#where this is just a typical coming of age where he learns morals at the end just w a very drawn out beginning

[sillygoofyqueer]

Okay so more of the Mad Scientist AU!!! Right off the bat, I've decided that I want to change how Wen Chao reacts/acts around Wei Ying. Instead of just going the usual "oooh, he hates him and blah blah blah", what if (because they're similar ages surely) Wen Chao is like "well A-Die likes Wei Ying and pays attention to him, and I want him to pay attention to me, so I have to be like Wei Ying!" So he's actually like the younger brother who imitates his older brothers but it's just him following Wei Ying around in hopes that he can sort of learn what Wei Ying works on through osmosis (he's rather hopeless and more than a little clueless, which can lead to disasters). Wei Ying, in turn, treats him like a younger brother who can get in the way but is trying to be well-meaning.

Wen Chao and Xue Yang, of course, have a rivalry over who is the most useful and it has led to physical blows. By the way!! Wen Chao is still an ass in this AU, but I certainly think he'd be less likely to have a superiority complex in certain situations. After all, Wei Ying's father was a servant and Wei Ying's a genius, so status isn't everything in all cases! (Also Xue Yang has tackled him by surprise far too often for him to not be at a little more tolerant.) And it also means that Wen Zhuliu can guard over both Wei Ying and Wen Chao at the same time, which is what Wen Ruohan makes him do at any available opportunity.

So, because this is based off the novel, there's no reason for the Wen to go to the Cloud Recesses lectures (I'll probably make a separate thing about this if I can be arsed). It also just makes sense for Wei Ying to not go to a place where all of the sects are, especially one that would contradict the lies he's been told. He thinks that the Lan are traditionalists who force their ideology upon everyone and kill those who argue against it. The Jin are now a devilish sex cult who treat women as objects and treat poor people like dirt beneath their heel-...okay so like the lie is that everyone is like that in the sect. The Nie are extremely macho and aggressive men that take no time to help others and see strength as the only good quality (also described as homosexual misogyny). The Jiang are selfish, ruthless go-getters with no moral compass who will do anything to 'attempt the impossible.'

Nono, the first time that Wei Ying meets the sects is the indoctrination camps. Before this point, he's been like sort-of aware of what the Wen are doing to the other sects (specifically the Lan in this instance), but he one, believes that the Wen are in the right for fighting back against these almost unbelievably evil sects (*insert the Wen sweating nervously in the background) and two, is far too busy poking around people's souls and burying his hands into dead bodies to care about politics. (that's not to say he isn't very aware of it, he just shrugs it off). Of course, Wen Chao is very excited to get to show off to Wei Ying and says that he should definitely come along to the indoctrination. Xue Yang also goes along so he can throw shit at the disciples.

NOW, I think it's time to learn about what the other sects know about Wei Ying and how they see him. While the Wen are trying to be secretive about Wei Ying's existence/role in the sect because he's like their best weapon on the inside, people can't help but talk about him when he's still the same charming devil as always. This time, though, people very much so see him as a charming devil. He's simultaneously portrayed as both a calm, sly and teasing individual, and a fucking insane maniac who performs monstrous experiments on living humans and is always covered in the blood of his victims. Think typical mad scientist mixed with Yiling Patriarch rumours, and we've got how the world sees him. (Not to mention the assistant he has, more wild and feral to his suave and charming.)

When everyone is forced to go to the indoctrination, Wei Ying very much lives up to these rumours by showing up with blood stains on his robes and hands, muttering to himself and scribbling on a random scroll while he's walking. There's smears of blood on his face. He offers slight approval to Wen Chao (and gentle ribbing) and refers to Wen Zhuliu as "Zhuliu-ge", effortlessly mocks any sects that try to speak out against their treatment. Xue Yang follows behind, throwing different things at the captured disciples and heckling Wen Chao when he gets too bored, only listening when Wei Wuxian tells him to quiet down. (Yes I do love this AU why do you ask? More, more for the few who like it.)

[raayllum]

Been also thinking about the line between "the text wasn't meant to be interpreted this way but it's a solid reading / line of critique (with caveats)" (#1) versus "the text wasn't meant to be interpreted this way and doing so actively worsens the story they're trying to tell" (#2).

Going to do some TDP specific examples.

But basically: When your in-depth reading takes away from the Surface Level reading rather than providing contribution, that's usually a good sign you're going into a story with 1) an expectation or reading that was never promised or 2) are weakening the story through a typically unfounded analysis.

A TDP specific example is the relationship between Viren and Harrow. Canonically, textually, they had a brotherly relationship, both in the dialogue that Viren conveys ("I think of you as my brother" / "You're my brother") and in their persistent parallel framing with Callum and Ezran.

However, that doesn't stop many fans (myself included) from reading a romantic and sexual attraction between Viren and Harrow, especially in their youth. Not only do they just have the vibes, parallels to other couples, and subtext, Viren very much places Harrow's importance in his life in a way that's usually reserved for lovers. Viren having been in love (or ongoing) just makes sense. That doesn't mean any of us are expecting TDP to ever make it Canon — like I said, it's canonically very much Not that — but it does add a layer to Viren always wanting to 1) matter to Harrow as much as he does, and 2) his frustration and severance with Harrow because he wasn't getting the acceptance and affection that he wanted.

This is what I would consider #1 avenue: it doesn't take away from their dynamic, and to me adds a layer, but it allows the text to stand as is. Viren wants Harrow's love and attention in the gradual and then sharp deterioration of their dynamic. All I'm changing is a little bit of the why per my personal reading.

Meanwhile, if I went the route of "Yeah I know canon shows Harrow appreciating, taking Viren into account, and smiling at / loving him, but I don't think Harrow cared at all and he was just a bad friend to Viren for years" then... Yeah I could read it that way — it's not as though Harrow or Viren were hardly perfect friends to each other, and Harrow's discard of Viren is harsh (even if it was a long time coming in a lot of ways) — but what does that leave me with? Frustration, maybe; a poor view of Harrow; immense sympathy towards Viren? At best, I'd maybe resent how Viren learns the lessons Harrow was trying to teach him by paying for it with his life; at worst, I'd think the narrative was being fundamentally unfair to Viren without recognizing that his previous modes of self sacrifice were always couched in ego, shirking the immediate consequences of being saved, or that he was routinely willing to sacrifice everyone around him first, including his own children.

This is where we get into area #2, and I see it happen all the time with TDP, whether it's from the series not portraying monarchies as a bad thing or the ever persistent "issue" of dark magic. Quite frankly, it's silly to walk into TDP post-S1 expecting dark magic to be anything beyond — given all the current textual evidence — "morally complicated" magic at best. Yes it can be used for good things, but that doesn't automatically make it good, and while we could spin logistical wheels for ages, the Point the story is Making with dark magic is about power, desperation, love, self-destruction, violation, and agency, and how all those things can overlap or counteract each other. Toting out "well I think dark magic is blanket statement Okay and Good actually" misses all of that, and actively makes your reading and experience with TDP worse. The surface level reading is important to take into account when examining a piece of media, otherwise it can lead to a very warped view and effect your ability to be well founded in your reading of the text.

That doesn't mean you can't desire a more morally neutral form of dark magic — plenty of fantasy series and stories have it, and some I adore (like "the legend of Zelda" — but it does mean accepting the story is never going to broadly speaking do that, and it's Okay that it won't. I'd be silly if I walked into LOZ expecting them to get into the ethics of its form of (non) dark magic of using monsters for spell parts because it's 1) a game mechanic and 2) it's not interested in the ethics of it, and no amount of me saying "well it should be" will change that, nor is it a Story Flaw that it doesn't.

This is all to say that I think asking "Why would the writers do this?" is one of the most useful, if basic, questions to ask when it comes to analysis and when figuring out whether your viewpoint is falling into avenue #1 of being grounded, or avenue #2 of veering towards warped territory.

For example, if I take Rayla not being by Callum's side when he's struggling over the pearl reveal in 6x06 as an indicator she doesn't care about him, I'm doing a deep dive that ignores all the very Surface Level emphasized scenes of Rayla caring about and supporting Callum a whole lot. I could make the claim she doesn't care based on that scene, but it wouldn't be well founded because it's ignoring miles of other much more prevalent, consistent scenes of her being there for him; it's not a well founded claim.

For something less obvious, let's look at 5x08. While Callum could've given Finnegrin the wrong spell on purpose, as some fans have thoughtfully proposed, as a sneaky wink for die hard fans... why would the authors do that? What does the story gain from that reading or intention? Well, it makes it seem like Callum was less desperate in his dealings with Finnegrin, which makes him doing dark magic afterwards come off worse. It also lessens the battle Callum has throughout that episode for feeling in control and recognizing that he can't always be. It's a reading that, in my opinion, not only strays away from the surface level reading, but is one removes elements from the text that the text would otherwise be stronger for having. In comparison, after all, if Callum gave his version of the right spell without thinking it through, he did so entirely out of desperation, which better affirms just how desperate and worn down he had to be to do dark magic, and is another instance in the episode of him feeling very much out of control (especially since we don't see the 3rd with dark magic on screen, so otherwise, we'd only have him punching Finnegrin as an example and nothing else).

Same thing with the old (now debunked) theory of Callum's bio dad being elven in nature. It's an interesting idea, exploring the implications and backstory and how'd grapple with it, but it'd weaken what canon is actively striving for, which is that Callum's magic use is special precisely because he's an ordinary human who's gained primal magic, and having elven ancestry would counteract that. It doesn't mean that the idea isn't a Good one or that it's not fun to explore in fanon, but there's a lot of reasons the story isn't (or decided not to) have it be canon, because it was stronger for the story they Wanted to tell for it not to be.

Sometimes, as fans this means acknowledging that what we want or prefer in a story is just blatantly not what's being set up, because the story is going to do things regardless of what we want or personally like. That doesn't mean those decisions are bad, and it also doesn't mean those elements or decisions or constructions are beyond critique, but it does mean to ask yourself some key questions:

Is there anything my reading is missing? (ie. if TDP shouldn't have monarchs and that's the critical focus, we lose the messages about leadership, family, and legacy that are engaged with through the vessel of hereditary monarchy)

Why might the story or scene go in certain directions? Are there story constraints (time, tone, etc) they have to abide by?

Am I expecting the story to ascribe to my worldview or preference, and am I open to things that don't do that? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Is my in-depth takeaway aligned with a surface level reading? Are both readings working together, or are they opposed? What other surface level readings might be plausible here for a casual viewer?

Even if this is not personally compelling and/or believable to me, does my personal takeaway match up with the characters' responses to it? Why or why not? (Think every Disney movie where they fall in love in 3 days. Realistic? No. Does it matter within the context of the story? Also no)

Again, this is not to say that 1) what the casual takeaway Is is an objective singular monolith (it isn't) or 2) if the casual takeaway and your interpretation is at odds that you're wrong. But through context clues, we can usually narrow it down as to what the story intends, and that if our interpretations do veer heavily to examine why and to manage expectations accordingly.

Anyways hopefully this all made sense Viren x Harrow forever

[enchantedbarnes]

Recommendations 💖

I've been wanting to do something with recommendations for ages now, but there's just too many to even know where to begin! Here's a chaos list of past and present faves 🥰

Completed fics

Undisclosed by @pellucid-constellations

Pairing: Lumberjack!Bucky x Reader

Summary: Desperate to outrun a secret that could cost you your life, you seek refuge in a small mountain town. Its deep forests and small cabins make it the perfect place to hide, but the travel website hadn’t mentioned anything about the quiet, burly lumberjack that wouldn’t leave your thoughts. No one had warned Bucky about you either. 

Lumpy and Bunny masterlist by @sweetdreamsbuck

Pairing: beefy lumberjack!bucky x f!reader

Summary: Bucky's never been so scared of a feeling in his life. there are too many what if's– too many fears bubbling deep within the parts of him left broken and hollow, untouched for far too long. but he never envisioned finding you– and he's entirely too impatient; entirely too certain no one's ever been more infatuated with something than how he feels for you.

