#he’s just out there rebuilding the order because he believes in what it stands for

[magicandmundane]

Murtagh: Yeah, sure, my stupid kid brother is the leader of the Riders. But am I going to acknowledge that? F*ck no. I hate authority, and I am not giving him that ego boost. Now let’s go hunt down this witch and her cult.

Meanwhile, Eragon: *gets nervous when someone says he’s in charge* *literally could not sleep in a bed because Vrael used to sleep there* *turns down positions of authority almost every chance he gets* *is just a goofy little guy who would like to see his big bro every once in a while*

[rosebudbl00d]

Insane Sylas ramble about Aiden, because he's my dude. I may be crazy when I say no one understands him but like:

This guy, goes from winning every building competition—probably feeling that he's going to get everything he wants, that everythings going to turn out right, that he'll make a name for himself—to losing his status to the people he use to torment. His best friend (and boyfriend if that's your thing) leaves him, he goes through a fuckin' apocalypse. And for once the eyes aren't on him. They're on Jesse.

He can't stand it- he can't stand the thought of Jesse having what he had, or more so getting better than what Aiden had. So he follows Jesse around looking for a moment to steal the spotlight from them; he tries to steal their treasure, he nearly attacks them many a time. He's getting so aggressive from his losses that he even becomes aggressive to Lukas and tantalizes him as well. And then he goes for Sky City. Maybe it's a fresh start in a way- he makes his way to the Founder's side- he infiltrates the system so easily, at this rate he'll reach back to where he was before. Everything feels like it may turn out right again. But then here comes Jesse.

Jesse Jesse Jesse. Threatening to steal everything from him again. Whether that be the status that he's trying to rebuild, the attention he's getting- or the Eversource. He has to get rid of the problem directly, or Jesse will just take and take and take from Aiden for the rest of his life.

So. He "kills" them. And while he's at it, why not kill Lukas too? Get rid of two problems at once, two birds with one stone. The person who's taken everything from him, and the person who's betrayed him. And now Sky City is his. (I feel that often the psyche of Aiden after he thinks he KILLED three people is overlooked. Up to this point Aiden hasn't killed anyone, he's just been an asshole. Personally I feel that once he gave way to that fact that there was no saving him, and that he's a murderer now- him believing that he killed Jesse directly led to the destruction of Sky City.)

But what now? That he's gotten rid of them?

Torment. He's totally lost it at this point, all eyes are on him, and now that they are he's going to show everyone what happens when you don't look at him. He's confronted by Reginald, and he doesn't even think before deciding he's going to murder him too. But in comes Jesse. Back from the dead.

His everlasting problem. Because nothing will ever work out for Aiden. Jesse will always be better, Jesse will always come back, Jesse will always get everything. And it makes him writhe at the fact that Jesse will always win.

"You just can't stand to see anyone else win. It just drives you crazy to see somebody else succeed, doesn't it?"

He's projecting this. AIDEN can't stand to see anyone else win. It drives AIDEN crazy to see somebody else succeed. Especially Jesse. Why otherwise would he do all this? He craves the attention he had, he craves having someone at his side (Lukas.) He craves being powerful, he craves everything that Jesse has. He wants so badly to be the hero, but not for goodness, no. For all the wonderful things he'll get out of being "the good guy." If Aiden is the hero, then everyone will love Aiden, and no one will love Jesse.

But Aiden isn't the hero. Aiden is Aiden. And Aiden only knows that getting rid of whatever's constricting him will get him what he wants. If he truly wants the attention, the fear love that Jesse has, he's just going to have to kill them again.

But he's alone now. Teetering on the edge of a platform with certain death below, a thunderstorm raging above, and the source of all his problems in front of him. And Aiden knows deep down that he's not good enough to beat Jesse. He's chaotic, there's no order to his strikes, it's just rage; rage and anger that has consumed him. And that's how he's defeated.

He's held accountable- and he becomes a sopping mess. "Oh Jesse please take me back, I promise I'll be good, I understand that I've been terrible, that I'm a horrible person. Maybe I'll write a book and settle down, please look at me. Please forgive me." It's just a tactic. Attention from anyone, even Jesse, it'll be enough. Aiden's story can't end with him rotting alone in a prison cell, he has to get something out of this. He's feared by everyone in Sky City/Ground Town now, locked away to prevent him from being a threat. But it's not enough. It'll never be enough.

Maybe he'll get a line in Lukas' book. Maybe he'll read it and think "I've made it." Maybe he'll think "This isn't enough, I need to be more than just a single chapter in the story of this world." Maybe he'll throw it away, and pray that it's not real.

He's consumed by the thought of anyone getting more than he has- attention, love, fame. Maybe just maybe, the thought of Jesse getting Lukas is what sent him completely over the edge. Because as long as he has Lukas' attention, at least he has someone's, right? Someone important's attention.

-

I wholeheartedly believe that Aiden can't change. Aiden's motivations have always been to be "the best" or to be something people will look at. He's envious to a fault, so much so that he attempts genocide and regicide on a city because he wants to be looked at. By the people of Sky City, by the world, by Lukas. All Aiden wants is attention. And he'll do anything to get it.

The letter he sends is just a way to get back into the story. "I'm sorry, I want redemption," maybe it's true, but why? Why does he want it? So he can do the same thing again, try to usurp Jesse.

He'll always be like this, because he's obsessed with Jesse- he's obsessed with Lukas. And he's obsessed with the idea that he can be better than them. That he can make Lukas regret leaving him for Jesse.

I'm absolutely fascinated by that thought. That Aiden's motivation for attention is brought to light by Lukas leaving the Ocelots for the Order. Aiden absolutely hates him for it, for abandoning him- him and Maya and Gill. Maybe in his own eyes he sees Lukas doing it for the same reason he'd do it—for the promise of attention. He hates Lukas for it, he hates hates hates him. But at the same time he's infatuated with the idea of Lukas coming back- of him apologizing for leaving, and everything going back to the way it was. Aiden on top, Jesse on the bottom, and Lukas right by Aiden's side.

This is also why I feel that post ep4 Aidkas is just completely rooted in toxicity, and also why I feel really any ship with Aiden is just destined to fail. He's clung onto Lukas so hard, and Lukas has moved on, but he hasn't. He's obsessed, and he wants to be loved by Lukas again- even though that's simply just not possible. Lukas hates Aiden as much as Aiden hates Lukas, but Lukas doesn't love Aiden as much as Aiden loves him. Maybe Aiden thinks that Lukas will fix him, change him and make him better, give him that opportunity to be great. But Lukas can't- nobody can.

No one can fix Aiden, not even himself. He's broken, and chaotic, and obsessive. He cannot let go, he can't move on, and he can't be changed.

His obsessions with attention and with Lukas and with being better than everyone else will always bring him down and ruin anything that he tries to have.

SORRY for the ramble, Aiden's my favorite MCSM character and has been my comfort character for a long-ass time and I just need to talk about him 😭 I'm sorry if it doesn't make much sense either-

I would go on but this thing is already long as shit and I don't want to kill anyone with the length of my insanity. But maybe sometime I'll get around to explaining how I think this plays into how I see Aidrose and post-canon interpretations of Aiden :3

[itsclydebitches]

I really want to take a moment to appreciate the conversation between Roy and Trent in 3x02, as a part of Ted Lasso's larger commentary on toxic masculinity.

Because these two are classic nerd/jock archetypes, yeah? (At least on the surface. The fact that they're far more complex than that is kinda the whole point.) Roy Kent is the handsome, talented, scariest motherfucker around, able to treat people like shit and still earn the devotion of the fans because he possesses the coveted Sports Skills. Trent, in contrast, is the queer kid who was never able to participate in sports himself, instead needing to turn to writing about them to find that in. As he tells Ted, for him sport is the metaphor and his words, delivered with an "edgy" style that pulls no punches, defend Trent in a way he's never been able to defend himself physically; they gain respect in a field where he'd otherwise be considered a joke. ("Is this a fucking joke?") Plus, given the implied backgrounds and present day characterization, I don't think it's much of a reach to believe that scathing articles like the one Trent wrote contain a certain amount of bitter satisfaction: Roy is "over-hyped," "mediocre," "disappointing," and driven by "rage." If that doesn't sound like a bullied kid finally getting back at all the jocks Roy represents, I don't know what does.

Notably, they repeat a version of this history during Trent's first week at Richmond. He's easily the most anxious we've ever seen him, jumping at loud noises, hands twitching in his pockets, very self-consciously trying to form a connection with the players and failing miserably. Trent is without his armor now - that of a high-profile journalist, safe behind his cutting words - and he's unable to rebuild any given that he's being denied the chance to write his stories. Why is that the case? Because top dog Roy Kent has decreed that no one talk to him. Now, we know based on Roy's characterization and what's revealed later in the episode that this is done out of a desire to protect his players from the abusive press, but outside of that context this looks a lot like the popular kid playing the part of a bully. Trent is the new kid entering class, being clocked as the outsider, briefly welcomed by someone with no prior bias (Dani)... and then that's shut down real fast from Roy. Funny as Ted Lasso is (and I was legitimately cracking up throughout the episode) there's also something extremely disquieting - in a very familiar way - at watching someone go from, "Hi! :D" to "FUCK YOU!" all on the say-so of someone with a lot of authority and social power. This dynamic continues throughout the whole week, with Trent growing more and more on edge until, finally, he just gives in. When Roy starts popping balloons he doesn't stand up for himself and demand that he share their office respectfully, Trent just tries desperately to ignore the bullying - and it is bullying, given that Roy stops popping the moment Trent leaves - and then quietly runs away, acting apologetic as he goes. When the players refuse to discuss strategy with Trent he tries to leave again, defeated, which is a far cry from the doggedly confident reporter who would wait for Jamie after practice. Woven among the humor, Trent is at his most vulnerable here, looking more and more like the victim in a hostile, traditionally masculine space.

Of course, given that this is Ted Lasso, the situation is far more complex than just, "Bullies exist and that's #bad." The locker room scene is initially set up to look that way, in large part because it takes place in a locker room/bathroom. AKA, two spaces where bullying tends to occur unimpeded - and we've already seen that in Ted Lasso back when Nate was the underdog, cowering before the rest of the Richmond team. Roy's control over the group is so complete that no one dares challenge his order to ignore Trent (except, of course, Ted himself. The guy who sparked Roy's growth from the get-go) even though the group is clearly very relieved when the ban is lifted. Roy screams at Trent, making him jump, and orders him into the semi-privacy of the showers. It speaks volumes to me that Ted feels the need to give a reassuring nod and that Trent clearly needed it because, again, outside of the fact that they're both obviously adults now and that on a surface level this moment is meant to make us laugh, this is all very reminiscent of the bully pulling the nerdy kid somewhere where he can hurt him without consequence, all while everyone sits there and watches, not really wanting it to happen, but not willing to stop it either. Everything from the setting, to Trent's defensive body language, to Roy pushing the wallet against his chest in a move reminiscent of the classic shove to start off a beating, all of it heavily implies that kind of bully/victim dynamic.

