#it's a cool way to confront the idea of fate | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

anodymalion · 27 days

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Oh man oh man I just saw an Outer Wilds fanart done in the style of a tarot card and I had to immediately drop everything I was doing to think through what an all-Outer-Wilds version of the major arcana would be. I think I have it, it's under the read more because it's long and also there are major major spoilers (unsurprisingly).

0. The Fool: The Hatchling This one is easy. The hatchling is at the beginning of their journey, stepping into the unknown.

1. The Magician: Pye Bringing intention and direction, choosing a path, and channeling cosmic power - yeah I think Pye of “science compels us to explode the sun” fame fits this pretty perfectly.

2. The High Priestess: The Nomai Statues Ok, I kinda struggled with this one, but I think it works. Hidden knowledge, dealing with the mind, the subsconscious vs conscious, veils between worlds. The statues are mysterious and they transmit your knowledge to your previous selves. That fits decently well and also I don’t have a better idea.

3. The Empress: Timber Hearth Ok, I really struggled with this one. I’m going for the themes of creation, life, nature, and nurturing by choosing Timber Hearth since it is literally where life in the solar system grew. I'm not happy with this but whatever.

4. The Emperor: The Vault Authority, establishment, control to the point of domination. They sealed the Prisoner in the vault for defying the system. Plus the Vault looks cool and imposing so we have that going for us.

5. The Hierophant: Solanum Connecting to the past, passing on wisdom, initiation into a spiritual practice (aka reaching the QM). Yeah this is Solanum.

6. The Lovers: Nomai Graveyard (Emotional damage pt 1) I’m so so sorry but it works so well. What says love besides holding your friends close as you all asphyxiate to death?

7. The Chariot: Your Ship Maybe this one is a little too literal but I still think it fits. Determination and drive, knowing where you want to go, overcoming obstacles. Also it's literally your ship. It works.

8. Strength: Chert I’m going to be honest.... Chert is here because they were the only traveler that didn’t have a card that clearly fit, and I couldn’t leave only them out when I gave all the other travelers cards, and I didn’t have another idea for what Strength should be. Hand-wavy explanation: view Strength as getting to the core of confronting your fear and anger and pain and coming out the other side, and, well, Chert having a existential breakdown and then coming to a place of calm acceptance about the inevitability of death sort of… fits…. look just pretend this one makes sense and let’s move along quickly -

9. The Hermit: Feldspar Self-explanatory. The literal solitude, yeah, but also Feldspar is this mentor figure who guides you on your journey, and is apparently happy to just sit and chill in the nightmare hell that is Dark Bramble. It works.

10. The Wheel of Fortune: The Advanced Warp Core in the ATP Change, fate, turning points, cycles - and the breaking of cycles. This is another easy one.

11. Justice: The Prisoner There are a lot of ways you can interpret this. You have the Prisoner defying their society’s rules in an attempt to do what is right, and the strangers believing they were dispensing justice by imprisoning them but actually causing harm. The more I think about this one the more I like it.

12. The Hanged Man: Gabbro Another easy one. Taking a pause to rest, passivity, acceptance, independence, seeing things differently. Plus you even get the literal imagery of them hanging on the hammock, floating in zero-g. This is a slam dunk.

13. Death: The skull + flower from the Strangers’ visions of the Eye Letting go to allow the world to change and let new things grow is literally what this vision is about. Plus it’s a skull! I mean it’s right there.

14. Temperance: Riebeck Steadiness, moderation, plus the duality of Riebeck being terrified of space but still choosing to go out into it.

15. The Devil: The Eye Signal Blocker Destruction, complicity in oppression, avoiding accountability, confronting fear (or avoiding doing so). Oh yeah I’m so on board with this being the Eye Signal Blocker.

16. The Tower: The Interloper (Emotional damage part 2). The destruction of the status quo, disaster, tragedy, upheaval. There is no question here.

17. The Star: The Eye Searching for purpose, navigating a path, themes of renewal. Plus it even kinda has a star-like shape. It’s the Eye.

18. The Moon: The Quantum Moon Look, sometimes the literal choice works. Mystery, secrets, illusions? Yeah, that’s QM alright.

19. The Sun: The Sun Who could have seen this one coming??? ….The thing is… the meaning of the tarot Sun card absolutely doesn’t match the purpose the sun plays in Outer Wilds. But there is nothing else that could be the sun. It’s the sun!

20. Judgement: The Campfire in the Starry Forest Facing yourself, facing the truth, acceptance, ultimately letting go so that you can reach the end. Yeah.

21. The World: The Big Bang The end, and the beginning.

#I *need* to learn to draw fr so I can do this aghhhh #outer wilds #outer wilds spoilers #echoes of the eye

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rorypostss · 9 months

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Coffee Break Confessions

Summary: During a hectic day at the BAU, you and Aaron find a moment of respite in the break room. As you share a cup of coffee, you open up about your dreams, fears, and aspirations, forging a deeper connection and understanding between you.

Contains: Fear of frog, spoiler about Haley, talk about a case,

As the plane gently touched down on the runway in Quantico, Virginia, you couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. It had been an exhausting and emotionally draining case in New York, where a sadistic killer had been terrorizing the city, preying on his victims' deepest fears.

Stepping off the plane, you were greeted by the cool evening air, which carried a hint of the approaching autumn. The breeze played with your hair, gently brushing against your face, as if nature itself was trying to soothe the lingering unease from the case.

You couldn't help but crave a dose of caffeine after such an exhausting week. With your energy levels running low, your first instinct was to head straight to the break room for a revitalizing cup of coffee. To your surprise, it seemed that Aaron Hotchner had the same idea, as he quietly joined you in the coffee room.

As you fired up the coffee maker, the late hour casting a quiet ambiance in the room, you turned to Aaron Hotchner and offered, "Would you like a cup?" It was just the two of you, making the interaction feel more intimate. He nodded appreciatively, his reply a simple "Yes, please." With a nod of your own, you began pouring the coffee into the cups.

"One sugar, please," he requested, and you obliged, adding the sweetener to his drink. As you handed him his cup, your eyes caught a glimpse of his hand, still showing signs of the injury he had sustained while apprehending the unsub. Concerned, you gently gestured towards his scraped-up hand and advised, "You should put something on that."

"I'll be fine," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of reassurance, his chest subtly puffing out with resilience. After a few moments of silence, both of you savoring the warmth of the coffee, you couldn't help but speak up, your tone tinged with sadness. "What a way to die, death by your biggest fear," you mused, shaking your head. As you stared into your half-drunk coffee, “I know” he sighed, understanding the weight of such a fate.

A soft chuckle escaped you as you remembered your own deepest fear. "I'm scared of frogs," you admitted. His eyebrow arched curiously, his gaze fixed on you, intrigued by your unexpected revelation.

"Frogs?" he asked, stunned by the revelation. He had witnessed you fearlessly confront and outmaneuver dangerous unsubs, engage in playful battles with Derek, and undertake numerous daring feats that most people wouldn't dare to attempt. Learning that you were scared of frogs caught him off guard. You groaned and sank into an empty chair, seeking comfort “don’t laugh at me”. Aaron leaned back against the wall, studying you with genuine curiosity.

"I'm not laughing at you," he reassured you, lifting his coffee mug to his lips. "I'm just curious why frogs?" he inquired before taking a sip of his drink. Your rapid explanation followed, your words spilling out in a rush. "I don't know, I just always have been. I remember when I was young and would visit my great aunt and uncle's cabin. There were always frogs, and they just freaked me out. I once refused to leave the cabin the entire time I was there because of the frogs." Your voice held a mix of nostalgia and slight embarrassment.

He chuckled softly, appreciating the unique quirk that was your fast-talking. Many people had criticized it as a flaw, complaining that they couldn't understand you. But to Aaron, it was one of the things he adored about you. He always managed to keep up and grasp the essence of your words, appreciating the authenticity in your rapid delivery.

"How would that even work?" Aaron asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Like being killed by frogs?" He nodded in confirmation,

"Maybe they lock me in a room full of frogs, I don't know," you shrugged, trying to imagine the scenario.

"How about you?" you asked, genuinely curious. "What about your deepest fear?" The words lingered in the air, bouncing around in his mind. Memories flooded back to Aaron—memories of his late ex-wife, Haley, and the unimaginable pain he felt when she was taken from him. He had always believed that losing her was his greatest fear, but now, standing here with you, it was different.

"You," he blurted out, not fully realizing the weight of his words. Your eyes widened in surprise, your heart skipping a beat. The man you had secretly liked for so long, the one who remembered your favorite food and surprised you with it at lunch, was afraid of you?

"Me?" you whispered, your voice barely audible. The revelation left you speechless, a mixture of emotions swirling inside you. You couldn't believe what you were hearing.

"No, no, no," Aaron quickly interjected, his gaze fixed on his cup as he absentmindedly stirred his drink. His movements were restless, his thoughts racing. "I mean... I'm scared of losing you," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. The vulnerability in his words struck a chord deep within you, and you realized just how much he cared.

This case made him realize he couldn’t lose you, he needed you.

"Oh," you managed to say, your voice filled with a mix of surprise and anticipation. The air hung heavy with expectation, and for a few seconds, an awkward silence enveloped the room. You could feel Aaron's gaze on you, waiting for your response. Your mind raced, trying to process the enormity of the moment. Did he feel the same way you did all these months?

"Aaron?" you spoke softly, rising from your seat and taking a step closer to him. He hesitated, still avoiding direct eye contact, his focus fixed on his drink. Gathering your courage, you gently reached out and took the cup from his hand, placing it carefully on the counter. The gesture was both comforting and symbolic, conveying your desire to be fully present in that moment.

"I'm afraid of losing you too," you confessed, your voice filled with sincerity. His eyes finally met yours, searching for confirmation and reassurance. "Really?" he asked, a glimmer of hope and vulnerability shining in his eyes. You nodded, a genuine smile gracing your lips as you looked at him.

"More than your fear of frogs?" you tilted your head playfully, “well” you squeaked, teasing him gently. His chuckle filled the room, a sound that warmed your heart. In response, he lightly shoved your shoulder, a playful gesture that conveyed his affection. But then, he surprised you by pulling you closer, bridging the gap between you, and connecting your lips together.

In that moment, the world around you seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you immersed in a profound and heartfelt connection. The kiss spoke volumes, expressing the depth of your feelings for each other and sealing a new chapter in your shared journey.

#aaron hotchner x reader #criminal minds #aaron hotchner #hotch #criminal minds x reader #hotch x reader

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mistress-of-malevolence · 11 months

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For this year's Mer-may (which I definitely didn't almost forget about) I present Angler Fish N & Octopus Uzi~ just the sketches though.

◀◁Possible AU details below? ▷▶ Warning: Long.

Ok, so I've never really made an AU before. Still, While I was designing these I was trying to figure out how the sea/ocean creatures would work good not just with their respective species (worker, disassembly) and abilities but also how I could integrate their pre-existing designs so that they would look nice and make sense.

First, I decided I didn't want them to be robotic for this since I like working with organic creatures a bit more. Having flesh eliminates most movement restrictions when posing since the body material is malleable. while the idea of robot mermaids is cool, I didn't feel like drawing a bunch of joints and stuff like that. Second, If they were organic then I needed to figure out why they were fighting if it wasn't for a huge human plot to destroy rouge AI. And finally, how was I going to incorporate their powers like absolute solver and other such stuff without necessarily using technology. Having all these things in the back of my head while I was drawing led to the following, so without further ado, here's that ↓. This gonna be long, I can already feel it...

_______

◇Story stuff.

A long time ago, merpeople ruled the water in peace. Humans kept to the land and the only thing they had to worry about were the sirens: Natural predators to the merpeople.

