#match my breath
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sundelion
postcard prints!
#me trying to match my own style#tears of the kingdom#legend of zelda#breath of the wild#sonia totk#art#fanart#painting
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RIP Will Campos the only person who was murdered this episode.
#I fucking loved this episode but also FUCK- OH UH DON'T READ MY TAGS IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED YET CAUSE UH SPOILERS LOL#dndads#dungeons and daddies#the peachyville horror#dndads spoilers#dndads s3 ep 5#tony collette#ebenezer white#[breathes]#TONYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY#FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK#choosing to believe there's a chance they save him#I REALLY hope they save him#please these tags were gonna be me rambling about how I'm so ready for him to accidentally become an actual spy#and how Ebenezer is just one more person I need him to have homoerotic tension with#BUT NOW WHAT#Anyways poor Will but also not poor Will cause it was REALLY funny how much everyone was screwing with him this episode zkbfeskgzl#stupidly it was the moth bit that got me the most and particularly Matt describing its journey lmao#Somehow- like I knew the Trudy stuff was gonna be dark but somehow it was even darker than I imagined like fuuuuuck#Also sounds like the people who theorized there'd been an og human Trudy were *probably* right?#Heh. But was it a normal death or was she *murdered* dun dun dun#*Very* excited for Kelsey's boxing match#Francis UH OH GOD??#the two scoops line was perfect though#what else what else... No I'm just caught on that ending now god DAMN it I don't care if they pull some cheap shit to save him#oh actually I know exactly what I want out of this but I'll make a separate post about that one sec lol#undescribed
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drew some train men looking pretty 🚉✨
#pokemon#submas#subway boss emmet#subway boss ingo#pkmn#drawing a pair of characters rules i get to play with color#i would've added some artful train lyrics#but the only train related song i know off the top of my head is locomotive breath#and i don't think the mood quite matches#star scribbles
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chanlix moments i think about a lot (9/?) - Channie's Room Ep.59
#his happy lil face#stray kids#chanlix#bang chan#lee felix#skz#skz gifs#my gifs#chanlixmoments#the thing is. its been a while since channie's room so i forgot how terrible that yellowgreen wall is to color#and this is a vlive rip which already makes it lq#so like. ignore everything but how cute they r ok? thanks#anw if u even care then chan goes on to say felix has always been there when chan was at his lowest and felix is like and u were there for#me when i got eliminated:D and chan is like WHY WOULD U BRING THAT UP but felix is like we went back to the dorms together#and chan goes “i felt so bad that day” and they talked about how they both still vividly remember it and how it was raining and it matched#the mood#and chan is biting his fingers the entire time and has to take such a deep breath to come out of it#anyway they love eo so so so much. isnt that crazy
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Another Les Mis musical connection that's making me feral: Jean Valjean uses the same melody with which he sings to Cosette, "Believe me, / Were it within my power, / I'd fill each passing hour-- / How quiet it must be, I can see, / With only me for company"...
When he sings "You are free, / And there are no conditions. / No bargains or petitions! / There's nothing that I blame you for. / You've done your duty--nothing more" to Javert.
In my journey to map out the various leitmotifs in the show, this one really flung me for a loop because what does it meannnn?? This is the only time we hear the melody in the show, and it's applied in two very different circumstances, where the relationship Valjean has to the characters involved could not be more opposite. What connects them?? But I think I have it.
It's a reluctant release. Not of the people, but of his own desires regarding them. Let me explain.
Valjean very distinctly wants things from both Cosette and Javert, which he sings about on the rising part of the melody. With Cosette, he wants to be the center of her life: "Were it within my power, I'd fill each passing hour;" on the other hand, he desperately wants Javert to leave him alone. When he has Javert at his mercy, he absolutely does want to trade lives, which is why he sings it on the rising part: "And there are no conditions, no bargains or petitions." He does want these things--but he's letting them go.
And that's where the falling part of the melody comes in. In both situations, Valjean knows he can't have what he wants. So he gives up that desire. He accepts that Cosette wants someone else, and doesn't blame her for it ("How quiet it must be, I can see, with only me for company,"), the same way he accepts the situation between him and Javert ("There's nothing that I blame you for. You've done your duty, nothing more."). That's why immediately afterwards, he tells Javert his address, and why shortly after that, he prays that Marius be brought home to Cosette.
