#when i can GUARANTEE you they'd insist on finding another way if it was a character they liked in vision's place

[calliopechild]

This is an old thought I’ve been kicking around since Infinity War, but I’d really like to survey those who are all ‘Steve & co. got so many people killed when they should have just killed Vision from the beginning’ (people with agency who made their own choice to fight and were following T’Challa, not Steve, but I guess accuracy isn’t important when people just want to blame everything possible on a character they don’t like), and ask how many of them would have supported the decision to try and remove the Mind Stone if someone else had made it. Tony is the guy who goes ‘I would just cut the wire,’ who responded to JARVIS telling him he could only support X number of people by figuring out a way to surpass that number, so if people think he would’ve been in the ‘kill Vision and let’s move on’ camp, I can’t say I agree. (Plus, Vision is all that’s left of JARVIS. Did people forget that? ‘Cause I guarantee you that Tony didn't.) Or if the Mind Stone wasn’t stuck in Vision, but instead stuck in Tony or Peter or Bruce or whoever, would the prevailing sentiment still have been ‘pull the trigger’?

Now yes, killing Vision could have prevented Thanos getting the Mind Stone...except that nothing they did on Earth would have changed Thanos getting the Time Stone on Titan. They could have destroyed the Mind Stone, and Thanos still would have showed up and undone it, just like he did in the movie. I’m genuinely wondering how many people are in the ‘Vision should have died’ camp because they genuinely disagree with the ethics of one life vs. many thing, and how much of it is just anti-Steve sentiment. I mean, if Tony had been in Vision’s place and asked them to kill him, and Steve had gone ‘okay, sure,’ and done it without even trying to save him, people would have lost their shit.

I believe destroying the Mind Stone earlier would’ve been the smarter choice, absolutely; I was sitting in the theater during IW going “look I get why you don't want to, but it’s more logical.” But I also know that I wouldn’t have looked at any of the characters the same way if they hadn’t at least tried to find another alternative. If it’s just that people don’t care about Vision as a character because he was poorly developed, I’m right there with you. The only real emotional impact for me re: his death was his interactions with Wanda, because holy shit someone having to kill the person they love is hard to watch; other than that, there was no real emotional investment in his character/death for me. But like...android or not, he is still a form of life. I’ve seen people more upset about U and Dum-E getting destroyed, but when it comes to Vision, a sentient being with consciousness and life? Bruce even said that Vision wasn’t just the stone anymore, that there was part of him besides that, “maybe even the best parts.” Canonically acknowledged personhood, and yet I’ve seen comments saying that they should have just ‘killed the walking toaster’ and that Wanda ‘can buy a new vibrator.’ I mean, holy shit, guys, what the hell. If someone is the partner of a character you hate, they automatically don't matter and it’s fine if they die?

And yes, you can argue that it is a matter of respecting Vision’s choice, but if that’s the case, does that mean Hulk shouldn’t have tried to catch Tony in the first Avengers movie? Tony thought he was going to die when he chose to fly the nuke into the wormhole; he accepted that and made the choice anyway, so should Hulk have just let him hit the ground? Steve and Natasha were risking lives in by not closing the portal as soon as Tony went through it with the nuke, but I’ve never heard anyone argue that they should have closed it as soon as Tony went through. Every second it was open meant the chance for more Chitauri soldiers or ships to come through who could kill more civilians; that was another case of ‘one life vs. many,’ but I have never seen anyone say keeping the portal open was the wrong choice ethically. Steve was willing to die to take down the helicarriers in CA: TWS; should Bucky have respected his choice and just let him drown? Should Sam and Nat and Maria have just left Steve on the bank of the river? (Yes, Maria listened to Steve’s choice and detonated the carriers--because unlike in the situation with Vision, there was no alternative and no time to try and find one.) If someone makes a sacrifice, you should respect that, yes, but if you can solve the problem without making the sacrifice, why wouldn’t you even try to do so?

And this doesn’t even touch on the biggest point: even if they had destroyed the stone and killed Vision, that’s...not going to stop the alien army? They already knew the Stone was on Earth/in Wakanda. I mean, what were the good guys supposed to do, send a message to Squidward and friends and be like ‘hey, we destroyed the stone, sorry, you guys will have to go home now’? Thanos’ lapdogs wouldn’t have believed them, and even if they did, they probably would’ve attacked anyway because they clearly don’t have a problem with rampant slaughter just for giggles, as evidenced by what they did on the ship full of Asgardian refugees.

Tl;dr: would sacrificing Vision to keep the stone out of Thanos’ hands have been the more logical option? Yes. But if they’d just thrown one of their own under the bus without even trying to find an alternative, they wouldn’t be the people--the heroes--we’d fallen in love with over the past ten years.

