#also for the whole fact i have no idea what im doing

[onepieceoftheoceanblues]

Batfam X One Piece Crossover AU

Someone mentioned this sort of au and I went Insane a bit ^-^' hope you guys enjoy!

Okay so a Batfam in the One Piece world au and how I think it would work/go;

I imagine the Batfam were whammied into an entirely new dimension while on patrol so we have the full costumed roster (but not the full extended clan cuz that's so many people lol) so we have Bruce/Batman, Dick/Nightwing, Jason/Red Hood, Tim/Red Robbin, Damian/Robin, Cass/Black Bat, Stephanie/Batgirl (you can pry Steph still being batgirl out of my cold dead hands), and Duke/Signal.

The First thing they do is figure out where they are, an island in something called the ___ blue (idk which they should be in lol, but it's best if they start in a blue I think), and are very obviously not in their world. (I'm gonna say for the sake of Plot either One Piece doesn't exist in their world or none of them have watched/read it because that would be too easy lol)

Ofc the second thing they do is try to find a way home and gather info but uh, they quickly realize this world doesn't have the best tech around to build something to take them home, and places/people they can get to would be either hard to find or in a place that's very dangerous to get to (Vegapunk is their best bet but... not really an option for right away due to mentioned reasons).

They think of asking this "World Government" for help for all of two seconds, before finding out how fucking awful and corrupt the whole system this world has and nixes that idea right in the bud. They're Vigilantes for a reason, after all, and know corruption in governments very well. So honestly, their best bet is either trying to go along and find someone that can help and materials, or waiting for their people from their world to come and get them.

(SO much more under cut im sorry Brain went Brrr)

Tbh it must be so wild to be in this world too tho, for some many reasons. It's close enough, but then you factor in all the different races and species, and how the world is set up. Add the fact most of it not as advanced as their world, except in some places which it is? And how half their technology runs on... snails?????? What a baffling world. Also, people can have powers and are gained from something called Devil Fruits which give you powers in exchange that the sea can and will kill you, except for some races have natural powers due to their biology.

They decide pretty quickly in world of water to not eat the Devil Fruits. Also keep an eye on Duke because his powers, while not too flashy, arnt a devil fruit, and they have no way to explain how he has them, and how he can manipulate both light and shadows.

Its probs also so jarring because like, in their world, they are used to being the peak of what humans can do. They keep up with metas and aliens and are cosidered among the best of the best for a reason, and while they often have to compensate with gear and tech, at the end of the day they can only go so far as humans.

However, it's different in this world. Clearly even though there are humans, their biological standards are different then their Earth, and even just humans without powers can go far beyond their own norm if they train and work hard enough for it.

The Batfam could easily handle the Blue's pirates and marines, and probs all cannon fodder marines, and while I think they could deal with a good chunk if not most people in Paradise baring the strongest in the first half of the grand line, there's no way they could deal with the New World even with their best gear and in peak condition for them. Which sucks because their best bets are likely in that Sea.

Idk where I'd see them, my heart wants them to be pirates of their own little run pirate crew, but I could easily see them being picked up by a canon crew or turning Revolutionaries in exchange for getting help find a way home, or pirates with connections to Revs. The only thing I can't see is them as Marines, as stated a few paragraphs above, lol, but also I figure they run into the law and go fuck you guys and what you stand for and end up with bounties so they are wanted anyways. But either way they are gonna be progressing and trying to find a way home while getting stronger.

I imagine Haki is the first thing they really try to get down after leanring about it. Idk how they managed to find out about it either in the blues or so early in the grand line, but they are expert information gatherers so they do and immediately try to learn it (either tracking someone down who knows it or how to unlock it, or finding adequate documentation in how to do it) and get to work. It's their best chances in getting a leg up in this world.

And they do unlock it! They're pretty much all geniuses, and they already have experience learning weird skills and manipulating their mental will (they can block out telepaths and have strong willpower in general against mind control canonically), so learning to manifest it into Observation and Armament Haki is less about how hard it is and more just if they can (After all they aren't from this world) and how to apply it. Thankfully, it seems they can.

Duke's Observation makes his future vision so much more powerful, so much he actually has adverse effects to it at first before he gets used to it. Observation is great, just helps what they already natrually know but Armament is very much beloved, instant armor that helps you hit harder even against normal people, let alone devil fruit users!! They are big fans.

Conquerors Haki off the table rn because A.) they don't know if they have it and B.) Who or whatever they learned Haki from didn't explain it or have it to explain so that's put to the side for now, but I'm unsure who, if any of them, have it. Maybe Bruce and Jason, and maybe Damian? I feel?? I could also see Dick unlocking his use of it in a fit of protective rage? Im largely Unsure.

I also think it would be neat if the longer they are here, their bodies adapt to this world more and more until they start being able to past their peak of what they could do before and just... keep going. It varies from each batfam member how they feel on their biology changing over time, but they can't do more than just accept it. At least it will help them survive.

Also, they have to adapt in more ways than one. They arrive and their best gear, fully stocked and mostly undamaged, but the longer they are here the more they run out of supplies and things wear down so they have to figure out how to get/make more or alternate for something better. Batarangs thankfully, while having to be made of a different material, can be made from any island with a good blacksmith who's willing to let them use their forges to make them themselves (cuz having to commission them would take money they don't actually have)

Their suits thankfully are fine and reinforced, but over time they're gonna have to likely find a fabric that could replace the stuff their suits are made of or just switch to diffrent outfits inspired by their suits. Dick's Escrima Sticks can't be charged, so they end up not electrified until they find a way to do it later. Jason's guns inevitably run out of ammo then even if he makes his own, they get just damaged so he's forced to switch to the local pirate guns, thankfully not all are just flintlocks.

Damian's sword is apparently very high grade here and is very smug about it, though annoyed other "Swordsmen" keep wanting to know more about his blade and where he learned to use his "weird style". Tim gets a boa staff that has the ends tipped in sea stone.

Their styles also adapt over time. I have this vision of Dick getting his hands on these boots, probs with Dial technology, that let him jump higher and bounce off of walls if he times it right. Jason with Dial guns. They start picking up the 6 powers as well, not all, but Geppo and Soru become very heavily utilized. I think one of them should end up with Voice of all Things, either Cass or Duke, because it's fun lol.

