#amazing how much they're themselves when a man isn't involved!

[mayasdeluca]

I’m sorry. We have everything, okay? We went over it with the lawyer like five times. We are good.

#station 19 #station19edit #carina deluca #maya bishop #carina x maya #mine #station 19 spoilers #lol #amazing how much they're themselves when a man isn't involved!

[1-up-chump]

Can i make a request please? Fujin, liu kang, kabal, kitana, and jade having a crush on s/o who can program and manipulate reality like its a video game and they sure their power as support for them (like healing, buffs their speed/strength/defenses/ect) but they dont really fight much and likes being the support. And how will they react when she ask if they want to play with her.

(As fun as the meta idea reader is a "gamer" I'd rather keep it lore friendly and simple as "reader is a jack of trades with magic and prefers to support rather than directly fight"

Although if they're in mortal kombat then outside influence isn't allowed, so their support would be limited to before or after a mortal kombat battle.)

Magical support reader

Fujin:

Fujin is amazed that, despite centuries, there is very few healers amongst mortals who involve themselves in mortal kombat. But even fewer who not only heal but amplify abilities. Of course, magiks is forbidden in an official mortal kombat tournament. But not in a personal challenge, so long as it is not during. Not that fujin would ever even need help in the first place, it would be over kill. But even gods can have trouble in certain situations so fujin appreciates the help. Although his pride will get in the way and he'll try to politely decline at first.

Liu kang:

This monk is so relived you're on the side of earthrealm. Even if you can't fight out of personal reasons or because in mortal kombat such magiks are limited anyways, he is grateful for your help outside of tournaments. An interesting proposition raiden offered was using your abilities to further the earthrealm warriors training, to prepare them against foes in an "unfair" advantage by buffing the opposition. Needless to say you made liu kang's training go to a whole new level of challenge. And may let himself get hurt on purpose so you can tend to his injuries.

Kabal:

Kabal doesn't think much of your enhancing magiks despite thinking they'd be very useful. As kabal is the type to use up valuable resources at the last minute. So you'd have to sneakily boost his abilities or outright tell him to get your help because this man outright forgets how useful you are even when you're not the one usually fighting. Not that kabal thinks little of you, far from it. Kabal just doesn't want to rely on you too much to make it a habit, he's closer to you than you would ever know, and its better no one knows how much you mean to him. Less enemies and headaches to deal with.

Kitana:

You are so invaluable there are no words in the edenian dictionary to describe. Even if you cannot fight in mortal kombat with your abilities, personal or divine rules aside, the fact you can not only heal others but provide great boons is fantastic. Regardless if they may be temporary. Kitana wants you by her side to help her if ever she finds herself in a predicament where someone gives her a personal challenge, that way you can give her a much needed edge if the opponent will be tough. Such as mileena or shao kahn, or her mother sindel if she's feeling particularly disagreeable that day.

Jade:

Like kitana, jade shares the same sediment. There are healers in edenia and many realms, but they are more rare to have such natural magiks devoted to such a dominion. So to have you in the pockets of the edenian court is highly favorable. Jade keeps you close by, although she may be more reluctant to not want to rely on you out of warriors pride. But elder gods help the poor opponent when jade is enhanced by magik that gives her either strength, endurance, and or speed.

#mortal kombat #x reader #xreader #fujin mortal kombat #liu kang mortal kombat #mortal kombat kabal #kitana mortal kombat #jade mortal kombat

[ix-astra]

the aureuses !!!! sweet little hpma oc family :] <3 hcs under the cut as it had been and always will be

aureus means golden, golden coin of rome, and how i got the first half of aslan and daniel's pairing name :] ! additional funfact, they're distantly related to king midas ..

anyway, starting with aslan's mother !!!! charlotte (astolfo-) aureus, half english half italian-russian pure blood, she was a gryffindor during her time in hogwarts where she also met her husband <3

she works for the ministry much like arthur but also constantly expresses how tired of her coworkers she is, she enjoys keeping her job because “better i take up a seat rather than have another slimy wrinkled baffoon take my place“, if she also uses her influences to pass of things she thinks are fairer for the wizarding world then no one has to know...

she's sweet and protective of the people she's close with !!! genuinely wouldn't hesitate to act against those who oppose them, she cares so so so much and as you'd assume, an amazing mother

and to her husband, arthur aureus! ravenclaw during his hogwarts years and also a pureblood that's half brit half greek but its.... so so much more complicated than that too

the aureuses are notorious for keeping themselves pure blood through the means of wedding pure blood people from out of the country ! theyre very keen on not marrying their cousins...

he's in the ministry too ! often keeping his wife from getting fired from her position and doing social control, he's the more doting and gentle of the two <3

and the actual oc that currently attends hogwarts ! aslan aureus, treasured son of the aureus couple, he was born thrumming with magic and much like winifred his could be uncontrollable at times, difference is: it isn't just limited to the influences of his emotions but he also has a terrible tendency to accidentally cast / create spells.. that and the fact that his parents and teachers were understanding of his situation and welcomed him to school nonetheless, so sorry winnie i adore you i promise

because of this he's become very very interested in learning more about spells and thus excels in classes that involve it, he's learned to deconstruct and reconstruct his own too !!!

aslan attends hogwarts as a slytherin, but because of his cheerful, popular, "polite young man" reputation people often joke that he was supposed to be put in hufflepuff instead (guys . guys he runs the gossip mill with cassandra— guys please he's—), he's also once or twice mistaken for a ravenclaw because of his fondness with wearing daniels ravenclaw clothes

he also !!! started an apprenticeship under poppy pomfrey during his third year and can be frequently found in the infirmary helping out, he grows up to be a healer !!!!!!

speaking of his helping nature, aslan doesn't hesitate to help students and teachers alike with things, he very much enjoys sitting down with other students to go over the classes they had that day and explain areas they're having difficulties with when he understands more of the subject then they do

aslan's also takes the chaser role during quidditch !! became captain 4th year too :]

this boy grew up to be such a lovely boy with nothing wrong with him (of course until . summer 2012 but we'll touch on that some other time, it's just... anxiety nothing to bad hehenejw...)

#aslan aureus #hpma oc #art! #genuinely nothing wrong here #they're just a loving family what more is there to say !!!!! #his parents are so supportive of him through everything ever 😿

[basingstokemercury]

Think I've finally put my finger on the thing that bothers me most about this whole genetic engineering storyline.

(The following may sound rather arrogant, I'm trying to be factual about it though)

I was a gifted kid. I am a highly intelligent adult.

I'm very creative, able to see connections and put information together in ways that aren't always obvious to others. I love solving logic puzzles and picking up on small details to draw a cohesive picture. I adore mystery stories, for the same reason.

I'm not a human computer or even good at the calculating side of maths, though I love the theories and ideas behind it. I do read genetics and neuroscience textbooks for fun though.

I tend to infodump about topics that interest me when given half a chance - the non-G&S fans in my offline life can probably attest to this, as the internet isn't always sufficient to vent my fascination with small fandoms.

Social cues in general - when to talk, whether someone's interested in my company - have never been my strong suit.

