#and in their environment he would be taught to tolerate dangerous personalities

[curtis-brothers-hug]

Uh oh I just thought of a Ponyboy angst scenario:

The Curtis open door policy brings a lot of random east side greasers into their house, and inevitably some of them would end up being sketchier than others.

What if there was a guy who starts crashing on their couch who’s closer to Darry’s age, and who’s definitely what you’d call a hood, but the Curtis’ hang out with Dallas Winston and Tim Shepard, so whatever. But then this guy starts hurting Ponyboy, or bullying him, or making him uncomfortable somehow. And Pony doesn’t want to say anything because they’re supposed to be the house everyone can come to, and obviously his brothers don’t have a problem with the guy, and it’s not that big a deal anyway, etc

Of course when Darry and Soda find out they beat the guy into a pulp and they make it clear to Pony - and to the whole neighborhood - that the open door rule does not apply to anyone who hurts their baby brother.

[canisalbus]

would u say there's anything abt vasco's upbringing that made him kind and goodnatured? especially as a noble being around other nobles with strict parents

I think it's mostly an inborn personality trait, further cultivated by environment that rewarded good manners, gallantry and coming across as a respectable pillar of society. He just has that natural knack for socialization, empathy and reading people. He's a charismatic person and he knows it, and is aware that being friendly and personable works well in his favor. In fact, if he wasn't earnestly goodnatured and used his wiles for selfish and nefarious purposes instead, he'd be dangerously good at manipulating others and getting them to do what he wants. Luckily he has sturdy morals and knightly personality and genuinely likes people (unless given an explicit reason not to) and wants to make sure his presence is a positive force in their lives.

His father was strict and commanding and over time Vasco started to get along with him less and less. But he's always had a good relationship with his mother, as the youngest child he was the apple of her eye and arguably a little bit of a mama's boy. His mom was a warm and lenient person (albeit sort of fussy, overprotective and often a little too docile for her own good) so I think he takes after her. Most people in his life treated him well, adoringly even, and it's much easier to be kind to others when your own self-esteem is in healthy standing. He didn't encounter visible injustice very often as a child but he developed low tolerance for unfairness at young age, and his mom would usually praise and reward him whenever she found out his son had demonstrated initiative and strength of character by standing up for the underdog. Problems would start to arise when it was his own father abusing his power and authority.

And I don't know, maybe it's a bit tacky and idealistic to say, but he's always liked animals and took interest in horses and falconry early on, and working with them might've also taught him patience, gentleness, respect, responsibility and wordless communication? You can certainly manhandle a difficult horse into submission and I imagine many people at the time did, but he strongly believes he gets better results by cultivating trust, security and compassion. He ends up applying many of the same techniques on his relationships whether he realizes it or not.

[xjumbled-up-brainx]

HERE IT IS MY SHELLINGTON BACKSTORY >:D

TW!! Death, murderous intentions, parental abuse, bullying, drinking, trauma

DISCLAIMER: I personally do not ship ShellingtonxDashi. I am cool with all ships that don’t involve the vegimals, inklingxanyone besides min, or anything with the childrensxadults cause 🤨 ShellingtonxDashi is pretty good, it makes sense, but for me they are just best friends :D Also, I based the schooling system of American schools cause that’s what I know, sorry. Also in this headcannon there is school and scouts, I think there is both tho in the cannon universe cause Peso went to medical school. Alright to begin:

Lived with his dad Samwise, mum Magdalene, and Pearl on a little shore cottage by their kelp forest off the coast of Scotland. His life was greatly impacted by his allergy to red urchins, rendering him worthless as a sea otter. His mum forced him to keep eating urchins though, every day, “you just need to build up a tolerance, you’ll get used to it eventually.” They spent a fortune on Epi-pens, eventually the cost made his father stop Magdalene. Pearl got pretty much all of the attention from his mother, he was usually by himself, neglected. Sea otter mothers usually only have one pup, he came second by mistake. His father was more caring towards him. While his mom gave pearl diving lessons, his father taught him to dive for clams, cool stones, teaching him about the kelp forest ecosystem. Shellington was fascinated by all the different plants and animals, thus sparking his love for marine biology.

He never really had any friends until early high school and college. His only friend before then was a small green pebble, with a seaweed smile and two tiny shell eyes, stuck on with sticky limpet glue. (Yes he had a pet rock, their name was Sheldon Sedimentary.) Pearl was his only companion in grade school. He was bullied, but didn’t understand they were picking on him with malicious intent. He was kind of oblivious, but as he got older and looking back he realized he had been bullied almost all his young life, from forces at school, home, and Otter Scouts. In scouts, he enjoyed being outside in different environments. The lectures never applied to him, so he usually was harshly scolded for zoning out or getting distracted. He could never participate in picnics, cook outs, he had nothing to dive for, obviously causing complications, he was nothing but a burden. The only reason he was there was his mother needing a break, and to make the defect “as close to being a real sea otter as it can”. Pearl stood up for him, but she couldn’t always protect him. It was the same situation at home with his mother, as he got older hearing about other families, wait, my family isn’t normal? Wait, not everyone’s families are dysfunctional like mine? (Definitely not me self projecting no way)

For example, his mum threw an almost empty bottle of alcohol at him in his room. When she locked him in, he reassembled the bottle like a gifted puzzle, using tweezers and sticky limpet glue. Other times, when she was helping Pearl dive, she wrapped him up so tightly in kelp it hurt to breathe. She sarcastically said it was to keep him safe, he believed it as a kid, but looking back he was surprised she didn’t load him up with rocks as well. Sometimes when he’d be playing or reading in the parlor room as a kid, his mum would have her friends over for tea. Every time, they would make comments how she should abandon him, or even leave him under water a little too long. As time went on she hesitated longer and longer before saying “nooo, I would never…” One day when he was about 11 or 12, she just stayed silent.

He knew from a young age he wanted to be a scientist studying all sorts of creatures. He was considered a gifted kid, though always treated as lesser in the otter community. In freshmen year of high school, he read a book about cave diving, and creatures that typically live in caves. “Dark, Dangerous Caves Full of Dark Dangerous Things.” He was always that person who read the authors notes and publications, and he decided to contact the photographer, a young woman named Dashi Dog. He sent her an email praising her work, asking her personally about the cave experience. They stayed in very close touch online, but the distance between Scotland and Australia kept them from meeting in person until later.

The summer after sophomore year, Shellington was showing his father the newest National Seaographic magazine that came in the Snail Mail, one article was about the reef just beyond their own kelp forest. Shellington was ecstatic, they did a piece right by home! His father decided to go explore it first, tell him all about the creatures beyond. Once he got back and it was safe, Shellington could come along another day to explore. His mum was hesitant, but Samwise insisted. He did indeed see new creatures, they were the last creatures he ever saw. When he didn’t come home after a week, it was safe to say he was gone. Shellington found his fathers magnifying glass on the outskirts of their kelp forest, washed up by some rocks. Samwise never went anywhere without it, and Shellington wouldn’t either from that point on. The engraving was already his initials, S.S.O, Shellington and Samwise Sea Otter.

Since his fathers death, Magdalene started heavy drinking. She had drunk regularly before, but now was much worse. Shellington and his mom got into fights more often, his mum both starting them and doing most of the yelling. He wasn’t confrontational, most of the time just taking the abuse. Sometimes though, he broke. He was scared opening up about his plans for the future, his dreams. It got to the point where Pearl was uncomfortable constantly stuck in the middle, dealing with her own grief and the constant yelling. Seeing how distraught his sister was, he decided to leave home. It was one of those situations though, “you can’t leave. You’re kicked out.” Pearl was sad, but knew it was for the best. He promised to stay in contact with her, he couldn’t say the same for Magdalene though. His leaving was the worst fight yet, but it ended with his cheek bleeding, multiple bruises, he said “Well now you’ll have what you always wanted, I’ll be gone, forever. Bye mum.” His packed suitcase in hand and he was out the door. He bought a ticket with what little money he had, he knew only one place to go.

He was hesitant, pitiful really. When she opened the door, there he was, a sorry sight. Dried blood and bruises, ratty clothes from the journey there, a small suitcase crammed with belongings. He hadn’t eaten in days either, Dashi’s family of course took him in. He was a little skittish, but Dashi’s parents and her sister were very welcoming. Sometimes they reminded him too much of his dad. The first few weeks he was a bit of an emotional wreck, he was lonely, but not in the same way he’s been all his life. Before, it was an absence of love and company. Now, it was an absence of home. He missed the kelp forest, sleeping under the stars when he was sad or felt unwanted at the house. He really missed his dad, he was something that Shellington could never find again. Dashi was his only escape, she helped him out whenever he needed it, sometimes just by listening.

She noticed how much he fiddled and picked at his clothes, struggling to find what to do with his hands. She hand sewed a satchel for him, the blue one, his comfort item throughout his life. He decorated it with pins, sexuality, gender, and autism (from manilovewomen) Flash forward to the future as an Octonaut, inside he keeps his various medications, a supply of fish biscuits, his fathers magnifying glass, the book he is currently reading or needs for the mission, a notebook, one of those pens that is erasable and has the multiple colors you press down, and small fidget objects.

Back to the past, he slept on the fold out couch-bed, they offered to get a real one but this was better than what he had at his old home. There weren’t very many otters at this new high school, but as always he still dealt with a little bullying. Dashi stood up for him, she was popular so when people knew he was under her protection they left him alone for the most part. When he graduated, flying colors of course, Pearl called. Just Pearl. They talked sometimes, but he could always hear the scoffs and comments in the background.

When college came around, Dashi and Shellington moved out, and moved into a small apartment together. He still didn’t have much, so it made the most sense financially. His college years he shared an apartment with Dashi, their diet consisting mostly of ramen and toast. He had visit the fish market for clams to stay healthy, so that cost overrides the other food he could get. The other necessity was coffee, he had a caffeine addiction and needed the energy for late night studying. They went to the same college, Shellington graduated with a doctorate in marine biology and Dashi with a bachelors in photography. While he finished his education, she went on more cave explorations with Ryla, sometimes taking Shellington along for projects and studying. Pearl came to his graduation, she told their mom she was going for a school trip. It was two years of programs after college, some archeology creature identifications *see Almost Enough*

Finally, he got the offer. Someone of the name of Professor Inkling contacted him after seeing his work in articles and papers. The offer: to be an official marine biologist on a private organization, the Octonauts. He would travel the world, making new discoveries with an extremely talented group of individuals. It’s was his dream! But, he needed closure. Dashi came with him, but stayed outside. This was something he needed to do alone. The cottage was practically shaking, all his mum could hear was her late husbands voice. “It should have been you, he should still be here. If you want to get yourself killed, be my guest. You’ll do us all a favor.” This time though, Shellington stood up for himself. He left defeated, but not distraught. He knew they would not speak for a long time, but this decision is what his father would have wanted. Pearl was very supportive though, but they didn’t know when they would see each other next.

Shellington and Dashi weren’t ready to say goodbye, but he thought of a solution. Dashis photography and technological knowledge could come in handy. The engineer Tweak was supposed to be in charge of driving and managing computers, but with an IT officer she could work more on inventions. This leads up to the present: Shellington tries to call his mum on holidays or special events, she never answers. He is happier now as an octonaut, the memories are getting fuzzier, both a pro and a con.

[husbandohunter]

Stardew Impact [Stardew Valley+Genshin Impact x Reader]

Part 2/3 Zhongli, Xiao

Synopsis: “A mysterious phenomenon brought you and your s/o to an unfamiliar world: Pelican Town! Without the power of Visions, the two of you begin to learn the life of what it takes to be...a farmer?”

(DOMESTIC FARM LIFE ROUND TWO)

Genre: Fluff

Others

Diluc and Kaeya

Albedo and Childe

(A/n): This was meant to be part 3 but I couldn't wait to write xiao. Plus Ive been writing Albedo for almost the whole month already Word count_2.6k

-------

Xiao

• Thrown in an unfamiliar environment puts Xiao on high alert. Instincts kick in and his hand subconciously grabs for his spear. Nothing. Not even his vision activated. Xiao's gaze darts all over before landing on your figure. He sighs in relief, you're safe, that much he can decipher as of now.

• Stripped of his power, left with only claws and teeth (if must) to protect you from any dangers, he was ansty with every little thing. 

• The villagers are so nice??? For what reason must they have to act so friendly to strangers (Xiao wonders). The Mayor even granted you two a vast farmland free of charge. 

• Shortly he realized he no longer had his karmaic debt. Xiao wasn't sure how to live his life in this state. He dedicated his entire existence to years of slaughter and suffering that it became the only thing he knew. He won't admit it of course, he'll just throw in scoffs and remarks about how mundane activities are a waste of time when in reality, he just has no clue on how to handle them.

• Thats why the first day was difficult as you both try to figure out how to plant parnsips. Deciding it was better to go with an experiment, you split the share of seeds in half and used what basic knowledge you had on farming to finish the job. Xiao on the other hand tried copying what you did….though the outcome wasn't so desirable it was a mess. (His trained hands have taught him to be on the rough side).

• He doesn't bother socializing with the townspeople even though he has no karmaic debt to worry about. Xiao thinks you're more than enough anyways so what's the point? 

• Robin is the only person who can tolerate him for obvious reasons (cough Sebastian cough) she knows exactly how to deal with his personality type. His glares don't faze her, she simply thinks its just a teenage phase of some sort. 

• Eventually they become mutuals, Xiao thinks Robin is similar to Verr Goldet in a way. Since he's the one who does the heavy labour of chopping down trees and mining stones for building upgrades, he gets a chance to visit her house quite often. He comes back with lots of recipes too.

• You find out that his adepti blood never left him. Xiao doesn't need sleep so you better believe it when he tells you the next morning that he spent the whole night watering all 300 of your crops (watering is the only process he's good at for farming). 

• Sometimes you catch him staring out of the window, wondering what he may be thinking. Life was so much more different, almost hard to recognize. Was this real? Is it okay for it to be real, just this once? Ever since he committed his duty to Morax, Xiao didn't dream of a time when everything would be peaceful. Yet here he is, no longer a weapon but on a journey to find out what it's like to live as a normal person. 

• Spring: Every morning you find him kneeling behind the cabin with the pet cat (yes, cats seem to suit Xiao very much). He just stares at them, hesitant if he wanted to pet their fur or rub their chin. So he continues to glare intensely, scaring your cat away :(

• Whenever you wanted to attend any of the town's festivities, Xiao wouldn't even hide his distastefulness but goes with you regardless. Why do mortals consider hiding eggs and finding them a fun activity? And what kind of a name is Flower Dance? Can't they just call it a dance?

• Though…he does like the sight of you wearing a flower crown. Xiao likes putting stuff in your hair.

Since setting foot upon this new world, time seemed to have slowed down to the point that almost everything felt like an eternity. And you didn't mind, with him by your side, you wouldn't mind if it did last forever.

The lull of the grass was the only sound Xiao could hear as he closed his eyes and rested his head on your lap. You maneuvered across his scalp in small, subtle motions, surprised with how warm he felt against the heat your palm. He stirs a little and lets out a soft breath before turning his face to lay on the side.

You were slightly intrigued by the yaksha's new demeanor. From far away, Xiao was an intimidating man, even during the first time you laid eyes him, his presence felt similar to a knife pointing at anyone who dares to come too close. But now, the face that usually held his signature annoyance melted into something you never thought you'd see as the sun rays brushed against the surface of his fair skin. You observed the way his dark eyebrows stayed in a relaxed arch. The red crescents lining right above his beautiful long lashes and the sound of soft snores through parted lips. It was hard to believe that this man was the same person who claimed to have ended a thousand lives through thousands of years.

Did he fall asleep already?

Gently moving away the strands away from his cheekbone, hovered your gaze above him and whispered, "I thought adepti don't need rest."

"Hmph," Xiao responds, though there was no harshness in his tone, "Quit trying to be difficult, I didn't tell you to stop."

The smug grin on your face only widens. You lean downward and said to his ear, "And what's the magic word~?"

Xiao sighs at your antics. You were truly pushing your luck today and he simply didn't have the patience to entertain you. Without a warning, he grabs your wrist and pulls you down, foreheads pressing until you were but a breath away. The adepti conquers, he does not plead.

• Summer: As expected, your parnsnips weren't able to grow as much. Thus, this season was going to be the one to make up for the lost profit. Xiao is very good at hunting, perhaps the best in the entire town. Though the way he catches fish is rather peculiar, said by the folks. He prefers to carve a spear made of wood and repeatedly stabs the lake until results show. Xiao dislikes the old fashioned way, he says its unproductive and it unecissarily takes too much time. 

