#mmmmm evil brain

[readingwriter92]

No you got yourself anxious and stressed about something and now don’t want to do anything else you’re required to do for the day

[evilminji]

Behold! o/ The Face Of Benevolent Evil!

Mr. Principle! A professional hero and educator!

Also possibly some sort of stoat hybrid! Certainly a chimera of Japanese fauna! With the Quirk High Specs, he is one of, if not THE, smartest beings on the planet of which he resides! With a background perfectly justifying a decent into hatred and villiany, he instead chose to channel his incredible world shaking intellect into the shaping of future generations!

He likes to fuck with people!

For FUNSIES~☆!

What can he say? It keeps a man young and mentally stimulated! Plus the hysterical screaming of his staff and students is HILARIOUS. He can even argue it makes for good reaction training! Unforseen situations, children! React!!! *psychotic chortling*

Mmmmm, yes. We all have our trauma responses. Ways we deal with them. He should probably find other means... but he won't! Tea and tormenting the student body make for good future heroes, you know! They adapt!

But! You may ask! Why am I introducing you to this... *polite yet somehow deeply threatening smile* c-completely sane and normal individual!? Esteemed educator that he is! Ha ha...

A good and not at a under threat question!

Villains? Are fuuuuuckin STUPID!

Doesn't matter how many PHDs you possess! In fact! That makes it WORSE! You moron! You absolute fool! No traveling circus would have you, you sub-rate CLOWN of a jingle jangle dunce jester! You have a god damn PHD! Possibly MULTIPLE PHD!

And you thought "ooooh I should go into cwiiiiime~☆"?

Do you hear yourself when you talk? DO YOU?! Ooooh boohoo. They won't let you study what you WANT to study. It's called an ETHICS BOARD. And YEAH, NO SHIT! Maybe get over it and keep you fucked up fantasies to your SELF.

Or? If you REALLY can't hold it in? Lay the ground work like EVERYONE FUCKING ELSE! You're not special! Everyone wants to play god! It's FUN! They let you have the COOL toys! But you have to EARN that shit! Not jump straight from graduation to "fucked up superscience"!

And? If it's NOT the Ethics Board? But just some bureaucrat on a power trip? You don't have to fucking STAY. This? This RIGHT HERE? Is why I-Island fucking EXSISTS.

APPLY.

They are SO MANY countries you could move too. SO MANY other labs. You actual DUMBASS.

But NO! You decided to commit to a fucked up underground Villian Lab. As though HUNTING THOSE isn't the PERSONAL fucking passion project of THE SMARTEST BEING IN JAPAN. Frankly? You deserve this. You deserve this and our school doesn't know you. Never heard of you. You whoms't?

Coulda changed the world. But instead all you did was piss of The Fuzzy White Demon Lord of UA. Rest in pieces. *click*

*sound of doors smashing open*

*violent Raid Upon Your Labs noises*

But! You may ask? What's IN the Lab?

What MAKES this a DP crossover?

I like your question asking spirit! Good one! And the answer? You know what's better then ONE(1) Nedzu? A second one that you can ACTUALLY control this time! After all! You could consider Mr. Principle a prototype. A proof of concept, if you will. If you were able to make ANOTHER.....

Well, you would set off EVERY. SINGLE. ALARM. Nedzu has set up!

All of them!

Because he don't PLAY THAT.

He has long last trauma from the labs and is the SOLE FUCKING SURVIVOR. There WERE others. They Did Not make it. And their slow agonizing deaths are carved into his brain for the rest of his life. Truely "The living shall envy the dead"; it was a place that made hell seem merciful.

When he declare Never Again?

He fucking MEANT Never Again. He will BURN your empires to ash, with you in them. No More Labs.

So :) You can IMAGINE :) HOW HAPPY HE IS :)

That someone out there is trying to RECREATE his SUPER traumatic childhood, on ANOTHER CHILD. Ha ha! Gonna be a second Nedzu huh? Planning to torture HIM like you did me, HUH? Shove him in a cage and treat him like an animal? Force him to watch as the others die? Collars and whips and cattle prods? Mazes?!

Nedzu may lose his shit.

Juuuuust a little bit.

But if anyone there knows what good for them? They saw NOTHING. What's a little PTSD flashback between friends? Now what is the baby?

Smashcut to said baby!

Because it was a TEAM effort, Danny was successful in "Nuh Uh!"ing out of Rulership. But NOT out of governance. Since he DID help. He's a Councilman now. It's? Not as bad as it could be, honestly. Since it's opened the Zone up to a more democratic system.

Still held by "kick the ass of the person you wanna replace" but still!

Babysteps.

Thing is? There was apparently this weird? Leak? Like a couple hundred years ago, in this one area, that was never addressed. Everyone just moved their doors and stuff. Treated it like the floors flooded. But now that they HAVE someone to complain too?

They all want their territories back.

"Go fix it!" What are we? Janitors?

Danny looses the rock, paper, scissors competition. He's pretty sure Boxy cheated. But like? Dude has a kid to go home too, so Danny doesn't fight him to hard on this. Uuuuuugh. Just remember the Spider-Man motto. Great power~ blah blah blaaaah~

And? Wow is it fucked out there.

The whole PLANET has to be limnal as FUCK. Yikes.

Problem is? When he and his team (Because YES, he HAS learned from his mistakes, Jazz.) get close to the... frankly the Zone here looks like distorted spiderwebbing. With him leading the charge, obviously.

....something happens.

It's... it's not a portal. Wrong color. It's like someone USED the weird spiderwebbing effect to... to reach INTO the Zone? But they are severally Limnal. Clawed hands, blue tint. But that's not the problem.

No, the problem.

The Horror.

The thing that his team can only watch on in agonized terror as it plays out... is that hand? It shoots out of nowhere. Ghostlike in the Zone. Meaning it must be living. And PLUNGES directly into Danny's chest to wrap around his core.

Time seems to slow.

He can't even scream in pain. At the violation. His team, acquaintances, yes, but friendly ones. Can not even cry out in horror, as they watch their friend and team lead be butchered before them. Before that uncaring hand is ripping back. Perfect ice and starlight in its uncaring grip.

For a terrible moment... he is in two places at once.

Then he is crushed in a burning grip. Like molten bars. Watching his own body dissolve into nothing in an instant, pain and horror still etched upon his face. The beginnings of screams ripping from his team as they jerk away from the nightmarish threat.

Then he can not think at all.

He... he TRIES. Knows he has been captured. Is certainly not the sort to give up easily. But... he's so tired. His body feels? Weird. Not wrong, per say. It's HIS. But... small and weird. Like he's shape shifted into a new form and hasn't adjusted yet.

....

.......

...........

He's getting really sick of all the goop against his whiskers and in his ears. It feels WEIRD against his fu- WAIT a second... did those assholes shove him into an animal? Why?! To contain him? Ha! Jokes on them! He's DONE THIS before!

For FUN!

He once spent a whole ass summer as a tiny dragon just 'CAUSE!

Unfortunately, said assholes notice him waking up. Dump him in a glorified hamster cage. But like.... a SHITTY "I don't care about the pet I bought" hamster cage. Dude. And he's naked.

Is that Japanese? Ooooh! It IS! Thank you, Tucker's Weeb phase.

......actually, never mind. Lotta dehumanizing language there, my guys. What is this? The GIW international? You couldn't even give me PANTS? Swear to God, call me an "it" ONE more time and the next time I have to go? I am going to aim through the bars at your-! *alarms going off*

....wasn't me.

I mean, be all means, ha ha and get fucked, but? Wasn't me. Oh hey! Some one exploded the doo-

AND? In Lab 4?

Nedzu finds a child with fluffy, ungroomed black and white fur, and the curious yet cautious eyes of a survivor. They are the most magnificent green, pale and luminous they glow in the laboratories lighting. Paws too big for his small frame, delicate ears on the swivel, equally large. Yet to grow into either. Adolescent, at best.

He watches the child take him in. Note his features and the chaos behind him. The injured scientist under his feet. Come to him conclusion. Nedzu will not rush him. Now that he... he stand the chance to be the hero he himself never had. It is a strange feeling. At once cathartic and unbearably painful.

He is given the equivalent of a cheerful grin, as the lad points the the lock on the cage. Is asked if he happened to bring a spare pair of pants. He can not help his amused chortle as he makes quick work of the lock. The unbearable RELIEF he feels.

He... he was not too late.

These monsters had no chance to crush the boy's light. To make a monster of him, like they did with him. He survived his laboratory, his hell. But not all of him left that terrible place. He knows that. Some innocence, some goodness, died alone in the dark. But here? He insured there would be no chance.

