#the sacrificial squad

[thecmaly]

harem squad said deal's off folks

-

more windbreaker comics

[lunar-wandering]

✨self sacrificial squad ✨

[shalomniscient]

ok before i go to bed. modern au firefighter mavuika. that is all thanks for coming to the ted talk

[thebrainrotsreal]

would love to say some coherent analysis of Soleum and Braun but instead catch me rambling incoherently and giggling to myself <3

[wordsofyore]

Yandere! Konig x Fem. Sacrificial Reader

König doesn't understand why you're so... accepting about all this.

Sure, he gets that it is, in an absurd sense, an honorable way to die in your culture, and there's a firm belief that you'll get to live in paradise forever and ever for your sacrifice... But he doesn't believe in your gods, your rituals and sacrifices, your people's myths and legends. He just thinks it's all a big waste of time and energy, and more importantly, a severe waste of a pretty little maiden like you, especially for a selfish, cruel being that may or may not even exist.

He, frankly, hates your god, and he hates everything about this situation.

Yet, despite all that, he just cannot help but keep watching you, always watching you, as you smile and dance for your deity, and lead rituals as the sacrificial maiden, serving milk and honey and flowers to the altar at the top of the ziggurat.

He unfailingly continues to spy on you, as they begin to give you increased doses of alcohol and herbs with your meals as the day of your final ritual draws closer, and his stomach churns terribly and heart thumps heavily beneath his plates of armor, and his clammy hands tremor as he beholds your tragic fate time and again.

It's during one of these moments, when you're left unattended, slightly buzzed after your meal, that he finally approaches you to introduce himself. You smile at him graciously, your hazy eyes taking in his large form as you listen to him anxiously speak in a mix of his and your languages. You seemingly understand him, at least enough to get his name, and he just about falls to his knees when you sweetly address him for the very first time. He understands that your drugged mind probably made your reaction to meeting someone like him this mellow... because as generous as your people were for hosting his squadron of mercenaries, they certainly felt some level of aversion and intimidation at his sheer size and demeanor.

You speak in mostly your tongue, and the times you say something in his, it's very accented and sometimes grammatically broken (and he thinks it's so very adorable), and he nods and hums even though he doesn't really understand nearly as much of it as he desperately wanted to.

By the time one of your attendants returns, you send him off with a dreamy smile and a small pouch of dried flower petals and carved beads, something he does clearly understand as--"a protective charm, for your journey ahead." He runs a thumb over the woven fabric more times than he can count, as he fights off the waves of distress that resurge whenever he thinks of his return to his fatherland.

No, he cannot do it... not without saving you first.

It's fine. If your own people didn't want to keep a sweet young woman like you around, and would instead happily have you sacrifice yourself to your despicable god, by throwing yourself into a damned volcano no less, then he would happily keep you to himself, safe and sound and alive, if not a bit confused, perhaps.

So when it's the day of your sacrifice, it's also conveniently time for his squad to move on. And when you reach the bottom of the great sacred mountain, and turn to bid farewell to your small procession of guides and priests and attendants, your drug-addled mind doesn't really register the large black shadow that emerges, quiet as a jaguar, slaughtering everyone on sight, as effortlessly as one cuts away blades of grass with a scythe.

And in no time, you are in his arms, confused and blabbering as he carries you away, far, far away, from vile rituals and deadly sacrifices and people who clearly don't deserve you. You'll be happy with him, as his sweet little darling wife and the mother of his children.

Ah, but first, he really needs to teach you his native tongue. He hopes you keep that cute accent, though.

[alwaysless]

Let's talk about the most poorly studied member of the squad: Berenice.

Despite the first impression, Berenice seems to be the most pragmatic and rational of the misfits. Although she looks frolicsome, fearless, mischievous even, she also dislikes challenges, prefers not to get into big troubles and is used to choosing the line of least resistance. She seems to me like a hedonist who doesn't mind having some fun, but doesn't want to sacrifice her comfort and take unnecessary risks.

In the haunted mansion she suggested they all sit in the bushes instead of taking a losing fight.

When Montresor and Will attack, she tries to escape and leave Lenore alone, and the only one who prevents her from doing so is Eulalie. I don't really blame Berenice for this situation, because she only met Lenore yesterday, but damn it, Bee actually was ready to throw her to Monty (but not ready to leave Eulalie. I know what you are)

In the hideout she is the only one who vehemently opposes Lenore's plan to escape, and to be honest, her words make some sense.

She also changes her mind very quickly in the forbidden wing scene. Although Berenice previously seemed excited about the idea of breaking some rules, she agrees with Morella that this place is pretty creepy and is ready to back down. And again it is Eulalie who made her to stay.

Berenice seems to quickly light up with any idea and just as quickly fades away at the slightest difficulty. Although she doesn't like unnecessary obstacles, she also lacks the determination to stand by her opinion to the end: in all the scenes I've mentioned, she eventually gives up. She grumbles, but follows Eulalie`s dowsing rods; she emphasizes that she doesn't like the idea of escape, and still swears a blood oath. It seems that her habit of choosing the easiest path also makes her poorly predisposed to long–term conflict: in the end, agreeing with the majority is also the line of least resistance.

I think this frame and this line sums up Berenice's approach to life quite well.

She is less competitive than Lenore, less sacrificial than Morella, less snide than Duke, but more rational than Eulalie and more active than Pluto. To be honest, I'm glad that she ended up in the same group as Lenore and Morella in the last episodes, because Berenice will definitely be able to stop them from sacrificing their lives for each other in the most noble but stupid way.