But, as said, it's not that simple. Because Roy isn't the bully here and Trent, crucially, isn't just the victim. The scene goes on to reveal that Trent is the one who has caused Roy harm, by printing a unnecessarily cruel article when he was just seventeen years old. (A revelation that pairs very nicely with his introduction this season - "Love that" - reminding us that just because Trent approves of others standing up to bullies doesn't mean he's never been one.) That was a decision that "wrecked" a young Roy, to the extent that he kept that quote in his wallet for years, only now reaching a point where he can admit how much that hurt him. Trent's explanation is understandable given his heavily implied backstory. Not that he was trying to build his career, but that he would do so by "seeing the worst in people" and hurting them first before they could hurt him. Roy was right all the way back in Season One, Trent is a colossal prick... but that's likely because others were colossal pricks to him first. Here then, we see that cycle of abuse once more, the same one Nate is currently trapped in. The difference, however, is that when Ted says, 'Your ego is hurting us, Roy' Roy listens and when Roy says, 'You really hurt me, Trent' Trent listens, and the three of them together put a stop to the cycle then and there. Trent apologizes. Roy forgives him. Roy lifts the ban and by the end of the episode they've reached a place where they can speak honestly with one another. Not just about Roy's feelings - which is a HUGE thing for him to make Trent privy to - but about the complexities of Trent's career too. We've already seen that balancing the truth with compassion is fine line for him to walk - as evidenced by him texting Ted, but still publishing his article about the panic attacks; leaving his job, but still sniffing out the Richmond story - but here we get the reversal of that. Trent has already said, 'I'm working on emphasizing the ethics of my profession' and now Roy comes in with 'I'm working to admit that a cruel article isn't necessarily an inaccurate one.' He did play like shit at Chelsea and though Trent didn't need to break the spirit of a seventeen year old, the players do need to come to terms with the fact that they're in a high profile career where everyone is judging their performance (something Ted himself is all too aware of). This is the kind of nuanced understanding that's only possible post-apology/forgiveness, wherein the story has reminded us, 'Victims are capable of becoming bullies themselves and they need to own up to their actions just as much as they deserve an apology themselves.'

All of which is REALLY important for the framing of Nate's arc because he is in Trent's position, poised somewhere between victim and bully. It's obvious the ways in which Nate was a victim of the Richmond team, of his father, and even of the public, but it's significant that he's still a victim even as he now consciously hurts others too. Rebecca had a long speech this episode about how charming Rupert is, how he'll pursue you and in the process make you feel like you're the most important person in the world, someone chosen... and though she was talking about Zava, all I could think about was Nate. He's still being charmed and wooed by Rupert, what with the compliments and the new car, but all of it comes with reminders that he's worthless without that approval (surely a cleaning lady must have parked there...). Rupert is the top dog at the moment, his oh so benevolent popularity extending to Nate, encouraging him to model that behavior in order to keep his interest... but inevitably Rupert will toss him aside, just like he did with Rebecca. He'll become bored and Nate will have to grapple with the fact that, in his effort to avoid being a victim, he became the bully instead, just like Trent had. Rebecca is waiting to help Nate understand the ways in which Rupert can demolish your sense of self-worth. Trent is waiting to help Nate understand how to own up to your mistakes. And of course, there's Ted Lasso in the wings, the American outsider who can offer a much needed, compassionate perspective on the whole of it - as well as some personal insight into panic attacks during interviews. The entirety of the Richmond community, thematically, is being built into a reflection of Nate's struggle; a collection of experiences and wisdom and kind-hearted insight that can help him if (when!) he chooses to accept it.

[kanansdume]

So I'd like to make it clear that I do actually still really love Sabine, Hera, and even Ahsoka as characters. I just really don't like their MANDOVERSE iterations. I don't think any of their characterization in the Mandoverse shows are accurate to how they've been portrayed before, generally, and it's almost insulting to call them the same characters.

Even in Rebels, Ahsoka still loved and respected the Jedi and would've NEVER thought to blame them for their own genocide or called them failures. Even in Rebels, Ahsoka still fought for Force sensitive children and agreed (along with Kanan) to take up the responsibility of protecting Force sensitive children the way the Jedi Order had done before them. Rebels Ahsoka was edging her way towards being the perfect messiah character she's become by her own show, but even in this, she is MUCH more clearly struggling with her feelings about Anakin and the reasons behind it are made exponentially clearer. TCW Ahsoka has a lot more personality to her, she's far more willing to be emotional and openly care about the people she is close to. She gives cute nicknames to droids and plays games with her friends. There was none of this strange wise sage to her, she was just... a person. A person who felt things and emoted rather than standing around and parsing out vague quotes like the world's worst therapist bot.

I still LIKE that version of Ahsoka, I still think that is a character you could do some REALLY interesting things with. I think that she is a character whose flaws and struggles could make for some EXTREMELY compelling stories. That version of Ahsoka is HER OWN CHARACTER, she's not just... "Anakin but better." She's not a messiah, she's not the Light Side of the Force Made Manifest, she's not the Daughter Reborn, she's not the New Chosen One. She's just... Ahsoka. She's herself, and that was compelling all on its own.

Hera was SO loyal to her beliefs, yes, but she was loyal above all else to her CAUSE. She was willing to leave Kanan behind when ordered, she was willing to lie to her crew because that was her responsibility to the rebellion, SHE was the one who wanted to be a soldier, SHE was the one who actively sought out the Rebellion and everything that came with it. She was the one who would point out that the others gaining ranks of their own came with responsibilities they needed to commit to. Yes, she sometimes was willing to do what was needed no matter what, but this pretty much always manifested itself as being willing to die for the cause. Taking down the Empire and rebuilding the New Republic meant EVERYTHING to her, she prioritized it above everything else, including her family and her own planet because she believed wholeheartedly in what it would mean for the entire galaxy. So to have her just... not give a shit about the New Republic, to have her disrespect New Republic leadership just because she can, to have someone claim that the reason people like her is because she DOESN'T follow orders? That's not Hera. That's not who she is AT ALL. Of COURSE she cares deeply, but everyone who loved her did so because they loved ALL of her, including the parts of her that she had chosen to commit to the Rebellion above all else. Kanan loved that about her, he loved how loyal she was and how deeply committed she was.

Sabine was a character we got to really see grow over the course of Rebels' four seasons. She WAS a little bit of a bratty teenager with a problem with authority early on, we see her push against Hera's willingness to keep secrets for the Rebellion because she hates being kept in the dark after her experiences with the Empire. But ultimately she has to learn that not all secrets are kept maliciously, some of them keep others safe, and she has to decide whether or not she trusts Hera enough to allow this secret. And ultimately, she DOES. Hera earns that trust and so Sabine steps back. We see Sabine forced to learn about mercy with Fenn Rau when she wants to kill him for attacking Hera, and instead she helps Kanan capture Rau and take him in and she spends MONTHS persistently working to befriend him and earn his trust. We see her have to face her own fears about her past and make the difficult choice to stay with her family on Mandalore when she can tell that they need her more than the Ghost crew does, and then make the opposite choice later when she's able to relinquish the burden of leadership onto someone she believes is worthy and Ezra needs her help. We see her understand that it's important to respect other people's choices, even when it's hard, even when you don't like them, and that's exactly what she does with Ezra in the finale. She understands why Ezra is choosing to sacrifice himself and has to choose whether to stop him or let him go. And she LETS HIM GO. THAT'S the kind of person she's grown to be by the end of the show. She's merciful, she's a proud Mandalorian, she's a good friend who understands how to make the hard choice even when torn between two families, she's persistent and compassionate, she's understanding and mature. She likes explosives, but now she knows that some situations are better handled with a kind word and an open hand.

That's MY Sabine. THAT'S who she used to be. She was funny, she was competent, she was smart, she was artistic, she was a child of Mandalore who learned mercy from a Jedi. I'll always love that Sabine because this version of her is the only REAL version of her.

That abomination we saw on the Ahsoka show wasn't truly Sabine. They might've LOOKED the same, but quite honestly you could've given her a new name and a different outfit and literally no one would've ever thought it was Sabine. She wouldn't have come off as a knock-off of Sabine because she just is so clearly... NOT Sabine. She's rude, she's an idiot, she can't do ANYTHING, she has no connection to being a Mandalorian, she's not merciful, she's not like the Jedi at all despite the fact that she's claiming she's training to be one (which is potentially because she's learning how to be a Jedi from someone who doesn't truly want to be a Jedi herself and has distanced herself from everything it's supposed to mean).

So as much as I make fun of these characters on the Ahsoka show, as much as I am going to keep criticizing them, I DO still love the real versions of them.

It's too bad Filoni doesn't.

[swaps55]

Joker self-sabotages :( While Joker and Kaidan might be able to rekindle their friendship in time, while Kaidan might be able to construct his half of the bridge to rebuild their friendship, it won't stand on its own, and Joker keeps burning his own half of the bridge down. The way you wrote it, it's all dependant on Joker's mental health. Luckily for Joker, if Shepard is doing well, Joker is doing well, and Shepard does well with Kaidan. Honestly understand Joker. Having power is the first step

You have no idea how much I am grinning over this inbox FULL of your brilliant observations.

You are SO correct.

Joker and Kaidan's friendship is a favorite of mine. Before Opus took over my life, I had intended to write a series of one shots that would follow it through the trilogy. The forging, the breaking, and the salvaging. I posted one or two - without much structure - and had some scribbled notes for others.

Now those ideas are just getting folded into Opus, and they have morphed and changed as needed, but I am still really excited about them. Here is one of the half-scenes I scribbled out a few years ago now. It doesn't quite fit Opus!Kaidan and Joker, but some of the sentiment does. I have latched onto the idea that in ME2, Joker believes as much as Shepard does that if they can just get to Kaidan, everything will be okay. And then...it isn't.

And all that guilt turns to fury. Because the person who could have fixed it...didn't.

~

“Why the fuck weren’t you here?” Joker demands. “Why did you have to go and do exactly what you would go and do, walk away when we needed you here?”

“Joker-”

“You know I hated you after Ashley died?”

Kaidan falls silent as though someone slapped him in the face.

“Shepard had to leave someone behind, and he chose her and not you. I could hardly stand the sight of your face after that. What made your life worth more than hers, huh? But after being with Cerberus, you know what? I understood it. You know why he saved you? Because you’re magnetic fucking north. Ashley was a soldier. She’d follow any order Shepard gave her. Oh sure, she had an opinion about it. She had an opinion about everything. But she was a solider, and she followed her fucking orders. You? You have a conscience. He gives you an order and you think about it. You may think you’re a by-the-book kind of guy, Alenko, but at the end of the day, nothing’s getting between you and your goddamned moral center, not even a court martial. That’s why he saved you. Because when he looked in the mirror and didn’t know if the reflection looking back at him was Shepard or Saren, you were there to make sure it was Shepard.”

“I don’t have to listen to this,” Kaidan mutters.  

“Yes you do. Yes you do. He needed that when we went after the collectors and you weren’t there to give it to him. Only thing worse than watching him die once was watching it happen again, only slow.”  

Kaidan throws an arm in the air. “What do you want from me, Joker?”

“I want you to hate me as much as I hated you. You killed Ashley. I killed Shepard. We both lost something. Why won’t you just snap? For once.”

