#untrusting villain

[eorzeashan]

seeing people rb aphobic and then aspec-supportive posts back to back because of trending incidents: make up your mind

[essycogany]

Sonic As A Villain

I don’t have a name for him, but this is my interpretation of Sonic as a villain. Here’s a hint, imagine if you noticed it, but not through his personality.

I’ve seen many interpretations of Sonic as a villain and instead of having him be a Sonic but on a bad day like Scourge. Sonic but dark and more violent like in Sonic X. Or Sonic but insane like Fleetway or Chaos Sonic, let’s have something different.

Have you ever noticed how Sonic can always manipulate a situation? He does it a bunch when he fights or interacts with people. It’s almost never in a negative way, but it does come across as a bit prideful and egotistical. Usually everything ends up going his way or has to go his way.

I believe if Sonic was ever to be a villain, he’d be a master manipulator. Funnily enough Sonic barely ever lies about things in most continuities, but at the same time is able to trick people or bend things to his will whenever he needs to. I’d like to think a villainous Sonic would be perceived as a good guy. Like standing up for Tails, but instead of moving on and letting Tails join him, Sonic manipulates Tails into beating up the bullies who bullied him.

He’d make Amy feel as if she doesn’t need to fend for herself and tell her to rely on him whenever she needs help. Or tell Knuckles to never trust anyone or ends up not inspiring him, so Knuckles stays antagonistic and untrusting. He’d inspire people to be the worst versions of themselves. Therefore creating a toxic atmosphere. Ideas like that.

This Sonic would be one who’d not care about being famous or rule over anything like a dictator. He’s like normal Sonic in a sense that he goes by his own rules, but it’d be for the worst intentions. He also takes advantage that he’s fast and uses his speed as a weapon. Destroying homes, pulling pranks, stealing, messing up the ecosystem, and all that jazz. He might save the world if it meant he didn’t have to die. But he doesn’t care if some Egg-shaped scientist is destroying the world. As long as he’s not bothering Sonic, why should he care? If he does go against Eggman or any other villains, he’d most likely kill them on the spot. Not out of heroism, but just out of spite. He doesn’t like being bothered.

When he says he doesn’t mind being the bad guy, he means it literally. He’d lack the emotional depth Sonic has and be a caricature of the “Cool guy being a jerk” trope. He doesn’t care if he’s seen as evil or not. He just likes causing mischief. No tragic backstory for him. Sonic’s the way he is because he chooses to be. That includes when he’s the bad guy.

He could act like a good guy in front of a crowd, but in reality, he’s causing the issues people believe he’s saved them from. All you gotta do with an evil version of him is turn his best/worst attributes of his personality and crank them to 100. He doesn’t have to be wild and crazy about it. He’d be just as chill and laid back as normal Sonic. Except he enjoys the chaos around him. Unlike other evil interpretations he’s the most similar to normal Sonic. And it makes things so much worse when he causes problems.

This isn’t the perfect idea, but I do like the concept of Sonic but evil in a way that almost doesn’t change his morals/personality.

[perish-the-creator]

How I'd Write ES Starscream's Descent

Back at it again because as a dark fiction writer I know a thing or two when it comes to depicting the "not so perfect victim".

My issue with how his descend into madness was due in part to the clear attempts from season one's writers to have him be sympathetic and put into question just how much Megatron has actually changed.

After that, it was clearly tossed to the side because the show needed a cybertronian to have the terrans go against and Starscream was right there.

Now, how would I have handled it?

I've noticed that within the show, there is very little things spoken by any given character that is positive about Starscream. Every character who utters his name speaks it in a tone of disgust or comical. That all his actions are a result of who he is and not what he had to endure. And that's where I'd put it in play.

So, imagine he takes the offer. Imagine he admits that he cannot possibly endure having to go into hiding again and scavenging for resources. He's tired of being the target of other's attacks and words and so he joins hoping maybe things will be different.

And they aren't. The physical abuse has been replaced by untrusting eyes and words whispered on hushed lips. Snarky remarks made over public communications or a passing glance at the messages exchanged between Optimus and Megatron.

Could you imagine it? Your abuser has tainted your image so much that it is seen as delusional for one person to actually stand up for you? To have the patience to sit down and understand you? Your abuser, for all the crimes he had committed in the name of a personal agenda (and you admittedly followed for your own selfish means) has the things he's done to you handwaved away and you're told to stop clinging onto that.

It would drive anyone mad. It would make anyone who wants to change ask if it's even worth it because not every victim has the ability to move on so often preached.

So, he decides that he's just going to give them what they want.

So, season two continues and you see him just accept that no matter what he does everyone still regards him as a villain. He can't execute plans without a monitor and tracker on him. He can't make comms without others connected to the frequencies. So why not just become evil.

His outburst at the end is him just letting them win. They desperately want a monster, he'll give them that monster to make them feel so good about themselves.

It's a shame really, because despite this being a kids show it would genuinely show how sometimes not being given the chance to change will cause those who are already bad to sink further into their vices.

[ofbreathandflame-archive]

Well, again, the issue is not that Rhys has done bad things, it’s how those actions are framed in the story. Let’s think about this – if Rhysand’s actions UTM were framed as negative then perhaps we would not be having this conversation.

Of course, we can argue that Rhysand (1) has developed negative coping mechanisms / perspective (2) Rhysand’s trauma informs the things that he does (both pre, during, and after UTM), and (3) Rhysand’s position was uniquely isolating because of the nature of the role he was forced to play. These are points that I believe can be argued and offer an interesting view; but for any of that to happen, we have to acknowledge that the behaviors are negative. That’s often the problem with the arguments that begin to arise – no one wants to admit that Rhysand has developed (or just has) negative qualities and behaviors. No one wants to contend with the reality of consequences. “Rhysand has always admitted that he would be willing to do terrible things for his family” – and yet there’s no elaboration on those “terrible things.” No one wants to talk about those proposed negative qualities. The story (and the audience) don’t want to admit that Rhys doesn’t really have a solid moral high ground over Tamlin, or admittedly other villains. Just because Rhysand “admits” he’s prone to basically being abusive doesn’t…make it any less abusive.

My proposed argument about Rhysand’s actions UTM are this: he chose to sexually assault Feyre, he chose to “protect” Feyre in ways that were extremely sexually explicit. I believe these are choices that Rhys chooses to make – and I believe they say something about him. It’s noted, to me, that Amarantha scarcely makes Rhys do anything that he does to Feyre. I also believe that his actions regarding Feyre were done with an air of autonomy; as in, I believe Rhysand takes these measures into his own hands. Ultimately, I believe that while Rhysand has to contend with the horrors, he himself becomes beholden to them at some point and ends up perpetrating the same behaviors.

We cannot argue that Rhysand sexually assaulted Feyre, and then argue that it doesn’t say something about him. It does. In the realm of the story – from a writing standpoint – I think a good author can still make a character like that sympathetic and understandable (see: Nahadoth and Itempas from N.K. Jemisin’s Hundred Thousand Kingdom). If I were analyzing Rhysand’s actions, I would simply make the argument that perhaps Rhysand’s abuse of Feyre mirror’s his own abuse by Amarantha hands, and he potentially sees Feyre (and her hope) as something to be threatened – or even shamed by. If Rhysand’s actions were written in a way that clearly exemplified that his actions are not meant to be praised (and are NOT are reflection of love) then he could be salvaged. I actually believe a lot of the abusive things Rhysand does makes sense given the environment and if the story leaned into this from a storytelling perspective and did away with needing to moralize, then this would all be fine. Framing Rhysand’s abuse of Feyre as something to be praised, admired, and loved for is actually quite insane. If we frame his actions as purely preservational and self-serving, that would make so much sense. Imagine being in Rhysand’s position; I guarantee everyone would do whatever they could to stop such extreme amounts of abuse and sexual violence. And even then, the story could still create a narrative that warns of the danger of sexual violence and consent, it would just be subtextual and more allegorical than concretely written in the text. Starting Feyre and Rhysand off in such a tragic place, having Feyre and Rhysand acknowledged truly what happened, having them discuss ways for both of them to move forward while building up the mating bond in the background. Have Feyre acknowledge this untrusting, sly, slick part of Rhysand and have her not assume her mate does everything out of the kindness of his heart. Build their romance out of a place of mutual atonement – play on the theme of guilt Feyre feels and the whole premise of the court. Let the connection between Feyre and Rhys be that they truly acknowledge each others darkness (and also let Feyre do selfish things – maybe she knew damn well Clare Beddor’s family might suffer a bad fate but its not her family and Feyre would do anything for them; Let Feyre kill those fairies with ease because she cares about her life. Let her contend with reality that she would actually do anything for her family and then have that be a connection between Rhys and Feyre.

