#my favorite tragic siblings Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[maxanor]

@usergif | new year, new fonts day 1 → layer styles

[shalomniscient]

i keep a bunch of stuff in a personal discord server because cloud services can eat my entire ass and also discord’s organisation system speaks to me on a personal level but i was going through my oc channels and found a bunch of miscellaneous quotes i’ve attributed to all my mind children. no one asked but here’s the highlight reel:

[kelbunny]

Man author, storytellers, writers really popped off when they invented tragic siblings. Can't get enough of tragic siblings.

Like siblings/family dynamics? Already amazing. Add angst and doomed by the narrative vibes? Perfect.

[nesmamomen]

🛑I want to tell you a short story, please read it⬇️

I used to have a cat that gave birth to 6 kittens, and I took care of her and her kittens with love, providing them with food and medical care until our house was bombed over our heads at 3:27am. That night was my last night with my cats, as I slept and my favorite cat Rushdi was sleeping next to me, but I lost him and all his siblings and his mother, unfortunately. The matter affected me deeply, and since that time I swore to help every animal that needed help, but I did not have enough cash, so I opened this campaign to collect money for treatment and feeding animals that suffer the horrors of war like me. I found the cat Jojo, whom I consider a friend, and I found her wounded in her stomach, and unfortunately her wound was very inflamed, so I decided to help her and ask for your support, so please, guys, help me in this humanitarian work. All donations will go to treat injured animals.

Do not stop doing good

🛑Verified sequentially from my campaign

@fancysmudges @brokenbackmountain @zigcarnivorous @aleciosun @fluoresensitivearchived @khizuo @lesbiandardevil @transmutationsquare @schoolhater @timogsilangan @appsa @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @palestinegenocide @sar-soor @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tortiefrancis @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @visenyasdragon @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @kordeliiius @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @theropoda @tamarrud @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @skatezophrenic @awetistic-things @camgirlpanopticon @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @nabulsi @sygourie @junglejim4322 @heritageposts @chososhairbuns @palistani @dlxxv-vetted-donations @illuminated-runas @imjustheretotrytohelp @freetyphoonfire

[laurrelise]

this song + heat of the moment (also by noel gallagher’s high flying birds) (which was in s1e5 of tua) are making my appreciation for this band i’ve never heard before skyrocket

if tua s4 did anything, i guess i can thank them for that (but also -5000 points for everything else that s4 was)

This stupid fucking song keeps making me CRY OH MY GODDDD 😭 it’s genuinely so beautiful and the fact that it played in the last season messes me up so bad

just the mere thought of this song popping up in my head just makes me cry

[clouwncoree]

*Major Book 6 Spoilers

*i loved this chapter and therefore had to create a tragic animatic for my favorite sibling duo in twst

*specifying again that this is NOT shroudcest or romantic in any way shape or form ‼️‼️‼️ shroudcest freaks dni

*favorite frames and stuff underneath the cut :3

*shroud brothers ilysm please seek therapy and find happiness

*some of the best idia ive ever drawn btw

[aanoia]

Orphic (Pt. 4)

pairing; Ao'nung x Sully!reader Orphic; (adj.) mysterious and entrancing; beyond ordinary understanding words; 5,119 warnings; injury, mentions of death Pt. 1; Pt. 2; Pt. 3; Pt. 5 Importan info; I'm dragging out the timeline of the movie so I have more tike to develop relationships before the angst arrives (also gives me time to decide what will happen during the tragic scene we all unfortunately know too well) This was supposed to be a shorter chapter to kinda fill in so this story is longer (I'm going through the movie much quicker than I exxpected), but it ended up being the longest chapter so far :] isn't that funny? It's okay this chapter has been my absolute favorite to write and I hope you love it. Enjoy the fluff while it lasts >:) I should be waiting to post this, but I couldn't care less. Also, why do we lack Ao'nung GIFs people?

The morning sky is dark, the stars of the universe still littering the sky with their dim glows, just barely peeking through the cracks in the clouds. The air is thick and chilly, the looming threat of rain hanging over the beach. The waves crash strongly against the shore, a large contrast from the gentle back and forth it often is. 

Turning in her sleep, the eldest Sully daughter sighs deeply, her body fully relaxed. The girl is immersed in her dream, too unconscious to even be embarrassed at the soft touches of his, the way his lips feel against her, the way his body moves against hers- she flinches awake, squinting open her eyes. There’s a soft tapping outside of her marui, and she can just barely see bright teal feet shuffling against the floor beneath the flap.

“Treehugger, wake up-” The voice is quiet, but urgent. “Come on, Y/n, gotta show you something.”

A yawn rips through her body, and she stretches her arms out. She sighs softly and slowly moves to her feet, her body waking up. She carefully undos the tie on the marui flap, and Ao’nung stands there, a sheepish look on his face. She looks him up and down, her tired mind causing her cheeks to blush a deep blue. She can’t help but feel thankful for the darkness surrounding them.

“Ao’nung?” Her voice comes out softer than she meant, thick with sleep. It didn’t cross her mind that the dark wouldn’t only hide her blush.

He hesitates for a moment, looking her over with the corner of his lips tugged up, “Good morning, paskalin.”

She rubs her eyes, not registering the term of endearment, “What do you need? It’s too early.” She groans softly, sighing deeply.

“I want to show you something. But we’ll need to leave right now.” He explains gently, an odd look on his face. If Y/n was lucid, she may recognize it as a look her father often gives her mother.

She stares at him for a moment, disbelieving and slightly offended he’d interrupt her slumber, but she nods, glancing behind her at her sleeping family. She instructs Ao’nung to wait a second, and he obliges. She drops the flap, and carefully steps around her siblings to her mother. She knows the woman is awake, she’s a light sleeper and likely awoke before Y/n did.

Y/n bends and kisses her mom’s cheek softly, “I’ll be safe, mama.” The woman nods once, a soft smile on her cheeks. Her eyes never open, and she never responds, but Y/n didn’t need her to, to know it was okay to go. 

She weaves through the sleeping bodies of her family once again, and slides out of the marui. She smiles smally at Ao’nung, with an unfamiliar feeling of shyness after the dream he was present in. There’s a soft rumble of lightning in the distance, and Ao’nung takes Y/n’s hand gently. A shiver runs up her arm and down her body, she curls her toes, watching him with curiosity.

“Do you trust me?” His words are almost lost to the wind.

Y/n tilts her head to the side, and the first few droplets of water drop onto her skin, “Should I?”

His gaze narrows for a split second, “You’ll want to.”

She inhales deeply and nods, “I trust you, Ao’nung.” The cold nips at her skin, and she subconsciously steps closer to his warmth.

His lips tug into a smile, and his eyes sparkle as he squeezes her hand. “Come on.” He pulls her to the edge of the platform, and calls for his ilu, aware of his voice level so he doesn't wake anyone.

His ilu loyally swims to Ao'nung's aide, chirping happily. Ao'nung grins, slowly lowering himself into the water. He pets his ilu gently, smiling. Y/n watches him with a weird look in her eyes, and if one of her brothers were awake she'd be teased endlessly. Ao'nung looks to her with a smile, holding his hand out.

“You gonna join me one day? Or just stand there and gawk at my undeniable beauty?” He teases, grinning.

Y/n shakes her head with a small laugh, “I'm not gawking at you.” She sits, her feet in the water, and takes his hand.

He pulls her in, holding her close to him, “I think you were.” He insists in a low tone. 

At this point, the rain has begun to pour around them, and it soaks Y/n's skin. She swallows thickly as she watches Ao'nung, this proximity made her nervous. Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest, and she hated it. She hated what he did to her. She hated that he had this power over her, and she can't get it back no matter what she does. His body is warm against hers, and she holds onto his shoulder tightly, her fingers digging into his skin.

“You in there?” He asks gently, his smug grin softening into a genuine smile. Y/n inhales deeply as his fingertips meet the skin of her face, gently wiping away a slick piece of hair from her cheeks.

She nods, swallowing thickly. Her breath comes in short, uneven gasps. “I’m here, fishlips.” She says breathily, her gaze trailing down to his lips for a split second. The two are broken out of their trance by the ilu clicking curiously at them.

Ao'nung clears his throat, retracting his hand. He pulls Y/n onto his ilu, reaching behind him to put a steadying hand on her thigh. She hesitates, but wraps her arms around his waist tightly. She closes her eyes, the rain on her back a soothing pitter patter. She breathes deeply, trying to calm her heartbeat, but it seems impossible. Ao'nung's ilu moves forward, and she takes a deep breath as they submerge. 

The Ocean whilst it's raining and dark is completely different compared to clear and bright skies. It's serene, and beautiful in a terrifying way. The only marine life swimming about were those unafraid of becoming prey. Only the predators are left to swim about before the day starts.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for Y/n to run out of air, and have to gently tap Ao'nung's abdomen. He understands the signal, and their heads emerge from the water. Y/n take large gulps of air, sighing deeply and trying to calm her racing heart once again. She shivers at the cold winds, the heavy rain nipping at her skin.

“Your heart.” He notices, glancing over his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

Y/n nods, inhaling and exhaling, “Yeah, you can go again.” She takes a deep breath and they're back under.

The ilu swims on for a few more minutes, and the beginning of a sunrise pokes through the thick clouds. Eventually, they make it to a large rock, reminding her of a cliffside due to the height, and Ao'nung let's his ilu swim off. He helps Y/n onto the base of the rock and glances at her.

“Do you think you can climb to the top?” He asks, a hint of smugness in his tone.

Y/n raises a brow, “Really? Did you just ask me, of all people, if I could climb?”

Ao'nung pauses for a moment, before shrugging. “I believe I just did.” And he begins to climb. 

Y/n laughs quietly behind him, giving him a second to get ahead, before swiftly climbing up. She surpasses him quickly, her tail whacking him gently in the face. He gapes up at her in shock. Obviously, he knew she could climb, but this quickly and in the rain? She makes it to the top with ease, and peers over the edge at him. 

“Doin’ alright down there, sweetheart?” She grins at him as he glares, making his way up. “Careful, that rock is slippery.” She warns as he's an arms length away.

Ao'nung, the stubborn man he is, ignored her warning and grips onto the rock anyway. To his dismay, his hand slips, the jagged end of the rock slicing his palm open. He yelps in pain, losing his balance as his heavy tail swings side to side. His foot slips, and he panics, shutting his eyes tightly.

“Ao'nung!” Y/n reacts in a split second, reaching down towards him and grabbing ahold of his arm tightly before it can fall. His weight pulls her along the edge, scratching her stomach. She grunts, hooking her foot on a protruding rock and pulling upwards with all her strength. Without the ability to wipe the rain from her eyes, her eyes blur (she'll never admit it might have been from her own tears). 

Ao'nung manages to catch footing, and help Y/n get him onto the top of the rock. Neither have time to breathe as they instinctually embrace each other tightly, shivering from the fear and cold. Y/n holds the back of Ao'nung's head against her, rocking slightly.