Kaidan stares at him. “Joker…you didn’t kill Shepard. Look at me. Joker. You did not kill Shepard.”

[freestyle-crocodile-trashpile]

He's got a what?

[A/n: enjoy montgomery]

Summary: All the human workers know the Animatronics can't fall I love, they believe they programed the Animatronics to not fall in love, but of course someone always messs up. So seeing montgomery gator fallng in love with the (self aware) 9'5 iguana waiter was a shock.

Background(for you): you aren't new, you've been in the freddy fazbear entertainment for years, started with fazbear frights . Now they decided for you to be rebuild since it would be easy . But since you were a scare Animatronic you were tall, and creepy so they had some struggle fixing it. But soon enough you were the first Animatronic to be announced for freddy fazbears mega pizzaplex

Type:scenario: Montgomery gator X male reader

Version:security breach

~

So while everyone was workering, the show Animatronics realized Montgomery wasn't there getting ready for the show.

"Weres Monty?"

Freddy looked at Chica before looking around.

"Oh my, he isn't here. We have to alert the staff"

"He's fine, probably just destroying his room again, like aways"

Roxanne rolled her eyes thinking Monty was just mad again, but in reality Monty is standing beside you in the kitchen, looking up at you with the most love struck look he could make. He was in love and clearly wanted to hold your hand but couldn't, you were waiting on the orders people made and Monty was just a tag along not realizing his show was soon. The staff and security was alerted that Monty was not at the stage but it was already rising. When it rose all the way the Animatronics stood there not knowing what to do, since Montgomery wasn't there.

"Um... sorry guys but we have to wait to start the show, montgomery gator isn't here currently so we can't stop. But hopefully he'll be here soon"

Freddy let out a awkward chuckle as people went back to what they were doing.

"Were is he...."

Chica glanced to the people and seen a few angry people. Mainwhile you had just got the last pizza for the tables.

"Alright Monty let's go, oh and when is your concert? You never told me"

Monty was quiet as you two walked out of the kitchen and towards the stage area, not because he was mad or didn't want to say. He was just in a dream day, about you even though your right next to him. Also he was a little intimidated by your height. But that was the purpose of you. You twonwere half way there and monty still haven't said anything.

"Monty?"

Nothing just staring off.

"Montgomery"

This time you stopped yourself and him. He looked a little startled and looked up at you shocked.

"Did you hear me"

He looked down and nodded no. You signed

"I asked when your concert is, or was"

He froze. Is a hurry he looked up at the nearest clock and started to panic.

"About 10 minutes ago"

You looked at the clock, and remembered the day the clock stopped. The days the clock would stay at one time to hopefully keep people at freddy fazbears longer than they should, and have angry complaints about how they missed something important because of the 'broken' clocks but they never were fixed. 7:25pm was the moment your life ended, and 3:45am was the moment your life changed forever never going 'home' or having a normal life ever again.

"Y/n?"

You looked down at the worried alligator, who,clearly, tried to pull you along.

"Sorry, lost in thought"

Monty nodded and pulled you along, by your tail of course. When you got to your destination monty, as quickly as he could, went to the stage in a hurry, go meet up with the other performing Animatronics. As you shook your head at him you started to deliver the food and drinking to the rightful people. When montgomery got to the stage, the others instantly started asking questions.

"Wow guys calm down, i was just in the kitchen with y/n. alright"

"The iguana waiter?"

Monty nodded. Roxy started at him for a second before she started laughing.

"Oh, ignore her, but why were you with him?"

Monty looked up at Chica and opened his mouth but nothing, for once he was lost for words. So he just shrugged.

"Do you like, like him?"

Usually Montgomery would quickly deny but something made him Freeze. They all started at him waiting for a response.

"We should start the show right?"

Before they could respond monty grabbed the microphone out of Freddys hand.

"Who's ready for this concert!!"

Monty said loudly, causing the crowd to go wild, all cheering as monty started up his guitar while shoving the microphone back in Freddys hand. Chica knew, instantly seeing Montys reaction to her saying that. It means Monty likes you, the iguana waiter, aka the use to be scare Animatronic. It wasn't surprising to her, and Roxy didn't care. But Freddy? He knew that they weren't supposed to be able to fall in love. Their not programed to do that. So why? And how? He'll never know

~

[A/n:it's a little longer but not like crazy. I hope you enjoyed]

[irenethewoman]

Mrs. Shelby - Chapter 7 - Ada

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@ell0ra-br3kk3

In June 1919, Birmingham,

Last night, at the end of the street by the bonfire, Thomas and I confessed our secret underground love. But because Thomas and I both had beds that were too small and narrow, we haven't moved in together yet. Thanks to these "hard" conditions, I still get a few good night's sleep occasionally. Nights are disturbed by Tommy, and during the day, he's always calculating…

"Can't you give me a break? I want to live to be a hundred!" Tommy never paid attention to my irritable remarks and continued on his own path.

"What have you been doing all day?"

Polly looked up from the newspaper and glanced at Ada. I yawned behind another newspaper, trying to hide my fatigue. It's all Thomas's fault; I'm so tired…

"Get up!"

Polly suddenly ordered Ada to stand up, waking me from my drowsiness. I looked at Polly circling Ada.

"How long has it been since your last period?"

I continued to listen to their conversation in confusion, and it took me a while to react—Ada was pregnant!

Oh my God! If Tommy finds out, it's going to be a disaster! I can already foresee a "world war" about to erupt in our home. What a troublesome autumn…

I bit my lip, weighing my options, and decided to temporarily stand by Ada's side.

That night, I changed into old clothes that wouldn't make me easily recognizable and followed Polly and Ada to the underground clinic.

Ada must really love that man. Even though she stubbornly tried to hide her fear and unease with smoking and tough talk, she refused to consider an abortion, even though the man had left. She still believed he would come back…

Did she really trust him? Or was she unwilling to admit her inner fears and misjudgments?

I had told Tommy at Martha's funeral that I was worried our fate would be like Martha's. It seems I didn't think far enough. Maybe I too could become pregnant before marriage and then be abandoned by Tommy…

I looked at the people walking in the smoky streets, their heads down, and suddenly felt a bitter sensation in my eyes, but not a single tear.

In my upbringing, women were supposed to remain chaste until their wedding night, then spend their lives as wives and mothers, with activities like playing the piano or riding horses serving as mere embellishments to married life. But when I came to Birmingham, I had to rebuild all those rules in order to survive. I loved Tommy, just as Ada loved the father of her child, so I willingly went to bed with him.

But at this moment, I was truly afraid. More afraid than when I worried about Polly kicking me out when I was still underage and wanted by the law.

I didn't know how I would go on if my beloved abandoned me after I became pregnant. Since accompanying Ada to the clinic, I had once again fallen into a state of mental confusion. Although the thing I was afraid of was still a thousand miles away—after the doctor examined me at Polly's strong insistence that day, he said I was healthy but not pregnant—ever since that day, Tommy had been busy and hadn't come to see me at night…

My rationality told me that none of this mattered, that it was all just a coincidence. But I couldn't control my fear.

Tommy was still busy manipulating the gambling games, Polly was worried about Ada, and easygoing Arthur and John were either maintaining their reputation or living a life of debauchery. No one noticed that something was wrong with me.

It was the beginning of the month again, and I had to go to the Garrison pub to check the accounts and help out.

"You don't look well," the blonde Grace seemed to want to strike up a conversation with me, or maybe she was concerned about me, but I didn't have the mood to pay attention to her attentions.

I tried to focus my attention on the ledger, scribbling and drawing in the notebook, but my mind wandered, and I just stared blankly at the floating dust by the door.

When I finally snapped out of it, the barmaid was talking to Tommy by the side door. She was holding a metal bucket—her little tricks were so obvious.

I propped up my chin and watched Tommy from a distance, standing behind the bar.

He seemed to be in a good mood… But my mood got worse.

In the end, Tommy noticed that I had been hiding behind the bar all along.

"Have you finished the accounts?" He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, probably tired of me only talking about work…

"Not yet." I forced out a smile that was probably uglier than crying because I saw Tommy frown.

"Are you okay?" He walked toward me, but

I quickly retreated.

"It's none of your business! It's been so long since we've spent time together, and you're always busy with your business!" I said, my voice trembling with sadness and anger.

Tommy frowned, walked over to the bar, and called for a whiskey. Then, he raised his hand to signal for my drink. Grace immediately brought me a glass of whiskey, but I just knocked it over onto the counter.

[thebrightsilverlining]

Apollo Justice and What the Justice System Should Be

Apollo’s arc over the course of AA4, 5, and 6 is really interesting. Mainly because it kind of establishes Apollo as what the justice system should be.

In AA4 Apollo (and, to certain extent, Klavier) represent the change of the legal system. The “new blood,” so to speak. Apollo is just some guy who is passionate about the law and wants to make a difference. He’s one of the many young people who genuinely wants to make the country a better place and would be able to do so if only you gave him the chance. In a game all about corruption and how the legal system needs to stop stagnating and start changing with the times to weed out corruption and make the system better, Apollo is the change the system needs.

Apollo is willing to send his mentor to jail if it is the truth. Though he may have personal attachments, he refuses to let them interfere with his pursuit of justice. All of his clients are guilty of something, but none of them are guilty of murder, and he refuses to let the justice system pass them off as such just because they are “bad people.” They, just like everyone else, deserve a strong defense, regardless of any other crimes. The social positions of the people that are guilty don’t matter to him. You could be an attorney, a nurse, a cop, any number of well-respected jobs. You are still guilty. Just as the “criminals” are still innocent and should be treated as such, the “good guys” are still guilty and should be treated as such.

After the Judge and Klavier give their little speeches on what the law is, Apollo has this to say:

Ironically, being uncertain about what the law is solidifies the fact that Apollo is a bit of a personification of it. Or, at the very least, representative of the kind of people the legal system needs. Because, as Klavier and the Judge point out, the law is ever changing. It is not perfect or certain. It is hard to pinpoint the exact attributes of the law because we are always doing our best to change it and fix it and make it better.

And so Apollo states he doesn’t yet know what law is. Because he doesn’t know enough. Because it would be wrong of him to make a statement about the law without seeing more, experiencing more, knowing more. He is fully aware that he has only scratched the surface of this topic. So, instead, he’ll continue growing, continue learning, and continue changing as he gets further along in his career. And, if he comes across something in the law that needs to be altered, he’ll do everything he can to get that to happen. Just as a lawyer should. Just as the law should.

This carries over in the AA5, where Apollo has his big speech about belief being nothing without doubt. When put in such a difficult situation, he faced the truth head-on, firmly holding on to the belief that, if Athena was innocent, all his arguments against her would be disproved in court. That, to truly believe in Athena, he needed to accuse her first. In order to bring those doubts to the light and have them dispelled.

Edgeworth flat out states that Apollo understands what trials are all about. That he showed everyone else the true meaning of it all. As, up until Apollo lays his line of reasoning out flat, very few people actually agreed with his actions. Actions that the narrative ultimately comes out in favor of. Apollo once again stands for what the justice system should be, this time with enough knowledge and wisdom to have something to say about it, while still being cognizant of the fact that he does not know all and may very well be wrong.

