#Heroes follow rules and all and he is blocked on both ways

[sunlightsilence]

MY THOUGHTS ON SIDE ORDER

If you see this, you don't have #side order or #side order spoilers blocked. .

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So. Side order's gameplay is fantastic to me, I've completed it with all 12 palettes now. I love splatoon and I love roguelikes so this was sort of a match made in heaven for me.

Creating the OP builds, the final boss, the general colours and music and vibe of the game is amazing! Everything to do with Pearl and Marina are *amazing* and they're so hella gay it's adorable :D And I love that they're not even hiding the queer representation now. Marina having a sprawled out Pearl as her desktop background is so cute, even seeing an elevator scene where they gush about eachother, and another one where Marina worries that Acht is hitting on Pearl.

And... cannon They/Them Acht! I remember all the people on Reddit being like "it's just the marketing team mistranslating their pronouns in a tweet!" NOPE, it's in game too!

Hell yeah :D Smollusk is adorable and I love him, and maybe we finally have a splatoon villain tumblr won't turn into a tumblr sexyman since he's a literal infant xD

And Pearl Drone is so hecking cute, I love her so much!! If you spin around in the lobby she spins too, and if you stay still she falls asleep :D

I did my first run with Brella cause it's my fav and it has my beloved inkstorm kit from S2! It took me three tries before I beat the tower for the first time, but then every run afterwards with different weapons I've always cleared it (I was got bounced off the tower for that first death and the second I was caught offguard by how fast the reefslider spam is)! Brella was definitely my favourite run, but I also really enjoyed the roller and brush runs. My roughest run was with the Splatling. I had dreaded doing charger after that, but charger turned into my fastest run!

I could see myself unwinding in this mode hundreds more times. I am saying this all to demonstrate that I really love this DLC, it might be my favourite of all the single player modes so far, either that or S2 hero mode. So my following criticisms are out of love for it because it's close to perfect. So the big one is... "the dlc is too short!" I hear that a lot on both tumblr and reddit and someone inevitably chimes in with "You don't play a lot of roguelikes, do you?" I mean... do YOU? I've done over 100 runs in Wizard of Legend, and thousands of hours on Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Etrian Mystery Dungeon. Yes it's made to be run multiple times, but when a run is only 20-30 minutes it's still only about 6 hours of content if you do all the palettes. And these could be fixed with the assets they already have! Like imagine an Endless mode where the difficulty (enemy speed and hp values and number of spawns) kept ramping up higher and higher each floor, with the leader board being kept track of on the app. Or a daily tower run to save a random cephalopod from being grayscaled - the daily inkling/octoling's palette giving you a random weapon/sub/special for that day that followed the rules of 8's Octoshot (more hacks = less chip slots). Or like a super hard difficulty mode - imagine a mode where every floor had a danger modifier, and maybe a Parallel Cannon spawns into the stage to try to hunt you down (maybe it's even invincible so you have to run away from it while doing the stage objective?) I know the Octoshot is kind of the "hard mode" (it's still not too bad though since it's basically just like starting from the beginning without hacks), but it's not fun being limited to just the one weapon type. Especially for it for people who find the regular shooters boring. I don't feel like this is an unreasonable request either, Wizard of Legend - a roguelike made by *two* people - for instance has a few options for post game challenge runs (a randomized mode, a mode where the enemies start from the highest difficulty from floor 1, an extra long run that touches on all the bosses, a BOSS RUSH mode, Curses - basically one thing gets massively buffed while a second thing gets massively debuffed). The Mystery Dungeon games tend to have unlockable MASSIVE dungeons that start you off from having nothing. (like imagine a 99 floor floor tower where you started with no hacks, and a basic shooter with no sub/special and you had to earn new weapons/subs/specials/hacks as you go). Could do the Curse style idea with extra special Marina hacks. "Hey 8, I just figured out a hack that turns everyone's Max HP to 1 - both yours and your opponents!" "This hack will make you much faster but the floors will always be dark!" Or those Bonus challenges, imagine if there was an option to do conditional runs with them. Like "Beat the Tower without using your special, unlock a specific splat tag banner" Again, I am only criticizing because I love it. It's just also the easiest and shortest of all the single player campaigns we've gotten I feel, and if they were going to lean into the roguelike genre, I wish they looked into how other roguelikes reuse assets to lengthen the gameplay and provide extra challenges to keep players interested for a long time.

AND I AM STILL MAD YOU CAN'T PLAY AS A SQUID AND THEY REMOVED THE PLAYABLE SQUIDBEATZ (half joking. Not really upset, but I do find it odd now that there's more campaigns you can play as an octoling than an inking on the switch now despite inklings being the mascots...... rotm/oe/so vs just s2hero/rotm. And I don't see why we can't just have minigames back, they remove more minigames each entry and paying to listen to music now is frustrating...) Haha... But yes, overall, I loved it. It's a 9/10 from me. Adding squidbeatz and some post game longevity / challenge modes would have made it a 10/10. I can't wait to play more, I can't wait to visit Inkopolis Square again next splatfest :')

Now, onto random observations!

The lobby has jump ramps on the back corner pillars. I don't know why!

You can turn Color Lock on in the main game and it *does* affect Side Order. It gives you permanently Blue+yellow or Blue+green ink, even in the hub area.

So with this boss, it uses the hairstyle from your S2 hero mode data to get their appearance... But I swear mine is using the feminine voice here and when being splat, despite that hairstyle being locked to masculine inkling voices in Splatoon 2? I do use it with the feminine voice in Splatoon 3. Or maybe the voices are just mixed into one here, I can't quite tell? Well it made enby me happy to see. I do kinda wish we got a challenging superboss fight with 4, these felt a bit weak.. but it seems to imply they aren't specifically 4 but Order made them based on their data... So...where is the real 4?!!! Did she never show up to work? Speaking of that boss....

Around the room are these white pipe like structures...

That will be instantly recognizable to anyone who dabbles in japanese model kits - they're sprue trees, like the kind used in Gunpla.

The robotic boss has robot model kit building pieces in the background :D

I still don't quite get the intro scene where everything goes digital on the train.... So it's implying either A) your character got Grayscaled.... But your character is fine when you go back to town... you don't even see any characters standing around suffering it's effects, they could have had some npcs spacing out or acting weird ala Persona 3... or B) you're getting pulled into the memverse too, but there's no sign of your S3 character *at all*... (though this would have been a good way to let us play as an inkling too nintendo >:l *angry woomy noises*)

Honestly I felt kinda like Acht's inclusion was sort of superfluous at first... mostly their role felt like "Pearl & Marina: *does something gay* Acht: wow these two sure are hella gay right 8? i feel like we're third wheels". I kept waiting for some kind of...reveal? Their memories are pretty much fully restored instantly rather than rolled out gradually like I was expecting...I was thinking maybe they'd, like, link them to Paul, or follow up on the recognizing Pearl somehow or being linked to the engineers that created Order or...SOMETHING, but it never came. Other than maybe dropping a hint about the person who instructed them and Marina when they were in school? Their role was really just "I'll hold the elevator and jump in for a song"... But maybe that's okay, eight and Acht are trauma victims and this was meant to be a place to heal them. Maybe it's okay that we take it slow getting to know them.

Okay that's all that's brainworming away at me for now, I'm sure I'll think of more later. Again, I really love it, definitely a 9/10 for me. I hope yall enjoyed it too :)

[thehusbandoden]

Cold- Shigaraki x Fem!Reader Part 2

Surprisingly this and the alternative ending only took me today 😅. I finally got an oomph after a few weeks of a writing block and wrote this, the alternative ending, and like 3-4 other things along with some add-ons to a few unfinished drabbles.

Angst to fluff | 1,899 words | Happy ending + an alternative ending if you'd rather have it end differently! <3

Y/h- your height

Warnings!: Shigaraki dusting multiple people, choking (not sexually), mentions of blood, cutting off a limb (an arm), self harm (Shigaraki), breaking down, Dabi x reader but could be seen as platonic, mentions of season 6 (Machia and the Liberation army), mentions of killing heroes. Pls let me know if I missed any!

Part One | Part Two | Alt. Ending

Shiggy's P.O.V:

Shigaraki paced back and forth in the meeting room, ap hand scratching at his neck. Nothing but guilt consumed him. He's been a complete a-hole to you, treating you horribly. You don't deserve that. You deserve better.

After asking Toga for advice the man decided to apologize and change his sickening behavior. He had only acted like that due to many people criticizing him behind his back. Telling one another what a bad partner he was. It killed him to think that he was.. and so he pushed you away.

He kept you locked away for your safety, there were so many bad people around, he didn't want anything to happen to you. But he couldn't, no. He wouldn't tell you that. He wouldn't act like some over protective psycho who works with people he wants to protect you from.

He took things from you to enforce the rules. He had to keep you safe. He needed you. He said those horrible horrible things to you for what? To push you away further so he would make sure not to be a piece of crap boyfriend? Pathetic.

He only showed his true colors when he held you at night or in the soft hours he was in your shared room. Though you probably didn't even recognize that. He loved you so, so much. And today he'd make it up to you. Today, he, Shigaraki Tomura, would apologize.

Reader's P.O.V:

You grumbled as Dabi picked you up, successfuly avoiding the patrolling heroes.

"Dabi! Let me down!" You whisper-shouted, resulting in Dabi pinching your side. "Ow~!" You whine, smacking Dabi's head as he chuckled.

After the hero passed Dabi sprinted toward the alley across you, pressing himself against the wall, and unfortunately you with him.

"Dabi! It hurts!"

"Will you just- be quiet. For like two minutes." You huffed as you bit back a retort, pout stuck on your face.

After a while of rushing past heroes you both finally made your way out of the city. "Okay y/n. You can talk now."

"Oh can I? Thank you your grace." You bite back sarcastically, e/c eyes glaring into Dabi's turquoise.

"Aww come on now. I was just protecting ya."

"Yeah yeah. Whatever." Dabi just chuckled before splaying his arm over your shoulders, grasping at your right one as he made his way forward.

"Where are we going?" You ask, following suit as he tugged you along.

"To the bar. I can hopefully get you safe before coming back. And we only have a short amount of time so we need to hurry."

"But.. you're not gonna stay with me?"

"No. You know what I need to do y/n."

"So.. you're just going to leave me?!"

"I'll make sure you're safe and have a way to contact me at all times."

"B- okay.."

Shigaraki's P.O.V:

Shigaraki paced back and forth as he practiced what to say. He had everything ready, but the actual apology. Shigaraki has never really apologized before, so this was quite nerve wracking. After another half hour of practice he decided that it was good enough.

Walking toward his shared bedroom, he shifted his hold as he juggled a bouquet of your favorite flowers, your favorite treat, and three more teddy bears to try and fill the hole of the one he dusted. Not to mention an entire box full of books and a TV he left in his office. Where you would be the majority of the time. E

With him, your husband. Slightly knocking on the door, he stepped in. "Y/n my love I know I messed up, but I hoped that-" he stopped as he looked at the room.

It looked perfect. The sheets were cleaned and the bed was made, the floor was spotless and the clothes were perfectly hung up. But, that wasn't the unusual thing. You were gone. You weren't tucked away in bed like usual, you weren't soaking in the bath, and you weren't curled up with a book.

Panicking, Shigaraki dropped his armful to scour the room, ripping apart the closet and flipping the bed.

"Y/N! Y/N WHERE ARE YOU!" Shigaraki yelled, starting to hyperventilate. As he realized you weren't in the room he ran out, searching for you desperately.

"B-boss?" A villain huffed, azul eyes glued to Shigaraki's crazed form.

"WHERE IS MY Y/N!?"

After scouring the place and demanding answers from everyone and anyone Shigaraki found himself back in your shared room, the room a mess from his search. As the reality sunk in he dropped down to his knees, despair overwhelming his senses.

You were gone.

You left.

It was all his fault.

Sobs racked through Shigaraki's being as he clawed at his neck, crying for his missing love. His other half. His reason to live. You were gone. And it was all his fault.

Reader's P.O.V:

You smirked as you passed Dabi, turning to stick your tongue out at him. Dabi just glared at you as he picked up speed, passing you once more.

"Hurry up loser! You wouldn't want to be left behind!"

"Dabi you're such a bully!" He just laughed as he ran down the hill, and into a rice farm. You've been traveling for two days, and are nearing a town that Dabi thinks would be okay for you to shelter at.

Giggling, you ran after him, jumping into his back when you came in range.

"HEY!"

"Shh you'll wake someone up!" You giggle, nuzzling your face against his head. Dabi just scoffed before slowing his pace to a safer one.

"Hehe I knew you cared." You tease, poking at his cheek.

"I can and will drop you off here and now you pest." Dabi growled, cheeks a bright pink.

You just giggled before resting your head onto Dabi's shoulder, thoughts of your former lover plaguing your mind. You missed him. A lot. Not Shigaraki, the leader of the Liberation Army, but Tomura. Tomura, the leader of the humble LOV with a soft spot for his lover and partner.

Before you knew it silent tears rolled down your face onto Dabi's shoulder. If he noticed he didn't say anything, instead opting to stay quiet as he made his way across the rice field.

Shigaraki's P.O.V:

Shigaraki awoke to the shuffling of footsteps outside of his room. "Sh-Shigaraki! We have a clue to where y/n san-"

Shigaraki lunged at the man, grasping his arm in his hand as he whispered in his ear, "Don't you EVER utter her name again. Your filthy mouth isn't worth it."

The man screamed as his arm started decaying. As Shigaraki dropped him in disgust another man quickly moved to cut off the limb, stopping the decaying.

"Where is my y/n." Shigaraki demanded, glaring at the group.

"Ti' yoon saw Dabi taking a young lady about y/h outside of the base. She had clothing that looked similar to yours, and he says she had e/c eyes." A woman reports, arms crossed over her chest nervously.

Rage shook Shigaraki as he glared at every member of the group, neck scratching over his blood-stained neck. "Why didn't he tell me this EARLIER?" Shigaraki demanded, crimson eyes glaring.

"B-because he didn't suspect anything... He thought that it was someone else because he didn't know that your chick was disloy-" the man was cut off with a scarred hand to his neck, a finger short from decaying him instantly.

"DON'T EVER INSULT MY Y/N YOU SWINE!" Shigaraki yelled, choking the sobbing man before finishing the job, decaying him instantly.

"Bring me to Ti' yoon. Now."

After gathering as much information as he could, Shigaraki quickly made his way toward where they were headed on Machia, killing any hero that dared try and interrupt him.

Reader's P.O.V:

"Y/n. Give me that back. Now."

"But Dabi! Look at how good it looks on me! I thought it was ugly before but it must of just been you!" You tease, sticking your tounge out.

"Oh that's it. You're dead. " Dabi growled, lunging toward you.

You yelped as you threw yourself into a bush, getting you and Dabi's jacket stuck in the branches.

"Aha! Got you!" Dabi grinned, tickling your form as you shook with laughter.

"Da- Dabi! Come on! Help me up!" You giggle, e/c eyes shining.

"Nah. I'm good thanks." Dabi grinned, pinching your side. Dabi just gazed at you as you cussed him out, trying to wiggle free from the bush's grasp to ring his neck.

You both froze as you heard a familiar voice calling the two of you.

"Is that.." you whisper, eyes moist.

"Yeah.. let's get out of here." Dabi replied, scooping you into his arms. You worriedly looked back as Dabi sprinted away, searching for a hiding spot.

Shigaraki's P.O.V:

"Y/N MY LOVE! DABI YOU MORON I'M GOING TO SLOWLY TURN YOU INTO DUST! LIMB BY LIMB YOU WILL SUFFER FOR TAKING MY Y/N AWAY FROM ME!" Shigaraki yelled, crazed eyes scouring the rice farm.

Shigaraki had quickly found footprints, and his rage only deepened as he saw them interlap, and yours going as far as to disappear at times. Following the tracks, he reached a rice farm, where the prints were fresher. You were near. His other half was near.

"Y/N MY LOVE PLEASE COME HOME!"

Reader's P.O.V:

Tears ran down your cheeks as you listened to Shigaraki's words. He was going to find you. You knew it. But he was going to kill Dabi. Not only that- but torture him?

"Hey y/n. It will be okay. He won't find us."

