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noose-lion · 5 months

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Maybe it was just my childhood special interest in martial arts and combat, but the bsd fandom drives me absolutely crazy on how they talk about the characters.

Specifically in combat abilities, fighting 'stats', body builds, ect. ect.

I mostly blame the anime, because it made everyone into twigs, but still. Some of my fellow fans out there are sometimes outright drawing lines over a character in a manga panel and going 'Look at this snatched waist' all the while ignoring basic perspective and forshortening rules. Chuuya is victim to this a fuckton.

For a starting example I'll talk about Kunikida. (Because if I start with Dazai or Chuuya I'll get the "He's petite it's not a crime to call him that" hecklers again).

Because remember folks, no need to get heated about fictional characters that were made up to tell a story.

Kunikida is a martial artist. He has a strong center of gravity, and a great deal of muscle mass. He's shown, (even in the anime mind you), to be competent against opponents who have both the height and mass advantage (that one time he swapped with Dazai mid fight, doing the cool grappling hook switch thing). He's a tall guy and he's drawn in the main manga as very broad shouldered and thick limbed. He's your average combat driven male. Built like a boxer.

He's not really the main talking point I see though. He's usually never called petite or delicate or any of the, quite frankly, ridiculous descriptors for a man of his size and build. It's usually Chuuya and in extension Dazai.

First off, ripping the bandaid off quick and easy. Chuuya isn't petite. (Sure technically petite only means short, but ancient also technically only means old. It's about the connotation.)

Chuuya is also a martial artist. Unlike Kunikida, who relies heavily on grappling technique and using his opponents own momentum and mass against them (a defensive fighter) Chuuya is almost purely offensive (most defense being left to his ability). His center of gravity is less stagnate, more fluid. He's acts quickly, crushing his opponent with efficient and well calculated brute force. Chuuya's body build reflects this. He's got a strong torso and thick limbs, strong shoulders that are lined with cords of muscle that absorb the impact of his attacks. He uses his legs a lot, kicks and jumps, and there is muscle concentration in his thighs and calves as a result. In the main manga, he's drawn with a lean torso, broader shoulders and thicker thighs. He's got a baseball player or a mixed martial artist build. (Broad shoulders and large thighs paired with his choice of suit cut is what creates his 'hourglass figure' so many of yall are obsessed with.)

Second bandaid I'm ripping off. Dazai isn't weak or delicate or whatever, but he is not buff or a tank either. And against men built for combat like Kunikida and Chuuya he's at a fairly large disadvantage.

Most of the athletic ability we've seen Dazai exhibit is evasion based. In the main manga he's drawn broad shouldered and thin, usually cloaked by his coat. Dazai has lean, muscle concentration in his shoulders, upper back and core. He doesn't have the thicker limbs of a boxer or martial artist. He better resembles a swimmer, gymnast, or even rock climber. He's not a stick, as flat as he may be. He's also probably a good deal softer then his martial artist counterparts, not living the stricter healthy life style most martial artist adhere to. Dazai doesn't do well against large heavily muscled opponents, he just doesn't have the needed mass for it. If he doesn't get the upperhand quickly he will loose. Evident in how he struggled so much against that one guy he did the cool grappling hook swap thing with Kunikida.

All this to say, almost every individual in bsd is built for their combat filled life, specialized to fit their fighting styles. It's not a big deal, but I find such thinking and analysis fun.

#inkedmyheart's recent post had me once more thinking on this #bsd #my stuff #screaming into the void #and the void screams back #bungou stray dogs #bungou gay dogs #bsd kunikida #kunikida doppo #bsd chuuya #chuuya nakahara #dazai osamu #bsd dazai #soukoku #jester thinks #bsd meta #bsd analysis #bsd headcanon #bsd headcanons

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starstruckmiraclekitty · 1 year

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Hey saffy lemur... could you maybe do a scenario for the 141 and König and reader? Where they each have their first kiss with them and what the kiss is like? I love your writing you're so good at fluff,! If you don't want to it's okay, thanks!

Thank you so much! I hope this is what you were looking for❤️😊

141 + König x Reader's First Kiss

Warnings: swearing, mentions of alcohol, sexual references

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon Ghost Riley-

Your first kiss with Simon was sweet. After months of mutual pining, he'd finally mustered the courage to ask you out on a date.

He took you to a small cafe, where it wouldn't be too busy. He was a perfect gentleman the whole date, and you couldn't be any more enamored with him because of it.

He'd shown you a whole new side of him tonight, one that he hadn't shown anyone in years. He'd had his fair share of flings and one night stands, but you were different. Something about you made him want something more. Something real.

He'd walked you up to your doorstep later that night, after your date had ended. "I had a nice night Y/N, thank you." He said as he leaned against your door.

"Me too, Simon. I really hope we can do this again. It was nice getting to know the man behind the mask. I quite like him." You smiled warmly up at him.

Simon felt butterflies in his stomach from the way you were looking at him. Nobody's looked at him like that in years.

He looked deeply in your eyes before leaning down to slot his lips against yours. The kiss was nothing short of perfect. His lips had felt so soft against yours.

His finger rested under your chin, pulling your head up toward him more so he could deepen the kiss. Pulling away slowly after a few moments, he smiled down at you before placing a kiss on your forehead.

"I'll see you soon, yeah?" He asked, hopeful. The kiss solidified what he knew he felt inside. He was falling for you, and falling hard.

Johnny Soap MacTavish-

Your first kiss with Johnny was unexpected. The two of you had been friends for years. You had a friendship filled with relentless teasing, late nights gossiping, and lingering touches.

You were out with him late at night at a bar close to base. The two of you wanted to let loose, and ended up having one too many.

At one point during the night, you found yourself staring at Johnny. He was licking his chapped lips all night, and it was driving you crazy. You'd always harbored feelings for the Scot, and it certainly didn't help you were undeniably attracted to him either.

"Need some chapstick?" You teased, catching Johnny's attention. He turned his gaze away from the game on TV and looked at you with a smirk.

"Think I may need more than just chapstick, darlin." He sent you a sly wink.

You stifled a giggle at his reply. "Was that supposed to be a pickup line? That was awful, Johnny."

Johnny would be sure to blame it on the drinks later, but your little giggle had done something to him in that moment. Ignoring any doubts he had in his mind, he leaned forward and crashed his lips onto yours.

The kiss was heated, and messy. Both of you being under the influence of alcohol certainly didn't make for a very romantic kiss. There was teeth clashing, tongue and a mix of saliva all at once. But you weren't complaining, and neither was he.

"Fuck me." He pulled away, with a darkness to his eyes that wasn't there before. "Let's get out of here, yeah?"

You nodded your head, and let Johnny lead the way to a night neither of you would forget.

Price-

Your first kiss with Price was rough. The amount of sexual/romantic tension between the two of you was palpable, and had been since you'd joined his task force.

You'd needed help with some defense techniques and had asked if he'd be willing to spar with you to help out.

You'd been sparring with him for the last 20 minutes and were working up quite the sweat. Price wasn't one to go easy on you, and you'd narrowly missed being punched a handful of times.

You'd lost your footing as you tried to deflect his latest punch unsuccessfully, causing you and John to go tumbling to the ground. He held his arms out on either side of you to prevent himself from falling on top of you.

Trying to catch your breath from the physical exertion, you looked up to find Price already looking down at you. His gaze had flitted down to your lips and back up to your eyes.

You swallowed thickly, unsure of what his next move was going to be. He gave a small smirk before leaning down to connect your lips with his.

The kiss was bruising. Like in your spar session, Price didn't hold himself back when kissing you either. His lips were rough, and the kiss was anything but soft.

"I think I won that spar, yeah?" He asked, pulling away. "Now it's time to claim my prize."

Gaz-

Your first kiss with Gaz was playful. You and him were playing Mario Kart at your flat, and things were getting tense. Each of you were self proclaimed masters at the game and decided to do a ten round game to see who was the ultimate winner.

The two of you were sitting side by side, deeply concentrating on the game. This was the last round of the match, and you and Gaz were neck and neck, the winner being decided by this match.

It was the last lap, and Gaz was right on your tail. At the last minute, he had gotten a red shell to use on you, which allowed him to push past you and win the race.

"AHH! DID YOU SEE THAT? I WON, I WON!" Gaz cried out, flinging his arms in the air, sending the controller flying.

You laughed at his enthusiasm and were about to say something before he cut you off with a fierce kiss.

You and Gaz had been friends for a while. Both of you were close and found yourselves in each other's company. You'd always had a small attraction to the man, but never vocalize your feelings.

Your mind was hazy as you tried to grasp what was happening. You'd sat frozen as he kissed you, unable to move.

He pulled away with wide eyes. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I should've asked, was so."

You cut him off by placing your lips against his. He immediately reciprocated, pushing you backward into the couch.

"Shit, can I get kissed like this every time I win?"

König-

König's and your first kiss was timid. You'd been on a few dates together, never ending with the kiss you'd wanted so badly from him.

You knew of his anxieties, though. You knew better than to push him into something he wasn't comfortable with. So you waited patiently for him to make his move.

The two of you were on a picnic date, at a little lake by your house. The date was quiet, but sweet. König had told you some childhood stories, in exchange for a few of your own.

As the two of you finished your sandwiches, a comfortable silence fell over you. Both of you often looking at each other, exchanging warm glances.

At one point, he turned to you with a small smile and cleared his throat. "Maus….may I… may I kiss you?"

You nodded your head with a smile and waited for König to make a move. He leaned in slowly and placed his lips on yours softly, almost as if he'd break you if he'd put any more pressure.

He pulled away only a second later, a light pink dusting his cheeks. "I.. I hope that was alright for you."

"That was perfect Kö.. could I…maybe get another?" You asked, your own cheeks now turning pink.

König felt his heart flutter, and gladly leaned back in to capture your lips in his once more. This time, kissing you with just a bit more fervor than before.

König could get used to this, this domestic bliss. You were starting to show him slowly but surely that the man beneath the mask was worth loving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Thanks for reading!!!❤️😊

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max-nico · 7 months

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Sonic has been called an "overprotective big brother" over the years many times. Not his fault that Tails is small, impressionable, and reckless. He's known the kid since he was a toddler, if anyone else had been around that long they would understand too.

