#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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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 😂

[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.

[zmasters]

Heretek Magos Biologis Zya von Esser, Former auxiliary of the Word Bearer Legion turned Master of Possession of the Shadow Legion

Magos Zya examined the strange helmet in her metallic hand. It was a relic gifted to her by a herald of Prince Be'lakor, which allowed her and her possessed experiments snake through the shadows. While it reminded her of the helmets some Blood Angels wear, the every bleeding helm was slightly off. It lacked the tech the astartes helms held, and from initial scans, it appears to be made of a metal unknown to available records.

The former biologis returned her attention returned to the battlefield. The corpses of drukhari littered the ground. She knelt down by a dead sybarite and activated the chainblade attached to her daemon staff. This kabalite fought bravely and veraciously, by dark eldar standards. This squad was assigned to the simple job of guarding the backline, and thus unprepared for a horde of possessed from crawling out of the shadows and beating them to death. The sybarite was the last one standing, and was able to strike down one of the possessed before being slain by a bone talon. Albeit the Word Bearer body with a screamer shoved inside had already been wounded by her sacrificial blade, but it was the thought that counts. Though she would be lying in saying that harvesting his head wasn't satisfying. It takes expertise in both biology and warp-craft to turn even the most hardy of astartes into possessed warriors without the demi-god passing from heart failure or being ripped in half by a feisty flesh hound, and it took precision to stab a dagger into the mass of flesh and not hit anything important.

With a final pull she ripped the helmet, head still inside, from the body. The skulls of the other kabalites can be harvested for Khorne, infected by Nurgle, twisted by Tzeentch, or consumed by Slaanesh. This worthy specimen will find a new, fulfilling life as a servo-skull.

[negrowhat]

Character breakdown: Wei Wuxian 🙏🏽

Oh fun!!!!!!!!

Wei Wuxian from The Untamed

How I feel about this character

I am a card-carrying member of the Wei Wuxian Protection Squad. He's such a selfless hero that it becomes a major character flaw. He would literally give his everything if it meant to save someone he believes is worth saving. But I'm sure he's aware of how sacrificial he is and he is just ok with it. I love that he is so intelligent and cunning. He's knowledgeable without it being his whole personality. He's kind, funny, and charming but such a magnet for bad shit. I think he's a spectacular character who has so much to offer but also thinks so little of himself at times. I would love to be one of the people in his corner fighting with him and for him because he was really treated like crap by damn near everyone around him.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Wangji of course because that's his husband. I love that Wangji makes it his mission to protect and take care of Wuxian because Wuxian takes care of and protects everyone else. I love that Wangji took that time apart from Wuxian to grow and learn from his mistakes. He would do anything to take care of Wuxian.

But also maybe MianMian. I think he would've been cute af with MianMian and she was one of the few people who actually believed in his innocence the entire series. She was kind and smart and pretty and brave. She stood on business.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Wen Ning and Wen Qing, please he fits so well with them and they definitely took care of Wuxian like a sibling. They were loyal to each other til the end. Nie Huaisang, specifically when they were teenagers, they both seemed to crave mischief and I love watching them bond over how boring their training was. Huaisang was always down for some shenanigans with his bestie Wuxian. Also he did resurrect Wuxian.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I think he should've let all those assholes die up on his mountain. They literally went up that mountain to kill him over some "he-said-she-said" bullshit. He had every single right to be as petty as he wanted to be. He should've escorted those kids, Wen Ning, and Wangji right down that hill and left the rest of those ungrateful jerks up there with the killer zombie puppets. I wish that Wuxian had learned to be a bit more selfish, his heroics were inspiring but also so damn infuriating. He had his husband STRESSED out.