[angrelysimpping]

Okay so I actually hate and have a fear of zombies just due to the idea that you’d have to put a loved one down due to them not being able to recognize you and having to watch them deteriorate. That being said I need to know how they’d react to zombie pc actually being able to recognize and communicate to some degree with them

The older I get, the less I like zombies for that exact reason 😔

Alex

Insists you stay on the farm so no one will hurt you. Doesn't want you to go near any of the animals, in case one of them hurts you. Fine with letting you in the fields but Alex stays close by in case you need them. You can't scream for them like you used to, so they try to stay within your limited shouting distance. Doesn't want you sleeping in your own room, afraid something might happen in the night. Afraid of Remy finding out about you and killing you. There are no laws against killing zombies, regardless if Alex could prove you're not a mindless killer. More open to having sex with you than if you were a romal zombie.

Avery

Guaranteed to keep you as a pet now. Won't pull your teeth but will keep a muzzle on you. Probably still keeps your arms bound but your bindings are more decorative than anything. A little more likely to have sex with you than if you were a regular zombie. As a zombie, you really are just Avery's pretty little plaything, something for them to toy with and show off at parties. You can't even fight back, doing whatever Avery wants you to. They almost prefer you like this. Almost. They miss the conversations. They miss the back and forth of your relationship. Miss the times they'd have to punish you and the way you'd still come back. Miss the way you'd shiver when they'd say they were proud of you, that you had earned a reward. They miss you.

Eden

They don't take your limbs or teeth, but they do still keep you on a leash. They don't want anyone stumbling across you and hurting you. Absolutely going to fuck you, likes know they can still bring you pleasure. They don't need you to talk to know you love them, after all. They just need to have your head resting on their chest while they read to you next to the fire.

Kylar

They're a bit upset that you can't communicate fully with them, they miss your conversations, but they're so overjoyed that you remember them! Still keeps you with them at all times, worried that someone might try to take you from them. Loves if their name is one of the only things you can say.

Robin

Not much would change than if you were a regular zombie. Robin still keeps you hidden in their room, is still afraid of Bailey finding you and getting rid of you, one way or another. They won't muzzle you or bind your arms, but they warn you not to try to leave their room. They still cry a lot, but they take some comfort in the fact that you still know them. That you still love them. Won't have sex with you, but cuddles and kisses are fair game.

Sydney

Temple's pet zombie. It's a miracle that you can still recognize your beloved Sydney, it must be a showing of divine love! So, the temple officials let you follow Sydney around. You're muzzled and bound, but it's all done so others have a feeling of security, rather than out of an actual need to keep you from doing anything. Maybe sex. Preforms the promise ceremony if you didn't get a chance to do that while you were a human or sneaks you into the prayer room. It really depends on just how much you really remember and are able to communicate to Sydney.

Whitney

Kinda into it. Really goes to their head of they're one of the only people you recognize. Still fairly angry that you were turned, though. Keeps you on a leash but is less likely to muzzle you. Happy that they can still fuck your mouth, honestly they're more into it because of the adrenaline rush of knowing you could bite them. Still, livid if you infect them. Even if it was because they did something stupid like stick their genitals in a zombie's mouth.

[olderthannetfic]

I have a real stupid question/challenge for you, if you want. (you can also tell me to shoo, i won't be mad lmao)

I have a friend who insists that I'll fall in love with BTS if I give them a chance, based on the fact that I love montero and lemonade. they don't listen when I tell them that 1) just cuz I appreciate a few beautifully-crafted, pop-flavored hip-hop albums, doesn't mean that I now like pop; and 2) I have a raging hate-on for manufactured boy bands that dates back to the new kids on the block era. I'm not mad about them anymore, just can't find it in my limited attention span to engage with manufactured pop groups, even when they're quite good in every measurable way.

I've listened to the big singles and they didn't hook me. i appreciate what they're doing, but it just doesn't appeal to me. 🤷

so, I guess my question to you is, do you know any good BTS songs that might change my mind? anything bluesy or reminiscent of old-school 80s rap? any super 90s throwback tracks? idk, I'm doing my best to be open minded :|

--

BTS has a massive discography, and I dislike plenty of individual songs. I guarantee there's at least one song you'll find tolerable, though whether you'll become a BTS fan is another story.

I have little patience for New Kids, though I do like some bouncy dance music. BTS have a pretty high degree of artistic freedom, considering everything. The packaging is slick. The inside is considerably less hollow than usual. If you've been listening to their recent English-language hits... uh... they have their good points, but I really don't think those are representative of BTS overall—except insofar as they represent their intense desire to win a Grammy.

I'm not great at telling what's like what, so IDK which of their songs best fit your criteria necessarily, but I'll pick a few for you to try. As a listener, I'll think some hip hop sounds familiar, but it's only when I see other people's reviews that I understand what era it's reminding me of. (TBH, what I personally did was make a spreadsheet of everything they'd done, including random soundtrack songs and solo work and just try everything in order.)

--

I might start with the BTS rappers' solo work. Try RM's second mixtape, mono. I like listening to this as soothing background music at night.