“I told you it was slippery, skxawng,” She scolds, just loud enough so he can hear over the dwindling rain. He holds onto her tightly, trying to calm his breathing. 

“I know,” He whispers back, his voice breathless. He nods a little, swallowing thickly as he repeats himself. “I know.”

She inhales deeply, and pulls away from him, moving his face side to side to check for injuries. She scans over his body quickly, frowning at the small scratches. She takes the back of his hand gently, and sighs softly at the gash. She tilts her head, small bits of rock stick out from the wound, and it's weeping blood slowly. She bites the inside of her cheek, glancing up at him.

“Does it hurt?” She questions, wiping the dirt from around his wound. 

He hisses in pain, his fingers tensing, “Not at all.” He grits out. 

She frowns, glancing at his face, then back to his hand. “We should go back…”

Ao’nung shakes his head, pulling his hand out of hers, “No. We came here to relax. Look.” He nods his head towards the sky, the clouds have begun to clear, the downpour ending as quickly as it began. Y/n focuses on the sky around her, and a small smile comes to her face. The sky is painted with beautiful pinks and orange, and the sun just barely peeks out over the horizon. The exhales slowly, taking the sight in fully. 

“It’s beautiful.” She whispers, afraid to break the peaceful atmosphere. Her ears relaxed, no longer flattened against her head.

Ao’nung watches her, a soft look in his eyes, “Yeah, so beautiful.” He responds quietly, his stare never leaving her. Y/n turns her head and meets his gaze. Her breath hitches softly, and she can feel her heart once again speeding up. 

“You weren’t even looking at the sky.” She has a weird inability to tear her eyes away from him, and she feels in sync with the boy. 

“I know, I was looking at you.” He rests his hand on her leg, leaning forward ever so slightly. Almost as if there’s a magnetic pull between the two, Y/n follows suit, inching closer subconsciously. 

She glances down at his lips again, her lashes fluttering, “You think I’m beautiful?”

He nods without hesitation, “I do.”

She lifts a brow, “You called me a freak.”

He bites the inside of his cheek, “I lied.”

She pauses for a moment, before retracting from him. “I don’t believe you.” She swallows down the lump in her throat as she looks back out to the sky.

He freezes in disbelief, “What?”

She shrugs lamely, “I don’t believe you.” She repeats. 

Ao’nung frowns deeply, “How can I make you believe me? What can I do to make you feel as beautiful as you look to me?”

Y/n’s cheeks flush a deep indigo, and this time she doesn’t have the lack of sun to hide it from the boy next to her. “I don’t know.”

Ao’nung moves closer, and gently turns her head towards him. He glances down to her lips, then back to her eyes, silently asking her. “May I kiss you?” It comes out feather light, almost inaudible. 

Y/n doesn’t hesitate when she nods, it’s almost as if she was possessed. Ao'nung doesn't hesitate to lean forward and connect their lips. It starts with a quick peck, his hand slowly rests atop her cheek, caressing softly. Y/n pushes her lips against his again, kissing him with more passion. She scoots closer, her hand on his thigh. 

Eventually, the need for air outweighs the need for each other, and they have to pull away from each other. Ao'nung rests his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed as the two relish the moment. They take each other in, soft breathes fanning, lips just barely brushing together, their heartbeats in sync. 

Ao'nung is the first to open his eyes, and he takes a moment to admire the girls beauty, “Y/n?” His voice is slightly hoarse.

She doesn't open her eyes, “Hm?”

“Do you trust me?” He repeats his question from earlier, the tone more daring this time around.

“I already said I did.” She responds simply, finally cracking open her eyes.

He gently bumps his nose against hers, before pulling away and lifting himself up. He tugs the girl up with his good hand, and leads her to the edge. The wind blows gently, and at this point only a few clouds are left in the morning sky. 

“Jump with me.” He says seriously, looking over at her while holding tightly onto her hand.

She glances at him in disbelief, “You're kidding me.”

“I'm not.” He shakes his head, grinning at her. He feels like he's on top of the world. “Jump with me, Y/n.”

“We'll die. Do you want to die?” 

“No, we won't die. Look, just stiffen your body once we get close to the water. Don't flail around in the air, okay?” He instructs, squeezing her hand.

She stares at him for a moment, before looking at the water below them. “Okay- okay okay okay.”

He grins, “Okay?”

“Yes- but we need to go now before I change my mind.” Her courage is fleeting, threatening to leave at any moment. 

He laughs quietly, “Okay, okay. One the of three, and don't let go of my hand. One… Two…” 

Y/n swallows thickly, “Three!” And she jumps, dragging the boy along with her. Thear screams fill the air, both of terror and joy. Y/n, being smart and actually listening to instructions so she doesn't die, stiffens her body before their hit the water, and she slides right in. The force of the water rip their hands apart, and Y/n's arm stings a little bit.

She swims her way up to the surface, and grins at Ao'nung once his head pops up as well. She swims to him, and wraps her arms around his neck, giggling joyfully. 

“That was amazing!” She exclaims as the two bob in the water.

Ao’nung’s hands finger her hips in the water, and he grins at her, “I knew you’d like it.” He can’t stop smiling even if he tries.

“Can we do it again?” 

He squeezes her hips, “Maybe later, we should get going soon. None of my family knows where I am… and I don’t think I can climb with my hand.”

She nods, her face sympathetic, “Right, yeah. Let’s go home.” He nods with a soft smile, before turning to call his ilu. “Wait- fishlips,” He glances back at her. She pulls his face closer and kisses him quickly. “Okay, that’s all.”

He grins like an idiot as he calls his ilu, his face a deep blue color. It takes a few moments, but his ilu swims up happily, chirping in excitement. Y/n pets the ilu’s head gently, before sliding onto its back and waiting patiently for Ao’nung. Ao’nung gets on in front of her, once again placing his hand on her thigh for support, and they take off. 

The village quickly comes into view, and Y/n smiles. It’s been a few months since her and her family arrived at this point, and this place has quickly become her home. The forest will always have a special place in her heart, but slowly she finds herself dreading the day the war ends and they may have to go back. Here, in the ocean, she has found herself. She’s found friends she’d consider family and even a boy. She’s found Ao’nung. She doesn’t even want to imagine having to leave him and the world he’s shown her. She never wants to leave, and she’ll do whatever she can to stay.

Ao’nung brings her back to the platform in front of her marui, and she smiles at him, pecking his cheek, “You should go before someone comes out and berates you.” Either her father or brothers.

He grins at her, “Worth it for any more moments with you.”

She shakes her head, laughing softly as she gets off the ilu and pulls herself up onto the platform, “Go, fishlips.”

“Woah, wait up, treehugger, I think I deserve something for our journey this morning.” He looks up at her, expectantly tapping his lips.

She raises a brow, “You want me to sock you in the mouth?”

He waits in silence, “What?”

She just laughs and shoos him off, “Goodbye.” She stands and watches as he begrudgingly goes. She smiles to herself for a moment, before shaking her head and creeping into the marui. When she enters, she has four sets of eyes on her. Her family is sitting in a circle, eating breakfast. The Sully’s usually skip communal meals in the morning. 

“Well, look who decided to show up.” Her father says, and she’s unsure if he’s angry at her or not.

Tuk looks up from her food, now noticing her sister, she jumps up with a grin. “Y/n!” She runs over to the girl and jumps into her arms. Y/n smiles and picks her little sister up with ease.

She walks to the circle and sits, grabbing Tuk’s food and handing it back to her. “Hello, family. How are we this morning?”

Neteyam studies her with slightly narrowed eyes, “Why do you look like that?”

Lo’ak snorts, shoving his face with food, “Why do you sound like that?” He asks with his mouth full. His mother pinches his arm.

“Don’t speak with your mouth full.” She scolds, and Lo’ak nods with a derpy grin.

“Guys, leave her alone, she’s in looooooove.” Kiri grins. She’s not usually one to tease her siblings like that, in fact she finds it rather childish, but she can’t help it when her sister makes it so easy.

Her dad raises his brows, “You’re in what?”

She scoffs, flicking Kiri’s arm, “I’m not in love, shut up.”

“In love with who?” Tuk asks with a large grin. She’s always loved love. It’s her favorite when her parents are being sweet to each other.

“No one, Tuk. Eat your food.”

“It’s fishlips, isn’t it?” Lo’ak asks, swallowing his food first this time.

“What-? It is not.” Y/n huffs, glaring at the boy.

“Uhm, you look at him like he’s everything you could ever want, dude.” Kiri deadpans, not appreciating the blatant lying.

Y/n scoffs again, “What do you mean- I look at him like he’s everything I ever want?” She mocks the girl. “I call bullshit! Slander!” “Hey, language.” Her father butts in, his face anything but happy. “You’re not in love with the chief’s son, hear me?”

“I’m not!” Lo’ak giggles to himself, “Oh, she soooooo is.”

“Who were you even out with this morning?” Neteyam finally asks, glancing at his twin questioningly.

Y/n hesitates for a moment, “Uhm… Tsireya?” She tries, but her family gives her disbelieving looks.

“Right, and that’s why she came to our marui this morning asking if we knew where Ao’nung was?” Kiri asks with a raised brow.

There’s a pause, and Y/n sighs, “Fine, Rotxo.”

Lo’ak throws a piece of fish at Y/n, “Liar! I saw him this morning when I went to piss in a bush!”

Jake gives the boy a weird look, “TMI boy, TMI.” Normally, he’d be more irritated with Y/n than he is now. If it hadn’t been for Neytiri telling him the moment he awoke that she had allowed their eldest daughter to leave, he would have been. But he didn’t think this was deep enough to get into a fight with his mate over, so he let it go. If Neytiri thought she would be safe, then he trusts her judgment. 

“Ew, I did not need to know that.” Y/n grimaces. “Maybe I was just alone.”

“Then why didn’t you just say that?” Kiri questions with a small grin.

“Also, we could hear fishlips and you talking before you came in.” Lo’ak settles it, a proud smile on his face for successfully grossing out his entire family. 

Y/n sighs, “Okay, fine. I was with Ao’nung.”

Tuk giggles, looking up at her, “I like Ao’nung, he’s very nice to me, sissy.”

She smiles down at the girl, her heart warming a little, “Is he?” Tuk nods happily.

“What were you two doing?” Jake asks, pretending to just make conversation, when really he wants to know every detail of this outing. He wants to know if he needs to have a stern talking to with this boy.

A soft smile comes to face as she rethinks everything, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by anyone in the family, “We went to a big rock, and we climbed up. I got to show him how much better we are at climbing, and then he fell and almost died.” A range of emotion crosses her family’s faces.

“He what now?”

“I caught him, dragged him up onto the rock. And then we watched the sunrise and k-” She freezes, her face heating up. She swallows thickly. “He stood up, and told me to jump with him. It’s a thing they do, apparently. Cliff diving.”

“You jumped off a cliff with him?!” Jake does not like the sound of that.

Y/n nods, “Yep, that’s correct. It was so much fun, you guys would love it.” She looks at her brother’s with a grin.