Something that has always bothered me about the “we don’t talk enough about Rhysand’s trauma” argument that gets thrown around when we earnestly discuss the validity of his actions is the presumption of innocence in that statement. The unwritten statement is that the trauma somehow explains and simultaneously absolves him of the implications of his actions. I objectively agree with the sentiment – Rhysand’s trauma is not talked about enough and it should be. The argument dancing in the corner is the fact that people believe that Rhysand’s extreme amount of trauma absolves him – even going as far as essentially say that Rhysand’s abuse operates out of fear (or because of fear) which is essentially the exact same ideology the book bashed Tamlin for. In the end, the cycle just comes back around and the abuse gets pushed into the backdrop.

[bibibbon]

Characters with wasted potential: kurooboro

It's our favourite intelligent nomu kurooboro that deserves so much more attention and a better arc then what he got.

Personally the narrative does seem to treat oboro and kurogiri as two different characters which I like but I wish we got more exploration on that.

Kurogiri

Kurogiri is shigarakis caretaker he is also AFOs servant. However, that's all we know.

1) I would have it that kurogiri used to be a loyal AFO servant. He became a servant/puppet due to him falling through the cracks of the system and trying to escape poverty in anyway he could. Overtime kurogiri got physically sick and his body started to fail yet he still worked for AFO accepting what he did. Afo recognises kurogiri as a valuable asset when his plan of capturing eraser and his quirk goes to mess and starts plotting with the doctor to help kurogiri get a new body which happens to be oboros.

The doctor manages to successfully do this transfer or so he thinks. The doctor is weird and creepy and yes he manages to do implant kurogiri's mind and quirk into a vestige but this comes with some drawbacks like oboro and kurogiri both sharing a mind and body or oboro physically and spiritually rejecting kurogiri making it so that his body is tearing him from the inside out in some way.

Kurogiri is tasked with the job of taking care of Shigaraki and at first he is quite indifferent to the child and doesn't care for him. However, as time goes on he does slowly warm up to shigaraki and care for him ( I love dad kurogiri too much for this). This puts kurogiri in a rough position, he cares for shigaraki but he also hears the plans that AFO and the doctor have in mind for him and he indirectly tries to slow them down or hinder them. All of this is little to no prevail, as much as kurogiri cares he isn't equipped or certified to take care of a traumatised child or to stop afo and the doctors plan.

2)Kurogiri makes a little plan. The plan is one where he gets a bar (AFO allows him) and he basically runs the bar. From the money he gains in the bar he spends some on shigaraki but also hides some of the income to at least assure his and shigarakis own survival. Sadly, the plan is found by AFO himself and the doctor does some "modifications" to kurogiri (practically torture) to keep kurogiri complacent and become the perfect puppet, to play his role. Kurogiri glad that AFO didn't take the bar away from him , but now takes like 50% of the income he earns spends the money on various things. He still has a plan but the initial plan for him to escape with shigaraki is looking slimmer and slimmer. He has a moment where he starts to desire freedom to escape and burn everything he has to the ground to fully forget about shigaraki, AFO, the doctor and all. Yet he stays and finds way to passively retaliate and rebell against both AFO and the doctor.

During this time he and oboro/ oboro's spirit and remains bond over their experiences. Considering that they both want freedom one way or another they work together to enhance their quirk.

Oboro shirakumo

Oboro shirakumo is a former 17 year old hero student who is friends with midnight, present mic and Eraserhead. He was majorly injured during a work study that he did with his friends trying to help save some children.

1) Oboro doesn't actually die, he is just declared dead and taken away. Afo is pretty disappointed when the villain fail to kill/ bring to him Eraserhead and accidentally bring in a heavily injured oboro. The doctor takes oboro, thinking that his quirk has some potential and suggests the idea of making oboro and kurogiri a merger intelligent nomu. AFO agrees to this of course and oboro's body is basically healed/ fixed by the doctor to become a suitable vessel.

2) at this point oboro is in a coma. However, when the doctor tries to merge the two oboro does show signs of retaliation and rejecting kurogiri, yet kurogiri overpowers him. Oboro is scared and untrusting of anyone around him at the moment. Both he and kurogiri get into a lot of arguments over the body they share which proves for it to be difficult to live in the body.

3) due to their differences and background oboro and kurogiri do not get along at first. Oboro is still quite naive about the world but his counterpart kurogiri isn't . Due to their close forced proximity and the fact that both want the body they are in to function they try and cooperate. They get to know eachother and start to understand their respective sides. Kurogiri shares his story, how he had to live on the street and survived of barely anything, how he enjoyed being a bartender before his body started failing him and he had to quit and fully dedicate his life to being AFO's servant. That's when oboro shares his own experiences how he wanted to be a hero, own an agency with his friends and how he also wanted to help others. They continue to cooperate and both make the plan of saving up money and running away from AFO.

3) When that plan is found out and the doctor does his 'modification' oboro goes silent, taking the blunt force of it at the time. This happens for a long while and kurogiri feels alone, this is when he starts to think of just leaving and destroying everything. Oboro is silent, he is stuck in a limbo place. Kurogiri thinks he can see oboro's spirit when he is sleeping but that is neither here or there. However, when they meet Eraserhead in the USJ oboro makes a slow awakening. He physically makes kurogiri's body hesitate and that's what causes them to be stuck in Todorokis ice.

4) Kurogiri is shocked of course and after the battle both of them have a conversation. Oboro isn't aware of how it works and doesn't remember anything after the doctors modifications which is when Kurogiri fills him in about what happened. Both start to work harder than ever for a chance at escaping whether it be them escalating their passive rebellious behaviour to AFO or trying to guide shigaraki to a different path.

They try their best, they really do but looks helpless and their chance at freedom is long and far. That is when they choose to slowly collect information in journals and allow themselves to get captured some time after the overhaul arc revealing their identity.

All of oboro's friends (NOT JUST ERASERHEAD LIKE IN CANON) are conflicted, confused and upset. They comfort eachother and all come into different conclusions, scared but so hopeful for a restoration of normalcy in their lives. It is present mic and eraserhead that try to make the first move, trusting the information that kurogiri provides them and slowly help kurogiri. Present mic is the first to come around at first not believing that its oboro but wanting the information, wanting to know if there is a traitor. Secondly, it's eraserhead out of pure hope and denial, he knows it isn't logical but he misses oboro and hasn't moved on. He now needs to understand that oboro isn't oboro but he is much more complex and has went through things. Lastly, it's midnight with a combination of both factors and guilt. She tries to avoid kurogiri as she blames herself for what happend and also starts to rethink her actions as a hero.

Working with the heroes gets kurogiri out of prison and under UA's custody really but he still is quite ominous especially kurogiri who still wants to save/help shigaraki and ends up talking to izuku about it.

I feel like there are way too many ways we can take kurogiri and oboro's characters in, all with different ways and endings but canon managed to do such a horrendous disservice to him so I hope I have given him some justice

(ALSO HAVE OBORO'S FAMILY BE INVOLVED IN THIS)!! like when people find out that kurogiri is also oboro I don't wanna just see Eraserhead perspective but also midnights, present mic and oboro's relatives

[tinyfantasminha]

Thoughts about this year's Halloween event 👀

I'm kinda sad we won't be getting a GloMas part 2 for the rest of the cast, BUT I'm also excited for the new one and new characters!!

HONEST JOHN AND GIDEON 👀 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS 😩😩 FOXBOY AND CATBOY, MORE BEASTMEN CHARAS FINALLY (no one is immune to a mischievous fox boy)

And if they're here, that means the event is going to be Pinocchio inspired!! (at least we hope so 😳) like how Rollo was last year's guest character and surely, GloMas was very much inspired in The Hunchback of Notredame which is where Rollo's respective villain is from...

