#BUT ALSO they have this hidden threat of one of them plotting against them

[bigmoon-is-bigwife]

I'm interested to see what happens with Orange faction because they don't seem to have strong bonds with each other compared to other factions. They're together because they arrived to the server together and knew each other from before but I'm not sure how much loyalty they have. I'm also not sure how much trust they have in Kyle as their leader since they got eaten by giants under his leadership and several of them have expressed bitterness about being abandoned by him. Then there's also the fact that Water is planning to betray and kill them all. It feels like there's a lot of tension building in the faction and it'll either bring them closer together or they'll get destroyed by infighting

[revelboo]

REVEL! I request some of the lost light starscream story 🙏

Absolutely been obsessed with your writing, i legit have been checking every hour to see if you’ve uploaded anything new. I’ve read probably everything you’ve posted except for the bumble bee stories, you’ve made me fall in love with so many characters, the way you write all of them is absolutely amazing. Also this your reminder to hydrate!

Yeah, Sundays aren’t usually good days

Overdone Pt 3

Starscream x Reader

• Slumping into his chair behind his desk, he leans his chin on a fist as you ramble utter nonsense. Claiming you’d come to just falling to your death. Lies. They have to be, but then you’re turning big eyes his way and thanking him for saving your life and his wings flick. When’s the last time someone thanked him for anything? Shaking himself, he growls. Someone has to have put you up to this. “So I’m to believe you just teleported to Cybertron without meaning to, without even knowing how you accomplished it?”

• Staring up at his scowl, you understand why he doubts your story. It sounds crazy even to you, but you honestly don’t know how you ended up here. The only things you’re sure of? He’d saved you when he hadn’t had to. And that makes you sure he’s good deep down despite how intimidating he is, despite his threats to harm you if you’re a spy. Hands clasped together, you study him as his optics shutter and he presses his servos against them in an all too human gesture like he has a headache. “I swear I’m not a spy. I’m a baker.”

• “And I can just take your word for it?” Everyone’s out to get him, to take away what he’s worked so hard for. But he can’t figure out the game here. Maybe you’re not a real human? Just something meant to look like one? Comming Rattrap, he vents when you just stare up at him with wide eyes. Why a human? Thundercracker is the one that cares for the little meat bags, not him. Anyone familiar with him would know that. ‘Bring me a scanner,’ he growls at Rattrap, cutting the connection without waiting for a reply.

• Of course, he doesn’t trust you, but you’re certain you can trust him. And short of him giving you a kitchen and baking supplies, you’re not sure how to prove your claim. You’re also not sure what a scanner is or who he was just talking to. What you are aware of? How massive he is. Alien and strange. His face, his body metal, but malleable. Able to give enough to form expressions and his hands had been warm holding you, making you painfully aware of how cold you are right now. “Why did you save me?” You ask almost against your will and his frown deepens.

• “Would have rather I let you make a very small splatter on the surface?” Growling, he turns toward the door when it opens and holds out a hand in demand. Aware of Rattrap gawking at you as he hands over the scanner. And you flinch when he powers it on and seizes you by the leg to drag you closer when you try to back away. Huffing through his vents at your little squeak when you fall on your butt and he pulls you closer. Your expression almost comically indignant when he scans you. Finding you really are just a human. You don’t even have any hidden tech meant to spy on him and he’s almost disappointed. Almost eager to root out a plot or a conspiracy. Tapping the scanner on the desk beside you to make you flinch, he vents. “Go find Wheeljack,” he mutters to Rattrap. Because you’re still a mystery he means to solve.

Previous

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[rosieyart]

okay, by popular demand (and by popular demand, i mean 3 people and my inability to keep my mouth shut) i am here with my saiou/ousai relationship + mini character analysis. this is an elaboration on this ask i got earlier !!

i should mention that i’ve only ever played through v3 once, so there is probably a lot i am missing, nuance wise and what not. i also haven’t edited this well, so it’s kinda just a word dump (sorry), so i’m not sure how understandable/coherent it’ll be. nor do i know how original my ideas are; there’s probably someone who’s dumped their opinions exactly like mine somewhere… in any case, here is my conclusion on why i think saiou is a rather intriguing ship and why i’m personally drawn to them, individually n otherwise ✌️

ouma kokichi. god what a complex character. some might argue otherwise, but i think his character and his arc throughout the game is not only hard to crack/understand, but integral to the v3 plot and overarching themes presented. well never truly know what he was thinking, and so many have already fought tooth and nail to defend or oppose him. in my humble opinion, however, the way i see it is this: ouma’s overall goal was to unite everyone against an active, obvious threat in the killing game. the mastermind was hidden amongst them, as they decided found out on, and by outing himself as the mastermind, making himself a clear and obvious target, it encouraged the remaining survivors to build trust within one another and fight together. kokichi realized very early on that no one was going to trust anyone as long as there was a hidden mastermind posing as a student within their group. he knew they weren’t going to get anywhere if they kept doubting each other — so in a very unorthodox way, he united them together. they didn’t need a friend, he realized, they needed an enemy. and by default, he sort of becomes shuichi’s nemesis as most antagonists in the games do.

i was on tiktok the other day and found this comment that i thought made a good point, regarding kokichi’s character and why people hate him.

though i am biased, i think it’s fair to say that in a world without the killing game, kokichi would want to be friends with shuichi. or at the very least, he’d be intrigued by him and push shuichi’s buttons to figure him out. i think it’s funny and such a nice detail to notice, but just as shuichi (and us, by default) are confused about kokichi and his actions, shuichi himself is actually a mystery to ouma as well. in the eng version, kokichi had shuichi labeled “trustworthy?” on his whiteboard meanwhile in the jp version, it’s “tricky/can’t figure him out.” in both versions regardless of translation, i think it’s fair to say that kokichi is intrigued and wants to understand shuichi better. one part of their dynamic i really love is the whole “i’m gonna annoy because it’s so fun and you react to said annoyances in ways i thoroughly enjoy.” and it’s fun, and silly, but i think it’s also kokichi’s way of figuring shuichi out. shuichi is… an anomaly. he’s an ultimate detective who’s supposed to search for the truth, yet he is ironically afraid of what he’ll find out. he has a knack for discovering and unearthing mysteries (he can’t help but connect two dots together) and yet he simultaneously is hesitant to discover more. he wants to find the truth, but is willing to tell lies in the classroom trials. this is a really fun juxtaposition with kokichi, who is notorious for telling lies and skirting around the truth like it’s the plague. and yet, they both want the same thing: to find out the truth and be done with this killing game. one is searching for the liars within their group, the other is finding out the truths.

this is one reason why i really enjoy saiou. one of the biggest themes for drv3 is the relationship between truths and lies. there’s the overarching “truth” of their world which is that it’s gone to hellfire and everyone but them are dead. the world ended. except, nope! that’s a lie! the *real* truth is that they’re in a killing game show. kokichi is known for telling lies, and so when he reveals the fire destroyed world outside and says that this is the truth out of the outside world, it’s ironic. kokichi knows there’s something else up, but he reveals the truth of the outside world to them (this, from what i understand/theorize, is ultimately to further everyone’s hatred towards ouma and help them form a close and trusting bond together, but the symbolism behind it is really interesting to me). “here is your truth,” he says, and they can’t dispute it as a lie because it’s right there in front of them. just like they couldn’t dispute gonta in the fourth trial.

except… what *really* defines truth? kokichi must’ve known the outside world was a lie, or that there was something more to it, otherwise why did he go through with his suicide in chap 5? to beat a dead horse: he tells a lie about the “truth” that is the outside world. we circle back to this lie vs truth theme in chapter six when shuichi starts questioning his sense of self. what is really true if he used to be someone else? if his memories and experiences are fake, does that make himself a fake human? a fake person? ultimately we come to know that it doesn’t matter — *he* gets to choose his own truth, even if there are lies buried beneath them. his memories may be fake, but his emotions and feelings aren’t. you cant fake the beating of your own heart or the pain you feel at knowing it’s all unreal, that it’s all a *lie*.

one thing i just thought was so so clever and genuinely helped me understand kokichi more was his friendship reward. for every friendship star completion thingy you complete, you get their underwear (💀) and a special skill to use in the trials. kokichi’s friendship reward is “kind lie.” he has a multitude of lies under his belt — real ones, hurtful ones, white ones, and ofc kind ones. you could argue his plan to deceive everyone as the mastermind was both a hurtful lie and a kind lie — he was ultimately lying for the greater good (imo). shuichi, despite being afraid of the truth, has no problem lying for the greater good either. i was so confused about the whole “perjury” aspect added to this game. i thought it was just another lame addition that didn’t make sense as a means of attempting to change it up a little in comparison to the last two games. but now i understand it’s greater purpose. lying is ultimately not a bad thing. not always, anyway. lying, as we find out, can help us pursue the truth. and i think kokichi knows this to be true in some ways, which is why he’s always acting so oblivious and naive at some times — or outright lying when he knows the truth is the opposite of what he’s saying. without a doubt, kokichi seriously helped move debates along during the trials. pretty sure whether you hate him or love him, people could agree to that. even if he appeared to be spouting nonsense or derailing the conversation, shuichi being the detective he is was able to slowly but surely understand (if only somewhat minimally) kokichi’s methods and thinking process. which is why chap 5 was so wild because it quite literally was all up to shuichi. kokichi single handedly put his trust into kaito to follow through with the plan, and shuichi to figure it out; NO ONE ELSE would’ve been able to figure it out except shuichi (except maybe maki but she was too stubborn to see thru to the truth). and that is like. holy shit??? that’s crazy to me and i think it shows that despite not trusting anyone and not knowing how it was going to turn out, kokichi took that gamble anyway. and it worked! except yknow. it also didn’t, in a way. all in all, the lying aspect of the trail grounds ties into the bigger overarching theme of choosing your own truth to live, and choosing what lies to believe in — good or bad.

side note: i think it’s so funny how mad kokichi gets when shuichi lies about seeing him in the virtual world in chapter four. had shuichi not lied, we wouldn’t have figured out it was gonta (or more likely, kokichi would’ve spoon fed the answer to everyone a bit more). gonta wasn’t supposed to have memory loss, and i have to wonder if not lying about kokichi would’ve made the trial go along if gonta still had his memories from the virtual world. in any case, when shuichi pulled the “yeah i actually did see you walk up the stairs” — the fact he LIED (mr “i’m searching for the truth so we can live and find the culprit” detective) to notorious king of liars ouma kokichi was so funny to me. like girl. ofc kokichi’s gonna realize you lied. and he did and he got so fucking mad over it and kokichi being petty like that and just saying “yeah okay gonta’s the culprit” is so funny to me. bro was LIVID he decided to just up and say the truth to be petty 😭

moving on, i think the big three characters juxtaposed with shuichi is something to note. those three being kaede, kaito, and kokichi. mayyyybe i’m looking a bit too much into this but i want to mention their relationship with shuichi and their character designs because it feels very intentional to me. a while back i discovered shuichi and kokichi have inverted color palettes — black with light accents vs white with dark accents. grey-ish yellow vs purple eyes. but the eye color inversion also actually applies to kaito and kaede, who, just like kokichi, have purple eyes. here is my argument: purple is an important color to the story, as it overall conveys a symbolism for trust and truth. if you look at those three’s color palettes, purple is a notable color. for kaito, it’s dominating. kaede, she’s a bit more desaturated, and kokichi it’s like his accent color. barely there, but noticeable nonetheless.

