#that hero is very proud of their No kill streak

[theshadowrealmitself]

Gold star hench that helps the plan go as far as possible before the hero thwarts the villain and who somehow always miraculously survives any explosion/gun fight/fire/etc that breaks out

And they decide one day that their luck is gonna run out eventually, so they should quit while they’re ahead, so during the next fight when the hero kicks the hench into the ocean, they decide just to go home instead of bouncing back up to keep helping the villain, y’know, quiet quitting, cause it’s not like the villain’s gonna actually care, they can’t remember the last time they actually personally addressed them

Which all works out great…till they wake up to both the hero and the villain breaking into their apartment, the villain because they did put together that their star hench didn’t come back, and the hero because they have a no kill rule and they need to make sure they didn’t accidentally kill a hench when kicking them into the water

[xenodile]

So in terms of how I write Byl, hmm how does Dawntrail go for her

Bylgrael had a streak of really bad depression after Endwalker. Scions disband and have their own things to do, she's achieved her lifelong goal of becoming a hero, but now she's without purpose. G'raha is busy with the Students, and the twins are off in Garlemald, which is difficult for her because the events of Garlemald in Endwalker proper left Byl with some very deep emotional scars. Feeling directionless and unneeded, Byl ends up in a very bad space mentally.

She gets into gathering and crafting as a way to distract herself, putting her talents to work doing something creative or productive after all the time she's spent as a weapon, and it helps to a degree, but the core problem is she's lonely and fears that the three people she loves the most won't want her any more now that she's not immediately useful to them.

Tataru obviously catches on to this because Byl is spending a lot of time in Sharlayan and is noticeably crestfallen, so she sets up the whole private island thing and brings it G'raha's attention. G'raha keeps on eye on Byl, and finally things come together when they go through Euphrosyne and Byl fights Menphina, and Bylgrael's thoughts on love get plastered all over the walls. After that, G'raha takes some time to check in with the twins and tell them about how poorly Byl is doing, and they decide to do something about it.

I toyed with the idea of like, the situation being difficult, because the polycule is four people, and two of them are siblings, so I think that Alphinaud and Byl getting married on paper just for simplicity and peace of mind is the way to go. Alphinaud is definitely the type to have been thinking of Byl as "My wife" as far back as when they first had sex in post-Heavensward, so he's the obvious candidate. So the G'raha, Alphinaud, and Alisaie find some time to visit Byl on her private island and just reaffirm to her that they love her and they're not going anywhere, even if their goals take them elsewhere.

That all leads in to Dawntrail as the honeymoon trip. Byl really needs some time with Alphinaud and Alisaie to relax and make happy memories since the they'll be busy in Garlemald for the foreseeable future. Wuk Lamat arriving and inviting Byl to help her bid for succession is the perfect excuse for a trip, and the twins invite themselves along because this is exactly what they needed.

Once in Tural proper, Bylgrael is treating it more like being a bodyguard than anything else. Wuk Lamat's her own person, and Byl's not really interested in politics. She's the muscle to make sure Wuk Lamat stays safe, which Gulool Ja Ja only reinforces with his personal request. She's more relaxed and easy going, but is also a bit more snippy and impatient. She already saved the damn planet and has a happy relationship, she's no longer in 24/7 people pleaser mode and is willing to be a bit more selfish.

As events progress however, she starts getting more and more aggro. It definitely reaches a point where she's eyeballing Zoraal Ja and Bakool Ja Ja as "it's not a matter of if, but when, I'm going to kill you" and starts feeling annoyed when Koana and Wuk Lamat and others insist of diplomacy and understanding. She's not gonna force the issue but it definitely grates on her after a fashion.

Once Wuk Lamat becomes Vow of Resolve and offers her a job, Byl just rejects it from the jump. She likes Wuk Lamat, she's proud of her, but Byl isn't here to be a royal advisor. Bylgrael is a killer, a weapon to be wielded. Wuk Lamat doesn't need a weapon, she needs a mentor and advisor, and Bylgrael knows herself well enough to know that's not her.

When all the stuff with Solution Nine and Sphene goes down, it's almost a relief because THIS is what Byl is good at. This is where she's in her element. Sphene reminds her of Emet-Selch and Elidibus, but for that very reason she doesn't hesitate for a moment.

Going through Living Memory and seeing everyone get closure with their families across the whole adventure however, it does leave her...restless. It's been a long time since she's seen her dad after all, and the family desire has definitely been rekindled. With the key to interdimensional travel in her hands, she's also feeling pretty excited to see other Shards.

Who knows what the future will hold...

[mothermara]

wow... his ass is not gonna kill jyggalag.

The Fringe was safe, albeit temporarily. Everyone made it out alive. It was an accomplishment, Rasara reminded herself. Something to be proud of. Still, a dull ache in her chest remained. Silence blanketed the late Duchess Syl’s chambers like a wet cloth. Cautiously, she made her way to the bed. Even after the dust had settled, she found it wise to keep a keen eye for the glint of stray tripwires and shifting of suspicious tiles within Dementia’s court.

Rasara pushed aside the silken, goldworked sheets and sat down. It’d been some time since she last rested in such luxury- unlike Martin’s room in Cloud Ruler Temple, she found Syl’s quarters a touch too cold, drab and spontaneously booby-trapped to provide any real sense of comfort.

Rasara curled up in the middle of the bed, bringing her knees to her chest. Suddenly, there came a knock at the door. She tensed.

“Duchess Rasara, are you there?” the speaker paused, nervously adding, “Oh, you might be asleep… If you’re asleep, just er- continue to do so, milady!”

She lifted her head slightly.

“If you aren’t asleep, I would ask if I could come in.”

Come in, she tried to say. The words seemed to catch in her throat, then fall back into her with a silent thud. She tried again, echoing it in her mind to no avail. The person behind the door seemed to shuffle as if they were contemplating whether or not to leave. A spark of fear lit in her weary limbs.

“Wait.” Rasara croaked. “Don’t leave.”

“Milady? Is that you?”

The door finally lurched open. She recognized the figure as one of the Mazken warriors she’d defended back at Passwall.

“Is there… Something wrong?” He stepped closer. “Well, I suppose there ought to be a couple things wrong, given the state of it… The pale, spiky knights and their strange columns, for sure. And if you think, there must be very few things right, especially here in Crucible…”

Rasara brushed a coil of silver-streaked hair from her face and smiled limply as he sat down on the bed, beside her.

After a moment of floundering for words, he sighed, “Milady, something weighs on your heart. Will you tell me what?”

“... What’s your name?”

“I- er, I don’t… Have one? I am Mazken, in service to our lord. That’s all.”

“Mazken-in-service-to-our-lord. That’s a bit of a mouthful, don’t you think?”

“I suppose whatever you see fit to call me would be befitting enough.”

Rasara studied his face– rather, what she could see of it– for a moment, “Will ‘Ken’ suffice?”

“Of course, duchess. I am truly blessed.”

She took a breath.

“I’m sure you think I’m a hero for what I did at Passwall. That’s who I am, after all. It’s what I do. I’m Rasara the brave, and Rasara the strong and Rasara the doesn’t-need-help, but…” She felt tears well in her eyes, “By the nine, what if I’m just- just as frightened and tired as everyone else? Can I have that, even for a moment?”

Ken looked puzzled, “Of course you can.”

Rasara shook her head, sniffling.

“... Did someone tell you otherwise? Who was it? I’ll send them right to Corpserot, if you’d like!” He ventured, “On the Madgod’s honour, I wouldn’t even blame you if you just ran away. I would have- I almost did, actually, but I saw one of those big knights and thought I’d probably do better cowering behind you, so…”

“I’m not running away.” Rasara scoffed, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“You could.”

“I won’t.”

“But you could. In the event you do, and not to say you will… I will save the isles.”

“What?”

“I’ll save the isles for you. So now you can dry your beautiful eyes, milady, and rest content knowing that this will all be dealt with in due time. This is my oath.”

Rasara raised her brow in disbelief before her lips settled into a soft smile.

“Very well, then. Come morning, I’ll expect you to have resolved this whole affair.”

“Naturally.”

She pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, “Do hurry.”

[harrison-abbott]

rain slashed the sky

The rain slashed the sky in these lush pencil streaks. Hot may rain. He put his raincoat on and headed out unto the night. Nothing was living in the neighbourhood save a few lampish lights on in the windows of the houses. The petals from the pink blossom trees choked the gutters of the roads and in the rain they congealed in their pretty somehow wistful dismay. He passed down the tiny terrace buildings from the 1980s which looked like they still belonged in the nineteen eighties, like they hadn’t changed in forty years. He remembered playing pool in the basement with one of his older brother’s friends. And the boy that lived farther down the street who had killed himself when he was eighteen; and the field down by the bottom of the hood where they used to play football games: he wanted to join in with the games but his big brother wouldn’t let him because he was too young and he simply didn’t want him around. Hmm. And then there was the house where the foxy lady lived who always smoked cigarettes and somehow he always thought that magnetic about women – how they puffed smoke in and out of their lips. He knew nothing about her. It was odd how you can live so close to somebody and know zilch about them. … And then there was the house at the end of the street, where this boy with fantastic red hair used to live. The family didn’t live there anymore. He couldn’t quite remember the boy’s name. But he remembered how he hated him, but liked his twin brother. What was his name again? Marcus? Maybe. Marcus didn’t like him one bit but he took a shine to his twin bro; and when they would happen to meet each other on this very road, 20 years back, Marcus would yak to his brother and not him. And that seemed a common theme to him throughout primary school: how folks would love his brother and he was hated and battered often and ignored by the adults and kids alike. … The rain, by the way, fell about his hood with this proud pounding. And the water meshed with the trees and gave off this amazing atavistic scent that he’d loved since boyhood. Such morsels of sentience made him recall what it was like to be a boy. And now he was lost and off-radar; he had no clue what to fathom with all of these memories which raced about his mind whenever he jaunted anywhere. It was as if walking down a street at night where the most violent thing in the world, and all these heroes villains and maniacs from the past where there with him in the present living, with their quotations spinning about in different chambers … but, they weren’t. There was nobody there. … There was, however, one of the local foxes. By the long scape, at the end. The fox saw him. With its articulate nifty body. And then it retreated and disappeared amid the tingling raindrops. He’s always found foxes fascinating. And it’s a horrific shame that his favourite writer – the author who has influenced him most – was a lover of foxhunting. And he never understood why foxhunting was ever a sport or pastime or even a thing, just as he was bemused by gladiators in the colosseum or gory glee in famous movies. He wondered whether people were worth it as a species. Worth saving. He pondered whether he would witness the apocalypse. Foxes weren’t exactly moral creatures either. They were mammals on the food chain who killed other mammals for survival and that’s basically all they did. But, he didn’t see why dressing up and riding out on horses to go and watch bloodthirsty dogs rip them apart was in any way acceptable. And, at the same time, this writer whose artwork he adored, was capable of that same atrocious crime. … Yes, there were many questions. Perhaps he overthought life. Uh hu. It wasn’t looking likely he would live long. Most folks weren’t as sensitive as he was. … He got to the end of the street and he turned the corner and by that was the gate that led into the woods. Through that, he went, and the air of the forest changed his thinking. The muddy floor was littered with the bright greenandyellow wisps of spring that the winds from yesterday had taken off. For half a mile, from here, there would be no urban light and he would have to see in the near total dark. The rain flew and sang and banged. He walked on, as clueless as ever.

[usmsgutterson]

ANTI-HERO- Nikolai Lantsov

Okay! Three posts down and I haven’t been late for this yet! I’m, admittedly, very proud of myself for that, but otherwise, here’s day three of the midnights event!

Fic type- fluff, mostly

Warnings- the reader is an inferni so there’s mentions of fire, and slowing heart rates. Nikolai also threatens to allow Zoya, Genya, the Kir-Bataar twins and the reader to have a foothold in Jarl Brums death, and there’s a line where jarl is like “you’re gonna let your partner talk to me like that?” to which Nikolai has a response at the ready

Nikolai had long learned to accept that the ends to his relationships had mostly been his fault. He’d long accepted that he was the problem, the one issue that caused all the others. How the people around him kept rooting for him was something he couldn’t figure out; why continue rooting for someone when all it seems to be is exhausting, anyhow?

There was you, though, and you made the least sense to him. You stood by Nikolai in everything, every decision, every step he took. You were his partner in everything, so it seemed.

The relationship the two of you had was the first romantic partnership that didn’t end in hatred, resentment, any of the traditional break-up tropes. Four years, an entire civil war in which the both of you fought on the side of Alina Starkov, and still, you stood by him, never wavering in your support.

“It appears that, as you age, your wiseness remains unaffected,” said Jarl Brum as Nikolai took a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. Jarl didn’t do the same, and with the air of Jarls presence—which, one had to note, was somehow colder than even the coldest of the Fjerdan weather that Nikolai had experienced—it made sense. Druskelle were all about purity. It seemed that abstaining from the drinking of alcohol was apart of the pledge to become a Druskelle.

“Older, but never wiser. Such is the tale of the Ravkan king who will never pull his country out of debt. A lovely story one will write soon enough, I assume,” Jarl continued. Nikolai took a sip of the champagne, wondered why Jarl had made it to the guest list for the event.

The leaders of each country were to talk business in the Ravkan palaces, and it ended with a gala, of sorts. Ravkans of royal status and people of importance from the other countries were invited to it. While it was quite easy to understand why Jarl had been invited from the standpoint of business, why invite him otherwise? He was the head of an organization that killed Grisha, many of which were trained in the Little Palace, many of whom were Ravkan. Why invite someone who killed the citizens of Ravka, especially one who aided in the war against Ravkan citizens, human and Grisha both?

He had his answer as soon as he began contemplating it. Under the pressure from royal advisories to do so, he’d added Jarl to the guest list, promised Zoya  and the twins that they could cause a slower heart rate—or stop his heart entirely, which Nikolai found himself preferring.—if they grew sick of him, create a gust of wind that was enough to move him across the room. 