So assuming it will be a pinocchio event, the boys will most likely go to a twst version of Tuscany, Italy (where pinocchio's story takes place in) and my hunch is that, much like in Glorious Masquerade, there will be some kind of touristic festival happening. And that festival will be a carnival based on Pleasure Island 👀

By here you can pretty much guess what the conflict will be... The place will either be cursed or casted with magic to make the guests turn into donkeys, throwing everyone in a pit of panic and our boys will have to stop it 😫

It's highkey likely that the cards for the event will be the rest of the boys who didn't appear in GloMas, so: Ace, Cater, Trey, Leona, Jack, Jade, Floyd, Kalim, Vil, Ortho and Lilia.

My hunch is that the three SSRs will be Ortho, Ace and Kalim. The reasons are:

Ortho ➜ An obvious choice, he'll be pretty much the Pinocchio for this event. If people will be magically turning into donkeys, he's most likely to be immune to it since he's a robot, making him the protagonist who will save the day. He also was only a R card in Endless Halloween, so the possibility of his card being of a higher rarity such as SSR is very high!

Ace ➜ Ngl my main reasoning is that his last event SSR was over 3 YEARS AGO, he's due to have another one any time soon 😫 also, some people pointed out that he's similar to Lampwick, Pinocchio's human friend who got turned into a donkey. They are both red-haired and have a rambatious and careless attitude, so it fits just right!

Kalim ➜ I'm not so sure about him as I am with Ortho and Ace, but like Ortho, he was only an R card in the first halloween event, so his chances of being SSR is higher. Story wise, I was thinking; his naiveteness/innocence kinda resembles Pinocchio's. If twst Honest John will appear, he definitelly will try to deceive someone, but most of the boys are too cunning and untrusting to be tricked that easily. Kalim is the most likely to trust him and be deceived. So just like Ortho, he also somewhat plays the role of Pinocchio.

Lastly, I was thinking that the types of outfits they'll be wearing will be circus/carnival inspired, much like in a Noah's Arc Circus aesthetic, which is an arc from Kuroshitsuji, Yana Toboso's other work!

I think the outfits will have this sorta vibe! I absolutely ADORE creepy/dark carnival/circus aesthetics so I'm hoping that's the case since it's perfect for a halloween event 😳

[beaniebitch01]

RANT!!!

*This will contain spoilers for Sonic Prime*

So I watched this show once before but held off writing my thoughts on it until I re-watched it cause on first watch I'm not really thinking of the show in a critical manner so it'd just be a disjointed string of random thoughts I had. It's also because any grievances I had may not have been fair when you consider the target audience this show was made for. So with that in mind I re-watched it and can now make a (hopefully) fair review of it.

I'm gonna start with what I thought was bad because considering it's a 3 season series I don't have a lot of complaints so I'll just get them out first.

1)The villains were dumb like what purpose does 5 eggmans serve besides obnoxious arguing. It would've been much more interesting if each world had its own version of eggman. Even the baby would've been a funny character if it was the sole villain for one of the worlds. 2)The fight scenes were repetitive. 3)Dialogue was actually painful sometimes, but this was made in an age where people for some reason think kids can't comprehend real conversations so they insert dumb quips. 4)*shudders*The Baby™. As sonic said in season two, "how can one baby be so hateable". Never in my life have I wanted to punch a character so bad. Every time it was on screen I felt a burning flame of hatred in my soul. 5)The ending, especially the last few episodes, went back and forth between Sonic trying to convince Nine to stop and the same fighting sequences and it got so annoying i thought about fast forwarding to the end. The stakes never felt high or low, they felt the same for all 7 episodes.

The good:

1)Shadow!!! He's in a show for more than a few episodes!!! Bro is always angry but honestly if I had to deal with sonics shenanigans I'd be perpetually annoyed too. 2)It was pretty well paced. Season one introduced all of the alternate worlds, season two had sonic switching between those worlds trying to get all of the crystals back and revealed a twist villain, season three was the fight against that villain and restoring the shatter space. 3)Considering the other shows we have, the animation wasn't bad, but could've been better. Especially when Netflix has come out with stuff like Arcane whose animation was incredible. 4)The plot was cohesive. 5)Good twist villain. Even though you can see it coming from the first episode of the first season, Nine still made for a good villain. 6)I was surprised to see actual character growth. Sonic's was inevitable since his carelessness got them into the situation they're in. Nine's character changed with each season, starting with being untrusting and guarded in the first, calming down in season two and actually caring about Sonic's wellbeing, feeling betrayed and angry in season three and then finally realizing he done goofed and Sonic was always his friend. 7)I really like that the one common thing from all worlds is the one palm tree. This feels like a weird thing to comment on but I just found it sweet for some reason.

Overall I really enjoyed the show and def recommend it.

[justpoliteconversations]

Unsung Hero [TP!Link + Veterinarian!Reader]

The care and management of domestic animals is not new to Hyrule, but your kind of practice is.

The indulgence is growing out of control. The other piece for the results of this Poll.

Masterlist

Companion piece:

Fall Birds [BOTW!Link + Reader]

TW: None.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise.

---

Seven little fluff balls wait contently within their holding pens, five young females, one adult and a male not even old enough to have a tween's characteristic lank. Three have taken a liking to the soft rags and old shirts you've crafted into makeshift beds, two still picking cautiously at their food bowls, one is grooming with quiet concentration. The kitten is up against the bars, meowing loudly for your attention.

These cats have been well taken care of. They are not afraid of people, many of them want to be picked up. None of them have any issues accepting the food you've given them, they all having been pawing at their enclosures expectantly the moment you'd passed through the doors with food in your hands.

This is a good village. You can tell, for there is no greater indication of a community's character then how they treat thier animals. Creatures whom often rely upon their human caretakers to provide basic needs. Truly, the most vulnerable in any civilized society, safeguarded not by the reigns of biology or sacred law, but by will of the people who keep them.

You smile as you approach, and no less then three of the younger females join the male up against the bars. You are forced to dodge little paws as you crack the doors open just enough to reach in and switch out thier water bowls. Though you give into temptation once or twice and capture their little paws between your fingers, squeezing softly against their smooth beans.

It is harder than you'd like to admit to pull away from them, especially when they are just as eager for attention as you are to give it. But you have work to do, and unfortunately, they only partially involve playing with little beans.

So you eventually leave the room, old water bowls in hand and steadfastly ignoring the pitiful little meows chasing after you. Sometimes you have to play the villain, but that's just an unavoidable consequence of the profession you lead.

And so, unfortunately, is this.

"May I help you." You ask pleasantly enough, irked that this unknown man (hyrulian?) had entered the back of your workplace uninvited, but not really surprised either.

Hyrule and the lands surrounding it are strange as far as privacy and security is concerned. No door is truly locked unless it's physically barred, by the locals reckoning. No shop guards their precious stock with carefully maintained distance, no home sacred to the eyes or ears of their community.

Even thievery is taken in stride, rarely punished but for the occasional snide remark or displeased glower. Occasionally, the victimized shop owner may strike at the thief, maybe lecture them, and by the eyes of social justice this seems to make right the wrong.

So, no. You are not surprised. Nor are you surprised by the untrusting tension corded through this man's body.

This is to be expected, or more precisely, this should be expected. And rather than make you feel unnerved or frightened, you are gladdened by this man's formidable presence.

You are happy, because someone cares enough about these animals to ask you what you're doing with them. Cares enough to notice their absence. Cares enough to confront potential abusers with righteous fury, because you can see that in his eyes. That unrelenting need to protect burning in this man's gaze, waiting for a reason to unfurl like Hellfire.

"Why are you taking the cats." He says simply, so honest and to the point. Your heart is gladdened further, because finally, someone who's not going to meekly dance around the issue to avoid offense.

Let them be damned offended. Priority is the wellbeing of the animals. It always has been, and if you're going to dig into other people's business, you best be prepared to get in their face too.

You smile at him, and he seems taken aback by it. "I'm a veterinarian from overseas, specializing in spading and neutering small mammals."

He blinks, long lashes framing wide blue eyes now brimming with cautious curiosity. "A veterinarian?"

