#i can't say enough how well the whole battle was handled

[raisedbydirew0lves]

welp i realized they made eye contact with mason during that scene as if it wasn't scary enough already :D

[lost-and-ephemeral]

Could you please do LDS boys +

Caleb reacting to reader being injured/severely injured?<3

HCs: You're Injured (ft. main trio + Caleb)

Pairing: Xavier x reader, Zayne x reader, Rafayel x reader, Caleb x reader (seperate)

Tags: hurt/comfort, reader is injured but won't die

A/N: Thanks for your request! First time writing for Caleb, yay. Sorry if it isn't good enough, I'm not feeling so good since morning.

-`♡´- MASTERLIST -`♡´- 

Caleb

"Hold on, pip-squeak, I'm right here."

Your exhausted body, covered in wounds from the battle with Wanderer, was ready to collapse to the ground if Caleb hadn't caught you in time.

He knew how dangerous your job was, but that didn't make him any less worried.

You protected him but got hurt in the process.

He's frustrated and angry because there's no way he could've protected you in that situation.

And Caleb just hates this feeling, but trying to stay calm for your sake. His emotions could only make everything worse.

"Sometimes even big girls need someone else's help. Right? And I'm here for you."

Concern was written all over his face, he couldn't hide it even if he really tried. The last thing he wanted was to see you hurt, especially like this.

He was supposed to be your main protector back then. But now things have changed.

You had really grown a lot, not just physically, but mentally too.

It was just hard to accept you're no longer a little girl.

Yes, you are strong and mature. But Caleb kept holding you like you were the most fragile being in the world.

He will give you first aid as quickly as he can, while calling an ambulance. Caleb is not the kind of person who would risk your life trying to handle this situation on his own.

Definitely going to the hospital with you while holding your hand and talking to you. He'll be around as long as it takes.

Probably will fall asleep on the chair near your hospital bed.

No doubt he'll continue to look after you like he did when you both were younger.

Rafayel

"No, no, no. Don't even think about leaving me like this!"

Maybe sometimes Rafayel was overly dramatic, but he's actually afraid of losing you again.

When he saw that you were injured after not-so-pleasant encounter with Wanderers, his facade of self-confidence instantly cracked.

Rafayel started panicking and it was clear from the look on his face as he crouched beside you, seeing how you trying to cover the wound by your bloody hands.

Not again. No.

All these years he had to watch you die over and over again, losing all memories of him.

Rafayel instantly began to examine your wounds, holding you close. He didn't care if his perfectly white shirt will be covered in blood as well.

He needed to be sure you won't die this time.

And his playful attitude is gone completely.

"Don't you dare to die on me, you hear? I won't forgive you. Ever. Promise me. Promise me you won't die."

He tried to remain calm and ignore the suffocating feeling of anxiety that has been slowly rising in his chest. But he couldn't.

Will do everything to stop the bleeding while help is on it's way. You can feel his hands trembling.

He'd better die for you himself, not vice versa.

I swear, this man is gonna get the whole hospital on alert. Nurses and doctors can be mad at him as much as they want. It doesn't matter to him.

Rafayel won't rest and eat properly until you get better. He just physically can't.

"Don't scare me like this ever again, please."

Xavier

"I failed you."

You accidentaly got injured during your mission. And poor Xavier decided it was totally his fault.

You both found yourself surrounded by enemies and before he could even react, one of them attacked you, leaving a deep wound on your side.

Needless to say, in the next couple of seconds all Wanderers were completely destroyed, and Xavier was fully focused on you.

This isn't the first time you've been injured during a mission. But each time Xavier is as worried as always.

Especially when your injuries are so severe.

Will administer first aid on the spot, even the bare minimum, before carrying you to safety.

With Wanderers around, it's not going to be easy to get you out of this dangerous zone. So Xavier needs to stabilize you a little at first.

"I won't let you get hurt again. I promise."

He is already experienced in these situations, so he's able to keep his emotions under control. But that doesn't mean that deep inside he isn't worried sick about you.

Will be looking for anything to treat your wound and avoid infection.

Guilt will slowly eat him up from the inside no matter what. He had to protect you, but he failed to do so.

Even if you assure him it's just an accident, Xavier just shakes his head in response.

As soon as you can get out, he'll take you to the hospital. It is unlikely that his skills will be enough to make your wound heal properly.

Better safe than sorry.

He still has a lot of work to do, but he'll come to you whenever he has a spare minute.

Will probably act like a guilty puppy for a long time.

Zayne

"You're constantly putting yourself in danger."

Zayne has a hard time showing his feelings openly, especially when it comes to you, so it's no surprise that his display of concern felt like he was scolding you.

But in reality he's really, really worried about you every time.

He knew right away that you were in the hospital after another accident.

And as soon as Zayne had some time off between surgeries, he came to you.

Looking at you in the hospital bed, he felt his heart ache.

While he was desperately searching for a cure for your heart, you kept getting hurt again and again.