Suga goes by Agust D as a solo artist. His song 'Agust D' is one of my favorites. The lyrics to many of their songs are quite clever too, though of course, as a non-Korean speaker, I have to rely on other people's explanation. (The basic content here is "I may be an idol, but I'm still twice the rapper you are".)

J-Hope tends to sound kind of... well... goofy. I like his voice in Baseline.

He did cover Chicken Noodle Soup, which is certainly old, but I don't actually like the original version of that song.

The Cyphers are great: Cypher Pt. 2, Cypher Pt. 3, Cypher Pt. 4.

To get a sense of their wordplay and why it's cool, check out this video where a Korean guy explains Ddaeng.

--

If you want to know who they think their influences are, they outline a bunch of them in Hip Hop Lover.

Dionysus is one of their big showstoppers that I like a lot better than, say, Permission to Dance.

Louder Than Bombs is a favorite of mine.

--

I'm not usually super into the vocalists-only songs, but maybe you'd enjoy some of them. Some people find House of Cards bluesy. Not sure how much I agree.

--

I guess a couple of their older albums are considered particularly oldschool, though maybe that's because of that ultimate scourge of old albums the skit. (Kill it with fire!) Also, I like a lot of the sound, but their fashion at the time, gaaaaah! You can see some images of the full horror on this lyric video to We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2. I like N.O a lot and Satoori Rap. That latter celebrates regional dialects, which is neat.

And one of their better-known songs and one of my personal favorites is Baepsae, an anthem of youthful discontent that makes use of a Korean saying and turns it on its head.

--

And hey, if you loathe all that, you can go listen to Tiger JK as a palate cleanser. RM features on a couple of his songs like MFBTY's Buckubucku and Timeless off of Drunken Tiger X.

[ughgclden]

some very late pairings for the lovely @izzyneedsabreak ,, thanks sm for the request i hope it makes you smile <33 this is going to get long, so let's go!!

for dead poets society, i'd pair you with...

(romantically)

you and charlie would just make so much sense to me as a couple in that you both seem to have chaotic vibes; charlie more so, obviously, but you work together well in that he manages to pull that chaos out of you. it's not uncommon for the two of you to be found talking animatedly to one another about something, perhaps plotting some sort of late night adventure, or one of his 'smart' ideas to rebel against the iron grip of hellton.

charlie can be quite soft with you though, often when it's just the two of you alone. he'll sneak you into his dorm at least once a week - he kicks cameron out and tells him to sleep on the floor of meeks and pitts' dorm, cameron isn't happy - and will let you lay against his chest as he plays with your hair and listens to you talk about your day. it's nice to see the quieter, more subdued side of charlie dalton, although the loud and obnoxious side is just as lovely.

supports you and your acting so much. you thought he was supportive of neil? it's ten times that. he sits front row for every show he can, bringing a bouquet of your favourite flowers to hand to you the moment you get off stage. before you can even get a word out, he's rattling off so many compliments and praises, genuinely so proud of you and your talent.

he would beg you to come to dead poets meetings and then show you off to the rest of the boys, even if they'd already met you ten times before. he'll endlessly praise you, shooting down any teasing that may come his way. he also definitely recites love poems to you dramatically, kneeling down and grabbing your hands as he tries not to break his serious act.

it's no secret that charlie loves hugs. loves them. he'll pull you into them whenever he can; either grabbing your hands and pulling you into his arms, or wrapping himself around you from behind, even just enveloping you in a hug and refusing to let go. he sways from side to side and hums under his breath.

makes playlists for you with his favourite songs that make him think of you. he pretends not to be flustered when he presents you with it.

you also become the muse of the occasional poems he attempts to write, claiming you can't tell the others or it'll ruin his reputation (it's obvious they're all about you anyways)

and

(platonically)

you and neil would obsess over musical theatre together, and would definitely go to each others' shows whenever possible. you're both constantly singing the soundtracks to your current favourite musicals, something both charlie and todd pretend to hate but actually think is quite entertaining to watch.

you both just get each other; when charlie introduces you to the poets you instantly click, getting along with each other really well (which leaves charlie feeling quite jealous, but shh). you're quite similar in terms of personality and balance each other out well - neil thinks he's found a great friend in you.

doing nothing with neil is a must. you'll spend time just talking about nothing to each other - you tell him stories about charlie, your other friends, your life, and he'll tell you stories in return. you both like sharing funny stories about charlie so that you can embarrass him later on.

neil confides in you quite a lot. not that he doesn't trust the other poets, but he likes that he can get an 'outside' perspective of someone who isn't one of the welton boys. he hopes you feel the same way about him.

writing to him over the summer to ensure he's doing okay, especially considering his situation with his parents.

constant teasing from him about yours and charlie's relationship - any chance this boy has to make a sly comment or quick remark, he's jumping at the chance. it's his favourite hobby at this point.

for the marauders, i'd pair you with...

