#what is a kids show without a little bloodshed

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles.

Lay the Table With the Fancy Shit

Prompt Day 13: Family Dinner | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: Language | Tags: Future Fic, Established Steddie, Open Secret Relationship, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, It's The Harringtons, And Uncle Wayne

Eddie peeks through the curtains, and so far, the driveway is still empty. 

"Anyone?!" Steve hollers from the kitchen.

"Not yet!" 

This is the first Christmas that they're having both sides at their house, and it's a little nerve-wracking. They didn't think the Harringtons would accept the invitation. Historically, they haven't. They've always been in Spain. London. Hawaii. 

Anywhere, except where their perfect only child and his weird shadow have been.

And even if Steve's never shown it, Eddie knows that's been disappointing, though not unexpected. 

But, Steve kept extending the offer.

And this year, they said they'd come. 

Eddie doesn't trust it. He's more scared they'll no-show than he is that they'll show up and be assholes. Assholes? Assholes, Eddie can handle. But deliberately getting Steve's hopes up just to hurt him? Unforgivable. 

Steve's drawn from his rich kid upbringing, and set the table fancier than it has ever been in their house.

Eddie hears a door slam. He peeks out: Wayne. 

"It's just Wayne," Eddie yells, and that sounds wrong. Wayne has never been just anything. His love and presence is constant. Him showing up is not news, it's just any other week, holiday or not. 

Eddie hears a second car pull in, and it's them. 

"They're here!" Eddie screams, and Steve appears in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Really?" he asks, grinning. 

"Really," Eddie confirms.

Steve is smoothing down his sweater, as if it might be rumpled, but it's definitely not. He's perfectly put together, as always.

Eddie's slightly concerned about Wayne being out there alone with them. Wayne's not gonna take any shit, and definitely won't forgive as easily as Steve has always been willing to, that's for damn sure. If they so much as look at either of them wrong, Eddie's sure Wayne will be willing to start an all out war. 

Steve goes to the door and opens it before anyone has the chance to even ring the bell.

It's not like Eddie hasn't met them. He has. In short, very controlled bursts. They call Eddie Steve's roommate, and honestly, it could be worse. If they want to pretend that's all he is to Steve, Eddie can live with that, if Steve can.

They have a support system, more than most are lucky enough to have, and if the Harringtons can't get on board, then so be it. Steve's mother kisses both of Steve's cheeks, and his father shakes his hand, and so far, so good. 

They've made it inside without any bloodshed. 

Steve takes his mother's coat and introduces them to Wayne, who gives the bare minimum of a greeting, and Eddie feels frozen to the spot.

Why this year? Why now? 

He's suspicious, and scared. Terrified, honestly. 

Are they going to try and put a wedge between them? Do they have the perfect, marriageable girl that they're going to try to sell Steve on? Finally tired of this unacceptable detour that is a life with Eddie "The Murderer" Munson?

Anything is possible, and Eddie hates that he's expecting the worst.

It might be fine.

He hopes it'll be fine.

Eddie doesn't know what to do with himself. Roommate Eddie, reporting for duty.

The first chance he gets, after the forks go down, he excuses himself and flees.

Eddie is sitting on the bed in their bedroom. There's a familiar knock and Wayne steps in, closing the door behind him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Eddie says, and he is. Just uncomfortable. "What's going on out there?"

Wayne laughs, "Polite conversation."

Eddie grins towards the floor, and Wayne sits next to him. 

"It'll be fine, kid."

It will. Eddie knows that. They'll leave, and life will go on.

"Does Steve seem happy?" Eddie asks, because that's all that matters. 

"Yeah," Wayne answers. "How 'bout you, kid?"

"I'm good," Eddie says.

"You sure?"

He's pretty sure. He just wants Steve to be happy, and wants him to have a good relationship with his parents. Even if that means he's the roommate in the most unconvincing lie ever told.

Wayne has left him alone, and Eddie is still sitting there, when he feels eyes on him. He looks over, and Mrs. Harrington is standing there looking at him through the cracked door. 

Eddie freezes. 

She comes inside and shuts the door with a heavy click.

Eddie swallows.

"Eddie," she says, and he nods, as if he's confirming that he is, in fact, Eddie. 

He's suddenly hyper-aware of their bedroom. Specifically, their co-mingled shit all over. They didn't clean up, because that felt like it'd be an unspoken bad omen for them not showing up. Either way, Eddie doesn't have a fake bedroom down the hall. It's just this. His stuff on one nightstand, Steve's on the other.

She sits next to him.

Eddie sits up straighter, ready to take whatever she's about to dish out. He'll take it, if that means Steve won't have to.

"They're watching the game," she says.

"Good," Eddie replies with a nod.

"We know, you know?" she asks bluntly, and Eddie wants to bolt. He has to force himself to stay. Eddie assumed, though. Steve's not dumb, and they aren't either.

"Yeah," he says.

"We're waiting for him to tell us," she says, and Eddie is flabbergasted. 

"Huh?" he says.

She laughs, and it makes him feel a fraction more at ease.

"He can tell us," she states, plain as day. There's no beating around the bush, "It took a bit, but we're ready now. Whenever he is."

Eddie hopes that's true. Fuck, does he ever.

"Thank you," he says, and feels kind of dumb, but he is thankful. Big time.

"He was a sad child," she comments, seemingly changing the subject. 

And Eddie stares at her. Steve? Sad?

"Lonely. He learned to fake contentment," she clarifies, turning to look at Eddie, smiling ever so slightly, "But I don't think he's faking it anymore."

Eddie bows his head, smiling to himself.

He made Steve Harrington happy. How the fuck did that happen?

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun! 🍽️

Notes: Title from Tolerate It by Taylor Swift.

[sakumz]

a/n : this man. knows how to drive one crazy hj ------------------------------------------------------

[ m. orter x fem reader ]

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" mind if I take that seat? " a voice you know all too well says beside you, you look up from stirring your drink to see orter.

" sure, " you said and a veil of awkward silence pours. orter took this as an opportunity to order a drink and another bottle for both of you. thanking him as he pushes up his spectacles.

" you approve of that mash kid? " orter takes a sip of his drink as he awaits your answer.

" he did play my game... as a divine visionary I guess its only fair I keep my end of the bet ? I suppose you can say I've given my full support in that non magic guy. " you cheekily smile.

" I can't believe you made him play hide and seek. were you even trying to make it hard? no less the toy plush you're using is the size of a child. " he points to your bear companion, sitting by your side.

" it had murderous intentions... nearly killed that freckle kid. " you can't help but try not to laugh at the memory, even making your bear turn to face orter.

he wasn't faze, only rubbing his head. ryoh, rayne and kaldo already approve of the boy. with you, that's almost half of the divine visionary approving the boy. maybe he should assassinate him in secret? would that make you cry? you do have a soft spot for people younger than you. sometimes putting shows and playing with random children on the streets whenever he and you are on patrol duty.

" I still can't believe you. " he extends his hand with his wand, pushing your bear away. it fell to the ground and disappeared. your magic probably made it disappear when it touched the ground.

you lean in close, close to kissing orter but you can't help but giggle. he's such a child. was he mad at your approval to mash?

instead of a kiss, you were met with a headbutt.

" what the heck? " you rub both your hands at the wound.

" you're a betrayer. why would I kiss a betrayer of my heart? " he says it so calmly, it did tick you off.

" oh come on, he won... not really fair since the first round, my bear was the hider and he nearly got beaten to a pulp the moment he was found by the red hair and mushroom hair. there wasn't any rules so my bear was allowed to shrink... " you mumbled the last part as orter can't help but remember the first time you made him and the rest of the visionary play your hide and seek game.

everyone was easily found but the second it was your turn to hide your bear. you shrunk it to the size of a coin, hiding it in kaldo's honey. they only found it when kaldo nearly choke at the feeling of something. thank goodness the bear was just illusion like, it disappeared the moment kaldo starts coughing. you summon it in your palm as you present to the rest, the size of the bear and how they've won since no one surrendered. everyone nearly killed you that day.

" what's so funny? " you pout at the sandman when he starts laughing at the memory. he's getting tipsy from the drinks too.

" nothing. I love you so much, betrayer of my heart. " he leans to plant a kiss on your head.

" don't call me that, if you said to kill him. I would've done it. " you kick his leg as he sighs.

" you won't. you won't do things without reasons. you fail to follow rules too, " he flicks your forehead.

he was right, having met him when he was newly announced as a visionary. he knew you quite well. too well sometimes. it's only fair since he's your lover. you sigh before grabbing his cup and putting it away from him.

" well, no matter what, I'd still listen to you. just maybe I do wish this mash kid make a change. the magicless and magic living together doesn't sound all too bad. we're all humans, after all. the status quo doesn't matter to me when life is involved. I've seen my share of bloodshed. change isn't all too bad either, orter. " he can't help but flush a little at your reprimand.

in his head, you were right and wrong. he loves you dearly and would support you. the status quo is something he cherishes to an extent. he feels a kiss to his cheek as he meets your eyes after, one so full of love.

" let's go home, this talk won't change my mind and I won't force it upon you to approve of mash. just don't make things hard for the poor guy, " your words obviously went in and out the other ear. orter was set on ending mash. even the words of his dearest may not be important at the moment.

" you're such a child, " he stirs to which you narrow your eyes at him, one close to a glare.

" says the big baby, I can literally beat you in a fight if I take down your weakness first. " you raise a fist.

" oh yeah, what's the weakness? " he had his hand prompting his face, tilting it to the side as he smiles uncharacteristically.

" your glasses. once it's out of the way, you're done for. " you smile back as your fisted hand made impact to his face, not physically and painfully punching him. just a light tap.

" I thought you'd say you're my weakness. " he was really getting drunk as he giggles to himself.

" what, you're my weakness. " you playfully pout as orter grabs you to give you a hug.

" go home, idiots. " the bartender sighs at your antics. giving him a soft chuckle as you feel orter's weight on you.

he had fallen asleep. you summon one of your plush toys to help pay the bill from your wallet and then a few more to help you carry the man. how you hope he'd forgotten half of what happened tonight and the fact you paid instead of him. he'll definitely make a fuss if he knew, but what's the point of being rich as a divine visionary if you can't spend. he loves you to death just like you love him too. complicated relationship but there's so much love in it. orter enjoys your company and he's forever thankful for your existence.

