#granted that distrust is on both sides BUT

[eleonoraalbright]

An Ill-Timed Confession Part 2

Pairing: Peter Pan x fem!reader (kinda)

Summary: Peter Pan is loose in Storybrooke with revengeful schemes. Fortunately for you, the heroes and villains have a plan to stop him.

Other Parts: Part 1 _ Part 3

A/N: Thank you for the kind comments left on An Ill-Timed Confession Part 1! They really motivated me to write a second part.

Careful not to trip over any headstones, you paced the forest’s floor in a restless manner. A few yards away Mr. Gold stretched out a hand, attempting to undo the magical wards Regina had placed around her vault. Bell was behind him offering silent encouragement for his swift success.

Tinkerbell, Baelfire, and Captain Hook stood off to one side; their faces betraying various degrees of distrust and doubt. Mary Margret, David, and Emma were in a separate group, talking in hushed voices. They seemed to be having an argument.

That left you and Henry alone. You stole a glance towards the boy who was still trapped in Pan’s body. For the hundredth time that day, you cursed yourself and your big mouth. Speech is silver, but silence is golden.

Oh, how you wished you had remembered that saying when accidentally telling Pan that he was hot. Why did you have this knack for getting yourself into these almost laughable scenarios? At least, it would have been laughable if you weren’t the person in it. Right now, the set of circumstances was terrifying.

At any moment, Pan could command his shadow to rip your own shadow from you, or worse abduct you. And what would happen then? You would be at his mercy until the others managed to switch Henry and Pan to their rightful bodies. If they ever did.

You knew from Henry’s storybook and real-life experiences that good somehow always did triumph in the end, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any casualties. What if this was the one time you didn’t make it to see the light of day?

Henry noticed you staring at him and raised an eyebrow in question, which sent another ripple of unease down your spine. Gods above and below, he was attractive when he did that.

In truth he was attractive all the time, but that cute little eyebrow quirk made your heart do a flip. You had to remind yourself that he wasn’t Pan, he was Henry who was your dearest and closest friend for many years and someone you didn’t feel for in that way.

And even if he was Peter Pan, he would want to inflict such torment on everyone here in the graveyard that they would beg for death’s sweet release to escape him.

Peter Pan should not be the type of person who turned your insides into mush, your legs to jelly, made your heart beat faster and faster until it would burst from your chest leaving a bloody and gaping wound behind, and grant the death you craved for so you would not have to face the consequences of admitting to Pan himself that he was blessed genetically!

“Can you stop looking at me like that?” Henry’s words broke you out of your wild and frenzied thoughts. He shifted his weight to his other foot, avoiding your gaze and went on, “Like you want to kiss or stab me. Or both. It’s pretty weird.”

Hoping against all hope that you weren’t blushing, you let out a big sigh and dragged a hand down your face. You had to get these turbulent feelings under control for Henry’s sake. Being stuck in his great-grandfather’s body with his friend ogling him must have been a nightmare.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just have a lot of thoughts running through my mind and–” Your voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t think we’ll win this time.”

He was startled at your blunt statement. “What? Of course we will. We have to. All we have to do is get me in my body and Pan in his body. Then we’ll imprison him and we’ll win.”

You snorted at your friend’s naiveté. You were sure that Mr. Gold had something more in mind than imprisonment for his father. The Pied Piper clearly couldn’t be stopped by simple incarceration; he had thousands of tricks up his sleeve to free himself.

Pan needed to die. As tasteless as killing was, what other option was there? You tried to cast away your misgivings about the possibility of overcoming Pan. You had to believe that victory and survival would be on your side, which was easier said than done.

“I’m afraid that Pan will put us all through the nine circles of hell. And I-I can’t go through that again.” Tears blurred your vision and your knees wobbled so bad that Henry had to help you stand up right as unbidden memories leaped into your mind about your hellish existence in a life lived long ago.

“It’ll be okay. My mom will save us. She’s the savior, it's kinda her thing.” Henry knew about your past. He read the story in his book, but that didn’t mean he would fully understand the terrors you had endured or why everything seemed so hopeless. You heard a sudden whoosh and saw the vault’s door creak open.

“Shall we?” Mr. Gold marched into the gloomy interior.

Emma, Mary Margret, David, Tinkerbell, Baelfire, Bell, and Captain Hook followed him. Emma ordered, “Wait here until we know the coast is clear.”

Normally you wouldn’t obey and would rush head first into danger, but a moment was needed to calm your addled mind. Besides, if Pan was in there, you weren’t too eager to see him. You took hold of your senses and forced air up your nose and out your mouth. This wasn’t the time to have a breakdown.

You needed to be composed for Henry's sake, even with his newly acquired height, he looked up to you for how to react to the ongoing madness in Storybrooke. Well, he used to, maybe that changed in the last twenty-four hours with you acting like a twitterpated school girl.

You heard Emma yell, “We’re clear down here!”

You and Henry raced downstairs to see the group clustered around Regina. The mayor was disoriented and brushing invisible flecks of dust off her pants. She was in the middle of saying, “–missed all the signs. I just wanted to believe he still needed me to be his mother.”

Without missing a beat, the boy next to you soothed her fear. “I still do.”

Regina gasped, “Henry?” She tilted her head in bewilderment and narrowed her eyes, not convinced he was her son.

He walked over and threw his arms around her. It was a touching scene to witness. Too bad you didn’t have a camera; it would be hilarious to have a picture of the former Evil Queen sharing an embrace with the Pied Piper.

Meanwhile, David asked a very pertinent question. “So what exactly did Pan come down here to get?” Mr. Gold raised his hand over an empty box before jerking it back, a frown fixed on his features. “What?”

A hint of exasperation leaked into the older man’s voice as he said, “Please tell me you didn’t keep it down here.”

Regina appeared to be almost contrite and she shrugged her shoulders. “Where else would I keep it?”

For a moment you thought Mr. Gold would strangle Regina with her own scarf or beat her with his cane. To what thing were they referring? You broke the heavy silence. “What is it? What did Pan take?”

Henry's grandfather answered, “He took the curse that brought everyone from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke.”

You sat down next to Henry with an arm thrown around his shoulders. He was nervous, fiddling in his seat. You couldn’t blame him; this was a high stakes situation.

When Mr. Gold used the black fairy’s wand to place him back in his proper body, Henry would have to find his family and give Regina the scroll so she could destroy it before the curse transformed Storybrooke into the New Neverland and made everyone in town Pan’s slaves.

Worried for his well-being, Emma asked her son, “You doing okay, kid?”

“Yeah, I’m just ready to be me again.”

“Not much longer now, Henry. Not much longer.” Mr. Gold flipped through his spell book. “Once we have the wand, all will be as it should.”

“And then you can help your mom save the day,” you added with a smile. It was your turn to provide reassurance whether or not you actually had confidence in this plan. No, no, that wasn’t right. You had to have hope that this would work out.

You would imitate Mary Margret and fully accept that a happy ending was in the future. “And when this blows over, we can have another party at Granny’s. Hopefully with more cake than last time because the sisters really plowed through them.”

Henry liked your suggestion. “That’d be nice. And maybe I don't have to have a bedtime either?”

Regina vetoed the idea. “Absolutely not, young man. You need your sleep, especially after all of this.”

The sound of footsteps stopped a discussion of the correct amount of sleep for a boy Henry’s age. David walked into the room with the rest of the gang behind him. “She’s back. The Blue Fairy. She gave us the wand.”

You exclaimed, “That’s great! Do we need anything else?”

“Only one more item.” Mr. Gold crossed to a cupboard and retrieved a black cuff and explained, when Snow inquired, that it would render anyone with magic utterly powerless.

Regina snapped at Hook, “I haven’t forgotten about all that, by the way.”

“May I see your wrist, Henry?” Ignoring her comment, he placed the cuff on his grandson. “I want to make sure that when my dear old dad awakes, that he’s weakened. This will block his powers. Now I enact the spell, you fall into a deep sleep and when you awake, you’re back in your own body.”

Regina told him, “And then you hang on to that scroll and you come find us as fast as you can.”

Henry contemplated their words then scoffed, “When I gave my heart to Pan, I thought I was being a hero… I'm sorry.”

You patted him on the back. David was about to speak, but you spoke first. “It was stupid thing to do, but it’s not like anyone here hasn’t done anything that stupid too.” You didn’t pay attention to the glares a few select people sent your way, and instead focused on Henry’s laugh.

Mr. Gold said it was time and you stood up as Henry laid back on the divan, apprehensive of what was to come soon. Everyone retreated a couple of steps back and watched the process. Mr. Gold tapped the wand on his forehead and, after a blinding flash of light, Pan’s body started violently convulsing.

“What’s happening?” Emma shared a concerned look with Baelfire.

“Henry’s spirit is leaving Pan’s body.”

You hoped Pan wasn’t anywhere near concrete. If Henry’s body dropped to the ground and hit his head, he was going to wake up with a bad ache. He stopped shaking and remained still.  “It worked!”

You were delighted the spell had been fortunate, however, some part of you was a tad sad. You wouldn’t be able to squish his cheeks again. You could try, but Pan would most likely chop your hands off for such an affront. No matter, there were more important things to do.

“Let’s go find our son.” Emma darted out of the shop with everyone except Mr. Gold and Pan accompanying her. “Where would he be?”

You proposed, “Let’s get Ruby or Granny! They’ll be able to track his smell!” Emma agreed with you and went to the diner to enlist Granny’s keen nose for the job. The elderly woman sniffed the air and it didn’t take long for her to pick up his scent. You ran down the street toward the clock tower and were overjoyed when you saw Henry—in his own body—run out of the library doors.

“It’s me! It’s me! It worked!” Both of his mothers enveloped him in a big hug. “Mom, Mom. I just saw you guys. You guys just saw me.”

 ���But we didn’t see you.” Regina cupped his chin.

“And trust me that makes a real difference!” You wrapped your arms around him and squeezed him tight, glad that Henry returned to his rightful body.