(romantically)

you and moony are a match made in heaven. remus is absolutely smitten with you, and it's not hard to tell. the marauders are often quite a chaotic bunch and as much as he love them, he also adores the peace and tranquility your presence brings him. suddenly he feels like he doesn't have to go a hundred miles a minute and can take things one step at a time, enjoying the little things with you.

he'll usually read to you, picking your favourite books and letting the words fall from his lips softly as you both curl up together under a blanket late at night in the unusually empty common room, appreciating how cosy and full of love the situation feels. he takes breaks between lines to kiss the top of your head or temple before reading on.

remus appreciates you most after a full moon; you're always the one person he wants to see. you know exactly how to care for him, not making him feel incapable, but also being mindful of how tiring it can be and just allowing him to take time to feel like himself again. he likes that you're more than happy to patch him up, but you don't show him intense pity or guilt, just a desire to make him feel okay again.

this isn't to say your relationship is always soft and sappy, no. the amount of times you've been involved in their pranks and schemes is impressive at this point. they always end with remus grabbing your hand and dragging you along as you run down the corridors, avoiding whichever poor soul had the misfortune of being on the receiving end. muffled giggles are all that can be heard for long after you've found safety.

always wants to be your partner in lessons when possible. before the professor has even finished their sentence, he's locking eyes with you in a silent question. of course, you always want to work with him too. it's the perfect balance of getting shit done and having fun.

a lot of trips to hogsmeade. in the colder months, he'll wrap one of his scarfs around your neck and shove one of his hats onto your head, holding you close as you walk through the streets.

small forms of intimacy; thumbs stroking cheekbones, fingers threading through hair, soft smiles and whispered words. remus loves it all.

and

(platonically)

remus isn't at all surprised at how close you are with james, in fact he expected it from the moment you two met. you and james are good at keeping up with one another, always seemingly on each other's wavelength.

no matter your house, james insists you support gryffindor when a quidditch match is on. he doesn't want to hear any excuses. and if you aren't kitted out in face paint, holding a banner and cheering him on? he'll put on the most over-dramatic, disappointed display you've ever seen. he only stops once you beg for his forgiveness through rolled eyes, and he'll announce with a sigh that his heart will one day mend.

helping james out with his crush on lily is very common; this boy will come to you for advice on anything regarding her, because "you know how this works, you're in a relationship aren't you?" he's totally useless, as endearing as it is, and you and remus have to work together to come up with plans that won't end in embarrassment for your hopeless friend. and when they do get together? double dates of course!

gives amazing birthday and christmas presents. there's something you mentioned you wanted in passing? it's guaranteed james will be presenting it to you with a knowing grin. this boy is great at gift giving.

studying with him is actually quite productive; with you he manages to not get distracted, and you can both get your homework done amidst some friendly chatter and quiet music. he makes sure you take breaks often enough.

very protective. if anyone ever upsets you, whilst remus is comforting you it's guaranteed james will be 'taking care of it' for you. you're his best friend, and he'll be damned if he lets anyone hurt his best friend.

and for six of crows, i'd pair you with...

(romantically)

god nina would adore you. she thinks you're the most perfect person to walk the planet - it was love at first sight 100%. nina's quite a bubbly person, as are you, so there's never a dull moment or a lull in conversation; you always find something to be talking about, something to be doing.

this girl loves being near you, knowing you're close to her and with her. she'll often just take your hand in hers, or rest a head on your shoulder, just to remind herself that you're with her and she's the luckiest person.

she'd love to tell you stories about her heists with the crows just to see the look of wonder and excitement on your face as she recalled some of their greatest ideas, although he made an effort to ensure you never got caught up in their plans and ideas - she wanted to keep you safe, and she promised herself she would.

it doesn't matter how long you two have been together, nina flirts with you like she's still trying to win you over. every morning she'll wake you up with a flirtatious comment and often sends you winks and pick up lines throughout the day, even when it isn't the most appropriate of times.

a lot of bakery dates. nina has an extreme sweet tooth, so going out for hot drinks and waffles is a must in your relationship. she enjoys the calm it brings her.

sings to you quite often, despite the fact that her voice isn't quite the best you've ever heard. if it made you smile, she'd sing a thousand notes terribly off-key.

the worst morning person ever. if you want to wake up on time, it's best to set an alarm half an hour early to account for nina's constant pleas for 'five more minutes' as she pulls you back into her arms. and how could you say no?

and

(platonically)

i feel like i've been pairing you with a lot of big personalities throughout this, but i think you and jesper would be best friends instantly. from the moment jesper meets you, he takes you under his wing and refuses to leave your side. he latches onto you and even if you wanted, you couldn't get rid of him.

obviously, this is jesper, so outlandish adventures around ketterdam are a must despite the rare scoldings from kaz. it's nice to see how harmless much mischief you two can get up to, as jesper's witty personality means the night is full of hushed laughter and jokes. you're often the one who has to pull him away from his attempts at gambling away all of his money - you're the only one he'll listen to, and although he acts annoyed, deep down he's extremely grateful.

