#these damn brothers and their self-sacrificing ways

[ellievickstar]

Sinner's Sacrifice

A/N: Here's part 2 of Bloodied Bonds , i'm going for alliteration in the title hahah. it's a lot shorter than the first part i wish i made it longer but i feel like i was stretching it out i know i know it sucks to wait for parts i really wanted it to only be two parts long but i really had a "my story has it's own ideas" moment T^T. I'm so so sorry towards anyone who thought this would be the last part I can assure you I thought that too. I hope you enjoy <3

Summary: As Azriel struggles to navigate a situation where he could lose you no matter what he chooses, take a look into his own heart.

Pairing: Azriel x Reader, Rhysand x Sister!Reader

Warnings: Elain slander, dying, self-sacrificing thoughts

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

Azriel had lost count of how many hours it had been since he had threatened to eventually murder Elain.

And he was losing damned mind.

Every single day he had sat in the chair beside your sleeping form….you were breathing, which was an improvement from the heaving and choking in your sleep that alarmed Madja enough to order the inner circle to start taking turns watching over you. Madja believed that your condition improved because he was finally turning away from Elain, but that was what the bond sensed. Without your mind, your own belief to ensure your heart, your condition was bound to deteriorate again.

And yet you could not wake up so he could explain.

So he could apologise.

So he could beg for your forgiveness.

Everyday without making the decision to let Madja just remove the roots of the flowers seemed like a gamble, but after what had been discovered, what Cassian had caught Elain doing, the entire inner circle was not sure if it would be better to let your relationship go, or let you go.

Both scenarios, Azriel would lose.

In both situations, Azriel would lose you forever and a part of him felt like maybe he deserved it. If you ever woke up, ever wanted revenge to make him feel guilty for what had been done, regardless the fact that it had been out of his control, you would have gotten it in spades when he realised that his ignorance, his belief that he could help just one more person, his blindness to the Elain’s darkness, had caused him a situation that would cost him no matter what he did.

And in that, all he could do daily was hold your hand, and weep.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

“Go shower Azriel. It’s been three days,” Cassian said softly. The shadowsinger merely moved his head to gaze at his friend who leaned against the door frame. Not out of habit but because he genuinely needed the support. Azriel saw the eyebags under Cassian’s eyes, his tired exhausted expression not far from the one Azriel wore.

When Azriel simply shook his head, bringing his gaze back to his mate, not wanting to move another muscle, Cassian groaned.

“Azriel she won’t die within the time it takes you to take a quick bath, please, you need it,” However, Azriel once again did not move, this time not even deigning Cassian a response. The latter simply sighed before making his way towards Rhys’s office, pushing the door open to see Rhysand surrounded by various books, piles of them in the corner, some of them discarded with pages torn out.

“Rhys…?” Cassian knocked on the slightly ajar door.

Violet eyes met Cassian’s hazel ones and Rhys simply let out a breath before standing, checking the time by glancing at the window behind him, “Ah…it’s dark….I did not notice,” He simply stated awkwardly, moving to gather up some of the books from his desk, no doubt to bring it with him to his and Feyre’s room to further study until the waking hours of the next morning.

It broke Cassian’s heart to see his brothers in such a state.

Broke his own heart to see you lying there completely unconscious, every few days needing Madja to extract flowers from your throat.

The women of the house had isolated themselves to their own rooms. Mor came to your room every few hours to check on you however she stayed in her room surrounded by a similar book pile as Rhys, trying to consult her own oracles of truth to see if they had any answers. Amren had gone over to the summer court with Varian to see if they had any records that the Night Court did not, Nesta looked through the libraries with the priestesses, passing anything she found that may be useful to Feyre who scanned through them.

All this and nothing.

They had come up short.

Contacting Thesan, Helion, even Tamlin to see if there was any connections of the disease to the spring court, had come to nothing. No answers. No solutions.

Finally, as Cassian rounded the corner of the house he entered the room they had been keeping Elain in. There she was chained to the ground staring at the wall. For a moment Cassian would have felt bad for how hollow she looked, however his guilt was quickly swallowed by the anger he felt for what she had done to cause your current state.

“I see how you can help her…” Elain suddenly said, her eyes flitting to Cassian, “When minds connect, when you travel through souls,” She hummed before continuing to fiddle with the hem of her dress. Her cheeks were sunken in and hollow, her eyes now held a sharp and piercing stare instead of the soft glint. For once, Elain Archeron’s true colours were on full display.

At her words however, Cassian froze, his tone dropping to a dangerous timbre, “Do you know how to save Y/N,” Elain hummed, “I’ll tell you….for a price.”

“Do you really think that you are in a position to bargain?”

“She’s running out of time isn’t she?”

Cassian bit down on his tongue, hard. Storming out of the room he slammed the door shut, letting out a pained and frustrated roar.

Elain knew. Or at least there was a possibility that she knew. However, her calm demeanour and unflinching attitude showed Cassian no signs of lies. She knew how to save you but she wanted something out of it.

With a silent prayer, Cassian swore to himself he’d find the way to save you even if he had to pry it out of the memories in Elain’s dead body.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

“So she knows how to save my sister,” Rhys confirmed, Cassian nodded, “That’s what she claims. If she’s lying then she’s damned good at it, however she’s suggesting a bargain, I didn’t pry into the details she was thinking of.”

Not without Rhysand himself present.

Not without Azriel.

The three brothers looked at each other, Azriel’s hand was holding yours, had been holding yours since Rhysand and Cassian had come into the room saying that they had something to discuss.

“We should ask her what she wants,” Azriel muttered softly, his voice hoarse and raspy from not using it for a while.

“And if she asks for your hand?” Cassian challenged, “Then we’ll find a way to break the bargain like how Feyre and Rhysand did, but for now our focus is to save her.”

It was then Rhysand recognised his brother for once after all this time, the shadow singer who would do anything to keep you safe, the self-sacrificing spy master who would sacrifice himself, his choices just to save you.

“Let’s go then,” Rhysand concluded, standing from his stool, Cassian pushed off the wall he had been leaning against and Azriel graced the back of your hand with a soft kiss before standing, casting you one last glance before following his brothers out. Nesta replaced Azriel’s position on the stool, promising the shadow singer to keep watch of you until he returned.

Following his brothers down the hallway, Azriel’s mind flooded with memories of sneaking down these halls to get away with you, memories of coming home and seeing you in the hallway, collapsing into your loving arms. Thoughts of your love and you consumed him and he shuddered under the weight of his own grief.

He could not lose you.

He would not lose you.

And so as Azriel stepped into the room of Elain’s captivity, levelling her with a glare, inside Azriel knew that he would sacrifice anything just to hold you.

Part 3 is here!!

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

A/N: please reply if you want to be tagged in part 3 people tagged in part 2 will not be tagged again in part 3 unless they ask in replies. Thank you <3

Azriel taglist: @kemillyfreitas @going-through-shit @chessebookgirl @helloworlditsmesblo (please ask if you want to be added to AZRIEL'S taglist - this is NOT the same as part 3 taglist)

[theemporium]

[1.9k] sometimes it isn't easy being the fourth hughes' sibling. sometimes the pressure to compete with your brothers gets overwhelming. sometimes you just need a tall, hot swiss man to reassure you in the hidden crevices of a bar in jersey.

first nico fic completely influenced by @httplando

.

There was nobody in the world that was prouder of your brothers than you were. 

It took an insane amount of skill, talent and effort to even reach college level. To be scouted and sought after, to gain the attention of coaches in much higher leagues than the kids’ team in middle school. To play for a college, to gain the attraction of professional teams, to be drafted into the NHL. It was fucking insane for one brother to reach all those goals, let alone all three. 

But that was exactly what Quinn, Jack and Luke had done. 

All three of them shared a dream and all three of them have achieved it. And you genuinely could not be happier for them. You saw everything behind the scenes. You saw the work they put into it, the countless hours of training and practicing to hone that raw talent into pure skill. You know exactly what each of them sacrificed to achieve their goal of playing for the NHL. 

And yet, despite how genuinely happy and proud you were, it fucking sucked to be their sister because everything you did felt inadequate in comparison. 

Nobody in your family ever consciously went out of their way to make you feel that way. Never in a million fucking years would they ever pull something like that. But it didn’t mean that you didn’t have these feelings, that you didn’t feel that pit of bitterness and something equally as ugly and self-deprecating burning inside you whenever your parents would gush over your brothers. 

“My boys,” Ellen cooed, reaching to place her hand on Quinn’s cheek, considering he was the closest to her. “You all played so well.”

Quinn let out a small scoff. “Yeah right.”

“Hey, just because you didn’t win, doesn’t mean you didn’t play well,” Jim had retorted with a light nudge of his shoulder. 

“Couldn’t beat us this time, captain,” Jack commented, a wolfish grin on his face as he gave his older brother a mock salute that made Luke snort. 

Quinn’s eyes narrowed, but there was a smile on his face. “Next time I’ll get your asses.” 

Luke grinned. “Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“Regardless of who won,” Ellen spoke up, a reprimanding look on her face that managed to shut the three of them up in seconds. “I’m proud of all three of my boys, living their dream and being the damn best in the league.” 

“To the Hughes boys!” Jim jokingly toasted, lifting his glass in the air and the rest of you joined and clinked your drinks together. 

And you know. God, you fucking know that none of it was a personal jab towards you in any way, shape or form. But it was hard to fucking deny the sting you felt as your parents gushed over your brothers. It hurt when you realised there wasn’t really much to gush over when it came to you.

You had made up some shitty excuse about needing to pee when you felt the tightness in your chest. You hadn’t given any of them a chance to be concerned about your abrupt departure. You didn’t even utter a single word as you pushed your way through the crowd of the bar, the establishment heaving with members and fans from both teams. You didn’t even glance at the girl who swore at you when you barged your shoulder against her a little harsher than intended as you pushed past the toilets and into a small alcove instead.

All you could focus on was the band wrapped around your chest, getting tighter and tighter with each breath. All you could focus on was the way your lash line welled with tears that would ultimately make your mascara run. All you could focus on was the thoughts rushing through your head, far too fast for you to even fully keep up. 

All you could focus on was the fact you really weren’t okay. 

You didn’t even look up when you heard a door swing open from one of the bathrooms. You didn’t look up when you heard footsteps. You didn’t look up—or even realise—there was someone standing a few metres away until you heard a familiar voice. 

“Hey, are you okay there?”

And despite the whirling thoughts and panicked breaths, you knew exactly who that voice belonged to. And when you finally lifted your head, the shield of hair finally exposing you to the person, you could see the exact moment Nico Hischier realised it was you. 

And it took a few seconds to realise just what a state you were in. 

You felt your cheeks prickle in embarrassment. You could feel the way your entire face heated up and your stomach dropped a little at the fact Nico of all people—your brothers’ captain and the man you thought about in ways that you never should—was seeing you like this. 

“Woah, hey,” he muttered out, a frown curved onto his lips as he quickly closed the distance between you two. 

And he was overwhelming. So fucking overwhelming in a way that had your head spinning for so many different reasons. It should have felt suffocating when he squished into the small alcove of the hallway with you, especially someone of his height and build.

But it wasn’t. 

It was almost comforting, or maybe that was just how Nico was. You had seen it plenty of times with his teammates, the way he wrapped his arm around them the second they were targeted on the ice or being chirped at by the rivalling team. You watched the way he would calm them down, hold his ground, keep everything in control. 

Maybe that’s what made him such a good captain. 

“I-I’m sorry,” you managed to blubber out, a sad excuse for a laugh escaping your lips as you tried to pretend your lungs weren’t burning for some air. “I’m okay!”

But he didn’t look convinced. 

“Is this okay?” His voice was soothing, calming almost. 

You blinked, taking a few seconds to realise he had lifted his hands from his sides and another few seconds to realise what he was asking before you dumbly nodded your head. 

You blinked again, and Nico’s hands were cupping—almost engulfing—your face as his thumbs softly swiped away the tears falling down your cheeks. You watched the way his eyebrows furrowed together in concern, his cheeks flushed from whatever he had been drinking to celebrate the Devils’ win. 

“Did something happen?” He asked, so gentle in the way he spoke like he didn’t want to spook you. 

“Just…thinking,” you replied with a weak smile, your breathing still a little erratic and uncertain—and he seemed to notice.

“Breathe with me,” he murmured, taking in a deep breath and giving you a pointed look until you followed his lead. “Just like that, schatz, that’s it.”

Your eyes never left his as you copied his movements, as you took deep breaths until the band around your chest seemed to ease and the burn in your lungs was long gone. Your eyes never left him as his eyes wandered over you, almost like he was double checking you were in fact okay and not physically hurt in any way, shape or form.

