#boys sense the strength of character. And I know he’s sort of helped a lot of the younger boys I currently teach be more open to literature

[itspileofgoodthings]

.

[orions-hound]

alright let's talk about breakdown, i NEED to talk about breakdown. what i always found intriguing about breakdown was his duality: the way he can be kind and friendly yet also gleefully laugh as he punches someone's lights out. it frustrates me when people make him too much of one or the other, though usually it's him being softened down.

people always talk about the moment breakdown encourages 'the vehicon' to "keep up the good work", and it is a really nice moment! i think about it a lot! but also never talk about how prior to this breakdown is threatening to "come down there and dent some engine blocks" if he doesn't get a response.

i think his sense of morality is interesting. i like how his loyalty seems to lie more towards people than any cause, such as in the case of dreadwing. i think it's a significant and interesting design detail that he has no visible faction insignia.

i love this line says knock out says about breakdown because i think what it implies about him is so interesting. "breakdown may act the brute, but he's a maestro with a rotary buffer". the wording is so intentional here; it's not breakdown IS a brute, it's breakdown MAY ACT the brute. like yes! breakdown knows how to be gentle, he's literally a medic's assistant, and he's still choosing violence anyway

ohh boy lets talk about breakdown i think something many need to acknowledge is that how these characters act in battle doesnt reflect how they are off the field, breakdown is a very collected and polite person in conversation but an absolute beast against his enemies. i dont feel his threat towards the vehicons was genuine, it literally was "dont make me come down there and kick your asses" from frustration at being seemingly ignored while hes already in a tough spot in the ranks. ive theorized before hes some sort of ground commander, seeing as hes never given any particular rank title(?) breakdown loves to fight, he loves to be cocky and win, hes about as competitive with fighting as knock out is with racing, but in the end he mostly follows people he thinks have the best idea. if he ever thinks he might be in over his head his partner helps bring him in (he also has a tendency to avenge knock out on the battlefield, which is sweet) but without guidance hes... kind of reckless, its no wonder he lets people order him around hes far more morally sound than most decepticons, and you can tell this because of his quick turn to consider joining the autobots upon a single really good deed (from his sworn nemesis!), he appreciates it but still struggles to not follow orders, his trauma making it worse to feel hes reliable at all. hes on a side of a war with people who actively choose cruelty in the most horrific ways and the worst he acts is some bully behavior against another guy who hes been at odds with for thousands of years and acting like an angry manager once. breakdown is a traumatized fighter who wants to be gentler than hes ordered to be, and i think finding the balance between his kindness and strength is important; kindness doesnt make you weak and strength doesnt make you unkind.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I'm writing my first fic, so are there any tips to write Harry so I don't Butcher his character, lol

Like, I can try and give advice, but writing is such a personal journey, and it can work very differently for every writer. Like, what works for me and helps me to stick to his character might not work for you.

What I can tell you is that the first HP fic I ever wrote had a Harry I will now consider OOC.

It's not the worst I've seen, but I know I'm better at it now than 4 years ago when I wrote that story because I know him better, and I became a better writer. But that first story has an OOC Harry, an OOC Voldemort, and, well, a lot of other characters are OOC there, too. I'm pretty sure Sirius is the only one I consider somewhat in-character in that story, lol.

I can explain what I do, which again might not work for you. The only way you'd know what does work for you is if you try different methods, experiment, and learn. Becouse if you know what you're doing and you're a good enough writer, there aren't a lot of rules you can't break or characterization you can't pull off. And to become a good writer there is no way other than writing. And reading. A lot.

You just gotta start writing and figure out what methods work for you to get the characters the way you envision them.

Also, please remember fanfic is supposed to be fun. I might be super picky about Harry's characterization, but I promise you there are a lot of readers who aren't and would be happy to read a good story even if Harry isn't characterized perfectly. As I said, I wrote some bad OOC fic in my life (40+ bad wips that would never see the light of day). These bad fics were necessary so I could get good. Becouse to get good, you need to start somewhere. So, as I said, write, don't be scared of making mistakes, figure out what works for you, and trial and error your way to victory.

That being said, this is my list of what I do to write any character consistently and in character, not just Harry, (and some writing advice in general, really):

1. Get the mannerism right

What I mean by that is that characters, like human beings, are capable of a lot under the right circumstances. When writing a fic a character isn't going to stay the same as in canon if their situation changes, so I find it more useful to think of how characters do/say things rather than what they do. Basically, any character can do anything and it would feel in character if the circumstances and how they go about it make sense.

For me, I know dialogue is one of my strengths as a writer, and I put effort into learning characters' dialects and speech patterns. Harry would use the word "bloke" and not "guy". He never uses "Bloody hell" or "Blimey". Harry's swears are often censored from the books, so I take it Harry says "fuck" or "sodding hell". When he thinks mid-sentence he says "er..." often. Harry, in general, doesn't speak as often as Ron or Hermione.

Ron, on the other hand, says "bloody hell" and "Blimey" often. He also says "mate" a lot. Hermione rarely shortens words. Often in the books, she would say "we are" rather than "we're" and is generally more formal in her speech. She also uses more words than both boys to get the same point across.

All these little patterns of speech add a lot to the characters feeling like themselves. The choice of words matters more than what they're actually saying, a lot of times. The what can be heavily influenced by the circumstances but the how should be familiar.

Let's take a reaction of surprise to the same good thing happening:

"Blimey, I can't believe it," said Ron, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Hermione said, smiling and turning to Ron and Harry, "You can see this too, right?"

"That's brilliant," said Harry, grinning at the sight of [thing].

So, these sorts of details just add a lot to characterization and I find that if you can pull the voice and mannerisms off, you can pull off almost any actions, and the character would feel in character as long as it's not outrageous.

2. "Character Bible"

I usually have a little "character bible" which is like 6-10 commandments of how the character needs to behave (key personality traits and behavior), and when I'm editing, I go back to it. What you choose to put in your "character bible" can change depending on what matters to you more as a writer. For Harry, my character bible is something like this:

Says more in his head than outside his head.

Snarks back when threatened, hot-headed when in emotional distress, doesn't say anything if it's a possibility (unless he likes who he's talking to).

Wit. Wit. Wit. (add witty remarks in narration or dialogue if the opportunity arises. Sarcastic humor is good for Harry's narration).

Very talented and smart, very low self-worth

Awkward, but no one but him knows this

"I won't!" (He does not do well with authority or direct orders. The quote is from GoF when he resists the imperious curse)

Trust issues galore (he doesn't really trust anybody besides Sirius. Only in HBP does he start to tell Ron and Hermione everything).

Selectively observant (Harry observes what he cares about. If he doesn't care, it might as well not have been there) and super judgmental in his narration.

Wants to be left alone and be content and safe.

3. Edit.

I'm sorry to say it, but reading through your own writing again and again and fixing it up every time helps so much. After I finish writing a chapter I take a break to go to bed and then come back the next day and reread the chapter with new eyes and correct everything that seems out of character, any phrasing that feels awkward, spelling and grammar errors if I notice them. But this first go-through immediately after is mostly for characterization, voice, and plot.

In general, during a first draft, your goal is to get it written, making it good is what editing is for. That's why my mantra during the process of writing the first draft is: "I'll fix it in post".

4. Let the character take the wheel

This is more specific to my own writing method, but, you know how there are method actors? So I'm a method writer. Sorta, I'm half-joking.

What I mean by this, is that I get to know a character by writing them (a lot) and then I don't really need to think about it. Like, I just write what feels right to the character. Like, whenever I'm unsure about a scene, I'd go: "Harry take the wheel" and just type what the character thinks, in my mind. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's sort of discovery writing in small limited doses, essentially. I sort of let the character take over for the scene. Like I'm not writing the story, just typing it. Kinda like demonic possession, just, not.

I know it's not really the characters and that I'm writing it, I just find this process hard to explain. When you write a character a lot and often, you can become capable of writing them naturally. Almost like breathing. Like writing your own narration, except, it isn't. But it takes effort to get to this point.

Again, this won't necessarily work for everyone, but it's what I found works for me.

5. Unsure? Open the books

The books exist and if you're unsure how Harry would react to something, just, check. I have an ebook version of GoF open when I'm writing my fic, which takes place in GoF. So, if I'm unsure how Harry would phrase something or react to something, I just check.

6. Get a Beta Reader

My best advice though, is to find a fandom friend to beta read for you, someone you trust to tell you if you're writing OOC and help you fix it (preferably they would also be a writer). Becouse sometimes you don't see it yourself after you just wrote it. My beta for my fic also helped me write my novel, and she knows me as a writer, I know her as a writer, and she knows what sort of things she needs to pay attention to in my writing and vice versa.

That first OOC fic I mentioned? I let her read it, and she told me that the pacing is crap and Harry is acting off (in nicer words, she was very polite about it, but that's what she meant). And that sort of feedback is invaluable for improving and I'm incredibly grateful to her.

Sometimes, you need to hear the truth, even when it's unpleasant, that's how growth happens.

(Now she practically never comments on characterization or pacing, improvement!)