In the eyes of the merfolk, sirens were dangerous. Mindless, bloodthirsty monsters that couldn't be reasoned with. fortunately, their naturally heightened senses left them sensitive to sunlight. This kept them mostly contained to deeper, darker waters than the merpeople usually inhabited.

During the day it was safe to hunt, play and generally flourish as a species and at night they would hide in sea caves and other small spaces that a siren would have trouble fitting into.

That's how it was for many peaceful years. Occasionally one or two would die a victim to the monsters of the deep, but that was just nature.

But slowly as time moved forward and Humanity continued to develop, the merpeople were driven to deeper waters to escape pollution and being hunted.

Uzi's mother, Nori began having visions of a terrible fate that awaited her kind if things continued as they were and after weeks of pleading with her people and her husband to heed the warnings, she went to the sirens alone. for what reason? No one really knows. It's a mystery that only she knew the answer to.

After getting stung by the sirens paralyzing venom, her husband Khan made the heartbreaking decision to put Nori out of her misery before the sirens could do any worse, leaving him to raise their infant daughter Uzi by himself.

The incident resulted in a lot of deaths and many of the families of those that had passed blamed Nori. Saying that she was a mad woman and rumouring that she was a witch who had been meddling in dark magic that caused her to lose her mind and wander towards her death.

Seventeen years later, Uzi had grown up to be an unstable and particularly angsty teenager with a strained relationship with her colony and her father. Uzi believed that the ever-looming threat of the sirens was not something to hide from, but to confront head-on. Such notions labelled her as her mother's daughter in the worst ways possible: Crazy, an incident waiting to happen, most likely going to get eaten by a siren for reasons they will never understand.

Khan had kept the colony safe since Nori's death by having everyone hide away in a cavern big enough to house them but with an entrance so well hidden that everyone believed that the sirens would never find a way in.

Inevitably, Uzi grew tired of cowering and after fashioning the first semi-modern weapon her people had seen out of sea trash and other things humans had chosen to toss into their waters, she snuck out to confront the enemy.

The siren's lair was decorated rather grimly, with the nest seemingly fashioned out of the bones of long-dead mermaids, skulls stacked up together to make the walls of the lair. Inside the dimly lit den was a single male siren who was in the middle of feasting on a mummified corpse which looked to have been drained of all its blood.

As soon as he noticed her, he rushed toward her with killing intent. Uzi's fight or flight kicked in as she brandished her weapon, but it failed to deter the monster in his bloodthirsty craze. He grabbed her by the shoulders, stinging her with the paralyzing toxin in his Claws. Uzi barely managed to break free from his grip by slashing his face with her weapon, sending him reeling back from shock.

Uzi immediately felt her limbs growing heavier but ignored it in favour of taking the opportunity to take the Siren by surprise. While he was distracted she threw her weapon to the ceiling causing an avalanche of skulls to come crashing down on top of him. Uzi had only a moment to breathe, thinking her enemy was buried and dead before a clawed hand burst through the top of the pile like a zombie about to dig itself out of the grave.

Panic surged through her and with as much strength she could muster she pushed away the darkening of her vision and forced the few tentacles that didn't refuse to move to propel her forward with enough force to hopefully finish the job.

The siren's head burst through the pile of death with a groan of pain, but before he could do anything else, he was knocked unconscious as rock made contact with his already aching head.

All was silent for a moment, Uzi fighting for consciousness as her vision continued to darken, whether she was just crashing from the adrenaline or if the toxin was shutting her brain down she wasn't sure. but then the monster woke up, a confused look on his face as he pulled himself out of the skeletons. he blinked and turned his attention to the little creature before him.

"Did you just hit me with that rock?"

"Holy crap it talks."

_______

◈Extra details.

-The sirens and Humans have a deal with each other that if the humans drive the Mer-people deeper into siren territory the sirens will kill the species off in exchange for making them more powerful.

-Apparently, the humans want them dead because they are considered a threat, and can't be reasoned with.

-this is a giant lie on the human part, as they have made no attempt to talk with the merpeople and plan to kill all the sirens after the mermaids are dead.

-Rather than absolute solver being a program I'm changing it to being some form of magic that the humans discovered mermaids had after analyzing corpses that had washed ashore.

-In order to gain this power plan on reverse engineering it from the merpeople's remains while eliminating the prospective threat to humanity at the same time.

-The humans claim that they will make the sirens more powerful by implementing them with tech that will supposedly allow them to live and hunt during the day.

-This tech would actually be something of a remote detonator that once activated would be used to kill all the sirens off at once.

-I haven't decided if all sirens are angler fish, but probably not because that would be boring for me to design.

-Not all merpeople are Octopi though, that's for sure.

-I'd say that since merpeople can be the same species without necessarily being based around the same sea creature, the babies would simply take after one parent entirely.

-This would make sense in this as to why Uzi looks like the spitting image of her mom.

-While trying to figure out Absolute Solver I was really channelling Ursula for Uzi with the skull and the octopus stuff and it all just kinda resulted in sea-witch.

-Both mermaids and Sirens got bioluminescence as a default so that we don't gotta stifle that glow they got in canon.

-Since it wouldn't make sense for fish to have screens and stuff of their faces and bodies, those dark areas where the face-screen would be are just body markings now.

-Uzi's hat is now a sea anemone that just kinda chills on top of her head, kinda like how they do with crabs in real life.

________

I know this was really fucking long but if you made it to the end, thank you very much for reading❤️

Im still workshopping this and I don't even know if anyone has already done something like this. I wouldn't be too surprised if they had since it's May and Mermaids are pretty popular... idk, if I make a fic I'll let you know.

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lloydfrontera · 1 month

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So I know that Lloyd haveing nothing in Korea is used narratively to contast how far he's come in Lorasia. But a part of me really wants him to have like one friend, or coworker, or cousin, or just someone that he was relatively close to. I think it would be cool if his choice to stay with the Frontera's more of an active decision rather than his only real option.

But mostly, I want this for Javier. We already know Javier was willing to drag Lloyd kicking and screaming back to Lorasia if he had to. So if while they were in Korea and he happened to see someone whom Lloyd had a strange connection with (or worse, they seemed to be actively mourning Suho's disapearance), I think it could add some juicy internal conflict.

I know this probably wouldn't work in cannon. But I just want Javier to be confronted with physical proof that Lloyd was a real person who had his own life before they became family.

ooohhh i do see where you're coming from that would've been fascinating to explore!

i mean it was fun to explore in cpsm, i think it was pretty well done there and i loved the way bk moon chose to approach rakiel's situation with his friends so i think he would've done a pretty good job had he chosen to do something similar in tged.

i see what you mean with making lloyd's choice to stay with the fronteras more of an active choice rather than his only option and i do think it would've been very poignant if he had to actually leave something precious to him behind to fully embrace his new family!

but i do think it would've slightly diminished the choice he did make in canon when it came to choosing who was he willing to sacrifice, javier or himself, to stop the restoration of fate. in canon it's a really tragic choice, because there's really not a good option for lloyd. he refuses to even consider letting javier die, so really it's between dying or going back to seoul and he makes it very clear that death would be the kinder option for him.

if he has someone he's close to back in seoul, a friend or family, someone who's actually mourning for him, then that makes his choice of dying seem less like the decision of someone terrified to being alone again and more like someone who doesn't care for the pain his loved ones are going through because of him.

if lloyd had had someone to go back to in seoul, then him choosing to stay in lorasia despite the danger he represents to everyone he loves there would've made him a lot more selfish than he is in canon where he genuinely feels like dying is his only real option because anything else would be even worse.

that being said. i am always down for giving javier even more mental issues about lloyd than he already has so adding an element of guilt and conflict to his resolution to keep lloyd with them at any cost is right up my alley <3

and the thing is javier kind of already has an idea of what lloyd's life was back in seoul. nothing specific of course but he pays enough attention to what lloyd sometimes lets slip out to know that it was Not Good. so i think that, at least subconsciously, he wasn't all that guilty about thinking of forcing him to come back with him if necessary.

of course it's still fucked up that he was thinking of dragging him back if lloyd had wanted to stay but it's okay i love it when he's a fucked up little guy <3

but if he'd had actual real proof that lloyd had had a whole life before meeting them... then yeah i think he would've been a little more conflicted about it. not enough to not be resolved to take lloyd with him anyway, not when the fronteras and the estate depend from it, but still. he would've felt more than just 'apologetic' about it.

in any case it would've been interesting to see! as i said i am always down for introducing even more angst into this already messy situation! thanks for sending me this!

#hey i got an ask #appledawn3464-blog #tged #the greatest estate developer

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jessequinnfirstofhername · 27 days

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controversial opinion (I don't think it is tho) : I think people who hate on Shin are kind of unreasonable to be honest? It seems the core hatred for the character was born when the wolfwren ship got celebrated by the stars of the Ahsoka series, by conflicting ships. The idea she is a "bloodthirsty, violent, psychopath" is... not really founded when you look at every minute she is on screen. She is on the opposite side of a war, so yes she kills people who see as "good", but there are no moments in the series where the villainy she is accused of truly comes out.

The truth is that aside from cool fights here and there, Shin doesn't talk that much and doesn't make that many decisions that are not someone else's (her Master's.) So the very few words she does say and the very few decisions she does make on her own matter all that much more. The fact Filoni made sure that the stab wound made to Sabine is visibly at an angle certainly explained her survival, but it seems people who hate Shin reject the nation of asking themselves "why stab someone non fataly?" Because yeah... why do that? Another few moments is her pursuing her fight with Sabine in her rage, stopped by Baylan. And last big action she commits on her own is questioning her master about the promise he made to Sabine. Breaking the promise achieves their goal, there is little since to questioning it if ahe is as evil and bad as she is framed to be. She doesn't have a clean slate, but people can love Anakin for commotting the jedi equivalent of a school shooting and they can love Maul for killing plenty of beloved characters. Shin's crimes pale in comparison for the level of hate she gets.

My opinion is that she is villainized this hard because certain people think that if Shin is bad and evil and crazy, she won't be shipped with Sabine Wren. And when you hate a character for what people think of the character inside their heads... you kind of lost the plot?

I just think so many people are missing so much of the mysteries and intrigues around Shin specifically. Baylan knew the jedi order, he knows the millenias of history between the sith and the jedi, but Shin? She wields a red lightsaber and has a jedi padawan braid. When she talked about a jedi, she said "just like me." She has no conception of this hard solid line between light and dark, she sees opposing goals, she doesn't hate the jedi, Baylan certainly seems to have no hate for them and he is her master. Clearly he never taught her something that goes against what he fundamentally believes. So we are left with a New Empire hired padawan of a former jedi, who cannot draw the line between the light and the dark fully, who relates to a jedi and value to some degree promises made to them, who now has to confront the other side in a serious way to know where she stands in the full big picture of the fate of the galaxy. COME ONE THIS IS SO COOL.

Why so much hate? All for a ship? Shin to me was the highlight of the Ahsoka series. Many speculate she will be a jedi and I think they may be right, I think Baylan and Ahsoka are different shades of grey, and their padawan are destined to choose to be jedi like those who trained their masters. Or maybe their own separate shade. People summarizing Shin as a villain to vanquish really seem just focused on keeping Sabine away from her, but whether they remain nemesis or become allies, it is a bit ridiculous not to think they are doomed to have plenty more of story between them.

I like Shin! I also like Wolfwren, I think it's a cute ship.

However, I'm not really involved in the fandoms (or the anti-fandoms) for either, so I don't know too much about The Discourse. I can't really speak much on this issue.

The only thing I feel confident speaking on is this: the fact that Shin is scrutinized for actions that are far, far less severe than what- for example- Anakin Skywalker has done probably has less to do with Wolfwren discourse and more to do with plain old sexism.