With amusement, he watches the boy turn the lab upside down until he finds spare scrubs. Triumphant, he then considers his own, tiny claws. Dismisses them. Attempts to hop up on a chair to retrieve something sharp. It? Is unbearably cute. To watch him rip and shred, problem solve. His little mind churning away. Whiskers twitching as his eyes dart around, considering his options.

Nedzu offers one of his spare knives.

Watches him light up.

Adorable~

@legitimatesatanspawn @hdgnj @nerdpoe @babbling-babull @lolottes

[i-will-cry-you-a-river]

"..."

"..."

"So..."

"Can you just do it, please?! I can't do this anymore! I'm suffering, man, please, just do your fucking job!"

"So I didn't misunderstand. You really..."

"Yes, yes, I hired a fucking assassin to kill me. I just want to get over it. You don't understand, I just want it gone. I tried everything, and nothing worked!"

"Aspirin?"

"..."

"Why do you look at me like that? It's a legit question! I heard cold and pressure helps? There's this migraine piercing I heard about-"

"Just... Shut up. You are just pissing me off, and my migraine is already killing me. I can't see with my right eye, I feel like half of my head is melting down from its place, my brain is being chopped up by a machete and I'm this close to bash my head into the wall until it is nothing but a gory mess. So, just do your job, cut my head off, and your payment will be on the counter."

"So that's a no to the piercing."

"That's a what can't you understand about 'I tried every fucking thing and NOTHING HELPED'?! Ow. Yelling was a bad idea."

"I know that you hired me to kill you, but I do like to think myself as a morally gray person, who tries to only kill those who deserve it, and you, my guy, are not one of them."

"I'm not? Fuck you, I DESERVE to die! Nobody deserves it more than me!"

"Yeah, no. You are a fluffy little kitten. Let's get you in your bed, I'll make you a tea and then I'm going to massage your head."

"..."

"?"

"That... Actually, that sounds good. Jasmine tea, please, I can't handle any stronger smells."

"Okay, sweetheart. Come, lay down, I'll close the curtains."

"sweetheart?"

"Sweet kitten. Silly little snugglebug. You know I would never kill you, baby."

"Yes, because you are evil. My own boyfriend betrays me all the time."

"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm the worst assassin in the whole world. The next time, if you want me to come home earlier, just call me, instead of contacting my Boss. You know I'd do anything for you."

"except for killing me, you evil boyfriend."

"Except for killing you. Here's your tea, love. Lay your head in my lap, I'll help you drink it. Good boy. Now, your massage, my princess."

"mmmmm"

"good?"

"the best."

"I'm glad."

"..."

"thank you. love you."

"anything for you, sweetheart. sleep well."

[missygoesmeow]

missy's tips for honour mode :) (it's very long I'm sorry) (oh and here be many spoilers) (but pictures too!)

please note I am not a pro gamer or anything. I sucked so bad when I first started this game (I had no idea wtf I was doing). Like seriously. I didn't know what an action was. what a bonus action was. "No movement left". WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO MOVEMENT LEFT. I had played DnD once before.

I literally bought this game because of Astarion.

I usually play one game and that is Overwatch. the only other time I stopped playing OW was to play Resident Evil: Village because of Lady D. vampire marketing works on me. specifically evil vampire. damn u Neil and Maggie.

if you have any questions about a specific boss or something feel free to ask! I didn't fight everyone though - like I did not do House of Grief because I didn't need to and also it's hard :)

I think a lot of it just came on down to...

ANYWAY. letsa go! this is very rambling!

Like I said in my reply to anon, the best tip is to do tactician FIRST. You’ll get destroyed otherwise. I didn’t finish my tactician run but I did get to act 3 and I did most boss fights (Gortash, Raphael, Cazador). Bosses have legendary actions in tactician and it’s fucking annoying. All the homies hate radiant retort….

Another tip is fucking collect everything. It’s hard to get gold and certain potion ingredients later on. Potion of Speed (you need hyena ears for this) is the BEST. I used them for my Ketheric fight (second phase) and killed him in three turns. I also used them for the final fight and used one or two with Raphael and Orin.

Smokepowder Barrels. I think people call this Barrelmancy? I didn't use them much. I hoarded them for one reason and one reason only.

To blow Raphael.

His soul pillar towers that is. To blow up his pillars. His big long pillars.

Okay I'm done.

(also I did use three in my last fight against the brain - popped them next to it and blew 'em up) Elixir of Bloodlust - sooooo handy with Astarion!

Invisibility Potion is a must - I used this to escape fights when three people were deaded (this happened a few times😅) and get my good friend Withers to bring them back.

bonus tip: don't go into a fight with half your spell slots because you think "she'll be right". she won't be...as seen above

HOLY FUCK WITHERS. You can pickpocket Withers. I used Astarion to get our money back anytime I resurrected, changed class or got a hireling - he doesn’t care if you fail either, just keep trying.

DON'T BE DUMB LIKE MISSY Don't be like me, don't half pay attention in cut scenes and accidentally press the wrong dialogue option. Or else your good friend Lae'zel will turn on you and you will have A Bad Time.

Gale has a stressful day💗

The githyanki are scary and actually now that I think about it, those were usually the fights I had to run away from like a leetle biatch.

Halsin has a stressful day 💗

I forgot that Psionic Backlash is like a thing that does damage and that if your entire worm filled party does it and the person you are casting is at like...say 19 health...they will die because that is not Passive Damage.

And then Jaheira will leave because you murdered her friend.

Oopsie.

(I lost Shart, Lae'Zel and Jaheira in this run) GENERAL STUFF

Always surprise the enemy if you can, it’s a massive advantage!

Get the eye from Volo. This run was not about looking pretty, it was about getting any advantage I could get. Let that man poke out your eyeball. And make sure it’s your Tav, you will mostly likely swap companions and it’s just better if it’s you. It's helpful in a lot of fights but especially Auntie Ethel

Become half illithid. I did this with my Tav, Gale and Minthara. Astarion was a little bitch about it so I didn’t give it to him but I wish I had made him do it.

She looks Not Great but she can fly (sorry Astarion but Z'hera only likes pussy)

Being able to fly is just SO helpful and cull the weak is OP! Also mmmmm worms :)

MY BUILD/PARTY

A Giant Woman (my tiefling) as a Paladin - Oath of Vengeance.

I broke my oath when I ascended Astarion but you can just get it back. Oathbreaker is still good (that’s what I was in my tactician run) but I wanted my channel divinity charges. I started with the Everburn Blade from the cambion Commander Zhalk on the Nautaloid (when you get Shart, give her the Command Spell and use “Drop” so you can just yoink it off him and save a fight). My final weapon was the Nyrulna which you can get in Act 3 at the Circus. To get this you must pickpocket the genie to take his ring and then play his game. He will accuse you of cheating and send you somewher. The prize at the end is this weapon. I love it. I just went invisible and walked through, I didn’t fight the creatures there.

Astarion - the classic gloomstalker/assasin. I had one level assasin and then did 6 levels ranger before going back to assassin. So he was 6 levels in each. With him ascended, he does INSANE damage. I never swap out that vamp, he’s too useful.

Shart/Minthara - I lost Shart in the Shadowfell - wouldn't let her murder Dame Aylin.

a simpler time. before I killed my beloved and my brain was full of worms.

I had to fight her (it was very sad). I changed her class to Life of Domain Cleric. I then made Minthara my cleric when Shart died (same build). She replaced my lover and my cleric <3

i love my new evil girlfriend

Gale - Evocation Wizard so I didn’t change him at all!

he's so hopeful. and Z'hera is very gay.

TIPS FOR POTIONS

If it’s throwable (like invisibility) group the gang together to throw one on the ground to get you all - saves using multiple.

Potion of Speed has an effect called lethargic that is active for one round after the potion ends. This means you miss a turn. HOWEVER! If you drink another one on the last active round of the potion, your Tav will become lethargic immediately and next round you’ll be fine :) I did this for the Ketheric fight.

It’s also helpful (because of lethargic) to not have all characters take the potion in the same round (if you give it to everyone). I never did, I usually gave them to Gale and my Tav.

I hoarded so many scrolls. I had so many dimension door scrolls at the end.

I did get the Necromancy of Thay and did all the things. And then I never used it :)

BIGGEST TIP ONCE YOU'VE UNLOCKING LEVEL 6 SPELL SLOT WITH CLERIC (ALSO AVAILABLE WITH DRUID)

I saw this on reddit! Pretty much what I did was get a hireling - Cleric - and have that Cleric cast Heroes' Feast on my party.