And then, finally, we have AA6. The game where Apollo ends up staying in Khura’in to help REBUILD THE ENTIRE LEGAL SYSTEM.

Do I even need to explain it? It’s staring you right in the face. He dethrones a despot, helps the revolution succeed, and ends up being one of the few people in charge of completing rebuilding the law from the ground up. Something that:

Only he can do.

It’s a clear and strong arc for him. The further along he gets the more he embodies what the law truly is. Or, more accurately, what it should be. He starts out with the right disposition. Then, as time goes on, he gains the knowledge and experience he needs to truly understand it all. Knowledge that he then goes on to share with others, so that the legal system may be made better for the people it is supposed to help and protect. 

It’s nice. And funny. Because, of course, Apollo Justice literally represents justice in Ace Attorney.

[pinnithin]

the "what would your tav's personal quest be called" post got me thinking about my tav who i havent talked about at all but im having a blast playing. this is my second playthrough (excluding the origin runs) so i get to be a little more intentional about choosing their backstory.

enter pyxis, sole caretaker of a small, relatively secret shrine to tiamat in baldur's gate. they're a 22 year old black dragonborn who received a decent formal foundation in cleric work in their youth, but the rest of their magical education as an adult was self-taught (multiclass shenanigans). the only cleric of their order, theyve built a reputation for themself as the annoying evangelist who's always finding ways to squeeze money out of a situation. generally disliked, both for the tiamat worship and their annoying personality, they have a bit of a persecution complex and are convinced they're really, genuinely a good guy when all evidence points to the contrary. they're also very stupid. more on this later.

cue mind flayer abduction and infection. pyxis suddenly finds themself stranded in the wilderness surrounded by people who have no idea who they are and don't automatically treat them with disdain. they can finally prove theyre they good guy they always say they are, and they make promise after promise to help those in need (and complain about all the effort for relatively no coin in private). they're... really bad at being a good guy. they say all the right things to authority figures and people in charge but are generally rude and overly self-important when interacting with the common man.

this includes the companions, whose personal struggles pyxis is largely unsympathetic toward because they're constantly playing the pain olympics. like, yes, hm, that all sounds very tragic. quite the sob story. have i mentioned im the last of my order? that im the only one who can carry the torch of tiamat in my city? we all have problems here. they're not particularly favorable with any of the companions because they have a talent for pissing people off but they're fascinated by wyll's good guy act and how its so much more effective than pyxis' good guy act. hey man how do people actually believe you when you say you're here to help them. teach me your ways.

anyway we finally get around to finding karlach and wyll isn't able to go through with it. that night after mizora visits the camp and punishes wyll, pyxis is in a noticeably sour mood when confronting him about it. how can you be associated with a devil, they demand, especially that devil. and they proceed to reveal that mizora is responsible for pyxis' entire order being wiped out, with the help of one of her warlocks, during a failed summoning ritual about seven years ago. pyxis was the only one left alive after the encounter and now considers maintaining and rebuilding tiamat worship in baldur's gate their sole calling. hence all the evangelizing and gold hoarding.

they conclude this story by warning wyll against working with mizora from the perspective of someone whos been personally wronged by her. when cautiously asked about the warlock's identity, pyxis responds, "i don't know. i never got a good look at him. he left the scene pretty quickly and i was more concerned with not bleeding out. i wonder where he is now, if he's even still alive." because, as stated above, they are very stupid. "anyway, if you need help getting out of your pact, i'll help, if only because she's due for some revenge."

and wyll, unable to say anything about the conditions of his pact, is just left standing there like, oh. oh no.

[fieldofdaisiies]

I have not yet read a court of silver flames, and I swear I intend to but first I gotta finish the throne of glass series; however i'm very intrigued by this situation with Gwyn and Az and the ribbon, could you explain what that's all about? I see it everywhere and I don't understand 😭

Gwynriel and the Ribbon

oooh of course💙 since you haven't read acosf, I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think I somehow have to in order to explain it. also tagging @gwynrielweeksofficial here. I know the ribbon thingy was on day 4 but I only got the ask today. so here we go:

Nesta befriends Gwyn who is a priestess from the library (not sure if you know that if you haven't read acosf yet). Gwyn has experienced terribly things in her past and is first scared to leave the library, but somehow is the first priestess to do so as she has become Nesta's friend and loves her. Emerie, who is from windhaven, also joins them and together they start to rebuild the Valkyries as this is something Gwyn has done a lot of reading on. the Valkyries have died out after the war 500 years ago and now they want to bring them back. they do a lot of Valkyrie activities and training techniques, like mind stilling, fighting and research on them.

in order to become a true Valkyrie you have to cut a ribbon which is extremely difficult.

Cass and Az always like to mock them a little and give them super difficult tasks and sometimes act a little arrogant when they pass a task, because they are cocky and proud Illyrians.

But actually Azriel seems quite interested in it, but you know broody, stoic shadowsinger does not really let it show and so acts rather indifferent, although he catch him looking over at her many times. 

So he is like yeah you did amazing and does not act really impressed, although I think he is

And I believe somehow Nesta, Emerie and Gwyn want them to be impressed by what they can do and want Az and Cass to see this and be proud.

And then there is scene about the obstacle course that Az and Cass built for them and Az is all like you can never finish it anyways and Gwyn is like „what do we get if we manage“ because she is sure they can. And Az is like yeah yeah, clearly amused by her (also totally starting crush haha)

And then Nesta says, "Remember how Gwyn was with the ribbon? […] You're the new ribbon, Az." -> somehow like Azriel is her new challenge and making him believe in her (which he already does but not shows)

No matter if is this is a romantic line or not, it is important. It is important and significant for Gwyn’s healing and her future. The ribbon represents a challenge, one Gwyn is ready to take on, so I in the broader meaning I think it fully stands for Gwyn's healing. This challenge of leaving the library, of being ready to face the outside world and maybe also finding love and making choices herself when she has been robbed of them once. 

I said that before, but I am not a fully committed Gwynriel shipper as Azris will always be my number one, so I really hope it all makes sense I described everything clearly. lots of love💙

@headcanonheadcase just felt like tagging you here, if I got anything wrong please feel free to tell me so 💙

[lucky-clover-gazette]

the inviolable truth

two-part vidow hurt/comfort/angst extravaganza fic is complete! read it on ao3 or under the cut:

Shadow doesn’t want to admit it, but something is wrong. 

Not with him, for once—actually, he’s doing great—but with Vio. Stupid, confusing Vio, who brought Shadow back to life and defied the Goddesses themselves to preserve his corporeal form. Vio, who’s been living in the same cottage as Shadow for months on the edges of Hyrule Castle Town, close enough to his colorful counterparts to perform his heroic duties but far enough to blow them off. 

It had been, quite literally, a rude awakening. Shadow was nothing, just floating in the endless void—and then he was something again, staring up at Vio’s pale tear-stained face. His entire body shook as blood dripped from his hands (whose blood, Shadow still isn’t sure) and appeared to be kneeling in some kind of homemade summoning circle. The floor beneath Shadow was cold, because it wasn’t the floor at all—it was the very same dark mirror that he had once destroyed, somehow repaired. 

Vio said he was sorry, but couldn’t elaborate what for. He told Shadow he could stay with him and Shadow could barely even speak. So he followed Vio home like a lost dog, and hasn’t found a good enough reason to move out since. 

They have separate rooms, of course, but a cozy little den and eat-in kitchen, where Shadow is still in the process of learning how to cook. In his previous forms he never needed food or drinks, only consuming them for the vibes—now, not so much. It’s humbling to try different kinds of food, which Vio explains ad nauseum (if Shadow hears the ‘fun fact’ that tomatoes are actually fruits one more time…) as he samples each. 

Honestly, the more Shadow learns about agriculture and sustainability, the guiltier he is about destroying all those homesteads during his villain era. The more he learns about the light world in general, the guiltier he feels for almost ending it. He initially took to calling his time of evil servitude his ‘villain era’ as an attempt at ironic detachment, but it’s getting easier every day to take real accountability. Shadow doesn’t enjoy spending excessive time with the public, but working in the community garden brings him genuine joy. And it helps to feed the people of Castle Town as the surrounding farms rebuild. To think that Shadow once planned to destroy them as well, it’s… a place he tries not to let his brain go excessively. 

Vio’s internal life, by comparison, seems less peaceful these days. It’s something Shadow started picking up on a week or two ago and it hasn’t improved since. Of course it’s reasonable for Vio, or anyone, to have times of unhappiness, but it’s hard for Shadow to live in the same house as the guy and turn a blind eye. Especially not when he cares very much for his friend, which is all Vio is. All he’s ever been. Months into their arrangement, and Shadow can’t justify believing anything else. 

But, still. Friends can still care about each other. They can challenge each other. So despite his hesitation, Shadow does what he’s wanted to do for weeks. He starts the kettle for tea, which they’ve taken to drinking in order to preserve their remaining supply of stolen evil root beer, and enters the den where Vio sits and reads. In this moment he could be mistaken as peaceful, staring at the leather-bound volume as the fireplace crackles beside him. But Shadow knows better. 

“Hey,” he says. “What’s going on?” 

Vio looks up and raises an eyebrow, as if he knew the question was going to come up eventually. “Why do you think something’s going?” 

“You’re not turning pages.” 

Vio rolls his eyes. “You’ve only been standing there for a minute.” 

“So you did notice.”

The blonde sighs, putting down the book and crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m fine. It’s really nothing. You don’t need to worry about it.” 

“Pretty sure if it was nothing, you’d be over it by now.” 

“You don’t know me that well, Shadow.” 

Well, goddamn. 

Vio groans and puts his head in his hands. “Hylia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” 

Shadow puts his hands on his hips. “You definitely sound like someone who’s totally fine.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Ooooookay, well, I’m not going to force you. Guess I’ll go hang out with Zelda or something.” 

Vio looks up as Shadow moves to leave, grimacing. “Don’t go. I’ll tell you.” 

Shadow grins. “Knew I’d break you down eventually. Tea’s on the kettle, be right back.” 

“Oh. Thanks. Just… hurry back, okay?” 

Shadow nods, amused by the sudden change of attitude. This boy has layers. “Spill tea everywhere and break the mugs, got it.” 

Vio shakes his heads as Shadow retreats to the kitchen, but it’s with the slightest smile. 

━━

Shadow likes making tea—feeling warmth through the sides of the mug, funneling fragrant dried leaves into the infuser, and watching as the water slowly bleeds a robust amber. It’s a multi-sensory experience he wouldn’t have been able to enjoy in his previous form, at least not in the way he does now. He forgets, sometimes, that his resurrection wasn’t merely a restoration of his original dark state, but a transformation to Hylian normalcy. 

He misses his magic, often, but it’s not like he was going to ever use it in the void. Shadow still isn’t sure what he wanted, or expected, to happen after he shattered the dark mirror. Good things, for the others, who were so unlike him in merit and identity. Bad things, to Ganon, who used him as a pawn and convinced him he could only live in the dark. How ironic it was, then, that Shadow ended up there regardless. If Vio hadn’t brought him back, he’d still be there today. 

