#of heroics and healing

[dark-elf-writes]

For me, the whole of the Task Two chapter from "Lightning Bolts and Capture Weapons" will live untethered in my mind. From the panic of the opening, the dread of realizing who's been taken, the grim determination and anger in all of the champions, Cedric's "fuck off" to Bag, Harry being a total BAMF, Hizashi jumping straight into hero mode, and then everyone just leaving as soon as everyone is accounted for. It's a phenomenal chapter from start to finish.

Yall are making me want to reread my own fics again

I do really love the second task even though it was kind of a bitch to write (and the fallout has been even more so I can assure you). It’s such a big pivotal moment where the kids realize all at once that not only are they not safe (which the dragons had been a pretty big clue for that anyway) but neither was anyone they cared about. They realized just how much the people running the game were prepared to take from them even if they claimed there were “failsafes” in place that none of the hostages were in “real danger”. And that’s the moment they realize they won’t it stand.

[lotus-pear]

rewatched madoka magica again today bc i fucking hate myself and to absolutely no one’s surprise i went through all five stages of grief in a single evening

[innerchorus]

One of the bonus sketches from manga Vol. 21. Looks like there's another one too but I haven't managed to find a full image of it yet.

I really like this one, not only because I'm pleased to see Hilmes feature but because of the composition. The shadowy, mad-looking Gotarzes, whose mind was addled by the influence of sorcery. Osroes, whose eyes betray the inhuman decision he made about the child he raised as his son and pretended to love. Andragoras, with darkened eyes, looming over Hilmes in the foreground. Of them all, Hilmes is the only one whose eyes are clearly visible/drawn normally, and even then it feels symbolic that his right eye is partially obscured on his burned side.

The dark and bloody history of the Parsian royal family literally looming behind him, its mark left on his face. I hope he can break free of it.

[deancasforcutie]

Despair // Night on the Galactic Railroad

'Campanella,' said Giovanni, sighing deeply, 'we're alone again. Let's stay together till the ends of the earth, okay? If I could be like that scorpion and do something for the benefit of all people, I wouldn't care if my body burnt up a hundred times over.' 'Me too,' said Campanella, his eyes welling with the clearest tears. 'But what is real happiness, Campanella?' 'Don't ask me,' he answered dreamily.

[the-ghostly-butterfly]

Snippet 1.8

Previous

cw: injury, blood, general violence

Villain groaned as they awoke. Their head was spinning, dark spots dancing across their vision as they slowly pushed themselves upright against Medic's orders.

"You're going to hurt yourself--dammit, Villain, just listen--"

"Henchman," Villain said, although their tongue was about as deft as marshmallow coated lead--that is to say, not at all. They put one hand on their throbbing head and placed the other on the ground to steady themself, then promptly yanked it back into their chest as if burned.

Shards of shattered glass littered the floor, as did blood, dust, and the fallout of magical damage caused by the heroes. From what Villain could make out through their still-spinning vision, the massive, decadent chandelier crashed from the ceiling to the floor and left a several-foot radius of metal and glass shards--shards Medic would have had to walk through in order to reach Villain.

Right Hand came sprinting back into sight, one arm bloodied and tucked to their chest. They took great leaping strides around the glass and slid to their knees beside Villain, helping Medic coax them back against the wall.

"What happened to Henchman?" Villain repeated, and their eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"That's not what you need to be worried about right now--hold still--" Medic snapped as Villain once again brushed them off and successfully stood, leaning against the wall and Right Hand to steady themselves against the spinning in their head.

Villain clenched their jaw against the pain of walking and stumbled their way through the maze of debris. In addition to their chandelier, the back wall had been blown blown in, meaning that the already large entrance hall doubled in size.

The halls were much darker than they should be, with the lack of windows and apparent lack of power plunging most of Villain's compound into darkness. Villain squinted their eyes.

They may not have light, but they'd stumbled to their office from the front door blind drunk and half-dead, and before long they were leaning against the wall and breathing heavily against the new pain in their chest. The door to their office was utterly destroyed, not unlike the disaster in the entrance hall.

