#when he's at home he has no reason to because you adore foul legacy

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

You’ve successfully become an overnight hyperfixation for me with all your FL brainrot all bc of one of your SAGAU posts, thank you for hauling me into the FL fan base :3

I had a sudden thought about Childe’s shift into FL being like a werewolf kinda shape change. Like he may have expended a lotta energy from sparring and when he feels the change coming he tries to hold it back but it causes him more pain along with what’s happening. His fingers/nails just slowly start to sharpen and armor is starting to jut out of his skin, and don’t even get me started on the sounds you’d hear from him as things happen- him in pain and the sounds of his body changing making my sympathy pains fire like crazy :’3

we’re absolutely concerned and horrified when we see it happen for the first time and shrink away and we might reach out to help but he swipes at us unknowingly. once he sees us tucked into a corner and realizes it’s us and he might’ve hurt us his mood shifts instantly. sad mothman feels mega guilty with little whiny growls and chirps :’3

But then cuddles make everything better >:3

ehehehe yesss, join the moth cult >:)

Childe takes a while to learn that holding back his Foul Legacy transformation just makes it worse- it's much easier to let it happen and get it over with, but he's stubborn and terrified that you'll be disgusted by his Abyssal half. you know something's wrong the minute you hear an awful cracking sound and a muffled hiss of pain, armor breaking through and spreading across Childe's skin as he grips a chair to keep himself steady. when you rush over to see what's wrong he pushes you away, collapsing to his knees as his teeth begin to morph into fangs and horns start growing from his head. you watch, nausea rising in your throat from the breaking bone and flesh until Childe is gone and Foul Legacy is left on the floor, wheezing from exertion. you take a tentative step forward- this is still Childe, isn't it?- but immediately jerk back when he swipes his claws at you with a low growl, unable to see you properly

you stumble backwards, eyes wide and full of hurt, and dart away to your room. Foul Legacy shakes his head, the fog in his eye clearing, and a cold pit of dread forms in his stomach when he realizes what he's done, scrambling to his feet to follow after you

he finds you in the furthest corner of your room and you flinch when he enters, his footsteps heavily landing on the floor. oh, his heart breaks when he sees you jump- Childe's beloved partner, and Legacy's already gone and messed everything up! the Abyssal beast lets out his softest whine, slowly lowering himself to your height and approaching. at first he doesn't dare touch you, but when you don't run away he carefully brushes his claws against your arm, whimpering when you flinch again. but then your hand slowly extends towards his, your smaller fingers wrapping around his sharp talons, and Foul Legacy's fur ruffles in joy as he starts to lovingly croon. he lets you trace the ridges and dips in his crimson mask, your posture becoming more and more at ease by the second, and tentatively he reaches up to hold your cheeks in return

to his delight, you don't run or jump- instead you smile softly at him, the same way you do for Childe, because you love him, too

[pokemonispain]

For the ask thing

1, 2, 15, 29, 38? 👀

1. What’s your favorite character(s) to write for?

The answer is Childe at number one, followed by Scara, Zhongli, Ayato and Thoma. I love all the characters but there are certain ones I take special interest in. As you can see by Ao3 Childe out of all the Genshin characters has the most fics by default 💀💀 I just love him a lot he’s just so adorable and whump shaped😭😭 Characters I love writing for that aren’t Genshin would be Chifuyu from Tokyo Revengers, Wei Wuxian from MDSZ, Reki from skate and Ren from Persona 5 for the same reason of being adorable and whump shaped 😂

2. What character(s) do you find the most difficult to write for? Why?

The answer for this is Ayato pre release because usually when we see leaks of a character we at least see their face or clothes and I can get a feel for their personality and the way they talk that way. With Ayato we had none of that���� so it was kinda difficult to pin down his personality and his way of speaking.

The one I always have trouble writing though no matter how much I study his lines even now is Razor, and that’s because I have to make his dialogue simplistic and broken without making him sound childlike or stupid if that makes sense. 😂

In the beginning when I first started writing stuff for Genshin, I found writing Zhongli hard until I realized that he talks like he’s never heard of a contraction in his life and then it became loads easier.

There actually has been one character I found hard to write that’s not from Genshin though, that’s Lan Wangji from MDZS, he’s very quiet and rarely speaks so it’s kinda hard to pick up on cadence, etc when he does because in those moments he only says a few words😂

15. What is the fanfic you’ve written that you’re most proud of?

So I have quite a few I’m very proud of which I’ll list in no particular order😂 because they were my top favorite fics both to write and plan:

Payback

Foul legacy Transformation aftermath

Escape

Diplomatic relations

Pleading

The abyss stares back

The Edge of the world

I’ll look after you

Absorption

Down in the Ruins

A once in a lifetime event

Trial Run

Phone Call

The Chiscara agenda

Aware

Check up

Suffering together

Snowed in

The long drive back

Our home

Pace yourself

Windblume group date

God 😂😭 as you can see the majority of the ones that have a special place in my heart are more story and character focused, and rather long💀. They usually take a lot of work but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud of these in particular and I think about them a lot sometimes, I just love them a lot😂😂😂

29. What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? (Brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc) 

