#but will try to stop you from killing someone if it really isn't necessary

[clvric]

        ❝ Quite frankly; I grow tired of morons who claim that “nobody            needs to die” & that “everyone can be saved”... As someone            who has been on the front lines of saving the galaxy; I can            say for certain that it’s simply not true.

           People are going to die. People will refuse to change. & a            hard lesson you need to learn is that not everybody deserves            to be saved. Not everybody deserves to live. & you have zero            control as to who gets to be on either side.

           Believe me, I used to have the naive idea that I needed to            preserve life due to my class of magic, I’m a healer, after all.            It took a few years for me to realize that in order to appreciate            life; you must also accept death & it’s inevitability. Some natural,            some aren’t.

           As for those who you want to... “Save”. You have to ask yourself            the question... “How severe are their actions & do they deserve            a second chance?”. If “severe” isn’t even the word to describe the            outcome of their actions; then the answer is “no”. ❞

[pyreo]

I'm comparing the Dungeon Meshi manga to episodes I just watched and now I gotta capital-p Post about this one episode (spoilers past Episode 12)

So this part is an emotional side-step from the central throughline so far - Laios and Marcille got Falin back successfully and reunited, and they got that payoff from the very beginning where they thought it would be impossible. But Chilchuck is very much a part of these layers of development, so after that dragon finally dies, we stop for a second - Laios and Marcille are recovering, Falin has disappeared again - how does Chilchuck feel at that point?

It's the perfect stage to insert that because he didn't really share in that sense of victory in the same way as Laios and Marcille recovering someone extremely close to them. And that's on purpose because he keeps everyone at arms' length. As soon as that arc hits its end and Falin is recovered, there's at last space to ask - why is Chilchuck even here.

He's asking himself that through the chapter. Now that they've lost the person they intended to save, he regrets agreeing to come.

And starts shouldering responsibility for everything ending up this way. We saw that when he got stuck in the mimic room before - he refuses to let himself ask for help, or he'll try to take burdens alone to lessen relying on others. The original Touden Party was six people, and when Laios insisted on going back underground they were two, and he knew they would die, and figured maybe, maybe if they were one more, with his skillset, maybe they'd have a chance. He couldn't let them walk back down just to die.

And he's going back to that mindset - their lives are on me. He thinks he could have prevented this if he'd chosen differently. Essentially, the walk alongside the orc woman is him working through a guilt spiral.

He sees a second chance to correct that mistake of joining the party. He wants them out now, before they die. The orc asks him how they defeated a dragon and, in explaining it, he reminds himself of all the risky, ridiculous things they had to do, and he isn't satisfied with just getting lucky. Laios got his foot bitten off, on purpose! This proves to him that if they go any further they will not survive. And he hints at this dissatisfaction a couple chapters later, wishing his teammates prioritised things other than winning at all costs...

Like, obviously. The point of this chapter is Chilchuck pretending to be a self-serving coward. To the point where others react with disdain, even disgust, towards him because he wants to lie to Marcille and Laios to ensure they turn back. He's desperate to get out of a hopeless situation by any means necessary, and will destroy his standing in the group in a blink if it means nobody else dies. He has to go on a stupid mental health walk for his stupid mental health and talk through his little bout of panic and doubt.

'You called me a coward so don't be surprised when I act accordingly'

He needs someone very blunt to tell him 'dude you're not being a coward for wanting your friends to get out of hell alive. you're a coward for making excuses instead of honestly telling them your concern is genuine' and he BSODs about it. He needs to rant and externalise that frustration over their recklessness at a third party. He needs to scream that they are idiots because he's the only one for which the ends don't justify the means and he can't keep losing his mind over everyone's safety. Down to a point, the orc praises their ability to survive the explosion from the dragon's fuel sac, and it only justifies Chilchuck - Falin didn't even know she could cast the spell that stopped them all being killed, and they cannot continue getting lucky like this.

Anyway. The reason I stopped to think about it was this part-

Where he recovers Laios's monster-infused sword. The thing that made their situation in the dragon fight go from bad to worse, that he swore at Laios for in every language he knew. The most angry we'd seen him. And now he calmly picks it up and praises it for being the only one of them smart enough to make a run for it.

He's projecting, obviously. He's internalising the label of 'coward' and changing himself to fit it. And, look at him, he's so tired of this. It's evidence of his sheer exhaustion that his anger immediately disappears and he actually gives it a compliment. Him and Laios's sword, the group cowards, the only one who agrees with him.

Then, because he had a walk before getting into the argument, he's organised his feelings and drops all the walls and pretense and just says it.

There's a rule of writing where you contrast your high energy sequences with parts that are slow and mundane, to make the difference more apparent. I think that's why I like this bit so much. The fight against the dragon is long, and the emotional stakes are enormous. Right after that we have the bath scene with Falin and Marcille, and Laios ruffling Falin's hair, and this part that pauses everything to explore the stuff that Chilchuck finally needs to say. And it's wrapped in this neat little solemn journey to pick up their supplies and remember how it felt when all five of them had a meal around a real dinner table at last.

And because he doesn't resort to individualistic trickery, because he explains his point as a duty of care rather than pitting himself against the others, he gets backed up. Senshi agrees that they don't have the supplies to continue, and the orc lady mentions her brethren will return later and can give them support, all of which together breaks down Laios's singleminded devotion to his cause.

Personally I think the manga's better suited to comic timing, but in the anime you can get fleshed out little moments, like Laios's face journey as he realises the other three are making a good case for their survival.

This was my favourite part so far, and I like how both Chilchuck-centric episodes have separated him from the others. Because he won't reveal anything he's thinking otherwise. lmao

[disgruntledexplainer]

It's kinda fascinating looking at the differences between Ben's and Rex's approaches to combat. I'm not talking fighting style, I'm talking about how they carry themselves, and interact with their opponents and bystanders.

Ben 10 is motivated to heroics primarily by his dislike of bullies, though it can sometimes be masked by his love of the limelight. he sees his opponents as bullies, picking on people who can't defend themselves in order to make themselves feel more powerful. in fact, almost all of his major villains fall into this category, including Vilgax, Kevin 11 (before redemption), Hex, Charmcaster, the Highbreed, and Agreggor. When Ben approaches combat, he approaches it as someone intervening in a schoolyard fight. He gets in between the aggressor and the victim, transforms into one of his more intimidating aliens even if it isn't the right one for the job, squares his soldiers, looks his enemy in the eyes, and demands that they redirect their aggression. He even uses phrases like "why don't you pick on someone your own size". He doesn't usually harbor any real ill will toward his opponent, but he wants them to stop what they're doing immediately.

The story of Ben 10 is the story of a kid who got bullied through much of his childhood, who suddenly gained the power to stand up to the bullies for the sake of other kids, and adults as the case may be.

Rex's approach to combat is a bit more complex, because he basically has 2 varieties of enemies, and thus 2 "modes"; hero mode and soldier mode.

The majority of Rex's opponents are EVOs. These are normal, regular innocent people who have become monsters through no fault of their own. To Rex they aren't bullies, they aren't even enemies; they are just innocent, sick, scared, and extremely dangerous people. Rex wants to help them, and indeed he really is the only one who CAN. But he can't let them hurt anyone else. Rex is also very conscious of his position, the fact that to so many people he represents hope of getting out of this dark time. When dealing with most of his foes, Rex first aims a blow at his target to knock them back and hopefully stun them, and then if there are any people in immediate danger he checks in on them quickly to see if they are OK. He might try to get them out of the area before engaging, or he might delegate that task to a nearby providence agent or less powerful hero as the case may be, but he usually checks regardless.

If he is convinced that everyone around him is at a safe distance, the show begins. He turns his cockyness and snark up to 11 and begins making aggressive, annoying moves to try to focus his opponents aggression on him. He projects confidence to everyone who can see him, to assure them that yes, he has everything under control, and everything will be fine so long as they follow his instructions. He carefully gauges how much punishment his opponent can take and only uses that much to take them down, even if it extends the fight. He will try to stun his opponent and cure them if possible, and if not he will hold them off long enough for Providence to come in and contain them.

By dramatic contrast, his other opponents are typically not just villains, but actual irredeemable psychopaths, the kinds who will maim, torture, or kill if it suits their purposes, or even just because it amuses them. In this case, as soon as Rex realizes what kind of opponent he is facing he switches "modes" almost instantly. He will immediately try to lure his opponent as far away from a populated area as possible, and if that isn't possible he will task providence agents or minor heroes to move everyone out as fast as possible. Then he fully switches to soldier mode. When in this mode, Rex's goal is to take his opponent down fast and hard, using lethal methods if necessary. Every second his opponent remains standing is an opportunity for that opponent to kill someone, so he has to take them down without hesitation. Just look at the difference in how Rex treats everyday EVOs compared to how he treats his main antagonists, like Van Kleiss or Quarry. He goes straight for the kill, sometimes without even saying anything if the opportunity presents itself. This is the result of his paramilitary background and painful experience.

anyways, these are my thoughts.

[earthstellar]

Just thinking about how close Miko came to getting killed in TFP "Con Job"

But not the scene where Fake Wheeljack grabs her;

I'm talking about the scene where she's in a hallway deep in the base, alone with Fake Wheeljack

He asks for where something is, and her response is a deadpan "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to crush your spark" or something along those lines.

