#she is definitely not evil but I think she should get to destroy more things and go really apeshit after-

[odessastone]

on the topic of my "Illari gets recruited by Talon" theory, today I got a kill streak on her and she says "I've done worse, and I'll DO worse."

Doesn't sound like a very heroic thing to say lol

[lion-writer]

I’ve seen a lot of headcanons and fics where Viago disapproves of Rook getting together with Lucanis. And ones that focus on how an alliance with the De Rivas benefits House Dellamorte, which is definitely true, and i fucking love them, but consider Viago probably couldn’t possibly ask for a better partner for Rook.

Though to be fair I am obsessed with Viago and his belief that he could restore the royal power of Treviso and that “He will not be satisfied until he sits upon a throne.”

While as a talon, he’s definitely more powerful than the king, and he could probably easily overthrow his father and take the throne. But that's probably not his biggest issue, because as my old history teacher used to say, “Power cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred”, so by restoring the power of the royal family, he’d be taking power away from the merchant princes and the other talons. Which, it’s probably safe to assume they wouldn't be happy about”. (Also as a side note, the quote “It’s not paranoia if they’re out to get you” is applicable here. Viago is a man planning to make A Lot of enemies)

And remember, this man is still the 5th talon, and while he’s allied with Teia, she’s also only the 7th talon. (Though they definitely should have gotten a promotion after the events of 8 little talons). So he’s not really in any position to actually make any power play, not unless he wants to piss off 6 of the other houses. 

Thankfully, depending on the choices you make, by the end of Veilguard, he’s almost certainly up there among the most powerful people in Antiva, given that he was a key player in ending the occupation of a major city by the Antaam, not to mention the killing of a Literal Evil God. The only Antivans that could be more influential than him at this moment is Teia, who he’s dating and let's be honest, will eventually marry, Rook, who’s his protege, 

Among those people, Lucanis is probably the most politically powerful, given that he’s done everything Viago has, in addition to the fact that he actually killed a god, and is now The First Talon. While I feel that he would support Viago in the bid for the throne, he’s also the only one who Viago doesn’t have any sort of formal alliance with. And considering Viago’s general distrust towards basically everyone, he wouldn’t place that much trust in the bonds of friendship, (especially if you believe that he thinks that Lucanis’s attempt at flirting was a threat).

But given the general political upheaval Antiva is probably already in right now, because It’s highly doubtful that Governor Ivenci was the only guy to make deals with the Antaam or Venatori for power, there’s no better time for Viago to make a play for power. With everything so recent it would be so easy for him to step forwards as a figure for people to rally behind, I mean he exposed corruption in the government, he freed Treviso, he trained a god killer, and he’s the son of the king. But If he waits, he kinda does risk somebody else stepping forth.

But after Ivenci’s attempt at getting rid of the crows and the whole Illario debacle, the other Talons would be very suspicious of anyone trying to take power, and while Viago is a Crow, he’s also an infamous curmudgeon who doesn’t really get along with the others. 

Luckily, Lucanis is head over heels for Rook, which cements an alliance with House Dellamorte. And well, there’s quite a historical precedent, especially in Antiva, for alliances and weddings to go hand in hand. Not to mention the message it would send to the other talons for Viago to give away Rook, his protege for whom he has already demonstrated a soft spot for, to The First Talon, arguably The Face of the Crows. In addition, a grand high profile Wedding between two heroes who just saved the world, is the perfect thing for the general public to associate Viago with after everything. 

I mean I’m pretty sure he would still grumble about it and he’d definitely let Lucanis know that if he ever dared to hurt Rook, Lucanis would wish he was still trapped in the Ossuary. But once he’s certain that they’re serious about each other, Teia and him would be the first people to start bugging them about marriage.

[tizeline]

So, in canon rise all of the turtles growing up know about how having Donnie's shell unprotected, probably from some childhood incident. And we can see in the show anytime Donnie's shell is bare; they all rush to protect him. How would they react to Donnie getting hurt because of his shell in this AU? What do they think of his battle shell? I assume they don't even really register Donnie as a softshell turtle because of his battle shell. Would this add to Raph's whole overprotective big brother instinct thing he gets because he catastrophizes Donnie's whole situation.

Also during the finale, we see that the lair gets trashed and has a huge cave in. So obviously Splinter, Donnie, and Sheldon would need to find a new place to live. Would the Drax fam help them build a new home? Are we going to see Donnie's reaction later to his home being destroyed, because losing your childhood home and your safe space must be awful. So, to maybe add a cute little twist, would Donnie, Splinter, and Sheldon live with the Drax fam for a little while?

Another thing, since Leo is obsessed with Sonic, Donnie should totally be obsessed with Wicked the musical. Another green person who sings on Broadway with similar themes of being outcasted and caring about how other people perceive them and using that perception to base their own self-worth, and she's also ostracized from society? Elphaba is written for Donnie. Donnie's theatre kid heart is an Elphaba stan and no one can convince me otherwise.

Donnie's brothers are very protective of him in this AU largely because he was separated from them for such a long time and they're afraid of losing him again. That being said, I think him having a soft shell also fuels this overprotectiveness. They do know that he is a spiny softshell before reuniting with him, Draxum told them about it, and that very much reinforced the whole "helpess victim in need of saving" type view they already made up in their imaginations of Donnie. (Not only is he in the clutches of the evil humans, but he's even more vulnerable than his hard shell brothers!) And remember that Donnie's battle shell in the AU isn't really armour the way it is in canon, it's main function is as a jetpack and maybe, like, a backpack (it has storage space). It doesn't cover the lower half of his back, so his soft shell is still visable and as such vulnurable. Donne getting hurt because of his lack of armour (biological or technological) would definitely freak his brothers out even more, but they're already pretty careful with him honestly.

Anyway, you are completely right about Donnie, Splinter and Shelldon moving in with the Draxums when their home in the sewers is destroyed XD It's kinda awkward, but at that point the Draxums and the Hamatos have learned to get along a lot better. But yeah, losing his home is very hard for Donnie, he's definitely the type of person who doesn't deal well with sudden big changes like that. I do wanna depict this part of the story eventually, but it's probably gonna be a while until then.

And god yeah, Donnie is ABSOLUTELY a huge fan of musicals lmaooo! He acts so overdramatic and theatrical all the time and the show makes it clear several times that he loves music so yeah, total theater kid. I haven't actually seen Wicked so I can't really meaningfully comment on the concept of him being a fan of that specific musical, other than omg yes Elpheba being an outcast and also GREEN he totally projects onto her.

[yannisdesk]

On Arcane & Antivillains

One thing I really enjoy about Arcane is how it handles antivillains.

For one, most of the characters (main ones) would actually fall into the category of antivillain at one point, or in the case of our two protagonists, become one. Arcane is arguably ripe with them.

An antivillain is essentially the opposite of an antihero. Simplified, antiheros do good things out of selfish or questionable motives, antivillains do things that are objectively bad or evil, but for noble reasons or for a greater cause. Another term for them is "sympathetic villain" however that term is too vague (there are villains out there who are sympathetic, but are none the less traditionally evil and therefore do not qualify as antivillains), and "antivillain" is a much better term mirror to "antihero." A common thread I've noticed among antivillain characters is some level of a Machiavellian approach to achieving their goals - the ends justify the means type of philosophy is something you'll always find characters that fit this category. At the very least, they dabble with it. In their eyes their actions are always justified because they're fighting for a good cause.

To put things into perspective, I'll use two examples. Harley Quinn shifts around, but she is frequently an antihero, take her depiction in both Suicide Squad movies. She does take down bad guys, however she's not doing so out of a sense of altruism, but to get a reduced prison sentence. Very cut-and-dry example of antiheroism.

On the flip side you have Magneto. Now from what I've seen (I've dabbled in the comics, but haven't dived in all the way) in the comics he gets very dark with the antihuman action. But in the Xmen movies, he definitely does some down right villainous stuff, but his intention remains the same - he wants mutants to live in a world free of bigotry and he's willing to do anything necessary to achieve that, including committing atrocities.

Now if this sounds very confusing to you and you swear you've heard these terms interchangeably or that you can think of several characters that are labeled as type A when they should be type B or vice versa, that's pretty normal. These aren't archetypical heroes and villains we're talking about, so it can be hard to categorize them, and honestly most characters in general will go back and forth or shift at one point or another, so all you need to know is that those definitions are the ones we're working with in this post.

Here are the characters from Arcane that I think suit this label, and others that I think will.

Disclaimer: this is not me hating on the characters. I love all of these characters for this layer to their character. This is not a "oh, look, this character is bad actually," post. If anything, consider it a celebration of their gray morality and how well its explored in the show.

Silco

Duh. Silco is objectively pretty evil. Setting up a drug empire that destroys your own people, getting in-cahoots with corrupt cops, killing kids, and aiding in destroying a young girl's mental health is multiple levels of foul. However, for him, all of this was part of an elaborate plan to liberate Zaun, which is being aggressively oppressed by Piltover. They were necessary sacrifices made to the cause, and worth it because it will bring forth better days for him and his people. Now obviously, a lot of his actions definitely have to do with his own ego, however the only time Zaun isn't prioritized is when it comes to Jinx, who is like a daughter to him, and even that realization comes to smack in the face late in his arc.