You grin, taking the opportunity. You always take the opportunity to educate people. It's just as, if not even more important, than what you actually do.

And so, you talk. You speak of eventual overpopulation, of a single female cat's extensive breeding potential. Of bird populations decimated, of entire litters lost to the dangers of the wilds and the inevitability of disease and death. Of the benefits of fixing felines young, of the health hazards avoided and the behavior issues soothed.

All the while, his eyes get wider and rounder and softer. His world opens up, the light of newfound knowledge enters his inquisitive gaze. At some point he sat, ushering you to sit too. He leans forward as you talk, riveted, asking questions when you begin to slow. Spurring you onwards one breath at a time.

Minutes turn to hours, hours become a promise extracted from the man himself. A promise that you would continue to explain to him the purpose and riggers of your little known profession.

You'd agreed readily. Heart fluttering with the quiet hope of like-minded companionship.

He returns the next day. And the next.

All seven of the cats are fixed by that time, safe and recovering in their pens. And the man, Link, is there for two of their operations. Witness to your practice.

He is enthralled by the precision of your blades, the skill of your hands. Not once does he shy away from the unsavory sight such a profession entails, asking questions only after you've placed the last stitches into shave-short fur. His eyes burning with the need to know and to learn.

You give him everything you have. Every scrap of knowledge and wisdom accumulated after years of education and trials. You share it freely, anything within your power to give is his should he ask.

And he- replies in kind.

Time, effort, rupees. You'd tried to deny, but he could not be moved. The fire in his spirit burning too hot, too intense for you to have any hope of outlasting it's blaze.

He brings in more stray cats, dogs, squirrels (?) than you have holding pens, children trailing behind him with proud expressions of excitement and pride. You give them candy for their efforts, they give you hugs and little scraps of cloth for more beds.

He hands you rupees, brows fixed in stubborn defiance, unwilling to back down from his contributions. There's more than you've ever seen in one place, more than a year's worth. It's too much, but the gleam in his eyes tells of a man who will burden you with untold excess should you refuse his first offer.

The threat is nearly tangible in it's closeness. Take the damned rupees, or prepare to drown in them.

Collars appear like magic overnight upon a precious few cats and dogs, bands of every color staking a bold claim. You leave those ones be, waiting for the loving hands of owners to bring them to you.

Your clinic grows, your place within the community settles. Your new friend becomes your best friend and your most trusted confidant.

Link buys a goat ranch (the one he's been working on for years now), beaming with pride as he tells you how he finally convinced Old man Fado to pass over ownership to him. You congratulate him of course, overcome with pride for his persistence and success.

Your not surprised though. While many might have questioned his hesitance to settle, those who knew him well saw this coming years ago. It was only ever a matter of when the man would pluck up the resolve to fully commit.

The long wait had not been wasted though. A stack of worn books, old and new, sitting prominently at your bedside spoke quietly of that.

"Hey, Link. Now that you're a respectable ranch owner, want to go into business together?" You smile, eyes crinkled at the corners as he caught your gaze in (unnecessarily) hopeful disbelief. "I've been doing a bit of light reading on the biology of ordon goats, after all."

You held out your hand to him, and he gripped it back fiercely, a suspicious shimmer at his lower lashes as a bright smile stole across his lips.

"Might as well not let the knowledge go to waste. Right?"

---

Back to the safety of the shadows.

[fictionalvillainenjoyer]

Chad, Ben, and Audrey are three examples of how differently children raised in overprotective, privileged, and paranoid environments can end up.

Chad: It’s very evident from the new information presented in RoR that Cinderella spoiled both of her children out of love. Attempting to protect them from the feelings of neglect and under appreciation she felt as a child by rewarding them for the bare minimum and providing them with whatever they wanted. This led to Chad becoming accustomed to snapping a finger and getting what he wanted, without any push back from anyone. Which in turn produces a spoiled brat. Not to mention Cinderella probably never made her children work, once again paranoid that they’d have the same childhood as her, only increasing Chads arrogance and snobbery.

Ben: Beast and Belle very obviously raised their son to be kind hearted, trusting, and caring BUT he was also raised in a metaphorical bubble where everything was sugar plums and gumdrops and nothing bad ever happened. I theorize that Beast raised him this way because he was paranoid that Ben would end up like him, a spoiled prince who had a rude awakening. And that Belle wants to protect her son from all the bad in the world after dealing with Gaston and the other harsh realities of the world. He was also raised in privilege but had it drilled into him to always be kind and see the best in everyone. This produced a naive but kind boy who saw the world in black and white, evil vs good, but also was unable to sense when he was truly in danger.

Audrey: Audrey was raised by a woman who was overly paranoid of magic, villains, and anything that had to do with Maleficent. (This is going off the view that Leah raised Audrey). So she wanted to protect Audrey by warning her of all these things, making sure Audrey was just as untrusting and quick to judge as she was so she wouldn’t lose the chance to raise another child. But Audrey also grew up in the life of privilege, and when you’re taught to hate and fear anyone from a different background than you you get a snobby, rude, and arrogant girl who believes she’s just protecting herself and those around her with the walls of judgement she’s built. Just like Audrey is shown to be throughout the franchise.

All three come from places of extreme privilege, they’re all royal after all, and have been shielded by their guardians to the cruel nature of the world around them because the people who raised them have a deep sense of paranoia regarding their own past experiences.

But yet they’re all wildly different characters: Chad is lazy and arrogant and believes that as long as he is the bare minimum good that good things will happen to him. Ben is naive and believes that the world is pure good, but he’s kind and generous at heart, but that doesn’t save him when he sees the harsh reality. Audrey is assertive and judgemental, and knows to be rude and have a fear of anything that could possibly harm her or her loved ones, leading to her being a high school mean girl.

[nyaskitten]

I think the thing about Beatrix is she's undeniably an enjoyable villain, but a HATEABLE person !

Her whole system of governance involves the cruel and unjust oppression of her people, she views her people and dragons as one in the same, simple-minded sub-creatures far beneath her, she views outsiders and outsider cultures as even further beneath her, even instilling in her people that these outlanders are untrustable and filthy and they mustn't contaminate their noble and pure cultures with something like the Crossroads.

And yet, she's still an interesting villain to break apart and see why she's like that.

I think it's clear her dad DID in some way favor Zeatrix all those years, rarely ever paying Beatrix too much mind, yet it's also likely some of it was in Beatrix's head, nothing more than how she felt. Beatrix did unjustifiably horrid things, literally almost destroying the whole UNIVERSE just to get back at the ninja who humiliated her, and yet it's still so interesting to just look at her and ask "why's she like that? is it due to her father? Or is she naturally that bad?"

[love-byers]

thoughts on Will having a temporary death? Saw someone talking about it (forgot who) and I thought it was a really interesting concept. Like - he dies but then his powers (if you're a will byers has powers truther) are so strong they kinda jolt him up or something.

that's really intriguing and could be really cool depending on how they do it!!

if will does end up having powers similar to henry or connected to the upside down they should make him conflicted about them. maybe scared or ashamed to use them. but later they end up saving his life.

idk how many of you have seen iron man 3 (watch it it's so good) but i would like it to be somewhat similar to what happened to pepper in that movie. the villains created human regeneration technology so for example if your arm got cut off they could regrow it and it would have new qualities, like extra strength. it was dangerous. they kidnapped pepper and forced the tech onto her to lure tony to them. tony saves her but she ends up 'dying' briefly, but she comes back because of the regeneration stuff and kicks ass and saves tony herself.

though what had happened to her was scary and she was untrusting of her 'powers', in the end she embraced them and ended up saving the world. and even though tony was freaked out too he was just glad she was okay and was like "okay that was badass"

obviously i don't mean this should be st5 beat for beat but something like that would be cool!

[trashc-anon]

hazbin hotel is polluting my mind so if I were the editor's intern: reco

• either stretch the season into 16 episodes or cut the plotlines in half;

• definitaly cut Alastor's screen time in half (if not more)

• make up your mind how much of the pilot is canon (especially regarding Lucifer)

• episode 1 is good as is, a soft reboot from the pilot without getting in too much detail and I love hating Adam, "Hell is Forever" is banger (i hope the music writers were properly paid and Disney learns why AI is a bad idea!)

