#he would be claiming they could destroy the entire earth and he needed them all locked up

[tanglepelt]

Dp x dc idea 9

When Danny does his jail break after being arrested by walker, walker doesn’t do his revenge plan.

He doesn’t raid amity or make everyone think phantom is bad. Nope walker does research of the human realm and goes to the justice league about escaped convicts from a different dimension.

I think it would be funny

[kisakis-boyfriend]

Kinktober Day 6: Cockbulge

Pairings: Inui x reader

Warnings: Male!reader, top/dom!reader, demon!reader, sub/bottom!Inui, sorcerer!Inui, size difference, teratophilia, overstimulation, mind-breaking, dacryphilia, blood from neck biting briefly

Genre/Format: Smut; Oneshot

Prompt List by: sakuyaserenitykira 🧡

Author's Note: This ended up being very different from my original concept (and also way longer than intended) but I hope you enjoy what it turned out to be! :D

Keep an eye out for this AU in a future kinktober installment 🤫

Please check my blog title to verify whether requests are closed or not! Thank you!

Inui was well aware of the dangers that this particular ritual held. Sure, any summoning ritual could go awry and become trouble quickly, but this spell was especially fickle. One tiny mistake or missed detail and he could summon something unwanted, possibly some eldritch creature that would destroy every known universe, but to him, the risks were worth it

He had spent so much time meticulously studying the circle that he'd need to draw, which materials you needed to place around said circle, offerings you were supposed to make, and even studying another language to learn how to pronounce the incantation correctly. Everything should be fine, it would all go perfectly and he would get what he wanted with no problems...

...He said to himself, sweating profusely as his arms carrying the backpack full of spellcasting materials trembled... Nevertheless, he marched onwards, deeper into the dark forest where you were supposed to carry out the ritual

Inui found the spot that he needed, a small clearing in the woods where the grass was noticeably softer and the breeze seemed calmer, where the only red flowers grew within the entire forest. This was where he began prepping for the ritual, casting the intricate circle with dried herbs, flowers, and crystals. Fixing several candles around the pattern and lighting them before stepping away to pull out his book of incantations, reading over the lines and practicing in his head. He waited about an hour, just as the instructions mentioned, before standing up and facing the circle. Taking a deep breath, he began the chant, repeating it three times as he walked around the summoning circle

He then put his book away and returned to the circle, stripping off his robes before laying down in the center, announcing his offering to the demon, “In return for your arrival and services, I have brought an offering of... myself. My flesh, my mind, and my soul are yours to do with as you please. Now, come forth!”

Tonight, Inui was uncharacteristically impatient. Normally he had no problems waiting for summoned creatures to appear, or waiting for spells to take effect. Tonight's spell, however, was very special. The being that he was desperately attempting to summon was a demon of lust, not an incubus or succubus, mind you. This was supposed to be leagues above those kinds of demons. And He was rumored to only appear before men that He found exceptionally attractive, which is what made this ritual difficult to find. Most of the sorcerers that committed to this summoning had no results, the demon refusing to come forth for anyone within the last 300 years, give or take...

Many people regarded this spell as nothing more than a hoax, claiming that it had probably become lost in translation somewhere and that was the reason it never worked. Some of the world's most handsome and skilled sorcerers attempted the summoning with no luck, so the magical realms deemed the spell to be fraudulent, because who wouldn't find these men attractive? That's what they all said, anyways. But Inui was tempted by the promises that this spell makes. Promises of "pleasure unlike anything this Earth could ever provide." And, "A love that no other could provide." These were loose translations of course, but Inui was tempted nonetheless. Hoping that if he was the one to finally summon the demon after all of these years, the other sorcerers would have to acknowledge his work, no longer able to poke fun at him or disregard his magic

He had other motivations for this summoning as well. The prospect of demon sex was very tempting...and since it was this demon's specialty, why not dedicate an entire year to studying the ancient books to bring this fantasy to life?

-

Inui's mind wandered as he awaited the creature's arrival. He closed his eyes, feeling the breeze glide through his hair and brush against his bare skin, his mind conjuring up scenes of what he imagined the demon would do to him. If it has claws, would it use those to scratch his delicate skin, drawing blood and licking it up with it's long tongue? If it has sharp teeth, surely it would sink them into Inui's tender flesh, marking him as it's human toy. And what about it's size, surely the demon would want to shove it's monster cock deep inside of him?

Inui began to squirm, his skin felt impossibly hot, as if he was on fire. His back arched as a single moan slipped out of him, rubbing his thighs together as his cock began hardening from the lewd thoughts. Suddenly, his hips burned, not in a painful way though, in a way that caused him to moan out once again

“My, aren't you an adorable little thing~ ” A low voice purred into Inui's ear, impossibly hot breath hitting his neck as a shiver crawled up his spine. His eyes snapped open to find a large creature hovering over his body, it's hands firmly gripping his hips and haunting yellow eyes boring into his, visibly glowing in the darkness of the forest

Inui wanted to say something, but the words died in the back of his throat, only able to gasp and pant as the demon loomed over his comparably small frame. “What's wrong, little one? Too stunned to speak?” A small noise escaped from Inui involuntarily, unable to process that this was actually happening. “Oh, darling, I hope you're not afraid of me now?”

Inui shook his head, not wanting the demon to leave him. “Good, good. ” It chuckled, brushing it's slender fingers against his cheek, trailing it's touch down the human's neck, smiling when Inui arched his back again, squeaking out some cute response and tilting his head up to expose his neck further

-

You slowly licked your lips, leaning down and grazing your sharp fangs against Inui's sensitive flesh, causing him to flinch and gasp. Gently kissing his neck, your hands traveling to his stomach and trailing your fingers downwards, stopping at the base of his dick. Inui whined in response, raising his hips up a bit to chase the addictive touch. Desperately wishing you would wrap those hands around his cock and–

“Already excited, are we?” Purring, you tapped his fully erect cock, eliciting a tiny noise from Inui. “Such a horny little thing, I haven't even touched it yet. Are you desperate for this kind of attention, sweet thing? Is that why you summoned me? ” You teased, baring your fangs and growling, just as hungry with lust as the sorcerer was. Depraved from worthy offerings for centuries now

“Take m-me...please...” Inui whispered. Spreading his thighs for you. You cocked an eyebrow at the request, the sorcerer's tone was meek, but you could sense the sincerity behind his words. Humming, you brushed a hand through Inui's hair, and he leaned into the touch, looking up at you through pretty blond lashes

“This is what you want, human? Once we start, I will not stop until you are marked with my seal. Are you certain that you can handle this? ”

Inui swallowed hard, taking a deep breath before his answer, “Yes. I want this, I want y-you...all of you. ” This greatly pleased you, a toothy smile spreading across your face as your slender tail swished from behind

“Very good~ Then let us begin, cutie~ ” You positioned yourself so that your face was hovering over Inui's cock, using your long, forked tongue to wet the member while your hands held the human's thighs apart. Inui moaned loudly when you swallowed his entire length at once, your mouth now flush with his pelvis. He instinctually grabbed your hair, tightening his fist as you bobbed your head up and down, sucking on the tip harshly. Teeth grazing against the bottom of his cock and causing Inui to keen, throwing his head back against the ground and letting out a high-pitched moan

Precum hit the back of your throat, coating your tongue and drawing out a moan when you tasted the familiar salty flavour. You couldn't help but moan around Inui's thick cock, the vibrations causing his dick to twitch inside of your mouth. Which only egged you on more, now bobbing your head faster, wrapping your long tongue around his shaft. Inui was losing his mind, vision blurry as it felt like he was getting a handjob and a blowjob at the same time

He cried out your name, his back arching impossibly high off of the ground, “G-gonna– Aaahhh—!!! ” Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as the sorcerer's load poured down your throat, greedily swallowing every last drop. You slowly let his cock slide out of your mouth, releasing it with a wet pop sound, tongue lolling out and a bit of cum sticking to it

Already spent, Inui panted heavily. But you were far from finished with this new toy, licking your lips and immediately sticking your tongue into the human's hole, eliciting a scream from him. “Oh– Oooohh fffuuuck~ ”

You continued to lick and slurp Inui's ass, working your tongue deeper inside of him and shoving it against his prostate, making him shout out broken moans. Sobbing as his ass was stretched just from that thick tongue

Retracting your tongue, you quickly replaced the wet muscle with two fingers, pumping them in and out of Inui's wet hole. His head felt fuzzy again as his ass was stretched further, it already felt as if he was at his limit, his arm draped over his eyes and chest heaving. You wrapped your other hand around Inui's dick, giving it a few pumps before rubbing over his slit with your thumb. The poor human hissed, biting his lip and clawing at your arms, his dick still sensitive from the previous orgasm

This did not deter you, however. If anything it only made you move faster and push your fingers in deeper, once again hitting Inui's prostate and leaving your fingers pressed against it. Ripping yet another orgasm out of him as your hand milked more cum from his cock, the thick fluid leaking all down your fingers

Inui slumped against the ground, almost hyperventilating from the overwhelming pleasure. With his strength rapidly leaving him, his hands fell onto the ground, releasing their grip on your large arms. You rubbed your hands over the expanse of Inui's chest, cooing sweet praises into your human's ear. “You're doing so well, sweetie. Releasing all of this lovely fluid just for me~” Inui could feel the rumbling in your chest as you spoke, voice low and gravelly. “But we're just getting started~ ”

Inui's eyes opened in bewilderment. He knew that this would require way more stamina than usual, human sex. What he did not expect was how every single touch from your clawed, calloused hands seemed to drain that stamina immediately and light every last nerve on fire at the same time. It was as if your touch injected him with lust, keeping him constantly horny enough to keep going even if he could no longer hold himself up

The familiar sound of clothing hitting the ground brought his attention back to you, having just removed your trousers. Which allowed your cock to spring free of it's constraints. Inui's mind appeared to go blank at the sight, drool falling from the corners of his mouth as he stared at your fully erect length. Most humans would say something along the lines of, “No way in hell is that thing going to fit!” But Inui Seishu was not most humans. Inui was, to put it crudely, a cockslut and a size king. Always craving the things that would stretch him open enough to shut off his mind, only able to moan and take inch after inch deeper into his body

These thoughts were not unknown to you, as every last kink and preference became known as soon as they laid down in the enchanted circle. Which is exactly why you chose him. Inui would be capable of taking everything that you could give him; he craved an experience such as this one, and you were more than happy to give it to him

As if your body had its own gravitational force, Inui inches closer towards it, beckoning you to slide into his tight hole. So you grabbed his waist, impossibly tiny within your grasp, and lined your demonic dick up with his ass. He gulped, glassy eyes trained on your cock as the tip disappeared inside of him, the stretch already burning in the most delicious way

“Shh, breathe for me, lovely. There's still so much more that needs to go in.” Those soothing words echoed in Inui's mind as another inch slid past that ring of muscles. His eyes rolling into the back of his head and mouth falling open in a silent moan. You soothed the human as best as you could, sliding in further and further until your dick had disappeared entirely. “Ooohh fuuucckk yeeesss~ ” You hissed, panting as his tight walls convulsed around your cock, his hips jerking upwards as cum painted his chest white

A devilish grin spread across your face, slowly thrusting into Inui's twitching body. He came just from feeling you bottom out inside of him. Such a good little pet for you.