[itsabouttimex2]

LMK Hot Take:

Every god we’ve seen in this world clearly has a very human mindset and morality and it’s weird to act like Nüwa would for some reason be the sole exception.

Like some people in this fandom are so desperate to defend her from being a morally gray individual that they actually treat her like a toddler incapable of thought instead of an “At All Costs” Goddess.

It’s just weird to see people treat Nüwa like this when it’s distinctly coming only from people trying to DEFEND her!

Like… that’s WORSE!

Nüwa being a knuckle-dragging lobotomite who doesn’t understand morally gray actions is WORSE than being sincerely aware of them but engaging for the good of the world anyway!

She’s willing to invoke a little bit of suffering to save the world from literally ceasing to exist. That’s a gray action, but a justifiably gray action anyhow.

One of the main themes all throughout Season Five is literally “At All Costs.”

Xiangliu. Nüwa. Li Jing. Nezha. Even Sun Wukong and MK, near the end.

A big theme throughout this season is the morality of invoking your will on the world and the people around you without their consent (like Li Jing putting the circlet on Wukong) even when it might be harmful or wrong (like MK USING the circlet) in order to get what you want.

Nüwa isn’t an extradimensional being who’s too stupid to comprehend basic morality or the consequences of her actions.

She’s a goddess who said “The world not evaporating in a shower of glittery fissures is more important than one mortal”, so she custom-made one to serve as an eternal, recurring sacrificial lamb.

This is a valid and rational choice in face of the universe potentially ceasing to exist. Commenting (yes, even negatively) on the nature of it as a morally gray decision does not mean you need to go full defense squad about “Gods don’t feel the same as people! Thinking different! Brains different!” when that hasn’t been the case in Lego Monkie Kid. Do (some) gods have greater responsibilities than any mortal? It seems to be; between Nüwa and the Jade Emperor, that such a statement is true. But neither of them were (even in their short time) portrayed as having alien mindsets.

Treating her as a brainless alien who can only vapidly stare upon morality and shrug isn’t that much better than treating her like a one-note villain, is what I’m trying to say.

[gender-luster]

every squad got the

heart of gold. escaped from literal hell

memory loss. kinda a bitch, but working on it

autistic self sacrificial bastard. did NOT need to die to prove you were worthy

scary as fuck. needs to get used to this whole "emotions" and "talking to people" thing

"oh yeah, him? he's a rescue"

"these fuckers fucked up my job and now i'm fucking stuck with them"

you don't have to objectify yourself to be worthy or to not be lonely. have you considered friends and therapy instead?

the weight of the world's a heavy one to bear all by yourself. yes, the horrors are immense, but it is not your responsibility to hold them all off alone. you don't have to put up a front of happiness, of always being the hero. it's okay to be sad, it's okay to be angry. your father fucking sucked, but you are not, and will never be him. you can be better than him. i promise.

[professional-yearner]

Lamb in the wolf's den pt.1

Yandere! Dark! Commando squad x reader

SERIES WARNING: mentions of dead dove, do not eat content but nothing really happens to the reader, misogyny, mistrust at first, yandere themes, reader is kind of a sacrificial lamb, reader is sort of clueless

A/N: happy valentines day, hope you like this one! Lmk if you want to see more! :3

Reaching the training center was one thing, bringing yourself to enter was another. You could feel eyes on you as soon as you took a step past the threshold, as if they could smell your inexperience and your inferior rank.

Maybe it was the way you carried yourself, you thought idly, you should really work on that.

You only noticed how you'd begun to zone out as your two guides came to a halt in front of you, making you nearly fall into the commander.

He looked back down at you, expression unreadable under his helmet, and you gave an apologetic smile.

“The unit should be returning from their training soon. You will meet them here.” the scientist clasped her hands, turning slowly back to you.

“Meet them- you mean you're not staying?” Your eyes widened, hands coming to pick at the hem of your uniform jacket,“To introduce us- I mean.”

The kaminoan looked almost surprised for a moment before saying, “They have been made aware of this arrangement previously, and we have had the most success introducing new factors without a scientist present.”

You turned to the trooper, who sounded sheepish at your pinched expression, “We're expecting a new bounty hunter soon, ‘need to be there to meet him.”

You could only nod vacantly as they turned and left back the way you came, trying to steel yourself for whatever was coming.

After a few minutes of standing around awkwardly and trying not to notice how much bigger the commandos around you were compared to your regular trooper friends, you decided to sit on one of the benches that surrounded the training unit.

Maybe it would be fine! As long as you were respectful and stayed out of their way, maybe you had nothing to worry about, and-

“Yer in my spot.”

You looked up dumbly, having not noticed the group of troopers that had come to stand in front of the bench, blocking the blinding lights of the training arena and casting a shadow over you.

After taking a moment to process what he'd said, you shot up, “Oh- sorry!”

The commando who spoke glared down at you, “Oh, you're sorry? Well, let me tell you something, princess,”

He backed you so you were nearly falling over the bench, “Sorry won't get you very far here. You've got to be right the first time.”

“Or know how to fight your way out of it.”

You didn't know what he expected you to do, but you just stood there, stock still and heart going a mile per minute.

His eyes only flicked to the brother beside him for a moment, but that was all it took for the group to burst out in raucous laughter.

The commandos in front of you were nearly doubled over with how funny they apparently found this, making you blink at the sudden mood change.