• episode 2 is a problem, because Sir Pentious presence is only because of the V's, make that episode 2/2;

• ep 1/2 - Charlie and Vaggie leave the hotel to recruit; Sir Pentious attacks, all on schedule

• Charlie or Vaggie save some of the eggs from being crushed; when the "battle" is over, Pentious is cautiosly agrees to entertain their hospitalty; angel is untrusting;

• "Starts with Sorry"

• leave the Vs as unseen foes, and Alastor's only appearance is his shadow at the end of the episode (Overlords are mysterious unseen threat)

• episode 2/2 - Vs are anxious that Alastor is with the princess;

• see, the first couple of episodes make sense, but they take away from the girls and the hotel

• but "Stayed Gone" is sooo good! maybe use at a later date?

nevermind

• "Stayed Gone" is a fun song, BUT it doesn't make sense for Alastor, mysterious serial killer, to have childish rivalries; why didn't he kill Vox back when he rejected him and Vox got 'pissy'?

• either make Vox less pathetic or less there;

• soooo, episode 3/1 is would be trust exercises

• i actually liked Angel's plan with BDSM, he's not wrong and I wished he had the chance to be an adult that LIKES sex separate from the victim that uses overtsexuality as a defence mechanism

• each character could have their own moment to show what trust means to them; trust comes in different shades;

• between Angel and Maggie we see sexual intimacy and surviving extreme situations; Husk has issues with openess; Niffty with intrusive thoughts;

• IN FACT! actually stablish WHY Husk and Niffty are part of the exercises! they're not guests, Husk says as much, they are employees LOANED by Alastor; they're not there to earn redemption; *vague hand gesture in confusion*

• OKAY - Overlord meeting... ehhhhhh

• i still want to cut Alastor's screentime! whats the point of the meeting? screentime for the overlords, the dead angel (which we know, but main cast won't until episode 7) Carmila being responsible is important, we need to know who to ask for help, but ugh. I get its also, prelude that you need love to fight and win against angels, but its never stablished in canon, Carmila says it to Maggie to use as internal compass to keep her fighting beyond pain and fear; bloodlust is distracting, love is focused;

• my delight with Zestial being all dark and yummy need to take a hike for the sake of - what am i even doing any more?

• I can't help but think how much of these decision are also based on Voice Actor salaries; because Keith David (Husk) gotta be expensive and for a character that is literaly always presented he almost never talks; and just, ALL of them being expensive and ~ahahah better make fewer episodes if you want big names in your projects~

• ughhhh that's when you know a series has issues, when trying to fix you run into a thousand more problems;

• i would respect how much they put into 8 episodes, ONLY IF it's true they didn't know they would get season 2. Because in that case a bunch of these plot lines needed to be dropped, I don't care how fanfavorite the character is;

• the Vs serve no purpose what so ever, you can easily have Valentino as a lone villain (also less confusion about hells social rules about SA and abuse);

• Lucifer should've been the last big name to enter screen; work up to the trial with Heaven for S2E01 (why even a trial)

• just how PLOT heavy is this series that Viv needed Lilith's bomb to drop in season 1? which is a major inconsistancy for a series based on the theme of redemption, a CHARACTER heavy theme;

• as it is, i don't see how Sir Pentious being redeemed is a good thing, because he died before entering Heaven, so other souls need to die too and hope it's not forever? wouldn't that fuel Exterminators cause to kill in name of 'clensing'? (holy shit, the more I write the worse it gets)

• IS there an primordial EVIL to scare the angels so badly?

• omg I hope they won't try to bring actual GOD into the series; I know there is concept art floating around, but please, do not;

• Supernatural barely got away with it in Season 5 because it was a funny 'what if' and made it got bad in Season 10 (?) (no series should ever emulate Supernatural, its a warning I mean it, don't, not worth it, you don't have 10+ years of dead horse to beat)(the fans, me, stayed out of, idk, regretfull loyalty)

• my english is not good enough for this... KAY IM DONE NOW! BYEEEE

[fairytalewonders]

Does anyone know about the game ten trials of babel the doppelganger maze?

The concept is basically that the MC gets told they won a raffle and will be participating in games involving the tower of babel. Ten different species are participating and there is ten different levels of the tower.

Each participant are called story-divers and that is because each level of the tower of babel has a set group of stories, that the "readers" must complete to go to a higher level. (You can technically move on to another level after only completing one story, but it is discouraged since each level gets more and more difficult.)

There can be seven winners total that reach the top. However, for each species that doesn't have a winner, they are completely wiped out. And a winning spot isn't just secluded to one species. Take for instance if two humans concurred the tower before any other species, there would be two human winners.

Participates are assigned stories at random, and different species are assigned different tasks to complete per-story. (This is to encourage fights amongst inter-species relations.)

Winners are allowed to ask for a wish to be granted. Any wish.

The MC eventually learns that they can do the exact opposite of what the game masters want, and can descend the tower of babel. But to do so, you need at least five different species to agree to do so. The program that runs this actually encourages inter-species relations, and is looking for a way to end the game without genocide.

Now, imagine this, but with TWST. Of course, you would have the characters that have been in the game the longest and are incredibly untrusting, like the Dorm Leaders.

Then there's just trying to get along with other species, even though you may have gotten a task where you would have to kill one of their own to move on from the story world.

Then what about the people you do get to agree to help you? You can't forget they were originally villains after all. Whose to say they won't agree to help you just to take the prize out from under your feet.

(Aside from that, I do highly suggest and encourage people to play the actual game. It's super-cheap for the amazing quality and is such an interesting story concept.)

(Feel free to make requests for this story concept with the Twst Characters. I might right a proper set up for it later.)

[i-am-lakuna]

[‼️TW: This post is not sexual content itself however it talks about asexuality and thus also discusses sex.‼️]

Before pride month ends I want to talk about Transformers characters that are on the aroace spectrum!!

I want to clarify that since Cybertonians don't reproduce sexually that makes them all asexual in cannon!

...However the fandom still has a lot of different interpretations and headcannons. Some of these include procreation while others are robots being sexual for the sake of "fun" rather than biology. I personally feel VERY uncomfortable with the idea of sexual reproduction in transformers but fandom is fandom and I am well aware of how it ignores the cannon so this list is made with that in mind.

As for the aromantic part of this post....

Sadly none of those are actually cannon since the creators haven't said anything about it and it's never said out loud in the media these characters are from HOWEVER I feel like most of these are very heavily implied. If you're confused about labels please look them up!

Sorry this post only contains three characters, I'm writing this literally last minute before going to the airport lol. I feel like there are maybe some more that I've missed so you're welcome to comment or reblog if you want to add to the list!

-

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Shockwave: aromantic, asexual, could be aplatonic in some continuities.

I HAD to start with him. Speaks for itself really, if you're in the fandom you're probably familiar with how little emotion Shockwave expresses in general. Sadly though most people either see him as a completely emotionless monster or make him the super ooc :( He has no interest in sex or romance and some versions of him do not care for platonic bonds either.

The fandom sadly does not understand this, I'm not completely against him being shipped with other characters I just wish it was written properly and with his sexual/romantic orientation in mind. I feel like there's some interesting queer platonic lab partner shipping potential here but again this fandom is terrible at not sexualising him for some reason.

He does show care for others in SOME continuities, in Cyberverse we see that he used to be friends with Wheeljack and possibly some other characters. He does have emotions, even in other shows/media, we see him get visibly angry in TFP and Earthspark. So just saying that he doesn't feel anything is a straight up lie. He follows logic although we do see him make non logical choices when influenced by emotions, it's rare but it has happened.

I'm planning to make more content about him and being aroace spec soon. I want to show people that just because you don't feel forms of attraction or love towards others doesn't mean you're completely heartless. And yes I know an extremely stereotypical evil robot probably isn't the best character to use to prove a point like this but I just need people to stop mischaracterising him.

-

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Shadowstriker: aromantic, asexual.

[most of this is refering to her in Cyberverse, thought I do mention IDW briefly]

What is it with clearly aroace female characters, usually villains, and being called masc lesbians? No offence to lesbians but please y'all let us have some representation. Sorry pooks she doesn't want a girl, she doesn't want anyone actually. Which doesn't mean she doesn't value friendship, just look at how she interacts with Soundwave and Lazerbeak! That's found family if I've ever seen it!

