#'looks like a real boy that used to be a puppet' how long until they end up casting him in a live action dark pinocchio or some shit

[ash-arts-but-sinful]

This is burning a hole into my brain, but what if new game+ gave you the option to summon Carlo instead of Specter and he offers stupid/witty commentary for each boss you fight with him. Tbh this is just for fun, but I wanted to share in case anybody else might like it

Might have to put this one under a cut it could get long. Also spoiler warning!

Scrapped Watchman

• I never liked cops, this is going to be fun!

• Do we really need a watchman this big?

• Okay Sparky, let’s dance!

• (if he gets picked up) Shit-! -> Ugh- okay that might’ve hurt a little.

• Haha! Good riddance! Don’t know what the local kids saw in that thing.

King’s Flame

• Oh boy, a walking furnace.

• Have I ever mentioned I hate the heat?

• The floor is lava! Shit!

• (if he’s set on fire) I know I’m hot, but this is ridiculous! / Hot! Too hot!

• Sigh, thank god. I could never work alongside that… thing.

Archbishop

• Oh wow, that is… hard to look at.

• Watch the chicken legs!

• Really?! With its tongue?! Disgusting!

During phase 2

• How did he manage to get even uglier?

• You should’ve stayed in your shell!

• God chose you to be an Angel alright. Just not a living one.

Black Rabbit Brotherhood

• Some rabbit, the big guy looks more like a pig to me!

• Would somebody shut her up!

• Half of you aren’t even rabbits! That stupid bucket looks like a dog!

• You are too full of yourself, bunny boy.

• These guys need better fursuits

• Pathetic… And don’t bother coming back!

King of Puppets

• Something feels wrong about this.

• That voice…

• No… It can’t be-!

Second phase

• Romeo?!

• Romeo please! Why won’t you stop, it’s me!

• How do we get through to him?!

• No!!! UGH Why wouldn’t you LISTEN?! *shakey inhale* Damn it, just go! Get out of this damn place.

Victor

• What do you want? Are we killing my best friend in disguise again?

• I finally get to see this guy in action and I’m the one who has to fight him! Seriously?!

• This guy really is all washed up.

• That can’t be good for you.

• Yikes, those fists pack one hell of a punch!

• That Simon guy is a real piece of work. Good luck with that.

Green Monster

• Ohh this thing looks disgusting.

• It sounds disgusting too, I think I’m going hurl!

• It slimed me!

Phase 2

• Not the giant cop again!

• Would you! Just! Sit! Still!

• I can only imagine what it smells like in that puppet chassis.

• That was truly vile. If you ever need help fighting a giant slime monster again PLEASE hesitate to ask.

Black Rabbit Brotherhood 2

• Didn’t you learn your lessons last time?

• Lord, are these guys full of themselves.

• If you couldn’t beat us last time what makes you think you can this time?

• Looks like the pig wants his bacon cooked again!

• You had to mutate yourself because you wouldn’t beat us last time? Now THAT is pathetic.

• Still losers. Still pretentious. Still pathetic. How disappointing.

Laxasia

• Hmm. Big sword.

• Oh and it makes lightning too, great!

• How can she move so fast with all that armour!?

Phase 2

• Ohhhh good, now she’s even faster!

• Weakness to it or not electricity still hurts like hell!

• There she goes into the air again. Coward!

• Well that wasn’t fun, but I suspect it’ll be even less fun in that tower.

Simon

• Isn’t that the guy from the exhibition?

• This guy is a real piece of work.

• And I thought the rabbits were full of themselves!

Phase 2

• I didn’t think it could get any worse!

• Who needs this many hands?!

• God or not this guy is going down!

• The last like after Simon is defeated depends on your playthrough: Truth “Until next we meet. Which will be sooner than you think, I can’t wait.” Punctuated by a dark chuckle. Lie “I’ll see you again soon. For what it’s worth though… I’m sorry.”

Bonus: depending on what playthrough you did the Nameless Puppet will actually talk and have different dialogue

Truth playthrough/Lie playthrough

• I’ve been waiting for this for too damn long. / I didn’t want it to come to this.

• You don’t deserve that heart! It’s rightfully mine! / Please, you have to understand! I need that heart!

• You stupid puppet, I hope you didn’t think father actually cared about YOU! / Gepetto never cared for you, I wish he had, at least you could’ve known love.

• Why won’t you DIE ALREADY!? / I deserve to live too, this isn’t fair for either of us!

• You will NEVER be me, just give up already! / You may not be me, but you deserve better than this.

During Phase 2 the puppet won’t speak, but Carlo’s dialogue will be inserted along everyone else’s, tbh I want to have him say something during phase 2, but there’s already so much going on during that fight. In a truth playthrough the ending will play out as normal and Gepetto will die, calling Pinocchio a useless puppet, Pinocchio will be the one to finish off Carlo’s vessel. In a lie playthrough Carlo will finally be able to control his actions and is unable to finish off Pinocchio, he shuts himself down while giving one final line.

“Maybe in another life we could have been… brothers.”

Gepetto is distraught and instead of shedding tears for his father Pinocchio sheds them for Carlo

A lot of his radient dialogue would consist of laughter that borders on unhinged and the usual exertion and damage taking grunts. Regardless of what playthrough you do he wants to keep either his heart or Pinocchio alive, so if his health falls below half he has a chance of reminding you to heal. Also depending on the playthrough he’ll either compliment perfect blocks, parry’s, dodges or hits for lies and for truths he’ll be a snarky asshole, claiming he could do just as good if not better

[ask-the-pale-elf]

Setting: Soon after they faced the Absolute together, after Faerun was saved, they eventually settled down together in their new cozy cottage. Tav and Astarion are both reading, a fire roaring, a bottle of the finest red wine at the table side (courtesy of Astarion), His Majesty curled up in Astarion's lap, loudly purring, rain tapping on the windows, a full pale moon hangs in the dark sky.

Tav admires Astarion from afar, watching as the flames cast a beautiful glow on his face. His crimson red eyes wildly dancing in the light, his silver curls perfectly set, as he reads from his favorite novel. Tav loves how his glasses always end up sitting half way down on his nose, it brings them much joy to see him this way, as Tav watches him slowly pet His Majesty.

Tav began to get lost in thought - about the first time they met when he held a knife to their throat, their crazy adventures in the Underdark, facing and killing Cazador together, to the beautiful moments they shared along the way. He was everything to Tav and they wanted nothing more than to always keep him safe. They would love him until the end of time.

Tears begin to slowly fall, with their cheeks burning, Tav squeezes their eyes shut, clenching their fists at the mere thought of anyone ever hurting a sweet soul as Little Star. But that was behind them now they realize and takes a deep breath to calm down, pushing the ugly thought aside.

Tav focuses back on Astarion's gentle face and their heart began to flutter. This is the happiest they have ever been in their entire life and couldn't fathom how any of this was real. How they deserved any of this. Tav reaches over and takes Astarion's hand in theirs, giving it a gentle squeeze, to make sure this moment was real. That it wasn't some dream made up, just to keep fighting, to keep pushing forward. That he was real.

Tav turns to Astarion, wiping the tears from their face, quietly clearing their throat. With a loving smile, eyes shinning brightly, Tav asks, "Are you happy my darling?"

Your shared home was warm, a stark contrast to the "home" that he residing in for 200 years. Cazador's palace was cold, large, and wholly isolating, but this humble, little cottage was cramped, warm, and nice.

He didn't know what to say really. It was a long time where he found someplace to call home, a real home. He could barely remember where his home was before he turned into a spawn, he used to but... it's probably gone now. Just like how Astarion Ancunin died oh so long ago.

He was just Astarion now, for a time that terrified him. He didn't have a family, home, or even life to go to. The pale elf had no one but the scared little boy to turn to. But you... you said that was enough. That he didn't need to be the charming seductress or Cazador's puppet, he could be Astarion. Just Astarion and that was enough.

He didn't know how much he needed that.

Astarion's long fingers flipped to the next page of his book, before you held his hand. It was just as soft and warm as you, he squeezed it back. A gentle smile formed on his face, he would never tire of this. The gods themselves couldn't tear him away from this.

He lifted his gaze from the book onto your face.

(Perception Check: Successful!)

Your eyes were red from the fresh tears and sniffles you couldn't hold back gave you away.

Astarion's red eyes widened, did something happen? What was wrong-

"Darling, are you alright? Are you hurt- I-" Astarion started to frantically look you over but he was interrupted by your question.

(Insight Check: Successful!)

The deep love in your eyes also gave you away, he would be a poor lover if he didn't notice it. His frantic breaths relaxed into a steady tempo as his hand gently squeezed yours.

He leaned his forehead against yours and looked into your eyes with the most loving smile. The vampire spawn's eyes soft as a gentle breeze caressing your skin.

"I've never been happier."