Im... unsure about devilfruits, but I think it would be intrestin to explore if somone ate one, likely out of despration or having little choice. Unsure who or what fruit but just would be neat i think, expecially dealin with the side effects. Tho Dick with a Wind Logia or a winged Zoan of sorts sounds SO interesting. (Can you tell who my favorite batfam memeber is? ^-^')

As for Ponyglaph Runes, Bruce and Tim def find out about it and try their best to tackle it, but It's REALLY hard to learn an entirely different language with unfamiliar sentence structure when you have absolutely no keys or references to work with. They learn of Nico Robin, and aren't stupid so figure it's likely an awful cover-up or more to the story, and decide to lowkey make it one of their goals to track her or any other knowledge on how to learn it down. If they get even a bare hint of a clue on how to translate, I'm sure they'd figure it out over time, but Robin is their best bet.

They find out about Whitebeard, and they are quietly glad Bruce's adoption problem isn't that bad but think its funny. Dick is beloved by all and makes enough friends and allies to rival Luffy's charisma, it's a skill man. I can't decide if their Epithets in this world are just their Vigilante names, and they stay masked, or they get knew Epithets and decide there's no point in hiding, or a mix of both but yee.

The OP world either speaks "Common" they can all magically speak now with some diffrent launages in diff parts of the world, OR Japanese, which some of them know and have to teach the others, OR a weird mix of English and Japanese. There's a point in time that people think Damian is Nico Robin's child or sibling because of the Robin thing, and he's a little demon child. Or hell they still do, and he's very livid while Robin is both amused but also scared for this child who is being tied to her.

They still dont kill for the most part, baring Jason, but some of them are pushed into it and they have to figure out what that means for them and what it means moving fowrard with their no kill policy. Some do better with it, some dont. Bruce still hasnt and wont kill, same with Cass, and Damian decides he doesnt want to but will if absolutly no other choice is offered, thankfully they havnt let him had to make this choice yet. (I just have so much thoughts about a assassin raised child deciding they dont want their hands more red now they have the choice).

One or more of them should end up pulled into the War at Marineford and Ace should be saved because I will try to fit a Ace Lives plot into everything lol

Overall I think if this was a fanfic the plot would be a lot of exploring the differences in their worlds, how they adapt and overcome, and trying to find a way home while also coming to like this world and overturning corruption and fucking over the government. I think them with the Strawhats or another crew would be fun, either as allies or joined idk, but I think with them as their own crew would be cool as well. If they join or ally with a crew Bruce lowkey adopts everyone, and he's given SO much shit for it but christ so many of them have such sad backstories and he wants to help

I think in the end they should get to find their way home and like no time has passed, but they're so changed, and arguably considered powered now because lol, but find a way to go back and visit safely.

Sorry for the word vomit but man im in love with this idea. Feel free to comment or send Asks with questions or comments about the au! Please Reblog, and not just like, as they do nothing <3

#mine #aus #one piece au #headcanon #batman #dc comics #dc x op #dc x one piece #batfam #pirate batfam #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #duke thomas #straw hat pirates #whitebeard pirates #One Piece Batfam au

[mihai-florescu]

Putting a message i sent earlier under a read more, it has some thoughts ive expressed before tho. ES, of course

My thoughts as an EichiP... i view ! and !! as different stories in the way they're approached tbh, what i fell in love with enstars for was the character driven storytelling of one event seen through different perspectives, where you see the antagonist in one perspective become a protagonist in another story and can empathize with the entire cast like this. I fell in love with eichi's story of second chances, getting what you want and regretting your actions in the process, redemption, desperation, overcoming fate and asserting one's self into the story, saving a school in a dying industry that saved your life by giving you a dream; i consider it an arc fulfilling to the reader at the end of ! era. But we still had to continue... and it's not like we didnt get inklings of eichi's dreams of idol utopia, the idol soldier idea goes back to main story 1, but !! loses the charm of the original series through expanding the worldbuilding so much and shifting to a plot driven story that opens 10 cans of worms instead of offering resolutions. There's not really room to breathe if the stakes just keep getting higher and higher...

As for the colonisation plotline, it's been here since the beginning of ES2. The SS arc makes it obvious, but i remember even before, the talks about ES taking over from local businesses, trying to be seen as the standard, it was always the direction ensemble square as an institution would take. But the "antagonist in one story, protagonist in another" approach doesnt work anymore with such subjects. The guys responsible for this are your coworkers you share dorms with. I read the stories but cant empathize anymore, so i've been feeling disconnected from eichi for a while. I see enstars with eichi at its core but i didnt care for his center event, i read it, didnt like the ending, and overall felt off. Eichi becoming the villain of ! to attone for the war kind of loses significance if a year later he is a cartoon villain idol colonialist you can't even sympathize with anymore because of the magnitude of events. However i do think !! has done good things for some characters pushing them further or developing them in a way ! didnt. But for others...

I also have my issues with sci fi elements becoming the norm, even taken metaphorically or as hyperboles, when one of the central themes i love about enstars is humanity. Then again, i am a war era fan that relied on manipulating human desires and perceptions, and the fact that there were no monsters or gods, just humans framed as such, playing on people's fears and beliefs, it's a bit jarring to me to have them introduce AIs forming from escaped comatose brains (im minimizing the switch climax rn, i didnt even hate it as a whole, just this resolution im unhappy with)

It also feels like we've lost some of the meta aspects of the writing i liked, a certain awareness of being characters in a story and there being an audience. But im still struggling to word my thoughts on this matter. I felt it present in main story 2, even if it annoyed me at parts in its obviousness ("good thing we're not protagonists, no one would want to read about us" youre right aira you are not interesting to me. And yet i'll read your story to try and empathize nevertheless. I have other thoughts on aira too, perhaps for another time). I wish we explored a bit more what it means to no longer be the central protagonist, from trickstar's perspective...and brought back the successors topic. But i havent read every ts story yet so i'd be foolish to complain before really making sure i've checked everything. To me ! ended satisfyingly with room left for elaborations and imagination, but i dont feel like !!'s ending is really ending anything at all. Not necessarily bad since it's not like the game is shutting down, but overwhelming worldbuilding wise while underwhelming character wise...

