#merging a ship you like with a ship you don't like doesn't take away any problems you might have with the one ship

[voidlesscreator]

Core Fusion AU

The people that live in the Infinite Realms are able to fuse like gems in Steven Universe. Why you may ask? It's because their body is made up of ectoplasm that comes from their core, which is very similar to how a gem's form is made up of light and comes from their gem itself.

Fusions occur when two or more ghosts share a similar strong emotion or obsession, such as protection, love or hate. The fusion is a state where the occupants share thoughts and work together to operate a single body, so a lot of trust needs to be present or a singular goal in both minds.

Core Fusions also merge unique powers together to strengthen or link them together more.

Due to this, core fusions are typically seen as a way to show trust in any form or bond between ghosts, and as a way to strengthen forces and power.

Danny is probably able to fuse with ghosts and humans but was never told that it was possible for him bc he's half-human.

Now, this could work for both Dp x Dc and Dp x BNHA.

Dp x Dc

Danny can fuse with people who have been touched by death or have been dead and came back (like Jason).

The fusion would be a physical form that mixes both or more appearances while their cores (pseudo or not) appear as jewellery they wear as the fusion, which changes depending on the fusion.

Since I'm fixated on the dead on main ship right now, let's say that Jason is the one to core fuse with Danny first, and there can be an in depth backstory on how they meet and leads up to the core fusion, and it helps with the pit rage. Danny takes them to either Frostbite or Clockwork to figure out what is going on and they learn about core fusion and how it works.

-possible plot idea ahead-

In Gotham, Red Hood has been MIA for several months from both being a vigilante and a crime boas, and the rest of the batfam are freaking out about it; especially since a new crime boss has come into play going by "The Monarch" or "JD Fent" (The Monarch plays into Danny being either Ghost King or an adjacent role in the Infinite realms, and the JD Fent is a mix of their names bc I think it's cool :D).

Meanwhile, Jason and Danny have been chilling together using core fusion to keep away from the batfam and have been improving Crime Alley with Danny's inherited chaotic mad scientist gene being used to harness ectoplasm as a renewable energy since Gotham has a large quantity of it (bonus points if the ectoplasm can be re-filtered to be safely used again for power).

The GIW or another ghost could show up in Gotham to hunt down JD and the batfam accidentally get captured since a lot of them have died (I think??).

Cue a garnet-style reunion and a "stronger than you" scene before escaping and telling the rest of the batfam the truth.

Dp x BNHA

Similar to the other one, but quirks count as mini-cores and that's how people gain their powers. Quirkless people don't have cores and therefore don't have powers.

Danny could be able to fuse with the previous OFA users and just pull them out of Izuku or they could just fuse by Danny grabbing onto Izuku when using his quirk in a fight.

And I'm just imagining during one of the fights Danny grabs onto Izuku and a flash of light shoots out and once the light clears, Danny is gone and a person with three sets of arms with an appearance similar to Danny's and the other OFA users mixed into one before battling it out with the LOV.

Please let me know if anything doesn't seem like it works! And this prompt is free to use by anyone if they want to! :]

[scribblue]

"Expectations" A Naturaldisaster* Fic

[*Poly ship with Jay, Cole, Geo, and Nya.]

Jay struggles with self-identity and relationships after losing his memories in the merge, and some familiar faces have been trying to help him through it... but it's an unfamiliar one that finally gets through to him. 3,437 words | Rated T, some suggestive themes/references | Angst and Comfort

Read below, or on ao3!

✧《✩》✧

The boy in the photograph almost looked like him.

Closely cropped hair modeled the same ginger hue as his current mop of curls, and a youthful face bore traces of freckles not yet matured under the sun. The boy was hemmed in on both sides by faces Jay only partly recognized– younger versions of the people that claimed to know him before the Merge. Cole stood on his right, Nya his left, squeezing in tight with arms threaded through his elbows. Their bright smiles and casual displays of affection almost made all those outlandish stories about his past feel plausible. Almost.

The longer he stared at the photograph, the deeper his unease grew. It was like peering into an alternate timeline, or some washed-up magician's crystal ball; everything felt frustratingly familiar and terribly wrong at the same time, like a word lingering at the tip of his tongue and never finding its way past his lips. Here was a moment in time preserved in a frame, yet all of his memories were nothing but static. This memory didn't belong to him anymore. He couldn't be sure it ever did.

"You and Cole were real close."

The gravelled voice jolted him out of his thoughts. Jay turned towards it, mildly relieved to see the one person that didn't claim a long, complicated history with him. Geo lingered in the threshold to the bedroom, leaning against the doorframe. 

Jay frowned. "So I've heard."

Geo countered his frown with a soft smile. He shut the door quietly behind him, though there was little need for privacy; Cole was watching the little gremlins with Bonzle over at the Monastery, allowing Jay and Geo an evening alone at the junkyard. Not that Jay would have objected to Cole's involvement, of course, except perhaps in this very conversation. "He told me a lot about you," Geo said. "About the two of you. You and Nya, too."

Jay rolled his eyes and gave an irritated huff, making sure to amp up the theatrics. "Oh, great. And here I was thinking I'd finally met someone who doesn't have all these expectations of me." 

"Expectations?"

"Everyone thinks they know me better than I know me, but they don't," Jay said, letting the bitterness drip from each word like Venomari spit. "They all try to tell me how I felt, what I liked, and how I acted, as if it makes any difference now." He set the picture frame down on the dresser with a pointed clank, his gaze still fixed on it. His old self smiled back naively. "That version of me doesn't exist anymore."

He hadn't realized Geo moved closer until he felt a hand on his upper arm, gently refocusing his attention to a faint, saddened smile. "But he did exist once, didn't he?" 

Something twinged in his chest, a pang of everything he'd tried so hard to suppress; he put on a good show of not caring about his supposed past, but here he was longing for his companion's words to be true. Heat rose to his cheeks and yearning flared into annoyance, brightening Jay's red eyes in a flash. He jerked his arm away. "I don't know! How should I know? I have no memories of anything before the Merge."

"I know," Geo said gently. He gestured to the photograph with a nod of his head. "But they do. Cole and Nya knew you intimately– whether you believe that or not, that's their truth. It's natural they want to share that with you, Jay. Even if things are different now."

Jay crossed his arms and turned away, taking a few steps towards the bed. It was neatly made in anticipation for his arrival, a third pillow living between the usual two. He glared at it with practiced indifference. "I'm not the person they all think I am."

"Maybe...maybe not. But you are someone they want to know, aren't you?" 

"Only because they think I'm their ex."

Geo crossed the space between them with light-footed steps, as though approaching too quickly would scare him away like a bird rustled from the bushes. He placed a hand on his back and leaned forward to catch a glimpse of his face, which Jay angled away to avoid his probing eyes. "You're not my ex."

"No," Jay admitted. "I'm not." That much was undeniably true. With the other two, he at least felt a nagging ache of familiarity somewhere at the back of his fuzzy mind, and had visual proof to back up their claims of previous relationships. Geo, however, was a blank slate. A different kind of mystery to unravel, with a whole different set of complications. Jay finally met his gaze, and the adoration– or perhaps infatuation– he found there was as enabling as it was overwhelming. "...I'm just something new to tinker on, aren't I? A broken man to fuse back together?"

Geo's elven ears drooped. The adoring look morphed into that of a kicked puppy, and for a moment Jay almost regretted his words, though only briefly; sick satisfaction was quick to lock its jaws around his neck. As much as Geo seemed to enjoy “fixing” him, these days Jay got his kicks by ruining everyone he touched. 

“Of course not, Jay,” Geo said. He sounded so sincere. Maybe he even was. “What would ever give you that idea?”

Jay snorted. “Please. That’s like…your whole thing, isn’t it? Turning trash into 'treasure'?” He reached over to the nightstand, picking up a mini sculpture welded together with Geo’s fusion powers. It was a figure, seemingly of Cole, frozen in a heroic pose and sculpted of scrap materials. Bits of metal, bottle caps, rusty gears and coils. He waved it at Geo with a sneering smile before tossing it at him underhand. Geo scrambled to catch it. “I’m just your newest project.”

“You are not– and be careful with that, that was an anniversary present.” Geo fussed over the figure, ensuring all of the repurposed trash was in the proper place. When he seemed satisfied, he carefully set it back on its place of honor.

“See? You care more about your things than you do me. Why do you even still make stuff with that junk? You said you could live anywhere now, you could be out there making…literally anything else, with literally anything else. Why a junkyard?" Despite a judgemental tone, his curiosity was genuine– Jay couldn't imagine why anyone would willingly live in a place like this, much less rummage through other people's trash to use as materials. 

“...I like it," Geo said, his voice so quiet Jay nearly couldn’t hear it. He averted his gaze and began worrying the tassled hem of his vest. “This place was my home when I never had one of my own, and… I don’t know. I like giving lost things a purpose. Even if I’m not lost myself anymore.”

Giving lost things a purpose. The words struck a chord somewhere inside Jay, like the ringing of the gong he still felt resonate through his bones. He pushed the feeling deep down into the yawning pit in his stomach. “Oh yeah? What’s my purpose, then, oh great Purpose-Giver?”

Geo halted his nervous fidgeting. Slowly, he raised his gaze to study Jay's face, feathered brows knitting together over probing eyes. "Your purpose?"

"Since you're the expert."

His lips pursed into a taut line, broken only by his two protruding lower teeth. “Well...what do you want your purpose to be?”

Oh great, the cryptic wise-man routine. Jay groaned, throwing his head back in exaggerated exasperation. “Nevermind. I’m sorry I asked.”

“Jay, you know I can’t answer that for you. That’s something you have to discover for yourself.” 

Though delicately spoken, his words hit like bricks. He wasn’t wrong, and Jay knew that. He hated that he knew that. He’d been struggling to establish a new purpose since leaving the Administration, since being abandoned by his master, Ras; so far, he’d come no closer to achieving that. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”

Geo stepped closer, extending a hesitant hand to clasp one of Jay’s. Jay stared down at it blankly. “You aren’t alone," Geo said. "If there’s any way I can help you on that journey, I, and surely Cole and Nya, would happily—”

Jay gripped Geo's hand like a vice and yanked him close. Their chests collided, and the sudden motion elicited a yelp from Geo, quickly stifled into an insistent kiss. At first he didn't return it, but slowly his lips softened to accommodate Jay's; not quite the same level of energy, but Jay had no issues picking up the slack. This was his element...at least, it was lately. An electricity unlike any he wielded in a fight. His free hand grappled at Geo’s waist, attempting to pull him even closer as though fusion could merge their bodies into one. 

He nipped at Geo’s lips, eliciting small noises in response but otherwise minimal reciprocation. Jay let go of his hand and took him by both hips, blindly maneuvering him towards the bed until he felt Geo’s calves bump against the frame. Geo pulled away from the kiss and gasped for the air he'd been passionately deprived of. “Jay…”

Jay kicked an ankle out from under Geo and allowed the two of them to fall onto the mattress, to another surprised yelp from Geo. Jay landed on top of him and wasted no time to dive back into a kiss, propping himself up with one arm and grabbing at Geo’s cropped shirt with the other. Everything in Jay's head had melted away, leaving only this. Only the moment they shared. Nothing else mattered.

Nothing else mattered.

Nothing else mattered.

Geo broke the kiss once more by turning his face away from Jay's mouth, which began to travel along Geo’s jawline and neck instead. Roving fingers teased the hem of Geo's shirt, before being abruptly grabbed and held tight. “Jay,” Geo repeated, more forcefully this time. “Can you just— hold on a second?”