If Anakin Skywalker was a female character, we'd live in a world where the character would not be being brought back for nostalgia, and her actress's career would've be destroyed.

A female Hayden Christensen never would've gone on to do movies like Jumper, and there would be no female equivalent of The Haydenaissance.

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox.

That was a really interesting ask, Anon. I'd love to know what people more involved with the Shin/Wolfwren fandom think!

#star wars #shin hati #wolfwren #ahsoka series #jesse’s star wars confessional

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kunikinnie · 1 year

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a/n: i was reading a shoujo manga for... research purposes and there was this portion... ye

warnings: profanity, mentions of sexual harrassment

reacting to you going to a mixer/group date

featuring: Ranpo, Akutagawa, Kunikida x GN!Reader

Edogawa Ranpo

He's annoyed as hell. Not at the fact that you were indeed going to a mixer, but rather that he knew that your intention was to make him jealous and it's working.

Fine, have it your way. You're old enough to do what you want and he's mature enough not to be too affected by it. Besides, there's no reason for Ranpo to be - you're in love with him anyway, so why worry?

It still doesn't lessen the bitter taste in his mouth, though. Seriously you're just wasting time.

He'll bitch about it openly for days until the mixer. That includes questioning your life choices, trash talking men in general, and actively sulking in his desk.

After the date, however, he'll be the quietest he's ever been. He both observes you intently and avoids thinking about you at the same time. Did you really enjoy it that much? Did- did you no longer like him the way you used to? The answer to that is something he's not ready to determine for himself, even if it's clear as day that you still love him very much. His brain's a jumbled mess that he's not sure if he keeps second-guessing himself.

Depending on how you act, he might semi-accidentally confront/confess to you after that.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

He has never been to one nor has even entertained the idea of it, so when he learned of it he was not sure what to feel.

It's not exactly the same as dating, right? So if it was just harmless, commitment-less fun then he wouldn't question it further.

It's when he hears of the harassment that can occur when his anger soars.

Yes, he's confident in your abilities, but to subject yourself to it? Why do that? All for the slim chance of finding a potential partner? Are you that desperate?

To constantly seek approval and appreciation... he knows that feeling all too well and he'd hate for you to endure the same fate.

He'll actually try and stop you from going. He's that worried.

(Or the image of lewd men ogling all over you is just so exaggerated in his head that even Akutagawa wonders why the heck you'd choose those fiends over him.)

Whether or not you go is still up to you, of course. But if you do go, there is a small chance that he will be nearby... just in case he's needed, you know?

If he finds out there's someone you liked even by just a little bit, he'll emotionally and literally distance himself from you. He just can't handle it.

Otherwise, the weight lifted from his mind relieves him by a ton. Not that he'll do anything new to get closer to you, unfortunately, but perhaps he takes a step closer to that.

Kunikida Doppo

You're free to do as you please, so he says nothing and pretends to be cool with it all. Deep inside, however, a million thoughts bounce in his mind all the while.

Was it a sign that you weren't into him? If it was, then could he still do something to change your mind? Or will doing that harm your relationship even more?

Now Kunikida never considered himself to be the attractive sort of guy, but he's not half bad, wasn't he? Hidden insecurities suddenly surface and he gets all anxious.

Being the open book that he is these feelings will seep out during work. Maybe he'll be a little less patient, a little more irritable, and definitely a little sad. As long as the whole affair isn't shoved into his face by you and especially by that idiot, he wouldn't burst.

The way he copes with it is he runs over his ideal partner list and tells himself that maybe you weren't meant for each other (and other bs) in order to convince himself it's nothing he should be affected by.

And yet the moment you walk by he knows he's deeply affected. Damn he liked you this much? Enough to burn that whole list and every similar thought to the ground? Yes. Yes he did.

He'll be available for you if you need him. Do you need someone to rant/cry to after the mixer? Then feel free to call him. Need someone to gush about it without judgement? It hurts, but again he'll be there. Need someone to kick some sketchy dude's ass? Then hell yes, he'll be ready to help you.

The way he reacts to you after the event depends on yours. just like Akutagawa. But unlike him he wouldn't leave your side, even only as a friend, since his loyalty to you surpasses any hurt he may have.

#bsd #edogawa ranpo #akutagawa ryuunosuke #kunikida doppo #ranpo x reader #akutagawa x reader #kunikida x reader

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godsfavoritescientist · 9 months

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Building off of what I wrote in my fic "Sparks," I'm really compelled by the idea of Ford genuinely no longer being interested in sailing around in a boat with Stan by the time they were seniors in high school.

I like the idea of it not being just a symptom of the resentment that had been building between them, nor it being a dream of Ford's that only paled in comparison to west coast tech, but it being a genuine loss of interest on Ford's end. I think it complicates things even further in some really juicy ways.

Like, imagine going through high school slowly losing more and more interest in the dream you've shared with your twin and only friend ever since you were little kids. How do you break it to him? How do you explain it to him without making it sound like a rejection of him? Without it making him hate you?

How do you explain it without it feeling like a spit in the face to all the hard work he's put into a plan that started out as a way of him comforting you by telling you "it doesn't matter what people say about you, you're going to be an adventurer who sails away into the sunset and never has to hear their mockery ever again, and there will be babes and treasure and heroism, and then they'll all see how cool you really are!"

And all through high school you think to yourself, "he's going to move on to more realistic dreams any day now, and then I won't have to say anything about it!" But no matter how many times you mention something else he could do with his life that he seems interested in, or bring up the challenging logistics of traveling around long-term in a boat, he sounds just as committed to the childhood dream as ever, and completely oblivious to how apprehensive you sound.

So resentment grows, little by little. Because that's easier than confronting the soul-crushing levels of guilt that are building up inside of you, every time you don't take an opportunity to tell him you don't want to do the plan anymore. You don't have a single person in your life who modeled how to have difficult conversations for you. As far as you know, having this conversation with Stan would crush him into tiny little pieces and then he would hate you forever, and you can't stand the idea of losing the only friend you've ever had.

So tensions grow. A lack of interest turns into a bitter resentment that, if you were really being honest with yourself, is directed more at yourself than it is at Stan.

And then the falling-out happens, and it seems like you were proven right. Stan hates you now, and he's never going to forgive you for giving up on his dream. But two can play that game, so you try to hate him too. Because if you hate him too, then maybe it won't hurt as much that he never came back. That he never even turned up at school, or by the boat, or in through your bedroom window in the middle of the night. He knows what dad's like, and how he says impulsive exaggerated things when he's angry, and haven't you both dealt with his harsh words countless times before and been able to dust yourselves off and joke about it later? So why isn't he back at home, joking with you about how absurd your dad acted that night, being impossible and belligerent about ruining your dream, but at least now you're even, because you've ruined his dream too.

And now imagine you find out he risked the lives of everyone in existence to bring you back, right after you had accepted your fate was to die killing Bill. It would be terrifying and confusing and infuriating. If he cared so much, why didn't he do something to reconnect with you sooner? Why did he ignore you in favor of trying to make it big without you? Why didn't he take the infinitely safer and simpler action of reaching out to you without you having to track down his address and send a desperate plea for help? You were convinced that he didn't care enough to bother with you unless you had an important enough reason for him to come. But even then, he thought your plans were stupid. He didn't want anything to do with you, not even with the world at stake.

Did he save your life out of guilt? Does he pity you that much? It doesn't add up with what he did in the decade leading up to shoving you into the portal. And the dissonance between the version of him in your head that hates you, and the man who held out his arms to welcome you back to your home dimension, is so strong that you feel like you're being lied to again, like you're back in the depths of gaslighting and manipulation that Bill put you through, even though there's no way that's what Stan is trying to do... right? You can't figure it out, so you run away from it. You don't want to know the answer to whether or not Stan hates you, because you don't know which answer would hurt more, so you try to make him hate you more than ever, because at least then you would know for sure how he feels.

And in the end, after he sacrifices his memories for you, and for the world, things seem clearer. The layers upon layers of confusion and anger and hurt seem to have washed away like drawings in the sand, leaving behind the simple truth: that you two had an argument, and didn't move past it for forty years, and despite everything you put each other through, you both still want to re-connect.

So you sail away in a boat together.

And at first, it's wonderful. It's exactly what you want. It feels like an apology to Stan, and a thank-you for saving the world, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to heal the rift between you two, and it's good to be back on earth, and you wonder why you ever doubted the dream you two once had.

But then, after the first long journey you spend on the sea together, when you get back home to dry land, Stan is already talking about planning your next adventure out on the open sea. He recaps every adventure you had on the first trip, over and over again, and he wants to chat with you all through the morning and long into the night, and you don't have the words to explain to yourself that you don't have enough social battery for this, and suddenly you're slipping back into the horrifyingly familiar feeling of Stan being overbearing and needing space from him and how could you think that? How could you think that about him after everything he's done for you and everything he's forgiven you for? But the longer this goes on, the more you realize that you still don't want to spend the rest of your life sailing around with Stan. It's great fun in moderation, but the idea of your whole life revolving around Stan and going on adventures with Stan and being in a boat with Stan with no time to be by yourself thinking about your own things and figuring out your own dreams makes your skin crawl with a claustrophobic kind of panic that you still don't know how to put into words forty years after the first time this feeling grabbed you by the throat and ruined your friendship with Stanley.

But the first time this happened, it nearly ruined his life forever. You can't let yourself feel this. You don't feel this. You're happy to spend the rest of your life fulfilling Stan's lifelong dream, and making up for the time you crushed his dream, and sure, maybe he crushed your dream once too, and maybe it would be nice for him to support your dreams like you're now doing for him, but you can't say that. He saved the universe, and it would be horrible and ungrateful and cruel for you to try to voice these feelings, especially when you don't know how to voice your feelings without it making other people feel like you twisted a knife into their gut. So you try to pretend the feeling isn't there.

You go out on a boat with Stan again. You planned out another incredible journey together, and this should be fun, and you should be happy about this, but the unspoken feeling you shoved as far down in yourself as it could possibly go is eating you alive. The worst part? Stan is starting to notice. You have never been good at hiding your emotions. The trick to it has always been to convince yourself you don't feel it at all, and not think about it, and that has always worked like a charm. But whenever the emotion claws its way back up to the forefront of your mind, you can tell Stan knows something is wrong. So you can't even give him the happy ending he deserves. You can't even convince him that you want to be here on the open seas forever with him, like he deserves. And you keep trying and trying to hide it, but Stan keeps asking in roundabout ways, like "You're being awfully quiet, sixer," and "whats that look on your face?" and eventually it comes exploding out of you like a shaken-up soda bottle dropped on its cap.

And then it's like you're back at home in New Jersey again, standing in the living room while dad grabs Stanley by the shirt. It all comes pouring out of you, in the worst possible way, with the worst possible phrasing, like a pandora's box of monstrousness, and Stan tries to fight back against the sting of your words, but you're made out of acid and you're burning through him and you can see it on his face, and there's never any coming back from this, not this time, you'll just have to either jump into the ocean or become a monster forever, so Stan can hate you more easily again, and-

-and at the end of the outburst, you're still on a boat in the middle of nowhere in the ocean with your brother, in dangerous waters, and you have things to do to keep the boat running smoothly.

You can't run away from him. He can't run away from you. You're stuck here for at least a couple more weeks, even if you turned around and sailed back towards shore right away.

And the thing that compels me so much here, despite how unbelievably angsty it all is, is that it sets up a situation wherein the Stans might end up forced to actually address the decades of resentment and confusion and wanting-to-reconnect-throughout-it-all that they thought they could gloss over and heal with enough time spent adventuring together on a boat. They might end up forced to actually address the crux of the issue that drove them apart in the first place: Ford wanting a little more space to feel like his own person, and to feel like he's able to have his own dreams, too.

