#this got a bit long-winded ...

[vynnyal]

Turns out Sunlit Trail isn't quite done just yet, so after all that they just send you to a dead end 😂

[skyward-floored]

Swapped

Part one of the Incredibles au power swap fic lets gooooo

I don’t know how many parts this is going to be total, maybe four..? I tried to keep it short, but that... didn’t work, heh. This is set after movie stuff at some point, don’t know exactly when, not too long... but supers are legal at least.

But anyway, enjoy part one!

Part two

————————————————————

Wind woke up slowly, his ears ringing in his skull.

A dull pulse of pain rippled through his middle, and he winced, putting a hand on his chest and rubbing it as he tried to think through what had happened. He remembered a voice talking, and something about intruders being free test subjects...

Oh. Right.

And a big explosion that had sent them all flying.

Ow...

Wind rubbed his eyes, wincing. He supposed a weird explosion shouldn’t be that surprising, since they were trying to break into a crazy-secure science lab. They’d gotten some information on all sorts of illegal experiments going on here, with supers allegedly involved, and they’d all suited up and stormed the place.

Nobody had realized they were expected.

Wind sighed, and sat up with another wince, grateful his supersuit was so sturdy. If he’d been in his civilian clothes, he’d probably be a smear on the wall right now. Or at least dealing with some broken ribs instead of just the weird soreness he had.

He shook his head, trying to disperse the ringing in his ears, and looked around, wondering why it was so quiet. Something about the air seemed weird, like something was missing from it.

A frown settled on Wind’s face and he reached for some wind, trying to listen and see if there was anything moving nearby. Then he froze.

He couldn’t do it.

Wind thrust his hand out, twirling it in the motion he always used when he directed the winds, but nothing happened, no matter how he moved his hands, no matter how hard he tried.

Something was wrong with his powers.

Wind breathed in shakily, and looked down at his hands, trying not to get swamped with panic. He was fine, he was fine except for the aches and lack of powers, he was fine. He probably just... needed to recover a little more from being unconscious. Yeah.

That had to be it.

Wind swallowed and looked around, suddenly zeroing in on Legend lying nearby. He wasn’t moving, and Wind shakily got to his feet, stumbling over and crouching at his side.

“Legend?” Wind asked, and gave his brother a light shake.

Legend didn’t move, not one inch, and the sight of his brother so still made something lurch in Wind’s stomach.

He paused in trying to wake him, and turned his attention to the rest of the room. He’d been separated from the others in the explosion, and the only other person besides Legend and himself in the hallway was Warriors. And Warriors looked like he was beginning to stir, a groan coming from his direction.

Wind stood up again, the absence of his wind all the more noticeable when he tried to draw on it for assistance. He swallowed and kept going, and knelt by Warriors’ side as his eyes flickered open.

“Warriors?” he asked in a shaky voice, and his uncle groaned, pressing his hands to his ears.

“Not so loud...” he bit out in a whisper, face screwed up in a wince. “...why is it so loud?”

“...I’m the only one making any noise,” Wind said in confusion, and when Warriors winced, he switched to a whisper as well. “...Sorry. It’s not loud at all Warriors, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t... know?” Warriors bit out, trying to sit up. “Ugh... I feel like I got hit by a truck...”

“Did you hit your head?” Wind asked anxiously, and Warriors slowly shook it, still wincing.

“No... everything is just... loud.”

Wind waited a moment for him to wake up a little more, and Warriors breathed out, slowly sitting up. Pain still showed in the way his face was creased though, and Wind felt the bubble of anxiety in his chest get a little bigger.

“That was a weird thing they hit us with... are you sure you’re okay?” Wind said as he helped Warriors sit up, glancing worriedly at the rubble separating them from the others.

“Yeah...” Warriors mumbled. “You okay, Wind?”

Wind swallowed.

“I... I don’t know,” he said honestly, wishing his voice wouldn’t shake. “I only woke up a bit ago. I found Legend too, he’s still unconscious, but Wars there’s— there’s something wrong with my powers.”

“What?”

Wind bit his lip. “I can’t get them to work. Ever since I woke up I haven’t been able to feel any wind or anything, there’s something wrong.”