Even when you smiled, like if trying to reassure him everything's fine, Zayne only sighed and shook his head. You have no idea how hard it was to see you hurt and vulnerable like this.

He's already been informed of the severity of your wounds and how much blood you've lost.

And he could've lost you.

But Zayne can't let his emotions take over. There are still a few more difficult surgeries ahead where he cannot afford to make a mistake.

And if he starts panicking right in front of you, it's not going to speed up the healing process.

"I'd be happy if you took a more responsible approach to your health. Then I wouldn't have to be so worried."

He moved his chair closer to your bed and sat in silence for a while, squeezing your hand.

Zayne will stay around as long as his job lets him.

Don't be surprised to find candies or plushies you wanted on your nightstand.

You can ask him about these little gifts.

And watch carefully as a faint smile appears on his lips.

"Usually only children get so excited about toys. So it turns out you're not that far from being a child?"

[kurosstuff]

EWPWLSJA I HAVE TO MAKE IT BEFORE THE EVENT CLOSES 🍯

*ahem* hello, how are you?

Lute x bottom!reader with nsfw prompts 3 and 4? (If you could fit prompt 1 that'd be ideal but i don't want to be too complicated)

Congratulations on your followers!!!!

HELP HI- I'm good♡ how are you~?

I hope you enjoy these fics♡♡

Warning(s): slight? Dirty talk? Maybe idk. Smut, gn reader but afab(so female parts), making out

Not sure ir you didnt want it a gn or a female reader so- I'll do gn♡

Also I wanted to do something a bit fun? The ending is up to you- thought it'd be a fun idea?

Lute x gn!reader

Sweet gentle kisses.

That's all that started this- just a gentle kiss to Lutes lips, not even aware of the sudden switch in her. How she grabbed you roughly pinning you to her bed practically growling against your lips. Getting lost in the kisses you both shared. How your tounges battled one another- Lute smug groaning for winning the "competition" each time.

Didn't take long for her hips to grind against yours, bucking into you- humping you like an animal. Dragging a deep moan from your lips as she finally pulled away to allow you to breath air before moving to nip- bite, marking up your neck roughly. Claiming you in a physical sense. To warn off others.

Your hers

"Fuck~" you gasped out breathlessly, feeling hot yet cold somehow. Glancing down at your front face, burning harder. When did your shirt come off? Almost bare for her greedy eyes to scan over "d-dont just stare~" you stuttered out feeling shy under her hungry gaze making her hum

Leaning close, biting at your chest undoing your pants for her- after getting the go ahead. "You look so good spread out like this for me dove~ good enough to devore whole ~" she purred, kissing your bruised lips, "which~? That's what I'm gonna do~" she growled out rubbing you gently, panting heavily

Gently pushing her finger in relishing in the groan- the squeak in your voice - as you shakily held her shoulders, clinging to her tightly "gonna make you feel so fucking good~" pushing one finger fully into you pumping slowly "make you break under me in the best way possible~"

Not even a second later, she added a second kissing the tears welling in your eyes "it's too much~" you whined gasping our feeling her add a third "wait~ lute~ too- too many~ can't handle three~" you choked out but spread your legs more for her feeling her pound into you rougher "wait~ please slow~ stop~?"

Humming, she stopped her movements at that rubbing your waist, watching you carefully, knowing if you truly wanted her to stop? You'd say your safe word. Which, She always looks out for everytime your intimate. No matter what

"You were just crying for my attention, sweetheart~ now your begging me to stop? you sure that's what you want~?" She smirked out cooing at how you tried to rut back into her hand "go on. Tell me pretty Dove~ or? Should I stop. And leave you like this so painfully turned on wanting.. no begging for that release~?" Lute purred out, humming softly

"No~" you choked out sobbing, looking up at her shakily, making her hum roughly watching your every reaction.

"That's My good pet~" she growled out, purring against your neck, relishing in those cries you let out. How you sobbed for her. How you cried begging her for more. "Oh dove~ I'll give you my all~" she purred out, kissing you deeply pounding rougher into you listening to your cries for her

"Oh~ right there~? Please~?" You sobbed out once she found your sweet spot humming she easily shifted pounded into that spot roughly smirking at the sobs escaping your throat "oh- oh god lute im~ I'm gonna~" you gasped out making her hum pounding rougher

"Go on. Cum for me dove ~"

At that? You clawed her shoulders, accidently squeezing your eyes shut, sobbing out cumming all over her hand- slumping onto her bed shaking moaning watching her wings expand smug at how hard you came from her

"That's my good pet~" purring out kissing a deep bite on your neck, humming out softly "maybe.. maybe I should court you properly?" Gently cleaning you up thinking aloud

Gasping softly, "My lute~, you want to take me on as a lover? Your mate?" You panted out breathlessly, watching hee stop in thought before nodding.