"Yes. Yes he will Dabi. And you will die. I'd rather live with the shell of the man I fell in love with rather than flee and have my best friend be tortured. And don't you argue. I know you Dabi."

"Y/n. No. You are not going back to him."

"Dabi.. you aren't going to be tortured just so I can be happy. He hadn't physically hurt me. He's still my Tomura.. maybe one day he'll change."

"Y/n no-" as Dabi reached for you you activated your quirk and froze him, stopping his movement entirely.

"Y-y/n.. no."

"You'll be free by tomorrow. Hopefully I can convince him to not-"

"Y/n! Y/n my darling!" Shigaraki exclaimed, rushing toward you.

"Tomura..?" You ask, hesitation evident in your voice.

"Oh y/n I- I am so, so sorry. Please. Please my Love. Forgive me? I- I promise to do better. To go back to normal. Y/n my dear you are the most important thing to me, please. Please, please forgive me? I promise to change. My love please." Shigaraki begged, moving to his knees and grabbing your hands.

"Tomura.. you hurt me. A lot."

"I know- I know but baby please." "

"Oh baby.. how could I say no? J-just look at you. What happened to your neck?" You ask, a tear sliding down your face.

"Shhh nothing. Don't worry about it my baby." Right as Shigaraki pulled himself up to kiss you, you put a finger to his lips.

"But. Under one condition. I will forgive you if you promise not to hurt Dabi. He's like a big brother to me Tomu. So please?"

Shigaraki growled softly before glaring up at Dabi. "Fine. For you." He hissed.

You just smiled before tip toeing to kiss Shigaraki, entangling your hands into his hair and pulling him down to deepen the kiss. There were so many emotions poured into it.

Guilt.

Regret.

Hurt.

Acknowledgment.

Anger.

Relief.

And most evident; love.

Part 1 | Alt. ending

Shigaraki's masterlist | Main masterlist | Requesting Rules (requests open and appreciated <3)

Do not copy, repost, nor plagiarize my work. Ask before you translate or use my work in any way, minus reblogging.

[aftermathfanfic]

D&Ducks

So, I was originally going to make this post for when I hit 300 followers, but I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon, and I’ve been thinking about this for way too long, so fuck it. I’m just gonna post this now and see what happens.

In case it wasn’t obvious from the hints I’ve scattered through Aftermath, I am a huge D&D nerd. I love playing the game, I love running the game, I love the monsters, everything. And what I particularly love doing is building characters and monsters for the game. I use a lot of custom monsters for the games that I run, even though I don’t end up using all of them, and what I’ve done in the past is that I created character sheets and stat blocks for some of our favourite anthropomorphic ducks. In fact, on my main blog, I documented a solo adventure that I ran by myself, for myself, in story format as I put these duck characters through a premade advennture! (I eventually stopped, because playing a D&D game by yourself is as dull as it sounds)

So today, I’m going to revisit those roots and lay out how I would build the Ducktales characters as tabletop RPG player characters! This is something I’ve given way too much thought to, so be warned – this is going to be quite long-winded, with little to nothing to do with Aftermath itself, and of interest to only a small subset of people.

Let’s begin!

The Basics

I want to preface this whole thing by mentioning that while I’m going to try and describe these characters in a way that can be transposed onto any RPG system, I’m going to be using the Pathfinder RPG (1st edition) as a basis for these characters, just because it’s what I’m most familiar with at the moment. The basics are the same – roll a 20-sided dice, add a number and hope to get a big enough total – but there are more nitty-gritty rules and it's way easier to kill off your characters.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I’ll be inserting these characters into a D&D setting of my own creation, rather than any pre-existing settings. I don’t have a name for it, but essentially this setting is an undisciplined mix-and-match of characters from different IPs that interest me. The McDucks, in this setting, live as a powerful noble family in a kingdom of united beast-folk families.

Final thing is that even though these guys are anthropomorphic ducks, they’re going to have the racial traits of humans to make things simpler on me. I’ll also be giving them a swim speed of 15 feet in addition to those traits.

Dewey

This spry duck stands with the cockiness of an ambitious hero, a sword in each hand. A bright blue tabard, tattered from numerous skirmishes, flows down his chest to cover steel armour of haphazard construction.

Age: 16 Alignment: Chaotic Good Class/Level: Fighter 3/Bard 1 Ability Scores: STR 16, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 8, CHA 14

In this world, the triplets were raised by their uncle Donald in a quiet fishing village on the outskirts of the city of Duckland, in the providence of Calisota. They never got so much as a hint of their caretaker’s history as an adventurer, not until they found their uncle’s old adventuring gear, stowed away in the attic of their house. Among this gear was two finely made swords, both of which Dewey snatched up and started swinging around – resulting in the destruction of several family items and the near decapitation of Huey. Donald was forced to tell the triplets of his past as an adventurer, and the revelation shook them to the core. To make up for it, he decided to teach them how to adventure properly, in the hopes that if they wouldn’t be persuaded out of their trouble-making instincts, he could at least teach them to be safe while doing it.

Dewey remains the chief chaos-monger of the triplets. Ambitious and eager to live up to his family name, Dewey often throws himself into danger without hesitation, giving no thought to possible traps, uneven terrain, or indeed, the strength of whoever he’s fighting against compared to his own. He makes up for his recklessness by being virtually untouchable in a fight, deflecting swords, claws and spells with his twin swords. The longer blade, named Helios, was once wielded by his Uncle Donald. The shorter blade, Asteria, was his mother’s.

Against intelligent foes, Dewey never fights to kill – a trait unique to the McDuck adventurers – but rather, he tries to disarm and trip his foes, intimidating them into surrender. He’s remarkably acrobatic, and his fights are often performative in nature – hence his level in Bard. The sheer bravado he displays in combat inspires his family to fight even more fiercely and distracts his foes long enough for him to knock the wind out of them.

Huey

This anxious duck wears a heavy breastplate and a red cap, a collapsible spear slung around his back. He holds a large, heavy book bound in red leather with the letters ‘WJW’ imprinted upon it.

Age: 16 Alignment: Neutral Good Class/Level: Cleric 2/Wizard 2 Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 10, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 15, CHA 13

Though regarded as a do-gooder by his brothers, Huey Duck is just as brave, ambitious and adventurous as the other McDucks. He took the role of the older brother quickly, seeing himself as a caretaker of his brothers and, prior to moving into Manor McDuck, the fixer-upper of torn clothes, broken furniture, and the like. With a resourcefulness and intellect beyond his years, Huey takes the role as both the primary healer of the party and – when the occasion calls for it – the firepower.

Huey originally had his heart set on joining the Woodchuck rangers, a group of survivalists and wilderness protectors on the outskirts of the world. While there, he met clerics and priests of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, with whom he made a rapport with. He even began to learn the ways of these wilder clerics, learning magic that could heal, magic that could wound, and magic that let him shape the natural world around him. In the end, however, he was rejected by the rangers, for while his survival skills were impeccable, his fighting prowess left much to be desired. Disheartened, but determined to make use of what he’d learned, he continued his studies of the ways of Artemis, delving deeply into his survival skills and the art of restorative magic.

At some point during his escapades with his uncle, Lord Scrooge McDuck, Huey became enamoured with the other side of magic – that of the arcane. He poured over arcane tomes, taking on wizardly studies in addition to his clerical practices. He has recently begun leaning more heavily towards wizardry, for while he’s grateful to Artemis for his abilities, he considers the goddess to be more of a tutor than an idol to be worshipped. He’ll never be the strongest of Artemis’s faithful, and he’s made peace with that – wizards get more exciting spells, anyway.

Louie

This youthful duck leans against the alley wall, his head concealed by a dark green hood. He smirks at you, absent-mindedly flipping a coin up and down in the air.

Age: 16 Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Class/Level: Rogue 3/Sorcerer 1 Ability Scores: STR 9, DEX 15, CON 12, INT 12, WIS 13, CHA 18

Thief. Charlatan. Snake. Louie Duck has been called many things, and he’s never let any of it stick. He’s out for himself and his family first, and what he’s out for is treasure. Coins, gems, jewellery – he doesn’t care. He loves it all. He’ll do the right thing for his family (though not without a fair share of grumbling), but he always makes sure he gets something out of it, and he isn’t above guilting or threatening the other party into upping his eventual reward.

Louie is a rogue. Obviously. He specializes in deceit, coercion, lock- and trap-picking, and even forging documents, if the opportunity is ripe. He tries to avoid combat if he can help it, but when he’s eventually forced into it, he relies on being able to feint against his opponents to catch them off-guard. When this doesn’t work, his alternative strategy is to bamboozle his foe, trying to convince them that he’s on their side, or that there’s a bugbear behind him, or that they don’t really want to hurt him. And when that fails, he panics, runs away, and then takes potshots from afar with his crossbow.

During one of the family’s adventures, Louie came really close to death. A screeching owlbear had ambushed the party and cornered Louie alone. Disarmed, wounded, and terrified, Louie tapped into something dormant deep inside him and – with a pop – vanished. He re-appeared a mere five seconds later, but that five seconds was all his family needed to redirect the beast’s attention and save his life. Since then, Louie has continued to delve into his hereto unknown sorcerous powers, learning more and more about them each time he calls upon them.

Webby

This wild-looking duck girl wears a loose-fitting pink blouse and a purple skirt, with a matching pink tie in her headfeathers. She gets into a battle stance, grinning eagerly.

Age: 15 Alignment: Chaotic Good Class/Level: Ninja 4 Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 17, CON 14, INT 13, WIS 12, CHA 12

Webby is as wild, excitable and knowledgeable as she is in canon, raised in the manor of Lord McDuck and trained by her grandmother to be a silent and deadly assassin of House McDuck. To Lady Beakley’s disappointment, while Webby has proven to have mastered the arts of stealth and disguise, she's really squeamish about killing people for some reason.

Webby takes after her granny as a highly skilled ninja – a class somewhere between the monk and the rogue. A master of stealth, disguise, martial arts and more, Webby may not seem like it, but she’s one of the most accomplished spies Lady Beakley has ever had the privilege of training. Moreover, her training allows her to access a limited well of mystical energy that allows her to perform impossible acts. Her preferred method of attack is to overwhelm her foes with quick, rapid strikes before retreating into the shadows and hiding before they realise what happened.

Aside from being an incredible warrioress, Webby also fancies herself as an amateur historian and lorekeeper – particularly when it comes to the McDuck family history. The arcane and the occult may be guesswork to her, but ask her to name an ancestor of Clan McDuck, and she’ll give you the entire genealogical tree. She knows about every single historical event that happened in Duckland, and she can name all the native monsters in the area, right down to their weaknesses, habitats, diets, and the best method to befriend them (just in case).

Scrooge McDuck

This elderly duck stands with the pride and confidence of an experienced adventurer. His cane, cloak, top hat and bright red plate armour all combine to make an imposing figure out of this old duck.

Age: ??? Alignment: Neutral Good Class/Level: Fighter 6/Rogue 4/Duellist 10 Ability Scores: STR 11, DEX 10, CON 8, INT 15, WIS 15, CHA 16

Ruling from McDuck Manor, Scrooge is the Lord of Duckland, and one of the most powerful and influential figures in Calisota. With a manor full of artifacts, treasures and magical items, he is known throughout the land as the Richest Duck in the World, and you’d be hard-pressed to deny it. This Scrooge is mostly unchanged from the one we all know and love from canon, except this Scrooge has an army of trained soldiers, a cabal of ingenious wizards, and a small cabinet of assassins who have one loyalty and one alone – House McDuck.

You may not have heard of the Duellist class if you’ve only come in from D&D 5th edition. Honestly, you might not have heard of it even if you haven’t. The Duellist is a prestige class, one you can only take levels in if you meet the specific prerequisites, whose abilities allow Scrooge to fight with a flourish. He fights like the heroic swordsmen of old, parrying aside the blades of his foes and deftly moving around them before they can even pinpoint where he is. He fights not with a traditional blade, but with a sword concealed within his cane – a gift, from the late Ludwig Von Drake.

Other D&D aficionados may also notice that Scrooge’s physical abilities are a bit low – that, unfortunately, is due to his venerable age. In Pathfinder, your physical abilities reduce with age, while your mental abilities improve. In his prime, Scrooge’s ability scores were STR 17, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 12 and CHA 13, but the days of his prime are long behind him. For this reason, before going into battle, he typically equips himself with a Belt of Physical Perfection, restoring his physical prowess to what it was as a young lad. I know canon Scrooge doesn’t like to use magic (and he still doesn’t here), but that’s… really not an option in a fantasy RPG like this.

Donald Duck

With an incoherent squawking sound, this sailor rushes into the fray, swinging his fists wildly and leaping onto his foes.

Age: 42 Alignment: Neutral Good Class/Level: Barbarian 12 Ability Scores: STR 15, DEX 11, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 13

This good-natured, short-tempered, and risk-averse fisherman may not seem like much at first glance, but he was, in fact, once an adventurer. And as far as the rest of his family are concerned, he still is. Once a sailor for the House McDuck navy, Donald retired from his adventuring life after his twin sister, Della, was lost to the Astral Plane in an impromptu expedition gone wrong. Though he was pulled back into the adventuring life by his triplet nephews, he has never lost his cautious edge, and he remains as the most responsible member of the McDuck family.

Donald fights as he does in canon – by flying into a rage and launching himself at his opponent. He punches, kicks, bites, trips, and attacks every part he can get a hold of. In the old days, he used to use an enchanted sword, though it has been so long since he picked up the blade that much of its magic has disappeared. Nowadays, he relies on a pair of enchanted cestuses, which are essentially medieval boxing gloves with metal plates and rivets.

Mrs. Beakley

This enormous, bulky woman looms over you, her cold gaze peering into your soul. Despite her housekeeper attire, she stands tall and rigid like a soldier, and the sheathed sword on her belt does not escape your attention.

Age: Late 70s/early 80s Alignment: Lawful Neutral Class/Level: Ninja 16 Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 8, CON 8, INT 15, WIS 17, CHA 11

Mrs. Bentina Beakley, unmarried, is the silent right hand of Lord McDuck. On the surface, she is merely the housekeeper of the manor. Beneath that, however, Beakley becomes a terrifyingly effective spymaster who has her eyes everywhere throughout the realm. Though her days as an assassin are over, she remains a cold, clever, yet surprisingly empathetic figure – so much so that she was willing to give up her career to raise a young Webby Vanderquack.

Like Scrooge, Bentina has suffered from reductions to her physical abilities from her old age, in exchange for bonuses to her mental ability scores. Her abilities in her prime were STR 20, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 14, CHA 8. Unlike Scrooge, she does not have any magic that can improve her abilities, but she also doesn’t see the need to. She fancies herself more of a ‘behind-the-scenes’ person these days, managing an intricate network of spies and blades for hire, gathering blackmail and intelligence for use against the enemies of House McDuck.

Launchpad

The friendly airship pilot waves at you from the cockpit, oblivious to the fact that he’s flying you directly into a mountain.

Age: 31 Alignment: Lawful Good Class/Level: Commoner 5 Ability Scores: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 17, INT 8, WIS 11, CHA 13

Launchpad remains the happy-go-lucky guy he is in canon, save that he now pilots an airship instead of an airplane. And rest assured, he is just as unqualified to fly it as ever.

[elizaellwrites]

WIP Questionaire

Thank you @worldstogetlostin for tagging me here!

Rules: Answer as many (or as few) of the questions about your WIP as you can.

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

My ocs, but not all of them. They were part of a separate plotline that I abandoned quickly because it was terrible and cringy. Parts of them changed as they developed, but the core of their characters began here.

The originals are: Annamarie, Rachel, Jacob, Elaine, Jol (the daemon), and Natalie (Anna's mom)

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

I imagine it would be like the soundtracks I listen to while writing. These include songs from Narnia, HTTYD, Pirates of the Carribean, etc. I'm no composer, so I'd trust the judgment of the music expert on the case.

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

My automatic instinct is to jump to "all of them," but I'll be reasonable here and keep it brief because I could write an essay about each of them. I won't because a) that's ridiculous to do here, and b) a lot of this has to do with spoilers/stuff on the down-low. My Top 3 (these may be surprising or not) in no particular order are:

Seniar- He's more than Anna's dad, he's lived many lives and seen too much. He's a prince who stepped up to protect his people, defied expectations, and fell in love with a human, earned his place as a war hero, and did his best to protect and raise his daughter after everything he had known and cared for was destroyed in front of him. He might not be perfect, but he's dedicated his life to other people and still provides for his daughter despite carrying the burden of his past.

