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makeste · 4 months

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BnHA Chapter 410: Kacchan Fights a Baby

Previously on BnHA: Kacchan was born and then he grew up and murdered the Demon Lord.

Today on BnHA: Kacchan fights a baby. Tomura and Deku finally remember that they were supposed to have been fighting too this entire time, and get on with that once again. Tomura is all, “[literally just reaches out and grabs Deku’s face because Deku’s main character powers suddenly abandoned him in a fit of confusion].” Deku is all, “[chops off Tomura’s fingers which is somehow not even in the top twenty of violent things that have happened in this series in just the last five chapters].” Tomura is all “joke’s on you I still got your quirk :D” and fuck me he actually stole Danger Sense, what the fuck.

logically I knew AFO still had to be alive somehow because he’s too big of a villain to go out that easily without a proper sendoff. but deep in my heart, I’m still secretly disappointed

it just isn’t fair, lol. this guy has died more times than Rasputin and he’s still out here scheming his schemey schemes. when oh when will it end

sir you did not just say you had yet ANOTHER unused trump card up your sleeve??

(ETA: the translation isn’t fully clear here, but I think the trump card he’s referring to is the whole “I’ll just go back inside him and join the part of me that was already in there and we’ll take over Tomura’s body again together” plan that he was trying to pull off. I think. if not though, that’s certainly something worth speculating about.)

well as always the psychology in this series is unironically fascinating! he just wants acknowledgement at the end of the day, huh. just wants some love and attention. too bad he was born in a rat-infested hellscape and learned all the wrong lessons and turned into a crazed omnipotent murderlad

also he really did turn back into a baby sdfsdlkjfl oh no. I need to see Katsuki’s reaction to this immediately

oh my lord

(●__●)

lmao this is so incredibly fucked up

ngl though, this is karma at its finest. he tortured and killed so many people trying to earn everyone’s fear and awe and reverence, only to literally blip out of existence at the end with absolutely nothing to show for it

everyone please enjoy this series of panels of a deeply vexed Bakugou Katsuki picking a fight with this slowly melting evil baby

“you think I care that you’re a baby now. you think I won’t fight a fuckin’ baby. let’s do this you little punk”

also I’m sorry but it’s absolutely ridiculous that the gigantic chest wound Tomura inflicted on him got sewed up so neatly lol. AFO’s not the only one who stubbornly refuses to die no matter what

...

just once, it would be nice if Horikoshi didn’t immediately shred my plot nitpicks to pieces mere seconds after I write them

LMAO

BABY AFO DON’T CARE. BABY AFO WILL THROW HANDS WITH ANYONE ＼(｀0´)／

KACCHAN MY BELOVED FAVE OF ALL TIME, ARE YOU REALLY ABOUT TO LOSE TO A LITERAL FUCKING INFANT

WHAT HAPPENED TO “PERFECT VICTORY” LMAO. MOVING THE GOALPOSTS EVEN AS HIS CONSCIOUSNESS FADES. “EH, CLOSE ENOUGH”

-- OH FOR THE LOVE OF --

me: wow it sure is uncharacteristic of Katsuki to just pass out before he properly wraps up this battle

Horikoshi: oh yeah good point, sure would be a shame if someone... IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED THAT CONCERN ON THE VERY NEXT PAGE

me: ఠ_ఠ

ldskjflaksdjfkds

fdsfsdkf. “SORRY ABOUT THAT, FOR A MOMENT THERE I ALMOST FORGOT TO BEND THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE TO MY WILL”

holy fucking shit. his body was all “um, just a quick reminder that you’re HORRIBLY WOUNDED and have lost like ten gallons of blood and all of your cells are about to call an emergency meeting to shut this thing down before you get us all killed.” and he was all “WHAT WAS THAT?!” and his body was all “oh my GOD, FUCK, OKAY just forget we said anything”

and meanwhile Baby AFO is just lying there all “(◉⌓◉)”

this six-month-old child is truly and sincerely still trying to kill Kacchan while screeching death threats in high-pitched baby talk

this actually would have killed him too, if he’d succeeded in passing out. all that just to be punk’d by a damn baby

you are actually shitting me right now

at this point I’m genuinely not sure which of them has the more powerful angry toddler energy

oh no ffuffkdsfk

meeeeelting. meeeeeeltiiiiiing!!! oh what a world what a world

jesus Horikoshi I am genuinely speechless

... welp

WAIT NO WAY, REALLY?!?!

?!?!?! WAS IT ACTUALLY THAT SIMPLE THIS WHOLE TIME

-- lkjf

three times. three times in the same fucking chapter. I give up. apparently I’ll literally believe anything this man says. does it feel good, Horikoshi. preying on your readers’ hopeful naivete

yeefuckinghaw lmao

GOOD JOB KACCHAN YOU DEFEATED THE EVIL BABY

awwwww

I actually had a theory about this! well more of a wishlist item, really. I can’t remember if I’ve actually posted about it yet or not. but it’s like. you know how Deku and Kacchan are always being really dramatic about holding hands? wanting to hold hands; not wanting to hold hands; being afraid to hold hands; holding hands via proxy, etc. etc.?

and you know how both Endeavor and All Might have each done their own version of the victory pose that Kacchan is referring to here? with each one using a different hand?

so you see, I was thinking that it might be nice. might be a little poetic and all that. if at the end of the fight, Deku and Kacchan did, in fact, hold hands. and then did the victory pose together. and it became like their iconic hero moment. them standing there together. having accomplished their goal and defeated TomurAFO through teamwork. realizing their shared childhood dream. and sharing that moment of triumph with each other and with the world, ushering in a new era of heroes

anyway yeah. I was thinking that might be a pretty good ending. but it looks like Kacchan maybe really is about to pass out here now, lol, so maybe not? anyways time to finally scroll down

-- okay I literally said awww again out loud

what a fucking nerd. I have never felt more fondness for a character in my life

every damn person watching this on the news better have leaped to their feet and started applauding, goddammit. those motherfuckers better be CHANTING HIS FUCKING NAME. all those nagging reporters better be bombarding his phone with calls. those fuckers who deleted his footage from the Shouto interview better be shamelessly leaving him dozens of voicemails acting like none of that ever happened and presumptuously asking when he can free some time in his schedule to visit their studio again. all the heroes who haven’t hugged him yet better be lining the fuck up. that one guy from the post-kidnapping press conference in chapter 86 better be writing a fifty page letter of apology!!

oh hey it’s a random pre-battle flashback mysteriously taking place in Troy “a few days before the battle” even though I thought they only moved into that place the night before the fight

I love how Katsuki immediately narrows his eyes (I assume. we can’t see for sure but that’s the vibe I get) at Jeanist and has to resist the urge to call the police on him for that pun

so Hadou’s wondering what Jeanist is talking about because they already evacuated the civilians, so what else are they trying to protect. and Edgeshot is all, “well obviously we’ve gotta protect everyone’s future,” which is a nice... rearshadowing?? for him saving Katsuki’s life later on lol

and now Mirko is all “get to the fucking point already.” which, same

so Jeanist says that Tomura is an even bigger problem than AFO, because at least AFO doesn’t want to murder everyone on the entire planet. and he concludes with “he’ll probably try to touch the ground and use his quirk.” which is a conclusion that I have to say wasn’t really worth two pages of flashback buildup for, considering that we all figured that out years ago

I’m guessing this is all just some sort of awkward transition back to Deku’s fight now lol

and now we’re getting two pages of exposition on how long it would theoretically take Tomura’s Decay to spread throughout the city, and then the entire country, yikes

damn. talk about stakes

and now finally back to Deku!!

shoutout to everyone who correctly predicted that Deku was once again talking out of his ass when it came to being out of Gearshifts. we all knew. unlimited supply

wow Tomura way to throw AFO under the bus

the way I recall it, AFO wasn’t the one who failed to kill him back then lol. but go ahead and talk your shit king

DEKU WHAT ARE YOU DOING

holy shit?!?!

like my first thought was “well last time he did this he just tried to steal OFA rather than Decay him, so he’ll probably try that again and it’ll be fine.” only to remember that the AFO inside Tomura is currently permanently(?) out to lunch, and Tomura himself doesn’t give two figs about stealing OFA. so, uhhhh >_>

(ETA: nevermind.)

but then this happened

Deku what the actual fuck

OH MY GOD??!?!