Or at least he thought they would, but it seems he was wrong because his own two best friends–Amy and Knuckles–are the ones who call him overprotective the most. This is a huge betrayal on their part, especially when they bring up valid points like Tails' intelligence and skill, because how could he disagree. Sonic has the coolest, most awesome and amazing, little brother ever.

With that being said, Sonic is pretty sure he has the right to interrogate the little fox this time. He's like 90% sure his panic is warranted when he sees his little brother load and cock a very real and deadly gun. Because that kid is 9. He is 9, and he is putting on his watch and his plane gear to leave, and for some reason he needs a weapon wherever he's going. Sonic thinks he has a right to exercise at least a little big brother privilege here, honestly it would be negligent to not at least question him.

"Hey bud. Whatcha up to?"

Tails' ear flicks toward him as he packs a few things into the Tornado. "You remember that hard drive that GUN thought they stole from me, but I actually knew they wanted it so I lowered a few of my defense systems so that they could grab it and leave me alone?"

The answer is no, Sonic has no recollection of that happening at all. Though he supposes it's his own fault for only half listening when Tails was talking. He's really gotta break that habit.

"Sure do." Sonic lies.

"Well, I actually have a little bit of data on there that I forgot to back up to another hard drive since I didn't think I needed it, so I'm going to go get it."

"And you need a weapon for that? Why don't you just ask Shadow?"

Tails finally turns to face Sonic, floating down off the Tornado and in front of Sonic. He stands with his hands on his hips, leaning just a little into his personal space. He takes the chance to absentmindedly scratch behind his little brother's ears, making him push his head into his hand.

"I did, actually. He's the one who told me to bring some weapons, he said he wants to help me improve my stealth techniques."

"Huh, and he didn't even bother to text me about it." Sonic huffs. It comes out playfully, but he won't deny being a little peeved that Shadow didn't message him. Tails is a genius and can make his own decisions, sure, but he's also not even in double digits. Sonic is literally his guardian, he feels like he should've been consulted about this. "I find that quite rude."

Tails smacks Sonic with one of his tails. The fur gets trapped in the small quills on his face, which makes his brother giggle.

"Then how do you find that, hm?"

"I find that the person who did it has another thing coming."

Sonic is so gonna fill his pillows with quills and shaving cream again. The fox constantly complains about not being able to get his quills out of any furniture, but he also got his fur stuck on Sonic's face, he figures this is pretty good retribution.

"Sure I do."

This is what Sonic means. Where did his wholesome brother go? Ignoring the fact that he has been a little menace since they first met, this is obviously team Dark's fault. Their devious ways are corrupting his little brother, who has obviously only learned nice things from him, like dad jokes and spindashing.

Tails has been constantly hanging out with team Dark for a few months now. After spending time with Rouge on Amy's last birthday he seemed to acquire a sort of childish fascination with them. Honestly, Sonic didn't really see it as a bad thing at first. They got Tails to spend more time out of his lab, and they always seemed to take care of him so Sonic had no qualms as long as Tails was having fun.

Then the habits came. Habits that Sonic had managed to completely purge a couple years back. Sure, he's not building bombs willy nilly anymore (as far as he knows anyway), but a few weeks ago Tails showed him the Empire nuclear launch codes just because he could.

Just yesterday they were having a conversation about a grocery store in station square. Amy had apparently told him that the cashier was kind of rude, so he asked if she wanted him to "blow up the entire store". She laughed and said no thanks, but when Sonic just shook his head at him Tails had the audacity to say "he'll make sure there's no one in it", as if that was the problem with what he said.

Sonic will not claim to have clean hands. He will not say he's never killed anybody on purpose or on accident, but is it so much to want to spare his brother from the same fate? Sonic still has nightmares over things like that, and even if his little brother is joking, he just can't find it in himself to laugh.

It's obvious Sonic will have to talk to Shadow and Rouge soon, he would talk to Omega as well but the robot honestly just does whatever he wants. Sonic can respect it. He cannot, however, respect Shadow and Rouge teaching his kid brother bad stuff, like how to get away with murder and other things of the like.

"I'll be back before you know it, Sonic, I swear!"

It's obvious Sonic has just missed most of the one sided conversation Tails was just having with him, he zoned out again. Damn it.

"And I'll have my communicator on me so if anything goes wrong, you'll be the first to know! I'll stay safe, Shadow will be with me."

Tails says that as if it's any comfort to Sonic. He may trust Shadow with his life but he does not trust him with children. He's sure Tails will come out physically unscathed, but mentally? This is going to be a trainwreck.

Sonic sighs. He already knows he won't be able to convince him not to go, at least not in the small timeframe he has, so he just pulls the kid in for a hug instead. "Call me as soon as you're able, okay?"

"I will, promise!"

"And if you're not back and not answering in 24 hours, I'm coming to find you myself."

"Yes, Sonic." Tails says, pulling away.

"And I'll give Shadow a piece of my mind if I have to, you know I will."

"I'm leaving now."

"And so will Knuckles and Amy!"

"Goodbye!"

"Remember what I said about calling!"

"I can't hear you anymore!"

Sonic smiles as Tails starts his plane, the kid will be fine, he knows it. After all, he's sure Shadow and Rouge know the consequences if he's not.

woe, the brothers be upon ye I wrote this in like two sittings and its barely been edited, I'll probably put this on ao3 later after I've looked at it again lol. you're welcome to hit me up in my dms or askbox, but if it's a request I would prefer my ask box lol. Remember you have to be nice to me forever and ever and ever if you decide to talk to me btw

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callisto-corner · 3 days

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Bodyguard Geto | Geto Suguru

BodyguardGeto! who exudes sex appeal no matter what time of day it is which is only heightened by his customary attire consisting of a blend of black and white.

BodyguardGeto! who was the first bodyguard to speak to you willingly instead of nodding and giving dry responses.

BodyguardGeto! who waits outside everyday after work at exactly five pm and if you have extra hours he stays with you.

BodyguardGeto! who you can have meaningful conversations with and exchange insights of various topics.

BodyguardGeto! who on your birthday surprises you with a day filled with adventure and excitement, taking you to all your favorite places and indulging in activities that bring joy to your heart. His thoughtful gestures and genuine affection make the day unforgettable.

BodyguardGeto! who finds unsuspicious ways to touch you.

BodyguardGeto! who loves taking photos of you at your happiest and makes it his mission to capture it in photographs, cherishing those moments of happiness forever.

BodyguardGeto! who agrees to give valuable knowledge about situational awareness, and teach basic self-defense techniques, and proper firearm handling.

BodyguardGeto! who is obsessed with your smile.

BodyguardGeto! who loves night drives which becomes a cherished ritual between the two of you. With the city lights twinkling in the distance, as you share intimate conversations and stolen moments, feeling safe and cherished in his presence.

BodyguardGeto! who is versatile in the kitchen from pastries to magical dinners communicating silently over the best wines provided by him

BodygaurdGeto! who smells amazing which ultimately makes every hug worthwhile and every hug is a magical experience.

BodyguardGeto! who takes you to see the fireworks every year on new years.

#geto suguru headcanons #jujutsu geto #geto x reader #fluff #jujutsu kaisen #geto #geto suguru #geto x you #suguru #geto x y/n

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reasonsforhope · 9 months

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Is it true some parts will be under water in 2025? I'm kinda of worried cause someone told me about it bc it was on the news

Eh, not really. Like, technically, but that's a very dramatic way to put it.

What that person told you about was probably this prediction, which says that some roads on some of the Florida Keys might be underwater by 2025.

Does that suck? Yes. But it's also pretty limited in scope.

(And by the way, that's probably not "underwater all the time." There will probably be a number of years of "the roads will be underwater at high tide specifically." I can't currently find a source on this, but that's how tides work, and the Florida Keys article does specifically mention them as a main problem.)

The areas in danger first are pretty universally small, very low islands. Actually, a dozen or so small islands have already gone underwater in the Pacific Ocean, but very importantly, none of those islands were inhabited.

They were mostly small reef islands (that is, the entire island is exposed coral reef detritus) and other uninhabited shoals. Mostly, they were so small scientists had to check old satellite images to even figure out that they disappeared. Literally, we're talking about chunks of land that are just 100 square meters/300 square feet. Again, not great, but still very limited in scope.

As this Live Science article thankfully explains, it's pretty unlikely that any countries at all will disappear before 2100.

Also, just because land is below sea level doesn't mean it will be underwater, and there are very real steps we can take to defend a lot of endangered cities/islands.

For example:

Much of the Netherlands is already below sea level, but the country isn't disappearing, because the Dutch have put a lot of work into building and maintaining coastal defenses.

Multiple surveys (including the one that found the missing islands in Micronesia) also found that not all low-lying islands are vulnerable to erosion and flooding. This is because many islands are protected by mangrove forests, lagoons, or both

Mangrove reforestation in particular is genuinely a super effective anti-flooding strategy that is being deployed pretty widely, and is expected to increase a lot in the coming years. Mangroves are effective at not only preventing short-term flooding, but also mitigating sea-level increases (in part by preventing erosion)

Some islands, esp Pacific Islands, have actually grown during the past couple decades, not shrunk. It really depends on what the island is made up of. Not all land is automatically doomed

You can read more about how sinking countries are fighting back here, and the lessons we can learn from them:

-via Time, June 13, 2019

And finally, and this is good news for reasons I'll explain in a second:

Some of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world are at the top of the danger list. (Note: the predictions at that link are based on some fairly severe warming predictions. They do NOT necessarily reflect what's going to happen or when.)

The cities that are going to be in danger the soonest (still away btw) include New York, London, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Dubai. Lots of very rich people in those cities! Who would really like to not have to move (any of their ten different homes lol)

So, flooding aside, we're going to (by necessity) get a lot better at figuring out the quickest, cheapest, most scalable, and most effective types of coastal defenses real fast.

Are rich countries going to be way more able to get strong coastal defense systems up quickly? Yes. Does that suck? Sure fucking does!! But these solutions don't all require a lot of money or tech to implement, even at a large scale, especially when it's local communities driving the effort.

And, importantly, when rich countries pour a ton of money into figuring this out, that will hugely expand our understanding of what techniques work best, why, and how best to deploy them in different situations. Unlike physical structures, that's valuable knowledge that can be shared very, very widely.