A familiar tightening in your core caused you to speed up, chasing your first release of the night while your human was already on his third. Yet, you could sense the passion inside of him, he craved more. And more is exactly what you would give him. Slamming your hips against his roughly, you growled praises against Inui's neck, nipping him with your fangs and flooding his insides with searing hot cum

Still partially recovering from his earlier orgasm, Inui arched his back high off of the ground, wailing as you fucked him and filled him. His body going completely limp in your hands, breathing erratically and making the cutest fucked out noises

You took a second to catch your breath and revel in the sight before you. There was a large bulge in Inui's stomach where he was stretched around your cock, his insides pushed aside to make room for the impossibly large intrusion. His blond hair clung to his forehead, beads of sweat sliding down his skin from the intensity of it all. Your hand brushed some of the wet hair away, nails scratching against his scalp and pulling a soft whine from him

You couldn't stop the smile growing on your features, it'd been far too long since you had felt this way towards a human. Especially one that intentionally offered himself unto you like this one did. Hungry lips met Inui's soft ones, moving together harmoniously as your eyes fluttered closed, enjoying this moment before you gave him another orgasm

Inui moaned into the kiss when he felt your fingers brush against his nipples, playing with them so you could hear more pretty noises from your sweet human, humping into his wet hole as you did so. Inui gasped as your hips snapped into him harshly, pinching his nipples simultaneously. Your thrusts began to speed up again, causing him to throw his head back in total bliss, fucking him at just the right pace

The temptation to mark your cute pet up was far too strong, leaning down to press an open-mouthed kiss to his sensitive neck. Nibbling on the soft flesh as you fucked your previous load deep into his gut, thrusting faster and faster so that you could add more cum to the mess already within his walls, making the bulge in his stomach even larger. Inui whined loudly, tangling his hand in your hair and tugging at the roots, begging for you to cum in him again, “Please– Ah!! More...cum in me more... Fill me with your cock until I can't think of anything else– F-fuuck—!! ”

Cum flooded his insides once again, dick twitching as his gummy walls squeezed it all out of you, your hips surely hitting him hard enough to leave a bruise later on. Blood trickled down Inui's neck as your fangs pierced his delicate skin. Tears ran down his cheeks from the combined intensity of everything

Inui's dick became hard yet again, still glistening from his previous orgasms. “Sweet thing, will you cum with me this time? ” You cooed, wrapping a hand around his length. Slowly pumping it as you peered into his gorgeous green eyes. “Just give me one more, then you can rest. Can you do that, darling? ” Inui nodded languidly, his hips rolling into your fist on their own

You smiled at him in response, taking a deep breath before thrusting into him again. The reaction from him was immediate; his hips jerked forward, head turning to the side as a loud moan erupted from him, hands grasping at your wrist that was gliding up and down his member. But you continued on, cock reaching the deepest places inside of him, rearranging his guts completely as his body molded to your length

Inui clenched around your dick, his fourth climax just within reach, crying out your name while your thrusting became sloppy. One hand continued to jerk him off, twisting your wrist as you stroked upwards and eliciting high-pitched screams from him, while your other hand rubbed at the bulge in his stomach. Effectively jerking yourself off through his body, almost using him as a fleshlight

The way his mind just shut off was instantly noticeable. Inui's eyes became vacant, unable to look away from your lustful gaze. Little “Ah! Ah! Ah! ” noises escaping him with each rhythmic thrust, no longer capable of forming words as he becomes your dumb little doll. Arms and legs completely limp, the only thing really moving is his hips as they thrust into your hand, chasing yet another orgasm even though his mind is unresponsive to the overstimulation

“I really did fuck you stupid, didn't I, little one?” No response, unless you count the slightest change in the pitch of the human's moans as anything. “So good for me. Mm, cum with me now, let us complete this pact~ ”

With that, you fucked into Inui roughly, snapping your hips into his and vigorously pumping his cock. Biting your bottom lip as you grow closer to your release and finally cumming within Inui's tight ass as he squeezes you once more, his own release following only a second behind yours. His body twitched and writhed under your grasp as a glowing red seal was burned onto his stomach, the large mark spanning from just above his bellybutton to right above the base of his dick. The same mark as your summoning circle, a mark of ownership. Telling all manner of demons and other creatures that this one belongs to you

Caressing the newly etched seal, a wave of possessiveness washed over your features for a moment. Your darling human was fast asleep, exhaustion finally taking over after so much excitement. His soft features became illuminated by the moonlight and you couldn't help but smile fondly

You slowly and carefully pulled out of him, so as not to hurt him or rouse him from slumber. Soothing your hands over his body and kissing his pale cheek before lying down next to his side. You pulled him against your chest and spooned his small body, wrapping your tail around his leg. Placing a kiss on the top of his head, you whispered a few more praises and loving words into Inui's ear before drifting off with him

Reblogs are extremely appreciated <3

Tagging: @anxious-chick @steadybreadbluebird @6kabuki

[love-takes-work]

WHAT WAS THIS SHOW ABOUT?

One thing I really love about Steven Universe is that each of the four major characters kind of got a chance to be What The Show Was About. I would have LOVED spending more time with all of them and delving into who they were and who they became beyond what we got, but what we got was . . . actually pretty special.

STEVEN

As the ACTUAL main character and the show's literal namesake, it's obvious he's the protagonist. Our man has been through a lot and I don't suppose anyone would say he never got his moment considering he was there for the whole show. But except for some pretty important identity stuff that depended on his choices in the last episode of the OG show, a LOT of Steven Universe is stuff that happened to and around Steven. There was so much history and so much baggage that a lot of the story was about how he fended it off, dealt with it, fought it, reasoned with it, and managed everyone's emotions in the process.

Steven is set apart from the others in extraordinary ways: being half human, being extremely young, being Rose Quartz's son, and having Diamond-level powers and a claim to the Pink Diamond throne.

We had to wait for Steven Universe Future before the show was entirely focused on him, his development, his trauma, and his healing.

Some episodes from the original show focused on Steven's mental health and growth as a person--most notably "Mindful Education"--but we just didn't get to linger very long with his development until the epilogue show because plot stuff was always happening, other people's feelings were taking center stage, and worlds needed saving. I'm really glad we got Steven Universe Future for that reason. Some people disagreed, but I felt like it was a long overdue look into the soul of who he is--how his central defining character trait was his selflessness, and how desperately he needed to address that without having it manifest in a toxic way in the tradition of Jasper, White Diamond, or Pink Diamond.

AMETHYST

It could be argued that Amethyst had the most careful, nuanced, significant character growth of the three supporting Gems in the show. And it started immediately in the first season, when she constantly squabbled with Pearl and revealed that she felt judged and stifled and treated like a misbehaving child as early as "Tiger Millionaire."

Amethyst is set apart from the others in extraordinary ways: She's the clear outsider as the one who didn't fight in the war, the only full Gem from Earth in the group, the only Gem who grew up with no Homeworld dogma but also no roots, the only Gem who'd never met another one of her own and longed on some level for that connection.

The show continues to check in with Amethyst's self-worth issues throughout, giving us "An Indirect Kiss," "On the Run," "Maximum Capacity," "Reformed," and even "Cry For Help" (which seemed like an Amethyst episode until Pearl did her thing). We get "Onion Friend" when Amethyst shows us she thinks she's boring and that nobody values her. And we get "Too Far" when Amethyst really starts to internalize her inferiority based on Peridot's assessment of her and revelations of her origin.

With her cooking on that, we end up spending a string of episodes with Amethyst as the focus character. She's still shaking off dust about not doing what she's supposedly made for when a fight with Jasper twists the knife. She's beaten and insulted and almost physically destroyed, having to be rescued by Stevonnie. Steven misguidedly tries to cheer her up by letting her win at video games and she reveals that she thinks she's "the worst Crystal Gem." She finds an ally in him but still wrestles with her inferiority to Jasper. And when she still can't beat her in a rematch, she breaks down and realizes her strength is in togetherness. From there, she begins the process of healing, helped along by additional support from her family and finding some connection with meeting the Famethyst. When "Tiger Philanthropist" comes along and reveals that Amethyst doesn't need the outlet of wrestling anymore because she DOES feel she's good enough, we can reflect on what she's been through and how far she's come, and how that leads to her being the one who doesn't fall apart on Steven in the face of huge revelations about his mother.

GARNET

Garnet kind of peaked early, which is not to say it wasn't great. The final episode of Season 1 revealed her identity as a Fusion and further that she was "made of love," and then everyone was on the "Garnet is awesome" train.

Garnet is set apart from the others in extraordinary ways: being a Fusion all the time, leading the team and generally holding the others at an emotional distance, never asking questions, offering resources to the others for stability and balance, being the only Gem with Future Vision and a massive responsibility to use it well.

"Jailbreak" was a huge defining moment for Garnet, and as the "stable" character whose worst problems were mostly other people's problems, she did not seem to need a character arc. She was the culmination of a love story, always awesome and strong and dependable and everyone leaned on her, and in "Jailbreak" we found out why she has such an amazing foundation. But the show was not done with Garnet. Not by a long shot.

Pearl hurt her badly in "Cry For Help." Garnet's breakdown and subsequent focus on building Pearl back up was a significant look into how Ruby and Sapphire operate as a couple. Garnet is amazing partly because she is the result of all that work, but who is she as a person? As an individual who isn't an individual?

We see some of her struggle with leadership as the show moves on--most notably "Pool Hopping," and some of the last episodes when she can't make decisions in the Diamonds' shadow because everything's become about Steven's choices. But Garnet gets a spotlight again when Ruby and Sapphire feel differently about the Pink Diamond revelations and they worry Garnet only exists because of a lie. Digging into the real answers of who they are together through finally asking "The Question," and defining their fusion in their own image, was a move toward more authentic stability for Garnet. Her wedding made headlines, and watching her spearhead the immediate fight against the Diamonds on the beach was awe-inspiring.

PEARL

Pearl is initially presented as "the perfect one"--she's persnickety, she's organized, she's hyper-competent, and she's all about rules. But something else is going on with her not far beneath the surface. The first Gem to die onscreen--because of overconfidence and a silly mistake. The first (full) Gem to cry onscreen (and then over and over and over), the first to have a breakdown (and then over and over and over), the only one of the four to have faced an impossible choice, a relationship that nearly destroyed her, and a secret that ate her up from the inside. She was the only one who had (nearly) the whole story. All along.

Pearl is set apart from the others in extraordinary ways: the oldest Gem of the group by far, the one who served a Diamond and kept Rose Quartz's secret against her own will, the one who doesn't eat, sleep, or shapeshift. The one who both sat at royalty's right hand and existed as the lowest form of Gem life--created to be a servant, with programming no other type of Gem must live with. Her anxiety, grief, and desperate loneliness makes her one of the most multifaceted and interesting characters in animation history.

We see some minor wigging out from Pearl in "An Indirect Kiss" and a more intense version of it in "Space Race," but we get a much clearer picture that Pearl is Not Okay in "Rose's Scabbard." At that point we assume she thought she was closer to Rose than she really was--that she thought herself special and partial to secrets no one else knew, but that it wasn't true. "Rose's Scabbard" is a different episode on rewatch. Pearl is right that she alone was the one Rose "told everything." She did have a special relationship with her that the others did not.

Pearl's insecurity continues to bite us in the face as the show goes on. She tries to mold Connie into a self-sacrificial super-soldier after her own image in "Sworn to the Sword." Her deep need for someone strong to tell her what to do leads her to betray Garnet in "Cry For Help." Her inability to appropriately make it up to Garnet further complicates our understanding of how she can be so lost. Her jealousy, inertia, and angst frustrate her relationships, with some nice resolution in "Mr. Greg." Peridot's lore drop about Pearls' slave status sheds light on this, and seeing her get underestimated and bossed around by other Homeworld Gems is disheartening as we move on, but when we finally find out that she was Rose's secret accomplice in a false murder that poisoned thousands of their own citizens and led to massive waves of death, and that Pearl's free will to speak about it was also ripped away from her, we finally know, we know why she's been so brittle she could snap all along. She's been trapped inside herself all this time--in an almost literal way--and it's a wonder she's managed to carry on. Pearl's arcs have often been deemed the most emotionally fraught and tinged with gray morality.

These characters all got some very important story arcs focused on them in the midst of moving the plot along. I think the show did a phenomenal job with not only emotional development but with fallout for the other characters. We got to see the Gems' (and other loved ones') reactions when Steven's mental health took a nosedive, and watched them learn more about how to be there for him. We got to see Steven's initially misguided attempts to hype Amethyst up when she was spiraling, leading to him offering her what she actually did need, along with Garnet and Pearl (as Sardonyx) misfiring a bit when they wanted to celebrate Smoky Quartz. We got to see Steven's curiosities and misgivings about Garnet's life as a Fusion, and how Garnet affects others when she does crack under the strain, and how Steven must step up to leadership when Ruby and Sapphire are separated and how Amethyst tries to take care of him while Pearl has a guilt spiral. And we see how Pearl's choices led to Garnet's silent treatment, Amethyst's sulky helplessness, and Steven's attempt to hold the family together; we see how Pearl's confession reformats everyone's understanding of who the Crystal Gems are and why they're even here.

And even when the show is taking careful turns with each character to paint their nuanced feelings and troubles on the screen, it still managed to give us such a worthwhile overall story, with action and backstory and worldbuilding and everything. What's different about it is that the center was always its people--their relationships, their psyches, their evolution and education. I truly love the balance these creators chose, and I remain grateful that we got to experience this story.