The actual writing definitely, sometimes I for fics that need more planning or have more than one person sick I often brain storm/scene script. But usually when I receive a prompt or come up with one I can instantly see the entire scenes in my head like a movie🤔 But yeah the actual writing part is definitely my favorite 😂

38. What story of yours are you surprised that people liked as much as they did?

Surprisingly I was shocked people liked Foul Legacy Transformation Aftermath, because I wrote it while really thirsty and brain rotting so I wasn’t really worried about stuff like pacing etc. I just needed to whump Childe because I couldn’t focus on anything else otherwise 😭😭

Another I was shocked that people liked was the fic Our Home because I thought I made Zhongli kinda too clingy and quite a few people don’t like that characterization of him because that’s their preference or they feel like he’s acting ooc(out of character) which of course is perfectly fine. I didn’t care though I just really wanted to write something cute and cozy so I was like “screw it the earth dragon will be getting pampered” 😂

~Butters❤️❤️

[lockekatirci]

WHEN GHOSTS COLLIDE.

Location: Million’s Square, side street.  Time/Date: 13th November, 2180. Not long after orders received. Closed for: @ghcstmcth​

It’s a poor idea to shoulder the belief that Locke has anything melodic inside his head; something that negates the thirst for knowledge and the criminalistic creeds that place him in a particularly virulent of positions. A harmonious rhythm doesn’t find home there even above the scars of horrors that do take up residence in the crevasses of brain matter and skewed neurons. Sirens that reverberate from every street, building and sentinel assisted vehicle do penetrate through; the only kind of sound that earns a tip of Katirci’s head, cigarette between calloused fingers lowering as though the sound is a momentary inconvenience. An opportunity is more fitting a descriptor. It’s an easy order – at least in the sense of understanding; approached like a job, failure seen as weakness is any regard. But a game of chase to Lokman that appears to have potential to end in red. Last resort, only, Locke. The sliver of a loyal soldier to SR that reminds him that he can still find the fun in hide and seek. A grin that’s a little too wide splits the opening of his face to reveal tobacco stained teeth; an off-white, yellow tinged shade that deters most from approach; but never stops them looking.

He’ll pretend it bothers him; but craves their eyes whether it’s absent adoration, unimportant. Fear still means he has a legacy; a name.

A man with a memorable one; known to the underworld by notoriety; off-kilter and barbarian in some ways, though, hidden in the stealth and grace of shadows that provide a mystique that isn’t quite matched anywhere else. Well, perhaps by a couple – those who he hasn’t entirely pieces puzzle pieces together of, yet; the rest of the Renegades. Whilst the dials of Katirci’s mind crank, he’s discarding the smoke against a brick wall, pressed like a squished accordion, grey ash marks the bricks and he lets it fall; crumpled, used. The grey mist from his sly grin breaks through the cracks in teeth; the slow wispful escape of a beast inside, fighting for escape.

It’s released when he turns to see the panicking crowds that desperately search for a haven of their own. Dispersed like ants fleeing a boot that’s come down on them, crushes hope and reminds them how breakable, squishable they are; how they run in fear when that sound screeches through the roads of Ilbern and evoke the cortisol response in all.

Orders are flexible, just as he expects the Madhouse to have spread fast through the lanes and alleys on the hunt for the monster let free. There’s an envy there somewhere, because the attention to be seen; Ilbern on guard from something without a name; a face, but is spoken in the mouths of all. Once more Locke, alive. He knows; doesn’t ever forget.

He steps into the road, boots hit concrete and a hand naturally reaches for the rear of cargos, the cold of a blade a comfort, curved fingers tease to slide and split flesh; like a fuel he doesn’t admit to anyone. A reason to begin the pursuit of the monster that’s leaving carnage in its wake; admirable, if only to Locke himself, a quiet approval.

It’s the sirens that confuse senses, takeover one of the five and deafen even the most perceptive of entities. Leave the other four on overdrive to somehow pre-empt the world around them. A ripping of tyres; a overpowering scent of burning rubber slaps those in the streets with a nauseating aroma – unless they’re accustomed to the more foul of things, it’s probably quite pleasant. But, Locke’s only just catching it over the blaring that rips through the town on the beginning of his hunt, and as though the only response if to become the ghost, the mechanical structure that barrels at speed carries a shadow on its left side like a monster it cannot detatch. He moves, flickers like a glitch in the matrix to stumble to the rear of the motorcycle; misses being taken out by the metal bike hurtling at him.

“Fuck,” quiet, unasked for through gritted teeth when he whips around, same dangerous fingers wrapped around the hilt behind him. It’s another second for another sense of sight to fully kick in, recognises the person skidding like a racer in the heat of finishing as champion of a street – ah, Locke knows. The visor of the pristine helmet worn is open, the glint of the woman’s eyes unforgettable and the tension once coiled in stiff muscles ease, breathes a laugh like it’s the most amusing of situations.

“Speed racer not only fallen from her podium, but has found pleasure in running rampant in the streets to take lives of innocent civilians now, I’m kind of envious,” the jibe is said lighter than it’s implications and Lokman’s met the glorious Astrid; found comfort in the ghost that’s his soul partner in playing in the acts of shadows, but hers, light where his is shrouds.

But there wouldn’t be any shadows if there were no sun to cast them.