“Oh, he’s got it,” Emma said as her son gave her the scroll. She passed it to Regina. “It’s up to you now.”

The mayor hadn’t held the scroll for even five seconds when a bright flash of purple light illuminated from it and she passed out cold. “Regina! Regina!” You, Henry, Emma and Baelfire crouched next to her.

Dammit, with Regina unconscious, who could undo Pan’s curse? There couldn’t be that much time left. Emma continued to call Regina’s name and shake her. Gasping, Regina opened her eyes. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just… I saw what needed to be done.”

“Mom, are you gonna be okay?”

You had a gut feeling that she wasn’t. As you suspected, she side-stepped his concern. “The important thing is you will be.”

The scroll vanished from Regina’s grasp. “No, he won’t.”

Your stomach dropped when you heard the dreaded voice. Your head whipped backwards to see Pan walking towards the group. Everyone backed up several paces. You shouted, “Watch out! He has the–”

You were cut short as an eerie red glow alighted over your and everybody else's bodies. It was as if molasses had coated your entire person, slowing down your movements until it hardened. The enchantment froze every single one of your limbs; it was difficult even to breathe.

Beaming from ear-to-ear, Pan finished your sentence. “Curse.  How observant that I do. Look at you all. A captive audience.” He took his time inspecting each and everyone of you. His gaze lingered on you last. “I could play with you like a pack of dolls, couldn’t I? You’d like that, wouldn't you?”

He pointed an accusing finger in your direction. He came closer and whispered, “I have a special treat for you for that wonderful but woefully timed statement you confessed to me. It was delightful to know the peculiar effect I have on you.”

You were grateful that your features were frozen to hide the terror swirling and building up inside you. Had you the ability to move, the road would have been sprayed with your vomit. Relief overtook you when Mr. Gold hobbled up to his father and gripped his shoulder. Rumplestiltskin could save everyone right? He growled, “Stay away from them.”

Pan performed the same freezing spell on his son. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, you haven't learned your lesson, have you Rumple? You should’ve stayed where you were, cowering, but I suppose you wanted a front row seat when my little curse descends upon your woved ones. Glutton for punishment, aren’t you? Don’t worry. They’ll be more of that. For all of you.” Pan disappeared without a trace and you were released from his spell.

You collapsed to the ground in a heap. Your fingernails dug into the cracked pavement. Everything was numb. Around you the others were talking in frantic voices, trying to figure out a way to thwart Pan’s plan, to find a miracle to save the day.

Someone was crying out that the curse was here. In the distance, getting closer and closer, you saw the green smoke that signified the town’s demise. You failed. 

Nothing could be done about that. You would forget your memories, forget your family and friends, forget who you were and become Pan’s plaything.

The thick smoke obscured your surroundings and filled your lungs. Your brain was getting foggy; it was too exhausting to think. You should sleep. One final thought echoed through your mind—Peter Pan won.

[randomreadingtimewithtsuki]

Hello~

I heard your requests are open if that's still up to date. If that's so, could you write something for Toilet bound hanako-kun?

Where hanako is insecure and think that reader doesn't trust him, so reader's trying to prove their trust so they jump off the school building in front of him. (He catches them of course) and he asking: "what's gotten into you, do you want to die?!" And reader is like: "it wouldn't bother me, maybe I could be with you forever then."

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE AND HAVE A NICE DAY! <3

Hello!

Yes request are open! I just took some time off because i got a procedure in the eyes. Now i can see without a blurry vision!

I hope this is of your liking, please let me know what you think!

TW: Mentions of death and jumping.

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When you started seeing supernaturals you got scared.

Sure, some are cute like the Mokke, but... The rest?

Because all of them had rules and "buts" attached to them you were wary to believe them.

What if the price is high? what if to leave their boundary you need to hurt a friend?

But this fear did not happen with Hanako right away.

It would be because he was the first supernatural you ever saw.

The first one to tell you there was a price to pay for granting your wish.

You soon realized all of them had a "catch".

Thus becoming wary.

Hanako observed your interactions and at first he was glad you weren't easily fooled like Nene was.

But on the other hand, a little voice told him that also applied to him.

So, Hanako being Hanako, he kinda kept some informations from you on purpose - he thought that if he told you everything you would grow suspicious and hate him even more.

Well, he was wrong.

He ended up hurting you a lot more.

Because you trusted him. You believed in what he said because he saved you a thousand times. Because he was honest upfront about his price.

Alas, when you started noticing he didn't share somethings your heart broke.

You decided to confront him in the bathroom one day.

With a little scowl, you called for him, not chanting like you usually do. - chanting the Hanako-san, Hanako-san.

The boy thought some went south, especially because you were alone, no Nene or Kou with you.

So, when he appeared he was a bit worried and his voice sounded a bit urgent.

But when you puffed your cheeks and explained why you were there, confronting him about his secret keeping, his worry shifted gears.

Hanako tried to argue with you and reason that you hardly believed any of them - even Tsuchigomori-sensei sometimes.

At this point you had tears in your eyes.

You grabbed him by the collar, but couldn't speak much.

So soon you let go of him and that action made Hanako think things were a bit settled.

Until you asked a very strange thing:

Y/N: So... you say you hide things from me because you think i distrust you?

Hanako: ....

Y/N: ... I will show you... I... I will prove to you i have always by your side!

You dashed out of the bathroom.

Because of your emotional state, Hanako followed you suit, calling your name.

A million things crossed his mind of what you could do.

Piss off a supernatural? Get cursed? Enter a boundary? Or.... seek Tsukasa?

The boy was sweating cold when he realized you were headed to roof.

Nothing supernatural related was there...

When he caught up to you, you were poorly seated on the fence.

Hanako called out to you.

But as soon as you heard his voice, you turned to him, eyes puffy and red.

You just relaxed and let your weight go, falling off the roof.

In an instant you could see the hakujoudai coming towards you and disappearing out of your sight.

You squeezed your eyes shut, but you never fell to the ground - something was pushing you up and another something was holding your wrist.

When you opened your eyes, you saw Hanako.

He had tears in the corner of his eyes, he was panting and had mixture of worry, sadness and anger on his expression.

He managed to pull you up and you both sat there in silence for a moment.

You were both shaking, but soon Hanako blew up at you:

Hanako: W-what do you think you are doing?? You could have died!

Y/N:.. I, I told you i would prove it t-

Hanako: Dying proves nothing!

Y/N: You would at least mean i could be all the time with you!

Hanako gritted his teeth

Hanako: Dying doesn't mean you will become a supernatural!

You were in tears and sobbing

Y/N: I- I know! But ... you came to me! And this is my point.

Hanako fell silent for a moment.

Y/N: See? i trust you with my life...

The boy gritted his teeth once more, but this time to hold back tears. He closed the space between you two and gave you hug:

Hanako: Idiot... I will always be by your side.

Even though he was trying not to cry, a tear or to rolled down his cheek.

He wanted to tell you a lot more, but the words got stuck on his throat.

When you pulled away, Hanako dried your tears gently.

Placing his forehead agaisnt yours, he asked you to promise him to never do this kind of thing.

You said you would if he talked to you more, if he relied on you.

You both agreed to it.

It was an awkward way back to the bathroom and even more awkward when Nene show up with Kou.

But you two started to slowly build this bridge.

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Thank you for reading!

[kyesreadingnook]

Riddler general relationship HCS

He’s very picky with the people he keeps close to him— granted that is a blend of overinflated ego, general distrust of others, and so on. In a sense he’s sort of like a cat, he needs his own time and space to warm up to people, and even then there’s no guarantee he’ll show all his true colors.

But you, my friend, are truly something unique— He just can never seem to get bored of you, both with your enchanting appearance, but mainly with the content of your character.

Edward appreciates those who can actually provide substance in a conversation rather than mindless babble, small talk, or mere niceties. And you provide it with such a graceful ease, he considers it almost impressive! And that right there is quite a compliment coming from him.

I don’t think he has any particular taste in physical appearance, regardless of physical body type, hair color— whatever, sure, he thinks colorful hair is pretty, or finds himself paying more attention to more unique fashion. But that doesn’t mean he has a set taste, truly, it’s the mind he’s after.. well, and personality. He wouldn’t want to date a wet blanket, after all.

Edward enjoys a puzzle, he doesn’t want someone who’s easy to configure, someone who’s trying to make themselves easily digestible— he likes complication, a mental challenge. He loves the eccentric, someone he can pick the brain of at any time of day. And that’s exactly what you are to him, his puzzle.

He, quite obviously, has a habit to peacock not only his intelligence, but his drama, his flair, his fashion— everything! he finds himself to be superior to most in every single one of those senses. Yet, that ego only (somehow) grows bigger when you pay him compliments based on those things. Mention how good his hair looks, how expensive his suit must be, and by god tell him how complicated yet impressive his plans are— he will melt almost immediately.

Dates with him are nothing but eccentric— he buys out (Though mainly threatens the owners’ of said businesses.) entire movie theaters and restaurants just for you both. Why would he want other people there to spoil his time with his darling? He wants you to feel special, to show you how good things are when you’re by his side. You’re always promised an expensive dinner, incredible shopping trips, and so much more— though, if you truly, deeply need just a relaxing date at home, he’ll do his best to tone it down.

Now lastly onto physical touch— he isn’t the biggest fan of it, and it’s less of him not wanting to touch you or be touched by you, but more so a sensory thing for him. He’s very particular about touch, always has been ever since he was young. But, rest assured it’s never anything personal with you. He’ll still happily abide if you need a cuddle or a kiss, but he has his own ways of showing his affection for you.

[quarterlifekitty]

What if 👀 fire emblem three houses!AU

In this— I imagine you and all of the guys are graduates of Garreg Mach officer’s academy. They’ve all become knights of Seiros, while you, being a bearer of the crest of Seiros, are being groomed to take up a higher position of authority within the church. (Thinking of having Laswell as the archbishop. Wouldn’t that be funny?)