kaede is our first culprit (except she isn’t since her plan failed). she is trusting and sweet and kind and encouraging. she is desperate, *desperate* to find the mastermind first thing because she is heavily determined to help everyone escape. her color palette is a mix of purple and pink, with pink being more prominent and her purple being a more lavender shade. she’s desaturated in color, especially in her eyes, and i want to say this is likely symbolic of her desire to find the truth, yet her willingness to deceive others simultaneously. she’s not a bad person, far from it, but when she “kills” rantarou, she doesn’t own up to it immediately. she owns up to it eventually, but she also doesn’t take advantage of the first blood perk as a means of further trying to find the mastermind. she is willing to lie about her plan to shuichi (even if it’s lie by deception/not telling) and willing to take a risk to find and kill the mastermind. this, i believe, is why her eyes are so desaturated in purple; she is telling the truth, but it’s watered down.

kaito is almost the complete opposite of kokichi, but also not exactly the same as kaede. out of the three, he has the brightest purple eyes and the most purple on his body. he is a living, breathing, walking example of trust and truth. he wants to find the truth so badly and would never even THINK to tell a lie. would never even consider murder, even if it was the mastermind. his hair is purple, his jacket is purple, and his eyes are purple as all hell. purple, in my opinion, is a huge color resembling truth and trust. he *trusts* maki just because he wants to. he *trusts* shuichi just because he wants to. he wants to believe in them because he wants to find the good in everyone. his trust in them help bolster shuichi into a better mindset, especially after kaede, and encourages him to keep going. kaito might not be the brightest, nor the most helpful in the trials, but emotionally he is vital to shuichi. because he *trusts* shuichi.

kokichi has the least amount of purple in his color palette, but i think his purple accents are the most important out of all of the purple trio. if purple is the color of truth and trust, then having that color reflected on kokichi almost seems ironic and misinforming. except it isn’t. ouma kokichi, the notorious king of lies, is actually quite good at leading everyone towards the truth. the only purple on him is in the dyed tips if his hair and his eyes— almost like the truth his bleeding out of him, or rather just barely visible that you can’t make it out unless you focus hard enough. after all, at first glance i imagine everyone would take in the checkered scarf and the fact black and white is so prominent on him. i think it’s symbolic to have purple as his eye color. it’s a nice character design aspect imo, but it also harkens back to that one saying “the eyes are the window to the soul” or something long that line. despite what kokichi might say or do, the truth is in his eyes (literally). it’s silent and unassuming, but it’s there. his eyes are actually a brighter and darker purple than kaede’s. not as bright as kaito’s, but still something to note.

with all this being said, shuichi gets a difference sense of truth and trust from each of them. kaede provides him an equal dose of truths and lies, kaito gives him absolute truth, and kokichi gives him almost all lies to find the truth.

and i really, *really* love the dynamic between shuichi and kokichi with this whole truth vs lie theme. kokichi, as we learn in his free time events, loves to play games. he’s a bit childish but still extremely mature. his way of having fun is messing with people (though not necessarily in a mean way. after all, he makes the stakes extremely high and concerning, like killing yourself if you lose — but he still purposefully rigs each game so they end in a tie, or with shuichi winning. hell, he STABS himself, hurts himself, in the knife game that is in the final FTE and holy shit if that isn’t foreshadowing for chapter five idk what is. he is willing to hurt himself to avoid others getting hurt. obviously this can get more complicated when it comes to chap. 4. you could argue he hurt miu and gonta terribly and he should’ve died if what i said was true, but i would counter argue by saying the killing game would’ve gone on and on, just like tsumugi wanted, without his intervention there… still a heart wrenching trial nonetheless and gonta and miu both deserved better imo. but what would danganronpa be without unfair trials and bullshit like that?).

it’s this push and this pull, this dance, if you will, between shuichi and kokichi. kokichi is a trickster pulling various stunts and never revealing his hand, and shuichi is a detective trying to uncover his secrets. i think kokichi gets thrilled at the prospect of being uncovered like that — he lies and he lies and he *wants* someone to catch him. after all, in the love suite hotel his entire thing is phantom thief being captured by detective shuichi��… the fact he still says “because i love you shuichi” is fucking insane, but that’s actually not the most important part here. during the love suite, he brings up playing games again, just like in the FTEs. “you weren’t bored playing with me, were you?” kokichi asks. and then “are you mad because i toyed with you? don’t worry. i’m always thinking about you!—“ (bombastic side eye 🤨🏳️‍🌈) “—you’re always trying your best to catch me. i really have to give it my all to win .” and then shuichi points out directly after that he seems to be enjoying himself, despite being a “cornered criminal.” and that’s when kokichi admits that he *wants* shuichi to catch him. ….. oh boy the connotations here are kinda crazy but…. it gets even crazier. i cant believe this part is voice acted but here i’ll just link the video so people can watch. (from 4:32 to 5:10) a lot of this, esp towards the end, is likely for the whole romantic love suite hotel roleplaying thing going on to appease the audience playing the v3, but even still it’s such a fun dynamic. again, the push and the pull. it almost feels like a game of tag, the thing going on between shuichi and kokichi. except it’s hard sometimes to figure out who’s running after who. overall, kokichi is a liar and it’s hard to tell what he says is true, and shuichi is a detective hungry for truths.

side note 2.0: i think a lot of people hate saiou because it feels toxic and i can sorta see where they’re coming from: from a very bare bones glossing over their character dynamic, i could potentially see how they got to that conclusion, but i don’t think that conclusion did any real deep diving into their dynamic and characters. so no, saiou is not toxic. and also, it should be mentioned the moment shuichi shows signs of unease in the love suite hotel after kokichi shoved him over the bed, bro was up and out. kokichi respect boundaries and understands a no when he hears one 😁👍

tldr: truths vs. lies. games. purple = truths and trust. chasing after one another. saiousai cool ✌️👍

[adannamdi]

Suspects and Red Herrings in Mystery Writing

SUSPECTS

In mystery writing, a suspect is someone believed to have committed a crime, but they are not necessarily the villain. They are side characters who help drive the story forward, adding layers of intrigue and misdirection.

For example, if someone is suspected of murder or kidnapping, the protagonist must investigate them thoroughly before proving—beyond a reasonable doubt—whether they are guilty or not. A rushed or baseless arrest isn't just unrealistic; it can be a sign of police brutality or judicial incompetence, which can actually serve as an interesting plot element.

Example Scenario:

An officer is called to reinvestigate a crime and discovers that his close friend—also an officer—was originally in charge of the case. As he digs deeper, he realizes that his friend knowingly arrested the wrong person and kept quiet to protect his reputation.

In this setup, the officer’s friend initially appears trustworthy, but over time, subtle clues and contradictions make readers question whether he might be the true perpetrator. To make this work, other suspects must be introduced to divert suspicion, keeping readers engaged and unsure of who to trust.

RED HERRING

Red herrings are one of the most effective tools in mystery writing because they create tension and misdirection. A red herring is a suspect who appears to be the villain—convincingly so—only to be proven innocent later on.

To break it down:

Character A = A suspect with some evidence against them.

Character B = A red herring suspect who seems guilty but isn’t.

Character C = The true villain, who remains hidden until the climax.

Example Scenario:

The protagonist is investigating Characters A and B in connection to a crime. He gathers strong evidence that suggests B is a false witness who misled the authorities. Readers are convinced that B must be guilty.

But then, as the protagonist keeps digging, he realizes something is missing. The real mastermind—Character C—is still in the shadows, pulling the strings. However, there’s barely any evidence against C, making it a challenge for both the protagonist and the reader to uncover the truth.

A good mystery balances evidence, misdirection, and suspense to keep the audience engaged. Sometimes, the red herring may know the villain but refuse to reveal them for personal reasons. Other times, they were just a pawn, unknowingly working for the real culprit.

The Importance of Personal Stakes

A mystery shouldn’t rely solely on the crime itself—personal stakes keep readers emotionally invested.

Consider adding:

Threats against the protagonist.

Superstitions, like an abandoned building people warn them to avoid.

A personal connection to the victim.

For instance, if the protagonist is investigating a case that involves their missing sibling, the emotional weight of the story increases. Readers will care not just about solving the mystery but about the character’s personal journey as well.

Bonus: The Role of Clues

Clues are essential pieces of evidence that help the protagonist solve the mystery. They can take many forms, from physical objects to subtle inconsistencies in alibis.

Examples of Clues:

Objects: Keys, pictures, old toys, rings, SIM cards, ATM receipts.

Technology: Forgotten emails, deleted messages, CCTV footage.

Documents: Journals, diaries, favorite books, old letters.

Locations: Hidden compartments, locked rooms, abandoned offices.

A well-placed clue, hidden in plain sight, can make a mystery all the more rewarding when the reader looks back and realizes it was there all along.

Next Week’s Topic:

Next week, I’ll be discussing how to write a compelling main villain, from a hidden mastermind to an outright antagonist. Follow for more, and don’t hesitate to leave a comment or like if you found this helpful!

[bnhaobservation]

Overall, do you think Tomura is a well written character? And a well written main Villain?

Honestly the only criticism I have against him is that he doesn’t seem the threat the story portrays him as, but that’s really on Horikoshi and his refusal to let the Heroes face some long lasting consequences.

But, for real, I think Horikoshi’s decision to go with such an unconventional antagonist was his strongest card, both in originality and thematically. (Until he blew it).

I have seen people complain that Nine was a better Hero to the Villains, as he had an established, coherent goal from the start and was stable enough to actually pursue it, but for me Tomura’s madness and instability, his pain and raw anger, are much more compelling.

All of who he is is a manifesto of what happens to people who are discarded by society.

He’s a victim who won’t let what happened to him go, everyone will pay and see the consequences of his suffering. His untreated trauma and its effects, both for him and the environment around him, aren’t softened in any way.

However, he’s also shown to be able of improvement and change through the bonds he formed with the league. He had a sincere desire to make them justice hidden under the lump of hatred and sadness. But, (as much as I hate the whole afo/ofa psychic connection), he wouldn’t have ever seen his own growth and humanity without the hero who tried to save him, Deku. (Can’t believe I’m giving Deku credit.)

Nine, or someone more like him, could have never represented such a middle ground, because Nine was already able to save himself and others. Nine didn’t need society or a hero to help him, therefore society was not in need to be challenged to improve and become more inclusive.

Tomura learned to express real, heartfelt criticism of hero society, but that didn’t dismiss the need for heroes to save him from himself and his abuser.

He established valid thematic points without dismissing the heroes’ role in helping out victims, even the bad ones. He was perfect for the point MHA was making (or pretending to make).

But I don’t know, what do you think?

Sorry for answering you so late but not only I was away form home but, as usual, I planned for a short reply and ended up writing a long post analyzing Tomura.

Sorry about this but I should probably admit I do love Tomura so I’ve tried extra hard to be impartial, listing his good points and the flaws.

