#but yeah just thinking like outside of how amazing the story of fma is

[oifaaa]

As I begin my umpteenth rewatch of fullmetal alchemist brotherhood I am once again reminded about how amazing it is that this show actually exists in the form that it does like can you imagine if a show like fmab was released today an almost 100% faithful adaptation of the source material not squeezed into 8 or 10 or 12 episode blocks so it can fit a season but given just the right amount of episodes needed to tell the complete story start to end

#fullmetal alchemist #fma #fmab #and i know some people do have issues with the beginning #as they speed it up #and took out some stuff #as theyd already adapted it in the og anime #but i am not one of those people #mostly bc i like the og anime #i think its worth a watch if you haven't already #but yeah just thinking like outside of how amazing the story of fma is #the way it was adapted #even after it was already adapted once #and people liked the og anime at the time #but they still went we can do better #fullmetal alchemsit brotherhood

[secret-engima]

Like,, I know u only know the fma and undertale fandom through absorption but like imagine, Edward Elric and Alphonse are the ones to fall down the hole instead of Frisk. Or, them having the save point/resets powers. Ed is Determination Personified u can't convince me otherwise. This Kid got trapped in a mine shaft with a pole through his stomach and was like,, yeah, I need u to pull it out and I'll heal myself with Experimental Powers and, with a hole in his back, fucked off to beat Up kimblee.

That would be terrifying and amazing holy cow. Imagine, also, if their Undertale adventure happened BEFORE the main plot of FMA. Like- when they did the Forbidden Alchemy and Truth yote them through his gate, something went sideways and wrong because of Ed’s sheer levels up Stubborn and so they both wound up IN the underground. Al with his body and Ed with … most of his? I still kinda want him to be missing that initial arm. Just cause.

Anyway cue Toriel finding the possibly covered in blood and crying children and her rushing to heal them and stuff and Al and Ed going on a grand Undertale adventure and TOTALLY doing at least two runs (neutral and then pure pacifist to make it right), Ed learning to abuse the HECK out of the save point system and determination over alchemy while Al … honestly I want Al to learn monster magic. Like- he and Ed obviously find a way to save the day but like- they totally figure out a way to use monster magic. Perhaps in a slightly more alchemic way but STILL something that isn’t “in the norm or rules” of basic alchemy.

Also also if I REALLY super wanted to AU this then it would JUST be Ed who falls into the underground and his brother Al isn’t his original little brother at all (he would be an only child in this au) but would be ASRIEL who Ed un-flowey-ed and turned into a human by like- using alchemy to build an inert human body (because that doesn’t break the Laws of Alchemy) and then using his own Determination to help build/stabilize Asriel’s soul and stuff it in there so boom. New bby brother he is monstrously overprotective of after they get back to his world which is like-a separate dimension from the Undertale dimension.

…. you know what that is amazingly interesting.

DARNIT I HAVE A NEW AU.

-Ed loses the only person in his life he loves and he is smart and desperate and has no sibling to even moderately hold him back. He studies under Teacher and he plans and then he-

-Makes the biggest mistake of his life.

-And he is going to lose everything for it, he KNOWS this down to his Soul as the thing called Truth laughs at his hubris and the gates yawn wide. But just before it can take him, just before it can UNMAKE him he-

-Refuses.

-His Determination burns and

-He

-Falls

-He wakes up, sobbing and in pain, the stump that was once his arm pounding with his heart. There is a face over his, a face that isn’t human, but he has no time to be afraid because the blackness takes him.

-He wakes up in an unfamiliar bed that smells like cinnamon, with a bandaged arm and the monster he will soon know to be Toriel sleepingly fitfully in an armchair by his bedside.

-He doesn’t take it well. He is a hot-tempered child prone to violence, he is a grieving child who does not take boundaries well. But … he is still a child, and he is hurt and grieving and scared. He spends months in Toriel’s care and he … loves her.

-He discovers save points day they fight in the basement and he screams-screams-screams with her dust on his hands.

-(there are two ways this AU might go at this point, one is that Ed snaps and goes on a Genocide run until he meets Sans in the Hall of Judgement(? I think that’s what it’s called) and there Ed has a change of heart and performs a True Reset, OR he just reloads the save point from before his fight with Toriel without leaving the ruins at all. Because I’m an Angst Lover™, my personal HC is the first option).

-Toriel can never get him to tell her why he sometimes stumbles into her room in the night and sobs apologies into her nightshirt, clutching at her with his one hand.

-His run after that is a True Pacifist run (yes yes I’ve read that has to be the second run after a Neutral but this is AU). He’s already got the blood of one mother (one run, one world) on his hands, he refuses to add anyone else’s). He meets the monsters of the Underground, and he is awed by their magic just as they are awed by his alchemy, and Alphys makes him a shiny new arm to replace his old one after they figure out that he CAN learn monster magic for some reason (the Gate, blame the Gate, humans in this world don’t have a Gate).

