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chaethewriter · 1 year

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You're dead to me [6]

dad!Jake Sully x human!daughter!reader

In which Jake Sully leaves his life on earth to settle down with the Omatikaya people as Toruk Makto. Having a family that consists of four kids with Neytiri, everything seems to work out just fine, but what if the past comes back for him? And his babygirl is right there in front of him?

warning: english isn't my first language, barely proofread, i lowkey don't like this chap but it's cute, fluff and angst, silly siblings, sad Jake.

Word count: 3,1k

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Your flight back to high camp was amazing. Walking through the forest was something enchanting, out of a fairy tale, but the view from above was something so unrealistic. Colors of green, pink, and blue covered the ground beneath you, and the way the animals climbed the trees or flew just under you. You still couldn't believe where you were. You let go of the reins Neteyam told you to hold and you slightly get up from your seat, holding your body up as you tried to get a better view of everything around you. Neteyam frantically holds onto your arm, "sit down! You're going to fall!"

"As if you would let me fall, who will take care of my younger brother then?" You playfully hit him in the chest with your elbow. Lo'ak then came gliding next to the two of you, "bro! Did you already think of the excuse you're giving mom and dad by being late and bringing (Y/N) with us?" Neteyam groans in response, "I will think of something as an excuse. We are going to hide her in high camp until tomorrow morning by then." You huffed at his words, "hide me in high camp? What are you going to put me in? In a fucking woven bag?!" Lo'ak answered your question as a matter of fact, "I mean, you would easily fit in the bag?" You were ready to jump from Neteyam's Ikran right onto Loak's Ikran, ready to pounce on him. He might be your much younger brother, but you weren't afraid to fight the Na'vi right there and then. "Sis please!" Neteyam wraps his arm around your waist to pull you down, keeping you in place. Even though you were older than them, you had childish traits he thought you wouldn't have. Is this the effect of growing up early and finally feeling free? Would he get to experience that too one day?

As they approached high camp, the horns were heard through the night skies to notify the clan of a return, their return. Kiri facepalmed and looked at Neteyam, "well, there goes your plan. Ready to face the wrath?" His spine shuddered at the question, imagining the wrath of his mother if they took their sister to the clan, but they didn't have another choice now, did they? They couldn't leave you alone out in the open and you were supposed to get here tomorrow anyway, so might as well make you settle down, right? The three Ikrans land right at the opening of the mountains and your four Na'vi siblings climb off it with ease, meanwhile you struggle to get off the animal. You never rode a horse before, imagine a banshee ten times the size. Alright, maybe that was an exaggeration, but the banshees were huge compared to your human self. You huffed in embarrassment as you had a hard time getting off. You were one of the finest warriors and embarrassing yourself in front of a whole clan wasn't on your bucket list, definitely not. Neteyam held your legs as helped you down and you silently thanked him for doing so. The clan surrounded the five of you, standing in a half circle as they stared at you, either with curiosity or weariness. You felt watched, but not in a good way. You were a sky human after all, demon blood in their eyes. Neteyam stepped in front of you, half-shielding you from the prying eyes of his clan, "mawey Na'vi, mawey!" His chest puffed out as he spoke, shoulders broad. You watched him in awe. He was still a child, yet a fine warrior and respected by all. He would be such a good Olo'eyktan. The Na'vi made way as the Tsahik and her daughter passed through, moving to the front with ease as the clan parted like the red sea. You moved away from behind Neteyam, now standing right next to him as you brought your hand to your forehead, "Oel Ngati Kameie." You greeted Mo'at and Neytiri with respect once they were right in front of the crowd.

"I already expected your arrival, (Y/N) Sully." You're shocked that the Tsahik herself announced the news, just like that. The clan started whispering amongst themselves at the mention of the Olo'eyktan's last name and you felt yourself crumbling through the ground. Even Neytiri, your stepmother (?), looked surprised. You didn't know if that surprised expression was meant for the fact her mother announced it or the fact you're her mate's daughter. "I'm- thank you for having me." You bowed your head to show your gratitude, then your gaze traveled to Neytiri. She was already looking at you with those yellow eyes that had so much emotion hidden in them. You felt like she had a lot to say and you felt the same. "My people, mawey. Welcome (Y/N) Sully, daughter of the Olo'eyktan like she's one of our people. She's here to protect us from the dangerous sky demons." Mo'at had her back turned to you as she spoke to her people, emphasizing the fact that you're Jake Sully's child. If she did this to keep you safe, you are in debt to her. Yet, wouldn't something like this make it more complicated? Since you emotionally disowned him as your father? You did, right? You're getting pulled out of your thoughts by a hand harshly wrapping around your wrist. Your head turned to the person in front of you, it was Neytiri. She didn't say anything as she pulled you away from the crowd. Your breath hitched in your mask as you grew nervous, but you didn't complain. She didn't rip your head off, so she wanted to talk to you, right? Tuk looked after you as her mother pulled you away. She looked over at her big brother as she tugged his loincloth, "what is happening?" Tuk was still young, she didn't understand anything that was happening. "It's okay, Tuk! Let's get some food" Lo'ak patted her head, his hands running through her locks. Kiri nodded in agreement, taking Tuk's hand and pulling her to the fire to get their dinner. Neteyam looked after you as his mom and his sister entered their pod, hoping things wouldn't turn more complicated for you.

"Ma'am, what did you want to talk about?" You asked politely once you entered the pod, yet still tried to push her to get to the point. You still remembered how she acted when you taunted your father for questioning his parenting. Neytiri closed the flap of the entrance as she turned to you, cautiously walking over to you. Once she was close enough, she got on her knees for the height difference to not be too intimidating as she spoke, "You're my mate's daughter." You didn't know if it was a question or an extra form of confirmation, but you nodded your head yes. "And you're human." You nodded your head again. "I don't like you, you reek of demon blood." You rolled your eyes. You had to see that one coming."But tell me, child." Your head tilted to the side as you watched her in confusion. Tell her? Tell her what exactly? Neytiri could sense your confusion, so she continued explaining, "what happened, child. Tell your part." You knew it was a demand, yet you couldn't sense a lot of grudges. Her tone was stern and demanding, but not hateful. It was the voice of a wise woman, a wise mother. You decided to make yourself comfortable: taking a seat, sitting your butt on the soft woven carpets as you leaned against the wooden wall. "He was an amazing dad. He didn't see himself as it, but he tried. He tried for me and that's what made him amazing." You fiddled with your mask as you didn't know where to keep your hands, obviously nervous about telling Neytiri about all this. She nodded in understanding, taking a seat as well as she kept quiet to let you continue at your own pace. "Then he left so suddenly and he never returned. I had to hear from the people around me where he went. I waited for years and eventually gave up." Your hands were now lying in your lap as you moved your legs in a cross-legged position, much more comfortable than your last one, "until this day, I hold a grudge against him. He abandoned me, so I am giving him a taste of his own medicine." You didn't notice that your eyes were once again welling up with tears. Your left hand moved towards your mask to try and push it closer towards your face in an attempt to hide. Thank Eywa the mask wasn't transparent. Neytiri leaned towards you, even though she was very weary of you, she awkwardly extended her arm towards you to wipe your tears. Only for a few seconds as she pulled her hand away quickly, but your eyes still widened at the gesture, not knowing how to feel about all this, "you're a strong child with a strong heart, for a sky demon." She then got up and out of the pod. Now that you were finally alone, you once again got lost in your thoughts as you thought about your father.

Once Jake left to Eywa-knows-where, she turned to the backdoor of the pod, "I know you're there. All of you." Neteyam was the first to walk out with his ears flat against his head, followed by Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk. She looked at her children with a sigh as they all held a guilty yet innocent facade up. "If she's dad's daughter, our sister.. would you hate her?" Lo'ak was the first to speak up. Neteyam wanted to honestly hit him on the back of his head for asking questions like that, but he continued, "she's putting her life in danger for us, therefore she's not so bad right? Dad would have wanted you to try if she's his." Those words hit Neytiri like a truck. Even if she hated sky demons, her mate used to be one and he changed a lot in just a few weeks. Why not her? Being the adorable girl that Tuk is, she chimed into the conversation, "Mom I want to meet her! Can I meet her? Another sibling yay!" Neytiri's canines pierced through her bottom lip as she thought. She still disliked you, also because you were a sky demon. She was conflicted with her feelings, but then she thought about Jake's sad expression. She would be willing to try, for him. Just like how he always tried for her.

From the corner of his eye, Lo'ak noticed how his mother left the pod, meaning you were alone now. At the same time, a horn went off, indicating an arrival. All their heads turned to the opening of the mountain, noticing a familiar ikran about to land. Their father. The four siblings exchanged a look and Neteyam spoke up, "Kiri get some fruits for her and get her away from there. Tuk, Lo'ak, and I will take care of dad. Go!" Kiri followed his orders as she ran to get some leftovers for you to eat, meanwhile, Neteyam immediately went to his father. Lo'ak crouched down to his youngest sibling, "Okay, so don't say anything about sis (Y/N) alright? Dad can't know yet, alright?" Tuk didn't really understand what he meant, but she just nodded as a response, "yes!"

"Sister (Y/N)?" You removed your face from your knees as you were sitting with your knees to your chest, "Oh Kiri, what's wrong?" She walked towards you with a bunch of fruits in her arms, "I got these for you." You chuckled at the small gesture, "thank you so much, but I hope you know I can't eat all that." She looked at the fruits in her arms, "I mean, rather too much than not enough, right? Come on, let's go to the Tsahik." It looked like she was in a rush and you raised your eyebrows at her, "Kiri, what's up? You look tense?" You got up from the ground. "Just follow me!" She already walked out before you could answer her, leaving you all confused and lost. But you obeyed her and followed suit after her.

"My children please just let me be for tonight, I'm tired." Jake wanted to be alone right now. His heart ached in his chest and his eyes were bloodshot red as his tears were drying up. He wanted to find Mo'at and talk to her. "We want to show you something, you must come!" Neteyam never asked something like this of his dad, not since he was ten years old. So this made him feel suspicious. "Yes! Tuk made something so beautiful and she wants to show it, right Tuk!" Lo'ak made up the quickest thing he could think of, eyes gazing down at Tuk who didn't know what to say. She glanced at Neteyam who nodded, so she looked into his eyes with determination, "Yes! You must follow us!"

You sat in Mo'at's tent as Kiri cut up some fruit for you. The moment the two of you entered the tent, she knew that you needed a moment for yourself and left the tent in your hands. You sat on one of the mats as Kiri sat next to you, cutting the fruits up for you to eat. You inhaled into your oxygen mask, letting the oxygen flow through your lungs before you removed the mask, took a piece of freshly cut fruit and popped it in your mouth, reattaching the mask to your mouth to gasp. Kiri watched you in awe as you chewed your food, "that's honestly so cool." She quickly finished up and put her hunter's knife back on her hip. "Eat well and rest up, alright? You got a long day ahead of you tomorrow." "Goodnight and thank you" the two of you exchanged a smile as she left the tent. You continued eating your pieces of fruit in peace, listening to the sound of the clan talking as their laughs filled the air. You popped a fruit in your mouth before reattaching your mask, smiling as you knew you made a good decision. They deserved to be protected.