And I find it very hard to sit still for long periods of time, always needing to do something with my hands or sometimes walk around and feel a space.

I can get along with people who don't share my nerdy traits or interests, but it does sometimes get frustrating when I feel like we just can't connect intellectually. Interacting with people who really get me in those areas, when I find them, feels amazing.

So when a character turns up in a show who shares just about all of these traits (except for being extroverted and a much better person overall), it's impossible for me not to get instantly attached. We even have the same expression when focusing on a speaker and trying to look intent.

It's incredibly exciting to see a character who reminds me of myself so much, and whom I can identify with to this extent! Of all my favourite fictional people, here's one of the few I think I could actually form a positive connection with if he were real!

And then they say "No. This isn't natural. He's Different and Weird. Oh and he can just calculate anything in his head because that's what smart people do."

Great. Lovely. Having a conflict around how people like that aren't seen as human doesn't change the fact that you wrote it that way! You created a universe in which a man whose personality and interests remind me of myself so much is singled out as being the way he is because he isn't normal!

What does that say about me and viewers like me, who were so excited to see themselves represented? How do you think I feel seeing that you can't think of a backstory for someone like me that doesn't involve explaining why they're like that, as opposed to how them being like that affected them?

I think this is really the center of why this whole thing and the way it's handled makes me so uncomfortable.

The story they're trying to tell now, (putting aside mental illness handling), about this highly gifted character finally meeting people on his level and connecting with them differently than with "normal" people - it would be so relatable to me, and I'd love it! If they came at it from that angle, and not from "these people are so smart because Bad Science, they have their little smartness cult, isn't that creepy?"

As it is, I just feel like someone's trying to write about my experience from the outside but really doesn't understand how to get that experience across without dehumanising the people who have it.

#the julian bashir chronicles #space station squad #deep space nine

[triggerhappymilitant]

Can you list the romantic and/or sexual relationships with other muses and tell us something about about why are you shipping with them and how does this relationship look like? :)

I am 100% going to forget people. Mun is currently sick, so I apologize if I do. It doesn't mean I don't love our babies, it just means I'm slowly dying.

@hoodedchishiya is finally his goddamn boyfriend. This one had to be first, because this mf is the reason I created my Niragi account in the first place. Chishiya and Niragi absolutely love to antagonize each other, and even when they've done things to imply clear enough that they have deeper feelings for each other, their soft moments are still rare. However, when they are vulnerable with each other, you could just melt into the floor. These two babies have such amazing chemistry, and they're perfect for each other.

I've also got two other Nishiya ships, with @chishiya-the-cat and @chishiya-of-diamonds — Both are very undefined. With Diamonds, they've at least agreed that they're sexually attracted to each other. Cat, they haven't so much as admitted to it, as they've acted on it and keep telling themselves it's a one-time thing, but they constantly end up in each other's beds. There's an attraction there, a draw, but neither can figure out exactly what it is.

@daikichixkarube is another boyfriend. Niragi felt an immediate attraction towards meeting Karube (look, he has a thing for blonds, okay?) He was able to show the new guy around, and the flirting was pretty immediate. I think, to an extent, there's something in Karube that recognizes the part of Niragi that he wants to hide the most. Niragi has been willing to open up about the bullshit he went through with him, something I don't think he's truly been able to do with anyone else. They're very cute together, but also happy to roll around in bed together.

@aggwaseon Jihoon is a recently turned boyfriend of Niragi's. Despite the age difference, the two get along great. There's a big sexual drive there, but there are also feelings involved (having told each other they love each other.) Niragi is protective of him in a way he isn't with most; something entirely unnecessary given the age, job, and abs on Ji, but it's more of an emotional protectiveness. He wants Ji to feel nothing but happiness.

@your-sweet-cookie this man finally has a girlfriend. And we're also back to the blonds (I know, its silver/grey/etc. He likes people with very little color in his hair.) Niragi wasn't sure what to make of her at first. He always found her attractive, but he wasn't used to romance. Still, he quickly started developing feelings for her and wanted to spend all his time around her.

@yuzuhastrength While we haven't done anything with them recently, I will definitely still be adding her to my list. It's very undefined. There is an attraction there, despite their past. Niragi enjoys her company, her fiery nature, and the fact she can hold her own. And, of course, he finds her ridiculously attractive.

Not as active here on Tumblr, but I'm still shouting out @heartsking since we write a shit ton on Discord and they're my favorite person in the world. The first person I ever wrote Nishiya with - the person who watched me go from "eh, I could see it maybe being sexual" to "I will go down with this ship." And is happy to appease me for it. They're the most open with their feelings, and Niragi is a bit of a teddy bear with Chishiya. With have multiple universes, so it's hard to comment on all of them.

There are some that are sexual and/or just super blurry and undefined what they are. Again, I'll probably miss some, but some honorable mentions are @arisuthegamer (Niragi wants this man, badly. Arisu has actually admitted to having a crush, but they haven't done much with it yet.) @thebandanightmare (chaotic, sexy. Where's the "I ship it" Thor meme?) @spade-0-chan - they're flirty, unsure what's really going on with them, and I don't think they know either. @twentyfourhourtitts pretty strictly FWB. Put two attractive people with high sex drives together and boom, you've got these two. @k-y-u-m-a-clubs - Niragi adores this man endlessly. It's blurry as to what all exactly is going on with people, but Niragi enjoys his company nevertheless.

Again, I'm sorry if I missed anyone. I tried checking my following list to avoid it, but I'm sure I still probably did. You're free to yell at me.

#Anonymous

[sparklyslug]

Okay I know you’ve talked about Eddie as Faramir but let’s TALK about STEVE as EOWYN…….decides after having seen battle that he wants something completely different with his life than what he’s been told is the path of glory…..”I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend”……adopts a hobbit wholesale and brings him into battle…….puts himself between his loved ones and the danger, always…..literally his entire character arc is just him taking off his helmet and being all “I am no douchebag!!!!!”

Anyway “let us dwell in fair ithilien” jogged my brain cells and I digress. Just a lot of feels going on over here!!!!!

OH BUDDY OH MAN YOU HAVE SO TOTALLY GOT ME WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS!!!!

Because you are absolutely right and correct and i'm obsessed with this now. Everything you say here!!! Fucking amazing and phenomenal!!! HE DOES NOT LOVE THE NAIL STUDDED BAT FOR ITS SHARPNESS. HE LOVES ONLY THAT WHICH IT DEFENDS. I AM NO DOUCHEBAG!!

OKAY SO LIKE LETS GO INNNNNNN. How Eowyn is stuck at the beginning of Two Towers, trapped taking care of her ailing uncle in the gathering dark, all alone. A morning of pale spring still clinging to winter's chill. Kind of stuck, waiting, not sure what the future is gonna be for her and her brother but knowing shit is bAD SHIT HAS GOTTEN VERY BAD AND SHIT IS LIKELY TO GET WORSE. But what can she do? Who is around that she can turn to? A wacky gang crash lands into her life to suck her into their epic crusade, and that kickstarts her journey but ultimately her path is her own, and her heroism is her own, it comes from her. STEVE HARRINGTON!!! STEEEEEVE!!! HARRINGTONNNN!!!! Is so loyal, will not be left at home to wait and watch when the people he loves is in danger. He doesn't crave glory the way Eowyn does, but he will absolutely put his body on the line again and again between the forces of evil and those who need his protection, and that is absolutely an Eowyn trait.