And any technology that comes out of this is going to work like solar panels and other green energy: as more people use it, it will get cheaper and cheaper. Probably really quickly.

So, all told, no one's going to be swallowed up in the next few years. We have time to work on this and a lot of people are already doing so.

Mostly, experts predict that the first wave of large-scale issues will be happening around 2050.

Three decades doesn't sound like enough time, in the face of something like this. But you know what? Responses to climate change are speeding up exponentially, and different types of responses are multiplying and magnifying each other.

We went from inventing flight to landing on the moon in just 66 years.

I wouldn't count us out of the climate change fight yet.

(...I wouldn't count on retiring to Florida either, though)

#Anonymous #sea level rise #ocean #micronesia #pacific islander #mangrove #flood #flood mitigation #ask #me #hope #it does suck but I also really do think there is hope #this post was supposed to be like 2-3 paragraphs how did it turn into an entire essay #I have too many words disease #too much nuance #hope yall appreciate the extra context lol

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miamochi-writes · 1 year

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The Only Time I Feel Safe

A/n: Vash x reader, another request from a friend of mine! Enjoy! Here is Part 2

You were trained to be a spy and gather intel growing up. You were the best at what you did, but it came with a price. You trained under the best spy, except every mistake you made he punished severely. Each punishment would grow progressively worse until you perfected your technique. Eventually it grew to be too much and you escaped his clutches. Now you were on the run just traveling to be far away from your mentor as much as possible. As a result, you didn’t liked being touched, especially by men. Even if it was a tap on the shoulder or a hand on your shoulder, you felt disgusted. No one was allowed to touch you unless you said so. You were tired of getting hurt, so you put up your walls to make sure no one would hurt you again.

You managed to stumble upon Meryl and Roberto. They asked for your help on finding “Vash the Stampede.” You agreed to help so long as you could join them and that they met your conditions on the no touch rules. When you did find him, you let Meryl handle him. Even though Vash looked harmless, you didn’t risk letting your guard down.

“So you’re Vash the Stampede?” Meryl asked.

“Oh you know little old me?” he asked.

“Only because of y/n,” Roberto pointed to you.

“Hey y/n, nice to meet-” Vash was extending his hand to you until you immediately backed away as your whole body tensed. You made yourself look bigger and got into a defensive stance. Vash looked confused until Meryl spoke up.

“Sorry, y/n doesn’t like it when people come too close. It’s not just you,” she explained as Vash looked at you with his sad blue eyes while you sneered at him with your e/c eyes.

After seeing him help the people of Jeneora, you figured you could keep him at an arm’s distance. Even though Vash was a wanted criminal, you still made sure to throw off police or anyone that was hunting him. When you first threw off the cops, Vash was laying low at the bar.

“Hey! Thanks for helping me out there y/n!” Vash came up to you but stopped himself from getting close.

“It’s no big deal, you’re not the only one trying to avoid cops,” you said with your arm’s crossed.

“Oh you too?” he asked.

“I’ve got my reasons,” you replied.

“Well I got time. We can relax at the bar,” Vash offered. You thought about it for awhile and figured you’d tell a little more about yourself. If you were going to tag along with this group you might as well start talking.

“Okay, but I pick the table and you sit across from me,” you agreed as Vash let you walk in.

~*~

You were traveling through the desert after leaving Jeneora. After the incident, Vash was at the lowest you’ve seen him. He didn’t really talk much or sleep throughout the drive. Meryl had to stop after driving too long, so it was your first night spending the night in the dunes. When you camped, you noticed Vash wasn’t eating his food. By the time you all went to bed, you spent about an hour just staring at the sky until you turned to Vash’s direction.

“I know you’re awake,” you spoke.

“How can you tell?” he asked.

“You didn’t eat so I can hear your stomach grumbling,” you pointed out.

Vash let out a dry chuckle as he finally turned to you.

“You got me, so why are you awake?” he asked.

“It takes awhile for me to sleep properly. Even if I do, I wake up at the slightest sound because of how I was brought up,” you explained.

“That bad?” he asked as you nodded.

“Even though I’m away from my mentor, my body can’t relax if I sleep. I keep thinking something will happen,” you divulged further. Vash looked at you with those eyes again as you sighed.

“Listen, what I’m trying to say is...what happened back there wasn’t your fault. I know you wanted to help people, but you did what you could,” you started. You could see Vash was starting to tear up. You reached into your pocket and to grab something that would help. You scooted closer to Vash and offered him your handkerchief.

“Here, for your tears,” you offered. Vash looked at you like you grew another head.

“Yes, you can take it. I don’t mind it,” you reasoned. He then grabbed the cloth from you. You felt his fingertips brush yours briefly. You didn’t feel as disgusted when he did this. In fact, his touch was light as a feather. You then looked at him wiping away his tears as you felt for him. He really cared and you knew how it felt when things didn’t turn out well.

“You can keep it for now. Just get some rest and please eat something. You can’t help people out on an empty stomach,” you finished as you turned away.

You were camping out by the desert dunes once more. You gained another new member, Wolfwood. He was an unorthodox priest to say the least, but you were thankful to have him as he practically destroyed the worm you were all trapped in. You were eating worm meat, and you noticed Vash was finally eating his portion. An unknowing smile made your way while you were eating. Once everyone was falling asleep, you got comfy with your sleeping bag and looked at Vash. He was still up and was staring at the stars. You scooted yourself quietly towards him before you said anything.

“So you finally got your appetite back,” you spoke as Vash slightly jumped.

“That’s right you don’t sleep right away,” Vash chuckled as you held back a laugh.

“Yeah, so what gives? Last night you were moping and now you’re eating again like nothing happened,” you asked.

“It’s what you and Wolfwood said. I have to value my life a bit more if I want to help out people. Thanks for putting up with me, I kinda get lost in my thoughts sometimes,” Vash answered as he gave you a cheeky smile.

You don’t know what came over you, but you slowly raised your hand towards him. You gently put your hand on his shoulder as Vash looked at you like Wolfwood did when Meryl hit him with the car.

“It’s great to have your cheery self back,” you commented as you tried to hide your small smile.

“You...you touched my shoulder,” he said.

“Don’t get used to it. I felt like you needed it earlier,” you mentioned as you retracted your hand back. Vash chuckled at your actions as he kept his eyes on you.

“So does this mean you’re a little more comfortable with me?” he asked with his face lit up,

“Sure, but you need to ask for permission on touching me okay?” you argued.

“So would it be okay if we shook hands?” Vash asked with his human hand reaching out to you. Once you heard him you looked at him with one of your eyebrows raised.

“We didn’t get to introduce each other properly,” he explained with a sheepish smile. You were a bit hesitant at first, but you figured it wouldn’t hurt.

“Sure,” you gave in as you extended your hand to his. He held your hand and shook it delicately.

“Vash, glad to have you traveling with us,” he said.

“Y/n, glad to be tagging along,” you replied.

You caught word of another nearby town to explore. It wasn’t until Vash led you to a windmill town that was in horrible shape. You encountered an overgrown man chasing after Vash and ran to a safe place with Roberto and Meryl. In the end, Vash and Wolfwood got into an argument and weren’t speaking to each other. You found Vash sitting in a corner near one of the buildings. You walked towards him and sat next to him.

“So you and Wolfwood aren’t talking now?” you asked.

“It’s a long story,” he sighed.

“I’m here to listen,” you offered as you looked at him. Vash explained how that man was once a kid Vash knew. He told you about the promise he made to the kid and what happened. Then, Vash explained how Rollo did recognize him, but Wolfwood landed the final blow. When you took everything in, you gathered your thoughts before speaking again.

“Your feelings are valid. Honestly it’s hard to tell what was the right thing to do. But Rollo recognized you for a bit. I think a part of him might have been happy you came back. But Vash, you do understand we can only do so much right? As much as we want to help do something, we all have our limitations. Like I said earlier, you did what you can,” you answered. You then heard Vash starting to sniffle. You could only do so much, but at least he was expressing his emotions and not bottling it in.

“Y/n? Is it okay if I get a pat on the shoulder?” he asked with his voice cracking.

You scooted closer to him and patted his back. He cared a lot, but that meant he carried a heavy burden with his emotions. While you were patting him, you slowly gave him a side hug. The guy desperately needed it. You felt his body stiffen. Then he relaxed and pulled you closer as he cried it out.

You were camping out in the desert once more. Everyone practically ate in silence and fell asleep. Except you did try to sleep but you had a nightmare. You dreamt that your mentor came after you with a vengeance. When you dreamt that he grabbed you by the shoulder you jolted awake with a small scream. You covered your mouth to keep quiet so you wouldn’t wake anyone up. You were sweating profusely as your heart was racing.

“It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream, he doesn’t know where you are,” you tried telling yourself quietly. You then heard someone move and stilled yourself. You cursed for making too much noise.

“Hey are you okay y/n?” A soft voice asked. It was Vash and you saw the concern in his vibrant blue eyes.

“Did I wake you up?” You asked.

“No, I was still awake, but it sounded like you had a nightmare,” he replied.

“Yeah, I dreamt about my mentor finding me. It felt too real,” you explained as you tried to wipe off the night sweat.

“I’m sorry to hear, but know that we’re pretty far from any towns nearby. So you’re safe,” he reassured you. You took a deep breathe and nodded. That’s right he still hasn’t found you, so you’re fine for now. You were about to go back to sleep but you felt the cold night breeze hit you. You tried to pass it off but it was bothering you.

“Are you cold?” Vash asked.

“It’s fine, I’ll find a way to sleep,” you reassured him, not wanting to bother Vash anymore.

“You know you can scoot closer to me? I run a lot warmer than most people,” he offered. His offer was too tempting for you. You needed your energy, and decided to swallow your pride. You scooted closer to his left side and once you were close to his prosthetic arm, you felt the warmth he was emitting. You practically didn’t feel cold anymore. Your muscles relaxed the minute you felt the heat as you got comfortable.

“See? I told you,” Vashed smiled as you were now lying next to him.

“Have you always been this warm?” You asked.

“For as long as I could remember,” he chuckled as you felt your eyes get heavy from his warmth.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything while you sleep,” he reassured as you let out a small yawn.

“Okay, goodnight Vash,” you softly muttered before dozing off. And that was one of the few nights you had actually slept well.

