... Hercules" reference and Mag's little side comment. Based on the meme, "you ruined a perfectly good child..."

So, hope you guys enjoyed it!

[that-house]

can you tell us more about dronestrike & the campaign theyre from?

just read thhe post about it & immediately became obsessed

(context: Dronestrike is my warrior cats OC, an american imperialist robot cat the size of a horse and equipped with enough firepower to wipe out the clans if it seems like they're at risk of falling to communism. in the oneshot he accidentally fired a nuke at the city of LA and blamed "every other country" in a phone call with Bidenstar to avoid getting in trouble)

it wasn't a campaign, just an 11-person oneshot in the single most chaotic discord voice call I have ever been in. so i haven't played him since then, nor will i ever play him again

i can provide you a variety of facts about him i came up with after the fact though because he's a funny enough character that i can't stop thinking about him:

his brain is composed of three parts with an equal amount of control over his actions: the soul of a vietnam veteran, an AI replica of a cat, and every single super bowl halftime commercial

he comes armed with combat knives for claws, a machine gun in his mouth, a high caliber sniper rifle built into his spine, a pistol that he somehow uses with cat paws, and a douglas air-2 genie air-to-air unguided nuclear missile

transition could not save him because all trans people are godless communists who bully him on twitter

Dronestrike acknowledges every independence movement if only so that America has more countries to eventually colonize

he has read Marx so he can misuse quotes and flex on any marxists who haven't read theory

his greatest wish is for america to have won 'nam

doesn’t really have any physical possessions because he’s a cat who doesn’t have pockets or a permanent residence. he does however have $8.6 million in Shell oil stock

Dronestrike if he played League of Legends: only plays champs who have america-themed skins, but doesn’t actually own the skins because that would be giving money to a chinese company. plays all of them jungle to poor results. iron 4 two thousand games this season

has no mouth but wishes he did so he could taste the burgers that honest Americans have died to defend

Dronestrike's dream world is world war 3, with the stipulation that there is an american flag superimposed over EVERYONE'S vision instead of just his

if he had 24 hours to live he would start a “second american revolution” by attacking England

he isn't a good kisser: no lips, he's a cat, and also george washington famously said that romantic connections weaken your spiritual link with The State

response to being trapped in a maze of mirrors: breaks through the mirrors without noticing, but also can’t recognize his reflection. Thinks he has to fight these teleporting commie clones of himself to save the United States of America

he's on Santa's naughty list

on Halloween he dresses up as George Washington and “trick or disappears” journalists

Dronestrike hates the reds, the brits, women, and most importantly, himself

prefers fundamentals over schmovement

favorite board game is Monopoly because watching people go bankrupt or be imprisoned is one of his hobbies

his happiest memory is his first glimpse of an amazon packaging facility and the horrible conditions of the workers

favorite season is summer: 4th of July babey!!! the holiday where you're allowed to blow shit upppp!!! he also frequently sets off fireworks in the off season to scare dogs and people with anxiety

doesn’t date but he sends tech billionaires unethically farmed flowers sometimes

doesn’t play video games but he has a simulated CoD lobby’s chat going at all times in his head. they call him slurs whenever he misses a shot

relates strongly to Patrick Bateman

he was in ShadowClan. they picked which clan he would be deployed into by having him take the official "which clan are you" quiz

sometimes he doubts that he has the heart of a true warrior

[lunarfleur]

Now And Forever (I Will Be Your Man) ~ Earth 42! Miles Morales

Summary: “I think dad woulda loved you.” “Yeah?” “Yeah.”

Warnings:None!

Tagging: @juneberrie @sluggmuffin @kombuuuu @urfavnegronerd @luvjunie @n1cole-ghost @milesmolasses @nagi3seastorm @hiyaitssans @conitagray

A/N: inspired by the song below. It’s honestly one of my favorite love songs <33

This is x gender neutral reader!

“I think dad woulda loved you.”

Miles’s thumb drew gentle circles over your hip. He had you in his lap, head on his chest and the other arm wrapped around you. It scratched the back of your head gently and sent goosebumps down your neck.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He did it on purpose-waiting until you were half asleep to spill his deepest thoughts. It was easier that way, easier to pretend you weren’t listening. It didn’t scare him as much.