-And he learns things, and befriends people and sometimes he watches Sans and Papyrus and feels an ache that isn’t his arm and wonders why he feels like something is Missing™, like that should be a mirror of him and another when he is an only child. But he loves the brothers anyway, and he treats Papyrus like his hero, because he remembers this skeleton who was so very very SURE he could be a good person if he just TRIED, and he gives Undyne water because she may be scary and angry but she’s also kind of cool and he wants to be friends.

-But sometimes fighting is inevitable, no matter how much he refuses to kill and so when everything unravels and Flowey becomes his adult Asriel form … Ed fights. He fights and fights.

-But he does not kill

-He choses Mercy.

-And in the end, when Asriel insists he cannot rejoin the monsters as himself, Ed, being the stubborn genius he is, says, “Then be my brother.”

-And there among the flowers, using materials scavenged from the Underground and supplemented with magic, Ed makes an empty shell that looks a bit like him, but not quite. Younger. Gentler. He fuses magic and alchemy and pure unrelenting Determination to give this boy a second chance just like he was given one and…

-And the boy in the flowers opens his bright gold eyes.

-He wiggles his fingers in awe and Ed laughs until he cries.

-“What should my name be?” The boy (Ed’s little brother) asks shyly, “I don’t … think Asriel OR Flowey fit me anymore.”

-“How about Alphonse?” Ed asks, the name sitting easy on his tongue, “It’s a name from a book I read in the aboveground. I can call you Al!” And the boy named Alphonse smiles shyly and hand in hand they stumble up the path to the door that leads to the outdoors, to freedom and light and life-.

-They step over the threshold and the world crumbles.

-The Underground was magic, and magic had kept Truth from finding the wayward Edward, but once they were outside-.

-They tumble back through the gates on a burst of magic so strong Truth cannot stop them and steal anything more.

-They wake up on the bloodstained floor of Ed’s old family home.

-Winry’s grandmother (I forget her name atm) finds them when she comes to check on Ed, having seen the brilliant flash of light that came from the transmutation circle. She comes to … conclusions … when she sees Ed huddled there with a boy who looks like him but Not clutched in his arms, one arm now METAL like automail and an older haunted look in his eyes as he stares at her like he hasn’t seen her in a long, long time.

-She doesn’t ask. She just takes them home. When Winry asks who the other boy is, Ed says “That’s Alphonse. He’s my brother.” And something in his tone brooks no argument.

-It’s a small town, but the Elrics have always been Odd, so no one really questions it when Winry’s grandmother says that the boy’s father showed up late one night and dropped off a child from another woman (even Winry is told this story, though she … has suspicions as she grows older). Ed’s arm is explained as an alchemy accident, and if the “automail” that is a foreign design and strange makeup well … the Rockbells are eccentric mechanical geniuses. It’s probably just a new design.

-Roy Mustang knows none of these things when he comes looking for a genius alchemist. He finds the bloody circle like in canon, he talks to Ed about the military.

-Ed quietly tells him no.

-Funnily enough, the world still has a happy ending. Because Alphonse has never been aboveground save that one tragic time and he is curious about the world, so Ed and Al take to traveling, doing odd jobs with Alchemy to get by, and this somehow leads them getting dragged into the plot and probably Ed still joining the military just to get nosy people off his back.

-But the Homonculus are going to get a NASTY shock when they try their plot, because Ed and Al have already seen the end of that Run and they are not going to do it again and for all Alchemy is a known factor that Father can control.

-Magic and Determination?

-Not. So. Much.

#SE asks #oliverslewty asks #Secret Engima Rambles #NEW AU #aaaaaaaaa #Anthem for the Homesick verse

[karinakamichi]

(Slight Trigger Warning)

Story: It’s Too Much (One Shot)

Summary: Ling had always noticed Edward liked wearing long sleeves, so one day he finally confronts it. Self-harm. Edward and Ling are together in this. Post-Brotherhood/Manga.

Disclaimer: I don’t own FMA

I wrote this solely for venting reasons, so it’s not that great.

Ling was very observant for his age, so it didn’t take him long to notice that Edward never liked going without plenty of coverage.

Even in the few times they were in bed together, the blonde always insisted on wearing long sleeves.

For a long time, Ling didn’t question it or press him to explain his reasoning, but at some point, Ling wanted to know, and decided to ask him about his aversion.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering about.” Ling broached the subject one evening.

“What is it?” Edward wanted to know.

“Why do you always wear long sleeves?” Ling asked, as gently as possible.

“It’s nothing, I just get cold easily is all.” Edward dismissed it, still refusing to look at Ling. Clearly, it was a lie.

“I can keep you warm.” Ling, however, teased him to play along, all the while trying to ignore to concern for Edward creeping up in his stomach.

“Idiot.” Edward blushed a bit at Ling’s response, but his voice was uneasy as if he was trying desperately to hold up a facade. ”You already do that enough with all of your clinginess.”

“You know I can’t help it... You’re just so beautiful, Edward.“ Ling smirked fondly, leaning down to peck him behind the ear.  

Edward’s blush increased ten-fold, and he pushed his hand into Ling’s face as well as covering part of his own face with his hand. “Bastard… Don’t stay such stupid things so indiscreetly...!”