“It hurts,” you whispered, catching the boy’s attention as his eyes snapped up to look at you. “It hurts when I realise I can’t really compete with my brothers. Quinn is a captain, Jack is one of the best players in the league, Luke is killing his rookie season and here I am, not even sure what I want to major in and I—”

“Hey, hey,” Nico quickly interrupted when he realised your breathing was starting to pick up again. His thumbs continued to run soothing circles over the apples of your cheek, though the frown on his face remained. “You don’t have to compete with them.”

“I know but,” you paused for a moment, and he waited as you tried to gather the words. “They are them. They are the professional hockey players. They’ve known what they wanted to be since they were practically born and I don’t even know what I want to do with my life.”

“And that’s okay,” Nico assured you, and it felt a little ironic coming from another professional hockey player.

You shook your head, letting out another laugh. “And I don’t even know why I am telling you any of this because you probably want to go and celebrate your win. I mean, you do not need to be standing here and listening to my stupid problems—”

“I don’t mind,” Nico said, a soft smile on his lips. “And they aren’t stupid. Your feelings are never stupid, schatz.” 

He was your brothers’ teammate. Forget that, he was literally Jack and Luke’s captain. You had known him for as long as Jack was a part of the team. You had known him as long as he had been friends with your brothers. And yet despite in that time, you could count on one hand the amount of interactions you’ve had with the boy by yourself. 

And yet, here he was, standing in front of you with his hands holding your face and a smile that made your chest feel tight all over again. He was looking at you like your feelings were valid, like he understood. He was looking at you in a way that so many people never could. In that moment, you didn’t feel like the fourth Hughes’ sibling—you just felt like you.

But before you could even let the voice in the back of your head urging you to let the overwhelming emotions take over, the sound of your brothers’ voices snapped you out of whatever daze you were in.

“God, how long does it take for her to pee?” Jack. 

“I don’t know, she’s a girl. Maybe it takes them longer.” Luke.

“You both are so fucking stupid.” Quinn.

“I should go,” you whispered to Nico, and something in your stomach clenched as though you were about to be caught doing something scandalous. A part of you wished that was the case. “I’m sorry you had to—”

But Nico shook his head, his smile a comfort as he took a step back. “Don’t apologise.”

“Right,” you murmured as you gave him a shaky smile. “I’ll…see you later?”

He huffed out a laugh. “I’ll see you later, schatz.” 

You had quickly stepped out of the alcove before you could embarrass yourself further, finding yourself face to face with your three brothers who were busier bickering than realising you hadn’t even exited the bathroom.

You felt like your body was on autopilot for the rest of the night, but your eyes kept wandering in hopes of finding a certain someone. In hopes that you could see him with your own two eyes and confirm that the feel of his hands on your skin was, in fact, real. In hopes that maybe he was seeking you out too. 

And something in your stomach twisted in delight when your eyes met his across the bar, a grin on his lips that felt more easy-going and teasing than the soft smiles he had given you earlier. And some part of you knew that even if your interactions with the captain had been limited beforehand, something in the air shifted the second he placed his hands on you.

Because you had an inkling feeling that tonight wouldn’t be the last time you found yourself hidden in a secret place with the Swiss man, and something quite like hope sparked inside you that maybe the years of secretly crushing on your brother’s teammate was going to turn into something more.

.

[tossawary]

Explained what filler in anime was to someone yesterday (because I had "Bleach" playing in the background again while I was working on something) roughly as "additional material created by the anime while waiting for the manga to get further ahead, which is usually pretty bad because whatever happens in the filler arc can't usually contribute meaningfully to character development or the main story".

And we talked a little about what directions you can take filler in and what you could do instead of the usual filler. And I said, somewhat jokingly, at some point, "I think it would be pretty cool if they did some Canon Divergence fanfiction as filler, like a special season where one or both of Ichigo's little sisters become the substitute soul reapers instead, against everyone's plans." And the person I was talking to jokingly suggested a whole season of what-if episodes in that vein. And we were both like, yeah, they would never have done that here, but that would be pretty damn cool.

But then I was like, "Wait, they REALLY can't do that. What if they accidentally end up making a way better show than the original?" Which I intended as another joke, but I was also kind of serious.

Because the mental image of suspicious, overprotective, self-sacrificing but powerless, down-to-thrown-down big brother Ichigo chasing his little sisters and Rukia around sounds hilarious. Ichigo: "Who the fuck is this strange, short, angry woman and why is she trying to get my little sisters involved in what's obviously GIRL GANG ACTIVITIES?! Fuck off, you creep!!!"

[loveydoveymonsters]

An Unlikely Match - Part 1

Manticore x fem!reader

⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚

Hunting monsters is easy. From werewolf to goblin to vampire you hunt them all and you're damn good at it. You've made a name for yourself, over the years the monsters have started calling you Nightshade, the name of a deadly poison. You're a nightmare to most. You're mean and uncooperative and you refuse to work with anyone else let alone connect with them. You're damn good at your job though and you make your money in the thousands every single job you do. You accept no less than ten thousand each job you go on and regardless of the client's request, you always kill the monster you're hunting. It's easier than dragging around a deadly monster that's trying to escape and fighting you every step of the way. One silver bullet, iron arrow, or steel blade to the heart is enough to kill a monster instantly.

This job is the easiest thing you've ever done. You've never really had many emotions, you're probably considered a psychopath. Your lack of empathy scares people and they label you a monster yourself. You don't see the problem with killing threats, things that have harmed people, or rather things that have harmed humans. If a monster hasn't done anything you don't kill them, but there's always a reason a client will come to you and you hardly ever turn down a job. You didn't turn this one down either. In the cold of a forest, late at night, you're hunting a manticore, a small manticore that killed three families in a nearby village. You're following the extremely obvious tracks. They're rushed as if they're running from something, probably from you. You always hear the monster out even though people think you don't, you're purely logical if the monster hasn't harmed anyone or if they had a reason to harm someone then you don't kill them. You don't kill until they become a threat. But this manticore killed a child, four children to be exact. It probably just got hungry. 

You're aware that it's not their fault, their blood lust can become uncontrollable, unmanageable, and maybe the manticore didn't mean to hurt those families but regardless, twelve people are dead and it's this manticore's fault. You haven't fought very many of them, the few you did nearly killed you. You know that manticores aren't beings to be trifled with. They're smart, they're deadly, and they're very very dangerous, especially to humans and people like you who are foolish enough to go hunting them. You're not stupid though, you've fought many monsters and you know how to handle yourself. You have several hidden weapons on you as well as several hidden poisons, the poisons will certainly kill you if you accidentally ingest it but you figured if you're going out you may as well take the monster with you. You lack a sense of self-preservation for sure and it's well known amongst monsters and men that you'll do anything to complete your task including sacrificing yourself, your limbs, your once scarless skin, everything, and anything to get the job done.

The forest is quiet, save for the sound of crickets and the ambient noise of the bushes and branches brushing against each other as the wind whips around you. It's hardly a calm night, but none of your nights ever are. You enjoy it though, it reminds you of home, the chaos that your family brought. They weren't wealthy nor were they poor, they also hunted monsters although they weren't nearly as good at it as you are. You lost family members so easily. Your brother to a werewolf, your mother to a ghoul, your father to a basilisk and finally your sisters to a vampire and succubus. You think you have some family left on your father's side, a few uncles and maybe an aunt. Perhaps you have cousins who could share in your passion for hunting down the creatures that killed your family. ‘It's their own fault’ That's what you tell yourself. They shouldn't have been hunting monsters that they couldn't kill. You started small and worked your way up to the big beasts. You didn't just dive head-first into the deep end which is how your brother died. Werewolves aren't a joke either. You think about them a lot when you're in the wilderness, you lived in a small cabin with them in the middle of the woods. It was beautiful and peaceful, and as your family members slowly died all you could think was that you enjoyed the quiet more than anything.

The sound of a twig snapping pulls you out of your thoughts as you lazily glance in the direction of the sound. You catch sight of a scorpion tail, large and intimidating. Intimidating to those who have no experience in dealing with manticores. You saunter over to the noise and you watch as the tail swipes at you, dodging it easily. It's scared. It's smaller than the other manticores you've fought, it must be a baby or adolescent. It hisses at you and you raise your gun to it, firing a silver bullet into its spine. Stopping it from running. It continues swiping at you with its tail and paws which makes you roll your eyes. Hunting monsters has become boring, there's never any challenge, never any urgency. Its small mane is standing upright, signifying the young manticore's distress. This is so annoying, so frustrating, you don't understand why you don't feel anything for this creature. This poor creature that's unable to move since you've severed its spinal cord. You raise your gun to its lion head but just before you pull the trigger something catches your attention. 

A low growling makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up that's never a good sign. For the first time in a long time, you felt fear as claws were suddenly embedded in your side and you were being pushed to the ground by Khavak. Another manticore, a large black and red mane surrounding his large scarred lion head. His scorpion tail swiping and violently flicking around in the air before embedding itself in your spine pumping his venom into you as quickly as possible. Trying to kill you in the span of seconds. Blood began pouring out of your wounds the moment he pulled his claws back…Wait a second…You've never seen this manticore before, you've never interacted with him before, yet you know his name? How is that possible? The feeling of his tail digging into your spine as his venom pours into your body clouds your judgment, clouds your thoughts…’No way…No fucking way.’

“No fucking way.”

Khavak pulls away after he growls that out. He stares at you wide-eyed, hyperventilating. He shakes his head, checking on the young manticore you nearly killed, and gently slung it over his shoulder. He was about to leave you, let you die. You deserve to die at least in his eyes, monster slayer, Nightshade. There's an issue though, one both of you seem to immediately acknowledge. You're his soulmate and he's yours. He hesitates for a long while, standing opposite your bleeding body as his venom flows through your system rapidly. He growls and slings you over his shoulder as well, much the protest of the young manticore already in his arms. He whispers something in his own language before spreading his large leather wings and lifting off into the sky. You don't know if it was the venom or the feeling of your organs shifting in the air that gave you butterflies. Maybe it was being your soulmate's arms. Starting to pass out you tie yourself to his arm making sure he can't drop you easily since you know you're going to lose consciousness. Once you wake up though you suspect you'll be safe. 

“Nightshade…”

“...Yeah?”

“You are my soulmate, you are under my protection now. I may not agree with you or what you have done but you're my mate and I am yours. So rest now, I will keep you safe.”

“I don't…want…a….soulmate”

You lose consciousness before you're able to see the palace in the sky or rather the city in the sky. Full of flying creatures and land creatures that have been ferried up by their lovers or friends. Khavak lands and hands both you and the baby manticore off to be healed. He stays by your side troubled by your words. He always dreamed that he'd find a soulmate although that dream didn't consist of his soulmate not wanting him. It didn't consist of his soulmate being a well-known monster killer either. He sees how they stare at her, they all know who she is, and she's in danger if she's left alone. Somebody will try to kill her, will try to avenge their family member that she has surely slain. Yet no one will try if he's near her, nobody will interfere with his affairs and if you're involved in them then they will leave you be. He stays by your side as the healers treat your bleeding and gaping wounds as well as the poison traveling through your system. He did what he had to do to save the baby manticore but he doesn't appreciate the fact that he harmed his soulmate. His soulmate who doesn't want him. His ears flatten against his head…He'll just have to win you over then. He can do that…He's quite charming…He promises. Just wait you'll want him in no time.  He sits beside your bed, starting to groom himself, licking over his bloody claws…Your blood tastes sweet to him, alluring. Blood never usually does that to him. 

“It must be because you're my soulmate. You little minx your blood is so alluring it's not fair. You're scent in general is driving me insane”

He speaks to your unconscious form placing his large clawed hand over your small human one. His paw completely covers your hand ten times over but he's gentle with yours when he holds it gently moving to lick over your knuckles. He knows humans don't court or mate the same way manticores do or any monster for that matter. It also doesn't help that you've already expressed you don't want him, but he refuses to let that get to him. He will win you over. When you finally wake up and he gets to show you this beautiful city in the sky. When he's finally able to break that hard shell he knows surrounds you. When he's finally able to bulldoze through your walls and get you to open up to him, he knows you'll fall for him. He's always wanted a soulmate and even if you don't want him, he wants you flaws and all. It doesn't matter if you've killed a hundred monsters or a thousand, he can forgive it all, and he'll do his best not to hold it against you. You just have to wake up so he can get to know you. He wants his soulmate to have the longest most relaxing life they could. So he's going to make sure that happens for you when you wake up so please wake up for him so he can see your beautiful eyes. He didn't get to fully appreciate them when he attacked you, he's sorry about that, he remembers they were empty though and he finds that unique, perhaps a bit unnatural. Just open your eyes, let him see you again and he can finally start winning you over.

[fire-fira]

I am not sure how much you are into analysis but I want to ask. Do you think raph isn’t as good of a fighter compared to his brothers? because I have a feeling either he’s holding back when sparring with them over fear of harming them or he’s not as good as them.

Anon, you just made my day because this gives me an excuse to nerd out at length. (Though apologies that it took me so long to get this fully written out and posted.)

