#GENESIS YOU ARE SO STUPID I HATE YOU

[theomachst]

❝ ... i guess i'm just scared of losing you. ❞ // hey but like - consider one(1) Roche being deeply concerned for him

It doesn't come as a surprise: his little fledgling is growing, maturing by leaps and bounds. Perhaps Rhapsodos had been too mired within his own personal woes to notice it's insidious leakage into what should be effortless and genuine, the depth of his caring for the other SOLDIER and his progress as a rising young star on the cusp of nucleosynthesis.

He can feel the pride swell within his chest, his smile aglow with heartfelt emotion, even as he gently and steadily begins to pull away from the younger man's orbit. This had always been the plan since he learned what laid in store for him. He couldn't trust himself to fade away gracefully, with poise and perfection. He'd rip and rend, scratch and tear at even the kindest of hands offered in 'understanding', as well-intentioned as it was, he could not ignore that, no- They did not and could not understand what he was going through, thinking of every passing day, unless they had lived through it themselves. The starkness of it, in high contrast to everything else that had come before- It's fathomless enormity, yet it's bone-chilling precipitance.

The End.

"I know to what heights you'd yet soar, my friend. You cannot let anyone stand in the way of your upward momentum. It's not enough to want to be like someone-" he trails off, staring down into his own flexing hand, feeling the tightness of the bandages hidden just beneath the protective layers of leather and fabric.

"-in fact, I'd advise against limiting yourself that way. It is your own unique path that you're establishing, hammering out in flame and steel. Look up to those who came before, certainly... but you have to be willing to eclipse that image you've built within your own mind, and don't let it hold you back. Especially if it happens to be my own."

He claps both hands upon Roche's shoulders, giving a firm jostle, as if to ground him in he reality of that moment.

"Promise me," he demands rather than requests, the gravity of his expression perhaps too intense for the snippet of wisdom he's extrapolating.

"The last thing I want is to hold you back, Roche."

[wyllzel]

aronofsky doesn't know what dramaturgy means 💔 so sad

[altocat]

I love how fanon has their own special spin on the crisis core trio

Angeal: Sensible, overly-serious, kind of that dad-friend who is perpetually exhausted. The straight man in a sea of chaotic morons. Dedicated and hardworking, totally ready to lecture you for doing something stupid. An overall cool guy who sells himself short but really is the glue holding everything together, even if he gets no credit for it.

Sephiroth: Looks terrifying. Probably IS terrifying. Is actually kind of a soft marshmallow with mommy issues. Oozes trauma at every angle. Can kill you a thousand times over but he's also the group baby so oh well. Melts when given a hug. Outwardly cold and aloof but he would unironically die for you and folds like crumpled wet paper when he's left alone. Also he's a cat.

Genesis: Resident Little Shit™. Theater kid. Edgelord. Loudmouthed hothead who can't stop blowing things up. No one invited him. He came from the dumpster outside of an abandoned Waffle House. Arguably the most interesting person here but his attitude gets in the way of people figuring that out. Also kind of a secret soft baby but shhhh that's a secret. Easy to hate. Easier to love if you actually take time to get to know him.

[wanderersrest]

Mecha's "I'm Not Like the Other Girls" Problem

Preface: I'd like to apologize to everyone who reads this post. Normally, my posts are pretty lighthearted and informative. This one, however, is not lighthearted.

I feel it is important to talk about this topic though, as this is a problem that has been plaguing mecha shows for a long time now. It bothers me when people dismiss the things that I like *gestures at G Gundam*, so it should be of no surprise that I have strong feelings about this topic. It's pretty adjacent to the reason why I don't like the "Real vs Super Robot" dick-measuring contests that happen between fans, especially as someone whose favorite mecha show gets a lot of heat because of that stupid debate.

Part of what makes it worse is that I don't dislike these shows a whole lot. Okay, two of them I don't like a whole lot, but one is because its second season really drops the ball on things while the other is, in my opinion, a pretty mediocre show that is being propped up as the hottest thing since sliced bread by its fans.

I'm also going to be talking about gen:Lock, a show that I hate from pure pop cultural osmosis. So content warning: suicide, children getting killed, and gen:Lock, among other things.

Stop me if you've heard this one before:

"Evangelion's not like other mecha shows because it focuses on the character drama instead of the robots."

If you've ever watched any mecha show ever, you'd realize just how bizarre this line really is. There's always some variation where it'll be the favorite series of the person saying this and, when confronted, will bare their ass out for the world to see by showing that they have not watched any other mecha show. If you're lucky, they might have watched one or two other mecha shows, and chances are likely that it will be one of the other "Not Like the Other Girl" shows.

So today, for something a bit lighter in comparison to my soul-crushing Abbreviated History of Mecha, I'm going to take my turn dismantling this braindead take. Really take my turn at this dead horse, because it is something that plagues this genre of stories.

Context: Evangelion's Legacy Is Exaggerated

Thank you, cast of the hit anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. I felt brave just saying that.

Jokes aside, I feel it is important to get this out of the way now. And, to be fair, Evangelion is critically acclaimed for a reason. Eva's success did leave an impact on the rest of the industry. A whole generation of anime shows have tried to capture the same energy that Eva had, leading to the rise of the extremely nebulous sekai-kei trend. This isn't even touching on the fact that Eva is also one of the most popular mecha franchises of all time.

That being said, the problem with Eva's legacy is that people in the west exaggerated its legacy. So instead of it being an important series that builds off of the legacy of the shows it was inspired by in order to create something new and just as noteworthy as its forebears, it is now this transgressive series that brutally deconstructs mecha on top of everything mentioned prior. Evangelion became a series that was more than most mecha shows, since it really spends a lot of its time with its characters, particularly the Eva pilots and their handler. Evangelion was different because it was about the characters and not the giant robots.

...Except, that's not true.

This is Ideon Erasure

One of the shows that inspired Evangelion, Space Runaway Ideon, is about as serious as they come. It's a story about the horrors of war, and the characters have to contend with this and press on. And while it might not be as introspective as say Evangelion, the difference is what both had as inspiration: Ideon only had shows like Space Battleship Yamato, Voltes V, Zambot 3, and Mobile Suit Gundam as reference points. Evangelion has all four of those shows as well as other shows like Fang of the Sun Dougram, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes among other shows to reference

I'm not saying that those shows also influenced Evangelion. I'm just pointing out that, in the history of mecha, Eva has more things to be compared to. And to be fair to the people who kickstarted the "Eva's not like the other girls" mentality, the west's experience with mecha prior to Eva was either shows like Transformers, which existed largely to sell toys, or shows like Gundam Wing, where a lot of the show can be seen as "Wow, cool robot." So along comes Evangelion with its esoteric Christian imagery, brooding protagonists, and eldritch antagonists. It's really nothing anyone in the west has seen before, and so the "Not Like the Other Girls" meme is born.

And now, I'd like to go into debunking this line of thinking with a lot of the big offenders. Because it turns out that Evangelion is not the only show to get this treatment. And if you thought Eva was a bad example of "Not Being Like the Other Girls," then oh boy are these examples somehow worse.

Case Study 1 - Code Geass: Casval Lelouch of the Rebellion

Code Geass is probably the closest example to in terms of being "Not Like the Other Girls" that isn't Evagenlion itself. Like Evangelion before it, Code Geass has more of a focus on its characters than its mech action. A fair bit of screen time is spent focused on the politicking and strategizing and brainwashing (with actual, factual magic) of our main character, Lelouch Code Geass Lamperouge, with all of the shenanigans that ensue. It's a series with a unique spin on the military robot shows of old due to its inclusion of magic (namely the titular Geass) and advanced super materials like Sakuradite (based off of the mythical metal hi'hiirokane or scarletite).

The problem with Code Geass being a "Not Like the Other Girls" show is twofold:

The robots of Code Geass, here known as Knightmare Frames, play a pivotal part in the story. The Knightmare Frames are what allow Britannia to take over the world as well as they do, and a big focus on the series is just how advanced the latest Knightmare Frame, Lancelot, is compared to the other Knightmare Frames. Season 2 exacerbates this problem when the elite Knightmare Frames like Lancelot are constantly getting exponentially more upgrades throughout the season.

It's also hard not to ignore the similarities between this show and Mobile Suit Gundam (the original, not the franchise as a whole). Consider that Code Geass' main character is, for lack of a better word, a Char clone. He wears a mask and oftentimes hides his true motives, which helps when it comes time for politics. He's even got a special power that helps him with his core skills. The only thing Lelouch is lacking is the piloting skill, which is where Kallen Kouzuki comes in (and fun fact: her signature Knightmare Frame, the Guren MK II, is red).

Oh, I should also mention this here: before working on Code Geass, Goro Taniguchi worked on Gun x Sword, which is unabashedly a giant robot anime. Does this really add anything to my point? Not really. I just think it's interesting to point this out due to Gun x Sword's proximity to Code Geass in terms of release dates.

Case Study 2 - Tengen Toppa Getter Robo Gurren Lagann

Probably the single most insane version of this is when people treat Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann as being "Not Like the Other Girls."

Y'know... Gurren Lagann. The show where the giant robots grow as large as the known universe. A show where one of the major thematic elements is a celebration of giant robot shows that's reflected in the four major story arcs representing a distillation of the four decades of giant robot shows from as early as Mazinger Z. A show where the main character draws a lot of his self worth from, among other things, how well he pilots his mini robot (a gender-swapped Noa Izumi, if you will).

Oh, and most important of all: this is also the show written by, and I'm not making this up, a man who refers to himself as Getter Robo's number one fan.

This doesn't even touch on other shows that one could argue also had a hand in influencing Gurren Lagann like Mobile Fighter G Gundam and The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar. Look me in the eye and tell me that Kamina wasn't written with characters like Domon Kasshu and Guy Shishioh in mind. Or the fact that Simon the Digger is less Ryouma Nagare and more Domon Kasshu by way of Guy Shishioh.

In the case of Gurren Lagann, though, it should also be of no surprise that this is the series brought up the least amongst the "Not Like the Other Girls" shows. A big part of this stems from, as I mentioned earlier, the fact that Gurren Lagann is a celebration of giant robots.

...What's that? Why does it sound like an axe is being sharpened in the background? No, reader, you're hearing things. I clearly don't have an axe to grind with the next show.

Case Study 3 - Armored Trooper 86: Eighty Six

Part of what I hate about the modern seasonal anime release schedule is that it's created an entire generation of anime fans who refuse to watch any series that released before 2010. This line of thinking can be pretty dangerous, and this is coming from a guy who's always saying the newer Pokemon games are generally better than the older ones. The difference is twofold:

Pokemon isn't anywhere near as old as all of anime. Like it's not even close to being that old.

This only really applies to core game mechanics in the mainline non-Legends games. It doesn't really take into account things like story elements, Pokemon rosters, or generation design differences (read as: is the game pre- or post-Physical/Special split).

I'm bringing this up because I feel like the seasonal anime format is the reason why 86: Eighty Six became a "Not Like the Other Girl" show. As someone who watches a lot of mecha shows, 86 is just...

...it's there. It exists. In my opinion, 86 doesn't really have a whole to say outside of racism is bad and look at how much Shin and company suffer because of it. Everything 86 does has been done before in some fashion by literally every military robot series that existed prior to 86's first publication in 2017. Heck, two years prior to it's publication was the first airing of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, the then-latest entry in the Gundam franchise. And that series is all about how unfettered capitalism makes it almost impossible for the marginalized to survive without having to resort to violence.

But I think it's folly to suggest fans of 86 to go watch Iron-Blooded Orphans. Not because it's bad, which I'd argue that it's not. No, it's more because IBO is too recent. Part of the problem with the "Not Like the Other Girls" mentality is that people will limit themselves into only watching one show, oftentimes failing to see that part of what makes their favorite show so special is the fact that it is inspired by other works. For people who like 86, it would be better to recommend shows like Armored Trooper VOTOMs, Fang of the Sun Dougram (or really any military robot series directed by Ryousuke Takahashi), or even the original Gundam from 1979. But as harsh as I may be on 86, it's not the worst offender. I'd even go so far as to say that 86 is, at worst, a symptom. I think the real problem lies with the next series I'm going to talk about.

The Worst Offender - gen:Lock

If you thought I disliked 86 because of how its fans hype it up as being better and so much different than the rest of the canon, at least 86 is a pretty entertaining watch.

gen:Lock makes me turn into AM from I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream. To describe the enmity I have towards gen:Lock is not something I want to fully unload on this blog, as it is this series that really kicked the "Not Like the Other Girls" mentality into overdrive. gen:Lock was once described by one of its executive producers as being about the characters and not the robots. Which kind of spits in the face of the canon of mecha in its entirety, as the entire genre has almost never really frontlined the machines as being the main character. And when mecha stories are about the machines, the machine tends to be a character in its own right.

And if I'm being honest, part of what makes me so livid about gen:Lock is how this series basically funneled away funds from other projects at Rooster Teeth. That's what got series creator Gray Haddock fired, after all. So you can't even say that season one, which I've been told is a pretty decent season, is okay in comparison. So even if the "It's not about the mecha" line is supposed to be marketing speak, the behind-the-scenes nonsense still sullies the show. I don't even think I need to touch on the mess that is gen:Lock season 2; between the poorly animated sex scene, the sudden killing of a recently-outed queer character, and the fact that one of the main characters, and later the entire main cast, get rewarded for committing suicide... Yeah. Let's just move on before a blow a fuse.

Magic Knight Rayearth Is Actually Not Like the Other Girls

I think part of what makes all of this so absurd is that there is a series that can actually be considered "Not Like the Other Girls."

It's Magic Knight Rayearth.

A lot of what helps in this case is that Rayearth is, primarily, a magical girl series. That is not to say that Rayearth is not a mecha show though, as the Rune Gods play a pivotal role in the series. Not helping things is the fact that the Rune Gods are literally an extension of their magic knight's personalities, which is true of pretty much every giant robot ever. But, by being a magical girl series first and foremost, Rayearth approaches giant robots from a unique angle due to the world of Cephiro being similar to that of a fantasy JRPG setting where willpower determines everything. So the Rune Gods end up being real, living creatures that take the form of giant robots, as opposed to just being giant robots that exist in the setting.

Except it's still a giant robot series. Everything I just said doesn't suddenly mean that Magic Knight Rayearth is no longer a mecha show.

Conclusion

Look. I get it. These shows are great. Okay, gen:Lock isn't, but the other four are. I get it. The people who trot out this line do it because they love the series they're putting up on a pedestal. My issue comes with the putting it up on a pedestal part. It has a tendency to displace other shows that are just as worthy of praise, and in some cases maybe even better depending on the viewer, than the "Not Like the Other Girl" shows. So, to close this rant out, I'd like to suggest some shows for people whose only experience with mecha are one of the "Not Like the Other Girls" shows.

