#HE GOT A POTENTIAL BONDING MOMENT AND HE SAID 'i don't like this'

[ofgentleresolve]

@jeoseungsaja​​ sent:

"It's you, isn't it."  At this point, it's no longer surprising to catch a shadow plastered on the dilapidated wall. At this point, he can recognize said shadow; take note of the outline of unmistakable hat. There's a long pause after something that might sound like a revelation; his back facing the vigilante as fingers carefully graze long leafs of Lily of the Valley. A little, saddened smile tugs at his lips, before letting out an elongated sigh. "The one who puts water in this plant once in a while." Touch releases itself from the damp green, turning about so he can address the Black Knight.

He doesn't understand. Doesn't understand why the masked vigilante does these things: comes around whenever he pleases, for as long as the door remains with that shabby lock (a lock Hyuk himself hasn't even changed due to a million penurious excuses; it almost feels like the detective welcomes him through actions, even if his stubborn words might say otherwise) and, on top of that, is observant enough to tell when this plant needs water.

Hyuk knows Nakamura uses the watering can to give the Lily of the Valley much needed showers whenever he forgets to do so, but it's almost impossible for the plant to remain this damp after hours of its last round of water. Plus, he doesn't think it's a coincidence that the leaves have fresh droplets of liquid on occasions he's found the Black Knight inside his office. Truly? He could question him about it, be relentless and ask why he's doing this, why does he even care; continue with worded brawls until one of them lurches forward.

But he doesn't. Instead, he looks down, pretends that he's busying himself with something else as he walks to his desk and takes a paper crane that wasn't there earlier. Suki must've folded some papers around here. Again. He's too tired to mind tonight.

"Thank you." He finally says, in the shape of a whisper more than anything else. "That plant...the--flower---" What is he doing? Is he about to tell him what it symbolizes? God, he must be losing his mind now. Head lifts, looking at the Black Knight and those eyes that unnerve him.

 A hand waves in dismissal.  He can't. He'll be too vulnerable.

 "Nothing. Just...thank you."

(IDK WHAT THIS IS BUT KASHDIUWEDH PLS TAKE IT, I HOPE IT'S OKAY; AS ALWAYS PLS FEEL FREE TO DISMISS IF YOU'D LIKE, HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY FERRE C:!!!) || flowers!! + pain ( unprompted. )

For once, he does not flinch when the detective calls to him. How strange it has become, this ritual between the two of them to convene in Hyuk’s rundown office when the city trades its certainty for the illusion of peace. They both know better; a single lock, even one sturdier than the one Hyuk still has not replaced ( perhaps Patrick should nag him on it although most things roll off his dear friend’s back like water, irritants included. Inspector Im would know; Miss Nakamura would too ) doesn’t guarantee any safety. The best mechanism against danger is AWARENESS.

And yet, here the Black Knight is again, slipping through a window into the office awaiting one exhausted, bitter detective who has lost the plot according to his former co-workers, maybe even the public in general. He winces, a twinge of pain shooting up from his back, where the sutures he received the last time they spoke haven’t quite dissolved, the thread, pulling the skin there taut.

And yet, the Black Knight knows this tenderness isn’t only a physical sensation. Sometimes when he looks at his dear friend, it makes Patrick ache. The source of the pain is never clear in those instances and while he can pinpoint his back as one of the sources this time around, the whole picture remains blurry. The line between tangible and intangible blurs.

Sometimes, Hyuk reminds Patrick of an old wound, crusted from the passage of time. And yet still raw even after all these years: the way phantom limbs will ache even when the said ligament has been severed years ago.

Patrick remains leaning against the wall, the shadows obscuring half of his face, where his hat will not. His gloves are slightly damp from handling the watering can. If Hyuk were to check, there would be reminiscences of warmth wrapped around the handle in turn. The soil seemed on the dry side when he had slipped in through the window. Winters are never kind of flowers such as these. Patrick follows Hyuk’s gaze.

He hadn’t noticed it the first time around, that pot of flowers. He had been too busy, too focused on taking that USB Drive to pinpoint the source of that scent in the office. But it made sense the second time around, that coy scent of spring, lemons, and REBIRTH. A fragrance brave enough to make its presence known, but humble enough to avoid saccharinity. Coy, but not cloying. It settles over the office the same way the grief has settled over Hyuk in a heavy coat.

The Black Knight should be practical. He should tell Hyuk to get rid of that pot- doesn’t he realize it gives him away? Not everyone smells like a lily of the valley, this mute flower that not even the deftest of perfumiers can replicate. To keep such a plant in the vicinity will only invite more danger to Hyuk. And his colleagues.

And yet.

And yet.

“If you’re going to take care of it, do it right, or don’t try at all,” he says, half-heartedly. Perhaps in their earlier days, there would be more bite behind those words. And besides, Hyuk would most likely know better than anyone else how difficult it is to protect someone.

The flower jostles gently under Hyuk’s coaxing. The buddings rustle the way bells might and for once, he imagines something pleasant to accompany it- something like her laughter. Or maybe Hyuk thinks of him. Not the Black Knight, but of a Patrick Grace long since buried.

Patrick hasn’t seen one in years; his favorite flower- a native wildflower to the English countryside that signal the start of spring, a symbol of starting anew. And yet there is one more reason, in a box of memories he stashed away, he can recall for adoring this meek blossom-

“…Do you know you what it’s supposed to represent?” He pushes off the wall and approaches the pot as Hyuk takes his usual seat at his desk. A light scent washes over the smell of smoke and burning for the briefest of moments as his thumb grazes the top of a leaf. “The coming of spring. Humility. Purity of heart. A return to happiness.”

In other words, starting over. Coming to terms after mourning.

Moving on.

( That’s not something Patrick deserves, but he knew that when he put the mask on. The greatest mercy he can ask for is sweet oblivion in the end. )

Hyuk gives something akin to a smile and something in Patrick clenches. ( If it feels something like guilt or regret even, he won’t acknowledge it. ) He lets his hand drop and turns away from his beloved friend, sharply.

“You should take a lesson from it.”

[divinerivals]

Yall are delusional if you think Nesta is going to leave Cassian or the night court. First, they are mated. Not just mates. Mated. They accepted the bond, and SJM loves her Heas. It's a done deal. So either keep reading and deal with it or drop the series and find something you enjoy. Not to mention if they even could break the bond, how empty and broken Nesta would be for eternity. You really want that for her?

HOFAS happened three months after acosf. There's still alot of healing on Nesta’s part. Just because she saved Rhys, Feyre, and Nyx doesn't mean things are swept under the rug with them. Her and Cassian are both fiery and stubborn. They are going to have arguments. Honestly, it's perfectly normal for them to argue on occasion.

This. What Nesta did in HOFAS. Went beyond her and Cassian, beyond Rhys. This was a decision that Nesta should not have made herself. Yes I understand that she saw Bryce's desperation and understood her. She probably put herself in Bryces shoes for a moment. She took a chance. But it's a huge fucken chance because they don't know nor trust Bryce fully. And if she failed the whole of Prythian/Midgard is fucked. They have nothing to defend themselves against the weaponry Rigelus has. They will all die. Including Nesta Archeron.

Rhys had every right to scold her. And Her saying he's not her High Lord isn't accurate. She lives in his lands. Whether she wants to admit it or not. If any of the courts got wind of what was happening with Bryce or that Nesta gave this mask up to a stranger from another world do you know who would be faulted? Not Nesta. Rhys and Feyre would. They would suffer the consequences because Nesta falls under their lands. Their rule.

And now Cassian, who apparently had never defended Nesta once. Again. Nesta was In. The. Wrong. Her actions were beneficial and understandable but wrong. Cassian being upset and disappointed in her would absolutely make sense. Think of times in TOG, when Rowan wasn't happy with Aelin. He stood there silent until they were alone. That's more than likely what happened. Cassian didn't say his piece until everyone left. It's an argument between Nesta and Cassian and no one else.

That argument. The one that happened off page yet everyone wants to fucking crucify Cassian over cause you think you know what he said. When in reality you don't. Is wild. Three months ago, when she was with Emerie and Gwyn, they were taken and placed in the Blood Rite where he was helpless in going to her. He lost her briefly in the bog, watched her put her life at risk. How many times in acosf? He went a year or so watching Nesta absolutely ruin herself, had her lay over his body in front of Hybern, almost losing her, them, then too. Now, someone, a stranger and someone potentially dangerous, opened a portal in his living room where his mate was. And he wasn't there. All that trauma and ptsd he keeps on lock was blown wide open.

So now Cassian is a storm of emotions when he arrives home. Probably arrived mid argument between Nesta and Rhys, and the entire flight was given brief details of what's happening fueling his emotions. His fear, trauma, concern, disappointment, and anger. When Rhys leaves, Cassian and Nesta got into it. Sure he was pissed about the mask anyone would be. I would be. I personally think it goes on beyond that. Far beyond it. Nesta’s life, once again, was put a risk and no one knew what Bryce wanted. Cassian’s worst fear when the portal was open, was Bryce taking Nesta and never seeing her again. All that came out in their fight.

As readers, we know Bryce's intentions are good. They as characters who haven't been given the best view of Bryce dont believe it. Yes, I do think there needs to be more trust in Nesta. Especially where Rhys is considered. Cassian, as her mate, blowing things out of proportion is logical cause all mates have done it at some point. But yeah he needs to trust her a bit more too. He trusts her more than Rhys does that's for sure.

To play devil's advocate, I could be wrong on Cassian and Nesta and their fight. Absolutely. Im not Sarah. But neither are you who are wishing he dies, and Nesta leaves him over a risk that was never hers to make alone when it involves the whole world of Midgard.

If you read this entire thing and disagree. That's cool. The unfollow and block buttons are right there.

[asimpwithfreetime]

Hi, I really like your work and if you didn't mind, could I ask of yandere Neteyam x Na'vi reader, you can choose the promt and setting.

Obliviously if you don't mind!