"What is up with the three of you?" Jake grew frustrated at his children. They were standing in the pod for at least twenty minutes as the three rambled about the most bullshit subjects. "Do you know that I made this flower crown?" "Yes, you told me last week, Tuk." He tried once again to exit the pod, but Neteyam jumped in front of it as he scratched the back of his head, looking at Lo'ak for any other excuse. He was the best at pulling bullshit out of his ass after all. But also Lo'ak was quiet as his ears were pressed firmly against his head. "Well then, if you have nothing to say anymore. I have somewhere to be." His two sons stood there in defeat as they let their dad through, but then Tuk grabbed onto her father's hand, "no you can't!! (Y/N) will be upset if we let you go to her!!" Lo'ak immediately put his hand over Tuk's mouth as Neteyam coughed through that sentence, but unfortunately for them Jake already heard it. To check if he indeed heard that correctly, he crouched down to meet Tuk's gaze, "Lo'ak te Suli Tsyeyk'itan, remove that hand from your sister. Tuk, what did you say?" Her eyes were now also pressed against her head, knowing she said the wrong thing while trying to help her brothers, "uhm.. I said.." she felt overwhelmed as her dad continued to pressure her into telling, making her lips quiver. That was the point when Lo'ak had enough, "you are a terrible father you know that?!" The young Na'vi exploded as he yelled into his father's face. "You abandoned (Y/N) in the most terrible way possible! And now you suddenly crave forgiveness?! You need to earn that! You can't just go around yelling your 'sorries' while sobbing and not do anything?!" His fists were balled as his ears perked up, his tail standing tall, "she has a right to be upset and instead of sulking around you need to talk to her without the need to use your excuses!" And off he went. If he was a cartoon, the steam would have been leaving his ears. He needed to cool off. Neteyam watched his dad's expression falter, knowing Lo'ak was right with every word he said. He silently told Tuk to come with him, as he raised Tuk in his arms, holding her against his hip. "Did I do something wrong?" "No sweetheart, this needed to be done." And the two left the pod, leaving Jake all on his own as he stood still like a statue, painful breaths leaving his lips. He thought it was impossible, but more tears rolled down. Then he remembered Tuk's words. You're here, his daughter is here.

And he knew exactly where to check.

Jake moved from healer's tent to healer's tent. He knew that if you were hiding somewhere, it was somewhere in this area, the healing tents. He swiftly moved from tent to tent in search of your small frame. He eventually got to the biggest tent right in the middle, Mo'ats tent. He ripped the flap open and there you were, sleeping peacefully with the mask on your face to keep you alive. The skin under your eyes were stained with dried tears and a sob left his lips. "My baby.." he moved inside and closed to flap. He knew you didn't want to see him, especially if you woke up, but Lo'ak was right. He needed to try with all his might now, not with only his excuses and words, but also with his actions to show you that he cared for you, like a father. He quietly sat down next you, taking your small hand in his. You moved a bit in your sleep, making Jake tense in his movements, but then you stopped as you rolled a bit closer towards him, towards the warmth you felt. A genuine smile finally plastered his face, he felt at peace.

For now, he decided to enjoy this moment,

not knowing if it would be the last or not.

A/N: another update!! Hope you enjoyed!! And thank you so much for the followers, almost at 2k is a huge achievement! Tell me what you thought of this part. <3 now I'm gonna go ahead and work on my novella fr.

Taglist in the comments!!

#dad!jake sully #dad!jake sully x reader #jake sully x daughter!reader #dad!jake x daughter!reader #dad! jake sully #jake sully x human!reader #jake sully x reader #jake sully #neteyam x sister!reader #lo'ak x sister!reader #sully family x reader #sully family #neteyam #neteyam x reader

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lovebittenbyevans · 20 days

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Behind Closed Doors

Summary: Being married for five years to Gojo Satoru is not all that it seems to be.

Pairing: Actor!Gojo Satoru x Wife!Female Reader

Warnings: angst, cursed words, fame au

Author note: Hello, Welcome to Life In The Spotlight AU Universe series. Enjoy reading this out of order chronological series. Comment, like and reblog.

– I don’t do taglist at all. If you want to keep up just click the notification

Being around the parties, rich celebrities was always a good time to be at. You got used to the fame of being Gojo's girlfriend at first then wife over the years. Everywhere you go with Gojo paparazzi always taking pictures of you two or sometimes a video.

His fans love him like crazy and you were not surprised what an amazing fanbase Gojo has. Even though some of his fans send you death threats every now and then. On social media you had to put your account private because everyday some fans leave nasty comments as well.

Although you were able to live your life the way you wanted while being with Gojo, you started to notice a change in him for the last few months. He was always working which was understandable but he would stop calling you and text you while he is at work on set being busy.

You would send him a lot of voicemail and text messages since he doesn’t answer your calls anymore. He would sometimes come home late drunk and out of his mind. Some days he doesn't bother to say hello to you or kiss you. The connection between you two was slipping away slowly.

You were over it.

You were tired.

You felt your feelings to be all over the place. You can tell he was not the same Gojo you fell in love with and wanted to marry. You can tell the spark between you two is always there but it feels like you two are drifting apart.

Sitting on the bed, you were still deciding whether to go to the Screen Actors Guild Awards this evening. You were so busy this morning being around your friends that you almost forgot about it.

Of course you wanted to show your support for your husband even though you already feel off. You sat there on the bed holding your dress when you heard his voice along with his footsteps. “Babe, are you almost ready?”

He stopped at the door when you glanced up at him. “Babe we are going to be–” You cut him off immediately. “I decided I don’t want to actually go, Gojo.”

Gojo eyes were on you. “What?” He never once heard you turn down any award show you wanted to go to with him.

Your eyes filled with tears as he entered the room. “What do you mean?”

You glanced at him and wiped your tears away swiftly. “This marriage and us, I can't do this anymore.” You continue to speak. “We don’t communicate anymore. It’s obvious you don’t answer my calls and texts. You come home drunk all the time. You are out everyday at some dinner and always at one of your friend’s parties.”

You had to let it out. You've been holding this in for so long that you didn’t know how to tell him. You love Gojo so much but sometimes you wish he was a different person and your marriage could be so much better.

He crosses his arms as his back touches against the wall. “Y/N, I may not be the fairy tale prince you wanted but I treated you good.”

You scoff and meet his gaze. “Fairy tale prince? I never told you I wanted that princess Cinderella bullshit!” Your voice started to get loud.

As he runs his fingers through his white hair, he sighs. “Y/N, don’t lie. You wanted that version with me during this whole marriage and I gave you that.” He knew you were going to not tell him the truth about what you really wanted in this marriage.

“What I wanted!? Wow.” Your voice got even louder. “Gojo, when we met and started seeing each other you were the sweetest guy. I wanted to be with. You were a romantic as well and it’s obvious all you wanted was my attention even after we got married.”

You can’t believe this bullshit. The Gojo you got was when you two first started dating and seeing each other. He hasn’t changed until after you have been married to him for five years.

He shakes his head while listening to you. “You started ignoring me once you went to Chicago for a few months to film that movie you were excited to be in.” Gojo just stood there looking at you. He can see the hurt on your face. He noticed he hasn’t been a good husband to you but he didn’t want to admit it to himself.

“That’s not–I always call you and text you when I am there.” He walked over to the bed and sat down next to you.

You shake your head and move away from him on the bed. “G, you just love lying huh?” For once you wanted him to be honest with you.

He said, pretending to act dumb. “What do you mean, Y/N?”

You scoff. “Don’t be stupid now. You come home drunk all the time. You barely touch me and kiss me anymore. It’s like you are allergic to me.”

“What? I don’t–” You interrupted him before he responded to you. “I AM YOUR WIFE! I am not some fucking random bitch you come home to every so often!”

Gojo's stunning eyes widened in surprise. He never saw you lose your temper like that with him ever. When you and him have a disagreement he always sees you stay calm and humble.

Your heart was racing. You were unable to think at all. You felt your head begin to pound, noticing a slight headache coming along as well.

“Honey I–” He paused when you got up off the bed taking a step straight to the closet. “I–I didn’t know you felt this way.” He mumbles.

You open the closet door and place the dress on a hanger. “How could you? You are too busy being Mr.Hollywood star getting drunk all the time and accompanying a few women.”

The loneliness was starting to creep up on you again. You have felt like this for the last two years and a half.

“Y/N, I would never cheat on you.” He said, honestly.

You placed the dress back in the closet and closed the door. “Well, it seems like your co-star Julia had other ideas for the blogs to know.”

Gojo was confused because he had no idea what you were talking about. He took his phone out of his pocket when he realized the time he had to be at the event.

“Huh? She wouldn’t–” He stopped talking when his phone was buzzing like crazy. He stared at the screen seeing notifications from his friends asking where he was. He clicked on his messages and ignored the ones above.

Gojo doesn’t always check his emails, text messages sometimes because he is a busy man. He kept scrolling and scrolling through his phone when he finally realized a bunch of headlines about him and his co-star Julia for the last few months.

Gojo Satoru spotted out with his co-star Julia at a restaurant

Gojo Satoru seen getting cozy with his co-star Julia on set of their new movie The Angel Above

Gojo Satoru seen drunk with some friends and his co-star Julia

“Where is his wife?” One comment on the article says.

How did he let this get too far?

How has he not seen all of these different headlines in a matter of months?

He turned his phone off as he met your gaze. “Honey, I am sorry.” You let out a fake chuckle while grabbing a pillow and a blanket off the bed. “Too late for sorry. I’ll be sleeping somewhere else when you get back.”

You walked out of the bedroom as Gojo quickly followed behind you. “Wait! Are you leaving me?” You opened the door to the guest room and turned around staring at him. “Have a good night G.”

The door slammed shut before Gojo could get a word out. He stared at the door feeling a tear roll down his cheeks. “Fuck!” Worried that his marriage would fail, he struck the wall with his hand as he went downstairs and out of the house.

#gojo satoru #gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru x you #gojo satoru x female reader #gojo satoru x y/n #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x you #jjk #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jjk x fem!reader #jjk x y/n #jjk gojo #jujutsu gojo #gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo x female reader #gojo x y/n

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astaroth1357 · 1 year

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The Brothers are Damsels in Distress!!

I was flicking through my feed, saw something and went: "But what if Rapunzel??"

Content: Hints of Fairytale AU, but on crack

Scenario: One morning, through utterly inexplicable means, a portal opens up and drops one of the brothers into a cottage-style tower straight out of a fairy tale. The whole room is enchanted so they can't break out on their own. Their only means of communication are their phones and a crystal ball they can use to see what the MC and others are doing.

How are they taking this?

~♡♡♡~

Lucifer

This man is livid. Fuming. Almost apoplectic.

He has no idea what being has decided to put him in this position, but he's already planning on making them Cerberus' next chewtoy the moment he finds his freedom.

After establishing that he can't teleport out, break the walls, jump out the window, tunnel through the floorboards, or just blow up the room out of spite... he finally accepts his fate.

Lucifer... is miserable. He's doing his best to conserve his phone battery so he can still coordinate with his brothers from a distance, but watching them stumble around cluelessly through the crystal ball is honestly painful. He quite frequently shouts at the feed like a football dad screaming at a TV.

He puts all his hopes in MC and Dia coming up with something because everyone else is mostly useless... There were multiple instances where he just holds his head in his hands, resigning to the idea of being stuck there until he's just a dried out skeleton.

Even if they finally get to him, he won't be happy. He'll be humiliated by the whole affair and trying to anything in his power to save face and get out on his own as much as possible. Anyone who values their lives will forget that it ever happened in the future.

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Lucifer! Lucifer!! Let down your-gah!!

*they rub their head and feel something wet hit their fingers*

MC: Was... was that a tomato?!

MC: You know what, fuck you man!! Go help yourself!! 🤬

Mammon

He's flipping out.

An extrovert like Mammon trapped in a room like that all alone?? He'll go stir crazy in three days tops!

It took twenty minutes and 3 selfies for anyone besides the MC to believe that he was trapped in there. ... Then MC raking his brothers over the coals for them to actually start treating it like a priority. He really didn't do it to himself this time, dammit!!

Mammon's ADHD brain is already going mad after a few hours of nothing to do. MC gets piles upon piles of texts ranging from, "Are ya any closer yet??" to "MC, if ya can't get me out of here, take care of Goldie for me... my car too."

They have to reassure him multiple times that he would not, in fact, die in there if they could help it. Though after his phone goes dead from the constant spam, they do start to worry...

If there was any bright side to the situation, Mammon gets to watch his treasured MC absolutely tear his brothers a new one if any one of them so much as think about giving up or postponing the search. Their anger is truly frightening... so good thing he isn't there! Ha!!

When they finally find him, he's never lept for the MC so fast... Literally. He literally jumps. He wants out of there FAST.

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Mammon! Mammon!! Let down your-

Mammon: *leaps from the tower, knowing they'll find some way to catch him*

Mammon: FREEDOM!!!