If you like...

...Neon Genesis Evangelion, you might be interested in checking out Ultraman, Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Runaway Ideon, Aura Battler Dunbine, Patlabor (either the TV or OVA timeline), or Gargantia on the Verduous Planet.

...Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, you might be interested in checking out Mobile Suit Gundam (again), Fang of the Sun Dougram, Patlabor (the OVA timeline this time), Gun x Sword, or Psalm of Planets Eureka Seven.

...Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, you might like Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, Gunbuster, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, Back Arrow, SSSS.Gridman, SSSS.Dynazenon, and Gridman Universe.

...86: Eighty Six or gen:Lock, you might like Mobile Suit Gundam (pretty much any series that isn't G or Build), Armored Trooper VOTOMs (or really anything related to Ryousuke Takahashi), Metal Armor Dragonar, Patlabor (See Evangelion above), or Full Metal Panic!.

...Magic Knight Rayearth, you might be interested in Aura Battler Dunbine, Panzer World Galient, Patlabor (the TV timeline), Mobile Fighter G Gundam (yes really), or The Vision of Escaflowne.

And thanks for reading my rant. Next time, something else!

[dreamwritersworld]

What if..? Part 2(Sully family x reader)

…I was pulled away from the tree and I turned to see my father next to me…he wasn’t smiling like everyone else was, he was having different visions. I began to connect again, I couldn’t talk to Y/n this time…I just was able to just see us….I couldn’t help but be curious as to what real visions my dad would have..he never payed attention to Y/n…what memories did they have?

*Jake’s Vision*

(purple = Y/n’s thoughts) (purple bolded=Y/n talking to Jake in his vision)

*the first part is first person but everything else from His visions are in third person he’s like a ghost! *

He saw Y/n from behind with blood covering her two bulled wounds, huge gashes and sharp pieces of a plane piercing through her body.

“…y-y/n?”

Y/n slowly turned around with tears in her eyes.

“Look at me! Look at what you did to me! What am I now? The dead daughter? The forgotten daughter? The missing daughter?! I’m nothing.”

Jake tried so hard to pull away…get out of the vision…but Y/n had a really tight pull on him.

“You don’t get to just leave! Not this time.”

There was eerie ringing and suddenly Jake was home.

Y/n was rushing in to show her father the glass figure she traded…pure and innocent excitement…

“Dad! Look what I traded a bracelet for-“

…until she slipped on crayons Kiri had left on the floor and the glass broke. Y/n got a small cut on her arm from falling with the glass.

“Y/n! No playing around. Look at the mess you made now.”

Y/n was 5…tears were begging to fall. She didn’t know if it was from the glass or being yelled at by her father. Worst part of Jake’s vision was that he can feel all her pain, her thoughts and the way her fear and discomfort settled in.

“No. No crying Y/n. You have to stop being childish. No crying. That’s another order you’re breaking.”

Y/n’s tiny heart was racing while her hands began to shake and play with the bracelet Y/n refused to trade in for, the bracelet Rey’akana gave her a week after they first started training.

‘Uh oh I did something bad…I didn’t mean to. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s ok! I’m fine!’

Y/n was looking down at her bracelet searching for comfort

‘Maybe Rey’akana will get me another pretty glass figure? I can’t wait to go back to training tomorrow-‘

“You’re a mess Y/n. You’re hair is messy, and your clothes are all wet!”

‘messy? Oh no…I tried to tell mom about my hair…maybe tonight! My clothes were wet from me playing near the river with Rey’akana today….he helped me get beautiful water flowers!’

“I know father, I just saw these pretty flowers at the bottom of the river! Would you like to see-“

“No excuses! You should be clean before you walk into this home.”

Y/n looked everywhere but her fathers eyes she was extremely uncomfortable and her anxiety was running high…she was just trying to be nice to her father.

“You are to stay here for the rest of the day Y/n! First go, Clean yourself up!”

Y/n began rushing to go to her hammock.

Jake watched himself walk out the home as he slowly walked towards the little girl, watching her as she cried. Y/n was pulling on her hair.

‘Stupid hair! Stupid ugly hair! I hate this!’

Jake watched horrified as he felt how the girl was pulling and scratching at her hair so muchthat she was leaving small cuts on her scalp…

“…did you really have to be that mean.”

It went black and…

They were now in tsahik’s hut.

Jake watched Y/n mourn over Rey’akana’s death…as if he was her own father. He saw how she begged him to stay, holding onto him to not leave her alone…mentioning how upsetting her situation with her parents was, something she never liked acknowledging, always looking at the bright side. Rey’akana was the one to comfort her through it all…it didn’t go unnoticed how Tuk had said some words or phrases Rey’akana once said. Jake felt Y/n’s heart burning…her innocence going down with Rey’akana. Y/n stayed with Rey’akana the rest of the night while he was getting cleaned up to be sent to Eywa, no one noticed she was gone…she stayed for his ceremony.

A couple of months later she was taking the small belongs Evung said Rey’akana would have wanted Y/n to have. It took awhile to get the strength to go through Rey’akana’s belongs.

Y/n was walking home with her bag of Rey’akana’s things while it was nearing eclipse…she didn’t realize it would take this long, she was beginning to freak out.

‘I’m going to make it home! It’s ok…’

suddenly y/n had memories of her and Rey’akana going through the forest singing short songs

’We’re going on a bear hunt we’re gonna catch a…big one!’

A unfamiliar Navi about the same age as y/n came out of nowhere and startled Y/n.

“Oh hey! You’re olo'eyktan’s daughter! The other kids and I created a wooden cart do you want to take a look?”

‘They’re trying to trick me. They’re mean…they will lock me up in a wooden box for all I know.’

“Oh well actually…sorry but I have to get home!”

“oh…ok!”

The mischief kids were throwing hand signals to not give up while Y/n was walking away giving an uncomfortable smile before she did.

“We just worked so hard on it … I guess we got excited for you or someone to see it! …but that’s ok! I’m sure your siblings will be really excited about it tomorrow!”

‘My siblings? Maybe they weren’t playing tricks! No one’s ever said that…what if this was super cool.’

“…really?”

“Oh yeah! We couldn’t find them right now but we found you! It’ll take two minutes, you’re probably late to get home already.”

“Ok…I’ll go!” Kids got in their position ready to a take a few hits on Y/n…she was the best warrior in their division and she was younger than them..?! they believed she only got the title because of her ‘privileges’ of being Toruk Makto’s daughter…they were jealous.

The two kids were climbing down a hill towards s certain tree.

“I don’t see anything..?”

The quietness in the forest made Y/n nervous and her anxiety was raising…you can hear it when she spoke and you can see it in her eyes.

“…actually, I’m sorry but I have to go.”

The boy suddenly put Y/n to a stop before calling out the kids that were hidden.

‘I must get out of here. This is scaring me I-I can’t breath. I feel stuck.’

“You’re very strong Y/n.”

“…thanks.”

“Our wooden cart is cool right.?”

Y/n saw a child pull on a broke wooden box.

“…yes. It is! It’s very special!..unfortunately I have to go.” The kids were quick to follow Y/n as she climbed up the steep hill and they tried yanking her down. Y/n kicked their faces and arms as she pulled herself up, running home.

When she did get home she was breathing out hard “Dad! Mom! The-there were these kids they- they tried to-“

“Y/n! You were out after eclipse I don’t care what you have to say. Go to bed!”

“But dad you have to listen to me, they are dan-“

“What’s dangerous is that you’re out there doing Eywa knows what! Stop arguing against me Y/n.”

‘Fine! It’s fine! I just- that was really scary..’

it was indeed not fine..he saw how y/n rushed to her hammock to sleep with Rey’akana’s belongs…the only thing that provided her comfort, she knew it’d all be ok when she slept.

I was almost ambushed and hit by kids older than me…was i really that dangerous?…was I really that bad? So bad that even before the death I witnessed…you still didn’t want me then either.

Now Jake was back in the main area of the village while he saw himself working, Y/n came in the vision jumping around with a small camera norm gave her from the lab.

“Dad! Hey dad! Look at me!” Y/n let out some giggles of excitement, while snapping a picture of her father…her laugh really was beautiful.

‘Oh dad! Always doing work! At least I caught him on a game of hide and seek! I got his reaction!’

“Y/n stop it! Do another round of hide and seek go now!”

‘Oooo another round? How-’

“Go! Now go count!”

Y/n ran in excitement while he father walked away quickly in annoyance….it showed In the photo too.

“…I loved the way a photo could capture a moment before it was gone…and now that im gone…am I finally ‘it’…the one who gets to hide?…Eywa hasn’t granted you the wish to find me…”

It went went white…and then you could hear screaming…y/n’s scream and tuk’s screaming…both screams were unforgettable.

a scream from Rey’akana’s death

and…

a scream from Y/n’s death.

“was it really worth it dad..? did you mean what you said when you told me I never faced death…? Did you forget when you slashed glass across my head…?”

It went black once again.

Jake felt blood rushing from his head and how his body gave up…and suddenly it stopped…now he was by Y/n’s hammock.

He watched Y/n while she explained the tape recorder she had hidden for Tuk to always listen to her voice, if Tuk ever missed her…a small camera was also in the box. Y/n really did prepare Tuk for her death.

Jake watched as Y/n and Tuk walked out the home once Y/n had placed the two items back in the hidden spot. Jake instantly ran towards the two items and then he turned around when he heard a painful scream and it went black again.

“you really don’t get it do you?…you don’t get to see me that way…not yet. they won’t allow it…how do you think she’ll react when she finds out your part of my murder…?…my sunshine…you ruined what I protected her from, it’s your fault. I kept your image clean for her…no matter what. You only ruined it for yourself.”

Jake was now watching himself yell at Y/n…he only now begins to realize what exactly he was saying…how his words had unnecessary hatred to the girl who did her best in everything. He then saw the way Tuk defended her after Y/n was passed out from the hit she took. He felt Y/n’s headache from being hit on the head hard and Tuk’s heartache at the thought of death nearing.

“Murder changes everything. When I was alive, I never hated anyone, not even you…but now hate is all that I have for you in the realm in between. I want you cold and broken.”

Jake now watched Y/n as she cries while he is unable to speak, to be the one to comfort her…love her the way she was supposed to be loved during her time on pandora…instead of him being there…it was Rey’akana. He did all the things Jake wished he could do with Y/n…he wished too late.

“I was stupid…I was so stupid….To think he’d actually save me.”

“He does not own you Y/n. You can be set free of him…once Eywa brings you peace and he goes through a journey of his own consequences”

“I should be at peace now…That man took my life! My own father! He left me out there to die.”

“You will see sunshine…in the end you will get your peace.”

“…Y/n Sully. 14. Daughter of Neytiri and Jake sully. Murdered by her own fathers ‘accidental’ intentions.”*

Jake was practically shoved out of his vision. Sweating and breathing heavily…his own visions haunted him.

He realized that Y/n was only a child doing it all on her own. Jake was forced to watch how he treated Y/n during her time here…how could he tell Tuk? …that he was the one who failed Y/n.

Jake slowly turned to the rest of his family…they were smiling at very small and faded memories of Y/n…Tuk had the most colorful side of Y/n. Her smile was so bright…she looked so much like Y/n…acted like her too.

Everyone pulled away immediately talking about Y/n…how they didn’t know how much they knew until now. Jake had to watch while they were all happy to see small memories while Tuk stayed quiet…she was upset….

They don’t deserve to see their memories of Y/n…I know it’s mean but it’s true, maybe it’s because they weren’t as mean or they did spend some time with Y/n and I just didn’t know maybe I was just wrong…but there’s a reason why dad is so quiet…he didn’t have anything with Y/n except bad memories.

Judging by the looks of it…he’d keep his visions on lock down.

We all went to sleep but I was driving myself crazy…what happened that day..? Who failed Y/n?

I woke up slowly bringing my hand to my cheek…I miss Y/n’s kisses. I got up, determined that I will get to the bottom of my sisters death so I finished what was needed and quickly went off to discuss my ideas.

“Ok Neteyam listen to this…one of the young warriors, I forgot his name but I know his face. He appears perfectly normal but he…had a big crush on Y/n! I mean extremely big! What if he didn’t want her with anyone else and was just too scared to confess so he just didn’t help her on the battle field? He saw her trying to leave and just shot her repeatedly…Right? I mean you guys said you didn’t see her hurt that bad!”

Mom comes in the conversation

“That boy, wouldn’t hurt a fly and he wasn’t in the war party that day.”

“I followed him today! He was getting Y/n’s signature beads!”

“…he’s made a gift for our family Tuk!”

“My point is…we need to start working backwards. Start looking at Navi’s with strange connections!”

“…Tuk, This doesn’t change anything”

Tuk still was ignoring her mother, too deep in her emotions while Neteyam just silently listened to his mother try to stop a talkative Tuk…she was driving herself crazy.

“Please will you just stop now Tuk? Will you just stop?! Can’t you just leave it alone!” That being said Neytiri turned around quickly building up tears as she walked out of the home. Jake was getting irritated by the second…hoping Neteyam would take over and Tuk would stop fighting.

“I know you’re been trying to deal with this in your own way Tuk but…mother is not coping very well. She needs someone to help her get through this! Our support.”

“You don’t think I know that Neteyam! This is my way of helping her. If I find out who it was that failed her…it’ll bring peace in knowing who secured Y/n’s death-“

Jake couldn’t hear it anymore. She was getting irritating so…he did what he only knew how to do…he did what he swore he wouldn’t repeat…yell at his child the way he yelled at Y/n.

“Tuk! Shut it! Just be quiet! You need to stop! You’re going to bring your mother down with you. Stop creating these ideas in your head of what went down…she’s dead! It’s over.”

Neteyam was in shock, he looked down at the little girl who was freshly filled with even more adrenaline and he tried to pull her away to calm her down

“Father, it’s ok I will handl-“

“No! It’s ok I will handle this myself! You’re the one who needs to stop dad! I felt sick thinking of the idea that maybe it was you who failed Y/n, I was angry in the moment and it all felt out of place…but now? You’re too quick to push away her death. I don’t know what you did…but you will not, dismiss Y/n’s death like she was nothing.”

Tuk quickly walked away to go enjoy comfortable silence by herself, hiding Y/n’s voice recorder in her bag while Jake ran to connect to the tree of souls…hoping now that since Tuk maybe realized it was him who did wrong by Y/n….Eywa would let happier memories through his visions…even if they weren’t with him.

*Jake’s vision*

The moment of him yelling at Tuk played before him while Y/n began speaking

“…You can live on one moment for a long time father. You could feed off a memory over and over again…but it doesn’t take you long to feel emptiness coming back to you….you just let the need of rage, resentment…rise in you again…do not do this to Tuk.”