7. Perfect is the enemy of good

I don't think my characterization of Harry is perfect. I don't think my writing is perfect. Whenever I go back to edit, I always find more stuff to fix. But there is a point where you gotta stop fixing it and just post it. Because you'll never know how it will go if you don't do it.

At some point, after all the editing, you just need to declare your work is "good enough" (having a beta really helps in telling when "good enough" is, especially at first, since most writers tend to be hyper-critical of their own work). You'll always reread your work and think "oh, I could've wrote this line better" or "oh, that sounds wrong" even after you post it (but so could the best authors to ever live, I'm sure. It's just how it is).

So, It won't be perfect, nothing ever will. But it can still be great and amazing and make someone's day, even if it isn't "perfect".

So, don't be scared to make mistakes or butch it up on your first attempt, you're human, you're learning, and you can improve. But that can only happen if you start writing because nothing teaches better than hands-on experience.

[hauntedfictionland]

Being their emotional support person —

☾︎✰❛❀ Shadow and bone characters x gn!reader

Includes/warnings: light mentions of PTSD, injuries, slightly stalkerish behaviours and implied romance.

🪐notes: i sort of recently got into Shadow and Bone and oh boy I'm absolutely in love, the plotlines, music, and characters are so beautifully done. I do truly hope that Netflix renews it back.

— I. KAZ BREAKER

(♥︎^⁠_^♥︎)

You and Kaz went back quite a long time as far back as the time his brother died with his innocence. You went through that together, from the sidelines you watched him change drastically, grow into a man whose name was rather feared than loved.

Kaz doesn't admit it, but he relies on you a lot. He knows the harshness he's put upon you everyday isn't new by now, but still unwelcomed. It stings him. You almost get treated the same as any other crow, if not for the times where you'd hold his upper arm in an act of comfort when needed.

And he'd let you. ♡

You're not the most significant part of the group, or the strongly important. But you can be useful enough in his words to ‘stay’, definitely not because Kaz wants you there by his side as he's always had most of his life.

Or so what he insists.

He looks upon you along with every plan of heists, a wordless query of help. It does not look like it, but your opinions and suggestions matter to him more than you'll ever know.

And when you need a favor, he's all yours. Jesper would sometimes find him doing questionable things for a man like Kaz's taste, when he'd ask it always goes a simple “Y/N asked for this”.

When Kaz is faced with his past, especially if without black gloves he has used as a shield—he won't come to you. The most would be handing his gloves back.

But after the worst is gone, he'll slowly reach out to you. Sitting beside you, head leaning on your shoulder. That is the moment he wants the most, support to get back to the daily life.

He needs you.

Needing anything is a weakness surely but he truly never considered you his, without you he'd actually fall apart with the absence of the power to get back again. You're his strength. His support, his person.

You're his, and he's yours.

— II. INEJ GHAFA

(♥︎^⁠_^♥︎)

Inej doesn't really feel comfortable relying on a lot of people, anyone for that matter. Yet when it comes to you it almost seems so effortless. Perhaps that's the effect you have on her.

Kaz brought you in a while ago when he was in desperate need of a healer.

When she saw you the first time, you seemed shy to the point of not even being able to hold eye contact. However as time slowly passed on you spend way more time with Inej than anyone else as she tended to get herself in all sorts of trouble.

Inej would find herself looking at you often, wondering how the alignment of your lips to the sharpness of jaw could ever be so perfect.

She started to let a few things of her past out here and there while you'd bandage her, careful enough to never reach the tip of the surface.

Bit by bit, it turned into a habit. Only now she would come to you herself and open up even when there was no scar or injury on her.

Something about the way you listened so tentatively with soft eyes that held no judgement, your words which grasped onto the feelings she couldn't seem to comprehend and your affection, all of it pulled her in.

And she could not let go.

Sometimes Inej feels a bit guilty, how you're always there yet she isn't. She wants to know about you, your interests, your fears, your life. And she wants to help. In that sense she feels worse.

She's the wraith, she's never been scared of anyone. Yet Inej feels herself becoming powerless the moment she looks at you.

And that'll be the death of her.

— III. ALECSANDER KIRIGAN

(♥︎^⁠_^♥︎)

Much like Kaz, Kirigan is not the most reliable at showing affection. But he does know very clearly the way you've helped him will not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Rather unexpectedly, even as a grisha on his team you've somehow managed to slip into the cracks of his facade. The demeanor he held.

After Alina fled, he wasn't in the calmest mind. And sensing you just hold him without a single word, a hand soothing his shoulder with a wave of your magic spreading around him. He in the longest while felt peace alongside tranquillity in just a few minutes.

With him in your arms, you gave him a sense of assurance without ever putting them into words.

Kirigan keeps you absolutely spoiled. He tells the extravagant jewelries and fancy wines are gestures of reward for your exertion which he'd give to anyone who'll work just as hard. Except that in truth he feels he owes you a great deal whenever his emotional hard times are mended because of you.

And it's his way of showing the utmost appreciation, almost affection you've placed in his heart for you.

The fact that you don't judge or mock, even think of him as ‘weak’ for not being the powerful general everyone sought out to be has him in a chokehold.

He thinks about you, and every one of your encounters has him thinking for weeks. Each and single one. Soley, it does come off as any surprise when Alecsander sets at least one grisha protector to watch you. Your safety is his utmost priority and even perhaps to know a little details about you and the people you talk with.

Which you don't need to know about whatsoever.

The time he revealed his true self to you, he was very much afraid that was the way he'll lose you. You'd see the monster his mother claims him to be and run far away. But instead when you embraced his dark side with a glint in your eyes, he knew you had him whipped in a tight hold.

— IV. ALINA STARKOV

(♥︎^⁠_^♥︎)

You first saw Alina when Zoya sent her flying across the field. Rather before that, eyes stealing glances on you.

She knew who you were, the great earth summoner. And as per who she was, Alina felt inclined to meet you. Her newly found peers brought her upon you, and when you turned to face her, Alina was quite at a loss for words.

Wonderstruck.

You seemed far much greater than she imagined, and oh she had a lot to learn from you.

Alina found you on many occasions, tried to as best she could. Questions about your powers, her powers, and secrets of the little palace. You gave them all, heart smiling fondly at her genuine curiosity.

You'd discover yourself sitting beside her, on the floor with backs leaning against the wooden bookshelves. Walks around the little palace or the library, you were growing much closer with her as the days passed.

Sometimes a word or two would slip out of her missing a certain Mal, and the camp of the first army. She would close them, a bit scared of your thoughts that is before you assure her. That whatever is was held in her heart, she could absolutely come to you.

And came she did.

You and her would spend hours under the night sky, hearing her stories of the orphanage—worries she held about herself, and Mal. Either way Alina was sure you were her answer.

The way you'd given her a tiny beam of grin, hands grazing over hers. Talking conclusions she could barely listen when her focus was your lips. A connection she felt that was electrifying.

Alina believed it was because of your power as the Earth, and her's as the Sun summoner. However in that, a deeper part of her knew something was more than that.

A single time someone referred you as her Earth summoner, the mere prospect of that—even when she knew the other meant it in no harm, drove her crazy.

The time after you comforted her about the troubles she held about Mal, sincere yet bittersweet smile on your lips. You knew she had feelings for the boy, a thought that made your gut wrench for a reason you didn't acknowledge.

When you asked her that, Alina's eyes gazed at yours before she pulled her lips on yours in return so softly you could only hum.

You were hers alright.

[scorching-earth]

Savanaclaw characters as the thirteenth sinners.

"when you have no where to go but up. you need not worry what lays ahead."

TW do not ignore: poverty, embezzlement, abuse of power, homelessness, cannibalism, murder, cannon typical violence, family issues.

please if I missed any sort of trigger warnings tell me. onto the tough boys. I am so sorry Ruggie...

Leona:

“Let’s get this over with, my name is Leona. there.” “Shut up! The lot of you can't a man get some shut eyes.” “I’ve gotten rusty so don't expect much.” “you know what I’m happy I got to meet you all”

Even in project moon Leona is Lazy! He’s not a manager. He's the former assistant manager of an R corp team. Don't take him for helpless, he was forced to become a soldier as well. He was clawing his way up to the manager position, only to fuckin fail to his brother. All that effort wasted, at least he doesn't have to fight anymore right? That's funny calling from a falling feather. At least the limbus company had taken leona in.

Leona’s survival was hell bent on being able to fight well. God knows how many clones had to die to prove that. So even completely bare handed Leona’s a monster. But hey, let's stick to theming here and as a pair of Tekko Kagi. their claws like blades that extend past your fingertips. Grate for getting up close and personal. As much as a beast Leona is, he's lazy so he never uses his full strength when getting into a fight.

Since I should put this out there Leona is human. Anything not human is purged in the city, so I’m sorry if you wanted Lona to still be a lion boy. From here on out assume everyone is human unless stated otherwise. Leona’s got better sense then even when he was a best man. Singularities make superhumans what do I have to say?

Favorite of bus crew: Gregor has gotten the closest to Leona. Both of them can kinda relate to each other, and Gregor's made an effort to get to know Leona. And every time Leona had tried to swipe away to him, or kill him Gregor just kept coming back. Like a cockroach. So might as well let him stay.