Roselle- The living dead, her existence shakes the very foundation of my other characters. After being introduced to the universe, nothing was the same, and it was all for the better. She also has this strange charm about her, like she demands attention. Her life and her death are quite possibly the 2nd and 3rd most influential factors in my entire plotline- only outdone by the destruction of Ariya. She's also on a team of her own with a willingness to overlook the rulebook, which makes her extremely fun to write.

Jacob- He's caring but distant at the same time, his family is a disaster, and he's a rule follower and a rule breaker all at once. He's an enigma and has been from the start. You think you know him, but do you really? He's always running from something, facing challenges like he's trying to prove something to himself. Him and his siblings are the driving force of a lot of plot lines, and for good reason. You just can't help but wonder whether he is a good person or a bad person, and maybe he's just both.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

I'm honestly not 100% sure. My inspiration to write this WIP truly started with Percy Jackson, so there could be some crossover there. Really anyone with an interest in fantasy and okay with dark subjects could find it interesting.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Writer's block. Whether it's because a character wasn't connecting with the action the way I wanted them to, or if I'm having a day that everything I write isn't something I'm proud of... I'm in college and work, so there's often a lot on my mind, and stress and creativity don't flow well together in my brain.

6. Are there animals in your story? Talk about them!

Anna(marie) has a cat named Isa(belle) who she picked up while moving around with her father. Isa is a beautiful and sweet black Turkish Angora whose personality is modeled after my childhood cat Belle. She's not a major focus, but she means a lot to Anna as one of the few beings she could connect with outside of her father.

All other animals are wildlife and have to do with worldbuilding, which could go crazy, so I'll stop it there.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex. trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

While on Earth and involved in traditionally human things, they travel in cars because their goal is to blend in and hide in plain sight.

In the list of natural (magic) Hecathian abilities, one of them is Teleportation. Characters with this ability, or in proximity to someone who is, travel this way. The challenge is it takes more energy the further you are traveling and needs quite a bit of practice and discipline to do it safely and correctly. A couple examples of characters with this power are Seniar, Annamarie (duh), and Jaleya (Cameron's sister).

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

Chapter 16- near the middle of book 1.

Not even close to where I want to end this.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

I suppose the variety of aspects that appear. There is action, adventure, drama, complex characters and relationship dynamics, worldbuilding aspects, and the world and timeline just keeps expanding with different stories to tell. There's a lot to choose from, and it's all interconnected in the same universe.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I have a whole series planned, plus spin-offs and expanded stories to supplement it. I hope I have time to get through all of it because I want my main WIP and its world to someday be a complete set and no longer stuck only in my brain and scattered through thousands of notes.

Lightly tagging @my-cursed-prince, @willtheweaver, @jacqueswriteblrlibrary, @ashen-crest and anyone else who wants to tell me about their WIP!

[lunar-wandering]

Hello! This is my first time sending an ask and I wanted to know if you could give a quick description of some of your au's.

I'm new to your page and i'm curious about them.

Right!! Okay!! Sorry this took so long and I'm sure I'm gonna forget one or more of them but here's as many as I remember with summaries-

Uno Reverse Card Swap AU: Red Son runs a cafe, MK works at said cafe (Pigsy and Tang both work at the local university), Mei also works at the cafe. Mei and Red Son are secretly vigilantes, who guard Monkey King's staff, which is sealing the Lady Bone Demon. One night the alert goes off, and they find that MK has lifted the staff. MK gets inducted into their lil team + Wukong breaks down the door of the cafe to announce that MK is his successor now. (As for personalities, to make it quick; MK is a lot shier/anxious in this AU, Wukong is a lot meaner (kinda like a tsundere but like for EVERYTHING. also he swears a lot), Red Son's more chill... also Red Son uses water guns hslfkjslks. ...oh and also MK is a scientifically made clone of Wukong because humans wanted a "controllable Monkey King" but that's not important-

(... that summary was a lot longer than i thought it'd be and i didn't even mention half of the stuff going on in it. ...oh boy this post is gonna be longer than i thought it'd be.)

Giggle Glow AU: this one is fairly easy to explain; basically, Wukong glows when he laughs. this spreads to MK and Macaque. in some scenarios this also spreads to the others as well but that's Basically It. despite it being so simple I love this AU with my whole heart.

Phantom Thief AU: essentially?? Mei comes from a long line of phantom thieves, Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy used to be a phantom thief trio, and, due to being raised by Pigsy and Tang + being friends with Mei, MK is also a phantom thief. the funniest thing about this AU is that the other characters all start the same as canon- the differences are that when Wukong finds out about MK's second 'job' he demands that MK teach him how to be a phantom thief. Oh, and, also, Red Son has a crush on MK's phantom thief persona, and had NO idea that he was also MK for a while. He started looking for someone to train him to be a phantom thief at some point, and ended up somehow becoming Macaque's apprentice.

Fruit Smoothie AU: a lil similar to Uno Reverse AU- Red Son and Mei run a smoothie truck + are heroes/vigilantes (albeit it didn't start that way- Red Son was initially a villain that Mei ended up redeeming). The difference here is that they meet MK, the new vigilante on the block (who takes forever to reveal details about himself to them; he doesn't tell them he's the Monkey King's successor at first and instead makes up a lie that he's from a reclusive demon family), via him literally slamming into the back of their food truck, injured, and them having to take him back to their shared apartment to treat him. ...Also in this AU Macaque escapes from LBD and needs somewhere to hide so he throws on a human glamour and gets a job working at their smoothie truck shflksdjfls. Only MK knows it's him for the longest time.

Fantasy Break AU: Wukong and Macaque fall through a magic mirror mid-fight and end up stuck in this ballroom where the doors teleport them into different stories/myths. They have to complete all the stories in order to get out.

Shadowheart AU: Macaque is cursed to end every sentence he says with "I Love You", takes the over dramatic route of just Not Saying Anything, and this leads to Problems.

Slapstick AU: Essentially, in this universe, demons decided that fighting with violence was just, y'know. Not a good game plan. So now fights are fought via comedy. Whoever can land the best joke (slapstick, stand up, even a knock knock joke), wins the battle. (LBD does not follow this rule). Oh also Wukong is cursed; but the curse works to his advantage via making people think he's a master at slapstick comedy. (Macaque, on the other hand, is just clumsy).

Twinkle Twinkle AU: Wukong and Macaque both have star-freckles on their face + ears that reflect the stars that are currently over top of the people they care about- it's kinda like a map to be able to find their loved ones, essentially.

Electric Avenue AU: MK, Pigsy, Tang, Mei, and Sandy (who are a band) end up trapped within the Demon Dimension, and MK accidentally ends up with all of Wukong's powers after an incident, leaving Wukong powerless. This AU is very much inspired by an 80's cartoon that was themed around 80's music, so this AU is based on that too (+ with some of their outfits being 80's themed as well). LBD in this AU is running a band that steals music from other people and pretends to play it while LBD uses a magic record player to hypnotize people/cause other magic effects. Kind of a battle of the bands AU?

Melody AU: SPEAKING OF MUSICAL AU'S!! this one has a bunch of my OC's in it but outside of them the main plotline is that there's a magic barrier protecting the city and Wukong needs to supply it with magic energy to maintain it and the easiest way of doing so is through song, so he became a pop star (sorry, no stagefright in this AU). one night, when MK, Mei, and Red Son get the chance to do their first performance (or, well, MK's first performance), MK accidentally releases such an enormous surge of magic power that the barrier cracks, allowing the Lady Bone Demon to get through.

Sitcom AU: this AU can mostly just be summed up by "they all share a giant mansion of a house. shenanigans ensue". (and by all i mean ALL).

Sundrop AU: due to bottling up his emotions for so long, any emotion that isn't happiness or sadness will cause Wukong to go into his kaiju form. (there's more to it than that but that's the simplest way to put it)

Forget-Me-Not AU: in this one, MK is the reincarnation of Xiaotian, who was Wukong's apprentice centuries ago. Xiaotian is.. kinda haunting MK, and they need to find pieces of a magical object in order to fully free Wukong- who's been turned to stone and hidden within a garden- he can be free when MK is there, but he can't leave, and turns back to stone whenever MK is a certain distance away. In this AU, MK was actually found and raised by LBD, so he's uh... a little traumatized, I'd say.

Flightless Birds AU: basically one of those AU's where everyone has wings- except MK was born with wings that are too small for him to fly, Wukong's wings were severely damaged by the mountain, and Macaque is missing a wing.

Platonic Soulmates (Soulmarks??) AU: everyone has multiple soulmates; you and your soulmate decide what the definition of soulmate means to you, essentially. Wukong has the belief that anyone he's soulmates with will meet a terrible fate, and so tries to avoid the subject altogether and theres SO MUCH MORE BUT THIS POST IS SO LONG I GOTTA MAKE THESE SUMMARIES SHORTER

Mixup Mashup AU: I haven't touched this one in a LONG time but it's basically an AU where MK, Mei, and Red Son are sharing a body (Red Son's body, specifically), and Wukong and Macaque have swapped bodies (due to the same incident that caused the trio to fuse).

Sunset Wukong AU: Wukong is cursed so that if he uses his powers during the day, he will slowly turn to stone. The process reverses at the end of the day, and he can use his powers during the night freely. He avoids telling MK this for a while hsdflsldfjs. (TBH this whole AU was made so I could make a Macaque vs Wukong fight scene that would be similar to that one Hibiki vs Miku fight scene in Symphogear but then I never wrote it)

Doppelganger AU: An AU where Wukong freed Macaque before going to save MK at the end of s2- and, basically, Macaque and Wukong swapped places. Or to put it in a way that's easier to understand: the Wukong that shows up at the end of s2 is actually Macaque in disguise. Eventually Wukong rejoins them on the airship, disguised as Macaque, and the two just... instead of explaining anything, decide to keep this illusion up? (Sandy and MK are the first to figure them out and... kinda help them with it a bit).

Rock Garden AU: different types of plants and flowers grow on Wukong based on his emotions.

Sway AU: When either Wukong or Macaque dances, the other is forced to copy their movements perfectly.

Chocolatier Macaque AU: this is basically an AU where Macaque decides, post ep9, to just. run a chocolate store instead. despite the fact that chocolate is literally poisonous to him. He wears a human glamour for this (MK figures him out pretty easily but does NOT figure out Wukong's human glamour which is hilarious). Wukong keeps showing up in a human glamour as well just to banter with him. There is some plot development and angst moments involved.

Zing AU: it's been so long since i've thought about this one actually but in this AU Wukong gets cursed while travelling with the gang so that he just. to put it simply has moodswings/personality-swings that are accompanied by his eyes changing colour

Shy!Wukong AU: I only ever wrote one fic for this but I'm mentioning it anyways since I love it so much; basically the years of solitude on the mountain made Wukong REALLY shy. like SUPER shy. and he has a really hard time talking to people (he outright spends his first meetings with MK just leaving sticky notes for him instead of actually talking to him). He'll hide behind trees just to avoid social interaction.

Double Heart AU: Wukong had his heart stolen, literally, like ripped out of him, by LBD. This affects his emotions: leading him to have three different states depending on the time of day; in the morning, he's mainly silent and doesn't talk outside of telling MK what to do, in the afternoon, he acts similar to how he does in the show, but you can tell that he's faking it/that something's off, and in the evening, he becomes a perfect mirror and mimics whatever actions/words the people around him do. LBD used his heart as part of the process to revive Macaque, so Macaque actually has Wukong's heart contained within him, and feels all the emotions Wukong would be feeling if he had his heart. (as in, if MK tells him something exciting, Wukong will feel nothing, but halfway across the city in his dojo Macaque will suddenly feel the emotion of excitement and not know why). Later on, they end up transferring Wukong's heart to him, but for a period of time him and Macaque share it in order to get Wukong used to having emotions again.

Secret Relationship AU: Macaque and Wukong are already dating- but due to a series of circumstances they are outright hiding Macaque's general existence from MK and the others. This is mostly a comedy AU hsdlfkjsdlfs.

Seapearl AU: Wukong was born as a mermaid (or mer-monkey), and Macaque ended up becoming a mer-monkey due to the circumstances of his revival.

Wisp AU: When Macaque got revived, he split in two, the part of him that fully accepted what had happened and forgave Wukong, and the part of him that's in denial of, well, everything + 'hates' Wukong. The side that forgave him is called Wisp, and usually just stays as Macaque's shadow and goes along with Macaque's plans. (Technically, it kinda is more like Wisp is Macaque's shadow than it is one person split in two). Wisp is incapable of speaking until Macaque actually admits/says that he forgives Wukong outloud. (Macaque's hatred of/grudge against Wukong had been literally silencing his forgiveness).

Astral!Macaque AU: mentioning this one despite the only one post about it cause i think it's funny, but basically a version of MK time travels back from the future in order to prevent a really bad timeline- but ended up too early, and ends up possessing Macaque's body (and decides to try and recreate as many important events as possible). Macaque gets knocked out and kinda starts. haunting Wukong, up until episode 9 where he sees himself do stuff and is like “what the fuck who is that. who the fuck is possessing my body. what the fuck dude that’s not your skin get the fuck out who ARE YOU-”

...

ohhhh god i THINK thats all of them?? or at least most of them??? IVE PROBABLY FORGOTTEN SO MANY SHDLFKSJDFLKDS IM SORRY I FEEL LIKE IM FORGETTING MY KIDS OR SOMETHING

IF THERE'S ANY AU THAT I DIDN'T MENTION HERE JUST.... SEND AN ASK ABOUT IT AND IT'LL ALL COME BACK TO ME IM SURE

[your--isgayrights]

hi its me your stalker. I saw your post about lsk and how her sponsor relates to her meta narrative role, can you elaborate? thank you as always

Hi bestie it took me a sec to get back to you and this is kind of just a big text block of my feelings about this so feel free to ask a follow up if it doesn't make sense

Ok so part of what I was talking about was that where omniscient reader is Kim Dokja's story, his mother and the stories associated with her represent the parents/ancestors/family of ORV, the literary works that SS were building on in making their own novel. Samguk yusa in particular is one of the oldest extant korean literary works, like if you ever take a Korean literature history class or smthn that's where you start lmao. So like, in relation to Kim Dokja as a reader LSK represents the influence of the classics that follow a lot of like the unspoken rules of literature vs YJH/HSY representing webnovels that are like not necessarily good or time tested but have an arresting passion and appeal KDJ is swayed by. Then this is also important bc in particular the story of the mother bear LSK is represented by is one that is /about/ following the rules of a narrative and being rewarded for it in the end. The bear and the tiger want to become human, the king of heaven gives them instructions, the bear follows the rules, bear gets to be human, marries king of heaven, and births the first king of Korea. So then in relation to the narrative of ORV, LSK has always been this influence of narrative destiny/inevitability in face of reality... When we see KDJ giving up on the things he wants and dismissing his hopes and dreams as impossible, it's coming directly from the way LSK has influenced him in writing her own narratives about their lives. "The only way for you to be safe is if I take the fall," the consequences have to fall somewhere, there's no ideal world where mother and son live happily ever after w/ no consequence for killing the father, there's no world where both the bear who followed the will of heaven and the tiger who did not get to be human, there's no world where Kim Dokja can reshape the very fabric of the universe to suit his ideals and go home to eat pizza afterward. The niggling thought we all had in the back of our minds when the most ancient dream was "defeated"... That can't be it, can it? It can't just be over like that... How could it be just that easy, in the end? It doesn't make sense... << That's what LSK represents, the sense of narrative that demands happiness be earned, sacrifices be made, anything else is unrealistic, it's not how the world really works, who wants to read that?

This is the real final boss of omniscient reader's viewpoint: the escape from narrative. The entire epilogue is concerned with this question, what ending does this story deserve? Kdjco have to fight KDJ's sense of narrative destiny to tell him it doesn't matter to them what the most artful or narratively complete ending he can come up with is, just that they want to fucking see their friend again. It's the feeling at the end of any tragedy where the reader wonders if the hero could have been saved. It's also the counterpoint to the question between the classics and commercial webnovel literary cultures. Does it have to be artful and poetic? Can't they all just be happy, in the end? Between "the ending is too sad" and "the ending is too unrealistic," ORV prioritizes the desires of the characters and the readers who really connected to them by giving Kim Dokja the ending they wanted.

