#that and we've just never been able to make time for them to teach me

[stairset]

Went to a pride event earlier and I might just be delusional but I’m like mostly sure a dude was checking me out at one point. Didn’t go anywhere cause I didn’t see him again the rest of the day. But that’s like the first time that’s ever happened ever so I feel pretty good.

[bokettochild]

Just saw the update!

So, first thoughts!

Gremlin Legend and Sky is something I am LIVING for. Sky's little look of approval as he stands between Wars and Legend after that little move is sending me!

(Wild is not impressed)

I also really love that JoJo played with Warriors' cape/scarf being capable of doing that, which is a major risk btw, but I love that we see it's potential now!

Like, Legend's timing is perfect (and I love that this confirms the Legend v. Wars dynamic we all love) especially considering Hyrule was literally talking about the same thing and you'd THINK Captain-War-Hero over here would be more cautious because of it (although the fact this implies Legend doesn't trigger Warriors danger sense is GREAT for the fluff fic writers like me!)

Time and Wars looking like disappointed parents though is brilliant

(Warriors with messy hair is so funny to me, help)

The continued portrayal of Time being too harsh with the boys, all tense after what happened to Twilight, that's great. i'm glad the consequences of past events are following them, it really makes this all feel linear!

I also am ALL HERE for the boys finding their differences! Warriors and Wild both admitting to being new to dungeon crawling and the monsters involved is a great thing we've all been playing with in fics, but making it cannon feels like validation :)

Also, Warriors being defensive of that, and maybe a bit prickly about their judgement, I think it shows a lot of him. he's got his pride,a although he's learned to tame it. He's feeling a bit miffed to realize how different he is, but doesn't want them seeing him as lesser as well (although they never would). I can also hear him using a clipped military sort of tone when speaking here. It's just the way his words are selected and strung together that makes it seem he's being very to the point, direct, and cold in his tone, which really sells the whole difference between a soldier and the "average nobody" that the rest of them were (ironic, since he's trying to act like the difference isn't a big deal but only further accentuates it this way).

Twilight being pleased that Epona is fine and just enjoying a meal made me grin so big though. He's all worried for his girl but she is, quite literally, happy as a horse over there LOL

Also, this bit:

recognition for Sky's right-handedness, my beloved! (JoJo is giving us all the easter eggs!)

The fact that the passage is too small to let them all fight though is a brilliant way of preventing some of our heavy hitters and more skilled heroes from being able to do anything though!

I like how that gives us the chance to see Time one-shot the foe and also gives him the impression that the rest are maybe not skilled enough to do this alone. WE all know they are, but they're a handicap to each other right now, and it's only further cementing in his mind that they're not ready for all this, which will make his overbearing speech and the judgement he casts on them in combat all the more an issue.

I mean, we all know the hero's shade was like that, but JoJo has shown Time acting this way from the start

(Deep Shadows P.2)

(Likelike)

So I guess we're in for more of that now, and most likely someone (probably Legend, as it's usually him, or Wind, who is very aware of judgement from teh rest) is definitely going to have to call him on it soon, maybe in the dungeon. Will that lead to some bonding with Time where he has to admit he cares and worries about them as though they're his own? I hope so!

Anyways, all this to say, we really are seeing how much they struggle to work together, so hopefully this dungoen will teach them all how to do that better, as Time mentioned earlier

(Dawn p.8)

Now, to finish it off!I would like to thank JoJo for giving us so many beautiful shots of Twi this time around. I'll admit it now, he's pretty darn fine <3

That said, I'm loving the Legend content too! i hope we get to see some more starring moments from him going forwards, what with him being the dungeon veteran and all! It's great seeing his childish/playful side these last few updates, but I'm really craving some veteran Legend right now >:)

[jess-the-vampire]

Professor Caduceia and Snakely

Checked out the storyboard for the deleted s1 episode "Homesick"

You can read it here : https://t.co/WpZJFWbR48

I just loved these cut villains, one whose design def seemed like it was given to raine when they got cut. (I wonder if the color palette was similar, but we don't have a reference to that so idk)

Thoughts on the cut episode below:

An episode where king and owlbert of all characters bond is kinda neat, especially since it provides owlbert himself a bit more character here.

The opening is def far different from any of the final ones we ever see in the series, in fact it feels like it should be taking place during the episode but it can't be given we see hooty from being sick to not being sick in pretty chronological order?

A focus on the healing coven was nice to see, especially since we never got that in the show itself, and get some idea of their powerset and what they do magic wise.

So Manny was an ambulance driver, and Camila was a nurse in this. People originally assumed camila was a nurse when the show started, and it makes me wonder if that was changed between seasons at some point cause clearly the crew decided to change her profession and it's unclear why.

you can use your palisman as a communicator? and an umbrella? I do think it's so weird that even at the very end of the show, they establish brand new rules for palisman. Like them being able to shapeshift into objects is straight up not explained and just sorta....happens in the show, like i feel like hunter would have no issue hiding flap if this is a thing. (It also kinda makes stringbean's ability slightly less unique) Like this is displayed in these boards, but they kept it even in the show itself, and i think palisman might need a proper rulebook.

On that same note, owlbert uses magic in this board, like we kinda knew palisman could do some magic without a witch, but this is the only time we've seen one use it to fight another witch that wasn't the batqueen. Like owlbert tries to full on blast people in this. I don't know if removing this episode makes this ability less canon in the world itself since they still can do magic in the show, it's just worth noting that palisman, according to this board, CAN fight back, even if they're not incredibly strong it seems. Certainly the kinda thing that makes you think on other episodes tbh.

This episode also brings up the idea that eda actually CAN and DOES bring human food to the BI, which never happens in the show, in fact luz implies she gets to eat very little options there, so this idea seems no longer canon?

The demon hunters at one point don't even seem to recognize owlbert as a palisman, which does not entirely make sense given they seem to be mostly common to the townsfolk, so I'm kinda glad for that plot hole being gone.

Caduceia makes it out like the emperor's coven forced her to teach? and she thought handing over a house demon to belos would get her out of teaching as if it were some kinda punishment or job she was made to do? I have questions

side note, house demons are called rare in this, like they're not common, not sure if this still applies in the final show, but yeah.

there's some very sweet moments in this with luz and eda especially, but also some funny moments, and some jokes that land a little less....i don't think we needed Caduceia to be kissing her snake like that from that angle, even if it was meant to be a little uncomfortable.

one reason i think this episode did get cut? we got a glyph in this

a healing glyph, which has some ties to water based on it's symbol

i'm guessing since they kept the main glyphs element based, a healing glyph would of stuck out and been a bit weird. Like it just heals people, it doesn't produce water despite looking close to the alchemy symbol for water, and well....we already got ice so this would be redundent.

so yeah, this episode introduced a new glyph that saved them in the end so it would of come back in future episodes, but to keep it simple that would mean cutting the entire episode as a whole just to keep the four.

Since they enjoyed Caduceia's design so much, they must've repurposed it for raine somewhere down the line.

very fun insight into a scrapped episode.

[blueberri-blu]

Reckless ─⁠=⁠≡

[2012] Donnie x reader

Prompt 5: "How many fingers am I holding up?...I don't have six fingers"

─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=⁠≡─⁠=

Ugh. Donnie couldn't stand you.

Sure, you were his s/o, but sometimes you just got on his nerves.

I mean, seriously, who even tried to do a backflip without previous experience or practice?

Ok, maybe you didn't do that

That was Mikey.

No, you had decided that you would mess around with one of Mikey's Nunchucks, of course.

Mikey was going to "teach" you how to use them

The same way he "taught" you how to skateboard

Donnie overheard the conversation between you and Mikey

"Woah! Mikey! That was awesome!" "I know right, my ninja skillz are like no other, bruh"

"why don't you show me how you use them?" "Well.. magicians don't share their secrets... But I'm not a magician! I'm a ninja! C'mon, let's go to the dojo, I've got some extra Nunchucks there!"

Donnie had never left his lab so fast-

But by the time he was out, you and Mikey had disappeared

You were going to be the death of him

Recently you had been getting more and more reckless

When he first met you, sure, you were stubborn and reckless, but recently, it's like you were trying to hurt yourself

Then he heard it

Thump

And you groaning

Oh no oh no oh no

When Donnie burst into the dojo, he saw Mikey crying, supposedly over your death

And you on the floor, rubbing your head, with your eyes barely open

"Mikey! Go get me some ice, quick!"

Donnie leaned down over you, and examined your injury

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"zix?" You said groggily

"...I don't have six fingers"

"oh... Oops..."

Donnie sighed, and brought you to his lab

"what were you thinking y/n?"

"I don't know, I just thought it'd be fun"

"and how did skateboarding with Mikey go?"

"ugghhh"

"yes. Exactly"

"but seriously, why are you being so much more reckless ?"

"I just... I'm scared."

"what?"

"Don, we've gone through more life threatening events than pretty much anyone! Heck, we could die tomorrow!"

Donnie's gaze softened as he saw you getting teary eyes

Of course you were... What all of you had gone through was much more than any typical person should ever have to go through

"I just... I guess I just want to make sure I'm making the most of it, y'know? I want to have fun, and take risks, before I won't be able to anymore"

Donnie understood this was a normal response to all of the trauma you had experienced

"I understand, but you still need to be more careful! I... I don't want these stupid stubs to be your last, ok?"

His eyes met yours once again,

Only this time, you smiled up at him, cupped his cheek

And closed the space

"thank you, Dr. Donnie " you smiled coyly

As you left his lab, Donnie was stuck in his chair, frozen yet blushing from neck to ears

"o-of of Course dear!"

[thollandneedy]

Bet- Peter Parker

A/n: I discovered i have a thing for men who plays pool...

Warnings: Mentions of sex, make-out, description of sexual thoughts, sexual tension and one swear word

Summary: A boring evening turns into a hot situation when Peter and Y/n decide to play pool together

Don’t forget to share, like, comment and leave your ideas here

Bellah’s Masterlist 🪻

Y/n L/N and Peter Parker could be considered inseparable, since they did everything together, whether it was going to school on the subway or even waiting for each other in the bathroom door so as not to miss anything when they were together. As fate would have it, the two of them had been accepted at the same college and attended it together, even though they had different degrees.

On a late Saturday night, a weekend when all the students were exhausted from the week of exams, Peter and Y/n needed a break.

The girl was in the passenger seat, while Peter drove around the university town just to pass the time. They were both enjoying the sound of Tame Impala playing on Peter's playlist, until Y/n hit the car stereo, announcing:

“I'm getting bored” Y/n complaints, turning down the sound.

Peter glances at her briefly, returning his gaze to the street wet from the afternoon's rain.

“What do you want to do?” He asks.

“We can do something that doesn't cost a lot of money. My salary isn't due until next week, and I've got flies coming out of my wallet.” Y/n says.

“If you didn't spend half your money on takeaways and Starbucks, you might be able to afford to go out at the end of the month.” Peter points out, causing the girl wearing a navy blue sweatshirt to grumble.

“I can't cook, Peter! And Starbucks is literally on campus, so it's almost a daily temptation not to stop by.”

“I told you, I'll teach you how to cook so you can spend less money.” The brunette in the light gray sweater says. “Can we go to a bar and drink beer and play pool, maybe?”