Least favorite of bus crew: Sinclair, the kid’s whining gets annoying. The fact he looks ready to bolt at the smallest inconvenience pisses off Leona. Herabover is a perfect title for the kid. He looks like a stiff wind would knock him over. He also runs away whenever Leona gets close. So Leona knows nothing about him either.

What their Unique magic translated into: Leona has been second to his brother for all of his life, everything around him seemed to dry up, to the pont people called him cursed. It didn't help when he finally got into R corp, it seemed like all the talented people seemed to die out. leaving only Leona as the only talent. King’s roar is hard to translate properly so I translated what it means to Leona. Leona considers his magic to be a bit of a curse and laughable. To dry anything out. In this case Lona has a bit of a curse: he “dries out” other people. Their talent, their desire, he’s able to wring it out. It’s how he was able to climb to his spot.

Sinner description: for as unmotivated and lazy as this sinner can be, his an extremely useful assist. His strength and battle prowess currently outrank any of the other sinners. It is advised to not bother him while he is napping, if it is necessary to bother him while he is asleep have one of the sinners do it for you.

Canto summary:Leona was born to a nest family in R corp. He knows comfort others could only dream of. He had an older brother and his brother were polar opposites. Leona has this curse that had everyone lose everything leaving him to be at the top alone. Everyone would avoid him, instead focusing and completing his brother. with how easily his brother could bring people up, and make them stronger. All while calling Leona lazy and cursed Leona wanted to make something out of himself. He wanted to rise above other people’s expectations. So he worked his ass off once he got into R corp. Wanted to climb the ranks to become a manager in the highest position. To take everything easy for the rest of his life what a dream. One Leona never got to fulfill. That same brother that made him feel so inferior, had swiped his dream form under his nose. The bastard wasn't even grateful. How could he just laugh as Leona clawed his way up. He couldn't have been lifted up by the people around him like his brother could. No one was there to lift him up, they would lose all will. Leona was set to suffer all by himself. While his brother celebrated with other people. So Leona did the one thing that would get him in trouble: he tried to sabotage his brother. Falling because of the people around his brother protecting him. Leona was taken away for it. Leona’s canto would have you collecting the golden bow from R corp. Fighting waves for clones. Leona would end up fighting his brother, losing alone, until the sinners would come to his ade. The only reason being that it’s their job. No Leona doesn't matter, it's leone's bother stopping them from getting the golden bow. Leona for once got to experience what his brother had innately. A tem to back you up.

Jack:

“Nice to meet you boss! I’m Jack I shall work for you today onward.” “I don't need to get into pleasantries with coworkers.” “... the red mist is cool too..” “My biggest regret will never be undone, but I can move past it.”

Jack used to work as a fixer. Grade 9 mind you, but hey a fixer nonetheless. So he passed the exam, he worked for a sub optimal office, mostly finding cats before three and stuff. (Finn who?) he had hoped to at least do some good in the backstreets, like the red mist. Only he knew that was unrealistic. That he was setting his sights too high. But damm if he couldn't try to make a difference. So Jack could always hope couldn't he?

Jack would use a double edged sword. It’s extremely common as a chosen weapon so it’s easy to find and buy. Something that most people have settled for. Jack’s office did not pay for weapons. So Jack had to buy his own.

Jack thinks that even in the city you should at least try to make an honest living. He expects those around him and his own office to abide by this. Granted “honest living” in the city is near impossible. Jack just hates embezzlement. He had suffered because of it in the past because of it, and expects those around him to at least work for their pay instead of taking it from others. 

Favorite of bus crew: Don Quixote by a long shot. Jack finds her yammering about fixers fun, it helps that Jack is secretly just as obsessed with them as Don is. Jack just tends to hide his admiration from people he doesn't know too well. Ofton electing to listen intently as Don gose on about fixers, he just likes Don’s passon. And as a former fixer himself he can understand how Don feels about some of the colored fixers.

Least favorite of bus crew: while gambling is not as bad as some other ways to get money. Jack can't come to not look at Rodion in disgust as she talks about gambling. It’s just icky to Jack, he knows that people who gamble are well aware that they can easily lose their money. It just doesn't feel right to take advantage of people who are so low thy HAVE to resort to gambling

What there Unique magic translated into: Jack himself has two types of ways he fights, one his polished and somewhat ok way of fighting. The second is what others call his “beast mode”. In beast mode Jack fights with less concern for his well being putting all his force behind his swings. Jack cant activate “beast mode” it only happens when he’s not doing well in a fight and is incredibly injured, or something so horrible happens he cant hold onto himself and lets go of all of his reason.

Sinner description: do not let this sinner's appearance fool you he’s an incredibly sharp fighter, and has strong morals. If this sinners' morals get in the way of your job it is advised to discuss a compromise. This sinner is not unreasonable when it comes to what he is willing to do. The sinner's rough disposition is really just an act for his kindness.

Canto summary:Jack’s past consists of two things: his secret admiration for fixers, and his strong sense of what is right and wrong. He became a fixer as quickly as possible, joined a no name office and set out to try and help as many people as he could. It wasn't long until he was faced with a situation where his morals were challenged. for that he stayed steadfast in them having heard the lights' voice but paused it away. Jack has accomplished something he has yet to do once more. He had awakened his ego weapon temporarily. His office’s boss was embezzling funds from the office itself and not paying the fixers well enough. Everyone but Jack knew about this. Jack had ended up finding out on his own he was determined to make it right and in the process killed his boss. Something that to this day he regrets.

(I am so sorry Ruggie.)

Ruggie:

“So you're the boss? Manger? Executive? Eh… I don't actually know all of this “job” nonsense anyways.” “I know what it is like to struggle unlike SOME people.” “How can I regret surviving? I fought for my place here.” “ah… that’s… that’s unfortunate.”

Ruggie has had a HARD life. But in all of that he had learned how to survive very well, he’s fast on his feet, is quick witted, and is extremely sneaky. Ruggie lives for one reason to keep providing for his pack, and for that he had to risk his life for even a single piece of bread. You're killed if you're caught stealing, and Ruggie has been caught only a few times. Ruggie despite all odds, and everything that had him crawling away from certain death made it, and now has a job for the limbus company.

Ruggie has never handled a proper weapon before. So when the company handed him a stick he shrugged and called it a day. His value has never been in fighting anyways. His value is in his skills. Yet if he’s pushed to he can and will fight for his own survival, he’s done it a number of times with improvised weapons. The stick is a quarterstaff for those who want to know. 

Ruggie teases the hell out of anyone on the bus. What are they going to do, kill him? Well he’ll just come back. So Ruggie just lets anything he thinks slips out. No matter how mean or cringy it is. He just can let the flood gates pour out. He has had quips, comebacks, jokes, and jabs held back just because he couldn't risk dying. Now that death is a non issue Ruggie has forgone holding back. 

Favorite of bus crew: Rodion with no heastaon. He has gone and found someone who can sort of relate to his situation. I mean Rodion’s situation was better than his own by a mile. But even if that's true there are some similarities that Ruggie cannot ignore. 

Least favorite of bus crew: I think we saw this all coming, if there are no Hong lu haters in the world Ruggie is permanently dead. By the gods Ruggie hates the rich boy so much… The initiative comments he makes about how Ruggie lived, the mention of enough money to feed Ruggie’s pack for a lifetime being squandered on jewelry, or the likes. Ruggie DESPISES Hong lu’s existence. Ruggie would rather bash his skull in then even be in a room alone with Hong lu. Ruggie lets his insults fly. The thing that Ruggie hates the most. Hong Lu shakes off his insults by laughing and smiling. It’s like nothing Ruggie says could ever hurt him. 

What there Unique magic translated into: Ruggie with how often trouble would find him learned the art of copying people’s body language. It’s proven that if you replicate someone’s body language they will like you just a little bit better. Man has that little bit better saved Ruggie’s skin too many times to count. So he can replicate someone's mannerisms speech patterns identically. Sometimes it looks like people are copying him. It has led to an unconscious habit of copying the mannerisms of whoever he’s talking to. Ruggie is so good at this skill. That if he had the means to, he could actually just replace another person. 

Sinner description: this sinner has had a hard life and sees most of the other sinners as privileged in some way. He will end up feeling animosity to several other sinners as a result. Yet this sinner’s skills are too valuable to lose. So you should take whatever he says with a grain of salt

Canto summary:Ruggie is a former rat, not a literal rat mind you but the homeless of the city. He lived with a bunch of other rats that together they formed a pack. Most of his pack consists of children and some elderly rats. Ruggie was the only person who was somewhat fit enough to steal, kill, and sell. Ruggie provided for his pack not out of pride but out of necessity to say he stared death in the face is wrong. Him and death became good friends as he would sometimes never have enough. He found that some people cannot be saved. He had to watch as the family died due to lack of nutrition. He could do nothing about it. One day he just killed the wrong person. He was so sure he would die for it, that he felt even worse when he was detained and put into prison. Because his family would die without ever having to at least feast on his body. Facing the city’s worst head on now Ruggie cannot begin to think of the horror that will await him now that he’s out of the hole that is being a rat. But first he has to face his own past and the fixers who want the golden bow. Just as much as the limbus company wants them too.