HOLY SHIT

okay. okay, fuck. lemme gather up my thoughts, and then we’ll wrap this up

they’ll never admit it, but you know the other OFA Vestiges secretly resented Shino a tiny bit for being the only one of them to not be gruesomely murdered. bet they all feel guilty for thinking that now

Shino and Banjou also seemed to have this cute little pseudo-rivalry thing going on, so I really feel bad for Banjou now. :/ he looks so horrified in that bottom right panel

gotta admit, I did not see this coming in the slightest. OFA has been this immutable “I do what I want!” quirk for so long that I never thought Tomura or AFO would actually succeed in stealing it, even partially. that shook me to my core

BUT, it’s also really exciting to me because it’s going to make this battle much more interesting if Deku can’t use his get out of jail free card. shit just got way more real and I’m here for it

lastly, so! let me tell you guys my prediction. I still can’t see Tomura being the final villain lol. I just can’t. it feels too anticlimactic. if I’m wrong, I’m wrong, and I’ve certainly botched MANY predictions in the past, but I have not yet learned my lesson from any of it and I will not apologize lol

so here’s what I think. Deku and Tomura battle it out for the next chapter or two, and Tomura snatches up more of Deku’s quirks one by one. we see all of the Vestiges disappearing and the mood gets more and more desperate. eventually we’re down to just Kudou and Yoichi. Deku is panicking, but for some reason Kudou seems even MORE panicked

Kudou/Gearshift eventually gets stolen too, and it looks like this might finally be it for Deku (I have no idea how he’d stop Tomura from Decaying the ground once Blackwhip gets stolen, btw, but maybe Katsuki or someone else interferes in desperation towards the end). but just when it looks like Tomura is finally going to take the last piece of OFA, Deku’s vibes suddenly do a 180, stopping Tomura in his tracks

cut to the OFA Moon Gorgeous Meditation Realm, where Deku and Yoichi are staring at the door -- yes, that door -- in shock. because it’s finally been opened (now that the other Vestiges are no longer there to keep it at bay). and just like that, enter AFO, for the THIRD FUCKING TIME :D :D

tl;dr, HERE’S HOW HORCRUX!DEKU CAN STILL HAPPEN!!! wait where are you all going. wait come back

anyway so wow that was a really bizarre chapter that I truly thoroughly enjoyed, which should probably be a bit concerning. on to the next two week break! (for anyone who’s not aware, Shounen Jump will be on break next week, so yeah.) I’m on chapter 391 now. so close but still so far. the end of the year has gone by too damn fast tbh

#bnha 410 #bakugou katsuki #all for one #midoriya izuku #shigaraki tomura #one for all #bnha meta #bnha theory #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

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fictionismyreality3 · 4 months

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Hi! I love your writing and i was wondering if you could write something where it’s Bradley and the reader’s wedding and for the sendoff they do something like this causeI thought its was so cute. If you can’t that’s totally fine but thanks anyway! 🫶

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyRCdL3uZL8/?igsh=Zmx5NWd6aW1rOXRn

A Day to Remember

Tags: Rooster x reader

Notes: hi babes!! Thank you much for the request, sorry it took so long, school is kicking my ass 😅

Warnings: weddings, romance and everything that comes with it

"No. There's no way I'm gonna have oragami F-16s thrown at my head on my wedding day." You laughed incredulously.

When Bradley had proposed, you thought your life couldn't get any better. You had a dream job, a dream man, and friends that had been exactly what you needed, even though they were unexpected. Telling the squad went exactly how you expected, everyone was more excited than they had been when Roo and Maverick survived the Dagger mission. But no one had been more thrilled than Phoenix. When Pheonix asked to help plan the wedding, you were hesitant at first.

You had first-hand experience with her lack of party-planning skills. Somehow, even though she was incredibly organized during her work, the woman had an utterly disastrous record with parties.

And your wedding was going to be a pretty big party.

But how could you say no to Phoenix? She had been there for you through everything. From showing up at your door with pints of ice cream when your favourite character died in the show you were watching to going full Godzilla on the new recruits that tried to hit on you. It was nearly impossible to say no to her when she pulled her puppy dog eyes out and started reciting every favour you owed her.

So you agreed.

"C'mon, please? It will be cute, I promise." She pleaded as you continued to put your toppings on your pizza.

It was Wednesday, which Phoenix had decided was the designated wedding planning day. She would show up with a bottle of whatever you guys wanted to drink and you would make the pizza, frozen to accommodate for the cooking skills neither of you possessed.

"Look, I already let you get away with the abundance of mason jars, I'm not getting divebombed by a bunch of the planes that we fly." You grinned.

Rolling her eyes, Phoenix conceded, and that was how a lot of the planning was settled. Phoenix would bring up hundreds of crazy ideas, and you would filter through her overly enthusiastic party planning to find the good ones. You and Bob would rein her in whenever she got carried away, especially when she brought up the idea of having a literal rooster at the wedding.

"I think it's hilarious," Rooster said as you two got ready for the day. He came up behind you, turning you around to face him as he lifted you up onto the bathroom counter. Your hands automatically came to rest on his shoulders, fitting perfectly just like the two of you had when you met.

"You have one already and you can't seem to get enough, honey." He continued grinning.

You swatted at his chest, giggling as he began to pepper kisses along your neck, following a path that only he knew down to your collarbone. You tilted your head back to give him access to your soft skin that only he would ever earn, and your words came out in a breathy sigh.

"I think you just-" Your train of thought halted as he sucked on a particularly sensitive spot of your neck. "You just like the idea of a little Roo running around, you brute."

The rest of that morning consisted of him trying to make said 'little Roo' happen, not that you were complaining.

The wedding was 3 months away and you were choosing your dress. Payback had insisted you go to the boutique that his grandmother used to run, saying that you could even get a dress for free. You tried to urge against it, but after his granda met you she wouldn't hear a 'no'.

"Oh, it's so nice that my Rueben made some friends. Let me tell you about the time he.."

So you agreed.

Everything was ready and Phoenix was running around like a madwoman trying to orchestrate the chaos of venues, cakes and flowers into one magnificent symphony. It was 3 days out from the wedding and you had gone with your bridesmaids to the hotel Pheonix had rented to have some much-needed girl time. Rooster and the rest of the guys had done the same, probably off partying somewhere under Mav's watchful eyes.

As you sat getting your nails done, the colour a baby blue that Rooster had picked out, you continued to poke at Phoenix for the details of the wedding. She had demanded to keep you out of the loop when it came to the majority of the venue decoration she had selected. Even Rooster wouldn't spill when you called him that night.

"I don't wanna face her wrath, honey. You know-" He began.

"Hey! No talking to the groom. It's bad luck!" Phoenix said as she plucked the phone from your hand.

When your wedding day finally came, you were a ball of nerves. As you got blindfolded and brought up to bridal sweet to get ready, you could only imagine what combinations of decor she had concocted. In your mind, you replayed the time she tried to throw a Christmas party for the squad that resulted in one too many poppers, a fireplace, and a whole lot of firetrucks.

"Ready, kid?" Maverick's voice broke you out of your thoughts.

Taking one last look in the mirror at yourself, the dress you had picked out making you look like a princess, you nodded and took his arm. As the two of you finally stopped in front of the doors that stood between you and your future, your heart swelled with anticipation. The sound of Bruno Mars 'Just the Way You Are' being played on the piano filled your ears, and Mav straightened where he stood, looking down at you with a proud smile.

"That's our cue, kid. You got this." He whispered to you as the doors opened.

All at once every ounce of fear or worry you had been holding on to dissipated.

Phoenix had outdone herself.

White Calla Lilies hung from the ceiling, surrounded by fairy lights and other perfectly placed bobbles. Every table was decorated with a centrepiece of forget-me-nots and daisies. The teary smiles of your family and friends stared at you in happiness. Even the mason jar candles sat in just the right amounts.

Your eyes locked on Bradley, whose tears were already flowing, and you walked down the aisle without hesitation.

Mav handed you off to Bradley, muttering a few protective words before going to take his seat as the priest began to speak.

"Hey, you." You whispered to Bradley.

"Hey, hun." He choked out through tears.

Both of you stood at the altar, grinning ear to ear at each other. Your vows to each other made sure there wasn't a dry eye left in the room.

"You may now kiss the-" The priest began to say.

He didn't even get a chance to finish before Rooster already had his hands on either side of your face and was slamming his lips to yours. He was kissing you so hard your hands shot out to hold the lapels of his suit jacket so your swooning didn't cause you to fall over.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and you could hear the distinct sound of Hangman and the other guys hooting and hollering as Bradley poured every single ounce of love he had for you into the kiss.

You had your first dance to 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', and before you knew it you and Rooster were being whisked away by Phoenix for your send-off.

The same send-off that she had refused to tell you about.

"Just don't get mad!" She said quickly.

"Nat? What do you mean? What did you do?" You looked to Rooster for help but he was wearing the same conspiratorial grin as Phoenix.

Before you could say anything else, she was already pushing both of you outside. It took a second for your eyes and ears to adjust to the sight and sound of your cheering loved ones who were lining the steps of the venue. It took even longer to process what you saw in each of their hands.