[flibbetygibbetsbro]

Kay so I already posted this a month or so ago, but I find it very applicable to the fandom rn

The lore in Nightfall is actually insane. You're telling me that hundreds of humans went missing, and when the Elvin Leadership did NOTHING the humans revolted so hard-core that ya'll really had to DISSAPERE from their knowledge? "But it was to keep the peace!"

Nuh uh.

If you REALLY wanted peace you would have actually looked into the disappearances. That would have been waaay easier to pull off than erasing hundreds of minds and flibbety-dippen SINKING an entire city into the ocean. Despite Elven egos, I think that the council got scared. That's right. The humans you call dumb and violent SCARED you into hiding.  We ugly, weak, and untalented things decided enough was enough and you couldn't handle it.

What's extra crazy is the fact that the Elvin world has everything in their pockets OTHER THAN THE HUMANS. You're telling me that we idiots rule the Earth while you lock yourselves and others away? 

An even crazier thing is that Elves view themselves above everything, even if they won't admit it at the get-go. Ogres really are pissed about it. They are CRAZY strong but also incredibly intelligent. The average elf understands nothing about Biochemistry (other than extreme exceptions such as Lady Candace) yet Ogres have things that can wipe out entire species and put Elves in endless comas. "But the Neverseen used the sedative so they understand it!"

Nuh uh.

They stole the research from the Ogre scientists. (Or made a deal with the king I honestly don't remember at this point). They NEVER would have pulled that off without them. And guess what? Ogres are a generally violent species as well but the Elves keep them around. (Albeit on a short leash). 

The humans have a similar situation. Many times in the books a human story, invention, or belief is brought up only for someone to smugly say "They get that from us", or "he was inspired by ME". I believe there was also a scene where someone talks about how human "help" organizations were terminated because the information shared with them led to dangerous inventions. Don't you guys just love it when Elves claim credit for all good ever done by humans? But as soon as a nuclear power plant or bomb is mentioned (crazy complicated crap) it's suddenly the nasty humans and their dumb, violent minds. *insert eye-roll* Which is it? Are we smart or dumb? Are WE responsible or are YOU? Ya'll can't cherry-pick. Elves also pretend that they have control over humans, yet you can't stop an invention from destroying a Japanese City and ending a devastating war that killed more Jews than the average Elf could comprehend? If humans are so terrible, THEN WHY HAVEN’T YOU STOPPED US YET? WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL US WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE? oh that's right, you're too scared.

My final thought: The fact that HUMANS are what Vespera chose to "study". Why not Ogres or Trolls? Were humans the easier target, or was there some other reason? The fact of the matter is that Humans and Elves are more similar than either of us would like to admit. Ogre's minds are too different than an Elf's. Human minds are only different in the sense of how loud they are.  In fact, that's arguably the most important difference between us. We humans are loud, we feel intensely and love like nothing Elves would understand. For we love for our short lives while they wander on for eternity. The only reason we can handle violence is because we have to fend for ourselves. Elves have protectors and little green people to do their dirty work. Humans have to live through thick and thin, slavery, war, loss, and heartbreak. When Elvin minds shatter, our minds find ways to make it through. Lose someone? We make up afterlife after afterlife and history shows different religions arising when the general public needs a way to work through their violent and tiring lives. But maybe we AREN’T so different. The characters presented as able to handle violence/are inclined to it either had to suffer violence and neglect, lived through endless years of times before the treaties and the council, or spent time with humans. Take Fitz as a prime example. Bro legit beat the shit out of Alvar and trapped him in goo to die. NOTHING IN THE BOOKS SHOWS FITZ FEELING ANY GUILT FOR THIS. Hm...seems like a very "human" thing to do.

The real reason Elves fear us is because we're just an untethered form of themselves with shorter life spans and a lot less to lose. We feel more deeply, more “violently”. As the books go on the Council itself is presented in a more kick-butt way as they finally step up to Vespera and the horrors she caused. 

That sounds a lot like The Humans of Atlantice.

[simplenefelibata]

Angels are not supposed to feel love.

How could they? Feelings, emotions, all these — these human perks, derive from the soul. They're ingrained into the construction of the core of human lives to make them be worth something, be worth living. Humans are given such a short span of time that they might as well be born dead. Useless, meaningless little lives in which they're meant to suffer and enjoy and cry and laugh and create and destroy.

But angels? No. They were made to serve God, and be almost as lasting and great as He is. Why would they need souls, or feelings? You wouldn't give a computer nor a cellphone these things, they don't need it. They only need to listen, and obey, and feel wrath in the name of their Father and be able to worship His words. Nothing else.

And yet…

And yet.

The first time one of his siblings fell from grace by a human's hand, Castiel felt disgusted. He couldn't understand the how’s and why’s. Some things needed to happen in order to accomplish Heaven's plan. Some wars, deaths, marriages and massacres needed to be done for the Messiah to be born and the Righteous Man to come along right after. They couldn't afford to fail and put the entire existence in danger. Disobedience was always a whim, a sacrilege, and needed to be punished as such.

He captured Raguel and threw her at Michael’s and Anna’s feet. Castiel was the one to take her wings one by one, twisting them, breaking them, making holes in her ethereal body that could never ever be healed. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, twist. And with all your soul, break. And with all your mind, crash.

And meanwhile Castiel crippled her beautiful Archangel wings, Raguel didn't scream, she didn't scream once. All she repeated over and over again, as breathless as the air —

“But how could you not love them?

How could you know them and not love them?”

She was expelled to the Earth right after… abandoned, cursed, torn. Castiel took charge of most of her responsibilities. As a prize, he gathered. He became one of the most valuable soldiers in Heaven. He was one of the best — maybe the best seraph of them all. It wasn't a surprise Michael and Raphael asked him to lead, capture, threaten and fight non-stop. It's what Raguel would've done had she not been foolish enough to fail. Castiel didn't fail. So, in fact, it was a blessing that when the time came to raise the Righteous Man from Hell, Raguel wasn't around to do it, but Castiel was.

Angels are not supposed to feel love, much less fall in love with.

He wrapped his six wings around the maimed soul, and without surprise, Castiel raised him from perdition. No matter how much Dean Winchester screamed and squirmed in his tight grip, no matter how raw his wings were after the little human soul bit and scratched him, Castiel raised him and rebuilt him with hands that weren't his. He'd never seen a soul from close, and obviously never held one. It was more precious than lightning and mountains, greater than the sea. Knowing it a sin, he couldn't resist putting his mark all over it, possessing it for a moment and claiming it as his. He touched it, he saved it, he was the one to do it. Not Michael. He.

As the days went by and Dean Winchester lived his life, Castiel noticed — there wasn't any other soul like his. Even the most noble and caring souls out there didn't shine half as bright and powerful as Dean's in Hell. Destroyed and corrupted, the Righteous Man held in his core more love and pureness than the most innocent human.

He remembered then, while trying to talk to Dean in his real form, the words of his siblings. He hadn't even crossed a word to this man, and there he was, wanting more. More than worship. More than hatred.

How could you not love them?

How could you know them and not love them?

There he was, wanting more.

And here he is now, in the middle of the day standing in the counter of a Gas n’ Sip looking for the first time at Dean Winchester’s face, bright enough to make anyone forget he once was Michael's Sword. How far those days seem — as if Castiel hadn't been alive since the dawn of creation — how far and wrong those days seem, when Cas looked at Dean’s blurry body and all he could see was the corners his brother would have to stretch to fit in, all the fragile skin and bones he rebuilt and Michael would have to bend and break to make room for himself.

Humans are beasts, Castiel said once to Akobel before he perished in their claws. You have either to tame them or use them. Anything else and they'll devour you from the inside out.

Angels are not supposed to feel love.

But Castiel looks at Dean — he looks at his naked raw face, at those eyes and mouth Castiel once held in his fingertips to bring him back to life — and he inhales deeply to quiet down the rabbit pulse of his heart beating between his borrowed ribs. He just looks at him.

And he feels.

[hadeantaiga]

So here's where I am on all this.

The enemy are not Israelis who moved to Israel or who were raised in Israel with the promise of a place on Earth that was finally safe from antisemitism. The enemy is the government of Israel.

Israel's government needs to immediately pull the IDF out of Gaza. I don't care if Hamas is using Palestinians as "human shields". You're not supposed to shoot the human shields! Netanyahu is just using that as an excuse to kill Palestinians and claim they were "combatants".

Once the IDF is out, Israel's government needs to cease all control over Gaza. No more controlling imports, exports, travel, water, medical care and more within Gaza. Israel's government has been occupying Gaza since their alleged "withdraw" through administrative control. Netanyahu's "excuse" is that they HAVE to do this to control Hamas... even though he was quietly funding and supporting Hamas under the table. Israel's government has made living in Gaza incredibly difficult on purpose. It's cruel.

Is Hamas going to comply with a cease fire? Probably not, because Hamas is, at the end of the day, an antisemitic militant force that wants nothing more than to kill all Jews and evict all of them from the region. They do not want peace. Therefor, they aren't involved in finding actual peace in the region.

The way to deal with Hamas is to make their way of doing things completely undesirable. This is going to involve actually giving Palestinians the things they deserve, like full control over Gaza and the West Bank. Israel's government next needs to help rebuild the thousands of homes and hospitals and buildings they themselves have destroyed. It includes giving them their land and property back when it's possible, and helping them in actually forming a solid government. It involves not treating them like second class citizens within Israel and giving them the same rights as Israelis. Right now the far-right in Israel love Hamas because Hamas destabilizes Palestine.

That's why Netanyahu was literally funding Hamas: so he could have an excuse to continue attacking them, and so they would keep Palestine destabilized. Palestinians are divided and angry and Netanyahu KNOWS this and is actively feeding it and using it to further crack down on and oppress Palestinians even more. He cracks down, Palestinian resentment grows, Netanyahu uses it to fearmonger and gain approval, then he oppresses Palestinians even more under the guise of "self defense". It's evil, to be quite honest.

And that's the other thing. Israel's government needs massive reform. Netenyahu's entire government needs removed from office.

Israel's government needs to stop trying to make Israel an ethnostate, because trying to do so requires them to remove Palestinians from their homes and from their land, and that's a major part of... let's call it trying to wipe out an entire people from the face of the planet. If that's too far for you, it's certainly trying to wipe that group of people away from Israel with absolutely no concern for where those people are supposed to go or live. It's denying them access to their homeland and their heritage. That's pretty fucking bad, in my book.

Israel's government needs to enact some form of Right to Return for the thousands of Palestinians and their descendants who were evicted by Israeli and British forces during Israel's formation and the Nakba. Again, stealing land and expelling people from their homes for the purpose of creating an ethnostate they don't belong to is an aspect of denying people their homeland, and not caring if an entire group of people is wiped from the face of the Earth.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Gods and Clergy: Tiamat

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Religion | Gods | Shar | Selûne | Bhaal #1 | Bhaal #2 | Mystra | Jergal | Bane #1 | Bane #2 | Bane #3 | Myrkul | Lathander | Kelemvor | Tyr | Helm | Ilmater | Mielikki | Oghma | Gond | Tempus | Silvanus | Talos | Umberlee | Corellon | Moradin | Yondalla | Garl Glittergold | Eilistraee | Lolth | Laduguer | Gruumsh | Bahamut | Tiamat | Amodeus | The rest of the Faerûnian Pantheon --WIP

@neonbutchery The Cult of Tiamat, as requested.

Summary: "The gods are all inherently evil and need to die, so let's replace them with dragons."

Clergy: Dragons! Anarchy! Swords that are also snakes! And you don't need healing magic, it's just a flesh wound - walk it off!

Wyrmkeepers: Flight, fire breathing, pet dragons! Lae'zel is right, where the hell is my dragon steed?

Tiamat: Gods forbid women do anything.