Warriors’ face creased in concern, but then he paused, and held out his hand with his palm outstretched.

Nothing.

He tried again, a little more frantically, but still nothing happened, and he exhaled, looking down at his hands.

“Looks like mine are on the fritz too,” he said worriedly, then gave Wind’s shoulder a squeeze. “We’ll... we’ll figure this out. There’s probably something blocking them, I’ve seen this before. We just need to find the device.”

“You’re sure?” Wind said shakily, and Warriors nodded, giving his hair a quick ruffle.

“Yeah. It’ll be fine, kiddo.”

Wind gave him a small smile, then decided to check on Legend again since he still hadn’t moved. His brother’s face was still pale and blank, and while he didn’t look injured, Wind knew stuff could be hurt on the inside where they couldn’t see it.

Warriors joined him a few moments later, still wincing, and got to a knee beside Legend. He began looking him over, brushing dusty bangs from his face, and Wind watched in silence from beside him.

“Warriors, what do we do now?” Wind asked quietly, and his uncle hesitated, flinching when a sound rang out in the distance.

“I... don’t know just yet. Let’s recuperate for a bit, see if we can wake Legend up. Maybe try and contact the others. Then... I guess keep going. Somebody has to stop this scientist guy.

“And that somebody is us.”

“Right-o,” Warriors smiled. Then he stiffened, ears pricking as he looked down the hallway. “Someone’s coming.”

“I don’t hear anything,” Wind said in confusion, and Warriors shook his head, gathering Legend up into his arms.

“I can, there’s someone coming, trust me. We need to—”

Footsteps clattered towards them, and Warriors flinched, quickly tugging Wind and Legend behind a piece of rubble. A handful of guards came around the corner, and Wind crouched down further, watching them nervously.

Normally four guards would be nothing, but without powers and Warriors in a questionable state... Wind wasn’t sure they could handle them.

“Wars?” he whispered, and Warriors put a finger to his lips.

The guards drew nearer, spreading out and looking around the rubble. One came closer and closer to where Warriors and Wind were, and suddenly looked behind the rubble, spotting them.

“Hey!”

He grabbed for his gun, and Warriors shoved Wind behind him, launching himself at the guard with a snarl. The man shouted as he fell backwards, and despite the pain on Warriors’ face, he managed to wrestle the gun away from him.

The other guards heard him though, and Wind’s stomach lurched as they surrounded Warriors, unsure if he should go help or stay where he was and defend Legend. Warriors was hurting, but Legend wasn’t even awake, what was he supposed to do?

Two guards split off and went for Wind, and he yelped in panic, backing up so he could better protect Legend. The guards both reached in the nook Wind and Legend were tucked in, trying to grab them, but Wind avoided their hands and kicked at their arms.

Warriors was still struggling with the other two guards, but when he heard Wind’s yelp, his head shot up, eyes going wide when he saw one of them pull out a gun.

“Get away from them!” he shouted, eyes glowing, and was suddenly doused in shadows.

A familiar noise hummed through the air, and Wind and the guards stared in shock as the shadows dispersed, leaving a grayish-blue and white wolf on the ground where Warriors had been.

The wolf looked utterly shellshocked, and Wind felt much the same as he stared at it.

What.

Wind suddenly realized the guards were all distracted by the abrupt appearance of a wolf, and he shoved his shock to the back of his mind. He pushed the two that were trying to grab him, knocking them both over, then darted out and grabbed a piece of metal that had fallen on the ground.

He slammed it into one of the guard’s heads, sending him to the floor, but by then the others had snapped out of their daze.

But Warriors had too, and it didn’t take long for him and Wind to take out the other three guards. All four lay unconscious in short order, and Wind panted heavily as he wiped his face.

Then he stared back at the wolf, who was staring at his paws with his ears back.

“Um... what?” Wind spluttered, disbelief coming back. “Warriors that— how?”

The Warriors-wolf whined, his eyes wide, and he paced around in an anxious circle, nose twitching and ears flicking.

“How did you do that?!” Wind repeated, and Warriors flinched at his raised voice, ears folding back again. “...sorry. But why do you have Twilight’s powers?!”