"Yeah. I do. I want you as a mate~ so? What do you say? Can I court you?' She hummed out watching you carefully

[teecupangel]

So I watched the trailer of Assassin's Creed Shadows and I thought I'd give my preliminary thoughts

History-wise

Okay... so Yasuke was Oda Nobunaga's vassal from 1581 to 1582. Historically, he was captured by Akechi's forces after Mitsuhide betrayed Nobunaga which led to Nobunaga's death. Instead of killing him, Mitsuhide ordered he be shipped to the Christians (whether he did it to save Yasuke's life or because he was being racist is still unsure) where he was treated and they sailed out of Japan later on.

Naoe being an Iga shinobi... I have nothing XD Nobunaga did destroy the shinobi clans in Iga (that was a whole 'nother thing) and her last name, Fujibayashi, was one of the ruling families of Iga province. Other than that... uuuhhh... the kanji of her name 名緒絵 sorta gives the impression of an honorable, kind and talented person. 名 is usually seen in words that translate to 'name' or 'distinguished', the first thing I thought of when I saw 緒 was 'beginning' but it can also mean 'strap' or 'cord' and 絵 is a kanji that appears in words that is connected to art and painting.

Possible Storyline

Oda Nobunaga is not a Templar. He was, for a time, an ally of the Brotherhood until he got his hands on a Sword of Eden and everything went downhill from there. So I see 2 possible storylines:

This is set before Oda Nobunaga's death in Honnouji and Yasuke has a redemption arc with Naoe guiding him to the ways of the Brotherhood. They probably act independently from Akechi's forces and the end game is to take away the Sword of Eden from Nobunaga. Yamauchi Taka (who kills Nobunaga in AC canon) would appear as a support character of some capacity. (He might even be Naoe's mentor)

This is set after Oda Nobunaga's death and Yasuke is on a path of vengeance against those who conspired against Oda. He and Naoe would have a more hostile relationship first before it developed into Yasuke finally letting go of his need for vengeance and becoming a blade to save the weak from this endless bloodshed.

Regardless, we'll probably see Hattori Hanzo since he's part of the Japanese Brotherhood.

Plot 1 would end in Honnouji and the retrieval of the Sword of Eden... or the Sword of Eden apparently gets into Akechi's hands and we get to have plot 1 AND 2 where the sword becomes 'pass the baton' kind of deal (this will fight with the current AC canon though)

Plot 2 could end anywhere from Akechi's death during the Battle of Yamazaki OR we get as far as the Battle of Sekigahara which is always fun (I mean... not fun because so many people died there but fun in a video game-y kind of way).

Plot 2 is more broad which could lead to 'too many characters, not enough limelight' while Plot 1 is more centered and could serve to make the character development shine.

(If this Oda Nobunaga gets a laser sword as well, at least we can say Isu bullshit on that one XD)

Gameplay

As far as I know, Assassin's Creed Shadows will follow the open world rpg setup of the Layla trilogy. Considering how Mirage made use of Valhalla's engine, that might be Naoe's gameplay as well. I would suggest to wait for an actual gameplay as Ubisoft sometimes make fancy 'moves' in cinematic trailers that you can't actually do in-game.

I also want to know how they would handle the two main characters setup. Considering we see them together in the trailer, this might be a case of "same missions but who you pick decide how you approach it" kind of deal instead of AC Syndicate's "Jacob and Evie do their own thing most of the time". Same missions also means there's a good chance of wanting to replay it as a different character for a different experience and also... it means they'd be reusing the same assets during development XD

teecup Rambles

Okay, here we go.

I really want to see Assassin's Creed version of Nobunaga Oichi because she's my favorite character in these kinds of stories. She's usually portrayed as the kind beautiful younger sister of Oda Nobunaga that he once said could have been a fine warrior if she had been born a man. Also, her daughters would later marry (or become a concubine) to prominent historical figures. Her relationship with Nobunaga after the death of her first husband is also vague so she can support Yasuke regardless if he's trying to avenge Nobunaga's death or if he betrayed him.

Other than that, I think the final battle being Sekigahara would be epic. Just waves and waves of enemies to fight as Yasuke while Naoe stealth her way to the big battlefield to assassinate their actual target. Although, historically, it would make sense for the story to end with Nobunaga's death or Akechi's death since that's around the last time we hear of Yasuke.

... then again, he would just return after being shipped off and that starts the main game too.

Yeah, that's about it. I really just wanted to talk about Ichi but I couldn't add it elsewhere.

Oh and Yasuke is in Samurai Warriors 5 if you want to have an idea of how Ubisoft can handle him... also in Nobunaga's Ambition. It would be awesome if his Isu armor's helmet would look something like Nagoriyuki's (who is inspired by the historical figure Yasuke) from Guilty Gear as a reference to a reference but I highly doubt it.

[shu-box-puns]

Hello there mate!

Hope you're doing good and I'm here to say I ADORE you're Dad!Tsu'tey works and they bring me my daily dose of serotonin.