You didn't dare utter even an awkward chuckle, unsure of the group's temperament.

“Oh, she's too cute, I can't stand it!” One wheezed out, making you flush at his condescending tone.

You let out an embarrassing noise as the trooper who had previously been giving you new cardiovascular issues slung an arm around your shoulders, “See, lads? I told you this could be fun!”

He released you, coming to stand in front of you once more with the rest of his squad.

“Name's Jac, i'm the sergeant of this squad. You'll be the camp aide, hm?”

You nodded, still unsure, but tried for a smile, “Yes, I'll be helping your squad-”

“Helping straighten us out? Yeah, we heard.” one with a unique blotchy scar across his neck and jaw piped up, still half smiling, but narrowing his eyes.

“Though, I don't see how someone like you could fill that position.” another chimed in.

You took note; defensive and distrustful. You could work with that, “Hey, I don't want to bother you any more than you want me to, I'll do my best not to get in your way.”

The group regarded you for a moment before glancing at each other, seeming in silent communication before their defacto leader smiled again.

He gestured to his brothers, “Well, it's about time we got introductions out of the way.”

Jac began pointing, one brother at a time, it was a little harder to differentiate due to them all having regulation haircuts, but you found ways.

One with particularly light brown eyes, “Dax, our dems expert.”

One who had a colder, calculated element to his gaze,

“Rift, our tech expert.”

The brother with the scar who had spoken up earlier,

“and Clutch, our sniper.”

You smiled genuinely, nodding to them, “Nice to meet you! My name's (Y/n)!”

They stared at you like you had just started walking on all fours backwards, as if that wasn't the reaction you were supposed to give.

After a moment of silence, you spoke up, “Everything… okay?”

Seeming to finally snap out of it, Jac put on another easy smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, “Sorry about that, princess, I guess we just aren't used to civvies being quite so… receptive to us.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.” You furrowed your brows, it didn't quite explain why they were abrasive to their own kin, but you could definitely understand why they didn't trust civilians.

“Well, we should get back to the barracks. Need some rest before we ship out again, you know?”

You nodded quickly, “Of course!”

They began to walk away, but stopped, looking back, the one you recognized as Dax calling, “You coming?”

You raised your eyebrows, trying not to look too surprised at the invitation before scurrying after them.

…

Jac smiled at his brothers as they walked, who gave him a smile back.

Maybe this would be fun.

[duckprintspress]

新年快乐! Celebrate Chinese New Year with Our Favorite Queer Books with Snakes!

Happy Chinese New Year! According to the Chinese calendar, we’re entering the Year of the Snake. To celebrate it, we asked our contributors to tell us about their favorite queer books that feature snakes and snake-like creatures. Contributors to the list are: boneturtle, D.V. Morse, Nina Waters, Neo Scarlett, Linnea Peterson, Tris Lawrence, E. C. and an anonymous contributor.

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Half-demon Luo Binghe rose from humble beginnings and a tortured past to become unrivaled in strength and beauty. With his dominion over both the Human and Demon Realms and his hundreds-strong harem, he is truly the most powerful protagonist…in a trashy webnovel series!

At least, that’s what Shen Yuan believes as he finishes reading the final chapter in Proud Immortal Demon Way. But when a bout of rage leads to his sudden death, Shen Yuan is reborn into the world of the novel in the body of Shen Qingqiu–the beautiful but cruel teacher of a young Luo Binghe. While Shen Qingqiu may have the incredible power of a cultivator, he is destined to be horrifically punished for crimes against the protagonist.

The new Shen Qingqiu now has only one course of action: get into Luo Binghe’s good graces before the young man’s rise to power or suffer the awful fate of a true scum villain!

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She’s always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories.

Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he’s been cast from home. He’s found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake.

Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries.

And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.

Dungeon Critters by Sara Goetter & Natalie Riess

Join the Dungeon Critters–a tight-knit squad of animal companions–on a wild adventure investigating a sinister botanical conspiracy among the furry nobility. As they risk their lives traveling through haunted dungeons, swamps, and high society balls–they also come closer together as friends.

Motivated by rivalries, ideals, and a lust for adventure, these critters navigate not only perils and dangers of the natural world, but also perils and dangers…of the heart.

Devil Venerable Also Wants To Know by Cyan Wings

In a Mary-Sue novel, the readers all liked the Devil Venerable, the second male lead who devoted himself whole-heartedly to the female lead. However the female lead only loved the male lead who abused her physically and mentally.

Readers: Why doesn’t the female lead like the Devil Venerable?!

Devil Venerable: This Venerable also wants to know. But what I really want to know is why I even like the female lead at all.

In order to understand why the female lead wasn’t attracted to him, the self-conscious Devil Venerable brutally interrogated the entire cast of characters from the novel.

Background characters: I have so many things I want to say but I don’t dare to say it to his face!

After obtaining the book, the Devil Venerable discovered that the book described the world he lived in. This book said that after he sacrificed himself for the female lead, the fourth male lead, his silent and loyal subordinate Yin Hanjiang, blackened and attempted to kill her as a sacrificial offering for his lord.

Devil Venerable Wenren E: Yin Hanjiang, this Venerable wants to know why you wanted to kill the female lead.

Yin Hanjiang was silent.

Wenren E: If you refuse to speak, this Venerable will cut out your tongue and drink it with alcohol!

Yin Hanjiang: …

Wenren E: What the hell are you blushing for?!