“Where you running off to, Astrid,” a tease, tongue sliding along drying lips where cigarette smoke sticks like a slick layer of tar, “it’s not because you’ve seen a monster around, is it?”

[pass-the-bechdel]

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Does it pass the Bechdel Test?

Yes, once.

How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?

Five (29.41% of cast).

How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?

Twelve.

Positive Content Rating:

Three.

General Film Quality:

No matter how many times I watch this, I’m always surprised by how excellent it is. If any other future Marvel film wants to be ‘the best’, this is the movie it has to beat for the title. 

MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:

Passing the Bechdel:

Natasha asks about the ballistics on the weapon used against Fury, and Maria responds. I’ve heard people argue that Natasha was not asking Maria specifically and therefore this does not count, but since Natasha clarifies a detail of Maria’s response (to which Maria responds again in order to confirm), I definitely think it qualifies. I have allowed a pass for far, far less in the past. 

Female characters:

Natasha Romanov.

Peggy Carter.

Maria Hill.

Sharon Carter.

Renata.

Male characters:

Steven Rogers.

Sam Wilson.

Brock Rumlow.

Georges Batroc.

Jerome.

Jasper Sitwell.

Nick Fury.

Alexander Pierce.

Aaron.

Arnim Zola.

Senator Stern.

Bucky Barnes.

OTHER NOTES:

They start this movie by having Steve go for a jog and make a new friend, with a conversation ensuing that is by touches casual, light, humorous, insightful, serious, and sobering. It’s a pretty weird way to launch a much-anticipated superhero comic-adaptation action movie sequel, to be honest, but it’s also rock-solid character establishment - for the never-before-seen Sam Wilson, and for Steve Rogers whose mental state and coping skills in the modern era are kinda an open question at this point - and by getting us on level with Steve’s day-to-day (rather than Captain America’s, which comes after) they’ve immediately prepped us for a story in which this character confronts and reassesses who he is and what he stands for at a core level, and not just in a symbolic/legacy kind of fashion (a la Tony Stark). It may say ‘Captain America’ on the tin, but this is Steven Rogers’ story. This is a fantastic and well-condensed first three minutes of this film, before they fly off to deliver the action sequence we may well have expected to have received up-front. 

Oh yeah, also this opening scene involves jogging around the Washington Monument, which is not a subtle detail, but I can dig it. If they’d had Steve draw attention to some Major American Landmark at some point in the movie and make a patriotic declaration of some kind, then I’d cry foul, but as-is the use of Washington DC as a setting is the hardest they bother to hammer the AMERICA button. The absence of self-fellating patriotism which I appreciated so much in the first film continues to be a virtue in this one. I do dig.

Remember how I really love it when people get hit and fly off the screen? Steve just kicked a dude off a boat and I made the dorkiest ‘hee hee!’ noise ever. Sure am glad the only reason anyone knows about that is that I just told y’all, and not because anyone actually heard me.

One day, we’ll stop getting these kinds of gratuitous butt shots of female characters in tight clothes. But it sure ain’t this day.

In a world of equal-opportunity sexualisation, this Cap-butt would be forgiveness enough for the aforementioned offense. But it still sure ain’t that day, friends.

Other reasons to love that opening scene: they low-balled Sam’s counseling skills to us by having him quickly identify the best way to speak to Steve and to engage with him (as Steve, again, not as Captain America; that’s the key), and that’s what allows Steve to bond with him enough that, put in a tight spot and not sure who to trust, he shows up on Sam’s doorstep later in the film. Really tight characterisation and dynamic-building.

ALSO, Steve’s adventure to the Captain America museum exhibit reminds us all of what he’s lost - specifically, Bucky Barnes - and contextualises his encounters with Sam Wilson within the emotional landscape of Steve’s desire for close male companionship, highlighting the need which compels the formation of that bond while also accentuating the sense of Steve’s present isolation and uncertainty, robbed of any understanding confidante (the bittersweet reality of having Peggy Carter still alive, but losing herself to Alzheimer's, really hits that one home). Again, Steve’s emotional landscape is actually a vital part of the story of the film on both character and plot levels, so there’s a LOT of great show-don’t-tell demonstration in the interconnections of all these scenes, PLUS they’re doing the good work for all the other characters involved AND reminding the audience of the score so that the film can continue to draw from the past as the movie continues, without losing any viewers for whom this might be the first foray into the Captain America story. This movie is just...really well put together, guys. It’s a little shocking, how good it is.

Winter Soldier intro is too cool. Not a pun.

Steve takes a chance and asks his neighbour out for coffee; she declines with a soft no; he accepts even-tempered and assures her he won’t trouble her any further, and she lets him know that he’s no trouble and there’s no hard feelings. It’s all a very painless and respectful navigation of boundaries, and taken on face value (ignoring the part where she turns out to be an undercover SHIELD agent, and everything which unfolds from there), it’s a welcome example of how easy it is to take rejection graciously. Guys, be the Steve Rogers that women want to see in the world.

I want a metal arm. I don’t want to not have my current arms, they’re fine, but in an abstract version of the world where you have things purely for cool points, I want a metal arm.

The fight choreography in this film is great. It’s good watchin’. 