MC: Oh dear God, don't just jump!!! 😫

Leviathan

Panicking like crazy and running around in circles. Can you even comprehend how many premieres he's going to miss like this?? The spoilers!!!

After the MC gets a hold of him through the phone and they tell him to hang tight and if he figures out where he is to let them know.

So uh... He had intends to keep his phone usage down to a minimum so he could conserve the battery life. However, he figures he could at least do his mobile game check-ins and the next thing he knows his phone dies during a weekly dungeon....

Honestly? His soul might have died along with it.

He spends a lot of time staring at the crystal ball, hoping in vain that one of his brothers will watch TV or something, anything that could give him something to do.

That was his only way of communicating with the others and, more importantly, the only source of entertainment an otaku like him could have in a room like this! Does he look like a cottagecore enthusiast?? No!!!

If anyone is in his bedroom, he'll try to zoom in on Henry's fishbowl and talk to him to decompress... He already feels like such an idiot for wasting his battery life. Henry, why is he so stupid...?

Yeah, he's going to be bored and moping until somebody comes to find him. But at least he won't mind the isolation as much so they're not too worried about him going crazy in there. He'll be fine... right?

Bouns:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Leviathan! Leviathan!! Let down your-

Levi: *scrambles to the window* MC, DID YOU BRING A CHARGER?!?

MC: PRIORITIES, LEVI!!!

Satan

He is naturally furious, but also weirdly intrigued. Is this like one of those escape rooms MC sometimes talks to him about...?

Much like Lucifer, he quickly finds that trying to break through stuff wouldn't get him anywhere... as the heavy countertop he smashed into smithereens again the wall shows him.

Tantrum out of his system, Satan is probably the most rational the seven. He does his best to communicate to the others where the tower is based on the landmarks he can see, but he also uses his phone sparingly to conserve the battery.

While they all work to track him down, he keeps himself busy by listening to their plans through the crystal ball or searching for any weak points on his own, because what good would just sitting around do him?

He's surprisingly flexible. If the group plans to look for him from above, he sets out cushions on the floor just in case of any falls. If they want to look for him on foot, he makes sure to light as many candles as possible to give them a makeshift beacon to guide them.

By the time that they actually find him, he's already figured out a couple ways to help get him out depending on the possible exit points and has prepared accordingly.

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Satan! Satan!! Let down your-eh?

*they watch as a looong chain of tied together sheets, tablecloths, and towels gets tossed from the window, followed by Satan using it to calmly rappel down*

MC: U-uh.... Never mind! I guess you got this. 😅

Asmodeus

Asmo would be living his best life if only anyone could actually see him up there!

Asmo is all down for playing the role of the helpless, beautiful victim in need of rescuing but how is he supposed to pull that off if he's trapped all alone?? There's no attention! No pageantry!!

After getting the situation across to his brothers, he also kills his phone battery by posting selfies and livestreaming the situation to his adoring public. They're so scared for him, but he's not worried. MC will come find him, after all!

By the time they actually arrive to come get him, Asmo has already dolled himself up to play his newfound role perfectly.

After his phone dies, he keeps himself busy in small ways... Like practicing his relieved expression in a mirror for a few hours. Or using the curtains and his sewing skills to make himself just the cutest gown!

MC: *stand under the tower*

MC: Asmodeus! Asmodeus!! Let down your... hair...?

Asmo: ✨️COMING~!!✨️

*the MC watches as yards and yards of beautiful strawberry blonde trusses indeed gets thrown from the window above, all connected to a very hammy Asmo standing on the window sill*

MC: ... It's only been two days, how did you even grow all that?!?

Beelzebub

Very confused, upset, and hungry. Somebody please help him!!

The minute that Beel sends the message that he is trapped somewhere, it was really all hands on deck. MC and Belphie were freaking out of course, but all of his other brothers were just as worried as well. This is Beel here! He's going to be so hungry out there!!

And hungry he is. He went through an entire two weeks worth of rations stored in the room within an hour. By the end of the day, he's so mindlessly hungry that he starts taking bites out of the tables, chairs, and even his phone...

Since he can't use half of a phone, Beel has to watch his brothers work through the crystal ball while he gnats on the drapery, feeling guilty about making them all so worried...

At least this time his brothers don't argue nor fight with each other at all. Everyone understands what the priorities are and they follow whatever roles they are to the letter. They want to find him ASAP and they even take turns comforting Belphie with MC while they search.

By the time they find him, the whole family is willing to bust through the walls with pickaxes if that's what it takes to get to him. He would feel really touched by all of their efforts, but he's just so hungry... need... food.....

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Beel! BEEL!! I BROUGHT BURGERS!!!

Beel: MC... s-so hungry.... 😓

MC: You stay right there, don't move a muscle! I'm coming to you!! 😫

Belphegor

... Deja vu, right?

So this isn’t Belphie's first rodeo. He's practically a "stuffed up somewhere he can't escape from" veteran now. Though this place was more... cozy than the attic.

Call it the cow in him, but he's always had a soft spot for cottagecore. It's so homey and comforting, just perfect for lazy naps under fruit trees! The atmosphere is so relaxing...

So he naps. A LOT.

He ends up communicating a lot more sporadically with everyone than the others. Largely due to the long periods of unconsciousness. But like, could you blame him? What was he even supposed to do in there? MC would figure something out again.

Whenever he goes over to check the progress, he shoots out sarcastic texts about his brothers' dumb ideas to pass the time. It's very apparent how unconcerned he is about this from the get-go...

Does he know when they are on their way to get him? Surprisingly yes. Does he manage to stay awake until they show up? Unsurprisingly no. Go figure...

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Belphegor! Belphegor!! Let down your hair!

Belphegor: .....

MC: ... Belphie?

Belphegor: .....

MC: Bitch, are you seriously asleep?!

Belphegor: ....zzzZZzzz....

MC: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!

#sleepy belphie with milkmaid braids~#cottagecore belphie lol #obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me headcanons #obey me crack #obey me scenarios

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artist-issues · 2 months

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I know you have kind of commented on this topic in one of your posts, but what do you think of the fact that Tolkien hated Disney and thought of Walt as a "con-artist" (if I remember correctly) because of how much would be changed? Even though I very much love Disney movies, considering how Tolkien studied mythology, folklore and history from other cultures in-depth, particularly those of European background, I do understand why he was not fond Walt's work at all if we view it from his perspective. Other people seem to share a similar sentiment. I ask you because you often analyze Disney movies and their themes quite in-depth. This whole thing is interesting.

Well, I'll preface by saying I'm not much of a Tolkien apologist. I don't connect with him or his mentality as well as I might flatter myself by saying I do C.S. Lewis' mentality. C. S. Lewis had this beautiful way of blending genuine good-faith enjoyment of something and careful, intentional critical thinking. He could be a reasonable analyzer of media, and a childlike consumer of media, at the same time. Don't know if I've mastered that myself, or if I ever will, but I really admire it.

Which is besides the point, sorry! 😂

But Tolkien was different. First off, Tolkien said some things about interpreting the meaning of his own stories that I don't agree with. He keeps insisting he wasn't trying to "say" anything with Lord of the Rings, or infuse it with any particular "meaning." Truth of the matter is, though, that is not true of any good storyteller. What they believe about the world bleeds into what they create, if they're creating genuinely. So Lord of the Rings is about how small decisions matter, doing what you can with what you're given instead of trying to control everything matters—whether Tolkien likes it or not, whether he was always conscious of it or not, that's what his story says.

He also criticized weird things to criticize about Lewis' works. For someone who was Lewis' friend, I don't know how he could've looked at what Lewis was writing and been surprised, or disgruntled, at the hodgepodge of mythology in works like Narnia. I don't know what made him think a "children's story" would feel like anything other than...made for children.

But anyway. All that to say, I don't always agree with Tolkien, or feel like I understand him. His response to Disney movies is just one of those things I don't get. I can speculate, but I don't know.

Like I said, I think he was so used to thinking of fairy tales and literature in a way that is much...higher, and more layered, than how the everyday layman thought of them, that when a Kansas cartoonist started retelling fairytales without any apparent grasp of that layering, it really rubbed him the wrong way.

I guess it would be like if someone came along twenty years from now, pointed at Disney's The Little Mermaid, and said, "look! A cartoon about fish! I'm going to make an TikTok dance about fish and call it 'The Little Mermaid,' and retell it that way!"

First of all we'd be like "IT'S ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN FISH, it's not just an CARTOON, are you BLIND?!" And then secondly we'd probably go, "and what? A TikTok dance?! Are you kidding me? You want to take this beautiful pillar of traditional animation and living color and musical mastery and drag it down to the level of middle school girls flapping their hands around cringily??"

That's probably how Tolkien felt Disney was treating Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Because back then, the medium (TikTok dances, animation) was just associated with sort of lowbrow humor and silliness. Walt was still inventing the whole "animated film to be taken seriously" thing. And back then, Tolkien would've seen the comedy characters of the Dwarfs and their character development as very shallow in comparison to the mythos of Dwarfs in literary and oral-tradition history. He had the most background knowledge. So what he was comparing Walt's movies to was, for him, like comparing grape Gatorade to aged Italian Wine.

As far as Disney being a "con artist..." yeah, I think that's a little bit of a stretch. He was definitely selling something, but if you can look at Walt Disney's life and see dollar bill signs, instead of a guy who genuinely made what he liked because he liked it, you don't know much about Walt Disney. He didn't adapt fairy tales because he thought they could make him money. He adapted fairy tales because he adored them, just like he had a train in his backyard because he adored them. Ask his brother Roy how much Walter "Let's Invent Smell-O-Vision and Drop Flowers on the Audience of Fantasia" Disney was thinking about exploiting the public for financial gain.

Like I said, Tolkien was responding to Walt Disney because he was Tolkien, and it would've been like asking a Bird to relate to a Krill. They were way too different to ever understand each other on the level that either of them preferred being understood at.

#Tolkien #Disney #Walt Disney #j. r. r. tolkien #c. S. Lewis #Barbie #Narnia #lord of the rings #lotr #Snow White and the seven dwarfs

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queen-beefcake-sqx · 10 months

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Please do your Sanctifying Kim Take!

Perceiving that man through HDB coloured glasses put me off of most fandom depictions of him. Not to mention how absolutely tiny he's depicted when he's of completely average size. (2-3inches shorter than Harry who is above 6ft. Like I get people do be havin size kinks, but that man's not short)

Canon Kim is the most trigger happy cop depicted in the entire game. He shot 6 kids people between working in juvenile detention and processing, is a severely repressed speedfreak with unprocessed grief (still working Dom's cases) and a wild card (not above using Harry's amnesia to manipulate Joyce when he knows him for a couple of hours), who can maybe have 2 Auth over world soggiest superstar but let's be honest don't we all?

He is so petty that he will die in the tribunal if you give away his pen lmao. Like that man is literally two steps above Harry when it comes to being a weird cop, and that's being lovingly understanding. He needs Martinaise just as much as HDB does.

op I am holding your face gently and shaking like a wet chihuahua. you, you get it.

Here’s my thing — as a general theme, I’ve noticed fandom takes seem to lean into the belief that because Harry’s deification of Dora crashed and burned so spectacularly, that (1) deification of Kim would be just as unhealthy and (2) Kim would outright reject that kind of worship.

And like. Okay. I can see how you’d make a case for that, sure. Except as you pointed out Kim is actually really fucking weird, and damaged in his own way, and most importantly — Kim wants to be cool. There’s a purple check that outright states Kim values being perceived as cool FAR MORE than he lets on. I’ve already written a post that mentions how significant it is for Kim that Harry thinks he’s cool, and what I’m gonna say next is an extension of that:

I think, somewhere deep down and repressed, Kim would actually love being deified by someone, and if Harry put in the work to have a healthy relationship with religion, they could actually make that dynamic work.

Long thoughts and explanation under cut:

Alright a little background on me: I was raised Unitarian Universalist and have a history of deifying my lovers. Harry’s anguish over Dora was very heartbreakingly familiar (although I didn’t destroy my life quite as spectacularly), and the way Harry uses inquiry to engage with belief systems (personal, political, scientific, and religious) is VERY Unitarian. One of our precepts is literally the constant and continuous search for truth and meaning in the world, and that’s Harry’s whole MO. So a lot of this is personal experience coloring interpretation.