Let's see... im not sure how to end this. Just a bit of a stream of consciousness as a ! fan who still loves enstars despite my critiques. Mainly, well, no one's gonna take away the stories that already exist that i do love and impacted my life greatly. And i do think !! had some really good things too it brought, or at least stories i hold dear too. Change is scary and i don't think it's always for the best, but it's also fun to see where it goes next...

#enstars

[spacedlexi]

speaking of fucked up overly hated female twdg characters i find it Super Interesting how people will say carver was the best villain in the whole series, but when lilly is literally just a successful carver (iron fist leader of a community turning children into soldiers) suddenly shes a bad/lame villain for some reason 🤔

#twdg #hmm im sure this has nothing to do with the fact shes a woman (a woman that a lot of people hated since S1) #AND they gave her a giant boat? thats funny #LIKE if they did originally plan to have kenny be carver in S2 she is LITERALLY JUST THAT IDEA but the woman version of it #also i find it interesting that her speech about larry and the lights is reminiscent of that first convo between shane and rick in the show #i happened to like S1 lilly for the most part and felt her evolution in S4 made perfect sense #she hated being questioned. wanted total authority. ex military and so used to dealing with military types. family/loyalty important to her #which is why her and clem meeting again and clashing heads is so narratively interesting #is this person your family? can you bring them to your side? are they even the same person? when do you let go? #so many themes in S4 mmm yummy #a theme vi/minnie share too #and mitch brings up the sentiment while burning ms martin #but yeah im in the 'lilly was actually the best villain in the whole series' camp i wonder whos in here with me. is it quiet in here #it wouldve been nice to see more of the delta... unfortunately if things needed to be cut its understandable why it was #you dont NEED to know more about the delta than whats been told #but i would like to 😔 #like could we have been given more fleshing out of her character? sure. do we actually NEED it? no #it speaks

[hella1975]

hiiii haha. hello. exceptionally awkward introduction bc idrk how to start something like this so let's just jump right in. im taking a break from this account for a bit. i know i said i wanted taob out before halloween and currently im fine sticking with that deadline, but if i decide i need longer away then i will take longer away. every time ive reassured people that id never abandon a fic and updates will always come eventually i never once considered that my writing and ability to feel safe and comfortable on this site would be actively taken from me, so im not even going to apologise. i dont want this either and more importantly i dont fucking deserve it. i dont know what it is in the past year, if ive hit a certain amount of followers or 'popularity' that's made it so the natural ratio of positive to negative interactions must in turn go up, but there's been a serious uptick in weird asks for me. the annoying part is that a very small amount of them are actually objectively mean and hateful, the rest are just weird and invasive from people who seemingly dont realise that's what they're being. ive reached a point where i dont care if the intentions are good. it's not my job as a 20 year old tumblr user of all things to defend the morality of someone who couldnt even bother to come off anon. unfortunately, after blocking only one or two anons, the weird asks have decreased substantially, which says all you need to know about the fascinating and exhilarating lives led by these people, but ive also gone on to turn anon asks off entirely. this is something i actively fought against doing and had to be pushed into by my mutuals (who have been the coolest people on planet earth during this entire thing). turning off anon was a big deal to me even if it sounds silly. i felt betrayed and like id been backed into a corner because it was so vehmently something i DIDNT WANT that to feel like i had to do it anyway for my own mental health??? that sucks. so even though ive 'fixed' the problem, im still kind of reeling and uncomfortable every time i come on tumblr. i hope it's just something i need time to ease because i'll truly be devastated if this becomes 'ruined' for me. tumblr exists as the only place in the world where i am honestly every facet of myself without shame or hesitation; losing that would be insanely harmful to me. and to the people who cant appeal to the actual human behind the post, let me put that in words you can understand: we wouldn't get any more writing 😦😦😦 riots and fires and sirens, i know. so yeah. to anyone who has sent me an anon ask and you're now wondering if you were part of the problem, im firmly of the belief that you'll know if you are. when i say 'weird asks' i dont mean 'you sent me a para about your personal life just to vent or ask for advice' or 'you sent me a really deep emotional compliment about the impact me and/or my writing has had on you' - i love asks like that, so much that i put off taking a break and turning off anon solely for the joy they bring me. im sorry that it might feel like you're being punished too bc of the actions of what in reality is a HANDFUL of weird people, but this is what i feel like i have to do to feel safe and not go insane every time i log in. love you guys, hopefully ill see you soon x

#seriously another shout out to my mutuals #id particularly like to say thank you to boom who's always right there for me no matter what's happening or how insane im being #and also everyone in our little discord that wound up having to make a whole new channel for venting #bc i was there so often like 'today's weird ask isssss.... telling me about my cupsize!! rip them to shreds!!!' #hannah and theo especially being there and pushing me to finally turn off anon. war is truly over #and of course rori bc the shamelessness u show when hating on my anon asks has been genuinely really cathartic #sometimes u really do just need a rottweiler mutual to tell random people online to kill themselves 😭 #okay weird oscar acceptance speechcore gratitude over. i do just rlly love my mutuals #like i went three years not telling anyone about the worse side of internet popularity for fear of looking spoiled and ungrateful #so for the first time to open up about it and be met with outrage on my behalf and people saying in fact it's MORE fucked up #than i initially realised bc ive grown desensitised to it is. yeah cathartic i guess #they are singlehandedly reassuring me of the good this cursed app still holds #so everyone thank them and send them flowers NOW #okay im done i think. see you guys soon. i truly do want to come back asap bc like i said i NEVER EVEN WANTED TO FUCKING LEAVE #SOME ASSHOLES JUST HAD TO PUT GRENADES ON WHAT I ASSUMED WERE VERY UNIVERSAL AND OBVIOUS BOUNDARIES #if you're reading this like 'ohhh fuck i defo sent something invasive lately. i thought it was a joke/we were friends' #then 1) we arent friends if you're on anon. it immediately creates a power imbalance where you know me and any necessary context #but i have no idea who you are or how much you know about me. that's already a fucked dynamic #and 2) I HOPE YOU FEEL BAD. LIKE GENUINELY I HOPE YOU FEEL AWFUL AND HAVE A GOOD LONG LOOK AT YOURSELF #okay i think that's all. ta-ra lads??? how tf do u end something like this #ive queued this to reblog a couple more times throughout the day

[jaskefer]

Obsessed with the idea of Extraordinary Things being a back and forth between Jaskier and Radovid, with Jaskier trying to draw him out in the first verse, and Radovid finally answering him in the second.