You traveled to another town nearby that had a decent amount of people. The group split up to gather resources while you were gathering intel until you stopped to see a group of bandits wandering around the city. You followed them closely and saw they had a poster of your face.

“Anyone see this person? They’re wanted alive at all costs! If you know, the reward is 30,000 double dollars,” one of them said.

Your eyes widened as you quietly took a step back. You looked for the nearest crowd and ran through it. Was your mentor that desperate to find you?

“Hey! Over there!” Someone shouted as your anxiety spiked. Who spotted you? It didn’t matter, you needed to run. You dodged and ran through multiple objects to throw them off your trail but you were still being followed. You were desperate and ran more until you took another turn but it led to a dead end.

“Looks like you ran out of luck there!” A voice called out. You turned to see the group of bandits closing in on you slowly.

“There’s nowhere else to hide. You’re feisty, but you’re at the end of the line. It’s time you come with us so we can get that reward,” another one of them spoke. You were on edge and kept taking a step back until your back hit the wall. The group walked closer as their hands were reaching out to you.

“Stay back! Get away from me!” You pleaded as your mind was screaming. This is not how you wanted things to end. You then heard a few punches. The group stopped and looked back to see someone was beating up the members.

“Aye! What are you doing?!” One of the men shouted. You could see their group dwindling in numbers as you stood frozen. You couldn’t move as you were still surrounded. You couldn’t get a good look until you saw a familiar blonde hair and red coat. Vash beat up the last man in front of you as you stared at him.

“Y/n! There you are! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He asked you as you exhaled deeply. You didn’t even know you were holding your breathe until now. Your body trembled as you walked to him.

“Vash…how did you find me?” You asked.

“I noticed the group running after someone. Then I found your poster and followed them. You’re safe now,” he explained as you felt your eyes tearing up.

“Hey don’t cry, you’re okay now,” Vash reassured as he slowly brought his hand up to your face and wiped away a few of your tears.

The group camped out again in the desert after what happened. They couldn’t afford to risk staying in a motel sadly. You apologized for what happened even though the group didn’t blame you. After eating your meal, you tried to fall asleep but your mind kept replaying the incident.

“Can’t sleep?” Vash asked.

You turned to him and nodded as he let out a small sigh.

“What’s on your mind?” He questioned.

“I can’t stop thinking about what happened earlier. If you didn’t show up, I wouldn’t be here right now. Now that my mentor is after me, I can’t exactly show my face or stay at the hotel earlier,” you explained.

“Hey, it’s not your fault. None of us knew this would have happened. Right now, we’re away from that group and we’re safe,” Vash said as you looked at him.

“Hey Vash, is it okay if I sleep next to you? I’m cold,” you requested. He then patted his left side as you made your way to him. You missed the warmth and made yourself cozy.

“Comfy?” He asked.

“Yes, thank you. Um, actually can I ask for one more thing?” You questioned.

“Yeah what is it?” He asked.

You slowly gave him a hug that caught him off guard.

“Thanks for earlier. I feel safer with you after what you did,” you told him. You then felt his other arm wrap around your shoulder as he gave you a small squeeze.

“I’m always happy to help. I’ll make sure I can keep you safe when we travel,” he replied with a fond smile. You smiled back at him and then felt your eyelids getting heavy. You were drifting off, but wished him a goodnight. Once you dozed off, you didn’t feel the small kiss Vash gave you on your head as he watched your sleeping figure and then fell asleep right after.

#vash #vash the stampede #vash x reader #vash the stampede x reader #trigun #trigun stampede #vash x y/n #vash x you #miamochi writes

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mariacallous · 3 days

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Anyone who wants to understand Russian history should ignore Russian President Vladimir Putin. But anyone who wants to understand Putin’s strategic aims should pay close attention to his reading of history. The Russian president’s long lectures and essays on Kyivan Rus and World War II are not random tangents but rather the centerpieces driving his regime’s aggression against Ukraine. The Kremlin’s efforts to impose its reading of history on Ukrainians living under occupation reveal the driving motives of this war, as well as its continued objectives.

Against the backdrop of the uncounted—and uncountable—civilian deaths, mass deportations, and domicide across the occupied territories of Ukraine, it might seem trivial to focus on historical memory. But while it is difficult to take one’s eyes off the satellite images of mass graves in Mariupol, if we fail to grasp the broader grammar of Russia’s war against Ukraine, then we will also fail to recognize the broader ambition of Russia’s war efforts: the deliberate annihilation of Ukrainian identity.

Russia’s strategic deployment of historical propaganda in occupied Ukraine involves a comprehensive effort to “Russify” the local populace, leveraging educational, cultural, and military instruments to erase narratives of Ukrainian history and culture.

Those who resist this erasure are themselves destroyed, often physically. In all of the occupied territories, Russian forces arrived with a list of reportedly patriotic individuals to be captured; tortured; and, if they did not break, executed. From the very beginning, as Putin made clear in a June 2021 essay titled “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” Russia’s full-scale invasion was intended as a genocidal war.

Genocide aims at the annihilation of the identity and existence of a specific group—in this case, Ukrainians. The crucial aspect of identifying genocide is the intent behind these actions, which distinguishes it from other forms of violence. Evidence of the Kremlin’s destructive intent is overwhelming. And it is overwhelmingly delivered in the language of history.

Upon taking control of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in 2022, Russia launched an aggressive cultural propaganda campaign characterized by the declaration of annexation anniversaries as national holidays, the standardization of cultural practices to align with Russian norms, the establishment of historical propaganda museums, and the re-Sovietization of street names and monuments. These endeavors were aimed at rapidly embedding the occupied territories within the broader Russian cultural and legal fabric, a strategy reminiscent of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and unlike the more fragmented methods employed in the so-called Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine after 2014.

In regions where local resistance is more robust, such as Melitopol and Berdyansk, there is an intensified effort toward cultural and educational Russification. The formation of militarized youth groups—including the Yunarmiya (Young Army), a military-patriotic movement for children and youth initiated by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2016, and Eaglets of Russia—is widespread, but the scale and visibility of such programs vary in accordance with the strategic military value of each region to Russia. The nature and intensity of the propaganda varies as well, with a pronounced emphasis on Soviet-era narratives in Donetsk and Luhansk, which were likely deliberately crafted to align with the region’s recent historical narratives and multicultural identities.

While the techniques to suppress Ukrainian identity may adapt, the core objectives of Russian informational campaigns are constant. These efforts relentlessly accentuate the regions’ shared historical and cultural roots with Russia, praising Soviet accomplishments and East Slavic heritage.

The Kremlin’s agenda aims to replace Ukrainian identity with something different—something localized—that can then be subsumed into a broader pan-Russian narrative. To do so, it uses culture and education as weapons of war. This strategy includes mobile libraries, guarded by armed militias, that distribute Russian books and educational resources while destroying Ukrainian books.

Amid this evident historical manipulation and cultural destruction, Russian propaganda distributed in the occupied territories positions the Kremlin as a protector of historical truth, using this stance to propagate narratives conducive to its political and ideological ends. It paints Western and Ukrainian histories as distortions that were deliberately aimed at destroying Russian identity—which the Kremlin argues is the true identity of Ukrainians.

The Khersonshchyna cultural project in the occupied Kherson region, for example, claims to expose Ukrainian history as a series of lies and promotes militaristic Russian myths with the aim of “restoring historical justice” and “curbing the spread of lies.”

Through the adoption of Russian curricular materials, educators, and syllabi prioritizing Russian over Ukrainian heritage, occupation authorities seek to transform residents’ identities, downplaying Ukrainian heritage in favor of a Russian outlook. Russian academics have created an Orwellian 98-page glossary of new correct cultural, historical and social terminology to be enforced in Ukrainian schools on the occupied territories. In the Donbas, organizations such as the Russian Center have produced pseudo-historical doctrines to justify Russia’s occupation. The center, which is funded by the Russian World Foundation, has held a number of festivals centered around the idea that the Donbas is Russia and that Russian culture is inherent to the Donbas.

A common thread in the historical propaganda is the idea that an injustice (Russia’s separation from the lands of what it calls the Donbas and Novorossiya—meaning “New Russia”) has been resolved by the invasion. In September 2023, on the anniversary of the pseudo-referendums held in four newly occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, schools in the Zaporizhzhia region held events to celebrate “reunification with the Russian Federation,” which was referred to as a “restoration of historical justice.” In his state of the nation speech in February 2023, Putin declared the “revival” of the cultural sphere in the occupied territories to be a priority for reestablishing peace. He emphasized the importance of restoring cultural objects to forge a connection across time, asserting that this effort would integrate the local population into the “centuries-old and great Russia.”

In addition to promoting claims of historical restoration and Russian greatness, the occupying forces are systematically undermining Ukraine’s historical legacy. Their strategies extend beyond suppression to the outright destruction and appropriation of Ukrainian heritage. In 2022, the Russian government introduced legislation to legitimize the seizure of items related to Ukrainian cultural heritage. This law permits the inclusion of historical artifacts from occupied regions in the Russian Federation’s registry, effectively erasing their Ukrainian provenance.

The scope of this cultural plunder is vast, with the Ukrainian government reporting that more than 15,000 artifacts have been removed from Kherson alone. Other significant looting pertains to Scythian gold dating back to the 4th century B.C., which was stolen from the Melitopol Museum of Local Lore. That museum and the A. I. Kuindzhi Art Museum were also stripped of their valuable collections. A so-called Ministry of Culture of the Kherson Region has facilitated what the Russian occupiers term the “evacuation” of these items to the Crimean city of Sevastopol, disguising acts of looting as preservation. Their actions and justifications draw obvious parallels with previous examples of imperial looting, such as the British plunder of African artifacts, also carried out under the guise of “evacuation.” Ukrainian archives have also been targeted, with significant portions of the holdings at the regional State Archive of Kherson confiscated.

At least 14 memorials commemorating the victims of the Holodomor—a devastating famine lasting from 1932-33 that was induced by Soviet policies and used to pacify Ukrainian national identity—were dismantled in the communities of Oleshky and Ivanivka in Kherson Oblast. The destruction of these monuments is a further illustration of the erasure of Ukrainian history, especially given that this particular historical episode reveals an ongoing pattern of genocide.