if you want to, he'd try to teach you how to use a gun and do the little tricks that he can. this isn't to say he wants you to join them on heists, of course not. but he feels a little safer knowing that, if necessary, you could protect yourself. nina is also thankful for this fact.

he loves to tease you and nina, which usually leads to a back and forth between them whilst you and wylan watch in amusement on the sidelines. it's always from a place of love, though.

calls you the most ridiculous nicknames, usually taken from an inside joke that happened two or more years ago. this boy doesn't let things go.

loves messing with you and teasing you, it's how he shows he cares and appreciates your friendship. he loves when you return this energy.

you're slightly quieter than he is, which he appreciates. he often feels like he can take a moment and calm down around you, making him not as impulsive. he thinks he's become a better person since the two of you became friends, often mentioning how you've rubbed off on him.

im hoping you enjoyed these bestie!! i rly hope i haven't somehow completely misinterpreted your personality through our chats,, but based on the vibes u give me this is what i'd have to say!!! :D

[justlurkingintheshadows]

@nutsandvoltsweek I got some soft for that angsty heart, doctor's orders I'm afraid. I REALLY enjoyed this one, much much more than I can actually explain. I started writing this at like 1am because it wouldn't let me sleep, I eventually fell asleep but I got half of it done then so there wasn't too much left when I was able to get back to it.

Day 6, Royalty AU

Of Meisters and Menials

(Alt title which is essentially just adapted meanings of the initial words aka the original title simply explained: Of skill and degradation)

Word count : 1,957

Content tags : King!Watts, Jester!Tyrian, Royalty AU, attempted murder, minor character death

-----

There was something oddly fulfilling about performing for the king, he never looked impressed but deep down he enjoyed the show every time, though he would never admit it. And Tyrian liked to push the boundaries of what was truly acceptable in the king's court, it was something the guards hated him for.

It wasn't uncommon for Tyrian to suddenly approach his Majesty with no permissions, it sparked the natural instinct of the guards to protect their sovereign and there were times that it had almost ended badly had they not been halted by a direct order. King Arthur found it only mildly irksome that he would be approached so easily by the man of many tricks but he knew there was no danger to him and excused it.

Tyrian was adept with his hands, presenting a flourish during the intense telling of stories or at the end of a trick for flair, but it was his juggling that was most impressive, he didn't tend to use the regular means, instead of soft balls to throw and catch he used weapons. It was also not out of the ordinary for the mischief maker to steal the swords of the protective soldiers and balance them atop one another, either point to point or pommel to pommel, maybe sometimes a mix of both, he was able to find some way to balance them, much like he tended to find a way to balance himself almost anywhere too, whether that be a pillar or the king's own throne, a personal favourite spot because it was the most effortlessly irritating position he could find that guaranteed a scowl from many of the sentries, but he knew they couldn't stop him and since he didn't get in the way he was never directly told off for doing so by anyone who actually mattered so he kept doing it, his favourite part was sometimes leaning down to look into the emerald eyes of the only person who was allowed to sit there, they often looked back with raised brows and a comment about how he was perhaps being a bit too cocky and the response was to grin and giggle "Perhaps" yet he still never got chastised. The most negative response he ever got was a sigh. 

He was clearly good at his craft, and there were many who couldn't stand him, thought his enthusiastic spontaneity was dangerous and irresponsible, though it still seemed to please their ruler who was never quite as mad as other observers seven if he didn't make it obvious.

Tyrian was essentially the only person who was actually allowed an unsupervised close personal audience with the king without having to announce himself (eventhough they would have preferred he announced himself beforehand he simply did not), he just appeared to bother his Highness whenever he could. He even had the audacity to incorrectly address the ruler calling him 'My Majesty' instead of 'Your Majesty' and sometimes even just 'Majesty'. In fact it was quite miraculous that he hadn't been accused of mutiny or the like as any other who dared to 'insult' the king in such a way would face death, but not Tyrian, his value to the court was his ability of charm and quality of amusement. He enjoyed showing up when he wasn't at all invited and hovering around quietly, certain visitors almost thought it was inappropriate but he was never truly reprimanded and so kept doing it time and time again, causing no disruptions despite some trying to claim otherwise.

There were other skills that some were less aware of but the most favourites of the sovereign was the unapparent expertise of knife throwing, despite the juggling and balancing you would never expect the jovial jester to truly be able to actually land an accurate hit with barely any effort, this had only been displayed once when someone attempted to cause harm to the crown and the guards had been unavailable or simply too slow to react, the attempted assassin had been the one to throw the blade, the target being the crown head, and yet they were the one who ended up getting hit; in an impressive set of moves Tyrian had pushed his Majesty out of his throne, caught the flying dagger before it struck the fine material, and fired it back in the direction it came, the strike landed wonderfully between the stunned eyes of a fellow trained for hostility. Trained to react against the king and his men but not for the King's court fool. Arthur was rather astonished, a little shocked but barely bruised from being shoved out the way, but entirely amazed at the swift involvement of his apparently innocent jokesmith with a deadly insinuation. While the royal may have been impressed his defenders were not quite so, though they couldn't be entirely displeased with this event. Arthur noticed there was a bit of blood in Tyrian's hand, upon inspection it was observed that in the act of catching the knife he'd caught himself, it was only minor but it was demanded that the doctor see to it, there was even some praise of thanks for saving the life. He was happy to have the attention of the single monarchy, he thoroughly relished in the attentiveness that multiplied after that event.