[archivalofsins]

During the break in Milgram content I've mostly been relaxing and using the time to creatively work out my feelings on Milgram as a series. Admittedly writing that oc milgram with Star has actually been really helpful with doing that. It made me really think about what it would be like for people to be in this sort of situation and had me looking at the characters and the audiences behavior in brand new ways.

Given the theme of what we're writing heavily being rooted in self-forgiveness I've been thinking of the many ways people forgive and I've come to some interesting conclusion.

Firstly to the surprise of no one I still don't like the way the fandom uses forgiveness when it comes to the series. I never really did. People highlighting that this isn't about Guilt or Innocence it's about forgiving or not forgiving is really fucking dumb.

Like not to be blunt as hell but anyone really viewing this solely from a point of forgiving or not forgiving others is missing a lot of the point. Viewing Milgram through that lense alone or even just through the framing of guilt or innocence is only really touching the surface.

Milgram showcases the issue with only viewing things through these framings alone over the course of trial one.

Mainly through the lyrics sprinkled throughout the first trial songs that call to attention these ways of looking at the situations presented to us.

The songs actually hit on judging someone as being guilty or justified first,

"Am I a bad girl? Please don’t answer."

This line later serves to contrast both Haruka and Mu's trial two lyrics,

"I just want to be your good boy. I will keep on killing to be a good boy."

Haruka's line can be used to highlight the juxtaposition of his mindset and Yuno's. Both characters continuing to contrast and highlight each others strengths and flaws through how close in proximity their songs are.

So when Yuno gets upset over being caressed with the words good girl it actively highlights a titular part of Milgram,

What will work with one person won't always work with another. This is what Haruka wants and the type of dotting attention he enjoys but Yuno is not the same way.

Meanwhile Mu's line in It's not my fault is more of a direct parallel to what Yuno said,

"Hey, what if- If I am a bad girl? Don’t hate me."

This line servers to show the difference in Yuno and Mu's mentalities. Yuno doesn't want an answer. She doesn't want the label of good or bad. Continuing to state as much in her second trial song.

In contrast Mu despite singing about how it's not her fault recognizes that she is in fact the bad.

She's not asking am I a bad girl. No she's going,

"So, hey what if i am this thing? What if I presented myself as not being x but I really am? Will you still like me?"

Which makes perfect sense for her narrative because she just spent her entire first two voice dramas framing herself as a victim of bullying and someone who'd never bully others. Despite knowing full and well what she's done.

Mu like Kazui, Mahiru, Amane, and Kotoko all want their wrongs to be recognized and forgiven. They know what they did was wrong and have made it apparent that they do. Yet they still want to be forgiven all the same.

This is something Amane and Kotoko do blatantly. Displaying very little shame or hesitance around discussing their wrong doings over the course of the trials.

Kazui and Mu on the other hand are more ashamed of what they did. Along with being terrified by the idea of possibly getting hurt again if they open up. So they try to present themselves in more human and palatable ways.

They both do this by selfishly highlighting their own feelings and using the other parties around them as nothing more than props-

Yuno and Mikoto are very much mind your business or believe what I'm saying. If you can't do that then shut up and go away-

Mikoto

"All I did was dream, so you find me INNOCENT, it’s that simple right? Come to know me as an honest man, eat your words, gulp them down." "Please tell me it’s a mistake, that’s it’s a lie. That I’m right, I’ll forgive you if you tell me now."

Yuno

"Just shut it, will you? You know it all. Caressing me with your “Good girl” Who needs your self-righteous pardon?" "Please don’t answer."

Yuno goes to great lengths to explain how people treating her certain ways has never done anything for her. In both her first and second voice dramas.

Yuno First Voice Drama 5:29,

"That's right. You know those people who just want to convince themselves. So, they intrude on other people's affairs even though it's not their place? I despise them. That's what I was saying."

"So, nauseating...so, creepy...will you please disappear." - "Please don't answer." - "Just shut it, will you? You know it all."

"I don’t need to be lectured to like that. Do you just want to make yourself feel even better?" - "Who needs your self-righteous pardon?"

Yuno's songs highlight how being judged by another persons standards ultimately does nothing to change how someone feels internally. Not only that but it can actual cause more damage even if the person only has positives or sympathetic things to say to the other party. So, it's best to just do what the audience showed Futa to do through the first trial verdict-

Mind your own business. Instead of intruding on other people's affairs when it's not one's place to. Yuno even states in the same voice drama that there's no limit to how others will judge the people around them outside of the law.

Futa follows after her introducing the sort of tactics the first trial will end on. Highlighting that there are people who do wrong that go unchecked and at times socially rewarded for the things they've done. Just getting a slap on the wrist and spoken poorly about as a result. At times never even apologizing for the way their selfish actions have inconvenienced the rest of society.

Very similar to the mindset Kotoko showcases at the end of Milgram except she highlights the most extreme example of wrongdoing. Yet she also highlights a bunch of petty crimes just like Futa one literally being bike theft.

Both songs show that Futa and Kotoko both believe strongly in the guilty or innocent framework. That if someone does something wrong they should pay for it. Especially if it's a repeated pattern of behavior.

Yet with Mu and Shidou is where things get interesting. Mu's story highlights the seemingly never ending grief that comes from not being able to apologize to a person you've wronged. Because they're not their to apologize to anymore.

Orihime's first arc in Bleach highlights this feeling well so I'll just link the scene

Look I'm gonna need to to follow like these instructions exactly because there is no clip of this scene go here and then skip to 18:30 you can do dub or sub just watch the scene in it's entirety to 19:33 to get my point. Then come back here so this hurts more.

Hey, did you see the closure Mu will never have? Let's continue now under that emotional understanding for context. Experiencing Bleach when I was like fucking ten really did some shit.

Because when I saw After Pain and saw these lyrics,

"“I’m sorry” won’t reach anyone."

Coupled with this imagery-

I was like damn whatever we do this person is fucked. Because you can apologize to corpses all day but they're not going to get back up and start walking.

"Oh, shit you're sorry for stabbing me that changes everything!" Mu's victim's heart restarts, and they hug it out.

Sorry Mu even though you talk like a Pokémon doesn't mean your tears have the same effect. I was watching another video recently that discussed an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer called the body and like you just gotta see the discussion.

Spider-Man Lotus - A Film Born From Spite The Cosmonaut Variety hour 28:12 to 34:24.

Then when you have even more emotional information follow me on this. Really think about this with me-

Does being forgiven by strangers who have nothing to do with the situation really give someone in Mu's position closure? No, and that's why even though she was forgiven, her second song is her very rapidly spiraling into self-doubt and hate.

Because no amount of outward validation will be enough for Mu. She'll only need more because the one person whose words would matter in this situation isn't alive to speak anymore. No amount of apologizing or people going I understand what you're going through will help.

Because no, they don't. No one really understands what it's like for someone to die when you are not on speaking terms with them or you feel you've done them wrong other than people who have lived through that. Which is already traumatic enough without adding into the mix, "Oh wait, you're the reason they're dead too."

Which is the point of her and Futa being paired together.

Because there two people who took very mundane situations way too far.

"It’s going great, we’re gonna punish you until you cry. If you get off now, you're a traitor."/"Don’t you think it’s wonderful to control them with my gentle sting? If you want to betray from jealousy- You know what’s gonna happen ON YOU!"

After Mu, Shidou comes in to basically say the quiet part aloud when it comes to viewing this under a forgive or not forgive framework,

“Throw down” ethics is a delusion I’m still guilty even if the morning comes. - "Please, don’t forgive me. That’s why I want this to end."

Regardless of if Shidou is forgiven by the audience or anyone else around him. Even if the sun comes up again that guilt doesn't just disappear. He can't stay away- He'll always be stuck trying to atone for his past mistakes trying to do it again this time but better.

Because all of that couldn't have been for nothing. He's indispensable even if it's unpleasant it's up to him you know- There are lives that need saving. So, he'll do the same thing again and again because there will always be lives that need safeguarding.

Gif provided and made by @apatchworkstar

How far can forgiveness or pursuing another persons innocence go- If those people aren't willing to forgive or view themselves as innocent? If they can't move passed it. If they've made their permanent home address turmoil.

Whose opinion of ourselves really matters more than our own?

Just like Mu second voice drama said to Es,

"Guard-san, we call you "Guard" because that's what you are, right?

I was assigned to be a prisoner, but that doesn't mean my heart will become just that of a "prisoner" too. After all, I'm still me."

even though she's here she's still Mu.

[ciaossu-imagines]

Gonna give you some of my favourite Haikyuu!! boys for the horror movie prompt. So Bokuto, Oikawa, Yaku, Kuroo, Kai, Hinata and Atsumu. You know I wouldn’t want any one of them to die but just for this AU it’s alright. And I’ll just pretend they didn’t actually die to deal with it 😅

C

Aww, I’m sorry for theoretically killing off your favourites! They are definitely still alive – we’ll say just their characters on screen die and that they are the actors who are still very much alive, if it makes it easier!!