LET’S TALK ABOUT CHARACTERIZATION

For me the final idea behind Tomura’s character is great, he’s basically the mirror image of the main character, down to the red shoes. Both he and Midoriya start out Quirkless (Midoriya is born as such, Tenko had his own stolen). Midoriya is bullied outside his house but his mother loves him, Tenko has friends outside his house but his father makes said house unsafe. Then someone gives them a Quirk (that destroys Tenko’s family and Midoriya’s body) and offers to mentor them. Unluckily for Tenko it’s AFO while for Midoriya it’s All Might so Midoriya gets to have his ‘Hero story’ in which his actions inspire All Might to act, where Tenko murders his whole family.

And the two grow and Tenko is taught the downside/dark side of the Hero world, while Midoriya enrolls in U.A. high and learns of the bright side of it and then the two clash and Midoriya learns Hero society isn’t as perfect as he believes but decides to save Tenko, basically wanting to teach him the upside/light side of the Hero world.

This is the basic idea behind the two and it’s VERY GOOD.

Tenko/Tomura is perfect as a foil to Midoriya, he’s even given companions that match/mirror Midoriya’s friends: obviously Touya/Shouto, Himiko/Uraraka but, in a way, also Kurogiri/Bakugou (relationship from childhood) and if you really wants to pull things Atsuhiro/Iida (the families shaping them), Shuuichi/Shouji (the Heteromorph drama) and Jin/Aoyama (the betrayal plot). As you can see each of them has a point of similitude that however goes opposite to the other, same as Tomura and Midoriya.

Tenko/Tomura is given an intriguing backstory, an evolution, flaws, companions, a mentor figure, a starting point, an inner research for a goal that’s more than just ‘I’m evil’, an evolution and an end.

All this is very, very good.

What’s not so good is how the story handles all this.

Tomura’s evolution and inner world don’t get enough screentime.

In the first part he’s a certain kind of person that threatened Kurogiri, didn’t care for the Villains who carried with himself at the USJ and would have murdered Touya and Himiko because they annoyed him. Having a talk with Midoriya is a good idea to start to change him… but sadly despite Midoriya having PLENTY of screentime, the talk doesn’t equally affect Midoriya (why should we care? Because it would be important to have them affect each other instead while Midoriya does ask to All Might if there was someone he couldn’t save, this doesn’t really change his approach to things much).

Still, like Midoriya as a Hero, he’s not really much of a Villain (even though the police and the Heroes make an overly big deal of him) but it fits, because as Midoriya’s foil he can’t be too good.

Then we have the ‘Forest Training Camp’ arc and the ‘Hideout raid’ arc. Tomura somehow decides to put Touya in charge and target Bakugou. The story doesn’t explain how he came to the decision Touya was the one more fitting to lead the team which is a flaw in writing because all of sudden he considers the League his comrades and somehow it will be implied he knows their backstories (except maybe Touya’s) as he’ll claim each of them have suffered.

The story doesn’t even quite goes on why he wants Bakugou, does he see him as a fellow victim or just as an useful pawn to attack Hero society? Is he trying to be a manipulator solely for his own convenience or he’s genuinely trying to offer Bakugou a way out from a society that would chain and muzzle him?

Each one can have their own theory but the point is the story doesn’t really tell us what he felt for Bakugou and when they’ll confront again he’ll claim he lost interest in him… but he’s possessed by AFO so who knows.

All those plot/characterization holes are here because Tomura will move to his… ‘next stage’.

After AFO is jailed Tomura is characterized as someone who cares for the League. They’re now “friends”, “companions”, “allies” or, to use the word he uses ‘nakama’ (仲間), which is a word that implies a stronger bond that casual friends, they’re friends and colleagues/allies, they share with him something. He tolerates their weird behaviors, he wants to avenge Magne, he doesn’t mind if Himiko points her knife at his throat. I love this characterization and we can of course assume this is the natural evolution of him losing AFO and having to spend time with them so he grew close to them (as h e shows no care for Muscular, Moonfish, Mustard), but the story doesn’t portray this, it just jumps from a point to the other.

Kurogiri is whisked away by the plot, so that we can’t see their relation evolve.

Tomura though, is very interesting and promising as he deals with Overhaul, but also totally different from how he was before, he stays calm, he doesn’t get upset with Jin, he tries to protect the League, first telling Atsuhiro to wait, then jumping on the battleground when he doesn’t. Later he’ll negotiate with Overhaul calmly getting info out of him and sets up a way for them to take advantage of him. Ultimately he’ll destroy Overhaul and steals his bullets.

It’s a completely different Tomura if we compare him to the one who would throw a tantrum when things didn’t go his way, be it when All Might got in advantage, when he interacted with Stain or when Touya annoyed him. It’s a great Tomura and yes, as said before he could have changed naturally due to losing his mentor but… the story just change him without exploring the transition.

This is bad and sadly a recurring problem in the story. Characters change and WHY they did so isn’t explored or it is explored only vaguely so that it feels as if their character is retconned.

Now, people can change. They won’t do it overnight as it’s a pretty difficult process.

In theory times went by so yes, Tomura could change and his change would make sense and I can construct an (I hope) good argument on why he went toward this direction… but as the slow shift isn’t represented in any way, it might feel an abrupt shift to a reader.

The new Tomura block starts with ‘My Villain academia’, which more or less continues the new characterization of Tomura as someone who cares about his friends but also as someone who knows how to be a leader, making it even more marked. In fact he puts up with Shuuichi’s criticism, he goes to rescue Giran, he promises the League they can get what they want, he lets Touya free to do as he prefers, he opens up about his past, he handles Garaki and Re-Destro without losing it, gaining a commanding presence, he doesn’t coldly murder Re-Destro and his allies but becomes their ruler, he remembers what the League wanted to eat…

The change is now less abrupt compared to previously, it actually comes as a more smooth evolution of his character, plus the story gives him drama, finally revealing his past and helps us make sense of his motive.

In fact Tomura’s motive is now more ‘his own motive’, he has a target, he has decided to destroy all he hates so as to free himself from the weight in his heart where before, with his claiming he wanted to question society and that was it, he seemed to have less of an aim and just parrot AFO’s teachings.

All this is good and interesting to me, on the other side, Horikoshi never develop Tomura’s relation with Machia or with the Meta Liberation Army so it feels like he’s just using them and this is not so great. Credits when it’s due there wasn’t much time to explore it, as Tomura soon ends up in Garaki’s lab but it still feels a wasted chance considering in the end he’ll claim he wants to be ‘a Hero for the Villains’.

Again, the readers can try and connect things but the story doesn’t bother. Tomura gets a last moment of glory when he wakes up and fight the Heroes. He’s great in his characterization, the way he takes care of the League, of how he spares the High Ends so that they can use them, how he interacts with the Heroes, how he explains them the difference between Heroes and Villains, how when Midoriya complains he won’t forgive him, he calmly answers he won’t forgive them either, how he tries to resist to AFO’s possession, at first in a friendly way only to change tone when he realizes AFO has been using him, that’s a great Tomura.

Then he gets possessed and possessed Tomura is nowhere as interesting as we don’t get him react to anything that’s going on (Twice’s death, Touya’s revelation, Atsuhiro and Machia being arrested and so on…). Credits when it’s due, the story hardly focuses on the League at this point because the new antagonist is AFO and his band of merry escaped convicts/assassins.

Tomura ‘comes back’ for the battle with Midoriya. They don’t really talk much. Tomura has some good moments of characterization but, for being a moment I had long awaited, it mostly managed to disappoint me and it comes with characterization downsides too.

I tend to think at that point Horikoshi really wanted to end the manga and that was a huge part of the problem but I might be wrong. It’s fitting he feels suicidal in the way he attacks, I liked his monologue with Midoriya in the OFA space and, later, that’s nice he cares about Shuuichi but what about everything else? The fact he gets again possessed and psychologically shattered but no, he’s saved by Nana but he doesn’t get a meaningful talk with her or All Might and he’s fine entrusting everything to Midoriya when he first said the Villains needed a Hero… as if he thinks Midoriya can be a Hero for the Villains too… honestly doesn’t work well for me. Again the evolution feels forced, jumpy, Horikoshi wants him to say something and so he complies.

So, on the long run, Tomura’s characterization (as far as I’m involved) has up and downs that other Villains don’t have because they get less screentime so Horikoshi sticks to just a characterization for them.

It’s still an interesting characterization, one that could have been amazing if Horikoshi had just taken care to smoother some transitions and one I love even if I’m the one who has to do the work to connect the dots.

LET’S TALK ABOUT HIS GOAL

At first Tomura’s goal is hard to understand.

When facing All Might he claims he’s angry because both Heroes and Villains thrive on violence but they’re still categorized in good and evil, All Might is called a symbol of peace but he’s just a tool for violence made to keep Villains down, however violence can only breed more violence and he plans to show it by killing All Might. [Chap. 19] All Might shoots his motive down claiming he’s not an idealist but someone who’s enjoying himself, which Tomura confirms. All Might will later call him a man-child.

When he confronts himself with Stain he summarizes his goal is ‘kill All Might and all he doesn’t like’ [Chap. 47] which leads Stain to label him as a temper tantrum kid claiming he has bloodlust without conviction. Pressured by Stain, Tomura insists he has no conviction but he’s still driven by All Might and the society that worship him and that he wants to crush, so that can be his conviction. Stain is impressed and agrees they’ve in common the wish to destroy the status quo and that Tomura actually has a seed of conviction. [Chap. 49]

Tomura is not quite sure, when wandering before meeting Midoriya he insists he and the Hero Killer were just ‘destroying the things they hate’ and, talking with Midoriya he claims he hates everyone and everything. His words also hint he’s upset society isn’t noticing him but they’re focusing on Stain. After his talk with Midoriya though, his mind clears up even though is explanation isn’t so clear. He claims he’s angry at Stain and Midoriya and at society because they’re all thinking about All Might, smiling wide and thinking there’s no one All Might can’t save while, at the same time, remembering how All Might didn’t save him. Moments later he’ll claim he’ll create a world without All Might and cause enough destruction to show everyone how fragile their justice really is. [Chap. 69]

When facing Bakugou he observes how everyone is giving a hard time to Heroes because their job is to protect people but they did too little, too late and  screwed up, but everyone can do it yet people expects them to be perfect. He then claims his war is based on a few simple questions: ‘What is a Hero? What is justice? Is this what society’s really supposed to be like?’ He also points out that all in the League have different stories but they’ve all suffered thanks to other people, to rules and to heroes and felt suffocated. [Chap. 85] Tomura is pointing out society is, in a way, reacting like him. The Heroes failed to save them and they turned against the Heroes, he’s NOT different from them and they’re not different from him. It’s just that they’re so stuck on how Heroes are perfect they don’t think Heroes can fail and create people like him, but have Heroes fail them and they turn against Heroes just the same as him. And this is what Tomura wants, he wants them to feel his own desperation, he wants them to notice he’s desperate and needed help and no one helped him.

When confronting Overhaul, he claims he’s collecting people to annihilate the Hero society and the latter scolds him about Tomura not having a plan, not knowing what to do once he has expanded, how to use the people under him. [Chap. 125] The two of course couldn’t be more different, as Overhaul wants to profit from the destruction of Hero society, while Tomura doesn’t. He’s not in for the money. In the following confrontation with Overhaul he’ll agree to join him as long as they won’t work under him as they’ll do what they want, when and how they want.