Fake Wheeljack isn't familiar with humans. He can't be 100% sure if that's a real threat or not. Sure, she's tiny and squishy, but what are humans capable of?

Fake Wheeljack has her alone, away from the others at least far enough that it might take a little time for them to respond to any screams.

He doesn't move to attack, because he doesn't want to blow his cover unless it's unavoidably necessary, and because if humans really can put up a fight, he wants her to take the first swing to see what she's got.

She may not register as that much of a realistic threat, but she did technically threaten him, and Decepticons (with the exception of Knock Out, via movie night) have little exposure to humanity. He may not understand human sarcasm.

And after all, scraplets are tiny little things, yet look at all the damage they cause. I think Fake Wheeljack is sizing up Miko, just for a moment here. Just waiting to see if she might try to act on that threat.

Miko breaks the tension with a quick "just kidding", but for a moment there, there is a real fear that he might just decide to snuff Miko out while he has a good, clear chance to do so.

Of course, Miko doesn't know how close she came to being killed.

She didn't know she was speaking to a Decepticon.

Sure, she likely realised after Fake Wheeljack was exposed as an imposter just how dangerous an encounter it was, but in the moment...

... It's a very adult fear, being evoked here.

It's a child speaking to an adult who is someone other than who they say they are, with hidden motives, while alone in a secluded space with relatively few places to run to. She trusts him, because she thinks she is a friend of her protector, an adult she already trusts. And her protector likes this guy, so why wouldn't she?

Miko thinks she's playing around with a cool tough guy buddy, but in reality, she is extraordinarily lucky that he did not take the very easy shot that he had to take her out away from the eyes of the others.

Later, he does directly threaten her life.

But I think Miko was arguably closer to death in this scene rather than when she was grabbed and held hostage; A hostage is protection. Fake Wheeljack likely wasn't actually going to kill her then, because there would be nothing stopping the Autobots from opening fire on him if he lost his hostage.

But in this earlier scene, nobody was watching. He could have killed her, walked out and claimed she was running around deeper in the base, pretending to be on a "mission", because that behaviour is in line with how he's seen Miko behave since his arrival. He knows she's a bit more energetic than the others, she's more into "being tough and cool", it's something she would plausibly do.

Fake Wheeljack would return, the Autobots wouldn't be overly surprised to hear Miko got distracted by her imagination while messing around in the base, and they'd give it just enough time before going to actively look for her that the ground bridge would be back online and Fake Wheeljack could make it back to the Nemesis -- Leaving the Autobots to find her body after he was already gone.

This would also potentially frame the real Wheeljack for her death, if Fake Wheeljack's cover wasn't blown before departing, in this scenario.

Really dark shit.

I haven't seen this episode in a while, but it popped into my head and felt like it was worth talking about, because TFP does a great job of utilising adult fears in a way that isn't blatant enough to upset younger audiences, while also registering the real depth of the potential threat to older audiences who will recognise things like this.

Anyway, glad Miko survived, because holy shit this could have been grim.

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM SHREK 2 *  assorted dialogue from the 2004 film, adjust as necessary

it's so good to be home!

aren't you two a sight for sore eyes!

look at the time. i guess you'd better be going.

don't you want to tell me about your trip?

we need a little time, you know, to be together. just with each other.

you don't have to worry about a thing.

i will always be here to make sure nobody bothers you.

i'll see you sunday for a barbecue or something.

royal ball? can i come?

don't you think they might be a bit shocked to see you like this?

stop it. they're not like that.

you could at least give them a chance.

who says i want to be a part of this family?

so that's it. you won't come?

we are not going. and that's final.

are we there yet?

that's not funny. that's really immature.

this is taking forever. there's no in-flight movie or nothing!

so... you still think this was a good idea?

happy now? we came. we saw them. now let's go.

quick! while they're not looking, we can make a run for it.

i'd like you to meet my husband.

what do you mean, "not on the list?" don't tell me you don't know who i am.

thanks for waiting. i had the hardest time getting into this place.

i suppose that would be a fine place to raise the children.

it's a bit early to be thinking about that, isn't it?

i only did that because i love her.

i'm here to make it all better.

i don't want to leave. when did you decide this?

do you think it might be nice if somebody asked me what i wanted?

i've made changes for you, [name]. think about that.

i knew this would happen.

i think you're taking this a little too personally.

you act as if love is totally predictable.

is that you? my gosh! it's been years.

you've forced me to do something i really don't want to do.

my diet is ruined!

use your imagination.

i need to have someone taken care of.

who dares speak to me?

for this, i charge a great deal of money.

i was hoping you'd let me apologize for my despicable behavior earlier.

i don't know what came over me. do you suppose we could pretend it never happened and start over?

we passed that three times already!

don't get huffy! i'm only trying to help!

almost everybody that meets you wants to kill you.

i do believe we can make this work to our advantage.

i would think you'd be happy for me.

i'm just thinking about what's best for you. maybe you should do the same.

pick me! i'll be your true love!

for you, baby... i could be.

if you really love her... you'll let her go.

just leave the bottle.

it was all just a stupid mistake.

i hate mondays.

i can't believe you'd walk away from the best thing that happened to you.

he's gorgeous! he has a face that looks like it was carved by angels.

you know, shockingly, this isn't make me feel any better.

you better have a good reason for dragging us down here.

perhaps it's best if we just call the whole thing off?

you can't force someone to fall in love.

you're supposed to say i have the right to remain silent. nobody said i have the right to remain silent!

i am wearing ladies underwear.

we're going to need flour. lots and lots of flour.

i'm just playing the part.

is that glitter on your lips?

will you honor me with a dance?

let's crash this party!

you were supposed to give her the potion!

i'd hoped you'd never see me like this.

i just wish i could be the man you deserve.

if you kiss me now... we can stay like this.

whatever happens, i must not cry.

[actual-changeling]

In the grand scheme of things, a month is not enough time to really get to know someone, especially if said person is clearly still going through a lot of shit and clinging to his brother like an octopus. They have been spending more and more afternoons with each other, always with Joel in the middle, and he likes to think they're on a good path to being friends.

Tommy might not know Ellie well, but he does know her, and it's easy to see that she is currently incredibly uncomfortable and Joel nowhere to be seen. The dining hall is loud during meal times on the best of days, but today it is outright chaotic, and Tommy remembers how overwhelming it had been during his first few months in Jackson. On top of that, Ellie is so small she can probably barely see through the crowd, just a piece of driftwood caught in the current and pulled along in whatever direction people are moving, and without Joel there to enforce her personal space, she is drowning.

His body is moving toward her before he even notices what he is doing, stopping himself once he does; there's a chance Ellie would be quite upset if he tried to swoop in and "save" her, well aware how much she dislikes being close to anyone who isn't Joel. But then Martin starts talking to her, good guy, usually very friendly, and all color drains from her face, and Tommy decides he'd rather have Ellie elbow him in the stomach than face his brother's wrath over not stepping in.

The crowd parts around him when he moves through it, the distance between him and Ellie closed within seconds, and he stops on her right, keeping himself in her field of vision so he doesn't startle her (he did that once on accident, never again). He nods at Martin, though his feelings are far from his priority right now.

"Hey Ellie, have you seen Joel somewhere?"

Trying to keep his tone light, he has one eye on the people surrounding them and one on her, still trying to figure out where the hell his brother disappeared to, he never leaves her alone if he can help it. He's not quite sure what he expects Ellie to do, but it's definitely not her hands snapping up to grab his arm so tightly it's almost painful, nails digging into his skin. She is shaking, trying so hard to be aware of the room around her that her eyes are almost fluttering, and it takes him a few beats to react.

"Gonna go 'n find my brother with this one, Martin."

It's not a question but he nods, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze before merging back into the crowd, and Tommy is incredibly thankful for that. The second he is gone, Ellie deflates, falling against his side, and Tommy brings up his other arm around her and gently places his palm on her back, relieved when she doesn't flinch. Asking if she is okay seems unnecessary, she clearly isn't, so he just tries his best to provide her with as much space as possible as he navigates them to an empty table in one of the quieter corners near the back exit, casually pushing people away when necessary.

Ellie sinks into a chair and doesn't let go of him, knuckles white, and he settles next to her, keeping an eye out for Joel while talking to her.

"Anything you need, sweetheart?"

The endearment slips out, force of habit, and her gaze is suddenly glued to his face, pupils blown so wide her eyes seem black.

"Don't leave."

"I won't, promise. Do you know where Joel went?"

She shakes her head, fingers around his wrist loosening a tiny bit.

"Alright, I'm sure he'll be back soon, someone probably just distracted him."

They both lean back, the relative silence between them oddly comforting, and Ellie nudges her chair across the floor until their armrests are pressed together, her breaths coming a bit slower and deeper now. The affection curling around his heart is familiar, warmth blooming in his chest, and it's easy to understand why Joel fell for her so quickly and completely it almost killed him. She relaxes while they wait, head tipping to rest against his biceps, eyes closed, and the open display of trust is so sweet it makes him ache. Despite not spending a lot of time together, she clearly thinks of him as someone safe, probably due to his relationship with Joel, and Tommy finds himself hoping that maybe they can build something on that foundation. Ellie is Joel's kid, which makes her family, and Tommy looks out for his people.

It takes Joel about fifteen minutes to finally return to them with a panicked look on his face, clearly out of breath, and he stops dead in his tracks when he sees Ellie half draped over him.