[rei-ismyname]

Uncanny X-Men #7 - RAID ON GRAYMALKIN

Last week in X-Men #8 we saw the Alaskan team kick off the raid with overwhelming force and speed. It wasn't until the last page that we found out the Uncanny X-Men are there too. We knew it was coming, but we hadn't seen it - and it came at the worst time, of course. Spoilers, naturally.

Good question, Scott. Not a very convincing answer. Bizarre threat

Editorial has been hyping an ideological divide between Rogue and Cyclops, but it hasn't been shown on page in any meaningful way. Light tension? Sure, but nothing that justified the divide. Since it's been promised to us since issue #1, part of my analysis will focus on how well that's achieved. I have a great deal of respect for for the called shot - announcing a bold change ahead of time - but it's risky because you need to stick the landing perfectly. The two leaders did talk on the phone before the raid, which is good to see, but I have to say both positions feel bizarre and out of character. Scott is a planner - one of the best, and I can buy him asking Rogue to sit out if they weren't going to work together - but he lead with that proposal and the reason makes little sense. This is going to be perceived as a war regardless - they're using DEMONS lol. They're attacking a for-profit prison implicitly backed by the government. The O.N.E is showing up to Alaska very soon, I promise you.

His second argument is better- that two teams, one with no plan and a bunch of kids to look after - doing a jailbreak at the same time is going to cause bloodshed. Rogue's pivot to talking about love is a bit confusing. Maybe it's meant to make Scott look cold and Rogue warm?

Scott asks the question that I've been dying to know the answer to 'have I let you down?/what's the problem?' Rogue's answer - that they were waiting for him to step up - makes me wonder if there's information that hasn't been revealed. Stepping up is what he's been doing, so unless there's something else it makes Rogue look capricious and a little selfish. That can work for certain characters, but Rogue is meant to be the heroic leader. Scott's argument boils down to his team being better equipped for the mission and when Rogue asks 'how do we get in without dyin?' (once they're in the bushes outside Graymalkin) it's hard to argue the point. At worst Scott is being blunt and a little rude, but he is being respectful and talking to her as an equal. He values her opinion.

Tempers are high, of course, but Simone is not selling Rogue as a leader to me. Nor have we seen a difference in ideology besides Scott wanting to shut the prison down and Rogue just wanting her teammates back. One of these positions is not very heroic but either way they're not finding common ground.

We get a replay of key moments from X-Men #8, taking up a little too much space. Uncanny has a habit of not trusting readers to put the dots together themselves. The new information from the recap is the phone call and this exchange about Cyclops' nickname. I'm not sure I buy him objecting to being called Slim, but if that's how Simone wants to use page space, that's her prerogative. I think it's meant to be funny, along with the self-aware 'I was never fun.' A wink at how he's perceived.

We get a refresher on how awful Warden Ellis is, which is necessary, as she's the closest thing this event has to an antagonist. She seems a little flatter than she's been presented so far - I know nothing of the why of her mutant hatred. Maybe that's not going to matter as it's just a big ol' mutant punch-up, if so what's the point of having her around, spending so much time with her?

Rogue initially is against the kids coming along but it doesn't take much to convince her. Let's look at it as a collaborative style of leadership. Chekhov's Eye of Agamotto makes itself very useful again and serves as a way to teleport the whole crew to Graymalkin (except Ember.) It definitely looks cool and gets them from A to B quickly. The only comment I have on its narrative function is that it highlights the complete lack of plan. Rogue's caption says she knows Scott is right, so what's the deal?

Seriously, I'd expect Logan to point out the risk here. Not sure Rogue has earned that blind trust.

Calico is honestly the star of the issue, refusing to sign the affidavit from last issue and declining a lift - instead choosing to walk to her family. She has a moment when she hears her mother's voice and admits she's scared. After the suddenness of her self acceptance in Uncanny #6 it's a canny choice to centre her. Calico turns around and summons Ember, her horse, who did not come with the rest of the team. She powers up for war and breaks through one of the walls. It's a great character moment for her as she has no idea her team is here. Calico being able to teleport (?) Ember 1400 miles is wild - this girl is powerful.

It's also a very fortunate moment for Rogue's squad as they now have a way in without dying, but why are they even in this position in the first place? I feel like I'm being asked to pick a side but not given a reason to. I hope they both prosper, but it's looking like the Uncanny X-Men should have stayed home.

About halfway through the book we pick up where X-Men #8 left off - Rogue had just knocked out Fred Dukes/The Blob and delivered a one liner. Turns out Scurvy, the Graymalkin telepath, is under orders to 'make them angry.' That complicates why exactly this fight kicks off - Logan told Ransom not to attack unless Scott touched his temple, so when Scott uses his comm it's on. To Logan's credit he picks up on that and tries to deescalate. As you can see Scott doesn't need to touch his temple to use optic blasts.

Psychic suggestion plus a simple mistake definitely muddles what's been sold as a fight with ideological stakes. Obviously there's still room for that, but so far it's looking like an uninspired superhero punch-up as we've seen many times before. Temper/Idie unloads on former Headmaster and advocate Wolverine, calling him a traitor. I'm always down for callbacks to her justified feelings about how Krakoa treated her, but Scurvy's influence casts doubt on whether we should take it seriously.

None of these faces look angry at all.

The conflict escalates with a couple of beats that made me scratch my head. There's story elements I don't like and there's those I think don't work narratively or in service of the characters. These panels are both. Rogue takes issue with Scott 'smackin kids around' as if he isn't defending himself non-lethally and Rogue didn't bring children to a high stakes fight. Rogue has also fought these kids based off a misunderstanding and didn't just stand there getting beat down.

We could blame Scurvy's influence for this, but nobody seems all that angry. Maybe the kids, but they're Rogue's responsibility. Kurt is decidedly the opposite of angry as he teleports Psylocke elsewhere, for fear she'd murder someone. He's quite polite, even, so if I'm being generous Scurvy is just generally messing with their emotions. I'm not sure if he's meant to be a threat or not. He can clearly affect people, but he doesn't seem that troublesome - certainly not the guy who was matching brains with Chuck in The Infinity Comics. I don't buy Kurt believing Kwannon would kill any of them even a little bit.

Deathdream and Magik shape up for a hell battle, but there's not enough space for more than an introduction. Logan isn't fighting back, which is cool. It's positive to see him being cool-headed. Rogue has Cyclops by the throat but jokes on her because he's into that shit. The Juggernaut turns the tables and breaks the fight up by plowing through many a wall.

You were not 'doin so good.' This is a failure of leadership and risking everyone's lives. Scott was right, y'all should have stayed home.

Ellis continues to be the worst, though the lens she views mutants through has narrowed significantly. She's been dishing out violence willy-nilly and doesn't seem to care about her own side being hurt. She's all over the place character-wise, but narratively she introduces more threats in the form of the Wolfpack - those robo dogs we saw killing Colossus in Harvey X's vision.

This wall in particular gets both of their attention, as they speculate on who's in the fallout shelter. Rogue's captions are not a good look for her, but maybe we can chalk it up to Scurvy? I doubt it, frankly. The rift between the two leaders is very thin right now to the point that I feel there has to be more coming. I want both books to do well and I especially want Uncanny to develop a thesis + Rogue as a leader. Petty and irrational are not Rogue's flaws, she's better than this and I'd like to see it.

They agree to a truce and we get a bunch of cliffhangers.

- The Wolfpack and the 3 trustees, Blob, Siryn and Wild Child. Fred is as verbose as we've seen him this era and his ultimatum could be read several ways. The dogs seem to be behaving, even following the trustees I assume. Still, a very difficult situation to navigate. You can't punch your way out of someone who wants to stay.

- Rogue wants to crack the cell open and Cyclops questions whether they should. It's definitely a valid question, even if it's just 'do we want to do this before winning the battle?' Solicits have been promising a feud over 'the uncertain legacy of Charles Xavier' since the beginning - this is a logical place to kick that off. I look forward to seeing how it's handled over the next two issues and beyond. Chuck's legacy is rife with dramatic and ideological elements to disagree over and discuss. Logan and Scott should definitely have strong feelings.

- The feud between the two leaders/teams. Rogue says this isn't over, though I'm not satisfied with her reasons or characterisation. It feels one-sided to me, even moreso than the Cyclops vs whoever rifts of the past. It hasn't called back to their history either in any significant way, and there is a lot to use there. I doubt we'll get that though - this era is very back to basics and continuity-light - which is only a big deal if you care about continuity a lot.

I wasn't sure where else to put this - Jubilee and Beast get some prison drama moments and manage to fight back once they hear the ruckus. Jubes picks the locks on her chains and makes mayhem and Beast recovers from his vicious beating very quickly to deliver his own. Jubilee especially needs the page time though it does make the Graymalkin prison look incompetent.

I'm sure they'll put up a better fight in the next two event issues but I'm wary of there being enough space for all these plot elements. Raid on Graymalkin has 40 pages left, even less if they recap at the start of every issue. Uncanny X-Men #7 had some cool moments but put the brakes on the momentum built in X-Men #8. Doing a mini crossover this early is a very bold choice - it remains to be seen if that's going to pay off for Uncanny. We got to know Calico better and saw some fist pumping growth but her fellow Outliers remain thinly characterised. Nightcrawler is suffering similarly too, it'd be nice to know why he's here and what he thinks about anything. His bizarre fear of murder by Psylocke is weak.

The artwork is beautiful as always, even making a drab prison pop. It's doing some heavy lifting for a book that's not sweating the details in favour of looking cool. On its own this issue is a bit of a flop and the conflict feels unserious, but there's still room to turn it around by introducing STAKES. A 4 issue event is difficult to get right in the best of circumstances, here's hoping all this setup leads to higher stakes and a shakeup of the status quo.

[contentloadingandstuff]

Parenting Headcanons - Cloud Retainer

A/N: Unless specified otherwise, everything refers to her human form.

Most mortals think that Adepti are some sort of divine, immaterial beings without their own lives. That's as far from the truth as it could be. Adepti have bodies, they need to eat, they need to rest. They laugh, cry, hate and love. They meet others and start families just like any other sapient denizens of Teyvat. They just happen to have a very long lifespan and strength incomparable with that of humans. 

Cloud Retainer is no different. For all her lengthy (to put it lightly) lifespan she dreamed of settling down. She sought the warmth of another, the kind that her friends, no matter how close, just couldn't provide. She wanted a family, a husband and a few children to give her purpose and fulfillment through love and care. 

