#but i will not forge the results. this is what they got!

[lovphobic]

i was tagged by @nuclearstorms umm three weeks ago (oops) to do THIS uquiz for my ocs! thank u bestie mwah mwah mwah

i am not sure who to tag because ummm all of my oc mutuals either tag me in these or are tagged with me in these. so. um. if u have ocs and want to do this then i tag u :)

— 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞?

𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 . . . 𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯

your heart is very lonely, isn’t it? is your fortress of ice self-made? are others afraid of you, or are you afraid of them? are you afraid of hurting them, or of being hurt? vulnerability and connection can be frightening, but that’s no reason to shy away from their light, to tuck yourself small into corners, to build up frigid walls to keep yourself from feeling. you will heal when you allow yourself to draw closer to the flames and thaw.

𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕 . . . 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴

who are you without the company of others? you aren’t sure, but you know that you aren’t fond of whoever it is. you are an actor, a pretty face and a pleasant song. many idolize you, or love you, but you can never be sure of how sincere it is. your heart is buried under the letters they leave you, sealed with a kiss. it can’t be untangled from the red strings they’ve attached to you. you deserve to find something, someone, true and faithful to hold your heart in place. you don’t have to be everything to everyone.

𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒚𝒔 . . . 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳, 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩

your chest is wide open, and your heart is a home. others are welcomed in readily and asked to stay. you are comfort and love, everything you were never given but so desperately want to provide for others. you have built this welcoming hearth with your own two hands and won’t see anyone else left out in the cold. be careful to not burn yourself out trying to keep everyone else warm.

𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒂 . . . 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯, 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦

your heart has been torn before, chipped and maybe even shattered. some pieces will never be recovered, and you are shaped by the loss. but it can still be shaped into something tangible, something good, even with its flaws and imperfections. you don’t have to do all the work of rebuilding by yourself. allow other hands to leave their fingerprints on the new heart you create from the remnants.

[dailybaizhu]

ur elaborated thoughts on the 'baizhu went to sumeru akedemiya' hc ?

45: he failed his test :(

[trekkie-polls]

I limited options to regular cast members, before nutrek. From there I tried to think who got the least character development / fewest story lines from each series. But it’s all subjective, you could want to see more of any character!!

For bonus points tell us what you wanted to know about that character or what stories you wanted about them. I always thought it was unfair that we only saw Geordi’s parents on a zoom call, and Beverly’s grandmother as a corpse. Every other tng character got at least one episode featuring their parents.

Also, we never even learned if Chakotay is mononymous, or if he’s not, if Chakotay is his first or last name. (*Side eyes prodigy season 2 👀* I got high hopes for you kid.)

[maria-from-ga]

I can't believe Teen Titans is officially 20 years old today. My favorite animated show and one of the best imo. It got me through a lot of shit & means the world to me

Starfire- the Heart

My favorite character on Teen Titans, and still my favorite hero.

A joyful person who loved the world around despite its cruelty. An immigrant who loved her culture yet always struggled w/ her sense of place and being an outsider like me. Her journey becoming more sure of herself & her place & an advocate for other outsiders like Red Star is beautiful one.

Cyborg- The Lynchpin

A extroverted, disabled black hero who had a deep internal struggle to accept that his disability doesn't contradict, but strengthens his humanity

His main arc on what it means to be a 'man' - that he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone but instead be sure of himself. As a black hero, his defiance being rewarded, not shamed, resulting in victory in the end is still one of my favorites TT03 arcs

Raven- The Inspiration

When I was younger, I was embarrassed to admit how much I was like Raven bc I hated feeling like a closed-off outcast.

But now understanding Raven as a closed-off person who hid her emotions in spite of how she cared (which was the most out of anyone) to protect everyone. Who constantly fought for good despite being deemed a curse bc she hoped for better- Raven is an inspiration

Her journey to accept her emotions & forge her own destiny and not give into despair is one of the best arcs in all animation

Beast Boy, the Wild Card

To be honest, I despise his immaturity when I was younger.

Now I know he was just a kid trying to be happy despite his hardships (like terrible parentals & Terra).

His season of growing up, learning to let go, and building a team of underrated/inexperienced heroes like himself to defeat Brotherhood of Evil against all odds when all hope was lost was peak

Robin- the Leader

Finally, the Boy Wonder, what else is there to say?

A character so flawed, struggling w/ anger, darkness, and obsessiveness, but will go to war for his friends, & sacrifice all for those he loved.

Learning to let people in and that he can be more than hero. Best Robin adaptation we have seen.

Not just the core 5, but the entire Titans family was amazing. Characters who left an impact despite limited screentime. Más y Menos, Thunder and Lightning, Titans East, Speedy, Hotspot, Kole, and too many to name. With the best Bumblebee we have ever had in any media.

Thank you so much to Glen Murakami, David Slack, Amy Wolfram, Sam Register, Derrick Wyatt (RIP), Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, Greg Cipes, and so many countless others in the cast & crew for giving this to me and so many others.

Forever grateful for the Titans' stories & memories & for Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 52

Sorry for the long wait! I got a bit distracted with the new series...

The biofields on Gallifrey are so active that they can keep non-Gallifreyans young. For example, Leela had not aged even after 25 years on Gallifrey. (Audio: Spirit)

The Tenth Doctor recalled that Jamie McCrimmon used to hide the Second Doctor's recorder from him. (Comic: The Forgotten)

The TARDIS chose a name for herself but never told anyone (including the Doctor) what it was. (Short story: Toy Story)

By some accounts, the First Doctor was unaware of Sol prior to running away from Gallifrey. On the other hand, Susan had learned about the solar system and the planet Earth in the classes she took on spatial cartography. (Audio: The Beginning)

The Forge salvaged a Gallifreyan sarcophagus, which is a type of hibernation unit. When the Seventh Doctor, Ace, and Hex opened it, they found an older version of the Doctor inside. (Audio: A Death in the Family)

The Seventh Doctor kept a calendar keeping track of when his friends would die, which is how he knew about Evelyn. (Audio: A Death in the Family)

The Third Doctor possessed an obedience spray. When he used it, he could make people follow his orders. (Comic: Undercover)

The First Doctor used to skip class at the Academy to practice juggling and yo-yoing. (Novel: Match of the Day)

John Smith - an amnesiac Decayed Master - once treated the Seventh Doctor, removing his clothes after they had been charred by a lightning strike and wrapping him in wet towels to ease the pain. Feeling that the Doctor could help restore his memories, John Smith fell into a reverie next to the Doctor and forgot about his other guests at the time. He gave the Doctor water when he woke up and warned him not to move because of the physical trauma he had gone through. (Audio: Master)

When a Time Lord truly goes mad, a part of their mind becomes lost, referred to as Dark Design. This unleashes the dark part of their minds. Those affected by Dark Design are hidden away in institutions. (Novel: Falls the Shadow)

This Dark Design is a true evil within the very DNA of Time Lords. While unaffected Time Lords effectively stabilize space-time, a Time Lord suffering from Dark Design might have the effect of changing the future and the past like a virus. (Novel: The Infinity Doctors)

Dark Design is a lot more intense than Time Lord Insanity and enters mental spaces unfathomable to other species. (Novel: SLEEPY)

Omega was affected by Dark Design and as a result was able to summon an embodiment of his dark side. (Short story: A History of the Universe; TV: The Three Doctors)

The Seventh Doctor had met no sufferers of Dark Design native to his time. However, he knew of possible futures where he would become affected. (Novel: Falls the Shadow)

The above points are particularly interesting when you take into account several incidents in DW Canon. For one, the Master said, "There is some evil in all of us, Doctor, even you. The Valeyard is an amalgamation of the darker sides of your nature, somewhere between your twelfth and final incarnation, and I may say you do not improve with age." Furthermore, the Doctor’s dark side was once again manifested later on as the Dream Lord. There was an additional manifestation of the Doctor’s darkness (or, the weak, insecure, lonely aspect) somewhat dormant in the Sixth's subconsciousness. (TV: The Ultimate Foe, Amy's Choice; Audio: The Widow's Assassin)

First 1 Prev 51 Next 53

[web-novel-polls]

Web Novel Weapon Tournament

[Please be courteous in the notes. Don’t make me block you.]