---

"Tiamat teaches that rival powers of all creeds and from every pantheon are inherently tyrannical. They seek only power, at any cost, despite their honeyed words. The Dragon Queen is the only being powerful enough to defy the gods and their despotic rule. Worshippers of the Dark Lady are to work tirelessly towards the day when their queen will banish the gods from Faerûn and unite the Realms under her rule. Towards this goal, all true believers must follow her commands unquestioningly and be willing to sacrifice themselves in her service. To overthrow the gods requires power, and power is acquired through the accumulation of wealth and magic. Power demands respect. Chromatic dragons everywhere are to be venerated as the spawn of the Dragon Queen and paid homage. When Tiamat assumes her throne, her draconic children shall serve her as dukes, and her clergy as their mortal vassals." - Tiamat's Dogma

In ancient times, a nation of mages called the Imaskar had a slave work force that it bolstered by stealing people from other worlds. Earth was one of those worlds, and from Earth they kidnapped an entire settlement from somewhere in Mesopotamia. Eventually, after the fall of Imaskar these abductees and their descendants would go on to form the empire of Unther.

The Untheri brought worship of their gods with them, including the first non-draconic worshippers of Marduk (Bahamut) and Tiamat. Mainstream Untheric religion taught that Tiamat was the Queen of Chaos, Nemesis of the Gods. Unther laid its every single misfortune at the feet of Tiamat.

Untheric myth claims that Marduk and Tiamat were at continuous war with one another. In -1071 DR, during a battle in a war with the local Orcs, Tiamat saw an opportunity to slay the god Gilgeam as he battled with the orc god Ilneval. Marduk stopped her before she could, and the two destroyed each in the ensuing fight. Marduk's Untheric aspect was lost, and he was temporarily lost to the realms, existing only as the draconic god Bahamut. Tiamat was stripped of power, and depending on the source was either reduced to the lowest tier of godhood or became an archfiend in the Hells.

Marduk's cult quickly began to fade away after the disappearance of their god, due to the influence of the priesthood of the envious god Gilgeam. Meanwhile, Tiamat's cult went to ground, undeterred by the total silence of their goddess. Ironically, Gilgeam kept Tiamat's ties to Toril intact by continuing to maintain the populace's memory and fear of her by using her as a scapegoat.

The Untheric pantheon slowly faded away, leaving little but Gilgeam as he degenerated into brutal tyranny. Dissenters found their way into the ranks of the cult, and by 1346 DR the cult was powerful enough to summon an avatar of the goddess back into the Realms, and once again her priests could cast spells. They went to work, formenting rebellion against Gilgeam. Towards the end of the Time of Troubles, Gilgeam and TIamat did battle, with Gilgeam seemingly winning. What he actually did was scatter her essence amongst the three most powerful chromatic dragons in the area. One of them was Tchazzar, a red dragon ascendant (a dragon who has undergone a ritual to become a minor deity). He had already started his own cult in the realm of Chessenta. The dragon then went out and killed and ate the other two holders, becoming an avatar of Tiamat.

Tiamat proceeded to ambush Gilgeam, resulting in a massive battle that almost destroyed the capital city, and caused a fair bit of carnage on other planes of existence. The battle ended with both seemingly destroyed. And you will surely be shocked beyond the pale to learn that Tiamat was merely dematerialised. Before Tiamat could return to Uther and establish herself as the sole deity of the nation, she was ambushed outside of her lair on Avernus by a company of mortal warriors sent by Bahamut (formerly Marduk). Tiamat spent a year in recovery, but by the time she had, Unther had been conquered by neighbouring empires, and the native Faerûnian and Mulhorandi (Egyptian) pantheons had already established themselves.

With the death of Gilgeam, the Untheric gods were so utterly destroyed that Ao dissolved the pantheon, leaving Tiamat as a member of the draconic pantheon only.

Despite her many setbacks, Tiamat has never given up on her plans to overthrow the other gods. She has her cults wherever she can put them, fermenting rebellion and pushing her draconic children towards conquest.

-

Many of Tiamat's cultists were born into her cult. They are tasked with accumulating wealth and power for the faith, and sabotaging and sowing discord amongst all others'. Thefts, temple vandalism, assassinations, arson...

In its ancestral land of Unther, and the realm of Chessenta, the cult is focused on climbing the ranks of power. Within Chessenta she is worshipped in her aspect as Tchazzar, and his old cult is a branch of the larger faith.

Outside of these regions Tiamat's faithful focused their energy on taking over another cult; the Cult of the Dragon, and turning it to their mistress' control. The Cult of the Dragon reveres "the Sacred Ones" and believes that undead dragons are destined to rule the world, based on an interpretation of a prophecy claiming that all the rulers of the world would die, and dragons would rule. They try to convince dragons to transform themselves into liches in preparation for this event (it's also essentially Bane's fault that this cult exists, but that's off topic). Tiamat appeared to them as one of her avatars; a five headed dracolich, in order to draw their worship, and now works to bring them fully into her cult. Many belong to both cults, and the blurred loyalties can cause problems.

As of 1480 DR they have mostly succeeded in assimilating the Cult. The Cult of the Dragon is lead by Severin Silrajin, who has pushed the cult strongly into the worship of Tiamat over dragons in general, and believes that their energy should be focused on summoning her into the Realms to destroy the world as we know it and pave the way for our draconic overlords. Though not everybody in the Cult agrees with the Tiamat worship...

Tiamatans are also known for hunting metallic dragons, and are believed to have devastated their numbers over the years.

The Undying Queen frowns on healing magic; she teaches that people must understand their losses, and as such you should not simply erase the pain. Her followers are to learn from their mistakes as she has, and take full credit for their own successes. Only in the most extreme cases are Tiamatans supposed to use healing magic. That said, some individuals have ignored this restriction and Tiamat has done nothing to stop them.

Tiamat's temples are built in dragon lairs, decorated with frescoes of the Dragon Queen and her many consorts, depicting her being worshipped by all peoples. The temples are filled with the wealth her cult has accumulated for the purposes of sacrificing it to her. The temples are guarded by at least one juvenile or young adult dragon, sometimes more than that. The most important temples contain permanent portals to Avernus.

The ceremonial garb for most of Tiamatans is a form-fitting outfit made of the scales of a living being - preferably a metallic dragon. They wear dragon masks decorated with the images of the various chromatic dragon species, encrusted with gems. Across their back they wear a diaphanous, multihued silk cloaks, draped across their backs in a way that resembles wings. Their claw-tipped gauntlets are red-tinted steel.

In Chessenta priests of Chazar wear black scale armour under a breast plate or tabard sporting the symbol of Tchazzar. Their ornate masks and helms depict red dragons, and they are armed with saw-edged two-handed swords

Outside of ceremony Tiamat's faithful enjoy dressing in ways that bring dragons to mind, out of homage to their goddess.

Regardless of which branch a priest belongs to, they share the same holy symbol, usually in the form of jewellery - a stylised five headed dragon, bearing one of each colour.

Tiamat's faith involves many daily ceremonies. Most notable is the Tithing.

The Tithing involves the worshipper hiding an offering of a small tithe in clasped hands - typically several coins or a small gem. They offer a small prayer, and when they unclasp their hands there is a 10% chance the offering will vanish, and the supplicant will be blessed.

The Rite of Respect is a ceremony a cultist must perform when approaching a chromatic dragon, described as a "complicated ritual of abasement and appeasement." It doesn't offer any magical protection against the dragon, should it attack, but if the rite is not performed to exact perfection the dragon is almost definitely going to attack just for the disrespect.

In Unther the first full moon after midsummer is considered a holy day; the Festival of Vengeance, marking the day Tiamat defeated Gilgeam. In the city of Unthalass, which could've been destroyed by the battle, the night is dedicated to absolute anarchy as the faithful incite mayhem and riots throughout the city. People bearing grudges are encouraged to act upon them on this night, and the cult sees support from native Untheri, who would see their country returned to rulership under their own people and culture rather than that of foreign invaders. The priests of the Mulhorandi and Faerûnian pantheons prepare ahead of these nights in order to try and contain the damage, but this can sometimes be difficult because another way to celebrate the day is to assassinate prominent officials who would be responsible for managing these task forces.

The ranks of the clergy begin with the acolytes, known as Wyrmfodder. Advancement in the cult is a cutthroat affair - sometime literally. Those who can't keep up avoid the clergy, serving as lay worshippers, guards and spies. For clerics, any sign of fear or weakness can be the end of them, and priests guard their thoughts, feelings and plans at all times. You do not have to be powerful in the ranks of the cult, so long as you can fake it convincingly enough. The high priests however, are as powerful as they seem.

In rising order of rank, the cultists are known as;

Custodian of the Copper Chalice

Defender of the Silver Shield

Warden of the Electrum Mail

Guardian of the Gold Scepter

Keeper of the Platinum Crown

Scale of the White Wyrm

Horn of the Black Beast

Wing of the Green Gargantua

Talon of the Blue Baatoran

Breath of the Red Ravager

The High Priests are collectively known as the Dark Scaled Ones.

High ranking priests are permitted to carry serpent blades, green blades decorated with scale patterns that transforms into a live, venomous snake and begins striking at everyone within reach when drawn (the venom is a paralytic). Said priests also wear a specific ring, shaped like a snake biting its own tail, which keeps the snake from turning on them.

There are two holy orders in service to the cult, both centred in Unther. The Serpent Guards are holy warriors tasked with guarding temples and hunting down enemies who meddle in the cult's affairs - including spying on, assassinating and otherwise sabotaging individuals who have the political power and inclination to get in the way.

The best of the Serpent Guards are inducted into the Knights of the Five-Thorned Rose, an order of dragon hunters dedicated to eliminating metallic dragons and their father Bahamut/Marduk. They keep massive libraries, chronicling every scrap of lore on dragons the order has come across and have plans for dragon hunts that are centuries in the making. "These persistent, seemingly inexhaustible, assaults are taking a great toll on the population of Faerûn's dragons."

--

Wyrmkeepers are Tiamat's most devoted priests. Prior to 1358 DR, they were only present in Unther, however they may now be found in any human culture.

They can magically cause an individual to be overcome with fear

They can cast featherfall for free, once per day

They can fly

They can breathe fire, as a red dragon can.

They are immune to a specific form of elemental and physical damage. Which varies by individual. It may be piercing, slashing, bludgeoning, fire, cold, acid, lighting, poison... The elemental immunity includes immunity to the breath weapons of dragons.

The most powerful of them can summon a young adult chromatic dragon to serve as a mount. Tiamat is the one who decides on the dragon who answers, but it's usually whichever type is native to the area. The dragons will not tolerate disrespect and will leave once they are above a certain age (the young dragon stage is between 51-100 years old). They must be treated with absolute respect, and the priest can expect a lot of bribery, bargaining, pleading and placating.

Tiamatans can detect the presence of and identify precious metals and gems within a 20-foot radius by scent. They can't tell the exact location, but they can tell when they're getting hotter or colder in trying to find it. In order to use this ability, Tiamat requires 20% of the treasure given to her within 10 days, lest she lose her temper.

They can magically cover their entire body, except their face, with dragon scales. The exact colour is up to the priest, but must correspond with one of the chromatic dragons.

They can induce a magical sleep in a target by touching them, during which the sleeper doesn't require food, drink or air, and ages only a single year per century. The only way for this sleep to end is by the death of the sleeper or by touching them with dragon bone.

They can also make chromatic dragons grow a magical second head.

--

Tiamat is a Lawful Evil deity known by many titles: The Dragon Queen; the Chromatic Dragon; the Dark Lady; Queen of Chaos; the Undying Queen; Bane of Bahamut; the Avaricious. She is the embodiment of the idea of the chromatic dragon; embodying all of a dragon's avarice, vanity and arrogance, and all of their legendary strength, with none of their weaknesses. She is capable of being charming if she feels like it, but ultimately sees mortals as nothing but pawns.

Most of Faerûn outside of Unther is unaware that Tiamat is, or has ever been, a deity. They only know her as a terrifying monster from the Hells.

In larger D&D lore (or one version of it, anyway) she is considered one half of the original dragon god Io, and twin sister to Bahamut, who was the other half. He became the father of all metallic dragons, and she the mother of the chromatic breeds. This is apparently the version of her known on Abeir, and the version the post-4e version of the dragonborn believe.

On Toril, Tiamat was first worshipped in the Dawn Age, when dragons were the dominant species. The fighting between followers of Bahamut and Tiamat escalated into a full blown war (the Dragonfall War) in -30,000 DR and only got worse when Tiamat started creating horrible reptilian abominations as weapons. Bahamut's answer was the original dragonborn, but those got retconned in 4e. The resulting mass carnage saw dragons as a whole turn their backs on religion, deciding that if this was how gods were then they wanted nothing to do with them. The draconic pantheon only saw a minority of reverence for the better part of 30,000+ years, only really coming back to draconic attention in 1373 DR - which is great news for Tiamat and her cult. Until recently, Torilian dragons dismissed her as a human god - one worthy of respect, but nothing to do with them.

