#it reminds me less of two sides of the same coin and more of the tragedy comedy masks

[fluffydice]

Lol I wonder if Kusuo lost that final little bit of self worth once he stopped the volcano. Like that was his whole life goal all those years. He didn’t even give himself time to think of a future beyond that. And once he stopped it, what was there left for him to do? He’d served his purpose.

I genuinely think losing his powers at his young age wasn’t really a good idea. All of his worth is conflated with his powers, both in his own mind and in others. Think of how excited Toritsuka and Kusuke were that he was getting them back, regardless of how anxious it made Kusuo. Accepting them as part of himself was a good step in the right direction, but he needs to learn how to acknowledge that he is a person who has value beyond what his powers can do. It’s something I think that can only come with age for him. He needs time to unlearn everything he’s grown up believing.

#the rest of his self worth comes from that almost defensive ego he has whenever he’s trying to distance himself #his god complex is so fucked up because he hates himself for it #god he should be more like teruhashi…not the way she literally runs herself into the ground trying to perform #but the way she is so confident that she IS all that and that it’s a good thing #it reminds me less of two sides of the same coin and more of the tragedy comedy masks #idk just thinking #saiki k #fluffy writes an essay

[irisintheafterglow]

every love I've known in comparison is a failure

summary: the stars appear over baratie, creating the perfect atmosphere to embarrass your husband. (opla!zoro x you)

wc: 2k

cw/tags: established relationship, swearing, allusions to canon-typical blood and violence, drinking and alcohol, flashback to a very silly meet ugly lol

note: (part one is linked here!) HELLO ZORO NATION, here is the highly requested part 2 to "if he's a ghost then i can be a phantom." hope you like it, i definitely had fun writing it because he's just,,,, such a himbo man. @alphaash99 thank you for the inbox ask, sorry it took so long to answer!!

likes, reblogs, and replies are appreciated!

“I don’t know what else to tell you; that’s really all there is to it,” you laugh, taking another sip from your glass. “He brings me heads and I give him money.” 

“Brought you heads,” your husband corrects from your side, his arm draped securely over your shoulders. “Right now, I’m the one with a fire under my ass.” 

“Mhmm, but apparently I’m still giving you money,” you remind him, nodding toward the overflowing coin pouch of Berry at the center of the table. He shrugs a broad shoulder in defeat, unsuccessfully trying to hide his smile. 

“Okay, but you’re leaving out the part where you somehow fell in love with this…oaf.” Nami gestures vaguely at the crew’s swordsman and his jaw drops in indignation. Luffy and Usopp break into another fit of delirious giggling while Sanji leaves to fetch yet another bottle. Everyone present knew his ego was bruised from his failed attempts to charm you. “I think he has less romantic appeal than an overripe banana.”

“At this point, just say that I’m ugly,” he chuckles lightheartedly and she shakes her head in exasperation. “I’m obviously not that bad since this is who I married.” The two remaining boys at the table give polite applause, to which Zoro murmurs his melodramatic appreciation like he was accepting an award. You couldn’t remember the last time he was this relaxed while he was drinking. Most of the time, you had to steer him to whatever ship he was calling home for the night while simultaneously preventing him from stabbing anything that moved. 

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” Nami snorts and Zoro makes a mocking face that you raise your hand up to cover. “But, seriously. How’d he get you?” You pause, searching for words in your foggy mind and getting distracted by the speckling of midnight stars up above. Following the disastrous first meeting with the crew’s chef, their swordsman reluctantly introduced you to the rest of his new friends. You spent the remainder of the evening sipping a fruity drink with your legs crossed over your husband’s lap and regaling the table with embarrassing stories about their favorite stoic crewmate. 

“In all honesty, our first meeting was a fluke,” you admit after some time. Sanji returns with a new bottle and pours himself a hefty glass before sliding it to the center of the group, settling in to listen to your story. “I was there by mistake; he was there by mistake. I guess the two canceled out.” 

Years ago, when you were still confined to the walls of the Marine base, a series of unexpected changes in your itinerary allowed you an afternoon of freedom. You were visiting from your father’s countryside estate to once again ask if you could sail on one of his ships, only to receive the same dismissive answer as every request before. As if to rub more salt in the wound, he also notified you that Mihawk would be docking in two days time to continue your training. After jumping the gun a little too early and skipping the flattery dinner to get him drunk enough to grant your request, you were left with an extra day to wander the dry, lifeless walls of the installation. With a leg propped up on your father’s expensive leather chair and the other resting on the windowsill facing the ocean, you don’t bother turning when the door opens and the sound of boots echoes through the office. 

“Get out and I won’t tell the captain you came in here,” you say boredly, staring at the vast blue water that seemed to spell out freedom in the seafoam. The voice that replies is too disrespectful to ever come from the mouth of one of your father’s underlings. 

“I wasn’t aware the captain wore such promiscuous clothing.” You startle, swiveling abruptly to face the stranger that entered the room. He wasn’t a Marine at all, you quickly realized, not with that bright green hair and enough wrinkles in his clothes to look like your great grandfather’s forehead. But, what gave him away the most was his eyes. They weren’t like the eyes of other men you looked at, the ones who would cower or rake over you like you were some entree at a feast. No, this stranger looked at you curiously and with amusement that irked you. 

He looked at you like you were a new challenge. 

“Who are you?”

“Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter,” he replies and your eyes flick to his sharp jawline. If he weren’t in the room, you would have slapped yourself to regain your composure. “I have a bounty I’d like to turn in.” He tosses a burlap sack dripping with dark liquid onto your father’s equally expensive desk and you don’t even flinch. Your lack of a reaction seems to spur him further and he tilts his head to the side, studying you. 

“What’d my old man promise you?” 

“The captain is your father?” His eyes narrow on you and you glare, not backing down. 

“Answer my question first,” you fire back without hesitation. 

“Five hundred thousand Berry,” he answers and you nod, reaching over to one of the intricately carved drawers and pulling out a stack of bills and a dense pouch of coins. Rolling the bills into a wad and stuffing it into the coin purse, he catches it with ease when you toss it to him. “You’re not gonna verify if I’m giving you the right number?”

“That would imply that I care about how much you’re taking from my father,” you point out, “Which, I really don’t. I couldn’t care less, frankly, if you ransacked this entire office. Just don’t get caught or both our asses will have a fire under them.” He hums in assent and turns to leave, but as his hand hovers over the door handle, he hesitates and looks at you over his shoulder. 

“What are you doing here by yourself?”

“Trying to figure out how to sneak out of this fucking hellhole,” you mutter with obvious distaste. A thoughtful look crosses his features and he chucks you a crumpled cloak from a nearby dressing table. “What are you–”

“Put it on. Let’s get out of here,” he states and you hastily throw it over your clothes, slipping behind the swordsman while he guides you out of the base. He knows his way around the tunnels and, with the cloak obscuring your identity, successfully sneaks you out of the dusty beige walls of the base. The smell of garlic and fried food wafts into your nostrils and you drift toward it, feeling in your pocket for your own small coin pouch. Zoro falls into step next to you effortlessly and follows you to the enticing grill. “Someone’s hungry.”

“I’ve been eating nothing but government slop for the past twenty four hours. If I have to see another spoonful hit my plate, I’ll actually die,” you deadpan and the corner of his mouth turns up in amusement. Without bothering to count the amount, you drop a handful of coins into the vendor’s roughened palms and ask for enough food to feed you and the man next to you. She gladly obliges, stacking various grilled sticks of food onto a plate and thanking you profusely for your generosity. “We’re gonna eat and you’re going to explain to me why you snuck me out,” you command and you’re glad to sense him continue to stay by your side. 

During the few hours you spend with Zoro, you find yourself utterly enthralled by him and he is fascinated by you. You listen to his stories about hunts and his bounties and find yourself in awe of how non-arrogantly he speaks of his job. You’d sat down for numerous fancy dinners with egotistical Marines that wanted to sleep their way into good graces with your father, but eating with Zoro was nothing like that. He was an amazing listener and, when you thought he was just ignoring something you said, he ended up saying something just as thoughtful a few moments later. His visits became more frequent and you continued to find excuses to linger around the base in hopes that he would sneak you out again. Your father’s rage would end both of you if he ever found out, but the thrill of secrecy was your newest addiction. 

“He asked to marry me a few years after I helped him empty my dad’s wallet,” you recall, fondly remembering the disaster that was his proposal. “He had this whole shabang planned out with a sunset and fancy cheeses–”

“And then it fucking rained,” he grumbles before taking another sip. “Fucking storm rolled in and blew away the entire setup.” 

“That’s still romantic, though,” Luffy offers reassuringly. “Getting down on one knee in the rain.”

“It is,” you smirk, “if he didn’t drop the ring off the cliffside.” The crew erupts into shocked cackling, tears pricking the edges of their eyes. 

“You dropped the fucking ring?” 

“The wind was strong!” 

“Wait, so then how’d you get that one?” Usopp points at the green gem embedded in the simple gold band. It was strikingly similar to the one hanging from a chain around your husband’s neck, a decision made so he didn’t lose it while he was fighting. 

“He went out and bought one from the market the next day. It was, what, fifty Berry?”

“You bought them a cheap ass ring after you dropped the expensive one,” Nami echoes in disbelief. Zoro opens his mouth to argue but is cut off with even louder shrieks from the table. “How the hell did you pull them?”

“It’s something I ask myself every time I see this ring,” he concedes. “But one thing I do know is that they deserve more than I can ever give them.” The soft look on his face when he turns to you never fails to make your body feel like it’s floating. It’s only when Luffy slams his palms on the table decisively that you snap out of your lovesick trance.

“Alright, that settles it,” he states with finality. 

“Settles what?”

“You’re going to join our crew.” Usopp raises his glass like he’d seen the order coming from miles away. Sanji turns a slightly darker shade of pink but doesn’t protest. 

“I could use someone that isn’t oozing with testosterone on the ship,” Nami adds when you’re unable to respond immediately. You can feel Zoro’s body tense next to you and, when you place a comforting hand on his shoulder, it feels like pure stone. He knew firsthand that asking you to leave was a touchy subject, especially when it was hard for the child of a captain to disappear into the blue. If you were out there with him, he told you, he wouldn’t be able to assure your safety when he was on hunts. Though you both knew you could handle yourself just fine, it always seemed to be a matter of poor timing when it came to running away together. Poor timing, that is, until now. 

Zoro wasn’t alone now, and you don’t even hesitate. 

“Do I get to choose a cool signature weapon like everyone else?” The captain’s face breaks into a blinding grin and begins a long ramble of different weapons you could choose from. Your husband’s body hasn’t lost its stiffness and he lowers his voice to a tone that only you could hear. 

“Are you sure about this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” His eyebrows furrow, unconvinced. “I said I’d do anything to be with you, didn’t I?”

“But piracy, love? You’re willing to go that far for me?”

“You know I’d go even farther if I needed to,” you murmur and that settles it. You catch an excited glint in Zoro’s eye and lean in closer to him, resting your head on his shoulder. “You’re not the only swordsman on the ship anymore, husband.”

“And I’ve finally gotten you out of that damned base, so I think it’s a good time to renew those vows.”

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

#zoro x you #zoro x reader #zoro x y/n #roronoa zoro x you #roronoa zoro x y/n #one piece x you #one piece x reader #opla x you #opla x reader #opla x y/n #zoro fluff #opla fluff #ask iris! #one piece x y/n

[eowyntheavenger]

Hi! I saw your post on telling Americans to vote, and I was wondering what you think of posts from people from other parts of the world who are calling Americans evil for voting for Biden because of his support for Israel. I've seen a few already. They seem to be completely convinced that Americans deliberately voted for Biden specifically to side against Palestine and no other reason, and spread the general (pretty ignorant and hateful) message of "Americans are evil because of the actions of their government and because they collectively refuse to vote for a president who is good and not simply 'the lesser of two evils'". It frustrates me because they seem to think they're experts on US politics, culture, and society and have all the answers, but it also makes me concerned because it reminds me of the whole Russian bot thing from last time. Like, I'm 99% sure the people reblogging these posts aren't Russian bots (don't know about the OPs though), and they unquestioningly believe this. What do you think of this and how would you go about addressing this issue? Do you think it's possible to get them to understand how little they actually know about the US and how they're actually promoting a message that makes things worse for everyone? I've also seen less scathing posts that are just disheartened and don't seem to believe the democrats are truly better to vote for than the republicans and so it's just two sides of the same coin. To be fair, I think that sort of feeling is only further encouraged because there didn't really seem to be much if any progress made with Biden, not even back to square one after Trump moved the country so far backwards. I think most Americans really wish the elections actually had good candidates and they could pick the best of two goods, but are frustrated and stuck with the current system and don't know how to actually get to the point where there are good candidates. (Though personally I think voting for the one who isn't actively trying to make themselves a king with unlimited terms is a decent start. I can understand the frustration though.)

Hi! Thanks for the ask. This stuff worries me too. I've gotten comments on my posts like that too, telling me/other Americans that we're evil for voting for Biden.

But I've seen a much larger number of comments and posts from people outside the United States BEGGING us to vote for Biden. I literally get tags like that on my posts EVERY DAY urging Americans to vote blue. So I think that's valuable context, even if it doesn't solve the problem of the "I hate everybody who votes for Biden" crowd.

And yes, it's definitely a shitty argument on their part to claim that people voting for Biden are specifically siding against Palestine. Literally every single person I know in real life and online who plans to vote for Biden has been criticizing and protesting his policies on Palestine.

In terms of convincing the anti-voters that they're wrong, honestly, I don't know. They don't listen to reason and they seem intent on spreading despair. Some of Biden's policies have been terrible (Willow oil-drilling project), some of them have been downright evil (military aid to Israel), but I'm a rational person and I know that Trump is worse in every respect.

I've tried debating them. It's been pointless every time. They genuinely don't know how the government works, which scares me. Common takes include: 1) a genuine lack of awareness of how pro-Israel Trump and the right wing are, combined with magical thinking that a virtually unknown third party candidate can win the presidential election, 2) truly impressive mental gymnastics blaming Biden for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and 3) continuing the mental gymnastics to blame Biden and the Democrats for anti-trans policies...

I guess my advice is to either ignore them and move on, or debunk things when you have time/energy? It's easier said than done, I know. There's nothing more annoying than someone being stupid on the internet, especially when they accuse you of stuff that just isn't true, and especially when they're spreading dangerous misinformation or voter-suppression rhetoric.