• But as much as he scared the whole town, they were extremely grateful when he cleaned up the slime issues happening in the mines. You could say that he grew very popular since then and eventually mustered up the courage to greet him a hello whenever he passes by. 

• You nudge him to reply back. Xiao usually shoots you a glare but slowly, he learns the courtesy of acknowledging someone's prescence.

• Fall: You woke up to a burnt smell coming from the kitchen. Xiao just thought he would return the favour since you always worked so hard. (He was actually trying to figure out what a 'whisk' was. It was no wonder why there were eggshells in the dish!)

• You realized that Xiao was taking more initation compared to before. At night, when you thought the animals were actively jumping in the barns, the noise was actually from Xiao trying to adjust himself to the ways of tending the field. After learning what TV was, he would always switch to the channel "Livin off the land" to gain some insight. Truly, Xiao was greatful even though he knew he eventually had to return to his duties, he wanted to utilize the current days the best way he could. And what better way was it to just make you happy in return?

• Winter: This was the season to test the accumulation of Xiao's abilities: you caught a cold and he had to manage everything in his own. Xiao scolded you for not wearing enough and being too careless but at the same he considered that you must've been working too hard.

• Goes to Robin for help. She basically became his mom now. Prepares the food and leaves them in the fridge, she teaches Xiao how to use the phone in case he needed any help and also lets him know where all the essentials are. 

• Xiao stayed by your side the whole time even though you told him you'd be fine. But he refuses, he may no longer be a gaurdian but he was your gaurdian. That role never changed.

~~x~~

Zhongli

• You wake up on a soft bed with Zhongli sitting at a chair nearby. He hands you a cup of brewed water but you're still blatlantly confused. Seems like everything was taken care of by Zhongli, it ends up with him explaining everything to you. 

• The folks instantly assumes you both as a married couple. Who could blame them? He did carry your unconcious body all the way to town while asking for a local doctor. You can bet that the ladies wish they were you at that moment. Zhongli took care of everything, including with the contract with the new farm.

• It didn't take long for you both to adjust to the new lifestyle. Zhongli's accumulated knowledge was enough to last all four seasons. Days past by peacefully as you shared the tasks. He'd place down the stone paths towards the gate and you busied yourself with decorating the house. After that was done, Zhongli would rest upon the rocking chair outside your door (like the grandpa he is) and sometimes you'd join him in one reading session. His voice was soothing, you eventually dipped into a slumber as the evening grew colder. Just like always, your beloved brings his arm to encapsulate you from the wind, brushing his thumb against your skin subconciously while you snore softly into his shoulder.

• In a way, the townsfolk were right. You both do act like a married couple. It's basically domestic life with Zhongli in a nutshell.

• He gets connected with Gunther and lands a role in the Museum. Since he's there so often, Zhongli also manages to be acquainted with Elliot as well. Two men who have a common interest with books while speaking in poetic prose. Their conversation would last for hours to the point Gunther had to kick them out of the library!

• Veeeery good with the children, not in an entertaining way but its just the aura he reeks. Penny usually had trouble dealing with Vincent since he never seems to be able to focus but the minute Zhongli speaks, he's all ears. Not only that he was also very good with the elderly. He even recommended some herbs George could take to soothe his back issues.

• Problem is that he still forgets to bring his wallet and Childe isn't here to save him. So once you stepped foot into the Stardrop Saloon and Gus calls you over, he tells you about the cost he owed to his tab….

• But this tranquil life full of genuinity and deprived of sovereignty, he was overjoyed to be able to spend it with you. Because he knew you were unlike him, that all humans were born with an expiry date. He knew so well that after every new greeting, he would have to face the goodbyes over and over until the world eventually came to an end. He knew you were also going to be part of those many goodbyes while he would still be here.

• But as Zhongli walks amongst the fallen leaves, he remembered the beauty that carries within every new beginning. They brought him to you and he would never hesitate to trade his gnosis for it.

Spring: You shot up your bed when Zhongli blast the TV at full volume. He apologizes, saying that he was simply trying to change the channel. You figured it was best for him to go outside before he somehow glitches the screen until it couldn't repair itself (Robin charges for repairs).

• Every thursday you both go to Pierre's store to complete your grocery shopping. He offers to push the cart as you fill the basket with all the necessities (plus it saves you the trouble of having him tossing whatever he sees without looking at the price tag).

• Every afternoon you order a take out from the Saloon, sharing the meal while sitting at the fountain's edge near the community center. Every evening Zhongli would take you to explore the rest of the vast farmland, discovering places you weren't even aware of. It was no wonder why everyone thought you were a married couple. 

• Summer: Since the cabin was too small for a bathroom, you guys would have to travel up the mountains in order to get to the Spa house (cue sweatiness x10). 

• The concept of hotsprings was derived from Inazuma so it was no surprise that Liyue eventually took it after him. Zhongli had collected some incense from foraging items over the past few months, he knows whats up. But overall he gives the best bath sessions (hands down) and you were the one who insisted in joining him.  He was a gentle and sweet lover, always putting your needs before his. Ancient artifacts and old history books have always been precious to him, he treated you no differently.

The heartbeat of the oceans continues to rock back and forth until they brush up on the sandy shore, washing away the two pairs of footprints left behind by a man and a woman.

Gold against gold, his amber eyes reflected against the scenery. Millions of lights flashed among the sea when the sun began to climb down from the sky, it's rays hugged across the valley like an ethereal glow bestowed by the heavens as summer's wind brought even more warmth than what he had currently felt. You trance ahead of with the same light shaping around your form. 

"Oh hey there's another rainbow shell," you waved at him before running off, "I'll be back!"

How is it that you still continue to shine like gold in his memories?

Zhongli suddenly ponders at the chapters laying ahead of him. He spent so many years turning each page without ever reaching a conclusion, forever searching the fabled happy endings written in fairytale books, but he knew his immortality wouldn't grant him that wish.

Thus, the formal archon raised his pen and reweaves his own story. He envisions his future with you by his side, engraving every detail until it was immortalized in his memories.

Perhaps I shouldn't keep her waiting.

With a renewed resolve, Zhongli clutches the gemstone tightly in his palm, he seals the page with the final contract between your future and his.

• Fall: After getting your first house upgrade, it was time for the next event: the ceremony. Yes, Zhongli would only have a wedding if Liyue traditions were involved. Everyone was invited of course, they were quite intrigued with the flashy setup such as lanterns and fireworks (you were a little worried with where he got the budget for such items) and Zhongli even educated Gus about some recipes he can use for the Saloon.

• You found out that Zhongli was saving all his money for this day (it was no wonder that he couldn't pay for his tab!). Old habits die hard, it was a shame that he didn't have his powers to craft the right items, but at least he got to sea you in a traditional eastern dress (it's the part he was looming forward to the most).

• Fall is the best season. One you wouldn't forget.

• Winter: Ah he finally learns how to use  technology after three seasons. He only knows two channels from the TV which was 'Livin off the Land' and the weather channel. Zhongli oftens talks to himself as he tries to figure out more mechanics, he seems to be extremely absorbed in the most basic things.

• The miner of the house. But instead of using them to upgrade tools and donating them to the museum, Zhongli likes to keep some of them for collection. You could say your house also had a little museum in the other room.

• Romcom movies and soap operas. You can't change my mind that this is what you both spend your time watching as the snowstorm rages outside. 

[my-makeshift-masquerade]

William Afton parenting advice part two????👀👀👀

William: What? You want to bring this back? Very well. I shall talk about protecting children this time. It is what I had to do as head of security at the diner, and as a father of four. This may get long, as I will include personal examples.

It’s very important to make sure children are not only physically safe from danger, but that they feel safe. Don’t assume that they are safe simply because they appear happy. Their happiness can be superficial to please adults in an effort to get their needs met. Evan never wanted to cry around his mother. He actually came to my house or the diner specifically to cry. Rebecca had a similar habit of crying so quietly it was barely detectable, even before a year of age.

Many people think safe children will be little angels, but it’s the opposite. Kids who feel truly safe with you will treat you like a damn jungle gym. Choices are made for them at all hours of the day, so one person they feel safe around means their “misbehavior” comes out to play. Micheal was known for this. He developed a habit of stealing things I needed so I’d chase him down when he was young. He wouldn’t dare do such a prank on his mother. Henry was fair game for his tricks though. Micheal inspired Foxy’s character with his mischief back then.

When I saw the party room in chaos with pepperoni on the floor and kids using the tables as forts while their parents watched in horror, that’s when I knew I was doing a good job. Most parents that got upset would say this sort of play was unsafe or inappropriate in an attempt to justify making their children act in a way that’s comfortable to them. It wasn’t, though. If they started running around in circles and roaring like a bear, I wondered how long that child was kept sitting still for. They have energy they need to get out in a safe environment. That was my job to maintain for them.

Evan and Rebecca both being diagnosed with autism like myself needed more protection than their older siblings… until it was their time to go, of course. I’d frequently have to tell grown women off for trying to touch my child and toddler, cooing at them and getting in their faces. It was insulting and overwhelming for them. They both developed a habit of hiding away in small spaces…or clinging to my legs. Becca even wanted to be held by Spring Bonnie because she wanted to know she was safe. I may have caved into that more than I’d like to admit…

If I mentioned their diagnosis in public, I’d get the “They just need to be taught respect.” or the “I’m so sorry for your loss.” speeches, all while my smallest children were there to hear every word of it. It was disgusting, considering I was just like them. Their mother simply didn’t want to understand, and believed they needed to be taught respect so they’d be convenient for her to drag around. I wasn’t about to treat my children like that, and I often got accused of abusing them because of it.

On the outside, my darling Clara was the perfect single mother, not tolerating anything remotely close to disrespect from me or her children. I even was fooled by her warped ideals when it came to Micheal early on… Explains how he turned out… The most common thing I got told was I was torturing Evan by bringing him to work with me, which is false. His fear of the animatronics was a misunderstanding. If he was truly terrified, he wouldn’t have insisted to have his birthday at the diner when I told him he didn’t have to and brought up the potential issues. He loves the characters like the other children, especially since his father helped bring them to life in all sorts of ways. There were just barriers to his ability to enjoy the diner in the way people expected him to.

A small child who sees someone go into a body and not come out without taking the head off first would assume that person was “eaten”. Many other kids had the same interpretation of the suits, and teased him into believing it. It’s why taking the suits off in front of our young guests wasn’t allowed. His fear was more because he saw us adults working on the suits behind the scenes, me shoving hands in Fredbear’s mouth for repairs and getting my sleeve stuck on a metal rod, or other mundane occurrences. This was terrifying to children at that young of an age, even if it was perfectly safe. Rebecca didn’t like seeing Spring Bonnie taken apart, and would say he got hurt, begging me to put him back together. They’re only children…

Children can still feel safe even when they face their greatest fears, if the right person is there to support them through it.

[unchartedtrivia]

War criminal. A psychopath. A man whose crimes are unimaginable.Or perhaps a cunning, clever manipulator who knows exactly what to do to make people stop digging into the subje:readmorect aand stop “biting at his heels”? 

CHARACTER TRAITS: 

- Boldness: low fear, high stress tolerance, tolerance of unfamiliarity and danger, high self-confidence, social assertiveness. Typical character traits for a soldier. Importantly, these are considered psychopathic traits. They do not directly qualify someone as a psychopath, but they are traits that are in the spectrum. 

- He is curious of the world and his enemies. He is an intelligent man who does not believe in paranormal and supernatural phenomena that “can’t be explained” and has no evidence for it unless he is confronted with hard facts and reality. It’s visible while Nate and Flynn were terrified by Yeti - Shambhala guardians. Lazarević was the one who was calm and didn’t hesitate to kill it with cold blood, even if he didn’t meet this sort of enemy earlier. He was still aware of the threat, but he didn’t hesitate to move forward. He was the only one who didn’t believe in supernatural surroundings and paranormal creatures like the yeti. And only Zoran realized that yetis were actually human. 

- He isn’t completely lacking of empathy (it is visible in the scene of Jeff’s death). 

- Lazarević thinks long-term, looking ahead and anticipating various scenarios, more and less favorable. The advantages and potential benefits must always outweigh the disadvantages and losses. Everything must be carefully thought out. If something does not go according to plan, he can adjust quickly. 

- He knows all the psychological tricks. (more in PHILOSOPHY) 

- Patient - he looked for Cintamani stone for more than a few years. 

- Able to work with others, but only as commander-subordinate. 

- Is very sensitive to disloyalty, disobedience and betrayal. 

PHILOSOPHY: 

- Everything can be used against you. If the enemy knows anything about you, he will try to use it. If you show you care about something, others will take advantage of it. The less is known, the better. 

- Don’t show emotions, feelings, don’t care about anything. This is the safest way. 

- Violence and terror are only tools. He uses violence to show his power, terrify his enemies, influence them and pressure his subordinates. He uses it deliberately, on purpose. Violence is supposed to create his image in the eyes of others, like PR. It suggest that Lazarević is an experienced manipulator who knows all the psychological tricks. 

- He does not do anything without a reason - everything must have its purpose, effect and outcome, even threats and insults (vide the scene where he terrified Flynn with the Phurba dagger) 

- Emotions are also a weapon. He doesn’t show regret, remorse or positive emotions. Most of the time he is calm. Anger is meant to terrify or pressure others. It’s visibly in the scene with Flynn (as above). 

ORIGINS: 

According to wiki, Zoran Lazarević is Serbian; judging by his appearance, he is about 50 years old or not much older. At the time, Yugoslavia was part of the Soviet Union; there were common rules and principles, such as compulsory military conscription at age 18 and a “bachelor tax” (tax on not having children). 

Why am I mentioning this? Because it sheds some light on his character. It is likely that after the age of 18 he was conscripted into the military, with which he later associated his life. Given his character traits, he was excellent material for a soldier and later a commander. And judging by his knowledge and skills, he was gradually promoted to special services like the KGB, where he was taught to manipulate others, not to succumb to pressure and mental and emotional blackmail. He can also use other means of mental coercion - blackmail and psychological pressure, intimidation, etc. 

If we consider the English - that is, the original language version of the series - we can assume that Lazarević had a good understanding of English, not necessarily just because the language of the game requires it. His vocabulary, grammar and very strong accent prove that he knew bookish language, rather not used in everyday situations. This confirms Lazarević’s special status - he was most likely taught the language in a more “traditional” way, rather than by learning the language in an English-speaking environment. The creators even took care of such a small detail. 

DID HE HAD FAMILY - WIFE OR/AND KIDS? 

Lazarević is a man who openly shows “I have no weaknesses (PHILOSOPHY). The past, feelings, emotions - he hides everything. 

So would he start a family and have children if it could be used against him one day, especially if he was an intelligence officer? 

No. It seems highly questionable to me, given his life philosophy and lifestyle. He is a man with clear priorities and life goals, and a family would be an obstacle to achieving that plan. 

(Interestingly, the "original” Lazarević, not his skin, available in the game, has a black patch with a black hand sign instead of an emblem on his shoulder. I dare to think that this is a reference to the Serbian secret organization “Black Hand” which assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. And going by a source from wikipedia, Lazarevic’s uniform from Uncharted 4 multi suggests he may have been a KGB volunteer). 

BECOMING A LEGEND 

The war in Yugoslavia and the division of the Republic of Yugoslavia into individual states were the first serious “test” of Lazarević’s abilities; already then he began to build his legend of a merciless man who does not hesitate to commit even the gravest crimes. Lazarević probably already foresaw that after the fall of Yugoslavia, he would become a nobody and the secret services would start hunting him down. 

NATO BOMBING 

Lazarević thinks long term, looking ahead and anticipating various scenarios, more or less favorable. The advantages and potential benefits must always outweigh the disadvantages and losses. 

Strange that he didn’t foresee the NATO raid, isn’t it? 

Why would a man of his kind, with his character traits, high intelligence and experience not guess that such an action would be carried out against him? To count on it not happening would be naive, to say the least, and not in Lazarević’s style. He is the kind of person who always has to have everything precisely planned. 

Let’s think about this: NATO obtains the location of Lazarević’s hideout and he knew it. He had time to organize equipment and people, etc. At the same time, it is a chance to give up identity and be declared dead - especially if the body cannot be identified or found. The benefits outweigh the potential risks.  

