#i portray the poor man as needing desperate HELP

[manager-dante]

i need to flesh this out once i’ve mulled it over more but i adore how limbus company expands on the incredible world-building of project moon, because it is so goddamn realistic.

from the outset the player is presented with this incredibly bleak world in which corporations have become the state. the poor and the desperate bow their heads and toil at the altar of the free market. worth is measured by talent in exploitation. it’s a social darwinist’s wet dream. i also think the choice to base the cast off of literary figures was amazing, because it highlights very important connections to the past. i haven’t read all the books referenced, but the ones i have (the metamorphosis, don quixote de la mancha, & the odyssey so far) draw an unmistakable through-line from the suffering and exploitation depicted in those books to that which occurs in the city. the most horrifying parts of this game in my opinion aren’t the monsters or the machines — it’s the sheer enormity of human suffering which exists in the economic and political system the city operates under. and that’s the worst part, because in so many ways, the suffering and exploitation portrayed in the city is not a hypothetical fantasy — this is just capitalism working as intended. it’s not confined to the historical context of those books, nor the gritty sci-fi horror of the game.

but not only do we have this incredible setting that’s somehow both brutally realistic and fantastical at the same time, we also get to see how our main cast attempts to survive in that world — and ultimately how none of their attempts to change it succeeded at all.

in my mind, canto i portrays how neither kindness nor cold-heartedness will help you survive — especially through the dynamic between aya and hopkins. gregor has been both. he was a war hero in a meaningless war. after it ended, he was discarded as any tool which had outlived its usefulness would be. he can’t even control his arm from becoming a killing machine. and yet, gregor is still exceptionally personable, even going out of his way to be kind at times. but no matter whether he’s a tool for violence in the hands of war profiteers or simply a man doing his best to protect others, he still couldn’t save yuri — just as he couldn’t save his comrades — and this clearly haunts him. neither the war nor its end changed anything.

canto ii shows between rodya and sonya how both direct action and an “inevitable” revolution fail to quell the suffering of the vulnerable. sonya’s revolution is all bluster and no action. he does nothing to help the people in his community in favor of this grandiose revolution that must happen at the “right moment” — even if it means leaving his neighbors to starve in the meantime. rodya’s inspired yet short-sighted action to remove what she saw as the source of her community’s suffering only led to its destruction: the tax collector was a branch, not the root, of the problem, and killing one person did nothing to stop the system which upheld them.

canto iii is even more clear-cut in the ties between sinclair and kromer: neither violent zealotry nor blissful ignorance will save you in the city. kromer’s cult does not “purify” anything, but sinclair’s courage to stand up to her isn’t enough to beat her either. canto iii still doesn’t end in a victory. dante and the sinners barely survive. it’s only through demian (and k-corp’s) divine intervention that the sinners and kromer don’t destroy each other in the corpse pit.

in the most recent addition, canto iv appears to do the same thing. on one hand, you have the devotion to a principle shown through shrenne, samjo, and donbaek. their causes are different, but their devotion is the same. on the other, there is the cynicism, indifference, and escapism of yi sang and dongrang, both willingly complicit in the machine in different ways. and yet — none of them make any positive difference. whether they resisted or submitted, the machine grinds on around them — the only choices are to become a cog in it or be ground to bits by its gears.

to be clear, i do not think the game is arguing that none of these individual actions matter. even if gregor couldn’t rescue yuri, even if rodya couldn’t protect her neighbors, even if sinclair couldn’t defeat kromer and all that she stood for, even if the league of nine members each failed to realize their ideals — limbus argues that it matters they tried. it matters that they’re still trying. it may never be possible to oust the corporate overlords and make the city a better place, but the love still matters.

#canto four spoilers #canto iv spoilers #canto iv #THIS IS ILL THOUGHT OUT SORRY #bad metaposting moments #i just need it Out my brain or ill Esplode #limbus company

[cybertron-after-dark]

I was gonna ask a question but i honestly forgot it 😅 so just tell me something you want to rant about

If you do happen to remember what you were gonna ask feel free to do so, do not worry about spamming my inbox bc I live for that shit.

As for the rant

Transformers Rescue Bots had some of the best, kindest, and most respectful representation of neurodivergence I have ever seen in media and I'm tired of pretending it didn't.

While there are obvious complaints to be made about neurodivergent traits (especially autistic traits) usually being portrayed in media by inhuman characters like aliens or robots, this being a case of both, I feel like thats a pretty negligible sin given just how human the show makes the robots feel. (Also it was like 2011 and we were STRUGGLING for any scraps of rep anyway)

But like. The behaviors all these robots exhibit are all shit that I do that was always deemed unacceptable when I was a kid and seeing it portrayed with the level of kindness and gentleness they do in that show has me fuckin crying a little man. I wish I had actually watched it when I was younger and it was first airing because maybe if I did I would've had an easier time explaining what the hell was going on with my brain a LOT sooner.

Blades being anxious, overly sensitive, and WHOLEHEARTEDLY queer (which they had the absolute unparalleled balls to just casually confirm by having him swoon over "hunky vampires" in one episode and NOBODY commented on it. Fucking iconic) and getting so so deeply invested in the shows and movies he loves that he acts out the roles with enough passion to steel his nerves and completely flourish.

Boulder getting really confused at concepts that are basic and intuitive for most people, but still being so fucking intelligent, and never being made to feel stupid for the mix-ups, as well as just being so wholely, unabashedly in love with the planet he's found himself on, even if he doesn't understand all of it (Also apologizing to inanimate objects when he knocks them over 😭)

Chase being obsessed with rules and law because he NEEDS the structure to not fall apart at the seams, even feeling the need to fabricate a minor crime to justify using the emergency line to get a hold of the firehouse when he can't find the other bots. As well as just fully not understanding comedy (BUT TRYING HIS DAMNEDEST), taking things super literally, and having a lot of trouble with tone and expressions (even though you know just how deeply he feels All The Time).

Heatwave being desperate for attention and recognition, but completely allergic to asking for it. And honestly allergic to showing any genuine emotional responses other than aggression. The constant sarcasm and sass and defensiveness that he POORLY maintains because everyone knows that underneath that tough guy front is the loneliest robot on earth that wants to be loved SO bad but would rather jump into unicron's mouth than voice it because if he lets his guard down who knows what will happen to him or the people he cares about.

Just. All of it man. Seeing them exhibiting all these behaviors and quirks that all too often get met with poor reactions from people who don't want to deal with what they don't really get, but here they're met with patience and understanding?? It's got me fucked up. They get to be functional adults that struggle with what they have going on but still push through. They get to have unconditionally loving relationships with people that treat them with respect. And that's the kind of shit that gives me a lot of hope for folks like me because maybe some neurotypical kids that watched it picked up on what's helpful when their friend who acts like one of the bots is going through it. And maybe some neurodivergent kids watched it too and for the first time they just felt SEEN.

Okay rant over, I'm gonna go cry over some plastic robots 👍

#post written while ugly sobbing a little #rescue bots was written with this complete and utter kindness baked into it #as much as i praise the show for the comedy and character aspects #which are still wonderful in their own right #it must not be understated how genuine and sweet and compassionate the writing is #the funny little flash animated robot show did more research than sia ever did with her shitshow hatecrime of a movie #maccadam #transformers #rescue bots

[talkbycolor]

monster x mediator headcanons . . . ↷

A/N; mghmgh lo necesito (sexual)

Pairing; "NauseAxe_404" x GN!Reader

CW; weird shit? no bro only him mutilating you / feeling unsafe (cutely) / MONSTER COCK MY FAVORITE / smooching the monster under your bed

i need him to have a long tongue, its canon in my head

before you even met, he swore you were a couple, he'll propose to you in a cringe-y way if you decide to stay in the room for more than five minutes

He will cut off your arms and legs as long as you don't escape, but don't worry, he will take good care of you and will look for other ways so you can continue writing

if you stay in the room, you can sleep in his bed, he will sleep under it (we all know he will get up while you sleep to hug you)

you can't talk to another human or monster anymore, you were supposed to be together forever, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GET CLOSE TO SOMEONE ELSE, IF THEY SEE YOU THEY WILL LOVE YOU AND HE DON'T WANT THAT

the walls of his room are full of drawings of you and him, photos too since his artistic skills cannot portray your beauty very well and to be honest, neither can the cameras but he loves to see you wherever he turns his gaze

no matter how scared or angry you look, in his eyes, you would never do anything wrong, it is impossible for his superstar to make a mistake in any way, all your writings are perfect, your voice, your body, your eyes, your skin, your teeth, your hair, everything

he's basically a dog, he can't help but gasp with excitement when he sees you, rubbing his crotch against you, drooling in your face even if you complain, he's not going to stop

"you bruise so beautifully", imperfections do not exist, he may be fucking you until he tears you but his look of love will not disappear, on the contrary, he will fall in love with your whimpers, with how you scream in such an adorable way

on the contrary, if you seem bored, he will ask you to hit him, take off his pants, cover him with bruises, all for love (cuarteto referencia)

you are still human, you need to eat, sleep, breathe. WELL FUCK YOU, you won't go anywhere even if it's just to look for food, you can sleep in his bed, you can breathe his air if you have to but don't go DON'T GO DON'T GO DON'T GO DON'T GO

to be honest, you wouldn't be able to stand his pace, he'll fuck you until you vomit, even if you're bleeding, he'll feed you his saliva and your limbs will give in sooner than you think. but don't worry, he will continue loving your corpse

how many opportunities would you have to dress your superstar? He would take the opportunity to get adorable clothes and dress yourself with his own hands, putting slippers on your feet, cute bows in your hair, you don't need underwear, awww, look at you! such a pretty doll

he would never let you touch his axe, i'm sorry my love, but you have to respect his limits in the relationship, if you don't, do you really love him? of course he would never doubt the love you have for him! he just want understanding from you, dear

if you are willing, i also understand you, if they do give you the option to fuck a monster, you just take it but keep in mind that you will not be able to go to the hospital, that night you will know the true meaning of monster cock, it does not fit through your mouth and i highly doubt that it will fit your ass

even though he looks so desperate and willing to do unethical things, your biggest fan is a little shy. if you show him affection or interest, the red on your lips will sync perfectly with the red in his eyes. isn't that romantic?

he's smarter than you think, he probably used his ax quite a bit before you showed up at the hotel. it is a relief that you had never covered the camera of your cell phone or computer while you masturbated, after showering, while sleeping even, and yes, he obviously hacked your electronic devices

idk man, he seems pretty acoustic to me, you and axes as special interests, unstable reactions to changes he cannot control, poor understanding of other people's body language or facial expressions, specific way to organize or have his room

"babe give me a reason not to kill those who look at you" "you can't fuck me if you're in prison"

no es un chico malo, solo quiere ser él mismo

"everyone is so mean to me"

MAN I JUST LOVE HIM MY DELULU KING UEUEUUE

you don't have to say "I can fix him", he himself will tell you "FIX ME" (spoiler: you cant)

he looks cute when he cries, doesnt he?

