#believing he is not meant for this world

[seance]

You ever been to a Baskin-Robbins? Can't say that I have. They're like… You know the ones. They're like half a Dunkin' Donuts, and they're open all night, and it's 3:00 a.m., and nobody's switching out those giant empty barrels of fudge ripple. That's me.

#tuaedit #uaedit #the umbrella academy #klaus hargreeves #tua spoilers #userbecca #tuserella #useremi #ughmerlin #number5theboy #userraven #tusermyra #edits #sad complicated boy </3 #cradling his mistakes to sleep #believing he is not meant for this world #that there's only the void for him. the void the ghosts and his solitude #his dialogue with luther broke me but this one made my heart squeeze #cause we got to see so little of his grief #and yet he shows so much

[shadowtraveled]

"mithrun is the only real monsterfucker in dungeon meshi" is objectively the funniest bit you can get out of his everything, but in all seriousness i think his attraction to his love interest is deliberately overstated—and that makes sense, because romantic jealousy is a classic and digestible motive, which is explicitly what kabru was aiming for in condensing mithrun's backstory, and also because until chapter 94, mithrun wasn't willing to admit to the true nature of his desires.

but because romantic envy is both classic and digestible, it probably isn’t a unique enough or complicated enough desire to tempt a demon’s appetite. mithrun’s wish, as far as we can figure from kabru’s reduced retelling, was to have a life in which he had never become one of the canaries, and that carries like 3857 implications and desires within it. that’s delicious. his love interest acts as sort of a red herring to his motivation for making it, though. (side note: i'm saying "love interest" here because, keeping in mind that i barely speak japanese on a good day anymore, "想い人" is something i'd usually take as just kind of an old-fashioned and romantic way to refer to a lover, but in context i wonder if both the connotation of yearning and the vagueness are intentional, and i think this phrasing gets those aspects of it more effectively. anyway.)

mithrun considered his love interest to be untrustworthy. there was a minute where i thought that comment might be about a similar-looking elf (yugin, one of his squad members), but comparing the two…

the "sketchy" arrow is definitely referring to the elf we know as his love interest—the bangs go toward her right, she only has the one forehead ornament, and, most notably, her ears aren't notched.

every time she’s given a full-body depiction in his dungeon, she’s drawn as a chimera, with the body of a snake from the waist down. (side note: the “what if a dungeon has chimeras before reaching level 4?”/“then the dungeon lord is unstable” exchange just being mithrun grilling his past self alive is so funny. he’s so. but anyway) there are a couple things about this.

first, the snake part of the chimera appears to be modeled after some species of coral snake mimic

which, in the biology-for-fun manga, i… doubt is a coincidence, especially with the added context of the “untrustworthy” comment. the dungeon���s conjured illusion of mithrun’s love interest was a harmless copycat of a venomous original. for whatever reason, he felt this person was a threat and made up a "safe" version of her to be in a relationship with, and while it’s definitely possible to be attracted to or even love someone you find to be toxic and/or intimidating, when you take that into consideration alongside the configuration of her body, you get some interesting implications.

which brings us to our second point: if we assume that mithrun was not in fact fucking a snake, then sexual attraction, at least, was so far removed from his idea of a relationship with this person that he did not even bother to keep her dungeon copy human enough to maintain the illusion of the option of a sexual relationship. this is somewhat echoed in the depictions of their interactions, which also imply a frankly unexpected romantic distance. she kisses his cheek and he doesn't seem to react; she's at the edge of a narrow bed with only one set of pillows, on top of his blankets while he's underneath them.

the kiss is particularly interesting because it seems to contrast the text. kabru's narration tells us this was everything mithrun could have asked for, but mithrun is there looking unreadable to pensive, likely because this is right before the panel that makes it clear things in the dungeon are beginning to go wrong.

walking through this backwards for a minute, we have the physical barrier of his bedding and the spatial separation inherent in a bed made for one person, the emotional barrier of his mounting anxiety getting in the way of his ability to enjoy the affection he sought, and... the snake, which historically carries the connotation of temptation, yes, but also mistrust, barring physical intimacy. okay. ok. if a dungeon reflects the mentality of its lord, all of this might suggest that mithrun was not able to have any real desire for a relationship with this person. his unwillingness to be vulnerable or let another person in was insurmountable. but in that case, why was she such a focal point that she remained to the end, after his dungeon had stopped creating iterations of his friends to come and visit him? why would he get so upset over her meeting with his brother that he became lord of a dungeon about it?

well. mithrun's brother was also interested in her, probably genuinely. and mithrun had to win.

you have an older brother who your parents completely ignore, probably in part because he is chronically ill/disabled and almost definitely in part because he received a ton of recessive traits that resulted in rumors that he was an illegitimate child. you are aware, most likely because those same parents fucking told you, that you actually are an illegitimate child. but they keep you around because you had the good fortune of looking just like your mother. what can that possibly teach you but that you, like your brother, are disposable?