 Interestingly, it seems to me that not everything went quite according to Lazarević’s plan. Why? Because, as we see in the first scenes in the game featuring him, he is very sensitive to disloyalty and betrayal; he says “I’m surrounded by traitors and fools!”. 

It isn’t a fact, but my own assumption: “someone” has betrayed his hideout and passed information to NATO? Or - if Lazarević decided himself to reveal the hiding place - perhaps the potential “traitor” gave NATO the real, factual information? This would throw up an interesting thread explaining why he is so sensitive to lack of loyalty. It is possible that he foresaw what would happen, but NATO or the traitor took him by surprise. It would also show that despite his preparation for various situations, he never considered diversion within his own ranks. But, as I said at the beginning of this paragraph, it’s my own assumption. 

THE ARGUMENTS FOR LAZAREVIC KNEW ABOUT NATO’S INTENTIONS:

- He always has to have everything planned.

- He anticipates situations long term, thinks ahead.

- Considering him dead or missing is a benefit that outweighs the risk.

 ARGUMENTS FOR WHY LAZAREVIC DIDN’T KNOW:  

 - He never considered treachery in his own ranks (which is why he reacts so negatively to his subordinate’s attitude). 

BECOMING A LIVING LEGEND, FEAR AND MADMAN 

It wasn’t long before he was branded a madman, feared by everyone from local warlords to the common people and his own army.  It is fair to say that the tools he used - violence, cruelty, war crimes - were used solely to exert fear and pressure. Interestingly, however, Lazarević is not someone who bullies others for pure pleasure and his own comfort. 

All three murders he carried out in front of Nate’s perspective eyes were swift and intended to put the victim to death immediately rather than prolong their agony. Significantly, they were all intended to underscore the atmosphere of fear, danger, and terror surrounding Lazarević. All this was well thought out.  Let’s talk about these scenes. 

FIRST MURDER: UNNAMED SOLDIER WHO STOLE AN ANCIENT COIN 

Nate sees Lazarević in his own camp; one of the soldiers brings to him another subordinate who was caught stealing an ancient coin. 

Lazarević asks “you would betray me for this?” “Zoran, I can explain!”. “No, no need […] I am surrounded by traitors and fools!” Why did he do this?  NO PUNISHMENT: if he did not punish the subordinate, he would show his weakness and undermine his authority.

PUNISHMENT WITHOUT VIOLENCE: If he punished him without violence, he would prove to others that he has no authority, there is no serious punishment, and stealing is profitable (if you don’t get caught). 

DEATH PENALTY: Punishing a subordinate with death is an example to other soldiers, a warning. It is a message to others - similar situations will not be tolerated. Significantly, this scene is very important in several ways. People like Lazarević are only lied to once; they know very well when betrayal begins. Since this man was able to steal from him even then, it is likely that he had already committed other things that made him untrustworthy but went undetected. 

If Lazarević had kicked him out of the army ranks or left him alive, he would have had to constantly watch his back; this man could have turned him in to NATO or other organizations, especially if he was offered a large sum of money. If he was so greedy as to steal a plain old coin, what if he was offered more? His betrayal would be highly likely. 

Throwing the coin into the pond also had its symbolic aspect. It was to show that even objects of value to others are in fact worthless to Lazarević and this is not really what the whole expedition is about. The pursuit of such trinkets is extremely foolish, as is cheating such a man. 

The coin was not more important than the loss of life. The man lost his life - and therefore something priceless - in exchange for something worthless.  

 Significantly: Zoran did not prolong his victim’s suffering, he did not play with his victim’s suffering, he did not abuse him mentally or physically. The punishment was swift, without agony. 

Action: quick murder 

Result: murder in front of other subordinates, throwing away a precious coin 

Effect: a message that theft will not be tolerated; to secure one’s “back” and remove a potential traitor from the ranks; to intimidate other potential traitors; to show that Lazarević rules with an iron hand, demands discipline and unconditional obedience and honesty. Violence is a tool.  

SECOND MURDER: CAMERAMAN JEFF 

The middle of a war, the city is in shambles, mostly divided between rebels and aggressors. There are no people, no medical aid, everything is ruined - from streets to buildings. Jeff is shot in the stomach by a random soldier. 

Recall: the middle of warfare in Nepal - there is no way to get medical help. The abdominal wounds are very serious, in part fatal. If you do not get help, carry the wounded, etc. the probability of the wound becoming infected, worsening the injury and death increases dramatically. 

Chloe rightly points out that Jeff was already dead from the moment he was shot; Nate and Elena, led by compassion, gave him false hope of survival and prolonged his agony. 

Then Lazarević appears; as an experienced soldier, he knows that Jeff doesn’t stand a chance. Zoran asks a simple question - “did you carry him all the way from the temple? Shame.”, then takes out his gun and kills Jeff on the spot, sparing him further suffering. He does what Nate would not be able to do, as Elena or even Chloe. He doesn’t prolong his situation or walk away, leaving him alive and suffering. He ends things quickly. He doesn’t abuse him. 

Was it cruel? No. It was sensible and just simply human (sic!).He did what Nate, Elena and Chloe were incapable of doing. He knew there was no other way out of the situation and he followed reason and mercy.

“Shame”. 

Lazarević makes a personal assessment of the situation; he considers prolonging Jeff’s agony and giving him hope of survival to be shameful. This aspect is interesting to note - it shows that he is not without empathy and conscience, even if he does not show it more openly. It is an act of pity, which at the same time emphasizes his legend of a merciless man. At the same time, the victim’s death is a good tool - it can intimidate Nate, Elena, Chloe and Flynn. Isn’t that the perfect way out of the situation?  

 Action: Quickly kill the badly wounded Jeff Result: ending the victim’s suffering, an act of mercy, Nathan’s moral evaluation 

Effect: intimidation of Nate, Elena, Chloe and Flynn, proving he is not reluctant to kill in cold blood, even for a good cause, highlighting black PR.  

THIRD MURDER: BLACKMAILED SUBORDINATE Compassion is the enemy. Mercy defeats us.

Let’s take a look at this scene: a soldier enters a room, doing standard reconnaissance. He is caught by Nate, who decides to use him for blackmail. Lazarević enters. 

What is the biggest problem in this situation here? We have three options:

SHOWING MERCY: shows the soldiers that their commander is weak and succumbs to emotion. Nate has the opportunity to dictate terms, not necessarily possible to meet. The authority of a fearsome leader with no weaknesses is overthrown. Showing submission, feelings, emotions and conscience and taking control. Losing control of the situation. Destruction of character traits. 

Losses outweigh benefits. 

Benefits: none. 

NEGOTIATIONS: weakening authority among subordinates, overthrowing black PR built up over years. Nate’s unpredictable conditions, not necessarily possible to meet. Showing submission and taking control. Losing control of the situation. 

Losses outweigh benefits. 

Benefits: none.  

KILLING SUBORDINATE: Black PR maintained. Intimidation (terror) maintained. Giving the message that there are no weaknesses. Giving the message that Lazarević is not acting with feelings and emotions like Nate, but with his own conscience and cool logic. Maintaining control of the situation. Exerting mental pressure. Information to Nate that negotiations are not an option and he is in a weak position (intimidating Nate). 

The benefits outweigh the losses (loss of a soldier, lowering troop morale).

BLACKMAILING AND USING CHLOE AS EXAMPLE: Emphasizing Lazarević’s control over the situation and authority. Pointing out that Nate thinks with feelings and emotions and is easily blackmailed. Exposing Nate’s weaknesses. 

That shows that Lazarević knew about their relationship and Chloe’s involvement in helping Nate. Forcing Nate to give in, forcing submission, forcing further cooperation. Black PR maintained. Intimidation (terror) maintained.

Benefits outweigh losses (Nate’s refusal to cooperate, Chloe’s murder - getting rid of the traitor, Flynn’s intimidation, giving a warning). 

The murder of the unlucky subordinate was intended to emphasize Lazarević’s philosophy, to show that Lazarević has no weaknesses and is not guided by feelings and emotions, typical of an ordinary person. There is no place for emotional attachment in the boss-subordinate barrier - it is supposed to be a protection for both the one and the other. It is safer not to have emotional relationships, as they are a weak point and can be exploited. As you can see, Nate tried. 

The killing of the subordinate itself was done after a long moment of reflection, quickly and effectively; it is likely that Lazarević looked for a way out of the situation before finally making a decision (he did not act without hesitation, driven by an unconditional reflex). He did not prolong the victim’s suffering. Most likely, at the same time, he was prepared for a similar turn of events, given the fact that he ordered Chloe to be brought in and used influence and pressure techniques on Nate himself. It is worth noting how perfectly trained he was. 

At the same time, the murder of the subordinate highlights his status: the victim was a mercenary. He must have been prepared for a similar turn of events. In this profession, there is no place for mercy or loyalty. 

Does this define Lazarević as a bad person who “doesn’t care about people”? No. He doesn’t get paid to “take care of his people” when the stakes outweigh everything else. 

Action: murder of a subordinate, used as a blackmail tool, use of Chloe 

Result: killing a subordinate, taking away Nate’s argument for negotiation, taking control of the situation and being able to impose his own terms. 

Effect: to intimidate the blackmailers, to put psychological pressure on them, to prove that there is no reluctance to kill in cold blood in order to eliminate the “problem��� - obstacle, to emphasize black PR, to emphasize his control over the situation. Getting Nate to cooperate. 

As you can see, all three killings were done for a specific purpose, in one case it was an act of pity (which is quite unusual for Lazarević, given the black PR he was trying to take care of). 

FOURTH MURDER: SHAMBALA’S GUARDIAN IN THE TEMPLE  

Remember the temple scenes where Nate and Flynn try to find their way to Shambala? After turning giant cylinders with Tibetan signs, the guardians appear - yeti. Humanoid, huge, not very intelligent apes. And when it seems that both men will not survive the clash, Lazarević enters the scene.  Interestingly, he is the only person in the entire scene who realizes that the yetis are not what they appear to be. 

This means that Lazarević is not only hard to fool with various tricks, but he is also a man who does not believe in paranormal beings. 

So why did such a man take an interest in the Cintamani Stone? Why did he believe in the legends but did not believe in the existence of the yeti? After all, both so far revolved in the realm of unbelievable things and were not verifiable in any way. 

There is only one explanation - Lazarević saw with his own eyes the effect of the Stone (for example, during the civil war in Yugoslavia) or reached military materials that studied similar topics. This would not be surprising - already during the war period this was dealt with by the Ahnenerbe (and Carl Schafer’s unit got very far - to the very temple with the elevator, judging by the fact that there we find German mp40s, not to mention the mp40s found in the temple with the mirrors!). 

On the other hand, it is doubtful that Yugoslav intelligence services would be involved in similar things. One would sooner expect it from the KGB, which emphasizes Lazarević’s connections with that organization all the more. 

MUSEUM HEIST: 

Compared to Flynn, who does everything the wrong way around, Chloe, who counts on others to do the work for her, and Nate, who acts rashly and without thinking through the consequences, Lazarević is the one with the clarity of mind and is the main force behind the game. 

He is most likely the one who devised the plan to break into the museum. Why do I think so? Well, an important point was made to me: Flynn was not intelligent. He is easily fooled. He doesn’t predict events. He can’t plan for the long term, as the scenes with him prove - including the scene with Nate and Elena escaping execution. At the museum, he didn’t even pay attention to the new, installed alarms - until Nate told him about them. 

And would someone like Flynn be able to prepare to carefully break into the world’s most guarded? I doubt it. I think Lazarević was behind the whole plan. At the same time, he also didn’t know about some of the security arrangements - not surprising, since he was a bystander and wasn’t there to check and inspect everything. And since he didn’t know about alarms, Flynn did not know about them either. 

Significantly, Jeff’s murder scene proves that Lazarević has heard of Nathan Drake before. He walks up to him, observes him, and says “so… this little man is Drake…?”.  He might have known Nathan from stories told by other people “in the industry”. 

So he had to know what he was like, he knew his legend. So why did he decide to choose Flynn and Chloe to work with? 

I think it stems from the fact that they both didn’t have reputations as thieves, unlike Nate. Nate had already proven on more than one occasion that he may have been able to provide someone with things that clients paid for, but he was trying to find their treasures for himself.

Example: a comic book. In the plot of the comic book, Nathan is commissioned to find a journal that belongs to the clients’ ancestors. At the same time he deciphers it before giving it to his client. He keeps the information to himself and tries to get the treasure before his principals. And here we go, here we have closer example: Uncharted 4 - Nathan and Sam take money from Rafe in exchange for finding Avery’s treasure. Nate offers Samuel a prison break with just the two of them, without including Rafe in the plan - he wants to leave his principal in a prison in Panama. 

Choosing Nathan to work with him would simply be dangerous. It would involve the risk of abandoning the assignment, of trying to get information “to his advantage,” of trying to get the treasure without sharing with Lazarević.  At the same time, Lazarević sees Nate as a freak, a person who will do anything to get the treasure. The dialogue in the coop proves this. 

(posessing Janus statue) “Well now that we have this… he will come to us.” “Why Drake would be there?” “Because like you, he is a little fool who will do anything for treasure”. Risk was too high. 

DID LAZAREVIC KNOW ABOUT CHLOE?

Of course. As we can see from his story and the facts we can deduce, he is a person who can quickly assess both the situation and people. At the same time, it should be noted that Chloe’s behavior itself was not very subtle - every time she was found, she held Nate at gunpoint. 

“Accidentally.”.

At the same time, she disappeared for long periods of time, no one knew where she could be found, and there were no witnesses confirming her presence anywhere. Too many of these miraculous coincidences, right? 

Leaving Chloe free would have a lot of benefits - among other things, she might have unknowingly led Lazarević after her.  So - since when did he know about Chloe and Nate’s collaboration?  

Although this is quite a debatable theory, I personally suspect that he knew about her participation during the search for the temple in Nepal or earlier, after Nathan and Sully escaped from Borneo. 

Why? 

Because it’s clear that the shots weren’t fired by Nate and Sully, unless Chloe dragged the bodies somewhere else and made it look like an accident. Flynn was most likely silent to save Chloe from punishment.  

All right, Nate and Sully escaped. We’re headed to Nepal. 

Chloe has a free hand again, she can move unattended, non-controlled by anyone. But are we sure? Would a man like Lazarević leave her without “care”? 

While Lazarević was destroying all the temples one by one, Nate and Chloe left quite a few bodies on their way to the right place. One would think that the rebels were the culprits, but the rebels were not particularly effective compared to Lazarević’s well-trained mercenaries, as seen in the scene with the bus or the attempted assassination of the mercenaries at one of the temples in the square. 

And the rebels were not well trained, not used to the new reality, and were not likely to have the latest equipment or numerical superiority. Meanwhile, what might Lazarević have found when checking one of the temples? A whole dead squad. 

Significantly, reinforcements arrived during the game - meaning that most likely some of the soldiers had received a call and responded to it. Two dead units and no rebel bodies nearby, even no one? Unlikely. The scene of the escape from the temple may have reinforced his belief. 

Let’s look at it from another angle: Chloe’s explanations are equally unbelievable. 

The first meeting with Nathan: Chloe catches them “at gunpoint”. Both men somehow escape. There are no witnesses, just two dead men and one armed person. Flynn stayed silent, or didn’t guess what happened. 

The second meeting with Nathan: Chloe disappears for a long time, cannot be contacted, eventually holds Nathan “at gunpoint”. And she found him “incidentally”. Highly possibly Flynn didn’t tell Lazarević anything. Perhaps that’s why he ordered Chloe to be taken from the place before Lazarević came. 

Third meeting with Nathan: Chloe kills Draza; although there are no direct eyewitnesses to this, it is clear that the fatal wound could not have been inflicted by Nate, as the shot came from a completely different direction. The only person who would know the truth here was Flynn, but he kept quiet, most likely out of fear for Chloe. 

The fourth meeting with Nathan: the dagger under Chloe’s care magically disappears literally minutes after talking to Lazarević. It’s unclear when it was realized that this had happened, but it’s not hard to guess who might have been responsible. Unbelievable. 

While Flynn would have been able to believe it, I doubt that the situation in the second meeting with Nate would have appealed to Lazarević, who had far more intelligence, both mental and emotional. This is further proven by the scene during which he took Chloe hostage during Nate’s negotiations. 

He was already aware of the fact that Chloe was very important to him, especially after situation in the train.  Importantly, I personally think Lazarević treated Chloe as bait early on in the game. Upon reaching the temple, he already knew what her proper motives were. In the end, he gave her the dagger, knowing that Nathan was on their heels. Wouldn’t it be convenient to give the dagger back to Nate indirectly and just follow his trail? 