Ruoye - Xie Lian’s spiritual device (TGCF)

Wiki Link

Submission:

Ruoye is technically a demonic weapon or whatever as it doesn't need spiritual power to control, but that also might just be because it's sentient and has a will of it's own but is deeply loyal to Xie Lian obviously. Ruoye can extend REALLY far!!! And he can form protection barriers, and decapitate zombies, and chop vegetables. There's nothing this good bandage baby can't do!! Peak performance! AND it'll pretend to do a snake dance while Xie Lian plays an instrument while busking!! Isn't that adorable! Xie Lian wears it on his wrists usually, and sometimes Ruoye will like tighten or rub his wrists to express fear or comfort Xie Lian and its so cute. Ruoye is so good. Personally I think despite Ruoyes background being like. Horribly tragic, thats what makes it so Good. All that pain and suffering made this thing that ended up protecting Xie Lian all these 800 years. But I left it last in case it's too much.  (tw suicide mention) Ruoye was created after being soaked in Xie Lian's blood when it was used to tie him up while various people stabbed him with a sword a hundred times. Then when he was able to return home, it was used by his parents to kill themselves for a variety of reasons we won't get into. Then, upon finding them, he tried to kill himself too. But his cursed shackles prevented his mortal body from dying, so when he died he just came back; he came back to a silk bandage that after taking the life of 2 royals, and being soaked in the blood of a royal and former god and stuff, it came to life!! With resentment technically. But he's a good boy.

E-ming - Hua Cheng’s cursed scimitar (TGCF)

Wiki Link 

Submission:

E-ming is the best boy. Hua Cheng forged his saber when he was defending humans who got caught in the middle of a big ghost battle for dominance, essentially. He dug out his cursed red eye and created E-ming from it. So his eye is on the pommel of the sword, right in the center above the handle, and it emotes!! When its happy, the eye curves into a crescent and it vibrates!!! It cries when Hua Cheng is mean to it in a fucked up sense of self loathing since his sword is born from him!! E-ming grows bigger when Xie Lian(Hua Cheng's god and eventual husband) kisses the blade, because silly erection joke! But also it begs Xie Lian for praise and attention because its BEST. BOY. Oh and I guess also the entirety of the heavens fears the cursed blade E-ming, which has the power to reopen any wounds its made an on an individual before. Just the thought of E-ming makes gods shake in their boots. But more importantly, he's best boy.

[lurkingshan]

I've been thinking a lot about the depictions of generational trauma and parental accountability being presented in dramas lately. Since you've watched way more than me, especially outside of BLs, what are some shows that present or include parental accountability?

This is such a good question and one I have been thinking about a lot since Last Twilight episode 10 aired. Westerners often assume that because of Asian cultural norms around filial piety, parental authority, and respect for elders, we can never expect satisfying parental accountability in our Asian drama narratives. But that's not true! It's been done and done well. It’s because these values are so deeply embedded in most Asian cultures that Asian creators are the best positioned to speak on the harms they can cause, and will often embed these themes in their work.

Now, there is an important distinction to make here: the difference between what characters do, and what the story communicates. A character may choose to abide by honoring their parents at all costs, but the story can still communicate how harmful that is. A character may never apologize for something they have done wrong, but the story can still make it clear they have fucked up and hold them accountable for that via tangible consequences. Here are a few examples from bl to illustrate what I mean, and the different ways this can show up in dramas.

Bad Buddy

One of the most obvious examples of parental accountability in genre, and also a pretty full metal version of it. This entire story is about the damage Ming and Dissaya did their sons with their decades-long feud and insistence on pushing that trauma down on their children, and we got some extremely cathartic scenes of Pat and Pran telling their parents exactly what they thought about that. Of course, even though they raged at their parents, they never got the apologies they deserved (and likely never will) and still had to hide their relationship to appease their parents going forward. But that doesn't mean there was no accountability here. The entire narrative held these parents accountable by showing us how they were harming their sons, forcing them to reckon with it, and ultimately showing them settling into a form of resigned acceptance.

Until We Meet Again

This entire show is about Korn and In's reincarnated souls healing from the trauma of their tragic ending, which was brought upon by the familial pressure and rejection they experienced from their fathers. We not only saw Dean and Pharm work through this trauma and forge new bonds with family members, we saw the direct aftermath of their first deaths, the despair and regret their families felt, and the ceremony that tied their souls together as a result. It's big karmic accountability on a grand scale, and the show never flinched from letting us see exactly how much harm was caused by these parents, or how the tenets of filial piety resulted in Korn's despair that he couldn't be what his father wanted. Even more crucially, we were shown, not just told, the counterpoint impact of good parenting, when Dean and Pharm were accepted by their families in their second life.

Blueming

A rare example of an Asian parent being called to the carpet, feeling the wrongness of their actions, and actually apologizing for it. This does in fact happen in drama! Si Won's mom raised him to hate himself, to be ashamed of his body, to fake his way through life so people would like him, and boy did it do a lot of damage. The story showed us how this affected Si Won and his relationships deeply, and brought him to the point where it finally burst out of him. And his mom, to her credit, was dismayed to understand what she had done to her son. This show also gets bonus points for Da Un standing up to his own mother after she interferes in the film contest.

Bed Friend

Uea's mother's sins against him are numerous, and I will not go into them all in detail to spare my own sanity. She is an abusive parent so horrific that she can never be forgiven, and doesn't need to be. An apology from her would be utterly meaningless. Instead, the drama holds her to account via showing us what she's done to Uea and the work he has to do to heal from the trauma she caused, and ultimately having her son cut her out of his life. It's the biggest consequence she can ever face for her choices and that Uea finds the courage to do it is the story's biggest triumph.

What Did You Eat Yesterday?

On the subtler end of the scale, we have our beloved KNT, which weaves parental accountability through its story in the long, slow journey for Shiro's mother to accept who he is and the partner he has chosen in life. What I love most about this particular depiction is that it's not at all linear in nature. We see her make strides by finally acknowledging Kenji and inviting him to her home, and then backtrack by rescinding the offer due to her own discomfort, and then include him in her family planning to ensure he will be cared for after her death. She’s homophobic and traditional, but she loves her son and sees how much happier he is with Kenji in his life. She is constantly reckoning with that tension. And Shiro and Kenji, being of an older generation themselves, don't hold it against her, even as the show makes sure we understand how much it hurts them. They are not okay with it, but they do understand why she's like this, so they take what she can give and forgive the rest. It's a really touching portrayal of this kind of impasse in a family.

Moonlight Chicken

There are several different vectors of parental accountability in MLC. There is Heart confronting his parents over their neglect and abuse and finally demanding to be treated with dignity. There is Li Ming directly calling out his mother for how her life choices have affected him. And there is Li Ming and his surrogate dad, Jim, working out their issues so that they can communicate better, and so that Jim can learn to stop pushing his own fears and anxiety down onto the next generation. All of it handled with deftness, with care, and with clear purpose to examine the ways intergenerational trauma can perpetuate in the absence of accountability.

[papyrjam]

the crossover no one asked for but (i) desperately needed: dungeon meshi/survivor

tribe breakdowns and first tribal results because you KNNOOOW falin's gonna be one of those "everyone else here deserves it more!!!" first outs. she probably beefs a section of the first physical challenge and assumes a majority of the blame despite everyone else saying otherwise

edge of extinction for an excuse to 1. make falin hang out with anyone else who gets eliminated and 2. the juicy drama of who comes back from the edge of extinction post-merge looking absolutely FUCKED UPPPP and *hungry*......to WIN

marcille also wears her buff as a little bow scrunchie around her partial ponytale ala my favorite winner, bob <3

kabru is doing amazing pre-merge forging alliances and the second the merge hits and he has to meet laius it's so joever. kabru is crazy and wants him OUT but he can't propose it without sounding like he's playing too hard. he is constantly looking for immunity idols.

chilchuck follows show rules to a T: you can rifle through anyone and everyone's shit as long as you don't steal anything! he is also constantly looking for an immunity idol. he lies about his job, his family, EVERYTHING is kept up tight during down time. BUSINESS.

so my opinion is: unless you got senshi out pre-merge, he is winning. he is just going to win just like bob. he's affable, he's capable, he's smart -- give! the dilf! the million dollars!

and finally: no matter what happens. the second that there is a food auction, a food reward, a food anything - marcille activates every cell in her body bc she wants to win so badly. there ain't many cells to activate after withering away but she wants it!!