And also like, to take it there. What does Steve fear? A cage. To spend his life behind bars the way that his parents did, until use and age just make him accustomed to it and he forgets what else he wanted. I don't know if Steve initially fears the cage so much as he is already inside it, kind of clinging to it even. Nancy understands the pattern they're falling into waaaay before Steve does, because to Steve his cage of parties and fun and status isn't unwelcome yet, is something I think he is sort of not always actively trying to get back but certainly something he's kind of trying to hold on to in some ways even into Season 3 with his Scoops Ahoy Strikeout Steve woes haha.

Or, to frame it a different way, maybe he's chasing the dream of that life the way that Eowyn is chasing the dream of dying gloriously in battle. His life and his parents' lives aren't the cage--in some ways they're the goal for him. Domesticity, middle class suburban living, kind of what he's had but also with a happiness and contentment and love he's never experienced. But, like with Eowyn, it's a shallow understanding of what that life actually involves and requires and actually looks like in reality. And ultimately neither of them are necessarily suited for this dream that they're carrying. For her, of valor and death in battle, for him, of a white picket fence life of heternormative bliss. Eowyn IS a warrior and Steve IS loved and someone's future husband but like. They can't seem to recognize that they already HAVE the essential elements of the dream they want for themselves, they don't need to chase it to its furthest (unattainable, deadly) extent and consider anything less than that to be a failure.

And also! Like! Does Eowyn really love Aragorn? She sees his qualities and she admires him, and even more than that, she's captivated by what he represents: a leader of men, a noble warrior, a hero. A representative of the kind of life she wants to have, the kind of person she really wants to be. Isn't that what Nancy is to Steve? A leader, someone smart, someone who is kind and good when everyone else around him is largely uninterested in being either. She represents the kind of life he wants to have too: the six kids in the Winnebago, the big happy family. And represents the kind of person he wants to be, in how she leads the Party and is so so smart and capable, never the babysitter but the badass in charge. Eowyn clings to Aragorn as a symbol, perhaps more than she does to him as a person. It's not THE reason they don't work out, but damn it's absolutely A reason. DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR AT ALL.

I HAVE SO MANY EOWYN EMOTIONS AND AM RUNNING ON TWO HOURS OF SLEEP SO I NEED TO CUT IT SOMEWHERE but also like.

Eddie as Faramir and the two of them sharing custody of hobbits and sharing a love that's not about ideals and not about pity and not about anything other than seeing each other so clearly and finding that beautiful, fuck me up fuck me up.

#stranger rings #bLESS U FOR THIS IT'S SO FUN #steve harrington #lotr #stranger things meta #eowyn #asks #mop #i've loved stancy in my time no disrespect i just think i was happy with how it ended in season 2 tbh i don't feel compelled by it anymore #ALSO CAN I TELL YOU HOW I LOVE THIS FRAMING OF NANCY AS ARAGORN TOO mmmmm juicy gonna stew on that one for a minute. #fair ithilien verse

[friedloverballoon]

This is the same person from yesterday who I reposted explaining why gender is not a social construct, going through brain sex and brain to body disconnect, all of that amazing stuff that apparently this person didn't know about. And also explaining that "of course all transgender people who come out now are doing it as a trend, but there are young kids who are" And this is the response I get, literally just saying shit, all stuff they already told me without any new sources or information after what I wrote, and then they blocked me, so I can't reblog it 😒

Just like mental illness has become a trend (it used to be a long time ago when everyone was calling themselves depressed, and now it's making a comeback with DID, autism, Tourette's, and more), and identifying as transgender or non-binary is strongly tied into that. Like the people who literally admit they're doing it as a trend, as a pretty obvious example. The responsible thing to do is to be honest about it, especially when it's hurting transgender people who are, y'know, not doing it as a trend and are just trying to live their lives.

And what on earth kind of argument is that? "so it is a social construct as people identify as different things with their gender […] non-binary, agender…" Non-binary isn't a social construct either, it's possible in brain sex as well. But you either are non-binary or you aren't, that's the catch that so many people don't like, especially the "non-binary lesbian man" crowd. And like I said before, some people believe the earth is flat and identify as flat-earthers. Does that mean the earth is flat? No, it doesn't 😭

"Seems to just be transphobia" is a ridiculous attempt at an argument, because it absolutely is not transphobia to say that being transgender is a real, biological thing. The more you throw around those accusations, the less weight they hold. And the idea that gender not being a social construct is "transphobia" doesn't make any sense, because who's being transphobic? Our brains? Scientists? God? And xenogenders are not under the trans umbrella because there is no "trans". No transition is involved in xenogenders, which are described as metaphorical ways to make sense of your gender, because unlike xenogenders, transitioning is not a metaphor. You do not transition to "metaphorically describe your gender", you do it to permanently live as the opposite gender.

And don't even try to hit me with that "you're helping out with more suicides", you will never see me harassing another user no matter how much I disagree with them. Perhaps you could first address the amount of "kys" sent to me by your group in the replies that you scrolled through multiple times in order to reply to me, that would be nice 💀💀💀

#anotha one

[that-wildwolf]

Fic self rec thing

Tagged by @whiskynorocks and @crescentbunny who just happen to be among my favourite people so how could I refuse?

I couldn't.

So here's my top 5 favourite fics I've written. Not my best 5 fics but my favourite.

5. somewhere that is the most far from "goodbye"

I know this one isn't technically done yet, but I already love it a lot. In an AU where both Saren and Nihlus survive (and fall in love), after the war Saren slowly learns to accept his feelings, both for Nihlus and about himself.

excerpt:

"Come home with me today."

Saren looks at the open, inviting hand Nihlus is holding out. He so desperately wants to take that hand, to let Nihlus lead him wherever he decides to, take him anywhere. He wants to go with him.

It is not a good idea. Letting Nihlus believe that keeping Saren in his life is a good idea, that it is not going to end in the worst way possible for him (and, possibly, both of them), can only backfire. He should probably say no, let Nihlus know that this relationship is not a good idea, that Saren is not a good idea. He should not take his hand. He should stay alone, the way it will be safest for everyone involved, he should keep himself away from those he might hurt. He should just leave.

He takes Nihlus's hand.

4. Forever

It's a Shakarian wedding fic. What else can I say? I cried when writing their vows, I love this one a lot... I just do. It's a wedding fic.

excerpt:

"Dearly beloved…"

Shepard could swear her heart was going to beat its way out of her chest.

As Victus somewhat uncertainly spoke the words he'd only learned a few days earlier, she looked around the room. Everyone was looking at her and they all looked so very happy. She loved those people. Every single person in that room was a person she loved and cared for deeply. She couldn't imagine this day without them.

Then, her gaze turned forward, to the person she loved more than anyone. Garrus looked like the very image of perfection in her eyes; the dark ceremonial Hierarchy uniform vaguely reminded her of a suit. After her relentless efforts, his trademark visor was gone. To think that in just a few moments, this man would be hers and she would be his, forever… It seemed completely surreal.