Hold on? Jay pushed himself upright to the best of his ability, just enough that he could get a good look at Geo’s face; his cheeks were flushed a dark reddish-purple, but rather than the usual blissful or flustered expression, he carried a troubled air that gave Jay additional pause. “...What?”

“Jay…I…this is…” Geo fumbled his words, seeming unable to land on any. He rubbed Jay’s fingers absently with his own. “I…I don’t know if I’m in the mood…for this…right now.”

Jay felt himself deflate under the crushing weight of returning reality. “What? Why? What do you mean?” he said, unable to keep the panic out of his voice.

“I just– it's nothing you did, and it's not that I don't enjoy it, but… maybe we could just...talk, tonight?"

Jay’s pulse quickened. A litany of unsavory thoughts spiraled in his brain, a tornado of self-loathing that had long since been percolating, just waiting for an excuse to gain momentum. He’d made Geo uncomfortable. How? This was supposed to be the fix. The smooth-over, the nonverbal apology for every passive-aggressive comment that spilled from his mouth that night. How had he managed to mess this up too? “Talk? That’s— no, I’m not good at talking. Please, I’m not— this is the only thing I’m good at,” he said, the words spilling from his mouth before he could stop them. “Please, Geo, this is the only thing I’m good at. Don’t take that away from me, I—” He caught himself mid-sentence, realization sinking in at Geo’s increasingly concerned expression. “...No. I’m sorry. It’s fine, actually. I don’t even care. That’s fine. No worries, I’ll just— I’m gonna go, then.”

He started to push himself to his feet, and Geo hurried to grasp his arms, pulling him back. “Jay,” Geo said, voice as firm as his grip. “Stay. It’s alright, you don’t have to leave.”

 “Yes I do. I can’t do all this…this…talking. All these emotions. I told you, I’m not good at it. I’m not good at it like you, I don’t— all I do is make people feel bad.”

“You’re not trying to.”

"Sometimes I am. Sometimes I enjoy it, too. I’m really, really good at making people feel bad, Geo. But this…this is the one time where I feel like I can make people feel good, and…” His chest tightened along with his throat, and his eyes stung with tears that threatened to form. He heaved a dry sob, like a breath caught in reverse. “If I’m not good at that, what am I? Just some asshole with amnesia? Geo, I don’t know who the fuck I am. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t—” The floodgates burst, sending rivers of electrified tears streaming down his cheeks in a trail of static shocks. His shoulders shuddered as another sob overtook him. “I don’t know who I am.”

“Hey, hey now, it’s alright.” Geo reached up to swipe at Jay’s tears, jumping slightly at the static that crackled on his thumb. He shook it off, wholly undeterred. “Come on. Come here.” He shuffled himself further onto the bed and laid down on the pillows, beckoning Jay to join him with wide, open arms. 

Jay sniffled, staring at him for a long moment before he finally gave in— what more did he have to lose? His dignity was already long gone. He crawled over to him and flopped into Geo’s arms, head landing on his chest. Geo completed the gesture by wrapping his arms tightly around Jay’s upper body in turn. 

As soon he sunk into the embrace, the sobs increased in intensity, and the tears poured onto Geo’s shirt. Geo only held him tighter, a granted permission that Jay had never even given himself: to cry freely.

Neither of them spoke. Jay wouldn’t even think of attempting it in that state, lest he be reduced to even more of a blubbering mess; he’d admitted plenty already, and Geo didn’t seem to mind the lack of conversation. He merely hummed a comforting tune under his breath and rubbed gentle circles into Jay’s back. It was a strange sensation, to be cared for. Jay wasn’t sure he knew what to do with it. He didn’t understand how Geo offered it so easily, like it was second nature to him. But the embrace felt…nice, Jay supposed. 

He had no idea if he’d ever cried like this before. It certainly felt like a first. Had the old him sobbed on Nya or Cole’s chest? Did he cry over every little thing, or had it only happened when he reached a breaking point? Did he feel as ashamed of his tears then as he did now? Jay had no answers for any of those questions, and wasn’t sure if he truthfully wanted them. All he knew was that, be it a first or not, he was sobbing in Geo’s arms. And in some odd, twisted way, it felt good. 

He wasn’t sure how long he cried. It ebbed and flowed like a wave, building up to a crescendo just to crash and settle once more. Eventually, though, his tear ducts began to dry up, and the tightness in his chest began to ease. Geo wordlessly stretched an arm over to the nightstand to grab a tissue, which Jay gratefully accepted— he felt like he was drowning in his own facial fluids, and was eager to regain some composure. Geo just laid there, observing while Jay aggressively wiped his face, blew his nose, and tossed the balled-up tissue onto the floor. Jay let his head fall back on Geo’s chest. His neck felt weak. And Geo was warm. “Don’t tell Cole or Nya about this,” he mumbled.

“About what? You littering tissues on my floor?” Geo said, earning a slight amused huff.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I won’t. But having emotions isn’t a crime, you know. I don’t think either of them would judge you for it.”

“They should. It’s gross. I hate it. Don’t tell them.”

Geo chuckled softly, the heave of his chest shaking Jay’s head. “I won’t, I won’t.” 

“Good.” He considered leaving it at that, but a dreaded seed of guilt began nagging at the back of his tired mind. He curled his arm around Geo’s torso and sniffed. “...Thanks.”

Geo craned his neck to place a gentle kiss on the top of his head, amidst his fluffy curls. Barely did it graze his scalp, but he felt it resonate down to his very core. “Any time.”

They laid there in silence for longer than Jay could keep track of, despite his attempts to keep time by the ticking wall clock and the beating of Geo’s heart. It thump-thumped a steady rhythm, as dependable as its carrier. Slowly, the internal lullaby lured him into a deep, inescapable slumber.

✧《✩》✧

Cole

Despite having their own room in the Monastery, neither Spitz nor Fritz would be deterred from sleeping in their ‘own beds’ that night. Cole certainly couldn’t deny them that, even though he was well aware they’d be sleeping in his arms before they even arrived—and they were. Or, at least Spitz was. Fritz was determined to walk regardless of his barely open eyes, guided like a sleepwalker by Cole’s hand. 

He didn’t blame the two of them for wanting to come back. While the monastery was like a home to him, the first to take him in after striking out on his own, the Finder’s residence was his home. His, Geo’s, Bonzle’s, Spitz and Fritz’s. Maybe it was once made from necessity, a lack of freedom…but it became a choice to stay. And it was a choice he was happy to keep making.

The house was quiet and dark when they walked in. Curious, he had expected at least a couple lights, or to hear some muted conversation. Everything felt so…still. Cole shifted Spitz on his hip. “Bonzle, can you take the kids to their room? I gotta check on the love birds.”

“Can do,” Bonzle said, reaching out to take Spitz from Cole with a soft grunt of effort. Cole transferred Fritz’s hand to hers and the three adoptive siblings made their way to the younger one’s bedroom. 

Cole smiled after them, and then turned his attention to the closed door across the hall. He approached cautiously and gave a small knock. “Jay, Geo? I’m home.�� Without a response, he tried the doorknob—unlocked—and opened the door as quietly as he could muster.

It was dark in the bedroom, too. As Cole peered in, a strip of soft blue light illuminated the pair sleeping on the bed above the blankets, still fully clothed. Jay was laying somewhat on top of Geo, with his head resting on his chest and one of Geo’s arms draped loosely across his back. It was as heartwarming a sight as it was surprising to see Jay cuddled up on Geo the way he used to cuddle up on Cole. The way he denied ever doing before.

Geo peeked open an eye as the light hit him, sleepy confusion giving way to a smile when he noticed his partner standing in the doorway. He beckoned for him, and Cole was quick to comply, leaning down to give Geo a peck on the lips before gingerly climbing into bed. He moved slow and deliberately so as not to wake sleeping beauty, managing to position himself in a spooning position against Jay’s back with his head on the pillow next to Geo. He stacked his arm on top of the one that currently cradled Jay, enveloping him in a dual hug. 

Jay shifted and let out a muffled groan, and Cole froze, unsure if Jay would appreciate or allow the intrusion. It wasn’t long before he got his answer by way of Jay’s hand fumbling into theirs, weakly grasping at their wrists and pulling them tighter around his body. He stretched his legs, shimmied his shoulders, and let out a long, drawn-out sigh—content, or perhaps resigned— before settling back into sleep between the two of them.

Tension released from Cole’s shoulders, and he sighed happily in turn. Whether or not Jay would acknowledge this night ever again, much less allow it to be more than a fluke, Cole would appreciate every moment while he had it, this glimpse of his old jay resurfacing.

I know you’re in there, Jay, was the last thought that crossed Cole’s mind as rest began to claim him. And we’re right here.

[melishade]

Attack on Prime New Age Anthology: Reminiscing

Main Story

Return to that Sick Mind II

Return to that Sick Mind III

Return to that Sick Mind IV

The TFP Kids and the Survey Corps share memories about Optimus.

"You know," Jack began, "I don't think we've ever seen Optimus that expressive before."

Armin was lying down on the bed, looking up at the blank ceiling. He turned his head to face Jack, and the older gentleman was leaning against the space where the glass and wall merged.

"He got angry at you guys for coming out to fight," Jack explained, "The idea of Optimus panicking seems surreal. And then...the screaming over the comm. link system."

Armin sighed at that, knowing what Jack was referring to. The moments right after the power of the titans had ended.

"We know it's Optimus now, but...he just seems so different," Jack confessed.

"...How did Optimus use to act when he was leader of the Autobots?" Armin asked.

"Stoic, assured, never really wore his emotions out on his sleeves," Jack explained, "One time I asked him if he wanted to see something funny, but he just said 'no' so bluntly. It didn't mean he didn't care about us or anything. I think it was just a lot of responsibility."

"I did ask him one time if I could come to the Arctic with him and see snow," Rafael chimed in, tying away on his laptop, "He said no, but he promised he would bring me back a snowball. That didn't happen because we had a scraplet infestation, but I did get to see the Arctic later."

"We get snow on the island," Armin explained, "And we had to rent out a place for Optimus to stay in because he didn't want to use all the resources on the neutral ship or make the trips at all. We even made him a large blanket for him to use and keep warm."

"Really?" Rafael asked in surprise.

"Aw, that's sweet," Miko cooed, lying on her back perpendicular to her bed.

"Yeah, Optimus doesn't like winter time," Hanji snickered, knocking their knuckles against the floor to try and find a loose panel.

"Did he wear the blanket like a cape?" Miko asked.

"He did!" Hanji exclaimed with excitement.

"Damn it! I want pictures!" Miko shouted.

"I don't like winter, but Optimus made it just a little bit bearable," Sasha proclaimed, "He told us a lot of his battles on Earth, managed to draw in a whole crowd of people with his story telling."

"Gotta be a good speaker to be a good leader," Jack declared.

"Yeah, we also got into a snowball fight with him," Sasha added.

Miko shot up from the bed while Jack and Rafael snapped their heads at her.

"Optimus Prime? 'Primes don't party'? Was in a snowball fight?!" Miko screeched.

"I concede, some of it was my fault." Hanji raised their hand.

"How the hell do you get Optimus to participate in a snowball fight?!" Jack demanded.

"Well, they asked." Hanji pointed to Armin's cell next to them, "And the minute I phrased it as a 'training exercise', he started annihilating the 104th left and right."

"Sounds about right," Rafael commented.

"Did you know that he lost!" Sasha screeched in anger.