Lazarević was aware that Flynn and Chloe would not be able to solve the mystery alone, which he clearly expresses in the scene by saying “Clearly hired the wrong man for this job."  

Interestingly, Chloe, after the scene when Lazarević terrorised Flynn by using Phurba Dagger, says of her employer, "he’s a monster!”. At the same time, she doesn’t judge herself that way by her actions towards Lazarević’s mercenaries - as if she didn’t commit the crime herself. However, this suggests something else - namely, that she suffered the punishment, or witnessed the punishment, that Flynn had to suffer for the failures of both of them. This would not be surprising, given the way Lazarević acts.

Interestingly, Lazarević respects the agreements or contracts - including during the scene where he wants to kill Chloe for being a traitor. This proves that he knew about it and her motives all along, but after a discussion with Flynn, he changed his mind. “That was not the deal”. 

COULD LAZAREVIC HAVE SURVIVED? 

Arguments for: 

- He doesn’t give up. 

- Experienced military officer. He survived the NATO bombing, the war in Yugoslavia, and was most likely a high ranking service officer. Given his knowledge and training, he also had extensive experience in combat, especially hand-to-hand combat.

- Rather, he had a weapon at hand, at short range much more effective than bare fists or mace (gun in his holster).

 Arguments against: 

- Surrounded by eight difficult to kill opponents. 

- Seriously wounded, weakened, reduced to the first floor (and thus to a position where it is difficult to get up on his feet and escape). 

- No time to react In the final scenes, he voluntarily consents to die as if he had surrendered - because he felt he had fought as an equal and been defeated. 

This is another trait of Lazarević’s that is very relevant to the scene as a whole - it tells us that he is able to acknowledge his loss in battle through the superiority and skill of others. In Uncharted 3 DLC coop Lazarevic, if he dies, tells us “Well fought, Drake (laugh) You are the better man. Still little… but better”. 

HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO: LAZAREVIĆ ESCAPED 

Okay, maybe he would have survived, but what about the collapsed bridges and ruined city? Keep in mind that it’s likely that not all parts of Shambala were equally destroyed, as we see in the final scenes. What is even more significant is that there could not necessarily have been only this one and only one way in and out of Shambala. Most likely there was another escape route.  What is even more significant is that resin trees grew not only in this place. So Lazarević, while trying to escape - assuming he survived, of course - could have encountered another source of power, which could have given him more strength and healed his wounds. 

Does that appeal to me? Yes, it most certainly does. Personally never liked last scene. A fearless man like Lazarević killed by eight violet, mountain trolls? Nope. This character deserved better ending. 

Would I like to see Lazarevic return in some DLC or Uncharted 3 style co-op? Hell yes! 

[ask-hunterxhunter]

How do you think the adult trio would have been had they a chance to grow up in a normal stable family? Are their behaviors (mostly) a product of nature or nurture?

This is actually a very good question. I honestly believe that, inmost cases, nurture wins against nature. I’ll try to give my analysis ofeach case. Now, I just read a little about psychology for fun (and because I loveit), I’m not an expert and this is how I see things. It doesn’t mean, at all,that I am right.

Hisoka

The whole fandom agrees that something happened to Hisoka and verylikely made him into what he is today, but how much of this is connectedto the present is anyone’s guess. I think I mentioned how I noticed that Machi thought that Hisoka doesn’t talk about the “past” (being specific about it) and how hedisplays a desire to be in control of his own life, to the point he doesn’t open up to people (which seems to be more related to his personality ratherthan lifestyle). Also, note that Hisoka is part of the main characters (not the core ones, but important enough) and yet, nothing about his past has everbeen shown or mentioned. Even with the Spiders we at least had a briefflashback of Chrollo and some explanation about the Meteor City, which can give us some ideas of how things were for those who grew up there. Heck, Togashi has told us the background of characters that are not as much part of the main plot.

With Hisoka? Nope, nada, zero. The guy may as well have fallen from thesky with his Nen activated and searching for an opponent.

It keeps going back to Hisoka’s past. Contrary to Pariston, whoseems to be a born sociopath (perhaps even a complete psychopath), this makes me think that something seems to have pushed Hisoka. Even we can’t besure of how much of what he has displayed is genuine or a façade that he keeps around others (we have rarely seen him by himself) or the levels of disordershe seems (or most certainly) has.

Is it all connected to his past? We have no means of knowing. Hehas an intense bloodthirst and is always seeking opponents. Hey, maybe he was into fighting since he was a child anyway. He seems uninterested in formingbonds with people. Has he been betrayed at some point? Has he experienced atraumatic loss? We don’t know.

However, I do think most (if not all of it) is connected tosome event, if only for how twisted Hisoka is. So, it follows that if his life hadbeen different, if he had had a safe and stable environment, he would not bethe same he is today.

Would he still be into fighting? Possibly. I, at least, find it hard to imagine Hisoka not into fighting, though he wouldn’t be that much of a sadist (even if it remained his “call”) and might have emotional bonds with others regardless of their strength (he wouldn’t judge people based on this). Depending on his “family” and other events, he might have been a man who would actually use his Nen in order to help others. 

Illumi

Definitely yes. No question about it. We just have to look at thewhole Zoldyck family and Illumi’s own behavior and words in several occasions.For crying out loud, Killua was chained and whipped when he returned home (itdoesn’t matter if he broke the chains and his pain tolerance is high, thegesture alone is disturbing by its very nature and the insight it gives us tothe workings of the Zoldyck as a family does not paint them in a positivelight). Besides, with Illumi being the eldest, it is very possible his trainingwas even more severe due to being only child for a while and future head of thefamily, until Silva and Kikyo decided Killua would be the better option.

Just for a note, see the rest of the Zoldyck children as well… Alluka hasbeen caged almost all her life (and later she asked Killua if everyone elsewould be happier if she was dead basically), Milluki is just as focused in the familygoals and wants to please/impress his parents (he once seemed afraid of hisfather. Respect is something, fear is another), while appearing to almost neverleave the mansion. Kalluto shares a few similarities with Illumi and is also asadist that enjoys prolonging a fight just for his own amusement… While the Zoldycksclaim to love each other and maybe do/believe so, we cannot look at them andsay they aren’t toxic people (except Killua and Alluka, who got to break thecycle and escape) or that those children are examples of a healthy upbringing.

Does it all connect to the family’s “teachings”? Yes. And the fact theyare assassins doesn’t excuse any of this. If Togashi wanted, he could have madethe Zoldycks to be as dangerous as they are while having a far more stable/lovingrelationship between each other. There is a reason why this isn’t the case.

Illumi reached a point when being… Well, the way he is, is already hisnature and for what we can see, it is entirely connected to his family and whathe has been taught or rather, molded into being. I don’t even think thereis any hope for him. If you take away the “teachings” and “assassin business”,there is nothing left in Illumi. Whoever he was or whoever he could have beenis lost forever, there is only this walking, breathing result of years of training.And we all got a glimpse that he may not be as stable as we came to believe…

If Killua hadn’t been strongenough to break away from them, he might end up the same or even worse than his“big brother”.

So, if his family was different, then he would have been different. Forone, his displays of “affection” would not be tainted by the obsession withcontrol and his love for his siblings would be genuine. Somecharacteristics of his might remain (since we know nothing of how he was orcould have been), but he would be a far more stable person and even if he wasto become an assassin, he would have more morals. He surely wouldn’t be againstKillua choosing another path in life (hell, he might even want somethingbetter for his little brother) or having friends.

 Chrollo

For some reason, I always feel that Chrollo ends up standing somewherebetween the extremes that Hisoka and Illumi represent and the same applieshere, though it is more about how (little) we know of Chrollo’s life and evenhis ending goals. It is more than we know regarding Hisoka, but not as much as we know of Illumi. While writing this, I found myself oscillating between “yes”and “no”. Out of the three of them, Chrollo at times ends up being the hardestto analyze depending on the subject…

Is Chrollo a born sociopath who is using the unfairness of society as anexcuse to achieve his own personal goals and act upon his own bloodthirst orhas this unfairness pushed him into taking what he considers a necessary attitudedue to lack of any other option?

I think, in the end, there is something seriously wrong withChrollo. The things he has done are far too extreme… Perhaps he is even moretwisted than Hisoka or Illumi.

We know he started the Phantom Troupe but while we can guess the main reasonsfor that, we have yet to actually hear them and also what Chrollo hopesto ultimately achieve with his actions (due to his behavior, it seems improbablehe doesn’t have anything like that and is truly “just” a thief. In a way, itseems to be that this is a means towards a bigger end). We know he came fromMeteor City… And what has been shown of it is pretty depressing. That is not aplace that seems to offer chances of a good life, being basically a “junkyard city”and people there don’t even have official records of existence. It is a way ofsaying they there are also unwanted trash. So, we can assume that Chrollo’slife has not been easy.  

 And with everything we know of Chrollo directly connected to the Spider, it’shard to dissociate one from the other. What has turned him into what he istoday exactly?

Like Hisoka and Illumi, Chrollo has no care for human beings and evensaid he sees no difference between them and a puppet but does care for theother members of the Spider. And when returning home, the Troupe faced theChimera Ants, so the city is also the only other thing that matters for them ina personal level. Regardless of the sort of place that is, it is their home.Other than that, we don’t know of Chrollo’s story, parents or childhood.All we have are our own ideas and the options are many.

Honestly, just living in the Meteor City is not quite enough explanationfor his whole behavior, though: Many people go through harsh lives, awful situations,abuse or torture (be emotional, physical or mental) and do not end up like him. Hell, from what we’ve seen, Leorio came from a poorbackground, saw his friend die (when he could have been saved, just to twistthe knife) and is actually the opposite of Chrollo, someone who wants to save lives.

I’m not saying the misery of living in the Meteor City played nopart in who Chrollo is, let alone dismissing how horrible it must have been!Poverty is hell. Having to chose between buying food and paying the bills,being unable to afford medicine, those are hell enough, imagine how it musthave been in a city like that then! And sometimes, people get to the limit whenthey see no way out but to go to an extreme that they wouldn’t go otherwise.

 What I mean here is that, for what Chrollo has displayed, there may verywell be something more that made him turn into someone who torturesothers with such lack of empathy or remorse. For all we know, he may haveexperienced a traumatic event or loss, perhaps not very different from Leorio’s.

I think most, if not all of the situation, end up related to the creationof the Spider but I’m unsure of how much of it is connected to Chrollo’s personality. Even people from a loving, stable and healthy environment can end up twisted and this is not the parents’ (or anyone’s) fault. You can searchin the lives for the trigger that made them into sadistic killers and you won’tfind anything. Some people are just born psychopaths.

With Illumi and Hisoka is easier to be sure due to the motivations they display, their own desires and attitudes and the information we have onthem. Chrollo’s motivations are intertwined with the Spider, so much that he hasstated that it and what it represents are above his own life. This last detailmakes it hard to consider he is using the Spider as an excuse for hisown goals, but… What if he is lying and manipulating the others? It’s not easyto tell.

Now, personally speaking, I think we need more information about him asa person and of his life before the creation of the Spider to be completelysure… Would he have been better if the circumstances of his life weredifferent? It is very possible. Would he have been a criminal anyway, if onlywith some differences? Also possible.

When he talks about the Spider, I lean towards the first option… But thereare some moments, such as when Gon asked him how he could kill people who havenothing to do with him and how Senritsu reacted to his heartbeat that make meseriously lean towards the second one…

[malkaviansyndromes]

i was inspired by quimton so i did the 93 question meme for lestat :)

1. What is their gender? male, but like, gay rat male

2. What is their sexuality? men

3. What is the meaning behind their name? Do they have any nicknames? it’s from iwtv, which he never read, he was an edgy goth weirdo and thought it sounded cool. erin calls him a rat but he doesn't have any actual nicknames

4. Do they have any siblings? How many? Are they older or younger?  Which sibling are they the closest with? he doesn't have any siblings but will try to adopt younger friends as "siblings" 5. What’s their relationship with their parents like? What about other relatives? when he was alive his relationship with his dad was...Not great. aside from his mom he didn't talk to his family. his sire is dead lol

6. What would they give their life for? his friends or husband probably, if it had to be anything

7. Are they in a romantic relationship? With who? How did they meet? yes! he's in a relationship with märchen and has been for a while; mär found him shortly after his embrace and made sure he was accepted into the camarilla rather than getting axed for being an illegitimate fledgling.

8. What do they believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them? he has no idea and doesn't really want to think about it

9. What is their favorite color? Favorite animal? probably some sort of hideous tie between black and pastel pink. he likes cats

10. What are some of their talents/skills? he can draw, and also has a decent head for computer science and math

11. If they could make a mark on history, what would they like it to be? he would want to either be part of some massive political change to keep people from suffering, or solve the problem of quantum gravity

12. How old are they? When is their birthday? 23! he was born on march 5th

13. What do they do for fun? video games. eat a bunch. annoy his friends. he's a simple man

14. What is their favorite food? How often do they get to eat it? cheeseburgers...his husband lets him eat food any time he wants even though it's disgusting and bad for him since he's a vampire

15. What was something their parents taught them? nothing really specific beyond to be the terrible way he is now

16. Are they religious? sort of?

17. Where were they born? illinois unfortunately

18. What languages can they speak? Where did they learn these languages? english is his native language. he took french in high school and lost most of it, and has tried to pick up a little german from his husband and online. he knows a pitiful amount of japanese but only out loud, surprisingly not from anime so much as listening to tons of japanese music with subs

19. What is their occupation? idiot. he does odd jobs for the anarchs and helps with their computer shit sometimes

20. Do they have any titles? How did they earn them? nope

Personality: 21. What is their favorite thing about their personality? that he cares about shit

22. What is their least favorite thing about their personality? he has bad self esteem so a lot of things

23. Do they get lonely easily? YES but he's also a bit of a hermit socially

24. Do you know their MBTI type? no i used to

25. What is their biggest flaw? probably having a bad temper and making snap judgements

26. Are they aware of their flaws? So Much All The Time

27. What is their biggest strength? he's pretty empathetic

28. Are they aware of their strengths? he denies they exist

29. How would they describe their own personality? "awful little animal"

30. When frightened, will they resort to “fight” or “flight”? freeze probably, but flight if that doesn't count as an answer

31. Does this character ever put somebody else’s needs before their own? Who do they do this for? How often do they do this? yes, for pretty much anyone he likes even a little, and very very frequently

32. What is their self esteem like? BAD

33. What is their biggest fear? How would they react to having to face it? losing the people he cares about. he would Give Up On Life if he was alone

34. How easily do they trust others with their secrets? With their lives? weird little guy who is extremely paranoid but simultaneously too trusting. he tries to ignore his misgivings to give people the benefit of the doubt, doesn't always end well for him

35. What is the easiest way to annoy them? don't listen to anything he says. if he's being ignored in a conversation he will be furious

36. What is their sense of humor like? Give an example of a joke they would find humorous. "penis music," basically any joke about communism, horribly deep fried memes

37. How easy is it for them to say “I love you”? Do they say it without meaning it? he says it easily and a often, but not without meaning it unless he wants to feel guilty enough to vomit

38. What do others admire most about their personality? erin says "his friendly personality and jokes and level head when it comes to important things"

39. What does their happily ever after look like? having a normal life without being afraid of poverty or being alone

40. Who do they trust most? Is that trust mutual? probably erin and märchen, so yes

Physical Profile: 41. What does their laugh sound like? Do they snort when they laugh? How often do they laugh? he cackles like an awful little witch every once in a while

42. What is their favorite thing about their physical appearance? his anime heterochromia

43. What is their least favorite thing about their physical appearance? looking like he's 12

44. Do they have any scars? If so, what are the stories behind those scars? he has a scar on his eyebrow from when he was 2 and tried to climb a bookshelf and it fell on him and he had to get stitches. also....some less funny ones

45. How would they describe their own appearance? "bad" or “sexy” no in between

46. How easily can they express emotions? How easily can they hide emotions? he can express them well but hates to do it. he is way too good at hiding them

47.  What’s their pain tolerance like? he's a little wimpy but trudges through it

48. Do they have any tattoos? What are the stories behind those tattoos? no tats!

49. Do they have any piercings? just his ears

50. How would you describe their style of clothing? How would they describe their style of clothing? we would both call it "hot topic dumpster dive"