Also idk if it is unpopular on not but Wuxian in his full blown Yiling Laozu era was my favorite Wuxian. That dark energy turned him into such a cutthroat savage. He was absolutely unhinged and badass and I LOVED it.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I know they had to cut out a bunch of crap in the series but I wish they had managed to fit in the part in the novel when Wuxian was present at whatever that luncheon Uncle Lan Qiren put on. The little extra excerpt when they was only serving like bitter medicinal type soup and Wangji ate it all for him and then they went back to the jingshi where I think Wangji cooked him a meal. Also NO ONE WHO DIDN'T READ THE NOVEL DOESN'T KNOW THAT WANGJI IS A GOOD COOK!

GIVE ME A CHARACTER and I’ll break their ass down

[tavush]

To be honest, I adore Senju Tobirama. No, not for his looks. For the depth of my soul, let me put it that way.

Let's be frank: the first generation, who lived in Konoha, did not trust the people around them. Many people condemn this, but look at yourself. We live in the age of technology, when in just a couple of hours you can change not only the country, the time zone, but also the mentality, historical experience, culture. But we still manage to hate and fight. I hate too. I hate the whole nation, because the lives of my ancestors, compatriots, are on "their" conscience.

Senju Tobirama also hated Uchiha. For the death of little brothers, for the death of some loved ones, maybe. And they hated him. But each side of the conflict tried to do something, to fix it.

War is terrible. A human becomes an enemy to a human, and this is unnatural. In the Naruto canon, they realized this fact and tried to create a world. Yes, it started wrong, I can even write my opinion about it, but later. These guys, who grew up in difficult times, who did not know how to live properly, tried to create a place where they would not have to worry about tomorrow, since it would be the same as today — calm.

Tobirama tried to create a world: he created the concept of an Academy, rankings. Knowing these facts, it is impossible to say that this man was vindictive or bad. He tried. But I hated it anyway, I was wrong.

The Uchiha are an isolated people. Due to certain political issues, they were left out of this ideal world. That's why Tobirama came up with the idea of creating an Uchiha police force. But this only alienated the Uchiha more. I wanted the best, it turned out, as always.

Tobirama was in charge of a squad consisting of Kagami, Hiruzen and Danzo. He raised Danzo so that he gave the order to cut out the entire Uchiha clan, despite the fact that he shared a whole segment of his life with one of them. How? Yes, easily. You know these people who are "I'm not [...], but" Tobirama is the same.

I'm not against peace with the Uchiha, but they're crazy lunatics who either love or hate.

The second Hokage stayed in office for ± three years, according to the canon. He died so that the disciples could be saved. Tobirama was faithful to the Will of Fire, he created the foundation, not expecting to be able to stand firmly on it, but the next generation will be able to do it. The future of the country can only appear when old people plant trees, not expecting to hide under their leaves.

In general, I adore Senju Tobirama. For being the same person as us. He became a true patriot of the village, which was so fragile that it almost disintegrated after three generations. He became loyal to this village so much that the most delicious dish was fish caught in the rivers of this very village. He tried, he made mistakes, and he tried again. He is sacrificial and cruel, principled, but capable of changing his point of view. You can marry someone like that lol

[equinox-86]

Noctis Character Profile

"Greetings. Kaminashi's top Vampire Hunter squad at your service. Please report any sightings to HQ immediately."

C a n y o u h o l d h e r h e a r t ?

Most of the info listed here is still a work in progress :P Some things might change. Note that Noctis is very cold in the beginning but gradually warms up to the vampires, which results in forming strong connections and friendships later on.

General

Kanji: アエクアリス・ノクティス

Romaji: Aekuarisu Nokutisu

English: Aequalis Noctis

Also known as:

Pyromaniac, Jirai-Onna, Alcoholic, Chichinashi, (and many others, by Ayato) Bitch-Chan (by Laito) Livestock, Lilith (by Ruki) M-Neko-Chan (formerly by Kou) S-Neko-Chan (currently by Kou after witnessing Noctis kicking Ruki and Yuma in the balls during MB's Prologue) Drunkard, Punk, Mesubuta (by Yuma) Lilith (by Azusa and Karlheinz) Woman, Vessel, Bloodbag (by Carla) Chew toy (Shin)

Her Nicknames for the DiaBoys:

Ayato: Ayarou (Ayato + Yarou) Laito: Netorare/Cuck Reiji: Megane/Four-eyes, Mom (jokingly), Old man Shuu: Old man Ruki: Ojou-Chan (jokingly) Kou: Gigolo Yuma: Gorilla (due to his strong physique), Meathead Carla: Old man (jokingly after getting along) Shin: Cyclops, Eyepatch-bastard, Ankle Biter, lap dog Most of these nicknames aren't in use anymore or used jokingly after More Blood and Dark Fate.