TLDR; So whereas LSK consistently sacrifices herself or gives up on trying to make things better, consistently trapping herself in certain roles, KDJ is able to recognize what the original narrative of TWSA would make a binary decision and take a third path. this both represents her influence on KDJ as a character and the influence of unspoken rules about what makes a story "good literature" on the narrative of ORV, but that ultimately you have to follow love/influence on or emotions of real people instead of rules that seem set in stone.

[raayllum]

one thing that’s interesting in the “loved one / love interest is captured and needs to be rescued” plot line is that it actually, very rarely, ends up with the hero actively helping the villain. in both ATLA and star wars, the loved one being in danger is a cosmic warning from the universe, separate from the villain, and the hero leaves training early in order to try to protect their loved one(s). 

in star wars, it’s more a happy coincidence than anything else that vader is able to use han and leia in this way. and furthermore, all vader really does (besides some dismemberment, whoops) is tell luke the truth about their family connection and ask him to rule the universe together. none of the heroes help him at all. then, when luke and co. get han back in the following movie, they end up defeating/killing the main antagonist who took him (jabba the hutt) and escaping more or less completely scot free. 

then in atla, aang leaves avatar training when he realizes katara is in danger, temporarily blocking his chakra. him and everyone else manage to find katara (and zuko) but then are pinned down by azula, who again, could not have known aang was going to have a cosmic vision and come running. none of the heroes (as zuko is an anti-hero at this point and no one he loves is at stake until the very end when he’s already made his choice and uncle is on the opposing side) help her or zuko, either.

for me, one of the things that makes cube hostage exchange theory interesting/compelling is the 1) purposeful manipulation of aaravos to callum, and 2) callum making an active choice that also compounds rayla’s character arc in all the ways, because it’s a genuinely hard call - one life for the safety of the world - but it’s something the show has drawn attention to time and time again. 

and this was all before Tales of Xadia rolled in with callum’s bio literally written as “I am beholden to my inner circle, not some silly kingdom. I value those close to me more than anyone or anything” like 

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 21/10/2023 (Fred again../Jozzy, Troye Sivan, Drake/SZA)

Content warning: Brief mentions of mental health, violence, emotional abuse and death

For a second week, Kenya Grace leads the pack with “Strangers” - welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start the episode off with our notable dropouts, which are songs exiting the UK Top 75 - which is what I cover - after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. Firstly, we see a couple top 40 debuts exiting as soon as they entered, like “Normal People Things” by Lovejoy, “Toxic” by Nines featuring the Bad Boy Chiller Crew, “You & Me” by JENNIE and “American Town” by Ed Sheeran, as well as “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo prematurely dropping off thanks to the three-song rule. Then we have some of the more long-term hits dropping off like “The Weekend” by Stormzy and RAYE, “0800 HEAVEN” by Nathan Dawe and Joel Corry featuring Ella Henderson, “Popular” by The Weeknd, Playboi Carti and Madonna - that lasted way longer than I expected - and despite the recent gains, “Snooze” by SZA.

There is just… a lot of everything this week, but particularly gains. We do have some re-entries too, with “Style” by Taylor Swift back at #73 before her re-recording is even out, followed by “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi at #71 - what did I tell you? - and bizarrely enough, “Pompeii” by Bastille all the way up at #37 thanks to an orchestral version with Hans Zimmer. Alright then. As for our notable gains… let’s just run through it: “Another Love” by Tom Odell at #59, “Party All the Time” by Hannah Laing and HVRR at #58, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift at #39, “On My Love” by Zara Larsson and David Guetta at #38, “Would You (go to bed with me?)” by Campbell and Alcemist at #35, “Got Me Started” and “Rush” both by Troye Sivan at #36 and #27 respectively - more on him later, “Back on 74” by Jungle at #25, “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan at #18 “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift at #14 thanks to the new versions, “DNA (Loving You)” by Billy Gillies featuring Hannah Boleyn at #12 and Mitski gets her first top 10 with the fantastic song “My Love Mine All Mine” at #8 - more on that later in the year.

As for our top five, we have “Baddadan” by Chase & Status and Bou featuring their posse at #5, “Water” by Tyla at #4, “greedy” by Tate McRae at #3, “Prada” by casso, RAYE and D-Block Europe at #2 and of course, “Strangers” at the very top. Now for our list of new songs, and it’s a lot - not a ton of it makes all too much sense either. As you can clearly tell with…

NEW ARRIVALS

#60 - “Just How You Like It” - K.A.D and Kak Hatt

Produced by K.A.D

I listened to a regional BBC Music Introducing show a couple weeks ago and heard a variety of stuff. One of the songs that stuck with me was a pretty mediocre but charming hip-house tune by some guy and it went “give me some time, I’ll have a Rover, lookin’ like a four-leaf clover, tell that girl, come closer”. It’s honestly probably terrible but it was at least honest fun, ending up comical not because he tried to be, but because it was a bit of a genuine fun, not trying too hard to offend anyone or even pretend he was a talented rapper. It was just stupid, and that was okay. This song, with the guy’s Bitmoji in the cover art, seems to think very highly of itself despite the fact it sounds worse than a clearly amateur recording from a guy who I’m sure has way less than the millions of streams this has. It’s pretty easy for me to tell when a song is devoid of personality or anything that personally interests me, but it’s rare that we can get a song devoid of talent - or at least any interest in getting any better. Hope this falls off quick.

#56 - “Black Hole” - boygenius

Produced by Collin Pastore, Jake Finch, Ethan Gruska, Calvin Lauber, Marshall Vore and boygenius

And for a change of pace, we have indie-rock threesome boygenius, consisting of critical darlings Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, with this coming as a bit of a surprise but they did carry some streams from the rest, a little accompanying EP for their debut album from earlier this year. I have yet to listen to any of the collaborative stuff from boygenius, even if I do like a fair bit of Baker’s and Dacus’ solo work. The song starts minimally with Baker despairingly mentioning the few stars she can see in the dark, as the lowered cacophony of strings, glitches, and plummering percussion start to rumble into prominence, battling with a lo-fi piano recording that just sits there, is let hang in a really awkward, but again, despairing way. Eventually, there is a full ruffling of drums but it’s distorted and busy, way too much so to feel organic or natural, so the seemingly endless verse of contrasting phrases from Dacus and Bridgers float across it, way further in the mix, like a cry for help in disaster - “my thoughts, all noise […] sometimes, I need to hear your voice”. It’s a great line to end on to, as the song dissipates out into the next on the tracklisting through a clattering software break instead of anything that sounds like it actually functions or resolves the song’s conflict. It’s a bit of a short, depressing tune, but it gets its point across pretty damn well. Wouldn’t mind more boygenius charting in the future, or just good alternative rock in general… just saying…

#52 - “WORTH IT” - Offset featuring Don Toliver

Produced by CHASETHEMONEY, Heavy Mellow, Cory Rose, OTTI, BEAM and Dave-O

The amount of producers on these big-name rap projects is getting out of hand. Does Offset really need six guys on the boards? To be fair, this was originally a song just by BEAM and CHASETHEMONEY that got deleted and repurposed into this track, which itself samples a Busta Rhymes classic “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See”, which peaked at #16 in 1997, as well as the reggae-pop hit “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)” by Dawn Penn, which hit #3 in 1994. Yet somehow with all those samples, nothing of interests pops out. I guess this has a vague reggae rhythm to it thanks to the shaking percussion, and I mostly like Don Toliver on this kind of sound - he fits really well! Offset is here, on his #62 album that somehow charted two songs in the top 60 thanks to big-name features, and he just is entirely alien to this kind of song. There’s nothing that screams “chill reggae-pop” about Offset and it doesn’t seem like the mastering engineers cared much to rectify that. I don’t mind some of the melodic flows he ends up with, but they’re not anything I’d give a second listen. Maybe Offset’s next track will impress me?

#49 - “SAY MY GRACE” - Offset featuring Travis Scott

Produced by Vinylz, FNZ, Maneesh and Tom Levesque

Ever read a song’s title, artists and producers and know EXACTLY how it’s going to sound? This elevated, staccato luxurious trap beat was not a surprise to me at all, and I could even vaguely predict Set’s flow on this, which is sadly a bit more awkward than it should be when he’s asking God some genuine questions about why the people around him are dying, why there is systematic racism in the American justice system and… how his pinky ring cost him a Phantom. Travis Scott comes in saying he flooded the crib with cars and anything genuinely challenging or exciting about the song leaves with his verse, as the atmosphere mutes itself to a compressed synth for the entirety of his substanceless garbage that is sadly now not atypical of Travis. It had potential, but ended up honestly pretty bad.

#45 - “the grudge” - Olivia Rodrigo

Produced by Dan Nigro and Ryan Linvill

I was secretly hoping that no extra songs from GUTS would end up charting because I have very few good things to say about them but also very few good reasons for why I don’t like them. I can appreciate them as songs but they don’t resonate with me and particularly not this one, in her typical wordy fashion with those distant pianos and breathy delivery about a manipulative relationship where she just doesn’t have the strength left in her to forgive, which she really doesn’t need to. It is completely in her right to hold that grudge, and the framing of the song doesn’t entirely absolve her on that front, which is interesting, pretty disagreeable to me at least to me but I just wish the song gave me more actual melodic resonance outside of what acts practically as speaking over solid enough piano backing. It’s just lacking in some of the essentials for me, sorry.

#43 - “THIS YEAR (Blessings)” - Victor Thompson featuring Ehis ‘D’ Greatest

Produced by Samduke and Henrietta Thompson

This is a Christian Afrobeats song, I’m pretty sure, and not an awful one at that. Thompson is a Nigerian gosepl singer, and whilst the production is expectedly cheap and messy given a budget I assume just isn’t there, given that Christian music isn’t the mainstream market in Nigeria either, the delivery from these guys is so devoted it is pretty impressive, especially with Ehis’ shaky falsetto. That hook is insanely catchy also, and the slightly minimal, flexible Afrobeats groove is a solid foundation for two very slippery vocalists. I like the little screech that comes in every few measures, the choir vocals are beautiful as you’d expect - I love pretty much any use of choir in music - but why is this charting? Afrobeats is big, but these guys aren’t, and devoted Christian songs don’t often chart. There is a “French version” with Vacra and a sped-up version so I can assume some global TikTok virality… oh. Gunna is on the remix. There was a hidden Gunna song in here all this time. He’s not even bad here, though a bit strained, you can tell his passion is there even if the lyrics are generic. It’s an odd fit but not the worst, I suppose.

#31 - “DArkSide” - Bring Me the Horizon

Produced by Zakk Cervini, Oli Sykes and Daisuke Ehara

And straying as far away from possible as Christian Afrobeats songs featuring Gunna, we have the newest Bring Me the Horizon song, and man… this one’s about the “dark side” winning, going for a semi-introspective semi-populist touch that ends up just being gross in how it explores mental health. It goes for an anthemic pop-metal throwback to their mid-2010s days but without the specific narrative of POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR or the same level of sheer angst that I’m not sure they have in them anymore. It feels like an attempt by record label executives seeing the success of Bring Me the Horizon to make a song that could still be a hit whilst sounding like Bring Me the Horizon, with a touch of iffily-approached mental health lyrics that basically amount to “you wouldn’t be able to handle me when I’m crazy!”, furthered by the quirky vocal layering, obnoxious 2012 electronics and mostly substanceless, surprisingly rote songwriting. This is just nothing - there are no risks, there’s no interesting turns of phrase. It’s not even three minutes. It’s just depressing to see a once innovative band caught in this cycle of repeating themselves.

#28 - “Can’t Play Myself (A Tribute to Amy)” - Skepta featuring Amy Winehouse

Produced by Skepta

So in 2007, Amy Winehouse released “Tears Dry on Their Own” as a single, and in all honesty, I don’t like it. It is heavily reliant on its interpolation of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, a classic duet that it clearly tries to flip in how she and Salaam Remi built a pretty ambivalent song over one of the most recognisably upbeat, motivational anthems, about not feeling too bad about a relationship breaking up because it wasn’t made to last. Yet fittingly, it never really made me feel anything. It peaked at #37 on release then upon Winehouse’s death re-peaked at #27. Now as a tribute to the lost singer, UK rapper Skepta has remixed the track but not in a style you’d expect. It’s just a straight future house song and disappointingly not very interesting at all. Sure, it has a bit more fuzz and static than the usual house cut, but it doesn’t feel exactly on purpose, just moreso that Skepta can’t fully pull off atmospheric house, considering the factorial percussion and very flat-feeling pads and synths that coat Winehouse’s organic vocals. I may not be a fan of the original song but at least I’m able to admit her vocals will never really fit that perfectly on something that isn’t in that soulful vibe. It does pain me because I do want to enjoy this, it seems like a genuine tribute and re-imagining of a song he loved from her, but I don’t really like the execution here, it feels like it could have been done by anybody, which for Skepta, is kind of sad. Sorry.

#21 - “Rich Baby Daddy” - Drake featuring Sexyy Red and SZA

Produced by Gordo, Klahr, LIOHN, BNYX, TheLoudPack and UV Killin Em

This may be my favourite Drake song. To be fair, there is some healthy competition - and it is completely expected for me to like this kind of song, at least when you boil it down to its essentials - but the amount of Drake songs I genuinely love probably doubled with the release of For All the Dogs. “Rich Baby Daddy” appears to be the fan favourite as well, or at least the one going most viral on TikTok, and I couldn’t be happier. This is a straight-up Atlanta bass record based around a heavenly pad and angelic vocal sample from Jessica Domingo that elevates the song immediately into a state of transcendence, to the point where the pitter patter of the typical Miami bass percussion is more a sprinkled decoration than main rhythm despite the fact that it is still absolutely hypnotising. Of course, Sexyy Red of all people is here and her tonally void club-ready chant about shaking that ass for Drake is perfect for this kind of bop. Drake contrasts her staccato constant with a feeble warble that flexes, sure, but drenching himself with the same paranoia present throughout the album, with the lyrics about a girl dragging love out of him seeming reminiscent of those questions asked by the vocal sample: “I could be enough, is it all?”. SZA kills it as always, going for a fast-paced, sometimes incoherent sliding delivery, and I love how the vocal sample re-appears as prominent in the mix during her verse, it’s a great mix of vocal layers that compliment each other, especially when SZA is desperate to turn this one-night stand into something further. Ms. Red has a pretty short verse but her leaving the track to run bare, just repeating “I’m lucky” as an ad-lib before the hook comes back in definitely doesn’t sound like an error, it sounds like the emptiness of the song - which it has down even to its minimal instrumentation - creeping in, of course before it becomes increasingly obvious with that abrupt beat switch to a downtempo track of Drake crooning. Now, I’ve heard this song with this part excluded, I read a lot about how it ruined the song or at least the momentum, and I completely agree, but Drake’s best weapon in his arsenal is to make the audience hear conversations they never wanted to even know of. So of course after his incredibly accessible dance banger about masking the fragility of a relationship with the fun you’re having, he gets in his feelings about how much he did for this girl yet how distant and inexperienced she still is. Is it gross? Yes, of course it is, especially over those eerie looming synths. But Drake also latches onto some killer melodies and awful lines that make me recoil into my skin a little bit. Because he’s Drake, that’s what he does, and he’s doing it best here. That strained “You know I’m the one” is a great thing to leave in the air, because it sounds far from sincere. This is an excellent song, I’m glad it’s probably going to be a hit, and if this is the last song I talk about from that Drake album, just know I still think it’s his best and I know my opinion is garbage. WIth that said, how out of all of the songs on there the Yeat one still in the top 10? I would never have predicted that.