It wouldn't happen easily, nor right away, but if they were stuck together on a little boat in the middle of nowhere surrounded by magical creatures they have to protect each other from in order to make it back home alive, then after they had one fight where they brought up all the things they silently agreed to never bring up again, it would probably happen many more times, and each time it would leave them both angrier at each other than ever, until eventually something honest slipped through amidst all the saying-anything-except-what-they-mean bickering. And once enough of these honest moments slipped through, then they would have a thread to tug on to start to unravel the gargantuan knot of their decades of unresolved conflicts.

And then, eventually, maybe Stan could learn that he can have a good friendship with his brother without needing to be glued to him at the hip, and Ford needing a certain amount of alone time doesn't mean he dislikes him or wants to abandon him, and Ford could learn that he can be honest and have a meaningful connection with someone without it driving them away and making them hate him.

#succumbed to the stan twins angst visions and wrote 2000 words about this #ford pines #ford meta #this turned into a character analysis that almost reads like a fic #godswriting #<- i need to change my writing tag to this #something bothers me a little bit about the solution to their conflict being 'ford appreciates stan more now so he is now fine with-#-boat adventures with stan'. to me it leaves the initial conflict of 'he doesnt want to do that anymore' unresolved #obviously you could easily argue that ford never stopped wanting to go on boat adventures with stan and he just couldnt justify it to-#-himself when compared to the opportunity at west coast tech. but that has one less layer of conflict #compared to the possibility that he truly was not interested in boat adventures anymore. ESPECIALLY if its a manifestation of him #feeling suffocated by the whole dynamic-twins-duo thing #its normal to start wanting a little bit more space especially at that age. to want to have space to figure out who you are #the healthy thing would have been them talking about it and figuring out a compromise. like 'when ford needs space he can spend a few hours #-alone without stan being worried the whole time that it means ford hates him' and 'we still spend x amount of time working on the boat and #-we still chat on the way to and from school every day and hang out at the beach on weekends'#like of fucking course it was never about hating stan or about wanting to get away from him because of who he is as a person!#he literally just wanted to have a little bit of breathing room to be his own separate person. he just didn't know how to put it into words #I really think the crux of it all was them not knowing how to navigate that balance between independence and identity while staying close #so ford misattributing/reducing that feeling to 'I dont have the exact same dream as stan anymore. why does he still have that dream. oh no #feels like a good way of giving that conflict a tangible aspect to it thats easy for the stans to point at and talk about as a way of-#-alluding to the REAL core of the conflict between them.#and of course the show never says 'they sail around the world for the rest of their lives 24/7' so it's not like it Actually Conflicts with #-my interpretation of the conflict and how it should be resolved. but since its the last thing we see happen between them when theyre given #their happy ending. I feel compelled to say 'hey I know them living in the shack together and traveling in a boat every single year sounds-#-really fun and like a satisfying ending but I think they should have a Little Bit more space from eachother than that. Hanging out almost-#-daily but not literally being in the same house and same boat for the rest of their lives. bc if stan was ok with ford asking for that-#-little bit of space and if ford didnt panic and isolate himself from everyone whenever he needs like one hour of alone time? that would-#-feel like a big piece of the puzzle fitting into place for their conflict resolution and growth as characters. to me #and I think they deserve to have all the tied-up-loose-ends and resolved-conflicts and character-growth in the world.

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villainsandvictimsalliance · 16 days

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Wouldnt it be cool if Shigaraki/Tenko was the one to kill AFO (like in his mind)?? Maybe with a bit off from Deku ofc

I have mixed opinions about it. I'm not talking from the meta or narrative analysis side, but from what I'd like to read.

Then I started reading other peoples opinions and reflecting about it. I think I just got tired of AFO in general. I don't know why, there's not really a good explanation. It's something more subjective. Even when AFO is the one who kick-started the story, the haha world is so much more than him. There were many problems, many situations that have him involved, but he was not the only reason behind what happened. I was ready to move on, for the story to leave the beginning behind and for Tomura and Deku to own AFO and OFA.

At first I kinda wanted that exact scenario, with Tomura being the one erasing AFO because he embodies the people who suffered the most at his hands. It was a full cycle for me.

I've mentioned before, but I really liked how AFO died at Bakugo's hands. I thought it was very poetic. I'm very fond of Bakugo as a character, I really like how he started so flawed and how he built himself to become such a great kid. He's still learning, but he's getting there. The idea of him killing AFO was amazing to me. I was sooo happy to see a "secondary character" killing AFO. It was the most miserable death. AFO suffered, he was humiliated, it was awesome. It was a good way to show that one person doesn't have to do every single thing, because to that point almost every character was fighting and doing their part.

I thought it was an interesting choice for bnha to have the big bad being taken out by a secondary, leaving the protagonist to save and not to kill. It was cool that Tomura was being saved to. Maybe him not killing AFO was the point after all. He has done so much on his own, does he have to kill AFO to? Doesn't he deserve to be saved either by his friends or the people fighting to give him a second chance?

Honestly???

I wanted the League of Villains to save Tomura.

I thought that nothing would be more important to him than to be saved by his friends. They are his family, you know. I think the LOV had the right to kill AFO for what he did to Tomura, one of the people they love, respect and admire the most. I wanted the villains to be his hero. Tomura fought for the outcasts and they fought back for him.

Right now, Deku and Tomura teaming up to kill seems like a generic shone ending to me. Not bad or out of place. It's a "uh okay" and move on type of ending.

I thought it'd be funny if the story was like "this evil man has a hidden plan beware! beware! he'll be back!" only to reveal it was truly over. He was dead. Even AFO was just another person that died as a crying baby denying his fate, his mortality, the fragility of the man. I also always praised bnha for not bringing people back over and over, but sticking to the finality of a wound or a death.

It raises the stakes, you know?

So when the villain comes back and comes back and comes back and— okay, we get it, he's evil and smart and he wants world dominance and all that. What else? Him again?

Tomura's story could have been closed without an AFO come back. It wouldn't be less meaningful. Many victims are forced to move one without the subject of their trauma there to confront. At that point, it'd be a relief to see Tomura facing his own past without AFO there or at least knowing that the man who traumatized him was dead.

I want to see the LOV. I wanted to see Kurogiri with Tomura again. I wanted to see the reaction of the world watching Deku and Tomura emerge together from that fight. They didn't have to be there to witness, Tomura and Deku had their connection and it was only for them to know.

I'm rambling, I know. Sorry :( it's just that I wanted to explain that I don't dislike the idea of what you suggested, but it's also not my favorite concept anymore.

#shan's asks #bnha manga spoilers #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #league of villains #lov #shigaraki tomura #long post

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gotham-citys-third-finest · 1 year

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Bruce/Talia: You Can't be a Power Couple When One is trying to control the Power of the Other

I think the reason why Bruce and Talia can never be THE Goth(am), Morticia and Gomez-esque power couple is because Talia thinks Bruce is weak while Bruce wants to control Talia's power. The main difference (among many) of Bruce and Talia's idea of justice is that Talia prioritizes the destination/end result of what a world without injustice looks like while Bruce emphasizes the process/journey. "Whatever it takes; fight fire with fire" vs "a foundation built on bodies crumbles beneath the weight of what the future holds". Bruce's no kill rule and moral high ground crumbles when confronted with how much injustice he allows in "his" city. The moral reasoning that if Bruce kills one person he wouldn't be able to stop, who's really guilty or innocent, etc, doesn't indicate he has superior morals to Talia, or others like Huntress or Red Hood. It shows that he lacks the control to stop...which is a him problem and not an everyone else problem.

In an alternative (better) version of Red Hood's origin, where Talia isn't written as power hungry/Madonna-Whore-d, I see her looking at Jason, then at Damian (the parallel world be delicious if DC would fucking acknowledge the timelines match up) and just seethe. Not only as a mother but as a harbinger of justice. How can she respect a man who would not avenge his son? How is Bruce her moral equal in any way when he can't be bothered to end the Joker who's killed hundreds of people and has shown no remorse or mercy? Bruce carried and buried the adoptive son he chose to take in and didn't lift a finger to prevent it from happening to another family. Talia resurrected Jason and gave him the power to liberate others from his fate.

Gomez sees Morticia and swoons in her sublime presence. Bruce sees Talia and frowns when the heat of her resolve like magma doesn't slow and cool before him.

#talia al ghul #bruce wayne meta #bruce wayne #brutalia #batman #dc #talia al ghul meta #jason todd meta #jason todd #damian wayne #also #i bet there is weird exoticism and ethnic shit happening with why talia is so villanozes #but thats a lost for another day

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creoterative · 11 months

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Diablo IV Rant + Screenshots

Alright.

I reached Act III.

And to be honest, I'm quite disappointed.

Yeah, I know, I said something different before. I really gave it enough time now to really think about it and to not judge only by nostalgia. But almost nothing changes. And here's why I don't like this game as much as I was hoping to.

It won't just be a rant, I got good things in the end too, as well as some cool screenshots for you to enjoy ;)

1) My own character feels, as if he doesn't belong there.

And no, it's not because I named him Marlon and that name is giving him the persona of a completely different character from a completely different game. The problem is, that if I DIDN'T give my character the name Marlon, this character would have nothing. And I mean literally nothing. My little interactions with him while playing the game are completely shouldered by the fact, that I named him Marlon and therefore have something to imprint into him. Without that though the character would just be a random guy, running around randomly, without any knowledge of why he was 'chosen' and why he's even there.

In Diablo III, there was an entire cutscene at the beginning of the journey to let me catch up with who I'm actually playing. This minute long cutscene told me everything from past to abilities to future goals to passion - everything I needed to know to have an idea of who I'm playing. While I'm playing though, there is a lot more knowledge that unfolds itself while, yeah, interacting with other characters, so there was a lot of thought behind it.

In Diablo IV? Nothing. I have the Trailer of the Rogue class, and even this FIVE MINUTE LONG TRAILER doesn't tell me shit. Yeah, a thief, a murderer, a bounty hunter - but WHY??? What made him become like that? What are his goals? Why does he care about the fate of the world?

It says a lot about this game that I played it for so long now and I STILL don't know shit about this guy. I know more about the Marlon from TWDG, even though I literally have no idea of his past and the only interactions I had with him were a card game, a little talk about chores and the confrontation scene. With the Marlon in Diablo IV, I explored deadly caves, swamps, temples, I literally went through hallucinations with him, made new friends, new foes, got a horse, battled fucking Andariel, the list goes on. And I still don't know shit. Up until now, I don't know if he has good intentions, if he's something in between, if he's just there for the eventual money, if he even cares about any of the things that are happening.

A big part of why this character feels so blank is the fact, that he doesn't talk with the others. In Diablo III, whenever I would ask someone something or even when I randomly encountered NPCs in camp, my character actually ask the question I chose, would talk and express his thoughts, his feelings, even his fears. That character felt real, alive, and not just because I named him Marlon and assossiated him with another character. No, that character was alive on his own, I mean I played Diablo WAY before I knew TWDG, and yeah, as I said. That shit was crazy good.

Which I can't say about Diablo IV.

2. The story is all over the place.

I.... I have no idea what's going on.

The story started off with Lilith returning. Then it turned out, that it was foretold, that she would come back and that this stupid ass Archangel Inarius would somehow destroy her to return to the Heavens. He just misinterpreted this prophecy because apparently all angels apart from Tyrael, Auriel and Itherael are arrogant idiots (yeah, I'm looking at you, Imperius.)