Send me a X and 7 characters and I’ll tell you who would be:

The Survivor

Okay, so to set the scene for this particular movie. A hundred years ago, there was a cute little summer camp set way back in the woods by a large lake. It was to be its first year open and there had been some accidents, horrible deaths that were wrote off as accidents, that set the camp’s opening back several years. There were rumours that the camp was being built over cursed ground, but it didn’t stop the owners from building the camp and opening it up. By the end of the first summer open, all the camp counselors and campers had been slaughtered. It was a horrible incident that completely shut down the camp, with it being left to rot among local legends about the massacre. With the passage of time, it almost became a ghost story around the area. Zoom into modern day – new owners have bought the grounds and have plans to reopen the camp. It’s a few days until opening day when the campers will get there and the camp counselors are all getting the grounds and cabins ready for the opening. The events of the movie take place over the days between us meeting these counselors – the boys you mentioned – and the opening day, when only one of them will be left alive. That survivor? It’s definitely Kuroo in my mind. He has a good mixture of both intelligence, common sense, strategy, and strength that allows him to be the last one standing, though he went through complete hell to get to that point and when he stumbles out onto the road leading to the camp, almost right in front of the bus full of campers, he’s traumatized beyond belief.

The Culprit

Personal bias makes me automatically put Atsumu here, but there’s also some thinking and reasoning behind it as well. Atsumu can be very cocky, almost arrogant at points, and his ego can drive him. He’s very competitive, very motivated by what feels best for him, by what he wants, and by what will make him look good. He’s also scarily intelligent in his own way and all these things kind of culminate into making him the most easily influenced by the evil of the grounds the camp is built on. There’s definitely scenes of the ghosts on the grounds leading him this way or that by appealing to his ego, his competitiveness, and his desire for self-gratification and fun. They lead him to the right spot and boom, possessed Atsumu now has another thing that makes him very happy…killing. In his mind, it’s now all a game – him against the other camp counsellors to see who can survive the longest.

The First Victim

While the first victims we’ll technically see on screen won’t be any of the boys, but the former counsellors and campers, the first victim out of the modern day counselors will be Hinata, sadly enough! I think Hinata would be a lot of viewers favourites, with his sunshiney disposition, his enthusiasm for everything, and it breaks a lot of hearts when he dies. He’s just really innocent, a little too trusting. When he hears noises in the woods and goes to investigate, he’s creeped out, yes. He gets scared more and more, thinking he’s hearing people whispering his name. He’s about to hightail it back to the others, but then he hears someone calling his name and they sound like they’re in trouble. He can’t resist going to help them; Hinata would hate himself forever if he left one of his friends in some sort of trouble. He stumbles into a clearing where Atsumu has rigged up some sort of trap and Hinata finds himself hung from a tree, in a scene that is both heartbreaking, tense, and quite gory.

The One Who Almost Made It

Yaku’s the last of the counselors to die. He’s so close to making it. Bruised, bloodied, sleep-deprived, and traumatized, Yaku and Kuroo have figured out what’s going on. They know who the killer is, they’re aware of the legends, they know what needs to be done. The problem is that there needs to be a sacrifice. No matter how insistent Kuroo is on finding some other option, any other option, that allows them to both live and get out of this, Yaku knows that they just don’t have the time. He sets fire to the cabins and the grounds, letting the fire consume him while he recites a ritual to purify the ghosts. Meanwhile Kuroo is running for the end of the grounds and Kuroo and the possessed Atsumu has a final struggle together right before the edge line of the property where Kuroo kills Atsumu and gets off the property right as Yaku says the last word of the ritual and seals everything.

The Comic Relief

Bokuto not only provides eye-candy for the mostly female audience, but he brings the comedy relief. He establishes himself as a friendly, jokester type of character, someone who doesn’t take himself, or his role as counselor, too seriously. He’s someone where it becomes obvious why he’d be chosen to both work with and lead children, as he’s got that silly big brother energy to him. Even when things start getting bad, Bokuto makes jokes, trying to get his friend’s minds off all the creepy, bad things that are happening, trying to help them deal or to distract them. It’s because he’s the comic relief that Bokuto really does last almost to the end of the movie, dying just before Yaku. Being the person he is, Bokuto dies pushing Kuroo and Yaku out of the way of the killer, allowing the other boys to run away and hopefully save themselves. He faces his death bravely and injures his killer, trying to take him down with him.

The Genre Savvy

I think Kai is probably the best bet here. Kai’s really calm and level-headed. While I don’t think he has an encyclopedic knowledge of horror movies or anything, I think Kai has a lot of common sense and he has watched a couple horror movies, enough to have basic ideas as to the tropes and trends in them. He’s also confident and he isn’t afraid to quietly step up into a leadership position, trying to keep everyone calm, to keep everyone from fighting amongst themselves, and to keep anyone from doing something stupid. It’s because he tries to step up and be a leader that he takes on some of the most dangerous jobs himself and it’s through one of those that he ends up dying, about half-way through the movie. It’s his death that really splinters up the remaining friends/counselors, with everyone kind of giving into fear for the most part.

The Pretty One

While all of the boys are very pretty, all in their own ways, both Oikawa and Atsumu are canonically pretty much stated to be very, very handsome and admired for their physical looks. Because Atsumu’s already been used, I think the pretty one automatically goes to Oikawa for that reason. He’s definitely used for fanservice during the movie. When there’s scenes at the lake, the camera would defintely pan in and do a long, lingering shot on Oikawa as he removes his shirt to go swimming in the lake, one of his favourite things to do at the camp. He was even set to teach swimming lessons to the campers when they arrived. Which makes it even more ironic, and becomes fan disservice, when he’s drowned in the lake.

[cosmicallylyss]

Blue Lock Baseball AU

Hello everyone I am a baseball/softball enjoyer and would like to share my thoughts about what positions I think the Blue Lock boys would play! This will be multipart as ideas will come to me sporadically, with analysis under the cut.

Characters included in this part are: Egoist 4, Raichi, Barou, Aryu, & Aiku

Isagi Yoichi:

Left fielder. Now you might be saying "lyss why are you putting the protagonist in the outfield??" and to that I say 1) this is baseball not soccer 2) if you don't think this position is important you don't know the sport. If a ball is headed for the outfield it's most likely headed somewhere between LF/CF and those players will need good communication in order to coordinate who's going for what. Despite Isagi being a beast on the field to his rivals, we know he can do teamwork exceptionally well. Left field also requires great knowledge of the game, and his meta-vision being able to predict what the runners will do will be able to help him by making the perfect throws to the infield for a given situation. He's got a great view of the entire field and although he probably won't be making any outs aside from outfield catches (which he can make a lot of!!!) he is indispensable when it comes to holding off the runners from advancing.

Bachira Meguru:

I want to put him at second base. The middle infield has him bouncing around a lot, as he'll have to cover both second and first base depending on which way the ball is hit, and I am solid in my belief that Bachira can handle that. As a technical player, I really like putting him in this position as I imagine him getting a lot of contact with the ball and being a playmaker for the team. Tagging runners, getting a cut from the outfield, and just generally getting a read of the field by being in the middle of it has me solid that he'll be able to make great plays from this position. I imagine that Bachira's monster/instinct has him making a lot of double plays. He'll be able to get someone out at second and then make a great, yet unexpected throw to first or home for another out.

Chigiri Hyoma:

He's so centerfielder to me. With how well he's performing in Manshine right now it makes sense to me to give him a sort of "leadership role" in the outfield. He'd definitely be the player in the outfield who has to move around the most and I think his speed would be best utilized here. Whether its for making amazing running/diving catches or running in to pick up a ground ball that manages to slip past second and short, I think putting Chigiri in centerfield gives him the opportunity to use a lot of his potential. Of course pinch runner Chigiri would be fun to see as well, maybe he's not in the batting lineup but when the pitcher or catcher gets on base he subs in for them to run the bases. Honestly thinking about CF Chigiri was what got me wanting to write this whole thing, he means so so much to me.

Kunigami Rensuke:

Third baseman. Yes I'm foaming at the mouth about this thought. Sue me. Not only does Kunigami's strength make him a great person to put here because of his ability to make great throws to both first and home, I think it's best to have your more physically dominant players toward the last bases. As the opponent progresses along the bases, it becomes more and more vital to get them out before they can make it home (duh). I think Kunigami, especially post-wildcard would be really aggressive on the base (occasionally to his detriment), enjoying tagging out players rather than going with an easier route of just stepping on the bag. He's probably also a clean-up hitter or at least close to the top of the lineup. I want to imagine he's also a lefty batter, maybe he's a slap hitter and it annoys everyone else. But yeah I really want to see him dominating third base and the whole foul line honestly.

Raichi Jingo:

He would be such a great shortstop okay just listen to me. The nature of middle infield is running around a lot (covering third, covering second, backing up second) and although it's not a lot of distance to cover, you're alternating between these positions a lot and Raichi definitely has the stamina to keep up with the demands of middle infield. We've seen it. I also think his tenacity is great for making him an awesome shortstop. He'll fully throw himself in front of a line drive to catch it (this works most of the time), ignoring the sting in his hand. I also imagine if a runner is about to steal third and Raichi is in possession of the ball, he'll charge at the runner to fully scare them back into staying at second before getting the ball back to the pitcher.