Gaz is noble born but decided to become a knight, leaving the care of his house to his sister. He started as a myrmidon and eventually became a swordmaster. He was something of a heartbreaker in his academy days, though you remained immune to his charms then and now. He bears a major crest of the elite. He’s more concerned with your safety now that you have an important position.

Soap is a commoner, and began as a brawler, now a war master. In his academy days, he cared much more for training than studying, and was constantly pestering you to spar with him. He tries to show more deference now because of your position in the church, even though you’ve said there’s no need. He bears no crest.

Ghost began as a mercenary and mage, and now is a mortal savant. He bears a minor, unknown crest. His allegiance is only really to individuals, rather than the church— namely you and Price. In his academy days he was know for being unapproachable, with not much having changed. He resents that you’ve been pulled further into the fold of the church without being given much choice, but is by your side in the matter regardless.

Price is a paladin, and is of an earlier graduating class, though his years and yours did overlap somewhat. He bears the minor crest of a saint. He’s loyal to a fault to the church, perhaps, and now you’re grouped in along with it.

Nikolai is from Price’a graduating class. He is a wyvern lord and has a knack for animal handling. In your academy days, he teased you relentlessly for being smaller and having no shortage of issues when it came to learning to bond with mounts. He gives you a smug sort of smile whenever he has to bow in your presence. He bears no crest.

König is a noble, bearing a major crest of the elite. His family expects him to withdraw from knighthood when he is needed to take command of his house, and he’s dreading that day. He was a cavalier and is now a great knight, with training as a bow knight. In your academy days, he was known for his complete lack of affinity for all types of magic, and for spending more time at the stables than in the presence of others. He had hoped to propose to you upon your graduation, but your being ascended into a church position has delayed that. He’s waiting for the right moment.

Horangi is a disinherited noble, as he does not bear a crest. He’s since found his way through many walks of life, and worked as a mercenary prior to becoming a knight. He is a trickster, having both an affinity with the blade and for healing magic. He is loyal to you still— where his employment as a knight began purely in self interest, he now holds some belief that you might actually better the world through your new position, where he finds other church officials do nothing more than uphold status quo.

Nikto is a dark knight. He grew up at the monastery, though he did have a stint outside of its walls traveling, he came back and was granted admission to the officers academy, partially due to his martial prowess and partially due to his bearing of a major saint’s crest. He has the greatest affinity with dark magic, and that combined with his unwavering use of a mask has made others distrust him. Despite this, he is grateful to the church for its support in his life, and sees no better path for himself than serving it for as long as it doesn’t inconvenience him. He dislikes many of the other knights and does not see them as truly loyal. As such, he is often keeping tabs on which ones are close to you and attempting to get closer.

@machveil heehee 💖

[qoldenskies]

cc!leo and the way love and distrust go hand in hand for him. how he guards his own heart in an attempt to protect the person he cares about the most and that's his own undoing-- how that's both of their undoing. how he sees trust on donnie's end as too much, something he doesn't deserve and something he took for granted. how out of everything that's the one thing he will never ask for, and he's so quick to withhold information to protect donnie's heart in turn (hell, he does it to raph too, and by taking leadership he's quicker to hold up the weight on his own instead of sharing it).

and how this contrasts with how leo before this point spent his whole life begging for the trust of others, for his family to just believe in him for once. and now he fails to see the independence he's developed as a sign that his trust in other people, and in donnie, has been broken, and because of that he doesn't realize that it hurts them until he has to confront it violently head-on. (he doesn't even realize that in a lot of ways its the other side of the coin from how he was under the curse)

it is almost one am. ummmmmmm

[liljakonvalj]

As someone who has been a fan of Treasure Planet since the early 00's I have embarrassingly enough never read the source material. But today I finished listening to the audiobook and to no one's surprise I have some thoughts, mostly in comparison to the movie I know and love.

Here's as usual my jumbled mess of thoughts, in comparison between the book (treasure island) and the movie (treasure planet) :

Silver is a more evil in the book than the movie

Granted I suspected some nice-ification of him due to it being a Disney movie

But in the book one of the first things Jim sees Silver do once they've reached treasure island is murdering another man who flees because he doesn't want to join Silver's mutiny.

Like Silver throws a branch at the fleeing man, felling him, and once he has reached him he promptly beats him to death with a club??

Meanwhile Jim is sitting in the bushes witnessing everything.

And Silver is behind supplying the drunkard first mate Mr Arrow with alcoholic beverages, so much that he falls over board a stormy night in the beginning of the journey.

No one misses Mr Arrow much tbh in the book.

Silver is a turncoat, and Jim expresses a disgust at his former friend's behavior a couple of times in the book.

In the movie they clearly grow a kind of father-son bond, and while book!Silver is clearly fonder of Jim than he maybe should, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him if it would serve his goals.

Book!Jim's father dies at the start of the book, so he doesn't have the father-void aching to be filled.

Speaking of the start of the book, it is much longer than the movie. Billy Bones lives at the Benbow inn for months before he dies and his treasure map is found.

Pew, the blind beggar who leads the pirates' attack on the Benbow inn, is completely missing from the movie. He was scary.

The movie's Dr Doppler is an amalgamation of two book men, Dr Livesey and Squire Trelawney. As the squire's main parts to the story is funding the journey and being fooled into recruiting a bunch of pirates to the crew - I don't think much was lost in the adaptation.

The captain Smollett substitute captain Amelia, is a more dynamic character than her original. But she maintains the strict leadership and distrust of the crew provided for the ship.

I found Smollett to take a quite backseat once he got shot, Amelia imo took over some of Dr Livesey's strategies in the last act. Which served me just fine.

I appreciated the duality of movie!Doppler crying that he's "not that kind of doctor!" when he's incapable of helping the shot captain. Meanwhile book!Livesey calls on the pirates for a doctor's visit when they have a brief truce. So he's coming to aid the men he previously (and later once more will) shot at. I found the differences amusing.

In the book Jim cuts the ship the Hispaniola from it's anchor when it's under the pirates' rule, and when trying to strand it on a beach on the other side of the island he finds another old ship stuck there, not sufficient for proper use anymore. I kept thinking that that old ship would come into play again somehow - like how Jim in the movie tried to reboot Flint's old ship at the heart of the planet. But nothing came of it.

Israel Hands - the book version of Scroop - managed to be just as frightening as a man as he was a space-spider, especially in the last parts of his life. I enjoyed that both versions died in part to gravity and in part when trying and failing to kill Jim. Book!Jim also took a bigger part in killing his opponent than his movie counterpart did.

I was full of anticipation as book!Jim was nearing the stockade as I knew what traps awaited him the movie

Human!Ben is unable to maintain any of the treasure he got after the journey, I'm glad movie!B.E.N had a happier ending.

Also we never really found out what came to be of book!Jim after the ending, only that he has nightmares of treasure island. I like that we got a 12 year time skip in the movie to show his happy ending.

As the book is told from mainly Jim and sometimes Livesey's perspective we lack the insight in Silver's thoughts we get from the movie. Movie!silver grows as a person because of his relationship with Jim, and while both versions of Jim grow throughout the movie I really like that movie!silver also grew.

I tried to be brief, but feel free to discuss similarities or differences between the movie and the book with me. ☺️

[moonmaiden1996]

Taming the Beast Part Four

Chapter 1, 2, 3.

As you stood before the towering creatures of wing and scale, an unsettling blend of awe and defiance coiled within you. The dragons loomed, formidable and ancient, their serpentine necks arching like the spines of a mountain range worn by centuries. Each beat of their wings stirred the air into a tempest, sending gusts whipping through your hair and tugging at your cloak. Their eyes gleamed with an eerie intelligence, fixing on you as if sensing your inner resistance, your instinct to resist being commanded.

The ground trembled as one of the dragons shifted its massive weight, the vibrations pulsing through your feet and into the marrow of your bones. Your Shadowcats, tense and bristling, growled low beside you, their presence a stark contrast to the dragons and the men astride them—men you now had every reason to distrust, not least of all because of the whispers surrounding your father’s death. Each seemed to know something they weren’t saying, and you wondered just how deep their schemes ran.

"Come now, wife. Your seat awaits," murmured Aemond, his tone a dark thread of amusement. ''You will ride with me to Kings Landing'' His outstretched hand was as steady as it was commanding, his eyes glittering with the thrill of seeing your defiance. You cast a wary glance from him to Daemon, who met your look with a smirk, his amusement curling as darkly as smoke from dragonfire.

"I am not flying on that thing," you declared, crossing your arms defiantly over your chest. "If I must travel, I’ll do so on my Shadowcats."

Daemon’s smirk widened into a wicked grin, his eyes flashing with a dangerous amusement as he stepped closer, boots crunching on the gravel. “Well,” he drawled, each word a blend of humor and threat, “there’s always the carriage. It’ll be a tight fit, you know… though we’d certainly find ways to make do, sharing the same space, perhaps even a single horse.”

His words held a promise both wicked and unsettling, his eyes drifting over you as if savoring your defiance. It was a choice, but you knew it for the trap it was.

You didn’t hide the spark of anger in your gaze as you turned to Aemond. His expression, cool and watchful, didn’t falter; if anything, his mouth twitched, suppressing a grin. “The Shadowcats are magnificent, I’ll grant you that,” he said smoothly, casting an appraising look at the sleek, bristling creatures by your side. “But a Targaryen belongs in the skies.” He stepped closer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “You would look magnificent up there,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Astride a dragon, fierce and untamed, as if born to it.”

Your pulse quickened at his words, and you struggled to keep your resolve as he and Daemon closed in, a pair of dragons in their own right, fierce and relentless. Daemon’s voice, low and smooth, drew you from your thoughts. “If you’d only come sooner,” he purred, tone half-taunt, half-hunger, “we wouldn’t need to rush to our own wedding like this. But now, the skies are waiting. Though I wonder…” he leaned in, his breath a whisper against your skin, “…how we’d ever manage to strap your Shadowcats to a dragon’s back.”