#17 - “One of Your Girls” - Troye Sivan

Produced by OZGO

As you can probably expect, so, say it with me now: No, I did not listen to the Troye Sivan album. Who do you think I am? Someone who likes pop music? You would be correct in that assumption and I was tempted to check it out when “Rush” was the only single but “Got Me Started” tempered me very much so. And wow, isn’t this a terrible inclusion to the list of singles? First of all, he sounds like Harry Styles over this murmuring synthpop instrumental, and secondly, he implies support for copyright law, which is nothing we here at the deadcactuswalking establishment can support. I would respect the rejection of the song’s sound to add five unnecessarily blaring synths before the acoustics come in the pre-chorus, if they didn’t sound like a scary logo compilation from 2011, and then a different synth tone comes in the outro - it is clearly a purposeful attempt to sound ugly, and for such a comforting and warm song lyrically, it puts me off from even wanting to come back to it, apart from it being generally dull. A few weird moments does not make an experimental song… or even an interesting one.

#16 - “ten” - Fred again.. and Jozzy

Produced by Fred again.. and Tony Friend

Interestingly, I can’t find the origin of this song’s samples, maybe it’s an unreleased set of tracks from sessions with Jozzy and Jim Legxacy, or just from sample packs, or stuff genuinely too obscure no one has found yet, but it definitely doesn’t sound like it was made for the song. In fact, “ten” has that same blue, jumbled sound as “adore u” but the lack of frame of reference regarding the lyrics may actually help because as a result I can fully submerge in this as what it is, which is practically an instrumental. The song immediately captures the club-ready set with that “back it up and dump it” refrain yet seems to pull you away or at least follow you on the road with its cold, limping synths, punctuated by a lo-fi chipping of drums, wherein Jozzy’s vocals act as another instrument at Fred’s disposal, manipulated not to make sense but to fit with the song and reach the exact melodic impact he wants, which is a great decision considering this song is about missing home. Lyrics that felt solid and developed, especially on the heavily-filtered, subtle and minimal atmospheric house beat would be almost a distraction. They simply want you to carry on with this one, as any homesick person with responsibilities may want to do also: just stick with it despite feeling completely out of it, and as someone who has recently moved home and is feeling particularly fatigued, it hits pretty hard. I do usually snark at the whole slow-down outro thing, but it works pretty well here considering it’s that moment of feeling absolutely lethargic and unsure of yourself before it picks up once again, actually speeding back up to pace for the true outro, with even more twinkling synth patterns and a whirlpool of distortion that eventually completely devours the song… yet it still goes on, like life always does. I don’t know if the song was made to be about stretching yourself unnecessarily just in order to get through life, but it sure feels like it and it hits home as a result. This is fantastic, and I hope it has a run like “adore u” did.

Conclusion

I mean, obviously, whoever the hell featuring who gives a damn gets Worst of the Week for “How You Like It”, but it’s sad to say that “DArkSide” by Bring Me the Horizon wasn’t far behind with the Dishonourable Mention. As for the best, it was kind of difficult but it is very difficult to reach Drake’s best so he gets Best of the Week for “Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Sexyy Red and SZA, with a tied Honourable Mention between boygenius’ “Black Hole” and “ten” by Fred again.. and Jozzy, both pretty incredible songs. As for what to expect upon the horizon, I don’t know and this episode was too long for me to care. Thank you for reading, see you next week!

[inkribbon796]

Egotober 2023 Day 7: The Little Things

Summary: Ethan wants to be a hero, he wants it more than anything else in the world. And Silver is terrified when he won’t take no for an answer.

Prompt: Leaf/Leaves

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Ever since Ethan was little he could remember the heroes. They had a team in his own home city. When he was five his mom moved him and his brother into Egoton.

He saw Silver flying around and even doing aerial tricks. And as a young gymnast, Ethan thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

It was all he wanted, and now literally the only thing standing in his way was Silver himself. Someone who seemed to believe that Ethan should do anything but be a hero. And literally everyone in the Coalition seemed to be making Syndrome jokes, and that was only making Ethan want it even more.

Dark even seemed to be under the impression that not only was Ethan working with Silver, but was his kid or at least a younger brother. And anyone who saw Ethan, at least in costume, was to chase him out of the area. Or if Dark was in the area to bring the “child hero” to him.

On one particular slow Saturday, Ethan was wandering around town, trying to find things to do. He was crunching any leaves he could see on the ground, some gave what he was looking for, others were disappointed. He was minding his own business, trying to keep an eye out for Dark’s enforcers, when Silver flew in.

“Fuck off,” Ethan said, trying to sound bigger and tougher than he felt.

“Let’s talk,” Silver said. He was holding out a baggie. “Your mom mentioned you were allergic to peanuts, before you ask. It’s safe.”

That disarmed Ethan a bit, so he took the bag as Silver touched down on the ground.

“Talk about what?” Ethan asked, looking at the sandwich inside. It looked like a normal burger.

Silver canted his head to the side. “Somewhere a bit more private, we’re too close to Barnum Park.”

“Park’s a great place to talk,” Ethan said, pointing his thumb in that direction.

“Yeah, just not that park. C’mon, I’ll explain once we get to 5th Street Plaza.” Silver began leading the way, actually walking.

“Can’t you fly?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah, but you can’t, and I could use the exercise,” Silver said and started walking.

Debating for a second, Ethan watched him go before following Silver down five blocks until they got to the plaza. The changing leaves following the whole walk.

Silver asked how school was going and when they got to the plaza Ethan had eaten half of his sandwich and it had yet to cause an allergic reaction.

Besides a free sandwich was a free sandwich.

Instead of sitting down on some random bench, Silver directed Ethan up three flights of stairs to a roof. On the top of the roof was a couple air conditioning units and two benches that were side by side and overlooking the plaza.

“Sometimes we come up here to talk and get a break during patrols.” Silver brushed off some leaves and sat down on one of the benches.

“Okay,” Ethan said and took a seat, sitting around some of the leaves as he eat the rest of his sandwich. “Nice view.”

“It is,” Silver agreed. “Barnum Park is owned by Dark, he’s got spies all over the place in there.”

“Oh,” Ethan said.

Silver nodded. “Yeah, anyways, Bing, Jackie, and I have been talking and you’re in if you want to be.”

“Yeah,” Silver said, a slight sigh in his voice. “Bing and Henrik got apprentices behind my back and it’s not fair that they got in and you don’t. Even if all three of you should get kicked.”

“When did that happen?” Ethan asked, excitement bubbling up inside of him.

“One of them happened a couple of days ago, and the Septics have been sitting on theirs for a couple weeks. They're both seventeen."

“This is awesome!” Ethan shouted.

Silver held up a finger. “Wait a minute, we’ve gotta set some ground rules, first.”

“Sure, whatever.” Ethan could help but grin.

“No, not whatever, you break the rules, you’re either off the team or suspended.”

Ethan sat back down, unable to stop his legs from bouncing.

“First, you don’t tell a soul. Your parents will know, but that’s it. I don’t care if you think you can trust your best friend with your life, they can’t know. Your grandparents, siblings, cousins, they can’t know. For any reason. You keep pretending like the only thing you want to do is be a superhero and I keep saying no. But don’t overdo it.”

“Okay.”

Silver stood up and pointed to his spot on the bench. “Sit here, it’s got a better view. Jackie always takes it first.”

Ethan quickly took the spot and Silver moved to the spot on the bench where Ethan had been.

“First thing’s first,” Silver said. “You picked a hero name yet?”

“Blank or Crank,” Ethan smiled at him.

“You picked one yet?” Silver asked.

“Blank,” Ethan said, “cause invisible.”

“How does it work?” Silver asked. “You use it often?”

“Sometimes,” Ethan said, which sounded like a lie and Mark wished that Ethan could see his face. “Anyways, I just concentrate and I turn completely invisible. It used to just be me, and my clothes wouldn’t go, but now I can do it with anything I’m wearing or holding.”

Silver leaned forward. “Really, anything you’re holding?”

“Well, the more things I hold the more I have to concentrate,” Ethan said. “Heavy stuff takes a while. And if someone taps me I tend to come out of it real easy.”

“Neat power, how long have you had it?” Silver asked.

“Maybe a year,” Ethan said. “I don’t know when it first started, and it took a while to figure out how to control it.”

“You’ll learn more, after we talk to your folks, you’ll be working directly under me, and we’ll make sure you know how to use those powers better. Just make sure you’re not stealing anything or peeking in the girl’s restroom okay?”

“Hey, I only have stolen one candy bar, I’ll have you know,” Ethan said.

“At least you’re honest,” Silver said, laughing a little. “We’ll get you a better outfit too. Can’t have you running around in sweatpants. And you’ll get to meet the other two apprentices: Logic and Stripes.”

“Awesome,” Ethan looked out over the plaza with a huge smile.

He was finally getting everything he wanted and he was so excited he could hardly stand it.

[muninnhuginn]

@roseofcards90​

thanks for the ask! here’s the terumob part of the answer

terumob:

Okay so my main thing with this is that Teru’s lowkey worshipping of Mob is something which can be very easily read as a crush and I think that’s where the appeal is for a lot of people. For me though, I’m not a huge fan of ship dynamics where one person is explicitly put above another. I’m sure I’ll have exceptions, but as a general rule it’s something I don’t really go for.

So how this goes into Terumob is basically that their dynamic changes through the series. Initially Teru sees himself as above Mob and everyone else in the world (not realising that power-wise he’s actually completely outclassed) before being forced to reassess when Mob both psychologically and psychically dismantles him. From then on, he puts Mob on this huge pedestal, believing that if he follows Mob’s ‘teachings’ then he’ll become a better person. And tbf a lot of this has a “fake it ‘til you make it” kinda vibe in that no one can change overnight and for all that Teru tries to pretend he’s grown massively as a person when he first meets Ritsu, it doesn’t change the fact that he only met Mob the other week.

So you go through most of the series with Teru almost seeing Mob as almost this religious figure whilst Mob in turn doesn’t much seem interested in anyone but (the idea of) Tsubomi.

There is a period just prior to the finale where Mob and Teru are having a conversation and during it it becomes pretty clear that Mob puts Teru above him in terms of social aspects whilst Teru puts Mob above him in terms of, well, pretty much everything else. I do find that interesting to dig into because it means they’re both mutually lifting the other above themselves in their expectations and that’s much more fun to me than it being so one-sided. Plus, Mob is in some ways forgetting the very things he first “taught” to Teru and Teru has to actively remind him of back then.

Still, this whole conversation is happening in the context of Mob wanting to confess to Tsubomi and tbh, I do think the way the series is structured it’s hard to say Mob could come to his conclusion about Tsubomi any sooner than he did in canon and have it be convincing.

Which basically brings me to the conclusion that the only time I’d consider terumob as having an opening that I would personally find interesting and viable would be post-canon because Teru only breaks out of his hero worship in the finale confrontation and Mob is only able to move on from Tsubomi (and importantly, complete his emotional development) at the same time. And we see so little of their interactions and characters after the finale confrontation that I find it really difficult to infer what their future interactions could look like.

So most of this is why I’m saying platonic + therapy. The ‘fandom ruined it’ box is more because a big chunk of the fanart/fic I’ve seen with these two in a pairing doesn’t really convince me I’m seeing the same characters as anyone else. I don’t actively avoid/block it because I don’t super mind it and some people can get the dynamic down, but overall I just prefer platonic and find their relationship has enough meat to it as it is in canon.

[themattress]

Leora W: Queen of Bad Takes

I won’t dignify this person with any links, only responses to her numerous fallacies.

On Season 5:

I had to suffer through what I would argue was not only the worst season of the show but the worst season of any show ever: Once Upon A Time Season 5.

Not only is there no way OUAT Season 5 could possibly be the worst of the show when Seasons 6 and 7 both exist and follow it, but the worst season of any show ever? Yeah, no. 

One of the major problems with Season 5 was they seemed to be bringing in characters or shiny toys for the sake of bringing them in without thinking about how they would affect the overarching plot. When that character or shiny toy didn't amount to anything, they would abandon it because they didn't think it through.

....Are you kidding me!?  You say that’s a problem with Season 5, and not the whole show!?  Where were you for the past three seasons or the next two? This isn’t a unique problem!

How come Killian wasn't haunted by former Dark One's in Storybrooke just because Emma wiped his memory? He was still the Dark One, wasn't he?

Apparently if there’s a mental block, the former Dark Ones can’t appear.

Or how come nobody tried true love's kiss on Emma in Camelot? And how come when she and Hook did kiss in Camelot, and she was actively trying to get rid of the darkness, it didn't work?

As wretched an episode as it is, “The Price” answered this already: by the time a kiss was attempted Emma was already thrilled by the power she wielded, which is why she waffled on getting rid of the Darkness afterward, like when she tried to justify potentially keeping it and using it for good. TLK won’t work when one party is enthralled with power; just ask Belle.

What on earth did that horse do to end up in The Underworld with unfinished business?

It wasn’t always there, it’s implied that Daniel sent it there from Heaven.

(Talks about lack of follow-through and dropped plotlines and ignoring established rules)

Again, what show have you been watching all this time!? This is sadly the norm for it.

Season 4 ended with Rumpelstiltskin's heart being scrubbed clean of the darkness and Emma Swan taking up the mantle of The Dark One. This provided many possibilities. More than anything, it seemed like an opportunity to redeem Rumpelstiltskin. He no longer had The Darkness inside him, and it allowed the heroes a chance to understand and sympathize with what made him so evil in the first place. Instead, the heroes adamantly advocate for Emma but disregard a newly pure and powerless Rumpelstiltskin worthy of their time or help. Rumple becomes a hero, pulling a sword from the stone, but he relapses to Darkness in the end.

The Darkness was never what made Rumple evil. Rumple made Rumple evil. That was the whole point being proven which was already proven in the Season 4 finale but I digress.

Killian Jones becomes a Dark One alongside Emma and embraces his newfound darkness rather quickly, despite all the character's progress throughout the series. Yet, once he is no longer The Dark One, he is forgiven, redeemed, and resurrected, despite all he did.

Because he “became a Dark One alongside Emma” because Emma forced it upon him against his will, and then tried to control him by force which naturally caused his progress to crumble and him to give in. He’s forgiven, redeemed and resurrected because of his own actions to rectify his evil actions, which are done without expecting any reward, I might add.

Worst of all, Zelena has a quickie redemption in The Underworld! So does King Arthur!

Zelena’s quickie redemption was no worse than Regina’s, and while I can see the criticism toward Arthur’s I felt it made perfect sense given his previously established character.

As for the Underworld, that plot was entirely underwhelming. Hades in the movie is a fun and charismatic villain, but his interpretation on the show was weak and meh.

No, he was still a fun and charismatic villain, just in a different way than in the movie. He’s actually a lot closer to the take Jack Nicholson, Disney’s first choice, likely would’ve given.

Megara, also, was a huge disappointment. In the movie, she was a badass. She didn't need a man, she had a complex backstory, and she was willing to sacrifice herself for love. On this show, she barely exists.

This wasn’t the Disney version of Megara, though! Unlike Hades, she and Hercules had no holdover from the Disney movie; they’re just versions of the old mythological characters.

(Complains about Rumbelle being toxic because “Rumple's story has always been about redemption” and Belle’s part in it is now ruined.)

You missed the point of Rumple and of “Skin Deep”, like so many did.

Emma, a character who we know has walls up to her head, went from not being ready for a relationship to crossing moral lines to save Killian and then literally dragging her family to hell to save him.

The line-crossing was dumb, but no, she didn’t drag anyone to Hell. It was the Underworld, not Hell, and her family volunteered to go with her, they weren’t remotely “dragged” there.

Basically, they wanted to make Captain Swan as epic as Snowing, even having Emma say, "I will always find you," the Snowing motto, on her way to the Underworld. Captain Swan didn't have the juice for that, and making them epic and tragic took away what was fun about them.

No, Captain Swan did have the juice for it. This was a fine idea, it just had bad execution.

Aside from taking away from every other aspect of the series and losing their fun side, many have described Hook's behavior toward's Emma as toxic.

It was! What these fans seldom focus on is how equally toxic her behavior toward him is. They just want a simple “bad man abuses good woman” narrative in order to condemn the Captain Swan ship, which ignores Dark Emma inflicting textbook domestic abuse upon Hook.

In the case of both Rumple and Emma, when they were the Dark One, their goals were usually to protect those they loved, even if it meant crossing lines to do so. Killian told Emma he wanted to hurt her and that she was a pretty blonde distraction from his true goals of revenge.

In the case of both Rumple and Emma, they actively chose to become the Dark One to start with. Killian literally begged for Emma not to make him the Dark One and she did it anyway. And again, no mention of what Emma did to him prior to him saying those terrible things.