But also, since I've read (and reread) the "Grumpy dad and his feral son" work I've been having some thoughts. Like, what if Tsu'Tey was just a second too late and they managed to take Spider away? How would he react (I mean obviously he would hunt the shit out of them down) ? When would he and Spider reunite again? In the forest while he was with the recoms? In the battle of the Sea Dragon? I mean he would most def come to his rescue if the letter is the case to come and get him (+ to aid the Sullies), but then I also wonder what would happen. Would the whole Neytiri holding him hostige infront of Quaritch so he would release Kiri thing happen? How would he react to that? Or what if he got shot instead on Neteyam (not dying tho cos I want both my faves to live a happy life) ? I bet Tsu'Tey would be fucking terrified cos it woul remind him of how he got shot and almost died.

Anywho I'm sorry for the long line of questions and suggestions I left but when my brain finds something to hyperfixate on it will not stop coming up with questions and possible scenarios for the said thing 😅

I love the way your brain thinks Anon. (The fact I literally had most of these scenarios either thought out or planned :D) This got long. All the questions just gave me so many ideas and I RAN with it. Enjoy the memes and I hope there's no obvious spelling mistakes.

>_<

If Tsu'tey were too late to grab Spider before Quaritch got to him:

I could definitely see him tearing off after the recoms. Maybe he springs from the bushes too late, and Quaritch has already hoisted the boy up over his shoulder. Naturally, Tsu'tey still tries to attack him with his bow, but Lyle opens fire too fast and he old instinct has him retreating. Man definitely has some PTSD from getting shot during the war, and although mentally he still wants Spider back, his body goes on auto-pilot and throws him out of the line of fire. Lyle keeps shooting in his direction as the recoms retreat, but Tsu'tey isn't gonna let something as silly as instinct keep him down for long.

That's his boy, they'll have to kill him to keep him from getting him back. Thankfully, Jake knows exactly where his brain went and literally had to throw himself at this man so he didn't end up getting himself shot (again). Jake likes Spider well enough, but he thinks regrouping is a better course of action than charging in guns blazing - shocker, he's actually matured since having his kids.

Tsu'tey definitely fights with all he has against Jake, cursing at him and trying to wrestle himself free. He can't focus on anything but the distant roar of the enemy ship as it soars in close to the canopy. He can see the lights, and through the trees, the vague outlines of the recoms strapping themselves in. Lo'ak definitely has to wrestle the hunter's knife out of its sheath before he remembers it is there. But no one can save Jake from Tsu'tey biting the shit out of him. Man does not give a shit at this point.

When he gets free. (Of course it's a when not an if.) The airship is already long gone. A distant hum in the distance, even to his superior hearing. The pure, unbridled rage on this man's face is terrifying. Instead of explosive, loud anger, he's cold, almost unnervingly calm. A whole new level of terrifying.

Jake is definitely too scared to try and coax him out of the clearing and instead focuses on reassuring his children. Neytiri has to approach him, she's known him the longest afterall. Had stuck with him through the loss of Sylwanin, the fall of HomeTree, the war, she knows how best to handle him when he is like this. That doesn't mean her words are effective however. Tsu'tey needs a moment of stillness to collect his thoughts and recollect himself after the adrenaline burst, but Neytiri is already grabbing him roughly by the bicep and trying and drag him to his ikran.

He's still seething. Barely seeing straight. Half baked plans of him attacking the demon airship before it could get to Bridgehead were sounding more tempting by the moment.

Somehow Neytiri drags him out of the clearing and into the branches of the trees. Hauling his weary body to safer ground. But in his musing, Tsu'tey recalls the figure of Neytiri in the trees when Spider fell. He remembers seeing her dragging Kiri away with half a nod of acknowledgement sent Tsu'tey's way. It sends a fresh wave of rage crashing over him.

"You left him." He suddenly snarled, ripping his arm from her and pointing an accusatory finger at her. "He was right there, and you abandoned him!"

Neytiri's ears droop and she doesn't deny it. She doesn't back down either. "My priority was Kiri. I assumed you could handle it." She doesn't apologise for her actions or inaction. Just holds his gaze and holds her ground. Her expression neutral.

Tsu'tey knew she'd never taken much of a liking to Spider, despite her relationship with Jake and his heritage. Despite Tsu'tey unofficial adoption of the boy. There had always been a sense of hostility between the two. With Neytiri acting colder to Spider and the boy refusing to call her out on it. Tsu'tey had never thought to address it or try and help them mend that gap, now look at them.

And that's the real kick to the teeth. Not that Neytiri didn't care enough to be sorry that it was his kid taken instead of her own. It was the truth in her words that had his anger faltering. He should've been able to handle it. Spider was his son. And he let him slip through his fingers. He should've fought harder, dirtier. Should have resorted to teeth and nails if he had to.

So what if he got shot? If he'd angled it right, he would've had enough time to get Spider to safety.