"I'm sorry, baby, someone was asking about some construction work I did yesterday, and-"

"It's okay," she interrupts, blinking up at him and stretching out one hand in a clear demand, "Tommy got me."

Joel stills, eyes flicking between the two of them, and he simply shrugs his unoccupied shoulder, it's not like it's his kid, after all. He takes Ellie's hand and falls into the chair next to her, leaning over to press a kiss to her hair, and Tommy doesn't even try to hide his smile. To everyone's surprise, Ellie stays right where she is, holding Joel's hand with a death grip but still using him as a pillow, and the look he shares with Joel is one of mutual confusion and resignation. She starts talking to him about some space book she's been reading, ignoring the last twenty minutes of her life, and they silently agree to wait out the masses before getting their own food, Ellie seemingly content to force both of them to listen to her ramble about an astronaut he has no idea about.

Yeah, she got them both wrapped around her finger, and Tommy finds he doesn't mind it one bit, hoping that maybe this is not only a second chance for Joel, but for him, too.

[thebottomfromhell]

In a scenario where the reader is a hashira, what do you think would happen to him if his relationship with a demon was discovered. I know you wrote something along those lines where the reader was someone ordinary. The Hashiras, in the original work, are mostly nice, but they are very strict-minded about demons, so I wonder what their reaction would be if one of their own basically "betrayed" them. If you think it's going to be very similar, you can just ignore it or just say what you think would happen, without it necessarily being a story. I would appreciate it just the same

The Hashira request I like, the one where we treat them as the corporation of hunters they are instead of the avengers! I usually don't like making reader a Hashira, since I like to make it relatable to most, and let's be honest, the power fantasy is nice but most wouldn't live past Kanoe XD. Besides, it's funnier to make powerless MC's who need constant saving. But once or twice can't hurt.

The Hashira will refer to reader as L/N, as Last Name. Like last time it won't specify gender nor who's Uppermoon reader is with. One difference would be that as a civilian, last time reader only knew about the corps due being warned by their couple, hence only saw them as a bounch of psychos, here they will be more aware of certain things.

Hashira find out Hashira!GN Reader has a relationship with an Upper Moon

Warnings: Manga spoilers, Torture (Mostly non-physical, and the ones ññ, Excesive violence, Mutilation, Mentioned non-consented drug use, Mention of character's death, Implied sexual content, Suicidal character with survival guilt (Giyuu) and Open ending.

You became a Hashira to save others, you were told sometimes you were someone that loves too much, even for this line of work, specially for this line of work. In your ranking, most of everyone is civil to each other (depending on your definition of civil), but there is at least a level of trust. But not the tradiotional trust of sharing your burdens or being able to do things together, every Hashira prefers to work without the others, but trust that everyone else will do their job and kill every demon they meet or die trying.

That is exactly the trust you broke, so everyone is angry, upset and thirsty for blood. Most Hashira think positive things about each other, you also had only good things to say when asked, but now? After all that conversations you had with your lover about the inferiority of humanity, that they are pests, barbaric, backstabbers, a necessary evil... you have to wonder. After they caged you without any warning or mercy, sending Kocho and Shinazugawa for you, ending up beated and drugged.... you wonder. You just wonder.

Is it actually right?

The fellow Hashira could have at least confronted you out of the sake of the this fellowship, you could recieve visits from someone that isn't Kocho, drugging you for the sake of being easier to handle for the kakushi. And not only she drugs you, she always makes sure to remind you of your situation. To shame you, to taunt you, to hurt you. "Ara ara, aren't you eager to move? This is the second time I have to drug you today. You should really give a slack to the kakushi, they are just trying to do their job. But again, considering what you did, I must really question if you care about the efforts of the people in the corps." She says smiling, even if your blurred vision doesn't let you see it clearly, you can tell by her tone. Shinobu spits poison so cafefully with every word. Because she hates you. "You know? A mere civilian or commoner would have a an excuse. The don't know the level of sacrifice we have made, the pain the demons have caused. You? You did. And you had one job, the same as us. To stop that pain or die trying, you should have done the later."

You know about Kanae. You were never told about the demon who killed her nor the details, but it's almost (Tokito...) impossible to be a Hashira and NOT know about her death on the hands of demons. You knew, know that most Hashira have lost something to demons, and yet you decided to get close to one. Close enough to become lovers. But... it was right, at the time. The gentle touches, the vulnerable moments, the softness. The beatings inside your chest, the warmness in your face, that lightness in that voice... you are in love. And that Uppermoon is too, or else you would be dead, like everyone seems to wish you were, already.

You have too much free time in your thoughts, since you are tied up in a way you can't move any of your limbs and struggling cut's your circulation, kept in a dark room, when light and noise only appear when the Kakushi are told to feed you, once a day at most. You have no idea if they were told to do it that way or they are only scared to face a "renegade Hashira" or whatever they call you when you can't hear them. Your body is sore, it has been for the longest time, and you feel constantly sick due Kocho's drugs. Dizzy, tired, too hot, wanting to throw out when anything touches your throat, and even after hours the needles stings remains in wherever she managed to shot you. You also never healed your leg when fighting Shinazugawa, at lealt not properly. You can still feel empty tissues and the bone in your thigh stabbing the flesh, with smaller piece stuck. Your nose is also broken, making you need to breath through the mouth. The only thing Kocho actually tended was a cut through your hand, so you don't die from the blood loss.

You still remember grabbing the tilt of your sword to protect yourself, only to have all of the digits cut out of the hand, keeping in each different fractions, but all of the without the tips. At first there was a fast and intense sting, similar to a burning senssation as your katana started to fall from your grip, then, for a second, a coldness that was at worst, annoying, some sort of emptyness. Finally, when the realization sink there was pain in your pulsating fingers, mixing a lasting feeling of both previous ones, fighting to be the dominant one. You still can feel, on a lesser extent, all the time, those sensations.

It takes a lot for you to not go mad with the lack of contact with everything, and that sensation of being ill. Part of you wonders if your beloved will save you, if any other Hashira will speak to at least let you defend yourself in vain. Every day it becomes less of a reality, which adds resentment. Part of you tells you that you were the one to betray them first, another that longs that sweet voice and touches angers, wanting nothing to get out, to go somewhere safe, with the demon you love. "My sister and my best friend were killed by demons..." One day you suddenly feel a voice besides you... Tomioka. He is giving you his back, speaking only high enough so you can make up what he is saying. "So I really hate them... how... how were you able to love such a monster, knowing well what others suffered because of them?"

You don't know the answer, you can't even speak coherently due the drugs on your system. That is a question you asked yourself so much, thinking that if you didn't fall like that, you wouldn't be in this situation... but... "Sp-cil.... hom.... looovd...." you wonder if the silence means resignation or understanding, but you are glad to have someone close. "You will not be forgiven... there is someone that might, but... he is not here right now, and seeing the situation is probably for the best. I'm sorry." You... honestly can't understand it. That is why you curse Tomioka after he leaves, even if he was the only one willing to listen to you. That feeling only gets worse when you realize he is not in your "trial", he didn't go. The others, as always were neither fast to condemn him or dismiss him because of it, but besides some of them changing the subject, nobody came to his defense. Like you have already realized nobody is comming for yours.

You don't listen when Oyakata-sama speaks, is your attention lacking or he is just talking too low due being sick? None the less you just watch the others. Tokito is there, you want to trash out, but are still drugged and tied up, at the fact the child is here. That is child is going to see you being excecuted... but does it make a difference, this child has killed even more powerful demons than you, and you has never seem to care. Is it really that different to see a human die than a demon? Because everyone else seems so eager to see you die as one. You wouldn't know, you never wished death upon any specific human nor killed any. Yes, sometimes you curse some more anstract subjects, like people who hurt others, some criminals, and so, but you have never talked to anyone and wished you could kill them.

Every Hashira seems obsessed with death in one way or another, even if it's only to avoid it like Mitsuri, who is crearly sobbing and trying to keep it down. "Where is Tomioka? We shouldn't start without him!" Asks Rengoku impossible to not hear him, even in your state, but you know that he isn't comming probably asked permission for it. Damn him, that coward. You can also basically hear the scoffs from Shinazugawa and Obanai. After some seconds you feel the Serpent Hashira stab your shoulder with that irregula blade, making the cut difficult ans uneven, not covering the bleeding at all. "Obanai! Stop! Do not let your anger cloud your judgement!" Himejima acrually screams, and Obanai is close enough for you to hear and see him decently.

There is also a significant, loud, growing hatred in his eyes. Being any other situation you would tease that it's because you made Kanroji cry, but you know better. It's because he trusted you to kill demons and die trying, and you didn't. Come to think about it, it's an unfair standard to hold against anyone. What about those who had someone to go hone to? What about those too young to die? What about those who have a bright future ahead? Is everyone expected to? "My judgement?! What about L/N's judgement! This level of treason is unforgivable! It deserves more than a quick death! I apologize, Oyakata-sama, but I can't accept your desition!" Kanroji only cries harder at the time she speaks. "NO! NO! Y/N-SAN IS STILL OUR FRIEND! WE SHOULD AT LEAST MAKE IT AS PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE!"

"OUR FRIEND? A FRIEND DOESN'T GO AND SLEEP WITH THE ENEMY! IF L/N SIDES WITH THE ENEMY THEN WE TREAT THEM AS SUCH!" Shinazugawa screams at her, moving her direction angrily, so both Kocho and Rengoku put themself in between. You can't hear what Kocho says, but you can definetely make up what Rengoku does. "Shinazugawa! I understand your anger! This betrayal woould never go unpunished! But if we torture and rip L/N as we pleasw we won't be better than demons! We must answer with humanity!"