Barou Shouei:

The most egotistical pitcher you will ever meet dear god. His whole king shtick with the whole field revolving around his playstyle??? You literally can not put him in any other position. He's a menace on the field, trash talk both to his team and his opponent, but his money is where his mouth is. His great physicality would lend itself to fast, accurate pitches, but I imagine pre-development his short temper would lead to a lot of outbursts that affect his accuracy. He will get angry every time he doesn't pitch a no-hitter. Every time he's reminded that he has a whole team behind him to back him up if the batters hit, he'll bark that it's just him versus the batters and he will strike them out. Barou is the guy you don't wanna hit against, because he's good and he's annoying about it.

Aryu Jyubei:

This is a first baseman. Hear me out. First base gets quite a bit of action so Aryu's got the opportunity to be flashy and get a lot of notice, but that's like 10% of why I'm putting him here. Functionally, we see him dominate in air battles and with his long limbs it makes the most sense to put him on such a pivotal base. He's gonna get thrown to a lot, and it's undeniable that some shitty throws will be sent his way. His height/limbs will allow him to still catch virtually any ball sent his way even if it's far from the bag/overthrown while still keeping a foot on the bag to hopefully get an out. He's got the bag on lockdown but also a good few-foot radius around it.

Aiku Oliver:

Alright everybody act surprised when I say catcher. I know it's the obvious choice but that's because it makes so much sense. Obviously whenever your team isn't at bat you're on defense, but catcher is definitely the most defensive position one can think of, and that's where Aiku excels. I think his strength will be an asset behind the plate, as it'll be easy for him to throw to any base necessary, and he could also be a pretty formidable player to run toward for any opponent trying to steal home. I think his leadership that shines as captain of the U-20 team would also allow him to sync nicely with whatever pitcher he's teamed up with, and I also think his game sense will allow him to make quick decisions on where to throw the ball if he doesn't try to throw out someone stealing and just send the ball back to the pitcher.

[traincat]

hi!! ikesoren height anon again, thank you for the detailed answer!! i honestly loved how thorough it was, but you talking about the height and weight stats in-game also made me think—soren's probably not wearing any armor into battle with a weight stat like that, huh?? ike being even heavier than he is tall makes sense because he's got armor and a big sword and whatnot, but soren is really just charging into battle in nothing but a shirt and cloak... i know mechanically it's somewhat normal for mage classes in these kinds of games to only wear light/leather armor or even just cloaks, but i wonder how ike feels about soren waltzing into fights with zero padding lol

Hi height anon! Yeah, like you said, it's pretty typical for Fire Emblem mages not to wear much in the way of armor. Typical fantasy RPG things. (His strength stat in FE9 starts at, uh. Zero.)

But on the general topic of Ike worrying over Soren/being protective over him, there's a couple of things this ask brought to mind, like these quotes from Soren's introductory chapter.

Shinon: All right, Ike. Let’s see how you handle the role of captain. Well? What are your orders, boy? We’ll do what you say, so long as you hurry up and spit it out! Ike: I know, I know! I’m thinking! Give me a moment, will you, Shinon? Shinon: Bah. Useless! We’d be better led with Mist than this soft, untested whelp. Ike: Let’s see…We’re in the middle of the road, and there’s not much cover. Soren and Rhys are vulnerable, so we have to protect them from enemy attacks…Right? Soren: That’s a sound strategy, Ike. I can attack from behind your defenses. Good thinking. Ike: Do you mean that? Um…all right! Let’s do that then.

(FE9, Chapter 4.) For context, Ike's the son of a mercenary commander and this is the first job he's been given lead over, so he's very much still learning how to command -- so this is a little bit tutorial-y for players, built into the script, since Soren is your first mage and positioning him behind a character with better defense like Ike is a pretty good strategy for training him up. (There's also some boss dialogue much later where Shinon accuses Soren of, quote, "hiding behind Ike's apron.") The above is the default, where everyone is alive, but there's this variation if you've (somehow) gotten multiple other characters killed.

Soren: Ike, do you have any ideas on how you want to approach this fight? Ike: Let’s see…We’re in the middle of the road, and there’s not much cover. You’re vulnerable, so I have to be sure you’re protected from enemy attacks, right? Soren: Right. Er…sorry for the trouble…but I appreciate the consideration. Ike: Sure. All right, let’s do that then.

I think the awkwardness of this variation is really cute, tbh, down to Soren apologizing for the trouble. It fits considering how young they both are at this point in the game, and that it takes place in the early chapters before war breaks out.

And then a variety of "death" quotes -- Soren is too plot important to actually be killed before the very final chapters of FE10, so if you do get him killed, Ike will order him to retreat. (Classic Fire Emblem has permadeath for characters, and it's sort of an in-joke-that's-not-entirely-a-joke that a lot of players, including me, will just reset if characters die. Listen, it's the right way to play. But I always like looking at the death quotes, they tell you a lot about the characters, and Soren has a lot of special ones.)

Soren: Oof! That was…poorly done. Ike: Retreat, Soren! You’ve done all you can here! Soren: But, Ike… Ike: You heard me. Fall back! You can still help us with our planning. Besides, if you tell us all what to do, we’ll be better off, right? Soren: I… I understand… Please…be careful!

(Up until FE9, chapter 17.)

Soren: Oh… Ow! Ike: Hold it, Soren! You’re not staying in this a moment longer! Withdraw! Soren: Ike, I can still– Ike: Our tactician isn’t allowed to make faces like that. Ever! Listen, we need you planning our strategies at base, so leave that attitude behind. That is unless you have a problem with the two of us in command. Soren: Of-of course not! I didn’t see… … I understand. But listen… Stay safe, Ike.

(FE9, chapter 18 until the endgame chapter.)

Soren: Argh! Not now… It’s the last battle… How could I be so careless? Ike: Soren! Just fall back! This may be the last battle for Crimea, but it won’t be the last battle for us, will it? Soren: What? Ike: We’re mercenaries. After this battle, there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of fights ahead. Am I wrong? Soren: I… No… Ike: Right. So get out of here. Our little group needs you! Do you understand? Soren: Ike… I understand. I will withdraw… Ike! Don’t let me down!

(FE9, endgame.)

Soren: …Ugh… What a terrible place… to die… Ike: Soren, retreat! Soren: But, Ike… Ike: Aren’t you supposed to be my strategist? Use your head! I need your help. Soren: …I see. As you command…

(FE10, part 3.)

And, okay, listen, not on the subject of Ike being protective, but Soren's endgame actual death quote is a lot.

Soren: Ike… Please live… Even if all the cities burn, and the seas swallow Tellius… You mustn’t die… Not you…

(FE10, part 4 endgame.)

There's also some fun game mechanics at play -- if you have Ike and Soren next to each other in FE9, Ike negates critical hits against Soren. Soren is the only character he does this for, notably.

The possessed version of Ike from the mobile game also explicitly warns only three characters to stay away from him so he won't hurt them -- Mist, his sister; Titania, his surrogate mom; and Soren.

[nijicx]

So as a creator and storyteller, what do you thoughts about strong female characters? And how would you go about if you want to try?

Oh boy, this one might be a bit of a ramble, get something to eat, i might get lost in my own tangents as I work through this out in my head lol I never really set out to make a 'strong' character from the get I think, strength means different things to different people as well. So I guess it depends on what 'strength' looks like to you, or even more importantly, what strength looks like to your all of your characters. Sure there is like, physical and mental toughness, but I don't think that encapsulates strength in a character. It can also be so varied. I definitely have characters that would not consider themselves as 'strong', but others do, I think the perception of strength is something worth exploring, and will likely be defined more by your cast as a whole, rather than the individual in question if that makes sense. I think what might be a helpful exercise would be to go through your whole cast and just think about what strength means to each of them, or even think about characters you find 'strong' from franchises you like, and break down why it is you think they are a good example of a 'strong' character. You often times learn lots about yourself in the process~

To use a personal example, I made my main character my strongest (physically) right off the bat. Winston by far surpasses most of my cast in physical strength, but is by far the weakest in character. I wanted to play around with what strength MEANT to someone who was already the definition of physical strength. He thinks Diss is strong because she is able to pick herself back up from one of the worst mistakes of her life, apologize to those she hurt, forgive herself, and not repeat the mistake. He thinks Monomiya is strong because she is able to perceive and meet people where they're at without judgement, sometimes taking the brunt of peoples words in the heat of the moment just because she knows they needed to get it off her chest. Often putting other peoples emotions before her own. He thinks Izumi is strong because he can confront what he knows is wrong without worrying about what people think of him for it, or for making waves. These are all things that Winston lacks. Winston gives up on himself and wallows in self pity when he does or says something out of anger in order to lash out and struggles to take accountability for it. Winston doesn't really understand the small personal sacrifices one makes when they care about people, and avoids challenging things that he may know are wrong, but just doesn't want to stick out, or draw negative attention to himself that might effect his image. It takes Winston a long time, and a lot of effort to sort of conquer the self-hatred he has for himself for all of his own shortcomings. Strength to him is more a part of how to just keep moving. Meanwhile Monomiya treats people that way because she herself is judgmental, and flawed and mean on the inside, and so she is able to see when people feel slighted or hurt, and knows when is best to let the person have some space, or whether to nip it in the bud before it spirals. Monomiya doesn't see her meddling in others affairs as a strength, but as her penance for deceiving people. The strength Winston perceives in her, is in her perspective, what she has to do to make up for not being the bubbly smiley girl she projects. It is the person she wants to be, but not the person that she is. Winston perceives her as strong and caring, while Monomiya views this aspect of her as a candy-coated rotten apple. So I guess TLDR: Strength has so many different shapes, and forms and nuances, that it's really difficult in order to tell you exactly how to make what is considered a 'strong' character. I would do some run-on sentence exploration about what strength means to your characters, what you feel is strength in others, and what that means for the narrative you want to tell.