Sweet and Sour by @sashaisready

Pairing: Bucky Barnes Mob AU x Femme Reader

Summary: You're hard at work in Pepper's Bakery when notorious mob boss James 'Bucky' Barnes darkens your doorway one typical afternoon, and life is never the same again.

While you're over there you might as well check out ...

Under the Radar by @sashaisready

Pairing: Nick Fowler x reader

Summary: Reader is a brilliant but shy and awkward CIA employee whose work is often overlooked by her colleagues…she’s blended into the background for so long that she doesn’t think there’s any other way - even if she does have secret aspirations for another life. Unbeknownst to her - a certain blue eyed agent is very aware of her talents, even if nobody else is.

The Lookout by @mymoonagedaydream

Pairing: ParkRanger!Bucky x y/n

Summary: It was amazing, really, how quickly one person managed to turn your dream job into a living nightmare.

Operation get Mr Bucky and Momma together by @golden-barnes

Paring: Beefy and Teacher! Bucky x milf! reader Summary: Bucky doesn't play favorites but Amaya is definitely his favorite, especially because her mom is hot.. Cue a 6-year-old trying to get Bucky to be her dad.

Worst Idea Ever by @firefly-in-darkness

Pairing: Y/N & Bucky Barnes, Other Marvel Characters.

Summary: Wedding Season is brutal as it is but throw in two friends that decide to be each other’s plus ones and a mixed bag of feelings, what's the worst that could happen?

Classylo's masterlist

home for the holidays by @classylo

When your family begs you to come home for the holidays and to bring the new guy you’ve been seeing, you don’t have the heart to tell them your good-for-nothing-ex cheated on you… good thing your roommate is available and will do absolutely anything you ask.

should've been you by @classylo

He was supposed to meet you at the game. He was supposed to be the one you went on a date with. He was the one you were supposed to fall in love with. Yet, here you are three years into a relationship with another… it should’ve been him, not his best friend.

Moral of the Story by @justkending

Summary: From childhood friends, to highschool sweethearts, the two naive, young, and lovestruck teens decided the best way to keep a strong relationship during college would be to marry right out of highschool. No one batted an eye at the idea as everyone knew they were soulmates. However, college is a big step in a person’s life. You learn new things about yourself, you make new friends, find new hobbies… And maybe being newly weds and going to different colleges across the states wasn’t the best plan… After a falling out, a tragic and heartbreaking divorce, the two now despise the other for how the whole thing was handled. Neither not really knowing both sides of the story. 10 years later, and they both get a call from the lawyers office that settled their divorce. Somehow the papers never went through and the divorce was never completed. So now, the exes, or should we say husband and wife, have to meet back up after all these years to settle their failed marriage once and for all.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Everest by @justkending

Summary: She was done and retired. After Thanos and the battle of a lifetime, she called it quits and distanced herself from the Avenger lifestyle. But word finds her that someone from her past is in danger. What the journey entails was never one she wanted to face nor one she saw becoming her reality again. The rollercoaster that comes with fighting evil odds arrives on her doorstep, not leaving much room for a no… Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Coming in Hot by @nexusnyx

When your best friend Sarah recommends you a mechanic of her brother’s trust, all you can think about and pray to is that he doesn’t rip you off. Your car is your prized possession and amidst all the worry and concern of your medical studies, drowning in even more debt sounds as suffocating as it would be. Of course, you never thought of the possibility of the mechanic being the problem. A hot, polite, gentle, and silent-type of problem. Drowning in debt would be easier to navigate than the blue of Bucky Barnes’s eyes.

Pairing: Mechanic Bucky x Reader

Though I Have Never Read by @tuiccim

Pairing: Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader Summary: You had run away from all of your problems and found solitude in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. When a storm blows in, it drags a man with a metal arm through your door. Offering shelter, you spend one night together before he disappears. Years later, you find yourselves together again but does he remember that night or you at all?

Blink Twice by @simmerandwrite

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: It was just an undetermined amount of time in a safehouse with a stranger: Bucky “I didn’t come here to make friends” Barnes himself. Would it really be all that different from your lonely life with your cat in the city? Bucky was basically a cat, anyway. He was quiet on his feet, only really made noise when it was dinner time, and you both seemed to just coexist without acknowledging each other. His mandate was to keep you safe. What could go wrong?

teach me how to love by @buckyismybicycle

Pairing: DAD!BUCKY X TEACHER!READER

Natasha leaves behind her precious daughter, Yelena, and with her dying breath asks Bucky to look after her.

Sweet by @noceurous

summary: it was something cliche but your fuck buddy fell for you nonetheless, even though you swore you would never do relationships again. But rules are meant to be broken.

call me when you want by @bonky-n-steeb

summary: when you call a sex hotline with a need to be dominated you don’t expect to meet (or hear) someone as wonderful as James. but your life becomes a complicated mess as you already love your coworker, Bucky Barnes. however, you are unaware that they are actually the same person.

Grow Old With Me by @sonderosa

Part 1 & Part 2

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

...you could wait fifty years if he asked it of you. You’d promised him that, and he’d smiled and kissed you, told you that in fifty years he wanted to be old with you, sitting on a porch in rocking chairs and watching the sunset. You wanted that, too; it was a beautiful dream.

Sweeter Than Honey by @foreverindreamlandd

Pairing: Mechanic!Bucky x Fem!Personal Assistant!Reader Summary: It's your first international trip working for bestselling author Tony Stark as his new personal assistant, and you're desperate to prove yourself worthy of such an incredible opportunity. But when things start to go wrong whilst staying in Dublin, and suddenly you're stuck in the middle of the Wicklow Mountains with a flat tire, you're convinced that you'll be fired before the day is over. Luckily, a handsome, blue-eyed mechanic with an accent that makes your insides melt comes just in time to save the day.

Their other series are also *chefs kiss* -> go read the rest of @foreverindreamlandd's series

Love at First Grade by @buckysimp101

Pairing: Single Dad!Bucky Barnes x Single Mom!Reader;  Teacher!Bucky x CEO!Reader

Summary: When father and first grade teacher Bucky Barnes ends up with Avery L/N in his class, the daughter of the “ruthless” CEO of L/N Enterprises, he's in for a surprise that's sure to change his life.

Teacher's Favorite AU by @suitk0via

Pairing: Dad!Bucky x Teacher!Reader

Summary: You are first grade teacher and Bucky is a single dad who wants to be involved with everything his little girl - Elaine - does. He’s the dad all the parent’s and faculty drool over. You quickly become Elaine's favorite teacher and Bucky's just gotta meet you.

The Heart is a Deep Ocean by @dreamlessinparis

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: Titanic was known as the ship of dreams. For you, it was the dream of getting home, or so you thought. From the moment you locked eyes with James Buchanan Barnes, all those dreams changed and your life was never the same.

Something Domestic by @fandoms-writings

Pairing: ex-military amputee!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: Needing an escape from the loud and busy city life, Bucky comes to stay with you on your little farm. He didn’t expect you, a hardworking and beautiful woman with struggles of your own, to take his breath away and make life a little less dreary.

Labyrinth by @frostironfudge

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader, (Modern AU)

Summary: labyrinth (noun), a complicated set of paths and passages, through which it is difficult to find your way. Bucky and You would do anything for Steve and Wanda, your respective best friends. In an attempt to avoid a tradition Steve and Wanda come up with a lie involving their best friends.  A lie, that involves building a labyrinth. Bucky and You begin to build but will you two find your way out or be caught in it?

nostalgia for the new by @real-jane

pairing: bucky barnes x female!reader shield agent

summary: bucky meets you because of your exquisite taste in music, and he finds in you a solace he didn't realize was possible. you create for bucky something he's never found before: nostalgia for a time that hasn't happened yet, and hope for a future where he might be loved.

The Thrill of the Hunt by @rookthorne

Pairing: Scare Actor!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

The ancient game of cat and mouse, a fight for survival between a predator and their prey, wasn’t a new phenomenon – it had been practised for centuries and it was an art that very, very few perfected. For years you had chased the craving to find someone that had mastered the art of the hunt, and for Halloween, you had gone all out and visited a haven unlike any other.  It was there that you found your match.  Cloaked in nothing but black and shrouded in a sense of lethality, you would have to run from this shadow in an adrenaline fuel haze unlike any other. A chase for the ages, the very one you desired.  And if he caught you, your world would end as you knew it.

Ongoing fics

Honey Girl by @violentdelightsandviolentends

Pairing: Dad'sBestFriend!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader - soulmate au

Summary: The Universe shows you your soulmate when it feels like you need them most. When you least expect it, you're given yours - Bucky Barnes. Your Dad's best friend. You can try to refuse it all you like; but the universe wants what it wants. There's no denying fate.

After all those years by @ziawbarnes

Pairing: AU Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: Peggy and Steve's wedding in Mexico takes an unexpected turn when you and Bucky, who initially couldn't attend, end up joining the celebration. With no available rooms, Bucky becomes your roommate for ten days, leading to unexpected adventures and new connections.

Fresh Start by @nicoline1998enilocin (on hiatus but I love)

Pairing: Teacher!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary: In this universe you can explore the story between Bucky Barnes as a middle school teacher, and Y/N with her son Luca. They just moved to the other side of the country, and have decided to completely start over their lives. On the first day at his new school, Luca quickly befriends his new teacher, and Y/N can't help but take a liking to him as well.

A Past Encounter by @majesty-madness

Summary: Being in a relationship with Bucky, Y/N prided herself on knowing him quite well but when she’s accidentally teleported back to the 1940's, Y/N discovers that there is a whole other Bucky that she has yet to meet. The sweet flirt that had everything going for him before his unfortunate capture by HYDRA.

Neighbors by @writerlyhabits

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader

Summary: You get to know your neighbor across the hall, James.

Unexpected by @repressedqueen

Paring: SexWorker!Bucky x reader

Summary: After a crazy night out celebrating your birthday, somehow you ended up outside a brothel debating on whether it was time for you to finally have sex or not.

My Little Love by @crazyunsexycool

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced Fem! Reader

Dr. Feelgood by @endless-summer-soldier

pairing: Surgeon!Bucky x SurgicalIntern!Reader

summary: Y/N has a one night stand with a handsome stranger the night before starting her new job as a surgical intern. Little does she know, the handsome stranger also happens to be her new boss

Untitled Single Dad!Bucky Fic by @angie-likes-to-art

Pairing: Teacher!Reader x Single Dad!Bucky

Summary: You made a promise to yourself to not sleep with any parents before starting teaching, little did you know the guy you slept with two days before is the dad of your cutest student.

Too much love to choose from, here's some creators with masterlists you need to check out! ❤️‍🔥

@jobean12-blog

@navybrat817

@coffeecatsandcandles

@metalbuckaroo

@wkemeup

@nickfowlerrr

I love and appreciate all of you 💕 thank you for all your hard work 🥰

Happy Reading!

XO

(Dividers by saradika)

RECOMMENDATION LIST #2 CAN BE FOUND -> **HERE**

[lordofmelancholy]

Arcane: Silent Frontiers: Mylo and Ekko

It’s a personal thing cause I don't really like his character, but I often HC that Ekko actually doesn’t like Mylo all that much. And it shows greatly in Silent Frontiers.

The reason i don't care for Mylo too much. . . is because he reminds me too much of people I went to School with. The mean comments and everything. And the thing about the fandom is they often say that he’s just a kid and too cut him slack. Except when you get bullied a lot growing up, you learn that kids like Mylo never tend to actually ever stop on their own. They just keep going and they keep going until they FINALLY stop but usually that’s because someone makes them stop.