“...But I mean it…!” Ling pouted. Edward had never been the type to receive compliments well. It was almost as if he didn’t believe him. It hurt Ling to think that Edward wasn’t able to see the beauty in himself that he did. He reached for Edward’s hands, pulling them down so their eyes could meet. “Does it embarrass you…?”

Edward, however, turned his head away. “No… I just don’t care to be complimented all the time is all…!”

“But you really are beautiful, Edward. You know that, right...?”

Edward’s silence kills Ling. “Ed…”

“What…?” Edward murmurs.

“You heard me, right?”

“Yeah… I just don’t care to get cocky over appearances is all.” Edward muttered, beneath his breath.

“Edward, having confidence in yourself is not the same thing as being conceited. You’re not pride .”

“Says the guy who always wears the most exposing shirts possible…” Edward smirked.

“Hey, easy on the fashion insults, that’s a common style in Xing.” Ling retorted, but actually wasn’t all that offended.

“Yeah, whatever, idiot Prince…” Edward mocked with no ill-intention.

“Emperor. And I’m not an idiot...” Ling corrected, before once again, decided to bring up the topic. He needed to know what Edward was hiding. Judging by his occasional sensitivity to being touched, could somebody have been hurting him? He didn’t want to use force if he could avoid it, but if had to, he would.

“...May I…?” Ling reached up to one of his sleeves, causing Edward to immediately grow tense and try to pull away.

“Hey, I told you it’s nothing, right? There’s no need to worry about it.” Edward said quickly. It was then that Ling knew that something was definitely wrong.  

“...You’re a terrible liar, Edward…” He said bluntly with pain in his voice.

“What are you talking about? I’m not-“ Edward tried to smirk it off, but was cut off by Ling.

“Please…, just stop…” Ling pleaded, silencing Edward. His voice was filled with such desperation and concern that Edward’s was guilt stricken at seeing that.

After a moment, Edward turned his head away, confirming Ling’s suspicions.

“...I don’t want you to see them…” he finally spoke, barely above a whisper, and no longer denying that he was hiding something. His voice choked up. “You’ll just end up hating me for it…”

“For what?” Ling wanted to ask, wanted to ask what Edward could have done that he’d think Ling would stop loving him over it(please don’t let it be that ), but instead he chose not to. Instead, he said something else.

“You’re wrong, Ed.” Ling said instead. Suddenly, Edward’s alluring and brilliant golden eyes met his pained grayish blue ones. “There is nothing in this world that could make me hate you, let alone love you less than I already do. You can trust me on that.”

“...” Edward looked conflicted, like he was going to break down at any moment, tears in the corners of his eyes. “Then promise me… promise me you won’t leave me, Ling…”

There was obvious desperation in his voice. A fear that Ling would turn his back on him like his father had done.

“You have my word.” Ling smiled sincerely, offering him a small kiss on his cheek.

Edward felt his face go a little red at that, as he sat up. “...Alright. I’ll show you…”

But as he moved to pull his sleeve up, he suddenly found it harder and harder to go through with it.

“...I can do it for you if you’d like me to...” Ling volunteered in a soft voice, sensing his hesitation. He wasn’t rushing Edward, rather he was only saying it because he could sense his distress.

“...I’m just nervous…” Edward murmured. “I’ve never showed this to anybody before, not even Al. I’m kind of worried about what you’ll think…”

“Edward…” Ling gently placed a hand on top of his. “I befriended Greed , a homunculus and a literal embodiment of one of the seven deadly sins. Hell, I even allowed him to share a body with me. If I could accept him , despite all that he did, what makes you think I wouldn’t offer you the same satisfaction…?”

“Good point, I guess…” Edward gave a small smile at that.

Ling took Edward’s silence after that as a go ahead. Reaching out, he tried to ignore Edward’s flinch when he began to lift up on the his sleeve. However, what he saw he almost couldn’t comprehend. Edward’s flesh was littered in scars and cuts, some of which appeared to be fairly fresh.

The situation was a lot worse than he thought it was.

Ling’s eyes widened at the sight, and Edward looked down, hiding his face in shame with his bangs. Ling didn’t want to at first, but after a moment, he had no choice but to accept what he was seeing; to accept that his lover had been purposefully cutting up his own flesh.

“...What have you done , Ed...?” Ling became desperate. “ Why …?”

He’d already lost Fu and Greed, he didn’t want to lose Edward too, especially not to something like this .

A long and suffocating silence has settled between them. Edward doesn’t know what to say. How could he possibly explain it? It’s not like Ling could ever understand. But he decided that he at least deserved somekind of an explanation.

“...It distracts me… And it’s hard to explain, but this way… I guess I feel like I have control over my emotions for once...” he muttered.

“...How long…?” Ling probed. “How long have you felt this way, Edward...?”

“For as long as I can remember, but I only started a few years ago...”

Ling’s chest clinched in response. “Only“ a few years ?