But he’s not. He’s here, with Vio, and Zelda, and the others. And tea. 

He carries both mugs into the den, where Vio doesn’t even bother to pretend he’s reading. 

“Back,” Shadow greets him, trying to keep things somewhat light. “Guess which one I poisoned?” 

“You wouldn’t serve me poison.” 

“Fair enough,” Shadow says, passing Vio a mug and sitting down at a respectful distance (not that either of them seemed to care about personal space when The Throne was involved. Hylia, Shadow misses that thing).  “I’m sensing that humor isn’t helpful right now. Talk to me.” 

Vio takes a sip of his tea and gives Shadow a smile. “You’re really good at this. Thank you.” 

“I am, but flattery’s not getting you out of this conversation.”

“It’s just… I’ve been thinking about what we did. What we didn’t do. What that means.”

Shadow blinks. “Okay.” 

Vio grows more agitated—not at Shadow, but seemingly at himself. “I know the others are doing great, and don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy, too. It’s just… are we meant to be this way? Separate? I’m just one piece of a whole person. I’m fundamentally incomplete, by definition. And, by not going back, we basically killed the original Hero. He doesn’t exist anymore. Everyone who loved him, lost him. We were selfish.” 

“Why are you thinking about this now? Months later?” 

Vio rubs the back of his neck, his hair currently tied up in a purple scrunchie. Shadow thinks it’s adorable, but this is not the time for… all of that. “Green told me that he visited the Hero’s father again,” Vio blurts, and Shadow knows immediately this is what’s been on the tip of his tongue for weeks. “He sees nothing wrong with it, but isn’t he just rubbing salt in the wound? Reminding him of the son who no longer exists?”

“Did Green say that the Hero’s father was upset?”

Vio shakes his head, his voice ragged. “No. He likes spending time with him, and the others. But I just can’t wrap my head around going myself. I feel like when they do it, it’s out of kindness, because they’re all the good parts of the Hero. But if I went, it would just feel manipulative. It would be to ease my own guilt. And that’s what I mean about being incomplete—I am, at my core, the sum of the Hero’s least heroic attributes. My very existence is a paradox, and given the opportunity to resolve that paradox, I chose along with the others to do the opposite.” 

“Do you regret it, then?” Shadow asks, his fingers tightening around his mug. “Do you regret staying?” 

Vio considers it like a scientific question. “I think that re-forming the Hero was, ethically, the correct thing to do… and certainly the most heroic. But we didn’t. And I know, I just know, that if I hadn’t raised an alternative plan, the others would have been perfectly happy to go ahead. I’m the one who voiced my doubt, gave them the idea to stay; it’s almost like I manipulated them into the decision. Because that’s me, the manipulative one! The worst of the hero’s parts, convincing the best of him to be unfathomably selfish.”

“So if you could change it, right now, you would. You’d leave.”

“Being here instead of the hero, it hurts so many people. And what kind of replacement am I, given all of the good he did for the world? All the literature indicates that I’m fundamentally not meant to be an entire person for a prolonged amount of time. My existence was meant to be temporary. And my actions have demonstrated time and time again that I’m not a consistently good person at all. Sure, I wasn’t ever going to serve Vaati or Ganon, but when I met you, when we started, uh, working together, I had fun. And I wanted to know more. About the Dark World, the mirror, all of it. I never lost sight of doing the right thing, like I said, y’know, when you were about to execute me—”

“Yeah, I was there.” 

“—and that was the truth, really! Well, kind of. If I’m being honest, it’s just… a little more complicated than that. The others wouldn’t understand. There was good and evil, but there was also… just, another thing. Made it messy. Still can’t quite put my finger on what.” 

“Ah.” 

“So I just have been thinking, a lot, and I keep circling back to the inviolable truth that what we did was the wrong choice. And it’s all my fault.” 

Shadow grits his teeth and places his mug on the coffee table. “Then why did you have the idea in the first place,” he asks Vio, his voice colder than intended. “Why did you voice the idea in the first place.”

“I had the idea because it seemed wrong to create four people from one, and then force them into nonexistence. Just as wrong as it was to rob Hyrule of its hero through our creation in the first place.”

“That’s all?”

Vio cocks his head. It’s not cute right now. “You sound hurt. You know it wouldn’t have affected you either way. You weren’t a part of him prior to the split. You came from another world. And if we had reformed, you would still have lived on as the Hero’s shadow. We’d just be… gone.”

“Well thank you for considering me.”

Vio scowls and places down his own mug, forcefully displacing some of its contents. “What’s your problem? You asked me to talk, and now you’re mad?” 

“Because, Vio, you made this choice months ago, we’ve been basically living together since, and I guess I wrongly assumed that even a miniscule aspect of your decision to stay might have had something to do with… you know what, never mind. I’m not saying it.” 

Shadow stands up and stares into the fire, refusing to meet Vio’s gaze.

“Saying what?”

“Don’t make me feel like more of an idiot than I already do,” Shadow says, mortified by the blush spreading on his cheeks. “Not again.”

Vio flounders. “I…” 

“I gotta take a walk,” Shadow says, already halfway to the cottage’s front door when he feels Vio’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Shadow, stop, you don’t—”

Shadow shrugs him off. “I am telling you, I need to take a walk. Please give me some space before I say something I’ll regret.” 

He can’t see Vio’s stupid face but he can guess what it looks like. Hurt, confused, like a kicked puppy. “You… okay. I’m sorry. Go ahead. Thanks for making the tea. And for not, uh, poisoning it.”

Shadow doesn’t laugh. And then he’s gone. 

━━

Vio wants to convince himself that there’s a monster in the cellar. He can take a monster any day of the week, and actually, they’re pretty common in these woods. No wonder the cottage’s former owners abandoned it.

What truly terrifies Vio is the other, much more likely possibility: that it’s Shadow down there, waiting for their inevitable confrontation. He’s been puzzling over their argument for hours, feeling so stupid for someone who claims to be smart. He wasn’t lying, for a second, but he knows he must have gone too far, ignored some conversational landmine and pushed Shadow too far. He wishes Red was here, or Zelda. Anyone with an ounce of emotional intelligence compared to his obvious deficit, honestly. 

The sun has gone down. Their tea has gone cold. There is no monster in the cellar.

But still, Vio has to try. 

━━

The cellar is dark, damp, and used primarily to store barrels of evil root beer. Vio isn’t surprised that Shadow hasn’t touched them. He’s been really into tea lately, and seems to have a strong sense of sentimentality towards their stockpile. Vio feels that way too, of course, but it’s easier pointing out these patterns when someone like Shadow demonstrates them. Much can be said to criticize the way Shadow has historically managed his emotions, but there is something admirable about a person so boldly wearing his heart on his sleeve. Maybe it’s even more noticeable to Vio, who has trouble admitting even the simplest internal truths, like the fact that he’s not a fan of green tea or that he doesn’t like the color yellow or that he might probably definitely absolutely have non-platonic feelings for Shadow. 

No, Shadow’s exactly where Vio knew he would be: standing in front of that damn mirror.

“Why did you bring me back?” Shadow asks, his eyes on Vio’s approaching reflection. 

“What do you mean?” 

Shadow turns his head now, eyes drilling into Vio like he wants to see him in pieces—not out of anger, profound, aching confusion. Vio… can understand that. 

“You chose to stay separate from the others, meaning I wouldn’t have the Hero to attach myself to. I was just… floating, in the abyss. Until I wasn’t. What in the world possessed you to repair this thing, especially since it poses such a threat to Hyrule? Why—why did the others allow you to repair it?”

“I already told you why,” Vio says, and it almost sounds like a plea. “They wanted to give you the chance to be a person too. A whole one, like we got to be. It was only fair.” 

“No. They pitied me.”

“They welcomed you. They like you. They might not understand you, but they harbor no ill will towards you. Well, maybe Blue does, but he would harbor ill will towards a garden gnome.”

“Stop being clever, I’m upset with you.” 

Vio sighs, his posture wilting. He feels small. “Can you give me a hint? I know I’m smart, but I’m having trouble here.” 

Shadow scowls, hand going to his hair. “I’m not trying to confuse you. I want to listen and be a good friend. But I’d be lying if I said this doesn’t hurt. The fact that, if given the option, you’d undo the decision that got us where we are now.”

“Like I said, it wouldn’t have hurt you either way—”

“But that’s what you’re not getting!” Shadow exclaims, balling up both fists at his sides. Vio takes a few steps back, not afraid for his safety but nervous nonetheless. 

“I ended my life so you and the others could save the world and yourselves. But I also knew, the way things were going, that it was my own best possible option. I mean, in a way, I would have still ended up with… never mind.” 

Vio’s scowling now, too, because none of this makes sense in the way it should. “So you agree? I shouldn’t have voiced my idea, or repaired the mirror to bring you back?” 

“No, idiot! I’m saying that—I can’t believe you’re making me say this—I treasure every single stupid day I get to spend with you, Vio. Not like I would with the Hero, not how I do with the others. You. I like you. I’d fight Vaati, Ganon, Hylia herself, just to be with you. I’d put up with living in the Hero’s shadow just to feel any hint of you that’s left behind. And maybe it’s stupid, and I’ve made this exact mistake before, but after everything happened I thought that maybe… maybe you felt the same way. Maybe I was one of your reasons to stick around. You did bring me back, after all. And we’ve been doing… this… for months now. And I’m happy! Like really happy! The happiest I’ve ever been, which isn’t a high bar to clear, but still!”

“Shadow, hey—” 

“But at the same time, I don’t fully trust you, and we’ve hurt each other so much, and none of this should be working as well as it does. But you don’t seem to want to leave, you don’t seem to be here out of pity, and fuck, Vio, it makes me crazy trying to figure out what’s going on in your head!”

Shadow breathes heavily, his chest visibly rising and falling. Vio wants to reach out, hold him, admit every single secret hope he’s been so determined to ignore for so long… but he can’t. It’s too late.

“I did it again.” Vio says, his voice thin.

“Did what?” 

“Let you down. I… I appear to be very adept at that.” 

Shadow rolls his eyes, and it’s not because he’s endeared. “Stop it with the fancy words, there’s no one here you have to impress.” 

“Shadow. I care what you think. I care about you, of course I do! I didn’t even think that was a question!”

“Really?” Shadow shakes his head. “Because the last time I said something stupid about trusting you, that you were my first and only friend, you betrayed me like it meant nothing.”

Vio must look so stupid, the way he just stands there and lets the words sting. Slowly, he speaks, unsure of each word as it passes his lips. “What I did was for the good of the entire world. I didn’t want to hurt you, but if I hadn’t turned on you when I did, we wouldn’t be where we are now. I’d be dead, or worse. You’d be the servant to some evil god. We both know it’s better this way.” 

“I do know that,” Shadow says, tears in his eyes. “You’re the one who’s saying he’d un-make a pivotal choice that got us here. I would choose to be betrayed by you over and over again if it meant we’d eventually end up together.”

“If I recall correctly, you seemed pretty excited by the aspect of world domination, and you said yourself that you only saw me as a pawn.”