Like you, I'm highly suspicious of anyone who advocates AGAINST voting, or against voting blue. And I agree, many of these people are not bots, like you said, but I call them useful idiots, because they're doing the bots' work for them.

The one thing you said that I'm going to push back on is "there didn't really seem to be much if any progress made with Biden." Biden's actually made lots of progress on a variety of issues, and reversed some of Trump’s damage, it just doesn't get a lot of fanfare and it’s unfortunately happening at the same time as Republican gains in state legislatures and while they control the Supreme Court. But Biden and his administration have:

• invested billions in green architecture and clean energy, including making sure federal investments benefit low-income communities

• introduced new fines for companies' methane emissions

• introduced a plan to cut the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 (that includes the military, which is a huge emitter)

• passed a huge bill for improving the country's infrastructure, including bridges, roads, broadband and more

• introduced first-ever national strategy on gender equality and equity and pushed Congress to pass the Equal Rights Amendment

• fought for women's reproductive rights after the overturn of Roe v. Wade

• put more women, people of color, and women of color on the federal bench than any of his predecessors combined

• nominated Kentaji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court

• boosted funding to historically Black colleges

• ordered the DOJ to end the use of private prisons by the federal government

• pardoned thousands of people convicted on federal marijuana charges

• created a White House office of gun violence prevention

• passed the Respect for Marriage Act, guaranteeing federal rights and benefits for same-sex couples

• rolled out a series of actions to protect the rights and safety of the LGBTQ+ community, including protecting queer and trans foster youth, improving access to mental health services, and addressing the rise in hate crimes

• challenged discriminatory state bans against gender-affirming care and trans athletes

• called to support trans youth in State of the Union address and restored the White House tradition of recognizing Pride Month

• changed passport rules so that people can obtain a passport with no gender marker

• examined efforts by each federal agency to advance LGBTQ+ rights around the world

• reversed Trump's transgender military ban

• protected the rights of incarcerated trans people

• forgave billions in student debt, repeatedly, and introduced penalties for college programs that trap students in debt

• slashed bank overdraft fees

• expanded guaranteed overtime pay for millions of people

• made union-busting harder

• prevented discriminatory mortgage lending

• made efforts to expand the child tax credit, which could lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty

• cracked down on agriculture monopolies to support farmers and small businesses

• made it so the government is going to start taking drug companies' patents away if they don't make affordable drugs

• made over-the-counter birth control pills available for the first time

• lowered the cost of hearing aids and expanded access to them

• spent millions of dollars on students' mental health

• reversed discriminatory healthcare rules

• reinvigorated cancer research

• announced plans to replace all leaded pipes in the next ten years as well as combatting lead exposure abroad

• changed rules for how people can get aid after disasters so they can get more protection and immediate payments more easily

• introduced new data privacy rules protecting people from tech companies

• pushed the federal government to monitor AI risks

• maintained steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression

• maintained steadfast support for Taiwan in the face of Chinese intimidation

• strengthened ties with allies in Asia and the Pacific Islands

• pledged climate change assistance to low-lying Pacific Island countries

• literally IMMEDIATELY after being elected, Biden fortified DACA, rejoined the Paris Agreement, and ended Trump's discriminatory "Muslim ban", ended the Keystone XL Pipeline and fossil duel development in wildlife monuments, (same as last link) rejoined the WHO, strengthened COVID-19 response measures on a variety of fronts, re-included non-citizens in the U.S. census, and passed executives orders on racial equity in the federal government

And I'm sure there's more I left out.

There are also things Biden does that literally don’t make the news, but matter a lot, like funding the Postal Service, and continuing to have a State Department so we can conduct overseas diplomacy (Trump tried to defund the USPS and wants to purge the State Department and fill it with loyalists).

#asks #US politics #Biden administration #I'm planning to make an even more comprehensive post at some point #my post

[shakespearean-snape]

I’m rereading OOTP right now and I find that scene between Severus and Sirius in the kitchen to be highly relevant in the context of Severus as a feminine-coded character (and Sirius as a representation of toxic masculinity). Sirius is very outwardly aggressive in this scene in a conventionally masculine way, while Severus weaponizes his sarcasm and wit in a way that could be thought of as a more “feminine” form of defence. While Harry describes Sirius’s voice as getting progressively louder and angrier, he describes Severus’s voice as “soft” in contrast (as he usually does, which is also interesting in the context of Severus as a feminine man/GNC character). Sirius gets up and tries to intimidate Severus physically, and Severus grips his wand inside his pocket in a way that reminded me of a victim of domestic violence preparing to defend herself against her abuser.

I’m not sure how much of this was intentional considering how rigid JKR’s views on gender have unfortunately turned out to be, but I can’t help but read Severus as a feminine character, especially since he’s meant to act as a stand in for Lily in the same way as Sirius acts as a stand in for James. It’s very easy to read Sev as gender non conforming and/or LGBTQ, although given JKR’s own views it’s doubtful she meant for us to read him that way (but fuck her, she’s a massive transphobe, the characters are ours now, we can do what we like with them).

Note to self, start checking your inbox regularly. These changes to Tumblr are killing me because the notifications when I get messages or asks are hit-or-miss at best.

Anyways, this is such a great observation! I'm only just learning about coding and that that is even the term for it from reading about it from other Snape bloggers like @idealistic-realism00, @raptured-night, and @professormcguire since I only took the required English courses both my undergraduate years and beyond that my major was in sociology.

So, I'm not really any kind of expert but I do have a lot of personal experience from being biracial and queer myself just with learning to read between the lines and find representation for myself where I can and I think that is the case for a lot of people from less represented, marginalized backgrounds. We have a certain instinct for these things so even without any kind of formal study we sort of know the "codes" (for better or worse depending on what the author's intent is and if it's a negative dog-whistle or something more positive to get around censorships of the time) if that makes any kind of sense.

For me, I always saw Sirius and Snape as two sides of a coin. There were some very obvious parallels and contrasts between them and this really goes to that in a lot of ways for me. Both Sirius and Snape are two men who made pivotal choices in their youths that very much define them and have led to a great deal of internalized guilt and impacted their behaviors as adults. Both Sirius and Snape find themselves confined to their childhood homes at different points, Sirius at Grimmauld Place with Kreacher and Snape at Spinner's End with Peter Pettigrew (both Kreacher and Peter are characters that also are known for betraying Harry and costing him someone he loves at different points and making a turn around in regards to Harry because of kindness or mercy he showed to them).

Where Sirius made the choice to make Peter the Secret Keeper with only James, Lily, and Peter knowing and it ultimately led to the death of the Potters and him being sentenced to twelve years in Azkaban, Snape also unwittingly delivered part of the fated prophecy that led to Voldemort targeting the Potters. Most interesting for me is that Snape's friendship with Lily and Sirius's friendship with James could be read as either platonic or a case of unrequited romantic feelings. There is the observation in SWM made by Harry that while Sirius was clearly a looker who attracted the attention of girls, his attention was fully on James and not on those admiring glances. So, when looking at Sirius's relationship with James through a comparative lens to Snape's with Lily they could be platonic friends or both Sirius and Snape could have had romantic feelings for their best friends while, ironically enough, Sirius had to watch James fall for and succeed in winning over Lily just as Snape had to do the same.

In the case of Snape and Sirius there is also a degree of regression and arrested development stemming from trauma (and both men at different points make the clear mistake of seeing Harry as a stand-in for James as a result of said trauma). Where Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban able to hold onto his sanity against the Dementors in part because he knew he was innocent and the truth of what happened was a deeply unhappy thing for him, Snape spent decades in Dumbledore's service at Hogwarts (a place with its own unhappy associations for him having found it was not a refuge from life at Spinner's End with Tobias as he had hoped but another place where he would be bullied relentlessly, overlooked by his Head of House and housemates for being a poor half-blood with no status, subject to institutional failures resulting from yet more adult authority figures in his life not protecting him, groomed by Voldemort's followers and responsible for alienating his closest friend as a result) teaching children when clearly he does not have the temperament and, courtesy of his role as a spy, concealing his own truths and intentionally not allowing people to know the best of him. In a sense, both men had a negative public image that ran counter to the full truth about them and both of them died without being able to see those misconceptions vindicated (Sirius died still presumed by the Ministry and general public to have been the traitor who turned his friends over to Voldemort and murdered innocent people and Snape died knowing he had delivered information to Harry that would lead to his death and unsure of the outcome of the war with everyone thinking him a coward and murderer).

There's just, a LOT of parallels there between the two when you start to unpack them as characters. Even the fact that they both came from domestic dysfunction and unhappy home lives. It makes their mutual antagonism all the more of a tragedy because if not for Sirius's prejudice (which is arguably more understandable given his family and their long tradition of being sorted into Slytherin) against Slytherins and antagonism of young Snape on the train and the years of bullying and bad blood that followed, these two men had the most potential to understand each other. Alas, they do not, but it is their likenesses that makes their differences in how they clash all the more interesting because, as you noted, there are stark differences there. Sirius is all overt masculine energy; hot-headed and physically imposing while Snape is more strained, the ice to his fire.

Most striking to me was always the difference in how little respect Sirius showed to Snape's body while he was unconscious (further demonstrating how little Sirius has changed from the teenage boy who once stood with James and exposed Snape to laughing schoolmates) versus how Snape conjured a stretcher while still under the impression he was the one responsible for betraying the Potters (and the death of Lily). In that way, we get to see how Snape has developed as a person away from his past choices and learned from them. He may still regress, as he does quite plainly when forced to return to the Shrieking Shack and is confronted by Sirius and Remus there, but he isn't quite in the full state of arrested development as Sirius (but given his circumstances in Azkaban that isn't entirely surprising either; there is a tragedy to Sirius's character for all that there is as much of a darkness as there was in Snape during his time as a Death Eater and the fact so many Marauder apologists who double as "Snaters" refuse to acknowledge that outside of romanticizing the angst of it all while vilifying Snape is quite possibly an even greater tragedy, imo) which is why Sirius's death came in part due to his inability to move beyond his past and find it within himself to treat Kreacher with a modicum of understanding or empathy (in addition to his desire to be part of the action again and recapture his lost youth when it was him and James in the Order together) while Snape's death came only after he had to reconcile with the fact his original raison d'être for becoming a spy (to protect Harry for Lily as penance) ran counter to what was needed to defeat Voldemort for good and he still chose to stay the course instead of pursue his own agenda and act on his own self-interests.

In short, Sirius's death was partly due to the fact he couldn't move beyond the past. While Snape's death came as a result of the fact he had grown enough as a character to set aside his past motivations and see things through because he had become someone who conjured stretchers even for hated enemies and risked his life to save all those who he could save (including Sirius and Remus).

Thanks for the ask and I'm so sorry it took so long to respond but it gave me even more to think about. The masculine vs. feminine coding just adds an extra element to Snape and Sirius's dynamic when it was already interesting to me and I've always had a lot of thoughts about how those two were written with so many parallels and points of contrast. Love this ask!

#severus snape #snape meta #pro snape #snape community #snape fandom #snapedom

[bluekittyyoyo]

ALTERNIAN CULTURE ANALYSIS: APATHY AS ANTITHESIS. AN ESSAY ON TROLL SOCIETY'S UNDERSTANDING OF EMOTIONS

listen to me. it only makes logical sense that trolls would have a strong understanding of the idea that the opposite of "love" is actually antipathy; having no strong feelings whatsoever. I know what you're saying, "but the quadrants have love and hate as a dichotomy, they clearly think of hate as love's antithesis-" no. wrong. the quadrants are obviously not representative of every emotion a troll can have, the quadrants are a concept of ROMANCE. see there's the keyword here. love and hate are both integral parts of this romance, they do not exist in opposition to each other as in one cancels out the other, they are two sides of the same coin. having quadrant feelings for someone regardless of alignment is indicative of caring about them, of being passionate about them. I know those words typically have purely positive connotations when used about human romantic understandings but disconnect that for a second. basically it comes down to a slightly warped version of "horseshoe theory" (where supposed opposites, in this case love and hate, are actually closer together than the middleground). I think this concept is firmly supported by canon, examples off the top of my head:

from the quadrants explanation;

"The relationships each quadrant describes tend to be malleable, if not volatile,"

as stated with the pitched/flushed vacillation and the canon examples of pale/flushed, but also I think it is implied (though less so) that it applies to every quadrant and there are many ways unexplored in canon that every quadrant can bleed into another.

this famous line:

"It should be noted that in troll language, the word for friend is exactly the same as the word for enemy."

this quote being on the page where equius pesters gamzee, citing that he does so with regularity and thus considers him a "friend" (but that's not the whole picture). this adds to the notion of these relationships not being considered opposite but stemming from the same root idea of investment in a person.

I think it's very interesting because I believe the authorial intentions of incorporating hate as an integral part of troll society and culture is meant to contribute to the idea of them as a cruel and violent society, and while that may have some truth for the ways in which individuals treat each other peer-to-peer in average situations I actually think the real overarching effect it has is trolls coming off as a more emotionally honest society at the cost of simplicity and peace.

the implications of hate being considered on equal terms with love to me paint an image of a society that encourages embracing all emotions to the fullest extent, a society that might even consider the worst thing you can be not as someone who is filled with hate but in fact someone who does not care at all. I'm reminded of the conversation between vriska and aradia in hivebent:

vriska calling her a "miserable soulless witch" followed by repeating she hates her and "only regrets killing her cause it made her so BORING!!!!!!!!"

of course we also see plenty of times that "not giving a shit" is a thing that trolls are naturally inclined to do because you only have so much emotional resource to devote to a finite amount of things. moreover that alternia is a society that encourages emotional "balance", to embrace the love and the hate both with the same passion.

again as karkat rants to vriska also in hivebent:

"A WELL BALANCED PERSON IS GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN HATE AND THE VARIOUS PITY HUMORS."

you may also recognize this conversation as the same one where karkat claims this (rather infamously imo):

"PITY IS OF COURSE JUST THE TONED DOWN VERSION OF THE CENTRAL EMOTION, HATE."

(adding more to the "trolls believe hate and love come from the same emotional source" pile even if the manner of it is slightly off-center here)

and vriska's response to karkat's ranting:

"Did you learn this crap from your awful romance movies?" "THEY'RE REALLY INTRIGUING SOCIOLOGICALLY."