The war left her mind weakened and scarred. Although she is an Adeptus, she feels the whole range of human emotions and is susceptible to sights of violence, bloodshed, death and suffering. The death of her friends, the humans she vowed to protect, the opponents she faced… all of them left permanent imprints on her mind, leaving her unable to cope with what happened and return to her daily life. All of her grief and trauma was well hidden behind her bitter expression and red glasses. 

Cloud Retainer, once fairly social, started isolating herself in her Abode. She still attended the occasional meet up and talked to Ganyu, but her social ring tightened and tightened with every passing decade. She became increasingly eccentric and unapproachable, and rarely ever took on her human form, sticking to her animal appearance instead. 

But even despite this, she managed to fall in love again, with you - a fellow immortal from more distant lands. Years turned into decades and her scarred heart healed, rekindling her dreams of family. 

Shenhe was the first bit of fulfillment she got. Caring for her with you by her side was an incredible experience… But it was not the same as having her own heirs. So one day, she just told you she wanted to bring new life into the world. You agreed of course. How could you not? 

Cloud Retainer is an experienced mother at this point, but she regrets a lot of her decisions. She could have been more patient, more understanding. She could have said things differently with young Ganyu and Shenhe. This time, no mistakes will be made. Or at least less of them. 

With your assistance, she's going to improve for sure. 

With not much to do in terms of jobs or duties, Cloud Retainer has a lot of time and energy to devote to her children. Her lifelong desire of having a big family makes her very willing and mentally prepared for a trio of little ones. 

She has a lot of experience with girls, but boys? She knows they are loud and rowdy, but if you ask her she'll say that One is up for the challenge. But variety would be good, so she would love to have two boys and a girl. 

Health during and after pregnancy is a non-issue. She's an expert at healing techniques, so no danger will be there. You can rest peacefully. 

Cloud Retainer can be strict quite often, but she won't be very pushy. She understands that she has all the time in the world to teach the kids all the necessary knowledge. 

Your wife will hog all the time with them, no doubt. Showing them all the contraptions she made, explaining them despite knowing that her offspring doesn't understand a word of it, soaring the skies with her whole family in your crane forms… that's the life she always craved for herself. 

Pictures, pictures, pictures, pictures and pictures. Tons of the stuff. Back when Ganyu was just a little goat the wonderful invention that is the human Kamera did not exist yet. But now? Oh, now things are so much different. Every day she will document the growth and life of her children - and your handsomeness as well - with tens of photographs, placing them all in the cinder block that is her photo album. It's a little better since she met you, but Cloud Retainer still has no shame when it comes to recounting just how cute her kids were as babies, to anyone that is nearby for longer than 30 seconds. 

Ganyu will get second-hand embarrassment from that for sure. Speaking of her, the Qiling will do her best to stand in for her adoptive mother when necessary, or handle any trouble they might have in the human world. She's so happy she's an auntie! Ganyu knows that their ability to speak is far in the future, but she always was patient. For now, cuddling and holding the babies is enough to encourage her to go up mount Aocang, even if the risk is hearing her own baby stories…

Shenhe will be happy for her master, but, as emotionless as she is, the woman won't be close with the kids. It's going to be like her relationship with Chongyun for the most part. She will aid in training and protection when asked, but not much warmth besides that. 

Xiao will remain cold and distant, but will devote most of his time to watching over his superior's children from the shadows. He will be ready to rip and tear anything that even remotely threatens them. He sees it as his duty. 

Zhongli will be so, so happy for his old friend. Maybe she will be normal again, he thinks. He will offer the children all the stories he can tell, and aid their education and training should the need arise. 

All of Cloud Retainer's experience, patience, support of others and the simple goal to be as good of a mother as she can will make her nothing short of 10/10 on the motherhood rating scale. She, you and your three children have a long and joyous life ahead of you.

Thanks for reading!

[wary-taru]

Well,you gave me a free pass and we all know what your specialty is;

Please tell me about Master Cyclonis 🙏

The level of glee and happiness and serotonin and dopamine I received is unfathomable, I'm like a nerd finally getting to answer the question they always wanted others to ask about lol

Cyclonis is obviously a dear character to me, I don't perceive her the same way the majority of her fanbase does, I see a girl with ridiculous amounts of potential and greatness yes, but also an incredibly smart and lonely kid that was born to inherent a position of power a young age.

I believe that her lineage is of bloodline of witches that ruled cyclonia through the ages all the way back to ancient mages and the old forgotten Atmos, directly connected to the manipulation of crystal energy and sorcery, all of them were, Cyclonis in particular has an affinity for lightning or raw unrestrained energy in general.

Her sensitivity to crystal magic is incredible, we see her connect with any crystal like a breeze, a second nature

I won't lie that I'm fascinated by the possibilities of her prowess! They're endless! I also want to know what her weaknesses are, what hurts her deeply emotionally and what's her disadvantage in fights?

I have a few hunches for one, she's not a physical fighter that much is obvious and I'm guessing that living up to become a great mage is something she's always hoping to maintain that title of Master for, something that Piper challenges her on.

Transforming crystals into different types in a flash without effort she's a true Master!

Her motivations aren't exactly clear, she wants to follow the same path her grandmother seemed to want to achieve, that is Cyclonia being the sole ruler of the Atmos, she actually got to have that even if it didn't last. Makes me wonder what her new goal would be, to try again? a new goal entirely? who knows could even be to understand where it all of it started, the atmos and crystals themselves.

A villain like no other, being so young I couldn't help but empathize with her, were things a bit different, were she given a different path to follow would she take it, if she did then who would she become, I sense that the story was going to eventually destroy her or she'd end up doing it herself and it didn't sit right with me, I think she deserves better.

If we already consider her strong then have no doubt that I know she'd be even stronger when she's older I wish to see it someday.

Now onto her design and personality!

Her mannerism and way of being are a favorite of mine, I can tell that whoever animated her loved this character as well because it shows.

Everytime she appears she takes the spotlight and that's a good piece of writing in itself even with such little episode appearances.

She's efficient, she's intelligent, she's often amused by a good challenge, she's innovative, she does have a darker sense of humor that is very fitting. She's so wickedly smart but a bit of a goof whenever around the storm hawks for too long haha! love to see it, I like to believe it's because they all share similar ages!

She blends both common wordplay and old fashioned terms into her speech patterns, which I love, she's introverted but confident in her actions and that's very admirable. Her voice is a favorite detail of mine, Lenore Zann's raspy voice is always a win. 💕

She does tend to have a tendency to become irritated when things don't go her way but its a seething type of anger that she'll wait for the right moment to unleash. Cyclonis has an overall vibe of mysterious, and stalking like a black panther, whenever she means business she doesn't hold back at all.

I don't believe that she enjoys bloodshed or attempts murder via her surbordinates all willy nilly, everything has a purpose, she chose to get things done and quickly because her patience yet again runs out quickly a times, for example in the payback episode when she planned to blow up the Condor with the team inside in a quick and easy manner, they wouldn't even know, it'd be the least painful method in her eyes and even then it was because any other method hadn't worked and she prefers not to waste her own time on fighting the storm hawks directly.

I also dont believe that she'd mentally torture anyone if she's in someone's mind it's to prove a point or obtain a goal, by using suzy lu to get to the storm hawks was a quick and easy action and suzy doesn't remember the event;

Meddling into Piper's mind as we observed served for a way to have her interact with Piper without restrain or interruptions, this energy seemed a bit painful to the one affected yes, but not for Cyclonis personal dark pleasure.

She's not heartless that's my point, I dont personally like villains that are true evil per say, that enjoy hurting for the sake of it.

Her design is a mix of sharp edges and cutenness because her outfit tends to make her seem bigger than she actually is, I love it so much.

Her attire is one that's always slightly changing throughout the shows in subtle ways, it never has her outside of her usual brooding colors. which by the way her colors have the cyclonian red but that's where it ends, she then has purples and bluish greens onto her cloak that tell her apart as the leader.

Cyclonis has a straight nasal bridge that I find so charming to draw, it makes her more unique!

Her eye and hair color was something that I took interest in pretty early other members of the storm hawks for example pop out, their eyes dont match with their hair but complement it! In her case both are the same color only that when it becomes satured her hair is mostly black, we only see her true haircolor when light hits it, its another unique characteristic that I really enjoy.

her iconic feathers who could forget, they're the most obvious part of her design, the show likes to remember its audience of bird symbolism and yet never elaborated on it, I appreciate the feathers added to her design an animalistic physical trait in fashion form its so fun!

Her weapon was always the coolest thing to me as a kid, like a bunch of bird talons grabbing a crystal with focus yet again another animal trait incorporated into her design, it moves to her will, and she reconstructs it so easely isn't she cool hehe. A family heirloom it seems! since it works as a staff but its actually more of a kings specter/wand! The cleverness of this weapon always having a back up crystal on the other end is so good.

I probably have more to add but I cant think of it for now, if you have specific questions about her I'm willing to try and answer them 💜 thank you for asking this one! I'm very grateful

[ranticore]

Okay I’m really curious because visors as a concept are just so neat, are there any visors whose “characters” are considered to be paired together, at least to the longwings? Do the stock characters of specific visors ever show up in media and such? Any weirdly specific niches visored harpies find themselves in?

yes to all three questions :)

Visor “characters” considered to be paired together: My two big swan harpies Mia and Ebb (Mia-kef and Ebb-a-vef in the East Spire naming system, they're world-class delivery and postal workers) both have swan visors - a mute swan and a black swan respectively. These visors used to belong to two ex-military pilots who were within the same fighting wing back on Ceti, the colony from which humans travelled to Siren. They were offered substantial pay to become part of the Sirenian mission's private military, but they stipulated in the contract that the two of them would always work together (i.e don't fire one without firing the other lol). They brought their visors with them on the mission, which is why they're uniquely detailed and themed after Earth birds (see my header image). And now, looong after those two people are dead and all records of them mostly lost to time, it is still considered mandatory to the longwings that the black swan and white swan visors (Signaswun and Signastoo) are paired together - at first, just because they look very alike, just palette-shifted, but after a while they grew their own little mythos about being a matched pair who should not be separated.

The stock characters of specific visors showing up in media: For young longwings in the western continent (where the visors are stored), they often grow up with puppet shows depicting several archetypal visored characters, similar to the comedy and tragedy masks in theatre. The main character is usually a basic mass-produced model (similar to Terwy's) who is given the role of The Fool, the audience stand-in guy who stumbles into all sorts of adventures, is dumb enough that it gives the spectating kids an opportunity to yell the right answers to a problem he's trying to solve, etc. The Fool meets a variety of different, more unique characters often based off of real visors, though with rather simplified personality traits based on what the show is about - Wise Elder, Parent Who is Always Right, Child Who Should Eat More Vegetables, etc.