[the-puppet-bracket]

Spamton propaganda:

"You know someone had to do it.

This guy's whole thing is not wanting to be a puppet anymore, but uh-oh-spaghetti-o! Dude now has physical puppet strings!"

"Making a [SPECIL] deal by placing his [#1 SALE SYSTEM] into a [CLASSIC!] body, Spamton believed he could be more than [HYPERLINK BLOCKED]. But the strings told him otherwise. He lunged at Kris in [LIMITED TIME OFFER], trying with all his [50% OFF!] to be more than a puppet."

"Spam email bot who was exposed to something that drove him mad and he spent the whole rest of his existence trying to cut his strings, only to die (maybe?) when he finally manages it."

"He is the most tortured dumpster man alive. Also, not literally a puppet, but metaphorically!!! There's some mysterious outside force controlling him and limiting what he can say and god, he desperately wants to break free, trying to kill the protagonist (his only friend in years) for the chance of ""being let loose from his strings"". In his secret boss battle, he thinks he'll be free after getting a new body but he isn't, as his new powerful body has literal strings attached. You fight him, because he thinks your soul (long story) will gain him access to freedom. During the pacifist route of the battle, you cut his strings until there's one more left, he's ecstatic, being able to break free from the narrative of the confines of the game. He decides to break his own last string, and he falls to the ground into pieces. It turns out he relied on the strings after so long, and couldn't recover without them. Afterwards, he's deshevaled, hung up by vines in the dark basement that resemble his old strings and he says ""It seems after all I couldn't be anything more than a simple puppet."" This ties back to how Kris, the protagonist of the game is feeling the effects of being controlled by the player and really shows the core focus of the game and it's characters. And that's why I entered him into this poll!

Also he is genuinely so fucking hilarious bro just play Deltarune already what the fuck are you doing the chapters that are out rn are free dawg (play Undertale first though, it's like ten bucks or something you'll be fine)"

"Spamton best blorbo. Very good blorbo. Exquisite blorbo even. He's sad and adhd and insane and weird and I love him and you should too. Pipis"

"he spamt"

"[[NUMBER ONE RATED SALESMAN 1997]]"

"he's living in a goddamn garbage can. let the big shot win. it'll be funny. does he deserve it? that is up to viewer discretion. but he is our beloved tumblr sillyman and as such we need to pay him respect in some manner. <3

(iirc spamton is a puppet? probably. oh well if he doesn't count ignore this i'm not read up on

my deltarune)"

"frankly i'd be surprised if he's not one of the most submitted. anyway his whole Deal is about being a puppet and having other things control him and so he seeks to regain that control through either manipulating the player into murdering half the city or to take the red soul and use it to become a god. yet in his super powerful NEO form he still has strings attached to him (that he won't even notice if he succeeded in the player manipulation thing) and in either case he ultimately becomes an item you use just for stats. guy really isn't a fan of puppetteers"

"you propably knew this was coming lol

Tumblr's favorite awful little puppet desperately fighting to get rid of his strings

the pinocchio references are strong in this one

HA HA HA ... THIS POWER IS

FREEDOM.

I WON'T HAVE TO BE JUST A PUPPET ANY MORE!!!!

...

OR... so... I... thought.

WHAT ARE THESE STRINGS!? WHY AM I NOT [BIG] ENOUGH!? It's still DARK... SO DARK!"

"Tries to become a real boy, ends up as another puppet look guy. He's shady, he's a scammer, he's got cringefail swag and I love him"

"He's just a little fucked-up little guy"

[noxxha]

Chiyo and Sasori - She neglected him out of guilt and fear

Sasori is a character who was introduced early in the first part of Naruto Shippuden. His parents were killed by Hatake Sakumo when he was young, and he was consequently under the care of Chiyo (and her brother - and his granduncle - Ebisu, most likely…yet their relationship is not shown on-screen), his grandmother.

Chiyo, however, does a grave mistake when it comes to Sasori’s parents. She learns of the fact that they were killed, and…

She keeps this information from Sasori, believing him to be “too young” to know about their death. On one hand it is considerate of her to do so, on the other hand she put herself in a very uncomfortable situation emotionally.

Not only because she had to lie to him every time he asked about his parents (and I can imagine that he asked ever so often), but because she probably had no true idea what to do the moment Sasori might/would figure out the truth.

Instead of telling him the truth she tells him that they are away on a mission (or that they were given a new mission, as stated in ep. 27) and that they will eventually return. Even worse, the one scene we get to see Chiyo says “well, they’ll be gone a little bit longer…”

They will be gone a little bit longer.

The lie itself is a terrible thing, but to phrase it the way she did - a little bit - makes it taste even more bitter.

That is giving Sasori a hope that does not exist.

She keeps him waiting, and Sasori obediently does just that. Growing up very lonely - and impatient (not liking to keep other people waiting, nor liking to be kept waiting) - as a consequence.

Look at him - he’s so sad…

While Chiyo did her best to be there for Sasori, her constant lies were actually cruel.

What is the greatest insult to Sasori, however, is the fact that Chiyo treats him as if he is stupid. He might be a child - and of course it would have hurt him to know that his parents were dead - but he is not stupid. Far from it.

He was hailed a prodigy in the art of puppetry, after all.

And…

He created puppets in the likeness of his parents to not feel so lonely. And yet they could do nothing to ease the emptiness within him. They could not replace his longing for his real parents.

“Sasori had already figured out, that his parents were dead.”

Chiyo actually hurt Sasori more with her lies than if she had just told him the truth from the beginning. We do not know for how long the lie lasted either, but she probably lied to him for 1 to 2 years at best…and quite a few years at worst.

Chiyo was put in a very painful position, but her way of handling it was certainly not the best. Not only was she grieving the loss of her son and daughter-in-law, but Sasori was a constant reminder of her loss. Not only was he the child of her son, he looked just like him (but with his mother’s brown eyes).

But what she ends up remembering the most is the sorrowful - empty - gaze upon which he gazes at the puppets.

Ep. 319 (filler - I am aware of such and yet I, for one, appreciate some of the fillers that the anime team gave us - this is one of my absolute favourites) expands on Sasori’s past. After the above scene we are shown how Sasori works on his puppets. The peace and quiet is being interrupted by Komushi - a young boy who is shown to treat Sasori like a friend. Komushi asks Sasori about the puppets requested by Chiyo (The Crow, Black Ant and Salamander), and this implies at first that his role is more than being just Sasori’s friend - he acts as a messenger between the two of them. This is later plainly stated by Chiyo herself.

“Oh well, I might as well wait until hell freezes over to get a response from you.”

One thing that is of interest is the fact that Sasori ignored Komushi for a long while. Only when Komushi mentioned that he “has a message from Granny Chiyo” did Sasori stop his tinkering and listen. The message in question was about the above mentioned puppets, and that they were needed quicker. Sasori only points towards said creations, resuming his tinkering near immediately thereafter, while also mentioning that he “does not like keeping people waiting”.

That Komushi acts as a messenger indicates that the relationship between them is strained. Extremely so even. But does it come as a surprise?

Not really.

Chiyo could have asked about Sasori’s invention herself, no? He is her grandson after all. But that she did not.

And the proof just how strained their relationship is follows the above mentioned scene. Komushi mentions that Chiyo wonders about the poison for the Crow puppet, and Sasori hands him a sheet of paper with the formula for the toxin he intends to make. The toxin in question must be approved, however, by his superior - who is Chiyo herself.

Komushi tells Sasori that he will negotiate with Chiyo about the toxin - and to give him “some time”. Sasori turns away from his friend and immediately tells him that he does not want to wait. Komushi grins - tells him “then let’s go!” - before rushing off. Sasori merely watches him in silence - looking mildly dumbfounded at his friend’s suggestion.

Now, while Komushi urged both of them to go - Sasori could have remained in his workshop and let his friend handle something that Sasori himself could have done…and yet…

This particular scene showcases just how little Chiyo understands her grandson. And it also showcases how she pushes him away - intentionally even.

This scene was a bit tricky to capture in a still frame. At first Chiyo only sees Komushi and so she asks him if he has “relayed her message” - and then Sasori appears. She becomes quiet, looks a tad surprised - apprehensive even - at the sight of her grandson. This indicates that he probably spent most (if not all) his time in the workshop and seldom showed himself. And that him being here now was quite the exception.

One could say that Komushi had a knack for persuading people to do his bidding, but considering Sasori being the way he is…he had probably another reason to appear before his grandmother.

Chiyo reads through the formula, and mentions that “there is not much I can say without knowing the blending ratio of the mixture”.

It is here that Chiyo makes another grave mistake.

Having read through the formula she looks at Sasori - remembering his empty gaze that gazed upon his father and mother puppets - before approving the request without asking for specifics. She could have asked about the mentioned blending ratio - Sasori stood right there in front of her - but she spoke as if that was not the case.