You took a breath, steadying yourself against the surge of emotion his words provoked, refusing to give in to their gaze, the fire of their combined intensity. "Fine," you bit out, every word laced with defiance. "I’ll go to King’s Landing with you. But let me be clear—I go on my own terms. I’ll take the skies if only to keep my Shadowcats safe from your… ambitions.”

Daemon’s hand found your waist, pulling you in, his voice a velvet murmur against your ear, “Ah, our fierce little wife, it’s your spirit we admire most. Do not worry, you will reunited with them soon, it won't take the rest of your party more then a month to get to use. Give us time to settle in.”

His words burned through you, setting off a spark of anger mingled with something darker, something thrilling. You met his gaze, feeling the heat of his proximity, the anticipation simmering beneath his amused smile. Aemond stepped to your other side, guiding you toward the dragon’s saddle, his hand firm yet intimate as his fingers brushed yours in a possessive, silent claim. You allowed his guidance, your jaw set, refusing to meet his gaze, focusing instead on the dragon beneath you. Its scales shimmered, warm and unyielding, radiating a power that pulsed through your body.

Aemond mounted up behind you, his arms encircling you, his strength pressing into your back. He leaned down, his voice a dangerous whisper in your ear, “Then let us show you what it means to be truly free. To soar above it all, fierce and untouchable.”

With a final protest from your Shadowcats, the dragon leaped into the sky, and the world below fell away. The landscape stretched beneath you, vast and endless. For a fleeting moment, you lost yourself in the exhilaration of flight, in the wild freedom, though it only took a heartbeat to recall the looming mysteries—the whispers of treachery and of your father’s untimely fate. You glanced back at the men who held you captive in this sky, men who, for all their passion, might have bloodied their hands with your father's end. And despite your resolution, you felt the pull of something dark and inevitable, a current dragging you towards a dangerous intimacy with these fierce, untamed men who had woven you into their designs. You had to do this, to enter the dragons den, the pit of blood thirsty animals for your father, your mother and grandmother, gods even your uncle. To find out the truth.

I am a little bit rusty with this story but I am back and have the rest of the chapters outlined. Please let me know what you think?

[ignisdivine]

My personal analysis on Thorfinn and Canute's relationship in Vinland Saga (manga spoilers)

Alright so, new year is here and Thorfinn x Canute is still one of my OTPs; it's almost two years now since I'm on this ship. Now, I know that even if Yukimura endorses it among fandom spaces, it's still frowned upon, in a way that we shippers are believed to simply see two men breathing in each other's direction and want them to f—. Now, while I'm not saying that's never the case, I believe Thorfinn's and Canute's relationship is much more than that; even if it's not that fleshed out, only mostly implied in the series, it grants an analysis not from the standpoint of a delulu fangirl (which I proudly identify as) but simply a canon dissection. Welcome to my shower thoughts!

First of all, even if they have about half-an-hour worth of screentime in total (see https://youtu.be/sAUWplR6R4Y?si=sXsy13JyLyy075rS) their bond definitely carries a lot of potential. When I first watched the series after Berserk, I expected them to be pretty much like Golden Age!Guts and Golden Age!Griffith, because of the inspiration which the mangaka admitted to have drawn from Miura. The tropes were there: skilled warrior with his trunk full of trauma, rough around the edges and doesn't possess great social skills + dandy leader with feminine traits and a conviction larger than life, who is bent on assimilating said warrior - as well as the parallels: a friendship which starts at odds and becomes life-changing for both people.

The grounds, at least, were set up: they start bickering inside the cart, which isn't a scene thrown out there only for comedic effects, but carries a subtextual meaning, in that Canute lets his thoughts and feelings out and talks freely to someone else other than Ragnar. The scene amazes the older man and rightfully so, as he sees their interaction in a positive light, apt to develop Canute as a person who speaks out.

(interestingly enough, I note that this moment will connect to S2 later on, where 'Sweyn's head' criticizes Canute for 'showing his true heart to that lowly man'; once again, Thorfinn's naturalness and straightforwardness brings that out in him. It's no coincidence that these scenes are so similar.)

So far, it looked like a promising start, but moving on.

Another one of the few but important scenes between them (except for the part where Canute snaps at Willibald saying that every father loves his child, which triggers and emotional moment for Thorfinn) is actually a very infamous one - the rabbit stew dinner! Even if Thorfinn is reluctant to join Canute and Ragnar -which I don't understand how they couldn't have interacted much more at this point-, after he tastes Canute's stew he experiences a moment of pure joy, probably the first one since he joined Askeladd's band. His facial expression might be fleeting and easy to miss, but for someone like him it's a huge deal; he's usually reserved, guarded and distrusting, which is understandable given his environment. However, for a short while he lets his guard down and experiences life in a way other than a mercenary, and all thanks to these two.

That could be said for Canute as well, who we learn that, for the first time in a while, he's able to do something he genuinely enjoys but was always forbidden by his father. Moreover, he confides in Thorfinn out of all, to reveal this intimate thing about himself and asks him to keep this a secret (and once again, he's revealing his true self in front of Thorfinn, something which we don't see him generally do with other people throughout the series).

This is a moment of trust and vulnerability between both Thorfinn and Canute, and definitely apt to develop into something more; to bring positivity into their lives and recover faith in humanity. They show sides of themselves which they keep private, and this has lots of potential to set up a bonding direction between them.

(I was a bit disappointed in Thorfinn that later on he pushes Canute away and betrays him by leaving him defenseless following Askeladd band's mutiny, given the build up of the trust and understanding they started to share, but anyways. I get why their friendship was supposed to die in its infacy for plot reasons...)

If we look back at who's the pursued and who's the pursuer, I safely say that from Canute's side, the intention is definitely there. Later on, on Ketil's farm, 'Sweyn's head' asks him if he truly expected to rekindle an 'old friendship'. This serves to prove that Canute, all this time, has indeed seen Thorfinn as a friend.

Sadly enough, Thorfinn doesn't seem to reciprocate this feeling or at least acknowledge it. While during his slavery times he thinks of Einar as his 'first friend', we could argue he hasn't been able previously to tell whenever someone genuinely cared for him, resulting in him shutting Canute out.

All in all, Canute's overview on prologue Thorfinn lets on that there might have been more off-screen interactions between them, for him to come to see Thorfinn as the closest semblance to a friend that he used to have. I understand though, that for the sake of Thorfinn becoming a hollow shell in S2 with nothing good happening to him, he was blind to other's good treatments and never let Canute in. Perhaps, if Canute had green light...

Another moment between them which is grossly underrated is the aftermath of Thorfinn and Askeladd's last duel. Canute jumps in to stop them from killing each other for obvious reasons, as they're both valuable assets to him that he can't bare to lose; but that doesn't rule out the possibility that at this point, he might also be genuinely concerned for Thorfinn. He treats him with care and is relieved when Thorfinn regains consciousness, and is nothing but kind to him when Thorfinn goes full crisis mode and spits insults at him.

A very important aspect which, again, is underrated, is when Canute asks him to heal his wounds first and only then resume his duels. Even if Canute doesn't get his dueling obsession and is even against it, he doesn't deny Thorfinn his wishes (even if Thorfinn is practically his subordinate and he'd have the power to—through Askeladd, that is). He simply shows empathy for Thorfinn's cause, and only steps in out of concern for his safety, not to overstep boundaries or manipulate him into doing his bidding. That's the ultimate form of respect and support.

(I also loved the anime-only scene where Canute stops Thorfinn from going after Askeladd, not as a superior but as a close friend. It added nothing new, but I would still like to ask the directors what they were trying to highlight here🤭)

Askeladd's death is another noteworthy moment to point out. When Thorfinn viciously attacks Canute, and we learn that it terrifies and downright traumatizes the prince (he still reminisces about it on Ketil's farm and even refuses to speak to him because of his trauma), it doesn't stop him from feeling enraged at his men for trying to execute Thorfinn, and ordering them to cease and leave him alone. We need to remember that at this point, Canute had to make a point and executing anyone who seemed against the royal house was a must, and yet he saved Thorfinn.

Even if Thorfinn had no right to interfere, and Canute's reasons are definitely the superior ones here, it doesn't prevent him from showing once again empathy to Thorfinn. He says 'this cut is a meager price to pay' because he understands the damage it did to Thorfinn and feels regretful, even if Thorfinn doesn't reciprocate and might even resent him at that point. This is very important to keep in mind, because afterwards Canute would go ahead and do stuff which he's aware are wrong, but he'll never show again that kind of remorse, as he did to Thorfinn that day. He will smile in his brother's face as he's dying by Canute's poison, but with Thorfinn, he never seems inconsiderate for how he affected him, by killing Askeladd or making him a slave.

The fact that he sends Thorfinn into slavery is the most merciful thing he could do, the only option which spared his life; as far as he's concerned, Thorfinn is capable enough to murder his way out of slavery and go do whatever (and yet, Canute doesn't come on a moral high ground on Ketil's farm because of this, but he's once again apologetic/understanding).

And now onto the climax: the confrontation on Ketil's farm. They both had legitimate reasons to clash heads, it was after all a battle of two wills between the Vikings, who wanted power and to support Canute's ideals, and the farmers who were oppressed, represented by Einar. However, I'm here to analyze solely Canute and Thorfinn's points of view, and it's interesting to note that in the middle of all this conflict, they still manage to show understanding for each other. While Einar calls the king out on his hypocrisy and tyranny, Thorfinn struggles to understand his overarching motive and ultimately finds him fascinating.

In fact, he proves an understanding for Canute which he doesn't really let on during the prologue. But if we look in retrospect: first, apart from his complaints about watching the trio (Canute, Ragnar and Willibald) pray, he pays attention to Canute's speech about fathers and he's visibly affected by his own memories. Second, before he decides to confront him on Ketil's farm, he remembers his speech in Gainsborough. Therefore, he DID pay attention to Canute and wasn't just a brooding jerk who didn't give a damn about anything. Canute's presence probably impacted him as well, just that he never realized to what extent. And looking in introspect, perhaps Thorfinn is now able to realize that Canute was his friend all this time.