When confronting Garaki Tomura defines his goal better. He claims he can’t remember his past but he feels his rage boil when he wears his hands… and we’re starting to get better hints about how Tomura’s ‘rage’ is a cover, a reaction, a copying mechanism to Tomura’s suffering, to his trauma of killing his family, to how he wasn’t helped, no Hero coming to save him, how he was abandoned, people not caring about his misery until AFO found him. AFO called it frustration, rage, but it’s actually trauma and pain. Tomura concluded he’ll never feel good again, even if society comes crashing down, even if I rise to rule the underworld, the weight in his heart is never going to go away so he hates everything and wants to destroy everything, thinking this will lead him to a beautiful horizon. It’s at the same time a desperate attempt at destroying what pains him and a request for help, or, at least, a request to be understood because if everyone is miserable like him, his situation will then be ‘normal’. [Chap. 222] At the same time though, he won’t deny his allies the chance to get what they want.

Re-Destro will also question him, asking him what burdens he bears and what does he seeks to build, as all he can see is a hollow man who creates nothing and indulge in destruction. [Chap. 234] Tomura will agree with him that all he can do is destroy. [Chap. 235] He then will claim he views the future (for himself) as unnecessary but he wants the League to live as they see fit [Chap. 237]

Then we’ve Tomura answering to Endeavor who claims he can gather all the power he likes but without ideals, Tomura’s hollow destruction won’t bring down the Heroes. At this Tomura answers his father told him that Heroes hurt their own families just to help complete strangers. He then points out how he always had ideals and explains how Heroes pretended to be society’s guardians, but also how they pretended not to see those they couldn’t protect, sweeping their pain under the rugs, tainting everything they have built, so their system is rotten from inside. It built up little by little, they’ve the common trash dependent on being protected and the brave guardians who created the trash that needs coddling in a corrupt, vicious circle. Tomura claims everything he has witnessed, the whole system they have bult has always rejected him so he’ll reject it too and that’s why he destroy, why he took power for himself. He doesn’t care if they don’t understand, this is what makes them Heroes and Villains. [Chap. 280/281] There’s a tiny bit that I like to consider part of Tomura’s mindset. Midoriya jumps on him (after Tomura has hit Gran Torino) claiming he won’t forgive him and Tomura answer back he won’t forgive anyone either.

The story also begins to imply Tomura wants to destroy all that comes from his birth house. [Chap. 292]

Later Tomura will remind Midoriya they won’t sit down for a chat as he’s his Villain [Chap. 378] which hints at how he gave up on being understood by Heroes. He’s a Villain to them, that’s all there is. Then he’ll claim his heart isn’t wavering and that everything he witnessed in the world lead to the existence of ‘that house’ (as his family house) so as Shigaraki Tomura and Shimura Tenko he only has one hope, to destroy everything connected to that house and that’s the only thing that’s going to save him. [Chap. 379] As Shigaraki himself is connected to that house, this is also a suicidal declaration.

The last bit we have is inside Tomura’s mindscape. Tomura insists the destruction of his family was his own choice because otherwise why does he has such hands? In case someone forgot about it, people connects Quirks with character, even Re-Destro did claim Tomura was only capable of destroying. To cope with what happened, which, at the beginning, HE CLEARLY DIDN’T DO ON PURPOSE (he was actually freaked out and scared and it was only because his father rejected him that he connected the dots that it was him causing destruction and killed his father) he decided it happened due to his own will and used rage as a copying mechanism to deal with his grief. No one helped him and this made matters worse. Tomura accepted being a Villain because society cut him out from its circle and, at the same time, the fact he was a Villain, gave him another group. He couldn’t be All Might, he couldn’t be a Hero for society, but he can be a Hero for the people like him, Villains who were chased out of society and are miserable and rejected. All Tomura has his his pain covered up by his hatred but even if his hatred were to be taken away from him and he were to end up hollow, the ‘Villains’ (aka the people society crushed), needs him to be a Hero for them so he wouldn’t stop because THEY are ‘his society’ a society that stands opposed to Midoriya’s. [Chap. 418]

So where all this leads us?

Tomura is pretty solid in his motive/goal, even if, at the start, he doesn’t know how to verbalize it well. Hero society destroyed him. It twisted his father, it didn’t save Tenko, made Tenko a Villain unworthy of their help (as in refused to help him when he wandered through the city, which Tenko interpreted as rejection due to what he caused to his family), it let him fall prey of AFO so that ultimately Tenko accepted/embraced being a Villain, being Shigaraki Tomura. Society hurt him, it continues to hurt him by merely existing and not caring about him and, in the same way as Midoriya can’t forgive him for hurting the people he cared about Tomura can’t forgive society for hurting him. Tomura knows destroying society WON’T FIX HIM, it won’t make him happy, but it’ll stop extra pain to be thrown at him… or at the other people who are with him which society labels as ‘Villains’. While he doesn’t believe he can be happy destroying everything, himself included, he thinks they might have a chance.

It’s a good motive and one that’s not so common for an antagonist/Villain.

LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A VILLAIN

In the story all it takes is to use your Quirk unauthorized, generally to commit a crime so I think we should probably dig in him being a danger.

Tomura is a work in progress, same as Midoriya, he grows in his Villain role, even though the police makes a big deal of his right from the start. During the war he has gained power and a army and he’s VERY, VERY dangerous.

He’s also someone who plans to destroy society, in the sense he’ll shatter its beliefs in Heroes, it’s faith, so yes, he is a great Villain by the end.

Some think a Villain has solely to be evil, someone who takes pleasure in hurting you, someone you want to see murdered, but I’m not of that group, for me that sort of Villains were the ones of child tales, like the evil witch of Snowcone, the bad wolf of Red riding hood. Different tastes, I guess.

I do like how Tomura is a person, a person society destroyed because originally Tomura wanted to be like All Might and then things went wrong and he became a Villain because ‘all it takes is a single bad day’ (actually a series of bad days in his case but you get what I mean). I like the idea what happened to Tomura could have happened to everyone had they gone through what he went through.

To me it makes him more scary exactly because he isn’t the guy born evil, he’s the guy who was born just fine like any of us but then life twisted him. He’s the warning we can become like him, that we can create him by causing someone to go through what he went through.

And yet Tomura remains human, because even though what he does is terrible, in the end he’s not a monster, he’s just a human like us.

LET’S TALK ABOUT TOMURA AND NINE

The two are similar yet different.

In the short stories its implied Nine knew pain and viewed his men as comrades same as Tomura. However Nine has a Darwinistic idea of how society has to be, with him at the top and strong Quirk users below him but still high in power. This doesn’t necessarily means Villains, Endeavor and All Might have strong Quirks themselves… though of course they wouldn’t agree with Nine’s plan, which will likely set them up for elimination. Nine’s idea is similar to the one of Re-Destro. This means Villains like Spinner, who aren’t lions, don’t have a place in Nine’s project.

On the other side Tomura wants to include in his project all of those who are mistreated by society, strong Quirk or not but his idea of ‘mistreating’ seems rather broad. However Tomura is more of an anarchic, he plans to destroy society but not to rule it, and, as I said in another post, anarchy tends to have short life. Someone will come and take the reins of what Tomura left behind.

Now that someone might have learnt the lesson and create a better society… or he could just be Re-Destro or one of his affiliates and create a different kind of superpower society that still will mistreat someone else.

In itself there’s no such thing as ‘perfect society’, because there are not perfect people.

So there’s not really between them a ‘better Hero for the Villains’ because they’ll go at it differently. Nine plans to rule society, so he’ll be around maintaining his rule, which however will benefit only a certain kind of Villains.

Tomura believes his actions will benefit all the Villains which mistreated by society but doesn’t plan to be around to ensure things will go well AFTERWARD and, even if he were to survive, he thinks his role is merely to destroy what would oppress them.

There’s also something else to say… Nine seems older than Tomura, and he wasn’t kept immature, isolated from people and manipulated like Tomura was at the start. It makes sense he has a better idea of what he wants (especially because in a movie you can’t give him the time to clear his mind), one Tomura will reach with time.

Everything else is a matter of preference.

Even in the Hero camp there’s who prefer Midoriya and who instead thinks Haimawari (the main character from Vigilantes) should have been the main character of BNHA because he’s a better protagonist. At each his own.

To sum it up, yeah, I do think Tomura is a good character (but he could have been better had Horikoshi paid him more care) and a good Villain who can be a Hero for the Villains but that’s just me. If someone prefers Nine to Tomura, that’s fine.

Thanks for your ask and sorry for the late and long reply!

[chil-aglia]

May I submit a request for the new Bad Things Happen bingo?🥺

Bingo slot: Overprotectiveness.

Characters: FTNTH Leo,  Donnie and Mikey

Plot: The turtles are doing something in the Hidden City (Raph can be with them in that sense that they went together but now got separated.) And someone attacks the trio,  maybe some witches that have a grudge against Donnie?🤔 And Leo’s brothers get slightly injured (like just a scratch or a bruise) and he goes to all scary “monster” , nearly killing the attackers before getting comforted and calmed by his brothers. His bros are also scared of him but love him at the same time, so they collect all of their courage to face him. (You know the kind of thing that happens in movies and other shows where the protected have to go all I’m fine,  please don’t kill them! So the protector doesn’t murder everyone in sight🤣)

I hope this is like an alright request. I never done something like this before.😅

This will be marked off as 'Overprotectiveness' as that is the main focus!

Hope you enjoy this! And sorry for any grammar errors made!

@badthingshappenbingo

Link to the fic on Ao3: Feral Mercy - Chilaglia - Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018) [Archive of Our Own]

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Feral Mercy

Quick note: This is not canon to the main story of FTNTH

Bingo slot: Overprotectiveness

Fandom: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles + my AU

Warnings; Violence, monstrous behavior, mild gore/injury description, threat of death, dissociation, etc

Summary: While exploring the Hidden City, the Turtles are ambushed by a group of witches with a grudge against Donnie. Separated from Raph, the trio is caught off guard and lightly injured in the scuffle. But the sight of his brothers bleeding—even if it’s just a scratch—is enough to send Leo into a monstrous rage.

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Leo knew he should’ve listened to his intuition.

The pit in his stomach had been there all morning, twisting tighter with every step toward the Hidden City. It hadn’t eased when they passed the boundary marker. Not when the glittering streets welcomed them with that familiar, deceptive charm. Not even when Mikey had beamed at him with that hopeful spark, saying, “This place has gotta have something that can help you, Leo.”

Because beneath the warm glow of lanterns and the comforting buzz of yokai going about their day, something felt… wrong.

The idea had sounded like hope — a cure, an answer, a fix to the grotesque transformation on his body. But hope had its price. And Leo had already paid too much.

Raph had gone off first, always the one to charge ahead and scout. 

“We’ll cover more ground if we split.” He had said, pounding a fist into his palm. “If one of these weird shops has anything cursed or magical, I’ll find it faster on my own.”

Leo didn’t argue. He hadn’t had the strength. But the moment Raph turned the corner and disappeared from view, the silence closed in fast and tight. Every step he took afterward echoed too loudly.

Mikey and Donnie flanked him almost immediately.