♡

#yandere visual novel #yandere #yandere x reader #headcanons #nauseaxe 404 #404mxm #monster x mediator

[bonefall]

Obviously nobody should be talking poorly about any of Bumble's competitors but it's insane how people voting for Alex are going 'its a CAT'. Like, okay and? Alex Dewitt is ink on paper and we rightfully take issue with her writing to the point of making it a term, so why is it any different when a fictional cat has misogynistic writing? And these are cats with a society, laws, religion, and understanding of (herbal) medicine. They are on par with people. And, it's a YA series. Shouldn't people take the message "fat, abused women dying isn't a problem because they can't contribute ackshually, and if we acknowledge it is how can the goodboy main character stop licking his brother's kitty boots if he's a bad person :(" as a red flag in any series? Let alone one for kids? Like, did everyone outside of the fandom miss the Ashfur defense? Because I was there for it and it was pretty clear a LOT of impressionable children genuinely believed the "he only loved too much" excuse hook line and sinker, and blamed Squirrelflight for everything. There were so many fans genuinely believing that I literally remember seeing hate art and fanfics portraying Squirrelflight as a horrible person just for asking to stay friends. That alone was a testament to how harmful Warriors can be, all because of that one scene of Ashfur being spotted in StarClan.

And with that fiasco in mind, how can anyone trivialize it to Bumble being 'just a cat'? Especially when kids are reading this, and could really take the harmful message Gray Wing the """Wise""" has for them that if you have nothing to contribute to the people you desperately need help from, you are stupid for trying to ask for it. I was lucky to not take any of the really harmful portrayals relationships in Warriors to heart, but not everyone will be. People should support Alex all they want, she deserves it! But downplaying what happened to Bumble because she's a cat is harmful :(

Alex DeWitt's story is so shocking and straightforward that you're able to sum it up with a single word; "Fridging." It's become the touchstone for a wider discussion about misogyny in media because it is so evocative and so easy to explain as an example.

That IS important. That IS a legacy.

But somehow, if you try to explain how EARLY misogyny in media starts, and how pervasive it is even in "less respectable" mediums like YA xenofiction, they lose their fucking minds. People who refuse to read anything at all going, "what could possibly have happened to a cat?"

You know what, though? I'm GLAD Bumble is winning, and I'm proud of this fandom and our campaigning. I think we actually deserve to be a little smug about this after all the damn "justa cat" comments. Bumble doesn't HAVE a legacy. The book doesn't VALUE HER LIFE AT ALL! "It's so sad Clear Sky is going to have his reputation ruined for killing this useless woman. I never liked Bumble anyway, what matters about this is my poor brother :("

The runner of the Canon Misogyny Tournament mentioned in passing how they kinda take issue with the idea of quantifying misogyny based on suffering because of how it oversimplifies the insidious ways it can express in a narrative, and I've thought a lot about that a lot. They're right.

And Alex is THE posterchild of this because her death is ghoulish. We needed what happened to her as a simple, evocative term, to advance the conversation around media misogyny and get it through people's skulls. But, she has become the conclusion of a sentiment that the more gruesome the death is, the more misogynist that makes it.

but. The fridge was not the misogynistic part of what happened to Alex. THE FACT SHE WAS ONLY INVENTED TO DIE FOR THE PAIN OF A MAN IS. THAT is what the term "fridging" is supposed to point out; The absolute LACK of interest in her as a 3-dimensional character, in women as people, to the point where the writer chose to send Alex out in a gorey, disrespectful way solely as a motivator for her boyfriend. THAT is the bad part.

But instead people have latched onto the fridge half. More violent = more misogyny.

There's a lot of ways for a narrative to be misogynist, though. To downplay the lives, emotions, or contributions of women characters, and to reinforce real-world bigotry.

Warrior Cats does a LOT of this, blaming bad mothers who didn't shut up and accept their 'purpose in life' for Brokenstar's tyranny, making it a TRAGIC thing that Clear Sky is being held accountable for murdering women because his man pain makes it ok, and even blaming Squirrelflight for rejecting Ashfur's advances which caused him to go "crazy" and attempt to murder her children (until, of course, the welcomed retcon of TBC).

Bumble's death, because she is a fat woman, is treated as unavoidable. It's not a terrible thing she died, Gray Wing never really liked her anyway, what REALLY "matters" is that now no one likes her murderer.

She was stupid and selfish to even ask for help, because she is so fat and weak. To be upset at all that her only friend watched her get dragged back to her abuser. Even as she bleeds out, she gets to listen to Turtle Tail making up excuses and wishing she "could have found happiness."

All while Tom the Wifebeater, the fat man who physically assaulted two women, gets a big cutesy redemption death and honored and beloved by everyone and even gets to "lose weight and that's so good :)". Because the books value the lives of men more than the lives of women, plain and simple.

Bumble wasn't just fridged. It's worse than that. Her life doesn't even have enough value to get Clear Sky held accountable for murdering her, because beloved writer favorite Gray Wing hated her for being friends with his wife and doesn't want anyone to hate his poor, innocent big brother :(

Like you said, you can ask anyone in this fandom and they'll tell you about the impressionable kid they were, or have MET, who was badly influenced by the constant misogyny of these books. People who defend Bramblestar tooth and nail as he abuses his wife, the screeds against both Leafpool and Nightcloud for making Crowfeather sad, and the absolutely radioactive Ashfur Defenders who have thankfully died down since TBC's welcome retcons.

It doesn't just end with annoying internet comments. Those kids carry that kind of message with them. It reinforces existing biases and causes them to downplay abused women and toxic men in their real lives.

But sure, "just a cat." Cool way to downplay the 20-year-old bestselling YA fantasy series that is still ongoing but ok. 50000 Bumblesweeps upon ye.

(though i do also have to say, since I started speaking more about it today, I'm seeing more non-wc fans push back against the 'just a cat' comments. Sincerely, thanks guys. It's not every DC fan or Alex voter, just a very vocal section of sore losers willing to downplay misogyny because they're angry.)

#Bumblesweep #Vote Bumble #Misogyny #fatphobia #abuse

[ladygenius]

Crimson Nights & Predators

Hiyaa. Since it’s been an eternity this one is a little on the longer side. Kind of an early mgg birthday celebration🎉💕 let me know if you need a part two! Also: sorry for portraying poor Andersson this way😂 inspo for the slow song:

Description: Spencer enjoys Rossis wedding/the view of his favorite colleague. Then someone disrupts his bliss..