And now onto Thorfinn's own influence on Canute during the confrontation, it's too obvious to even dispute; once again Canute finds himself drawn to his genuiness and straightforwardness, he's watching him through lenses which no one else in that world, at that point, could. I want to emphasize the unique understanding they both have of each other because they've seen each other at their lowest, even if they didn't get to spend much time together; we could say it's a sort of bond that transcends physics. I saw some people call them soulmates and I do believe they're not far from the reality.

In the end, Canute not only feels relieved that he found hope and support for his project, but on a personal level I believe he's also relieved that this friendship is finally reciprocated, as we see Thorfinn also calls him a friend later on.

They don't have much interaction afterwards, sadly, but there were still some noteworthy moments.

One of them is Vargr's flashback. It was funny when I first read that Canute himself shows up with a fleet of thirteen ships to escort Thorfinn's small boat. Employing such a fleet requires resources, and besides, I imagine that Canute, as the king of 2+ kingdoms and the head of 2 royal families, has a busy schedule, and yet he finds the time to pay a visit to practically a 'nobody'. Nothing stops him from sending a representative in his stead, as we've seen him send Wulf as a spokesman along with Thorkell to the Jomsvikings, which I'd say was much more important business than escorting Thorfinn. I like to joke that Yukimura unintentionally turned Canute into a simp, but on a serious note, that goes to show just how much he values and respects Thorfinn. And let's not mention him sparing Vargr just because Thorfinn said so. As the chief of an army he needs to assert dominance in front of his men, instill fear and prove that he's the supreme force - hence all the beheading business. Yet, he has no trouble humouring Thorfinn, and his change in demeanor when Thorfinn makes him laugh proves once again that Thorfinn brings his true self out, is able to change him much to everyone's surprise (and funny how that comes right after Vargr calls him a black-hearted man, what a contrast!).

Another scene is when Thorfinn starts talking about Canute out of the blue while making a comparison to Bug-Eyes. He says that he has a friend which starts wars, yet he hates these wars the most, which is an interesting point to make. Once again it proves the deep understanding Thorfinn has of Canute, even if he doesn't agree with his actions. In the bigger picture, just how many people could afford speaking of the king so freely and intimately, and making such gross statements? But it's Thorfinn, and he sees him for the human being he is, and not a warmonger overlord.

Lastly, to round up my analysis on an end note, the part where Canute thinks of Thorfinn amidst the pandemic is interesting. Usually, when people suddenly remember about an old acquaintance, they say "Hey, remember Thorfinn? I wonder what...", yet Canute simply goes like "I wonder what HE would do if he were here", to which Wulf rightfully asks who's he. That conveys to me that Canute spoke his mind out loud without realizing, and/or Thorfinn is constantly on his mind and doesn't realize that the others wouldn't have a clue what the hell he's talking about. There's a certain familiarity in the way he's addressing Thorfinn even after all these years, wondering how he would think and act.

All in all, my analysis wasn't meant to prove my shipping, but only to draw the conclusion that their bond is unique in Vinland Saga and much more than what's visible to the bare eye; it definitely carried potential for much, much more, and I feel a little robbed. Now, wherever that's friendship or something beyond, it doesn't really matter, as that doesn't change the canon events. However, it's important to note that friendships during those times were a luxury that wasn't widely accessible, which makes such a relationship precious in itself, so it's easy for us the audience to feel immersed into it, no matter in which way. Now, it's only my personal choice to see them as star-crossed lovers, but anyways. Yap over—

[alenablack]

This is deeply inspired by various conversations with some friends! namely Zöe (@/ladystardog) and @metalomagnetic , thank you both for encouraging my insanity about both of these families!

EXCEPTIONALISM

Both families think they are fundamentally unique and deserving of power, respect, and independence from other great houses/pureblood dynasties.

Examples:

Sirius parents were convinced that to be a "Black' made you "practically royal." A belief that seemed widely shared by various Blacks throughout history based upon they strict values and motivation to eliminate members who didn't upheld the family name - HP lexicon

The doctrine of exceptionalism in the asoiaf universe proclaims that Targaryens are other from ordinary men; this allowed them special privileges outside of claiming the throne. (Incestous marriages, claiming dragons, wide held beliefs that Targs didn't get ill as other men did)

BLOOD SUPREMACY & INCEST

Both families value bloodline supremacy/keeping their respective bloodlines pure. Although the asoiaf universe gives many more examples of incestous marriages to keep their bloodline pure we have canon relationships within the HP universe that show the Blacks also follow incestous marriages to keep their bloodline pure (Orion and Walburga are cousins through their fathers and would go on to have two children together)

The Black family's core value is blood supremacy as shown by their motto Toujours Pur "Always Pure" and while the Targaryen's aren't as outward there's many in universe examples of their share belief in blood supremacy; only allowing people with Targaryen blood access to dragons, intermarriage to keep power consolidated etc.

TRAGIC ENDINGS

This parallel was the first to jump out to me when making this essay; both families experience exceptional short lifespans for wealthy upper class families (and in the case of the blacks much shorter than the average wizard lifespan), and not only short life spans but often tragic deaths.

Examples:

Regulus Black: died age 18 by drowning/dragged under by inferi

Prince Aegon **the uncrowned": died age 17 killed by his uncle Maegor & his dragon Balerion. Died with his dragon Quicksilver.

Sirius Black: Died age 35, killed by his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange.

Princess Araea Targaryen: Died age 14, officially ruled as death by fever however witnesses claim there was moving creatures under her skin causing the princess great pain.

Nymphadora Lupin: Died age 25, killed by her aunt Bellatrix Lestrange.

These are only a few examples of each lineage suffering losses but a pattern of young often violent deaths is visible throughout both family trees.

FALL FROM GRACE/LOSS OF POWER

Both families suffer from hubris and a general distrust to outsiders which makes both of their eventual collapses interesting. In the case of the house of Black the family line ended due to infighting by various members joining opposite sides of a war, with most members ending at the hands of each other. In the case of the Targaryen's their line would continue for 200 years, however the power they held that granted them the throne was lost in one generation due to a civil war which ended the lives of 90% of the family as well as the total loss of dragons.

Both of these collapses can be contributed to outsiders working their way into the respective families; for the Targaryen's it was the intervention of the Hightowers and their various schemes that set the stage for a civil war, and for the Black's it was their alignment with Lord Voldemort that spelled their demise. Both families fought on opposing sides, violating the shared core value of family loyalty.

COMMON TRAITS

The similarities between the two families go beyond parallels of circumstances. The Black family and the Targaryen family both are described as passionat, confiden, and charismatic people. Many members of both households suffer from large egos and a reckless disregard for their lives, as well as a sense of superiority even among their peers.

Many members are known as powerful warriors/wizards and are sited to be born with innate abilities or genius. Both families are also described as otherworldly beauties, and despite their opposing color schemes are even depicted with similar features.

CHARACTER COUNTERPART

(*My personal opinions based on similar personalities and experiences*)

Bellatrix Lestrange = Daemon Targaryen (Both impulsive, powerful, loyal to a fault, violent, charismatic)

Andromeda Tonks = Saera Targaryen (disowned for engaging in relations deemed inappropriate by their families, built lives outside their respective families, never returned to the fold)

Regulus Black = Lucerys Velaryon (Both signaled the start of a shift in their respective wars, neither of them served as a strong political power but are important to the narrative, died young and tragically)

Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I) = Narcissa Malfoy (Powerful women within their own families, uninterested in the lives of others beyond their children, inherently distrustful, withdrawn and detached)

Daeron I (the young dragon) = Sirius Black (Reckless charismatic warriors, considered talented but ultimately lost their lives due to avoidable circumstances, considered great by some but mad by others)

[shrinkthisviolet]

Savitar and Cisco for the character ask game please? <3

Oooh fun choices!

Savitar

How I feel about this character: Unfortunately, I am obsessed with him. Not because he's a good character in canon (he really isn't, aside from like...the few scenes he's unmasked), but because the idea of him is so, so intriguing. And MAN Grant could really pull off suave manipulator when Savitar was allowed to be out of the suit

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Iris, Cisco, Reverb, and Mirror Iris! Which is just Barrisco and Westallen in various fonts 😅 Saverb and Savimiris in particular have my heart because...evil Barrisco/Westallen!!

But Saviris is a very compelling tragedy (if only the writers took advantage of that more), and Savisco is sooo interesting. Like...Cisco is one of the people Savitar lists as someone he hates for shunning him, and yet he never hurts Cisco directly. Triggers his trauma, threatens his best friend, yes, and neither of those are harmless, but...Savitar never directly goes after Cisco himself. He always makes Killer Frost do it. And yeah, sure, Killer Frost has to be the one to freeze off Cisco's hands, but Savitar could absolutely hurt Cisco himself too, and yet...he repeatedly puts it on Killer Frost. Interesting indeed...

Neither of these (Saviris and Savisco) are healthy relationships ofc, but both still speak volume about how Barry-like Savitar is: he has soft spots for the same two people that Barry does!

My non-romantic OTP for this character: ...uh. No one really 😅 would've been Killer Frost, but like...they're not even toxic in an interesting way. He's just flat-out abusive to her for no reason. To this day, I have no idea why people love them so much (honestly I might’ve even been intrigued by them as a ship if not for this, but I def would’ve loved their platonic dynamic. As canon stands tho…nah)

(Morgan fits into this category, though a) Savitar is a more compelling villain in all versions of the Morgan AU and b) I cannot elaborate, you just have to trust the process 🙏)

My unpopular opinion about this character: the fact that I don't consider Savitar a good villain in canon. In his unmasked scenes? Absolutely! But those scenes are like...2-3 out of so many, and unfortunately, they still can't make up for how incoherent he is as a villain, how his motives make no sense...and how he really could've been anyone else and the season would've changed very little. Like. Seriously. Other than 3x21, can you think of any episode that would've actually been super different if Savitar had been, say, Wally instead? Because I sure can't! And that's not good!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Get rid of the scar (ever since I learned it was only included to mark him as "damaged"/"broken", and especially since it's never explained, I've been so pissed it was included at all), let him impersonate Barry and mess with his life. Honestly, you can even keep the scar if you really want to (for some reason), but let him then use HR's device to impersonate Barry! Mess up his life...not in big ways, but in small ways:

A conversation with Cisco that Barry doesn't remember (because Savitar had it), a date with Iris that Barry missed (because Savitar set it up), Caitlin being secretive around him (because Savitar "subtly" excluded her and sowed distrust for her within the Team...maybe this could even lend to why she keeps a piece of the Stone hidden). Stuff like that.