You inhaled his scent-vanilla candles mixed with the faint scent of his cologne. It was your favorite smell. You hummed softly, taking it all in. His scent made your brain fuzzy in the best way possible, smelling so good it was impossible to stay awake.

“Baby?”

“Hm?”

You gripped Miles’s shirt gently, waiting for him to answer. You stared at him, chin resting on his chest. He wasn’t looking at you, instead staring at the ceiling.

“I love you,” he mumbled, finally moving to kiss your forehead. You smiled happily, sitting up straight to give him a proper kiss. He took it happily.

Pulling away, Miles grinned sleepily. He pulled you closer into him, tight against his chest. He bumped his nose against yours, pecking your lips once more.

“I love you,” you replied. His fingers fidgeted with the edge of your t-shirt. His t-shirt. You pressed your forehead against his and immediately he leaned into your touch. Humming softly, he kissed your cheek.

“You make me so happy,” he muttered, resting his head on your shoulder, “and I wish dad was here to see it.”

It wasn’t uncommon for him to get like this. It was late and Miles was tired. Having you with him gave him a heavy feeling of intoxication. He lost any filter in response.

“I know, baby,” you whispered, kissing his head. You felt his breath hitting your skin, heavy and uneasy. He always got himself worked up.

“But, you know, I’m happy to be here.”

You smiled, caressing his cheek with your thumb. He kissed the palm of your hand, smiling softly.

“I’m happy you’re happy.” That made him chuckle.

You snaked your hand around his head, scratching softly at the back of his neck. Miles leaned against you, holding you tighter. That was his spot, the one that made him get all soft and relaxed. It always worked.

“I think,” Miles whispered, “my dad sent you to save me.”

It wad barely audible, an echo of a whisper from the depths of his throat. Your heart sunk a little, especially when his grip on your hip tightened. You could feel him frowning.

“And I will always be here to save you,” you mumbled against his hair. He nodded, a simple sign of understanding.

“Even before he died, I ain’t ever think someone like you would want me.”

“Well, I do. More and more every day.”

“Don’t let me go,” he mumbled. “Cause, god damn, I’d lose it.”

You sunk into him, wrapping your arms around him and pressing your lips to his hairline. Miles pressed a soft kiss to your jaw before nuzzling his face into the shirr you were wearing. His shirt, because he’d gladly give you every aspect of his being.

“I like being with you,” he repeated. You nodded.

“I like it, too.”

[coffeeandbatboys]

congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you! <3 for your celebration, which is very much deserved might I add, can I get Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx with either Wolffe or Fives?

(@high-ct5555 is my star wars blog which is where I'll be reblogging from!)

again congrats!! 🥳

Thank you!!! ahhhhhh this one kicked me in the feels lol. I am really terribly sorry about how sad this one gets.

SPOILERS for TBB S3 Ep7!!!!!!

warnings: as mentioned, spoilers. Heavy angst, bittersweet/open ending. Unresolved relationship problems I guess you could say.

Right Here Waiting For You (Wolffe x Fiancée!Reader)

Part 2

He didn't come home. He promised that he'd come home and he hadn't.

Empire day would always be the day that Wolffe broke your heart.

You couldn't understand. He loved you, didn't he? Why would he ask you to marry him and then ditch you?

Maybe you were in denial of the fact that he could be dead.

No. He couldn't be. You needed him not to be.

So you continued with life. You helped Rex and Senator Chuchi and the other clones whenever you could, but so very often your mind would be on him.

And all of it lead to this moment. You wanted to cry out his name and run into his arms. But all the same it wasn't him. It wasn't the man who had gotten on his knees and asked you for your hand in marriage. Wolffe had a tenderness about him that not many people saw, save for you. But that tenderness had been torn away from him by the Empire.

"Mesh'la? Oh maker...you're alive!"

His voice, a mix of worry and relief, pulls you from the hurricane of your thoughts and memories. Tears gather in your eyes, because you want to believe, that just for a second, he's on your side.

But he's not. And though you still love him, you can't let the Empire get the better of you. So you step forward, dodging Rex's outstretched arm that's attempting to hold you back, until you're standing in front of the love of your life.