Guardian by Priest

Zhao Yunlan heads up a covert division of the Ministry of Public Security that deals with the strange and unusual, blurring the line between the mortal realm and the Netherworld. His cocky, casual attitude conceals both a sharp mind and an arsenal of mystical tools and arcane knowledge.

While investigating a gruesome death at a local university, Zhao Yunlan crosses paths with the reserved Professor Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan is immediately intrigued by Shen Wei’s good looks and intense gaze, and the attraction between them is immediate and powerful, even as Shen Wei tries to keep his distance. Shen Wei and his secrets are a puzzle Zhao Yunlan feels compelled to solve as mysterious circumstances throw them together, and their connection becomes impossible to deny.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind–avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a window of opportunity opens–a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.

In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

Rae is a bookworm who prefers fictional men over real life boyfriends. But her life takes a strange turn when she is trapped by magic inside her favourite fantasy series, and she finds herself pitted against her suddenly living and breathing crush, the ‘Once and Forever Emperor’.

In a palace on the brink of war, she has become the villainess in his tale, and she needs to take control of the narrative before it, and the Emperor, take control of her… fatally.

Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedicated study and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise may also fall, and fall he does–cast from the heavens and banished to the world below.

Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time, angering most of the gods in the process. To repay his debts, he is sent to the Mortal Realm to hunt down violent ghosts and troublemaking spirits who prey on the living. Along his travels, he meets the fascinating and brilliant San Lang, a young man with whom he feels an instant connection. Yet San Lang is clearly more than he appears… What mysteries lie behind that carefree smile?

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner–hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.

The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.

But as the truth of Alina’s destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice–and only she can face the oncoming storm.

What queer books with snakes did we miss? Let us know!

Need a place to chat about books? Join our Book Lover’s Discord server!

You can check out this list as a shelf on Goodreads – and you can also peek at the list we did for last year’s Chinese New Year, books with dragons! If you see something on this list you’d like to buy, we encourage you to facilitate doing so by checking out our Affiliate shop rec list on Bookshop.org.

[shima-draws]

WOO HOO EZIO'S HERE 👏

As always more info about him under the cut <3

Name: Ezio

Age: 27

Hair color: White

Eye color: Red

Element: None

Ezio's a runaway who cast off his life as a noble and is now adventuring freely with Nahu and co.! He was never one for the stuffy upper class life he grew up in, and has been trying to outrun his legacy for ages. Nahu and the others don't even know he's from a high class society and when they do find out, needless to say they are shocked because Ezio was the LAST person they expected among all of them to have a fancy shmancy background.

It's not something he necessarily tries to keep secret; he just views it as something that's not part of him anymore. However he still does have ties to that world--there's a girl he grew up with and who is a close friend of his that he's actually engaged to. Neither of them want anything to do with the engagement, and said friend was more than encouraging when it came to Ezio cutting ties with his status and running off.

Ezio's extremely independent and self-sufficient! He knows very well how to handle himself in most aspects of life. He's also very stoic and quiet most of the time, preferring actions over words. When it comes to combat he's one of the strongest members of the team, being an expert at sword wielding and hand-to-hand. Considering he's a non-elemental that's pretty impressive.

He's also stupidly loyal and ridiculously self sacrificial (but like, most of the group are too so he's not special in that regard. LMAO) He's got a very unhealthy attachment to Nahu and probably needs to go to therapy. Ezio will put Nahu above everybody else, no matter what the situation, even if he has to betray other members of the group. He is the definition of Ride or Die. (He cares about them tho of course!! He loves them all very much, Nahu's just his top priority in all cases.) He's down BAD for Nahu and everybody knows it except for Nahu :)))) Main reasoning behind this stems from the fact that Nahu was probably the first person Ezio met that was actually genuine and not plastic and fake like all the people he grew up around. Nahu beat up some people hired to bring Ezio home and then smiled at him one (1) time and that was IT. He was done for. He will now die for Nahu and follow him to the ends of the earth. End of story

(This comes back to bite him in the ass later bc Nahu uhhh disappears for Reasons™ and Ezio spirals HARD. Cue him going off on his own and disregarding the rest of the squad bc he literally cannot fathom living without Nahu. Again. THERAPY)

Ezio's actually a shockingly good dancer, too (dance lessons growing up), but he adamantly refuses to dance with anybody who can't keep up with him. Which is basically most of the group. The only person who can is Ione, because of her idol background. Everyone is jealous of her for this. LOL

He's also fluent in multiple languages (again, noble background) including sign language, so he and Sage are the only ones capable of communicating with Ione for a while until they teach everyone else :"D

Due to his upbringing he's uhh. Emotionally constipated lol. It's definitely a learning curve for him trying to actually show his feelings and be truthful about them. This is something he generally struggles with but luckily he's got the best group of friends anybody could ask for who support him through everything. EVEN his simping 😂

[melodious-oblivion]

For the prompts- the 2021 Spirit girlies at So’hara’s wedding (maybe trying to catch up their newer teammates?)

Went a bit rogue on this one pal, hope you still enjoy 🫡

So’Hara, wedding, 2022

The locker room is deafeningly quiet. Emily’s been here before, after a bad game, bad training, and with this team after they’re given a new piece of earth shattering news that rocks the squad to the core in terrible ways. She’s never felt it get hostile towards her though.

“You did what?” Andi finally says, eyes narrowed as Kelley steps even further behind Emily’s back, clearly willing to offer her up as the sacrificial lamb here.

“I swear we weren’t excluding you guys in particular. Nobody was there, not even our parents!” Kelley insists, peeking her head over Emily’s shoulder.