The first deputy chairman of the Kherson Regional Council confirmed these reports, but the occupation administration dismissed the memorials as “tools of manipulation” that were fostering hatred toward Russia.

As they obliterate Ukrainian historical memory, Russian forces are actively reinstalling Soviet-era monuments which were previously removed in Ukraine’s decommunization efforts, especially statues of Lenin. In so doing, the Kremlin is trying to restore a (mis)imagined past of Soviet-Russian greatness and ownership over Ukraine. It is a past that nobody asked them to bring back, but one that will have grave consequences for Russia and Ukraine’s future, given that the indoctrination efforts are most targeted at children.

When Izyum came under occupation in 2022, the establishment of children’s education and cultural centers was prioritized, and such institutions were up and running within weeks. Leveraging educational reforms, patriotic education, and youth organizations, the occupation authorities worked quickly and efficiently to instill a sense of Russian identity among young Ukrainians.

These actions are not only aimed at reshaping the cultural landscape, but also at securing future generations’ allegiance to Russia, often with a clearly militarized agenda, as seen in educational initiatives such as the “Lessons of Courage,” special classes held as part of the school curriculum that glorify the military achievements of the Soviet Union and Russia. These programs include interactions with Russian veterans and encourage expressions of support for current soldiers, further integrating military values into the educational experience.

The establishment of cadet schools in the occupied territories, facilitated through agreements with Russian educational and military authorities, has formalized the militarization of youth, preparing them for possible involvement in future conflicts.

Patriotic education extends beyond the classroom and into extracurricular youth movements and thematic events. Since 2022, in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine, branches of national Russian youth organizations such as Yunarmiya have been established alongside regional military patriotic movements such as the Youth of the South.

Participants receive professional military training, supported by veterans of the Russian Armed Forces and members of the military veterans’ organization Combat Brotherhood. The training includes instruction in weaponry and military tactics. Upon completion, Yunarmiya members are often recruited into the Russian military. According to Andrey Orlov, the exiled Ukrainian director of the Center for Strategic Development of Territories, enrollment in this organization is compulsory in the temporarily occupied territories, with special services personnel frequently visiting educational institutions to engage children in military-themed games. The so-called Warrior Club in occupied Zaporizhzhia, which focuses on military indoctrination and preparation for young men nearing conscription age, highlights the extent of Russia’s commitment to this cause.

There is a grisly strategy behind Russia’s militaristic engagement with children in the occupied territories: to indoctrinate them into forsaking their national identity and to groom them to die for their new supposed motherland.

Despite Moscow’s extensive indoctrination efforts, there has been resistance. Officials from the temporarily occupied Luhansk region have reported recruitment difficulties to the Kremlin, noting a significant shortage of teachers in Russian language, literature, and history.

As Ukrainian teachers refuse to teach these subjects, educators are brought in from Russia, often housed in apartments confiscated from local residents. This considerable influx of Russian educators tasked with instilling a Russian-centric curriculum should also be seen as part of Russian demographic engineering efforts, deporting Ukrainians to Siberia and further, while bringing in Russian citizens to take their place.

Still, in the face of penalties and home raids, a notable segment of the population steadfastly refuses to enroll their children in Russian-administered schools, instead opting for home-schooling. The rejection of Russian educational mandates underscores the enduring spirit of Ukrainian identity and a widespread collective desire to preserve national consciousness. This resilience is also demonstrated by the hundreds of students who, despite the risks of retaliation, use VPNs to pursue their studies with Ukrainian universities and schools online, sustaining vital community ties.

Moreover, Ukrainians are countering attempts to expunge their cultural memory. Last November, residents in occupied areas followed the Ukrainian tradition of lighting candles in their windows to commemorate the Holodomor. Despite the perils, with Russian forces actively dismantling Holodomor memorials, many courageously shared images of these acts of remembrance via Telegram, in commitment to their history and identity.

The Kremlin’s Russification, historical falsification, youth indoctrination, militarization, and cultural manipulation reveal Russia’s true agenda. In keeping with Putin’s rhetoric since 2022, it is clear that Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine is aimed not only at territorial control, but also at the eradication of Ukrainian national identity.

Faced with conquerors that view their national existence as a threat, the cultural resistance of Ukrainians in the occupied territories is not only a refusal to submit to Kremlin propaganda—it is an essential part of Ukraine’s survival.

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homochadensistm · 3 months

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no worries at all--honestly, totally valid. can i ask, why do you take muay thai? id want to take it for self-defense purposes, but if its not super useful or straightforward, i don't see any reason to take it. and also--since id be totally new to it, do you have any tips for determining if the teaching is legit? id just be new to the sport, who really just wants to learn. thanks!!

I enjoy muay thai because its a very effective self defense system and a killer workout. imo its more useful than other options like kickboxing/boxing or bjj, especially for women, because it employs elbows and knees and not just ur regular arms/legs, and because of its stance and, as a result, its power-driving mechanism (a straight, strong stance vs a crouched, 'diagonal' stance) relying mostly on hips and rotational force. You can become a very efficient striker like this even if you dont weigh much, and you can see that by looking at the physique of the average muay thai (especially the thais) fighter.

A gym is legit only if it has sparring! there is not a self defense system in the world that is good without sparring, because what determines whether you can or cant handle a violent situation is largely your ability to get punched in the face, and you cant develop an immunity to getting punched in the face without getting repeatedly punched in the face. Regarding sparring - a gym is shit if the sparring is unsupervised. A coach should be making sure ur actually sparring and not getting beat on/beating on someone. A good sign for that is seeing who the coach pairs you with as a beginner and how they treat you. If they focus on technique more than they focus on hitting you then its a good place.

Lastly, because its a combat sport, youre going to get injured, so making sure sparring is done in accordance to your goals and age is important. You dont want to get repeated CTE (brain damage) if youre an adult with a life and a career. Getting punched in the face once in a blue moon is fine, but getting repeatedly KO'd is a recipe for disaster. In general MT has a somewhat low rate of CTE compared to other striking sports because theres no special emphasis on the head (god bless bodyshots) but still, some ppl r just insane and u should avoid them.

Also, avoid wearing headgear. It wont prevent brain damage and it just gives you false confidence to keep your hands down and not make an effort defending ur face.

I recommend watching Sylvie von duuglas-Ittus Youtube channel for MT, shes a legend and makes excellent vids on the sport.

#muay thai

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bunnymallowo · 9 months

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The books Cassian x reader

Prompt: nobody in the I.C has seen y/n all day and they send Cass to figure out what’s wrong

a/n: I’m not totally sure where it’s going to go or how long it’s going to be, I’m just using this to procrastinate from life and escape loneliness. Also cause I just need some fluff rn

—————————————————————————

“just a few more minutes…” I said to myself, drinking the rest of my coffee (or other energy drink) before setting the cup down. I hadn’t looked at the clock in hours, to focused on the book I had started. Feyre had suggested this book series to me, and without thinking, I bought the books and started reading them. Usually I'm not one for cliche fairytale stories, for they tend to be predictable. ‘I mean if the guy is going to get the girl anyway, what’s the point of reading it?’ I had been saying to myself as I was walking to the library to find the book.

Surprisingly, I found myself engrossed in the book, following along word by word. I slowly started to imagine I was the main character in the book. The one waiting to be saved by a handsome masked stranger. And the true loves kiss. Oh how I yearned to find my true love. But, much to my dismay, the one I longed for, I fear is too far out of reach.

but maybe he wasn’t as far as I thought.

As I read, I tried to think of different people, who would fit as the hero or the savior in my story. In my head I flicked through images of the people I knew, going through one by one until my mind landed on "Cassian!" I exclaimed softly, a light blush dusting my cheeks and nose. Of course I liked him, who wouldn't, but he was one of my closest companions, and my sparing partner. So I could NEVER say anything about her feelings, lest I drive him away. No matter now much I just wanted him to hold me close.... I shook the thought of the male from my head, and dove back into the book I was reading.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MEANWHILE DOWNSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group was sitting in the living room, all talking together when Cassian walked in.

"Have you guys seen y/n anywhere?" Cas was looking around, so see if she had made an appearance and joined the rest of the group. Seeing that she clearly had not, Cassian sighed, and went to sit on the bench in the window. He stayed silent, listening to the drifting conversations between his friends. Feyre was talking something about clothes or jewelry that Cass couldn't care less about. Rhys and Az were talking about much more interesting fighting. One of his favorite things was sparing, especially with his friends. Not that he would ever admit it. He sat there, thinking about fighting and sparing, different technique and maneuvers, before he was interrupted.

"Cassian... CASSIAN!" he was being shaken violently by Azriel, who did NOT look amused.

"What?!" he slapped Az's hands away, shaking his head and standing up.

"Rhys is talking to you" Az pointed to the high lord who was trying not to laugh.

"All I was going to ask was for you to check on y/n" Rhys replied, Feyre stood, stretching " Nobody's heard or seen her all day, Go make sure she's okay" Feyre pointed to the doorway to the stairs. Cass rolled his eyes "Why don't you go check yourself?" He replied defensively, crossing his arms.

"Because I don't want to." Feyre replied, retaking her seat in Rhys' lap. Cass huffed in defeat, walking off towards the stairs. Feyre let out a satisfied huff, smiling contently as he walked away. "Go check on her yourself next time.." he grumbled, walking up the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BACK UPSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassian walked calmly down the hallway, admiring the art placed on the walls, as he made his way to my room. He knocked softly on the door "Y/n?...." He said softly. After only getting a mumble in response, he knocked a bit louder " y/n, if you don't answer, i'm coming in. "

Too engrossed in my book to care, I shrugged it off, not saying anything, but became mighty startled when the door to my room flew open. "ek!" I shrieked when the light from the hallway came flooding into my room, lighting up the mostly dim corridor. Cassian walked in, to inspect the situation.

"Y/n.." He walked towards the bed. me, who was wrapped in a blanket, set the book down, looking up at him "yes?"

"when was the last time you saw the light of day?" he joked, laughing softly at how clearly tired she looked.

"What do you mean? I was outside a little bit ago-.." I cocked my head to the side, confused. "Y/n, nobody's seen you since last night.. its almost lunchtime.."