“I thought you didn't like beer.” Y/n tilts his head to the side, tucking his hair behind one of his ears.

“I don't.” Peter smiles, drawing a low laugh from the girl. “There's a bar near here, we can go there. You buy the tokens, and I'll get us something to drink or eat.”

“You don't have to pay for our outings, Pete.”

“One large fry and two juices won't affect my salary, babes.” Peter says, turning his eyes to the street as Y/n feels her heart pounding.

It wasn't long ago that Y/n and Peter had a strange sexual tension between them, sometimes making the air seem to get lost in their noses when they were too close. They had never kissed or touched in a sexual way, but there were a few looks they shared that could be considered pure sex. Neither of them had the courage to comment on it, but they both felt the same way. Perhaps it was the fear of losing a friend, or their own shame that stopped them, even though they were very intimate.

“Give me the smaller cue.” Y/n says, leaning his hip on the pool table and pointing to a wooden pedestal containing the cues used for the game.

“You'd better take the bigger one.” Peter comments, placing the chip in the hole in the table, releasing the colored balls that would be used.

“I feel like I'm not accurate with big cues.” Y/n comments, turning to the brunette who is arranging the balls on the green table, walking over to the wooden pedestal, picking up the smaller cue and handing it to the girl.

Peter takes the larger cue, positioning himself in the center of the table. The cue touches the floor, and Peter looks at Y/n, who was busy watching the movement of the university establishment.

“Do you want to go first?” Parker points with his head to the colored balls positioned and the white ball a few centimeters away so that he can hit them.

“You better. We've never played this together.” Y/n gives the pass to the brunette.

“I used to play with Ned sometimes.” Peter holds the base of the bat, switching positions with the girl and positioning the bat towards the cue ball.

“How good are you?” The girl leaned her weight on the bat in her hands.

Peter smiled sideways, his focus on the small ball in front of him, gripping the cue tightly as the muscles in his arm flexed. His chest was flat against the table, moving the thin end of the cue between his index and middle finger, almost pornographically hitting the cue ball hard while all the others positioned in a triangle shape scattered to all sides of the table. One of the balls landed squarely on one of the mouths of the table, making a loud noise.

Y/n watched him without being able to focus on which number he had hit to start the game, as his mind began to fantasize about a million situations that he had never thought of even in secret in his room. Perhaps it was because of the warm lighting in the room, the low music and the increase in libido from the stress of the week, which for some reason tended to increase when she was stressed about something, but that image made her lose herself.

As soon as Peter hit the ball he smiled to himself, saying:

“I think that might answer your question.”

Y/n shakes her head quickly, coming back to the reality of the game. Peter tilted his head to the side, lowering his gaze so that he could understand what his distraction was.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes, of course. Super.” The girl smiles.

“My number's even.” He announced, moving to the other side of the table so that he could once again look for the next ball he was going to hit.

One of her curls was delicately trailing down her forehead, while her innocent eyes had turned into heavy, dark ones.

Y/n bit his lower lip, lowering his eyes to his hands, which had their veins marked when they were exposed to the light. Maybe it was wrong to think that about her best friend, but she couldn't get her fantasies out of her head, as if looking at him was a horny magnet. Imagining that those same hands could be holding her neck while he looked at her to kiss her, or thinking about how those strong arms would hold her body while he was on top of her.

Once again the same sound of the ball falling into her mouth is heard by the girl.

“It's a good thing we didn't bet anything, because I'd lose.” Y/n comments as he celebrates the ball hit to him.

“And if we were betting on something, what would it be?” Peter looks at her.

“I-I… I don't know.” The girl feels that for a second her words are lost.

“Are you really all right?” Parker slowly walks towards her with a confused smile.

“Just… you play well.” Y/n says, smiling at the boy who returns the smile, then looks down.

Passing behind the girl, he puts one of his hands on the woman's waist, coming close to her ear and saying:

“Don't be intimidated, darling.” His fingers slide around her waist, letting her go.

Y/n nods, accepting the challenge that had been indirectly imposed by her best friend.

Peter stares at her as he walks towards another move, only to look away to focus on his move, which he misses. The brunette grunts, looking down and then returning to his normal posture.

“Your turn.” He says, gesturing with his arm, a free pass so that Y/n can take her place and finally start her game.

The girl walks over to him, standing next to his warm body as he waits for her to make her move. The girl copied his position, placing the end of the club between her index finger and thumb, throwing her hips backwards as her breasts came close to the table. Peter realizes that your arms are crooked, so he places the club on the table and stands behind you.

His hands are directed towards your arm, placing the palm of his hand on yours, saying:

“Align your arm with your body. It's too far to the side and that will cause the ball to deviate from where you want it to land.”

Y/n takes a deep breath

“You distracting me like that doesn't help me.” She says in an ironic tone, causing him to quickly remove his hands from her in a symbol of surrender.

“Play it then." He says, resting one side of his hip on the table, watching Y/n.

And just as the girl was thinking, Parker's mind didn't leave his thoughts. When he was at school, he didn't consider himself a daring boy to flirt with, but when he entered college, that changed completely, causing the girls on his course to seek him out at parties to exchange numbers. And even with this attention, he only wanted one person. His eyes quickly wandered to Y/n's breasts, which showed through the white tank top she was wearing under her sweatshirt. It was easy to imagine her breasts in his hands, being squeezed with his thumb touching their nipples in a sensual massage, while she moaned his name softly. Or how hot she would look if she were sitting on the table, allowing herself to be touched by Peter's desperate fingers.

Parker took a deep breath, denying his thoughts so that he wouldn't get an erection in the middle of the bar. Focusing on the people around him who were also playing, his mind was distracted until he heard the sound of the ball falling. Y/n celebrated with a satisfied smile, then looked at Peter, trying to show through her gaze that she knew what she was doing. The boy nodded, smiling without showing his teeth.

With every ball hit, the place seemed to get hotter

Every time the ball was hit wrong, the tension grew because of the time they spent together

Every pose was like an invitation to sex

Each smile of success, proof of the tension they shared

And every grunt of frustration, a reference to their pornographic thoughts

Their last ball was hovering over the table, and they didn't even know how they didn't collapse on top of each other intoxicated with desire. Peter's fingers were anxiously tapping against the table, while his best friend's lips were red from biting them to try and hold back any kind of comment.

“Last ball. Do you want to bet something?” Y/n caught the brunette's eye as he mentally planned his move.

“What did you have in mind?” Peter replied, glancing sideways at her.

They only knew what was going on by looking at each other

The same look they shared when they were alone and too close together

Y/n lowered her gaze to Peter's lips and then said:

“If you get it right, you owe me a kiss.” She plucks up the courage to say it.

Y/n feels that her legs could lose their strength in that place, but decides to use her bolder side, waiting for an answer from the brunette, who puts his bat away on the wooden pedestal, then returns to the table. The girl looks at him confused and frightened, thinking that it might not have been a good idea to flirt with him in those conditions, but is taken aback when he picks up the ball that was missing and throws it straight into the mouth of the table. Y/n nods her head and gives him a snort of laughter as he walks back to her once more.

“I think I've got it.” He says, pulling her by the crotch of her jeans, causing their already panting bodies to touch.

“You cheated.” She says, releasing the bat from his hands as he puts it on the table.

“Are you really going to complain?” Peter asks.

“No.” Y/n says, pulling hard on the back of his neck so that her lust-intoxicated lips can satisfy his.

Peter's lips meet hers, allowing no time for them to enjoy themselves, as the girl's tongue quickly finds his. Their heads move in sync, not even paying attention to the drunken veterans talking loudly, or those at the tables next to them. Peter feels that staying in his pants is becoming a difficult job, while Y/n realizes that her hands are tingling to get down his body. The brunette's strong hand squeezes her waist, causing her hot core to contract and a small moan to escape her lips. Peter turns her around, placing her back against the pool table as a support so that the kiss can go deeper. One of his hands found the back of her hair, pulling it slightly so that she could look at him.

Their bodies breathed in the same sync, and their hearts beat with the same intensity.

“Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you.” Peter says against the girl's ear.

Y/n squeezed Parker's exposed muscles, which felt like they were going to burst through his shirt.

“You. I want you.” Y/n asks, holding his head as he answers in her ear.

“Tell me exactly what you want, Y/n” Peter squeezed his waist, pulling him even closer to him, making it possible to feel how aroused he was in his dark wash jeans.

“Peter Parker, if you don't take me back to your dorm right now and fuck me with all the fucking strength you've got, I swear I'm going to finish this here on my own” Y/n loses control of his words, which have been taken over by his excitement.

Peter turns away abruptly, picks up his jacket from one of the chairs near the table, puts it in his hands and says:

“Let's get out of here then.”

[arminsumi]

Could you pls pls pls write a fluffy oneshot of gojo and his fav student? The colour hair dye and the ice cream oneshots have never left my mind 🤭😭

CALL ME SATORU

↳ GOJO さとる + fem!reader

An evening training session with Gojo and his favorite student, ending as a lavish dinner date.

1k

Note : aaa i hope u like this!! hehe so giddy to know my fics are in ur mind 🤭💗 thank u for enjoying them

Mentioned posts : hair dye fic / sweet tooth

Warnings : teacher/student relationship, romantic tension

Playme : heaven and back

🍒 More from Jay : Gojo works / Gojo fave works / JJK works / oct. reqs open

"Gojo-sensei, I'm tired. We've been practicing for two hours." he listened to you complain, and shook his head.

"Tired? Nah. On your feet, let's go through that motion again. C'mon, up up up — what, do I have to pick you up myself?"

His arms hooked around you and he pressed his chest flat to yours while hoisting you up. Few things get his heart racing, but teaching you martial arts? He may seem very composed, but his heart throbs each time he sees you acting clumsy and amateur.

You had such a long way to go, and he wanted to see these days through until you were just as good if not better than him. Even if it was impossible. He still wanted his favorite student to be considered the second-strongest, at least in hand-to-hand combat.

"Ow, my knee..." you mumbled half-heartedly.

"Don't be a weakling." he smiled cheekily, "Is my star student really too tired to continue? Is a bruised knee really gonna stop you?"

You pouted. "You're the one who bruised my knee..."

Look at that adorable pout. She's taking after me.

"Well, maybe you shoulda dodged it." he cheeked.

"Gojo-sensei, you push me too hard." you said.

"I know, I'm sorry." he smiled.

The two of you finally sat down for a break. Night had fallen, stars were up in the blackened sky. There must have been a cricket in the wood panel of the door Gojo leaned against, because he heard it very loudly in his ear. So he scooted away from the noise and moved closer to you, unaware of how the increased proximity made you buzz.

You and him shared a thoughtful silence. Then his voice penetrated deep and low, his tone serious.

"I push you so hard because I want you to become the strongest."

"Why?"

"Uh, haha... do you want me to answer that as Satoru or as your teacher?"

"...? Huh? Hm... um... I want both versions of your answer."

"Well... as your teacher... I want you to be able to fight for future generations and pass on your skills."

"And... as Satoru...?"

He hesitated, then slowly answered;

"So I don't have to be the strongest all by myself."