If it had been Neteyam or Lo'ak in Quartich's hold, Jake would've torn himself apart to ensure their safety. Neytiri would've fallen into a blind rage to keep her children safe. Would have used every resource at her disposal to protect her own. She would have stared death in the face and kept snarling. And what had Tsu'tey done? Allowed a past experience to still his movements. To make him hesitate, and now he might have to pay the price for the rest of his life.

His retort dies on his tongue as his heart clenches painfully. But Tsu'tey had never been one to give up easily. He kept a tight hold on his anger, allowed it to guide him as he shoved past Neytiri and called for his ikran. His face was set in his trademark scowl, but there was a predatory fluidity to him that only came out during the war. When what he loved was threatened.

As his ikran lands beside him and he makes the bond, Lo'ak sidles up to his side, offering him back his knife. There is a familiar fire burning in the depths of the boy's eyes. A desire for vengance, and a sea of guilt and pain. Tsu'tey allows his face to soften for a heartbeat, he bends over the side of his ikran and squeezes Lo'ak's shoulder tight. "I will get him back." He promises.

Lo'ak chews on his lower lip, his eyes flickering to Tsu'tey and holding his burning gaze. He must see Tsu'tey's determination, his drive, his stubbornness, because he cracks a small smile and nods.

The family prepares to return to High Camp. Jake warning Tsu'tey that any attempts to go after Spider now was a suicide mission. He didn't argue, but neither did Tsu'tey agree. He also chose to ignore Neytiri handing Tuk off to him. Just kept his gaze ahead, and his hand loosely wrapped around the little girl's stomach so she was secure in the saddle in front of him.

If they reunited in the forest:

Lets say by chance Tsu'tey gets word of the Demon ship in clan territory again, or he's just riding around the forest on a pa'li because it helps him clear his mind.

He hasn't slept since Spider was taken. He's worried for his boy and severely regretting not letting him know what he meant to him before this shit show got so out of hand. In typical Tsu'tey fashion, he's been spending his time gathering Spider's belongings for when he returns.

Norm had already handed over most of the boy’s prized possessions when Tsu’tey asked for them from his bedroom in the compound. He’d packed everything away neatly in preparation to wherever Jake was planning to flee, so his son would have what he needed the minute he was retrieved. Spare exo pack, rechargeable batteries, etc. 

He's in his head so deep, that he takes a double take when he spots Spider through the trees. His pa'li makes an abrupt stop, the large animal mirroring Tsu'tey's shock as he stares wide eyed at the image of his boy stood on a log, above a group of recoms. Even from a distance he can see the bruises. He can see the tense set of his shoulders, his swift glances to the forest, despite pretending to be at ease.

Tsu'tey's shock melts into a scowl as his bow groans under the tightening on his hands. He steels himself with a long, deep inhale, mentally calculating the space within the small clearing. The sight of the guns on the recoms have his heart pounding, and his scars tingling with phantom pain. He knows deep down that his bow will be useless in a one on six fight. His only advantage is surprise, and he only gets one chance.

Tsu'tey's mind is made up before he takes his next breath. He knows he needs to try. Even if it ends with a bullet between his shoulders and his pa'li throwing him off from the pain, he needs to die trying. Whether it kills him or not, he needs to return Spider to the clan, where he will be safe. Where Jake and Neytiri can take him to a fresh start, a safer alternative to the clan at war.

The recoms are distracted. Only one wearing sunglasses is actually taking stock of his surroundings. Spider is talking, commanding most of the group's attention.

Sucking in a deep breath, Tsu'tey lets out a sharp call that could easily be mistaken for some distant herd animal. None of the recoms react but he sees Spider visibly stiffens. Tsu’tey grins despite himself and readies his mount. 

He notches an arrow into his bow and urges his pa'li forward. He erupts from the undergrowth with a war cry, and skewers the closest unsuspecting recom. It scatters the group like startled yerik, who immediately scramble for their guns.

"TSU'TEY!" Spider yells, sounding shocked and elated to see him. The hunter spares only a moment killing a second recom before he's charging for that log. His pa'li races past faster than the enemy can load their weapons, and it gives Tsu'tey large enough of an opening to lean down and grab Spider's by his extended hands. The child immediately latches onto him, grabbing whatever he can as Tsu'tey swings him up into the saddle in front of him and together they disappear off into the undergrowth.

Shots were fired at their back but no one got hit, much to Tsu'tey's relief. But the adrenaline rush isn't over because Spider turns around and yells in a rush about a tracker in his mask.

Not to worry though, because Tsu'tey is very up to date on all the old compound location. Even as his triumph sours, he takes confidence in the distant yells of the recoms and the light pressure of Spider at his front. He snarls softly to himself as he makes his pa'li change course.

Yes they get the masks switched out without issue and toss the bugged one into a fast moving river to send Quaritch on a wild goose chase and buy the Sully's more time to run.

Side note: In this possibility, Tsu'tey was definitely convinced Spider wasn't safe enough with him and he had to go with the Sully's to the Metkayina clan. And Tsu'tey was NOT planning to go with him. HAVE ANGST!!