Cause like, with Radovid, Jaskier meets someone who he can't fully read properly. He knows there's something under the front of a drunken, bumbling prince, but he doesn't know him well enough yet to be certain as to what.

So, he tests the waters a bit. throws out a line to see if Radovid will take it—and he does. A little bit. But it's so interesting to me, because it doesn't just feel like Jaskier is trying to nail down Radovid's truth in this verse; it feels like he's injecting elements of his own mask into it, as well.

"Keep your words on ice, your gaze lights the fire. They say 'keep on playing nice,' but I have no desire. Why waste our words when lips were made for extraordinary things? It's not a want, it's a need, it is paying no heed to what others say to sing."

This is Jaskier's read of Radovid as he knows him so far: a man hiding more complex wants beneath the veneer of a drunken party boy. But it's also Jaskier admitting that he knows this about Radovid because he wears the exact same mask himself.

Much like how Jaskier and Ciri speak through Geralt and Yennefer in order to process their own feelings about them later in the season, Jaskier sings through himself in order to comprehend who Radovid is. Jaskier is using the performative persona he's crafted for himself in an attempt to coax Radovid out of his.

All of it leads into the main intention of this song: "The greatest songs are made up of unspoken words of love. Of them, I've had enough. with you, I am enough." I am tired of having to put up a front. I want to be understood. I think you understand me. Prove me right.

And Radovid sees what Jaskier is doing. He comments on Jaskier's ability to see people for who they are and not who they pretend to be. But there's still more he wants to understand. This still feels like a game, in a way.

It's only after Radovid sees the brutality of Dijkstra and Philippa up close, watches them orchestrate the assassination of the queen and threaten to incriminate him if he doesn't fall in line, that he then grasps the vulnerability in Jaskier's lyrics. Jaskier is also caught between multiple conflicting desires, that of his loyalty to Geralt/Yen/Ciri, and that of his work as the Sandpiper & how said work is backed by his continued commitment to Redanian Intelligence. That internal conflict and the desire to escape it is also highlighted in the song's first verse ("they say keep on playing nice, but i have no desire"). Only after all of this, when true fear begins to take over and the game stops being fun, does Radovid truly begin to truly understand Jaskier.

And so, he seeks him out. And he responds.

“Drop the sweet disguise, your heart’s beating too loud. The fairytales and little lies can’t drown out all the sound.” You were right. I do understand you. I know what you really want, because we're the same. You can’t hide it behind a façade of a song and a story and a persona.

“Take this heart and break this heart for extraordinary things.” I don't know what will become of this, or us. I still don't fully know if we can trust each other. But no one has ever seen me in the way that you have.

It's not a want, it's a need. With you, I am enough.

#angel.txt #the witcher #jaskier #radovid #radskier #meta & theories #angel.doc #twn spoilers #i never wrote my wpb meta so have some extraordinary things meta instead shdfdfddfd #i truly think that first verse is so complex and multi-layered and can be read in multiple ways (both in-universe and externally) #like this is what i meant by 4d chess like how the FUCK can i explain what jaskier's doing in that first verse #its also little things. the background vocals that pick up in the second verse. #the way the second verse is omitted from the diegetic performance of the song which could imply jaskier hadn’t written it at the time #the way that we hear this song over the credits only after they get together in ep 4 and it's an extended version BUT #the extended version is entirely instrumental after the first half ends which also imply that the second half hasn't yet been written #as a whole i think that a lot of twn songs can be read through both internal and external lenses to enhance their existence in the narrativ #the fact that some of them have different names in-universe as opposed to on the ost. the choices they make in diegetic song placement. #im not very inclined in musical terminology but my brain is going insane over what this show does with its songs and how joey himself write #(and tbh i like to think of the sountrack/ost versions of songs as smth separate or alternate from the ones seen directly In the episodes) #idk. just very much intrigued with the idea of this song as a conversation #the entire song being an illustration of the masks they both wear #the truth that lies beneath them‚ and the way they both try to chip at each other until one of them drops it first. #obsessed with certain choices and going a little too insane about them <3

[toxooz]

How do u get so good at anatomy and faces??? 😭😭😭 I adore ur art style and I just wanted to know if you had like a certain method or anything or if u guys practise :0

i just draw a fuckload and observe the human body and how it moves at all times and use references and draw and draw and draw summore 👍 u may not now how tf muscles link together but with plenty of drawing and research it will eventually click into place and you'll Get It lmfao

#in fact i can literally feel myself Getting it when it comes to arm and back muscles and i feel like ive finally been set free tbh #like its all clicking together after being like 'i have no idea how the forearm muscles twist but ig ill put shading here'' for years lmfao #i would wrack my brain over the ''the whole arm is built like chain links'' rule but it never really clicked UNTIL RECENTLY #and its bc if drawing thats right folks call of duty corn AHAAA #but thats also why im drawing my buff ocs is bc i feel like every drawing i do i understand the muscle structure a little bit more its gr8 #so expect more muscle studs bc im on a diSCOVERY #that being said dont wreck urself drawing a lot u also have to be observant as well and try to see if you can learn more thhe next drawing #is what i do #thats why i cant stop wont stop im too in love with improving more and more and how much stuff i can pick up on and incorporate into my dra #wings OK IM DONE

[whispers-of-masser]

Dragon's Tongue

✧ Nebarra x human!LDB, ft. Xelzaz & Khash ✧ Fluff, minor angst; 1300+ words ♫ "You And I (Stripped)" - PVRIS ✒ Something short n sweet today, I'm feeling soft

Nebarra was loath to admit it to himself, and he'd die before ever saying it aloud, but the Rift really was beautiful. Nothing compared to Alinor, to be sure, but... all the gold reminded him of home. And when he passed by a small, isolated farm, he could almost see himself on its porch, see his brother leaning against the door.