“You guys weren’t even engaged!” Tara is slumped in her locker, arms crossed.

Emily pauses, sighs, and looks at Kelley. In for a dollar…

“We got engaged on Thursday.” And there’s what she was expecting. Everyone starts yelling at once, voices mixing together, and one well thrown cleat hits Emily in the thigh.

“We had a game on Friday!” Hatchy has looked scandalized since minute one of this team meeting.

“We were going to tell you today about the engagement today, and then on Saturday we realized we didn’t really want to deal with planning a wedding.” That’s really all it was. They’d been lying in bed wrapping their heads around the wedding, and the more that they thought about the less excited they got.

Emily first mentioned eloping as a joke, but then Kelley got into it and started googling, and when it turned out that DC had no waiting period for a marriage license…

They were at the courthouse two hours later, dressed up in casual suits with bands they’d stopped at Tiffany’s to purchase on the way. It was only later that night that they realized they would have to actually tell people what they did.

“Hire a wedding planner!” Tori is looking at them like they’re children and Emily hears Kelley go ‘ooh’ behind her, because neither of them had considered that as an option.

They field other complaints and concerns for at least thirty more minutes.

Aubrey is worried about how the higher ups for both club and country will take it, and looks disappointed but not surprised when they tell her they hadn’t even though about that. Sam points out that the public doesn’t even know they’re dating, and Kelley says it’s an ongoing negotiation because she doesn’t like any of Emily’s hard launch caption ideas. Dorian starts calling out what people owe the betting pool, because apparently that’s been a thing, and Bayley starts cursing like a sailor because she bet they’d be that couple that never got engaged. Amber thinks it’s hilarious and gives them high-fives.

Eventually everyone calms down and there’s only two people who have been silent the whole time. Sanchez and Trinity are in the back of the room glaring daggers at them, and have stayed that way the whole time. As the locker room clears out, the team giving hugs to them both, Sanchez and Trinity still don’t move.

Kelley’s the one who’s brave enough to go up to them (funny, Emily thinks, since she was so happy to hide earlier).

“How long can we expect the silent treatment?” Kelley sits on the ground in front of them, looking at the two young players they’ve practically taken in.

“We’re throwing you a team wedding.” Trin starts.

“Soon.” Even when she’s pissed, Sanchez never looks that scary.

“And you both will wear white.” (There had been several shocked gasps when they revealed that Emily was in blue and Kelley was in grey.)

“And be happy about it.”

“And there will be vows.”

“And speeches.”

Kelley looks at Emily, who just shrugs. They could’ve guessed that they would end up in some team party for this. If the girls are willing to plan it, even better.

“Deal.”

A week later they’re in Hatchy’s backyard, which has been fitted out with all the Party City and handmade decorations the team could make. Their ‘ceremony’ is officiated by Drew, the pre-written vows somehow include a promise to never keep something like this from the team again, and everyone in attendance is given 3 minutes to roast Kelley and Emily if they would like. They have hot dogs and burgers grilled by Jeff, drinks mixed by Devon, and Aubrey makes a cake. It’s one of the more ridiculous things they’ve done as a team, and Emily wouldn’t change it for the world.

[doisensei]

trans woman doi... again!

i've already made a post about this headcanon, but i wanted to revisit it to articulate my thoughts a little better. i will be referencing extra material, like tsudoi and the stageplays. i may edit this at a later date if i can think of any more points.

as always, this is just for fun! don't take it too seriously. i hope you enjoy! i'd love to hear people's thoughts about hanko-chan.

crossdressing

there are only a handful of characters that have a strong hesitation / resistance to crossdressing, doi being one of them, and... you have to wonder why, right? doi doesn't have any issues with passing as a woman as hanko, so what's really the problem? you could easily reason it's just something he doesn't care for, but if it's something he's so against, like eating fish cakes, he just wouldn't do it at all. doi has his childish moments, and this easily could be another, but... it's interesting how he ends up presenting himself once he does put a kosode on.

( eps: 30-11, 28-10 )

…doesn’t seem so against it now, huh.

crossdressing in nintama is seen as an art in itself. it isn't just a matter of having long hair and wearing makeup, as illustrated by some... less successful attempts at it. like any skill, you have to hone it! which is why it's interesting that feminine mannerisms seem to come easily once hanko is in the picture. we can assume either that it is something doi has practiced extensively before, or it comes to him naturally. either one is good.

in regards to physical appearances, it's established that doi doesn't dedicate a lot of time to cleanliness. his room is a fucking mess. his clothes are always wrinkled. his hair is damaged. but, again, as hanko, he really values looking pretty! the difference in the way he presents masculine versus feminine really intrigues me. little regard vs genuine enthusiasm...

( eps: 32-60, 30-11 )

i like this line from the 1996 movie because i think it's got a fun 2nd meaning if you see it from a slightly different angle-- hanko isn't denying womanhood outright, it's more of a dig on her age. she's not an obaasan, she's an oneesan, get it right!!!

( eps: 1996 movie )

speaking of earlier seasons, it's been interesting seeing hanko's design changes over the years. it's nothing super important to note, but just as doi's personality has changed to be gentler (though still scolding), hanko has grown more feminine.