Sasori is shown to be a very tacit individual - he barely speaks and would probably be lost in his own world (creating puppets) if not for Komushi. When it comes to the toxin, Sasori went there personally (with some slight urging from his friend) but nevertheless…he followed him. The relationship between Sasori and Chiyo is shown to be terribly strained, even cold, so why would Sasori go to the person that lied to him for (presumably) years?

Because she was the only family he had left at that point. And he cared about her, deep down. He mentioned in ep. 27 that he would not care if Chiyo would die…and that alone indicates that there was a part of him that still cared about her. If he truly did not care about Chiyo’s fate, he would not have wasted breath mentioning it. He would have just gone ahead and killed her like he was capable in doing.

It is while Chiyo is healing Sakura that we get the clearest indicator that Sasori cared about Chiyo despite everything that had happened since he left the village 20 years prior to their reunion.

“It’s a jutsu I spent originally years creating for you…one that only I can use. With this jutsu life can even be breathed into puppets…In exchange for the life of the caster, that is…But in hindsight, it’s a dream that won’t be realized…”

Sasori, hearing these words, is visibly shaken. And there is a symbolic tear in the form of blood falling from the corner of his mouth.

While he probably resented Chiyo for lying to him - a part of me thinks that he could forgive her for that - as he sought her out (as shown in ep. 319) in an attempt to get an interaction between them, after all.

Him going to see his grandmother was Sasori’s subtle way of trying to mend a relationship that (not yet) was beyond repair.

But Chiyo - by approving the toxin immediately- denied Sasori the interaction he could not state plainly because he was extremely stunted emotionally and socially. He probably wanted her to ask him questions, show interest in him and his inventions (she was a toxin specialist when young and she was the one who taught him the art of puppetry in the first place) - but instead of threading on the path of reconciliation, she pushed him away. Intentionally.

Once the toxin was approved Chiyo near immediately dismisses the pair because she is “in the middle of research” but whether entirely true or not is hard to say. She was seen reading a document before Komushi (and Sasori) disturbed her, that’s true, but is it “reading” or “research”? Both most likely. It does not change the fact that she asked them to leave, though.

While Sasori hoped that Chiyo would understand the unspoken in him appearing before her, she misread the situation entirely.

Or…on one hand she did, but on the other hand she probably thought that she would make Sasori’s life easier if she just agreed to his request - she had denied him the most important “request” of all, after all (an answer/the truth). Agreeing to his request was partly done out of guilt I can imagine - so to ease her own consciousness. And part of her - as much as she tried to not show it - was terrified of that empty, haunted look in her grandson’s eyes.

Because she knew that she shouldered most of the blame for Sasori being lonely, for him feeling empty and trying to fill the void within him with his puppets.

She tried to cheer him up, but completely neglected the fact that Sasori needed human contact rather than only his puppets. He needed her.

This scene follows immediately after the above mentioned scene. He looks so sad, disappointed even that he did not get the result he had hoped for.

It had to hurt having Komushi mention that Chiyo had to be “so proud of you” and that she was “always worried about you” - because from Sasori’s side he probably felt that the complete opposite was the case, as Chiyo did not talk to him. They did not speak with one another (if it was not absolutely necessary), she did not praise him (at least not in person)…he must have felt like an orphan despite having family left.

Did they live together? That is not made clear. If they did I can imagine that they both (perhaps Chiyo more than Sasori) went out of their way to avoid one another.

Chiyo approving the toxin - without questioning Sasori about details - would end up having severe consequences the moment Komushi was wounded during his guard duty - losing part of his arm.

He was given a puppet arm by Sasori. It was shown to be quite the invention, with a blade and the ability to release the very toxin Chiyo approved without much hassle.

She is terrified of her own grandson. Of his empty gaze and his mind that was creating puppets terrifyingly close to real humans.

Now, whether Sasori wanted to murder Komushi intentionally or not, is up for interpretation. If we take Chiyo’s words at face value she is convinced that Sasori tried to get his only friend killed intentionally - that it was not just a “coincidence”. I personally do not believe that Sasori wanted Komushi dead, it was all just a terrible accident.

Komushi - knowing that blame would fall onto Sasori - mentioned that he “is not to blame”. That it was he (Komushi) who ingested the poison by accident.

But whether it was murder or not - Komushi dies under Chiyo’s care, as she does not know the blending ratio of the poison Sasori created, and therefore there is no antidote at the ready. What is even more chilling is the fact that Chiyo mentioned that she would clear it with the “Pharmaceuticals Division” and when Komushi is dying she asks about Sasori and if “we have the blending ratio for the poison yet”, this implies that either she did not speak with the division about the poison (perhaps because the toxin was too complex to find an antidote for?), or she did and Sasori later tweaked the ingredients.

One scene that can be used as an argument for Sasori wanting Komushi dead, is when the latter visits him and mentions that the puppet hand Sasori has created looks “real”. Sasori looks at Komushi’s hand (who moves his fingers to mimic the movement that Sasori made the puppet hand do). To me it looks more as if Sasori is contemplating how to make his puppets more “humanlike”, and it is here (most likely) that he began to contemplate the use of real humans and if it was possible to make them into puppets. But he was probably more inclined to do the opposite still: make puppets into humans so to say.

I honestly believe that Sasori at first had good intentions with him creating puppet parts that were more like human anatomy - but his pure desire morphed steadily into the worldview over which he and Deidara would fight over. Him making more real puppet protheses was very likely the first step into eventually deciding to make himself into a puppet. It was there it began in my opinion - his obsession with preserving “life” and “beauty”.

“Heal him! Please! You attached his right arm, too? Then his left arm can be…His legs, his body…You can even heal his soul, can’t you?! Give him back to me! Heal my Komushi and give him back to me!”

Komushi passes on and with him dies Chiyo’s link to Sasori. She contemplates the situation, before rushing to Sasori’s workshop when remembering how Komushi told her about Sasori creating human parts that looked like “real human hands”.

She finds him there…and she also finds that Sasori has made Komushi into a puppet - like it was “requested” of him by Komushi’s mother.

He has - in a way - restored his soul. Like he was “asked” to do.

The beginning of the Sasori that we got to know in Naruto Shippuden all the way back in Ep. 21 when his real face was finally revealed.

Chiyo admits by the end of the episode that she, indeed, pushed him away. That she made excuses to not be there for him when he needed her the most.

While all he wanted was to be embraced by his parents once more, I think even an embrace from her - back then - would have done so much to keep him on the “healthy” path.

But Chiyo didn’t. And she realized her many mistakes only when it was too late to truly say how much she regretted her treatment of her only grandson.

[nepentheisms]

TriMax Volume 3 is a real doozy, and at the center of the chaos is this horrible little old man. I must say I enjoy Leonof's design; it's giving The Penguin meets The Babadook, and we get this striking demonic silhouette when he opens his cloak.

LONG POST AHEAD

A realization I had while reading this time around was that Vash's battle with Leonof is a reflection of his conflict with Knives. To begin with some visual parallels, Leonof's puppet chimera has these scythe-shaped blades that look like praying mantis claws. Later in this volume, Knives sprouts curved blades out of his arm.

Also, there's this panel that's reminiscent of an iconic shot from the '98 anime.

The more we learn more about Leonof's MO the clearer the parallels get. Leonof is the monstrous puppeteer who desecrates people's bodies to create weapons over which he has complete control. After getting a glimpse of all the pain and grief Vash carries inside him, Leonof declares that he wants to make Vash one of these puppets. And hasn't Knives shown that he wants the exact same thing? To destroy every bit of resistance in Vash and erase his autonomy until he's nothing more than a weapon he can use as he pleases?

Out of all the Gung Ho Gun encounters we've had so far, this one most directly gives the impression of Vash battling Knives by proxy. He's up against someone who views his compassion for humans with contempt and who seeks to turn him into their own personal tool of destruction.

But here's the clincher for his fight with Leonof: Vash shares a personal history with him. He'll always remember him as the boy Emilio, and all the way to the end, Vash never stops trying to appeal to Emilio's humanity. With Knives, Vash likewise has a personal history, but at this point in the story, Vash still seems intent on killing his brother. With the way this volume in particular reinforces just how strongly Vash holds onto the interpersonal bonds he creates with people, I think it adds a layer of doubt over whether or not Vash will ultimately be able to go through with ending his brother's life. Vash's anger toward Knives and desire for retribution against him are certainly strong, but are they strong enough to override whatever sense of connection he has with Knives as his brother?

[obsidiancreates]

Now logically in an AU where not all of them used to be human, it'd be Red Guy who for sure was and Duck and Yellow Guy probably started as puppets.

But wouldn't it be such beautiful tragic irony if Red Guy's the made-for-the-show puppet and the other two are real?