We made it.

3. with every piece in your hand that i could ask for

She's perfect. Nothing more, nothing less than pure perfection. AKA Area Man Very Much In Awe Of His Amazing Wife

excerpt:

He made a point of looking up as rarely as possible during his time on Menae.

And even though his thoughts were constantly with Palaven, they kept being pulled back to Earth. Earth had been hit sooner. Not as strong, but then again they weren't as strong themselves.

Garrus had already lost friends during those two days of hell and wasn't ready for losing Shepard too. Every piece of news from Earth carried both hope and fear with itself. He didn't know if he wanted to know. What if he were to find out she was gone? He couldn't lose her, not again.

So when he heard there was an Alliance delegate with General Corinthus, his heart didn't know if it should leap with hope or tremble with fear. He hurried to the camp with his soul on his shoulder, ready for it to be crushed completely. He had to know. He had to ask the human if they knew about Shepard. They were Alliance, they had to know—

It was her.

Of course it was.

2. Beautifully Struggle Every Day

The war's long over and Shepard and Garrus are happily married, but that doesn't mean they're completely fine.

excerpt:

Garrus runs into the bathroom and stops still.

The shower is running, cold water pouring down in huge volumes. It takes him a while to notice the small movement in the corner of the shower and even longer to recognize it as his wife. She's sitting on the floor, fully clothed and completely wet, her legs curled up and tucked under her chin.

"Shepard?"

She looks up at him with just about the most desolate look he'd ever seen in somebody's eyes.

He's immediately by her side — he didn't even notice the moment his legs moved to run to her. It's an instinct. He's always run to her. Whether it had been running to catch up with her or running by her side, he'd always made his way towards her, ever since he'd first met her. Running to her is the only thing he knows. No matter how badly hurt, how terribly broken, he will always run to her.

1. Crossing A Line

First Contact War AU. When soldier Garrus Vakarian finds a wounded human officer, what probably should do is shoot her on the spot. Instead, he chooses to save her life.

excerpt:

He grabbed the translator and slowly, pointedly, typed in the words translation device.

There was a long while of waiting while the message was processed and eventually displayed on the screen in strange human runes.

He passed it to the human.

She looked at him, then at the words on the screen, then again at him. The woman narrowed her eyebrows and he felt a sudden pang of fear.

She typed a string of symbols he couldn't begin to make sense of into the communicator.

Despite the situation being clearly in his favor, Garrus felt uneasy. What was the message? What was she going to demand from him? He'd heard stories about those N7 soldiers and he knew they were a whole other deal. Should he be scared? He kind of was already.

The translator gave a low beep when it finally decoded the primitively created message.

Garrus felt his throat tighten, especially since he didn't know enough about humans to read the woman's expression and guess her intent. Was this going to be a threat? A demand?

His heart racing, he opened the message.

Thank you for saving my life.

#tag game thing #i was tagged #mass effect #mass effect fanfiction #wild spams with their fanfics again #is it spamming though if someone tells you to

[9hikers]

been reading a lot of creepypastas/nosleep stories recently and my biggest pet peeve is how they kill off men vs. women differently. i know the reason is that it's all written by redditors but let me ramble

so many of the stories i've read have this general trend: men are killed off because they do something stupid or because they're faceless cannon fodder, women are killed off because they know too much or because they're special to the protagonist. the men have so much more agency in their deaths.

now horror often reflects the fears of the society that creates it, and this is no different here. there is a deep paranoia that the world is inherently predatory towards women and they have less means to fight back as opposed to men. it makes sense that this shows up, but what i find frustrating is that in these stories it isn't played with in the same way that other horror stories play with their societal fears of choice. it's just a footnote in a completely unrelated series of events, which makes it feel less like an intentional reflection on our fears and more a casual sexism that ruins an otherwise fine story.

i dunno man. reading through a story that has an interesting premise and decent writing is so disappointing when instead of organically sticking the landing, the author decides that what this story about Evil Milk really needs is "hey guys did you need a reminder that some people treat women like animals - my male protag is going to be really broken up about this"

the protagonist is never a woman when this shit happens, the male characters are always either A) alive by the end B) died because of some stupid mistake or B) sacrificed themselves in a cool manly way. the amount of stories that involve sexual violence against the female characters is fucking insane, but i can count the amount of times the same is done to male characters on one hand.

again, i know it boils down to "this was written by a redditor what do you expect" but as someone who really enjoys popping on a horror story to listen to while doing other tasks, it has ruined otherwise amazing stories

#9 speaks #i know this is a general trend in just Media but like 99% of what i consume is horror so

[schweiggiemydear]

Regarding the Super League - A Rant

Ok, since the League was more or less officially announced today, I want to talk about it. If you haven't heard about it, you can read the Sky Sports article explaining it here.

I want to add a disclaimer that since I am an Arsenal and Real Madrid fan, my views are biased since both teams have been selected for the league.

However, there are a few things I want to address as a general football fan that are not affected by my club loyalty. I'll include a section at the bottom of this post on my opinion on the new league just because. Editing to add another disclaimer that I do NOT support the Super League. I am just discussing the issues I have seen brought up about it.

Fan Response

A lot of football fans have taken to social media to voice their opposition to the league. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but I haven't actually seen any reason for this hatred towards the new league other than "It will ruin football" and "It's just another way for the clubs to make more money." Again, maybe I just haven't seen it, but these two "reasons" aren't really explained at all:

"It will ruin football": It's another competition that only the "elite" and "best" clubs of Europe will be a part of. This is basically the Champions and Europa leagues already. These two competitions will not be eliminated and you can still see underdogs play European football.

Is the concern here that this elevates top clubs at the expense of smaller clubs? (like Champions League already does?) Is the concern here that mechanisms for fair competition will be dropped for the sake of greed? (like Champions league already does?) (Like FIFA does every time they make a decision?) Is the concern here that it undermines the concept of competition and the idea that any team can win a trophy in Europe? This is the only valid criticism I can understand and support, but when was the last time a big club didn't win the Champions league? When was the last time a small club Leicester or Roma held the trophy? If you can count Olympique de Marseille as a "small club", then the answer is 1993.

"It's just another way for the clubs to make more money.": I hate to break it to you folks, but football is a business. (I have a lot of opinions on this - mainly regarding women's v. men's football and equal pay - but that is not the point of this post.) Clubs are always looking for ways to make more money and this pandemic has killed revenue for every club, even top league clubs, and they are looking for new and more steady sources of revenue.

Is the concern that without a ruling body like FIFA, the money for the competition will not be handled fairly? Is the concern that fans will have limited access to matches? If you take even a cursory glance at what FIFA/UEFA done regarding finance, transparency, match fixing, and fan access, you would know this isn't a valid criticism. Well, it is valid. But only if you also regularly call out FIFA, UEFA, Premier League/FA, Bundesliga, La Liga, League 1, Serie A, etc., for these same infractions. Which people don't.