I think she's someone who struggles a lot with emotions and intimacy just in general, though we do actually see her emotions slipping through the "mask" more towards the end of the show, even being happy [thought it was quite bittersweet] and part of a group hug in the last episode. Well done her for actually accepting physical touch that isn't punching someone in the face! She's a very untrusting character who tends to assume the worst in everyone and is really aggressive for most of the show. She has absolutely no interest in romance or sex and is probably apothisexual/apothiromantic. But as previously stated I think platonic love is really important to her. She's the type of person who would kill for her found family, in fact considering she's a Decepticon she probably has.

She's one of those extremely interesting and emotionally complex characters and yet somehow she's always overlooked. I see people talking about wanting more well written female characters and HERE SHE IS! Honestly I'd recommend watching Cyberverse even if you're just doing it for her, it's worth it. I could write a whole essay all about her. Can y'all tell she's my favourite? Because she is.

As for shipping I do like the idea of her being in a queer platonic ship with Flamewar and Slipstream in the IDW comics they're in, though again, I don't think people know how to write qp relationships...

-

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TFP Soundwave: demiromantic, asexual.

This one is only specific to one continuity and that's Transformers Prime. Not saying other versions aren't on the spectrum, I have a quite couple headcannons, though I feel they might be a bit ooc/self indulgent so I'm not including them since I'm trying to keep this list as "likely to be cannon" as I can.

In the show he doesn't speak and doesn't really have a face so he doesn't really express himself a lot. Though he still definitely shows emotion, just, differently I guess? He is uninterested in sex, I think he could be in a romantic relationship but it would have to be someone he's already emotionally attached to. Platonic love is extremely important to him but specifically his cassettes, they're his family. Others however.... I feel like he doesn't really care for a lot of the characters in the show but then again he doesn't show emotions much so he could just be hiding it.

-

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[whumble-beeee]

The Name of The Game

The (Un)Official Guide to Hero-Keeping | Cont'd from Part 8

Content: mentioned past attempted noncon, hysterical whumpee/nervous breakdown (seriously yall, it gets bad), disabled whumpee, trans whumpee, tied up/handcuffs, noncon unshirtening, past captivity references

* * * * * * * *

Excerpt from: The (Un)Official Guide to Hero-Keeping; a self-help guide for villains and bounty-hunters

[While following this guide, as well as generally while playing the wonderful game that is villainy, you will find that the advice can rarely be fitted to every specific scenario. But one piece of advice is universal: If you value your freedom, your loved ones, and your life, you must never reveal your secret identity to your captured hero. As soon as you do, there is no more facade. Villainy is no longer a game. It is your life. And heroes will not hesitate to destroy your life if it means they can win the game. 

If a hero (or ANY untrusted party) ever happens upon your secret identity, it is your responsibility, as a villain and as a human being, to accept the end of your life as you know it…

Or to ensure that the hero can never tell another living soul.]

* * * * * * * *

“See you soon?” Deeby repeated Sweater-vest’s last words incredulously. “See you soon?! Christ, and you know he knows– god, he just needs to stop being such un pendejo and shut the hell up, stop making everything about his goddamn god complex and shoving it en las caras de todos–”

The sudden anger from the usually cool and smug Deeby did not help the apparent panic attack seeping ever so quickly into Stan’s consciousness, especially with said seething bounty hunter circling around the room like an angry shark as he muttered to himself and gesticulated wildly. 

Stan cowered to hide his shirtlessness from said angry shark. His chest and limbs started to buzz from all the excess oxygen entering his system as he took in heavy breaths, his head spinning, dizzy, hurting, every muscle clenching.

“--y quién se cree ese cabrón para venir a joderme MI TRABAJO?” 

He was so angry. So loud, talking so fast, and what the hell was he even saying?! It was too much, too much.

 “Y la puta Lana no puede ni aparecer para decirme que me está jodiendo la vida OTRA VEZ porque es lo único que le encanta hacer, joderme TODO lo que–”

Stop it stop it stay calm stay calm please not now please please please not now you can’t show weakness like this in front of your kidnapper you can’t stop it STOP IT–

He took in an involuntary loud heaving breath. Then fell into a stuttering slew of smaller breaths as he tried to keep quiet, and Deeby finally took notice of the state of his captive. 

Stan squeaked and pulled the jacket around himself tighter. He was small, he was silent, he was invisible. 

Then he gasped in another desperate heaving breath with an involuntary cry of panic when he suddenly ran out of air. He’d stopped breathing entirely with all his efforts.

“Stan? Qué es–... Ah, you good?”

Stan nodded quickly, shaking. “F-fine, fine.”

Deeby raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t lie to me. What is this, you having a panic attack?”

He couldn’t get his eyes to focus, but he shook his head fervently. Then reeled as it made the dizziness and headache so much worse.

“Stan, talk to me, chiquito. If he actually did something to you, tell me. I need a good reason to kill him, you’d be helping me out a lot.”

He didn't actually even hurt me, did he? 

“No–! I-I u-uh-uh yes-s-s, but– but–” 

I don't WANT to ‘help you out’! I don't want to talk about it! ESPECIALLY not with you. 

He let out a whine and failed to swallow the giant knot forming in his throat.

“Alright, is this about the shirt then? Or the uh, the chest thing? Is that why you went from colonizer white to ghost white when you thought I was gonna make you strip earlier?” He walked over to the tattered shirt and scooped it up. “Because if that's what got you, I can assure you I don’t give a single crap what you’ve–... got in your...”

Deeby trailed off as he held up the grey strips of fabric that used to be Stan's button-down. 

And just stared.

Stan gawked at the unrecognizable shredded fabric hanging in the bounty hunter's hands. His breath caught in his throat. He hadn't realized how utterly destroyed his beloved shirt was. What was he supposed to wear now?

“That… Motherfucker…” Deeby muttered, almost as as aghast as Stan. “Christ, I knew he'd pull some grade-A bullshit, but this–”

“Y-you KNEW?!” Stan gasped out, surprising himself with the volume of his outburst. “You– You knew he was gonna– gonna try to...”

Deeby didn't look up from the tatters in his hands. “Yeah. He's predictable, if nothing else.”

Stan's entire body felt like it was full of angry bees. “You–... You left me-e alone with ‘im. On pu-urpose.”

“And everything turned out fine, you're fine. Look runt, we need to have a little talk about what–”

“NO!” Stan cried, ignoring the drop in his stomach when Deeby's eyes took on a slight challenging glint at the interruption. “No, don’t change the subject! You left me alone with him! You knew he was gonna try to– to rape me and you left me alone with him! Handcuffed, chained to the floor, powerless, immobile, beat up to hell and– a-and unable to defend myself and you-you left me alone with him!”

The floodgates were opening. The stifling sense of justice suffocating Stan from the inside out wouldn’t let the injustices go unsaid any longer, crashing through his body and just about ready to make him burst. Ironic, given the everything.

Deeby’s jaw set. “Stan. I wouldn’t have left that shit-for-brains alone with anyone if I didn’t have to.”

“Oh, but you– you had to?” Stan taunted, hoping the sarcasm came through in his voice even with the stuttering and heaving breaths. “What, Dee-deeby the great bounty hunter actually answers to someone? Enough to put the uh, the bounty in danger? Or are you just scared of him, wanted to get away?!” 

Deeby snorted.

“Hell yeah, I'll do whatever if the buyer asks it,” he proclaimed. "And I'm not scared of that human cringe-fail. The day I'm scared of him is the day I'm dragged away screaming and turned into… well, you, basically. But I mean, that's when he's actually dangerous…" 

He seemed to think on it for a moment. Then crouched down in front of Stan, smug grin replaced with something like the look a friend gives when they think you're about to ruin your life with a single dumb decision.

“Honesty, bud… I wouldn't be so tough around a guy like that if I were a guy like you. Best to just fuel his ego.”

Stan physically recoiled. “Don't tell me what–! Who-wh–…”

That insult sounded way too genuine. Since when was the mercenary genuine?