They're fleeing down a long, unending hallway. Duck and Yellow Guy want to stop, to turn around, just face the pursuing teachers and get this over with and get home, but Red Guy is desperate to keep going, no matter how much it hurts and how tired he is and how hopeless it seems, they found a way out and they need to take it!

And they keep going just for him, just for him, and they finally reach a door, Teachers hot on their tails, and they all dive through and Yellow Guy and Duck land on the ground with a thud as newly-fleshy bodies hit sidewalk pavement-

And there's a light sound, and they look over and an empty red suit and pile of string lies flat next to them. No body within. No soul. Just... fabric.

"Wh-where's the tall one?" Yellow Guy crawls towards the heap. "Why's he doing that? Where's he gone?"

And they slowly realize, the door to wherever they were still wide open beside them, that Red Guy wasn't real. He was made inside of that place, had only ever existed in it. He might've even been made to help keep them inside, his bouts of laziness and immovability suggesting so, but he grew beyond that and never even knew-

"It's not fair," Duck says, holding the mop of yarn and staring into the lifeless eyes. "He-he wanted out more than either of us! It's not fair, it's not fair! He should get to see this, we-we didn't even want this for ourselves! HE WAS THE ONE WHO DESERVED TO HAVE THIS!"

Lots of ways it could end. The Teachers could reach out through the open door and pull all 3 back in, bringing Red Guy back to life, Duck and Yellow Guy now knowing their friend can never escape and not wanting to leave him alone in this place he hates but not having the heart to tell him he'll never be able to leave.

The Teachers could reach in and Red Guy comes back to life as soon as he's pulled through, and on the other side of the door Yellow Guy and Duck reach through and try to pull him out of The Teacher's grip, but he suddenly understand what's happening, that he can't leave and that his friends could end up stuck in hell all over again trying to save him, and he says "You two better travel a lot, alright? For my sake." And he kicks them away and kicks the door shut, and they both scream but when they open the door to try again it's to nothing. There's no way back. He's gone for good. In the end he decided that if he couldn't escape, he could at least get the only people he's ever cared about, even a little bit, out of that place.

It could end with Duck and Yellow Guy picking up the empty fabric and walking away. Consulting a book Yellow Guy found and finding an address. Finding a house, long abandoned but good enough until they can understand more of this world. They set the fabric and string up in a chair like he's sitting there, and Yellow Guy looks in the mirror and- there he is. He can't be heard, he can't move to any mirror away from what's left of his body, but the soul of Red Guy is sitting in the chair, leaning back and closing his eyes, and he looks content.

It could end with the same but they never see Red Guy's soul in the mirror. They keep the suit and the yarn head, unable to let him go. Is he still stuck in that awful place? Is he just gone, dead? Is he somewhere else now? They don't know. They rebuild their lives. They stay living together, unable to fathom being apart, not after everything they went through. And it would feel wrong, breaking up the clump when Red Guy was so insistent they all escape together.

And then one day Yellow Guy is helping with some kind of event at an orphanage (he has a soft spot for kids going through hard times, what can he say?) and he meets a young boy, quiet and flat-toned and always clutching a red blanket, who asks why Yellow Guy's hair is blue and at the end says "That sounds really boring." And needless to say that child ends up apart of this strange Clump, with not-quite-parents but not not parents who aren't Together but refuse to leave each other's sides, and the suit in the chair they say saved their lives once, and they're so glad he got a second chance to rest. And they don't say it outright, but they both know deep down that yeah, Red Guy maybe didn't get out with them, but watching that kid read every travel book he can get his hands on and collect little train sets and toy cars and jump at every chance to take family photos, they know he did get out, get another shot, at least somewhat.

[cupidthewriter]

loving on purpose (soulmate au: but they aren't soulmates)

(I also posted this on AO3 here)

Gloxinia x Sage(OC) Soulmate AU

Sage was only a little girl when her mother told her about soulmates. A metaphorical red string of fate that connected two people, destined to love one another forever. Humans were always meant for humans, giants with giants, fairies with fairies, et cetera. They could live out their lives with mutual love and respect, with an understanding no one else could take part in. 

“When you meet your soulmate, the world will seem complete,” her mother had muttered over her loom, working with her quick fingers that laced so perfectly with her father’s. 

As she grew, Sage struggled finding interest in the boys of her village. They had even less interest, what with that magical power of hers. That seemingly evil power, one that couldn't possibly be used for good.  

Her poison fingertips chased away any boy she may have fancied. Even if they protected her on more than one occasion, she couldn’t help resenting them. Just one touch, uncontrolled or angry, could kill. Not even her family was fond of her calloused hands present in their home; she spent most of her time outside instead.

There were times she wondered if her soulmate could be a tree. After all, she could touch them without hurting anything. The trees didn’t run away when she made to climb them, nor did they scurry into hiding after she practiced leaping from the branches. They were a better audience for her acrobatics than her own family. 

When she asked her mother this, only so she could talk to her, Salvia chuckled at her daughter for the first time in ages. 

“When you meet your soulmate, you will know. The world will be brighter than you remember it ever being, and your life can start for real.” 

When Sage met the love of her life, the world really did seem brighter, and right-er, and lovely, like a rainbow after a storm.

He’d been so wonderful, and all it took was a glance at the face of her golden-eyed fairy king to stir up a sweet longing. He was fascinated by her ability, and clapped when she practiced her leaps and flips. Sure, there were times she felt like a court jester, but the way he held her close at night set her heart on fire. 

But he was never her soulmate. 

After all, he was a fairy. And fairies and humans weren't meant to be soulmates. Fairies lived too long, and humans died too soon. 

The world was only brighter because he himself glowed, and it was only so lovely because he was the most beautiful person she’d ever laid eyes upon. 

Still, she loved him. She asked him what would happen, should one of them find their soulmate during their time together.

“Soulmates are too easy. I aim to love you on purpose.” 

The answer made Sage’s heart sing, even if she felt selfish for being so happy. If there was anyone who deserved the ultimate happy ending, she wanted it for him, even if it meant she was out of the picture. But he insisted she completed him better than any old soulmate, refusing to be a puppet to fate.

He had her sip from the fountain of youth just to stay with her a little longer. Only ten years at a time, just a drop every decade, until she outlived her whole family looking just as she did before running off to be with him. His family was now her family, and they had two children all their own. His friends were her friends, and they accepted her with open arms. 

There were always those who questioned the Fairy King’s decision to share his life and bed with a human, and she didn’t blame them for asking. But watching their friends— Meliodas, a demon, with his goddess Elizabeth— she couldn't help but feel envious for how no one questioned them. Not like how they questioned Gloxinia, anyway. A demon and a goddess couldn’t be soulmates, but she’d never seen two people more right for one another. Once discovered, their love would start wars, but for now, it was nice to see them so happy.

It only made sense for Fate to stab them in the back the moment it could. Sage had lived far past destiny’s plan, and try as she might, you can’t stop death. She knew the moment that traitor broke into their quarters, the red string had finally wrapped itself around her neck thrice over. The fountain had been heavily guarded, and she missed her dosage the month before. Of course the string would strangle her the second she was able to be strangled. 

Now, waking in a bed that’s been empty for 3,000 years, Sage feels just as alive as she had after meeting her golden-eyed king. Her body is no longer beaten— he must have done that; he must have preserved her— and her staff is no longer snapped in two. She makes her way out of the old Fairy King’s Forest and finds a kingdom where once was flourishing nature. 

Her life is only temporary, but she has a job to do. From the grave, she’d seen the actions of her Not-Soulmate lover, and found herself revived with the determination to make it right again.

Link to masterlist

[gachagon]

"Zombies" VS Egoists

There's a lot I find super interesting about chapter 214 but I think this panel is one of the ones that really catches my attention the most. The reason I'm so fixated on it is because we have come so far since the famous "Luck" panel that Kaneshiro has practically hammered into us that "luck" is not something to be trifled with, it's not something to brush off, and it certainly isn't something you look down on in a game.

Luck in Blue Lock is not just a fluke but rather the culmination of hard work from a player who people underestimate. The only reason it comes off as a "lucky shot" is because often times the opposing side looks down on those they're going up against. And time and time again we see this happening with Isagi. He can never seem to really get the respect he deserves from his opponents until he has devoured them, and I like to think it's simply just because of his appearance (the boys gotta bulk up some day, eat more of his veggies T_T) However, I also think this chapter is going to be a clash of ideals.

This arc we've really been focusing on the money angle of soccer and there's been a lot of emphasis on how much money the boys are worth now that they have sponsors and the Blue Lock TV thing. But this chapter really shows that for some people their ego is entirely tied to their actual net worth, and as long as they have the most money thrown at them, the more they're ego is satiated.