Pairing: Reid x female bau reader

Content: pining, jealousy, just protective cutiepie Spence

Warnings: toxic masculinity, disrespectful talk about women, alcohol consumption

Wordcount: 1900

~~~

"Damn, excuse my French but what I'd do to hit that..."

An almost snorting kind of spiteful laugh disrupted the harmony of the occasion and ripped Spencer from his cheerful thoughts.

It was Rossi’s wedding. He has been so happy for his older colleague and mentor all day, celebrating life with his favorite people. It didn’t matter they were work, it felt just like family. The kind of big chaotic family he himself never had.

It was only an added bonus that he got to admire his longtime crush and coworker y/n in a gorgeous, crimson-colored dress all day. Enhancing the curves around her waistline just beautifully. As much as he didn't want to focus on such superficialities, even he couldn't deny that thought. Every now and then catching one of her dreamy awe-struck glances when Rossi looked at his bride or someone held a romantic speech sends chills down his spine. Always earning one of her sweet smiles when their eyes met.

So, it was pretty obvious why he was having a great time even though he normally dreaded these kinds of social events.

But standing here, waiting for the bartender to fix him up with a drink whilst hearing somebody talk like that about y/n shot an arrow straight to his heart and made his stomach turn.

Talk he couldn't, in a million years, connect in his mind to y/n. No matter how desperately his infatuation with her - he found it a sin to degrade the depth of her beautiful personality and grace in such a vulgar way. Stereotypical macho assholes.

He couldn’t help but further overhear the conversation between the two men also working for the bureau, ignorantly sipping on their drinks just a few feet away from him.

"To be straightforward here, I've had my eye on her for quite some time now..", Andersson confessed to the other guy. "Ain't easy to enjoy that precious view all week without doing anything about it, I can tell you that!

"Well, then how come you haven't put your charms to work already, dumbass?

"Oh, believe me, I tried.. but that one is a tough nut to crack."

Spencer's jaw clenched automatically at their choice of words. He balled his sweaty fists next to his body.

"Is that so? The dark-haired man let out a low whistle. “Well, she sure doesn't look like that.. or dresses that way!" He purposely emphasized the last part of his sentence. Again, their ringing laughter echoed in Spencer’s ears like a siren.

“But considering you’ve already swayed her once on the dancefloor today, it sure shouldn’t be too much of a challenge to finally claim your prize tonight, don’t you think? After all, you know what they say about chicks at weddings.” The stranger nudged Andersson in his side while almost spilling his drink on him. “Especially if they're single, I mean.. she is single, right?” Andersson let out a long breath, “Well.. no one really knows, actually. She’s not exactly open about things like that. But considering the long hours she often stays behind in the bullpen, I just always figured she was.”

As he was just about to react to his theory, Andersson’s friend spotted Spencer at the bar.

“Doesn’t Daddy Longlegs here also work in her unit?”, clearly the unfamiliar hunk was already too drunk or just too ignorant to realize that he was talking more than loud enough for Spencer to hear him. “Let’s see what he knows.”

Timed perfectly, Spencer was just being served his dry martini - now he really thanked himself for choosing something this strong - as Andersson addressed him hesitantly,

"Um, hey, Reid. I was wondering.. If maybe you know something about y/n's dating life. You know, given the fact you work together pretty close.. is she, uhm.. available?"

Already in the midst of turning on his heel, he felt especially triggered by his choice of words and eventually couldn't help but address this.

"Well, first off all, Andersson, y/n is a person, she is not available like a stapler lying around, unoccupied. And second, if you're so interested in that matter, why don't you gather up the courage and ask her yourself? After all, you seem to be confident enough to inappropriately talk about her behind your back.

So if you'd excuse me."

He didn't even wait for either of them to react. Having his mind already made up about what he needed to do now, he quickly scanned the room for y/n.

And there she was, as radiant as ever. She sat at the BAU's table alone after just seemingly having declined Garcia's offer of hitting the bar for a refill.

Spencer's instinct of protecting her from what he just heard immediately set in. No matter how old-fashioned and stereotypical it might be - he knew she could handle herself very well on her own. But he couldn't help it. Be it the alcohol in his veins or simply his infatuation with her.

"Hey Spence!" her voice chirped, a little hoarse from the glass of sparkling champagne in her hand. The corners of her mouth curled up into a lovely smile upon seeing him approaching her.

But he wasn't smiling. His eyes hid the weight of a thousand worries, all stirred up by the conversation he had just overheard. Worries of her being taken advantage of by some douchey colleague whose only goal is to get into her pants, and probably even worse than that: the egotistic fear of her actually enjoying that kind of attention. Because if the latter was the case, he'd lose her right before his eyes. Losing her.. how would that even be possible? Considering his constant lack of acting when it came to y/n, he knew he had not the slightest right to feel possessive about her.

Her smile was slowly fading as her eyes widened in an expression of surprise or worry, mirroring Spencer's own.

"Would you consider- I-I mean.. do you wanna dance?" he blurted out, just when she was about to ask him what was wrong.

This certainly brought back the smile on her face while leaving her a little flustered at the same time.

"Oh.. Why, yeah, sure!", she resisted looking behind her to rule out the possibility of someone (Morgan) setting him up to that move.

As she noticed his hesitant glance at her hand y/n wanted to take the pressure from him. "You know, we can just dance like this", she reassured him as she placed her hands on his shoulders carefully, trying to read from the look on his face if he was comfortable with it. "Avoid the dangerous hand bacteria, right?". A proud smirk adorned her features. He smiled down at her.

Right. Of course, y/n had not the slightest clue that his only reason for hesitation was self-protection. Not from the potential bacteria on the palm of her hands though. When it comes to her, he has parted with his principles quite a while ago and grown more than fond of the idea of physical contact. A subject his daydreams not seldom evolved around.

His concern was much rather to protect himself from the effect her hands in his might have on his very being, let alone his concentration.

As if reading his mind and wanting to free him from his concerns all the same, y/n reacted instinctively to the next song which really slowed down the pace.

Carefully, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Is this okay?", she asked shyly as he noticed a slight flush on her cheeks, only adding to her loveliness. Must be the champagne, he thought. “Of course”, he muttered barely audible, his throat dry and his body practically burning with love and desire for the girl in front of him. The woman of his dreams and probably his best friend in the world.

"By the way", Spencer suddenly felt the need to clear his throat, "you look beautiful tonight." Again that lovely pink hue on her cheeks. "I mean, not that you wouldn't always look nice. It's just.. that dress really suits you."

"Thank you, Spencer" y/n responded immediately, reassuring him she got the compliment. Being used to her mostly calling him Spence, his full name on her lips caused his stomach to flip with adoration.

God, how he wanted to kiss her right now.

"You know, that's actually really sweet of you", y/n suddenly ripped him from his thoughts.

"What?", he was frowning his brow in bewilderment. Surely, she couldn’t have read him like that.

"Well, the Spencer Reid I've gotten to know and like wouldn’t exactly count dancing to his favorite activities.. and considering people’s excessive interest in your engagement in this activity, I sure do understand why."

Only now that y/n lead his attention back to the room he noticed how some of their team members were meticulously observing the two of them. Garcia cheered them on excitedly, almost spilling her glass of gin and tonic while Morgan steadied her in his grip, giving Spencer an impressed nod.

A small giggle escaped y/n's throat as she faced the floor for a split second, eyes darting up to meet Spencer's again. She shrugged, "Thanks for doing it anyways."

"Nothing to thank me for, y/n." Her name slipped from his tongue like butter. It always had.

“It’s my honor.. I-I mean, today’s so special, I wouldn’t have missed spending time with my favorite person for the world.” Spencer felt particularly bold this very moment with her hands wrapped around his neck.

“She beamed up at him, looking for words to say. But instead, her face froze as something or someone behind them caught her attention. Negatively.

“Did-did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to-“, “No! Spence.. I’m glad I’m here with you too.. it’s just, I was especially relieved about your dancing enthusiasm today since it’s pretty sure saving me from some hungry predators waiting for the right moment to attack”, her eyeballs slightly rolled back at her comment.

Even though he knew exactly who she was referring to with her metaphor, he carefully adjusted their position to confirm his suspicion.

The two men, too, were observing them but were apparently oblivious to the amount of chemistry existing between y/n and Spencer. The unfamiliar guy was clearly instructing Andersson as to how strategically proceed in getting y/n to dance with him as soon as she and Spencer parted ways.

"Yeah, I-I've noticed. Is there anything I can do? Should I tell them to leave you alone?"

Y/n smiled at him gratefully, "Oh no, Thanks that's really not necessary." Her mind, however, seemed to completely trail off. Her eyes fixed on the small back door close to them.

"Well, actually, since you're asking already.. there might be one thing you could do for me." An almost childlike excitement stole onto her face.

"But you need to follow me, right away, alright? Do you trust me Spence?"

Okay, so now he really had no clue as to what she was up to, and even though he was a little nervous about her sudden change in demeanor, he still couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the mischievous look in her eyes.

Instead of answering verbally, Spencer decidedly took her hand into his and lightly nodded his head without ever breaking eye contact. “I’m right behind you.”

And all of a sudden, they took off. Y/n’s heels clicked loudly on the floor as they hurried their way toward the back door in long strides.

“Well, buddy, so much about your ambitions”, the dark-haired man patted Andersson on the back on the other side of the ballroom and downed the rest of his long drink.

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

What are these to goofballs up to? find out!

Part II | Part III

#spencer reid #reid fluff #spencer reid imagine #dr spencer reid #spencer reid x fem!reader #reid x reader #criminal minds #spencer reid one shot #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fluff #reid x baureader #spencer reid fanfiction #cm writer #Spotify #spencer reid fic #spencer reid x you

[spellbookss]

DISCLAIMER

Although I've gone through numerous YouTube videos covering practically all of Rolan's dialogue options, the story of this NPC is pretty vague and leaves a lot of room for creative interpretation. While I try to stay true to Rolan's character as portrayed in the game, I'll use headcanons to add depth to him.