I hope this presentation makes it clear but for the audience in the back: karkat's interpretation of emotional composition of trolls is most likely complete bullshit and not at all factual nor, in my opinion, should be taken as biological information about trolls. for that reason I believe the reference to humoral medicine is completely intentional, invoking the imagerey of bullshit pseudoscience. just in the same way as I don't think it would be reasonable to make any similar claim about the nature of human emotions (and anyone who does is trying to sell you something). in A6A615 dave even states that "both humans and trolls are emotionally versatile sentient beings that can feel many hells of different things".

what I'm mainly getting at here using these quotes is that there is a cultural precedent for the claims he is making. karkat did not spawn these ideas about emotions out of thin air or scientific research, he got them from watching romance films. which particularly, as presumably low-culture media in much the same fashion as our own, would in fact make them excellent case studies on the general cultural attitudes of the society that consumes them. and that society, as karkat observes, makes indications that a) emotions of hate and love stem from the same source and b) trolls ought to have a balance of negative and positive emotions, where apathy is considered more undesirable.

so what I mean to say from all these observations, my formal opinion: to trolls there can exist this nebulous feeling of being emotionally attachment to someone, to desire any kind of relationship with them. and with that the average troll has a far better understanding that the most devastating response possible is actually none at all; to be completely unaffected by them.

so what am I saying with all this? it is my idea that in troll culture, trolls have a concept of relationships and emotions that can exist as a nebulous idea of just being *passionate*, of caring about something or someone and the distinction between negative or positive is merely a nuance rather than an opposition, and the actual socially reviled opposition to this feeling is being apathetic.

for example a troll rejecting another for a particular desired quadrant is heartbreaking (or diamondbreaking, spadesbreaking etc), but as there exists a desire for connection generally by virtue of the desire at all, it would be less devastating and possibly could become just as fulfilling for the connection to exist as a different quadrant, even on the other side of red/black. the most devastating possible outcome of a rejection would be that of total apathy, of the idea that one inspires no passions, no emotions of any kind in a person.

and with that established now we can get into my ideas about how alternian media rating systems work, such as a troll equivalent to rotten tomatoes where movies/books/films etc are rated on 5 different scales (also possibly two different modified 3 scale versions) in addition to a simplified two-scale version where the measure of "good" is based on "how much did this work inspire emotional reactions in you vs how much did you not give any shit at all"- the cane hooks me by the neck and pulls me off stage

#homestuck #homestuck analysis #homestuck theory #homestuck speculation #alternia #homestuck quadrants #quadrants #matesprit #moirail #kismesis #auspistice #uhhh is there a fucking tag for like. troll cultural-worldbuilding #because that's my favorite fucking thing and like the number one topic in my brain like 80% of the time #also if anyone is interested in that troll rotten tomatoes thing I would actually love to talk more. in a separate post #so please shout at me that you want it please please please #long post

[swallowtailed]

palisade 41

honestly don’t really know where to begin here.

because, like, we all kinda knew this was coming, right? odds were it had to happen sometime. now it has.

but there’s still a real cosmic unfairness to the timing of it. figure died right after they decided they didn’t want to. breaking the wheel of their resurrection is fine and all, but they fought so hard to escape clem and join perennial that it doesn’t really ring true to me.

hearing future in the same sentence reminded me that there’s another suite of definitions for figure, aside from the noun meaning shape or form—the verb meaning guess, consider, imagine.

i’m inclined to read future and perennial as two sides of the same coin—two views of the principality. future sees an inevitable road toward culmination, perennial sees that it’s all the same fucking cycle. also, future seizing on a moment of power from perennial and turning it to their own ends.

real gur just cannot catch a break. they’re stuck with future, inside their own reanimated corpse, guarded by the shell of figure? some real eternal torment there.

so, you know. shit sucks!!

i was really, really hoping eclectic would steal future, and it would also have been incredible for gur sevraq (who, as we know, stole the future) to be stolen from future, but the dice fall as they will

really interesting contrast between the two sides of this arc wrt divine/axiom/mortal/etc relationships. thisbe is guiding integrity and communicating with ebullience, building relationships across ways of being. figure is destroyed just by exposure to divine power, subsumed by the weight of a god rearing up on its own. the axiom being willing to treat with thisbe, the divine destroying figure. which is maybe less about those powers than about the hands moving them—instrumentalization as always a core theme of palisade. 

of course it is also a cautionary tale of the capriciousness of dice. if figure and gur had gotten to speak with future i can imagine it going more like thisbe’s side. but maybe not! we’ll never know.

characters being demanded to envision a future was one of my favorite beats in partizan and it was really cool to hit that again (and to call back to leap!). but also heartbreaking. cori, happy and safe…

aw fuck the crew’s still gonna have to find out that figure is dead… mortality of course goes hand in hand with grief. much like valence’s death i think the positioning of figure’s death is ultimately going to be shaped most by reactions to it

dre’s pc deaths are always so fraught, huh. valence and chine were also kind of messy, sudden deaths—no clean tragedy. which, like, is life, but also, ;-;

the music was incredible. like breathing. and the way the dirge just stops—blinks out.

eclectic drawing up the seismic power of opposition, his own power, was really moving. a bit of grace in that moment.

i’m not sure where they’re gonna go from here, especially in terms of character arcs. it’s a rough downbeat. kind of falls in line with the conflict turns, though—fighting back and forth down to the bitter end. might be a bleak finale although at least one more thing seems set to unfold in this arc so honestly who knows

incidentally, bets on that: the smell of computer parts immediately made me think of the nobel, but the mechanical whine heard across the continent made me wonder if it could be palisade waking up (/being woken up). either way, it’s definitely getting to be alarm clock time, right?? (on the other hand maybe this is just motion activating all across palisade, but a bunch of motion factories just got taken down.)

it’s nice that the a-plot crew were having a fun heist though. cori deserves an alise breka mission

tragedy-ass podcast.

#fatt #palisade #palisade spoilers #fatt spoilers #friends at the table spoilers #hello world #fatt lb #:(((((

[yamcha-thelonewolf]

🫀The Heart's Savior.

Guys, we have come to the end, but how is it that they say? The end of something will be the beginning of something else. There will always be so much to say about Yamcha and I don't want to stop that soon. For now I would like all Dragon Ball fans to consider this topic, not because I wrote it. I am well aware that I am not the first person to talk about it, and I am glad that someone other than me has noticed, but in Yamcha's case it is never enough. The more the merrier! Even at the cost of repeating ourselves…. It doesn't matter! In latin they used to say repetita iuvant, meaning that something by dint of being repeated is eventually learned. Can it stew? Maybe. But it's still better than keeping quiet, right? And I believe that all of us Yamcha fans have a sacred right to protect one of the most misunderstood and unnecessarily mistreated characters ever.

Well, it's time to begin, but before we go into the last, most important chapter, I would like to remind you one last time of the previous two parts, so that we have a clearer and more obvious situation. I mean, at this point it's really impossible to ignore that Yamcha is useless. PART 1: The Past PART 2: The Present

PART 3: The Future

It is no accident that I wanted to divide the topic in a temporal sense. As I had said at the beginning, in the Androids and Cell Arc, Yamcha has seriously contributed to improving the past, the present and the future. He didn't fight with his muscular body, but by bringing the resounding strength of his heart into play, he made sense of Dragon Ball's most important chapter. At least it is the most important to me. Not only because it is the first and only time the warriors are really all together, but also because this is where the story begins to expand with the appearance of alternate realities. Everyone does their own thing, and while I regret that Yamcha was not given a real action moment in which to shine (with the exception of the fight against that Cell Junior together with Tien to save Goku), I'm still glad that in the same arc in which Toriyama tried to completely sideline him, Yamcha left his mark. And believe me, it is a very important mark.

We could say that Yamcha saved everyone's mood, everyone's heart, everyone's soul…. The meaning will always be the same. We are not on Planet Vegeta, where everyone is callous and devoid of humanity. We are on Earth, on that planet that made Goku an outstanding saiyan and especially the protagonist everyone has loved for years. This means that if you can't feel pure emotions, you can't go anywhere. You can't even get on the Flying Nimbus! We learned this with OG Dragon Ball: if you don't act from the heart and for the heart, you certainly won't make a good end. This is what Jackie Chun/Muten Roshi explains to Tenshinhan when he tries to convince him to abandon the path of evil and take the path of good. It was an important teaching, and it saddens me that Akira Toriyama has completely forgotten it since forty years later he has failed to reward the character who most of all was a living heart.

If you think about it, this is really Goku's strong point: his heart. In the beginning he always acted for the sake of someone else: he wanted to look for the dragon ball with four stars because it reminded him of his grandfather, then he collected them all to bring Upa's father back to life, then again to save Krillin, Muten and Chiaotzu. Always thanks to his heart he became a Super Saiyan for the first time and thanks to his good feelings he was able to save the earth many times. So it is really his heart that made him legendary. It is because of it that he was able to go on, become stronger and be the ultimate hero. ...So... Why should Yamcha be any less? He is a human, so what? He possesses superhuman strength. There is nothing different from a saiyan awakening his feelings. Both of them go against the grain. They are two sides of the same coin. Whatever...

To recap:

Yamcha saved the past. He has taken care of Goku since he was little, helped him when Goku's innocence hindered him, always supported him, and always stepped forward whenever he was in danger of getting hurt. Finally, he took care of his heart, the most important core of Goku's character, during his illness.

Yamcha saved the present. While everyone feared the worst or simply struggled without much success, Yamcha was always ready to comfort and warm that chill that could have turned the present into Trunks' horrible future. He took care of Tien, or at least he would have liked to, then Gohan and finally Krillin, helping him to hope on his chance with Android 18. It seems little, but in everyday life such a turnaround is more important than a victory against an invincible monster. After all... What remains when peace returns?

Although The Past and The Present show how big Yamcha's heart is, we still have to admit that up to now he has taken care of his friends. This is an easy thing to do. I mean, any human with a heart of gold would do all this for someone he loves, but Yamcha's value goes beyond that. After all, it is when you leave your comfort zone that you truly realize how much you are worth, and that is what I am referring to when I say that Yamcha has been the strongest of all. Nietzsche once said:

Love your enemies because they bring out the best in you.

It's true. By loving those who hate you, those who have hurt you or simply those who do not appreciate you, you become incredibly better, because you can overcome the evil you get and make it your strength in a sense.

That's exactly what Yamcha does, but you know, I even believe that he doesn't do it completely to feel better. I think he does it because he knows how to love. That's always the point: by knowing how to love he automatically knows how to forgive and overcome the hatred that he would have the right to feel. Therefore, dear friends, today we will talk about how Yamcha cared even for those whom he was not bound to love for different reasons. I want to say this will be the part that will touch me the most. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sentimental as hell but I can't help it. Yamcha is a treasure chest of emotions and I want to express them just as he would. To talk about what follows means first of all having to come to terms with the most humiliating thing of all: Yamcha and Bulma's breakup. I don't want to dive into details, not in this topic, but what I do want to point out is that for me Yamcha never cheated on Bulma.

Look at him. One who has cheated would not react like that. You can see that he is pissed off and disappointed, rather than mortified or distressed about the mistake he made. I am more accepting of the speculation that Bulma simply preferred Vegeta, although here we open a big digression about yet another writing problem in Dragon Ball. Consequently, as I see it, Yamcha suffered the breakup as a real tragedy, came out as a victim of it, and therefore his heart was severely wounded by it. With these things in mind, it is logical to think that what we see from this point on is literally a saint-made man, because not only does Yamcha accept the new reality with Bulma, but he even stays by her side to continually watch over her until the end of DBZ.

Once again Yamcha stays. He is there, he does not back down, and with his head held high he faces the greatest disappointment of his life, because without ever forgetting this we must consider that his goal was (is) always love. He strongly desired to marry Bulma and have children with her, but in the end she chose to do this with the one who had once killed her boyfriend.

Heartbroken and disillusioned, Yamcha would have many reasons for never speaking to Bulma again. Yet he does. He stays close to her, and in facing this great humiliation he proves not only that he has that usual big heart, but also that he is seriously better than those who treated him as if he were worthless. Yeah, I am really talking about Vegeta. I hope I am not annoying any Vegeta fans, but believe me, for any Yamcha fan it is impossible to accept certain attitudes that the saiyan prince had with the earthling.

Don't worry, though. I am not going to denigrate a character to glorify Yamcha. It's not my style and frankly he doesn't need it. He already shines on his own, it's just that unfortunately his brightness is obscured by super energy attacks. I will simply show the evidence, but more importantly I will talk about how Yamcha loved even Vegeta and Trunks.

Actually, why he helped Trunks should not surprise us. Trunks did nothing wrong to Yamcha. He is simply the son of Bulma and Vegeta, and even if that means Yamcha has lost his Bulma forever, that is certainly not a valid reason to hate this boy. Well, if we clearly allow ourselves to be guided by instinct and the most impetuous emotions, it is quite normal to think that Yamcha may also have felt frustration at seeing that son who should have been his. Trunks is the most concrete form of Yamcha's humiliation: not only is he not his son, he is even Vegeta's son. From this point of view, Trunks represents the beginning of a new hope for the planet but also the end of Yamcha's hopes. It's a subplot that nobody gives a damn about, but as much as I love Trunks, I can't help but think every time I see him, "oh boy, Yamcha's downfall is coming."

Whatever… These are assumptions we don't have to worry about. Yamcha may have had a small moment of annoyance with little Trunks, but he is still an innocent child, and what's more, although he is Vegeta's son, he is also Bulma's son, and Yamcha loves Bulma. Now as a friend, but he still loves her. So loving Bulma necessarily means loving Trunks as well. This to me is a great proof of his inner strength that I mentioned earlier, although at this point I wonder... Is his strenth really that inner? It seems so damn noticeable to me. Now let's take a closer look at the whole situation.

Through Trunks' words we learn for the first time about the breakup between Yamcha and Bulma. Trunks very naively explains that the main reason was Yamcha's attitude toward the girls. Bulma got fed up and so she broke up with him once and for all. Leaving aside the fact that Yamcha playboy is a kind of joke, because we have seen many times how in reality he has always been the exact opposite, it is highly probable that this statement is unfortunately the result of Bulma's usual hysteria toward Yamcha. I say "usual" because we have plenty of evidence on this. For example, in OG Dragon Ball we saw how she was pissed off at Yamcha simply because a fanclub of pretty girls had formed for him. This trifle had been enough for Bulma to leave Yamcha alone in the city, and go with Goku to search for the dragon balls. It is not hard for me to imagine that much of Yamcha's alleged faults were simply in Bulma's head. Perhaps she feared losing him and consequently imagined realities that Yamcha would never allow.