Sevika

I'd argue she's even more noble than most since she truly is rooted in the cause for Zaun. Not only is she willing to do some pretty bad things for the "greater-good", she's even willing to betray people who she views as unfit or incompetent. And what's even more telling is that she doesn't do this for power (which is arguably a part of Silco's prerogative). Sure, she's his #2, but he doesn't exactly show any favoritism. And Sevika seemingly isn't even trying to become the new leader of Zaun after Silco's death from the season 2 clips, but will support Jinx, despite the fact that she probably could dethrone her. She's no true blue hero, but she's not a megalomaniac either.

The Entire Council of Piltover (Minus Mel & Jayce)

As obnoxious as they are, none of them are mustache-twirling villains. As we see with characters like Sheriff Grayson (not a council member, but they share the same sentiment), they legitimately think they're protecting the city with their neglectful leadership and oppression of Zaunites. Yes, this includes Heimerdinger, who seemingly only started caring about Zaun once he was booted out of the council, so that places him firmly in antihero territory in my opinion.

Why did I exclude Mel and Jayce? Their plots are actually upward in terms of morality, especially Jayce who by the end is closer to being a traditional hero by prioritizing peace and progress over the status quo or war, and actively makes the first move of trying to right Piltover's wrongs. Mel's arc has also moved this direction as well, as she went from arguing that Jayce and Viktor should build Hextech weapons in case of war with the Zaunites, to fully embracing peace. You could argue that Mel wanting the weapons means she was at some point an antivillain, and I might agree, but as it stands, she's firmly in the clear.

So, why are the rest of the council still considered antivillains? Honestly, we just don't know much about their motivations to say. They ultimately did a good deed in voting for peace, but you know, one good deed doesn't wash-out the bad and vice versa. They're not even on thin ice for me, they're still fighting for the surface.

Marcus

Questioning your actions does not mean you can't be an antivillain, and Marcus is a good example of that. He's is kind of like Caitlyn if she were way less compassionate and very incompetent. Marcus does not think his actions are evil, according to show runners he only places Vi in Stillwater to protect her from Silco; he gets involved with Silco because he wants justice for the building explosion and it goes out of hand. That said, he also threw a child into a dangerous prison with no charges and with the intention of keeping her there for life, and worked with a kingpin who was actively antagonizing his own people while reaping benefits from an abusive system. So yeah, Marcus falls more into being an antivillain than full-blown villain, he's still firmly an antagonist though.

Ambessa

I know it's very popular in the fandom to call Ambessa a traditional bad-guy type of villain, but she is actually very nuanced. For one - she does not see her actions as evil, nor are her motivations behind doing them rooted in it. Ambessa, as she states in Mel's flashback, was raised in the Noxian way. Her grandfather literally made her search the dead bodies of the people they massacred when she was a youth, and she was indoctrinated to believe that this was in the best interest of her family and the Noxian people. By showing strength and ruthlessness, she's telling the rest of the world: "Stay away from House Medarda and Noxus." Hence, why Kino's death wrecks her, because she values herself over how effective she is at warding people off from messing with her family. Her main reason for getting involved with the war between Piltover and Zaun will 100% be because Mel's life was nearly lost due to Jinx's bomb, and this is coming straight off of her son's death mind you. So, while Ambessa may definitely be one of the most ruthless people on this list, she is not at Palpatine levels of evil yet, not by a long shot.

Jinx

You guys saw this coming, right? This barely needs an explanation. Jinx grew up in the Lanes, was a victim of Piltover's oppression multiple times throughout her youth, was willing to fight for their freedom as seen in episode 2, and in the end, that desire, along with her being adopted by Silco, manifested in her doing multiple acts of violence, including terrorism against Piltover, which frequently hurt people who weren't guilty of anything. (No, blowing up the building in episode 3 doesn't count as one of her evil deeds because it was an accident.) We understand completely why Jinx does what she does, even though it hurts to see her slip farther and farther into this mindset.

Vi

Way more subtle (for now) but I'd argue she's there come episodes 8 and 9. Hell, you could argue that her arc is about her sense of morality breaking down due to realizing how impossible the situation between Zaun and Piltover is, and embracing an "ends justifies the means" type mindset that Vander tried to sway her against back in episode 2. Wanting to stop a kingpin from using this new dangerous drug to destroy your city and sister? A noble cause, indeed. Not really caring that (or being passive over the fact that) children die in process because of their approximation to said bad guy? Yikes. [EDIT: Since we're on this topic: here's a link to where I explored this aspect of her character. I did this a while ago, but I thought it best to include it here too for added context). Now, I know what some of you are going to say - how is this any different from, say, Steve Rogers telling Wanda Maximoff that sometimes there's collateral damage when doing hero work? The difference is that Steve didn't argue that those people had it coming because they're associated with the bad guys/or in their way, which Vi does. That's some dangerous conviction right there, and we'll probably see that elaborated on in season 2 given that she's becoming an Enforcer which is a position that lends itself to abuse of power (and if it goes anyway like things do with her game counterpart, she will engage in police brutality and not see an issue with it, but given that Arcane's Vi is way more well, nuanced, than her game counterpart I don't think it will go on for long). While we're on the topic of Vi, according to her prison records, she had a notorious reputation while doing time to the point that I find it funny Silco didn't put 2-and-2 together that the girl with short pink hair beating the shit out of and attempting to murder all of his goons that went to Stillwater was possibly the same girl that wiped the floor with those same goons the night Vander died.

Potential Antivillains of Season 2:

These are characters that I predict will become antivillains at some point during season 2 based off of where their season 1 arc left and clues from season 2 teasers and clips. This is not me saying for sure this will happen, only a prediction. But if it does come true, I will gladly collect $5 per accurate plot point.

Viktor

Two words: glorious evolution.

We all love Viktor. We all love good-guy Viktor, and we will also more than likely love not-so-good-guy Viktor due to how complex that arc will be. If it will go anything like his game-lore (which I suspect it will) his noble intentions will never leave him, just simply evolve to include some less-than-heroic actions and justifications. He still wants to improve the undercity, and well, humanity overall, with hextech, motivated by the injustices he's been put through his own life and his illness, but he will go about it in some very unorthodox ways, and his arc in Arcane is about him confronting if he wants to "evolve" his morality for the sake of his ultimate goal, which is progress. Viktor would definitely agree with the sentiment expressed by Gloria Steinem (character depiction, not a real quote) in Mrs. America - "Revolutions are messy, people get left behind."

Caitlyn

I'm pretty sure she actually will become apart of the antivillain roster in season 2, but noting is for certain. Caitlyn is perhaps the saddest version of this there is, because we see where she starts out. She doesn't want to be like everyone else in her circle, she tries to break free and be better. She wants to do good by both Piltover and Zaun. She has hope, gentleness, and doesn't place herself above even those who occupy the lowest levels of Zaun. She puts herself, her status, and her life on the line to discover the truth, and comes out her time with Vi steadfast in wanting to help heal Zaun. She can be a little naive and ignorant, but she never does so with malicious or ill intent. She is the kindest person in Arcane.

But, given that her mother was killed in a terrorist attack set off by the new Head Zaunite in Charge, things will change. As we see, Caitlyn becomes a sheriff on the Enforcer squad, and now her goal is no longer to sow peace between Zaun and Piltover, it's to avenge her mother by assassinating Jinx. Of course, this will be due in part that Caitlyn thinks snuffing Jinx out will solve the problem, which will be ironic and hypocritical because she told Ekko that getting revenge on Silco won't solve anything in Zaun, but now that she's in the same predicament, the tables have turned and now diplomacy is off the table. She still has that hero-complex, as she lives by the lessons of Sheriff Grayson, but now it's with a twist. The idealistic Caitlyn who believed in giving peace a chance through reform is gone, and she now believes that there's little to no cost too great for her to achieve this, even if that (possibly - again season 2 hasn't come out yet, so we shall see) means hurting innocent Zaunites. And what's scary is that Caitlyn has the intelligence, dedication, talent, and efficiency to pull it off. Truthfully, I believe we won't just be getting Sheriff Caitlyn in season 2, but also Dictator Caitlyn.

[amphibiahawks321]

M!Reader : Woooooooah....

[Y/N stares around the beautiful forest]

M!Reader : it's so beautiful....

[Y/N pulls out a notebook from his adventure pack and starts drawing inside it]

......

[Noises start being heard near a bush]

M!Reader : !!!!!!'

[The bush starts shaking]

M!Reader : Hello?

[The bush starts shaking even more startling Y/N]

M!Reader : .......

[A tiny bunny hops out of the bush]

M!Reader : ......

M!Reader : Awwwwww! Now How can I NOT pet that!

[Y/N put his notebook back into his adventure pack and walked up to the bunny and starts petting it]

M!Reader : This forest is seriously the beautifulest!

M!Reader : Especially with you around here little guy!

[The bunny starts leaning into the touch]

M!Reader : Awwww!

M!Reader : But... I seriously can't be here for too long... I do NOT want to mess with that tree guard... I'll see you soon little guy.... Maybe next time I'll bring you some carr-

[A winged shadow starts appearing behind him]

M!Reader : Huh? When did the sun-!!!?!?!!