(Talks about Robin’s needless death followed by an awful season finale)

.....Wait, why did I even list this? She’s got me there! :P

On Redemption Arcs:

The thing is, Arthur didn't really change. He deduces that the prophecy that he would rule over a "broken kingdom" refers to The Underworld and not Camelot as he always thought. It's the destiny he's been chasing forever, so of course, he would do it.

You misread that scene. Camelot was the broken kingdom that Merlin prophesized; Merlin himself confirmed this. Arthur’s flaw was that rather than just take heroic actions naturally so that the prophecy comes to pass, he fixates on the specifics of the prophecy, particularly Excalibur, and rather than actually repair the broken kingdom he just papers over the cracks with magic sand. Hook’s actions in the Underworld showed Arthur that you are capable of making your own destiny through your own deeds, and so he accepted the Underworld as a second chance to do something positive rather than accept any sort of heavenly reward.

Making Arthur a villain was a nice surprise, but his redemption was weak. The character wasn't likable, even as a guy you love to hate. Frankly, OUAT would have been better if the characters had never gone to Camelot, but that's a rant for another time.

I object; he was totally a “love to hate” type, the issue was that he became too incompetent to take seriously, and a villainous version of King Arthur is someone you absolutely should be able to take seriously. And OUAT would have actually been better if the characters just went to Camelot and never came back to Storybrooke within the same arc. That was the problem.

Rumple's redemption was seemingly written into the series from the beginning. For the first two and a half seasons of the show, Rumple's redemption arc was picture perfect.

It really wasn’t, and out of what you mentioned only that “a half” constituted an actual redemption arc for the character...and even then, it only ended well because his son was around to inspire him to die a sacrificial death. If he hadn’t done so, he would’ve relapsed.

By Season 6, not all viewers wanted Rumple to be redeemed. He had backslid so many times. His redemption was hard to trust when it happened. His final redemption was death, which kind of fit because he had lived so long and deserved to rest. Plus, after everything he did, seeing him live would have left us questioning if he was going to backslide again.

Thanks for pointing out precisely why he just should’ve bit the bullet (again) in Season 6.

Still, it would have been better if they had leaned into his initial redemption in 3x11 and let the character grow, instead of all the unnecessary back and forth.

No, the back and forth was fine since that was a core part of his character. It only became an issue when he went forth in a specific way he couldn’t feasibly come back from, and yet the show and other characters still acted as though back was a possibility, which wasn’t realistic.

One of the unusual and refreshing things about OUAT's redemption arcs, at least the ones they did well, was that instead of going for the familiar trope of person-redeems-themself-for-lover, they did the underrated and underused person-redeems-themself-for-their-child. Killian Jones is the exception to this. (*goes on to complain about this and then say Wish Hook had a better redemption since he did it for a child*)

1. I’ve seen this bullshit logic before, and I just have to ask that if Hook is an exception, shouldn’t he be considered the “unusual and refreshing” one here since the norm on this show is redemption-for-child rather than redemption-for-lover? Did you ever think of that?

2. Hook didn’t even redeem himself for Emma, he redeemed himself because he wanted to be better and Emma made him believe that it was possible for him to be so.

3. Wish Hook’s redemption arc wasn’t inherently better just because a ship wasn’t involved.

Later, when Killian becomes The Dark One, he gives in to the darkness entirely very quickly. He's willing to send the woman he loves and her friends to The Underworld. When he chickens out of his plan because he still loves Emma, he's called a hero. How is he a hero for sacrificing himself to stop an evil scheme that he was causing? If you want to kill someone but change your mind, you aren't a hero for saving that person's life. You're just not as bad as you were before. It's noble to turn yourself over to the cops afterward, but again, it doesn't make you a hero.

First off, notice how she’s once again ignoring how/why he “became the Dark One” and how that affected him giving in. And secondly, Regina is placed higher above Hook on this redemption ranking list, and her entire redemption was only possible because she was going to sacrifice herself to stop an evil scheme that she (and she alone, unlike with Dark Hook) was causing in 2x22! They even called her a hero for doing so! If you weren’t pissed off about that, you have no business being pissed off about this unless you have an irrational bias.

Regina's backstory was truly tragic. She was abused and manipulated by her mother her entire life, culminating in the murder of her boyfriend.

That’s a sympathetic backstory, not a tragic one. The rest of her backstory was tragic.

Regina's redemption arc was not rushed. It was drawn out as we watched the character grow, realistically backslide slightly, and then, with the support of her new family, find her way to proper redemption.

“Realistically backslide slightly”!? Did you just block out what she actually did / attempted to do in 2B? That’s why many people can’t get behind the whole “support of her new family” part; because she only got a place in that family after almost murdering them all and trying to force Henry to stay hers like a possession. This is why the whinging about what Dark Hook did that got forgiven rings false, especially when that had deeper context for why it happened whereas Regina’s only excuse for her turn is “those damn heroes dared suspect me, a known mass murderer, of murdering someone! I have no other choice but to murder them all now!”

Some have argued that her redemption is more about getting what she wants, i.e., a relationship with her son, than showing genuine remorse. She doesn't want to do better because she believes it's right. She wants to do better because if she doesn't, she loses Henry. Regina may have ostensibly switched sides, but she occasionally crosses the line, such as when she stole Belle's heart to manipulate Rumple. Whether or not Rumple deserved that is debatable, but did Belle? I should think not! There are also things she's never been held accountable for, such as raping and murdering Graham. In 5x23, Regina goes so far as to call her past evil self an alter-ego known as The Evil Queen; she attempts to split herself off from that part of herself. The Evil Queen was never an alter-ego. Regina only has one personality, and she needs to own her choices.

YES. That’s all correct! So you rank her redemption so highly why, exactly?

Say what you will about Hook and Rumple, but both of their redemption arcs had them deviating from their initial goals and giving up their ill-gotten gains in order to make things right for others. Regina kept all she gained from villainy and her mission statement from right before ripping her father’s heart out to enact the Dark Curse - “I just want to be happy” - never changed. It was still all for that goal; she merely changed her methods of achieving it.

On Rumple:

I'm not badmouthing Rumple. I actually think he's pretty great; I'm a Dearie, through and through.

And therein lies the problem - far too many Dearies accentuate the positives of the character and let that define their view of him; which is a stark contrast to Robert Carlyle’s own views.

The show had a family of protagonists and two big, scary antagonists. One was The Evil Queen, the main villain of the Snow White story. The other was Rumpelstiltskin, a wild-card that left the audience scratching their heads. He was a mystery. Both characters had the potential to be the great villain of the series. Then we learned the key differences between the two. (*proceeds to say Rumple was doing it all for his son while Regina was doing it for revenge*)   Given those two descriptions, if you had to pick someone for the big bad of the series, who would you pick? I think it was supposed to be The Evil Queen, and I think the show was written with that intent.

Um, no. Absolutely not. Rumple, no matter how sympathetic you found him compared to Regina, was clearly set up as the Big Bad of the series from the pilot and subsequent episode. He was the true mastermind behind the Dark Curse, and 1x02′s end scene screamed “this guy’s even worse than Regina”, something even Henry acknowledged in 1x08, an episode that officially revealed Rumple’s status as the Dark One. Why on Earth would some random evil queen with magic powers be a bigger villain than the Dark One?

He was willing to ruin and corrupt others to do so, but he also made David a prince, and helped him wake Snow White from a sleeping curse. He was always interfering in people's lives. Sometimes he did nasty things. Sometimes he helped. He was morally ambiguous, but the story could not unfold without him. He was deeply tied to all of their lives, and many of them might never have been born nor found love without his interference.

No. There is no “moral ambiguity” to Rumple. All of his helpful actions were motivated by his own self-interest that was ultimately going toward the evil objective of getting the Dark Curse cast, which would screw over all those characters he helped be born or fall in love. And while he was behind the Savior clause, this also came along with his plan to bring magic to Storybrooke, which further screwed everyone over just so that he could get what he wants.

Well, the rumor is, Regina was supposed to be the big evil on the show. She was meant to be sympathetic, but it had not been planned to give her a redemption arc. Then, the show got a lot of flack for being "anti-adoption." They didn't want to send that message.  Lana Parilla fought for Regina to get a redemption arc on Season 2, and the trajectory of the show was changed forever.

This rumor has been thoroughly debunked by now. Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis actually created the show through the viewpoint of the Evil Queen, and her getting her happy ending was the true core objective from the beginning. They even called making viewers forget about all of her crimes and be furious at the heroes for not easily accepting her redemption as they logically should a “victory” and “the greatest thing ever”. Lana Parilla fought for a better relationship between Henry and Regina in Season 2; the redemption arc was always planned regardless of that happening because Regina is A&E’s pet character.

Rumple prophesized this big, Final Battle to come when the curse breaks. This was more or less forgotten after the curse, until Season 6, when the battle is fought between Emma, Rumple's mother, and Rumple's son. Basically, the Final Battle comes back around to Rumpelstiltskin. And he gets redeemed! Yea! Except that this wasn't the first time he was redeemed, nor would it be the last.

It should’ve been the last, though.  Also, the Final Battle was a retcon; in its original context he was clearly talking about the final battle against the Evil Queen, which thanks to his own interference in bringing magic to town would also draw in him, her mother, and his father!

The fact that Rumple exited the show a hero, combined with what we know about his actions and motives from the beginning would imply his character was always expected to be redeemed. And if Zelena can be redeemed, why not Rumple?

This notion she has that Zelena is more heinous than Regina and Rumple is hilarious. 

Maybe because he was, in fact, redeemed. In 3x11, Rumple sacrificed himself to save the town. He'd found love with Belle, and he'd reconciled with his son. He gave his life for them, his grandson, and everybody else in Storybrooke. Yea! He's redeemed. But wait, he's dead? Noooo!!!!That was my reaction, and likely the reaction of many fans. Rumple was a very popular character, both for those who loved him and for those who loved to hate him. He was also very useful. He was powerful, and he was clever. He understood magic, and he had pertinent information about nearly every character the leads ever came across. The show couldn't function without the man who had been puppeteering things for 200 + years, and they knew it. They needed to bring him back.

All of this is true; just felt like throwing her another bone.

Prior to his death, it seemed that Kitsis and Horowitz were setting Neal up to be Emma's True Love. It made sense from a story perspective. However, Killian and his flirtation with Emma were very popular among the fans.  The fan theory is that due to that popularity, the idea was to get Neal out of the way so they could give fans what they wanted. They didn't think Emma could end up with Killian if Neal was alive, so Neal needed to die.

Again, a thoroughly debunked theory. Neal was never being set up as Emma’s True Love, just her old flame, and the decision to kill him off had nothing to do with Emma/Hook and everything to do with Rumple and how to bring him back and spark his relapse into villainy, plus the fact that Michael-Raymond James just wasn’t feeling the show and wanted out.

Rumple had Belle, but nobody else seemed to give a flying monkey about him. All the other leads were then heroes, and he was a man who had just lost nearly everything. As the story moved forward, Rumple had fewer and fewer reasons to be good.

Oh boy, here we go. Let the Draco in Leather Pantsing commence!

Hook chose to blackmail Rumple. He threatened to tell Belle that after months of being enslaved by Zelena, the woman who killed his son, Rumple didn't give up his freedom again. And he killed Zelena. Rumple struck back, and all hell broke loose because, of course, those children couldn't play nice for five minutes.

The blackmail choice happened because Rumple was already refusing to help his supposed family and their new friend Elsa out when they needed it, and Rumple easily could’ve avoided it by just being honest with Belle. Of course, then Hook got cocky and stupidly tried to garner a second, more personal sort of favor from the blackmail, and he rightly paid the price for it.

Once the truth came out, everyone conveniently forgot that Rumple died for them, lost his son, was a slave, and that he was "family." He was in mourning, suffering from PTSD, and he had almost no support. Hook goaded him, and Rumple backslid. Instead of hearing his side or considering there may be more to the story, the heroes cast him as the villain in their lives.

First off, Rumple had backslid before Hook blackmailed him - he already had sinister plans for the Sorcerer’s Hat, and was immediately willing to cooperate with the Snow Queen. Secondly, they did not forget about any of that; Emma brought it all up in 4x08 to show support and trust for Rumple - as he was in the process of tricking her into walking to her doom, mind you. It was Rumple who showed he didn’t care about them (aside from Henry purely due to the connection to Neal); there’s no “hearing his side of the story” after learning he colluded with someone out to kill them all and had responded to his PTSD from being enslaved by gleefully enslaving someone else, Hook, and ultimately trying to murder him on top of that, which is as disproportionate a response to Hook’s initial blackmail as you can get and is going back on the terms he had already set for the blackmail he put on Hook in turn. Rumple cast himself as the villain in their lives because Rumple chose to be a villain again.

As the show continued, they continued to take that attitude with him. When something went wrong, they either tried to blame him for the trouble, or they tried to bully him into fixing it because, after all, they're "family."

Lol, most of the time he was in fact responsible for the trouble, and it’s laughable to say they tried to “bully him” when he’s the one who had all the power...again, all by his own choice.

In the end, he sacrificed himself to save his former enemy and finally got to die. It's the ultimate redemption. And it was great to see. But you know what would have been better?  If he could have come back from his first redemption and been brought back to life without losing his son, one of his main reasons to try. Then we could have seen him try, and succeed, to be better, for more than just Season 7.They could have made that happen if they really wanted to.

Sure, but they didn’t because for most of the writers and for Robert Carlyle, that wasn’t in the nature of the character. They didn’t want him to try and succeed to be better. To them, it’s like if Walter White stopped breaking bad. Given all that he’s said about the character, I doubt Robert Carlyle was even personally on board with his Season 7 redemption arc. He still played it well since he’s a professional, but if were up to him it wouldn’t have happened.

They could also have left him dead. Let him die as a hero instead of backsliding as a villain.

Admittedly, that would have been great too. Alas, it was never to be.

Even when Rumple got his final redemption, it was in defeating a version of himself from the WishRealm. Rumple was still expected to play the villain, even when he was also the hero. This character, who was built for a redemption arc, deserved better than being tossed back into the villain pile because they needed a bad guy. Sadly, it seems like that is what happened.

No, that’s not what happened. He was not “built for a redemption arc”; that was you seeing what you wanted to see. He was always supposed to be the main Big Bad and ultimately the Final Boss, regardless of how that happened. A&E did, in fact, screw him up, but not in the ways that you’re positioning. They screwed him, and many other things, up by not having a solid plan and ending point in mind, not because they didn’t have him do what you wanted.

From this book:

And there you have it...dearie.

[meatmuncherlol]

I'm sorry I didn't do part 3, I was busy 😅

Anyways, Adventures of 6 year old Akainu, 9 year old Kizaru, and Baby Aokiji

*The next day*

A: *yawns* Another day dealing with a dumbass

*Young Kizaru walks out of his tent holding Aokiji*

A:...Make that 2 dumbasses.

K: Morning Zuki! Wanna go fishing?

A: 1, we have enough food. 2, we don't even have fishing rods

K: 1, for fun. 2, we can use our hands.

A: 3, we all ate a DF and we can't get wet without feeling weak

K: 3, good point and who said we're using our DF?

A: I-

K: I thought so, now, let's eat breakfast and go to the pond

K: Alright, Kuzan can't get wet and since u keep complaining, u have to take care of him.

*Sakazuki didn't hear it*

*They all eat breakfast and went to the pond*

K: Alright, there's some fishes over at the right side so I'm just gonna he-

A: Caught one!

K: Awesome! Now- wait- HOLD UP

K: AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AFTER KUZAN?!

A: Wdym? I thought you were looking after him since he hates me

...

A & K: OH SHI-

*They both ran back to the tent Kuzan was in*

K: KUZAN?!

Bb A: *playing with sticks inside the tent*

K: Oh thank god you're alright!

K: *looks at Akianu* I told you to take care of Kuzan!

A: Hey man I couldn't hear you! I was too focused on catching fishes!

K: *mumbling* You could've heard better, deaf hot-headed idiot.

A: HEY! WHAT DID YOU SAY LEMON HEAD?!

K: I SAID YOU COULD'VE HEARD BETTER DEAF HOT-HEADED IDIOT!!

A: OH U WANNA FIGHT YOU BASTARD?!