“For like five seconds! Vio, I’m not subtle about anything. Never have been, never will be. By that night we had drinks and talked on the balcony, I was just excited that I was standing there with you. So excited that I ignored the obvious red flags leading to your betrayal. I was stupid. I’m being stupid again now, admitting all that.” 

Shadow steps towards the barrels of evil root beer but Vio stands in his way. “Stop saying you’re stupid. I’m just an asshole.” 

“For fuck’s sake, Vio, don’t weaponize this against yourself. Neither of us are upstanding citizens, but at least we’re trying. You can’t try if you don’t exist. We can talk more in the morning, or not. Good night.” 

So he was heading for the stairs. Vio sheepishly lets him go by. 

“We just… should not have conversations around this mirror, huh,” he says, turning to face his own reflection.

“Whatever. Good night.” 

Vio hears footsteps, a door close, and then… silence. 

Maybe there is a monster in the cellar, after all. 

━━

There is blood on Vio’s hands. 

He recalls a previous instance of blood on his hands—not much, but enough to prove to the others that he was real, that his betrayal had been truly his own. A punishment for his deception, even though his intention was never to become a true creature of the darkness. 

In every ethical conundrum, Vio has learned, one must consider the practical and the interpersonal. Practically, Vio hadn’t deserved the minor wound, but interpersonally… well, it was fair enough for what he had put the others through. 

Tonight the mirror bleeds—but, by Hylia, Vio still feels it. 

He kneels, the image of reverence, in the center of a chalk-drawn circle. The cellar is quiet as death, and if he closes his eyes and inhales the sickly air he can easily imagine himself buried alive. For everything he’s done, that may be justice—but not just yet. Not when there’s a chance, however small, that this ritual could work. 

After weeks of research and very little sleep, he’s managed to intuit the correct sequence of dark runes to spell victory. The strange language glows on the ground, illuminating the arc surrounding him. He glances down at his journal, spotted with ink and stained by tea, and scrutinizes the instructions he’s left for himself. Then he looks at the mirror—not the mirror, but a mirror all the same—and gasps at the sight of his own reflection.  

He looks haunted, there’s no better word for it than that. His pale face, disheveled hair, and dark under-eye circles… and, of course, the blood on his hands. Not red, like his own, but jet-black, oozing from the corners of the ornate mirror Vio had taken from Hyrule Castle. 

He still can’t believe Zelda and the others are allowing him to attempt this, especially since he’d never meant for them to find out. Unfortunately Zelda is more observant than Vio gave her credit for, noticing the mirror’s absence immediately, and put the pieces together from there. But still, even after a confrontation, she and others told Vio they wouldn’t stop him. He still doesn’t know why, but suspects it was out of pity.

To be fair, Vio is pitiful. What he did… what he didn’t do… it’s a weight he can’t bear. Maybe if Vio had considered the guilt he’d feel for the rest of his life, he would have happily reformed the Hero. At least then he wouldn’t have to carry it alone. 

But that’s wrong, too. The others aren’t responsible for what happened. He knows damn well he made the decisions leading him here alone. 

The practical, and the interpersonal—those are what haunt him. He would have never guessed a heart could ache the way his does almost every minute. He can’t even explain why, besides abstract concepts of right and wrong and guilt and grief, rotating in his head until he’s dizzy from it. 

Vio doesn’t deserve to be here if he can’t undo this mistake. Maintaining the split, condemning the Hero to the memories of those who loved him, is an act of liberation for Red, Green, and Blue. Vio does truly believe that. 

But for him… it’s penance. From the second the idea struck him, that’s all it’s been. His work will not be done until he makes this right. Maybe afterwards, he’ll finally be able to embrace the life he’s forged for himself. Maybe he’ll move from this abandoned cottage into the castle, or even just Castle Town. Maybe he’ll make more friends. Maybe, maybe, maybe. 

Maybe not. 

Vio pictures the life awaiting him and recognizes it for what it is: empty. He hasn’t formed strong bonds, found places of belonging, or even left the house very often since the split. He… feels incomplete. Which makes a world of sense, given the very way Vio came to be. 

He knows he’s stalling. The ritual is working and he has no time to waste. With one last glance into the bleeding mirror, he raises the ceremonial ocarina from its velvet pillow and brings it to his lips. He’s written the command in a simple notation, easy enough for a child to use. The Song of Healing, it’s called, left behind by ancient Heroes who traveled through time, transformed into wild beasts, and saved the world from certain doom. True Heroes—how ashamed they’d be, learning how Vio uses their arcane secrets now. 

The void bleeds from the mirror’s edges, seeping into its frame. Vio plays the song with shaky breath, breaking into a cold sweat as the notes carry through the cellar. Once finished, he replaces the ocarina and slams both hands onto the glass, feeling it rumble beneath him. 

Please, Hylia, he begs the same Goddess he betrayed only weeks ago. I’m sorry I took your Hero. But please, you can’t punish someone else for my misdeeds. 

Tears fall from his closed eyes, landing on the glass as it quakes. This isn’t part of the ritual but feels important all the same. 

He knows what will happen next—the mirror will crack, allowing darkness to bleed through every jagged crevice into the world of the light. It’s not much of a gateway compared to the original, but wide enough for a single wandering soul to pass through. 

Please.

He sits there for what feels like hours, eyes shut tight as he waits for the glass to shatter beneath his hands. But it doesn’t, and eventually it ceases to pulse at all. 

Vio knows that he has failed. He knows the runes have gone dark, that the inky blood has dried on his fingertips, and that the Goddess has refused his desperate plea. The Hero is gone for nothing, or at least for one-fourth of it, and Vio’s life will forever be empty and haunted. 

“No,” Vio whimpers, and it’s the most pathetic thing he’s ever heard. “Please, no.” 

And every emotion is crushing, but the worst is the least expected: loss. Sinking, devastating loss. Like part of his heart has been removed, but not enough to stop it completely—he is afforded no small mercy by the onslaught.

Shadow is really gone. 

And it’s all Vio’s fault. 

He lowers his head and opens his eyes. In the inky darkness of the mirror, he can make out a form vaguely like his own… but as the tears clear from his eyes, Vio knows that some magic must still be in the air. Hylia herself taunts him from the heavens, denying him even the dignity of his own reflection. 

Vio stares into the mirror, but the left-handed Hero stares back. 

And then he wakes up. 

━━

“Shadow.” 

It’s the first thing to leave Vio’s lips as he wakes, already slamming his bare feet onto the wooden floor. His own frantic breaths echo through head as he runs down the hall, glancing into Shadow’s room as he had done so many months before. Unlike last time, however, Shadow is gone. 

Shadow is gone. 

“Nonononononono,” Vio mutters to himself as he holds his head in his hands. The ritual had worked, he remembers it so clearly! Their life together, in their cottage, is real! Hylia showed him mercy! 

He sees a few of Shadow’s possessions on the nightstand, but this provides the opposite of relief. If everything is real but Shadow’s still gone, it’s because of their argument yesterday—in other words, where Vio succeeded with the ancient and arcane, he failed terrifically with the interpersonal. Again.

Or maybe he’s been living in a state of delusion this whole time, maybe the ritual really had failed. Maybe Shadow got caught off-guard by a monster after their argument, maybe he’s gone straight to a Castle Town real estate agent, maybe Vio died months ago and he’s been imagining everything since. Maybe he’s just a part of the Hero now, maybe the four reconverged in the end, and this reality is just a shred of Vio’s consciousness clinging to strange inexplicable dreams of what could have been if he had only given Shadow the chance to redeem himself. If he had only been honest about the way he felt. If every time he’d wanted to take Shadow into his arms and hold him tight and never let go, he’d gotten over his own bullshit and just. fucking. gone for it, because maybe, maybe, maybe that’s what Vio has always wanted, behind his absurd mask of intellectual objectivity, and it’s not the sum of his desires for life but it’s Shadow and it’s home and life without him would be achingly incomplete.

But it doesn’t matter. None of this matters, because Shadow is gone. Shadow is gone, and once again, it’s all Vio’s fault. 

And there’s something going on in the kitchen. 

Through the doorway Vio can see him, leaning over the counter as he waits for the kettle to whistle. He hums a song and Vio knows exactly which one. After all, hadn’t he just played it? 

“Seems like neither of us can sleep,” Shadow says without turning his head. “Want some tea?” 

Vio’s mouth is drier than the desert and he just now realizes how faint he feels. Shadow is there immediately as his body slackens, holding him in his arms. 

“Vio, you look terrible,” Shadow remarks with genuine concern, holding a warm hand to the blonde’s forehead. For once Vio is running colder, and he would quip about it if he wasn’t on the verge of a complete mental breakdown. “Hey, what’s wrong?” 

“Are you real?” Vio hears himself ask, like an idiot. 

“Last time I checked, sure.” 

“Are you mad at me?” 

Shadow sighs. “Yeah, a little, or at least I was earlier. But that doesn’t mean I’d just, like, disappear. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” 

“Don’t ever let me get rid of you,” Vio says, reaching up to cup Shadow’s face. “Never again.” 

Shadow blinks, his expression unreadable. “Vio, I...” 

“Never,” Vio repeats, gripping Shadow tighter. At least he’s getting his strength back.

“You’re acting super weird. You know you’re acting super weird, right?”

It stings, but he’s not wrong. Vio never expresses himself like this, so pathetic and unrestrained. He can’t blame Shadow for being uncomfortable, for pulling away—

“I think it’s good,” Shadow continues, brushing Vio’s hair off his sweaty forehead. He bonks  Vio’s head with his own, and it’s closer than they usually get to each other, but so achingly welcome. “I think… whatever’s going on, it’s something you’ve needed for a while. Thank you for letting me help you.” 

Oh. 

The kettle starts to whistle and Shadow gives Vio an apologetic look. “So as comfy as the kitchen floor is, maybe we move this to the couch?”

Vio nods and stands on shaky legs, watching hypnotized as Shadow prepares their tea. He really is good at it, far better than Vio during his weeks of caffeine-fueled arcane research. Then again, for Vio it had only been about fuel—for Shadow it seems to be therapy, and art, and a way to show how much he cares. 

“What?” Shadow asks, turning his head as the tea seeps. “Not how you want it?” 

Vio shakes his head vehemently. 

“No. This is exactly how I want it.” 

━━

It was Shadow’s idea to invite the Hero’s father to their cottage. As they sat on the couch and sipped their tea and said so many of the things they should have said months ago, they agreed it would be daunting but good for everyone involved. 

And it has been good, so far—a little awkward at first, mostly between Shadow and the Captain (warranted, given their last significant interaction)—but good overall. 

Shadow has taken the backseat for the majority of the afternoon, busying himself in the kitchen and eavesdropping while Vio shows the Captain various legends about previous iterations of the Hero. That part was Vio’s idea, and Shadow can’t imagine anything more fitting. While Vio is not and will never be the son the Captain knew, it doesn’t seem that the Captain resents him in the slightest (Shadow could have guessed that, but it’s great for Vio to see). In fact, Vio’s information dumping seems to bring the Captain closer to the Hero’s memory in an unexpectedly poignant way. 