51. What is their height? Weight? 5'0", haha that's secret

52. What is their body type? Are they muscular, chubby, skinny, etc? a little round and chubby

53. What is their hair color? Eye color? Skin tone? his hair is actually a light golden brown but he dyes it black. his eyes are grey-blue (he doesn't always like the color) but one of them is red now due to damage during his embrace. he's pale as fuck

54. What is their current hairstyle? What have been some of their past hairstyles? Which was their favorite hairstyle? current hairstyle is a very short half-buzzed kind of thing, which he likes best. he's also had it normal short. up until he was like 16 or 17 he had it very long

55. What is their alcohol tolerance like? What kind of drunk are they? How bad are their hangovers? PITIFUL, he's an extreme lightweight. cuddly drunk or sad drunk. his threshhold for hangovers is high but they're abysmal when he gets them

56. What do they smell like? Why do they smell like this? (Is it the things they’re around or a perfume they wear?) he smells like cheap soap and cigarette smoke thanks to being in the last round often. sometimes he wears body sprays

57. How do they feel about sex? Are they a virgin? a lot of complicated ways. unfortunately he has had sex and will do it again

58. What is their most noticeable physical attribute? his height, he's VERY short

59. What does their resting face look like? Do they have RBF? he has just a little bit of RBF but mostly neutral

60. Describe the way they sleep. he steals all the blankets and is a sleep cuddler. he refuses to put his nine fucking thousand stuffed animals anywhere but ON his bed

Environment: 61. Which season is their favorite season? he says summer up until it's actually summer. he likes spring and fall

62. Have they ever been betrayed? How did it affect their ability to trust others? yeah, he's had some complicated experiences with friends and family. he isn't always trusting but usually consciously decides to trust anyway because he generally thinks it's irrational not to without a reason. this often backfires on him

63. What is always guaranteed to make them smile? his friends or husband cracking jokes

64. Do they get cold easily? Do they get overheated easily? yes and yes, at least when he was alive. he had reynaud's syndrome when he was alive so he got dangerously cold in his hands and feet Very easily

65. What’s their immune system like? Do they get sick often? How do they react to getting sick? he's dead now so he doesn't get sick at all, but when he was alive he would generally try to plod through it until he couldn't anymore

66. Where do they live? Do they like it there? los angeles. sort of? big cities are exciting to him, but only to visit, so living in one 24/7 is probably driving him crazy (or crazier)

67. Is their bedroom messy? What about their bathroom? Kitchen? Living room? he tries to keep things a LITTLE tidy but generally every space he maintains on his own is some level of disastrously disorganized

68. How did their environment growing up affect their personality? his parents were broke, so in terms of environment, being anywhere much swankier than a lower middle class house makes his eyes fall out of his head

69. How did the people in their environment growing up affect their personality? he was raised to tough it out and show as little emotion as possible in regards to All Life which is the real reason he treats absolutely everything like a joke

70. How do they feel about animals? Do they have any pets? he loves animals. his husband has a ghoul cat that violently hates both of them

71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any? he's okay with them, but a little awkward. he would rather jump off a cliff than have any though

72.  Would they rather have stability or comfort? he'd rather have somewhere to turn to than live in a stable environment if the stability was along the lines of "everything is consistently uncomfortable"? i don't really get this question lol

73. Do they prefer the indoors or outdoors? indoors a little but he does still like the outdoors

74. What weather is their favorite? Do they like storms? very sunny weather (sad for a vampire). he does like snow and rain, but only if he can stay in

75. If given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen? he'd probably draw his husband lol

76. How organized are they? he has never been and will never be anything even remotely close to organized

77. What is their most prized possession? the teddy bear his mother passed down to him from when she was a kid

78. Who do they consider to be their best friend? erin :3

79. What is their economic situation? not great. he's very broke; his husband has a little more money than he does and helps support him, but the two of them have to watch their pennies for sure. lestat usually lives with his husband but stays at his own abysmal apartment/haven on occasion just for vampire paranoia safety reasons.

80. Are they a morning person or a night owl? night owl, which is lucky for him

Miscellaneous: 81. Are they bothered by the sight of blood? not blood on its own, no

82. What is their handwriting like? extremely messy

83. Can they swim? How well? Do they like to swim? he can swim okay. he really likes it

84. Which deadly sin do they represent best? wrath probably

85. Do they believe in ghosts? he would have to be stupid not to at this point

86. How do they celebrate holidays? How do they celebrate birthdays? with food, usually, which makes his being a vampire kind of difficult. he likes to celebrate birthdays with presents and cake. if he and his husband weren't vampires he'd bake mär a cake every year

87. What is something they regret? probably the way he acted when he was in the camarilla, it wasn't particularly pretty because he was very, VERY upset about his embrace. he regrets having to have killed people to escape, and also regrets the weirdness of having to let go of most of his mortal friends

88. Do they have an accent? if you consider boring midwestern nothing voice an accent. 89. What is their D&D alignment?

chaotic good 90. Are they right or left handed? right handed

91. If they were a tweet, what tweet would they be? there are so many tweets in the world. probably the one about revving your motorcycle and lying dead on the pavement

92. Describe them as a John Mulaney gif. why would you assume i have enough of these on hand to do that?

93. What’s the most iconic line of dialogue they’ve ever said? he says stupid shit all the time it's hard to know

[rosaxlunar]

❝ I NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO BE SOFT. I WAS ALWAYS BLOODY KNUCKLES AND SHARDS OF GLASS. I WANTED PEOPLE TO BE AFRAID OF HURTING ME❞

 &&. ( catarina volkov ) was just spotted in amsterdam. rumor has it ( she ) is a ( 32 ) year old ( alpha werewolf ) who resembles ( juliana harkavy ). ( she ) has been said to be ( determined & loyal ) but also quite ( vengeful & merciless ).with all the chaos surrounding the magical underworld, ( she ) has chosen to align with ( no one / the russian bratva ). ( she ) is currently serving as ( the sovietnik to the russian bratva ). hopefully the city doesn’t devour them whole.

001 ☾ THE BASICS

NAME: Catarina Volkov AGE: Thirty Two Years Old DOB: May 8 - Taurus GENDER: Cis Female SEXUALITY: Bisexual  NATIONALITY: Dominican Russian  SPECIES:  Alpha Werewolf ALLEGIANCE: Russian Bratva THEME SONG: Desperado - Rihanna PERSONALITY TRAITS: ( + ) Charming, Determined, Protective & Loyal  ( - ) Stubborn, Vengeful, Merciless & Bloodthirsty.

002 ☾ IN DEPTH

When one has lost everything, fear ceases to exist. When the heart is crushed, defensive walls rise to protect whatever shattered pieces are left behind. and when a little girl comes back home to find the bloody wreckage that left her a complete orphan, when she sees the dead bodies of her mama, papa y hermanita… something inside her dies too. For the rest of her childhood she was but a shell of her former self. Forever haunted by the tragic loss, the sounds of her screams still echoed in her dreams, those cursed nightmares that immortalized the horrid sight. Sometimes she would close her eyes and the metallic smell of the blood pooling on the ground would invade her senses, making it hard to breathe. 

She used to have everything, born and raised in the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Catarina lived a relatively normal life, loud and colorful with the right amount of messy, but it was a blessing in an otherwise monotonous environment. Her papa would always say his prayers and thank god for bringing the dominican beauty that then became his wife, into his life. He would often tell Catarina stories of how he saved her from the bloodthirsty monsters and the following journey that led to them falling in love. Stories of how he learned spanish for her, and she learned russian for him, how even before the verbal communication was set, they still managed to understand each other without ever saying anything at all. These are the stories she would fall asleep to late at night before bedtime and then they became the stories she would repeat to her baby sister when she was introduced into her life. With stars in her eyes she would share the fantastical story of how love conquers all and how she and her sister were born from that love. She was happy and everything was wonderful…but that was when they were still alive.

If she had been any other child, the tragedy that left her with no parents, and no other family to take her in, would've seen to her being placed in the system. A more likely alternative would have seen her running and fending for herself in the wild. However she was the child of Anatoly Volkov, her papa had been a brodyaga for the brotherhood. Proudly serving under the previous Pakhan, he did his job and he did it well. He could have been more, could have made it to Kapitan, but her papa always put his family first, refusing to climb the ranks if it meant more time away from them. Her father’s devotion to the Bratva meant that instead of being left to fend for herself, someone in the brotherhood felt compelled to take her in, and so she became the ward of the Brava’s bookkeeper. This moved her life in a direction that was unforeseen. Being the bookkeeper’s ward meant she was taken deeper into the harshest reaches of Russia, where the prominent Valentina family lived. And it was there where Catarina met her best friend, the one person that was able to spark a flicker of her old light. Viktor Valentina. It was in his company where she learned about the truth of who was behind her family’s murder, and it was there where Catarina pledged her eternal loyalty to the brotherhood if they would help her get revenge for what was taken from her.

So she grew up, training and working beside Viktor, ignoring all the normal things kids and young adults would do, and instead perfecting her hand to hand combat, mastering various weapons training, perfecting her russian, spanish and english and focusing on becoming the strongest version of herself in order to fulfill the promise of revenge she had sworn. She blossomed from a scrawny girl with wild curls, into a woman who could skin anyone who tried to hurt her alive with her very claws. She embraced the power she had from her Alpha status, and on nights of the full moon, indulged in the rut with those brave enough to take her on. This never distracted her from her mission and on the twelfth anniversary of her family’s murder, as a twenty four year old soldier of the bratva, she was finally able to enact the revenge she had thirsted for so long, the goal that had given her purpose all those years. She hunted and slaughtered the very same though much older hunters who had taken her whole family from her. She also ensured to kill their families (if they had them)  for she knew better than anyone, how dangerous revenge could be, and would not tolerate anyone targeting the bratva for her revenge. She never once, felt an ounce of regret for it in her soul. They might have been her first set of kills, but the certainly weren’t her last and she didn’t discriminate based on species. If they were a target, they were eliminated. Were it not for the Valentina’s opening their hearts to include her in their little family, it’s quite possible Catarina could have been driven to a fully corrupt soul and mindless killings in her wake. For she enjoyed the rush of power that came from taking a life, a little too much. Instead she channeled that energy, that thrill, to climbing the ranks of the brotherhood and doing whatever was necessary to help the Bratva rise in power.She may be an orphan at heart, but she had found her pack and she was never letting go.

003 ☾ FUN FACTS

Timeline Recap: ages 0-12 happy with family, age 12 : family murdered by hunters, age 12 meets the Valentina’s, ages 12-24 trains and is indoctrinated into bratva, age 24 : retaliation after the hunters who killed her family, ages 24-32, climbs the ranks of the bratva till she is second in command and Viktor’s right hand. 

Not many know this, but Catarina is a classically trained pianist. A musician at heart, in the quiet moments between missions she also taught herself how to play the guitar,  the flute and other random instruments at her disposal. Sometimes she’ll just serve herself a bit of vodka and play and sing at the piano whenever she wants to not think about anything, or more accurately when she wishes to escape the nightmares that still plague her. 

Catarina is very protective over the Bratva, the brotherhood were her saviors, they kept her safe and when it comes to the Valentina’s they saved whatever piece of her heart she had left after her relentless pursuit for revenge. She’s willing to do anything in the name of Bratva, even if it comes at the cost of her soul. Bratva is the only family she has left.

While she is undoubtedly the closest to Viktor, not just as his right hand man, but also as his best friend, she also loves and cherishes Tatiana and Dimitri Valentina, so much so would be willing to risk her life for their safety, no questions asked. Which is why ever since Tatiana’s kidnapping, Catarina has been worried sick, her nightmares and flashbacks of the loss of her very own sister intermingling with the new horror for the Valentina’s. 

Catarina originally stayed behind when Viktor rushed to Amsterdam in search of his omega sister Tati. She stayed to help Dimitri with his new responsibilities and enforce his rule now that Viktor was out of Russia. Now weeks later, she is finally joining in on the search, and will do her utter best to find the youngest Valentina so they can all go back home.

004 ☾ WANTED CONNECTIONS

hookups/flings: my girl hasn’t had time or the frame of mind for love, not really, but she has needs and never goes too long without a little loving, so lets plot for this if you want!

bratva relationships: even tho she loves the bratva, that doesn’t mean she loves everyone in the organization, we can have them be friends, or be frenemies or be little shits to each other! I’m open to everything!

Literally any other kind of plot! I am open to all sorts of connections! 

[polarishq]

Meet TIEN NHI HUYNH. They are ONE HUNDRED years old and hail from LAO CAI, VIETNAM. Tien embodies the constellation, CORONA BOREALIS. They use SHE/HER pronouns. Their faceclaim is LANA CONDOR.

Corona Borealis reminds me of floral dresses, moss creeping up the side of a building, a piercing glare, well-aimed hexes (whether your back is turned or not), fierce determination, falling asleep at a table in the library, what is ‘self care’?, bags under her eyes, escalating seemingly minor situations, doodles in a the pages of a well organized bullet journal, a surprising right-hook, so many weird plants, angrily silencing the “breathe” app notification on an Apple Watch daily. .

BIOGRAPHY

Duyen may have thrown the first punch, but Tien dragged her right down with her. They were exhausting to raise, always at each other’s throats with no regard for boundaries; leave them alone for too long and there was always a risk of someone needing medical attention. It would be exhausting for any parent, but for an already fragile marriage, it was a death sentence. In the divorce, Bao got custody of Tien, which may have been good for him but for her, it was the worst case scenario. (Notably, she had no complaints about being rid of Duyen, although life got somewhat more dull without her.)

Bao was not a terrible father, but he was strict and oppressive and Tien had no patience for it. They remained in Vietnam, much to her chagrin, and for years remained in the house where she grew up; it reeked of the spirits of her mother and sister, which Bao never quite moved on from and resulted in Tien never feeling like she was enough–not enough for her mother to choose, not enough for her father. This was the first trigger of her inferiority complex, which is, to this day, her inevitable downfall.

Tien was marginally better to raise in the sense that she was more predictable; her rebellion came in the form of a sharp tongue and cutting words, relentless in her attempts to hurt everyone she came into contact with. She was mean, with seemingly no compassion for anyone else and with no regard for consequences. While Duyen’s teenage years were eventful, Tien’s was mind numbingly dull, but she was no more pleasant for it.

Corona Borealis appeared on her index finger out of the blue one day, and now Tien assumes that the sponsorship came at the same time as her sister’s, even though they hadn’t heard from each other in a decade, at that point. It was, of course, a curse that they continued to be connected from so far away. Unlike Duyen, there was no talk. No confirmation she was special, no questions, nothing of the sort; once again, she was forced to sort out her own worth.

At nineteen, she left her father and hasn’t seen him since, so even if her mother and Duyen had located Bao, Tien was long gone. She remained in Vietnam, but instead moved in with a friend in a small village in the jungle, and it was there that someone recognized her mark and clued her in on what it really meant. From then on, Tien was able to experiment through learning what she could from those in that community; she learned what she could do with plants, how she could control them and harvest them, but for years, that was as far as she could go. She was almost entirely self taught, and while she was determined and diligent, Tien had no way of knowing how far her power could go.

( tw: attempted assault ) She’d been in that village for forty years before it all came to a halt. A man who lived there, who she’d known for years, had cornered her in her home one day, and under the weight of her fear, toxic fungi covered him–body, throat, lungs–and he suffocated instantly. At that point, it didn’t matter that Tien was the one who’d been attacked. She was ostracized, and therefore spent the next few years homeless, relying on her magic for survival. If she wasn’t mean before, these years hardened the rest of her beyond repair. If nothing else, the event taught her that there might not be any limit to what she could really do, and that made her hungry to find out more.

While the Vietnam war shook up the country, for her, it was a saving grace; she met an American soldier, also a wizard, who was all too happy to bring her back to America at the end of his tour. Tien didn’t much care for him, but she did value the opportunity to start over in a country far different from her own. America was a big country, but the magical community was small, and she was determined to break into it. It didn’t take long for her to catch wind of Corona Australis; even without having any idea that this constellation belonged to Duyen, she could tell that the existence of this witch was a hinderance to any attempt she may have wanted to make at breaking into the community. She remained on the outskirts, unable to push her way in no matter how much she tried. And it wasn’t like Tien wasn’t powerful; although rough around the edges, no one could work corrosive plants and fungi quite like she could, but she had always fought a losing battle.