Then somehow my character arrives, getting drunk with the locals of a town, eating some flowers with Lilith's blood and now, that poor bastard has a connection with her.

So far, everything's alright, apart from the fact, that I know nothing about who I'm playing. That connection thing with Lilith is such a good fucking plot point, because the people who know about it are actually afraid of Marlon, questioning his motives and if he's still in control. The fact, that this kinda reflects what is happening in TWDG makes it even better, but that is just a side effect, this part of the plot is in itself really good.

But then shit gets weird.

And suddenly I'm talking to a wolf, getting BLESSINGS from the three Greater Evils and fight one of the Lesser Evils. Randomly.

What angers me most though, is that I got multiple visions and other interactions with Azmodan and Belial before fighting each of them in Diablo III, but I didn't speak to Andariel once. Not once did I hear her voice. And I LOVED her design and the fight against her, but it just felt so out of place, because she just suddenly appeared.

That's a problem with this game in general, there is so much stuff happening randomly... Things and people are just there, there's not much explanation for why they're here. No idea who Donan and Lorath are, or their friends, Nafain and Airida or whatever her name was. No idea what their deal is, why they're in their positions, nothing. Deckard Cain gave me his full life story when I asked him about it, I know more about this NPC than I know about my own character right now.

My biggest issue with the story though is that there is just this one red line, that I follow and that's it. Yes of course, you couldn't get different outcomes or so in Diablo III, but that's not what I mean. In Diablo III, I could actually talk and interact with the characters around me, I could ask them a lot of stuff, find out more about them, their story, the world... It was perfect, especially for finding out more about my own character too, because, well, he would react to their stories. That's how I even managed to get so many incorrect Marlon quotes for this blog. He was interacting with the NPCs, even randomly when we were out in the fields. Which isn't the case here.

And what also bugs me, is that I can't find any sort of book. In Diablo III, if you run around for a while, you will certainly find a monster, a bookshelf, anything that could drop a book. These books are read to you by the person who wrote them and sometimes it's a memory or a letter or a part of a journal or some explanation of who we are talking to. For example, Deckard Cain traveled the world for decades and wrote down a lot of stuff, informing us about the monsters we encounter or explaining the Archangels or the Prime Evil, which is very cool.

It made everything feel more medieval and as if I was really working to gather information about my enemies etc. preparing to bring them down.

There are no books in Diablo IV. I searched for them, everywhere I could go. No books. No information. Nothing. Which is very sad, since that would give the whole game so much more soul.

3. The gameplay is fucked up.

First of all. I needed five buttons and the mouse in Diablo III. Now I need ten. And the mouse. One missclick and I destroyed my flow for the next few seconds, because the chat suddenly appeared. Or that funny wheel, that I can talk to others with. I'm getting the hang of it. But it was so hard to get used to it.

Second of all. The skill tree. My father and I play Diablo since... well, he for 23 years, I play it ehhh... should be 12 years now, yeah. And we never had to think about what skill we wanted to use for what, because it was all quite easy to handle. I could choose from I think 5 or 4 different skills for one button, maybe add a rune or something to power them up, that's it. That skill tree there? There's too much stuff going on. I need action points to level my skills up (why???) and I can choose from over 13 different skills for one button, counting in the add-ons for one skill. We both still haven't figured out how this thing works in its entirety, which is pretty sad since I'm almost at the end of the game.

Third of all. How the fuck can it be, that I defeated Andariel, one of the BIG BAD EVILS OF HELL, first try, but I needed SEVEN attempts to defeat some random guard called Brol or something? And he even appeared before her, therefore should have been easier. Like... What? And today I got killed by a horde of monsters in some old cathedral (it's always the cathedrals, I swear). Really? How on earth is it possible, that I can kill Elias, that dark Horadrim guy, Lilith's right hand man, FIVE TIMES IN A ROW. But I'm not able to defeat the little zombie on the road anymore?

Jesus, imagine Marlon fighting off Lilly and Abel, but then he just stands there like "Well, I've done all I can do" and gets devoured by walkers.

This whole system is so frikin alien to me. And I don't even know what the issue is, for real.

BUT

I will continue this game and finish it, so that I have a round up overview and then I'll make a full blown comparison.

And there are cool things too about this game, a lot actually. It's just that the issues are overwhelming them a bit and that makes it... just a bit hard to fully enjoy the game.

I'm not one to hate on games just because, ergh, new games. Sonic Frontiers for example. Loved it. New, fresh, better than Sonic Forces, better than some other Sonic Games, just... great.

So, I got some good things to say about Diablo IV too.

1. The character customization

I looooove that feature. Marlon actually looks like a more adult version of the TWDG character, which is just great, I love it. These cool tattoos we can choose, the different accessoires to resemble the classes culture, it's almost perfect. It's just not enough stuff to choose from, but hey, the first time we get customization, this is totally fine.

The customization gives us the ability to give the character a very personal touch, which is great compared to the fixed characters we had in the last three games, although I didn't think they were bad at all.

2. The Story

So far, the story itself is great. Like I said, it's a bit... confusing, but the main part, that little marriage feud between Lilith and Inarius is pretty interesting. My favorite part though, as I already mentioned, is the fact, that we get drawn into this by her blood, we literally drank it and now she's become a part of us.

Poor Marlon suffers from crazy visions of the past and because of her blood, he's able to get blessings from the Great Evils, which is.... NOT a good idea, but it adds to this whole 'She's seducing you' thing. And the more secrets Marlon has, the more wary his allies become and the trust is on very thin ice.

Also Marlon being protective of kids is just the funniest.

"You can't talk to her like that, she's sensitive!",he shouts, while blood is dripping from his gloves and blades.

3. The voice acting

I gotta admit. I hated the german voice acting for the Rogue at first. And to be honest, in the cutscenes where he's gotta speak normally, he.... I dunno, he just sounds so confused and soft. Not fitting for a fucking murderer in my opinion. The moment i first heard his voice, I was actually asking myself, if I was playing a fourty year old puppy or a rogue.

But as the story progresses and I got new attacks etc. it actually got way better than I expected. He's doing really good and for real, when he jumpes off the horse to make this insanely large arrow hail attack, that war cry he does? Yeah, that's ma boi xD

They have a large amount of really well known german voice actors, especially the one for Lilith, literally everybody knows her, she has so much experience and when she gets the key to hell from Rathma - the hatred in her voice.... god, it sent shivers down my spine. Love it.

Elias is, I think, the voice actor of the Templar from Diablo III, which is absolutely fabulous, the nostalgia kicks in. I like Lorath's voice actor as well, even though he sounds tired all the time, that's just his character I guess. And I don't think we need to talk about Mephisto. That voice.... fucking great.

4. The Bossfights

In Diablo III, bossfights are a walk in the park. Yeah, you gotta watch out sometimes, but it's mainly just hitting the enemy until it's dead. That's because Diablo III is focused on the story and the flashy environment as well as the action, rather than the difficulty of a fight.

Diablo IV gave me a really hard time though. I've been defeating the bosses in Diablo III with ease, even in expert mode, but in this game, I died so often, even in easy mode. It's frustrating, but that's the whole point, I WANT to feel this anger and fire again, I want to feel the passion, the relief when finally defeating a boss, leaving only 5 HP to me.

It's awesome to have that back.

Well, so far so good, that's it for my rant today.

Now here are some cool screenshots I made, enjoy xD

Marlon walking up to Inarius like he's just some local drug dealer made me crack up.

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undomielregina · 1 year

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On the Endless and Their Aspects

I’ve been discussing the Endless a lot with people lately, and it’s gotten me to pull out two facts from the comics that are never explicitly stated, or are stated so fleetingly that it’s easy to miss their actual impact. I say “facts” and not “theories” or “headcanons” despite this, because I think the evidence for the validity of these is clear enough that it’s more a matter of pulling out what canon shows us but doesn’t shove under our noses screaming “LOOK AT THIS COOL THING” than it is attempting to connect the dots on a bunch of disparate canon moments in some coherent way. There will be spoilers for the Sandman comics in this.

The first fact is that each Endless is not only the personification/embodiment of their own aspect, but also the force that defines their opposite concept. We see this clearly with four of the seven, I think, and then it’s up to speculation with the other three, but with 4 being shown so clearly it’s safe to say that they all work this way.

Destiny defines free will. We see this in the branched paths of his garden, constant choices for the walker to make, and in the implication that even he may not know which path a walker will choose. We also see this near the end of The Kindly Ones, when Destiny is suddenly confronted by an untold number of alternate versions of himself, which then gradually disappear as the other characters make their choices. Not even Destiny knows which of them is the “true” version. It is, in all truth, possible to read this as suggesting that destiny itself has fractured and become unstable because of the exact nature of the events, but I think a more plausible reading is that these alternates always exist, all unaware of each other, and events merely caused them to become visible to one another temporarily. (Also I will stop to point out here that Destiny is distinct from Fate in the Sandman cosmology.)

Death defines birth. She’s the one Endless we see directly engage with the duality, because she’s present at birth as well as at death. That’s actually what tipped me off to look at them as potentially really being composed of pairs of opposed concepts rather than a single idea/state.

Dream defines reality. We actually do see this in action as well, when a critical mass of dreamers recreate the universe in the image of their dreams. This is also part of why the Vortices are such an existential threat to the world. Destroy dreams and you no longer have an anchor for reality.

Destruction defines construction. (Not creation, some things that are created cannot be destroyed.) Destruction doesn’t seem to realize this himself, but he also says it outright when he describes his realm as full of entities constantly building things to destroy. (There is possibly a joke about Derrida’s theory of deconstruction here, especially because deconstruction rests on the concept of exposing internal oppositions and contradictions, and also denies that any text can ever contain a single meaning, which is very like what I’m currently arguing is true of the Endless themselves.)

Now for the three that aren’t so explicit in the text:

Desire defines indifference, I would guess, and Despair defines hope. What’s interesting about that assumption is that the twins each closely relate to each other’s opposites. To be capable of desire or wanting presupposes the ability to hope for something, and Despair rests on the fundamental indifference of those who have lost the ability to want anything better. In that sense they define each other, which is what makes them twins.

I assume that Delirium’s opposite is Delight, but I’m not sure of that. It would be interesting if that were true, though, because it would suggest the possibility that any of the Endless might be able to change and embody their opposite the same way she did.

Part two of this is closely related to this, because it again rests on the fact that they are fundamentally indistinguishable from their aspects. When Death walks among us, death walks among us. There’s no separating them from what they are. This rests mostly on something Delirium says in Destruction’s chapter of Endless Nights, which is that the strange future artifacts are there because Delirium and Destruction are there. And of course, their presence makes no logical sense, and everything they find foretells destruction. They exist because the presence of Delirium and Destruction influences the world around them, because their names are literal. We also see it throughout Brief Lives, where throughout Dream and Delirium’s search for Destruction, not only is destruction constantly around them, but also in order to find him, Dream at last sets himself inevitably on the path to his own end, but also his own emotional devastation. He’s arguably destroyed before he dies.

Having said that, what does that seem to mean for Dream’s presence in the waking world? Because he doesn’t seem to carry dream-logic with him or anything as obvious as that. But he is also the Prince of Stories, and he could be argued to carry narrative with him, such that people around him, who would otherwise be ordinary people, become enmeshed in capital-s Stories with clear narrative roles. It is even possible that this is a major force behind the constant failure of his love affairs, because a grand passion is a very good story, but those stories are very difficult to live in for any great length of time. And to make matters worse, Dream himself says, at the very end of the series but also hundreds of years before the climax, that he “[has] no story of [his] own, nor may [he] ever.” It’s impossible to be caught up in a grand romance plot with a being who cannot also participate in that plot. It’s absolutely doomed. Arguably, the only way to co-exist with Dream for any length of time is to have a part in a narrative that makes that coexistence possible. (Arguably, for example, this is one of the things Death does with Hob: she doesn’t just make him immortal, she arranges a story that will allow him to continue to be who and what he is without Dream’s existence in his life taking it over with some other narrative.)