Rarely before had Ling felt so damn helpless. If anything, this was just as bad as when Lan Fan had cut off her own arm or when he had watched Fu sacrifice himself while fighting Bradley.

No, he couldn’t just give in. There had to be something he could do to help Edward feel better. To help relieve his urge to harm himself.

“Hey, what are you...?” Edward started to ask, but trailed off into silence when Ling leaned forward to kiss him on one of his largest scars. The Blonde blushed as the Xingese man then began trailing kisses up and down his arm and neck.

“Edward,” Ling said after a long moment, wrapping his arms around the other, pulling him in for an embrace. “I know you’re hurting… And it may feel like things are too much to bear at times, but you’re not alone. So please don’t hurt yourself like this…”

He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

Edward is taken aback at the hug, but soon enough, he returns it in full, feeling more guilty than ever.

“I just don’t know what to do sometimes, Ling…” He finally admits. “Everything’s been taken from me, and not even Al ’s around anymore… Sometimes, I just want it all to end.”

Since Alphonse had got his body back, he’d been spending less time with Edward, and Edward had honestly felt alone because of that growing distance.

But when he found out that Hohenheim had died, something inside of him snapped. It was incomprehensible to him, because he had always sworn he hated his father, but now that he was gone, something inside of him felt empty because of it, especially when thinking about the fact that Hohenheim had even offered to sacrifice himself for Alphonse’s sake.  

It’s not like Edward wasn’t strong, but even he had his limits to how much he could take. And now that he had completed his goal and sacrificed his alchemy to get Alphonse’s body back, he felt directionless, like he didn’t know where he was even going with his life anymore.

He almost felt… left behind. Ling, now emperor, and Roy were both dealing with negotiations between Xing and Amestris to become allies, and make things better for everybody, Winry was becoming an amazing and rather independent mechanic and didn’t have time for him, and Alphonse was out exploring the world with his new body.

So they had all had their hands pretty full lately. It was a surprise that Ling had even managed a couple hours to spend with Edward today.

Lan Fan stood outside of their hotel room, having decided to give Edward and Ling privacy.

Ling felt his stomach clinch at the words that had just left Edward’s mouth. Had Edward literally just been hinting at wanting to die?

After everything he’d went through and accomplished? After he’d finally got Alphonse his body back?

“Don’t you dare talk like that, Ed.” Ling said, with an unintentional harshness. In truth, he was just worried. “You will get through this, and I’m going to help you. I’m not about to let you just give up on living, you hear me?”

“Ling, I…”

“I know it may seem hopeless now, but things will get better. You just have to trust me. Can you do that?” Ling was desperate. He couldn’t sit back and let Edward destroy himself. He would find a way to help him no matter what.

“I… Alright, I can try, I guess…” Edward murmured in a low voice, sounding too unlike himself to not notice. “Thank you, Edward… I couldn’t ask for anything more…” Ling gave a weak answer, before leaning forward a planting a small and delicate kiss on Edward’s lips. Edward, as always, froze up a bit, but momentarily relaxed and returned the kiss. After a few seconds, Ling pulled away and looked down at Edward’s arms. “Sorry…”

“What are you apologizing for?” Edward asked.

“You’ve been suffering all this time and I didn’t notice anything until just now… I should have have been there for you...” Ling said.

“What are you talking about, Ling? None of this is your fault… Look at me…” Edward pulled away. “You’ve been amazing to me, and you’ve made me happier than I could ever hope to make up for, so you have absolutely nothing to say sorry for...”

Ling simply gave a small smile at hearing that, before looking at him seriously. “Ed, I want you to come back to Xing with me and become my consort.”

Marriage? Edward choked on his spit, his face going bright red. “What?”

But then he smirked. “Surely you’re joking, right? Don’t tell me you hit your head somewhere or something…”

“I’m serious.” Ling insisted, once again meeting his eyes, and it was true, there was not a single hint of joking around in his expression. “I honestly believe you have what it takes to help me make Xing better for everyone.”

He knew it was sudden, but it was this event that made him realize how much he wanted Edward by his side. He wanted to take this opportunity to ask before it was too late.

Ling knew that there would be councillors and dictators of nobility that would disagree with him marrying another male, let alone somebody from Amestris, but he would have the support of certain people in his court that would remain by his side no matter what. It might be a little troublesome to go through with, but Ling wasn’t going to give up on the prospect because of cultural regulations or minor setbacks. He would work it out.

Edward grew silent after he said that, before sighing and looking away. “You idiot, you can’t just spring that kind of thing on me and expect me to come up with a decision right away…! I mean… I’ve never even been to Xing! How do I know I would even want to stay there?”

“Fair point…” Ling said, but wasn’t detoured. “Why don’t I take you sightseeing first and show you around a bit?”

Suddenly, Edward perked up a bit. The idea of a vacation in a foreign land didn’t sound that bad to him, and he smirked a bit. On top of that, if he went to Xing he should be able to do more research on Alkehestry. “You know, Ling... I think I’ll take you up on that.”

“Really? Great!” Ling beamed. “I’ll go let Lan Fan know you’ll be coming back with us!”