The illusions were younger, happier versions of themselves. So much more innocent, faces bright with naivety, eyes shining with plans for the future.

And then he'd gone to war.

He'd lost... so much of himself, in the deserts of Hammerfell. They had scorched and burned him inside and out, slowly bleeding him dry with every comrade he saw fall. And all that, for what? For all the Altmer's supposed superiority, the campaign had failed on all fronts – Hammerfell's walls and people defied them, and Cyrodiil remained in power, weakened but still unbroken.

How could the Thalmor still strut about, arrogant to Aetherius and back, when they had failed so miserably? How could they look at the faces of the families whose children and lovers they'd sent to die and only tell them they'd "served their purpose"?

Nebarra couldn't.

He couldn't face them at all. Not even through pen and paper, leagues away from ever having to look them in the eyes, ever having to see the pain and loss in their gaze.

Where the Thalmor were heartless, he was a coward.

And he didn't know which was worse.

~~~

Night fell, and you called the group to halt, to make camp until dawn. Nebarra set up the tent as you argued with Xelzaz, trying to convince him that no, he shouldn't summon a flame atronach and then kill it for its fire salts, no matter how good it would make dinner taste. Khash merely looked on, muching on some clover she'd picked up somewhere.

At last though, you got Xelzaz to relent, though he asked you to gather some herbs in exchange, listing off the plants he wanted you to find.

"Ah... and take Nebarra with you."

The elf froze. Turned slowly towards the lizard. Demanded, "What? Why?"

"Two eyes are better than one," he shrugged, "and that much safer, as well. We don't know what's out there, and I'm pretty sure we passed a necromantic altar on our way here."

At that, you groaned, head rolling back like a teenager who'd just been told to do their chores. "Gods, not another one. Why do we always seem to run into those?"

"Luck of the Dragonborn? Anyway, off with you now – I have to get set up. Let's see, in whose pack did I leave my cooking pot...? Khash! Come help me with this!"

And just like that he walked off, leaving you and Nebarra alone by the campfire. A chuckle escaped you, and he glanced over to see you shaking your head. "I'm surprised he didn't tell us to hold hands, too, so we don't lose each other in the dark."

"Yeah, I'm not holding your hand," Nebarra snarked. And it was true. Absolutely true. Totally, one-hundred percent true.

"Oh wow, Nebs, that one almost hurt." Your soft laugh seemed to echo in his ears, his mind. "Come on, let's go – I don't suppose you heard any of the plants he wants?"

Blue and yellow mountain flowers, to restore and fortify. Purple for rejuvenation, and to give to Khash. Scaly pholiota for fiber and strengthening. Wild gourds and dragon's togue for flavour.

He snorted from behind his helm. "That would require paying attention to him."

"Should have known," you sighed. "Alright, listen up before I forget: blue, yellow, and purple mountain flowers, scaly pholiota, and dragon's tongue. And be careful with the purple mountain flowers, they're gifts for Khash. Oh, he also wants some wild gourds. Got it?"

"...Yeah, yeah. Let's just get going."

He definitely hadn't feigned ignorance just to hear your voice some more. Definitely not.

~~~

"Ah, back at last! Perfect," Xelzaz said, stirring something in a pot over the fire. "Now I can get the real meal started."

"Then what's this?" Nebarra demanded as Xelzaz handed him a bowl, in exchange for the plants the Altmer carried. Even through his gauntlets he could feel its warmth, and a rich, savory scent drifted up through the slits of his helmet.

"Something amazing, from the smell," you sighed, and Nebarra didn't have to look to know you were drooling.

"Just a little sometime to hold you over," the Argonian demurred, handing you a bowl as well. "Thought I'd experiment with some of the flora I've gathered thus far."

That gave Nebarra pause. "Wait – experiment? That's settled, I'm not eating this."

"If you don't want it–"

Your words were drowned out by Khash's eager shout of, "I'll eat it! I'll take your bowl!" She rushed over to him, red eyes trained on the food.

"Khash, you had your share," Xelzaz chided. "Any more and you won't have room for the rest of dinner."

"Yes, I will! I have room for anything you make."

"She's got a point," you laughed, and Nebarra slowly, wordlessly handed her the bowl.

"I'll go keep watch," he grumbled, turning away.

"Oh, don't be like that! Nebarra!" When he didn't respond, you sighed, calling after him, "Alright, go sulk! I'll make sure Xelzaz doesn't poison your share, though you kind of deserve it!"

His back still towards you, Nebarra raised his hand in a rude gesture, and your laughter rang through the night.

Some thirty minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching; he didn't need to turn to know it was you. Your tread was distinct from the others, weighted with determination and confidence, whereas Xelzaz's was soft and steady, and Khash's light and hesitant.

"Here. Eat." Despite the short words, your tone was gentle, and Nebarra looked over to see you holding a plate out towards him, laden with a slab of meat and wild berries to the side. "It's delicious, and unpoisoned."

"How would you know?" he sniffed, catching a whiff of the food in the process. It... did smell amazing. "Did you try it?"

"I did, actually. Stole some of your steak when Xelzaz wasn't looking. And since I'm still standing here pestering you, I guess that means it's clean."

Nebarra paused, eyes training on your face. Half of it was wreathed in shadow, only the gleam of your eyes visible; the other half was illuminated by the campfire, revealing the soft smile you wore.

You... had a nice smile.

And before he could stop himself, he mumbled, "You're not... pestering me."

Surprise flickered in your gaze – surprise, and something else. Something he told himself he didn't recognise, refused to recognise.

After a moment, you said softly, "That's... good to hear, then. Because I have something else for you, too." Reaching down with your free hand, you pulled something from your belt and held it out before him. "I saved one, 'cause it reminded me of you."

Nebarra stared. There, held gently between your fingers, was a dragon's tongue flower, petals open wide and colours vibrant in full bloom. "This... reminded you of me?"

"It's gold. Just like you."

"...You really do have trouble with your eyesight, don't you? These are orange."