#the sandman #comics spoilers #dream of the endless #the endless #meta

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electronickingdomfox · 4 months

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"The Klingon Gambit" review

Novel from 1981, by Robert E. Vardeman. I don't have much to say about this one, neither praise nor a rant. Perhaps there's no worse fate than indifference? This novel is a return to the more episodic format of the old Bantam novels. Basically a rehash of "The Naked Time", with a bit of "This Side of Paradise" (as far as Spock is concerned), and Klingons in the middle. I don't think the plot has enough substance for a novel-length story, so a lot of times I had the impression of reading the same thing over and over, as if the author had to fill pages but didn't really have anything new to say.

Anyway, the writing's fine, and lets Kirk shine as a clever diplomat, always with an ace up his sleeve to avoid a confrontation. While the rest of the crew is infected by some virus of silly, Kirk seems to be the only one that keeps his cool (some scientist should study this man one day; he seems to be immune and special in every single way...). It's hard to judge the rest of the characters, since they're purposefully acting weird through most of the novel. Spock swinging between totally emotional and totally Vulcan was well-done, without being over the top. Though McCoy seems to me a bit too disrespectful and insulting (and I'm not entirely sure this is due to the strange influence affecting the ship). I'm also not sure about his reluctance to save an injured Klingon's life, on the basis of him being the enemy. The way I see it, McCoy is first a doctor, then a Starfleet officer. There's also a return of that weird idea from earlier novels, that Vulcans are completely unable to feel any love or sexual urge outside pon farr. I don't know why this notion was so widespread, when a full Vulcan like Sarek was seen in the series having a loving relationship with his human wife, while Stonn and T'Pring had an affair outside marriage.

As for the plot, it's very simple, so I'm just going to gloss over it without spoilers. The Enterprise finds a Vulcan science ship adrift, and everyone's dead aboard, without any discernible reason. The ship was part of an archaeological expedition on the nearby planet of Alnath II, led by a famous Andorian scientist. As there's also a Klingon ship orbiting the planet, the Klingon become the main suspects for the Vulcans' deaths. However, the lead scientist insists that the Klingons have only been a nuisance, as far as their activities disrupt his investigations of the ruins. Kirk doesn't have any proof that the Klingons are guilty (and they also have some rights over this planet in particular, since it doesn't belong to the Federation). So he enters into a tense situation with the Klingon captain, where none dare to attack the other, and break the Organian peace treaty. Things get worse when the crew of the Enterprise start acting irresponsibly, and almost mutinous. Everyone seems to just do whatever they want, disregarding their duties. Scotty becomes obsessed with improving the engines, and starts dismantling half the ship for spare parts. Chekov becomes too trigger-happy and anxious for battle. Uhura daydreams about M'Benga. Spock swings between his human and Vulcan sides, and is at times overrun by feelings of love for his female assistant. McCoy becomes paranoid about machines and technology, so he switches to primitive medical treatments... You get the idea. The answers, of course, lay in the planet below and its mysterious pyramid. Kirk has a showdown with the Klingons as well. The resolution is nothing special really, though there's a little surprise about the origin of the alien, deserted city.

Spirk Meter: 2/10*. Kirk seems more aware about Spock's mood swings than anyone else. And he's a bit distressed about Spock possibly reciprocating his assistant's feelings. There's also a scene where Spock loses his shit on the bridge and starts crying, so Kirk bitch-slaps him, to make him come to his senses, even at the risk of suffering the Vulcan's violence himself. And Spock catches his wrist and all that (it's very similar to the scene in "This Side of Paradise").

For his part, McCoy wants to go live in a farm with Jim. And he's awfully interested in Spock staying more human, and you know, loving and horny all the time. As you will, Doctor...

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

#star trek tos #star trek novels #novel review #spirk #k/s

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bluemoondust · 2 years

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✮Day 18✮ Cucking

˚⭒· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ft. Satan v Lucifer — Obey Me!

Word Count: 1.5k

A/N: Happy Birthday Satan

General + Warning(s): Cucking, Possessive/Controlling Behavior, Gaslighting, Manipulation, Stalking, Dub/Noncon

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Being stuck in the middle of these two is already a situation you don't want to be a part of, especially given how they are. You're very aware that in some cases, it can get tense to the point where you can cut through the tension with a knife. Though, it's all fine at the end of the day. However, as yanderes, you feel the air get heavy. It would be okay as you could just avoid them altogether but fate seems to have some vendetta against you or your luck is excruciatingly terrible.

Lucifer was a constant in your day to day time at Devildom. Of course, it was mostly due to your lack of knowledge on certain things there but it was also to keep an eye on you. Sure, he left you to the second oldest but that's what he made you think. Sometimes you can swear he could be a step away whenever you're hanging around the place. It just seems like you are always on your toes. This also doesn't help knowing that Lucifer can be utterly controlling, so you grow rigid at the mere thought of slipping up at any given time.

You have no idea where the sudden shift happened, but it wasn't obvious due to his personality and overall demeanor. Though, it does make you wonder if Lucifer intentionally picks you off or calls you out compared to the others. Maybe it was because you were human, but you didn't really think that could be it. There was no way you could question him about it because confronting this man is a nightmare to deal with. Even if you aren't someone who fears confrontation, he will have you shrinking back and uttering a nevermind as you try to steer the conversation elsewhere. You couldn't win with him and that frustrated you. Though, it did scare you a little. What you might not know is that keeping you under control is what Lucifer absolutely wants; and he will have that no matter what he has to do.

That is why he is a constant—because he intends that. He can't have you participating in his brothers' foolish antics, especially when some have almost gotten you killed. So, Lucifer makes sure to keep you busy with little things. Sometimes you'll find yourself at fault for something, but having no idea of it. You are confused with how that could be but for some reason Lucifer manages to have you admit to it. Manipulation at its finest. Plus, this makes certain that he knows where you are at all times. The program you're a part of is the perfect excuse to have the right to know your whereabouts.

Meanwhile with Satan, he didn't have much interest in you at first. You must have been another attempt to annoy him by his older brother. Typical. So, initially, he didn't see the need to interact with you. He'd still be polite, but a quick hello and good day is the most the two of you exchange. Lucifer's words about Satan echo in your head, making you wonder if the smile the fourth born puts up is truly just an act. Still, it seems like almost everyone and everything is something to be wary of...

After actually getting to know you, Satan couldn't help but feel compelled the more interactions that went on. You're someone who understands his troubles and even when he's not at the stage where he feels comfortable being vulnerable... He can't help but want more from you. So that's what he does. Knowledge is always regarded as a powerful weapon that can be used, and Satan utilizes it well. Any piece of information on you, whether you know of it or not, he will have it.

The two are highly aware of each other's interest in you. It was immediate, given how they can sense the other's presence wafting from you. Everyone can tell that something was up with them from the glances, but no one really speaks up about it. Probably for the best. Of course, Satan is trying to keep a cool head during all this, but he will admit that it does make his blood boil when his elder brother purposely steals you away with pathetic excuses. Anyone else could have accomplished the tasks he handed out to you. Satan knows that and Lucifer does too.

What makes matters worse is... Satan feels mocked by Lucifer's actions. Is it really that entertaining to watch him seeth in silence as you run around doing errands for his brother? Well, two can play at this game. Satan knows that the eldest has his duties with the program and Diavolo, so that gives the fourth born an opening. He can just take your time. Convincing you to join him in some activities is simple enough, with a little push here and there. Because he has studied you for a while, Satan practically knows what makes you tick; what buttons to push and so on. A sense of satisfaction washes over him when you have to politely decline his brother's offer to join him for tea. You already have plans.

Oh... But what if this was turned up a notch? These two are extremely possessive, so at some point in time one of them will break and take the next step forward. Satan tells himself that he can't allow Lucifer to take that step. He will be the first to take you and honestly doesn't give a damn what his brother will say. He honestly hopes he is highly aware of the fact that he beat him to the punch.

Everything happened too fast for you to fully process what was going on. One minute you were looking through the library with Satan, the next you're bent over on your stomach over one of the desks as he rams into you. Nothing could have predicted something like this to occur. You didn't even think Satan would have this intention when you two entered the room. He only mentioned wanting to relieve some stress by reading and asked if you'd like to tag along.

You accepted, mostly because you enjoy his company but you also wanted to unwind for a bit. You had just finished some note taking and thought to yourself that maybe you could ask him to look through them. Just to make sure you didn't miss anything. It all started very innocent. Now you can't even remember how it all came down to this. He was stronger and faster than you, so it was futile to try prying him off or even stopping him.

He probably never had the intention to do so.

It was getting hard to stay quiet with the pace Satan was going. Long, hard thrusts and it seemed like he took a small pause between pulling out and pushing himself back in—like he wanted to make sure you felt every bit of this.

Satan gave a quiet hush sound, "Shh, you shouldn't be too loud. What if the others hear? You don't want them to see you like this, right?" He gave your thigh a smack, making you yelp slightly.

You bit your lip and shook your head. Your legs quivered as he gave another firm thrust. Everything was so overwhelming. The sounds of your bodies connecting, the roughness of his cock, the grip he had on your hips and the fact that his body was pressed down onto yours. He was practically laying on top of you at this point. His breath fanned over your ear as he spoke to you.

"Maybe you do want them to see. Let them see who you truly belong to." A choked moan comes out of you as his next thrust jerks you slightly forward. "I think the looks on their faces would be priceless. Witnessing you getting fucked by someone that isn't them. Knowing that they lost their chance."

It was all too much. You were almost over the edge.

The feeling of Satan's movements slowing down made you blink and brought you to some of your senses. You wondered why his pace slowed. Maybe it was to torture you; make you writhe in desperation while begging him to keep going.

You slightly lifted your head up and immediately froze. Lucifer stood at the entrance of the library. How did you not hear the door opening!?

Shame and embarrassment washed over you as you avoided eye contact, but you could feel his eyes scanning the two of you. The tension was obvious and you felt smaller than ever.

Things couldn't get worse, but they did. Your hips jerked as you felt Satan picking up his pace again, which made your eyes widen. He wasn't serious... Was he? You bit your lip to prevent any noise, but it felt so good. A part of you wondered what Lucifer was thinking; how did he even react? It would soon become an afterthought.

Meanwhile, Satan had remained composed as he kept eye contact with his brother. He grabbed your chin and raised your head up. "Don't be shy darling..." He quietly panted into your ear.

A whine escapes you as you avert your eyes from Lucifer. It seemed like he was staring blank faced, but his fists and jaw were tightly clenched.

"Let's let Lucifer know who you truly belong to."