He looked at you with a sheepish smile.

"Selfish, huh?"

"It's okay to be selfish to an extent. I hardly ever see you doing anything for yourself."

The crickets continued making louder symphonies.

"Sato— ahm, Gojo-sensei. I will try my best to fill the role you want me to fill. I don't want you to feel alone."

"... I know it's an overwhelming role, I don't really have the right to push this on y—"

"—I will do it for you because I love you."

"What?"

"What?"

"Respect, I meant respect!" you backtracked.

"Hahaha, sure."

"..."

"... love you too." he winked.

"Shut up!"

"What, I can't tell my favorite student that I love her back?!" he teased.

"Th-that's inappropriate, haha."

"But you just told your teacher you love him. That was also inappropriate."

"I— yeah! Well!"

He stared at you for a long, long moment, absorbing the weight of your I love you that lingered in the air between you and him.

"Alright. Let's wrap up practice for the night."

"Really! God... I thought you were gonna make me do the whole thing again out of spite for saying something inappropriate."

He winked, "No, I'll reprimand you tomorrow for that. Come on. We're going out."

"We're going out...? Are you taking me out as your favorite student, or are you taking me out as me?"

He smirked. "Both... I think my favorite student deserves a good reward after practicing so hard today, but I also just... want to selfishly take you out on a date."

Gojo spoiled you on this night out. Really spoiled you. Bought you a dress, put on his best suit ditched his blindfold, took you to one of the most expensive restaurants that he knew of. Indulged in your company not as his student, but as someone he wanted to get to know... someone maybe he was interested in.

He leaned over the table to fluster you with teasingly close proximity, and straightened out his tie because he was sorely aware of how attractive his hands looked when he did that.

"Go on, don't be shy. Tell me about yourself."

"But you already know me."

"I don't know enough." he shook his head.

"Well... I'm lost... I don't know where to start." you chuckled, staring down at your cleared plate of dessert. It was rich and sweet, he said it was his favorite.

"Then I'll ask." he looked at you, and leaned over the table with one elbow, resting his chin on the back of his palm. "What's your love life looking like at the moment?"

You let out a laugh at this, which he half-expected.

"Well, I'm on a date with my teacher..." you said, jokingly.

He chuckled.

"Tell me." he then said seriously, "I want to know."

"Well... my love life is pretty... unsaturated...?"

"Unsaturated...?" he raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Dull. I mean it's dull. Any time I develop romantic feelings for someone... well they drain out just as quickly as they flood in." you admitted.

He looked at you contemplatively.

"Is that so..."

"Ahah, you seem surprised."

"I am. I thought you'd have a more glamorous love life, like me." he joked.

"Oh? I'm all ears, Gojo-sensei."

He looked at you deeply, "Call me Satoru." he murmured under his breath.

Your heart panged.

"... anyways, uh... haha. Yeah... my glamorous love life... I've been on two dates in my life including this one."

"Just two?!"

He nodded. "The first one doesn't really count, because I was fourteen and it was a boyish crush."

"... so... this one counts...?"

"Well, yes." he said, "Of course it does. This is not a boyish crush, after all..."

You and him stared at each other for a long, tender moment. Got lost in each other's worlds, which were contained in those irises. Suddenly understood each other's deep feelings, revealed by those dilated pupils.

Dilated...?

Yes his pupils always dilated for you, but you never noticed before with that strip of black having concealed his eyes.

"Gojo—?"

"—Just call me Satoru already." he overlapped his hand with yours, both resting midway on the table.

"Why?" you asked. "Why do you want me to call you that?"

He hesitated, wondering if you were asking that rhetorically. The restaurant was dim, the environment slow and luxurious, fancy, expensive... heavenly golden hue, casting over you and him.

"... because I want to hear you calling out my name."

© arminsumi

Do not plagiarize / repost / translate / copy layouts / etc.

Do not steal what I've worked hard to create.

[lostinforestbound]

Hi, like your writings a lot ❤️ may I ask for a request?

What about Rolan asking sorcerer/wizard Tav to be his teacher after Lorroakan death? Tav has never been bad for him, only saving his life and his siblings, giving advices and protection, so, why not? At least, it a good way to become closer OR Rolan quietly (or not quietly) pining for powerful Tav

Thank you so much for your patience! I think I'm finally back in the game! I actually have thought up this situation a lot (especially with my own Tav who's a Storm Sorcerer, maybe I'll introduce him sometime soon)! This was a lot of fun to explore! I'm also a sucker for pining tropes!

Rolan with Sorcerer!Tav Teaching Him Magic

When Rolan takes over the tower, he makes it his sole mission to master the weave. It's harder than it looks, but he's very determined.

There's some aspects he doesn't understand yet, though. Especially how those bloody sorcerers are able to manipulate existing spells and make them more powerful

When everything is over, the Netherbrain defeated, he begrudgingly asks Tav to him about "Metamagic".

Can he learn the aspects of Metamagic on his own? Of course he can! Not only is he a prodigy, he's now the master of Ramazith's tower. All the knowledge he has access to gives him the ultimate advantage.

But he wants to get closer to Tav. He's been pining for them so helplessly since the Shadow Cursed Lands. This is his one opportunity he can spend time with them without it seeming strange.

He also knows Tav is the one person that won't treat him like an idiot. They'll treat him as an equal, a fellow peer of the arcane arts. He'll be respected.

Tav seems happy to do so, teaching all they know about the basics of Metamagic, how they're able to use it, and how Rolan might be able to use it as well.

Rolan can't see it through his frustration, but Tav is so confident in his abilities. While this may take time, they truly believe Rolan can master Metamagic even without being a sorcerer, and pass their own abilities. They may be more advanced than he is, but Rolan is a quick learner.

Gods, sometimes Rolan is so damn distracted. Why must he get so flustered when Tav adjusts his form? Why are their hands so warm? Have they always been touchy? It's all in his head, certainly.

Writing Blurb

Sparks are flying in the palms of Rolan's hands, carefully trying to split the Witch Bolt into two. He never realized the amount of strain it takes to separate one central point of magic, and the amount of concentration it takes. Rolan knows a wizard isn't supposed to be able to do this, but he's also no ordinary wizard. He can do this if he just-

Tav observes him and his hands carefully, and his concentration falters when he realizes they're staring. Sweat beads on his brow as he tries to keep the spell together, but unfortunately, it fades into nothing after all the hard work.

"Damn it!" He practically shouts, shaking out his hands in frustration.

"You were a lot closer that time." Tav comments, about to put a hand on his shoulder, but he turns away before they can.

"We've been practicing this same thing for days. DAYS!" He exclaims, running his hands through his now sweat-damp hair, "Why can't I get this? I should be able to do this by now!"

He's hardly the impressive "master of the tower" he pretends to be. How could he be such a failure? In front of Tav, no less? He's no fool, Tav is a savior of Baldur's Gate, of course they're much more advanced than he is! They know spells he hasn't even been able to touch yet, but gods damn it all, he wants to impress them with something.

He needs to be worthy of their attention. Then maybe, he'll have a slimmer of a chance with them.

They place a hand on his back, jolting him out of his thoughts. "A master of the arcane can't cast properly under stress. We can take a break-"

"No, no, I can do this," He states, raising his hands to start again, "Let me-"

Tav gently grabs his hands, interrupting the spell in an instant. Oh, how he hates it when he feels his face flush; not from exertion, but from embarrassment. He helplessly imagined a situation where he got to hold their hands, but it wasn't anything like this. He hoped it would've been in a more romantic setting when he felt ready to woo them.

"You can't focus when you're stressed like this. I would know, I've tried." They say, summoning a mage hand idly to grab the bottle of Arabellan Dry on Rolan's desk. "Let's take a break and regroup."

He huffs in annoyance but reluctantly sits with them as they fill two glasses with the wine. They hand one over, and he immediately takes a generous sip to calm his nerves. When have they ever sat so close to him? They're practically touching knees- stop, he needs to get it together.

"You'll get it. It's impossible for a wizard unless they have sorcery in their blood."

Scoffing, he takes a few gulps of wine before speaking. "Then I will be the first."

They give him a sweet smile, ignoring how it made his heart flutter. "That's the spirit."

"I don't understand what I'm getting wrong," He quickly continues on, trying to suppress the warmth in his chest. "As soon as I think I have it in my grasp, it fails."

"We'll figure it out. I know you can do it. Think about how you made some spells your own. The Mage Armor, the Thunderwave, the Magic Missle- you have so much potential. Rolan: Master of Ramazith's Tower, always achieving the impossible."

He looks away when he feels his face grow hot again, not noticing when Tav gets up. When he finally turns towards them, they're offering a hand to get back up, so he takes it after pulling himself together, wine forgotten.

"Now, let's try again."

[alastair-1205]

Seson 3 pt 1 live reactions (mostly just for me to look at later lol)

Episode 1:

- this is just chemical warfare at this point

- Kai Nya and Wyld are amazing as ever

- oh I'm already sad

- yea Wus totally dead rip

- GHOST COLE MENTION IN 2025 WE STAY WINNING

- Omg yea Frak would have very weird training rituals huh.

- sora my social blunder queen she's so fucking oblivious I love her

- i love their banter already

- Frak is so fucking funny omg

- RELAX ZANE

- Oh stfu Zane u know it's funny

- did u really not account for how chaotic an explosion is?

- hehe rock prison

- yea I'm with Kai here lmao

- where Did they get vengestone??

- so that's probably not Arins mom but the hairpiece is the same. They gotta stop doing that.

- I LOVE WYLD. Ngl I thought that would work

- Omg did Jay make this???

- ooh shiny. One of the blades. How tf did it get there??

- Oh shit the grapple

- ngl I think this is the first time we've heard Jay's full name in a very long time lol

- Lmao Wyld

- Ha Nyas a simp

- YEA NYA

- them lightning tides are out for blood

- THE FORBIDDEN 5

- Damn the lighting is nice

- Omfg they fucking dead!!!

Episode 2

- doggy!

- ARIN! AND HIS COOL OUTFIT

- theyre gonna fucking die aren't they.

- I fucking love Arinnnnnn. I'm already so attached to this little family

- OH GOD ARIN NO I DONT TRUST THAT LOOK FUCK

- hes gonna burn that toy

- oh thank God they lived lmao

- hey Ras

- LMAO Ras is so fucking silly

- not Arin eating Ras' food lol

- i already love theyre dynamic omg

- he still has the same issues he did which is very interesting

- Arin :(

- Zane u can just give yourself a middle name bro

- GOOD QUESTION FRAK I WANNA KNOW TOO

- MORRO FORESHADOWING. Anyway

- flashlight Lloyd

- The father daughter duo i love them so much <3

- did he ever live in the sewers I wonder?

- I love how sora is annoyed with every new person she meets ever. Fucking mood lol

- i fucking love Lloyd and his gaggle of teenagers

- was she claustrphobic before??

- I don't think thats a good idea Frak

- u jinxed it Lloyd congrats

- love Wyld and Kai <3

- ROBYYYYY THEYRE SO CRINGE I ADORE THEM <3

- Aw Kai is so happy for her. He's also so fucking nosy lmao love him

- WHERE TF???