( eps: 1-9, 13-2, 28-10 )

i like to imagine doi's tsundere-ness to crossdressing is more repression than actual disdain. doi is a very self-sacrificial character, and i think he would prolong his happiness if it meant keeping up the image of a reliable, older brother/teacher figure for his students. the guilt of preferring women's clothes paired with his apathy of men's clothes manifesting as neglecting self care... doi-sensei!!!!!!!

names

it's established in rookie that "doi hansuke" is not doi's birth name. in ninmyu 12 he's given the name "yogiri" while in his former ninja squad. doi taking on a new name make sense given his circumstances, but, conceptually, abandoning a name that doesn't serve you anymore plus the euphoria of finding one that's right is incredibly transgender. the "han" of hansuke, meaning half, symbolic of how much still has to grow, and maybe that extends to discovering things about himself, too. a bleak life rife with tragedy and violence, it makes sense that doi wouldn't know the kind of person he was outside of being a ninja.

after consulting my good very smart friend duck, doi's last name appears to be a topographical name. they came up with the idea that since doi is trying to lay low, it would make sense for his last name to be from a location rather than anything pointedly identifying. the kanji in doi, "earth" and "well" also evoke some images of support and life. someone who is grounding and providing... it very much suits him! this tweet also notes that "tenki" and "yogiri" have kanji that suggest intangible concepts, "heaven" and "fog" respectively, and it's only with "doi" that he has a name based on something concrete.

i like the idea of doi honoring denzou naming her, keeping "han" as a keepsake of her new beginnings, and choosing to live as hanko.

nurturer

in 19-90, one of my favorite episodes, it gives a glimpse of how much doi and kirimaru mean to each other. the neighborhood lady and landlord gossip over their relation, whether they’re siblings or parent and child, and kirimaru denies both. to me, doi encompasses both roles, the playfulness of an older brother, the guidance of a father, and i don’t think it’s too off base to assume doi fulfills traits commonly attributed to motherhood, too. gentle scolding, loving honesty, warm affection, that sort of thing!

i wrote about doi's natural affinity with caring for children here, but i wanted to dive a little deeper. it's pretty obvious that after five years of teaching, he's gotten used to taking care of kids, but that child rearing also extends to babies, too! kirimaru has doi help out with his part-time jobs frequently, babysitting included, and doi is really, really good at taking care of babies. don't believe me? hear it from kirimaru.

( eps: 23-51 ) look how sad she is when she has to give the baby up. i'm gonna die.

in my previous post, i talked about how easily doi would be able to settle down with a family. a wife and kids of his own, isn't that what he would want? in tsudoi, amako-sensei states that after 1-ha graduate, doi retires and opens up an orphanage. kirimaru comes by to help out. rikichi drops his own baby off. (crazy.) and while this isn't concretely canon, i see it very fitting for doi's character arc. teaching brings him a lot of joy, obviously, but considering how worried sick he gets of his students, it makes sense he would want to find another way to give back the kindness he's received in a less sending-children-off-to-war kind of way. doi values childhood, his own was cut very short. to care for children without families would bring him a lot of fulfillment.

what does this have to do with gender? well. it doesn't have to! but i just find it curious that doi doesn't seem interested in marriage or having biological children. he could just be happier single, or, in my mind, maybe there's no use in having biological children if it's not the way he really wants. doi longing to be a mother, but he doesn't have the body to carry or birth a child... we have to make womb transplants possible in the sengoku period.

movie 3 spoilers below

after my watch (and few consecutive rewatches) of the third movie, i wanted to jot down a few things i thought were fun in this section, too.

what kicks off the main events of the third movie is the fight between sonnamon and doi, in which sonnamon ends up 'winning' because doi is thrown off a cliff, thus making him vulnerable to dokutake's brainwashing (sexy). i find the circumstances of this to be very fun to examine in a gender lens. throughout the course of the fight, doi is for the most part on the defense, while sonnamon is aggressively on the offense. it's cute how doi humors him, almost treating sonnamon like a child in the playful, scolding way he handles sonnamon's obsession attacks.

there is one moment where doi does become forceful, though, and it's when sonnamon's movements threaten the safety of a bird's nest. the mother bird, pictured below, also doesn't reveal herself until she realizes the danger her babies are in. i find it incredibly fitting that the bird and doi seem to mirror each other, both devoted and only provoked when it comes to protecting their children. this comes up again at doi's light threat to happousai after he regains his memory. doi loves her babies don't fuck around too much.

( 2024 movie. )

speaking of, and i'll try to keep this brief since i want to write a full review of the movie someday, tenki is a peek at a doi without the warmth, kindness, and love of the yamadas, his students, and, of course, kirimaru. tenki is cold and calculated, yet devoted to maintaining peace. he wants to prevent the tragedy in his childhood from happening to anyone else. despite tenki's violence, his motivations are rooted in kindness and empathy, though misguided due to dokutake's true ambitions.

( 2024 movie. )

but such a narrow path is a very empty way to live, and it's clear that tenki's happiness is pushed aside for the 'greater good.' a very huge stretch here, stay with me on this one, but something that comes to mind is how some trans people will put aside their want to transition because it seems so far from reach. unrealistic or inconvenient to people around them. it's easier to do the 'right thing.' the familiar light in doi's eyes only returns once he remembers the bonds he's formed, and that despite how cruel the world can be, there's a lot of love to give and receive, too. hardships and joy go hand in hand, and i think that's very relevant to being trans, too. all to say, doi's heart is warm and big enough to care for any child in need, and i couldn't imagine a life where she isn't surrounded by babies.