They seem to be wrapping up, though, which makes sense since dusk is beginning to fall. The Captain will want to be on his way soon, as the woods surrounding their cottage tend to get a little hairy at night. 

Shadow takes a deep breath as he prepares to step out of the kitchen. While today is mostly for Vio, he has his own discomforts with the Captain. But he’s no hypocrite, and certainly no coward—after all, there’s some Hero in him too.

“Thank you for the tea,” the Captain says to Shadow, who stays in the kitchen door frame with his arms crossed. “It was excellent.” 

“Thanks,” Shadow says, looking at Vio as he rises from the couch. 

“And thank you, Vio,” the Captain tells the blonde, resting a hand on the shorter man’s shoulder. “I would really like to learn more sometime. I bet the others would, too. They miss you.” 

Vio rubs the back of his neck in a way Shadow has always found so unfairly adorable. The guy can be a criminal mastermind when he wants to be, but in moments like these he could fool just about anyone. Which, to be fair, he probably has..

“Tell them we say hello,” Shadow says, crossing the room to Vio’s side. He wants so badly to take his hand—like, so badly—but that was not something they got around to discussing last night. 

It’s okay. If Vio doesn’t care for Shadow in that way, it won’t be the end of their friendship or cohabitation... but Shadow’s pretty sure he does. Call it a hunch. Whether Vio knows how he feels, however, is yet to be seen. 

The Captain looks from Vio to Shadow and then back again. It’s clear he wants to ask them something but quickly decides against it. “You’ve made a nice home for yourselves out here,” he says instead. “I’m glad you found each other again. Neither of you deserves to be lonely.”

And for once, both Shadow and Vio are equally stunned into silence. 

“Anyway, I’ll be off,” the Captain says, shrugging on his cloak and heading for the door. “You two have a good night.” 

“Walk safe,” Shadow and Vio say at the exact same time. Their faces sour. What has become of them, saying something like ‘walk safe’ with complete sincerity? 

The Captain leaves and it’s just Shadow and Vio again, as it should be, inside their house that’s also their home. 

━━

“One more cup before bed?” Shadow asks as he returns to the kitchen, grabbing the dirty mugs from the coffee table as he passes. 

“Sure,” Vio says, because even though he just had tea with the Captain he knows it’ll make Shadow happy and he likes seeing Shadow happy and he can totally admit that to himself without cringing or needing to hide in a dark room with no windows. 

Shadow turns his back to Vio as he places the dirty dishes in the sink and pours water into the kettle. He’s humming, again, and Vio smiles. “Where did you learn that song?” 

Shadow shrugs as he crosses over to the stove, firing it up and placing down the kettle. “Dunno. Kinda just thought I made it up. Why do you ask?”

“It’s, uh… it’s a good song, is all.” 

Shadow faces Vio as the water begins to boil, wearing the infectious grin Vio has never been able to resist. Both young men lean against opposite counters, and the kitchen feels more cramped than it ever has before. 

“You think it went okay, with the Captain?” Shadow asks, seemingly unaware of the tension between them. 

“Oh, uh. Yes. I think so.” 

“I’m glad. I was scared it was a bad idea, or that it would go wrong… I’m really proud of you for following through with it. I’m really proud of us both, actually. Sometimes I act like I know what I’m doing, with the therapy-talk and everything, but all of this terrifies me too. Sometimes I miss the good old days of arson and evil root beer, you know?” 

Vio nods dumbly and Shadow cocks his head. “Uh, you good?” 

And after all the time and all the tension, all the hurt and all the healing, the inviolable truth finally comes out.

“Shadow I really like you, like not just a friend-like you, and I have for a long time, pretty much ever since we met in the woods and you were hitting on me, like you were definitely hitting on me right, I came into existence and met you and pretty much immediately was like ‘well I guess I’m into men, good to know,’ anyway we shared that throne and drank evil root beer but I was stupid and betrayed you and you died but then I brought you back and I’m so glad it worked and that I’m here and that you’re here and Hylia I want to kiss you all the time so if you’re interested in that maybe we could—”

Shadow kisses him.

The kettle whistles.

And whistles. 

And whistles.

And whistles.

━━

"Whenever there is a meeting, a parting shall follow. 

But that parting needs not last forever. 

Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short while... 

that is up to you."

[guideofkeys]

Rhysothy Week 2023 Day 3: Sponsored by Atlas/Hyperion

No Skin

Lilith offers Atlas a deal. Who would have thought that this would lead to a tragedy?

(Note: in this AU, Timothy and Rhys meet after the Helios crash and rebuild Atlas together.)

He knew. He knew it wouldn't end well. Now what has happened was lined up in a clear logical chain, but back then, the return of Fiona and Sasha almost did not seem unusual to him - it only left a bitter taste, and such an unfounded suspicion.After that, there was a letter from the Sanctuary, in which the Vaulthunters offered cooperation in exchange for decrypting the Vault key. Who would have thought that the map captured in the artifact was not much different from the data pattern that Gortys used. Rhys believed that perhaps it was a safe way to establish contact with the Sanctuary. Without rare guns given away for cents, without flattery and false admiration, and of course - without mountains of money that would have been needed to appease the famous Vaulthunters.

And everything seemed to be going well, but the closer the day of the appointment was, the more Rhys was tormented by a bad feeling and the sweeter the prospect of refusing seemed.

"Lilith will destroy our base in an hour, is that what you want?" Yvette countered his concerns. "There is no way back. Deal with it."

He dealt. At first - when Brick, who accompanied Lilith, demanded to give the last gun prototype. Then - when the siren hinted that she would not let Atlas leave the planet so easily. Probably because her pride did not allow her to just ask Rhys to let her on board of the ship that he was planning to send to Promethea. And then, after Rhys was stunned by a powerful elemental strike, he found out about the third demand.

Lilith was planning a show execution in order to raise her reputation in the eyes of the Raiders. And she chose Timothy for this.

Rhys found out about it when it was too late. The echo recording was burned on the back of the eyelids - from that, it seemed, the remnants of faith in the good and in the fact that Pandora could be changed died. However, Rhys wasn't planning on letting the Raiders get away just like that. Oh no. For several years of working on the cursed planet, he gained connections, and also found people who had been sharpening their grudge against the Vaulthunters for a long time. There were mercenaries among them, there were priests of the cult of Athenas, and even scientists with a dubious reputation and an army of followers who were willing to do a lot just to get hold of a live siren. With Rhys’ generous sponsorship, they all got a ticket to Pandora.

Now, standing on the ruins of the Sanctuary, Rhys looked skeptically at the bleeding out Lilith. The power of the sirens did not allow her to die, and the collar that squeezed her neck did not allow her to scream.

Ironically, "Sponsored by Atlas" was stamped on it in small print. He grinned at the dark irony of what had happened. Indeed, this sponsorship has brought the Vaulthunters to the grave.

[traumxrei-archive]

quick q since i saw that u were an edenP, is ibara similar to azul twst? They r giving me the same vibes. I wanna know so i can decide if i wanna pull/tier for him

ANON........ anon. i have been asking that exact question to myself too sjdfksj

they do give off the same vibes. megane boys who run businesses + loves to scheme. (if i had a nickel for every time my favorite character in a game was a megane who had a lot of money and likes to scheme i'd have two, maybe two and a half nickels bc one of them isn't a schemer)

but i think there's some key differences between them ? and if you get into them more ig it's mostly their aura that's kinda similar. imma do a short thing just comparing them a bit. (ok it turned out to be long so i put it under a cut)

so azul ashengrotto, we know what azul is like. he does practically anything to turn a profit as long as he has it under control in a contract. he has the leeches, who are his childhood friends but he's also wary of them bc they might usurp his position as dorm leader. (i'm sure they won't but it's funny to watch him be wary) he's cunning and makes detailed contracts in order to trap his prey, and in the end he gets what he wants, mostly. and also he's unathletic sjdkfjs his powers lie more on his immense mastery over his magic rather than his physical abilities.

and as for his personality, he's smart. but he has his insecurities, since he was subjected to bullying all because of his looks since he was a child. he doesn't like showing strong emotions or crying because it reminds him of what it was like to be weak like when he was younger. he would also be nice but claim that there was an ulterior motive, and will not rest until a favor is repaid. that all works into his benevolent persona that he puts on when conducting business.

another important thing is that to him success is running a good business all on his own (mostro lounge) and making it more and more successful over time. and also the fact that he does have a loving mom and step dad (+ the ristorante staff who always dote on him) after all, he's put in all this hard work, anyone can see that he will probably get the goals that he's striving for.

saegusa ibara, on the other hand, has some similarities. his position is the vice president or deputy director of cosmic productions or cospro for short. he was the bastard son of the previous owner of cospro, but his parents abandoned him to an orphanage. shortly after he was turned over to a military camp, so yes mr sir was in the military as a kid, which explains why he's physically fit + keeps talking abt attacking and counter attacking in his room lines jsdfkj (also he was in this camp with yuzuru who is a part of fine but he left and they had a falling out)

since he was the only living descendant he inherited many properties at the ripe age of 12 or 13. the company (and other affiliates) at that time were falling apart, so while he was in middle school he spent a lot of time rebuilding it. he has a deep distrust for people bc of those days where adults would try to use him for their own benefit, and he would always assume that any kindness has a price attached no matter who it was.

ibara is known as overly personable. he's really friendly and knows exactly which words to say to make people let down their guard. he's also known for putting a distance between him and others, even with his own members. he calls them "business partners" instead of friends bc he wants to avoid getting close. ah, he's also good at being passive aggressive, he could make a compliment feel like a threat in seconds. he also believes himself to be lesser than his fellow unit members, particularly nagisa, so he works to "uplift his excellency's magnificent performance" instead of working to stand on the same plane as him.

(it's kinda sad...bc he's actually really kind by nature. he won't go against any of his member's wishes and if people refuse to do something, he'll come up with an alternate plan on how to do it in a way that suits them... but bc of the way he grew up he can't really allow himself to be outwardly kind in fear of getting used)

a lot of people call him the "viper of cospro" bc of his cunning plans or strategies to put eden on the top. he's also eden's manager, on top of being a group member, acting like a shield from the many shady board of directors members that he hasn't weeded out yet. he doesn't like showing others the efforts he puts into himself and his own performance (e.g. solo practices, training in gym). to him, success is world domination. or in this case making eden the best of the best of the idol world AND having cospro under his thumb.

sorry this ended up so long, but i just wanted to showcase the similarities n differences between the two T^T i think if you like ibara's character then definitely go for it !! ibara does have a lot of similarities outwardly with azul but their pasts are very much diverged and their internal motivations also differ so they both make for interesting characters >:DD

[devilsgatewayhq]

Name: Alara Kahya Age: 30 Occupation: Owner of Water Fairy Art Studio Time living in Tonopah: 21 years Neighborhood: Glenn Estates Gang Affiliation: N/A Face Claim: Hande Erçel

Biography:

Born in Turkey, alongside her twin brother, Zeki, Alara arrived first and she never lets him forget it, despite it being only by 7 minutes. Her parents relatively happened for a long time, they even made it through a move to Canada when the twins were 5 and another over to Tonopah when they were 9. Alas, their marriage eventually broke down 5 years later, through no fault of her mother. Her father had taken to the bottle far too often, becoming someone unrecognizable even to his children. Once a successful businessman, he’s now something of an old drunk living off his fortune. Meanwhile, her mother flourished in herself, finally opening up her own clinic where she now practices and teaches reiki healing. Her free spirit and creativity are definitely where Alara gets it from. She always had a passion for art, and without tooting her own horn she was quite exceptional at it even from a young age. My little Picasso, as her mother would say. It was her support and actually, the lack of it from her father who thought she’d be stupid to peruse an art career over a business one that made her so determined to succeed. Her boyfriend at the time did little to support her either, in fact, he was more like a high-school nightmare than a sweetheart. It took her years after their breakup to rebuild herself and her confidence. She did this by throwing herself into her passions, becoming very goal orientated and focused. These days, she’s aware that a lot of people think her something of an ice queen, however, she prefers that over them thinking they could walk all over her. Alara worked hard to be as confident as she is and it comes from a place of self-worth over anything egotistical.