[khristie16]

The Fast and Forbidden

Charles is a famous F1 driver with everything one could want: fame, fortune, and fans. But he is missing one thing. Being his new personal assistant changes everything for both of them.

— chapter 2 An unspoken connection gradually weaves between them—forged through chess, shared glances, and a mysterious musical encounter.

warnings: sweet af, sexual tension, invading privacy (not the intention), sentimental and romantic author's note: hi guuys, i missed you, uni gets the best of me the past couple months. I received some new requests and I have them all saved for future work. Don't worry, now I have more free time:) stay awesome! taglist: @buendiabebeta, @pondysselth, @clomo12345, @naty-1001, @maxv33rstappen, @f1lov3r, @cmleitora

The next day, I found myself 10,000 meters in the sky, going at such a fast speed that I was relieved my stomach didn't protest. Our destination was Charles's home. I'd never been to Monaco, and my curiosity grew as we got closer. What would it be like standing in the middle of a street, taking in all the beautiful scenery with my own eyes? I adore the sea and warm weather, the culture, and the food. I appreciate different things. That's one more reason I took this job — the chance to travel. It can really shake up your whole routine, but the opportunity to see Monaco and Singapore in less than a week was unimaginable just two months ago. Thank goodness this job pays well.

Watching Charles absorbed in his iPhone made me feel unwelcome. It seemed like I could make funny faces, and he wouldn't even notice. It wasn't a new feeling for me. Sometimes, during quiet nights, I wondered why he was so distant, especially when I'd seen him be a sunshine around others. Initially, I thought it was because we were purely business for each other. But that could apply to anyone on the Ferrari team. Maybe I was overthinking it, and the simple reason was that he just didn't like me. I decided to let it go; there were better things to focus on. Tilting my head, I wondered if things might improve over time. Silently grumbling, I readjusted my seat, still lost in thoughts about him.

"Hey, do you play chess?"

I looked at him like he was an alien and gulped nervously. Yes, I had played chess — once. And to top it off, I was still learning the basics. Not something I was proud of, but hey, not everyone can be Ron Weasley. I laughed like a maniac at my own joke, resulting in his raised eyebrows.

"Sorry… and no, I've never learned."

Surprise and interest showed in his body language as he leaned closer, his blue T-shirt moving against his skin. With a surprisingly high-pitched voice, he laughed.

"Really?"

Fire me or spare me, but please, not this. I didn't know where to focus first — on his beautiful dimples or the fact that he just laughed at me? The smile vanished from his face as he seemed to notice my confusion, but he still smiled with his eyes.

"I mean, I'm surprised. It's like when Carlos once told me he listens to jazz in the morning."

I burst into laughter. It sounded so much like Carlos.

"I just thought you played chess. You look so serious."

Okay, this is getting worse. I must have looked like a crazy woman with diagnosed schizophrenia, and he tells me I look serious? Tell that to a woman, and you shut her down completely. Readjusting my seat again, I focus on the rug under the wooden table.

"I can teach you if you want."

Lifting my gaze, I try to find some hidden answers behind his green eyes, but all I feel is a hot sensation in the pit of my stomach. Wearing a white tank top, I know it's not because of the fabric. He's genuinely smiling, and I take a pause to exhale before nodding my head.

"Do you like to play a lot?"

I ask to smooth things between us, but he just nods and focuses back on the chess pieces on the board. Turning my head to the side, I notice that the closer, the less cloudy it is outside, and I feel an energetic shiver run down my spine.

"I always win. But for you, — I'll make an exception."

My heart stops beating. Why is it so hot in here all of a sudden?

After we landed, our shared ride slipped into an uneasy quiet. In the midst of my spontaneous chess lesson with Charles, laughter and focus filled the air, creating a vibrant atmosphere akin to the scattered energy of someone wrestling with ADHD. Amid our animated conversation, I lost track of our surroundings; the outside world turned into a distant blur.

A smile graced Charles's lips as he locked eyes with me. In that shared gaze, a fleeting connection unfolded. Happiness shimmered in his green eyes, and an unexplainable urge to draw closer wrapped around me. It felt as if his eyes held a depth I yearned to explore. However, the moment dissolved abruptly. Charles, with a subtle shift in demeanor, reverted to his usual aloofness, extinguishing the warmth that had briefly ignited between us.

"I got my keys copied for you in case you need something from my apartment," he offered, extending the keys.

An unexpected gesture left me grappling with a mix of surprise and uneasiness. Taking the keys, I delicately stashed them into my bag, careful not to make direct contact with his skin.

"My driver will first go to your place. Tell him the address," Charles instructed. Uncomfortable, I shifted in my seat, seeking distraction by scanning the outside world. Families strolled happily, painting picturesque scenes. A flicker of yearning for such simplicity rose within me—an ache for a love that protects and cherishes.

"YN?" Charles's voice interrupted my reverie, demanding my attention.

"I don't have a home," I stated matter-of-factly, my gaze returning to the outside world. Despite the nonchalant tone, the admission carried a weight that lingered in the air.

"I need to visit some company for renting a flat here."

I took in a deep breath, feeling the cool air settle around me. My eyes drifted down, observing how the white tank top hugged my body like a second skin, accentuating the curves beneath. Fingers idly played with the fabric, a quiet excitement brewing inside. In my mind, thoughts twirled, a hidden longing to peel away the clothing, exposing the vulnerability beneath. And this is what Charles does to me. And it is getting dangerous.

"I know a place," Charles declared. He reached for his phone, dialed a number, and engaged in a focused conversation. His determined expression and the play of his toned arms intrigued me. A heat lingered in the air, intensifying the atmosphere within the car.

"Ciao l'amigo," Charles spoke into the phone.

Charles's words flowed, a steady stream escaping his perfect pink lips. My gaze fixated on his profile, an intense scrutiny fueled by a hunger simmering beneath the surface —an irresistible force tempting me to devour him, a longing I hadn't anticipated when accepting this job.

The struggle intensified, threatening to override the professional boundaries I had naively assumed would be steadfast. As Charles's eyes met mine, a sudden freeze paralyzed me in place. His gaze lingered, delight evident in the subtle nuances of his expression, as if he sought to unveil the secrets hidden in the depths of my eyes. The hum of conversation from his friend acted as a backdrop to this silent exchange, heightening the tension that hung between us. I braced myself in anticipation, uncertain of what he sought to uncover.

Abruptly, his attention shifted, his head turning back to its previous position. A wide smile adorned his face as he concluded the call, the sheer charm of it momentarily rendering me breathless. Even without facing me, he seamlessly transitioned to a task on his phone, leaving me suspended in a state of uncertainty and unspoken intrigue.

"I found you a free apartment. Do not worry about money," he said, his attention now absorbed in his phone, leaving me to deal with the unexpected twist.

Days slipped away, and the looming Grand Prix trip to Japan demanded my attention. I meticulously handled remote tasks for Charles, consciously keeping a distance to avoid the unraveling of my composure under the weight of desire. Knowing Charles would be engrossed in a morning squash match with his brothers, I discreetly seized the opportunity to attend to a domestic task: swapping clean laundry for the soiled.

Entering his apartment, arms loaded with bags, I navigated purposefully down the hallway. A distant melody reached my ears, halting my steps. Recognizing the tune, my thoughts paused, and I followed the enchanting notes to their origin.

In the sunlit living room, a grand piano stood like a silent sentinel. There, orchestrating a melancholic melody, was Charles. Our eyes met as I stood there, and he smiled in response to the unexpected serenade.