There is arguing, a lot of noise, Himejima and Tokito-kun are the only ones that are not with to it, besides the big boss who will only let them cool down by themselves, but you don't know that because you can make any voice out of the sounds, but because you know them. You know them... You spoke with them, shared meals and stories with some, worked with them... you know them, and they know you. And still, they will be the ones to kill you as long as they sort their shit out before you bleed to death.

"SILENCE! THIS IS SO UNFLASHY, WE SHOULD NOT BE GOING AGAINST EACH OTHER AFTER SUCH AN EVENT. We are already too on edge for this treason, we we can handle it. We should not be losing trust on each other!" Suddenly screams Uzui as he takes out his weapons, unecesaryly moving them for show, having the blades surrounding his torso, arms and shoulders without a single scratch on him. "I should be the one who deals with this. I know how to make it fast." He gets close to you as your vision becomes even more blured, to the point everything is red. Not black yet, you can basically see your eyelids and your own blood on the ground. You feel cold, trembling violently, you are pain, wanting to throw up your empty, tight and twisted stomach, feeling as if your organs will leave your body through the mouth the second you give into that urge. You pant, having a hard time breathing, every muscles is sore and protests... You are scared.

You swore that was what forced you to stay awake, even after loosing so much blood, but then... "Well, isn't this sad?" You hear a voice loud and clear, masculine. One that you have never heard before but still edges you. Your heart beats faster and normally you would worry about what that would mean something for the bloodloss, but... you don't feel like you are loosing blood, on the contrary, you feel more. "To be honest, I didn't notice at first you had my blood in your system, but now that you are weak, loosing the liquids of your body, the few drops you had inside are taking over. I won't pretend I don't know about your... intimacy with one of my powerful demons, but let me tell you this. It can save you."

You.... can be saved? You want to be saved, you have no idea where Uzui is, if he is near and ready to make the last blow or the arguing is stopping him. "You see, right now I can speak with you, share myself, but I can't take any look in your mind. But if you were to say where you are, I will gladly save you. Just tell where where are the ones who hurt you, and I'll even reward you with more blood. Don't you think it's a winning deal for you?" You cal sell out everyone for your own survival. Do you actually want them to die? To be killed. You feel suddenly a bit better, as the demon cells fight off the drugs.

You take air into your lungs softly and-

Tomioka Giyuu is in his home. He didn't want to be part of this. For now he doesn't want to think about it, the fact that one day he might take your place for not killing that demon girl. Urokodaki sends him letters of Kamado Tanjiro's process, the boy sends him his own letters too. He reads them all. Right now he has a brush in his hands, wondering if he should answer. He is tempted to write back, congratulate him, tell him he is doing good, to take care of himself and his sister, or at least to warn him about some difficulties he might face.

He can't. He doesn't want to get attached, no matter how nice and lovely the boy is, of how much he reminds him of himself when younger, except Tanjiro has more talent and is more capable that he was at his age. He will make a great water Hashira, far better than him. But for that Tomioka can't risk the others undermining his judgement by defending you. He didn't know if he would or not, and he didn't want to find out. Right now, that important thing is to ensure that the boy will take his place, and that means taking his distance too. Because everyone that Giyuu has ever held so dear into his heart dies. His sister and Sabito.... and even if you too were not close, not really friend... but still.

"It shoukd have been me." Is the only thing he can think as he sets the brush aside, not having written anything, and saving the letters carefully in a box. Then, just silence.

It doesn't matter anymore.

[wee-chlo]

EPISODE 7 SNEAK PEEK DROPPED: SPOILERS AHOY

So like... Here's the thing.

Alastor's being an ass here, and his whole demeanor is very eerie and weird and dramatic but I get the impression that everything he's saying is both genuine and intended to be more Tough Love rather than pointlessly cruel and hurtful.

I suppose it'll depend on the context of it, but my thought is that Alastor just kind of.... can't have a normal interaction with someone? Like, all his interactions with everyone will come off as insincere, mocking, intimidating, or dismissive.

Here, his interaction with Charlie comes off as cruel and unsympathetic, and it is. But it's not those things for the sake of it. I get the impression that he's trying to kickstart Charlie out of her funk and into something more useful.

He gets her riled up. He gets her angry, which is a fair sight better than a blanket burrito, crying about her girlfriend and what a terrible person she thinks she is.

He's mentoring her.

Now, at first I thought that he could segue into using this as a way to make her make a deal with him. And maybe that'll happen, but honestly, I think he'll just tell her that demons can kill angels. Partly because the scenes we see in the trailer from episodes 7 and 8 imply they're on good terms and I doubt Charlie would be if Alastor immediately turns around and bullies her into a deal (unless he's able to dress it up REALLY well), and partly because her being angry and out of a funk isn't the best time to do that. Her being sad and pitiful and self-hating would be.

With her angry, she's more likely to respond to him dangling necessary information violently. She can outpower him, she simply chooses not to. Actively antagonizing her in that way, actively rather than just with verbal barbs in a sparring match, wouldn't be helpful.

Basically, I think all the evil grins of Alastor here are him being increasingly excited that she's not drowning in self-pity, and that his intentions were are genuinely good: get up, stop crying, you're better than this, get your shit together, you have people relying on you and here's some info that can galvanize you into getting to work again.

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Hello!

I always wondered honestly how FO4 faction leaders (and maybe some companions that also belong to sayd faction, like Danse) whould react finding out the Sole Survivor is with the Enclave? (Maybe via a tattoo they have or dogtag)

Im guessing most whould be very unhappy and instantly accuse them of being a spy.

I'm interested what you think, since for fo4 the only Enclave option you really have is the Enclave rising mod but companions don't comment on it of corse.

Fo4 Factions React To Sole Being With The Enclave

➼ Word Count » 1.7k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Genre » Platonic/Romantic, Angst? ➼ A/N » This is such an interesting idea! Also, I hope you don’t mind but, I added a few more faction characters 🤭

Preston was horrified when he found out. There have been a few stories from settlers migrating from the Capital Wasteland, but he never imagined that you, of all people, would be with them. The entire idea of 'cleansing the land' is precisely what the Minutemen are trying to fight against. He feels as if you've just been using him this entire time for your own personal gain. Why else would you agree to be general if you didn't believe in their cause? Did you ever think they'd be able to make a change? Or were you just playing along for the fun of it? It's an understatement to say he's angry, though, more at himself than you. Out of everyone he could've stumbled upon to make into the Minutemen's new leader, you're who it was. And he was the one who supported you. Preston's won't be in the mood for compromising, he'll just turn you away. Similar to how he does when you side with the Nuka-World raiders. He's over it. He'll start over - find someone new, and you can go back and do whatever it is that you do. He's disgusted with himself for sticking with you for so long, but also because of how he can't bring himself to kill you. He just wishes you didn't try so hard to be friends with him. Then your betrayal wouldn't hurt him so badly.

Sturges noticed the Enclave marking early on but didn't know what it symbolized and never mentioned it. It wasn't until he overheard your argument with Preston that he decided to approach you about it. He stopped you while you were leaving Sanctuary and softly asked what happened between you and Preston. A part of him hoped he could mend your relationship with him, even if he knew it was far past that point. He cares for the both of you. The Minutemen were the best thing to ever happen to him, and he'd be damned if he let it break apart without trying to fix anything. That's what he's known for, isn't it? Fixing things? Even after he talks to you, he's still not sure what the Enclave is. All he knows is that he desperately wants both you and Preston to come to an agreement. He feels like a kid in the middle of a messy divorce and it stresses him out.

Any tough exterior that Elder Maxson puts up is immediately shattered when he sees that painfully familiar mark. He's seen firsthand what they've done to the world - what they're capable of, and he refuses to condone that behavior, especially when it comes to a supposed member of his cause. He'll stare you down with both a mix of fear and anger for stepping aboard the Prydwen. Who do you think you are? Surely, your joining the Brotherhood wasn't an accident, and he's not willing to wait and find out what your purpose for infiltrating them is. You're off the ship. No discussion necessary. He refuses to fight alongside anyone of your stature, and if he ever sees you again, he won't hesitate in ordering your death. The Commonwealth won't be a repeat of the Capital Wasteland. He'll make sure of it.

Danse doesn't have many memories of the Enclave, but if it evoked a reaction like that out of Elder Maxson, then he's sure you can't be anyone good. The decision on what should happen to you is out of his control, but whatever is decided, he'll stick with and enforce. His loyalty to the Brotherhood outweighs his relationship with you. Even if you were considerably close to him, he'd still be firm in his stance. You either need to leave for another state or be exterminated. Heartbroken as he might be, this isn't the first time he's had to do something he found hard for the betterment of the Brotherhood. He was close to Cutler, and look where he is. Danse doesn't sympathize with enemies, and you're no exception.

Haylen might not have been a scribe during the Brotherhood-Enclave War, but she still remembers those moments vividly. It was concerning as a civilian, and she can't even imagine what it felt like for those who were on duty. Despite the threat you could be to the Brotherhood, she feels conflicted about completely dismissing you. You've done a lot to support their cause and, to her, that means something, no matter if you've got an Enclave marking or not. Whatever Maxson decides is what he decides, but know that if you ever happened to be in the same area, she'd gladly bring you a bit of supplies.