Instead of baskets of rice, everyone there was holding what looked like a piece of paper. You were about to ask Bradley what was going on, but then something hit you in the side of your head. Startled, you went to turn to see what hit you, only to be greeted with the sight of a mischievous Phoenix holding two origami planes.

Two F-16s to be exact.

Before you could react, you and Rooster were getting pelted by a rain of paper F-16s. You burst out laughing as he grabbed your hand, pulling you to the limo so quickly you barely got a chance to wave goodbye to everyone.

You let out a sigh of contentment as you slipped into the limo, looking back at the perfect venue and perfect friends who had planned it all.

Okay, maybe you'd let Phoenix plan every party you had.

#oneshot #bradley rooster x reader #rooster x you #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley rooster x y/n #rooster fanfic #rooster top gun #rooster x reader #rooster #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw

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oskea93 · 1 month

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✦ It Had to be You: One ✦

John "Bucky" Egan x OC Gale "Buck Cleven x OC

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and not associated with the real people mentioned from the show. This is simply based on the portrayals of the actors playing these characters. Warning for this chapter: Cursing, mentions of sex, depression, rage anger.

● If you would like to be tagged, just comment below ●

⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆⍆

Black had become a staple in my wardrobe.

I used to despise the dark color – opting for more cheerful tones or floral patterns. I didn’t want to walk around looking like a depressive cloud – someone in constant mourning. I didn’t even own a black dress until I got the news – my mother making the journey to the store to buy one. I couldn’t bear to leave the house – not wanting the sympathetic glances of those in town that had learned the news. I can’t even begin to tell you how many letters I had received, those that knew Gale and even from those that didn’t. Each letter praised his heroic actions – thanking him in black ink for his level of service and dedication to the United States. Even received one from President Truman and the men of Washington D.C.

I used to look at women who had received the devastating news with such sorrow and sadness. Wonder how they would survive without their men - their source of comfort and love. I was certain that it would be very difficult to do so – have to learn to fend for yourself and go on without the man you loved. I didn’t realize that I would be in the same boat years later. I was a simple housewife – barely of age when we married. Gale and I were just two kids – two kids that were madly and deeply in love with each other. I had grown up more privileged than Gale or those that we knew. I didn’t know how to clean a house properly or cook a hearty meal that would fill the bellies of my husband and future children. I’ve always had someone do those things for me – my mother more focused on raising a proper lady. If you needed to know which fork went where, I was the girl to ask, but I couldn’t tell you anything domestic. I wanted to be able to learn all those things while he was away – making sure that when he returned home for good, I would be able to care for him like a wife should.

I had met Gale at a dance the local hall was putting on – a sendoff to some of the troops that lived in the area. He had just enlisted– saying that he was a week away from going to boot camp. He was cool as a cucumber – no evidence of fear etched on his beautiful face. He spoke of wanting to fight the good fight – getting up in the air and showing Germany the trouble they were in for. He was a born fighter – a genius when it came to life. We spent most of the night as close as two people could be while sitting upright- both speaking of our life and our dreams. Not to sound cliché but I was smitten as soon as I saw him. His blonde hair was slightly disheveled – his wool trousers fitting his frame nicely. His smile could light up a room – that deep voice causing my insides to quiver with a need that only he could give me.

I longed for him during those weeks he was away – smiling as I read his letters that would come bi-weekly. I could hear his voice as I read the words on paper – the excitement of finally flying and the annoyance he felt towards his roommate. The one true constant that popped up on each letter was the mention of his co-captain. His name was John Egan – Bucky – the nickname he had been given. Gale spoke highly of the man – praising him and saying that he couldn’t wait for us to meet. Gale was soft spoken – a bit reserved – he wasn’t into sports or gambling. He liked to sit outside the house and just listen to the sounds of nature. John Egan was the opposite that Gale needed in his life. He helped Gale open up and Gale helped John stay out of trouble...

Gale finally returned to me after weeks away – our reunion being one spent giving ourselves to one another. We were both virgins but the time away from one another ignited a feeling in both of us that we couldn’t suppress. He asked me to marry him a month after his return – wanting to get married sooner rather than later seeing as the war was ramping up. John Egan stood by Gale’s side as we exchanged vowels – his blue eyes shining bright as he watched us become husband and wife. He was the life of the party at our reception – singing along with the band as those around us danced to the music. I could see why Gale adored him so, but I was still weary.

That feeling came to a head when John convinced Gale that it was time for him to head over to England and join the ranks. He wrote to him about the fun he was having and all the missions they were accomplishing. He made it sound like a thrill ride – something that didn’t involve the chance of dying at any moment. Gale and I spent our last night together – wrapped up in each other – exploring and branding kisses into skin – almost as if we were creating a permanent road map to remember one another. It was the most sensual night we’ve had – that we would ever have.

The movie reel played on repeat in my head as I could still feel his lips on mine as he kissed me goodbye. Tears in both of our eyes as the sound of the car’s engine faded into the distance.

“I’m coming back to you – hell or high water – I will be back.”

He kept waving until his car was out of sight – my knees buckling – my body falling into grass below. A part of my heart left that Spring Day…

I received his first official letter a couple weeks later – screaming out in joy as I read his chicken scratch penmanship. He spoke of the area they were located – how it felt flying in – the fresh air that surrounded the base. He gushed about the new friends he had made –describing them as if he had known them for years. The most important was how much he missed and loved me – repeating the same words as above – hell or high water.

No letter from Gale would be complete without a mention of John Egan. Gale wrote of how John had taken him under his wing, but also being John’s protector. He wrote of how he’s stopped him from getting into several scuffles with the British soldiers or the townspeople. His writings detailing how much they truly cared for one another – they were like brothers.

As time progressed, his writings became darker – tragic even. He detailed his first mission in graphic detail – expressing his feelings and the slight betrayal that he felt towards Egan. He watched men he had befriended either die in the air in a fiery explosion or pass as they laid on the stretcher in the makeshift hospital on the base. He never wrote of his fear that I’m sure he had – choosing to stay strong and do everything he could for his squadron. He was the main pilot – he had the lives of nine other men to think about – he wanted them to be able to return home safely even if that meant he was the sacrificial lamb...

The last letter that would arrive on time came through the mail on October 10th, 1943. It was shorter than normal, Gale explaining that he was moments away from an important mission. He must’ve written “I love you” about a dozen times before signing off – xo following his name. I had learned about a week later that his plane had went down somewhere outside of Germany. The news articles praised their efforts – telling of how they put a damper into the German’s artillery. That was all well and good, but my husband was missing – the base having no record of his whereabouts or if he was still alive.

Months passed before a battered letter was placed inside the mail slot. The enveloped looked as if it had gone through hell, but Gale’s handwriting could be seen through the grime. He had been placed in a camp for captured soldiers. Many of the men that he had met at the base were there as well. He hadn’t been injured – keeping quiet and under the radar of the German soldiers. I fell to the floor after reading that letter – my heart shattering at the thoughts of what might happen. Tears fell on the paper as I replied – simply begging him to come back to me…

“Sweetheart?” I looked up from the mattress as my mother entered the room. “It’s nearing one in the afternoon, darling.” She threw open the curtains – the bright sunlight beaming into the once darkened room. “You need to get yourself together and get dressed.”

My mother had never seen me in such a state – not even recognizing the person I had become. Long gone was the smile and laughter – replaced by tears and screams of anger. I was angry at everyone – my parents, my friends, God.

Oh, I was especially mad at God.

Countless times I would ask why Gale – why was it his turn to be taken? Was he needed for greater things? Why wasn’t I granted more time with him? Just why?

Growing up in the church, it was frowned upon to ask why for anything, more so for why God chose those that he did. You never asked why – you just learned to accept the outcome. I was long past that – I wanted an answer – I demanded a Goddamn answer.

Sighing, I slowly moved to a sitting position as she laid the black dress and heels next to me. My eyes boring holes into the clothing – hoping that with another energy they would magically combust into flames, burning me alive with them. “I’ll do your hair when you get out of the bath.”

Our eyes connected, “I’m not taking a bath.”

Mother let out an exhausted sigh as her heels clicked on the hardwood floor. I watched as she walked to the window, her upper body jerking slightly as she wiped away the tears that started to fall. She never liked anyone to see her cry.

I started to speak, stopping before the first syllable could come out. I wanted to tell her not to cry but I didn’t have that right. She loved Gale too – she had been smitten by him from the get-go. We all held out hope that he would return to us – just not in a flag draped pine box.

A soft knock on the bedroom door caught both of our attention as my dad entered the room. His once bright face was downcast as he took in my appearance. “The car will be here soon, darling.” His voice soft as he exchanged glances with my mother.

