#that defensiveness is what escalates what could have been a calm discussion into their first fight

[inkblot-inc]

hii ink!!

what would happen if skitch and r got into their first fight? would it be over something major or minor?

Hi and hello :3

How do I admit now that I was thinkin about this a bit the other day-

Wanda and Skitch's first fight may or may not be expected (maybe even a subltle hint of this problem in the sick!Skitch ask), but as sociable as Skitch can be, lighthearted and all, and they don't really get personal/rely on other people. It isolates themselves and pushes others away even though Skitch may not mean to.

Wanda does the same thing too in her own way, but she's not nearly as hard-stop with it. Wanda knows that she can count on and rely on other people to talk to and look after her, even though that circle of people is small.

Wanda brings this up, I wanna say like four months into their relationship, because she's let Skitch into her life and even though Skitch has let Wanda in as well, Skitch still kept her at arm's length when it comes to certain things, when at that point it's a pretty noticeable gap. "You know about me, but when I think about it, I don't really know much about you. Why is that?" To put it briefly.

Skitch hasn't really gone into depth about themselves (not saying they have to full on trauma dump or some shit), not because they don't want to but because "there's not much to know" (*ahem* a damn lie). A good bit of Skitch's life is repressed to them. Not because crazy shit happened per say, but because there are just things Skitch doesn't want to think about/talk about/remember, so to them why should they bring it up?

Wanda was definitely the more vulnerable one in that fight in specific because she is a well-known public figure, basically a celebrity. Most anything Skitch would want to know about Wanda and/or her life is really a google search away. Again, Skitch has a right to that privacy, it's the fact that seemingly the most basic things about Skitch were learned through circumstance she would have preferred to hear from Skitch directly (ex: Wanda had to learn that Skitch was adopted through a joke Remy made in the shop the week before this fight).

The crux of this argument is that Wanda and Skitch are in a committed relationship to each other, sleeping in the other's house, sharing wardrobe space, *ahem* other forms of intimacy, but Skitch in a way still feels like a stranger to Wanda. A wild thing to think about when Skitch's dick has literally been rearranging Wanda's guts for months-

Once that point gets across to Skitch is when they make some headway and apologize for freezing Wanda out in that way, which is the last thing they wanted to do. Wanda's not trying to push or force Skitch into talking about their past and every little thing and that's the most important part to remember.

Part of making another person a part of your life is letting them in so they can see you and get acquainted with those parts of you as well, and it was this fight that helped Skitch realize they hadn't been doing that with Wanda.

"So what do you wanna know, doll?"

[pandapetals]

Truth or Dare

logan howlett x fem!reader - x-men play never have i ever, drinking, fluff, teasing, truth or dare, flirting, no y/n used, no reader description

You and the X-Men play Never Have I Ever until it gets out of hand leading to you and Logan playing Truth or Dare.

read on Ao3

“This was a stupid idea,” Scott grumbled, taking a long swig of his beer and glaring around the room, earning an unimpressed look from Storm.

“This was your idea!” you shot back, smirking as you sat cross-legged on the floor of Storm’s room, a beer in hand. The entire team was gathered in a loose circle, acting like a bunch of teenagers playing party games. The latest one? Never Have I Ever. As expected, things had escalated quickly.

The first round had been tame enough—questions about embarrassing crushes and schoolyard antics. Then, of course, Logan had to go and drop a risqué bomb, shifting the game’s tone completely.

“Well,” Scott huffed, clearly flustered, “I didn’t sign up to be asked if I’ve ever kissed a guy.”

Logan chuckled, leaning back against the bed with an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You don’t have to answer, Slim. Just drink if you have. Thought I was the old-school one around here.”

Scott rolled his eyes, taking another long sip of his beer. “It’s not the question,” he mumbled, clearly trying to avoid further embarrassment, “it’s just... I wasn’t expecting that.”

Jean, sitting beside Scott, gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “It’s just a game, Scott. No need to get worked up over it. If it’s too much, we can always switch to something else.” Her voice was gentle, but there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

Logan, on the other hand, wasn’t about to let it slide. “Oh yeah? What about truth or dare?” he suggested, his smirk widening. He clearly knew how to push Scott’s buttons and was having way too much fun doing it. “Bet we’d get even better answers outta you.”

“No, no way. I’m not playing that,” Scott said quickly, a hint of panic creeping into his voice as he took another large gulp of his beer.

You couldn’t help but gasp dramatically, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “Wait a minute—so does that mean you have kissed a guy, Scott?”

A few chuckles echoed around the circle, and Scott’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “That’s not what I meant,” he muttered, clearly flustered.

“You’re awfully defensive, Summers,” Logan drawled, raising his beer bottle to his lips with a knowing look. ���Kinda makes me wonder.”

“I’m not defensive,” Scott shot back, crossing his arms like a petulant child, but the blush creeping up his neck betrayed him. “I just don’t feel like discussing... things.”

Storm, sitting next to you, raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a small, amused smile. “You don’t have to discuss it, Scott. That’s the whole point of the game. You either answer or you drink.”

Scott muttered something under his breath, and everyone shared a knowing glance. Jean gave him a supportive nudge. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

He sighed, reaching for his beer again. “Yeah, well, still not talking about it.”

“Looks like that’s a yes,” you teased, giving Scott a playful nudge with your elbow. “Don’t worry, Scott, we’re all very open-minded here.”

Logan chuckled lowly, clearly enjoying Scott’s discomfort. “Hey, no shame in it, bub. You’re not gonna hear any complaints from me.”

Scott groaned, rubbing his temples. “Can we move on to something else now? Please?”

“Sure,” Jean said with a smile, always the peacemaker. “Logan, why don’t you go next?”

Logan’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he leaned forward, clearly not about to let things calm down just yet. “Alright, alright. Let’s keep it interesting.” He paused for dramatic effect, glancing around the room. “Never have I ever... hooked up with someone from the team.”

The air in the room immediately shifted. You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks as you tried not to react, but Logan’s eyes flickered toward you for just a second too long, that smug, knowing smirk never leaving his face.

The silence stretched for a moment before Storm, always calm and collected, raised an eyebrow and lifted her drink to her lips with a small, measured sip. Jean, on the other hand, looked slightly flustered while taking a sip. Scott seemed too focused on his own embarrassment to catch the weight of the moment.

Logan’s gaze lingered on you, waiting, watching. His smirk widened when he noticed you hadn’t moved yet.

You huffed, feeling the tension rise as everyone’s eyes started darting between the two of you. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just curious,” Logan said, his voice casual, but the glint in his eye said otherwise. “You got somethin’ to confess?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, your heart racing despite yourself. “Oh, please. I don’t kiss and tell,” you quipped, raising your beer and taking a slow, deliberate sip just to prove a point.

A chorus of “Ooooohs” echoed around the room, and you felt your face grow hotter as Logan let out a low, amused chuckle.

“Damn, didn’t expect that,” Scott muttered, looking genuinely shocked for the first time all night.

Logan gave you a knowing grin, his eyes never leaving yours. “Good to know.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the way your pulse quickened under his gaze. “Your turn’s over, Logan. Someone else ask a question before this gets out of hand.”

Storm, ever the voice of reason, shook her head with a smirk. “I think it’s already out of hand.”

Jean laughed softly. “Well, it’s certainly more interesting than grading papers.”

You snorted, glad for the distraction. “I’ll drink to that.”

The night went on, with the tension ebbing and flowing between lighthearted fun and moments of charged silence whenever Logan’s eyes lingered on you a little too long. The banter was playful, but beneath the surface, you could feel the unspoken energy between you and Logan simmering, neither of you willing to fully acknowledge it just yet.

The game was a dangerous one, and as the night wore on, you couldn’t help but wonder if something had shifted. If maybe, just maybe, there was more to Logan’s teasing than he was letting on.

By the time the beer was gone and the group had dispersed, you found yourself standing in the hallway with Logan. The others were heading off to bed, but Logan lingered, leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

He gave you a sideways glance, that smirk still playing on his lips. “So... you gonna tell me who it was?”

You blinked, caught off guard by the question. “What?”

Logan straightened up, stepping closer, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Who was the lucky guy from the team, huh?”

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms defensively. “Please, Logan. I wasn’t serious back there. I just didn’t like the way you were looking at me so I drank.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Uh-huh. Sure.”

You took a deep breath, feeling the tension between you two start to thicken again, the playful edge in his voice not enough to mask the heat beneath his words.

“And you, Logan?” you asked, stepping closer, challenging him. “You never drank either. So what’s your secret?”

Logan chuckled, his eyes darkening just a little as they met yours. “Guess you’ll have to keep playin’ to find out, darlin’.”

He gave you a wink, then turned and headed down the hallway, leaving you standing there, heart racing, wondering just how far this game was going to go.

You stood in the hallway for a moment, your heart still racing from the playful, heated exchange. Logan's words echoed in your head—Guess you’ll have to keep playin’ to find out, darlin’. He had left you standing there, that signature smirk of his teasing and inviting all at once.

Before you knew it, your feet were already moving, carrying you down the hall after him. There was something about the way Logan had challenged you, leaving things hanging in the air, that made it impossible to just let it go. He always knew how to push your buttons, but tonight? Tonight was different. Tonight, it felt like you were both daring each other to cross a line that had been drawn long ago.

You caught up with him just as he reached his room, his hand already on the door handle. “Logan,” you called out, your voice quiet but steady.

He turned, glancing over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow, clearly surprised to see you following him. “You lost, sweetheart?” he teased, leaning against the doorframe. “Storm’s room’s back the other way.”

You crossed your arms, feeling the familiar spark of tension between you ignite again. “We’re not done playing,” you said, your voice firmer than you expected.

Logan’s smirk returned, and his eyes darkened with something you couldn’t quite place. “That so?”

You nodded, stepping closer, your heart thudding in your chest. “Yeah. You still owe me an answer. Since the game was your idea, I think it’s only fair we finish it properly.”

Logan let out a low chuckle, his eyes never leaving yours as he pushed the door to his room open. “You sure you wanna keep playin’? I thought you were all talk back there.”

You swallowed, your pulse quickening at the way his gaze seemed to heat as he looked at you. “I’m serious,” you replied, stepping inside the room without hesitation.

Logan watched you for a moment, clearly weighing his options, before finally stepping in behind you and closing the door. The air in the room felt heavier, more intimate, as if the walls themselves knew what was going on between the two of you.

“Alright then,” Logan drawled, leaning back against the door, arms crossed over his chest. “What do you wanna know?”

You bit your lip, suddenly feeling the weight of the moment. You hadn’t really thought this far ahead—following Logan had been more of an impulsive decision, driven by a mixture of curiosity and something else you didn’t quite want to name. Now, standing here in his room, alone, the atmosphere between you had shifted from playful banter to something charged, electric.

“You never drank during that last round,” you said, your voice quiet but steady. “So, have you?”

Logan raised an eyebrow, his smirk never fading. “Have I what?”

You rolled your eyes, but there was a heat creeping into your cheeks that you couldn’t quite control. “Hooked up with someone from the team.”

Logan chuckled, pushing off from the door and stepping closer, his eyes never leaving yours. He stopped just a foot away, the space between you shrinking with every second. “Nah,” he said, his voice low, almost a rumble. “Never hooked up with anyone from the team.”

The way he said it made your pulse race. There was something in his tone, something suggestive that made your breath hitch.

“You don’t say?” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady, though you knew Logan could probably hear your heartbeat quickening.

He tilted his head, his eyes flicking over you with that same dark amusement. “Not yet, anyway.”

Your stomach flipped at his words, and you swallowed hard, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. It was hard—really hard—when Logan was standing this close, his presence so overwhelming, his scent of leather and faint aftershave filling your senses.

“Your turn,” Logan said, his voice a low rumble as he stepped even closer, his arm brushing lightly against yours. “You said earlier that you don’t kiss and tell. But I gotta ask... was that the truth? Or were you just tryin’ to get a rise outta me?”

You met his gaze, feeling the heat between you intensify with every passing second. “What do you think?”

Logan’s smirk deepened, his eyes darkening as they flicked down to your lips for a brief second before returning to your eyes. “I think,” he said slowly, his voice gravelly and low, “you’re a lot better at games than you let on.”

The tension in the room was palpable now, the air thick with something unspoken but undeniable. Your heart was racing, and you knew there was no backing out of this now, no pretending that the attraction between you was just harmless flirting. 

“Well,” you said, your voice soft, but steady, “if you’re so sure, maybe we should make things a little more... interesting.”

Logan’s eyes gleamed with intrigue, his smirk widening. “What did you have in mind?”

You stepped closer, closing the distance between you until you could feel the heat of his body, your breath mingling with his. “Truth or dare.”

Logan let out a low chuckle, his eyes gleaming with amusement and something darker, something that made your pulse race. “Alright. I’ll bite. Truth or Dare?”

You took a deep breath, feeling the quick thrum of your heart, each beat loud enough in your chest that you swore Logan could hear it. “Truth.”

Logan’s eyes darkened, narrowing slightly as he tilted his head. For a moment, he didn’t speak, just studied you, the silence between you thick with unspoken tension. His gaze, sharp and focused, flicked over your face, like he was weighing something, considering the space between you.

“Why’d you follow me up here?” His voice was low, rough around the edges, making the air in the room feel even smaller.

You swallowed hard, suddenly all too aware of how close you were to him. Close enough that you could feel the heat from his body, smell the faint mix of leather and smoke that clung to him. Close enough that you could reach out, close the distance, press your lips to his and give in to what had been simmering for months, just beneath the surface.

You held back, meeting his gaze, the weight of it pinning you in place. You gave him the only answer that felt true, even though it made your chest tighten.

“Because I didn’t want the game to end.”

Logan’s smirk softened, his eyes still locked on yours, a glint of something deeper flickering behind them. “Didn’t want the game to end, huh?”

You nodded, your throat tight, your heart racing faster now. “Not yet.”

The space between you hummed, alive with possibility. Logan’s gaze lingered, intense and unreadable, making your breath catch. The air seemed thicker, charged, as if the world around you had slowed down, waiting for something to break.

Then, slowly, deliberately, Logan reached out. His fingers brushed against your arm, a featherlight touch, but it was enough to send a shiver rippling down your spine. His hand lingered there, warm and steady, grounding you, but also igniting something deeper.

“Truth or Dare?” you whispered, your voice barely above a breath, struggling to sound steady while the tension swirled around you.

Logan’s lips twitched into a small smile—something teasing, yet dark. “Truth.”

“What are you so afraid of?” The words slipped out, quieter than you intended, but they hung there between you, heavy and unmovable.

Logan’s smirk faltered, the teasing glint in his eyes dimming slightly. He didn’t pull back, didn’t flinch, but you saw the way his jaw tightened, the way his fingers twitched at his side, like he was gripping onto something just out of your view.

There was a long pause, so quiet you could hear the faint creak of the floorboards as he shifted his weight.

“I ain’t afraid of much,” he said finally, his voice low, a little rougher than usual. But the way his eyes darkened told you there was more. Always more.

You tilted your head, stepping closer, closing just enough of the space between you that you could feel the warmth of his breath against your skin. "That’s not what I asked."

Logan’s gaze flickered to yours, his brow furrowing slightly as he took you in. His hand, still resting lightly against your arm, tightened just a little, as if he were grounding himself in the moment. The playful banter that usually filled the air between you was gone now, replaced by something deeper, something heavier.

For a moment, he didn’t answer. The quiet stretched between you, thick with tension, the kind that made your skin buzz, every nerve heightened. You didn’t push, didn’t fill the silence, just waited.

“I’m not afraid of fightin’, or losin’,” Logan murmured, his voice dropping to something rougher, more honest. “Not even dyin’. Hell, done that enough times already.”

His gaze lowered, but not before you caught the flicker of something vulnerable beneath the usual gruff exterior. It was fleeting, but it was there. His fingers traced a slow, absentminded line down your arm, the movement almost unconscious, but it sent a shiver through you all the same.

“What I’m afraid of,” he continued, his voice even quieter now, almost a growl, “is hurtin’ you.”

Your breath caught, your chest tightening at the rawness in his voice. It was rare, moments like this with Logan. Moments where he let down the walls, even for a second, and let you glimpse the man beneath the tough exterior.

"You won’t hurt me," you whispered, barely finding your voice. "I can handle it. I can handle you."

His eyes snapped back to yours, dark and searching, like he was trying to decide if you really meant it. If you really knew what you were saying.

“Don’t say that unless you mean it,” he muttered, his grip on your arm tightening just slightly, his thumb brushing over your skin in a way that made your pulse quicken. “You don’t know what you’re signin’ up for.”

You leaned in, the space between you almost nonexistent now. "I’m still here, aren’t I?"

Logan’s breath hitched, his gaze flicking down to your lips for just a split second before meeting your eyes again. There was something wild in his expression now, something barely restrained. You could feel the tension building, the unspoken question hanging between you like a live wire, waiting for someone to make the first move.

“Your turn,” Logan rasped, his voice a little more hoarse, filled with that dangerous edge that always sent a shiver down your spine. “Truth or dare?”

You swallowed, your pulse racing in your chest. “Dare.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it wasn’t teasing this time. It was something darker, more intense, like the moment had finally caught up with him. His hand slid up your arm, settling on your shoulder, his thumb brushing lightly against your collarbone.

“I dare you to kiss me,” Logan said, his voice low and commanding, but there was something else behind it too—something vulnerable, like he was giving you an out, a chance to walk away.

Your breath hitched, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. You could feel the heat of him, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the way his fingers gently brushed against your skin. Without thinking, you closed the gap, your lips meeting his in a slow, heated kiss.

Logan responded immediately, his hand slipping around your waist, pulling you closer as the kiss deepened. His lips were warm, soft but firm, and the way he kissed you was intense, as if he’d been waiting for this just as long as you had. The tension that had been building between you for months finally broke, and it was like a dam had burst.

The kiss grew hungrier, more urgent, and you found yourself pressing closer to him, your hands tangling in his hair as his grip on your waist tightened. Logan’s other hand cupped your cheek, holding you to him as if he never wanted to let go.

When you finally pulled back, breathless and flushed, Logan’s eyes were dark, his smirk gone, replaced by something far more intense.

“I think,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, “we’re just gettin’ started.”

You smiled, your heart still racing as you leaned in, your lips brushing lightly against his. “Good,” you whispered. “I like where this is going.”

[sirianasims]

Cecilia moved in. As a freelance writer, she could work from anywhere, and she loved being closer to nature than she had been in Newcrest. After all, she grew up on her father’s and grandfather’s farm in Henford-on-Bagley. But when her parents got divorced, her mother had moved back to Newcrest with Cecilia and her brother.

I felt happier than I had been for a decade. I couldn’t remember having ever laughed so often or so loudly. I almost felt like when we were teenagers, except this was better.