Cosette is his biggest security, and Javert is the biggest threat to his security. But in this little melody, he sets them free (Cosette metaphorically, and Javert literally). He acknowledges what he wants, and accepts that he can't have it, even though it hurts.
And if that ain't the most Jean Valjean thing, I don't know what is.
#les mis#les miserables#jean valjean#meta#javert#cosette#my meta posts#kay can i just catch my breath for a second#kay is a classical literature nerd#kay is a musical theater nerd#the way this took me a whole hour to figure out#bc lemme tell you when i first found the melody matched in those two places i almost lost it lol#i was like what on earth could this possibly mean?? and then spent forever just talking to myself lol#hopefully this made sense!!!#and also the way i was like hm ok it's valjean so it has to be self-sacrificial in some way...that's always part of it...#and then it came to me in a flash lol
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How do you imagine hybrids work in love and legends? We've seen elf/humans.
So there are 6 different species and aside from the mermaids, they're all compatable to have children.
I headcanon life expectancy, colouration, and the shape of facial or body features to be gradient traits, so they pretty much randomly combine between the two parents like any other child
Magical traits are probably more binary. So a fairy hybrid child could inherit the eyes, wings, and/or sparkles, or none, with no middle ground. A demon hybrid will usually inherit a faded form of the markings, but they won't always be able to transform or earn horns. Dwarf hybrids might inherit the ability to echolocate vs just having larger ears.
If two species with strong magic have a child, they're more likely to inherit magical traits (e.g. elves and fairies with strong magic vs humans and dwarves with low magic)
Considering the domains are all friendly with each other, I imagine it's fairly common to have mixed ancestry and there's no real taboo aside from the grief of lifespan differences
#love and legends#worldbuilding#fantasy#art#i hc altea to have some fairy heritage due to her brighter colouration and magical compatability#but yeah lifespan is probably the main reason for avoiding demons/elves and such#the short-lived parent might grow too old before their child grows up sort of thing#but yeah mermaids are way further removed from the rest#i love my inhuman mermaids too much#with spinal/anatomies similar to whales and dolphins so their tails go up and down rather than side to side#they can breathe on land and in water#it's fun mixing and matching traits#theoretically a dwarf/demon hybrid could both see in the dark and echolocate so nothing could ever hide from them#but they could have sensory overload in bright or loud spaces#similarly a demon/elf child would have amazing hearing but complicated/unknown dietary requirements
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you cannot tease wei wuxian and hua cheng hunting for funsies and not show that to us??? it has to go one of two ways right? either an absolute visious blood bath where everyone cowers in fear or the equivalent of a teenage girl's slumber party. both??? both.
Hunting each other for sport is the keystone to a fun slumber party
#poorly drawn mdzs#mdzs#tgcf#wei wuxian#hua cheng#I was so happy to get this ask because it have me the perfect segue to show these two being silly together#This comic also kicked my ass while trying to draw it....I have learned a lot while gasping for breath outside of my comfort zone#action scenes are hard....help I don't want to look at this ever again.....#But yes. These two would have a lovely time being *silly* ^_^ together (actually winding up for a sparing match).#Then go right back to being very casual and chill. They have lots in common!#Both of them love to fight and would be thrilled to have a partner for it. Then talk about paint mixtures.#How long LWJ and XL take with their cooking classes is up for interpretation. But these two are frolicking the entire time#Everyone loves being hunted and hunting. That's what tag is all about. This is just tag with swords.#I hope everyone enjoys looking at HC's bare feet. He puts those cold puppies on Xie Lian every night.
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"Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyway."