Also the soundtrack is top-end. 

“...Specimen.”

The movie didn’t need a hetero kiss thrown in there, though. I sure wish there wasn’t a random kiss in there.

“The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.” 

Urgh, why Senator Stern gotta show up, be a pig about women, make his little Nazi declaration, and leave? The answer is, he really doesn’t gotta. You know what’s good shit? Not using misogyny and objectification of women to demonstrate that a bad guy is a bad guy, unless it’s actually a relevant part of the story. One day...

I can’t deal with how cool the Winter Soldier is. I’m almost embarrassed by how much the whole Silent Sauntering Assassin thing works for me.

Sam Wilson brings a tiny knife to a gunfight and still gets the upper hand because he’s perfect.

THE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHYYYYY

The Winter Soldier is barely in the film in the first hour, and Bucky is referenced in the museum but not discussed by any of the characters, so there’s no lantern hanging on either the mystery of the Winter Soldier’s identity or the conspicuous reminder of a supposedly dead character (another reason why tying the memory of Bucky in so tightly with Steve’s present state of comfortless seclusion is important and clever). If you somehow managed not to be spoiled for it already, the Bucky reveal is a real kicker of a twist.

The degree to which I adore Sebastian Stan’s attention to detail in his performance has increased tenfold since The First Avenger. Dude has got nuances on his nuances.

The part of me that is emotionally susceptible to heroism is very moved by all the nameless SHIELD agents who stand up to HYDRA and die for it. 

I join the rest of the world in being really disappointed that what appeared to be Jenny Agutter’s councilwoman kicking Strike Team ass was actually just Black Widow. Sorry Natasha.

The Winter Soldier shows up and murderises a heap of pilots, and the part of me that is susceptible to heroism finds itself in conflict with the part that is susceptible to the Winter Soldier’s ineffable coolness (which is itself at odds with the part of me that wants Bucky Barnes to be safe and happy). This movie got me good.

Rumlow talkin’ some shit about pain and Sam’s just like “Man, shut the Hell up,” and it’s perfect. I love him.

I love this film. I mean I really, really love it. Like, I mean this is one of my favourite movies in the world. Like, if we were playing that ol’ game of ‘if you had to pick ten movies, and those were the only movies you were allowed to watch for the rest of your life’, this would be one of my ten movies. That’s how much I love this film. There’s so much to get into here, so much to enjoy: it’s light and easily-digestible enough for when you just want to be entertained by something that doesn’t demand too much from you, but it also has serious depths for when you’re in the mood to dig in. It has well-crafted action scenes, but also a strong plot with powerful emotional currents. It has wonderful, charismatic actors playing intriguing characters, and most of them are good eye candy, but none of them are just eye candy - there’s a lot of complexity to unravel in the motivations and personal narratives of the leads. It’s a superhero movie, sure, but it’s also a political spy thriller. And, to top it off, it’s not only an excellent stand-alone film, it’s also a fantastic example of how to do a sequel right.

Sequel-making can be a fraught business; you’ve got sequels that are basically just pointless retreads of the original, sequels that are so different they hardly count as sequels at all, sequels that are so busy trying to be ‘bigger and better’ than the original they become ridiculous, sequels so busy attempting to capitalise on the spectacle of the original that they forget to have any of the same heart that gave the original meaningful impact, sequels that ignore that the original had a plot and themes and that maybe that stuff was relevant to its success, etc, etc...there are lots of great sequels in the world, certainly, but as Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World already attested for the MCU, it is very, very easy for sequels to go wrong. For this film, I think it goes without saying that I feel they passed all of the above sequel-killing quality tests with flying (low-key red-white-and-blue) colours, hence my adoration. But, just for kicks, lets talk about how they did it.

For starters, you can pretty much guarantee that this isn’t gonna be a pointless retread of Captain America: The First Avenger, since this movie takes place seventy years later and there are certain essential world elements that have fundamentally changed, such as technology, characters, and the fact that WWII ended a good while previous. But, that’s exactly how they make this story work as a sequel: they use the nature of change to give the film its shape, thematically, politically, emotionally, and in doing so they assure that everything which is different in the present builds directly from the past. Steve Rogers has not fundamentally changed, and that’s a critical anchor, considering he’s the titular character and all, but he is in a state of flux due to everything else that has changed, and his doubts inform the narrative landscape. This is not the world he remembers, and yet, as the plot unfolds and he digs into the conspiracy at his feet, there’s plenty there that is hauntingly familiar, because this is a story about how the past is still alive and kicking in the present, it has just updated to keep with the times.