A few years ago I wrote a piece of meta about why Tian Guan Ci Fu, a novel about a worshiper’s love for a prince turned god, is better treated as a fairy tale instead of a typical character-driven novel. I bring this up because in the meta I set forth that there were three really big themes that the story teaches us about divinity:

Books Two and Four encapsulate Xie Lian’s biggest lesson - that no one person can hope to end all suffering, even a god, and that putting a person on a pedestal places unachievable expectations upon them.

The rest of the books deal with two different but tangential lessons — devotion means seeing the best in people, regardless of their flaws; devotion also means inevitable destruction when you are not valued to the same degree.

I bring this up because, incidentally, these are the EXACT same themes that Disco Elysium deals with in regards to deification and devotion. I firmly believe the rest of the text about Innocences corroborates this, but even just looking at Harry and Dora, these themes are SCREAMINGLY relevant. Harry destroyed himself when Dora, his Innocence and god, left him. Their relationship was never really equal — there was a class difference, the abortion and difference in want for parenthood, the fact she walked out on him at least one before. Harry placed Dora on such a high pedestal that he set her up to fail him when she couldn’t handle Harry’s addiction and deteriorating mental health at a job she encouraged him to pursue.

Because a really important caveat about those themes I didn’t elaborate on — “regardless of flaws” doesn’t mean never acknowledging them. I really think Harry got into his head that Dora could truly do no wrong and found himself increasingly hurt and floundering when she proved just how wrong that was, and instead of acknowledging things they BOTH needed to work on — to do better, to improve, to grow — Harry got angry, resentful, and depressed and Dora got out of there.

And I don’t blame her, nor anybody else who did the same. I don’t blame Jean’s anger with Harry’s carelessness with his life, even if the way he expresses it is actively harmful. But the problem is Harry is a vast, vast soul — he feels things very deeply and extremely. I like fics where he learns to work through it and love a person to a Normal(tm) degree, but there’s a part of me deep down that feels like that is impossible for him. There is vitriol or there is devotion and there is little to nothing in-between for him, and for him a healthy relationship isn’t less devotional/religious as much as it is reconceptualizing what it means to be divine — stealing from my TGCF meta, he needs to remember that deities were human before they were ever his god, and as someone who’s worked as a cop, he should KNOW how messy humans are.

And minus himself, fuck if there isn’t a human messier than Kim Kitsuragi.

I’ve written a bit about Kim’s self-image and the significance of Harry finding him cool before. Kim is honestly a mess. He’s implied to be still struggling with the death of his partner some time in the past, is trigger happy and hates it, and is also implied to be ostracized from his coworkers. Kim does his job because he genuinely thinks it’s one of the only ways he can do good under a military regime that’s got airships ready to attack at a moment’s sign of rebellion. He smokes one cigarette a way to challenge his own volition and give off an air of untouchability because he has to be cool, he has to, he has no power in his life if he doesn’t!

But I genuinely believe that cool is tested at every turn, and I think there’s very few people who see the cool without seeing everything else about him — all the things he’s ashamed of, that make him feel lesser or othered. And Harry sees all those things over time, with a thorough enough run — he learns about “Kimball” and the bad eyesight and his fierce protection of his status as a “true Revacholiere”.

But it’s day one that Harry can call Kim cool. Regardless of flaws you uncover or not, Harry can see Kim as someone to be admired. Because that’s what Harry does with people he likes. And when was the last time anyone called Kim cool and meant it genuinely?

I think it’s noteworthy that Kim tries to stay humble when Harry gets excited about Kim — he downplays himself or pulls Harry out of flights of fancy about the degree of his “coolness”. He reminds Harry that he’s human… even if inwardly he preens at praise and recognition. (I’m too lazy to go through the Fayde viewer right now to back myself up, but just really pay attention to his Empathy checks sometime). Kim keeps Harry from constantly putting him on a pedestal like he did to Dora.

It’s also noteworthy that regardless of what a hot mess you are re: addiction, Kim still respects you as a detective and will defend you to your precinct. Remember that third theme, about relational devotion? Devotion doesn’t work if you’re deifying someone who doesn’t respect you, and thus won’t hold you to the standard of their divinity. There’s a thing in teaching where teachers want to shy away from difficult or disruptive students, thinking we’re accommodating them when in reality we’re not challenging them and are disrespecting their right to learn. Respect also means setting boundaries and trust, and I don’t know how much of either Dora and Harry had by the end.

Kim sets boundaries right off — No, we will not talk about the pissing contest until the field autopsy is done, don’t even try asking again. Yes, I do think now is a bad time for a drink and you should stop being careless with your life. No I will not tell you a secret about myself. Kim isn’t afraid to draw lines in the sand with Harry, because not only does he respect himself, but he wants to see that Harry respects him, too.

And in exchange, Kim displays his respect openly in front of peers — in front of the organization he’s worked to protect his reputation within — to defend Harry. Known drunk, bad-cop-or-cop-with-bad-days, sad sack Harry Du Bois. It’s acknowledgement from the object of his devotion that he’s done good work and can do more, if he keeps putting in the work to get better.

The point is — I don’t think Harry can change how he loves people, I think its just inherent to who he is as a person, but devoting himself to the altar of Kim Kitsuragi might actually work, if only because Kim wants that worship and will hold Harry accountable for not letting it consume them both.

#say more sadie #sadie writes meta #disco elysium #kimharry #I have so many more words about this but it’s less meta and more just hypothesizing how this kind of love would develop #I just realized I linked the same meta post twice lmao I don’t even care

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notmoreflippingelves · 8 months

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So in the middle of my rewatch, I suddenly got really distracted by Francisco's black-with-gold-accents "formal" court attire, specifically in regards to the leaf accents on the sleeves. And I could help but think of the *other* black-with-gold-leaf accents look that we see on a Flores family member--Esteban's in "Elena and the Secret of Avalor." Although the designs between the two suits are distinctly different, there is enough of a similarity to make me want to think about them as a set and how the differences actually reflect the differences in the characters/their roles as well.

Although the silhouettes are similar overall, I would go far as to say that Francisco's look creates more of the classic "storybook prince" vibe than his grandson's. His costume is ornate and grand without seeming ostentatious. Think of how Prince Charming is costumed in pretty much any Cinderella adaptation. He must look striking and appropriately heroic--but specifically in a way that enhances our heroine without overshadowing her. And in nearly every adaptation, Prince Charming is more than okay with this, and the same is true of Francisco. He is at some level aware that he is on a show called "Elena of Avalor"--not "Francisco Flores of Avalor" and has no desire to pull the spotlight away from where it rightfully must be. In fact, he is far prouder to be the grandfather of Elena (and of Esteban and Isabel as well) than he would hypothetically be as the protagonist of his own story.

(Esteban meanwhile exudes "main character energy" and I mean that in both the complimentary and derogatory sense. In his mind, he is on a show titled "Chancellor Esteban of Avalor and His 41-Year-Old Guilt Complex That Not Even Tres Leches Cake Can Heal." But like if I had four decades of trauma to process and no one else seemed to notice, I would probably feel uncomfortable when we are not about me as well. And fittingly, his black-and-gold outfit is much more attention-grabbing than Francisco's, but much more on that later).

Two big parts of what leads to the "fairy tale hero" look in Francisco's outfit (and also to his "default" blue version) are: 1) the two medals pinned to his chest and 2) the epaulettes at the shoulder (I believe this is still the correct term even if they lack the tassels we normally associate w/the term, but like fashion historians can feel free to correct me).

Either epaulettes or medals of honor --or both-- are often seen on characters of his type. (Pick any Disney prince and you have a 50% chance of seeing one of these. Heck, King Roland's main outfit in SoA has both as well). A large part of what leads us to associate these particular sartorial touches as "hero-coded" are their association as part of typical military dress uniforms throughout history. (And yes, I recognize the problematic nature of such a trope, but just bear with me and accept it for now).

By including these as part of Francisco's costume (and its original blue equivalent), the animators are implying that he has a long, proud of history of serving his country and that at least some of this service came as a soldier and/or commander on the battlefield. And that he won honor--military and practical alike--in doing so.

Esteban's ensemble, obviously lacks the military touches (the epaulettes and medals) of his grandfather's. Because for all that he too served Avalor for decades, his service was of the bureaucratic rather than the military variety. (Shuriki obviously won't let Esteban wear a sword with his uniform--even he wanted to. Hardly surprising considering the whole "I killed your aunt and uncle. Doesn't that make you want to go apeshit?" thing they've got going.) But I digress.

The arms (esp the shoulders) and trousers of Esteban's ensemble are also much more form-fitted than Francisco's,as befitting a younger, more athletic man who wants to better show off his physique. (The real "secret of Avalor" is how Esteban singlehandedly managed a country for 41 years and somehow did so without skipping "Leg Day"--am I right, folks?")

Compared to Francisco's much plainer jacket, the design of Esteban's coat is also more ornate (the leaf accents are larger and more detailed) and colorful with the red collar, cuffs, and lining. This makes sense given that Esteban is established as much vainer and more flamboyant than his grandfather and that he has as mentioned, a much stronger need to grab attention.

However, the elaborateness of Esteban's jacket makes even more sense we consider it in the context of his role in Shuriki's court. He is a skilled diplomat, yes, and a capable administrator. But like every courtier, his primary function is to be ornamental first and everything else second. His looks, his charm, his attentions are expected to always be in service to the Queen first and foremost--not even in service to his duty or his country but specifically to the Queen herself. Certainly not (!) in service to his own will. (And damn, that must sting extra hard for someone who has only ever wanted to be seen and listened to and valued for himself.)

As such, Esteban is treated as an extension of the Queen--yet another pretty-if-powerful tool in her Almighty hands and fundamentally little different from her pretty crystal wand.

And yet, we see little tiny little hints in Esteban's SoA costume that he remains more than just Shuriki's shiny little Avaloran ornament. Let's go back to the red accents--shall we? Obviously, the show as a whole establishes red as Esteban's "signature color"--an honor he shares with Elena (and Mateo..but like he's less relevant tbh). Moreover, red, along with yellow/gold (and blue but again less relevant here), is one of the official colors of Avalor. Indeed the jaquins on the royal flag are red against a gold backdrop. So we can see an subtle wardrobe-related foreshadowing of where Esteban's loyalties truly lie and of the decision that he will make at the end of the episode.

And finally, as the artists among you will attest, red's complementary opposite on the color wheel is green. As in Shuriki's signature color, and this is reflected in nearly everything about her--from her eyes and eyeshadow to her dress and earrings to her green magical smoke, to her Emerald City-core dressing room to the teal background on her little silhouetted flag redesign. And complementary colors are often paired together so that the unique, striking shade of each is shown off to its full potential--and such is the case here. (Often, the effect is even achieved by using the "opposite" color as a key part of adding "shading" to the object).

A string of red lights wrapped around a Christmas tree may be overshadowed at first by the massive green boughs that it is entangled around. But nevertheless, it is because of the contrasting green that we are fully able to grasp just how bright and red those lights are able to glisten in the light. And so it is with Esteban's red collar shining forth like a beacon through Shuriki's haze of green smoke.

But when it comes down to it, red is still green's perfect, natural opposite. Red is a primary color, a true chromatic original unlike the artificially-created secondary shade of green. Moreover, red is Avalor, red is Esteban. The little dab of invading, interloping Shuriki green that has been added to the red paint only serves to heighten its fiery, crimson hue all the more.