Years gradually passed and he was always welcomed even more into the castle, it was odd that he felt he belonged somewhere. The life of a fool isn't always so good-humoured.

One day his royal Highness had to leave on business and it was left to his steward to man the castle while he was away, there was only one empirical issue, they didn't like Tyrian at all. In the king's absence they'd ask for entertainment only to appear bored by it or laugh in such a way it didn't seem fair, this wasn't the same chuckle that sometimes managed to escape the mouth of the ruler, this laugh was more mocking and while Tyrian had grown up around those sorts of noises it got him a little annoyed. At one point the steward asked "Why do you insist on remaining so happy and bouncy all the time?" And Tyrian had smiled and responded delightedly,

"Because I know I am loved by someone" he knew that though King Arthur never showed it in reality his Majesty did appreciate his presence and that sometimes his little tricks really did make his day, though again he would never admit it. The steward laughed.

"You really think that the King cares AT ALL about /you/?" The smile faded from Tyrian's face, "Why would anyone CARE about /you/?" They didn't hold back, the jesters smile faded even more, "He pities you because you're pathetic and useless by any other means, it's not that he actually enjoys having you around it's just that he has to endure it to keep you complacent and loyal to his cause, not that you'd be of any assistance loyal or not" at this point the smile had turned to a sorrowful frown, if there was one thing that could hurt the jolly joker it was the thought that there was a chance his King actually couldn't care less about him. It hurt, those wounds cut deep, much deeper than any knife juggling accident could ever have gone. It scarred his soul.

Arthur was away for a while but when he returned he was, despite best efforts to keep emotions tightly reigned in, happy to see his favourite (and only) jester again, even if it was hard for him to express it. Business had been stressful, it was usually because of having to deal with other people for so long, he needed to relax and unwind with a good joke or a short tale or maybe a trick of some sorts but for some reason he could tell there was something not quite right about his dutiful jokester. He never usually had much of a conversation with Tyrian, it was generally one sided and mostly just in the form of a story with no requirements for contribution, so when he approached the young man while they were alone and asked him if everything was okay it came as quite a shock.

"Is everything ok? You don't seem to have as much heart, has something happened while I've been gone?" Queried the man with all the power. Tyrian blinked at him then remembered his manners and bowed lowly,

"Everything is fine Your majesty, nothing you should concern yourself with" he said as politely as he could. Arthur thought this was somewhat odd,

"Are you sure? It just appears that there may be something the matter, you're not acting quite as I recall you did before" there were attempts to hide hints of concern,

"I am simply remaining in my place Your Majesty, it would be improper for me to act wildly." This seemed to be a final straw

"Tyrian," came an oddly unusual soft tone, Tyrian couldn't help but look in utter confusion at this change of voice, "Are you okay? Something happened didn't it?" There was a silent refusal to answer but the shift of eyes to the floor indicated the truth, "You may speak, it is permitted..." He was trying, it didn't seem to work so another tactic was used, "I demand you inform me of anything that's happened to make you act this way." He stated. Tyrian still seemed reluctant but he couldn't ignore an order though he still took time to find the words.

"You need not worry yourself too much Your Majesty, I am aware you do not actually care for me in any way, I've been informed your apparent enjoyment of my display is simply pity…" he started to trail off, it upset him to think about it again.

Then Watts put a hand on his cheek, lifting his head up to initiate eye contact.

"And whom was it that told you that?" The tone was careful but there was an element of danger to it that Tyrian immediately picked up on, it almost made him shudder. Instead of giving a true answer he simply said,

"It is what I was advised" but the implications were there.

"Is that so?"

Tyrian looked into the royal green eyes that regarded him, he felt foolish for wanting to get lost in them, especially when a corner of them harboured some annoyance that was never going to be directed at him. Arthur smiled softly, his warmth threatening to melt the poor Scorpion.

"I don't want you to believe what you were advised, I want you to believe that I say"

Tyrian's eyes were wide and he was trying not to look too dreamy, he stuttered an awkward response "O-okay… I mean yes, o-of course.. Your Majesty" he was starting to feel like a fool

"I would never let anyone else be aware but I do care, you entertain me. Often your jokes and gimmicks tend to be the only thing I won't be so stone-faced about." His smile was slightly awkward, rather unbefitting of the leader of the kingdom, but somehow suitable for Arthur thought Tyrian. There was some mild hesitation as the other hand moved to hold the other side of his face, Tyrian couldn't help but enjoy the warmth of it. They stood there with the jesters face being cupped by an awkward King. Then Arthur touched his forehead to Tyrian's earning a little stunned gasp.