"HE LOST?!" They all screamed.

"Yeah, somehow Armin managed to get him in the back! Which I'm still pressed about!" Sasha shouted.

"Yeah, I guess I got lucky." Armin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, some luck! I want to join in on the snowball fight next time!" Miko declared.

"Miko, he's probably not-!"

"He's not escaping this!" Miko cut Rafael off.

"That's insane. Optimus never participated in any recreational activities. Now he's out here having snowball fights," Jack said in disbelief.

"Optimus was still quite reserved when we first met him," Hanji explained, "It did take a lot of talks and coaxing to really get him out of his shell."

"I mean, you guys did a pretty great job," Jack praised.

"I think part of it was that initially, Optimus was considered a threat among our people," Hanji explained.

"Really?" Miko deadpanned.

"Optimus is a giant, metal, titan and we thought humanity was extinct by man-eating titans. How do you think that'll make the population feel?" Hanji pressed their ear against the floor, "He wasn't exalted or worship as a Prime. He was feared. Then many of us started seeing him as an ally and equal. One of the big things Optimus did to gain Levi's trust was prepare the bodies of his former squad for a funeral."

"That's really thoughtful," Miko declared.

"It...definitely helped a lot of us with the grieving process," Hanji admitted.

"Wait, what do you mean worshipped?" Willy asked, awakened by the conversation at hand.

"According to Ratchet, being a Prime is the highest honor a Cybertronian can receive," Rafael explained, "It's like being ordained by god."

"...you're kidding, right?" Colt asked.

"He literally went down to the core of their planet, which has his god Primus, and he gave Optimus the Matrix," Rafael explained, "Not to mention all the cool stuff he can access with it."

"The Forge of Solus Prime, which made anything with a swing. It's broken now. The Star Saber. You guys saw it cut up the Colossal Titans," Miko listed, "Hey Jack, do you still have the Key to Vector Sigma?"

"The what?" Armin asked in confusion.

Jack dug into his pockets and pulled out a glowing rectangular metal sheet. "Managed to snag it before the rest of my clothes got taken from me."

"What does that do?" Onyankopon asked, exiting from the makeshift bathroom.

"We had to use it to download Optimus' memories when he got amnesia," Jack answered.

"Amnesia?!" Gabi sounded panicked, "When did Optimus get amnesia?!"

"There was a world ending event we had on Earth," Jack explained, "Optimus and the Autobots went to stop it, and Optimus had to use the Matrix in his chest to stop the event from happening and the Earth from getting destroyed. It caused his memories to get wiped and for him to revert back to Orion Pax."

"And then Buckethead kidnapped him," Miko seethed.

"Wow, Megatron, it just gets worse for you," Hanji muttered under their breath.

"Optimus gave me the key and told me it was for the groundbridge power supply," Jack explained, "I ended up going to Cybertron with Arcee to download his memories."

"Wow, Optimus lied to you and you didn't notice?" Hanji raised their head from the floor.

"Hey, things were pretty tense," Jack retorted.

"Optimus is a shit liar!" Hanji exclaimed.

"Look, he probably gave it to me and lied about it because he knew the others would try to stop him," Jack assumed, "Optimus...let me keep it after we got him back."

"...Optimus never let us keep any important relics," Hanji muttered.

"Didn't he start teaching you how to read their language?" Armin recalled.

"Whoa, you can read Cybertronian?" Rafael asked in surprise.

"The older language. The Golden Age Text." Hanji waved off.

"Still, that's impressive," Rafael praised.

"Thanks." Hanji rubbed the back of their head.

"...Hey how did Optimus handle the war being over?" Miko couldn't help but ask, "The Bots handled it differently, but Boss Bot was away from Cybertron."

"Yeah...Optimus was sad about it," Armin explained.

"Really?" Jack asked with concern.

"I think he was sad about the fact that he couldn't go back home," Armin explained, "The neutral ship was mainly used for spare parts. We couldn't use it for communications or transportation. Arcee and Wheeljack weren't there at the time, and Megatron said he got thrown through a spacebridge, so he didn't remember the way back. Optimus was stranded on another world, and...majority of that world hated him and wanted him gone."

Gabi felt her stomach drop at Armin's explanation, and she covered her mouth and curled up into a ball to hide her tears. Willy darted his eyes in guilt while Colt stared in pity.

"But that doesn't mean we didn't do something nice for him!" Hanji declared, "We scavenged for every single book on the walls and a few from Marley and got him a library to keep, since he used to be an archivist and all!"

"You guys made Optimus a library?" Jack couldn't help but smile.

"Why not?" Hanji smiled back, "We care about Optimus. He's our ally and friend."

Jack looked down at the key card and smiled. "Thanks."

"For what?" Armin asked.

"For watching out for Optimus and taking care of him," Jack elaborated, "Sounds like you guys really made Optimus happy."

"We tried our best." Hanji shrugged, "Although, can't say I've made it easier for him. One time, he told us about Halloween, and I threatened to wipe some information from the neutral ship if he didn't tell us more scary stories."

"He told you scary stories?!" Miko exclaimed.

"Yeah, and we made a betting pool on it!" Hanji cackled, "And then Buckethead ruined the whole thing with a Cybertronian horror story!"

"Who won the pot?!" Miko asked.

"Mikasa!" Hanji grinned, "She wouldn't crack until Megatron told his story! Oh, and he also told us about a holiday called 'Day of the Dead'-!"

"He told you about Dia de Los Muertos?" Rafael asked in surprise and excitement, "He still remembered what I told him?"

"We couldn't do a massive festival, but we did have a toast in the cemetery where our comrades were buried," Armin explained, "It was nice."

Rafael set his laptop down and stood up. "We we're done, I'm taking everyone to a proper festival! We'll make altars and we'll eat concha bread and dance!"

"What's concha bread?!" Sasha asked with excitement.

Jack watched with a small smile as the conversation continued. The spy felt something vibrate in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He opened his text messages and read the most recent one.

Inquire about Eren Jaeger.

Jack started typing back. They don't want to talk about him yet.

We looked into Megatron's mind with the cortical psychic patch.

Jack typed furiously. Whoa! What?!

We've learned information about Eren Jaeger, but Megatron has confessed that he has a negative bias towards him.

I thought the patch didn't alter memories.

We still need more information on Eren. There is information that is missing. We need a different perspective.

Jack sighed to himself before standing up. "Gotta go to the bathroom." He walked over to the back and opened the door to the makeshift bathroom. He locked the door and took a deep breath before texting Ultra Magnus once more.

What did you find?

Jack waited. He saw the bubbles, waiting for the message to be sent. Jack was confused when he got a video. He played the video and closed the lid of the toilet before sitting down on it.

“Wait! Eren, please! Please listen to me!” Jack heard Optimus' voice, “Don’t activate the Colossal Titans within the wall! I understand your fear of Marley and the rest of the humans on this world! But this is not the way to handle the situation! You have the titan power; you have weakened Marley! That alone should be enough!”

Jack took noticed of Eren, the same armored titan that showed up in the feed. He looked like he was nervous, hesitating.

 “This violence; this lust for vengeance will only lead to more destruction and devastation!” Optimus declared, “Listen to reason, Eren! Stand down now, and let us come with a better solution!”

Eren growled as he threatened to scream, but Optimus continued. “Listen to me, Eren! If you activate the rumbling, you will not only be destroying the entire world but the island as well! The people you wish to protect: Historia, Mikasa, Armin, the Survey Corps will be affected! Innocent humans, both Marleyan and Eldian who had nothing to do with attacks against the island, will be killed in the ensuing chaos! The entire world will be devastated, and the only ones that have survived will only see this action as a tasteless once! Creating a new world on mountains of bodies and rivers of blood is not justified! If you do this, you will only be seen as a monster, regardless of your motivation!”

“Eren, I know this isn’t the path that you want, and if you stand down now we can find another solution! This isn’t the path to peace! Think for one second about the weight of your actions! If you do this, you will cause humanity’s extinction! That will be with you for the rest of your life! Do you really wish to be the one?! Do you really wish to be the cause of the death and destruction of all of mankind?!”

Jack leaned forward as he saw Optimus take slow steps towards Eren.

“That’s enough, Eren,” Optimus whispered, holding out his servo, “Please, come home.”

Jack knew what came next. This guy made up his mind. He witnessed that decision, but he still grew ridged when he heard the titan speak. He didn't understand what he said because of the lack of lips, but it caused Optimus to scream his name and reach out for him. Jack covered his mouth in shock as something shot his head off, but then a centipede emerged from the spine and reconnected with the head. Jack had stopped the video once he saw the walls beginning to fall. He took deep and heavy breaths, trying to calm his nerves. He never felt so sick, and Jack was now left with one raging question in his mind.

How the hell does someone get pushed so far into believing that genocide is the only option?

(Okay, so for reference:

Halloween Anthology: Optimus tells scary stories from Earth to the Survey Corps in honor of the Halloween Spirit. Bonus: Dia de Los Muertos: Optimus and the Survey Corps honor the ones that they have lost. Winter Anthology:  Optimus and the Survey Corps navigate the every changing twists and turns of the weather as the seasons change from fall to spring.

Like these are canon to the AOP story. Just as a reminder.)

[the-ikran-man]

@recom-week Secret Prompt: Horror: Existential - Eldritch - Cosmic

Warning:

Some cursing

---

Log 1: Miles Quaritch

It's been at least 7 hours since I woke up in this ship. Stuck in that death trap they call a tank. I had to break it to get out, no matter how much I yelled, no one came to help me, cut myself up pretty badly.

I found some clothes, which is good, but I haven't seen anyone else yet, which is...not good.

I'll explore some more later on, or tomorrow, time is hard to gauge out here, it could have been a whole week for all I know.

---

Log 2: Miles Quaritch

Figured I'd map out the place, know where I am and everything. Found a working tablet, started using that. It's a temporary fix, I know, it'll run out of power at some point, but for now, it's the best I got.

---

Log 3: Miles Quaritch

Found something that could be considered food while I was mapping out more of the ship. Weird outer space crap I wouldn't even feed to a dog.

At least I got something to eat now, beggars can't be choosers. Especially right now. Who knows if I'll find anything else.

---

Log 6: Miles Quaritch

Fuck, I don't know when my luck really kicked in, but I found-

I found Wainfleet, I've never been so glad to see his ugly mug in my entire life. He was hidden away in this storage room, huddled up in the corner, shaking like a leaf.

He's been muttering about things in the walls ever since I found him. Don't know how long he's been here, hiding, but he must have woken up before me, if the state of the place is anything to go by.

Feels good to not be alone anymore though.

---

Log 9: Miles Quaritch

I'm a little bugged out about the things Lyle's been muttering about. Things in the walls. Too many eyes, too many teeth. That's real freaky, considering I haven't seen heads or tails of anything outside of us. Think his paranoia is getting to me.

I'm a little more cautious when I go out to map the final parts of the ship.

---

Log 12: Miles Quaritch

Lyle's started following me around. First time he's come out of his little hidey hole. He sticks too close, like a lost kid, his tail curled around some part of me at all times.

Really haven't seen him this freaked out before.

I found some more food, gave it to him, don't know when's the last time he's had anything resembling a meal. He struggles to get it down like he's forgotten how to eat.

---

Lyle doesn't get any better over the course of days. if anything he gets worse. Quaritch had a place he went to when he wasn't moving about the ship, but Lyle refused to go anywhere near it, shoving himself back into that storage room to hide.

"It's safe, it's safe, it's safe," he mutter when Quaritch tried to get answers out of him about it. He'd never explained beyond that.