BACKSTORY

Rolan's early years in Elturel were tough. He spent his early childhood in an orphanage where he endured neglect and abuse because - you guessed it - he was a Tiefling. He eventually fled, finding himself struggling to survive on the streets.

Fortunately, not for long.

Rolan's luck turned when he was taken in by the mother of Lia and Cal. Embraced into their family, Rolan, Cal, and Lia formed a close bond; they’ve been thick as thieves ever since.

It was a loving home, but a poor one. They struggled to make ends meet. 

Despite the family's financial struggles, Rolan harbored aspirations of becoming a renowned wizard - he always has. He wanted to be someone. However, the cost of arcane education was way beyond their means. Still, whenever Rolan got his hands on a spellbook, he’d study relentlessly (Lia probably stole books for him whenever possible). What he lacked in knowledge, he made up with ambition.

Over time, the family's situation improved, and they attained a solid middle-class status. 

Things were looking promising, for all of them. Especially when Lorroakan answered Rolan's letter and accepted him as an apprentice! Oh, he was overjoyed. This was a dream come true!

Unfortunately, that happiness was short-lived. When HELL broke loose in Elturel, literally, everything they had worked for was lost in an instant. 

Their mother died before they could flee.

Rolan didn't handle it well. He latched onto the idea of becoming Lorroakan's apprentice; it was a means of escaping the harsh reality of his situation and despite facing the same hardships as other refugees, Rolan convinced himself that he was somehow “better”, superior. It was easier for him to play pretend than to confront the painful truth that he was just as broken.

PERSONALITY

Due to his past, he is a very guarded person. He doesn't like to rely on others and asking for help is a struggle for him. Rolan is very ambitious, would take an arrow for those he loves, and his heart is bigger than he lets on because oh boy, we don't need more emotional pain and being a prick is a great defense mechanism.

He struggles with feelings of inadequacy hello childhood trauma and neglect, so behind all that ego is actually a very vulnerable man who puts way too much pressure on himself and is terrified of disappointing or losing those he loves.

VERSES

(pre-) ACT I ; Refugee

During or before the Emerald Grove. Having been through so much suffering, he will try to mask his fear with a cold, arrogant demeanor. Despite his apparent indifference towards others, he genuinely cares, but he suppresses it because the well-being of his family is paramount. He cannot risk losing them.

ACT II ; Lost in the Shadows

During the events at Last Light Inn, either before or after the rescue of his siblings.

ACT III ; Apprentice (main verse)

He desperately wants to make a name for himself and provide his siblings, as well as himself, with the life they deserve, enduring even Lorroakan's abuse in the process.

ACT III ; Master of the Tower

Post Lorroakan, maybe even post the events of the game. Aspiring to become the greatest wizard of Baldur's Gate. Scratch that. The greatest wizard of the Sword Coast.

#; && * 💫 #ABOUT #rolan hc #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 rolan

[m34gs]

Put your Fave playlist on shuffle and post the first five songs that come up!

Ok so I was tagged by @voxofthevoid in this post! I also prefer tag games to inbox chain games, so I will be treating it like a tag game as well! 🥰💜

My current favourite playlist is Villain Core (I don't have spotify so no link to the actual playlist), and it's made up of songs that give vibes of either villains, victims, or a backstory that could make what society would call a villain...because motive and character development is everything to me when I write 🥰🥰🥰

Alright, so:

Nameless by Stevie Howie (warnings: this song is about a man wanting revenge on the guy who assaulted his lover) I like the rage in this one, the utter desire to Destroy. And it feels like an excellent motive for murder in a story.

I'm Not a Vampire (Revamped) by Falling in Reverse. I love vampires and eternal damnation and desperation. Also the choir and orchestral music in the background slaps so hard and gives such a lovely, eerie feeling to it.

God Complex by VIOLENT VIRA. There aren't enough words to describe how much I love this one. "I'm gonna be where you are, doesn't matter how far, because we are meant to be. I'm gonna be what you need, Darling please worship me unless you prefer to bleed" *HELLO?* Ugh, I love me some yandere shit. And the desperate sound of the refrain? The attempt to pin the blame on the person being sung to? Top Tier villain shit. Love it.

Blood//Water by grandson. This one just really fuels my inner "eat the rich"; and gives me that "you made me what I am" kind of villain vibes and I love it. Tortured soul who finally unleashes damnation on the ones who wronged them? Then to only be portrayed as the villain for lashing out at the people who taunted and provoked them in the first place? So thirsty they don't care anymore if they drink water or blood? And nothing can stop the rage inside them? One of my favourite kinds of villains to write.

Give and Take by Poor Man's Poison. I really enjoy this song, very similar to Feed the Machine by the same group. It's about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer until they've had enough and snap. Not only does this song help inspire me for writing greedy, selfish villains, but it is yet another one that inspires me to write victims pushed so far past their breaking point that society would rather label them a villain than actually identify and solve the issues that led them to that path. One of my favourite types of conflicts to explore in writing!

Hope you enjoyed the answers, my friend! I had to include little blurbs about the songs because I just love them so much. Lol, it's a good thing the limit was 5 songs because if given the opportunity I would talk endlessly about music I love and the themes and how it inspires me to write different villains and conflicts 🥰🥰🥰

Tagging: @kimium, @kamikazequail, @backwardshirt, @sithmonarch, @thedevilsfamiliar

#for fun #tag game #sort of lol #music #villain playlist

[ohbutwheresyourheart]

dante and/or the whole dmc 5 crew for the blorbo meme? :)

oh ho HO thank you for this, I love the DMC gang and don't talk about them enough

disclaimer/note to begin with: they all have pretty privelege and they all need to stop being put in situations, because that's just who they all are as people/chew toys of fate

second disclaimer: I made this post while drinking a big old bottle of beer so if this commentary goes off the rails the further you go down the post then that's why

also I'm putting these under a cut bc this got really long

first up: dante!!!

fewer boxes crossed off than I was expecting but when I sat down and thought about it there were some I couldn't justify, e.g. in my heart I want to believe I can fix him and he needs me but let's be real the only thing that ever had the power to fix Dante is getting his bro back </3

also I say most fandom takes are incorrect bc my main contact with the DMC fandom was back in the day where it was very common to portray Dante as this LOL SO RANDOM horndog (i.e. as if his projected persona was his... actual deep-seated personality) and I am a depression Dante truther. not sure what the current fandom mentality on Dante is, if things have moved on then disregard

next up: nero!!!

gonna be honest, I wasn't too fussed about Nero until DMC 5 and then he quickly leapfrogged into my heart because oh my god this poor, poor, POOR kid. born to be the straight man in a universe of wackos. trying SO HARD to keep this mess of a family on track but if you push him so help him sparda he WILL turn this car around.

I need more Nero. I need more Nero and Kyrie, specifically. I need to see them just living their average everyday lives where Nero slops his way home covered in demon guts and sluices off then puts a load of laundry on and helps Kyrie with dinner.

also hahahahahaa definitely nothing in there about growing up feeling like an outcast so thoroughly one might as well have had a fucked up demon appendage, nope, nothing like that!!!

V aka DOUBLE BINGO

I have a thing for pasty ass dark haired skinny twink vaguely feeble romantic poet creatures okay even though I would get so frustrated the tenth time I asked him a simple question and he replied with a blake quote

but also HE WAS HIS OWN PERSON he was REAL he was ALIVE and now he's NOT because he WASN'T VERGIL, he was HIMSELF, he was HUMAN, and now he's GONE but also he lives on but also V as an individual is GONE but they'll still see glimmers and hints of him in Vergil and be reminded of him but but but (bites fingers and screeches)

THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA

okay so all of my years of fangirling aside I have to be upfront that if I ever met Vergil I would want to tear his smug disdainful face apart with my bare hands in a matter of minutes

HOWEVER in the realm of fandom, the only reason he ranks lower than V is because V exudes that high fructose twink timothee chalamet energy

I cannot fix him. he does not need me. and yet. whomst among the ranks of Vergil fancreatures has not sat up late at night in their early/mid-teens frantically typing barely-disguised self-insert fanfic where we DO fix him, where we are the ONLY ones who can fix him, where we are the Eva to his Sparda, washing away the sins of his past and anointing him with love?

Vergil is the most anti-hero of all time. he has it all. he's a genocidal maniac, except maybe he isn't because maybe the qliphoth was going to grow there anyway and he just got in on the demonic gentrification scheme at the right moment. he literally has an unspeakably tormented and tortured past.

he has mommy issues. he has daddy issues. he has brother issues. he has son issues. he's a weeaboo. he loves poetry. he hates you, both generally and specifically. he has the hauteur and arrogance of christian fifty shades. underneath it all he just wants desperately to be loved and protected. his idea of bonding is a no-holes-barred beatdown.

he has an extremely weird obsession with his brother, whom he hates, but loves, but hates, but loves, but hates, but wants to spend forever with, but hates, but would kill anyone if they tried to hurt him. literally every bad thing he's ever done originally stemmed from the need to be strong enough to protect what he cares about (DANTE) because he can't go through losing his family again.

i love him <3

#devil may cry #dante #vergil #nero #ask meme

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

🦉Being Fukurodani's Manager 🦉

The Gen Z Manager Edition

Fukurodani x GN reader

Warnings: me trying horribly to make Gen Z references 😅

AN: This is an Anon Request! They also requested addition things to be added so I'll link that here!

🌠 Please Like, Reblog and/or Share to help support my writing 🌠

God I hope I don't sound like a mom desperately trying to be cool 🤣

While I am not Gen Z, as a Millennial, I feel like I use quite alot of Gen Z phrases

I also use alot of emojis which might not be cool but is effective for portraying emotions

And okkkk I need to stop ✋️

Bokuto and may of the HQ boys are late Millennials/early Gen Z

The cusp bbys if you will 🥰

Honestly, love that for them!

And honestly, many if their actions show the early signs of Gen Z revolutions

I mean "Hey hey hey" is basically a revolution on its own 💅🏼

But pls no one tell Bokuto he's a trend setter

Poor Akaashi already works so hard

N E WAYS let's get to it!

Are you a trendsetter? Nah

But are you the main character 👀 abso-freaking-lutely!

You're loud, eccentric personality attracts many far and wide!

Your friend group ranges from the jocks to the nerds and everywhere in between

You are what the boomers would call "a socialite" 🤗