“Plans are in place to fix the debt problem,” you said. Nikolai tried to hide his fear as you appeared at his side suddenly. “Older but never wiser does not describe my partner. You are rather observant, though, Mr. Brum. I don’t like you, nor do I like your practices in regards to Grisha—”

“Drusje,” Jarl cut. Nikolai cut him a warning glare.

“Grisha, Jarl. We don’t call them names here and messing with an Etherealki with a winning streak against most of their peers is not a smart decision,” you said. “I’ve beaten even the likes of Genya Safin, trained with the one most of your people in Fjerda have taken to calling a saint. I will set you on fire if you mess with my partner, my people, or me.” Nikolai almost laughed as he realized it. You were talking to Jarl like you used to talk to the Darkling during your few encounters during the civil war. You were condescending to him, which was something that men like Jarl and the Darkling tended to hate.

“Older but never wiser is not a correct observation, and the king and I both would appreciate it if you took your keen observational skills somewhere wherein they’ll be appreciated rather than looked down upon and condescended to. I cannot force you to do anything, really, but if you’re so wise, then you’ll walk away.”

Jarl looked at Nikolai. “You’re going to allow your partner to talk to me like this?”

“I don’t control what they do,” Nikolai said. “They have agency and autonomy, Brum. Plus, I happen to agree with every word they’ve spoken. Walking away is indeed your best bet. If you don’t, they’ll set you on fire, and Zoya isn’t so kind as to summon a storm to put you out. The twins? Genya? They’ll slow your heart, but not stop it. Every Grisha in this room happens to think you deserve a death as slow and painful as possible, which is something I don’t blame them for. If I’d not been pressured into doing so, your footsteps wouldn’t be so much as coming near this ballroom.”

Jarl huffed, tossed glowers in both yours and Nikolais direction, and walked off. You grinned as you leaned against Nikolai, sighing contentedly as you did.

“Good riddance,” you said. “The rest of the night may prove enjoyable from here on out, I think.”

Nikolai allowed himself a smirk as a chorus of violins began in playing a waltz. “Care for a dance, my love?”

You scoffed, shook your head but spoke your verbal agreement and allowed Nikolai to lead you to the dance floor.

“How can you continue to root for me?” Nikolai found himself asking. “Why continue to be at the side of the man who knows he’s the problem? Why root for an anti-hero such as myself, why stay with me through everything?”

You grinned. “Because you’re the love of my life,” you said. “No matter what your nightmares may say, I happen to love your schemes, Nik. Leaving you over them has never been my intent. I will never grow tired of the ideas you seem to come up with out of nowhere. You’re the love of my life, the one who knows what to say at the perfect time.”

Nikolai allowed himself to press his forehead against yours, choosing to have a moment of contentment rather than a moment of anything else.

Nikolai may have been the problem, may have been the anti-hero whom it was exhaustive to continually root for, but he was learning to be okay with that. He knew he would be okay with it in time, and with you at his side, he was sure he could deal with anything.

[septembersghost]

When did you start to ship Kim and Jimmy on BCS? And why are they one of your favourite tv couples?

seven years is a long time from that first watch, so i'm not sure if i can totally pinpoint an initial when - it could easily be their very first scene in the parking garage, which i love SO much and tells us quite a lot about them with hardly any dialogue (they clearly already have a history and rapport, they don't even have to finish sentences to know what the other means, he doesn't hesitate to casually take her cigarette and there's an intimacy in that, like a prelude to a kiss, she fixes the trash can he attacks without second thought), it's perfectly lit and scored, they look like they've walked right out of a classic noir standing there together. i remember i immediately wanted to know more about her and about their relationship. but if it wasn't that moment, it was in hero. howard is extremely irked and (correctly) calls what jimmy did at the billboard "a damn stunt," and kim, looking up at the screen, back turned, smiles. it's tiny and fleeting, but it says everything. she knows it's a stunt too, but she's not mad about it. she's amused and fond and maybe even slightly proud in a very strange way. it establishes not only how she's his ally, but also that maybe there's a mischievous streak in her too. (this goes very badly for them later but! initially that's endearing and undoubtedly part of the attraction.)

i wrote a little off-the-cuff about them here (HOW did that post get so many notes?!), but something that appealed to me was always how very matched and grounded and REAL they felt. i'm a sappy romantic, i love a love story (happy or tragic), so it's easy to entice me with a dynamic that i enjoy, but something about jimmy and kim was really special in its approach. it isn't necessarily "epic" in that sense of grand gestures and dramatic swells of violins and world shifting kisses (not that there's anything wrong with any of that), it's something i've talked about before with their wedding. it's bare. there's no white tulle, no rose arches. and i'm a gowns and glitter kind of girl in many ways, but their lack of that made them so accessible to me, so...refreshing and honest. the thing that some people (*coughs at bird app*) complain about, the supposed lack of sexual chemistry, i see everywhere, and even prefer in the way they presented it. the way they gravitate towards one another and share glances and brush against each other just to touch, the way they're so obviously at home together. it's not ever objectified in the obvious way that romance is sometimes packaged for us. kim pushing him against the wall in the stairwell, her foot under the table, his hand on her shoulder in the hospital, the way he leans closer in to her, them companionably brushing their teeth and sharing meals and tending wounds, it's all so electric, but also has a sense of ease and tangibility. it's something in the fact that they're such different people on the surface - jimmy exuberant and talkative, kim restrained and listening, and yet underneath so matched and such complements. they have these pieces that fit together perfectly and form a whole. they're both fascinating characters individually, and together that dynamic is so alluring and touching to me. they've both lived with such lonely hearts and then find fulfillment with each other. it's something about it going beyond words and living in their expressions and unspoken language. it's something in always being on each other's side. their friendship itself is so connective that it makes their attraction and romantic love even richer. it's the way she's so loyal to him and wants to help him through pain, and the way he's so admiring of her and wants to give her a safe place to simply be. (and then we learned they would quite literally die and kill for each other and that is epitome, HEIGHT of Romantic, be still my heart.) it's the way no one else in the world truly sees them, for who they are and all they are, for all their good points and their ingenuity and their warmth, and in their flaws and shadows, and accepts and adores them even still.

bob said (of their final shared smoking scene, but it feels true throughout the story): "they can just exist next to each other. something that they very much like to do." there's something so beautiful and affecting in that to me. finding someone who is content simply to exist next to you. to be proud of you and love you, to stand by you, even at your darkest. to take your hand in front of filtered golden light. to lean quietly against a wall and be suffused with love, despite the pain and the trouble and the lost time, and just be glad you're there and alive with them. to spoil it all by saying something stupid like i love you, and then to heal it, and recognize it wasn't so stupid after all. it's another version of a flower blooming in the sands of the desert, even after devastating sacrifice. something true and delicate and alive remains. that kind of love is rare and precious. it's knowing you'll have that love for the rest of your life.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Assassins

( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord )

 The soft light of the morning dawn slowly filtered into the room through cracks between the lavish curtains. Streaks of light bounded off the polished gold detailing of the rooms furniture and made the room appear as if the very stars themselves had come to adorn themselves upon the walls. So bright were the reflections that it managed to find their way underneath several layers of bed sheets and directly into the face of ambassador Glifin.

Roused from his seemingly peaceful sleep Glifin slowly pushed off the sheets one by one and rolled to his feet. The loud thuds of his hooves touching the floor sent a shudder through the room as he stood and stretched out, his general grogginess slowly shaking off. With a loud yawn finally leaving his throat he rose and shambled over to his desk to begin his day’s work.

Tonight he was hosting a party honoring visiting royalty from his home world on Argon. The prince had decided he wanted to visit this miserable planet he had been stationed on, though why anyone would want to visit this world was beyond him.

Glifin’s posting on the human homeworld had been sold to him as a great honor but in reality it had been a means to keep him from continuing his political rise. On Argon he had been a senator whose mere whisper was enough to make generals and minor nobles quiver in fear. His star struck ascension didn’t go unnoticed however and just before he was to be elected into the office of Artock Supreme and reside over the entire senate the royal family had stepped in and given him the position of ambassador to humanity.

Within the spam of a solar month he was shipped off the throne world and sent to this backwater dump of a world; were he had to smile and feign sincerity to these miserable sacks of flesh all the while his political powerbase slowly began to crumble in the senate.

Now fully consumed by feelings of dread over his situation Glifin did not hear the sudden knock at the door. Only after several more knocks did Glifin look up from his paper work.

“Come in.”

The door slowly opened and Glifin’s aide Jafal walked in and bowed.

“My apologies for disturbing you at this early hour, but Mr. Robinson has arrived with your evening wear for tonight’s event.”

Glifin nodded and shuffled his papers back into his desk and locked it just as a new figure entered the room.

“Say what you want about Argonian fashion, but they do have such a wonderful sense of aesthetics when it comes to room decoration.”

A slim human emerged from the doorway pushing a small cart with a metal rod built in holding up two clothing bags.

“You have a problem with Argonian styles?” Glifin said as he rose to his feet and walked over to Robinson as he pulled out a tiny box device and casually threw it down on the floor. The moment of contact it sprung open and in an instance a large set of mirrors emerged from it giving an impressive view from all sides.

“Oh far be it for me to question ones culture, “ Robinson continued as he opened the first bag and stepped aside for Glifin to see the contents, “but some would consider the amount of dead mammals your people adorn on themselves to be a tad morbid.”

From the corner of his eye Glifin saw Jafal’s face redden from anger but with a motion from his ambassador kept his tongue still.

“I would find it surprising for a human to find anything morbid with the amount of toxins you willingly consume.”

Robinson flashed a brief smile and shrugged. “You do have me there; personally caffeine will most likely be the end of me one day, but we’re not here to talk about my eventual demise.”

“An end that will come much sooner if you continue to waste my time with idle chatter.”

Humanities incessant need for small talk and idle conversation was something Glifin had never come to terms with; and this human fashion designer was by far the worst example he had ever put up with. Part of him viewed it as a challenge to see how long he could endure before snapping the tiny man’s neck, and though such a moment would no doubt bring him great pleasure the other part of him realized that Robinsons work was well regarded among prominent members of society. Not just with other humans, but with other alien dignitaries who had embassies on the human homeworld. It had been surprisingly an ambassador from the Hive that had recommended the human’s services when it was suggested that Glifin update his style to match his new role.

Walking up to the first black bag that Robinson had opened Glifin inspected the wardrobe.

Inside was a finely trimmed suit of Rygonian Leaper fur of a dark blue with a sash of Haponi tongue and a dashing pair of pants metal grey Roller Worm hide.

It was custom in Argonian culture to wear the skin of that which you have killed, thus the outfit before him was a prime example Glifin’s traditions.

“A fine work indeed,” Glifin said as he ran his fingers across the material, feeling the roughness against his skin. “For a human” he finished as he turned and smirked at Robinson.

“With the effort it took to obtain the materials you requested I would say it is nothing less than an example a miracle performed before your very eyes.”

Glifin stopped his examination of the attire and looked at the human. “For a miracle you sound so…displeased with your work.”

Robinson crossed his arms for a moment and pouted as if considering his next words.

“My work is perfection, I can assure you, but a man in my trade is not just meant to listen to the specifications of their client but their intention as well.”

“And your point?” Glifin queried.

After a moment he outstretched his hand and casually gestured to the Argonian clothing. “Is this really the message you want to be sending?”

Glifin looked at the suit again then back at Robinson. “I don’t understand.”

“If you go to the event dressed like this it will send the message that you still value your traditions, but I worry that it shows a disconnect with your current situation; almost as if you are attempting to relive the past.”

“You would appear as an old war hero trapped in past glories that the other guests would acknowledge, but not make to engage in conversation.”

Glifin opened to rebuke the human but stopped himself as he pondered the man’s words. Robinson stepped forward to the other black case. “Now this,” Robinson said as he slowly pulled down the zipper revealing the contents, “this would make you not only the talk of the party, but would make you the talk of the after party all the way back to your homeworld were many people would no doubt be very much interested in your on goings.”

“Each piece has been designed by some of the most dangerous animals on this planet, and in some cases far more ravenous then anything back on your respectable homeworld.”

Robinson went about and pointed out the specific materials used one by one.

“The body is made from a powerful species that inhabits the various swamps and wetlands around the globe with jaws so powerful they could cut you in two with a single bite.”

“Each of the buttons along the coat are the fangs of the most poisonous reptilian creatures on the planet; each one capable of killing a human let alone an Argonia ten times over with a single drop of their venom.”

“Now the pants I am particularly proud of as they are the skin of the deadliest hunter of all the planets seas. They can smell fresh blood from miles away and commonly take on prey twice their size.”

Gliffin heard Robinson go through the list of creatures but his expression remained emotionless.

“Why would these creatures be any more interesting than my own worlds?”

Robinson smiled. “Because everyone from your world already knows about them and have hunted the same creatures for generations. Yet I would be so bold as to wager my humble shop that none of them have ever faced down the black eyed stare of a great white shark, nor wrestled the deadly crocodile demons of the swamps, and most certainly have been quick enough to pluck out the teeth of rattle snakes just as they lunge to strike.”

“Neither have I,” Gliffin said with a hint of disgust in his tone, “and you would make a liar out of me for saying so.”

“My dear ambassador, who but you could say what you do or don’t in your free time?”

Robinson leaned forward and whispered into Gliffin’s ear “I am no doubt sure many of your females would find the idea of a striking Argonian such as yourself sneaking off to go hunting the unknown for sport a rather attractive quality.”

Glifin looked at the new set of clothing and then back at the original set of traditional clothes. He went back and forth for several moments before finally settling his gaze on the traditional garments.

“Take these away.”

_______________________________________

The lights outside Robinson’s humble shop slowly went off one by one as he walked between the displays straightening out garments and folding tossed aside pieces customers had casually put aside when the door rang.