Weirdly specific niches? Some of the visors are marked by bloodshed, betrayal, heartbreak, and all that good stuff. If you are assigned the visor that once belonged to some longwing famous for stabbing people in the back, well, there are certain expectations resting on that. But they're not forced into these roles, exactly - it's like pulling a tarot card and having that omen hanging over your head for life, good or bad.

In more practical terms, some of the visors are suited for specific jobs - for example, there are geo-scanning visors with more robust sensors that can return information about the bedrock composition. Obviously you'd end up maybe in a mining sector if you pulled that visor. The military ones, like the swans, still have their targeting systems intact in the HUD, even though the actual aircraft that carried all the weapons is long gone. They are used to keep track of a moving target from a distance of thousands of kilometres, and very handy if you have to deliver a letter to a whaling ship at sea.

[water-to-drink]

Be a Gladiolus in a Field of Belladonnas pt8

Let’s Go Ice Fishing!

(Summary): Seeing that your mood has been down in the dumps, Lumine and Childe decide to surprise you with a secret ice fishing trip, unbeknownst to the strom closing in

Part 1 Last Part Next Part

✧ Masterlist ✧

(Characters): Traveler!Lumine, Childe, Paimon, Abyss Prince!Aether , Al haitham, Jean, Ganyu, Sara, Ayato, and Ningguang

(Warnings): Cursing, suggestive language, use of Childe’s real name, Childe’s downbad in this part too, not proofread(let me know if I miss anything)

(A/n): Al haitham and Jean are friends cuz I said so >:(

─────────── ✧ ───────────

The snowstorms have gotten less frequent and harsh during your time in Snezhnaya, but that still didn’t calm your nerves. It has been 3 weeks, nearing a month since anymore Primogems have been found. You can tell things have gotten stressful from the jumpy nature of the low level fatui agents and them being much more apologetic lately. Things have gotten to the point where you rarely see the Harbingers or the Tsarita. Though you have Lumine and Paimon and Aether when he’s not in the Abyss to talk to, the tension still hanging over your head the feeling of uncertainty starts clutching at your back a lot more as of late

You try not to let your anxiety show, but it seems that no matter how hard you try your first vessel would be more privy of you and your emotions

And her and Paimon’s behavior today, you began to grow a bit suspicious of them. What could they be planning? It wasn’t until your favorite homicidal ginger ran up to you and shoved a fishing rod in your hand, saying that he and Lumine have something planned for you

“Ice fishing?”

“Yeah, we’ve noticed that you’ve been down recently and Childe suggested that we take you ice fishing, to clear your head.” Lumine explained

“It would be good to get some fresh air!” Paimon chimed

“That sounds nice, but we should let the others know about this so they don’t freak out when they can’t find me.”

“Don’t worry about that, I already told Capitano!” Childe exclaimed. “Come on, the good fish are waiting for us!” Childe grabbed your free hand and took you out the back

You should’ve known something was up when the taller man looked around each turn before leading you to another corner, but the prospect of being outside made you throw out any reason. When you were brought to the destination, a frozen lake with 3 stools around a hole cut into the ice

“This way, your-”

“Let me help you to your seat, (y/n).” Lumine cut the Harbinger off and took your hand to help you get through the ice and to your designated stool

Once all three of you settled into your respective stools, you turned towards Childe. “So what’s the point of ice fishing?”

“Well, it’s just a way to get out. I do this to clear my head after a long mission with no bloodshed.” The Ginger explained

“So we just talk and hope to catch a fish?”

“Yeah…”

“This sounds too boring, I’m going to take a nap.” Paimon said before disappearing in her little pocket dimension

“Wait, she can do that?!” You shrieked in bewilderment

“Yeah, I thought you could see it during all the times you used me as a vessel.” Lumine assumed

You were too dumbfounded to formulate any words. Thankfully you didn’t blurt out thinking her disappearing into a mass of sparkles and stars was only a game mechanic. You don’t know how you would explain to them what game was and that they were in one without causing some existential crisis

“Okay…”

It was all you manage to say and the two took it without saying anything more. You looked towards the horizon and admired the sun that just revealed itself in all of it’s shining glory. Oddly enough looking at the ball of fiery death didn’t blind you after starring at it, you could say it almost felt comforting. The same comfort you get when reminiscing on a snack you would have as a kid but not as much as you got older. The feeling of nostalgia got you thinking on some things, the same things that been crawling at your back. It didn’t help that the silence you were sitting in made the crawling worse the seconds pass

“Hey, Childe…?” The young man lifted his head towards you. “Do you mind if I call you by your real name, just while we’re here?”

“Of course, your Grace!” Ajax said with glee

“You can call me (y/n) since I’m using your real name.”

“Okay, (y/n).” The way your name rolled off his tongue made him super giddy, all the while Lumine and Paimon watched in mild discomfort. After the initial feeling of exhilaration has subsided, Ajax quickly composed himself. “Is there anything on your mind, (y/n)?” He asked gleefully towards the end at the privilege of getting to say your name

“Do any of you think my plan of taking my doppelganger off the throne would be possible?”

“Of course I do!” Lumine and Ajax said in unison

“Do you mean that as a devoted acolyte or as just you.” You turned towards Childe, a look of earness on your face. “ As Childe of the fatui harbingers or as Ajax?” You turned your attention towards Lumine. “And as the Traveler, the hero renowned all over Teyvat or as Lumine who traversed the stars with her brother?”

The two were left stunned, Ajax opened his mouth but no words came out while Lumine turned her gaze away from you

“I don’t know if I can really beat them. One day I’m just some ordinary person and the next, I’m in this world labeled as an imposter but I’m actually this divine Creator.” You looked towards the hole in the ice to avoid the gazes of your company. “I’ve never been too notable back home, but all of you call me ‘your Grace’ and hold me in high regard. I don’t feel that and sometimes….” Tears start to well up your eyes. “Sometimes I even wonder if you guys are just going along with my plan because you’re all afraid of hurting my feeli-”

“That’s not true!” You snap your head to face Ajax who got up from his seat. “Even though you’ve been reincarnated in a human body, everyone who knows of your presence believes you can achieve this goal. If her majesty had any doubt on then she wouldn’t hesitate to tell you!” Ajax sat back down on the stool. “I believe in you as Childe, the 11th Harbinger and as Ajax, the guy from that small village.”

“I agree with Ajax. Even though I’m claimed to have done massive feats, I wouldn’t have done them without you guidance. My battles against Stormterror, Osial, and the Shogun they all wouldn’t possible without you right by me.”

“Thanks guys,” You took your hook out of the water and set the fishing rod next to you. “Ice fishing is kinda boring, ya’ll wanna have a snowball fight?”

Lumine and Ajax share a look between themselves before turning their attention back towards you and nodding with smiles on their faces

─────────── ✧ ───────────

On the other side of the world, in the nation of contracts, Liyue. Here is where most if not all of the nations’ leaders are temporarily residing due to the order of their “Creator.”

The streets don’t hold the same sense of peace and liveliness it once held, now replaced by animosity and tension so thick one can nearly choke just by breathing. It isn’t any better at the Yujing Terrace, where the world leaders constantly discuss their next corse of action and the same place Al haitham dreads going

On one hand he is grateful that he’s not responsible for the work that comes with being the Acting Grand Sage, but this isn’t exactly what he was expecting

“Good morning, would like some coffee?” Jean asked as she held out a paper cup with its contents producing steam

“Thank you.” He said while taking the cup and drinking from it

“How are you liking your stay at Liyue?”

“It’s alright, I took the chance to pick up some books that typically don’t reach the Akademya.”

“You like to read, me too! Normally I don’t get to read because of my work schedule, but I digress. What genres do you read?”

“Mainly science, philosophy, and…” A noise takes Al haitham out of his line of thought

“Is something wrong?” Jean asked worriedly

It’s whistling

Al haitham walked towards the direction where the sound comes and sees the Natlan priestess with a bird perched upon her finger

“Chimalma, good morning!” Jean greeted

“Morning to you, Jean!” The priestess waved

So Chimalma was her name, Al haitham probably heard her name before but didn’t bother to remember it

“I didn’t expect for you to talk to birds.”

“Hummingbirds are said to be the souls of fallen soldiers, it would be absurd that the priestess of Natlan to not be able to speak to the late warriors, no?” Chimalma scoffed with a playful glint in her eyes

“No, I didn’t mean anything-” Jean tried to stammer out an apology

“I joking, you really need to lighten up.” Chimalma waved her hand dismissively

“I heard the language of birds is something their Grace and only people they chose are able to understand it.” A short woman with blue hair and horns commented as she walk up the stairs

“Spot on! As one would expect from one of Rex Lapis’ adepti~” Chimalma sang which made the qilin turn her head away from the feline hybrid

“If you can indeed talk to birds, then we can use that to our advantage in capturing the imposter.” The tengu general from Inazuma proclaimed as she entered with the Yashiro Commissioner sally of whom Al haitham couldn’t be bothered to learn their names

For a second Chimalma’s eye twitched and a slight hint of malevolence can be seen but soon returned to their usual easygoing gleam. All of which didn’t go unnoticed by the acting Grand Sage and apparently the Yashiro Commissioner caught the slip up

“It seems that everyone is here so we can start attending to matters,” The voice of the Tinaquan brought everyone’s attention towards her. “are there any concerns one would like to bring to our attention before we start with today’s proceedings?”

“I would like to bring up a question,” The young clan head raised his hand. “is Snezhnaya going to be joining us? I don’t recall seeing a representative in our meeting with their Grace.”

“Despite the numerous attempts to get their involvement, they refused each instance.”

“Would it be possible to think, they’re harboring this imposter.” Everyone’s attention quickly turned towards Al haitham, each face containing certain level of surprise. Wether it being what the former scribe said or the fact that he even spoke at all. “Not too long ago they tried to construct a god that would replace Lord Kusanali, so it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for them to be hiding the imposter in hopes of using them to their advantage.”