( 2024 movie. )

let's glow serenely with mama.

misc

these will be little points that don't really fit in with other categories.

in ninmyu 12, when doi is describing his own image of a peaceful scenery, he uses the lyrics, "swaying a flower basket in her hand, with a smile on her face, a maiden joyfully gathers mugwort." curious.

in an interview about the design of the tenohira tenki figure, the sculptor noted that tenki's outfit is reminiscent of yamabushi... as well as binan-kazura. binan-kazura's were men playing female roles in kyogen. curious.

all credit to jellyfishlover on dreamwidth for this (who wrote a lovely review of the 3rd movie, go check it out!)-- if we assume tenki is what doi would be like without the influence of the yamadas, kirimaru, and the rest of his students, it's fair to assume that deep, monotone timbre might be closer to his natural voice, and he may be pitching his voice up. curious.

my good very smart friend azul brought up the fantastic point that the first person to recognize doi's potential as a caretaker was another woman, rikichi's mother. curious.

( eps: 30-35. )

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

During the Hosu attack, Tomura had no problem sending the nomus to die while he stood away from the battle.

On the Summer Camp attack, Tomura stated that he was not so heartless as to send the members of the Vanguard Action Squad to die. He was not using them as sacrificial pawns. He wanted them to succeed.

Later while they confronted the Meta Liberation Army, Tomura said he wouldn't forgive Redestro playing with people's hearts and that he couldn't stand Redestro for staying high on his tower while his people sacrificed themselves for him.

It just evolved from there.

[the-last-thread-of-my-sanity]

Armin’s character and what he represents about bravery within the story means so much to me.

I feel like so often in shonen and general action story media traits like ‘bravery’ and ‘courage’ are considered synonymous with strength or risk-taking- and that’s certainly accurate in a lot of cases. But just like in so many other ways, AOT subverts or critically examines this trope within its characters- particularly in the main trio of the cast.

It’s so easy to reduce Armin to his easiest defined trope- the smart one- and while that’s definitely true and you could write a million meta essays on his intelligence, strategic thinking, etc, I think we don’t talk enough about the ways Armin’s character begs the audience to reexamine what it means to have strength and bravery.

Armin’s strength is not in the physical realm (although it’s worth dedicating another post entirely to the fact that Armin is certainly not that weak either- simply the weakest of an already exceptional group) and his strength is not solely his mind either. But also his determination, conviction, and the way he is willing to sacrifice himself to save others with hardly a second thought- all while not being as rash as Eren and Mikasa can be.

In a recent rewatch of the Trost Arc, there were so many moments that stood out to me that I had previously either taken for granted or not noticed the significance of. In that arc alone, after Eren’s “death” -

He follows Mikasa without hesitation to rescue her when she runs out of gas

Offers Mikasa his gas canisters and blades knowing he won’t survive without them

Defends Eren to the Garrison (this is obviously a pretty big moment that isn’t usually overlooked, of course)

Rushes off from the decoy squad and runs the ENTIRE length of the Trost district wall when he sees the red smoke flair- just to be there to help Mikasa and Eren

Stays by Eren’s titan form on foot in a titan infested area right before he places the boulder

And there’s probably some more I missed.

Armin at this point in the story has no false confidence about his ability to survive- in fact he probably has an abysmal lack of confidence that he can’t affect much, but he does it anyway.

(Obviously, this self-sacrificial tendency reaches a head and ultimately culminates in the sacrifice of his life in the mission to retake Shiganshina…)

All of this to say, what Armin represents about bravery and courage is so important to me because he dedicates his life with the purest of intentions- he is not scared of death in such a noble way and he brings it up again and again. He would die for the cause- nearly does.

Which I think creates an interesting parallel between him and Eren in the sense that Eren is frequently referred to as a “suicidal maniac”- clearly meant to refer to the reckless way he rushes into danger. Whereas Armin’s instinct towards self-sacrifice is never viewed this way, because it’s not a glaring flaw in the same way that Eren’s behavior is.

Another way the story examines this is through his interactions with Annie- who is opposite in that she is fiercely dedicated to her own survival at any cost. This is brought up in their interaction during the ODM gear inspection when she asks him if he would die if someone ordered him to and he easily answered that he would. Armin’s ability to understand this difference between himself and Annie without judging her for it is also unique to him.

Because Armin doesn’t expect anyone else to give their life or view others as cowards for not rushing into danger- because he sees the value in every life. He just feels the cost of his own life would be worth it to preserve someone else’s. It’s this love for humanity and unwavering optimism at the core of his character that gives him so much conviction.

And like so many others have pointed out, this is what saves him (and, to an extent, later the world) in the end when it comes to Levi’s choice to revive him. Erwin was successful because he was able to set aside his humanity and sent countless soldiers to their deaths to gain victory. Armin, more than anyone else in the story, was able to plan and make a difference in such a way that always assumed he would either ask others to take an equal risk or put himself at more risk to reach the goal. And he wasn’t driven by anger, hatred, or rage to do it.

Clearly, there’s a lot that can be said about the way Armin shows strength and bravery in dire situations without being, stereotypically, the strongest character- or even the die-hard risk taking typical protagonist that Eren represents for most of the story.

But I think ultimately the story is trying to show us that Armin’s version is the version that is within reach for everyone- and that will make the biggest difference in not just winning a battle but in making a better world. And it’s so important to me that AOT- despite being such an inherently violent story- took the time to present that message as emphatically as it did.

[kandadze]

Ep 34 loose thoughts

Here we go, the finale!!!