It’s worth noting that despite Captain America making the jump from the forties to the modern age without any stop-offs in between, the film doesn’t linger on or wallow in the differences in his world in any strict sense - even Steve himself (in that EXTREMELY well-crafted opening scene with Sam) is somewhat dismissive of the specifics, because he’s not dwelling on the oh-woe-things-have-changed, he’s just trying to get his head around it, adapt, and move forward (and the practical realities are easy enough, but the emotional facets? Yeah). The thing is of course, no one else shares this problem with Steve; they’ve all been around, variously, for the parts in between, and the story is still concerned with the context of the world which made all of its characters what they are, and particularly with the war that came after WWII, the war within which HYDRA reseeded and began to grow anew: the Cold War. In particular, it’s the ‘70s/’80s era Cold War, built into the political-thriller superstructure of the film itself and driven home most overtly by the Winter Soldier, heavily Russian-coded and steeped in the potent psychological horror of brainwashing, but there are other signifiers littered across the story as well. There’s former-KGB agent Black Widow, and the reference she makes to WarGames, and there’s Arnim Zola frozen in time by the ancient computer system which now acts as his ‘brain’, and then there’s the stroke of subversive genius in the casting of Robert Redford - the positively Captain America-esque blue-eyed-blond hero of many a seventies Cold War political thriller - as our primary villain, working within the United States government for the benefit of his secret European-originating agenda in true foreign-infiltration style. Of course, we can adapt all of this to fit the radicalised terrorism and technological paranoia of modern times (and those elements are alive and well in the text with the surveillance-state fears represented by the helicarriers), but the historical timestamping is important to the trajectory of the film; times change and things grow increasingly subtle and complicated, but the core dilemmas that call people out to fight are instantly familiar. In that sense, Steve Rogers hasn’t missed much at all.

The war that calls Cap to arms this time around may be more subtle than the openly-fought battlefields of WWII, but it is no less global or insidious; the new ‘improved’ HYDRA may not be led by a literal Nazi who peels off his own face, but the cold political calculations of Alexander Pierce are much more frightening for their realism (an aspect of the film which has become increasingly prescient for the modern era since the movie was released), and the fascist supremacist dogma that compels these villains to attempt to reshape the world with the blood of millions is drawn from the same poisoned well; this is an escalation of the same enemy that Captain America faced before, only much closer to home. And while the passage of time has benefited the old evils in allowing them to entrench and fester and craft re-branded, more socially-accepted versions of themselves, it has not been so favourable to the positive familiar things from Steve’s past: it has claimed Peggy’s memory, and rotted SHIELD beyond recovery. And then, there’s what it’s done to Bucky Barnes.

Fake-out character deaths are a major staple of the superhero/comic genre, and not one I love, since it tends to take the power out of apparent-death scenes and leaves the drama feeling contrived, and while the Bucky reveal is not entirely free from that cynicism, it sells itself well on delivery. For starters, it packs a wallop in additional drama instead of just neatly undoing that which already existed (Nick Fury’s ‘death’ and reveal, on the other hand, is more in the classic line of cheap and inconsequential), and it ups the personal stakes for Steve in exactly the same way as Bucky’s ‘death’ did in The First Avenger. Crucially, the fact that Bucky is the Winter Soldier doesn’t alter the wider narrative in any convenient way, such as providing Captain America with the key to stopping him or resolving the other conflicts of the plot through his connection; the Bucky reveal reconnects the story to Steve’s emotional journey, which is exactly where it started before Shit Got Crazy - there’s a good reason they spent the first half hour of the movie on charting Steve’s mental state. There’s a sharp division between Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier, despite them both inhabiting the same form, and it’s a mirror of the division between Steve Rogers and Captain America: regardless of all assumptions to the contrary, the two are mutually exclusive entities. ‘Captain America’ is not a person, he’s a symbol, and he’s manipulable in that way, he can be propagandised, his image and actions are a tool turned to the purposes of others at the expense of the human underneath; Steve recognises this (and has since the first film), and he holds this secondary persona at a remove and does not define himself through it. This is what Sam’s keen social instincts pick up so quickly in the beginning: treating Steve as Captain America is the wrong approach, it fails to connect, because Steve is not the uniform, Steve has doubts, Steve could give up the shield; Steve is a person. Bucky doesn’t have the same luxuries, in opportunities, in company, or in the cognizant ability to define his own identity, but even without the personal attachment of their history, Steve is uniquely positioned to understand the difference between the Winter Soldier and the person buried beneath the title. If it was not Bucky, specifically, the visceral emotion of the mirrored experience wouldn’t land quite as strong, but either way the Winter Soldier is the realisation of Steve’s deep-seated fear of being made a puppet, an unthinking enforcer too heavily indoctrinated into patriotic subservience to recognise the despotism that has replaced his idealism. 

I said at the top that this is, ultimately, a Steven Rogers story to which ‘Captain America’ is an accessory, and not the other way around, and that’s a fact at the heart of what makes this film work - on its own, and as a sequel. The fore-fronting of Steve as a character in his own right and not just ‘Captain America’s real name’ was key to avoiding any cloying patriotism overriding the narrative of the first film, and it’s doubly important now as both Steve and the Captain America brand re-situate outside of their original context. It’s easy to strip back the specific trappings of Captain America and still have this movie function just right, because for all the action and intrigue, it is essentially a character piece about Steve Rogers figuring out his place in the world and reclaiming the moral compunctions which have been presumptuously attributed to the lofty symbol of his alter ego, and not the struggling reality of everyday life. Captain America is what he is and how he is not because it sounds good or because it makes for positive PR or because it’s nice to have legends from the good ol’ days; Captain America is the embodiment of scrappy little Steve Rogers’ grit and determination to live up to what he believes in, come Hell or high water or the gravest of consequences. Steve begins the film at odds with himself, unsure if there’s a place for his shameless idealism within the mess of modern life; he’s going through the motions of being Captain America, but he’s uncertain of what it means to him at this point, or where it’s headed. He finishes the film having gained something vital: a mission, but it’s not a professional job for Captain America, it’s a personal mission for Steve Rogers, and that’s much more important. Captain America is just an idea; Steve Rogers is the reason it matters, no matter what war, what time, what place, or what flag.