An unsettling silence hung over the envoys as the realization of the words fully took root in each of the leader’s minds

“That’s absurd! You don’t think they’re foolish enough to try that…? To try and use a world ending entity to replace their Grace, right?” The horned Adeptus worried

There was a moment of silence until the Tinaquan cleared her throat

“If your assertion is true, then we need to mobilize our forces as soon as possible.” She declared, her eyes showing a flame burning within them

─────────── ✧ ───────────

Completely unaware of the arrangements being made, you throw the snowball without a care in the world. The same carefreeness you once had before being labeled as an imposter and hunted like an animal

You watch the snowball fly through the air and break apart once it missed Childe and made contact with a tree trunk. That was the nth snowball you threw he dodged with no effort, but it looked like Lumine was having an easier time getting the snowballs to hit the ginger. You shouldn’t feel too bad, things could be worse. You could be doing just as bad as Paimon desperately flying out the way of snowballs but still getting hit by a good chunk of them

“Your Grace, there you are.” A familiar voice greets you

You look back to see a pair of golden orbs starring back at you

“Aether, how did you find me?”

“I followed your aura when I didn’t sense you in the palace.”

“The spell wears off? Damn that’s really inconvenient.”

“I can cast it on you, again. If it’s for you, I don’t mind being inconve-” A snowball hits Aether square in the face. “Lumine!” Aether yelled

“You didn’t specify you weren’t in the fight, so I didn’t know.”

“Bullshit!!!”

Aether held out his hand and a clump of snow appears in it. As he gets ready to throw the snow ball Lumine tries to run out of its potential line of sight

“Wait! That’s not fair! You can’t use elemental pow-” The blonde tried to shout but was hit in the face

Lumine wipes the snow off her face and starts to grab a large chunk of snow from the ground and packed it into a ball. Aether shield you from Lumine’s and Ajax’s line of sight

“My sister is scary when she’s angry, don’t worry I’ll protect you, your Grace.” The normally cold prince told with an uncharacteristic smile on his face

“No fair, I wanna be on (y/n)’s side-” Ajax whined but got hit in the face by a snowball

“How dare you utter their Grace’s name so casually!”

Lumine and Ajax looked at each other and seemed to have reached a sort of truce. The two grab snowballs in each hand, getting ready to throw them

“H-hol up. Go easy on me!” You pleaded

They did go easy on you, Aether not so much. A barrage of snowballs were thrown at him mercilessly, but he managed to dodge a good portion of them and got an equal amount of his snowballs hitting them

You tried to throw a couple of snowballs but they always ended up missing their target and so you just decided to sit back and watch them. They didn’t notice when you sat on the sidelines, but you didn’t mind you had just as much fun watching them. Time seemed to have gotten away from all of you because the next thing you knew you realized how dark it was

“Uhh timeout guys…” You yelled clear enough for the others to seize their attack. “it’s getting pretty dark out here, we should start heading back.”

The cheerful expression on Ajax’s face dropped into one of realization and horror

“Shit! We need to find shelter fast!”

“What, why?!” You asked fear quickly sinking in

“There’s a cave over there!” Lumine said as she pointed towards its opening

Ajax picked you up and ran into the cave, he stopped once he no longer felt the harsh winds from the outside

“Are you ok?” He asked, making you look at his face, which you were in close proximity. Did he always look this pretty? Or was it that because he’s in front of you and you can see details in face that couldn’t be captured in a series of polygons?!?!

“Ye-yeah, I’m fine,” You said with your gaze adverted. “can you put me down now?”

He immediately does and a smirk graces his pretty boy face

“What are you smirking at?” You asked dreading his response will make your face heat up even more

“You know my offer still stands. The one I gave when we bumped into each other in the forest of Sumeru, us having s-” The ends of the red scarf around his neck fly into Ajax’s face and the two of you turn to see the twins grimacing as anemo particles dissipate by Aether

“Can you not try to get your dick wet for two seconds?” Aether chastises

Ajax yanks the scarf out of his face. “You’re just jealous of the effect I have on (y/n), they can’t help that they find me attractive.”

“You nearly put their Grace in danger and now trying to make a move on them while saying their name so casually, don’t you have no shame!”

“Don’t blame me, you could’ve noticed the sun setting but didn’t so act like you’re any better then me!”

Aether retorts something back but you didn’t catch it due to your attention being brought to something else. It seemed that Lumine took notice on your spaced out look

“Is something the matter?” She asked

“I just feel something pulling me towards it…” Was all you responded with

The pull got more intense the longer you stayed, immediately turning your body you begin walking further into the cave. Lumine and Ajax followed you and tried to convince you to sit back in your seat near the fire, or that is what you think they’re saying to you. Your only focus is on finding out what is pulling you deeper into the cave

You stopped at the dead end and you stared at the wall in awe of what you see. A Primogem embedded into the wall

“(Y/n), we should really be heading back. You’ll get sick if you’re not near the fire.” Ajax tried to persuade you

You turned towards your companions. “Wait! You don’t see that?!”

“I don’t see anything.” Ajax admitted

“You don’t see anything?!”

Ajax shook his head leading you to turn towards the twins

“Lum, Ae, please tell me that you see what I’m talking about.”

They only shook her head, you could see a slight blush on their faces, most likely due to the nickname you gave them. You weren’t in the mood to fawn over how adorable they both looked, you groaned in frustration and went to where the rock was embedded. Seeing the glowing stone, hesitation stopped you from touching it but pushed it aside, you reached out for it and pulled it out. The gem began to glow brighter in your hand as if it had been brought to where it belongs

─────────── ✧ ───────────

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[eiraeths]

Gimme gimme gimme

Solvent for caustic scars

And pithy observations of canine incisors

Prebby prease

elllll my love hi

i’m pretty sure you’ve beta’d both of these at some point

snippet from solvent for caustic scars chapter two:

“God fuckin’ dammit,” Soap seethes, pressing his back against their steadily chipping cover as he checks his remaining ammo.

Empty as his current ideas.

Gaz abandons his Sisyphean task and scrambles for his radio. “Does anyone read me?”

Even the hail of bullets couldn’t mask the answering silence.

“We’re so fucked,” Gaz whispers, slumping down.

Soap peaks over the crate, attempting to get a hostile count. He needs something. Anything. Just one confirmation so he can pull himself together and come up with a semblance of a plan.

It takes a single sharp-pitched whistle blazing past his ear for him to drop back down without thought.

“Anything?” Gaz asks, scanning the room over his shoulder.

They’re running out of time. Waiting is a certain death sentence. No one is coming to save them.

“Stay here.”

“What?”

—

get cliffhangered >:]

snippet from pithy observations of canine incisors:

Soap stopped going to church long before he signed his name on the dotted line, signing his life away right along with it. Years have passed since he last stepped foot on those crumbling steps. It’s been longer since he made it through the threshold.

He wonders if someone’s repainted the guardrail yet. Years of sea salt lingering after heavy storms chipped away at that white paint. The salt filled the air—so heavy the taste would linger in the back of his throat for hours—and over the years he’d watch the paint chips crumble.

Back in the day, before the violence and bloodshed, when he was still a stupid kid, he’d go to church. Not a single Sunday passed where the entire MacTavish family wouldn’t stuff themselves into those rows of stiff wooden pews. They looked the part, too, all dressed up in their finest clothes. All dolled up with ironed shirts, shined shoes, and a tie he fucked up so many times.

His older sister, Elspeth, would take it from his clumsy hands and show him how to do it properly. Time and time again, she’d take it without a skip in the beat, and tie the damn thing like hadn’t done it the week before. She’d admonish him every time, telling him they had to look their best when in front of God.

Little John MacTavish—so stupid and so goddamn naïve—would grin up at her with a gapped grin and tell her, “But God’s always watchin’. That’s what you said. He knows every part of you inside and out.”

He would be so fucking proud of saying it. So pleased, like he personally made God proud. Like God would approve of his entire being. At the time, he thinks God might’ve done so. Back when he still had faith in a higher power above. When the MacTavish’s still got together and played the part of picture-perfect family in front of the town.

Sometimes, he still wonders if the townspeople ever found out his old man could drink all of them under the table with ease. Did they ever think about how he would drink and drink until he bristled about, red in the face? How with every bottle downed, he’d get real damn mean.

His old man wasn’t always like that, and Soap doesn’t remember when the bastard crossed the line and never looked back. Couldn’t be sure if he ever knew the line existed in the first place.

Soap’s not an expert on God anymore—doesn’t know if he ever perceived himself as such—and he’s never been good at figuring out why he wasn’t good enough to love. But he’s sure as hell God doesn’t like men that beat on their kids and wife.

His faith crumbled over the years right alongside the white paint. Chipped away with every purple bruise stretched across his skin and the tight funds spent on makeup. Covered those dark bruises right up, every swipe of the brush accompanied by acidulous accomplishment.

What a waste of money. What a waste of time believing in a God who did fuck all for him.

[tulipsinthedas]

Just finished binging the Fallout tv show and 🤯 I've got so many thoughts running through this little brain of mine. So here's a very long rant no one asked for. Maybe I'll make a more digestible version later. Obviously SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Be warned!

First off - the lore. So many interesting things were added into the lore by this show that I find so fascinating, as well as theories I've had that were touched upon. All of which makes this very exciting but also leaves me DESPERATE for season two. The main thing that has really stuck with me is the confirmation that Vault-Tec were the ones to drop the bombs like hello??? I've always had an inkling ever since I started delving into fallout lore a good year or two ago that they were behind everything, but finally having it confirmed is so fun. Of course, some people out there are going to be irritated (L take) but this imo will make replays so much more interesting. Same with the addition of ghouls needing medication to keep from becoming feral. Although this begs some questions; what is the medicine? Is it just radaway, or something else entirely? Maybe it's connected to whatever Hancock used to ghoulify himself? Or maybe it's connected to Doctor Barrows' research into ghouls fom Fallout 3? Idk! But I hope it's answered in season 2.

Cooper being the inspiration behind the iconic vault boy mascot absolutely gagged me. It was kinda hinted at even in the beginning at the kids birthday party but I was still surprised. Pleasantly, of course. Other smaller things, like the BOS branding and helmets opening up, among other things, were also fun touches that develop the lore in ways that the games probably never would have. It's small things like this that despite livening up the wasteland, would be unnecessary uses of resources from a game-development standpoint. So I think if season 2 ends up being a banger like season 1, we could see a lot more tiny additions to the lore like this!

Secondly - the characters. I don't even know where to start. They were written so well which is such a critical part of a good series. Lucy, despite everything she goes through, stays true to her morals and by doing so, probably unknowingly, is changing those around her. Despite being stubborn, she's willing to listen and understand other viewpoints and adapt herself. It's so refreshing to see a main female lead who isn't written as either weak and naive or strong and boneheaded; she'd a perfect mix of both. I also appreciate them not making her a total push over, even in the beginning before she is given any reason to change. She grows, but never fails to stay true to herself. Plus the whole sex positive thing is an amazing touch to add as well, especially for a woman.