The affected entity is immune to Diseases, Poisons, and being Frightened, it makes all Wisdom Saving throws with Advantage, and its maximum Hit Points are increased by 12

Lasts until long rest!! I also then cast Freedom of Movement on everyone in the party. I then cast Warding Bond on someone - usually Gale because he's a squishy boy :) If I knew it was a BIG FIGHT! I got another Cleric to cast Warding Bond on another party member.

you can see Heroes' Feast (the condition is called Thoroughly Stuffed) and Freedom of Movement. These all last until long rest!

Pretty much any other companions were respeced as Cleric (though I made Jaheira a Wizard same as Gale so I could use her). I did this so that I could use Divine Intervention multiple times within the game!

I used Opulent Revival and nothing else

KEEP IN MIND.

anything can kill you in honour mode. even an elevator.

it crushed me. somehow.

thanks Larian

(if you want proper guides definitely go to Reddit!)

[missterious-figure]

*mimes adjusting glasses that I do not have*

Mmmmm well actually no :)

I do not believe you are good. Not in the slightest. Admittedly I do not believe in evil either, but I know you are a terrible terrrible bug boy that definitely deserves to be locked away.

I just want to pick at your brain, I want to know about a deeply seeded motivation that you yourself don’t understand. I want to be able to metaphorically walk in your shoes and understand why you act how you do.

But mainly. . . I think I just want to annoy you with profound questions.

But if you would like, I could simplify my physiological questions down to a simple “what’s your favorite color. Have you tried Jellybeans? What flower shines the brightest in the morning sun? Do you like the rain? What’s the tallest tree you’ve climbed? Do you remember your parents? Were they mean? Did you eat your mother after hatching? Do you discard the bones after a meal or suck out the marrow? Can you read? Do you talk to the Fairy often? Did you ever fall in love? Did you know that humans have bred and cultivated entires species of animals to produce excess muscle mass specifically for the slaughter and consumption of their overpopulated masses? Do you eat the wings off of a butterfly? What have you eaten that you thought tasted absolutely disgusting? If I tasted nasty would you still devour me? Or just leave my body to decompose after the torture? Have you tried fish? Have I asked what your favorite flower was? If you could get out of that hole what would be the first thing you do? If you were not venomous would you be disappointed? If you were a caterpillar do you think you would still be a cannibal? Have you eaten a snake before? Have you met a snake? And blah blah blah blah

So on and so forth for as long as I see fit because you are trapped in a cave with a spirit that refuses on anyone letting you free.

(A lot of these are questions I actually am curious of but I choose to be annoying rather than prioritize being answered)

"Ugh... I thought you were never gonna stop talking. Like a cricket going on and on though out the night."

"I do like that you're persistent to keep bug me, little cricket."

"You've got some fire in you."

"Red. Never heard of a jellybean, let alone tried one. Don't know, I don't care for flowers. The rain is fine. The gem tree. Yes, they were delicious. No, they weren't mean. No I ate her when I was much older. I eat my prey bone and all. Alittle bit, kinda of. Maybe. Yes... once. No, but that sounds almost, vaguely, similar to the way some ants farm aphids. Oh, yes the wings are very flaky. Sick worms taste atrocious. No, I'd leave you to rot. Yes, there are plenty of little minnows in the swamp. No, and I don't have a favorite flower. Kill the dumb bitch guarding me. Yes, I'd be disappointed. I think so yes. I have actually. It was only a tiny hatching."

[inconsideratekidney]

10/17/24

hey gamers,

i wanna be a gamer, i wanna be up in here gaming on a thursday afternoon, double-monitored up, hella snacks.

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yoohoo big summa blowout. it's fall and it's amazing. loving my sweater moments because i exist in sweater weather. it is a time for seasonal depression, but also for cute and bulky sweaters! my favorite accessory. I consider them accessories because they are very much a part of my outfit. i am my outfit. i am the main attraction. just kidding...the sweater is the main attraction, i'm not that egotistical...

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anyway....i don't have much to say to be honest. i have talked to people and had my fill of spill-ing out my brain. i am content with my state of mind right now (i have no big assignments due tonight or tomorrow night). i am stressed about next week with 2 midterms and more big work coming in.

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the adhd brain is such an interesting thing--how can one be so distracted and yet not be able to distract oneself when necessary? trauma is one thing, but intrusive thoughts are so dumb and stupid. why have a brain if it can't function well enough to do what you tell it to do?

figures, i have so much on my plate and so much death in mind. my uncle's, my friend from high schools--which makes me think of the students last year who died and all others, and liam payne from one direction???? like what???? that's crazy. i can't strip that down for him the same anymore. wtf. like i can't take death in general, but this one is so different. it's like when cameron boyce died. so young and so out of the blue. i was shocked when i heard the news and it's just so terrible. fucking TMZ, ofc they posted a partial picture of his body, like wtf. no composure/demeanor like my interpreting gang knows. just odd behavior.

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i am into watching House MD and honestly it's so interesting. my mom was on general hospital and dr. quinn medicine woman, which i'm sure no one knows about and probably one other show i can't remember, but i am into House right now. i like the dynamic, for now, and might get sick of it soon, though, cause i've been watching it a lot lately and might be overindulging. it's whatever. the show is witty and informative. i enjoy seeing the ways that the doctors develop their personalities and i wish there was a bit more drama relating to each of the doctors, but it's mainly about house and his group of doctors. oh shwell. maybe i am more into drama hospital shows than i thought. my youtube shorts feed sure thinks i am (and i keep liking them). i hate algorithms sometimes.

i have been instagram-free for a couple of years now! and tik tok free for some handful of months! but i am terribly addicted to youtube shorts.....

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rock, paper, scissors, says shoot! i picked scissors what did you pick

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give me good recommendations for a laptop. i will bother everyone about this. i want a good computer that runs windows. pretty pls. my computer is giving me such a headache and i hate it. just anything with windows and that is somewhat light and somewhat cheap pretty pls. :prayer hands:

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rawr. i am the evil tiger of the wicked west. i will be taking all of your cookies. mwhahahhhahhaahhaha. om nom nom. they're mine now and in my belly. mmmm mmmmm. yummy.

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i need a brain break. rahhh hiyaa.

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tips on how to go insane?

step one: exist

step two: do life

step three: repeat.

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td:lr?

um, not much folks.

not much this time

gamer

(sweat)er

talking and death

house md and addiction

lappytoppy

mushy brain

sanity

need a break, goodnight

kD :3

[save-the-villainous-cat]

do u think hero wanted to be helped or rely on someonebut since they view themselves that way they feel extremely conflicted ab it and didn't want to be seen as clingy (or something !?!?! idk if thags the right word 💔💔) ,, thus questioning the villain why they helped the hero out if that make sense

ALWO IM GOAD YOU LIKE MY COMMENTS ‼️‼️💪💪 -🐏

Mmmmm I think the hero actually is convinced they don’t deserve any help at all. They’d do anything to preserve peace, they’d even take the blame for their abusers just to avoid more conflict, just like when they were a child.

And I think that kinda broke them, so they’re completely confused about the villain helping them. Their brain kinda breaks because they see themselves as someone who provokes conflict and is the source of all evil.

Which is obviously not true.

[shes-an-iso]

One interesting thing TRON Identity does is that it highlights the ISO's capacity to transcend traditional dichotomies. Such as red equals evil ect.

YES.

Sierra is a huge example of that. And, ngl, I was terrified of Sierra. The moment I learned that Sierra was only presenting himself to us as a humanoid figure because it "made us comfortable to resemble a User," I was so scared. It was straight out of the film CONTACT, and I have a huge fear of aliens, so I couldn't look at him the same after that, lol. But, at the same time, that's incredibly brilliant of the game devs to write. Of course what is inside the computer, if it is not made from the User, would not be in the image of the User, and so our human brains may not be able to even comprehend it. It makes so much sense. I wonder if Sierra and "his kind," as so many refer to in the game, are ISOs v2.0 or the like--wherein lies the huge problem I have with the game, this dissonance between ISOs, this classism, this prejudice. ISOs exist harmoniously as pacifists, they know they are all different, and they are in turn accepting of everyone and everything. So I really don't like that there's an "us and them" attitude with this. It comes off cheap and shitty. This is an ISO only server, we dealt with this in Flynn's Grid--it was the huge plot point and it made sense. Basics and ISOs. But this is only ISOs. So why did they rage war against each other??????? It makes me mad. Sigh. Ah well.