Villain barely noticed. Stumbling, nearly falling to their knees, Villain's wild and desperate eyes searched the wreckage for any sign of movement or life. They found two guards, each struggling to rise, and a third that looked like they'd died on impact. The lights in Villains office were destroyed too, leaving Villain to search in the dark. One of the guards managed to get up onto their knees, one arm wrapped around Right Hand and the other braced against the wall.

The noise drew Villain's attention, and they snapped their head around to focus on the newly-standing guard. "Henchman. What happened to them?"

The guard gave a weak, wet cough, blood spattering the front of their tattered uniform. "H-Hero managed to bust through the door."

"I. Gathered. That," Villain snarled through clenched teeth. "What happened after."

"Villain," Right Hand began, then cut off into silence at Villain's raised hand.

"They... Hero..." The guard gave another wet cough, then crumbled back to the ground despite Right Hand's best efforts to hold them upright. They didn't move again.

Villain turned away from them both. "Hero has Henchman, then," they murmured into eery silence.

The rubble crunched under Right Hand's feet as they shifted their weight, once again clutching their arm to their chest. They drew in a long, labored breath. Villain turned to them, now silent. The room was dipped in darkness. Villain was the first to speak.

"Watch over the compound until I get back. Instruct Medic and their team to care for any and every guard who isn't dead. I'll be back by dawn," they ordered.

Right Hand dipped their head in a nod, eyes widening with realization, and Villain turned on their heel and strode out of the office, shoulders tall.

[firequeensrules]

Some Batman 138 leaks...Yikes!

At least for once Damian get his ass beaten by Tim and Dick goes feral for Jason Todd's sake! Batman possessed or not is not getting a pass hopefully this time 😔!!

[tinycowboyart]

Out of context dnd session doodles of our campaign into the veil. Had to get some silly sketches down before I show you the horrors they’ve been through these last couple sessions

[icehearts]

-- day 31: heroic 🗡️🛡️

maybe I'm a lion starts playing in the background.

[eye-of-yelough]

one thing you gotta know about me is i simply never see twists coming. i have whatever the opposite of pattern recognition is my brain simply doesn’t work that way. y’all actually make predictions when you’re engaging with stories? wack

[the-girl-with-too-many-ideas]

I started getting into Heaven Official's Blessing, and the similarities between Xie Lian and Guda have me sobbing.

Both were seventeen when their lives were irrevocably changed forever. Kind and naive teens, with hope in their hearts of saving the world. Only to have it all thrown in their faces in the worst ways possible. Forced to become hardened and cruel when all they want to be is kind. Sacrificing so much, even parts of themselves, only for it to mean nothing to ungrateful masses.

Two people who have taught themselves to be overwhelmingly optimistic or be crushed with the absolute horror and trauma of all that they've endured.

All I can imagine is Xie Lian being summoned as a servant towards the beginning of Guda's journey. Seeing this poor kid put in this horrific situation in which they have to save the world or risk extinction, and them accepting it with absolutely resolve and unwavering determination. Looking at them and being reminded so much of himself and the words he once uttered so long ago.

"I wish to save the common people"

Remembering leaves a bitter taste in his mouth and thinks, 'Not this child. I won't let their journey turn out like mine'.

When the singularities are resolved and humanity restored, Xie Lian is desummoned back to his own world. He is left feeling sad having to leave Guda (who he has come to see as his own child), but proud about how it all ended without them losing it all. He is happy that Guda's journey ends in an optimistic note.

Until he is resummoned during the lostbelts, and is met with the broken down shell of who Guda used to be. He is beyond horrified and devastated at the realization that not only did Guda's journey continue, but had gone down a much more horrific path than his own did.

Nothing is worse than thinking you've saved someone, only to realize that you didn't and that their fate was far darker than yours ever was.

[dark-elf-writes]

In regards to Narcissa, why can't she have both a hero AND a milf? She has two hands.

Inko Midoriya getting all of the scary dog privilege as she walks with her two girlfriends that can and will put any one in the ground.

But also Narcissa getting to experience true tender love for the first time in her like and getting to see Nemuri confident and powerful and unwilling to back down no matter what anyone says and having Inko brush her hair back from her face with aching gentleness and

Yeah this is definitely an option

[coloursofaparadox]

.

[youngpettyqueen]

went looking for a creation myth

ended up with a pair of cracked lips

[serenofroses]

hm. think I have to start kotfe on Seleni and Zeki so I can get T7 and Blizz. they're better at heal/tank. asdfghjkl.