In the end, Tien only wanted someone to hear her. To recognize what she was capable of, to validate her, to lift her up in the way she knows she deserves. Her husband spoke of Polaris, and although he left a lot to be desired, it was a good idea–another new opportunity for her to prove herself in an environment where she could learn to be better. Together, they enrolled. (He left three years after, and they divorced, which she had no qualms about. There was no room for her to pretend to care for him once Duyen was back in the picture–Tien was far too busy hating her to remember he existed.)

After a semester of peace, the universe decided to fuck her over once again and she found her twin had moved into the room next to hers. It was like they never missed a beat; their arguments were disruptive and dangerous, even more so now that there was that magical component. It’s been over a decade, and there’s no sign of them slowing down. It might be tolerable if they learned to steer clear of each other, but even the suggestion of pulling them apart is typically met with violence from one of the sisters. Polaris is on their terms these days.

While Duyen has several likable qualities, it’s questionable if Tien has even an ounce of kindness in her body; she’s more of an outright terror, snapping at anyone who even looks at her (or her sister) the wrong way. Polaris hasn’t brought her the notoriety or personal satisfactions that she wanted it to, and she still feels like she’s living under her sister’s shadow, but she’s determined to get there. Tien isn’t leaving Polaris until she has a legacy, be it recognition for her talents or something more destructive.

INCLINATION

Corona Borealis, touted as the superior crown of the constellations, unsurprisingly has always been picky with its human embodiments. Borealis has a long-standing rivalry with Australis, and the two are often pitted against each other. Borealis must have extraordinary power, but a passion for life, as well. As the Northern Crown, Borealis tends to think of themself as quite self-important. A master of earth magic, Borealis tends to be possessive and parasitic in their personal relationships, which is why they are a master of fungi and other corrosive plants. Their own internal bitterness has much to do with the fact that they’re constantly trying to prove themself, and nobody seems willing to listen.

CONNECTIONS

Filling the role of one of Duyen Huynh’s Seven Devils.

Mentor: The only person who recognizes Tien for what she is, and is likely one of the few reasons she hasn’t given up on Polaris yet. They’re helping her realize her full potential. Maybe they’re more inclined toward dark magic and trying to pull her in that direction? WHO KNOWS. Either way, they’re a TA, professor, or townsperson, and she’s slightly nicer to them than she is to anyone else.

A… Friend?: Tien is a terror to everyone in her life, and even those who get somewhat close to her aren’t immune from her wrath. The difference is her toxicity; she’s possessive over the people in her life, and doesn’t like to share. This person is inevitably in for a roller coaster.

Pent Up Aggression: She’s small, but angry, and sometimes she needs to just… get it out. This person helps by way of sex! How fun. It’s been going on for awhile, and maybe they’re trying to push it to something more, carefully, but Tien isn’t having it. Whether she wants it is another story, but she’s got no time in her life for shit like that.

Penned by Ashley ★

[piixelatedpastries]

Sorry not sorry but I need all 93 of those for my baby blue bird please and thank you!

OMG that took foreverrrrrrr!!!! Here you go!

93 questions…read below cut at your own risk!

Basics:

1. What is their gender?  Female

 2. What is their sexuality? Straight

 3. What is the meaning behind their name? Do they have any nicknames? She was given the name Blue Reign by the fire chief because she arrived in the middle of the largest storm the city had seen, a storm that ended the day of her arrival. Cache calls her Blue Bird or Little Blue Bird

 4. Do they have any siblings? How many? Are they older or younger?  Which sibling are they the closest with? None that they know

 5. What’s their relationship with their parents like? What about other relatives? Non existent, she doesn’t know who her parents are.

 6. What would they give their life for? Her unborn baby

 7. Are they in a romantic relationship? With who? How did they meet? Nope

 8. What do they believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them? Not something she thinks of too much, but no she doesn’t really believe in an afterlife.

 9. What is their favorite color? Favorite animal?  Her favorite color is red and her favorite animal is the elephant

 10. What are some of their talents/skills?  She secretly writes poetry

 11. If they could make a mark on history, what would they like it to be?

 12. How old are they? When is their birthday? 18 years old October 10th

 13. What do they do for fun? She loves playing video games and swimming…anything outdoors really

 14. What is their favorite food? How often do they get to eat it? Steak and twice baked potatoes and almost never it’s too expensive, her favorite go to though is cheeseburgers, the greasier and cheesier the better. She eats those all the time.

 15. What was something their parents taught them? That kids were disposable

 16. Are they religious? Nope

 17. Where were they born? New York is all she knows for certain, she assumes City of Dreams since that is where she was left.

 18. What languages can they speak? Where did they learn these languages? Just English

 19. What is their occupation? Waitress at 2 men and a griddle

 20. Do they have any titles? How did they earn them?  no

 Personality:

21. What is their favorite thing about their personality? She can be very blunt

 22. What is their least favorite thing about their personality? She can be very blunt

 23. Do they get lonely easily? In a way she has been lonely her entire life, but not being lonely means trusting and that’s very hard for her.

 24. Do you know their MBTI type? INFP would be maybe closest?

 25. What is their biggest flaw? She doesn’t always think things through completely

 26. Are they aware of their flaws? She usually sees it after the fact but in the moment not so much

 27. What is their biggest strength? She’s very passionate about what is important to her

 28. Are they aware of their strengths? She doesn’t see it so much as a strength

 29. How would they describe their own personality?  Loves to laugh and have fun, kind of moody at times…general pain in the ass.

 30. When frightened, will they resort to “fight” or “flight”? Fight

 31. Does this character ever put somebody else’s needs before their own? Who do they do this for? How often do they do this? She is learning to with the baby she is carrying, and she has in foster care before helping other people that were being treated unfairly.

 32. What is their self esteem like? Pretty low in most ways

 33. What is their biggest fear? How would they react to having to face it? Ending up a complete failure, she is doing everything she can not to have to face that, although she already has in a way with getting pregnant.

 34. How easily do they trust others with their secrets? With their lives?  They don’t trust anyone with their secrets, Cache is the only one she has trusted in the past and that was years ago so she’s wary of trusting him now because as she would say “people are always changing.”

 35. What is the easiest way to annoy them? Chew with your mouth open

 36. What is their sense of humor like? Give an example of a joke they would find humorous. She has a corny sense of humor.   A type of joke she would tell…2 men walk into a bar the third one ducks..

 37. How easy is it for them to say “I love you”? Do they say it without meaning it?

She has never said it to anyone

38. What do others admire most about their personality?

Hmmm if you ask her no one has ever admired her, but a girl in the home she was in last looked up to her because she was always standing up to the adult caretakers telling them off when they were treating people unfair, and she got into more than one fight protecting younger kids from older bullies.

39. What does their happily ever after look like?

Learning to love and trust enough to fall in love and make real friends, raising her baby to be healthy and loved and well-adjusted and being able to give him or her everything she didn’t have.

40. Who do they trust most? Is that trust mutual? Cache would be the only one she even kind of trusts..and she don’t know yet..

 Physical Profile:

41. What does their laugh sound like? Do they snort when they laugh? How often do they laugh?  She is definitely a giggler and yes she gives little tiny snorts if she laughs hard.. lately she doesn’t laugh much.

 42. What is their favorite thing about their physical appearance?

Her eyes

43. What is their least favorite thing about their physical appearance?

Her freckles

44. Do they have any scars? If so, what are the stories behind those scars?

She has a scar on her thigh from a kid that pulled a knife in one of the homes and tried to violate her, he was caught before it went too far (is there such a thing really?) and sent away. She also has a few small circular burns on her left shoulder, from a foster mom that thought she needed the devil removed when she was young. She won’t speak about either incident.

45. How would they describe their own appearance?

A freckled mess

46. How easily can they express emotions? How easily can they hide emotions?

She has no problem acting happy or being excited, deeper emotions though she keeps very close to her chest, she’s not the kind of girl that lets just anyone see her hurt or cry because she views vulnerability as weakness and weakness has always been dangerous to show.

47.  What’s their pain tolerance like? Pretty high actually

 48. Do they have any tattoos? What are the stories behind those tattoos? nope

 49. Do they have any piercings? Just her ears

 50. How would you describe their style of clothing? How would they describe their style of clothing?

Whatever she can afford at the thrift store. Thrift store fumpulous !

51. What is their height? Weight? 4 ft 10 inches 80 lbs

 52. What is their body type? Are they muscular, chubby, skinny, etc?

Too thin

53. What is their hair color? Eye color? Skin tone?

Light brown hair, very blue eyes, ivory skin

54. What is their current hairstyle? What have been some of their past hairstyles? Which was their favorite hairstyle? Pony tail  she’s had it cut short before, but prefers it longer.

 55. What is their alcohol tolerance like? What kind of drunk are they? How bad are their hangovers?

Pretty high for her size but that doesn’t say much..she is a very rowdy drunk and doesn’t get hangovers

56. What do they smell like? Why do they smell like this? (Is it the things they’re around or a perfume they wear?)

Soft vanilla except after work..then she smells like a diner…

57. How do they feel about sex? Are they a virgin?

Not a virgin but hasn’t had a good sexual experience

58. What is their most noticeable physical attribute?

Gonna have to say her eyes?

59. What does their resting face look like? Do they have RBF?

Definitely has a resting bitch face probably because she is so guarded all the time..

60. Describe the way they sleep.

Well she use to sleep with her arms tucked under her on her stomach, now she has to sleep on her side or back

Environment:

61. Which season is their favorite season?

Spring because its fresh and new

62. Have they ever been betrayed? How did it affect their ability to trust others?

Too many times to count and she doesn’t trust

63. What is always guaranteed to make them smile?

Sweets generally do the trick..

64. Do they get cold easily? Do they get overheated easily?

Normally she gets cold very easily..now she is more likely to overheat

65. What’s their immune system like? Do they get sick often? How do they react to getting sick?

Hardly ever gets sick but when she does she is miserable

66. Where do they live? Do they like it there? City of Dreams, New York.  Its where she’s always lived so there is comfort in the familiar.

 67. Is their bedroom messy? What about their bathroom? Kitchen? Living room?

Nope her home is pretty poor and old and run down but she tries to keep it tidy

68. How did their environment growing up affect their personality?

She grew up in a lot of chaos and nothing ever being hers really, so she is very attached to her stuff and needs a space that is quiet and just hers.

69. How did the people in their environment growing up affect their personality?

Most people taught her to be wary of people to not trust anyone, but Cache taught her that there were some good out there..and also gave her the bravery to stand up for others after he left.

70. How do they feel about animals? Do they have any pets? She loves animals but doesn’t have time for a pet.

 71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any?

She is pregnant now, but hasn’t really been around small children since she was a child herself..

72.  Would they rather have stability or comfort?

She wants both but forced to choose she would choose stability

73. Do they prefer the indoors or outdoors?

outdoors

74. What weather is their favorite? Do they like storms?

Thunderstorms so yes she loves them

75. If given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?

She’d fill it with words

76. How organized are they?

With stuff very organized..with her life and time management..not at all

77. What is their most prized possession?

Her journal

78. Who do they consider to be their best friend?  I guess Cache but she wouldn’t call him a best friend because they just reconnected..just the only friend she has at this time

 79. What is their economic situation? Very poor

 80. Are they a morning person or a night owl? Night owl

 Miscellaneous:

81. Are they bothered by the sight of blood?

Nope

82. What is their handwriting like?

delicate

83. Can they swim? How well? Do they like to swim?

She adores swimming so yes and she can swim pretty good

84. Which deadly sin do they represent best?

Envy I guess? Because she envies those who have easier lives and families and such

85. Do they believe in ghosts? Nope

 86. How do they celebrate holidays? How do they celebrate birthdays?

She doesn’t celebrate either

87. What is something they regret?

Meeting Chris

88. Do they have an accent?

No

89. What is their D&D alignment? Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Good…depends on the day..so probably definitely Chaotic neutral lol

 90. Are they right or left handed?

Right handed

91. If they were a tweet, what tweet would they be?

A meme? Not sure really

92. Describe them as a John Mulaney gif.

Why do you do this?

93. What’s the most iconic line of dialogue they’ve ever said?  Blue is my name not my state of mind..

[edgecfdawn]

👫 For Brail AND Jeralt

Four Relationship Headcanons // @stormsiris & @bladebreakcr // accepting

BRAIL 

☀️ — Byleth and Brail’s relationship was one of the tougher ones to develop since Byleth is a very different person, and his stoic nature didn’t jive super well with Brail’s. Not to mention, Byleth was able to see through Brail almost immediately, which caused him to inquire about things that started arguments he regretted later, mostly from Brail being resistant to learning to channel his lightning magic. But MAGIC is actually where the two began to converge, with Byleth helping Brail practice in an environment where only Byleth could be hurt and, considering how obnoxiously resistant he is to any REASON magic and general pain tolerance, served as the optimal teacher. 

☀️ — While Byleth taught Brail a lot, he also learned a lot from his student. Most of the experimentation Byleth was able to accomplish with his WHITE magic can be contributed to Brail teaching him methods of research. 

☀️ — Since Brail and Claude are a couple fucking pranksters, Byleth wizens up to their antics pretty quickly. He appears to be immaculate in his ability to prevent pranks from being done on him - but that is 90% because if they are successful, he Divine Pulses to hop back before it occurs. He doesn’t actually admit this to him until after the time skip, and as consolidation for basically cheating, he either turns a blind eye to pranks they pull on others (as long as they aren’t dangerous) or even participates in them at times (assuming he is the professor of the Golden Deer house.) 

☀️ — Brail has, on more then one occasion, prevented Byleth from having is dumb of ass pure of heart energy get the better of him. Considering Byleth is willing to run headfirst into a fight to protect the innocent, it’s nice to have a dedicated spell sniper watching your back. 

JERALT

☀️ — Despite it basically being Jeralt’s claim to fame, Byleth is just - not great with a lance. He’s certainly proficient, but it’s less that he can’t be good at it and more he just DOES NOT like using it. Both when he was a mercenary and as a professor he vastly prefers up close and personal combat as opposed to cavalier tactics. That being said, he ended up adapting Jeralt’s tactics after his death, using his horse and his lance in battle as a holy knight. 

☀️ — Jeralt’s horse, Eos, is basically the only one that doesn’t feel put off by Byleth, who is pretty used to even animals being UNNERVED by him. Sometimes, as a child, Byleth would talk to Eos as if they were a close friend, and would forage forest veggies to fed them. In return, Eos would probably kick anyone who got too close to Byleth if he wasn’t paying attention, even other, newer mercenaries. Jeralt was so amused by this, sending new recruits toward Eos while Byleth was speaking with them became a bit of a hazing technique. 

☀️ — Unlike Jeralt, Byleth does NOT have a high alcohol tolerance. Not only does he dislike the taste of most alcohol, but he gets sick on it real easily. Generally, when he got older, he was the designated guide for drunk mercenaries, as he was never at risk to be otherwise. He also tended to pay off some bar tabs Jeralt left if the guild was too rowdy that night, but even he couldn’t always keep up with his father’s serial tab leaving. 

☀️ — Even at the academy, Byleth still takes walks with Jeralt in the woods somewhere. it’s one of the few activities that had been retained between them since he was a child, and they’ve gotten lost more than once, but neither of them mind. It’s one of the few times they can just - talk to one another, feeling completely at peace. 

[ortegatrash]

FH:Rebirth Fic - A Chosen Family

Name: Léon Bellandini | Puppet: Simba | Villain name: Pride

Daring/arrogant/fighter/lots of contacts/gang leader.

---

The streets are a flurry of colour and noise. There are so many people out there it's giving you a headache, thousands of minds banging themselves up against your mental shields.

It hurts. And yet you don't want to look away. Don't want to leave. Maybe you can only watch this world through a glass barrier as an observer. You've never been one to look away from painful things, though.

Your fingers leave streaks on the glazed window.

People are happy. Open. Teasing. This is supposed to be a day of love. Tolerance. Pride in who they are and what they are, even against all the opposition thrown their way.

They wouldn't accept you though. This day is for humans. For people. Not supposed things like you.

You don't want to feel the disgust, the shock, the rejection. It'd hurt worse coming from those who have been on the receiving side of such rejection before and know exactly how much it hurts. Because then it's deliberate. Then they know the pain and choose to wield it against you.

There aren't any people like you out there on parade, and you're going to change that. You refuse to be lesser, you refuse to hide and you refuse to lie about who or what you am anymore. Maybe you might have to resort to some less than savoury methods to do that, but it's not like they gave you any choices to do things through proper channels.