Prinz, on the other hand, is in red. And we see the "Core Enforcers" at the very beginning, in yellow/orange--which Query doesn't seem to like very much. So already there's a distaste for the warmer colors, which has me a little..... mmmmm. Salty. that is sooooo a thousand cycles ago pro There is literally nothing wrong with Prinz worshipping Kevin Flynn, and I don't understand how a single ISO in this server could not believe in him, as they were literally plucked from the Grid BY FLYNN and put into this one, with Flynn himself even visiting this Grid and helping oversee construction in the Betrayal era. But Prinz is described as this crazy over-the-top hubris-filled zealot???? It just. I dunno, man.

[thybirbman]

I said Chasing Shadows instead of One Step Forward Three Steps Back, which goes to show my horrible memory, and I will never recover, bury me next to Kakashi's peace of mind and engrave the entirety of Here Before and After Me on my tombstone.

I would say this counts as a ficlet, if only because I want to hold the title of the first person to write a ficlet (not counting plain prompts) for you.

One of my favorite fanfic tropes (other than time/dimensional travel) is "[insert group of people] watch [insert other group of people, or the group of people but at another time] who don't know they're being watched and it reveals stuff (usually how group 2 are actually great or traumatized)". Idk, it just- it makes my brain mmmmm. There is a reason I refresh my search for fics where "Team Minato see Hokage/ANBU Kakashi be cool and BAMF" every month. I could write it myself but. I want someone else to have my exact idea and write it, which is a completely reasonable thing to want and possible to achieve.

ANYWAY, uh, thank you for enjoying. I imagine that in this (crack) universe, Danzou goes on a (funny) rampage, hunting down Tsunade and forcing her to return to the village and unlock the Senju compound, before then search every inch of the place and finding like a bunch of letters and poems sent back and forth between Madara and Tobirama, he then changes his goal in life to include the Uchiha in the village and everything fixes itself. Oh, or when Madara attacks during like the four day war at the end, they summon Tobirama and the war ends immediately bc Madara is evil and all but Tobirama has a really good disappointed-in-you look and he much prefers when Tobirama is proud of him and gives him lil nose and forehead and eyelid kisses, just kisses his entire face, he likes that a lot. Actually, canon now, in this universe, Madara went insane bc of Izuna's death, yes, but his madness was held off until Tobirama went on a week long mission and without him there to keep him in check, Madara could finally lose his shit. Zetsu fucking idk... combusts for unknown reasons, maybe bc of Madara's too pure love for Tobirama.

Okay, imma stop now and actually read the new chapter to One Step Forward Three Steps Back. Byeeeeee!

I have been day dreaming about Chasing Shadows on the regular but I have a bad memory and am bad at day dreaming, so it's just been the exact same idea every time, but I enjoy so much, so here it is:

Uhhhh, because of [insert plot reasons], Ichigo is gonna get mind walked. Maybe she was convinced after realizing how people view Tobi-oji/Dara-oji, and has now made it her life's mission to explain to everyone that no, they were actually great and not at all murderous, unless it was necessary and unless it was with each other beause there was "tension" between them according to Mama and Touka-nee said they should just fuc-.

ANYWAY, cue the entire adult cast watching multiple memories of Ichigo continuously walking in on Madara and Tobirama very clearly having been making out until a second before she walked in.

One memory is Ichigo visiting her Oji-san's house, but no one opens the door when she knocks, so she sneaks in through the window in the kitchen and she starts looking for Tobirama but doesn't find him. Eventually, she ends up at his bedroom door and manages to just barely crack it open, only for a very disheveled and barely dressed Madara to shoot out from the opening and almost slamming the door shut, only to stop at the last second and quietly closing it. All she managed to see was a messy bed with her Oji-san curled up in it, seemingly asleep.

"Your oji-san is, uh, tired, Ichi-chan. He... experimented. Yes, that. Did that very late into the night. So. He needs sleep. Which I'm making sure he gets." Before ushering her out the door with a tired, if slightly stressed, smile on his face. His neck is also covered in bruises that look like teeth marks, probably from her Oji-san beating him up for interrupting his experiments, because the only one allowed to interrupt is her and no one else (lie, she's not allowed to interrupt either, but Oji-san would never beat her up for that, just scold her).

Hmmm, she would usually just break in again after getting kicked out, but her Oji-san really does need whatever sleep he can get... She'll break in again later.

Another memory is her walking into the Hokage office, only to find her Oji-san pushed up against the office desk by Madara. Tobirama pushes him off immediately, going to right some of his clothes that are now out of place, including the opening to his happi, one side of which as nearly been pushed off his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asks as Tobirama snatches her up from the ground and starts walking away with her. Madara is laughing so hard he's sitting on the floor.

"Nothing." Oji-san's voice is rough and his face is bright red.

"Didn't look like nothing!"

"You'll learn when you're older."

"You never say that! You say you can learn anything if you try hard enough."

"Yes, well, this was boring adult stuff that you won't want to understand until you're older."

"Wrong, because I wanna know now."

"I will let you test my new seal if you never ask or speak of this again."

"Deal."

Madara is still laughing, the sound echoing through the corridor until the door shuts itself.

And it just goes on and on like that. Maybe throw in a memory with Touka where Ichigo is complaining about them always fighting and Touka pats her head before saying "They just really gotta fuck." Which is a WILD thing to say to a seven-year-old, but Touka never claimed to be good with kids and, in fact, strives to be a horrible influence.

By the end of the mind walk, Ichigo is squinting into the distance because 11 is old enough to start figuring out what the hell was happening all those times, Hiruzen is staring into the distance looking haunted, Danzou looks like his entire world just stopped making sense only to suddenly start making way more sense at the same time, Kakashi looks like he would like to be anywhere else but also he can't stop checking out Madara's ass, Shikaku looks like he wants to smoke twenty cigs at once before entering a coma, Inoichi has his head in his hands and is just slowly shaking either from laughing or crying or both, and Chōza is torn between going "awwwww" because that was some adorably dorky love and "fuuuuuucking what" because fuuuuuucking what.

So, yeah, probably none of this is going to happen in the fic, but by god has the thought been stuck in my head for days and now it will be stuck in yours too.

I'm in actual fucking tears thanks!!! Lying prone on the floor of an airplane isle losing my mind!!! I've read this like 6 times now and lose it the same way each time, I'll never recover

I'm?? Honored u like my fic enough to day dream about it???? Fucking crying rn oh my god. They need to GET A ROOM!!!! Ok actually got one, but they need to GET A BETTER ROOM!!!!!

This reads like one of those "characters read the original book/watch the anime" fics but the "anime" is just a highlight complelation of times Madara and Tobirama narrowly avoiding getting caught getting a little too up close and personal

You're right and it'll definitley never happen in the fic but I will never stop thinking ab the pure comedy of this now, so thanks

[evilminji]

You know, i just had the mental image of a sith in star wars finding a ritual or something to summon a ghost and end up summoning danny, while in space. The sith is struggling to try and convince this otherworldly being to help them do evil and their just staring out the nearest viewport in awe about the amount of new space things to discover.

How does it feel? To have such a big and wrinkly brain? So full of smartness?? :O

That? Is Brilliant~☆

It could be a Krell situation. Stress of the war got to be too much. Or a Dooku situation, discontent fed and fed until it burst. Like a silently festering wound, left unseen and untreated.

Regardless of HOW it happened?

The lil shit steals from Madame Nu. Like a CRAZY PERSON.

Rightfully terrified that she will Kick Their Ass into the stratosphere for touching HER archives, they head straight for the "Sith Stuff". What does it DO? What RESEARCH did they do? HA! You ask too much of them! There is no PLAN here!

Their brain has gone to SOUP with the Dark Side. It's all wild mood swings and impulse decisions! Research and careful precautions takes PATIENCE. Planning. The calm and rationality they just THREW OUT AN AIR LOCK.

They are high on the initial high of the Dark Side that few, if any, Dark Siders ever SURVIVE. That TEST of their character and control, as they stand in the storm they have unleashed upon themselves.

You want POWER?

Okay.

HAVE IT.

Like trying to swallow a waterfall. Drink the ocean, one cup at a time. Endless, yes, but equally so? It is BRINE. Not the life giving waters of the Light. The more you drink... the deeper your thirst. The faster you die. Can you control yourself? Suffer it? For that's all that's left... suffering. Thirst. Endless, Endless Thirst.