[dfroza]

Today’s reading in the ancient book of Proverbs and Psalms

for Saturday, may 16 of 2020 with Proverbs 16 and Psalm 16 accompanied by Psalm 59 for the 59th day of Spring and Psalm 137 for day 137 of the year

[Proverbs 16]

People go about making their plans,

but the Eternal has the final word.

Even when you think you have good intentions,

He knows your real motives.

Whatever you do, do it as service to Him,

and He will guarantee your success.

The Eternal made everything for a reason.

Even wrongdoers fit in His plans; troubled times await them.

He abhors arrogant people.

Make no mistake about it! They will be punished!

The penalty of sin is removed by love and loyalty;

and by devotion to the Eternal, evil is avoided.

When people make good choices, He is pleased;

He even causes their enemies to live peacefully near them.

Better to have little and stand for what is right

than to become rich by doing what is wrong.

People do their best making plans for their lives,

but the Eternal guides each step.

The king makes a decision under divine inspiration,

but he must never render an unfair judgment.

The Eternal requires that business be conducted honestly;

He wants fairness in all your dealings.

When kings commit evil, it is despicable,

because their thrones should be built on justice.

Kings admire those who tell the truth;

they adore those who set the record straight.

A king’s rage signals that people will die,

but whoever is wise will pacify him.

If a king is smiling brightly, life will be granted;

his favor is like a cloud swelled with the first spring rain.

How much better it is to receive wisdom than the riches of gold

and to gain understanding over some silver prize!

The highway of the just bypasses evil;

those who watch where they’re going protect their lives from sin.

Pride precedes destruction;

an arrogant spirit gives way to a nasty fall.

It is better to be humble and live among the poor,

than to divide up stolen property with the proud.

Those devoted to instruction will prosper in goodness;

those who trust in the Eternal will experience His favor.

The wise at heart have a reputation for understanding;

pleasant words make the lips more persuasive.

Understanding for those who have it is a spring of life,

but it is pointless to try and instruct a fool.

From a wise heart flow careful words;

wise words make the lips more persuasive.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb:

they drip sweet food for life and bring health to the body.

Before every person lies a road that seems to be right,

but at the end of that road death and destruction wait.

People work to stay alive,

pressed daily by their need to eat.

Good-for-nothings conjure up evil ideas;

their conversations fuel destructive fires.

Perverse people stir up contention;

gossip makes best friends into enemies.

Violent people try to recruit their neighbors,

wanting to lead them down the vile path of evil they have chosen.

Body language can expose a person’s intentions:

whoever winks the eye is planning perversity;

whoever purses his lips is intent on evil.

Gray hair is a crown of honor,

earned by living the right kind of life.

It is better to be a patient man than a mighty warrior,

better to be someone who controls his temper than someone who conquers a city.

We may try to control the roll of the dice,

but actually, the Eternal decides what they will determine.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 16 (The Voice)

[Psalm 16]

The Golden Secret

A precious song, engraved in gold, by King David

A prayer of David.

Protect me, God, for the only safety I know is found in the moments I seek You.

I told You, Eternal One, “You are my Lord,

for the only good I know in this world is found in You alone.”

The beauty of faith-filled people encompasses me.

They are true, and my heart is thrilled beyond measure.

All the while the despair of many,

who abandoned Your goodness for the empty promises of false gods, increases day by day.

I refuse to pour out blood offerings,

to utter their names from my lips.

You, Eternal One, are my sustenance and my life-giving cup.

In that cup, You hold my future and my eternal riches.

My home is surrounded in beauty;

You have gifted me with abundance and a rich legacy.

I will bless the Eternal, whose wise teaching orchestrates my days

and centers my mind at night.

He is ever present with me;

at all times He goes before me.

I will not live in fear or abandon my calling

because He stands at my right hand.

This is a good life—my heart is glad, my soul is full of joy,

and my body is at rest.

Who could want for more?

You will not abandon me to experience death and the grave

or leave me to rot alone.

Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life.

As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending,

and I know true joy and contentment.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 16 (The Voice)

[Psalm 59]

For the worship leader. A prayer of David to the tune “Do Not Destroy,” when Saul sent assassins to David’s house.

Rescue me! Save me, O my God, from my enemies;

set me in a safe place, far above any who come to attack me.

Rescue me from those malicious people,

and save me from blood-thirsty murderers.

They have staked out my life; they are going to ambush me!

Those brutes are aligned, ready to attack me

For no good cause, my Eternal One.

I have not crossed them.

I’ve done nothing wrong, yet they rush ahead to start the assault.

I beg You to help me; come and see for Yourself!

I plead with You, Eternal One, Commander of heavenly armies, True God of Israel,

to get up and punish these people;

do not let any betrayer off the hook; show no mercy to malicious evildoers!

[pause]

Treacherous souls return to the city in the evening;

they prowl about,

howling like dogs.