By the time she was 23, she had managed to open up her own art studio, Water Fairy, which happens to be what her name means in Turkish. Over the years with a lot of hard grafts and a helping hand from technology advances, she and her shop do very well for themselves. Most of her order requests come in through her website and what started as a few paintings for some rich man's office spiraled into him recommending her to all his associates. And so they say, the rest is history. She doesn’t like to brag but if she actually wanted to, she could probably retire in her late thirties. Not that she will, Alara, mother of 1, refuses to teach her son that just because you have cash does not mean you have excuses not to work hard. Her son, Kian, aged 3 came as perhaps the biggest surprise of her life. After a one-night stand with Theo, she fell pregnant in spite of how careful she’s always been. Children were never in her vision when she looked to the future and it took her probably a little too long to adapt to that thought. By the time she accepted it and realized that actually, she already loved the little bump, she was 5 months. That’s when she showed up at Theo’s door to drop the news. It felt only right that he should know but Alara never expected anything from him. It turned out to be a good job too since Theo never stepped up to be involved until only recently. No matter, better late than never. Whilst she believes in second chances, she is no fool and won’t stand for anyone letting Kian down. She’s open to letting Theo into his life, however, for the time being, remains skeptical that he isn’t going to dip out again once he gets bored.

Headcanon:

Has a twin brother & that rare ‘twin thing’ connection. If ever he was hurt or in danger, Alara could feel it and vice versa.

Has been an ice skater since she was 4 years old.

Can speak 6 languages, though she doesn’t like to brag.

Doesn’t get along with her drunk father but still shows up weekly to clean his apartment and stock his fridge.

Would live off blue raspberry slushies if she could.

Has a miniature dachshund that her son named Toast, and they’ve become something of a duo. Toast follows Kian everywhere he goes.

Hosts an online art event once a month where she offers 75% of all art purchases to a charity.

Alara tripped up a toddler once, accidentally on purpose, after she watched them push her son over and made him cry. She’s that type of mom.

Had an ultimate best friend called Jayden who passed away 5 years ago. Losing him absolutely devastated her. She has a small cross tattoo on her hand, right in the place Jay would kiss when he greeted her.

[galaxymermaid214]

61 through 67 for Cap’n Taylor

61. Which season is their favorite season?

Taylor enjoys Summer best. She grew up in a coastal town and loves the beach, and she also loves all the activity surrounding the season when things warm up and people get to partying (fireworks, barbecues, pool parties, etc.)

62. Have they ever been betrayed? How did it affect their ability to trust others?

YES. (Prepare for a lore dump...)

After her father died, Taylor and her mother were taken care of by Captain Apollo Goldfire, an old friend of her father and a respected Spellsword (modern-day knights/peace officers). Apollo cared very much for Taylor and did everything he could to take care of her, even going as far as getting her accepted into Crystal Academy, a super-exclusive school for training Spellsword candidates (which is where she met Ginny and her other friends). Taylor idolized Apollo and the Spellswords growing up and wanted to be a great hero like him, but once her powers awakened and she became a Spellsword herself, she began to realize how corrupt they were. The Spellswords weren't the noble protectors of justice she thought they were - they were a bunch of bullies beating up on practioners of dark magic and anyone else they felt like picking on. And Apollo was much worse. He was fully aware of the Spellsword's corruption, and he wanted Taylor to see it for herself so she would help him with his grand plan: releasing the greatest, most dangerous dark magic practioner ever known and letting them destroy the Spellswords, and everything else in their way. Then he and Taylor would defeat the practioner, become the heroes they always wanted to be and rebuild the Spellsword order, and the world as they (or rather he) saw fit. Taylor refused to help him, and Apollo turned on her. She and her friends were able to destroy Apollo and prevent the end of the world, but the whole situation left Taylor disillusioned.

This is the reason Taylor emphasizes so much with Felix so much when they discover the truth about Graham Byrant and Clyde Harlow. She knows what it's like to find out your heroes are a bunch of frauds and jackasses, and how much it hurts to have the things and people you once believed in turn out to be a bunch of lies. She also knows first hand that just because you beat the "BBEG" (in Felix's case it's the Board, in Taylor's case it was the dark magic user) doesn't mean everything is immediately fixed forever, and she is bracing herself for when Felix comes to the realization for himself.

Surprsingly, though she hates the bullies the Spellswords have become, she still believes in the things they stood for: Courage, Justice, Truth, Compassion and Loyalty. She never tells lies, she defends the oppressed and protects the ones who cannot protect themselves, she stands by her friends and she lives her life striving to be what she thinks a true Spellsword ought to be.

As for trust, Taylor is an incredibly honest person and has a sort of sixth sense when someone is lying to her. She knew that Max, Graham, and many others on Halcyon were full of shit when she met them. And that's part of the reason Apollo's actions hurt so much. He never once lied to her. He just kept his plan from her until the time was right, and even then he still genuinely believed he was doing right.

On a more minor note, it's also why she hates being called "Captain." She always called Apollo "Captain," and doesn't want to be reminded of him in any way, shape or form. She does allow Felix to call her "Boss," as she sees it more as a term of endearment rather than an actual title.

63. What is always guaranteed to make them smile?

It's pretty easy to get Taylor to smile. She's got a great sense of humor and a well-timed joke, a snarky one-liner or even making a silly face is sure to get her to grin. She's also a huge nerd, so comic books, video games, and fantasy/adventure shows are a very easy way to make her happy.

64. Do they get cold easily? Do they get overheated easily?

Taylor is pretty resistant to the heat since she grew up in a warm enviroment. She detests being cold and, if she could, she would spend all of winter wrapped in a ball of blankets on the couch and not move.

65. What’s their immune system like? Do they get sick often? How do they react to getting sick?

Taylor has a very resilient immune system and rarely ever gets sick. But when she does get sick, it hits her hard and she is out for several days.

66. Where do they live? Do they like it there?

Taylor's home world is Crystalia, and it's a very pretty place where elemental magic like hers is commonplace. But after managing to save her world from destruction, Taylor suffered from major dislliusionment and went traveling to other worlds, partially because she craved adventure, and partially because she wanted to get away from everything.

67. Is their bedroom messy? What about their bathroom? Kitchen? Living room?

Taylor is...not the best at being tidy. Her room is a mess of clothing, comics and other bric-a-brac strewn every which way. No matter where she stays, it always ends up being a mess. It's not because she's a messy person per say, it's because there's no time to clean house when you're off saving the world.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

the last princess (11)

“You look like you’re about to go off to war.  Have I missed something?”  Dickon watched as Riven facepalmed, muttering what sounded like obscenities under her breath.

“I’m breaking in this armor.   I’m not going off to war on anyone or anything.”  Which was technically the truth.  As far as the general world knew, she and her closest allies were in Thravnair, helping with the rebuilding effort.  The perfect cover for a group of seemingly-now-out-of-work adventurers.  Only the Forum and the upper levels of Raz-at-Han’s government knew the truth, and it had been agreed that it should stay that way.  Word had come two weeks ago that construction on the artificial Atomos was nearly completed, which meant for Riven and the others, it was time to prepare.

Which also meant new armor for everyone.  Riven’s own set was the last to arrive, and when she’d been in the process of strapping it on, Reinhardt had shown up.  He’d then proceeded to yell for Sebastian and the others--

RIVEN ACTUALLY HAS BLOODY PROPER ARMOR!!!

And it all had just gone downhill from there.  Adding into the chaos, the dragoon had screwed up on the supplies they’d ordered for their quarters at Vrtra’s place.  Somehow Reinhardt had selected a bottle of hair-growth potion instead of conditioner, and he, Augustine, and Mathye had used it.  Desperate for a little peace, quiet, and to keep from murdering her bone-headed brothers, Riven had fled for Sharlayan.  She could finish some of the shopping there and also work some of the stiffness out of the mail plating.  Exhaling, Riven put her hands on her hips and looked up at the highlander.

“I’m honestly tempted to stay the night here, because if I go back, I may commit murder.”  She said.  “Four grown arse men and sometimes they don’t have a single brain cell between them!”  Dickon burst out laughing at the comment.

“Here, how about I get you something to cool off a bit.”  He offered, chuckling.  “We’re experimenting with some Midsummer Fire Festival offerings, though I can’t seem to keep the little paper umbrellas we use for them in stock.  I just might charging extra for anyone who requests extra.”  Riven huffed, nodding. 

“Sure.”  Maybe by the time she finished the frozen drink, she’d be less inclined to scream.  She watched as Dickon scribbled an order down on a tablet, handing it to a nearby waiter who passed.

“Does it get quite busy towards summer’s end or?”  She asked.

“For a while.”  Dickon replied.  “Generally there’s about a fortnight’s break around this time, then it’s an onslaught of new scholars about to attend school for the first time.  We get super busy then.”  The waiter came back over with a cream and pastel-colored drink, and Dickon took it.

“Here we go.  One Colada sun...”  The proprietor of the Last Stand froze, drink forgotten in hand.  Riven blinked.

“Dickon?”  She asked.  The Highlander didn’t respond.  Couldn’t respond, not with his senses reeling.  Standing next to Riven was another woman--her form semi-solid.  Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and she was staring intently at Dickon. 

“I...”  Dickon shook his head and blinked.  The woman was gone, and it was only Riven standing there.

“Dickon?”

“Sorry, sorry.”  Dickon said, handing over the iced confection. “Just..had a odd moment there.  You reminded me of a girl I once knew at school.”  Riven frowned.  It was a weird change of subject, but probably best not to press the matter.

“My thanks.”  She said, accepting the drink.  Dickon watched as she turned and walked away, shaking his head once more.  He was a scholar like everyone else on the island, he believed in solid, empirical evidence. 

Been up too late the past couple nights, Dickon.  Seeing things like that means you need sleep.  And yet...he hadn’t been lying.  The woman had been Emma Laulter, and he’d attended the same classes with her at the Studium. Hells, he’d even paid his respects at her funeral.

And seeing her stand next to Riven...he’d immediately noticed the similarities between them.

Bah.  Dickon shook his head again.  That’s it.  I’m heading out early tonight.

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the last princess: previously