Idea: Yandere Neteyam forcing the bond because he is jealous

You belong with me (Yandere! Neteyam x Na’vi reader)

Content warnings: English isn’t my first language, this hasn’t been proofread yet, Neteyam is aged up

General warnings: yandere Neteyam, yandere behavior, obsessive behavior, manipulative yandere! Neteyam, violent! Neteyam, bonding without consent (even though they had planned it just for a few days later), animalistic growling, Neteyam crying just like yandere Jake

[ 3rd Person POV ]

Y/n and Neteyam had promised each other they would mate before Eywa once they turned into adulthood. They promised that since the beginning of their relationship.

The time was near and Y/n seemed quite nervous. Mating with the future Olo’eyktan isn’t the easiest thing to do. Knowing the judging glares some female omatikaya gave her.

With that, she tried to keep herself distracted during the day (when she didn’t have chores or errands). Neteyam didn’t mind at all, he was nervous himself too. And there was an obsessive thought that was taking over his mind, the closeness of having Y/n all for himself had him excited with the idea.

He felt anger any time a male talked to her, even if it was his own father. She shouldn’t be beaming at any other Na’vi. Her sweet smile and kind words should be all his.

And when there were just a few days away from the mating, he snapped. All the omatikaya knew that Y/n was with Neteyam and Neteyam was with Y/n. Quite literally, everyone knew it.

But there he was, a young Na’vi warrior trying to court Neteyam’s soon to be mate. She seemed shy but she was telling him (nicely) that she didn’t want anything to do with him.

He seemed like he had desisted. But it wasn’t like that. Y/n felt bad for the boy, but she knew she wanted Neteyam. She had chosen long ago.

That evening, Y/n went to the tree of souls, asking Eywa to help her ease the tension and nervousness that she had been feeling cooling up in her stomach.

She didn’t hear the Na’vi approaching her. The same boy from that morning. He started talking, going on and on, saying that he was a way better potential mate than Neteyam. The boy wasn’t aggressive or tried to impose, he was just a little bit of annoying. Y/n, once again, declined nicely.

The boy seemed to not get it. Probably one of the young warriors who had just finished one big hunt and thought they owned the place.

From between the bioluminescent plants, Neteyam emerged. “She is mine! Back off” the tone was harsh, she didn’t remember the dark look over Neteyam’s eyes.

“You guys haven’t bonded yet” the boy said, trying to sound confident, the figure of Neteyam making his voice crack, “She isn’t from anyone yet”.

Neteyam growled low in his throat. He then hissed, showing of his fangs and the Max look in his eyes. He jumped over the other boy and started punching him. Y/n suppressed a scream. “Neteyam! Stop!” She found her voice back once the other boy started bleeding.

Neteyam didn’t stop, the low growls coming from deep inside of him. Y/n started crying the moment she saw the bloody state the other Na’vi was in. Neteyam stopped the moment he heard her sobs.

He got up and got close to her kneeling down. “I’m so sorry baby, didn’t mean to scare you” he said, hugging her, some of the blood painting her body as well. “Please, please, don’t cry” he said, his own eyes watering and his lip quivering.

“Please, baby, look at me” his pleadings weren’t heard, Y/n was not only mad, but scared. She looked at his as if she was seeing a demon. “Get away from me!” She hollered, her own hisses scarring Neteyam. “But I was protecting you” he cried, lowering more onto the floor. She got away from him, trying to pry him away. He cried, he whimpered and tried in all ways possible to get a hold of her. He was uncontrollable, like a baby crying and wailing for his mother. He reached for her and used all his force to get to her.

She couldn’t resist it. Seeing him crying so hard made her feel bad, until she saw the other boy almost unconscious. But he had already reached her. She couldn’t react fast enough to stop him form connecting both braids together. “There” he said crying. “Now that we are mated before Eywa in the tree of our ancestors, you are mine and I am yours” he cuddled her, even when she tried to get away form his grasp.

“You belong with me now” Neteyam’s voice softened little by little, his body jerking while he was catching his breath. Y/n looked around dumbfounded. What had just happened?

[yanderes-galore]

cna i get a lmk yandere ne zha romantic concept?

Sure! Wish he got more screen time.... (I did not know Season 5 existed when I wrote this, so maybe things changed-)

Yandere! Ne Zha Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Jealousy, Violence, Stalking, Manipulation, Arson/Potential murder mention (?), Isolation, Kidnapping, Dubious relationship.

Based on what I've seen of Ne Zha, he seems like he'd be overly stern and serious.

He's responsible Celestial who's occasionally temperamental.

He takes his role as a guard seriously and often stands by such a role.

Which makes me think... Would he protect his obsession with such dedication?

Most likely.

A fellow Celestial obsession would be the easiest for him.

But I personally enjoy the turmoil and conflict he'd experience if his obsession was a mortal or demon not in the realm.

You could even just be a human who's friends with MK.

Only to have a Celestial completely enamored by you and your nature.

He takes everything very seriously with you.

He's conflicted with his feelings at first yet defends you with his life.

He'd give his obsession too many rules.

He'd scold you on safety and never take his eyes off you.

He acts like a guardian to you.

He's used to guarding, actually.

I don't doubt Ne Zha would get jealous.

He'd just try to find some way to justify it.

Ne Zha is another yandere who thinks he's meant to be perfect.

He has a feeling his obsession is wrong... that his feelings are wrong...

Yet this lucidity doesn't appear to be enough to leave you alone.

I imagine even in the Celestial Realm he finds a way to keep an eye on you (easier if you're a Celestial, requires less magical means).

Ne Zha tries to deal with his feelings by deeming himself your protector.

It's familiar... something he knows...

Unlike the darkness of his obsession that is so foreign and... unnerving.

Ne Zha may actually be a little... intimidated by his feelings.

He's aware they aren't pure.

He's lucid enough to know that.

Yet it doesn't stop him from... yearning.

He really does seem like a yandere who'd be overly involved in his obsession's life whenever he can.

Like, you could be talking to someone and he's not far behind giving a disapproving glare.

I imagine he comes off as controlling due to his nature.

But for the most part he starts your bond as just a protective Celestial guardian.

He treats his obsession with as much care as he would any magical item.

He's strong enough to do such a thing, too.

He normally never leaves his post.

Yet he can't help himself when he could be talking to you.

You just make him smile... you relax him.

Seeing you smile when speaking with him is euphoric.

Ne Zha is known to sacrifice anything for those he cares for.

He uses such dedication to alleviate his feelings and stays close to you.

Ne Zha still guards the Celestial Realm, but as his obsession with you grows, he spends more and more time with you.

Celestial Realm... Mortal realm... doesn't matter to him.

He just wants to see you.

His feelings make him fall into a bodyguard realm most of the time.

He isn't quite sure how to deal with his romantic feelings most of the time.

So he mostly just never parts from your side.

He's actually a bit prude until he realizes how much he enjoys... contact.

The moment he gets some sort of hug, hand holding, pat on the back, kiss, etc...

Well now he's hooked.

He has a hard time understanding why he likes you so much at first.

But soon he learns and decides he just... can't let you go.

Once he realizes he likes you romantically, no doubt due to you accidentally giving him affection to be friendly... he's always around.

He doesn't let you have any distance from him.

Many may comment on the fact that he seems overprotective.

Such accusations are often met with Ne Zha glaring at said person... proving their point.

Ne Zha protects you because he loves you.

To him, it doesn't matter how he does it.

He may usually refrain from it, but Ne Zha would do anything for you... including kill if necessary in his eyes.

He usually holds off due to him being somewhat lucid.

But it's a genuine possibility due to his temper.

In many ways he's similar to Red Son.

Although, while Red Son is possessive... Ne Zha is protective.

They're both temperamental and violent with pyromancy, yet for different reasons.

Like, Red Son would burn down the house of a rival because he doesn't want anyone else to share a connection like you and him have.

Meanwhile Ne Zha would do it for similar reasons, yet try to justify it as protecting you... making it seem like he knows the rival would've hurt you if he didn't step in.

Ne Zha would justify all of his behavior as him protecting you.

Why are you so worried, little lotus flower?

Trust him, he's come down from the Celestial Realm to protect you... to love you....

If he's hurt someone, he'll try to convince you it was necessary.

He acts like he knows best due to being a Celestial Guardian.

As most protective yanderes do, he'd use that to bring you back to his side...

Even if he's done something horrible.

He isolates you as his presence is oppressive.

He takes his time with you seriously.

He wants to be the person you turn to, for both protection and affection.

Eventually he may even insert himself into your home, vowing that he's there to watch over you.

You can't get him away from you even if you tried.

At some point he doesn't even want to return to the Celestial Realm.

Soon he may isolate you with himself at your home, or even drag you kicking and screaming with him to the Celestial Realm.

Will it cause issues? Perhaps...

He isn't going anywhere without you, though.

If you tried to leave him, he'd snap at you.

Don't you know how dangerous that is?

Aren't you aware that you need him?

He'll always be there for you... protecting you and kissing your skin whenever you need.

Ne Zha doesn't care what it takes to keep you.

Sure, he may face consequences for burning those he feels could harm you... or for the blood on his clothes... or for the fact he has considered/succeeded in kidnapping you...

Yet Ne Zha has already vowed to do anything for you... because you're his and he's yours...

He doesn't care what happens to him as long as he can show you his devotion.

[brucewaynehater101]

All of this is just so. Chefs kiss. I do have another layer of angst and a layer of comedy. After all, the angst stops hitting as hard if you don't have something light hearted to compare it to. After all, how can you know what darkness is if you have never seen light?

I said at the start that Tim gives discounts for secrets. He always seems to be able to tell when people lie and those that do tell him lies well. Bad things happen to them. Nothing can be directly traced back to Jane Doe, but everyone knows. Of course this does lead to some rouges and GCPD pigs trying to intimidate Jane into telling them what she knows. Everytime, Jane offers to play a game with them. 5 rounds, whoever does the rounds gets to ask the questions and no one else but others can listen. Should the challenger win a round, they get to ask one question and Jane promises to answer truthfully. If they win two, he will answer two and so on. They only get a 30 second break between each round and the Playlist is set to shuffle.

Tim lays out these rules and once the person agrees, thinking it's either a fight or sex, only then does Tim reveal they will be playing Dance Dance Revolution that Tim "upgraded" so it has the four diagonal pads too instead of the usual just 4 pads. He sets it to max difficulty for Rouges, second highest for everyone else. The most anyone has ever gotten is when Harley managed to ask Jane to questions.