it's utterly unsurprising that mithrun, under these circumstances, developed a pathological need to be better than everyone around him. people don't keep you otherwise. i'd argue this is also why he says he looked down on everyone he knew while milsiril claims his dungeon reeked of feelings of inferiority—he sought out people's worst traits and prioritized them in his mind to protect his already extremely fragile sense of self-worth, and all the while he tried to be as likable and high-performing as he possibly could be. his parents disposed of him anyway, but even then he tried to keep up the performance. he was kind to everyone. he never once lost to a dungeon.

when he saw his "love interest" meeting up with his brother, what he saw was himself being replaced by a person his parents had always treated as worthless, and if that was what they thought of the child they'd kept, what value could anyone possibly see in the bastard they'd given away to die? mithrun and kabru tell the story like he wanted to win this unnamed elf's heart, but it was never about being with her. it was about cementing his worth, proving that he didn't deserve to be thrown away.

and so it's particularly cruel that his demon discarded him, too. but maybe it's also particularly gentle that, in the end, there was someone who refused to even consider giving up on him.

kui laid it out in three panels better than i could hope to.

yeah. it's love. you wanted to be loved, even when the only way you were able to understand it was through the desire to be wanted, and you wanted that so badly that the idea of being consumed felt like the promise of finally mattering to someone.

#dungeon meshi spoilers #mithrun #dungeon meshi #this has been rotating for a while but i wanted to check my evidence before getting into it thanks user angelspenance for posting that meme #half of this is just the text and the other half i'm sure has been said before but it's making my brain [radio static] so here this is #someone did for sure mention this but i do find it very cute that in his fucked up conjured world meant to portray his ideal reality #his teammates came to visit him. like part of the fantasy was then explicitly that they cared about him and were his friends. even though #he says he tried to see the worst in them. #hm it does feel important to note that i do also believe 100% in mithrun suicidality--his desire to be eaten does seem to focus a lot on #wanting it to be Over. wanting not to be left incomplete and empty anymore. #but that loops back around a bit to the hole in your heart that appears when you feel unloved. it's many things and the same thing at once #snakes #long post #severe problems #meshy

[ruporas]

hello there, angel

[ID: Digital illustration in color of Vash and Wolfwood from Trigun Maximum. Vash is sitting facing the viewer and holds a rose between his clasped together hands, but he’s looking to the left, upwards, at Wolfwood, with an awed expression. Wolfwood hovers over him with wings sprouting from his back. He has a cigarette lit between his lips, his arms and legs are crossed, and he looks back at Vash with a neutral expression. The both of them are covered in a blue shadow, casted by Wolfwood and his hovering form, while warm light hits the back of his wings and over Vash’s legs. Small feathers sits next to Vash. End ID]

#vashwood #vash the stampede #nicholas d wolfwood #trigun #trigun maximum #this is not meant to mean anything btw i just wanted to draw wolfwood as an angle #i love angel and follower depiction but i also think wolfwood is just the most angelic human being ever #he was sent to guide him... he protects him... he Saved him #i mean they both just think of each other as the most good they've seen in the world in a really long time #and in turn makes themselves coil and feel a little more disgusted with themselves. but they're also so Good to each other that they can #start to believe that they can be that good too. #they love each other so much and theyve never loved anyone else like this before so i can just imagine the heights their love can reach #endless pouring of affection in a way they can only keep to their own chest in fear they'd never be able to let go otherwise #that is to say i just feel like they'd worship each other and it's probably excessive but i feel like they both really deserve it #i did not even mean to go on that tangent but back on topic -- i just love angel wolfwood depiction in a way that's Normal...... #need more of vash saying cheesy shit like youre my light wolfwood!!!! and wolfwood beating the shit out of him like WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!!! #which is why i have a tablet in the first place. my mission in the world... #ruporas art

[the-meme-monarch]

everybody like “what is ralsei? he can’t be a regular darkner bc he doesn’t turn to stone in other dark worlds like we see other darkners like lancer and rouxls do” yeah. bc ralsei’s fountain is Pure darkness. that’s why it can accommodate darkners from other dark worlds. that’s the fountain ralsei came from, so that’s why he’s fine to go to other dark worlds. “do you think characters aren’t capable of lying” no I just think he’s lying about other things. what he says abt this though is backed up as best I can tell. question I’m asking is how is a pure dark fountain opened compared to one that reflects the will of the person who opened it. other question I’m asking is Why is he the only one to come from this pure dark world

#deltarune #words from the monarch #if it turns out that ralsei Was lying abt this. idk. I’ll eat my hat live on twitch #just as it stands I don’t have reason to believe he’s lying. it all checks out to me #sorry if this sounds confrontational it’s not meant to be NENSKSJEJ this is just something I’ve had Stewing in my brain fro a while #i am Always thinking abt the logistics of the dark worlds. know this about me NDNSNSJ

[stargirl-and-potts]

Ed must have been crying under that blanket, stunned and hurt as he was, learning Stede left him for Mary, who he never loved, Mary who made him miserable. He must have been sure Stede could never have felt what Ed felt and then done that. But Ed’s pulled it together by the time he sticks his head out to let Stede know how mad he is. And he keeps it together, even calling himself an idiot for trusting Stede, even baffled and longing, until Stede says “I love your chin!”