He'd point out areas and things like something was going to leap out of them ready to attack, trembling like a baby deer.

---

"No..." Lyle whispers as he presses himself further against the wall, like if he tried hard enough he'd merge with it.

Quaritch is over in the doorway, braid in hand, having decided to take matters into his own hands.

"It's either this or you tell me what you've been seeing that got you ready to jump out the airlock."

Lyle cowered.

"Braid way it is then," Quaritch said, moving further into the room.

Lyle doesn't make it easy, letting out such a screech it makes Quaritch's ears go back, though doesn't really stop him.

They struggle in the space, Quaritch just trying to get Lyle to connect with him so he could just see whatever is going on in Lyle's head, so he could understand why he was freaking out so much.

Quaritch wins out in the end.

He doesn't like what he finds, what he sees, wht he feels.

---

Separating from Lyle is like trying to pull sandpaper off your arm, like attempting to swallow when your throat is dry and raw.

Lyle curls up in a ball, sobbing in broken notes as Quaritch pulls away, from him moving quickly away from him, his chest heaving, reaching and gripping the doorway with trembling hands as he tries to comprehend what he'd just experienced.

"You saw them too, you saw them too," he can just hear Lyle say-no, whimper, the other rocking jerkily back and forth.

Quaritch doesn't stay in there. He can't.

He flees from there, to the safety of his own space, finding a something solid to sit against.

He tries to tell himself that he was going to be fine. What he'd seen, what Lyle had- he hadn't seen anything right in front of his face, maybe Lyle was just messed up so bad being out here by himself, before Quaritch showed up and found him, that's he'd started to imagine things.

Yeah, that had to be, that's what it was.

That's all.

---

And then some time later, once he's managed to convince himself that he'd experienced through Lyle hadn't been real, when he's falling back into his sort of new routine, he hears them.

In the walls.

---- --- ---

A/N: Recom week has been so fun for us to participate in. We don't normally join in on these types of things, but we're really glad we did this time.

[head---ache]

how do you design your fankids? i wanna design a fankid for my favorite ship and you were the first person to come into my mind so...do you have any tips?

I'm not sure how to explain myself, but I'll try!!!!

My first couple of tips actually work with any character you would want to make, not just fankids. The first thing is to think of a personality! Doesn't have to be a super complicated one, to just start with one main personality trait is good enough, to base the first pass of the design off of that:] You can take in consideration shape language for this!! If you aren't familiar with it, a very shortened explanation is: triangles=dangerous, usually villains are very triangular, squares=serious, or generally stubborn characters, and circles=friendly, this is why you usually see main characters from kids media being very round:] You can see I did this with Lash and Destiny the most!!!

Since most of the canon Sonic characters have powers, surely their kids will too!! You can also take that into consideration for the design!! I don't usually do it too much, since it's a bit harder to show in a design, but I did do it with Destiny!! -again lol- It's just a good way to tell more of your character's story just by the way they look:]

Now specifically for fankids, I usually make two first passes, each one looks more like one parent than the other, and later I merge the things I like the most of those designs into a new one. This is how you get your character looking like both of their parents!! I usually try to make it obvious who the character's parents are, but with rare ships is a bit harder lol I still did it with Bria tho!! And Sparks as well.

I usually try to stay away from mixing the parent's colors into one??? Like, blonde dad and redhead mother isn't going to result in an orange haired kid, that isn't how genetics work lol But that's just personal preferrence!!! It also helps making the kid actually look like their child rather than a fusion.

Also, this isn't much of a tip, rather just one thing I like to keep in mind, that the kid can have their own personality, it doesn't need to be just like their parents' lol

And that's all that comes to my mind rn!! Hope it's helpful!! And I'm SOOO glad you want to try!!!

[seekerreads]

Why I DNFed The Mad Ship: Rant Review

Warning for spoilers. Don't read further than this if you want to keep this book unspoiled for you.

stopped at 32%.

I'm so fucking upset with this book.

I've been struggling with Liveship Trader's since the first book, wherein my biggest problems were not liking most of the characters and how it felt like the 'good guys' were just endlessly going through the shit and the 'bad guys' just kept getting away with it. Disheartening as someone trying to be invested in the plot and repetitive from a technical standpoint. I managed to get through to the end by skimming and leaving it at a low rating, and finally moved on to The Mad Ship.

As I'm sitting here writing this I'm literally sick to my stomach.

This book? Almost completely torture porn. And I might be exaggerating that because of how awful a mood I'm in now because of it but there's just genuinely no excuse for this. Not only are all the problems I had with the first book still present and worse, there's a whole new bevy of traumatic situations the author is just dropping in for fun, it seems like.

The plotline with Malta who is 12?? 13?? And her suitor who I'm almost completely sure is close to 20? Disgusting. Not only is this man relentlessly pursuing a CHILD, but her family gives in after a few token protests because it makes things EASIER on them financially. Let it be said I don't actually like Malta one bit, but I can recognize most of her awfulness is from being a child who doesn't know any better. That is NO excuse to let this grown man groom her and have everyone act like it's perfectly fine. Not making this a separate point because I don't know if it actually comes to be something later on in the story, but I'm getting serious creep vibes between Kennit and Wintrow as well. I'll provide quotes for you to see what I mean:

He had expected Etta. Instead, it was the boy. He stood uncertainly in the door. The dim companionway framed him and the light from the stern windows fell on his face. His tattoo was hidden in shadow. His face was unflawed and open. ‘Captain Kennit?’ he queried in a low voice. ‘Did I wake you?’ ‘Not at all. Come in.’ He could not say why the sight of Wintrow was like balm to his spirit. Perhaps it had to do with the ship’s feelings. The boy’s appearance had improved since he had been in Kennit’s care. He smiled at the youth as he approached the bed, and had the pleasure of seeing the boy shyly return it. His coarse black hair was sleeked back from his face and bound into the traditional seaman’s queue. The clothing Etta had sewn suited him well. The loose white shirt, a bit large for him, was tucked into his dark blue trousers. He was small for his age, a lean and supple youth. Wind and sun had weathered the boy’s face. The warm colour of his skin, his white teeth and dark eyes, the dark trousers merging into the darkness of the corridor behind him: it was all a chance composition of perfect light and shadow. Even the hesitant, questioning look on his face was perfect as he emerged from dimness into the muted light of the chamber.

It brought him great satisfaction to see Wintrow hasten to obey his commands. The boy knew how to take an order; now, that was a useful thing in a pretty lad, and no mistake. He did not know his way about Kennit’s possessions. Etta was better at matching up his clothes, but what Wintrow had set out was serviceable enough. There would be plenty of time to educate his eye for dress.

I do not like reading about Adult/Minor relationships. Especially when those minors are 12 and 14.

A shorter point but there is so much graphic slavery in this book. I knew that going in from the last book but the amount of detail into it feels very unnecessary. We know slavery is bad. We don't need repeated detail about how awful these people are being treated. 

The MAIN thing that made me decide to DNF this is the Satrap (a king/emperor title in this universe for those of you who do not know) orders one of his Companions of the Heart (sort of a mix between an advisor and a platonic concubine?) to be raped by the crew of the ship they're on because she refused to have sex with him. This scene made me genuinely sick to my stomach because I, somewhat feebly after the torture ride of this series I've already been through so far, thought he would falter at the last minute or change his mind in some sort of sick power play. But no. I skipped ahead to her next POV chapter and while it doesn't go into too much graphic detail (too much for me, but my tolerance for rape in fiction isn't particularly high) it's the scene that comes right after that, when she goes back to her rooms and he's waiting for her there, whining and crying at the fact that she's mad at him, that ended my interest in this book. I literally never want to lay eyes on this paragraph again but I need to put it here so you can understand the depths of my anger and disgust.

‘I do not see that you took great hurt from it,’ he declared defensively. ‘You are walking and talking and being as cruel to me as you always were. You women make so much of this! After all, it is what men naturally do to women. It is what you were made for, but refused to grant me!’ He plucked petulantly at his blankets and muttered, ‘Rape is nothing but an idea women created, to pretend that a man can steal what you have an infinite supply of. You took no permanent harm from it. It was a rough jest, I admit, and ill considered…but I do not deserve to die for it.’ He turned his head and faced the bulkhead. ‘No doubt when I am dead, you will experience more of it,’ he pointed out with childish satisfaction.

I am in genuine disbelief that a woman wrote this book. I don't give a single fuck that it's made obvious to the reader that what happened was morally wrong, there is NO excuse in my mind to write something so horrifyingly evil towards women. I cannot believe this is the same woman who wrote the Farseer Trilogy. Not to say that nothing bad ever happened in those books, but when bad things did happen they had a PURPOSE. They didn't feel sprinkled in just for the sake of it, they felt necessary to plot and character development. This? This feels almost...cheap. A cop-out to develop this character by using the extremely misogynistic trope of "rape making a woman stronger" that I absolutely loathe. I wanted to push through these books even if I didn't like much about them to get back to the main characters but it's not an exaggeration to say this plot point ruined the entire series for me. Hobb writing this scene feels like her giving blanket warning that she will use the abuse and rape of women to further plot even moreso in later books, and I'm not going to put myself through that. It's heartbreaking to see as much potential as the Farseer Trilogy had go down the drain with one decision but there's nothing in mind that justifies what she did here. I'm done.

[asystemfromrussia]

"The curse of the mermaid" by Green Apelsin

"On her toes, during the dark night, her shadow creeps,

Avoiding a wedding, she won't return to her father's¹ house.

The cruel fate's fault it was that she, on a ship with the black flag,

Sneaked to the pirates, throwing a lonely gaze.

There's a girl on board! Disaster shall happen!

Her dress floats in circles, and it's best she accepts her fate,

There's a girl on board, so let me drown,

On a walk on the board, greet her, water!

Too late, dear (man)*, but don't be afraid,

Give yourself to the sea devil.

The body drowns, give it time,

I am your nightmare and the devil of sea waves.

The devil of sea waves...

The devil of sea waves...

Over the water lies an impassable fog,

The captain lost his way, driven by madness

He hears a soft and so painfully familiar voice

Incapable of resisting the beauty of her face

There's a girl overboard! It's impossible not to fall in love!²

The song's ringing caresses the ears, it's best he accepts his fate,

There's a girl overboard! He wants to drown!

The pirate's ready to give everything up to merge with her lips!

Too late, dear (man), but don't be afraid,

Give yourself to the sea devil.

The body drowns, give it time,

I am your nightmare and the devil of sea waves.

Her curse is the sweet taste of revenge,

Her tail is her torn dress.

She doesn't feel pity for the captain,³

The mermaid remembers the misery of death."

¹ "отчий" can be translated as "father's" or "the home that raised you/you grew up in"

* "dear" can be both feminine and masculine in Russian. In this context, it's masculine, meaning the mermaid is referring to the captain.

² Literal translation of this sentence says, "try not to fall in love," which in Russian means it's impossible not to.

³ Once again, the literal translation varies. I am either unaware, or there is just no accurate translation of that sentence. This author refers to the mermaid not feeling pity for sacrificing/taking his life.

Explanation: This song is made with Russian and Easter motives with a modern twist, telling a story of a girl who ran away from home and accidentally got on a pirate's ship. The captain of the ship killed her, and the girl turned into a mermaid tho came to take revenge on the captain and killed him by the end of the song.