Now if the criticisms were closer to "I think this brings unnecessary competition to top clubs already vying for European trophies", "This competition will make these clubs think they're better than everyone else", or "This puts a strain on players in these clubs who already play for club and country", I'd understand the concerns and would absolutely agree. But right now, the actual fan backlash seems more guided by a general misunderstanding on how football really works. Which leads to the next issue I want need to address.

FIFA/UEFA Response

Now here's where things get interesting because the backlash from FIFA and UEFA has been swift and aggressive to say the least. They are refusing to allow players who play in the Super League to be eligible for the 2022 World Cup and will likely impose fines or even ban clubs from the leagues that do participate. The Premier League/FA and the other major European leagues have issued a joint statement condemning the league. The statement mentions solidarity, a united front, fair competition, and sporting merit and claims that this new league is greedy and self-serving.

Ironic words come from institutions that are all well-known for their own corruption. Absolutely banger response from institutions that milk fans, players, and leagues every year. In fact, people on twitter made really great points and I'm going to provide the tweets here because they said it better than I could:

(including the last one because of Slavia Prague specifically)

We all know the main reason FIFA and UEFA are against the Super League is because they wouldn't get a cut of the revenue. I don't have any money to bet, but know that if I did, I would bet it all that if the Super League offered FIFA and UEFA each a significant cut of the continued revenue, they would get the green light immediately and that trophy would be physically bigger than the Champions League cup.

I just cannot get over the irony, hypocrisy, lack of awareness, and just BALLS of these organisations to make claims of greed and lack of fair play when they are guilty of these exact things. I think Toni Kroos said it best:

"European Super League? We are just puppets of FIFA and UEFA. If there was a players' union, we would not be playing the Nations League or Supercopa de Espana in Saudi Arabia." (Kroos in a podcast on 11/11/2020)

My Humble Opinion

Now here's what I think. And again, my teams would be involved in this Super League so I do have a stake in the game here.

Firstly, I absolutely agree the Super League is elitist in nature and affects the fair play nature of European football competitions and domestic leagues. No doubt that smaller clubs would be financially hurt by this new league and it puts these "top teams" on a pedestal, especially when the last thing they need is an even more inflated ego (Arsenal included). Every club has been hurt by this pandemic and needs funds. Every club has been hurt by FIFA's practices and there's a good chance this will really mess with smaller teams' chances of earning revenue themselves.

Second, FIFA and UEFA can go fuck themselves.

Third, FIFA plans to ban players and clubs who participate in this Super League and to that I say good fucking luck with that because those clubs are your biggest earners. Absolutely no hate or shade to the Bundesliga or League 1, but they just don't bring in the same revenue as Barca, Real Madrid, or Premier League teams. Bayern Munich did recently overtake Man United as the 3rd richest club in Europe, but they are still vastly out-earned by RM and Barca. PSG is #7 (after 3 english teams) and Juventus is #10 (after 5 english teams) (source). The revenue FIFA and UEFA would lose from banning Super League teams would be astronomical. Not just in the domestic leagues themselves, but the Champions League, Europa League, and the World Cup. I mean, what's a World Cup without Messi? (personally, I'm okay with that but you get my point)

Fourth, and hear me out, I genuinely believe that the Super League is a good TEMPORARY idea. The Super League should be used as an experiment to see how competitions would function outside the influence of FIFA and other regulatory agencies. This would be a League run by clubs and players and is a better representation on how football SHOULD be organised. If these clubs take a stand against FIFA, maybe, just maybe, we can get rid of some of the corruption inherent in football. Don't get me wrong, the Super League is definitely meant to be revenue generating for sure. But it's also a middle finger to FIFA and, if its done well, the rest of Europe might take a harder look at how much they don't actually need FIFA. Do I think this is the right way of doing it? No. But has it clearly stirred things up and now people are talking about the issues? Yes.

Lastly, I want to talk about Kroos' comment above. A players union is a brilliant idea and I think the European Super League is actually a great way for players to argue for it. They can use the leverage of the new league to bargain for better rights and a union that actually tells FIFA to go fuck itself when it decides things like revenue gouging Brazil in 2014 or a Qatar World Cup. Or the many hundred other shitty things FIFA has done. For a full list, please see John Oliver's amazing coverage of FIFA in his series "Last Week Tonight" (found on YouTube or HBOMax).

If you made it to the bottom of this post/rant, thank you! Let me know what you think about this Super League and what would you do if you were one of the teams involved?

#european super league #super league #fifa #world cup #uefa #premier league #bundesliga #serie a #la liga #sky sports #football #soccer #champions league #europa league #arsenal fc #real madrid #barcelona fc #liverpool #liverpool fc #manchester city fc #manchester united #tottenham #chelsea #bayern munich #psg #juventus #atletico madrid #inter milan #ac milan

[beautifulterriblequeen]

The Thief and the Tinker, Part 4: Circles and Cycles

part 3

Part 4

Viren: *smirks and plinks Runaan's coin to Ethari*

Ethari, furious: You throw another Moonshadow at me and I'm gonna lose it.

Circles and Cycles

Angst rating: 8/10

Back to Ethari, because we're not done with him yet. Ethari is soft, but he isn't weak. He won't be a willing pawn for Viren. He loves Runaan to the point of invention, and his devotion is more constant than the moon itself. He'll agree to do what Viren says, and he'll be Very Sad. But his spirit is in no way broken. Viren bribing him with the coins containing his family will only have the opposite effect. It'll give Ethari something to fight for.

We could get Focused Chaos Ethari. We could get Angery Trickster Ethari. We could get Rules, What Rules? Ethari. Let him try to steal the coins, try to break them, try to kill Viren, and be stymied at every turn, until he settles and seems cowed. And then all he does is craft his way out of the problem.

What if we are gifted with Iron Man Elf Ethari, who pretends to build a fake Key for Viren, but meanwhile he's really building a coinbuster with whatever he can get his hands on - primal stones, magically imbued gemstones, stolen artifacts, his own arcanum, his own reputation as the Master Craftsman of the Silvergrove. He'll use almost - almost - anything, to stop Viren and free his family.

Ethari may have to choose between those two things, though. And he's a hero, deep down, just like his family, just like his daughter. If he has to choose, he'll choose to stop Viren and save Xadia. He'll pay the same price as his family has if he must.

He'd let Viren think he was motivated purely by wanting his family back, but Ethari is far too steeped in the illusion and sacrifice for that to be all there is to his motives. It's a so-close-and-yet-so-far thing, how he and Viren almost embody the same ideals. Almost. Ethari would take one look at Viren, who just burnt down his whole Forest, he'd see the biggest threat in Xadia, and he'd say anything to get a chance to stop this juggernaut of destruction from getting his hands on whatever that ultimate power really is, locked behind that missing key. If he has to abandon his people and bawl his eyes out to convince Viren he's in, then he will.

And Viren wouldn't make it easy for him. He knows clever when he sees it. He went through all this trouble to persuade Ethari to work with him. He would need to keep Ethari as off-balance as possible to ensure that he keeps working as he should.

Angsty jewelry, anyone?

Viren giving Ethari his husband in pendant form to remind him what he's working for, when Viren and Ethari both know full well that only dark magic can open the hellcoins. Ethari wearing another pendant of his love, except it's not a metaphor this time. It's literally his love, in a coin around his neck.