Tiamat usually announces that she's paying attention in ways that are likened to a sudden bolt of lighting. Explosions of fire and ice, and other things that draw from the elemental powers of dragons.

Tiamat's messengers and servants include chromatic dragons and similar dragon kin, abishai (dragon like devils of her own creation) as well as ordinary reptiles. She is particularly fond of snakes.

Her approval is shown in the sudden discovery of priceless valuables made of precious metals and gems (which she then expects to be offered up to her in gratitude, or else) When she's displeased with them, followers may find their valuables vanishing en masse.

When taking an avatar, Tiamat primarily appears in three forms:

One of her avatars is the Dark Lady, a human sorceress of the Mulan ethnic group (a group descended from humans abducted from across bronze age North Africa and the Middle East). Her beauty is described as "fey", her smile "seductive" and her entire eye is black (including the sclera)

Another avatar - the Chromatic Dragon - is a five headed dragon. Typically she has one head for each dragon, but she can change them at will. For example, she may decide to manifest with five red dragon heads.

Her final avatar - the Undying Queen, is much like her Chromatic Dragon avatar, except that she takes the form of a five headed dracolich.

[larathia]

Another thought (sigma, Plotting...)

Fyodor set up the whole sky casino arc as a "great if it succeeds, removes some problems if it fails" gambit, with the vampire epidemic waiting in the wings as Plan B. He expected Sigma to die - either at the hands of the Hunting Dogs, or when the Sky Casino was destroyed/crashed into the earth. He was expecting Sigma's desperation and need for 'Home' to keep Sigma fighting on the casino to the end. This is pretty classic Fyodor type thinking, preying on Sigma's alienation and fear.

I note that Dazai's reaction to finding out Sigma was a creation of the Book was "can such a being even be called human?" - and for Dazai, the question of whether one is Human is a big fucking deal.

From the initial perspective of the ADA, the entire Sky Casino arc is a plan that fails. They don't prove the ADA's innocence. They don't capture Sigma. And yet, the success they're having right now, with Sigma turned against Fyodor, is a direct result of that failure.

Dazai pokes at Sigma from the getgo and apparently does satisfy himself that Sigma is indeed a human being, regardless of the weirdness of his origin. And he treats SIgma as a human being. (Which is a manipulation, but the best manipulations hinge on truth.)

What's getting me is that the success now could only have come from the failure then, and what turned that failure into success was Atsushi. Because Atsushi did not abandon Sigma even when there was no apparent gain for Atsushi in staying, and showed kindness and concern, the door was open for Dazai to convert Sigma fully to the ADA's cause in the prison.

When Fyodor talks about God liking order, he's talking about the plans within plans, the way that all of them hinge on the actors' fears and needs. which drive them along the paths that Fyodor sets. When Fyodor claims that Sigma is the strongest player in the game between him and Dazai, Fyodor is talking about the strength of Sigma's desperation and need to belong making him self-sacrificially dependent on Fyodor's plan.

When Dazai talks about God liking coincidence and chaos, and those that rage against the heavens and shout who they are in defiance of everything, he's talking about Atsushi's kindness when everything he loved was at stake, and the domino effect of treating someone with simple human decency, such that they will put their lives on the line for the home that has cared for them.

Fyodor gave Sigma a home to chain him. The ADA would give Sigma a home to free him.

Fyodor made Sigma desperate. Dazai made Sigma brave.

[balanceoflightanddark]

Heading Down the Wrong Path

One of the big themes of Zuko’s arc in ATLA is the struggle to not be his father. That ultimately while he has the capacity to do great good, by that same very token he has the capacity to do evil. It’s that duality and inner conflict that followed him right up to the very end of the series.

So naturally, said struggle should’ve continued in the comics. Zuko is now in the same position his father was in. And so would come new challenges and that same dilemma now that he is leading a nation.

At least…that’s how it should have gone.

To understand the failure of Zuko’s comic arc, we need to understand Ozai himself, his philosophy, and how he came to power. After all, the narrative makes it clear that Ozai may be what Zuko could become if he doesnt course correct. In many ways, Ozai embodied the absolute worst the nation had to offer, whether it be its colonial superiority, or unrepentant warmongering. Being an unrepentant warmongerer whose first and only response to any challenge, whether from within or without the Fire Nation, was violence. We saw that when he literally burned half of Zuko’s face off for disobedience, even claiming that “suffering will be his teacher”. Even when faced against the Avatar, he claims that he has all the power in the world and takes a bit too much pleasure in tearing down a literal child.

Ozai also has a very nasty sense of entitlement. He genuinely believed that he was destined bring a literal end to the world and reign over its ashes as the Phoenix King. He wouldn't share his glory with anyone (abandoning Azula to her fate at the day of the Comet) because he's the leader of the greatest nation on earth in his eyes, and so should be practically worshipped as some kind of god incarnate. And mind you, he was willing to step on anyone and everyone in order to secure his power. That's how important being the Fire Lord or the Phoenix King was to him.

His rise to power also involves screwing over his entire family. Stabbing Iroh in the back on the worst day of his life, exiling Ursa, and conditioning both Zuko and Azula into exactly what his vision entails, regardless of their own thoughts and wants. And when they don't measure up, he tosses them away without a second thought. Essentially, his needs come first. Everyone else is secondary or a means to an end.

Warmongering. Entitlement. Selfishness. Those are the pillars of what made Ozai into what he is. Regardless of how he was treated by Azulon, he turned out into a tyrant that almost destroyed the whole world in the process.

And it's a path that Comics!Zuko has been forced on by the writers.

Let's do a bit of a recap: Ozai believed in the superiority of the Fire Nation and all others were subservient. In The Promise, Comics!Zuko tries to make the asinine observation that the colonies in the Earth Kingdom actually improved things...when in reality the ones who are benefiting from the bolstered economy are the Fire Nation citizens in charge. Mind you he should've known better by now due to his experiences in the Earth Kingdom.

And when King Kuei objects to the Fire Nation refusing to let go of its colonies, Zuko literally dons a helmet that eerily looks similar to his father and almost restarts the whole damn war.

Now to Yang's credit, this is part of the point of The Promise. That Zuko is turning into Ozai is addressed and is supposed to have learned. I get that.

Problem is at the literal end of Yang's run, we get this scene.

Shows up in literal war balloons to address a conflict in the Southern Water Tribe...you know, the people who were raided and probably wouldn't appreciate him showing up in such an asinine fashion. Something he did at the very beginning of the series and was acknowledged as a bad thing.

And the guy who obviously doesn't want Zuko there since a scene like this would've been terrifying for his people?

Yep. They try to pull the racism card and claim that Zuko was somehow in the right this time. I'm sorry, but you can't exactly claim one thing then do a complete 180 the moment your aesop becomes inconvenient for you.

So Zuko has clearly forgotten the whole "warmongering is bad" lesson he learned in the series proper.

Neither has his entitlement to the crown gotten any better. Admittedly, he gets nowhere near the levels of the Phoenix King, but the egotism and belief that the throne is his by all rights are warning signs.

Mind you, he was still under the assumption that he was a bastard son of Ikem...and yet he still believes the throne is his destiny.

The same thing happens again when in what is supposed to be a badass moment, it flounders when he has this smug ass look on his face while declaring the throne is his.

While he did have this longing for the throne in the series, I don't recall it ever being this bad. And he certainly wasn't smug about the whole thing either.

Finally, there's how he treats his family and loved ones. The only ones who are regarded by him as "good" are those who shower him with utmost praise and respect like Ursa and Kiyi. Those who don't and push his buttons?

Either tries to pull rank and orders them to obey him, or literally physically assault them. And let's not forget the time Zuko literally locked Azula in with her abuser just to get information out of Ozai. AKA: the same thing Ozai did to her.

To make things perfectly clear...I am not saying Zuko is now Ozai 2.0. What I am saying is that he display multiple warning signs of going down that path, inadvertently, and the narrative never calls him out on it. He's supposed to be the good guy. The villain turned good. He's supposed to be on the path to righteousness. But time and again, he shows signs he's going back to his old ways. And nobody calls him out on it.

Am I saying Zuko can't relapse into his old ways when ascending to the throne? No. I'm not. He's a teen and admittedly wasn't the best prepared by series end. Not to mention his problems won't just go away now that he's Fire Lord. I can accept that. And to be fair, he does acknowledge his faults by the end of Smoke and Shadow and declares to do better.

But being this late in the game...he has not improved. As much as I harp on his arc from the series, I will admit he was trying and making progress. Here? He doesn't. He just says words but doesn't do anything to back them up. Especially when he continues to cause problems in North And South and the narrative continues to support him despite him not changing.

In short, Zuko should've backed up his words, like he did in the series. Here? He never did. Which is an utter betrayal of his entire story arc from the cartoon.

Zuko should've seen the man who gave him a scar on his face and say "No, I'll never be like him." He should never validate any of his teachings or beliefs. That is what he should've done and learned. That is what the comics did.

But they didn't. And now Zuko is on the path to becoming like his father.

[the-pobble-terrarium]

So, now that we’ve got the general stuff out of the way…

It’s time for RAINBOW DASH AND FLUTTERSHY’S BACKSTORIES !!!!! (Seperated into two posts because their backstories are LOOOONNGGG)

Starting with…

Fluttershy!!

(Cw for ableism and neglect/abuse)

Fluttershy’s background is… tragic. She was born with a heavy, short figure and stunted wings, this made flight INCREDIBLY hard for her. Many of the foals and fillies she attended school with would bully her for being “fat” or call her a “flightless bird,” and teachers dismissed her attempts for help, saying she just needed to “try harder.” This severely stunted her confidence.

On top of this, she had great hoof power, but brittle bones, meaning she got hurt very often and wasn’t able to participate in a lot of the games her fellow pegasi could. Isolated from her peers and shunned by the majority of pegasi for her disabilities, Fluttershy quickly became depressed. Unfortunately her home life wouldn’t be much of a safe haven for long either. Around her teen years, her father had discovered a secret… one that would break them. 14 years ago, 9 months before Fluttershy had been born, her mother had cheated on her father with an earth pony. Fluttershy was not her father’s child, and worse yet she would never gain a growth-spurt so hoped for that would even out her body weight and allow her to fly. Her stunted figure, her heavy hooves, the strength, the smaller wings- these were the product of her half-earth heritage, and they would never change.

This news fully destroyed her family. On the night of the discovery, her father and mother got into a massive fight. They next day her father left without a goodbye. He had been played for the last 14 years, and he couldn’t handle being there for any longer, couldn’t handle staring at the daughter that wasn’t even his. Her mother became bitter and spiteful of Fluttershy, she blamed this family’s destruction all on her, and in turn Fluttershy believed too that this was her fault. She was the reason her entire family had fallen apart in her eyes, the ugly secret of their history. When Zephyr heard the news, he wasn’t sure how to respond in honest. It was a huge shock to him, and he claimed he was too busy with ‘college’ to visit after that. Fluttershy’s home life quickly became a nightmare after the incident, and the only light of hope really was her dear friend, Rainbow Dash.

Years later, when Fluttershy turnt 18, Rainbow Dash’s parents offered to let her live with them, knowing her home situation. Flutters accepted hastily, just wanted to leave that awful house, and packed her things. That was the last time she had spoken to her mother, her last words to her being “good riddance.”

Fluttershy’s mood improved from there on and she began saving up to live in ponyville, where the animals and creatures welcomed her as she did they. Years later down the line, her father reached out wanting to reconcile, and while it was hard to work through the issues he left behind with her years ago when he left, they managed and Fluttershy’s relationship with her dad improved well over time, even gaining a loving stepmother as well.