....... This drama really does not fuck around when it comes to grief. ZYC's reaction to seeing Bai Jiu absolutely gutted me (it's usually the pain of those left behind that gets me the most and boy, was ZYC's pain palpable. Like the unbearable weight crushing your chest). The way he immediately looked away first, like he just *couldn't* face this. He's faced so much already, and so, so bravely, but this, this was *too* much.

And then their song came on, he noticed the bells in Bai Jiu's hand, and I lost it. (I could literally write paragraphs about everything going on in this one scene, and I probably will, but I *really* need to calm down first.)

The whiplash I got when the scene switched to WX still being slammed against hard surfaces... this would be a good moment for ZYZ to appear!

😭 omg I can't believe her tears brought him back. I mean, I *can,* this is not the first time this drama demonstrates that brute strength is not always the answer and vulnerability and our bonds with others can overcome obstacles, it's just, I didn't quite expect it to work so well!

Ahhhh okay, it was her tears powered up by her divine power. My previous thought still stands though lol

.................

Oh no. When Fan daren looked at ZYZ and told WX that someone else will look after her now I was not only bawling but also going, *will* he though? Or will she lose ZYZ too, right after losing her dad? 😭

(The analytical part of my brain can't help but tick off the scenes from MV as they click into place... just a few left to go, and I'm really scared now)

Oh no are we having a zombie demon apocalypse now? (Oh no, don't tell me that the only way to deal with this is to use Baize token, as she just unconsciously did with her dad? So either ZYZ or ZYC have to sacrifice themselves to heal WX so she can do her thing? Is this how we're going to lose one if not both of them????)

Oh fucking hell I was right. Only WX is ready to sacrifice herself - "this is the final sacrificial spell..." Why are all of them like thisssss (don't answer that, I'm just having a lot of feelings about everyone in the squad and how they're always ready to do everything in their power, including dying, to make sure the others get to live. I can't remember being this feral about a group of characters in a *long* time.)

IS ANYONE SURPRISED THAT ZYZ WENT, ABSOLUTELY THE FUCK NOT, NOT ON *MY* WATCH??? (I hate being right.)

Omg are you really talking about the pendant, or something else, ZYZ?! Fuck me do I even continue watching at this point when I'm pretty sure I know where this is going???

Yup, I continue. See the world clearly and all that.

😭😭😭

But how is him dying to kickstart her powers gonna help with the poison though???

Aw ZYZ, that must've hurt, having to do that. (Also, if they both somehow survive, she's gonna kill him for pulling this stunt.) Oh her cries for him are killing me. And him, too. I feel like yelling some more about HMH's acting because his *face,* that self slap, the *pain* - just, perfect in every way.

And speaking of pain, there's still more. ZYC is like a perfect mirror of WX at this moment, having just lost someone so dear, and you can see how it's killing ZYZ inside that there's no time, that he needs to ask ZYC to fulfill his oath *now*...

(I do appreciate the explanation why the "wing" spell worked. The karma is indeed tangled in the most unpredictable twists.)

Like I understand what he's saying, but why the fuck do they have to pay the highest price, and repeatedly. (Oh yeah, because of one schmuck's hubris, that's why.) The Greek tragedy of it all. 😭😭😭

Looking at ZYC now, still remembering him in ep 1, oof, the difference. How he's grown and changed, while the "fate" (ugh but I hate the word and all its implications) remained the same. The way he asks, is there really no other way? 😭😭😭 I'm asking you too, drama!!! Is there really no other way???

I agree, this is fucking absurd.

Oh nooooo are we really going to get an exact repeat of Ying Long and Bingyi, including the "let me do it myself"?!

Oh. My heart pretty much stopped. ZYZ's tiniest gasp 😭😭😭

ZYC REALLY SAID, I DECIDED THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE FOR ME! THIS IS MY DECISION! I AM WILLING TO BEAR THE GUILT OF KILLING MY DEAREST FRIEND FOR ALL THE LIFETIMES TO COME! YOU DON'T NEED TO BEAR IT FOR ME!!!

If this isn't the purest motherfucking love, I don't know what is. (ZYC, the man that you are. The *strength* in this guy!)

Oh for fuck's sake don't do this to me, drama! (I mean, after what they've already done there's no point hoping they won't just continue twisting the knife but my poor heart can't take much more...) She was *crawling* to get to where she saw him go, and then that moment her binds disappear and she realizes... 😭😭😭

That little stumble as she sees them, and ZYC looks up and drops his sword. Somehow the aftermath hurts even more. (Ngl I'm somewhat annoyed that - maybe to fend off censorship - we don't get to see ZYC support ZYZ for one last time, we don't get to see him even try to make a move to catch ZYZ's fall or at least ease it somehow, but only this way could WX get him in her lap so I guess, fair. Also, replying to myself here, narrative explanation might as well be that ZYC is so shell-shocked from the enormity of what just happened that he's simply not able to move at all at this point. No matter how strong he is, I can't fucking even begin to imagine what might be going on through his head right now.)

Leave it to ZYZ to take care of everything while he was at it, including WX's poisoned state. He might be a vessel of malicious energy, but the amount of love in this guy is simply uncomparable...

Yes, stupid demon, you are indeed amazing 😭

He turned to look at ZYC as he started fading for good???

My throuple!!!

This... gives a whole new meaning to "crying in the rain," I swear.

😭😭😭

Sorry, I have no words.

For one of the shorter episodes in the series, it sure didn't waste even a second to absolutely crush me.

On... to the extra? Once I can breathe properly again, holy shit.