Of course there are rules about the questions, like you can't ask Jane for any of their own personal details, and if Jane doesn't know the answer to a question you get one do over question. Joker has never threatened to hurt Jane over the way they sell secrets back with DDR because he thinks it's the funniest possible way to humiliate people who demand answers. Sometimes he has his henchmen challenge Jane knowing they'll lose just to laugh at them as they fail.

But on the flip side. Do you think any of the Rouges, before they knew Jane was Robin ever hired Jane? Tim would *hate* it but... those he goes on dates with are often very loose lipped about things and one time he got paid to just hang off a drug dealer's arm all night and look pretty while the guy drank. The guy was a *very* talkative drunk and after he passed out Tim was able to look through his shit with the potential excuse of "im just looking for the bathroom sweetheart~" of course none of the Rouges would ever hire Jane if they knew how old he was but Tim doesn't advertise that. Especially if he's been on the street for a few years at that point and has a reputation. He has to be at least 20, right? Right? Plus the mask and the fact it has a filter to obscure his voice he's just... there was no way for them to know, right? They can justify it to themselves all they want but if a Rouge did, they would definitely feel Really Gross.

Yeah! You've got to have some light-hearted or happy moments to really drive in that angst.

For Jane's age, it definitely depends on the Rogue and their characterization. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Black Mask was a bit creepy to Steph when he was torturing here. So, whether or not they would feel gross/horrified depends on who it was.

I can see how they wouldn't have known (especially if Jane refused to answer questions about themself including age).

As far as the Dance Dance Revolution? That's a brilliant idea. I wonder if he's ever practiced that with YJ or Dick. I could definitely see then doing that. It would be a cute bonding activity (until they learn he used it as a form of protection).

[sepublic]

Christianity for Dana Terrace and TOH

I have to wonder about and consider The Owl House as an expression of Dana Terrace's own nuanced relationship with Christianity. We know she was raised in a Catholic school, and we've heard of the out-of-context incident where she got put into a headlock by a nun as a child (idk if context even matters in this scenario);

Plus, there's the show's obvious critiques of Christianity, via Belos' fanaticism and demonization of witches, plus his superiority complex and belief in predestination. And then we have Tarak bonding with King as a potential father figure, even being mistaken for his dad, only to sacrifice him anyway for the Grand Huntsman despite whatever hesitations he has; This story beat echoes the tale of Abraham and Isaac. The Emperor’s Coven/Cult is clearly Catholic.

But at the same time, we have Steve's reminiscing over the Titan as perhaps just some dude who doesn't know what he wants, either; And he's saying this as a former member of the Emperor's Coven, which itself applied a very Christian understanding of the Titan via Belos. We have Luz meeting the Titan in-person, and seeing that he's not some deity but just a person who meant well and tried his best.

The show emphasizes people being able to improve and get better and needing that chance, plus what I've said about Luz possibly being meant to represent a more positive, accurate portrayal of Jesus Christ; She dies and is resurrected with the power of the Titan, who isn't quite God but maybe she is in a meta sense? It's complicated.

So to psychoanalyze a real life person through their art (which I guess is what single author classes does to a mf), I have to consider that it's not as simple as Dana condemning Christianity as a whole; More than likely, a specific brand of Christianity, namely Evangelicalism, Catholicism, etc. We have to remember that what we often criticize as Christianity is more so a specific denomination, or group of; Christianity is a widespread religion comprised of countless different takes and interpretations of the Bible.

And IIRC (a source would be helpful), I think Dana even clarified that her experience with Catholic school wasn't wholly negative either? She did not consider herself abused, or at least abused abused. Her feelings might be mixed, especially because one doesn’t need to personally experience the worst to know about it; That is another way in which one might become critical.

I don't think Dana is outright resentful of Christianity as a whole, she might just have complicated feelings, criticisms, and thoughts; Tbf, this is how many denominations came to being. So when I see Steve reflecting on the Titan, and Luz getting to meet him... I think these scenes are, in a way, Dana making peace with the idea of God in her life; Getting to consider her relationship with and belief (or lack thereof) in him, and his paternal status to the world as a whole.

She's also recognizing his fallibility, God is a person and like any person his insight and support is illuminating, but not all-encompassing; It's not doctrine, it's just advice, from one person to another. So when the Titan reassures Luz, or Dana, he's not saying she's the specialest chosen one in the world; He's just someone with a lot of experience who can provide some guidance and clarification on life, not unlike Eda.

The Titan saying goodbye to Luz feels like Dana being able to part on -ultimately- good terms after resolving that major anxiety in her life, on a final note that is no longer resentful and more a fond memory overall. It’s her moving to the next stage of her life, as Luz herself does, now able to carry and believe in herself, and not need that same guidance to figure out what to do.

It’s a coming of age moment appreciating what was given by a paternal figure, with Dana now comfortable exploring other beliefs and practices after making her farewell with Christianity by realizing it isn’t absolute, yet still treasuring what it was able to give her. So she carries on what she can, at least in spirit, like… Luz and the glyphs, remembering them, and now having her own palisman to continue her love of magic that the Titan helped support. So we have both the narrative meaning to Luz behind all of this, and the real-life significance for Dana herself, which aren’t quite the same but there is overlap. And there’s also the other meaning for Dana in how the Titan represents her father, which we’ve already discussed.

So The Owl House and the storyline of the Titan could be Dana's own nuanced takeaway from Christianity; Her exploring how she feels about it, what she appreciates, what she doesn't, how it fits into the rest of her worldview. And I don’t think Dana is trying to convert anyone, nor condemn those who feel irreverent. I think she’s more about deconstructing Christianity to reconstruct it.

Be Gay, Do Witchcraft of course, I think there is a catharsis in exploring that. And also, because the sentiment behind that phrase might be less about Christianity being inherently evil, and more so that many queers don’t care what evangelicals think of them anymore; So sure, we’ll humor your fears for fun, we ARE the demons we’re accused of being. It’s like Eda saying “Well we ain’t!” in response to Belos’ claim that humans are inherently better. Plus demonized belief systems that aren’t Christianity deserve validity as well, hence the pagan influences being portrayed positively, with the narrative questioning the dismissal of certain ideas being ‘demonic’ or ‘savage’.

And of course, co-existence IS possible. And I find this important because it can be easy to just dismiss religion entirely in an edgy internet atheist type of way, but in the end one must reconcile that religion means a lot for a lot of people, many whom ARE chill and willing to co-exist; The narrative presents the spirituality of the Boiling Isles as something precious, for example. All belief systems are valid, not just these select few.

And maybe they don’t have to be mutually exclusive with queerness or “alternative” lifestyles, because a lot of people from these demographics aren’t quite comfortable with just getting rid of religion entirely, and they’re entitled to still maintaining that connection. If feminists can still have a nuanced relationship with femininity, so can believers with their religion.

People are simply asking to be allowed to exist and practice their beliefs in peace, they aren’t really calling for the eradication of the other. Just as queers don’t actually intend to abolish heterosexuality, they just want to be left alone. Let people decide how they feel about certain things, instead of making them get rid of it for their own good; That is every individual’s personal choice, just as yours is. And that feels relevant, given how much Choice is a theme in this show, and especially in the finale in which Luz meets the Titan properly, with the Titan emphasizing this agency to her.

[gwynethshadowsinger]

Gwyn and Azriel Connections Pt. 2

Continuation of my last post, and this will be long as well due to me including text from the book itself and my thoughts I jotted down as I was reading.

Ch. 59 of ACOSF - I loved this part with the Valkyries. The friendship bracelets were a good bonding moment between them, and I love how each picked out colors that suited the others spirits. Nesta, in particular, picking out the colors that she did for Gwyn stood out to me.

What do these colors signify? Do they signify anything at all? Colors in question: Blue, White, and Teal.

My thoughts? Blue could be for Azriel and/or her Invoking Stone. White could be for the healing/protection aspect of said stone, or maybe Gwyn has some unknown power that still needs to be revealed. Teal, I could see Nesta picking for the color of Gwyn's eyes 🥹🥰

Ch. 60 of ACOSF - Gwyn cutting the ribbon was a BIG deal. Cassian looking over to notice Azriel attention fixated on Gwyn with "admiration and quiet encouragement shining from his face." How Azriel goes wholly still as if aware of larger forces. The particular wording Sarah uses to describes Gwyn's movements "swift as the winds off the Illyrian mountains, her entire body working in singing harmony." Gwyn becoming the 1st Valkyrie.

Has Azriel attention shifted towards Gwyn? I love the way he is looking at her in this scene and how he went wholly still.

Does he sense a potential threat to Gwyn?

Has his fixation on Elain finally started to wane, and he's realizing Gwyn might become more important to him, but not sure why exactly?

Ch. 60 (still) of ACOSF - The competitive banter between Gwyn and Azriel is 😘. I LOVE that the shadows are dancing around Azriel during this scene & Gwyn lifted her chin in challenge with "we look forward to proving you wrong."

The shadows dancing has to mean something here. They haven't danced around Azriel while he's conversed, joked, or bantered around with anyone else. Maybe they sense Gwyn would be good for Azriel and like her themselves? Instead of appearing to react to Azriel emotions like in other scenes they've appeared in.

This scene also reminds me of Sarah's endgame couples. I think she's planting evidence for a Gwyn and Azriel endgame.

Ch. 60 (still) - The "See you tomorrow, Shadowsinger" toss over Gwyn's shoulder. AZRIEL STARING AFTER WITH AMUSEMENT & NESTA SAYING HE'S THE NEW RIBBON!!!!

AHHHH!!!!! If this whole scene isn't endgame foreshadowing, I don't want it. There is no way Sarah laid this down and wasn't kicking her feet with glee.

Ch. 60 (still 😅🤣) - She wanted to be the first. Wanted Nesta and Emerie and her to be the ones who wiped the smirks from Azriel's and Cassians faces. Especially Azriel's....

Why does this read as if it's from Gwyn's POV specifically?!? Did Sarah unintentionally, or intentionally, give us a little excerpt from Gwyn POV because she already has plans to write Gwyn's story and wanted to give us a little something beforehand?