“Wait, wait, you'd…” Stan shook his head, trying to untangle his thoughts from the spaghetti of his mind. This concussion was killing him. He could barely think. “If you were… Who even was th-that?”

Another chuckle. “What, Tweedy? That was Vaughn. He said that earlier, though I applaud your ability to block him out. Wish I could do that.”

Then again, the hunter was most likely just trying to psych him out. Get him to behave again. Stan wouldn't fall for something like that.

“No, idiot, I mean–... I meant who is he? Why is he going to-to see me soon?… And– and for that matter, are you working together? Because it seems like you hate each other.”

Deeby let out a huff of air. “Look, bud, we need to talk about that phone call I had to take, the boss–”

“You're avoiding the question.”

“Well frankly, there's more important things to talk about,” Deeby dismissed quickly. “So I was talking with the boss-lady on the phone while you were–”

“I don’t care about what that Lana person has to say!” Stan said, slamming his hands on the floor for effect, a breath-stealing pang running through his ribs at the jostling. “Jus– Just tell me who you guys are, tell me why I’m here, tell me why I should be scared of ‘a guy like that’! Who ARE you?!”

Deeby narrowed his eyes slightly. “We need to talk about what's going to happen to you next. And you're gonna listen to that. Not yell demands at me like some asshole 6-year-old, because you already know I don't deal with all that ‘who am I, secret identity’ crap, so you're not getting those answers.”

Well actually, judging by the horrible sticky weight that slammed Stan in the gut when Deeby said that, he didn't want to know what horrors awaited him next. So next best thing? Keep being an asshole 6-year-old.

“Why?”

“Anonymity is the most valuable tool you can have in this game.” Deeby recited it like a script, exaggerating a monotone boredom. “Also I'm not an idiot, it's protocol that's saved me before, it helps me do my job without getting invested… take your pick.”

“You're not even wearing your mask any more!” Stan cried. “So much for secret identity!”

“I think what you're meaning to say is ‘thank you for rushing to save my damsel-in-distress ass from some twink with scissors when you heard me screaming for help even though you were dealing with a really important phone call from the worst person ever’. And you're very welcome. Now we need to talk about what I found out in that dumbass phone call and what it means for you.”

He always had an answer for everything, huh? Always another quip.

Stan's blood started to boil, and he may have actually, genuinely growled a little. 

“S-so-so so what, you are scared of her, then? You're scared of her and that's why you left me with that monster?!” He tried, spitting back as much smug asshole-ness as Deeby had been throwing at him. “Is that why you hate them, you’re just their damn lackey doing whatever they tell you to do?! Just a puppet for them to guide around, running around capturing supers and serving them up on a silver platter like a good little servant?!”

Deeby stared at him, genuinely stunned by the sudden venom in the captive's words. His fists clenched by his side.

 Hm. Stan may have gone too far.

“Look, McKellen,” Deeby spat as he took an authoritative step forward, voice slow, low and dark. “There are things at play here that you can’t know about–”

“Why not?!” Stan felt like he was losing it, voice creaky and high and hoarse. “Obviously I’m gonna be trapped here with you assholes for the rest of my short life until you kill me with some new form of torture experiment bullshit! Why not tell me everything?! Why not do whatever you want with me?! Just tell me! Please!!”

Stan glared desperately at the bounty hunter. He knew he wasn’t even just crossing the line at this point; he was sprinting over the line and stomping on it repeatedly in a panic-fueled frenzy, kicking at it and letting out his full fury as if the line itself had done this to him, as if absolutely decimating the line would somehow fix everything.

Way deep down, almost too far down to admit to himself, he almost hoped the mercenary would see through the insults and the fighting to see the pleading, hurt, scared man underneath. And then take pity. Just let him have this one thing, before he broke entirely.

But the bounty hunter glared right back at him.

“No.” He stated venomously. “Right now, you're going to shut up. And listen.”

As if Stan would ever listen to the orders of his kidnapper. Of a villain.

A small laugh, just a little chuckle, took root his chest. A disbelieving smile cracked across his face.

The absence of the signature unbothered grin, the absence of the mask, the deathly seriousness? Not to mention the gun, the knives, the chains, the handcuffs, the power suppressing collar, no cane or crutch or any viable mobility aid in sight, and beaten so hard multiple times that he probably couldn't run properly anyway even if he did have a knee that actually worked…

This really was hopeless, wasn't it? 

He could rage against the dying of the light all he wanted. Scream and shout and cry and fight and say witty things to hide the excruciating, never-ending pain. 

But the light would still die all the same.

He clutched Deeby's very own stupid cowboy-ass jacket around his shoulders. He couldn't even defend himself from getting his shirt ripped to shreds right off his body!

And this bitch–

“You– you don't think…” he had to pause to let out a barrage of inappropriate giggles, then shoved up shakily to his feet, back braced against the wall. “You don't still think I'm gonna– that, that I'm gonna escape, do you?!”

Deeby gave pause, eyeing Stan up and down. Really thinking about it. He took a deep breath. A low grumble emanated from the base of his throat.

“No. I don't.”

Stan laughed out again, full force this time. Desperate. Tearful.

“Then just–... just TELL ME!! IT DOESN'T MATTER!! IT DOESN'T!! IT'LL DIE WITH ME!!”

The mercenary's mouth pressed into a thin line. Was that confusion etched into his features? Or worry? Maybe anger…

“It does matter,” He growled through gritted teeth. “It's probably the most important thing you could know, who I am. Who we are.”

Stan let out a loud cry of anguish, screeching out every single frustration at the unfairness of the world, at this situation, at Deeby and Vaughn and whoever Lana was, at the collar and the chains and the cut and bruises and broken bones and his broken, useless knee into a single, guttural sound. 

“WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME ANYTIN-GAH-AH!!”

Very, very suddenly, the lapels of Deeby's loosely draped jacket tightened around his body and slammed him back into the wall, the fleece-lined collar of the jacket twisting and pulling on the power-suppressing strap clamped around his neck, contracting it, choking him just as the slam forced all the breath out of his lungs. 

Stan clawed back against the force, only managing to grasp at Deeby’s forearms uselessly as they twisted the jacket ever tighter around him. Pinning his arms. Trapping him. He had to heave in and out gasping breaths just to get enough air to breath through his half obstructed airways.

“Look at me, chiquito,” the bounty hunter snarled. “Look me in the eye!”

Stan's panicked eyes paused their sporadic dance around the room. They locked dead onto the mercenary's fiery gaze.

“Did you break your damn brain in the 3 minutes I was gone?” Deeby hissed into his ear. Stan almost screeched in terror. “I don't know what sort of fuckery your mind has been conjuring up that you can't get this very simple concept without going insane,” he jolted Stan and dragged out an involuntary whimper from his throat. 

“But whatever it is, shut it down. Now. I'm gonna tell you the bare minimum of what you need to know, and you're gonna sit there and listen or else I won't tell you jack shit and knock you unconscious so I don't have to deal with your bullshit. Agreed?!” 

“I– Ah, a-ah, I– No, I- I, no-no no No-o–”

He couldn't get his thoughts to line up properly. They swarmed around his head like locusts in a dust bowl, bouncing into each other, frenzied, an indecipherable cloud of fear and frustration that his horrible attempt at defiance, futile as it may have been, always just made everything worse.

He could never stop himself.

Angry tears rimmed at Stan's eyes. His body hurt. His brain pounded in his skull. His ribs cried out in protest as they pressed into the wall. The various bruises and their dull, throbbing aches, the cuts and bleeding wounds and their sharp, searing screeches, the sticky and caked on dried blood, so familiar now it was almost a second skin, Deeby's weight pinning him to the wall, so similar and yet so different to the way Vaughn had done the same.

No. No, no, no, no.

He squeezed his eyes shut, tears finally falling in hot, fat drops down his cheeks. The bounty hunter was so close, too close. Stan tried to pull away, and he just leaned on him harder, their faces barely inches apart.

“Agreed, chiquito?” The voice rumbled through his entire body, sending shivers up and down his spine.

No no no no no no no he needed to get away, get away now, please please that's all he needed he couldn't get away he couldn't even move his arms he could barely breathe–

“WHY DON'T YOU JUST RAPE ME ALREADY?!” Stan screamed into the endless cacophonous void.