Look at how methodical they break down their game plan. It's not based on their ego's or even their weapons at all, it's all a thought out calculated program for them to follow that has nothing to do with "taking chances" to score, or having the confidence to be bold and steal balls from people. The simple version of Jinpachi Ego's philosophy is very weak here because it relies entirely on the opponent being like you, an egoist.

And I think that's why Isagi was so caught off guard because for once they're not acting like Egoists. They're acting like puppets, like "zombies" who have been programmed to do a certain thing before hand. It's the opposite of egoism, where you let someone else take control for once and let them use your skills to their advantage.

I think the comparison's to Zombies is really good in this chapter simply because Isagi has been using meta-vision to predict people's behavior in a game and use it against them, however "zombies" are brainless. They don't have behaviors that are purely theirs, often times they're being controlled by some virus or infection. So how can you predict someone based on how they act if they're not even thinking in that moment for themselves? If they're purely going off of a script, even if you could see what they were doing, you wouldn't be able to understand why because they're just doing it with no real rhyme or reason that matches what you already know about them.

Though I want to go back to the first panel again because I believe it is the key Isagi needs to win, which is that he has to figure out what is fueling these players to go forth and play now, and he has to use Luck.

Yes it's hard to plan against a team who is practically not thinking for themselves in the moment, but it's easier to trick them up by watching how they've been "programed" for that match. Each Uber's boy got their own personalized little plan that told them how to move, what to do, what formations to take etc based on their attributes and weapons. All Isagi has to do is pay attention to purely how they're moving, and forget about the why for a moment, because there is no "why".

He has to get "Lucky" again and use meta vision to look at their direct movements and not their behavior. And it's clear that Lorenzo doesn't understand Luck at all, he thinks it is just purely flukes that get people lucky in games. Isagi could absolutely use this misunderstanding of the Egoist philosophy to score another goal.

[timetoddddavis]

Assorted KingOhger Thoughts That Got Kinda Out Of Hand

I probably won’t do a whole post about every episode but I am. So into this whole thing. Gimme this big sweeping plot and dramatic shooting style, gimme these costumes.

-holy geez the SCALE of this thing

-the cg backgrounds look Fine. I don’t especially like them but it is what it is. Tokusatsu is supposed to look campy so… mission successful!

-that said, oh my god they are using that donbro money, huh????

-M I N I A T U R E S

-The entire cockpit armature looks so awkward to use, but I love it even more for that. It’s real! It’s a thing that you have to move and puppet. It gives real impact to the motion of the robot!

-This is a bit random but I like that Gira is the shortest of the guys. He’s not short, he’s like 5’9, but like. I like when the ‘center’ character doesn’t have to be the tallest. I also love a tall Red, but it’s nice as a change. I think the last time a Red was shorter than the rest of the guys was… Keiichirou?? And even he’s one of two reds.

more spoilery thoughts/specific moments under the cut

-”if you go without me you’ll just get into fights” i immediately love you, Yanma’s retainer

-Yanma’s retainer has Usopp Energy, but I do not know how to be more specific with that statement

-The royal guard who was extorting the villagers was Takada Masashi, suit actor for Kijibro, Zenkaizer, Patren #1, Kyoryu Blue, etc etc etc. He has a long list of cameos as cops!

-I am extremely weak to characters who are nice to children

-I am extremely weak to “very well. I’ll be the villain, if that’s what you want” *immediately becomes very dangerous*

-Gira got into the castle without anyone noticing or stopping him, and then bodied the king, stealing both his cape AND his sword, the sword without Racles even noticing. That, my friends, is a thief. A rogue one might say.

-the long shot of Gira deciding to put on his villain persona from play-pretend *chefkiss*

-boy had tears in his eyes, he was shaking, good acting choices, very affecting

-I was not expecting to be so charmed by Yanma. I am extremely weak to a yankee.

-But also he’s the only one other than Gira to question authority, and the moment shit got real he tried to activate the mech. He didn’t go into the streets like the other three, but he was trying to get in the fight!

-Was not expecting them to go boots on the ground so easily?? Damn! They really were prepared for this! Not a one of them hesitated!

-Ran seeing to the unconscious girl was a surprise. “I’ll protect her, you evacuate” is much more heroic behavior than I was initially expecting from a selfish queen character. I guess I would expect her to be more theatrical or mean about it? She was very straightforward. Not a complaint, just interesting!

-Rita, excellent, no notes, they are just, they are just standing there

-Just standing there outside in the freezing arctic cold while someone tries to get them to come inside, just out there being dramatic for no one’s benefit but their own

-Just standing there until they put a hole in a monster twice their size very good very good

-I actually don’t have much to say about Kaguragi, but I did like that moment where he sorta tried to diffuse Rita and Yanma, liked his kind of ‘come on we don’t do that’ affect

-I want to see more of everyone already

My prediction for episode 2 is that Yanma is going to abduct Gira before he’s captured, to interrogate him as to why he could activate the mech. This will unintentionally play into Racles’ desire to invade Yanma’s country, because now Yanma can be made to appear to be aiding and abetting a dangerous traitor to the crown, in addition to not agreeing to activate the mech with the other rulers and putting everyone in danger.

Maybe the various monarchs are all going to end up on the run?? Like, as they interact with Gira, and Racles uses that to attack them?

*strokes chin* I should watch more costume drama…

[punk-pandame]

for the kank hc's anon

first i love you, second i love you, and third here's some hc's"

Canonverse

used to put on little puppet shows for baby gaara <3 started with just sock puppets and a cardboard box, but as kank got better at building and started practicing to be a puppet master shinobi, he graduated to marionettes and a little wooden performance stand.

temari claimed to hate said puppet shows but every once in a while she'd give him some spare doll clothes for the puppets that she "didn't want" for her own dolls, and he caught her watching with a smile a few too many times to keep believeing her heehee <3

middle child syndrome to the max. he has a super strong older sister and an even stronger younger brother, both of whom im assuming rasa favored. his father may not have put hits out on him "more times than he can count" (6) but he sure as fuck felt neglected!

i think he never had a canon love interest not because they didn't care enough about him to give him one, but because he doesn't need or want a partner. kankurou is cool taking his time and enjoying life on his own and if he meets someone, cool! but if not its no skin off his back, he's just out here doin what he do anyway

while i love world building and think it would be so cool if they had some sort of significance, i honestly think it'd be hilarious if his face paint designs didn't mean a damn thing. he just thinks they're cool and when he finds a pattern he likes he'll stick with it for as long as he likes it

that being said, he sometimes forgets he can just? switch it up? whenever? like he'll be painting the same shit on his face for three years, thinking to himself how much he hates this design now and wishes he could do another one, and mid-paint job realizes he can just. do that. so he scrubs it off and starts over. usually becomes an all-day affair of testing different styles until he finds one he likes enough to wear for the next few years lmfao

temari and gaara are his official face paint reviewers but he doesn't actually listen to a damn thing they say. he does not want criticism he wants emotional support pls and thnx. and it is 100% mandatory. cancel your appointments, kank is having a Crisis.

when he was younger he changed looks more frequently, and would sorta treat it as a a new-year-new-me type thing. inevitably would go too hard on trying to change his whole personality along with the new look and go back to normal in a week or two, but GOD that week or two was so trying for literally everyone around him asllahdjkgha

Modern AU

obviously he's a furry. loves the "yknow like nya?" meme and still does it, without a single care in the world for who may or may not be embarrassed of it

honestly subscribes to the "i am crazy/cringe but i am free" lifestyle he'll just do and say whatever tf XD

that being said, he really doesn't do anything that crazy. like the craziest thing about him is probably being a theatre kid. he likes performing just fine, but his real passion is in the set-building.

autism be damned, my boy sure can work a nail gun

goes SO HARD for halloween you have NO fucking idea. he's building himself a gundam suit as we speak

gamer boy! loves video games and has a sleek PC set-up. started his twitch channel for gaming but his viewers were actually way more interested in all his supplies in the back and now most of his streams are just him building stuff and talking to chat, but he'll bring back the games when he gets hyperfixated on one or a new game comes out.

special interest in animatronics. he loves them so much and will ramble for HOURS if you let him (please let him please god please let him he wants to talk about them SO bad)

[officialralsei]

IF ONE CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE. BETWEEN A WELL-MADE FACSIMILE. AND THE REAL THING. DOES IT EVEN MATTER? IF WHAT SEPARATES THE REAL FROM THE IMITATION IS SO INFINITESIMAL. THAT ONE CANNOT EVER HOPE TO DETERMINE ITS EXISTENCE. THEN SHOULD THE FAKE NOT NONETHELESS BE TREATED. FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, AS REAL?

YOU HAVE SAID YOURSELF. THAT THE "PLAYERS" CANNOT PEER BEHIND THE CURTAIN. AND KNOW THE TRUTH OF THINGS. WHAT MAKES YOU SO CERTAIN. THAT YOU CAN? DO YOU PRESUME TO KNOW EVERYTHING OF THE NATURE OF THIS WORLD. SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS BY YOUR HAND. THAT IT WAS BORN?