Ch. 60 - Gwyn was grinning so wildly that her teal eyes glowed like a sunlit sea, and she extended her battered hand to Azriel. And Azriel alone.

I wonder what Azriel was thinking at that moment of Gwyn's teal eyes glowing like that and her reaching out her hand to him 👀

What's also interesting is the theme of the book seems to be "keep reaching out your hand," and we have Gwyn reaching out hers to Azriel specifically 😉

Also, sheesh. In ONE CHAPTER ALONE, Sarah has put a lot of meaningful Gwyn and Azriel content.

Ch. 67 of ACOSF - The Blood Rite. Gwyn kept to the trees for two nights and watched the beasts. She learned where the beasts slept during the day and that they got angry when awoken. She used that knowledge to then lead one of the beasts to the male and his companions camp just in time to help save Nesta and Emerie.

That sounds like spy work.

Gwyn is cunning and great at biding her time for the right moment.

Ch. 68 of ACOSF - Near the beginning of this chapter, we get this scene from Cassian and Azriel in which Azriel talks about spying and Cassian mentions how unspeakable things could be happening to Emerie and Gwyn as well as Nesta. Azriels shadows appear to deepen around him, and his Siphons are said to have even gleam like cobalt fire.

It's nice to have confirmation Gwyn was indeed doing spy work like I had thought while she was waiting and watching those beasts. Maybe she'll become a spy as well and go on missions wit Azriel? They'd be one dynamic duo.

Azriel's shadows deepening and his Siphons gleaming like cobalt fire.. could that be a hint somehow? Because I don't remember his Siphons ever gleaming like cobalt fire in the series when anyone else is in danger of "unspeakable things" happening to them...

Trusting in the training they gave them? Sounds like mate behavior. Endgame couples tend to trust each other to make it out alive, even in dangerous situations where they are separated. I like this new side of Azriel trusting in the girls, maybe even Gwyn specifically.

Ch. 68 of ACOSF - Gwyn is talking to Nesta and Emerie. She mentions how she is tired of being in the library and wants to take a new road. A road that will forge them into something new. And after Gwyn's done speaking, "A cold wind blew off Ramiel's side. Whispering. Murmuring." Gwyn goes on to relay her side of the story of what happened to her and how Azriel saved her by slaughtering all the soldiers within moments & went on to give her his cloak as well as wrapped her in it.

Yessss Gwyn!!! I'm so proud of how far Gwyn has come. She is truly a warrior, a survivor, a woman to look up to. I can't wait to read about her own journey because there is NO WAY we won't get her story told after this.

Um... Azriel didn't hesitate? AND HE GAVE HER HIS CLOAK AND WRAPPED HER IN IT?!?

ISN'T THAT ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE WHAT LUCIEN DID FOR ELAIN (minus Lucien killing anyone given that circumstance)?!?!? And Elain and Lucien are mates soo....

The rest of the story.. I was a blubbering mess.

But Gwyn became Carynthian. Just like how Azriel is Carynthian. Which is just another point that led me to think Sarah is going to have Gwyn and Azriel as endgame. Mates are equal after all.

And while Gwyn might have went back to the library, I just feel and know her story is far from over. Her journey is coming, and Azriel will more than likely be her endgame.

[iamnmbr3]

I hate it when people say Ginny "deserved better" when it comes to the way she was written and portrayed in canon. I'm sorry but no she didn't deserve better. She was a barely there Mary Sue character who existed primarily to be the future wife of Harry and link to him joining the Weasley family. She was also supposed to be this very powerful witch but again it never paid off. She didn't amount to anything. She turned out to be a big nothing burger of a character.

Idk. I do think she deserves better, though I definitely get where you're coming from. Ginny as a character really annoys me from book 6 on. Book 6 and 7 Ginny feels like a shallow and annoying Mary Sue and also is just kinda mean and I hate that she never gets called on her bad behavior. As soon as I feel like a story is trying to shove a character down my throat and insist that I love them and that they are flawless, I kinda feel turned off by the character and I want to hate them out of spite. Ginny's pettiness and stuff like her being pretty awful to Fleur and getting angry at Harry for even saying something nice about Fleur even though he has no romantic interest in her just really rubs me the wrong way. Especially bc these flaws are ignored and even glorified by the story. Plus there's not much there with her character.

She feels like this kinda wish fulfillment empty vessel. And I hate that she gets touted as this perfect girl for Harry when their romance feels so empty and her character feels so un-compelling - which is honestly pretty unusual because generally the characters in HP are really interesting, even the ones we only hear a little about.

Now that said, I still do actually feel that she deserves better. What do I mean by that? Well, first of all, in-universe she ends up with someone who frankly, doesn't pay much attention to her. Harry barely knows anything about Ginny and never makes her his priority. Even in the epilogue it feels like he barely even consulted her on naming their children. He never really views her as an equal or respects her opinion. And she seems to feel pressured to act a certain way to please him. Like not crying in front of him because it might bother him, but apparently having been extremely upset after their breakup according to Ron etc. I don't think they are really compatible or have a deep or substantive relationship and I think that's sad and she (or anyone in that situation) deserves better.

Also from a more Doylist POV she deserved better because her character had so much potential. I actually loved Ginny in book 5. She has a lot of growth but also still feels connected to who she was in the first 4 books. She doesn't need to be amazing and perfect at everything. She's human and real. She catches a snitch by luck because it was slow and her competitor looked away at the wrong moment - and she has the humility to notice and admit this. And it doesn't matter. Harry's professional-level good at Quidditch. She's good at other things. Also Harry and Ginny actually have a deeper and more trusting relationship in that book than in book 6, but I digress. She doesn't need to suddenly be an amazing seeker and an amazing chaser and be #NotLikeOtherGirls and super into Quidditch (even tho she wasn't in book 4) to be likable but book 6 makes her all these things and it just takes away from the real and human and flawed and empathetic and actually funny Ginny we have in book 5.

Also her whole backstory from book 2 was really promising. She and Harry could've bonded over both having had Voldemort inside their heads. She could've provided critical insights about Tom Riddle since she spent a year essentially being pen pals with him. She could've had an epic arc where in book 7 she took on a more central role in the fight and ultimately got to face her childhood monster and destroy a Horcrux. Also there was just a lot to explore with her dealing with the trauma from book 2. She could've done so much. But nope. She just gets reduced to Love Interest TM. So yeah we had this really great character who was just coming into her own in book 5 and had all this amazing potential and then gets absolutely torpedoed by JKR bc she doesn't know how to write romance. And I do think that's a shame.

Now I ship drarry and I think that's always going to be the most interesting and well set up relationship for Harry to be in. But I think Harry and Ginny getting together the way they did is realistic but I think they would then realize they aren't really a good match - they don't know each other and both are more attracted to the idea of each other than anything else. I think them realizing this and working through it would be something interesting to explore in an 8th year fic.

[autistichalsin]

I wonder if you have thoughts on like.... the other members of his grove? and halsin relating to them? bc apart from rath and maybe two more, they all seem very dicky to me 🤔 and ya, halsin said it's been a burden, and being a kind-hearted dude like him leading a bunch of bastards that think so highly of themselves could definitely contribute to the stress. I guess i don't get it? the one at the steps by the bear is like 'hold on give them a chance' @ the bear when we come in but then in the same breath is like 'no step further or i show you my claws' and seems like has to be talked down from being hostile by third druid; then later when we stop the ritual she's like 'we stopped the chanting but that doesn't give you the right to be disrespectful to this place' and some rando other druid went something along the lines of 'you're overstaying your welcome' - im just thinking how horrible halsin's life must have been surrounded by pricks like that 😔

Short version: yeah, everyone but Rath, Nettie, and Apikusis suck lol

Long version: everyone but Rath, Nettie, and Apikusis suck, BUT you can see several who are having doubts about what they're doing, and many of them come back to themselves once Halsin returns.

There were, I think, multiple things going on here:

By his own admission, Halsin wasn't a very strong leader. He never had leadership skills taught or modeled for him before becoming Archdruid, and further, his promotion was under incredibly traumatic circumstances. The survivor guilt, the admiration he had towards the previous Archdruid, likely left him not wanting to fully engage with the role out of fear of replacing him or at least seeming to do so.

The refugee situation was noted to be causing stress at the Grove as supplies were dwindling (I guess we're supposed to forget Goodberry is a spell ANY Druid can do, lol). This would have not only sown resentment against Halsin and the refugees for putting them in this situation, but crucially, it would have given an outsider enemy for the Grove. Cults (like the Shadow Druids) operate at their strongest when they have a threat, or appearance of one, to unite members and potential members under. "We are the only ones who can keep you safe from these outsiders who may be from hell itself, who are using all your supplies and contributing nothing, who are the reason you're being attacked by goblins every other day." And Halsin, as much as I love him, showed poor judgment in going with the goblins at that precise moment, and with little explanation to the others. It shows where his heart and priorities are- always with the Shadow-Cursed Lands first- but that would not be an endearing things for his stressed Druids.

Kagha not only fell in with this cult, but unfortunately, she had a lot of what Halsin was lacking as a leader- she just chose to use this skills for evil. She was persuasive (something Halsin admits he wasn't so good at), she presented herself as being concerned with the group's welfare in a way Halsin wasn't quite able to do (since his heart was elsewhere), and her zealotry seemed preferable to the other Druids in contrast to Halsin's mixed attention.

This cannot be understated: the Grove was deliberately targeted by Ketheric Thorm. He knew from experience that the Grove posed a significant threat, and he ordered his underlings to make contact with the Shadow Druids and send them to the Emerald Grove, to either persuade them to carry out the Rite of Thorns or at least cause so much division that the social bonds collapsed entirely and the Grove was left too divided to be able to accomplish anything. Ketheric and the Shadow Druids were able to find all of the above weaknesses and exploit them effortlessly.

So then it became a game of scapegoating, which is a favored recruitment technique of cults. "We're here because of the Other, and because our leader was too weak to fix the problem before it got this bad. We need a new leader; a leader who cares only for us and isn't afraid to tell the truth about these immigrants refugees who want to destroy America our Grove by leading gangsters and drug lords goblins right to us! Build the Wall Perform the Rite of Thorns!"