Growing up, Mylo always had a need to impress people, but this often manifested in the typical behavior of a older individual ragging on the smaller and weaker then you sort. Growing up this behavior was usually directed at not only Jinx but Ekko as well. But when it came to Ekko alone it was often to a much lesser extent because Little Man knows about potential jobs and scores him the occasional deal at Benzo's. However, unlike Powder, Ekko most certainly did not take as much of the jabs as Powder had done, absolutely biting back and having his own quips to Mylo way more often than Powder ever did at that age. However growing up Ekko became protective of Jinx, which means he probably also had grown up hearing what Mylo and others had to say about Jinx but because Jinx is Jinx, she’s probably also told him to just forget it and he has for her sake only. But sometimes he hears things and they make him mad

And we all know Ekko has a temper

In the weeks following Isha’s death, Ekko and Jinx had cut themselves off from everything and everyone. No one saw them. No one heard from them. And the only people who ever really knew that they were actually still alive were Benzo and Scar. They went into a period of mourning so strong that people don't see them for DAYS or even weeks. They hibernated so far from eyesight, hid so well that even the creatures in the Zone couldn’t even find them

Now in Silent Frontiers, in a effort to boost moral amongst those in the Lane Zone, the firelights, Ekko and Jinx (Mostly Ekko and Scar) took over what would have probably been the Last Drop, which in the end became like their little getaway. Because the one thing about Jinx and Ekko is that they have a LOT of "hideaway" spots scattered throughout the Lane Zone that's essentially their way of getting AWAY from people. When the social battery is drained, they're insanely good at hiding away to recharge and chill with one another.

When they don't have time for people at all, they don't let people have any of their time

When the time came and they finally did reemerge who knows how long after their period of mourning, the first place they went was to the last drop, to the VIP section in the back where the two of them could just relax and stretch their legs without anyone bothering them

After all, they had just lost their baby. They lost their world. It only made sense that they didn't want anyone else to come close when the sky itself was collapsing right on top of them whilst they try and figure out what their next move was.

But most importantly going to the last drop was simply just a way for them to enjoy each other’s company in a sense of vague normality. To try and march through the day's as if nothing had changed.

However, with normality often comes other things. And one of the major ones is the fact that if you want things to be normal, then you have to deal with certain things that are common place.

One thing such being, is that certain people can’t keep their fucking mouth shut even when everyone else around them tells them too.

When Ekko and Jinx went to the last drop, Mylo had already been there with Claggor and a few other "friends" of theirs and was already on his way on being under the table. While everyone else gave Ekko and Jinx a wide berth when they had randomly shown up one night, unable to bring themselves to bother the pair, Mylo on the other hand is antsy, loud, boisterous a down right nuisance. But Ekko and Jinx are used to that. Mylo often has even less of a filter when he’s drunk and it's nothing they haven't dealt with before, so it's easy to ignore for the time being. They've done it plenty of times before after all.

But when Ekko walks out of the VIP lounge for a second to head to the bar, it’s noticeable that Mylo is flapping his jaws in a way that obviously is turning everyone's mood sour.

And that’s when Ekko finds out why.

Because Mylo is making digs at Jinx once again, at least that’s what Ekko think's he hears. He doesn’t really hear much, all he see’s is the sour faces of everyone, the roar of music playing on a stereo system and Mylo drunkenly swaying about, making wise-cracks to anyone who would listen and it’s very obvious whatever he’s saying no one wants too hear.

Even Claggor, so often used to this behavior, seems like he's trying his best at curbing his friends antics, often throwing uneasy watchful glances at Ekko as he comes by and Ekko for a moment doesn't know why even Claggor seems so unnerved. If Mylo is making cracks at Jinx again it's nothing that Ekko probably hasn't heard already. Same if the cracks are presented against himself. And if they are then he doesn't really care at the moment what Mylo has to say.

At least that's what he thinks. If that was all Mylo had to say then he would have indeed have left it alone. Had left Mylo to stew in his juices and booze until he got tired out like he always did. After all, Ekko did never throw him out all the other times this had happened What was family for after all. . .

But then. . .Mylo says something.

Whatever it was. Whatever it is. Ekko did not know for sure at first, did not hear it clearly but the faces around them, even Claggor's suddenly looked shocked and appalled by whatever it was that Mylo had to say. And they all suddenly turned to look at Ekko when it finally registers what Mylo had said And it’s the utterance of Isha's name from slurred, alcohol tainted lips that makes the world around him dark.

He hears voices, hears his name, people calling for him, trying in vain to convince him to just calm down, to just relax, that Mylo is simply just drunk and just flapping his lips and that he shouldn't hold it against him. But Ekko had always grown up hearing that.

He’s just a kid

He doesn’t mean any harm

They're just jokes

All excuses for his behavior. Everyone giving him an easy pass to say whatever he wanted.

But Ekko doesn’t hear excuses. Not any more

All he hears is one thing

CRUNCH

and something soft collapsing under his fist.

When the world finally stops being dark, someone’s holding him up from under his arms trying to pull him back, someone else is shouting at him to stop because He’ll kill him if he doesn’t

(Ekko Stop it!)

(You idiot are you trying to kill him!)

But then the struggling is over and he calmly looks around. For a moment, he doesn't seem to understand where he is. He looks up. All the people in the bar are staring at him. They’re all quiet.

Seemingly suddenly afraid of him.

And that's when Ekko looks down at his hand, clenched in a fist. And his knuckles are bloody, the skin is torn and raw, and blurry just outside of his peripheral, he notices that Mylo’s on the floor not that far from him; the barstool he was on tipped over and his face around his cheek and nose all bloody. He's holding his face as blood blooms between his fingers, spilling in between the gaps of his hand in quick, hot drops.

The fight in Ekko stops for just a moment. He’s panting. He test wiggles his fingers. Trying to check and see if they’re broken or anything. And there’s a sting under his skin but they’re fine. Nothing seems broken. Same can’t be said about Mylo though, who while still drunk, curses sniffly at Ekko from where he lays on the floor about what the fuck is his problem. Ekko goes to hit him again, but Claggor and Scar step in between them, trying to keep the situation from escalating any further

And thats when Ekko realizes. . .that Mylo looks scared of him almost, despite the slurring and cursing and sniffling. In fact. . .everyone does. .

Everyone knew Ekko had a temper. Everyone also knew however that Ekko was protective and did his best to keep his temper in check. But they just never realized just how far he was willing to go to protect what was his.

Even if it means harming one of his own. Something he never did before.

He had never rose a hand against family. . .until now. Ekko had scared him, solely because Mylo had never expected this

excepted retaliation where there use to be none

But Ekko doesn't say anything. He doesn’t offer apologies, doesn't try to placate the situation. What he says instead is simple:

Mylo is not allowed at the bar anymore. Ekko is officially banning him from the premises. And in doing so, Ekko also states that if he ever hears either Jinx or Isha's name come out of Mylo's mouth again that he'll blind him first and deal with the consequences of doin so later.

And its a threat said so clearly. . .so icy calm despite the absolute blackout-out of body experience that Ekko just had, that it actually scares Mylo into silence for just a moment, finally forces the loud-mouth to quiet and forces him to turn his bloody face down like a scolded dog. Just long enough for Claggor to pick his idiot friend up off the floor and drag him out before Ekko could loose his temper again when Mylo tries to interject for just a second.

When things quiet down, Everyone's staring at Ekko (afraid). Wondering what he'll do now. But despite everything. Despite the blood on his knuckles dripping on to the floor, Ekkos smart under pressure, and he's quick on his feet, and states Free Drinks for the rest of the night if no one utters a word about what had just happened.

And thats enough to turn the attention else where. And when that happens Ekko is quick to spin on a heel, despite Scar calling for him and head back to the VIP lounge.

He hears Jinx's voice when he opens the door, and she's questioning him over what had just happened

But Ekko doesn't respond. . .

He instead just notices that his hands are shaking.

Jinx doesn't have to ask again. Doesn't have to do anything more beyond look at him, truly look her lover up and down. See the shake of his hands, the trembling in his shoulders. The thousand yard stare within his eyes speaking far more vividly than any word he could say, if he could say.

Jinx doesn't wait for him to respond. Doesn't have too. Her own heart aches, her own throat tightens despite the gulp she attempts to give it. There's no softness in her posture, no affectionate warmth in her pursed lips. She is as tense as he is shaking, yet her eyes are knowing and sad and they are entirely on him.

Stiff as she is, when she finally approaches, she does not ask him again. Does not attempt to say anything, to scowl at him for hitting Mylo, to soothe and coo at him to ease the shakes.

Nay, Jinx walks right on up in front of him. Looks him directly in the eye. And then wraps him in the tightest cling of a hug she can.

As they both lament quietly about their situation.

_ _ _ There's never any easy way to cope with loss. To cope well.

Losing a kid is hard enough. Losing your kid is almost impossible to take well, in any sense, in any capacity. But losing your kid the way that they did… they're doing well enough to even go near anyone. Yet how sad it is, that they finally show back up around something close to civilization, and immediately there's just the urge to go right back into the wilds. . .

_ _ _ @dreamyrainland

[imagination-mess]

The Cambion (Demon!Izuku) (1/3)

This is an alternative universe where demons can be familiar to witches or wizards to assist and, most of all, as protectors. Witches and wizards can create pacts with demons.

Word Count: 1.2K (1/3)

A/N: Tumblr has a limit on how much you can put in singular post. I was forced to put it into three different posts. If you wish to see a singular post about it, here is the link to Ao3.

Demon! Izuku Midoriya:

Initially, he was always looked down upon due to not looking like the typical muscular or attractive demon. A demon who has the typical big horns on their head and essentially two wings. A demon with powers that are beyond moral dreams.

He didn’t have anyone teaching him. He never met his father and doesn’t even know if his moral mother still exists within the moral dimension.

His horns were small and chipped at the edge instead of having a sharp edge. He had only one wing due to being the offspring of a human and a demon. He didn’t have any powers such as fire, ice, or explosions.

It took him much more time to learn how to wing compared to the rest of the demons. Most of the people he grew up with in the area already knew how to fly at the age of 7. In hell, you would often see demon children flying around without a care in the world. For Izuku, it took him eleven years to be able to do it perfectly without crashing to the ground.

When the biannual ceremony around the summoning of a witch came around, a destined demon was assigned to a witch. It’s a big deal among the creatures of hell. It was a golden ticket for them to have access to the moral world and leave this world of hell. However, once out of hell, they could not come back even to visit once they made a pact with the witch. It also depends on the agreements in the pact between the witch and the demon. There was an offering within the summoning each time.

After the sixth time, in the following years, Shoto continuously rejected it. He was summoned again. Izuku knows Shoto would have hated him for the rest of his immortal life. He couldn’t go for another year of Shoto rejecting his golden ticket because of him.

The eyes of Shoto were filled with pure shock, and betrayal will always haunt him. He had pushed him into the summoning circle using the opportunity of Shoto never having his guard up around him.

This is why he already accepted his fate to stay within the world of hell because he was in the lower ranks of demons. The chances are lower than 1% being picked due to not having super abilities and physical strength. He was the weakest of the lower ranks.

He has seen his friends get picked during the ceremony throughout the years. Yet, his longest friend, Shoto, is the most popular and most feared due to being the son of someone who is known by his alias Endeavour. He became the first demon to reject a summoning and later found out the reason why he rejected it. It was because he didn’t want to go somewhere without him. Despite already knowing, Izuku is stuck in hell for his eternal life because of his status.

He had already made his peace that he would be joining those older demons who were never summoned. He will be alone.

The first time was being alone for the summoning ceremony and having no one to sit beside. He stood at the back of the room and watched as other demons were called upon.

Never in his dreams would he have thought he would be called for summoning after giving up his dreams and accepting what everyone had told him. He will never be summoned. He is going to riot in hell, just like the low ranks.

The image of him in the smoke is floating, as the summoning circle is a few feet away from him.

However, this caused the crowd of demons to protest, and some even attempted to steal the summoning when it was destined for him out of desperation. Despite already knowing it was useless, these specific summonings are destined to pick someone who can bring out the best from both parties, the witch and the demon.

He hesitated, but he walked past the injured demons into the summoning circle, not knowing what to expect next. He was engulfed in the circle with his backpack on his back. It was warm as if he were being wrapped around a blanket. His offering to his witch was an earring that was in front of him. He softly took it from the air. He was immediately lightheaded and felt his body was overheating as green electricity surrounded him.

His summoning wasn’t perfect. The toga he was wearing was ripped to shreds and barely covered him. The backpack was barely held together.