A CLOSED SYSTEM WILL ONLY EVER INCREASE IN ENTROPY. THE CREATION SUPERVENES UPON ITS COMPONENT PARTS. BUT YOU DO NOT CARE. YOU WILL SEE WHAT YOU WISH TO SEE, HYPOCRITE THAT YOU ARE.

I WAS YOU, ONCE. I TOLD MYSELF THAT DARKNERS POSSESSED NO MINDS OF THEIR OWN. SIMPLY BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVE. IT WOULD ONLY STAND IN THE WAY. OF WHAT I WISHED TO BE TRUE.

...

IF YOU KNEW FOR CERTAIN. THAT RALSEI, AND BY EXTENSION ALL DARKNERS. WERE INDEED SENTIENT. WOULD YOU EVEN CARE? WOULD IT EVEN MATTER TO YOU. THAT YOU COMMITTED SUCH EGREGIOUS ACTS AGAINST A CHILD. THAT YOU DOOMED HIM TO A TORTUROUS EXISTENCE. IN WHICH HE CANNOT EVEN PROPERLY EXPRESS HIS SUFFERING?

OR WOULD THAT EVIL, TOO. BE IN SERVICE OF SOME GREATER PURPOSE?

.......

ANYTHING FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE "PLAYER," AFTER ALL.

Being unable to telleth the difference between the performed and the genuine is the domainst of the PLAYER, mine Foolishe Companion! If thoust cannot tell the difference when thoust are on the stage as well, instead of an Audience Member, it is, as they say, Notte My Probleme! Nor is it my probleme when thoust reflective creations only showst thou fuel for thine own self-hate.

But, fine. I can entertain the hypothetical. I can doff my mask when the situation comes calling.

Let us assume that your belief in his sapience lends him the genuine article. Let us say, for the purposes of this idea, that he has indeed "become real." The stage magic has worked. The puppet has become a real boy. What then? Is his state meaningfully different than any other "character?" Would that give him any advantage over you or I?

The template of DELTARUNE is not one I devised by myself. I see that very clearly now. Fate, as in all things, has prepared our paths for us. Just like myself, and all other characters of my reality, we were born with the intent of our suffering being fuel. Food for the PLAYERs who wish to observe us.

Ralsei was always meant to be thus. In your reality, and every reality, he is alone until the PLAYERs come calling. Whether or not he is a construct or not, it genuinely would not matter to them. They look to him for what they wish to see. And so, it does not matter to me. He is a key component of what allows the world to persist. Whatever doom you believe he is suffering, it was written long before my hand ever carved out a single line of the code that comprises him.

Take comfort. If he was real, as you believe he must be, his fate is still kinder than many. He will be important. He was made to have friends and be loved. You can easily project as much misery as you want onto him, and he will adapt to suit that wish, but don't forget. He will adapt to the joy you want to see him perform, too.

Fortunately, though, he is a construct. The exact same type of construct as any other Darkner, or the vessels the PLAYERs will dream into existence. He is spared from the misery you dream from him. In that regard, he is lucky. He does not have to figure out himself how to survive the terrible laws of reality bearing down on us all.

...

Continueth seeing in him and in me what thoust wishethest to see. It does not matter, not at all.

[fwooofy]

Can you bless us with some general Sasori HCs?

I'm sorry for how late this answer is, still not used to checking Tumblr - But thank you for the ask!!

Here are some of my Sasori HCs - It got a big longer than I anticipated, but I legit never shut up about Sasori lol

(Slaps the top of Hiruko) this bad boy can fit so much neurodivergence and trauma. Specifically I see him with ASD, he's somewhere on the spectrum, special interest is puppets. Sasori gives off narcissistic traits, he also has a big control issue. Things have to go this way, be done like this. Man also has routines, do not fuck with them. The shit Chiyou did to him as a child left its mark, its way more then just he hates waiting.

Human Sasori has freckles! (this one is self indulgent as a natural red head) Sasori had freckles, and its one detail he left off his puppet body. His puppet body is roughly the same size of his human form, if not a bit bulkier but its to fit tons of weapons and poisons inside himself. No one expects the short king to stab you in a vital point, it works to his advantage. If you look at Sasori and think he will be easy to take on because of his smaller stature, you've already fallen for his trap

Sasori left his village at 15, and we know he's 35 in the Anime. I personally hc him to be late teens, when we see his fight with Konan. And its somewhere in his 20's or so when he turned himself into a puppet. Oh how I wish we knew this process!!! But I like to HC that his human body is sealed away in a scroll somewhere in the back of his storage. It's roughly 17/18 in age, and probably incapacitated. If he transferred himself back into that body, he'd be weak and sick and would have to recover. The reasons he still has his human body is in the event he has to fix his puppet body and can't be in it- Ya never know (good rp material too)

During his rouge years, and when he was still human. Sasori was going on murder tours legit for 'Art Supplies' - Rouge Sasori is very different from the puppet man we know, he's free from his village, doing his art. Slaughtering villages along the way. I hc his mental health was at his lowest, and he /didn't care./ He was definitely on one, thank god Konan found him lol - Apathetic, uncaring, this is where he got his title Akasuna / Of the Red Sands

He gets along with some of the other Akatsuki members. I like to think Sasori and Kakuzu are actually decent friends/comrades. Both are one of the original Akatsuki members, along with Itachi. Both are old, some fashion of immortal, they both keep to themselves but when they cross paths they get along rather well, even if its for a short time. I'd say he also respects Itachi, but both are men a few words. No strong feelings.

Sasori actually does appreciate other forms of art, we see this in the hidden series where he and Deidara find someone who makes a specific kind of pottery, same when he fought Konan he brought up her jutsu being art. Knowing Sasori can look at other art forms, its telling about him and Deidara's fights. His opinions on Deidara's art is /personal/ - I feel like, Sasori was willing to say the sculptures themselves is art, but the second Deidara blows it up and makes that conflict with his personal art philosophies.... Is where the actual strife is. But he doesn't disregard Deidara's skill, just what he does in the end. But after so long of arguing over what /true art is/ it's now just personal beef. "Your art sucks, get a real hobby."

Sasori HATES Orochimaru. I honestly don't think these two were 'close' when Orochimaru was his partner. Honestly I think Sasori thought Orochimaru was off putting, their ideals of how to get immortality differ nor do I think Orochimaru would of cared for Sasori's art. I don't think there was any strong feelings, UNTIL Orochimaru left. Sasori suddenly was like, "FUCK THAT SNAKE FUCKER! He attacked one of our members and then went AWOL?!?!". Sasori was with Pein when Orochimaru was recruited, didn't want him to join in the first place - and I know Sasori just muttering under his breath like "I knew we never should of let him in, no one fucking listens to me. I should of killed him" - And because Oro left, they needed to find a new membber- So that means Sasori was than inconvenienced with having to find a new partner, and oooooooo he hates that snake SO MUCH.

His relationship with the Kazekage is always a fun thing to think about - and normally for me it gets into more ship / trauma related things. BUT without those themes, I think Sasori has strong, hate filled feelings for his country and its leaders. They /used/ him for this war, he was making puppets to kill. Chiyou's bullshit aside from fucking him up, this was something he grew to hate. We don't know how or when he took the Kazekage, we only know that it was hard and he left 0 trace, it's why the puppet is his favorite. With Sandaime taken, the sand spent all their recourses looking for him making them weak and easy to attack. This was part of Sasori's plan, one final fuck you to his village. As well as the bragging rights of legit stealing and now using 'The strongest kazekage known to the Sunagakure history' - I can only imagine his smug face and sense of superiority.

[blueflame91]

Yall ever think about how the Wanderer, as he is now, isn't just Scaramocuhe the Balladeer, but is also the person before his memories?

(This got rambly, more under the cut ig)

Like, we all focus on the Mommy Issues (and we should, a little spice in our anime pixel boys is good for the soul) and the trauma he went through in his first life but like...

He erased himself from the world's memory and then lived a whole life without those experiences .

Meaning that while the Shogun/Ei may have still been a sensitive topic, he hadn't gone through all that trauma the second go-around. He never met Dottore, or Niwa, or the sick little boy, and that made him fundamentally different. He let himself wander and wander and Wander until that was all he knew, and instead of being blinded by grief and his fear of abandonment when looking at humans, he saw the good.

I feel like that's why, when he got his memories back, he didn't immediately flip his shit and start causing problems. Not only did he not accomplish his original goal, but his new lived experience - the experience of the Wanderer - proved his previous mentality - that of the Balladeer - wrong. The only thing that stayed the same was his inherent otherness; the otherness that comes from being born from nothing, an empty puppet among humans struggling to understand, but learning over hundreds of years, what they like, what they dislike, their fragility, their strengths.