Water water everywhere, and it shall grind your bones to DUST when next you drink.

Welcome to the Dark Side! Was it WORTH it?

But, ah, our Fallen's brain is muddled soup. They think so. They are not themselves. May never be again. That's why it's a tragedy. Because it both IS and ISN'T their hands that takes that Sith artifact. Because who they WERE would be appalled.

They don't even know what they are grabbing, do they? No one does. Seized from the ruins of a laboratory. Long dead horrors, painted upon the walls. A Sith's obsession with the afterlife of his people. Ghosts. Beings that were, supposedly, DIFFERENT then Force Ghosts.

The notes speak of "green". A vision or experience in his youth. Brief. The world tearing open. A gate to somewhere "green". The Sith believed it was the afterlife. Felt death inside the gate. Described as "peaceful, joyful, driven, and eternal", he was ultimately unable to full articulate the full scope of what he believed he saw.

Now his last device is in the hands of a fallen jedi.

Who is going to USE it.

P A N I C

Obviously, the Temple gaurds chase the crazy mofo as hard as they can. Without a DOUBT, every master on hand and available, is roped in by Madame Nu to FOLLOW that psychopath, before he unleashs FORCE KNOWS WHAT, directly over CORUSCANT AIRSPACE!!! The SENATE. THE TEMPLE?! HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF LIVES!?

Fallen McFuckface? Clearly did not think this through (nooooo, REALLY? Everyone is SHOCKED! Shocked, they tell you!), panics. Which is, unfortunately, the LAST thing they wanted them to do. FUCK™.

Masters and Knights are LITERALLY cutting through the hull, kicking down the door, they can survive limited Space exposure and honestly? We're not THAT high yet! Let's see you jump to hyperspace with HOLES in your ship! (Fucking, DONT GIVE THEM IDEAS! They're insane, remember?!) (Shit. You're right.)

When?

.......Green...~¤~

Hilariously? The Sith can plan all they want. But you can NEVER plan for stupid. Make a plan idiot proof, as they say, and the Universe will just build a better idiot. All that carefully curated misery, hatred, and suffering? That DISPAIR. The webs upon webs of Darkness carefully spread across the Senate district? Choking the Temple?

Mmmmm, tasty kindling. Good fuel! Sith Artifact LIKEY~!

It RIPS and TEARS. A screaming MAW IN THE SKY. A black hole for Dark Side energy that takes and takes and TAKES. Dropping people all across the district below. KILLING the particularly irredeemably monstrous. After all~!

The Force? Is in all things.

You DON'T have to be Force Sensitive, to Fall. Just a BASTARD. Just cruel and selfish, hateful and needlessly petty. All the things that would sour and turn a Jedi? Can sour and turn YOU too. Just slower, quiter, and with less explosions. But! It still wraps the Dark around your bones. Feeds it into your blood.

Kills you, when it all gets ripped away.

One must wonder.... how many Senators die instantly? And how many die in the days to come? Slowly, painfully, bed-bound as they reflect on who they had become? The fall out will be SPECTACULAR.

The Jedi's fault? How? How is their being stretched so thin they could not mount a proper response THEIR fault? How is YOUR corruption, THEIR fault? Please note all the individuals who were FINE! Baffled, but FINE!

But perhaps you are correct.

Perhaps, for the safety of ALL, we should MOVE our main Temple.

We've done it before. We can do it again. Or do you not want to HAVE that conversation? Hmmm? No, no, we wouldn't want to be a THREAT to you FINE people! You HONORABLE senators! Please, continue to yell and make demands! SEE HOW FAR IT GETS YOU!

Would they normally send someone more diplomatic? Yes. But STRANGELY all of THEM had weird SITH Darkness on them that got violently ripped off! They are in the halls of healing. Unconscious. Because getting Sith shit, that was hooked into your brain, violently ripped out? Not GREAT! 0 out of 10 healers recommend!

Fuuuuck you! Yes, I bite! And be warned, my Race is VENOMOUS! *aggravated Jedi Senior Padawan noises, hissing*

Danny? Got pulled out in FULL regalia. Just FULL on Ice and Stars. Full "I am the Cosmos beholding itself, I am the dead child you could not save.", beyond vanta-black armor and cape like a window to ever shifting stars, crown of aurora borealis playing off the eternal ice, all upon a youngling that seems forever floating... frozen in time. By death.

Was it sacrifice? Natural? Is it just a shape the spirit takes? IS he a youngling?

They both can and can not feel him.

Both can and can not SEE him.

He is so young....

A child king, hsmiles with such shared grief, when they look upon that too large crown, upon a head that should never have been forced to wear it. Like a child, forced to wear his father's mantle too soon. Is that what happened? Was it something worse? They can not bring themselves to ask.

Not when he is so... so DELIGHTED?

Playing with the younglings. In AWE of each and everyone of them. The things they learned each day. "Who wants to go flying?" "Try to float me!" "I believe in you." Oh, he BASKS in their Light like a desperate thing. Showers them with praise and attention, gentle corrections and undivided attention.

He is empathic. Alive and dead. Fascinated by the stars.

And of course... King™.

No, no, he's not interested in your Senate. Doesn't like um, Doesn't trust um. The vibes are RANCID. But I mean... if you REALLY need an army so bad? Since it seems you guys are pushing yourself WAY outside of your normal duties? Like, he doesn't know, uhhh farmers burning crops to prevent starvation? Something like that.

Just? Since you hate it? But are worried people will die? Or those Clone guys (Sweet! Clones! Ellie is gonna be HYPED.) Are gonna die? He could, you know... fix that for you?

JUST you.

We're gonna have to get it in writing. And they won't do anything BUT stop the robots and help people. They don't actually answer to you. Soooo.....?

.......are you offering us an army? (Yeah. An endless skeleton army. Lead by the greatest Generals to have ever died.).....(they get bored.)

And SUDDENLY? Oh look! The Galactic suffering levels? Just fucking DROPPED. All those SENTIENT Clone soldiers! Dying in vain, in agony, ALONE? Not happening! Skeletons can get blasted apart, fade, reassemble, and march RIGHT BACK OUT! This is GREAT fun!

And even better? Unlike with Pariah? THIS time they march? King PHANTOM is sending them to HELP people! Woooooo! Destroy metal crunchy things! Help clean up rubble! Build a house! Rescue trapped people from rubble! Tireless effort! Honor and service! Thanks for the FREE METAL! *rips apart your robots*

There are no anti-ecto technologies here! The BEST they have is Force users! Which? Ha ha ha! GOOD LUCK. That's what? One? TWO? Of you?? To HOW MANY of us??? *cackles in bone army*

And! If they happen upon OTHER things they don't like? Whoop! Should'a thought of that! Before being a DICK! King Phantom says slavery is ILLEGAL. And we, the FORMER slave army of King Pariah, have Millennium Long ISSUES with that! (Easy to remove that chip, when you can reach THROUGH a person. Here you Slaver FUCK. YOU have it! In fact! Have ALL of them. From each and every slave.)

Anikin LOVES his new Bone friends. They are WONDERFUL. Him n them? Bonded. He's made them all speech boards. They're plotting the gruesome end of the Hutt cartel together. He's showing them the holo of his wedding. They're making Super Advanced Chip scan-.....

W....Why is his scanner going off? There should be nothing near by for it to recognize. The only thing HERE is him, his Bone Buddies, and Rex for supervision.... *mounting horror as he slowly waves the device around* *beep*

R-Rex?

...

......

The Clones? De-chipped in like... two days. There are too many skeletons to NOT have them be able to just? *reach in, feel for the Non-Clone bit, grab it, pull out* didn't even need surgery! But boy, oh, boy! Is Anikin upset. That sure is a Slave chip! Hey, Kamino! Have a Chosen One and his Bones Bros! Some Clones in orbit with Real Big Guns.

And Palatine? Is? PISSED.

His whole ass Empire is dissolving in his hands. The Sith Master Plan! Going up in smoke! Walls are closing in! All because of ONE(1) glowing BRAT.

Wanna bet he goes after him... with LIGHTNING? In human form, of course. Danny. Who DIED to electricity. Who has, throughout ALL of this? Been chilling in the Jedi temple, finally... FINALLY! Unwinding. Putting down the stress on his shoulders. Healing from his childhood. Cuddling cute babies and laying on the grass to nap, listen to the waterfall. Be at PEACE, surrounded by the Light of the Jedi.