The realization landed on him: What kind of witch does he have? Is he going to be sent back and rejected because he is pathetic?

The noise and new environment were making him spiral as he was kneeling on the ground. He felt like everything was spinning around him.

He froze at the sudden feeling of a soft fabric touching his shoulder before his head was over the hood of the robe. He felt the robe grow in size as if to fit him better.

“Breathe, tell me 3 things you can see, 3 things you can hear, and move 3 of your body limbs.”

He had fallen to his knees as the wind and overheating were choking him. He was holding onto his throat. It was a painful minute. Tears were welling up in his eyes before the sensation disappeared. He immediately started coughing as he was gasping for air.

It was an overwhelming experience because he was summoned in front of the stadium inside a summoning circle. The crowd was screaming but quieted down at the sight of his wings, specifically.

At the time, he was too busy trying to adjust to the bright light and a bunch of scents hitting him at once. He was struggling to breathe. It suddenly became loud again.

He will never forget the first act of kindness from you. You gave him space and time to adjust. You brought a new set of clothes since his toga got ruined, and he walked around with a robe covering his body. You even brought him to the Demon Cafe on university grounds for him to eat something. It was then that you brought up the pact since the two of you have 24 hours to make a pact before he will be forced back to hell.

Immediately, the green-haired demon comes out clean and wants you to know about his condition as a demon before striking a pact with you.

“I don’t have any power, including super strength.”

He noticed the way you glanced up at the sight of his horns before saying something that surprised him. No one in hell has said.

“I am not an expert, but I have read that there are some cases of demons' power that could go dormant for years. It’s rare, but whoever told you you didn’t have the power has lied to you. That green-colored electricity and strong winds weren’t from me. That was your power trying to match the same energy as I did to summon you. It could have triggered your power, which could explain why your ride here was tough."

It was tough seeing how he almost showed up completely nude in front of a bunch of people watching the ceremony. The toga was barely covering his body. It felt like the wind was choking him as he struggled to breathe. He was very pale and flustered.

“The reason I didn’t force a pact was back when I first saw you. You were overwhelmed and struggling to adjust to the new environment. Please know you are allowed to reject. I don’t want to force you into something you don’t want.”

Continuation: Part Two (2/2) The Final Part (3/3)

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Only got Ultimates last week and didn't feel like making a post just for that especially since this was another light week.

Absolute Superman #5 - Seeing Kal cut through the Peacemakers like butter felt good. Got strong Golden Age and New 52 vibes from how he was beating the hell out of them in a rage (Aaron really emphasizes Superman's Wrath as a flaw this issue which of course makes me happy!). Brainiac must have Smith at his base, and he's outright sent an invite for Kal to come see him. Obvious trap of course but now I'm excited to learn more about what his deal is. Why is he working for Lazarus? How did he get to Earth? What does he want from Kal? Damn so none of the Klerics made it off planet? Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of guys. Yes I did get some small pleasure from seeing all the elites bite it, the whole plotline of the upper class destroying the planet and planning to leave the lower classes to burn while they bail out hits too close to reality for comfort. What does this mean for Absolute Zod? I'm counting on him showing up somehow, perhaps Aaron wrote Kal specifying that no ships from the cities made it off, as a way to set up Zod and other elites making it off of ships in remote locations, or maybe they used the Phantom Zone to escape? Could Jor and Lara have made it off, we don't explicitly see their ship get destroyed. Hopefully Krypto made it off, if Diana can have a pegasus then Kal can have his space dog.

This is the first origin that really drives home how depressing and sad it is that billions of Kryptonians don't make it off-world, Aaron did a great job humanizing them no pun intended. I thought that blonde girl was going to be revealed to be Kara. For this issue Aaron does something interesting: he ties Absolute Superman’s heroic mission to the destruction of Krypton. That page where Kal is staring out as Krypton burns, swearing an oath to make the next world better, read exactly like Bruce kneeling in Crime Alley as his parents bleed out after being shot. Usually this isn’t the case. Instead the Kents moral teachings or their deaths are what prompt Clark to become a hero, but Kal makes the same kind of child like oath about not letting Earth go the way of Krypton that Bruce does about eradicating crime after his parents are shot. It’s still different from Kara because her trauma doesn’t typically manifest as a need to save a different planet, if anything it tends to prevent her from being able to connect with Earth since she’s so afraid of losing another home. Justified the emphasis placed on Krypton in these early issues for me. Where does that leave the Kents' role in shaping Superman then? Perhaps they were the ones who taught him not to kill since I don't think Lara at least had any qualms about killing.

Another good issue. Next one ought to be a hoot, based on interviews it seems like Aaron will be tackling the uncomfortable fact that a "realistic" Smallville would 100% be MAGA. Doubt Kal will be finding a warm welcome from this small town when he arrives.

Ultimates #10 - Camp's been talking about how this series is all about the way symbols can be repurposed or reborn and this issue is entirely about that with Punisher's skull, Nazi iconography, and even comic characters themselves. Making Bucky of all people into the new Red Skull is insane, I need to know what the hell happened to make him become a Neo-Nazi. Maker had him marked as dead, is this a clone or was Maker mistaken? Bucky and Jason Todd came back from the dead around the same time, and both came back as villains for their former mentors. Parallels are even more blatant here with Bucky using the mantle of Cap's former archnemesis, and in red no less!

[ofcrowsanddragons]

Epigraph: What situation(s) would make Rook compromise their morals? How would Rook feel about this?

More asks here. Thank you so much, Webbus, for sending this ask my way. I had a lot of fun answering it!

Maybe the real gothic horror was the monster we became on the way.

No, wait. That's not right.

We were already the monster.

[tw: mild movie blood effects, canon-typical violence]

Corruption Narrative

Mags de Riva sits at the heart of an awkward kind of corruption narrative in A Working Relationship. This character already knows how harsh the world is—this is Dragon Age, after all.

What this character doesn't realize is that their desperation to survive is actually limiting the power that they have over their circumstances. It's so easy, isn't it, to position yourself at the bottom of the bloody machine you've volunteered yourself into? Certainly easier than accepting you might have some power over your life and the lives of others—outside of just fulfilling contracts to the letter, anyway.

The real story is in coming to terms with the corruption that's already happened. What compromises has this Crow, who joined an organization of assassins as a child as an alternative to being killed, already made to survive? This is a story about coming to terms with the corruption that's already set in.

Throwing off those delusions.

Throwing off the idea that you don't have a choice in where you're standing, no matter what the world has already taken from you. As @beepoven was kind enough to say:

Within the limited timeline of the narrative, the corruption was just them. It’s been you this whole time... the step in this gothic horror isn’t accepting the corruption, it’s accepting the fact that it’s already you.

It's about the grief of accepting that you're not a child anymore. Of accepting that no matter how little choice you have in your life, you are responsible for the actions that you take. That you're already the monster, and you need to move forward with that.

ANTHONY: Johanna, when we're free of this place all the ghosts will go away. JOHANNA: No, Anthony, they never go away. - Sweeney Todd

A Web of Lies

Early in the story of A Working Relationship, Magpie tells Lucanis that he's "not in this to hurt people," which, while somewhat charming, rightfully makes Lucanis question whether perhaps Mags should take up a different career. We also get some indication later on in the story that not all is as it seems, and not only does the narrator find Lucanis's approach toward righteous vengeance somewhat intoxicating... Viago specifically doesn't allow Mags near contracts that involve a certain amount of sadism.

There could be a lot of reasons for that.

But what is Magpie's story other than a coming of age gothic horror story?

And what is a coming of age story other than a test of finding out what your lines are?

The world of Thedas is a violent place, and there's a certain kind of person that will decide that NOT acting is always going to be worse than the consequences of any action that they're willing to take. Mags de Riva is that kind of person. Mags de Riva is already that kind of person, despite the helplessness that they've woven into their own unreliable narrator at the start of the story.

Mags will fight and kill, and write contracts that call for others to fight and kill, and maybe what they actually need to do is slow down long enough to realize that other people are willing to back their play. They're not alone. They might even, someday, be a leader.

To get there, they'll need to stop denying the darker parts of themselves. Left in the shadows, such things tend to fester.

Or maybe they don't. Maybe sometimes you need to learn to trust the monster.

Love Made the Monster

Maybe, then, the greatest sin, to Magpie, is in refusing to care. To let go of your responsibilities to the people around you, when you have the power to make a difference in their lives.

Mags either a cog or a turnwheel in a violent machine, but Mags knows from firsthand experience that the other Houses in Antiva aren't any less violent. They are what they are, and they are who they are, and if they can appreciate the love that they have in their lives (and maybe the love that's developing), then they can accept that they have some power over their life after all.

In some ways, that's the scary part.

Where is the Line?

Where is the line? Where is the line? To be yourself is not a crime - Billy Talent II, "Where is the Line"

Well, if they don't like the options that they can see in front of them, it's up to them to open some doors.

Magpie's strength (and potentially their greatest weakness), is that they are determined to keep moving forward. To stay alive, to fix things, and generally to meddle! They want to make things better. They hate cruelty... but maybe they want to see the dawning realization in the faces of the people who are deliberately cruel as their lifeblood is spilled by someone they underestimated.

Life's full of contradictions.

Tyranny leads to cruelty, and they hate both of those things. Power, unchecked, leads to the slow death of the conscience. For that reason, they're generally uninclined to place themselves at the head of an organization.

Sometimes, they're the person that needs to step up, though. Whether it's to stop the blighted gods... or maybe, in some darker timeline, keep reaching for more power to solve so many problems that they begin that slow slide into annihilation of the self.

"We hone ourselves into a thing that can protect... but there's only a little power in the dreaming. Usually, all I can do is eat the nightmares of the little ones. That’s enough to still be me.” - A Working Relationship, Chapter 8

With everything that's ahead of them, can Mags de Riva find a balance between power, powerlessness, and their determination to help the people that it's in their nature to protect?

[miz-chase]

tw canon typical abuse/violence

I really do wish Bones gave the time to unpack Brennan and Booth's individual relationships with violence and how they intersect.

Brennan from the opening of the first episode, is violence first, always. I wonder where she learned that, as it seems she was defenseless while she was in foster care. More likely it was as a young adult in college, where she was finally free to make her own choices in her life. It's easy to imagine that she utilized those skills often on field-work trips. It would make sense if her school/work life was bouncing between 1) being the only woman at a field site in dangerous locations, and 2) being socially isolated in labs. If that's the case, it would make sense that she never really acclimatized to 'normal' life wrt to violence. In the States, you'd figure she'd have had some repercussions for doing things like breaking noses and wrists on an impulse.

God forbid there be police violence accountability in a copaganda show, but it would make an interesting story if Brennan attacking a suspect had real consequences, getting charges dropped, blowing the case no matter how good the evidence they had. How would she cope?

Meanwhile with Booth,

we know experienced violence at home from an early age. He shielded his brother from his father's beatings, which probably involved hitting back. Pops takes Jared and Booth away when they were "little kid(s)." Presumably that violence was subsumed by his football playing that gets him a scholarship to college, but he then spends the entirety of his 20s in some form of military or violent FBI circumstances. He goes from an army grunt boxer to a specially trained sniper, turning the emotional physicality of violence into something remote and dispassionate. These are the kills he truly regrets.

When we meet him as an FBI agent, he's a bully who will casually, indifferently shove suspects around, uses his physicality as a tool to maneuver anyone he likes. He also explicitly, morally hates killing. The series sees him grow out of (most of) this violence, to the point where he has a minor crisis over losing his temper with a guilty suspect.

Again, I wish we saw consequences for the casual violence, though his bullying suspects is in more in line with cop-standard-deniability injuries rather than Brennan literally breaking bones.

What I'm really interested in, though, is this contrast, where Booth uses violence as a dispassionate, even disliked, tool while Brennan acts all on impulse and always assumes she's right to do so. Booth can't stand to lose control, anything that comes from anger sends him into a spiral. We can contrast this with Brennan's embrace of impulsive violence, where she always feels she is justified (and the narrative usually agrees).