#elena of avalor #chancellor esteban #esteban flores #francisco flores #elena and the secret of avalor #esteban flores: assigned goth at conquest #pity it didn't stick tbh #sorry not sorry #and yes i am aware that francisco's formal court suit is likely just a palette swap of his regular outfit #just like esteban's formal yellow court suit (derogatory) is just a palette swap of his regular s1-2 suit #but like what am i here for if not to extract rich; unintended meanings from tiny little accidental scraps of canon #after all; they didn't HAVE to make francisco's suit black w/ gold #they could've done a different color instead; or did silver accents instead #and yet...#and now i've made it all your problem too #it's hardly the worst crime i am planning to commit in this fandom #of note; Victor and Naomi are the only other major recurring characters (apart from Shuriki)#that predominantly feature green as part of one of their “main” outfits #(there's chatana and joaquin too i guess but we saw so little of them that i don't really have anything to say rn)#and this is also significant as it highlights both victor's and naomi's similarities w/ esteban's as well as their differences #however; it is notable that as victor gets more complex; his main outfit changes from green-and-black to purple-and-black #to better link him with carla instead (though it does change back of course)#and naomi's main dress is teal more so than the unambiguous green of shuriki's #i tried to be vague on specific SoA spoilers cause my friend and mutual is watching the show rn and she hasn't made it that far yet #eoa meta #elena of avalor meta #meta #leave it to me to word vomit over a relatively minor thing #once an english major; always an english major

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szallejhscorner · 1 year

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The Truth That Couldn’t Be Denied - Part I

Mel_Mio once more commissioned me to write the following idea:

“What if Chishiya returns to the real world after the events of CiaD and HLiF, and he does remember y/n, but y/n doesn’t remember him?”

So here’s part I, and part II will follow!

@rainsoughtflowers there it is :3

Soul mates, fairy tale romances, lovers for life. Things little children dream about in their glittering dresses, while wearing plastic crowns and watching Barbie movies where people always have their happy endings.

Those dreamers have yet to wake up, and it will happen eventually once they have to face the real world outside of their hope-filled bedrooms.

Chishiya Shuntarou never actually got the chance to dream such dreams. And yet he had found a person to reach through all the walls he built throughout the years, in a world full of death and cruelty. Never would he have thought to find you in the Borderlands – he never wanted to find someone at all. You had been no one to him at first, and up to this day, he couldn’t tell how you had managed to change that. The truth was, though: you had.

You had taught him that his heart was not only there to pump blood through his body, but that it could actually make him feel something. Up to this day, he refused to call it love. But whatever it was, it was there. And that he could not deny.

At night, he lay wide awake in his hospital bed, listening to Niragi’s rattling breaths. They both should be dead now, yet somehow they had managed to survive even the most severe injuries after trying to kill each other. Still, Niragi didn’t remember him for some reason. He didn’t remember anything about the Borderlands, about the games or how his whole body had been burnt in the fire of judgment.

Chishiya on the other side remembered everything, from the shooting between him, Niragi and Arisu, how he had caught the bullet that had been meant for Usagi and how you, the stubborn woman he came to like had kept talking to prevent him from succumbing to death. Chishiya remembered how you had told him hundreds of times how much you loved him, and how you had revealed memories about your childhood and whatnot. He didn’t recall most of it because the pain had prevented him from listening too closely, but your voice had kept him alive. This thought alone sounded so cheesy that Chishiya had to snort, and never would he speak it out loud to anyone.

Impatiently, he had waited for the day of his discharge, because he wanted to find you and see how much you remembered. Chishiya was sure that she shouldn’t remember anything about what happened. He had been supposed to lie there just like Niragi and believe that they all had suffered a one-minute cardiac arrest because of a comet crashing down on Shibuya; nothing more. It could be assumed that you didn’t remember him too – a thought that Chishiya didn’t approve of.

“Allowed to go home already? Lucky bastard”, Niragi laughed as Chishiya switched the hospital gowns for his normal clothes. Home. He had a certain image in his mind when thinking about home, but it wasn’t the place he lived at.

A tiny paper note was resting in one of the pockets, and Chishiya touched it with his hand. He knew exactly what stood on it, without even looking. It was your name, written by his own hands. You had a note as well, only that yours had a university on it instead of a name. While you had promised to find him in the real world, Chishiya hadn’t wanted to make it too easy for you by just giving you his full name. But if you didn’t remember him at all, you wouldn’t fulfill that promise anyway. You’d probably look at the note and throw it away since it had no meaning to you.

It was annoying, but the fact that you wouldn’t come for him meant that Chishiya had to find you instead. He could simply continue his bleak life, of course. Go back to being a medical student, in a world where money ruled even inside a hospital, and shake his head over all the pathetic human beings he observed. Although the Borderlands had taught him that there was a different option, one that came along with you. An option that didn’t make him feel so empty and hollow.

He threw one last glance at Niragi, who was still covered in bandages with several monitors tracking his vitals. That man had been burnt alive, shot several times, and yet he was still breathing somehow. Impossible to kill, the one thing devils and vermin had in common.

The other man continued his rattling laughter that soon turned into a cough. “No get-well wishes? You are a heartless fellow, eh.”

Chishiya smirked and gave him a little wave of his hand before closing the door behind him. Niragi didn’t remember, but Chishiya knew who that man really was. A murderer, a rapist, a psychopath. Deep inside, nothing of this had changed after leaving the Borderlands. It would stay hidden as long as the rules of this world forbid it to wake up, but inside it would growl and scratch to be unveiled.

Because the Borderlands revealed who a person really was. It didn’t turn someone into a murderer if that person hadn’t been ruthless before. He and Niragi would never have become friends, neither here or in the Borderlands. Chishiya didn’t care to be friendly to a man he knew didn’t even deserve to breathe this air.

Not that Chishiya deserved it, either. But just like Niragi, he was still alive and breathing and searching for the one person who made him feel something other than disdain and arrogance.

It was easy to find you. In a world so trapped by social media, almost everyone had several accounts on different sites, sharing way too much information about their real life. Pictures of themselves and their children, their birthdays, where they had gone to school, where they worked. Someone with hostile intent could easily track a person down using all this information, even if the address had never been given. But knowing where the primary school was, that they passed a giant oak tree on their way to the bus station, or that the neighbor had a dog breed with annoying poodles – all that could be used to pin the location down pretty closely. One of the main reasons why Chishiya didn’t give away anything on the internet.

He had even convinced the hospital director to leave out his surname on the hospital’s website, and avoid any images where his face could be seen.

You weren’t as naïve as to give away too much delicate information, but knowing your name and your face as well as some bits about your life that you had told him in the Borderlands, Chishiya soon knew where to find you. Of course he wouldn’t just ring on your door, assuming he’d most likely be a stranger to you. He intended to find out in a more subtle way if you remembered him or not.

The café was a tiny little shop, cozy with its brick walls, steel lamps and different-colored sofas. Chishiya had never been here before, since there wasn’t much interesting around besides a small book store and a pet shop, but it didn’t seem to be all too bad.

You had posted an image of the café not long ago, praising their drinks and cakes as the best that could be found in the whole city. The range did look quite tasty, that much Chishiya had to admit. But the cheesecakes, blueberry muffins and chocolate chip cookies only got a few seconds of attention from the blonde, since he soon found something much more interesting: you.

You were seated on one of the sofas in the back, legs crossed with a book next to you and a hot drink in front. Focusing entirely on what you were reading, Chishiya watched how your lips were slightly parted in concentration and how a lone strand of hair had fallen into your face.

It made him remember the last time he’d seen you; tears in your eyes, dirt on your face, begging for him to survive. On your wrists, the scars from the King of Hearts could still be seen, and Chishiya knew that your shoulder would be scarred from the bullet you had caught in the Witch Hunt. If he pulled up your sleeve, he’d be able to see the cut from that asshole in the Jack of Clubs, and he couldn’t help but wonder if your hands still trembled now and then from all the shocks you had endured on that electric chair. How did you think you’d acquired those wounds? All from the comet, nothing else?

“Can I help you, sir?” asked the waitress and expectantly stared at Chishiya, who ordered a piece of cheesecake and tea to blend into the crowd. He sat down on a sofa close to yours, and you lifted your head for a moment to eye the newcomer. Chishiya wouldn’t admit it, but he wanted you to recognize him. His heartbeat increased, only a little, and it was hard to keep up a neutral expression. Yet you only scanned his face for a second with no recognition at all before you continued to read your book.

The pain was different from being shot since there was no physical wound, and still it hurt more than he liked. Back in the Borderlands, when he had claimed emotions to be a weakness, this had been exactly what he’d meant. You had asked to be his strength, and now all you did was stab an imaginary dagger right through the heart you had claimed as yours.

Pathetic. I’m not better than those little children whose dreams have yet to be crushed.

The cheesecake was supposed to taste sweet, but Chishiya didn’t taste anything at all. He stared into his tea until it got cold, and even when you got up and left the café after finishing the book, he didn’t get up from his seat.

You had been reading the Metamorphosis. The exact same book Chishiya had been reading in the Borderlands, when he and you had spent some days in the abandoned caravan. It could have been a sign that there still was a connection, although it left nothing but a bitter taste. For almost an hour, you had been sitting close to him, and several times your eyes had met his. Not once did Chishiya see the spark you used to carry when looking at him.

You didn’t remember him anymore.

#chishiya shuntaro #chishiya x reader #reader x chishiya #oneshot #aib #alice in borderland

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ridedatbull · 6 months

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Research into those statues I’ve been finding is slow. Mostly because making sure Major(Tauros) is comfortable and taken care of while he heals is my biggest priority right now, but at the very least I have been able to locate that old picture book of the Old Gods of Johto. It’s just a thing for kids, but it’s real history and part of our heritage that usually gets brushed off because Ho-oh, Lugia and Celebi have been much more present much more recently

The gist of it is that, every species of Pokémon has their own deity that represents certain aspects of the world. Yes I do mean one for every Pokémon, so there are literally hundreds of them. Some with some pretty hyper specific domains, and several of which blend together sometimes. While all of these guys are powerful in their way, Ho-oh and Lugia still reign supreme over all of them as Lord and Lady (though the genderedness of those titles is a matter of hot debate these days) and Celebi is pretty much a free agent that does what they like

Of those hundreds of sub deities, twelve (or thirteen depending on who you ask) are the most important of all, and were given special honors by mankind. Shrines, holidays, their own hymns, the whole package. Over time, every single one of these gods just sort of faded away into obscurity. Some due to time, some due to shifting values, but most gods and their shrines were lost and destroyed due to constant war with our neighbors in Kanto. Nowadays, they’re only remembered as children’s fairy tales.

But the staues I’ve been seeing are more than that. And I’ve found more information on those three.

The Arcanine was the first I saw, and was actually being dug up by an archaeology team near the Ruins of Alph. This picture is from my book and I’ll put the passage about it here too:

“Of the old gods of Johto, Arcanine was loved and respected to level that almost rivaled Ho-oh and Lugia. The Arcanine god was very fond of humanity, adoring their works of art, their creative foods, their beautiful music and resilient hearts. Every chance they got, the Arcanine deity, and their child Growlithe would give aid to the growing people of Johto. The love of these gods was so great, that all mortal Growlithe and Arcanine share that same love for humans naturally, even to this day. It is still unknown why these powerful and majestic gods have not been seen in so long, but surely parting from the humans they so loved was deeply painful for Arcanine.”

It’s a bit of a sad story, but seeing the love I get every day from both of my own Growlithe does make me believe that something in the heavens loves us too. Why else would we get to be with these amazing creatures we call Pokémon?

The second statue was in the Ilex Forest all alone. Somehow though, it was perfectly clean, and I can only guess as to why. The god it belongs to is much more unassuming at first.

“Rattata may seem like an odd choice for a high pantheon of gods, but the ancient Johtoans held the humble creature on a surprisingly high pedestal. Small and humble they are, but they are mighty in their way. Just as Johto is in times of hardship and war. Unlike their neighbors, Johto has few natural deposits of iron, at least ones that are not habitats for territorial, burrowing Steel types. Therefore, many weapons of ancient Johto were forged with Rattata teeth to bolster the strength of what little iron they had. This served two purposes: genuinely strengthening forged blades as a primitive form of steel, and to channel the spirits of the persistent and underestimated power of the humble and the common. For this reason, the Rattata god is often portrayed wielding a sword many times its size.”

Maybe because they were more popular during times of war, Rattata’s shrines were targeted much more fiercely. It does explain why traditional smiths here sometimes keep Rattata teeth somewhere on display.

Now the third statue… if you know me even a little bit, you’ll understand why this one is important.