Danny, who has been making friends. Enjoying the archives. For once in his stressful, STRESSFUL life? Letting OTHER PEOPLE deal with it. Playing with alien puppies and weird not-cats. Trying new foods! Seeing about adopting some droids that Tucker might get on with. Sorry "buying" some droids. (As though those Restraining Bolts aren't coming off the SECOND they droids are in his hands.)

It's been cool. Relaxing. Great for his mental health.

They have folks LITERALLY called Mind Healers here! Jazz would love it!

So obviously Sith face ruins it. Hurts his friends and blasts him with LIGHTNING. The kids are crying and terrified. This was supposed to be some sort of "learn about how the Republic works" day trip to the Senate! He was helping chaperone. They are being so, SO brave. Staying together. Trying to get their teacher out of harms ways.

He? Is? PISSED.

How DARE you. How FUCKING DARE YOU?! A fight between adults? Not his Reality, not his business. Clockwork drilled that into his head. He CAN'T keep the Multiverse together. Fight every fight for everyone, save everything. People have free will. Have to decide for THEMSELVES. Choose to do the right thing.

It doesn't mean SHIT if they don't save themselves. Wont last, in the end, because they won't have LEARNED a damn thing. He GETS that! But KIDS?! Ooooh ho ho! He DRAWS THE LINE AT KIDS! At shocking the SHIT out of him with LIGHTNING!

You want to poke the sleeping titan 'til it wakes up?

Well congrats!

YOU HAVE HIS ATTENTION NOW!

*inhale*

*Wail*

Palpatine goes through the HOLE where about fifteen walls USED to be. Half of Coruscant physically hears it and EVERYONE with even a TOUCH of Force sensitivity FEELS it. Across the entire planet and up into orbit.

Dying screams and the crackle of electricity. Regret. Fear. The desperate need to protect, in your final moment. Pain and pressure, the cool slide of Death come to take it all away. You were just fourteen. You were just fourteen! You died screaming, you came back screaming, in the place between... will you ever stop screaming?

You are the Galaxy, the Cosmos, the INFINITE. You are just a child.

How many souls died screaming?

Can't you hear ALL OF THEM?

Pissed or not, kids come first. Fuuuuuck that guy. Danny picks up the teacher, the kids, and back to the Temple they go. Teacher survives. Kids cling. Senate gets itself into a snit over the "unprovoked attack". But the thing is? A whole CLASS of Baby Jedi say the Chancellor is the Sith Lord. Look too spooked to be lying. Their teacher, too WOUNDED for this to be a prank.

The Jedi close rank.

Palpatine tries to use the Clones.

You know... the De-chipped by their Bone Bros Clones.

Commander Fox? Gets to finally, FINALLY(!!!) live out his long time fantasy... of shooting the fucker. Slug thrower. Tragically, fails to kill him. But the attempt WAS enthusiastic! We applaud his attempt. Commander Fox gets to join Danny in the Gardens, under a Crechelings pile, staring at the stain glass ceiling and Not Thinking Or Having Responsibilities.

Huh.... kid's right. This IS nice.

Fox enjoys being a climb-able lump for the Crechelings. Welcome to the club, my dude.

The other Jedi? THEY can figure it out. The Temple is literally unassailable. If needs be, his army can PICK IT UP AND MOVE IT. Danny is Vibin. Have a fruit. You hear about Skywalker? Making pretty good ground on his whole "one man and massive bone army campaign against Slavery" thing. Missed the whole.... his buddy was an asshole reveal. Apparently reception is spotty. *shrugs*

His wife's nice though! *various married Jedi agree, Obi-Wan continues to sulk because: "REALLY?! You didn't even INVITE ME!? My own Padawan! To his WEDDING! Anikin how COULD YO-!?"*

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Childe seeing something in the window he thinks you might like and buying it as a gift. he's been trying to earn your trust for a few weeks, waving and chatting with you whenever you pass Northland Bank, although strangely it's not because he needs you for something or wants to use you for some plan. oddly, he's doing it because he wants to. no strings attached, he swears it, even to himself.

he buys the little trinket and puts it safely in a box. it's small and pretty, a token of affection- hopefully this will let you see that he's being genuine, despite him being a Fatuus. perhaps you'll stop looking wary around him and stiffening when he walks over to you, even if you've become less so in the passing days.

perhaps he'll get to see you smile like you do to the people on the street; Hu Tao, Keqing, Zhongli. he brightens at the thought, ocean-blue eyes even sparkling, just barely.

but he never gets to give the little gift to you. it's left behind with everything else when he's forced to run, trapped in a strange, painful body that's his own yet not. when he finally collapses it's where his exhausted brain wanders to; not to his mission, not to the aches that attack his limbs, not the onsetting illness hanging over his head; no, that little gift sitting in the drawer of his nightstand. he'll never get to give it to you. you'll never know how much he's grown attached to you, how much he wants to stay with you. how much he loves you. Childe sobs at the thought, the sound coming out as a choked whine. you'll probably live the rest of your life thankful he's gone. everyone is, when it comes to a Harbinger. and his last memory of you will have fear in your eyes and rigid shoulders as you fear for your own safety but Archons, you can't move.

[last-flight-of-fancy]

ah, you're right! it was a bit erroneous of me to say riku has no star imagery around him XD he does! (the above example, the ending of kh2 where he and sora become shooting stars themselves as they leave the RoD, his parallels to the nameless star, and if Necklace Theory true- which i beleive it is- very much that as well).

oops the riku-kairi parallels in my brain are cooking again pls hold-

much like many things around riku and his journey this imagery isn't really as blatant as it is with kairi's. in kh1 he kind coat-tails around it via the paopu ("You wanted one, didn't you?") using kairi's more overt imagery to hide his own (yknow. like the way also does with his feelings).

as usual CoM is the gift that keeps on giving here, the game that laid the stonework for a shocking amount of the rest of the series, and wrt this post in particular, also lays the first seeds of switching riku and kairi's narrative's in relation to sora.

I specify in relation to sora bc, as noted by the above, kairi represents stasis and safety, while riku represents change and uncertainty. in the beginning sora leans more towards Kairi, a natural inclination of youth towards the familiar and secure. as time goes on however we see that relationship grow distant, then awkward as it begins to chafe, the things long thought to be true feeling different under the clarity of maturity, and then comfortable again as he reaches the moment many of us do when we realise that the past isn't coming back, but maybe that's okay. We can love what it was while we continue to move onward in our lives.

to go back a bit to step two of that journey, as sora goes through CoM the safety of that familiarity is challenged. kairi is not kairi, his memories and feelings are gaslit by others into something they're not for the sake of someone elses feelings (in b4 someone thinks im calling namine evil or something, i am not. she was in a situation equally as shitty as sora's and doing her best with what little she had to work with. i love her. okay? okay). sora may not consciously remember any of this, but i do think those impressions left lasting impact that hastened his realisation that home... might not really be home anymore. again things oft familiar to the queer experiance- but more to the point of this post is the Star Charm

the star charm (a paopu; symbol of connection everlasting), overlayed on kairi's seashell charm (a charm to help sailors find their way home), implied to be an entirely different charm (a necklace) that sora has kept with him since childhood, given to him on the night of a meteor shower (falling stars)-

... okay so necklace theory hasn't been outright confirmed, but i've yet to hear any other explanation that actually makes sense so forgive me if i act like it is.

point is that yes, riku definitely has his own connection to star imagery, but the way it's used is a lot more subtle, and often connected to/hidden by kairi's more visually obvious ones, and it's only been with more recent installments that this has become more apparent.

... which is of course something of a pattern in the series tbh, the assumption of one thing, the long play of hints and clue's suggesting otherwise, and then the Reveal that pulls it all together. mmmmm coming of age story centered around themes of comphet and being Othered/denied personhood my Beloved

this is all real deep in the analysis weeds by this point, and i'd hesitate to say that ALL of it was intentional (not as a dig at the writers, just that i'm well aware of how difficult it must be to write something so symbolically dense over such a long time), but i'd definitely be willing to beleive at least some of it was, maybe even most of it. and oughghghghg i love it. i love this series. few things make me dig into the meat of what makes it tick like this does.

Started thinking about Riku-Kairi parallels and symbolism wrt the ending of kh2 so please hold while i get needlessly verbose about it-

specifically it started with this gif

and ofc adhd is as adhd does and started going down the rabbit hole of connecting the dots.