Now Jake was in their empty home and he heard small cries come from Y/n as her dad yelled in her face about things he couldn’t hear because Y/n’s present voice echoed over his talking.

“You have finely tuned instincts…You know Tuk is beginning to wonder about how easily you brushed off finding me…and I know you hoped, a small part of you was hoping I wasn’t dead. Yet you told my siblings to stop worrying and that I just ‘need a break’…joking around about how I couldn’t handle war but wanted to be a warrior. Tuk seems intent on crowding you…and you resent it don’t you father..?” *

Then Jake disconnected but it wasn’t because he wanted to…his body did it unintentionally from fear of his own daughters words…

!💜!

🚨‼️

Huge cliffhanger 🫡 I wanted this part of the story to feel like a nightmare to Jake. Y/n has very deep feelings on the way she was treated and she never got peace…her father won by leaving her to die and practically taking her away super early in life. So in this part Y/n just expresses and shows some parts of how she was treated wrongly by Jake. I hope you guys notice also the little things of mistreatment like the way it was fully ok for Kiri to leave things on the floor! Remember the crayons that were on the floor from Tuk was playing with them during the ‘Once innoncent’ series? Y/n was yelled at for ‘leaving a mess’. Welllll y/n tripped and fell on a ‘mess’ Kiri was allowed to leave! There was some deja vu with the way Y/n was cut on her arm by the glass and She was slashed on the same arm when she died! The whole mini song Y/n was singing on her way home was a nursery rhyme Y/n sang with Tuk in the last series when she was showering Tuk! There are so many parallels in this series and I just loved sharing that with you! Hope you enjoyed! 💕

*p.s I would love to hear your guys thoughts too! I love reading your comments 😊*

Tag list: @noodlesfics @eywas-heir @itshype

@zatarias-pandora @yeosxxx @arminsgfloll

@abbersreads @tsireyak @neteyamforlife @aimsro

@elegantkidfansoul @goodiesinthecloset21

@nikotokitaswife @bucky1235 @detectivesparrow

@kikosaurscave @octavias-next-meat-bite

@midnightliacr @waitingforanotherpart

@marybrown23 @ssc7514 @destinylb @simp-erformarvelwomen @eirianna @ambria @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @lv9su @luciddasher @dakotali @manohari @httpjiikook @snowywhiterose @tainted-artist4161 @fanboyluvr @bat1212

[duhragonball]

End of Evangelion: 25'

Yeah... that's...

"You don't understand!" is pretty much Neon Genesis Evangelion in a nutshell.

Or "You do (not) understand! (true²) Director's Cut" is how the franchise would put it.

Let's just get on with this.

I watched End of Evangelion last night. Well, early A.M. I took a nap and woke up at midnight and it seemed like the right time to watch a thing like this.

I did not enjoy the movie. I'll explain this, of course, but I wanted to get that out of the way up front. There are positives, sure, but I went into this thing hoping for a more satisfying conclusion than what was presented in the TV show, and I didn't get it. Both endings suck. There you go.

Let me back up a bit. So the TV series ran from 1995 to 1996. The final episodes, 25 and 26, were controversial because they were expected to wrap up the whole story, but instead they went in a bizarrely abstract direction. Both of those episodes apparently take place inside Shinji Ikari's mind as he struggles to accept being part of a collective gestalt of every human mind on Earth. This is the result of the "Human Instrumentality Project" a concept mentioned in Episodes 1 -24, but never adequately explained. The final episodes just skip past the part where Human Instrumentality was achieved and shows the result, without bothering to discuss the background or the cause, or the long-term ramifications.

From what I gather, the main reason Episodes 25 and 26 were Like That was because the studio was short on time and money, so a more satisfying conclusion was not practical. But since the series turned out to be so successful, they were able to take another crack at it with End of Evangelion. The film is very clear about its purpose as an "alternative" to Episodes 25 and 26. It's divided into two sections, numbered 25' and 26'.

I'm not sure the viewer is expected to pick one over the other. The original 25&26 take place in Shinji's mind when Human Instrumentality happens. 25' and 26' take place in the outside world, showing the events leading to Human Instrumentality and the aftermath. There may be some continuity issues to iron out, but a fan could easily accept both endings as canon.

That's not my problem here. The problem is not that there are multiple endings, or that the endings are too "abstract", or that the endings aren't "happy". Fundamentally, my gripe is that the endings are confusing. Perhaps it might be said that the endings are pathologically confusing.

I think this is one of those Big, Emotionally Raw Works, where you can't really discuss it without revealing something about yourself in the process. So let's do that. End of Evangelion makes me feel stupid. There's parts of the movie where I'm just completely confused and I have no idea what is happening or why. It feels less like entertainment and more like I'm about to take a test I didn't study for.

Except I did study, because I've literally been taking notes on this thing for the past three weeks. I was looking forward to this, and last night I'm near the end of the movie wondering what the hell I'm going to write here, because I don't understand what the hell happened in the movie.

So I poked around a fan wiki for a bit, trying to get a handle on some of the major concepts, and as I read the articles, I realized that a lot of this information just stone cold never made it into the TV show or the movie. There was one thing I looked up that had to reference a Playstation 2 game that released six years after the movie premiered.

It's not that I'm too stupid to understand Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's that the franchise appears deliberately designed to hide information from the viewer. You're just supposed to roll with it, I guess. Or spend days researching all this side material. Read the manga, read the wiki, read fan commentaries. I hate this. I hate this so much.

So maybe I'm not stupid. Maybe the anime was just badly designed. That would be comforting, except I still feel stupid for investing so much time into trying to understand this thing that seems purposely rigged to defy understanding. It's not just the ending. That's what everyone talks about, but the ending is just a symptom of a bigger problem. The beginning is really slow. Then the middle starts to get weird, and there's a lot of mysteries and subplots and lore that gets set up with the implied promise that "we'll explain later". And the ending(s) drop that ball. The surgery was a success, but the patient died.

I feel stupid because I got a reply to one of my liveblog posts, I think Episode 12, in response to some comment I made about all the characters having the same backstory. Ritsuko has a complicated relationship with her workaholic scientist mother. Misato has a complicated relationship with her workaholic scientist father. Shinji has a complicated relationship with his workaholic scientist father. Is that a theme or did they only have one idea? My point is that eventually it stops being clever and starts being redundant. Later, we learn that Asuka has... a complicated relationship with her workaholic scientist mother.

"What, are you stupid?" asked the reply guy to my wry observation. They deleted it a few minutes after I saw it, so maybe they felt some remorse over the comment. Normally, I let these things slide. I might respond if I get legitimately hot about it. But this one got to me. "Am I stupid?" I asked myself last week. I seem to be complaining a lot about this show, but it's supposed to be a classic. Am I not giving it a chance? Am I missing something here? Am I just not smart enough to appreciate this thing? Am I just not trying hard enough?

If you're reading this, Reply Guy, please know that I didn't take it personally. I'm not upset with you at all, but I am trying to be honest with myself about this. This Neon Genesis Evangelion business has been frustrating me all month long. Now I'm at the end and it all feels very hollow, like I wasted my time.

I think that's my philosophy on life. I try to seek out new things to explore, usually stories, and sometimes they don't work out the way I wanted them to, and that's okay, because it's the journey that counts. Shinji Ikari keeps shutting down throughout his story, asking why he should bother doing anything, because he's too terrified of the possible outcomes of his actions. My thing is that bad stuff happens all the time no matter what, and you just sort of have to recover and move forward, because that's the only way to see what happens next. So I'm not sure if I can relate to Shinji or not.

Anyway, let's talk about Shinji masturbating in a hospital room over Asuka's comatose body.

I had heard about this scene, but I didn't realize how long and pathetic it is. Asuka had a nervous breakdown in Episode 23. This movie has to follow up on that, becuase Episodes 24, 25, and 26 each refused to pick up on her character arc.

Meanwhile, Shinji is wracked with guilt and dread over his battle with the 17th Angel in Episode 24. He had to kill Kaworu, but in spite of Kaworu's betrayal, he was still a friend to Shinji when he needed it the most, and he was such a good sport about getting killed, you know?

So this movie has to get us back to that moment, when Shinji and Asuka are at their lowest ebb, and I guess they decided that Shinji should go see her in the hospital because he's desperate to talk to someone about what's he's been going through. But Asuka's unresponsive, so he starts shaking her like he's trying to wake her up. Instead she just rolls over, which somehow exposes her half-naked body, and Shinji is so overcome with lust that he rubs one out right there and then. Doesn't even get a Kleenex, doesn't find a place to sit, he just whips it out and goes to town right in front of her.

I guess this is supposed to be a joke, but it doesn't land. It's not even a matter of the joke not aging well. Yeah, this is a 27 year old movie, but Shinji admits this is terrible behavior almost immediately. The "joke" didn't age at all. It was stillborn. This is like when you go to a graveyard and you see one of the tiny graves and the dates are from the same year. That's how funny this is.

The most charitable reading I can give this scene is that it represents the hypocrisy of Shinji's whole deal. He constantly insists that he can only do as he's told, because he's afraid of people not liking him if he makes a mistake or thinks for himself. But here he's doing some pretty disgraceful shit, and I sure as fuck didn't tell him to do this. did you? Did anyone? Of course not. He goes limp for most of the rest of the movie, but not here. Nossir. Seems pretty sure of himself in the minute or so it took him to finish his business.

The other aspect of Shinji on display here is that his ideal social interactions are one-sided. He's most comfortable with people when they can't see what he's doing, when they can't touch him back. That's why he wished for isolation in Episode 25. Here, with Asuka unresponsive, he's basically got the same thing.

I suppose the flip side of this is when Asuka kissed Shinji in the TV series. Her hangups are kind of the opposite of his, where she wants to be in charge of everything and everyone constantly showers her with praise for her achievements. She wants to kiss Shinji but she can't be vulnerable enough to admit that, so she orders him to just stand there and be kissed because she wants to "pass the time". And she makes him hold his nose shut because she doesn't want to be breathed on while she does it. I mean, they both have intimacy issues, but at least Shinji had a chance to consent to her weirdness.

In the NERV base, the crew wonder why they're still on alert status, since the last Angel was defeated. There should be no more threats, and it kind of makes sense for NERV to be disbanded. The only business left is the Human Instrumentality Project, and none of these ham-and-eggers know what that is.

But Misato has some information about it, which she mulls over while she's in her car. I guess? Let me explain this in more detail, because the movie never totally gets into the "why" of it all.

Okay, so the SEELE group has access to something called the "Dead Sea Scrolls". According to the NGE wiki, SEELE got it from the two angels that came to Earth, Adam and Lilith, in the distant past. SEELE has used the information contained in the scrolls to establish themselves as the secret rulers of the whole world. And they founded NERV, and its predecessor organizations, to study the Angels and figure out how to preserve the human race.

They talk a lot about Second Impact on this show, but they never explain exactly what caused it. Second Impact was not a meteorite strike or a rampaging angel who self-destructed, or even a lab accident. It was caused deliberately by SEELE, as part of an effort to contain Adam, who lay dormant in Antarctica.

If I understand correctly, this was necessary because at some point, Second Impact would occur anyway, and then Adam's children, the fifteen Angels we saw in the TV series, would come looking for Adam's body and unite with it, triggering a Third Impact that would definitely wipe out humanity. This is all supposedly explained in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

So SEELE's play was to trigger Second Impact deliberately, so that they could confront the Angels on their own terms. This gave NERV time to develop the Evas to fight the Angels, and to shrink Adam down to a more manageable size so he'd be harder to find.

Once the Angels were all defeated, SEELE could then trigger Third Impact. See, the TV series made it seem like the objective was to prevent Third Impact, but that was never possible. Third Impact is inevitable, I guess, so the only way to ensure humanity's survival is to evolve humans into something that can withstand the disaster. Thus, the Human Instrumentality Project, which will combine all human minds into some sort of disembodied superorganism at the moment of Third Impact.

However, throughout the TV series, SEELE has butted heads with the NERV Director, Gendo Ikari, about how this plan is to be implemented. Gendo wants to transform humanity into something new. But SEELE seems to want to retain their human nature and just use the plan as a lifeboat until the disaster has passed. At least, I think that's the disagreement here. Like I said, I had to learn about SEELE's agenda from the description of the PS2 game. It's not exactly a shock that the cabal of worldly oligarchs should want to save themselves and hold onto their wealth and power at the same time.

Gendo, on the other hand, seems mostly fixated on reuniting with his wife, Yui Ikari, who apparently died in 2004 during an experiment with Eva Unit 01. In the TV series, it was heavily implied that Yui lives on inside of Unit 01. Since Gendo's version of Human Instrumentality involves drawing up human minds into a noncorporeal union, I guess he figures that this will include Yui's mind, even if she has no body. It's unclear in this movie if Gendo actually intends to include anyone but himself and Yui in this merger, but in Episodes 25 and 26 of the TV show, Human Instrumentality is presented like it's all humans, even dead ones, and Gendo Ikari talked about it like that's what his version of Third Impact was supposed to be.

I suppose the only thing keeping Gendo and SEELE from turning on each other was the Angel threat, but now that this is over, SEELE attacks. First they try to hack NERV's supercomputers, but this is foiled when they recruit the aid of...

...Ritsuko Akagai, who betrayed NERV in Episode 23 when she destroyed all the Rei clones they had in storage. But she's the only one smart enough with computers to block the hack, so she crawls back inside one of them and uses her dead mother's notes to build a more robust firewall or something. I think she j-pegged a RAM or something, I don't know.

Ritsuko wonders why she's even bothering, since she already turned on Gendo. They had been banging on the down-low, but she got fed up with him when she realized he loved his dead wife more than Ritsuko or her mother, who also used to bang Gendo on the down-low.

With that cyberattack fended off, NERV now has to brace for an actual attack. Admiral Clownshoes notes the irony of NERV defeating all those Angels, only for their final opponent to be the humans they were trying to save.

Tactically, the entire battle is a formality. SEELE runs the whole world, and they can send wave after wave of soldiers into the NERV facility, which is already badly weakened after months of Angel attacks and budget cuts. NERV's defenses were designed for dealing with Angels, and their greatest weapons were the Evas, except Unit-00 was destroyed in Episode 22, and Unit-02's pilot has lost the ability to sync. Nonetheless, Misato wants the pilot kids secured, since she knows SEELE's goons will try to take them out first. She orders Shinji to deploy in Unit-01, and even though Asuka's in no condition to fight, she has her put in Unit-02 and then sent to the bottom of the lake. It's not much of a hiding place, but at least she'll be safer there than inside the base.

Where's Rei? Well, no one can find her, but she's gone down to the room where they keep Lilith and she's soaking in that orange goop they have down there.