The reality that I was an hour away from burying my only love hadn’t set in yet – just fog – fog that felt like it would never lift to clear skies. I fisted the black material, stepping over the kitten heels as I trudged towards the bathroom. The figure in the mirror was a stranger – someone who’s been through more things than a human is supposed to. Dark circles and pale skin stared back at me – my hair in a tangled mess – not even a comb could get through at this point. Gaunt would be the best word to describe this version of Carolina. I hadn’t bathed in several days – to numb to even remove myself from the bed at times. I barely made it to the bathroom to relieve myself, almost just wanting to go on myself so I wouldn’t have to get up.

Looking around, I noticed everything laid out by my mother. Toothbrush, toothpaste, the expensive makeup that I had collected over the years sitting on the vanity. I was supposed to look put together – still grieving – but have the attributes of a Hollywood starlet.

A guttural scream roared through my body as the vanity contents crashed to the floor – the glass bottles of perfume shattering as the liquid splashed in the air. I could feel the glass stabbing into my bare feet, the blood mixing with the perfume on the floor. I didn’t even register that my father had burst into the room until his arm wrapped around my waist, my back hitting his tailored chest. I thrashed against his hold like a wild animal trapped in a cage.

“Carolina, please!” My mother bawled as she took in my state. “Please, darling calm down before you hurt yourself!”

Another voice was added to the chaos – a deeper voice than that of my father. He was dressed in a black suit – his tall figure looming over my parents. His hands replaced my father’s – his grip on my waist tight and firm. “Calm down, Lina.” His hot breath hitting my ear as the world started to spin around me. My body was running on fumes – the last of those turning into smoke as my brain finally had enough, shutting down before any more damage could be done.

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goqmir · 4 months

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2023's additions to your magic the gathering interaction suite: trinkit's top five control pieces you should be playing now!

There's been a lot of interesting and delightful removal and counterspell cards printed in 2023, and as a sendoff to the year as your resident control player i'd love to talk about the new cards that i'm playing in my interaction-heavy commander decks :) this takes the form of a countdown list because it's fun and clickbaity and consumable but every card on this list is fun new (largely spell-based) interaction i have played with in commander decks and recommend you give a try!

starting off with our honorable mention: Invasion of New Capenna! while not a card i feel i can recommend in just any deck, this plays so well in Incubate-heavy decks, which is one of my favorite new mechanics introduced this year! this card is an auto-include in Brimaz, Blight of Oreskos, which has been a favorite deck of mine this year. Two mana exile removal on either artifact or creature, which you can easily sac a white dork (or untapped incubate token!) for the casting cost. furthermore, Invasion of New Capenna (inky for short) is the only battle i have ever transformed-- it's legitimately very good as a typal equipment (especially for incubate phyrexian tokens!). if you have an orzhov tokens deck this likely flew under your radar and i'd recommend giving it a shot :)

number 5 on the list is Cyber Conversion, a new blue staple removal piece. if you're in white or black, you'd be hard pressed to add Cyber Conversion over the other available options-- but this measures up very, very well against the other blue options! it's incredibly playable, allowing for niche interactions, preventing commanders from going back to the command zone until they can kill the cyberman, getting past indestructible (difficult in mono blue!), and generally being a cute little card. @devilkittydeckbuilding is more hype on this card than i am, so feel free to send it an ask about its favorite niche Cyber Conversion interaction, it can easily be the best option in a lot of scenarios. a Witness Protection at instant speed feels very good in hand.

number 4 is my personal favorite new interaction piece, Bronzebeak Foragers! this is like if a Oblivion Ring did everything you wanted it to-- and i already adore Oblivion Ring effects :3

Bronzebeak makes its appearance in so many of my games, and it constantly pulls its weight. it's a Grasp of Fate you can block with, it's a Fiend Hunter you can junk the exile with, it's a Banisher Priest that gains you life. this might be simultaneously one of the nonlegendary cards i have cast the most in the last couple months and the one that's pulled its weight the best. it's a body, it hits nonland permanents, it hits every opponent, it can junk the item, it can gain you life! what more do you need <3

where Bronzebeak tends to overperform is in my Oloro, Ageless Ascetic control deck, where junking a card with its activated ability gains you life, which you can use to draw a card with Oloro! every part of the card feels really good, especially in dedicated control decks-- you should play this card.

3rd on our list is a delightful card I adore slotting into every nonblue deck I can fit it in-- Reprieve!

Reprieve feels good to play. returning to hand is obviously not going to save you the game every time, but it does in a very good number of them :3 and the little extra bits they added to the card to supplement it feel wonderful too-- letting you cantrip it makes it feel so much better to slot in to your interaction suite, and the fact that it bypasses "cannot be countered" (especially when it's used to send back an uncounterable game-ending Thassa's Oracle) is very niche but feels so fucking good when it comes into play.

i've been building a lot of red/white decks lately (i've been on a bit of a mardu kick :3) and i tend to play reprieve alongside Lapse of Certainty and Tibalt's Trickery (and Red Elemental Blast sometimes) as a very delightful to resolve boros counterspell suite which has been incredibly fun.

#2 is Guff Rewrites History!

they've really been pushing removal lately.

hitting each opponent at the table is really. really good. maybe a bit better than wotc is giving it credit for at the moment-- because the table tends to shake when you resolve Guff Rewrites History for the low cost of three mana.

first of all, the rules text on this card doesn't really convey right away that you are basically sacking any random token for a cascade trigger for any cmc. I don't actually play GRH (pronounced as a dog barking growl "grrrh!!!" when at a table of trans girls) outside of decks that provide me with solid sac fodder-- it's performed for me recently mostly by sacking food tokens in my Rocco, Street Chef and 1/1 humans in my Silvar & Trynn. so that's the first boon-- minimal cost cascade in a deck that's built around it.

second, you hit nonenchantment, nonland for /each player/ which is an insane trick for red to get. this might be one of the best feeling interaction spells i've ever resolved. this thing pulls its weight and then some-- sac a token to it as soon as you can.

the best interaction piece of the year is not a particularly exciting one nor a surprising one-- Stroke of Midnight.

i like Stroke. it does the thing. it's cute! cinderella's silly moment :3 what if Generous Gift couldn't hit lands (not a big deal) and in return the token it gives them is way, way, way worse (a big deal!)

this is a pretty easy addition to any deck. it's nonland permanent, it's minimal downsides, it's instant speed, three mana-- what more do you want?

here's hoping for a fox themed boros removal spell 2024 <3

#mtg #magic the gathering

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valenshawke · 2 months

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Law & Order, Season 23, episode 5: "Last Dance"

Blah, blah, blah, rich tech mogul commits murder to cover-up that he's a sexual predator. Variation on a tried-and-true story that the show has used since time immemorial.

But they had to make it more complicated to write Jack McCoy off the show.

@albatrossisland and @monidon, this one's for you.

In Seasons 18 and 19, you had Governor Donald Shalvoy and he was very clearly a fictionalized version of former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer. I guess they didn't want to anger the current NYC Mayor, Eric Adams, by having a fictionalized version of him being corrupt. But in the era of #MeToo where formerly untouchable powerful men (for decades) got away with all sorts of sexually predatory actions, it strains credulity that someone would not simply cut their losses and distance himself from the suspect. But you need an antagonist, right?

I'm often not a fan of the criticism that something is contrived. A story is a story and the actions a character takes are written to lead to a certain point. Everything is contrived in fiction. It's how well you do it.

Since the show came back, the writers show they simply cannot do it well. Everything has gotta be a twist, curve-ball, or an absurd social commentary (and I'm saying that about a show that did social commentary since episode ONE). If anyone is wondering where my gripe is on that last one, it goes back to my bone to pick with Nolan "Spineless Coward" Price giving IMMUNITY to a SCHOOL SHOOTER so he could PROSECUTE THE FATHER for the shooting.

Now, do I believe (in certain cases) parents should be held responsible for the actions of their children in this case? Absolutely. The Ethan Crumbley case in Michigan is a perfect example! There NOT definite warnings signs: There were FUCKING FIVE-ALARM BELLS and red flags the size of football fields that something was seriously wrong with the kid and he needed help, not for his mother to buy him a fucking gun. Parents were charged without any immunity. I still hold that against the writers.

Rick Eid's run as show-runner has demonstrated a clear lack of knowledge of character history on the show (Jack in particular), a lack of even the loosest understanding of the law works in the show's universe, and a desperate need for actual lawyers as consultants or on the writing staff.

I'm also convinced that writers hate Hugh Dancy. The guy has acting chops, he was wonderful in HANNIBAL. But like… refer to my earlier description of Nolan Price.

Which brings us to Jack's sendoff and the overall story.

Mayor Payne? Yeah, that's certainly subtle.