I threw the blanket off of me, jumping up, startled "what?!" I tried standing up, but ended up tripping over the blanket. A pair of arms wrapped around me, keeping me from falling.I grasped tightly onto him with one arm. "Careful, don't want you getting hurt." he muttered softly, leaning closer to me, to where our noses were almost touching. I tried to calm my breathing, as well as the heat spreading around my face and ears. I tried to speak, but it mostly came out at jumbled stutters.

Cassian chucked softly "shh, you're tired, you need to rest" I huffed softly 'no, I need you to kiss me' I thought to myself, for a moment worried I may have said it out loud. Though my breathing was soft and light, my heart was pounding in my chest, and I was sure Cassian could hear it. If I were to move, even an inch, our lips would touch. maybe I had fallen asleep reading and I was just dreaming, but this seemed so real.

Maybe the lack of sleep had made me delirious, but before I realized what was happening I had my lips pressed against his, and my free hand entangled in his hair. He seemed startled, arms tensing around me, but nonetheless, didn't pull away. I stayed like that for a few seconds before pulling away. "Ah!- ..sorry.." I muttered, going to pull away, but I was held there, I wasn't sure if it was Cassian holding me there, or something inside my head telling me to stay.

Cass, not saying anything, gently set me down on the bed, brushing the hair from my face "don't apologize.." He said softly, gently lifting my head to looking at him " You did nothing wrong" I'm not sure why, but hearing him say hat made my heart swell. I smiled softly, leaning slightly into his hand, shutting my eyes. "You need to get some rest... because i'm betting you didn't get any last night.." he stated, looking towards the small pile of books. I hummed softly, neither in agreement nor disagreement. He chucked softly, lightly tapping my shoulders. "at least lay down first" He smiled, amused. I groaned softly, shifting to a laying position. After putting a blanket over me and turning off the lights, Cass went to head for the door.

"Wait...stay.." I said softly, reaching a hand out towards him, "please.." I muttered quietly. Cassian froze, standing still for a moment, before sighing softly and shutting the door before walking back to the bed and sitting hesitantly on the edge of it. "okay... just until you fall asleep.." He sighed softly, laying down next to me, and wrapping his arms around me. For once I felt comfortable.

Safe.

Happy.