“I’m sorry but we are closed for the night.” Robinson said as he returned behind the counter with a stack of clothes.

The figure slowly approached the counter and took off their hat. Robinson looked up from the register to see the figure was a Rohanan; a species known for its gel like appearance yet could collect random bits and bobs to create a sudo skeleton and present themselves as humanoid.

“That’s alright,” the Rohanan said, “I am here to pay for a set I ordered for a….friend.”

“Then they are most fortunate to have a friend such as you then.”

Robinson’s smiling nature unnerved the Rohanan but nonetheless they placed a small envelope on the table and slid it across. Robinson placed a hand on it and tapped his fingers several times against the contents inside before opening it and spilling the credit chips on to the table.

“Is it satisfactory?” the Rohanan said, their nervousness building as the human finished counting the chips.

“Oh yes indeed; I believe you have paid in full for your order.” With a swipe of his hand the human pushed the chips back into the envelope and sealed it. “Always a pleasure to deal with such an honest and upstanding man such as yourself during such troubling times.”

Robinson leaned in towards the Rohanan, his expression shifting from smiling to one of mild concern. “I heard there was a most unfortunate incident up at the Argonian embassy several nights ago.”

“Several guests including the visiting prince and ambassador himself all died from poisoning.” The Rohanan confirmed.

“How gruesome!” Robinson said as he recoiled in shock and finished putting away the remaining clothes while he talked over his shoulder.

The Rohanan regarded the human for a moment before continuing. “The strangest thing was that the poison was not native to this world, but is most common in the Hagar system under Dovorian rule.”

“A most embarrassing situation I am sure considering the Dovorian and Argonian people despise each other.”

“Indeed; one might wonder how such a toxin came into contact with them.”

Robinson shrugged and turned as he finished placing the final shirt back into the display. “With all of those fangs, bones, and animal skins I would not be surprised if someone grabbed a tooth or two that hadn’t been fully drained of its contents.”

The Rohanan laughed and placed their hat back on their head just as they stopped at the door.

“You were worth every penny, assassin.”

“An assassin you say?” Robinson’s smile returned and he casually waved to the departing customer “You must have me mistaken for someone else, as I am but a simple tailor.”

[nuttynutcycle]

Hey nut! I just saw you reblogged Perspective and of course I had to reread it because it was just so dang good!!! Anywho, I was wondering if you might want to continue it?

I kinda wanna see Sidekick try to take on Hero and she’s not doing too good and then Villain shows up out of nowhere to help her again and is like “you idiot, how many times do I have to save you?”

But obviously if you decide you want to do it you should do it however you think. Either way, I hope you have a good day and find ways to have fun in this crazy world!

Perspective Pt 2

Part one here

I kinda went a bit darker with this one cause I felt like writing a jerk. Hope you enjoy!

“That,” Hero snarled, leaning against a wall with a hand clamped tight over his leaking eye, “was a mistake.”

The last of the rain trailed down the building walls. If Sidekick concentrated, she could feel the drops puddling beneath her limp form. She stared at the clouds and tried to ignore the pain streaking through her body. Dying wouldn’t be so bad if she could see the sky.

Hero took a halting step forward, keeping all weight off his injured leg. She faintly remembered being very proud when that attack worked. “I won’t do you the dignity of making this quick.”

Part of the clouds were breaking off. Sidekick could see a bit of blue.

A grunt and crack reached her ears and she flinched. Sidekick glanced over to see Villain drop Hero to the ground. His head hung at a limp angle.

“You’re here.” She said quietly, torn between relief and horror at her two-time saviour.

Villain knelt and began going through Hero’s pockets.

“You saved me again.”

He glanced up, clocking her presence. “I thought you were a corpse.”

Sidekick blinked. What do you even say to that? “...not yet?”

“Huh, you do a good impression of one.” The ruined scene of their fight, the patches of blood and broken limbs seemed to register. The corner of his mouth twitched.

“I’ll bite,” Villain crouched, careful not to let his clothes touch the puddles of blood. “What are two esteemed members of the illustrious academy doing in a dark alley?” He placed a hand on her head as he had on Hero’s a minute ago. “Answer before I get bored.”

The illusion of her heroic rescuer continued to crack. Sidekick tried to swallow the fear rising in her throat. “Protecting you.”

The villain barked a laugh and gave a pointed glance at her injured form. “You don’t seem competent enough for that.”

“I was going to return the favour.” She tried to sit up but faltered at the look in his eyes. The pavement was cold under her fingers. “Like you did for me.”

He squinted, grabbing her face and analyzing it before snapping his fingers. “Oh! You’re Other Hero’s sidekick. From the other night. Wow,” he dropped her head, shaking his own with a sneer. “You get around. For a wannabe hero, you need a lot of saving.”

Her face burned, and she took a half-hazard swipe with an injured arm. A brow raised, Villain swatted it back to the ground. “With attacks like that, no wonder you need me to babysit you.”

Sidekick’s lips tightened and she sat up, biting back a groan. “You’re an asshole.”

“I’m a heroic asshole.”

This was a nightmare. “Get out of here before I arrest you.”

“Nah,” his face shifted from amused to serious. “I want to know why you were fighting. Schism in the ranks?”

“Take a wild guess,” she muttered, mentally analyzing what injuries were the most serious.

For all his faults, Villain was smart enough to read between the lines. “Was he going to blame it on you?”

Her right arm didn’t move right. “And probably torture you.”

“Unpleasant. Screw you,” he added in the direction of Hero’s body.

“I couldn’t let that happen. If the situation had been reversed, you’d be hailed as a hero for what you did.” She repeated the same thing said to Hero.

“Wouldn’t that be fun.” Villain stood up, brushing off his clothes. “I’ll let you go today. But I suggest you get out of this city before they find Hero.”

Later, she wouldn’t know whether the following conversation stemmed from repressed anger or fear of surviving alone. “Need some help?”

“...what?”

“I’m serious.” She crawled over to an alley wall and began the painful process of heaving herself upright. “I like the way you kill people who hurt me.”

Villain looked at the sky, debating something before pursing his lips. “As much fun as it would be to let you think it’s about you, it’s not. I don’t kill to save people. I didn’t do it to protect you.”

She faltered, her grip on the alley sliding. “What?”

“I killed Other Hero because I hate hypocrisy. Bragging about righteousness and freedom while misusing his power?” He kicked a piece of trash to the side. “‘Protecting innocents’ - who even is innocent - while beating up his inferiors? I hate people like that.”

“Oh,” was all she could think to say.

“And Hero? He’s just a prick—a sadistic prick hiding behind a smile and handshake. I didn’t like him. But hey,” he grinned at her, “Good for you that my timing was so good, right? You must be lucky.”

Her arm didn’t agree. “I’m not hearing a no.”

Villain tilted his head slightly.

“I don’t like abusers and you kill hypocrites. Sounds like overlapping categories.” Sidekick narrowed her gaze and thought of the scars Other Hero had given her. Physically they would fade, and she hoped the same was true for the emotional ones. “Two is better than one, right?”

For a moment, the only sound was rain dripping from the rooftops. Then Villain smiled without mirth. “If you betray me,” he warned, eyes darkened, “I’ll sell your parts and kill you. In that order. Got it?”

Sidekick nodded in agreement.

“Meet me in {City to the South} once you’re healed.” He walked towards the exit.

Her brow furrowed. “Where? That’s a huge city.”

“If you’re worth my time,” Villain didn’t turn even as he held up a hand in farewell, “You’ll find me.”

[berylgrace]

101 for percabeth?? :)

hello sweet angel anything for you!! i don't know what happened here

It’s not often Percy gets one over on Annabeth during a sparring match. They’re both skilled; Annabeth seems to think he’s replaced Luke as the greatest swordsman of their time, not that it’s a title he’s willing to claim for himself, but she’s been practising since she was seven years old. Annabeth is terrifyingly fast, the short blade of her knife allowing her to dive in close, strike fast, steal victories from right underneath her opponent’s nose. She has lightning reflexes and a sharp mind, able to judge in a split-second whether or not a risk is worth taking.

And, admittedly, she seems markedly less concerned about injuring her boyfriend than Percy is about injuring his girlfriend. Call it the old-fashioned chivalry that Sally had drilled into him, but he’s reluctant to maim the girl he loves. She has no such worries.

But sparring with her is so fun. No one else pushes his boundaries quite as far, no one else tests the limits of his physical strength purely for the sake of combat. Clarisse gets him too angry, the other campers don’t match up. But Annabeth is a challenge, every time, one that usually ends in a draw, dripping sweat, neither quite defeating the other.

Percy hadn’t planned on playing dirty, too. Annabeth had sealed her own fate last week, pulling out whatever judo shit she’d been practising with a few Ares kids in her spare time. She’d won without question, but fairness had certainly been removed from the equation.

So, revenge.

His chest aches with exertion as he circles the training ground, a good twenty or so minutes of intense sparring already behind them. His face is hot and wet, lungs screaming, but his mind remains resolute. Annabeth comes at him again, a gleam in her eyes, and he blocks her strike with his sword, holding her off until she’s forced to concede and step back, too awkwardly positioned to force Riptide from his hands.

Gods, she looks beautiful like this. Panting, sweating, red-faced, determined. Her eyes are wild, turned mad with storms of ambition and victory brewing behind them. Her curls are tied back into a braid, but the flyaways around her face stick to her skin despite attempts to huff them out of the way. There’s something special about getting to see her like this - he might well be the only person who gets this view, the full glory of Annabeth in battle without the terror of knowing she’s going to kill him. It’s a unique privilege, one that allows him to take in her beauty as he simultaneously assesses her weaknesses.

Seizing his opportunity, he charges, bringing his sword down in an arc that forces her backwards, rushing into defence. He can see the cogs turning in her head, trying to predict his next move. She’s incredibly good at that, so much so that his plan is totally out of left field, purely for the element of surprise. As she tries to regain the upper hand, arms trembling with the effort, he suddenly pulls back, ducking down as her retaliating force sends her careening forwards, and at the last minute grabs her legs to pull her over.

Sure, he overshoots a little, and ends up toppling himself in the process, but it doesn’t matter; Annabeth lands in the dust with a thud and a surprised groan, her knife clattering off somewhere to the side, and Percy lands on top of her moments later.

He’s very proud of himself. His face must say so.

“You asshole.”

Her entire left cheek is streaked with dust. She tries to glare at him, but he just laughs, still in disbelief that it had actually worked.

“You overbalanced! I think that means I win,” He crows. It’s his right to, after all - she does it all the time.

“You’re gonna win my fist in your face,” She grumbles, making no attempt to get up or shove him off her. “That was so dirty. I’m kinda impressed.”

Percy laughs. “I knew you would be.” He kisses her cheek (the non-dusty one, facing him and glinting in the sunlight.)

She falls quiet, evidently catching her breath after such an intense fight. Naturally, the peace doesn’t last long, as a voice from somewhere behind them suddenly calls out:

“Are they like, making out? Ew!”

Annabeth lets out a sigh that can only be described as defeated, yet uncaring at the same time. “I… didn’t realise anyone was watching us.”

“They always do, babe.” As much as he hates it, a lot of the campers still find a novelty enjoyment out of watching two of their brightest in any kind of battle. Percy’s never really enjoyed the attention, but it’s something he’s gotten used to ignoring, at least.

She groans again, but still doesn’t move or push him off. “I hate you. They think we’re like, dry humping down here.”

Percy scoffs, mock-indignant. “You don’t hate me, quit lying to yourself. And I’ll have you know, I am not remotelydry. I am marinating in sweat right now.”

“What a lovely thing to tell me when you’re on top of me.”

“Aww, you’re welcome, honeybun!” Percy lays it on thick, hamming up the stupid nickname as he shuffles himself even closer on top of her, wrapping her in his arms. He probably smells and feels gross, but she’s just as bad, and it’s his job, nay, his duty as a boyfriend to be the bane of her life. Annabeth shrieks, wriggling and attempting to escape, but he traps her and cackles with delight.

“Get off of me!”

“What, you don’t like my musk?”

“Is that what you call it?” Annabeth laughs, pretending to gag, “Oh my gods! I’m going to die here!”

“What a wonderful way to go, don’t you think?”

She rolls her eyes, giggling. “It’s not the hero’s death I imagined.”

He nods. “But it’s the one you deserve.”

[glassartpeasants]

Like Father, Like Son

Overhaul x F!Reader

Warnings: Angst, unhealthy/toxic relationships, child abuse, mentions of needles

A/N: This is a post based on a head cannon made by @yandereacademia which you can see here. I promise I will continue the DDLC AU but I needed to get this angst outta my system because I’ve been really stressed lately lol. Also the original storyline is kinda bumped up to fit the story

~~~

The only reason you were with the sociopath called Overhaul is because of a stupid mistake you made about 5 months ago. If you could go back in time you would’ve never drank that much until you were blackout drunk. You had somehow managed to sleep with the germophobic man after you both crossed paths when you both were blackout drunk. Which leaded where you are now. In the Shie Hassakai base, pregnant with his child. 

Once you showed him the test he demanded- no, MADE you quit your old job ad live in the base with him. Not in his room of course.Who knows what germs you could be carrying! You don’t get special treatment even if you are the mother of his child. And If we’re being honest, he doesn’t really see it as his child. More like an heir. How else would the Shie Hassakai live on? 

He doesn’t even see you that often. He sends either Chrono or Mimic to look after you. Sometimes Setsuno. You liked Setsuno since he actually treated you like a human rather than a burden. Chrono was a bit better than mimic. Mimic was just a plain ass. 

Your entire pregnancy was all about check ups. Healthy food, did I mention checkups? It was almost every Tuesday and Friday that he made you come into a little doctors room and inspect you and give you ultrasounds. You felt more like an incubator rather than a mother, but you digress. Once you got the news that the child was a boy you bet your ass Overhaul was way more worried about you than he originally was.

You wanted to run really. You saw what horrible things Overhaul had done. You didn’t want your child to end up like Eri or to turn into a shit human being like Overhaul. You wanted your child to grow up compassionate and kind, not a stone cold murderer with no remorse for human life.

Maybe once your child is born you can teach him those things in secret...