Russian and Eastern folklore are incredibly sinister. It's rare that either gives mercy to their characters. As far as I'm aware, there's also not much distinction between mermaids and sirens in our folklore, as mermaids are Slavic-Eastern mythology/folklore, while sirens are Greek mythology. In Slavic culture, mermaids were believed to guard water sources, and they did not like people of any age. In some versions, they threw stones at them, in others tickled and drowned, and in others, seduced men to drown them.

-host

[tetrathewizard]

Hi there it's the Doctor! (No relation to Doctor Who lol) I just lost an rp partner who I was doing a lot of MHA AU rp with and I got a taste for it! I don't write a lot unfortunately, but I do my best. I can promise to write a few sentences per response

I have a ton of ideas I really want to try! Mostly I want to do AUs, maybe use a couple OCs I have? I can play most characters except for AFO, All Might, and Endeavor

Here's my ship list:

Shouto x Eijiro

Izuku x Katsuki (non abusive)

Tamaki x Mirio

Dabi x Hawks

Denki x Hitoshi

The AUs I really wanted to try were:

Spider Deku x Venom Kacchan

Spirited Away

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Fantasy AU

It's where Izuku is the demon king and Katsuki is the hero. In this world human adventures can be revived endlessly by the Mana Tree so it's like a video game. But of course Izuku is in love with Katsuki and doesn't want to hurt him

Fantasy AU Villain Deku

I was thinking that we start off with Izuku being a normal village boy but runs into Tomura. They talk for a bit and later Tomura basically revives the demon king AFO in his village and everyone blames Izuku because he's the village scapegoat. He's treated very badly until he's pushed to the breaking point and Tomura or AFO comes to literally talk him away from a cliff

Alice in Wonderland

I had an idea where Izuku would fall down the rabbit hole as a kid. But once he's there the world naturally starts to force him to take on a role. Unfortunately since the King of Hearts has eyes on him...that means Izuku slowly starts to become the Prince of Hearts. His hair becomes white and his eyes will change to red. Once the transformation is complete he won't be able to return home. Izuku is trying to avoid the King of Hearts and find a way to go home while keeping his memories of the real world. A sequel would be him returning to Wonderland as an adult because his mother is dying and he could find a cure there but he faces similar perils and that his reality is starting to merge with Wonderland!

Lovecraftian Cult AU

Izuku Midoriya is a humble police officer in a small town. One night his long lost childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugou comes to him. Izuku is discovered to be the son of an Eldritch Abomination, the King in Yellow. Izuku is then taken to a commune where he is worshipped as a god like entity. Confused and frightened he tries to adjust to this new reality as his powers confirm that their faith is much more than the ravings of lunatics. At the same time he must perform his duties as a guardian of his followers and interact with surrounding cults in the area while the Cult of All for One plots the end of the world...

If any of this looks appealing please feel free to DM me! I know it's very Izuku heavy but that's just who I main as. I'm more than happy to play someone else as the main character. I'm willing to play as Izuku, Shouto, Hitoshi, Mirio, Keigo and others! If you want to add me on Discord, I'm Aria6516

[chaikachi]

When I say crumbs, I do mean crumbs. Not going to stop me from having a lil feast tho cause that's what fandom is all about. :3c

First one is right at the very beginning of the movie. Ruby is talking about who she is and recapping the events of the previous film. She starts by saying:

"Honestly, something wasn't quite right about our world either."

before the shot pans to this:

So of all the things that were noticeably different about Remnant in the first film, the one Ruby brings up as the example to demonstrate is Oscar not being himself.

Which we know was something she found very distressing!

These are the only times Oscar actually shows up in either movie, hence why I say crumbs. The rest will contain some plot spoilers so please tread with caution if you haven't seen the new one yet!

Some context: Ruby has regressed in this movie. She is being reckless and impatient, much like in the earlier volumes. Or a bit like Blake who wouldn't stop to take time & rest before throwing herself into danger. She doesn't seem to care about throwing her life away and isn't thinking before she acts.

There is a brief scene where Yang and The Flash talk about how trauma can negatively affect you. How it can linger and mess with your identity and your ability to feel safe, even after the danger has passed. And how your responses to it can worry the people that care about you...

This scene immediately transitions to Ruby, who is supposed to be resting, running over a dozen combat simulations in one of the Justice League's practice rooms. And the shot it pans to after that conversation about trauma, is her cutting down a carboard cutout that looks like this:

Which, um... I know I have shipping goggles on, but you can't tell me that doesn't look like Oscar??? Of all the NPC hair cuts and colours they could have gone with, this was the final design they chose? HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS.

And we know Ruby's actions are a result of recent trauma and her response to it because they address it about as directly as they could.

After Ruby and Clark finish their practice session, they sit down to have a chat about what's been going on with her. The structure is pretty similar to the Dojo Scene in V5, Ruby and a Farm Boy exchanging some of their worries with each other in a training room. But it's what Ruby says that specifically stands out to me as another RG parallel.

"Did you know I lost my mom when I was a kid? I don't know exactly what happened to her, I don't really remember her, I just have stories. And I keep trying to live up to those stories, but... I realize they don't matter anymore. Heroes fall. And I just want to get as much done as I possibly can before I do."

Which, if we compare to Oscar's resolve in V6, a direct response to the Dojo Scene in V5...

"I don't know how much longer I'm going to be... me. But I did some thinking, and I do know that I want to do everything I can to help with whatever time I have left."

WHICH IS JUST. WHAT ROSEGARDEN ALWAYS DOES. THE SAME THING, BUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.

Both of them committed to the cause. Oscar, in spite of an imminent 'end' via the merge versus Ruby, who apparently took Torchwick's words from V3 to heart. Because she wants to be the hero, and playing that part means to "die like every huntsman in history". So she's just playing along, without any regard for her own safety, waiting for fate to be done with her because she doesn't think she has a chance of surviving, so she doesn't go out of her way to try.

Lastly, both in the comics and in the movies, Ruby's dynamic with Clark is quite a bit similar to her dynamic with Oscar. They're set up as leader parallels and have similar conversations, and Clark is another farm boy with a destiny. So take Ruby blushing as she jumps to hug him at the end of the movie as you will. Cause apparently RG Antis are mad about this being proof she's going to end up with Oscar LMAO

Some of the analyses I do on here are very serious, but seeing as this is a spin-off, non-canon movie, take all of this with a grain of salt. 🤭There are much stronger arguments towards RG in the 9 Volumes of the show itself, but as I mentioned at the beginning, that can't stop us from having a bit of fun with it. That being said, Rosegarden canon and #GreenlightVolume10 already!!!!

and if I tell you there are RG crumbs in the second JL movie...

[sweetlytempests]

in 2021 can we make an agreement to stop telling disappointed shippers to just multiship or polyship as a means to solve shipping disputes. if i don’t like A + B by themselves, why am I suddenly gonna like it because it’s A + B + C. “B has two hands!!!” yes to hold both of C’s hands, A doesn’t need to be up in here at all, stop it. 

[onewomancitadel]

"Jaune and Weiss don't really have much to say to each other and it doesn't carry the same romantic relief Blake and Yang do!" Literally like Jaune and Weiss have NOTHING stringing them together meaningfully to the point that it completely blindsides me how ANYONE in this fandom thinks that they have a real shot at being endgame... it's unfathomable. Like it's beyond my distaste even, it just DOESN'T make sense. What? What??! What are you talking about, FNDM??! Drives me up the WALL. What meaningful interaction have Jaune and Weiss had in recent volumes, and I mean like, an actual interpersonal one, not just "helping you limp away from our enemy who's trying to blow us off a bridge," which is just standard hero etiquette that any of the main cast would do for each other, uhhhh.... they went to the movies with Oscar once. They have such little development together in the show it simply doesn't make sense to me!!!! But also, It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring! Bang-my-head-on-a-desk, open-a-whiskey, shoot-myself-dead BORING!! Emotional complexity? Sorry, we're fresh out! Whiteknight is like looking at the most eclectic assortment of characters you could pair and choosing the one duo that has the emotional texture of watching paint dry as your hill to die on. Sorry. I just really remembered how much this whole whiteknight truthing silliness puts a stick in my craw...

I want you to know that you made me giggle joyfully, so thank you, I really appreciate it and you unironically made my afternoon.

(Also sorry if this turns up in the White/knight tag, scroll on).

To be quite frank, it's honestly good to hear from someone else who sees it the same way I do. I sort of feel like I'm watching a different show. I've read so much serious analysis from other meta writers in the fandom that aren't shippers, but who take Jaune/Weiss as a foregone conclusion, and I'm like, what?

It makes me feel irrational, because ofc I'm just the silly shipper invested in Jaune/Cinder. I'm also not targeting any particular writer here, I just wonder if partly what's motivating it is like... cynicism? Or trying to appear reasonable - I don't ship this thing, but I can see it's canon, which legitimises my own ship?

I wondered if I came off that way about Ruby/Oscar since I'm not an active shipper, but to be quite honest, half the reason I post my sincere opinion that it's probably going to be canon is because I've seen competely benign RG fans get such a bad rap, and as a longtime Reylo I feel protective. I think the age discourse is nonsense, the bad wizard stuff - whilst worth discussing - also should acknowledge Oz and Oscar won't merge, and then like, well a lot of people try to say it's 'problematic' because wielding false concern to delegitimise a rival ship is pretty common nowadays.

On that note of Jaune helping Weiss to safety, honestly I think you could probably argue it's a red herring, that's why I mentioned Cinder being involved throughout that sequence and being jealous?????????????? is significant. I'd go so far to say that Jaune/Weiss isn't romantic but Cinder's jealous it might be. Lol!

In terms of blandness... yeah, I mean, even Ren/Nora which is arguably 'bland' gets its own complexity, and by the time V8 swung around I was a big fan of where it was going. Jaune and Weiss have no tension, they have no angst, they have no chemistry, they have no intersecting character arcs beyond Jaune's personal identity and the issues he wrestles with, Weiss' character arc is not set up for a romance with a character like him. To be quite frank, as the heiress of the Schnee family, I really doubt they would give her a romantic interest like Jaune to outshine the inheritance of her own name.

I also think Weiss might not even get a romance. Her possible romantic interest is fulfilled by her own Summoning, so her own family legacy. Whilst it might be arguable having children should be part of her character arc, the really overt themes of her own independence, and her own path, don't seem to indicate motherhood in her future. She wants to reform the name, and the harm and oppression her family has inflicted on the Faunus. In this case, it might even be argued she has a romance with Ilia, but that might read poorly to some.

So basically, Jaune/Weiss inserts Weiss into a really bad role. Diminishes her own family arc, makes her beholden to him, is boring, does nothing for their evolution. Wrestling with a hard decision - a mercy-kill - and telling Ruby, I can see that being a thing they go through considering Jaune and Weiss are two of Ruby's closest friends. But that's more of a Tai and Qrow thing, lol.

But yeah, I want to go so far to say that the 'nice guy waiting patiently for girl' is very gross, and Jaune/Weiss is just soooo bad. Ignore my Jaune/Cinder wishes - it's not good for Weiss. It puts Jaune into the wrong masculine role, too.

Like, the thing with Cinder, is that if you want to talk about all of this - someone needing saving (Weiss rescues herself! She's a Salem/Ozma in one) - the way it would happen with Jaune is a recontextualised Maiden and Knight romance.

Weiss rejects being a princess. Jaune and Weiss are not knight and princess. Cinder is the one who wants to be a Maiden. Cinder's the one who's never had any family, who had to take a name for herself, who's killed things. I don't think motherhood makes sense in Weiss' arc, but if it did in anybody's it would be Cinder's, for the regenerative aspect of it, the family. The thing with the Jaune/Cinder pairing, is that you get a recontextualised traditional gender dynamic and it's really good.