I often think back to how Jack (and Mike Cutter) fought back against the GOVERNOR and they can't handle the freaking mayor? Writers, what the fuck?

I guess where the writers got something right was Jack believes in justice for the victim, regardless of who you are. And they gave Jack one last courtroom battle. And, on one hand, it is fitting. They wanted Jack to go out in a figurative blaze of glory. He was alone in the court, no second chair. I do wonder if he thought about all the second chairs he's had and how they helped him along the way (I am getting weirdly emotional writing this). And despite the fact he got burned, he managed to burn his enemies on the way out.

But this isn't the end I wanted.

Sometimes, a low-key ending is suitable for a character who worked (by my own calculation) 50-plus years in the DA's office (perhaps closer to 60 years). Who tried some significant cases, contributed to case-law that the show SHOULD HAVE REFERENCED, mentored each of his second chairs after Claire and Jamie. Mentored Mike Cutter.

Jack simply deciding just to retire and not run for re-election and spend the rest of his days fixing his relationship with his daughter, spend time with his grandson, write a book, maybe be a talking-head on legal shows (no, I can't see that), fine. But I wish they could have convinced Sam Waterston to finish out the season, maybe recording something so they show a goodbye party or SOMETHING to start next season, and then have the newly-elected DA introduced. That would have been more satisfying.

As for everything else about this episode. Couldn't the writers, I don't know, research and clarify their own damn show?

Ben Stone

Jack McCoy

Mike Cutter

All Executive Assistant District Attorneys. I know there was some debate on whether or not Nolan Price was actually an EADA. But now he's Deputy District Attorney? What? Writers, there are other EADAs in the DA's office. I realize that the writers have always played fast-and-loose on the hierarchy of the fictional DAs office. SVU had Chief Assistant District Attorney Charlie Philips who spoke of "assigning" a case to Jack McCoy, which I always took more as a administrative role versus a trial role, which put him above Jack in whatever hierarchy worked in the show.

But there were times it very much seemed like Jack WAS the next person in charge if the DA was unavailable until his own appointment.

And then you have the board shown in Season 21 where it seems they had dug it out of storage since it still hate Mike and Connie listed, with Mike being "Chief Assistant District Attorney" before they changed it to "Nolan Price" by the next episode.

I've always been frustrated with the sloppiness of the writing since the show came back and this just adds to the pile.

"It's been a hell of a ride."

It has. I started this show in September of 1998 and even in the periods I didn't watch it too much, there was some comfort that Jack was always there. And I delayed watching this because I just couldn't accept the end.

And now I have.

Memories of days gone by.

#Law & Order #Law and Order #TV Series #Jack McCoy #Val reviews something #allthingslawandorder #lawandordersource #connie-rubirosa

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outrunningthedark · 5 months

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i hope i can articulate this properly but the problem (for me) with how they've written most of the love interests for buck & eddie so far is that they've never gotten them integrated with the other main cast much at all. so it feels a little like they're taking away screen time i'd rather see spent on other people with scenes that are just buck + LI at home or eddie + LI at home (although they can at least get chris in there with those too)

like in restrospect it's kind of hilarious actually that taylor was involved in way more scenes with the 118 before she and buck got together then after

I think your feelings are echoed by many in the fandom, and it's the main reason why I stopped pondering the future for Natalia and Marisol. I personally don't see what a DIY-er and a death doula are going to bring to the firefam dynamic when neither character has a history with them (TayKay) or is a parent to someone's kid (Karen, Shannon). I do have a couple #unpopularopinions in relation to this, though. o1. Difficulty integrating has not been limited to Buck and Eddie Lis. Michael was a main. He had his best friends, his kids. But did his love life get a lot of attention prior to the hospital explosion? And then why did the hospital explosion episode even happen? To give those characters a friendly sendoff. Had Rockmond never been let go over his actions, we can't say that part of his story would have gotten any better.

Maddie is a main. She has a child with a firefighter. They're getting married. Why does Maddie go missing in big moments? Why was she not around during the dispatch fire or Henren's vow renewal? Why is she not having "girl talk" with Hen and Karen, her soon-to-be-husband's best friends? Why is she so isolated that the fandom can't even agree on who would be her maid-of-honor? o2. Buck and Eddie can't both have first responder LIs, I'm sorry. Yes, it's the logical choice if the show wants to make new characters "fit", but that would leave only one of the mains with a LI as a background presence - Hen. I realize that the show isn't actually for us gays, but having the lesbian relationship be the one with intentionally less screen time is a path I'd prefer they not take. o3. Not directing at any specific person because I don't know the opinions of every single one of you, but I will repeat something I said the other day and apply it to future LIs. *I* think it's too little, too late not only to get the GA on board with Buddie, but also to get the fandom - the Buddie shippers - on board with other LIs. The excuse for not liking outside relationships has been that they don't feel like part of the family (agree there), but had Tim shut down the possibility of Buddie for good with Ana, or brought in a new LI for Buck in 4B that wasn't previously criticized...we wouldn't be having these conversations today. Lucy comes in as a first responder and people hate for the cheating angle, sure, but what really stung for most of them was the reminder that the fate of Buck and Eddie would never have been a debate were we watching a man and a woman as opposed to two men. Eddie could fall in love in season seven and the reaction would be "Why does Chris need a new mom when he already has Buck???" Um, because Eddie is supposed to be straight? The only way for Buddie to be co-parents without the confirmation would be if we were watching a queerplatonic relationship. Except...neither one is queer.

You know when you try to clean a stain and somehow make it look worse than it already was? That's what it feels like to watch this show and those characters post-s4.

#anonymous #tina speaks #tv: 9-1-1 #tv: 911 #buddie

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bonefall · 1 year

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God the bumble situation is so painful. I don’t think I realised how weird and bad it was when I first read it but yeah,, maybe it doesn’t register to people as as violent because they’re cats but multiple scratches has to be pretty serious and intentional.

ALSO why is “she wouldn’t fit in here” such a big point against taking her in?? I don’t remember but does anyone suggest the super obvious answer, which is to take her in and find her a suitable living arrangement? Maybe this is just me being a human and knowing that multiple humans in town would absolutely adore her but it really feels like the obvious solution to the problem to get her out of the situation, have her live with the cats temporarily, and either have her stay if she can handle it (and be taken care of as jagged peak is) or help her find a new home if she wants to go

Second also- it’s so clear that the Erins treat: being fat as a conscious choice which is worthy of ridicule. I thought of the jkr comparison and then saw your tag and was like thank god it’s not just me. It’s also clear that the Erins, consciously or not, think a little bit of xenophobia is okay and that eugenics, rather than being both fundamentally incorrect and deeply morally wrong, is sometimes right but bad because it’s mean

Sorry for ranting but your reading dotc has stirred all this up

Come! Let us rip into the Bumble Situation. It is never too late for fury.

I think a lot of people don't register it because of how the narrative is ripping into her for being fat and dramatic, to the point of even treating her domestic abuse injuries like tiny little scratches she's just whining about.

Tom waits for the humans to be looking the other way, and then BEATS her. He does it intentionally, and purposefully. There's so much about this situation that makes me feel sick, but I keep wrapping back around to Tom being given a redemption death, and avenged by his children.

Bumble is cold in her grave and Tom gets to have a loving sendoff. The man responsible for kidnapping children, getting Turtle killed, and assaulting a defenseless molly.

And Jagged Peak. The way he shows up just to insult her weight, and then is totally quiet as every insecurity he's ever experienced about his role in Clan life is used AS A WEAPON to throw someone out in front of his face...

"She won't belong" "she's useless" "she'll eat all our food and catch nothing"

It could have been used to talk about how ableism affects EVERYONE. Even the 'good' people you deem 'worthy'.

"No no Jagged Peak, you're not useless-"

"I can't hunt. Im just like bumble"

"No you're not because... you're my brother!"

"So I AM useless, Clear Sky was right, you ARE just playing favorites!"

It is impossible to use it as a weapon without being hypocritical about its application. Is disability bad, gross, and undesirable, or is it not?

#On the subject of JKR I had clownish stanning in my inbox from an HP fan.#I don't do public humiliation. So remember that I have a block button and I am not here to be annoyed.#Also I'm queer and make out with trans Brits and say aye for Scotland #In case that wasn't clear from my comparing Tigerstar to Margaret Thatcher #Tw domestic abuse #Tw ableism #Tw fatphobia #Bonefall Reads DOTC

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calkale · 6 months

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i lied i have more to say about mi7

i was under the impression that these would be the last movies in the series and therefor would focus on ethan, ilsa, luthor and benji since they have been the main team for the last few movies. Maybe im wrong for thinking that and this is on me but theyre giving us the opposite of that. it feels more like a reboot with references to the other movies and tom cruise as a side character rather than paying homage to the other movies and this being a big sendoff for ethan hunt and the mi series as a whole.

nothing matches the rest of the movies and i know thats part of the whole thing, every movie is meant to feel different, which they do! but all in good ways. Im sorry mcq but we all know its you who's been writing and directing the past few movies but this feels like an entirely different team of people worked on it. If i didnt know better id think mcq left after fallout and i would not be able to believe how they got tom cruise do to this movie. It doesn't fit in with the series to me, which I know is crazy like how do mi2 and mi6 work together more than this??