Darabella they could never make me hate you <3
#belle was NOT my first kin for y'all to disrespect her daughter the way you do#“they weren't written well” NO RELATIONSHIP IN THIS SHOW IS WRITTEN THAT WELL#this show sucks at writing romance guys i hate to tell u this#the books write romance well but the show... gets so questionable#pls lets blame the screenwriters and not my babies i just want these two to be happy#i used to be OBSESSED with their relationship when i first watched the show it was so sweet#also rosabella used to mean so much as an awkward nerd who could never tell when i was lecturing ppl and cared too much abt the environment#some ppl aren't being condescending they're just kinda socially stupid y'all she's fifteen we can like.. take a deep breath#hold hands in a circle. idk#this is all said without hate like the criticisms are warranted but it gets to be a lot sometimes#so thought i'd put some actual content of them in the tag lol#eah#ever after high#rosabella beauty#daring charming#darabella#web weaving#eah web weaving#also i really do think they're a good match they just get brought together awkwardly#cause rosabella being able to tell daring he's a good person and his looks don't matter#after he's gone through like two back to back existential crisis#and him actually listening to her and taking her advice to heart#when ppl usually view her as overbearing and tune her out#like they're just built for each other yknow what i mean?#and the way they go from annoyed w the other's presence to listening and learning from each other#and ultimately making the other better is just... aghhh i love them#gonna also add quickly that the hate has died down which has been very nice to see#and i think ppl r generally getting a more neutral opinion of them#so no one take the rant at the beginning of the tags too deeply pls lmao
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Lisa Ann Walter & Elaine Hendrix @ SAG Awards 2023
#lisa ann walter#elaine hendrix#i am losing my FUCKING MIND i am BREATHING INTO A PAPER BAG#they have LITTLE MATCHING BESTIE OUTFITS i'm going to SCREAM
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Rereading old haikyuu chapters, here's a bunch of silly Akaashis
#im feeling the haikyuu thoughts again since the movie came out#i haven't seen it. i've heard its great. im excited to see it#but im also sad cause it means fukurodani vs mujinazaka will probably never be animated#hghhhh im biased... cause i like fukurodani sooooo much#and this match is such a good introspective on akaashis and bokutos character with and without each other#and kiryu is such a breath of fresh air as a rival#but man akaashi is so funny im so sorry fandom reduces you a pretty face my guy#breaking off the group to sulk by yourself that is a high masking autistic right there#sitting in tenmas garbage hallway watching his friends on a stream man hes such a loser#i would love to see a spinoff of akaashi and tenmas manga adventures but maybe that's just me#haikyuu!!#sry to all the folks who came from elementary or aa or dunmeshi but my digital footprint started with gay volleyball boys lol#s/o to the manga that jumpstarted my egg cracking#i will provide no context#wheat rambles#akaashi keiji#delete later#?#i should be allowed to be cringe once in a while
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an old Zelda animation WIP from back in 2021!! i started this right after i graduated from my animation school, so i lost access to the file when my school license for ToonBoom ran out, before i had the chance to export the full animation :(
i finally got around to getting a free trial for ToonBoom, so i thought i'd export what i'd finished!
#nintendo#loz#botw#loz botw#botw zelda#breath of the wild#zelda breath of the wild#princess zelda#loz fanart#tloz#zelda botw#zelda animation#the legend of zelda#doobles#while i'm never going to finish this cause it's 3 years old and doesn't match my current art style#i'm forever going to be proud of this#ESPECIALLY the weight of Zelda's hair when she turns like i nailed that!!!!!#there's definitely a lot i would redo but i'm so so proud of how that turned out :3#i also love the way i synced her hair blowing in the wind to the piano heheheh
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so was anyone gonna tell me Dyvims canonically bi or was I just supposed to find that out from a comment on a twitter post and be sent on a quest to hunt down the stream and timestamp where it got mentioned
EDIT: I gave up on recording the clip bc the audio kept getting messed up so here's the link to the stream! [timestamp 56:34]
youtube
Dyvim Whitehart bi king!!
#dyvim whitehart#wizard101#wizzy fandom#wiz101#w101#dyvwiz#I like how the reason its not brought up was not bc 'ew lgbt' conserv but just that there wasn't a way to fit it into the story well enough#I’ll learn how to record and clip videos real quick just yall wait#edit: nevermind my laptop can't handle that oh well#anyway dyvim gazing at the spellbinder Longingly arc#dyvim admiring the spellbinder in the hoppers camp firelight#the spellbinder taking dyvims breath away and not just because they knocked him winded in a sparring match#obvs he could be into literally anyone else but im tunnel-visioning in on the wizard here#maybe i'll finally finish that dyvwiz WIP I've got. and draw the other mountain of ideas I've got for em
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now i aint ever had no one on the enemy team call me out.... lol ...... abysmal they say this right as the mvp screen pops up too.....