Neither said it aloud, but Leo knew why. He saw it in the glance Donnie gave him — sharp, calculating, concerned. He saw it in Mikey’s quiet smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. They were worried. Not just about the mission.

About him.

And they had every reason to be.

The flick of his tail had betrayed his nerves early on, twitching erratically behind him like it had a mind of its own. His shell felt too tight — the monstrous spines protruding from it refusing to relax, standing on end like an animal sensing danger before it came. Even the air felt wrong against his skin, too thin, too dry, like it carried static that crawled across his bones.

Leo hated it. Hated being watched like he was a wild specimen. Hated feeling like he was wild. But even more than that, he hated that they were right.

His claws were half-drawn without him realizing, and his vision had sharpened to the point where he could see every crack in the Hidden City's cobbled path. His hearing was dialed up too — every whispered conversation, every scuttling insect, every heartbeat — too much.

He swallowed hard. “We shouldn’t have come here.”

Mikey tilted his head. “What do you mean, dude? We’re doing this for you.”

“I know.” Leo muttered, voice flat. “That’s the problem.”

Donnie stopped walking, narrowing his eyes behind his goggles. “You're sensing something, aren’t you?”

Leo clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to answer. Didn’t want to admit how loud the voice in the back of his mind was getting — the one that whispered danger over and over, clawing at his thoughts like the curse itself.

A sudden gust swept through the alleyway they turned into. Cold. Too cold. The torches lining the stone walls flickered violently.

Then, the noise stopped.

No footsteps. No merchants. No voices.

Just silence.

Leo’s tail froze mid-flick.

“…Donnie.” He whispered. “Tell me you feel that.”

Donnie had already drawn his tech-bo. Mikey’s hands were glowing faintly with mystic energy, his usual cheer vanished under the weight of quiet tension.

“I feel it…” Donnie murmured. “We’re being watched.”

A heartbeat passed.

Then—

A shriek tore through the air, sharp and guttural. From the shadows of a side tunnel, something lunged. No—three somethings. Cloaked figures with jagged staffs and large hats.

Witches.

Leo barely had time to react before Mikey’s yell split the air and Donnie was shoving him backward. He hit the ground hard, head spinning—and for a moment, something primal surged to the surface.

He scanned the area, mouth hung open as he witnessed one of the witches pinning down Mikey with their magic staff, while the other two were after Donnie.

“Who are you?!” Donnie yelled, before he flinched and jumped back when they conjured a fireball at him.

“You… you destroyed our town! We came for revenge.”

The witch’s voice was like gravel dragged across glass, guttural and warped, and Donnie blinked, his mind trying to catch up with the accusation. His tech-bo spun defensively in his hands, shielding him from the sudden crackling heat of the fireball that followed.

“Seriously?! That was a while ago!” Donnie barked, ducking the blast as it scorched the stone behind him. “Also, technically, I tried to help in the end. What happened was not entirely my fault! Totally different context!”

Leo barely heard the exchange, the blood in his ears roared too loudly, his vision tunneling.

Mikey was struggling beneath one of the witches, pinned by threads of sickly green magic that coiled around his limbs like snakes. His bright orange mask was twisted in pain, his fingers twitching as he tried to summon his mystic chains, but the curse locked around him pulsed harder with every attempt. He was being smothered. Fast.

Donnie darted sideways, narrowly avoiding a swipe of one witch’s twisted staff, sparks erupting where it struck the ground. “Leo—!” He shouted, “Do something!”

Leo didn’t move.

Couldn’t.

He was staring down at his palms again, trembling, twitching at his sides. His whole body vibrated with something unnatural, a low thrum that started in his chest and spread outward, sizzling along his limbs like a current begging to ignite.

No. Not again.

Not again.

He had promised himself he wouldn’t let it out. Not fully. Not unless he absolutely had to. 

But now, Mikey was screaming, Donnie was pleading for him. With a hesitant look from his spot, he froze at the sight.

His brothers bruised and bloodied slightly from their scuffling with these three powerful witches.

Leo’s breath caught.

He saw the witch tightening the cursed bindings around Mikey’s chest, forcing a choked, gasping sound from his brother’s throat.

His vision shifted. Darkness bloomed at the edges. The pulse inside his ears wasn't blood anymore.

It was drums.

The growl left him before he could think—deep, guttural, unnerving. The kind of sound that made Donnie flinch as he turned toward him.

“Leo—?”

But Leo was gone.

What stood in his place was someone else. Chest breathing rapidly, tail flicking side to side, the spines on his shell standing as tall as they could, eyes trained on the target, his pupils slit as all he saw was red.

His markings glowed dimly too.

The witch pinning Mikey barely had time to lift her head.

Leo was on her.

A flash of movement, a blur of snarling fury. Leo slammed her into the alley wall, the stone exploding outward on impact. Her staff flew from her hands, clattering to the ground as her magic bindings evaporated.

Mikey gasped in a breath, finally free, and Donnie barely got up in time as the remaining two witches turned their focus toward Leo, hissing with fury.

“You’ve got some nerve, mutant.” One spat, raising her staff, Leo ripped it from her grip, snapped it in half, and drove the splintered end into her thigh. She shrieked, falling back as her blood painted the wall.

The other one tried to conjure a shield. Leo shattered it with a swing of his tail, then slammed her face-first into the ground hard enough to leave a crater.

His eyes were predatory as he stepped closer, shoulders heaving. He was breathing, but barely in control. Barely himself.

He floated somewhere above it all—hovering behind his own eyes, watching through a red haze as something else took over. His claws flexed. His tail thrashed. His spines snapped up like blades. His eyes dilated into slits. The darkness closed in, curling tightly around the frayed edges of his mind.

Zarynthia whispered sweet nothings in the silence.

"They hurt your family. Let them feel it."

The growl that escaped Leo’s throat was inhuman.

“You attacked my family.” Leo snarled, voice warped, like something ancient twisting inside his throat. “You made a mistake.”

The witches flinched.

Even Donnie and Mikey froze.

“Leo—” Mikey said softly, from the ground, but his brother didn’t respond.

He lunged.

The fight didn’t last long after that. Leo’s blows were devastating, inhumanly fast. 

Donnie, barely able to lift his bō with his damaged hand, stared wide-eyed. “Leo—stop! You’re going to kill them!”

Leo didn’t hear him.

He stalked toward the crumpled witches, claws glistening red. His markings glowed sickly. His mouth open, too wide for comfort, fangs glinting.

The witches were moaning now—one with a crushed arm, another coughing up teeth. They couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. But Leo still advanced, slow, deliberate, drunk on the high of violence.

“Do it.” Zarynthia hissed inside him. “Tear them apart. They deserve it. Your brothers deserve justice. Blood for blood.”

Kill, kill, kill, kill—

“Leo…” Donnie said carefully, stepping forward with one hand outstretched. “It’s over.”

The growl that answered him was soft. Defensive. Like a cornered animal.

Then Mikey limped over. “It’s okay, Leo. You’re okay. We’re okay.”

Leo’s gaze snapped toward him, feral and wild. But Mikey didn’t flinch. He simply reached out, hand resting gently on Leo’s wrist, not to restrain, but to remind.

Leo’s breath caught.

He stared at Mikey’s hand on his skin, then his own. Shaking. Splintered. Too much.

He came down from the high of wanting to tear apart someone, he wobbled on his feet, kneeling to his knees as he pants to catch his breath.

“I—I didn’t mean to—” He rasped.

“You saved us.” Mikey assured, kneeling down to his level as he offered a small smile. Leo saw the cuts and bruised more clearly on him, making him flinch back slightly, afraid that he might hurt Mikey if he got close to him.

But Mikey just hugs him. Pulling him in tight as the spines on the slider's shell flattened, his tail curled close, and for the first time since arriving in the Hidden City… he let himself tremble.

Because the real danger hadn’t been the witches.

It had been the monster he knew was still inside him.

Waiting.

“Come on…let’s go find Raph.” Donnie coerced the two into standing up, sticking to Leo as he glanced back over to the three witches. Shocked to find them already gone, they must’ve gathered enough magic or strength to get away from them.

From him.

The three walked out the alleyway, and behind his eyes, Zarynthia whispered…

“You can’t contain it forever, little turtle. You’re already cracking.”

And Leo, silent and shaking, believed her.

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Bad things happen bingo 2 (OPEN)

[floatingnebulas]

Bodyguard!Cassandra Cain/Celebrity!Cissie King-Jones AU

Okay, so now that I’ve gotten my rant about the beauty of Cassettes in general out of my head and onto the page (go read that post here), it’s time for the entire reason I had for making that post in the first place: bodyguard au.

Consider this: Cissie King-Jones, former Arrowette and member of Young Justice, current Olympic gold medalist and member of Team USA, quickly rising movie star and darling of Hollywood after her celebrated background role on Wendy the Werewolf Stalker that propelled her into stardom, receives a threat against her life. The threat is difficult to find, extremely dangerous, and warrants extra attention due to her status as not just a normal celebrity, but the retired Arrowette.

Cassandra Cain-Wayne, current Batgirl, daughter of two of the most dangerous people in the world, known as the “One Who is All” and one of the best fighters in the world, one of the shadows of Gotham that strikes fear into the heart of the rogues, and the only adopted daughter of billionaire Bruce Wayne that the press loves and is always keeping an eye out for, is selected to act as Cissie’s temporary, hidden bodyguard.

There’s a pretty simple reason for this selection: of the people who aren’t currently busy, Cass is not only the best fighter, but also has the best excuse to be seen around Cissie. Like, sure, Kon, Bart, or Cassie could come protect Cissie. But what excuse are they gonna have for a random farmboy from Kansas, a college student in the Midwest, or the publicly known Wonder Girl to be hanging around Cissie (without letting her attackers know the heroes are investigating by having a superhero always follow her around)? There isn’t a good excuse for them that wouldn’t put anyone in danger.

Cass though, she has a good excuse. She’s the daughter of Bruce Wayne. They can just say that she and Cissie met at an event, struck it off, became friends, and now Cissie invited Cass to come hang out with her for a while and see how she makes movies. There! Perfect excuse to keep Cissie safe without making the media suspicious or tipping off her attackers.

So Cass becomes Cissie’s bodyguard for a bit, and is always hanging around her. And, naturally of course, they start to fall in love (go check out the Cassettes propaganda post I linked for details on why they’d fall for each other). A few days after the threat is defeated, and Cissie’s life is saved, the press captures an image of Hollywood star Cissie King-Jones and billionaire daughter Cassandra Cain-Wayne out on a date. And the internet breaks.

That’s the basic premise for the bodyguard au and I swear I’m going to write it someday. I just need to figure out plot details, but these two…. they’ve been sitting in my brain 24/7….. they’re driving me insane….

I’m gonna put some descriptions of a few specific scenes I’ve been turning over in my mind below the cut if you’d like to read them, but that’s the idea! My babies <3333

OKAY SO the first scene in the entire AU, the one that inspired this, is Cassettes meeting at a gala. They’ve never really properly met before. They’ve seen each other a handful of times, mainly when Cissie comes to visit Tim in Gotham with the other former YJ members, but they haven’t truly interacted. Until they run into each other at a gala, Cass there with the Wayne’s and Cissie there as part of the promotion for her upcoming movies, and end up sharing a dance for fun because they’re bored. The pictures of their dance end up in the news as a sweet little fluff piece.