Viren would love making Ethari stay close to him of his own free will if he ever hoped to free Runaan. Making people bind themselves to you is a big power flex. Remember that TDP stream future-season teaser note about Bait being in a creepy restraint in a future season?

This card is written on in all-caps, so that really could be "Bait" or "bait," or--knowing this show--both. Viren's been using Runaan as bait for Ethari all along. Putting his coin in a dark magic pendant casing for Ethari to wear would be a great parallel for that. Oh god. Oh man.

Maybe he'll stab the coin's scary casing right through that circle on Ethari's chest, right over his heart, make that Iron Man reference really obvious. Ethari also losing his shirt at some point, for angsty Viren-related reasons? It's more likely than you think. I mean... Ethari is literally involved in both forms of forging at this point. Shirt's gotta come off for uhhhh work reasons. And because he's hot. Because of all the forging. Mmhmm. I mean how else are we finally going to discover what his markings look like this is research I swear

I mentioned that I liked god-tier villains, right? Yeah, this is amazing. I haven't wanted to die and ascend over an idea for quite a while, but Ethari vs Viren in a drawn-out battle of wills would kill me in the best way. Especially since, while it looks like they're essentially fighting for who gets Runaan, they're truly fighting a much larger battle with much higher stakes. They're fighting for the future itself. It's an epic struggle between the Narrative of Strength and the Narrative of Love. And we've seen what happens, over and over, when the Narrative of Strength gets to call the shots.

On a meta note: If Ruthari's story arc isn't a love letter from one trauma survivor to another, and on a broader scope to all survivors who see it, I don't know what is. Sometimes life just chews us up and spits us out and we can't stop it and it breaks us. But sometimes we can reach out and grasp the chance to help each other, even after that, even when it hurts a lot, because we know what it means to be loved, and to love, and to want a safer future for each other and for people we'll never meet. The future is worth standing together for, helping each other back up for, fighting side by side for, even if you can't see how it'll end, or even how to begin. We are stronger together, and sometimes we need to fight for our "together" before we can fight for anything else. And that's worth it, every time.

This is glorious, it's beautiful, it's tragic, it's amazing, it makes me want to dance, it makes me want to scream into the void, it makes me want to slap someone with a semi truck. No, someone specific, don't worry, and he super deserves it.

Because Ethari is going to win. He was always going to win. He's soft, and he's clever, and he hasn't forgotten what love means. It's what he's fighting for. Not power, not control. Love. He doesn't want to dictate Runaan's future or anyone else's. He just wants his husband--and everyone else--to have one at all.

So he's going to win.

What thwarting Viren looks like, I couldn't possibly guess. TDP is no stranger to angst, so there will probably be a high cost involved in outwitting the dark mage. Maybe not everyone can be rescued from the coins. Maybe Ethari will lose his life, or his soul, or his vision, or something else really angsty. Viren could even kill him and resurrect him as a smoky craftsman, or a zombie craftsman, or something equally biddable but horrible. The only thing I'm sure of is that Ethari would never willingly make a working Key of Aaravos Ethari as long as there's a chance Viren could possess it. But I do believe that if he gets the right opportunity while he's busy saving the world from Viren's dark intentions, he'll break his husband's hellcoin open somehow and set him free, even if he has to smile at the devil to do it.

Ethari understands the difference between "you can" and "therefore you should." He might sacrifice his own world to save his husband, but he'd never sacrifice someone else's world. That's one of the Moonshadow cultural limits I've noticed: they accept boundaries when it comes to other people's autonomous rights, especially regarding life and death.

These limits could get pushed. Ethari will be under great duress and emotional strain if he goes through this kind of interaction with Viren. And maybe he will choose some dark things. Everyone else has. But I'm placing all my eggs in the basket labeled "Saved By Love." Either I'm right, or I'll get the best angst omelets in the universe. And I do love omelets. A villain invented them, you know. ;)

Another support for Ethari not making the key for Viren: the real Key exists!

Callum has it right now. The plot doesn't need Ethari's key (yet? ever?), but it does need Ethari to learn what he's made of, to stand up for something, or against something, or both at once. And once he learns what he will and won't do and the universe has rewarded his discovery with the return of his beloved husband then Ethari will be ready to take on whatever else the plot has in mind for him.

Depending on the plan, all of these events could happen in S4, as a setup for even bigger things to follow. Viren's wishes can be thwarted here and the show's overall tension will only continue to rise. It would let Ethari flex yes pls his skills so we know who he is, it would show how driven Viren can be for a long-term goal, it would let Claudia saunter further downwards, it would reveal some human/Moonshadow history, and it would resolve the seasons-long tension regarding Runaan's fate, allowing for the cycle of speculation, feels, angst, and Ruthari fanart to begin again. ;) Viren would need to find another way to pursue his long-term goal. And Callum's Key will get a little more clarity on just how important it is to the fate of the world - which will make everything he does, and everyone he talks to, and anyone who knows what he's carrying, intensely important.

Nyx is gonna steal it isn't she, omg chaos birb

To Viren, Ethari was a main course, meant to be devoured and consumed in his lifelong quest for something that will finally satisfy. But to Ethari, Viren was just empty calories to be passed over in favor of ordering his perennial favorite dish, one more time.

Once Ethari escapes Viren's clutches with as much of his family as he can rescue, Viren may turn back to looking for the real Key, especially if someone's seen it recently. Hunting a kid probably seems easier than hunting a full-grown Moonshadow craftsman who just outsmarted him. okay so maybe Nyx stealing it would be a good thing and save Callum's life

Ethari could go on to help repair the Sunforge, or rebuild the Moonhenge, or work on constructing Moonshadow villages in Katolis if he hasn't been ghosted for abandoning everyone after the forest fire. He might build magical devices for any number of reasons, to help all kinds of characters. Hopefully, wherever he goes, he'll have Runaan with him, in some way, for at least a little while. Cycles be like, and I feel like Runaan will not want to remain still for long, for whatever reason. Does he need revenge, atonement, justice, a new body, to find Rayla, to find Ezran? He'll be back in action as soon as he can, I think.

Okay, but, I'm so soft at the thought of a scene where Runaan and Ethari come before King Ezran. The husbands tried to save their people Runaan's way, the old way, and it only continued to endanger them. Following the cycle, as Moonshadows do, was the wrong move. But the son of the last human Runaan killed reached out with mercy and broke a thousand years of suffering and sorrow and hatred. Ezran did what Runaan couldn't: he saved the Moonshadow elves from total destruction. And that, more than anything else in the world, could soften one very broody assassin's heart toward humans again.