#marvel rivals#snap chats#the line of Thank You in the chat PLEASe ... my bad for always thanking my supports erjALKAJ#just got the mag skin so its only reasonable i focus on getting my wanda hours up JRLKJAJi i need that lord icon ....#tbh getting mvp as wanda isnt hard considering you get credit for Breathing on an enemy but we take them regardless#stats not even that crazy tbh like i avg 25-30 elims as wanda durin my good games... like surprising i didnt die more i guess but jvLEKJLAK#i think at this point ive got a healthy grasp on how to use wanda. very fun lady :) i love her very much#even with her ult im. at least good at Not Dying when using it vjLKJKLAJ when playin an FPS Not Dying is the best you can do#stats dont mean too much to me tbh like yeah they can be an indication to how much value someones MAYBE giving#but they never give the full story .... ive had games where all our stats were Less Than Ideal but we won by just playin objective..#do you know. how many people Dont play objective. jesus christ it drives me mad#i get pushing ahead if its payload but at least be NEARBY so help me lord#anyway whats funny is that i considered recording my matches today right before i went into this one#lol. lmao even. prob my best wanda game i fear .... not gonna get better than this jVLKEKLAJ#ok bye bye im gonna go finish a thing i sketched last night then ima work
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hosting a small halloween party kind of thing before we all go to the halloween event at the local amusement park!!
so here is the little snack n drink menu:
- baked brie w some of the leftover pastry dough i made, maybe w fig or raspberry spread? not sure yet
- a mostly pantry charcuterie board w a couple rly solid aldi cheeses + meats, autumn fruits (i got pears, apples, + pomegranate), salty olive-y briney things, nuts, jams, + chocolate
- i have brown butter miso toffee pretzel chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer i’ll bake too for somethin sweet (they r rly good, my favorite recipe ive ever made)
- my mom’s go-to simple party appetizer for my entire childhood was dates wrapped in thick cut bacon and this group of ppl rly loved this last time i made it haha so i’ll make some again
- a bright slime-green apple-y cocktail for the festive color mostly but also bc we have sooo much midori to use up LOL
- and a non alcoholic drink w a homemade blackberry syrup for the brilliant purple color, blood oranges, + sparkling water ? not sure if it’ll be any good we will find out hahaha
#honestly i love hosting#it gives me something to DO i feel a billion percent less awkward bc i am tending to people#the only thing that worries me is my sweet but excitable dog#he just adores guests and his enthusiasm is hard to match 😭😭#he’s got a powerful full-body tail wag that can clear a coffee table in a single swipe#he has no concept that not every person can reciprocate that level of enthusiasm lmfaooo#how to tell your labrador not everybody loves 80lbs of hot breath + hair#he’s a good boy tho lol i made him some frozen food puzzles to do so he’s not breathing down everyone’s necks lolll#personal
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Dream A Little Dream of Me
Steddie. Contains: wet dreams, arguments, makeouts. 18+only
Eddie groaned, hands running down someone's spine before grabbing their hips.
"You're so fucking perfect," He gasped out. The lewd sound of skin slapping skin filled the air intermingled with moans. "Harder," the person gasps, reaching a hand back. Eddie moves his hand to hold the hand of the person. He glances up to the face peering back at him, into Steve-
Eddie jolts awake with a gasp. His heart beats fast as he tries to catch his breath. His skin is soaked in sweat and realizes that his boxers are soaked with his own release. Which, what's more embarrassing, waking up after coming or having a wet dream about your best friend?
Eddie shakes his head to try and get rid of his thoughts. He runs a hand over his head pushing his hair back as he exhales. "Damn," Eddie mumbles," Just a dream." He slowly gets up to handle the situation in his boxers, unsure if he's disappointed that it wasn't real.
~~~~~~
Eddie isn't a stranger to sexy dreams. He's, to put it plainly, horny. It isn't like he's had much experience, just the guy or girl who has sucked him off in the bathroom at the bar.
So- horny. Eddie knows that can fuel dreams. He once dreamt he was making out with the news anchor on the local news. He dreamt he fucked a fruit once, which almost tempted him to try it.
But point is, Eddie's had dreams like this before. He's been able to brush them off.
But this dream about Steve...