I’m also imagining Cissie sitting in a meeting room with a bunch of heroes around her (including the former YJ members and a couple JL members), as they argue over what to do about the threat to her life. She used to be Arrowette, she can handle herself. She’s a civilian now, she needs protection. But she can’t be protected because she’s our friend, that’d be suspicious and we don’t need anyone looking further right now when we’re already worried these assassins might know she used to be Arrowette (idk why she has a threat against her life it’s actually a bit problem). But she needs something! But- blah blah and on and on until eventually Cass is selected to guard Cissie. She’s annoyed, and doesn’t like it, but whatever. Fine. She can deal with this. At least Cass seemed kinda chill when they were hanging out at the gala.

Cass sitting on the side of the stage and watching as Cissie acts out her part in the movie, silently impressed. The stage crew was hesitant about allowing her on at first but now they all like her. She eventually gets roped into being an extra in the movie Cissie’s currently filming (which I imagine is a biopic directed by Christopher Nolan about the JSA, where Cissie plays the original Black Canary). Cass is a hit.

Cassettes living together in Cissie’s home, functioning as sorta roommates for the time. They get comfortable together. They share meals, end up watching TV together.

Cissie gets worried on the few occasions Cass has to be called away for some big emergency and stresses out while she’s gone. When Cass returns, Cissie forces Cass to let her check over her wounds even though they’ve already been expertly bandaged by Alfred.

They quietly share their traumas with each other, coming closer together through a shared understanding of similar experiences. They both just get it. When Cissie talks about her mom, Cass lays her head on Cissie’s shoulder without looking at her. And when Cass talks about her parents, Cissie grabs her hand but doesn’t look over. They come closer together. They understand.

When they both start to realize their feelings, Tim starts getting panicked text messages from each of them asking about the other. He’s going to lose his mind.

Eventually, Cissie ends up getting abducted by whoever it is that’s trying to kill her, and Cass runs herself ragged trying to get Cissie back. It’s a mess. It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. And when Cass eventually finds and saves Cissie, that’s when they officially get together.

Omg you know what would be even worse that I thought of as I wrote that last paragraph? RIGHT before Cissie is abducted (as in a day or two), they both confess and agree to try something out. They’re hopeful. They’re excited. They’re happy. Then Cissie is ripped away.

Also think about what the media reaction to Cass suddenly spending so much time with Cissie would be. It’d be insane. There’s so many rumors flying around and they’re just trying to ignore them.

But anyway, yeah. Think about it. Cassettes bodyguard au…….. my beloved…… the thing driving me insane…… I JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHOS EVEN THREATENING CISSIE THEN ILL BE ABLE TO PLOT IT UGHHHHHHH

[ranticore]

answering an ask from @coyoteworks under a readmore because it's mildly spoilery for said the black horse :)

Coyoteworks asks: ive been sitting on this one for a while because its so in my head.. i really like how you write the werewolves in mvf. it really taps into my love for examinations of human and animal behavior, because as much as i love when a character goes 'berserk' in some way like a werewolf or monster transformation of any kind, i often feel like the execution of it being a result of a well of hidden evil is a bit too 'easy'... when bowman first turned i genuinely sat forward because i was so fascinated & delighted by his behaviors. the idea that these werewolves, with their reputation for being cruel and vicious, known for having the intelligence of man and the bloodthirst of a predator animal... arent actually all that vicious the first time they turn... it's just a really lovely take on what our "base" instincts actually are, and that cruelty is a learned/taught trait rather than an inherent one... same goes for jean's first transformation, and his fear, and bowman willingly turning to ease that fear and communicate as wolves... aughhg i just love it so much... the boys are playinggggggg

---

Answer:

I have to confess to being a little bit spiteful when I formulated those werewolf portrayals... I find that the idea of what a werewolf IS has been turned into almost a fandom in the sense that if you go against their established rules, it's decried as not REALLY a werewolf or a dilution of werewolves etc. And I find that really interesting; once I saw an entire rec list of werewolf media by a fan of werewolves who was deeply dismissive and disgusted by works which didn't have the werewolf being a rampaging beast every full moon because, to them, that was the whole point of a werewolf. To not have it be that way would be like making a vampire that doesn't drink blood. The narrative is that it's always about the fear of some primal bestial anger or energy inside oneself and that this is a struggle of man vs evil primal nature.

But it also strays close to something i also don't like about a lot of 'fae' tropes which is that it becomes played out, tired, predictable, and let's all be so honest with ourselves a lot of werewolves are the way they are because the writers find it hot as well in the same way vampires are hot - some kind of surrender to a raw bestial nature (often extremely masculine.. u can't tell me there's no reason ppl keep making lumberjack werewolves). it's part of a power fantasy when approached from that angle, the fantasy of being dominated/being dominating

So those are the metaphorical seeds inside most werewolf portrayals in media. To me, I was interested more in the former stuff than the latter, but the latter interests me too. 'Man vs evil wild nature' is a common theme in fairy stories as well, with wild spaces representing a threat. On the one hand I did want to subvert an expectation, but it's also part of a long-running main plot point in the series which will become obvious soon (sorry). For the werewolves, what they represent isn't the fear of the animal inside (a human is already an animal) but just the space to be the animal that you already are. I also want to refute the evil wild nature thing too - animals don't rampage about for no reason, there's no evil inherent inside a wolf. There's no mindless violence or attacking - the werewolf rampaging on the first full moon in Inver is doing it because they are frightened. It's not a harmless animal by any means and you still need to avoid provoking it, but it has no malicious intent.

The playing scene was really important to me also as a pivotal point in Bowman's arc but also Jean's and the book in general. If we're going to look at a werewolf as an externalisation of baser nature or a glimpse into what might go on inside the soul of a person (such as any exists), why is it necessarily violent... in Jean's own words, he often wanted to play with Bowman when he was younger, but could never bring himself to approach due to the constraints of society around him. playing is more fundamental to animals (both canine and human) than being a scary monster. so in this version of monstrosity, the monster is unbound from societal convention, finally free to play

Also wanted it to be quite clear that the avatars do not rampage without reason, either; they're scared, too.

[ztar-hunter428]

My opinion on so called "shipping discourse"

so first off if you have "proship" in your bio I will be blocking you

And if you have "antiship" I will also be blocking you

My thoughts on this matter under the cut

Please hear me out here 🙏 I am open to discussions

I am not against proship in the "it shouldnt exist ever anywhere and should be censored always" way. I am against censorship for the most part. BUT.

It should NEVER be normalized. Please keep it as private as possible.

All this romanticizing can just be a gateway to an actual paraphillia developing. Now yes i know not everyone will, some people will stay fictional forever and could never think of doing anything real... But you can't control who consumes your content, you can never be SURE the age and mental state of the people who consume your content!

I do not like all this sugar coating garbage you people are doing. Sorry but this is not a matter of "it's just fiction!! It doesn't affect reality!!" Which is completely untrue, I can give so many examples of it happening.

Im tired of proshippers constantly overstepping boundaries. Acting like people who are uncomfortable or grossed out are the bad ones. Are "terminally online". Sorry but... go outside... tell anyone what kind of content you consume and see how they react. The grand majority of people will be grossed out by it.

Do not try to act like this is somehow "harmful to lgbtq" do not try to act like this is "facism" these are just people's opinions. Stay in your space. Leave us alone. Stop trying to hide it and wriggle your way into normal fandom space. Stop acting like the victim when you get called out. We are allowed to want to stay away from you.

And "but murder and all these other crimes are okay in fiction but rape, incest and children liking aren't okay???"

See there's a difference

You're romanticizing it. Fetishizing it.

I think writing about murder would be bad too if it was written like that. Most people would be uncomfortable about reading a story fetishizing any crime. It's not the same.

There is stories that use rape and pdflia as a plot point that people love and adore! It's all about HOW it's portrayed.

And for antishippers...

Just. Stop.

Telling people they need to die, death threats, harassing. Doesn't help anyone.

This is not that big of a deal as you say it is, just because someone's a proshipper does automatically make them a groomer or a pfile. Though people have the right to know they're a proshipper, it should not be hidden.

It is an issue. But not nearly as a big deal as some people act like it is. Whats more important is actual grooming.

If you have anti shipper in your bio sorry but I'm gonna assume you're okay with telling people to kill themselves. This just makes you the bad one... I am pro recovery unless something happens to a real person, then it's unforgivable.

If you EVER feel like your desires start to become real I urge you to seek therapy. I know it is scary but I promise people are willing to help you. I am very proud to everyone who has managed to change, you're not monsters.

[ivanwm-05]

The Thousand Of Us

Genre: Superpowers/Post-Apocalyptic/ Sci-fi

Story plot:

Your story begins at what everyone largely saw as the end of the world. There was a bright flash that illuminated the night sky so brightly, it was identical to day as thousands of missiles in a last-ditch effort to save mankind collided with a ginormous asteroid entering our atmosphere.

You wake up two years later and find out that the crisis was averted, but a new crisis of similar proportions was created. The asteroid was carrying a never-before-seen element, mixed with the radiation that bathed the earth. It created a chain of genetic mutations that wiped out nearly the entire population of the planet and put every other living being in hibernation for two years.

For starters all adults are dead, only a thousand people 18 years of age and below around the globe survived, and the thousand of you that survived, wake up to discover that you each now have unique powers. The only problem is that you’re not the only ones that same phenomenon gave powers, also mutated every other living organism on the planet to varying degrees and they were also in hibernation for as long as you are, so they have about 2 years worth of hunger to satiate.

Would you focus on Survival and Rebuilding? or would you try to Unite or Conquer other groups of teenagers to form a more powerful force against the threats you face? Would you try to Find a Cure or Solution by striving to find a way to reverse the mutations in animals and restore the planet to its former state? or would you struggle in Navigating Moral Choices? You could Uncover Hidden Powers or struggle to Establish a Safe Haven for you and your group.

Features:

Play as Male/Female/non-binary and customize your appearance and personality.

You can select one out of a long list of abilities, ranging from just flight to insane regenerative abilities to even earth-shaking strength or even necromancy.

Struggle to stay alive as you do not just have to watch out for mutated plants, animals, and even crazy weather conditions, but also have to watch out for other humans who seek to conquer and lead the rest of the survivors with their terrifying abilities.

You get to choose your MC’s demeanor and how you react to situations. You can be cold and calculative or you could be shy and reserved.

Most involved characters are up to 18 & older including the MC.

Hidden pathways will be made available based on certain choices made within the book that will reveal new endings and shape the LIs future just try to explore this new world.

There might be some explicit scenes but if there are you’ll have the option to fade to black. Mild gore might be unavoidable and there would definitely (depending on your choices though) be death scenes.

Every different power is a different route to explore.

Romantic Interest:

I’m gonna try to make this relatable so no definite number yet but nearly every person you encounter, depending on your interaction and relationship with them can be romanced by your MC.

MC can romance male/female/non-binary characters.

I would also create LIs that exist outside of the MC to showcase that the MC’s involvement in their life created a change within them.

Polyamory possible.

Also ace/aro routes possible.