[silliestfreakinggoose]

https://www.tumblr.com/silliestfreakinggoose/779963823243378688/can-we-please-stop-making-dallas-likeable-i-know

i get what u mean and it sucks to see your fav characters being mis-characterized, (i feel that way ab johnny ALL the time) but i feel like a lot of the time it’s not even that bad?

like i think most people writing fics and headcanons get that he’s mean, and he’s defo not a nice person at all, but he’s also an idiot 17 year old boy? he still has some soft spots even if its through mean ‘joking’ comments and i feel like thats what a lot of people are trying to portray if that makes sense?

like he definitely isn’t a very likeable guy but he’s also not unlovable either, he’s still just a stupid 17 yr old

There’s definitely some redeeming qualities of his—especially to other dumb teenage boys. And I can see how an adult would care for him, especially with an understanding of why he is how he is.

Most of the time it’s extreme mischaracterizations where he’s soft and loving constantly that bother me. Or when he’s like the love interest in a “dark romance” novel that went viral on booktok. I see a lot of characterizations where he’s just constantly nothing but kind, but by the end of the book, even though he’s grown a bit and shows more kindness, it’s still laced with teenage anger.

You can see it during the church fire—when he’s cursing and screaming for them to let the kids burn, yet he stood outside helping them evacuate the children. Then again when Ponyboy got out of the church wearing Dallas’s actively burning jacket, rather than brushing the fire out or ripping the jacket off, he hits Ponyboy hard enough he immediately knocks out. During the rumble he fights to support Johnny, Ponyboy, and the gang, but also because he enjoys beating up rich kids, whether they deserve it or not. There’s always a bit of malice and kindness in everything, and without a balance it just doesn’t seem like Dallas at all—especially when the extremity is his kindness. He’s much more likely to be a total dick than a total angel.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Ponyboy compares Johnny to a kicked puppy. When you find a stray, they are always afraid in some sense, but they’re a dog—they’ll always have the classic affection you’ll always see in a dog. Johnny is like a kicked puppy who responds in fear and hiding away, like if you hurt him again he’ll give up and die on a street corner. What Ponyboy doesn’t mention is that Dallas is just the same. He’s like a pitbull of sorts, who was beaten and turned mean then beaten again for being cruel. He responds in fear, but he’ll never let it show. Rather, he hides away through a rough exterior and making sure to lace all his actions with hatred. If you kick him one more time he’ll kick you right back, but eventually he loses his strength and has to give up. Him and Johnny are an objectively good duo—not because one is kind and the other is cruel, but because they are both the same thing expressed in different ways. By simplifying them, even just a bit, you take away all the contrast and similarities and depth to their character.

I don’t want Dallas to be an angel sent from heaven, but I don’t want him to be an unloveable monster. I want him to be the twisted mess of both of those that he always was, because that’s what makes him such a good character.

[bluecatwriter]

Writer asks

O ho HO heck yeah I love surveys! (Thanks for the tag, @mrpinniped!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

109 and counting! 

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

356,656

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly Dracula, but I have racked up a fair number of Dorian Gray and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea fics, plus some Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and Moby Dick.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Doors Everywhere

I Too Can Love

In Every Sense

Angels Unawares

For Safety Reasons

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always try to respond— comments always make my day, so I want to let people know that I appreciate them (plus it's fun to chat about plot points or characterization details with readers!).

6. What's the fic you wrote that has the angstiest ending?

Probably The Breaking Point, where Jonathan dies before he even reaches Dracula's castle.

7. What's the fic you wrote that has the happiest ending?

A lot of my fics have very happy/sappy endings, but probably the most unabashedly happy one is Love Multiplying. 

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Fortunately I have gotten only a few snarky comments here and there; the comments are overwhelmingly positive.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Ugh, so much smut. One moment I'm minding my own business, the next moment I'm tearing my hair out trying to write yet another threesome without making it turn out confusing and/or incredibly goofy. My favorite smut is the kind that's the site for dealing with a lot of Big Feelings (even though those are the hardest to write), but I also write fluffy, not-very-serious scenes too.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I've written a few Dracula/Dorian Gray crossovers, which have been a lot of fun!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not for fanfiction, though I've done a fair amount of cowriting in the past on other kinds of writing projects.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I have a lot of favorites, but Jonathan/Mina has got to be the top! I absolutely adore them as a couple, and more than that, their relationship is a non-negotiable backdrop of every Dracula fic I write. I just can't imagine splitting them up!

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but don't think you ever will?

I haven't officially given up hope on any of the many (many) fics sitting in my drafts folder, but time will tell. ;)

16. What are your writing strengths?

I feel like I'm pretty good at characterization, especially expanding on what we can glean from a character in canon.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plot! Plot is so hard for me— every time I write an even remotely plotty fic, I drive myself batty doing it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'll occasionally put in a word or phrase in a different language, but since I only speak one language, if there's an extended sequence in a different language I'll just italicize the words.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

On Ao3, Dracula, but my very first fic I ever wrote down was a Steven Universe fanfiction (that will never see the light of day). (If you count stories I made up but never wrote down, my first fandom was Disney's 1940 film Pinocchio— when I was a tiny child I remember making up a story about a girl who helped rescue all the boys-turned-donkeys from Pleasure Island. My first fix-it fic!)

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I think my favorite overall is Love Multiplying, just because writing it was such a journey and I poured so much love and care into it.

Tagging @yallemagne, @see-arcane and @0nelittlebirdtoldme in the lowest-possible-pressure sort of way.  (You can also post it as an askbox meme if you don't want to answer all 20 questions.)

[vera-deville]

hello!!! who are your favourite mashle characters?

WOO BOY WAS I PREPARING MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS-

Okay, obviously, I really like Mash. He's adorable. I love how despite being a little air-headed and aloof and mainly focusing on physical strength, Mash still uses common sense (well, common for the magical world he comes from). I adore how he'd stop at literally nothing to protect his friends, and how he's very blunt and straightforward. I personally enjoy honesty (no matter how brutal), and if I were in the world of Mashle, I think I'd be good friends with him.

Next up (by the way, this list isn't in any particular order), I really like Rayne Ames. Cliche, I know. He's aloof, ridiculously powerful, and has a soft spot for bunnies and his younger brother. What more could a gal want? But in all seriousness, I enjoy seeing his character. When I first got into Mashle, I expected Rayne to have, at the very least, some qualms about Mash, but after seeing what he's done and what he's capable of doing, Rayne respected him enough to let him do his own thing while providing support from the back. Also, he's Finn's (the resident baby) brother.

Apart from these two, I also really like Orter Madl. Now this one isn't necessarily everyone's cup of tea (I'm looking at a very particular friend of mine when I say this). Let's face it. He's not exactly helpful to Mash and his friends. He's not really on their side. But do you know what side he is on (based off what I have seen so far in the series, which isn't much, so if you know something, please do not tell me)? He's on the side of the rules. He's a ruled man. Ruley-man. Definitely not my nickname for him. But you know what? As much as I love characters who break the rules left and right, I also really love characters who uphold rules to such a degree that they don't hesitate to pull strings from the back (it's very morally dubious, and y'all know I love my morally grey men). Plus, I just think his power is neat.

I like a lot of other characters, but I tried to keep this short (because I'm not sure if you would have enjoyed this sort of rant). Please feel free to send in other questions (I really enjoy them)! :>

[whiteclericmaris]

I sometimes miss the times when I would be talking to some of my guides. I remember once asking my soul mate: Which magical girl anime from my memory he was drawn to? His answer was Puella Magi Madoka Magica while mine's was Sailor Moon. They were particularly drawn to Madoka and I sort of miss the no judgement towards having conversations while watching PMMM for the umpteenth time.

When I asked which character they were drawn too they mentioned Madoka and then after sitting through and watching the whole series I asked them to tell me what they liked about Madoka. If it was her outfit, the pink hair and eyes, the outfit she wears. He would get a bit mad and say 'Madoka' again.

I remember when God told me that the magical girls in PMMM are actually Saints which in theory makes a lot of sense considering the magical girl outfits and also why they end up turning to witches. The one thing I was curious about was "Who was the first witch in history that made a contract with Kyubey" and notably that "I get this is a magical girl series but there was no magical boy which I find interesting because who isn't to say that boys don't have wishes that they might make a contract with Kyubey but it's always a girl. I remember wondering if Kyubey has been at this for a long time to combat entropy what was the first witch like and who could stop her in that timeline. Also what was the first wish that led to the development of the cycles of magical girl (or saint) vs. witches.