“I wanna go cliff diving!” Tuk butts in urgently.

“Maybe once you are older, Tuk.” Her mother says gently, patting her head. Tuk frowns, but doesn't press.

“Then we came home.” Y/n continues. “No harm, no foul. No one is dead.”

Lo’ak grins, “Except maybe Ao’nung once I’m done with him.” He’s enjoying this reason to beat the boy up. 

She raises a brow, “What?”

Lo’ak stands and stretches, moving towards the flap of marui, “I’m gonna beat the shit out of that boy.” 

“Language!” Jake calls again, he’s not too worried about stopping the boy. 

“What- wait, Lo’ak, sit down.” Y/n tries to get up, but Tuk stops her.

Neteyam sighs and stands, grabbing onto his brother’s hand and pulling him back to sit down, “No, Lo’ak. There’s no need to beat him up. Look at her.” He motions towards the girl, all heads turn to her, and she burns up under the attention. “When was the last time we’ve seen her this happy?”

“Woah- hey, guys, I’m a happy person-” Y/n tries, the embarrassment heavy. She wishes the ocean would pick her up and take her far, far away from this moment. 

Lo’ak thinks for a moment, “A while, I guess.” 

Neteyam nods in agreement, “Exactly. So if this fish boy is the one making her happy, we should be thankful. Even if he’s not particularly our favorite.”

Y/n is silent for a moment, smiling a little at Neteyam, “Well, now that that’s settled-”

“Are you going to have babies with him, sissy?” Tuk asks curiously, she loves babies.

Y/n almost explodes as Neteyam speaks again, “No, she won’t. That crosses a line. If he even tries, he’ll wish it was Lo’ak beating him up.”

Y/n gently pushes Tuk off of her and stands, “I’m leaving.”

“Sit down.” Her father commands, and she can’t help but comply. “Have you eaten?” He asks, completely disregarding the conversation at hand.

Y/n shakes her head, “Not yet, dad.”

He nods, “Great, then eat, babygirl. No more talk about babies, please. I’m too young to be a grandpa.”

Y/n groans, burying her head in her hands, “I want to die.”

Meanwhile, Ao’nung walks into his family marui with a newfound confidence, not that he was ever lacking that. He was surprised to see his family gathered there, as he expected everyone to be at the morning meal. All eyes land on him, and he gulps.

“Good morning, everyone.” He greets as Tsireya smiles at him. His mother, however, does not seem so happy.

“You were out with the forest girl.” She points out, her tone stern and irritated.

Ao’nung nods, lowering his eyes, “I was.” He saw no point in lying.

Tonowari steps forward, “Why didn’t you make anyone aware you were leaving?” His voice is much softer, less angry.

“I’m sorry, father. I wanted to show her the sunrise… you were all asleep. I saw no need in waking you.” He tries to subtly hide his hand behind his back. 

His attempts prove to be futile as his mother walks forward, grabbing roughly onto his wrist and tugging his hand towards you, “She has hurt you!” She exclaims, tugging him to a place on the floor so she can wrap his hand properly. Tsireya glances over worriedly at her brother. 

“No-no,” He defends the girl quickly. “No, mother, she saved me. We were climbing Taw Tskxe. It was raining and she tried to tell me a rock was slippery but I didn’t listen. I slipped, but she grabbed onto me and pulled me up. She saved me, mom.” He repeats. He can’t have his mother hating her, because he knows she has to get her way. 

Her mother only glares at his hand, being rather rough as she picks out any grime. He hisses in pain at her lack of gentleness. His father rests his hand on the boy’s shoulder, kneeling down beside the two.

“Are you alright?” He asks softly, his “brows” drawn together.

Ao’nung nods, “Yes, dad. I am.”

“I do not want you with the girl alone again, Ao’nung.” His mother commands, wrapping his hand with seaweed. 

“What-” He starts to protest, but his mother’s looks stops him.

“You’ve heard me.”

Tonowari sighs deeply, “Ronal, may we speak?”

Ronal angrily looks up, but doesn’t say anything. Tonowari gently leads his wife to the corner of the marui, speaking to her in a gentle tone that contrasts her aggressive one. Ao’nung already knows he won’t be listening to his mother, but he’s disappointed she’d tell him not to see her alone again. Tsireya steps in front of her brother, replacing her mother’s spot on the ground as she sits. 

She smiles at him, her eyes soft, “You took her to see the sunrise, brother?” She asks quietly. 

He can’t help but smile, “I did.”

Her grin widens, “You like her.”

Ao’nung rolls his eyes, “Oh, really? I didn’t notice.”

She laughs softly, her eyes sparkling. She’s so happy for her brother, “Will you court her?”

Ao’nung shrugs a little. He’d be lying if he said he hasn’t thought about it, “I’d have to win over her parents first… and apparently mom.”

She hums quietly, “Have you guys kissed?” She’s very much like Tuk in the sense that she loves love, more than anything.

Ao’nung’s face heats up, “Hey, butt out, that’s none of your business.”

If it’s possible, she seems to get more excited, “Awh! You did!”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Children.” The two look dutifully towards their father. “Go to morning meal.”

They nod and follow instructions, standing and leaving the marui. The walk there is silent, Tsireya trying to hide her giggles, especially as they have to walk past the Sully family’s marui. Ao’nung rolls his eyes, tugging her along. The two sit by their Rotxo once they arrive. Since Ao’nung has become friends with the Sully children, he’s taken into consideration how his other friends act, and if that’s truly who he wants to be influenced by. He decided no, and successfully dropped the other boys. He’s content with his sister, Rotxo, and the Sully’s. 

“Rotxo, we have delightful news!” Tsireya grins happily as they sit next to the boy.

Rotxo smiles, “Goodmorning, ‘Reya, Ao’nung. What’s happened?”

“Ao’nung has kissed Y/n!” She giggles as Ao’nung shushes her, glancing around to see if anyone heard.

“Not so loud, ‘Reya.” He sighs, taking some food. 

Rotxo’s eyes widen as he glances at Ao’nung, “Seriously, bro?” He pats his shoulder. “Good for you. Are you two courting now?”

Ao’nung shakes his head, “Mother doesn’t approve of her. She’s requested I don’t see Y/n alone again.” He eats his food.

Rotxo frowns, “Well, are you going to obey her?” Ao’nung gives him an obvious look. “Right, why would you?”

Tsireya sighs, “Mother will warm up to her, I’m sure. She’s warmed up nicely to Lo’ak!” A faint blush comes across her cheeks at the mention of the boy.

Ao’nung rolls her eyes, “The difference is I’m future Olo’eyktan. My mate matters, yours doesn’t.”

Tsireya pouts, “My mate matters.”

“But mine will likely be future Tsahik.” He shrugs. “Not that I don’t think Y/n would be a perfect Tsahik, it depends on how mother thinks. She’ll be the one training the girl, after all.”

Tsireya sighs and nods, “Yeah, I know.”

Rotxo speaks up, “Well, it’ll all work out how it’s supposed too.”

Ao'nung snorts, “Okay, Rotxo.”

The boy shrugs, “Would you rather me tell you that you'll never be able to be with the girl you obviously are like, in love with?”

Ao'nung shoots him a nasty look, “I'm not in love with her, and no. I wouldn't.”

Rotxo grins knowingly, “Perfeet, so- it was all work out how it's supposed to. How our Great Mother Eywa wills it to be.”

Ao'nung shakes his head as he eats, finding the younger boy stupid. However, he can't deny the silent pleas towards Eywa to make her will for him to be her. Tsireya and Rotxo share a look, matching grins on their faces. They've both known Ao'nung as long as they've been alive, and they've never seen him like this over a girl, let alone a Forest girl.

my masterlist

If you'd like to be added to my main taglist comment or DM me!

taglist;

@skeletondeerart

[the-moon-files]

As I work on my college assignments that I have missed due to being sick I can't help but think *damn* I would absolutely hate being transported to another world due to all my responsibilities. Like, even if it was that zero time occurring between getting back home I wouldn't want that, because fuck what if time did pass? What if I got fired from my job or missed on rent and all my stuff got thrown out of my apartment?? I love the idea of being away from my responsibilities but I hate having to go back to more and more things I have to more things I have to make up or have just missed.

Anyway, my brain suddenly attached this to a reader who got stuck in the linked universe. The emotions they would go through because their mind isn't stuck on the past or present but in the future. What if they had pets? Who'd take care of them? How would they pay their bills if they got stuck in an alternate universe? It's a sudden absence of these things that really trip them up because they had so much to do and now it's all gone. They can actually live now. But also they weren't built to live life outside of the weird society we have. How can they learn to live if the way they'd been living was nothing but a mental ladder to keep up with. How can they keep going knowing that back home there are important events and people and animals that they are missing out on.

-✒️ (Sorry for the long ask I'm an a very existential mood rn)

Sorry this is such a late reply!! I've had a "fanfic author curse" kinda year tbh, so I'm just now getting back into my hobbies :/

(i just got so burnt out by life i wasn't even in the mood to play the video games, let alone touch my blogs/write for them :( which is sad bc i love talking to you guys /gen)

So, I hope this late response is okay, and college and things these days are going better for you anon!!

_

BRO RLLY DROPPED MY WORST FEARS IN MY MAIL BOX ON A GODDAMN?? WEDNESDAY EVENING??? 😭😭 /LH

NO but SERIOUSLY this is genuinely a fear ive had in realistic isekai scenario situations,

So for like a year, maybe 2 now? Ive been obsessively consuming "isekai/reincarnation/transmigration anime" or this trope that somehow someway a character is misplaced from their original timeline, maybe just mysteriously yoinked/died/possessed another body in a diff universe, whatever, either way theyre There now, in a diff universe. And animes consistently gloss over this transitional period, that i can see real ppl actually having, to just sort of accept and move on, of course yo get the plot rolling.

But i guess theres just not quite enough sort of nitty-gritty isekai content yet for anyone to get have finally made an isekai genre thing that really goes on the other side of the spectrum, where the MC is like, well, THIS^^^

Like unless ur actually a hermit, youve either pushed away all ur family anf friends or theyve passed away, and you dont have a pet, pr whatever/whoever else,

ive learned after sort of coming out of teen years/rlly long depressive episodes that, Someone will always notice you. Theyll notice youre gone, and theyll miss you.

Like ppl hit u with that angsty, "nobody cares abt me" and then when u realistically sit them down like, "okay. What about your favorite teacher? What about your best friend? What about your online friends who will never see you log on again? What about your dog?"

Like yeah, who will take care of your dog?? Becaue where im at in life, if my sibling dies, ive got no one to care about my old girl, my kitty Mia <3 whos loved me since i was 12 😭

So, ive been actually wanting to fill in somewhat this gap in isekai genre by sort of expanding on it, i mean to be honest fanfiction is the only media ive seen thats gotten close to tackling this, with any amount of realism/emotional depth it deserves.

i hope u found this any amount of satisfying response, i probably would take this is in either a complete horror fashion/tragic scenario (which i don't write that often tbh) or a sort of "angst with a happy ending" like MC/reader worrying freaking out abt homeworld but there's a portal to let you go between worlds or smth

Peace out ✒️,

🌙📁

(i found a file emoji - how do we feel abt it??)