He started to get up, but paused. “Oh, and Ed?”

“Yeah? What is it?” Edward looked up at him.

“If you ever feel like doing something like that again, you can always talk to me about it…” Ling said with all the sincerity he had.

Edward gave a small smile. “Thanks..., Ling.”

“Don’t mention it.”

…

A/N: What is this? Idk I wrote it half asleep. And I had a headache.

This story can also be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/18107177 and https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13233788/1/It-s-Too-Much

#ling yao #edling #lingxed #edward elric #fmab #fma brotherhood #Fma: B #Fullmetal Alchemist #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood #Full Metal Alchemist #fma: brotherhood #fma #linged #self-harm #si #tw self-harm #tw #trigger warning

[grass-skirt]

thanks for answering my fisk ask! i appreciate it. can you think of characters that are good examples for a well done sympathetic villain? aside from fma's scar

Your welcome! (And sorry to other folks who’ve sent asks that I haven’t answered yet, but sometimes it’s easier for me to think of how to answer some questions than others and again time and energy are very limited resources for me these days) (And here’s the link to the preceding ask on my thought for what constitutes a sympathetic villain, how Scar is one, and how Wilson Fisk is not) 

And let’s see here. If I had to think of some more well-done examples of sympathetic villains… 

Meruem from HxH: amazing example. As someone not human, born not just socially, but biologically, to be king with the massive power to back it up and no reference point for what it meant to care or have feelings for others. And yet, he met someone who could best him in one thing, one simple thing, and slowly fell in love with her and through her uncovered the humanity no one thought he had. (Not to mention, he was manipulated by Pouf who tried to stamp out the love he had learned to feel and set him back on the path of a heartless conqueror, so we can also feel sympathy for his character on that front as well) 

Tetsuo Shima from Akira: this is possibly a more (lowkey) controversial choice. Because yeah, he’s a 15-year old asshole who got psychic powers and became an even bigger asshole. But I feel like he’s an incredibly understandable character precisely because of that. To me, he’s an exploration of the effects that insecurity, powerlessness, poverty, and environmental instability can have on kids. Take a kid who feels miserable and doubts himself and isn’t supported by the society around him who wants desperately to be respected and in control and give him power… He couldn’t control his powers well, they caused him massive pain and made him fear what they would do to his mind and body. He could control through fear but he couldn’t control himself and that pain and uncertainty and fear never left him. One of the elements of a good sympathetic villain to me is that their choices make sense. And Tetsuo is a character whose choices were almost all bad, but IMO make sense from the sad, angry perspective of the view he had and the world around him. (Long ago I made a cool graphic about him) 

Jasper from SU: now here’s an actual potentially controversial choice. Steering clear of the whole Malachite discourse and just focusing more broadly on her character, she was a huge jerk who beat the snot out of people and seemed to relish in it. She was the biggest villain in SU for a good long while, and there was little reason to think of her as sympathetic. That is, until we found out that the reason she hated the Earth and the Crystal Gems and was so fixated on strength is because thousands of years ago the Crystal Gems murdered the person she most loved and adored and the person she was literally created to serve. Then we start being able to see how her villainous beliefs and actions were shaped by the culture and society of the Diamond Authority that doesn’t give it’s members much in the way of choice or freedom. And then we also find out that the person who Jasper’s very existence was for had faked her own death and everything Jasper believed for the past 5000 years was a lie. Again, she’s a villain whose horribleness can be seen as a result of the circumstances around her, and we can see that if she had been told the truth and given different opportunities she perhaps could have been someone good instead of eventually devolving into a literal monster. 

Eric Killmonger from Black Panther: he was someone who fought for a cause he believed him, and that was righteous and justified in his eyes. He grew up in poverty, his father was murdered, and he lived his life on the outside of a great society of wealth and equality, always aware of what they had but wouldn’t share with him or others who were also suffering. He looked at the imperialist, racist, oppressive actions of the world and thought, “Wakanda’s neutrality is acceptance of injustice. If the nation of my birth has the ability to reshape the world, punish the injustice of nations and societies, and give power to our oppressed people, we should do it.” T'challa’s view was that you can’t hurt and kill innocent people in the name of justice. Killmonger’s view was that harm, death, and suffering were constantly happening anyway, and that T’challa’s stance was accepting and tacitly endorsing this injustice. Again, his villainy came from a place of understandable suffering and genuine belief that fighting fire with fire was better than standing on the sidelines and simply watching the fire burn. 