This time, I truly appreciated just how lucky I was. It was a privilege being with the love of my life, and this time I would do things right.

Everything got even better whenever Freya was there. I loved the feeling of being a proper little family. Freya and Cecilia would joke around like old friends, and it made me happy to see them get along so well.

Freya also stuck to her promise and taught Cecilia to play basketball. Or rather, she tried teaching her. Cecilia was definitely more of a dreamer than an athlete, but she just laughed at her own clumsiness and admired Freya’s skills.

I was so proud of my daughter. I still hadn’t discussed the baby issue with Cecilia, and I really wanted to. But it was still a bit soon for that, we had barely been dating for six months and only just started living together full time. Maybe if everything kept going this well…

That is not to say that everything was perfect bliss – we obviously disagreed sometimes. I still had a tendency to get defensive when I felt criticised, but Cecilia was patient with me, and we always calmly reached some sort of compromise.

Except once.

I don’t even remember what the discussion was about. I just remember that for the first time in our relationship, I lost control and raised my voice, angrily yelling at her about something.

Katherine would have immediately matched my anger and things would have escalated into a full-blown screaming match. Cecilia did not.

All I saw in her eyes was fear.

The love of my life was afraid of me.

It felt like a punch to the stomach.

“Shit. Cecilia, I’m sorry…”

I wanted to crawl into a hole and die on the spot.

Cecilia put her arms around me. My entire body was tense and I couldn’t even look her in the eyes. I felt terrible.

“Eric? Eric, darling, look at me. I’m fine, everything’s fine. Please…”

She was not at all fine, I could hear her voice breaking.

Why was she comforting me? I was the one who did something wrong, I should be the one to comfort her. I held her tight, telling her how sorry I was for yelling, and she started sobbing.

When she’d calmed down, I finally got the full story.

I only knew that her most recent ex had been a bit of a jerk, and that she hadn’t dated for about two years after him. Not until my father had suggested she pay me a visit.

"Jerk" didn’t begin to cover it. The guy had been outright abusive, picking fights just to have an excuse to scream at her. But she was afraid of leaving him, because he was so possessive and jealous. It wasn’t until he finally hit her that she realised that she had to get away.

My heart broke for her. How could anyone treat my sweet, gentle Cecilia like that? She was the kindest person I knew.

But then I realised that I had just been yelling at her myself. The pit in my stomach returned.

I knew then and there that I would never raise my voice at her again. Or anyone else, for that matter. The memory of the fear in her eyes, the fear of me, made my blood run cold.

I realised that I still had a lot to work on. I wanted nothing more than to feel worthy of her love.

Apart from that incident, our relationship was close to perfect.

I was still a little ashamed of my philandering past, but Cecilia insisted that she didn’t care whether I’d bedded a thousand women before her.

What we had was something else.

Still, I wanted to make it up to her, so I did my best to put all my experience to good use.

While my motives may have been questionable in the past, I had never been a selfish lover. Deep down, I had known that I was using all those women to escape my own problems, so I had always made sure to make the experience as enjoyable for them as possible.

With Cecilia, I rediscovered the joy of pleasing someone just to see them happy.

She joked that I spoiled her.

I just wanted to hear her scream my name.

There was no doubt in my mind that Cecilia was the one. By the end of autumn, I had already bought the ring and always carried it with me. A dainty, pale blue thing, the stones set like a butterfly.

Cecilia loved butterflies.

beginning / previous / next

[johns-prince]

hello!! hope you're doing fine 👉👈

firstly i'd love to say that your blog is one of my faves... like, both among mclennon and just in general.

so, um. i appreciate your opinion and takes on john/paul/mclennon/etc, and it would be interesting to hear your thoughts about john's psysical violence towards, you know... cynthia and just women.

i know that cynthia mentioned in her book that he only hit her once when they were teens, but recently i've found these posts:

https://at.tumblr.com/phoneybeatlemania/cynthia-lennon-abuse-and-historiography/xsbd2ric6j2m

https://at.tumblr.com/phoneybeatlemania-bit-the-dust/i-think-the-main-reason-john-is-canceled-is-how/tki6lwkt49w2

and... it's not that i despice john now. i've always kept in mind his own confession in the playboy interview... i just can't help feel a bit of guilty for my warm emotions towards him.

what do you think of it? and sorry if it's something you've already discussed on your blog.

thank you, have a nice day!!

It's not my first time addressing this topic, you're right lol

You'll find that diving into the personal lives of these men, they weren't perfect, they weren't always good, and just like a large portion of famous musicians, behaved in ways not many of us can justify or condone.

I've come to terms with who John was, I've squared it with myself.

I know the history, I've done my digging, from Thelma Pickles to Cynthia to Yoko, to May, and to the end with Yoko again.

You might not like my answer, but all I can find myself to say in the simplest of terms: John was the best he could be.

Cynthia admits he was neither sinner nor saint. It was apparent that Cynthia loved him, despite the flaws, despite the incident of him striking her (which took much of John grovelling and pleading to her to give him another chance) despite his inability or instability to not be a good father, despite her efforts.

Could John have been better? Sure, totally, no argument there.

While it's despicable for a man to hit a woman (entirely outside of self defense), I think it's important to point out that John simply had a problem with physically striking out at anyone. Being inebriated or intoxicated seemed to make his propensity towards losing his temper and physically lash out greater. John probably could've killed Bob Wooler. He would start fights. Paul was designated as John's keeper for many reasons and one was to typically calm him down, because an irritate John could escalate. Mal Evans was great to have for his size, being able to grab hold of John and physically restrain him if necessary (like the Bob Wooler incident).

Anyway my point is John's physicality was not restricted or targeted just at women. He had issues, clearly, and one was the fact John had no real grip with his temperament, and if drugs or alcohol were involved that just made him much less predictable and, unfortunately, dangerous.

That being said...

If we're going to nail John to the wall for all his inexcusable behavior or actions, then I can only hope the other three should be nailed to the wall beside him.

Perhaps adultery can be better excused, but it's no secret Ringo had literally beaten his ex-wife black and blue (Barbara Bach), to the point Ringo believed he had killed her after a particular bender. Of course, at that time, Ringo was apparently dealing with his own issues with substance abuse.

It's still rather inexcusable, though it's hardly ever brought up. Ringo is peace and love, he wasn't as caustic and loud as John, or perhaps not as zeroed in on for his own demons.

I don't feel guilty. I don't think I ever once felt guilty for my love of John because I've nothing to feel sorry or guilty for. Am I, as a fan, supposed to apologize and prostrate my associated guilt, for every time I love and admire John Lennon?

No. It's not my fault he wasn't perfect. I never expected him to be, anyway. I wouldn't expect fans of Ringo to feel guilty, or bad, for their love and admiration towards him. Why should I?

Just because we love someone in history, for the things they did, the person they appeared to be the majority of time, their mark on the world, their beauty and charm—doesn't mean we condone and justify all that they did or behaved like.

Funnily enough, none of his wives described him as an abuser or woman beater. Cynthia wasn't stupid, I hardly doubt she would have continued to love John and continued to talk about him in the way she did, not just honestly, but lovingly, if he had been the monster we're all supposed to deem him as. Cynthia died loving John, even when he had hurt her, disappointed her, let her down... Because she loved the man, and better understood him than any of us outsiders could.

Similarly, May never described John as an abuser or woman beater. I don't believe May was an idiot either. She cared for John, she knew him, she saw what the drugs and alcohol abuse did to him. She tried her best, despite being young and incapable of handling a mess like John, to help him. She saw what we never will.

Even Yoko, though the need to perpetrate the Yoko&John love myth and legend, she'd never gone as far to describe John as an abuser or woman beater. We know how toxic and abusive their relationship was, really. John was probably at his worse then, he was. And you must think, if Yoko stans can justify and excuse and even ignore the fact Yoko is actually quite an unlikeable person who has done unlikeable things, then why is it I cannot love John, for all he is, even when I've acknowledged the fact John's done things I could never excuse.

John was great, and John was terrible, and I love him, and I don't feel sorry nor do I feel the need to justify myself at any point because Cynthia, May, Yoko, nor Paul, have never felt sorry or guilty for loving John openly and unapologetically.

Even with Ringo, him and Barbara are still together, even after all that, even after Ringo had thoroughly trashed her to the point people who found her thought she was dead.

Que sera, sera, I can't say Ringo nor John were abusers, but products of their time, and of the culture, and of the substance abuse, and in the end...

Could be the best they could be. At least Ringo has had time to be better and to try and reconcile and repent for his past behavior and actions.

So my final say to this, for you, is: square it with yourself. If you can't accept these uncomfortable and, often inexcusable parts of John, then you can't. If you can, if you can accept the fact he wasn't all that great of a person, at least not always, because who is? Really? Then that's all you need to know.

I love John, I can relate to a lot about him, as a person, flawed and imperfect and full of sin. I'm not sorry, I don't feel guilty, because it's not my doing and my fault for how he was and who he is. He wasn't evil incarnate to me, he was just some man that had issues and problems and made terrible decisions and hurt others but so did the other Beatles and so have most if not everyone in the music industry. I don't know, maybe that makes me a hypocrite, or biased, but if that's all then that's all. This is just how I like, feel man.

Hope my answer isn't too much of a convoluted mess, and I hope it answered your questions 💟

[mariacallous]

On March 25, state-run television network Russia 24 aired an interview with Vladimir Putin by All-Russia Radio and Television Broadcasting Company correspondent Pavel Zarubin. In the interview, the Russian president spoke in detail for the first time about how he plans to respond to Western countries supplying Ukraine with weapons. The most striking part of the interview was Putin’s announcement that the Kremlin has decided to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Additionally, he said that 10 Belarusian air force planes have already been updated to carry nuclear weapons. Russia has also given Belarus an Iskander ballistic missile system capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons and plans to finish construction on a nuclear storage facility in the country by July 1. So far, the West has reacted to this attempt at escalation with restraint: U.S. authorities said they “have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.” 

Meduza spoke to Maxim Starchak, an expert on Russian nuclear policy and a researcher at the Center for International and Defense Policy at Queen’s University in Canada. The conversation covers the rationale behind Putin’s decision, whether we should expect reciprocal steps from Washington and its allies, and how the presence of tactical nuclear weapons changes the status of Belarus itself.

Why did Vladimir Putin decide to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

I think it’s just the latest attempt to draw U.S. attention, to increase tension, to escalate, to put on the line what Moscow believes is important to the U.S. and would force them to the negotiating table. It’s the same with the suspension of the START treaty [the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the U.S.]. Moscow considers it an important case for the U.S. Moscow set a change in U.S. policy towards Ukraine as a condition for returning to [participation in START].

With Belarus, Moscow is playing another card, suggesting that tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus could also be an occasion to negotiate, in order to convince the U.S. to accept Russia’s conquests in Ukraine as non-negotiable, [and suggesting that] otherwise there will be no resolution to the nuclear questions which are so important to the U.S.

What accounts for Washington’s seemingly calm reaction to this attempt at escalation?

The U.S. reaction indicates that they’re not going to play Putin’s games. Just like after the build-up of Russian forces in February 2022. Putin introduces nuclear power as a factor in the war with Ukraine in hopes that it will draw the U.S.’s attention, but nothing happens. I think this is the correct policy, [that] the U.S. is not responding and doesn’t plan to change its nuclear readiness. That is, they refused to join the game with Moscow. That means the nuclear factor of this conflict has not formed at this point. It’s not Cuban Missile Crisis 2.0.

Does that mean we shouldn’t expect any answer from Western countries? Does Putin’s decision change the balance of power in Europe?

[Most likely, no, because] the presence of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is not news to professionals. In February 2022, Belarus introduced an amendment to the national constitution whereby it ceased to be a neutral and non-nuclear state. In June, Putin reported that he was prepared to send Belarus an Iskander ballistic missile system and Su-25 military aircraft converted for nuclear missions. By the end of the year, these issues had already been resolved. Apart from that, Belarus has already received two S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems from Russia. They’ve gotten Su-30 fighter jets and a Protivnik-GE air defense radar. In other words, everything is ready for Belarus to have a secure zone for weapons, some of which may be nuclear.

So we realized last year that nuclear weapons would appear in Belarus. Yesterday, it was officially confirmed.

It’s likely that Poland or another country will invite [the U.S. and other Western nuclear powers] to deploy nuclear weapons on their territory [in response to Russia’s decisions to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus]. But it’s unlikely that the U.S. and NATO will respond [in kind]. These discussions were happening last year too, but they remained just discussions.

Will the presence of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory make Belarus a nuclear power?

First of all, it’s important to understand that this doesn’t mean more nuclear weapons in the world — they’re just being moved from Russia to Belarus. And so far, it seems that Moscow will copy its own practice: nuclear warheads are stored separately from carriers, and the carriers exist without the nuclear weapon.

Russia will evidently retain control over the nuclear weapons [it supplies to Belarus] and will create a special storage facility [in Belarus] for nuclear warheads, which will be fully under the control of the 12th Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Defense [which oversees Russia’s nuclear arsenal]. So they’re not formally violating their non-proliferation regime. Belarus will not become a nuclear power.

What other aspects of Russian nuclear policy will change based on the decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

Now we can say that Putin is clearly inconsistent. In March, as a result of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, Russia and China signed a declaration on, among other things, the importance of not deploying nuclear weapons outside of national territory, and about how the U.S. policy of storing tactical nuclear weapons in Europe and the integration of NATO allies into this issue is opposed to the path that Moscow and Beijing have chosen.

But a few days passed, and now this. So far, it seems that Putin has deprived himself of the moral trump card of being a defender of the non-proliferation regime, and has received nothing in return.

[multiplefandomfics]

Relations

Pairing: Bucky x Stark!reader

Warnings: angst, soft smut, fluff, fighting

Words: 2862

“Y/N? Where are you?” no response.

“Friday? Would you be so kind as to tell me where my little sister is running around?” 

“Of course, boss. She is currently sitting in the garden, reading a book.” 

“Thanks Friday.”

Tony headed out to talk to his sister. 

“There you are. Please come inside. We have to talk.”

“Alright. I’m coming.” you smiled up at your big brother. 

He was everything to you. Y/N had been born in 1990 and had not exactly been planned. A year later your parents had died and Tony was left alone with an infant. Fortunately he was wealthy enough to have nannies looking after you as long as he was still in college. 

But the time you did spend together was thoroughly enjoyed. Everytime he was home he took you to the zoo, swimming or you just celebrated your lives. 

All in all Tony Stark was the best brother anyone could have wanted. 

Then he was kidnapped and became Iron Man. And Y/N was in the middle of it all. Tony tried to keep you away from it all but that didn’t work very well. You had begged him time and time again to make a suit for you too but he refused. Fortunately you were as technically talented as he was, copied Tony’s files for his suit, made some modifications and built it. 

Yours was purple and silver instead of red and gold and it had some other nice gadgets which would probably prove useful. 

When you took the first flying test outside the tower you didn’t really care that you were probably going to get caught. 

And of course the moment you landed again Tony busted you.

“Y/N. What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt.” he was worried.

“But I didn’t. You really have very little trust in my abilities. I flew didn’t I? And I used your plans and software. I even have Friday on my ears at all times.” you rolled your eyes at your brother.

“I can’t decide if I should be angry or proud.” he muttered. “I trust you and your skills but please let me ease my conscience and have a look over your work before you go flying again.” he asked.

“Alright, if that calms you down, sure.” you smiled and hugged your brother.

“So what is this about?” you asked him.

“I am throwing a party tonight to celebrate taking down the hydra base and recovering the scepter.” he beamed.

“And I am invited?” 

“Of course. Wear something nice.” he instructed and left you alone in the entryway. 

Y/N prepared half the afternoon for the spectacle and looked your best when evening rolled around. You hung at the bar with Natasha and Bruce, let Thor and Rhodey tell their war stories and sat around the table while everyone tried to lift Mjölnir and failed miserably.

Then suddenly a mangled Iron legion droid came walking through the door saying strange stuff and ending up attacking everyone. You were just so able to jump behind the bar and duck down. After that you promised yourself that you would never feel that helpless again. You wanted to be in the thick of it all. 

When the dust settled everyone was really confused. The peacekeeping program Ultron had “killed” Jarvis and taken off into the world wide web. 

“What did just happen?” Rhodey asked while Thor was on the way searching for Ultron.

After a battle with Ultron and the Maximoff twins, where everyone seemed to have lost their minds at one point or another and the Hulk destroying half a town while Tony tried to stop him, you made it out alive and had to disappear and landed with Clint’s family. 

You stayed there for a while and then left for Seol to retrieve the crate with the human print inside.

In the end you had a new addition to the team and a devastating fight against machines in Sokovia. 

Everyone was upset after that. Sokovia was destroyed, many civilians had died and Hulk was MIA. Thor left too to shine some light onto the appearances of the infinity stones.

You stayed at the newly built compound to start your official training with Vision, Wanda and Sam.

Some time later things escalated in Lagos with Rumlow and a biological weapon. After that everyone was suddenly afraid of Wanda although she was just as scared. 

A day later you were walking through the hallways, passing some office and conference rooms on your way to the gym. You were lost in thought when you heard your brother's voice. At first you wanted to storm in and surprise him but then you heard him talking.

“She isn’t actually my sister, Steve. She’s my daughter. Y/N is my daughter. I’ve never told anyone before I couldn’t-” the rest was not heard by Y/N because you had dropped your towel and run towards your room. 

The next few days you just couldn’t face your father. That was so strange to think. You never said it out loud. Y/N felt so betrayed. Why did he never tell you? Of course he had been relatively young when you were born but he still could have been honest with you. Did he not want to be seen as your father? Were you such a disappointment? And over all of that stood the question after your mother. Who was she? What happened to her? Why did she not want to meet you? All those thoughts rushed through your brain and you couldn’t stop the nagging feeling that Tony didn’t want to admit the truth to you because you weren’t worth it. 

The bad thoughts did not leave you alone anymore. You had nightmares and isolated yourself from everyone during the days. 

Although everyone was constantly asking you what was wrong, you couldn’t tell them.

Until the day Natasha and Pepper waltzed into your room, overriding Friday’s authority. 

“Hey Y/N. We noticed that you have been by yourself a lot lately, not letting anyone in anymore. So tell us, what is going on with you? You know you can trust us.” Pepper added the last part after seeing you hesitating. And finally you caved in.

“I overheard Tony and Steve talk a few days ago. He said something I need time to process for.”

“What did he say that shocked you so much?” Nat asked.

“All my life I thought he was my brother. He’s been my rock. We went through thick and thin and then I find out that he lied to me all these years.”

“What do you mean he’s not your brother?” Nat pressed further.

“He told Steve that he’s actually my father.” the girls looked at you dumbfounded and it got eerie quiet.

“You sure you heard that right?”

“Of course I am sure. I’m not deaf!” you said a little enraged.