Perhaps anticipating this, Gendo excuses himself and orders Clownshoes to take over the defense of the base. Clownshoes seems to know what he's up to, and sends his regards to Gendo's dead wife.

At this point, it's basically a race to see who can trigger their version of Third Impact first. SEELE wanted to use the Lance of Longinus and Lilith somehow, but since the Lance is in space now, they now plan to use Unit-01, the only Eva created from Lilith. That's what makes it special, apparently. Units 00 and 02 were made from Adam, I guess?

Anyway, Gendo plans to do it by combining Adam and Lillith together. He's got Adam's body within his own, and he wants to join with Rei, who contains some essence of Lillith. This was Rei's main purpose all along, I think.

Meanwhile, Misato leaves her post to find Shinji, who was sulking in some corner instead of reporting to his Eva like she ordered. She saves him from some goons, but they're cut off from Unit-01, so she has to find a way to get him where he needs to go. She also has to convince him to cooperate, since Shinji's completely gone to mush in the midst of this new crisis.

As she drives him to where they need to go, she explains (most of) the necessary backstory to him. Second Impact was triggered deliberately to buy time for Human Instrumentality, and humans are descended from Lilith, just as the Angels came from Adam. So in that sence, the human species is collectively the 18th Angel, just another candidate to inherit the future of Earth. Humans, like any of the fifteen Angels spawned from Adam, have the opportunity to trigger Third Impact and secure their place as the dominant life form of Earth, but we had to beat all the Angels first to do it, and then find a way to survive Third Impact when it finally happened.

And while Gendo plans to do with with Adam and Lilith, SEELE wants to use the Eva series, somehow, so it's vital that Shinji use Unit-01 to destroy all the other Evas.

Speaking of destroying Evas, Asuka finally wakes up in Unit-02, which is currently getting battered with depth charges. She still can't control the Eva, and she just keeps whimpering that she doesn't want to die. Eventually, she hears her dead mother promising to protect Asuka, and she realizes the truth: that Asuka's mother, Kyoko Zeppelin, was absorbed into Unit-02, much the same way Shinji's mom was absorbed into Unit-01.

Now, at long last, Asuka can operate her Eva again, and she goes apeshit on the SEELE troops. They sever her power cable, but she doesn't care, boasting that five minutes is plenty of time to take out these creeps. This is honestly the best part of the movie, because they had reduced Asuka to a pitiful shell for so long, and now she's finally taking charge and whoopin' ass.

It won't last.

With the conventional forces beaten, SEELE sends in nine Eva Units of their own. These are units 05 through 13, but they all look the same, and I'm not even sure they have pilots. It's a pretty cool design for a "bad guy" Eva, but they don't figure into the plot very much. They're here to destroy Asuka and Unit-02, and Asuka has to destroy them to stop SEELE.

Meanwhile, Misato has almost gotten Shinji to the Unit-01 launch bay, but she got shot, so she tells Shinji he's on his own from here. Shinji continues to resist taking any responsibility here. He says he's not worthy to pilot the Eva because he hurts people. He killed Kaworu, and he "did something terrible to Asuka". So at least the movie recognizes that. I guess it was included just to show the audience that Shinji isn't exaggerating when he doubts himself like this.

Misato refuses to indulge his self-pity, and she doesn't care how much he cries or tries to use his past actions to disqualify himself. She tells him she's made plenty of her own mistakes, but she still learned something about herself anyway. Hey, I guess Misato kind of gets what I was saying earlier. I guess this makes her my favorite character?

Well, yeah, but I don't like how she gives him a long kiss goodbye, then promises they'll "do the rest" when he gets back. I mean, she dies immediately after he leaves, so I think she was just feeding him empty gestures to motivate him while she still could, but... that's kind of fucked up.

Meanwhile, Gendo and Rei reach the room where Lillith is to begin their attempt at Third Impact, but they find Ritsuko waiting for them. She pulls a gun on Gendo and tells him that she sabotaged the supercomputer while she was reprogramming it to stop SEELE's hackers. Except... when she tries to execute her plan, the computer doesn't do it. This is because it's been imprinted with the mind of its original creator, Ritsuko's mother, and apparently mom still carries a torch for Gendo, even after Gendo screwed both Akagis over. Gendo then pulls a gun on Ritsuko, and says "I truly..." but the sound cuts out as he says the rest of it, so we don't know what he wanted to tell her.

In any case, she calls him a liar after she hears it, so either he told her he loved her and she didn't buy it, or he said something really cruel and she knew he didn't mean it. Either way, Gendo shoots, her which normally would suggest his true feelings, except I think this Human Instrumentality business works on dead people too, so life and death kind of becomes meaningless in this movie. We see a ghostly apparition of Rei as Ritsuko falls into the LCL fluid. We also saw ghost Rei when Misato died, so this seems to be a thing now.

Meanwhile, Shinji makes it to Unit 01, but it's immersed in Bakelite, which Misato had ordered dispersed through the base to impede the invading goons. I'm not sure how it got here, though, unless the bad guys used Misato's own trick to secure Unit-01. So it looks like Shinji can't get in the robot, even though it's not a robot, and he doesn't even have to be inside the stupid thing to control it. He literally proved that on his first day on the job. Yo, Shinji, get in the robot, your mom loves you.

Meanwhile, Asuka seems to be doing just fine killing the bad guy Evas without Shinji, but just as she finishes the last of them off, the Lance of Longinus suddenly flies back to Earth and improbably stabs Unit 02 through the face. Uh... how? Why? What the fuck?

Also, all the Evas Asuka defeated suddenly reactivate. With her battery drained, Asuka is helpless to stop them as they crack open Unit-02 and eat it. I'm pretty sure Asuka herself is killed during this, but we don't see a body.

I guess this was the catalyst to get Unit 01 off its duff, as it finally breaks out of the Bakelite and grabs Shinji like it's gonna put him in. Unit 01 busts out to join the battle, and it's thig big impressive spectacle. It even has angel wings now.

But it doesn't actually do anything. Shinji just gets a look at what's left of Unit-02's mangled corpse and screams.

And that's the cliffhanger for 25'. There's a credits sequence, then a dedication note from the director, and then the second half starts as Episode 26'. So this is a good place to take a break.

If you're curious, the part where Eva 05-13 show up to confront Asuka is about where things ended in "Evangelion: Rebirth". But 25' is about twenty minutes longer than that, so I'm not sure what the significance of that cutoff point was supposed to be. I guess it works as a cliffhanger, but it's kind of dumb to have Asuka finally wake up and kick ass, only to get utterly destroyed a few minutes later. Then Shinji shows up to set up the real cliffhanger.

To be fair, this half of the movie is better than the second half. Mostly, it benefits from the parts where they actually show the characters recovering from Episode 24 and beginning to move to the next phase of the story. This was what the TV show failed to do with its Episode 25. Now, we get to see the SEELE vs. NERV battle that was only implied before, and we get to see how Human Instrumentality is arranged.

We also see why it needs to be done. In the original ending, it seemed completely arbitrary, like Gendo Ikari just decided this was a cool thing to try and he just did it to the whole world without asking anyone's permission. Here, it becomes clear that if Gendo doesn't pull the trigger, SEELE will, and it's just a race to see who can get their vision accomplished first.

And we actually get to see the other characters in this version. Asuka wakes up and gets her groove back, Rei's part in the drama is revealed, and Ritsuko and Misato get shot. Seeing this stuff makes me even more irritated that the TV series just jumped right past it all.

Still, this half of the movie has problems. For one thing, a lot of runtime is spent just showing troops slaughtering NERV personnel, and showing Misato leading Shinji to his Eva. Also, there's a healthy dose of Gendo and Rei just staring pensively at Lilith without actually doing anything. A lot of the footage doesn't actually progress the plot, and only Misato and Shinji's scenes are useful for providing exposition. Gendo and SEELE's words are too cryptic to be of much use.

The main point of this installment was to reinforce things we already knew: Rei's important to all of this somehow, Shinji is a sad sack, and Asuka is helpless. And maybe it needed to be reinforced in July 1997, more than a year after the TV show ended, but I don't think it needed to be hammered home this much.

And like I said from the start, this whole thing relies on a lot of ridiculous stuff that I feel like I should have been told about in the TV series. How did the Lance of Longinus come back? SEELE couldn't have arranged this, since they were the ones who were so upset about losing it in the first place. Why are there two methods to trigger Third Impact? How did Asuka's mother get sucked into the Eva and yet she remained in human form long enough to go insane and hang herself? Why did the bad guy Evas suddenly recover from their injuries when it was convenient for the plot?

Perhaps most critically: Why are they just treating Third Impact and Human Instrumentality like the same thing? Like if you do one, then the other one just automatically happens? Is that how it works? Then why were they so worried about the progress on that project? It could be done at will, right?

Oh, and how did SEELE figure out how to do all this stuff? They have their own fleet of Evas, which seem to work better than NERV's. They made their own Angel in the form of Kaworu. They seem to know how to make Third Impact happen, without Gendo's help. And however they got this far, they seemed to pull it off without anyone from NERV knowing about it. So why did SEELE even need NERV in the first place? As it currently stands, the only reason Gendo's ahead of them is because he's physically closer to what he needs to work with. SEELE could have nuked the base from orbit and hauled Eva Unit 01 from the wreckage.

Again, the whole movie just makes me feel like I missed an episode, except I didn't. I watched the whole thing, which leads me to assume that the next chapter will clarify everything, except it doesn't, as we'll see next time. See you there.

[songmingisthighs]

Genesis

introduction pt. i | pt. ii | pt. iii

<< previous | m.list | next >>

ch. v - Tequillageddon

fashion mogul!mingi × reader

buy me coffee ?

things aren't always what it seems but when even the truth is left unheard, what can people do? one musn't lie but what if the lie is more accepted than the truth? the scariest thing in this world isn't monsters or demons. it's people with no agenda and time to waste.

It's not like you HATED going out doing youthful things with your friends, no. It was just the fact that you had a change of mind when it comes to these things.

You remembered when you first turned 21, your friends hauled your ass to a bar and started what was later known as the Great 21st Century Tequillageddon. You couldn't remember the morning after nor did you remember much about the next three days. Despite your ex boyfriend's protests though, he still took care of you whilst scolding you and your friends for being so careless. After that, he would begrudgingly follow you along whenever your friends drag you out to experience nightlife. But he never ruin your night, he's not that type of guy. He did ruin your wedding (and his) before it even started so maybe you judged wrong.

The free association that happened in your head made you clench your glass hard. Your friends had taken you out that night to forget your stupid ex and the fact that tonight was supposed to be your wedding day. So you ordered a couple more drinks as quickly as you could to help yoy forget that and to help you forget that you were in some dingy dimly-lit room with grinding drunken strangers not 4 ft away from you. You were sure your friends were part of the sea of drunken people. They had ran off not too long ago to burn off some calories on the dance floor after unsuccessfully trying to get you to do the same. It was their failed second attempt and yoy were sure there would be a third and a fourth so you need to do whatever you can to find their attempts amusing rather than annoying. They could be rather relentless when they want to be.

You were so busy with your task that you hadn't realized the person appearing next to you. He was leaned on the bar and sadly too close to your drink his elbows were on the strap of your bag.

"Excuse me," you poked on his arm, trying to get his attention. At first, he only spared you a glance before sighing and turning back go try to get the bartender's attention. This surprised you because what is his problem? "Hey, excuse me," you tried again. This time, the man hung his head and shook it slightly before looking at you, "Look, usually I'd be more than happy to talk to a fan and answer all your questions, but right now I'm in desperate need to get a drink first so may I PLEASE have a moment to myself?" You couldn't believe the words that came out of this man's mouth and he seemed to mistook your shock as compliance. What he didn't expect was your no crap attitude so when you scoffed and poked him harder in the arm, he almost glared and told you off. But before he could even do that, you had pulled your bag from under his weight hard enough that his elbow slipped and his arm hit the table rather hard. The impact sent his mouth agape and expression dumbfounded which worked in your favour because you decided to point out his utter UNBELIEVABLE cockiness. "NOW you can have your damn moment," and you scooted away slightly from him as far as you could, avoiding bumping into the stranger on your right

Mingi felt ashamed of how he just assumed that you were there to bother him. It's not like you were going to care that he was on edge after what he said to you and he could have totally just ignored you to stew in his embarraassment but that was just not him. Mingi is a nice, down-to-earth guy which is fitting because as of that moment, still sharing a space with you, he wanted to dig a tunnel and just stay there.

You were rather sure that you wouldn't have to deal with him anymore and you could just stew until it's time for you to leave with your friends or they attempt another coercion. But the feeling of something wet and cold on your arm made you jolt in surprise. When you turned your head to your left, you were met with Mingi's sheepish grin and a hand extending out to offer you a glass of what you just had. "I'm sorry for being an ass," he said, taking his bottom lip between his teeth in doubt as he hoped that you'd take the peace offering. It wasn't like you liked holding a grudge nor were you even planning to hold a grudge, but you were not stupid enough to take a drink from a stranger. You looked between Mingi and the drink and Mingi looked between you and the drink, realizing what it seemed like after a moment. "I swear I didn't put anything here, look," he downed the drink in one go and signaled for the bartender, "Another one, please," he coughed up, surprised at the taste of the drink which made you smirk in amusement. "Not used to that, huh?" You teased and he shook his head quickly, "I'm a soju and daiquiry kind of guy, whatever it is you ordered taste like flaming cheetos dipped in gasoline then lit," he managed out between coughs.

Seeing Mingi struggling made you laugh a little and loosen up slightly. When the bartender came back with a new drink for you, you immediately took it which made Mingi feel relieved.

"So, why are you here alone?" Mingi asked once his throat felt like it wasn't burning anymore. You nodded to the direction of the dance floor, "My friends dragged me out here so I'm avoiding dancing because I honestly only come out here for a drink and to shut them up about being a workaholic. You?" Maybe the alcohol was more potent than you thought because you never would have expected for yourself to open up to a stranger like that. "Two of my friends have the same energy aa 2 month old puppies so they're burning their emergy on the dance floor too and the other one had to make sure they don't do anything stupid," intrigued, you asked more, "What do you mean stupid? Like... Go home with someone shady?" "Or split a timeshare with strangers. Last time they managed to book a family trip to the carribean with total strangers and thank god we can cancel them." Mingi grinned widely when he saw you throwing your head back and laugh. "Honestly, what I meant was what made you come out here to the club in general. From the way you talked to me just now, I think it's safe to assume that your job takes quite the toll in you," at the mention of his job, Mingi cringed but a soft tinge of red was visible from you mentioning how he had talked to you. "Well... I guess more or less the same as you. My job, no matter how much I love it, can has its downside and it can be rather... Vexing. So I'm here to let loose," he shrugged.