~~~

2 years after the child is born

You were right, Overhaul wanted nothing to do with the baby until it was old enough to be taught the ways of the yakuza. He wasn’t even impressed when the baby started talking and walking! You wanted to yell, scream, argue, and just hurt the man in general. A child needs support, not a unimpressed look everytime they do an accomplishment. 

You always supported your son. Showing him how proud you were whenever he handed you a drawing of him and you. Overhaul barely even saw the kid which affected him to the point where the kid didn’t even draw him in pictures.

You were happy that your baby didn’t see/look up to Overhaul as a fatherly figure. Man didn’t deserve to be called one or be one. You were worried if Overhaul would use your son as a experiment like he was using Eri.  

Speaking of Eri, you finally convinced Overhaul to let you see her and comfort her after he used her for the bullets. She was such a sweetie and especially loved how you would sing her to sleep whenever she has a bad day. You didn’t get to see her a lot, but you did what you could when you did. If only you could make Overhaul see what he was doing to everyone around him...

~~~

Your son just turned 8

Everyday your son looked more and more liked his father. Not to mention he inherited Overhaul’s quirk It wouldn’t have bothered you that much if it weren’t for the fact that he started looking up to his father. Whenever your so was getting put to bed by you, he would always tell you about how much he wanted to be the next leader. He would tell you how he watched Overhaul to paperwork, sat next to him in meetings and such. The finally straw for you was when he told you that Overhaul let him use his quirk on a living breathing human being. To say you were furious was an understatement. All you saw was red. 

You smiled at the boy before pressing a kiss to his head and walking out his door while whispering goodnight before your started your expedition to give Overhaul a piece of your mind. You’ve stayed quiet for to long. You couldn’t just let him expose your child to such violence at such a young age! All you saw was red as you walked to his office door. Giving it a harsh knock you were allowed entry.

Upon entering you notice that you are the only one there with him. Just the two of you. You were afraid yes, but your anger out did it.

“Did you seriously let our son use his quirk on someone at such a young age?! He’s only 8! He doesn’t need to be exposed so early!” You yelled at him with your hands on your hips. You knew if you pointed at him you could say goodbye to that finger.

“He’s going to be the next leader. It’s only natural to start him off early. And I don’t remember giving you a say in the matter.” His voice cold and stoic but a hint of annoyance caught your ears.

“8 is way to early! Please Overhaul, Just give me 2-3 more years without him experiencing what you do.” You begged him. Tears threatened to spill from your eyes. You only wanted what was best for your son. Your heart stopped when you heard Overhaul get up from his desk and his footsteps come near your now slightly shaking form.

“Bold of you to assume I would let him miss out on very needed skills to become the next leader. We both know that if it weren’t for him, you would have been dead the second i found out I slept with you. That boy is the only thing that kept you alive. So, from now on, I expect you to never come to my face. Talking about him needing to be kind and compassionate, is not the way of the yakuza. One more incident like this, than I’ll make him kill you myself.” Your eyes widened as you looked at the man in front of you. You can feel your blood run cold in your veins as it circulates through your body. Tears streaked down your face as you felt so defeated. Your entire body felt like you’ve been crushed by a car. 

You turned around and walked out the door and into your room. Locking the door your jumped onto your bed, grabbing the pillow before screaming into it. Your tears stained the pillow case as your body shook. You felt so hopeless and so helpless. Where was a hero when you truly needed one?

~~~

The next day

You were just finished changing before your son barged into your room. You were about to say good morning to him before he started screaming at you. Shocked you told him to calm down, but in the corner of your eye you saw the purple feathers that you have learned to fear walk by.

“What are you saying? Please calm down!” You say as you try to soothe your screaming child.

“How dare you try and take me away from dad! Dad told me everything!” Your son flailed his arms up and down while stomping on the ground. His screams soon turned incoherent.

“Baby! I would never-”

“Liar! Dad told me that you wanted to leave him! He said that you thought he didn’t deserve a son!” You didn’t say that what was he on?! You only wanted to protect him! You loved your son to the point you would die for him! What had Overhaul said to him!

“Please sweetie calm down-”

“No! I never want to talk to you again!” Your son ran out the door before slamming it shut. Your heart felt shattered as you heard Overhauls voice on the other side, ’calming’ your distressed son. You felt your world crumbling around you as your son was the only thing that kept you happiness in these dark times. Him and Eri. Oh Eri, if he grows up that means...

You felt vomit rise in your throat at the thought of your own son hurting such a sweet, innocent, little girl. You fall to your knees as tears spill down your cheeks. You couldn’t just run away from the Shie Hassakai ever. The base is fully guarded, and has high max security cameras. Not to mention the probability of them finding you and your son right away. If you even tried, you would probably get you and your son hurt. Maybe even little Eri. 

Your whole body felt numb. You just wished it was a horrible nightmare.

~~~

5 months later

As the weeks pass by, you felt your hurt break more and more everyday. Your son had kept his word when he said he ever wanted to talk to you again. You haven’t heard your baby's voice since that day. Hell, now you barely even see him! You see Eri more than your actual son now. ANd seeing Eri was not that often.

You felt hopeless. You wanted nothing more to do than crawl in a hole and die. Every night was spent crying over your son and how your life and gone so down hill so quickly. You didn’t even feel like moving. You just sat in the corner of the room since it felt like the only warm spot in the entire room. This little corner felt like some sort of sanctuary in this horrible place you call home. 

~~~

Your son just turned 13

Day whatever of the last time your son talked to you. And day whatever since you’ve left your room. You had no reason anymore. Overhaul officially banished you from ever seeing Eri again. Your world was crushed once more. At this point you felt like your whole existence was useless. 

Your days grew darker by the minute as your mental health seemed to be slipping through your fingers. You only ever moved when you needed to go to the bathroom or to drag the food plate that was brought to you by some employee of Overhaul. You barely ate anything anyways so you really saw no point in doing anything anymore. 

It only hurt more knowing that today was his birthday. You had asked the employee that brought you food if he had a party or just something to celebrate. You felt the last of your hope crushed once you heard his answer.