#yandere imagines #yandere x reader #yandere obey me #yandere obey me x reader #yandere satan #yandere lucifer #yandere smut #kinktober 2022 #☆bittersweet.sins☆

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fatuismooches · 1 year

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I've been thinking for a while after reading Mika's character story about Capitano's eyes.. You know in lazzo trailer, we can't see anything on his face except just a black void. Meanwhile in Mika's character story, his eyes glows which intimidate everyone when there's a confrontation between the Fatui and Varka's expedition team.

idk why but i feel like Capitano can make his eyes blaze with intimidating aura at his will? 🤔 (also, the fact that he didn't do that in lazzo trailer really shows how respectful he is towards his fellow comrades even though a lot of them are always mocking and bad mouthing each other except Pierro lol 😂)

I really want Capitano so badly 😭🙏 why he is so cool and mysterious.. I really can't get enough of him 😔 I'm already at 210+ intertwined fate now and still saving (thank u Mi/Hoyoverse for that free IFs in adventurer's hand book 🛐), i really hope that when his banner finally arrived, i can get him to C6R5 🛐💞

-🥝

(Thinking about florist!reader where they braid Capitano's long black hair with flowers when he is sleeping on their lap rn 😖💓🌺💐🛐)

That would be super cool! 🥺 I feel like he is a guy who avoids battle if possible, since he's respectful and all, so he just kinda. Intimidates others to back down. He's just a respectful guy in general, the first Harbinger probably can't be disrespectful to his comrades, all the npcs talk about his rep lol (I also think they didn't make his eyes blaze in the trailer because we'd never get over it. Okay and imagine- you have no idea what your husband's face looks like much less his eyes *arranged marriage sneak here* and then boom. One day he gets super overprotective of you become someone kept bothering you and all of a sudden you look up and see his piercing blue eyes... help me🙏 and then the angst of him avoiding you because he's scared about what you think of him now🙏 my English is probably bad rn but... i gotta get this out NOW)

You're literally the #1 capitano fan I can't imagine how much you're dying inside waiting for him😭😭 I can't wait to scream abt his lore w/ u omg... And dw with how far natlan is he's definitely getting c6r5 (I'm sorry that's so far away😭)

Omg I can either think about florist! reader from Mondstadt or Snezhnaya. Mondstadt would be cute because everyone there is pretty into flowers and stuff, there's even that flower shop at the gates, plus they'd definitely appreciate the flower love language the most 💗🛐 Meanwhile with Snezhnayan reader, he'd be intrigued at how dedicated you are to keeping these fragile lifeforms healthy in such perilous weather. Either way, you're giving me the picture of reader and Capitano basking in a flower field😔 (Imagine Capitano giving advice to his recruits about what flowers to give their lovers, they're so shook but their admiration soars through the roof)

#smooches talks #🥝 anon #can always count on 🥝 anon for capitano brainrot <3

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randomwritingguy · 1 year

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The Myth of Y/N (Korra x Reader) Part 29

THE RED LOTUS

Korra’s POV

Opening my eyes I am greeted by a sight of beautiful trees with ember leaves and the same orange sky that was in the physical world. Spirits roam across the sky in a peaceful process.

The Spirit World.

I have no time to admire the scenery, though. I have a job to do.

Marching to one of the trees, I immediately find my target standing on a nearby hill.

Aiwei.

Before I can even confront him, however, another man appears out of nowhere. I recognise him instantly from my attempted kidnapping back in Zaofu. The grey and black robes and the shining bald head.

Zaheer.

Ducking behind one of the trees, I watch Zaheer walking towards his spy, his steps and stature alone convey his intense anger and frustration.

“What happened back in Zaofu?” He asks the truth seer, his irritation evident. “You told me we wouldn't have any problems getting the Avatar? Because of you, we've all been compromised.”

Surprisingly, despite being able to detect one’s change in heartbeat, Aiwei doesn’t seem to notice Zaheer’s anger. Or maybe he does and is trying to play it cool. Either way, it isn’t working.

“No, any evidence was destroyed when my library burned.”

“Where is your physical body now?”

“At the Misty Palms Inn. But there is no need to worry. I was not followed.”

“You left a loose end.”

The declaration from Zaheer stirs up uneasiness within me. I have an idea what he’s talking about.

Aiwei does not. “I assure you; no one knows anything about us.”

“No, you are the loose end.”

Then, he grabs the truth seer!

NO!

Rushing forward, I yell out “Zaheer!” in an attempt to let him go. The criminal does turn to me, eyes widened in surprise, but a second afterwards they both disappear.

DAMMIT!

Looking around, I try to find any trace of Zaheer or Aiwei or even the tiniest hint of where they went. I get nothing.

Before I can wallow in my disappointment, though, I hear the same sound Zaheer made when he first arrived here.

Turning right around, I see the airbending criminal…alone.

Oh no.

“It seems Aiwei was mistaken.” He states, lips curling in a sadistic smirk. “He was followed.”

“That’s right.” I confirm, not letting his confidence shaken my own. “We knew he'd lead us straight to you. Now, what did you do with him?”

“He’ll be spending an eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls.” He answers with a sense of sick, twisted pleasure of dooming a man to a fate worse than death. “Which just leaves the two of us.”

The smirk that was plastered on Zaheer’s face is gone, replaced with an even more sinister smile.

Clenching my fists, I stare him down.

It’s time to get answers.

Y/N’S POV

I stare at Korra’s seemingly lifeless meditative sitting position in anticipation, all the while tapping my foot against the ground consistently in impatience.

“She’ll be fine, Y/N.” Asami assures me.

I hum in agreement. “I know, I know. Doesn’t make me not worried about her though.”

“Remember, no-one would have their bending in the Spirit World.” Mako explains, staring out the window for surveillance like the true policeman that he is. “Even if Korra was caught, its not like Aiwei or Zaheer can do anything about it. Besides, she can instantly return to her body if something does go wrong.”

The information being repeated to me comforts me somewhat but I can’t help feel the nervousness shaking my bones inside.

Something isn’t feeling right. I know it.

“I know.” I finally respond, still staring at Korra. “But I can’t help but feel like something terrible is about to happen.”

MEANWHILE

NO-ONE’S POV

Far away from Team Avatar, in the secluded rocky cave that was their hideout, three of the Red Lotus wait patiently as Zaheer is in the Spirit World to meet with the idiotic truth seer who butchered their entire operation back at the metal city of Zaofu.

“What’s taking him so long?” Ghazan asks, completely tired with the whole ordeal.

Ming-Hua shrugs. “Maybe Aiwei’s late.”

P’li says nothing. There is nothing to say. Soon the meeting will be over and they will finally discuss what to do next.

Then, as if Zaheer heard them himself, he speaks.

“Avatar Korra. Misty Palms Inn. Find her.”

The three members jump slightly in shock at the revelation that their prime target is so close, only for their surprise to be pushed aside by determination.

Yes. YES!

They have another chance.

A chance they will not let go to waste.

P’li turns to her friends. “You two go. I'll stay here and make sure Zaheer's body is safe.”

Ghazan immediately gets up and begins to leave but before he could Ming-Hua stops him with her water tendril.

“You should go too.” The waterbender tells her, rising to her feet. “Us two against the Avatar’s friends might be a bit of an issue.”

What? This is new.

The combustion bender, slightly startled by her friend’s lack of confidence, raises an eyebrow. “Since when was the last time you ever got scared by our enemies?”

“I’m not scared.” Ming-Hua scowls, offended by the mere idea. “If it was just that firebender and earthbender that won’t be much issue. But if that airbender Zaheer mentioned, Y/N, is there to help them then the numbers will be in their favour. If you come with us, we can easily separate them.”

“She does have a point, P’li.” Ghazan agrees. “Besides, Zaheer seemed interested in that young airbender. This is the perfect opportunity for killing two birds with one stone by capturing the Avatar and Y/N.”

Frowning in deep thought, P’li steals a glace at the back of her beloved.

They do have a point. But Zaheer…

“He’ll be fine.” Ming-Hua tells her gently. “He’s the toughest out of all of us even when he’s meditating.”

With those few words, the decision is made.

They’re right. This is their chance. Their moment.

Rising to her feat, P’li turns back to her friends.

“Let’s go.”

TIME SKIP

Y/N’S POV

The uneasiness has not subsided. The feeling that something bad is about to happen has not subsided. The pounding of my heart has subsided. None of my worries has subsided!

The orange glow from the sunset sky has been vanquished by the darkness that is the night sky. Korra is still in the Spirit World for who knows how long now.

Glancing out of the window, my heart stops entirely.

There, a distance not too far from where we are, are three individuals. The very same individuals we confronted in the metal city.

A man with long unkept jet-black hair with a scruffy beard.

A slim female with water tendrils as arms.

And a tall combustion bender with a tattoo that resembles a artistically drawn eye.

They’re wandering around the small village, not bothering to conceal themselves, and from the looks of it they look like they are ready for a fight.

“Guys, Zaheer’s friends are here!”

Gasps are heard behind me and Mako leans closer to my side and he spots it. “Yeah, they’re here alright!”

“How?” Asami asks, completely bewildered.

“That doesn’t matter.” I tell them, facing the rest of my friends. “We need to get Korra out of here.”

Bolin, the most panicked out of all us, rushes to Korra and begins shaking her frantically. “Come on, Korra! Wake up!”

Korra doesn’t even peak an eye open. Dammit.

Mako, seemingly already have figured out a plan, carefully picks her up and places her on top of Naga. Then, with a determined and calculating look painted across his features, turns to black-haired woman. “Asami, you take Korra and get her out of here. Y/N, Bolin, and I will hold them off.”

“On it.” Asami immediately says, hopping onto the polar bear dog. “Good luck, you three.”

“You too.” I tell her earnestly. “Now go!”

And, just like that, Naga rushes out of the door in a speed that rivals the fastest Satomobile and we follow suit. I hear a feminine exclaim of “The Avatar!” and an explosion. It seems like the combustion bender just barely managed to miss them and just before they can properly pursue them Mako and I throw our attacks of fire and air right into their direction, catching their attention and forcing them to stand back away.

Good. They have our attention on us.

That relief is short lived though as I see the third-eye woman leaning backward and tensing her body up as if she’s ready to attack!

“Watch out!” I yell at them but its cut off with an explosion right in front of my eyes, sending us flying backward in different directions. Pain fills my form and a constant ringing drown out everything else. Glancing upward slightly, I see that the two brothers fared better than I have, most likely because I caught the most of the combustion bender’s attack, and they already seem to be involved in their own little fights. On my right, I see Mako dodging and weaving the ice-turned tendrils of the water-armed lady, and on my left I see Bolin lifting pieces of the earth in front of him to act as shields against the lava that is thrown at him from his attacker.

Wait, where’s the third?!

Looking at right in front of me, I see the combustion bender focusing her attention on the fight between Mako and her friend, a look of strategizing on her face as if waiting for a right moment to land her own attack on him without harming her ally.

No! Get up, dammit! Get up!

Ignoring the searing aching in my back, I rise to my feet and as she begins leaning back to launch another attack, I unleash a poweful air sweeping kick into her direction which knocks her to her feat.

Now that she’s down, I take my chance as I rush forward and twirl in an elegant swoop to launch an air tunnel at her. At the same time, however, the combustion bender recovers just enough to launch another explosion right in front of my attack, sending both of us back a good feat. This time, I manage to stay on my feet as I skid back despite the blast of the explosion and the burning friction between myself and the ground. My opponent does the same.

That was close. Too close.

“I can’t beat this guy!” Bolin shouts admist the chaos. “It’s like I’m giving him ammo! Want to trade?”

Glaring at my own rival, I scoff.

I wish I can trade. She’s too powerful with her constant explosions!

Unless…

Unless I get close enough to chi-block her!

I’ve been so focused on airbending this entire time I completely forgot that I was a chi-blocker first! If I can get to her, I can render her powerless!

Now filled with a new sense of confidence, I give her a wide grin. This was clearly not what she expected, as she raises her eyebrows slightly in surprise only to frown them in a split second later to prevent me from seeing it. She failed miserably.

The carnage around me fades away as I focus on her and her alone.

Let’s do this.

In a blink of an eye, I begin my charge with arms flinging backward for less air resistance and greater speed. Seeing me advancing towards her, she begins launching shorts bursts of explosions my way. With my skills of a master of chi-blocker, I barely manage to scrape by from her attack through leaps and side-steps. Now a few seconds away, she gives up sending explosions and simply shoots out fireballs in my direction to catch me off guard. I anticipate this, however, and I fall to my knees and bend back, letting the flames fly right over my face. Before she can even launch another attack, I slide close enough to land powerful attacks to her pressure points and in a matter of seconds she lands onto the ground. Defeated.