Desdemona notices it, and would've turned you away when you first discovered the Railroad if it weren't for Deacon vouching for you. She's suspicious of you from day 1 and nothing ever changes about that. Even if you helped them out from start to finish she'd be suspicious. The Enclave is a massive and very dangerous organization that the Railroad does not support in any capacity. The fascism alone makes her feel critically toward you and you'll have spies observing your every move until she decides that she finally trusts you, which probably won't happen until you show you've fully quit working with them altogether.

Deacon’s aware of who you're affiliated with early on, but he hopes his shpeal about looking at what the organizations are doing rather than what they're telling you will change your mind. He really likes you and thinks that you'd be a great asset to the Railroad, especially since you've had military training at some point from being with the Enclave. Maybe it's idealistic of him, but he's really hoping that he can get you to change sides. He knows what it's like to have a past you're not proud of, and he genuinely believes he can get through to you and convince you to quit the Enclave at some point. Even if no one else in the Railroad agrees with him on that. There's just something about you that he's always been drawn to, and he doesn't want to give up on you so fast.

Tinker Tom's with Dez on this. He doesn't trust you either and would build you a gun just so he can track where you go. Every time you come near him, his eyes go wide with fear and his shoulders tense up. You don't know it, but he's got a pocket knife on him that he's itching to use the second you do something to fast. The only thing that'd make him feel a little better about having you around is if you agree to be injected with his battery acid. It'll make him calm down a little bit, but he still won't exactly like having you around so often. You're just not one of them. The Enclave and the Railroad both have complete opposite goals and it's hypocritical for you to argue you're loyal to both.

Glory might actually start firing on you if you even slightly raise you're voice at anyone in HQ. She's with everyone else in that she doesn't think you're someone who can be relied on and she does everything she can to get that across to you. In fact, if you do anything she deems suspicious or possibly traitorous, she'll attempt to assassinate you on your next outing. You're going to have to prove a lot to her, and many other Railroad members that you're not going to sell them out the second the opportunity arises. She's rude to you, sure, but you've got to understand that this is her family she's trying to protect, and you being there is a threat in it of itself.

Father doesn’t care as much as he probably should. He doesn’t see the Enclave, or any group for that matter, as a threat. At most, they’re just a nuisance that might slow down the Institute, but it’s something that’s easy to fix. He's a bit cocky in that way. Unless your relationship with the faction interferes with any of the Institute's plans, he won’t pay much mind to it. Just keep them in DC, won’t you? There's enough organizations to deal with in the Commonwealth as it is, no point in adding another.

X6-88 doesn't like it, and he's very vocal about wanting you to quit, but it's ultimately your decision. In his mind, the Institute is the only faction you should be focused on, especially if you're planning on being the leader, so quitting the Enclave would be in your best interest. He also has a cocky outlook concerning the Enclave and fully believes that, if anything were to occur, the Institute would be able to defuse it instantly. Despite his disagreement with who you're affiliated with, he'll still follow you. You're still his boss, and until you give him a reason to suspect that you're not as committed to the cause as you claim, it's none of his business who you decide to work with.

Dr Li is on edge the moment that you’re introduced. She can’t help but think back on everything the Enclave's done to the world - done to her. She does her best to hide her face from you, and whenever she has to talk to you, she's noticeably more nervous and tense. All she can think about is the assassination of James and the abduction of the Lone Wanderer. She's never trusted them and doesn't intend on doing it now. She's fully convinced that part of why you're here is to finish the job in exterminating her. She doesn't believe for a second that you'll do the Institute right and will leave to rejoin the Brotherhood if you happen to stay. It stresses her out that none of the other scientists seem to feel as concerned as she is with the thought of you being in the heart of their bunker. No amount of pleading will get anyone else to agree with her about being suspicious and that makes her incredibly fearful.

[velvetvexations]

I'm genuinely trying to not just be constantly negative and starting shit and arguing with people. I feel like even the people I mostly agree with are getting put off by it if they haven't already. I'm very self-conscious about my opinions and how much I talk on a given subject, and I know I do have issues that make my expressed opinions more pointed than necessary.

But like, me jokingly comparing the Bad Kids to the protagonists of 8-Bit Theater is interesting, because I love 8-Bit Theater to death, it's an extremely important work to me, it hurts a lot that I didn't hear about the scriptbook Kickstarter until it was over and I'll always be looking for a pre-owned copy for the rest of my life.

Like, I think the issue isn't that I have a problem with the Bad Kids acting so awfully. That's okay, especially in a comedy. Comedic sociopathy is a totally fine trope and I enjoy it on a regular basis. The issue that gets me is that it's such a hard counter to not only D20's usual tone, but also the way the DM, the players, the narrative itself, and most of all the fandom treat them and their actions.

That's why I soured on Kristen specifically so hard and so fast, because before JY I just thought she was like, A Lot, but not really a big deal and had some good, solid moments in SY (I did not like FY in general for completely unrelated reasons, sadly). But with JY, it was like, right out the gate she's ignoring Cassandra literally half to death, and I wonder if that would have seriously bothered me as much as it did if the fandom wasn't determined to completely excuse her for it in spite of the fact that it was clearly meant to be a personal character flaw and not just "unfortunately mental illness is happening to her".

Even then I was like, hey, I watched those promo videos, this is obviously something that's been planned ahead and will be dealt with. I'm very far from the first person to point out that we're now entering the season finale and chaos has not yet stopped being cute. Partially that in particular may have been hamstrung by the dice rebellion in the mall fight, with the original plan having been for Cassandra to not get separated from Kristen so fast and subsequently unable to have them actively work on their relationship and Kristen's commitment to her. Kristen running for president also likely threw a monkey wrench into decutifying chaos, because there was never any chance of Ally going about that by having Kristen put on a slick suit and say "I need to take this seriously and research school governance and formulate a policy I'll elaborate on in a debate with Kipperlilly". The race for president could only possibly be a bit the second it went to her instead of Riz, not because I don't think Ally could handle that kinna plot if they set their mind to it, Margret Encino would have killed it just as good as Riz, but because it's simply so far from who Kristen Applebees is as a character.

So anyway, I sat there watching this season waiting for Kristen to grow up because I had faith that was going to happen. But lest you think I just hate Kristen and possibly also Ally, these last few weeks they've been the least of the issue.

As hilarious as it was I don't understand how in the good Lord's name we're supposed to care about Oisin "making Adaine think she liked him" by acting a little flustered around her when Fig literally started catfishing Ruben on the first day of school ages before they had any in-character reasons to suspect the Rat Grinders of anything, all so she could...no, really, why the fuck did she do that? What was the impetus for that decision? I cannot emphasize enough how little motivation is given for this course of action:

There is nothing to it except that Emily correctly pegged he'd be an antagonist later. It's like the detectives on Law & Order arresting someone because they recognized the special guest star.

And like, other people, I get it, other people who don't like the direction JY has taken can shrug it off more easily than I can, there are a million reasons to not treat this like the end of the world, but unfortunately my autism gets me stuck on shit and I just cannot reconcile things like this. I cannot take the show seriously and care about the protagonists as people and share joy in their triumphs and sorrow in their failures and ignore something as blatantly breaking the logic as stuff like this.

I'll grant you, okay, Adaine was understandably hurt but neither the Bad Kids nor the Intrepid Heroes were really like "oh now we have to really fucking ruin Oisin for being the worst person alive". The fandom treated it like he Frozen'd her but fandoms are dumb and should not dictate as much of my opinion as they do, I simply cannot fathom the kind of person who'll cry over the deep and traumatic emotional damage Oisin caused Adaine with his missed beer pong shots but doesn't think Fig should be in jail.

That's also not the end of it, though. I could keep going on just about Fig specifically and the fact that she is at least sex crimes-adjacent, not to mention Emily's infantilization of a very autistic-coded character, but I'm trying very hard to not just come off as being like the people who have harassed Emily and Ally over their roleplaying choices in the past. As I keep stressing, I like both of them and especially Emily because I've been a CollegeHumor fan longer than some D20 fans have been alive. I think I actually like Fig more accepting that she kinna canonically sucks and taking her as more a Complicated Woman than someone whose actions I need to reconcile with the expectation of her being better than that, although I know none of it will ever actually be addressed.

So yeah, all the Bad Kids have been fucking weird this season in ways they weren't in SY. Adaine's intense and completely inexplicable loathing of Kipperlilly was funny at first and then increasingly uncomfortable as it fed into the fans wanting to crucify her. Gorgug going full bully was weird but also like, a one line bit, but whatever. Riz stealing Kipperlilly's file was gross and would or SHOULD deeply hurt Jawbone if he ever found out, and you can say they had to do this horribly unethical action in the name of homeland security or whatever, I accept that there were extenuating circumstances, but it's given no thought whatsoever and absolutely no regard is given to the fact that she was trying to address her issues with the closest mental health professional available who Brennan goes out of his way to note is failing her by overcorrecting for his bias towards the BKs.

But as much as I genuinely believe Brennan has been planting seeds the Rat Grinders could be reached, he's not been great here either and like Mice & Murder these things are more on him than any of the players because he's the director here. Like, I'm embarrassed I got snippy with someone who guessed ahead of time that Kipperlilly desecrated the rogue teacher's grave, but nonetheless think it was a weird conclusion to reach and that it's just even more bizarre that it ended up being "right", except the way it's described doesn't even make sense.