Disclaimer before I launch into it in full: to fairly compare Raph to his brothers I'm going to do a brief run-down of the three of them before breaking into the full details on him. A lot of this is built on extrapolation from details in various canons and at times might edge toward headcanon territory, though I'll be trying to stick with what's actually present.

With that out of the way--

Comparing Raph to His Brothers

So to start with, I can only fairly do this deep-dive by briefly touching on each of his brothers before getting to Raph himself. I'll say upfront that I think it's less a question of which one is the "best fighter" and more that they're each different types of fighters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and which might land any of them in the position of "the best" depending on the circumstances.

Leo

Strengths: This is an extrapolation based on various iterations (2003, 2007, 2012, 2014/2016, ROTTMNT, 2023, Batman vs. TMNT, and a little bit of the IDW comics), but Leo strikes me as a tactician-- as the guy who can extrapolate to fifteen different possibilities for the outcome of a fight and fifteen steps ahead of everyone else on each of those possibilities. At his best he knows how to play to his brothers' strengths, put them where needed, and let them go to do their own thing. He's also persistent and willing to put himself through his paces over and over again until he 'perfects' what he wants to learn how to do. As a "traditional" (romanticized) example of a warrior, he is the golden boy of the family. Rise Leo might be a little less likely to get every step 'just so,' but most iterations of him aim to be as flawless as possible in terms of his combat skills. In his ideal world, he will never have a misplaced swing of a sword or inflict any damage he doesn't intend to. That depth of knowledge and highly-trained skill can be damned terrifying for his enemies if it's taken to its fullest extreme.

Weaknesses: His perfectionism and desire to get things 'just right' is a double-edged sword. In the 2003 series it got wrapped up in his PTSD and the need to never make a critical mistake again (which... didn't work out well for him-- hi, shades of Raph at his worst); in the 2007 movie it led him to think his efforts to learn how to be a better leader weren't "good enough" and kept him away from home for two years; in the 2012 series it led him to ignore critical injuries and try to bully himself into being 'better' (when realistically what he did during the farmhouse arc probably would have permanently destroyed one of his knees); in the 2014/2016 movies it led him to temporarily damage his relationship with his brothers by spilling over the worst of his internal perfectionistic vitriol onto them; and in Rise it at times has turned him into a showoff who'll act without letting the others in on his plan (which can backfire horrendously in a worst-case scenario) because if he does it without telling others what he's going to do, then he gets bragging rights if it works out like he planned. Underlying all this is what could turn into an unmanageable case of anxiety depending on the version of Leo and how personally stable he is, as well as how susceptible he is to ruminating over where he feels he went wrong. To say nothing of how many versions of Leo have a GIANT self-sacrificing streak when it comes to their families. Under the right circumstances-- and if someone really intended to make it hurt-- they could easily play all that against Leo and get him to freeze due to overthinking. (Though getting him to that level would take an extreme case and some severe emotional damage to weaponize his guilt.)

Speed: OKAY. Here's where things get a little more cut-and-dried in my opinion-- if a fight is down to just speed anyway. Leo might be pretty neck-in-neck with Raph in terms of speed, maybe just a touch faster due to (generally) being more lean-built than Raph. Leo's not a tank; yes he can fight in close quarters or mid-range and hold his own, but if he can then he tends to be 'slippery' about it. He's not going to batter away at an enemy if he can spin out of range before darting back in and dodging whatever hits he can. If it's just a matter of speed without any other factors involved, then there's a good chance Leo will win in a fight against Raph. If it's a question of strength and endurance though... Well, I'll expand further on that when I get to Raph.

Adaptability: This is something that is absolutely dependent on which version of Leo we're talking about and how hung up that version is on his plans without taking the general chaos of life into account. 2012 and 2014/2016 Leo both are guilty of getting so hung up on the idea that their approach to a combat situation is the right way that they fail to plan for the fact that their brothers' ways of doing things isn't their way of doing things. Which blows up in their faces spectacularly sometimes. IF it's a version of Leo who's more likely to fail to take into account his brothers' differing styles, then Raph might easily play that against him and deliberately do things Leo would find unpredictable (though probably not as much as Mikey, lbr). For versions of him that are better about knowing that his own approach isn't the only/'best' approach, then Leo would be better able to roll with whatever Raph throws his way, within reason.

Combat Style/Approach: Mid-to-close-range, tactician, and definitely NOT a grappler. Yes, his skills and training have him moving with muscle memory when he needs to, but even so, there's a split-second awareness of what his opponent(s) could do and instinctively reacting based on what he's met with. A lot of that means he has to be free to move and avoid getting held in place, or things might go bad quickly.

Donnie

Strengths: No matter which iteration of Donnie you're talking about, you're generally talking about an engineer who's able and willing to casually heft up and carry around a car engine with his bare hands. And considering (with a quick google search) it looks like the average car engine weighs anywhere between 300 to 700 pounds, that alone is proof enough that no one in their right mind would ever want to be punched by Donnie. And considering there are instances where he's able to temporarily support the weight of himself and his brothers (a couple of scenes in the 2003 series are what immediately come to my mind, but that's just my favorite iteration showing itself) it's proof that he has that strength not just in his arms. To give you an idea of just how much weight that implies he can lift, here's a size and weight comparison of some of the largest turtle species currently living.*

Notice anything? Like how... Oh... I dunno... a 4-foot-long Loggerhead sea turtle can weigh up to 400 pounds? Or a 3-foot-long Leatherback sea turtle can weigh 550 pounds on the light end? (Note: this is not meant to be snarky or condescending, just a simple statement of fact that all signs point to these boys are fucking HEAVY.) And that huge amount of weight relative to their body size seems to be pretty consistent among turtle species from what I've seen with my digging around. Which logically implies that the same holds true for these boys, and if we play fast-and-loose with the idea that we can roughly translate length to height... well... For general weight of the boys, I tend to assume at least 200 pounds, at least for those under and up to about 5-foot-tall. For the 2014/2016 set I might even suggest somewhere between 400-500 pounds-- but roughly comparing weight to size with that table of large turtle species, I'm probably severely underestimating their weight all across the board. Being generous, hypothetically saying all four of the 2003 turtles are about 240, that then means there are moments in the 2003 series where Donnie is temporarily lifting around 960 pounds, including himself. AND THAT MIGHT BE A SEVERE UNDERESTIMATION. Terrifying, right? So yes, Donnie is unquestionably strong as hell and maintains that strength by working on his various projects, and a full-force hit from him would land someone in a hospital-- if they're lucky. The other main thing working for him is that he's a tech genius. No, he's typically not as rigid or disciplined in his training as Leo is, but if he has access to tech and distance then he has a whole host of weapons and traps he can bring to the party (something which Rise Donnie excels at in spades). Raph's a much more physical direct-confrontation fighter, but Donnie has the capacity to turn entire environments against his enemies, depending on the means he has at his disposal.

Weaknesses: For better or worse, Donnie's primary personal strength-- the one he leans on above all else-- is his intellect and being able to puzzle things out. And again, he's an engineer: yes he can lift and move that terrifying amount of weight, but he's usually not doing it at speed. (Because let's be real, moving heavy and potentially very breakable machinery is not something you want to do quickly when you want to be able to use or repurpose said machinery.) He's not a slouch when it comes to his ninjutsu training, but there's a reason why the concept of Donnie pulling the 'I'm too busy to train right now' is a widespread fandom concept. It doesn't necessarily mean that he's not 'as good of a ninja', but more that he's not a 'traditional' ninja and has had to adapt things to his preferred methods. Yes he has a lot of physical strength, but he prefers to keep a distance from his opponent(s) if possible. Doing so, having that distance, gives him more time to plan and respond-- because unlike Leo, a lot of iterations of Donnie don't have that ingrained ability to read the possible actions their opponent(s) might take and respond on a dime (or at least not to the same level). Raph's tendency to brute force things-- something which Donnie technically could do but clearly does not like to-- might be somewhat unpredictable for him, especially because that puts Raph in close and doesn't give Donnie as much time to respond as he would like. All that said, Donnie could technically win a fight against Raph without his tech if he pretty much said to hell with fighting and decided to do an imitation of an octopus. At the very least he could probably hold him in one place if he was quick enough and managed to get Raph's arms pinned. And somehow kept him from walking. (It wouldn't be a dignified win, but it might still technically be a win.)

Speed: I'm gonna be honest, I do not think speed is on Donnie's side in comparison to his brothers. If he really makes an effort (rather than just going his own route and pursuing his interests) he'd probably be able to keep up with the others going at full tilt for a little while, but he'd probably tire out first. A lot of the work he does due to his areas of expertise is fairly sedentary, and frequently he needs to move with slow and deliberate precision. There's a lot of fine muscle control involved in that kind of work (especially if it involves maneuvering something heavy), but being able to consistently do that doesn't automatically translate to being able to do something similar at high speed. But that's okay, because if he has the distance and varied means of attack he needs, then he doesn't have to worry about keeping up with his brothers for an extended period of time-- it just has to be long enough.

Adaptability: If it involves tech or computer systems, Donnie's ability to adapt to a situation is unparalleled. Give him unrestrained access to an unfamiliar and shiny (and incredibly pervasive) system and he'll be able to make it seem like a tech apocalypse is targeting one specific person if he wants to. If it's a head-to-head physical fight though, it really depends on how desperate he is or how much breathing room he has (or both). If he's frazzled and panicky then there's the possibility he'll miss several opportunities or potential tools and, in a worst-case scenario, he might freeze. (An extreme example of this is how Rise Donnie gave up fighting the crab men when his tech failed, after all his brothers had already failed in that fight.) If he has time and space to think then he's practically unstoppable, but if he doesn't have that breathing room then chances are things won't end well for him.

Combat Style/Approach: Distance fighter, brain-over-brawn, could be a grappler if necessary but uncomfortable enough with it that it might work against him, might as well dub him a 'trap master' for the little surprises he might leave in his wake if he's feeling spiteful. He's a schemer, but not a chess master.

Mikey

Strengths: If there's one thing that can be said for Mikey it's the fact that most versions of him are innately gifted at picking up kinesthetic knowledge, to say nothing of the fact that he tends to be the most spiritually gifted of the brothers. In fact in several series (2003 and 2012 off the top of my head, though I'm certain it may have popped up in others) it's briefly mentioned that if Mikey really buttoned down and was completely serious about his ninja skills he would outclass Leo-- which means that he can naturally slide into the level of skill Leo has worked for years to achieve without even really thinking about it. If he wants to. And most of the time he doesn't want to. (Too much responsibility being that serious, so who can blame him?) However, his not constantly going at the equivalent of Level 99 in a videogame in fights isn't necessarily a detriment to him, because he has other ways to stay true to himself while giving himself an edge. Like being annoying on purpose. And knowing how to aggravate the hell out of his opponents until he tricks them into getting sloppy. Until he tricks them into giving him easy openings they should REALLY know better than to give him-- and would if he hadn't deliberately torn their nerves to shreds. If it's not obvious, I'm saying versions of Mikey like to play mind-games, and if they really want to they can be vicious about it and make it HURT. (Though again, most versions of Mikey are more invested in goofing off and playing around than being outright vicious or serious.) The point is, if he finds a mental opening that sticks, then how invested he is in winning the fight will dictate how serious he is about exploiting that weakness. To say nothing about how creative he can get when he really wants to be.

Weaknesses: The downfall of a lot of Mikeys is how distractable a lot of them can be. (I won't say this is a universal fact because I'm a big fan of there being variation among different realities, but a lot of Mikeys definitely being ADHD doesn't help. How well said version is able to compensate probably also varies.) So depending on the circumstances and the environment, Raph might be able to play that distractibility against him. (Buuuut that would require Raph to play mind-games, and most Raphs aren't the 'mind-game' type.) Plus, for better or worse, it takes a LOT to get most versions of Mikey to the point where he's ready to say 'Fuck everything' and throw everything he can into ending a fight right that second.

Speed: Mikey is, in my honest opinion (and based off most of the series and movies I've seen), the fastest of the brothers-- bar none. Which means if he tore off at full speed with the intention of skipping a fight entirely and just making Raph chase him, Raph probably would never catch him. Until after he wears down anyway. But if he zipped off and found a good enough hiding spot, then he could probably avoid Raph for a while. In a fight, because of his speed, there's a good chance that Mikey might be able to get in more hits than Raph, but that comes with the risk of getting in close to Raph-- and that can easily work against him in very short order.

Adaptability: Mikey's adaptability is through the roof. Most versions of Mikey, you can throw damn near anything their way and they'll roll with it in such a way that they land on their feet while their brothers are still scrambling for stable footing. There's also the fact that he's a very lateral thinker and able to apply concepts from seemingly unrelated sources to scenarios many others wouldn't even think to combine-- and he does so to his advantage. So yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, given enough room and space to work with (and not panicking), then there's a good chance Mikey's going to catch Raph off guard with something he'd never expect.