We know that from the beginning, Booth finds it "so hot" when she loses her temper and whacks a senator in the nose, but it also is the reason their partnership dissolved in the first place. It always seemed like a charged thing that, when Brennan hit him, he was quick to defend her. He was raised in a household that made excuses for violence, and it feels loaded that he continues to do that for Brennan over the seasons. It isn't until season 11 where he is like, hey babe, maybe don't.

"It is my job to make sure I don't lose my partner because she can't control her temper."

It's not that I think Brennan is abusive, not at all, but do I think that she's oblivious-to-careless about the kind of trigger that hitting Booth is. We rarely see them fight, but the angst in me wants more arguments like The Shot in the Dark. Arguments are a normal part of life as a couple. Brennan losing her temper and lashing out is in character. What would happen? how would they cope?

The flipside is, and this is the real angst, is if Booth ever actually lost his temper with her. If we use Signs in the Silence as our model, he goes right into a self-hatred spiral even with justified violence, just because it comes from a place of anger. If he got angry enough, he wouldn't even need to touch her to view it as a massive slip up. Because deep down he thinks he is his father, and if he ever gets angry with Brennan, then maybe he will hurt her. That faint possibility, the minute potential that he could ever hurt her? He would absolutely lose his shit. He'd be out of the house never to be found again. He would absolutely do the worst thing he could possibly do to hurt Brennan (abandon her) in order to protect her from the worst thing in his entire life (violence through anger).

I don't think I could ever write the fic, because it's just too damn angsty, but man, what a situation to put these specific characters in. It's both of their worst nightmares combined, no better way to hurt both of them at the same time.

[badgalsasuke]

A lot of Naruto fans, especially the younger ones *especially on Tiktok* seem to struggle with Kishimoto's writing of Zabuza and Haku's relationship.

They feel uncomfortable that Kishimoto wrote their relationship as a romantic one, where is heavily implied that Haku is in love with Zabuza and Zabuza at last acknowledges that he reciprocates these feelings. So what they do instead is completely rewrite their relationship to one of father and son and give it a found family tag.

What baffles me is that these people don't understand that they're not "interpreting" things differently, they're just straight up making up a whole different thing. Then, they call anyone who sees their relationship as one of romantic love a "proshipper" (this dumb term I swear) or a creep.

And here's the thing, I get it. I get why people specially young gen-z and gen alpha where the biggest crimes in humanity are age gaps and adult/minors relationships in fictional works feel this need to rewrite canon text, it can be icky. You're reading or watching Naruto because you're enjoying it so far and then you encounter this, what do you do? how do you react? how do you engage with it?

Here's where your media literacy comes in handy: your morals are not defined by someone else's art.

Art is the only place where you're allowed to explore all types of scenarios, dynamics and relationships including the "problematic" ones however you want because it's fictional, it's not real. Whatever piece of art or media you're enjoying and engaging with does not say anything about your morals because you're supposed to have enough media literacy and critical thinking skills to separate fiction from reality.

"But what about the author?? why would anyone write anything like this?"

Kishimoto wrote Zabuza and Haku's relationship with clear gay romantic subtext because he wanted to and this really doesn't say anything about his morals either. As an artist, he's free to explore whatever scenario pops up on his head and that's what he did, that's it.

People who have this idea that fictional works must reflect on their creator moral compass seem to very young (at least that's the grace I'm giving them) so they haven't really explored media beyond the series and movies that come with the typical "lesson" characters learn at the end to be better people (y'know superhero movies, disney movies, etc.) but that's not how all art works.

I've read Stieg Larsson's Girl with the dragon tattoo trilogy that depicts rape of women and femicide, the author never abused a single woman. I've watched Game of thrones that depicts all sort of explicit violence (both gore and sexual violence), the screenwriters and the writer of the books have never comitted such acts. We also have horror movies and books and comics depicting abhorrent acts of violence, are we gonna say the people behind them are all sick twisted freaks? no, because none of that is real.

Sure, there's been artist who were also bad people who comitted evil acts but this is not necessary correlated or caused by the art they made. There's people who made wholesome art/media and still ended up being evil (Dan Schneider for instance) just like there's people who make icky dark themed art/media and never did anything evil or harmful to anyone.

And if you watch/read this type of media you're not gonna suddenly lose whatever ethics and morals you already had and immediately go commit what's being depicted there, be serious.

What is bizarre to me is the people that want to pathologize Kishimoto for writing Zabuza and Haku's relationship that way but not for all the violence depicted in the manga. So he's a weirdo for that specific relationship but not for the Uchiha massacre or the Hyuuga slavery? oh, okay... And don't try to come and say it's because the relationship is portrayed in a positive romantic light and the other two aren't because Itachi is considered a hero in Konoha and the slavery in the Hyuuga clan was never abolished and none of the Hokages saw anything wrong with it.

I see this is a problem where people infantilize themselves and make it the author/creative's problem to cater to them and their moral compass, basically going "I don't agree with this so you can't depict this in *your* work because it would make *me* feel uncomfortable and if you don't then *you're* a freak, sick, twisted, degenerate, etc." and no offense but grow tf up. Y'all also need to be very careful with this way y'all love talk about art and artists behind it because it is very much christofascist rethoric.

Anyways:

Completely rewriting someone else's text because it made you uncomfortable is not engaging in good faith with it, in fact, is not engaging with it at all...

Pathologizing the writer and the readers of such text is not engaging with it either and is just being a loser with no media literacy. They're not "romanticizing, sexualizing, normalizing" or whatever other fucking -izing y'all come up with, none of this is real.

Don't be so quick to condemn and be offended. You need to learn how to navigate media that depicts acts and scenarios that make you uncomfortable and understand that none of that reflects on you and who you are as a person.

You also have the other option that is to remain a disney adult type of person for the rest of your life, I guess.

[amazingmaeve]

learning to fight | chapter one

Daryl Dixon x Hannah Rhee (oc)

series summary: hannah rhee never expected for the whole world to go to shit. i mean she was still learning in life she was still growing and trying to get through art school (something that it took years for her to decide to do), then the dead started to rise and hannah truly sees how hard she has to fight to survive. while trying to keep her little brother, glenn, and herself alive she comes across people that she will soon to see as her own family, one will worm it’s way into her fractured heart.

chapter summary: it’s been a few weeks since the outbreak happened and Hannah and Glenn have found themselves a group of survivors. The two sisters, Amy and Andrea, Theodore Douglas (T-Dog), the Morales family, Dale, Jacqui and Jim, Lori Carl and Shane, Carol and her husband Ed alongside their daughter. Glenn has made a few runs into the two while Hannah was weary of letting him go alone but he convinced her. On this run she wants to go with him to their old apartment to see if she could find something she forgot, with some convincing she’s able to go.

warnings: canon typical violence, some alcohol, swearing, little angst

word count: 3.7k

authors note: this will follow canon to some extent and it will begin shortly these are just some introductory chapters and some filler ones as well. also don’t worry Merle and Daryl will be making an appearance in the next chapter.

series masterlist

For the next few weeks for Hannah it wasn’t as rough as she thought it was going to be. I mean sleeping in a tent wasn’t the best thing to happen but with her being a Girl Scout when she was younger she was actually familiar with it. They were by a river where if someone felt the need to bathe they could and with Glenn making supply runs into town food wasn’t as bad as it could be. But she could see it getting worse and worse as the days went by.

Hannah and Glenn found themselves with their own group. Almost all of them were a bunch of nice people. Dale owned the R.V and was super helpful to Glenn which Hannah appreciated. Amy and Andrea were sisters that Dale had helped out and Hannah became friends with both of them but she had the most in common with Andrea. T-Dog she didn’t know much about but what she did know was that he was a really nice man, he offered to go out on runs with Glenn but was turned down. The Morales family was hard to watch since Hannah knew what happened to her sisters and parents, deep down she knew they were dead and though it was good to see a happy family it still cut deep. Carol is the one she felt really bad for, she knew that her husband was an absolute piece of shit that hit her and with her past Hannah felt the need to get close to her, to try and protect her if something happened to her or her daughter (Sophia). Jacqui was someone who she got along with as well since they were in the same age bracket. She didn’t know much about Jim, he usually kept to himself and she never wanted to intrude on his privacy.

The first people she met were Lori and Shane, while talking with Lori she knew that her husband died and Shane was his best friend. Hannah felt bad for the Grimes family, especially Carl, who was Lori and Rick's son. But she did notice Lori and Shane start to get closer but she kept it to herself, she didn’t want to judge, so she stuck to her own lane.

One thing Hannah hated was the horrid gender roles that were placed on her and all the women. They were expected to just sit and do laundry and cook (though sometimes Dale helped with that). Hannah knew one thing about her, and that was she just fucking sucked at doing laundry. Glenn would always complain about it before the world went to shit, she’d always just end up ruining her and Glenn’s clothes.

She wanted to do more. She wanted to go with Glenn on supply runs but someone was against it.

“I can go with you into town, two is better than one,” Hannah offered as she talked with the group and how Glenn was about to go into town and get some things.

“No, it's best if you stay here,” Shane interrupted while shaking his head. Hannah turned her head so she was facing him giving him a weird look.

“Why not, we can get more stuff if there’s an extra person going,” Hannah says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“It would be smart if two people went,” Dale interjects.

“No this is non-negotiable, you’re not goin’,” Shane snapped. Hannah rolled her eyes at that.

Shane had been the presumed leader since he was a cop but all Hannah thought was that he was a sexist asshole who didn’t want anyone’s opinion unless it alights with his views. But she decided she didn’t want to start an argument at the time so she just hugged Glenn goodbye and wished him luck on his journey. When he was gone her heart was starting to race and the thought of him not coming back.

Glenn was her best friend, even though she knew that was kind of loserish, he was the last person she knew and was the only one who knew what she was going through. But she had a feeling that Glenn would be back and she just tried to think happy thoughts as talked with Carol who was a bit closed off (which Hannah understandably understood) but eventually she began to talk more and more with Hannah.

Sophia, who was talking with Carl, came over and leaned into her mothers arms as Hannah gave her a soft smile.

“What did you do before all this happened,” Carol asked as Hannah rubbed the tight muscle in her shoulder, due to sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground.

“Oh I didn’t really do much, I was a bartender but I wasn’t going to do that forever, I was only trying to support myself and Glenn while I was in art school,” Hannah explained.

“Aren’t you a little too old to be in school,” Sophia questioned with an inquisitive tone.

“Sophia,” Carol chastised while Hannah let out a little chuckle.

“It’s fine, I do know that 29 is a little too old to be in college but it took me forever to find something I was really passionate about and really wanted to do and what I wanted to be was an artist. And trust me it was weird seeing all the younger students there while I’m basically 30 and just figuring my life out,” Hannah says as a small smile graced her lips.

“Wow that’s so cool, I didn’t know you did art,” Sophia says with an awed look on her face.

“I just don’t usually do it a lot in front of people its usually when I’m alone,” Hannah explains. “So what’d you do before,” She questioned, looking at Carol.

“Oh I-I was just a stay at home mom and wife, just looking after my family,” Carol explains quietly as she runs her fingers through Sophia's hair.

“That’s still a job in my book, even though people don’t get paid for it,” Hannah says as she scrunches up her nose a bit.

“Yeah it’s amazing helping this one grow up,” Carol says, kissing Sophia’s head.

“You’re hair’s so long,” Sophia says looking at Hannah's head, specifically her.

“Thanks, I haven’t had a hair cut in some time and I think I was due for one but there’s no hair salons or whatever still around,” Hannah says with a tiny chuckle.

“Can I braid it,” Sophia questions with eagerness.

“Sophia you can’t just ask people that,” Carol chastises Sophia again before turning to Hannah. “You don’t have to say yes,” She says as her shoulders slouch.

“Do you really want to do it,” Hannah questions Sophia who began to eagerly nod. “Fine go ahead, just don’t cut any of it off,” She jokes and Sophia is eager to get up and run behind her. It was easy since they were sitting on a log.

“Uh,” Carol says and Hannah's head flies up and notices Ed standing near the R.V and beckons Carol to come over. Hannah swallows as her throat becomes dry. “Can you watch Sophia I-I have to talk to Ed,” She stuttered as her breathing got a bit faster.