[cherrywhite]

TSV Fan Favorite Survey Results

Last week I made a small TSV survey for the heck of it and ended up getting way more results than I originally expected!! Wanted to share the results.

When I'm in a "Who's your favorite TSV main character" competition and my opponent is Carpenter 🤯 (Okay but.. is anyone surprised?)

Fun fact: for a while Hayward had only one or two votes and idk why that surprised me so much. Though I'm shocked he got more than Faulkner overall

Top 5 minor characters, as voted: Val > Shrue > Sibling Rane > Gage > Sid Wright

Also unsurprising! Though I regret that I didn't word the question as "Pick up to 5" instead of top 5. Val almost got 100% of the votes in this category... off by 4.. I respect you but also who are you 4 I just want to know

Top 5 side characters, as voted: Acantha > Nana Glass / Greve > Charity / Elgin > The Homesick Corpse > Chuck Harm (though Cross came very close to tying!!)

Acantha at the top is also unsurprising! Though.. looking at the top one.. looks like we all have a thing for old ladies, huh? Definitely my mistake in that I didn't add Em and Vaughn in there to begin with💦 Shoutout to the one person who voted Helen. Also, we love to see that Daggler got 0 votes.

Favorite God, as voted: Th Cairn Maiden > The Many Below > The Trawlerman > The Watcher in the Wings > The Saint Electric

The Beast that Stalks in the Long Grass and The Last Word each got one vote. Also, The Chitterling got a vote. Henge, the god Hayward mentions in s1, the one that takes things people wish to lose, got two votes! :D Idk why, but it's such an unexpected pull to me, it makes me happy to see it was remembered!

Top 5 s1 episodes, as voted: Chapter 4 > Chapter 7 & Chapter 15 > Chapter 1 > Chapter 13 > Chapter 3, 8, 11, & 12 (tied with 3 votes)

Fun fact: of season 1 episodes, only 4/15 episodes weren't picked as someone's favorite!!

Top 5 s2 episodes, as voted: Chapter 24 > Chapter 29 > Chapter 19 > Chapter 17 > Chapter 23

Also not surprised because chapter 24 is also my favorite (probably my most relistened to episode and it still makes me cry). Though, I will say, I was surprised chapter 20 didn't have more votes since that one also seems to be a favorite writing wise!

Fun fact: of all s2 episodes, only 1 episode wasn't picked as someone's favorite! (okay, idk why it's important to me to point out, I just think it's interesting!! Though I can admit I could probably phrase it better. I think the fave episodes are spread out pretty evenly for each season though, which is really neat in my opinion.)

Top 5 s3 episodes, as voted: Chapter 46 > Chapter 38 > Chapter 37 > Chapter 36 (we are not immune to a good tragic love story, I see) & Chapter 43 > Chapter 44

For a while, Chapter 38 had the most votes which I thought was.. idk how to better phrase it, but.. sweet. Because Carpenter's returning home episode was the fave of s2 and if Faulkner's returning home episode had also been the fave... something something we sure do love these terrible siblings, huh? But! Unsurprisingly the finale is the big fave of the season. How many of us have recovered from it??

Fun fact: Of season 3, only 3 episodes weren't chosen!

Boooo I shouldn't have given y'all the option to abstain from picking!! "Don't make me choose," you cowards!! /lh

mandatory link to this recommendation

Favorite episode title:

Hi. So, um. I'm an idiot. And didn't realize that Google Form automatically turns short answers into a bar graph. So unfortunately, the results for this one is..well

And half of these are the exact same title with slightly different phrasing 🙃

BUT I'm nothing if not determined so I went through and organized everything though I didn't make a pie chart. Needless to say. I think we all know the favorite episode title (care to make a guess?)

Favorite episode title: But We'll Never Be Rid of Each Other (25%)

Its Wrath Shall Scald the Sun came second with only 9% of the vote. We sure do love our doomed siblings, huh?

[amethystarachnid]

If you promise us a happy ending, I'm okay with a angst part 3 hahahahah a breakup would be nice. The boy needs to move into another place, Tony being the most supportive and cute dad ❤️

CHRISTMAS MORNING - part III

⤷ ANTHONY “TONY” E. STARK

ᯓ★ Pairing: Anthony “Tony” E. Stark x fem!reader

ᯓ★ Genre: romance, fluff

ᯓ★ Request from: MARVEL Holiday special

ᯓ★ Story type: one shot

ᯓ★ Word count: 5.9k

ᯓ★ Summary: first love heart break is rough, but nothing a trip to Paris can't resolve

ᯓ★ TW(s): nothing

ᯓ★ Part I | Part II

ᯓ★ Prequel

ᯓ★ maybe a prequel to let you know how Tony and y/n ended up with four kids? 🤭, just wanna focus some more on the two of them before the kids

ᯓ★ Tony Taglist: @groovy-lady

ᯓ★ My Masterlist

ᯓ★ MARVEL Holiday Special

ᯓ★ MARVEL Multiverse - choose an AU, pair it with your favorite character and make a request!

ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)

ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo

ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language

Summer turns to fall, and Cora and Ryan’s relationship becomes a steady part of family life. By now, Ryan is a regular visitor to the house. Though Tony still maintains his “watchful dad” persona, he’s noticeably relaxed around Ryan, occasionally sharing a sarcastic comment or offering him a soda without much fuss. You’ve even caught Tony grumbling about the boy’s taste in music—not exactly glowing approval, but close enough.

Cora, meanwhile, is glowing in a way you’ve never seen before. She’s still her fiercely independent self, but there’s a new softness about her—she’s less quick to snap, more patient with her siblings, and her happiness is infectious. Except, of course, when it comes to Alex and Howard.

The twins, ever the chaos-makers, have taken their jealousy of Ryan to theatrical levels.

“Cora doesn’t love us anymore,” Alex announces one afternoon as you’re folding laundry in the living room.

“She just loves him,” Howard chimes in dramatically, lying face-down on the carpet like his world has ended.

You glance up from the socks you’re sorting and try not to laugh. “That’s not true, and you know it. Cora loves you very much.”

“Then why doesn’t she play with us anymore?” Alex demands, sitting up with a pout.

“She used to build forts with us,” Howard adds, now rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling like a tragic hero in a Shakespearean play. “Now she just texts him all the time.”

“Boys,” you say gently, sitting down beside them. “Cora’s growing up. That doesn’t mean she loves you any less. She’s just figuring out who she is and spending time with someone who makes her happy. But you’ll always be her little brothers, okay?”

“Yeah, but we don’t like him,” Alex mutters.

“You barely know him,” you point out.

“We don’t have to know him to not like him,” Howard says stubbornly.

Before you can respond, Estelle toddles into the room, dragging a blanket behind her. She climbs onto your lap without a word and leans against you, her thumb in her mouth.

“See?” you say, wrapping an arm around Estelle. “Even when Cora’s busy, you’ve got each other—and us.”

The twins don’t look entirely convinced, but they nod reluctantly.

Later that evening, while the kids are occupied with a movie, you and Tony find a rare quiet moment together in the kitchen. He’s leaning against the counter, sipping a glass of wine, while you finish tidying up.

“They’re really laying it on thick, huh?” Tony says, smirking as he recalls the twins’ earlier dramatics.

“They’re jealous,” you reply, rinsing the last dish. “They miss her, and they don’t know how to say it without turning it into a production.”

Tony sets his glass down and crosses the room, wrapping his arms around you from behind. “Well, they’d better get used to it. She’s not a kid anymore. And I’m pretty sure Ryan’s sticking around.”

You lean back against him, savoring the warmth of the moment. “You really think so?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I still want to give the kid the third degree every time I see him,” Tony says with a chuckle. “But yeah, he’s not bad. And she’s happy. That’s what matters, right?”

You turn to face him, resting your hands on his chest. “You’re a good dad, you know that?”

“Don’t let that get around,” he says, grinning as he presses a kiss to your forehead. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

Just then, Estelle toddles into the kitchen, clutching a stuffed animal in one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other.

“Mommy,” she says sleepily.

You scoop her up, kissing her chubby cheek. “What are you doing out of bed, little one?”

“Can’t sleep,” she murmurs, resting her head on your shoulder.

Tony reaches out to brush a strand of hair from her face, his expression softening in that way it always does when he looks at her. “Come on, princess,” he says. “Let’s get you back to bed.”

He takes her from your arms and carries her upstairs, humming a soft tune as she curls against his chest. You follow a few steps behind, watching the way he cradles her with the kind of tenderness that still catches you off guard sometimes.

Back downstairs, the twins are sprawled on the couch, fast asleep by the time the credits roll. Cora is in her room, probably texting Ryan, and the house feels peaceful in a way that’s rare but cherished.

Over the next few weeks, the twins continue to grumble about Ryan, but their protests lose some of their bite. They still don’t love the idea of sharing Cora’s attention, but they’re slowly coming to terms with it.

One Saturday, Cora surprises everyone by joining the twins for a game of basketball in the driveway. Ryan is nowhere in sight, and the boys are thrilled to have their big sister back, even if only for an hour. You watch from the porch with Tony, sipping coffee as the three of them laugh and bicker over the rules.

“See?” you say, nudging Tony with your elbow. “They’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah,” he agrees, though his gaze lingers on Cora a little longer. “But I reserve the right to be overprotective forever.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” you reply, leaning against him.

It’s late afternoon when the front door opens, and you hear the unmistakable sound of Cora’s school bag dropping onto the floor. Usually, this is accompanied by her calling out, “Hey, I’m home!” or the sound of her heading to the kitchen for a snack. But today, it’s eerily quiet.

You glance up from the stack of papers you’re sorting at the dining table, your instincts immediately on alert. Tony, who’s tinkering with something small and metallic at the kitchen counter, notices too.

“Cora?” you call, standing.

Then you hear it—soft, muffled sobs coming from the living room. You’re moving before you even think, Tony right behind you.

You find her sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest, her face buried in her arms. Her whole body shakes with the force of her tears, and it feels like someone’s reached into your chest and squeezed your heart.

“Sweetheart?” you say softly, sitting down beside her.

Tony freezes for a moment, his eyes wide with panic as he takes in the sight of his usually strong, confident daughter falling apart. “What happened? Who hurt you? Tell me right now, and I’ll deal with it,” he says, his voice already edging toward anger.

Cora looks up, her face streaked with tears, and shakes her head. “No one hurt me, Dad.”

“Then what’s wrong?” you ask gently, brushing her hair out of her face.

She tries to speak, but her voice cracks, and a fresh wave of tears spills over.

Tony, clearly struggling to stay calm, sits on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. “Cora, you’re scaring me here. Just tell us what’s going on.”

After a moment, she takes a shaky breath and manages to get the words out. “Ryan… Ryan’s moving to London.”