"That's 'Sadness and Sorrow,'" I stated the obvious, and Charles observed me cautiously. Surprisingly, I overcame hesitation, moving closer and placing my hand on the piano keys. Each note, played with sincerity, carried a hum of remembrance. Charles shifted, creating space for me to join him. As I sat down, my focus on the piano, he positioned his hands beside mine, and we began to play in harmony.

Eyes closed, I allowed the music to transport me, feeling the warmth of our synchronized notes. The vibrational waves between us painted an imagined scene, where I lay on the sea's surface, gently swaying with the waves.

The room resonated with harmonious echoes, our shared melody creating a tangible connection between Charles and me. Vibrational waves seemed to ripple, as if an unseen force wove a tapestry of connection, binding our notes into a seamless symphony. Amid our synchronized play, the world around us faded, and I found myself transported to a different realm.

In my mind's eye, I lay on a mat, gently drifting atop the surface of a tranquil sea. The sun cast a warm embrace, painting the water with hues of gold and azure. The waves, like delicate fingers, played a tender serenade, cradling my body with rhythmic caresses. I surrendered to the immersive sensation, the music becoming the gentle current that carried us on this shared journey.

With Charles beside me, the connection forged through the shared music was palpable, creating a timeless moment where the ordinary world ceased to exist. It was a serendipitous encounter, a convergence of hearts and melodies, leaving me suspended in the beauty of our shared composition on the sea of music.

A genuine smile adorned my face as we played, stealing glances at Charles. His concentration on the music was profound, but when our gazes met, I detected an ocean of emotions in his eyes. The desire to caress his cheek and offer comfort overwhelmed me.

Our fingers danced on the keys, minds lost in the melody. As Charles and I maintained our gaze, I discerned a myriad of colors in his eyes, each shade revealing a facet of emotion that resonated with the melodic symphony we created. In this suspended moment, his face drew nearer, an invisible force pulling us together until we were so close that our breaths mingled, and the air became a shared essence.

The piano keys, now a conduit for our unspoken connection, echoed the final cadence of the song. With a delicate touch, my right arm, closer to him, found a resting place on my thigh, bridging the physical space between us. As the final chords resonated, the room held its breath, encapsulating the unspoken intensity of our shared musical communion. And Charles, hesitating only briefly, mirrored the gesture, his eyes lingering on my lips.

"You're the boat I would protect in my full stormy ocean," he spoke, and the sweet sentiment ignited warmth within. In that moment, nothing else existed but him and his words, a connection forged through music and unspoken understanding.

[nyankochan]

A Mother’s Love II

Malleus x fem!reader (platonic)

Summary

As a kid, Malleus had no parental figure outside of his grandmother. When at times she was too busy as queen, he found comfort in the embrace of one of his Royal guards, who happened to be Lilia’s lover.

TW: mentions of violence, miscarriage, depression

Part 1: here

word count: 2.5K

You hum a nameless tune whilst you help Malleus get ready for the day. You button up his shirt, taking careful consideration to not wrinkle the fabric. You slip a black sock on each foot and hook a pair of suspenders to his shorts. Malleus watches, being unusually quiet, as your dainty fingers delicately tie his bow tie around his neck.

“(Name)?”

“Yes, my prince?”

“What is that song you’re humming?”

You offer a smile. Some of Malleus’s black locs fall over his face, which you carefully slick back out his vision. You straighten the bow, pulling the entire outfit together in a cute, yet poised outfit for the heir of Briar Valley.

“Hm, it’s a song I heard so long ago that I forgot the words to it,” you say. “I can only remember the tune, but it was very special to me.”

“If it was so special to you, then why did you forget it?” Malleus asked innocently.

“I’m old my dear prince,” you chuckle. “Sometimes, we adults become forgetful as we age.”

“Oh…” Malleus pouts. You tilt your head in confusion, concerned by his sudden mood switch. “Does that mean, you’ll one day forget about me too?”

“My prince…” You kneel back down to his height and take his small hands into your own. You caress his palm with your thumb, a small yet comforting gesture. “There’s nothing in this world that could make me forget about you. You’re that special to me.”

“You won’t forget me even as you grow older?” Malleus asked hopefully.

“Not even after the day I die. I promise you that, Malleus.”

Malleus hugs you. The sudden force almost threw you off balance. Once steady, you reciprocate the gesture. His grip tightens, refusing to let go. For a while, you hold him, providing the warmth and security he needed.

Malleus never knew his parents. You vaguely remember them yourself, so you weren’t much help in educating him on them. Not like it really mattered to him. He had his grandmother, whom he adored. But with how busy Her Majesty was as queen, she couldn’t always spend time with him in the way she wanted. The next closest maternal figure he had was you, and Lilia could be considered a paternal model. Between the two of you, you practically raised Malleus. You witnessed his first steps. Comforted him during each nightmare, and even taught him bits of magic.

No matter how old you got, Malleus would always have a soft spot in your heart for he was the child you and Lilia could never have.

•••

Some years ago

For centuries, the fae and human race clashed. The two races had difficulties coexisting due to the imbalance of power. The fae, naturally gifted with magic, taught their skills to the weaker humans. As humans strengthened, they turned on their allies, and war broke out the battle for dominance.

Malleus’s grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Malefica attempted to forge peace between the two races, but it was a tedious process that often resulted in more fighting than compromise. You and Lilia were top commanders in the army, and often witnessed firsthand the treacherous outcomes of failed negotiations. Fighting between fae and human. Magic used carelessly that caused more destruction thad good. The loss of lives, some of your closest comrades, and others, innocent bystanders. The worst of them all: yours and Lilia’s unborn child.

“Lady Y/n? Can you hear me? Lady Y/n!”

You awake with a start. Gasps for air quickly turned into a pained wince. You recognize the medical wing by its ancient supplies and alcoholic scent. However, everything is hazy. And your body feels like it’s on fire, particularly in the abdomen region.

“My lady, are you all right?” The doctor asked. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Four?” You say confused. You grip your head feeling the headache coming on. “What happened?”

The doctor frowned, looking almost guilty. “Im sorry my lady but-“

Your heart sank. It started to return to you. The skirmish between Briar Valley and the Land of Heroes. They surprisingly had stronger mages and warriors than your troops anticipated. While you had more numbers, you were slowly forced to retreat when one of the mages used illegal transformation magic. Briar Valley’s Queen had a unique magic that allowed her to turn into a dragon. This mage used a phony knockoff spell that not only killed him and several of his comrades but many of your allies.

You remembered trying to save one of the younger cadets. In the process you were wounded. Your defense spell was overpowered but the enemy mage’s temporarily boosted magic. The flame attack burned through the skin and seared the lining of your stomach and parts of your uterus.

“I’m sorry to tell you this Lady Y/n, but you were six weeks along. Your uterus was so badly damaged in the attack that there was nothing I could do magic wise to save your child. I’m so sorry.”

You heart stopped in that moment.

You were pregnant?

With Lilia’s child?

You didn’t know. If you had did you never would’ve foolishly took to the battle field. Tears prickled your eyes and you felt yourself begin to hyperventilate. The heart monitor started beeping.

“Lady Y/n? Please calm yourself!” But the doctor’s words fell on deaf ears.

You were pregnant. You and Lilia were gonna be parents. And now that future was stripped away from you both for good.

•••

“(Name)?” Malleus calls, tugging on your sleeve. You snap back into reality becoming aware of your surroundings. The concerned prince stares at you, green eyes wide with worry.

“I’m sorry my prince, I seemed to have zone out,” you chuckled. “Shall we go get breakfast?”

“Can we get ice cream?” He asks hopefully. Your eye twitches, buy your do your best to hide your irritation. You swear, you regret the day Lilia got him hooked on it.

“Maybe later,” you say with a soft smile. “How about some pancakes?”

Luckily, the young child’s eyes sparkle nonetheless. “Yay! Pancakes!” He raises his arms to be picked up, which you do without a second thought.