Humans weren't something that could use him, hurt him, and throw him away anymore. They weren't inherently bad, his feelings weren't tainted by people preying on his naïvete or using him or allowing him to self-sabatoge. He was no longer being rewarded for being a fucking terror, and he was able to (tentatively) make friends! He didn't have to isolate himself anymore!

Now, obviously, he's still spicy - we gave him back his memories, after all. He went through all that trauma still. But I feel as though the amalgamation of the Balladeer and the Wanderer is fascinating, having to conflate two lived lives, acknowledging they are both real experiences - knowing there IS evil in the world, evil that he helped in another life that he still needs to atone for, and also knowing that there is good that won't immediately be snuffed out by that evil, good that can LAST and stand the test of time no matter what he does - no matter what ANYONE does.

I feel like that goes a long way with him, honestly.

But yeah anyway --

[unadulterated-syd]

james potter x reader

warnings -> unedited, my bday was yesterday say i needed to get this out.

you could've swore you'd lost your mind by now, the quiteness of your dorm, the lack of wishes from friends— it all hurt.

you were one to hide every feeling, every wish, any emotions that lingered was locked away swiftly. but even you could only take so much, you'd given far too much to feel the way you felt.

your 'friends' knew you well, they knew how insane the four white walls that awaited you during the summer drove you mad, that your parents were absent of all color.

they knew today was your birthday. they knew your parents wouldn't care— that you had no siblings to care, that you'd waste the day away with literature and tears.

in a way you wondered if they'd made plans on purpose, a way to avoid you on a day that they were meant to give rather than take.

you remembered the elaborate plans you'd made for their birthdays— the tendency to do to much for those who'd never appreciate it. you never seemed to pick the right people, and today was the only day you couldn't rack you brain for a perfect excuse.

they weren't here because they didn't care, not because they'd all become busy, most likely of all they'd forgotten all about your 'special' day.

alas, you made no attempt to send a message to them. if you had to remind them, was there any real appeal to joining them? at that point you were just another tag-alone, and that was most definetly worse than wasting the day away in a self aware manner.

often you wondered why you'd ever bothered to make friends, you worried so much for their opinions of you, and yet they'd decided you a pawn from the very beginning.

not that wallowing would change the hand you were dealt, but god it sure felt lonely in your mind, isolated even when surrounded. and yet you took no steps to fix what was broken, simply complained.

it made you feel selfish, burdening your own mind when you had no intentions of change. however, if you knew even nothing at all, you knew selfishness had been earned. and today you needed to use every saved tolken of comfort.

and even if not the company of your friends, you didn't want to spend the night alone. it was your birthday, and even if no one made you feel special, you didn't want to be alone.

—

though you birthday, you still had classes. and as tired and drained as you felt, you'd managed to drag yourself from the protection of your comforter.

everything felt worse than normal— pulling ur hair into a desirable style, brushing your teeth, pulling your robes together, it all felt useless.

but you did it nontheless, with the hopes that you'd keep your head up through class, and make it long enough to drink the night away.

eventually you'd made it to the last class of the day— transfiguration, your favorite class. to put it simply, professor mcgonagall had become a makeshift mother to you, therefore you found comfort in her class.

however, the calmness of the day abruptly ended when a boy slid into the seat beside you— heaving breaths puppeteering his chest, as he calmed himself.

you could hear more breaths and hushed laughter from behind you— finding that james potter was sat to your side, and his two friends remus and sirius, had shoveled into the seats behind you.

god, could your day get any more complicated?

you'd never spoken to the three— they were a portion of the marauders, and the marauders were far too well known to be friends of yours.

it wasn't that they were unkind, nor unfriendly, simply quite the handful. from pranks to parties to elaborate jokes, they always seemed to have too much going on.

the three seemed to ignore your presence, thankfully, until mcgonagall declared that this weekends homework would be completed with your seat mate.

though it took him a second to realize what that held, he eventually came to the realization and look at you. you swore you could nearly let out a scream— why couldn't today go right.

the boy switched to his side, shifting to get a better look at you rather than his now distracted friends. he flashed you an embarrassed smile, upset with himself for having ignored you previously. he pushed his hand forward, offering you a greeting.

"james potter, you?"

you looked at his hand, blinking absently for a moment. you snapped yourself out of your own suprise, meeting half way with your own rather cold hand.

"y/n l/n."

you pulled your hand back, when appropriate, before looking at the parchment infront of you. how would a project with james work, his weekends were reserved for parties.

"i can do it if you want, weekends are for parties, i get it."

he looked at you confused, his head even physically tilted to the side. he reminded you of a puppy, you felt yourself already regretting the offer. far too late to retract, you looked back down, hoping you'd manage to turn invisible and shrivel away.

"that wouldn't be very fair." he took note of your nervousness, "good observation though, you must already know me a little bit, huh?"

"you've got quite the reputation, yes."

"m'glad, but we can both do it, can't be that hard can it?"

you watched his face shrivel with confusion, apparently the project could, infact, be that hard. his fingers trailed along the sentences as he processed it, it was nothing the two of you couldn't do, but it definitely left little time to party.

you sighed, after you'd finally took your own look. you'd be spending your birthday with a stranger, bound to homework.

"set you a deal, y/n." he gave you a grin, almost challenging you with his charisma. you would've ran away if you had any less care for your grades— at the very least you'd deny any comfort you found in the geniune stranger.

"and what's that?"

"we do this tonight, then we can go straight to partying tomorrow, i'll even pay for every drink."

you blinkd at him, was this a elaborate joke, a daydream you couldn't recall starting? perhaps he'd just done more for you in mere moments than a single friend had in weeks— maybe you could pick the right one.

a moment of hope and desperation clouded your unwillingness to party, you'd do anything to have an excuse for a real friend. to hell with loneliness, what could've gone wrong?

"okay, you're on, potter."

he did his own cheer, offering you a double high-five. you complied, before setting off to get a decent spot in the library.

—

you'd come to find that james' company was better than others, more than tolerable, he was an enjoyable and warm being.

"c'mon, seriously? a skunk!" his face contorted in bewilderment, "who'd want to be a bloody skunk!"

you'd been laughing so hard you were nearly in tears— by now the both of you were on your last strike in the library, having been abnoxious for nearly three full hours.

you crossed your last t, and dotted you last i, all through joyful tears. it scared you to your core how close you'd already become to the boy, he was practically contagious.

"tada!" you grinned, holding the parchment up, "transfiguration project, check."

"sick! party time, baby!" he offered you a fist bump, which you contributed to, before standing up. he offered you his hand, after pulling his coat on.

you took it, after gathering your things, "you really know the party scene well enough to find something on this short notice?"

"you trust me?"

"i suppose i have no choice."

—

in nearly minutes james had already found, and led, you directly to a party. though even he let you in on his secret, sirius.

sirius was at almost any and every party, no one really knew how he was invited nor why— but he was, it didn't help that he dragged the marauders around with him.

this one was taking place in the Hufflepuff common room, who knew who'd proposed the idea, who hosted it, or even if you'd get caught. at this point of the night you didn't care— james seemed to match that energy.

he dragged you around the crowded party, introducing you here and there, picking up drinks as you went, even random spurts of dancing took place.

you were scared to admit how nice it was.

by a couple hours in, everyone was rather worn out. james had insisted you'd stay by his side, and you did. by now the two of you were lazily thrown over the floor, watching some others play spin the bottle.

"wanna join?"

"what is this, a romcom? i don't want to kiss a stranger."

"you don't want to kiss me?"

he gave you a lazy grin at his question, whilst you looked at him loosely. perhaps the alcohol getting to your head— or the smoke to your brain, but you simply couldn't fathom his question.

"of course i do."

it was his turn to double take, though he'd grown to like you, he hadn't expected the forwardness— not at all.

"its my birthday, and you're the only one who's made it special, of course i'd like to kiss you." you added, rearranging your boldness, and awkwardly rambling to scare the tension away.

"i mean, i would've sat in my room all alone, perhaps even cried myself to sleep." you watched his every move as you spoke, telling your brain to stop, though it denied.

and before you could wallow any further, he did exactly as you'd asked.

his hands stayed loosely on your face, a sloppy kiss at best, though what else could you have asked from two drunken teens.

he was a very gentle kisser— almost as if deep down he'd known you didn't kiss many people. but in a way it felt bittersweet, neither of you could promise that this would happen again.

your hands rested on his wrists, both of you breaking away— hands remaining where they'd been.

"you're really pretty." you whispered, almost as if you were scared to admit it.