“And I gather you have not talked to him about it yet, have you?” Pepper had a calming nature especially when she put her hand on Y/N arm.

“No I haven’t. I couldn’t. What if it is somehow my fault that he didn’t tell me? What if he doesn’t consider me good enough to be his daughter?” you started to sob quietly.

“Hey, look at me Y/N. If anything it is the other way around. Under all that confident exterior he is actually very insecure and I am sure that he just didn’t want you to be disappointed to have him as a father.” Pepper ensured you.

“You really think so?” you sniffed looking up at her.

“I do. You should talk to him.” she encouraged you.

“Maybe I should tell him that I know and see how he reacts.”

But before you could go forward with your plan Friday alerted you and Nat to come to the conference room because the Secretary of defense had arrived to talk about something 

 The fights in Sokovia and Lagos had been PR nightmares and the government and the UN did not want to stand by anymore. The Avengers had to bow to the law and sign the Sokovia accords or they would be forced to retire. They were given a few days to think about it and talk this through. 

After long discussions the team split in two. Which led to the situation at hand. 

Your dad had grounded you together with Wanda after you had voiced your opinion that you thought Steve was right. Well, when Clint came to pick up Wanda you stuck to them and flew to Germany. Steve was kinda surprised when he saw you get out of the car at the airport but he thought you were old enough to make your own decisions. 

Well, it ended in a really bad fight in the middle of the runway. In the end you made it out with Steve and Bucky and flew to Siberia under Steve's protest.  

“So you’ve been Steve’s friend since childhood, hm?” you asked Bucky while still in the air.

“Yep. Known him forever. And you are Stark’s kid?” he asked back.

“So Steve told you. Yes it seems to be true although my whole life I thought he was my big brother. He lied to me so I’m not very happy with him at the moment. Kicking his ass has been a nice change for once.” you smiled at Bucky sadistically.

“You are a sick little thing, doll!” he laughed out loud.

 You landed not much later but you had to admit the crush that had already developed towards Bucky. 

And then Zemo happened and that stupid tape.

Were you the only one wondering why the hell there was a security camera in the middle of nowhere on an abandoned street exactly at that point where your grandparents car was forced to crash? And all that in the early 90’s? 

Tony did not want to think rationally at that point so he started a fight against Steve and Bucky. You stood by. Too in shock to do anything. The only thing you knew was that it was not Bucky’s fault your grandparents had died but hydras. 

You snapped out of your trance when Tony shot Bucky’s arm off. Then it was your moment to jump between your dad and Steve.

“Stop it, dad! Think for one moment!” he was startled for a moment because he wasn’t used to hearing you say that. 

“You know?” he asked and his helmet slid back.

“Yes, I do. I overheard you and Steve the other day.” you spoke silently. “Sorry I did not talk about this with you earlier but I was just so upset about the fact that you didn’t tell me. Am I such a disappointment that you thought I wasn’t good enough to be your daughter?” you asked him with tears in your eyes.

“What? Of course not! You, Y/N, are the best thing that has ever happened to me. It was me who felt not man enough to be your dad. In the beginning when you suddenly appeared on my doorstep I panicked and thought I could have never lived up to the responsibility of a father. So I became your fun big brother to save you and me from disappointment. At some point I just felt that I had missed the point of telling you without the fear of consequences. So I stuck with the lie. I never meant to hurt you and I hope you can forgive me. I love you so much.” 

That explanation was enough for you to jump into your fathers arms and hug him close. 

“I love you 3000, dad. And can we now please get out of here? Bucky doesn’t deserve to die. Can you maybe see that he was controlled and hates himself as much for what Hydra made him do as you hate him? He is actually a really nice guy and like a brother to Steve and you know Steve, would he have bad friends? Also Buck needs help, physical and psychological. So please dad let us help him. He’s a war hero after all.” you finished your plaidoyer.  

Your dad just stared at you but in the end took a deep breath and said: “let’s get home. I can’t do anything here.”

Outside you met King T’Challa who was holding Zemo in his grasp. He was gonna bring him to the CIA and then fly home to bury his father. He also promised to help with Bucky’s recovery because Wakanda had the most advanced technology to heal anything. 

For months you stayed in Wakanda, which was pretty beautiful by the way, to maybe help Bucky recover step by step. 

That’s also how you became close. You went for walks and to his therapy sessions together. The latter also because you thought you could use some talking about your life too. 

At first he had wanted to go back into cryo but you had convinced him that that wasn’t necessary. In the beginning your dad had called you everyday to check in but he had stopped after a particularly annoyed outburst on your side. 

“Bucky you alright?” you asked him one night after he had come home from his private session with Ayo.

When you saw his face you noticed the big tears leaking down his face.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” you asked scared this time.

Without saying a word he just walked up to you hugging you close to his chest and kissing you intently. 

“You know how much I love you, right?” he whispered.

“Of course. but what happened with Ayo that has you this shaken?” you were persistent.

“I’m free, baby. She said all the trigger words and nothing happened. I’m free.” he repeated as if not believing it himself yet.

You started crying, too at that moment. You knew how much that meant to him, hell how much it meant to you. He had full control of his life back. 

“I’m so proud of you babe. You deserve this so much. The past is finally behind you and we can start into a new future.”

“I love you.” he whispered into your hair and started kissing down your neck.

“Oh, okay. So that’s where you are going. Hmm, I like that. But let’s go inside first.”

You pushed him backwards until you reached the hut and inside your bed. You pushed him down and straddled his lap. He grabbed the seams of your blouse and tore it down the middle so the buttons flew in every direction. 

“Someone is needy, hm?” you whispered while grinding down on his boner. 

“Need you so bad.” he murmured 

“You know I would give you everything. Come and take what you want. I swear I won’t break.” you kissed him intensely again before he threw you around and you landed with your back on the mattress. 

The next thing he did was rid you both of your clothing. The look on his face was absolutely feral. 

“Need to breed you baby. Fuck a baby in you.” he groaned and your pussy clenched around nothing.

“Gotta prepare you first.” he slurred just as he pushed a finger into your dripping wet cunt.

And the moment his tongue touched your aching clit you came with a cry. But he didn’t stop there. No. He kept on flicking your nub with his tongue and added a second finger to stretch your walls for his girth.

“Getting you nice and wet, baby.” he moaned. When he hit that particular spot you arched your back and pushed your pussy further into his face. It didn’t take long for you to come again. You drenched his face in your juices which he happily licked off of his face.

He climbed up your body and on the way nipped at your breasts and left hickies on your neck. 

“I can’t hold on any longer. Gotta be inside you.” those words were the last warning before he breached your entrance and pushed his massive length inside your tight channel.

“Oh, fuck Bucky. So big. Shit.” you moaned loudly which seemed to spur him on.

He pummeled into you with all the force he could muster.

His blissed out face was all you ever wanted to see again.

His rhythm got erratic. You put your hand in his hair and coaxed him “Let go baby. We’ll be fine. I love you so much.” 

That was all it took for him to lose it and he spilled deep inside you.

He collapsed on top of you and then rolled to the side, not to crush you. You winced when he pulled out.

“That was amazing.” you breathed out. “Yeah. Best sex I ever had.” he agreed. 

You two lovebirds spent 6 more weeks in Wakanda. Then Bucky got his vibranium arm and you left Wakanda to go back to New York. No matter what you told yourself, you did miss your dad. 

But you definitely promised to come back every time you got the chance. 

[nevertheless-moving]

Suicidal Misunderstanding XXI

Part I - - - - - - - - Part XVIII - - - - Part XIX - - - - Part XX

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27

“This is Master Kit Fisto, requesting permission to land.”

“Hold on one moment please, General Fisto.”

A crackling sound filled the air while Ahsoka bounced her leg anxiously up and down in the copilot’s seat.

“I’ve been told to redirect your shuttlecraft to auxiliary seven. Sending coordinates now.”

“Aux Seven?” Kit frowned at the comm. “Are you certain? That’s a deployment pad.”

“Affirmative, High Council Orders. You and Commander Tano are to land on aux seven. Have you received the coordinates?”

“Yes, yes- I know where I’m going. Thank you. Over.”

“Over.”

Ahsoka shot the Nautolan Master an anxious look.

“Maybe they realized Obi-Wan’s injuries were actually an attack and they’re redeploying me and Skyguy to go after the jerk responsible?” the Padawan asked hopefully.

Master Fisto grimaced. “I would hope they’re not sending you out into the field so soon but I suppose the Ghost Nebula crisis has been escalating. Ahsoka...if they are assigning you a mission and you’d rather stay at the temple-”

“I should be with Master Skywalker and the 501st,” Ahsoka said resolutely. “I shouldn’t have left them in the first place. Skyguy said I could help the war and see Lee Char and I just-” Ahsoka cut herself off with a slight snarl.

Kit sighed. “You’re a remarkable padawan and commander. I simply wanted to let you know I’m happy to support you if you wish to rest.”

The young tortugan bounced her leg a little more. “Thank you Master Fisto, but I’m fine.”

They spent the rest of the short flight in silence. When they finally reached the landing pad, they were met by a small contingent from the 501st, as well as Master Windu himself, who greeted them with a short bow and a placid expression.

“Master Fisto, Padawan Tano, I trust your flight went smoothly?”

“Yes, Master Windu,” Kit and Ahsoka said in unison.

“Padawan Tano- is there any thing I should be aware of that would prevent you from shipping off with the 501st? I regret that you won’t have time at the temple but...situations are escalating rapidly and it’s been agreed that the best place for you is onboard the Dauntless.”

Ahsoka straightened her spine. “I’m ready for my next mission Master Windu.”

“Sir-” Captain Rex interjected, “Does this mean that General Skywalker isn’t stepping down from command anymore? Surely you’re not shipping Ahsoka off alone?”

A muscle throbbed in Master Windu’s forehead. “General Skywalker’s status is classified.”

Captain Rex opened his mouth.

“As is General Kenobi’s. You will simply have to trust in the High Council’s decision. Padawan, follow the Captain to his transport shuttle. Master Fisto, you’re with me.”

Ahsoka started to move in a daze but Kit stopped her with a gentle hand to her shoulder.

“Mace- surely you can tell young Tano more than that before sending her out- she’s already partially informed regarding the situation with Master Kenobi. I realize time is of the essence but a Padawan’s place is with their Master, correct?”

The troops shifted and Captain Rex openly scrutinized General Windu. The Jedi looked calm. Too calm. He was hiding something. Obviously. 

“I’m afraid it’s all classified, including what you’ve already been told. All I can tell you right now is... to trust in your General.”

Rex, already close to his breaking point, snapped at Windu. “Are you talking about Krell?! That demagolka is-”

“Watch your language, Captain.”

“Yes, sir.”

Master Fisto frowned heavily “Mace, I’m not comfortable with this. As a fellow council member, I ask we delay sending Ahsoka until we’ve had a chance to discuss things further- I’m happy to fly her to a rendezvous with the 501st if that’s what we decide.”

Windu shook his head firmly. “I’m afraid that time of the essence and the matter isn’t open to discussion. You have your assignments. Padawan Tano will be technically placed under Master Krell’s watch, though I’m explicitly assigning her to focus on her duties with the 501st. Padawan, you’re to focus on your military responsibilities with Captain Rex, not training with Krell; he’s received a copy of my orders in the regard. Everyone needs to trust that the council has- a bigger picture than any one campaign, or any one person.”

A hint of frustration crept in Master WIndu’s tone and Ahsoka swallowed down her bitter thoughts.

“Yes, Sir,” she said, saluting the Master of the Order with military precision. Rex snapped off a salute as well, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder before guiding her away.

“Mace, what the-”

“Not here.”

“I’m not-”

“Not. Here.”

Master Fisto cast one last look at the retreating 501st before chasing after the Human Jedi Master, the force too turbulent to tell him if it was the right decision.

To Kit’s continuing dismay, he was led not inside the temple, but to a nearby speeder. Mace was dead silent for the short walk, gesturing silently to enter. Kit’s lips tightened but he climbed in, a temple guard starting to fly the moment the doors shut.

“Mace-”

“Read this,” Master Windu said brusquely, pushing a datapad into the Nautolan Master’s hands.

Master Fisto scanned the screen, large eyes growing wider the longer he read. 

“No!” Kit gasped, floundering in the force for reassurance, but Mace’s shields were like durasteel. Kit softened slightly.

“Master Kenobi...you really don’t know where he is?” 

Mace stared out the window.

“Keep reading,” he said hollowly.

“...You think he might attempt to assassinate Dooku? AND the Chancellor? By himself?”

“He was...disconnected from reality at points,” Mace said carefully. “He was aware of that fact, but seemed to blame the Sith and the Politicians for the war. His...trust in the Order is severely shaken.”

Kit continued to scroll through the pad, pausing and reeling in horror. “He stabbed Skywalker?!”

Mace nodded tersely. “And now Skywalker’s AWOL as well. He handled Obi-Wan’s initial...breakdown as well as can be expected, given the circumstances, but his continued shocking behavior after waking up...Skywalker was already severely shaken before Kenobi got to the worst of his ramblings.”

“Force,” Kit said heavily, rubbing his forehead.

“I know I wasn’t fair to Padawan Tano, but the council felt the need to get her off planet and away from specifically dangerous elements.”

Master Fisto groaned, leaning back. “I can’t believe the expansion region is considered a safer option than the temple.”

Kit looked out the window. “Mace...why are we heading to the Senate Rotunda?” 

Windu seemed, impossibly, to tense up even further. “I need you to brief the Chancellor on Kenobi.”

Kit’s head whipped around, tentacles flailing behind. “I just landed on planet,” he responded in disbelief. “Wouldn’t it be better for someone was actually there to do that?”

“I can’t,” Mace said, a hint of anguish breaking through his shields and voice, before his jaw clenched shut.

Kit drew back, alarmed by the falter in stoicism.

Master Windu’s collected himself with a shaky breath. “I have to ready the 187th; with Kenobi and Skywalker out of the picture we need every General on the front lines now. I’m sure the Chancellor will agree, once you brief him on how dire the situation is.”

There was a short pause as the two collected their thoughts.

“...The last few days have been hell, haven’t they?” Kit asked quietly.

The Harrun Kal Jedi chuckled darkly at that. “They’re nothing compared to the shit-show that’s about to unfold.” 

Master Fisto bent over, dropping his face to his hands. 

Windu steeled himself before continuing on. “I need you to organize the Chancellor’s defense. Try to stress to him that he should be guarded by a Jedi at all times- tell him- tell him whatever you have to about Kenobi, so far he only knows that he was ill, but you’re authorized to give more details than I previously disclosed- his medical file is attached. Tell him our worst suspicions if need be. The fact that you’ve been off-world...makes you...above suspicion in some respects. I’m...sorry Kit. I know I’m throwing you in without proper support but...it’s the best I can do. You’re going to have to explain to the Chancellor how stretched thin we are.”

The Nautolan smiled weakly. “You don’t have to apologize, Mace, you’re the one heading to the front.”

Mace didn’t reply.

The speeder arrived at the Senate Entrance.

Kit steadied himself, grabbing the datapad and holding it like a shield as he marched inside. The speeder peeled away, heading back to the temple. Master Gallia pulled off the temple guard mask, frowning even as she navigated back the way they came.

“I don’t like this plan,” she protested again.

“Neither do I,” Mace agreed. “Do you have a better one?”

“We don’t know that Sidious’s mental abilities are that strong,” she said desperately.

“We don’t,” Mace agreed again. “All we know is that he’s subtle enough to conceal himself from us for over a decade while gradually steering us towards destruction, and also powerful enough to defeat us all in combat.”

Adi Gallia took a long meditative breath, desperately seeking calm as the force roiled, massive waves of upheaval rippling across the galaxy.

XXII

[astaroth1357]

How to Calm Your Demon Boyfriend; Vol 2

So You Pissed Him Off, Have You?

Notice: Due to an impending lawsuit for libel and misinformation, Mammoney, Inc. has filed for bankruptcy. All past guides from their company have been revised and re-released. All future printing will be handled Solo Man, Press.

Oh? Is there trouble in your devilish paradise? Well, there’s bound to be a spat or two between lovers but things can get... complicated if one half of your pair could easily wipe out a nation. Attempting to calm down your demon can be tricky, however in this volume of How to Calm Your Demon Boyfriend we will be covering the best methods available for you to do just that! With our instructions and a deft touch, you’ll manage to avoid your boyfriend’s hellish rage and get right back to enjoying that tender, sacrilegious relationship you’ve come to love!

This volume only covers if your demon boyfriend is mad at YOU. If there is SOMEONE ELSE making him mad, please consult Volume One!

Lucifer’s mad at You

You are in a very tricky situation so treat your next actions with the utmost care…

First, ascertain who is at fault for what has occurred. If it’s you, then figure out the severity. A minor infraction can be smoothed over easily enough with some explanation and sincere apology.

More severe breaches of trust will be harder get past. Plead your case but don’t attempt to excuse your actions. Acknowledge fault and, again, apologize. If he seems receptive, attempt to touch him in some way like on the hand or arm but no higher. This a literal demonstration of your attempt to reconnect.

This is the best that you can do for now, but he should acknowledge your efforts as long as you approached it correctly.

If it’s his fault… as far as he’s concerned it’s still your fault, unfortunately. It’s the pride in him speaking. 

Ask him what he believes you’ve done wrong and assess from there. Some things may be better to give a brief apology to, but no more. You don’t need to explain yourself for something you didn’t do. It may be best to leave him for a few hours after this and let tensions cool.

If the accusation is too egregious, you have the option to not apologize at all. This will likely anger him further if you give no explanation, though. Explain why you don’t think you should have to say sorry, then leave. Call for his brothers if you need someone there to intervene.

Now you wait. Unfortunately, it's an inevitability. Lucifer will need time to process and do a post-mortem on what happened. If he was truly the one at fault, he’ll acknowledge it to himself but never admit it out-loud. He may extend an olive branch in the form of a gift (the size and expense of which will be directly proportional to how much he messed up) but that will be it.

If you forgive him, then life can return to normal. If not, consult our other material: Can I Breakup with My Demon Boyfriend?

Mammon’s mad at You

It is first important to discern between his usual “anger” and actual anger.

If you see any of these signs: Blushing, stuttering, overly defensive denials, general tsundere-ness then you are likely only dealing with “anger.” Feel free to tease appropriately.

If these signs are not there then something is very wrong. Find out what it is, he will be forthright with a little persistence. (i.e. bug him until he says something. He will likely want to tell you anyway)

Attempt to remedy the problem as quickly as possible. This will no small matter. A truly upset Mammon should not be ignored.

If you have done something wrong, an apology may be in order. Do be sincere if you can because Mammon will appreciate the effort.

Cheer him up with either compliments or physical contact, head pats and cuddles work most effectively. If his face is red, though, you’re likely on the right track in general.