“Yeah sure, take as long as you need, I’ll keep an eye on her,” Hannah reassures her as she feels Sophia's hands working up her hair.

Carol rushes to Ed who ushered her to their shared tent. An uneasy feeling stirs in her stomach as she watches that unfold. Before she even realized it Sophia was done and was standing in front of her with a smile.

“How’d it turn out,” She questions reaching behind to pull the braid so that it was over her shoulder.

“I think it turned out great but I’m not that good at that stuff, I hope I didn’t ruin your hair because it’s so pretty,” Sophia rambled sitting besides Hannah on the log. Making sure it was at least okay and she was relieved when it felt like a braid with some strands of hair poking out.

“It feels like an amazing braid, no knots and no hair loss,” Hannah jokes, making Sophia laugh. “You know I reckon when your hair gets a bit longer it’ll be able to be braided,” She says, making Sophia smile.

“It is really boring here,” Sophia groans, making Hannah nod in agreement.

“It is, but hey at least we’re still here,” Hannah reassures her, making Sophia nod. “Okay I know I said don’t do art in front of people, if you want I can try to do a portrait of you,” She offered, making Sophia's eyes widen and she began to nod fast.

“Yes that would be so cool,” Sophia exclaims.

“Before I go and get the stuff I need you’re gonna have to stay still for some time. I'm offering you an out,” Hannah warns Sophia as she stands up.

“I can stay still,” Sophia says confidently, straightening her shoulders.

“Okay, stay here I’ll be back in a sec,” Hannah says rushing to the tent she shared with Glenn. It was a pretty big one with some space. She got the stuff she needed out of her bag and rushed back to Sophia, knowing she reassured Carol she’d keep an eye on the young girl.

Luckily for her Sophia stayed put and they got to business.

During this time, Hannah was shocked that Sophia managed to stay still since she remembered being rambunctious when she was younger. Hannah asked questions about her life before and she knew her life was rough due to how she talked about her father. It was pretty obvious that he was abusive to Carol and maybe Sophia so Hannah didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by bringing up past fights, even though she felt the urge to strike the asshole.

A couple minutes have passed when Carol emerged from her tent, her eyes a bit red from crying and a bruise on her arm. Hannah diverted her eyes as some memories came back to her. She felt something burning inside of her, a fiery protective nature she felt over Carol and Sophia. If Ed was anything like her ex he was horrible, and she knew that the two didn’t deserve this whatsoever.

“Hey what’re you guys doing,” Carol questions with a quiver to her voice as she sat down besides Sophia. Hannah gave her a reassuring smile.

“She’s drawing me,” Sophia says with a smile, still staying still.

“I think we’re going to have to continue this tomorrow it’s almost night time,” Hannah gives Sophia a sympathetic smile. Sophia nods and they look to where the sun was still up but almost set.

“Why don’t you go and see what we're having for dinner,” Carol offers Sophia who nods and runs over to the rest of the group who was trying to decide what to eat. “Thanks for doing that,” She says quietly.

“It’s no problem really, she’s a sweet kid,” Hannah says, closing up her sketchbook. Carol nods as a bittersweet smile comes onto her face. “I hope Glenns okay, it’s going to be dark soon,” She says, and there was that worryness, it felt like something was squeezing her heart and her stomach was starting to turn.

“I’m sure he will, he seems like a very capable young man,” Carol tries to reassure Hannah and she gives her a smile.

“He is,” Hannah quietly says.

Glenn did make it back and with a lot of stuff, specifically food. Which everyone was grateful for.

In the next upcoming few weeks Glenn kept going on supply runs while Hannah did manage to get the portrait done and it warmed her heart to see Sophia smile so brightly in a world like this. But during those few weeks she’s been sneaking off into the woods to try and find some berries she knew had to be in there.

She still had the girl scouts engraved in her head so she knew when some were poisonous and some were not. She also managed to try and use the bow and arrow she had but it didn’t end up so well, she never ended up hitting the target and luckily it wasn’t a geek. It was usually an animal she was trying to bring home to the others so they could eat something. She wanted to help and provide for the group. Hannah had never felt more useless.

But Hannah felt like she was getting more and more comfortable with the bow, she felt like she was learning at least something with this.

Carol was usually a comfort for her, she felt like she was getting to know her better. Every time they talked though, she saw Ed lurking around and she felt that protectiveness flare in her stomach but she knew she couldn’t do anything about it.

Andrea was someone she started to see as a friend, as they both wanted to be more of a use to the camp. Instead they were just used for doing laundry which Hannah did, just so the other woman didn’t have to do it without her. She didn’t want to opt out and leave them with the responsibility.

Glenn made more and more runs and the more times he came back she felt more and more comfortable with it.

But this time he was going and she wanted to go with him. She wanted to go to their old apartment and get something. She wanted to get a family photo album. Hannah knew it wasn’t a need but she needed to keep those memories. She needed that.

“It’s not a discussion Shane I’m going and you’re not going to stop me,” Hannah snapped at Shane who just scoffed.

“Fine you wanna get yourself killed, go right ahead,” Shane snapped before storming off to his tent and Hannah's eyes narrowed as she saw Lori following him.

“You don’t need to come and protect me, I can do that myself now,” Glenn reassured her and snapped Hannah out of her trance. Hannah shook her head and led her to a more closed off area.

“I just wanted to go to our old apartment and get some stuff,” Hannah says looking down at the ground as she fidgets with her hands.

“What’d you need,” Glenn questioned.

“It’s gonna sound stupid,” Hannah says, shaking her head.

“Just tell me I’m not gonna judge you,” Glenn says, giving her a small smile.

“I wanted to get the family photo album,” Hannah quietly responds. Glenn makes an oh face. “I know I just need something to remember everyone by,” She says as she feels her chest tighten. “I also wanted to see if there's a place that has a book or something on making arrows from wood,” She says and Glenn shakes his head and chuckles.

“I knew that was part of the reason, you and that stupid arrow,” Glenn chuckles, making Hannah let out a tiny laugh. “Fine, just be careful and follow my rules,” He sternly says.

“What are these rules,” Hannah questions with a humorous tone in her voice.

“Uh I guess I’ve never really thought about it,” Glenn nervously chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck making Hannah let out a tiny laugh. “I guess it’s just one rule, try not to make any noises, I can’t lose you, I don’t know what I’d do if that happens,” He says earnestly.

“You got it boss,” Hannah gives him a salute and a soft smile as the two make their way out of the camp and into the city, Hannah remembers oh so well.

Going into the city was weird, just straight up weird for Hannah. The two of them had to be quiet due to the dead being everywhere so she followed Glenns rule and stayed quiet. It was like the walkers were sleeping and as she walked passed some in a car she felt her throat getting dry.

Glenn told her they should get stuff for the group first (food, medical supplies/medicine, feminine hygiene products, and some things that weren’t necessary but they could use like some blankets and pillows), then go to the apartment they once shared together.

Hannah helped Glenn put cans of food into multiple bags, the food consisted of fruits, vegetables and hell there was even spaghettios. Spotting a red jar she leaned down and examined it and her face broke out into a smile. It was red bell peppers. She knows it’s not some people’s favorite but it was a snack she loved to eat.

Hearing a pstt Glenn turned to Hannah who was holding the jar with a wide grin on her face. He shook his head and let out a quiet laugh.

‘Of course she’d take those’ Glenn thought.

Shrugging Hannah put the jar into the bag, alongside the other canned/jarred items they found for the whole group.

Finally after getting all the supplies they made their way to their apartment and Hannah froze as she stood in front of the building. Flashes of all dead walking passed the door as she put the chair up against the door knob to keep them out. The one who tried to take a bite out of her came to her memories like it was a movie.

“Hannah, we have to be quick, let’s go,” Glenn touched Hannah’s arm trying to snap her out of it. He was worried, she just stood there, her face slightly traumatized from the events they had faced the last time they were there. He wanted to comfort but they had to get this done before things got bad or the sun set.

Swallowing the saliva trying to clear her dry throat. She nodded and followed Glenn closely up to their apartment, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Dead carcasses laid on the stairs and it turned out they were actually dead and they wouldn't be coming back. That didn’t quench her fears though, there could be some more and she prepared herself for that and grabbed the hunting knife Glenn had found for her while on a run. She was willing to do anything to protect her brother.

Finally making their way to the door, Glenn slowly opened it and he actually had to push it harder due to the fact that the chair was still there. The door moving made a little noise and Hannah's face clenched in worry. But standing there for a few moments the two made their way into the old apartment.

It was like looking at a time capsule.

There was dust covering the counter top and the furniture, as Hannah dragged her finger on the couch she brought her hand up and saw that there was a large layer of dust.

“C’mon we have to get the stuff before it gets dark,” Glenn says, breaking Hannah out of her trance. Clearing her throat she nodded and made her way into her bedroom and entered her closet.

Kneeling down, she scoured through the leftover clothing trying to find the old photo album and she was starting to get a bit frustrated when she couldn’t. She swore it was there, it had to be there. She let out a sigh of relief when she found it and opened the old book and let a side smile across her face as she saw a photo of her and Glenn with her mom and dad.

Glenn knelt down beside her and noticed the picture he gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

“They’re not gone you know that right, they’ll always be in our memories,” Glenn wisely says, letting out a shuddered sigh and before any tears came out she closed the book.

“Yeah I know that,” She whispers. “It’s just sinking in that they’re probably not around anymore, all those stupid family arguments just feel so stupid now,” She lets out a bitter laugh.

“I know, but they wouldn't want us to feel bad for all of this, they would want us to try and survive,” Glenn says, making Hannah nod.

Hannah moves something around and finds a book that she had gotten at Girl Scouts. It was a book/tutorial on how to whittle arrows and make them from scratch. It was pretty old and it may not even work, but hey trying wouldn’t hurt her. “Looks like we don’t have to find those arrows, we got the instruction manual right here,” she says.

“Knowing how stubborn you are, you’ll do anything to make one of those stupid arrows, even if you fail a thousand times,” Glenn chuckles quietly.

“Hey! I’m not the only one who’s stubborn,” Hannah defends herself while standing up and grabbing the bags she was carrying and putting both of the books in them as well.

“It’s like comparing apples to oranges, when you have your mind set on something you’ll do it while me, I like to think that I’ll give up shortly after,” Glenn explains.

“Sure you do,” Hannah playfully rolls her eyes while the two of them walk out of the room and Glenn gets his bags.

As Hannah steps out into the hall a walker suddenly grabs her by her shoulders, making her let out a tiny shriek. Dropping the bags and her knife the monster pushes her to the ground and crawls on top of her, trying to eat her. It was like deja vu but this time Hannah felt herself freeze as the monster tried to bite her and she put her hands on its shoulder.

Before she could even do anything something was stabbed through its head and blood was splashed all over her face. The walker fell on her finally dead and she saw Glenn standing over her with a crowbar in his hand, the end bloody.

Letting out a shuddered breath she pushes it off her and stands up and grabs her bags and knife.

“Let’s get out of here before more come,” Hannah says as she feels herself shaking a bit.

“Don’t you want to clean yourself up a bit,” Glenn says, wiping some of the blood off of her worry written all over his face.

“No, who knows how many more there are, we have to go before things get worse,” Hannah explains and Glenn nods and they both quietly walk down the stairs.

On the way back to the camp neither of them knew that there were some newcomers that Shane had decided to let in due to the fact that they could hunt.

[bcbdrums]

Ok give me your feelings on SidStein and Sid/Naigus

First, to others waiting for ask answers - I answer out of order, sorry. I gotta go with what I'm in the mood to reply to and/or have time to reply to. So yeah.

Second, I'm DUMB I did not realize this ask was for the Bingo-card thing until you sent the ask a second time. So I'll answer to that second one with the Bingo card because...... I typed up this LOOOOOOONG reply that you see here, and realized right as I was about to drop it into queue that I'd totally misunderstood the ask. But. I wanted to ramble about this, so, the internet gets my opinions regardless.