All the witches are revealed to have been magical girls in the past before they become witches when they start feeling despair. However Kyubey mentions that it wasn't until they made it to Earth where they felt the energy from the emotions which help combat entropy.

Also it might sound harsh but Kyubey is most likely "GOD". Like look how he can just get a spare copy and even has multiple observations at Homura when she was at the point of becoming a witch in the Rebellion movie. There are multiple Kyubeys and it looks as if one is injured or dead another one replaces it as Homura was shown in the anime to prevent Kyubey from reaching Madoka to prevent Madoka from becoming a magical girl.

I know Kyubey might also not be GOD as he mentions to Madoka that if she becomes a magical girl she would have a power close to GOD. I know there is even backlash to Kyubey as it looks like he 'tricks' the magical girls into soul contracts until they become from magical girls to witches. However as I rewatch PMMM I can't help but view Kyubey as a scientist. The way he talks to the magical girls even getting frustrated when Madoka cries after throwing Sayaka's Soul Gem and Homura frantically fetching after it.

Heck Kyubey admits that once a contract is formed depending on the girl's wish is the strength of their power. Kyubey explains that when they become magical girls their soul is extracted from their body and placed in the soul gem. Kyubey does not understand what the big deal with this is as the soul gems are normally with the magical girls and once their soul gems are damaged or become murky they become witches.

What I find interesting is how Kyubey states that he didn't trick the magical girls he just never mentioned their soul gems are now their actual line of life or death. Even when Sayaka says he tricked them she is now forced to live 'as a zombie' and has to keep her soul gem clean or otherwise she becomes a witch. Kyubey even states that the cleaner a soul gem the more powerful the magical girls can be in combat against witches. Thus there is an eternal struggle of finding a grief seed that witches drop to get a cleaner soul gem.

However, it looks like Kyubey is busy forcing girls into contracts all to become magical girls and later witches. I say force lightly as when Kyubey senses a girl that is close to making a wish he appears and grants their wish in exchange.

Also do you realize how intense Madoka's wish by the end is. She plans to go back in time and erase all of the pre-witches girls while having the power of GOD (and anime) She essentially is sort of an angel known as the laws of Cycle in the Rebellion movie where she was trying to save Homura. Kyubey did not say no or refuse Madoka's wish by the end. As Mami told Madoka in the last episode (You are becoming hope!) Madoka even erases herself from existence reaching a sort of Nirvanna phase in her journey. Homura makes it in time to see the end of Madoka and still retains memories of all the times she saved Madoka from becoming a magical girl.

Kyubey even tells Homura by the end of the series "It's your fault with your time magic that you made Madoka a powerful candidate to become a magical girl because of all the timelines that Madoka was doomed somehow being linked to the 'present' Madoka.

You can hate Kyubey all you want but I still see him as a scientist making wishes come true with magical girls in exchange for their service in battles against witches.

[spacexseven]

oooo a demon au! I like it! question, do you think demon chu and daz would be content with just tormenting darling for the rest of their days and leaving it at that, or would they want the relationship to... progress, at some point? like I feel like this can go one of two ways 1) demon yan just wants to torment their little human until they break and then move on or 2) demon yans possessive feelings take a more romantic, softer (soft used VERY generously here) note and they move onto courting practices. of course demonic courting is objectively terrifying and you probably won't realize that's what they're even trying to do but, you know. modern dating, amirite? I could see dazai specifically learning about what marriage is from watching your TV unsupervised and becoming VERY taken with the idea. chuuya would probably think it was stupid, he doesn't need a RING or a damned PRIEST to stake his claim on you! (though, maybe you'd appreciate the effort? hm... much to consider)

or maybe it'd be a mix of both, or a secret third thing I haven't thought of yet!

also what kind of demons do u think the boys are? dazai is giving me incubus vibes from the way you've written him so far but I can also see him being very torture-oriented, maybe even some kind of eldritch monstrosity entirely in his own league. demon!dazai saying he wants to lock you up in his little torture hell dimension for all eternity and thinks he's VERY romantic for saying it too! mmmm chuuya would definitely be a much more powerful sort than one might intitally assume. has a very large sphere of influence, possibly even his own cult (that might cause issues for you down the road). who knows!

- 🩹

cw: yandere characters + themes, implied imprisonment, mentioned murder and violence, chuuya has a cult

i like the sound of chuuya having a cult of fervent worshippers; since he's so well known and revered for his strength and his power, it would make sense as to why someone decided to curse you by tacking him onto you. it was obvious that under normal circumstances, you'd have been devoured by the demon by now.

speaking of cults, you're shocked at first to know that he has one. chuuya tells you he doesn't care for his human worshippers (does that mean he has demon worshippers, too?) but it's somewhat true that fear is power for him. he doesn't care about their antics, but he was pleasantly surprised to see them offer sacrifices and relics to him (though he doesn't mention the first to you, knowing how...weak human hearts are)

he doesn't take you to see it, of course, unsure of whether his worshippers would be happy to see you by his side, or feel offended that he had to be tied down to a human. of course, he was ready to slaughter them all at a moment's notice if you would feel better about it, but you seemed appalled by the suggestion.

for the most part, he's definitely a lot softer than dazai. sure, he has a better understanding of human relationships, having mingled more with people than dazai, but it doesn't mean his understanding isn't skewed. chuuya thinks that kidnapping a priest will mean that your wedding will be recognized by the divine law, and he doesn't know why you'd be upset when he offers you the corpses of every person who's ever slighted you as a wedding gift.

putting dazai with a human is the worst thing to ever happen because he has no understanding of how humans work. why are they so weak, and small? why are they so frightened by everything? why are they so preoccupied by that strange box with flashing lights??

initially, he's all about making your life a literal living hell. he almost felt embarrassed that you of all people summoned him, to be honest, and he takes it out on you. since you were able to bring him here, stupid human, you should be able to keep him as well! but as we've discussed, his torment turns into something strange. it's thanks to human technology that dazai learns that humans like when a potential partner brings them gifts and helps them out, so when he sees you suffering trying to finish all your work, he happily burns down the pile of paper and brings you the ashes in a little jar he made the other day. oh, and they like verbal assurances and physical affection? dazai is always cooing at you about how smart you are for a human, and then proceeds to literally wrap himself around you and pet your hair.

god forbid he decides to surprise you with a visit to his home. while he promises you that you'll just love his majestic castle, you don't expect to be shown a very...in-depth tour of his torture chamber as well. and then he grins at you and says that he'll love for you to stay with him longer, all the while holding his one-of-a-kind, custom made blade in one hand.

[whydoilooklikeawetdog]

y’all I finally did it 😩😔

Galactik Football Preferences- What attracted them to you

Characters: D’Jok, Micro-Ice,Mei, Ahito,Rocket,Sinedd

D’Jok- Your abilities and protectiveness- D’Jok lives and breathes football but he also loves his friends without a doubt. I can see him just admiring and valuing you as an essential part of the team and seeing his admiration grow further as he learns of your fierce nature. He’s ready to fight/argue alongside you 24/7,especially when someone takes a jab at the team. He also respects you a lot so he’s willing to listen to you whenever he’s doing some dumb shit.

Micro-Ice- Looks and sense of humor- Call him shallow but looks are the first thing he notices,he believes they’re a reflection of character from the way you dress to your face structure. If you happen to be his type or he simply finds you intriguing he’ll bombastically walk over to make an…admittedly awkward first impression by tripping over air and face planting into the ground. Mortified,he’s shocked when he heard booming laughter from above and sees you toppled over holding your stomach, he begins to laugh, genuinely.

Mei- your position as a striker lmao Charisma and Genuineness- Before joining the SK she’s hid her true self as a means of getting her way and impressions people it was a useful tactic but a very draining one. Then when she joined the team she met you,who was just so open and not afraid to express themselves , it annoyed her at first and she may or may not have made some passive aggressive comments your way ,but secretly she gravitated towards that. The she found out how enchanting you were , at times you made her feel at peace then made her laugh so hard her stomach hurt. She knows she’s in for a ride with you and the SK and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ahito-Motivation and understanding- Ahito sometimes goes into sort of a depressive state whenever his illness strikes in a particularly impactful way to the team ,boy loves what he does so much and occasionally he wonders how life would be if he never had his illness, then you come in,not with pity but inspiration and a desire to help cheer him up. Ahito always feels at least s little bit better after playing video games with you or going on a job and just talking and he knows if he were to fall asleep during you’d just carry him back to the academy only to joke about it together later.

Rocket- Intelligence and maturity- Rocket is a team player, he believes a team is at it’s best when everyone works as one and as a team captain he strives for harmony in the team even when some people make it difficult (*cough*D’Jok *cough*) . He’s grateful to have someone to confide in and help him organize his thoughts but a,so joke around with. He adores the fact that you strive to sort out a problem instead of ignoring it and letting it boil over later. He truly recognizes you as a vital part of the team and a great friend.

Sinedd- Strength and a tactical mind- He’s all about strength and his team’s “strategy” canonically revolves around passing the ball to the strongest player (him) and scoring. So I know that he would secretly be really impressed by someone who’s stronger or at his level but also smart enough to work around The Shadows’ trash defense. He’s intimidated by you so he probably will be an ass to you, at least in the beginning.