And while on this topic, Maximus is such a cutie pie. Writing characters that are selflessly aligned can definitely be a hit or miss, and without properly being fleshed out, can be one-dimensional, but I never felt that way with him. Despite trying to help others and be a good person, he still has flaws and does feels selfish things. They took the trope of the knight in shining armor, literally, and gave him actual human characteristics that made him feel real. Underneath his heroic demeanor, he's just a little guy who likes slippers and vault popcorn. Who just wants to be somewhere safe away from war and danger, to be where he can just relax and not have to worry. And his romance arc with Lucy is just way too cute. From the moment they met in Filly I knew something was going to happen and I was so excited when they finally kissed lmao. The sweet, innocent love at first sight thing they have going on is the perfect dichotomy to all the bloodshed and heavy themes going on in the rest of the show.

And finally, Cooper is reviving the inner ghoul lover in me and I cannot complain at all. As a certified Hancock lover, I feel seen ✋ also Walton Goggins is just incredibly fine. But that's besides the point. His character is arguably the best written because despite being an undeniably evil person, he is still likeable. 200 years have turned him into a man who had to lose his humanity to survive, and the pre-war flashbacks being shown through his eyes give him, and the story, so much depth. Despite his ways, you can't help but still feel for him, to still root for him and hope that he still has a little bit of that humanity left within him. Which imo was shown multiple times; for example him not killing Maximus in episode two even though he easily could have done so. And the fact that he's still searching for his family all these years later? When he was asked what has been keeping him going so long, I think they are his reason. Whether he is searching to reunite or to exact revenge on Barb for dropping the bombs while him and Janey were outside idk. But it makes his story all the more heartbreaking. I also love the writing for Norm, Moldaver, Dane, and so many others, but this is already too long ass it is.

Overall, this series was so good and I'll be impatiently awaiting season 2! Some things I'm hoping to see next seasons are super mutants for sure, as well as synths and more of the enclave. I think they went easy this season to test the waters and see just how interested people are. And now that they know people are very interested, I think they'll be more willing to invest a larger budget, and add more. Rant over!

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

🍗 BG3 Modern AU: Harvest Feast [Thanksgiving] Dinner Edition 🥔

A/N: Obviously, Thanksgiving doesn't exist in this universe. I mean a version could exist. There have been so many wars and fights within realms, a big ironic, disarming feast technically could have happened before some bloodshed and genocide. I’m not a DND expert. But I think with a little creative licensing, you could twist this concept more into a Harvest Festival feast sort of thing. Just go with it, I wrote it on my phone while hiding from my family members. 

Astarion: 

You remember that one vine that’s like, “Everyone has a gay cousin. Bitch, I don’t have a gay cousin… Oh, oh I am the gay cousin.” That’s him- he's the gay cousin. Always crushes it at charades. Like, he’s the unbeaten champion, for four years running. 

Gale: 

The host with the most. Always cooking new variations of the same meals. Some are good. Others, like his minimalist, organic tofu vegan recipe for turkey, are better left off as concepts, not executions. 

Wyll: 

Always brings the best dessert. And is the one to kick off the conversation at dinnertime. Either about his time as the Blade of Frontiers or about what’s currently happening in the capitol. The one cousin you’re most likely to learn is actually a secret gossip. 

Karlach: 

That one grown-up who prefers the kids to table to the grown-ups' tables. Always down to start a game outside before dinner is ready. Gets teasingly scolded by Astarion for making a bigger mess rolling around outside in the dirt than the actual children. 

La’zel:

Looks super badass when she arrives on her motorcycle. Shows up, eats, and then dips out back to hang out with Minthara for a smoke. That one intimidating, quiet cousin who everybody lowkey fears, and tries really hard not to provoke. 

Shadowheart: 

Did someone say WINE AUNT? No, seriously, she always brings the booze for the grown-ups. (Also in charge of bringing the pot, which is why La’zel and Minthara let her join them behind the garage.) She also always manages to look so put together. Not having children looks really good on her lol. 

Halsin: 

The kind of guy who goes out and hunts his own damn turkey, plucks in, and cooks it- all outdoors, without any sort of fancy oven or cookware technology. He’s got like a dirt hole firepit and a cover but always ends up making the most delicious turkey you’ve ever had in your life?? Says all he uses is salt and pepper but you know damn well, he’s lying. 

Minthara: 

The cool goth cousin you were always too intimidated to talk to as a child but who you grew up to really admire as an adult. She only comes to avoid the annoying guilt-tripping she’d have to endure should she skip. Is surprisingly personable once you get her high- almost like a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on. 

Bonus! Jaheira:

Your one Aunt who’s always exhausted, probably from having to rope her grown-ass children into doing normal things together as a family. Constantly can be heard whispering threats under her breath to them at the dinner table. Is always super nice and supportive to you though. 

Bonus! Minsc: 

Your outlier, kind of nuts Uncle who occasionally talks in the third person. Possibly from a head injury or maybe he was born like this. You can never get a straight answer. But he’s abstractly wise once you stop judging him by his initial appearance, and listen to what he has to say. Just don’t ask him about anything tangible like the moon landing, or if birds are real. Otherwise, you’re in for a long night. 

[kyuremking]

Glad to hear that Hades' soul was destroyed without (unnecessary) bloodshed! How do they go about getting Hades' soul out of Shun in TT Pegasus AU, btw? Do some of the Pegasi (like Aleksandros or Ganzorig, maybe?) instruct Saori on how to use her cosmos, so as to use her divine blood to help with the separation of Hades from Shun's body?

When they all go back to Sanctuary, I can only imagine how much more rowdier it's gonna get. In the time between the Galactic Duels, going to Jamir, then back to Greece (is that the right order?), I'd wager that the other Kido orphans have been exposed to Ganzorig long enough that suddenly, having a parental figure doesn't seem so bad. They've gotten a taste of genuine fatherly affection, they ain't ever letting go - sorry Aldebaran, your Temple is gonna be swamped with kids every other day ( ^ w^).

I can almost see Rodorio relaxing just a smidge after fulfilling his goal of killing Hades, remembers Aiolia still has Zeus' soul inside him and goes "Hmm, there's a seal in place, but it be better to deal with it now before it becomes a problem-"

Then Cancer Deathmask walks by, and suddenly, Rodorio's blood pressure spikes. "Nvm, Apollo it is." Meanwhile, Aleksandros is just tuning his harp in the background.

Aleksandros unlike the rest of the pegasus (along with Badru), is not a direct fighter, yes he is still able to perform the techniques of the pegasus and hits like a truck but he is more of a support type.

Techniques that reduce or increase cosmos, that nullify senses, illusions and most importantly(and against his own will) techniques related to souls.

Don't sleep on Aleksandros, after all he is the one who finally killed Bellerephon's murderer.

So it's not difficult to exorcise Hades' soul when he hasn't possessed Shun's body yet and he has a little help from Saori who has received a couple of cosmos control lessons and some of her blood.

So they took out Hades' soul, contained it, Rodorio raised his cosmos to the ninth sense and destroyed Hades definitively. It was a bit anticlimactic, over two thousand years of wars to be resolved in 15 minutes.

Remember, Rodorio sent Isaac and Kanon to the sanctuary via meteor express because he didn't have time to deal with a couple of former apprentice saints in the underwater temple, he had more important things to do.

Camus didn't stick around long enough to know how the situation would develop, he grabbed Isaac by the neck and took off for Japan.

So when he realised where he was, Kanon decided to open his mouth and paint himself as the good guy in the story:

‘I discovered my evil twin brother's plan to assassinate the patriarch and Athena, but when I tried to confront him and get him to come to his senses he locked me up and left me for dead.’

With Isaac gone, no one can tell them that Kanon was acting as sea dragon so as far as they know Poseidon's forces found Kanon and had him imprisoned to get information out of him.

It is official the conflict has broken out in the sanctuary.

Rodorio is waiting for Partita to show up because he wants to have a word with her, break a couple of her bones and fleece her a bit for what she did to his soul during Lost Canvas. He won't kill her but she won't escape unscathed.

Even hiding behind Tenma won't save her from punishment.

Neither Marin nor Camus are happy that Ganzorig is acting this way, yes they are children but they are also saints, they should be treated with the same harshness as any adult in order to survive whatever they face. The difference is that Ganzorig knows perfectly well how to treat a child who is also a saint.

Aldebaran will need to make an extension to the Taurus house or move Ganzorig elsewhere.

The gods in Saint seiya have proven to be like little kids who smack you around and don't expect their actions to have consequences.

If they make one false move Rodorio will bring down those consequences. And they'll do it because they're proud idiots who think the sun shines on their ass.

As for Aioria, he is a marked vessel but he doesn't have Zeus' soul inside, unless he tries to possess Aioria nothing will happen. But there is already a defence seal installed on Aioria courtesy of Aleksandros and which Orisos has decided to reinforce because there is enough trouble in the sanctuary.

[greybackpack]

So, I was pondering about scars. Thinking? I don’t know. Anyways, scars in relation to the trio.

For Elisabet, right? She lived on a ranch, and if there’s anything I know about living with farm animals, it’s that there’s gonna be some bloodshed. Both yours and theirs. What kind of scars did she get in her lifetime? What lessons did she learn from them? I have a faint scar from one of my mothers chickens, and like, I know now not to bother a hen when she’s stressed unless I can help. (Also my mom has a penchant for picking asshole roosters, but that’s irrelevant.) does she have a burn scar from that pine tree she set on fire? What marks are on her hands from working with robotics? Did Elisabet learn how to weld? What scars did she get during the apocalypse? Did she come face to face with the Plague? What scrapes and bumps and bruises does she have and what did she learn? I know damn well there’s calluses on her feet, because you can’t operate a ranch without breaking in some solid footwear. Did she listen to the lessons about breaking in hiking boots or did she hike in them and bleed? Does she have calluses on her hand, even though I’m sure the digitalization of everything must have made that less pronounced?