"Eh, close enough." You shrugged, the smile never leaving your face.

Slowly, Nebarra reached out and, ignoring the plate of food, took the flower carefully, delicately from your grasp, cradling it in his palm. "...Am I supposed to say thank you?"

"You just did." As he raised a brow from the shadows of his helm, you set the plate on a nearby rock and tapped the gauntlet that held the flower. "You accepted it."

He couldn't deny it. "Think you got me all figured out then, huh?"

Something in your smile shifted, your gaze flickering. "No. Not yet, anyways. But... I think I'd like to." And with that, you turned on your heel and walked away, leaving him alone in the dark, stunned.

And that night, as he sat in the shadows of the campfire, he stared at the flower for a long, long time.

#nebarra #nebarra skyrim #skyrim nebarra #skyrim #tes 5 #whisper writes #finally wrote that thing from my tags ages ago #and by ages i mean like a week lmaoo #also i now officially have the headcanon now that khash likes to munch on clovers and i don't know what to do with this thought #anyway in other news im so tired?? like for some reason writing Just Tonight REALLY drained me #i dont know how to describe it other than the fact that writing it felt like.... it took something from me? #idk man maybe i just burnt myself out a little; i haven't written so much and been so intent about it in actual years #tragically im not even happy about how it turned out but tbfh when is an artists ever satisfied with their own work??? neverrrr #im so tired man lol #i wanna keep working on the second part of just tonight and I have ideas for it but i just.... cannot right now lol #anyway off to play more skyrim and hopefully recharge #starting an altmer mage/college of winterhold playthough with only altmer followers #so that means im grabbing nebs; caryalind; taliesin; rumarin; idrinth; and eventually Telmiltarion since I downloaded summerset isle too #he has a standalone verison that doesnt require the full mod but #figured i'd play through the whole thing at least once since it ties into the cow story anyways #help why does “college of winterhold” abbreviate to fuckin COW I just noticed😭 #anywho... ive never actually played with tel or idrinth before so im actually a little nervous; i hope i like them lol #wanted to try daegon too but then i saw she was pulled for updates and was like nuuuuu #might see about posting a screenie once i've got the whole crew together #anyway im off to go play for reals this time lol bye

[quietwingsinthesky]

i do think a lot about the master & the doctor both deliberately seeking out other regenerations of each other than whoever they’re mostly interacting with. especially when they just want a chat, a moment’s truce, something that could be called comfort if they dared to put it into words. easier to do those things when, well, they’re still enemies, but the hurts are farther apart in time. ‘i’m your future, you’re my past, we’re both still hurting each other where we come from, but that’s a different me and a different you, and tonight, can’t we just play a game or share a bed for old time’s sake?’ you know?

#and its very much not a secret thing obviously. theyre both very aware theyre doing it. theyre crossing up their timelines like crazy. #anyway this idea brought to you by me reading a summary of a fic where thirteen goes back in time and fucks simm!master aldjfkgjks #which is. a little off topic from what im going for here. but yeah also that they do jump around the timelines to have sex. #but something about that fic idea specifically intrigued me because like. there’s that whole year where the master is just in one place #playing the part of harold saxon. he’s not going anywhere. #and like what if versions of the doctor just showed up. to bug him. to yell at him. to lay side by side on the floor quietly for as long as #they can both manage to stand it. and obviously to have hate sex on his desk. #i mean what kind of angsty fuckery would that dredge up right? to be able to visit the master before he even dies in their arms in his #timeline. and its not about stopping it or anything. just about the fact that he’s there. he’s not going anywhere. #idk. something to think about i guess.

[quil12]

Honestly, this game feels like drugs sometimes

#persona 2 #persona 2 eternal punishment #just the fact that absolutely no one is phased about this #this is the additional scenario btw #the last part of it #katsuya is very much a catboy though #'catsuya' if you will #hes also like really smart though too #like man was talking so much to do with like philosophy and psychology and i had no idea what was even coming out of his mouth #i do feel like there are so many similar themes and ideas particularly between p2 and p5 though #like not even just the talking cat #but like how in is there was the moral question about if its right for people to not have to work toward their dreams #thats literally just third semester in p5r #which i always thought was one of the best written persona plots #but to find out that p2 did it first #and more as a subplot than anything else #p2 just has good writing #im gonna be one of those people now that ive actually played it #but like i think its my favorite story in the whole series #havent played 1 yet #so i cant say for sure #but like...

[bonefall]

What if the whole 'infertility WHOOPS nvm' situation was caused by the DF? Maybe all the DF knew was that one of Firestar's children was to birth three warriors who could destroy them, and they obviously thought squilf was the one to do that, so they either tricked her or starclan into thinking she was infertile. What they DIDNT plan for was Leafpool breaking the code and getting pregnant, still fulfilling the mini prophecy.

Also my knowledge on things post first arc is really fuzzy but could mudclaw's death be from the DF? That put Onestar in power who iirc REALLLYYY hates TC bc he doesnt want to seem too friendly with them, thus dividing the clans more. Could work the other way around with them sparking Mudclaw's rebellion, amd Starclan stepping in to send the tree down.

Good suggestions! But I think I've got these two situations down pat already

Squilf's Infertility

I just kinda prefer the idea that sometimes people are infertile, y'know? Especially Squilf. I also don't want the Dark Forest to go away and have to open up the question of, "If they're not cursing her anymore, can she have babies now?"

No biobabies for Squilf. She raises the Three, and is the mentor of Jessy's and Bramble's daughter, Sparkpelt. She's just infertile because that's how things are sometimes.

Mudclaw's Rebellion

For this one, the Dark Forest's only involved insofar as Tigerstar is training Hawkfrost.

I want to make sure that Mudclaw's rebellion stays Mudclaw's idea primarily; I don't want to fall into the trap of canon material where they keep blaming the actions of their villains on Born Evil Cats without whom there would be no problems.

Mudclaw accepts Hawkfrost's reinforcements, and promises him power in exchange for help... but it wasn't the Dark Forest, or Hawkfrost, that suggested killing Onewhisker. Mudclaw did that.