All Eddie can see now is Steve beneath him. Mouth around him. Eddie in him. Every position is running rampant in Eddie's brain.
He feels like everything Steve does now is obscene. The way Steve's muscles flex in his bicep as he puts movies away. The way he moves his hips as he shimmies dancing with Robin. The curl of his lip as he snarls and bitches about customers, just begging to have Eddie's own lips pressed against them. The curls of chest hair peeking out over his shirt, taunting Eddie to run a hand through it. The moles and freckles dancing across his skin, begging Eddie to trace them with his tongue.
Eddie thinks he's losing his mind. He also thinks Steve has to know, and is doing things on purpose just to drive him insane. What ever happened to squatting down to pick up something off the ground? Now Steve is just bending at the waist, ass pressed all up against those jeans, taunting him.
Eddie's emotions are everywhere. One minute he wants to confess his love like for Steve. The next he wants to throttle Steve for making him feel this way. One minute he's jerking off, gasping and moaning as euphoria hits. The next he feels insanely guilty for thinking about his best friend that way.
It gets worse when Steve notices.
Well, Eddie thinks he notices. Steve's eyes seem to stay on him a bit too long. Steve's hands grip his shoulder and squeeze too much. Eddie can't survive this torture. Those beautiful eyes peering into his own, Eddie knows one glimpse and Steve could see his entire being.
Eddie just has to ignore it. If he can ignore it, things can go back to normal. He can deal with it dwelling in the back of his mind. He has for years, ever since seeing Steve on the swimming team- which, great now he's remembering those short trunks on his muscular thighs and-
Eddie screams into a pillow, cursing a few times for added emphasis. Why does Steve have to be so hot? So good? So Steve. Eddie bites the pillow, glaring at the wall over the top of it. Just ignore it, push it back down. But as his cock hardens, he can't help his hand reaching down and thinking, just one more time.
~~~~~~
"Okay, enough!" Steve glares, hands on his hips. Eddie has to try to restrain himself from looking at Steve's hips, his crotch. "What?" Eddie bites back, arms crossing.
Steve huffs and shakes his head," What is with this attitude? If you didn't want to hang out you didn't have to come over!"
Eddie's eyes narrow at the tone. Steve's voice has the same angry bitchy tone he uses when talking about the Worst Customers. Steve is using that voice talking about him.
"I don't have a fucking attitude princess! Maybe watch your damn tone." Eddie throws his hands up and leans back into the couch further. "My tone!? My tone!?" Steve barks out a laugh," What about yours?"
"I don't have a fucking tone!" Eddie glares. Okay, maybe he does. But how's a man supposed to act when their crush answered the door shirtless? Letting his eyes wander down his chest to his happy trail to-
"You've been a sarcastic little bitch all evening!" Steve steps forward, finger pointing against Eddie's chest," You're glaring, you're pouting, rolling your eyes. You're in a fucking mood, don't take it out on me! I didn't do anything!" With each word, Steve jabs his finger against Eddie's chest.
Eddie snatches Steve's wrist, emotions bubbling over as he yells," Yes, you did!"
Steve's eyes widen and his jaw drops slightly. The fire in his eyes dies out. "Oh," Steve pauses," I didn't..." Steve tries to remove his hand from Eddie's grasp, causing him to panic and tighten his hold.
"I'm sor-" "Fuck, Steve. I didn't mean it like that." Eddie sighs," You're just...you." "If this is the whole "it's not you it's me" speech I don't want to-" "You're beautiful."
Steve freezes at Eddie's words. Eddie can't help but continue," You're fucking gorgeous man. Your arms, your legs, you know your ass looks good. (Steve hums in agreement) A person who looks that good should have a terrible personality. But you don't! You're kind, protective, selfless. I could go on, I just, damn man. You're the total package and I can't stop thinking about you.
When I go to bed I'm thinking of you, when I wake up I imagine waking up next to you. Hell, even my dreams are full of you! So, yes, I do have a mood Steve. Because I know you could never be with a guy like me."
"Says who?"
Eddie freezes. That's...no, he must be suffering from some form of hearing loss cause there's no way-
"Says who?" Steve implores, hand on Eddie's jaw, lifting his face so Eddie's staring into Steve's. "Uh..." Eddie blinks a few times. His tongue darts out to wet his lips and he watches as Steve's eyes trace the movement.