AND and!! Explore how he's Barry's dark side! Show Barry making a ruthless choice, and maybe Team Flash is wary and/or Savitar commends him for it. And Barry's blood runs cold. Ex: Savitar directly calls out his time manipulation in 3x22, where he snatched Snart out of the timeline for the sole purpose of saving Iris, not caring about the consequences. "I would've done the same thing," says Savitar, "maybe we're not so different after all," and Barry feels sick to his stomach. Stuff like that!

(Also, Savitar and Mirror Iris playing the happy couple would've been SOOOO compelling. I realize there was no plausible way to bring Savitar back after s3, but like...they brought him back in s5 even tho it made no sense. They could find a way for s6)

Cisco Ramon

How I feel about this character: I love him! Like...genuinely, what's not to love. He's protective of the ones he loves, he's compassionate, he's funny, he gives his all to everything, he's a badass (even if the show forgot that. Often)...I just love him sm and he deserves nice things

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Barry, Kamilla! Also sometimes Caitlin, Kendra, and Lisa. Also Iris in a Barriscowest way

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Iris and Harry! I also really love his and Caitlin's friendship (I go back and forth on shipping them lol)

My unpopular opinion about this character: He was valid in his anger towards Barry in early s3. Like...listen. Did Barry have valid reasons not to want to time-travel again? Absolutely. Did Cisco have valid reasons to be pissed at him anyway? ABSOLUTELY!

I mean...consider that Barry learned the lesson of time-travel being timeline-altering and dangerous in season 1. That's the reason he ran his choice (to save his mom) by everyone in 1x23 - he knew it would affect all of them! He wanted everyone to be okay with it! And he did the same in 2x17 - making sure his Team was all onboard. But then...in 2x23, he's faced with the SAME choice as 1x23. And I get that he was in grief because he'd just lost his dad. But then why does 3x01 act like Barry is just now realizing how dangerous time travel is? It's just bizarre. He been knew!!

And my gripes about Flashpoint aside...Cisco is still valid to be mad at him. Dante (for some reason) died as collateral damage of Barry's time travel*, and this is when Barry sets the boundary of "no, I can't time travel anymore." And we, the audience, understand why! But Cisco? He's grief-ridden, and so angry, because from his POV, Barry is willing to time travel to save his own family, but not Cisco's. It feels personal, even though it's not. More importantly, it feels like Barry's being a hypocrite...and the thing is? Cisco's not totally wrong to feel that way. I mean...look at what Barry does in 3x22! He manipulates time again, to save Iris! That should've resulted in another Flashpoint. Can you imagine? Cisco is a saint for not getting pissed at Barry again after that because...wtf dude.

*listen I still think Eobard Thawne killed Dante himself - it would explain his whole "everything is back to normal...well, for me, anyway. For you..." thing, and he knows about Cisco's family life, so you just know this mf would bring it up to Cisco, expecting a "thank you" (because if you take a cue from the comics, as I do, Thawne has a very messed-up concept of family. Of love in general, really, but especially family). This might become a fic one day, who knows ��

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: He should've kept his powers, and he and Kamilla should've stayed in Central. I get that they wrote him off because Carlos wanted to leave, and I respect that! But it was so bizarre for Cisco as a character (and for Kamilla too, really, but this is a Cisco-focused ask)

character ask game!

[rosescore245]

Zelda Ramble: Vaati

I felt the need to talk about blorbos and by god i shall, christmas gift for y'all!

Vaati is a very interesting character to me, with or without my personal headcanons. His presumed motivation, told to Link in Minish Cap by Ezlo, is purely that Vaati fell into obsession over the evil of mankind, but that doesn't make much sense, does it?

EDIT: Stating here that I accept asks! If anyone wants to ask for my opinion on a certain Zelda character from any game, I'll be happy to blab all of my thoughts on them! I can't promise a massive block of text, but I can promise a thoughtful paragraph or two at the very least! Just give a name (even something like "that weird guy in the blue-ish shop") and the game and I will FORM thoughts haha

[Rest of RAMBLE Below!]

Every Minish Link met during his journey in the first game was sickeningly optimistic. To the point that even Minish like 2 feet away from Murder Mittens Cats were quite cheerful, and the Minish who literally did ALL of the shoemaker's job were glad to do so. Even the Crenel Minish were very optimistic despite a much harsher climate and hardworking culture. That is why I am assuming that the magic that fuels the Minish existence makes them inherently Good and Light, for lack of better words. Thoughts of undeserved ill-will do not show up in any conversations Link has with the Minish, so I assume that Minish feel no need to inconvenience others.

So Vaati's original motivation was not malicious, but became so when he transformed into a Hylian. I personally do subscribe to the theory that Ezlo was a very old-fashioned, strict, and unsympathetic teacher to Vaati, and Ezlo learns how to be a better person while traveling with Link, though never perfect. The Minish Cap Legendary Manga has hints of this in the Bonus Panels, where Ezlo and Vaati have a very negative relationship, honestly. Ezlo sends him searching for a full day for a herb that does not exist, both wasting time and damaging Vaati's self esteem and trust in Ezlo as a teacher. Though, Ezlo also apparently, according to the manga (and I QUOTE), is, "going to all the singles' parties in town." So it's not the most Serious source, though 2/4 of the Bonus Comics are Ezlo outright saying multiple times that he is hard on Vaati, sooo.

Vaati was not fulfilled in his apprenticeship with Ezlo, that is certain! He felt like he was not learning anything of note, and so he wanted to Actually get stronger, not whatever this was. When Ezlo started making the Wishing Cap, I genuinely think Vaati thought he was a moron. An all-powerful artefact that doesn't have any safety measures? AND he trusted HYLIANS to use it? I personally believe that Vaati had bad experiences around Hylians before, and I have a whole Tragic Backstory or whatever, but the only part that matters for his Distrust is this: I believe that, during a minor flood, Vaati was swept off from his home and into the center of a panicking Hyrule Town, and, as a young Minish who had NEVER seen a Hylian before, his first impression was a bunch of frightened people acting out with panic and anger at the situation. He had no reason to trust the tales told about how great Hylians were when his only experience was genuinely horrible, so excuse him for thinking leaving a completely unguarded magical, reality-bending wish-granting HAT in the hands of Hyrule wasn't a good idea.

A combination of feeling Ezlo as incompetant and cruel, his yearning to actually learn something to make him a powerful asset to the Minish, AND his trauma with Hylians compelled him to steal the cap and use it. Though he didn't like Hylians, he knew they were strong, and there were likely many great mages among them. Sure, he knew of the Light Force and Picori Blade, but they weren't part of his plan until the magic that made him Minish was removed by the Wishing Cap. The moment that Light was pushed away, Vaati only had his own negativity and Wind magic by his side, which set him thinking.

He wanted to become powerful before, but now that Minish Magic wasn't flowing through his core, there was nothing stopping the plan from spiraling from ambitious into malicious. Especially since I also have a theory that Demise's Curse is not necessarily a reincarnating soul, but a disease in the hearts of all living things aside from the Hero's Spirit and Hylia's Children (Link and the Royal Family essentially), so ANYONE could have a "flare up" and become a vessel of Demise, which is why multiple avatars of Demise's will have existed at one time. When the Minish Magic was no longer keeping his heart pure, it was very, very easy for the Curse to flare up and consume him.

So innocent enough ambition is warped into demented malice as he begins his takeover and chaos-bringing path.

Of course, the story's pretty cut and dry after that, Link reforges the holy blade, takes Vaati down with the power of Clones, all is well. But the Four Sword is special, I believe in many things about it. The most relevant are as follows:

The Four Sword takes in power from the elements used to forge it anew. Therefore, as long as it is at least able to touch Air, it will literally only grow more powerful. When it is able to touch Earth AND Air, it's accelerated, and if Water joins in (rain) then it's like a boost. If someone decided to light the resting place on Fire, then that would also only benefit. This is how I explain its growing power over the games/mangas, from Minish Cap's mindless and fragile clones to Four Swords' solid mindless clones, to Four Swords Adventures having four entirely independent copies of an individual. Keep in mind I believe this power intake IS very slow, but constant.

The Four Sword applies four different types of seals. Earth fuels the seal on the Mind, such as logical thinking and sanity. Fire fuels the seal on the Memory, obviously memories and emotions. Water seals aspects of the Body, mobility, forms the sealed may have taken. Wind seals the Soul, the essence of an individual, the personality, magic too. These seals are independent from one another and can be broken at different times. They also have a taste for devouring the magic, and, well, Vaati is a meaty morsel. The seals wear him down over time baseline.

Vaati is freed multiple times after he is first sealed, but the first time is particularly intriguing. In the Game, Four Swords, Vaati has a very simple motivation---he wants a wife. Which he never had ANY desire for before.

So what happened?

Well, I believe that only a few of the seals broke. The Earth merely cracked, Fire holds strong, Water is cracked, and the Wind is completely broken. Vaati only has access to his demonic body, a small amount of logical thinking, and all of his magic and personality. But he doesn't remember much of anything about his Before. I am personally using the official Timeline's spacing here, so I would apply the first 4swords about 100 years after MC, making the Zelda of the game MC's granddaughter/great-granddaughter. And let's be honest, I think the ONLY timeline with DECENT record-keeping is the Adult Timeline, which is surprising because LITERALLY EVERYTHING FLOODED. Some information was lost, yes, but it's basically all THERE, they have a TRADITION with the HERO OF TIME'S MEMORY. Thus, I believe that the Link and Zelda of the first 4swords were not well-informed on how Vaati SHOULD have been.