Don't mind me, just out educating the youths

You are prevalent on social media's, tik tok and everything in between

Yes I'm aware tik tok wasn't around then but vine was 😏

And vine ran so tik tok could walk 💅🏼

You had a large following from your Instagram to your Tumblr

You write fanfics 😶 sorry I don't make the rules

That's initially what attracted Fukurodani to you

Or shall I say, Bokuto and then Akaashi

Because you see, Bokuto LOVES attention and he would definitely have a social media presence

Meanwhile, Akaashi is just vibing in the background happy to be avoiding emo modes

But unfortunately, Bokuto struggles to get the dances for some of his tik toks down

Enter YN, our resident Gen Z royalty

"Hey Bokuto, why so down?"- You, walking up to a completely deflated owl

"Hi YN, *sigh* I just can't get this dance down"- Bokuto, now slumped on the floor

"Can I help you? Maybe if we do it together?"- you, ecstatic to be making any content

"Really YN!! That would be so cool"- Bokuto

You and Bokuto absolutely slay the tik tok dance and let's just say, Bokuto is absolutely enamored by you

Immediately asks you to be the teams manager ✋️

Like this man doesn't know if they need a third manager but he's willing to risk it

"Alright bet"- you

At practice, Bokuto basically holds you out to the team and is like

"This is our next manager YN"

Nobody agreed to this, it's just happening

"Bokuto we already have two managers"- Akaashi, the logical one

"But YN is so cool"- Bokuto

"Yeah Akaashi, we totally vibe with each other"- You pleading your case

Please seeing Bokuto so happy gives this man hope

They agree to a week trial period and off you go

To prove your worth to Fukurodani

However you don't even need a week 🤚🏻 because by the end of practice Akaashi is already sold

Bokuto is struggling with his cross court shoots

He's missing and/or overshooting each one

Akaashi looks to YN

"Say less"- YN approaching Bokuto

"Bokuto, you are one of the best aces in the entire country! I know you can do this"- You

"Really 🥺"- Bokuto the deflated owl boi

"No cap 🤚🏻 now try it again"- you smiling and walking away

It's like you awoke something from the dead

Bokuto hits a wicked cross court shot that nearly breaks a window

Konoha and Saku think you are the coolest

The immediately ask for your number and you form a group chat

At practice, you start insisting they play music to help them focus

"This song slaps am I right?"- you

Bokuto is just nodding in agreement YN

Please he would lay down in a puddle of mud for you YN 🤚🏻

Akaashi pretty much makes you Bokutos guardian

Seriously he has you sign a paper that says you will take responsibility for him 😅

I wish I was kidding 😃

When Bokuto acts up you will literally be "Bitch I'm your mother, NO DRAMA" 🙅‍♀️

Konoha plays the Reba song for you daily

🎶A single mom who works two jobs, who loves her kids and never stops🎶

But besides being super motivational, you help the team with their marketing

You recruit them to make tik toks from dances to recreating iconic vines

Please Konoha and Bokuto are so into this

Even Akaashi gets into it 😫

Konoha walks by and says "And they were roommates..."

You 👉🏻 Mah God they were roommates 😲

Bokuto is way into tick tok dances

You guys work so hard to master The Jerk

One day you had to leave practice early so you handed Bokuto off to Akaashi-

"I brought you frankincense"- you handing Akaashi his water bottle

"Thank you"- Akaashi

"And I brought you mur-" handing him Bokuto's water bottle

"...Thank you"- Akaashi so confused 🤨

"murDER" you pushing Bokuto at Akaashi as you run away laughing

Please I can hear the groan coming from Akaashi

When it's time for summer training, you all pile into the bus and head to Nekoma

You hit road work and can't resist

"Road work ahead? I sure hope it does" 😅

Please everyone dies 😭

Bokuto is so confused and now concerned that the road doesn't work

At Nekoma, you bond with the other managers by doing learning tik tok dances and simply making fun of our boys

"Hey YN how's camp going?"- Kuroo

"Hey thanks for checking in! I'm still a piece of 🎆garbage🎆"- you

Please Kuroo is in love with you

Kenma might be a cusp but he totally is all over vine 🤚🏻

Everyday you will walk into the gym and say "Hi my name is YN and I have a volleyball game tomorrow!"

"You mean today YN"- Akaashi

"Ok boomer"- you 🙄🙄🙄

"I'm a Millennial YN"- Akaashi 😐

When you train with the third gym squad, Bokuto is so exited

"Hey hey hey YN! Are you ready to train with me?"- Bokuto

"With us-" Kuroo

Bokuto deflates

"Kuroo that wasn't very cash money of you"- you walking over to Bokuto to give him a hug

"Do you need some lovin my favorite Ace?"- You, because consent is important 🥰

"Yes 🥺"- Bokuto, arms wide open

When Hinata and Lev show up to practice you say

"Hi welcome to Chili's"

"Oh im sorry we were looking for a gym to practice"- Hinata

You 👉🏻😐

Akaashi 👉🏻😏 because you finally realize his pain

When Hinata is fangirling over Bokuto, Akaashi will actually surprise you

"Hinata stop simping over Bokuto"- Akaashi

You 👉🏻🖐🏻👁⭕️👁🖐🏻 channeling Tendou

Tendou, another iconic Gen Z king 🤴

"Akaashi, you really aren't as cheugy as I thought you were"- you 🥺

Akaashi 👉🏻 🤨 doesn't cheugy mean uncool?

"Fiznsufhejusbdhs AKAASHI YOU'RE GROWING UP SO FAST"- You 🤗

"I'm older than you YN"- Akaashi 😐

"We love a glow up king"- Kuroo

You are literally freaking out 😭

"I'm a kuroo stan for life"- You

"Hey what about a Bokuto stan?"- Bokuto, of course needing attention

"Bokuto you will always be a snack"- you 🤚🏻

"I like snacks"- Lev

"Lev you are sending me"- you

"Sending you where YN?"- Hinata

"Yn please dont go anywhere!"- Bokuto now crying

"Big Yikes"- Akaashi

"Bokuto im finna throw this ball at your head if you don't stop"- You

"I was hoping this practice would be productive but man this ain't it"- Kuroo

No cap detected their Kuroo 😭

#haikyuu #haikyuu!! #haikyu! #haikyu #haikyū!! #haikyu x reader #haikyu x gender neutral reader #haikyu x you #haikyu x y/n #haikyu x gen z reader #gen z #fukurodani's manager #fukurodani x y/n #fukurodani x reader #fukurodani manager #fukurodani #bokuto kutaro #haikyu headcanons #fukurodani headcannons #hq Fukurodani #hq team manager #team manager headcannons #hq manager #akaashi keiji

[peculiarbeauty]

i think about the toxic masculinity that g.aston portrays and how desperate his concocted idea of b.elle overpowers any will he has to be a decent human being to her. he's rude , obnoxious , and possessive. he also refuses to accept anything but the answer yes because he has the most FRAGILE ego.

at the end of the movie when he is fighting with b.east upon the rooftops, he says " did you honestly think she'd want you when she had someone like me ? " as if he , himself is the ultimate man. why should she ever have a choice when it can be made for her by HIM ? right ?

he is so delusional , angry , and everything that a lover WOULDN'T want. but there are expectations that his attractiveness will somehow overpower it. the sad part is , for most of the village it has worked. people know the kind of person he is , but choose to ignore it. they follow his lead and listen to his vile words about how the b.east needs to be killed even with b.elle attempting to get them to know that there is kindness , not malicious intent there.

powerful individuals like g.aston who are in the public eye are so harmful because they are twisting things for their own benefit , but no one is helping expose them because EVERYONE likes g.aston.

poor b.elle was ridiculed as this person who was peculiar , and unwell. and for what ?? bc she READS ??? bc she is a genuine person ?? bc she sees the good in everyone she's ever met ?? kgfjkfgjk

#⊱✿⊰ ┊ ˢʰᵉ ʳᵉᵃˡˡʸ ⁱˢ ᵃ ᶠᵘⁿⁿʸ ᵍⁱʳˡ ( ooc ) #[ sorry. talking about THE MAIN VILLAIN AGAIN #the true b.east of our story tbh fkgjfk

[superthatguy62]

Final Fantasy II: Memory of Heroes novel differences

I’ve done I and III (though the latter may need a touch-up later). Might as well do II as well.

Compared to the other two adaptations, II sticks more closely to the actual plot. There’s still some differences, though.

- The adaptation starts with Firion being resurrected, although he has a flashback to what happened: The party flees, Leon realizes that fleeing is hopeless and turns to fight, Firion joins him while Guy protects Maria. Firion falls just as Guy has his back slashed open and the last thing he hears is Leon giving a war cry, with the implication that Maria was attacked.

- We’re given a smidge of background on the orphans in this version: Rather than in Fynn proper, their hometown is a village on the border of it, they’re explicitly mentioned to have lost their parents in a fire, their father tells Firion to take care of his siblings, and the four apparently imagined themselves as rebels, which they reflected on with shame after they were forced out of their home.

- Firion is furious and wants revenge when he asks to join the rebels. 

- The task of infiltrating Fynn is recognized by Firion as a test of their self-control. Maria almost tries asking a couple in a house about the man taken to the tavern, but Firion and Guy hold her back.

- While accompanying Firion’s party, Minwu mentors them in a number of ways. When Firion brings up Gordon, Minwu states that he needs the strength to stand on his own and that Firion’s party is more likely to help with that.

- Cid is a lot more jovial and less gruff here.

- Josef is far ruder in his initial interaction with the party. He doesn’t even tell them what’s wrong directly: He covertly shoves a map of the Mythril Mines at the party before forcing them out the door. It’s only after they go there that they start figuring out what’s happening.

- Also, Minwu believes Josef strong enough to have handled the imperial forces himself (of course, then they learn Nelly was kidnapped).

- The commander is far less impressive here: The text notes that the cavern is decorated in a ‘desperate’ attempt at making the cavern luxurious and Minwu makes a plan that catches the imperials completely off-guard.

- For the plan to destroy the Dreadnaught, Minwu gives Firion the leadership role.

- Upon learning that Borghen is overseeing development of the Dreadnaught, Firion considers straight up ending him right then and there, before deciding that, with how work on the Dreadnaught’s going, he’s harmless. Then they find the Dreadnaught done ahead of schedule and Firion curses that they should’ve done it.

- Firion actually fights the Dark Knight (who roasts him for his poor on-the-fly plan) where the first clue of his true identity pops up: The Dark Knight is described as having a unique, self-taught style (which he uses to disarm Firion quickly) and that it’s one Firion recognizes Leon.

- The Sunflame quest is totally different:

-- Gordon joins the party as they leave Fynn

-- The Sunflame takes the Goddess Bell’s place at the bottom of the Snow Cavern. Gordon already has Egil’s Torch

--  Gordon is captured by Borghen towards the end of the cavern. Borghen himself makes no mention of being executed by the Empror for failing, instead focusing on his glory and legacy as well as reclaiming his status as a general.

-- On a related note: the game is a bit ambiguous regarding Borghen’s feelings towards Leon the Dark Knight. Here, he’s explicitly dismissive of him.

-- Gordon ends up throwing the torch, causing Borghen to hesitate long enough for Maria and Josef to take him out (Firion catches the torch).

-- Borghen’s trap isn’t just a boulder, but to cause the cavern to collapse. Josef holds up the roof long enough for the others to escape, but ends up crushed afterwards. Gordon naturally feels guilty, but Firion does too for not killing Borghen back in Bafsk.

-- Nelly is portrayed as mature for her age, which shows in the scene where she tells the heroes to keep fighting, hiding her sorrow until her last line of asking them to do it for Josef.

-- Also, the woman outside of Josef’s house doesn’t exist in this version of the story.