Like, the goal was "find the rogue teacher", right? And the rogue teacher is dead. So to me, it certainly seems like bringing a back hoe to the graveyard is one hundred percent the right move! But even if we accept the apparent canonical intent that was Kipperlilly threatening to merely destroy the grave as an act of vandalism rather than retrieve the body, it's like...so what? Literally who cares? As if the Bad Kids or any other adventuring party wouldn't dig up a dead body to cast Speak with Dead or something, as if the foundational Dungeons & Dragons formula wasn't raiding tombs like 19th-century colonial archeologists? And why would any of that be necessary anyway, when Riz found Eugenia by just...walking up to the grave?

But regardless, that, you might say, is a matter of the Rat Grinders being unfairly presented as evil and not the Bad Kids being unfairly presented as good. When it comes to Brennan's part in it, though, these are the same issue, because as the creator and director of every atom of the world outside the PCs, he's just so very willing to go with what the players start to expect. That's fine for a home game, but this is like, a television show that people pay money for, and that's an issue. He'll plant enough seeds of the Rat Grinders being better than they're treated that a chunk of the audience will notice and think the players are being weird about them, but he won't push it further than that and instead just rolls with the players being weird because his first priority is their enjoyment.

Again, fine in a home game, obviously. But it creates this divide between the players and the audience because the world has been crafted in such a way that when the players being weird is noticed it's like, why are they being rewarded for that? Why are they getting zero pushback? Brennan and I both heavily, heavily value collaborative storytelling for good reason, it's why I love TTRPGs and actual plays, but if this were a story told by a single person you could either have the protagonists pick up on those hints, have it be a point that they didn't pick up on them, or just not even include them in the first place.

One of the reasons I really, really like Aabria's DMing, as I've said recently, is that she truly remains firm in her worldbuilding and is not shy about providing realistic consequences or acknowledging PC behavior is dissonant with what's going on around them. And it just makes it super ironic that Kipperlilly's whole deal is correctly identifying the fact that the world is warped around the Bad Kids, and in this season more than ever the DM is like, fully changing reality to accommodate them and giving them plot resolutions on a silver platter, to the point of letting them just full-on take back spells because the target turned out to not be there, which is pretty far beyond the quibble about the climactic move in Calamity's final boss fight.

It's not that I think D20 is 'rigged' exactly, because it's not really a game, or at least it's not really Dungeons & Dragons. This was a revelation I had when I watched Critical Role other than Calamity for the first time and was amazed by how they'd stand around after a battle looting bodies for random magic items. D20 isn't a sandbox TTRPG, it's a very on-rails shooting gallery with roughly as much choice in the narrative as a modern RPG video game, and it has to all wrap within a certain amount of sessions. That's fine, but occasionally it can feel deceptive when we pretend there's much chance of things going radically wrong. One of the reasons I liked the first half of Crown of Candy and all of The Ravening War so much is because they're the only times where failure has really, truly been on the table in an Intrepid Heroes season, but I still liked most of the other Intrepid Hero seasons nonetheless.

This season, I just, I dunno man. I don't believe Ice Feast just accidentally wah wah wah had the effect of completely neutralizing the primary threat of the final boss fight. And Blimeygate, like, I thought it was mostly a fun moment, but it also felt like the most exaggerated-for-marketing-purposes the "got'em!" bits have ever been.

But despite all that, I am still currently capable of enjoying the next season. I'm hoping next week does not make things dramatically worse.

[antianakin]

I just got the chance to watch a full playthrough of Jedi: Survivor (I haven’t the funds to be able to play it myself 😭), and IDK if it’s just me but there were two things that bugged me. The first one being just how casual Cal seemed to be about killing his enemies— obviously he killed mooks in the first game, but in this game heads were rolling left and right, seemingly without a care in the world.

And that brings me to the second thing; I’m not certain it was just this guy’s playthrough or not, but it bugged me that the Dark Side was not only used as a significant power up, but seemed necessary to complete the final boss fight of the game without insta-dying. Obviously the Dark Side can feel like it’s more powerful in the moment, but the way the game seemed to passively encourage you to use it without consequence. Again, I haven’t played it, so I don’t know that for certain, but it certainly looks that way.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

I think the important thing to remember about Cal's story is that it's a video game and video games, by necessity, are going to be told a different way than the usual narrative. Cal is always going to have to kill a lot of enemies without it being that big of a deal because that's how these kinds of video games WORK. He's going to murder basically every stormtrooper and Imperial officer he comes across because that's the mechanics of the game. But we see that he offers the Ninth Sister mercy initially, he doesn't WANT to kill her, he only does so because she begs him to and it's more merciful to kill her than leave her alive. It's not cold-blooded murder. Same with Bode, he doesn't WANT to kill Bode and he TRIES to get Bode to stop so that he doesn't have to, but Bode refuses and Cal has to defend himself.

If you want to try to look at a more in-narrative reason for why Cal kills a little more often, Cal is a Jedi in a time when it's a death sentence to be a Jedi and the support he has is incredibly minimal. NORMALLY, Jedi wouldn't kill this much, but Cal is openly a Jedi and openly fighting the Empire to the point that his face is displayed really prominently on wanted posters in the middle of Coruscant. He's a huge target and he's trying to take down a galactic Empire. That's not something you can do peacefully and it takes everything he has just to survive. He's not living in a time of peace nor does he have the support of a major organization like the Republic to back him up the way he was supposed to, so he can't necessarily get away with being more merciful here. So yeah, he's more willing to kill stormtroopers and Imperial officers when necessary on a mission (and it's OFTEN necessary). While I don't think that necessarily indicates bad writing or anything, I DO think that it makes sense that Cal, as someone who's been doing this for five years now, isn't holding back very much.

Also, the storyline in this game is all about Cal having to struggle with his own darkness. In Fallen Order it was more about Cal figuring out what it means to be a Jedi, he's going around helping people a lot and seeing how other people are fighting against the Empire. In Survivor, he's been Knighted already and he's been out there fighting for five years. Everyone he cared about has wandered off to do their own thing and he has to build up a new crew that are almost all immediately killed off, starting Cal's struggle with darkness and feeling abandoned and losing his hope. He's confident now, and he is slowly losing more and more of the things he started to rely on, and that comfort with killing evolves into his more literal struggle with the dark side and having to let go of his own anger and fear and pain. He CAN'T use darkness to kill, he can't kill out of anger. And that's exactly what he does. It's hard, he nearly loses it, but he's able to hold himself back just enough to keep himself from completely falling. So while I think it's UNDERSTANDABLE that Cal, as a Jedi openly fighting against the Empire during this time period, would be more willing to kill people than show mercy in order to complete a mission, it's also part of the overall story being told about Cal in this game.

For the final battle, you DO have to use the dark side power-up thing in the fight, but the fight itself is just game mechanics, the CUT SCENES are the important story bits. Cal wins that fight WITHOUT killing Bode, he makes a whole speech about letting go, and then he turns away and when he DOES kill Bode, it's not with the power-up, it's not out of anger, it's just basic self defense. It's not entirely unlike Obi-Wan vs Maul in TPM where Obi-Wan IS sort-of reacting out of anger and a desire for vengeance earlier on but has to let that go BEFORE he kills Maul. Luke COULD kill Vader out of anger, we see how close he gets, but he ultimately chooses not to because he recognizes he shouldn't. Cal's fight with Bode is following in those same footsteps narratively. He DOES pull on darkness during the fight, but he's ultimately able to let go and doesn't KILL Bode with that darkness at all. It's a pretty basic Jedi storyline we've seen a few times before.

When dealing with video games that are telling the story, it's very important to separate the video game mechanics from the actual story. Quite often, the story itself isn't told through the regular gameplay and the gameplay can even contradict the story we're being told. For example, if you keep playing Survivor after the final battle with Bode, you can STILL USE THE DARK SIDE POWER UP even though Cal has NARRATIVELY moved away from that darkness already and would theoretically not actually be using it anymore at all and certainly not in like... regular little battles against the local wildlife. You can also obviously utilize it that way between the moment you DO get the power-up and the final battle, even though Merrin has already talked about how dangerous it is and asked Cal not to use it. The power-up in game mechanics is JUST a power-up, it has no character impact at all to use it. It's just another tool in your arsenal until you get to the cut scenes. What the dialogue is telling us is almost directly contradicted by how the gameplay works.

Hopefully this helps you a little. I like the characters and the story enough that I'm willing to sort-of work with what they give me to create a narrative that fits the way I want it to. I think there's a good story in Survivor about the impact of being a survivor of a genocide and having to fight against the people who want you dead for YEARS. I generally like the way that's handled and the messages being sent in this story. I think there's areas that are a little awkward and moments I like slightly less, but overall I really enjoyed it.

[scribefindegil]

ok i'm soooo happy you talked about the mind control thing with the divine tree arc. it rubbed me the wrong way a lot and is the reason why i still don't really like dimple, even though i know it's an important story point and all, i feel like brainwashing is a huge violation and it was never really talked about afterwards. it also rubbed me the wrong way when mob wondered if he did something wrong by stopping the brainwashing even though it made peopl happy, like i feel like that's so disrespectful to autonomy and such (even though, it is a fictional story)

i really like what you're doing with the brassica heresy, with tsubomi taking center stage bc she is one of my faves, i'm really excited where it will go!