As you walk down the long halls to the kitchen, the prince excitedly babbles, talking about all the things he wanted to do with you for the day, including taking a walk through the gardens, visiting the gargoyle statues by the palace entrance, and wanting to go to the town. You just smile and nod along, not quite sure how to fulfill all his requests in a singular day. After all, you had other responsibilities to handle that you usually took care of when Malleus went down for a nap, one being filling out some of the military reports.

You weren’t as active in the military as you used to be. But, you supposed the fighting spirit never died and you wanted to help out the best you could despite what happened in the best. You never stepped foot on the actual field since then, but you will still train recruits from time to time and it was best you handled any paperwork instead of leaving it to Lilia. He didn’t have your patience to fill out several page reports, and if Her Majesty wanted anything to be legible, let alone done, it was best to let you handle the tedious tasks.

Once in the kitchen, you begin gathering the ingredients to begin breakfast. Usually, Malleus wanders off but today, he was insistent on helping you. Which you didn’t mind.

“Ok, just add a cup of flour into that bowl,” you instruct. Malleus nodded. He holds the measuring cup with two hands, intently focusing on the bowl. He tilts the cup over, but the flour was packed into the cup and didn’t come out right away. Malleus wore a confused look and tapped the bottom a little too hard. The flour falls out in a clump, kicking up a cloud of white dust that covers his face. He blinked a few times in confusion.

You snicker, trying to bite back your laughter. Malleus pouts and looks to be on the verge of tears. “Now now, no need for the waterworks,” you say, taking a wet towel to wipe his face. “What’s baking without a little mess?”

“You’re not mad?” Malleus whimpers, rubbing his eyes.

“Mad? Least you got majority in the bowl!” You scoff. “Lilia couldn’t even do that even if I did it for him.”

You loved your husband. You really did. But cooking, baking or anything really involving being in the kitchen was just not his forte. He had no affinity for it at all. It made you wonder how in the hell did he survive centuries on his own before you two got together. Lilia couldn’t even make a scrambled egg properly. Last time he did, it was simultaneously burnt and purple.

“Lilia really can’t cook, huh?” Malleus said in between giggles.

“Not even a little, so it’s my job to make sure you don’t end up like him.” You ruffle Malleus’s hair before picking up a whisk and giving it to him. “Come now. You only grow if you learn from your mistakes.”

It took longer than usual, but you and Malleus finished the batter. You were patient with the boy, letting him take his time measuring out ingredients and only guiding him slightly when it came to storing things in. You only took back over when it came to using the stove, because he was still a little too young to work with the heated device.

In the end, he was quite proud of himself when the finished product came out a crisp golden brown.

“It’s so good! Do you think grandma would like some?” Malleus asked as he shoveled more food into his mouth. You smile softly.

“I’m sure Her Majesty would greatly appreciate your sentiment.”

You two were enjoying each other’s presence and the calmness of the morning. The skyline was an ombré of oranges. Your tea had finally cooled off enough for it to not burn your tongue. Although Malleus was now sticky from syrup, he nearly cleaned his plate with no complaints.

That calmness was soon interrupted by a frantic servant running into the dining room.

“Lady (name)! Lady (name)!”

Her sudden entrance startled you and you spilt a bit of tea on to your shirt. “Dear, what’s the commotion so early in the day?” You ask, trying to wipe the stain.

“I’m sorry, my lady, but Lord Vanrouge returned in a frantic haste. He told me he needed your presence immediately!”

Your heart skipped a quick beat. “I apologize, but please watch the prince for me!” Without a second thought you teleported away.

Malleus stared, mouth slightly agape, at your now empty seat. Tears began to pool in his green eyes. “(Name)….”

•••

You soon arrive at your destination: the infirmary. You and Lilia had a special link that you both created once you were finally married. The link allowed you both to transport to the other in an instant regardless of where they were. It took a lot of magic to enact the seal and couldn’t be broken. You quite literally threatened Lilia with his life to don’t do anything to betray your trust in the relationship. The bond was about as sacred as the wedding band on your finger.

Never mind that.

Your current concern was your husband that was pacing the room while a few doctors scrambled around the room.

“Lilia!”

Lilia perked up at your call. He quickly rushed to you and grabbed your hands. “Dearie, thank goodness you’re here!”

“Whatever is the matter?” You brush Lilia’s bangs out of his face. He looked clearly distressed and their was a bit of blood trickling down his temple from an open wound. “You’re hurt!”

“Never mind me. Come here-“

He led you urgently too where the doctors were gathered: a small bassinet where a small infant lay. The baby had pale skin that was clearly flushed red with fever. They also had silvery white hair and the clothes were by no means suitable for a child that small. They were dirty, ripped and exposed open abrasions that who knew how old they were. You gasp.

“Oh my god, Lilia! You stole a child?!”

“No! What do you take me for?!” Lilia exclaimed. “I found this little one alone in an abandoned cabin on my excursion. He was in bad shape, but I don’t know much about caring for a human child. With your medical knowledge and experience, I figured you were the best to call.”

You trace a finger around the baby’s ears which you notice were not pointed like fae’s. The baby cringed and then began to wail. You take the stethoscope from the doctor and then look to your husband.

“Let me see what I can do.”

Lilia placed a kiss on your temple. “Thank you, dearie.”

After a thorough check up as well as treating the baby’s injuries, you thankfully found nothing too serious. He had early symptoms of pneumonia that were luckily caught soon enough to begin some treatment. Other than that, the baby just had signs of exhaustion and hunger.

Once you had the child bathed, you had Lilia bring some of Malleus’s old baby clothes that didn’t fit anymore. You swaddled the infant tightly and held him close against your chest protectively. He was a heavy sleeper, only briefly opening his eyes periodically to showcase a stunning set of violet irises.

“Do you think this child’s parents are looking for him?” You ask Lilia, who sits on a nearby chair with a heavy sigh.

“I’m not sure. There wasn’t anyone for miles. I think the poor fella’s been abandoned.”

Your heart aches. You wonder who would be so heartless to leave a baby, let alone a child, by themselves to get sick and possibly die. It angered you and at the same time, made you extremely sad.

“Lilia,” you begin. “If it’s alright with you and Her Majesty, I’d like to keep the child for the time being.”

Lilia looks to you with surprise. “(Name)-“

“He has no where else to go,” you interrupt. “Please? I couldn’t bare to send him off to someone who may not provide him with the same love and care I know we can.”

Lilia remains silent, pondering what you said. After a few tense moments he finally signs. “Alright.”

You smile. You place an endearing kiss on Lilia’s forehead. The baby wakes. He doesn’t cry. Just stares absentmindedly at his surroundings. His violet eyes then meet yours. Somehow, he wiggles a hand out of the swaddle. You extend your pinky, which he grabs tightly with a small fist.

“What should we call him?” You ask.

Lilia peers over your shoulder. He then smiles. “How about Silver?”

[klapollo]

wait could you elaborate on the snl transphobia sketch thing? i don’t use twitter and haven’t watched snl since i was a teenager so i’m out of the loop.

yeah of course. i'll do a bit of a deep dive for usefulness, but it's a very dark and upsetting story so be warned this is going to discuss transphobia, transphobic violence, sexual violence and murder.

the post was about this meme:

This is late comedian Norm Macdonald, reporting on the murder of Brandon Teena for the Weekend Update segment.

Brandon Teena was a transgender man from Nebraska. He passed so successfully that most of his social circle did not know he wasn't cis. His own girlfriend, Lana Tisdel, did not know he was trans until he was jailed for check forging and she found him in the female section when bailing him out. Word got out after this.

As a result, two men in his life -- John L. Lotter and Marvin "Tom" Nissen -- assaulted him at a Christmas party a few days later. They forced Brandon to expose his genitals to Lana, against both his and Lana's will. They then took Brandon away and gang raped him. Brandon escaped and Lana convinced him to report the rape, but the rape kit was lost and the police were expectedly hostile due to his gender.