If they reunited on the Sea Dragon:

In this scenario, Tsu'tey ends up visiting the Sullys when the Sea Dragon turns up. He just wanted to check up on his friends and see if they've heard anything about Spider, and the next thing he knows, he's got nieces and nephews to save, and a score to settle.

Tsu'tey is definitely going straight for the ship.

It's during the stand-off where the Colonel has his gun to Lo'ak's temple and Jake isn't telling anyone over the comms what is happening - preparing to hand himself over like the idiot he is. Tsu'tey was circling above the clouds on his ikran with Neytiri, carefully listening to his ear piece as he tries to decipher what is going on. The minute he catches sight of Spider being escorted back into the ship, all rational thought leaves this man's head. Of course he has enough sense to remain undetected - he's not stupid - but he's also not on board with Jake's self-sacrificing bullshit. In Tsu'tey's books, failure is not an option this time around. He is getting Spider back if it kills him.

Tsu'tey and Payakan being on the same wavelength.

The tulkun YEETING himself onto the ship's deck and giving Tsu'tey big enough of an opening to land his ikran and send the beast back up into the sky undetected. He makes brief eye contact with Neteyam who's circling the shallows around the belly of the ship, getting ready to leap up and help out his siblings.

The oldest Sully boy points to the kids tied to the railing, Tsu'tey nods. He motions behind him, where the RDA sailors took Spider and Neteyam nods his understanding.

On the horizon, the Metkayina clan are inbound. Tearing through the waves and heading straight for the ship.

Tsu'tey decides that they've got this covered and finds the nearest doorway that will lead him into the belly of the metal ship. He's too tall for the corridors and either has to knuckle crawl or walk at a constant stoop. His bow is a pain to hold loaded in the tight space, so he opts solely for his knife.

He navigates the ship blindly. His ears pricked for Spider's voice, but otherwise killing anyone he comes across and moving swiftly. He knows the destruction caused by Payakan would've damaged something valuable and he needs to move fast.

I love the idea of Tsu'tey stumbling across the control room in time to find Spider steering the ship towards the rocks and then brutally killing the controls with a fire extinguisher. (Boy was eyeing that lever heavily whenever he was in the same room as it). Just Tsu'tey letting out a half formed growl as the crewmates try to tear Spider away and fix the lever, but his oncoming attack getting put on hold as the enormous ship speeds for the rocks and promptly takes off.

The minute that bitch lands back in the water, you can bet Tsu'tey is the first on his feet. He erupts into the room with a sound so unnerving that the crew forget that they are armed. It's an unfair fight. And despite the tight quarters and being outnumbered, Tsu'tey wipes the floor with everyone.

They find Spider an exopack and get the fuck off the sinking ship to meet back up with the Sullys out on the rock.

Just the crew out cold or dead at his feet, and Tsu'tey closing the distance between himself and Spider. He drops into a crouch, all hard scowl and sharp eyes, and gently tucks Spider's dread behind his ear. "Are you unharmed?"

Spider nods, dumbfounded and thrown off by the raw concern in Tsu'tey's voice. Tsu'tey grumbles. He can see spots of blood all over Spider, small grazes and nicks that shouldn't be there. His stripes are faded and his hair needs a retwist. But he's alive, and Tsu'tey isn't going to let anything else happen to him.

Bonus:

The standoff:

I feel like throwing Tsu'tey into the mix would throw so many scenes off course with his sheer presence that the stand off between Neytiri and Quaritch where they're holding the kids hostage wouldn't happen. There would be too many variables changing for it to occur the same way, but lets pretend it does.

(Neteyam is alive btw, just resting on his rock with Tsireya kindly mixing him up a poultice she learned from her Tsahik training. Lyle didn't kill him, but Neteyam definitely had to protect Lo'ak's dumbass in some way. That child is accident prone.)

Anyway, we've got Quaritch holding Kiri hostage. Jake is trying to keep Tuk out of harm's way. No one knows where the fuck Lo'ak is, but he's slippery enough to get himself out of anything. And then we've got Neytiri making a last ditch effort to protect her daughter by threatening to take away the last thing Quaritch loves; Spider.

In the background, we've got Tsu'tey. Breathing hard, slightly wounded from throwing himself around on a ship with broken equipment and guns getting fired at him from all directions.

Raised voices draw his attention. He's standing on the walkway overlooking the deck where the standoff is occurring. He spots Spider first, under Neytiri's blade, begging for Kiri's life instead of his own. Anger like he's never felt before curls hard in his stomach. The betrayal is worse than when Jake and Neytiri first mated. It was one thing to let his son get captured, it was another to murder him right in front of Tsu'tey.

Kiri's voice stops Tsu'tey from doing anything stupid in his blind rage. Every molecule of his body screams to defend his child, but common sense makes him take in the situation.