And their arcs have been related to each other. For so long.

Oh just looking at this makes me so happy. Oh! Oh!

But yeah, idk. Jaune/Weiss has no set-up. I've gone back and watched all of the scenes, the biggest thing it is is a red herring to the Jaune/Cinder romance that's soooo obvious in retrospect. It's like when Blake/Yang went canon in V6, suddenly I was like omg we weren't getting it wrong! It really was meant to be that intense!

From what I've read, taking Jaune/Weiss as canon fulfills pairing the spares, and ignores Cinder (and ignores Cindemption), and also ignores Jaune to some degree and Weiss too. It's what you assume if you don't want to think too hard and don't like the characters as much, and like, if you can recognise another ship that's not your own is canon, then yours is more likely, right?

Also I mean, Jaune helping Weiss is chivalry, but I don't think he's helping her with the intent of getting with her. That's sort of the beauty of their (few) interactions beyond Beacon, and to me a romance would kind of... ruin that. Like, if they turned around and said, 'Okay, good boy's waited enough, now the mean girl can finally notice you,' it would diminish his character, especially building up to Jaune helping Cinder.

Okay, the mean girl WILL notice you, but she is really really mean, and all bite, but it's alright, she was looking before you even were. *dreamy sigh*

Hope you are having a fab evening. (: Thank you for your ask, pure joy. <3

[imagineabrighterworld]

Sunshine in the Night pt. 5

It wasn't often that Tokoyami encountered villains while out on a walk, especially on the rare breaks from school. It was almost ironic that he met more villains because of school than out of it. But it was Sunday night when he was thrown into a fight with several villains fresh from escaping a bank.

"Stay where you are and I will not have to resort to violence!" The Jet-Black hero in training shouts at the trio, Dark Shadow already covering him like an impenetrable armor.

The leader laughs, arms full of bags of cash. “You're scarin’ no one kid! Get outta the way if you don't want to get hurt!” From his skin, small missiles are launched in random directions, aimlessly exploding and causing havoc for the civilians around them.

Dark Shadows arms lengthen and catch the missiles headed toward the people still left in the area, crushing them into itself, not minding the explosion as it detonates in itself. It was nighttime, meaning Dark Shadow had plenty of strength to tank a few small explosions. Maybe it had Bakugou to thank for that.

Tokoyami runs at the leader, evading his missiles and weak kicks with his fluid agility. The criminal grunts and drops the money to free his arms, but he only leaves himself open as the young hero plants a well placed hit to his solar plexus, causing the villain to double over in pain.

With another hit, Tokoyami sends the leader into unconsciousness. Taking no chances, he uses his body weight to hold down the villain, his knee planted on the villains back while binding his arms in a tight hold.

“Shit!”

Tokoyami turns his attention to one of the three villains, his eyes narrowing with anger. The lackey’s fists were covered in blood, and there was no questioning where it came from.

Seeing the look on Tokoyami’s face the two lackeys merge into one, setting their sights on fleeing before any more heroes arrive. “Lets get out of here!” But as they merge and grow to a towering height, their body collides with the electrical post next to them, the wires tangling in their hair and around their neck. With a pained shriek, they flail their body and break the transmission lines, effectively sending the city into darkness.

.

He was calm.

Was.

A familiar thrum of power floods Tokoyami as Dark Shadow roars to life, gathering power from the darkness around them. It lifts the villain underneath their grasp and squeezes him in it's claws. The sound of bones grinding against each other would haunt Tokoyami forever.

“Dark Shadow- Stop this!” Tokoyami struggles to pull himself together as Dark Shadow engulfs him. He felt like he was drowning, and all he could hear were the terrified screams of the civilians he had been protecting.

Now they needed protection from him.

What kind of cruel irony was that?

He didn't know what was going on on the outside. He had no sense of time as he vaguely feels Dark Shadow lumber forward, doing who knows what. Muffled screams of fear were all that he could take count of.

It was his own personal hell being stuck inside Dark Shadow.

He felt monstrous.

Like a villain.

It was only when a flare was shot at Dark Shadow that he understood where the dark being was headed.

The familiar face of Hound Dog pierced through the dark, he could make out a flare gun in the counselors hand.

All he remembered next was how loud Dark Shadow screamed when the lights of U.A. shown upon them both, effectively sending the being reeling back into him. 

-   - -

It was silent the next day, and no one knew how to comfort their classmate. No hello’s got through to him, no invitations to lunch, no jokes or jabs even incited a chuckle. Nothing.

He looked haunted, and they knew if they didn't get through to him soon, he would be in an even worse state.

With hushed whispers, the students leave the classroom to go to lunch, leaving him alone as he stays still in his seat, his fists clenched and shaking.

But they didn't leave to escape him. No, they left to bring in a gentle reinforcement. You.

“Hey.”

Tokoyami opens his bloodshot eyes. Forcing himself to look at you, he couldn’t hide the tiredness he felt. He couldn't force himself to lie to you. But couldn't force himself to speak either.

You take a seat in front of him, sitting backwards in order to face him. The others had informed you of what happened. It was hard to imagine the normally chipper Dark Shadow to be so violent, to both Tokoyami and to a villain, but it only took a look at him to know they were not exaggerating.

“I want you to know, it's okay to be angry.”

Nothing.

“It's okay to feel angry and upset. To feel used- because I know that look. You told me about your training camp. When Dark Shadow got out of control. How you felt used, like your body wasn't your own. I understand.”

A twitch of a hand.

“But what happened wasn't your fault. You didn't cause damage to do damage. You stepped up to be a hero, and something out of your control happened. That doesn't make you a monster Yami.”

“I could have killed him.” His voice is strangled as it comes out, forced and choppy. He hisses. “I could have killed everyone there, and it would be my fault.”

You stay quiet, waiting for him to continue. But when he doesn't, you inhale and keep going, trying to find the center of what he was feeling.

“Do you see yourself as a monster?”

“Am I not one?” He looks at you intensely, eyes crazed with anguish. “Am I the cage, or am I the lion?”

There it was, the issue he had been burying since the night of the incident. You found it. His breaking point.

You reach out for his hands, using no force at all in order to open them to hold them in your own. Bloody crescents marred his palms where he had dug his nails into his flesh, but for now you ignored it.

Looking him in the eyes, you affirm to him. “You are no monster. You are a hero. You can choose what you want to be Yami, this doesn't control you.” You squeeze his hands and bring them close, hoping your warmth would warm his cold hands. It was as if his body was refusing him comfort. So you would do it for him.

“Forget about what could have been, and think of what can be. That's what is important. What you can do now.” Again you squeeze his hands. Vaguely, you feel him squeeze back. “You can train harder. You can prepare for blackouts and dark nights. You can do so much, Yami. But don't look at the things out of your control.”

A quivering exhale brings your attention to his face. He looked tired, but more at ease, if that made any sense. He squeezes your hands and brings them to his beak. He couldn't kiss, but the sentiment was there as he closes his eyes and breathes in slowly to steady himself.

“Thank you. For your words. And for being here.”

You smile and close your eyes, shuffling in closer and resting your head against his. “I told you, if I was going to be with you, I would be your anchor. You're a ship Romeo, and I’ll be here when you need to slow down and take it easy.” 

He opens his eyes and smiles at you. “I will remember that.”

You kiss his knuckles. “Good.”

Extra: 

“Im sorry! Im sorry!” Dark Shadow scrambles about, waving its arms as it wails, “Never meant to hurt!”

You pat the shadow’s head, an awkward smile on your lips. It had been apologizing profusely ever since you came to walk with Tokoyami after classes were over. “It’s okay, it’s something we have to practice but we know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Right Romeo?” You look at Tokoyami who was- meters away from you.

“Romeo?” You asks again, unsure of why he was so transfixed on the tree next to him.

He snaps his gaze to you, eyes full of wonder as he utters a simple phrase.

“This is an apple tree.”

You don’t know how to respond.

“How long have we been walking past this tree without me knowing?” He sounds affronted as he once again looks at the tree with admiring eyes. Even moreso than he looks at you.

Was it weird to be envious of a fruit tree?

You sigh and continue on your walk. So much for him being yours.

- - -

Tag List: @evierena , @aradias-crypt , @kisshuggay

[y-rhywbeth2]

Depends on her nature and whether she's the same as Durge and the original Bhaalspawn. Sarevok claims she's more closely related to Durge than any of her other kin, and according to word of god deities can pass their divinity on and make new godspawn through their own godspawn (or something?).

On the other hand Durge derides her as a 'mere grandchild' whose divinity is diluted, and Sceleritas dismisses her as simply the offspring of a failed Bhaalspawn and not a true godling. Of course, Sceleritas is biased... Although as he is technically Bhaal, who clearly has a favourite candidate judging by the whole thing where he throws Orin away in Durge playthroughs where they clearly aren't going to win against her, maybe it has merit. idk.

So either she's a mortal with a bit of god in her (tiefling, or adjacent) or she's a Bhaalspawn-Bhaalspawn.

If she's a full-fledged Bhaalspawn then on death her body turns to ashes and cinders and falls to nothing, keeping her from being resurrected, as her divine essence returns directly to Bhaal, as she is chained to that essence and to him. She exists as a wraith-like entity within him/the Throne of Blood, which he can summon at will to serve his whims (he can also resurrect her, if that serves his purposes better) and as she 'failed' him by dying she will apparently spend the rest of eternity in 'suffering you cannot fathom. Each level of pain worse than the first, each layer of torment bringing new tortures. Beneath the suffering is a constant fire. An incessant, horrible burning—the rage and fury of Bhaal searing my immortal soul.'

(Unless that one was specifically for Sarevok, as punishment for trying to usurp his father (who egged him into it), but I can certainly believe Bhaal would do this to everyone.)

tbh that's kind of the end result of any of Bhaal's faithful, his kids just skip the evolution step and go straight to merging with deity.

If she is 'only' a petitioner, then her soul passes to the Fugue where Kelemvor passes judgement (should be faithful) and one of Bhaal's servants comes to collect her soul and take it to the Throne of Blood. They journey through the Astral Plane, memories being syphoned away until her soul arrives on Gehenna, in the Barrens of Doom and Despair, where by default it will - like all other petitioners here - become a larva. As gods are protective and possessive of their petitioners, unlike most larvae these petitioners probably don't get sold or eaten. Bhaal may opt to promote his to something else (and might restore her memories), or restore her humanoid form.

By default it looks like without a god altering them they might become 'Slasraths, built from grotesque worms native to the plane, [they] fly through the void in search of prey to devour. They're quick and quiet, and a body usually doesn't know he's been hunted 'til it's far too late.'

Your neighbours are unpleasant: 'The plane itself is entirely cruel, and those who live here ain’t any better. Here the kinder qualities are seen as weaknesses, and charity or mercy's absolutely unthinkable. Everyone looks out for themselves. and anyone who offers aid certainly expects something in return.'

The specifics for Bhaalists have never been covered.

Like all petitioners, Orin in this situation would have her personality, but not her memory (by default), and the inherent drive to embody Bhaal's values and 'evolve' until they were one and the same being, she part of the chorus of souls working in concert that makes up a god.

I assume that most of his servants are created from his petitioners, so getting sent back to the Prime in undead form as one of the Harrla of Hate is an option. Shipping your souls off to Baator to undergo the process of transforming into a devil, promoting them to imp, and then slapping a silly uniform on them is another.