Okay. It is possible that you will not like what I have to say. That's fine; you don't have to agree with me and you certainly don't have to like a fictional character who has done fucked-up stuff.

That said.

I feel like you're approaching this with framing that's pretty at odds with the themes of the show. Everyone agrees that the brainwashing was bad. A lot of Mob Psycho characters have done things that are bad. Pretty much everyone I know spent most of the Divine Tree confrontation absolutely furious with Dimple. But the question is: Okay, a character has done something awful. Now what? A lot of people would say that the only solution is punishment and rejection, that Dimple has done something too terrible for him to remain a sympathetic character, and he needs to be exiled or killed or imprisoned or otherwise removed from the show.

But Mob Psycho 100 believes, completely and utterly, with its whole chest, with every arc and with every character, that there is nothing you can do that is so terrible that you are undeserving of human connection, that you are incapable of changing for the better. It believes that there is no fundamental, ontological difference between the people you hate and the people you love, between a terrorist trying to take over the world and a kid who lashed out once and accidentally hurt his brother. Which isn't to say that actions don't matter; obviously they do, and they have consequences. But regardless of what they've done, everyone is just a person. Everyone can grow.

And, crucially, it isn't interested in punishment. Did the character realize their mistake and begin to change? That's what matters. The show doesn't have people constantly rehash the bad things they've done; it just gives them the chance to stop and choose a different path. And Dimple does. Dimple realizes that his goal of godhood wasn't going to make him happy, but his friendship with Mob was.

And people can have boundaries; people can decide that they don't want to be associated with someone any more; forgiveness, in Mob Psycho, is always a choice. But it's a choice that the characters continue to make because the show values kindness and transformation.

So like, yeah, the brainwashing was truly, deeply horrifying. And Mob loves Dimple anyway. And I do too.

(Also, to your point about the LOL cult: Mob is extremely anxious about doing the right thing and specifically about following social rules. And those people did seem to be happy, so of course it makes sense that the fear that he made their lives worse is going to eat at him. That's why Reigen's there, to reassure him, to tell him "You saved some people that only you could have saved," to listen to him tell his story and say that no, those people weren't really happy, and he did something good and important and necessary by breaking the spell.)

[bluegekk0]

what would fighting pk when he was ruling be like you think

First off, it's worth mentioning that FPK is definitely the type to only fight when absolutely necessary. He's always been more of a "hide and wait out the threat" kind of person, and during his rule, it meant that he would prioritize peaceful negotiations above anything. Deepnest was troublesome as its inhabitants were too territorial, and the decision to still attempt building a tram station there is something he still regrets, though luckily he was able to find some common ground with its ruler through the bargain with Herrah. But whenever he can, he will try to resolve things peacefully.

It backfired with The Radiance, he approached the Moth Tribe and entered her domain with a dream nail in order to negotiate peace, and nearly got himself killed since she treated him like an intruder - he wasn't a true god so she thought of herself as above him, and the fact that her worshippers turned from her and chose him infuriated her even more; so when he showed up in her realm, she tried to get rid of him. He managed to escape back to the physical world, where she couldn't reach him without taking control of another being, something she wasn't as desperate to do at that point.

But that aside, he was still a very powerful being, using soul spells he learned to his advantage. He could form blades, spears and even a bow with arrows (saw that headcanon once and really loved it) to shoot at his opponent, he could shield himself from oncoming attacks, and even teleport around (though that one was quite exhausting). I view it as very similar to how Pure Vessel fights in the game, though more long distanced, and he would get exhausted more easily, as unlike them, he had no higher being blood running through his veins. His knowledge and skill in soul magic was impressive, and he was able to change his physical form to a great extent once, but he couldn't make himself a god. At the end of the day, he was just a wyrm - a giant intelligent creature that mutated to stop aging, but still essentially just a large animal.

I think the Xero incident is worth bringing up here since it showed a side of him he desperately tried to hide. Initially, he responded to his threat as you'd expect, utilizing his spells to defeat the (surprisingly strong) opponent. But when Xero threatened Hornet, who was there with Vyrm at the time, something in him snapped. He always made sure to avoid using his claws and teeth in combat, in fear that it would bring out his instincts, which is exactly what happened when Xero aimed his blade at Hornet. Panic and protective instincts took over, and when he regained control, he found himself crouched over a decapitated, partially eaten Xero, with blood all over his hands and mouth.

So in short - to fight him in the first place, you'd have to leave him with no other option. And during the battle, he would use soul blades and other summoned projectiles as his weapon, though only at a distance, for reasons that only became clear after Xero threatened his daughter. He was very powerful, but exhaustion was his weak point. Of course, that wasn't a problem 99% of the time, as he would take care of basically any threat that wasn't a more powerful god before that happened.

But it was there, a quiet reminder that no matter how strong he gets, he'll never be a true god. A theme prominent throughout his entire life, him trying to be someone he isn't, often to meet others' expectations, only to fail and suffer the consequences. He would never be like the other wyrms, he was too weak and too peaceful, and so he was rejected by them. He would never be a truly good king material, he was too emotionally vulnerable and lacked the confidence, and so he made mistakes and failed to protect his kingdom. And he would never be a god, no matter how much he pretended to be, a choice that infuriated The Radiance and led to the downfall of everything he worked for.

He wouldn't find out who he truly is until after he made horrible mistakes and lost everything. Turns out all he ever needed was a peaceful life, and being surrounded by those who don't expect him to be someone he could never be. I think all that background gives his current domestic life a lot more meaning.

Sorry about the little tangent at the end. I hope I was still able to give you a satisfying answer, I just got a little carried away hahaha

[cherrydrawz]

I think all infighting in any sort of minority community should explode into a billion pieces. Like.. you guys are supposed to be buddies. The LGBTQ+ community? Why are people IN IT trying to split it up?? That's exactly what the people who hate us WANT us to do, because it'll make it easier to kill us. Who fucking cares if someone's a boy and also a lesbian??? Who cares if someone doesn't feel romantic attraction?? We're supposed to be in this together??? Straights all hate us can we at least bond over that

and like. ND people? like systems?? Does it really matter if someone's system didn't start from a traumatic event? You're still being oppressed by ableists, guys. Fighting won't really help you... And no, someone else's systems lack of a trauma won't affect your own trauma-inducing event. Can we all pretty please work together so we can all stop being hated and wronged minorities? That'd be really cool in my opinion

We're in this together, whether we want to be or not . Hate isn't necessary . It'll only hurt us all in the end; even if these two examples don't seem like there's much overlap, if the government succeeds in ridding one, the government will rid so many others .

just work together and get along, for fucks sake . There's no reasonable explanation for why we shouldn't.

[blakeswritingimagines]

Dating Yandere Jaehaerys 1 Targaryen Would Include:

As a yandere, he is possessive, obsessive, and jealous to the extreme. He's extremely protective over you, and he would kill anyone who dares to hurt or take you from him. He's very controlling, and demanding, but he also shows a caring side when his lover is vulnerable or in pain.

well, if he really wants to go that far, he would try to make the person dependent on his love for you. This way you won't try to leave or escape him. He would try to make you feel like you can't survive without his love and affection.

He would also try to make the person he loves feel like you're a priority to him. He would try to prioritize you above everything else and make sure you know that you come first to him. He would try to make you feel appreciated and that your needs come before his own.

As a yandere, he's not afraid to use any means necessary to get what he wants, and that includes manipulation, gaslighting, and physical violence. He's also prone to jealousy, and controlling behavior. He may seem like he's obsessed with his beloved, but in reality, that obsession is just a way for him to gain control over you and keep you from leaving him. He'll go to extreme lengths to protect you and keep you from having contact with anyone else, even friends and family. He will stop at nothing to make sure that you stay with him forever.

He's prone to emotional outbursts and temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. He'll become extremely angry and lash out at you if you do or say something that he doesn't like. He can't control his emotions and often loses his temper and says awful things to his beloved. He's also prone to intense fear and anxiety whenever you are away from him, and he may resort to manipulating or even kidnapping you so you don't leave.

He has an almost obsessive love for his beloved and an extreme and irrational jealousy over anyone else being near you. He has an intense fear that you may leave or betray him, and he will do anything to keep you safe and with him. He's willing to engage in stalking, spying, and manipulation to keep tabs on you and keep you near him. He may even resort to violence and aggression if he gets too upset or jealous. He always wants to be the one in control, so he'll probably react with extreme anger and possessiveness when you challenge him in any way.

Other traits of a yandere include being extremely obsessive and wanting to control every aspect of your life. He's always suspicious, and he'll never allow you to spend any time with someone else. He'll be constantly monitoring or having others watching you closely for any sign of disloyalty, and he'll quickly become angry and confrontational if you do. If left unchecked, his obsessions and possessiveness can easily turn into manipulation, gaslighting, and physical violence. He doesn't know what he'd do without you, so he'll do whatever it takes to keep you.

He tends to idolize his beloved, which leads to an unhealthier obsession. He views you as the perfect person and will do anything for you, even if it isn't the best for him. This can lead to an unhealthy relationship dynamic as he often neglects himself to cater to your needs. He can become overly dependent on you for his own happiness and he'll struggle if you are apart for too long.

He struggles to express his feelings and he's very emotionally restrained. He has trouble expressing love or affection openly, and he can be very passive-aggressive. He may become emotionally unstable and angry if he's being ignored or not getting enough attention.