Panting heavily, my heart beating as fast as an engine, my senses return.

I did it. I…I actually defeated her.

Shaking my head, I return to the here and now. No time for relishing my victory, I need to help-

Before I can even finish my own thoughts, a pounding blow on the side knocks me to one of the buildings!

The pain that I managed to resist returns in full-force and the ringing comes back as if nothing had happened.

WHAT?!

Groaning, I squint my eyes open and I see the bearded-man right in front of me, gazing down at me with sadistic pride. The glint in his eyes radiate victory.

Victory?!

Looking behind him, my heart sinks.

Bolin is trapped in a sphre of water by the waterbending friend of his.

No!

Glancing to my right, I see Mako slumped…unconscious.

NO!

The man steps to the side and a water tendrals grabs the centre of my chest and thrusts me right towards Bolin. A second tendril, created from the one that pulled me forward, grabs Mako.

“Go get the Avatar!” Our captor tells the man. “I’ll stay with P’li until she recovers. I have these three under control.”

Nodding, the man rushes off out of sight.

NO!

I begin to raise my arm in a desperate attempt to send an air attack but the pain, the pain is too much!

“Argh.” I grunt out, reeling my right arm back.

“I don’t know why Zaheer is so interested in you but it better be worth it.” The water-armed lady snarls. “No-one hurts one of us and gets away with it.”

I glare right into her rage-filled ocean eyes but don’t say a word.

We lost.

TIME SKIP

Battered and beaten, we are thrown onto the ground in claustrophobic cave.

“The Earth Queen’s army snatched up the Avatar before I could.” The lavabender says, his annoyance prevalent.

When I saw him return to Misty Palms Inn without Korra and Asami, my hopes were lifted. They were crushed almost immediately afterwards when I heard that the Ba Sing Se’s dictator got her greedy hands on them. Still, it’s better than being prisoners of these people.

“But we figured you could find a use for these three.” The waterbender adds with twisted joy.

Slowly but surely, I rise my head and I see him.

Him.

The face I thought was that of a friend. The face I affiliated with Yorru.

The face of Zaheer, his shining emerald eyes staring right into my own.

Without shifting his gaze, he gestures towards the two brothers. “Load these two into the truck and wait there.” He then gestures to me. “I wish to be left alone with this one.”

What?

“Are you sure?” The combustion bender asks him, now fully recovered from my chi-block attack. I can hear the worry and concern in her voice. It seems that, despite me being tied up, she has been slightly shaken up by me being able to defeat her. “That one was tougher and cleverer than we thought. They’re a chi-blocker too.”

I see a flash of surprise in the criminal’s eyes, only to return to normal.

“I’ll be fine.”

The lavabender picks up Bolin and another seize Mako and the head off, leaving Zaheer and I all alone in the dark cave.

Neither of us speak for a moment. Then, he walks behind me. Closing my eyes, I await for what may be certain death or worse.

Instead, I am gently lifted up so I am sitting on my knees.

What?

Then, he walks back to in front of me and sits down cross-legged.

“I hope you weren’t injured too badly.”

I scoff. “Thank you for the concern, Yorru. Or is it Zaheer?”

Against my hopes, the use of his fake name doesn’t make him flinch at all. Instead, he gives me a sympathetic look.

“I apologise for the deception.” He tells me in a tone that appears to be genuine. “But I’m sure you understand why I had to keep my true identity a secret.”

Snorting, I tilt my head to the side. “I understand that you are not the person I thought you were. My initial suspicions about you were right from the start! You-You’re just some evil criminal wanting to hurt my best friend!”

My outburst does nothing. If anything, it makes me come across as a child.

“A highly inaccurate description.” Zaheer calmly retorts. “But I digress, I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

Much to my surprise, he nods. “I will answer whatever questions you have. You deserve the truth after being deceived. What do you wish to know?”

What?!

My mouth goes agape in an “o” shape for a few seconds, making my shock painfully obvious, and then I snap it shut.

After thirteen years of not telling anyone anything he’s just going to answer my questions?! Just like that?!

Is he trying to trick me?

No, he wouldn’t. Why would he?

I guess I have nothing to lose by asking him.

I gaze back into his eyes. “Who are you people?”

Zaheer responds immediately. “We are part of a secret society dedicated to restoring freedom to the world. We are the Red Lotus.”

The Red Lotus? Secret society?!

“Like the White Lotus?” I hesitantly ask him.

He shakes his head profusely. “We are what that corrupt society was supposed to be. They became nothing but obedient bodyguards that served the amoral leaders of the nations. Luckily, a legendary man known as Xai Bau defected from the White Lotus and began his own society.”

My mouth drops yet again.

This…this is crazy. Did-Did anyone know about this?

This entire time there has been a secret society that are rivals to the White Lotus?!

“Okay.” I finally tell him after a short moment of silence. “How does Korra fit into this, though? Why did you try to kidnap her when she was a child?”

For a brief second, Zaheer’s eyes flash with anger, only to disappear like it was a dream. “That was Unalaq’s idea.”

UNALAQ?!

“He was a Red Lotus member too?” I ask him loudly. Before he can respond, I ask another question. “Wait, how come he wasn’t imprisoned too?!”

“He wasn’t with us that night.” He tells me, his anger now slowly returning. “And he covered up his involvement, abandoning me and my friends to a fate of solitude. With us out of the picture, he was able to pursue his selfish desires of becoming a Dark Avatar. That was never our goals”

“And your goals are…” I trail off, prompting Zaheer to finish.

What can his goals be? To conquer the world? No. Four people can’t do that and that won’t explain kidnapping Korra. What could it be then?

“To rid the world of corruption and bring balance to the world.”

His answer freezes me to the bone.

“What?”

“You heard me.” He responds. “The world is full of corrupt leaders running corrupt nations. You had to deal with cruel dictators like the Earth Queen. Don’t you think everyone would be better off if leaders like her would be eliminated?”

I don’t answer right away. I just…stare at him.

He…He wants to rid the world of corruption? People like the Earth Queen?

Images of the dirty, poverty-ridden Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se flashes across my mind as does my own voice.

“This is monstrous! How can the Queen allow this to happen?!”

More echoes fill my mind, voices of my rage towards her.

“I’m not anyone’s servant! I’m a person! Just like those who live in your kingdom, your highness!”

My thoughts of other instances of corruption flash in mind. Like Tarrlok’s and the most of the Republic City Council.

And, much to my shame, thoughts of my rage towards Suyin Beifong come to the forefront of my mind.

“In these past few minutes, you have dismissed his crimes like they’re nothing which is an insult to the people who have been affected! Varrick doesn’t even seem guilty of his actions at all! And you’re encouraging that mindset by giving him fancy robes, delicious meals, free roam of the city, and all the resources that can be used to his desire to invent something that will benefit you. This isn’t for the betterment of Varrick, this is for the betterment of yourself. For your ego!”

“Take some fucking responsibility! It’s clear you have a rat within Zaofu! A rat who is very influential and knows the city inside and out like your guards! Your arrogance nearly costed Korra’s life!”

He wants to eliminate leaders like that?

“I…”I begin, only to stop and start again. “I think they should be removed from power. But they shouldn’t be killed.”

Zaheer’s response to my answer? A smile.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

Raising my eyebrow in curiosity, I cock my head to the side. “What’s interesting?”

“I asked the same question to Korra when we were in the spirit world.” He explains and his smiles widens. “While similar to yours, she immediately responded with no.”

The revelation throws my mind back to Tenzin’s comments about our hopelessness with the Earth Queen’s corruption…and Korra’s agreement.

“I am frustrated and saddened by this as much as you are. However, we can’t just force the Earth Queen to rule her kingdom the way we want her to. It is not our place.”

“Y/N, I don’t like it as much as you do. But Tenzin’s right.”

I glance downwards, avoiding the man’s gaze. “I’m not surprised. Korra told me there is nothing we can do about it.”

“That is part of the lies of the White Lotus she is spouting.” Zaheer immediately replies with anger. “She can do something about it, but she refuses to. Had our kidnap attempt back at the South Pole succeeded, we would have taught her the truth about the world and how she can really bring balance.”

I scoff. “You’re sugar-coating it. You just wanted to brainwash her to be your slave.”

“No. All I ever wanted was to show Korra a better path for the world. A path you know all too well.”

Huh?

“What are you talking about?”

The sadistic smile that was on Zaheer’s face softens to the point it seems…gentle. “When I first met you, I had my suspicions that you were allies with the Avatar. They were confirmed when we met again in Zaofu. While it was unexpected, I was pleased at our reunion. We seemed to have a lot in common. We both share an interest in the culture of the Air Nomads, we were both non-benders who were granted the power of the bisons, and we share a hatred for corruption. Our common interests are fascinating, don’t you think?”

My eyes widen, brows raised to the top of my forehead, as I realise his hidden message.

“You want me to…to join you?!”

He nods. “Think about it. We share the same desires of ridding the world of corruption. If we join together, we can save the world from the vile leaders who wish to meld it into their own image. It wasn’t too long ago that Fire Lord Sozin nearly wiped out the Air Nation and started the Hundred Year War. With your help, Y/N, we can prevent that from ever happening again.”

My heart stops in its chest.

This isn’t the first time I have been asked by my enemies to join them.

"Join me. Join me and become my right-hand. Together we can finally vanquish the evil and corruption of benders and bring peace to Republic City and the world."

Amon asked me to join him. But my rage of what he did to Korra made his invitation not so enticing.

But Zaheer’s?

As I remember of the corruption I have encountered since first arriving in Republic City, his invitation to join the Red Lotus becomes tempting. Very tempting.

The dragon inside returns.

Join him. Join the Red Lotus. We can save the world from the scum of society!

“I…”

Join him.

JOIN HIM.

Wait…

“Will you replace them with more trustworthy leaders should you succeed? And how does kidnapping Korra fit into this?!”

My questions clearly weren’t what Zaheer expected as his expression slightly falters. “There will be no replacements. True freedom can only be achieved when oppressive governments are torn down.”

The dragon is silenced.

“What?!” I yell. “That won’t bring freedom! There will be total anarchy!”

“Exactly.” He simply retorts in nonchalance like it isn’t insanity. “As the wise Guru Laghima, an airbender, once said: “New growth cannot exist without first the destruction of the old." This is the only way balance can be restored.”

I…I can’t believe this. He wants to bring chaos!

“You’re insane!” I exclaim, leaning backwards in horror. “Governments are flawed but tearing them down and not replacing them won’t bring balance! It will bring horror! I will not be a part of that!”

My outroar finished, we sit in tense silence. Then, Zaheer closes his eyes and lets out a heavy sigh of disappointment.

“Very well.” He finally says, reopening his eyes with a sternly look. “I knew it was unlikely but for a moment I really thought you would join us. So unfortunate. We could have done great things together.”

He lifts his gaze to the entrance of the cave. “Ghazan! Load Y/N into the truck! We are heading to Ba Sing Se!”

Ba Sing Se?! That’s where Korra and Asami are going!

“Wait!” I yell. “You hadn’t answered my last question. How does Korra fit into all of this?!”

Zaheer’s sinister smile returns. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

NO!

And with a strike at the back of my head, the world is consumed by darkness.

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I hope you enjoyed it!

I really wasn't kidding when I said this was a slow-burn! I wanted the conversation to show that while Y/N's interests are similar to that of the Red Lotus', they are currently not at the stage of betraying Korra.

Feedback is appreciated!

See you all in the next chapter!

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