And for that Mudclaw is actually going to the Dark Forest! He will not be in StarClan for my rewrite, likely becoming one of the cats who ends up defending Ashfur's Tunnel post-TBC along with Juniperclaw.

#I also don't think Onewhisker hated ThunderClan from the offset #or even when he first became leader #The way I'm approaching him is as a person who was deeply affected by the fact his Clanmates wanted to KILL him #I see that as the most important moment for how I understand this character #I don't agree with the idea he hated it from the moment he got the power tbh #and I didn't like how Onestar's Concussion was like ''Wow ruling looks hard im so glad im normal and will never be deputy'' #He seemed... Fine. With that power. Just using it to be friendly and seeking people to balance him out #Like it's super interesting he picks Mudclaw as deputy even though he ALWAYS fought with him. Even as far back as TPB #It struck me as him wanting to rule with a casual fairness. To not really approach being a -Star as being above others but using power in - #-the way Tallstar assumed he would. #But... Clan culture is at the root of many problems and Onewhisker to OneSTAR is no different #Rejecting Smoke and becoming a hardened Star comes down to how the xenophobic #and brutal battle culture isolates people who live within it #He can't live with disgrace. He's a coward. He wanted to do the right thing his whole life but what IS the right thing in a culture that - #values strength so hard? #I'll tell you; the right thing is becoming hardened. Rejecting your mate and son and becoming the assertive leader that WindClan was expect #ing #Idk. I have thoughts about him #Very different from general fandom consensus tho I think #Bonefall Rewrite

[oflgtfol]

shaking my fucking cage my grad school app is due friday and the only thing preventing me from submitting it is that everyone i ask for a letter of rec is taking their sweet fucking time

#asked three profs back in the FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY #and only one has submitted #so i asked two of my supervisors from my other job #but apparently they might not be 'permitted' to write letters of rec for employees anymore #WJATEVER THAT MEANS !!!! #so now im boutta go crawling back to my intenrship supervisor from a whole year ago #like hi bestie my internship had nothing to do with what im going to grad school for or what my current job is #but like. im out of options #also sorry i havent talked to you since i graduated. can you wrtie me a whole letter of rec in . checks my calendar. three days #AUGH #AND EVEN THEN I STILL NEED ONE MORE ?!?!?!? #im literaly about to ask my fucking michaels framing manager at this fucking point #these god damn professors im like HI. HELLO. ARE YOU ALIVE? #and its just RADIO SILENCE #like BRO. you told me you would a month ago and now when im like hey. whats going on. you just ghost me?!??!?! #at least tell me hey i actually dont have the time to do it anymore so sorry #like its the fact i have no fucking idea whats going on with these people #and my other job supervisors are totally willing to write these letters for me its just the fucking corporate higher ups #like hi. its not like i need a letter of rec for another job. im applying to an educational program #and one that will actively make me better at this very job #why the fuck would you not permit my supervisors to help me pursue this when it only possibly benefits liteally everyone involved here #brot posts

[currentlyonstandbi]

#look this was probably the most experimental post i've ever done considering i had to make the newspaper article from scratch #and to be entirely honest i uuuh im not happy with it lmao #i should've done an obituary instead of the article but too late ! i have no energy to start again #but whatever .the point is that the article is supposed to allude to alex's death okay so yes obituary would've worked better but too bad #idk i think i just had a massive brain blegh halfway through which sucks because i was thinking about this post all day #but the idea behind the whole concept and the QUOTE in the first place and the stupid article concept #was the idea that nigel wasn't the only one to kill himself at the end of the film #alex did too . just not in the literal sense #alex kills the old version of himself . kills the who he used to be #this did not do that quote or the intention behind the post justice but i'm just gonna dump it here and go #also deep in tags is the best place for me to put the random shit i'm thinking of and i've had the trainyard scene on my mind lately #but i left my thoughts to simmer too long and now it's been reduced into thickness 😞 but anyway #greg may have been too much of a coward to give them the maraclea ending they deserved #but he will never be able to take away the fact that the trainyard scene will always be their version of the myth TO ME and me only probs #okay because that story is supposed to parallel the typical conventions of marriage - the consumation when he lays with the body #and then 9 months later the skull symbolises a birth resulting from their union #that moment at the railway ? where nigel shoots himself with the very gun alex is holding? #that's their consumation babes; their union; their wedding #'pray for me pray for yourself we're one now' may as well be their vows #and what do we get as a result of that union 9 months later? we get jack #jack is the product of these 2 people becoming 1 and just like the skull granted great power to the lord #so too does jack grant power to alex; the power to take control of his life and forge his own path forward #me making this post 🤝 cats : oooooo big stretch #seriously #lowkey glad no one will see this in the tag search lmao #like minds

[countess-of-edessa]

baked a cake from scratch, fed the dogs and the father, cleaned the kitchen, wrapped christmas presents. wearing a beige sweaterdress and black ballet flats, hair in bun. reading a profile on hilaria baldwin…the cottagecore tradwife in me is winning i fear