Lotter and Nissen got wind of the report and hunted Brandon down and murdered him, along with his roommate Lisa Lambert and Lana's sister's boyfriend, Phillip DeVine. Lotter was executed and Nissen sentenced to life in prison for their crimes. Brandon, only 21 years old at the time of his death on New Year's Eve 1993, was buried under his dead name with an epitaph describing him as a "daughter" and "sister."

The SNL joke comes from Weekend Update, a segment that recounts the news of the week with a humorous slant. This meme comes from a February 1996 episode, "reporting" on the sentencing of Nissen and Lotter. Macdonald's full joke is as follows:

"And finally, in Falls City, Nebraska, John Lotter has been sentenced to death for attempting to kill three people in what prosecutors called a plot to silence a cross-dressing female who had accused him of rape. Now, this might strike some viewers as harsh, but I believe everyone involved in this story should die."

Naturally, this was heinous for a number of reasons. Even in the homophobia and transphobia of the 90s, community organizations spoke up in outrage over this. The Transexual Menace threatened to picket if SNL didn't apologize. NBC even admitted the joke was inappropriate at the time.

But still, this joke also aired almost 30 years ago, before a lot of us were even born (I myself was just a baby). While Teena's murder (along with Matthew Shepard's) was a watershed moment for the gay rights movement in America, it's not as widely discussed today. But we have a responsibility to not perpetuate this joke that was castigated even in its time. It strikes me as our responsibility to do right by our elders who held NBC to account for this and not pass this meme around and rehabilitate it unintentionally. Maybe that's overdramatic. I don't think so.

[catapparently]

Kaz Brekker Headcanons

Cat entering her hc era thanks to my maid of honor @x-liv25 . Please go read her TIG headcanons!

MASTERLIST

Kaz once said "you shouldn't make friends with crows," "why not?" "they don't have any manners." I headcanon that he tried to feed a crow and actually be nice to it but it bit him so now he forever holds the grudge

He has a stack of makeup in his desk drawer in case he needs to change his face up a bit for a job and he's excellent at it

At some point, when he was still struggling with finding a job after Jordie's death, he stole someone's purse and found bronzer/contour that he used to draw himself abs to look strong and "hirable".

He doesn't mind touching animals without his gloves

He realized that when he tried to save an abandoned kitten in the rain when he was younger

He felt bad for it because it reminded him of him and Jordie

He saw it as a debt-ish to Jordie to save the kitten

It once brought Kaz a mouse as a gift and Kaz genuinely appreciated the gesture

Kaz POV: "What a distinguished gentleman who knows I'm worthy of great gifts and appreciation"

Kaz knew he couldn't really keep a cat in his line of work, it'd be a weakness, so when it was old enough, he snuck it into Pekka's office and watched the vicious little feline tear Pekka's stuff to shreds

"A cat after my own heart"

When Kaz got the Dregs tattoo, he didn't want the artist to touch him, so he tattooed the logo himself. It was a bit shaky but then he hired a Tailor to fix the edges without touching him

Alternative solution to the bad edges: He fixes them up with stolen foundation whenever he isn't wearing long sleeves or something that would cover it up.

They day he first saw Inej and she snuck up on him, he had a panic attack but hid it well

At this point in his life, he was used to being in control, to knowing everything. Having Inej sneak up on him (and knowing that she could have potentially killed him without him having time to retaliate had she been trained) freaked him out. He felt weak, Kaz Rietveld again.

Kaz spends half an hour every other day locked in his office without his gloves, lathering his hands in hand cream.

Whenever he'd grab someone by the collar or any form of violence with contact, the last thing the victim could think about is why his hands smell nice. Nobody ever lived to tell the tale.

He's a sucker for a good chocolate cake.

He absolutely HATES ice cream. It makes too much of a sticky gooey mess for him.

He also probably has a sensitive throat so he doesn't really eat cold/frozen stuff or drinks

Once he made a deal with Nina which resulted in him going to a café to buy her a pumpkin spice latte. Once he sniffed Nina's, he quickly bought another one for himself and chugged it before he could get back. Obviously he did that in a dark alleyway so that nobody could see him and use it as blackmail.

Once he used (obviously stolen) paint to decorate his very own set of cards.

He then made another elaborate plan of his and managed to auction them off for a grotesque amount of kruge.

Probably forged DeKappel's signature on the back of each with perfect precision

For those that forgot, DeKappel is some famous painter in the series. Kaz stole a DeKappel oil painting from Van Eck.

Help I didn't realize how fun HCs were, I could make a thousand of these

[kawareo]

Meet COSHACONS!

(from top to bottom) Brakecheck, Pullback, Hoey, Tapex, Chemspill

They're the youngest Decepticon Combiner team, created to keep others in check as their COSHA (Cybertronian Occupational Safety and Health Administration), or as they're known more commonly, the DHD (Decepticon Health Division). The acronym occasionally gets them mixed up with the DJD (Decepticon Justice Division), as they sound similar, especially when cried out in terror.

They're mostly non-combative and travel the universe to check up on Decepticon (and, after the War is over, Cybertronian in general) outposts and make sure they're up to workplace safety codes. As a team, they generally work better together than most Decepticon combiners, and are very close-knit.

Their delightful designs are done by @screamn-robo-dog

Individual introductions below the cut!

BRAKECHECK

As the team leader, Brakecheck has been forged with the Cybertronian Health and Safety Code hardwired in his processor, so he takes it seriously and very literally, which results in an aggressive autism anxiety disorder.

He's a literal hardened warrior, as his outlier ability amps his physical strength and causes his outer armor to harden, making him an almost impossible to beat opponent in a fight. Most of his fights though consist of him wrangling Motormaster when he gets out of hand, as Brakecheck is, despite his rough appearance, a person who prefers to avoid putting others in danger (whether that means killing them, or just not forcing them to wear proper helmets).

He's bonded with Tarn over their autism shared passion for properly filled out reports, and is helplessly crushing on his teammate Chemspill.

PULLBACK

The resident medic was originally brought into the team from the outside, as the forged team consisted only of three members due to at the time low resources.

After their mentor left for retirement, Brakecheck heavily relies on Pullback to guide him as the medic is much older and has more experience. He is very no nonsense, unless drinks are involved, which happens more often than he would like to admit.

He has been in a relationship with Hoey and Tapex ever since he's officially joined the team.

HOEY

Second of the original trio, Hoey (full name Backhoe) was accidentally forged without shame. He's long since changed his original color palette to something more vibrant, which suits his loud and obnoxious personality.

Hoey is an aspiring rapper who's original raps are so offensive and terrible, he is rumored to be able to restart the war if he would be allowed to perform at an Autobot base, but he still enjoys what he does and believes all that matters are the fans who actually enjoy his art (which means mostly Misfire, and for unknown reasons, Prowl).

He's been in a relationship with Tapex since they were forged, and they've added Pullback when he joined the team.

TAPEX

Youngest of the original trio, Tapex is a safety tape dispenser with terrible motion sickness, but he tries to not let that affect his work. He needs incredible large amounts of energon to function as his frame produces the tape itself.

He is a very ratty, anxious little mech, who has the misfortune of working the team's communications. He inspires to be like their leader as he has a lot of respect for him.

He's been in a relationship with Hoey since they were forged, and added Pullback when he joined the team.

CHEMSPILL

This well-rounded chemist is the newest member, replacing their old mentor after he's retired. He specializes in toxins and radioactive materials, and makes sure the team's quarters are spotless.

His calm, clean and organized personality got Brakecheck (who was at first suspicious of him due to his name) to fall stupidly in love, but he is incapable of pursuing him as the Code doesn't allow dating your subordinates. Despite that, Chemspill is returning his feelings and just waiting for the right moment.

Thanks for reading all this if you got so far! i love these fuckers dearly and cant wait to make silly comics of them!

[jojo-schmo]

Curious, you got some bandee headcanons you’d like to share? (doesn’t matter if it’s in the roleswap au or not)

My sweet Bandana Boy! I love him SO MUCH! I'm happy to share some of my personal headcanons for him!