K: IF THAT SETTLES THIS THEN YEAH I WANNA FIGHT!

*Kizaru puts Kuzan back in the tent for safety*

K: I AM SICK OF U BEING AN OUTRAGEOUS DICKHEAD!

A: SAYS THE ONE WHO KIDNAPPED A BABY!

*They started to fight, which led Akainu's magma DF to burn one of the trees and started a forest fire*

K: H-Hey Zuki! Don't use that much power! You're burning the trees!

A: YEAH RIGHT TRYING TO TRICK ME INTO STOPPING AND LOOKING! WHAT A COWARD!

K: NO! I'm serious!!

A: YEAH I'M NOT GONNA FALL FOR THAT.

*Kizaru places a blow on Akainu which made him fall and into a tree, which Kizaru makes his chance to run at the tent where Kuzan was in and take him out*

K: *mind: Shoot..the fire already spread to the village we robbed yesterday.*

A: OI YOU BASTARD! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WALKING AWAY FROM A FIGHT!

*Akainu runs at Kizaru, leaving him nowhere to run since the burning falling trees are blocking the way*

K: *mind: DAMMIT- I don't wanna die from a 6 year old!*

*While running, Akainu notices the burning trees and stops in front of Kizaru*

K: See?! The trees are burning bcs of your magma!

*Akainu scoffs and walks to the shore of the island*

*A few minutes later, Marines arrived and put out the fire*

*Kizaru sits beside Akainu while holding Kuzan by the shore*

A: What do you want lemon head.?

K: I want an apology.

A: Sorry to burst your bubble pal but you ain't getting one.

K: *sigh* I know how much you look up to your heroes, the Marines, but you're not even at an age where you can join the marines!

A: So?

K: So? I'm telling you that you shouldn't be like a Marine and follow Marine rules. You're still a kid, you should live like one

A: I don't care what you think! I will train hard day by day and there's nothing your smart ass can do about it.

...

...

K: Well, you do you Zuki. You do you..

A: *sigh* Fine. I'm sorry that I caused a fire, didn't listen to you, and took the fight to seriously.

K: That's why listen to your eldest is a rule

A: It's just that- I promised someone I would become a Fleet Admiral and be the strongest marine ever, and I don't wanna break a promise.

K: Yeah yeah I understand, wanna go and tease the Marines on the island a bit?

A: Hell yeah! Bring Kuzan a long! We could trick them into thinking its snowing

K: He makes Ice, not snow

A: Same thing!

[ordon-shield]

Febuwhump Day 26 (Forced to Choose): Light in the Realm of Shadows

ao3 link here (5th in a series)

Zelda shivered in the cold air of the Twilight Realm as she stepped into the courtyard before the Palace of Twilight. It had been a difficult journey to get there, after Zant had stolen the Fused Shadows she and Midna had collected, and then proceeded to shatter the Mirror of Twilight. They’d managed to recover all three, but in the process…

She looked down at the blade she held in her hand. It still felt odd to wield the Master Sword, even when the voice within it had quietly whispered for her to draw it in the ruins of the Temple of Time. It reminded her of the old stories she’d been told as a child about the founding of Hyrule, about the Hero and the sword he wielded, and the First Zelda, who some called the mortal incarnation of Hylia. As a child she’d never expected to take up the role of the hero herself, but with her kingdom invaded and no hero in green showing up… she’d have to trust that the spirit of the sword was right.

Making their way through the shadowy halls of the Palace, she’d collected the two Sols that lit the Twilight Realm. As she rolled them into their correct places, the Master Sword began to shine with light. Following an impulse that came out of nowhere, Zelda held the sword skyward, feeling it thrum with growing power— before striking down, a beam of light magic flying from the blade and into the dark clouds that surrounded the floating palace.

“Impressive,” muttered Midna, flitting out from her shadow. “It seems the guardian deities of my world are on our side too!”

From there they moved forwards quickly, the light imbued in the Master Sword cutting through the darkness that had blocked their path to the central part of the Palace. The halls were long and confusing, entirely infested with monsters, but Midna was able to direct her to the throne room. As the door slid open, they were both surprised.

Zant looked terrible. The tall and elaborately carved helm she’d seen him wear before as he marched into her throne room as if he owned it was lying abandoned on the ground, half of it cracked open. The Twili himself had fared no better, a long gash across his face still faintly shimmering with a poisonous white glow. His head snapped up from when he’d been leaning it when he realised they’d arrived, and he let out a frustrated cry of anger.

“You… you’ve come to kill me!”

He let out an unhinged laugh.

“Come to finish the job for him?”

“Ganondorf. That’s who you’re talking about, isn’t it?”

“He turned on me Midna! His own devoted worshipper! Just because I tried to kill that pest he’s been keeping around!”

Zelda and Midna could only stand there as Zant ranted to them about how Ganondorf had come to him as a god, and granted him the powers he used to take control of the Twilight Realm and Hyrule alike, how his Shadow Beasts had found a wolf that hadn’t faded into a spirit within the Twilight, and how Ganondorf had become fascinated by the strange beast, even more so when it became a Hylian when brought back into the world of light.

A Hylian who didn’t become a spirit in the Twilight, much like Zelda herself… one who Ganondorf was keeping by his side… with a sinking feeling in her stomach, she realised why a hero had never shown up. He had, that shadowy figure she’d fought at Lanayru’s Spring. The golden power of the goddesses she held within her… that the sages had told her Ganondorf held as well… she wondered if he wielded that power as well.

Zant had finished his ranting by now. She noticed the shine in the wound across his face wasn’t fading— it was growing brighter. As she met his eyes, an understanding passed between them. She had a choice to make. Ideally, it would be one she’d never had to contemplate, but she was a princess, raised to rule her kingdom when her mother passed away. She was familiar with difficult decisions, with being forced into situations where there was no other option but to choose.

She raised the Master Sword, and then brought it down again with a flash of light, Zant’s body going limp in his throne. With a clattering sound, the Fused Shadows fell from his robes, before Midna lifted them up into the air, the dark artefacts hovering around her body. Their eyes met. It was time to take the fight to the castle.

[the-royal-petals]

Sacred Oaths | Stephen Strange x Reader | Chapter 2 | [ Ashley's apartment ]

Description:

Being a SHIELD agent, you have seen some stuff; from asgardian weapons being used in bank robberies to another company trying to recreate the super soldier serum—you've seen it all.

One day you're thrown head-first into an investigation about a sorcerer named “Ashley Carrie,” wanting to know why HYDRA killed her and why they're after a book that could threaten the fate of reality:

"The Death's Reaping."

Maybe you need help from people who specialise in the weird and mystical.

Fic Warnings: Eventual Smut, Angst, Mentions of Torture and Abuse, Medical stuff, injuries. [Chapters will be trigger warned accordingly]

Rating: Mature/Explict

[ Prologue ]- [ Chapter 1 ] - [ Chapter 2 ] -

Eventually, you and Bob made your way back to SHIELD. The traffic had built up more than earlier as a result of a blocked road. Your radio chirped to life as the first responders communicated with each other. you always kept in touch with emergency responders. You felt as if you had a duty to assist them; even as a kid, you saw them as heroes. That’s why you took martial arts, to get the strength to become a firefighter; never did you think it would lead to being a SHIELD agent who managed the avengers for a living. The radio chatter died down as they entered a quieter part of town where the SHIELD base was located.

A SHIELD building loomed ahead, welcoming them with agents galore. Upon approaching, two SHIELD agents stopped them.

“Name and passes.” An agent ordered.

You reached into your pocket dug your pass out and presented it to them. “Agent Johnstone, this is Agent Bob Stanton.” You watched the agent examine the badge and scan it on the reader, earning a green light.

The gate opened in front of them and  the agent returned their passes. 

You could understand the security measures, but after 9 years of doing this, it does become tiring. There were a few times where you wanted to walk straight in, but after recent reports of people wearing Nano-Masks, they had to be safe--you decided to follow the rules.

“What do we have?” You stood between Fury and another SHIELD Agent, Ross Marlow, reaching out for the file that was placed in front of you.. 

“Some random novelty items and files on their most recent missions.” Ross explained, reaching for the staff, “in that file” he pointed to the one in your hands, “it says an woman by the name of ‘Ashley Carrie’ who's a 25-year-old from Manchester, England, went missing roughly six years ago. HYDRA tried searching for her, but the police found her dead in her apartment.” He points to the paragraph. “No clue why they were after her.”

Your shook your head. “HYDRA will go after anybody for information. I’ve heard that name before, I don’t know where. Does Ashley have a family?” you asked, glancing over at Tony, “could you get Jarvis to do a check on her?”

A apart of you didn't understand why Tony was brought on board of the investigation; this would've been easily sorted with or without his help. Something told you he probably wanted to jump at an opportunity to show off.

Standing from his chair, he handed you another file, one which seemed like a biography. “Already done. she has a brother that lives a block away from here.” Tony reached for the bird statue. “He should be home right now.”

Fury turned to you, “find her brother. Find out anything you can on Ashley, the more the better. Stanton, you go with her. Stark, Marlow, find out what you can about those things.” He ordered, “take the file with you.”

Another mission? 

“Noted. C’mon Bob. I’m driving.” You sad, leaving the room the room. 

“Oh hell no, your driving is borderline dangerous driving. I’m driving.” 

The complex seemed rather quiet at this time of day. Many residents were at work and others didn’t go anywhere near the doors. Once at the apartment, you knocked on the door. On the other side, your heard shuffling before the door opened with a few clicks. A young male stood on the other side of the door, nervously eying you both. His fingers clung to the door as half of his face was visible. A couple of clothes blocked the door from opening any further. 

“Who are you?”

You presented your SHIELD badge. “Agent Johnstone, I work for SHIELD. We’re here to ask you a couple of questions about your sister, Ashley.” you introduced, watching the young boy shake his head, pushing the door close. Your stopped it with your foot.

“Listen kid, we just want to find out what happened to her. We want to help; and the only way we can do that is if you talk to us.” Your said, keeping a slightly more aggressive tone. you didn’t like doing that, never liked it. But you knew you had to with them. 

Silence came from the boy as he stared for a couple more seconds before opening the door fully, kicking the clothes away from the door. “My mom won’t like you being here.” The boy’s head hung low as you entered first giving a relieved nod to Bob.

More clothes scattered across the floor. It wasn’t like any ordinary apartment. Picture frames of Ashley hung across the hallway, all smiling with the family. It seemed like the place hadn't been tidied up in years; especially since Ashley's death. You could feel a sombre heavy atmosphere, your heart sank as you proceeded through the house.

On your right was the kitchen. The smell of baked bread welcomed you, sat on the countertop, ready to be eaten. The boy had exited the kitchen with a glass of water, watching you with beady eyes.  Dirt and food covered the floor, bringing a rotting stench to her nose. Behind him, you could see the sink overflowing with dishes; you had to admit, the kitchen had seen better days; the black-and-white tiles could tell a story or two.

Finally, you peered into the living room where a shrine caught your attention in the far left corner; candles surrounded a picture of Ashley wearing odd clothing. It seemed like fancy robes. You could only guess that she was apart of a group of sorts.

On the left of the picture sat a ring with two holes and a design on the top bar with her name engraved. Next to it was a belt.

Why did this feel so familiar?

It was only then it hit you she was one of those people you had heard about a couple months ago. A group of people who call themselves "Masters of the Mystic Arts"---or sorcerers as you called them. They're a group of mysterious people and you've never had the chance to see any of them in person, only hearing stories. They're like legends. 

“What did Ashley do?” You picked up the ring, showing it to the boy. You wanted to see if you suspicions were correct. “These seem really familiar, I don’t know why.” 

The boy looked at your hand uncomfortably. “That’s a Sling-Ring, she practised something called the ‘Mystic Arts.’ It’s a form of magic and spirituality I think; I don’t know for certain” The boy then approached. “She didn’t tell me much. . . only that she helped protect people from monsters.” He frowned and approached you, taking the sling-ring and putting it back on the shrine. “The masters gave her some gifts before she left training; it got too much for her.” He explained as he returned the ring back to the shine, “apparently. That’s what they told me at the funeral.”

So you were right. You felt your heart grow heavier as you knelt at the shrine, looking over the familiar items. Why would HYDRA kill Ashley? You felt grief wash over you, you didn’t know this woman, and yet you were mourning. Standing up, you looked around the room.

“Did Ashley have any enemies? Anybody she would avoid?” Bob asked. 

“No. She didn’t tell me anything. She kept most of her secrets in that diary, but it’s in another language.” The boy pointed to the mantelpiece above the fireplace.

You took the diary and flicked through the pages. “I uh, don’t know what this is,” she looked at Bob and the boy, “Would you be okay if I take this? I think I know some people who could translate this.” The boy nodded.

Bob glanced at you. “Do you think they’ll help? Do you still have contact?” 

“Well, I hope so. They might have information too. I can try and get Fury to contact a sorcerer? I've heard there's one working with SHIELD, so I'll try; we can use anything we can get,” you slipped the diary into your pocket. “There are some other things I’ll have to take, but I’ll have to take pictures of the rest. Will you be okay with that?” 

The boy nodded again, approaching you, hope in his eyes. “If you find out, will you tell me?” 

“Of course I will. It’s your right to know what happened--“ Bob cut him off.

“Uh, Johnstone. You didn’t call for backup, did you?”  Bob calls out.. He stood next to the window. You looked at him, confused. What the hell was he on about? You approached him and addressed what he was looking at. 

Outside, three trucks surrounded the building. A dozen armoured agents climbed out, yelling orders to each other, all armed with rifles. Your  heart started pounded within your chest as you watched them push over the SHIELD bike. That wasn’t SHIELD. You snapped your head towards the boy and then the closet. “That’s not SHIELD.” You said urgently, pushing past Bob, hand going for your gun, “kid, get into the closet.” 

“Wait, why?”

“No questions. Get in the damn closet.” You said urgently, pushing him inside. “Do not leave until my partner or I say otherwise.” 

Unlatching your gun from the holster, you approached the door, peering through the peep-hole. Nothing was there besides empty hallway. You unlocked door, open opened it and peered outside, pausing and listening for noise. You had to hold her breath, it was hard to hear much with your heart beating so damn much; who knew it could be so damn loud?

From the bottom floor, a metal door clanged open, followed by footsteps rushing up the stairs. You slammed the door, pressed your back against it and locked it. Bob stared at you with concern. “Right, they’re coming upstairs. And we’re like six stories up. By my estimation, they’ll be here in a minute,” you said, walking into the living room, looking around for the young boy. “I can try and stall them.” Bob offered, taking out his gun, “you know what to look for.” He said, leaving the apartment. You were hesitant to let him go, but you didn't stop him. He was a good agent after all. Within seconds you could hear gunfire echoing throughout the hallway. You had to be quick.

Around the apartment, you looked, scanning through the bookshelves and loose clothing. If only this place was tidier would you’d be able to look for more stuff. You snapped pictures of the shrine and other things lying around. The majority of the stuff was nonsense but with how little time you had, it couldn't be perfect. Once she entered Ashley’s room, you snapped more pictures and snagged a rucksack from the floor. You threw the items into the backpack with great haste (which were pens, paper and a makeup kit) and stashed anything you could recognise to be sorcerer related. From the door, she heard a familiar voice. Anything that could have her DNA.

A voice came from the door.

“Can I help?” “No! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Get back in the damn closet!” You snapped, throwing the rucksack onto your shoulders before b-lining to the shrine. “But I can help get Ashley’s things. I know where she keeps–” “ Oh for fuck sake." You muttered under your breath stopping in the middle of the doorway, pointing at the door. "Any second a HYDRA agent is going to breach that damn door and you'll be in the crossfire," you said, pointing your finger harshly towards the door.

You watch his face drop. On one hand, you'd need all the help you could get.  “Okay fine! Go get them and stay away from the damn door. Put them in here, don’t overfill it.” She dropped the backpack onto the floor. “ --grab him!”

An unfamiliar voice screamed through your earpiece, followed by a grunt and pounding footsteps. A part of you hoped it was from another agent from another channel, but all signs pointed to Bob. “ KEIRA I’M COMPROMISED.” He screamed, static overloaded the radio, making it hard to hear him. You scrambled to the window and looked to see three agents tackling Bob to the ground and six agents darting towards the building’s entrance. Grabbing a nearby vase, you smashed the window and then shot at the agents. Two of the agents slumped onto the ground, giving Bob a chance to escape.