[afaramir]

did you guys understand what i meant in my tragedy of the psychic warfare post when i said i will not be your banner. i need to make sure you understood because just the thought of it has been genuinely fucking me up ever since. i just. denethor definitely knows the story of the end of the second age, and more specifically, what banner the armies of sauron carried onto the battlefield. and if you need a refresher, its celebrimbor’s dead body. tortured and mutilated and probably stripped naked (someone fact check me on that one) and stuck on a standard to be carried into battle. and. well. god i cant even say it. even thinking of it makes me visualize it in my head and i genuinely get nauseous. ok just. if gondor falls denethor’s death will not be easy. he has been too much of a thorn in sauron’s side for far too long. and. alright you draw the Logical Conclusion from the facts ive presented while i go and cry for a minute.

now sauron has famously had a lot of enemies, and yet he only did the banner thing once. so you might ask well what’s my rationale for thinking he might do it again? well pure sick deranged angst of course. but i do have AN argument although i do not promise it is bulletproof.

i think that he chose to do it to celebrimbor as a final act of desecration. he’s taken the rings they made together and all of the art of their creation and corrupted them and used that great craft to forge a tool solely of domination. he’s tortured him, personally, to death. and THEN he turns his body into a banner and marches on the last alliance. its an act of specific psychological horror every elf on that battlefield knows exactly who that is, hanging from the standard.

and denethor? well - sauron destroyed numenor, did he not? not directly, but i think he claims it as his victory because otherwise the loss of his fair appearance and his physical form to the alkallabeth would be too heavy of a blow to his ego lol. and now here is this man - nay, this numenorean, who is the first person in centuries who has dared vie with him directly. who not only contests him mentally but HOLDS OUT, for DECADES, where saruman, also a literal maia, greatest of the order of the wizards, could not. who poses a genuine threat to him, while also standing as a bulwark between him and the rest of middle-earth. denethor’s entire existence fucks with him so much. because he thinks oh, numenor was easily corruptible. men are easy to enslave or turn to my will. and then here is denethor, single-handedly proving him wrong. by the end of the war sauron has so many sick revenge fantasies against him in his head. i really don’t think its too much of a stretch to think that bannering him is one of them.

further...i also think part of the thing with choosing celebrimbor is that the final battle was upon them. it was sort of expedient. well i need a banner for this battle and CONVENIENTLY i also have this guy i hate whom ive tortured. and what is sauron going to do once gondor falls? march on the rest of middle-earth. with the lord of its first line of defense, its forlorn hope, as. well you see what i mean. i typed it out and then HAD to delete it.

and oh my GOD he KNOWS. AND HE KNOWS!!! HES SEEN HIMSELF ON THAT STANDARD!!! I FEEL! I FEEL!!!! anyway yeah i picture it and i wish for death!

[tanglepelt]

Run ghost run

second chapter

I had a thought. Danny hiding in Gotham to keep the infinite realm from starting a war. It plague my mind. So now I’m writing it.

A single warning was all humanity had.

The infinite realms would no longer allow the attacks on their people. They assured him that no matter the outcome he would be safe. All ecto beings and ecto contaminated were to be evacuated prior to the attack. As he and his friends were mostly or half human they would be sent elsewhere in time or perhaps a different universe if the need arises

Sam, Tucker and Jazz all knew what their afterlife held. Everyone else was up in the air.

He pleaded not to attack earth and argued that not everyone their deserved a war. He knew they couldn’t destroy the planet to preserve their own dimension as too many natural portals occurred. But the entire human race could be eradicated without impact to this dimension. They did agree to listen to his reasoning but only as upon his death he will be declared king. He had no power to control the realm or make orders until his coronation. The realm would remain under the councils guidance until he was a mature ghost.

They treated him like a child. According to them he was one. He had been half ghost for less than a year. He had only realized his rouges constantly attacking him was part of the culture when Pandora informed him. Them attacking him was to ensure he was well taught and ready for the realm. To them it was play fighting.

When he sealed away Piraha Dark it made them even worse. They wanted to fight him even more. He needed to be a better fighter and there was no better way to learn. They just wanted an excuse to fight him more like it. With the exception of skulker who was just hunting him to be a jerk. He didn’t have the luxury others did entering the realm, he would have to learn the culture not form with the knowledge.

Just as they demanded more fights with him they were over protective as well. One time when his parents were trigger happy in one of their hunts for him, Lunch Lady had used her meat to shield him from the blast. Technus had attacked Fenton works disarming the anti-ghost security system for a week. His parents had to figure out how to ecto proof technology it was funny to watch. While they were still attacking him and getting souped. They would protect him. His parent got so much worse. All ecto beings were scum. They were more determined to get there hands on a ghost. Time and time again saying they would tear them up molecule by molecule.

Clockwork was the only one who stood with Danny saying that one warning should be given. No more no less. The council immediately agreed with the master of time. With that the meeting adjourned and Clockwork gave him a message that when running he should follow the birds and bats as they would help. Clockwork then vanished like the cryptid he was.

When it came time to deliver the warning any hope Danny had of it working was lost. They weren't going to any higher power, not the president or governor not even the press. They would only hand the warning over directly to the GIW. They followed the ant-ecto acts, enforced the policies, it was their fault. They attacked and experimented on the citizens of the realm. It was up to them to rectify their offense.

How could Danny explain to them that the government agency would never turn it over? It wasn’t the norm for the realms, the warning or notice of attack was always given to the opponent. No reason to tell the press or government. They had no issues with the other humans but just the one group . If that group wanted to doom human life it was on them.

Danny managed to con his way into being there when the warning was handed over. He claimed it would be a good learning experience. He had a plan, and it was brilliant when the GIW threw it away he would grab it and hand it over to the news. The public was always antiwar. At least the records in the library said so. He assumed they still were Amity has been a closed off town. There wasn’t much from other cities or states.

Many residents have remained for generations, and no one really had social media. There was no point as everyone had their own cliques. Sam and Tucker had a few outside connections. Sam with activist and her ultra-recyclo-vegetarian group. Tucker was connected to a few tech geeks and video game friends. Personally, he only knew people from town.

He assumed a news source out of town would be the best deal. They shouldn’t have any problems with ghosts and these “supervillains”. An outside perspective could be just what they needed. There would be no bias against the infinite realms.

They were off to give away the warning a portal opening at the GIW in their base of operations. Frostbite summoned a wall of ice around them. The declaration was on a glowing green scroll. It announced the warning out loud, then proceeded to get brighter and brighter unit, it burst into flames and disappeared. There went his bright idea. As the scroll disappeared a glowing green circle expanded out until the light passed through them and continued on. The power it radiated was intense.

When the light passed through he was grabbed, and they went back to the ghost zone. It was certainly a learning experience. Learning the plan he made was no good. Politics were not his thing. He was dreading the days he would be expected to make decisions. He’d rather fight any day of the week. The citizens were definitely rubbing off on him.

At least Pandora and Frostbite agreed to try and keep everyone out of the human realm. They could not guarantee anything. Frostbite didn’t want to see the injuries a war would cause and the potential losses. Pandora simply said there were still people on earth she didn’t want to see suffer. Both knew they couldn’t stop a war, but they could delay it. If the anti-ecto acts were disbanded and those responsible punished no war would be necessary.

With a promise from the two to guard the portal he returned home. He planned to close the portal and erase his parents from the Fenton lock, it would only work for about a day. They would just reprogram it. 24 hours could change everything. He entered the lab via portal invisible. It was empty.

A ring of light

the door slamming open

Stomping down the stairs

He was face to face mid transformation in front of his dad

He really sucked at making plans.

Then it was all black

[fanfic-lover-girl]

DBZ Thoughts: Vegeta was a more helpful ally before he joined the Z fighters

Make no mistake, I love Vegeta. Not as much as I did as a teenager but he is still up there in my top 5. Anyway, when you look at Vegeta in the Namek/Frieza arc vs Vegeta in the Android/Cell saga and the Buu saga, he was more helpful when it came to eliminating threats and preventing the rise of the ultimate enemy of the saga.

In the Namek arc, Vegeta was responsible for eliminating many of Frieza's army: Cui, Dodoria, Zarbon and 4/5 of the Ginyu force (or 2 of them since Goku was the one to defeat Recoome and Burter). And Vegeta was responsible for keeping the balls away from Frieza. Vegeta had decent teamwork moments too, albeit reluctant allyship against a common enemy. He takes charge when the Ginyu force shows up: coming up with two attempts to keep the dragonballs away and saving Krillin and Gohan from Guldo. He heals Goku and provided Gohan and Krillin with armor. Vegeta, Krillin and Gohan also have a great team moment where they launch an assault on second-form Frieza. Yes, Vegeta told Frieza to transform...but do you think Frieza needed Vegeta's permission to transform if he felt truly threatened by Vegeta and co.? Plus, Vegeta was strategic in avoiding Frieza - Frieza came to them. Vegeta has to be considered for the MVP spot of this saga, despite being evil still.

Now compare this with Android Saga Vegeta. He saves Goku, but Piccolo was about to do the same anyway. This is probably the first and last good thing Vegeta does in this saga that is unrelated to a mess he made. Because after this Vegeta is a total liability. He puts everyone in danger by confronting the androids. Then, when Vegeta had victory in his grasp and could become the hero of the saga, in the biggest disgrace of the entire series, Vegeta lets Cell become perfect. This put the entire planet in danger. If Cell was not a sadistic, narcissistic bastard, Earth would have been destroyed before Goku and Gohan could even leave the chamber. Then, Vegeta almost gets Earth's last hope killed when he rages against Super Perfect Cell (I think this was a great moment for Vegeta anyway despite how it nearly resulted in catastrophe). I honestly don't care much for Vegeta's interference in the Cell vs Gohan beam struggle because this entire fight was HIS FAULT IN THE FIRST PLACE! Vegeta fired one shot and fan gush over him. As a Vegeta fan myself, while I appreciate the character moment for Vegeta, the person who deserves all the love in this scene is PICCOLO! My man Piccolo always has my baby Gohan's back.

And Vegeta only continues to be a liability in the Buu saga. Vegeta is the main reason why Buu was released and why everything spiralled out of control. He lets himself get possessed and doesn't give a damn about feeding Buu energy (Goku is also at fault here but Vegeta is the instigator). Then, instead of working with Goku to beat Buu, he knocks Goku out and confronts him alone. Then, when he comes back to Earth after Yemma gives him a new body, he puts the Earth at risk because his feelings were hurt at Goku keeping SS3 from him! Oh, Lord. Vegeta's redemption during the Kid Buu fight was great and I liked his idea for the spirit bomb...but this is happening because of him in the first place.

Goku may act as the gasoline for bad situations but Vegeta is the gleeful pyromaniac who sets the place on fire with a flamethrower.

Namek Vegeta was a different beast. It's like going Super Saiyan scrambled Vegeta's brain. Trying to act like a Goku wannabe claiming he wants a challenge and then looking like a total idiot when his ass is kicked.

At least he had a change of heart in the Buu saga :). Post-Buu saga Vegeta is peak Vegeta. GT may have dropped the ball in several ways but GT Vegeta is a good ending for Vegeta's character. GT Vegeta is such a king.

[petits-pois-carcinogenic]

I'm by no mean a historian, let alone a journalist (Thank God). But at the risk of playing armchair analysts, I've noticed that ever since WW2, there are mainly three tropes of conflicts, in matter of duration, that is:

First case: 4 days-long wars. Those where the power balance between belligerent factions is so unequal that there is no point in resisting or fighting back. Outpost guards just watch powerlessly entire regiments cruise drive through their checkpoints. It's basically what happened with the American invasion of Grenada in 1983, or the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, or even Crimea in 2014. Those are wars that end up seeing very little material damage and few victims (Crimea's invasion is even called "The war without a single shot fired" in Russia, which is an image they like a lot btw. Krutchev claimed America would fall without them firing a single shot too, few decades back).

How many Central and South Americans does the CIA need to kill before you realize socialism is bad? - Charlie Kirk

Second case: 4 weeks-long wars. Or the Blitzkriegs. The power balance is a bit more reasonable, but through coordination and shock&awe tactics, one invader sends the enemy to the mat by wreaking havoc. Destroying comms, bombing roads, bridges, rail tracks, or shredding the airforce/navy before it even takes off. Within a month, the defending army is folded. This is essentially how most of the allies fell during WW2 (Poland, France, Norway), and in more recent examples, it is how went the American invasion of Iraq, or the NATO-backed coup in Libya (Iraq evolved into a case 3, but Saddam's army still got swept within 40 days, give or take).