- Why Tyr kinda- his voice is lowkey very hot

- Dragon Lloyd mention?? Plz??? For me???

- OMG ONI MENTION WE STAY WINNING AGAIN

- Omg yea ofc Frak knows too. He was there for that attack probably even if he was really little. Or his parents told him about it

- omg we're being fucking fed today I'm so happy

- Frak ur master is part Oni

- so true sora. I miss Mystake :(

- LMAO DRAGON RACISM

- Oh hell nah-

- JAY??? MY BOY?

- Frak is just like me fr honestly

- oh the cyclops can talk

- DRAGON LLOYD? IS THERE HOPE?

- Also that flip was badass

- YEP THATS JAY

- LMAOOOOOOOOO I love powerlid actually

- dann smart Frak. Oh nevermind.

- i love how everything being new to the team is what keeps doing them in this series. Normally they'd be way better at this lol but cyclops are very new

- omg i love Lloyd letting her do her thing

- damn ok. No Jay yet he just wanted the cup lol. Bounty hunter my beloved

- SERPENT-SPLAIN IS CRAZZZYYYYY.

- Frak is learning stakes lol

- aw bonding. I love them being buddies

- I love Arin sm

- see now where tf is that?

- Unrelated thing but I find it very interesting how the next ninja have often been criticized of "sloppy form". We know the og ninja are good fighters so you think they'd be able to teach their students the proper foundations right? But I realized that most times they learned a new technique it was through tiral by fire. Maybw they do all have bad form cuz they never learned the proper foundations of most things. Or maybe they just don't know how to teach it cuz thats never how they learned.

Episode 3

- Arin has never been less clear headed bro

- AW THE PICTURE

- oh he really is getting better

- you don't fucking say Ras

- I LOVE ARIN VOUCHING FOR THEM OMG HE STILL HAS HIS PRINCIPLES

- Ras ngl where tf did u even live. But yea I can see him having a grudge about this that tracks

- OH ARIN HATING WU IS SO INTERESTING ACTUALLY OMG

- Ras' va had some fucking bills to pay damn

- ngl I think Ras might die at some point

- WDYM BY THAT RAS

- Oooh new suits

- HAHA ngl id be kinda mad if this works

- ED AND EDNA MENTION

- I love Kai having faith in this very integral part of Jay's personality lmao. Like i think video games is the first thing he learned about him. It's silly but also kinda sweet honestly. And they're also out of options so-

- Lmao I fucking love Kai sm

- WHERES HE BEEN HIDING THAT SHIT?? UP HIS ASS??

- Shiny blade

- Morro mention? Plz?

- Lobo where do u get the funds for all of this man? Who are u scamming?

- Wylds about to become a fucking iPad kid lol

- oh this is so eire I love the vibes

- bros got truama response reflexes

- MORROOOOOOO MY BOY

- im sad the ghost arm was just in the Lego sets lol. Im still keeping it when I draw it tho

- Wyld u menace

- AW WAIT THATS SO SWEET :(((((((

- Back to ghost town!

- "yea no shit I'm dead look at me"

- how is bro even here i thought he was like peacefully passed on like a normal person

- i love how Morro is so deadset on just protecting this random kid he met

- DID U AT LEAST KISS THE BRIK BEFORE THROWING IT AT MY FUCKING FACE DOC

- LMAO FUGIDOVE

- WAIT SO HES BEEN STUCK HERE. ALONE. THIS WHOLE TIME??????

- imagine if Harumi didn't rvive garmadon. Sensei Garm would probably have been there too.

- Morro would see peace as eternal rest. I'm gonna fucking cry let this man sleep.

- HES MAKING UP FOR HIS MISTAKES MAN :(((((((( HES LITERALLY LIKE A NICE GRIM REAPER

- Aw Jay's an eternal nerd

- COMPLICATED IS A WORD FOR IT

- HIS BIGGEST REGRET bro I'm not ok.

- Wait til Arin finds out he's talking about Wu lmao

- aw theyre just glad hes alive

- THEY BETTER NOT KILL MORRO. IDC IF HES DEAD ILL BE SO SAD

- Morro was too stunned to speak

- MORROS FACE

- "HE WAS RIGHT" IM KILLING MYSELF BRB

- Hes so certain lmao. But hes also right it seems which is. Odd.

- HES A HEROS IM GONNA CRY

- oh hi F5

- ah. The Scene.

- Chaos isn't that meticulous.

- BIG ROCK

- Oh that makes more sense lmao

- oh damn!

- ofc Riyu can feel it

- I hope Lloyd and the gang meet Morro. I love Morro <3

Episode 4

- you would say white blue and pink Sora <3

- aww Lego fireflies

- aww Sora

- Zane <3

- ngl I forgot he was off on his own

- weird birds are always good with Zane

- STFU ZANE DONT LET THEM KILL UR WHIMSY UR BETTER THAN THIS

- Another temple!

- RAPTON LMAO

- he gets more fruity whit each season

- ANOTHER EGG?

- THE TOASTER LMAO. Is that gonna be the new teapot lol

- Who tf put them in there tho???

- PIXAL

- AWWEWEEE THE MUSIC CUE AND EVERYTHING

- Ooooooh i love the throwing star as a marker like that

- JAY. MY BELOVED BOUNTY HUNTER

- I kinda love his robot voice

- HES SO FUCKING COOL

- OH SHE MISSED SO MUCH

- BRO JUST GIVE US A COMCRETE NUMBER OF YEARS

- aw wait I forgot Pix and Wu had a special bind oh she's gonna be so sad when that kicks in

- wait are all their tornadoes like that now? Is it the blades then?

- Zane and his impressions lol

- awwwwwe

- FUCK OFF RAPTON LET THEM MAKEOUT

- YHEY LOVE EACH OTHER <3

- Jay?

- nope. Worse.

- i love her bright bug eyes

- they should kill rapton <3 for dramatic effect

- WHY WOULD U TELL HIM THAT ZANE

- GET HIS ASS PIX

- "for now" Absplute queen I've missed her so much

- oh that guy's dead.

- ooh smart

- aw she sounds so fond

- he has got to stop doing that-

- Oh don't play the self sacrifice music at me he's fiiiiine. Probably.

- STFU RAPTON.

- that 2 ppl who are seriously injured now.

- the fish ppl!

- wtf was that even doing there??

- Rox is so hot-

Episode 5

- 2 chains down 3 to go

- Roby!!

- i love how hes actually doing the goal he said he was gonna

- aw hes lonely

- HIS NAME IS HERMES

- Ayyye Geos getting that money good for him

- oh no.

- ph hey he remembered

- HERMES NO

- Oh thats actually such a smart idea of Roby

- OMFG HE FUCKING DEAD

- oh hey Ras is alive

- i love Arin being mad lol

- the fuck-?

- looks like smth Jay would make tbh

- same Arin same.

- THE SPECTRAL LANDS. PLZZZZZZZZ

- MORRO COME BACK I MISS HIM ALREADY

- RIYU I LOVE U THABK YOU

- Why is he talking to me?

- YEA BEAT HIS ASS PIX

- Hes fiiiiiine Pix dw he bounces back

- How are these 3 still here lmao?

- Roby:(

- booooo Ras ur no fun

- OH SHIT HE MIGHT NOT HAVE HIS PRINCIPLES FOREVER

- no Morro rip

- Oh Frak might get his ass beat soon

- i wonder if Lloyd could get hurt by the dragon curse

- ooooh they can sense it

- her not knowing the name is so funny lol

- ooooooh fun details

- HES FUCKED UP

- Oh hey he knows the source dragons are real now

- ROBY :(((((

- Llpyd can probably heal him right? RIGHT?

- I forgot she still can't do spinjtizu lol

- He used the thing!!

- i love when Lloyd seems to be having fun in these fights

- LLOYD AND PIX

- Oh hey he's good now lol

- KICK HIS ASS PIX

- LMAO LOVE SORA

- I need the F5 to murder somone

- THE CONNECTIONS AR CONNECTING

- STEP ON ME LIKE THAT ROX- sorry

- Yoooooooo Arakore!!

- oh no. Arin.

- Oh Ras actually looks sad here. If he's not lying then I belive it too

- Arin :(((((

- oh this isn't good. Ras u bitch.

- although I kinda sympathize with it fuuuuuck

Episode 6

- JAY

- Ah. Zeatrix. I think?

- Beatrix then maybe

- nope Z

- ARAKORE!!

- DARETH. THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND.

- i love how the more we learn about the Djinn the more we realize Nadakahn was just a massive dick and also weird

- ruuun bitch

- Hes A bit busy bro lmao

- lmao the siblings ever

- P is not that far down in the alphabet Kai

- wonder if that arc dragon sword will come into play this season. Or the next half of it cuz it's definitely not this one

- bro where tf is Cole man? And Geo.

- Oh thats not good.

- RUN BITCH

- Hes literally right there

- ooooh thats so smart.

- WHAT?

- OHHH THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE THEYRE THE ONLY ONES HES MET

- oh those water effects are gorgeous

- poor Arin man

- OH SHIT

- And Arin knows where one is...

- oooh that's why

- Nyas tornado is still normal

- lmao and lot of talking during this fight scene. It's actually working really well tbh

- djinnjago does look really pretty

- AH DAMN

- LMAO LOVE SORA

- Ofc she woshed for lightning

- he speaks dragon lol??

- I bet this is kinda healing for Nya lol. If she still had any wish related anxiety I imagine this helped lol

- I love Nyas dynamic with all the younger ninja but especially Sora

- ah damn. Bro got boxed.

- that blade did not look like that before

- lmao that's so petty

- i take it back Nya is not having a good time anymore

- i thought Arrakore would get crushed for a sec lol

- Arrakore needs to get better at hide and seek

- GET HER ASS NYA

- Rip Sora.

- I LOVE SORA LOL

- Not Nya having to pull the Adult Voice that's so fucking funny

- Yea it'll be better cuz the prince won't be a massive asshole lol

- i also love the catch phrase

- rip Lloyds back. Kais

- hell yea more bounty hunter Jay then

- ARIN

- Oh hey Jay. They definitely should have seen his ass lol

Episode 7

- one more chain down

- i love thos dragons voice

- AWEWWWWWEW I LOVE THEMMMMM

- oh no Wyld :(

- PIX AND NYA!!!!

- Ninjago i am begging u to let Zane be normal

- thats actually a good idea Kai

- tbf it did only break off Lloyds fucking chest so...

- ROBY AND HERMES :(((((((

- Oh I know my girl fucking hates this

- I mean it's not a horrible idea tbh

- I love her lmao she's so determined

- OH SHIT THATS HOW HE KNOWS. That actually tracks so well lol

- ok so they're definitely alive then if they're gonna cut Arin off like that BOOOOOO

- Oh hi Jay lol

- i love Arin lol

- OH HES SO BADASS

- The drone will do no such thing

- i adore how all his weapons are lightning based

- HE CAN DO IT CONSOSTANTLY OMG

- Rip Arin I guess damn-

- Ras looks so unbothered lmao

- aww my whimsical boy

- ITTY BOTTY BABY PRINCESS DRAGON SHE IS 3 APPLES TALL

- Oh hes gonna have identity issues about being a hero lol

- yea i don't think theyd like Ras very much lol

- shiny?