“The only thing he got was a official Shie Hassakai mask.”

~~~

Your son turned 15

You body was weak. You had refused to eat anything seeing no point in it anymore. You were always tired. Only getting up to go to the bathroom then sitting back in the corner that once gave you sanctuary. 

You heard footsteps on the outside of your door as the familiar voice of Overhaul was on the other side. Another voice rang in your ears and it hit you like a train once you realized who’s it was. It was your sons. His voice was so much deeper than the little boy’s you had once heard. It only deepened your sadness. You blinked but didn’t even turn your eyes once you heard the door opening. 

“We can test the serum out on her first. She’s too weak to fight back.”

“I didn’t know my mother had a quirk.” You couldn’t even make your eyes turn to look at them. You didn’t want to see the monster your son had become. Your heart couldn’t take anymore heartbreak, You felt like you would crumble into nothing.

You felt a light get shine into your eyes. You didn’t even blink during it. Once the light was gone you got a clear look at your once loving son. A mask covered his face just like his fathers did. He looked you in the eyes and you did the same. You wanted to cry but held it down. 

A latex hand grabbed your arm before you felt the needle being poked into it. You didn’t even flinch or wince. Almost as if you were a lifeless doll. A hand moved up and down your face as if to see if you were even alive or ‘there’.

“She isn’t responding to anything. She didn’t even wince. She’s breathing but she looks like she’s sick.” All that was one ear and out the other. Finally you felt the needle leave your arm as a sigh escaped Overhaul’s lips. 

“Well wait for about an hour or two and see the effects. For now, we have to do more tests on Eri. Lets go.” So...he was apart of the team experimenting on Eri. You felt like throwing up. How could the boy who you raised to be kind and compassionate turn into such a disgusting monster.

The sound of their footsteps leaving the room hit your ears. From the corner of your eye you say your son about to leave before you spoke up,

“You are not my son.” You saw him stop in his tracks as he turned to look at you. His eyes a bit wide but said nothing.

“I never want to hear you call me your mother ever again. Your a monster undeserving of one. I can’t believe I gave birth to someone like you. I never want ot see your face again.” In your monotone words they’re were spikes laced in venom. You couldn’t even look your own son in the eyes. As they we’re the same as his monster of a father. 

“Get out of my room and never come back.” You heard him close the door slowly as you let out a breath once you finally saw him gone. You can barely stand to see the monster your child had become. But, you didn’t see nor hear the way his breathing became ragged. Or how his eyes felt like spilling tears. Or how his body slowly shook at your words. 

‘It shouldn’t hurt. This shouldn’t hurt me. Why does it hurt so bad? Please stop it. Her words shouldn’t affect me. Why does it hurt?’

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 11 second part

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Absurdity) 

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Message from the Lan Clan

After dinner the Yunmeng bros go to talk to Jiang Fengmian in his study. They're quiet and respectful here, with no shoulder-shoving or arguing. This scene has such Brady Bunch energy, where Dad's Study is the Man Place where boys come to talk about Serious Things.

The boys tell Dad Jiang about the Yin Iron and he says yeah, I know. This is probably why he let them run off on their road trip without punishing them, but he could have, like, shared data with them so they might have actually achieved something related to the Yin Iron, rather than just wandering around the countryside bonding with Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang.

He shows them a letter from the Lans that basically says the Lan Clan is in the shit, and he tells them they've got to go to the Wen indoctrination because otherwise they will also be in the shit. 

He gives the boys a warning about the Yin Iron, which is that 

1. it can be refined and 

2. if you refine it carefully, it will not control you. 

Awesome tip, will definitely use, thanks pop.

(more behind the cut)

Jiang Cheng wants to argue about going to the Wen party, but Wei Wuxian vocally gets on board, not leaving any opportunity for whining. 

Wei Wuxian is only sucking up a little bit in this scene. He obviously has a lot of affection for Jiang Fengmian, but WWX doesn't play up to his favoritism nearly as much as he could. Compare, for example, how he leans into Yanli's preferential treatment of him.  

Fight Outside the Cold Cave

Over on the Gusu side of the country province township, the disciples have gathered outside the cold cave that previously none of them knew about, and Su She is freaking out. 

Most of the acting in The Untamed is naturalistic, but then there are occasional characters who are portrayed with a much more theatrical, broad style. Su She's villainy is not given a lot of layers; he's playing a type, more than a person.

Many of the villains in The Untamed are played this way, but not all. Wen Zhuliu, for example, is a genuinely horrifying bad guy while also conveying depth and ambivalence--despite having hardly any lines. And JGY is a masterpiece of a performance. For Su She, the directors or the actor have opted for "sniveling backstabber" as a type, which is unfortunate, because it robs his final scenes of emotional impact.

Lan Qiren tells the disciples to get to safety. He rushes forward, gamely getting his ass kicked by human cuisinart Wen Xu.  He's not as effective a warrior as either of his nephews but he's a brave S.O.B.

Hanguang Jun to the Rescue

Before things can go completely pear-shaped, Lan Wangji sails in with his guqin.

The Blue Steel technique of the Lan Clan

Like many gifted learners, Lan Wangji's musical abilities are more advanced than his social skills. Here he musically makes the ground literally explode, almost as if it had been specially rigged with incendiary charges.  

Lan Wangji is very pretty when he's worried, and his affection and concern for his uncle is touching. He's 100% not interested, as we will see, in Lan Qiren's whole "lets all die for the future of the Lan Clan while my nephews hide" agenda. He's on his own agenda of smiting the wicked and protecting the weak.

Notice how Su She is standing right next to Lan Qiren here, even holding his arm? The next thing that Lan Qiren says is to tell all the disciples to keep up as they run into the cave. Somehow Su She totally does not keep up, and he gets caught outside along with a bunch of other disciples.

Giving Up

Wen Xu and his men kill most of the other caught disciples, and then threaten Su She, asking him how to get into the cave. In fear for his life, he tells them. Not cool, Su She, but possibly forgivable. Although when you voluntarily join a, you know, battle cult, physical courage is kind of an important qualifier.

But this shit here...

They didn't fucking ask about the books, douchebag.  

Su She was there in Lan Qiren's house when the two heads of his clan knelt to each other, each claiming the right to be the one to stay behind and die. And he heard Lan Qiren say that the ancient books are the foundation of the clan and that only if LXC and the books survive, will the clan continue. By giving up both men, and pointing out the book situation, Su She has totally earned his expulsion. 

Lan Wangji Takes a Stand

Lan Wangji decides, for the first but not last time, to openly defy his uncle...and it's got nothing to do with Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji is a hero, who follows the dictates of his conscience. His conscience is extremely filial and extremely orthodox, but he’s got a growing open-minded streak.  This is going to cause a whole lot of conflicts for him over the next few years.

This time, however, he manages to skate out from under the whole disobedient, unfilial thing by citing Lan Yi's directive, which means Lan Qiren has to accept it because she's his predecessor and elder relative (She is probably not a literal ancestor, since she spent her life in a cave putting fucking headbands on fucking rabbits which probably didn’t leave time for having babies).

This is a pretty extraordinary moment for Lan Wangji and for Lan Qiren, because Lan Wangji just asserted his own form of authority to do the exact opposite of what Lan Qiren wanted, and Lan Qiren just sucked it up and let him.

It's also very different from western stories involving a holy McGuffin such as the Yin Iron. Lan Wangji's solution of "fuck it, just let the bad guys have it, it's not worth so many people dying for" is refreshing and surprising to me, a westerner raised on The One Ring, the Grail, the Death Star Plans, etc.

Lan Wangji steps out of the cave and uses a sword blast to save Su She, the ungrateful bastard, from getting stabbed by Wen Xu. Then he surrenders, and they break his leg to slow him down. This does not actually incapacitate him, because he is Lan Fucking Wangji, already a BAMF at like 17 years old. When they whack his leg, his chunk of Yin Iron falls out onto the ground.

That thing was in a magic bag of holding before. So...it just falls out when you whack him? If they whack him again will his guqin fall on the ground? What about candy?

Archery Practice at Lotus Pier

Meanwhile, back at Lotus Pier, the brothers are enjoying some quality time together before they head to the hostage-taking indoctrination.

Wei Wuxian is such a great cultivator that he can hit a distant target even when he jerks his bow upwards as he releases the arrow.

Jiang Cheng seems fairly pleased, and proud of his brother. He's competitive and fundamentally grumpy but not, at least here, a sore loser.

Club Ruohan

We go over to Da Club, where Wen Ruohan is yelling at Wen Qing for letting Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian go. He names them both, so they're becoming more and more known to their enemies. Which is not a good thing.

He menaces her with the zombie mosh crew, having them kill a dude in front of her and then saying her baby brother will be next in the circle of zombies if she tries any more stunts. Neither of them can imagine how much zombie ass her baby brother is going to kick, later in his (un)life.

Side note: What is up with WRH’s hair? Why bother pulling your hair up over your ears if you're going to leave an enormous curtain of it over your face? It's because he knows there's a wind machine next to his throne, isn’t it?

Leaving Lotus Pier

Jiang Cheng: when I ran off earlier in the year on my road trip you didn't pack a goddamn thing.

Wen Indoctrination

Is it even possible to stand next to this much active volcanic shit and not, uh, die? I live in the tornado part of the US so I don't know much about lava (yet. 2020 still has 2 months to go). But it seems like it would be hard to breathe the air. Also they appear to build houses on lava piles, which seems imprudent.  I say that even as someone who plays The Elder Scrolls Online, which is full of lava towns and nonsense like “ash farming.”

Nie Huaisang is adorable at all times, but particularly here, when he's so happy to see his friend who *didn't* fuck his gege and then abandon him without an explanation. 

Nie Huaisang: I'm so glad I can count on Wei-Xiong to be consistent and not vanish for months, or become a traumatized shell of his former self, or, like, horribly die.

Jin Zixuan isn't quite as happy to see Wei Wuxian.

Wen Chao enjoys the sound of his own voice way too much, and is malevolent and boring. On the plus side, he likes to stand with his hand stuck out in the air, which is fun for your resident photoshopper.

Nie Huaisang is so miserable every time he's holding a sword, or blade, or whichever we're supposed to call this. He's got his fan tucked into his belt, which is sweet. He is happy to give up his sword but don't you dare try to take his fan.

Meanwhile Wei Wuxian is worried about Lan Wangji, and Jiang Cheng isn't.

Lan Wangji shows up under guard, and takes his position at the front of the line, but without any extra disciples. The Wens let him change into snowy white robes after breaking his leg which will go well with arterial blood spray. He's focused and is determined not to interact with Wei Wuxian in this public context.

When I was little, I would sit near my best friend at church on Sunday, but not be allowed to talk to her until church was over, and it was exactly like this. She was good at churching and I was hyper and hated church. We are still best friends and these things are still true.

This interaction is like a thumbnail for the whole dynamic of these three boys: Lan Wangji outwardly ignoring Wei Wuxian while having many interior feelings about him; Wei Wuxian demanding attention and creating a bit of a scene, due to his very genuine caring; Jiang Cheng telling him to leave that boy alone for fuck's sake.

Lan Wangji: Stop trying to talk to me Wei Ying, I’m busy composing a song in my head about the two of us and our love for each other. 

[godsofhumanity]

CLASS OF THE TITANS (2005-2008) | REVIEW

so here’s a show that I used to watch as a child but couldn’t actually remember almost a decade later! then i discovered that it was about greek mythology and i knew i had to watch it again, and it is soooo worth it.

OVERVIEW:  The descendants of Achilles, Artemis, Hercules, Jason, Narcissus, Odysseus, and Theseus are summoned to New Olympia on a mission to save the world from Cronus, who wants revenge after escaping from 4,000-years imprisonment.

RATING: 8/10. the show is honestly actually quite accurate to a point,, and i actually learnt new things about greek mythology from watching. there’s a lot of thought put into the storyline, and it’s really great to see.

AVAILABLE ON: youtube (Retro Rerun has all 52 episodes)

NOTE: there is an unaired alternative ending you can watch here. skip to 3:50.

THINGS I LIKED:

- greek myth au where Pan is a DJ who goes by the name of “DJ Panic” and uses his music to make plants grow wildly and kill off the human race >:D

- literal dad Apollo with a full belly and beard???? what a hottie

- EVIL CRONUS!!! what a great villain!!!!! he has everything you could ever want in a villain:

evil smile, evil laugh, evil motivations, wears black 24/7, follows a red/black/grey/white colour theme, is tall, says “ta-ta” and waves like a posh british person, says the line “come to daddy” when referring to a monster, grins a lot, wicked eyebrows, black hair with a lethal streak of grey, sharp cheekbones, is polite in a condescending way, mocks people, has cool scythe weapons, hires dumb henchmen.

- Hephaestus where he isn’t dumb or bullied by the other olympians!!!! he’s smart and a little feisty, and he has a special boot for his leg!!! he’s probably actually one of the most essential gods in the story!

- Zeus is not portrayed as a playboy.. if you want King Zeus, Leader of the Greek gods and Pursuer of Justice- this is the show for you <3

- Hermes being a dad and scolding his son, while also being proud of what a great thief he is (this is about Autolycus)

- using the version of the Arachne myth where Athena curses Arachne because she was pissed at how good Arachne was. i do think that Athena must have been a little bit vain as demonstrated in Paris’ myth AND the Arachne myth so i’m glad they chose this version. however, Athena acknowledges that perhaps she was unjust, and Arachne acknowledges that she shouldn’t have been so egotistical about it- and they make up, and Arachne is turned back into a human <3

- Hera’s battle armour transformation

- Orion and Artemis T-T Orion’s transformation from the sky was very awesome and creative,, and it was very touching how he and Artemis made-up <3

- awesome story line!! it’s very well written, and it explores so many different aspects of greek mythology- some stuff i hadn’t even heard of until i researched further!

- makes mythology easier for children to understand, without dumbing it down too much. Cronus even refers to Hera, Poseidon AND Zeus as his children, despite Hera and Zeus being married- but it’s done so that it doesn’t sound weird, which is an incredibly brave decision for a kids’ show

- portraying the descendants of the heroes as being of various cultures- this is something soooo tricky to do i feel, and so many people do it in a way that completely erases the fact that greek mythology is GREEK! here, the greek gods themselves are still greek, and the main protagonist (Jay) is also Greek,, but they make it completely plausible that since thousands of years have passed, the Greek hero bloodlines have mixed with other cultures and thus their descendants are of other cultures besides Greek. i thought this was a very clever way of having diversity without it being at the expense of authenticity. 

- the soundtrack was pretty cool i thought, and the animation very smooth

- classifying Narcissus as a “hero”.. idk,, i just thought it was a funny idea and Neil’s power being “luck” was hilarious

- everytime Jay said “Cronus!”

- if you like the HC that Poseidon has no idea how to swim due to him taking advantage of his ability to control the sea, then there is a scene towards the end of this show where Poseidon is literally drowning due to the fact that he doesn’t know how to swim T-T

- the ending!!!!!!!! aghhhh Cronus ur the baddest of them all King <3 really wish there was a season 3, but at the same time, it was a good place to stop.

- Herry’s grandma whacking Cronus. get his ass Queen!

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

- i guess rewatching as an older person, i never realised how misogynistic some of Archie’s lines were.. like, i love Archie as a character- but some of his lines, especially those concerning Atalanta, were so possessive and weird and it’s odd because none of the other characters are like that. 

- not something that i didn’t like per say, but i kinda thought from the first few episodes that it was Jay and Atalanta that would be together, but then Theresa came and it became Archie and Atalanta (punks stick together) and Theresa and Jay (good kids/leaders stick together) which was a little stereotypical i guess,, just something i observed

- alternative ending- i HATE the way Jay’s finger just kinda,, “wiggles” at the end like he’s still kinda alive after a piano has been dropped on him T-T

- Odie complaining every two episodes about how he’s “underrated” and “unappreciated” just because he’s the nerd character. the geeks on the team are literally so essential to the team’s success,, like the team would literally die without them and i’m a little sick of the trope where the nerd throws a temper tantrum because they’re the “weak link”... STOP IT! i want to see the nerd being on equal footing with the team, and understanding that they are just as valuable as the brawns of the team.

- Daedalus’ android counterpart was actually insanely freaky,, as was Cronus’ robot version, especially when it’s skin started to melt off in the fire :0

- Artemis being one of the 7 “original” heroes... Atalanta was literally right there?? also Hippolyta? Penthesilea? idk,,, odd decision.

[palettepainter]

A hot minute ago, there were little asks about if roles were swapped and Higari was the youngest out of his siblings and I just wanted to add on some fluff for gremlin boy in this role.