The Onion did release some bangers during that time, so maybe the Invasion was worth it after all

The third type, the worst of all, either when the power balance is fair, or when the fighting tactics are too different to compare: the dragging to a stalemate. A lot of destruction, a lot of death, civilian & military alike, but no winner in the end. Yeah, some skirmishes here and there to be claimed, but the losses are so that it is pointless to call those victories. The textbook case of "Tactical VS Strategic victory". Examples are Vietnam to the US, Algeria to France, Afghanistan to the Soviets (for the record, those three were the strongest armies of the Cold war, with nuclear armament). And the most iconic: The Iran-Iraq war: 8 years of conflict, 300.000 deaths on each side, hundreds of billions worth of dollars thrown into the cogs of war. Yet the borders have not moved a centimetre nor did the people in power. Almost a million people died for, in the literal sense of the term, nothing.

"Hey you ever heard of Verdun? Hell on Earth, chemical artillery, fruitless bloodbath. Sounds horrible. Let's try that!" - some iraqi/iranian general, probably

Back in February, when I heard the news of war, I expected it to be a case 1, the way it happened in Crimea back in 2014. Zelensky would run tails between legs. Russian tanks arrive in Kiev without firing a single shot and Ukraine would fall back into Russian tutelage. The international community gets pissed, shakes their finger. Dogs bark and the caravan moves on.

But that did not happen, a month in and Ukraine was still holding. I then betted that Zelensky could come to terms with an armistice à la Finnish winter war (Both sides lose, but having saved enough dignity to call it a victory). The Donbass is demilitarized, Donestk becomes a Karelia 2.00 and falls into Russian territory and the Azov battalion is sold out on the sacrificial altar. Putin, having filled his "Special operation" objectives (demilitarization, denazification, protection of russophones), can now toot his horn back in Moscow. Meanwhile, Zelensky can come back to Kiev as a hero: he saved Ukraine from getting eaten whole by the second army in the World, like Finland did 80 years ago.

It is tomorrow the day 250 of the conflict. Russia has since mobilized its civilians because the meat grinder needs more flesh and Zelensky is getting more and more bold and aggressive in its pleas for assistance to the West: Ukraine is a hill Putin's Russia will die on, literally. And no Russian (that desires to keep living in Russia, that is) can back down either. If/when Russia loses, the Western powers appear hell-bent to make Russians pay for all the wrongdoings in Ukraine for the passing 10 generations. "Russia will be carved, its economy dismantled, its relevancy wiped out!". Well, this is what Russian media claims at least, but it's hard to fully deny it either; the US doesn't give tens of billions monthly to Ukraine as a charity: like everything, it's an investment, it expects a return and I don't really see a war-torn Ukraine bringing it.

But to Russians, this conflict either ends two ways: with Russia's annihilation and its fall back to square (199)1, or Russia forcing the way through Ukraine to have a chance at living a life like it used to be before the conflict. The peace talks are far gone. In fact, peace is a word neither Ukrainians nor Russians want to hear right now: This war is ending with the capitulation of Ukraine, or Russia's.

[yoonoclock]

head & heart | myg + jjk

PART TWO

❝yoongi had your heart and your soul. however, after following the poor guidance of family, that bond was broken. years pass before another man walks into your life…reminding you what it felt to be in love. a man who surprises you more than you realize — jeon jeongguk. but all of that begins to falter upon the return of yoongi. what should you follow? your head or your heart?❞

• pairing: captain yoongi x female reader | knight jeongguk x female reader

• genre: fluff, angst, royalty au, fantasy au

• warnings: none

• word count: 3.5k

• tags: @seokjinkismet @princxssly82

• note: changed the banner! jungkook’s vampire shoot has me in a chokehold…anyways…the angst is increasing with this one! yoongi will officially return in the next update! also, i promise more of the “fantasy elements” will appear. it will slowly come to light with each part! let me know what you all think!

PARTS

prologue | pt.1 | pt.2 | pt.3 | pt.4 | pt.5 | pt.6 | pt.7 |

The day moved in an agonizing slow motion. From the moment you woke up, you felt a heaviness on your chest that wouldn’t subside no matter what you tried — pacing back and forth, reading your favorite novel, searching the library of your mind for antedates regarding the darkness. Nothing. As much as the mystery and magic of a world unknown to you is, there is a grief that swallows you whole. 

Min Yoongi. 

How utterly pathetic does it feel to cling to the man of your past? How regret and love interact in a tangled concoction that makes no sense…leaving you far too conflicted to function. 

There is no possibility of change concerning your prior relationship with Yoongi. He has proceeded with a future of wealth and adventure. As for you? You are trapped in a family who couldn’t care less of your fortune. Why help you when they can tend to themselves? Perhaps it should destroy your heart, but it doesn’t grasp you quite the same as heartbreak. 

How pitiful. 

All that you desired was a new start in a direction you are uncertain of. What would you do and where would you find yourself blossoming? Only time will tell. However, time is not on your side today. 

It is clear that you had risen to the early morning where the sound of servants packaging traveled up the stairs. Nearly everything was put away or sold. What remained was the large furniture for the future tenants to claim. It easily impressed you at the speed in which all of this came together. Just yesterday it felt as if the world was still spinning for your fathers benefit. All it takes is for an entire twenty four hours to prove it wrong. 

You are intrigued by this process. It offers a breath of fresh air that could do you some good. 

Only some. 

“My lady,” Maude appeared startled by your appearance in the hallway. “I apologize for waking you.” 

“Please,” you dismissed her apology. “I am too burdened to find proper rest.” 

A moment's pause as Maude dove into work mode to supply for your needs. 

“Should I call upon a doctor?” 

You offered a smile, “Not at all. Seriously movement would do me some good. May I assist you in anything?” 

“I thank you for your kindness,” she bowed slightly. “However, we have everything prepared. All that is left is the bedding.” 

“You all work diligently.” 

It’s no surprise how tirelessly the servants work to supply for the needs of any household. From going to bed long past dusk to rising before the sun kisses the earth good morning, you understood the dedication. Every second poured into a family that may or may not care for you in the slightest. 

You attempt to understand their circumstances and abilities as individuals. Except in the end, you will never be the same. You forever will be nobility while they are not. Claiming to be one with the servants is untrue especially while you continue to be served by them. It’s a complexity that can never be navigated easily. Roles in society define who you are. Rank and fortune guide your lives. Quite absurd and unnecessary. You desperately wished it was something new entirely. 

There were a lot of things you wished were different. 

“Is everything in order with the new tenants?” 

Maude attempts to get your attention through a gentle cough. It doesn’t take long before you look at her in confusion. 

“I would assume so,” you furrowed your brow. “Is there a piece of news that I am unaware of?” 

Maude sighed, “Your father stated that you agreed to remain here to greet the new tenants while he and Florence travel ahead.” 

You roll your eyes. It comes as no surprise that they are quick to leave and force you to do the extra work. The less they have to ensure the better. As for you, who cares? All the time in the world exists at your fingertips. Nothing else encourages you to protest this request seeing as it was already decided. 

“Let the show begin.” 

The next few hours were filled with constant shouting from your father and Florence. Naturally, they had a great deal to say about the contents of the home they could not take with them. It became your sole responsibility to ensure that the new tenants would not ever touch the tapestries or roses in the garden. You smiled in amusement at their audacity. How could they dictate what happens with property that can no longer be claimed? It made you all the more content that you would make the journey alone. Hearing their persistent boastful words of vanity can and is draining. Witnessing this behavior since birth is more than you can bear. 

Peace is all you desire. 

“I assure you that I will make their stay here unbearable,” you assured your father. “In no way can they ever be comfortable.” 

“Precisely,” he nodded his head. “We can’t have peasants tainting our home.” 

“One day we will return and I intend to see it just as it is now,” Florence stated confidently. 

There is no confidence that they would learn to manage their finances any better. However, perhaps a persistent voice of reason is what will set them straight. Lady Frances is the only one to take on that burden. And a major burden it is. 

“The carriage is waiting,” you motioned out the open doors. “It is wise for you to leave hastily as the new tenants arrive shortly.” 

At those words, they immediately rushed out the doors to leave you alone in the midst of the final touches. Truth be told you had no idea when the guests would arrive seeing as it was quite early in the morning. Since all of your personal belongings had already been put away, such as your books, you turned to entertainment from nature. 

Unlike the previous night, you intended to wander the garden to gaze upon the final blooms of the season. You were careful to trace your fingers along the petals in admiration. Every part of it offered a wave of comfort. When you failed to find solace between the four walls of your bedroom, you snuck out to these intertwined paths. The memories poured over you as every significant life circumstance was felt here. Slowly weaving through the bushes, you expressed your emotions wholeheartedly. 

This is one of the few qualities you will miss about this home. You grew up here. From birth and into adulthood…surely, it is difficult to part with the entirety of your existence. 

Nonetheless, life continues. 

You can only cling to what is good and hope to escape what is not. 

Slowly you began to circle back around the way you came when you heard footsteps beyond the towering gates. Normally this was an entrance specific to those who reside here. It is unlikely the new tenants would approach the backside. Although it still was best for you to check so that whoever it may be does not wait longer than what is acceptable. 

Once you turned the corner to the point you could see the gaps through the metal frame, you immediately captured a glimpse of something familiar — glistening armor. 

“Jeongguk?” You ask in confusion. 

Clearly it was him but a part of you still held an ounce of doubt. At the sound of his name he shifted on his heel to meet your gaze. 

“Y/N,” he whispered before taking a bow. 

“Is everything alright?” You pushed open the metal doors until you stood several feet away from him. “Are you…well?” 

Jeongguk’s expression shifted, “Forgive me, my lady. I couldn’t help but wonder…” 

You furrowed your eyebrows, “Wonder?” 

“About you,” he finished his sentence. 

The way he spoke those words had an effect on you. It wasn’t a grand feeling or an emotion to be worried about. Instead, it is a fluttering that you forgot existed. Years have passed since you last experienced anything remotely close. Perhaps it’s the longing for any ounce of love that determines your responses. 

It has been 5 years….sigh. 

Jeongguk sensed that this may come off inappropriately so he stumbled over his explanation. 

“It is uncommon for me to interact with any person aside from those I serve,” he adjusted his stance in an attempt to ease his nerves. “Running into you offered a different escape I found to be like a breath of fresh air.” 

“That is high praise,” you offered a smile. “I do thank you for your kindness…as well as your company.” 

His eyes possessed an innocence not due to the lack of anything, rather, to the appearance of eagerness for life. Being limited to the same duty in honor of your king can take a toll. From surviving the same routine to protect (when no serious threat takes places) it can be a rather lonely livelihood. 

On top of that, he was built like chiseled stone statues that filled the halls of nearly every establishment under your cousin’s reign. As odd as an comparison this may be…he truly is a sight that your sister would consider “swoon worthy.” 

Doubt still happened to plague your mind, “Is our interaction that significant? I would assume that I am more of an obligation than a celebration.” 

“Every woman should be celebrated,” Jeongguk answers with no hesitation. 

You couldn’t help but release a loud laugh. 

“Quite a charmer you are,” you slowly move closer. “I can’t recall the last time I was this flattered.” 

Liar. 

You vividly remember the last time you had been flattered to the point of burying your face into your palms. It was after church where you were determined to walk in the rain back home to avoid the ongoing bickering between your sisters. Unwilling to allow you to travel by foot alone, Yoongi accompanied you. 

The rest is history. At least, that is what you should be claiming it to be. 

“I do desire to ask you a question,” Jeongguk built up the courage to proceed with his original goal. 

“By all means, please do share.” 

“Would it be premature to ask that we share further walks together? This time due to our own free will and not based on chance.” He presented it cautiously so as not to alarm you. “If this finds you well, of course. I do not intend on making you uncomfortable.” 

Your expression fell, “I fear this cannot take place as I am unfortunately leaving this home. I’m awaiting the new tenants before I myself depart.” 

Disappointment consumed his entire being. You took note of how his shoulders fell just slightly. Even in such thick armor, you were able to catch a glimpse. 

“Would it be appropriate to communicate by written letters?” He then offered an alternative that would suit this change in distance. 

You eased into a smile, “It would be quite appropriate.” 

“May I inquire about your new home? Where shall you reside?” 

“About a day's journey up north, to Beacon Village.” 

“I wish you safe travels, my lady.” 

“Thank you,” you bowed your head. “I look forward to our conversations.” 

“As do I,” he felt an ounce of hope despite the disappointment he expressed. “I hope you feel welcome to inquire about whatever it is you wish to know.” 