Warriors repeated his whine, tail between his legs, and suddenly the shadows whirled around him again, blocking him from view. When they dispersed, Warriors was back to normal, sitting on the ground and looking somewhat nauseous.

“...Warriors?” Wind asked, and Warriors slowly sank down and laid on his back, then put a hand over his eyes.

“Gimme a sec,” he croaked.

Wind went quiet, and for a minute the only sound in the room was Warriors’ somewhat-shaky breathing.

While his uncle got a hold of himself, Wind gently tugged Legend out from the hiding spot, setting his head in his lap as he sat down. He ran a hand over Legend’s hair while he watched Warriors, and finally his uncle exhaled, and took the hand off his eyes.

“I think I know what the problem with our powers is,” he murmured. “Somehow... they switched.”

“But how?” Wind said as he stared at his uncle, and Warriors sighed, slowly sitting up and setting his hands over his ears again.

“I don’t know. But... I think it has to do with that weird energy pulse. I’d guess somehow it switched our powers.”

Wind stared at him in shock, and Warriors grimaced as something made a sound in the distance.

“How... is that even possible?”

“I have no earthly clue.”

Wind petted Legend on the head again, trying to wrap his brain around the idea of powers somehow swapping. Their powers were a literal part of them, how could anything switch them around?

“So... so you somehow have Twilight’s powers,” Wind said, and Warriors nodded. “Does that mean Twilight has yours?”

“I don’t know. But based on the whole wolf thing and the fact that I can hear so much as a pin drop, I definitely switched with Twilight,” Warriors said, then winced again. “Eugh. How does he deal with being able to smell everything? Or hear people breathing?”

Wind shrugged. “So... what was it like being a wolf?” he asked curiously.

“...Weird. We should get moving before the guards wake up,” Warriors said, dodging the question, and Wind sighed and nodded. Obviously Warriors didn’t want to talk about it.

...he’d get it out of him eventually though.

Wind looked down at his hands as Warriors moved to pick up Legend, flexing his fingers, and wondered suddenly if the same thing had happened to him.

Had he just gotten his powers blocked, or had he switched with somebody too? Was that why he couldn’t feel his winds?

Wind focused on himself for a second, trying to remember back to when he was smaller, and accessing his powers was more difficult. Normally there was a sense of the winds around him that he drew on, a thrum in his heart that moved in time with them, and he could usually draw on it with little to no effort.

That feeling wasn’t there anymore, but as Wind focused, he realized there was a different thrum inside of him now, one that felt blindingly strong.

Wind cautiously drew on it, but it was like turning on a firehose, and a flood of whatever power he had now came rushing at him, startling a yelp from his throat.

Warriors called his name, but Wind barely heard him, focused on the power rushing through his middle, spreading to his limbs and stretching out along his face. It was nearly overwhelming, but Wind held on against it, gritting his teeth as power buzzed all over throughout his skin.

The rush ebbed finally, enough that Wind could open his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was that the floor seemed a lot further away then it had before.

Also Warriors staring at him in shock.

“What?” Wind asked, then startled at the way his voice echoed.

“You... you also swapped,” Warriors said in a somewhat strangled voice.

Wind blinked, then looked at his hands, feeling the current of power run through him, feeling so powerful that he could probably punch his way through the walls if he had to.

Which meant...

“I got Dad’s, didn’t I?” Wind said.

Warriors sat back down.

“...Yep.”

[unexpectedbrickattack]

get normaled, idiot

[if-loki-was-a-fox]

if I draw him enough times I will eventually figure out what he looks like

(reblogs appreciated ^^)

[lusalemaart]

[secriden]

Everything about Style is just driving me feral with want to have THK right now, immediately.

The way he's all big, bold gestures and confident swagger; the way his introduction includes a literal arms-wide-open welcome. The overalls unbuttoned until nearly the middle of his chest and how he's the only one in the main cast to be (literally) this uncovered (everyone else has 2-3 layers on).