You pull his forehead down to meet yours and your noses bump against each other.

"I...I can't...we're on opposite sides of a new war, Wolffe. I'm sorry—." Tears are beginning to choke your words.

He squeezes his eyes shut. "I love you..."

"I know you do." Your voice cracks, betraying every wall you've built. "I want you to come and find me when you figure all of this out, hm? Come back to me."

Your heart yearns to say the words that you want to, but you're afraid they'll crush those walls for good. So you place a chaste, tearful kiss to his lips and back away towards the approaching ship.

As you walk up the ramp, you turn, and meet his mismatched gaze. Maker, he looks devastated, like he wants to reach out for you. But he doesn't.

Your voice is barely above a whisper, but he hears. He hears you say, "I love you too," As you turn away from him.

And once again you're apart from the love of your life, and those walls turn to dust.

But only for a little while.

[icedragonlizard]

As you may have seen on my Kirby therapy tier list, I put Kirby himself in the "needs therapy" tier.

I've seen people argue that Kirby doesn't need therapy or that he could even be the one playing therapist to others in the series. I don't disagree with these sentiments, although it's just a matter of interpretation more than anything.

There are actual reasons as to why I put Kirby himself in the tier where he is. I'll make it clear that it's based on my personal interpretation of him, but here's why:

I get the sense that Kirby must be really feeling the weight on his non-existent shoulders to be playing the hero all the time. He's been through so much, has confronted so many eldritch horrors, and have saved so many people, and it definitely has to be affecting him mentally. Even if he attempts to repress it, that doesn't mean the stress isn't there.

And the thing is that Kirby, at least in my interpretation, is a bleeding heart. He cares about people so much. He's always been wanting to help others that need it. He feels like it's an obligation for him. If he ends up failing to save someone, it hurts him. It would hurt him and break his heart if one of his friends were to die, or if a loved one of one of his friends were to die.

I'll mention two incidents where he feels like he failed: the deaths of Sectonia and Max Haltmann.

Kirby wishes that he helped save them, and it really hurt him that he didn't. When he was informed by Taranza and Susie that they were trying to save their respective loved ones, and told him about their backstories and how Sectonia and Haltmann weren't always evil and that they were corrupted by outside forces, it broke his heart. Both situations broke his heart. He wishes he could've helped Taranza and Susie get the happy endings that he believes they deserved, and the fact that it didn't happen makes him feel like he failed them.

Taranza and Susie aren't mad at Kirby over it, though. They understand that he was just protecting his home, and they feel more responsible for their loved ones' death than he is. They're friends with him, and although the process of them becoming his friends was admittedly a little awkward, in the end they don't hold a grudge against him despite the initial bad starts they had with him.

(Note that I headcanon that Susie is generally pretty guarded, as she hasn't opened up about her backstory to most people. But Kirby is one of the people that she did disclose her backstory to, although it was a little while after becoming friends when she did so, and he promised not to tell anyone when she said to keep it secret. Needless to say, learning about the Haltmanns' backstory was really horrifying and upsetting for Kirby)

I've seen people come up with the interpretation that Kirby saved everyone in the Switch games (including saving Hyness and Leongar) because of the guilt that he has over the 3DS tragedies, and I think that's a great interpretation. Enough to make me want to adapt it for my headcanons. And when it makes him look back at those previous incidents, it makes him upset. Kirby still wishes he could've helped save Sectonia and Haltmann like he did for Hyness and Leongar.

And so this is something that my interpretation of Kirby could use therapy over. He feels guilty and that he failed in those two situations. That, and alongside whatever stress he could (secretly?) be having over the weight on his shoulders of playing hero all the time.

I'll mention another thing for my interp's Kirby: After the events of Milky Way Wishes, he didn't see Marx for a long time, and it made him believe that he killed him. It made him sad, because even though Marx did turn out to be evil at the time, Kirby had the feeling he could've been redeemed and that they could've been friends. He would've loved to see Marx survive and do better, but there was a time where he thought that he died, and it admittedly upsetted him.

But Marx came back. It turns out he survived Nova's explosion, and crossed paths with Kirby again a long time after. Kirby was very happy to see that he survived and they became friends. The same also goes for Magolor, because Kirby didn't see him for a while after RTDL and was worried, but he was happy to see him come back and become a friend as well.