[Y/N looked up behind him and sees maleficent floating Infront of him with a not so pleased expression]

M!Reader : Oh....My.....Pixies

[Maleficent floats down and stares at him still with a not so pleased expression]

[M!Reader thought 💭]

Oh my g-gosh she's tall.....

M!Reader : Y-y-your t-t-THE m-maleficent!

Maleficent : And you're an uninvited guest...

[Maleficent starts walking up to Y/N]

M!Reader : W-wait! I didn't mean to-

[Maleficent starts gripping Y/N's hand]

M!Reader : Hey! Ow! I thought you weren't so evil anymore!

Maleficent : And you assume I wouldn't be angry if I found someone sneaking in and starts writing something about my forest......

M!Reader : ......

M!Reader : Okay fair point....

M!Reader : but I swear I wasn't doing anything bad! I just wanted to see what the forest here looks like! And I-

[Maleficent drags Y/N to a nearby tree grabs his head pins it to the tree]

M!Reader : Ouch!

[Maleficent walked to him from behind bends down a little and leans into his ear]

Maleficent : if you ever tried to sneak in again... Things... Will... Get.... Ugly....

M!Reader : ......

M!Reader blushing : ......

Maleficent : .....

Maleficent : Are you.... Blushing?

M!Reader blushing : you're literally a tall woman with horns, wings and wearing lipstick that is pinning me Against a tree how do you think I should react!

[Maleficent stops pinning his head against the wall]

Maleficent : Why are you here.... Speak now...

Maleficent : Are you here to destroy my kingdom...

M!Reader : N-No! Not at all! I just wanted to check out the forest near your kingdom!

Maleficent : Then why did you sneak in....

M!Reader : Have you seen your tree guard? That thing is TERRIFYING looking!

Maleficent : Then why are you here to check my forest... There's gotta be another motive...

M!Reader : There really isn't! Here check my notebook!

[Y/N pulls out his notebook and gives it to her]

Maleficent : .....

[Maleficent opens his notebook and sees drawings of the trees, the tree guard, other creatures and ......Herself?]

Maleficent : Hm.... drawing?

M!Reader : Y-Yeah... Not really good but it's bearable...

Maleficent : You certainly are... You draw my left horn a little bit longer...

M!Reader blushing : Hehe I told you I wasn't that good....

Maleficent : .....

[Maleficent slams the notebook into Y/N's chest]

M!Reader : Ough!

Maleficent : You can continue if you want to...

M!Reader : Wait really!?

Maleficent : You want me to take my words back....

M!Reader : No! no!

Maleficent : What I thought...

M!Reader : Thank you! Male-..... Ummm... Is it okay if I call you-

Maleficent : Yes....

M!Reader : T-thank you maleficent... But I think it's time for me to go back... I've been here for quite a long time now...

Maleficent : agreed.... But... Before you go.... I must say....

M!Reader : ???

[Maleficent grabs his under chin and lifts it up to make proper eye contact]

Maleficent : You're definitely an odd one...

M!Reader : ......

M!Reader blushing : T-thank you?

Maleficent : Your face is blushing again-

M!Reader blushing : OOKAY! I think it's time for me to go now! I'll definitely come back again when I get the chance! Later!

[Y/N leaves while still flustered]

[M!Reader thought 💭]

Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh OHMYGOSH! DID THAT SERIOUSLY JUST HAPPENED!?

Maleficent : .....

Maleficent : Chuckles a strange one indeed...

[lurkingshan]

I really love this week's episode of When It Rains It Pours, because despite my fears, it managed to address the fallout of Sei and Hagiwara's affair with nuance and without villainizing their partners. I am a bit perplexed at the broad reaction I've seen to this episode painting Fujisawa and Kaori as evil and/or abusive, so I want to talk a bit about why I don't think that is the show's message at all.

The opening scene of this episode, with Sei wandering around ruminating on his feelings for Hagiwara and then coming home to Fujisawa, set the tone for their confrontation. Sei's feelings changed after the night of "going at it like rabbits" that he experienced with Hagiwara. He is frustrated with himself for developing romantic feelings after he is the one who said they shouldn't destroy their relationships, but he can't help but want more with Hagiwara now. And it's in that mindset that Fujisawa catches him off guard first by revealing he already knows about the affair, and then by making a desperate play to give him sex to prevent Sei from leaving him.

This scene is uncomfortable to watch, but to me it is an interesting and well motivated transgression of the boundaries they've set in their relationship that naturally flows from earlier scenes where Sei tried to push himself on Fujisawa despite knowing he was making him uncomfortable. Fujisawa definitely went too far--he should not have held Sei down or touched him in ways he was protesting--but it's important not to forget that Sei has been crossing boundaries by begging Fujisawa to touch him for their entire relationship (and even grabbing and clinging to Fujisawa to try to make him give in), and has also just indicated that sex with someone else is what might finally end things for them. Fujisawa is panicking and realizing that the boundary he set may be the downfall of their relationship, so he tries to give Sei what Sei has always said he wanted from him. And let's be real, if this had happened a couple episodes ago, Sei would have wanted it. But his feelings have changed now, and he no longer wants sex from Fujisawa. Once Sei says that clearly, Fujisawa stops.

In the aftermath of this emotional outburst, Sei is not afraid of Fujisawa, and Fujisawa is contrite and apologetic. They both know they have contributed to damaging their relationship by trying to force an arrangement they knew wasn't working. Living together this way long-term was always the wrong choice, one they made out of grief and a desire to cling to someone comfortable. This is not a story about Fujisawa abusing Sei, it's a story about two friends who love each other but don't want the same things from their relationship, and the tension and irreconcilability of that finally coming to a head. I thought it was really well done, and I'm glad the show allowed both Sei and Fujisawa to be imperfect and make big mistakes in the way they dealt with their feelings as things fell apart. The way Sei clasped Fujisawa's hand says it all; they will never be the same again, but there is still love there alongside the regret.

Now, onto Kaori. I really appreciated the way the show calibrated her discussion with Hagiwara as a slow unfurling from her cheerful front to her sincere regret and distress. Kaori is hurt, but she is not truly angry with Hagiwara because she knows she is the one who pushed him to this. She is struggling with understanding herself, and it's in that context that she wants to understand why Hagiwara cheated with a man. On first hearing it her line about this could be read as homophobic, but if you pay attention to the context and the rest of what she says, that's not what it is at all. Kaori is repulsed by male sex organs, and she hasn't figured out what that means for her yet, and that is why she was getting so upset trying to understand why Hagiwara cheated with a man specifically. She doesn't understand why a man's body repulses her, but not Hagiwara. You can see on Hagiwara's face that he feels for her, and is maybe starting to have a better understanding of why their sex life went wrong.

And to Kaori's immense credit, despite the fact that she is the one who was cheated on by her long-term partner and caught him in his lies, she took accountability for her contributions to the destruction of their relationship. She admitted she snooped through his phone to confirm her suspicions. She owned that she intentionally avoided a need she knew he had, and that she hurt him over and over again in doing so and also in refusing to talk to him about it. She recognized that despite his frustration and cheating, Hagiwara was kind to her and never spoke about her with cruelty in his conversations with Sei. And she respectfully asked him to make a choice about whether to end their relationship so that they could have a clean break. Given the scale of his betrayal, Kaori would have been well within her rights to make this a lot harder for Hagiwara, but she wasn't interested in hurting him anymore. I hope she is able to figure herself out and be okay now that she has also broken free of this relationship that wasn't working for either of them. And it's clear from the way Hagiwara gazed after her as she departed that he feels the same.

So where does that leave us headed into the finale? Both Sei and Hagiwara's relationships as they knew them are over, and they both want more from each other, but there is still a lot of emotional carnage to wade through before either of them can have a healthy relationship. That the start of their relationship is mired in lies and betrayal and the destruction of other relationships that mattered to them is no small hurdle, and I'm hopeful that the show will address that with the nuance and emotional honesty it displayed in this episode.

[xxtha-blog]

Why Horrortale Sans is Definitely Evil

Horrortale Sans is evil. This is the opposite of a defence post, I am calling out this character and his many misdeeds! I do not know how people legitimately defend his actions or claim he’s just a normal guy who tries really hard not to eat people. I do not think we read the same comic. This is a comprehensive deep dive into why Horror is evil.

First a chronological look at Horror’s dubious actions. Not all of theses are evil and some have good justification as standalone events, but provide wider context for things:

1. He has to be convinced into helping repair the Core which he knows is broken, and has inside info he knows could help get it fixed, only when Grillby begs him to because as revealed on another page, the loss of the Core means “the fire eats at [Grillby’s] very soul like acid, perpetually burning him alive”

2. He spends a total of 12 months trying to figure out how to repair the Core but based on Undyne’s statements about how he rarely works, either means he’s a. Not actually putting enough effort into it (if we believe her and not Sans) or b. Not telling Undyne and Alphys how his work is going which is probably pertinent information for them to have (If we believe Sans, but want a reason as to why Undyne has that impression)

3. He finally brings her a solution to the Core after knowing he’s going to die (but if you want to be generous, maybe it was just really bad timing and he really did only needed a few more days to bring her a solution) and claims it’s a “long shot” meaning he doesn’t even know if it will work.