“The same can be said for you.” 

Before anything further could be said you heard the bells ring as it is not official that the tenants have arrived. You look to the gate as Jeongguk mirrors your actions. Your time together has ended. 

“Until we meet again,” Jeongguk pressed his right hand over his chest while he nodded a proper farewell. 

Slowly he watched as you returned back through the gates. Now disappeared from his sight. 

No matter what, he still showed you honor. It is embedded in his system that cannot be erased after one interaction. Truly he does hope that the future is in your favor. Being able to converse with you will add a new dimension to his life. Never once has he had this situation but he could not silence his mind when it came to you. Goes to show that the longing is very much active. Although he doesn’t want this to be the deciding factor. 

Yes, he has never given his affection to anyone. Except now he believes there is a possibility (with time). He is riddled with worry about how to properly convey this. Thankfully, he has discovered how understanding you are. 

He has hope. 

“This is beyond what we envisioned.” 

It is no surprise that they have fallen in love with what was once your home. They traveled through every room to gaze in wonder of its design. When you see it through another person’s perspective, you soon realize what it is you are losing. 

A part of you aches but another part of you is relieved. 

The couple who is so captivated are exactly as Lady Frances described — a hard working husband and wife who are responsible. Captain Andrew and Miss Adaline are beyond kind. You are thankful that these are the individuals who are now taking ownership. 

“I am delighted in your contentment,” you stand back as they proceed through the back doors towards the thriving gardens. “Is there anything else you wish to see?” 

“My dear,” Lady Adaline grasped into your wrists in a gentle embrace. “We have a lifetime to discover all these wonders.”

“Yes indeed,” Captain Andrew beams. “I can see us finishing our lives here.” 

You admired their relationship. How beautiful it is to grow with the one you wholeheartedly love. 

“Must you leave us so soon?” Adaline turns towards you. “We are expecting our cousin, Captain Yoongi, to arrive. A grand dinner in our new home is required!” 

Oh. 

Yoongi is coming back. After all this time…Yoongi is truly going to return from the sea. 

“I thank you,” you forced a smile. “Unfortunately, I think it is best I rejoin my family to ensure all preparations are fulfilled.” 

Adaline nodded in understanding, “We are grateful to you. All blessings for you and your family.” 

Captain Andrew then stepped beside his wife, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “May you have a safe journey.” 

The journey was long as it was gloomy. Not once did the sun appear for a heavy rain formed shortly after your departure. You mindlessly gazed through the glass of the carriage as all kinds of scenery passed you by. Even through the heavy veil of droplets, you managed to see through the grey haze. 

When hidden in loneliness for such a long period of time, it reminds you of how loud your thoughts are. These thoughts intertwine with memories you had assumed were barricaded. Now that Yoongi’s name had been mentioned numerous times in the last few days…it’s natural for the past to return to either bring comfort or haunt you. 

The rain. Rain holds a fondness in your heart. 

“I beg of you to be careful,” Yoongi voiced his concern the second you ran ahead of him. 

“Is the great sea captain afraid?” You called back through laughter. “Fear not, I am indestructible.” 

You could feel the ocean breeze pinch at your skin the closer you came to the shore. Fresh hair filled your lungs with new life that couldn’t be put into words. Everything about this destination evolved into your favorite comfort. Yoongi knew this well as he attempted to bring you here whenever it was suitable. No matter rain or shine, you adored it. 

That is one of many reasons as to why Yoongi cherished you so. His lifestyle was not ideal for many due to being away for months at a time…and now that he has accepted the offer as Captain, it proposes even longer journeys. When he is with you, time moves slowly. He soaks up every second possible so that the future can be bearable in your absence. 

“Would you look at this,” you beamed. “Water is also falling from the heavens.” 

The wet sand felt freeing beneath your bare feet. You began to twirl in circles with your arms spread outwardly. For a moment you closed your eyes to savor the growing blossoming sensation in your chest. Slowly you felt yourself losing balance. Before you could fall, Yoongi was right at your side to catch you. His hands guided you by your waist through a gentle touch. He stabilized you. 

You finally ceased all movement to then meet his warm gaze. The proximity between you two resulted in a warmth spreading along your skin. 

“Oh,” you blurted beneath a whisper. 

He searched your eyes for a moment, “May I kiss you?” 

“Yes,” you answer immediately. 

Yoongi scoots closer until his chest presses against your own. He shifts his right hand to your cheek, not before trailing his fingertips along your frame. Tingles shoot down your legs to the point of quickening your breath at this. Never once has anyone ever caused such a reaction. 

He angled his head to the side, “You are everything.” 

In an instant he feathers his lips upon your own. You melt into his touch, perfectly molding your mouths together. 

Every fiber of your being ignited into a burning passion. This is all you desire. He is what you desire. 

The carriage hit what appeared to be a rock in the path. Everything shook to the point of tearing you back into reality. When you blinked rapidly you came to see distant structures. You were almost there at your new home. Excitement should flood your veins but it is merely disappointment. 

Why are these visions and thoughts troubling you so much? Could it be that you truly were still in love or are you simply lonely? There is a lot of conflict in your heart. 

A major concern is the intent with Jeongguk. Is there intent for something beyond a friendship? No one can quite place it when you have only interacted twice. For some, twice is enough to determine if they are meant to be (quite like for your sisters). You are not the same as them. 

Whatever the intent may actually be, in no way do you intend on leading Jeongguk to believe romance is a key factor. If you are unsure of yourself, why would you harm someone else? 

Jeongguk must know the reality of your heart. 

You are determined to make it a priority to write to him as soon as you are settled. 

“You look awful,” Florence smirks. “At least I managed to maintain my looks.” 

“That’s the difference between you and I,” you removed your gloves. “I don’t have to maintain myself, it comes quite naturally.” 

Florence gasped, “Insulting to insinuate that I am the ugly one.” 

You grinned at her to further stir the pot when your father appeared to kill the mood, “Y/N, please fix yourself. We require a level of sophistication that is required of nobility.” 

“What nobility?” You raise an eyebrow. “We are forced from our home because you abused the sanctity of what was nobility.” 

“Our fortune is used to showcase our wealth,” Florence intercedes. “Can you not see the value in that? No longer will we bother to give to charity.” 

“Splendid,” you roll your eyes as you begin to step away. “I shall find my room to rest. Please leave your fortune at bay” 

You didn’t care to listen to any further bickering. There is a great deal that has transpired in the last few days to leave you bed ridden. Except you still had the energy to write to Jeongguk. 

Perhaps you were putting too much thought into it. Or maybe it was everything it was supposed to be. 

“Oh Y/N,” you bury your face into your hands. “Be cautious.” 

You took a seat at the writing desk that had been preserved over the journey for you to use. It was positioned beside the window where now it had turned into the night. The moon cast high in the sky to offer a blanket of soft light. For you it was not enough to see the paper, so you take out a candle and light it. 

Before you a flickering flame brought a wavering warmth. Slowly you reach for the ink to scribble any coherent sentences that come to mind. 

Dear Jeongguk, 

I pray that this letter doesn’t appear hastily on my end. I desire to make it known of my heart before you. Sincerely do I wish for us to form a friendship that is honest and pure. As it stands, I am conflicted with a previous love that has long been dismissed. However, I find myself facing waves of feelings that rekindle what once was. I am uncertain as to what that entails. 

He is not a part of my life in any shape or form. But that doesn’t mean traces of him are not present. 

These are my truths that I desire to share. If you wish to no longer proceed with our previous decision to communicate through this distance, I understand. 

Thank you for the honor of your protection and guidance from my foolish mistake. 

May you always be safe,

Y/N. 

[ijusthavesomanyblorbos]

rotb

hi guys. so i saw rotb. unfortunately i fucking hated it. lemme talk about why. (spoilers, obviously. be warned this is very long.)

first of all, lemme preface this by saying two things. number one being i did not have high expectations for this movie in the first place. because lets be honest, this is the transformers fandom, and hollywood has almost never done us justice. also, the trailers and teasers weren't exactly encouraging. number two being i am a huge fucking movie nerd. okay. i love movies. so just keep that in mind.

i think it's worth pointing out that my number one critic of this movie is that for almost the entire runtime, it's something worse than bad: it's boring.

i mean, how do you make giant robots boring??? how is that even possible? let's unpack that.

first of all, it has the most generic, cookie cutter action movie plot ever. we have to get the.... thing! you know, the thing! and we have to do it before the.... other guys! who are working for the BIG guy! and if we don't... the world will end! wahhh!

how is anyone supposed to be invested in that. there are no stakes. there's no tension. there's nothing. we've literally seen this exact plot played out one million times. THERE'S NOTHING NEW!!!

furthermore, the characterization of literally everyone is dogshit. the villians are bland, and have absolutely no motivation behind "darkness and evil." that's NOT INTERESTING!! there's no backstory! i literally could not even tell you the NAMES of the three main antagonists that are on the screen for half the movies runtime. that's how unimportant they are.

and god, the autobots are even worse. first of all, optimus prime and mirage are the only actual characters. i can't remember a single line any other robot says. not one.

but optimus is so under-hyped. they claim he's some big warrior (optimus primal even goes "i'm named after you") but we don't get ANY backstory. we don't know anything about cybertron, or the war, or even what the hell they're doing on earth. we know they "crash landed 7 years ago, and haven't been able to get off since". and they "have to get back, or cybertron will be destroyed!" do they ever tell us WHY cybertron might be destroyed? NOPE!

now we, as an informed audience, can reasonably assume it's because of the war.

but.... what??? friends, the decepticons are never even MENTIONED.

lemme repeat that. the decepticons are never. even mentioned. SO WHY WOULD ANY AUDIENCE BE INVESTED IN THEM RETURNING TO CYBERTRON? THERE'S NO STAKES!!!

back to the autobots though. also mirage is just annoying. he's literally just a"POP CULTURE REFRENCE" machine. that's it. that's all he does.

i... i can't even address what happens between him and the human guy (literally can't even be bother to remember his name) in the finale. i can't. i need to leave that alone or we'll be here all day.

god, i have so many things to say about this movie i need to speedrun a couple okay let's go

humans. boring. why are these movies about giant robots so determined to shove human characters in our faces they DON'T COMPARE EVER!!! the two humans are? fine? but the dude is literally just hero fantasy and the girl is. unimportant. nothing in this movie is important. you could cut any of them.

the action. mediocre. impossible to enjoy when "GENERIC ACTION ONE LINER!" is being crammed down your throat literally every five seconds.

why did the movie market so heavily with arcee wheeljack and bumblebee. they literally have like 15 total lines of dialogue. i can't express to you how much they don't matter.

and you know what. all of that could have even been forgivable. if they had just bothered to put some classic characters in there, with classic character designs, and make a product that actual fans could at least appreciate in aesthetic/homage, if not writing!

but they didn't. they used random ass characters who NOBODY cares about and gave them all SHIT designs too!

and it's so tragic when you consider all the amazing source material that they have to offer. i mean, i have been begging for YEARs for a movie set on prewar cybertron following megatron. the political conflicts and class wars! the origin of megatron is literally the MOST INTERESTING PART OF HIS CHARACTER! BUT IT HAS NEVER A SINGLE TIME BEEN ADDRESSED! HE GETS REDUCED DOWN TO BIG MUSCLE SCARY GUY WHICH IS LITERALLY!!!!!!!!!!!! THE VERY THING HE REBELLED AGAINST!!!!!!!!!! ITS THE WHOLE FUCKING REASON FOR THE WAR AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

can you tell i have a lot of feelings about this. wow. okay this is so long. i'm sure nobody's acutally read this far. alright. what's left.

what'll i'll say is this.

there is literally no appeal to this movie. NONE. it isn't watchable as a fun, transformers piece come to life. it's not watchable as a quality action movie. hell, it isn't even worth a hate watch!!!!!

and somehow. some fucking how. it is still the second best transformers movie. OUT. OF. SEVEN.

friends. how is this possible. how could this have happened.

to all the fan creators making fan art and writing of this movie. you guys are fucking heros, alright. you are taking this incomprehensible garbage, and making actual art. you guys make this franchise worth staying in. thank you, and i wish someone put you guys in charge instead of MICHEAL. FUCKING. BAY.

in conclusion. fuck hollywood. someone give money to the people who actually care about this franchise. or i'll die.

thank you and goodnight.