At least Marx and Magolor came back and became Kirby's friends, but sadly Sectonia and Haltmann did not and will not. Kirby will always feel the weight of those tragedies.

That sums up my thoughts on the matter and as to why I put Kirby in the "needs therapy" tier on that list. I do believe he can handle his problems a lot better than most of the others in the cast, but there are legitimately stuff he'd need therapy over. Of course, if you're one of those who believe he doesn't need it or that he himself is the therapist, bravo to you. Funny enough, the latter is also somewhat existent in my verse's Kirby too, on top of him also needing it.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

In my opinion, one of the worst patterns of the Zutarian fandom is how much they refuse to believe Katara is happy and thriving in her post-canon role. No, she must be neglected, depressed, misunderstood, disempowered until the great Firelord Zuko saves her.

Her relationship with Aang, canonically her best friend? Where they protected each other, laughed and had fun, stood side by side as they faced overwhelming challenges together? Nope, all lies. Aang never understood the real Katara, always neglected her, and she was forced to sacrifice all her dreams and hopes as his love interest.

Her relationship with Sokka , Aang or Toph? Long-suffering Momtara who always did unasked emotional labour that was never reciprocated. They never understood her trauma, pain, or rage; she could never be herself around them.

Especially Aang who she mothered and spoilt; apparently he was a 3-year-old toddler she was forced to take care of against her will.

(even though in literally the 1st episode, Aang sacrifices himself just like Kya did to protect her, and promises to help her achieve her dreams of being a master waterbender.)

Rebuilding the South Pole with Hakoda and her fellow Water Tribe members? She feels trapped and stifled in her role, nobody takes her seriously because she's a woman with opinions.

Then there are the fics where she marries Zuko out of self-sacrificial duty to her tribe.

The fics where she's captured by Zuko as a pawn of war and eventually falls in love with him because he's so brave and honourable.

The fics where she and Zuko start a relationship and Aang is so jealous he stops talking to his canon best friends forever. Toph and Sokka don't care because they never cared about Aang, they were rooting for Zutara from the beginning.

The fics where all her friends and family are so horrified by bloodbending and her dark thoughts that she runs into Zuko's arms where she finally feels understood.

It's so utterly degrading. Why do they hate her so much? Why do they refuse to believe she's happy post-canon? That the only way Katara would ever fall in love with Zuko is because he saves her from a life of utter despair?

WHERE are the fics where Chief Katara of SWT and world diplomat is happy and thriving? And in a decades-long situationship with Zuko because the sex and companionship is good but ew she would never abandon the SWT? And she and Avatar Aang are besties and trade embarrassing stories about Zuko every time he comes to visit?

WHERE are the fics where Kataang break up but remain chill best friends? And Zuko writes Aang 1,000 letters for advice on how to approach Katara because he's an awkward dork? Because Aang is Zuko's best friend as well and a charismatic mf'er who canonically charms people wherever he goes?

WHERE are the fics where Katara feels miserable and trapped in the FN because everyone thinks she's a savage barbarian and she's forced to assimilate in an alien culture? And Mai , Ty Lee, and Azula intimately understand how much pressure she's under; and support her as she decides to leave and travel the world on her own terms?

WHERE are the fics where Zuko and Katara are overwhelmed with their responsibilities and make a wrong decision that ruins people's lives; because they can be stubborn, self-righteous, and quick to anger? And Aang's wisdom, Sokka's pragmatism, and Toph's craftiness bail them out?

I could go on and on. There are so many cool possibilities! Especially since apparenly ONLY Zutarians care about the Real Katara and Zutara is feminist and empowering, and every girl's dream.

But instead, we have this. Cinderella Katara who is rescued from her life of drudgery by the rich, gentle, and kind Zuko Marx. Whisked away to live a FN palace where she'll never be sad again.

Gross.

It also doesn't make their ship look as good as they think it does, since it kind of implies that Katara would only ever have feelings for Zuko if EVERYONE ELSE ON THE PLANET was terrible to her. Zuko might as well be the last man on Earth in these scenarios. This isn't Katara finding her soulmate, this is Katara settling.