Your heart sinks. “Oh, sweetheart…”

Tony blinks, his initial panic giving way to confusion. “London? Like… England London?”

Cora nods, wiping at her eyes. “His dad got a job there. They’re leaving in a month.”

“And what does that mean for you two?” Tony asks, though he already looks like he knows the answer.

Cora swallows hard, her voice trembling. “He… He said we should break up. He doesn’t want to do long distance.”

Tony’s jaw tightens, his fists clenching on his knees. “That little—”

“Tony,” you say sharply, cutting him off. “This isn’t about you wanting to punch a teenager.”

“Why not?” he mutters under his breath, but he backs down.

Cora lets out a shaky sigh. “It’s not his fault. He doesn’t think it’ll work, and… maybe he’s right. But it hurts so much.”

“Oh, honey,” you say, pulling her into a hug. She collapses against you, her sobs muffled against your shoulder.

Tony’s expression softens as he watches her, and he reaches out to squeeze her hand. “He’s an idiot if he thinks he’s not going to miss you every day. You’re amazing, Cora. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.”

Before she can respond, there’s a small sound from the hallway. You turn to see Estelle standing there, clutching her favorite plushie—a well-loved bunny with one floppy ear. Her wide eyes take in the scene, and she hesitates for a moment before toddling over to the couch.

“Cowa sad?” she asks, her voice tiny and uncertain.

Cora sniffles and sits up a little, trying to wipe her tears away. “I’m okay, Estelle.”

But Estelle isn’t convinced. She climbs onto the couch beside her sister, her little face scrunched up with concern. Without a word, she holds out her bunny.

“Bun-bun make you happy,” she says solemnly.

Cora’s breath catches, and for a moment, she looks like she might start crying again—but this time, for an entirely different reason. She takes the plushie with trembling hands and pulls Estelle into a hug.

“Thank you, Stellie,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion.

Tony watches the scene unfold, his usual snark and bravado nowhere to be found. He looks at you, and you can see the helplessness in his eyes. He hates seeing any of his kids in pain, and knowing there’s nothing he can do to fix it is clearly killing him.

Later, after you’ve managed to convince Cora to eat a little something and Estelle is back to playing with her toys, you find Tony in the garage. He’s pacing, running his hands through his hair, and muttering to himself.

“Tony,” you say gently, stepping into the room.

He stops and looks at you, his expression a mix of frustration and sadness. “I hate this. I hate that she’s hurting, and I can’t do anything about it.”

“I know,” you say, wrapping your arms around him. “But she doesn’t need you to fix it. She just needs you to be there for her.”

“I don’t know how to do that,” he admits, his voice quiet. “I’m not good at this kind of stuff.”

“You’re better at it than you think,” you tell him, resting your head against his chest. “Just keep showing up. That’s all she needs.”

Over the next few days, Cora starts to open up a little more. She talks about the memories she and Ryan made together, the inside jokes they shared, and the plans they’d dreamed of before the news of his move.

The twins, thankfully, are oblivious to the situation for the time being. They’re too busy with basketball practice and their latest obsession with building the tallest block towers they can manage. You’re grateful for the reprieve—it gives Cora space to grieve without their constant questions and commentary.

One evening, as you’re tucking Estelle into bed, she looks up at you with her big, curious eyes.

“Cowa okay now?” she asks.

You smile softly and brush her hair back. “She’s getting there, sweetie. Thanks to you and Bun-bun.”

Estelle nods, satisfied, and snuggles deeper into her blankets.

By the end of the week, Cora seems a little stronger. She still has moments where the pain hits her all over again, but she’s beginning to smile and laugh more often. Tony even manages to get her to join him for a round of Mario Kart, and the sound of her laughter fills the house like a balm for everyone’s hearts.

“She’s going to be okay,” you tell Tony one night as you’re lying in bed.

“Yeah,” he says, though his voice is still tinged with sadness. “But it’s going to take time.”

And so, as a family, you give her all the time she needs, surrounding her with love, support, and the occasional inappropriate dad joke to remind her that she’s never alone.

The chaos starts one evening during dinner. The twins are unusually quiet, their usual chatter about basketball, school antics, and random “fun facts” replaced by curious glances toward Cora. She’s sitting at the table, picking at her plate of pasta with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. The sparkle she usually carries has dimmed a bit since the breakup, though she’s been doing her best to mask it.

“Hey, Cora,” Alex pipes up, breaking the silence. “Where’s Ryan? He hasn’t come over in forever.”

Howard nods, his mouth full. “Yeah, didn’t he say he’d bring us that big bag of caramel popcorn? He never did.”

You can see the subtle flinch in Cora’s shoulders before she glances at you, silently pleading for help. Tony immediately stiffens, his protective instincts on high alert as he watches the exchange unfold.

“Guys,” you say gently, “Ryan… isn’t coming over anymore.”

The twins pause mid-bite, their synchronized reactions almost comical.

“What? Why?” Alex demands, his tone filled with disbelief.

Howard narrows his eyes. “Did he do something to you, Cora? Because if he did, we’ll—”

“No!” Cora cuts in quickly, setting down her fork. “It’s nothing like that. He’s moving to London, and we broke up.”

The twins blink, processing this new information. Then, as if on cue, they both push their plates away and hop off their chairs.

“Unacceptable,” Alex declares, his hands balling into fists.

“Totally unacceptable,” Howard echoes, his expression darkening. “He can’t just dump you and move to London like that!”

“It’s not his fault,” Cora says, though her voice is tinged with frustration. “He doesn’t want to do long distance, and we both agreed it was for the best.”

“That’s a bad excuse,” Alex snaps, pacing back and forth.

“He’s a coward,” Howard adds. “And cowards don’t deserve you, Cora!”

Before you or Tony can intervene, Estelle, who has been sitting quietly in her high chair, suddenly pipes up in her tiny, serious voice.

“Coward don’t deserve Cowa,” she says, mimicking Howard’s words almost perfectly.

Tony chokes on his water, and you nearly drop your fork.

“Estelle,” you say, trying not to laugh. “Sweetie, you don’t even know what that means.”

“Coward,” Estelle repeats, crossing her arms like her brothers, as if she fully understands the weight of her declaration.

“See? Even Stellie gets it!” Alex says, gesturing dramatically to his baby sister.

“We should punch him,” Howard announces, his face set in a grim expression.

“Punch him,” Estelle echoes, holding up her tiny fist.

At that, Tony finally snaps out of his stunned silence and stands up, waving his hands in front of him. “Okay, okay, let’s pump the brakes here. Nobody’s punching anyone.”

“Why not?” Alex asks, glaring up at his dad.

“And anyway,” Howard adds, “Ryan hurt Cora. Isn’t that worse?”

“Guys,” you say firmly, stepping in before this spirals any further, “violence isn’t the answer. And Ryan didn’t hurt Cora—he made a difficult decision, and sometimes relationships just don’t work out. It’s no one’s fault.”

“But Cora’s sad,” Alex says, his lower lip jutting out in a rare display of vulnerability.

“We don’t like seeing her like this,” Howard agrees.

Cora, who’s been quietly watching the whole exchange, finally speaks up. “I appreciate you guys wanting to defend me, but I don’t need anyone to fight my battles. I’m okay, really.”

“You don’t seem okay,” Alex mumbles.

“She’s just figuring it out,” you say softly, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “And the best thing you can do is support her and be there when she needs you.”

The twins exchange a look, clearly reluctant to let the matter drop.

“We still don’t like him,” Howard mutters as he sits back down.

“Yeah,” Alex adds. “And we’re never eating caramel popcorn again.”

At that, Estelle solemnly pushes her sippy cup away and declares, “No popcorn.”

Tony snorts, shaking his head as he sits back down. “You’re really digging in on this, huh?”

“Someone has to,” Alex says with a dramatic sigh.

The rest of dinner is a little quieter, though the twins occasionally shoot pointed glances at Cora, as if they’re still plotting how to avenge her heartbreak. Estelle, meanwhile, alternates between eating her mashed potatoes and mimicking the twins’ exaggerated arm-crossing stance, clearly enjoying the attention.

Later, as you’re tucking Estelle into bed, she looks up at you with her wide, innocent eyes and asks, “Cowa happy now?”

You brush a strand of hair from her face and kiss her forehead. “She’s getting there, sweetie. Thanks to you and your brothers.”

Estelle smiles, snuggling into her blankets. “Okay. No popcorn.”

You stifle a laugh and tuck her in, leaving her room with a heart full of love for your fiercely protective little family.

Downstairs, you find Tony sitting on the couch, staring at the wall with a contemplative expression.

“You okay?” you ask, sitting beside him.

He lets out a long sigh. “I don’t know how you do it. Keeping them all from forming a vigilante squad and storming London.”

You laugh, leaning your head on his shoulder. “It’s a team effort.”

Tony wraps an arm around you, pulling you closer. “She’s going to be okay, right?”

“She will,” you say confidently. “She’s got us. And if that’s not enough, she’s got two little brothers and a baby sister ready to take on the world for her.”

Tony chuckles, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Yeah. That’s enough.”

It starts with little things, subtle and soft gestures to help lift Cora’s spirits. You and Tony both know she’s heartbroken—first loves are never easy to lose, and Ryan’s move to London had hit her harder than she wanted to admit. But you also know the kind of family she has. Stark resilience, wrapped in unconditional love, with just a sprinkle of chaos.

The effort begins the morning after the twins’ dramatic anti-Ryan declarations. Cora walks into the kitchen to find the twins at the breakfast table, uncharacteristically quiet. Estelle is perched in her high chair, clumsily holding a spoon as she tries to feed herself yogurt.

“Good morning,” Cora mumbles, still a little groggy.

“Morning!” Alex chirps, way too chipper for this early.

“Hi,” Howard says, looking suspiciously at his brother.

Cora narrows her eyes. “What are you two up to?”

“Nothing!” Alex says, but his grin gives him away.

Howard looks down at his plate, trying to look innocent but failing miserably. That’s when you step in from behind them, holding a plate of Cora’s favorite pancakes—chocolate chip, with extra whipped cream.

“We just thought you deserved a special breakfast,” you say, setting the plate in front of her.

Cora raises an eyebrow. “Okay, what’s the catch?”

“No catch!” Tony’s voice booms as he strides into the kitchen, dressed in a casual hoodie and jeans. “Just a family-wide campaign to cheer you up. Welcome to Operation Cora Smiles Again.”

Cora groans, though there’s a tiny flicker of amusement in her eyes. “You’re all ridiculous.”

“And you love us for it,” Tony says, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before grabbing his coffee.

Over the next few days, the “operation” goes into full swing. The twins take it upon themselves to invite Cora to all their activities, from basketball practice to board games, though their “invites” are mostly just them dragging her out of her room. Estelle toddles after her sister constantly, climbing into her lap during movie nights and insisting Cora help her with her coloring books.

Tony, of course, takes things to a whole new level.

One afternoon, he barges into the living room where you and Cora are sitting, her head on your shoulder as the two of you watch some feel-good rom-com. He’s holding his phone, looking far too pleased with himself.