The fact is that in my opinion Trunks' explanation should not be taken as true. Future Bulma told his son a lot of lies, surely for good, because living in such a tragic time it was right to ease the boy's soul by telling him about his father's noble deeds. The point is that Future Bulma knew perfectly well that Vegeta was neither a saint nor a hero. She never knew the Vegeta of the Buu Arc. She had only experienced the impassive, distant, indifferent, and untamable Vegeta, the one you still had to worry about because you still couldn't tell if you could trust him or not. But Vegeta was still the father of her son, and her son was the only thing she had left of Vegeta. So out of love for her son, Bulma has elevated Vegeta, and as one does when telling a fanciful fairy tale in which one exaggerates many things, Future Bulma necessarily has fictionalized how she and Vegeta ended up together. I try hard to think of it that way. I find it in very bad taste that Future Bulma spoke ill of Future Yamcha, who died and did not have a chance to tell his side. So I just assume that she told this bullshit not to insult Yamcha's memory but to comfort young Trunks. As I said, the lie about Yamcha is not the only one. To glorify Trunks's father, Future Bulma also tells that Vegeta had a hidden and "warmer" side, but in reality even she was not sure about that because in the future Vegeta had never shown affection toward their son. It was a supposition she made up to give her son hope.

In short, through Future Bulma's words we can imagine that Future Yamcha is a moron, while Future Vegeta is a pretty decent man. Cold but decent. Mind you: accusing Yamcha of being "something of a playboy" does not just mean that he is a jerk who gets off on girls. Above all, it means that Yamcha is unintelligent, vile, and without dignity. But when Trunks gets into the time machine and goes back to the past, which for us is the present, all the cards get messed up and a very different reality jumps out. From here on, the paths diverge. There are those who believe Future Bulma's words and those who find the whole thing a terrible stretch. True or not, everything Yamcha does in this saga completely negates the idea that he was a shitty person with no brain or heart. Trunks sees that, but he also sees something more important: Vegeta is not as worthy as he thought.

In this scene, the tension is very high. It is not just a clash between a saiyan and an earthling. It is a clash between one who has lost everything and one who has taken everything. After all, Vegeta took Yamcha's life once and a few years later he took his girlfriend. The way Vegeta tries to cut Yamcha out of Dragon Ball has always bothered me, simply because many fans have taken all his insults against Earthlings as true. Nowadays, unfortunately, there are many who believe that Yamcha is really scum. Seeing him in this scene with that clenched fist, his gaze threatening but equally filled with goodness tugs at my heartstrings. However, the best part of this scene is really Trunks' reaction.

He seems really upset. Somehow it's as if he wants to stop it, but not just because Vegeta is taking it out on Yamcha. Trunks comes from a future where love no longer exists. There is only fear, anger, frustration. He lives in a world where there is no time to laugh, joke, play, simply feel human, and he suffers a lot from that. His warm melancholy is directly proportional to the cold evilness of the two androids. With this interpretation in mind, I am quite convinced that in this scene Trunks saw the two androids in his father. Or rather, it is as if Trunks was upset by his father's coldness very similar to that of androids. Understand me, it is as if he at that moment is witnessing the confrontation between the two times: Yamcha represents the happy past, Vegeta the ruthless future. Moreover, Trunks in those days is fully experiencing the reality he desires in his time. There is his father, there is Goku, there are his friends, laughing is still possible but most of all, the planet is so alive that hope and love do not even have to be searched for in a mad rush because they are part of it. They have not yet been eradicated as in his future. As I had already said, hope and love are precisely what convinced Trunks to accomplish this feat. Not only that. If you remember what I wrote in the previous part, I openly stated that Yamcha is the representation of these two feelings. So... Joining all the dots, it really seems that in this scene Trunks is standing up for his own ideals. If Yamcha is love and love is what Trunks wants back in a world now filled with hatred, it is only natural that he would side with the earthling. I mean, he is fed up with witnessing injustice. Besides, Trunks has respect for Yamcha as Fighter-Z. He knows that Yamcha also tried to fight against the androids and that unfortunately he did not succeed, so it is natural for him to stand up for him. It is that code of honor that is created between warriors. Well, I really think Trunks realizes here what I was saying at the beginning: Yamcha is not that much of an asshole and Vegeta is not that much of a saint. At this point Trunks seriously needs proof that negates everything he is observing. It is just a detail. The best is yet to come.

Before we get to that, I would like to briefly address the relationship between Yamcha and Trunks. We have come to understand by now that Yamcha acts out of love and precisely because of this he does not look the recipient in the face. The fact that Trunks is Vegeta's son does not matter to him. Trunks is a good guy who even though he materialized the separation between Yamcha and Bulma still saved the world by going back to the past. Moreover, as already mentioned, he is Bulma's son. All this is enough for Yamcha to respect, love and protect him.

This is a decisive moment. Trunks' death acts as a catalyst for the final fight, but more importantly it makes Vegeta bring out that "side." Everyone remembers the prince's anger against Cell after seeing his son die, but... How many remember who was the first to rescue Trunks?

Come on, seriously?! I would never have said that. ...Yes, hell, yes. Of course would have said that. There are so many characters who witness this tragic death but it just so happens that the first one to intervene is Yamcha. I don't think it's random. And even if it was, that's pretty damn consistent with his character. You see. He reaches Trunks even before Vegeta, but that certainly does not mean that Vegeta loves Trunks any less. I just mean that, despite all that Trunks represents to Yamcha, Yamcha rushes to save him, moved again by that unconditional love that distinguishes him from all others.

The very brief scenes in which Yamcha protects Trunks' corpse together with Tien are wonderful. For two sensitive souls like Yamcha and Tien, it is really the least to defend the one who allowed them to live a little longer. It is really moving to see how Yamcha and Tien take care of the body to prevent it from being profaned. Little does it matter to them that there are dragon balls and that Trunks can be brought back to life even if full of scratches and wounds. The respect for the corpse is the only priority, with or without dragon balls, and this attitude is so human that it brings tears to my eyes every time I realize how special these two earthlings are.

I mean... Trunks's corpse could have been lying there somewhere and been picked up at the end. He was dead, not unconscious like Android 18. Watching over his body was not strictly necessary, but Yamcha and Tien do it anyway. And they do it because they are the best characters in Dragon Ball their humanity is their secret weapon. A pity that for Toriyama it is just a joke.

The relationship between Trunsk and Yamcha is only part of the whole. We could trace it to the same kind of paternal bond that Yamcha establishes with Goku and Gohan, but in Trunks' case it becomes even more fascinating because he is literally the son she would have wanted with her Bulma. Of course, it's just a feeling. I highly doubt that Yamcha ever realized that he possessed "daddy-like" attitudes, and then we also have to say that protecting someone younger than you doesn't mean you do it because you have the makings of a father. To be precise, Yamcha does have it, but he certainly doesn't act thinking that everyone is his missing child. That's just the way he is, and that's why I insist on the idea that he could have been a perfect dad. Perhaps the most perfect.

I am insisting on the father figure because Future Trunks strongly misses his dad. He tells us that he was too young to remember him and that the idea of meeting him for the first time in the past moved him. But why did it move him? Let's remember it: thanks to Future Bulma. With her fantasies about Future Vegeta she colored Trunks' dark life a little, even though at the time she was not sure what she was telling. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that Trunks at least grew up with the idea that the past was a good place thanks in part to his father. As we read in this scene, therefore, we understand that Trunks has a serious need to create memories of his own. It is also a way to give a visual image to his mother's stories, like when a child prefers a book with pictures to a book with only text. That is why Future Trunks stays close to his father, observes him, that is all he needs. As we have noticed, however, things are not quite as he imagined them to be. Vegeta is not what he expected, but the joy of being able to be with him is enough for him to accept him as he is. But... Is it really enough? Think about it. After such a long and difficult journey, after so many legendary tales and especially after so many expectations, how much can it hurt to return home with fewer answers and so many more questions? We do not know exactly what happened during the training between Vegeta and Trunks in the Room of Spirit and Time, but we can safely assume that Vegeta did not open up as Trunks would have liked. It was certainly an emotional moment for him, but not enough to say, "yeah, man, he's really my dad."

The decisive moment occurs precisely during Trunks' death. Earlier we saw that the first one to rescue him is Yamcha, but "obviously" nobody cares because all the attention goes to Vegeta. I understand that. This is the moment when the saiyan prince finally shows his feelings for someone else for the first time. It is not just revenge. Behind Vegeta's reaction is love, and this very feeling will make him frighteningly strong. This naturally amazes everyone, but I am sure that the reaction of the Z-Fighters is due not so much to the increase in his strength as to the fact that Vegeta is having an emotional reaction of this caliber. No one has ever seen him like this. He has officially changed for the better. I am sure Vegeta fans recognize in this scene the split between the ruthless Vegeta of the saiyan saga and the Vegeta we will see in the Buu saga. A new Vegeta has just been born, and everyone has noticed him, even Yamcha who has not had a positive idea about him until then. Actually, it must be said that Yamcha had forgiven Vegeta before anyone else. When Yamcha was still with Bulma, he had agreed to let the saiyan be hosted at his girlfriend's house.

Tien had been the voice of truth. Perhaps his third eye had glimpsed the future, I don't know, but it is quite disturbing to think that some time later this fateful decision would seal the break between Bulma and Yamcha.

What matters for now is that Yamcha has the gift of forgiveness. He did it with Tien when he broke his leg and, although in a different way, he did it with Vegeta who committed much more heinous acts against him. The only difference is that Vegeta never apologized. Once again it is Yamcha who takes a step forward, or rather three steps forward: he forgives the man who killed him, he forgives the man who took away the woman he loved and finally he forgives the man who deprived him of the chance to become a father. Excuse me, but I believe that these three battles are much more intense and difficult than any of the battles we see in Dragon Ball between our heroes and strong monsters. Especially if we think about the fact that Yamcha stays, which doesn't mean that he is just there: the way Yamcha is, it means that he learns to love even those who hurt him and especially to act for their good.

There is only one problem. Trunks cannot see all the love that Vegeta radiates for him. The essence of this scene lies precisely in the fact that finally Future Bulma's tales of Vegeta become real, but what good is all this if Trunks has no way to witness it? A new tale is needed, but this time a real one, based on facts and no longer on memories. A tale that can definitively confirm that Vegeta has a good side and especially cares about his son. So someone must necessarily step up and help Trunks hope again just because of this fantastic news.

...You again, Yamcha?! Then it is a vice! Or maybe you are simply the most beautiful Dragon Ball character ever. Well yes, guys, it is indeed Yamcha who tells Trunks about Vegeta's unexpected heroic feat. He could have told them Krillin or anyone else, but Yamcha's sensitivity precedes all others. In a sense it is as if he is the first to realize that Vegeta has actually changed. We are at the end of the battle. Trunks has been brought back to life and everyone is at Kami's palace. After some small talk and the twist between Krillin and Android 18 (to which Yamcha contributed), the fighters part ways to return home. Yamcha and Trunks head to West City and it is during this journey that Yamcha confesses to the boy what happened. To many it may seem like the least, but think about it very carefully: how many in Yamcha's place would have done the same? I mean, at that moment Yamcha is praising Vegeta for what he did for Trunks. In different words, Yamcha is praising the very man who took away his life, his woman, and the possible marriage he has dreamed of all his life. He had no reason to do it, yet he did it. He could have kept quiet, or told Trunks anything else by deliberately omitting the part about Vegeta out of some sort of personal revenge, but he does not. He does not do it because Yamcha's big heart does not allow him to act in such a mean way. At this very moment he no longer cares what Vegeta did to him. It was enough for him to see him go crazy over Trunks' death to change his mind and accept the fact that Vegeta has changed. That is all Yamcha cares about. Yamcha cares that love guides people, and in this case he cares that Bulma and little Trunks are finally in good hands. The rest no longer matters. The disappointment, humiliation, and anger he feels toward the whole disastrous situation that happened between him, Vegeta, and Bulma is water under the bridge. Yamcha has officially moved on. But it's not just about that. Here Yamcha demonstrates superhuman empathy. He never heard the revelation that Future Trunks told Goku when he first appeared. He did not hear that Trunks had no memories of his father and that this distressed him terribly, yet Yamcha senses this. We have seen how he has formidable intuition, so I am not surprised to believe that he sensed this need in Trunks. He must have imagined that in the future he misses his father figure, and so without a second thought he wanted to give him that warmth that you feel when your father loves you. Once again Yamcha went further and reasoned about situations that are much broader than people think. He took care of the present, but he also took care of the future, and this time without receiving anything in return. Telling Trunks about Vegeta doesn't change his life, but it certainly improves it. It enriches him and he just through all this love that he literally gives to anyone feels stronger and better. Making others feel good is his personal mission. Here we can see that he did it, he got his victory. Trunks' face as he says "my father did?" is full of pride because simply the circle has come full circle. Trunks got the confirmation he was looking for because he knew because of Future Bulma, but he needed to verify it. Yamcha gave peace to his tormented soul.

So guys... I hope it's clear to everyone that if this iconic scene exists, it's really because of Yamcha. I mean, surely Vegeta and Trunks would have said goodbye to each other regardless. But the power of this scene lies precisely in the fact that Trunks knows exactly what happened, what Vegeta did for his son, and as we have seen if he knows it is precisely thanks to Yamcha. In short: Yamcha helped redefine the relationship between Vegeta and Trunks. Yamcha, who as we have seen is the bearer of hope, finally made sense of why Trunks embarked on this journey. He made all of Trunks' dreams come true and in a way allowed him to become stronger, because let's face it, what allows Trunks to beat the androids in his future is not just the super training and battles he does in the past, but more importantly the chance to have experienced all the emotions he was missing and that motivated him to improve his time.