If someone only pursues a relationship with you because they believe you're literally the ONLY option left and that they are basically stuck with you anyway so why fight it, instead of because they genuinely like you for who you are, that is going to be a MISERABLE relationship.

[veinsfullofstars]

-trips and drops all my eggs on the ground-

(ID: A small compilation of Kirby series fanart featuring Magolor in various silly and disconnected scenarios, with guest appearances by Marx, Kirby, and the rest of the Dream Land 4 as well. More detailed descriptions and transcripts under the cut. END ID.)

I sketched out most of these months ago while I was playing through KRtDLDX for the first time. The Epilogue was giving me thoughts and the brainworms were feeding. Still, I didn’t really have any big piece ideas for these, so I figured I’d just slap them all into a comp, throw some lines and color on, and call it done. A little loose on context, I admit, but I think they came out okay in the end. I just love drawing this wretched man (and the clown that bothers him).

Sketches started 02/28/23, render started 11/02/23, finished 11/04/23, updated for color correction 11/02/24. NOTE: This was originally posted on my deleted account on 11/04/23.

---

Image desc. & transcripts (in no particular order):

-Magolor points to a barrel, smiling pleasantly, and says “Trust me, it’s foolproof! Now get in~” Marx looks on unimpressed.

-Magolor (in his tattered gray outfit) grabs his head with a look of fear on his face, saying “No one told me there’d be consequences to my actions!”

-Magolor (in his Tome Trackers outfit) winks and twirls his mustache, saying “Of course I’m trustworthy! You can tell by my mustache and ridiculously high IQ!”

-Shopkeeper Magolor holding the Gem Apple sapling and giving the viewer a thumbs-up, saying “That’s right! Spin-off games have canon in ‘em! It’s all over for you lore bitches!”

-Magolor happily lifting Kirby by the hands via Helper mode

-a large human hand squeezing a frightened and very unhappy-looking Magolor

-Magolor smiling smugly while the RtDL gang (off-screen save for their hands) all point their weapons at him (see the Knife Cat meme)

-Magolor showing Marx a Gem Apple, a look of wonder in the jester’s eyes

-Magolor weeping and clutching his head as a pair of large hands reminiscent of his Soul form loom around him, ready to grab

-Shopkeeper Magolor smiling with his hands together, an arrow pointing at him reading “no longer evil :)”

-Magolor (in his tattered gray outfit), first standing neutrally, then looking down at his hands, then shrugging with his eyes shut, saying “Oh, well. Time to learn nothing.”

-Shopkeeper Magolor showing off a Gem Apple to the viewer, saying “This apple cured my sociopathy! Imagine what it could do for you!”

-Magolor and Marx sitting back-to-back on the floor, the former fixing a pocket watch with a screwdriver, the latter propped up on his side watching a Minecraft let’s play on a purple childproof tablet; Mags says, “So, anyway, that’s how I lost everything to a baby, went to hell, fought my demons, and ultimately grew as a person.” Marx responds in disinterest, “Uh huh, sure, buddy.”

-Magolor winking at the viewer with a hand on his chest, saying “Of course I have a heart. Several, in fact! In really nice glass jars.”

-Magolor and Marx holding hands (er, well, Mags holding the end of Marx’s hat like a hand), facing away from each other, looking flustered and nervous; an arrow points at them reading “Shhh… they’re on their first date

-Marx smiling innocently at the viewer, eyes shut, one tooth peeking out, waving the end of his hat; an arrow points at him reading “causes problems on purpose”

-Magolor looking at something off-screen, a hand over his eyes as if to block the sun

-a tear in the background shaped eerily like a smile, a goopy drip connecting top and bottom, a blank red eye in the center peering out from within

[desultory-novice]

Springing off of @icedragonlizard 's post about there not being a Dark Meta Knight plushie yet and why he deserves one...

...Crazy conspiracy theory here, but sometimes I feel like HAL put Dark Meta Knight in Star Allies without really thinking about the massive effect that the inclusion of the cameo Dream Friends would have on the fandom and the perception of the cast as a whole!