“Ladies,” he announces, “pack your bags. We’re going to Paris.”

Cora sits up straight, her mouth falling open. “What?”

“You’ve always said you wanted to see the Louvre, right?” Tony says, grinning. “Well, I figured, what better way to distract you than with some world-class art and culture? Plus, croissants.”

“Are you serious?” Cora asks, still stunned.

“Dead serious,” Tony replies. “Private jet leaves in two days. Hope you’ve been brushing up on your French.”

“Dad, you can’t just—”

“Already booked it,” he interrupts, waving his phone. “Non-refundable. So you’re coming.”

Cora looks at you, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Mom?”

You shrug, smiling. “He’s not kidding. You might as well start picking out your outfits.”

She blinks a few times, then a slow smile spreads across her face. “Okay, fine. Paris sounds… amazing.”

Tony pumps his fist in victory, and you shake your head fondly.

When the day of the trip arrives, the excitement in the house is palpable. The twins are bouncing off the walls, thrilled at the idea of flying on the family’s private jet again. Estelle is too young to fully understand what’s happening but seems to pick up on the energy, clapping her hands and shouting, “Pawis!” every few minutes.

Cora, meanwhile, is quieter but visibly excited. She spends most of the flight flipping through a guidebook Tony had casually tossed her way, her mood lighter than it’s been in weeks.

Once you land in Paris, it’s like a whole new world opens up for her. The city is everything she’d imagined—bustling streets, beautiful architecture, and, of course, the Eiffel Tower. You and Tony make sure the kids experience all the highlights: boat rides along the Seine, macarons at a fancy patisserie, and a picnic at the Champs de Mars.

But the real highlight is the Louvre.

Walking through the museum, Cora is completely captivated. She takes her time studying each exhibit, her eyes wide with wonder as she absorbs the art and history. Tony stays close, his usual sarcasm dialed back as he watches her with pride.

At one point, she stops in front of the Mona Lisa, her expression thoughtful.

“It’s smaller than I thought it’d be,” she says.

Tony smirks. “Yeah, but it’s got personality. Kind of like someone else I know.”

Cora rolls her eyes but laughs, and it’s one of the first genuine laughs you’ve heard from her in a while.

By the time you return to the hotel that evening, everyone is exhausted but happy. The twins collapse onto their beds, and Estelle is already dozing off in your arms. Cora sits on the balcony, looking out at the city lights.

Tony joins her, leaning on the railing. “Feeling better?”

She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “Yeah. Thanks, Dad. For all of this.”

He shrugs, though you can see the emotion in his eyes. “Anything for you, kid.”

When you join them, Tony wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you close. Together, the three of you watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle in the distance, a quiet moment of peace in the midst of everything.

The Paris trip continues to unravel in a blend of heartwarming family moments and the kind of chaos only a Stark family vacation could produce. It starts innocently enough as you all wander through the streets of Montmartre, the cobblestone pathways alive with music, street performers, and the scent of fresh pastries. Cora has perked up considerably since the museum visit, her mood lighter, her laughter more frequent.

But then there’s him.

It happens as the family pauses near a small café. You’re distracted, helping Estelle adjust the straps of her sunhat while Tony orders espressos, croissants, and a ridiculously overpriced cup of hot chocolate for the twins. Cora’s off to the side, flipping through postcards at a nearby vendor stand, when you notice a boy about her age approaching her.

He’s tall, with tousled dark hair, sharp cheekbones, and a confidence that screams “Parisian charm.” He says something in French, his voice lilting in a way that immediately draws Cora’s attention. She blushes, brushing her hair behind her ear as she responds—haltingly but gamely—in the French she’s been practicing since she knew about the trip.

Tony notices it too.

“What’s happening here?” he says, his tone shifting to dad mode as he steps closer, coffee cup in hand.

“Oh, relax,” you say, biting back a smile. “He’s just flirting with her.”

Tony narrows his eyes. “Flirting? In broad daylight? In front of me?”

“He probably doesn’t know you’re her dad,” you tease, leaning closer. “She does have my genes, after all.”

Tony smirks but doesn’t lose his focus on the boy. “Well, he’s about to find out.”

Before he can make a move, the twins return, each holding a baguette that’s nearly as big as they are. Alex squints at the scene unfolding by the postcards.

“Hey, who’s that guy talking to Cora?” he asks, his mouth full of bread.

“Probably her new boyfriend,” Howard says, grinning mischievously.

“Not helping,” Tony mutters.

“Let’s just give her some space,” you suggest, tugging gently on his arm. “She’s allowed to talk to boys, you know.”

Tony sighs but relents, though he keeps a close eye on the interaction. Eventually, the boy waves goodbye and walks away, leaving Cora clutching her postcards with a dazed expression. When she rejoins the group, Tony can’t help himself.

“So, who’s your new friend?” he asks, trying (and failing) to sound casual.

Cora glares at him. “Nobody. Just some guy.”

“Did he give you his number?” Alex asks, grinning.

“Did he try to kiss you?” Howard adds.

“Guys, stop,” Cora groans, her cheeks turning bright red.

Tony crosses his arms. “Was his name Pierre? Because he looked like a Pierre.”

You smack his arm lightly, laughing. “Tony, let it go.”

Despite the teasing, the moment passes, and the family moves on to the next adventure. The twins, however, are not so easily distracted.

That evening, as you’re lounging in the hotel room, flipping through a travel guide, the boys march up to you and Tony with matching determined expressions.

“We want to go to Disneyland,” Alex announces.

“Disneyland Paris,” Howard clarifies.

“Please, Mom?” Alex adds, turning his best puppy-dog eyes on you.

Tony snorts. “You’ve got to be kidding me. We came all the way to Paris, and you want to see Mickey Mouse?”

“Oui, Mickey,” Estelle chimes in from her spot on the bed, clapping her hands.

You glance at Tony, who’s already shaking his head. But then Cora chimes in, a small smile playing on her lips.

“It could be fun,” she says. “And the twins have been really sweet to me lately. I think they deserve it.”

Tony groans. “You’re killing me, kid.”

The next day, you find yourself standing in the middle of Disneyland Paris, surrounded by excited children, cotton candy stands, and the sound of cheerful Disney music. The twins are practically vibrating with excitement, dragging Cora from one attraction to the next.

Estelle is equally thrilled, her eyes wide as she points at every princess she sees, babbling excitedly about their dresses.

“Look at her,” Tony says, watching Estelle hug a life-sized Winnie the Pooh with absolute joy. “She’s two, and she already knows how to work the system.”

“She’s your daughter,” you tease, linking your arm with his.

The day is a whirlwind of rides, character meet-and-greets, and an obscene amount of overpriced snacks. Tony tries to talk his way into a VIP area at one point, but you manage to reel him back before he starts name-dropping himself.

Later, as the sun begins to set, the kids are busy chasing bubbles near Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, and you and Tony find a rare moment of peace on a nearby bench.

“Remember the last time we were in Paris?” he says, his voice low and teasing.

You glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “I do. And I remember how much wine we drank that night.”

Tony smirks. “It was a good night. A productive night.”

“Tony,” you say, laughing softly.

“What?” he says, feigning innocence. “I’m just saying, nine months later, we had Cora. Coincidence? I think not.”

You shake your head, leaning into him. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love it,” he says, pressing a kiss to your temple.

For a moment, it’s just the two of you, the chaos of the day fading into the background. Tony takes your hand, his thumb brushing over your knuckles.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” he says quietly. “Keeping this whole crazy family together, making sure everyone’s happy…”

“You help,” you say, smiling up at him.

He grins. “Yeah, but you’re the glue. The sexy, unstoppable glue.”

You laugh, resting your head on his shoulder. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Mrs. Stark,” he murmurs.

The moment is interrupted by Estelle toddling over, holding a sticky cotton candy in her hands. “Mama! Dada!” she says, grinning. “Candy!”

Tony scoops her up, laughing. “All right, princess. Let’s get you cleaned up before you stick to everything.”

As the fireworks light up the night sky, you watch your family, your heart full. Cora is smiling again, the twins are their usual mischievous selves, and even Estelle is giggling as Tony pretends to “steal” her cotton candy.

It’s not perfect, but it’s yours. And in this moment, it’s everything you could ever want.

Returning to Miami is bittersweet. After the whirlwind adventure in Paris, filled with laughter, healing, and plenty of magical moments, the familiarity of home feels both comforting and a little dull in comparison. The private jet touches down mid-morning, and as you step onto the tarmac, the heat wraps around you like an old friend. Estelle claps her hands excitedly at the sight of palm trees, and the twins immediately begin discussing which of their toys they missed most.

Cora, however, is a little quieter than usual. She’s not sulking—in fact, she seems happy—but there’s something in her demeanor, a kind of soft distraction, that doesn’t go unnoticed. You and Tony exchange a knowing glance as you watch her scrolling on her phone, her thumbs moving quickly over the screen as a faint smile plays on her lips.

By the time you’re back at the house, it’s clear that whatever—or whoever—Cora is texting has her full attention. The twins bolt up the stairs to their room, racing to see who can dump their luggage the fastest. Estelle toddles after them, babbling about her stuffed animals and pausing halfway up to plop down and rest.

Cora lingers in the living room, dropping her bags by the couch and flopping down with a sigh. Her phone is still in her hand, and her fingers immediately start typing again.

Tony raises an eyebrow. “So, who’s the lucky recipient of all those texts?”

Cora doesn’t look up, but she does roll her eyes. “Nobody.”

You smirk, taking a seat next to her. “Nobody’s got you smiling at your phone like that? Come on, spill.”

“It’s not a big deal,” she says, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m just talking to some people I met in France.”

Tony sits on the arm of the couch, folding his arms across his chest. “Oh, some people, huh? Are we talking guys, girls, or… Pierre?”

“Dad, seriously?” Cora groans, but she’s laughing despite herself.

“Wait, is it actually Pierre?” you ask, feigning shock.

“No!” Cora insists, finally setting her phone down and looking between the two of you. “His name is Louis. He was in line behind me at the Louvre, and we started talking while we waited. He’s cool, okay? That’s it.”

“Cool enough to text all day?” Tony teases, his grin widening.

“Cool enough to not break my heart, which is more than I can say for other people,” Cora shoots back, though her tone is light.

Tony’s smile falters for just a moment, and you place a hand on his arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Well,” you say, steering the conversation back to neutral ground, “I think it’s great that you’re making new friends. France clearly left an impression.”

Cora nods, picking up her phone again. “Yeah. Louis and his friends were all really nice. They even invited me to come back someday and visit.”

Tony stiffens. “Visit? Alone? Over my dead body.”

“Tony,” you warn, shooting him a look.

“I’m just saying,” he mutters, leaning back. “Paris is great and all, but it’s a long way from here. And I don’t trust teenage boys. Especially French ones. They’re too charming.”

Cora laughs, shaking her head. “Relax, Dad. It’s not like I’m packing my bags tomorrow. Besides, you liked Paris too, remember? You wouldn’t stop talking about the croissants.”