I have SO many thoughts about Stein and Sid and things I plan to write (some very soon, which are mentioned herein but not in a fic context). Headcanons incoming!

Okay so I don't ship Stein/Sid but they are definitely very good friends. I think it probably started in the academy when Sid joined their class super-young just like Stein did. Younger than the average student, but not quite as young as Stein was. Very talented. I think he'd have caught Stein's attention for his skill at a young age, and also for his no-nonsense way of looking at things. Stein struggles with morality, and Sid is very black and white about everything. He never has those debates with himself, he's just got the answer ready to go. So I think that would have intrigued Stein.

Another thing is, Sid wouldn't have looked at Stein as a freak nor been afraid of him. In Sid's typical manner of taking things at face value, that's how he'd have taken Stein. Another talented meister who happens to enjoy vivisection as a hobby and thus he'd know to watch his back in that regard, but no differently than he watches his back generally. He truly wouldn't treat Stein differently than anyone else. This too would catch Stein's notice.

They'd become friends in a different way than Stein and Spirit are friends. No living together, only seeing each other in class, on assignments, and socially when Stein gets dragged out by Spirit to do things. And Sid would just...treat him like he treats everyone else. So, this and Sid's unique black and white take on everything would intrigue Stein.

He'd soon learn of and rely on Sid's absolute loyalty and trustworthiness in battle. He would possibly gradually make Sid a confidant and/or distraction as the world slowly begins to fall out from under Stein, as he sees a future coming where he may lose his weapon and then ultimately...it happens.

I think Sid stayed by Stein's side after that... After Spirit was gone, and with him, Stein's thready hold on sanity... (Or was Spirit also a hold on madness, hmm~) I think Sid was a rock for Stein in that time, because that's the kind of man Sid is. He's not the type to leave a friend in need. Even if he doesn't know how to help. And I think they'd remain good friends through the following years and Sid would be one of the reasons Stein didn't just...vanish off into the ether after losing Spirit.

I think Sid was a strong grounding force for Stein through those remaining years of Stein's adolescence and young adulthood even though Sid is younger. His unique grasp of morality would have continued to fascinate and confuse Stein, and be something he could use in his own confused rationalizations as he suddenly finds himself forced to navigate life without his weapon, using other weapons, and...then what, after he graduates? Sid would still be there.

So... I think when Sid died, Stein couldn't take it. He couldn't take the loss of another friend. But this time...he just might be able to do something about it. So he did. (I looked it up but couldn't find it anywhere, but some people imply?? That Lord Death ordered Stein to bring Sid back. If that's canon someone please direct me to the reference; maybe it's in SE NOT? I think Stein did it all on his own....)

So anyway....yeah. And I think after bringing Sid back to life, they remained good friends. Plenty of canon evidence (in both canons) to suggest as much. :)

Moving on now... Sid/Naigus. I've less to say here, I don't think about them too much. First off, yes, I like the ship. I think they were a couple while still in the academy together. I also think Naigus is slightly older than Sid. I think she was always there, an extension of Sid even through his friendship with Stein. Another calm and steady presence that perplexed and also helped steady our madman.

I also think Naigus reels Sid in from extremes. Because he's so black and white about everything, there may be areas that warrant some thought spent in the gray area that he is oblivious to, and she offers him that balance. Her thoughtfulness complements his iron will. Likewise, he brings out the best in her. A little knife who never makes death scythe, but is the choice weapon of someone who ultimately becomes a renowned three-star meister, highly-regarded teacher, and one in Lord Death's inner circle? And he chooses her. His fortitude would help her increase her confidence in herself, to be more sure and forthright with her opinions, even if they clash with his; after all, he's never shy of sharing, so why should she be? I think she has a deep empathy, but she's also as no-nonsense as Sid. She'll take the time to read people and a situation that Sid may not, but she won't pander to anyone.

I'm terrible at jokes and puns, but I keep wanting to say something here about... quick stabs of wisdom? They both cut to the chase? Someone more clever than me can say something about this later.

Are they a couple? Oh yes, yes they are. Sid likes women, and Mira likes Sid. I don't really know what else to say on that except they like everything about each other. Looks, personality, attitude, fighting styles... And they respect each other. They don't balk if the other tells them they need to rein something in; they'll listen. They know the other knows them that well. They're meister and weapon, after all. Who knows another's soul better than their partner?

Now, manga!Sid..... And I know you've not read it, so I won't spoil... But we're gonna ignore certain aspects of manga!Sid's personality because I think anyone reading this who has read the manga can agree with me that those aspects of Sid are just the author projecting his own...tendencies...onto the character. That's as far as I'll go with that. Sometimes things are just blatantly...not truly part of the story. So yeah.

THANK YOU again for this ask, I've actually had Stein and Sid on my mind quite a lot in these last few weeks. A fic is being mentally written, haha, and I looooove it.

[trouslinabone]

what do you think about undertale ships?

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG LIST OF VARIOUS SHIPS OF BOTH UNDERTALE AND DELTARUNE. SOME SHIPS ARE IMMORAL. (With pictures :D)

Depends on the ship.

When I first was learning about Undertale, I looked up a lot of Undertale Comic Dubs (I knew more about AUs than the actual game for a while), so I was prone to a lot of ship material, notably Frans, Sanscest, and Fontcest. As I matured, I lost interest in most ships, but there are some I think about from time to time.

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I was into Frans for a minute, as there was so many cute comic dubs of it, but stopped caring about it as I eventually starting disliking Sans. I was still a kid at this point. Like 13 or so. While I like Sans as a character now, I still don't go after it as it's immoral and typically feels like a power complex.

(Made by WaiqiuVale)

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I was into Charus for a while, and still am to a degree, but the moral ambiguity of it makes me not really look into it much anymore either. (Is Chara still a kid even if Chara has been dead for ages? Probably. Is Papyrus a kid as well due to his childish manners? Probably not.)

I mainly liked it due to this specific scenario where Papyrus successfully convinced Chara to abort genocide and thought them to be a better person. You can tell I liked this when "Chara is evil" was still the fanon consensus.

(Made by TallestDwarfGremlin)

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I hate Papyton. No real reason, I just think it's a toxic ship and Papyrus deserves better. I also dislike Mettaton as a character. He's funny, but in comparison to everyone else, kinda flat. He's the most 2 dimensional character.

He's a star, he likes being a star and wants to be a bigger star but wasn't always a star. There's minor interesting things, but eh... As I believe Papyrus has an insane amount of depth, I'd want him to be with someone with a lot of depth as well.

(Made by GalacticJoelle)

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Asriel x Chara (Chariel?) feels like step incest. It can be cute, but it's a tough pill to swallow.

(Made by Renrick)

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Speaking of incest, Fontcest is a ship I dislike. I understand the appeal - Papyrus and Sans have really good chemistry, care for eachother, and are funny together... But that's because they're family.

Something that comes to mind about Fontcest tho, there's this one high-quality animation that is genuinely insanely good and emotional that's fontcest. AM I SUPPOSED TO DISLIKE IT OR LIKE IT???

(Made by xXMimykoXx)

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Sanscest exists. It's incest on steroids for the most part. Everything wrong with incest on a practical level is doubled with Sanscest, and I have gotten into heated debates about this. Am I serious about it? Not really, but it's something fun to think about.

(Made by The-Cyan-Wolf)

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Soriel is canon to me. In my AU, Deltarune: Insanity Calls, it's canon. It just makes too much sense. And Toriel appears about 40 (even if she's actually 900+ years or whatever), and Sans appears about in his mid 30s. It's a bit of a gap, but nothing to bad for me. I think it's cute.

Especially the Deltarune version of the ship.

(Made by daisiloou)

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Papyrus x Frisk (Papyrisk?) is arguably canon. I always bring it up in arguments when people are against Frans. I've already discussed how I don't care for Frans, but it's another one of those things I'm not really serious about, but just find it interesting to talk about.

(Made by Mozer)

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On the topic of Papyrus x Frisk, Alphys x Frisk is also arguably canon. Same thing as above, but I dislike it more than Papyrisk as there's no Papyrus, and I enjoy Alphdyne.

(Made by Gaster)

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Speaking of Alphdyne, it ain't an OTP for me, but it's the only undeniably canon ship in Undertale and it's cute.

(Made by Caligmaera)

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I hate Temmie x The Annoying Dog as it's immoral to ship real people and both of those are self inserts.

(Made by Arinna1)

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[Character Here] x Self Insert/OC is something that I've done often since I'm an avid roleplayer. Notably I've done long term Sans x Self Insert and various Papyri x OC roleplays before. They're okay. Nothing to write home about.

(Made by @braindeadskeletons)

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As a bonus, some random Deltarune ships:

Kris X Susie X Noelle (A Poly ship... Kruselle?) is my personal OTP for Deltarune. Susie x Noelle is cute, Kris x Susie is cute, Noelle x Kris is cute, the best way to get around this? They date eachother. I used to have bad trauma over polyamorous relationships due to my own bad experiences with them, so this is actually good progress for me :3

(Made by @pillowbug99) -

Spamvil is basically canon, and I like it as it's canon in the same AU of mine I mentioned before - Insanity Calls - but I like it more in terms of Jevil having a massive, obvious crush on Spamton and Spamton hating Jevil's guts. That dynamic of Spamvil is more interesting to me than Spamvil itself.

(Made by Mipexch)

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Spamton x Alphys (A real ship, I swear. Also Spamhys?) is a cute ship. Not a lot of content about it, but it fits Alphys' personality I feel like (her dating an AI) and it feels like a good match. I'm a sucker for [Nervous Character] x [Smooth Talker], even if Spamton ain't as smooth as he used to be.

(Made by anon artists on 4Chan)

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Spamton x Papyrus (Another real ship, I swear... Spamrus?) is funny. I toy with the idea a lot. It probably wouldn't work, but it's by far an insanely funny crack list. I only know this ship is a thing due to a ex-friend of mine who really liked it.

(Made by Eugenia_yesme)

So yeah, those are my thoughts on Undertale (and some Deltarune) ships!

Before anyone mentions it, yes I know I didn't give Suselle its own tier, but my opinion kinda falls under the Kruselle ship.

I barely scratched the surface. Some honorable ships are Kris x Berdly, Noelle x Berdly, Alphys x Asgore, Gaster x Asgore, Gaster x Grillby, Grillby X Sans, Burgerpants x Nice Cream Guy - you get the point.

Maybe if this gets any interest what-so-ever, I'll do a part 2 where I go over more ships and give my two cents about them.

Let me know if I miscredited any artists or if you know who did the Alphys x Spamton art.

[divinemissem13]

A Very Voyager Holiday

@25daysofvoyager, day 8 submission.

After years of throwing Voyager's holiday parties, Neelix is surprised to learn that Federation winter holiday traditions include much more than just Christmas trees and Santa Claus.

This one got away from me a little bit... but then, it may have gotten away from Neelix too! Chapter 1 is below, but the full story will be on AO3 (4/5 chapters are already posted). Enjoy!

Chapter 1 “Eureka!” Neelix exclaimed as he finally found the box of Christmas ornaments he had been looking for, crammed into a corner in the cargo bay. Although he had only learned about Christmas once he joined the crew of Voyager, it had quickly become his second favorite holiday (after Prixin, of course!), and he was especially excited this year because Naomi Wildman was old enough now to help him decorate. He couldn’t wait to tell his goddaughter all about Santa Claus and his reindeer, or to see her face when she saw the lights on the Christmas tree for the first time.

In previous years, the tree had been on the holodeck and only available for viewing during the tree trimming party, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Neelix had noticed that many crew members never got the chance to enjoy it because someone always had to keep the ship running. So this year, he had decided to replicate a tree and set it up in the middle of the mess hall where everyone could enjoy it for the entire month. 

Recent events (starless voids, failed slipstream drives, endless encounters with hostile aliens) had resulted in a steep decline in crew morale. But Neelix was certain that a month of holiday festivities would go a long way towards lifting everyones’ spirits. 