I wonder if this hints to how vulnerable his character is, narratively speaking: how he potentially is the one that starts out with the least information (apparently Kant doesn't tell him who Fadel and Bison are when he makes that deal with Style?); how he may be the least physically familiar with violence because he's just a mechanic (vs Kant's background with crime/the police. Also the way in the trailer Style is constantly in shock when Fadel does something violent around him); how he chooses with his heart even after he finds out the full truth about Fadel ("You know I know everything").

When he describes his life, it's so... innocent? We get a snapshot of what he thinks his life is about and it's: fixing cars, collecting vintage cars, bowling and hanging out with his best friend. Every other character's answers are layers of subterfuge and double meanings but Style's answers create such a contrast by being so unfiltered. This is a character that (at least at this point) is guileless and without agenda.

I'm so excited to see Style pursing Fadel. I'm so excited to see Fadel try to remain stoic and unmoved in the face of Style's unabashed interest and enthusiastic flirting. I'm excited to discover why Style goes from attraction to being willing to risk it all for Fadel.

But also -- in a very different way than what Kant will doubtless be to Bison -- I'm excited to see how Style will become an escape for Fadel. Fadel, who just wants to sleep for 25 hours (he's so exhausted) and live a normal life, maybe open a restaurant that isn't just a front and a cover for the illicit job he maybe no longer wants, who enjoys solitude but wants to find someone to spend it with (he sounds so desperately lonely, my heart breaks for him).

Someone uncomplicated, who lives life fully, who isn't afraid to go for what he wants and who wears his heart on his sleeve.

In less than 5 minutes, this interview shows us the ways they could fit together like missing puzzle pieces, and I am so, so excited to see it fall apart and come together.

[fiona-fififi]

Make me write game 💕💕💕

☺️

💕 Post vow renewal

Okay, so technically this is well over 9 sentences, but I do believe I only actually added about 12 (maybe a little more). Several parts of this section were already written, but I added in multiple spots to link pieces together and flesh out the scene, so I figured I'd offer the whole thing. I have not proofread it, though, so please forgive any awkwardness or typos because I'm sure there are plenty.

And then Buck's reaching, but Eddie's pulling away, shifting himself up and off of Buck's body, off of the bed, and Buck feels himself panic, a quiet plea of Eddie's name pulled from his lungs before he can stop it. But Eddie's there, still so close as his careful fingers strip away the last of Buck's own clothes, discarding them in some haphazard pile beside the bed as he murmurs gentle reassurances that have Buck sinking back into the mattress beneath him as Eddie works. 

When Eddie finally, finally manages to strip them both down, Buck is lost, all thought swept away at the sight of Eddie bare before him. Before Eddie can find his way back, Buck is reaching for him, gentle fingers tracing soft skin that stretches over hard muscle, dipping into the divots of Eddie's abs before tickling back over his hips as Eddie crawls back up over him. Buck sighs into the feel of Eddie's lips trailing kisses back up to his mouth, whines softly at the feel of Eddie's skin against his own as Eddie blankets him once more, not a breath of space left between them once Eddie settles back in above him, petting gently through Buck's hair as he presses delicate kisses over the sensitive skin of Buck's face. For long moments, Buck lets Eddie play, gives him all the access he needs to explore, but when Eddie's mouth tickles over a particularly sensitive spot beneath Buck's eyelids, he can't help the way a quiet giggle bubbles out of him. It should be embarrassing—should leave him shying away—but he's not, can only smile bright and content, as Eddie shifts back just the tiniest bit, just enough to let his eyes trail over Buck's happy features, and then Eddie's smiling, too, and chuckling just a little, those eyes full of all that soft, hazy brightness Buck had never quite learned to read until this moment, and Buck is absolutely giddy with it when Eddie finally whispers "you're beautiful, sweetheart.”

There's so much behind it—Eddie's words so full of the delicate devotion he's shown Buck from their very beginning, and Buck can't quite help the way his smile turned to a quiet gasp that escapes him at the awe in Eddie's voice. Finds himself reaching up, tracing careful fingers over the frame of Eddie's face, letting his touch come to rest at the cut of his jaw. And then Buck's urging him closer with those gentle fingers, guiding Eddie in for a soft press of a kiss that doesn't go further, but lingers, the both of them breathing the same air for long moments after they part, and Buck lets his gaze wander over every delicate feature his eyes can reach.