Talking was one thing, but when you offered your glass for Mingi to bump, he felt his heart did a little leap. "Here's to making peace with the shit that comes with our job," you said, waiting for him to reciprocate. Just before his glass bump yours, Mingi paused and pursed his lips, "How about... Tonight, we're not attached to our jobs? Our responsibilities. We're just two random people trying to let loose because we can, hm?" He suggested. The easy confidence that exuded from the man made the tips of your fingers tingle slightly. It was stupid of you to feel like that considering you had just met the man but you can't deny that the man before you made some feelings you had for him to bubble up. You convinced yourself that it was simply because the wound of him leaving was still fresh, they haven't healed completely and having a guy who's not platonically involved with you gave you attention was like someone poking the wound. Nevertheless, you bumped your glass with his before the two of you drink your respective drinks.

Once your glasses are empty, Mingi waved the bartender over and ordered you both something that you were unfamiliar of. The confused look on your face made Mingi chuckle and wave his hand casually, "Don't worry, you'll like this drink." With an eyebrow raised, you leaned back in your chair slightly, "Bold of you to assume the taste of someone whose name you don't even know," you pointed out. It didn't occur to Mingi that you both were yet to be acquainted because you both had open up about ypur jobs so casually. So he extended his right hand forward, faux seriousness obvious with the way he puffed his chest out, "I'm Mingi, nice to meet you," he introduced himself. Feeling cheeky, you shook his hand casually, "I'm... Bunny," you smirked. The look on Mingi's face almost made you burst out laughing because he looked like believed you for a second but then when he thought about it, something didn't seem right and finally, when he saw how you were trying your best to not bust a lung, he rolled his eyes and groaned. "Really? That's how it's going to be? I gave you my real name and you're hiding your identity from me?"

Before you can tease him even more, however, you felt a hand tapping your shoulder continuously in a rapid manner. "(y/n), (y/n), (y/n), (y/n), look, look, look- (y/n), ohmygodyou'retalkingtoaguygoshgoshgoshthisissoEXCITING," Yeosang spoke at a very quick pace that it was a miracle you even understood him. Rather than at his drunkenness, LTE rap speed words, or him tapping you endlessly, you were disappointed that your name had slipped through his mouth. In contrast to your disappointment however, Mingi was smirking in smug amusement.

Thankfully, before Yeosang could do more damage, Jongho and Yunho and swooped in and dragged him away with a string of complain.

"So..." Mingi started, the side of his head resting on his fist, "That's your friend, (y/n)?" He teased. You narrowed your eyes at him and pouted at the same time the bartender placed the unknown drinks in front of the both of you, "Don't be smug and don't you dare use my name to mess with me," you warned him as you took the glass and swirled the content around, smelling it to get a sense of what it might be. To reassure you, Mingi took a confident gulp of his own drink before speaking, "Don't worry, I promise I'm not a creep or like a criminal or something."

Again, you were somehow assured by this stranger's words. Is he still a stranger though after you found out his name? Whatever the status might be, you were couldn't help but maintain eye contact as you prove your trust in him by trying the drink that wasn't actually that bad, it tasted rather familiar even. "See?" He grinned, happy that his recommendation was to your liking, "Now, since we both are here to drink, why don't we try a couple more for the heck of it?"

You weren't sure when you had just stepped into the club that you were goung to have fun that night. Sitting alone in the bar was no help either and your friends couldn't even begun to persuade you to bust a move on the dance floor. But now, sitting with Mingi having fun by being boldly trusting with something as stupid as choosing a drink, you felt foolish for worrying in the first place. Little did you know, you'd get in a little bit more fun with Mingi than you expectex.

Well, a LOT more fun.

network :

@cultofdionysusnet @kflixnet

taglist :

@ateezourstars @phenomenalgirl9 @90s-belladonna @yunhorights @cqndiedcherries @stopeatread @aestheticsluut @spooo00oky @kodzukein @galaxypox @mayonnaisehoeshit @maddiebabyxoxo @dreamlesswonder86 @charreddonuts @jwnghyuns @angelicyeo @axo-l0tl @gxlden-bxbyy @bbymatz @blaaiissee @kyume02 @aurora-tiny @senpai-of-doom @meowmeowminnie @thesolarplanetarysystem @camillelafaye

@randomness7198

[foolinafable]

iv. genesis

SYNOPSIS: He doesn’t know how to love. You know this and yet you would still give everything just to be with him- even for just a moment. Or the story of how you and Keith finally get together. PAIRING: Keith Kogane x Altean reader WORD COUNT: 4.9k TAGS: Slowburn, Angst, extreme cannon compliance, fighting SERIES LINK: a love as cold as ours

← PREVIOUS | NEXT →

── ✧

You aren't sure if this could get any worse, sat in the control room of the Castle of lions which has completely shut down because Shiro put in a kill protocol, Pidge was able to turn it off but the castle has lost significant power and the battle with Lotor is far from finished so you needed to keep your energy and strength.

Everything happened so fast, early on today you, Lotor and Allura had just made it into the quintessence field, all of your hard work had paid off and you were so happy and now- now you struggled to know how to feel. Your heart hurt from Lotors betrayal as he had become a very close friend, a brother almost in the time you spent together but you were sure that wasn't the only reason you were feeling this way. Keith's sudden return has sent you spiralling all the emotions you locked away after your confrontation during the Kral Vera have been thirsty to the surface leaving you upset and angry. It hurts you to know that while he was one of the most important people in your life he just saw you as a nuisance. You have come to terms with the idea that you did love him, it wasn't just some factless infatuation that went away when he did and even now when you would rather be face to face with Lotor than with him, deep down you still love him and you hate yourself for it greatly- I mean there is nobody else to blame it’s like he told you he can’t love and even if he could he really doesn't want to. You were stupid to think that maybe one day he would change his mind, especially for you of all people who he clearly just want to leave him alone.

“You still bleeding” Lance huffed from behind you, hand on your shoulder to make you aware of his presence, you simply turned to him in confusion eyebrows knitted together as he pointed to the nash on your forehead from when Shiro knocked you out your eyes brightened in recognition smiling in thanks but before you could get around to fixing yourself up Keith appeared on the comms, you averted your gaze when it seemed like he staring right at you and simply blocked him out as you used your powers to heal your forehead letting Lance and Allura take control of the situation- not that he would want your input anyway. You simply skimpier off towards the lions when he shows Lotor’s location to prepare yourself and the rest of the lions for another altercation not even bothering to say anything. 

You didn’t like Allura’s plan. Not one bit trapping Lotor in the quintessence field would probably not only kill him but also any chances of finding a permanent source of natural quintessence a clear way to bring peace to the Galaran empire and stop this war. If you break the entrance we would never be able to return meaning all the work put towards this would be for nothing. Alas, Allura was correct that this was the only way to stop Lotor. 

“Lotor will be here any second, what's the plan?” Pidge asked, looking at the destruction the lions had just created. 

“Well, the castle of lions has broken down. So there's no help there.” Allura spoke her thoughts aloud trying to find a pathway for the group. “The black lion isn't with us, so we can’t form Voltron. We are just going to need to do what we can” she finished sounding dejected.

“Got it, attempt to survive,” Pidge replied 

“Last time we fought Lotor, we had six ships and Lotor had two and he still kicked our butts. This time he has three ships while we have five ” Hunk reminded us you simply took a shaky breath before speaking  “Well it was never going to be easy”  while Lance, annoyed, responded “We don't have time for your maths equations hunk! Especially ones that result in us taking a beating” the rest of the team went quiet as Allura spoke to Coran. When you saw the three ships appear, you tried to control your breathing as they got closer and you tightened your hands on the lion's controls. 

“We need not fight today, We are all on the same side” you heard Lotor speak over the comms tears filling your eyes as you thought about everything he had done- all the innocent lives he had taken and found yourself quickly filling with rage at the idea that he would ever be on the same side as you again- if he ever truly was. “I know what you all must think of me now that you know my past. It doesn't have to change our future together. The truth is I want to harness the power of the quintessence field to better the universe, just like I said. Nothing has changed” you quickly interjected “Everything has changed” your voice so sharp you heard him inhale in shock.

“You enslaved countless Alteans harnessing their life source for your personal gain. How many innocent lives did you destroy?” Allura raged at him “Allura-” he tried to interject but she didn't let him “How many?” 

“It’s true many alteans perished in my quest to unlock the mysteries of the quintessence. But I protected thousands more, and I rescued their culture- our culture. Both of you must understand I've given everything I have to plumb the depths of King Alfor’s knowledge, to unlock the mysteries of Oridane. We have come too far together, surely you can see the greatness we have accomplished and the greatness we have yet to. Join me, we are on the same side.” 

“No, we're not!” Allura roared as she sent a laser beam towards Lotors ship which he quickly dodged. You braced yourself knowing that now the real battle was about to begin. 

Everything was a blur, Lotor’s words afterwards and Alluras bites the only words echoing in your head were his “destroy the lions” the way he said it so easily, as if it was of no consequence to him and maybe it wasn't but it sent you spiralling barely able to dodge incoming attacks from Lotor and his generals and consistently missing your targets. You knew Coran was able to get the castle working but only due to it nearly crashing into you and Lance. Lotor was constantly trying to hit you and Allura raged in a way you had never seen before something crazed in the way he spoke about ridding of you all even the galra a fact that shocked not just you but also his generals who tried to escape when learning of his plans only to be ejected from there ships leaving them in space while the ships joined knot his to create a large robot similar to that of Voltron.   

“What is that thing?” Pidge questioned as the five of you looked up at the robot “he's created his own voltron.” Lance spoke your thoughts aloud 

“That is why he was using us- using me” Allura concluded 

“We helped him build this” you announced shock evident in your voice 

“Well the good news is it’s now four on one” Hunk spoke recalling his earlier words but before any more words could be spoken Lotor came rushing towards the group

 “Watch out” Allura shouted as you all quickly tried to disperse but he was too quick catching you and Lance with the robot’s fingers sending you flying and whipping Hunk backwards with its tail, Pidge tried to fire at the robot but it quickly dodged 

“it’s way faster than us” she hollered out as you all tried to get a hit in before being quickly body-slammed by the robot. Coran was able to get a shot in from the castle of lions but Lotor quickly sent one back sending the ship into a panic 

“Impossible, Lotor’s weapon has completely repelled the castle's attack!” Pidge screamed,

 “Coran shoot it with the cannon again!” Lance pleaded

 “I can’t” Coran replied the ship was now completely out of action 

“Pidge get out of his line of sight!” Lance screamed as she nearly got hit only for you to push her lion out of the way with your own causing the rest of them to scream your name in worry as you let out pained noises “What are you doing?” Lance shouted at you as you moved once again into Lotors sight in the hope he would hit you again 

“If I can absorb enough of his power-” you stopped to grunt in pain as he hit you again “I might be able to give it back” Lance made a noise of confusion

 “What do you mean- you going to get yourself killed” as he tried to move you lion away with his own

 “I gave his ship the ability to do this so I must be able to do it myself” is all you replied as you once again moved towards Lotor

 “but it's not safe” Lance pleaded 

“What other choice do we have- just sit around and let him destroy us all?” you shouted back when a choked gasp came from you once you were hit again sending you flying forward your  head hitting the console of your ship, you simply gritted your teeth as the team called out to you in worry but they were quickly all grunting and screaming themselves as Lotor locked onto them 

“We can’t take this much longer!” Allura shouted fear evident in her tone while Hunk was shouting for Lance as he went flying from Lotor’s impact. Before you could gather enough energy to send something his way all the lions had shut down, seemingly unable to fight any longer and the paladins were completely out of options

. “It didn’t need to end like this, but you have made your choice” Lotor spoke as he went to deal the final blow when the black lion finally appeared- it seemed that the fight was far from over. 

“Keith, how did you get here so fast?” Lance questioned, clearly astonished 

“I had some help” was all he replied “Now hurry we don’t have much time. Form voltron!” Keith quickly sent a space pod with Shiro's body inside towards the castle “Coran you’ve got incoming” and he couldn’t have gotten Shiro away at a better time as Lotor quickly sent a blast towards Voltron but Lance and Pidge quickly activated the shield protecting you from the blast “Hunk form canon” Keith commanded 

“You’ve got it” the yellow paladin grunted as he activated his weapon, sending a blast towards the Lotor who quickly moved out of its path even as the laser chased him not once did it hit his robot. 

“He’s too fast!” Lance called out alarmed 

“Then we will have to get in close, form a sword” Keith responded, his voice sounding raspier from all the shouting. You quickly formed the sword and in retaliation, Lotor’s robot formed its own swords, one for each hand and came bounding towards Voltron causing the robot to move backwards due to Lotor’s robot’s momentum swords clashing against each other like a moth drawn to a flame. Lotor sent you all flying back with a whip of his robot's tail as Pidge called out

 “We can’t touch him, he's still too fast!”

“We need to stop him moving around, back him into a corner or something” Hunk strategised 

“Hunk is right, we need to eliminate his speed advantage, and limit his movements” Keith agrees. You all turned your heads to take notice of a large asteroid to the left of you “There” Keith announced as you flew towards it hoping the curvature of the rock would allow you to trap Lotor within “Now we lure him in close” and luckily Lotor took the bait following you right into the trap sending a blast towards you which you used the shield to block pushing you into the rock below solidifying your position and his continuous blasts caused the area to fill with ash from the rocks making him unable to see you anymore, he circled back trying to attack from behind “wait for him” Keith spoke softly as you heard him getting closer from behind the rock “let him build up speed” you could hear the whirring of his engine get louder and faster “Now!” Keith screamed as you moved the Voltron as quickly as you could as Lotor crashed into the rock from behind leaving an explosion of ash in his way. Before he could realise what was happening you quickly threw Voltron in front of him firing both arm cannons right the robot’s body sending him crashing backwards as the middle of the asteroid caved in due to the weight and power.

“Where'd he go?” Hunk questions when you look into the hole as you see nothing. You all move the robot around looking for him when Pidge calls out worriedly 

“he’s behind us!”

Keith, quick to take action, calls out “Hunk, Hit him with the shoulder cannon!” to which the yellow paladin responds before preparing a blast “Fire” Keith called out as Hunk sent the shot but as it got closer to Lotor he disappeared. 

“Did we get him?” Lance questioned 

“I don't know” Hunk responds hastily 

“I think we got him” Lance smiled 

“It looked like he just disappeared” Pidge spoke eyebrows furrowing in confusion

“Yeah! We got him!” Lance sounded out overjoyed

“I’m not so sure” Allura complained 

“That was too easy, that can’t be it” you spat out hand whirling with ideas of where he could've gone and how you heard Keith make a noise of unease through the comms as your head turned to the side when you saw a hole open up with Lotor inside as he quickly sent a punch towards Voltron sending you flying back a strange purple hue surrounding his spaceship. 