Aloy, for sure, has tough feet. The shoes she didn’t wear as a kid is like the practice of acclimatizing children to be able to walk bare feet in order to get thicker soles and stronger skin. (Speaking of which, how in the hell did she not get tetanus or something?) She’s got scars from machines, for sure, like most everyone else does. Which ones taught her to dodge better, to balance quicker, to parry a strike at the right moment? She’s got calluses on her fingertips from bows. Little slices on her hands that indicate blade work? Do her shoulders have scars on them from those slamming attacks watchers do? Torn up skin fro where scrappers caught her with their serrated blades? Broken and healed bones from stampeding striders?Pockmarks and holes from where bullets and lasers hit her? Her palms are rough, because she climbs rocks and trees and probably buildings. Has she ever twisted her ankles? That scar from Helis, on her neck, that taught her the reality of death and loss. What other scars would Aloy carry? What lessons did they teach her?

And Beta, who was forced to live both socially and physically isolated from people. We know she didn’t meet the Zeniths until Earth, basically. Did Eric torment her when they did (this is based on the whole psycho “watch the fear in other people’s eyes as he killed them” thing the dude’s got going on). She who also ripped out that focus/tracker out of the side of her head unhesitatingly the moment she could after realizing what the Zeniths were there to do. There’s a giant scar left on her skull now Did that teach her a little bit about how brave she could be? Did that show her that the spark of bravery and defiance and good that lives in Aloy also lives in her? Is it a reminder that she no longer lives under anyone’s will? That shes brave and lovely and even if there’s a hundred zeniths, Beta’s worth as much if not more than all of them combined? Does it remind her that she’s got people who cherish her for who she is and that she doesn’t have to beg for a scrap of attention and love? Did she get splinters after setting foot on a world not made out of metal and lights and water?

I just think scars are incredibly profound to who someone is as a person and the experiences they’ve gone through. Physically, anyways. Emotional scars can be linked to them, but they’re usually harder to spot right away.

They’re so brave?? They survived so much and yeah they’re not talking about it but they’re learning to live with it and learning to both grieve the experience and then learning the lesson and moving on instead of just avoiding it like Aloy did for the year and a half ish from Rost’s death? That’s incredibly inspiring.

I think that’s why I love this game so much, despite the questionable usage of tribes and savages and a bunch of other things (don’t even get me started on that). The story and narrative is so rich and compelling in how they show Aloy’s physical and emotional journey and the differences in how people process their trauma and experiences and how that’s all okay, because that’s just how things are. It’s just. I love it. I love them.

[backjustforberena]

How do you think Rhaenys will react to B&C?

You know what, I was thinking about this the other day because we've potentially got a very different set-up to the book. And that's because of Captain Problematic himself, Daemon Targaryen.

In the show, Daemon has yet to go to Harrenhal. He's the one who delivers the news about Lucerys's death to Rhaenyra in person. In the trailer, we see him still sat at the Painted Table, so we know he's there for a little bit of time at the start (and it's definitely the start), so he's not just packed up his stuff and legged it to get a strategic advantage, despite his war plans last episode.

In the book, he's already at Harrenhal. He's snatched the place up way before Luke ever dies and we have the iconic raven saying that Lucerys will be avenged. No specifics at all. It's a total wild card plan, no one on the Black Council is consulted, Daemon just seemingly does this on his own... which is the most Daemon thing ever, to be honest. There's no time, opportunity or authority to stop Daemon from enacting B&C. It's an act done for the Blacks' side but it is not sanctioned in any way whatsoever, so far as we can tell in the book.

But, if we have Daemon still at Dragonstone before, during or after B&C then that will force some confrontations and questions. We get the potential of either Daemon blatantly disobeying Rhaenyra and/or Rhaenyra being complicit and/or, at the very least, Daemon attending meetings where a response to the death of Prince Lucerys is argued and no one mentions killing another child as payment. What you get is less an act done in isolation, and more one done without consensus.

We don't have any specifics to go on in the book - we don't have any clue about how any Team Black members react to the act. Not even Daemon, I don't think. So that's got the potential to be very juicy. We don't have any evidence (although if someone finds a quote and wants to tell me I'm wrong, please do) about how Rhaenyra reacts, or Corlys, or Rhaenys, or Jace, or Baela and Rhaena. No one. It's just presented as another step in the escalation of the Dance as a whole, rather than something that has ramifications within a fledgeling faction. Which gives the show lots of room to play with.

For Rhaenys, specifically? Horror. I can only imagine horror. She's pretty much consistently been about the kids. All the kids. She's in it for her grandchildren, she warns against kinslaying and bloodshed in the trailer. She was shown to be a caring and involved mother and now fiercely protects the generation after them. She's putting aside a lot of pride to be of service to a woman who has shown her no kindness over the years, in order to keep them safe. If there is one thing she wants to preserve, it's the children - and that likely extends to those on the Green side as well.

Rhaenys isn't bloodthirsty or callous or clouded in her judgement. She's shown to be Daemon's opposite multiple times and, I believe, will represent such next season as well. So, no, she's not going to be clapping Daemon on the back for this one.

I have two more questions about it that I'm interested to know the answers to, when the episode comes out:

How much detail will the Black Council be made aware of? In other words, are they going to know EVERYTHING about the act, and how Helaena's son died and how Alicent and Helaena and all the children were made to suffer? Or will they only know that a child has been killed in recompense and Daemon did it? Will they even know Daemon did it - perhaps Rhaenyra will keep the information to herself? Where are they going to get the information from?

And, whilst Rhaenys will be horrified... I wonder if she'll be surprised or shocked. In Series 1, nothing much surprised her. Things frightened her, and took her aback, but she was never really surprised. I wonder if she'll have never thought Daemon capable of this. Or whether she feared he always was.

How afraid will this make them? Of Aegon's wrath? Now the bad blood is true between both. And we know what happens with the Cargyll Twins. Do the Black Council expect or fear for a similar, ruthless and clandestine mission as Daaemon did upon the Greens? Do they fear what eventually does happen?

[horizon-verizon]

It’s the contrast between Rhaenyra and Dany that stands out to me.  The thing that defines Dany the most is that she cares deeply about others that she puts their interests and safety above her own personal desires, whereas Rhaenyra cares mainly about herself even if it means trampling the common people in the process. It is rather striking that Dany does everything in her power to bring peace to Mereen, even sacrificing her ambition to rule Westeros and her personal happiness by marrying a man she does not want in hopes that this would stop the bloodshed in the streets and spare her people. Compare and contrast to Rhaenyra blatant rejection of peace as symbolized by Corlys Velaryon’s suggestions of war-ending efforts for the sake of her personal vengeance. It is very clear that ruling is mainly a responsibility and duty to the people in Dany’s eyes, but for Rhaenyra, it is very much about her rights and what she is owed, even if that means sacrificing her people for it.

The points of contrast only continue to pile up on close examination of both narratives. Dany cares about her brother despite his sadistic and abusive behavior towards her and tries to save him to the very end; Rhaenyra wanted her 10-year-old brother “questioned sharply” in an effort to cover up her own affair. Dany cares about children, from the ones savaged by the slavers to make a point to her highborn hostages that she refuses to execute to poor little Hazzea to Missandei; Rhaenyra started a manhunt for her nephew and niece and was all too ready to scapegoat Addam Velaryon and Nettles. Granted, Dany commits or condones acts like torturing the wineseller’s daughters but even then, the basis of her actions is a far cry from Rhaenyra’s, who had no qualms about having an innocent man seized, executed and fed to her dragon for opposing her and who freely made use of torturers in trying to locate Aegon II and his children. At her most cruel, Dany’s thoughts still showed her remorse when she had to confront the reality of her orders in the form of the slowly dying masters, and her motives were not simply about personal revenge, though it is an element. In contrast, Rhaenyra doubled down on her cruelty to the very end, and her pursuit of personal vengeance only contributed to prolonging the war. To put it simply, Dany is a savior and liberator while Rhaenyra was a tyrant.

*EDITED POST* (10/16/23)

Probably responding to this post.

A)

that you are thinking mainly about "contrasts" but contrasts cannot exist without making similarities when we are trying to analyze a text. Just because the characters are very different, doesn't mean we can't draw any parallels or even see some character traits and explain why/how they manifest differently. I already said as much as to the process of comparing/contrasting things to see what role they play in the narratives' themes and events in the post anon refers to, linked above:

"Comparisons" do not have to mean "they are exactly alike or share many traits", it can refer to that specific process of getting information itself. "Comparison" can be a shortening of "qualitative comparative analysis". "Compare" as in I put these characters side by side, make a Venn Diagram in my mind, and identify what similarities and differences they have.

B)

Mainly because I know that people are criticizing Rhaenyra's character by using Dany while they do not really do the same for other Targ women because Rhaenyra does not go out of her way to provide for smallfolk (neither did Rhaena or Visenya, btw, and these are celebrated apart from the easily identifiable misogynist's most misogynist criticisms). Visenya may have stopped from killing the Vale kid, but she's not really out here trying to make lives better or smallfolk exactly as her sister and Alysanne have.

And my thing, if you read my posts well, was that Rhaenyra became a tyrant in the setting of misogyny--she would have been a so-so ruler, not a tyrant, if she was left alone. I already said Dany was her moral and political superior. SEVERAL TIMES! Nevertheless, Rhaenyra is Dany's ancestor as well as narratively how the in-world should look at Dany, her purpose, and the Targ dynasty's progression ANd both have to deal with being the first to-be woman ruler of a huge realm/the misogyny that will come with that even with them affected/approaching this problem differently.

That Rhaenyra grew up a princess like how most princesses behave and then develop self-determination doesn't negate the misogyny. Plus the arguments that how she was "always" either an amoral or incompetent ruler tend to be misogynist and/or have a double standard.

The contrast doesn't negate the purposes of their stories and how the women are connected to dragons, the decline of female power for male power, and fertility. This is the point of the kind of "comparison" and "likeness" that anon is describing. Dany herself is a very good, altruistic person who really a few Targs measure up to in that specific sense, and yet was targeted for being a woman looking for power. Nearly killed many times. Without Dany's cleverness, compassion, and intuition (as most people do not possess), that should tell us that the misogyny Rhaenyra faces is just as devastating as feminists have been saying. Misogyny doesn't care about morality, it tries to make itself the "morality".

EDIT (8/21/23)

THIS is a great post by @mononijikayu about medieval queens, female rulers, the history of how women in leadership positions were made and seen as threats to the very structure of social "order", and contextualizing Rhaenyra thru Empress Matilda. I didn't even know about Matilda's husband being comparable to Rhaneyra's Daemon! PLZ READ!!!!

Excerpt:

just as much, along with these fictitious portrayals, more lies are depicted. these women are considered vixens that cause havoc to men by shifting them into desires and danger. through the written word, we see how women are cast in roles of villains in men’s lives. it is because by their conclusive thoughts, women are the only creatures that are able to turn ‘good honorable men’ into despicable creatures who do shameful, deplorable acts for the sake of women’s pleasures. 