First, I am a strong believer that Bandee is the same Dee from Kirby 64. I know there's evidence that both supports and denies this out there, but I choose to believe it!!

So that's why I think his spear could be tipped with the crystal shard he's gifted at the end of the game!!

Yes, the spear point is the same shape as a crystal shard. But there's more to this! Hear me out!! :D

So Kirby, Meta Knight, and Dedede all have demonstrated some cool powers over the years that help them beat back some pretty fearsome foes! For lack of a better word right now I'm calling them "Cosmic Powers." Kirby is... Kirby. His powers are pretty much limitless. Dedede and Meta have had different elemental powers over the years too, like electricity, fire, wind, etc... (Meta could very well be a cosmic being like Kirby, and I have my own theory about Dedede's elemental abilities here).

The members of Team Kirby do great things together, but they're also very powerful on their own! So what's Bandee's thing? He is a humble Waddle Dee by birth! He hasn't demonstrated any extra "Cosmic Powers" that I can recall. Other than the cute hover jump- but most of Kirby's Helpers and Allies can do that too! And even back in Kirby 64, Waddle Dee helps Kirby out in very practical ways. Going down a river together in a log flume, operating a mine cart or sled... stuff like that.

Bandee's Spear moveset is also very practical and purely skill-based. It consists of intricate and powerful spear maneuvers. It's got to be a result of his diligent training that's been hinted at over the years!

But one of his moves always stuck out to me since it's not purely skill-based- his Spear Throw.

How is he able to toss out an unlimited supply of spears and regenerate another in his hand immediately afterward?

The Crystal Gun has an unlimited supply of ammo, so it makes sense to me that his spear could very well have that same property if it's part Crystal Shard!

A fun personal theory is that he forged the Crystal Shard he was gifted into a weapon after he made the decision to train and grow stronger to protect his loved ones. Probably in between the ending of Revenge of the King and the beginning of Return to Dreamland. And he's only gotten stronger over the years!

Using a spear made with a crystal that is shown to be one of the only weapons effective against Dark Matter is just so super cool to me!! It would definitely complement his great loyalty, courage, and personal strength. A wonderful tool to put him right up there alongside Dreamland's Defenders like he deserves to be!! <3

[lets-try-some-writing]

Brainrot and possibly crack-ish thought that I spent too much time thinking about: The Forge of Solus works a bit too well, and now everyone who has been a Prime has been revived. The Fallen, who through some miracle, also ends up on Earth and dragged into family shenanigans. In short, pure chaos with all the Primes.

Heck yeah, this could go a thousand and one ways and I could even make it angsty if I try. I love this.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

Optimus had not expected to be saved. He was dying and he had largely accepted that fact as the Allspark welcomed him. However when the Forge of Solus Prime repaired him, he felt something else be dragged along back to his fallen form along with him. He was not sure what it was when he woke in his new frame, but something felt... off. He did not question when he flew to Darkmount and collected his team after driving his foe back, but once his team was settled in Hanger E, he was absolutely certain there was something wrong. Ratchet already wanted to do a scan on Optimus after his near death, but when the Prime came to him in minor terror, the medic all but tripped over himself to get scans completed.

The team ended up gathering around to watch as Optimus had his scans taken, and they were all shocked and in awe at what they saw.

Within Optimus's spark chamber were fifteen small sparks, each fluttering around Optimus's lovingly. They were tiny, still developing, and yet had none of the unsettled energy of sparks in need of a host. It was... unsettling for Optimus, largely because he never felt any spark ignite within him, nor had he taken on the role of surrogate for a mech waiting on a frame to inhabit. He knew the Matrix had creation capabilities, but he had not at all expected it to be so extreme. Ratchet chalked it up to the Forge possibly causing the Matrix to use some of its power to ignite newsparks, but deep down Ratchet, Optimus, and the rest of the team did not believe that at all. Sparks do not come from nothing, nor do they come from a frame transfer totally stable. The newsparks within Optimus were far too controlled and powerful to be the result of the Matrix, at least in theory.

There was brief discussion of extinguishing the newsparks, but that idea was shut down the moment Optimus registered familiarity amongst the lives that orbited his own. He did not understand entirely, but they felt like family. And so the Prime opted to keep them, but to the dismay of Ratchet and the combined confliction of the team. Ultra Magnus was ready to accept the young without a moment's hesitation. Their people were lacking in numbers as it was, they needed every life they could to ensure their kind did not join countless others in extinction. Arcee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack were largely neutral, if a little worried about getting enough energon for fifteen new lives. Smokescreen and Bumblebee were elated at the prospect, if concerned over taking care of more young bots in such a dangerous situation. Ratchet refused to state his opinion and focused on making sure Optimus got enough energon to support himself and his charges.

Things went well enough for a few months after the matter. The children were not alerted to Optimus's state and only commented on the situation when they noticed the team taking more hits for the Prime than usual. But with time, the newsparks grew more demanding and needed frames. In turn, since there were no protoforms to be collected, Optimus needed more energon to prepare to make protoforms himself.

That was when things got tight. Optimus needed more, regardless of his stance on the matter. The team needed to find more energon for him and continue the fight. Rations grew smaller and Optimus grew more and more agitated with receiving greater quantities. Just as things were reaching a breaking point however, something unusual happened. Optimus grew mad with the team for their offering of more energon. He could see that they were tired and he knew the limits of his frame. He could go a few cycles without, especially with how strong the newsparks were. There was debate and anger over the situation, leading an argument that ultimately ended with Optimus emitting an EM field flare that synced up with a pulse from his spark. It didn't seem to do anything at first. The team were startled, but that was all.

Then, two weeks after the fact, an object of Cybertronian origin came careening into Earth's atmosphere, landing in the middle of Alaska of all places. The team quickly hurried to investigate and were promptly met by a mech who towered over all of them, even gaining a solid head on Optimus when he came through. Covered in black and red accented plating, the mech wielded a deadly looking blaster and vaguely reminded the team of Megatron. He bore no factional marks, he carried no sign of any allegiance, but after a while of standing and staring, the mech spoke.

"Thirteen, I sensed your distress... along with the calls of our kin. Where are Solus and the others? I know they are near."

It took a long klik for Optimus to figure it out while the team reeled, but once it settled, he almost choked in pure shock. Megatronus, the Fallen Prime stood before him and evidently believed that Optimus somehow had the other original Primes with him. There was a great deal to unpack in his singular statement, but Optimus did not deny the Fallen access to Hangar E to explain. The team were given to explanation as to who the Fallen was and were only given the name of Megatronus to work with. But it did not take long for things to make sense as the Fallen Prime spoke with the current Matrix bearer.

"You carry them within you? Fifteen sparks... it should not be possible." "And yet it is. I did not know they were Primes, but they felt familiar."

"They will need frames, and you do not have enough energon to produce them."

"Yes, but we are doing what we can-"

"You require protomatter and energon. There is no need to play with words Thirteen."

"Then you are correct."

"I will get you what is required for their survival. In turn, I wish to play a part in Solus's development in order to... make up for my prior mistakes."

"..."

"..."

"That is acceptable."

Confusion radiated from all of the Autobots as the Fallen nodded like nothing happened and promptly fragged off again, not to be seen for another three months while Optimus patiently waited and explained exactly nothing. But of course, not being fools the team started to put things together. Ultra Magnus worked with Bulkhead to create a conspiracy board while the rest of the team collectively tried to not think about the deeper implications of Optimus being called 'Thirteen' and supposedly 'carrying all of them within himself'. So when the Fallen returned with stupid amounts of energon and surprisingly healthy amounts of protomatter, the team opted to not look a gift horse in the mouth, especially considering Optimus seemed calm.

The team shut up and watched as soon enough, Optimus had his fill of energon, received protomatter injections, and within two additional weeks, vanished into his room and did not emerge. The team hovered around nervously for days on end while the Fallen watched human TV shows without a care in the world. It went on for about a week, with Ratchet nearly busting down the door in fear for his leader before Optimus quietly stepped out of his room with plenty of small sparklings in his arms and on his frame.

Ratchet: Optimus, what are those?