Blah blah blah, Vaati isn't acting like himself, he's sealed again, and time passes. Timeline gets turned into a shit smoothie, and for some reason Vaati only ends up being notably released in the Child Timeline. I personally think Vaati fucking drowned when he came out in the Adult Timeline, and the people of the Downfall Timeline were so battle-hardened that they didn't really need a hero to kill his ass. Only the relatively-peaceful Child Timeline was just right for him to both not die immediately and also be able to cause any ripple in the Daily Routine.

But something was WRONG with him. The once super chatty and prideful Vaati literally doesn't have a single line. He doesn't even have his usual dramatic entrance, just sends the Links flying with some air and dips (in the game, not Manga. As much as I love the manga, I usually apply the Manga Elements to the Base Game because the Game has More Substance for their adventure). He's not himself. He's not THERE. A husk wearing a familiar face, no memory, no real personality, no logic, really. More animal than person. More monster than man.

The Vaati that started it all had long since been consumed, only the last dregs of him escaped at all. A tragic end for a fun character.

Lmao this thing is literally so long and I tried to make it shorter by not just spouting off every headcanon I have. Sorry, but it's my thing! Let me know your own thoughts if you want to, I love hearing others' opinions and theories. Heck, tell me to kms if you wanna, it would be funny---disagree with everything I said and kick me in my nonexistent balls.

Happy holidays, hope you all had a nice and tasty meal and a warm night in comfy blankets. Pet an animal if you so choose, drink something because it's good for you, remember some of you have work tomorrow, sadly.

[howlingday]

..so imma keep it a buck, so far I think emerald was the one I had no idea on what to do with.

I wanted her to get redeemed but I honestly had no idea how to write her back story so.. I made some changes.. some DRASTIC changes but hopefully they work.

Here is RWBY: Fate's

Emerald Hanna Sustrai 

Age: 19→21

Sex: female

Aura color: mint green (prior to rebirth) mint green and silver (after rebirth.)

Faunus trait: a tail of lemur before developing opposable thumbs on her feet, similar to that of a lemur, as well as developing fur from her neck to her chest.

Semblance: “lost in a trance” emerald at first has the ability of manipulating someone's cognition by connecting her and their aura's creating illusions, however this was extremely draining and any massive illusions or any on a grand scale would almost completely deplete her aura reserves. However after her death and revival her semblance evolved, she can create not just illusions by tapping into the minds of others and see through them. Letting her see their lives as well as creating a mental space where she can interact with them privately. However this does take the cost of what her original illusions were, but this did make illusions much easier. 

Weapon: thief's respite and thief's lamp (thief's respite a pair of modified pistols with increased length in barrels as well the ability to transform into two sickles. Meanwhile thief's lamp is the relic of knowledge, which the elemental spirit takes much interest in emerald as she discovers an interesting ability of the relic, not only does it grant wishes, but it reveals truths and weaknesses)

Description: emerald is a orphan, her parents murdered by the elite of old Mistral, Emerald had grown up being discriminated against by humans for her heritage as a faunus, and was treated as a runt wherever she went, so she “had no choice” but to become a bandit.. that's where she met Mercury, the two at first hated each other because of Mercury's braggadocious personality and Emeralds distrust of people.. however they still looked after one another once they met, they understood that if they were going to survive, they needed someone to aid them so at first their friendship was more.. mutual usage of one another. However as time went they grew closer, especially as Mercury dropped his dick-ish persona around her. The two wound up becoming a menace to any small towns they were in.. until they met cinder.. Cinder was cunning and slick with her words, she convinced the two to join her side, though both weren't really big fans of the idea.. through the years Cinder and emerald almost had a mentor student relationship, Cinder teaching emerald how to control her powers and subtly implanting loyalty into emerald. And this loyalty will eventually get her killed. Emeralds path is split, she must decide if she stays on the end of man and faunus a like, or if she turns and walks beside those who more and more appeal to the part of her who fantasizes about being a hero… she will make a choice, and she will suffer.. but there is someone whose loyalty she earned who may be brash enough to bring her back. After all knowledge is nothing without creativity.

I am honest to God I assume her last name was susatari.. I feel so dumb for realizing its Sustrai

Fair. I don't think there's really much too Emerald beyond her being a thief and her attachment to Cinder.

Redemption can be tough to write, though I do have some ideas that I've posted here before. I'm also a huge nerd who cares about redemption VS reformation.

Not sure what you mean by rebirth.

I wasn't sure what you were going for with the lemur UNTIL I saw the illusion semblance, and I got ideas regarding the "rings" being her tail.

Ooh~! I like the Aladdin allusion, which is exactly Emerald.

Braggadocious? Is that a word? I'm not getting an autocorrect warning, so I guess so. Ah, so that's the rebirth.

Sounds... SUS

I like.

[cdroloisms]

honestly, there's probably a lot you can say abt c!dream in terms of losing even when he wins. because, tbh, this is...consistent.

c!dream is very intelligent and very good at PVP and these are well-established traits from the beginning of the server. he is skilled at thinking strategically and therefore is often able to navigate unfavorable situations to him in order to successfully achieve some goal of his. in terms of achieving goals, c!Dream isn't half bad in the slightest! but how do these goals actually work out for him?

in the revolution, c!dream successfully leads his side to victory while minimizing damage to his own people (and, sometimes, minimizing damage across the board: see him telling his men to hold fire to allow lmanburgians to retrieve their items.) the most amount of risk to anyone on his side is during the duel, where he ended up on half a heart to determine the end result of the war. and it's quite undeniable that c!dream wins the war--he gets to set the terms of the peace, gives them "technical" independence as he planned to from the start but says that he and the rest of the Dream SMP will view them as constituents of the greater server and gets both discs after c!tommy offers them willingly. by all means, on paper, a glowing success.

only time passes and as others treat l'manburg as independent, he is forced to do the same. "suck it green boy" becomes one of the most common catchphrases of the server when the independence that was granted them in the book that this statement was written was. literally given to them out of c!dream's mercy? and not out of their victory? he loses both discs AND significant leverage against himself due to various conflicts that involved people stealing from him and/or blackmailing him when he literally wasn't doing anything. l'manburg's ranks have swelled and the story established by it and its independence has long since drowned out any other perspective on the war.

then, in manberg/pogtopia, c!dream enters into the conflict from the perspective of wanting c!schlatt out of power. later on, remaining loyal to c!wilbur, he helps him to successfully pull off the plot to blow up L'manburg and also manages to obtain the revive book through a brief alliance with c!Schlatt. once again, his goals were successfully pulled off in no small part due to his strategizing.

and yet, in the long run, what does c!dream really gain? the revive book is something he evidently didn't know about until the trade with c!Schlatt, and the knowledge of it fucking destroys him. with both c!Schlatt and c!Wilbur dead, he immediately ends up as enemy number one, something c!Wilbur himself states later on. c!Dream, who had never really had any particularly stable alliances pre-manberg anyway, comes out the other side of November 16th even more alone than he had been before, publicly distrusted (not that he was ever really trusted, even by Pogtopia before he officially starts working against them because of the revive book, something that the content creator himself has stated was created purely to explain why c!Dream would switch sides.) the destruction of L'manburg is merely temporary. the plan to blow up L'manburg was c!wilbur's in creation, and considering how open c!Dream is about disliking c!Schlatt, I really hesitate to think that he was going out of his way to ally with guy unless he himself intentionally revealed the revive book to this end (like. c!schlatt is a smart guy, bro.)

c!dream is "secretive" about just about nothing at this time, besides I guess his actually helping Pogtopia (if you can call this guy telling the fucking Manberg cabinet that it's L'manburg, not Manberg, being secretive el em ay oh)--he's open about helping c!Wilbur with the TNT (and c!Wilbur you know, makes a point of doing it in front of an audience both times he asks c!Dream for TNT as well) in Vassal and then on November 6th, and that exact stream is also where he literally walks in the middle of Pogtopia to say hey guys. I'm Betraying You Now. like ???

everything he gains at this time culminates to 1) he helps c!Wilbur successfully pull off a plan that c!Wilbur himself came up with and wanted to pull off and does, to some degree, pressure c!Dream into agreeing with him about--even if c!Dream was going to give him the TNT no matter what, he does display a measure of resistance during Vassal Speech (whether or not you believe this resistance was genuine) and c!Wilbur responds to that by kinda threatening him. So. and 2) he gets the revive book by acting in service to a guy that was clearly established as someone he disliked and feared, and that book is also something that we KNOW scared the shit out of him and like ended up prompting a paranoid spiral that ends with him creating a whole goddamn prison to put himself inside. soooooooo. you know. and all of this is happening at the same time that his losses end up turning into "by the time november 16th rolls around and is over and done with most people either want him dead or are very very close to wanting him dead, cheers!"

then obviously, there's everything from november 16th to the staged disc finale. again, we see c!Dream pulling strategic plays left and right and achieving the goals he has--at this point, often through, uh, less than savory means. through political bullshit with NLM and well, exile, he manages to get the disc during green festival; through helping c!Techno against the butcher army, he manages to obtain a favor; through stuff involving the enderwalk and some kinda deal that im p sure has remained unspecified, he manages to get Cat from c!Skeppy; through experiments with c!Punz, he gets information on the revive book; through green festival, obtaining both discs (and therefore no longer needing to act in terms of political interests with NLM), and establishing common ground with c!Techno, he's able to destroy L'manburg through Doomsday; through having the discs + everyone hating his guts because of Green Festival, Doomsday, and to be fair everyone literally just hating his guts from the outset, he is able to ensure the security of c!Punz, the revive book, and himself by locking himself in prison. A lot of different moving parts, a lot of different goals, a lot of running around the server to get what he needs to get done done at the right times in the right ways, and he manages to con the server and put himself exactly where he wanted to be.

and yet?? and yet??? sure, he pulls off what he wants to pull off, sure he achieves his goals, but in terms of actually winning? he's paranoid and the paranoia just keeps getting worse. the threats to his life and the amount of enemies that want him dead just keep growing in numbers. he finally gets lmanburg blown up for good but you know there's going to be like 4 more factions on this server by the time he gets imprisoned. his friends ditch him and then try to kill him when he clumsily tries to communicate that he's trying to protect them because of the paranoia he has about everyone hating his guts, he explicitly identifies the reasons for people's hatred as having a lot to do with manberg/pogtopia arc where he ends up helping two dead men that aren't around for people to hate anymore, he pulls off staged finale and puts himself in a prison that ends up shattering himself.

like he achieves his goals--even if we're talking about the prison, even if we're talking about the time where things most thoroughly go awry for him because of c!sam's betrayal, you can't say that he didn't achieve what he intended. c!sam kept him alive, and would do anything to keep him alive--he might've been wrong about a lot, but he wasn't wrong about that. and yet. AND YET.

c!dream achieves his goals but where does he end up? miserable and afraid of literally damn near everything and losing his whole mind in the exact prison that he constructed to keep himself safe when in a paranoid spiral about a hostile world that suddenly made so much less sense than he was used to--alone.

like. wdym doesn't lose all he does is lose literally everything he ever had like 😭😭😭😭😭

[jthorsten]

My dumb brain be turning.