“Is everyone okay” Keith grunts as he tries to recover from falling backwards into a rock

“How is he moving so fast?” Pidge interrupts 

“We’ve gotta get up and attack” Keith responds sending Voltron hurtling back towards him but he disappeared again before you could get close 

“Okay, so that time we definitely didn't get him” Lance says confused but before anyone else could speak you gasped out as Lotor appeared once again sending you backwards and then again appeared behind you sending another hit to the robot and then another causing you all to grunt in pain as he kept hitting you around like a ball on a ping pong table expect he was the only player. He disappeared again, not immediately coming back when Hunk next spoke “How can he keep disappearing like that?” to which Allura responded clearly shaken up “He is, entering the quintessence field- at will!” causing you to take a shocked intake of breath while the other continued to question her idea “how is able to do it?: you heard Pidge chime to which you responded “I gave his ships the ability didn't I?” to which Allura sighed telling everyone that you were correct but before anything could be said Allura grunted as Lotor reappeared sending the ship backwards as you stayed the ship the shield quickly had to be activated as Lotor sent an extremely powerful blast towards you, much stronger than the ones previous sending the robot backwards due its sheer power causing a large explosion completely knocking down Voltron before disappearing once again into what you now released what the quintessence field.

“We have to go after him” Keith spoke clearly exhausted “Getting power from the quintessence is the only way we can match his strength”

“Can we do that” the yellow paladin questioned

“If he can, so can Voltron right?” Pidge asked you 

“My father did it once, but it was extremely dangerous” Allura called out

“Well I don’t think we have much of a choice princess” you called out 

“There right allura, we have to try” Keith agreed with you sending annoyance to curl up into your being but now isn't the time to be upset- you could be upset if you make it out alive.

“I might be able to guide us in, but I don’t think I’m powerful enough” Allura concluded 

“Then I will do it just tell me what to do” you replied solemnly hoping that you were strong enough for this, that Alfor was correct to keep you alive in that sleeping pod instead of himself. 

“I will need everyone to focus their energy” Allura commanded “while you need to picture the quintessence field” You closed your eyes quickly picturing the abyss you had seen only hours prior when you could feel the energy of the paladins right next to you, guiding you. You opened your eyes as a bright light appeared “Form sword” you heard Allura call out as you flew towards the light hitting it in the centre with your sword causing light to reflect everywhere as the hole grew, your vision clouded in the brightness. 

You could hear the astonishment of the paladins as you began to open your eyes, in disbelief that you were here- the quintessence field “I did it” you mumbled to yourself in relief but before you could bask in the beauty of the area you saw him, standing opposite you in the field, swords drawn both robots flew towards each other ready to engage in another battle purple meeting blue once more as the robots fought against one another. 

“We took a major shot, but I feel fine” Pidge comments to which Allura responded 

“All this quintessence is keeping us at full power” a comment that made you still worry

 “It’s more than that, can you hear your lions talking to you?” Keith asks and he was right you could feel your lion purring in the back of your head commanding you on what to do “Voltron is capable of more than we imagined” he finished sending a laser towards Lotors ship while your hands and body were buzzing with power glowing even without you thinking about it an idea that amazed you but also made a feeling of dread appear in my stomach but you weren't sure why. But you didn’t have enough time to voice it as Lotor came rushing back “Attack!” Keith shouted and you went flying back into him sending shot after shot at him but you felt as if time was going too fast, barely able to keep up with what the other paladins were doing, a fog seeding to haze over your mind as your body began shaking and flinching. 

“Let's end this!” you heard Pidge scream

“Finish him!” Lance responded 

“Let's destroy that guy!” Hunk exclaimed 

“We have to get out here!” you heard Allura shout as she called out your name in worry at your lack of response while the other paladins sounded out confusion at her words

 “What are you talking about” Keith asked 

“This is exactly what happened to Zarkon! Exposure to all the quintessence turned him into a monster!” Allura shouted 

“She's right” you spoke breathlessly a lot quieter than normal “There’s too much of it everything- I don't know how much longer we have” but before anyone could question you more you heard Lotor’s voice calling out mockingly “Poor alteans, all the power of the universe at your fingertips and your too afraid to use it!” then he flew towards you again 

“They are right we are out of control” Lance stated 

“All our systems are overloaded” Pidge called out 

“I know the feeling” you grunted out as the power signed through your body your sensitivity to quintessence was greater due to your power

“Here comes Lotor” Keith warned as you flew Voltron away from him now trying to escape him rather than fight him. 

“How do we stop this?” Hunk questioned 

“We give Lotor all the power he wants” Allura concluded as she pulled Voltron backwards to face him. 

“All this excess energy, I will just give it to him” you called out to paladins blocking away any of their worries as you closed your eyes and focused on the power within you, the connection to your lion caused you to also channel the burning power exceeding from Voltron causing a large beam to shoot out of lion chest right into Lotor robot that was still trying to inch closer to you, as the blast died down you could see Lotors robot was down sizzling and defeated as the haziness withdrew from your being, no longer shaking from all the quintessence your body was trying channel.

“Let's grab Lotor and get out of here” Keith announced as the alarms blared within the robot 

“No, we can’t! We need to leave now” Pidge responded and she was right there was only a matter of time before the quintessence got too much again

“We have to try!” Allura pleaded 

“Pidge is right, if we stay in here much longer and Voltron is done for” Hunk announced when a large crackle of energy hit Voltron sending you all groaning in pain 

“But we can't just leave him!” Allura argued as the ship was starting to sway electricity jolts electrocuting you all 

“Allura we have to go now” Lance pleaded 

“There isn't anything we can do for him anymore Allura” you spoke guilt wracking your voice that you were going to leave him here to die, a man you thought of even still as a brother

“Lotor made his choice. Let's get out of here Allura” Keith reasoned and Voltron finally moved away from him blasting out of the quintessence field through the hole you had created. 

“If we had stayed in the quintessence field, we would've kept fighting until we destroyed ourselves” Allura theorised “Just like Lotor.” 

“What did you do to him?” Keith asked you, his face appearing on your comms but you refused to look at him. “I transferred all the excess energy from myself and Voltron, it’s a technique I learned on Oridane, thanks to Lotor.”

“Thank you, you saved us” Lace replied solemnly as you stared at all the holes Lotor left into the quintessence field “Not just us, the entire universe” Hunk concluded as the castle of lions drew closer behind you “Oh! Your back” Coran declared relieved 

“Lotor is no longer a threat” Keith spoke mournfully 

“Right I’m afraid we face a bigger threat now” Coran began “All of Lotors jumping in and out of the quintessence field has created multiple growing rifts in the fabric of space and time”

“What does that mean?” Lance questioned dejectedly 

“It means unless we do something fast, those tears will continue to expand until all of existence as we know it has been destroyed” Pidge answered

“There has to be something we can do” Keith announced and he was right everything couldn't end here 

“Scanning the rift for any strand refabrication possibilities” Pidge announced 

“I’m running a few different models to see if there's any chance it can close on its own” Hunk added but both came up empty-handed. 

“How long do we have?” Keith asked 

“Well based on the way those rifts are expanding I’d say about 15 doboshes” Coran theorised 

“Allura, is there anything either of you can do?” Lance questioned

“I don’t know” Allura started “I just don’t have that alchemical knowledge” 

“The only thing that could possibly pull that rift close would be a source of gravity more powerful than a supermassive black hole” Pidge called out 

“Allura, Coran” you spoke hesitantly as an idea was brought forth into your mind “The teleduv” 

“What about it?” Keith questioned 

“They’re right, to make wormhole jumps, the teleduv creates a brief flash of infinite mass. There might be a way I can overload the reactor to seal the rifts. If one of the flashes went off on the rift it may be enough to close it- do the job” Coran answered for you and despite him not being able to see you you smiled slightly in thanks, glad to know your idea wasn't crazy and that you didn't need to speak to him more than you needed to. 

“But that would mean, sacrificing the castle of lions” Hunk realised gloomily

“Well, what choice do we have? Either way, the castle would be wiped out.” Pidge reminded him

“But still” Hunk began pausing for a moment in contemplation “it’s been our home”

“I hate to say goodbye to my grandfather’s creation” Coran called out wistfully “The last piece of the real altea”

“That's not completely true- we are the last pieces of altea coran don’t forget that” you attempted to comfort the older man

“Coran begin preparations” Allura called out “Everyone else start unloading the castle, we need to evacuate immediately” You quickly transformed back into the lions and made your way for the last time into the hangers collecting items as you made your way into your rooms and other various location surround the castle collecting personal items but also weapons and technology that you could need. Subconsciously you tried to stay out of Keith’s way just in case he tried to speak to you. The idea of having a conversation with him makes your throat feel tight and a pit arises in your stomach, your body trying to warn you away from him for safety, something it used to draw you towards him. Luckily he seemed disinterested in speaking with you at this moment, very busy clearing up and getting Shiro situated with his mother and space wolf within his lion. You stood with Coran as he said goodbye to the castle waiting with him before he entered your lion with you “Goodbye old friend” he called out as he initiated the teleduv before running with you to your lion and then rushing out the way with the rest of lions praying that this would work you looked at him with tears in your eyes as he touched your shoulder going to hold his hand as he stared at you with the same pain in his eyes. You all grunted at the impact of the rift closing before it all disappeared as if it was never there in the first place.

“It worked” Hunk called out cheerfully 

“You did it Coran” Allura called out over comms as you looked at him again smiling sadly at him 

“And look” Hunk commented going closer to a blue light where the castle once was 

“What is it?” Keith asked 

“It’s a diamond” Hunk responded as his lion opened its mouth to take the crystal “The pressure crushed the castle of lions into this little crystal” You all smiled that the castle survived into something that Coran would always have- his grandfather's last surviving creation far from gone.

“Well, we saved all realties everywhere, what do you guys wanna do now?” Lance questioned glum 

“We need to find someplace to land,” Keith began, “and see if there is some way we can help Shiro.” so you all went flying forward looking for somewhere safe. 

You landed on some sort of destroyed rocky planet and got Shiro out of the healing pod, Keith lay him on the ground as you all looked at him woefully “This body is barely living but Shiro’s spirit is still alive. It’s inside the Black lion, I've heard him talk to me.” Keith told you all

“He-he tried to tell me but I didn’t realise” Lance realised falling to his knees as tears shed from his eyes “I’m so sorry Shiro. I-I didn’t know. I- I could’ve-” Lance sobbed feeling defeated as you came up behind him to try and comfort him but he only stopped crying once Allura came up to the two of you grabbing your hand and moving you towards Shiro and the black lion while she touched Lance’s shoulder with the other, you immediately understood what she knew you could do. You quickly connected with the black lion, hands glowing as you did, the black lion outlined in your purple quintessence as it’s eyes glowed. Your body quickly became purple like the lion as it transferred Shiro's soul to you. You walked towards Shrio’s hands on his head as you began to transfer his soul into this body, the glow transferring to him making his hair go white. Everyone held a berated breath as they waited for something, anything to happen and then his eyes opened- Shiro was alive. He quickly sat up coughing before he once again collapsed into Keith but the black lion roared in happiness causing the rest of the lions to roar in response causing a smile to grace your face as the others cheered and cried. “You found me” you heard Shiro speak quietly to Kieth using all his strength “We’re glad you’re back Shiro” was all he replied while Allura came up to you “Rest,” she said directed at Shiro but you knew from how her eyes drifted to you it was meant for you also, she could take it from here for the time being. 

“So what are we going to do?” Hunk questioned “The castles been destroyed” 

“There is only one place that has the plans necessary to build a replacement” Pidge announced “Coran gave them to my dad” 

“We’re going home.” Keith announced.

[toskarin]

I'm a casual mecha anime fan who hasn't really had a chance to get into the genre. What mecha series would you recommend, preferably things that I might not have been exposed to already? I can put up with bad stuff too as long as it's entertaining

a couple rambling recommendations below the break

Getter Robo. Getter Robo is so incredibly good. it's stupid and violent and gloriously over-the-top. I highly recommend experiencing it before watching series that take a lot of influence, like Gurren Lagann, just so you can fully appreciate the homage (also, watch Gurren Lagann)

IBO gets a lot of hate as an entrypoint into the franchise because, being completely honest, its fans can be absolutely insufferable and refuse to engage with the rest of gundam. that said, I really really enjoy Iron Blooded Orphans and have to recommend it

if you want a slightly more respectable entrypoint (by broad consensus) you can also check out the original Gundam series and War in the Pocket. you might have already watched those though? who knows.

The Five Star Stories is wonderful, but it only got an OVA adaptation and is otherwise manga exclusive. if you're fine with reading, I highly recommend it. FSS is approximately 75% infodumping, so the OVA misses out on enough to where I wouldn't even consider it a spoiler for the chapters it covers

Aura Battler Dunbine is like a broad-spectrum test for how much stupid kino you can handle. if you like giant bugs and mecha in a fantasy setting, you've gotta check it out

here comes a recommendation with big caveats: Bokurano is a beautiful series about the despair of inescapable death and how the terminal are forced to come to terms with walking into its arms. it feels weird to include it in a list of mecha recommendations on a level that it doesn't feel weird to recommend...

Neon Genesis Evangelion! you've probably watched this one. I don't know. maybe you haven't. you should probably watch it, either way

I'll probably think of more series as soon as I send this answer, such is the peril of trying to remember anime series off the top of your head. this is a pretty good quick list of recommendations, though, I think

[final-fantasy-imagines]

Hello again! Ask 2 of 3, please don't feel obligated to do all of them!

For this one can I request Genesis Rhapsodos and a medium bouquet of Aspidistra with Lilly and Hyacinth?

Working together as SOLIDER and reassuring Genesis who seems to always seems to place second to Sephiroth that he was already your hero to begin with and didn't need to always beat his rival to prove his worth.

Thank you!

Okay, first of all, I'm so sorry that it took me so long to finish this but it took me three drafts to figure out what I want to do with this amazing combinations of prompts. I really hope you like the result. <3

Prompts: Hurt/comfort, mutual pining, “Don’t let what they say bring you down. That’s what they want.” + “You’re my hero.” (1k followers event: Vani’s flower shop)

When you try your best but you don’t succeed – Genesis Rhapsodos x gn!reader 

The clock almost strikes midnight when you’re finally done with your most recent mission report. You hate the paperwork that comes with your job but you know from experience that Director Lazard sets great value on these things. (That, and you still remember the lecture he gave you the last time you forgot to hand in your reports in time.) 

With a sigh, you put your pen down and close the file in front of you. Today has been hell, for an abundance of reasons, and you’re tired and stressed out. Your head feels like it’s going to explode if you stay here any longer. Heck, even your eyes hurt from staring at the papers in front of you for who knows how long. 