No. If you're going to make any real change, you're going to have to start a revolution by yourself. It won't be clean, it won't be pretty. They never are, no matter how the history books paint them.

It all depends on how much you want something, and you want. You want it more than anything and you won't let anything get in your way. They never allowed you to have your own desires, it feels good to spit in their face and say look! Look at me defying you! I will not bend, I will not break. I will never belong to anyone ever again.

You. Are. A. Person.

No matter how much they might call you less-than-human. No matter how much they refer to regenes as 'it'. Their opinions don't matter to you anymore.

You are Pride, and you had hoped by choosing that name you'd learn to fill in that mask. Wear it until your face fills the gaps.

Glancing up, you make the decision to stride over to the fogged up mirror and wipe it clean. Your face stares back. Tired. Worn. More wrinkles than you would like, more scars and marks than you'd choose if you could have.

But strong. Accepting.

This is who you are.

You don't want to ever be ashamed of what you are ever again.

If it means painful choices, if it means associating with the lowest of the low...it's more than you ever had. If it means blood on your hands...so be it. You tried the path of the angels, and it just got you burnt.

To hell with them! You'll drag them down here with you for what they've done to you.  What the world has done to you.

You've finally made your own family of misfits and fuck ups, you don't need anyone else. Everyone else can burn.

Will burn.

You're interrupted from your thoughts by the blurry sight of a couple kissing outside. Brave. Daring. Despite the welcoming environment of the day, the world still hides dangers for people who dare to be different, you know that all too well.

They look happy.

You really don't understand it. Maybe they fucked you up when they made you, when they programmed you. You've seen what love looks like from delving through so many minds and yet…

It doesn't make it any more incomprehensible. Their versions of love are so foreign to you, without the shouting, without the punishment, without the pain or control. For all its flaws, it was The Farm that taught you love and maybe you measure of it is broken as a result.

But you refuse to think of yourself as broken, less than. You are you, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe some people would say you're missing out, but you don't care. How can you miss something you never really had?

You don't.

You've got a Family, and they're all you need. You've all spilt blood for each other, a promise painted in pain. One that says "I will never leave", because none of you can once you enter this sort of life, except at the end of a bullet. The others will ensure that. Maybe it's fucked up, that you can only trust in a sort of relationship without the option of leaving. Maybe your trust and abandonment issues are a little bit (completely) messed up. You are all sorts of fucked up, even you can admit that.

But for someone like you. That promise, that whisper of trust that says you'll never leave each other til death comes for you...that's the closest thing you'll have to love.

It will have to do.

A knock. Ortega's muffled voice echoes through the sharp angles of the room. "Léon? C'mon, what are you doing in there that's taking so long?! It's been half an hour! I need to pee!"

Dammit!

Trust Ortega to ruin your serious musings! You quickly unlock the bathroom door and poke your head out, annoyed. "Go find a different bathroom! Can't a man have his serious brooding alone time in peace!"

"Oooooh. Ooooooh, so that's how it is, don't worry, I'll leave you to  your 'alone' time…"

You groan. "That's not what I meant and you know it, asshole."

"You know you love meee-"

Just for that, you give him a sharp jab in the sides as you storm dramatically out to get past him. "Remind me, why am I even friends with an idiot like you?"

Ortega stops for a second, right in the middle of the doorway. Blocking your path, rude! "This is the first time I've ever heard you admit it." he says, softly. Looking up  to you with a soft smile spreading on his face, like he can't believe what he's heard.

Argh. Stupid Ortega, getting you all emotional. You are not going to tear up. Not in front of this idiot, who teases you, who you resent above all the others because he was the one you trusted.

You kind of expected it from Steel. But Ortega…

Ortega was the one you thought was your friend. Your best friend. And he-

He left you for dead. He abandoned you.

You don't know if you'll ever forgive him for that.

The wounds never quite healed - only scabbed over, festering with infection underneath. You should hate him.  You kind of do. There's a big part of you that's still furious with him, still sore about the scars that will never ever leave you. You feel them aching every time you interact with him, a reminder of what he did to you.

And yet. And yet you've never quite been able to separate love and hate. That's The Farm's influence, you suppose. You despise The Farm, they ruined you, they made you their tool and you will not rest until you've destroyed them with your bare hands. Make them watch as you rip them apart personally and with a grudge, knowing that they did this, that their downfall was engineered of their own creation. And yet you-

You still care. About the handlers who might have been more gentle than the others, the gentle sting of the rubbing alcohol on your wounds, the soft words and warm pride that fills you after a job well done. Wanting to please them. Partly to avoid punishment, partly because it's all you ever knew and you wanted their approval. Sought it out.

Of opposite of love isn't hate. It's indifference.

And for all you despise the man in front of you, for all you want to rip him to shreds and make him scream as you teach him the pain he forced you through...you will never be able to stop caring.

Hate and love and just two sides of the same coin. It's not the sort of love that gives people doe-eyed glances and candle-lit dinners, but that's not the only sort of love there is.

That's why you inhale, look Ortega in the eye and admit what you really feel. "Idiot. Despite everything...even when you're infuriating and I hate your guts, you'll still always be my best friend."

The pure joy in the smile that Ortega gives you lights up the room.

[breselin]

CHARACTER STATISTICS

TAGGED BY : stole it~ TAGGING : I’m just gonna tag everybody who comes to mind because it’s a good meme

@furnezh | @lazhadeg | @unheimlig [ do your memes |: ] - @daemonczar | @lichsent | @quirofiliac - @edhelaran - @atlaslain - @nightslain | @executare - @xkuja - @garuvusu - @culturedconjurer - @grimmjxw - @despairforme - @bloodfcst - @groazei | @uccisore - @notxcrying - @lunafaeris - @sweettifalockhart - @ndeavor - @nevivorona - @chainedaccursed - @capjacke | @tribinds - @ofastrcmancy | @cielcrd - @envoyd - @gunslingir - @hallowedcraft | @dirkomaar [ and any of your blogs rye do it ] [ okay, pls take it and say i tagged you i already tagged a ton ]

——   PHYSICAL STATS;

RUNNING SPEED   —   9 / 10.

RUNNING ENDURANCE   —   10 / 10.

LIFTING STRENGTH   —   10 / 10.

CARRYING ENDURANCE   —   10 / 10.

JUMPING ABILITY   —   10 / 10.  ||  I mean, he can fly.

THROWING STRENGTH   —   10 / 10.

STEALTH ABILITY   —   4 / 10. || he doesn’t care.

PAIN TOLERANCE   —   10 / 10.

SWIMMING SPEED   —   9 / 10.

SWIMMING ENDURANCE   —   9 / 10.

STRETCHING ABILITY   —   10 / 10.

DANCING ABILITY   —   8 / 10.

CLIMBING ABILITY   —   10 / 10.

TOUCH SENSITIVITY  ( PLATONIC )   —   3 / 10.

TOUCH SENSITIVITY  ( INTIMATE )   —   8 / 10.

GENERAL REFLEXES   —   10 / 10.

OVERALL PHYSICAL CONDITION   —    10 / 10.  ||  he is said to be the perfect experiment outcome. SIDE NOTE: As being part of the ShinRa Elite force SOLDIER and being one of their Generals, aside from the stats that Sephiroth deems unnecessary for himself or can be outweighed with something else, he excels in pretty much all of it. He is, as well, said to be the strongest of them all, a soldier that was ‘better than the rest’. He is one of three [ aside from Angeal and Genesis ] that was the core of the Jenova-cells experimentation, and the only one of them being deemed the ‘success’ the scientists hoped for, despite still not being able to communicate with the planet as they had sought. Alas, still, he was the only one of the three that did not fall victim to the rapid age-deterioration coming as a side-effect and, instead, lives with the positive notions of incredible power and reflexes. 

——   MENTAL STATS;

ADVANCED MATHEMATICS   —   8 / 10.

SIMPLE MATHEMATICS   —   9 / 10.

SPATIAL AWARENESS   —   10 / 10.

CHEMISTRY UNDERSTANDING   —   9 / 10.

BIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING   —   10 / 10.

NATURE SCIENCES UNDERSTANDING   —   10 / 10.

CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE   —   10 / 10.

ARTISTIC ABILITY   —   8 / 10.

MUSICAL PROWESS   —   8 / 10.

MIMICKING ABILITY  ( AUDITORY )   —   8 / 10.

ODD PROBLEM-SOLVING —   10 / 10.

COMPREHENSION  ( SPOKEN WORD )   —   10 / 10.

COMPREHENSION  ( WRITTEN WORD )   —   10 / 10.

COMEDIC ABILITY   —   6 / 10.

COMEDIC TIMING   —   6 / 10.

OVERALL MENTAL PROWESS   —   10 / 10.  SIDE NOTE:  He is extremely intelligent, able to remember details of books/reports/data read or hears years prior and place the small pieces of information back together when only needed. A tactician, yet a lone wolf on the battlefield by his own will, in moments when his memory and mental capability is needed, he does exceed human limits with focusing apparently endlessly on a task, no matter how much it might impede him, still holding a high level of attention to any happenings in his surrounding .  As a General and leader of an army, he is used to finding the best tactics, needs to figure out the environment and use it to his battalion’s and his own advantage, making him a splendid military leader. Any other abilities he holds or his strive for skills [ like music, art ] mainly stems from his childhood and the fact that he was raised more by servants/assistants than actual parents [ aside from the fact of his faulty knowledge regarding his mother ], serving for him to proceed in mastering this or that skill read about in books, specifically his motoric play is highly enhanced, but also his desire for artistic freedom comes from that. If he isn’t able to be taught those skills by those who should do so, he would learn it all by himself. 

——   EMOTIONAL STATS;

INTERPERSONAL INSTINCT   —   9 / 10. 

INTRAPERSONAL INSTINCT   —   4 / 10. 

EXTROVERSION   —   7 / 10.

MORAL COMPASS   —   10 / 10. || as a SOLDIER. - 1 / 10. || after his fall

EMPATHY   —   7 / 10. || as a SOLDIER - 1 / 10. || after his fall

EXTRASENSORY ABILITY  ( PSYCHIC )   —   10 / 10. || he is able to control people, able to summon familiars, telepathy, weather control

EMOTIONAL ENDURANCE   —   10 / 10.

COPING ABILITY   —    5 / 10.

TENDENCY TOWARDS ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR   —   0 / 10. || as a SOLDIER - 9 / 10. || after his fall

TENDENCY TOWARDS VICTIM BEHAVIOUR   —   1 / 10.

LEVEL OF DENIAL   —    3 / 10

PROTECTOR COMPLEX   —   8/10 / 10. || as a SOLDIER for first, with a partner the second - 0 / 10. || after his fall

DAMSEL COMPLEX   —   0 / 10.

EMOTIONAL INTIMACY  ( WITH PARTNER )   —   7 / 10.

EMOTIONAL INTIMACY  ( WITH FRIENDS )   —   3 / 10.

EMOTIONAL COMPREHENSION   —    5 / 10.

TENDENCY TOWARDS PANIC   —    1 / 10.  

GENERAL EMOTIONAL STABILITY   —    2 / 10. SIDE NOTE: This is a complicated one as we move between two very different ‘versions’ of him, thus the explanation will be longer. First: Despite his actual aloof and distant demeanour as a SOLDIER 1st Class, he does care for his friends, for his soldiers, being able to tease them and offer genuine advice, give them genuine care and extend effort towards their well-being. The way he presents himself is, first, pushed onto him by the masses and also ShinRa personally. Creating a super soldier and War Hero at a very young age, the image for him was carved out from the beginning, his person was used to get more recruits to join the rigorous training of becoming a soldier as well and - ultimately - also go into the very dangerous and side-effect ridden mako-injections, costing countless their sanity. He, as well as Genesis and Angeal, was used and it suited them more to have him be that one unattainable goal that everybody would want to reach, ultimately placing him on a pedestal. Second, he uses it himself. Being in the position where a new conflict could arise, loss is inevitable, so it suits him better and helps his mental state to have as little friends and close personal relationships as only possible. It does allow for him to have very select few he does let closer. Personalities that, so he thinks, are able to stand by his side and to not leave him [ and little does he knows that this is wishful thinking ].  Second: Then we also work with his personality after his fall. The man that turned from someone caring, yet a bit wintry except he desires to be different, into someone who holds little to no regard towards life, as per to add my favourite quote.

“ There was one SOLDIER named Sephiroth, who was better than the rest, but when he found out about the terrible experiments that made him, he began to hate Shinra. And then, over time, he began to hate everything. ” —Marlene Wallace, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children  Frankly, he is able to still use all the emotional skills and mannerisms he was known and adored for, but he decides not to. Unneeded, disregarded, only changing should one come along [ amongst uncountable ] that, by an off-chance, manages to crack the ice around him; yet only to be permitted by himself and nobody else. Many of those hidden, little things he only shows towards those he cares for and those he trusts fall towards nought for he, now, only fights for his own goal. Even those he knew and had prior warm feelings for? Are now toyed with and twisted, turned as per his liking. It is, in itself, like two sides of a coin. Like light, devoured by darkness. And he is perfectly alright with that. 

[artnerd1123]

Please talk about paint dad.

*quietly but eagerly pats table*

okok so you weren’t specific and i have mANY feelings on aiden, so you’ll be getting a crash course in paint dad ig lskjdfks–

aiden is a questor, born into a family of questors! his mom n dad were p much always on the move, aside from when he and his younger sister were v little. being brought up in a constantly changing (but, thx to his family, always loving) environment taught him a lot about the world and life. It’s one of the main reasons he’s so tolerant and willing to roll with the punches (aside from his general chill personality). his questing bg is also the reason he’s so against dark magic. he’s seen more than enough of the destruction it can cause back in his day, and it’s certainly not gotten any better.that being said, aiden originally wasn’t too fond of questing on his own. he had this idea that he could just go ahead and settle down somewhere, since he thought he’d seen plenty of his own share of action. ‘course, that all changed after he got a familiar of his own. Roo was more than just a friend. He was family. and he gave aiden someone to protect after his family moved on without him. it was only a matter of time after he created roo that the questor calls started coming. and, tbh? he couldn’t be happier with it. it gets em plenty of food, water, treasure, time to help others/work with his hands, appreciate dungeon art, and anything else he could need (minus a stationary home).in fact, the only things he’s really regretting taking up the questing life for would be less time to make/space to store paintings, and roo’s occasional unhappiness with travelling so much. nevertheless, he makes sure to take care of Roo, and to find time to just stop and paint every so often. gotta make do!!!

aiden in general is just… a very dad-like dude. he likes to make sure that those around him are doing alright, and ends up caring for many creatures/people temporarily before he moves on to a new quest/area. and he’s always v gentle. which is good, because if he wanted to? he could snap a tree like a twig. he is a strong dude >:Vtho, ofc, his gentle kindness, caring nature, desire to keep people safe, and do what’s right aren’t the only attributes to give em. Everyone’s got their rough patches. 

aiden’s always been willing to hear people’s opinions, thoughts, and learn from his own mistakes, but he can be kinda bullheaded sometimes. If he’s made up his mind to do something, then there’s pretty much no way you can stop him. he can be really really stubborn sometimes :/This is especially true when it comes to keeping his loved ones safe. he can get pretty reckless in that regard. if sacrificing himself would keep someone safe, he’d do it without a second thought. Which, in his line of work… might not be the wisest idea. sometimes he needs a good whack on the back of the head and a moment to actually think before he goes and hurts himself. believe it or not, there’s actually ways to get out of it where nobody gets hurt by something! amazing ik lsdkjfsAiden’s also kind of a mess. and i mean that literally. the dude’s house looked like a landfill before he made roo. he has a habit of keeping things of sentimental value, and you can imagine how quickly clutter would accumulate. he can be made to get rid of some of it!!! but he’ll need someone to give him a nudge before he’ll even think about it. not to mention his organization system is “i threw it over there, so that’s its place. until i move it again, that is.” messy boi ._.and one last thing? sometimes he won’t listen if he believes what he’s doing is right. if he has an idea of what he’s doing, and he feels really solid on it, esp if it involves someone else, he might not listen to you if you tell him to stop. Roo’s gotten distressed over this a few times when aiden’s tossed him to saftey but insisted on heading off whatever was chasing them/fighting them. it may or may not also happen with journal in the future. someone doesn’t want a “kid” goin after him on a dangerous quest…

aside from all that??? aiden’s just doin his best, man. despite his shortcomings, he really just wants people to be content and safe. he strives to be a source of stability for everyone he cares for. especially his bois. after all, life’s a tough masterpiece to get in one brushstroke. might as well give people a hand, and show them all the colors they can use while they’re at it. 