- oh Jay's thingy

- I LOVE THAT HE JUST TOOK IT LOL

- Social anxiety is about to get Arin eaten

- theyre doing this for fun i stg. Yall do not need to be so extra lol. I love them

- Zane just kiss ur wife omg this is painful

- they're sooooo cooked

- ngl I feel like leaving Wyld to her own devices may not have been the smartest idea lmao she's very impulsive

- oh thats was easy nice!

- OH SHIT. OK THEN DAMN

- OH. Add that to the list of canonically tortured characters holy fuck-

- oh Arin is burning every bridge for this asshole. He's so fucking manipulative I hate him <3

- WHY WOULDNT U PLAY DUMB BRO

- yea he is a wretch get his ass

- damn im so fucking intrigued

- THANK U FOR NOT FIGHTING THEM ARIN LOL

- I think they just didn't follow- OH NO THEY DID

- I love how often Ras is forced to agree with Arin cuz hes physically incapacitated in some way lol

- I love how Arin is constantly annoyed with this guy and pushes back all the time

- that stew isn't gonna do shit is it :(

- yea :(

- give it the Hermes maybe?

- THE NINJA WANY U BACK BRO

- Oh hey! This is about to be sad isn't it!

Episode 8

- OH THE EP DESCRIPTION IM PREPARED TO CRY

- Omg early post merge days

- BABY SORA

- Omg is that Arins shitty haircut on the poster

- poor truamatized kid :(

- do Rox and Soras mom have the same VA? Or am I crazy

- wtf were they doing??

- bro is now really the time to be racist bestie?

- yea that seems about right lol nobody would give a shit without reason.

- aye nice reflexes Arin

-ALSO BABY ARIN HE WAS SO SWEET

- flashback over for now

- lmao everyone's got smth to say about Zane

- oh they all got the new suits too now

- ngl Lloyd idk how u thought Arin was being held against his will here lol

- i find the specific use of titles really interesting. He never calls Ras his master only his teacher

- ngl j thought we knew this but sure

- oh this episode is really short damn

- SHE STILL HAS BOTH ARMS HERE BET

- She's so silly I love hwr

- baby Arin again

- theyre so little :(((((((

- oh wait no she is missing the arm I'm just blind?

- canonically flame resistant gi nice

- Fraks about to throw fucking haaands

- OH HES MAD ABOUT IT GO OFF KAI

- I think the mountain dragons are mad still

- OH FRAK IS MADDDD

- Oh shit

- lmao Kai

- oop he got yoinked lmaooooo

- Sora gonna get kidnapped for her lack of street smarts lol

- THE MINES LMAO

- Girl yell!??!

- i love Jay sm

- ooh bug man

- i think Zane may figure out who it is

- THIS GUYS BUGS!

- Lmao I love Frak

- oh thats so gross I fucking hates bugs

- Lloyd u had 1 job

- yea get it baby Arin!

- kitty!

- THEYRE STILL SO LITTLEEEE

- Lightning stick!

- omg shut the fuck up Ras

- i love Arin stealing all of Jays shit lmao

- Jay's gonna kick this kids ass bro

- bros gonna have a fear of heights by the end of this lol

- im gonna fucking cryyyyyyyy

- OH IM DRAWING THIS IT HURTS SO MUHC OWWWWW

- THEY STILL LOVE EACH OTHER MAN THEYRE THE BESTIES OF ALL TIME

- Ras u also had 1 job

- Zane be spazing

- yea no shit Zane we know we're cooked

Episode 9

- hey just like the title

- see but they aren't dead are they? The show foreshadowed too hard :(

- Lloyd no-

- i fucking love Arin so much.

- see cuz this is so interesting that he's willing to go back with them even tho i think he has every intention to leave again once this is over

- kai and nya have gone too long without Jay I think

- i still miss Cole

- OH ROBYS GONNA FUCKING DIE BRO. AND HERMES.

- see now why u wait so long for that??

- OH THE BLADES COULD HEAL HIM MAYBE? They're the same colors

- hiiii Frohicky. Poor man can't have shit in this house

- Arinnnnnnnn :(

- BRO U CANT JUST DROP A LONE LIKE THAT

- Ok edgelord-

- i love themmmmmm

- hes totally gonna have to be a conduit again lmao. Rip lloyd have fun with ur not knowing yet

- A PROTOTYPE THE STOLE FROM JAY LMAO oh soras gonna get along with him so well

- what's she doing tho?? Is it like elemental magic? But hers just kinda hurts? Or are we just burning the decay out or smth?

- ok Anikin Skywalker

- let Frak be happy Aein lmaoo

- Damn Fraks got that wisdom

- ROBYS ALIVE

- YOUNG LOVE THEYRE FUCKING ADORABLE

- i love how Wyld just has access to all of the city that's so fun for her

- ok so it was a location thing thats really cool

- Arins got his fucking priorities lol

- Royu did not say that shit

- uh oh.

- Nokt is maaaaaaad lmao. Almost can't blame him. Almost.

- YEA GET HER ASS LLOYD

- love this sequence

- ARIN DO NOT-

- JIST GRAB HIM AND RUN IF UR GONNA BE DUMB

- Ooh dual blades

- oh shit-

- oh they're getting destroyed

- well that's not good.

- wow. Who could have saw that coming. Shocker.

- ok that part i actually didn't see coming

- her face!!

Episode 10

- i need Arin Frak and Lloyd to be a trio at some point

- WYLD!

- LMAO SHES SO REAL FOR THAT

- damn soras getting really good with her powers

- at least he admits to it

- well at least take one of the blades they're cool as he'll lmao

- COLE AND GEO MY LOVES

- Oh hey the admin folks!

- LMAO what is in Kai and Nyas water this season i stg

- oh thatd just kill them all

- yea no theyre cooked on thier own

- Frak is getting his ASS beat

- oh hi Jay!

- ngl it's crazy of him to show up here the bills cannot be THAT high for u to ignore the giant fuck you dragon 50 ft away

- Arins also getting pretty good at spinjitzu

- they're gonna get eaten lol

- RGB badass moment

- oh shit run Lloyd

- good question dragon guy were trying to figure that out too. Pretty sure it's life tho

- rip lloyd lol

- oh that was almost really bad. S8 repeat almost.

- Roby is Worried about his gf

- THE FINDERS. BIRD FRITZ

- Also where's Bonzel

- Nya just saved Jay's life let's fucking go

- THEYRE FIGHTING TOGETHER!!!

- Yea she definitely dislocated a shoulder or smth

- i love Arin and Frak they're also besties

- rip Zane

- and Sora

- i like how they're just aiming for the eyes cuz they have no other plan

- LMAO IT REALLY IS HIM

- Oh Arin ur emotions can't save him either

- oh thats really not good

- rip Kai

- Yea and Lloyd kinda needs that

- MORRO

- i really hope Lloyds soul actually. Ypu know. Goes back to his body. That's not how I want him and Morro to meet again

- SHUT THE FUCK UP RAS

- HE DID IT

- So are the F5 dead?

- oh hey they're good again!

- The music that played here was really good

- thats how many times Lloyd has fucking died now

- BONZEL

- I fucking love Roby

- OH SHIT SORA

- Lloyd is gonna fucking crash out

- i just know Lloyd is fucking terrified

- JAY

- ngl he has a fucking point lol

- LMAO THEY MISSED THIER RESIDENT LOSER

- Cole is too busy being a fucking family man to be in the plot anymore lmaoooo

- Oh thats evil actually. THATS HIS FUCKING BEST FRIEND NINJAGO WHEN I CATCH OYU I STG

- CALLED IT

- OH SHIT

- MORRO. MORROS VIOLIN THEME

- LET THE DRAGON GET EATEN MORRO

- NOOOOOO MY BOOYY

- OH THATS A REALLY GOOD CLIFFHANGER IM MAD I GOTTA WAIT LIKE 6 MONTHS

[lady-shadow-and-darkness-da]

Why not leave?

I find it interesting how almost all the higher ups in the mafia don't really wish to be there, but despite having more than enough power and resources to leave, they don't.

Kouyou has been an executive since 15 (at least), and throughout those seven years I find it impossible to believe that she never thought about leaving. In fact, this is even addressed in this manga by Mori himself, to which she just responds with something lighthearted. Her earlier escape attempt was a fail, yes, but surely she understands that things are much different this time?

It is not her capability which is preventing her, but rather her mindset. And while this also ties into her responsibility, it is also important to note that she may very well believe that she can never truly be rid of the mafia and its teachings. It took an immense amount of reassurance for her to trust Kyouka in the hands of the agency, and even then, very reluctantly.

To Kouyou, I don't think that's a demonstration to her that she can leave, but rather a reminder of what she couldn't achieve in the past. And now, she most likely thinks that the mafia's influence on her is too deep to be shed off. She says as much herself to Kyouka, who has barely been in the mafia for 2 years at that point. Imagine what she thinks of herself. I do think that her duty to the mafia also makes her stay, she acknowledges that she's an important piece in their operations and jokes that it would fall apart without her. She has accepted her role in the mafia, and knows thinks it's too late to get out.

Mori, the leader himself, despite being...well, the leader, simply views his role in the mafia as necessary. He doesn't want to be the PM boss, his life in BEAST is clearly indicative of what he actually wants (you can't tell me an 'inherently evil person' ends up taking care of an orphanage in some universe), but he knows that he is the person best equipped to handle this role. His strategy of the "optimal solution", speaks to his neutrality and general capability of remaining apathetic towards necessary events which would most likely break someone else emotionally and mentally.

This isn't to say that he doesn't have any emotions, the man has a lot of them, it's just that he's incredibly adept at putting them aside and dealing with a situation completely unbiased. Fukuzawa acknowledges in canon that despite their great differences, a common motive that they share is the well-being of their city. In fact, Mori's making a HUGE sacrifice in his life just to maintain the workings of Yokohama. That's something you have to respect.

Chuuya is more of a complicated case. A lot of people in the fandom seem to disagree over whether he wants to stay or leave, but the answer is a bit more complex than the black and white ones we've been looking at. I'll be addressing this separately later, but for now, about Chuuya : I personally think that it is both, and he has conflicting feelings on this situation.

To start with, unlike Kouyou, we actually know when Chuuya came to be affiliated with the mafia. And that in itself isn't the most ideal set of circumstances, he had just been betrayed by his friends (who essentially raised him) because of a situation clearly orchestrated by the mafia (specifically Dazai, the one person he was coming to trust and resonate with), and more or less forced to be a new recruit. From stormbringer, we know that Chuuya's incentive for not leaving came from his need to protect his friends (who had already betrayed and backstabbed him at this point) from the mafia.

Any sane person would assume that Chuuya absolutely abhors the mafia at this point, but this isn't the case. Despite having his friends' lives hung over his head, he was still able to respect Mori and what he was working for (especially since he considered his own period of 'leadership' to be a failure). He was still able to care about the lives of his comrades and underlings who were also a part of the mafia (depicted in the dragon head incident). And he was still able to remain loyal to the mafia despite the several hardships and burns he faced for it.