You raise your arms above your head, stretching your back that makes an unsettling cracking noise, and yawn. Heavens above, you can’t wait to get home, take a hot shower and then head straight to bed. If only home wasn’t so far away… 

For a brief second, you consider spending the rest of the night in one of the on-call rooms the newer recruits sometimes use when they basically have to be on duty 24/7, but if you’re being honest to yourself, nothing can beat the comfort of your own bed. So, you heave to your feet and grab your jacket. Time to finally leave this place. For today, at least.

Your footsteps reverberate with the tall walls as you make your way down the hallway, past the well-stocked armory and the briefing room. At this time of the day (or night, rather), everything’s eerily quiet, a harsh contrast to the usual hustle and bustle that has a lock on floor 49 throughout the day. The sudden silence, paired with the dim lights, is almost a bit creepy – and you start to wonder if there’s something lurking in the shadows, waiting for you to let your guard down. The next second, you roll your eyes. Just because it’s late, you don’t need to act like you’re in a horror movie. Everything’s fine.

Just a second later, the door right next to you slides open. With a yelp, you jump backwards, your heart racing as if it wants to jump right out of your chest, and you raise your arms, ready to defend yourself. Only then do you recognize that the supposed intruder is not an intruder at all. No, it’s Genesis, and the expression in his eyes makes it very clear that your reaction amuses him. “My, what have I done to deserve this?” 

“Goodness, Genesis, you scared the hell out of me,” you say, still a little breathless. 

“My sincerest apologies.”

“Shut up. We both know you don’t mean that.”

“You’re right. I don’t.”

You laugh. Even after years of working together, his dry remarks sometimes still catch you off-guard. “You’re so stupid.”

“And you’re especially cruel today, (Y/N).” He sounds like he’s about to pout, and you laugh again. “Hey, I’m not the one who’s hanging around at headquarters to scare innocent bypassers.”

“Alright, first of all, I’m not hanging around, and secondly, you’re far from an innocent bypasser. You looked like you were about to rip my head off,” Genesis says. You slap him across the arm. “Now you’re exaggerating. I was just ready to defend myself.”

“Against what? Your shadow?”

“Oh, shut up, will you? What are you doing here anyways? You had a day off, no?”

Genesis shrugs, the smile slowly fading from his face. “Training,” he replies, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world to spend your spare time at headquarters to train. You raise your eyebrows. “For what?”

“To get better, of course.”

You frown. “But you’re already an excellent fighter.”

“There’s always room for improvement, (Y/N).”

It’s not a secret that Genesis is highly ambitious. Everyone knows that he always strives to excel not only himself but also everyone else. And while you agree that a bit of extra training can only be a good thing, you feel like there’s more to it this time. Something about the way he presses his lips together and carefully avoids your gaze tells you that something must have happened throughout the day to trigger him like this. 

“What did Sephiroth do?” you ask. 

“Who says he did something?” comes the reply, quick like a shot. 

You sigh. “Gen, whenever you’re spending an unhealthy amount of time with training it has something to do with Sephiroth. So, what happened?”

Genesis doesn’t answer right away. But when he finally speaks again, he sounds so discouraged that you have to resist the urge to pull him into your arms then and there. “The director assigned me to a difficult mission a couple of days ago. This morning, he informed me that he decided to give it to Sephiroth instead.”

“What? Why on earth would he do that?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t bother to explain his reasons to me.”

“Perhaps he needs you for another mission.”

“Or perhaps he thinks I’m simply not strong enough to deal with this task. Unlike Sephiroth, of course, because we all know that he never fails.” Genesis doesn’t even try to hide the bitterness that’s seeping into his voice now. “No matter how much I train, they will never choose me over him.”

“Oh Genesis,” you say, softly, and take a step towards him to wrap your arms around him. His muscles tense up, and he makes no move to hug you back but at least, he doesn’t pull away from your touch. “I hate that he makes me feel like I’ll never be good enough.”

You haven’t expected that much honesty from him. Even though you’re one of his closest friends, Genesis has never shown his insecure and vulnerable side before, and it breaks your heart to know that he has dealt with all of this self-doubt completely on his own for who knows how long. You hug him tighter, a desperate attempt to show him that he’s not alone, that he’s got you, no matter what happens. “I wish you could see yourself the way I do. Then you’d know that you don’t have any reason to feel inferior to Sephiroth.”

Genesis huffs. “Be still, my heart,” he says but even the mocking undertone can’t hide that your words have caught him completely off-guard. 

You pull away, locking gaze with him. Even in the dim light, his eyes are the brightest blue you have ever seen, like the sky on a summer day, and you’re pretty sure it’s not only because of the Mako. “I mean that,” you say. “And I don’t care what people say about you or what Sephiroth has achieved in the past because you’re my hero, and I admire you so much, Genesis. I always have.”

“Stop,” he mumbles. His cheeks are tinted pink, a clear sign that your words have flustered him, although he tries his best to hide it. No matter how confident and arrogant Genesis acts sometimes, he has always been vulnerable to genuine compliments, and you’re well aware of that. “No, I’m not done yet,” you say, “I refuse to let you think that you’re anything less than amazing. I know that people often compare you to Sephiroth but… Don’t let what they say bring you down. That’s what they want. You don’t have to prove anything – not to me, not to Lazard and most definitely not to everyone who thinks that you’re inferior to Sephiroth.” 

“(Y/N), stop, please.”

“No, I-“

“Stop,” Genesis interrupts you, more firmly this time. He cups your cheek and leans in until your lips are almost touching. Voice barely louder than a whisper now, he adds, “I need you to stop talking, so that I can kiss you.” 

“Oh.”

“If you allow me to kiss you, that is.”

“Now you need to stop talking,” you reply, breathlessly, before you close the gap between the two of you and press your lips to his. 

Thank you so much for reading! if you enjoyed it, please consider liking, reblogging and/or leaving some feedback. I'd really appreciate the support!

Taglist: @sixdaysofsilverashes @thevoidwriting @theimaginaryheir @asilverraven

[szmaciarz-pospolity]

TOP 5 WORST ATLA CHARACTERS

Nr.5

MEAN! EVIL! BAD! But she's not the worst... I can tolerate her... sometimes............

Nr.4

Gay ass. I hate gay people.

Nr.3

Cabbage man. What is his deal anyway???????? He only cares about cabbages! I find it stupid and UNREALISTIC! Atla would be so much better if it had more real life things in it; such as sex and violance. Go watch helluva boss btw it's a super niche underground show but ot's real good as it potrays real things. Or Neon Genesis Evangelion, it's also underground and very real.

Nr.2

Uhhhh he's jusr the biggest idiot! Like I get it you are stupid but no need to flex it so much 😒

(I'm talking about the Hawk btw)

Nr. 1

AANG. OH HOW I HATE THAT PEST. He ruins the show for me, it would be soo good wihout this little roach. To make it worse he ruins my FAVORITE SHIP!! Which is obviously

...

......

.............

...................

.............................

Harutara obviously!

[altocat]

Bro this is so stupid like as a huge Sephiroth stan in particular who tends to feel very defensive of his pre-insanity self because of how much I think he deserved better, I absolutely adore Genesis too?? Genesis has a lot of issues but genuinely why the hell would we not find that interesting? Sephiroth is a mess too, hell even Angeal is a mess, but they would be so boring if they were anything normal.

And one of the funniest things is how the fans who like Seph but hate Genesis miss one of the key elements of their relationship which is that Sephiroth clearly adored Genesis himself lmao. I wish we could have learned more about Sephiroth’s relationship with Angeal actually, because the Genesis focus is so much more up-front.

Sephiroth is the one trying to call him desperately in EC and they put that in the TRAILER, Seph was the one torn up over not being able to be Gen’s blood donor (help), he’s the one wracked with guilt over Gen’s injury which wasn’t even his fault, he’s the one smiling in genuine happiness when Gen is reading Loveless in that scene, and smiling at him again when they are sparring and having fun…Sephiroth really valued Genesis as a friend and you can tell. He had every chance to fight him in the Hollander escape scene, but he just stood there and let Genesis do his thing. He didn’t even shoot back when Genesis showed up in the reactor and blasted Zack away (help💀) (Ok Seph might actually be a little too gracious with his friend but anyway….)

I know it upsets people the way Genesis acts, but clearly even Sephiroth wasn’t too fazed until the reactor scene when Genesis crossed the line. I originally hated Gen in that scene too and felt Seph’s anger but all it takes is one good analysis like that anon gave to see why Gen did what he did. You can still be pissed at him and hate that scene and even others, but bro to dismiss the entire character as a one dimensional asshole who just likes to bully people is um…how you say….braindead. You can even hate the character fr but to attack people for seeing his layers and depth?? Bruhhhh.

Gackt himself helped write the character and spoke of Gen’s nuance, how he had a glass heart, and was secretly a sweetheart but was just brought to his lowest because of his circumstances and bitterness. Very believable if you ask me. Like it IS possible to think of a character this way and not condone what they did and that’s why these haters baffle me. YOU GUYS ARE ACTING EXACTLY LIKE YOUR NEMESIS CHARACTER.

Anyway, thanks for being based Altocat

All of this. Thank YOU for being equally based, anon!

Like I said, I'm not for a moment going to argue that the writing on Genesis during Crisis Core is especially good. Only that he's a more complicated character than we give him credit for.

And, I'm just going to say it--it's EASY to go with the crowd and hate on him. A lot of famous people in the community hate Genesis so I feel like the natural response for a lot of casual fans is to just hate him by default. And like I said, totally fine. Completely fine. He's poorly written, kind of a jerk at times, and very pretentious.

But when the literal GODDESS OF THE PLANET sees value in redeeming him, there's more to him than just him being bitchy and arrogant. There are layers.

Seph loved him. Angeal loved him. Zack went out of his way to save him from himself. The in-universe canon sees value in Genesis Rhapsodos. Why can't we?

[reverse-the-jellybaby]

Finally catching up on Doctor Who (I’ve been busy and only watching video essays on YouTube) and I have the following thoughts:

1. I haaaaated Space Babies. I haven’t absolutely hated a Doctor Who episode in a long time and the urge to skip was so real. I don’t know if it was the fact that I’m super childfree and have a low tolerance for content featuring children (especially babies), but this was a slog to get through and the plot was stupid. Don’t get me wrong I don’t hate kids, I just can’t stand 45 minutes of our protagonists cooing over them. The spoonfed way the doctor gives us the cliffs notes to the series like the House of Mouse thinks the audience has the attention span of a goldfish is insulting. It made me want to go Ncuti baby I’m so sorry, Millie honey I am SO sorry.

2. I can’t seem to get a read on Fifteen yet and I’m not sure how I feel about how aloof and emotionally distant he is. Like he’s so cheerful and optimistic that I’m convinced there’s something going on under there. I’ve always said I love an aloof Doctor a-la Seventh but I guess it’s early days, he might end up being even more Machiavellian 🤷🏻‍♀️ he’s kinda reminding me of early Eleven without the angry outbursts.

3. The one saving grace of Space Babies was the running gag about the nanny filter, I thought that was really funny.

4. The Devil’s Chord on the other hand was SO camp, and Jinkx Monsoon was nom nom nomming on all that scenery. You can tell she had the time of her life in this role. Please Russell we need more drag queens! Get Tia Kofi in next, she’s a whovian (she literally cosplayed as Eleven and Lisa from Torchwood on Insta)! It was such an interesting idea to explore how intrinsic music is to our world.

5. Loving that Fifteen is the doctor that’s serving fits rather than having one distinctive costume. Makes a nice change.

6. Never thought I’d hear the DOCTOR use the word “babes” frequently but I’m not mad about it, make the neckbeards cry at how queer everything is.

7. Have to say I was expecting the musical number to have an absolutely brutal out of left field twist at the end, but I can’t have everything.

8. I’ve only seen the preview for Boom and my first thought was that scene in Genesis of the Daleks where Harry has to rescue the Doctor when he’s standing on a land mine. Like, I’m not even the first person to make that comparison. But ANOTHER parallel I saw was in The Devil’s Chord - the moment the Doctor brings Ruby back to post apocalyptic 2024 reminded me a lot of when the Doctor did the same with Sarah in Pyramids of Mars. AND THATS NOT EVEN THE ONLY TIME RTD HAS WRITTEN PYRAMIDS OF MARS INTO ONE OF HIS SHOWS! He literally showed whole clips of it in Queer as Folk 😂

9. I caught that sneaky use of the surname “Colasanto” in Space Babies RTD, we love a subtle Miracle Day reference.

10. I fucking loved Ruby bluffing their way into EMI studios rather than the doctor relying on the psychic paper.

That’s about all I have for now, I’m gonna catch up on Boom and 73 Yards possibly today?? I’m actually amazed I’ve managed to dodge spoilers for this long.

[sephirthoughts]

B, J, O and W, please! 💜

Woohoo an excuse to gush about The Characters™️!!! Thank you for the ask!

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

I actually never considered Vincent/Cloud from FF7, before my friend posted something about the ships they like, and it got into my head. They're a lot more suited to one another than I thought!

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

I had no idea Elden Ring had such a…let's call them vivacious and energetic fanbase and shipping community, but about half my friends on here post about it all the time. I've gathered quite a bit of lore by osmosis at this point. It's been delightful. I like the redheaded armor guy with crazy fire eyes and the blonde femboy the most. 😂

A thing I had no idea EXISTED was an indie game called The Coffin Of Andy and Leyley, a very adorable story about a demon-summoning, cannibalistic, probably incestuous brother and sister.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

Ethel Cain-Unpunishable has been in my head all day for no fucking reason (except it fucking SLAPS) so I'm picking that one. It reminds me of Genesis Rhapsodos for a number of sad, sad reasons. I highly recommend it!

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

previously aloof/uninterested/otherwise unapproachable woman gets eventually 'tamed' by the loser main male character and is suddenly a brainless, dick-drunk arm trophy because fuck you. game devs letting gamebros 'conquer' the female characters as analogues for all the girls who didn't like them irl is pathetic and lame and the reason i shy away from 'romance' options in every game. they're always hetero and always stupid. YOU FOOLS DON'T DESERVE TIFA OK

[prismaticpichu]

Hiya! howabout zack, 6, 13, and 17 for the character ask game?

You got it!!!