-Him having his dads quirk exactly was probably bitter sweet. He wishes he could of been around longer/remember their dad enough to have bonding memories about that specifically. He also takes pride in it alot more when he becomes a pro hero- he hopes his dad would be proud of him for it.

-shyly asking advice on how to talk to a crush doesn’t end with any subtlety. Half the siblings are gushing and exciting their little Higari is coming out of his shy shell to have a crush, the other half want to kill this crush already just out of pure protectiveness

-even after debuting as a pro, he’s still treated like a baby by the others. Mostly teasing, but god forbid they learn he was injured cause great now his apartment is filled with mother hens

-Every sibling has Atleast a faint scar from when this little bastard bit them growing up. He won’t ever live it down.

I'm sorry that it took me literally FOREVER to answer this! I've been super focused on Lupin the third right now since I've been catching up with the series so forgive me for my slowness. But either way it's been a while since we discussed this AU! Thinking of just calling it the baby AU cuz, if Higari was the youngest sibling (aka the baby of the family) his siblings would totally be the type to pat him on the head and be like "Lil baby", to which Higari probably jumped at them and put them in a choke hold

BUT YEAH THE FIRST ONE IS SO BITTERSWEET!! I never even thought of that! Kaigo probably would pass away when Higari in this AU was very young, not sure if Higari would be old enough to remember memories clearly or if he'd remember odd bits and pieces about his dad

Oooo the crush!! His siblings have smug streaks a mile long you're damn right they're gonna tease. Can you imagine Higari shyly coming out to his siblings as gay? His siblings are so proud - the Majima siblings say support LGBTQ or die.

Higari, after recieving a homophobic comment: Please tell me you didn't kill anyone..

Hono: I'm not a barbarian. Of course I didn't kill them.

Higari: Oh okay-

Hono: I only made him swallow him teeth and let him bleed out from the mouth as a warning to others

Higari: Hono jesus christ-

I imagine his sibs advice on cruses would be the general 'just be a nice person/talk to them' route. Hono is obvs a protective bro in the main AU, so he's prolly a teenie bit wary in the baby bro AU. He's not unreasonable, he'll only fight Higari's crush if they give him reason too, no pressure

Also I laughed at the mental image of Higari just, chilling in bed with a broken leg or something, and his siblings all just chilling with him because yes they are not leaving until they are assured their bro is better. Higari's mum prolly bonked him on the head (darn you for making me worry stupid boy-) then brought him some casserole because Magakure is gonna make sure her son eats actual food not hospital stuff (if Ecto and Higari are together by that point and Ecto is also hurt she brings some for him too).

If it's just bruises I imagine Hono would do this:

Higari: Aw man everything is sore, these bruises hurt

Hono: Lemme see

Higari: *shows forearm where theres a big bruise*

Hono: Aw dang that looks painful...*slaps bruise*

Higari:!!!MOTHERFUCK-

Hey brothers will be brothers no matter the situation

Please know that when I first read this, I laughed out loud at "from where this little bastard bit them" thank you for the mental imagery XD

His siblings at the time of getting bitten prolly screamed and Magakure, though worried, prolly went "Don't try and fight him you won't win" - before eventually pulling Higari off from his siblings before he could devour their fingers. Chikara prolly goes "Oh yeah, I had teeth marks in my hand for a week afterwards, I was worried I would get rabies with how much you bit" and Higari, a little guilty replies "Sorry.."

First thing baby Higari did to Hono when they first met was bit him, to which Hono screamed (turns out baby Higari had impressive jaw strength), and his very panicked father came to the rescue. But it's all good lil Hono still loved his bby bro, even if two days later Higari bit on his fingers again

[sachiwrites]

some friends to lovers hcs for sakusa pls? i've been thirsting over him for a while and seeing him in the recent manga chapters plus season 4 is just--

same fam, same. its been a whole mess over here. yikes this got long

— you are 210% that neighbor who his parents rely on to acclimate their son into being a somewhat decent member of society. is it a hardy task for someone at the age of six? yeah. was sakusa an absolute shit at that age too? of course. but he stopped that one kid from pulling your hair in class that day so he’s basically your unofficial hero. even if it was only because apparently you had ‘cooties’.

— naturally you continued to have this unknown disease for most of your life. but apparently so did everyone else in Japan. except when you got older it simply became known as- physical contact.

— “kiyoomi, why don’t you play outside with your friend?”

—“ they’re dirty.”

— sticks and stone may break your bones but the mud streaked across your face and hands would most certainly kill sakusa. or at least that’s what you thought at the age of seven when you went grab him off his front porch anyway. he sort of whined and pushed you for it, causing you to fall back on your rear, much to his parents obvious disdain. or as so you gathered as you smirked over their shoulder as they carried you inside, earning an extra few years of sakusa’s ire.

— “yoomi, lets play tag.”

— “it’s kiyoomi. and no, play by yourself.”

— “sakusa-san, yoomi doesn’t want to-“

— “run”

— the two of you were ‘reluctant’ friends until the age of eight. more or less, sakusa was required to spend at least half an hour outside with you a daily. half way through that the tenture you had mercy on him and introduced him to video games within the safety of his own home. sakusa has zero interest in crash bandicoot, but he likes you a little more for your concede.

— but his parents knew what they were doing when they put their son’s social reputation into your hands. for a while you were his only friend but occasionally you were able to integrate him into society. through little things like sitting down your lunch next to his and offering to be his partner in project.

— “i don’t need your help with this.”

— “maybe, but i need yours, so pretty please.”

— sakusa was a young genius and it would benefit you to take advantage of that feature. call it payment for all your years of servitude.

— the only time you found yourself not needing to be a crutch in his life was when he was playing volleyball. it was an option during recess to give the students an opportunity to scout out interests in athletic ventures. the sport was almost too perfect for sakusa- as an indoor requirement with almost no physical contact. it was his niche. a part of society that catered to his needs in a way that didn’t require your intervention.

— naturally, others began taking notice of his talents. other students were more likely to invite him for games during breaks- most knowing to keep their distance and touch to a limit. his own enjoyment of the sport slowly geared him towards pseudo-friendships that allowed him to play more and garner his skill set.

— “im going to try out for the volleyball club.”

— of course you knew this much. it was what he was so obviously looking forward to the most in junior high. it was just his decision to share his own thought with you the struck home.

— “yeah? i guess i should get some cheers ready for you games, eh?”

— he flinches away from your enthusiasm, his face portraying a mistake in letting you know so soon. but not once did he ever deter you from coming. in fact, you continued to be made aware of each an every upcoming match regardless of importance.

— “we have a practice match against haizen today.”

— wasn’t the most significant but he invited you so you’d be there. probably more vocal than you needed to be but he could mark your attendance and that’s all that mattered.

— a small part of you was worried that volleyball would take your place. it obviously had more suitable attributes than you. but it almost became a staple in your evolving relationship.

— in fact the first game you missed inflicted the first real argument you could remember having with sakusa. it surprised even his parents when you met him the next day to walk to class. you were use to a quiet shoulder but not a cold shoulder.

— “is something wrong?”

— it continued for most of the trip until you couldn’t take it anymore and reached for his arm. instead of shaking you off, he turns on you, gaze lit a flame with an emotion you didn’t recognize.

— “i had a game and you didn’t show up.”

— thinking back you did recall most of the students congregating towards the gym after class. it vaguely registered but you’d seen less of sakusa that day and more of pressing from your teacher to get your grades in order.

— “i had to stay back with my instructor. i needed help with my studies.”

— it was a little embarrassing- not something you wanted to admit. especially to someone like sakusa who obviously excelled where you fell short.

— “you’re an idiot. you come to me for that. ill help you after my games.”

— perphas it was in that moment that you should have realized that sakusa was more cognitive of his reliance than you were.

— what he does realize it how much he’s going to have to help you if he intended for you to join him at itachiyama. the school had shown interest in him earlier than year and it was mutual. but it’s prestige called for academics when sports weren’t your strong suit.

— matches weren’t the only appointments sakusa held you to. nearly everyday after class, whether your place or his, he made himself present while you studied. he wasn’t an overbearing tutor but he called you out in your faults and made you aware of mistakes before they became a habit. he wasn’t going to make you a super genius but you would become a student worthy of acceptance.

— the two of you were building something that only your parents noticed at first while watching from the doorway. itachiyama would be a dynamic chapter for both of you.

— the title of that chapter is: volleyball. because wow does that become an even bigger part of your life. itachiyama was already a powerhouse before sakusa but now he’s a cog in the wheel and an important one at that. quickly climbing ranks and becoming an imperative part of the team. if only he was more receptive to his newly popular status.

— he was still the same old germaphobe- avoiding crowds and wanting to get home as soon as possible to shower in his own tub instead of the school issued ones.

— his personality sort of highlighted your presence more than you expected. but given sakusa’s overall avoidance of unnecessary interactions, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

— “he can be a bit much, but please take care of him.”

— above your bowed head, his older teammate coo and awe at sakusa’s cute little friend. this of course leads to more teasing for him but it’s all part of being part of a team- a larger whole. something you were willing to give up a bit of sakusa for.

— “are you two dating or something?”

— oh but that. you get a lot of that. not just by his teammates either. everyone seems to notice how sakusa tolerates you more than anyone else. though part of you wants to point out to his fan base that they would get a lot further if they just gave him his space. -yet here you were huddled up close in the library while he looked over your school work, so what could you say to that?

— “are you paying attention?”

— “hey, i got most of these right. give me a break.”

— not thinking about it, you go to ruffle his hair as a retort. an action sure to give you his ire- but it doesn’t? in fact his gaze doesn’t even lift from his book. and is he leaning closer? weird.

— sakusa is making rapid progress not only within tokyo but on a national level. it’s one of his teammates that points out his accomplishments to you one day while you’re waiting for sakusa to emerge from the locker rooms.

— “your boyfriend is really something else. already the ace of the team and he’s climbing the stats nationally too. you must be proud.”

— you are proud. very impressed, in fact. but sakusa is not your boyfriend. an important note that you most certainly do not get to point out because now sakusa is here and is corralling you towards the exit from his pressure of his chest against your back.

— he’s much more hands on now. less in tolerating your touch and more so initiating his own. it’s a late realization but most of your attention is stuck on that same teammate who is waving mischievously from the door.

— but oh man. it’s becoming a lot more obvious to you now when sakusa offers to hold you books while you change your shoes, and holding on to them even as you travel to class. he sits a little bit closer to you during study hall now, the erratic hitter of your knee brushing against his with every jerk up.

— “...are you okay, ‘yoomi?”

— he doesn’t complain about the name. not even a pinch of his brow, just confusion as he peers down at you.

— “im fine.”

— huh

— it’s all fun and games until his fingers catch yours one day while you walk side by side. it seemed like a fluke, just an accidental swing and bump. but then they’re latching and now you’re connected?

— “yoomi?”

— “it’s cold”

— yeah. okay, fair enough.

— periodic becomes occasional and now it’s a habit.

— and of course everyone takes notice. because sure sakusa tolerates you more than most. but now there’s a basis for it.

— “ah, so tables have turned.”

— “i knew it.”

— “top in the nation and already dating. our little kohai is such a pillar.”

— you’re beyond overwhelmed. worse because kiyoomi looks mildly irritated but doesn’t seem to be denying any of it.

— and you just have to ask.

— “yoomi are we dating?”

— because wow, only yesterday it seemed like he was still just your best friend. one who held your hand, shared his lunch, fell asleep on your shoulder in more than one occasion-

“— “we’re together. we’ve always been.”

— okay, yeah but context here.

— but then he’s dragging down the mask across his face, letting it hang under his chin. his lips are on your temple and phew, that’s new.

— “we should get home. i have a match tomorrow.”

— a game that becomes a statement in more ways than one.

— “ooh, is that sakusa’s jacket? so the rumors are true.”

— you fumble with the sleeves that seems to be determined to swallow up your hands. when he’d first offered it to you, it seemed so natural.

— “you might get cold.”

— god your boyf-... friend was so confusing.

— “not really. he hasn’t asked.”

— your classmate seems unconvinced but doesn’t comment further. that’s doesn’t say the same for the rest of the class who use every opportunity to chip at your resolve.

— “haven’t they been dating the whole time?”

— “they always hold hands now.”

— “i mean that’s his jacket isn’t it? it’s he like a germaphobe?”

— it’s getting harder to concentrate on the game. and certainly doesn’t help with every glance sakusa tosses up into the stands. by the end of the match, you’re beyond frazzled and ready to just sakusa the second he emerges from the gym.

— his teammate offer thanks in exchange for your praises on a game well won. it helps to distract you for a brief moment-but there he is now.

— his fingers slip befeeen yours like they belong and you can’t find the voice to complain. after congratulating him, there’s not much more said on your part. he walks you to your doorstep, not just the entrance, and lets his hand fall away. yet you both linger.

— “are we-“

— “are you-“

— when it comes down to it. obviously sakusa fails when it comes to words and actions seem to speak clearly.

— sakusa doesn’t protest when you reach up and undo his face mask for him. going as far as to lower his head, aware of your intentions, when you lean in.

— it’s a short kiss. a testing peck to balance in the shallow end before diving deep. his nose nudges yours and it’s your laugh that breaks the kiss.

— kiss-with kiyoomi sakusa-your once reluctant friend and now?

— sakusa leans in again. this time his hand on your shoulder for stabilization. there’s no tongue or extra touches. it’s just the act.

— life is all about changes.

— you smile and decide, yeah, you can do this.

— before he can leave, however, he’s tugging at the collar of his jacket.

— “i prefer to use my own detergent. but you can have it back tomorrow.”

— or maybe just some adjustments.

[jettingtothemoon]

Shiggy

➳ pairing: shigaraki tomura x f!reader ➳ genre: angst, fluff ➳ warnings: mentions of death, swearing ➳ word count: 4119 ➳ rating: pg-15 ➳ summary: In which y/n joins the league of villains and discovers a soft side to her new boss. ➳ a/n: this is my first official oneshot that i wrote just for shiggy bc i just love him so much (*^.^*)

y/n never wanted to be a villain. She wanted to be a hero, one proud to help others no matter the reward. Well, that was until that one fateful day.

It was just like any other day but after that day, nothing would ever be the same again. y/n was at school when it happened; when the attack began. She should have been there because, just maybe with her quirk, she could have saved them. It was a villain never seen before, one so terrible that he killed or at least severely wounded every hero he came across in a matter of minutes. That was until Endeavour came along. By the time the great pro hero Endeavour arrived, the fight had made it's way to your street. As the fight continued, the families were evacuated out of their homes by other heroes and sidekicks, knowing that the damage to the street was going to be major in this colossal fight.

You could feel the rumbles and vibrations under your feet even as you sat at your desk only a few blocks away. It's probably just some construction work nearby, the teachers said. If only.

Your parents and little sister were still inside when it happened, not yet to be evacuated when the blast went off. Even Endeavour himself was having a tough time fighting this villain and, despite seeing that the villain was not going after any civilians, he let out a huge blast of fire. It engulfed half of the street in seconds, scorching the villain into submission. Everyone that end was supposed to have been evacuated, but they weren't, your family were still inside. Still hiding from the battle outside. They just wanted to live, to survive this terrifying fight. They weren't so lucky.

That was the day you lost all faith in heroes. Their job was to protect and rescue civilians but they couldn't even get that right. Why? Because they would earn more if they took down the villain. He couldn't have held him off until he was certain everyone was safe and outside of the blast radius. The worst part about it, not a single hero was harmed in the blast. They all saw it coming and, instead of rushing in to get your family out in time, they turned tail and fled before the blast could hit them.

Endeavour was reckless but those other heroes... they were cowards. They gave their lives a higher importance than that of your family. Your caring mother, your loving father, your baby sister. They were left to burn, to scorch in the hellflame as the so-called heroes ran away, leaving them behind.