Combat Style/Approach: Close range, flighty, dart in-range to hit and then dart back out of range, mind-games and making his opponents angry to the point of getting sloppy seems to be his preferred tactic. He could be the most terrifying to go up against in a fight if he went absolutely stone serious, but 99.9999% of the time he does not want to and would much rather slip in some fun where he can. (If you don't believe me on that last point, consider that in the 2003 series I'm reasonably sure he has the highest body count of all the brothers, in the 2012 series he killed a kraang and wore the dude's skin on his head multiple times, and in Rise ALL of Dr. Delicate Touch and the frothing maniacal rage he has when angry. 'Nuff said.)

Raph

And here we come to the turtle in question himself, Raph. Hamato Raphael, Raphael Splinterson, Raphie-boy, take your pick.

Strengths: Raph is a TANK. Barring '87, this boy in most iterations pretty much makes it his mission in life to be the strongest of him and his brothers. He's also stubborn as hell and WILL NOT give in if he thinks it's important to stand his ground. Which means he can and will hold his ground and dig in long past when his brothers each have to retreat or fold; he can take the hits they can't and come out the other side still kicking. And what's more, if he feels the need to and is able to get up and be mobile, then he WILL hunt you down for as long as it takes and damned near nothing will stop him-- he is that. damned. STUBBORN. Let's be real, that combination is terrifying. Of course, naturally, this brings up questions of just how physically strong he is. I pointed out up in Donnie's section that Donnie is ridiculously strong, but just how strong is Raph? To answer that question, the infamous scene from 2007:

Just how much psi does it take to snap a katana? WELL, it turns out that finding out that information is really difficult (at least when I was nosing around and trying to find out). When I was doing my initial searching I found a video on facebook examining an anime scene (at the time-- back in September-- it was literally the only thing that remotely came close to answering my question that popped up) that claimed it would take at least 20,000 psi. Being that the person who posted that video didn't include any sources for reference, I'd take it with a grain of salt (especially since despite my best efforts I'm having a hard time finding that video again), but still. If-- for the sake of argument-- we assume that the 20,000 psi measurement is accurate for what it would take to snap a katana, that would mean that our boy Raph is capable of exerting that much force with each hand. And not just a brief spike of getting there either. No, for him to be capable of the force in that 2007 scene (again, assuming the number is accurate) then he has to maintain that force for longer than a second or two.

I don't know about you, but that makes this scene just that much more dangerous and intense in my eyes. It's not just that Raph could have killed Leo by stabbing him; it's also the implication that he could have easily torn Leo apart with his bare hands if he wanted to. So yeeeeeaaaahhhh, if Raph is able to get his hands on any of his brothers and is able to hold on, they're probably toast.

Weaknesses: Whoo boy. In most iterations, point blank, his biggest weakness is his temper. If he gets set off too thoroughly or if someone knows how to play it against him, his temper can make him get sloppy and lead to his defeat-- regardless of how ridiculously strong he is. It also means that, unless it's a version of him who has worked his ass off to keep himself in check, there's a good possibility that he might wind up doing things he'll regret when he's angry (and if someone really wants to twist the knife they can play that guilt and self-blame against him). If you go by 2003 and 2012 there's also his bug-phobia which can be played against him. (Even though 2003 Raph covers it with 'KILL IT WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE'.) If you go by Rise, then you DO NOT. EVER. WANT THAT BOY TO BE ALONE. And on a much more brutal note, going back to his stubbornness which is also one of his strengths

...there's a good chance that this boy might try to push himself past the breaking point if he feels it's necessary.

Speed: I've said before that I think Raph is pretty neck-in-neck with Leo when it comes to how fast he is, Mikey has them both beat in the speed department hands down, and Donnie is most likely to be the slowest moving of the four of them. If Leo has to deal with heavy weights while trying to move at speed however, Raph will have him outclassed due to having more practice in that department. For Raph to have a hope of keeping up with Mikey going full tilt in running away, Mikey would have to be carrying enough to weigh him down considerably. And while Donnie might stand a chance in trying to grapple with Raph, Raph having more experience in moving heavy weights at speed would probably mean Donnie would be better off trying to glom onto Raph like an octopus rather than outright grappling. So Raph's not the fastest, but he's not a slouch either.

Adaptability: As much as I love my boy, Raph is a tank, he's bruiser, he's a bulldozer who freely makes use of sharp and pointy things he can use to stab people with. Adaptability-- barring variation between sneaking in and out versus barreling in as loudly as possible to cause mayhem and destruction as a distraction-- is generally not in his wheelhouse. Given time and learning how to play mind games (and I don't doubt that an adult Raph could pick up and use the skill when he needs to) he'd probably become more flexible, but with where he's portrayed to be at in most iterations he hasn't gotten there yet.

Combat style/approach: Close-range, grappler, brawler, TANK. He WILL hold the line, he WILL dig in and hold his ground, he WILL be the wall and PROTECT with everything he has if he has to. He's also not above being outright brutally destructive when he feels it's warranted. And that "when he feels it's warranted" is key.

Details that affect the outcome:

Raph has a protective streak 500 miles wide. A lot of iterations try to be the wall for his family, the last line of defense when needed. He would sooner see himself hurt than anyone he cares about.

And it's not just his brothers, father, April, Casey, anyone-he-considers-family that he's protective of either.

Seriously, if someone pushes the protective button on this boy and his sense of right and wrong kicks in, he WILL get involved.

Raph cares and feels deeply; to him, family is everything.

You

have

NO IDEA

how much

this boy

LOVES

HIS FAMILY

or how much he'd tear himself up if he ever seriously hurt any of them. So the chances of him ever actually going all-out against any of his brothers is slim. (And the few instances in various iterations where he's come close it's seriously screwed him up emotionally every time. Like 2003 and the pipe incident, 2007 and the after effects of his fight with Leo, the implied guilt Rise had after he snapped back to his senses after reuniting with his brothers after he'd been alone, etc.) He might fight with his brothers, he might disagree with them from time to time, but overall he comes off as someone who firmly believes you don't ever deliberately hurt someone you should care about if you can help it. Which is backed up by instances of him panicking in various iterations where his decisions might result in his family's deaths, as well as the fact that he only really turns on any of them (think SAINW) if they cross the line of not being there for each other like he feels they should be. Some iterations might threaten to run off a lot, but he never will without a damned good reason because he loves his family too much to ever want to do that to them.

Final Assessments

Raph vs Leo: If it's in close and is just down to strength-- Raph wins. If Leo has the time he needs to scheme and play Raph the way he needs to-- Leo wins.

Raph vs Donnie: If it's in close-- Raph wins unless Donnie pulls off an imitation of an octopus and gets all of Raph's limbs pinned and holds on for dear life. If Donnie has the distance, time to scheme, and the means to set traps to his heart's content-- plus tranqs, no one wins against tranqs-- Donnie wins.

Raph vs Mikey: If Raph can get his hands on Mikey and keep him in one place-- Raph wins. If Mikey plays Raph like a fiddle with his mind games and stays out of reach-- Mikey wins.

Raph vs the three of them together: Well shit, that'd be a losing proposition under the best circumstances unless the goal was to try to out-stubborn them at something. 10/10 if he had to, Raph would keep dragging himself along even if all three of his brothers were hanging on to him to try to keep him from reaching his goal. (And if Raph hasn't exploited that fact during some wild-as-shit game of theirs, then Casey Jones is the queen of England.)

Raph vs his guilt if he actually seriously hurt them: Instantaneous loss that Raph would probably have a hard time ever forgiving himself for.

So do I think Raph is as good a fighter as his brothers? Yes.

Do I think he's holding back so he doesn't hurt them? Also yes.

Do I think anyone he went up against if he didn't hold back would be thoroughly screwed? Emphatically YES.

-----------------------------

*The site I got the turtle size table in Donnie's section is [here], if anyone wants further details on sea turtles.

[gallusrostromegalus]

For An Elephant is Warm and Mushy, what's the deal with Ichigo and Isshin? Cause I hate Isshin, but I want to know what your take is on it. (Sorry if you've already addressed this.)

I think my thoughts on Isshin in AEIWAM are best summed up as such:

To elaborate: I think that, if he had been a father under normal circumstances, Isshin would have been a perfectly competent and even a good father.

...But he's not parenting under Normal Circumstances.

He's parenting as widower (alone) with three psychic (no how-to guides on this!) and traumatized (Especially Ichigo) children, while processing his own trauma (Again, Widower), while in a HIGHLY demanding and stressful career (Emergency care specialist/Surgeon), while technically on the run from the law (he's still wanted for being a deserter), while also in Apex Predator Central (Karkura is CHOCK A FUCKING BLOCK fulla hollows).

And BY GOD, the man is trying! AEIWAM! Isshin does his best to keep his children informed of the dangers of their world while not also risking them breaking his witness protection scheme. He works extremely hard and his best to keep them fed, housed, safe, educated and loved, and he LOVES them SO MUCH. Isshin is NEVER shy always genuine with affection towards his children! Hell, he even reaches out to who he can (Urahara, Ryukken, his neighbors, the kid's teachers) for help because he knows he's in over his head and needs help and that's a hard damn thing for a parent to do, but...

...It's not enough.

He still lies to his children. For perfectly sane and understandable reasons, but he still lies to them. He still doesn't understand his children- He gives them all the love he can, as best he knows how, but Ichigo especially speaks an entirely different love language. He's still not there for his children. Balancing three kids is ROUGH when you're a single parent and I'm afraid Isshin has some old-fashioned notions about gender that cause him to prioritize the twins over Ichigo. And worse, he's not there when Ichigo, and later the twins, start being in mortal danger from the fallout of his connection to Soul Society.

He grit his teeth and moved heaven and earth to rise to the occasion and still managed to fall well short of it.

A+ for Effort

D- for The Actual Results

So. Why DOES Isshin keep failing at healthy communication? Why DOES he make bizarre choices? Why DOES he suck at being a father?

As I was writing I realized the answer is that he was in the right time and place to accidentally learn some VERY bad habits from his friends and colleagues during his heavy involvement in the Soi Fon-Yoruichi Debacle.

This is already a very long post, so the explanation is under the cut:

To be clear: It's not their fault.

It's one of those awful "Its nobody's fault specifically, but the way human minds work means that this sort of conflict and bad behavior was inevitable" situations. The tragedy of being discrete beings.

The crux of Soi Fon and Yoruichi's relationship was that two people who had previously only moderate issues met another person whose own issues massively exacerbated their own in a continuously escalating cycle.

AEIWAM! Soi Fon is the SOLE surviving child of the Fon Clan. He five older brothers were all killed in service to the second division and the Shihon clan. Possibly under Yoruichi's direction, if I understand the timelines right. She was also raised from a very young age to ignore her own needs as a person, use violence as a Solution to her problems, largely starved of affection, and to hero-worship Yoruichi. Girl was already messed up when she walked into the Second division.

AEIWAM! Yoruichi is ALSO a sole surviving clan heir (Yushiro is conceived as a direct result to her vanishing in TBTP) and ALSO taught to use violence as a first solution, but instead of a self-sacrificing mindset, Yoruichi was raised to believe that other people sacrificing themselves for her was normal, good and even virtuous on their part. She was also sort of doted on by her parents, who were thrilled that their last-chance heir was shaping up so well (So far as they knew).

You can see how this was always going to go badly.

Soi fon is desperate to please. Yoruichi thinks this is perfectly normal and desirable behavior, and so she rewards it with copious affection, because Soi Fon responds to that well. Soi fon, receiving her first hit of positive reinforcement in her whole life, promptly falls head over heels for Yoruichi, and works even harder for her. Yoruichi, thrilled to have someone so capable, continues to reward this behavior. The cycle continues, and escalates.

Eventually, the two of them are operating in completely different worlds. So far as Soi Fon can tell, She and Yoruichi are in a Grand Romance, like a knight and her princess in the fairytale stories she used to comfort herself with as a little girl. She assumes this is a normal relationship between lieutenant and captain. So far as Yoruichi can tell, She and Soi Fon are in a Perfectly Normal And Platonic Working Relationship, because this is how every 2nd Division Lieutenant has fawned over their Shihon captain since the division's inception, and she assumes this is perfectly normal.

At some point, Soi Fon realizes that their relationship is really one-sided and she's giving 110% for maybe 4% on Yoruichi's behalf, but she's invested so much and every authority figure in her life is telling her that this is Right and Correct, that she actively chooses the fantasy over reality to cope with her circumstances. At some point, Yoruichi realizes that she's wildly taking advantage of Soi Fon's romantic feelings that she... well. She likes the girl well enough, but not romantically. But She relies so much on Soi Fon to run the 2nd Division and every authority figure in her life is telling her that this is Right and Correct that she actively chooses to play into Soi Fon's fantasy to preserve this very beneficial (for her) status Quo.

...Enter Kisuke Urahara.