Hearing that word, Love, aimed at him by Stede, that does him in. That’s when Ed’s eyes fill with tears and he goes still, can’t look at Stede, orders Stede not to say the next part. Because if he can’t take just hearing that Stede loves his naked chin, then hearing the whole of it will undo him. And he’s spent the whole dinner barely holding it together, visibly feeling everything and terrified by the force of it.

So he says, No, you don’t get to say that to me, not after I never even got to say it and I meant it so much. And I’m not telling you anything now. I already said my part. Then the tears recede a bit with the strength of him standing up for himself, for his hurt, and he just peeks to see how Stede will take that No.

But when Stede drops his head and takes that in like it matters to him, what Ed doesn’t want, and doesn’t seem to spare a thought for his own pride — doesn’t take a moment to fret about Why did I come all this way, then, if you’re done with me — when he only wants to be sure Ed knows he adores him regardless, just being near him, whether or not Ed has anything to give him — that’s when Ed finally turns to him. His fear fades a little under the light of wonder, and he glows a bit at Stede, even sad and sore as he still is; because that’s when he knows he wasn’t wrong. He’s not in this alone. Stede feels it too.

#that’s when he knows he’s loved #the people who have made space for my hurt and my anger and still wanted me near #they’re the ones who’ve saved me #they’re the ones whose love I believe in #that’s all Ed needed #someone who said he had the right to feel what he felt #and not perform any role #someone who just wanted Ed as he was #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #gentlebeard #that scene meant the world to me #and it changed everything for Ed #also gosh I can’t wait for that ‘I love you’ from Ed #it’s gonna kill me and Stede at one go tbh #ofmd

[essektheylyss]

It took me like two hours to process that Caleb's description of dunamis actually was somewhat new information and then go back to grab the transcription because, uh, both "form of magic that exists between the fabric of all of forces of power" and "one of the oldest and most fundamental forces" are far more confidently firm descriptions than we ever got in campaign 2.

Was I actually roughly correct about what dunamis was??? HELLO???

VINDICATION?!?!

#like LISTEN it does feel like the obvious conclusion but HELLO?????? #CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT??? #i am choosing to believe that Caleb is too focused on the world ending to notice Ashton's head but UM. COULD WE DISCUSS THIS? #I'm never gonna be normal again. anyway. #straight up the universe was like 'megs is in hell week. yanno what she needs? motherfucking wizards.' #I'M SO USED TO GIVING AND NOW I GET TO RECEIVE #critical role #cr spoilers #caleb widogast #like yeah yeah i got all overly poetic and flowery about it but like ON A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL THIS WAS BASICALLY WHAT I MEANT #and tbh i do think you have to veer slightly toward my concept in order to really explain consecution BUT ANYWAY #i need to sleep. i will not get to sleep but. i should try. #anyway glad to see my boi clearly did not have to give up his whole life's work he's doing so well 😌 #hope he is holed up in the Lavorres' spare room until Ludinus is dead 😌

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

hm ok so for a while i was thinking that Wally, for the most part, only perceives reality as "Home", the neighborhood. that's his entire world, it's all he knows

but then i slapped myself and went wait. the Live Interview. Wally has been outside of Home, and has interacted with humans (presuming that the interview did actually happen, of course). and through Wally's interactions - or rather, attempt at interactions with Us, the QA, and the WHRP, it can be strongly assumed that he knows that there's an Elsewhere. there are places outside of Home. maybe he doesn't quite understand that there's another reality of sorts, but there's no way he's unaware that there's more than just the neighborhood out there

(and then of course there's the fact that Clown has said that humans are deeply involved (not a direct quote, im paraphrasing) in Welcome Home. maybe Wally interacted with them / regularly interacted with them. there could have been an adjustment period after he gained consciousness where humans helped him learn how to walk/talk/fine motor skills - this could be why he has such a seemingly inherent / desperate trust in Us & the WHRP & the QA... humans made him and cared for him. it's possible he could view them as a sort of higher power to trust & have faith in

& maybe he's been off-set or could go off-set. i mean, the houses' rooms were all different sets - the buildings themselves were empty husks, right? who's to say Wally wouldn't physically walk to the individual set pieces whenever he went over to someone's house (but then that leads me into speculation on how the puppets' consciousness works and how multiple copies of them could co-exist and wondering which is the - im getting off track. but there's all of that and then the two part "you're okay!" art pieces of Wally & Eddie, which are technically canon - dont quote me on that - and that's Another ramble/theory post i could go on about & have strong feelings on. Anyway!)