And silence.

And the entire world went still.

Deeby’s mouth fell literally agape.

His grip on Stan loosened considerably. Not out of pity or any other considerate emotion. Just shock.

At least Stan could finally breathe again. Not that he took a single breath in the silence.

“I–...” Deeby finally choked out. “I-I beg you finest fucking what?!”

“Just fucking do it,” Stan hissed, gasping. “We both know you could. I couldn't even stop Vaughn, you think I could stop you?!”

The words spewed out of his mouth faster than he could stop them, like a volcano that had finally exploded its top off in a fiery glory. And the way Deeby looked at him, as if his features were having an all out war over shock, horror, or honestly very justified anger? Oh, that did nothing but fan the flames of Stan's sorrow-filed hysteria.

“Tall ass muscle-bound freak with an actual gun that captured me and beat me up again and again then left me to die?! I don't even know who you are! You can do whatever you want and I can't do jack shit to stop you! Just do it, hurt me, rape me, it doesn't matter! Vaughn knew that, you can too!” Stan attempted to shove the bounty hunter off, but he still didn't move. 

“Please, please, I'm begging you, is that what you want?! I'll get on my knees!”

Stan collapsed against Deeby's hold, and to his surprise, Deeby finally let him. Well, not ‘let him,’ more like ‘recoiled and jumped back when he felt Stan collapsing in his grasp'. 

All the same.

“Chiquito,” Deeby rasped. “I'm– not exactly sure what or why you're demanding, but I'm not going to–”

“Why not?! It doesn't matter!” Stan assured, holding his arms out to fully present himself now, shedding the jacket onto the floor behind him and taking a daring scoot forward. “I bet you just kicked Vaughn out because you wanted me all to yourself! I bet you just love seeing me scared and helpless and half naked in your stupid fucking yee-yee jacket–”

“Alright, Stan, enough!”

“AT LEAST VAUGHN had the decency to not pretend like he was a decent fucking person like you!” Stan yelled. “We both know you're not above it, fucking professional kidnapper and torturer! So just do it! Like Vaughn wanted to, like he tried to! Finish what he started, you have me all to yourself now! DO IT! DO IT I DARE–”

“The name's Declan.”

The statement was a whisper in the storm. Stan almost missed it. But the resolute certainty of the southern twang stopped him dead in his tracks.

“What–… What did you just–?”

It was astounding how quickly his voice had turned meek from the cacophony of chaos mere seconds before. Dark freckles stood out against an even starker white face than usual.

“It's Declan,” the mercenary stated once more. “My name. My name’s Declan. You wanted t’know who we are, who I am? Fine then, I'm Declan. Want the last name too?”

“I– wait–!”

“It's Cansano. Declan Cansano.”

Stan was shaking, a million thoughts crashing down upon him like a tidal wave. If he weren't already on his knees, surely he would have collapsed. 

He hadn't actually… meant any of that. No. Had he? No. He couldn't have. He didn't want to know who the mercenary was. No, he didn't. He didn't, not really! He would never want that! Never!

“That’s not… Wh-why would you…?”

The bounty hunter shrugged. “You wanted to know who I am. You asked, you screamed, you insulted me and you went fuckin’ nuts over it.” His thunder-filled eyes betrayed his completely relaxed demeanor. “Declan Cansano. Don't forget‘t.”

“I just– That's not what– Wait, Deeby, you– Where are you going?!”

Deeby was already halfway to the door when he swiftly spun around, fists clenched and any trace of the easy demeanor vanished in those bright blood-stained eyes. 

“I can't fuckin’ deal with you right now!”

Stan nearly launched himself back in fear, right back onto Deeby's stupid, soft jacket. He grasped it up as a barrier between him and the mercenary without even thinking. The mercenary's demeanor relaxed from absolutely terrifying to merely extremely angry at the sorry sight.

“I'm leaving for a bit.” He whipped around and grasped for the lapels of his jacket to yank it on, only for his grasp to come up empty. He whipped around a third time. “And I'll be expectin’ my coat back when I get back! You better've calmed the hell down by then, if you know what’s good for you.”

Wait, wait, he was leaving? No!

Stan tried to scramble after Deeby, but immediately fell to the agony of his knee and the length of his leash. 

“Don't go, please!” he pleaded.

Deeby didn’t stop. “Why?”

What if you come back with more torture tools? 

What if you don't come back at all? 

I still have more questions for you. 

You can't just leave me here, I'm hurt! 

I shouldn't be alone right now. I can't. I'm scared of what will happen, I'm going insane.

Even you are better than no one at all.

“What– what if Vaughn comes back?!”

Deeby scoffed. “I'm not going that far, damn. Eat some protein bars while I'm gone so you don't die, should help with the insanity. Back soon.”

And the door to the room closed shut behind him, the click echoing off the walls in the sudden unbearable silence. 

Stan collapsed to the floor, defeated.

He clutched the jacket closer. 

Pulled it tight around his shoulders, fingernails leaving small crescent-shaped indents on the well-worn hide. The cotton lining was so surprisingly soft against his skin. Hell, he could smell the dirt and musk that permeated the jacket from years of use, the smal signs that this jacket had seen the capture of dozens of supers.

Declan.

Declan Cansano.

Professional Superhero-Hunter.

Stan screamed into the endless abyss around him.

And this time, Declan didn’t come back to save him.

* * * * * * * *

Next

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[urwendii]

Maedhros + eating headcanons:

I discussed this in the server a while ago but I never posted it so here's a bunch of hc I have regarding the Lord of Himring and his relationship with food.

⚠️ Tw: generic Silm angst, eating disorder.

My general headcanon regarding this is that Maitimo had always struggled with food and anxiety as a result of the mounting pressure of being the eldest son and cousin of the new Finwëan generation in a degrading context where more and more tension build between his father and his uncle. It's not something that was overly noticeable and possibly that only Makalaurë knew about it to some extent, and possibly Findekáno as well.

It got worse post Angband as you might expect. But not necessarily solely as a trauma response — even if this can be expected from such an ordeal but mostly because I have a little nice idea about the physiological impact of the Oath of the fana and fëa.

The approach would be that since Maedhros had swore the Oath, he could not fade to death. To put it simply.

Wether or not you believe the Oath was a sentient entity or not is up to you (for my part i don't.) The most important aspect here is that Maedhros truly believed in the fact they were Doomed to fulfil it — a behaviour exacerbated by the dramatic (cruel) final words of Fëanor, hence that until he had reclaimed the Silmarils, his role would not be fulfilled.

It might have happened on a more subconscious level but I love the idea that one of the reasons as to why he seemed to have survived decades on the Mountain without any indications of being fed and while his body was put through extreme conditions, is not only because Eldar were exceptionally resilient. But also because the Oath (or his belief into its finality) kept his fëa tied to his fana.

Now, the consequences of this on his physiology must have been terrible and I know Tolkien tells us, he soon healed and became ale once more etc but we aren't given a clear timeline at what exactly is considered "soon" for an elf — an immortal being...(on theory).

Alright so here's the fun bits.

What if after all his ordeal on Thangorodrim, coupled with a previous disorder regarding food, Maedhros utterly loses appetite and to such a degree that he cannot stomach food any longer, noticing that he doesn't even need to eat to be alive.

I was also toying with the idea of Melkor's sorcery playing a part in it, but I'm still unsure of this.

All in all, I love the idea of Maedhros being an oddity for surviving Angband, untrusted by most for being a Kinslayer, and to make matters worse, him losing some of his "elveness" by becoming something in between an elve and ... a not-elve.

An otherness clinging like a shameful reminder of what he had become, an Incarnate marred to such a degree, he has lost one of the fundamental needs.

Food in general, but most importantly meals are social functions and him having to cut himself from this else someone notice it, would contribute to his alienation.

It's a nice stepping stone toward his loss of integrity and honour following the Nirnaeth, when he fully turned into the blood-soaked villain we know him to be at the end of the War of Wrath.

Obviously I can see him desperate to hide this "curse" to others, enough of them mutter 'thrall' behind his back and as the head of his House, he would not want to both jeopardise his leadership (esp regarding the Nolofinwëans) and worry his brothers.