Aside from his respect (and possible admiration) for Mori and the mafia itself, Chuuya's a person who's really attached to his relationships with people. He doesn't just respect the mafia, he also views it as his family. He has formed bonds with Kouyou, Mori, Dazai (shhh I don't want to hear anything), Akutagawa, Hirotsu...and even Gin, Tachihara and Higuchi. I mean, is there any known character in the mafia who this man doesn't know? He probably even knew Kyouka before she left. The only exception to this is Kyuusaku, and even that is because of his attachment to people (he's mad because Q, directly or indirectly, caused the death of his subordinates). He talks about burying his subordinates personally and contacting their families, if that isn't care, I don't know what is.

I think his arc with the mafia supporting him unanimously in stormbringer helped strengthen his attachment to it, which is why we've got the epilogue of him seeing his biological parents and declaring that the mafia is his true family in that LN. It's safe to say that he appreciates what he has right now a lot. But does that really mean he doesn't want to leave? In the very same light novel, it is ALSO implied that Chuuya longs for a life outside of the mafia. Hell, we literally have a character who was dedicated to bringing him to the light. And now, there is no risk associated with it either. But he chooses to stay. Or maybe the choice was never his.

With all of that said, I think it's incredible how BSD manages to portray what it's like for someone to lead a life of crime in the dark somewhat realistically in terms of feelings. It isn't some "badass mafia person" aesthetic (even though some people interpret it that way), it actually depicts the complexities that come with being associated with a criminal organisation in a fictional setting (to the best of its ability). Literally nobody in the mafia wants to be there, they just have to be. Sure, it offers them resources and opportunities which is why they choose to stay, but as an ability user, if they don't have the choice of living a normal life with the opportunities offered to an average person, do they really have a choice about being in the mafia at all?

[sticks-and-souls]

Anakin & Letting Go

I always found it to be a little skeptical that Anakin could become a force ghost after it took Yoda, Qui Gon, and Obi-Wan learning and training how to do it, and I always thought “really? Anakin? Finding that level of peace and letting go?” But after this episode, seeing the care and lesson that he imparts upon Ahsoka that he learned so painfully, I understand it from him so much better. Vader was so stuck in his complete self-hatred that he allowed nobody who had known him before as Anakin to reach him (most notably Obi-Wan and Ahsoka) because of the overwhelming extent of his shame. It took his son, who had never known him and yet who still stood before him and believed in him, loved him, sacrificed himself for him, to call Anakin back from the depths of Vader. And this Anakin, let everything go to save his son and to allow his son to save him.

And it felt so impactful to get to see this mature post-Vader Anakin reaching out to Ahsoka to teach her this very hard-earned lesson that he took the very hard road to get. Because she has Vader in her. She is everything Anakin taught her, and we saw the behaviors that led Anakin to becoming Vader—the fear of losing his most cherished relationships—reaching out of Anakin very early in the clone wars (and before) and the two of them are both very aware that he imparted those lessons on her. And then we've seen across this season—and overtly in her clone wars flashbacks—that she believes she is inextricable from these traits.

I’ve always loved Anakin as a fictional character, getting to see his earnestness, his flawedness, and his intensity (to borrow Huyang’s very accurate adjective), but this episode brought a level of humanity to him that has moved me so deeply. Life is HARD, loss gets forced on all of us no matter what, and the lessons that we learn through mistakes that we made can be extremely painful because acknowledging and taking responsibility for hurting people is actually really painful for humans (not owning up to our actions is the emotionally easier choice and George Lucas has stated time and again that the Dark Side is about taking the short-term easier choices). But it ultimately means that learning from your mistakes is an actual choice you have to MAKE. And this is the core of Anakin’s lesson. He is teaching Ahsoka that she has to choose which lessons he has taught her that she will live by, but more than that, that she is empowered to be able to choose. Yes, she has everything that he taught her—the good and the bad—but she is not condemned to live out all of the lessons. 

And the beauty of it isn't just the lesson, but that Anakin gets to be the one to teach it to her. The betrayal that she experienced in discovering his fall, the taintedness that she has been portraying that she feels about herself, gets specifically addressed because if he figured it out, then she definitely can too. If he is more than just Vader, then she is too. And THAT is what the "Is that what this is about?" line is actually about. It's so so important that we get to see pre-Vader, Vader, and post-Vader across her vision because the point is that yes, Vader is a part of him, and that brilliant shot of the two of them glaring Sith eyes across the blade at each other did it's job in conveying that Ahsoka is capable of that darkness too, but you are not only the darkness. You get to choose. ("You're more than [death and destruction] because I'm more than that"). And more to the point, you have to choose. Because if you don't specifically choose to fight the dark, then you're ultimately choosing to fall into it. "Fight or die."

So for Anakin to be able to reach out to her one more time, to be able to love her the way he, as Vader, had refused to the last time when they met on Malachor, and to open with ���you’re never too old to learn”, because god if he didn’t learn that the hard way too. And to be able to pass on to Ahsoka how to actually let go because he himself had only just finally been able to learn it as well, feels so powerful and poignant.

And that look of pride and wistful sadness that he gives her at the end? That both she and Luke were able to learn so quickly what took him so long? And that maybe, he may have helped save her from the worst traits that he imbued upon her? That’s him having let go of his own shame. He feels grief, he feels guilt—we can see it on his face—but what has happened has happened and he has accepted that, and finally learned that letting go doesn't mean it didn't happen, it means it doesn't have to define your actions going forward.

And finally, it’s also him letting go of ahsoka. By teaching her that she will choose her destiny, he has to accept that he cannot control it either. And he has. “There’s hope for you yet.” 

So yeah, Anakin learned to let go, and getting to see him here, in this headspace of acceptance and peace, practicing and understanding what it means to be a Jedi, was so unexpectedly cathartic and revelatory for me as viewer. 

[starberry-cupcake]

After a weekend that exhausted me, I am finally able to come back to this book. My reacts proved useful to remind me where I left of, who would have thought.

previously, on harrowberry the ninth:

this happened

also, harrowberry is courtesy of @lady-harrowhark

after which I suggested the following album cover as a representation of her

currently, chapters 14-16:

"The Mithraeum, the seat of the First Reborn! The Sanctuary of the Emperor of the Nine Houses, the bolthole of God"

I don't want to sound like gideon

I really don't

but I have to be entirely honest here

I read that sentence twice, at separate times

and neither of those times did I read "bolthole"

MOVING ON

harrowberry is settled in a room which was made for a lyctor that never was

I don't know if this is at all important but it caught my eye

I wonder what happened there

and I am, as we have established, fixating on very particular things

the emperor johnny bravo has a room that's described as a locked tomb, but harrow says that, unlike the other locked tomb, she's not interested to see what's in this one

on the one hand, I want to know what this guy's actually doing but, on the other, I don't care about what's going on in his intimacy

harrow is also surprised that he gets embarrassed

which I don't, because he should be embarrassed and ashamed about all of the stuff that is going on in general

I don't know specifics and I don't know details, but I know he's at fault

like we say over here, I've got no evidence but I've got no doubt

he tells harrowbean about the BOE

he says they hate the nine houses and that they have agents who turn planets against them

they got themselves a leader about 25 years before harrow was born, who made things more difficult for johnny man

let's bring back the timeline I'm constantly discarding and bringing back

we've been told now that: this leader showed up 25 years before harrow was born, they disappeared nearly 20 years ago and gideon was born 18 years ago in space to a mom who was brain dead upon arriving at ninth

there's also the whole eggs thing that idk if it has something to do with this or not but we're not totally throwing anything away here

we've moved from a cork board to a 3d model at this point

emperor johnny boo is blaming these people for not!dulcinea going ballistic

idk johnny man, you kind of fucked that up on your own I think, but go off, I guess

he also says that the BOE folks hate necromancers and necromancy

I don't wanna be making assumptions with little to no info (literally all I've been doing) but all I've seen so far is these people teaching harrow to kill planets

that's not what miss frizzle told me I should be doing when she wore the most iconic looks in television history

maybe if the emperor dressed like this I'd be trusting him more

emperor johnny also clocked harrow being a ninth kid smoothie

because harrow was doing theorems in the river and only one other person ever did that before

the person who founded the sixth

we're ok with the sixth because camilla came from there

when harrow starts telling him the smoothie story, the emperor says "This was...all so different...before we discovered the scientific principles" and proceeds to tell her that her parents basically did a mini resurrection

he says "I have committed the same act, and I know the price I had to pay" and calls her "a walking miracle"

to which harrow responds "I have just told you that I am the product of my parents' genocide"

emperor, my man

he says "nobody has to know" about the kid smoothie

there sure are a lot of things people aren't supposed to know or ask about over here in the emperor's bolthole

*me, high fiving gideon's force ghost*

he says the initials of BOE mean "blood of eden" and that Eden is "someone they left to die"

then he quotes shakespeare??? I think king lear???

“How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child”, that quote

I'm not super knowledgeable when it comes to shakespeare tbh but...ominous

he also says "once you turn your back on something, you have no more right to act as though you own it"

and harrow thinks "at the time, that had made perfect sense to you"

that's pinned under the "hope for later" category

NEXT CHAPTER

harrow talks to ice cube barbie in her dreams

ice cube barbie says she's died twice

THEN, AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT

harrow asks her if she has ortus's eyes or if her eyes are hers and what her eyes are like

and ice cube barbie says "she asked me not to tell you"

this is me, adding another thing to the "hopeful hints for gideon" shrine I am building

chapter 16

harrow asks yandere twin about her diary and she says it has been burned on her own orders

more hints for my theory of past!harrow knowing a lot and planning ahead

harrowcita calls lyctortus (name suggested by the reply gang, thank you reply gang) "the other one"

which could be "other" as in "other lyctor" or as in "other ortus", so it's fine either way

harrow is worried about not!dulcinea still being a threat

AREN'T WE ALL

AREN'T WE ALL

I SURE AM, ALWAYS

she should have been flushed into space

harrow thinks not!dulcinea is moving and yandere twin calls her "crazycakes"

then we start going a bit more in depth about augustine

I have come to understand that he isn't called "saint of patience" because he's patient

he's called "saint of patience" because that's what you have to practice when you're around him

good god, this man

he has the charisma of the fifth but the disagreeable nature of the eighth

here I am, making judgment on these people I only know like 2 representatives of, but anyway

he's like if magnus hadn't discovered a passion for baking and had instead decided his hobby was to be passive aggressive and thinking too highly of himself

his cav was his brother, apparently

harrow thinks he's hollow inside

he is absolutely horrendous to mercygirl

BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY

he also alludes to not!dulcinea moving and thinks mercygirl is doing it

I don't know about this, you guys

two mulders in one recap is what you get when I have been forced to not read for a couple days

I think fox mulder represents my energy in these recaps

Augustine The Unpleasant mentions that johnny j has "spent the last 10 thousand years on a perpetual search-and-destroy mission out of, as far as I can tell, purely symbolic retribution"

great, that sounds fantastic for god to do

and that "I wouldn't set myself up as his replacement A.L. He doesn't need another bodyguard, and even she was significantly more lucid than you are" (you being mercygirl)