Urahara has no horse in this particular race- in fact, he doesn't even know there's a race going on. He's deeply enamored of this ABSOLUTE BABE that's into his schlubby little ass, who's cool and funny and involved in the same insane workplace he is, and when Yoruichi sometimes complains to him about how crazy her lieutenant is, his only frame of reference is... Mayuri. He thinks this is normal, and the romantic relationship between him and Yoruichi continues to grow. She's his unexpected 11 out of 10, he's her fun dirty little secret. It's kinda tawdry, but it is honest.

Then TBTP happens. Kisuke and Yoruichi sorta accidentally frame themselves for treason, then someone (Aizen) very on purpose frames them for treason.

And so far as Soi Fon knows, the woman she loved, the woman she devoted her life to, the woman who (allegedly) loved her back- has lied to and discarded her.

It hurts. It hurts A Lot.

...Enter Isshin Shiba.

In AEIWAM, Isshin becomes a captain the same week TBTP happens, though he's on the other side of the rukongai when that shit goes down, so he shows up to his first captain's meeting with more than half the captains being brand new to their jobs, not totally sure what he or anyone else is doing-

-And there's Soi Fon. Alone and Miserable.

Isshin is an older brother to a younger sister (who never gets a name in canon) and an uncle to her three children, but they all live way out in the middle of nowhere so he hardly ever sees them and seeing Soi Fon at the meeting, exhausted and distraught (And maybe a little bit hungover) activates every single Big Brother And Uncle instinct he's been looking to inflict on someone.

It's VERY easy for him to hear Soi Fon's side of the story, conveniently ignore the part where she actively chose to believe in a romantic relationship she knew didn't actually exist, and cast Yoruichi as The Bad Guy Who Took Advantage Of My Poor Substitute Little Sister.

Soi Fon, who had *almost* been on the verge of being realistic about the breakup, leans into his version of the story, because, again, she's massively starved for affection and Isshin is giving her the type of love her now-dead brothers used to. So Isshin learns Bad Gender Habits here, and Bad Listening Habits, and Bad "Casting People Into Roles Instead Of Treating Them Like People" Habits, and gets rewarded for them with Soi Fon's attention and sisterly affection.

This is also probably where his decision-making skills start to decline- Soi Fon is a Trusted Colleague of his, and he goes to her for advice on Tricky Political Things, because that's what 2nd division DOES. Unfortunately, Soi Fon lives in Information Opsec Paranoia Spy Shit Hell, and gives her advice out accordingly. He starts favoring not giving out details unless he thinks it's REALLY necessary, and using bad-faith decision making. Even More unfortunately, the Gotei-13 is a hot mess of an organization and these habits serve him well.

...Enter Masaki Ishida, and shortly thereafter, Exit Isshin Shiba until he appears in the Human world as Dr. Isshin Kurosaki, and his wife, Masaki Kurosaki.

It's during the "I met a woman who is *technically* an enemy of the state, but she was so cool I fell so hard in love I decided to do a desertion and light treason" mess, Isshin becomes properly acquainted with Urahara and Yoruichi, and eventually, he hears Yoruichi's side of the story. He reverses course, now Soi Fon is the Crazy Ex, and Yoruichi was just doing what was necessary to survive in their demented military-industrial-spy-governement workplace.

Yoruichi doubles down on his "Shut the FUCK up or Yamamoto or worse is gonna come and kill us, and everyone we love" paranoia, because she's also on the run, and when he comes to her for advice on "So apparently the hollows are WAY stronger than I thought, they KILLED MY WIFE, how am I supposed to keep my kids safe?" She advocates teaching them how to recognize and hide from hollows rather than proper self-defense or the truth, because her first fear still is retribution from Soul Society. It's not insane of her- Yamamoto has a very literally fiery temper and can hold grudges for millennia.

So Isshin Tries. But he's also very burdened by paranoid neurotic behavior he doesn't even know he has, and dodgy-if-not-totally-insane advice from his friends.

And that's what I think of Isshin Kurosaki :)

[uchihaharlot]

I love your sketches about the Uchihas. I want to ask how a Uchiha men would react if you wanted to break up with them because of their bad habits and attitudes towards you?

You would want to break an Uchiha’s heart?? 😂😂😂 NONNY!!!! Lol, it’s barely five am and I’m laughing a little, in a good way, but this is so sad!! The curse of hatred loves this one simple trick.

I can’t for the life of me think any one of these men were really that flawed — I also am an Uchiha sympathizer, so …. Nothing but heart breaks by the dozen and maybe you were a bit blind!! The gods have spite them all of a sudden, you couldn’t look past just a few small things?? Their attitude towards their home, clan and family are things they won’t ever change for anyone!

I hope you sleep well at night! 😂😭

SFW; super sad Uchiha’s having their heart broken because Nonny here, can’t seem take the bad with the good (sarcastic here, but I can’t stop chuckling).

Madara:

What a bad older brother for putting his baby brother before you! How shameful, you are so so so jealous!! Jealous enough that you can’t seem to deal with it.

‘Didn’t anyone ever tell you blood is thicker than water?’ Those are the last words you ever hear out of Madara’s mouth! He’s entirely indifferent to your break up, in fact… ‘it’s probably best this way…’

Obito:

‘You think I’m too soft?’ When you told him to grow backbone he started to weep. Damn him for worshipping you, praising you and giving a damn about you! (😭🥹😂) Like a fucking dog with its tail between its legs, Obito stuffs his hands in his pockets and just turns heel to leave!! If by this point he hadn’t earned the Mangekyou Sharingan, he certainly did after this!! Will always keep tabs on you, in hopes you will return to him.

Shisui:

‘Is that really how you feel?’ He’s flabbergasted and sad to no end, you can’t stand that he puts the safety of your home before anyone else’s needs. Including yours and his, the village needs strong Shinobi and Shisui is never going to not defend his home with honor (he would die trying!!!). So much for being self sacrificing. He actually thought of jumping off a cliff before Danzo stole his right eye!! Shisui loves you so much!!! His heart is broken, his best friend, Itachi, spends so much time just reaffirming that Shisui is a great man! That he didn’t do anything wrong and you are just a girl, nothing more.

Itachi:

What do you mean he is too absorbed with himself?? He’s a high caliber shinobi!! Sorry sis, I think Itachi is rather unfazed, you didn’t get the reaction you wanted and two weeks later realize what you’re missing. By then he’s found Izumi. Which was always his intented anyway, and thankfully for you teaching him that love may hurt….but the grass is always greener on the other side!

[scoobydoodean]

I think people tend to view Dean as more unhinged about Sam because Sam seems to be the one shown consistently "fine" living without Dean. Like S8 Sam and series finale Sam. Like not trying to get Dean back. Whereas in S6 Dean said he tried to get Sam out of the Cage but kept hitting dead ends. But he didn't just let Sam go like he said he would. Sam seems to be less hesitant to just let Sam go and more able to live on without Dean. Idk what are your thoughts on this?

Context

The thing is is that I don't feel the need to respond to the notion that being willing to sacrifice yourself for your brother is more unhinged than killing people to keep him alive or get him back or get revenge on his behalf. Because I don't think that's true at all. All that difference reflects is Sam's willingness to go to morally questionable lengths beyond where Dean will go. Dean's moral compass will cause him to hit a point where his only option is self-sacrifice long before Sam ever hits that wall.

That said... some of what you've said is extremely misleading.

Between season 3 and 4, Sam ignored Bobby's calls and spent months in a bottle stumbling drunk, drinking hard liquor straight from a bottle. He captured a crossroad's demon and tried to trade his life for Dean's (Gifset), and tried to open The Devil's gate (Gifset). He at one point planned to charge into battle against Lilith knowing he would lose and die—it's an intentional suicide mission (4.09). He also readily rejects Dean's dying wishes by working with Ruby for revenge against Lilith (Gifset).

Contrast this with season 6: Dean researched how to get Sam out of The Cage—in books--on the side while living with Lisa and Ben, without risking his own life or anyone else's, and without trying to make any demon deals or do anything else reckless, and while managing PTSD.

Which of these people actually sounds more "fine"? Because there's an objectively correct answer here and it's not Sam.

Season 8 Sam is an exception—not the rule. What we're looking at is not character growth (we need no more proof of that than season 10 and The Book of the Damned). The Reason Sam Is Like That™️ is because he's experiencing a break from reality.

As for 15.20 Sam, we have no idea if Sam tried to find a way to bring Dean back. SPNWin might actually suggest Sam has been trying to get Dean back the entire time Dean's been dead (depending on whether you think "Clarence" is an obvious Cas reference, whether the brother relationship makes it clear he's Sam, or whether he's both). Regardless, at that point we are dealing with a Sam who has maxxed out his knowledge about the pitfalls encountered when you try to bring back your family (this includes Jack). This makes him generally less reckless because he vividly understands the consequences. We see the same thing with Dean as early as season 6, and again in 13.21, when he thinks Sam has been torn apart and is convinced to leave Sam behind and prioritize the safety of the people around him instead.

Additionally, a lot of the less versus more reckless plays the brothers make with their own lives have to do with how badly they might be struggling with suicidal ideation at one point or another. This is a massive motivator for Dean's deal in 2.22 for example. His actions aren't just about Sam—they're also about his belief that he "came back wrong" and shouldn't be alive, and that dying will set the universe right. Literally the entire season he is struggling with the intense guilt and a sense of wrongness over being alive.

So yeah. One time, Sam abandoned Dean to die. At other times, he came up with plans that involved sacrificing himself, or other people, or dedicated himself to revenge to the exclusion of all else.

[crimsonlyinglilly]

No. 4: HALLUCINATIONS

Hypnosis | Sensory Deprivation | “You're still alive in my head.” (Billy Lockett, More)

Here's Day 4 of @whumptober 2024 a day late or two.

Elijah gets a break from suffering as tomorrow is a nightmare for him, so it's Finns turn.

Fell behind because I was distracted making the covers for the new fics this month and finished day 6 instead, anyone know how i can be stricter with myself please leave tips.

Northstar in stone- Finn time being involved in and looking after his siblings goes badly, he misses Elijah.

Set the originals season 3x 22

----

There's something almost funny about this that Finn wants to laugh.

Elijah died for him, because of him, because of the same venom killing them now and the only thing he had asked was for Finn to protect them.

Living in a memory of a long forgotten time, Elijah flickering between the pale and fading man in a thousand dollar suit and the little brother in his old tunics.

‘I thought these nights were something I made up.’ Elijah had commented with poorly hidden confusion and awe.

‘We can start these nights again as long as you recover.’ he had offered later as Elijah grew less coherent even within the dream. Bargaining coming close to begging, he had meant it if Elijah had wanted once he recovered he would take them out the city, even bring the others if Elijah wanted, sharing it with Freya like he had once dreamed of.

Instead Elijah had asked him to look after the others, just protect them from the mistake Elijah took the blame from as if he hadn’t been the first to call for Lucien’s death.

Finn had tried, Freya found a way to buy Elijah time, and later Cami as well, they had even ended Lucien.

Yet still Finn failed, he was the reason this was happening, he stayed and killed for the family he had been on the outside of for so long and was the cause of Marcel becoming the beast.

Marcel had been a threat to Kol, since he still blamed him for Davina Clare's death, ignoring that the ancestors' curse had forced Kol to do the one thing he hadn’t wanted or that it was Marcel's own actions that had planted the first seeds of the ancestors resentment towards the girl.

Finn didn’t like the gir;l since she had cursed him to remain in the body of the beast but the choice to sacrifice her had been done for the greater good of removing Lucien and in the end she had been brought back while Freya channelled the ancestors to undo their work and unmake Lucien.

Marcel’s own words placed him against their family, maybe Elijah would have acted differently towards Marcel but Finn had been in the damned coffin when they brought the child and claimed him as family so Finn he was nothing.

And what Elijah’ thought or would have done may very well be out of their reach now, since the shard of Elijah’s soul he had somehow left with his sire line within Kol and sacrificed itself, first to shield the girl’s soul taking the attack that should have shredded Davina’s soul and spreading that damage to the rest of his soul within Freya’s pendant and them likely destroying the piece completely when it had sacrificed itself to cut off the ancestors connection.

Protecting them even when he was dead, possibly destroying any chance of the getting him back if they could not repair his soul, because of course Elijah had sacrificed himself, it was all he seemed to do; sacrifice his happiness, his freedom, any future, his health and his life, why not his soul as well. 

Sometimes Finn hates him, prefect on the outside, broken underneath when Finn’s damage had always been too clear. Hates not knowing it Elijah would have been different if he had managed to stop his own resentment and reached back everytime Elijah once reached for him instead of a rare few.

If Elijah had been less self destructive if he hadn’t let him take all the responsibility of their siblings, if he hadn’t been left in the box for nine centuries.

“You shouldn’t be here!” Kol’s shout pulled him from his musing, he opened his eyes to look at Kol as he was leaning on the back of a stuffed chair, using it to keep space between Davina and himself.