And two final characters: 

Donquixote Doflamingo from One Piece gets an honorable mention. He could have been an amazing sympathetic villain, but for some reason Oda took a character who was born into a culture of ignorance, corruption, and greed, who lost everything and was tortured by angry mobs who blamed him for sins he hadn’t committed, who was then raised by a group of older boys and men who again groomed him and lead him down a road of villainy…. and then said, “Hey, this guy? Doflamingo? He was just born evil. Yeah, that’s it. He was born evil. So don’t worry so much about all the environmental stuff, because he was born evil anyway. Even his brother said so.” (Again, here’s a graphic and analysis I did on the subject for those who have forgotten) 

Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke. (I also wrote a big post about her and the overall movie and how great it is.) She isn’t a sympathetic villain. Not really. She is both ends of the moral spectrum simultaneously in every move she makes. She was a monster, a destroyer of gods, an environmentalist’s nightmare who burned nature in the name of industry. She was also a savior, a humanitarian, a veritable saint who took in the sick and the downtrodden of society and gave them respect, empowerment, and a home they were happy in. And all the while… we never actually know what she’s thinking. One could argue that she’s still a villain (rather than simply an antagonist), but the key point here is that she is not sympathetic. Does she help others because she cares, or because through helping them she ultimately benefits herself? We don’t know for sure. The story does not invite us into her internal world. She’s not a sympathetic villain because we’re never asked to sympathize with her. Instead, we’re asked to think of bigger ideas. We’re asked to take a look at the ways human society can benefit itself, advance equality, and lift up the powerless by using and destroying the natural world around us. Is it worth it? What are the unintended consequences of these actions? Can humans harm nature without inevitably also hurting ourselves? Lady Eboshi’s thoughts and feelings and true motivations don’t matter. We don’t know, and we can’t know, and at the end of the day does it matter either way? Even if she was calculated and selfish it wouldn’t change that she’s helping people, and even if she was motivated by love and compassion it also wouldn’t change the harm she’s done. She’s a representation of ideas, forces, and choices larger than herself. Those ideas are what’s important to the film, and they are explored without ever diving into the mind of Lady Eboshi herself because what the thinks and feels has no bearing on the consequences of her actions. 

A villain is someone who hurts others who do not deserve to be hurt. A person is sympathetic when we feel for them. Villainy is external. That person harms others, so we hate them. Sympathy is internal. We feel another’s pain, and understand the reasons for their choices, which includes the possibility that they never even had a choice at all. Lady Eboshi is so interesting to me because she is completely external. We are tasked with viewing and judging her based entirely on the consequences of her actions without factoring in what she thinks, what she feels, and why she’s doing it. We don’t have sympathy for her, rather we have sympathy for the people she helps regardless of whether Lady Eboshi is doing it out of kindness or doing it to benefit herself. 

It’s odd that I spent the most time in this ask about sympathetic villains talking about someone who I think isn’t one, but I think that it’s both helpful and interesting to dive into how a character can completely subvert and dodge the label of a sympathetic villain while still fully capturing their contradictory essence. We hate and condemn the actions of sympathetic villains while also understanding them, respecting the “why” behind what they do, and potentially even loving them. With Lady Eboshi, we’re not supposed to care about the why. We’re not supposed to care about her. While I do love her, that’s not the part that matters. Instead, that same contradictory dynamic takes the form of the audience loving who she she helps while also loving who/what she hurts in the process. The thing’s we’re supposed to care about are entirely outside her. 

I think that sympathetic villains are so interesting because they prompt us to think about why a person hurts others and see that something more than just innate evil is often there–that there are reasons why evil exists in villains’ hearts and that there are things that we can and should do about that. Whether it’s a character like Meruem who was “born” evil but learned to love and ultimately chose to embrace it, or a character like Scar who started out a decent young man who became a serial killer because of the genocide his people suffered. Either way,  through them we are given an exploration of evil that emphasizes heartfelt understanding–understanding the “why” of evil so that we can either heal it or address the circumstances of its creation in the first place. If a sympathetic villain is well written and well handled in their story, the audience should be able to learn about the sources of evil in the world and how it could be made a little better. 

#gs thoughts #princess mononoke #lady eboshi #studio ghibli #DAMN this took me a long time to write whoops #time to go hole up in the library and work for 7 hours #Anonymous #villains

[sarcasticdebate]

Fic Rec Tag Game

Post your fics you are most proud of! No limit on how many, just the ones you look at and just feel so pleased that you wrote something so great! Tag as many people as you like to get them to share their own fics! 2k19 is the year we love our own fics babes! (Thanks @dylanobrienisbatman for the tag!!)

The Wild (The 100 - Memori - M)

When Emori points up at the sky, it’s with a pointer finger twice the width of his own. He locks away the knowledge that she trusts him deep inside his chest.

[Post Wanheda 2, detailing Murphy and Emori's early season 3 adventures as they grow to mean the world to each other.]

(this fic was my baby for 6 months, and I finished it!! And its more that 40k !! and its GOOD)

feat. (The 100 - Memori - T)

Murphy’s loner celebrity status means that he’s pretty content to make his own music and mind his own damn business, or so he thinks. But when an interview answer leads to a collaboration with The Dead Zone’s frontwoman Emori Ramiro, they’re made to confront the loneliness in their jobs, and how they might rectify it together. 

(this fic was just so fun to write, especially making the 100 canon into a rockstar AU! and its silly and fluffy and all about music and i wrote a legit Song for it!!)