4. Undyne, thinking that is an insane plan, tells him she has a different plan. Sacrificing him to save everyone. Sans makes it clear he would never let himself die to save everyone.

5. When a guard begs him to sacrifice himself to save his wife and children, Sans launches him into the stratosphere saying: “fuck off.”

6. Even though Undyne attacks him first, it’s actually Sans that takes out her head and eye first.

7. Sans brutally murders the guards who helped Undyne.

8. When Alphys, showing Sans that her plan has objectively work and he is not dead (bonus!!), Sans destroys the Core.

He destroys the thing that will keep him, his brother, and literally every person in the underground alive. Grillby now suffers eternally, and everyone will die a slow and painful death. This does not help him in any way, does not change the fact his head is broken, he does it purely out of malice. The equivalent of getting shot, surviving, and then nuking the town you were shot in. He does not take his eye back if you thought it was to take his eye back. It’s still in the broken Core.

9. He lobotomizes Alphys

10. He gets Aliza to become a cannibal

11. He tortures and maims Aliza (let’s her get cut in half by a bear trap, pulls her hair so hard it bleeds, let’s her freeze to death in a puzzle, sends her to Grillbys where she gets partially cooked alive, cuts her arm off)

Really great guy here.

Secondly let’s get some of the common defences out of the way:

1. Sans had a plan that would save everyone! Undyne was therefore making a bad decision by trying to killing him

a. Sans says his plan IS A LONG SHOT

b. Alphys explains Sans’s plan would have taken a lot of time and magic ie. time that would get a lot of other people killed

c. Undyne’s plan actually goes better that expected! What was assumed would kill Sans doesn’t end up killing him at all. Literally a win-win for everyone involved.

d. Undyne/Alphys’s plan works, and therefore objectively saved more people. 0 net casualties if Sans had a single ounce of humanity.

2. Sans worked really hard and Undyne betrayed him. Undyne should have told him first

Undyne doesn’t tell him because she doesn’t want to consider hurting Sans despite monsters dying. Moments before Sans shows up, a child dies in a mother’s arm. Then Sans explains his plan is to dismantle the Core, which ‘might’ work, and will take a lot of effort and magic to do so, which is time they do not have (it’s been 12 months. He has had 12 months.). He also blames Undyne for getting them into this mess and mocks her for letting people die. She then attacks him. They end up both losing half their head and eye in the fight, making them perfectly even. The core’s power is restored.

But, whether or not Sans feels betrayed or not is irrelevant to the fact that Undyne makes the most reasonable and moral decision in this moment and also Sans has kind of done everything in his power to not sell his idea and piss off the person he knows is considering killing him so big L on his part for that one.

It also does not in any way shape or form justify destroying the Core, which is probably the most evil thing you could possibly do in that scenario.

3. They both are at fault for the Core/Both Evil then

There is literally a world of difference between:

“Sacrifices 1 person who ends up not dying, to save everyone. Which succeeds.”

And

“Destroys the thing that will successfully keep everyone alive, thus dooming everyone including yourself to die a slow and agonizing death, because you are angry your friend tried to kill you in an effort to save everyone”

That’s not even including the 10 other things on my list that are definitely also evil, but I cannot take people seriously if they put these two things on some sort of a moral equivalence. Undyne is in the right. 1 person for everyone is a worthy sacrifice. If anything Undyne’s only flaw is waiting so long to do it.

4. (Unrelated to the Core incident) Sans is actually morally grey, he doesn’t eat humans like everyone else which is a complex character motivation

You’re right, Sans doesn’t eat humans. Instead he finds enjoyment in torturing them brutally, a much worse thing than eating to stay alive.

His fight with hunger is also entirely self-made. Both because it’s not morally wrong to eat another living being to survive (and it’s not cannibalism to eat a human as a monster) and because he is the reason this is still happening 7 years later. It is literally his fault he is hungry. There is no interesting moral conundrum here, he does not care about hurting people. He is just out of his mind.

In conclusion, Horrortale Sans is a deeply selfish and uncaring person. Whatever minor good deeds he does throughout the comic are so immensely overshadowed by his absolute depravity that they might as well not exist. He is the reason every single monster in that underground continues to suffer, including himself, and while in his mind maybe there’s some weird justification, no outsider observer should look at these actions and think, yeah, that was reasonable. Much less think Undyne or Alphys are somehow WORSE. He destroys the Core because he didn’t die after everyone is saved, solely to be vindictive. He does not gain anything by doing this. He doesn't even take back the eye he lost which is still in the broken core! He lobotomizes Alphys because he’s mad he looks like a freak. He murders people who wants him to help everyone stay alive. He maims and tortures children and no amount of not eating them afterwards makes that any less morally apprehensible.

None of this is meant to say you can’t like him as a character. It is just to explain why characterizing him as a poor lil guy who did nothing wrong, is a little… wrong.

i believe this is an extensive look into why Horrortale Sans is evil.

Thank you for reading :)

[yuikomorii]

// Ok I didn’t want to go this far but at this point, you guys are hating on Ayato just for clout and it shows. It’s okay not to like a character but straight up spreading misinformation about him is not okay. If you lack reading comprehension, just admit it.

What makes Ayato’s past so sad isn’t only the fact that Cordelia was mean towards him. She mentally and physically abused him, yet what genuinely hurt Ayato the most was the way Cordelia treated ALL the triplets. A part of him didn’t even want to kill her, given that he CRIED in the MB flashbacks because, despite being a huge abuser, he STILL felt sympathy even for someone like her. No matter how horrible Cordelia was, Ayato still wished for Karlheinz to reciprocate her feelings only to finally see her happy.

Don't even get me started on the Adam curse. He was practically used as bait and abandoned to death by his own brothers, but he still hoped for their safety after escaping. That curse literally destroyed his entire life because its purpose was to make the person who ate the fig drown in despair and go insane. That's why he was sooo obsessed with Yui's blood. Heck, he's cursed in routes other than his own, as he goes insane in Ruki's MB one, to the point that his brothers had to lock him inside the dungeon. In addition, in his MB Vampire Ending, he falls into a coma because he refuses to hurt Yui and keep drinking her blood.

Other than that, Laito was the one who made him believe that he wasn’t special, hence he adopted the “I will never make someone special again” mentality. He also wanted to kill him when he was younger (no hate towards any of his brothers though). Kanato was the only one who never did something bad to him, considering that when Ayato was a child, Reiji called him the disappointment of the family after failing a test.

Ayato did twisted stuff too; no character is a saint, but he always tries his best to fix things. Even when not dating Yui, he’s capable of showing compassion, support and a desire to improve his relationship with his brothers BY HIMSELF. Check this analysis for example.

Other than that, despite every time being hurt when trying to show kindness, he still became a very selfless guy who’d sacrifice himself for anyone at any given time. What makes this even more admirable is that according to Karlheinz, he’s literally the only one who actually VALUES his life. This guy who loves life would risk it all for Yui, even when not dating, or for any of his brothers.

Credit to: dialovers-translations and tournesolia on Tumblr

On top of that, he's incredibly empathic?? He forgives everybody, no matter what they do to him, and seeks to maintain good relations with them. In Kino's LE route, for example, he tortures and burns Ayato, but Ayato is the first person to recognize him as his brother because he wanted Kino to feel that he, too, belonged to a family.

Last but not least, nobody silences Karlheinz as good as him. He was also the only one who connected the dots by himself about his dad being the root of all evil (Laito too but that was after the letter), including being the only one who didn’t want to kill him only because he didn’t want to fall into his plan. Check this post.

Oh and, Ayato is actually really big; it’s not that only his fans make him that way! This post basically proves that he’s the IT boy of otome games and I should also mention that he’s the character that sells the most in Japan and China! Just look what Japanese fans think of him. ;)

You can dislike him as much as you want but nobody can deny how brave and pure-hearted he is. He’s the definition of from zero to hero.

As I mentioned earlier, it's fine to dislike him, but don't become obsessed with it, lol. At the end of the day, he's merely a fictional character with endearing characteristics and the male lead. It's really not that deep. Besides, it's embarrassing when the hate comes from Yui stans because she definitely wouldn't be happy of any of you talking about her man in that way.

[littlefireball]

CS|Cruel Angel and Kind Evil pt.1 (A/F)

San's Birthday Week~~ Evil! San (Santan) x Angel! Reader Angust| Fluff| Angel and Evil AU|Enemies to lover|Forbidden love|Fight scene|San love teasing reader|Reader is poisoned Word count: 1.8K Summary: You, as an angel who specializes in destroying demons, are cruel by nature; San, as the most advanced being among demons, shows kindness that is inconsistent with his temperament. Was your meeting a joke, or was it really a fate?

"One more." You stared coldly at the lifeless body collapsing before you, the blood belonging to the deceased sliding down your cheek, dripping onto the scorching floor, dispersing into crimson smoke. Nonchalantly, you wiped off the red blood stains from your blade, unaffected by the passing of a life before you.

For he was a demon.

Demons should never have existed in this world-they wreak havoc, plunging the world into misfortune. Your killings merely bring peace to this world, nothing objectionable. In the face of any demon, you show no mercy-until his appearance.