- The scene where the party rides chocobos to chase after the Dreadnaught is the only time Guy’s affinity with animals comes up, I believe. The novel also states that Chocobos have a strong homing instinct, explaining why they flee as soon as the riders get off.

- While the game glosses over the realization for simple foreshadowing, here the party actually realizes that Leon is the Dark Knight when he confronts them in the engine room. As a result, the party considers whether or not Leon is brainwashed and Firion wonders if he’ll be able to fight him.

- The Lamia sequence is heavily toned down 0/10 worst adaptation ever: Hilda’s eccentric behavior is replaced with her acting shell-shocked and the seduction sequence doesn’t happen. Instead, when Firion tries to ask her to lead again, she dismisses his concerns as trivial before telling him to come closer.

- Firion actually does almost get killed by the Lamia before Maria and Guy barge in and the former shoots it, giving Firion a chance to finish it off. Maria then chastises Firion for being so careless.

- The party fights the Behemoth, Maria using magic while Firion and Guy use physical strength. When Guy gets knocked aside, Gordon takes the opportunity to stab it in the threat, with Firion adding his own sword to the forehead.

- The Emperor has a jester in this adaptation and he’s present for the arena sequence. When the Emperor turns out to be an illusion, it’s due to the Jester’s influence. On that note, the Dark Knight is absent in this sequence; the party falls for a trap door.

- The recapture of Fynn happens offscreen. We do get Hilda give a speech to the worried populace, though.

- I neglected to mention this earlier, as you may have noticed, but Leila has the dubious honor of being the only guest party member to not appear in this adaptation 0/10 worst adaptation ever. She’s replaced in the Mysidian Tower trip by a generic male captain and she’s not present for the earlier shenanigans like the Lamia. This has the added effect of making Gordon the only guest (not counting the replacement captain whose fate after Ricard leaves is ambiguous) to survive to the end of the story.

- Ricard’s a bit more playful here, at least until he learns that the Dragoons were wiped out by the Empire from the captain. The revelation that they were all poisoned, and he was stuck in Leviathan, causing him to lose it and become desperate to escape. In the end, the group use gunpowder to cause Leviathan to spit them back out.

- The four crystals in Ultima’s chamber in the Mysidian Tower are woven into the plot: Namely, they’re II’s equivalent of the elemental crystals (which the game itself hints at) much like I and III. While they aren’t explicitly called such, the crystals stressing that darkness is spreading over the world, that the world cannot exist without Light and telling the Warriors to “bring Light to all” along with blessing them with their powers and the four feeling Light within them..., the four are made Warriors of Light in all but name.

- Deist happens off-screen. Ricard leaves the group after the Crystals’ blessing to see Deist for himself and returns with the Wyvern. He mentions Elina and Kain as he explains what he found at Deist.

- The Emperor initially uses another illusion on the throne in the Cyclone, but this time Maria grows wise and snipes the jester making the illusions. The Emperor himself then appears behind the party.

- The Emperor uses explosive and, interestingly, light magic. Firion is forced to shield Maria to give her a chance to cast Ultima, giving Ricard a chance to leap at the Emperor. Emperor parries the leap, but his scepter gets destroyed, which lets Firion and Guy end the battle.

- Also a neat little detail: The Emperor is shocked to see one of the Dragoons alive.

- Unlike the game, Firion and co. don’t forget about the Dark Knight and even note his odd absence. Then the news comes...

- Cid is never explicitly said to die, although with the shape he’s in, it’s probably pretty obvious.

- I made a post about Leon’s speech earlier. The general gist is that the speech is expanded, with Leon feeling that the only way to get out of the cycle of oppression is to stand at the apex of power. Firion notes that Leon used to believe that power should be to protect the weak and Leon claims to have discovered the limits of that approach.

- The Emperor emerges from Leon’s shadow (It’s symbolic). The novel also gives something of an explanation for Leon losing his helmet: The Emperor shatters it when he whacks him on the head. Interestingly, while the “there’s only room for one Emperor” line is there, the part about wanting to destroy everything isn’t.

- Ricard implores Leon to reconsider his path and transfers his Light over to him. The Light ends up being a factor in Leon turning face.

- The Jade Passage and most of Pandemonium is skipped: Leon aims the airship down what may as well be the passage and guns the engine. He winds up crashing the airship into Pandemonium’s top floor, with it stopping in the throne room.

- While I haven’t mentioned it until now, Hell in this adaptation is consistently referred to as “The Underworld”. Not sure why, as the characters say stuff like “Damn” elsewhere.

- The Emperor actually calls out Leon for siding with the heroes after just recently trying to kill them. Leon shoots back that he’ll do anything to protect the world from the Emperor.

- As the Emperor is on the verge of losing, he has a breakdown only to save face when he notices the Warriors’ light. The party reaffirms that they’re not just doing it because it’s their job to stop the darkness, but that they’re doing it for all those who have died and for those who are left to have a better future, etc.

- While Maria tries to stop Leon from leaving, Firion has the feeling that they’ll see him again someday. Leon himself feels a similar way, but blames it on the light Ricard passed on to him before leaving on his own adventure.

- BONUS: The ending of the FFI adaptation implies that the Warriors of Light reincarnate across all three stories. This would generally mean

Firion = Setro (is the leader, although with growing pains and self-doubt, and is very hot-blooded here. Also uses himself as a human shield at one point like Setro and Luneth)

Maria = Flora (Maria does get tutored by Minwu, which is a factor in her wielding Ultima, a spell classified as White Magic in FFII)

Guy = Teol (Arguably the weakest connection of the four; Guy uses his physical strength leaving Maria as the sole magic user, and him being good with animals is only mentioned briefly. Him being quiet and dependable is probably the only consistency between the two)

Ricard/Leon = Zauver (A bit hard to spot given that both only appear towards the end of the story, but Ricard is portrayed in a more playful nature and, like Minwu and Gordon, they both act as the number 2 to Firion. Leon also acts a bit more rational than Firion towards the end of the story (though that’s partially because he actually knows where Pandemonium is rather than being fooled by the projection) and he pilots the airship to the underworld. That said, the mention of Ricard’s Light influencing Leon makes it very obvious as well).

#Final Fantasy #Memory of Heroes #Final Fantasy II #Final Fantasy 2 #FFII #FF2 #Firion #Maria #Guy #Leon #Minwu #Gordon #Josef #Ricard #The Emperor #Emperor Mateus #Emperor Palamecia

[erisenyo]

Hi again! I adore the way you portray Zuko and Sokka. The differences in how they cope with their grief? Immaculate. When Zuko stood up and ran away from having to separate the games?? I was like EXACTLY!!! Listen. If I was desperately in love with my best friend? I'd move too. Like??? You think Zuko has the fucking confidence and willingness to make a REALLY good relationship potentially even a little awkward? Much less make it so the love of his life feels UNCOMFORTABLE around him?????! Absolutely not. Girl, I'd bury my feelings and run for the hills too. The way you show him trying to push through this long goodbye with as little pain as possible but still just trying to get OUT. Like fuck dude!!!! It hurts my little heart but I would do the exact same thing. "maybe it isn’t so much that Zuko needs to leave as that he doesn’t see how he can possibly stay." The fucking PAIN in that sentence!!!!! I am mentally shaking you by the shoulders and begging you to put my poor man out of his misery! Ole yeller his ass. (I'm joking, pls don't. The agony is DELICIOUS) Then we have Sokka who is holding onto every second like it's his last. Pushing away deadlines, ignoring what he needs to plan, even the little details about him eating out to keep food in the fridge??? He is kicking and screaming his way through this goodbye. The domestic vibes of "what do you mean you’re not coming home for dinner?" makes me wanna go FERAL. They are literally married!!!!! I hope you know that those bold ass doomsday markers that tell us how many days are left? Feels like a kick in the stomach every time. Especially after a sweet memory where everything is good and the end is far far away. The emotional whiplash of it all. And can I just say that world seems so real?? Like there's so many characters and stories they reference! Like wtf happened at the game??? I am out of the loop and so is Sokka, help us. Also!!! Frothing at the mouth over the intricate rituals. The dinner making, the wrestling, the knowing each other without having to think about it, the game nights, fuck it the looking at the other disrespectfully. Ma'am I am going to mourn this relationship and I'm not even in it! GOD. I am not ready for when Zuko has to leave. I have no idea if this even makes sense lol it's 3 am. Tell me if these are too long??? I feel like I write too much but there's so much I wanna highlight!!! Like "I saw that!!!! And I loved it!" And idk how to express that I want to simultaneously skip to the happy ending and also drown in the yearning for as long as possible, ya know? Anyways have a good day!!!!! You deserve the absolute BEST!!!! 💖

Anon! You are back with more very kind words!

I am THRILLED that you love how I portray the boys so much and that their grief feels so different and distinct! And Zuko running away and not wanting to make Sokka uncomfortable or knowing how to endure any awkwardness with him let alone being uncomfortable himself--EXACTLY! Right to the heart of it, you and Zuko, pack the bags and start sprinting.

I'm so happy him trying to push through the long goodbye (great description!) is so relatable and that all the emotions of it are hitting so deep and that the agony is so tasty!! And Sokka! Who is absolutely clinging with every bit he has, kicking and screaming is exactly right he would be throwing a full-on tantrum if he could bring himself to upset Zuko like that.

I am doing a little dance that you are feeling all the domestic vibes. They are basically married!! And they're maybe the only two people who don't realize it haha

And it's so odd to say but I am grinning so much that the doomsday markers are punting you in the gut each time, especially after the sweet memories when the end is so so far away! Emotional whiplash let's go!

And that the world seems so world and fleshed out!! I'm so thrilled all the references and characters and stories feel so real, there is a LOT of timeline and a LOT of moving pieces and development between all the friendships, not just theirs, so this has me over the moon! (And the baseball game was a day out with Hakoda and Bato (dating), Aang and Katara (dating), and Sokka and Zuko (...whatever they're doing). Kind of a quiet everyday thing that at the same time is so special and natural and easy (and might feel, for Zuko, like the way it *could* be, when he lets himself think about))

And YES to the intricate rituals! They have TRULY so many. Just layers and layers of rituals built up all around their feelings. Keeping themselves nice and cozy under there.