“She’s got you there,” you say, smiling.

The next few days pass in a blur of unpacking, settling back into routines, and adjusting to the Miami heat. Cora spends a lot of time in her room, but instead of sulking like she had after the breakup, she seems genuinely happy. You often catch her laughing at something on her phone, and her mood has improved so much that even the twins take notice.

At dinner one evening, Alex leans over his plate of spaghetti and asks, “Cora, why are you always on your phone? Are you playing games?”

“No,” she says, twirling her fork. “I’m talking to my friends.”

Howard squints at her. “What friends? You don’t have any friends here.”

“Not here,” Cora says patiently. “In France. Remember the trip we just took? I met some people there.”

“Like Pierre?” Alex asks, grinning.

“His name is Louis,” Estelle pipes up, repeating what she’s heard so many times over the past few days. She giggles as if she understands the joke.

“Okay, dinner table rule,” you say, holding up a hand. “No teasing your sister about her friends. Got it?”

“Yes, Mom,” the twins say in unison, though you can tell they’re not entirely sincere.

After dinner, as you’re cleaning up in the kitchen, Tony wanders in, a dishtowel slung over his shoulder.

“So, what do you think about this Louis kid?” he asks, leaning against the counter.

“I think he’s halfway across the world and just a friend,” you reply, rinsing a plate. “And I think it’s good for Cora to have someone to talk to who isn’t us.”

Tony sighs. “Yeah, I guess. But I’m not thrilled about the idea of her running off to Europe to visit him someday.”

“She’s not running off anywhere,” you say, setting the plate in the drying rack. “And if she ever did, it wouldn’t be without a lot of planning—and probably a chaperone.”

Tony smirks. “So, you’re saying I’d have to go too?”

“Obviously,” you say, smiling. “You’d hate to miss out on more croissants.”

As the days turn into weeks, Cora continues to text Louis and his group of friends, her phone buzzing at all hours with messages and pictures. You catch glimpses of their conversations occasionally—photos of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, jokes about the Louvre’s long lines, and even a video of someone attempting to skateboard in a cobblestone alley.

The twins remain mildly suspicious of this new development, but their jealousy is quickly forgotten whenever Cora agrees to join them for a game of basketball or a movie night.

One afternoon, as you’re sitting on the patio with Tony, watching Estelle splash around in the kiddie pool, he leans over and says, “You know, I think she’s really okay now.”

You follow his gaze to where Cora is lounging in a hammock, laughing at something on her phone.

“She is,” you agree, resting your head on his shoulder. “And that’s all that matters.”

Tony wraps an arm around you, pulling you closer. “You know, we’re pretty good at this whole parenting thing.”

“Speak for yourself,” you tease. “I’m the glue, remember?”

He laughs, kissing the top of your head. “Fair enough. But I’m the fun one.”

“Sure you are,” you say, smiling as you watch your family, your heart full.

[sapphickocho]

Thinking about how Uzui had to watch everyone he cared about die before him. First 3 of his siblings die during there fathers harsh shinobi training, then six he killed himself during a deathmatch where all of them were masked. Then Kyojuro died next, and the rest of the hashira except Sanemi and Giyuu during a battle he couldn't participate and help them in. Then of course Sanemi and Giyuu do die on the same year and four years later Tanjiro, someone he grew closer with also succumbs to death way too young.

Thats why Tengen's line of "Just how many lives do you think ive let slip through my fingers?" hits so hard because his life is just death. Everyone he loves is bound to die and he cant do anything about it.

So I made a little list of hcs on how he copes;

What uzui does at each of his friends graves;

Rengoku; He often has a picnic beside his grave, bringing along his wives and having a feast with all of kyojuros favorite foods, like sweet potatoes and bento boxes. He is the hashiras grave he visits the most and often talks to it and updates him on how life is going.

Shinobu: He brings the flashiest flowers he finds and brings them to her every year because it reminds him of both her and Kanae.

Muichiro: It is hard for him to visits his grave, especially when he sees it adorned with a picture of him and his twin brother when he was younger. But he makes sure to see it every year, and gives him a little gift, like a folded paper crane since he knew he like origami. He feels guilty that he didn't fight in the battle when muichiro, the youngest pillar, did.

Mitsuri: Like everyone else still alive, they visits her grave annually on her birthday and bring mochis to celebrate because it was her favorite food. However when everyone else dies, he makes sure to keep up the tradition with Nezuko.

Iguro Obanai: When he visits his grave he always teases him about how he's doing with Mitsuri in the afterlife. After that he sits down and talks about his snake Kaburamaru and updates him about his daily life.

Gyomei: He prays at his grave. Not that he particularly agrees with it or is religious, he just knows that Gyomei would appreciate it.

Sanemi: He visits both of the Shinazugawa brothers on the same day, since they are both buried next to each other. He tells him that he misses him because he knows Sanemi will be pissed by the sappiness and also because in truth, he does.

Giyuu: He usually sits down and talks for hours to him about how everyone is doing, whats going on and other mindless useless things. he knows that Giyuu doesn't like to talk so just like when he was alive, he can just sit and listen and enjoy the company.

Tanjiro: He always bows to Tanjiro's grave and thanks him, for saving his wives and being a friend for all those years. he tells him about Nezuko and Kanao and tells them that they all miss him very much.

Makio, Suma, Hinatsuru: When they all die before he does, he curses the gods for keeping him alive. He makes sure to have there graves next to his estate and sits next to there graves for hours until sundown. Sometime he even sleeps next to them.

I am not sure his wives dying before him is canon but Ive heard it from multiple people so I will assume so. Either way, Uzui's life is too tragic and I just cant get over it. He can never protect the people he loves the most. That man deserves a break from all the death and hug from all of his wives (+rengoku.) But it seems like Gotouge had different plans.

[laventadorn]

I am madly in love with the way you described Dumbledore in TNER. It's one of my favorite characters, but I know so few works where he really resembles the book version. You've done it perfectly. And I'm curious, what do you generally think of such a controversial personality?

aw, thank you! :3

dumbledore is super polarizing (or do most people hate him these days? i'm always reading pro-snape stories and Dumbledore is persona non grata in those akgjaj not sure how he shakes down in other parts of fandom).

to me, characters are either boring or interesting. within these designations, you can have different shades: "aggressively uninterested" or "just don't think about them at all," vs. "their psychology intrigues me" to "i must hereafter shape my identity around my new blorbo" (e.g. snape!)

dumbledore is my "his psychology intrigues me" type. he fascinates me. what the heck is his deal. he lets harry run around doing the most insane things with monsters and bodily harm, lets snape run around doing the most insane things to his students egos; lets the marauders do whatever the heck was going on there; hires a dude wearing voldemort as an accessory, and gilderoy lockheart -- the list is endless. but then! he's genuinely kind to house-elves. he's completely free of werewolf prejudice, and other prejudices besides (apart from the Youthful World Domination phase in which he hated muggles and stuff). he does seem to be genuinely kind and caring. he's also idolized by the narrative, talked up pretty much at every turn.

there's a kind of cognitive dissonance to the guy.

the narrative for six books: omg dumbledore is THE most amazing. the kindest, the most enlightened, the most trustworthy, the one harry trusts without reserve, the one who gives everyone strength, the only one voldemort fears, defeater of grindelwald, also he loves candy! proof he's the best.

the Secret Backstory dropped in the last book: uhm ACTUALLY

the narrative again: NO HE'S STILL THE BEST. ignore harry dying. THE BEST. ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER. SEE?

to be clear, none of this bothers or annoys me. i just don't think of it that way. what i do think is that JKR was trying to finagle something she didn't quite have the subtlety to pull off.

once we get his full backstory, we have a guy who 1) went through a world domination phase with the man he loved 2) accidentally murdered his own sister 3) realized the path he was on would lead to widespread destruction 4) isolated himself from the world because he couldn't be trusted, either with power or with love.

this is my favorite thing about dumbledore: he locks himself up in a tower because he believes, or understands, himself to be an incredible danger to life and liberty. he cannot be trusted. he proves this over and over: first with the safety of his siblings; then the safety of the larger world; and finally, tragically, the safety of harry. he doesn't even trust himself, although he continues to act as if his judgments are without fault or flaw. he tells harry that because his intellect is greater than most people's, his errors tend to be correspondingly huger -- a line that leads harry to believe dumbledore made the wrong judgement about snape, of course, but which is actually about dumbledore's own youth. but the fact that dumbledore turned down an official position of power (minster for magic) and sequestered himself in hogwarts from a young age, that's him not trusting himself, and knowing it, and removing himself from the temptation of widespread influence and public control.

his past wrong judgements become more impactful when we understand he was in love with grindelwald and probably still harbors some tangled knot of feelings. HP is a series about love -- voldemort never understood it, was conceived in violation of it; harry was protected by an act of love from lily, who died for him, and an act of love from snape, who lived for her. harry's patronus, the purest expression of joy that magic is capable of manifesting, is borne of his own love for his father. harry's enduring love for the family he never knew protects him not only from voldemort's touch but from his influence -- he declares he'll never Join the Dark Side because voldemort killed his parents. "you are protected," says dumbledore, "by your ability to love." this was not true for dumbledore.

harry's love purifies his intent and gives him courage. snape's love (again, see his vow, his patronus) turns him off a path of evil to one of self-sacrifice. dumbledore's love, by contrast, killed his sister, destroyed his relationship with his brother, allowed a villain to rise to power. i just think, damn. what must dumbledore feel when he looks at it that way?

i love the inherent destructiveness of loving something monstrous; loving something when you don't want to. there's a notion that we are what we love, or that our love is some reflection of ourselves. if we look at it like that, then dumbledore loving someone evil says a lot about him. but he was frightened by it, so he locked himself away.

he also combines what appears to be a great capacity for compassion with an equal capacity to sacrifice anything necessary in order to achieve a goal he's constructed as worthy.

this makes sense, too: in a way, he sacrificed himself all those years ago -- his plans, his future, his love, because the price was too high. dumbledore in his youth thought that he could Save the World by controlling people. then he realized that control has only ever doomed the world, but he never quite let go of saving the world. when voldemort rises, dumbledore takes a different tack of becoming a private general, or perhaps a military advisor: still largely removed from the thick of war but directing others, who are relieved and grateful to have his plans of attack. he also deeply inspires people, harry being one of the most powerful examples. harry places his absolute trust in dumbledore, believing that this person loves him (which he does) and will always protect him (which he can't) -- and dumbledore betrays this trust by openly acknowledging that, for the freedom of the world, harry needs to die.

it hurts dumbledore to realize that harry has to die in order for the world to be saved; it hurts him so badly he (as i see it) pawns off the truth-telling to snape. he can't look snape in the eye when he tells him; he can't look at anything. he shuts his eyes as if blindness will make it easier.

dumbledore could face the truth, the necessity. he doesn't say "we'll find another way," he says "harry must die." but he couldn't face harry. his desire to save the world once again places him in a position where he has to hurt someone he loves. and he does it. in a way, he keeps playing himself.

i LOVE that.