Within seconds HYDRA returned the bullets, forcing you to duck for cover, forcing the kid to join you.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. 

The door behind you slammed open. Bob entered , causing you to jump seven feet into the air. “Word of advice. Don’t disguise yourself as a HYDRA agent.” He joked.

However you could hear Bob's staggering breath; blood covered his clothing and his clothes looked as if he got in a fight with a bear. A red mark grew on Bob’s cheek, next to his bloody nose which he wiped away with his sleeve. “We need to get the hell out of here.” You didn't need to be asked twice.

------------------

@strangeobsessed, @shadowmarvelartist

[ Taglist ]

[moron-hassaikai-and-more]

Headcannon time cos we’ve not done that in a while. This is gonna be a long list of Tengai headcannons (and some backstory) and I don’t want it to take up my whole dash so… here vv

He originally applied to UA when he was a teenager but didn’t get in, since he had set his whole life on that and made no other plans, he ended up becoming a monk as he didn’t know what else to do.

His parents abandoned him when he was 3, as he was the result of his mother having an affair. He was found wandering the streets by a kind lady with an arctic fox quirk who took him in. She was a single mother of one, a little girl the same age as Tengai with a similar fox quirk to her, who’s name was Maisy. Tengai and maisy consider each other to be siblings and never cut contact, even after Tengai joined the Hassaikai.

Tengai’s favourite animals are jellyfish and Opossums and his favourite colour is orange. He wants to own pet jellyfish one day.

He has autism and I have evidence backing this: His mask doubles as a muffler which could be to block out loud sounds that could potentially trigger him, and he always has his eyes closed, which could to be avoid bright lights and to avoid eye contact. He’s also apparently very dedicated to the Hassaikai and was very dedicated to his old religious ways, which makes me think he hyper focused on them and made his life revolve around them. It also shows he always follows rules which, while isn’t necessarily an autism trait, it certainly can be.

Continuing on with his hyperfixations, Animals (but mostly Opossums and Jellyfish) have been a life long interest for him, he used to have one of pro heroes but after UA rejected him, it faded (though he still got a little excited when meeting Fatgum, even if it was in combat), he’s also had a life long fixation of music, which, despite him having to hide when he became a monk, he never lost passion for, i Headcannon he can play an ocarina and an acoustic guitar. He also has a less prominent interest in origami, he set himself a goal to make 1000 cranes while at the monastery and actually got pretty far in it, making it to around 800.

He got kidnapped once. He was 10 at the time, it was incredibly traumatic for him, while not much physical harm came to him, he’s now scared to walk outside alone, especially at night, and he’s scared of dogs, as there were a few in the place he got taken to and they tried to attack him multiple times. He was rescued by pro heroes after his adoptive mother reported him missing. She hasn’t yet told him the only reason the pro heroes acted on it was because he wasn’t the only child to go missing there, he was just the only one to survive…

Chrono met Tengai before Overhaul, when Hari got lost and had to got to the monastery for help. Tengai was the one to open the door and help him out. They ended up getting side tracked and talking about animals as both were very interested in them. Tengai ended up infodumping about Jellyfish for way too long and ended up dropping some hints about his quirk during that which Chrono took note of and reported to Overhaul. Chrono and Tengai ended up keeping in touch and once Kai recruited Rappa and needed a babysitter for him, he turned to Tengai immediately. Tengai accepted as he was honestly getting kind of annoyed with the strict life he’d been living for the last 6 years.

Due to sensory issues, he can only really eat beige foods like pasta/rice, cereal, chicken and potatoes. Anything with too much sugar or spice makes him want to throw up.

He’s either super sensitive to scent or just straight up can’t smell. Stuff like fish and mayo makes him gag, but that super expensive perfume Chrono’s wearing? Not even noticed it, even if he saw him put it on.

Because this is an AU where Eri actually gets treated well, there’s been some standoffs between her and Tengai over who gets the last apple when no one will be going shopping for a couple days.

That’s all I have that isn’t completely turning into a separate AU I have about him but yeah. I really like Tengai and I want to hug him.

[anime-rambles]

“Welcome Home Omega”

Pairing: Alpha Bakugou x Alpha Kirishima x Omega Reader

Type: ABO Dynamic, SFW  

Word Count: 2700+

A/N: I’m new to all this, but I dreamt about this the other night and really wanted to share this with everyone. I have a tone more to write, so please follow along and any feedback would be hugely appreciated. Thank you so much.

Summary: Omega y/n returns home to her pack after so many years aboard being a successful hero, now they fear begin rejecting by her pack and more importantly her alpha’s.

 *****************************************

“Everyone please welcome to the stage, the one you’ve all be waiting for, Pro-Hero Shadow…” a loud voice spoke into the microphone as I waited backstage. Once my name was called, I left the spoke I was hiding in and joined them. The crowd was screaming and shouting, holding banners of my name and posters with my face. This was something I didn’t expect to happen when I returned home to Japan from my many years abroad. I smiled towards the women on stage, already determining her as a beta.

“Welcome Shadow, to your first ever hero-con” She spoke to me looking in my direction. I brought my mic to my face,

“It’s so good to be here, look at all these people wow.” I smiled towards the crowd. The cheering began again.

“So shadow, how are you feeling being back in Japan and being high on the hero board, especially as an omega…” she continued on looking at me, this was something I was used to.

“It feels so good being back, I left Japan 6 years ago after I graduated with my friends/pack members from UA, which many of you know...” I waited for the screaming to stop before I continued. “I was faced with two choice really, be a omega hero that would only get 2 years in hero work before being forced to stop by the hero commission or I could leave my pack and go to America and have a really good hero career helping other omegas reach their potential and then come back home, I think you can guess what I chose” I said, and turned to the interviewer waiting for her reply.

Being an omega in Japan and America is very different from each other, especially in hero work. In Japan, you get an unspoken max of 2-year work and then often omegas go to desk jobs in hero agencies. In America, you can be a hero no matter your 2nd gender but the chance of being taken seriously as an omega is very slim and was something I worked hard at. During my time in America, I created an omega hero agency and left it all to the very capable hands of my sidekick, frostbite. It was my time to come home, I need my family back.

“So, tell me, does you pack know your back?” She asked with smile in her eyes.

“I mean, yes and no. Our pack is a big one and it was created when we were back in school. The time that I left, I had an agreement with the unmarked alphas that I would not contact them at all, but to know I was safe, I was only allowed contact with the omegas. So, they know” I replied, laughing slightly back.

“So, a lot of alphas in your pack, how does that work?” she pushed for an answer.

“I can’t really say, our pack dynamic is private, so I won’t tell you who or what position everyone is but, we have a main alpha who us our leader, they have a second and then we have one alpha that doesn’t really care and then one alpha who gave up their position years ago.” I replied smiling hoping she would not ask any more questions about the pack.

“That’s fine, tell me about your work as a hero omega and how difficult is” She asked again. This is something I could talk about openly. I took a deep breath and began to speak about the importance of separating your 2nd gender, from your workplace, and they it does not define you. Yes, you can still have a timid nature but do not let it halt your growth as a strong independent person. That if you want to be head of heart surgery you do it and tell those Alphas/ beats to shove it, its your time to shine. I continued until I felt the interviewer wanting to ask another question.

“Although I’m strong, I would not have gotten to where I am today without my pack, in public they treat me like a hero, not an omega. I mean it didn’t take long to do bu…” I went to say but was cut off.

“What do you mean, didn’t take long?” she interrupted. I hesitated for a bit, and then looked out into the crowd.

“Okay, I really should not be saying this, but he won’t mind. Okay so when our pack was created, I was never allowed to do anything, and it really annoyed me. So, when our first Alpha was being chosen, I kind of challenged Pro-Hero Dynamite…. And won.” I replied looking out into the crowd and everyone started cheering.

“Since then, I was treated like a person, not an omega. Well not in public, in private we still use the proper greetings.” I smiled and turned to the interviewer again.

“Wow, you are amazing. We all know your now number 5 on the hero board, can you remind everyone your quirk again.” She asked gesturing to my hands. I look down and noticed the black sut coating my fingers. I nodded and began to explain. I can create my own smoke from my body and ignite it. From this smoke I can create solid weapon and if I have enough smoke in the area, I can tell a person’s movements. I do have a drawback; the smoke uses up the oxygen from my blood and can make me pass out or it stains my skin with black smoke.

The interview continues and eventually is opened to fan questions, near the end of the questions. I notice the back wall starting to fill up with tall dark figures, already guessing that my pack got word I am here. Excitement rises through me, and I find it hard to sit still.

“Well, I think the cats out of the bag your home, Shadow” the interviewers says to me gesturing to the back wall. Light shines to the back wall, standing there when their arms crossed is Pro-heroes Dynamite, Red Riot, Deku and Chargebolt who is waving crazy towards me. I laugh to myself, locking eyes with Bakugou lowering my head slightly.

“I guess so” I reply, and the cheering slowly dies down.

 ************************************

While sitting at my signing booth, listening to some amazing stories from fans. I hear my name being called the curtain behind me. I have a break from the fans for a second and approach the curtain.

“Hello, little omega.” The voice says, as I instantly know its Bakugou. I smile to myself, wanting to rip the curtain away and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Hello Bakugou, don’t move the curtain, I can’t look at your right now” I say honestly.

“Okay, at least put your hand through the curtain, Kiri’s here to.” He replies nudging the curtain. I sigh, it’s been 6 years and I can barely hold myself together with he thought of being back with my family but being a hero right now is what I need to do.

“Okay, but only quickly I have to get back” I whisper, and slowly put my right-hand backwords them. Instantly I can feel like touching my hand and kissing it.

“Can’t smell you omega, how come?” Kirishima asks.

“Stupid American pheromone blockers, I’ll take them off later at home, promise.” I say and pull my hand back to finish quickly and get back to my family and quickly as I can. I can hear both alphas walk away, and I pull my hand to my chest.

*********************************************

Hero-con is over, and I can finally come home. After we all graduated, everyone pulled their money together and we bought a huge house together which allowed all of us to live together as a pack. Before I left, I entered a relationship with Bakugou and Kirishima but now I do not know if they still want me in a dynamic with because they’ve been an Alpha/Alpha relationship for 6 years. I don’t’ even have a room anymore, Denki took it when I moved to America. There might be room, I think, Midoriya (A) and Todoroki (A/O) have a room, Sero (B) and Mina (B) have a room, Shinso (A), Jirou (B) and Denki (O) all have separate rooms even though they are together which leaves Bakugou (A) and Kirishima (A) who have the biggest room. I could always share with Denki until I find a new place, I say to myself as I knock on the front door.

I wait patiently, until the door is opened revealing a very excited Denki. Practically jumping on the spot.

“Y/N YOU’RE HOME.” He shouts while throwing himself into my arms. I hug back, I breath him in and tears start to fill my eyes.

“Oi sparky, you know the rules. She needs to follow the greetings as she’s been away for so long.” Says Bakugou with his arms crossed. I enter the house and look around seeing everyone in their groups. I cannot believe I am home.

I quickly great Mina and Sero first, presenting our pack mark and then onto hugs. Next, I go straight over to Shinso, presenting my neck to show I am not a threat to his omega or beta. Which he simply nods and as these dynamics, Shinso does not really care for. I great Jirou and then great Denki properly by touching our noses together. I approach Midoriya next as he used to be the main Alpha who brought us all together, I greeted him the same way as Shinso but instead Midoriya threw his arms around me puling me into a hug.

“Please never leave again, Bakugou’s been impossible” He whispers into my ear. I laugh looking over his shoulder to a very anger Bakugou. I turn to Todoroki who is half Omega/Alpha, I greet him the same way as Denki, I know he prefers that greeting than the alpha one. Its finally time to see if they still want me. Kirishima is practically beaming at Bakugou side. I approach with my head down; I can feel everyone’s eyes on me as I approach him. As he is lead Alpha, I must wait to see what he will do.

“Still can’t smell you omega.”  Bakugou announces loudly.

“There’s a pheromone implant in my neck, Alpha, see you can feel it.” I reply, taking his hand to my neck. In American you are not allowed to use pheromones in public, so for hero work you must use an implant to block it. Bakugou feels my neck and I can tell he is not happy. He grabs me by my neck, slamming me on the wall behind him. Everyone runs forward but Kirishima stands forward stopping them. Telling them it must happen and that Bakugou won’t hurt me, much.

With his claw Bakugou cuts into my neck to pull the impact out, I do not make a sound and only look at him in the eye. It must be done, and I know he will not hurt me. Once the implant is out. Bakugou lends forward and breathes me in. He hesitates, and calls Kirishima over. Kirishima looks between the two of use and breaths me in.

“Oh, y/n, you should’ve come home sooner.” Kirishima says, pulling me towards him for a hug.

“Please, Bakugou, get rid of the rest they can’t see me like this.” I whisper.

“Oi, extra’s don’t you have a party tonight. Your hotels have your clothes, now get lost.” Bakugou calls out, looking at them all. No one moves.

“NOW!” Bakugou yells, using his alpha voice and everyone leaves.

As soon as the door closes, I start to cry. Six years of being all alone hit me at once, yes it was my plan to be a strong hero, its hard to do it without your pack or alphas.

“The first sign of your omega depression, you should’ve come home little one.” Kirishima says whispering into my hair.

“How could I, I would’ve let you all down and all other omega’s out there without a voice, so what I had to go through omega depression….. more than once.” I say back looking up into Kirishima’s eyes. Bakugou stands beside us, looking slightly smaller.

“Bakugou, go run a bath,” Kirishima calls out and Bakugou follows his orders.

“Wait, what’s going on. Bakugou what are you doing” I ask, looking confused. Bakugou leans over the stairs to look at me.

“Kirishima’s the Alpha now, we’ll the others haven’t picked up on it yet because we haven’t publicly fought, but he’s been the main Alpha for a while now, I can’t be number one all the time now can I.” Bakugou replies with a smile. I look to Kirishima who still holds me but is beaming with love as he watches Bakugou. I try to pull away from his arms. It is stupid why did I think this would work. They do not want me anymore, I just know. Kirishima noticed how I suddenly changed but decided not to say anything.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and smelling natural.” He says, picking me up with no issues. He climbs the stairs and I place my head into his scent gland in his neck. I notice that neither him nor Bakugou do not have a claiming mark yet. Once we reach the top of the stairs, I see my old bedroom door and ask Kirishima to put my down, he walks ahead to the double doors at the end of the hallway. Which is their room.

“I’ll only stay for tonight, and then I’ll find somewhere else to live, I don’t even have a room here anymore.” I say to Kirishima which makes him freeze.

“Silly omega, come here.” He replies, gesturing me to follow. I start to hear the water running in their private bathroom. Kirishima opens the door and lets me enter the room first.

The first thing I can smell is the strong smell of Alpha but slowly a familiar smell enters, I look around the room and see my stuff. Things that I had left behind, my paintings, photos of the three of use. The queen size bed with three sets of pillows, big enough for all of us. I look around and notice a curtained canopy hiding something. I look to Kirishima who leans on the door frame by the Bathroom and nods. I breath in again and noticed the familiar smell but I am not able to pinpoint it yet.

I pull back to curtain and freeze. “Is that m..” I say unable to finish as I look down, tears filling my eyes. Bakugou comes out of the bathroom and leans on the opposite side to Kirishima. I look at the two of them and then look down at my old nest, they kept it, they really kept it. I can’t speak, only cry. Bakugou comes over to me and hold me bringing me towards the bathroom. Kirishima entered first. He began to undress and tied back his long hair, He entered the bath first, as Bakugou began to undress me as my emotions were betraying me at his moment. There was nothing sexual about this moment, it was about Alpha’s taking care of their Omega. Bakugou lifted me and lowered me into the water to sit in Kirishima’s lap, he quickly undressed and joined us.

I started to calm down, feeling I could now speak. “So, you mean, you have forgotten me, and you still want to be with me.” I ask looking down at my hands. Kirishima wraps his arms around me more and places his head into my scent gland breathing me in, tickling me slightly.

“Of course, silly omega, we’ve wanted you since the day you knocked me on my ass.” Bakugou replied leaning in to kiss me.