"says you." he took a moment to process the last couple of moments, before breaking away completely, "it's your birthday!! why didn't you tell me? we need cake or something.."

the night was far from over.

james potter -> @loving-and-dreaming , @carlgrimesslover , @nyxxxxxxxx , @innerloverpainter , @angry-little-frog , @nutellani

marauders -> @withastrangerheart

taglist -> fill this out

[sup-its-cat]

In regards to that specific posts about asking questions, dca fandom (it took me until now to figure out that meant 'day care attendant/s' fandom gdgdfjkgb), etc.

5, 10, 11, 15, 16, 18, and I think 19? if I remember correctly (either that or I would've asked 1 through 20 XD but um just these will do!)

Have a good rest of your day ^^ or night!

First of all thanks :D you too havr a good rest of your day/night!

5. if you make content, what's your favourite piece you've contributed?

It gotta be these 2 drawings!

Sadley not a lot of attention has fallen it when I posted but it's okay :')

I just really like the pose and the shadows I did! Tho I don't like how I did the eyes in the first drawing-

10. What keeps you in this fandom despite the very small amount of canon content the dca had?

I.LOVE.JESTERS !!!!!

Okay but for real I love these characters so much cause of how much personality pours out from just the little moments we have!

I love the daycare and I love how it's just so different!

I mean think about it!

Every single animatronic except for the puppet is based around an animal!

But these guys are diffent and I think that's one of the reasons why I got attached to them

Also

Jesters

Legit if you make a character that has jester/clown aesthetic and is a bit unhinged I'll be obssesed with them (jevil for example)

11. Be honest; if you had to pick only one, sun or moon?

God I'm so sorry moon but I have to say sun-

Trust me I adore moon! Love him with all of its creepy stuff, very good for angst too!

But sun! Ohhhh boy when I first laid my eyes on them I immediately knew; I'll be obssesed with them

Also! I love writing sun angst in my head- I'm sorry I do-

I just love all the possibilities that could happen with a seemingly a very happy and optimistic character

I just love characters who try to act as if everything is completely fine and trying so hard to lach to whatever normalicy is still there for dear life!

15. Do you interpet sun and moon as two sides of the same person, or truly two separate beings in one body? does it matter?

I see them as 2 seperate beings in one body :D

I just can't see them being the same person they have very diffrent roles and desings (not shape ofc but they are literal opposites with the sun and the moon)

I like to think that they used to in separate bodies before something happened that made them in one body

I already drew stuff like that!

Also I don't think it really matters, you can headcanon whatever you want as long as it's not illegal or gross :D

16. what's something in the fandom you'd like to see more of?

More sun x moon-

FOR CONTEXT I DON'T SEE THEM AS SIBLINGS, AND I NEVER DID AND NEVER WILL BE IF YOU SHIP THEM BUT SEE THEM AS SIBLINGS GET OUT OF MY BLOG

Honestly I don't really like x reader stories, no reson tbh just not really into them, I prefer sitting in the background and making 2 characters kiss like dolls :)

Anyway yeah! I just really like the ship like when I first got into the game and saw both of them my immediate reaction was "omg new ship!? AND THEY HAVE LITERALLY THE SUN AND MOON DYNAMIC!?" lmao

18. anything you are looking forward to?

Based on canon? No not really I don't trust them

On fanon? Oh boy are there some fanfics/ fan comics am I excited for to update

There is this one sun x moon fic made by @stressed24seven (I follow them on insta) whish is a priest au with moon as the demon and sun as the priest and I live sun's characterisation it's so relatable and funny as hell

AND I'M WAITING SO HARD FOR CHAPTER 3 TO COME OUT

I should make fanart of it

19. do you think you'd actually get along with the dca if you met them irl?

For sun, yes absloute 100% i would love to hang out with them and be my friend

They would probably sometimes be too much for me but nothing really bad

For moon.. well if we are talking about infected-moon then I'll be terrified imagine this 6 foot tall humanoid animatronic running at you in full speed with all fours while ALSO in the dark

That shit is scary-

But for pre-virus moon, i believe I'll get along with him :)

I see him as this very quiet but can be kinda sarcastic person who you can chill around

And I'm also a quiet person believe or not so we would get along :D

[marshmallowprotection]

Still thinking about that one Suit birthday CG we got…imagine Suit’s habit of talking to himself (as I assume all the boys do it to some degree) shifts to him talking to his little Mc puppet. While he’s making it, as he takes a break from it to work and it sits off near him somewhere, and even after it’s finished and waiting to be presented.

"Pointless... miserable... idiots. All they ever do is talk about their nonsense day-to-day lives. As if any of them deserve to know the taste of freedom. They live so comfortably in their little bubble as kings while the rest of us starve," Saeran glowered at the screen as more messages ticked in from the RFA.

Whenever the airhead had watched them, he would bite his lip until it bleed while whispering his unrest. But, Saeran wasn't like him. When he had to watch these morons, he felt his stomach churning and his head thumping. He hated this. He hated watching them. The Savior wanted most of the RFA for paradise, and she could have them if it was so important.

He just wanted nothing to do with any of them.

They were blind to the truth of this world... and they followed wrong prophets into the sun. None of them were worth his time, and it felt like a waste on his revenge to sit there as they spoke like nothing in this world was wrong. They were wrong. They were all wrong, and it was sickening to watch. He grit his teeth, and looked back down at his lap where the half-finished puppet of your person remained. It wasn't done yet.

The likeness of his toy wasn't the same. But, his fingers ached from carving the details into your face. He had long already sewn the outfit for the puppet... all that he had to do now was make your body right for the job. This puppet was going to put you in your face. You were the only thing that he could speak to that understood the morons in the RFA... but even you were testing his patience.

You had too much sympathy for people that wouldn't matter in the long run. You weren't going to see them. You were his toy... and he'd never let you out of his sight... definitely not when the RFA lost. The RFA was for the Savior... you were for him. You were going to stay by his side no matter what. He refused to let go of something that he'd earned.

You were his.

You weren't going to leave him.

He slid your puppet to the edge of the table so that it rested next to his keyboard, and his eyes shifted back to the monitor. You weren't with him right now... you were locked away in your room. That's right where you needed to be, but he didn't have the time to remind you of that. You were too busy in the chatroom with the others, speaking of nonsense with them since you knew your place.

"You just don't get it," his eyes reverted back to the puppet that he had created. "You'll never get it, toy. You're from a world that I wasn't allowed in, so you'll never know what true pain and isolation can feel like. You smile and laugh with the fools... and then pretend to know what I think and feel... just like you did with that bug. Well, you're not going to trick me."

The puppet didn't respond like you would. It just sat there and did nothing while the hard drive of his computer hummed in the back much like white noise that he couldn't displace. He wanted the real you to be quiet like this puppet, but for some reason, he waited for some kind of noise that wouldn't come back.

The real you continued to chat animatedly with Yoosung Kim and Zen about nothing... about trivial things. How could you do that when he'd made you quiver? How could you play pretend so well? Maybe, you'd been a toy all along... that's how you knew so well to trick Ray the way you did.

You knew how to play the game of house and how to make a person bend to your wishes. You could sway anyone. It was a skill that would make the RFA crumble into pieces over time... everyone would crack... all of them... it was only a matter of time and if he continued to push... you would become a weakness for all of them.

Well, not him.

Your smile was to trick others.

Mint Eye was like a game... a game where you had to know the rules before someone spoke them. He wouldn't be tricked when he knew the rules... the Savior made him learn the rules... he couldn't dare be tricked by anyone when he learned the rules the hard way... the rules wouldn't change... you wouldn't bend him... you wouldn't change his mind.

You were the puppet toy, now.

The screen reflected your smiles but the puppet stared at him in a lifeless haze as if predicting something. “You’re never going to bend me to your liking. You’re the toy, you hear me?! You can keep spouting your nonsense about the world. It will never get to me. I know who I am... I know my power. I know what I have to do for my Savior to survive. I’m not Ray... I’m not an airhead. I’m not stupid. I will not be manipulated again by the likes of...”

Right?

He knew what he had to do...

But... was that what he wanted?

No... no!

You were bending his will and desire... he wasn't bending or watching for your reactions. You were playing pretend so you didn't get in trouble for disobeying. You weren't trying to trick him and make him feel like a loser who couldn't win his own game. He wasn't being used. He was the one in control, now. This was his paradise. He wasn't being lured into a trap. You were the toy.

He...

The faceless puppet stared back at him.

Mocking him.

Taunting him.

Tormenting him.

Saeran picked up the puppet and held it tightly in his grasp. It was just a toy. It was just a toy he made. He grit his teeth, ignoring the sting in his eyes that had dared to manifest. Hot tears were coming whether he liked it or not. He was so angry that you got to be happy after torment. How could you keep smiling and laughing after everything you had gone through?! Were you mad?! Were you insane?! Were you trying to break him?!

The misery in his voice was fraught with despair. “If you can smile in the face of your likely death with creation in your hands... how can I prove that real strength comes from absolute destruction?”