When Trunks returns home, one of the first things he does is tell about the very thing his father did. And if he tells it, let us remember, it is always because of Yamcha. Do you see what I mean? He doesn't give a damn about winning against Cell and the androids. What Trunks takes with him is mostly the emotions accumulated during this incredible experience. Telling about how those monsters were beaten would not have added anything new, because they live in a world where people fight for survival. Telling instead how love and teamwork made all the difference is completely new for him. That is what really matters. We are humans, not robots. There is no point in struggling if you don't have emotions with you. Trunks finally got them. He is finally different from the androids and can now defeat them.

I think the best part of this scene is Future Bulma's reaction. Here we learn that she had indeed ventured a little in telling Trunks about Vegeta. She was not sure about Vegeta's good side either, but she still told her son about it to comfort him. We can see how shocked she is to learn such news. From here we can infer that Future Vegeta was not even a partner in attendance. Somewhat like the Vegeta of the present. In fact, his closeness to Bulma and Trunks occurs after Cell Arc. Not having been able to experience it, Future Bulma was left with the idea that Vegeta had an unexplored good side that she never really saw. She only guessed at it. Therefore, we can say that Yamcha's words have resolved even Future Bulma's doubts. In the present, Yamcha must have noticed the substantial difference between him and Vegeta vis-à-vis Bulma. If Yamcha was affectionate and close, Vegeta is distant and cold. He probably resents that Vegeta behaves this way toward Bulma. Assuming Yamcha sensed that Trunks' future was loveless, it is easy to imagine that he also thought Future Bulma was left alone with her conflicts. After all, Vegeta's change occurred only in the past because some events were changed with Trunks' arrival. It is an exception. I like to think that Yamcha also wanted to help Future Bulma by letting her know that Future Vegeta could learn to love if he had a little more time. Why he did this we will never know. We may think that he did it because Yamcha still loves Bulma, but that would be reductive. Yamcha did it because he just loves. Giving hope is what he does best. It is quite ironic that Yamcha helped the same person who besmirched his memory by telling that he was some kind of playboy. I think it is particularly noticeable here how great Yamcha actually is. Of course he does not know what Future Bulma actually told about him. Trunks only reveals it to Goku, and the only one who hears it is Piccolo. But I am sure that even if Yamcha had known that Future Bulma did not speak highly of him, he would still have done his best to take care of her in every time arc. Lastly he simply enhanced Vegeta's own image. I think it is the most immense act Yamcha could do: to love his greatest enemy. I proudly say that Yamcha, after taking care of the past and the present, has saved even the future. Without exaggeration, he is the one who maintained the link between these three time arcs. If I may say so, he is precisely the one who most represents the theme of this saga.

I would like to conclude with two thoughts...

Any nostalgic Dragon Ball fan knows full well how important Goku's grandfather is. Son Gohan is a kind of angel who watches over the little saiyan from the very beginning, via the dragon ball with the four stars. There is one scene in particular that moves me so much. This is the exact moment when Son Gohan relinquishes this role of guardian angel to Goku's friends. If we want to dwell on Yamcha, I think he is the one who most of all took these words literally. Not only because indeed Yamcha took care of Goku during his illness, but especially because he extended this commandment. Yamcha has really taken care of everyone who is connected to Goku for some reason, precisely because Goku's happiness also depends on those around him. Taking care of Goku also means taking care of his affections, and Yamcha, as we have seen, has done this with everyone. He took care of his wife Chichi, his son Gohan, but also Tien and Krillin, two of Goku's great friends, and finally the saiyans and Bulma. I like to think that it all starts from this very scene, even though Yamcha has always been inclined to help anyone.

At the end of the Cell Arc, the carefree atmosphere of Dragon Ball returns. The one we can't do without, the one that brings us back, when gags were the soul of this story. The reason for all the laughter we witness at Kami's palace is Yamcha. He is the one who makes people laugh because he is afraid of Android 18 and he is the one who relieves the tension by entertaining everyone with his jokes. Among these jokes is one really particular one that on the surface makes him look like an idiot.

Theoretically we should mock him because he has not exactly been lucky in love. His one experience was shattered. Bulma even describes him as a playboy, so his line seems rather grotesque. Butl... After all we've seen, did Yamcha really say bullshit? Okay, he may not be lucky in love relationships, but who says that the love he is talking about is only that which is born between two guys? We saw through him that love is not only between lovers. Love can be between friends, brothers, fathers and sons, ex-girlfriends and even rivals. It doesn't matter who gets it and how they get it: the important thing is only to get it. Yamcha is the one who most spreads love in Dragon Ball. He is the one who gives soul and humanity to Dragon Ball. It is sad to think that he is the one who does not get love in return. But he doesn't care. By giving love he feels loved.

Since hope is what Dragon Ball is based on…. I continue to hope that Yamcha, too, will one day get his well-deserved victory in battle. Because... Let's face it, as a character he has long since won.

Thank you, Yamcha.

Thank you for coming so far. This is definitely my most difficult and exciting topic. It was crazy to write so much about Yamcha but it was worth it. I don’t care how many people read. Having left this opinion could be useful in the future, maybe not, but it’s okay: analyzing Yamcha’s soul was like rediscovering the beauty of being human. I think that’s the most important thing.

#yamcha #justice for yamcha #make yamcha great again #bulma #goku #tenshinhan #dragon ball #dbz #dragon ball super #dbs #vegeta #trunks #future trunks #gohan #piccolo #cell #toei animation #anime #akira toriyama #puar #android 18 #krillin #chiaotzu #dragon ball z #saiyan #topic 6

[falleri-salvatore]

My ship headcanons and how I view them

Anyone who sees my feed knows that I reblog a lot of jaune shipposts. That said, not every one of them are ones I actually see working out romantically and I mostly do it because the prompts/drabbles made me laugh or were well-written more than anything..... .....in short, just because I don't ship something doesn't mean I can't appreciate good work when I see it. That said, here's how I actually view the relationship between the main characters. Lancaster: Split between BroTP and/or OTP; Jaune and Ruby are, simply put, two sides of the same coin and their interactions pretty much cement that fact. Currently waiting for Volume 10 to see how their bond further develops and how their underlying tension resolves. If I judge BroTP, then I go with Rosegarden, since my Gold Medal OTP for Ruby is currently impossible (Why? Why did they have to take Penny? T_T) Dragonslayer: BroTP, Full Stop. People often overlook the fact that, as we see more of and learn more about Jaune and Yang, the more we realize these two dorks are both birds of a feather. Their chemistry is immense and undeniable, and while Yang would admit that Jaune has gotten hot; and Jaune would admit that Yang is gorgeous, there is no romantic tension between them. For Yang, she already knows Jaune as the dorky yet very kindhearted male bestie of her little sister. In Jaune's part, Yang reminds him of Saphron far too much for him to think of her as anything but a friend and sister. Knightshade: BroTP, as well. These two's friendship is much more subdued but no less strong; they often bond over their shared hobbies, such as a love for books and they often get together to read while maintaining a comfortable silence between them. Would not be surprised if these two ended up founding a Book Club. Whiteknight: Silver Medal OTP. Volume 5 and onwards has convinced me of the viability of this pairing, due the subtle yet telling looks and touches shared by them in the background. Arkos: ARKOS MY BELOVED!!!! THE OTP for me. Just, everything about this. Nora's Arc: BroTP. Nora is firmly Rensexual. To Nora, Jaune is her Fearless Leader and the best Big Brother she could have ever asked for. To Jaune, Nora is the hyperactive and boisterous little sister who can be quite a headache yet he can't help but want to do anything for in order for her not to lose her smile.

Martial Arcs: BroTP. Ren is Norasexual, and Jaune is shown to be firmly heterosexual. They consider each other brothers from different mothers.

#rwby #jaune arc #weiss schnee #rwby shitpost #pyrrha nikos #yang xiao long #ruby rose #blake belladonna #nora valkyrie #lie ren #rwby shippost #rwby headcanon

[namethat-i-oughttohavetoldyou]

A Gentle Reminder

This fic was written all the way back in October 2022 and never posted, because it felt too personal. But with Happy New One being basically the other side of the same coin even though they don't necessarily take place in the same timeline/universe (you know how I am with my conflicting headcanons), I think it's finally time. Maybe tell me what you think? Enjoy, and my love to all who read/like/reblog (especially the last one)! ♥

So much is obvious: She is a tool. She is a weapon, dangerous to approach and even more dangerous to turn one’s back to. She is a toy, a plaything, to be used and thrown away at a moment’s notice. Her claws are sharp and unforgiving, ready to scratch, to hurt, to maim, to kill. And yet…

And yet.

Her body is hers. It is a tool, yes, to dance, to leap, to jump with joy and, less and less, to cower in fear.

It is hers.

She is to decide.

Her mouth and throat are tools, to laugh, to cry, to whisper and scream and to speak and sing, sing, sing.

Her tail is a toy, a plaything for exuberant kittens, who stop and flop down and apologize when she hisses quietly in annoyance or pain at their tiny pinprick teeth and claws.

Her claws are sharp and unforgiving, and she goes to the old sofa with Mistoffelees to sharpen them further, scratching at the armrest until hers gleam and his spark, bright and colourful against his black coat.

Her claws are dangerous, and yet! They are just tools.

Tools to draw flowers into the hard earthy ground in the winter for Jemima, to disentangle George’s tail after he has gotten himself caught up in yet another thistle bush, to knead lumpy bedding so Gus can rest on it more comfortably.

Her claws cause pain.

And they cause pleasure, paws pressed against Bombalurina’s back, claw-tips just skimming the skin under her fire-red coat. Bombalurina’s blissful purr undulates with her movements and rings in her ears even hours later.

She is, all in all, a tool for her environment, with the distinction that she alone decides how she is used.

Just like everyone else.

And she remembers.

Most importantly, she is a cat. So much is obvious.

She remembers that her claws can sheathe, leaving soft paw pads to caress a kitten’s head and to touch another paw in greeting, cautious, but trusting. Unarmed, so to say.

For a while, after she rediscovers this, she gives up on suppressing kittenish urges to shove objects off ledges or bat at tails and ears that don’t move away quickly enough.

(Munkustrap develops the instinct to duck whenever he notices her, and yet his long ears, wiggling with amusement as is their quirk, are never save from her paws.)

She remembers that she is soft, vulnerably so, body and mind forgiving and so desperate to trust, to love. The more she remembers this, the more she notices the reciprocation from all around her.

She is soft and vulnerable, and she has never felt better.

She remembers that she is whole, has been whole, really, for her entire life.

After all, she is still here, still herself, in her entirety. Nothing has been taken from her, on the contrary, she has brought back more than she had left with. Memories, fears, hatred, a dislike for tuna that she can’t really explain, experiences and wariness.

But really, nothing could be taken away from her. Even though some parts may be missing, she is still here.

She is still herself.

That, to her, means she is whole, just as whole as she has always been.

She remembers that she is part of the collective, part of the colony, part of the family.

Even new songs she has never heard before are familiar, and she never dances alone for longer than a few minutes.

The music and energy and magic swells in her chest just like it does for everyone else, including the small, rather personal nudge; there you are. We missed you. Welcome back.

There she is.

And finally, Demeter remembers that she has a name, two, three of them, even, and they are all hers and hers alone.

Hers to give and hers to reveal, except for the third, which is hers to keep to herself.

She feels giddy with this knowledge, like a kitten who has been sworn to keep a secret.

We’re going to give it to her as a gift, but you mustn’t tell anyone!

No-one, no-one! What a wonderful feeling!

Promise you won’t tell?

What a breathtaking sign of trust!

Trust, as well, is hers to give.

She tells Munkustrap in the end.

Nobody loves stories as much as he does, and her telling him her third name takes her from early noon until deep into the night, almost morning, really.

(She isn’t finished quite yet, but they agree to get some sleep before continuing.)

Munkustrap’s ears wiggle with giddiness over having gotten to discover this secret she has decided to share.

Her paw baps at them almost without her notice, already half-asleep.

Demeter is whole. So much is obvious.

(Click -> here <- to read the counterpart fic.) "There you are. We missed you." Recovery can be a beautiful thing, no? It might take a long, long time, but it certainly has its moments. I will not going to go into more detail, so please don't ask me to. All I have to say has been said in the 789 words above. Demeter did always inspire me to experiment with my writing style. Thank you for reading. ♥

#namethat-i writes #cats the musical #demeter

[sophieinwonderland]

It turns out, I'm still not done venting about the SN's smear document and the grievances with my November posts they used to defend contextualize the fakeclaiming and misgendering posts from the admin about me.

A recent post from Lunastus reminded me of this bullet point.

This threw me for a loop because this quote isn't even mine.

It was from the Lunastus Collective who coined the term.

Sure, I reblogged it and defended it, but it wasn't my quote and it's so weird to see this attributed to me.

But with this latest round of drama SAS started, I also want to talk about the drama surrounding the word endogenic and its coiner.

Recap for those who missed that ridiculous drama: The LC coined the term in 2014. In 2021, SAS found a 2015 article that loosely associated the word "endogenic" with Freud supporting the fantasy model. SAS specifically claimed that "the term 'endogenic' can be traced all the way back to Freud's work in 1956!"

But on further investigation, every paper prior to that used a similar but different term, endogenous.

In the end, "endogenic system" is a term 100% coined by the Lunastus Collective.

Endogenic was never used to refer to systems before that.

Now, rather than admit they were wrong, SAS and their entitled cronies doubled down and claimed the words were still too similar, then had the gall to demand an apology from the LC for the baseless made-up manufactured drama.

I've seen some argue that their issue was less with the term and more with the response. That they felt their feelings were being dismissed. (And that part, yeah, was mostly me.)

The problem is that not all feelings deserve to be validated. Not everyone who feels they're in the right actually is. Sometimes in life, you're just on the wrong side, and humoring your feelings will do more harm than good.

Personally, I think The Lunastus Collective deserves an apology for the harassment they received over SAS's smear campaign.

Now, coming back to the latest round of manufactured drama today... let me tell you what these experiences have taught me.

These people don't have "morals." They have friends and enemies.

If you're lucky enough to find yourself on the former list, expect them to loyally turn a blind eye to your wrongdoings for as long as they reasonably can. And when they can't, you can depend on them to make a 20-bullet-point list of things your victim did to deserve it. (Much of which will be fabricated, twisted or taken out of context.)

If you're an enemy, expect them to comb over every word you say. Expect them to twist your words and outright lie about you. Anything to justify their hate of you and manipulate others to feel the same.