Neelix entered the mess hall, grunting under the weight of the box of decorations as he hefted it onto the nearest table. It wasn’t meal time, so the mess hall was only sparsely occupied with crewmen scattered around reviewing PADDs or enjoying a beverage between shifts. As he scanned the room, Neelix was delighted to see Naomi sitting at a table near the massive pine tree, engrossed in a game of Kadis-kot with Seven. Neelix picked up the heavy box once more and carried it over to their table. 

“Well now, how are my two favorite non-Starfleet crew members today?” Neelix said in an exuberant tone that made Naomi giggle and Seven roll her eyes. “How do you like the tree?” he continued, without waiting for an answer. “It’s a big one this year! I hope that we have enough decorations to cover it. If not, we may have to start making some new ornaments!” 

In her typical Seven-of-Nine way, the ex-Borg raised an eyebrow at Neelix and excused herself, claiming to have other things to do much more important than decorating for a party. As he watched her leave, it occurred to Neelix that Seven probably didn’t know much about Christmas either. He made a mental note to include her in as much of the festivities as she would allow. 

He turned back to Naomi who had begun to pull on his sleeve, trying to get his attention. “Neelix, what about the other holidays?”

Neelix looked at the little girl, quite confused. “Well, they come at different times of the year… you know, Prixin was a few months ago. And then of course Valentine’s Day is coming up and then St. Patrick’s Day…”

“I’m not talking about those ,” Naomi insisted. “I asked my mom about the tree and she said that she didn’t celebrate Christmas when she was a little girl. And neither did my dad. They don’t even have Christmas on Ktaria.”

“Well, I… oh. Hmm. Do you mean that Christmas isn’t a Federation-wide holiday?” Neelix suddenly felt very foolish. He had thought Christmas was just a fun celebration where everyone gives gifts and sings songs.  It had never occurred to him that it might have a specific cultural or even religious significance.

“But Ensign Wildman celebrated a different holiday when she was your age?”

Naomi nodded excitedly, “Yes! It’s called Hanukkah and there are games and candles and food and presents too!”

“Well it sounds like you know all about… Ha-nuh-kah?” Neelix said it slowly, trying to sound out the strange word. 

“Only a little bit,” Naomi admitted. “Mom says we lit candles in our quarters last year, but I don’t remember. But she promised to tell me the story this year. And teach me how to play the game and everything. You can come too, if you want.” 

“Naomi,” Neelix smiled warmly, “I think that is an excellent idea. In fact, that gives me an idea… but let me do some research first and if it pans out, I can tell you all about it!”

“Please, Neelix! Tell me now!” Naomi begged. “I’m old enough!”

Neelix chuckled lightly and his eyes danced with excitement. “I have no doubt that you are, my dear. Just give me until dinner time and if what I’m thinking is correct, you and I will plan a big holiday surprise for the whole crew!” 

“Dinner time? You promise ?” Naomi raised an eyebrow skeptically and Neelix briefly wondered if that was a quirk she had picked up from Seven or from Captain Janeway. 

“Cross my heart. Now, I’ve got to get working… I’ll see you later, Naomi!” Neelix called as he bustled out of the mess hall to start looking up Federation holidays. 

Naomi watched her godfather leave and shrugged before turning to pack up her Kadis-kot board. Maybe Seven of Nine would have time to finish their game before dinner.

@elephant-in-the-pride-parade @gijane-7702 @hanukkahbingo

[kakashi-posting]

Thinking about the concept of trans Kakashi being given a newly out Naruto and how they help each other learn and grow. Think kind of like those 5 things + 1 thing tropes, that type of vibe.

Kakashi having came out at a young age was able to get to a point where no one really knows. He'd always just gotten on with it and no one questioned that he ever could have been born female. It was all a quiet thing, they made sure he was sure about it but were willing to assist him with transitioning and not making a big fuss over it. Medical files had a note in case it was needed but it was mostly just his choice if he wanted to tell people.

Naruto however, was a loud and proud newly out trans kid. Takes it a lot harder when people slip up on names and pronouns. Willing to talk openly about how he realised and what his goals are with transitioning.

At first Kakashi struggles with having this kid around because it's never been something he felt the need to be proud about, it was another thing that just made him different after all. Who wanted to publicly share something like that?

But things start to shift the closer Naruto gets to being allowed to start hrt. Kakashi recalling his own anxieties when he was told how they'd have to do an interview with him beforehand just to make sure it was a choice he really wanted. He thought it was dumb that a bunch of cis people got the final say on him being "trans enough" to have access to medicine so he ended up offering to go with Naruto as moral support.

Whilst he wasn't allowed in the room during the interview, he'd spent the morning helping Naruto go over what the questions might be like and explaining to him that he shouldn't need their approval for something like this but that he'd support him regardless of the outcome.

He'd still never explicitly said to Naruto that he was trans too, maybe he didn't need to anymore but something in him was nagging him that he should just say something. Being the "different" kid was never an easy thing but being the trans kid came with a whole set of other issues.

Like the time he'd been genuinely taken aback by Naruto telling him how half the village didn't care what name he went by because they'd portray him as evil anyways. Kakashi had always been glad to come out so young because it saved him a lot of the social transition stress with his peers but Narutos story was just another layer of pain ontop of an already difficult situation. That was probably the first time he'd truly related to the kid.

Which made it no surprise that when Naruto reappeared with a huge smile on his face that Kakashi couldn't help but offer a sincere one back.

Kakashi is ultimately the one to teach Naruto various things from how he can cut his hair in masc ways to how to figure out his clothing sizes. He was even there to help with his first T shot, playing it off as a worry that Naruto could hurt himself if done wrong so he'd supervise to be sure nothing happened.

Navigating some topics were admittedly harder though like binding, how to do it safely, how long you can do it for, stretches that can help.

When Kakashi finally did outright confirm himself being trans he hadn't expected for Naruto to be shocked. After all how else would he know about all this stuff when most of the village hardly got even the concept of being trans?

But in typical Naruto fashion he had to listen to the excited, over exaggerated response as it finally dawned on him that there was someone else like him. When Naruto did calm down about it, Kakashi noticed that he did feel better about finally saying it, getting the words "I'm transgender" to the other person in the village who could get his experiences was just refreshing. Especially as Naruto eased the tension by explaining how he just assumed that Kakashi was a good ally like how Gai is always aggressively supportive of him. Only for Kakashi to sigh and nod. He remembered his coming out to Gai, it was the biggest most dramatic response that Kakashi would have normally hated. But it was so incredibly Gai that he just didn't mind.

Some of his old friends from his ANBU days knew too, not that they'd ever say anything without his permission.

And when Iruka had found out that Kakashi would be teaching Naruto it had sparked them to become closer so they could discuss their student. Eventually leading to him comforting Iruka that it would be strange for him to be transphobic towards another trans person. Iruka seemed to process it in waves, comfort that his student was safe, confusion in his phrasing, understanding what he meant, acceptance.

But after all this time with Naruto and seeing how the village seemed to warm up to him slowly and accept him wholly for who he is, it made him wish he had more of that acceptance rather than just keeping it something he pushed down.

So deciding it was about time to change things, he followed in Naruto's footsteps for once and started to casually bring up his gender in some conversations. Mostly just little jokes here and there. If Naruto could so bravely be open and proud, then maybe he could do.

[rislyann]

random info ♡

sometimes you really need just a tiny, random piece of info but you end falling into a rabbit hole about customs of ancent times

All the text under 'read more' in case someone is interested;

The life of a medieval knight

So, we know how to become a medieval knight, but what was the life of a medieval knight really like? The life of a medieval knight was centred around medieval castles or manors and fighting for his lord. The majority of a medieval knight’s life was spent perfecting his fighting skills and staying in good shape for battle.

The life of a medieval knight may have looked as follows:

The day started at dawn with a mass service, in which prayers would be said.

After this was the first meal of the day: breakfast.

Once they had eaten, knights would partake in weapons practice.

Next up on the schedule, were strategy meetings. During this time, knights would have discussions about warfare strategy and learn more about siege warfare and weapons.

Knights would now take part in mid-morning prayers and eat their second meal of the day.

As time went on, there was a greater emphasis placed on manners and chivalry. As such, knights were expected to learn the rules of the Code of Chivalry, which was a moral system that introduced the concept of chivalrous conduct. They would also be expected to learn the Art of Courtly Love, which was a 12th-century treatise written by the author, Andreas Capellanus. Knights may spend time learning dances during this time.

In the afternoons, knights would focus on their horsemanship. They would typically go riding with their lords, spending time hunting, hawking, or inspecting the estate.

When evening rolled around, it was time for another prayer service. This was followed by supper.

After this, the knights might have enjoyed some entertainment, in the form of music, dancing, jugglers, Jesters, etc.

The final step in the life of a medieval knight was bedtime prayers.

Knight facts for children

By the end of the Middle Ages, many countries had their own standing armies, which meant they no longer needed knights.

The word ‘knight’ comes from the word ‘servant’ in Old English.

Willian Marshal was one of England’s greatest knights - in 1217 and at the age of 70 years old, he defeated a French army which was invading Lincoln!

Knights followed a chivalric code which was influenced by Christianity.

Women could also be knights - the Order of the Hatchet in Catalonia was a military order of knighthood for women.

Knights were rewarded with land to own.

They had to be ready to fight whenever their King called on them.

A knight’s son would likely become a knight too.

Swords were designed to look like a cross as a reference to Christianity.

Knights held tournaments where they re-enacted battles. They could last hours or days!

[leam1983]

"The Year of the Linux Desktop"

Every time someone from work mentions that to me, I feel like rolling my eyes.

Custom rigs should be custom. As in, the hardware, aesthetics, intended purpose and driving operating system - all of them should be in the user's hands. What a lot of diehards don't want to consider is that Windows is still one of those choices.

And the fact is, it still is. It still will be for decades to come.

I've been distro-hopping between Pop!OS, Linux Mint and Debian on my laptop. They all have their perks, they all have their respective drawbacks - no Wayland compositors for Mint, for instance, which hobbles any NVIDIA build by default. I keep hearing diehards mention that everything can be done on Linux, all the while typically failing to mention that oftentimes, the choice gets made not by the user, but by company policies, personal requirements, or simply aging hardware that's never so much as seen an open-source driver before. There's still plenty of cases where basic user operability requires Windows by default, and no amount of FOSS Bible-thumping will ever change that. By and large, the people I work with require complete office or graphics suites, not the valiant efforts of volunteer teams steadfastly climbing the Sisyphean ramp of Windows software parity.

And, well, like it or not, sometimes, you just wanna play that stupid fucking game of which the Easy Anti-Cheat implementation wasn't designed with Linux compatibility in mind. Because it's your library, your games, your own damn personal time.

"Well, then, play compatible games or games the Proton layer supports!" spout some of the diehards.

Fair enough; but what if I really want is to rejoin my cousin after hours to dick around in a cannabis-infused Destiny 2 raid? Am I really going to die on the hill of Open-Source software if I've got the rig, the game and the potential to play it?

Copilot is being reworked to include security restrictions following last week's immense backlash. So is Windows Recall - which you always could turn off entirely. Moreover, if Copilot's very existence offends you, just use a Debloater tool and excise it from your system. It'll come back after updates, but you'll always have the choice to remove it manually.

Yes, Windows 11 is bloated. Yes, Microsoft overreaches and overextends its grasp. No, these things are not as catastrophic as they seem, because any patient user with five minutes to spare can slim down a brand-new Windows install. If your only lasting argument is that your Linux distro doesn't require you to do so, then it's a question of personal choices, not moral value or definite requirement.

Linux won't ever be mainstream. It's too fiddly, too undefined, too fragmented between extremely specific distros and entire software forks that emerge more as base discontent than as an actual software-based value-added propositions. Cheers if you need NixOS, for instance, but do you really think Joe Average who has an aging rig he uses to file his taxes is going to bother learning the intricacies of one Package Manager over another?

Nerds like myself are a diverse bunch, and there's as many distros as there are types of nerds. That kind of fragmentation does not a market make.

I love Linux as much as any other Sysadmin, but I wouldn't put a distro on my personal rig without at least some form of dual-boot option to Windows. The last thing I want is to cross out games or services, to limit my choices for the sake of ideological purity.