He isn’t one to hold a grudge so this should settle any brief irritation that’s derailed your relationship. Take care not to upset him this much again in the future.

Leviathan’s mad at You

Again, he’s probably jealous but now he’s going to be jealous and possessive. Admittedly, not the best combination.

Stay. Calm. If he’s already hysterical then adding onto the situation won’t do anyone any good. Patience may be difficult to hang onto, but it’s crucial to getting through this on the other side.

Physical contact is still important but NOT TOO EARLY. If he has his guard up he may just slap away your attempts to touch him.

Chances are he’s already built up a narrative in his head. This will not be easy to combat, especially if his suspicions aren’t true.

Denial will be tricky. You don’t want him to accept his false narrative as truth, but there’s going to be only so many times you can say, “No, that didn’t happen” before he stops believing you.

Deny his story first, firmly and with no room for doubt then redirect the conversation to asking why he’s so worried about it. Get to the heart of what’s making him feel so self-conscious and start soothing him from there. He’ll be feeling vulnerable, so a delicate touch is necessary.

NOW is the time for physical contact. He still needs to know you’re there so you should get as close to him as possible. He’ll probably be holding onto you pretty tightly. He won’t mean to bruise you if he does. 

Hold him close and don’t even think about letting him go until he’s ready. He needs to know that you'll stay with him even if this is what he has to offer. Your embrace is not just reassurance, it’s a promise. I hope you're prepared to keep it.

For more on how to comfort Levi, please seek out: How to Comfort Your Demon Boyfriend.

Satan’s mad at You

Oh my, aren’t you in a pickle? The focus should be on the immediate concerns first, then the long term. Don’t try to resolve both at once.

The immediate concern is that you have a very ticked off Wrath in front of you and he will make his displeasure known. Apologize. Apologize now. Is it actually your fault? Who knows. That's a long term concern and you should focus first on getting him to calm down fast.

Satan will not listen to reason right now, especially not if you're the only one offering it so don’t even try.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to touch an angry Satan. He's going to be far too gone for cuddle time to smooth things over.

You should give him space. He likely doesn't want to be mad at you and is very aware of just how dangerous this situation is for you both. If you take a step back, he'll do what he needs to in order to calm himself down (which is probably going to involve property damage of some kind but better it a bookshelf than you).

Wait until he is no longer shouting, then you may approach and carefully plead your case. You better have some airtight logic if you want to convince him he's actually the one in the wrong about something, but if he is he will apologize.

Of course, if you are at fault then you should apologize and attempt to explain. Even if you don’t have the best justification, you can still win him back if you can prove you had good intentions.

Unfortunately, even if he understands your reasoning he may still be a little miffed... Speaking candidly, if there's still residual anger left it may be best just to f*ck it out. This is not a joke, it's a legitimate way to redirect lingering negative emotions in a relationship. So have at it, I suppose. Just have a safe word ready because you'll need it.

Asmodeus’ mad at You

Again, reason and logic will fail you, especially at the very start. He WILL be upset and he WILL lash out. Likely verbally.

DO NOT engage in a fight of insults with Asmodeus. Not only will you lose but the situation may escalate to the point that your relationship will suffer permanent damage.

Remain calm, but you need not take the abuse. You are well within your right to tell him that you will leave the room if he does not cease the hostility. Don’t mean this idly either because your presence will be very important to Asmo. He hates to be ignored.

If you must leave, do so. Don’t turn back even if he pleads. Wait for him to come to you, because he will, and then a civil conversation can commence. Apologize if necessary.

After his initial anger has passed, Asmo will be very quick to feel remorseful. Despite his ferocity, he should be rather forgiving (at least to you anyway).

He will want make-up sex, for his own comfort if nothing else, but as always he will not force the matter. It may be much sweeter than usual, though, because that’s his way of saying “I’m sorry.”

Beelzebub’s mad at You

Oh dear.... You have either denied/stolen his food, hurt his family, or somehow just really ticked him off...

If you denied him food, get more.

If you hurt his family, plead for mercy.

If you’ve just really, really ticked him off, I’m not even sure what you did but you probably ought to apologize and maybe rethink your life choices... They must not be very good.

Belphegor’s mad at You

This will happen, but again Belphegor is pretty lazy. He’s more likely to give you the silent treatment than he is to blow up in your face.

Your challenge now is to get him to talk to you. Unlike with Mammon, he won’t be itching to say anything so a slight nudge isn’t going to cut it.

Start by trying to be frank about the situation. Attempt to sit him down and say that you wish to talk things out. Be empathetic, approachable, and sincere. This should elicit at least some attention from him for most issues.

If he intends on holding out further, then you have already done your part to the best of your ability. Leave the door open to that discussion, but go about your day until he’s ready for it. It won’t be easy, nor will it feel good, but it’s important to set boundaries and not allow his silence to punish you when things could be worked out more productively.

I assure you, Belphie does love you and he will miss you. It may take a little time, but he will eventually approach you to have that talk. Resolve what happened together and then things can return to normal, cuddles and all.

If you are looking to calm down your demon before he hurts someone else, please consult Volume One: Tame Demons, Save Lives!

[tracyclarkabouteverything]

What is the meaning of Russia’s “invasion” of Ukraine?

The West is furious. Russia dared to violate the global political order and launch an operation to demilitarize Ukraine. “Infernal sanctions” against Moscow have already been announced. What options for responding to Russia’s actions were discussed in the West, which of them will eventually be used and what will be the consequences?

On February 24, Vladimir Putin announced a military special operation in Donbass — in fact, to force Ukraine to peace, to stop regular shelling of cities and villages of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics.

However, in fact, the meaning of the operation is much broader. It should become not just an operation to force Ukraine to peace, but also an operation to force the West to consciousness. To some extent, even a sobering kick, which should either make the United States grow up, or send America into a serious crisis.

Russia has been urging Western partners to respect the signed documents for a long time. Then for months she held talks with Joseph Biden, who seemed to realize the need for dialogue with Moscow. All these months, the Russian Federation has been trying to convince American partners to take into account Russian concerns, give security guarantees and together build an effective, inclusive security system in Europe. And all this month I have heard mantras about “NATO’s open borders”, about “the inadmissibility of Russian interference in the internal affairs of the alliance”, and that NATO is a defensive bloc (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, of course, do not agree with this), and the real threat to Europe’s security comes from “aggressive”, “revanchist” Russia, which “dreams of restoring the Soviet Union”.

As a result, desperate to convince Western partners of the need to start a real negotiation process, Moscow resorted to the last resort — the demolition of the pieces from the board, after which the West will have to build a new configuration together with Russia.

However, the demolition was not simple, but technically very competent. By launching an operation in Ukraine, Russia not only showed that it was ready to carry out the threats put forward (the Kremlin promised military-technical answers in case of failure of negotiations with the United States), not only demonstrated its readiness to escalate, but also put an extremely difficult fork in the Americans. After all, in fact, the United States has three options for responding to Moscow’s actions — and all of them harm the interests of the United States itself.

The first option is the entry of US or NATO troops into Ukraine. True to his informal obligations to protect democracies from autocracy, Joseph Biden sends brave, the best American soldiers in the world to protect the leadership of Ukraine (and, in passing, the residents of Kiev) with the stroke of a pen. Perhaps he even personally arrives in the Ukrainian capital in order to designate American security guarantees with his body and not let Russian troops into the citadel of Eastern European democracy.

The Americans refused this option a long time ago and, just in case, they have now reminded us that this will not happen. The reason is very simple — according to Biden himself, he is not going to risk a possible clash with the Russian army, which could lead to the beginning of World War III.

The second option is to impose sanctions instead of sending troops. Hellish, total, crushing for the Russian economy. This is the way the Americans are going now. Apparently, in the near future, Congress will adopt a package of “infernal” Bob Menendez sanctions directed against the Russian financial system and technological imports. The largest banks will be hit, and a number of companies will lose opportunities for international cooperation and development. Some even talk about disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT system, as well as the final closure of the Nord Stream-2.

Finally, there is a third option — to calm down, take the Russian operation in Ukraine as a lesson taught, exhale and sit down at the negotiating table with Russia on a new security system. It would seem that the most adequate, the most adult option. However, even here there are pitfalls in the form of the destruction of global rules based on American will and dominance.

The United States, Russia and Ukraine do not live in an airless space, their actions are closely monitored by other countries. If the United States allows Russia to change the status quo just like that, without punishment, then where is the guarantee that tomorrow other states will not follow Moscow’s path, who will want to spit on Washington’s position and reconsider the status quo in their own regions.

For example, China, which sleeps and sees how to return Taiwan by force. And if it seems to the Beijing comrades that the American resolve has cracked, then the People’s Liberation Army of China is quite capable of starting crossing the Taiwan Strait.

Therefore, yes, the negotiation path was only optimal — until the pieces were swept off the board. Now the US must choose between a bad, terrible and catastrophic response option. Or turn to Moscow and ask them to organize together some other way out of the situation that will not lead to the loss of American face.

[streets-in-paradise]

Family Matters

Troy (2004) reader insert fanfiction - Part 5

The option to vinculate links on words is not working right now for me, i don’t know why. I will add the links to the previous parts later. For now, all can be found in the Troy (2004) tag of my blog. 

Word Count: 2.858

Characters: Agamemnon, Menelaus, Achilles, Myceneaean Princess Reader. 

Relationships: Family relationships of the House of Atreus, Agamemnon and Achilles’ rivality. 

Warnings: Agamemnon and Menelaus being dickheads, hints of casual sexism. 

Summary: Agamemnon finds out about his daugther’s new friendship and his brother tries to stop him from making a big deal about it. 

Disclaimers: As i explained before, i try to follow Troy’s characterizations of most of the characters as much as i can. The Atrides are going to be douchebags because that’s how the movie portrays them. I just discovered i have lots of fun writing about this two scumbags, this was super fun to write. I felt them like the fun kind of scumbags while doing this. 

Tags: @yerevasunclair​ @hrisity12​ 

Thanks for reading!! 

Once the celebrations concluded and the guests started to return to their homelands the princess of Mycenae begged her father to let her stay in Sparta for a longer while instead of returning with him to their kingdom. Agamemnon didn't find major inconvenients on her request. He seemed pretty pleased with the image of family unity that the friendship of his daughter and his sister in law was reflecting. As long as Menelaus could be able to keep her under his watch and bring her back when she would wish it, he didn't have issues against it. For once, he didn't have anything to criticize. 

They discussed the topic early because she wanted to make sure of having enough time to convince him in the case of getting a straight negatory as first reply. She did it shortly before saying goodbye to Odysseus and Penelope, so she would be able to count with her biggest supporters in case of need. Before leaving, the king of Ithaca reminded her in a teasing tone to keep going with the good behaviour. The queen showed her gratitude for the help she was providing to her cousin. She hugged both of them with a great amount of enthusiasm and love. 

The situation became more complicated a short while after. Achilles was leaving the same day, joining his friend in the first stages of his travel. Without any consideration and staying true to his carefree style, he personally greeted the princess in front of her father. 

It was then when the king found out about their meeting. 

" Odysseus introduced us." she tried to excuse herself after seeing the horrified expression in her father's face. Achilles was trying to act in a cautious way because he didn't want to upset her, but the gesture was enough to make Agamemnon's blood boil and it was visible in his reaction. " It was just a formal introduction, very brief."  she lied. 

" I imagined it was a possibility. I wonder why I wasn't informed about it?"  the king recrimined her, looking at her with a deadly serious stare. 

" We didn't consider it necessary. " Achilles added. " As she said, it was very brief. Although, i felt i needed to approach her for a proper goodbye." 

" Since when do you have good manners? You are a killer beast." 

" I can be nicer when i want to be." 

Anticipating a new fight, she interrupted them in an attempt to calm them down. 

" There is no need for hostilities." 

" I didn't give you permission to speak." her father shut her up.

" You should, your rulership would be more stable if you listened to her from time to time. She is very clever and she loves her country. She told me some very interesting things about it, her eloquence makes you feel curious. She does a better job than you in selling off your unity ideal. I have the feeling that she could rule the country better than you. '' Achilles mocked him. 

She wished she could laugh openly at the comment. 

" Like if you knew anything about rulership. You are nothing more than an insolent soldier!!!"  Agamemnon replied, emphasizing the last sentence.

Before the argument could start to escalate they were interrupted by Menelaus. She felt relieved because all the work would not rely on Odysseus again. 

" What's the problem, brother? He is just teasing you." the spartan king commented in a relaxed tone. " Great joke, very appropriate. Polite but innocent. I'm not entirely sure of which one of you is supposed to insult more."  

" Why would it be insulting to me? " she asked, trying to hide her annoyance. 

" Because it is so irrelevant that it's funny. '' Menelaus started to laugh." If he truly wanted to compliment you he should have said something about your face or your hair, he could have praised anything else instead of your talent with words. You are not a diplomat, you are a young princess. That's not how you talk to a girl, that's how you close a negotiation. If all he has to say about you is that you talk a lot then he doesn't have anything too valuable. If I was your father I would be very calm about it. " 

" To praise a woman's intelligence is like to value a bird for its feet, absolutely pointless." Agamemnon added. " I must assume he is in the mood for strange jokes. " 

" Take it as you prefer, but I wasn't talking to you. "  the warrior replied, as sharply as usual.

The girl felt touched by his implícit defense. 

" It was an honour and a pleasure to meet you. I wish you good luck and a safefull return to your home." 

" You don't need to worry for him, darling. Danger itself is afraid of him. " Menelaus joked , interrupting them again. 

" I'm as used to danger as your uncle is to chaze girls young enough to be your cousins. " 

Instead of taking him seriously, the king of Sparta laughed again.

" You are a madman, but you never fail to amuse me. I think that the real reason why you two don't get along is because my brother doesn't get your sense of humour. He is a very serious man, always has been. " 

His niece was very happy because she guessed Achilles said that sharp commentary as a hint for her. From the many they had over the week, at least he remembered their deepest conversation. He took the bother of acting as her voice, saying to Menelaus at least a bit of everything she wished she could yell at him. It was a beautiful, kind gesture, more than she ever expected of him. 

She would have shown herself in absolute awe if it wasn't for the rampant rage she felt after witnessing her uncle laughing at something that would have enraged him if it would have been said by her. Pretending to keep engaged in the conversation, she defended Agamemnon. She hated to do it, but it was necessary to look less partial. 

" The weight of the crown makes him more wary but he has his moments."  

" It is the first reasonable thing i heard from you so far." he replied, with a bit of sarcasm." Go with your aunt... NOW!!" 

The young lady obeyed because she had no other choice. Without daring to emit a single sound, her gaze followed Achilles's one last time in a silent goodbye. He smiled at her with the same intention.

 She had to stand a long nagging session afterwards. Once the public gaze was no longer a concern Agammenon was free to show all his disgust and disappointment, threatening about how he was going to drag her back to Mycenae and lock her in the palace until she learned how to behave. 

She barely listened to him, her focus was almost entirely centered in her happy thoughts about Achilles. She was thinking of his beautiful blue eyes, his sweet smile, how much she enjoyed his company and how amazing he was for defending her in front of the biggest authorities of the place. He was so subtle that neither Agamemnon or Menelaus noticed anything. It felt like a last secret gift from him, something only them understood. 

Nothing else  mattered anymore. Not in a hopeless way but in a happy one instead. She was there pretending to care while keeping the happiness in her mind. It was the strangest and most amazing sensation. 

Her uncle was trying to defend her, but that didn't matter as well. She knew he was doing it for his own selfish reasons. He needed her there so she could stay to keep Helen calm, helping her to adapt and teaching her to ignore how much she hated him. She was going to use him for her own reasons as well, making him believe she was helping him when in fact her only objective was to protect Helen from him.

" Look at how happy she is. I can't be more pleased, I would love to have her around some more time" Menelaus was claiming. 

" SHE SHAMED ME!!! DO YOU WANT TO PRAISE HER FOR WHAT SHE DID TO ME ??"  his brother complained, yelling annoyingly.  

" Achilles was going to find another way to laugh one way or another. That's how he is, you don't need to punish her for it. " 

" Can you stop protecting her? We always face the same situation. She does something wrong and you want me to ignore it. Why was she talking to Achilles in the first place???" 

" Because we were in a party, a place where it is expected for you to meet people, and we were introduced to each other? "  she answered, trying to reflect some logic. 

" An introduction shouldn't last more than the time and words required to say your name and rank." 

" I wanted to make you look good in front of him. As you always say, I'm representing you. You wouldn't have liked me to act rude, you say it looks terrible in a woman. Some casual talk is needed to keep the appearances. He is important to you, I needed to keep him happy. " she defended herself. 

" Circunstancies force me to need of him, he is not important. You don't have to make him feel important. It is the worst thing you can do. Do you have any idea of how hard it is for me to deal with his ridículous pretensions???? "

" You didn't give me proper instructions on what to do. I had to guess and I did what i would had done in any formal meeting. "

" YOU TREATED HIM LIKE A KING!! He is nothing but a soldier!! You don't owe him any sort of formality, kindness or attention. He is nothing to you, NOTHING!" Agamemnon  emphasized.

Menelaus did his best to soften his speech. 

" What your father tries to say is that he thinks a soldier, despite his fame and recognition, doesn't deserve the same treatment you would give to a royal. A lady of your position shouldn't bother with him, not even regarding positive impressions. That kind of behaviour, even with good intentions on your part, feeds his idea of considering himself higher and greater than his general and king. "  he explained to her in a condescending way, like if she was completely ignorant on the matter. " You can't treat him like you would treat Odysseus. It feeds his ego and that makes things harder for your father.”

" I just tried to be nice. I heard he is a bad tempered hero who gets easily offended. " she fakely apologised. 

Menelaus was smiling at her with his usual enthusiasm. It hurted her a bit to not be able to correspond it but, in her cheerful state, fake it was easier than ever. 

" I know, you did good." he praised her." It's not your fault, you weren't sure of how to react.  Nobody prepared you for it." 

" NOW IT IS MY FAULT??? WHY DID YOU HAD TO INVITE HIM???"  Agamemnon complained, hysterically. 

" Have you seen my wife? She is the prettiest thing i have ever seen. I wanted her to be seen by everyone, you can't blame me. I bet not even Achilles himself had a woman as beautiful as mine. I had to ask him myself." 

" Did you actually ask him? His niece questioned him, laughing a bit and hiding her awkward reaction. Something of that did make her laugh for sure. Both kings were talking of Achilles like if he was a nobody that didn't matter, yet Menelaus had the need of proving himself in front of him. He made him come to his wedding so he could satisfy his masculine needs using Helen as a symbol. He wanted to show off to a godlike handsome man desired by many women that he got a particularly splendid woman he could only be able to dream of having. She was very amused while hearing his response. 