It was a sweet moment that neither really wanted to end, but it allowed the lord to realise that life would be a lot less interesting without his merryman to keep him company. He didn't want to imagine it.

-----

BONUS!!!

King snake and Jester scorpion

-I wish I could actually draw a king Watts with Jester Tyrian hanging over the back of his throne like the dick he is because that's my life and I need it but I will never 😭-

[firstagent]

Oh, any season? Here's a curveball: Rank each season's gogglehead on how well they'd perform with the NEXT season's plot and team. Xros Wars and Hunters count as separate seasons, and the final season's gogglehead loops back around to the first. Where/if you place Tri. is up to you.

Love this question! We’re going to leave out tri. since Taichi’salready in once and Tagiru being all nuanced and contemplating hisfuture sounds… well, it sounds like the next season of my fic, butwe don’t need him dealing with it here.

Doing this makes you appreciate how the conflict each goggleheadfaces each season is especially targeted at their specificpersonalities. Even if another kid may do it, and may even do itbetter, it’s usually not as fun.

Taiki in Hunters: Imagine what someone with Taiki’sinstincts and compassion would do if he was a full participant in thehunt? Rather than leaving the day-to-day operations to hissubordinate, Taiki would be trying to get to the bottom of themystery of digiquartz. He’d avoid Tagiru’s mistakes, show anappropriate degree of concern with dangerous situations, and probablylearn more than we learn all series. Plus it would inevitably openwith him fighting his aniki Masaru. That would be sweet.

Haru in Adventure: We’ve already seen that when pressed intoservice, Haru fashions just fine as a leader. Things might be slowergoing at first with nobody to take the reins, running the risk ofthem doing crazy things like actually listening to Joe. Butconsidering much of Taichi’s development concerned him being lessreckless and taking more things into consideration, it’s hard tosee them going too far astray with someone who’s already got thatfigured out. It just might take longer to get there.

Tagiru in Appmon: He wouldn’t be nearly as adorable, andit’s hard to see Eri giving him the time of day, but he’d stilldo a fine job. Tagiru doesn’t hesitate jumping into situations,asks questions when he needs to (it’s coming up with answers hestruggles with, and now he has an app for that), hunting down theseven codes is second nature for him, and we find out the wholejourney was kind of on a rail anyway. His relationship with Yuujinmight be more competitive, offering less conflict in the end, but hisbest qualities would be on display. Although I cringe at the kind ofvideos he and Astra would make together.

Takuya in Savers: Digimon in Savers aren’t predestined fortheir partners. They have to be drawn to them some other way. Thatcould be a problem unless Takuya has some other way to convince aDigimon to hang out with him, something he never was able to do inhis own season. But on the plus side, you can see Takuya slottinginto dysfunctional relationships with his partner, Touma, and societyin general pretty well. He’s bull-headed enough that while he maynot have the same flair as Masaru, he’d still find a way to takecare of things. He takes matters into his own hands in his season,after all.

Taichi in Zero Two: The first part of the tripis fine. He’s more than eager to go out there and impressHaru-senpai and do right by the old team. If Miyako and Iori couldput up with Daisuke, they can put up with Taichi. The real trick isgoing to be the second half, and whether Taichi would be inclined toreach out to Ken. That may not happen quite the way it needed to, andunless he developed the same way he did in Adventure, Taichi may endup running into some disagreements with Haru. It also might get a bitawkward if he ended up competing with Takeru for Hikari’saffection. Wait, what?

Takato in Frontier: In this world, Digimon isn’t a belovedanime/game franchise, so Takato turning into a Digimon isn’t adream come true for him. Poor kid would really struggle with thephysical and mental toll that Takuya just sort of powers through.There’s also no guarantee he steps up as a leader, or that anybodyon the team really would. Junpei maybe? Dear God… Anyway, if theydo manage to progress they’d be far more successful when the RoyalKnights show up simply because Takato would try different approachesthat don’t involve unwinnable fights.

Daisuke in Tamers: So I’ve been imagining them with theiroriginal partners/personalities, but here’s where that falls apart.Daisuke’s hand-drawn OC Digimon isn’t going to look anything likeV-mon. And caring for a newborn Digimon that knows nothing about thisDigimon? Erm… and convincing Jian he’s worth his time? And Rukiwould destroy him. Not sure if Juri’s down with his madness. Um…Hirozaku and Kenta are still on board!

Masaru in Xros Wars: No… no no no… this is a terribleidea! Team Xros Heart is all about facing up against massive numbersand insurmountable odds and stopping them with the power of inventiveideas and teamwork. Masaru’s going to insist on one-on-one battlesagainst everybody and probably get eaten by MadLeomon. Also, whatsort of nut would Zenjirou be to try for a rematch after losing amatch to Masaru… because it sure as hell wouldn’t be kendo inthis reality.