When he meets Eddie's eyes, he feels flayed open—like Eddie can see every complicated part of him he tries his best to hide. “Make love to me,” Buck pleads, whisper quiet, and for a moment he feels silly and cliché. But Eddie's eyes only soften, a sweet adoration Buck knows well suddenly settling into a whole new context he'd once expected he could never have.

Eddie doesn't answer, really, not in words, but his eyes study Buck's features like he’s something precious, and he presses his body closer than Buck think should be possible, leaving every inch of Buck singing with a sweet pleasure unlike anything he's ever felt before because it's Eddie, and he thinks maybe Eddie's touch is everything he's been searching for.

Eddie dips in to kiss him, then. A sweet, searing kiss that's over too soon and has Buck whimpering as Eddie shifts to mouth at the curve of his neck. Buck hopes he might leave traces there, marks Buck might get to keep even after he leaves Eddie's bed.

“I'll give you anything you want, Buck,” Eddie promises, then. Whispered words he hides in the crook of Buck's neck that leave Buck gasping and clinging tighter. “Anything at all.”

"Eddie," Buck whines, and it's desperate. A sweet, delicate, broken sound that trips over his tongue and catches in his throat that has Eddie smiling against the curve of Buck's neck, and Buck whines again as his breath hitches. "Eddie, I want you. Please. Tell me-tell me you want me, too."

"Sweetheart," Eddie presses into Buck's skin, lets his lips form gentle, reassuring kisses that linger as he pulls back, just far enough to catch Buck's eye, lets the fingers of one hand stroke through Buck's hair and then trace delicately over the birthmark at his brow, as he studies Buck's face, "of course I want you. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

For a moment, Buck's quiet, trying his best to blink away the overwhelming emotion that settles over him at Eddie's words. But then he's reaching, sinking his own fingers back into Eddie's hair, hand cradling his neck. Then, near breathless, “How do you want me?”

“Forever.”

Make Me Write

[pigeonclaw]

Honestly, I think Splashtail has a point. Nine lives is a messed up amount of time for leaders to stay in power. And StarClan sucks and makes harmful decisions all the time, so why should the Clans have to turn to them to make any choice? StarClan, who let Ashfur into heaven despite being guilty of conspiracy and attempted murder and not feeling sorry for it in the slightest. StarClan, who threw Juniperclaw into hell for making one choice that he thought was justified and then using the last moments of his life trying to atone for it. StarClan, who considered banishing a loyal medicine cat to hell for breaking a rule they encouraged her to break when she was young, despite living several years after that and making no other mistakes. Many other examples but those ones stick in my mind a lot.

I miss the older (OotS) concept of StarClan as just a thing that exists and cats wind up there for reasons unknown. But if the series isn't going to use that anymore and instead is going to use StarClan as a judge who makes you review your whole life to decide whether you belong in heaven or hell, then I'm going to criticize their actions. If they are such poor judges of character that they bless villains and punish the innocent by mistake, then they should not have any say in living Clan decisions!

[leofrith]

hello leovor community. 🧍🏻‍♀️

[fictionadventurer]

I’m not from the US so I don’t know much about it, but someone once told me that the civil war was fighting for two different things. The north was fighting to end slavery and the south was fighting because they didn’t want the government to be able to dictate to them what they did with their property (the only problem was that the south saw people (slaves) as property).

How much of this is correct? Or is it a simplistic view?

It's complicated. There are a lot of historical forces--social, economic, religious, political, legal, cultural--surrounding the lead-up to the Civil War, and you can take as simplistic or as detailed a lens toward it as you'd like.

Before the war, the South did want to protect their property. Slavery in the territories became such a huge issue because slave owners wanted to be able to migrate to these new territories with their property, which included slaves. The majority of the soldiers who'd fought in the Mexican-American War had been Southern--were they going to be barred from the territories that they had fought and bled to win?