What would Runaan do, if his heart truly changed toward humans? What would he say to Ezran? I could see him struggling for a long moment before dropping to one knee to pledge his heart as he once had to do before the Dragon Throne. He doesn't know any other way but to serve. Ezran, reading the whole room and everyone's feelings before he tells Runaan that No, we don't do that here. That he's free, and free means free. No chains, no oaths. Just trust and friendship. He should get to make his own decisions for a change, even though that can be hard and scary sometimes. Runaan being genuinely scared, because that's too much freedom. But he's not alone. He has Ethari, and Ezran, and Rayla, and Callum, and their people, and their allies. And no matter what else happens, the people of Katolis - elven and human - will find a way forward. Together.

part 5

#tdp #tdp theory #tdp speculation #tdp parallels #tdp angst #heavy angst #viren #ethari #runaan #moonshadow elves #hopepunk #ezran #runaan's super getting a tart of jelly tm

[persefoneshalott]

Sorting once upon a time in wonderland

WILL SCARLET: SNAKE/LION Will Scarlet Something I found interesting is that for a thief he hates lying lol and he is terrible at it as well. Must be the lion sec. I have no idea how the merry men thing worked for him.

The snake doesn't need much explanation, he literally cares to help or not depending on whether you're one of his people. He was petrified (sort of) for a while but then immediately latched on to one person (Alice) after she helped him. He doesn't have any problem with doing crimes (except the lying to people who believe in him part) He's the down-to-earth cynic jokey sidekick to Alice the idealistic heroine ! < 3 I actually find it interesting how like, he's a rootable character and other characters say he's 'a good man', but that's only Anastasia and Alice saying that so like hdkjshkj he's a good friend and is amazing to his people! But I find it funny that people think of him in an heroic way when the moment Alice or Anastasia aren't involved he doesn't really care and he likes doing crimes haha. He ocasionally will like do liony choices bc that's what Alice would do and he trusts her but in general he's. just a rogue character who loves his people and I love him.

ALICE: LION/LION

Alice is the hero of this story. She has that liony thing of believing in her self and what she's seen and experienced even when NOBODY else does. Her and Cyrus have that 'you don't need proof for love just belief' idealist thing. She just. Wants to do the right thing it's pretty self explanatory. She has the conflict of being able to get revenge on people she thinks are evil but doesn't because that'd make her like them in her eyes (very liony reasoning). I find it interesting how kid Alice and kid Jafar both want to be seen by their parents... But she finds a lot more people who believe in her and that makes all the difference. (simplifying I know their early lifes are very different but I do think an ally would've changed Jafar's story)

She's a lion secondary! she may have a fun bird sec model bc she does have tools and uses them but it's more like, she knows the world bc she explored it and knows things from that, than actual bird sec. She doesn't plan much and thinks on the spot and is great and figuring out ways of situations like that! love her. She also cares a lot about being genuine and is frustrated when people are like, faking and lying and not being themselves.

CYRUS: LION/BIRD ? Cyrus is kinda hard to grasp as a character to me but he's such an idealist and we don't see him jumping much into stuff, he has 'tricks' but they're tricks that he learned. It's hard though because him being a genie is such a great tool so he could technically rely on that a lot for reasons but actually be an improvisary sec (the only thing we see of him pre-genie is him cheating at cards to scam people which could be something he learned aka bird or something he improvises?) However he just doesn't give off an improvisary vibe for me? He's very measured in his actions. So I'd say bird sec for him. Also I'd say lion because he, like Alice, wants to do the right thing and I get that vibe from him but he could be a bird as well, I just know he's an idealist mr. 'you don't need proof for love only faith'.

JAFAR: LION/bird? His dynamic with Anastasia seems to me like he probably has some improvisary somewhere which gives him an edge over her on some stuff but he also plans like she does. It looks like it was something he learned as an extra to me, more of a tool. Soo I would lean towards lion sec who built a bird secondary with Amara and focused all his being into obtaining power to get what he wants. One of his main traits as a kid was that he was brave and dared to do things that could get him hurt, like going to the sultan or looking at Amara's eyes. I think the whole sultan storyline not only fucks up his primary but also makes him feel like his secondary isn't enough, and we mostly see him being more lion sec as a grown up when he feels completely in control. He's very determined. I guess he could also be a rapid fire bird but idk to me this combo makes more sense. He uses actor bird when he pretends to be Alice's dad and we see him asking so many questions before so he has all the info for the role. Lion primary because he cared so much when he was younger about his dad recognizing him as his son even after (redacted) because that's his identity and his name is very important to him and it's all about principle and it being WRONG that he didn't get his rightful place on the court and the life he was meant to have. He pretends to be a snake for his partner and then goes lol kidding and his decisions are very.. you can tell he feels justified morally in a lion way. His morals get skewed A LOT (I'd say he's maybe exploded?) which makes sense considering *vague gesture at his whole backstory*. He also is very disgusted with Alice bc of the fact she's a young lion prim who didn't have the reality check he feels he had and so he thinks she's too naive and needs to wake up and stop believing in anything being 'right' or 'wrong' in a way that feels very 'I'm projecting' at his young self. The way he reacts to Alice's dad is very much him projecting as well.

ANASTASIA: SNAKE/BIRD (with badger primary model?)

Like Will, Anastasia's motivations are very clear cut, she wants to have a good life with the people she loves. However, she starts out conflicted because she just left her mom and is struggling with this idea of fame and happiness that her mom instilled of her would be her future. I also think this is the first time she's on her own and is young and idealistic about how easy it'll be to survive just the two of them, so finding that it's difficult scared her. I think she had a catherine from wuthering heights moment of, what if I can have both yknow. And then there's a new mother figure who seems to actually care for her, which is what she's always wanted. But anyway she seems to try and build a badger model to try and feel happier after the whole (redacted), but it doesn't work because she's faking it and doesn't truly build connections. She later builds a true badger model and tries to be better after seeing the actual real people she hurt, which works better now because she's doing it while embracing her snake and focusing on individual people rather than just knowing about it from a distance and while being burned AND while thinking there's no point to it because of her plan. Anyway. I don't think you can argue for anything but snake for Anastasia, she would do ANYTHING to get her person back as it's shown and any redeeming behaviour we see from her is connected to her person.

Bird sec bc this girl can't improvise to save her life and plans everything out very long term and is so stressed when something in the plan goes wrong. And she has an actor bird for her queen perfomance (and the way she starts with it is so bird, just repeats a quote from someone else until she gets the right affection).

#sortinghatchats #ouatiw #this is bad but idk how to write it differently #Idk why sometimes I'm like (redacted) no spoilers and then spoil stuff but anyway #i can't find this but I remember the shc blog mentioning the jackson lydia hug scene as like a slytherin prim thing and anyway mood that's #so scarlet queen tbh #this is a mess sorry #snake villains: You remind me of myself (affectionate) #Lion villains: you remind me of myself (derogatory)

[satanic-yogurt]

The Meaning of Our Marks

Summary: An eagle and a crow circle each other mid flight. Below the crow lies concrete streets. Above the eagle vast skies were bright. This is the mark that adorned Daichi's skin, awaiting to find its mirrored match.

Pairing: Sawamura Daichi/ Ushijma Wakatoshi

Word Count: 1627

Prompt: Soulmate AU

Now with a link

An eagle and a crow circle each other mid flight. Below the crow lies concrete streets. Above the eagle, the vast skies were bright. That was the design wrapped around his upper arm.