[sebeth]

Young Justice: “Fears” and “Drop-Zone”

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

 Issue 6: “Fears”

We left off with Superboy declaring the thought of “destroying Superman” is constantly on his mind.

While Superboy’s teammates reel in shock, Dick decides to narrate his origin recap.  But internally since Batman won’t let Dick share details about his personal life

We flashback to four years ago, the Flying Graysons (John, Mary, Dick, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin John) were performing at Jack Haly’s Circus. Dick mentions he was nine-years old.

Dick mentions that “I never knew either of my grandfathers.  They died a long time before I was born.” He also comments “I was the youngest of the troupe, so father said I wasn’t allowed to be involved with the most dangerous stunt the Flying Graysons performed.”

Dick continues “I was jealous of my older cousin, secretly wanting to be in his place.  He would always mess up my hair and say ‘Don’t worry, squirt, you’ll get a chance sooner than you think.  He always knew the right thing to say.”

We know what happens next: Zucco – tampered ropes – bodies hitting the floor.

“A lot of things happened after that.  Most of them were a blur, even if I could concentrate, I didn’t think I would be able to say exactly what order things happened in.  The next crystal-clear thing I do remember was Bruce Wayne.”

“My mother and father dead. My aunt and cousin dead.  My uncle alive but paralyzed for the rest of his life. The only living family member I had was unable to take care of me.”

“Bruce Wayne came to my rescue and let me become part of his family.”

We know the rest – after training, Robin is born and Zucco is brought to justice.

This is the only instance I can recall of Dick having relatives other than his parents. Discounting generations-back Talons.

An odd choice to leave the uncle alive since he’s never mentioned again.  The extent of the paralysis isn’t mentioned.  Since it appears that gaining custody of Dick was never an option, I would assume the paralysis is from the neck down. It’s a safe bet that Bruce provided the best medical care for the uncle.  

Poor Uncle Grayson. He lost his wife, child, brother, and sister-in-law!  And, as an aerialist, he is now paralyzed.  All in one night.  Talk about your worst nightmare coming true.  I wonder if Dick maintained contact with his uncle.  He could use the support but he was dealing with multiple traumas and depression – would he have even wanted to see his nephew?

Wally interrupts Dick’s ruminations: “Robin, did you hear what he said? He just said that he wants to take down Superman!”

Superboy clarifies: It’s how I feel…sometimes.  What if that’s why I was created?  What if that was the only reason I was created? I just feel…I don’t know what I feel. Sometimes…thoughts happen.”

Dick agrees Conner has a valid point: “We really don’t know anything about what they did to him yet.”

Wally defends his friend: “We know he’s one of the good guys and we know he’s part of this team.  In my world, actions speak louder than words. Superboy has proven his intentions with actions.”

Wally checks in with his other pal: “Hey, what’s with you? Not like you to zone out like that.”

Dick admits to being lost in thought.

The writers seem to be taking a nod from the Justice League cartoon and are establishing Wally as the heart of the team.

Wally asks Megan about her story.  Megan gives a few selective details:

·         Martians live underground as the surface is uninhabitable.

·         Family lives are very entwined.

·         Martians mostly communicate telepathically.

·         Telepathy helps large Martian families maintain a sense of community.

·         Martian families are usually quite large.

·         Megan has 12 sisters, 17 brothers, and over 300 cousins.

·         M’gann mentions that Martians are green, white, or red.

·         Megan claims that her parents were green Martians and she was raised in a liberal environment.

·         “Others were not as tolerant and the treatment of white Martians was especially horrible.

·         M’gann states that she was the closest to uncle J’onn: “We had a great relationship.”

·         We discover J’onn is the most famous Martian in history: “He grew to be a true beacon of hope and stood for what our society could achieve.  Upon his return to Mars it was declared a day of planetwide celebration.  When he came back it was not just for adulation.  He also had a specific purpose in mind.  Having learned about all of you, J’onn decided now was the time to introduce a younger Martian hero to earth.  J’onn J’onzz came to Mars and decided he would hold a competition to find the next Martian champion that would be returning with him to fly among the heroes of earth.”

·         Megan enters the contest – very shades of Wonder Woman and wins.

·         “At first, Uncle J’onn seemed as if he didn’t want me to compete.”

M’gann has revised significant parts of her background as we discover later in the season.

I wish we knew more of J’onn’s Young Justice background.  In the traditional comic book-verse, J’onn is the sole surviving Green Martian accidentally brought to earth by a scientist.  The Green Martians were wiped out by a telepathic plague. White Martians were imprisoned/banished before the plague but small numbers turn up to cause trouble for J’onn and the Justice Legue at various points.  White Martians are very barbaric and warlike.  “Red martians” are an alien species found on Titan/Saturn – the most famous member is Jemm, Son of Saturn.

Taking Megan’s account at face value – which is hard as she is a very skilled liar – it seems as if Martians are thriving on their home planet.  The white Martians don’t seem to have been banished or imprisoned but are not accepted by the green and red Martians.  

I’m assuming the white Martians are still very barbaric and warlike which causes their isolation.

Megan states she was raised in a “liberal environment”. Does this mean her parents were White Martian versions of hippies – make love, not war.  If her parents did adopt a more peaceful approach it could explain their isolation from the white contingent and the suspicion of the red/green groups.

M’gann’s White Martian nature explains her lax morals when it comes to her telepathic powers.  The White Martians abuse of their powers was one of the main divides between the greens and whites.  Assuming Megan’s parents left the “white nature” behind it doesn’t mean they were instructed in the strict guidelines the green/red follow. If the parent isn’t taught, it becomes hard to instill it into their children.

Megan’s desperation to escape her environment – and her hero worship of J’onn – is easy to see.  The later reveal of Megan’s White Martian adds another layer of “J’onn didn’t seem to want me to compete”. It’s important to note that the other competitors were all green Martians.  Megan, of course, is drawn as green as the big reveal hadn’t happened yet in the cartoon.

I’m curious if the White Martians ever attacked the Justice League in the YJ-universe?  It’s the only reason I can think of as for why Megan is so desperate to have everyone believe she is a green Martian.  Otherwise, there could be a whole rainbow’s worth of Martian colors – no one on Earth is going to know.  It would also explain why J’onn brings in M’gann as his “niece”.  It would eliminate any wariness the members of the Justice League might have about a White Martian being on their protégé’s team.

Does M’gann really have that huge a family?  As I said earlier, she’s a very convincing liar prone to living in her own fantasy life – is this extensive family yet another lie/fantasy?  Does her parents’ “liberal environment” cause her to be ostracized from this extended family?

Finally, how did J’onn arrive on earth?  Was he accidentally transported by a scientist or did he arrive on earth as an explorer/ambassador?  Is his wife and daughter still alive? How long was J’onn away from Mars before he returned?

The issue ends with a Cadmus flashback.  Superboy dreams of confronting and killing an out-of-control Superman.  A scientist informs Roland that the dreaming Superboy has cracked another containment pod.

Roland orders the scientist to “Keep him under and get a new containment pod in here!”

Another scientist comments “What the G-Gnomes make him see must be pretty real to him.”

We return to the camp fire as Superboy ruminates: “These are my thoughts.  This is what they put in my brain.  I remember…this is why I was created.”

We now return to “Drop Zone”.  I mentioned the apparent time screw-up in an earlier post.  Kobra’s invasion of Santa Prisca begins on June 19th. The next scene has Young Justice headed to Santa Prisca on June 21st – almost a month before the team actually formed.

I’m going with the assumption that June 21st was meant to be July 21st.   Otherwise, we would have 1) missed a whole year’s worth of the team’s adventures, and 2) it only took the Justice League 48 hours to discover the Light’s plans for Santa Prisca.  The Light would have a hard time passing itself off as criminal masterminds if they can’t even keep a plot secret for 48 hours.

Robin recalls Batman’s instructions to the team: “This is a covert and recon mission only.  Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will.”

Robin asks the important question: “So who’s in charge?”

Batman and Red Tornado glance at each other: “Work that out between two.”

Robin’s smirk indicates he believes he should be in charge.

Dick put Bruce in an awkward position. Bruce can only feel one of two ways: 1) He believes Dick should be in charge but doesn’t want to “play favorites” or 2) He doesn’t feel Dick is ready but doesn’t want to tell him that in front of the others.

Covert costumes make their first appearances.

“No capes. No tights. No offense.” – Superboy doesn���t need your stealth tech, thank you very much.  And all he needs to do is switch his shirt inside out in order to achieve stealth mode.

“It totally works for you.” – Megan is as subtle as Wally when it comes to flirting.

“Knew I didn’t need a line.”

“And yet creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert.”

Give Conner a break – he’s still figuring out the extent of his abilities.

Conner and Wally aren’t well-suited for “covert” – they don’t have the temperament for it.

“Did you hear that?”

“You do have great ears?” – Wally and Megan need to have a flirting contest – points given if they actually achieve the “subtle” art of flirtation.

Aqualad, dropped off at a different point on the island, is the only one attempting to come up with/adhere to the plan.  Dick’s already splintered off to do his own thing and Wally’s totally going to follow the plan as soon as he “finds Rob”.

Bane and his henchmen are having a shootout with Kobra operatives.  Wally stumbles into it: “So much for the stealthy.”

Superboy jumps into the brawl.  Bane tries a power attack but discovers it doesn’t work on a Kryptonian.  Poor Bane is having a horrible time this episode – his strength is one of his top assets but this is the second time it’s failed him. It must be humbling to think of yourself as a physically powerful man only to discover you can’t compete with the real powerhouses of the DC Universe.

Robin launches into the fray: “What is wrong with you guys? Remember covert? Why didn’t you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?”

To be fair, the Flashes don’t do covert – they are brightly colored heroes much loved by the public. Superboy is fresh out of the containment pod and doesn’t have the temperament or training for covert missions. Miss Martian’s powers are perfect for these situations but she’s a total newbie plus her entire race consists of telepaths – is “covert” even a concept on Mars?

Wally explains to Robin that they’re not mind readers – they didn’t know Dick’s plans.

Megan pipes in: “You told me I could only read the bad guy’s minds.”

Aqualad reunites with the group.

Robin recognizes the Kobra goons’ outfits.  Kaldur and Dick agree Batman wasn’t aware of Kobra’s presence on Santa Prisca.  Batman had to suspect something was different on the island.  Why else would he send in the team – Bane has been running Santa Prisca/producing Venom since before he “broke the bat”.  Unless this mission was only supposed to be a “training wheels exercise” in covertness.

Wally says it’s time to radio Bats: “Mission accomplished>

Dick disagrees: “These cultists aren’t on venom. Kobra’s hoarding the stuff.  We don’t leave.  Not until I know why.”

Wally and Dick argue over who should be leader of the team.  Wally correctly points out that Dick is only 13-years old and ducked out on the rest of the group as soon as they arrived on the island.  Dick counter claims that Wally isn’t that mature at 15-years old.

The boys continue to bicker. Superboy makes it clear that he has no desire to be a leader.  Miss Martian forfeits herself due to the Mr. Twister fiasco.

A tied-up Bane and henchmen discuss plans while Dick and Wally continue to argue.  Superboy overhears and the small smile on his face indicates Conner understands Spanish.

Wally and Dick wrap up their argument:

“Duh. You’re not Batman.”

“Duh.  Closest thing you got.”

Bane bursts out laughing at this point: “Such clever ninos.”

Yeah, arguing like a pair of toddlers doesn’t help your credibility with bad guys.  And in front of one of your dad’s villains!  Shame, Dick!  You know Bane’s bringing it up to Bruce the next time they fight.

Miss Martian attempts to read Bane’s mind but he’s “not that easy”: “He’s mentally reciting football scores en Espanol.”  The moment is a testament to Megan’s youth and inexperience as a resident of earth. J’onn wouldn’t have been dissuaded by the “foreign language” trick.

Bane proposes the old “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” routine.

Bane and the team head to the factory.  Dick is still throwing jabs at Wally’s expense.  Wally again calls out Dick on his behavior: “A real leader would focus on getting answers.”

Dick is rather petty but he is only 13-years old.  Not the most mature time of anyone’s life.

The group enter the Venom factor via a secret entrance.  Robin promptly disappears.

Bane: “Has the young fool already been caught?”

A resigned Aqualad: “No, he just does that.”

Kid Flash decides he’ll get the intel and be back before Robin.  Ignoring Kaldur’s “Wait”, Wally speeds off.

A sarcastic Bane: “Great chain of command.”

Robin and Kid Flash are in a control center, looking at chemical compounds.  Wally’s love of science is demonstrated as he recognizes one chemical compound as Venom and the other one as the Blockbuster formula from Cadmus.  The two combined make a powerful combination – and a permanent one.

Sportsmaster arrives on the island.  Yes, the Sportsmaster!  He’s a rather obscure Golden Age villain that I don’t even think has been used in the comics since the All-Star Squadron/Young All-Stars/Infinity Inc days. I’ve mentioned before that I love the creators’ knowledge and fondness of the complete scope of the DC Universe – this is just another example.

Off topic, the main reason I hate re-boots and re-sets are because of all the characters and elements of the DC Universe that are lost every single time.  It’s the same reason I hate all the senseless deaths in comics.  Boo to all of that!

Did the Justice Society and its respective foes still debut in the World War II era?  Or was their debut pushed into a later decade – say the 1970s or 1980s?  Sportsmaster is looking rather young for a non-meta who debuted in World War II. Not that aging is a problem for comic book universes – with all the magic, chemicals, radiation, and cosmic craziness it wouldn’t take much to explain the slow-aging of every inhabitant on earth.  

Miss Martian spies on Kobra and Sportsmaster’s conversation.  Aqualad attempts to reach the Justice League but the coms are jammed. Kaldur decides they need a plan.

Bane: “I have a suggestion.” Bane leaps down and starts fighting Kobra henchmen.

Mammoth storms into the factory but finds Superboy isn’t as easy a target as Bane.

Bane leaves the chaotic scene.

Wally and Dick enter the fray. Miss Martian telepathically links the team.  Robin has – once again – disappeared from the scene.  Robin intercepts Shimmer and Lord Kobra at their helicopter. Kaldur demands Robin return – and, surprisingly, Dick listens.

Kaldur orders a strategic retreat.

Dick wonders “How could my first mission as team leader go so wrong?”

Kaldur diplomatically points out: “You do have the most experience.  But perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan.”

Dick completely misses the point: “So I’m supposed to hold everybody’s hands.”

Dick doesn’t take criticism well. Not even the constructive kind.

Dick concedes: “You lead us, Kaldur.  You’re the only one who can.”

Superboy chimes in with “Could have told you.” I’m guessing Conner thought Kaldur was the leader the entire time.

Kaldur graciously accepts, informing Dick “I accept the burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team.  Maybe not now but soon.”  Kaldur’s not only the team leader but the team diplomat.

Lord Kobra finds his helicopter has been sabotaged.

Bane betrays the team. Shocking, I know.

Bane monologues while Aqualad devises a plan.  Bane discovers he’s horribly outmatched against Young Justice including receiving a one-punch knockout from Superboy.  The day has not been a good one for Bane’s ego.

Young Justice storm Kobra and his henchmen.  Lord Kobra orders Sportsmaster to leave with the shipment.  Sportsmaster is very perceptive as he’s gotten the drop on an invisible Megan twice in this episode.  Kid Flash claims another souvenir.

Robin battles Kobra but is outmatched.  Aqualad puts down Mammoth – a nice testament to Kaldur’s skill.  Sportsmaster keeps Miss Martian and Superboy occupied which should be a nice testament to his skill but feels a bit ridiculous.  He shouldn’t be able to last two seconds against a Kyrptonian or a Martian much less both at once.

Sportsmaster escapes in a helicopter but Megan planted an explosive device causing the copter to crash.

Lord Kobra now faces the entire Young Justice team and decides to exit stage left: “Another time then”. The team simply stands there and lets him escape?

Batman reads the team the riot act: “A simple recon mission.  Observe and report.  You’ll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes.  Until then…good job.  No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success.  And how you choose who leads determines character.”

Sportsmaster meets with the Light: “All I recovered is a single ampoule of the Kobra venom.”

The Light intones “Enemies of the Light must not stand.”

One member of the Light is speaking French.  I’m blanking on French bad guys in the DC Universe – the only ones I can recall are Monsieur Mallah, Madame Rogue, and Warp.