His head snaps to Quaritch holding Kiri hostage. To Jake within arms reach, but preoccupied with Tuk. To the knife drawing blood at Kiri's neck.

Tsu'tey also takes note of the clear shot he has from his vantage point. There is no conflict within him as he notches his bow. No concern for Spider's reaction, or the conflicted feelings he might have towards his birth father. Tsu'tey's mind is clear. His hands are steady. And his mind is made up.

He takes the shot, and nail's the recom through his right eye. The arrow - fired with all the strength he could muster - goes straight through bone and wedges in up to two thirds of its shaft.

Quaritch sways for a heartbeat, his knife clattering to the metal deck as Kiri tears away from him and throws herself at Jake. Then he collapses with a painful thump. Limps sprawling and his head lolling.

Slowly, Tsu'tey lowers his bow, his gaze narrowed and his tail whipping behind him. He catches Neytiri's eyes as the huntress and her family follow the direction the arrow had come from.

"Unhand. My. Son." Tsu'tey snarls, his voice ringing out over the soft crash of the waves and the pop of fire. His gaze is venomous, fingers twitching for another arrow if Neytiri doesn't back down. There's still a crazed edge to her gaze, a look Tsu'tey is sure he shares. He hasn't felt this shaken since Spider was taken.

Neytiri nods once. An acknowledgment. And lets Spider go.

His son stumbles away, furiously scrambling to put distance between himself and Neytiri. Kiri was quick to soothe him, check him for injuries as Jake carefully approached Neytiri to take the knife off of her.

Tsu'tey leaps down from the upper level. He can't be bothered to find the stairs and the height is nothing compared to what he has to deal with back in the forest. He keeps an eye on Neytiri, but knows that Jake has her now. Ears pricked in case of further enemies, Tsu'tey spares a few moments to kick Quaritch's corpse and make sure he fired a killing shot. The last thing he needed was to grow comfortable again and then in fifteen years have to deal with this bullshit all over again.

"Dad?" The quiet utterance has panic straightening his spine. It's not one of his nieces asking for Jake's attention. It's Spider's voice. Quiet and shaky and so vulnerable that Tsu'tey just wants to wrap himself up in his arms.

Instead, all he can think about is Quaritch's body at his feet. Tsu'tey's arrow protruding from his eye socket. His blood pooling at his feet.

Then it hits him all at once. Spider's birth dad is dead at his feet, and Tsu'tey put him there. Tsu'tey killed him. He didn't even ask. Spider spent months with this man - against his will - but not everything is black and white. They might have come to some understanding. He might of grown to know him outside of his video logs and the fleeting stories he overheard from the Omaticaya. Spider may have gotten to know Quaritch without the biased lense of hate everyone else talks about him with. And Tsu'tey murdered him. What's worse, he felt triumphant doing it.

Tsu'tey can feel his hands shaking, regardless of how tightly he grasped his bow. His ears were flat against his skull, his tail tucked in close to his legs. He prays he just looks like he's reflecting, in contrast to being crushed by the weight of his actions. And he keeps staring at Quaritch's corpse. The arrow. The blood.

"Dad?" Spider says again. A little louder. More confident. And it kills Tsu'tey as he cringes, eyes squeezing shut against the guilt.

A brush of a hand to his wrist. His eyes snap open, and there's Spider. Gazing up at him with wide, tearful eyes. His mask is slightly cracked and he's bleeding from his chest where Neytiri caught him with her blade. But there is no hatred in his expression. Only relief and exhaustion.

"Dad, are you okay?" Spider asks him, and he looks at Tsu'tey as he says it.

The realisation hits him like a sturmbeest stampede. That Spider was calling him Dad, not the corpse at his feet.

With a deep, shuddering breath, Tsu'tey pulls himself together. "I am." He reassures his son as he drops into a crouch. It is evident from Spider's expression that he doesn't believe him, but the boy doesn't push.

Instead, he throws his arms around Tsu'tey's neck and burries his face under his chin. Tsu'tey chuckles wetly, his arms wrapping around Spider and dragging him close. It soothes every raw instinct in him to finally have his boy back in his arms. Tired and injured, but safe.

Around him, he can hear the Sully family beginning to wade into the surf, so Tsu'tey tucks his arms under Spider's thighs and hoists him up onto his hip, like he used to when his son was still a toddler. Despite his age now, he's still the perfect size for Tsu'tey to carry unhindered out of the shipwreck.

BONUS:

[gallusrostromegalus]

How do Hisagi and Kira cope with all the chaos Tousen and Gin wind up causing?

So my concept of this is based off these panels in the Manga, where Shuuhei realizes just how much work goes into running the Ninth Division:

(I love Jushiro's r u fuckin' serious? face here lol)

From the interlude between major battles in the middle of the Arrancar arc, in a cafe in seireitei:

*****

Kira sat in awkward silence as his friend and mentor bawled into his shoulder.