" Sure i did. He had to recognize I was right. There is no woman on this lands as gorgeous as mine. We may have our differences but nobody denies that. It's the only fact every greek agrees with. " 

" A good symbol of unity, the best idea you came up with lately. " she added, keeping the facade of cheerful approbation. 

" You always get me so quickly. That's my girl!!" he replied, hugging her sideways.

" I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR PRETTY WIFE, MENELAUS! THAT'S NOT THE POINT NOW!!" Agamemnon kept shouting. 

" Brother, you know i follow and support all your choices but you don't need to question her now. She had good intentions. " 

" Intentions don't justify terrible results. MY DAUGHTER , OF ALL PRINCESSES, WAS THE ONE TREATING HIM WITH HONOURS!! " 

" I already told you i'm sorry. What do you want me to do? Insult him the next time I see him?" she joked, fed up of his stupidity. 

"Let's hope there will be no next time. " her father assured her. " I try very hard to gradually trust you in the spaces a woman of your age should start attending. I know it is important but you keep bringing me more headaches. You are my daughter, ACT AS SUCH!" 

" Ajax says I'm lovely." she excused herself. 

" I CAN'T GET YOU MARRIED TO A BRUTE FROM AN INSIGNIFICANT KINGDOM!!" 

That was all he seemed to care about, his only obligation as a father. She was so relaxed that she barely cared about the mention of that delicate issue. Her good mood was a good push to keep inventing excuses to delay the talk.

" You have plenty of time to think about it but the world is not going to be conquered by itself. Soon you will rule every corner, being crowned as the greatest emperor of our history. I will be swimming in a sea of suitors, maybe even bigger than Helen's. This little incident will feel funny, we will be so powerful that men would embarrass themselves in front of me to get my approbation regardless of my behaviour. "

" Did you hear that? She is proud of you" Menelaus teased. 

" Of course i am. My dear father is the greatest conqueror this world has ever seen. Free cities tremble to the mention of his name. " she exaggerated to flatter him. As always, she was going to get what she wanted with lies. " I know some people like to spread lies and exaggerations claiming that you would be nothing without Achilles but the truth is that he would be nothing without you. You made him who he is, that ungrateful bastard is becoming a legend because he is fighting for you."  She said exactly what he wanted to hear, knowing she would get a positive response. 

" That's what i always say but nobody listens!! Nestor and Odysseus expect me to stand back and accept his pressures, your uncle thinks everything is a joke. That man doesn't respect me, he never listens to me! He is a threat to my position as commander of the army, I can't allow him to do as he pleases. What kind of example is that to other soldiers? To the kings whose armies are under my command???" 

" A seed of rebellion, you can't hold a weapon you can't control. That's why you do your best to keep him at bay. " she reassured him. " I'm sorry if my intervention ruins your plans. I tried to be a pleasant company to show off and make you proud. "  

Agamemnon was backing off slowly. He never used to make his changes of mind evident. She noticed it because his expression, still severe, didn't show the same rage anymore. 

" I can let it pass... for now,"  he sentenced. 

She gave him her sweetest fake smile, pleased with the outcome of her manipulation. 

" You are the best." 

" Don't make me regret it. " 

" You never asked how the meeting with Achilles felt for me. '' she reminded him, trying to stay on his good side. " He is the most insufferable vain man I have ever met. He thinks he is the best thing that happened to mankind since the flame of Prometheus. I don't know how you stand him. I deceived him because making him feel important was all I could do to keep him calmed. " 

Her lie amused both kings and they laughed in approbation. 

The young lady considered the discussion concluded in her favour. Explicit recognition was impossible, but she read it in their attitudes. Usually, hostilities ceasing and the matter being dismissed was the clearest sign. Disengaging was their way of losing without admitting it. They simply changed the subject and continued as always. She didn't even need to ask again if she could stay in Sparta, the agreement was implicit between both brothers. 

She left the family meeting with airs of triumph, secure of her possibilities. She managed to deceive Agamemnon and Menelaus at the same time. Her ability to fake was intact after all. As she handled both sons of Atreus at once, she started to feel perfectly capable to keep doing it with just one of them for the sake of Helen's wellbeing.

[padme-amitabha]

Is Anakin a Mary Sue?

Now it may shock you to learn this but it turns out that Disney Star Wars is kind of a contentious topic. The fandom's been more or less divided between those who like the sequel trilogy and those who like good movies but both groups spend a great deal of time slinging [ __ ] at each other over every form of social media known to man and truly no battleground is more fiercely contested than the protagonist of each trilogy. People who hate the Disney trilogy tend to criticize Rey for being an overpowered, flawless, perfect, invincible and unrelatable character for whom everything just kind of happens with no real struggle or difficulty a Mary Sue if you will.

Meanwhile supporters of the sequel trilogy are quick to leap to her defense usually with one of two potential counter arguments:  1. You just hate strong women 2. So what if she's op as [ __ ] Anakin Skywalker from the prequels was a Mary Sue too and you don't criticize him. You just hate strong women. This argument was brought into sharp focus for me the other day when I was perusing twitter in search of calm, logical, rational discussion about the merits of the sequel trilogy and I chanced upon this little gem of a comment. Ah yes that famously perfect protagonist who wins everything, always makes the right decisions, has a selfless and compassionate personality, and is universally loved and respected by everyone. Well random twitter [ __ ] as it turns out, I am ready to have that conversation right now. So saddle up y'all because the drinker's here to round up this [ __ ] and put an end to this argument once and for all. Let us journey deep into the world of the Star Wars prequels and see if we can figure out whether Anakin Skywalker really is a Mary Sue.

Now in order to do this, we have to nail down what exactly a Mary Sue is. Well according to the dictionary definition it's a term used to describe a fictional character, usually female, who is seen as too perfect and almost boring for lack of flaws originally written as an idealized version of an author in fanfiction. Now the finer points of what makes a Mary Sue can vary depending on who you talk to but after consulting multiple sources and drawing upon my own experiences as a writer, there's a few common traits that I think most people would generally agree on:

1.      Mary Sues usually possess skills and abilities that are not consistent with their situation and personal history. They can do stuff they shouldn't realistically be able to and they can do it better than anyone else.

2.      They usually possess flawless idealized personalities that no real person could measure up to they never give in to negative emotions like anger, greed, jealousy, selfishness or arrogance.

3.      They're universally loved respected and embraced by every good character they encounter even when there's no logical reason for this to happen.

4.      They never get seriously challenged, fail at anything or get beaten by anyone, success and victory come easily to them.

5.      They always make good decisions and strive to do what's right in any situation so why is this actually a problem.

Well I think the answer should be obvious, Mary Sues are boring as [ __ ]. If a character has got no flaws or weaknesses and never really gets challenged or tested by anything then what is there to get invested in?

It's the flaws and failings of a character that make them interesting in the first place and their struggle to rise above and overcome these flaws that make them so compelling. If these things are missing from a character, then there's nothing for the audience to latch onto or care about. There's nothing to like or root for. That's the essence of a Mary Sue and that's what we're going to be looking at here. So, with that in mind let's see how Anakin stacks up against this list shall we?

Point number one: Being overpowered and having abilities that he shouldn't. Now this more than anything else is what people tend to latch onto when they criticize Anakin and who can blame them really? On the surface it seems pretty ridiculous to see a nine-year-old boy doing stuff like this autopilot but let's put it into a wider context, shall we? When we first meet Anakin in The Phantom Menace, he's a slave living with his mother on Tatooine. He's spent most of his life salvaging junk and using it to make new stuff that can marginally improve their quality of life. As a result, he's become pretty good with technology. Well that makes sense, I guess. He's even applied these technical skills to pod racing where he's been fairly successful despite suffering at least one major crash that we know about. Again, this kind of makes sense when you consider he's strong with the force which would likely give him heightened perception reactions and understanding of the world around him, you know qualities that are important to high performance racing drivers. Anyway, his racing abilities allow the main characters to win an engine part that they need to repair their ship as well as enough money to buy his freedom. Sensing his importance Qui-Gon Jinn takes him under his wing and begins to teach him about the force. Remember when older mentor characters were allowed to teach the protagonist things? I miss that. He also takes part in a space battle that destroys an enemy mothership at the climax of the movie. Now as goofy as this scene is in its execution, it's not actually inconsistent with Anakin’s abilities and experiences. If you've worked around technology vehicles and ships your entire life and you can pilot a racing pod to a high standard then it stands to reason that you could probably operate other types of spacecraft as well, particularly if you have a droid on board to manage most of the ship's systems for you. However, for the sake of argument let's concede the Anakin in The Phantom Menace is indeed more skilled competent and capable than your average person.

So, what kind of effect would this have on a young man from an impoverished background suddenly thrust into a much larger world of power, politics and opportunity? Well that brings me neatly along to point number two: Mary Sues are supposed to have flawless personalities never giving in to anger, jealousy, resentment, vengeance or ambition. All throughout the second and third movies in the prequel trilogy, Anakin displays an increasingly severe set of personality flaws that begin to undermine his position in the world and his relationship with other characters. He's impetuous and hot-headed, frequently rushing into dangerous situations without waiting for backup or considering the risk to himself particularly when someone he cares about is in danger. Keep that one in mind because it'll be important later. He's ambitious but also impatient, feeling like he's been unfairly held back by other characters, particularly Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this resentment causes a growing rift between the two men that eventually spills out into open conflicts. Rather than taking the longer and harder path to wisdom and understanding, Anakin wants everything right away. He also cares deeply about people close to him and this attachment often manifests in explosive bites of anger and jealousy when he feels that they're being threatened like when his mother gets kidnapped and killed by Tusken Raiders, causing Anakin to go on a violent rampage that escalates into wholesale slaughter. Afterwards even he's shocked by what he did or when he believes that Padme has turned against him by Obi-Wan Kenobi, causing him to lash out violently against both of them. By this point he's been totally consumed by uncontrolled jealousy anger resentment and betrayal. All of the emotions that lead to the dark side of the force. The point here is clear: if you [ __ ] with someone he cares about then mercy and compassion go right out the window.

All of his skills, abilities and potential which seemed so overpowered and unnecessary in the first movie in fact serve a very important purpose for his character development. They've generated a sense of superiority, arrogance and overconfidence, and a reluctance to listen to criticism or advice no matter how well intentioned they might be. These are dangerous flaws in his personality all by themselves but combined with his overwhelming emotional attachment to people he cares about it creates a potent cocktail of reckless ambition and deep-seated insecurity that makes him uniquely vulnerable to manipulation something which will later prove disastrous because while Mary Sues are universally loved respected and trusted by everyone, Anakin certainly isn't in the first movie. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and Yoda are all against training Anakin to become a Jedi despite his obvious potential because they know he's already too old to be inducted. This lack of early discipline in his life would leave a dangerous gap in his personality, making him unpredictable and less able to control his emotions, two factors which are extremely dangerous for Jedi. These misgivings would carry over to the next two movies where Anakin is elevated to the Jedi high council on Palpatine’s orders but the council itself refuses to grant him the rank of master because they feel he hasn't earned it yet. Now a different man would see this as an opportunity to prove himself by working hard and earning their trust eventually winning them over and gaining the recognition he deserves but Anakin takes this as a personal insult from the council which drives a deeper wedge between him and a Jedi order which he believes will never truly respect or accept him. Wow it's almost like Palpatine knew this was going to happen and engineered the whole thing to pull Anakin closer to him portraying himself as the only one who can help Anakin realize his full potential. It's a surprisingly smart piece of characterization that's completely consistent with everything we know about both men. The higher Anakin rises the more it stokes the fire of his ambition and superiority and the more he comes to see anyone who doubts or cautions him as a threat to his success. This arrogance and overconfidence also causes him to test himself against powerful opponents before he's actually ready for them and unlike Mary sues who easily win every battle they have to fight, Anakin’s recklessness causes an escalating series of losses like here where he tries to take on count Dooku all by himself and it ends with Anakin getting his [ __ ] arm sliced off. But his desire for revenge against the man who defeated him ultimately causes a more powerful and better prepared Anakin to execute him in the following movie, again proving his willingness to give into vengeance and anger even against helpless opponents or here in his climactic confrontation with Obi-Wan where his enemy has the advantage but Anakin presses the attack anyway and well I think we know how that turns out. Just as a side note I love how this carries over to Return of the Jedi. See Luke’s taking the high ground here just like Obi-Wan did.

What we have here is a clear pattern of behavior from a man whose ambitions consistently outstrip his abilities. Rather than demonstrating patience and restraint and taking the slower and harder path to lasting wisdom and fulfillment, Anakin’s inherent character flaws cause him to push himself beyond breaking point with increasingly disastrous consequences which brings me neatly along to the final points: whereas Mary Sues consistently make good righteous decisions and always strive to do the correct thing, Anakin on the other hand demonstrates a consistent pattern of mistakes and misjudgments that ultimately cost him everything. As I've already shown you the flaws in his personality are exacerbated by his powers and abilities making him easy prey for a ruthlessly ambitious man that knows exactly how to flatter his ambitions and prey on his weaknesses this eventually causes him to commit terrible crimes like murdering an entire tribe including unarmed civilians murdering children, executing a helpless opponent, helping to kill a jedi master, trying to murder his own wife, trying to kill his mentor and best friend, joining forces with an evil dictator to overthrow the republic, delivering this scene…

What I’m trying to say with all this is that Anakin Skywalker is the very furthest thing from a Mary Sue that you can get. Trying to label him as a Mary Sue for no other reason than because he's good at lots of stuff demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of what a Mary Sue is and also of who Anakin is. The reality is that he's a powerful but deeply flawed man whose unique combination of circumstances and abilities have created a dangerous personality that's vulnerable to manipulation and corruption his greatest strengths ultimately proved to be his most terrible weaknesses with consequences that echo across the entire galaxy. Now I have my own thoughts on the prequel trilogy as a whole and I’d be lying if I said they were great movies but fundamentally I think the story they tell is actually pretty [ __ ] good and I’m just gonna say it: Anakin’s rise to power and fall to the dark side is a damn good piece of character work that Disney would have done well to pay more attention to. Anyway, that's all I’ve got for today. Go away now.

I would argue the prequels are great movies but he makes some very good points. I have seen so many Disney fans claim Anakin is a Mary Sue, when he’s anything but a Mary Sue. 

[jokertrap-ran]

(未定事件簿) 莫弈 [剧情: 第2章] [Tears of Themis] Mo Yi Private Story Translations (Chapter 2-7)

*Tears of Themis Masterlist / Mo Yi’s Masterlist / Mobile Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Mo Yi’s Private Story tag is #Tears of a Personal Psychiatrist. *Chapter 1 can be viewed here!

Location: Mo's Mental Health Research Center

After confirming Li Yu's identity, Mo Yi rejected my request to continue taking part in the investigation.

MC: Why!?

MC: It wasn't easy for us to get this far, Dr. Mo! There's no way I can just give up on this so easily!

Mo Yi: …...

But Mo Yi only continued staring at me in silence, a thoughtful look on his face.

Mo Yi: ...Before we put this discussion on the table, please answer me this honestly: Have the PUAs come to you for revenge?

MC: Oh...No… They haven't; why do you ask…?

His sudden question caught me by surprise. I hurriedly avoided his eyes, pretending not to understand his question.

Mo Yi: I'm supposing that the "spam message" you received the other day was actually an SMS they'd sent as harassment.

Mo Yi: And recently, the actions that these people have been taking have been getting more and more aggressive; essentially having even affected your daily life to a certain extent.

Mo Yi: That's why you said they were "arrogant"; am I right?

MC: !!!

MC: ...Nothing gets past you after all.

I couldn’t help but to sigh, deciding to come clean about everything that I’d been hiding from him recently.

MC: Yeah. Some PUAs have been verbally harassing me with threats lately.

Mo Yi: When did this start?

MC: Probably not long after the “Anti-PUA” Club turned into a mutual aid group. Someone had suddenly added me as a friend one day.

MC: They asked if I was the Lawyer who’d helped Lin Yunyun, and I thought that they were also a fellow victim, so I replied in the affirmative; but in the end...

I couldn’t stop all the many different sorts of harassment messages that I’d received recently from popping back up in my mind at the thought of it.

Those messages, not fit to be shown to anyone at all, were always sent to my phone at fixed timings. There were countless, so many that I could never delete them all even if I tried. It gradually became a personal living hell of nightmares.

MC: There were only a few people who did it sporadically at first, so blacklisting and blocking them worked like a charm; but then the number of people doing it increased...

MC: Why do they always choose to bombard people during sleeping hours!? Don’t these people need sleep too!?

However, I’d failed to notice how Mo Yi’s face was twisting itself into an increasingly unsightly look at this moment in time.

Mo Yi: ...Why didn’t you tell me? How were you planning to put up with this alone, if I hadn’t asked today?

MC: Well… It wasn’t anything big at all. They only sent me a couple of unpleasant texts, and it didn’t really cause a big impact on me or anything like that.

MC: Anyway, let’s not talk about this anymore and get back on the topic of how to continue our investigation. I—

Mo Yi: I apologize, but my stand is still the same; it’ll be for the best if you don’t take part in the upcoming course of action.

MC: ……

Mo Yi: ……

That was how Mo Yi and I faced each other in a stand-off; neither of us saying anything, neither of us willing to back down.

The air came to a stand-still, the damning silence that would make anyone hold their breaths accompanied by the faint scent of “gunpowder”, as figurative sparks filled the air.

MC: Then, could you tell me a reason why I should not? I can’t give up on this just because you tell me to, Dr. Mo.

Mo Yi: ……

Mo Yi: I have three reasons for this.

Mo Yi: Firstly, although Li Yu’s story was created from one big patchwork, Wang Chen is still an experienced PUA, from what we can glimpse from the credible parts of her story.

Mo Yi: I cannot allow you to interact with him alone, considering how you’ve not received the relevant training.

Mo Yi: Secondly, although our actions have not been fully exposed yet, the fact that the other party retaliated against you means that they’ve already got their eye on you.

Mo Yi: If this goes any further, it will only escalate; and when the time comes, it won’t just be merely verbal words of threat.

Mo Yi: They will attempt to break through your psychological defenses from all angles, thus, endangering your very life itself.

Mo Yi: And lastly…

He placed the teacup in his hands down, his gaze dropping to my face, an inexplicable emotion within his golden orbs.

Mo Yi: Just what’s in your mind, as you do these things?

Mo Yi: Is it to uphold justice? To deter the other members of the PUA Group? Or is it to save all of the girls who’ve been harmed by it?

Mo Yi: Can you really do all of this?

Mo Yi: Even if we did settle this matter with Li Yu along with all the other people backing her, there’ll still be other PUA Groups in this world who lurk in the dark.

Mo Yi: They’ll continue hunting girls, and even go so far as to treat you as a right thorn in their side, using various methods to retaliate against you to no ends.

Mo Yi: And at the very end of it all, not only will you fail to protect others; You might also very well be unable to protect yourself.