.....i wrote a lot more than i thought i would akgajgkahjh well, he's one of your favorites, so hopefully you didn't mind!

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Crack Ship War - Round 3 Side G

Kilguin art by @braindeadmaggot

Propaganda under the cut.

LoveBug:

Clown/clown. Their both kinda pathetic and tragic and i think they would make each other better and if not i’ll be entertained. They can do each other makeup plus they both as kids were either marine cadet or a pirate apprentice having to grow up too fast. Also its is my dear friend favorite ship fr.

Clowns

They're both clowns with siblings who are more important.

Clown4clown. idk i've just seen this ship a surprising number of times and well i think it's kinda cute. just two silly guys...

Clown4Clown, Idiot4Idiot, listen they are both cringefail loser clowns and I adore them.

Clown4Clown.

Kilguin: Look, the size difference... the big hunky Massacre Soldier and the pathetic cute little Penguin... they've fallen so hard for each other. They are just so in love, I can't help it. + the little ficlet I wrote for the last shipping war. + The one I wrote for this one

[branules]

Why do you like aeriseph, sorry if this comes off as rude but I'm generally not too involved in any fandoms so I can't figure out for myself why ppl like this that's just my dumbass lmao

ok i've sat on this one for like a week debating if i should answer or not but sure. i'll preface this by saying that there is no canonical basis for aeriseph in ffvii. like i can't stress enough how much i am making shit up because i like to have fun. but anyway.

the short answer is:

1. sephiroth and aerith are my two favorite fictional characters. 2. i like to draw my two favorite characters lezzing out, because i am a lesbian, and because my sephiroth is transfem. it makes me smile.

as for the longer answer:

i like how much aerith and sephiroth parallel and contrast each other. i like the idea of aerith of having a secret affair with the evil dead woman she is duty-bound to save the world from. not to mention this evil dead woman's ties to zack and the incident that took him from her. i like the idea of the planet's steward and calamity's child going against their natures because they can't resist each other, and it becomes haunting and tragic knowing aerith's eventual fate and the sort of eternal damnation that waits for sephiroth afterwards for doing something so unforgivable, considering she goes from godhood to immortal planet parasite unable to pass on. i find it soooo compelling to think that despite their feelings for each other, aerith ultimately loved the planet and her friends more, enough to do everything in her power to stop sephiroth with Holy, and that sephiroth chose an extraterrestrial brainworm masquerading as a mother over a kind-hearted woman who offered her genuine love. i like the idea of aerith drawing out all the human parts of sephiroth that sephiroth tried so hard to exorcise herself of. i could go on about this for forever but basically i just like doomed yuri.

some necessary addendums:

first, a lot of people like to imagine aerith and sephiroth as siblings. that's fine and cute and i totally get it, but that's not what i'm trying to do. i don't interact with a lot of aerith and sephiroth content that views them with that angle, even if it's cute, precisely because i don't want to cross those wires or make anyone uncomfortable thinking i'm trying to come at this from an incest or underage angle.

second, i want to add that i really don't fw the other aeriseph content i've seen out there lol. i just think i'm into aeriseph for fundamentally different reasons, considering i have no desire to depict them as a het pairing or create gooner noncon content and the like. it isn't that i'm better than anyone, i just don't want to be associated with what goes on in that pairing tag on ao3, and i can't blame anyone who doesn't like aeriseph for that very same reason. i have yet to see someone go about aeriseph in the same l way as i do (sighhhhhh </3) so until then i'm just going to continue playing with my barbie dolls in my locked ivory tower. i am delusional but i am free. hope this helps <3

[shynetyme06]

P. Paperjam—

This one is gonna be long but I can tell you know exactly what you've signed up for

First impression: I thought he was an annoying baby because of reasons you can probably guess. I mostly tolerated his presence in the videos I watched because I really liked errorink when I first joined the fandom, so he was just "kid that was there sometimes"

Impression now: HE IS EVERYTHING TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fr my favorite character of all time✨ Back when I was exclusively looking at utmv content on youtube, I came across this video, and it was my first ever look at pj not being that annoying baby, which dominoed into me trying to find more about this jerk of a character, because omg this is what's actually canon?? which led me here :3 genuinely obsessed with their story, and by now my opinion of errorink literally traded with them lmao. Those dad guys are cool but they're always in the background of the true star forreal

Favorite moment: this

Idea for a story: I have way too many of these........ But I've been seeing ppl be more broad with this answer so I will too: I like when people acknowledge how garbage she's doing mentally. She didn't just spawn and start acting like an asshole to everyone, a hard childhood shaped who she is now and so the bitterness just makes sense (people tend to forget/not know/acknowledge that she was actually shown to be a pretty chill, soft spoken kid. years of neglect is what pushed her to leave) This next part isn't like, a rule for anyone lmao. but this question is for my idea and what my idea is, is that most if not every single one of my pj variants have got parental issues (even if a lot smaller in some cases) because said issues are a staple for this guy atp (to meeee)

Unpopular opinion: I think the pj and fresh dynamic can be fun without shipping or the uncle fresh interpretation. They're both grown and get into shenanigans (also I think it's funny if pj initially just hung around the guy because he's literally walking error repellent, and since fresh is unable to posses pj the strategy just kinda became "hmm having a friend makes me look more normal, I can live with this")

Favorite relationship: omnipj forever and always 💜🩷I used to go through their ship tag like every day when I discovered them I swear, they are genuinely the cutest thing ever to me. They used to be my true otp, (fr never seriously considered shipping either of them with another person) but thenn I met a certain someone and got converted lmao. Now I've got 2 worlds featuring the ship of pj x lux (including a shared au with the aforementioned someone, hi tobi💜) And no matter if it's just one of them or both, I love seeing the softer side of pj's personality that had been buried for so long resurfacing again around the people she loves <33333 And part 2 of this answer because nearly every dynamic with pj intrigues me like crazy: ink man. that freaking guyyYYYYYY THEY MAKE ME SAD. going back to an earlier point, pj didn't just come out hating them. they tried and tried and tried to have a relationship, and we know how that ended. My interpretations of them rarely get to the point of pj running away and being forgotten, but there's always this.. disconnect, yknow? (I am a huge fan of good dad ink guys I just tend to douse their relationship with pj in a little flame before they get to the healing part🙏) (And bonus since we're on the topic of parents, the fact that pj still wanted to on some level appeal to even error after the things he's done to them is absolutely tragic, and all this put together really adds to my reading of pj as a character being one who believes in the idea of having to work to deserve to be respected/cared for) Uhhh part 3 I promise this one is shorter: Palette and pj are the siblings ever to me. I really like sibling dynamics that are adult/teen + kid, (ik palette is canonically an adult now just let me have this) plus they're opposites in a ton more ways and play off of each other really well. I believe that pj was not happy in the slightest about being an older sibling to him in the beginning, but they always grow to love each other <3

Favorite headcanon: I don't think I have a favorite tbh, but here's one that applies to every pj I've written so far: they are farsighted, but refuse to get/wear glasses all the time because "it's not that bad"

ask game

[tinytime10]

So I have a long complicated and tragic backstory for Warriors. because Hyrule Warriors is my favorite game right now, and I don't have an excuse to talk about him very much. Then I realized the internet exists so here's something nobody asked for.

My Hyrule Warriors Link headcanon backstory:

 So Hyrule Warriors Link was born in the Hebra mountains. He was born to two well respected members of the community. He lived there for about 3 years before tragedy struck his home. A band of marauding monsters rated his small village. Killing his mother and many of the other people in the village, Link has very few memories of Hebra because after his mother's tragic death his father moved  with him to Castle Town. 

In Castle Town things don't go any better for poor Link. His father, distraught with grief, turned to drinking away his loving wife's memory, the pain of losing her too much to bear. As a result the 3-year-old Link was severely neglected and a few kind Neighbors were the only reason he was cared for.

 Something of an interlude to this section of the story. This is when Link's father met Linkle’s mother and she reminded him of his lost love. After a few flings he wound up bearing Linkle as a result. Linkle's mother never knew that he had another kid.

By the time Link turns somewhere between 6 or 7 His father drinks himself to death. Link is left homeless with no money. It's not long before he is swept up by one of the Coliseum gladiators. He is branded a Slave and sold. As a Coliseum Kid raised around thieves, beggars, prostitutes and gladiators. He knows everything about the kinds of things a kid his age shouldn't know about. He fights the other Coliseum kids to win his gladiator master beer money. If he wins he gets to eat that night if he loses, he's beaten. He wins his fair share of fights and loses his fair share of them. But he sees the other Coliseum kids as his siblings.

 His master always threatened to sell him to a brothel, once he was 14 and they were legally willing to take him. So he was forced to  keep his hair very long because it made him prettier and therefore worth more. By the time he was 12 he had waist length hair. When he was 13 his master was killed in an arena fight and he ran back to the streets. Link went to the higher class section of Castle town because he knew no one would ever look for him there. He cut his hair to the top of his shoulder blades and tried to dress like he was at least a middle class kid.

 But it wasn't very convincing.

When trying to steal anything valuable out of a house, he was caught by the city guard. Who started to beat him just as Impa was walking past. She stops them, seeing potential, she brings Link into the military under the guise of paying penance for his thievery, by doing two years of military training.

 His time in the military at first was an extremely difficult adjustment. He was terrified of everything, thinking if he failed some sort of training sequence or lost a sparring round, he would be beaten and starved for it. One time he broke another recruits arm for trying to steal his food. Turns out that recruit was just trying to ask him a question and had reached a little too close to Link's bowl.

 Eventually he did learn that their idea of punishment wasn't nearly as bad as what he'd already endured at a much younger age. With this realization he became insufferable. In his mind they weren't really going to do anything that bad. It became a whole lot easier to break all the rules without being afraid of the repercussions. Impa saw the potential in him and didn't want that to go to waste. Despite how unruly of a child Link was, he was very good at what he did. He was such an incredible fighter, Impa just had to find a way to get him to listen. So she did, they made a verbal contract, since at this point Link couldn't read, that she would have rights of punishment over him, and that he listened to his commanding officers. In exchange she would train him personally, to be much more than any run of the mill Hylian Soldier. So she set out to create the perfect blend between Shika ideals and Hylian teamwork and  collaboration focused strategies.

 By the time he was 16 the war of eras kicked off for real. He became a captain and the hero of courage. When the game's events kicked off, I had cannon that he was not quite 17 at the beginning of the war. Making him the youngest captain they'd ever had in the Hylian military. Especially considering the fact that legally he wasn't even supposed to be in the military until he was 17.  But for the war's sake they were willing to turn a blind eye to that.

 so this is his backstory. I have so many headcanons about Warriors someone please ask me. I want to rant more. I know no one asked for this but I had fun writing this. There is so much that I skipped over for the sake of not making a monstrously long post. So if anyone's interested in hearing the rest of the stories please  feel free to ask.