No one is immune to propaganda and everyone is a potential target for cults. It very well could be that all of the Druids, even Kagha, were once genuinely kind people who were manipulated by the cult into believing their kindnesses would get the Grove destroyed; they took on the "it's us or them" mentality.

For the timeframe to work, it either would have had to be happening in secret before Halsin left, or Halsin would have had to be gone for a while; since we know it wasn't TOO terribly long but hadn't JUST happened either, my guess is that Kagha had been spreading Shadow Druid doctrine in secret for some time, and had been planning to usurp Halsin's position even if he hadn't been kidnapped. That just made it easier once it happened. (There is a formal process within the Druids to challenge an Archdruid for their position; I don't know if Halsin even would have fought Kagha that hard if she kept her true intentions a secret. He had faith in her at this point after all, and didn't want the leadership position. That's a terrifying thought.)

So, then, Halsin comes back, and sees evil ideas spreading in all his Druids, starting with Kagha. Depending on the player's actions, he may or may not know it goes deeper than her. He can also see that his reputation has been severely damaged, if not ruined, in his absence; almost none of the Druids have any respect for him anymore. So he makes the wise decision to bring in Francesca, who they have no choice but to respect, and backs away himself. At this point, he intends to return someday when the Druids have been deprogrammed, but of course, later he decides it's not worth it anyway.

So back to: how bad must his life have been surrounded by that? Well, as mentioned, my headcanon is he wasn't surrounded by it very long, if at all. He thought everything was just normal, until he got back from being kidnapped and quickly found it very much wasn't. Whether that's better or worse, though, is up to interpretation. What's worse- seeing those you love fall victim to a cult, or thinking everything is completely fine, and then one day discovering they've been sucked in deep and there's nothing you can do to persuade them anymore since they've come to see you as The Enemy?

In any case, Halsin deserved much better, and I like to think he keeps in touch with Nettie, Rath, and Apikusis after the epilogue, even if he keeps his distance from the Grove itself.

[demiaroacejadeharley]

The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 2 Review

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the second episode of The Amazing Digital Circus. If you haven't seen the episode, please skip this post and watch the episode before reading this post.

This post also contains critical commentary about Vivziepop. If you're a Vivziepop stan, please do not interact with me. Critical fans and antis are welcome to interact. Reblogs on this post are turned off to prevent Vivziepop stans from interacting with me.

If you're a Vivziepop stan and try to interact with me by sending a PM or tagging me in a post, you'll be instantly blocked. Any asks sent by Vivziepop stans will be deleted.

I didn't find out that TADC had another episode out until Saturday night while I was preparing for my morning shift at work. I decided to watch the new episode before bed and wasn't disappointed at what I watched.

The episode starts with Pomni having a nightmare before Ragatha woke her up. Poor girl can't catch a break after what she went through in the first episode.

And now, for the main event of the episode. Caine assigned the crew to a mission to return the maple syrup that was stolen for a candy kingdom by a small group of gummy gator bandits. I also got some nostalgia feels for the episode as I grew up watching Adventure Time, and the candy themed kingdom reminded me of the Candy Kingdom from Adventure Time.

The chase scene was extremely hilarious, and I felt bad that poor Pomni had to try to keep the bandits from going away. If only Jax actually did something instead of antagonizing her. Gotta say that Jax is one lovable prick.

It made me sad that after Pomni and Gummigoo had their little bonding moment, Caine was like, "nope" and Thanos'd Gummigoo from entering the circus. But after that episode, I wonder what Gooseworx has planned for Caine. Will he end up being the big bad guy in the show? His role is to be some sort of ringleader, after all. I'm looking forward to the future episodes to come.

To end my thoughts about the new episode, I did like that the ending shows Pomni slowly starting to get comfortable with the others. I know Gooseworx said that she doesn't plan on shipping the characters, but maybe she might reconsider it with Pomni and Ragatha. But either or is fine. Gooseworx has the right to do whatever she wants with the show.

I've also mentioned at the very beginning of the post that I will add some critical commentary about Vivziepop. So I might as well address everything now.

I believe I've said this in my post about my thoughts on the first episode about The Amazing Digital Circus, which is that Gooseworx doesn't rely heavily on excess amount of swearing to make her content funny. I still got a good laugh out of watching the new episode. I also like how Gooseworx hired indie voice actors for the show, and it shows that you don't need voice actors who have been in the industry for years to get people to consume your work. Also, last time I checked, the new episode got over 30 million views on YouTube.

Another thing is that I really like how the characters are designed. I'm curious if there is any significance for the roles the TADC crew will play during the future of the show. For example, Pomni is in a Jester outfit, and I'm curious how it will affect her role in the show. And it's obvious that Caine, being the ringleader of the crew, by having him wear a suit and top hat to show that. Meanwhile, Vivziepop seems to rehash similar character designs for the rest of her characters, which, in my opinion, makes her characters look dull looking. Viv has the potential to create really well designed characters as shown with her past work. And I wish she could improve that in the future.

Lastly, the writing. I know The Amazing Digital Circus only has two episodes, but the writing is far better than Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss combined. The Amazing Digital Circus stays consistent to the plot by showing the crew going to various parts of the universe they're in to complete their missions. I will admit that the plot of Hazbin Hotel is somewhat consistent as it shows Charlie trying to redeem sinners on top of the threat of Heaven. My biggest concern with Hazbin is that whenever Season two comes around, I'm worried that Vivziepop will sideline Charlie's mission to redeem sinners and help maintain the population of hell to either filler episodes or deter the main plot by focusing heavily on heaven or things that are not significant to the plot of Hazbin Hotel.

And then there's Helluva Boss. The show was promoted being about a group of imp mercenaries doing kill jobs. It wasn't until Viv decided it would be a "brilliant" to show that the main plot aside to focus on Stolas and Blitzo's "relationship" (even though I don't consider that a relationship due to how predatory Stolas is towards Blitz and something similar to Angel Dust and Valentino).

To close this post, I would like to say that The Amazing Digital Circus is what both Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss could be, despite TADC only having two episodes. If Vivziepop hired indie voice actors, worked more on her character designs, rethink how she writes both Hazbin and Helluva Boss, and works on giving her female characters the character development they deserve, then maybe I'll rewatch them in the future. However, the problem is that Viv doesn't really handle criticism well and relies on her fans to protect her. She's a grown woman, and she doesn't need other people to fight her own battles. If she can't handle that as a content creator, then maybe she should either step down from her position as the lead of HH and HB or consider taking a hiatus and have her work on herself.

But anyways, that's was I gotta say. The second episode of TADC was a fun watch, and I'm looking forward to what Gooseworx has in store for her viewers.

[flutterrker]

Wield pet pt1

(f) Shark hybrid reader x Owner Izuku

Not my art

Warning: mentions abuse, Trafficking, fitting ring, Sexual assault, injury, Euphonizing, death, Arters note: my Engles is bad I trad to fix it

Todoroki and Deku are out patrolling the streets well they are walking Deku is thinking about the conversation he Had with Bakugo about the hybrid fitting ring he Bustad not too long ago and how most of those hybrids were going to be put down because they were too aggressive to be kept he snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his soldier looking over to Todoroki and smiled "hey I think we can go take our Break now oh and we are pretty close to this cafe I like "he says to Todoroki how just nods and follow him to the cafe

They get there Eventually and get Seated at a boof in the far corner as they settle in Todoroki looks at Deku and starts to speak "Is something bordering you you look upset" Todoroki says Deku shakes his head no but before he can get a word out his phone rings picking it up and pressing the Answer button he pots it Against his ear and listens "good morning am I Speaking to Mister Midoriya" a sweet voice asked him he Post for a moment and Answered " yes this is hem" " Great I'm calling from the hybrid shelter about you applying to Adopt a hybrid and it has been Approved " she said in a Professional tone " oh ok when can I come and take a look " he asked in an Excited tone " later today if you want but if not we ca- " he cut her off before she could finish speaking "No! today is good I'll come over later today " Izuku cringed at how Awkward he was being " well that great to hear Such enthusiasm from a Potential hybrid owners then we will see you later today Mister Midoriya " " yes Thank you so much see You guys soon " he says Practically jumping out of his seat " see you" Izuku ends the call unaware that Todoroki was watching him closely " exciting news I assume " Todoroki asked Curiosity getting the better of him Izuku nods " I Applied to a hybrid Adoption Agency to see if I can get a hybrid " "hmm why not just get a normal animal like a cat or dog I hear hybrid are High maintenance pets and need a lot of attention " he said to Izuku

Izuku nods "Well To be honest, I never wanted to own a hybrid but I never realized how badly they got treated by humans after the hybrid fitting ring was taken out all of those Innocent hybrids that were caught and sent to the hybrid shelter are all Scheduled to be euthanized, "Izuku says to Todoroki " I heard about that on the news it terrible they are Punishing the hybrid that only follows there master's orders " Izuku nods and looks Todoroki in the eyes " yeah they say the reason is that they are so aggressive that they can't even get close enough to train them "It was silent for a moment before Izuku spoke again "So I've decided that even if it is just one that can be rescued from the system it's at least one step into the right direction and it might inspire other people to adopt a hybrid as well and bring Awareness to the dangers of hybrid trafficking, " Izuku says with a small smile

Todoroki smiled and was reminded of how kind Izuku was but izuku always a kind person and it made Todoroki proud to call izuku his friend no matter what happened to Izuku he had always seen the best in all people and animals no matter what "If you don't mind me asking could I come with you I would like to see the tip of hybrid you might Choose" Todoroki asked Izuku smiled back and nodded " yeah! I don't mind and we can Catch up on things" " I would like that " he said smelling "but I think if I do find a hybrid and adopt I'm going to take some time off to spend with it you know like bonding or getting to know One another but for now let's eat up and get back to work the faster we get this done the faster we can go yeah " Izuku says as Todoroki nods along Agree