You aren't ready for when Zuko has to leave and neither are either of them, really (least of all Sokka). So much mourning, so much angst, I love that you're enjoying all the yearning so much! And these are absolutely not too long (I mean, I'm not exactly concise myself lol), I adore seeing all the things you noticed and loved!! It truly makes my day!!

#asks and answers #very very sweet anons #Once again read this at least twice a day since I got it #Don't worry Zuko will be put out of his misery #Just not in the Ol Yeller way

[dottores]

First off, I’m sorry this took so long to get to you, been hella busy lately. I am sending this to you before reading ch 8 of LDA tho so if I speculate about something that has already been revealed pls keep that in mind lol. 🤧

OMG Cat I loved chapter 7, it was soooooo good on so many levels I enjoyed every bit of it. 😍

HNNNNG this flashback was so fucking good, it showed us everything I wanted to see about the progression of our relationship with the boys. Ran’s “they what?” when he found out that the Sugawara boys are mean to us fucking had me all giddy, his need to protect us just has me like adfasdjkl 🤩. Also really liked seeing us interact with typical kid banter and bickering it helps to show our age at the time, super cute. And I can’t even describe how I felt over us dancing with Rin, he got so flustered and nervous and it was hella cute to read it had me squealing, ah young blossoming love🥰 ; I love the HC that Rin gets easily flustered over shows of affection. And Ran over by his lonesome just getting jealous over his brother, I feel like this further solidifies my idea that Rin will back off or deny his love for us to allow Ran to have us especially since he mentioned he has a hard time reading Ran when he’s like that, probably really concerns him and doesn’t wanna risk Ran hating him. The smack talk we gave Sakuya fucking sent me, we’re witty sassy queens and I love that for us. We called the boys family that’s so hella cute and I feel like that just gives them more trust in us since they have a thing for sticking up for family 😊.

I really liked the comparisons to the past explosion and the current one we experienced, though it was a really great way to explain to us what the past one was like. I had a feeling that the past explosion was rigged but now I’m wondering what kind of trouble we were in to make our uncle think an explosion was needed to help us, or was this just so that we could absorb the other company Suvala? 🤔

I feel like the way you portrayed us as being very concerned over the explosion and not the fact that Sanzu was possibly going to slit our throat was really well done. Because that’s completely what it’s like when you go into shock you either don’t care/focus on anything or you focus on one thing whether it was the right thing to focus on or not. Thank god that South is still alive and for his quick thinking to make it a hostage situation to keep us alive😥 . Man Rindou turning on Sanzu for trying to take us out like they were ordered to made me so happy, but not surprised since he was desperately trying to get Sanzu to call off the hit before. Also, I’m glad everyone is ok, tho we don’t know about Senju I think she’s fine cuz I still believe that she has ulterior motives in this group and had this explosion thing planned. Also, the way Hanma treats us and quite literally saved us by sacrificing himself to the explosion makes me think he’s more on our side than we think, especially after his statement that we should hold Sugawara accountable for his assumption that the weapons weren’t there makes it seem like Hanma really doesn’t like the guy. The way that our uncle looked when we walked into the room and how nonchalant Sugawara was over the explosion tells me that they knew it was probably going to happen or even were a part of it happening.

Even tho I’m super glad that Ran is ok he’s not in the best situation and we can’t even help him😟 . Pls just let me cradle my boy I need cuddles after all this stress 🥺.

Hnnng Cat you’re killing me here; I swear I’m falling even more in love with LDA and you and your huge genius brain with each new chapter that comes out. 😍😘🥰🤗

YOU DONT NEED TO APOLOGIZE ILY 😭😭😭

JSKDKKSJD I TOLD YOU GUYS CHAPTER SEVEN FLASHBACK WAS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE, i had so much fun writing all of their interactions — with each other and with others in the flashback. poor rindou was so flustered SOBS and we did not hold back with the teasing LMAO. and poor ran sobs, he realized that he loved her n he also realized that rindou does :’) was not a good moment for him, hehe but i won’t spoil on what either of them do about the knowledge

OMG THE SWITCHING BACK BETWEEN MUNICH AND THE PRESENT I WAS SO PROUD OF THAT FR i had so much fun writing that part 😭😭😭 i was writing n giggling because it kept coming together so well and i was so happy with it—teehee, no spoilers ;) YEAH honestly a part of us didn’t even fully register that sanzu had a knife to our throat, we were so focused on trying to get everyone out of there because we know first hand just how much damage the smoke/heat of the munitions can cause 😞 and rindou </3 stepping in to protect us again just like old times sobs, poor man nearly threw up when he got off the ground and saw sanzu slamming our head against the wood 😞

hanma hanma hehehehehehe

yes 😞 we are in a tough situation and there’s nothing we can do atm, but we’re a crafty n sneaky little bitch, we’ll figure something out for sure hehe

SOBS I LOVE YOU😭😭😭 your asks never fail to make my night i s2g i look forward to them so much ilysm

#my asks #moots ^.^ kelsey #series: little dark age

[glitternightingale]

Ahhhh! Love your chubby Bruno fic sooooo much! So cute, wholesome and agh! Can’t even find the words to describe how much it melted my heart . 100% believe after reading this & pancita & tio shaped the whole family would love a little happy chubby Bruno, I can imagine it’s always been Julieta and Pepas life goal to get him there. All you guys make my day with your fantastic creative work!

OMG, anon! Thank you so much!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I definitely want to write more about chubby Bruno so if you have any ideas, you know where the ask box is!

Oh, yes! Julieta and Pepa are his older sisters and they are programmed to want to spoil him, to finally have him happy and healthy. Alma and the rest of the family would certainly agree as well.

(What about a fic from Félix and Agustín's perspective...? I know I'll just end up with another series. lmao)

#this is the discrepancy between waach and #pinching the pancita #in the first #i portray the poor man as needing desperate HELP #and in the second #he got it at last #asks #bruno madrigal #encanto #encanto fanfic

[dikanamai]

Since I've seen many comments about the "After you save the miracle, come visit" moment, and recently crossed with one of those again, now I can't stop thinking about it too, because… am I the only one who felt really "what the actual fuck, Bruno" when he says that? Like, the hell are you saying, man.

This thing intrigues me, because he makes this face when Mira says she's gonna bring him home:

And that's not the face of someone willing to keep away from his love ones. That's the face of someone who's almost begging to come back.

Ten years are a very long time. Thinking about it, I wonder about the different phases he came through during those years and how his feelings developed. He hid in a hurry, out of desperation. He thought it was the better option, to keep Mira safe but also to protect the whole family. He sacrificed himself. But he was still there, so he saw what his absence triggered. He saw how Alma's stress, fear and paranoia rocketed, which translated into more pressure for the whole family. He saw Pepa cracking and losing even more stability. He saw Julieta focusing so much on Mirabel, trying to ease her baby's suffering, that she neglected totally Isabela and Luisa, who had to endure their suffering on their own. The family went to hell after he left, though he thought he was helping them by leaving. And I wonder if at some point, over all those days of isolation… did he start thinking "omg I made a mistake"?

Perhaps, in the first weeks or even the first months, he thought "if I come out now, I still could fix this". Maybe he thought about it every day, getting frightened by the simple idea of showing up again after such a disaster. So time passed and months turned into years, and then the question would be: if I come out now… could I still fix this? I'm sure he was perfectly aware of the pain he had caused, that's why he tried so hard to apologize at the end of the movie. But while he was alone inside the walls, that pain probably looked irreparable. Maybe he thought if they discovered he was there (he had been there all the time) and had left them in the dark for years, seeing them suffering without raising a finger, no one would ever forgive him. Maybe he thought he didn't even deserve to be forgiven. His hypothetical confrontation with the family wasn't just a confrontation with the family; it was also a "Dorian Gray facing his painting" situation.

I always see Bruno being portrayed as a poor, helpless victim of other's perception about him, feeling miserable for it, or as a resentful man towards Alma and the rest of the family for not supporting him enough in the past. But I never see anyone exploring this feeling of guilt about the mistakes he actually made, the resentment towards himself for the help he didn't offer or the regret towards his wrong decisions. Not the made up shit other people put over him, but the shit he really did. And I find all of that far more powerful.

For me, the "come visit" moment is not cute or endearing at all. It's the lowest moment of a man so overwhelmed by his own guilt and shame that feels unable to face the consequences of his decisions (consequences he's been avoiding for ten years, btw). He's there waiting for someone to tell him "I'll bring you home", because he's so trapped in his own super plan to protect the family that he has no idea of how to break free of it. He needs to be told "you're still welcome and this is your place", and it has to be his 15 years old niece the one who saves him, instead of the opposite. What a shame, Bruno (I'm joking, don't worry, I honestly pity him).

And yeah, he finally manages to gather enough courage to face Alma at the river to defend Mirabel, and don't take me wrong, I'm not saying that moment isn't dramatic and moving and important for his own character arch. But it's also funny for me how he represents then perfectly (just like everyone of us who suffer anxiety) the meme of "yeah, you'll be glad to know it took me five minutes to accomplish the task I'd been avoiding for ten years", lol.

#encanto #encanto analysis #bruno madrigal #Bruno has a lot of layers and a lot of potential #it's a pity most of them get erased by the over victimization the fandom applies on him #yes he was a victim #as everyone else in the family #and he was guilty too #also as everyone else in the family

[amethystpath-writes]

Monsters and Legends

Don’t worry, it’s fluff :)

(NOT A PR0MPT)

Villain and hero need to stop a bigger villain by somehow acting as a couple, only for them to share a single room and a single bed (im grinning so hard rn) I giggled when I read this request:

******

The phone rang once, twice, three times.

��Why are you calling me?” Hero’s voice was a groan, one annoyed and filled with malice- or was it anxiousness?

Villain understood he was probably the last person Hero would want to hear from. Why would the bad guy of the city be calling her anyways, and how’d he find her number? Those were questions which Hero could ask later. For now- “I need your help,” Villain pleaded right away.

“You need my help?” Hero laughed brittlely on the other end of the line. That’s how Villain heard it, at least. “What makes you think I would ever help y-”

“Supervillain.”