“You were just going to die without telling me.” Davina snapped, ignoring Kol’s attempt to keep distance.

“Marcel could’ve told you,” Kol offered, shrugging only to wince as it agitated the bite, Finn closed his eyes and he remembered the matching bite on Elijah’s skin,“or Elijah’s sireline’s death.”

Treat resistance is with a double dose. Lucien's voice echoed in Finn’s mind, it had just caused it to affect Elijah stronger but it hadn’t killed him any faster.

Hours in the car and his stubborn headstrong brother faded into a confused scared child. At least this time he was just as affected that he wouldn’t have to watch a repeat with Kol. The three of them had always looked similar, no doubt if he slipped up and mixed them up Kol would take offence.

Marcel was a threat to Kol, had proven in the past to be a threat to Klaus and since he was no longer tied to Niklaus though the sireline, was now free to act on it.

He had openly told them what he would do, ‘Whatever I have to do, Klaus I will find a way to hurt you. You will never be safe, not as long as I am alive.’ 

Finn had done as he had been taught from a young age, dispose of any threat without hesitation, he did wonder where Klaus and Kol got their tendency to play with their enemies, but then Elijah had always done his best to soften Mikael’s lessons.

It hadn’t mattered, no it had made it worse, Marcel had already taken the serum, making it the second time Finn had a hand in creating the biggest danger to their family somehow he was a bigger danger to his family when he wasn't trying.

It was an apt way that his life was going.

“Not the time for jokes.” Davina snapped and even with his eyes close he could see Kol’s weak smirk fall flat.

Marcel had come back, still angry at Kol for old hurts, still blaming all the wrong in his life on Klaus, fairly hating Finn for, well his crimes against the man even before he killed him.

Finn knew what he had done but Kol had made a comment over Marcel finally getting proof he was part of the family since he had been the only one Finn had never aimed to kill, and Finn wasn’t happy to realise it was something he couldn’t argue.

He had been trying to be better.

Elijah had asked him to, dark eyes struggling to focus, a furrowed brow, flushed skin. The night sky about them from a thousand years before.

None of it had helped in the face of Marcel’s rage, their was nothing to stop the new beast of that fucking prophecy from biting them.

“Please love,” Kol begged “I could hurt you, I don’t want- I can’t do that again.”

“And I can't watch you die again.” Davina told him firmly as Finn’s supernatural hearing caught the sound of Kol giving in and slumping into her hold.

This made it Finn’s fault Kol was dying again, as Kol had helpfully pointed out repeatedly since they had gotten away, the comments only dying down as the vemon's effect grew worse.

“More’s reason you shouldn’t be here.” Kol muttered always needing to have the last word

“No we were leaving, we were going to be free.” Davina’s anger was clear in her words, because that had been their plan while Finn had killed Marcel in instinct. Kol and Davina were going to flee the town after Elijah destroyed the Ancestor’s link, taking what could be the piece of his soul they needed to bring him back with it.

Finn had wanted to leave, that was the only reason he had gone to the compound when he was brought back, he wanted to be human again and run with Freya. To be free and instead he had placed Elijah’s shackles on himself to ignore the guilt.

“Family called, sorry.”Kol chuckled humorlessly. 

“I’ll speak to Marcel.” Davina said suddenly,

“Wait, no, Davina.” the chair cracked in Kol’s sudden movement  “he’s dangerous”

Kol hadn’t wanted his witch to return, they had both been free of the city and kol and phoned to beg her to stay away, yet the girl had returned.

While Finn didn’t like the little witch for dooming him in this body he was thankful Kol had someone for him.

He tried not to think of his jealousy, he should be happy that Kol had finally found someone he wanted to be better for, someone willing to face this family for.

“He won’t hurt me.” Davina reinsured.

“I don't want you getting hurt for me.” Kol replied the ‘not again’ unspoken but clear

“And I’m not losing you, after I just got you back.” she told him clearly, refusing to take any argument for his own good. 

It just made him miss his Sage.

They should have had more time.

He was alone in his family. Freya was trying to find a way to save them even as she was poisoned and dying herself, Elijah’s soul was shredded in the pendant perhaps too broken to even fix.

A hand on his cheek forced him to open his eyes.

He blinked as blurry sharp formed into her.

“Hello lover.” Sage smiled sharp and yet so warm, something always just his. She looked like her last saw her, hair loose in the modern way. The more he had learned about the current era the more he thought it suited her like the world had finally caught up to her views.

He allowed himself to get lost in her, refusing to question how she had found him, she always did.

He loved her, he would have lived an eternity as a monster as long as he could have her at his side, and yet he had been forced to send her away to save her from getting up in her brothers’ chaos. 

He had been right, the list of dead lovers Rebekah and Elijah had proved that, even Kol who rarely had that much attachment to anyone outside his research had names on the list.

She had waited while he was in the box, lived her life, he had never expected her to stop for him but she had come for him the moment she found out he was free, he had thrown away mother’s plan as soon as he had seen her, because any life was bearable as long as it was with her.

“Sage.” he sighed, reaching for her cheek, before he could touch her a small laugh could he ears, and he sat up, he knew that laugh as rare as it was.

There was a small boy not yet seven stumbling away from the hut in snow without his hat, dark hair clear to all to see and pale skin open to cold winds.

“Wait!” he called as he stood up ignoring as the world spun, “Elijah! Come back!” he shouted as he started after him unsure why his steps were unsteady, but he had to get to Elijah, his brother wasn’t well, he needed to get him somewhere safe.  

A flash of long red hair was his only warning as someone- it had to be Sage grabbed his arm, but he could let it stop him, Elijah was too small he’ll get cold and sick again, what happens if he doesn’t recover this time. 

The younger ones needed him.

The hands grip on his arm tightened and he looked down and blinked, red hair turning brown as his Sage was replaced with Hayley Marshall-Kenner her dislike for him warring with concern as she looked at him. 

She was never going to like him after he had tried to kill her daughter

“Finn-” she started swallowing painfully before adding, “Elijah’s dead remembered.”

“No no he was” right here dies in his mouth as he remembers the child he was just chasing was long gone, the brother whose absence was causing the pain in his heart had died barely a week ago, in the place he had been bitten .

The other reason Hayley hated him.

The energy he had gathered fled him and the only thing that saved him from hitting the floor was the woman catching him.

She placed him back on a sofa and he closed his eyes for a moment opening them again to Freya’s concerned face,

He finally had his sister back and was losing everything again.

He wanted Sage and her always confident hands and sharp smile.

He wanted Elijah, alive and taking charge of protecting their family.

Their family, if only he had accepted that a millennia ago, then they might not have gotten into this mess.

[babyboywinchester]

hi its me the fuck or die anon lmao. i had more thoughts

despite all of sams planning, winchester luck meant everything had to go horribly horribly wrong.

the curse hits dean.

dean, the self sacrificing martyr of a man refuses to let sam touch him. sam pleads with him. you would do it for me. dont be fucking stupid. im not going to let you die. let me protect you for once, goddamnit!

and dean says that was never sams job. it was always deans job to keep sammy safe. its in his DNA and its his lifes purpose. dean isnt about to let some curse fuck them up and allow sam to get hurt without a fight. he needs to keep his baby brother safe from having to do something that he couldnt properly consent to. dean fucked up by getting cursed. he made a mistake and he wont let it become his brothers responsibility.

dean cant fathom that sam could actually want it. dean knows he never deserved being wanted by someone as pure and good as sam. dean is fucked up. sammy is his baby brother. hes the boy he raised, grew alongside, mothered, and brothered and still dean has the audacity to crave MORE. he is a monster who cant be satisfied with all of the levels of connection they already have. greed knows nothing about the desire, the need dean has for sam. dean had heard all about the seven deadly sins from pastor jim, but this surpasses anything religion could explain. he is a parasite. his fucked up psyche loves sam to such a degree that there is no boundary he doesnt want to cross. there has never been anyone but sam. dean cant live without him… but sam can live without dean. sam can have a normal life. the life he always should have had.

so sam is left with a choice. he could confess his feelings but he knows dean wouldnt believe it. he would just think sam is trying to convince him of a lie just to save his life.

sam could force it. sam could do the unthinkable to save his family, feelings be damned. cold calloused motions to do what needs to be done. he feels a new sense of connection and understanding for john winchester, and it sinks like hot tar in his gut, leaving him nauseous. for all that sam has hated his father, he always knew he did everything to keep them alive. sam could never deny that his father did what he thought he had to do. its unbridled selfishness, and sam is chilled at the realization that this path would feel freeing.

sam could say fuck it and confess his intentions all along. he could show dean his careful, premeditated plans to coerce this from dean on himself. he could try to explain it was all supposed to be guilt free. the irony isnt lost on him that no matter what the outcome of this is, sam is never going to forgive himself for being so stupid. for doing this to dean.

the only comfort sam has is that it wont come to the last option. he wont let dean die. its not even on his list of possibilities. sam did this to them and he will see it through one way or another. dean will live.

sam has never felt more unclean in his life. and now he knows he has earned it. he doesnt have to wonder anymore about what the evil is that lurks within him. today he found out. sam thinks about how he should feel horrified as he embraces it with open arms to rectify his greatest mistake

Nothing to add to this. It’s good as is.

[sokkastyles]

What's your opinion on this take? These people really think Azula sacrificed everything for Zuko and loved him so much.

Once again, these people have no idea what they are talking about and the ideas they are putting out about abuse are extremely dangerous. I don't give a shit whether Azula "loved" Zuko. Plenty of abusers love their victims. It doesn't change a damn thing. All it does is make it that much harder for abuse to be recognized when people put out nonsense about how the abuser actually loves them so much and if they were REALLY abusive, the victim would be crying (false, we know that people have all sorts of reactions to abuse and we also know that abusers will use the victim's reaction to blame them for the abuse), and if they were REALLY abused, it would actually be much worse.

The idea that Azula was "chill" with Zuko at the beginning of book three is not only false (I don't think there's a single conversation they have where she isn't belittling him), but this claim also misses the reason she appears chill: namely that she has him under control and knows that he can't do anything about it, because she has Ozai on her side against him. You can't recognize Ozai's abuse but then deny Azula's part in that dynamic. If you recognize that Ozai is abusive, and the specific way in which Ozai is abusive, and that Azula is his golden child and Zuko his scapegoat, you can't then say that Azula casually belittling her brother in the same ways that Ozai does to him and blackmailing him with knowledge that would get him in trouble with their father is just normal sibling behavior and not a problem. It's not normal, and we see that it's not. Zuko might not be crying but he literally tells Iroh that he feels like he's going crazy because he knows the Avatar is alive, after Azula has made it clear to him that she knows what he suspects but also that he has "no reason" to suspect it. This is obvious gaslighting and Zuko shows the exact signs of being gaslit. Zuko also shows anger, depression, and self blame, and not all of it is because of making the wrong decision in the catacombs. Especially since that decisions was also heavily influenced by Azula, who also told him that he had no reason to be nervous about going home to his abusive father, when she knows very well what the reason is. Of course she's "chill." She has the power and she knows it. That's also why she's abusive and what elevates her constant insults towards him from normal sibling antagonism to an abusive relationship.

Also the claim that he "hates her out of envy" using what he says at the North Pole is ridiculous when he literally says he doesn't need and want her luck. How can he be envious of something he says he doesn't need or want?

But even if he was...the idea that she's not abusive because he doesn't talk about how cruel she was towards him is also a complete misunderstanding of how abuse works. Especially since this is a book one quote. Zuko also never talks in book one about how cruel Ozai is towards him, because he's heavily in denial about the abuse and believes the lie Ozai made him believe about how the abuse was normal. Believing that Azula was just born lucky and he's doomed to struggle because she's just naturally better than him is also part of that lie. Zuko believes these things because of the abuse, not in spite of it.

It takes Zuko a long time to admit, and even longer to say out loud, that his father was cruel to him. Similarly, I think the statement he makes about his relationship with Azula that is the most true is what he says to her during the agni kai, after he's grown and realized that he doesn't have to put up with abuse.

Azula: I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother. Zuko: No, you're not.

Because Zuko recognizes now that Azula isn't sorry, that the way she treated him was wrong, that she's not inherently better, that it wasn't luck or destiny that made his family treat him that way, and he can now see straight through her lies. Especially since she said a moment before that it was the showdown that was meant to be. This is the ending she chose and the ending she wanted, but she tries one last time to blame Zuko for her desire to hurt him. Only this time it doesn't work.

Using Zuko looking pleased when Iroh says lightning redirection is "even something Azula doesn't know" as proof that Zuko just hates Azula for being better than him MIGHT sound smart if you take out the context that the reason Zuko is learning this is because he needs to protect himself against Azula, who tried to kill him with lightning in their last encounter (and it won't be the last time). This isn't him being envious or hateful, it's him not wanting to be murdered.