"Angel, should I call you like this?" It was your first time meeting him, his casual attitude displeased you. "I have nothing to say to you." You held the blade before him, a sharpness emitting from your eyes, a dangerous atmosphere permeating the air. "Any last words? Evil. Should I call you like this?" "Hey! Calm down! I am not here to fight with you."San raised his arms in surrender, showing a kindness that was unexpected of him.

"No need to say so much, go back to your hell!" With wings as white as snow spreading behind you, you attacked the demon in front of you.

"Oops!"

A deadly steel sliced through the air, and in an instant,all the short trees on the side were cut down. The tip of your sword stopped at his neck, but the demon locked the sharp blade in place with his crossed arms.

"Thank you for sparing me, angel."

"You…!" San gripped the sword tightly, the sharp blade penetrating his palm, causing a trickle of blood to seep out. His arm was strong and powerful, forcefully pushing down your sword.

"Huh? Weren't you planning to kill me? Your power seems insufficient." Suddenly, he exerted a forceful pull and unexpectedly dragged you towards himself. Caught off guard, you were startled and unable to resist his immense strength. The distance between the two of you closed rapidly, as if time itself had paused.

His breath sprayed on your face, and his enticing fragrance filled the air. His features were delicate, with bright eyes that curved like those of a kitten, and the dimples on his face added a touch of cuteness, in stark contrast to the hideous appearance of a typical demon.

"Are you blushing? My little angel~" He smiled at you, a smile so sweet that it captivated your soul.

"I… You… Go away!" The rosy blush on your cheeks resembled a quietly blooming cherry blossom. Your shy gaze wandered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Don't be so rude next time we meet!" He took advantage of the situation and moved even closer, his lips almost touching your ear, whispering softly.

"You…!" As you were about to turn around and swing your sword, he transformed into a purple mist and disappeared into thin air. Your empty attack left you infuriated.

"I will definitely kill you!"

"Lord Santan, why are you so interested in that angel? She's an angel of a demon slaying, you know?"

"Oh~ don't you think she is cute?" His subordinates could never understand his thoughts. How could they see an enemy killer as someone to get close to? They just didn't know, and couldn't comprehend.

"You know? Sometimes, it's a fate, something that no one can explain~"

Perhaps for him, teasing with his opponents was an extremely interesting thing to do. Or maybe, he was curious about the other side of you. You were an angel of demon slaying, ruthless and cruel, completely different from any angel he had encountered before. There was not a trace of angelic presence about you; instead, you seemed like an evil disguised as an angel.

He wanted to know more about everything concerning you because you were so different. Discovering your unknown side was like treasure hunting, both thrilling and triggering his limitless curiosity. Little did he know that he unintentionally fell into a rabbit hole named 'You'.

This was your second encounter.

"Ah-!!" This battle was even more difficult than you had imagined, and your side suffered heavy casualties. On the bloodied ground, cries of agony intertwined with the breath of death. The demon's threat surged like a tidal wave, while your troops, like lambs to the slaughter, had no means to resist.

Its acidic and poisonous saliva targeted your weak point, causing many soldiers to die from the toxins. Your side, uninvited, was scattered like sand, the defense line easily crumbled, and even you, who had experienced countless battles, found yourself in a desperate struggle.

"Tsk!" Black patterns spread up your arm, and a tearing pain engulfed your entire body, as if every inch of your skin was pierced by a knife, even preventing you from firmly gripping your weapon. You managed to suppress the outbreak of toxins in your body with the power of an angel, but the burden on your body is difficult to estimate.

The monster snarled and roared, leaping towards you with its hind legs. You struggled to jump up, barely avoiding its attack. This is not a sustainable solution, as it will only drain your strength and eventually kill you. This is something you can't accept, because you haven't even had the chance to seek revenge on the demon that teased you last time. How can you die before him?

Relying solely on your own power is not enough to defeat your opponent, but what if you use the soldiers? The situation might be different then. You gather the power within you, murmuring and manipulating flames that ignite the ground and spread towards your teammates. The flames consume the soldiers' bodies, distorting their muscles and bones. The raging fire devours their strength like a ferocious beast, causing the air in your vision to tremble with fluctuating waves.

You gather your strength, flames enveloping the tip of your sword as you swing it across the monster's throat. The raging fire explodes upon contact with the venom. The sound of the explosion, along with the soldiers' cries, rises and falls, finally ceasing as the monster falls.

Victory in battle is obtained through the sacrifice of soldiers - how cruel.

"Is it really this cruel? Will your God forgive you?" A mocking and slightly puzzled voice resounds in your ears. You sit weakly under a tree, looking up to see the demon with his hands crossed behind his back. Him again.

"Their deaths were worthwhile."

"Are these really words spoken by an angel?"

"As long as I can kill demons, I'm willing to be the executioner." Despite the pain from the toxins tormenting you, you refuse to show any signs of suffering. This is your last bit of stubbornness before "death."

He slowly walks to your side, his handsome face appearing in your sight, and a charming smile appears at the corner of his mouth once again. Seeing your blackened and decaying right hand, he reaches out meaningfully, as if taunting but also doubtingly asking, "Have you been poisoned?" You so desperately want to push away his filthy hand, but your arm is already powerless.

"You can just kill me directly, no need to pretend to be pitiful here."

"Oh don't say this, my angel. I said I was not here to fight with you." You stare at the man in front of you in disbelief, unable to understand his actions.

"So, what do you want? Insult me and watch me die from poisoning? Or do you want me to beg you to save me?"

"Why are you always so aggressive? Are you really an angel but not a demon?"

"I don't need to show my kindness to you, Evil."

"My name is not evil. I am San." He sighs helplessly, then his sharp nails pierce into your blackened wrist. You can't help but hiss in pain, and you weakly squeeze San's palm.

"Endure it, it will be fine soon." His words are as gentle as silk, and his gentle tone seems capable of melting any ice in people's hearts. "You endured the stimulation from the toxin, but you are in pain from a needle in your wrist?"

"I don't…" Like a mischievous child caught misbehaving, you stubbornly retort.

"I get it, I get it." He smiles indulgently. The black patterns on his hand gradually fade away, returning to San's fingertips along the contours of your arm. The pain gradually leaves your body, and the furrowed brow that was caused by the pain unfolds.

"Mmm, turning white~ Look at this~" He presents his fingertip and licks it, like a child eagerly awaiting your response. You look at your healed right hand in disbelief. Did he heal you? Why? Aren't demons and angels sworn enemies?

"You save me…?"

"What? Aren't you going to say thank you?" He pretends to be angry, pouting his lips slightly, and his eyebrows furrow slightly. This cute expression leaves you with no choice but to smile wryly.

"Oh~ So you can smile?" His eyes twinkle mischievously, once again teasing you. You quickly suppress your smile, crossing your legs and folding your arms, trying to keep your distance from him.

"Why did you save me? Shouldn't you kill me for revenge?" He looks up, pursing his lips and pondering for a moment, then meets your gaze again.

"Because it is fun~"

"What?" His nonchalant response leaves you speechless. What could be so fun about this?

"Mmm~ Didn't you say you wanted to kill me? How could you die before me?"

"Do you really not want to live longer?"

"No. I just want you to kill me, only you." He emphasizes the last two words with a serious tone, and his eyes, which were originally filled with smiles, suddenly become serious. He once again leans closer to your face, his voice sounding like a Siren in your ears. "You are the special one, my pretty."

"You…!" You struggle to push him away, but the moment your hand touches him, he once again turns into smoke and disappears, then reappears in front of you.

"Try harder next time, angel."

"Hey!… My name is not angel. I am Y/N." You don't know why you told him your name, and you don't know why you didn't attack him. A series of abnormal behavior surprises San. His lips twitch slightly, as if he can't help but reveal a smile, but he forcefully suppresses it.

"See you next time, Y/N."

Little do you know, the gears of fate between you and him had already quietly started turning from the moment you first met.

"Forgive me for being ignorant, why did you want to save her? Didn't you send the venom demon to attack the angel just to kill her?" His subordinate asked again in confusion. A terrifying smile appeared on San's face, he played with the gem containing the soul of the venom demon in his hand, slowly turned around, and met his subordinate's eyes.

"Who asked him to challenge my position?" He smashed the gem in his hand with one hand. The intact stone suddenly turned into millions of fragments. The soul inside floated away like smoke segments, and was finally absorbed by San.

"She's very useful, and…" He walked over to the crystal ball that glowed with purple light, reflecting your appearance on it.

"My nature told me…I want her."

[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Chapter Ten

For those who don't know, I am reading TGCF for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag Bloopitynoot reads TGCF. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read BUT if you followed along with my SVSSS read, the rules and vibe are the same.

I truly wish I could say this was a different tea, but from now on unless I state otherwise it's probably masala chai.

Body update: I feel less like trash than yesterday, but my right arm did take a hit LOL. Thankfully my hip is doing a lot better too so sitting is much better. (I'm not even a writer or specifically a writer on ao3, yet, it feels like I have the ao3 curse).

Nevertheless- onwards to chapter ten!