Like, people have already commented on how certain profiles make it sound like certain friends would be more likely to side with the Jamba Cult or just want the Jamba Heart for themselves!

But the Kirby series being the Kirby series, this suggestion of questioning loyalty faded slowly as the fandom came to warmly greet all of the friends... :cough: Susie :cough: WARMLY GREET ALL OF THE FRIENDS as Kirby's tried and true companions!

This came full circle in Merry Magoland where the park's golden statues really imply that, from the point of view of Magolor (himself implied to have seen multiple different timelines) these people are all HEROES who helped Kirby and saved the day with him!

...But then, HAL and even the fandom seemingly couldn't figure out a way to explain Dark Meta Knight's change. Even Daroach, who is almost explicitly in Star Allies to steal the Jamba Heart, was a steadfast ally in Mass Attack. It's easy enough to spin him becoming a friend. But DMK never had that moment of ally-ship. (Neither did Marx, but his heavily implied friendship with bad-guy-turned-good-guy Magolor indicates that he can at least behave.)

A few people, myself included, have worked hard to try and discover and share about DMK's heroic (?) side that could potentially earn him a place in the Star Allies! (In my verse, he's explicitly a forever unsung, uncredited hero of KatAM, mostly due to him being a terse bloodknight.) but I'm not sure HAL has decided just what he is yet.

Heck, he has NEVER had a speaking line, I don't think?!?

I don't know if this absence of additional lore means that they're still figuring out how they want to characterize Dark Meta Knight going forward or if they're all in their office sweating right now going, "Oh god!! We accidentally canonized the biggest jerk in the Kirby series as a HERO because we wanted to save on programming costs by including a palette swap Meta Knight!! How do we fix this?!?"

...But the Kirby Twitter DID make that post about DMK's ranking and the Mirror last year when Magoland was going strong, so they haven't forgotten about him. Even if they're staying characteristically... silent ...about him for now! ^_-

[your-fave-is-being-blended]

could you blend Marx from Kirby?

Marx from Kirby is being blended!!

You cannot save him.

[breezingby]

American Pie ~ Don McLean

A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And maybe they'd be happy for a while

But February made me shiver With every paper I'd deliver Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step

I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride But something touched me deep inside The day the music died

So bye, bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singin' this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die

Did you write the book of love And do you have faith in God above If the Bible tells you so? Now do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul? And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you're in love with him 'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym You both kicked off your shoes Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck With a pink carnation and a pickup truck But I knew I was out of luck The day the music died

I started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singin' this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die

Now for ten years we've been on our own And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone But that's not how it used to be When the jester sang for the king and queen In a coat he borrowed from James Dean And a voice that came from you and me

Oh, and while the king was looking down The jester stole his thorny crown The courtroom was adjourned No verdict was returned

And while Lennin read a book on Marx The quartet practiced in the park And we sang dirges in the dark The day the music died

We were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singin' this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter The birds flew off with a fallout shelter Eight miles high and falling fast It landed foul on the grass The players tried for a forward pass With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume While the sergeants played a marching tune We all got up to dance Oh, but we never got the chance

'Cause the players tried to take the field The marching band refused to yield Do you recall what was revealed The day the music died?

We started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye And singin' this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die

Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space With no time left to start again So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick Jack Flash sat on a candlestick 'Cause fire is the devil's only friend

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage My hands were clenched in fists of rage No angel born in Hell Could break that Satan's spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night To light the sacrificial rite I saw Satan laughing with delight The day the music died

He was singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye And singin' this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die

I met a girl who sang the blues And I asked her for some happy news But she just smiled and turned away I went down to the sacred store Where I'd heard the music years before But the man there said the music wouldn't play

And in the streets, the children screamed The lovers cried and the poets dreamed But not a word was spoken The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire most The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost They caught the last train for the coast The day the music died

And they were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singin' this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die

They were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye And singin' this'll be the day that I die

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The repeated phrase "the day the music died" refers to a plane crash in 1959 that killed early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, ending the era of early rock and roll; this became the popular nickname for that crash. The theme of the song goes beyond mourning McLean's childhood music heroes, reflecting the deep cultural changes and profound disillusion and loss of innocence of his generation – the early rock and roll generation – that took place between the 1959 plane crash and either late 1969 or late 1970. The meaning of the other lyrics, which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during that period, has been debated for decades. McLean repeatedly declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned; he eventually released his songwriting notes to accompany the original manuscript when it was sold in 2015, explaining many of these, and further elaborated on the lyrical meaning in a 2022 interview/documentary celebrating the song's 50th anniversary, in which he stated the song was driven by impressionism and debunked some of the more widely speculated symbols.