One patrol and a few Pity crimes take down later and Izuku and Todoroki are at the front gate of the hybrid Adoption center they park the car near the building and are Greeted at the glass doors by a woman wearing a uniform " Greetings Mister Midoriya and Mister Todoroki I have been waiting for you my name is Mary willow I'm the Director of the pup cup Adoption and rescue facilities hope you didn't have any trouble getting her " " No not atoll Was it you that I was speaking to earlier " Izuku asked she nods " yes it was now that we are all acquainted let's get this meet and greet started follow me please " she said smiles and Tuning around Leading them inside and in the directions of the kennels

They walked around looking at all the hybrids from bunnies to Birds but noticed that most if not all of the hybrids were pups and not Fully grown hybrids like Izuku hoped the Director noticed nothing is Catches he's eye so she Derek's theme to the Exotic hybrids Wing off the building there they see tigers, lepers, fish and some reptiles that are Unfortunately all still pups that is until they get to the last kennel looking inside he sees a shark hybrid that is fully grown has a muzzle on and looks to be in a bad condition with all the Scratches and bruises they can see as Izuku get close he heard the Director start to speak " and that is y/n she is not up for adoption " she said Izuku frowns in confusion and looks back at her but before he can ask why she speaks " that one is from the fitting ring and is Scheduled to be euthanized "he stops and looks at her for a minute and started to speak "when will they euthanize her " "Tomorrow Though it is a real shame to see because it is not her fault she's like this it is the people fault for putting her through that trauma and Yet the hybrids pay the price " she said looking at the hybrid in the cage with a sad expression "we'll if that is all I will Leave you to it to decide what lucky hybrids get to leave and live with the number one hero in Japan com find me at the front desk when you're ready but in the meantime feel free to look around I'm shore you'll find something" she says before turning around and walking away living Izuku and Todoroki allows to Stew in there Foughts

"Midoriya what hybrid are you going to take " Todoroki asked Izuku shrugged his soldier still looking at you in the kennels Trying to get your attention but nothing was working not kissing noises not calling your Name and not Throwing small rocks near you. you just sit there looking at the floor that is until Todoroki opens his water bottle the sound made you move your eyes for just a split second, but Izuku noticed it " hey, are you thirsty you want some water? " he asked and saw you were now looking directly at him that's when he noticed the other side of your face had a Giant bruise he also noted how every time you moved you may a Pained experience it was subtle but it was there and he noticed it as he takes out his water bottle and sprinkles some water out on the floor to show you it was water you slowly stand up and walk as Beast as you could to them pouting more pressure on one Leg to avoid pouting pressure on your left foot when you got closer to them you slid down the Bars to sat on your legs wincing in pain slowly you stuck your hand outside the Bars of the cage to Reach for the bottle Izuku handing it to you slowly to not spook you take it and started lapping at the water With your long tongue drinking the water quickly Izuku watch you for a while seeing how matted you hair was and how dirty and tired you look at least you weren't skin and bones but Stull to skinny for his liking

Izuku stood up and started walking to the Reception disk Todoroki followed Behind him Quietly wanting to see what happened next as they approached the waiting room Izuku saw the Director working at the front desk walking up to her Izuku said in an emotionless town

" I want the shark hybrid " " No" " please I'll pay extra " " I said no Mister Midoriya " "Why -" " Because Mister Midoriya she is not for sale " " so instead of letting her find a proper family to adopt her you would rather let them put her down " he said in a Ange town" No that is not the reason Mister midor- " " then what is " she sighs and says in a calm tone " Mister Midoriya I don't want to put her down but she is too dangerous to freely walk around and the people from the hybrid fitting ring are still out there looking for the hybrid they trained and she is the last one that needs to be euthanized I don't want to do this to her either but I don't want her to Software Anymore" he was quiet for a minute or two thinking of a way to convince her he could not only keep you safe and have the Schell to train you "What are you saying that the number one hero can't protect one single hybrid " Todoroki Piped up "No that's not what I meant -" "Please I just can sit here and do nothing I'm a hero and I believe I can provide a safe investment for her to live in Maybe if she doesn't feel so frightened she'll be easier to train and less Aggravated and aggressive" she looked at the two men for a minute or two before sighing and handing him the adoption paperwork " I'm not doing this for you I'm doing it for her she deserves to be happy too and to Experience a loving family as well," she said in a sad tone of voice " go take a seat Mister Midoriya and when you're done I'll Brief you on her history " Midoriya nods feeling tears in his eyes but Wipes them away

Once the paperwork is done he walks back up to her and hands her the paperwork she Pages true it and nods " Mister Todoroki please Stay here in the waiting room well I brief Mister Midoriya on his new partner " Todoroki nods and takes a set and pools out his phone to pass the time" This way Mister Midoriya " he followed her to a small room with a Disc and two chairs" please take a seat Mister Midoriya " he sits in the chair across from her she hands him a folder White your name on it he opens the document in it he reeds

Name: Y/n

Tip of hybrid: hybrid shark Mix between a thresher shark and bull shark

Temperament: (bad) Aggressive to humans, hybrids, and animals

Class: Aquatic

How common the species is : Rear

Age: estimated to be 20

Sex: female

Facilities: pup cup Adoption and rescue facilities

Date of arrival: 2027/6/18

Previous owner: unknown

Note from therapist: we sent in a hybrid Specialist to see if we could Sedate her to Administer First-aid to her wounds but were Unsuccessful as she refused to calm down enough to give it to her, I concluded that she is deathly afraid of being pinned down

Injury report: due to her having a muzzle on she has Resorted to slamming her whole body into the staff to pin them between her and the walls she Injured a few staff members and broke several staff members' ribs and arms by slamming them as hard as possible can against the wall

Note from hybrid Specialist: we tried to feed her to see if she would let us get close to At least check her eyes for Enya's signs of blindness safe to say she is not going blind we Took off the muzzle To give her some food but were shocked at the Violent Reaction she had to human snarling and hissing but not outright attacking the is until a staff member got to close for her liking

Injury report: when the muzzle was Removed, we gave her a bowl of fruits she Ignores it and kept sleeping until we went to Replace the bowl, and she Launched forward and bit down onto Mister Kenneth's hand and Thor his point finger middle finger and fume off

he was rushed to the hospital to receive medical attention they Informed us they could not re-attached the fingers he reserved 20 Stitches

Police report: she was Found in a Flooded basement and Changed to the floor with at least 9 hybrids and 3 human corpses in the water she was Sedated and pulled out but a few minutes later woke up and started attacking the offices we Tried to subdue her but in the struggle she killing 2 men in the process we opened five 5 rounds 3 Connected 6 more were fired before Red Riot and Dynamite Showed up and Pin her down muzzled her and Administering a larger Those of tranquilizer she was then Transportation to the Nearest hybrid VT

Medical report: since of Physical and Sexual abuse

Bullets were removed from the Shoulder, stomach, and thigh she also had three broken ribs one broken leg torn muscles, a Fraction ligament, a nasty infection in her Gills located on either side of her chest under the arms what seems to be lashes made from Being whipped by Metal Wire as well as Multiple cuts made by a Knife a yeast infection swelling and redness to her Genetics an upsetting amount of bruising on her arms, legs, stomach, chest, neck, and back

Note for doctors:we tried to give her medical attention but came no fader than treating her scraps and stitching up her cuts

Note: is Scheduled to be euthanized on 29 August 2027

Izuku closed the Document and was quiet for a minute Thinking how someone could do all those things to someone and not care how you're hurting them " Do you still want her it ok to back out it is a big commitment to own a hybrid " Izuku was drag back to Reality when she asks him that question "Yes I still want her" She smiled and nodded "Well if you have your heart set on her I'll need you to sign These documents her, her, and her and I'll come in a year to do a wellness check "she said smiles Izuku nodded and read the Terms of conditions before sighing she smiled a little bit more knowing you'll go to a good home "and we are done here is your free Complimentary harness and Leash and I'm obligated to tell you when walking her in public she has too keep her muzzle on atoll time except on private property now let's see if we can get her out of her kennel " " what before we do that I have a Question if she is too Aggressive to be near people how do I get the Medicine she needs " she stopped and smiled at him " I'll make an appointment with a friend of mine to come to you she Specializes in hybrid medicine and dietary needs she a doctor as well she can take a look at her Broken bones"

Thay wall out of the room and back in the Direction of where your kennels where when they got there, they saw your sleeping form on the floor the Director handed Izuku a blanket to wrap you in she slowly moved to the door and unlocked it so Izuku could enter

As he Crouched down to pick you up you French from his soft Touch, he stopped for a moment waiting for you to relax you Stirred a bit before going back to sleep Izuku Gentle picked you up and wrapped the blanket around you snuggle to keep you from Kicking and keep you warm

Izuku Adjusted his arms to hold you more Comfortably before walking back out of the kennel with you now sleeping comfortably in his arms head on his soldier hands under your knees and the small of your back Izuku felt confident enough to move with you in his arms without waking you up

Walk to the waiting room Izuku Spotted Todoroki and walked up to him holding you Close to his chest Todoroki smiled at him and stood up to greet him and see what hybrid he got "You got the hybrid you want " he asked Izuku nodded "I just couldn't leave her here " " oh that reminds me could you drive me home my hands Kind of full at the moment "Izuku asked with a Bright smile and a smile blush on his cheeks "Why don't you just put her down " he asked confused why Izuku Couldn't drive "I'm Scared of waking her up "he nodded "ok I'll drive "

" om my God I don't even realize how long we've been in there for, "Izuku says Todoroki nods "It did take a while," Todoroki said well opening the door for Izuku to get in Carefully to not wake you up as he sits in the passenger seat Todoroki Buckles his seat belt for him as izuku waiting for Todoroki to come around the car to the driver's seat Izuku looks down at you and thinks to himself "I don't have a room ready for her I'm going to have to leave her alone for an Hour or two so I can find a nesting bed for her and close oh God look at that hear it's all matted I'll have to as my mom for help and get you medicine I'll need to study up on the species if I want to properly take care of her " " Midoriya you babbling again "Izuku stopped and looked at him and then out the window " when did we start diving and when did we get so close to my house" ' Izuku thinks to Himself sighs in frustration when they pool into the driveway Todoroki got out first to open the door for Izuku

Finally getting to the door, Izuku held you in one hand and pulled out his house. Keys opened the door and walked in to the house he went right to the guest room and pulled out a futon for you to sleep in for now until he could get a proper nesting bed for you

He Laid you down Gently and covered you with the blanket sighs "Your safe now sleep tight we have a long day tomorrow " said Izuku before walking out and meeting with Todoroki taking him for coming over and helping bring you back they said their goodbye close the door as the lock Kicked Izuku slid down the door and sighs in Exhaustion he just sat there for a minute or two before getting up sitting at a disk and doing some research on shark hybrid

Slowly he began to drift off to sleep straggling to continue reading the article he found bobbing his head to Stay upright his eyes closed for what felt like a minute but was more like an Hour before he was out like a Light, he slept on his desk that night face planned in a book snoring Lightly

Tomorrow will be better

[empressofthesunslittlecorner]

Let's talk about Zutara

WARNING NOT KATAANG AND MAIKO FRIENDLY

CONTINUE WITH PRECAUTION

I thought I should finally use this second blog of mine for the reason I made it.