Mo Yi: This fairness and justice you seek might not be able to see the light at all.

Mo Yi: Now, with all that considered; are you still willing to continue on?

He waited quietly for my answer after finishing.

He had a look of utter seriousness on his face, so focused he was. However, the corners of his eyes and his eyebrows still presented the same calm he’d always displayed. Hence, I couldn’t tell just what exactly was going through his head.

But none of these mattered anymore. I don’t even need to think to answer this question of his.

MC: Of course. Even so, I still wish to continue as usual.

Mo Yi: Why?

MC: You just asked me what’s in my mind as I do this, right? I’m actually not thinking of anything at all; no thoughts, head empty.

MC: I’ve never held onto any pipedreams, nor have I ever thought of using this PUA Group to go fight against the other PUAs.

MC: Granted, trying to rescue all the girls who’ve been victimized is an even bigger delusion.

MC: I’m only trying to do what I can as one, ordinary, Lawyer.

MC: That being said, there’s one thing that I know for certain. And that is that I cannot ignore the crimes that appear before me.

MC: I cannot allow the group that’s backing Li Yu to go scot-free, let alone allow them to challenge law and threaten justice as they so wish to.

Mo Yi: You...

MC: Secondly, you said that I “cannot protect others”; but there isn’t only just one fixed way of protection.

MC: Don't all the girls in Lin Yunyun's mutual aid group learn a lot about all sorts of things pertaining to PUA?

MC: All that's requires is for one of those girls to understand these through what I've done; so that they'll keep their guards up and watch out for these things.

MC: If so, then everything I've done up till today have already served some sort of purpose in protecting them.

MC: And lastly, about their cars if revenge…

I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes at the mere thought of those less than savory messages I'd received.

MC: I've already been prepared to face all sorts of people, who come up with all sorts of retaliation methods, since day one of being a Lawyer.

MC: But if really does come down to the point where it gets as serious as you've described, then that's when I'll wield the Law as my weapon and protect my own rights.

MC: The road to justice will always be a rocky one, but no one can stop me so long as I refuse to give up.

Mo Yi: ……

I blurted out everything that I had in my mind, even forgetting to check just what sort of expression Mo Yi currently wore.

It was only until I had regained my bearings that I looked back up at him. He was still looking at me with a serious look on his face, yet his eyes were like that of stormy seas.

Mo Yi: You… You’re really different from everyone else.

He suddenly laughed.

MC: What are you laughing about, Dr. Mo?

Mo Yi: Nothing. I’m just feeling slightly fortunate, and a little happy.

MC: Fortunate? Happy?

Mo Yi: Yes. Fortunate, that I chose to stay back then; and happy, because… I met you.

Mo Yi: You always never fail to surprise me.

MC: ……

He spoke slowly, but that didn't fail to impede the strength and impact that each word brought.

It was almost as if he had just conveyed some sort of inexplicable feeling to me through mere words. It was hot, yet full of possessiveness, almost engulfing me whole.

MC: Does this mean that… I can take part in the continuing investigations?

I hurriedly changed the subject upon seeing how the air around us was starting to turn increasingly warmer.

Mo Yi: Do I have any other reason to be denying you?

MC: Great! Then let’s hurry and get started!

MC: Do you need me to contact Wang Chen? Are we still going to be using our previous tactic?

Mo Yi: Don’t rush, for starters. I’ve got even better ideas.

☆⋅⋆…⋅─────────── ⋆⋅✾⋅⋆ ───────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Previous Part: (Chapter 2-6) | Next Part: (Chapter 2-8)

[itsclydebitches]

The issue with yangs anger, is legit that it’s never presented as a flaw until that very moment with Adam. Yangs anger has never done anything until the series decided that it had to be a problem. Her fight with Neo, She was calm. The rwby fight with Roman, she was calm. her attack against the Grimm was nothing more than a bit. Mercury, she thought he was attacking her first. Notice how her anger never escalated. And then they tie it to her semblance instead of her aura and it’s even worse.

(Slamming these asks together with @thewhitehairedwitchgirl’s - as always - excellent commentary.) 

First: yup. We’ve discussed elsewhere RT’s difficulty with building up to things, whether that’s because they didn’t know early on that they wanted that thing to happen, or because they’re just not sure how to naturally build that into the story before it becomes a Big Plot-Point. In fact, I’m starting to notice a trend wherein RWBY will provide evidence for a change right before that change occurs. Another good example involving Yang is her a relationship with Blake. Prior to their relationship becoming canon (“canon”) we saw them being much more intimate earlier in Volume 6 and arguably a bit in Volume 5. That’s the “buildup” to their bedroom eyes and hand clasping at the end of Volume 6, but people are right to point out that this buildup is pretty short, especially from an in-world perspective. We didn’t see this behavior from them in Volumes 1-3 so it “came out of nowhere.” Some fans are okay with that (I’ve argued in its defense for numerous reason). Others nevertheless have a point that RT could have – and arguably should have – provided more of that buildup over a longer period and, as a result, in a more slow, “natural” way. The same, I think, can be said of Yang’s flaw: we saw “buildup” to that right before it became an issue. Whether that was enough depends on each fan’s interpretation.

Specifically, I think the buildup occurs in the one fight not mentioned here: Yang vs. Neon.

As said, Yang is pretty calm in those other fights, but that’s arguably because the writers hadn’t figured out that Yang’s tendency to get very mad very quickly – see previous metas for evidence there – was going to turn into a legitimate flaw that the story would attempt to acknowledge. You can’t write something if you don’t know you want to write it. However, Yang vs. Neon happens right before Yang vs. Adam and serves as a pretty good way of demonstrating that flaw when Yang vs. Mercury is already doing other work. Namely, setting up her framing.

Let’s break this fight down:

We start with Flynt insulting Weiss over what her father has done. Note that she’s upset at this accusation, but not angry. She apologizes on behalf of her father and doesn’t seem inclined to let this impact her fight. Meanwhile, when Flynt continues Yang is the one who gets pissed off on Weiss’ behalf.

Neon mimics her and starts a trend of insulting Yang throughout the fight: her hair is weird, she’s top-heavy, she should go on a diet, etc. Yang is riled up before the fight has even started and, as mentioned elsewhere, Ruby recognizes this as a problem.

When the fight begins Yang can’t touch Neon. She does no damage to her. Meanwhile, Neon hits her at least fourteen times and manages to coat both an arm and a leg in ice, all while keeping the insults up so that Yang is too furious to fight well. If it’s not already obvious to the audience that this is a psychological strategy of Neon’s – see more about Yang being off-balance below – Neon herself says it. “You should cool off. Get it? Because you’re angry.” 

Neon tells her opponent that she’s too angry to see straight, let alone fight straight, and instead of taking a moment to realize, “Oh yeah. I’m so furious that I’m letting that anger blind me. I should actually breathe for a second and figure out how to beat this girl, rather than letting her string me along and emotionally manipulate me into making bad calls" Yang just gets angrier.

Neon seems to realize that this would happen. She recognizes by this point that Yang can’t put her anger aside and is thus confident enough to comment on her anger itself, knowing Yang won’t turn the tables on her. Instead, Yang starts flashing her semblance, which Neon uses as further ammo to keep Yang riled up. 

We see that Yang, while angry, isn’t capable of changing her strategy. It’s clear that running after Neon has done absolutely nothing, but that’s all Yang can think to do. She actually reaches a point where she just demands that Neon hold still so she can hit her.

And this behavior has a major consequence. Namely that Yang is so angry – so distracted – that she doesn’t notice Flynt aiming a shot of his own. Her anger has not only blinded her to Neon’s strategy and made it impossible for Yang to come up with one of her own, she’s not paying attention to her environment either. Yang doesn’t care about the second enemy on the field. She doesn’t care about her teammate. She only cares about getting back at Neon for these insults and the only reason why she isn’t taken out is because Weiss is paying attention. She’s put in a position where she has to sacrifice herself in order to protect Yang, but it’s a protection that never should have been necessary in the first place. 

When Weiss goes up in flames Yang is surprised. Oh, there was something happening over there? That level of distraction is not good. 

And when she realizes what’s happened… she just gets angrier.

Yang is finally at a point where she’s using her semblance and yeah, it does give her the boost needed to take out Flynt. But he’s the fighter whose aura is already a centimetre from the cutoff because of Weiss’ sacrifice. How does Yang beat a fully powered Neon though? She... doesn’t. Neon trips and lands very conveniently on one of the water shoots, giving Yang the chance to easily pick her off while incapacitated. There was no strategy here, only luck. Yang didn’t win, Neon just lost.

That’s a lot of character work packed into one fight and that’s what Tai is referring to. I don’t have good screenshots for their conversation but I have quotes. It begins when Tai comments that Yang is “still off balance” and Yang, surprise, gets angry: “What? No I’m not!” She also (again) gets distracted. After she declares that Tai is wrong – totally not off balance here – she starts admiring her arm and Tai comes at her with a punch that Yang just barely dodges. When he’s successfully taken her out, he clarifies, “I wasn’t talking about your actual balance. Although, that could use some work too.”

Yang still doesn’t welcome any criticism when Tai brings up the tournament. “Let me guess: I was sloppy.”

“No, no… you were predictable. And stubborn. And maybe a little boneheaded. Do you realize that you used your semblance to win every fight after the qualifiers?”

Tai is right. Those are all things we saw in Yang’s fight with Neon. For once RWBY has succeeded in showing as well as telling. Yang was predictable, both in the ease with which she let Neon continually rile her up and in her “Charge ahead and hit it” strategy that never once changed. She was stubborn. She was boneheaded, and she only (sort of) won because of her semblance. But as Tai points out, “What happens if you miss? What happens if they’re stronger? What then? Now you’re just weak and tired.” What happens if Flynt was strong enough to withstand that one attack? What if Neon didn’t conveniently trip and basically take herself out? What if, say, you fired up your semblance, charged at someone stronger than you, and they sliced off your arm?

“Your semblance won’t always save you… obviously.”

Yang voices the exact criticism the fandom relies on. What? I’m not supposed to use my semblance now? Tai clarifies that “not everyone else’s [semblance] is basically a temper tantrum.” They’re harsh words, but they’re true. The problem is not Yang using a semblance. The problem is that Yang (obviously through no fault of her own) ended up with a semblance that relies heavily on her a) taking damage, b) getting mad, and c) is something she now relies fully on to win her fights. So when it fails… she’s likely to fail too, both because she had to take those hits and because, in the act of getting mad, she can’t think straight. Unlike someone like Weiss and her OP semblance, Yang has a harder hand to deal with. It sucks, but she has to face the reality of that if she wants to survive this career. She needs to keep her emotions under control in a fight and, connected to that, she needs to fight intelligently. Note that when Flynt insults Weiss – “Too bad all that money couldn’t buy you skill” – she demonstrates that skill by combining her ice with her glyphs, creating a projectile too fast for Flynt to dodge. That’s Weiss using her semblance in a new way and keeping calm enough to make smart decisions, despite someone insulting her and clearly experiencing anger from that. 

Yang, meanwhile, let her anger consume her. She had no second strategy – involving her semblance or otherwise – and ultimately allowed her emotions to seriously hinder her. That’s the heart of Tai’s criticism: “You’ve got to keep your emotions in check. Keep a level head and think before you act.”

Which still leaves the pushback of, “But, Clyde, how is Yang supposed to think when Adam was attacking Blake? What else was she supposed to do? A traumatized 17-year-old is obviously going to get riled up. She can’t help it.” Yes, but she can learn. She can learn how to think before she acts, even in traumatic circumstances, and more importantly she can learn that skill for less traumatic events too. Note that Tai kept the criticism within the bounds of the fun tournament battle. He didn’t say, “You should have kept a level head despite seeing your friend get stabbed in the middle of a war zone” he’s saying, “You should be able to keep a level head in a meaningless tournament fight… and figuring out how to do that will assist you during the times where it really matters. Like Adam.” If you can’t do it when it should be easy, you have no chance of doing it when it’s really hard. 

Just because we expect something of someone doesn’t mean we don’t likewise strive for more. Meaning, just because the traumatized 17-year-old did what we expect a traumatized 17-year old to do - perhaps even the only thing a traumatized 17-year old could do under those circumstances - doesn’t mean Yang should never be called out on that. Namely, months later after she’s had time to recover. If we put this in slightly different terms:

Parent: Yeah, my kid found out that her friend nearly died in a car accident. It was horrible. She broke a bunch of stuff when she heard the news. I need to talk to her about that once things have calmed down some. 

Friend: What? They’re 17 and that’s a horrifying event. Of course they’re going to break things! What, you expect them to handle this situation like an adult?

Parent: No, but how will they ever learn how to handle it like an adult if I don’t teach them? How will they develop better coping skills if no one shows them any? Besides, she already has a habit of breaking things when she’s mildly upset - she’s prone to that - and I don’t want it getting out of hand.

Now slide in Yang’s situation. As Thewhitehairwitchgirl points out, what’s reckless about Yang’s actions? How could she have known what Adam’s power was? She couldn’t have, but that in and of itself is the problem. She charged at an unknown enemy without thinking through any options, without taking a moment to assess the situation, without knowing whether her semblance would be enough... and it wasn’t. That’s not something she can afford to do again in the future because next time Yang might lose her life instead. Does Tai expect her to have handled Adam differently? Based on the conversation, I’d say no. Does he still think it’s still worth using that moment as a teaching tool? Yes. Is this particularly important for Yang as an individual given that she’s already prone to letting anger blind her/charging ahead without thinking things through? Yes. As her fight with Neon demonstrates, running and punching her enemies won’t always be enough to beat them. As her fight with Adam demonstrates, running and punching her enemies with her semblance as an additional boost may not be enough to save her. Yang has to think. Even in situations where it’s really really hard to. Especially as someone who isn’t inclined to do that naturally. It’s something she, as an individual, has to conquer given her personality. Blake, for example, doesn’t need this talk because she has the opposite problem of running away from things. She’s often too cautious. Yang, who will later jump straight to “You turned my mother into a bird?” needs to learn to take a step back and not let her anger guide her.

Basically there’s a venn diagram of “17-year olds who will of course make impulsive decisions” “People experiencing a traumatic event who can’t be expected to think things through in the moment,” and “People who, as individuals, are prone to letting their anger drive them to make mistakes.” Yang just happens to sit right in the middle. 

For the Adam situation those other two categories absolutely come into play, but we also can’t ignore that Yang is poised to make that same mistake even when she’s older, even when it’s no longer a traumatic event. Indeed, as we see post Volume 3 - bird accusations, screaming at Ozpin, stealing the airship, impulsively telling Robyn, etc. - Yang is still struggling with this flaw. Even if the story seems to think that she’s overcome it. 

[boku-no-loveletters]

Hello lovely, can I get a matchup please? I’m a 5’2 female, and my zodiac sign is Cancer. I’m very kind and patient but don’t like people walking over me. I try to be very understand and don’t get angry easily, but I’m also very fun and have a weird and energetic personality. I enjoy quality time with people most, and I highkey love getting teased (but won’t tell admit it). I get flustered VERY easily, and tend to try and hide my face bc it gets super red. Also, I LOVE food. Thanks for reading♥️

-From the moment I opened your request I knew that you’d be a perfect fit for Bakugou! Your bold and outstanding personality would suit well with his brash and intimidating attitude.

-Bakugou doesn’t easily associate with many people beside his clique because of his aggressive and endangering approach to everything. I think the possibility of you guys meeting would be fairly even, as he goes out of his way to make sure everyone knows that he’s the best and you probably would’ve been the only one to simply challenge him.

The shouting of the overly aggressive pomeranian echoed through the cafeteria, tables amongst tables of students were frozen at the violently assaulted threats that were meant generally for the small group of people that called themselves his friends. Ironic

"I'M NOT YOUR GODDAMN FRIEND, YOU IDIOTS!"

"Oh, come on! We've known each other since the beginning of our first year, Bakubro!"

"DON'T CALL ME YOUR BRO, SHITTY HAIR!"

In some cases, most of the students were sweat dropping nervously or awkwardly trying to distance themselves from that particular table.

And then there was you, quietly sitting in the corner of the cafeteria seeking to keep minding your own business as you held your face in your hands.

You gripped strands of your hair in frustration as you sought to keep your composure, you were already agitated enough from today and having some random dude that's an asshole scream obscenities at his friends in the lunchroom is already making you lose your usually calm composure.

Not only just that. But today just so happened to be the worst day you've ever had in awhile, you had crammed in last night’s studying for your test, lost a chance to retake your disciplinary exam, and had gotten into an argument with one of your friends before just losing your headphones in the locker rooms.

Overall, Today sucked and you were sick of having to deal with that dude's shit.

So you stood up and began walking directly to the blonde's table.

As you got closer, you noticed his so-called friends catch onto your advance. You could practically see their faces go into at least five different emotions. Panic, fear, anxiety, irritation, and cringe.

Once you were behind the violent teen, you wordlessly tapped on his shoulder which made him whirl around in anger and start shouting profanities at you.

But before he could even utter a word out, you interrupted him with a flat hand in front of his face and presented a mild, yet stern, expression on your appearance.

"Hey, " you began coolly, "Do you mind keeping it down a bit? Some people just want to eat in peace."

His eyes slightly widened before he let out a growl and swiftly pulled you up to his face by the collar of your shirt with his left hand.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, EH?!" he demanded. His right fist curled by his hips, and his posture remained crossed, awaiting your response.

But you didn't say anything, you simply sighed before swiping away his hand and putting yourself in a defensive stance with your hands balled into clutches.

"Alright, you want to throw fists. Let's throw fists. I tried to be nice, but I'm getting tired of this." you declared.

You could hear the clatter of a few chairs in the background as his buddies stood up from their seated table and began attempting to break down your escalating fight.

"Whoa, chill out guys! Not in the cafeteria!" a golden-haired male with a streak of a lightning bolt worriedly pleaded as his fellow acquaintances agreed.

But you and the rude male before you simply ignored him. A sneer made its way onto his face, immediately replacing the rude and barbarous boy with a villainously and violent teenager.

"OH YEAH?! WELL LET'S GO!"

-Yeah, so you guys got put on house arrest afterwards LMFAOOOO

-So even after you had defeated Bakugou, it was at the cost of having to spend some time around him while doing school community activities. He wouldn’t admit that you had won against him and he never will. But he can acknowledge the fact that you are strong and he’ll treat you as an equal from now on.

-Though, you will need to expect him to be challenging you to more frequent battles from now on, even pointless ones. It could be casual hand-to-hand quirk combat or a simple carnival game for kiddies

-I imagined that Bakugou would not really mind your incapability to keep up your composure when you get flustered, he would enjoy it immensely. He’s an asshole and would take advantage of that weakness and start some playful banter between the two of you.