Watch them! Snarling, dribbling their malicious insults.

Their words cut loose from their lips like swords,

and in their backstabbing they say, “Who’s listening anyway?”

But You, O Eternal One, laugh at them;

You make fun of all the nations.

I will watch for You, for You keep me strong.

God, You are my security!

My God is one step ahead of me with His mercy;

He will show me the victory I desire over my enemies.

Don’t wipe them out, or my people may one day forget.

Instead, use Your power to scatter and bring them to ruin.

O Lord, You are our protection.

Sin pours from their mouths, cruel words from their lips.

May they be caught in their pride.

For their foul curses and lies,

devour them with Your wrath,

eat them up, leave no one alive.

Then people will surely know that the one True God rules over Jacob,

even to the far ends of the earth.

[pause]

Treacherous souls return to the city in the evening;

they prowl about,

howling like dogs.

They search through the city, scavenging for meat

as they growl and grumble in dissatisfaction.

But me? I will sing of Your strength.

I will awake with the sun to sing of Your loving mercy

Because in my most troubled hour,

You defended me. You were my shelter.

I will lift my voice to sing Your praise, O my Strength—

for You came to my defense.

O God, You have shown me Your loving mercy.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 59 (The Voice)

[Psalm 137]

By the rivers of Babylon,

we sat and wept

when we thought of Zion, our home, so far away.

On the branches of the willow trees,

we hung our harps and hid our hearts from the enemy.

And the men that surrounded us

made demands that we clap our hands and sing—

Songs of joy from days gone by,

songs from Zion, our home.

Such cruel men taunted us—haunted our memories.

How could we sing a song about the Eternal

in a land so foreign, while still tormented, brokenhearted, homesick?

Please don’t make us sing this song.

O Jerusalem, even still, don’t escape my memory.

I treasure you and your songs, even as I hide my harp from the enemy.

And if I can’t remember,

may I never sing a song again—

may my hands never play well again—

For what use would it be if I don’t remember Jerusalem

as my source of joy?

Remember, Eternal One, how the Edomites, our brothers, the descendants of Esau,

stood by and watched as Jerusalem fell.

Gloating, they said, “Destroy it;

tear it down to the ground,” when Jerusalem was being demolished.

O daughter of Babylon, you are destined for destruction!

Happy are those who pay you back for how you treated us

so you will no longer walk so proud.

Happy are those who dash your children against the rocks

so you will know how it feels.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 137 (The Voice)

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

I've followed you for a little while now (for some reason, I'm a bit nervous all of a sudden) but I present to you:

CHILDE WITH ZOOMIES

-and-

CHILDE WITH THE EQUIVALENT OF CATNIP

I mean, we have many people comparing the mothy boy to a cat, so zoomies!

Would he crash into things? Would he teleport just before hitting things? Or does he just teleport everywhere until he gets tired? Or or or, what if the smaller he is the more often he gets them? He'd probably try to control them (especially when he was bigger), out of consideration for the (many) breakable things in your living quarters. I mean, all that energy has to go somewhere. Maybe in Teyvat, you can tell when the traveler has missed a week or two of intense sparring. Maybe he slowly ends up vibrating with all this energy he's trying so hard to contain.

Some things have gotten broken, but nowadays you've gotten to know him well enought to when he really needs to zoom around

Also I'm curious on what a loopy moth boy would be like lol

don't be nervous my dear!!! i am very nonthreatening, i promise!!!!

and i ADORE THIS OH MY GOODNESS!! i think Childe gets zoomies only after he starts living with you, since before all that energy was being used up trying to survive on his own in the wild, so once he's living somewhere safe and gets healthier there's a whole bunch of energy that needs to go somewhere!! and yes, it does manifest in him running around your house, accidentally scratching the floorboards and breaking some of your things- and honestly, he kind of hates it BECAUSE of those last two things. you've been so good to him and he likes you a lot!!! he doesn't want to ruin your house :(( plus, there've been a good few times where you've almost stepped on the shards of some vase or trinket.

he takes up sparring with the Traveler again whenever they visit, although they both have to go easy because you get upset when Childe comes home all battered :(( and when the Traveler's not available you sneak him out of the city so he can beat up some hilichurls, or he poofs into his smaller form and just has fun running around outside!! one thing that's always certain though is that after all Childe's energy is used up, he wanders back and plops his head into your lap with a tired huff, grabbing for your hand until you get the message and start ruffling his soft hair. he had zoomies, now he wants pets!!!