I had mentioned the possibility of ice cube barbie being this AL person, we still don't know, but this AL is "she"

let's put that in the 3D model

augustine calls chad a "nice boy", which tracks for him being a Senior Chad

he treats harrow badly, which we absolutely don't stan over here in the harrow respect corner

harrow obliterates him with a comeback and he calls her Anastasia (You were born in a palace by the sea / A palace by the sea? Could it be?) like the previous ninth

these people love comparing their old pals to everyone they meet, even if they supposedly didn't get along much

harrow also makes fun of yandere twin for being what gideon would call "a weenie" over augustine

then we get the augustine and johnny explanation of how to kill the beast

I am all for information but this whole thing gives me the worst vibes

basically he says the beasts (disrespectful name) eat planets like oysters and then keep the thanergy as armor

the beast can inhabit anything it's thanergetically connected to it via their death

like that which they kill

they travel as river projections

they have agents, which he describes like the borg in star trek

individual forms connected to its hive

the whole lyctor thing, having a necromancer's ability with a cav's training to take over the body, seems to be a key to fighting these things

because the necro part goes down into the river to do the thing and the cav can take over the defense of the body

this, I think, could be what we saw harrow doing in the prologue, the projection thing

but harrow's body isn't protected, because she's "lyctor lite"

because there's hope for gideon or so help me john

which might be why yandere twin was telling her she would not be guarded if she did what she was about to do

I am very intrigued as to what harrow will come to know to push her to do what she did

also, she got stabbed, so I'd like to know if she's fine

but we have 0 guarantees of anything over here in the mithrandir or whatever

the emperor's bolthole

god, what has gideon done to me

they say the point of the combat is to throw the beast's soul into the abyss and hope it doesn't come back

that's what I've been trying to do with not!dulcinea all this time

ALSO still no camilla

see you next time and thank you for not hating the length of these things ♥

[emmalostinwonderland]

oH ITS NOT WEDNESDAY? Yeah im like super late for... weeks worth of these. And 7 sentence sundays. So I'm gonna give you a couple disjointed snippets here - enjoy the long post! Thank you to the people who tend to tag me in these, plus the first 4 I see in my notifs: @dizzymisslizzie @onthewaytosomewhere @suseagull5914 @cactusdragon517

This one is from my FirstPrince sense share au that should've been finished back in december, Butterflies and Tummy Aches:

A, You asked me once if I cook for myself. I wasn’t lying when I said I rarely do and with little success, but my father used to cook for our family on occasion. He’d let me sit on the counter beside the stove while he prepared the meal, humming whatever tune was stuck in his head and feeding me bits of vegetables and seasoned meats. He called me his royal taste-tester, said I had a real appreciation for the parts that make up the whole. (On reflection, you may even recall some of these moments — it would’ve been early afternoon for you, most likely. And on further reflection, I’m more certain he wasn’t just referring to cooking a meal with that last bit.) When he was first diagnosed, before his energy started to go, I asked him to teach me to make his favorite. I’ve never been able to make it just the way he did, but I’ve included the recipe in this email if you’d like to try. I warn you, my penmanship was much sloppier then — please call if you can’t make out a word or six along the way. Or perhaps call anyway. It’s raining here again, and I miss your silly jokes in your gorgeous voice. Love, H

Below the cut I have FirstPrince Star Wars AU, and Merrical (Jedi Survivor) Cold War AU for those who may be interested in that

FirstPrince SW:

Henry breathes in deeply, trembling with the pain echoing out through the Force all around him. “By now… by now the Republic has fallen.” “What?” Pez sinks onto the other end of the sofa Henry is curled up on. “What does that even mean?” “The Supreme Chancellor has named himself Emperor of the galaxy. An order went out amongst the clones… they’ve turned their blasters to the Jedi fighting alongside them. I—“ he stops abruptly, suddenly choked up. Pez rests a hand on his ankle, and Henry presses on, tears streaking down his cheeks. “I may be the last one.” “That can’t be… no, what of Alexander? Surely—“ “I couldn’t warn him. He’s leading a clone platoon; he’s surrounded.”

aaaand MerrinXCal (holy shit it's been ages since I wrote het fic, who even am I):

Finally, the door swings open again, and Merrin opens her eyes, trading the mental image of her dear Ilyana for the very real sight of the red-headed man from before. "Hello again," he says softly in accented Russian. "I brought you some coffee." "Thank you," she replies in equally accented English. His surprise, written all over his face, amuses her, and she reaches for the styrofoam cup of dark liquid. "It's decaf," he says, in English this time, "I'm sure you don't want to be kept up much longer. We've all been running around too long without sleep at this point." She hums noncommittally, understanding just enough to not need to refute it. "Speaking of which," he continues, "Bode and I managed to work something out with the Director, but I wanted to see how you feel about it too." "I am listening." He nods and scratches the side of his face. He is nervous, hesitant. "They wanted you under full surveillance, but it just didn't sit right with me. The best we could manage was sending you home with an agent." Merrin nods. "I will go with you, Agent Kestis." "Just Cal, please, I- wait, me?" "Is that not what you said?" "Oh, well, um..." Whatever is going through his mind runs its course quickly, and he snaps his jaw shut with a single nod. "If that's where you'll be comfortable, that's where you'll go."

if anyone's still reading and wants a tag... uh sure. Open tag. Go forth. Also thanks for sticking around - you're pretty cool.

[mah-o-daryaa]

For a show that's progressive, one-of-a-kind, ground-breaking for its time, and relies on "Show, don't Tell" a lot throughout the series, it bugs me how ATLA (or, more specifically, Bryke) preferred to tell the audience that Aang is a master airbender without showing us why. I mean, Toph, Zuko, Azula, and Katara are all shown practicing and improving their mastery in bending (although Katara has become rather overpowered), so why can't Aang have the same treatment?

Yes, Aang may be a child prodigy, and he did get airbending tattoos from inventing the air scooter, but I personally think that inventing an airbending technique (which demonstrates impressive ability and skill) is a way to gain the arrows prematurely, but isn't a requirement. Nothing in the show ever suggests just how far he's mastered his native element, let alone the other three. In the beginning of Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King (3:18), Aang says he thinks he still needs to practice his firebending more (which in hindsight makes sense, as he's just started relearning it from the dragons five episodes ago), and Toph notes that his earthbending could use more work too. Right off the bat, Aang is two elements away from complete mastery of all four, but later on he's seen practicing waterbending with Katara, implying he hasn't mastered it either.

We don't even see Aang practicing his airbending by himself post-iceberg, preferring to show off to random girls (like in Kyoshi Island). He just learns the elements, but doesn't really learn the philosophies behind each element. In this regard, he makes Kuruk and Roku look venerated in contrast. (To be fair to Aang, he had a specific deadline to master the four elements before Sozin's Comet that no other Avatar besides Wan had to deal with, but couldn't he try to make an effort to learn from the other nations?) Additionally, compared to Tenzin and Zaheer, Aang doesn't stand a chance against either of them (even though Tenzin is his son, but since Tenzin wasn't the Avatar, he could focus on upholding the Air Nomad culture and legacy). Even Jinora could go toe-to-toe with him at similar ages. He isn't really that impressive in any of the elements, to be honest; we've seen what a master of any specific element can do in both ATLA and LOK, as well as in the novels.

The main thing people often get wrong is that mastery isn't a final goal; it's a specific mindset. As in Pai Sho, what separates true masters from everyone else is that true masters always look for improvement in their strategy or skills. That's why Aang isn't a real master of the four elements: He always takes the easy way out, never trying to better himself or improve what he can already do.

I think this quote from Zaheer perfectly sums up what I've been saying: When you base your expectations on what you see, you blind yourself to the possibilities of a new reality. Even though it stems from his anarchist beliefs, it is genuinely one of the more insightful pieces of wisdom in the franchise because it promotes progress, a constant theme in life. Toph was able to invent metalbending because she wanted to "see" a reality where she could be recognized for her own talent in spite of her blindness; Zuko could learn firebending from the dragons because he could see a reality where he would regain his honor and fight alongside the Avatar, and so on. By contrast, Aang only takes things from surface-level, not putting any effort into understanding the true meaning of being the Avatar.

Speaking of Pai Sho, guess which Avatar constantly improved his/her abilities? Kuruk. Unlike Aang, Kuruk readily asked his companions, Jianzhu, Hei-Ran, and Kelsang, to continue teaching him, ever after he mastered the four elements that he was required to do, saying they would all benefit from the experience (the "true master" quote I mentioned above was actually said by him). Not only that, it was even inverted; sometimes they taught Kuruk, other times he taught them (which technically makes him the first known Avatar to teach bending to others). He was right, as during their lifetimes, they were the most powerful benders of their respective elements in the world!

Kuruk also had an intuitive connection to each of the four bending philosophies, which to this day remains unrivaled by any other Avatar, and was also one of the first people to suggest the idea that the four elements are connected (homeboy's literally a younger Water Tribe Avatar version of proto-Iroh, I'm honestly not going to be surprised if Iroh actually learned his belief from Kuruk during the former's visits to the Spirit World over tea and Pai Sho matches). If you ask me, Mone, learning the cultures and philosophies of the four nations is way more important than mastering the four elements, because the Avatar isn't just the bridge between the four nations; he/she is also the symbol of a unified world, and the franchise is saying that only one Avatar even bothered to do that? In my opinion, if we go by this rule, that easily cements Kuruk as the greatest Avatar in history!

Aang, on the other hand, never does this. Instead, he puts the Air Nomads on a high pedestal (which in turn causes him to place Katara on a high pedestal), and doesn't respect or learn from other nations' philosophies. He openly disrespects SWT culture and actively makes sure Tenzin doesn't have any exposure to the culture that Tenzin still belongs too, and worse, he pushes his own culture on other people's throats (remember the time he forced a homeless couple to "give up on hope because it's a big waste of time"? Or the time he forced Katara to not murder Yon Rha?) and values his own nation and values above the rest of the world (like the time he refused to kill Firelord Ozai because "all life is sacred", even though he has actually killed before, but if he doesn't kill Ozai, the latter's going to burn the entire Earth Kingdom to the ground!). That doesn't sound like something the Avatar is allowed to do, but Aang gets away with it anyway because ... hero?

There's actually another Avatar who focused on his/her own nation above the rest of the world. Avatar Szeto, Yangchen's predecessor, became a government official in his homeland, the Fire Nation. Under his tenure, the Fire Nation transformed from a fragmented, disaster-stricken state to the centralized, technologically-advanced nation we know of today. Unfortunately, this led him to neglect the other nations and, shortly after his death, the four nations were caught in a political event known as the Platinum Affair, which Yangchen had to deal with, eventually kick-starting the cycle of the current Avatar fixing their past lives' mistakes, while leaving problems for their future selves to fix. This problem might have even led to the growing ambition of Firelords Zoryu and Sozin as dictators, with the latter starting the Hundred Years War.