Roots (The 100 - Memori - M)

And then her badass hand is pressing into his chest and he loves her strange knobbly knuckles, and her other hand is caressing his cheek to guide him into a kiss, and he loves her jagged fingernails and her raw lips, and her. He loves her.

[Post God Complex, Murphy and Emori seclude themselves and reaffirm a few things to one another.]

(the fic that actually got me into the 100 fandom!! and gave me confidence to write smut!! its really feelsy and im glad other ppl like it too!!)

Faithful Wounds (FMA: Brotherhood - Lan Fan centric - T)

Every two years Lan Fan requires automail maintenance.

(This fic is almost three years old and still some of my best character work?? yeah)

Documentation (Baccano! - Gen - G)

Traces of the story are left behind, and history has an odd way of interpreting things

Or: Baccano! + Primary Sources

(outside POV fics are the shit and this one is the best i’ve written, and very fun to think about and write in general!)

She Will Astound You (Baccano! - Ladies Drabbles - G)

A collection of ficlets focused on the amazing woman of Baccano!

(tbh I haven’t read any of these in so long, but I learned so much from writing them! my ability to characterize and use description and carry out a project until completion all have ties to these lil fics and I’m so grateful, it’s amazing to see where i’ve come in 3 years!!)

I’m going to tag @toushindai @maelidpoetree @infernalandmortal @bombshellsandbluebells @agallimaufryofoddments and who ever would like to showcase some of their fics!!

#a writing tag #tag games #fic rec #/ #// #the 100 #fma #baccano #i just don't want those to show up in the main tags ya feel?

[hibernianbok]

Papa Nordics hcs? Individually, not together!

I’ve been waiting for this

Denmark:

He is child in an adults body. Raising his own children would be a walk in the park! He’s always up for playing pretend or dress up with them and you better believe he will get them a mountain of Lego to play with!

Protect of his child, very. He’s one of those dads that will give his children alot of freedom but as soon as they’re going out with someone he wants to know who they are with and where. No harm shall come to them.

Dad jokes are extremely common, in fact he probably tells his child to call him ‘dadmark’! Every time he makes his child sigh or ugh he laughs and gives them a hair ruffle.

Sometimes it will feel like his child is looking after him, especially when he take them to the toy shop. On many occasions he will be the one buying the toys for his own entertainment. 

Pushes his children to their absolute limits and cheering them on every step of the way. If he knows that his child can do something he will bribe them, cheer them and whatever else to help them achieve their goals!

To annoy his child he does many things. His personal favorite being to tickling their hips till they’re crying with laughter and putting them on his shoulders (Still laughing) and running around the house!

He adores it when his child lets him do their hair, no matter the length or texture. If it’s short he gives them a quiff, if it’s long he’ll give them a danish braid! if it’s mid-way he’ll do plaited pigtails! 

Sometimes when he’s bored and his child is nearby, he’ll make a game out of trying to put his tiny hat on their head without them noticing. If he achieves it he’ll take a picture and posted it on Snap chat.

Trips to the shops to get ingredients is pretty common, he loves to bake with his child! Only the best danish pastries recipes will be taught and anyone who even smells them will being to drool!

When nobody is around or is coming over he will turn the living room into a giant pillow fort! He loves to see the look on his child’s face as they dive into the fort of pillows and blankets he’s made.

Dad rating: Everything is awesome 

Finland:

He is a very caring and fathering man, he is always doing everything he can for his children; the cooking, cleaning, general family bonding, anything to keep them happy!

Strictness wise he is rather flexible. MOST of the time he will brush of misbehavior and give his child a quick scold. Just, don’t make him angry. For the love of everything holy and your safety don’t!

The amount of worrying he does over his children is almost enough to worry about him. He is always on edge when his child is staying at a friends, you better believe he has the friends parents phone number!

You know when your mum/dad/guardian see a friend outside the shop and starts to talk for them for about fifty years? Yeah… he’s that dad. Best bring something to entertain yourself with!

He is very relaxed when it comes to emotional issues, if his children have any problems at all he’ll talk them through it and then give them words of encouragement and enthusiasm!

Also that dad that takes his children to the park and has a flock of mothers surrounding him. All of them are very kind and such, but can he please watch his baby whilst they’re swinging on the monkey bars?

One of the Parent Council dads, he is very involved in his children’s education. Plus he can prove that he’s the best at making cookies! No one can beat Santa’s cookies after all~

Speaking of being Santa, he’s children always get the best presents! But they do have to stay over at uncle Estonia’s house for Christmas eve. Only because he needs to do his job though.

Sauna days with his kids! He loves to just sit back and let the steam engulf him. If the steam is too intense for his child, they can always go for a nice swim in the pool!

He is always giving his children hugs. He will find any excuse to give his kiddo a tight snuggle, good moments and bad! Unless of course they don’t like hugs in which case, hair ruffles are good too! 

Dad rating: Baby in a box (If you don’t get that click: here)

Iceland:

At first, he has no idea what on earth he is doing. For those who are friends/family of Iceland will likely receive 3am phone calls with the topic; ‘What do I do when my child cries?’ 