This is, unfortunately, their modus operandi.

The thing is, I think they overplayed their hand this time.

I don't think people are really buying the whole "wanting anti-endos to be ostracized is literally worse than death threats or suibait" talking point they have going on.

It's comically overdramatic and, frankly, minimizes the real harm of death threats and suibait in favor of a cheap talking point.

Obviously, people who hate me will continue to hate me and the usual suspects are jumping on it hard as always.

But their posts about this aren't generating much engagement, which SAS's usually do. Usually a couple days into one of SAS's smears, I might have lost a few followers that will take me a whole day or two to regain or I'll get a couple hate anons relating to it.

This feels different. Especially if people were buying the severity of the allegations SAS and pals are trying to push. I have no doubt everyone would be rightly enraged if I were sending actual threats of violence.

But I'm not seeing that here.

I hope this means people are waking up to the lies and manipulation tactics they use, and will start thinking critically about SAS's past smears of both myself and other systems. Admittedly, this might be too much to hope for.

Anyway, you can all can go home now.

This one's a bust.

But maybe you'll get me next time. 🤷‍♀️

#syscourse #pro endo #pro endogenic #survivor's network #survivors network #survivors' network

[thatcatbasil]

so, first impressions with endless ocean luminous

there are a lot of changes i absolutely Do Not Like but i would be lying if i said i wasn't having a good time with it so far

unfortunately i'm not gonna have screenshots in here since my phone quit letting me download pics from the switch and i don't feel like going through the hassle of tryna figure out getting the microsd into my computer right now

so first, stuff i don't like just to get it out of the way

yeah elephant in the room is the randomly generated maps. when the first trailer came out i did a lot of mental gymnastics to arrive at the conclusion that the veiled sea was just one map that was randomly generated and we would get other maps that were not but Nope you're only in the veiled sea and it's all randomly generated. makes you really miss the established locations from the first couple games. it feels really ephemeral now and the locations don't really stick with you as much

really miss the hayley westenra/celtic woman tracks. the ambient music's okay but i think the appeal of endless ocean's soundtrack has always been the licensed music to me. 30 mins in i unplugged my earbuds from my switch and put em in my laptop so that i could put on carrickfergus. then i put on jenny nicholson's evermore park video and had that playing for the entire rest of the time i was diving

the main menu's UI is kinda plain compared to the previous games. i miss the marine encyclopedia being an actual book you could flip through. this UI's a lot more sleek and modern but it doesn't have the same charm

no zoom mode makes me a little sad. i miss the little detailed environments! i miss looking for the coins in them! i like that the coins made a comeback as salvage though.

haven't played too much of the story mode cause i was mainly drawn to the solo dives buuut yeah hasn't really gotten hooked me yet. i've only done the first 3 parts of it so far so we'll see if i end up liking it more down the line. i think since it's just the first chapter(?) they're treating it more like a tutorial. i like david though he's silly

there are. a lot of legendaries huh? i do very much like the fact that they brought back the ones from the first two games (ran into ancient mother on my first solo dive and i was like !!!!! there she is!!!!!) but you see them so frequently it kinda takes away the feeling of them being "legendary" in a way? ive done three solo dives and cacao maharaja has shown up in every single one. on my third one i saw three grave diggers all in the same location. i've seen five different apollos. feels like there should be more of a distinction between the new "rare" creatures (the ones that just have funny patterns like the white orca i've seen several times) and the more unique named legendaries where the legendaries spawn a lot less often. but then again i could see that being an RNG nightmare for completion when it's combined with the randomly generated maps.

text to speech lady. i muted her as soon as i had the opportunity LMAOOO. maybe i'm just too used to the previous games not having any voices at all. oh shoot maybe that's why there's no licensed music tracks? cause text to speech lady would distract from them? damn.

not really into the customization. looks like you can only change the colors of your equipment and there's no unique gear

but excluding all that the creature models and most of the environments have been absolutely fantastic. i say most of the environments cause there's been a few situations where the map would have these decently big areas of empty sand with nothing in them (reminds me of manoa lai f-5 and e-4 that kinda area leading out of deep valley around where the pirate ship can spawn where it's a lot of empty sand and no critters except for the pacific white-sided dolphins) and i didn't find it as interesting as the actual coral reefs wrecks etc.

but the creature models! they're really awesome! they look great! i guess it's to be expected since it's on better hardware but it's still so cool to see the improvement.

also on my third dive something that was actually pretty cool happened. so i came up with a system for exploring the maps where i would just go around the perimeter and then go in like a spiral so that i could get a general sense of everything. when i reached the bottom right corner of the map the water turned green and i was like Oh this is the water color from the prehistoric areas in the trailers. so i go down a little deeper and run into an icthyosaur (forgot the specific name. could've just been icthyosaurus). and i felt like this

then i turned around to see a GIANT icthyosaur (shonisaurus) and i felt like this

the prehistoric critters in this game are COOL AS HELL. since we only got three of them total in the previous games (and couldn't even see em up close since they swam outside the boundaries of their respective maps!) it's really awesome to get to see them up close. and so many of them, too! excited to find anomalocaris later on. i love anomalocaris

miscellaneous other observations/comments/etc

honestly i don't really mind that the animals attacking you from the second game was omitted. it does feel a little weird to run into thanatos and not get attacked though (especially since he was doing the exact attack animations from the second game. side note i always thought it was a lil funny that all the creatures would slap you with their tails instead of biting you)

on my third dive i ran into the okeanos's guardian in a cave and i really like the glowing eyes effect it has now. thanatos was chilling down there too. shark party

i'm guessing that you can have creatures follow you? haven't gotten the chance to do it yet though cause i don't have enough points to get the creatures i want to follow me haha. i need to make friends with the orcas

oh yeah this game does have its own unique named legendaries! i found the seal that likes to wear jewelry that i unfortunately can't remember the name of right now. that was cool. trying to find all of those critters to get it to appear is a bit of a hassle but i guess that's why there's so much emphasis on the multiplayer.

but yeah. tl;dr it's absolutely no blue world but luminous does have some good things in its own right. maybe i've just been starved for endless ocean content for the past 14 years though

i think i'll do a proper full write-up for this game that i'll put on the neocities site at some point after i finish up the story mode and do some more solo dives and really let everything soak in. might be some time before that though since it's finals season and i need to work on stuff. see ya

#endless ocean #endless ocean luminous #basil speaks #game tag #<- havent used that in a minute haha

[sashimiyas]

cw: angst; reader’s favored scent is anything but lavender; a little glimpse of us by joji situation going on over here

Not everyone is lucky enough to say they have an attentive boyfriend. You pity the less fortunate, the ones who don’t have a partner like yours.

Your Isagi, the one who takes great care in his decisions with you always at the forefront of his mind. Your Isagi, the one dubbed the anniversary guy because unlike most other boyfriends, he remembers every milestone and birthday. Though there might not be a celebration for every single one, he never fails to gaze at you a little longer in those mornings. Counting his blessings just a little more carefully in case it all slips away.

You’d never think to. He treats you so well, saturates your phone with honey-lacquered texts every time he sees something that reminds him of you that your girl friends cannot help but grapple the weight of your personal device in their own hands so that just once, they may feel as auspicious as you.

There’s good morning texts and voice memos from the days he travels off to a different country where even just a puddle of water in your general shape aches his heart in missing you. There’s pictures of food he thinks you’d like and of cats that made him smile so he’s hoping that its effects work on you too. He finds love in everything, a life in your design.

So of course his laughter spurs on yours while the two of you are seated on the floor of his walk-in closet in an attempt to do some spring cleaning. Isagi tugs on the tops of your socked toes for attention while you sneak in some more of his unfashionable choices into the ‘toss’ pile.

You try to hum as innocently as possible but he’s too busy to notice. He dances adorably in his seat with hips moving side to side so that he can scooch his way closer to you. Legs curl past your knee, his leg hairs tickling affection into your skin, and wrap around your waist. With the muscles he’s built over the course of his career, he makes the final efforts to pull you flush against him, a delighted peck to go with it.

“Remember this? When we got matching ones?” Isagi asks.

The fanny pack in his hands is an atrocious tie-dye with stitching of a once novel year that you now consider tacky. He opens up all the zippers. A few loose coins fall out, receipts whose ink has faded over time, and stray mints probably offered the same time the receipts were.

You take it from him to inspect it a little closer. There’s no way you’d willingly buy it but you’re known to bend to Isagi’s whims on occasion

“No, but remind me.”

He looks at you, cheeks plumped with joy, in playful offense. “I can’t believe you forgot.”

“That’s why I have you.”

He’s always so cute like this, with eyes that blink innocently at whatever stray compliment you throw at him. It’s like he can never acclimate to your affection as if he were always on the fringes of falling in love.

“We went on a road trip. I think over summer. Do you remember yet?”

“No, I don’t,” you pinch his calf, “just tell me!”

“Okay, okay. I think you were bored.”

“Sounds about right.”

He digs a heel into your back to scold you but it only presses you two closer, close enough for another sweet kiss.

“So we rented a car and went out for a drive.” Isagi’s gaze falls on you in hopes that you remember. You just hum for him to continue. “And I think you got hungry so we stopped by this highway diner that had a gift shop in it. Remember how big it was? They had an old Pacman machine in there and a statue of a bear. When we saw these, we had to buy them because of how goofy they were.”

There’s a small bit of disappointment when your excitement cannot match his. He clicks his tongue behind his teeth when you shake your head.

“I really can’t believe you forgot. I remember how cute you looked.” Isagi moves to pinch your cheek affectionately, “so sleepy and excited. And you were wearing that scent that smelled like…”

His breath hitches, a choked sound as if he were inhaling the memory itself and when his eyes look to you, there’s horror across his face. There’s no need to be afraid because you smile at him, the picture definition of bittersweet.

“Like lavender?” you finish for him.

He gulps. Eyes wide and after hesitating for far too long, he answers with a nod.

Of course you know that scent. Isagi’s apartment smelled like it the first time you came and all the days before.

He finds love in everything. You forget it’s just not you.

“Yeah,” you pat his knee and hand him the fanny pack, “I remember now.”

#reina.writesbllk #isagi yoichi x reader #isagi x reader #blue lock x reader #tell me if this needs a readmore!

[almost-a-class-act]

This is the only 'x reader' fic I have ever written, so you know I wrote it for a real one. Happy birthday, peepaw. Gremlin Town wouldn't be the same without you. @cody-helix02

Pairing: Bill x reader Fandom: Band of Brothers

--

The reunion goes off like gangbusters, predictably.

Bill is great at this kind of thing. Relentlessly cheerful, he nevertheless gives off the impression that if anyone skips the reunion, he will know why. It had taken the right amount of reassuring, cajoling, threatening, and enticing with some people, but the turnout has ended up being pretty impressive, and you can tell Bill is over the moon about it. He’s in his exact element, swinging from table to table on those crutches he is improbably gifted at using, spinning yarns and flirting with wives and buying beers.

And you, well – you’re the opposite side of that coin, maybe, better in small groups than big ones, and though you are having a good time, you take the first opportunity to sneak out for a smoke break.

The further you step away from the light spilling out of the doors, propped open to let the cool night air into the stuffy legion hall, the more the stars fade into view. You pause, the cigarette that you’ve just pulled free of the carton frozen halfway to your lips, and tip your head back to take it all in.

You don’t think you’ll ever see stars again the way you did in Bastogne, the atmosphere then almost transparent in the cold, far-flung constellations you might have recognized if you had spent more time paying attention in school and less time sketching in the margins of your textbooks. The stars seem warmer here, a little closer to the earth but a little further apart from one another, and it hardly seems like it could be the same sky that was so unforgiving all those months – well, actually, years ago, now.

Sometimes the passage of time stops you in your tracks. The specific memories crowd close in your mind, especially at night, but the war itself feels distant. You wonder if you’ll get to decide what pieces you forget over time, and which stay with you; you’re pretty sure you know the answer.

“Can I get one of those?”

Bill’s voice makes you start slightly, and you turn to look at him, immediately and always pleased to see him but faintly uncomprehending, until he nods pointedly at the carton that you’re still holding. You tuck the cigarette in your hand between your lips before offering the rest, and as you slip the box back into your pocket, Bill lights his own cigarette and then yours. You hold his hand steady with the tips of your fingers as he does it, and it feels like you are alone in all of the same small, secret bubbles that you’d carved out for yourselves during the war.

“Figured I’d find you out here,” he says. Just as you’re well aware of how much of a people person Bill is – and it might be one of your favourite things about him, that knack that he has – he knows that you disappearing occasionally just means you’re getting a break from the crowd.

“It’s going really well,” you tell him, glancing back toward the packed hall, and he grins.

“Yeah,” he says, pleased. “Couldn’t have asked for better.”

The music from inside, where the tables have been pushed aside to make room for dancing, is clearly audible through the open doors, and as the opening notes of Give Me Something to Dream About float out on the evening air, you are reminded strikingly of that gritty basement bar in Paris where you had spent many of your nights on leave. The air had smelled like cigarettes and too many people crowded into one place and the beer had been decidedly warm, but it had been a welcome oasis anyway. You glance at Bill, who expels a stream of smoke and nods without you even having to say anything.

“Paris,” he says.

“Paris,” you agree.

The band had never wanted to play too many slow numbers, apparently afraid it would bring down the mood, but sometimes they could be persuaded to do a love song or two. Give Me Something to Dream About had been a favourite of yours, and Bill, though self-proclaimed not really a slow song kinda guy, used to ask for it toward the end of the night.

You asked them to play this, you had accused, the first time.

So what? He had returned. Maybe I like this one.

He beckons to you now, leaning heavier on one crutch to do so, the glow of that cigarette another pinpoint of starlight in the dark. You step forward, smiling despite yourself, and loop your arms loosely around his neck, your own cigarette dangling from your fingertips. It’s funny, you think, that you would know the bright-warm feeling of his body against yours anywhere, even a lifetime from now – even if you’d gone your separate ways at war’s end.

“You know, I like that you still want to dance with me,” Bill says, as you sway gently. It’s as charming as anything else he has ever said to you, but you know what lives underneath. It’s another small piece of the future that Bill had had to gently let go of after he’d lost his leg, still a weighty undertaking even beneath that irrepressible good cheer.

“It’s better like this, anyhow,” you say, meaning it. “I never remember all the steps to the fast ones.”