I dont feel the same passion in this movie that I do with all the other ones, this just feels like a cashgrab to me whereas all the other movies were made because people wanted to make them. not saying tc and mcq didn't put effort in because id like to hope they actually did and none of this is on them but I dont feel the love in this movie that all the other movies had.

#mi #I know the movies are not marketed as the last ones but it just feels like they are

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princesssarisa · 11 months

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In my last Little Mermaid post, I probably said something controversial by claiming that King Triton isn't an abusive parent.

The last thing I want is to trigger or offend anyone, and there's nothing I personally hate more than when people defend parent or guardian characters whose behavior clearly seems abusive to me. I never meant to defend Triton, per se.

Maybe what I should have said is that the movie doesn't frame him as an abusive parent. It just frames him as an overly strict, misguided parent who redeems himself in the end.

(I'm only talking about the original 1989 film, by the way – nothing else is canon to me.)

I'm not claiming he's a good father or that the filmmakers meant him to be seen as one. He's controlling, he's bad-tempered, he won't listen to Ariel's point of view, he's bigoted against humans, and even when he's not angry he's a little egocentric, since we first meet him hosting a concert where his daughters literally sing his praises.

But...

It seems to me that the writers meant us to see him as basically an ordinary too-strict father, flawed yet sympathetic. He's clearly motivated by fear for Ariel's safety, because he sees humans as dangerous barbarians, and not without cause – whether it's canon or not that humans killed Ariel's mother, they constantly kill marine life in brutal ways. When he reprimands Ariel for going to the surface, his language is that of an average parent scolding a rebellious teen, almost stereotypically so (e.g. "Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young lady! As long as you live under my roof ocean, you'll obey my rules!"). Nothing worse than that; no insults or threats. And after Ariel swims away crying, he regrets having been so hard on her.

Of course the destruction of Ariel's grotto is a different thing. That's a truly cruel, inexcusable act. It's a horrifying scene. But it's also a one-off incident. There's no hint that he's ever gone to such extremes before, or that he ever would have again, or that anything less than Ariel falling in love with a human could have driven him to it. And his expression afterwards does show that again, he instantly regrets what he's done – although arguably his remorse doesn't count for much, because he doesn't apologize.

And in the end, he redeems himself with two enormously selfless acts for Ariel. First by sacrificing himself to Ursula to save her, and then by making her human again, even though it means losing her. Then, Ariel's wedding scene culminates with Ariel hugging Triton and telling him she loves him, and Triton blessing her marriage with a magical rainbow.

Again, I'm not saying this means he was a good father all along. But would a father who was meant to have been outright abusive be redeemed that way and get such a warm, positive sendoff?

Now of course it's possible for a parent character who wasn't meant to seem abusive, just overly strict and misguided, to come across as abusive anyway. I could probably think of a decent-sized list of other fictional parents and guardians who obviously fit that description, and I loathe seeing people try to defend them. Just because I don't think Triton quite crosses that line doesn't mean there's no one on earth who thinks he does cross it.

But all of the above is what I meant when I wrote that Triton isn't an abusive parent. What I probably should have written instead is that the movie doesn't frame him as one.

#disney #the little mermaid #king triton #tw: child abuse

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mindareadsoots · 1 year

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And that’s the episode!

Overall, it felt like the focus of the episode was on clearing the air before the real fight begins. Everybody got their big moment of emotional catharsis. Luz got her Palisman, Hunter unlocked the magic of friendship Flapjack. And all of it is building up to the final battle against Belos.

The nature of that fight is gonna be interesting, because Belos has basically got two meat shields in front of him. None of our heroes want to hurt Raine, and the Collector still has a chance to learn to be a better person. So those are both obstacles that have to be dealt with before reaching Belos himself. And of course, none of that can happen unless they survive the “game” that the Collector comes up with. It’s gonna be a wild ride!

Overall this felt like a much more “complete” episode than the first one, if that makes sense. Thanks to Them used a whole lot of montage in its editing, and it was hard not to watch that and imagine it being stretched out into several episodes worth of story, but here it felt like the show said everything it needed to say.

Between the two episode titles, the theory I’ve seen is that the last one is going to be called “Everything and Everyone.” It’d fit in with the alliterative theme for the episode titles, and if you took the first word from each, they’d spell out, “Thanks For Everything,” which is a nice sendoff for the series.

The final episode of the Owl House will be airing in a couple months or so, and I’m very much looking forward to it! Cya then!

#the owl house #for the future #minda reads #minda watches toh #tohs3e2

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sagethegremlin · 11 months

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here i am, asking you about sonic leitmotifs. rant as much as you can

oh where on earth shall i begin c;

i could easily talk forever about this, but ill split it into three main sections to be a little more digestible

My favorite instance of a sonic leitmotif

DUDE HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED SA1

So we start out the game and its pretty straightforward until we get to gamma. He's the odd one out in the whole lineup, and this is reflected in his theme. Every single other character has a vocal theme (which are all really good btw), but gammas is purely instrumental (and one cool thing that i saw someone point out once is how the beginning of the song sounds like a startup).

But there are two main melodies in gammas theme (and man if this was a convo and not a paragraphed tumblr dot com post id just sing em), and they get their biggest use in the song unbound.

Unbound is so important because it uses gammas leitmotif to recontextualize his theme as not for him, but as for the flicky that's inside him.

If we want to take this one step further, we could see one of Gamma's melodies as the robot (that first part of unbound with the piano before it gets into the dramatic part with the horn), and the other as the flicky inside, which fits together perfectly in gammas theme, but we see them "unbound" from each other in unbound.

It isn't just the fact that the leitmotif is used, either. It is so beautifully crafted that it truly feels like a solemn sendoff, and I adore it. :)

2. My favorite sonic song and how it uses leitmotifs

HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED SATBK BECAUSE I HAVEN'T AND I'M SO UPSET OVER IT EVERY DAY

Ok so you start off the game and what's the first thing you hear? Knight of the Wind. And as you progress through various cutscenes, you can faintly hear that beginning moment in the song.

Knight of the Wind stands for fighting for freedom. For doing what's right.

But at the end of the game, we get the leitmotif in a new form. In the form of my favorite sonic song, and of one of my favorite songs in general: Live Life.

I need you to listen to the beginning of Knight of the Wind and then listen to the beginning of Live Life. It's the exact same leitmotif. It's the leitmotif used throughout the entirety of the game. The leitmotif that previously stood for courage and kindness, now also taking on the meaning of hope and change (which can in turn apply to all of the cutscenes it appeared in!!! :D).

Not only does Live Life carry on the leitmotif into a slightly different message, but when you hear the leitmotif in Knight of the Wind, it's this commanding tune on guitar, a contrast to the beautiful and slower version on violin that plays in Live Life, in a completely different key no less!

3. My favorite sonic soundtrack and how it uses leitmotifs (perfectly)

BABYGIRL HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED SONIC 06 BECAUSE I HAVE AND IT'S MY BABYGIRL I LOVE IT SO MUCH BABYGIRL

God I could talk about the leitmotifs in 06 for literal hours but the good news is I already have! :D

Here's this post because honestly if I tried talking about it again I would just repeat myself lol

All this to say when I finally sit down and write a sonic music video essay its over for you fuckers c:

#sonic #sonic the hedgehog #sonic music

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cocktailjjrs · 1 year

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Did you guys see this!!!

Ash is really, actually, indeed leaving!!!

While, yes, I am sad to see Ash go, but i feel this will give his character arc and story the deserved end. It’s a tough place to be, being both sad and happy.

It won’t be the same without him and initially i did not wanted him to leave at all, but then i remembered how it was after his Alola win and he started a new journey, or any time in pokeani history where he reached a certain height in a league and then again started from 0 in the next region. Now that he is a Monarch (and it seems he still has ways to become a Pokemon Master, from his small conversation with Gary); there isn’t much left, only the last step remains, to become a Pokemon Master, which may even take decades. So, giving a respectful sendoff is quite fitting, to stop while at peak.

It does not hurt we are getting a mini series for the grand depart. AND THAT TOO WITH MISTY AND BROCK!!!

I’ve been waiting sooooo long for the OG trio to be back!

It’s like coming to full circle, from where the whole story started.....

And with this -

Does it ever drive you crazy...