Immediately Xie Lian is here using his body to protect San Lang! You tell Fu Yao! p329

I should have waited one more sentence LOL. "Because...if I stand next to him, the snakes wont come". p329

omg. There is a 6th person in the pit and I am still not sold that that kid (a-zhao) is actually dead. I'm still thinking about the garden face man and what he was saying. p331

WTF- General Pei jr?? p333

okay! But now I need to know General Pei jr.'s motivation for destroying a whole city! p335

ofc Xie Lian knew General Pei jr from when he was General Hua. Who does this man not accidentally know? p336

Jeeze. Banyue's people were going to strap bombs to themselves if they lost. This is wild. Based on the history between the two warring countries I really don't think there was hope for a peaceful end. pp337-338

Oh yay! we finally get to meet the two cultivators from the street! Also that art is absolutely stunning, I love them both so much. I do hope we meet them again. pp341-343

Oh no! The entire time they have been running from her (The Wind Master) thinking she was evil as shit but she was actually trying to help them. p343

Dang this makes sense. General Pei jr couldn't just murder people directly because of his position. So, instead he lured them to their deaths (snake deaths, pit deaths, but definitely not him killing them technically!). This is some dictatorship misuse of power shit with full technical deniability for this guy. Gross. p345

Xie Lian had me suspicious about the wind master too, but thank fuck Banyue was let go for her good deeds. p347

Bro just wants to do the right and good things but heavenly politics are too much. He is definitely going to offend everyone at some point. p350

Whos cutting onions?? My heart at this small child who decided they would be building Xie Lian a large temple when they got home :'3 I'm totally normal about this. p352

The speed in which Nan Feng fled when Xie Lian offered to make food LOOOL Nan Feng: oh no, so sorry, my basement is on fire, and flooded, definitely need to leave right at this moment. Terribly tragic. p353

eeeeeeeeeeeeeep! "I still prefer the name 'San Lang'" p354

ONE CHAPTER LEFT!

Now the question is, how will mxtx ruin my life in the last chapter of this book?

I do own book 2, BUT I think tomorrow I will order the third in celebration of finishing book 1. I might do this the last chapter of each book to prep for more reads.

[kimberlyannharts]

At this point Power Rangers has done a few crossover comics, and they've all been some pretty logical and big name choices - the Justice League, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Godzilla. So today's crossover comic is one that definitely took people by surprise - Usagi Yojimbo, the long-running story of a wandering rōnin having adventures in feudal Japan (who also happens to be a bunny rabbit), written and illustrated by Stan Sakai since 1984. While an icon in his own right - funnily enough, he's a regular guest in TMNT properties - I don't think ANYONE really had HIM in mind as a contender for a crossover with Power Rangers compared to more conventional properties like Transformers or even My Little Pony.

After all, what do they know about samurai in Power Rangers?

It's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo!

= So I know I've gone on and on about Shawn Daley's art but I really just need you to look at them again. It just makes me so happy to see a more stylized take on the MMPRs - basically if you took Daniele di Nicuolo's art and ramped up the anime influence by 100. It gives the book that much extra charm

= who the hell is THIS I'm here for the FURRIES not another random boring human!!!!!! it's like I'm playing Animal Crossing

= Jason's attitude in this book annoys me but at the same time it wouldn't be a Ryan book if he wasn't writing Jason in a way that annoys me.

= (also, they knew about the Morphin Masters this early in their Ranger career? I guess Zordon did mention them in an early episode, but.........what have they done that's similar to this that Jason would know about kjkjdkf

= I still think it's very weird that they didn't give the whole "maybe it would be easier if I was fighting alone" to uh.....you know.....Tommy, the loner? Who's so used to fighting alone that he struggled to adjust to a team? But I guess he has a girlfriend and Jason doesn't so.

= Is this a safe space. because the rabbit is pretty hot.

= HAHAHAAAA TOKEN EVIL HUMAN I KNEW IT

= YFIP: THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS - assisting the villain, thievery of a powerful artifact, assault against civilians, racism against furries

= Like I've said before Jason's characterization here irritates me a bit but I'll give the book props that someone's actually allowed to call him out on it for once. Like man I wish Tommy in the main series was allowed to tell Jason to shut up once in a while like Usagi does here

= Kim: Tommy, it's 4 pm! Time to go help our friends!

Tommy: yes honey

= Wow, look at these guys! They're like......Shogun Rangers! ............wait a minute

= But seriously, though, I gotta say these are one of the best alternate MMPR designs we've gotten in ages - I LOVE how they apply all of MMPR's little details into each individual user. And the altered weapons are awesome, too. Between these and the Kaiju Rangers we've really been cooking with the alternate forms lately

= And as I said, they did manage to resist the urge to give Usagi a Ranger form. I did like my old "maybe he'll find a Samuraizer" idea, though

= They both nearly died via crystal explosion a few hours ago but all they care about is their cool new outfits, just otp things <3

= I was about to say "well yeah, duh, that's why the Dragonzord doesn't have wings" but then I remembered. oh yeah. technically the Zords aren't Japanese in origin in-universe, are they

= It's nice to see Dragonzord Battle Mode! That was a form that didn't get a lot of spotlight in the comics - I think the only time we really saw it in the main series was Shattered Grid, and not for very long before it got destroyed by Serpentera

= Kim and Usagi only get one real onscreen exchange but she also catches him in the Pterodactyl and they have matching bangs. I'll take this as a win, though Splinter is still her #1 rodent dad

= they are so fucking sad

= I think future books should bring Usagi back or just crossover with him again with no explanation. Make people think he's a PR character just like how people assume he's a TMNT character

[soupbitch-moneybitch]

comprehensive list of how ofmd characters would fare if tasked with destroying the ring of power in the fires of mount doom

would be immediately corrupted by the ring:

badminton twins

prince ricky

would use the ring for evil and/or chaos for fun:

calico jack (and it would get Weird(tm) )

spanish jackie (jackie loves her some eternal power over all living creatures in middle earth)

roach (love the guy, but the chaos would be too enticing)

ned lowe (duh)

anne bonnie and mary read (sometimes you gotta spice things up. god forbid women do anything amirite)

evelyn higgs (god forbid women do anything x2)

pre-stede, peak blackbeard era ed (his heart wouldn't really be into it, but it would be expected of him, and he'd do it for the image more than anything else)

would make an attempt to get to mordor but wouldn't make it:

pirate queen zheng (has too much power already, she'd pull a boromir, or more likely, pull an aragorn and accept that she can't be the one to take it, and instead would take down saruman and lead the battle outside the black gate)

ivan (has good intentions, but is too much of a traditional pirate and would inevitably get corrupted)

the swede (he would give it the ol' college try, but would get lost, and fall into the dead marshes, or get stepped on by a tree ent or something)

ed and stede (they would try, but would 10000% lose the plot, probably as early as rivendell when they start dicking around dressing up as elves and pretending to be elven royalty, and then, through a series of wacky misadventures, would somehow end up opening an inn in the shire and being completely unaware of the fact that all the hobbits really don't love having men living among them, but they sell cheap drinks and good food, and that's all hobbits really care about so they let them stay)

wouldn't go to mordor in the first place:

lucius (um, that sounds like a LOT of walking, and he has much better things to do)

pete (would volunteer, but it would be unanimously decided that "maybe you should sit this one out, bud")

wee john (the ring is too basic and tacky and wouldn't go with his Look(tm), and also he'd prefer to stick to what he's good at: napping, sewing, and arson)

archie (would be prepared to go, but the second she gets her hands on it, she would start using it as a party trick like, "lol, look guys, i'm invisible!" and then would inevitably get murdered by ring wraiths)

could go to mordor and destroy the ring, but wouldn't:

auntie (she could definitely destroy the ring, but she's too busy making sure the red flag stays afloat, and keeping the pirate navy in check--she doesn't have time for petty concerns like "the fight between good and evil")

buttons (mad galadriel energy--would be able to refuse the ring, and this would then elevate him to the next phase of his transformation into an all-knowing, all-powerful being, who is also probably a bird)

would make it to mordor but wouldn't destroy the ring:

frenchie (he gets to the fires of mount doom only to realize he dropped the ring somewhere along the way and has no idea where it is)

mary (could make it to mordor, but the feeling of power for the first time in her life after years of being subservient in a shitty society would make the allure too strong in the end)

jim (would probably become corrupted if they were the one carrying it, but could 10000% act as a cutthroat body guard throughout the trek)

would make it mordor and would be able to destroy the ring:

oluwande (the purest of heart, perfect cinnamon roll, too pure, doesn't know how to pronounce "china"--he would never become corrupted)

doug (he would be the sam to mary's frodo, but in a very casual chill way, like "oh, you're being corrupted? no worries, babe, i got it")

is gollum:

izzy hands

my assessment is perfect and correct, but feel free to add your thoughts if you think i'm wrong (but i'm not)

[ballinandcantgetup452]

Terry McGinnis is the only person who can be the next Batman

I don't normally make hard statements like this. I typically hate it when somebody makes hard statements like this, but hear me out.