Of course, the North argued that people couldn't be property, and their insistence that slavery was evil only made the South get more defensive over it. At the end of the 18th century, a lot of Southerners believed that slavery was an unfortunate evil--not an ideal situation, but not one they could realistically do anything about. (What were they supposed to do with all these free blacks, for one?) But as the South got more defensive, they started to argue that slavery was a moral good, giving these slaves much better lives than they'd have in Africa, and allowing for a white upper-class that could devote itself to civilized culture rather than the rat-race of industry in the North. Their way of life, they believed, depended upon maintaining slavery.

So the war absolutely was about slavery, but the South considered it the main issue long before the North did. Secession started pretty much as soon as Lincoln was elected, because he'd been painted as a "Black Republican" who was going to free all the slaves as soon as he came into office. In his famous "A House Divided" speech, Lincoln argued that the long history of maintaining balance between slave and free states wasn't going to be sustainable. Because Southern slave owners wanted to be able take their slaves through the whole country, and wanted to get their slaves back if they escaped to freedom, either the nation had to abolish slavery or slavery would take over the whole nation--there was no middle ground that would be acceptable to either side. Because everyone knew Lincoln considered slavery a moral wrong, the South thought this speech proof that Lincoln was going to free all the slaves, so they seceded to protect their "states' rights".

The ironic thing was that Lincoln didn't believe he could free the slaves. He was a lawyer through and through, who held the Constitution as a nearly religious document. The Constitution explicitly protected slavery, so as much as Lincoln would have liked to end slavery, he didn't believe the president had the power to do anything about it--that was up to the states. Not long after Lincoln came into office--in an attempt to bring the seceding states back-- both the House and the Senate passed a constitutional amendment that would have explicitly prevented the federal government from interfering with slavery; the war was the only reason it never went to the states for the vote to make it official.

Once the war started, the North was very clear that the purpose was not to end slavery--it was to keep the Union together. Lincoln believed that the Constitution as written did not give the states the right to secede, and that doing so was traitorous and made the Constitution meaningless. Remember, a democratic-republican government had never been attempted on such a scale before; several other similar governments had fallen in recent decades. If this American experiment was going to succeed, the nation needed to prove that an elected government could maintain power even when there was disagreement among its citizens. The war couldn't be about slavery--the North had to bring the rebel states back into the fold and then solve the slavery issue through civilized legislative and judicial measures.

So the North was very careful not to make the war about slavery early on. Early in the war, the ardent abolitionist general John C. Fremont took over Missouri, declared martial law, and issued a proclamation freeing all the slaves. Lincoln was pissed, and he immediately reversed the order. Several border states in the Union still allowed slavery; if they thought the war was about ending it, they'd join the Confederacy, and the problem would get even bigger.

That view only began to shift after the war dragged on. After so much bloodshed, could the North really be okay with going back to pre-war business as usual, with the issue that had led to secession unresolved? Black soldiers were beginning to fight for the Union and showing immense bravery--could we let them fight for freedom and then send them back to slavery?

Ironically, Lincoln was only able to issue the Emancipation Proclamation as a war measure. He still believed the president didn't have the power to end slavery--it's why the order didn't free any slaves in the Union. But slaves were an important resource in the Confederate war effort; men were able to go off and fight because they could leave their families and farms in the care of slaves. Slaves were being used for physical labor in army camps, freeing up the white men to do the actual fighting. By freeing the slaves, Lincoln was furthering the war effort by depriving the South of a vital resource--a legitimate use of his expanded wartime powers, with the added bonus of ending a horrible system of bondage. If the South hadn't seceded, such a measure wouldn't have been legal.

By the end of the war, the North was fighting to end slavery, and the South was desperately trying to spin the narrative to prove that it had been about anything other than slavery. But no matter how you spin it, the South seceded specifically to maintain slavery, and the resulting war was the only reason it was able to end.

[unrealization]

@hxpelessnurse

The winding halls of Hope's Peak Academy seemed to stretch out forever into the black abyss. There was something undeniably uncanny about the school during the day. The massive eyesore of a building seemed even more uncanny at night. Mukuro couldn't help but scowl at it. The building itself.

For Mukuro, her life before this place felt like it took place in some distant reality untouched by this one. Most people in this place kept their distance from her. She often wondered if they could sense the presence of death on her. Some aspect of human biology that made them recognize her as a predator. Even her so-called peers wouldn't meet her gaze most of the time. She reminded herself why she was really here. It wasn't to make friends.