Personal Information

Age: 18 (Physically)

Status: Alive

Race: Demon/ "Lilith" ( She is from a demonic species higher ranking than a Founder.)

Gender: Female

Height: 5'3

Hair Color: Black (natural) and Fuchsia (dyed)

Eye Color: Blood Red

Occupation: High ranked Vampire Hunter, 3rd year Student at Ryoutei Academy

Relatives: Unknown

Hobbies: making cocktails

Favorite Food: Alcoholic Beverages

CV: Yoko Hikasa

A mysterious figure with an unusual name. Affiliated with the church lead by Seiji Komori, Noctis was sent to the Sakamaki Mansion under false pretenses as a "Sacrificial Bride" in order to ruin Cordelia's plan and gain the Sakamaki brothers as allies for the sake of the assassination of Karlheinz, as well as to stop future women to be sacrificed to vampires. Unable to bear the thought of dooming his adopted daughter Yui Komori, Seiji forged a plan to train and send a powerful demon whose memories he took, to doom the Vampires. If Noctis were to die as a result of the plan, he would feel no guilt, as she is not human. She believes she is human, as she spent her time living among them.

Personality

Noctis is a very calm and patient person, who could snap fast if someone acts unreasonable. She's very defiant to the vampires and doesn't tolerate their abusive behavior towards her, often engaging in physical fights with some of them. The mistreatment results in her getting dependent on alcohol and she is sometimes seen drunk during school hours in HDB. Despite appearing like an honor student at first glance, Noctis tends to engage in delinquent behavior. Despite of this, she is a responsible person that manages to complete her tasks decently, such as supervising Ayato and Laito to make sure they do not to cause trouble at school under Reiji's order. Noctis likes to throw sassy remarks at the vampires. She often gets in unnecessary trouble for running her mouth. She takes joy in teasing Ayato and Shin, who are quick to lose their temper, which she finds humorous. Noctis' has a resting face which makes her seem cold and serious, but it is easy to get a reaction out of her. She keeps her thoughts and feelings to herself and rarely shows compassion towards the vampires as to keep herself safe and not give them an opportunity to use her weak points against her. Rather than showing pity, she gives them advice from a rational perspective. She's very analytic and observant. Laito managed to break her cold barrier by constantly toying with her emotions for his own amusement, mainly enjoying the new expressions she makes by provoking her and putting her in situations that would cause her to show fear. His little games of psychological manipulation slowly resulted in Noctis showing more emotion and eventually warming up to the Vampires in More Blood.

Appearance

In most outfits, Noctis is seen wearing a heart choker on her neck and on her thigh to make biting more bothersome to the vampires. It serves as an extra protection measure.

She is always carrying a lighter with her.

Relationships

WIP

Trivia

With her drinking habits, Noctis developed spitting fire using alcohol and a lighter as a special skill.

Noctis hates cranberry juice as a result of drinking it too much to restore her iron levels.

When Reiji nags her too much, she jokingly starts calling him "Ossan" (おっさん) meaning "old man." Here, she refers to him or any other vampire as a grandpa due to how old they are.

Opposite to Yui, Noctis is a demon with a "human heart." Due to her memory loss, she was treated like a human by the church and learned their morals and values.

Noctis has a reflex that causes her to punch what causes her fear. For example, If someone were to jumpscare her, they would get punched by accident.

As a result of sharing a roof with 6 men, Noctis started to adapt manly speech mannerisms, such as using "ore" instead of "atashi" when referring to herself.