He is probably that dad that is completely awkward dad that makes jokes at the wrong time, Denmark does that right? Denmark raised him so jokes are a thing that good dads do right? (Send the lad some help please)

Mr.Puffin is the official “HELP ME PARENT PLEASE!” bird, as much as it may annoy the poor puffin it will keep him busy. Family chill time is probably everyone’s favorite time.

Saying all of this, he does try his best. He tries to show his children the wonders of his land and others, as odd as it may seem he knows that the world is very large and he hopes they will see it all!

He enjoys telling them old folktales for bedtime stories! Sometimes he’ll go on for long after his child has fell asleep, so many tales that have been passed on to tell from the people lost in time.

They’re raised to be able to speak more than one language, He can get pretty embarrassed speaking his own language (Source: X (Trivia point!)). He wants his children to be able to wonder the world understand others!

School wise is eeh… He believes that education is the way too success but coming to him with homework or school drama is not the best idea. He either doesn’t know or doesn’t really care.

Discipline wise, he’s got it down to a T, he knows that as soon as the Wifi password is changed and the remotes have been hidden his child is all of a sudden going to be rather nice to him~

To add to the point above, he cannot stand bratty children. From day one he will tell them “You respect me, I respect you” and if they follow that rule then they will be very close!

He can be pretty clingy to his child, he doesn’t like to be surround by people but he’s not a big fan of being all by himself. His child will probably be around him alot to stop him from being too lonely.

Dad rating: How to be a good papa?

Norway:

The chill parent™ literally. He is very tolerant and patient with his children. He will let them do as they please as long as they stay within their boundaries. So long as they do it’s chill™

He will probably put his children on a pedestal like he does Iceland. He’s always going on about how his children are amazing and how cute they look in that outfit he bought them(like Maes from FMA? please tell me if i’m wrong)

To any out lookers, they would say that he’s got a good hand on raising his children. They would be right! Besides the mental screaming and the worrying coffee intake from lack of sleep due to worrying about them, he’s fine! 

Dad jokes are a thing, but in a weird way. His child can say anything and he would pause, stare and murmur a really bad pun under his breath. I.e. ‘Whoa, papa! Look at this!’ ‘……I can’t believe it’s not butter...’ 

He spoils his children more than he is willing to admit, they could see something on TV and he would surprise them with it the next day. He can’t really help it, he doesn’t want them to live like he used to.

Emotional stuff he’s pretty good at! He is able to sit there and listen to any problems his children are facing for hours if he must. He is also willing to hug them and sooth their worries with comforting songs!

Adores telling his children myths and folklore! Sometimes he’ll even take them on drives to the places and introduce them to the creatures that the stories are based around!

Whenever the midnight sun or the Nordic lights are on show he’ll let his children stay up to see them. Joined with the forces of caffeine and warm blankets he’ll sit outside with them all night if they want.

To him, his children are a blessing and something to live for. If he is ever lacking motivation or inspiration he’ll think about his children and BAM! You’ve got one very determined Norwegian.

He takes alot of time off work to spend with his children. He wants to be apart of their lives and for them to always know that he loves them, for him nothing is more important than his family.

Dad rating: Butter hurry up with that homework

Sweden:

This man is a papa and a half! He is already raising two kids (Sealand & Ladonia!) so the man knows what he’s doing. He is always alot more relaxed when with kids and is happy to care for them!

He is very good at keeping his children in line, how exactly? Star charts. He knows that losing a gold star is everyone’s worse nightmare and he will use this to his advantage. Gold stars are given to good kiddos only!

Want a tree house? Because his children are getting a tree mansion! Nearly all of their room’s furniture and toys are made by him, but don’t worry they’re made entirely out of love!

Super protective of his little ones! He would never let any harm come to them whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. If anyone dares to hurt them he will be knocking on the culprits door at 3am!

Sometimes he’ll take his kids with him for a small fishing trip if the weather is right. Sure camping may be a little boring but it’s the bonding that counts! Plus fishing can be rather relaxing~

He is always willing to participate in games with his little ones, even pretend and sports! If it means that they’re gaining an interest in a possible future career or dream then he will do his best to guide them.

To his children he can seem like a rag doll at certain times, he doesn’t mind them climbing onto his shoulders or letting them borrow his glasses. If it keeps them happy and they’re safe then it’s fine.

Education wise he is the man when his children need help with homework. He will talk them through the problem and give them as much motivation as they need, sometimes in the form of pastries! 

All drawings and school achievements will have a special spot on the fridge for all to see. Any of his little ones achievements will be rewarded with a meal out wherever they want!

His absolute favorite thing in the world is to wake up with his little family all fallen asleep on the sofa with him, he thinks it’s so cute seeing them all snuggled up on top of him with a blanket covering them all~

Dad rating: Swedad

#hetalia #hetalia aph #aph #aph hetalia #hetalia scenarios #hetalia imagines #hetalia headcanons #aph scenarios #aph imagines #aph headcanons #aph nordics #Nordic 5 #aph denmark #aph sweden #aph norway #aph iceland #aph finland #papa headcanons