-

On the other hand - and regardless of which outcome Orin gets - it does sound like people live in the Throne of Blood?

Cespenar was Bhaal’s quartermaster and armorer (making, repairing, and in some cases procuring from others armor for Bhaal’s guards and household; he also saw to metal tools, flatware, and pots and pans). - Ed Greenwood

Why do they need guards who need armour and weapons when you could make them into something with natural armour?

What do they need cutlery for??? They're dead! They don't eat!

I mean you can read that prayer from the guy who is berating himself as a worthless slave who hopes to one day drink from goblets at Bhaal's table in the afterlife, so it's possible that despite all the above you are going to be 'living' in his house forever (not that mortals would have the first clue about what the afterlife is like though, so that's not technically lore).

It's a shame the original Bhaalspawn lore and permadeath mechanic isn't in BG3 (except in BG3 it's not perma because Bhaal is alive and utilising his ability to shove his kids out of his house and back onto the Prime).

It would've been funny the first time.

The party having their first freak out when you die in combat or in any given cutscene and dissolve.

Karlach and Wyll (quite possibly Gale (educated) and Lae'zel (planar) and Shadowheart (may have seen fiends summoned in service to Shar)) immediately recognise what it looks like when a denizen of the Lower Planes 'dies' on the Prime Material. On the one hand it explains so much, on the other, it explains nothing because further study of Durge suggests they are not a fiend polymorphed into a humanoid form?

Or like Astarion draining you dry and the corpse just... dissolves into cinders and ash and blows away? Was... was that supposed to happen? He's pretty sure that's not supposed to happen, but at least he won't have to dispose of the corpse!

And then when they wake up the next morning Durge is just inexplicably there and What The Ever Loving Fuck.

It happens in front of Jaheira and If What She Thinks Just Happened Happened It Better Not Have.

Withers will not explain jack shit when asked.

[dvarapala]

🔥🔥🔥

flame emoji // @psyknife

🔥 did ava sharpe have to be white and blonde? i am all about letting people ship what they ship because she means a lot to a lot of people - as does the ship, and the show in question even though said show has many, many flaws that they need to work on - but i am so bored of two blonde white ladies being treated as the pinnacle of representation. i want to see someone who looks like me fall in love with the leading lady too, damn it!

🔥 and speaking of which: i'm also very tired of leads of color getting ignored in favor of white side characters. like yennefer from the witcher and scott mccall from teen wolf. i'm really very tired of white characters getting a pass while characters of color have to clear big hurdles all the time. it's 2021, almost 2022, and people still think doctor alan deaton is shady just because he's black, gives advice and refuses to jump through hoops for your favorite white werewolves?

and also, what's with this trend of conveniently (?) forgetting what characters of color have gone through? like scott gets flack for everything he does from being too boring to supposedly letting other people fight his battles to flinching away from stiles during their argument in the rain instead of cutting stiles some slack. where is scott's slack, then?

finch from legacies had to essentially assist her grandpa with his suicide as a seven year old which directly informs the way she goes through life and, yes, that means she sees the merge in a different way, perhaps a skewed way, but that doesn't make it any less valid, that doesn't make her fears less valid either. finch makes mistakes but i feel as though nothing she does - good or bad - is ever good enough because she’s not penelope and she’s not hope; i feel as though her mistakes are all people see? look, if you don't vibe with finch, you don't vibe with finch and that's all right but she's literally the closest thing to rep i'm ever gonna have on that show because even though she's not indian but filipina, she is still a brown girl who loves girls and seeing people tear her to pieces all the time is exhausting. because she learns from her mistakes - most of them, anyways, because the writers never addressed all of them outright - even if it's probably not the way most people would want it to go down, and i understand being upset about that, and i get that, but i also think it's kinda unfair that the steps that finch takes to better herself are just ignored and written off entirely.

🔥 and also speaking of things i'm tired of: there is so much casual - and not so casual - racism in fandoms and, yeah, okay, we all know that but, like, can we not? can we stop? because it's really fucked up that the tag "scott is a bad friend" exists because he's not building his life around and listening to stiles all the time always. it's fucked up that scott's traits are given to stiles. 

it’s fucked up that people turned on cleo the moment she attempted to kill hope; it’s fucked up that people turned on kaleb when he lied to hope. yeah, attempted murder is bad, and lying isn’t good, but when that happened, i didn’t see you - you in general, not you the person reading this - stop and think about the fact that cleo was hounded by malivore for the majority of her life, or that kaleb was raked across the coals for it even though he pulled a classic tvd love interest move.

sometimes i wonder, if all of the characters i mentioned above (and below) were white, would people be more lenient? would people be quicker to forgive them for their mishaps and missteps and misdeeds, i wonder?

it's fucked up that i can't really enjoy hope and josie fics that aren't ones i already read or ones my friends write or rec me because (young?) people are out there calling either finch or courtney bandeko a cheap crash bandicoot knockoff and on twitter they’re cheering if it seems like finch won’t be in an episode and it's really making me :/ about hope and josie you know? which is sad because i love hope and josie and i don’t want that ship to be ruined for me. it’s just so exhausting to be in fandoms, knowing that there is no space for you. if you want to consume content, you're gonna have to either make it yourself or be made uncomfortable by name calling and casual racism instead.

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

To Do List:

What's up, my Herd of Nerds?

Anyway, as you can tell, tomorrow is AU Sunday. But, because it's one after a 'my input' one, it's a follower input AU day! Yay!

So, send me your AUs and I'll put all of em in a hat to pick one randomly. The winner is picked and posted and we'll all try and make headcanons about your AU.

Done:

Zombie Apocalypse AU :: (https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/618314308275863552/zombie-apocalypse-au-masterpost)

Pirate AU ::

Currently In The Raffle:

-Toy Story AU.

-Ever After High/Descendants/Vaguely 'nex gen priness' AU.

-Eldritch Horror AU :: Or if that's a bit too out there, a more normal Monster AU. I don't care, but in my heart, I know Cleo is some kind of eldritch horror. Zombie is far too easy.

-Eldritch Monster AU! Hermits are all Lovecraftian horrors who all individually decided that they wanted to pretend to be normal and are all trying to hide their otherworldliness. I also feel like Mumbo or X or someone as the one actually "normal" player on the server would work well. Most hermits don't know that everyone else isn't normal either, but some find out about friends maybe.

-Rabid Debate Club AU :: Random weird au idea where it's basic hs/uni au but like two of them try to start a debate club, then invite some friends just so there's enough people; cut to like two months later, it's all the hermits just fighting over whether or not pineapple should go on pizza or not lol it isn't very good i'm sorry but ya know rabid debate club AU.

-Animal/shapeshifting AU :: (Suggested Twice.) Every hermit can shapeshift into one token animal. (If it's something like "dog," they can only turn into one breed and color of dog, EXAMPLE: doc can shift into a black sable belgian malinois, but not anything else.)

-Wedding Planners AU :: Hermits work in various unrelated businesses such as a bakery, flower shop, etc., but see each other semi-often bc they're semi-often called upon to work together by another hermit's wedding planning business (obvs if you couldn't tell i know absolutely nothing abt wedding planning & businesses n shit lol but it's the /concept/ of it yannknow)

-Avatar: The Last Air Bender AU. (Suggested Thrice.)

-Fusion AU :: (Also suggested by Anon.) (Suggested Twice.) What if Hermits could fuse with each other? (Viva and Jumbo fused into MumboJumbo.)

-SCP AU :: The hermits have spooky powers and are kept locked up bc of it (or they have to keep the world safe from monsters and cursed objects!)

-RPG AU :: I feel like someone already thought of that but I am just wondering about it lately :p -🍋

-Adventure Time AU :: The hermits live in a post-apocalyptic world and the Lich (bad guy) is making everything decay. They need to gather all the gems (belt colours) to unlock the Enchiridion (a book) and have one wish each granted from Prismo (multiverse wish granting dude) before the Lich does. Only 4 elements can enter the multiverse: Slime (The Lich & Jevin), Redstone (Tango or Mumbo?), Ice (Stress), and Dirt (Grian, much to his dismay). Only the elementals can see the book. Grian's the protagonist with his sidekick Scar. He originally started collecting the belts because they were shiny but eventually decided to read the book and find out what they were for when Scar said he didn't see it. Doc, False, and Iskall are major obstacles because they don't believe the book exists.</p>

-Total Drama Island AU.

-Magical Girl AU :: Zedaph's the lead magical girl and rounds up a bunch of other magical girl hermits.

-Pokeman AU :: What are the Hermit's roles in this world? Who's the Champion, Elite Four. Are they scientists? Trainers? Do they compete in competitions, do they specialize in types? Who's everyone's starter? Has anyone encountered any legendaries?

-College AU

-High School AU

-Wizard101 AU :: I (🦊) recently got this AU idea and recently started going off somewhere with it in terms of writing, but, like, Hermitcraft meets Wizard101. Tons and tons of magical shenanigans, monster hunting, and idk what else.

-Magic AU

-My Hero Academia AU :: Headcanons can be about which hermits would have what quirks and occupations based on them.

-So I'm writing an AU where there's a second game of Demise but 5 years later. So far the first 2 hermits (Joe and Xisuma) have died, and their dead forms are cracked with an arrow in his chest (Xisuma) and cyborg (Joe). So since it's Saturday, I'm looking for what some skins would look for.

-City AU :: I mean this is really just a normal everyday AU.

-School AU.

-Terraria-Minecraft Fusion AU :: Who chooses what class? what events do each hermit prefer? how to they deal with the world infections? preferred biomes? Favourite NPCS? It has potentiallllll.

-70s/80s Teen Horror AU :: (like Stranger Things, Carreie, The Lost Boys, Halloween, etc.) -🦇

-Demi-God AU :: Sort of like percy jackson (everyone being the children of different gods from all different cultures.)

-Supernatural AU

-Marching Band AU :: Xisuma is the band major and all the show music is the remixes. I need to come up with some ideas for uniforms. Outfits and flags for the colorguard too.

-Different Eras AU :: (Suggested Twice.) All the hermits are from different time periods or eras. Like Wels is from the mediveal/dark era, Mumbo is from 1890-1920's, Iskall is from 2030, TFC is from 2020(?), Cleo is from 2130, etc!!! Like the mobs/animals became feused with humans, is when the mob players came from.

-Star Trek AU :: Like maybe they could be on one ship and each have different roles like engineers or doctors? I don’t know if this has been suggested but hope you enjoy! - 🐦

-House Mates AU :: ApartmentAU but scaled down?

-Atlantis AU :: (Could be merged with Mermaid AU???)

-Fighting Game AU :: Some influences would be Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Ultra Instinct, that kind of stuff.

-Time loop AU :: The hermits each have to deal with their own time loop.

(All those above in red are from our community's lovely Anons!)

-Superhero/superpower AU :: They each have a unique power/powerset that is in some way connected to their personality. (ie Mumbo *could* control electricity because of his love of redstone) Some Hermits may even choose to be "villains" and prank their other servermates. If you need power ideas, I've got a couple. (12u3ie)

-Daycare AU :: The recap peeps are the caretakers :P (-@tikauniverse.)

-Incredibly Long Cross Country Train Ride AU :: they all are in the same train car, telling stories of where they’re going, backstories.)

-Stuck In An Airport AU :: pretty similar to train au but they can be going diff places.

-Doctors AU :: they’re all doctors working at the same hospital.)

-Circus AU (Also suggested by an Anon.) (Suggested Twice.)