Steve's eyes who, a minute ago had lost all fire, was alight with flames again. Steve's thumb lightly traces Eddie's lower lip, causing a shiver to go down his spine.
Eddie parts his lips, letting Steve's thumb rest against them. He hesitantly licks the tip, giving him a chance to pull away. But Steve doesn't, no, he pushes his thumb harder against Eddie's mouth, causing Eddie to open further.
Eddie wraps his mouth around Steve's finger and sucks lightly. "Fuck," Steve steps closer," You should have said something sooner. You're on my mind too Eddie."
Eddie's eyes flutter closed as his tongue circles Steve's thumb. He can feel himself start to harden against his already tight jeans. Steve pulls his thumb out of Eddie's mouth with a pop. Eddie starts to let out a whine when Steve straddles his lap.
Which- Eddie thinks he's dead. Because Steve hasn't even done anything except sit in his lap and he thinks he's in Heaven. Eddie's hands automatically grasp Steve's hips.
Steve shifts forward slightly, both men holding back moans as their bulges grind against each other. Steve wraps his arms around Eddie's neck, leaning forward.
Their noses brush before their lips touch. Eddie can't help but sigh. Steve's lips are as soft as he thought they'd be. Eddie hopes it's good for Steve, cursing himself for not putting chapstick on recently. All sense of time is lost as their lips move in tandem. It could be five seconds or five minutes of them kissing, and Eddie never wants it to end.
They break apart, panting as Steve helps Eddie take his shirt off. As soon as his arms are free, Eddie grabs Steve's ass, a nice handful. He can't wait to worship it later. Steve sheds his own shirt, leaning back to kiss Eddie.
Steve's chest hair rubs against Eddie's sparse own. Steve rubs his hands up and down Eddie's front, pausing a moment to roll one of Eddie's nipples. Eddie whimpers as pleasure licks down his spine.
Steve rolls his hips into Eddie's, causing him to gasp. Steve deepens the kiss, licking into his mouth without hesitation. With each movement of Steve's hips, his clothed cock hits Eddie's just right. Eddie can't hold back the moan that escapes him.
Steve pulls back, a wicked grin on his face. Eddie knows he must look a sight. He can feel his face is flushed, lips slightly swollen from kissing. His cock feels harder then a diamond. A wet spot formed on the inside of his boxers where precum has leaked.
Eddie recalls his dream. How Steve was splayed out in front of him. But as Steve goes to unbutton Eddie's pants, Eddie can't help but imagine he may have gotten it wrong. Maybe Eddie is the one who's gonna be laid out in front of Steve.
#And Eddie doesn't care!! He's down for either way!! And guess what so is Steve#Neither last much longer nor do they get to go much further but as they gasp for breath Eddie thinks#That maybe just maybe Steve would be down to try all those positions#But truly neither has a thought going on in their heads all they can focus on is the ecstasy they feel in each other#(Steve is ecstatic thinking holy shit my crush likes me back this was great meanwhile Eddie is like lmao does he actually like me????)#(Newsflash he totally does)#Steve casually sets a book down that has a picture of a position and Eddie's like#that's so not correct like anatomically i think that's#Like 100% impossible“ and Steve is all coy like ”oh??? We should test it out for like science or whatever#Eddie's already taking his clothes off before Steve can even speak#They match each others freaks#Steddie#steve harrington x eddie munson#eddie munson/steve harrington#steve harrington/eddie munson#eddie munson x steve harrington#Jade is Talking
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I mentioned my Master Kohga's father in tags on another post, so now this post is my headcanons about how succession to the position of Master works in the Yiga Clan.
The short answer is, it's inherited, but it isn't automatic/doesn't have to be.
The Clan is not a monarchy (ewww, they would say!), and while they do have great "allegiance to their Master" according to Creating a Champion, the Master isn't thought of as a ruler. (I also do not hc that the Yiga are a "cult," and mine are certainly not a cult where they worship Master Kohga (either the specific guy in AoC/BotW/TotK or the "Master" as a concept/post held by many.)) They absolutely do not believe in a divine right to rule (that's stupid annoying Hylian nonsense and one of the things they rebelled against in the first place), and they also don't think that simply because a person is the scion of the particular bloodline/family that currently holds the Master position, they must necessarily be the best candidate for the job. I dunno, I just really don't think that a group that formed in opposition to an oppressive monarchy that betrayed them would keep a family in power forever in a similar monarchical system just because they're that family, or would let someone keep the position indefinitely if that person was genuinely horrifyingly bad at the job.