No prior Batfamily character can be the next Batman. I'll keep it brief and explain why going person by person (obvious headcanon warning)

Dick is definitely a likelier candidate than most. He can cover for Batman if the need ever arises. But I believe that Dick Grayson hates the idea of actually becoming Batman. He can play the role. He was a circus kid and he's got the heart of a theatre kid, he can play the role all day long. But he was the first. He arguably saw Batman at his natural worst. He and Alfred, anyways. I'm going to drop some OP lore to further elaborate. My dad's a pastor. He's a really good pastor. He's a good man, and he may be an ass, but that's because I know him as "dad". For YEARS, people would tell me that I was just like him, and for a long time, I wanted to be him. It's what boys do when their dad is at the very least decent. But, as I got older, I saw the tapestry and saw the flaws. I saw how tired being a pastor made my dad. I saw how much of his life being a pastor was taking up. I would never tell my dad to stop being a pastor, because that's him. That's his calling; and if he was anything else, then he'd be a soulless, husk of a man. But I've seen what being a pastor does to you, and I don't want that. I want to be better than that. Dick Grayson has seen what The Batman does to a person. He's seen Bruce do things that Dick would never do, and the idea of being the next Batman is something that got soured to him. And it definitely doesn't help that that's what a lot of people used to do to him. So yeah, traumadumping aside, Dick would never STAY Batman. Even if he doesn't know it.

I honestly think it's best if Jason stays as far away from the idea of The Batman legacy as possible. Jason's at the best possible spot right now. He's taken his trauma and has turned it into his empowerment. I don't care what Three Jokers says, that's dumb. Joker's an ass, we don't listen to him. ESPECIALLY if he's swapped out his gun for a crowbar and has a no-kill rule, Jason could be Red Hood until he's 90 and it'll be narratively fulfilling.

Tim is one I see get thrown around a lot. However, I believe that The Batman would absolutely DESTROY him and he would be too stubborn to acknowledge it. One common denominator I believe every Robin goes through is the realization of "oh wow, Bruce is not okay" and trying to be better than that. While I do believe that Tim went through that, I also believe that Tim is arrogant enough to believe that he's better than that. Even putting all of the "alternate Tim evil gun toting Batman" futures aside, I think that Tim is obsessive enough as is. Giving him the mantle of The Batman would cause him to obsess even more to be like Bruce thus causing ANOTHER evil gun toting alternate future Batman. Tim is best as Red Robin. An independent agent that can go well with ANY Batman to keep them on the straight and narrow.

Babs is best as Oracle. No I will not be elaborating. If you want her to be Batgirl, then say that she can Batgirl every once and a while but doing it stresses out the microchip in her back.

Steph is best as Spoiler. She backdoored her way into the Batfamily by being competent enough as Spoiler. I honestly wish that she could be like Batwoman and establish herself as Batfamily adjacent and have her own supporting cast and such. If she does have one, then I'm sorry. Cassie is kind of a blind spot.

Sadly, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas, and Harper Row are even bigger blindspots of mine. From what I've seen of them, I can't think of any reasons they couldn't be Batman. However, I can't think of any reasons why they especially should be Batman.

Damian Wayne is my personal vote for becoming the next Batman out of everybody pre established. Not for any birthright reasons. That's dumb. Admittedly, DCeased really turned me on to the idea. I think that the idea of Damian being the child raised by Bruce that turned out the best is a really good idea. In retrospect, I guess the idea of birthright is technically why I'm choosing Damian. BUT, understand I'm doing it with the caveat that Damian is fully developed as a person and as a character. That is the END of his arc.

HOWEVER, Terry McGinnis takes the cake for me in terms of Batman successor. This is going off of the idea that he isn't a Bruce clone. I don't know how canon we've made that, but canon is relative, so I'm saying it's not for the sake of argument. Terry is an outsider. He has no baggage with the idea of The Batman. He's just a guy working through some grief with The Batman being used as a vehicle. He doesn't know any of the Bruceisms. He never had to explain to his friends that his dad is crazy and he's sorry he made contingency plans for all of them. Terry McGinnis gets to make Batman his own. And, luckily, he gets to have a fully realized Bruce to guide him along the way. I also think that it opens so much more story potential. It's essentially a soft reboot for The Batman as an idea. Everybody else can be out doing their own thing. But I think this works in the same way that Miguel O'Hara can ALSO be Spider-Man. I believe that every intimate Batfamily member would follow Bruce's footsteps by making Batman an UNHEALTHY obsession. Terry would be different, he'd lead the pack by turning The Batman into something HEALTHY.

Or maybe I don't read enough comics and all my interpretations are super surface level. Let me know. I'm willing to be wrong.

[inspirationalucky]

Disney Princess Villain Songs

[ PART 2 / 2 ] a collection of sentence prompts / rp memes inspired by lydia the bard's disney princess villain songs. please don't add more prompts/memes to this list, definitely change pronouns, names, etc. as necessary for the situation! part one.

We Don't Talk About Bruno (Mirabel's Villain Song)

"You made him walk away."

"I've heard another take."

"From [ Bruno ], then you turn on me!"

"You whisper as if I don't see the fear and dread of what I'll be."

"Maybe you're too scared to make a sound at all?"

"She's a curse!"

"Well, I'm done playing nice."

"I see all the thorns that you hide"

"You might think no one knows, but I see right through your disguise"

"I'm done with this pretending."

"I'm finally free from chasing your love"

"Time to bring this family down"

"Yeah, I'm the villain in your fairytale now"

"There's just you to blame."

"How's it feel to stain your family name?"

"I'll reclaim all that I've lost"

"It's your end of the days"

For the First Time in Forever (Anna's Villain Song)

"Surely, you didn't think I bought your whole act?"

"I should be thanking you, really. You were the last push I needed."

"This really isn't anything personal."

"I just can't have you getting in my way"

"The story's gonna change and go my way"

"For the first time in forever I'm getting what I really want"

"I'm stronger now than ever, and it's time I take my place"

"Did you think I'd just keep taking it?"

"Well, now you'll learn just who you're messing with"

"Which begs the question: do I let you live?"

"Oh, don't look so surprised."

"Surely you can't have seen this going any other way?"

"I'm not looking for your love"

"I don't care for your approval"

"None of this had to happen. We could have been sisters."

"But I've run out of chances, and you've run out of time"

"I tried getting you to talk to me"

"I reached out when you were hurting, you froze me out completely"

"I just wanted a friend"

"There's one thing that always held me back, and that one thing was you"

So This Is Love? (Cinderella's Villain Song)

I thought it was finally my time!"

"I shouldn't be surprised, really."

"You know he didn't even ask me my name that night?"

"Watch them as they all fall in line"

"If this is love, then I'll decline"

"Must hurt to sit there lost and confined"

"I will not be made a fool of!"

"You'll regret the day you said 'love'."

"Now you'll learn just who the prey is."

"This thing you call love? Yes, I'm kinda done with it!"

What Else Can I Do? (Isabela's Villain Song)

"Stand up straight, stick it through"

"How could you when I was just a child?"

"Support the family, don't stray"

"You suffocate the ones you love"

"That's not just something you forget."

"I'm done with your games."

"My life is mine to do with as I choose"

"I owe nothing to you"

"The only one to blame is you."

"What could you possibly expect was gonna happen when you made me?"

"You're weak, and you're helpless to stop me from destroying you"

I Won't Say I'm In Love (Meg's Villain Song)

"Who is this upstart speaking into [ Hades' ] mic?"

"I'll make this short: [ Hades ] is gone, I killed him, blah, bla-blah, bla-blah..."

"But hey! You have me now. And man, do I have some fun things planned."

"Your leader's gone. He got tired of the view."

"Just say in line and we'll get on just fine. Scout's honor!"

"Well, either way, I'll end up with my crown."

"It's okay, I'm not a villain"

"You'll be okay, baby, when this world is mine"

"He'll curse the day that he walked out on me."

"In time, they'll say I was cruel because I cared."

Mother Knows Best (Rapunzel's Villain Song)

"Who'd want someone like that?"

"Should've listened to your mother."

"One way or another things always go wrong, I swear!"

"I believe he never really loved me."

"I'll do whatever she suggests."

"People are evil. They take advantage of your weaknesses."

"The world is dark, and selfish, and cruel."

"And trust me when I say that he will regret the day he ever crossed me."

[thewertsearch]

More confirmation that Vriska really did die - probably to Aradia - and is currently inhabiting her Dream Self. She's lucky she wasn't on Prospit when the Demon showed up, or she would have died for good.

ARADIA: its really weird that y0u keep antag0nizing me ARADIA: i c0uld snap y0ur neck with a twitch VRISKA: Yeah 8ut you won't!

You probably think that predestination will protect you, since Aradia won't violate it - but should you really trust your safety to the whims of the Alpha timeline?

I mean, it's already sanctioned the loss of your arm, your eye, and one of your lives. I don't think it likes you very much.

VRISKA: You saw the demon up close, right? You fought him! Or at least your doppelgangers did. [...] VRISKA: What was he like! [...] VRISKA: Primarily I'm interested in your take on his weaknesses, tactical disadvantages, stuff like that. [...] ARADIA: are y0u seri0usly intending t0 fight him

Throwing hands with a First Guardian is suicide.

They're not just powerful, they're also blindingly fast, and if the Demon fought intelligently, it could teleport Vriska into a black hole before she could blink. She simply has no answer for a technique like that - not unless she's been holding back this whole time, and that definitely isn't Vriska's style.