"but wait," i hear someone protest, "what about Barnaby? he was in the Live Interview too"

but was he? was he really? was that Barnaby, or was that a person in a suit playing the character Barnaby B. Beagle? i mean, if it was Barnaby, there had to be some memory fuckery going on that prevented him from either fully comprehending/realizing the situation, or just made him forget as soon as it was over.

and actually wait, Wally has to be aware of the reality discrepancy. because it was certainly him in the Interview as himself. He had to have understood on some level that either that wasn't really Barnaby, or that Barnaby wouldn't remember the interview.

(there's a connection in my head between all of this & how he would view an apple pie. "it isn't the same anymore. something's different". but i can't pin it down for the life of me.)

and with the Talking Telephone calls, Wally explicitly tells Us that he's not going to tell anyone who was behind the calls. i remember listening to the "original" prank call audio tests, which while were very similar to the canon in-website ones, have a few changes. one of which was Wally - in the tests - saying that the others weren't ready to meet Us yet. now in canon that tidbit has been swapped out for "You have to go too. You have work to do" but i think it's still implied through Wally's purposeful withholding-of-information that he doesn't think the others are ready to know. or he straight up doesn't want them to know

i mean, one little theory i previously had is that Wally wants them all to catch on to the nature of their reality and situation, but he doesn't want to - or Can't - tell them outright. they have to figure it out. and that can't was either something keeping him quiet, or because if they learned too soon / inorganically, their little puppet heads would pop into confetti like Red Guy's in dhmis 4

However my views have Changed and i'm pretty sure Wally is purposefully not telling anyone to maintain the illusion that everything is fine and can continue on as it always has. maybe it comes from a place of protectiveness, of love? whatever the motive i think he wants them all to keep being unaware and dare i say, Complacent while he "fixes" their situation.

which is delusional, but we all know Wally is digging his metaphorical claws into a desperate bid to keep everything the same / return it to its original state, leaving bloody scratches in something already rotted. or something like that!

all this to say i think it's interesting how it seems that he's the only one aware of humans / an outside/other world, yet he's so determined to stay in his lane. he wants connection & communication yet he doesn't want to leave or change. he wants help in keeping things the same (some could say in keeping Our reality & his separated) but in the process he's dooming everyone/everything and tearing down those walls himself

(Wally: i'm going to stay where i am, and you're gonna stay where you are, and we're gonna help each other keep me and my friends where we're meant to be. anyway i wonder what this sledgehammer does)

#this is a very disjointed ramble but when are they ever put together! #i have to start at point a to get to point 36 yk yk #trying to write down my thoughts is like trying to keep a firm grip on a lubed up ferret #SOAPED!!! SOAPED UP!!! I MEANT SOAP yk that doesnt make it any better. anyway moving on dont look at me #its. its. the more i think about wally the more i go insane #like he's got neurosis stacked on neurosis stacked on- #there is something soooo wrong with him <3 #homebogging #welcome home speculation #wh speculation #i do think his heart is in the right place. i do think he's trying to achieve something he thinks is good & best for everyone #but... despite being aware of more than his friends... technically knowing more Truth than them #he's more trapped by that knowledge. he's ruled by it. and he doesn't really have the - #i dont want to say capacity bc i have to believe that he Can change. he just doesnt know how / currently doesnt want to / is too scared to #but he doesn't have the freedom the others have. bc in their ignorance they can ignore their confines #in a way they're more real than wally despite living in a fabricated world as fabricated people with fabricated lives #they're authentic in their ignorance #and ive said it before and ill say it again - wally was created as a blank slate while everyone else already had a Foundation #no matter how false their memories are they Have them. they have the tools to change and want change #they already perceive themselves as more than what they were made for. they think they're People (not humans - people) dont they? #so if they learn theyre trapped... they'll want out. meanwhile wally is already stuck bc while they have - in a way - More #the neighborhood & the show are all wally has. he knows there's outside but he doesnt have any reason to Want that outside #bc why would he want to leave home? why would he want anything to change? it's his sole purpose isnt it? #idk i just think wally would benefit from being told 'you dont need a purpose / you dont need to adhere to a purpose / you are enough as Yo #doing what You want. you can just Be' #but yk. what was i talking about again #oh yeah - wally is so so aware and yet so in the dark #he's got one half of the puzzle but they're all corner/edge pieces and he's trying to fill the inside space with Nothing #hm. i wonder if he'll end up needing the other neighbors to help finish the puzzle... who's to say who's to say!! #FUCK YOU TUMBLR I HAD MORE TO SAY. CUT OFF AGAIN AGH

[jamiethebeeart]

47th (?) coloring submission for @green-with-envy-phandom-event with lineart by @foxyteah

.... was i thinking up a whole plot for this au while coloring? yeah. yeah i was.