“When one imagines strength, it is difficult not to picture a Tauros. They are famed for it with good reason. Likewise, the Tauros god is one that is turned to when great strength is needed for some task or feat. Unrestrained, determined, and a champion among the Gods of Johto, Tauros represents the celebration of strength and survival. In the dead of winter, they send their blessings to those struggling to make it through the season, promising that if they are steadfast, they will live to see the next spring. Strangely, every depiction of this deity is different from both Kanto and Paldean varieties of Tauros, with longer horns and tails, brighter forehead studs and thicker manes. Some theorize that these depictions are all that drama in of a now extinct breed of Tauros.”

Well we were definitely struggling in the blinding snow trying to get home for the holidays, and Major responded to something about the statue of this god in a hidden cave that inspired him to lead us there to safety. That can’t just be a coincidence. I’m going to try to learn more when I can.

#pokemon #unreality #pokeblogging #oc lore #lore dump #okami

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edwinspaynes · 4 months

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I want to ask you about those characters you have liked less, and you have commented on the blog, if you could change some stuff on their writing and on events that involve them to make them more likeable what would they be? I think yours are Lucie, Jesse, Gabriel and Cecily right? Like for example "make Jesse be resurrected in the beginning of chain of iron and develop more Grace and his relationship" , or "make Lucie hold less secrets from Cordelia".

Sure, I hope I'm understanding what you want correctly.

PSA: When I gush about how perfect I think TLH is I don't mean Ghostwriter. I never mean Ghostwriter. Their story is terribly executed. However, TLH is still perfect because I give 0 fucks about Ghostwriter, so their poor development and terrible relationship doesn't impact my reading experience in the slightest <3

Lucie and Jesse

Lucie would basically just need to get her head out of the sand. I find her annoying primarily because all the other TLH characters act 25 and she acts like a spoiled 12 year old.

She starts the series with her head completely in the clouds, dreaming of silly fairy tales, and ends it in exactly the same place. Zero growth. And why would there be any? Everything that happens in her TLH plotline, what with getting a ramifications-free ghost boyfriend, reinforces that life is a fairy tale that she can twiddle her thumbs and dance through.

I think that this is what's disappointing about Lucie. She's fine at the beginning of ChoG because that's where her arc begins, but the problem is that she ends it as the same silly girl she started it while most other characters around her grow a lot.

I also think that Lucie would benefit from, like, just generally being less selfish. There was no reason for her to endanger Cordelia by not telling her about the Creepy Ghosts at their prospective parabatai ceremony. So, yeah.

As for Jesse, dude, I don't even know where to start. Get this man a personality, please, or at least a semblance of one. I genuinely believe that perhaps Cassie purposely made him a flavorless cardboard cutout so that teenagers reading could project their ghost-fairytale fantasy man onto him.

The main thing for Jesse, though, is that he needed to be less of a shithole to Grace. He was just so fucking godawful to her in Chain of Thorns that everything else about him (which isn't much to start with) pales in comparison. I hope she never talks to him again.

An aside --

I have a whole Ghostwriter plot idea that I think would have made Lucie's story really layered, but Jesse would actually die in it (thus forcing Lucie to show actual growth). Basically, everything would be the same until the end of ChoI, when Lucie would fail to bring Jesse back to life and realize then that her power was gone. She then would no longer be able to see his ghost. No more Jesse. Lucie would need to confront her happy-go-lucky-lalala-life-is-but-a-dream attitude and would therefore need to actually grow tf up. Lucie and Grace console each other and become close friends. They also both lost their love interests (I'm changing nothing else about TLH in this world, only Blackdale stuff), and both girls' happy ending lies in that friendship.

I loathe character death and I almost always hate tragedy, so you know shit's bad when I'm saying this. But Jesse's not an actual human; he's just a plot device! So maybe we should use that plot device in the best possible way if we're not going to make him a layered character :)

Gabriel and Cecily

I don't think about these two nearly as much as Ghostwriter, who I contemplate sometimes because I'm a TLH girlie.

I also don't find Gabriel or Cecily anywhere near as annoying as Lucie or Jesse. I don't care for them, but I also don't really hate them or even dislike them.

In Cecily's case, there's not really anything I'd change or even would want to change. I liked her a lot when I was 18 and the annoyance has built up steadily over time. Now I'm 27 and just view her as an annoying teenager. There's nothing wrong with her, but she reads young (I staunchly consider almost every TID character to read 20ish and every TLH character to read mid-20s. Cecily and Lucie are exceptions). I also don't want her gone, she contributes to the story and has her Moments.

Gabriel just is imo kind of off-putting to everyone besides Cecily and occasionally Gideon, and I just personally am not a big fan of him. But unlike Lucie or Jesse, he's a complex character with an interesting plotline and a tangible personality. He grows. He just didn't resonate with me. I will, however, say that there are a few moments where I want to give him a hug, because damn that kid got hit over the head with a ton of trauma baseball bats in a row.

Basically, in the end, Lucie and Jesse are characters I think are poorly-written and badly developed. Gabriel and Cecily are fine characters with good enough development, they just don't resonate with me through no fault of their own and that's okay.

#anti blackdale #anti ghostwriter #anti lucie herondale #anti jesse blackthorn

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naffeclipse · 1 year

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Naff, just wow.

Immediately after I finished reading the CS chapter the tears came all at once, streaming down my face and leaving wet streaks down both of my cheeks. It is hard to make me cry like that. I’m floored, just completely stunned.

I’m soooo happy you gave us a chapter like this, giving the characters and the reader a safe space to digest and get some questions answered. It was also much needed after the action filled chapters before it and it’s a nice resting stop before the horrors waiting before us.

Naff, you write so beautifully, I’m looking back at the lines of text I saved to keep for this comment and I’m gonna cry again from just reading them! (Also sorry,, this is gonna be a long one,,,)

They ate and came back to your trailer, where all of your weapons reside. Holy water, silver knives, and bolts, the Latin incantations to exercise beings just like them.

Just, I’m crying at this. To me it holds so much emotional weight. This story is so close to my heart you don’t even know AAAAAAAA

The repeating “Eat.”, “Please. Eat.” and finally “Ask, then eat.” has me on the floor weeping and I don’t know exactly why. Just the ‘ask’ before the ‘eat’ feels so calm and like they’ve fully opened up. Ready to answer any question.

“Yes,” Moon answers softly. “We ate their hearts.”

You jerk in your shock, almost flinging the egg and sausage bit off of your utensil and to the floor.

“You ate his heart?”

Moon becomes completely still. He stares blankly at you then at your chest.

I swear they can’t keep doing this! But they must! But please phrase it differently boys! XD

The nature of the demonic cryptid before you tumbles through your brain and into your heart—a monster that protects children. An instinct to reject it as a fairy tale touches your nerves. It’s too good to be true, that’s too romantic to believe a being of teeth and claws would seek to protect vulnerable children.

Again, your writing!! And AAAAA IT IS TOO ROMANTIC TO BE TRUE BUT IT’S!!!!!

I’m so happy mothman came up again! And slkfdlfkfsahvjdf that whole bit was so needed oh man!! Perfect way to break the tension! “You killed it,” “It’s not your boyfriend.” FDKLKFSAJKADFG

I love that Y/N isn’t afraid of Eclipse, they’re afraid of Eclipse hurting others. This is why they love Y/N, their heart is filled with only compassion and an undying will to protect others. That scene by the gully, my brows still hurt from how much I was furrowing and straining them, I was at the edge of tears the whole way through. (I’m crying rn reading it again)

“Life means much to you, we understand—”

“No, you don’t! You don’t know the value of life at all,” you jab your finger at him, hitting the yellow button on his chassis, “If you did, you wouldn’t kill an innocent person!”

*WAILING*

“Heart, we have acted too long upon fear.” He holds your gaze, their voices low and rumbling with pangs of remorse and pleas. “We are still learning, but we want to show you that we are better for it.”

*LOUD SOBBING*

And the vow!! aaAAAA!!!!

Deep in the darkness of your sleep, your fist closes around their true hand, and squeezes.

They hum low, rumbling you into ease with a purr of promise.

They are yours.

I’m fucking CRYING!!!!!

The back rubs have me absolutely MELTING! that’s how touch starved I am at this point

Oh and the hug KILLED ME!!! OH MY GOD THEY NEEDED THAT. I THINK I NEEDED IT MORE THO. AAAAAAAAAAAAA Thank you for that :’>

The slow slooooow build of trust, acceptance and some fragments of happiness coming back was a wonder to read! And the still lurking distrust in the form of the salt shaker is tugging at my heartstrings so hard I think I’m gonna cry again..

Absolutely AMAZING chapter as always!!!

I told you before but please, pleeeeease don’t worry about taking your time with your writing. Waiting one month between chapters is nothing. I’d wait an eternity if necessary❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Meep, I'm gonna melt into a puddle, please!!! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed this chapter and I'm seeping into the floor knowing you like it so much! I also love that you shared your favorite paragraphs/quotes because alsdjflasdfj it's always a warm-fuzzing feeling when I hear what people were affected by!

Thankfully I won't make you wait a full month again, but I do appreciate it ♥ ♥ ♥

Ah, thank you so much, babe! ♥

#themeeplord #cryptid sightings #cryptid sightings spoilers #compliments

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timecma · 1 year

Note

i'm curious - when and why did xanthous become your favorite character?

for me it was chapter 8 of atom lol

Oh boy, alright this is where I really start to show my age haha. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell came out when I was in middle school. One of my friends recommended it to me and I decided to read it because escapism was my only way to cope (😭). Well, when I got to the chapter where it showed the Fairy Council, I immediately was hooked on Xanthous. Solely for the fact that he was the only guy there. It kind of stood out to me because I was also the only guy in a friend group full of girls. Obviously it was because I was gay but that was back when I was still in denial and didn’t understand myself fully.

Well, I hyperfixated on this guy since it just reflected my own kind of situation. Literally like 2012-2013. Back then. Boy howdy, you wouldn’t even believe how I felt when I realized this guy was gay too. Anyway, as the books kept coming out, I kept requesting them from the library, and boom. Xanthous kept showing up. In book 2 he was there. In book 3 he was there. In 4 too for a bit, and then 5 rolled around and we got Conner’s off-brand, straight-coded, adrenaline junkie version (Blaze), and he came back for a bit in book 6. It was crazy. He had been my favorite character since The Wishing Spell. I thought he was going to die in book 6, but he made it out. When I tell you my heart was beating out of my chest you better believe it.

But, then. Then. A Tale of Magic came out. I was in college by then, going through the motions while having thought The Land of Stories was done until the sequel. When I tell you the amount of excitement I got when I saw my favorite character was getting an origin story sent me through the roof, I mean it. By then, Xanthous was a household name. My sister also loves the series and we had collaborated on a piece for the Book Hugger’s Guide—and it got in! (I tell this to everyone since they all get confused, but the name on it is hers because she’s older than me and if you were of a certain age when submitting it then you didn’t have to get parental permission, so she submitted it and you could only get one name on it so here we are. But you might recognize a bit of the anime/manga style that I’ve now expanded upon and improved. That was a reeeeeally long time ago anyway haha. I also did one for the A Tale of Sorcery Zoom Webinar and got it in there too, and I asked my sister if she wanted to help on it a bit, but all she really did was add some sparkles to what I had already done. Nonetheless, she still contributed a bit like she had the first time around. She doesn’t do much with the series anymore these days—but she and I were always kind of a team when it came to art back then.)

Also when I say that Xanthous is a household name, I mean that literally. Anyone who knows me irl knows Xanthous—especially because he now physically exists in my life. When I tell you this man has been the Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime password star I mean it. Literally. It’s always his name prefaced or followed by some random string of numbers and symbols. It’ll always have Xanthous in there somewhere. My whole entire family knows about this guy—that’s how much of my favorite character he is.