The line went silent as the horror of such a simple name settled in. It wouldn’t matter to Hero how Supervillain’s name still existed- why it was still being muttered, unforgotten. All that meant was that Supervillain was still prevalent, which further meant something needed to be done.

“Is he still alive?”

Well, I suppose that’s a question I can answer for now. “Yes, that’s why I need you. I can’t vanquish him on my own, Hero.”

Yeah? What was Hero supposed to do about it? She wasn’t capable of fighting Supervillain, even if she fought him alongside Villain. The two of them together were still no match for such a beast, a mistake made by nature. Supervillain wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for his ill intentions.

“We beat him before, Hero,” Villain said after another long silence. “We can do it again.”

Hero said, “If we beat him before, then why is he back?” This wasn’t the first time Hero felt hopeless. Even before Supervillain, she had days where she was convinced Villain was unbeatable. She got past that part of her depression, obviously, but it didn’t mean that anxiety didn’t exist elsewhere- such as when it came to Supervillain. “Villain, I quit this business after the first round. I can’t…I can’t do it again.”

“I know.” Villain nodded, even knowing Hero wouldn’t see it on the phone pressed against her ear. “I know, and I get it.”

“If you did, you wouldn’t have called.”

Villain sighed. Maybe she was right, but… “You’re the only one I know who can pull this off.”

“Pull what off, Villain? What plan have you made up that you think might actually be enough? We killed Supervillain. We killed him, and yet you’re telling me that he’s alive? We can’t beat him.”

How could Villain say this? How did he portray this compliment without it sounding like an insult? “Where you lack in strength, you lead in intelligence. You- you’re able to think things out in a moment, whereas it takes me ages. You are so much more capable than you think you are and, believe it or not, I have always admired you.”

Right. Hero wasn’t so certain Villain was telling the truth. Sure, she was smart, and she could even admit that, but…intelligence couldn’t defeat an undead man. Even if it did, what made Villain say something kind to her? He would never spare a compliment to someone as poor as Hero; he wouldn’t spare an insult either. And anyways, who would admire an anxious mess? Not a villain, not by any means, right?

“Why do you need me? What has made you turn to a last resort?” Last resort, meaning asking anyone for help when Villain preferred to work alone.

Villain’s palms were sweating, his phone nearly sliding out of his hand the longer he remained on the line. “He wants my allegiance. Rejecting him would be a death sentence, and you know it. I don’t want to die. Not now. Not just yet. At the same time, I am not going to work for or with this guy.”

Hero was still failing to understand. “How do I fit into this,” she rephrased, “beyond you needing my intelligence?”

“Supervillain never knew you. He doesn’t know your face, your name, your priorities.”

“And?”

“And I told him I have a wife who insists on working with me.”

No. No, no, no. No. But she didn’t say this. “So, you are asking me to jeopardize my own life by appearing at your side as a fake wife who doesn’t know how to properly defend herself.”

“I could teach you, Hero. I’m trained. Strength means nothing if your opponent has technique. I can teach you,” Villain repeated, hands heating impossibly more. “Do this for me and I’ll- I’ll…”

Precisely. “There is nothing you can offer me, Villain.”

“If you don’t do this,” Villain returned, gripping his phone with white knuckles, and curled toes which dug into his carpeted floor, “everyone else will suffer for it. Yourself, included. I don’t know about you, but I think you’ve suffered enough.”

You don’t mean that, Hero wanted to say. You don’t mean anything nice that you’re saying. You’re just desperate. You know that I’ll do anything if it means someone will tell me they’re proud of me at the end of the day. She thought this of everyone- even herself, only she knew someone else was more likely to say they were proud of her than herself.

How did anyone ever call her a hero when she couldn’t even save her own mind from destroying itself?

Easy.

She was a villain to herself, and a hero to others.

“How do I know he’s alive? Am I supposed to take your word for it?”

Villain almost said yes, but he knew Hero would require proof. She didn’t trust herself, let alone anyone else in the world. “There is no evidence of him, but if you’d like to handcuff me every moment we are alone, then I suppose I will hand that to you as your security.”

Hero’s eyes widened. She didn’t have handcuffs; she was no officer, but for Villain to say that, and with such a serious tone…he wouldn’t say something so disadvantageous to him if he didn’t mean it- if it weren’t necessary to gain Hero’s assistance.

“What will it mean,” Hero asked, “to be your wife?”

***

“Supervillain paid for our room.”

Our room? Hero blinked hard before glancing around the hotel lobby. Well, it was beautiful, but Hero hardly had the brain capacity to think about that. “You said our room,” she commented, lips thin and an eyebrow quirked.

“We’re husband and wife.”

“We’re pretending to be husband and wife,” Hero said in a hush-hush tone, hand squeezing Villain’s for umph.

Even as she said it quietly, Villain scolded her lightly, “Lower your voice if you’re going to say things like that.” Villain began his trek to the elevator, arm extending behind him as Hero followed, hand still in his. As much as she hated this act, she sure did like to hold his hand, it seemed. Maybe it was her anxiety which told her any hand was a good hand, even if it were stained in life after life of blood and tears.

“I don’t want to share a room with you,” Hero whispered, so low that Villain wouldn’t have heard her fully had he not turned his ear towards her as they walked down the hall of the seventh floor. “How will I know you won’t take advantage of me?”

Right. No handcuffs. “You think I’d try to kill you after I called you and begged for your help?”

“It could be a trap,” Hero said, tugging her hand out of Villain’s, stopping in the middle of the hall.

“Maybe. But imagine if it isn’t a trap. Imagine you back out now, and the world goes extinct. What regrets would you have then? Surely, they wouldn’t be as bad as committing yourself to a trap, causing only yourself harm instead of billions.”

His tone wasn’t condescending, but it held such magnificence that Hero couldn’t help but cast her eyes downward and nod in silent guilt. Guilt because why couldn’t she have thought of such a scenario on her own? Was she selfish for being so afraid of Villain?

“You’re right.” Hero nodded. “You’re right and I’m sorry.”

Villain took her hand in his own again, softly, with fragile care. “You don’t need to apologize. Your nerves aren’t without reason. I’ll admit I’m not the most trustworthy man. I get it. Remember you are not jeopardizing yourself for me. You’re doing it for the world.”

***

The bed was comfortable- even with Villain laying by Hero’s side. Actually, Villain being by her side might have been what made it so comfortable. The blanket which the hotel provided was too warm, but the body heat which Villain radiated was just comfortable enough that Hero struggled to keep her distrusting eyes open.

“I don’t believe this,” Hero whispered in the dark of the room, expecting Villain to be fast asleep. Apparently, he slept as little as she did.

Villain rolled flat against the mattress before turning on his other side to face Hero, earning a light gasp of surprise from her. “About Supervillain?” he asked- suggesting that Supervillain was still alive.

After regaining a state of sanity, Hero mumbled that, yes, Supervillain being alive seemed unreal, but that wasn’t what she meant. She meant that she was laying next to a man who she both despised and was deathly frightened of, and yet she was comfortable with it- comfortable with his heat. It shouldn’t have meant much; it was only science at play, but it still irked her. Of course, Hero didn’t say any of this.

“It isn’t so bad sharing a bed, is it?” Villain yawned and did a little stretch with his arms, groaning as the skin and muscles of his torso stretched. “You have your side. I have mine.”

“Not so bad,” she agreed.

There was still a danger to it, Hero acknowledged. She was still side-by-side with a villain, still frightened by the thought of Villain silently reaching over the moment he heard Hero’s breathing slowing, pushing a knife against her sleeping body, and shiv her through without a thought. It was possible, and it was likely, wasn’t it?

“Have you thought about what you’ll do tomorrow?” Villain asked.

“Me?” Hero swallowed. “I…no, I haven’t thought about it.”

“That’s unlike you.”

Hero turned her head over her shoulder, finding Villain’s moonlight glinting eyes. “Asking someone for help is unlike you. What made you do it?”

“I couldn’t do it alone. I told you-”

“That’s not the truth. Well, it is, but it’s not the full truth.” Hero paused. “When have you ever admitted that you aren’t enough to accomplish a goal? You sought me out for my intelligence, but what else? You don’t ask for help, Villain. It’s not who you are.”

Silence followed, giving hero enough time to gather the courage it took to roll over, to face Villain with her whole body like he did with her before yawning.

“I’m scared,” Villain said, matter-of-factly. “I’m scared that when it is all over, then history will forget me for all the terrible things I’ve done.”

Confused, Hero asked, “Wasn’t the reason you chose the dark side because your crimes would be so extravagantly memorable?” This conversation wasn’t aiding Hero’s underlying fear of lying in bed with Villain. Still, she wanted answers.

“I realized I was wrong. If I don’t do something good for once, I’ll be remembered as a monster, and you see, I want to be remembered as a legend.” Villain drew in a deep breath, turning his head slightly away from Hero before exhaling. “There’s a difference between monsters and legends, I realized. Honour is legendary; Fear is monstrous. Having said that, there’s no fear in honour, so what’s the point in all those criminal activities except mindlessness and naivety? It’s not as fun or rewarding as I thought it’d be.”

“You stay awake and think at night like I do, don’t you?”

Villain nodded. Hero nodded.

Hero’s hand slid across the sheets until her fingertips touched Villain’s. Holding his hand was comforting when she considered they would be meeting Supervillain tomorrow- that Villain’s face would be the only familiar one, the only one she could trust even though she hardly even trusted it at all.

Hearing what Villain said now, in the deepest stage of the night…maybe he was worth trusting.

Maybe there was a good reason she was holding his hand.

And maybe there was a good reason she enjoyed the warmth that rolled off her body.

Maybe there was a reason beyond anxiousness and fear that made Hero’s heart beat a little faster than usual.

“Do you think we could both be legends?” Hero asked, to which Villain responded, with a tight squeeze of Hero’s hand:

“I do.”

It wasn’t the only time he would utter those words. Next time, Hero would be wearing a white gown, and Villain, a tux.

#NOT A PR0MPT #request fill #Monsters and Legends #2138 words #It's a long one and I quite enjoyed writing it :) #long post #fluff #hero x villain fluff #hero x villain #hero x villain drabble #hero x villain snippet #hero x villain story #one bed #one bed trope #i'm sure there's a tag that exists for that somewhere haha #posting this at a weird time because i don't have my library hotspot anymore :p #heroes and villains #hero #villain #hero whumpee #villain whumpee #villain whumper #used to be whumper #now he's a whumpee #supervillain whumper #How did you all like that ending? 😏 #anyway- it's way too late for me to be up right now so goodnight/morning/evening my goblins <3