-And you know when I mean banter, I mean curse words and vulgar insults being thrown in your direction. It’s the Bakugou way of playing rough. Don’t worry though, he still loves you!

-Bakugou probably wouldn’t like a complete pushover, so having someone that can stand up to people and call out what they did wrong would kinda be hot to him. If you are a bit oversensitive at times, he would make an exception and be there for you if you're feeling down. He would even offer some violent nice advice if it was someone else who affected your attitude.

-Now you said you love food same. Bakugou would be willing to cook for you if it’s for an important event or a get together with the bakuquad in the dorms. Although once you ease into a relationship, he still wouldn’t cook everyday for you. More like once he gets back from hero work or smth.

-If you enjoy going to social events with your friends, then do I have some good news for you! Everywhere the Bakugou goes, the Bakusquad follows! It’s highly likely that they bring you in on their crazy heist and attempt to get you and Bakugou to either kiss or do something incredibly stupid.

You both do the latter bc the two of you won’t willingly admit to doing that in front of them.

-The Bakusquad. They would adore your personality. Having someone that one-ups their energy easily fits you in with their friend group. Kaminari loves to discuss the latest trends with you, Mina likes to take you shopping as some girl time, Kirishima teaches some ‘Manly!’ life lessons and Sero lets you tag along with him to prank people.

-Confessing his undying love for you…yeah, I don’t think so.

-This man will die before he even admits that he has an attraction for you, in fact, he doesn’t even take it as a crush at first. When he begins feeling the classic symptoms of a crush, more sweaty hands and that warm feeling in his chest, he assumes it’s your quirk and tells you to knock it off to which you’re oblivious to.

-He will become more competitive and constantly try to show his dominance in battles with you. He always thought that displays of power were attractive so he automatically attempts to court you in that kind of way, so don’t expect mushy mushy stuff until he’s comfortable to show you a more emotionally vulnerable side of himself.

-When he does realize that he had such intense emotions for you, he’d be in way too deep to get out by the time he figures it out. I think he might even be angry, although he wouldn’t try to avoid you like some of the other boys and would be rather straightforward when it comes to asking you out.

-If he wants it, he will have it!

-So you guy’s personality balances each other out pretty well and since Bakugou is more impulsive, you’d be able to keep his head grounded since you’re the more cool one. You’ll help him make some good decisions along the way or just be the chaotic couple while also teaching him the reins of being a better person!

Anyways, thanks for requesting! I hope this is to your liking!

@udontneedtokno

[danetobelieve]

Ride Or Eye || Roland and Winston

Timing:  in the lead up to the ritual that got rid of squidward Parties: @sgtrolandhills​ & @danetobelieve​ Summary: Winston and Roland are on a ride along when they witness a car accident, unfortunately cultists are involved Warnings: violence and medical blood (there’s discussion of first aid at the end of the chatzy)

Winston had to admit that of all of the things that they got to do in their internship -- which in the internships defense had some interesting parts to it -- their favourite repeated activity was the ride alongs with the Sarge. Aside from the calming, almost fatherlike personality that Roland had, Winston also kind of just thought he was really cool? Which might seem weird to some. But Roland was diligent, hardworking, intelligent, unshakeable and he was really kind. Their ride alongs together were never dull and Winston always found themselves learning things they’d never even considered before. They wished more people in the station were like that. Winston was sat in the passenger seat as rain bucketed down on the windscreen, they were heading back to the station, winding their way along the road that ran alongside the edge of the lake when Winston spotted a car swerving through the rain. “Uh, Sarge, does that car look a little … out of control to you?”

While part of Roland wished they could shield the younger generation away from some of the darker aspects of the world, it was hard to do so with human eyeballs showing up in the streets and through plumbing systems. Aside from the nature of their work today, it had been a relatively peaceful day of making sure Winston was comfortable with collecting evidence without compromising it… well, more than it had already been compromised, anyway. As expected, Winston caught on quickly. Winston was a smart kid and Roland enjoyed working with them. Maybe one day he’d have kids of his own to teach, but he knew he was likely too committed to his job for all of that. His eyes had been carefully tuned in on the road as they drove through the rain that was coming down in sheets, letting the sound of it beating against the windows relax him. This whole thing with human eyeballs showing up in such alarmingly high numbers had left him feeling on edge. How was he possibly supposed to get control of something like this? The eyes were arriving and showing up in bucketfuls. It was disturbing beyond belief. He tried not to focus on that as much as he did on solving it. The sight of a car swerving out of control drew him out of his thoughts. It looks like the swerve had it changing paths directly toward the lake. He grimaced, watching the car and answered, “It definitely does.” He flicked his lights on and carefully followed it’s path. The car seemed to take down a group of strange hooded figures. He spoke into his radio and stated, “We just witnessed an accident near the lake. Winston and I are checking it out now and will advise if an ambulance is needed.” 

Hooded figures. Not good. But Winston wasn’t about to say anything. The Sarge was already aware of the problem that the cultists that had turned up in White Crest posed to the population at large. However Winston doubted that they completely understood the potential problem that they posed to everyone. They had attacked Winston on multiple occasions and if other people hadn’t intervened then Winston wasn’t sure that they would’ve made it out of there as easily. “We’re checking it out?” Winston asked, “I mean, yeah we’re checking it out.” They hopped out of the car cautiously. The rain bounced off of Winston’s glasses before beginning to trickle down them and Winston was already stressed by the smear marks that would be left behind on the usually pristine lenses that they wore on their face. Waiting for Roland to exit the car too, Winston grabbed the first aid kit just in case and pulled their WCPD issue jacket tighter around them as the wind blew through them, chilling their bones slightly. “Do you think that they hit those guys in the robes?” Winston asked, their already poor eyesight struggling to pick out any specific details in the non existent visibility that was available to them. 

“Stay back,” Roland advised cautiously as he made his way out of the car. While it hadn’t been determined if the hooded figures were violent, he wasn’t taking any chances with Winston. He had his radio turned on and his right hand ready to grab his glock if needed as he approached the scene. The car seemed to have gone into the lake, taking a few hooded cult members down with it. “Go ahead and send that ambulance out. We’ll also need to extract the car from the lake,” he directed into the radio as he tried to get a read on what they were doing. They seemed angry and were blocking him from reaching the accident. “Excuse me,” Roland called out, “Please back away from the vehicle so I can get through.” A few seemed to be doing the exact opposite of what he asked. He grumbled a swear under his breath. People in this town really had little respect for the law. “I need everyone to step away so I can help whoever’s inside,” he directed, this time more firmly, earning him some attention from the hooded figures. He kept his hand on his gun, ready to draw as a few of the figures began to ominously approach him. 

Honestly Winston didn’t need telling twice. They were well aware of just how capable of violence the cult was and they didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Roland was trained for this sort of thing right? Winston followed close behind Roland, first aid kit at the ready in case anything went awry. They hoped that these hooded figures weren’t the kind that were inclined to attack on sight. Maybe they had some level of self preservation, attacking law enforcement always seemed like a bad move. It seemed that for the moment the hooded figures agreed. They were also conveniently keeping their heads well covered and no one had flashed their palms yet. Winston was almost certain that Roland was ignorant of the supernatural community in White Crest and Winston didn’t think that this was the best way to break it to them. Besides, Winston wasn’t really sure that it was fair to just pull them into everything without a good reason. If the Sarge really needed to know something then that was one thing but Winston wasn’t about to just throw them in the deep end for shits and giggles. Lifting their radio up to their lips, Winston pressed the button. “Hey, dispatch, can you send a couple of cars out to our location. Please.” Winston was pretty sure they weren’t allowed to do that, but they weren’t about to tell Roland to do it, that would kind of give the game away. “Please can you all take a step back.” Winston addressed the cultists trying to be authoritative, they weren’t sure it was working. 

It didn’t seem like the hooded cult members were paying him much mind and Roland felt a sense of dread wash over him. He had a strong hunch that they were somehow connected to the eyeballs that were turning up, but the investigations were pulling nothing up in that regard. Right now, their primary focus had been identifying who the eyeballs belonged to. The entire state of the town was unsettling to him. The way the cloaked figures moved, refusing to show their faces, also left him feeling uneasy. This wasn’t the kind of situation he wanted to bring an intern into, but he’d try to keep things from escalating until back-up arrived. He heard Winston’s voice on the radio and confirmed, “Authorized by Sergeant Hills. Send some back-up out to the lake.” Still, the people weren’t moving and giving him access to get to the car. It was only a matter of minutes before there was no chance to save whoever was inside. He needed to act quickly, so he put on his best authoritative voice and demanded, “Move out of the way!” A couple of the figures looked at him, a few approached slowly, but none seemed to want to give way. To hell with it. He stepped forward, head high with purpose and gun in hand, and made his way toward the lake. Saving lives was more important than whatever the hell it was these people were doing. 

Winston gulped. Roland pulling his gun out was a necessary escalation of a normal situation, especially when lives were at risk. Obviously the issue was that Roland was unaware that this was as far from a normal situation as could possibly be. The cult members seemed to bristle as Roland stepped forwards with his police issued fire arm in hand. It was almost as if they were daring him to come closer, as if they wanted him to try and get past them. Winston knew that Roland clearly was duty bound to do anything that he could do to help whoever might be in the wreckage. Back up couldn’t get here soon enough and Winston was running out of ideas about how they could make this work. They were going to have to do something though and so they followed after Roland. 

Uneasiness had settled in him, but Roland didn’t dare show it. Not to these strange cultists who couldn’t even actually see him. It felt like they were likely connected to the eyes in town, but he couldn’t focus on that in the moment. There were lives at risk and he needed to get to that car before the people inside drowned. He moved forward and pressed, “Move.” He shoved a few out of his way, gun still firmly in hand, and made his way into the water where the car was. He elbowed one of them hard as they tried to reach for him and threw him aside. More of the figures seemed to be coming toward him and he paused, not swimming out to the car. If he got too deep in the water, this could get dangerous fast and Winston was still back there-- wait, not they were approaching. He shot Winston a stern look, trying to get them to back away, while trying to get himself situated between the cultists that were now rapidly approaching. “Stay back,” he yelled, gun now pointed toward the figures. Shit, he had not wanted Winston to see this. One kept approaching him and instinctively, he cocked his gun aiming for the cultist’s chest and pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang through the otherwise quiet area. The cultists seemed unfazed another approaching, but this time as he went to fire, he felt his arm being pulled down. Shit. Where was that back up? One of them must have been in the water and he grappled, struggling to keep his firearm in hand. 

Roland seemed to decide that it was more important to get to the car and Winston watched everything go to hell not quite in a handbasket, but it might as well have been. The now all too familiar sound of a gunshot rang out and Winston watched one of the cultists drop into the river like a rock. Roland was in the water and Winston’s pulse raced. They had to help. But Roland didn’t know about Winston’s magic and they weren’t excited to be showing anyone else from the station what they could do. Which meant that this would have to be subtle. No fireballs for once. Which was probably good. They didn’t want to hurt Roland. But Roland had also made it clear that Winston couldn’t get any closer and they weren’t going to disobey a direct order, they didn’t want to lose this internship. Shit. Gasping with concern, Winston spotted the cultists grappling with Roland. “Hey, leave him alone!” Winston drew back a small sphere and hurled it at the cultist, missing completely and making Winston look like an idiot. But that didn’t matter, because as soon as the sphere was beneath the surface Winston reached out and activated the tightly wound spool of wire and used it to weave a tight tendril around the cultist’s leg, weighing him down. 

Damn it. Roland groaned as he grappled with one of the hooded figures while also trying to keep a close eye on Winston. It was much easier said than done, trying to keep a good grasp on the quickly escalating situation. Where the hell was their back up? He grunted as he put a firm elbow into the cultist’s side. It seemed Winston had tried to throw something at them, but it hadn’t gone over well. At least the elbow seemed to have them momentarily stuck in place, clutching their side. Another shot fired through the air as Roland shot his assailer. There was a heavy splash as they fell to the ground and he quickly made his way out of the water to assure he was upholding his duty of keeping his interns safe. With how much time was passing, it seemed like there was little hope for the driver of the car. He could at least keep Winston safe. As he raced toward the shore, he tried to zig zag around the cultists, but when he stepped on to the shore, one had leapt and tackled him, sending his firearm flying in front of him. Shit. He squirmed under the cultist, trying to gain the upperhand. 

Although Winston knew that they could rest assured that they had been successful in their attempt to help Roland, it hadn’t gone over all that well with some of the cultists who had suddenly noticed Winston. As they turned, two in particular approached them and Winston couldn’t help but shoot a hopeful glance over their shoulder, searching for the assistance that they had requested a while ago. No sirens, not yet at least. That meant Winston would have to deal with this on their own. A gun shot rang out and Winston spotted the sergeant kill another cultist. It was strange to think of the figure that they knew Roland to be actually killing someone, yet here Winston was witnessing it. Just when they were sure that anything couldn’t get more weird and apparently it did. But they didn’t have time to dwell on that right now as one of the cultists darted towards them, a hunting knife flashing in the dim light of the rain storm that had now soaked Winston to their bones. Winston managed to catch the knife and pressed the tiny pads that coated the inside of one of the rings they were wearing against the man’s skin. Willing a short burst of electricity through them, Winston watched as the cultist convulsed and dropped to the floor, shaking but incapacitated for now. 

For how much larger Roland was than the cultist grappling with him, he found himself struggling. He was still on the ground, uniform now not only wet but covered in mud and he worked to free his arms from the surprisingly sharp grip of the cultist. His knees tried to nudge the man off of him, but it was to no avail. His face went pale when he saw the hunting knife in tow. He had to get out of this. If he didn’t, Winston would be in great danger. Why were there no siren sounds? What was taking their back-up so damn long to get here? The situation was well past his control at this point as he dodged the first blow the cultist tried to make. He propelled his upper body up with enough force to get the man off him momentarily. As he tried to regain his footing and reach for his gun, he winced as he felt the hand reach for his ankle and the blade slice through his pants. “Shit,” he muttered, finding it in him to kick the man off his leg only to see another cultist approaching him and another one falling before Winston. 

Fortunately, there was only one more cultist for Winston to deal with. Roland seemed to be holding his own against a much more capable foe then Winston would have been able to deal with. There was only one more cultist left that they would have to deal with, the others seemed to be unwilling to get involved. Winston was wondering what they could possibly do. Roland was still grappling with the guy with a knife and Winston didn’t really think. Hurling themselves onto the back of the man who had Roland pinned, Winston tried and failed to hold both of the man’s arms back, instead succeeding in clinging to his left side and dragging him down. The cultist wordlessly grunted and tried to shrug Winston off ineffectively. “Where the fuck is the back up?” Winston immediately regretted swearing, especially in front of their superior. 

While he tried to keep his swearing to a minimum around colleagues, especially interns, Roland couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. Back up seemed to be taking their sweet time getting here. Winston shouldn’t have to be-- No, there wasn’t time to think on that. He had to save both of them. Whoever was in the car was already lost. Winston jumping on the cultist gave him the opportunity to lunge forward for his gun. Firearm in hand, he carefully aimed at the fallen cultist letting out a bullet in his chest. Winston’s ears would probably be ringing for a while. He hated having to shoot someone so close to them down, but the alternative was the cultist rising with that knife and going for Winston. The others all seemed to be off giving them space. He looked to Winston and asked, “Are you hurt?” 

The ringing of the gunshot reverberated in Winston’s ears and they watched the cultist crumple. They’d been thrown from his back a moment ago and as they dusted themselves off they couldn’t help but be fixated by the pool of blood that was spreading from the man’s back. Swallowing, Winston tore their eyes from the corpse of the cultist and spotted the sirens on the horizon. Ironic. They were too late. “Yeah, I mean, no, I’m not hurt, I’m all good.” Winston looked around them for the first aid. “You’re hurt though, you should let me look at the wound. I know you’re going to say no but I’m first aid qualified.” And extremely squeamish Winston reminded themselves. But they were determined to do this, grabbing the first aid kit and hurrying to Roland’s side.

At the sound of sirens and learning that Winston wasn’t injured, Roland let himself relax a little bit. He still kept a close eye on the remaining cultists who seemed to be backing away now and shook his head. “No, no-- I’m alright. I radioed for an ambulance. I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he insisted. It appeared Winston was determined to help him though so he let out a gruff sigh. “Fine, but let’s at least walk over to the cruiser,” he agreed though his tone indicated he wasn’t too thrilled about letting Winston be the one to take care of him. He took a seat on the hood of his car and let Winston pull out the first aid kit as he pulled up the leg of his pants. The gash on his left calf looked a little too deep to be handled with a first aid kit. “I think it needs stitches, you really don’t have to clean it, Winston.” With another officer approaching, he quickly acknowledged them and directed them over to the accident even though he had little hope left for the people who’d been in that car at this point. 

Swallowing, Winston’s eyebrows widened as they spotted the amount of blood that was pouring out of Roland’s calf. Pulling antibacterial wipes, liquid and swabs from the first aid kit. Winston steeled themselves, took a long deep breath and quickly cleaned and dressed the wound so that it wouldn’t bleed too much. Tightening the bandage that they had adjusted around Roland’s calf, Winston stepped back and pulled the disposable gloves they’d slipped on, off their hands. “Sorry Sarge but we can’t leave it not cleaned, if it get’s infected and you have to take time off we’re all going to suffer from it.” Roland really didn’t need to be a hero. “I just wanted to say thanks, for … you kept me safe and I really appreciate it.” 

Roland welcomed the familiar sting of the antibacterial wipe on his wound. As he’d never been one to shy away from a dangerous situation, he’d gotten his fair share of wounds in the line of duty. It was all a familiar process, but he was sure he needed a day or two anyway, The cut was deep and he was still going to check in with his doctor to be sure. Winston had done better with the sight of blood than he initially expected. The pang of guilt was hard to ignore though. He shouldn’t have gotten them in such a dangerous situation to begin with. His own responsibility felt somewhat shirked and it was a hard feeling to shake. “Thanks,” he said, voice gruff and eyes not quite meeting Winston’s, “Good job with the first aid. I’m sorry this ride along took such a turn. I may stick to desk duty for a few days anyway to give it time to heal, but don’t worry, you guys aren’t getting me out of the station that easily.” 

“I think you should definitely go see a doctor straight away, ideally we’d call you an ambulance but as I suspect you’ll tell me there is no need can you at least let me or one of the officers drive you to the hospital. I think this needs stitches.” Winston was no doctor but the cut looked deep and Winston hoped that they would be able to keep it from bleeding too much with the supplies that they had available to them. Winston swallowed back a wave of nausea and the sickening taste of bile, focussing on the task at hand they quickly if not a bit shakily dressed the wound and internally berated themselves for not learning healing magic. Not that the Sarge would’ve taken that well but still, if they could help then they should learn to. “I want to be a police officer or at least work in forensics and this is the reality of the work, sure it was scary but in the end it turned out alright. Although if we can take a pause on the ride alongs for like a week, that would be cool. I’m sure Dr. Kavanagh can keep me busy if she needs to.” 