Just how fast the night changes...

I’ll admit, the shipper in me is going crazy right now. Like, I have been shipping these two even before i knew what shipping was!!!

I mean, I’m not expecting anything to be canonised by the end of this mini series, because let’s face it, they are still 10 years olds.

But them just being together is what i want, with Brock ofc. Being together, supporting each other, teasing, fighting and always getting lost, caring and protecting the other. My heart ❤️

Ohhhh, I’m absolutely delighted. Over the moon. On cloud nine. Ecstatic.

What a time to be alive 😍😍😍

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officecyborg · 4 months

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I emerge from the Berseria mines covered in blood 96 hours later. What an ending, huh? In the most “Tales of Berseria” move ever, all of the party members’ sendoffs are fantastic except for Velvet’s, which not only fails to stick the landing, but falls down the stairs and tumbles into a clown pie.

Laphicet: I mean yeah, even outside of the prequel connection, the game was building up to him becoming an Empyrean the whole way through. He starts as a character who does exactly as he’s told with no sense of self; his evil friends teach him how to be selfish and thus how to be a person, and he flips this lesson on its head by choosing to stubbornly, “selfishly” give everyone on earth a second chance. A little sad, but fitting.

Rokurou: All the demons on earth are cured, but he chooses not to be? Love that for him. Speaks to both an acceptance of his nature and something like penance for Shigure. And I really like how he’s… almost a folk hero in the epilogue, except you know he’s doing it because he loves murder (and wants Eleanor to train hard enough to strike him down lol).

Eleanor: Eleanor is the Artorius to Laphicet’s Innominat, so it only makes sense that they would end up as an Empyrean and a pseudo-Shepherd. Except crucially, she’s not an actual Shepherd, she’s acting as Eleanor, a person who helps people. She’s grown and moved past the need for an authority figure to tell her right from wrong.

Eizen: His personal plot is quite melancholy and overshadowed by his looming eventual death, but a nice wrap-up nonetheless. Eizen first went out to sea to be alone from everyone; Aifread changed that, but then he disappeared. But by the end, he’s forged true connections with the party, the crew, and other Malakhim like Zaveid and Edna. While he circles around to his original circumstances as the ghost haunting the ship, we know he’s not really “alone”, simply through his changed attitude. The crew can’t see him, but he doesn’t feel separate from them, instead serving as a weird sort of guardian angel.

Magilou: Okay real talk, the one part of Zestiria that made me genuinely emotional was Magilou’s grave. This is a character who was so severely abused that she completely emotionally disengaged. Her catchphrase was “I don’t care.” In the epilogue, she’s back to being one of the few humans who can see spirits, she’s still a wisecracking, wandering sleazebag, but she’s not fortune-telling—she’s writing. You cannot write if you don’t care about anything (I say from experience lol). And now, because Velvet sacrificed herself to save the world, she cares about the entire world and everyone in it, enough to chronicle all the mundane details of their lives. A+, tearing up, no critiques.

And then… Velvet. Geez.

Look, Tales of the Abyss is one of my favourite games. I fully think it’s possible to pull off an ending where the self-destructive protagonist comes to realize they do want to live, after all, just in time to die tragically. But this was not it. I think my extreme dislike of her ending comes down to three factors:

I do not like Laphicet Crowe. Forget the themes for a second—I could buy Velvet, as a character, choosing the “selfish” option at the end, and essentially choosing to go to hell with her brother, mirroring what Celica did for her… if I cared about him at all. But I don’t. They never sold me on Laphi C. being a good kid; he comes off as a surly little misogynist. Velvet can try to find the part of Innominat that’s still her brother if she wants, but I am not convinced.

Okay now stop forgetting the themes. It spits in the face of her character arc. Remember Eizen’s speech about how you don’t have to be biologically related to someone to be family? Remember good-Laphicet’s whole takedown speech about how Velvet doesn’t belong to Innominat? Remember how like three minutes earlier, the comb symbolizing the Crowe siblings’ relationship shattered? It’s over! Laphi C. is dead! She’s not beholden to shit!

Consolation prize heaven sucks. Again, if this was a different game, I might (might) accept the idea of these characters being in hell but getting to live on in a dream world bittersweet. But in this game, idyllic dream worlds are explicitly a form of psychological torture that, again, Velvet specifically had to overcome as part of her character arc. That’s just plain bitter. ):

Oh also it’s just shot in a really creepy way. Come on. That’s creepy. Why did they do that.

It really feels like (and this would be in line with how the games were developed) they had this ending in mind before they came up with the middle of the game, or anything else.

In conclusion, the only ending I acknowledge is this:

#berseria blogging #read this if you like posts that are long as hell

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rainiishowers · 2 years

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If requests are still open, how would the brothers react to catching MC singing this song?(if the link doesn't work, it's the song In Your Arms by Illenium) Especially with the lyric of 'it's okay'(this is constantly playing in the background and lyric 'I'm not scared when it's over?' in the song, that part just hurting the brothers as if MC accepts death now?

Ch. 16 angst if possible, especially for Mammon? Maybe some guilt from the other brothers since they had put MC in danger at one point? Third person perspective if possible?

Have a nice day!

A/N: I’ll admit, I got a bit stumped on this one, but I hope you like it! I tried to fit the lyrics with the bro I thought it fit the most, so you could say I changed up the request a bit? I hope that’s okay

Warning: Death mention, spoilers for lesson 16 ---

Lucifer

It was dinner time, yet MC didn’t come out to eat.

Did they not hear him calling that it was done? He wonders so as he walks to their room

He was about to knock until he heard music, it wasn’t terribly loud, but loud enough to drown out any outside noise.

Lucifer decided to listen in a bit to what song they were singing along to

“If I died in your arms it’s right where I’m suppose to be”

That caught him off guard

The more he listened, the more the guilt over the past things he’s done to them sets in

Letting Belphie kill them, almost killing them himself a few times, threatening them,,,

They appeared to be accepting that they would die, at some point

..Would he be able to?

Mammon

As usual, he wanted MC’s attention

He was about to barge into their room when he heard music, and their voice singing along

“You know I’m not afraid as long as you’re next to me~”

“So tell me will you hold me, when the curtains close?”

His mind was flung back in time when MC died

Holding their body that was draining of life in front of him..

Screaming as they try to get them back..

His hands started to shake as they remember the feeling

The more he listened, the more he realized they were accepting death

Mammon wasn’t sure how well he himself would handle it but..

He’d be damned if he wasn’t going to give MC a peaceful sendoff

Leviathan

He was in charge of calling MC down for lunch this time

However, when he heard the human singing, he couldn’t help but admire it from afar

“All along all I needed was you, so I swear I’m not scared when it’s over!”

He blinks a bit, that felt.. directed at him somehow?

MC helped Levi so much, and as long as they are with him, he feels invincible!

But he soon caught another meaning..

Are they no longer afraid of death? After being near it a few times and experiencing it once?

Call him needy, but he wasn’t ready for MC to die...

Satan

He was walking to his room

Satan heard music from MC’s room, however.

He got curious and decided to lean against the door to see if he could listen in

“Yea we fell in love and built a home”

“Though we may never see the streets of Rome”

The reminded Satan of a line in a book they read together

A book about accepting death, learning to deal with loss and bittersweet memories after a loved one passed

Satan couldn’t help but think about what his life will be like after MC passed

The idea seems so.. dull..

Asmodeus

He was going to see if his darling MC would be up for some shopping

Asmo peeks in, freezing up when he realizes music is playing

“Never seen Mona Lisa up close”

“But I’ve seen perfection under your clothes”

That made him think of the time where Asmo showed MC some scars that never went away from the Celestial War

That’s the thing he’s most insecure about, but when MC complimented his body/wings, he felt a fire light inside him

He remembers that humans don’t live forever..

So he has to take every moment he can get.

Beelzebub

He wanted to eat some food with them, but he hoped he wasn’t being a bother

Beel goes to their door with an armful of food, but stops when he hears music

“Forget my fears when I’m under you, all along all I needed was you”

“So I swear I’m not scared when it’s over!”

When it’s over? Were they talking about when they die?

He’s scared about what will happen when they do, but if they seem to ready to accept it

He’ll try his best to accept it too

Belphegor

Belphie wanted to find his favourite pillow, so he drags himself to their room in hopes of finding them there

“Yea we may never sleep under the Northern Lights”

“But I’ve seen the stars flicker in your eyes”

Huh?

He remembers how excited he was to be free from the attic, that excitement only grew when MC couldn’t fight back..

He frowns, maybe entering their room wasn’t the best option right now

Belphie opted to sleeping against the wall next to MC’s door, hearing them sing helped him fall asleep

Perhaps he should take them to see the Northern Lights, or create a projection of it..