#greenwithenvy2024 #danny phantom #paulina sanchez #i meant to follow actual manhwa coloring and then i quickly diverged as my time ran out #absolutely believe paulina would cast a spell or something to pull her and phantom into her story #danny thinks the way to break out of the story would be to remove the crown - thinking that's binding him to the world #but no! plot twist! the flowers that glow at night are actually a disguised variety of blood blossoms that dampen his powers #and as time in the story goes on the blood blossoms have a greater affect on danny - times running out for him to figure out the disguised #flowers are the reason he can't use his powers and destroy them to break out otherwise he'll be stuck forever #paulina would absolutely made a deal with a ghost to find and plant a variety of blood blossoms that wouldn't hurt danny #but would cancel out enough of his powers to keep him tethered to the story #paulina is having the time of her life! danny not so much. but it would be a fun opportunity to humanize paulina for danny #and of course Sam takes place of villainess to “heroine” here because paulina is that petty

[mirage-of-the-virtuoso]

Y'know what? Maybe I'm crazy for this, but I am curious if others had similar things with their characters.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #gw2 pact commander #pact commander #polls #for Chrysallus he has always felt drawn to the dragons. but he has never wanted to kill them-- #--but others based his wyld hunt on Caithe's; who believes her's to be killing Zhaitan #Chrys wants to; in some way; coexist with the dragons. but given the circumstances was an impossible task #up until Aurene; that is. then; he finds a dragon that basically shares his purpose. #before Aurene; he wondered if he was meant to be Mordremoth's champion. but resisted because he doesn't want to be-- #--a pawn used to destroy the world #he is a pacifist and a kind-hearted sylvari. he wants to help; to understand; to be the support misunderstood souls needed-- #--when they have been forsaken by others. he can't do that as a corrupted dragon minion #sorry i am rambling. please share your stories!! OwO

[carefulfears]

RE: my last post, god, can you imagine, giving over your entire life to following someone because you just believe in them and what they want to do in the world that much…and then that person, who you think so highly of, who you looked up to from your deathbed and offered everything you have, earlier that same year…tells you that you have saved them, and you owe them nothing.

no wonder she bursts into tears

#they are such beautiful beautiful humble people #but like… #you know??? #and it’s not that she believes it #within 72 hours he went to the end of the world for her #doesn’t she owe him the same?? #but just imagine what that must’ve meant to the good catholic girl who worships her father’s sea and is always the strong one #who whispered at her father’s funeral that she knows he was disappointed in her choices #for her ‘ahab’ to tell her…no #you have done EVERYTHING #you have made me whole #you owe nothing else #your balance is paid #it NEVER existed #FTF

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

So like, mini disclaimer before the post. I was not and am not a believer in the "Sonic is going to be forced to choose between his original friends and the shatterspace variants" theory, nor the companion to it "all the variants are just gonna essentially live with their memories inside the og friends' hearts"

However, I do have brainrot over the idea of Nine meeting Tails in his dreams, and some of these ideas require a prerequisite of "in which Nine exists within Tails' heart but does not currently have a body.

ㅤ

Imagine, if you will, a setting post canon in which the variants exist within the hearts of the original and (kingdom hearts style) they would just need a body/vessel of their own to exist again. Tails is sleeping, and after dreams upon dreams of meeting the variants, experiencing their fleeting memories and their hurt (their feelings about everything), he comes across Nine.

Nine... Tails has had a hard time remembering much of his dreams while awake, but when he's dreaming, he remembers that Nine has been perhaps the angriest and most conflicted of all the variants. All of them want to be alive, of course. Tails wouldn't be surprised if *all* of them have been parsing through his own memories in exchange for sharing theirs.

But none have been so volatile as Nine, harder to reason with. The others at least face him more often than not, but Nine has directly done so few times.

But...Tails can't blame him for that, especially not after what he knows. He understands how Nine likely feels (abandoned, lonely, forgotten). Perhaps he wouldn't be so agreeable either if he fought tooth and nail for a better future, and the universe denied him that (nay, punished him to watch but to never have).

But tonight...

Nine is standing under a palm tree, facing the vast ocean past the beaches of Green Hill. Tails takes a few steps down the hill he's on, and soon enough he's standing off to the side (dream logic, he understands)—where he can see Nine from the front, but isn't standing directly in front of him or obstructing his view.