And characterizing Ozai's abuse as pitting Azula and Zuko against each other and saying Zuko was just bitter that he could never get the best of Azula is just...grossly incorrect, and, again, a failure to understand how Ozai's abuse actually happened. Ozai did not pit them against each other. Why would he, when he wants Zuko to be his scapegoat? What he did was encourage Azula to treat Zuko the same way he did and discouraged it any time Zuko attempted to prove his own worth. Framing that as Zuko just being bitter that he couldn't beat her is disgusting. It's a total misunderstanding of how golden child/scapegoat dynamics work. Ozai was never going to give Zuko the chance to beat Azula. We see that in how Ozai frowns when Zuko attempts, not even to compete with Azula, but to show that he can be just as good. We see that in how Azula taunts him by saying he "will never catch up." We see that in Ozai screaming at Zuko for correcting Azula but praising Azula for contradicting her firebending teacher. Ozai did not make them rivals and to pretend that Zuko is just bitter that he wasn't as good isn't just excusing Azula's abusiveness, it's excusing Ozai's too.

Azula also isn't just unapologetic about being better. I shouldn't have to screenshot every interaction between them, but I will if that's what it takes to get this nonsense to stop. Because telling him that their father would never want him back except to lock him up - after she made him believe that their father wanted him back - is going well above and beyond rubbing her superiority in his face. It's a horrifically cruel thing to say, and Azula knows it is, which is why she says it. And it's far from the only or first time she's said things like this to him.

This post has 440 notes and I hope that some of those are people arguing with OP, or just the same people circlejerking, because I can't believe that that many people actually swallow this victim blaming garbage.

[insideliascrazyhead]

OYA HIGH HEADCANONS

Fujio:

-Fujio force adopted them all into his found family and not even death will change that

-has a nickname for literally everybody even if he uses their normal names on occasion,you don´t have a nickname?then he doesn´t like you

-the most loving and caring out of all of them

-chaotic and clumsy as fuck

-bisexual,loves to flirt

-total playboy (not in any negative way,he´s totally open about it too)

-sings horribly in the shower and sounds like a dying hyiena on purpose because it´s fun to annoy others even tho he can sing

-extroverted as fuck

-chronical hugger

-Mommas boy and makes sure the all chug their respect woman juice

-overprotective mother hen

-loves to talk a lot

-probably listens to girly pop songs

-enthusiast of the group

Tsukasa

-heavily codependent on Fujio as we saw

-an antisocial creature

-don´t interact before coffee

-chronically sleepy because he´s night active

-Jamuo is his little brother by now and death to anyone who hurts him

-he and Cobra would get along great

-doesn´t see any kinda appeal in social media whatsoever

-sucker for romance

-loves to read

-when he´s bored he daydreams about punching Yasushi in the face.With a chair.

-nosy as fuck

-tried to spy on Todoroki and Odajima fishing once to see that with his own eyes

Jamuo

-drama/theater kid

-draws comics in his spare time like in is delinquent trivia

-always has the tea on everyone

-cinnamon roll

-sarcastic as fuck

-also very sassy and could roast the shit out of the others

-sees Tsukasa and meanwhile Fujio as older brothers

-regular gossip sessions with Sabakan are a must

Yasushi

-death metal is the one thing that can scream louder then him and Kiyoshi

-moral compass is a fucking roulette wheel

-everything that entertains him is crazy,loud,violent or borderlining on life threatening and illigal

-violence towards Kiyoshi is his love language

-there´s a story between him,Kiyoshi and Gandhi long before Amagai

-legends say Gandhi still runs from Yasushi´s revenge

-we all know he´s a little version of Hyuga at heart and it´s a miserable shame they never met

-punch on each others scar after a fight means dumbass I was worried sick about you

-probably not the brightest crayon in the box in school smarts,street smarts tho is a different story,he would beat them all in that

-no sense for danger whatsover (dark alley,great let´s go in there,yeah Yasushi great idea.Oh guys ganging up there great let´s stop?!)

-looves bloody and brutal horror movies

-seems like the friend who eats the craziest combos on food and them makes a suprised Pikachu face that he feels shitty

-probably a self destructive streak with his anger

-doesn´t give a shit about Kiyoshi´s woman issues because he fears he´s gonna leave him for a girl one day

-idk why but i got a feeling hes good at drawing or art in general it´s probably creepy and dark art but art    

-antention loving whore (in a affectionate way because damn I love this crazy feral raccoon.)

Kiyoshi

-protective and possesive,jealous kinda like a spoiled guard dog

-especially since Yasushi´s head injury,he would rather die sacrificing himself then let Yasushi get hurt like that again

-the violent mom friend at least in his faction in a very violent way to

-wants to be a beautician

-his soft voice is for Yasushi only

-prentends he doesn´t care,but does,a lot.

-secretly a romantic

-completly different person when he´s with Yasushi,he´s more vulnearble

-probably has a deadbeat loser dad,divorced from his mom and that´s why it´s so important to him to be loved by a woman to not end like his old man

Todoroki

-the thing that makes him the angriest after his friends getting hurt is bullying

-games at night

-he and Odajima do talk when they fish,ok mostly Odajima but he loves the calmness in the others voice

-I also think Odajima names the fishes he´s catching

-sometimes on the rooftop he pretends to read,just to easier eavesdrop on the others

-very intelligent and probably one of the not so many Oya High members that have a plan for the future

-meanwhile can easily ignore the others and interpret it as backround noise when they argue with each other

-meditates against his anger issues doesn´t work that great tho

Shibaman

-has all the tea about Sannoh because of his sister

-his sister pratically raised him so they´re very close

-he and Tsuji have a regular hair coloring session together

-you find him and Tsuji together nearly 24/7 anyways

-when he get´s scolded by his sister the whole gang chimes in just like Yamato

-probably had a buzzcut because a crazy hair experiment went wrong

Tsuji

-crisis?he´s gonna color his hair or change it

-doesn´t like to be told what to do (Todoroki is an exeption) otherwise he will do the opposite

-he and Shibaman have a little betting game going on about the other Oya High students,for example will Tsukasa strangle Yasushi or not and occasionally Todoroki joins in too

-loves to tease his friends

-chaotic good

Nakagoshi

-popular with girls

-loves a good party 

-also has no issues speaking to girls either

-has probably one or two sisters

-kinda feels bad about Kiyoshi´s stab wound even after all that time

-so after the stabbing he kicks out anyone fighting with a knife

-also has the tea around S.W.O.R.D

-not necessarily idolizes Cobra but is like mega impressed by him anyways

Nakaoka

-the two forgot that they wanna fight the Yasu-Kiyo faction meanwhile

-where he was the time when each one exept him started Oya High?

Nobody nows but he states it´s a crazy story no ones gonna believe anyways

-does kickboxxing

-loves to spray grafitti

[slaaverin]

hi so just wanted to share smthing idk if you have been following the blue moon tarot blog/website for long but i got into in 2021, ruined my peace of mind, bc the relationship of jm with himself and esp with jk seemed so toxic, so i just stopped reading or idk believing it on some level too. bc i remember once reading that jm literally saw jk as a replacement of his own brother in the start and so people shipping them is sooo wierd. then he always sort of uses and takes (energy?) from jk rather than giving anything back. like jk is progressing but jm is always for some reason going down or afraid all the time when i read any of his readings done by her (again not coming at her she always seemed to be a great positive eprson when ever i read her blogs, just from what i got of jm from her readings thats all nothing more) and idk it just made me a bit frustrated too bc he is so wrapped up in his fears, that any hope for progress for him seems hopeless honestly with how every fruther reading, jm somehow always seemed to drag himself down, get caught up in his feelings, esp drag jk down to his troubles after having a toxic relationship - like i remember one years ago in one of the reading it was said how jm sort of doesnt let jk grow up in his eyes and jk pretends he hasnt grown up too to have the relationship or so that jm doenst lose his balance that he had at that time, basically self sacrificing honestly and made it seem all the more toxic and not at all healthy. (so i sort of agree with anon that says it all seems sad rather than good, bc one thing i noticed is over teh years jm has a lot of potential to be great and amazing but he is so caught up in himself/fears/all the wierd stuff that he doesnt let himself be, like everything points to be negative with him and his future all the time.

i mean on the surface it seemed he is totally at peace from the clips in teh past two years esp with his music (which was honestly decent though the whole album never clicked with me, but again its his album his songs so i appreciate all of them regardless) like he is working on himself his vocals his music and his growth but tbh it never seems enough as per his tarot readings or the fact that he always is in that confusing dark place (bluemoon blog once stated its like jm is in this dark chaos place where he goes back to his tendencies and doesnt want to seem to get out of it ages ago tho, like its being back and forth, and jk honestly is in a good place at the top of the hill, who for some reason keeps coming back to help)- again toxic as fuck. and also said how they are planning to help eo out, i wld like to believe he more at peace with himself but idk it always seems tumultuous and toxic.

Sry I know this got so long but idk I had this in my head for so long during my early army days when I saw tarot reading, and somehow your blog is the only one where i have even seen anything reagrding tarot readinsg that were done, so just wanted to see if mayeb you have any thoughts about it. and again, blue moon website, whoever she is, is really cool and amazing; none of this was in any way meant to be hurtful or mean or anything, really, just what I got or interpreted from your readings and conclusions, really nothing else. Thank you!

Hello!

Thank you for reaching out anon and sharing your thoughts.

I have been following bluemoonpunch's readings since 2019, a while I don't have every single details in mind still, I can only offer my own interpretation.

Jimin has a damn difficult place in the soul body (heart chakra) and while they separated energetically he had a hard time with it. He was always the one to take care of the others, and while figuring out who he was and what's his new place/direction was, I think he needed some support, that's also why JK showed up in his reading (a little place where they met).

According to the readings, Jimin had a cycle where he would retreat, and JK left him alone during that time only being there for him if he needed. In a way he had ups and downs, like everybody. We could see that Jimin in the past would easily doubt himself, that we know.

But to me anon in these readings nothing ever told me jikook's relationship is toxic at all. It's only a deep and complex and ever evolving relationship like any other. Of course it cannot be all rainbows and unicorns.

Jimin literally saw Jungkook grow, he watched him in real time become a man. If they are indeed romantically involved then his view of Jungkook must have evolved over time. We all know Jimin had a crush on Jungkook from the very start. But at that time Jimin saw him still like someone he had to take care of (like the rest of the group) because Jungkook was so young and not yet mature. But with time Jungkook grew within himself and became who he is today, someone who does take care of Jimin when he needs it too. I think that is normal and a sign of healthy relationship, that they can BOTH rely on each other now.

Of course I feel between the two Jimin is the one more careful, and maybe the one more "down to earth" about all the things that could go wrong. But nothing in this screams toxic, he is only pragmatic because he cares about Jungkook and what could potentially happen to him.

Jungkook is more carefree and open. This man is time and time again reinforcing his love and full devotion to Jimin.

Maybe like the readings say Jimin still has fears but honestly who could blame him?

They are in an impossible, potentially very dangerous situation! With his role of caretaker of course he feels most responsible and worried.

The things you saw that sounded toxic to you, to me is normal in any part of any relationship. People are never perfect, they have flaws, a particular way of their psyche to function, feelings to deal with. What we could see from them since 2013 never came accross as toxic to me, quite the contrary. Of course I don't doubt behind the scenes it's not always perfect, people fight sometimes, people have doubts, fears, sadness, insecurities, but it doesn't mean their relationship isn't healthy. It just means they are humans.

They've been together for a long time, it's normal for the relationship and perspectives to evolve.

Personally the last reading confirmed everything I ever thought about them.

The fact that their potential is to be like a perfect balance of feminine and masculine, like some kind of cosmic couple, it makes so much sense. They always have balanced each other. When they are together they just fit perfectly, they are in sync, they just click.

I will even offer my interpetation of their relationship expanding on the readings, I think jikook are supposed to embody the energy of a cosmic couple as blue said, because I personally feel that is part of their mission.

What they have is a perfect example of what unconditional love means. It is the perfect balance. In a way what they have is not even about them at all! Their relationship is more a display of a concept of unconditional love, some kind of roadmap to show to people and to tell them "see, it's possible, a love like this exist, people with that much light exist, see this example, get inspired by it, grow your light and your love and you may be able to experience it someday".

Images and sounds, basically anything is a frequency. When we watch jikook's relationship, we can feel the frequency of their love, we literally receive unconditional love from them. It opens up our own heart, raising our own frequency. So it's part of their mission of raising the consciousness of the planet, having this relationship. I feel it's part of a way bigger plan.

People will either embrace it or reject it completely. Usually people with a too low frequency will reject it because they cannot stand too much light.

People who receive too much light will have to process their low frequency energy so everything has to come up from the surface which is a pretty painful process so they might choose to not take at all. Which is why so many people reject jikook's bond, because if they accepted the frequency is would make them feel very uncomfortable stuff first and it's not a match to them (It is not always a conscious choice).

People with low frequency rather stay in a state of "illusion" because low frequency is literally nothing but illusion by nature.