In a way, she was thankful for her task. She was a soldier, and she had a hard time coping without orders to follow. She didn't need to understand why her sister needed student medical records. All that mattered was ensuring a successful mission. Get in, grab the records, get out. Simple. There was just one small complication she wasn't prepared for.

She reached into her jacket pocket, producing the keyring she'd pilfered earlier that day. With a twist and a click, the door was unlocked. She carefully pushed the door open, watching the shadows swallow it she did. She unclipped her flashlight from her belt, shining it into the hallway. The coast was clear. She clicked the light off and returned it. It would slow her down a bit, but the light might draw unwanted attention.

Of course, the complication would likely slow her down a lot more.

She'd tried not to focus on the other presence with her, but the reality of the situation necessitated her to acknowledge her. Her sister had ordered her to bring Tsumiki along for her mission, because Mukuro was too stupid to know which documents to grab. In fact, there were a lot of jabs at her competence in the briefing. And her appearance. The gist was that the nurse would know what to look for as a medical professional.

Her actual mission was to get Tsumiki to the documents, let her grab whatever Junko wants, and then get her out. A babysitting job. She hated when her success was reliant on someone else, but it couldn't be helped. She looked over her shoulder, eying the nurse seriously.

"Stay close." She said, "We need to move quick and quiet.."

Those were the first words she had ever said to Tsumiki. She had no real idea what kind of relationship she had with Junko. Was she loyal? A thought intrudes into her mind. No. Of course not. You'd have to be crazy to be loyal to Junko. A pang of guilt follows the thought. Denial followed hollowed out her mind, then her own self-hatred filled the gap.

Focus. The mission is simple. Complete it, and Junko will be happy, right? That's all that matters. She hammered that thought into her head. Pushed herself to believe so hard it made her head hurt.

"Are you listening?" She spoke harshly, lashing out, "I need you to tell me where to go. Where do they keep the files?"

[hazardous-who]

I LOVE your fanfic "to loose is to gain" !! It reminds me of Killing Stalking. The vibes of two mentally ill people in a mindfuck toxic relationship.

NO, I DO NOT APPROVE THAT and I will never think that they cute together of course. But it's rare people writing about this sad reality involving shocking descriptions and disturbing content. You describe them perfectly and what I like is that you're not romantising them. 👍🏻

I'm going to read your new fanfic (⁠づ⁠￣⁠ ⁠³⁠￣⁠)⁠づ

I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far ! I'm a fan of darker written stories personally, and think portraying the different mentalities of how things can devolve is pretty important to consider rather than the straight dive into co-dependency or love that sometimes can be portrayed in some stories like this. Not everyone has the same reaction to things, some people freeze, some people fight- There's also the case where people adapt on the spot for the sheer sake of survival or to avoid any more pain then they're already experiencing right from the get go. I honestly want people to dislike my Obito. At the end of the day, different people do different things, but knowing where each person stands and thinks also helps you realize why they come to the responses they do- which is one of the main things I'm trying to achieve in my fic. I am rambling now. Also I've never personally read Killing Stalking, but I'll take that as a compliment ! Maybe ?? I'll assume it is ! Otherwise I hope you also enjoy my other fic, for it is WAY more lighthearted.

[whatislifebesidesrehearsal]

Actor: Has something ever gone missing and you can’t find it?

Lead Actor: Yeah, it’s called losing something.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Why is Wujing the most wishy washy when interpreting his design?

I think that in most cases he is both the easiest, and can be the hardest to interpret. Technically speaking, he is built like a man with mostly human features and can be interpreted as a normal human with the occasion of red hair and tinted skin but otherwise doesn’t need prosthetics like Bajie or faux fur like Wukong. Not to mention that because Wujing has the one of the least impact characteristic he is the most likely to be changed in personality depending on the medium. I have seen him being portrayed as a Gentle Giant with not much to say but always has a big heart, to a Raging Brute with a short temper but while emotional still tries to never give up, to even a Quiet Genius where his quiet nature comes from more of a quizzical point of view. Wujing in the story is shown to be thoughtful, caring, and ruthless, so any of these depictions wouldn't be inaccurate but rather a highlight of only one of these traits.