It's at this moment that Tails realizes he's never seen Nine so clearly before. The tips of his ears, to his permafrown, to his 7 mechanical tails, and down to his shoes. He's fought the fox before in his dreams, seen glimpses of him, but this is the first time he's had a chance to really see him.

Nine turns his head away from the sea, and suddenly Tails is beside him, mere feet away.

Tails opens his mouth, a dozen questions and sentence starters flying through his head. What eventually comes out is just a simple, "Nine?"

Nine smiles at that, and yet...Tails can tell almost instantly that it's not because he's happy or excited to see him. No, the smile is almost...accepting, if not a little bit sad.

Then, Nine sighs. "This could have been the other way around, but...it has to be you."

Tails hesitates for a moment before pointing at himself. "...Me? Why?"

"There are so many people connected to you—all of you, if my hypothesis is correct. It often is. You're me, so...you can feel what I felt. You could...feel how I feel."

And maybe it's true that Tails can feel what Mangey, Sails, and Nine are feeling, but all that proves is that one is affected by the presence of others residing within their own consciousness.

Tails shakes his head. "No. You're you, not me."

There's a moment of silence before Nine chuckles, and Tails continues, "I want you to know that you deserve to live as your own person, just as much as I do."

"Every time we've fought—here—I've asked you the same question. Do you remember it?"

Well, of course, Tails finds multiple questions as he tries to think back, but by keeping the terms of Nine's question in mind and employing process of elimination–

Nine turns back to the sea, squeezing both gloved hands into fists at his sides. "I was angry—among other things. I just couldn't understand why I was here. After everything I'd fought for, everything we'd been through together, I couldn't understand why he chose you. And every time I asked, you never gave me an answer."

Nine's right. Tails has never given him an answer to that question.

But to Tails...that question was never his to answer, at least in his opinion. Unless Sonic told him, Tails would never know why he put in for him, Amy, Knuckles, and Rouge over worlds of new friends. All he does know (straight from Sonic's own testimony) is that Sonic would have never made the choice he did had he known it would lead to all this. Sonic had wanted home, Tails, and all his friends back, but he never meant to erase the other worlds. Even as he tries to pretend otherwise, Tails knows Sonic has been beating himself up for the choice he made ever since.

Shouldn't Nine know that—that Sonic didn't mean to hurt him, that Sonic feels regret, that Sonic wasn't intending to choose between one or the other?

"Nine–"

"Save it," Nine says, cutting him off. "It doesn't matter anymore. Sonic made his choice, but you still have that chance."

Nine turns back to Tails and holds out a hand.

Tails looks down, then back up at Nine. He hesitates for a second, but ultimately takes Nine's hand.

Tails is an observer, a spectator without form, as memories begin to play out before him in quick succession. Despite the lack of form, somehow his head begins to ache in pain that only grows over the moments.

And then, he begins to notice a pattern in the memories shown to him. Despite the pain, he recognizes the clear shift since a certain blue hedgehog—Sonic, of course—saves Nine from being hit by a train.

Each and every memory, if Sonic wasn't centered or mentioned in it, then his palpable absense was the focal point. Nine fought him, he worked with him, he almost lost him, he thought he lost him, and then he fought him again.

Nine had spent most of his life lonely, though he hadn't realized that until his life was almost over.

A waterfall of emotions hit him then, just before the highlight reel crackles into black.

And then, Tails is standing beside Nine again, head pulsing and heart pounding. He can hardly remember what he's just seen, and that waterfall of emotions seeps through his fingers as he tries to catch them, to study them.

All he knows is that he understands. Somehow, he understands why Nine feels the way he does. Now, more than before, he understands why Nine is hung up on Sonic the way he is.

Perhaps, Tails thinks, he understands how it feels for Nine to be with Sonic (and without him) far more than anyone else.

Tails musters up a look of determination as he stares into Nine's eyes, and he squeezes his hand. "I'll figure it out. No matter how long it takes, I'll make sure you—you, and Sails, and Mangey, and the rest—can walk along the beach. You don't deserve to sit here and watch like this. None of you deserved to have your lives taken."

And Nine... Nine smiles, like he just can't help it. "Don't you see? That's why it has to be you."

There's a feeling, an almost indescribable feeling, that strikes Tails' heart at that.

"I promise," Tails says.

And then, he’s sitting up in his bed, breathing deeply.

As he makes himself get up, get ready, and rush into his lab, there's little he remembers from his dream as always.

But he knows what he has to do.

I'll make sure of it, Nine.