Not long after my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep. Soon after, by mistake Cassian fell asleep too.

~~~~~~~~~~maybe like an hour ish time skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Should we check on them?" Feyre asked the group, looking around.

"Maybe.." Az shrugged and Rhys nodded in agreement. Mor shook her head, making an excuse as to why she couldn't go, so the other three went to check. Softly knocking on the door before opening it, Feyre poked her head in, followed by Azriel, that Rhysand. What they was was something they'd NEVERlet go. At least not Rhys and Az. They saw y/n, sleeping peacefully wrapped in Cassians arms. They didn't wake them, deciding to leave the teasing for later

A/N: I wasn't totally sure how to end this, and it seems a bit awkward, but it'll do i guess. I didn't mean to make it so long, but it is, and I had like 4 cups of tea while writing this. HOPEFULLY the next one will be a lot shorter (for those who like shorter oneshots)

A/N 2: I'm glad the way this went, and it was actually A LOT longer than I expected it to be. If ya'll want anything specifically written about (like if you have a prompt idea) feel free to ask me, cause as of now i'm kinda just writing whatever the hamsters in my brain come up with. OH! and lmk if you guys want any x male reader stories, cause i've realized most of them have been geared towards female readers.

#cassian x reader #cassian fluff #acotar #i need therapy #i want someone to love me #its literally 3 am #running on coffee and depression #literally writing while sick #i have a cold #I legit feel so lonely #someone love me pls #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #a court of wings and ruin #this was amazing #idk how to tag this #random tags #Why can I write more on here than in actual papers

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eltramuffinz · 6 months

Text

Okay so here’s that Itto and Weaver test drive/scene I did a while ago and touched up. It’s only really a first attempt and it’s a bit crack-esque, but then again that’s gonna be the vibe of the actual fic at times in the future so yeah, enjoy whatever this is lol.

GN! Reader x Arataki Itto, 2.5k words, you try and sumo wrestle the Oni

To set the scene: You and Itto are walking through the Inazuman wilderness to the gang’s secret base (which was a kind-of-not-so-secret base that you and the gang had worked together to build) for a weekly catch-up.

He’d met you at your place of work, that being Ogura Textiles and Kimonos, since he’d wanted to accompany you on the way there.

‘To be your super-mega-strong bodyguard of course!’ were his exact words, despite the route you were following being quite safe all things considered.

Somehow the conversation had turned towards the eccentric Oni’s favourite sport of all time, of course being sumo wrestling. Cue you casually remarking you’d never seen a match before, and Itto freaking out as he stopped dead in place, jaw dropping practically to the dirt.

“WHATDOYOUMEANYOUVENEVERSEENAMATCH?!”

“We don’t have sumo in Watatsumi, okay???” You crossed your arms defensively, eyes narrowing at his extreme response to your complete lack of sumo witnessing experience.

The hulking Oni tried to make puppy-dog eyes, the resulting expression only making a slight grimace pull at your lips. It worked for him when he wasn’t actually trying, since when he did try to make a cute face like right now, it ended up looking a bit… well… extreme, if you had to describe it for lack of better words.

And of course, he pulled out his slightly whiny, childish pouty voice as he pleaded with you.

“C’mon, take me in a sumo fight! …Pretty please?”

… Was he joking? You had to double check.

“… You’re kidding, right?”

He beamed at you, the clownishly extreme cute face morphing into a more sincere yet no less hyped grin.

“Nope!”

Always the more reasonable of your duo, you really had to spell it out for him.

“Okay… Itto… you can’t be serious. You’re like… at least ten times as strong as me. Probably more. I don’t think that’s very fair.”

“Awww don’t give up before you even try! Even the smallest onikabuto can win against a bigger and tougher opponent if they give it enough oomph!”

“I’d really rather not get flattened.”

“I’ll go easy on you!”

You raised a brow at him suspiciously. “Doesn’t that go against your morals? You never go easy on kids when you challenge them for snacks. Why am I getting special treatment?”

“Heheh welll! Well! Uh! Um…” His face was starting to turn pink and his red eyes darted around the place, stammering and trying to find an answer while you stared at him.

“Uh- ooh got it- ahem!” Exaggeratedly he cleared his throat loudly and puffed up his chest, looking at you proudly with a raised chin.

“A real man encourages his opponents to step up to a challenge, even if it seems a thousand times too hard at first! If Arataki ‘The Oni Sumo King’ Itto has to tone down his immeasurable strength for you to accept the challenge at all, then I’ll do it… and then I can go all out, ‘cause like you said, that ain’t my style to hold back!”

“... I’m going to regret this.”

His insistence and authentic hopeful twinkle in his crimson eyes had a way of swaying you, no matter how reluctant you were at first to get involved in his antics. He had been pointing to a large and flat area of field where this activity could take place, showing you that there was a spot right here as well!

You slowly started walking to where he had pointed and he beamed in delight, hurrying to walk at your side.

“Psshhhh no you won’t! This is gonna be awe-some~! I’ll show you all my super secret techniques that are one hundred percent foolproof! … Minus all the times they weren’t- I mean you didn’t hear that!”

Before you knew it you were standing with him in the grass, looking around for a moment, and then… Itto started what looked like stripping, taking his coat off with gusto and casting it to the ground powerfully, and then his hand was going to his belt-

“Oh my gods Itto why are you taking your clothes off-“

“It’s professional sumo attire!”

Of course it was, and of course you should’ve seen something like this coming. You’d already accepted long ago that Itto was… a very unique character. But hey, he kept you on your toes, especially with how he constantly made you feel like a cat raising its hackles.

“DO NOT GET NAKED!”

“I’M NOT GETTING NAKED, I JUST GOTTA FEEL THE BREEZE ON MY-!”

“IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE- KEEP YOUR PANTS ON DAMMIT!”

“Fiiiine-nuh!”

Keeping his belt and pants on, lest he show the entire wilderness something that could never be unseen, you two eventually stood facing one another.

Itto looked like this was the best thing that could be happening right now. You looked vaguely regretful you had somehow agreed to this.

“I’m gonna break my glasses-”

He left you no time to back up, crouching with his hands on his knees and a toothy grin, his diamond-pupils honed in on you. Those red horns were looking particularly pointy right now.

“Ready!… Set!… Go!”

Your immediate thought as you launched towards him was that this was a terrible idea.

His long powerful legs pounded across the dirt and that wild grin still on his face with his red eyes, ripping up the dirt as he charged at you.

Your reflexes screamed at you to dodge this veritable mountain of a man coming at you like, well like a raging bull.

You braced yourself and then-

The wind was knocked out of you as you collided with him in a weighted clash of bodies, all but smacking into him and you scrambled to get a hold on something since you were meant to be wrestling, grabbing his clothes with a death grip.

You felt his large hands land on your torso above your hips, gripping somewhat tightly as his fingers curled into you.

You were not someone who wrestled as a daily activity and did the only thing you could think of, which was to basically lean all your weight forward and attempt to push Itto towards the edge of the dohyō, which he’d told you was the proper name for a sumo ring while he’d scratched it into the dirt with his foot.

You were so focused on what you were doing, breathing heavily and pushing forward with everything you had, you failed to register you had basically shoved your face into Itto’s upper chest, staring straight down his abdomen while you strained against him.

Bearing your teeth, you grunted out a huff of effort and gave him another shove.

C’mon, you could do this, you could do this!

…

Since you were looking downwards at the ground you could see the movement of his legs, and so far… he had kind of been taking small steps back as you kept your grip tight and pushed against him.

But… then you felt him actually retaliate against your efforts.

All he did was… push against you gently and lean into you like you were to him, just slightly, and his feet stopped moving completely.

It took a long, painful moment of you audibly grunting and huffing for it to click, and suddenly you paused.

You had been pushing against him with everything you had, head shoved into his chest and shoes digging into the dirt from the effort, and Itto… had used a fraction of his body mass to counter you and now you were basically pushing against an immovable wall.

Slowly, agonisingly slowly, you slackened your grip on his sides and stopped pushing. You didn’t have the bravery to look up, forehead still flush to his sternum.

“Itto… you’re not moving. Like… at all.”

The tapping of his fingers against your waist was enough to startle you and tilt your head to look up at him.

He was looking down at you with wide crimson eyes and furrowed brows, mouth working silently for a second before he found his voice and he stammered over himself.

“Uh… well! Y’know, thaaat… was a super awesome strong start! You’ve got all the enthusiasm of a real tough fighter, I bet you could take down a hundred Tenryou soldiers-”

You groaned over the top of him, letting your head drop back against his chest, feeling how it vibrated as he spoke.

A surge of giggles burst from your throat at the futility of the situation; you were giving it your all and this Oni wasn’t budging an inch. He was just too strong; you were no more than a fly pushing on a bull’s flank.

He trailed off while you started laughing loudly, and you tried to start shoving yourself against him again, dirt being pushed up from the toes of your shoes behind you.

“Itto you dumb Oni, this isn’t working-!”

“No no no, I think I’m moving this time! I can feel it! It’s happening!”

You only snorted as you released your grip from his clothes to slam your hands against his abdomen, now trying this new approach.

You failed to notice in your endeavours how underneath your palms the muscles clenched and above you he barked out a noise between a laugh from the sensation and a grunt.

“Oh shut up, you’re not moving! Hah… Gods why’re you so hard to move?”

At last you gave up, admitting defeat and sagging against him, panting from completely exerting yourself while he had basically held you in place, unbudging.

A second passed and then it clicked how this position must have looked for a bystander: you, panting and exhausted, your head resting over his heart and your hands on his exposed abdomen, leaning into him, while he had his hands planted on your waist with a firm grip, leaning slightly into you as well.

… Nothing strange about this, no sir.

Taking a step back but unable to retreat further due to his hold, you have peered up at him with a scrunched brow and flushed face.

You didn’t expect to see the visible blush to his cheeks, starting to match the shade of his horns.

Rolling your eyes, you let go of him to run a hand through your hair.

“Hmph… told you sumo wrestling isn’t my thing. Can we just say you won and have this be done alre- wh-!”

You yelped when suddenly your feet were off the ground, the world blurred briefly and then… you were on your back.

It all happened so fast, but with a single movement your oni companion had swept you off your feet and semi-thrown you to the ground, sumo wrestling style… with a couple subtle changes.

He was kneeling at your side, leaning over you. His hands had moved; one was now flat on your stomach, fingers splayed out. That must have been how he pushed you. The other… was cradling your head, and had cushioned it from smacking against the dirt.

Gods why did his hand have to be literally almost the size of your entire head. Why did this man have be so large in general?

He wasn’t directly hovering over you or anything, but somehow just feeling his broad hands resting on you made you feel incredibly small.

Looking at him with a stunned expression, he merely gave a toothy grin, his little fangs flashing mischievously in the afternoon sunlight.

“Woohoo, guess that’s another win for Arataki ‘The Oni Sumo King’ Itto! I am pretty good at it, ain’t I?”

You opened your mouth but he kept talking.

“Ah ah ah, I know you must wanna express your complete awe of my amazing skills, but please, I don’t need to hear it! …But also, feel free to say it anyway, I’m all ears!”

He turned his head so that his slightly pointed ear was facing you, and you raised an eyebrow.

“Well… you beat me. Congratulations I guess. Even if it wasn’t much of a fight for you.”

You grunted when his hands both went to your shoulders, wrapping around them and pulling to sit you up.

“Nahhh don’t sell yourself short like that! I get it, I’m a tough opponent to beat! Never mind those tengu who can, I don’t get how they’re so skinny yet so strong… pssh anyway!”

He gave you a firm and reassuring shoulder pat before shifting to sit cross-legged opposite you while you brushed the dirt from yourself after lying on the ground. For some reason you kind of missed the support of his large palm behind your head.

“You gave it your all, and that’s what matters! Believe me, it’s aaaall about the attitude. Take it from the most charismatic and beloved gang leader in town!”

You exhaled and squinted at him. Despite basically owning you in that sad excuse for a sumo match, his cheeks were still strangely flushed for how little effort he needed to use for it.

You shrugged at him with a defeated smile.

“Weeeell, I dunno about ‘beloved,’ but I appreciate you trying to make me feel better about it anyway.”

Snickering at how his jaw dropped again in shock for the second time, you got to your feet and extended a hand to him. “C’mon Oni, let’s get moving. It’s gonna get late soon.”

Despite pouting at you he didn’t hesitate to encompass your smaller hand with his much larger one, even if he definitely didn’t need your meagre tugging to help him to his feet.

He was still ruffled, letting go of your hand to run it through his wild mane of white hair.

“I’ll have you know I’m very beloved! Like for real, who could resist the famous Arataki charm? Hah, I could go on for ages, I’m beloved by the gaaang, by the tooown, by- uh…”

By now you were walking side by side, and you hummed curiosity when he started to sound unsure.

“U-uh… maybe… beloved by yooou? Hahahah…!” His voice cracked a bit at the end of his laughter there.

Smirking, you nudged his broad shoulder with your own.

“Man, I gotta think about that one Itto, it’s hard to say…”

He attempted to wave it off with a lot of dismissive sounds and shaky laughs, and you shook your head and sighed.

“Relax buddy, I guess you’re beloved by me as well. You do have your moments.”

All doubt was wiped from his face and a blinding confident grin took its place.

“Waitreally? I mean yes, see, the charm is irresistible! No take backs, I’m beloved by you and you said it yourself so now no one else can say otherwise! Another win for Arataki ‘The Most Beloved’ Itto!”

“You’re gonna be Arataki ‘The Most Late’ Itto if we don’t hurry up.”

He didn’t seem perturbed, slinging an arm across your shoulders and crushing you into his side. You eyed his black nails resting near your face and the red markings on each finger while he gestured nonchalantly.

“We’ll be fiiiine, we got plenty of time! Why rush when we can enjoy this beee-autiful scenery!”

“Oh yeah, like what?”

“Like y- heyyyy like uh that… that amazing and totally not average bush over there!”

“Wow. Truly awe-inspiring.”

What a pair you made.

That’s all lmao hope that was entertaining.

P.S. This is not the only time Weaver has to tell Itto to keep his pants on.

#itto x reader #i just want itto fluff #arataki itto genshin #genshin impact itto x reader #genshin impact #itto fanfiction #arataki itto x reader

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nova--spark · 4 months

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Oh yes! The kids are going to be spoiled for a long time after their return home

Optimus and Elita will have a hard time saying no to them. Jack wants to stay up past bedtime? Sure! Raf wants some undivided attention? Of course! Miko wants to learn more advanced flying techniques! You bet! Nearly anything they ask receives a yes

Bumblebee and Smokescreen would be taking the kids on trips to earth to see Team Bee who dotes on them even more. They’d go on drives, have races, go to drive in theaters