To scream into the void and find mutals.

So let's talk about one Ship which people to this day fight over.

The fanon ship (at it pains me to write this) made out of Zuko and Katara from Avatar the Last Airbender aka. Zutara.

I read a lot of analyses, arguments and so on about this ship.

It probably all has been said about Zutara, but since I'm writing an AangXOC story which will include Zutara, I felt like I should give my stance on it.

Back when Avatar first aired in the country I lived in the time I was like 11-12 years old.

I had an instant crush on Aang since he was so funny, kind and gentle.

I never saw Aang's crush on Katara as a problem, because it always seemed to me, till season 3, that Katara was just motherly to Aang.

Giving a friend a cheek kiss in thanks doesn't automatically mean that you like-like them.

At this time I only really shipped Sokka and Yue and cried my eyes out how it ended.

And then the famous scene from book 2 in the crystal catacombs under Ba Sing Se happened.

Short recap, in that season Zuko goes through a lot of chances and I root for, wishing him the best.

Now back to the scene, I said.

The scene turned me into a Zutara shipper in one instant.

Zuko and Katara opening up to each other, sharing their traumas and feelings about the Fire Nation, Katara offering to heal his scare...it was poetic cinema.

I was shivering all over and was like kiss, kiss, kiss!

Let's not forget that before this scene I didn't even see them as a potential couple...but this scene, this beautiful moment they shared with each other, opened my eyes.

I was like, yeah this is it, this is something one should want from a partner. Mutual understanding.

Then Zuko decided to betray Katara for a chance to go home and I cried right there with our favourite waterbender.

I felt also betrayed.

The scene they shared made me feel things, which I experienced as a young girl for the first time, I felt the connection between Zuko and Katara like it was my own.

I was Katara at this moment and couldn't believe that the boy who opened up to me, who understood what it was like to have their mother taken away from the Fire Nation, who said that he wanted to change, that he turned his back on me.

Didn't I/Katara mean nothing to him?

Didn't he feel how special our/their moment was?

I was devasted.

When Zuko then joined the Gaang in the middle of season 3 I could understand Katara's anger towards him.

Katara and I trusted him first and he betrayed our trust.

We had a right to be angry.

As the Southern Raiders came on, as I saw how flawlessly they worked as a team, I felt my own heart heal.

I swerve to this day, that I thought they would kiss at the end of the episode, but we got a hug.

However, this hug, made me feel all giddy and mushy inside.

I felt it was something special.

Maybe even more than a kiss.

It was a huge of forgiveness and the start of a new bond.

And then the last episode comes on.

Zuko sacrificed himself to save Katara from Azula lighting, she healed him then...I thought, yes this is it, now comes the kiss...but nothing.

Then suddenly Zuko is back together with Mai and I was like WTF?!

And Aang and Katara share this really intense kiss at the end.

I was literally like:

It came out of nowhere for me.

That Aang wasn't over his crush on Katara we all know, but when did Katara decide she liked Aang?

When did this realisation happen, when in the Ember Island Player, which was like a few days before Sozin's Comet Katara made clear that she didn't want to have a romance or get kissed by Aang, which he didn't respect.

Did he ever actually apologise for the unwanted kiss? I don't think so.

Remember I had a crush on Aang, but through the seasons I became a Zutara Shipper and literally felt all their moments like they were my own.

I was Katara and Aang wasn't on my radar anymore.

I really doubted my interpretation skill, did all these lovely, mushy, heartful moments have been really romantic or did I project?

I felt like Zuko and Katara had broken up with me.

Yeah, so much inpact had their "friendly" moments at me!

To this day, the hug Katara and Zuko shared on the Southern Raiders is one of the most lovely moments of any of my ships.

Not even kissing made me feel, what this hug made me feel.

Think about how powerful this is!

If Zutara had kissed, I would have probably passed out or cried like a baby in happiness.

I don't know and I will never know since it's a fanon ship.

Uurgh.

Anyway, years passed and as I mention before I read a lot of analysis and so on.

What shocked me most was that Byrke originally planned to have Zuko and Katara together but then changed their minds.

It did reassure me, how I wasn't imagining things between them, however reading then how the Souther Raider Episode changed a lot of times because Bryke found it too shippy, tells you a lot.

They wanted to make Kataang canon and better, than the natural flow Zutara had going on.

I want to repeat again, a HUG was MORE ROMANTIC and INTENSE than the crappy kiss Kataang shared.

Like what?!

How is this possible?

Well, yeah, if you don't force things and actually make people interact in a wholesome way it can be.

Zuko and Katara felt never forced because they just clicked. They were different, but the same in many things, that it was so natural to understand the other.

Aang and Katara felt always more like a mother-and-son duo, than real lovers.

And Maiko was kinda lame too.

Sorry.

I have this theory they just wanted to pair Zuko with a Fire Nation girl and be done with it.

I don't know why they chose Mai when it could have been worked with Ty Lee too, if it was only to pair Zuko with someone who doesn't understand him or doesn't want to try.

Excuse me, maybe Ty Lee would have been better since she seemed to care for her friends, in contrast to Mai who just tried her hardest to be goth and hate everything.

Sorry.

What I'm trying to say with this rant?

I think, as someone who had liked Aang and then felt more connected to Zuko and Katara, I can clearly say that if Katara had been a real girl and not a fictional character controlled by men, she would be together with Zuko.

Why would I/Katara choose someone who I need to mother, who is younger than me, who can't relate to me, if there is an older handsome boy who is kinda dorky and awkward and tries his best, understands my feelings and helps me to parent the Gaang?

Yeah, no, Katara would have smooched Zuko if she had been a real girl.

Now, who of you who knows me, can say, but Empress some of your OCs are older than their canon partner, how can you say that Kataang can't work if you do this in your stories?!

I want to make clear I don't have general a problem if the girl is older than the guy or taller.

It's just that their supposed age gap is when they are together makes it creepy.

Look at an example.

My parents have a three-year age gap.

Nothing much.

They are both in their 60, mid 60, so it's not weird.

They are in the same mature stage in life and understand the struggles of the other.

Now think if my parents meet at 12 and 15.

My dad is the older one.

Are you going to say with a straight face that it wouldn't have been creepy if my parents started to date at this age?

What does a teenager want with a pre-puperty child?

Also, they live in completely different worlds, how can they relate to each other?

The same goes for Katara and Aang, what does a 14-year-old want from a 12-year-old?

I bet if it was the other way around, we would all give Aang shit for preying on a 12-year-old girl.

The gender shouldn't decide if we find a couple creepy or not, even if it's so sadly.

What I want to say, Kataang would have worked better if let's say season 3 ended with no pairing, just all being friends and happy and then in the comics when they age, when Katara is 22 and Aang is 20 they got together.

They would have matured, been on the same level, probably dated other people and had experience.

It would have been okay.

Even if I still think Zutara is superior in anything.

Anyway, I hope I could explain myself and no hate to the canon ships and their shippers.

Ship and let ship.

I just wanted to explain my reason why I will be always a Zutara Shipper and don't reconsider the ending of Avatar as the end and Legend of Korra.

I will forever be Team-Season-Four-Where-Aang-Finds-Hiding-Airbenders-And-Falls-in-Love-With-A-Airbender Girl-His-Age-And-Zuko-And-Katara-Marry-Eachother-And-Katara-Becomes-The-Most-Beloved-And-Badass-Fire Lady-In-History!

And they find also Zuko mom ^^

So for now this is it for me.

If you want my take on an Aang and OC story, where Zutara will be canon, go to my other Tumblr profile empressofthesunwriter and read Yin and Yang.

Here is the link to the Index

I wish you all a nice day/night!

Till next time!

[dcxdpdabbles]

I recently had a dream that wouldn't leave me alone so I feel the need to share it with someone else.

I can't remember the name of the fic that had been rereading at the moment but it's a crossover DC/DP/MLB. In the fic Danny, Damien and Marinette are called the three headed beast. At the time I was also reading a fic with Captain Marvel and I got it stuck in my head that what if Danny, Marinette and Billy were the three headed beast and Damien was their baby sibling.

Like hear me out they were made by Ra's without even Talia knowing. He wanted to raise his potential heir without even his daughter interfering. When the three are about 7 some magic bs with a Lazarus portal happened resulting in them living in a separate dimension for decades away from Ra's before being de-aged and sent bad under their grandfather's thumb (honestly I don't really remember what happened, my dream confused me). Once back they quickly jump ship and fake their deaths making sure nobody's are left to try and revive.

Roughly 2-3 years later Talia had Damien. I don't remember why but he knew about the triplets and had been on multiple family bonding trips with them without Ra's or Talia knowing so when Tim said Bruce was alive he just said ok, called his older siblings sounding sad and said find him. And then I woke up (and thought about it a lot).

Sorry for the rant this idea just wouldn't leave me alone.

I can just imagine Phantom and Marvel being entirely different people. Like Captain Marvel doesn't happen until after leaving the league neither does the portal incident so both Phantom and Marvel are completely different heros. The three went their separate ways once out of the league, yes they love each other (and the baby sibling they occasionally pop in on and kidnap for a few weeks to month to for adventures in dimensions that have different time flows) but they are grown adults they have their own lives they want to lead and they definitely haven't needed a parent in decades.