I went on a tangent here but what I mean to say is that jikook's relationship has never been more exciting that today (after so many years! Who would have thought they would commit to each other again with military?) So I cannot wait to see how it all evolves from now on, what this potential future as a cosmic couple will look like (can it be even better than now? I can't imagine).

Ease your mind anon, jikook are in a good place. There is nothing to worry about. Let's all enjoy the travel show 💜

Thanks you again for sharing your thoughts I know mine are all over the place because I am not used to answer asks yet so I'm sorry about that! If nothing bluemoonpunch's readings always reassured me more than anything else, especially the last one!

Take care 🥰

[nathanialhowe]

Dragon Age OC Lineup

Richter (Ricky) Cousland. -> Human. Sword & Board Warrior. He / Him. Bisexy. -> Lawful Good/Stupid to Neutral Good pipeline (still stupid) -> Romance: Morrigan but there was a lil something homosexual happening with Alistair for a bit if i'm not mistaken. In the end pragmatic and probably evil coochie won out sorry brother. -> Meat? There's heft. Really big. but hes like shy about it hes like omg? am i packing 12 inches of uncut beef? whaaat. ermmm. do u still like me? 😳

Ricky is ignorant, naive, a little classist, dumb, self-sacrificing, trusting, loyal, brave, spineless in his beliefs cus he thinks he's stupid, and will trust people in positions of power more often than he should. He likes it when people tell him what to believe cus then he doesn't have to do any hard thinking. This changes a lil bit in that he loses faith in a lot of the institutions around Ferelden and the greater world but he still doesn't like to do any big deep thinking about stuff <3 He's also a deadbeat dad and Idt he knows how to parent Kieran very well lmao. he used 2 be rlly uptight abt his appearance/cleanliness until oggie called him a stupid rich pussy and now hes like eh whatever abt being waist deep in hurlock cunt or whateever

Batman Hawke. -> Human. Mage. Iforget what kinds there r in da2. She/Her. -> Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Good probably probably but shes reluctant to do "good" shit cus she doesnt really want to deal w ppl being like omg youre ms nice woman cus she's a bit of a self-hating poor who will not examine her freshly minted privilege ): I wouldn't say she's easy to manipulate thru appeal to pathos but if you're annoying enough with your sob story she will probably Consider. -> Romance: all of them like i literall had anders t posing in the back of the hawke estate while isabela and hawke rawdogged in the next room over lmaoaaa....Like canonly id say its like BatmanxFenris and Fenris and Batman are also with Isabela and Isabela is ALSO with Merrill. anders is there. idt batman actually recruited anders i think he got all intense on her and she was like damn lets ball ok but then he got too extreme and she was like dude im literally; strugling to care abt mage rights rn can you put a lid on it and then he was just following her around to mansplain why shes wrong. fair. she learned like nine new slurs from him. -> Meat? Biggest. like so big shes like which staff do u need tonight babygirl 😂😎 heyoooo and then gets left at the hanged man

Batman likes money and having stuff. <3 She likes beaing rich but she's really tacky about it. shes grubby and gross and is like im bringing wolfcuts BACK adn its like a shitty mullet <3 she goes into situations like ok explain why this involves me? and leaves while u r talking about ur missing wife or whatever. real "i dont want to talk abt politics at the table" type of shit shes on. i havent thought too hard about batman hawke but shes like passively suicidal but very cool about it and is 6ft and buff and has huge boobs and huge meat. she wants to be mr steals your girl but goes in for the high five at the worst possible time and doesnt realize shes actually the biggest failgirl of all time. i cant stress this enough she is NOT cool. "fake it till u make it" shes saying as shes applying 50lbs of eyeliner in the morning and shes crying but doesnt think u can see and she lies abt why her eyes r all red and says shes just smoking pot again. she should just be working at a waffle house but shes here.

Kronk of House Trevelyan. -> Another Human. Big Surprise. Rift Mage. -> Lawful Neutral to Lawful Evil pipeline but probably he was always a schemer and a social climber. -> Romance: Josephine and Dorian do not make me choose between them but if I'm being honest I don't know who'd want him. probably he fronts as way more kind and charming than he actually is and i DO think when kronk is loyal to someone he is ferociously so. but it takes a lot like that dude had half the inquisition hate his pussy so bad lmao. -> Meat? Yeah He's Got It but also if Kronk could cease to be a person and become, like, god? he'd do it. then meat wouldnt matter. (hes on some crazy copium) Actually he's thick as hell and chunky and all and is built like a brick wall but im going to be brave and say he's probably not packing a crazy amount like ricky and batman and if they ever found out theyd tease him abt it cus hes such an asshole lol

Kronk does bestieship with Vivienne and would destroy people's lives to see his allies in positions of power. he'd declare himself divine if it was possible. he's a self-hating mage and loves the circle. he doesn't necessarily have Faith in the circle OR in institutions but he wants to make it so they benefit Him and doesnt gaf about if theyre hurting other ppl who aren't in his #crew. (his crew is very small cus most ppl cannot stand this dude btw). he threatens to make ppl tranquil for the fuck of it and follows thru most of the time. he'll lie and cheat to make his way to the top but he wont get his own hands dirty <3 he loves knowledge and learning and power <3 he doesn't actually care abt money but he cares about status cus it will create avenues for him to pursue evil magic or whatever the fuck this dude wants. type of guy whos like yeah world domination sounds fun i could do that then he's in control and hes like FUckckkkkkkkkkkk im so bored. ok public execution time! or something. mostly he's a nihilist and doesnt have faith in his fellow man. he wants all the secrets of magic revealed to him <3 he doesnt like templars but hes like fine whatever we can deal if they wanna keep all other mages (NOT ME) under their thumb. "circles are great but u wont catch ME going back to mine!" type of guy. i resent that inquisition suggested the inquisitor was a huge Hawke fan cus kronk would fucking hate her new money ass. like shes just so stupid about things. ricky hates this dude btw their first meeting would come to blows and i think he was like morrigan can u just blow this dude Uppppppppp and she was like erm no. we cannot blow up the inquisitor and ricky was like farkkkkk ok. i just dropped kieran on his head again btw honey what do i do ):

Mingus R. Shepard.

Mingus.

[sadlynotthevoid]

GUYS!!

I was listening to Charlotte's ending (because, being honest, that anime has the most beautiful music in the story of anime and sometimes I just need to hear it again— damn it why does it have to have such a story) and I thought 'I wish there was a lcf crossover with og cale of this'. Which, great idea, actually.

So I started to daydream about it (instead of writing anything as the procrastinator that I am) and my first thought was that it has to be a sort of happier life, since the anime ended like that (specially for the Otosaka siblings, overall the Otosaka siblings). So my brain said "hey, why don't put the main cast in the Northeast families? Nao now has to deal with Eric's dorkness". So I went with it and tried to figure out 'which northeast family gets what charlotte character?'

I wanted to put Yuu in the Henituse family because the ending destroyed me, damn it, I want him to be happy. And his little sister— wait didn't they had an older sibling too? (I can't believe I forgot about Shunsuke ;∆; I'm so sorry. You were my fav)

Then I realized—

OG CALE AND SHUNSUKE ARE BASICALLY THE SAME FUCKING PERSON!

Protective older siblings? Check. Selfsacrifical bastards ready to throw themselves for their family? Check. A strange relationship with time? Check. Elegant warm smile that reaches the eyes? Check. Absolutely badass hidden character? Check. Charming as fuck? Also fucking check.

They both even have the same 'I hold the key to salvation you need' and 'I wnt back in time so they won't be doomed' roles!

So—

Nao, Joujirou, Yusa, Misa, and Kumagami (he's the guy who located people with powers in the map and he was Shunsuke's best friend. He matters to me, okay?) are all reborn in the northeast families. Nao is Eric's younger sister. Yusa and Misa are twins and Gilbert's pain in the ass. Koujirou, the poor bastard, is born in the Stan family and runs away at the first chance. Kumagami is Amiru's older sibling who owns a shop because Ubarr is a matriarchal family (fuck thanks) and he needs to pay his meals (he may or may not be going for his third life. And he may or may not be a certain someone).

And the Otosaka's? They're reincarnated as the Henituse siblings... who have no idea the others remember their past lives.

They do, however, know who the others were.

Lily is the first one to remember. It take her some time to put the pieces together and realize that her dreams are not just dreams. That said, she recognized Bassen immidiately. He's still as sweet with her as before and, although her oppa may not realize, he can be quite unhinged sometimes. (That's fine tho. Most of them are.)

She lasts more to recognize Cale. She and her orabeoni aren't so close, she doesn't know him that well. That's why it takes her some old blurred memories from when she barely could walk and a bad night to notice. Ayumi's Shunsuke and Lily's Cale are the same person. After that the soft spot her orabeoni has for them becomes so obvious to her that she has to ask herself if she was blind before. Scary? Trash? Pshh, orabeoni was the biggest softy in the world. Let alone people, he doesn't like harming bugs. He picks them up and puts them outside so the servants won't squash them. Why do people think he would hit anyone?

Bassen cringes at his past life choices. He can't believe he used to be so— so— irresponsible. How embarrasing.

He's kind of surprised and sad at how good student his brother was. Not because he didn't think he's smart enough, but because he didn't expect him to effort so much at it. And if he did before, why did he drop his studies this time? Knowing all what he does now, he has the feeling that it must be either something stupidly self-sacrifical or something really important he decided not to tell anyone.

Lily seems to him pretty much the same but with a liking for swords. Good. Luckily, this way she would be able to protect herself this time. And gosh, isn't he reliaved they don't have those powers this time? No more accidental collapsing buildings for her.

Cale is the last one to remember that life. He's also the only one to remember their future life and probably the only one who knows why they remembered. Just like he tends to do with most things, he doesn't tell anyone about it (except Kumagami) until it comes up in a conversation or it's needed. (Alberu is a little bit jealous about this. Why does that guy gets to know but not him? Aren't they close too? Does he not trust Alberu as much? Thankfully someone has the mind to tell him that that's just how they used to be. And also because Kumagami seems is, as far as they know, the only one of Shunsuke's circle of friends that came to this world with them.)

His siblings? Oh, he knew it instantly.

[ymaohoh]

Hellcheer addition! (ignoring the 1 like thing as I just want to write about these two crazy kids) 1. Chrissy being single. 2. So I don't have just one, but the music from the soundtrack 'I wouldn't remember me either' which plays for them? It's a beaut! (bit of a cop-out answer this one, sorry). 3. The ship observed by other people (so alternative POV's - Max, Jason, Dustin etc.) 4. Has to be my own as we only got one damn episode. 5. In the woods, when Chrissy says 'me?' so cute and Eddie is just soft and silly. 6. When Eddie heads back to the trailer with Steve/Nancy/Robin in the Upside Down and there's just a missing 'oh shit this is where Chrissy died' moment I would have liked to see. 7. (god this is tough as there's loads) Eddie being really really into eating Chrissy out. 8. I've seen a lot of fics that take Jason's character maybe too far (though yeah, he was a lunatic in the show). I don't think he'd harm Chrissy. 9. The 'opposites attract' angle. They have no business being so perfect for one another - but they are (second option would be how hot they are as a couple). 10. That Eddie would have to step on Jason's toes pretty severely (thanks Joe) and it would be messy. Ideally Chrissy would end it before getting with Eddie. 11. Deffo canon, thanks, but yeah I need them to come back to life in season 5 for more... Time travel? Alternative universe? Come on, Duffer Brothers. 12. Baldur's Gate 3... I could see them both as Bard's but maybe Chrissy could be a Cleric. Chrissy's BFF is clearly Karlach and Lae'zel scares tf out of Eddie (someone write me a crossover with the whole party being there?) 13. Eddie's easier to write than Chrissy, I think. Some authors really NAIL Eddie. 14. I've not been drawn to another pairing from Stranger Things in the same way - but I do like Chrissy shipped basically with anyone ('cause she's pretty). 15. Chrissy. I'd give her a big hug and we'd hang out watching 80's flicks. My girl needs love and take out. 16. The only way I could see this playing out is if one of them tries being all stupid noble and self-sacrificing. Eddie might so Chrissy goes to college (if she wants to stay behind with him) and Chrissy might because she doesn't want him to get hurt by Jason etc. It wouldn't last. 17. I think so - both have vulnerable spots which everyone can relate to. I find myself very similar to Chrissy (especially at her age). 18. I didn't like Eddie leaving Wayne to find Chrissy's body, but I get that's a character choice and he was scared af. 19. Lots? (and I'm new to the fandom). More are incoming, sorry. 20. You know, I didn't get sucked in when I first watched season 4 but on a re-watch? Yeah. I have no control over my fixations and I re-watched when I was recovering from surgery so...plenty of time to go mad? 21. I'm an angst girl. Always have been (but the smut is HOT too).

(psss pass it on - what do ya'll think?)

Template by @aph-cb