The act of reaching out a hand/hand holding is a recurring thing in kh, the vast majority of which is chock full of meaning and symbolism, and this is no exception. This is the culmination of The Hero's Journey part of Sora's tale, the return home, and the heartfelt reunion between long-seperated friends. fun fact the heroine's journey follows the hero's journey for the first third or so before continuing on. kinda like how kh continued on long after things seemed to be 'resolved'. weekly plug to look up Howler's Heroine's Journey essays if you haven't yet

The angle from which I am viewing this scene right now is in regards to ofc Riku, and his own iconic pose that we see the first time in the intro to kh1 (and many, many times since)

And this is where my riku-kairi-are-inverted-parallels-to-each-other brain starts barking like a dog because oughghghghggh same pose opposite side completely different body language- AHG.

And this matches their character arcs (as well as their respective combined arcs with sora) to a T as well. Riku's pose is the first we see, way back in kh1, and his hand is as much a taunt as it is an offer. Very befitting his relationship to sora in that game, which was coloured by a forged rivalry and intense jealousy (to quote the ultimania; Complicated Feelings) of/for sora.

(it is also notable that to date this gesture has yet to be resolved. the closest they've gotten is when sora grasped Riku's hand in kh2 on finding him- albeit in Ansem's visage.

Symbolically this is Sora attempting to accept the gesture, but this time it is Riku who fails to meet him halfway, too deep in guilt and regret to feel worthy of it. his hand is turned downwards, limp and unresisting.

And again in DDD when Riku grabs sora's hand/wrist in an attempt to wake him from his nightmares, but this time sora isn't capable of reciprocating. like two ships passing in the night, always reaching but never quite meeting)

(this one isn't quite as strong in the visual symbolism specific to the Riku Pose, but i did think it bore mentioning)

to return to the first gif however, for Kairi her posture is much less stiff, leaning forward with palpable releif at Sora's return. Honestly the fact that she holds out her left hand (which as far as i know is not her dominant hand) marks this as a very deliberate choice to parallel her as opposite to riku. and much like the rest of kh2's ending, it FEELS like a culmination, a completion of their arcs.... and most certainly isnt.

Which i mean to say, it's a mid-point. And the reason I say this is because of one little thing.

The seashell charm.

There's a sort of irony here in that the charm that was meant to reunite them in this moment is also symbolically like a wedge between them. A heartfelt and meaningful gesture, don't get me wrong! i love this scene and the genuine emotions within, but i do love chewing on the way this gains a slightly different meaning in the greater context of later story beats; specifically that of kh3.

With how pointed and direct the parallel is between kairi and riku in these scenes, it did make me pause for a moment thinking about kh3. i know we've all seen a thousand and one analysis' of the paopu scene at this point, but forgive me as i must do so again under this specific lens.

'how does the paopu scene relate to the hand extended gesture at all?' i hear you ask, and on the visual surface not much. it has more to do with sora and kairi's relationship arc through the games and, of course, the lingering loose thread that was the cave drawing.

The paopu scene is a touching recreation of that cave drawing, one enacted by a pair of kids who didn't know if they would live to see another sunset. It's also probably the most symbollically dense thing in all of kh and that is saying something so I'm going to try and keep my observations limited to just what is relevant to this post- and that would be the way that the paopu scene is a direct continuation of Kairi's 'you're home' gesture in kh2.

shooting stars are also a common recurring symbol in kh, and that's the symbol that ties these two scene's together. if kh1 is two disparate stars each trying to reach the other (the cave drawing, the seashell charm, the way their hands are seperated at the end of kh1), and the end of kh2 is that of the stars finally meeting (the single seashell star charm pressed between their palms), then the paopu scene is that of the stars passing each other by and beginning their own journey's anew (two stars held by crossed arms, each now holding a small piece of the other (bitten fruit) to show that their meeting may have been brief but it was meaningful)

it is in this way that kh3 quietly and tenderly closes out sora and kairi's combined arc, as two unlikely friends who then drift apart again, shining brightly for the shared experiance, Remind mostly serves to support that finality, tying up the last couple loose ends between them, and leaving the two far more comfortable with each other than they ever were while that arc was still ongoing (which i read as them no longer being uncertain as to what their relationship is; that of friends, and not whatever so many others around them had pushed and assumed)

(seriously look at how much more comfortable they are with each other the second the pressure to be something they're not is off. the awkwardness is completely gone i love it)

All of this is ofc still in parallel to Riku, who boasts no such star imagery (instead he has the iconic Heart of KH itself), and in fact while he symbollically continues to reach out to sora, physically he has completely refrained from doing so at all- in fact most examples of the Gesture in kh are deliberately invoked by other characters in order to bring riku to mind in some way (and often more for the players benifit than sora's)

axel in CoM,

(i have given up on tumblr gif search)

YMX in DDD,

which then immidiately cuts to riku in kh1 just to make it as blatant as possible that yes the reference is intentional (i guess CoM was too subtle somehow so they had to make sure this time)

and even Riku himself to Namine at the end of kh3, representing Repliku's final wishes in a funny sort of symbolism oroboros.)

and it's not a coincidence that the completion of that connection provides definitive closure to the arcs in question; that of namine to repliku, but also a little bit to riku himself. namine still has a role to play, but that role (i think) is more or less exclusive to her relationship with sora. namine and riku's relationship arc, background as it is, is complete, and now both are connected primarily through their incomplete arcs with sora.

(which makes the way that sora and kairi's example in kh2 is a complete outlier really interesting tbh. smth smth thinking your relationship is one thing and if it was that thing then yes that would have been the end, but it wasn't that thing and thus it wasn't the end smth smth comphet metaphor smth)

which brings us back to how riku himself hasn't really reached out to sora directly since kh1, the act that set off both of their journey's. The reasons for that are many- guilt, fear, a certainty that sora will not reach back and that he doesn't deserve it anyway- but despite that the Gesture is still subtly affirmed as being Riku's over and over again, never quite letting the audience forget it... because eventually this bit of symbolism so consistently portrayed throughout the series will reach its own conclusion, starting how it began with one deuteragonist reaching out to the other, and this time the other reaching back to complete the gesture.

[wh0rephobic]

Naurrr just imagine calling William Daddy for the first time ever!!

It catches him off guard and the way this man LOVES breeding just as much as you do makes him go FERAL

“say it again”

“Daddy?”

“again!!”

“D-Daddy..?”

“mmmmm one more time for me.”

“Daddy!!!”

And thats when he snaps and breeds your brains out

-🔪

OAHDJDN YESS

genuinely i can never decide between william with a daddy kink or not. but like the first time it slips out in the middle of sex, like “harder, harder daddy—please!” and william’s hips just kind of slow to a stop and he’s blushing, asking “what was that?” and now YOURE blushing, you didn’t even realize that you said it and now you’re thinking that it was the wrong thing to say…

“harder—“

“no, no say the other thing…” he’s got an evil look on his face.

“daddy”

“again,” he rolls his hips right into your sweet-spot, making you moan out.

“oh—daddy! f-fuck!”

“that’s right, baby,” and he just starts ruthlessly pounding into you, hips snapping and making your entire body jolt and shake with the intensity.

you have your back arching, crying out as you take your nails down william’s back while he keeps muttering out “good bunny, so good for daddy, taking me so well!” while you’re repeating “daddy! daddy! daddy!” like it’s the only word you know, every time you utter it it just spurs him on more to fuck you harder until you can’t even walk anymore <33

[thegreymoon]

Love Between Fairy and Devil

The reverse Eye of Sauron is watching you!

Still evil, though.

***

Changheng standing up to his jerk of a brother? Unbelievable!

***

Mmmmm, I do like the idea of him in chains 😋

Yes, please, struggle some more! 🔥🔥

***

Aww, puppy 🖤

***

Aren’t you imprisoned?

Just watch it be Rong Hao wearing his body. 

***

It is 100% Rong Hao.

***

Smh.

***

Where?

***

OMG, she fixed it!!

***

I love it when she puts her brain cells to use, even if it does get her strangled.

***

Oh, please end him! Or at least take the book back!

***

And there he goes, destroying the fairy-boiling cauldron again!

***

Aww, they are cute, cute, cute!! 🤗🤗

***

Evil God?

That’s a new development!

***

She wasn’t falling in love with you in the past 🤣🤣

***

So, he wasn’t always a shit father. 

***

Aww, she healed his tree!!

He’s about to experience the full scope of human emotions, hehehehe!

***

LOL, he’s so terrified.

***

LMAO, are you asking for death?

***

LOL

That’s one way to express gratitude, I guess. 

***

Oh? 👀

***

Poor child 😢

[ficsforeren]

I think I always ask these things, but I find it interesting and fun to know these things, lol. 😂. What are the Howgarts houses of each Eren and their girlfriends?