Bill chuckles, obviously remembering the two of you very firmly making up dances as you went along, and the familiar sound of his laugh makes you grin, too.

You feel lucky that it ended up this way, you think, as you crowd in close, pressing your cheek against Bill’s for a moment, tipping your head down so you can briefly nose against the soft skin under his ear, where it smells the most like him. Your friends, finally safe, are all together again in a warm, bright, happy room behind you, and you’re here –  tucked away, safe too, under that staggering spray of stars, in the arms of your favourite dance partner.

#band of brothers #fanfiction #roaroftheninth #i scheduled this to post at like 4AM my time because I knew the Europeans would be awake

[amournoir]

𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 — 𝟏

Pairing(s): Klaus x Reader

Count: 4.6k

Warning(s): slight smut

Author’s Note: hello, my name is aurora & this is my first fic on tumblr. i don’t want to make this long, i just wanted to say hi & i’d very much like your feedback on this. i plan to write more oneshots, preferably long, and series. please let me know what you think of this. ok bye and thanks! oh btw, please reblog :)

Parts: one (currently reading) ┆ two ┆three

It had happened again only this time it was worse. It had gone too far. Thanks to Niklaus’ dealings behind his brother’s back, she was in this mess. It wasn’t meant to happen this way, this was not the plan but when did Klaus ever listen to anyone but himself?

The sun had risen and set twice so Y/N knew she had been held captive for at least two and a half days. She would question why he was taking so long to find them but that’s not an answer she really wanted to know. She knows he’d say he was working his hardest, doing his best but that wasn’t why. He would never admit it.

Her head had finally stopped its incessant pounding, at the time she could feel the rush of blood. She could smell it too, yesterday she was sure she tasted it. Copper, similar to that of a coin or the end of a small battery. She couldn’t think of other things that tasted like blood, those were the first two. Her hands were bound in shackles and she was in a cell that was as dark as the night. She doesn’t remember how she got here, one minute they were making a deal then an ambush and now she’s in a cell. It didn’t matter how she got, she knew who got her here.

He was sitting in a cell across from hers, head hung low, coughing every minute or so. For the first time since they got here, she finally got a good look at him. His bloodied shirt had stuck to him like a second skin. The dried blood on his chin vividly reminded her of last night when he sank his fangs into their throats, a cheshire smile on his face as they died. One by one, they fell but before he could applaud himself, he was on his knees. Screaming whilst he held his head with both hands, a stake plunged through him from the back to the front. He spluttered bloody saliva all over before falling. The witches smirked at his temporarily dead body before disappearing just as quick as they appeared.

We had decided to make the deal at the graves. I’m sure there’s some irony somewhere in there, something about deals and devils. The witches had wanted a certain foe defeated and in return, they’d leave the family alone. I went along because I alone could calm both sides should anything arise, and of course things did rise. Niklaus being the paranoid man-child that he is, decided to make a side deal. He agreed to get rid of said foe but only after he learned why the witches feared him. It’s no secret they could’ve killed their enemy but something was stopping them and that is what Klaus wanted.

Y/N couldn’t care less about it all. Yes she was curious why the witches couldn’t just do it themselves but she wasn’t curious enough to help their enemy. The entire time during the meeting, she knew something was off. She found out about Klaus’ deal at the same time as everyone else but that wasn’t it. Something was in the air, it felt chilling and cold. It wasn’t death, she knew what that felt like and this wasn’t it. She knew it’d reveal itself but it’d be too late.

It wasn’t until Niklaus had fallen that she figured it out. There was no foe, the witches had planned it all. It was a trap but not just any ordinary one that ended in exchanges. This ended with someone’s death, hers.

“Still trying to work it out?”

He was awake again. The coughing had stopped but it’d start again in less than a minute.

“Won’t you speak to me?”

A few seconds.

“Y/N, I’m–” the coughing fit started before he could finish.

There it was. It’ll happen again in two minutes. Yes, she had been keeping track of his breathing, not that she needed to. He’d be fine.

“Fine. Don’t speak then.” His voice sounded gravely.

Silence descended upon us for a few seconds before his coughing fit began anew. At this point he was just pretending and doing too much.

“Could you shut up?”

“Ah, she speaks. Got worried you died on me, I’d never hear the end of it from him.”

Y/N had grown tired of him. She’d grown tired of his coughing and his words, hell his whole existence bothered her. Once upon a time he was more to her but never again.

She had laid down and placed her legs on the wall, her body was at a ninety degree angle. Her eyes had been closed before she made the wrong decision of speaking to him. Planting her feet firmly against the wall, she pushed herself off of it and got up in a sitting position. Her legs weren’t bound, there was no need, but they weren’t strong enough to walk so she crawled from the corner of her cell towards the bars. She could see him much more clearly now. There was a vervain plant tied to the vent that blew directly at him. On the other vent, there was a wolfsbane plant. That explained the obnoxious coughing. If he were a normal vampire or wolf, he’d be dead.

“Why’d you do it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Since when have witches asked us for help without a hidden agenda?”

“Please. You didn’t do it out of the goodness of your heart, you have none. You wanted to team up with their enemy in hopes of having something over the witches but it backfired.”

“Did it?”

“You’re so blind, it’s laughable. What a spoiled bastard you are.”

He growled at that. Y/N always knew precisely what to say to get under his skin. He hated the name even though it’s what he was.

“Don’t.” He warned.

“What bastard? Enlighten me on what you’ll do.”

“Y/N don’t start. Not now.”

“I would’ve let you die. I did let you die.”

“I’m still here.”

“Because of him.”

Y/N pulled away from the bars but not before she saw the flash of hurt on his face. She didn’t stare long enough to decipher it, she turned around and leaned her head against the wall. Closing her eyes as though that would shut him out.

~ flashback ~

Niklaus regretted his decision ever since that day. He had met Y/N first a little over 100 years ago, paying respects to her dead at the cemetery. She sat outside on the black metallic bench that was next to a huge grey mausoleum. He assumed it to be her familys’. He was meeting a witch in the cemetery, not too far from where he currently was but something kept him still. He stood there and watched her, half wanting to say hello but also walk away. He should’ve walked away.

“Are you going to hide and ogle all day or will you come out?”

He had been caught. A small smile found its way to his face and he walked forward until he was no more than four steps away from her.

“Sorry, I didn't think you’d notice.”

“Because I’m not a vampire?” She arched a perfectly shaped brow up. “I don’t need to see you in order to feel you.”

“I see. And what do you feel?”

“That’s a broad question. I feel sad that they’re dead, I feel tired from work, and I feel that you should be elsewhere.”

“Would you like to know what I feel?”

“For me?”

“Presumptuous but yes.” He smirked.

“It’d be presumptuous if there were others but since it’s just me, it’s not.”

The smirk remained on his face. Something about her made him want to know more. “Do you always speak your mind?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“No reason at all. It’s refreshing.”

“You’re good at that, you know.”

“What?”

“Stalling.”

He looked down at his feet and chuckled. Caught again. She pulled her eyes away from him and looked up at the sky. In a few hours, it’d be a full moon so she needed to get going. She got up from her seat and placed her phone in one pocket and keys in the other. He knew she was leaving but didn’t know what to say to keep her longer. It’d been ages since he met someone he could easily banter with, he liked her the moment he laid eyes on her. It wasn’t her light brown eyes that looked golden in the sunlight that he liked. Or her breast length curly midnight black hair or physical attributes. Nor was it her sense of style, her boldness, or the wit he knew she had. It was simply just her.

He offered to walk her to the main street and to his surprise, she accepted. They walked in silence but it was peaceful. He would steal glances every now and then but she’d catch him each time. She didn’t complain, only smiled. Her hands remained crossed against her chest, his hands were interlocked behind him like the gentleman he was. The closer they got, the noise became louder. Once they reached, she scanned the crowd and he watched her then turned to face him. She thanked him for the company but kept her distance, he accepted and gave a genuine smile. Before it got awkward, she walked away and disappeared into the crowd. He didn’t even know her name but that didn't matter. He could never forget her face.

Over the next course of days, he would actively search for her. He’d return to the mausoleum to look for her. He didn’t want to ask about her because he enjoyed being the only one that knew her. She was safe. The moment he’d ask around, she wouldn’t be. One day he found her in the place he least expected but should have. She was in Rousseau's, sitting on one of the bar stools at the far end. Her head was hung low as she nursed her drink, Camille offered a sympathetic smile. Without thinking it through, he walked in and made a beeline for her.

Before he even said a word, she had already turned around. Even though her eyes were sad, her face still smiled.

“Hello again.”

“You didn’t hide this time.”

“Would that make you smile?”

“Smile?”

“You’re sad, upset. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She turned to Camille and silently thanked her then looked down at her purse. She rummaged through it but he was faster than her, he quickly placed a fifty dollar bill. Camille smiled and took it without a word then turned and left them.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know.”

“I can pay.”

“I know.”

She sighed and finally looked up at him. “What do you want?”

“To know what upset you.”

She stood up from her seat, tripping all the while but he held her. His arms were around her waist, holding firm. The heel of her black stiletto boot was broken. She groaned when she realized that it was also stuck in the bar stool. She had a habit of putting her feet inside stools, she’d been doing it ever since she was a child. Her feet would dangle but once she was old enough, she’d sit on stools just so she could put her feet under it but this was the first time she got stuck. He let her go once she was steady and leaned down to remove her leg. The broken heel fell down, he picked it up but not before removing her shoe.

“Thank you. Looks like I’ll be needing a new pair.” She said as she lifted her other leg to remove the other shoe.

“As much as I like this bar, I don’t believe its floors are clean to walk on.”

“I have to get home, I’ll just shower when I'm there.”

“Alright but not alone.”

Before she could think, let alone say anything, she was lifted off the ground and sped out of the establishment. He placed her down the instant they were outside. He was worried she’d yell at him for picking her up but instead she looked at him and just walked ahead slowly. He picked his pace up a bit and soon they were side by side, speaking of the night. He knew she didn’t want to talk so he didn’t push, that was something out of his character but he didn’t mind it. During their walk, he learned her name and she, his. He didn’t speak of his family besides the fact that he had five siblings, one brother was dead. He learned she was an only child, her parents were alive but didn’t live in New Orleans. They walked and spoke until her home came into view, she hated living in the city and in complexes so her parents gave her the family home before they left. She was there alone.

“This is me.” Y/N stopped in front of a white stone house with black framed windows and door.

“It’s lovely. I assume you enjoy the quietness, aside from the neighbors of course.”

“I do. And they don’t bother, their children can get quite loud though.”

The neighborhood was mainly for family but that’s precisely why she stayed there. It was safe. All the supernatural beings kept to the French Quarter, the others to the bayou, but these neighborhoods were safe.

“Thank you again. For the shoe and the company.”

“Anytime.”

Y/N felt it but didn’t know if she should do anything. She wasn’t going to do it, she was just thinking about it. He felt it but what was it and would he act on it, he thought to himself. For the second time that evening, without thinking, he reached for her hand and pulled her gently towards him. He tucked back a stray strand of her hair but took his time memorizing her face in the moonlight. Her lips seemed fuller and those brown eyes now looked darker. He took one step forward to completely close the gap between them. Her heart was racing and her cheeks were flushed but still she looked calm. He smiled at the thought then placed his right palm on her cheek, lowered it until he reached her chin. He tilted it up and left a soft chaste kiss on her lips.

Y/N smiled at its gentleness and closed her eyes. She let her shoes fall on the patio and snaked one arm around his shoulder, the other found its way into his hair. Combing through it once, she felt him sigh contently on her lips and did it again. The kiss was no longer gentle or chaste, it was now filled with lust. Neither wanted to give up dominance but one had to, sadly it was him. She had found one of his sweet spots, running her long white manicured nail, she dragged it up and down his neck then around his ear. He had groaned softly but that was all it took for her tongue to enter. They were practically swallowing each other…in a…well in that way.

Somehow her back was against the door, his hands were all over her. She pulled away from the kiss, long enough to point to her purse. He understood and reached down for it, handing it to her. She removed her keys with ease and quickly turned around to unlock the door. Once inside, she tossed the purse on the table along with the keys then turned to face him.

“Please, come.” She welcomed him in…in more ways than one.

“Oh I will.” He smirked and walked in, shutting the door behind him.

“Jump.” He commanded and she obliged then he sped upstairs to where he figured a bedroom was.

It wasn’t long after they located her room, that they barged in hastiness. This door too was shut and off came his leather jacket then his grey shirt. Her tight black jeans and her shirt followed his clothes on the floor. She sat on the foot of her bed in nothing but her blood red lingerie. She’d have picked a much sexier one if she knew this would happen. His movements slowed as he took her in, like a predator stalking its prey, he walked towards her slowly. His eyes never moved from hers. She slightly opened her legs to give him a small preview and once his eyes left hers and stared below, she quickly closed them. Using her index finger, she called him over. Where this newfound confidence came from was beyond her but she didn’t care, she was going with it.

“You look absolutely gorgeous.” He breathed once he reached her.

“I’d say the same to you.” She pointed at his pants and he smirked. He removed them slowly, almost like a striptease. A wide grin found its way onto her face.

He was now in front of her, hands on the bed next to her, he leaned forward and she leaned back. Her legs dangled off the bed while she laid down, facing the ceiling. He was on top of her within seconds, his chest hovered above her breasts and he purposefully lowered himself just to feel her. She propped herself up on her elbows and reached up to kiss him. His head lowered down to her and once again, their kiss turned lustful. He reached his hands down to her legs and wrapped them around his waist. She pulled away, her chest rising and falling quickly. She moved backwards until her head felt the headboard behind her.

“Tell me what you want.”

“You.”

“Oh you’ll have me love.” He smiled a toothy grin. “You’ll have all of me.”

She could practically moan from the words, the innuendos clear. With her legs still wrapped around him, she grinded herself against him, earning several groans. He placed one hand on her silky sheer bra that covered her breasts. He didn’t want to take it off, no, he liked seeing her breasts cupped. She noticed how he stared at her chest, she lowered one of her hands down to push both sides of the bra away from her breasts, leaving them completely exposed. Without a word, she placed her hand onto the back of his head and lowered it down to her breasts. Once he reached closer, his lips parted instantly to suck in a nipple. She let out a soft moan and the more he sucked, the more she moaned.

“Niklaus, please.” He was now gently nibbling on her nipples, alternating every few seconds.