-Spy AU (Also suggested by @shadeswiftdraws.) (Suggested Twice.)

-Runaways AU :: The hermits are all teenagers who have run away from home, they all live on the streets until TFC takes them in. Head canons can be about backstories, living on the streets, or when they’re with TFC.

-Criminals and Police Officers AU

(-@lookitsspacekween)

-Dancer AU :: I mean, I already got a list kind of planned out, but headcanons for why specific styles are chosen would be appreciated! :) (usedtobelucythefallenangel)

-Broadway/Musicals Hermits AU :: The hermits are all casts of various musicals and when this newly-built theater opens up they all fight for which musical gets to play in it first (they have a riff-off maybe?) musicals mainly included are Hamilton, BMC, DEH, SiX, Beetlejuice, etc (feel free to add more!) (-@heyitsroby.)

-DnD AU (Also suggested by Anon.) (Suggested twice.)

-Mermaid AU :: In honor of the end of Mermay

-Space exploration AU :: There could be different ships, command centers, aliens.... Maybe someone could even get stranded/crash on a new planet? Who knows, could be fun.

-Paranormal/ghost hunter AU :: A couple Hermits could be the ghost hunters going to haunted locations to prove/disprove their hauntedness, others could be camera crew, owners of haunted buildings, or even the ghosts themselves.

-Camping/Vacation AU.

-Summer Cottage AU :: They all spend summers/weekends along the same shoreline and do different summer activities together. Outdoor fun and shenanigans!

-Space AU :: like star trek or similar.

-I would say evil clone au but I think that's pretty much the entire Hermitcraft tumblr right now lol. (Suggested twice.)

(-@shadeswiftdraws.)

-Magic AU :: Magic exists and all the hermits have powers. They can also summon a weapon but what that weapon is depends on the hermit. I'm thinking it'll take place in a sort-of Demise 2 in S7 with a big war. So far I've got: Grian - Cloning himself to his different personas (each has a different power). Xisuma - Making barriers, teleporting, and transforming into different mobs. Scar - Making mutant plants & boosting other hermits' attack & health. (-@datsaltyperson.)

-Demon AU :: Something enters the overworld and turns into a supernatural style-demon through Dimentional Distortion. Who gets posessed first, who goes crazy, and who actually kills it? Honestly I think that, if anything, Tango would know how to gank it, for obvious reasons. (-@fireflower-dusk.)

-High Street AU :: Everyone owns a different shop on the same street or some run a shop together (-@violets-arepurple.)

-Cat AU :: Either they're were always cats, or Hels turned everyone, including himself, into a cat, and they have to survive and overcome challenges in the Season 7 world. An example of a challenge would be Cub's a Sand Cat(the cats that always look like kittens no matter how old they are and live in deserts), and everyone's not sure if he can actually swim, so they have to find a way for him to get around without involving water. (-@scp10000.)

-How about a secret AU.. Every hermit has their big secrets and when Grian joined. He doesn't really know anything about those secrets even till season 7. Not many hermits talked to him in S6 anyway.. Mumbo was the closest to him so they would have regular chats For Iskall is mostly business related things Grian wants to know why so he set out on a quest to force the others to at least talk to him so he wouldn't be lonely. (-@babylightstudentbiscuit.)

-Hermit Family AU :: Xisuma is very busy dad but when he isnt busy the kids and younger hermits annoying the hell out of him. Grian once asked to use Xisuma's computer and crashed the whole thing trying to download illegal gamesites and get money off the internet. Mumbo and his trains run through the entire house and Xisuma trips on them daily. (-@gamerutx.)

-College AU!! But they are not students. THEY ARE THE TEACHERS (-@ivi-prism.)

Ones I planned to do anyway but Hermitblr Hivemind and all that:

Battle of The Bands AU: i believe u once mentioned a bands/ battle of the bands au... thats my jam... (Anon.)

[anemeraldknight]

About Duke Cadash, part 2

okay so I know that this is supposed to be like an ask thing from here! butI only have like 3 followers on here, I just finished my second playthrough of Inquisition and I really really wanna talk about my Inquisitor :’)) so we’re doing this

what is your inquisitor’s name & race? - Duke Cadash, surface dwarf

what is their sexual orientation? - bisexual <3

what do they look like? (add screenshots, drawings, descriptions!) - he's a freckly ginger and has bright blue eyes, a very well groomed beard (he at least tries to redo the braids every morning), undercut on on the left side of his head but otherwise longish hair, scarring underneath his right eye and between his brows; he's like muscular and thick at the same time, I don't know a good word for it? but yea :) he's prettyy

how did they feel about being called “the herald of andraste”? - he uses it to his advantage. he doesn't outright deny it to people he doesn't really trust, only those closest to him know his real stance on it. he just takes being called the Herald in stride, doesn't hate it but isn't the biggest fan either

what are their religious beliefs, if they have any? - believes in the Stone because his parents had been cast out from Orzammar and they passed on their beliefs to him as well. he's not super into it though, more like a casual believer.

what is their opinion on the mage/templar war? - supports the mages and even though he can get along with templars if necessary, he often calls them out for their prejudices and bullshit. he believes that the war was inevitable and kind of necessary as well because in his eyes big change usually comes by, sadly, using harsher tactics.

who is your inquisitor’s best friend? - he was suuper close with Blackwall in the beginning because their humor was pretty similar, he was one of the first people he recruited on his own, and they're both pretty close in terms of age as well. however, as Duke grew closer to Dorian, they became best friends instead (and then eventually lovers). I'd say his real best friend is either Cassandra or Solas? because even though he disagrees with both of them quite a lot, they still somehow manage to get on pretty well <33 and they both have been there from the very beginning of this entire journey!! so it makes sense :) also, Duke is suuuuuper loyal, so when he found out about Blackwall :)) he fucking flipped and completely shunned him and never again took him into his party.

who is their rival? - uhhh among the companions? I don't think he really has one...

who is their love interest, if they chose one? do you ship them with anyone else/non-romanceable options? - DORIAN!! <333

warrior, rogue, or mage? - rogue, archer

how do they feel about the dalish? - he feels for them and wants to support them and work together as much as possible. he can see that a lot of them seem arrogant and standoffish on the outside, but he gets why that is, so he just lets them be and tries to work with it.

how do they feel about the qun? - he does not like the qun, to him it seems like a cult. he can also see many similarities between it and the chantry so.

how do they feel about the chantry? - he doesn't like the chantry BUT he does not shun them out loud because he knows that having them support him makes him look good to those who believe in Andraste and such, but also he doesn't wanna take away hope from those who find it in him during such a difficult time (even though he doesn't believe he's chosen in any way)

which demon is most frightening to them? - definitely the nightmare. Duke doesn’t get rattled very easily but that whole thing managed to get underneath his skin. plus! he’s incredibly scared of spiders and the nightmare created to many of them to freak him out, so the entire fade thingy was very hard on my poor Master Cadash :((

did they choose the qun or the chargers in iron bull’s personal quest? why? - the chargers. he didn’t trust the whole thing from the beginning and basically went along with it because he wanted to support the Iron Bull and because he could feel that something fishy was going on. also, even before the whole thing Duke got along with Krem really well, because he has this habit of taking younger people under his wing (exhibit A: Cole) so that’s also what kinda happened with Krem. ALSO! another thing is that Duke id very much against sacrificing lives in order to get something, so even if he hadn’t cared about any of the chargers personally, it would’ve just went against everything he stood for.

when are they the happiest? - when he's exploring the wilderness with his party, probably picking elfroot or iron lol

how do they feel about the mark/the anchor? - it doesn’t really cause him very much pain so he sees it mostly as something  that’s just there and helps him deal with this whole mess.

upon first meeting cole, were they afraid of him? - not really? he could tell that he was different but Thedas is full of so much surreal and nonsensical shit that this kid who acts a bit outside of the established rules of the society didn't really faze him. when he first met Cole during the attack on Haven, his first reaction was that “why is this young kid out here??? get him to safety!!!!” but yknow in a way where he could still see that Cole was perfectly capable of pulling his own weight, Duke just worries.

did they use the templars or the mages to close the breach? - mages

what was their court approval like at the winter palace? did they have any fun at all? - the only things that Duke liked during the whole charade was seeing Josephine and Leliana enjoying the whole thing AND getting to dance with Dorian. he got 100 court approval but he hated that everybody kept shitting on him for being a dwarf etc. also dealing with Gaspard, Celene, and Breala was frecking frustrating.

someone is encroaching on their love interest. how do they respond? - idk how to answer this. he knows that Dorian can handle himself but if the situation requires his help then he will get supper angry and protective

what is their favourite weapon? - Duke’s Bayard!! :D this really great bow that he got made

are there any creatures in the wild that they refuse to/are reluctant to kill? why? - nugs because to him they look like a rabbit and an old wrinkly man merged into one. so yea, no. he also doesn’t like killing dragons. the only proper dragon he and his party ever killed was the big one in the hinterlands but Duke didn't feel right about it afterwards so he never went after another again

what is their opinion on blood magic? would they ever use it, if given the chance? - to him blood magic is just a type of magic really but I don't think he'd use it if he were able to

what is their favourite place within playable regions? - interestingly, the hinterlands. it's because he grew up in fereldan is used to that kind of nature

did they feel suspicious of dorian upon first meeting him, because of his tevinter heritage? - a bit, yes, but it quickly faded

as a whole, how do they feel about tevinter + the imperium? - he hates the whole slavery business that they've got going on over there but Dorian manages to convince him that the imperium could be changed so he has hope for it. he doesn't blindly hate every vint he meets.

did they encourage cullen to continue taking lyrium, or to stop? for what reasons? - to stop because even though he’s not very close to Cullen and he has his issues with him, he didn't want him to be dependent of lyrium in order to work to the best of his abilities. because Cullen is in charge of such a huge part of the Inquisition, he needs him to be dependable

does it bother them to sleep in tents when on the road with the inquisition? - nope! Duke loves tracking and yknow finding and looking for stuff out in the wilds so he’s used to that sort of thing since he grew up in a naturey place. he had to spend a lot of nights in similar situations while he was part of the Carta too

are they an optimist, a pessimist, or neutral? - i guess something between an optimist and a neutral? I guess you could call him an optimistic realist. he rarely veers towards pessimism

if varric wrote a book about your inquisitor, how would they feel about that? - he would actively encourage it because it would be fucking hilarious to read

do they get along with vivienne? - nope, he doesn’t even recruit her.

are they afraid of anything specifically? - spiders

what was their reaction to the destruction of haven?

how do they feel about “the game”? - a bunch of nugcrap

are they especially protective of certain inquisition members, even those capable of defending themselves? - even though he knows that all three of them can take care of themselves and he trusts them to do so, he still worries about them the most. Cole, Krem , and scout Harding.

do they like their skyhold pajamas? - he hates the pajamas. but the outfits that he usually wears look superrr fly so he doesn’t mind those one bit

are there any insults they find to be especially offensive? (i.e. “knife ear”/”rabbit” for elves, “oxmen” for qunari, ect.) - I am not sure what insults a dwarf would get in terms of specific words. the fact that people keep making comments about the Inquisitor surprisingly being a dwarf does annoy him though

if varric gave them a nickname, what would it be? - either cherry because of his red hair OR the Archduke :P

do they enjoy being the inquisitor? - yes!! at the beginning, he's more wary of it, which of course makes sense, but even then he's just ready to take on the role of the leader because no one else will do it and he does have the mark so it makes sense for him to do it. as time moves on he grows to really like it! he makes a great leader and he knows it.