You were left all alone. Your friends pitied you, tried to comfort you but their love for the very heroes that left your family to die remained. It was despicable, the way they loved them sickened you. They were your friends no more, not if they couldn't see what heroes really were. They were greedy, selfish, liars who all deserved to die in the place of your family.

Of course, you didn't act on those emotions at first. In fact, you simply lived your life quietly. You remained alone, you discarded the friends that didn't understand your hatred of heroes. You lived your life as any other citizen, keeping your head down and letting the heroes do what they wanted.

Well, that was until Stain emerged. The hero killer, he empowered you. He shared similar views to you but he still seemed to believe that there was such a thing as a good hero, for example, All Might. From what you had seen on the news and other videos that were circulating the web not long after his capture in Hosu, he believed that All Might was a true hero. You, however, once even believed Endeavour was a true hero. If the number two hero was a scumbag then you had no doubt that so was the number one. All Might, like Endeavour, was likely to have let the fame and power go to his head. That was why, despite agreeing with Stain's ideology, you still had no faith in there being any good heroes anymore. Maybe the future generations would prove you wrong, but you doubted it. The future generation of heroes were being trained by those very scumbags after all.

After the incident in Hosu, you turned to a different kind of lifestyle. You still lived your ordinary everyday life, sure, but you started going after those so-called heroes you detested so much. With your quirk, it wasn't too difficult to take down some sidekicks. Not that you actually killed any of them, no, you simply did enough damage to put them in the hospital for a long time.

Heroes sucked. That was just the stone-cold truth, even though you sometimes hated to admit it. Those whom you had looked up to your entire life were nothing but a bunch of phonies playing pretend. All they wanted was the money, fame and power. Not a single one of them truly wanted to save people, to protect the citizens that need it.

After a while, it wasn't only the heroes you detested but also all those people with quirks that didn't use them, despite knowing that their quirk could help save so many. Without a licence, using your quirk in public is prohibited but that wouldn't stop a true hero. A true hero would do whatever they could to help, not just stand by taking pictures. You hated that some people, those people whom sided with Stain, might take one look at you and lump you in with the rest.

Before long, whatever feelings you had for saving people was gone. You didn't want to be a hero anymore, you didn't want to save the people who didn't even deserve saving. The ones who deserved to be saved were those who really couldn't help in any of those situations. The people with quirks that were practically useless in combat or would be too dangerous to use against other people. But most of all, the quirkless. There were not many quirkless people anymore but your mother was one of them. She lived without a quirk and she died without a quirk, maybe even because she didn't have a quirk. Your father wasn't to blame either, in that situation, his quirk wouldn't have been much help and your sister was so young that hers hadn't even surfaced before she died. Your's, however, could have helped. You could have safely evacuated your family on your own before the blast went off. You could have saved them, but you weren't there.

Not too long after you began going after sidekicks, stirring up quite a fuss in the news, you were approached by a rather interesting man.

"So you're the one they're calling Streak?" His voice was bland matching his face which was void of any emotion.

You turned back to the sidekick that was lying behind you with several glowing, neon scorches over his arms and legs, then back to the man before you, "I suppose I am."

Although you were ready to break out into a fight at any moment, this was a man you didn't recognise. He wasn't a hero or sidekick, that was for sure. Neither was he any ordinary civilian. A villain then?

"We have a proposal for you." A small girl also turned into the alley, smiling at you brightly yet somewhat wickedly.

Although you doubted the two of them and kept your guard up the whole way, you followed them back to what seemed to be their base of operations.

"A bar?" You questioned, following them inside in hopes of finding out what exactly they wanted.

Neither of them answered you and so, you simply continued to follow them down the steps until you were in the room at the bottom. There was another man sitting at the bar and one behind it. The man behind the bar looked interesting and all but it was the one sitting there, with a disembodied hand over his face, swirling a glass in his hand with his pinky raised, whom you found truly intriguing.

"You brought her?" The man behind the bar spoke.

He kind of looked like a walking shadow with bright yellow eyes. You recognised him somewhat, although you were unsure of where from. The same went for the man sitting at the bar, who was still yet to turn around and face you.

"Of course we did. If the boss says to go find the girl, we go find the girl." The younger girl declared although it was funny she was referring to you as the girl when she was so clearly younger than you.

"See, they listen to me." The man at the bar finally spoke with his somewhat mellow voice and put his glass down.

You simply tilted your head to the side as he turned to you, trying to take in his appearance but, thanks to the hand covering his face, you ended up just staring into his scarlet eyes.

Those very eyes narrowed at you and he sighed, "Are you sure you got the right one? She doesn't look much like a villain to me."

"You don't look all that much like a villain either, Shigaraki Tomura." You finally realised who you were speaking to, recognising him from the news as the leader of the league of villains, and to be honest, you were flattered that they had reached out to you.

"Tsk. You haven't seen what I look like without father yet."

You were unsure what he meant by father but decided not to ask. Not that you had much time to because he was already speaking again, although he turned back to his drink first and began swirling it again.

"So, what do you think about joining the league of villains?"

"I didn't think you would be that straight up." You giggled slightly.

Shigaraki, however, only began to lose his patience and began scratching his neck, "Do you want to help us destroy the heroes or not?"

"Oh, I'm in, but why did you single me out specifically?" You asked.

Shigaraki sighed but didn't speak any more than that, and so, the man behind the bar answered you, "We've been watching you for a while. Your agenda seems to match with ours and there is no doubting your usefulness in a fight. We believe you will be a valuable asset."

"I believe I will." You grinned.

"What exactly is your quirk anyway?" The man behind you asked.

You turned to him, trying once again to avoid staring at the unusual burn scars that covered his body, "Well, my quirk is neon. I can emit a neon light from both the palms of my hands and the tips of my fingers. The light is kind of like a laser, it burns through pretty much anything it touches. I can also use the neon energy within me to charge my body and the use a burst of that energy to move from one place to another in the blink of an eye. Although, using my quirk too much can take a lot of energy so I can only do that a couple of times before I'm completely worn out. As for the beams I shoot from my hands, they don't use as much energy so as long as I've eaten a good breakfast I'm good to go for hours."

Shigaraki turned his head to you, seemingly finding some interest in hearing about your quirk before focusing his attention back on swirling his drink again.

And that was how you joined the league of villains. After officially becoming a member, you learnt that the man behind the bar was called Kurogiri. He was quite possibly the most normal of the villains. Although, none of them were really all that normal at all.

Dabi, or as you liked to call him 'fireman', was almost quiet. He didn't act as though he cared for, well, anything. Although, he certainly enjoyed fighting heroes. Pretty much all of the time he showed little to no emotion, but somehow the two of you had gotten along quite well since you joined the league.

Toga was quite possibly insane, but that only gave her personality. She was fun to be around and you enjoyed hanging out with another girl around your age, although she was a few years younger than you. The nickname you had given her was 'loopy' and surprisingly she didn't mind it nor find offence in it. Maybe it was because she was starting to like you, or maybe simply because Kurogiri told her to play nice.

Shigaraki had his own nickname too, of course, although he didn't like it. He would have much rather you call him boss or just his name but instead you were persistent in calling him by 'Shiggy'. You called him that not only because of his name but also his shaggy hair, it was kind of a combination of the two. That shaggy hair was something you had grown used to seeing, you even went as far as to ruffling it this one time but, obviously, he didn't much appreciate it and threatened to turn you to dust with four of his fingers wrapped around your wrist.

Actually, Kurogiri was the only one who didn't have a bizarre nickname. The most he got was a casual 'Kuro', which he seemed to prefer anyway.

Getting along with everyone was much easier than you expected it to be. Well, except for when it came to Shigaraki. Your boss was... difficult, to say the least. And, although he didn't seem to mind you, his cold exterior kept pushing you away when you tried to talk to him about something other than work or attempted to know him better.

It was over a week before he removed his mask, which you now knew was called father, in front of you. His face was different from how you had expected it to be. His face was... well, it was crusty. Especially around his eyes and mouth. His lips were split and chapped with a scar crossing over the left side of them. Another scar could be seen over his right eye. Despite all of that, he was surprisingly cute. He was younger than you initially thought, probably only around your age. You found your eyes scanning over him from the little beauty mark that dotted the underside of his mouth, up to the dry skin around his narrowing eyes.

"What?" He somewhat snapped.

"Nothing. Just- Taking in your face before it hides behind that mask again."

Shigaraki scrunched up his brows but decided to ignore your gaze to focus on what he was doing. You had come to know that your boss was quite the gamer and, although he usually played in his room where the rest of you couldn't disturb him, sometimes, when Dabi and Toga were out, he would bring his switch with him and come to sit at the bar. Both you and Kurogiri knew not to distract him. Although, it wasn't so that you wouldn't anger him but simply because you also had a love for games and knew what it was like when someone interrupted your train of thought and cost you your win. So, you kept quiet or went for a walk.

Although, soon you grew to enjoy watching Shigaraki as he played his games and so, you simply sat at the bar a few stalls away to watch him. You liked watching the way his lips would curl into a little smirk every now and then when he knew he was going to win. You also liked it when he lost and scowled at the game, cursing under his breath before unconsciously pouting slightly. Once, he even accidentally destroyed the switch with his quirk mid-game. He was furious and stormed out to get another. You simply chuckled when the door closed behind him and got up to clean the mess. Then, you too headed out because there was something you needed to buy.

"Shiggy." You grinned, approaching your boss with a slight skip in your step.

"What?" He sighed, already used to the shitty nickname you had given him.

"I made you something."

He simply turned his head to you and frowned but, when you held out your present for him, his expression changed into something you hadn't yet seen. Surprise? Shock? Gratefulness? Who knows but it was better than the usual sulky face he showed you.

"It's a pair of gloves. They will only cover your pinkies but it will stop you from disintegrating anything else on accident." You explained, passing him the little gloves you had designed specifically for him.

"I- um, thank you?" He sounded so unsure of his words as if he hadn't a clue how to express gratitude but it made you smile nonetheless.

"You're welcome." You spoke with your usual perky voice.

Before joining the league, you had little reason to smile but now that they had finally grown used to you, you were smiling more often than not. You smiled when you talked to Dabi, Toga and Kurogiri, but it was when you were with Shigaraki that you found yourself smiling the most. He was so strange and so cold but there were times when he unintentionally showed you a soft side of him. Times when he was playing his games and even times when he was talking to you. His eyes would soften or he'd almost smile. It was always a small gesture but it still made you feel all warm and happy.

Even now, as he took the gloves from you, being very careful not to use all of his fingers as he did so, his eyes were soft and his lips curled up ever so slightly.

"I hope the material is okay, I tried to make sure they would be as comfortable as possible."

"Why do all of this? Why go to all the trouble?" He asked whilst slipping the gloves over his pinky fingers and around his wrists.

"Because, boss, we can't have you accidentally disintegrating the whole building now can we?" You joked although it didn't seem that Shigaraki found it all that funny as he just huffed, picked up his new switch, and headed back to his room.

"Don't take it to heart, he doesn't do well with displays of affection." Kurogiri sighed, trying to reassure you that Shigaraki was indeed happy with what you had done for him.

But you already knew that he was. You were good at reading people, even people like him, and you would have known if he was angry with you. You just wondered why he was like this and why he struggled so much to believe that any of you truly cared for him. The league, to him, was just a group of people with the same goal but to the rest fo you, it was almost like a family. Maybe one day he would realise that too.

It had been a long day, in which you, Dabi and Toga had all been out getting into your own little handfuls of trouble. Kurogiri stayed here with Shigaraki while he played his games. When you came back, you decided to find Shiggy and update him on the work the three of you had been doing for the most part of the day. When he wasn't sitting at the bar waiting for you to come back, you sighed and headed in the direction of his room. You hadn't been in there before and you were unsure of how Shigaraki would react if you came in without asking but, you also knew it was highly likely he was playing his games and decided that having him yell at you for coming in was better than having him yell at you for disrupting his game. And so, you turned the handle and walked inside.

Shigaraki was indeed playing video games. There he sat, with his back to you, on the floor in front of his tv with a controller in his hand. Despite wearing the gloves you gave him, he was still playing with each of his pinkies lifted off of the remote, presumably so that he didn't get into the habit of using all his fingers in case he one day forgot while not wearing the gloves. His head turned ever so slightly towards you for a second, although his eyes never once left the screen, but he just ignored you and continued playing.

He was clearly busy with his game so you simply walked further into the room, closing the door behind you, and sat at the end of his bed. You took a quick glance around the room, noticing how it was pretty much bare except for the bed and gaming set up in the corner.

It was a few minutes until Shigaraki said anything, but soon he was wondering why you were even here, "y/n. What do you what? Why are you here?"

"I just want to watch you play for now." You admitted, expecting him to tell you to leave.

But he didn't tell you to go. He just grunted and continued playing his game, so you stayed.

The more you watched him play, the more he fascinated you. His strategy in-game mirrored his intellect in reality too. His fingers tapped away so quickly at the buttons as he hammered in combo after combo, striking the enemy's weak points as if he memorised each and every one of them. Then again you wouldn't expect anything more from him. Shigaraki was a surprisingly intelligent man. He knew what to do and when to do it and, even if his temper would tempt him against it, he always knew when to back out of a fight he couldn't win. When it came to both reality and videogames, however, that was rare. He thought things out well and it seemed he even learned things from the games he played and applied them to real-life situations to provide him with the upper hand.

Shigaraki Tomura really was one of a kind.

A few more minutes passed and you found yourself pulling out your phone and swiping to the camera. You snapped some pictures of  him playing down on the floor in front of you. Then, you rolled onto your side so that you were lying on his bed, hanging off the side a little to get the perfect angle of his face as he played. You snapped more photos before sitting up and looking through them. He looked so cute when he played his games.

Before you realised, however, he had completed his level and was climbing up to walk over to you. He took the phone from your hands and pressed all of his fingers against it, watching it disintegrate into dust before slipping his pinky back into his glove.

You tilted your head up at him and pouted, "Those were some good pictures."

"Why were you taking pictures of me?" Shigaraki sighed, clearly not really in the mood for your shit.

"Because you just look so cute when you're focusing on your games and I wanted some pictures of you." You admitted, not caring for the way his eyes narrowed further.

"But why?"

You sighed and climbed up onto your knees so you were more at face level with him.

"I want pictures of you because I like you, stupid." You confessed, flicking him lightly in the centre of his forehead.

Shigaraki only began to scratch at his neck as his eyes widened slightly in confusion.

"You... like... me?" He questioned, pointing a finger into his chest.

He clearly still didn't get it, or at least he didn't believe you, so you reached out for his shirt, scrunching it in your fists slightly, as you pulled him in for a kiss. He was in such a shock when your lips touched his that he lost his balance and fell onto you. His hands, that were either side of your head, stopped his weight from crashing down into you but he was still lying on top of you nonetheless.

"Do you get it now?" You smiled, reaching up to peck his nose as his cheeks began to dust over with a slight blush.

"I- I."

You smiled and pulled him back down towards you, stopping briefly just before your lips came together again, "Shut up, Shiggy."

[not-wholly-unheroic]

Viewing Disney’s Peter Pan Through the Eyes of an Adult