Current Word count: 202,095 (without code) and 1,187,537 (with code)

😂Code is pretty beefed up because I want to branch this out as much as possible so you have the liberty to make whatever choice you desire and live with the consequences.

To play the demo, go here: Play Demo 

To join the discussion at the forum: Forum

This is the link to the New Patreon: NEW Patron

You could also buy me a coffee: Coffee

This is the link to the new Discord server: Discord

Patreons get releases ahead of the public and also I'm starting the side stories soon and they get to vote for the characters that I release first.

Any and all feedback and suggestions would be appreciated.

Note: no current notes.

[angel-and-serpent]

That Kiss scene

Since none of us will be able to get that scene out of our heads until season 3 is released, here's something to think about.

Aziraphale and Crowley will always complement each other's natures and actions, no matter what. They're the perfect counterpart in all situations, including moments of self-sabotage, unfortunately.

So when Crowley planted that kiss on Aziraphale, it was the parallel of Aziraphale taking off his halo.

Both were trying to protect innocent parties from danger that they inadvertently brought down upon themselves.

Aziraphale was trying to protect Nina & Maggie, after she accidentally invited the demons to come over the boundary. She had good intentions, and wanted to look brave in front of her potential love interest, but had no idea of the disaster she'd caused until it was too late. With no other moves left, Aziraphale had no choice left but to reluctantly use his precious books reveal his halo in order to eliminate the threat against them. By doing so, he made an open declaration of war upon Hell, and invoked the Wrath of The Powers that Be, both from above and below. Just as Maggie hadn't intended to summon the demons into the bookshop, Aziraphale hadn't meant to draw them in, either. It was the only ace left up his sleeve, and we've all seen how well he practices magic.

Likewise, Crowley had also revealed himself to be a (once) powerful angel to others, under equal duress. First Hell thought they had the right to invade the bookshop, now Heaven thought they had the right to invade their new lives. They were an open threat to Their Side, and had wormed their way through to Aziraphale, appealing to his benevolence. One thing Crowley knows, is that sometimes the most difficult thing that he has to save Aziraphale from is Aziraphale himself. The offer from the Metatron is a classic case of Divide & Conquer, and he managed to do just that by swaying Aziraphale into returning to Heaven with a promotion, no less. What else could Crowley do? Therefore, by him giving Aziraphale that kiss, and revealing his feelings for him - something he'd also kept hidden in plain sight for a millenia - Crowley, declared war on Heaven in return.

Such a pity that Aziraphale didn't see it that way...

But I have the utmost faith in these silly sods to work things out and get back together. Not just out of fan service, or even out of plot formula (this is the Bandstand all over again, folks). No, it's because of the undeniable chemistry and deeper loyalty that they have to one another. Aziraphale has made a deal with the Devil Metatron, but his intentions were hardly self-centred. The kiss that Crowley gave him was not a last hurrah, but a last ditch effort of assurance. Both of them wants to protect the other out of love, even if it means subjecting themselves through pain and humiliation. Even at the very end, as heartbroken and betrayed as Crowley felt, he still let Aziraphale walk away to do as he wished, despite not agreeing with his reasoning. Aziraphale did the same in return, with both probably still determined to continue protecting the other, albeit from afar. Is there any greater show of love than such selflessness? They're still in love, even if the big daft babies don't know how to put their Big Feelings into words (or dance) yet.

[revelboo]

Everything Is Alright Pt 72

IDW Starscream x Reader, Soundwave x Reader

• Chest aching, you lay a hand on Starscream’s face. Unable to believe he’s really okay after all the worry. “You needn’t worry about me, little one,” he murmurs, raspy voice low and for you alone. Reminding you that Soundwave is right there watching. And there’s that uneasy guilt, wanting to reach out to him, too. But knowing not to push Star and their very fragile truce. That feeling of warmth and belonging hums through you even if you’re not all that sure how your messed up relationship with them both is going to actually work. If they’ll have a sort of joint custody or visitation? Thinking about it leaves you somewhere between laughing and crying.

• It’s a bittersweet ache around his spark watching you with Starscream. Knowing you’ll go with him. Lay against him while he recharges, holding you. And that he can’t have that no matter what he wants. Aware that while the Seeker might tolerate him, this arrangement is a fragile thing. You’re all that’s keeping the Seeker civil and he’s not sure how long that will last. They both know that Starscream can’t watch you all the time, neither of them can. But working together? They can keep you safe and secret. They have to, because he needs this feeling you give him. Needs you.

• Venting against you, he glances at the communications officer. No matter how calm Soundwave appears, the other mech can’t be okay with this. With sharing even if Soundwave had suggested it to begin with. Mostly, he’s still not sure he trusts him. Not with his life and certainly not with yours. Wings flicking up when Soundwave starts, head turning toward the door. “Megatron,” Soundwave says, voice tense and Starscream goes rigid. Realizing exactly how fragged they both are. It’s not like they’re friends or even really on speaking terms normally, there’s no real reason for him to be in the communications officer’s private habsuite.

• “What’s going on?” Soundwave’s opening his chest compartment and then Starscream is slipping you inside it. Breath catching as the door closes to shroud you in warmth and the dim glow of the communication officer’s biolights. Sitting down hard when Soundwave moves. Everything muffled inside here, though you can hear the thrum of Soundwave’s spark. But what’s going on outside? Something’s wrong. Soundwave has said ‘Megatron.’ Is he coming? “Soundwave?” Can he hear you in here? Panic claws at you as you press your ear against the closed door, straining to hear.

• Pressing his servos against the closed door, Soundwave meets Starscream’s wide optics. There’s nowhere to hide the Seeker. Knows how this will look to Megatron. Like plotting and betrayal. Wings flaring aggressively, Starscream turns toward the door and he wants to seize the Seeker by a wing. Warn him to be quiet and not provoke the warlord. Be if that’s what it takes, because you’re hidden but still so vulnerable. If Starscream gets into it with Megatron, if he also gets dragged into the fight, you’ll get hurt. “Don’t,” he says, but Starscream is staring at the door, denta bared in a cold smile. Ready to fight.

• Keying open the door, Megatron’s expression empties. “How unexpected,” he growls. Starscream’s wings flick up aggressively and stay there in a very obvious threat. No longer cowering as Megatron studies him then Soundwave, noting the latter’s tension. Like he’s been caught red handed. Another coup, then? Anger flickering through his lines to settle like a weight in his spark, because of all of them, he’d trusted Soundwave. To find him working with Starscream? It hurts more than he would have thought. “How long have you been plotting against me, old friend?” He asks, servos curling into fists. So tired of being betrayed again and again.

Previous

Next

[mikami]

"Did Light love his family?" Anon - Catch-All Answer

Since these are six asks that are all about in the same vein, I am gonna just put the responses into one post for organization's sake.

Light begs his father to kill Mello because he wants his father's death to have been good for something. Nothing pains him more than the idea of having let this happen without it even accomplishing his goal.

Light is the physical manifestation of the lost cost fallacy: he needs to keep going because he sacrificed too much to stop and allow those sacrifices to be rendered meaningless.

And Light rationalizes. It's one of his most prominent character traits: instead of acknowledging his own emotions, he tries to filter his thoughts into nothing but emotionless pragmatism.

This is consistently portrayed through the 'hidden eyes' visual key - Light is excellent at lying to himself, in his own thoughts, which is why Obata gave us this clever way of seeing when this is happening even as Light's own internal monologue doesn't reflect it.

I have an incomplete list of these instances here, especially as pertaining to his family.

Ultimately, if we disagree that Light rationalizes his feelings rather than allowing himself to fully feel them, then none of my arguments are ever going to make sense to you and vice versa.

As a short addendum, here's Ohba's own words on this chapter (HTR13 p.80): "Even if there was acting involved in Light's tearful performance, I don't believe the tears are 100% an act." (も し月の涙に演技入っていたとしても、100%演技の涙では到底ないと思います。)

Soichiro already made the eye deal, which is an absolutely horrifying sacrifice to have made. Light wanted it to be as useful as it could possibly be, in order to justify the magnitude of the price.

I hate to say it, but you're really gonna have to take this one up with Ohba himself. On Page 65 of HTR13, he literally says that he picked Sayu as a kidnapping victim because Light loves his family and wouldn't kill her. (Unlike Misa, whom he would have just killed in this scenario rather than letting the plot progress.)

The panel you are thinking of is this one, where he is panicking, but you're not putting it into perspective.

In a previous chapter (62) Ide was about to inform the whole police force that Sayu Yagami was kidnapped. Soichiro was about to agree to this.

If Light had let this happen, he could have killed Sayu without narrowing down the suspect pool at all. They already know that Kira has ties to the police. He would have removed the leverage the mafia had held against them and gotten off entirely scott-free.

He does decidedly NOT do that. It's LIGHT personally who stops Ide from giving him the perfect alibi. EVEN RYUK CALLS OUT HOW ODD THAT WAS AS A MOVE.

And sure, Light says 'oh yeah, now nobody will suspect us!!' but nobody was really suspecting them to begin with.

This is what I mean - Light never allows himself to just feel things, he always rationalizes himself to justify his actions to himself.

His father dying. Dude.

.... literally why would he? Like, even if they don't accept Kira they also pose absolutely no threat to Kira.

I've covered all of this above, but I am including the ask to say that yes, I've seen it. The core issue here is that we disagree on Light's relationship to himself - you take his internal monologue at face value, while I think there is ample evidence that Light manipulates himself most of all. (As made completely manifest in the Yotsuba-Arc where he literally mindwipes himself into an incredibly emotionally and physically painful experience just to use himself as a pawn.)

[sokkastyles]

Hi,

Hope you are doing well. Thank you for the response on my last query. I was reading a meta about the air bender extermination, which you had reblogged in one of my older queries on TSR.

Reading it properly. I realized two things

The fact that all the air nomads were exterminated makes no sense. Were they stupid enough to not escape when they were attacked? If we are to believe none escaped, then air nomads are actually dumb.

The above also goes against the fact that Aang's Avatar training was to begin when he was 12 instead of 16, because the monks seems to have realized that the war was approaching, and he needed to be ready, which is why they tried to take Aang away from Monk Gyatso, which led to Aang running away out of fear.

This goes into LOK territory, but there are some disturbing implications of the way the Air Nomads operate. The idea that every air nomad child born will be a bender is just not possible. Heck, two of Aang's children are not air benders, so that itself throws a wrench in that idea. It also makes them similar to Ozai, if they actually held such idea (this point is never made in the shows or acknowledged in canon I think, but the idea is dangerous, and well Air Nomads are not to be idealized.)

I would like your thoughts on this.

(The meta I am referring to is; " The Airbender Extermination Is Dumbo and I Refuse to Accept It" by tumblr user @whentheynameyoujoy)

@whentheynameyoujoy's atla metas are a treasure, and I agree with the above statements. One of the big plot holes in the story is not only that the air Nomads were all exterminated in one fell swoop, despite being Nomads, something the live action adaptation tried to explain by having them all come to the Southern Temple on the night they were attacked, and Sozin purposefully planning his attack on that day. But the other thing about it is that as you say, the reason Aang was told before sixteen was because the Air Nomads knew the war was coming. They were preparing for it, to the point where they were willing to put a child's life on the line before he was ready, but they weren't prepared enough to be ready to fly away the moment a threat occurred? If we factor in the live action, this also means they decided to all have a party in the same place on the same night that they knew the people who wanted them dead would be at their most powerful.