Vriska could always cheat, though.

She may be overconfident, but she's not stupid. I have no doubt that she's fully aware that in a traditional battle, she's screwed - so if she's actually serious about killing the Demon, she must have something up her sleeve.

For example, she could:

Cause him to use up his energy reserves, which might not actually be infinite.

Send him aeons back in time. We know they can live for billions of years, but how about quadrillions?

Trick or manipulate him into destroying himself.

Separate him from his First Guardian powers. Perhaps the MEOW code can be erased from his genes?

A superintelligent First Guardian like Doc Scratch would see through most of these plans - but a superintelligent First Guardian would have already located the trolls. The Demon is apparently on a rampage, and his attacks don't seem to be all that calculated - so I suspect he's a creature of instinct, like Bec.

It's also possible that the Demon isn't actually a First Guardian, and is just using their powers somehow. This could be a good thing, since he might be less dangerous than the entities he's mimicking.

But it might also mean he's Lord English, and I have a horrible feeling that English is significantly more powerful than a First Guardian.

Either way - good luck, Vriska. Make sure your corpse falls somewhere Kernelsprite-accessible.

She might only play Chaotic Evil, but I do appreciate that Vriska's willing to roleplay with Nepeta.

NEPETA: :33 < i changed my mind, why dont we just not do any roleplaying instead VRISKA: ::::(

Half of Vriska thinks she's better than everyone else, and the other half just wants to be included.

VRISKA: [...] I demand that you spend the next several hours mastering stairs. [...] VRISKA: [...] Now hop to it, and don't think twice a8out it, or I'll know. We don't want to have to do it the hard way now, do we?

Kanaya is ten feet away, and she's pissed off enough as it is.

Vriska had better be careful, or she'll be buried under a Load Gaper Pile to match the Horn Pile across the hall.

I love that Vriska's quarters are just, inexplicably full of spider webs.

Like, where did she get them? Did she alchemize them for the aesthetic?

Who knew that something so terrible was stalking the depths of this laboratory?

This poor chess mutant didn't, that's for sure.

Wait.

Literally?

God damn. Well, she clearly wasn't kidding about having all the luck.

Vriska, the Thief of Light, steals favorable outcomes from her opponents, leaving unfavorable outcomes in their wake. Light represents luck - or, perhaps, good fortune.

I'm not sure how well that gels with Rose, though, since Jaspers didn't allude to luck when he was explaining her Quest. I'll have to go back over his speech.

...wait. I just realized something.

This really was an impossibly lucky roll! I was suspicious of it at the time, but so much else was going on that I forgot about it.

The probability of this outcome was less than 0.00001%, and Vriska still forced it into being. The ramifications of her being able to do this are staggering. Vriska can make miracles happen, and she's now the most cracked character in the entire comic.

She might actually have a shot at the Demon. This changes everything.

[sammywolfgirl]

(I just copied and pasted this from the comments)

I don't know enough to ask a proper question, but I'm kinda curious abt the entirety of Melody Extract's feelings towards sm?(and maybe the others) if she has conflicting thoughts in regards of her current goals, or if its only resentment(sorry if this is worded weirdly and/or this question has technically already been answered!)

(Thank!)

Haha what does melody extract feel towards shadow milk. (And the rest of thr beasts)

Short answer- it’s complicated. She has a love hate relationship with shadow milk and a civil if tense relationship with everyone else (I haven’t thought too hard on specifics yet)

Long answer-

A mix of horror, sadness, resentment. Melody extract in her perspective last remembers being killed by her beloved after watching all the beasts fall to corruption. Next thing she comes to it’s literal centuries later, she doesn’t even recognize the beasts her friends became, she’s in a body she doesn’t recognize, and her beloved is calling her not his muse and adamant that she’s not like he remembers her. But she hadnt changed at all.

And well, that’s not going to sit well with her, and this isn’t even factoring in if being the beast of vengeance is going to start affecting her temperament. She doesn’t know (I’m unsure either current idea is if left alone too long probably, but it wouldn’t happen in like months it’d take years, decades even)

It’s painful to try and search for shards of the people you once knew and loved. It’s even more painful to see those remnants be distorted like a funhouse mirror.

And that’s just shadow milk, the rest of her friends have changed too much as well, but they’re at least still civil. Though they all say that she’s different, or if she isn’t she will be. Mystic flour definitely went on about the inevitability of corruption and bla bla bla. (Extract wonders when she became so much of a downer.)

But to say there isn’t resentment would be wrong. She just has.. a different perspective.

She’s a mortal turned immortal, the beasts have always been immortal, even before they fell. They just don’t have the perspective of a mortal cookie, and she kinda thinks their current mindsets and the reasons they fell are connected to this truth.

Which ties into her current goals very nicely :3

Her current plan (as of writing this)? Make the beasts mortal to “save” them. To try and save her friends. After all shadow milk keeps saying vanilla extract was a symbol of the beasts last hopes being shattered, perhaps melody extract will be a new kind of hope, a violent hope of change. The tower arcana, destroying everything they once new to force drastic change.

But hey that’s just her thoughts she’s a theatre nerd she’s going to be dramatic about it lol.

So yeah hee current plan is she’s going to play uo the part of a new evil beast, get minions, get a domain, work with Dark Enchantress for now, but she has her own agenda she’s keeping close to her chest. Dark enchantress wants all the beasts soul jam? Well that sounds like the perfect opportunity if she wants to get her hands on them to smash them.

To say she doesn’t genuinely resent the beasts is a lie, but to say it’s not there is also a lie. She’s doing this to save her friends.

But if all else fails and this plan doesn’t work she’s just going to crumble all of them and save the cookie world the trouble of the beast’s rise to power. She only saw the start of thr devastation but a little research and context clues can tell her how much worse it got before they were sealed. Her plan B is just to destroy all of them. She’s the beast of vengeance, if anyone should be capable of that it’s her right? After all, if any cookie wants vengeance against the beasts the most it’s their oldest friend who they destroyed and left behind.

Or something.

Anyways more specific thoughts on melody extracts thoughts on the beasts!

Shadow milk- the love of her life and soooooo fucking annoying. If shadow milk didn’t constantly compare her do some idealized version of herself he built up in his mind they could probably get along again like they used to, it wouldn’t be the same but it’d be an echo of what once was. But for now it’s got major bitter nasty divorce energy lol. She loves him but also she wants to smash his head in with hammers, that make sense?

Mystic Flour- honestly she’s a little disappointed to see her so apathetic. Sure she was always quiet but this is just sad. They’re civil though, and when she isn’t being incredibly doomer or telling her that the past doesn’t matter so forget it they could probably play like Mojong or something. Compared to how bad a relationship could be she’ll take civil apathy.

Burning spice- it’s…. Not bad but it’s strange. He most outwardly encourages her to embrace her beast nature and start destroying shit. Probably because this is something new and could be entertaining. And hey if burning spice constantly asks to spar and train together then she gets better at her new Abilities so that does help her work towards her own goals. Tense but not bad, and his followers value strength, which is something she has to build.

Eternal sugar- okay so this is only a pure vibe read and is likely to change once this cookie releases, but I think they’d either get along pretty well and talk gossip or would be the second worst relationship she has with her old friends. Idk I don’t have much here

Silent salt- this is also a pure vibe read but listen listen listen. I think silent salt is the only motherfucker here who realized melody extract is up to something beyond just beast related antics. I think they know the beast of vengeance has the biggest grudge against the other beasts and is biding her time. But they don’t say shit because why should they? It’s inevitable, to speak out against it won’t stop it from happening. If anything it’d make her more angry. So they’ll be civil and watch as the noose tightens around their necks, they won’t go down without a fight but they won’t act to stop this disaster in the making. They spar probably, one of the more civil dynamics. They can have tea and politely not discuss the past or present. Tea with silent salt feels the most like the good old days…

Bonus points: thoughts on her ancient counterpart Marshmallow fluff Cookie

So marshmallow fluff has the light of absolution. I’m still working on how she gets that but melody extract learns of the ancients ascending after battling their beast and is like “okay, I’ll have to do that for her too” because the stronger the enemy is the day shit goes down the less work she has to do. So yeah she plans to throw fluff in the torment nexus, either she overcomes and becomes stronger or melody gets a complete soul jam and gets stronger anyways.

The idea is melody extract makes plans where she will win regardless of the outcome. She’s Shadow Milk’s muse, she knew him in the midst of his fall. She’d know how to keep pace with a lier like him, she’s probably one of the few if only cookies in the world that could outplay the font of knowledge, who can trick the master of deceit.

Amd if she breaks a few eggs in this little dance of theirs then we’ll… she’s a beast now after all. That’s expected of her now isn’t it?

She hates dark enchantress though, her plan might be to ‘save’ her friends but it’ll also screw her over so haha loosed this is why you shouldn’t have revived her.

So uhhhhh yeah

Oh honorable mention to an idea I’m simmering on. I think when she first emerges she seeks out pure vanilla to give him not only what her ultimate plan is, but her and her friends old names. Someone should remember them after all, and she isn’t sure if she will forget them too. Who better than the light of truth to hold onto these past stories? It was her last request as the cookie known as Vanilla Extract.