[free-my-boy-grumbot]

what are the religious themes and parallels of ASOUE part thirteen?

I’m so glad you asked! and completely unprompted, too :)

okay so you know that karl marx quote “religion is the opium of the people”? and how that means that religion allows its followers to turn a blind eye to societal problems and to ease people’s concerns about their life? yeah well lemony snicket did that literally. the island in The End is a result of Ishmael realising that he had lost control of VFD. originally, he wanted to create a peaceful society of noble, well-read people — this led him to enforce a black-and-white view of morality onto its members. obviously, there were people who criticised this, but believe it or not ishmael is not an open minded man. once again, he believes that there is an objective view of morality, and those questioning it are inherently evil. so, he convinced the volunteers that those people were dangerous, which led to a schism, which led to. well you know. anyways that was a gross oversimplification because that’s not what i’m talking about! what i was going to say was that he took some people affected by the schism — people who were also seeking an escape from the horrors that VFD had put them through — and he created a civilisation for them on an island. the only source of drinkable water on this island was cordial contaminated with opioids, and he knew this. in fact, he actively stopped newcomers from creating a water filtrations system. he then did everything in his power to make the inhabitants forget their old lives. he convinced them they’d ended up here by shipwreck, he made them bring him anything that washed up to determine if it was “safe”, he stored any reminders of the past on the other side of the island and banned the inhabitants from going there.

“nothing wrong with a little opium for the people!!” SIR. SIR THERE IS. Ishmael believes that peace should be achieved through any means necessary. therefore, if a problem has become too difficult to solve, he is all for simply pretending it doesn’t exist. This is why he gives the opiates to the islanders. He believes that maintaining a peaceful VFD has grown too complicated, and that the only way a peaceful society can exist is if its members unquestionably accept his rule. He not only believes morality to be black and white, but enforces this belief onto the volunteers, teaching them that following his authority is inherently “good”, and those who oppose or even question it are inherently evil. Since he couldn’t run a society like this in the “real world” — he would always have opposition, which would always mean conflict — he simply created his own, smaller world, where the civilians were too high off their balls to think critically about his leadership. After that, he only had to seem benevolent on the surface because they would all be too comfortable to dig deeper.

Now, black-and-white ethics, dictation of peace, dismissal of societal issues, and lack of scrutiny towards authority are all classic criticisms of religion, and you could definitely draw some parallels between Ishmael’s style of leadership and organised religion. This has all been quite generic antitheism so far. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!!!

There is an apple tree on the “bad” side of the island. the tree is hollow. there is a library inside, containing any books which may remind the islanders of their past life. these mostly include books from the volunteers and firestarters, the “good” and “bad” sides of the schism. one might say it’s a sort of. a s. a sort of tree of knowledge of good and evil, if you will.

And then later in the book, klaus and violet, a man and a woman, are given an apple from that tree by a snake. classic daniel handler subtlety <3 so ofc this represents genesis, but here is where we get Wierd With It.

The apple saves the baudelaires. They were poisoned with the medusoid mycelium, and the apple immunised them. in fact, the apple is not presented in a negative light in the slightest. this has VERY interesting implications in my opinion and it makes me think that daniel handler is saying, in the bible, eve was also never wrong for eating the fruit! we would be nowhere without the knowledge of sin and death and suffering, there would be no art without it, nor would there be appreciation for the good (ok this part might be me)! eve was in the right, and so was the snake!! which is also incredibly fitting because everyone thinks that the incredibly deadly viper is evil but it actually wouldn’t hurt a fly (we know because monty tried to feed it flies :))

“ohhh ur overthinking it” yes on purpose overthinking this series is my number one hobby. anyways i just thought daniel handler was making an interesting point here :33 anyways i will add more stuff if i think of it