It also just doesn't make thematic sense. These are AIR Nomads, they should be able to go wherever the wind takes them, to scatter at a moment's notice, to rise no matter how many times an attempt is made to crush them. Wouldn't that be a satisfying ending, for us to find out that like the air, there were hidden pockets that remained, permeating even the fire nation so that it would be impossible to truly defeat them. Wouldn't that also fit really well with the whole illusion of separation thing?

Which brings me to point three, or, Eugenics is Good When Good People Do It, which is actually very bad. The only way the Air Nomads only produced benders is if they did not mingle with the other nations, which makes no sense, since they were nomads, or if they somehow got rid of nonbender babies, either through dropping them off at the nearest earth kingdom orphanage (which is similar to my headcanon on what people like Ozai might do with nonbender children, or straight up infanticide, which Ozai also is a fan of.

Unfortunately the first method does not explain why there were no airbenders just hanging out in the other nations. Since we know that bending can be passed to a child from nonbender parents, then even nonbender children of air nomads would be passing on the airbender gene, and there would be nonbenders all over the Earth Kingdom suddenly giving birth to airbender children. That actually would have been another clever way to reintroduce airbenders back into the world, instead of...whatever Korra does. It also fits with theory of people like Ty Lee having air nomad blood without knowing it.

[garbage--account]

Winner of the Poll #2 : the "fever dream":

Y'all, i'm on time 😭💣💥

Intro :

So yeah.... For those who just arrived, this is a serie of posts where i disclose my crazy-ass imaginary scenarios about VROH (which is not released yet) and you can vote for the next one at the end of the post. Each poll lasts 3 days.

Now this is the winner of the 2nd poll, called "the fever dream". Thank to the 9 voters <3

For context, i am not an author, i use my smartphone and english is not my primary language. I do essentially aesthetic shitposts.

Enjoy ~

Summary :

Soccer club ? Check.

11 players ? Check.

Coach ? Check.

Scheduled match ? Check.

Training regiment ? Check.

Now where the fuck is soccer ?!

Inspos :

Not gonna lie, it's mostly the first episode of CS (minus the time travelling). Also, Tenma refering soccer as a person.

Disclaimers :

"Y'all, i don't know what to say, 'cause my lips pop."

Plot :

So basically, it's before the qualifications finals and da team is trying preparing

And for once, preparations were going great : they knew who they were going to play against, collected datas easily on them, they looked easy to counter, this will be school holiday and everyone of da team is available for intensive training in that period

Also, Da team is looking great at this point : no death threat to disband the club, it has all the players, 2 ace strikers, a correct goalie, good defence, good synergy, a store of hissatsus and tactics in stock, and no current drama yet

That's basically what Unmei says to him as he reviews the current situation before going to school

His way to school is exactly how your parents & grandparents told you it was back then : "we had to walk 2782636 kilometers on foot in the jungle and fight lions on the way without food and lunch" ahh moment

But no one believes him when he tells his crazy shenanigans on his way to school, so today Sakurazaki and Kisoji decided to accompagny him

On their way, they encounter members of their crazy-ass school's cult they didn't know existed (it's a whole another imaginary scenario 😭) blocking and asking them if they'd join

Hopefully, a random religious procession appears and da Trio decides to tag along to avoid the other group

But since they wouldn't stop following them, Da Trio had to go all the way with the procession to the hidden temple in the mountain and skip school

While they're here, they interact with a monk explaining them he had been watching them for a while and that what they're doing make sakka cry

The monk also offer them cookies and let them play with his doggos 🥰

Anyway...back at home

Unmei goes in his room, logs on his computer and starts working on tactics and training regiment for the next match

Except he can't because the datas have dissapeared

Mental_breakdown.mp3

Calls his teammates to retrieve potential copies of it

No one has them : mental_breakdown_the_sequel.mp3

"It's okay, because i have good memory and will recall everything in the morning and we will be able to train"

The next morning, Unmei can't remember shit

In fact, no one in da Team remembers what is the name of their opponents

Anyway, training arc

Except they can't because there is no soccer ball in the soccer club

They buy some at the sport store

Back at the soccer field, they can finally train

Raika and Sakurazaki tried their combined hissatsu but missed big time, leaving Shisendo to catch the oxygen instead. The ball they shooted was never found again

Second attempt, but sakka ball turned into sewer gate so they stopped in the middle of the hissatsu

The third ball poped, the fourth turned into live doves, the fifth into Dove soap, and on and on until the last one

Shisendo was asked to go back into the goalpost, but it has vanished

Nevermind, they shoot their shot, but instead of landing on the soccer field, everyone was teleported in the middle of the ocean

Hopefully, they have been rescued by one of their municipal elected officials on his boat passing by on his way to Inakuni

Asuto asks them how they ended up here, they explain that they were trying a hissatsu on Nagumohara's ground and this happened

"Oh, so the soccer club there has been re-opened since the incident 5 years ago" and this confuses da team since it made crazy noises in town when they did, how can he not know?

Anyway, back on the school ground, they tryna talk about it with their bonita teacher/coach but she has no idea what they are talking about since they are a tennis club and that sakka is forbidden inside school's vicinity

Cry_in_Sakurazaki's_backstory.mp4

They tried to call the Football Frontier's office but Da Team is unknown to them

Kisoji suddenly remembers the weird monk "maybe he can help us ?"

So they go back to the mountain temple and ask for that monk (one of the dogs has bitten Yagyuu's ass)

The monk told them he already warned them they were displeasing soccer so now soccer is ghosting them

The remedy is : they have to play soccer against soccer

"Okayyyy? How are we supposed to do that?" "What do you mean how you do that ? Apologize to soccer!"

The next day, they are going to Shinohara's house for a sleepover, because she has everything they need to make apology banner, 'cause they have no other idea to contact sakka

Nevermind because Haru found a DIY ritual on Bing to contact sakka (he has been invited for some reason)

Since soccer is a concept, they cannot interact with it on Earth, they need to access another stage of existence by chants and consumption of cookies

Thanksfully, Da Trio did not consummed all the cookies offered by the monk in a doggie bag

They do the ritual and everyone eats one cookie : by 4 am, this is a success, everyone's souls left their bodies, except Haru who doesn't have a soul 😢

All of the sudden, they were outside in the middle of the night in an unknown place and they can't see shit

Until astral figures appear and challenge them in a duel

So they play sakka, and da team won (i am too lazy to explain how)

Next thing they know, they are waking up in the middle of the class and everyone looks at them funny

They are confused, disoriented, but seems soccer doesn't ghost them anymore so this is good

They meet up with Haru, wondering why he wasn't with them playing against the weird creatures

Haru has no idea of what they are talking about

"By the way, congratulations on winning your qualification match ! See y'all in the 2nd part of FF" 🥰

The end 💋💋💋

Next poll :

Previous post :

The haunting of Unmei

[sharksarewaterdogs]

Rottmnt Heroes & Villains Split Siblings Au (pt 7)

Heroes v Villains v the EPF—Let's get into more of the meat of the plot

Disgusted by the way humanity despises and oppresses yokai, a young Draxum decided to mutate the world to make all people yokai/mutants, and also to take over the world to make the shift as smooth and beneficial to yokai as possible

Striving for yokai rights—good. Non-con body-modding the world, a change brought about by experimenting on humans, animals, & yokai who opposed him, & planning to seize control of the world—oof.

He managed to "rescue" Lou Jitsu, one of few humans he admired, from Big Mama. Lou (/Yoshi/Splinter) was enamored with him for this, and was taken in by Draxum's promise to change the world so that humans & yokai could live on even footing ♥️♥️

...Until he found out what Draxy wasn't telling him: the whole mutation thing.

"This would be easier with you willing, but I suppose that's not necessary"—Draxum, before locking Lou up to experiment on him.

Lou escapes & destroys his lab & takes two kids in the divorce

Draxum is considerably set back, esp as he starts dedicating himself to raising his two remaining sons, but he still works towards his goal.

Most yokai consider him a fringe nutcase, a mad scientist, at first. Some try to raise alarms, esp as he captured some of these & used them in trying to make mutagen, but most also consider those mad/not worth their time.

Slowly, tho, Drax does win over more ppl to his cause. Part of that is bc he networks, bribes, propagandizes; part of that bc of the growing power & threat of the EPF

On escaping so explosively, Splinter holes up in the sewers.

Raph is a little kid (~4 or 5) when he gets washed away one day, found by a worker, and taken to the surface, where he is turned over to the authorities.

In steps the Earth Protection Force, an underground organization for dealing with such "anomalies."

Raph ends up poked, prodded, & experimented on for several weeks, during which he is often left in isolation til they want more from him, which leads to his Raph Alone state.

He's not the only one there. The "test subjects" are just kept isolated from each other.

Among those test subjects is Mayhem, who helps stage a break-out & rescues Raph, only Raph manages to run off from the escaping yokai as they hit the streets of New York & get back to the sewers

Splinter has searched for him but given him mostly up for dead by now, tho still making some "futile" rounds in desperation, and stumbles on him

For a period, Splinter is a doting, present dad, determined to never neglect his kids so much again, but he falls back into a depressive rut again and pulls away

(Added tragedy: Leo vaguely remembers this time only in disjointed imprints—that there was a time in which Raph "left" him, which he felt was Raph shutting him out [Splinter wouldn't say why Raph was gone], which influences his clinginess & need to "prove himself valuable/loveable"; that there was a time when Splinter *was* present & doting, & he wishes Splinter would be like that again & regrets that it stopped... Raph doesn't talk about it/burst his bubble that that was the most traumatic period of his life.)

The EPF is in part set back, but also uses this as a way to get more funding/power from the gov, so it also helps propel them forwards

Draxum & villain boys are *a* problem. The EPF, a whole other beast.

Specifically, a wolf in sheep's clothing that's going to try conning hero boys into helping them against Draxum, posing as a secret force of heroes themselves wanting to unite with yokai heroes in a unity of good contrasted against Draxum's evil.

Raph falls for it more. He didn't know the ppl who captured him were EPF; probably, they pose as *saving* yokai from those situations. They might even have made a deal with a reluctant Mayhem to back them up, Mayhem begrudgingly allying with them to try to stop Draxum's increasing takeover of the Hidden City & growing power that could see him taking over the world. Raph (vaguely) remembers Mayhem, so this is very convincing.

(Does Mayhem feel guilty & conflicted af yes but he still does it, considering it a necessary evil. He has an arc of his own as April's "pet" [allowing him more contact with hero boys to keep an eye on them] which sees him increasinly question his aid to the EPF)

Leo is more skeptical. He's not got much ground to stand on, but feels the EPF is shadier than it lets on.

(Ooh-woo quietly brewing conflict btwn him & Raph...)

Donnie & Mikey despise the EPF as an evil anti-yokai group, but their knowledge comes from Draxum, who despises all humans as anti-yokai & paints them as dangerous evildoers (including, at least for a time, April, tho she comes to win his respect), so their opinions don't hold much weight to Raph.

Donnie & Mikey do feel the sting of their home, the Hidden City, increasingly polarizing behind either Draxum or the EPF-aligned Council of Heads.