Anyways I'll stop now I just need to share this.

That's honestly such a cool dream. I don't read a lot of Miraculous Ladybug crossovers with DC but I do know the show.

It's interesting how all of them would be extremely powerful for their respective hero personas, but no one would link them as the Three Head Beast.

Also since Danny and Billy would be different heroes, I like to think that maybe Danny would have become more like a meta-human instead of a halfa. Maybe it was due to all his dimension-hopping as I can see him being the triplet that would enjoy exploring the Infinite Realms.

Danny has wanders lust- he hates lingering in one place too long so he is always on the move, always wanting to see new worlds and new timelines.

Maybe he would become Clockwork's human lesion as he can't be King. He happily goes to the living realms of the timelines Clockwork needs him to observe for the stars.

Danny believes the stars are a reminder of his freedom because it's one of the first things he saw the day they faked their deaths. He loves seeing new constellations and can't wait to jump lines again to discover new ones.

Billy meanwhile would fall into Magic again but this time it would be his own magic. He has the highest potential in magic to make him a candidate for the Wizard, but his past of being in Ra's thumb mucked up his purity soul bit.

Still, he finds out that "You're a Wizard, Billy" while traveling dimensions and unlike Danny chooses to stay in a lot of them for long periods just learning all he can of magic.

Marinette, unlike her brothers, is much more willing to stay in one place. Yes, she'll sometimes join them on trips or go looking for an adventure but she wanted to build a home. Danny and Billy see it as a cage, far too used to Ra's locking them up to not get itchy to move about, but she saw it as having control.

She picks her house. She picks the dimensions. Marinette is the one that decides when and where she wants to go. Nothing is bigger "I made it out. I survived you" then staying in their native dimension with Ra's on the other side of the world. If he finds her and tries to bring her back, welp she escaped before she can do it again.

But she didn't want big adventures or conflicts with Ra's, she was comforted. So Marinette opens a bakery in France, living as mundanely as possible but with years of deadly training under her skin and a strong link to Spirits.

Marinette didn't get her Kawami when the Guardian needed to pass them on, because she wasn't there, but years of Lazarus Water, Ectoplasim of the Infinite Realms, and just her aura she can see them.

Alongside thousands and thousands of Spirits that are everywhere. Some get attacked by her and her little bakery. Marinette allows them to live with her and respects them and their domain, so it's not really a surprise when they start bestowing small Blessings on her. She may not possess a miraculous that powers her up but she has a bag of tricks that are close and her own training that practically makes her a miraculous holder anyway.

And that's them the three heads of the Ra's Three-Headed Beasts- monsters, killers, weapons from birth- who lived on as what they wanted.

An explorer with a love of stars.

A mage with a love of study.

A Baker with a love of everyday life.

One day, when a little ninja wanders into Marinette's bakery on a break from his first real mission, the three gain a new love for their little brother.

Damian may not understand his older siblings desire to not be a cape but he respects them all the same. He still trains every day in the hopes of one day besting them but not to prove his worth.

Only to make Danny, Marinette, and Billy proud.

[stromuprisahat]

Can you help me to understand the tether between Alina and Aleksander? I've seen people say that it was formed when he collared her but if that's true then why not use it when she's on the run from him? I always thought that's why he got his nichevo'ya to wound her and why he thanked her, because it allowed that connection to form. Am I wrong here?

Okay, well, I'm still re-reading, but...

They're written as two halves of the same whole. They're supposed to be complimentary opposites, that's why Aleksander's waiting for the Sun Summoner instead of settling for just any immortal, why he believes they're meant to be even after encountering other immortals' different worldviews and Alina's refusal to accept her own greatness. She won't only live long, they're bound by the Making, so she's predisposed to ~understand~ (And there are moments, when she does. Only her upbringing, issues and moral police companions prevent her from embracing what's between them.).

The first clear sign of their interconnection's showed during Winter Fete, although from the wording, I've missed at least two earlier ones:

The moment his lips met mine, the connection between us opened and I felt his power flood through me. I could feel how much he wanted me—but behind that desire, I could feel something else, something that felt like anger. I drew back, startled. “You don’t want to be doing this.” “This is the only thing I want to be doing,” he growled, and I could hear the bitterness and desire all tangled up in his voice. “And you hate that,” I said with a sudden flash of comprehension. He sighed and leaned against me, brushing my hair back from my neck. “Maybe I do,” he murmured, his lips grazing my ear, my throat, my collarbone.

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 14

"... the connection between us ..." suggests it's something Alina figured out exists before this time, so she didn't experience it only once.

Then there's the Collar that gives Aleksander access to Alina's powers, although it's not exactly clear how it works.

I had spared the stag’s life. The power of that life belonged to me as surely as it belonged to the man who had taken it. ... The Darkling looked momentarily confused. He narrowed his eyes, and I felt his will descend on me again, felt that invisible hand grasping. I shrugged it off. It was nothing. He was nothing.

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 22

Like: Sorry honey, either the power belongs to you both, or you have the upper hand.

I would kill for Aleksander's LOGICAL explanation.

The nichevo'ya bite deepened the Bond, that's why Sasha did it. My guess is it might be something about merzost affecting the Making, therefore the connection formed by it, AND the tiny little detail the creatures might be created with use of said force, but from his own being. He's basically running around donating his body fluids essence to his closest "enemies"... *wink wink*

We don't know more than what he tells Alina, so perhaps he could feel her presence before that. Perhaps Alina's youth and inexperience played bigger part in her use of their connection, than we think. Perhaps her many issues did. (I hate repeating this phrase, but THE WASTED POTENTIAL!) Why tell your stubbornly uncooperating soulmate you have an in-build compass to help you track them, if they left a trail of more profane kind?

[double-0h-no]

Hand in Hand

The first piece of fluff, and the first collab prompt! Prompt fill for the 500 words, and the collab prompt "Lotion" from @kitten-kin and the Mom Bag. It's not explicit, no matter the potential, it really is pure fluff.

on ao3

James Bond has a thing for Q's hands.

The first time his attention was drawn to them was the first time he'd visited Q in his lair. The speed with which they were flying over the keyboard was quite extraordinary.

Q tended to fidget, or he hid his hands in his pockets, both of his trousers, which made them pleasantly tight around his buttocks, and of his horrible cardigans.

James caught himself watching Q work, his focus entirely on the nimble hands that dismantled a gun or reassembled whatever gadget he'd come up with. The only time when James observed and his attention wasn't on Q's hands, it was when Q worked on vehicles, and then his looks were a lot less virtuous.

There was a strange lure to how Q stripped off rubber gloves when he came from the lab area, all business, no nonsense, while he was clearly already preoccupied with something else. The efficient snap of rubber and diligent if hurried hand washing happened so automatically that Q wasn't even aware of it. James had tried and tested it both through means of distraction and repeatedly asking him whether he had washed his hands after he'd come out of the lab. Q was never able to tell.

All that was to say that James was positively done in when he discovered that they smelled nice. He didn't have an unduly fixation with Q's hands, or he didn't think he had, James only was a complete goner for Q's competence and that was best displayed when his hands were busy. But they did smell nice. It was something that drove him to distraction when Q first kissed him, his hands framing his face gently in a way so few people had been with him, the scent of bergamot that seemed to cling to him, together with a hint of lavender and something slightly sweet.

Sometimes, in the utter privacy of their home, he brought them up to his lips and simply inhaled the scent before he pressed a kiss to his knuckles. Q smiled at that indulgently, until curiosity got the better of him: "You have a ridiculous thing for my hands."

James smiled in return. "No I don't," he said unconvincingly while pressing a kiss to the flat of his palm.

Q sniggered. "Sure."

"They smell nice. Don't get me wrong, I love what you can do with them, but it's the scent for me."

For a moment, Q seemed too stunned to speak. "You like the scent?"

James nodded. "They always smell nice, no matter what you've done at work the day before. It's lovely."

Q huffed and shook his head in amused disbelief. "It's just lotion. I can't stand the scent of metal and gunpowder and machine oil and disinfectant all teaming up, and this is quite expediently doing away with it. And it helps with rough hands. But I'm glad you approve," he added with a cheeky smile.

James hummed in contentment, and pressed another kiss to the back of his hand.

[mamuzzy]

Etain's master maybe was a good Jedi but not a good teacher. It happens, that someone is good in their field, but they just not good with children/young people or how to pass the knowledge.

And Etain's self-esteem issues made her prioritize to appease Kal at all cost, because if he can't accept her as a family member, who will??? She felt like just like the clones, she couldn't see her future outside the Jedi Order or the GAR.

I think Darman could have been a friend to Etain. There was that potential for them to be a true brothers in arms sharing pain, and then happiness and pleasures too.

But Etain didn't think she is worth anything on her own.

And then she got herself pregnant. Because she thought this way she could be useful, that's how she interpreted the situation of the clones. It wasn't really about the clones. It was about finding herself a purpose.

Probably Kal's influence of his plan of giving back the clones their full life-span made her thinking like this way too. His passion is contaigious. But Etain and Kal are the same. Only Kal realized what is his purpose as an 50 years old, and Etain thought she found it at 20 (or even younger?). She was young.

Kal finding a mean to give back the life-span and Etain gives a legacy. A true fucked up Father-Daughter bonding moment in Etain's head, even Kal said "girl, wtf was in your head when you came up with this shit".

People think the effects of the last century is behind us, but this book was still written in the early 2000's. If I just think about my little post-soviet shithole, if your in-laws didn't accept you, you were going to have a bad time for the rest of your life, desperately trying to pretend mommy-dear and daddy-dear loves you somewhere deep inside, because, well, divorce was also a shameful act even in the 90's. And that was 30+ years ago. Reading RepComm with today's standards is just ridiculous.

And I love this cultural difference between the clones and natural born people! What people see a value in themselves and in other people. For Clones, loyalty, friendship, love, trust and being dependable is everything. And thinking that clones work with the same frequency as a natural born person would do with the same morals and values and dreams and life goals is just plain insane. They just don't work like that. Etain and Kal always forgets this.

I think Darman had everything what he needed in Etain. Only Etain didn't see herself with Darman's eyes.