Aang not only valued his own nation's values above the others, he also forced said values on his non-Air Nomad companions; signed anti-miscegenation laws and tried to forcefully deport Fire Nationals from the colonies to return the land to the Earth Kingdom, even though they had already blended in with Earth Kingdom citizens, didn't wan to be separated from their families, and Zuko perceived the citizens of mixed heritage as his own subjects; refused to let his family practice SWT culture, even though his children could benefit from being members of both cultures, not just one or the other, and set an example for mixed-race families around the world; refused to teach Kya and Bumi Air Nomad culture because he thought they weren't airbenders and therefore "not real Air Nomads", even though they were just as Air Nomad as Tenzin was, if not more; and forced Tenzin to uphold the legacy of an entire nation on his shoulders. The fact that this was all written by complete accident is the cherry on top, representing just how badly Bryke screwed up.

... On a completely unrelated note, The Other Side of Paradise by Glass Animals (which is also one of my favorite songs) is definitely a Kuruk song. The last third of the song in particular sums up his tragic journey as the Avatar so well, and I always think of him while listening to it.

[jelzorz]

158.

"Hey, you know how to pick locks, right?"

It's an odd thing to ask. Callum's always been weird like that, Rayla supposes, and usually his weird questions are related to magic, and Xadia, and elven script and Rayla is (generally) happy to oblige. What can she say? He likes to learn, and the lilt in his voice and the light in his eyes and the excitement in his smile is endearing, and she's never been particularly good at saying no, at least not to him.

But this one is weird because it's not a Xadia thing, or a magic thing, or an elven script thing, and when he asks, he's not nearly as upbeat about it. At first, she doesn't get it. It's a useful skill to have, and a fun skill to master—it's like a puzzle but more fiddly, and Rayla had taught herself years and years ago because she didn't like it when Ethari and Runaan tried to keep her out of places, so of course she learned (in part) to spite them. Callum's never really had the same restrictions because he's a prince, and all he has to do to unlock anything is ask, usually, and yet—

"Can you teach me?"

"Er. Sure?" Rayla tilts her head at him curiously. "You planning a heist or something?"

Callum chuckles a little. "Or something," he says cryptically. "What, you don't think I can do it?"

"I don't think it's your style," says Rayla. "You're a prince and high mage, why on earth would you need to know how to pick a lock?"

He smirks then. "Ancient tomes, forbidden libraries, old abandoned ruins, jellytart runs... All sorts of reasons. Just feels like a necessary skill for adventure, y'know?"

Rayla laughs at that. "I mean, I guess. How often are you intending to break into forbidden libraries and old abandoned ruins?"

"As often as I need to, thank you very much. I have a whole life of adventure ahead of me, and I'll be damned if not being able to pick locks is the thing that stops me."

Rayla shakes her head at him, trying not to laugh at the way he wheedles. She was never going to say no, and he knows it, and he's far too smug about it for it not to be funny. For a second, she actually forgets that it's a weird thing to ask and teases him back: "Fine, but you'll have to ask Opeli for the handcuffs. I'm sure she won't wonder why you want them."

Callum snickers loudly at that, and it's that simple, that easy, just jokes between the two of them about a skill they don't really need, until later, when Rayla's showing him the mechanics of a lock and a thought occurs to her that reminds her why the whole thing feels a bit off-kilter.

"You know, we've only really had problems with locks, like, twice," she muses. "There was that one time Opeli arrested me, and then that time on Sea Legs, but I mean, you managed fine."

Something flickers across Callum's face. His smile twitches, falters, and if Rayla didn't know him so well, she might have missed it because she can see how hard he's trying to make it less of a deal than it is.

"Yeah, well." He shifts uncomfortably, the memory just as unpleasant for him. "I don't want repeats. I don't want anyone else trying to feed you to any sea leviathans."

"Somehow I think that was a one time thing." Rayla pauses, her smile fading a little as she fiddles with the manacles on his wrists. "How'd you get out of the chains Finnegrin put you in anyway? You apparently didn't pick them."

There's a pause. Callum looks away, and the whole world stills as the realisation dawns over Rayla, as cold as the way her blood froze in her veins that same day.

"...Callum."

"I had to do," he says quietly. He meets her gaze then, and the storm in his eyes makes her intestines writhe like snakes. "I couldn't let him hurt you."

Rayla says nothing for a moment, fingers hovering over the chains locked around his wrists. Her heart thumps heavily. Her breath shudders out. "Well," she says after a moment. "I guess we have to make sure you don't end up in that position a third time."

"You're not angry?"

"I don't know." She touches his hand then and finds herself relieved that it's still warm under her fingers. She doesn't know how to feel about it, but they're both alive and they're both safe so... that must count for something. "It doesn't matter," she says in the end. "I'm just... Glad we're okay. You won't do it again anyway."

Callum looks up at her. "Won't I?"

"No." Rayla hands him the lockpick. "I won't let you."

[bekaterrier]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! This week definitely had me feeling some feels...

@hinaypod Episode 45 - Paghahanda (Preparation) Part 1: More Mari and Sauvard bonding time! The music box is interesting, I can only imagine one of those tunes playing creepily in the background of a scene... More vague clues from J, the man cannot just outright say something. Also starting to see some of the consequences of Murphy's decision after dealing with Bolton.

@desertskiespodcast Chapter 17 - The Accident: I said it earlier this week and I'll say it again, phew, that was an episode. I was so frustrated like Nonny and Mac, wondering why Tendy wasn't doing more about this terrible traveller. Tendy's breakdown at the end was so raw and heartbreaking (serious kudos to Jared for the acting on this one). I'm glad Nonny and Mac are there and hopefully they can start helping him out of this hole.

@storiesfromylelmore Episode 202 - Chess: Rion, sweetheart, let someone hug you! I felt this episode to my core; the trying to please everyone all the time, taking on too much, and then Rion also had to deal with that awful secretary's bigotry? I'm glad there was an adult who was able to recognize at least some of what was going on and hopefully make things easier (even of Rion didn't want them to). I can't wait to see how well Keryth's charmed rings work!

Case Study IREC-A59 Episode 3 - So Here's The THING: I really like the little clues we've been getting to give us an image of what humans look like compared to the alien crew (ex: "sit down so you're not towering over it"). Like Ineke, I am also very curious about the initial report about humans and what the reported first contact was.

@midnightburgr - Welcome to the Horizon Part 5 - Trinkett's Trip: Can you feel the vibes? I definitely feel the vibes because Tina and Cat are killing it as Deidre and Verge! I love that Frank is teaching Verge how to be part of the community. But also, Frank? Are...are you gonna be okay? Clementine, what did you do?!

The Department of Variance of @somewhereohio Season 2: I have to stop trying to predict where this story will go because I am never anywhere NEAR what actually happens - and I love that! The world is so rich and complex, the characters are so compelling, and I cannot wait to hear Jasmine and Scarlett kick some ass in season 3.

[manicpixiefelix]

*crashes my imaginary car into your inbox*

OLLIE WHO WAS ADOPTED BY READER'S FAMILY!!!!!

I know this is a major shift in established dynamics but hear me out!!!

What if Oliver's tales about his home life were actually true, worse even so he ended up an orphan? He gets adopted by Reader's parents for the optics mainly because it makes them look good and they figure it'll provide their heir with a companion.

So they become this peculiar little duo, both very observant of the world and people around them. Ollie is a stranger to this world of the ultra rich and endures etiquette classes.

Oliver Quick becomes Oliver L/N, the boy uplifted from squalor by the heroic family *eye roll*

Reader is fiercely protective of their brother and will ruin anyone that insinuates he's not ~really~ family

I know we've never really discussed the ancestral home of Reader but I imagine it is every bit as grand and impressive as Saltburn. Ollie's favorite room is definitely the massive library.

BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS A LOT OF COURSE I LOVE HOW YOUR MIND WORKS!!!!

Of course your parents love the optics of it all.

You're six when they adopt Oliver, and he's five; this mousy little thing who doesn't smile often and barely speaks and can't look you in the eyes. He shys away from your overbearing, performative parents, but you seem to be able to see how overwhelmed he's getting. There's no words in your first interaction, only gestures, taking and keeping Oliver's focus as best you can to ground him in the moment; you teach him a simple game, and he returns the favour. Not a word between you two. By the end of the visit, you realise the adults have gone quiet; your parents and Oliver's case worker are just watching you both, marvelling. As you're looking away, Oliver himself finally steps towards you, taking your hand carefully and half hiding himself from them behind you, as if already deciding to trust you. You and Oliver had begun the day as strangers, and ended as siblings.

Your parents love to tell anyone who will listen about how when you first met Oliver you 'practically fixed yourself to his side and haven't moved since'. You look like the perfect family in photos, and the press is quick to forget how little research your parents did on the last charity they very publicly supported, and it's less than ideal history. Oliver learns to smile on command the way you feel like you've always known, but at least they don't make the two of you seperate in these moments.

Oliver says your house is like a fairy tale. At first he sticks close by you, overwhelmed by it all, but as the days turn to weeks and then months, you start to lose him as he goes exploring amongst the estate's many rooms and corridors. No-one knows the old house better then you, but Oliver is a close second; Nan says Mother used to scurry around just like you did, used to know every trick the old house had, but that was a lifetime ago.

Mother's study locks from the inside and Father works long hours in the city, so it's up to you to help Oliver settle in with the nannys and the tutors and the rest of the staff. Your parents like to buck tradition, so they're not precious enough to hire anyone to teach Oliver the etiquette that usually comes with wealth and a house like this, so long as he was polite and respectful and sweet faced in public, they couldn't care less which fork he used for salad. Honestly adults at events found his lack of grace and understanding of their unspoken rules charming in its sincerity. You, however, know that their condescending adoration grates on your brother's nerves as they talk to him like he was some kind of pet.

On the weekends Nan comes over, and it's clear that Oliver likes her the best of all the adults in your lives. Like you she doesn't pressure him to talk, always taking his silence in stride, but also taking the time and putting in the effort to understand him when he does try and communicate, however that may be.

In public - not that you're in public a lot - you and Oliver tend to cling to each other. As you grow older, even as you stop physically holding on to each other, you barely seem to stray from each other's shadow. Of the two of you, Oliver still is the far more reserved one, happy to let you do the talking most of the time, often only sharing his thoughts as quiet asides to you alone.

Considering your parents had no choice but to publicly acknowledge you in this universe, you and Oliver very much grow up in the public eye. The strange, observant duo who seemed to have the uncanny ability to wrap rooms full of adults, the upper echelons of society, around their little fingers, grow into beautiful and bitchy socialites.

Considering you're both getting privately tutored instead of going to a proper school, most of your time is spent travelling and attending events. Following the various Fashion Weeks around the world is a yearly tradition since you were teens, you go to concerts and film festivals and galas, always together, always inseperable. Or at least, inseperable when being seen by people who might matter. Oliver's confidence grows, he's far more open and even talkative in public than when he was a kid, but there's comfort in your established dynamic too. It returns most often at formal events, with Oliver half a step behind you, murmuring his commentary and amusing aside to you throughout the night.

A few of the independent tabloids your family didn't own print unsavoury rumours about your closeness, but those get pulled from news stands within the day, and a few threats of defamation lawsuits make them think twice before printing those kinds of articles again.

Everyone in the Western world knows who you both are, or has at least heard of you. But thankfully it's been years since anyone had tried to tie Oliver back to the Poor Orphan Boy he was when he'd first been adopted. By the time you both get to Oxford, he's been your brother for so long that it's like the world has thankfully forgotten that it's not by blood.