That said, the Master also can't be said to truly be a "first among equals" or "democratic"-type position. The Clan does treat its Masters special. They follow them, they protect them especially, they'll do their bidding loyally according to each leader's personal style (some like to be pampered--*coughcurrentKohgacough*--while others are more austere--currentKohga's father's mother's father for example). A Master Kohga expects orders to be followed. They ("Master" is a gender-neutral term and position) have a Right Hand and certainly take advice from others within the Clan, but ultimately they hold the final say on things, with all the power and all the responsibility that entails. Basically, what the Master says, goes.
Until it doesn't.
But I'm getting ahead of myself, ha! Better go back to the "usually inherited, but isn't automatic" part, because this post is about succession headcanons!
So, there typically will be a presumptive "heir" to the position and name of Master Kohga, and it is usually the current Master's first child. However, a subsequent kiddo might distinguish themself in a leadership/martial prowess/etc.kind of way and surpass their sibling into the heirship. If the Master doesn't have a child yet, the presumptive heir might be a sibling or other close relation. "Child" includes adopted kids, too, if that isn't obvious. Yiga children are raised communally, and it's considered a huge honor (/understatement of the century) if the Master thinks your kid is amazing enough to officially adopt and train to take over. A Master may also consider their Right Hand their heir. Nevertheless, traditionally it's the Master's first child, and barring one of these more unusual circumstances (and others I could go on listing--keep in mind the Clan has existed for 10,000 years), that's who'll be getting raised and trained up to take the position eventually.
Still, unlike with Hyrule's monarchy (and arguably most Earth monarchies), the Master position doesn't immediately pass to the heir upon the previous Master's death. As I said, there isn't some magical divine spark or quality that the Yiga believe transfers from one Master to the next. Instead, there is an interim period during which the Clan prepares for and holds funerary rites for the old Master and the heir...undertakes several trials and rituals to prove their worthiness for the position.
These include multiple types of challenges from hardcore meditation (as in, no food or water, very ascetic like the old Sheikah monks trained), to arcane skill demonstrations, to a trek up through the Highlands to retrieve a hidden object (somewhat similar to Blademaster candidates' journey to place bananas at the frog statues), to successfully leading a stealth raid on a Gerudo or Hylian settlement, to...well the big showy one is slaying a Molduga solo. That's the final test, a literal and symbolic showing that the heir is capable of protecting the Clan from even the biggest of natural threats. So, with all of that, it's not completely a given that the heir will succeed at becoming Master! Most do. They're raised for it, as I said. But they're not just handed the leadership role because they're a very special baby, like Hylian monarchs and nobles are. They earn it. Ultimately, what all of the tests show is that the heir is willing to go to great lengths of various types for the Clan--the underlying message beyond the shows of strength, fortitude and skill is "I do this because I am dedicated to all of you."
Once all those trials are complete, the now fully-realized heir is tattooed with a giant, red Inverted Eye on their back. (The upper "teardrop" starts at the base of the neck and from there the Eye spreads across the shoulders and back--it's big. And while most Yiga will have the Eye tattooed somewhere on their person, only the Master can have it, or any other tattoo for that matter, in red.) Their new mask is crafted, and unlike all other Yiga masks that are purely smoothed-down wood, the Master's mask has a thin overlay of bone--from the Molduga they defeated. Following that, there's an Ascension ceremony during which the title of Master and name of Kohga are officially conferred.
That's how it was with the current Master Kohga; his father was Master, he was the heir and (briefly) the Right Hand, he received all kinds of special training starting in childhood in addition to the usual martial arts stuff most Yiga learn, he completed all the trials, and he ascended to the position upon his dad's death just as expected. He "inherited the name Kohga" as stated in Creating a Champion, just like his father, grandmother, great-grandfather, and every other Master back to the very first Chief.*
Anyway, next for the "what the Master says goes until it doesn't" part I was cryptic about at the start of the post. You might think the kind of system I've described where the "heir" isn't always a Master's first child and that first child can be replaced etc., would cause just as much resentment and strife as a monarchy (I mean think of how many kings assassinated heirs to take their places irl). But again, the Clan is not a monarchy and they in fact have a formal method for those who want to assert a claim to the Master position against the heir.