#omswd #om! brothers #om! mc #om! lucifer #om! mammon #om! leviathan #om! satan #om! asmodeus #om! beelzebub #om! belphegor #cw: death mention #lesson 16

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findingyourrootscomic · 2 years

Text

Gameplay Retrospective #2 (Chapters 6-7)

Hello all, and welcome back to Finding Your Roots: Gameplay Retrospectives! As you all might remember, FYR is based on a type-restrictive nuzlocke run of Pokemon Omega Ruby. This series is where I describe the events of this nuzlocke run, so you all can get an understanding of how I transform the gameplay into a story! Today, we’ll be covering Chapters 6-7, which ranges from leaving Dewford Town to the end of the second rival battle against Brendan.

The Current Team

Cedar- Marshtomp

Gender: Female

Met: Route 101, lv 5

Ability: Torrent

Personality: Brave, Good endurance

Shelly- Nincada

Gender: Female

Met: Route 116, lv 6

Ability: Compound Eyes

Personality: Rash, Proud of her power

Brawler- Geodude

Gender: Male

Met: Granite Cave, lv 10

Ability: Sturdy

Personality: Careful, Quick to flee

Nauki- Trapinch

Gender: Male

Met: Granite Cave, lv 1

Ability: Arena Trap

Personality: Jolly, Strong willed

Gyms Completed

None

New Catches

None

Deaths

Cedar: Lv 5-22 (Revived)

Chapter 6 contained no gameplay milestones. The purpose of Chapter 6 was to reestablish the characters for the start of Book 2, set up everyone’s character arcs, and create a story reason for why Team Hearth would choose to leave Dewfish Island.

The gameplay milestones start at Chapter 7, where Captain Briney takes Team Hearth to Slateport via boat! In-game, these characters are clearly reused just so the game doesn’t have to come up with a new way for the player to cross the ocean. But I wanted to make good use of Peako’s reappearance, since it was established in Book 1 that Shelly has a mega crush on her. However, since Captain Briney and Peako never return in the gameplay, I knew this was gonna have to be a solid sendoff for everyone’s favorite pirate girl. I decided to use Peako’s reappearance to set Shelly up for a failure. She had her chance to get the girl in Book 1, but her anxiety and cowardice held her back. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t always wait for you to overcome your mental illness. While Shelly is struggling with her anxiety, opportunities will come and go. Not everyone and everything will wait for Shelly to be ready, and I wanted to use this moment to demonstrate this fact to Shelly very clearly. If she wants to get over her anxiety and start living her life, she’s gonna have to do that NOW. Of course, Shelly didn’t internalize this, becomes despondent, and treats the event as a personal failure. This was all carefully planned to justify her actions during the fight against Team Leafblade.

Slateport was uneventful during the gameplay. We met Maxie at the museum! That sure happened! I sure didn’t include it in the comic because we had CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT to get to and I simply couldn’t find any time to fit Maxie’s first appearance into Chapter 7. We’ll get to Maxie later! It’ll be fun when he shows up! But yeah, Maxie was excluded purely to save pages, since Chapter 7 is the longest chapter of FYR to date, clocking in at 66 pages.

On Route 109, Cedar hit level 22 and learned mud bomb. I used this move to replace mud shot, and her other moves were (I believe) tackle, growl, and water gun. While Cedar did commonly make use of both mud bomb and water gun in the game, at this point in the comic, she’s completely ceased using her water (or mud) magic in favor of the martial arts training she received from Tiny. We did a little mor training, headed towards the bridge, and eventually bumped headfirst into the single most terrifying encounter in the entire run.

That’s right, folks. Brendan was back.

So, while I had a pretty firm plan for how I wanted to handle all the gyms, this second rival battle was gonna be a real bitch according to Serebii, and by the time I hit Brendan’s cutscene trigger, I still wasn’t totally sure how I wanted to handle this battle. The entire team was up to level by this point, with Cedar no longer being the main frontrunner for the team. I had a marshtomp, a nincada, a trapinch, and a geodude at my disposal but was unconfident that any of them would be a proper match for the grovyle. I eventually, however, came up with a plan. I’d use Nauki for the slugma since that would be easy for him, Cedar against the wailmer because her water typing would neutralize the water attacks, and Shelly would be the one to face Briar. She didn’t have any good bug moves, but I was hoping that her bug typing would at least help her resist Briar’s attacks.

The fight starts, and so far, it’s easy. Nauki takes care of the slugma no problem and Cedar turns out to be a perfect match for the wailmer. Brendan then sent out his grovyle, so I sent out my bug.

She couldn’t take a bloody hit. :’)

Grovyle’s mega drain immediately put Shelly in the yellow at about half health. To make things worse, her attack did practically miniscule damage against Briar. One turn into the fight and I was panicking. Brawler was rock and ground; there was no way I could switch him in without him fainting. Nauki was the baby of the team and also weak to grass. I couldn’t risk the baby that Lyra so lovingly bred for me! I didn’t know what to do, but Cedar had been extremely reliable the entire run. She’d tanked plenty of bad this before and was an attack powerhouse. If anyone could do it, I thought it could be Cedar. I pinned my hopes on my marshtomp baby, scrunched my eyes shut, and hit the A button. Cedar switched in…

And was hit with mega drain, immediately fainting.

This was pretty crushing, honestly, and was also the moment I thanked my lucky starts for my revive clause. I could revive her if we could make it out of the fight alive, but who could take on Briar??? Not Shelly, not Brawler, and according to survey, not Cedar either! I was seriously wondering if I was about to lose all three of my revives to one goddamn fight. Not knowing what to do, I sent in Nauki.

And guys… this is where I learned that Nauki is a beast.

I switched him in, and he survived the first hit from Briar. I gave him a couple super potions to get him on even footing with her, and then that little boy went to TOWN! We used dig a lot to spare Nauki from the brunt of Briar’s attacks, and this boy put his perfect attack IV to use and fucking WAILED on Briar. Watching that trapinch take out that grovyle was one of the most amazing moments I’ve ever experienced in a nuzlocke run! I felt gratified! I felt AMAZING! I FELT LIKE WE COULD ACTUALLY GET OUT OF THIS FIGHT ALIVE!!! Eventually, Nauki used dig one more time and knocked out the grovyle, ending the fight.

Here are my gameplay notes on the battle. Apologies if the format is confusing! I took much quicker notes on the rival battles than I did for the gym battles.

Brendan, Second Fight:

Nauki vs slugma-

Harden.

Incinerate, half green.

Rock slide, red.

Incinerate, ¼ yellow.

Dig.

Ember, missed.

Dig KO.

Cedar vs wailmer-

Mud bomb, half yellow.

Water gun, tiny dmg.

Tackle, red.

Water gun, tiny dmg.

Tackle KO.

Shelly vs grovyle-

Mega drain, half yellow.

Cut, tiny dmg.

Cedar switched in.

Mega drain, Cedar fainted.

Nauki switched in.

Super potion, Nauki full.

Mega drain, ⅕ yellow.

Super potion, Nauki full.

Quick attack, tiny dmg.

Pursuit, half green.

Dig.

Quick attack, miss.

Pursuit, ⅕ yellow.

Dig.

Quick attack, miss.

Dig, ⅓ yellow.

Super potion, Nauki full.

Pursuit, tiny dmg.

Pursuit, half green.

Dig.

Mega drain, missed.

Dig KO.

Now, I’ll explain how this fight translated into the comic. Shelly being the first one to fight was represented by Cedar asking Shelly if she wanted to fight. I imagined in the gameplay that Shelly tried to get out there but was too cowardly and weak to take out the grovyle, and Shelly running away in the comic is the representation of her switching out. Cedar then switches in, and her very short battle against Briar is represented in the comic in full. After she fainted, I really wanted to include a scene where Nauki attacks Briar and drives her off. It would have been an AMAZING moment in the comic for him, and it’s honestly a shame that I wasn’t able to do it! The reason I didn’t include the end of the battle in the comic is because I didn’t want Briar to be driven off. I wanted her to run completely of her own volition, to demonstrate to the audience what an absolute coward she truly is. Briar finally running because of Nauki’s crying is how I chose to represent the end of the fight in the comic. Nauki is still the one to drive her off… just in a different way.

After the battle, I immediately headed back to Slateport and brought the team to the Pokemon Center. Cedar was revived, as per my revive clause. But the first of my three available revives had now been used. And having grown attached to my little team of earth-types, I was fearful for what was to come in the future of the run.

That’s all for this time! See you guys at the next Gameplay Retrospective, which will release at the end of Chapter 8. And once again, thank you so much for reading Finding Your Roots. The readership this comic gets is something I cherish from the bottom of my heart, so really, thank you for following along with this little story. See you next time!

#fyr gameplay retrospective

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