#im being sarcastic but honestly though i keep having the creeping and uncharitable thought of like. i don’t think this is quite as hard as #my mother has always made it seem. and my father is literally zero help and she works really hard but also there was always the not-always- #unspoken implication that the reason the house was always kind of messy and disorganized and everything was kind of chaotic and accompanied #by a distinct sense of overwhelm was because of my sister and I #either our stuff or our actions or the fact that taking care of us took up too much time she could devote to other stuff #but neither my sister nor i live at home full time anymore and when we do at least i am objectively more helpful than anything else #so im like okay well that wasn’t it then #and like i also get that everyone thinks they could do better until THEY get married and have kids and then you see #but the backlash against the pressure for everything to be picture perfect has turned into (imo) a general “relatable” idea that #adulthood and especially marriage and parenthood is nothing but a slide into complacency and chaos forever and like. i just don’t agree wit #that. obviously you cannot live as you did as a single person or a non parent but the prevailing image of parenthood i see advertised as #“realistic” is one where everyone is constantly exhausted unhappy and living in filth #i See a question from a woman asking how to SURVIVE nine whole days of winter break with her children. SURVIVE? wtf? #i do think parents of today spend too much time with their children and that’s part of the issue but also like. i cannot believe that #everything is as thoroughly and completely awful as it is pretty much always portrayed nowadays #and how i see it reflected at me. and this isn’t like a housewives don’t work aaaa thing because no. #but like. when i see people being like you can’t expect your sahm to get the laundry done OR dinner made OR the house clean on a consistent #basis EVER i am kind of like…..but literally what are you doing then if none of those things?? #cause unless you homeschool or have literal infants (whole different ballgame) then like…what are you doing #maybe an unpopular opinion but I think a lot of women are bad at being housewives. because it is a skill that women used to study and learn #and now it’s not but it’s still the most important job in society #so we took away all the instruction manuals for the backbone of society and now who comes the closest to approximating an educational resou #? influencers. which is horrible because any person you are taking advice from on Instagram is someone with a public Instagram account #which automatically makes them odd and untrustworthy and not someone at least I would want to emulate. #my mother doesn’t apply to this she is a great homemaker her issues are (1) time management (2) fatigue (3) starts too many projects #but i digress #i suppose i shouldn’t say that I reject the idea children turn your life to chaos because I don’t. but I do reject the idea that #the chaos of parenthood sentences everyone to a perpetual state of overwhelm and reactivity #that simply has never been the case for people in any time period before now even when raising children and the daily business of living wa #far more labor intensive

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

now that dumb ways to die is finally making a comeback, i need a compilation of rly stupid fire emblem gameplay deaths

#DCB Comments #my dumbest way i've ever had a unit die was in por chapter 27 when ike had damage on my turn already #from the previous enemy phase but i was getting desperate bc i didn't wanna redo the chapter #bc like if i don't get nasir i will literally redo the chapter fuck ena idk what intsys was even thinking #making her unit as worthless as it is. no nasir no victory. so in my desperation i attacked #with damage taken. bc my brilliant idea was to attack and get hit again so that mist could heal all the damage taken #but wah wah i had to redo the whole chapter anyway bc SOMEONE activated luna on me #i was relying on either aether going off or luna NOT going off but i had a massive wah wah #this wasn't recent but it did happen and i absolutely learned my fucking lesson LOL #titania: i think ike has grown enough to judge if he can win #soren: i don't like it. in fact i disagree. in fact this is a terrible idea. in fact what if he's impatient bc he only has five turns #also the other dumbest way to lose a unit is to have them standing in front of the house in chapter 11 #when you kill the boss bc bk walks out when the boss dies. i always make sure mordecai is #already past that area while im getting zihark before killing the boss #but yes i do absolutely agree with the lyric ''so many dumb ways to die'' for fe and that's why i need a compilation #y'all needa tell me your dumbest fe ways you've lost a unit and had to reset #if you played on casual it still counts bc they had to retreat lol #edit: actually no i remember that happened twice. there was a time when i attacked on my turn with full hp #but that was after mist healed so i had damage then she healed then i attacked on my turn #and then luna activated on the enemy phase so no that shit actually happened to me TWICE #and i am not sure which one of those times i learned my fckn lesson but i absolutely did #edit again: also npc and enemy phase deaths that are rly dumb are also valid i need those too

[championofelysium]

I think when he was younger Hades actually was very similar to Zagreus, but the mix of horrible parents, responsibility of being an eldest son to two younger brothers (and their only real father figure), and the later responsibility + lack of sunshine + general doom and gloom of the underworld turned him into the person he is now

#hope talks #i actually have a lot of HCs regarding the older gods #im rly interested in the fact that zeus and poseidon rly rly rly rly obvious miss Hades. They miss him terribly! #but neither of them would ever come out and just say that #it's always in guarded words. never directly addressing the issue (especially for zeus) #which i think is part of zeus' problem as a whole... he never says what he actually means #being raised by the titans caused zeus to develop a very warped idea of what family is also #he thinks family is unconditional love. love that doesn't have to be earned #but he also believes that this love cannot waver. that he can do whatever the hell he wants and still be loved simply due to those family #ties. i think all the older gods would have an easier time in their eternal lives if they just #admitted that killing their parents WAS you know... a traumatic experience vyubgi #they only ever mention it when its to brag of their own strength or mention how mortals should be thankful for such an act #even tho its definetly much more complex than that #anyways. #here's my HC birth order for them #from hyperion and theia: hestia helios selene eos demeter hera #and then from cronus and rhea: hades zeus poseidon #all the hyperion / theia kids were born before the cronus / rhea kids

[zevranunderstander]

sex education is a phenomenal show with well-written representation, amazing actors, campy ideas, great character arcs and character growth and i would recommend the show to anyone, but it's just that the show also has the most boring and unlikeable main character of all time and the main plot of a season is usually the weakest plotline

#myposts #like i love this show w all my heart #and like??? maeve adam and aimee's character arcs are sooooooooo fucking amazing #isaac as a character??? viv and jackson??? erics arc????? #the new characters introduced in season 4??? the arc adams dad has???? all of these are fucking insane??? #but i usually dont care about the actual main premise of the sex clinic tbh because like. otis is so boring to watch #and like. whenever otis is involved in a plot its just that one post thats like #' 'i guess i blew up at you because i have unresolved anger from when my dad left' - NO throw their car keys in the drain' #like i liked the idea for 2 seasons but the season 3 main plot was so stupid im so sorry but like what was that #and then the whole 'competition' arc in season 4?? #like i liked that otis and o both grew over doing it and it exposed how much of an ass otis can be an shit #but the overall idea was so. meh? #and as much as i love isaac and aisha as characters the whole scene were the school protested for disability services was so. ugh. idk. #but like i think that is bc some characters plots dont really have time to breathe because we have to watch otis be boring half an episode #like? the idea for vivs plot was really cool this season but it was so rushed and easily would have been better if viv had more screen time #and i just dont like when the show gets really unrealistic with characters and is like #'noo all of the characters are now protesting for disability rights and it fixes everything and all characters decide to be more inclusive!' #or 'this persons dysphoria and sucicidal thoughts are alleviated by the fact that the school does a fundraiser just for them' #like whenever a character arc and the main plot meet. the character arc suddenly becomes really bad and boring #i hope i make sense and also. i fucking hate otis so much