Recently, I’ve seen several posts floating around talking about how Disney’s Hook is difficult for people to take seriously and is much too comical for what Barrie had intended. I grew up with Disney’s Hook. He was my first introduction to the character and the reason why I became interested in reading classic literature, writing fanfic, and seriously delving into the analysis of complex villainous/antagonistic characters, so he has a very special place in my heart and I’m prone to be quick to defend him. Rather than writing a long-winded reply to these individual posts, I decided to just make my own explaining why Disney’s Hook can be viewed as just as tragic and sympathetic as any other version. (You can also read some of my earlier posts defending Disney’s Hook here and here.)

*takes a deep breath* *cracks knuckles* Buckle up kiddos! You’re in for a long ride!

My view of Disney’s Hook as a tragic character lies primarily in my sympathy for him when he switches from a proud, elegant, dangerous character to a shivering mess of a man when the crocodile comes around. Let me attempt to elaborate--but first, a bit of a necessary digression.

Every film/book/play, etc. can be viewed from several perspectives. Typically, there is one character that we are meant to like and who becomes the primary focus of the story. Anyone who opposes that character is automatically an antagonist, if not a villain. Usually, even if the point of view is omniscient, we can still tell that it is not, perhaps, entirely objective in its portrayal of certain characters. This sort of situation happens all the time on the evening news--the interviewer is, in theory, supposed to be a neutral reporter on an incident, but it is often obvious that they favor one side of an issue over another, and as a result, the public's view of the situation and those involved is skewed. The lens through which we view a certain character tends to do the same thing. For instance, in Les Miserables (another favorite story of mine), Javert is viewed as an antagonist because the book is primarily concerned with the redemption story of Valjean; however, if the story was flipped and instead focused on the inspector's character and his transition from a strict legalist to a man so broken by the idea of morality that he commits suicide, he would, perhaps, be viewed instead as a tragic HERO instead of a tragic ANTAGONIST. Javert likely does many GOOD things in the name of the law as well during his career, but we don't see most of them because he isn't the main focus of the book. Similarly, I think Disney’s Hook can be more greatly appreciated as TRAGIC instead of COMICAL when we consider the lens through which we are viewing him.

Disney has always been geared toward children, so naturally, when they tell a story, they want the material to be attractive to a younger audience. This means not only that certain more frightening or upsetting elements of a story may be left out, edited, or altogether changed, but also that WE VIEW THE CHARACTERS THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD. (For example, in The Little Mermaid, King Triton's opposition to Ariel going to the surface world is presented in such a way that he seems extremely harsh when, in reality, he is father trying to keep his daughter safe. True, he DOES overreact, but remember, Ariel is only sixteen--not even LEGALLY an adult--and wants to run off with some guy she hasn’t even had a conversation with. But kids can relate to overbearing parents who, in a moment of disagreement, seem like they are being "mean," so that is how the audience sees Triton.) Peter Pan, especially, with its protagonist(s) as a child/children, really magnifies this perspective to the point where, unfortunately, some of the characters become almost caricatures of themselves. When children are legitimately afraid of something, they react one of two ways: Either they run from it/avoid it altogether, or they make-believe that whatever is frightening them is actually a lot less terrifying than it is so that they appear brave. I remember when I was younger, I used to be TERRIFIED of Monstro, the whale from Pinocchio. I couldn't watch the film without getting nightmares. But I didn't want to be afraid of watching the movie, so with my overactive imagination, I decided that I could fix that by turning him into a less scary version of himself and making him into an imaginary friend who more closely resembled Willy the anthropomorphic opera-singing whale from Make Mine Music than the terrifying creature we see in Pinocchio. Anyway, getting back to the point--I overcame my fear of the character by choosing to imagine that he was less scary than he was. This is what a lot of children do, and I think it's why Disney's Hook comes off as being comical.

The first time we see Disney Hook on screen, he actually comes across as pretty terrifying. He literally shoots his own crew member just because he didn't like the guy's singing! Rarely do we actually see Disney villains successfully kill another character on screen, but Hook does not even five minutes into his introduction. Immediately, we get the impression (or at least, a child should get the impression), that Hook is a genuinely dangerous guy. He also seems to regard his loss of a hand as "a childish prank," which further gives us the impression that he apparently has a pretty high pain tolerance and isn't afraid to do horrible, gruesome things to his enemies. If chopping someone's hand off is "childish," then what sort of serious damage does he inflict on his victims? However, this is Disney, and rather than having Hook gut someone or do something else which might scar a kid for life, we soon see he has a weakness...the crocodile. At this point, the Darling kids have been watching Hook for several minutes from their perch up on the cloud and are, probably, starting to have some second thoughts about fighting real pirates when they seem so scary...so what do they do? They do the same thing I did and turn him into a less-scary version of himself. They find his weakness and latch onto it. And since we're viewing things primarily from their perspective, that's how WE start to see Hook too. Hook's fear of the crocodile becomes comical for the audience because the Darling kids are trying to focus on that aspect of him so that they are can forget how terrifying he really is. We see this more frightening side of Hook come out a few more times, such as when he plans to blow up Pan's hideout...and at this point, we even catch a brief glimpse of the more sinister part of Smee when he asks Hook if it wouldn't be more humane for them to slit his throat...AND THIS IS SMEE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE!!! The LEAST frightening of the pirates in ANY version. But I think Disney throws this in just to remind us that Smee is still a pirate, and if HE'S willing to do something THAT bad, Hook is a thousand times worse. However, for the most part, Hook still remains a rather softened, comical version of himself because we are viewing him through the child-lens. Remove that lens, though, and things become more complicated.

Forget, for a moment, that we are supposed to be rooting for the Darling children and Pan, and look again--not as a frightened child who is trying to laugh in the face of danger but as an adult who can feel Hook's pain. I remember one time when I was driving back from the airport in a busy city in the dark and the road was icy...I'm not used to driving in ice, and I'm a naturally nervous driver...At one point, I skidded into the next lane... I literally spent about the next hour hyperventilating, practically rocking myself back and forth, praying, and trying not to cry because I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to see the road. It was horrible... Take that sort of feeling, and I believe it's what Disney Hook is experiencing when the crocodile shows up. Through the "child-lens" it may be funny to see a frightening character in a vulnerable situation, but viewing it as an adult who understands just HOW helpless and terrified one feels in such a situation, you can't help but empathize with Hook. Every move he makes, every tremble in his voice, every look of absolute horror in his eyes tells you that he is not mentally or physically really functioning at the moment. He's on autopilot--he's in survival mode like a wild animal that freezes in hopes that it won't be seen by the approaching predator. Take away the crocodile's obviously silly "theme-music" and Hook's slightly overdone expressions, and you're left with something similar to what we see Hook experience in the novel near the end of the chapter, "The Pirate Ship." ("Very frightful was it to see the change that came over him. It was as if he had been clipped at every joint. He fell in a little heap...he crawled on his knees along the deck as far from the sound that he could go...'Hide me,' he cried hoarsely.") Now we can start appreciating him for the tragic villain that he is supposed to be.

Viewed through the eyes of the Darling children, Hook represents all that is frightening and bad about the grown-up world. If Peter is ice cream parties and summer vacations and catching fireflies in the dark, then Hook is cancer and broken dreams and being worried about being able to make enough money to put food on the table. Barrie, however, tells us that there is much more to both characters than that. Peter has a dark side--a selfish streak that forgets all pain at the cost of never learning from the past, never growing from his experiences and becoming a better person. He is stagnant not only in physically growing up but also in mentally facing reality, which is just as damaging as Hook's attitude of regretting a childhood apparently gone too soon. Hook, too, has a lighter side that loves soft music and flowers and other such things (representative of the good things about being an adult--falling in love, pursuing one's passions in a professional sense, having children of one's own). Disney, of course, doesn't quite do this to the same extent as Barrie since we're given a skewed view of the characters, but it DOES still make a few points which, when stripped of the "child-lens" effect, gives off a similar impression. Peter, for instance, brags to the mermaids at one point about cutting off Hook's hand and feeding it to the crocodile. Though we never get to hear him finish the tale, it is rather unsettling to think that Disney's Pan is capable of such horror. (Personally, no matter WHAT the circumstances of the situation were, I think any real-life child who took such great pleasure in slicing off a body part of another person and then having the presence of mind to feed said body part to a dangerous wild animal would probably be considered a psychopath in need of some SERIOUS counseling.) Disney, of course, glosses over this little inconvenience by having Hook show up before he can really get any further into the story. Again, the child-lens is going up; Wendy doesn't want to see this side of Peter, and neither does the child-based audience, so they choose to look away. However, we see a brief glimpse of this side of Pan again at Skull Rock. First, we see it resurface when he hands Smee a gun and then flies up directly in front of Hook--knowing that he can move out of the way in time. Again, through the child-lens of the audience, it seems funny to watch Smee doing his best (and failing terribly) to aim at Pan...but when you think about it from an adult's perspective, it's actually pretty disturbing. Peter legitimately wants Hook dead and doesn't care if it happens to be at the hand of one of his own crewmen (and arguably, in the Disney universe, Hook's only real friend). When Hook "dies," Peter simply takes the hat and says nonchalantly, "What a pity, Mr. Smee. I'm afraid we've lost the dear captain." It doesn't even phase him that a man might have just died and poor Smee is probably feeling absolutely HORRIBLE because it was (sort of) his fault. Even Wendy's child-lens falters a little here... While Peter is celebrating Hook's death, she at least, has enough of an adult's heart to have compassion on their fallen enemy and turn her face away with an, "Oh, how dreadful!" It happens again a few moments later when Peter is getting ready to kick Hook's hook off the ledge so that he falls into the waiting jaws of the crocodile. (The captain, at this point, is of course, squirming like--to use Peter's phrasing--"a codfish on a hook.") Again, Pan has no sympathy, but Wendy, who is starting to gradually open up her eyes to the truth that maybe staying a child forever isn't all it's cracked up to be and maybe adulthood isn't entirely bad, is losing her "child-lens." Not entirely. Not to the point where she doesn't continue to view Hook as comical to keep from being afraid. But enough to know that what Peter is about to do is wrong. She expresses this verbally when she shouts, "Oh, Peter, NO!"

It is at this point, shortly after the crocodile chase, that we start to see Hook become more of a legitimate threat (and a legitimately sympathetic character) again. Why? Because Wendy, as the protagonist and the one whose eyes we are looking through even more so than Pan, is starting to grow up and face reality for what it is--scary or not. As she sings "Your Mother and Mine" and tells her brothers that they NEED a mother--that Neverland has been fun but they NEED to go home--Hook is throwing Tinkerbelle in a lantern and planning to kidnap the kids and blow Pan to smithereens. And then we get the "slit his throat" reminder (mentioned above)... Also, as a side note, when Hook is ill after the crocodile chase, we hear him lamenting how Pan has made him look like a fool yet again. This is also something that I think we can appreciate more as adults. All Hook's crew wants is to go back to haunting the Spanish Main, but Hook refuses to leave Neverland because he feels that he has to remain there until he can regain his pride...which in and of itself is admirable, since many people who have been played the fool simply hang their head and walk away in shame. Here's this guy who has been bested by a child no more than twelve or thirteen--and possibly much younger... How must that feel? I have been in an emotionally abusive relationship where I was constantly reminded how I couldn’t do anything right, and it felt SO degrading. I literally just wanted to go hide away in my room and cry because I felt so incompetent and useless and just plain stupid. So how does Hook feel? Probably the same way. But he doesn't give up. If there's one thing we can say for sure about Disney Hook, he's a fighter. So, I guess you could say that, in part, one reason I find Disney Hook so sympathetic and tragic is because I can identify with him in his crippling reaction to fear and admire him for his bold attempts to reclaim his pride.

Anyway, getting back on track with the storyline... As we near the end of the film, Hook once again appears to lose face at the final showdown. At first, this doesn't seem to make sense if Wendy is, in fact, beginning to lose the child-lens. However, although Hook is defeated, we are never actually shown that he dies (and obviously, from the second film, in the Disney universe, he doesn't). I remember reading somewhere that when they were originally working on Peter Pan, Walt Disney chose to keep Hook alive and just have him "going like hell" rather than actually dying because, "the audience will get to liking Hook." And by this point, we have...those of us still looking through the child-lens love to hate him as a character we can laugh at, and those of us who are more grown-up love him for being just like us--an adult who is STILL growing up, in some ways, who is STILL afraid of certain things and hasn't always learned his lessons and isn't perfect but also isn't willing to give up even when everything is against him and everyone is laughing at him and nothing seems to go right.

Now, I said that at first, it doesn't seem to make sense for us to view Hook in a comical light in this scene if we are viewing the movie primarily through the eyes of the Darling children--particularly Wendy, who is starting to grow up and realize that adults are supposed to feel things like compassion for one's enemies. However, Wendy is still a child. She IS still afraid of growing up. In fact, she's terrified. And that comes out when the kids are all mocking Hook. He's still frightening to them. They still need the security blanket of pretend sometimes, of focusing on his more comical, vulnerable side...but they don't defeat Hook by killing him in this version, and I think that's significant. As representative primarily of the "scary" parts of growing up, Hook is temporarily cast aside and shoved to the back of their minds, but he IS NOT DEAD. The kids (and even Pan) know he may come back. They know he isn't gone for good. One day, they will have to face adulthood. One day, Hook--in the guise of mortgages and taxes and wars and sickly older parents--will return. But for now, they have defeated him...not just by pretending but by choosing to accept the responsibility of growing up eventually, in their own good time. Even Peter starts to reflect this theme by beating Hook, "man to man" without the use of flight. Wendy, who wants to be the good grown-up but who isn't quite ready to let go of childhood, warns Peter against it, thinking that it may be a trap. She even goes so far as to shout at him to fly when he has the chance even though he has promised not to. But Disney Pan is a bit more mature than some (maybe Wendy's better judgment is wearing off on him), and he keeps his word. He beats Hook "like a man" NOT like a boy. Pan's victory here symbolically reflects the Darling children's decision to face adulthood by going back to London. Thus, Hook is defeated because adulthood is no longer an obstacle which causes a fear is so crippling that the kids can't face it. When Wendy returns home, we get one last glimpse of this truth in Mr. Darling--the real-world representative of all things frightening and frustrating about growing up and, as I'm sure you know, also (significantly) voiced by Conried--who has done some "growing up" himself. Mr. Darling, it seems, is willing to allow Wendy a bit more time to enjoy life as a child, remembering his own childhood fondly, even as Wendy has chosen to accept the responsibility of growing up. Mr. Darling, who much like Hook, was viewed previously by the kids (and by extension, the audience) as a bit of a bully and an object of ridicule, is now the object of Wendy's affection as a mutual understanding is reached. Adulthood is frightening in many ways, but Wendy has also come to realize that it is necessary to take responsibility for one's actions and feel compassion for others just as Mr. Darling has realized that sometimes, it's okay for kids to be kids and enjoy the moment. Essentially, what I'm saying is--borrowing the idea that Hook and Mr. Darling are two sides of the same coin--Hook in Neverland, chased away by the crocodile, appears as comical in the last scene only because he effectively gets one last serious scene through his London counterpart, staring wistfully out the window with a loving wife and child by his side. Wendy isn't quite yet grown up, so she still sees through the child-lens on occasion, but she is learning, gradually, to embrace that which she once feared. She no longer needs Hook, an imaginary figure, to personify that fear. She now has her father back, and though she now RESPECTS what he stands for, she is no longer so terrified of growing up that she can't appreciate the GOOD side of the future (such as having a husband and a family of her own someday) and look forward to it.