Want to support my site and/or my work? Buy me a coffee!

[cordyreborn]

Revenge:

(TRIGGER WARNING: Murder/Death Discussed)

*I walk into my dark, silent apartment heading straight to the shower. I shed my clothes as I walked, caring little for where things landed. This wasn't my home anymore anyway. *I turn on the water not feeling its icy slaps to my skin. I grab the washcloth and soap mindlessly washing the dirt, the sin off my body. I scrub til blood dribbles down the drain with the dirty water. I collapse into the corner, my unshed tears finally breaking through.*

What have I done? *I whisper into my arms.* Cinny, I'm sorry it had to go this way but there was nothing else to do. Forgive me my friend, while I learn to forgive myself. *I close my eyes relishing the water pelting my skin, cleansing my body while my soul remains filthy.*

*I think back to two days ago, that man with the giants. I think to the Vet who pronounced Cinny dead. I think of my plan to end this once and for all.* It was for the best. I know it was. *I called Noel and made plans to meet this evening at 5:00pm at a park two towns over.*

*He questioned my meeting place but I explained I was collecting herbs that grew there and it would be easier than driving home and wasting more of his time. Put a little lilt in your voice, especially when you know he wanted you, and a gal can get most anything she wants.

*So, he agreed and I went out of town to get some supplies. Then I came back and baked some sea salt and extra fudgy brownies and some fruit punch tea. All had an extra kick, hope they liked their treats. I packed up my car and went to the town I'd mentioned.*

*Oh I had forgotten to mention To him this was a ghost town! Oh well. It's one of those small towns the government closed due to mining issues. Not a soul around. I parked and set the table, then waited for the giants. An hour later, they pulled in next to my car.*

"Well, hello Miss King. How are you this fine evening?" *Bastard and his giants sitting down acting like they have no cares in this world. They probably didn't.... until now. They'll not see it coming. THAT I'll guarantee.* Hello. Care for a brownie? A drink? *I ask smiling*

"No, just get handing over what you owe me and we will be out of your lovely hair." *The urge to shiver in disgust rolled down my spine but I kept most of it hidden as I plastered my biggest and brightest smile his way.* Oh please. I went to all this trouble just for you. *I batted my eyelashes and smiled wider. I handed them each a napkin with a brownie and a glass of tea* "Well, if you insist. I would hate to say I turned away good cooking from a beautiful lady." *I watch as they eat and drink their fill, smiling the whole time*

My you fellas were sure hungry. What did you think of my goodies? *I ask as they finished polishing off everything I brought* "Very delicious Miss King, just like you." *I recognized the new glint in Noel's eye and it had nothing to do with the money he thought I owed. *I pretended to clean up and take things back to my car but in truth...I was waiting.* "Hurry up Miss King, let's finish this."

Be right there, just getting the money for you. *I keep shuffling until I hear groans and then cries of "what have you done!" *When the cries died and silence reigned I got to work.

I took off my clothes and switched it to darker clothes that hid my body shape and hair and face. I put on gloves and got out the plastic wrap, and blanket that I'd brought* You can do this Cordy. You can!

*I laid down the plastic wrap and blankets then dragged down the bodies and laid them on their own blankets.* Damn heavy, giant bastards! Can't believe I'm doing this. What have you turned me into? *I kicked the body nearest me out of frustration. Then I went back to my car for the hammer and lighter I'd brought.* This is so gross. *I steadied myself before hitting each man in turn, covering their faces with plastic wrap first to contain the blood, with the hammer.* At least they can't ID you if they ever find you. *I say to the remains before pulling out the lighter. I grab the first giant's finger and proceed to burn each fingertip, ensuring fingerprint ID was also off the table.*

Now to finish this. *I get the car keys from giant 1's pocket then wrap the men nice and tight ensuring they can't be seen without being unwrapped. I drag them to their car, this takes the longest, and eventually get them in a pile inside* Never piss off an empath.

*I drive the car to a very, very deep sinkhole left by a mining incident and unload the bodies. I roll each body down the edge knowing they'd never be found. I strip naked tossing my clothes, my gloves, my shoes, and all the stuff I brought with me in the car.*

*I use my socks to shift the car into gear, tossing the lighter into the car as it goes over the edge too.* Oh, it did catch fire...go me! *I say as I watch the burning car disappear into the void.*

*I walk back to my car, wearing only my socks. I get dressed into my original clothes and drive to another sinkhole the town has. I dump the food and drink items into it, watching them disappear as well.* Time to go home.

*As I drive home I start to realize the enormity of what I'd done. I knew it had to be this way but I also knew what then of things would be too. As I get home, I slide the envelope with my move out notice in it, into the manager's 'inbox' that hangs on his door.*

A new beginning is ahead Cordy. New place, new job, new me. *I pop my head up from my memories when my phone rings. I get out of the shower, wrap a towel around my body, and go to answer it.* Hello? Oh hi Sal, sure I have a minute to discuss your order....

<<<TBC>>>