 As a child, Daichi feared what his soulmate would be like. Why did the two birds seem to be fighting? He didn’t know. His mother had told him the markings represent aspects of their personalities and the things that represent their lives. Perhaps not now, but later on in the future. Daichi would spend many nights staring at the marking, slightly in awe and with a hint of fear at the prospects of what it meant. As he grew older, his understanding of the mark changed. No longer did the birds look ready for battle, instead, it seemed as if they were assessing one another. It was no longer hostility, instead it was curiosity.

 As a child, other kids would look at his soul mark with awe or glee. Some would say it was graceful and cool, others would agree that it was rather intimidating. None the less, they would all excitedly chatter about future meetings with their own soulmates and how they predicted them to be based of of their soul marks. As he grew older, the looks would become slightly pitying. They lived in an era were it had become increasingly facile to find your soulmate after all. Many would take photos of their marks in order to post online with the hopes of finding their other half. Daichi had done it once, but he never had no such luck as some of the others he had met throughout his life. After a while, he realized that there wasn't much point and took the photo down.

 So, Daichi had settled for the old fashioned way of showing off his mark whenever possible and waiting to see who would approach him. Or perhaps await for the day he caught sight of the familiar mark on unfamiliar skin. It was in his favor that the mark was around his bicep, this just made the task much easier. Alternatively, he chose to focus on discovering the aspects that were represented in his marking instead. As shocking as it was to discover, the crow represented his favored team, and by extension, the best three years of his life.

 Suga had thrown many cheerful jokes at him the first time he had discovered his mark involved their school's mascot.

 Daichi had told him to his petals where his mouth is.

 The jokes aside, Daichi was happy with the progress he has made in understanding his mark better.

 The concrete streets below represented stability. It represented his solid will and determination. This is what he believed anyway. It was hard to break through something that made up the foundation of his being. The rest was merely speculation. He was positive that the eagle represented his soulmate, but the skies themselves stood for possibilities and potential. However, Daichi wasn’t sure if it was part of his destiny or his soulmates.

 He had an inkling it was both.

 Once he had entered his third year Daichi felt there was nothing left to analyze in his mark. Finally, all he could do was wait. He was never one who held impatience for these things, but it certainly helped that he was constantly busy. Between his college preparatory classes, practice and his troublesome first years, he had very little time to dedicate towards soul searching.

 He did however, take comfort in knowing that he was not the only one who had a crow representing some aspect of their soul mark. Though, this only lead to Suga taunting him even more and thus began calling him ‘papa crow’.

 Regardless, for the first few months Daichi falls into a steady routine. After class, head towards the club room, stop any potential arguments and change. Practice, treat himself, and occasionally, his team to pork buns, before heading home to eat a proper meal. Then he would study, do some light exercise and shower before turning in for the night. It was a comfortable and relatively pleasant routine. In between everything, there were always surprises that would leave him flabbergasted and would leave him distracted

. But still, he sometimes finds himself laying in bed late at night, before sleep can overcome him, and finds himself longing for his soulmate.

 He then wonders if the other feels the same.

 He can’t help but feel his curiosity peek as he reads the article following the Youth World Championship. His achievements were astounding and the notoriety of his skills were amazing. He couldn't bring himself to focus on those aspects. He does hear the rest of the team talking about the young male’s skills but Daichi finds himself focused on a small box of gossip.

 Ushijima Wakatoshi

Soulmate status: unconfirmed

Despite his refusal to show the public his soul mark; on court glimpses have shown two birds in flight. His team gave no comments on the topic.

 Daichi knows better than to get his hopes up. Birds seem to have become a more common thing as of late. With different birds having various meanings, there’s a high probability that the birds mentioned are completely different from the ones that mark his skin. Even so, for a brief second, he finds himself thinking of the ‘super ace’ and the feeling of longing lessens.

 Daichi notices the rise in volume. He pushes any other thoughts to the back of his head and quickly yells at Tanaka and Nishinoya to finish changing. He lets Hinata know that his shirt is on backwards and shouts at Tanaka to get back inside the club room and put on some pants.

 He can hear Suga snickering in the background.

 Daichi can’t help but stare at Ushijima when they first confront him in front of the building. At first, he’s confronted with a slight intimidation. He’s about to compete against one of Japan’s top players after all. But soon, after the out burst of his most troublesome duo, he’s filled to the brim with determination. He’s well aware that this will not be an easy fight, but he knows it will be worth while.

 Soon the match begins and it is as he expected. They struggle for the first set and has to leave it up to Nishinoya to find his rhythm and set their pace. Daichi himself struggles with his receives for a while, feels as if his arms are constricted. Without much thought, he rolls up his sleeves, too absorbed in the game to notice anything else; too absorbed to notice Ushijima briefly staring at the mark during their time out.

 No one thinks much of it, but while Daichi doesn’t notices Ushijima’s stare, he becomes aware of the flailing and pointing his teammate instead. He doesn’t pay further mind to it thought one he realizes who it is. If there is one thing he’s come to acknowledge, it’s the fact that Tendou Satori is strange.

 Time out is over and he makes back to the court, he shouts quick words of encouragement to his teammates and takes his position.

 The game continues and eventually Daichi finds himself face to face with Ushijima at the net; its their serve and Daichi waits for the rally to begin. However, he’s finally become aware of the gaze that's upon him. He momentarily locks gazes with Ushijima and throws him a curious glance. The other takes note of it and looks away, though his face holds a look of contemplation. Daichi hears the familiar wail of the whistle and decides it’d be best to leave the thought alone. He'll have time to process is later, when he isn't in the middle of a match.

  Once the game is won they exit the building high on victory and disbelief. Excitement surrounds them like a heavy mist. Daichi finds himself lagging behind; his knees are sore and his body feels heavy but he finds himself reveling in the sensation. He feels prideful of his team and of himself. They have all managed to grow so much since the beginning. From the extra practice to the hellish training camps. it makes him happy to know that all their hard work has paid off.

 They're going to Nationals.

 He sees Shiratorizawa exit the building shortly after, the team is sullen and though it is of a different brand, they too exit with faces of disbelief. Daichi is surprised to see Ushijima break away from the group, more so when he heads towards his general direction. Daichi remembers his intense gaze from earlier, he figures he man has something to tell him. He waits politely for the other man to reach him and soon they stand face to face, seeming to size each other up for a moment. Ushijima nods to himself, apparently agreeing with a statement he had quietly thought about. By now, Daichi has become vaguely aware of their respective teams curious gazes.

 Ushijima offers him a bow and Daichi is stunned by the words that follow.

 “My name is Ushijima Wakatoshi and it appears that you are my soulmate”

 Daichi can’t help but gape, his mind buzzes momentarily. Ushijima takes this as a sign to continue. He elegantly takes off his jacket and raises his left sleeve to show Daichi the mark underneath.

 An eagle and a crow circle each other mid flight. Below the crow lies concrete streets. Above the eagle, the vast skies were bright.

 Daichi smiles and returns the gesture, carefully taking off his jacket and showing the matching mark adorning his right arm. Ushijima shares with him a small, but ecstatic, smile.

 “My name is Sawamura Daichi and it’s nice to finally meet you”

#daichirarepairweek #Sawamura Daichi #ushijima wakatoshi #haikyuu #UshiDai