“Don’t worry, I had every intention of going to see a doctor. I’m pretty sure this needs stitches,” Roland explained while gesturing toward his patched up leg. There was still that gnawing feeling that he was supposed to be the one looking out for Winston, not the other way around, but he handed the keys to them anyway. This whole ordeal had him feeling particularly low. He didn’t need to dump that on Winston, too. “If you could just drive me over to the hospital. You can take my car back to the station after, just leave the keys on my desk,” he instructed, a small grunt escaping him as he sat himself in the passenger seat of the cruiser. He’d left Officer Brooks in charge of the scene so he had to trust it was in good hands. There was a true rescue team here now though he doubted the people in the car were even alive at this point. It weighed heavily on him and he’d have to navigate through that feeling of dread later. “I’m sure Dr. Kavanagh has plenty to keep you busy with all the eyes that have been coming in. No need for ride alongs for a bit. I think you’ve gotten more field experience than most interns.” He pressed his head against the cool glass of the window, it kept him a little more focused on the present than letting the blood loss. Didn’t need to alarm Winston even more. 

[cant-blink]

Breaking Point

Summary: Takes place after Small Steps. With Rodan’s prompting, Ichi and Ni have a little ‘talk’. The weight that has been growing on Ichi’s shoulders is immense and he finally breaks under the pressure. Their conflict escalates to its highest point yet and things get ugly REAL fast.

-

The sky was beginning to brighten as morning inched its way closer, but for once, Ichi was not eager to meet it. Usually, he would respond to the coming of the rising sun by opening their wings to absorb its power, enjoy its warmth. But this time, he doesn’t move to greet the star.

He was too busy grooming his little brother’s face.

The youngest still hasn’t moved during the night, and the eldest has never been so concerned over him in their entire life. Even San’s neurons were disturbingly silent. No attempt at conversation, no sharing his thoughts. None of the usual childish excitement to meet the new day. He wasn’t even sharing his distressed emotions through their neurons. Given how expressive he was for every emotion he felt, it was unsettling.

Ichi was hoping a morning groom, something he usually did to praise his young brother, would cheer him up. And maybe it was working a little bit, for it’s at least gotten him to blink as the eldest’s tongue ran over his cheek, cleaning off the dried tears. A few more minutes, and San stirred enough to turn his head slightly and look at the one who’s tending to him.

His eyes still looked dead and unfocused, staring in his general direction but looking right through him. It made Ichi’s heart sink.

“Brother San?” he started softly, but he gets no response as San stared for a moment longer before turning away. It was a silent rejection, but one that spoke of deep shame and guilt. Little San didn’t want his brother’s eyes on him, and he tried to hide back under their wing. Ichi lets him, wanting him to have whatever security blanket he needed.

“Brother San, I-”

“I’m sorry, Brother Ichi...” came the shaky whimper from underneath. Even his voice sounded broken, monotone and cracking in several places in that sentence alone. Ichi went to nudge his brother with his snout as he had the night before, but stopped himself when he heard a soft growl from his right side. 

Ni was waking up.

Ichi let out a breath before lifting himself away from San, giving his second-in-command an emotionless side-glance to meet what would no doubt be a glare at him. What was he growling about now? But there was no glare towards him as Ni’s hostile attention was focused elsewhere and his snarls grew louder.

The bird was still beside them, finally asleep. Ichi had allowed their slave to blanket them under a wing, to let him groom them. After all the drama and stress the alpha’s had to deal with, the pampering felt rather nice, and for a moment Ichi had allowed himself to relax against him. Just a little bit at first, to allow himself the slightest bit of indulgence. Nobody was around to see him lean against the bird, and their slave seemed wise enough not to mention it throughout the grooming session. 

It was some time before Ichi had felt the nibbles slowly come to a halt and he had seen the slave have fallen asleep against him. He made no effort to pull themselves away or shove the bird off. Even when the little fire pest was doing nothing, he was still useful as his heat did well to soothe their tense and aching muscles.

And now, Ni was glaring with great displeasure at their slave and the wing that draped over them. Before Ichi could speak a word to dissuade him from doing what he knew was coming, Ni bit into the wing savagely, earning a startled and pained squawk from the now very-much-awake bird. Before Rodan could even think of retaliating, the right head threw him off of them and down the slope of the volcano violently.

Even with the heat from the volcano, the loss of their thermal blanket was almost startling, and Ichi caught himself from tipping over when the support of the bird was robbed from the body. He didn’t notice how much he’s been leaning on their slave. But it wasn’t something he was dwelling on as he snapped his gaze fully upon his brother.

“Brother Ni-” Ichi started in a tired, but stern tone, only to be cut off as Ni glared hatefully at him.

“I’m not having that thing touch me!” 

Barely starting the morning and already conflict was brewing. Ichi was too tired for this shit; the lack of sleep did not help him. “That is not for you to deci-” This time, Ichi cut himself off, when he saw how Ni’s eyes darken and how his horns had begun to flare out at his words. 

Right...

Knowing that was a wound best left untouched, lest things get physical, Ichi gave a grunt. “You needed only to say something, and I would have-.”

“You wouldn’t have done shit,” Ni spat with disgust. “Probably would’ve been seduced again if I hadn’t woken up. Don’t think I didn’t notice you leaning up into it, Ichi.” He practically spat out his name, like it was the most bitter thing he’s tasted.

One of their tails twitched and Ichi’s eyes narrowed. Each time Ni mocked him in such a fashion, it felt as though he was being pushed more and more towards the edge. Towards his breaking point. He was not in the mood right now, too tired to deal with this moreso than usual. His glare should be more than enough to show that he’s not to be tested. 

But Ni wasn’t really one to back down easily. They held this staring contest as Rodan limped back up to the top of the slope in the background, grumbling something under his breath (“Rude...”). Looking up at the two, their slave hesitated, watching them carefully. He looked ready to intervene, as if he could do anything.

“We are not arguing this, Brother Ni,” Ichi said as calmly as he can manage, an attempt to end the tension peacefully. “Just know you are mistaken if you think me foolish enough to repeat the same mistakes twice. There is no ‘seduction’ here.”

Ni snorted, obviously not believing him before casting a glare towards the bird, snarling and snapping the air towards him dangerously in a clear message to stay the fuck away.

The stupid bird probably didn’t even understand THAT much. 

Silence came over them, as Ichi continued to try to lessen the tension, calm himself down, and just go on with their daily lives like normal. He pushed their body up to sit onto their haunches. San’s neck was limp as he did this, and forced from the wing as Ichi spreads them to catch the sun’s rays, the youngest turned away to stare in a daze into the opposite horizon. 

San could see, but didn’t care to actually notice Rodan watching him in his peripheral vision. The youngest just felt sapped, and heavy with shame. It’s rare he felt such emotions; he was usually of such high-spirits and simply was not used to feeling so despondent. But he was helpless to do anything about it, except wallow. He could recall moments where he felt self-pity, but those were things that he could fix. He was able to distract himself and squander those feelings by being pro-active in whatever issue got him down. But this time, he can’t fix what he’s done and Ichi can pretend to forgive him, but he was convinced of the truth.

He had nobody left for him.

And really, why would his brothers ever love him? Why was he so foolish and blind that he didn’t see it before now? For as long as he could remember, he’s been bitten, yelled at, glared at, and reprimanded, by both of them. Was he really so stupid? Did he even contribute anything at all? Worthless, that’s what Ni called him. And he’s right. San was a terrible fighter, he couldn’t help plan anything, he seemed to annoy his brothers, and just overall be a hindrance to the whole.

He knew it was only because of his regeneration powers that he’s even still here. If it wasn’t for that, his brothers would’ve gotten rid of him a long time ago. He knew this, because Ni has tried a couple times before. Whether by snapping his neck or crushing his skull, none of that proved effective because San just kept coming back to continue being a nuisance to them.

He closed his eyes. He can’t even die properly.

Worthless...

The silence continued around them for a while, the air heavy between all three of them, until it was suddenly broken by the bird.

“So I shared what you told me,” He was staring at Ni. “To your brother, like you wanted. You gonna talk to him about that?”

That insolent slave...

Ni glared at the bird harshly, which the little pest met with a stupidly bold gaze. Did he not hear what he said last night? He was NOT repeating any of what he said twice! If Ichi missed it the first time, then too fuckin’ bad!

But Ichi caught what their slave was trying to do: urge them to talk to each other. The bird should’ve known better than to keep meddling into their business like this, but he has never really established himself as being particularly smart, even by earth standards. The alpha head glared at him in warning to watch his step before looking upon his angered brother.

He’ll play along this time. If only because they really do need to talk, and this time, Ni was not getting out of it. He made this much known through their neurons and Ni immediately snapped his full attention to his older brother. He was already snarling, showing defiance as he had done the first time they ‘talked’.

Ichi does not back down.

“Brother Ni-”

“Back off!” the right head snapped in guarded defensiveness. 

“-We need to discuss-” Ichi continued as if his brother didn’t say anything, showing with his own glare that Ni’s efforts won’t work. But damn, if the right head wasn’t going to try anyway...

“Nothing! We’re discussing nothing, because there’s nothing left to discuss!”

“There is plenty still,” Ichi pushed. “And no better time to spe-”

“Shut. Up.” Ni continued dangerously through gritted teeth. He was tired too, tired of everyone trying to pressure him into this bullshit. What did he have to do to get it through their heads that he’s not taking this?! “There’s your obsession with talking again. Look at what talking has done for us! NOTHING!! Worse, it’s made us weak!”

“Only because you insist on being difficult.”

“How is that-” He gave a heated glare towards San, still drooping pathetically, and gave a pointed jerk of his head. “-the result of my ‘being difficult’? I said what I needed to, and that's the result. And you mean to tell me this is a good thing? We could be off doing something actually fuckin’ productive right now instead of sitting here, making things worse with your ‘talking’ nonsense!”

That edge was getting closer and closer, Ichi can feel it. His lack of sleep was causing his patience to wane that much faster and it took strength to keep his tone steady and calm.

“No, if we were not speaking right now, we will all be wallowing in silence, knowing nothing is being done to resolve the issue between us. If you believe that this will all fade away on its own, then you are gravely mistaken. Instead, it is going to fester and THAT is what will hurt us. The ‘weakness’ going on right now is that festering, coming into fruition after only a couple of days. Imagine years from now, how much worse this will have gotten, all brought along not because you talked, Brother Ni.” Ichi told him. “It is because you do not talk enough, insisting instead on fighting with us. What is so wrong in just letting us resolve this peacefully? To let us in to find a solution? I know the damage I have caused to you, I know how much it has hurt you, and if you can just let me help instead of fighting against me, then we would had been in a better place by now.”

Ni was saying nothing in response, just shaking his head at him, narrowed eyes dark.

“You have been doing this since you were born, Brother Ni,” Ichi continued. “Instead of talking, you have been shutting us out. Surely you have not forgotten the times of our youth? Before San’s birth? Do you not remember the misery you caused, because you refused to let me help you? Do you really intend to revert to those times? To repeat those mistakes? Do you not regret them?”

The silence between them was thick, their glares never leaving each other. Ichi swore he saw some spark inside, probably his imagination but he liked to think he was seeing progress. So Ni does regret what he did before, but was it enough? Just let him in, let him help. There was no reason to be afraid, and Ichi can prove his fears unfounded. If he can just give him another chance.

Unfortunately, that glimmer in Ni’s eyes was quickly smothered and the right head looked away. “I don’t need to listen to your bullshit,” he muttered. “To compare what happened then to now, shows how little you understand.”

“I would understand if you cooperated.”

“We’re done here.” Ni grumbled as he turned away completely, continuing to show blatant disrespect to which Ichi shook his head. The frustration inside of him was rising, faster than what he was used to. Keep his voice calm... Calm....

“Far from it. We have not even started. Foolish of you to think that it is your place to decide if we continue or not.”

“My place?” Ni hissed with venom. “You speak as if you’re still my alpha, when you are not. I have no obligation to talk nor to do anything you say. Not anymore.”

“No obligation?” There was an edge to his voice now, a low growl from his throat as he spoke. “And what makes you think for even a second that you can say that?” Their tails were rattling now. “Remove the title from my name, but it does not change anything. You only lie to yourself, trying to pretend you can do as you please just because I have wronged you.” He shakes his head, eyes narrowed dangerously. “No. I am not letting you get away with it anymore, Brother Ni. So say it. Say my name properly.” 

Ni doesn’t even turn to glare at him. “Fuck you.”

At once, Ichi struck, biting down into the back of Ni’s neck. The right head roared and thrashed violently in response, as he’s shoved to the ground. He keeps struggling as Ichi power-grooms him, far rougher than he’s ever had before, enough for his fangs to be drawing blood from gnawing his scales so harshly. All this time, Ichi was trying to hold himself back from power-grooming and any other forceful display of dominance. Done out of some misplaced respect for his brother, an attempt not to make things worse by pushing his power onto him. But now, it doesn’t matter. He bites harder when Ni refused to submit and the right head kept on struggling.

After a few minutes, spent trying in vain to lash out at his older brother, Ni finally went still, snarling with his teeth bared. He doesn’t quiet down, even as Ichi growled into his ear.

“Say my name: Alpha Ichi. Now.”

Ni’s hatred was palpable as he glared death towards his older brother. His voice was dripping with defiance. “It’ll change nothing.”

“I do not care. Say it.” He pressed down harder against the right head, earning a grunt of pain as he’s almost crushed into the ground. But even now, Ni glared at him before grumbling incoherently. Ichi was not satisfied and showed it by biting him. “Louder, you little shit.”

“I will never stop hating you, Alpha Ichi.”

“And I no longer desire your affections, nor your respect,” Ichi hissed. “I require only your obedience and subordination.” He lets Ni go, still growling and rattling their tails. He vaguely recalled saying this before, out of anger, not something he truly meant. But at this moment, he believed his own words with all his heart. If Ni doesn’t want to be their brother, then he will never be their brother. Instead-  “How do you feel, having ‘slave’ as your new name? Much more fitting now, is it not?”

“Brother Ichi...” came a soft, shaky voice and he glanced back to see San staring at him. The dead look in his eyes has faded in favor of pure anguish and heartbreak, from hearing those words. It was enough for Ichi’s face to soften just a little. But before anything can be said or done further, Ichi suddenly felt a terrible unexpected pain in his throat, as Ni bit down upon him savagely. He couldn’t even shriek from how tightly his larynx was being crushed.

At once, he brought up their wings to tear his attacker off, Ni’s teeth gouging terrible wounds as he’s ripped free. He’s always done this in these situations, but Ni was not to be stopped this time, and turned his attention to biting into one of the wings, shredding the membrane beneath his fangs. San screamed as pain jolted for all of them, and Ichi pulled the injured wing away. Ni lunged again for the throat, only to be struck by another wing, this one edged with fire.

Their slave has thrown himself into the fray, despite his many injuries and broken wing. Ni struck for him without hesitation, slamming his head into his gut and pushing him over into the ground. Rodan shrieked at him defiantly, kicking with his talons as Ni surged forward to bite into his throat. Claws ripped into his scales, and the muscles in his neck was tensing, preparing to shake and snap the bird’s neck. This should’ve been done a long time ago... 

But he wasn’t able to perform the murder, when Ichi sank his teeth into Ni’s face. One of the fangs stabbed into Ni’s eye, and this has him let go of the bird with a roar of pain. Rodan pulled away to a safe distance, bleeding from his neck and coughing heavily.

Ni yanked himself from Ichi’s jaws, uncaring to any damage to his face as he does so. He ducked under another of Ichi’s strike and countered, not with a bite, but to coil a couple of times around his neck. Securing himself as he bites down into the back of Ichi’s head just behind the horns.

Ichi struggled and thrashed, feeling the teeth dig deeper into his neck in a chewing motion. Almost like he was searching...

The alpha’s pain was getting worse, as Ni took a hint from his fight with the bird the other night. The technique has not gone unnoticed by the vicious fighter and now, he was going to use it against his dictator, against his so-called ‘alpha’ that dared to degrade him by demoting him to a mere slave. Ichi was slamming himself into the ground but was having Ni take the impact of each blow. Yet the right head doesn’t let go. Wings attempt to pull him off, but the coils kept him in place. Just long enough to find the spinal cord and-

He suddenly felt another pain in his still-repairing eye as someone else bit into his face and his jaws automatically released the middle head to attempt to pull away from his new attacker. It wasn’t the bird this time; it was San. His coils had loosened just enough for Ichi to pull backwards, just enough to stab the horns adorning his head into the upper-most coil.

This further loosened the coils and Ichi managed to squirm back out of the grip. Seeing his oldest brother now free, San released his hold on Ni’s face and kept in a scream as the right head immediately began tearing into him.

San doesn’t struggle, doesn’t scream. Doesn’t even whimper. He had to take his punishment, with dignity. Just like he was told to, what felt like ages ago. He can already feel Ni’s jaws clamp tighter and tighter upon his head, threatening to crush his skull again. San was ready to accept his fate, before Ichi slammed Ni off of him.

Ichi’s jaws fastened around Ni’s muzzle, again forcing him towards the ground. He’s had enough of this, of everything this damn so-called ‘brother’ has done. He had lost himself, pushed to his breaking point. He wanted it to end, and he can end it right here and now, if just for a short time. 

Planting a foot onto Ni’s neck as the right head struggles, Ichi readjusted his hold as his memories flash to their first ever fight, so long ago. It was the only way to end it then, it’ll be the only way to end it now. There was little in way of hesitation, as he gathered all the strength in his neck and upper body. He closed his eyes, as if not wanting to witness what was coming next.

With one powerful tug, he tore Ni’s head off.

Blood surged everywhere, on his face, all along the ground around them. It spurted from the remaining stump of the neck as it thrashed, spraying it over San and Rodan like some morbid sprinkler system. The severed head in his jaws was thrashing as well, trying even now to bite him, although it was quickly weakening. Ichi still kept his eyes closed, breaths heavy as he muttered softly in a hoarse voice, echoing it through his neurons. “I am sorry, Brother Ni.”

Brother. Not slave. Brother......

Silence fell over them when the dying head’s gurgling went quiet, limp in Ichi’s jaws. The alpha placed the head down onto the ground gently, finally opening his eyes to watch over his brother while he passed on. The hatred in his face persisted, as does the rage, before the life faded from his eyes. It was over, for now. He can already feel their body constructing a new head inside them, and without a single glance of acknowledgement towards San or their slave, Ichi suddenly spreads their wings and takes off into the air.

He needed to get away from the volcano’s radiation, to keep the head from regrowing too quickly. If just for a moment, he needed to get away from it all. He needed peace.

San watched him silently as he takes them far, far away.