“Mmm, please what love?” He spoke with a mouthful of her.

“More. I want more.”

“What would you like?”

“Both of them in your mouth.”

His head lifted from her chest as he flashed her a smile. She put both hands on either side of her breasts and pushed upwards. He opened his mouth wide and managed to take both nipples at once. Good lord her breasts were big but oh how he loved it. He sucked, bit, and licked to his heart’s content. She closed her eyes to let herself feel it all and enjoy it. He burrowed his face between her breasts and shook it, making them bounce in all directions while his fingers pinched the nipples. Motorboating had never been so fun. He could do this all night but he really wanted to feel her and taste her in other parts.

He pulled his face up and looked at her, her eyes shone with excitement. Reaching one hand between her legs, he slipped it inside her panties and caressed her. The gasp that left her mouth made him smile and repeat his actions. He slid his fingers down her folds, he didn’t want to enter yet. He paid attention to every movement she made, from the tightening of her legs to the thrust of her hips. Just as he had done, she reached between them and slid her hand into his boxers. She had yet to see him but something told her he’d satisfy her beyond her needs. She found him and her mouth widened at how big he felt. Oh hell yes.

“I’d like to taste you.” She said as she stroked him slowly.

“I wanted you first.”

“How about at the same time?”

“You have a filthy mind and I love it.” He smirked then pulled his hand away and she did the same.

He wrapped his arms around her and quickly flipped them over. She was now on top of him but she turned around so her back faced him. Backing up, she lowered herself until she was only inches away. He lifted his head up and used his teeth to drag her panties down. His breath on her mound made her moan. She lowered her head and removed his boxers, eager to see him. He did not disappoint. He was large and thick, every girl’s dream.

Y/N ran her fingers up and down his cock. Her tongue was dripping in anticipation, she put the head in her mouth and let it go with a pop. She repeated this act several times, sometimes going faster and other times torturously slow. While she enjoyed him, he was having just as much fun, if not more, with her. His tongue did all sorts of tricks from laying flat to twisting then curving. Her sounds let him know what a wonderful job he was doing.

Once they were satisfied and had come, as promised, they would take a break then start all over again. This went on for at least an hour, not that they were aware. Y/N had just had her eighth orgasm, or was it her ninth, she couldn’t recall. He got up to get a towel to clean her with but by the time he had returned, she was already falling asleep. They hadn’t begun yet, he had yet to feel her pink wetness and she had her to feel him stretch her. Alas, he wasn’t going to wake her, he wanted her to be fully awake and not at all intoxicated, except on the pleasurable high he gave her, the day he took her. For now, he cleaned her up, managed to find a big shirt to dress her in, and tucked her in. He left her room then eventually her home and went to his own. He’d see her tomorrow. They could try tomorrow.

Tomorrow came and after several assumptions, she had decided to ask Niklaus directly what had happened. Nothing had but something would, he joked. It wasn’t like her, sleeping with a man she met weeks ago and only spoke to twice or thrice in passing. This may be fun for others but not her, she had too much respect for her body. She wanted something meaningful, not a one night stand. Since that night, she avoided him at all costs until the witches started a form of partnership with him. Ever since they had seen her speaking to him, they figured she could represent them and meet with his family on their behalf. She did as told but often she met with Elijah or Rebekah, the moment she knew he’d be there, she refused to go and made an excuse. One day she simply couldn’t.

“Hello?” Y/N had walked into this medieval looking compound that sorely lacked in life.

“Y/N.” He was here.

“I’m here for the book and necklace.” She didn’t want to be here any longer than needed.

“My sister is working on it. Would you like to sit?”

“Have her call me when she’s done, I’ll return then.”

“Have I done something wrong love?”

“Call me when she’s done.”

“Please, tell me how I’ve offended you.”

He hadn’t offended her. He hadn’t done a thing wrong but she knew he can’t be what she wants. They had flirted and done much more than that but it was done. It was better this way, easier to end it now than later when feelings had grown. He could have any other woman, just not her.

“You haven’t. I’m here because the witches are working with your family, that is all.”

He walked forward until he stood in front of her, with one hand he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. “Can you stay? For me…with me?”

“Niklaus, I have–”

“Please call me Nik.”

The way he was looking at her made her want to give him everything he could ever ask of her. He looked at her the same way as he had in her bedroom that night. The same way he had that day he met her in the cemetery. Y/N could only describe this look as want. He wanted her but more than anything he wanted to be wanted by her. Ever since that night and her evading him, he had wanted to see her. He didn’t want to scare her away so he respected her wishes to meet with his siblings instead of him. Today he had been lucky to be home. He wasn’t going to let her go without trying. He wanted to know what it would be like to be loved by her.

“I’ll stay with you.” That sentence was going to be their undoing.

~ flashback ~ 

Klaus opened his eyes and watched her from across his cell. If he could somehow rewind time, he would for her. He would have done anything for her, he still would, but she wanted nothing to do with him. He deserved it, he knows he did. All he had left were memories of her.

She laughed in a way that made her whole face light up, her smile was wide and bright, her eyes were full of life, and her cheeks rose. He remembered how she would hold him to her chest and play with his curls, the thought of it made him smile. Her hugs felt like home especially after threats that had been made towards her. He’d hug her so tightly until he was sure she was still there.

Though his favorite memory had to be their first date. He booked an impromptu plane ticket to Italy and quite literally whooshed her to the airport and their hotel once they’d landed. She hadn’t complained at all, she was too giddy to do so. He would remember every single detail of that day until the day he died and even after.

He had a hard time expressing his feelings but not when it came to her, it was during their night walk on the beach after dinner when he told her he was in love with her. He whispered it but she heard him. Without a word, she smiled and said ‘finally, about damn time’ which made him laugh. She returned the sentiment but she didn’t have to, he knew how she felt about him.

They were meant to be there for a day or two but that turned into two weeks. Everyday she had asked if they had to return to New Orleans, she’d try to change his mind into staying and she would’ve won if it wasn’t for the attack on his family. Oh how he would’ve loved to ignore everyone and only be with her. She warned that things would change if they returned, he thought she was just worried but she was right. Things did change, drastically.

He should’ve listened to her, he always did but this time he hadn’t. If he’d listened, they would be together and somewhere across the world blissfully happy but instead she was covered in blood and chained in a cell. The woman he loved, the one he wanted to wed now would wed another. His older brother.

All he had were memories of her. Memories she had erased. God, what he’d give to rewind time.

A/N: hi again! how did you like this? all feedback is welcomed. there will be a part 2 coming in the next few days, maybe another part depending on how long it is. this isn’t a series, it’s meant to be a oneshot but then it became exceedingly long to put it all here (over 10k words) so it’s divided into parts. once i write the second part, i will link it here. ok well, have a good day/night!! oh and reblog and comment please :) 

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[raziraphale]

I've learned not to trust my memory, so I wanted to make a note for myself of some things I enjoyed from the Neptune production of RAGAD before it all leaks out my ears. It's mostly for me but thought I'd post it here in case it's interesting to anyone else.

Note for people that aren't me: this is the only production of RAGAD I've seen live. I've seen the movie and the 2017 NTL recording as of writing this, for reference. So, forgive me if I gush about elements/choices that are common to RAGAD productions and not unique to this one lol. Also I was an English major but not a theatre guy outside some Shakespeare, so also bear with me if I'm lacking some specific terms.

Performances:

I feel like this almost goes without saying but Boyd and Monaghan are excellent as Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. Their chemistry is great. There was an excellent rhythm to their dialogue together that was really fast-paced without feeling artificial (imo there is a certain point where performers talk so fast it can only feel fake. They were all believable enthusiam).

I particularly liked Monaghan's Rosencrantz! like there was just something so earnest about him. He had this character tic of chewing on his finger most of the time out of anxiety or inattention and that stuck out for me for some reason. It was endearing. Also the line "I wanted to make you happy" made the whole theatre let out a wounded animal noise.

Also Boyd's Guildenstern really did a good job of projecting an aura of "person trying really hard to appear in control but may also snap any moment". Control freak recognizing control freak o7

The Player (Michael Blake) was amazing. He had such huge stage presence that you really believed the character was a seasoned performer. I fully believe this man could successfully sell me snake oil with the power of his presence alone.

Personal note but I was jazzed to see Drew Douris-O'Hara as Alfred. I'm not a regular Neptune patron so I don't know how often he appears in their productions, but I have seen many a Shakespeare By The Sea show in my time so he's a very familiar face. Always a really fun presence.

I also feel like I have to mention Ophelia (Helen Belay) even though she obviously doesn't get much to do here. The actress really sold every small appearance though like my heart broke a little every time I saw her in anticipation for her off-stage fate. Less important but have you ever seen a woman so beautiful you started crying?

Costumes:

I really liked Ros and Guil's tattered suits. They looked like they were dragged behind a horse. These are the clothes of two guys that have been trapped in a play for like 50 years, truly.

They also had an inverted colour scheme (Ros had a blue suit with a green waistcoat, Guil had a green suit with blue waistcoat) that really emphasized the two-sides-of-the-same-coin/ yin & yang vibe. Also the colours weren't really shared by the rest of the cast much (they tended to be a bit more muted) so it made them stand out as separate from the rest of what was happening.

Also personal note but I was enchanted by Monaghan's slightly stupid-looking grown-out fauxhawk. He basically had a lesbian mullet haircut. That combined with his single dangly earring was a Look.

The Player's coat was gorgeous. It felt grand but also appropriately dated/worn. It wasn't fully a feather jacket, but it had a smattering of large feathers that got more dense as it went down. It kind of reminded me of a vulture, honestly, which I think is fitting, with him being an opportunist that loves some corpses.

Script:

Misc. Stage Stuff:

Unless I'm really mistaken, I think they cut/modified the few lines with some outdated racial terms (I have two specifically in mind, referring to Chinese and Inuit people). So unless I just somehow missed hearing those, that's nice.

Just a note to say that the line about who the English King is will depend on when they get to England got a huge laugh. Thank you to King Charles' cancer for making everything funnier

The lighting !!! It really did a lot to separate the scenes from Hamlet from the rest of it. The stage was dark for most of it, with cool lighting (like a blue darkness). For the Hamlet portions, though, the lights were suddenly bright and warm yellow. That combined with the differences in the performances gave a strong impression that the curtain had just suddenly risen on a more traditional production of Hamlet right in the middle of Ros and Guil just doing whatever.

I really liked how they used the two risers on wheels they had (not sure if that's the right word -- they were those three-tiered platforms I remember from doing choir in school. Kind of like bleachers). They looked like they belonged on an empty stage and also gave the actors something interesting to climb on. They were able to reposition them pretty easily with the wheels, which really worked for the portions on the boat tbh. They just pushed them together so that the lower tiers touched to create a half-pipe-shaped skeletal "boat". They could climb "above deck", or even go below while still being fully visible from whatever angle. The whole thing was spun around a lot during the pirate attack, which was fun.

The risers also separated the stage really well in the first two acts. For most of it, there was one on the left side facing the audience, for characters to sit on, and one on the right facing backwards and partially obscured by the curtain they had covering that side of the stage. The curtain was backlit, so you could see the silhouettes of anything behind it. At some points, you could actually see shadows of events in Hamlet happening in the background while Ros and Guil were doing their thing in the foreground. Unfortunately I didn't get the best look at them, bc I was sitting at far right of my row, so the far right of the stage was partially out of my sight line. Still a really cool effect!

They did turn the risers fully around to face the back during the players' performance of The Murder of Gonzago, with the curtain pulled across. You saw the shadow of the king standing up and storming out.

For the final scene, they did the expected thing, where Ros and Guil are alone in the dark, illuminated by a single narrow spotlight each. The spotlight goes out when each of them die and they disappear from view. The detail that made me insane though is that each time a spotlight went out, they played the sound of a flipped coin hitting the stage and the audience was so quiet it felt like a gunshot both times.

After all the deaths they had Rosencrantz and Guildenstern start from the opening scene again tossing coins for a bit before the final curtain. They did not escape the narrative 😔

Will add more if anything else comes to mind?

#this felt good to write out #cementing the details in my brain #since alas I cannot follow the show to toronto #and it doesn't look like it's going to get filmed #which is a travesty #beyond lucky to be able to see it at all #things like this never come out my way it's nice lol #reilly.txt #rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead

[bloobluebloo]

Hi! 3,4 and 24 for ganondorf, for the character ask 👋😌

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

How he barely, if ever, gets to interact with the Gerudo. He is described as the one male born every 100 years, as their king, their guardian, and their hero, respected by his people and hated by a select few, the interviews around TotK suggesting that Zelda was to learn what being a ruler meant by observing the way Ganondorf and Rauru ruled their people but we never see any of that. If Ganondorf is middle-aged/older, then he must have been ruling his people for enough of a stretch of time for word to have gotten out on if he was an oppressive ruler or not. It just frustrates me that the writing is entirely committed to describing him as evil and power hungry, then also giving him very distinctive character traits and then refusing to elaborate on any of them. It's like they're afraid that if they give Ganondorf any other personality trait that it might lessen his impact as an evil demon king. Personally, the fact that they double down on not giving him any personality just encourages me to view him as less evil hahaha.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

As someone who imagines stupid scenarios all the time, I think if he were put in a world like One Piece his character would be viewed in a completely different light. He could be someone like Marshall D. Teach aka Blackbeard, well learned of the world, well aware of the oppressive nature of the World Government and their claims to rulership, manipulating their rules to his own ends, and then breaking free of their influence to become a powerhouse of his own, willing to break the rules, recruit those that share similar agendas, arrogant and comfortable in his own power, and probably of the belief that he could rule his seas a lot better than the World Government can. He would still be an antagonist, but probably given a lot more character. Another one would absolutely be Overlord, where he would finally get to be the protagonist overthrowing heroes and kings who have grown complacent and corrupt under the notion of their divine and privileged bloodlines to enforce his own dark rule.

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

Marshall D. Teach and Luffy in turn, though both characters are basically two sides of the same coin personality and ambition-wise, willing to punch up at higher forces all the time. Beelzemon for his status as demon king yet being a loner who does things on his own and wants to fight and overpower powerful opponents as a marker of his own power. I think Ganondorf is enough of a blank slate that he can easily relate to other characters I see in other media.

Questions here!

#thanks for the ask! #ganonthots