[lxckheart-archive]

If you want a chaotic tifa one-liner then like this post. I'm feeling it today my people.

[the-ghostly-butterfly]

Snippet 1.7

Previous

cw: injury, blood, general violence

Henchman's vision slid into focus amid a world better described as an amalgamation of agony and the very distinct smell of hairspray. They coughed, chest heaving and ribs barking in protest. They spat blood into their lap, then squinted around the room.

Their hands and legs were tied to a steel chair in a strange combination of rope and a silk-like material, tight enough to cut off circulation, so they could barely feel their fingers and toes. Their hair, usually cleanly styled out of their eyes fell into their face, and resisted any attempts to be adjusted when Henchman tossed back their head.

Vision mostly unimpeded (although Henchman's left eye was surely swollen and the color of deep plums), they noticed they were not alone in the small, sterile chamber. One of the heroes sat across a steel table, similar to the chair Henchman was strapped to. That explained the hairspray smell.

Henchman jerked back, albeit belatedly, and held back a small squeak of fear that caught in the back of their throat. They coughed again, then clenched their teeth against the pain and raised their head so that the blood dripped down their chin, and onto their shirt where the hero could see it, rather than in their lap. They reached for words, and they found none.

"I'd be careful with your next words if I were you," the hero said with a deep, rumbling voice, and when their eyes locked, it was an effort for Henchman not to cower at the piercing fury in their eyes.

Henchman settled in silence for a time, parsing out their situation before realizing that the only benefit to that would be a deeper understanding of how severely screwed they were. "Where am I?"

The words came out weak, wobbling, and Henchman felt themselves spit the last syllables as if that could pry the remaining taste of coppery blood from their mouth.

The hero stood, and Henchman realized that it was not any hero, but rather Hero, the one they'd fought the day before--was it only a day? They had no idea how long they'd been out, if Villain was looking for them--if they missed them.

Hero limped behind Henchman so they could no longer see them, and whatever anxiety Henchman felt when they feared Villain was nothing compared to whatever horrors pressed down upon their shoulders and constricted their ribs. A tense silence permeated the room.

"You're in one of our bases, to be held until we no longer have need of you," Hero said, and continued walking around Henchman. Their system flooded with an odd sense of relief when their eyes settled on Hero again.

Henchman noticed several injuries that weren't there following their fight. Hero was limping heavily, for one, and they were sporting a nasty black eye, likely similar to the one on Henchman's face.

Henchman scanned Hero's body, looking for any other signs of injury or weakness--and found plenty. Bandages around Hero's right arm, their dominant arm if their fights were anything to go by. Hero's bruises looked new, despite plenty of time for magical healing to kick in, meaning their magic was either restricted or drained from another altercation.

They had cuts and bruises peppering their face and neck, and judging by their labored breathing, they'd broken ribs, or bruised at the very least. Hero had been in another fight and lost very, very badly.

Was there another villain Hero was assigned to? The Hero League was focused most on Villain because of their infamy, but another up-and-comer could be stretching their forces thin. Could it have been Villain themself? When would they have been able to do that?

Hero snapped Henchman back to reality by slamming a hand against the table. "You will listen to me when I'm speaking to you," they snapped, their eyes narrowing. "These next few months will be much easier for you if you learn to follow instructions."

Months? Villain would never leave them to rot for months. Perhaps it was the fear, or the utter insanity that prevented Henchman from stopping the laughter bubbling up inside their chest and out into the hero's face.

"Months? You really think you're going to keep me here for months?" Henchman asked. Their swollen eye twinged with pain, and their ribs protested the movement.

"Did you think your Villain was going to save you?" Hero sneered, and Henchman noticed signs of a missing tooth towards the front of their mouth.

Hero kept their mouth shut, and opted to respond with a slow, calm smile instead. Hero cocked back their fist, and with one quick swing, their world went black.

I'm back! It's been a while, so please let me know if I need to update this tag list to remove you! Tagging: @nameless-beanie @crow-with-a-typewriter @mylovelyme @21fandom-shipper21 @gooberlad @cassidysinferno (If you wanted to be tagged and weren't please just (gently) poke me with a stick)