It is fun, isn’t it? 😂

Himbo Eren would definitely be a Hufflepuff, his gf would be a Gryffindor cause she wears the pants in the relationship she always tries to be independent, fearless and strong (even though deep inside she's hurting). They’re so cute 😭

Rockstar Eren is a bit tricky. I don’t wanna say he’s a Slytherin but I feel like he is? His wife is a Ravenclaw, I think.

Secret Agent Eren is a Slytherin definitely. His wife is a Ravenclaw.

Mafia Eren is a Gryffindor. His assassin gf is a Slytherin. (You’d think the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you? 😅)

Knight Eren is a Gryffindor at the beginning, but now he’s acting more like a Slytherin 😂😂😂 His Princess is a Hufflepuff.

Soldier Eren is Godric Gryffindor in his true form lmaooo put him under the sorting hat and it’s gonna say “GRYFFINDOR!” in 0.2 seconds. His beautiful blind lover is a Ravenclaw.

Idol Eren is SUCH a Slytherin lmaooo his sassy as gf is also a Slytherin (chaotic couple)

College Eren is a Slytherin too, he can get a little bit sly and sadistic sometimes. His girlfriend is a Ravenclaw.

Vampire Eren is a Slytherin too, I think. He’s done some bad, nasty shits in the past. But he acts more like a Hufflepuff these days. His girlfriend is a Gryffindor cause she’s not scared of his ass.

Sandra doesn't watch Harry Potter so she can't answer this question but I can say that CEO Eren would be a Gryffindor and his YN would be a Hufflepuff.

Homewrecker Eren would be a Slytherin (because he's so evil omg 💀 lmao i'm sorry sandra) his current wife is also a Slytherin for what she did to zeke 💀💀💀 (LMAOOOO DON'T TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY SANDRA I'M SORRY)

Professor Eren would definitely be a Ravenclaw (mmMMm gotta love men with brains and 9-inches long cocks) but he can also be a Slytherin. His student is definitely a Slytherin.

[mismatchedtwins]

Bro it was so visceral and horrifying, the way u made Donnie AWARE of his flesh and bones mending together. And you made him feel it too?? No!! EVIL🫵 That was soo evil but I loved it!! I love horror!!

I DO TOO BUT HORROR IS SO HARD TO WRITE

I always felt like Donnie should have been a little out of it since he was literally SOWN BACK TOGETHER in the city streets. And I was thinking about how that would go and I had the inescapable urge to write what I’ve always wanted to happen. And I’m SO proud of it, lemme tell you the truth! It’s like reading someone else’s work!!

This bit was so cool, I don't stumble upon a lot of horror in fics yk? There's not a lot thats made me recoil and sit there mouth agape. But this??! U totally nailed it!!

Thank you!!

I’m so weird ‘cause I CANNOT watch horror on the tv screen but I will DEVOUR horror in books form. Like. MMMM tasteh

[The prison dimension looks like the stuff of nightmares. Dead ancient ruins and echoes r such a fun bit to play around with >:)) im excited to see how u interpret it]

I HAVE SO MANY PLANS

I NEED TO MAKE A LIST OR SOMETHIN’ OF ALL THE THINGS THAT I’VE DECIDED BASED ON DIMENSION X LOGIC AND THE FUN TIDBITS FROM THE KRAANG SHIP LIKE MMMMM

I just lie in bed at night mentally filling in every single blank that only I care about like why 😭🤣

Also him immediately wanting his brothers around and thinking about his dad hurt 😭

His family will be on his mind for the next eternity.

If I have my way, his guilt will be unnecessary and painful.

His sufferings are both instantaneous and crippling!

Sksskk this made me giggle out of my previous horror shock. Dee just went thru the most traumatic event of his life so far and witnessing an explosion comparable to a nuclear bomb and his 1st instinct is to take a pic.

There are so many times where I have to question whether the 2012 cartoon would have someone do something, but HERE we go by a mix of 2012 AND 2018 logic! MY POWERS HAVE GROWN!!!

(Literally, I love this moment so much. It’s supposed to help the readers move away from horror and to action! And it works!! Translation silliness! I’m glad you share my gigglessss)

(such a curious lil guy, most wouldve hightailed it out of there already instead of going, hmm 🤔why's that alien behemoth over there beating up a rock for? sksk)

PLEASE like any Donatello wouldn’t question the absurdity.

He wasn’t going to go say HI- he was just gonna peek a lil’

😭😭😭 just by this alone I know I'm not walking out of this unscathed. Brotherly love is going to end me I can feel it

Okay, NOW, he’s gonna go say hi

The kindest boi my sweet purple son

On one hand: Would not any normal person think: that’s seems unnecessary it shouldn’t be happening?

On the other hand: GOODEST BOI WANNA HELP 🥺

He waves😭 he waves goodness I can picture it so clearly. Don't wave at the highly volatile threat. why is he like this?

I don’t know but I hope he never changes 😭

IS. IS. I choked on my drink when I read that. The others reactions were so vivid too LMAO. Thank u for including that, it was hilarious.

SPLATTERS this kid is HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE’S DOING and it’s MURDERING me bc he’s going to die by his own obvious dummy genius brain. This poor child

Ok ok now the fight between krang prime and Dee was awesome. Yeah it's a miracle he's still standing and yeah he got his shell handed to him twice over and he was literally about to die again BUT!

The fact that he was able to hurt prime with nothing but a blade from his broken wooden bo and his sensei's advice echoing in his head is like actually so cool. And he was so sassy doing it too!! (Channeling his inner raph huh? I see what ur doing 👁️👁️)He's got no powers or knowledge of his surroundings or anything just his intellect and quick thinking and he still got a hit! Probably his only hit in close combat w/ prime ever but still yk what I mean right?? Wooh goo Dee!!

DO you see what I’m doing because I think I knew what I was doing but I don’t remember anymore 🤣 EHHHHH struggles

IT WAS ALL THE ELEMENT OF SUPRISE (and the fact that he is used to fighting massive aliens or suited creature) AND A LOT OF LUCK. CHILD WOULD HAVE DIED IF LEON DIDN’T STEP IN, MKAY

Well. He would have died eventually. After Krang was done with him.

And this also made me realize that Donnie came back with everything except his mask. He had his phone, his gear, his bo, his grappling hook(this tool will be handy later) everything except his mask. The one thing that sets him apart from his brothers. That represents who he is besides his staff and big brain. Him. Donatello. Donnie. The turtle before anything else. The brother the son the friend before everything else. Before his inventions, before his skills before his sacrifices and accomplishments and failures. He is the boy who decided his favorite color was purple. Purple. That's him. That's Donnie.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS I’M IN PAIN RN

And it was left behind :(( Against his will. Taken u could say.

I could and I would. BAD ZA’NARON. BAD.

He quite literally and figuratively lost a piece of himself behind when he died huh? I do wonder if he'll ever get it back (but even if he did there ain't no way he'll ever be the same OUGH ur evil)

HA You better bet I am. And I ONLY GET WORSE!!! >:D

(also this fact made the part where Leon gets ticked off and denies Dee being a Donnie feel more angsty and like bitter?? I'm not sure how to describe it But i will talk more about that later lol)

*covers audience’s ears* GEE spoiler alert Splatters

You gotta let ‘em read the next chappy yk

Anyways that's all I have rn. I will come back and continue with the rest of the chs later!! Gn muah muah

I WILL BE COMING AND COMMENTING ON THE OTHERS!

NOTHING WILL STOP ME!!!!

Um can I like, ask stuff about ur au here🥺? Well its more thinking out loud and putting a magnifying glass on several moments during ur fic than asking. Cuz asking means answering and I'm not about to make u do that unless u want to(I dont wanna be the reason u unload the whole lore yk lol) (and i also didn't want to like bug u too much either with my brainworms and excitement)

ABSOLUTELY!

I would LOVE to have my AU under a magnifying glass! There are so many little things about my own AU that I go NUTS over and I would LOVE to hear what moments have caught your eye! You would NEVER bug me with your brain worms! (No one would!) I'm eager to see what about my AU is wiggling around in your brain!

And that means questions too! Ask away!

I may not answer all (or any) if it means too heavy spoilers, but I would be happy to have a chance to consider new elements that the outsiders are seeing and I am not. I love finding connections that I didn't even realize existed before that moment! Maybe I'll add in Easter eggs based on ideas that you guys have! (Maybe.)

I am seriously overthinking this fic and would love to hear any and everything from you guys! LET'S GO CRAZY!