So I read Heartlands a few days ago. Had to wait for the pdfs to be unearthed because I couldn’t listen to Metzen. It sounded like Varian describing everything, and I’m still not over that. But, without any kind of spoilers, not that there was much in it, it DOES set up a possible interesting interaction with Jaina and the Arathi of Hallowfall. Without getting into detail, a fanatic manages to get a jump on Jaina and knock her out for a significant amount of time. The fanatic almost gets something very important destroyed and cause irreparable damage on both sides.

Due to that situation, I will be very curious if Blizz carries that bit of story into TWW. I would love to see the dynamic of Jaina being wary and distrustful of the Hallowfall Arathi, especially when she finds out they come from the ‘glorious empire.’

I will be TICKLED if she goes full protective aunt!mom mode with Anduin, who seems fascinated and downright trusts them by comparison.

I will be honest, the Hallowfall Arathi give me the creeps. The whole place gives Scarlet Crusade vibes wrapped in the light of Beledar. From what I’ve gleaned from the expac so far, outside of this ‘lost expedition,’ the Arathi Empire is large and isolated. They had no knowledge of ANYTHING that we know of.

Now, I could be grasping at straws, but if the Arathi Empire is so grand and glorious, how would they react when they found out they many not, in fact, be so grand and glorious? There are other nations of humans that they didn’t know of. On top of that, there are whole other races they didn’t know about. With armies that have seen and experienced more wars than they realize.

Will they be friendly? Or will they seek to conquer and absorb the rest of the human nations?

I ask this, because this made me pause during the 30th anniversary stream.

They adjusted the original cinematic of Faerin gearing up. Instead of ending after she finishes, it pans back to an ARMY of people behind her.

Now, this could just be the army the Arathi are granting to fight whatever comes next in TWW concerning Xalatath. But what if it isn’t JUST that. What if this is just a taste of what the entire Arathi empire could be, backed by an unwavering devotion to the Light? Just like the Scarlet Crusade.

Or maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree and Faerin is just a shiny my little pony whose weird sweetness makes me TWITCH. I main a protection paladin, and everything about Hallowfall feels WEIRD.

[crguang]

glad 2 see you are also not a topaz enjoyer, idk why she's so popular but i firmly cannot like her ass

i personally don’t find topaz interesting, i don’t think her character has any depth to it worth mentioning. she’s in the same tier as skott to me just bc she has no life or personality outside of the IPC and the only words that come out of her mouth are “market” “profit” “job” “numby” and “IPC” like oh my god we get it. i know they “saved” her planet from ruin and she’s grateful for that, that she was likely groomed into her role as well but that doesn’t stop her from perpetuating their toxic mindset and personally im just sick of it. any character that is IPC affiliated is getting a side eye for me except for aventurine because he actually wants to leave that evil corporation so he’s ok. at least jade has intrigue around her character outside of her job, and a hobby. something that topaz desperately needs.

i don’t find the IPC as a corporation interesting at all. they’re just evil capitalists and i think they should be eradicated, i dont see anything remotely interesting about that tbh like there are enough to go around irl. i also believe that you have to be a little evil to have such a high position in that corporation so i don’t believe the people who tell me that topaz is a good person just because she helped belobog once, cause right after that she called them servants for accepting the help of the astral express twice (while she wanted them to accept the help of the ipc??😭) then admitted that the ipc only cared about profits so… shes not dumb, she knows the basis of capitalism is exploitation and shes good with that. again, morality is not something that will determine whether i hate a character or not but topaz is not a fleshed out character at all, there’s nothing to her but her sob story about her home planet. if i want an evil, intelligent woman im not going for topaz, jade is right there. if i want someone who’s always ten steps ahead kafka is right there. if i want an analytical mind, there’s ruan mei and herta. like what exactly is topaz supposed to do for me when these characters all have unique personalities and lore. granted, we dont know much about jade (yet) but her abilities and collected personality already makes her more interesting to me

i felt insane playing the wardance and having that pile of junk with a camera for a head reprimand luka for his distrust and “prejudice” against the IPC — they treated his life and all of belobog like stock market numbers?!?! then he always had to concede to the others’ points like i was going crazy. then the scrap metal goes around calling MY BEST FRIEND boothill a dangerous savage oh i was mad, the IPC glazing and propaganda in that event pissed me off. luka getting an ipc sponsored mechanical arm just like igor did when the whole point was that igor had to sell his body parts to please rich egocentric snobs just for the hope that they would care about something other than themselves. he made himself a merchandise to save his planet and failed. i hate that the luka situation was portrayed as beneficial for both parties so there was no harm done and topaz was just helping him. that’s the thing that makes me feel crazy about hsr, they will show us every instance of the IPC being evil, greedy and cold then will turn around and try to make them likeable because some playable characters are IPC. i feel insane.

i also don’t like her design, imo it’s very basic for a 5* character. i remember playing the belobog quest and being surprised that she was a five star character because i found her so boring 😭 they didn’t even try like, man whatever. she’s not cute to me. she’s the only character in the game that i can rant about hating like that’s crazy. i hate ratio but i wouldn’t type an essay on him, ive had to argue about topaz too many times to be chill about her. and jadepaz also contributes to me hating her. what those ship brained gays did to jade after her release is criminal nobody cared about her on her own i felt crazy. i went through that with black swan already, no more. i need topaz deleted off the game

sorry sev

[gloamists]

“Will you tear down the system or become part of it?” Why Percy Jackson will always be better than Harry Potter

JK Rowlings blatant transphobia and horrible writing skills aside, Percy Jackson as a character is leaps and bounds better than Harry Potter, and it is not particularly close.

These two characters often get compared to each other, and for good reason. Both are characters under the “chosen one” archetype. Both presented as prodigies within their given stories, and both are subject to oppressive governmental type forces throughout their stories. However, one of these characters decides to tear down said oppressive force by the end of their book, while the other decides to work within it. And that, at least in my opinion, is the glaring difference between them.

If you haven’t already guessed, Harry Potter is the one that decides to work within the system rather than tear it down. At the end of his series, HP decides to basically become a wizard cop, after being completely shafted and done wrong by The Ministry of Magic throughout his story. When Harry tried to convince the Ministry that Voldemort is in fact alive and killing people once again, they brush him off and call him a liar as to not incite panic and distrust of the Ministry. When Harry uses magic in self defense outside of school grounds they decide to try and expel him instead of hearing him out. Hell, they even try to put his Godfather, Sirius Black, to DEATH in the 3rd book. But despite all of this, Harry decides to join them at the end of the final book? Why? Because Harry is not hero, and he is no revolutionary. He is the product of his own creators blatant bigotry and ignorance.

Percy Jackson on the other hand, is completely different. In the Percy Jackson series, the overarching problem really is that the Gods are not claiming their children. Leaving them to fend for themselves in a world where almost everything is out to kill them. This results in Demigods like Luke Castellan to rebel and side with the Titans to bring down the Gods. Throughout the book, Percy clashes with Luke and other like minded Demigods who want to take down Olympus. And at the end, Luke ends up sacrificing himself to save the people he loves. Due to his part in fighting against the Titans, Percy is granted 1 wish, anything he could want. The Gods offer him immortality, assuming that would of course be what he wanted. Because what could be better than being a God? What could be better than being them. But instead of taking immortality and eternal power, Percy decides to make the Gods promise to claim ALL of their kids. Pointing out that if they had done this from the beginning, Luke and the other Demigods would never have rebelled and none of this would ever have happened. Notice what I am trying to get at here. Instead of using the wish to grasp immortality and benefit from the oppressive system like another main character from another series did, Percy used to the power at his disposal to tear down the oppressive system in front of him and change it for the benefit of the future Demigods.

Both of these characters are presented as hero archetypes, but it obvious to me that only one really fits that mold. And it isn’t Harry Potter. Hell, we were shown signs of Harry’s indifference to the oppressive force in his world early on. When Hermione informs Harry that the house elves are effectively slaves working for the wizarding world, Harry tells her that because they seem to enjoy it that it really isn’t their problem. And that right there told me all I needed to know about his character.

Now it is no secret that JK Rowling herself is a terrible person. The constant transphobic rhetoric she spits out of her mouth on the internet is disgusting. Not to mention the blatant racism and antisemitism seeping out of her writing. Naming the only asian character in her book “Cho Chang” and the only black character “Kingsley Shacklebolt”. And the Gringotts Goblins are obviously jewish caricatures. This ignorance and indifference undoubtedly plays a role in how terribly written Harry Potter is as a character.

Anyways, Harry Potter is a terrible series read Percy Jackson instead it’s much better thanks ily bye ❤️❤️