#sonic prime #nineails #tainine #tailsnine #Ship names hard guys! #tailscest #I'll probably just use that as an overarching ship name #i just be ramblin #I have one more of these meetings in my brain‚ but this one went on so long I think I'll have to make a separate post #Anyhow in the world my little musings‚ I do believe Tails will work hard to figure out how give all the variants proper vessels #but as this *is* also meant to be a tainine/nineails post (with some implied sontails and sonine) he's going to be fixating on helping #Nine first #my writing #I guess? #it kind of turned into a whole thing #Personally where the feelings come in between them for me is both from the fixation (the 'why does it have to be you' condflict vs the #'I want to soothe your pain and fix this')‚ and bonding over the feelings and experiences they share (especially regarding Sonic) #Although let's be real here. I just love selfcest and two characters bonding over their love for the same person kinda ships #Also final mention‚ yeah. If you didn't guess‚ this interaction is based upon the Sora and Roxas interaction in KH DDD #sonic the hedgehog #nine sonic prime #miles nine prower #nine the fox #miles tails prower #tails the fox #semi long post

[juicedbeetle]

the ring of smoke after lydia pushes beej off the roof (fav moments 5/?)

#beetlejuice #beetlejuice musical #gif #mine #fav series #NO CUZ I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE THESE PARTICULAR RECS SO I WAS LIKE WTF THATS A THING????? I LOVE IT #and hopefully everyone else does too bc it gets a gifset <3 #what does it even mean why is there a ring of smoke what am i meant to take away 😭😭 #because he cant impact the world of the living i am CHOOSING to believe he made that smoke himself for dramatic effect #that makes it funnier

[pbnmj]

Ur tags about how Miles and Pavitr are the ones who say "I can do both" because it IS quintessential spiderman thinking AND because they're too young to have seen that devastatingly not work yet. BUT the thing is they are RIGHT but only if it's "we"! Spiderman's mythos is inherently a lonely one reinforced by Miles and Gwen's isolation and by every. single. intro. reminding us that every spider person is the "one and only spider person"! And yet!! These films are just about relationships (1/2)

YES YEAH YOU GET IT !!!! and (quite recently rewatched it and mentioning it here cause i can't believe i forgot to mention it in the post you're talking about) it really gets me that gwen also says 'i was doing both' in regards to protecting miles and protecting the canon event, and i love that the phrase was reflected like that, even tho (at this point of the movie) miles and gwen pretty much oppose each other in views/priority !!

it also absolutely kills me the way that gwen begins (like you say) atsv quitting the band and isolates herself, and then throughout the whole thing she finds something/someone that she wants to take that leap for, all over again :') she (and the entire spider-team!!) is willing to bet everything on miles and is ready to fight for him, and i really just love the idea that miles just is a force that inspires good !!!! IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT LOVE!!!

#and . i dont think she would have done this without reconciling with her dad and that entire speech. #i do think that acceptance and love meant everything to her when she was at her lowest and it pushes her to do more + #AND it shows her canon events arent necessarily end alls. and it reflects in how she tells miles parents how much he loves them #just feel like. gwen now believes that love he has couldnt ever be bad. and it shouldn't have to make the world end... #and she believes it wont. AUGH #also been thinking that it's such a fun way to reflect that 'parker luck' #where yknow . where peter just cannot balance his two identities #and usually a spider-man success means something in his personal life goes badly #and idk i love when things are acknowledged to be like. the RESULT of being spider-man . #its fun to me. perhaps i am analysing media wrong. but tragedy magnet spider-man is so fucking depressing on many levels #and that opens up barbie dreamhouse levels of fun to me #generally superheroes creating their own enemies on accident . like ssm's venom was a goldmine to me i enjoyed that interpretation so much #i dont think miguel was right tho . fate of the multiverse/anomaly/etc I DONT CARE OLD MAN. UR OPINION WAS OVER WHEN U STARTED BEEF W MILES #and so sorry this took forever to reply to omg i adored reading this meta !!!!! #answered #disinherits #long post #sorry everyone the floor was open for my deranged takes again

[safin]

reading the demon in the wood graphic novel and i am losing it at baby aleksander just trying to convince himself not to be afraid of the dark…. not knowing then that years and years later he will find and fall for someone who can summon actual sunlight… 😭🥹😭🥹😭🥹🥹😭🥹😭😭

#and you expect me to believe they weren’t meant to be together #sorry it’s about the THEMES and the MOTIFS okay #and HIS FAVORITE COLORS are all the ones you can’t see in the dark #i just— [clenches fist] she was always meant to light up his world #im going to eat my hand now thanks #daphne.txt #darklina #otp: he was my monster too

[fourswords]

zelda and shadow in the fsa manga drive me ridiculously insane actually. the panel where shadow is kneeling on the floor and zelda is standing there looking down at him and they're SEEING each other is enough to give me fucking RABIES. LOOK AT THIS