Optimus: These are my sparklings. Nominus, Nova, Guardian, Sentinel, Solus, Prima, Quintus, Vector, Micronus, Amalgemous, Nexus, Alchemist, Onyx, Alpha Trion, and Liege Maximo.

Arcee: Sir with all due respect, what the absolute frag-?!

Megatronus: Finally. Now let me see the reincarnation of my beloved.

Fifteen small sparklings, each looking startlingly similar to their namesakes all clung to Optimus as if he were a jungle gym. the Prime simply smiled with all the patience in the world and offered up the one who carried Solus's name with a happy sound. Fifteen sparklings, fifteen sparklings who looked like fallen Primes of times long gone by.

There was no way this was going to end well.

[sweetbrier2908]

still my scenario of what happens if we can go back to the original timeline but i made it longer.

set in nightbringer timeline

mc's gender is not mentioned

You have made seven pacts with the seven most powerful demons in Devildom, and now what?

You got your power back; Solomon got his power back, and now what?

And now what?

"Your" seven demons are now happier than ever and are unaware that your pacts with them is only for you to return to a world where they do not exist. You love Devildom, but this is not your Devildom, this may not even be the Devildom you are allowed to exist. You love your seven demons, but these demons are not demons that you want to be with.

You are contradictory, obviously.

And now what?

You remember the reason why Nightbringer brought you to this world: "to find happiness", right? You were happy; you were truly happy. In this world, you have found happiness and you are sure that Nightbringer must be satisfied with the result by now. Satan has accepted himself as part of the family; the remaining six brothers have overcome the trauma from that brutal war and now accept themselves as demons—the most powerful demons in this Devildom.

And now what?

Your role here has ended. Just like the times you accidentally returned to the past before, the seven brothers, Diavolo, Barbatos, Luke, and Simeon—of this world will completely forget you; only the effects of what you did will be the only thing that is left behind. Have you made the people you love into the people you love now, you wondered? You don't understand. You don't know. Everything that has happened to you now is like a dream you cannot run away from.

And now what?

You feel scared.

You suddenly think of familiar faces and voices that you haven't seen or heard for a long time - faces and voices belonging to the demons and angels of the world you came from. How worried were they when you suddenly disappeared from their life? How long have you been here? Have they forgotten you? And you are afraid. You are always afraid. But at this moment, the moment you are about to return to your home, fear is like a tsunami coming, washing away all the words of self-reassurance that you whispered to yourself before, washing away all the stronghold of reasons that you gave yourself. The castle which you once built up in your mind crumbles, and fear occupies the desolate land of your soul. You are afraid. You are afraid that you have caused pain to those you love while pretending to be happy in this timeline. You are afraid that those you love have given up while waiting for you. Or perhaps there was a moment when you chose to give up on returning to them; or perhaps, for a moment, you forgot the despair they suffered. And you are afraid.

And now what?

You must return.

You need to go back.

You have no choice; you have no other answer.

You took advantage of "their" love, even though the formation of the pact between you and the seven brothers was based on free will; you still think that you took advantage of "them," the demons of the past, only to return to your demons in the present.

You did everything: helping the brothers overcome the pain of war, establishing Royal Academy of Diavolo, forging pacts with the seven most powerful demons—all of that, just to return to your timeline and your world.

Perhaps you are indeed Solomon's student, who is now standing in front of Diavolo and Barbatos, expressing his regret at "having to return to the human world due to some sudden works ". Diavolo once again expressed his gratitude as prince of Devildom, and Barbatos once again informed you and Solomon that the portal to travel between worlds was ready.

And there they are, behind your back. You had told them about this a few weeks ago, and you had said all sorts of goodbye. And there they were, looking at you. They stand there, and have no idea that this "unexpected return trip" is just a lie, a pathetic lie. You will return, as you promised, but not to this place—a place that belongs to an old timeline, a place that belongs to the past. But you will return; you mutter it again. No matter what, you'll keep your promise, right? Because you always keep your promises, isn’t that why they love you so much?

The portal is opened, and you turn around to see the demons of this world one last time. You know you must not be attached, sad, or sentimental. You are not allowed to, you don't deserve to. You do not belong to this world; you also don’t belong to these demons in the same way that these demons will not belong to you.

Your eyes meet Lucifer's ruby eyes; you cannot see any emotion in those eyes. Somehow, Lucifer is sure that you will never return to him, at least in this world. He once heard you call his name in such a familiar and strange way that it tore his heart apart. You said you would return—to return to that beloved name that he could never compare to. Perhaps it's because of his fantasy, or because of the absolute trust he places in you, or because he loves you so much that he can't bear to expose your clumsy lies; he hopes, hopes, hopes you will come back.

Mammon cannot look straight at you; he never could, nor could Mammon in your world. Is he trying to hold back the tears that he never wants you to see? Or does he know that as long as his eyes meet yours, he will never be able to let you leave? But you know he is always looking at you, always like that.

Levi lowers his head, Satan waves goodbye to you, and you can see tears forming in Asmo's eyes. Beel gives you the saddest look that you know would haunt you in the back of your mind, while Belphie buries his face in his twin's chest.

You look at them one last time, as if you would never see each other again. And perhaps that is the truth; you never will. Your image in their minds will be erased once you return to your timeline. That's how time works. That is the law of time and space. They will be happy until they see you again. They will be happy without your memory until you see them again.

You don't want them to see you cry. You will meet your demons again. Soon, as soon as you return to your own time, you will meet them again—or rather, thousands of years later. You will meet them again and return to the place you always called home, as you promised. “I'll see everyone again soon, I promise.”

And you turns around.

Solomon wraps his arms around your shoulders and leads you through Barbatos's time-space portal. When this gate leads you and Solomon back to the Human World, Barbatos in your-world will open another gate to bring you and Solomon back to the old timeline. You don't know how Solomon and Barbatos in your-world communicated with each other, but perhaps there are things you have to live long enough to understand.

You hardly remember very well all that happened after you and Solomon passed through the gate, even if you had done this countless times before. Solomon holds on tight to you while you keep your eyes shut. You feel dizzy and tired. You feel like you are walking through countless gates of a tunnel without any light. Solomon holds you tightly in his arms, leaves you nestled in this thick cloak, as if he let go for even a moment, he was scared that you would disappear from his life one more time and he couldn't bring you back. You don't know how much time passed, and Solomon stops. He still doesn't loosen his grip on you. Then, you can hear his whisper, "…Are you ready to go back?".

You cannot answer Solomon. You feel sweat trickling down your temples as your spine turns cold. You don't know; are you ready to go back? Are you ready? Are you worthy of returning? Fear once again takes hold of your mind, like a monster is swallowing you whole. Are you worthy of returning? Are you worth it or not? You remember the first day Nightbringer took you to the past. In that timeline, the strange look they once gave you are still a horrifying nightmare that haunts you to today. What should you do if they forget you again? Or worse, what should you do if you and Solomon can never return to the timeline you belong to? You don't know, and perhaps you would have let fear overcome you if Solomon hadn't once again tightened his grip. You open your eyes and raise your head, facing Solomon's smokey purple eyes. Just like you promised your demon brothers, Solomon also promised that he would bring you back.

You take a deep breath, and maybe you're not ready, and maybe you never will be, but you always keep your promise.

“Let's go, Solomon.” You slightly nod to the sorcerer, and Solomon gives you the confident smile he always wears as an assurance. You close your eyes again, and you hear Solomon begin to mutter the teleportation spell, and you feel yourself begin to fall.

One.

Two.

Three.

You think you are used to teleporting like this, but it turns out you can never land properly.

You fall straight on top of someone.

You slowly open your eyes, and what you see was the familiar ceiling of the student council hall.

You look around, and the demons in the room stare at you in disbelief.

There are the emerald green eyes that stare at you in disbelief.

And before you can identify whether you are truly returning home or still sticking in the past, a pair of arms tightens around you, and there is a trembling voice: “You're back…"

Somehow, you know that you have truly returned.

You hear your voice trembling too.

"I'm back.”