What's something you have in common with this character? ~ Hmmmm that actually got me thinking really deep lmao! Zack’s so interesting in the sense that his personality does a shift a bit, or at least that sunshine-bright sense of optimism and pep does eventually wane into more of a jadedness. However, he never stops being kind- and if his last encounter with Genesis proves anything, it’s that he does not give up on people. I’d like to think I have that same faith in others. I genuinely believe that anyone can change for the better. You can be the nastiest soul, the biggest and most toxic bully. But no one is permanently locked in that personality- at least to me. That kinda mindset I think me and the pupper would share <33

Oh! And I’ve been called a puppy before cause of my lazy eyes xD

~~~

What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot? - Ok ok ok so a stupid little headcanon I have is that when Zack is being stubborn with Angeal or Sephiroth- people who are older than him- and they are having some kinda discussion through text, he will simply send an emoji of a dinosaur as a comeback to mock their age. Nothing more, no words. Just a picture of a brontosaurus that overrides any argument.

Kinda like

Angeal: Zack! I’m not kidding! Come down to the training room right this instant.

Zack: 🦕

~~~

What's a ship for this character you don't hate but it's not your favorite that you're fine with? ~ Okie doke, so to be completely real I do not ship him with anyone but Aerith xD I’m really not into romance, so his canonical relationship works best for me! <3 In other words lol, I’m not really a huge fan of anything but Zack & Aerith lol- and YES I’m talking under a romantic light bc as y’all know I adore Zack & Sephiroth, but just as platonic buds! So, with that said, I guess the answer to this question would ZackSeph?? xDD Like in a hypothetical situation if the only way for these two to interact was romantically, then I’d take it. I would just prefer for it to stay in the green!

[artwithoutblood]

i did publish a thing for patreon [that i dont use anymore] that was supposed to be a sex game about dorian and erebus at a christmas party but they just went to erebus's office and chatted because i cant write sex

I thought it’d be more like Dorian reeling around obnoxiously hitting on the few colleagues he doesn’t dislike and trying to dance on things not meant for the purpose. Trying to swing around the poles of the floor lamps.

His hat is gone. Erebus is chasing him and growing increasingly agitated because Dorian has stolen Erebus’ collar chain and is wearing it around his head

He basically would. Maybe not the pole part but the rest I could see.

I'm using this below to paste the thing I wrote. It wasn't finished.

a few familiar faces. a few faces that blend in with one another. erebus is one of them, and he certainly doesn't want to be there. but it's rude to live with two demons who are organizing a party and not join in on the festivities.

aeron doesn't like to host parties. at their own events, they sit in a corner, legs crossed with a cold glass of water in one hand. their eyes gaze emptily into the crowds, consciousness scanning faces and bodies that are a million miles away.

genesis always has to beg them. dissonance loves the lights, the music, the celebration. he's grown to love christmas because of his time with his children over the years. "people in the human world get together and have holiday parties! they drink n' dance n' wear stupid outfits! they even do it at work! ain't that crazy, aeron? we've gotta host one. please? we can do it in the gallery!"

delusion agrees, as long as it's far away from any of the breakable art. they settle on a banquet hall, used often for receptions or special exhibits. aeron decorates with colorful lights and decorative pine needles. genesis caters food and puts together the perfect playlist of classical piano and ambient drones.

erebus never liked fancy suits. sure, his usual attire was regal, elegant, fit for an archivist who spent centuries combing through books. but the suit that scarlet had crafted for him was far beyond his usual dress.

"i had made this for your predicessor," she had explained to him when he begrudgedly came to pick it up, "but since he's…gone, i thought i'd modify this for you. to fit you better, y'know."

delirium always hated being compared to dreams. he just had to swallow it.

the suit was beautiful, emblazened with appliques of snakes, ancient words, and images of the sun. the brooches on each collar were handcrafted from celestial silver, meant for the demon of dreams and repurposed for erebus's small stature. beautiful shades of green and black and gray, matched against silver jewelry.

familiar faces pass by erebus as he stood near a row of paintings, away from the drink tables and towards a corner's emptiness. diana handed erebus a glass of water and told him to call her over if he needed anything. graves staring with empty eyes, empty words, and a small platter of cake in his hand. aeron runs their fingers through his hair and thanks him for coming. xinyue talks him down from his anxiety by filling his head with thoughts of the next few days and what work erebus can do once the party is over. that puts his mind at ease.

he treats himself to small, strawberry tarts, seated in his own corner. most attendees ignore him. and that's just how he likes it, sitting as quiet as one of the corpse statues that line some of the halls outside of this cheerful place.

erebus has always been used to eyes on him. he assumes aeron is always spying, even if delusion isn't doing it actively.

but tonight is different. erebus looks up, finds aeron in the crowd, and breathes a sigh of confusion when he realizes the painter has their full attention on a man that erebus has never seen before.

who's looking at him then? he scans the area over and over, puts down his dish and stands up to do so. sweat drips delicately down his forehead. erebus never thought he'd miss the prying eyes of delusion, replaced by something foreign to him.

all erebus had to do was look right in front of him. across the long hall is another man, adorned in similar glasses and a muzzle over his face, leaning against a bookshelf and swirling a fruity drink in his hand. he presses the straw through the bars of his muzzle and to his lips, stealing another glance at erebus.

he has met dorian a few times in the past. librarians of different fields come to know each other, share their knowledge. dorian just barely leaves his domain, deep in the circles. he occasionally visits the gallery to admire aeron's newest handiwork. the two of them exchange art for knowledge, sometimes vice versa. dorian has joined them for dinner before, but all that heresy does is sit patiently, drinking tea and listening patiently to whatever comes from delusion's mouth.

they lock eyes for a few moments before dorian breaks it, closing them to indulge himself deeper in his tea. what does heresy want? erebus isn't sure.

but he sighs. he knows he has to do the hard work of reaching out.

erebus stands in front of dorian, arms crossed, foot tapping gently against the floor. dorian doesn't notice him - on purpose, of course - waiting for delirium to speak for himself. erebus sighs, defeated.

"are you going to explain yourself?" he asks, his brows furrowed.

dorian pushes the bridge of his glasses further up his nose. "hm, explain what?"

"you've been staring at me from across the room for at least five minutes now. is there something on my face?"

"besides your pretty eyes, no."

erebus hasn't been able to blush in centuries, but he knew his ears would be burning red at that if he could.

dorian just laughs. "i'm teasing you, erebus. i've just been debating on whether or not i move to talk to you, but i was too absorbed in this drink…"

"that you were too lazy to move and walk over to me?"

"that's right."

but why talk to me?" erebus doesn't seem to understand why anyone would care for his presence at this party other than his own coworkers.

"a few reasons," dorian places his drink on a nearby table. "first, you're the only person here who looks just about as lonely as i."

"you don't have people to talk to, dorian? you're important. you're one of the most important people here, i'd say."

"you know i'd say the same about you, head archivist."

"erebus. just call me by my name." he clasps his hands together, gently squeezing his palms together.

"erebus." his name is heavy on dorian's lips, slow, said with a soft taste of pine in his voice.

"…you aren't pitying me right now, are you?" it's what erebus hates most.

"no…" dorian shakes his head. he eyes the exit next to him, where the lights grow dim and the music would dissolve into silence. "i can talk to anyone here whenever i'd like. but you are a rarity. even at archives receptions, you are holed up in your office or pretending to be busy so no one approaches you."

"you of all people should know how important our work is," erebus is frustrated, eyes darting away from dorian, hoping that someone will grab him by the arm and whisk him away from this obligation.

"i do. of course i do," dorian nods, "but…"

"but what?"

"is it wrong that i've wanted to get to know you? know you past the formalities of work?"

"heresy is a liar, you know. why should i believe you?"

"i'd like you to use my name too."

erebus swallows. his eyes land on aeron, who is in the middle of putting on a haphazard theatric performance of some horrible story that happened to them recently. aeron notices immediately and locks eyes, smiling, waving their left hand.

god, sometimes his roommate is so innocent.

"why, erebus, are you acting like i want to hurt you?" dorian is serious. he may have been teasing earlier, but his eyes are dark, lips now neutral as opposed to curled upright in his default smile. "is it because everyone else you've ever met has wanted to hurt you? or, at least, that's what you think is happening?"

erebus swallows hard. he looks through dorian, rather than at him.

"because…i'm not here to do that," dorian shakes his head. "especially not here, surrounded by people. in fact, i rather admire you and your commitment to your work. but even so…"

erebus can't bother to look at him right now.

"i can tell you want to talk about other kinds of things. you love your books, but you love other things. but you don't feel like you're worth it past what you're good at. i'm right, aren't i?"

delirium falls silent, his head to the floor, inhaling deep breaths despite no longer needing to use his fragile lungs. dorian does not break the silence between them. he waits for erebus to speak.

and erebus does. "but why does that matter to you? why do you care?"

"do i need to have a reason?"

erebus rubs the dark circles under his eyes.

dorian makes his intentions clear. "i'm asking if the two of us can exit this loud, crowded room. i want to sit down with you, alone, and i want to hear erebus talk. not the archivist, not delirium, but erebus."

erebus looks back up, locks eyes with dorian. "you want me alone?"

"so i can focus on all of you, yes."

delirium will admit he would much prefer to be pulled away from the loud noise and the heat of other bodies. erebus can already feel the weight lifting off his chest, only to be replaced with nearly equal weight, all from one person: dorian.

erebus gives in. "fine."

dorian smiles.

erebus leads dorian down the hall, and the music that encapsulated them starts to fade. he knocks every so often against the wood finishings of corners, of the frames of old paintings. dorian cocks his head in confusion.

"i have a door somewhere between here and my office," erebus explains. doors are like small portals. genesis hides dozens of them in their shared space, all so he can steal trinkets and food from the other two members. he steals erebus's teabags and areon's sewing supplies, but he gives nothing back in return.

eventually, an old painting of a boat, ravaged by a stubborn sea, glows blue with absolute light. a small door opens, and erebus bows, inviting dorian inside.

"can i get you something new to drink?" erebus asks, "i know you just had…what were you drinking?"

"a shirley temple," dorian responds. erebus's office is small, ornately decorated yet humble all in the same visage. it was much like erebus was, strung with books on every wall, with globes and keys and small vials of ink leaving the place in its own orderly disarray. erebus pulls the chair from behind the desk to the front, allowing dorian and erebus to sit on equal footing. "i'm alright. thank you."

erebus nods, makes himself a cup of green tea with jasmine, and sits down.

it takes a few minutes, a few spits of reassurance from dorian for erebus to talk. sometimes, his eyes never leave the swirling liquid inside his teacup. eventually, erebus unravels. he talks about his greenhouse and all the plants he's been growing inside. he talks about his collection of antiques from before his own demonhood, all related to the stars above. he talks about some novels he's read, not novels he's written.

erebus has never been very good at reading emotions.he checks dorian's eyes, his mouth (or what he can of it due to the muzzle), but dorian does not break eye contact once. he sits with full attention on erebus, only moving to settle deeper into his chair. there seem to be stars in his eyes, admiration circling those irises of his. erebus swallows, adjusts his glasses, continues.

does dorian like it? is this just a ploy to collect information on him? erebus didn't really care; his mouth were running faster than his brain was.

but the intense staring, mind swimming…it makes erebus anxious, after an hour or so of infodumping all over this man who was barely more than a stranger.

"am i…bothering you? you look disappointed in me."

dorian refuses to break eye contact (erebus's worst nightmare) as he reaches two of his fingers up to his face. they slide between the bars of his muzzle and swipe gently over his own black lips. "i'm not disappointed in you, erebus. not at all. i'm disappointed in myself."

"why is that?"

heresy stands, his intricately-embroidered coat unfurling with him, revealing shimmering spider lilies and camellias. he gently pushes his glasses further up his nose. erebus is cautious and takes a stand as well, moving his body away from the chair.

"dorian? is everything alright?" erebus asks, but he fears his question will fall on deaf ears.

erebus has always been shorter than dorian, but as dorian approaches him, those silver-plated high heels on his feet, erebus realizes the size difference much clearer. it doesn't take long for erebus to find his back to a wall, with dorian placing one arm next to erebus's head, preventing any escape.

"i'm just disappointed that…" dorian breathes a heavy sigh. any twinge of shame lies behind that muzzle and refuses to leak out. "…i can't kiss you right now."

erebus's eyes go wide. "i'm sorry…?"

in most situations, erebus would have fished a pair of scissors from his pocket and driven them straight into dorian's chest. two problems arose:

one: he doesn't have his scissors, because this wasn't his usual outfit. he must have left them in the pocket of his uniform.

two: he doesn't really…want to, no matter how much his voice swims in confusion.

they sit in silience, whose pressure never bursts or dwindles, and dorian stares with those stars still in his eyes.

erebus is the first to break the silence. "why?"

dorian does not answer at first. that makes erebus anxious.

"…please let me go."

dorian responds immediately. "i'm trying to find a way to explain this that would help you understand. if i tell you that i have no reason, you'll panic. if i tell you it's because you're beautiful, alluring even in your mystery, you'll deny it. if i sit in silence, contemplating an answer, your hands will shake, as they do now."

he locks his fingers with one of erebus's hands. delirium's limbs make small tremors. dorian remedies this by pressing his forehead against delirium's. erebus's eyes light up, confusion being sprinkled with…wonder? relief? he wasn't sure. all erebus knows is that someone is using his name, is holding him and singing him sweet praises that he's never heard in his life (this isn't true, erebus just was not receptive, but that barely matters when heresy pins you against a wall in your own office).

dorian's hand slides back to erebus's face, gently cupping his cheek, thumb running along his jawline. "if you're so anxious, i can stop, we can return to our conversation, and we can pretend this never happened."

erebus does not respond for a long, long while. his mind was swimming, trying to drown his own complex. dorian was, without a doubt, beautiful; something about his mismatched eyes, his black lips, his off-white skin, it was all beautiful. dorian makes himself irresistable just by his existence, and erebus was still trying to wrap his head around why dorian was interested in someone as boring, mean, and hard to obtain as erebus.

maybe the last part was it. it didn't matter now. the bird has caught the snake, right on his own grounds.

erebus raises a hand up to one of the long pieces of dorian's hair. the rest had been tied into a delicate bun and secured with silver hair accessories, save for two sections that trailed down to his chest. his eyes focused on the variations in colors of dorian's hair. peach, off-white cream, gray, strawberry blonde.

"is…everything alright, erebus?"

"pretty."

"what?"

"your hair is pretty."

dorian laughs. "you really think so?"

"yes."

"it used to be curly," dorian explains, "but i suppose the first death and the ash somehow flattened it. thankfully, it's still soft.

"i like it like this," and erebus brings the hair to his nose, inhaling the scent. dorian smells like patchouli and rose with a hint of vanilla.

heresy's ears light up with red, making the silver jewelry glow even brighter.

"for someone so touch-averse, i'm surprised you had the nerve to…sniff my hair?"

"i like nice-smelling things. it puts me at ease." erebus opens his eyes and looks back up at dorian, and the anxiety flushes back in.

"you're a little weird, don't you know that?"

"i…i'm sorry." erebus looks embarrassed.

"no, that's a good thing. i like that."