ABYSS CATNIP- CATNIP FOR FOUL LEGACY. if Foul Legacy gets his claws on that, he is SO clingy. becomes very VERY mushy and sleepy and just wants to snuggle all day with you!!! he bleps at you so often and bumps his head very firmly against your shoulder until you relent and lay down beside him in his nest of blankets, and he WILL lay on top of you like a weighted moth blanket, staring and purring lovingly until he passes out and you're unable to get up (not that you want to, because Childe is comfy and warm and very fluffy <33)

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Can I have a Headcannon for Childe’s attention span? Just say their S/O is busy working on something, how long would he be able to hold out without getting any kind of attention. I think this would be cute.

oh goodness this took a long time to write, so sorry!! i think i went slightly off-plot but i hope you enjoy nonetheless :)

~ * ~ Lack of Attention HCs

Fluff, slight Hurt/Comfort

Warnings for loneliness, isolation, and allusions to depression

~ * ~

-It’s really no secret that Childe is VERY physically affectionate -Even as a human he wasted no time throwing an arm over your shoulders once he deemed you two close enough friends, laughing and gently poking fun at you -Of course, you couldn’t know that this was because despite his Harbinger duties he was utterly enamored with you -But he was always careful to not let his adoration for you show too much; the Tsaritsa’s will came first, and you were still wary of him and the Fatui so he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable -And then… he got stuck in his Foul Legacy form -It was an accident, of course, one that you still haven’t found the reason behind, but now you’re stuck with a big moth monster version of Childe -’Stuck with him’ in the best possible way, luckily -In his new form he’s just as affectionate, only more open about it. Now there’s no shame in treating you so sweetly because he doesn’t have assignments from the Fatui anymore- not that he’d really care if he did -Unfortunately you have a sneaking suspicion that the Harbor wouldn’t react well to seeing an Abyssal monster out and about, so when running errands you usually have him stay home -BUT -When you’re just doing work around the house? -He’s around you CONSTANTLY. In your office, your room, the front room, the kitchen- he’s always somewhere nearby or at least where he can see you -Honestly he’d be right next to you 24/7 if he could, where he can nudge your side and purr in delight when you scritch around his horns -Unfortunately work occasionally has you leave the Harbor, to places away from your friends, to places you can’t take Childe -He whines sadly when you tell him you’ll be gone for a bit, but eventually relents because he knows your job is important -You ask Zhongli to check up on him because he’s one of the only people you and Childe both trust other than Dr. Baizhu and Childe needs at least SOME social interaction while you’re gone -The entire time you’re prepping to leave Childe is next to you, watching curiously and letting out quiet trills when you ask his opinion on something. However, when you’re ready to leave he leans in and bumps his forehead against yours, rumbles slightly wobbly -He watches you walk until you’re out of sight, giving you one last wave as you disappear over the horizon -And suddenly, he’s alone -Zhongli promised to check on him tomorrow, but that was hours away, and he’d only be here for a few minutes each day -Childe is determined not to make a fuss tho so he goes inside to find something to distract himself with -He fetches a few of your books and curls up in his blanket nest to read them, taking comfort in the familiar words that you’ve recited to him time and time again -It’s not long before he finds himself blinking awake to greet the early morning sun, the book still clasped delicately in his claws -You said you’d be gone for a week- one day down, six to go -There’s a light knock on the door- Zhongli- and Childe ambles over to answer it, the old Archon of Geo stopping by to drop off some tea -It’s a patch of light in Childe’s otherwise monochromatic day, but it’s far too small, Zhongli leaving after a few minutes to attend to his duties at the funeral parlor -It’s beginning to set in how truly ALONE Childe is. He knew it would be difficult but definitely not THIS difficult -He’s also beginning to realise that the lack of you meant the lack of protection you brought him, the feeling of being safe and loved and being able to cling to you in his sleep. But right now if he gets a nightmare or a thunderstorm comes around you won’t be here to help him -That thought alone makes him shiver -The days drag on, sluggishly slow, the miasma of boredom and loneliness only broken by Zhongli’s visits. When he sees how dejected Childe looks every day you’re not here he tries to stay longer, but alas, his work calls -Childe spends most of his time buried underneath blankets on your bed, sleeping the hours away. Your scent helps him doze off, and everytime he wakes up he’s closer to the day you

return -His dreams are strangely blank and fragmented, much like how he feels when awake. The lack of affection is leaving him silent and melancholic, Zhongli frowning in worry -Finally the harkened day of your return arrives, and Childe is… sleeping -To be completely honest, he completely lost track of time, it’s a bit hard to keep track when he’s feeling so crushingly isolated -So it’s YOU who softly calls out in the seemingly empty house when you finally arrive home, dropping your bag on the floor and sighing in relief and exhaustion -When there’s no response you frown and ascend the stairs, checking first Childe’s room, then your own when you don’t find him -You see the lump underneath your blankets and feel the corners of your mouth twitch into a small smile as you raise the covers to unveil a slumbering Childe, clutching your pillow in his claws -You gently shake him awake and he grumbles at first, groggily shaking away the sleep from his eye. He looks up and you’re standing before him, finally -He lets out a strangled cry and LEAPS onto you, knocking you onto the (luckily carpeted) floor and hugging you tightly -You raise a hand to stroke his fluff and his body almost VISIBLY vibrates with how strongly he purrs at the sensation of you weaving your fingers through his hair -His purrs are interspersed with hiccups and muffled whines as he smushes his face against your cheek- it was torture to be without your affections for so long!! -As playfully as you both act, you know he WAS badly affected from being away from you for so long, and your next hug is particularly firm and secure -Childe huffs quietly and scoops you up to bring you to your bed, setting you down and curling around your form. He lays his head on your chest, listening to your thumping heart as you brush the residual tears from his face. -As he dozes off, wings fluttering with every satisfied and relieved rumble, you begin planning how to let him accompany you on your next trip