Ratchet was always much nicer to the kids than anybody else. But after having to help the kids with their withdrawal he is so much more gentle with them. He’ll explain everything he’s doing in detail if they ask. He fully explains any and all medication he gives to them and that they won’t hurt them. And gives them at least 2 energon goodies and they aren’t even store bought. Rarchet personally made them himself for each of the kids in the exact flavor they like

Arcee would offer to train each of the kids in self defense so they’d feel safer. She’s extremely patient with them when teaching. Gently correcting their form and showing them how to do it properly

Bulk and Wheeljack will always make a point to do something cool with Miko when she’s in their care. Always making sure to keep her mind occupied so she doesn’t start thinking about bad stuff again. Wheeljack would take all the kids on as many rides in the Jack Hammer as they wanted

Ultra Magnus doesn’t interact with the kids a ton. But after their kidnapping he no longer insists the kids call him sir

Knockout would buff out any dents or scratches the kids received. He’d do such a good job you’d be convinced they were freshly formed. He’d also give them new paint jobs free of charge.

Crying sobbing screaming.

Cherri you rip my HEART APART EVERY T I M E

#transformers #maccadam #maccadams #transformers prime #tfp #tf prime #nova writings #Reborn Spark AU

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acesw · 3 months

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The Timekeeper group but instead of arcane skills, they have bending arts

Welcome to A.D. once again going insane in the head with character analysis and reverse 1999. I decided to analyze the characters in the timekeeper group and associate them with bending arts from ATLA that suit them best.

Non Benders: Vertin, Sotheby

Benders: Sonetto and Druvis (Water), Regulus and Lilya (Fire), APPLe (Earth), Vertin* (Air)

1. Airbending is a defense-reliant but versatile bending art, and it's associated with freedom and seeking enlightenment in life through that and peace. I think it's fitting for Vertin to have been born with this art, or it awakened in her after the spiritual convergence in TLOK. (In TLOK, the harmonic convergence in 171 AG awakened airbending in several non benders around the world. Though this is only a possibility.)

Although, at the same time, I think it would be more fitting for Vertin herself to be a non bender. She's more known for her physical strength after all. It highlights the fact that Vertin is significantly weaker in mythic power as opposed to a lot of main characters. Rather, she adapts and adjusts using her current strengths: physical ability and high perception. So I think for that matter, she would be knowledgeable in bending but also utilize chi blocking in her fighting style.

2. Waterbending is about change taking focus on the constant flow of the water and energy to utilize their art. Its fighting style is fluid and graceful, with its benders acting similarly and making it able to maintain this constant flow within their techniques and themselves. It's quite fitting for (especially) Sonetto and Druvis. In Druvis' case, she's able to manipulate the plants around her thanks to plantbending, an extension of waterbending that allows one to manipulate plants because all plants have water—from vines to roots, to even trees on the full moon.

Meanwhile, Sonetto's steadfastness and gracefulness compliment really well as we see when we look at her usage of her arcane skill. She would be quite focused and skilled at mastering this bending art; and as we see in its weaknesses, water bending relies on the user's internal life energy, thus its power and control being reflective on the emotional state of its user.

A known flaw in Sonetto is her passion and tendency to become emotional when faced with certain conflicts, and on occasion she overuses her power with a lack of control. It fits the description of weaknesses found in waterbending. But otherwise, her strength in being able to learn fast and her overall style of casting spells reflects greatly on the general style waterbending follows.

3. Firebending is an aggressive bending art that has quite a straightforward meaning: power. It originally developed and fostered on one's unwavered determination to reach their goals and desires, but was twisted into being fueled by hate and rage because of the 100 year war in the series. It still maintains the same principles, but its power intensifies from hate, rage, and anger. Its fighting style is easily used for offensive with very aggressive strategies, but these offenses can be turned into defenses too.

For Regulus, I can see her originally utilizing her anger because of the intensity of her emotions (and her tendency to be easily annoyed /joke), but as she learns more about herself and continuing to develop her art, she slowly shifts towards balancing it with her dedication towards the role she leads in life, and her unwavering resolve to give up on what she wants to do.

Lilya on the other hand can initially come off as her power coming from her temper and aggression as well, but it's not exactly the case. Because she’s skilled at what she does as a pilot, this will reflect her mastery and skills in her bending art for fire. She’s determined to be one of the greatest, and consistently victorious, and that drives her power in her skills. And in spite of her coming off as careless because of the behaviors she exhibits, she's excellently agile and precise, all the while taking the offensive in her attacks.

4. Earthbending is a bending art that relies on acting decisively with one having a wide range to their environment and many opportunities at hand. It has a maintained balance of offense and defense capabilities, and mastering it requires utilizing the neutralization of jing, or in other words, knowing how to rightfully time an action and the decisions that follow. Even then, the lack of precision is a great benefit, as Earth is reliant on brute strength rather than agile and precise movements.

With APPLe, I think he finds a good balance between strength and knowledge, and utilizing that when it comes to using his power. He knows that he does not need great precision, but being able to time things just right as well as being knowledgeable on the environment around him is enough to make good use of his bending art. His personality reflects the way he fights, and I see it being more defensive + counter attacking, while also being very clearly capable and not afraid of going on the offensive.

5. Lastly, as we know, it's possible to create potions in the world of ATLA. Thus, it's possible for Sotheby to maintain her role as a potions maker. It's hard to think of the possible bending art that Sotheby can have, so I rather settled on her being a non bender since her main highlight is her knowledge on potions and the environment around her. I like to think that she utilizes this and the growing technology to be able to create opportunities to help her friends, with the guidance of Vertin and APPLe.

I like doing these associations as well as creating ways to integrate their abilities in other universes (i.e. JJK). I might do this more or start a series with these👍👍

#reverse 1999 #vertin #sonetto #druvis iii #sotheby #apple reverse 1999 #regulus reverse 1999 #lilya reverse 1999 #atla #these are always fun to do

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somethingwittyandweird · 7 months

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Swordtember 2023 Final Collage

Here's the final results for this year's Swordtember! As always it's been a delight to do. When I first saw the prompt was based around owners/wielders (something I knew I wouldn't be drawing) I wasn't sure if I'd like it as well as previous lists. But I'm proud nonetheless of where the ideas have taken me. Huge thanks to all my friends for supporting me and having nice things to say! Until next time.

Here's a link to the master list of every individual post.

Blurbs for all the swords are under the cut.

Witch- This sword belongs to the sole occupant of an eerie wooden hovel on the far edge of a bog. The runes traced on its blade glow unnervingly, and it reeks of indistinguishable concoctions. Though it isn’t wielded by a trained warrior or a paragon of physical strength, this weapon should be respected and feared by anyone who wants to retain their non-frogified form.

Wizard- This sword belongs to a wizard known by many names- Olórin, Mithrandir, Grey Pilgrim, the Grey, the White, servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor, or simply Gandalf. A relic of the First Age of Middle-Earth, its blue-tinged bladed bears its name in runes: Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer.

Rogue- This sword belongs to a marine mercenary who frequents the disreputable dockside taverns of a port town to ply his trade. For the right price, his services cover everything from larceny to bodyguarding to assassination. His techniques may not be the most refined, but the damage inflicted by the wicked hook of his blade is evidence enough that they are brutally effective.

Dragonslayer- This sword belongs to a reclusive warrior of countless years. Long ago were the days when dragons roamed the sky in great number. This warrior is among the few survivors of the band who came together to drive the dragons into parts unknown. The jade of this sword hums with the energy needed to pierce through any dragon’s magical resistance.

Spymaster- This sword belongs to a royal spymaster and never leaves their side. Though its wielder operates as much in light as they do in shadow, this sword still conceals a few tricks- namely, the hidden compartment in the hilt used to subtly transport written plans or occasionally crucial devices. The symbol on the hilt is used as an identifying sign by their agents.

Knight Errant- This sword belongs to a paragon of the chivalric age. Wandering the lands without castle or title, this knight seeks only to live by the ideals of the code, providing for the unfortunate and thwarting the wicked. It’s rumored that once the knight has wandered long enough to purge their past misdeeds completely, they may at long last witness the incomparable relic they once sought so fervently- none other than the Holy Grail.

Oracle- This sword belongs to a priestess who dwells in an ancient temple. Archaic in appearance, temperament, and vocabulary, she speaks the words of the visions that come to her- not always to the pleasure of those who came seeking them. The sword is her defense against any pilgrim that might unwisely choose to violently object to the sights she sees. In more normal circumstances, the sword itself is used to channel oracular magic through the lens inset in the blade.

Jester- This sword contains the essence of Marx, an innocuous-seeming jester who once schemed to gain ultimate power over the world of Popstar with a wish. Revealed in his true form, his glittering wings reflected prismatically, and the stars of the Milky Way swirled behind him. He was defeated by Kirby, who returned triumphantly home and proceeded to take a nap.

Royal Hunt Leader- This sword belongs to a well respected huntmaster, proud owner of several breeds of hunting hounds. The leather wrapping on its horn hilt matches the leather collars in place on the dog heads carved at either end of the crosspiece. It’s said that between her dogs’ uncanny tracking and her own keen intuition, there’s no place in the royal lands she doesn’t know.

Healer- This sword belongs to a pragmatic and dependable cleric of a sun deity. The runes on its crosspiece allow them to channel divine magic through the weapon- but, if that well of power is overdrawn, the bandages and spare flask of potion are helpful as backups for tight situations.

Queen- This sword is one of a pair. A more offensively balanced blade, its wielder prefers to make the first move.

King- This sword is one of a pair. A defensively balanced blade, its wielder prefers to let enemies come to them.

Royal Heir- This sword has been passed down from ancient times, but the ages have not dulled its blade or its shine. The gemstone inset in its crosspiece holds a magic that can only be awoken by a member of the Laputian royal bloodline.

Royal Guard- This sword is a hypothetical fusion of the Royal Guard’s Sword and the Master Sword. A sufficiently skilled smith may well have been able to fashion a replica of the latter in the style of the former, if calamity had not struck.

Enchanter- This sword was commissioned from a master weaponsmith and enchanter, who was instructed to provide as many sockets for magic gems as possible. This blade boasts a whopping 16 available sockets, well above the count that would normally be advisable. The fact that the weapon still remains as stable as it does is a testament to the enchanter’s craft.

River-spirit- Infused with the energy of a whitewater river, this sword surges fiercely in its holder’s grasp, and churning spray constantly emanates from it. Whoever would hope to wield this blade must possess sufficient strength to keep the rapids’ coursing power in line.

Forest Spirit- This sword belongs to an elusive guardian of the forest who shows no mercy to trespassers or those with ill intent. Though some believe her to be a human living among the wilds, others are convinced she must be a spirit- no mortal could move as quickly, travel as unerringly, and vanish away so entirely. No encounter with her has lasted long enough to produce a certain answer.

Bard- This sword belongs to Red, previously a lauded singer before her voice was stolen in a botched altercation. She wields this weapon, the Transistor, in an effort to strike back against those who took that from her. A familiar voice speaks from within the blade to to guide her.

Alchemist- This sword belongs to an enterprising alchemist who spends a good deal of time away from their facilities. Rather than carry pre-brewed potions, they've installed an apparatus that can draw from flasks of certain base essentia to synthesize any needed brews on the fly.

Summoner- This sword belongs to a mage tasked with defending a kingdom by calling upon allies from distant worlds. It has historically taken many forms, but has appeared in this day and age as a sword. Its centerpiece forms a socket for the focus the mage uses to summon.

Mermaid- This sword appears to have been assembled using a shattered bowsprit from a shipwreck. It washed ashore and sparked debate on whether it was a prank or if a real mermaid could have made it. If so, the question is: just how big was that mermaid?

Vampire- This sword belongs to a particularly vain vampire noble, who takes every opportunity to show it off. The markings on the blade are enchanted to glow according to the phase of the moon.

Vampire Hunter- This sword belongs to a well-traveled warrior who has sworn an oath to use the power of the sun to vanquish the creatures of the night. Monsters and dark creatures alike recoil at the sight of this whip-like blade.

Barbarian- This sword belongs to a brash, impatient barbarian who wields it with reckless abandon. Thanks to a combination of heavy use and unwillingness to bother with whetstones, its owner has dulled many blades in the past. He was finally convinced to take up a weapon that could still be effective while unsharpened.

Inquisitor- This sword is issued to the heavily armored Inquisitors of an unnamed sect. Though their rank is Inquisitor, they actually do very little questioning themselves- instead their role is largely to impose, intimidate, and where necessary, put their heavy blades to use in rooting out dissension.

Artificer- This sword belongs to a tinkerer with an incessant desire for improvement. Its modular design allows it to change forms between longsword and greatsword as the situation calls for it. In its larger form, its crystalline power source is visible.

Assassin- This sword belongs to a lethal covert operative. Its ethereal blade can be summoned or dispelled at will, and makes short work of even heavy armor- the blade passes through it as if it weren't even there.

Druid- This sword was recovered from the remnants of a standing stone circle. Its weathered shape is covered with signs of age, faded mystic carvings, and mossy patches. Its original owner is lost to time, but the one who wields it now gives new life to the ancient druidic lineage.

Paladin- This blade belongs to a zealous warrior who has sworn an oath to bring light to the dark places of the world. Radiant power infuses this blade at all times, causing it to emit a constant glow and a holy aura.

Necromancer- This sword, in the shape of a looming, leering skull, is carried by a wicked practitioner of dark magic. The bite of this blade isn't to be feared, but the withering curse it inflicts on its victims most certainly is.

#my art #swordtember #i may not do a lot of art but every time i do this i do get more familiar with the tools and the style i want to do #one person mentioned looking at this year's stuff vs stuff from a couple of years ago felt like a NES -> SNES level visual upgrade #which i thought was about the best praise this project could have received #btw i love hearing people's favorites so if you reblog with that in the tags it would be endlessly delightful #i talk a lot in tags #long post

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