He can be overly controlling. He'll want to know where you are at all times, and he'll try to control who you talk to and where you go. He'll be anxious when you're away, and he'll constantly check in with you. He can also be even more jealous when it comes to your friends and family. He'll isolate you from these relationships so that you rely on him and he'll become easily jealous if you're around other people.

He struggles with showing affection in healthy ways. He may have difficulty expressing affection outwardly but deep down, he does have a soft spot for those close to him. He's very intense and committed to people he cares about, but he can come off as forceful or overbearing. He becomes overly jealous when he feels that someone else is getting attention instead of him, and he may resort to childish behavior to get his way.

He experiences love intensely. His affection is extreme and sometimes unhealthy. He can show excessive affection towards you and shower you with love and attention.

He can be very intense on dates. He is obsessed with his beloved and he wants to spend every minute with you. He'll monopolize your attention and he can become jealous if anyone else talks to you. The date will have to revolve around whatever he wants to do or where he wants to go. He'll try to make it as romantic as possible, but he can also be very demanding and the date will have to go exactly how he wants it to go, or else…

His family has no idea how obsessive he is towards you. His behavior doesn't seem unhealthy to them because the obsession is all in his head, and he keeps his emotions bottled up inside. He tries to act normally and appear friendly in front of his family, but deep down, they don't know how attached he is to you and how much he would do for you. His family thinks that he's a normal person with no problems, and they think that his relationship with you is healthy and normal.

He's also very obsessed with marriage. He sees marriage as the ultimate commitment to you, and he wants to be married to you as soon as possible. He's not picky, and he wants to marry you ASAP even if the wedding is rushed or not traditional. He'll do just about anything to marry his loved one even if you didn't agreed.

He's obsessed with the idea of having children with you. He'll fantasize about your future children and think about what they will look like and what he'll will name them. He'll imagine taking your children on trips and showing them the world, and he'll imagine the happiness you will feel together as a family.

He would be devastated if you didn't want or couldn't have children. He wants children with you more than anything else, and if you can't or don't want to, it would cause him extreme sadness and pain. He might explode in anger or become severely depressed and even resort to manipulative tactics to try to get you to change your mind. His obsession with having children with you is too strong and he wouldn't be able to let it go easily.

He can become extremely irrational and delusional if he doesn't get what he wants or when he feels that you are distancing yourself from him. He may start to see things that aren't there, and he can become obsessive about things that are seemingly harmless. And he'll start jumping to conclusions that aren't true. He's unable to think clearly and he won't be able to see the reality of a situation.

"You and I belong together. We're meant to be, and I don't want anyone else with you. Nobody else will love you like I do; nobody else could ever hope to understand our connection, our bond, the way that I do. You're mine, and I'm not going to let anyone else come between us."

Bondage - Being able to restrain and dominate you during sex is a huge turn-on for him. He loves tying you up, gagging you, and teasing your body until you are begging for release.

Sex toys - Using various pieces of adult play equipment like vibrators, dildos, and harnesses allows him to experiment with different ways of pleasuring you and exploring new depths of kinkiness.

Pet play - Being able to treat you like an animal and forcing you to submit to his will is a major turn-on for him. He loves making you kneel before him while he dominates you sexually.

Being worshipped - He absolutely adores being treated like a god among men. The idea of being surrounded by people who are in awe of his size and prowess turns him on immensely. He loves being fawned over, touched, and even prayed to during sexual situations as if he were some sort of deity come to life.

Foot worship - Worshipping feet and toes is a little-known fetish that he happens to be extremely passionate about. The sensitivity of the soles of your feet and the way they respond to touch and attention really do it for him. He loves to spend hours massaging and sucking on them and even trying different techniques like tickling or biting to see how far he can push you before you break.

[horror130]

general headcanons yandere losers club

request made by: @user40724432sworld

warning: mentions of manipulation, emotional dependency, abusive relationship, some profanity, and threats,kidnapping

*Manipulative, adorable, loving, stalking, overprotective, possessive, dependent, those are the words to describe what it's like to have this group obsess over you.

*now no kidding you have a big problem on your hands, even though they aren't as aggressive as gang bowers doesn't mean they are any less dangerous, don't get me wrong none of them and they go crazy to the point of killing someone for you or go crazy around point of kidnapping you but they're crazy enough to manipulate you or spread bad rumors about you so that the people of Derry turn away from you and the kids at school start bullying you so the losers can play hero and go to your rescue.

*yeah they are two faced little shits but don't worry you have losers club "in love" with you its not that bad it has its good side too you pretty much have loyal subjects who are willing to do anything for you they can be very manipulative but did you know that they are also very manipulable? you just have to know how to say the right words.

*Ben, Beverly, Mike, Bill know that manipulating you just to make you dependent on them is wrong but they delude themselves into thinking that this is a necessary evil so that they can protect you from the cruel world.

*Richie,Stan,Eddie really don't think they are doing anything wrong, it's true that they used emotional blackmail on you to get you to spend more time with them or that they caused the entire population of Derry to hate you but why would you like the company of other people when you have them?.

*when georgie disappeared you were always by bill's side helping him investigate georgie's disappearance or consoling him for what bill is eternally grateful (perhaps it was those specific actions that made bill "fall in love" with you), because of georgie bill's disappearance started to have a deep fear of losing you this fear resulted in Bill being the second most overprotective of you (Eddie is above Bill in terms of being overprotective), luckily Bill tries not to smother you with his overprotection even so he ends up being rather clingy with you,Bill often manipulates you subconsciously he doesn't want to but he can't help his yandere instincts,Bill really likes to feel like he's his hero he loves to feel like he's protecting you from the world, he has a notebook where he dedicates himself to writing absolutely everything about you he keeps in detail every piece of information he discovers about you whether it's your likes, fears, what you hate seriously this boy always finds something to write about you (the other losers constantly ask for information about you to Bill he doesn't always share this information).

*Richie Richie Richie this guy is a needy little shit who loves to constantly have your attention on him, Richie loves to make you laugh with his jokes which he always manages to do successfully as his sense of humor isn't the best but Richie is the one probably the most possessive of you he was the one who suggested starting to spread bad rumors about you so the group more specifically Richie doesn't have to worry about some little turd trying to steal you from him, Richie loves having his hands touching you somewhere be it on your shoulder or your waist maybe your thighs…..but he'll stop doing that if you make it clear you don't like being touched.

* Eddie is the most overprotective of you, he's possessive and overprotective so expect him not to respect your personal space too much and he's the best when it comes to emotional blackmail using your imaginary illnesses as a reason for you to be worried and focus on your watch out for him (like mother like son), he always has band-aids with him if you get hurt he will be the first to help you, Eddie and Richie always chase you hiding watching you sometimes all losers chase you but usually Richie and Eddie are responsible for making sure you get home safely, you by some miracle got Eddie's mother's approval and Eddie is very proud of you, Eddie already suggested kidnapping you just to make sure you're always protected but the group quickly dismissed this idea.

*Ben is the easiest yandere to deal with in the whole group, Ben has a strong dependence on you and will do everything you ask him if he pleases you and spoils you maybe you don't abandon him or don't trade him for someone else, he is the easier to manipulate since he is willing to do anything you tell him to do, Ben has a lot of insecurities and you always comfort him and assure him that he is adorable just the way he is it makes the boy's heart melt and his cheeks melt pink, if you're suspicious your friends are lying find out the truth from Ben he can't lie to you so if you push hard enough he'll tell you anything you want, if you like candy Ben will always be carrying some candy for you,ben likes to write poems for you and leave them in your school locker hidden away and he thinks it's adorable how excited you get when you get a new poem or how you wonder who wrote that poem for you.

*Stanley is probably the shyest he is a little standoffish but he always touches you discreetly whether it's touching your shoulder or hugging you every little chance he gets, Stan likes to impress you with his boy scout knowledge, Stan is a mix of super protective with possessive he is afraid of someone hurting you and feels a strong jealousy when he sees someone close to you, Stanley uses his good boy charm not to manipulate you but his parents so he convinces his parents that he is the best partner for you.

*Mike is the third most overprotective he would take on the Bowers gang all alone if it meant keeping you safe,compared to the others Mike and the calmest he resists the temptation to crush you with affection,Mike fell "in love" with you when you defended him from henry's name calling,Mike sometimes buys you presents are simple but meaningful gifts,Mike has talked you through his deceased puppy with you,Mike is so sweet and empathetic you can always have deep conversations with him or if you need to vent to someone he is your Boy, sometimes Mike feels unworthy of you so you'll have to comfort him.

*and last but not least Bervely (I left my favorite for last), out of all the boys she is the hardest to manipulate and when it comes to manipulating she is one of the best, you met when Bervely was being bullied by Gretta and you defended her, Bev risks running away from home just so she can sleep in yours, she's not very overprotective but and insecure it makes her possessive I really hope she doesn't see you too close to someone who isn't part of losers club (spoiler someone stopped at the hospital), she is the second most affectionate of the group she loves to hug you or kiss you on the cheek (or lips), Bev is the only one of the group that doesn't spread bad rumors about you she knows how horrible it is to have rumors about you scattered around the city and she refuses to make you suffer to be the cause of your suffering maybe threatening other people to stay away from you is enough

*losers club are those types of yanderes you don't realize are yanderes until it's too late.

(ok this took more work than i thought but i really hope it turned out good)