When I realized Xanthous was gay and basically had a version of the childhood I did…my world was flipped upside-down. Suddenly I knew wayyy too much about this man. Suddenly his experiences were my own and I felt kind of weird about it, not going to lie. I think it’s cool though how Chris Colfer actually came out and said he was gay and gave him a boyfriend (we also love Elrik in this house). A part of me always kind of…knew? That he was gay?? Like I could sense it with my gaydar through the books and their pages. You can smell it on this guy. You won’t believe how funny it was when I saw he had that crisis in the antique store scene in A Tale of Sorcery. Ah, that brought back memories for me personally. Except I wasn’t in an antique store, I was sitting down with friends at a get together and someone clocked me as gay and I panicked.

Anyway, Xanthous has been my favorite character for many, many, many years. I’ve got old art of him too, but I’m definitely not going to show it because it’s also art I made back when I was in the closet and trying to not let anyone realize I was a boy who liked to kiss boys lol. It’s a bit embarrassing haha.

But yeah! Xanthous’s character has always been a source of…comfort for me. I think he’s super neat and his character has such a wide arc of growth it’s insane. He’s also more complex than the others—not adhering to a specific style of character between the prequel and the main series. He feels more real. More human. More like how I do kind of haha. At first I liked him because I liked the idea that he was kind of like me.

And then he REALLY became kind of like me.

And the rest is history 😁

#the land of stories #a tale of magic #ask me anything #tlos #xanthous #xanthous hayfield #anon ask #anon answered

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vanilla-c0c0 · 9 months

Text

The villains want to embarrass the little robin (William Rex & Victor) - Story Event Premium End

All possible disclaimers are valid! I’m not a mother tongue speaker and I’m doing this just for fun. 100% accuracy is not guaranteed. Have fun!

When asked by WIlliam how she even knows about that, she explains that firstly, the major premise is that they would never carelessly expose someone else to danger. Furthermore, William has already acted as the Queen’s aid once, meaning that there’s no reason why he couldn’t do it this time, too. Her conclusion is that there was no real danger this time. Also, she has noticed that she hasn’t seen Elbert, Alphonse and Roger since the night before; are they on a mission related to Her Majesty? Victor happily claps his hands.

Victor: MC! How smart and insightful you are! Ahh, if I was allowed to, I’d crush you in a hug right now.

William: You’re right, MC. We knew that an incident targeting the Queen wouldn’t happen at the parade.

They recieved intel on a group plotting to assassinate Her Majesty for money; therefore, they spread false information concerning a double attending the parade in the Queen’s stead, and that the real Majesty was at an important meeting at Oxford.

Elsewhere, a gunshot resounds in the mansion where an important meeting is supposed to be held. The men who were planning the assassination are miserably lying on the dinner table.

Alphonse: Oh my, it ended up messing up the whole meeting place like this… this way, there will be no important meeting nor any other kind of shit. Right, Your Majesty?

The woman sitting on a chair removes her veil; it’s Elbert, who asks if it’s already over. Roger notes that this time all he had to do was sit down, but Elbert’s glad it went like that: he didn’t have to be careful about stepping on anyone’s shadow. By now, the parade must be already over, notes Alphonse, and Roger pities that they weren’t able to see Her Majesty MC. The real Queen Victoria was hidden in a safe place by Victor.

MC is relieved that Queen Victoria wasn’t actually ill. Victor apologises for keeping silent; after all, he wanted her to enjoy the life as a queen without any worries. William adds that though that is true, they also believed that she would find out by herself.

MC: Fufu, isn’t that a bit contradictory?

William: Ohh, I do not deny that there is a great deal of contradiction.

MC: Then, I will take it as a sign of trust from the two of you.

Still, they kept a secret! As a way of apologising, William invites MC out on a night date with him and Victor.

A few minutes later, she’s up high, on the roof of the Crown Castle. Then suddenly, William picks her up and starts moving from one roof to another (what in the fate series???). They run through the dense forest, cross the drawbridge, until they finally reach a roof with a view on the Big Ben.

Victor: How was your trip in the night sky, MC?

MC: It was so much fun! I’d like to fly again.

William: Fufu, you really do like bad things.

Victor: Girls who like bad things are welcome; otherwise, she wouldn’t get along with us.

They look down at the city of London, laughing together. It was a unique day that started with the two men’s proposal, but thanks to that, she has learned a lot: the Queen’s feelings and her determination, Victor and William’s first meeting… She thanks them for giving her a valuable experience. She’s still unsure of what her role as a fairy tale master is but she’s looking for what she can do for Victor, William and the Queen.

MC: May the Crown (freedom) shine on everyone’s head one day.

William and Victor: …

William: Fuahahah, Nostalgic isn’t it, Victor? Was that on our way home after finishing our first mission as Crown members? Victor told me:”I’ve decided, William. The name [the organisation’s] name will be Crown. What do you think? May the Crown shine above the heads of all who seek freedom someday”.

Victor: Every time I talk to you, I become more and more grateful about having you as the fairy tale master. Just like you poured your heart out to us, we want to do the same.

William: Yes, we will listen to your desires, cute little robin.

MC finds herself standing between two people smiling beautifully; just looking at them makes her feel like she can go anywhere, like she can do anything. She feels so happy that she doesn’t want the night to end yet. Victor asks her what is it that she wants right now, followed by William who repeats the question.

MC: Victor, WIlliam. Just a little more, with me—

She confesses her honest feelings to the self-righteous king and the aide of the queen.

#ikemen villains #ikevil #ikevil william #william rex #Ikevil victor

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mymoodwriting · 9 months

Text

2.6k, revelations, story telling, knives, blood, attempted coup, imprisonment, restraints, collars, kidnapping, isolation, threats (@tardis-world @starillusion13)

“Princess, can we talk?”

You didn’t want to talk, you didn’t want to hear anything from them, so you got up with the intention of storming off to your room. Although Chan was quick to read you, rushing to your side and grabbing your arm.

“Please.”

“Don’t call me Princess.”

“Sorry.”

You knew Chan wasn’t gonna let you go, so you were going to have to talk to him. He didn’t let go of your arm, leading you towards the back entrance. Others tried to follow but Chan said he would be speaking to you in private, and not to worry as he could protect you. There was some uneasiness but the others allowed it. Chan took you out into the woods, finding a quiet and secluded place to talk. He made sure you were alone before speaking.

“This was never supposed to be your burden.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I will. So bear with me.” Chan took a breath. “Long ago, your ancestors made a deal with a very powerful being so that the kingdom and the land would prosper. It’s the reason why those with royal blood have rather exceptional power, and why one of them must wear the crown. You see the crown itself isn’t just a symbol or some accessory, but a means to connect our kingdom to the good fortune that we were promised. For the last couple of years without the royal family the kingdom has survived, but it is on the decline. Sooner or later all that has been built will come to ruin unless a member of royal blood wears the crown.”

“Do you seriously expect me to believe that?” You questioned. “That’s just some fairy tale that’s passed around so-”

“Do you trust me, Princess?”

“Is there even a choice?”

Chan sighed. “Please.”

He held his hand out to you, and even though you were still questioning things, you took it. He gently pulled you close, taking a hold of your wrist and revealing a knife. You tugged your arm back but he didn’t let go.

“I need you to trust me.”

You only nodded your head. You were fearful of the situation, and even if you were upset you did trust Chan. He poked your index finger with the knife, making the wound big enough for a drop of blood to blood. He slowly pulled you down onto your knees with him. He moved your hand over and had bits of your blood drop onto a nearby flower. You had no idea what he was doing, and before you could ask you saw something impossible. Your blood glowed and disappeared, the wilting flower suddenly grew a bit and came to full bloom. You stared with wide eyes, not entirely sure what had just happened.

“It may sound like a fairy tale, but it’s not. The Ahgase clan know of this and that’s why they left you alive. They need royal blood.”

“But why me… there were others… they didn’t…”

“They would never be able to guarantee control with anyone else.”

“So I put everyone in danger…”

“No. You did no such thing. The Ahgase clan has been planning this for years, if not you, then your children or grandchildren. The royal guards and palace guards failed to uphold their duty, it’s on us much more than you.”

“It still feels like my doing…”

“I’m sorry. This was never supposed to be your burden to carry. It’s why you never knew of this either.”

“I still don’t want to believe it…”

“You saw how special, how important, you are. I have no doubt you will do great things for this kingdom.”

“Perhaps… I’m sorry for being so… difficult…”

“It’s unfair to hold you to such standards when you didn’t know the whole truth. You’ve been acting as you should, and none of us will hold it against you, Princess.”

“You all really need to stop calling me that. I’m not a princess, and I never will be again. I have to ascend the throne after all.”

“You’re quite right there. Shall we return to the others?”

“Yeah. I don’t want to worry them.”

“Come on then.”

You returned to the hideout, everyone relieved to see you were both alright. You offered a reassuring look to them and went off to your room, wanting to be alone. Once you shut the door behind you and locked it, you slid down to the floor, tears beginning to fall.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to cause trouble… I didn’t… I didn’t know what being a princess meant… I didn’t know the burden I had being of royal blood… I’m sorry…” You were trying to keep your sobs silent, not wanting to get attention, and not wanting anyone to hear your words. “Mom… dad… Soohyun… Yssa… I promise I’ll take care of the kingdom… no matter what happens… I’ll show you… so you can rest easy…”

⧫

“What happened?” Minho asked. “What did you tell her?”

“The truth.” Chan answered. “She needed to know about her family and the legacy it truly carries. She’ll need time to accept that, but everything is alright. Now, given the recent intel we’ve received, it’s time to make our move. Gunil, what else is there?”

“We’re not entirely sure which heads of the clan have gone off world.”

“I know of one, but besides that.”

“None of this will be public, and there’s no reason for suspicion on the people’s part either. Not to mention the Moon Festival is just a few days away. So everyone’s distracted with that.”

“Which means we can also use it to our advantage.” Chan stated. “The festival gives us good cover, and a way to get close to the palace without arousing suspicion. We need to start moving now. We can’t waste this opportunity.”

“Can I help?”

No one noticed you had come to join them until you spoke up, and no one commented on the puffy eyes.

“Keeping yourself safe is the best course of action.”

You wanted to argue with that, but you just agreed. You understand things differently now. You had to survive so everyone else could. Although when it came time to leave this place you did help clean up and pack, knowing not to leave any trace behind. Once night fell, you began the journey to the palace, or at least to the inner kingdom. You had to remain hidden on the journey, so you wore a cloak and stayed in the back of the vehicle.

You probably should have used that time to sleep, but you stared out the window instead, wanting to watch the world and see what had become of it in your absence. The trip to the inner kingdom took around a day, so it was dark when you arrived at your destination. Upon stepping out you saw that the palace was in clear view, and for the first time you felt homesick. The others had caught you staring, Jisung stepping over to your side.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah… I just miss my bed.”

Jisung chuckled. “Me too. Let’s get you inside, perhaps tomorrow we can walk around.”

“I’d like that.”

It would be much easier for you to hide as the streets were crowded with people focused on the festivities. With that said, Chan allowed you to go out as long as you stayed close to your guards. Those being Jisung and Hyunjin. The three of you took to the town, and you felt at home. You bought some snacks from a street vendor, happily watching people put up decorations. The moon festival was a week-long celebration that reached its peak when the two moons overlapped each other. Its occurrence was irregular, so when the two aligned it sparked a lot of excitement.

This whole thing brought back a lot of memories, and with that you found yourself facing reality. You had promised your family that you’d learn to make moon cakes and share them during the next moon festival. A few silent tears began to fall, Hyunjin and Jisung bringing you over to some shade and away from the streets. They were already blending in well, but tears could always bring attention. They reminded you that you couldn’t be out for too long, so you agreed to head back.

Tomorrow night the festival would begin, and that was the time to strike. Chan had gathered members of the resistance to go over the plan. You stuck to the corner and hid your face, listening in. While everyone was distracted with the celebrations they would use this chance to infiltrate the palace. Before then they needed to double check their gear, as well as the palace security set up. They couldn’t blow this chance. You didn’t think you’d be able to sleep that night, but somehow you managed.

While the people prepared for a party, you watched those closest to you prepare for a coup. You were scared, nervous, but there was also a sense of peace. Regardless of the outcome you’d be going home tonight. Even if the place was empty, and could never be the home you left behind that night, it was still home to you. Since the festival was the cover it was important to dress appropriately to blend in with the crowds. So when night came everyone was ready to move into position.