As a culture, the Clan tends to be very much about maintaining internal peace because it's them against the whole rest of the world basically. So while sure, we see individual members in the games (TotK especially) complaining and having rivalries and being a lil' bitchy, ultimately they're quite cohesive and "ride or die" with each other and the group as a whole. So since the idea is to have a Master who will take care of and lead the Clan, a first child who'd rather do something else or who's a total klutz with a weapon is in most cases unlikely to be vendetta-level mad if their parent chooses their sibling as the heir. The fact that the heir doesn't have to be the Master's child at all also takes care of situations where a Master dies and their kid is still...a kid. A sibling to the deceased Master can step in and take the position, or someone else entirely can...okay here's the procedure.
The heir and even the Master can be Challenged.
Most instances of this happening occur in the above scenario: the old Master's chosen heir is still a child, and there's a sort of stylized "challenge" where that other relative or the Right Hand or someone else the Clan would agree is better than a literal ten-year-old (or whatever) to lead, declares their intent to take the tests instead and ascend to become Master. Less frequently, it can occur where the chosen heir is of-age but can't complete the requisite tests and someone else steps forward who can.
Least frequently, because as previously stated the Clan is pretty harmonious internally and generally loves its heirs and trusts its Masters' judgment, someone can Challenge the heir by attempting to undertake the tests as well. If both succeed, they will then battle it out. Not to the death! But to the defeat.
Similarly, at any time, anyone can attempt to Challenge a Master. This is incredibly rare, even across a history of 10,000 years. The Yiga are very loyal to their Masters! I was being clickbait-y with that ominous sentence before my readmore cut! However, they have the Challenge as a failsafe procedure for when a Master is, let us say...really shit at it. Acting like an utterly abusive despot, completely shirking all responsibility, repeatedly and unnecessarily/stupidly getting a lot of Clan members killed, that kind of thing. Generally a complete failure to the spirit of being a Master. The Challenge in that case consists not only of a battle, but also of a referendum in which all Clan members (anonymously) vote. If the challenger wins, they'll still have to undertake the trials to become Master. As I said, this is like, vanishingly uncommon, especially in more recent times.
For all that they're a bunch of shadowy assassins, the Clan prefers a peaceful transition of power because that kind of cohesion keeps them safest. The current Kohga's bloodline through his father has held the Master position for 800 years (keep in mind though, Sheikah-blooded folk live a long time), and his bloodline through his mother held it for several hundred before that. Still and all, every individual Master accepted the risk of the trials and the responsibility of the position. They've all been considered special, and been adored and waited on and obeyed by their Clan, but they all...
Well, one of our dear Best Guy Master Kohga's clearest, most impacting memories from his childhood is his Nana's final words to him and his father, on her deathbed:
"Go, and be Masters, my children. They will serve you, and they will love you, if you will serve them, and love them, and lead them."
As much as Kohga is theatrical, and hugely self-confident with a moon-sized ego, and loves napping and delegating chores...even with all of that window-dressing type sillygoofy personality stuff... He does care deeply for his Clan and his allegiance to everyone in it is just as great as their allegiance to him. As we see in AoC, when things get serious he will put his life on the line for them.
Just as expected of any great Master Kohga.
And he is certainly beloved for it.
#yiga clan#master kohga#*if you read this and thought 'oh! so he wasn't named kohga at birth! he must've had a different name! they ALL must've had different names#you are correct! that is my headcanon! but that is a topic for maybe another post some other time#ps the idea that masters gain the name kohga along with their title is a reference to how kabuki actors may inherit a famous important name#when they achieve a level of mastery in their craft#within their particular family/acting house#((<—oversimplification of how naming things work in kabuki but I lack the in-depth knowledge to explain fully at the moment))#((this yiga clan headcanon isn’t supposed to be a one to one match to those real-world traditions anyway—just sort of reminiscent of them))#legend of zelda#age of calamity#breath of the wild#tears of the kingdom#kidk headcanons
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