#IT'S ABOUT HOW THEY GO FROM ANTAGONIZING EACH OTHER AT THE BEGINNING TO ACTUALLY TRULY GENUINELY SEEING EACH OTHER AT THE END!!!! #HOW ZELDA GOES FROM 'You're no shadow! More like a faint and twisted echo! Even at his WORST Link would never be as crude and rude as you!' #TO 'Do you really think the light will hurt you? Don't you see? You are a Link‚ too. Deep inside‚ you're really a hero.' #AND HOW SHADOW GOES FROM 'Curse you... ...Princess Zelda!' #and. all the other things #TO BRAVING THE WORLD OF LIGHT AGAIN EVEN THOUGH HE'S WEAKENED AND PAINED AND TERRIFIED OF THE LIGHT #BECAUSE SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON WHO EVER SPOKE A KIND WORD TO HIM AND MEANT IT. NO STRINGS ATTACHED. NO REWARD. JUST KIND. #EVEN WHEN SHE HAD ALL THE REASON NOT TO BE. #SO HE TAKES VIO'S FORM AND TELLS THE OTHER LINKS WHAT'S GOING ON (AND EXPERIENCES REAL CONCERN AND WORRY FROM THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER #WHICH IS A WHOLE OTHER FUCKING POST) AND SHATTERS THE FUCKING MIRROR. SHATTERS HIS WHOLE LIFE. #BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED IN HIS ABILITY TO BE A HERO. BECAUSE SHE WAS KIND TO HIM. BECAUSE SHE SAW HIM. BECAUSE SHE *REALLY* SAW HIM. #BECAUSE HE WANTED TO SAVE HER. TO LIVE UP TO THAT KINDNESS. TO BE THE HERO SHE SAW IN HIM. LIKE!!!!!!!!! #i will lose my mind over it. i will genuinely lose my mind. #she looked at him as pathetic and weak and broken as he was and saw her friend in him. and she was kind. and so he sacrificed himself. #because someone was kind to him and meant it. head in my FUCKING hands. #sorry it's going insane about the four swords adventures manga again hours. but when is it not honestly #fsa #txt

[viaetor]

SPECIAL HEADCANON I’VE BEEN WORKING ON which i may or may not write a future drabble about, but for now, just a simple post will do since i’ve been developing these with some dear writing partners of mine. to put it simply, since i’ll also be integrating this from hereon, my aether has a lowkey god complex when it comes to his (im)mortality.

as i’ve stated in a lot of other headcanon posts, he isn’t human; he’s a star-forged deity, a caeling. this means that his species is meant to live for billions of years, just like real stars would. he and lumine are quite young in comparison to other caelings, being around three thousand years old each. they are (or, well, were) known to be all-powerful, controlling cosmic elements and what have you, loved and respected by the astros above in the sea of stars, the prime of fighters and universe’s willmakers. therefore, having battle scratches or getting hurt was a luxury they’d experience once in a thousand years.

ever since falling in teyvat, aether lost his wings, his divinity, his strength, his ability to communicate with the stars, as well as his connection with lumine—he knows all of that, and he grieves deeply, for he feels those losses in his very core. but he doesn’t realise that, since he’s bound in teyvat by its laws and concepts, his very being bends to them. he’s stronger than most, sure, but that doesn’t mean he’s much more resistant than a regular vision holder human. and he refuses to see that (perhaps because he doesn’t sense it immediately). he bleeds a black, thick type of blood—yet because he has never been injured that badly before, it’s unconceivable to him to even consider that that blood on his hands is his. death doesn’t come easily as a concept to him either—others can die, it’s life’s natural cycle for humans and mortals alike, but him and lumine? no. that can’t be… right? so even if his vision is blurry and he’s dizzy, feeling his energy wearing out, he won’t ever think that there’s any actual danger to himself. he’s a warrior. he was designed for this. to fight, to protect, to serve. he can’t lose this, too.

#death / #❛ㅤ𓆩✦𓆪ㅤ:ㅤheadcanon﹔ㅤㅤ/ㅤㅤsecrets from the stars. #aether is so used to NOT being affected by sickness and/or powerlessness that he doesnt think those things apply to him #he'll legit have a spear in his chest and look so confused as to why there's a “black goo” coming out of him #he has never seen that. he has never experienced that for himself or lumine #it's an absurd concept #so it's one of the reasons as to why he may sometimes be so reckless and impulsive if he deems right #although he admires mortals and humans he's used to being the 'outlander'; the 'different one'. how can he be then so similar to them #when it comes to vulnerability and mortality? #it's wild to believe that he could ever belong anywhere. as in. a physical material world. #because the stars (who are kinda bitches in my lore) made him believe that his and lumine's destinies were to wander forever #never home. never resting. never finding anything to consider 'theirs'. they're just order-keepers; travellers; doers. #not meant for kindness or love or homes. and he has ingrained that thought process in his head even if he tries to deny it #he wants very badly to belong. to be as close as a human as a he can be. #but he rly doesnt see that as being possible #sighs in love this got so long DAKSDJG i love aether genshinimpact