But design-wise, he could be considered the hardest as if accurately portrayed he would be nearly 12 feet tall, completely blue, and have a full red beard. None of these can be practically done and so most people settle with just making him a normal man with perhaps some monstrous features. I have seen the most in Japanese media that he is portrayed often as a kappa because these are popular river spirits and Wujing is a river spirit himself.

It really just depends if you’re watching a live-action TV show, which is more likely to use the more practical design, or if you’re watching a cartoon or animation that would benefit from the unique indifferent character choices. Depending on what the director wishes to portray Wujing will heavily influence his design. If he is to be seen as a Gentle Giant he might be given a more soft look, allowing the audience (perhaps aimed for children) to be more sympathetic. If he is seen as a Raging Brute he would be more intimidating in appearance whether human or demon. And if he were to be a Quiet Genius they would give him a more noble bearing like a scholar. You have to think more like a producer or a costume designer for a movie when it comes to where you want to put most of your effort into the prosthetics and fur costumes and at least have two characters with simple designs.

You see more in most cases for more long-running tv series or for more domestic movies there are human Wukong designs, mostly inspired by the beloved 1987. There are cases that which most of the cast can look more human as well, making Wujing stand out less. Some of these looks range from hiring tough intimidating men to older more soft spoken men depending on the character.

With Xiyouji movies there is a higher chance of Wujing being more detailed since it is a one-time production compared to TV shows where it has to be consistent. These are either full face makeup or full body paint and you have to see the dedication when it comes to putting on such details. A good example is how the 2014 Monkey King Wukong looks the most human out of the four as he is to be seen as a Gentle Giant, while in the second picture, Marble Mountain 2022 Wujing is given striking fish scale prosthetics as he is a Raging Brute in this movie. Demon Strike Back Wujing leans more to Raging Brute with his such temper hence his intimidating eyes and fish prosthetics, but he said the role by proving himself to be one of the most insightful and thoughtful characters in the movie as he is able to analyze his journeymen emotionally and mentally, giving sight of that Quiet Genius.

While in cartoon movies or television can be inspired by the live action, or wish to portray him more accurately. Even in animation, the 1986 is so popular that even when they can use a more accurate design, his human design is still seen! I believe this is because this is the softest version of Wujing that would give children that Gentle Giant persona that is most likely being portrayed.

But personally, I enjoy when production allows him to have a more monstrous form and allows him to finally look like a demon. We see this only in a few movies and shows but surprisingly it is increasingly popular in comics and video games. This could be allowing Wujing to be more of his Raging Brute persona but surprisingly many of these examples are Quiet Genius as well with Monkey King Reborn 2021, Saiyuki 2001, and Adventure through China Wujing all being seen as Geniuese in their own right despite their monstrous appearances. I would say this is a clever contradictory visualization to have their largest and most-human but still not member to be one of the smartest rather than having him play a Brute.

In any case, there are a lot of ways that people can utilize the beloved Wujing as because his character is one of the most subdued he is easy to play with. We have seen him from Gentle Giant to Ranging Brute to Quiet Genius to anything in between. Whether he is quizzical or thoughtful or just doesn't have anything to say at all he is always a delight to see and given the time he deserves to be fleshed out. I think that the greatest design for a Wujing would allow him to show his Gentle nature without erasing his Rage either. He is a man who is haunted by his past of having a single mistake ruining his life, and pushing to perform cannibalism to survive. But he is a kind man at heart and is shown to be a Thoughtful and Clever individual when he is given the spotlight allowing him to move past his rage and self-hatred to show his earnest feelings of wanting to be a better man. In any case a Wujing is loyal, earnest, and honest to a fault and those are consistent qualities that make him wonderful. Wujing isn't given a lot of screen time but I think that he has so much to offer from anguish, comfort, and philosophical discussions.

[shima-draws]

Work was reeeeeal stressful today and my anxiety’s suuuper high rn lmao. Send some asks?

[shikai-the-storyteller]

There is truly nothing more exhilarating than rereading old fic notes and going "DAMN this is good."

(That, and also laughing out loud at your own jokes.)