[...]

it is within this narrative that ancient chroniclers declare that women were in fact the doom of men. if they were not able to control the dangers posed by the wiles of women, then the foundations of the mighty society they had built would be up in flames. 

[...]

as i mentioned, these factors of community are written down and preserved. and with that, the example of the ancients were the foundations by which medieval society built itself. the same concepts continued to cause the same issue within society and that was the exclusion of women from participating in the bigger picture of community and state, much so with governing states in their own right—without judgment or disapproval. 

EDIT (8/22/23)

Daenerys and Rhaenyra also share asserting the monarchial privilege and right to rule as women in a patriarchal world, much less the territory they are seeking to rule. And both are coming from a place of usurpation, claiming back power or safety (albeit in different ways and degrees) that was taken from them.

Rhaenyra's fall from living as a princess (even with all the mistreatment being subtler) has its sociopolitical privileges. Simultaneously, the power she would have inherited as an heir apparent, to become a Queen in her own right is taken from her despite its legal transfer and her fall spells the decline and fall of dragons/Targ power. Dany's rise to power from a place of consistent victimhood and her subsequent bringing the dragons back spells the rebirth of the Targ legacy while making her own unique one (out of the old, something new and better). Even with GRRM writing Dany before Rhaenyra, he conceived Dany as the peak of a former great house that nonetheless had its failures of morality or awareness and care towards subjects (accountability) along with their shining glorious deeds or still-important desires to reshape Westeros for than sake of ambition (rather than compassion).

For Dany to be "special", the ones before her had to have qualities she does not even while sharing some things that are actually reconfigured in Dany (ambition, but ambition to help others as opposed to just legacy). The Targs (some members) are not different from other feudal houses for their desire for glory or ambition or recognition of brilliance and competence, they just have dragons and have a better understanding of where and ability to practice autonomy...at least before Aegon IV's generation.

Therefore, two things: the Targs are both (actual & perceived) atypical and typical nobles/royals because of their social positions and history even before the Conquest due to their magical ties to their dragons and struggles to both maintain power simultaneously (which kinda has always put them in contention with the very subjects they ruled and their customs/perceptions of personhood). AND looking in-world and the actual narrative/timeline that GRRM wrote for Dany, still has her ancestors' determination and pride of being a Targ, at the very Allah, to assert herself for power even if it is for and different purpose and she has anthetical methods and ways of rethinking what "duty" means.

[gamerdog1]

Chainsaw Man Season 1 Review

Its that time of year again: the time where the hardcore anime fans gear up for a new batch of seasonal shows. This winter, a bunch of popular anime, including Vinland Saga, Tokyo Revengers, and Bungou Stray Dogs are releasing new seasons, to the raucous applause of most of the anime fandom community.

I say 'most', of course, excluding myself. Where am I in this, you may ask? Always behind the curve, picking up the hits years after they've had their debut, like a reverse hipster. What's old is new again for folks like me, who are still trying to watch all the 'old' series, nevermind keep up with new releases. There's merit in this method, though: given enough time, the shiny glow of newness fades, and we can experience the series without rose-colored glasses.

In my never-ending quest to understand why popular media got popular, I stumbled upon Chainsaw Man, a rather recent hit that was practically unavoidable last year. In a sea of generic anime girl snore-fests, it grabbed my attention pretty quickly for its sheer ferocity and love for bloodshed. After being assigned it in a monthly show exchange, I figured it was about time I'd given it a chance. After 12 episodes, though, I feel like my time could've better been spent elsewhere.

Chainsaw Man (2022) is an adaptation of the manga by the same name, written by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The series follows Denji, a homeless teen who is saddled with a ridiculous debt to the yakuza after his father dies. After surviving an assassination attempt, he fuses with the Chainsaw Devil, and gains its powers of, well, chainsaws. Now, he must work together with an elite team of public service agents to hunt down other devils, to keep a newly found comfy life.

One would be foolish to assume this wasn't a shonen series. With a teen protagonist, superpowers, monsters, and an overarching storyline about growing up, Chainsaw Man seems like your standard action/fantasy show. What makes it different, though, is its copious amounts of gore. Most 'shonen' series are marketed towards kids and teens, and because of this, are limited in how far they can go with their violent content. Chainsaw Man, it seems, got a free pass from it's producers to show whatever it wants, and really runs with it.

Most of the series revolves around Denji and his team hunting devils, monsters which personify common fears, and gain power from the fear of them. From hulking furry masses like the Bat Devil, to thousand-eyed pushovers like the Tomato Devil, Denji and his team take them down in a brilliant display of blades, sharp teeth, and blood spray. Violence is the life blood of this series, the thing that keeps its main characters alive, and what keeps viewers like me paying attention.

Each confrontation is intense, as the human-looking heroes face off against monsters that dwarf them in comparison. The series establishes early on in every fight just what the opposing devil can do, and how that poses a threat to Denji and his team, making it feel like there's little hope in their survival. This, combined with the constant reminders from Denji's superiors of how many previous hunters have died on the job, gives each fight a sense of stakes to it. Characters can (and eventually do) die, so each fight, even those early on, are tense.

The music, as well, its pretty damn good. I'd already heard the opening track, KICK BACK this summer, and play it a lot while doing chores, but the opening animation that goes with it is really interesting. Look closely, and you'll see shot-for-shot references to famous films, like The Big Lebowski and Pulp Fiction. Each episode also has a unique ending theme, something unique to this series that made me sit and watch each episode all the way through. Most endings are abstract, mostly just the main characters standing around or posing, but all are experimental, including one that is mostly rotoscoped. They were all a joy to watch, a happy surprise at the end of each episode.

Unfortunately, nice music, dynamic fight scenes and a few gallons of blood tossed around can't distract from the many sins of this anime, ones that made it a very uncomfortable viewing experience. When I started this series, I was optimistic about it, and wanted to learn more about its world and characters. But by the second episode, it became difficult to ignore the less savory aspects of this series, which only worsened with each subsequent episode.

Denji, the show's protagonist, is a teenager who had his youth stolen from him by the Yakuza, when they forced him to take up his father's debt. Once he is freed from it, however, his true nature is revealed, one which makes it challenging for viewers like me to like him. This series, it seems, has broken new ground with its protagonist, since I doubt any self-respecting shonen would have a main character (who we are meant to like and care about) be as unabashedly horny as this one.

That's not to say that having a character who likes sex is a bad thing. People, fictional or not, are allowed to like whoever they want, however they want (with consent of course :)). Denji, though, takes the trope of 'sex obsessed teenager' to the extremes, proudly declaring that the only reason he hunts devils is to have sex with his boss. It gets to the point where one of his teammates accuses him of not taking the job seriously, and Denji has the audacity to claim he is. Meanwhile, Denji is lured into a trap by a female character, all because she offered to let him touch her breasts. These, as well as the countless other instances of Denji staring at women's chests instead of their eyes, or whining about how he wants to 'cop a feel', made him a character that was infuriating to watch get his way.

To make matters worse, it seems like nearly every woman in the series is infatuated with him enough to not only let him do these things to them, but outright encourage them. Halfway through the series, Denji and his teammates join up with another trio of devil hunters to investigate an apartment complex. Before entering, one of the female hunters declares that whoever kills the devil inside will get a kiss from her, and when Denji declines, she whispers that she'll do it "with tongue". Around the same point in the show, Denji's boss Makima explains to him about the Gun Devil, the most powerful and most feared devil ever. When he shows apprehension about taking on such a fearsome foe, Makima offers to do whatever he wants if he kills it, heavily implying that she'll sleep with him.

Never in my life have I watched a show where adult women proposition a teenager, something which I was proud to say until today. I wish I could say that it had its purpose in the overall story, but the show hardly has anything to say about it, almost as if it had no problems with it in general. Denji is sixteen, and the hunters that offer to kiss or sleep with him are easily in their 20's, maybe even early 30's, making every 'romantic' or 'sexy' moment in this show a fur-raising experience that took me a bit to recover from. If it was once, and to make a point about the transition to adulthood, or how its morally wrong, I'd understand, but this is absurd. Whoever thought that a scene where the main character's co-worker drunkenly kidnaps him, then coaxes him into have sex with her is okay, should be fired, and have their hard drives searched by the FBI.

I wanted to like this show. Really, I did, especially after all the hype it has, and all the lovely fanart of it I see on my social media feeds. But after having to sit through all 12 episodes of this, I think I'm tapping out. Sure, the fights are great, especially the final one between Denji and Katana Man, where they fight on a subway. The sharp teeth, blades, and constant blood spray were so thrilling, they almost made me forget about the sexual assault stuff. Keyword 'almost'.

Chainsaw Man isn't just a shonen series about the tumultuous journey from teenager to adult: its an action series with cool monster designs, a feral hero, and more blood than a used tampon. But also, its a series where the main character demands sexual favors, and is rewarded with them by adult women time and time again. This series was a mixed bag, one that had me either glued to the screen or wanting to shut it off, with hardly any in between. The main character should've been anyone else (honestly I'd prefer to be following Power, she's way more interesting), and as the series went on, I felt myself wishing for characters to just die already, so I wouldn't have to put up with them anymore. Here's hoping in season 2 that I get my wish.

[madaims]

Just a couple of Trisonas of me and my bestfriend I’ve been working on.

Name reveal! Well kinda…😅 The first name and nickname is mine, the surname was stolen from Annie Lennox 🤣

As for Mer, her surname is from Bonnie Tyler and Marvelous Mer is just some weird nickname I made up.

The little brat we have with us, is just some kid that just showed up some day and we both kind of adopted. He has a mother and father that love him very much but he wants to hang out with us. His name was inspired by Robert Redford and his portrayal of The Sundance Kid.

So what’s our story?

We’re the deputies of December City that try to employ Vash the Stampede as our new Sheriff. Our first one got shot. We just didn’t have it in us to replace our beloved mentor, (besides being a deputy is so much fun!) so we were on the look out for a new one. Vash declined unfortunately. Waaaah! 😭

We like Vash are peacekeepers who don’t like to shoot at people. We do shoot, just not actual bullets. Instead we each use a special gun that can either shoot soft foam bullets (much like NERF pellets) in it’s dry form or just plain water in it’s wet form. We use these to bring justice to December without bloodshed.

I have loads more info about these two and their little sidekick. Might post more info soon!