This time around your escort was Felix and Changbin, being told to stay close and always within eyesight. For a while you mingled with the crowds of people, acting as any would, but when the time came you slipped away with the others, heading for the palace. You wondered exactly what your place in all this was, and got answers soon enough. While others made their way inside the palace, you were to remain hidden somewhere. That way you were closeby and safe. Everyone traveled through the secret passageways, memories of that night coming to the surface along with feelings of guilt.

You couldn’t dwell on that since you needed to stay focused. You may not be directly in the fight, but being distracted was dangerous. Being inside the palace though brought you a sense of peace. It almost felt like back when you were kids, sneaking around, but this wasn’t a game anymore. Once inside you found a place to hide, Felix staying with you while Changbin went off. This is where the real plan kicked off, and all you could do was hope for the best.

“Felix.”

“Hm?”

“What if… something happens…”

“Nothing is gonna happen.”

You held onto those words, not letting the loud noises and commotion you heard fill you with worry. Even if the two of you were isolated from the rest, Felix remained in contact with them. Part of your cover involved you wearing an inhibitor to hide your psychic signature from others, so you could really only keep to yourself. You figured that by the end of the night it would all be over, but when Felix suddenly yelled and collapsed to the floor you began to have second thoughts.

“Felix! Felix are you alright?”

“Fine… fine… we need to move…”

“What? But you-”

“Follow me.”

Felix only took a few steps before you realized he needed your support. You had him lean on you, having him wrap an arm around your shoulder. You followed his lead as he asked, although you soon realized he was leading you out of the palace.

“Felix… why are we-”

“Everything’s okay.”

You weren’t entirely sure you believed that, but surely Felix had enough on his plate as is. When you stepped out you could see it was still night but Felix was only focused on moving forward. You went along with it until you began to hear some rushing noises, and then you found yourself surrounded. There was no doubt in your mind then that things had gone wrong. Despite his weakened state Felix still made a move to protect you, standing up straight and keeping you close to him. He was in no condition to fight, but he did so anyway. He held his own for a while before the numbers overwhelmed him.

You couldn’t just sit back and watch so you rushed to his side, asking the others to stop hurting him, using your own body as a shield. Thankfully the men seemed to stand down, and you looked Felix over. He didn’t look so good with the cuts and bruises, but he was alive. You didn’t know what would happen next, but you suddenly heard the guards told to move aside. It wasn’t long before you saw someone else and their entourage approaching you. An unfortunately familiar face of the ahgase clan.

“Hello there, Princess. It’s quite a surprise to find you here.”

Your fear was starting to turn to anger. You knew this man was part of the reason your family was gone, why everyone around you was hurt. You wanted to fight, to do something, but you felt Felix’s hand grab yours, lightly shaking his head.

“You know it was foolish of anyone to think they could take back the throne. Did you really think we’d lower our guard after all these years? Although your actions here tonight speak volumes about our security. Now, Princess, I had no idea you were home. There’s someone who’s been eagerly looking for you.”

“Fuck you, Jackson.”

“Come now, we’re all friends here.” Jackson held his hand out to you. “Let’s go.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you!”

“I wasn’t asking.”

Jackson offered you a smile and lowered his hand. He turned around, walking back the way he came, and ordered some guards to bring you along. You were ripped away from Felix, screaming and thrashing around.

“Don’t hurt him! If you hurt anyone-”

“I have no intention to hurt them too badly, Princess.”

No matter how hard you tried to fight you were ultimately too weak. You wound up being dragged to your old room. Unable to appreciate the comfort of familiarity as your had adrenaline coursing through your veins.

“Welcome home, Princess.”

“You monsters!”

When you were released you immediately tried to fight back only to be hit with a migraine and forced onto your knees.

“You should really behave yourself until your lover returns. He’s missed you dearly.”

Before you knew it guards came over to hold you in place. You felt a prick on your arm, seeing the needle being removed, then it was the inhibitor crown. You tried to struggle but every action was making you sluggish and weak. With the inhibitor on you were basically powerless. They kept you locked up in your room, making home feel less and less like home. You tried to escape at first, but they were prepared for it all. Eventually you resigned yourself to just worrying about the others. You asked about them but never got an answer. It meant you had to take drastic measures.

“You wanted to see me, Princess?”

“Not you, but my royal guards. You haven’t told me anything about their situation and-”

“And if I refuse?”

“Let me see them, or else.”

“Oh, quite a threat. Lucky for you I’m feeling generous. Follow me.”

A bit to your surprise Jackson led you down to the dungeon where the others had been locked up. You rushed over to the nearest cell. They all looked so beaten up and weak, and a sense of guilt washed over you.

“Are you alright?”

“We’re fine, Princess.” Minho assured. “Just fine.”

“I’m glad this reunion is to your liking.” Jackson mocked. “I do have great news for you all, especially you, Princess.”

“Huh?”

“Your lover will be returning today, and they have quite the surprise for you.”

(Previous // Next)

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sapphire-weapon · 1 year

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Idk if Capcom were deliberately trying to make RE4R have at least some romantic undertone when it came to Leon/Ashley bc to me it's pretty obvious, there's a bunch of romantic imagery. Like a lot of the side characters reference it; Luis with his Prince Charming comment at that moment and calling Ash a princess (Dulcinea), Ada seeing that Leon actually cares for Ashley (calls her his "friend" at one point in a weird tone of voice), Ramon referring to them as knight in shining armor and princess and keeps taunting him when he loses her, the queen and king puzzle, the way Krauser taunts him and uses Leon's concern for her against him knowing the way to get to him is to mention Ashley, the merchant commenting if he's having a rough day after Ashley stabs him and runs away, Saddler using Ashley specifically to kill Leon knowing it would be torture for them both (he can read people's minds, right? So he knows), Ashley being so strong willed for resisting Saddler for trying to make her commit something she would never even think of and saving his life again when she jams the gun (yeah she prob didn't know that would happen but her unwillingness to shoot regardless of the mind control making her hand shake so much), Leon himself changing when getting to know Ashley and caring for her personally not for the mission he was forced into. He literally was ready to die for her even if it meant that she most likely wouldn't make it out w/o him. The way he carried her at the end!!! Like that's not just his professionalism and determination, there's devotion there and she shares the same sentiment. The way they ride off into the sunrise after "rain" starts pouring and they both smile at each other??? How is that not romantic imagery? If you saw that scene w/o context you would think they were the surviving couple of an action movie. There's more I'm missing bc I've been playing other games but there's a lot of evidence and context clues.

I mean, I absolutely believe that it was intentional on Capcom's part and the Leon and Ashley romance is actually, in fact, what the developers were going for. It would be absolutely batshit for this gigantic mountain of evidence to be an unintended coincidence. But I don't think that they went into it going, "Okay, this time around, we're going to have Leon and Ashley be The Canon Ship in RE."

What Capcom actually did was take Resident Evil 4 and turn it into a fairy tale. It was a really creative take on the game and was likely meant as appreciation for the fact that OG RE4 was such a major part of so many people's childhoods. (Ashley's line at the shooting gallery of "It reminds me of being a kid" plays into this, too, as a little tongue-in-cheek thing.)

So, as a self-contained story, yes, RE4make is a romance between Leon and Ashley. And that's where I think a huge portion of the fandom is getting tripped up on not being able to see it for what it is. They look at Leon and Ashley and go "okay, but this can't actually be the intention because we know xyz happens later in the series." That doesn't matter. That's not the point of what they did.

The point of it was to pay tribute to the way that so many people -- after coming into the series with RE4 OG in their adolescence -- thought of Leon as being a big, dreamy, hero-type character. So, they did that by actually turning him into one this time around who saves the day and gets the girl.

It doesn't mean that Capcom is committing to the actual ship, though. Just because this romantic storyline happened in RE4make doesn't mean that the next installment in the Remake series is going to confirm that Ashley is Leon's girlfriend or someshit. It is still entirely possible that we will never see Ashley Graham ever again.

As part of a greater whole, RE4make is just another stop along the horrible, winding road that is Leon Kennedy's shitty, shitty life. But, at least this time, he actually got to be the big damn hero for once.

#resident evil 4 #leon kennedy #ashley graham #meta analysis

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eveandtheturtles · 1 year

Text

This whole "Love" thing

Fuck it, here's incredibly personal-Headcanon Mikey (including some mentions of other brothers) one shot. I hope I won't make people mad xD

Summary: Mikey has thoughts about himself and is struggling with his identity.

Rating: T for a mention.

Tagging: @madammuffins @turtle-babe83 @thelaundrybitch @pheradream15 @dilucsflame33 (lemme know if anyone wanna be tagged/untagged in the future! Also plz do tag me in your stuff too!)

Mikey loved love. He loved the concept of it. The magical fairy tale sold by the TV and comic books.

He loved his family, pizza, New York. He loved being a hero, his skateboard and the ancient teddy bear he got from his dad when he was a kid.

But no matter how hard Mikey tried romantic love evaded him.

There were women, guys and nonbinary pals that he tried to have this love with. Sex was great, don't get him wrong. He enjoyed it and it made people he was with happy but he always could tell like something wasn't quite there. It led him to believe there was something wrong with him.

He had seen his brothers finding love. April eventually getting with Casey. He was happy for them all. He himself though was... confused.

"What is eating you my son?"

Mikey looked up startled from his own thoughts by Splinter's voice. "Me? Psh, nothing, all good, yeah," he replied a bit too quickly waving his arm dismissevely. "What makes you think that?"

"For starters, Michealangelo, you decided to join me for a game of go," the rat smiled at him. "You also have been considering your move for about 15 minutes now and didn't notice when I got up to bring myself some tea." Splinter gestured to the fresh cup next to him.

Mikey glanced there and sighed then looked at the board. He moved one piece, rather unmotivated.

"Sensei, is it possible for someone to... not feel love?" He finally asked.

Splinter stroked his chin before answering slowly. "The simple answer this this would be no, but that is a very complex question and cannot be answered with just one word." He hummed to himself. "In Ancient Greece they have named different kinds of love a person can experience - Storge the love of kinship and familiarity, Philia the platonic love, Eros the lustful love and pure, divine Agape. There are other of course. In the phylisophy of Confucianism there's love expressed by duty and action, focused more on the relationship rather than feelings. In oposition to it stood Mozi with his idea of universal love, equal among everyone."

Normally, with this lenght of lecture Mikey might have gotten distracted by his need to learn more about what he was feeling mixed with anxiety kept him listening. All this information was making him a little dizzy though.

"What does it mean?" He asked.

"It means my son that there is more to love than romance the shows on TV are trying to teach you," his father explained patiently. "You can feel one love without experiencing another. It doesn't make you any less worthy of love or incapable of it."

"What? Who said it was about me? I was, you know asking for a-" he stopped seeing the look on Splinter's face.

"I believe the Internet that Donatello and the rest of you enjoy so much, could have more modern outlook on this topic." He moved a piece on the board, giving Mikey an amused look.

"Right." Mikey nodded. "I better go then. Thanks, sensei."

He stood up and bowed before going further to the lair. What his dad said made him feel better. A little. He was still feeling a bit alone in his head with all that. He could check online like dad suggested but he wasn't sure just how much did Donnie monitor their phones.

He bit his lips. Fuck it. He'll deal with it later. He opened his phone and typed: "Is it normal to not feel love?" His thumb hesistated over the search icon, suddenly feeling a bit scared.

Deep breaths, Mikey, he told himself, then hit it.

Hours later he knew more. There was a name to it. Aromantic, that's how it was called. Leo was poly-bi, Raph was bi, Donnie was demi and he... he was Aromantic. Or aro for short. So this was okay. It really was okay.

Somehow the knowledge that there was name for it. That there were people like him out there, the scope of experiences varying of course but... He wasn't alone. It was such a relief he almost wanted to cry.

He was going to be okay.

#I'm struggling a little with my romantic identity so #time to dump it all on Mikey!#he he pfft #eve scribbles #mikey #michealangelo #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt mikey #tmnt 2016 #tmnt 2014 #bayverse turtles #bayverse mikey

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