"EVERYTHING! I SWEAR, HE WAS DOING EV-ER-Y-THING!!" Shuuhei wailed. Five drinks in and the teetering walls of Shuuhei's stoic facade has crumbled like day-old cookies. "Managing all our contacts and sources, writing in the cultural articles as needed, keeping the presses stocked and in working order, wrangling the other captains to actually submit their reports, keeping the filing up-to-date- He was even writing the crossword every week!"

"It's uh. It's been a change for me too." Kira mumbled, awkwardly patting his shoulder. Across the table, Rangiku has assumed a facade of gentle sympathy as she waited for the storm of emotions to blow over.

"WHY?" Shuuhei demanded, sitting back up. "WHY DIDN'T HE ASK FOR HELP? The workload must have been killing him- it's killing ME and I read at least twice as fast as he ever did! Did he just... Not Sleep?"

"Well, perhaps he found the tasks he had delegated to you to be difficult for him, but the stuff you're struggling with was easy for him?" Kira tried, optimistically.

"No, that can't be it- It's almost the same work, just more of it." Shuuhei sniffled. "Did- did he not TRUST me to handle the workload? He was always a stickler for details- was- am I not good enough?"

"There's also the whole Treason thing." Rangiku pointed out, unhelpfully. "If I were plotting to overthrow the government, I'd take on extra paperwork to keep it quiet."

Shuuhei slumped over the table, contemplating the thought despondently. "...Was I not good enough to take wi-?"

"-You finish that sentence and I'll break this bottle right over your skull." Rangiku threatened. "You were TOO Good for him to make you an offer like that. If anything he knew you'd do the right thing and turn him in."

Shuuhei sniffled, unconvinced.

"How are you holding up Blondie?" Rangiku changed the conversation with the gracelessness but irrefutable power of an ox.

Kira considered her question, chewing his lip awkwardly. "I... Well I don't know how to say this delicately but, um-" he glanced down nervously at Shuuhei, who at least looked like he couldn't get MORE miserable. "-It's actually been kinda great."

Shuuhei stared up at him from the table, scandalized, and Rangiku barked a laugh loud enough to make the room ring.

"Gin was a...hands off sort of manager. He would always back up whatever we decided to do of course- Heck, he crossed swords with the old fart that runs the Fon Clan for us once, but ah... well. As annoying as him being largely absent was, he was worse when he decided to help." Kira sighed.

"THAT'S GIN!" Rangiku cackled. "I swear talking to him was like talking to someone from a different dimension sometimes- not a damn clue how anything worked."

"Yeah..." Kira smiled weakly. "We had a secret staff calendar to make sure he'd be occupied with something if we had a REALLY important project going on, which probably should have been indicative of something, now that I say it out loud."

"It's indicative of a crap manager, which is a far cry from treason, even if both should be hanging offenses." nodded Rangiku. "Speaking of management- Any idea when you lads are going to take the captain's exam?"

"What?!" Both yelped, startled.

"ME? CAPTAIN! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Kira shrieked, laughing nervously like a Hyena.

"Nononono-" Shuuhei waved. "I'm half-dead running things as is, and Tousen left things relatively tidy- Apparently Aizen absolutely TRASHED the fifth division's filing and casework on the way out and it's bedlam over there. For all his other sins, Capt- Tousen at least finished payroll out until the middle of November." Shuuhei shrugged.

Rangiku blinked at what Shuuhei said, confused, but was distracted by the sudden arrival of more friends.

"Hi Rangiku-Chan!" Orihime waved from the door, out of breath and lightly singed from training with Rukia, who followed her in, looking equally gleefully disheveled.

"HEY GIIIIRL!" Rangiku squealed with delight, waving for Orihime to come over for a hug, and the girl practically tackled her. "Oof- How's training?"

"She can throw any Hado up to the mid-seventies right back at me now!" Rukia panted, delighted. "We're gonna start on Bakudo tomorrow, to give myself a break."

"-And Miss Rukia has been casting Hado in the 80's and a 90th level one without incantations, so I can't predict what the next attack is be like!" Orihime bounced with excitement.

"Sorry you're doing fucking what?" Kira gaped as Rukia sat down next to him, looking more than a little smug.

"Casting without incantations Kira, try to keep up!" She teased.

"Goddamn." Muttered Shuuhei. "All I've been doing is drowning in paperwork and failing to drown my sorrows."

"Oh no!" gasped Orihime, joining them at the table. "What's wrong?"

"Besides the everything?" Kira laughed darkly. "Apparently Tousen had been doing like 90% of the Ninth Division's Work and now Shuuhei is playing catch-up."

"Oh, wow." Orihime nodded, patting Shuuhei's shoulder sympathetically. "-that's a lot of work! And with his Spinal Implants too!"

The table blinked at Orihime, confused.

"...what spinal implants?" Shuuhei asked, peeling himself off the table and staring at her.

"Oh! oh no, I didn't mean to blab medical information-" Orihime waved.

"Traitors aren't covered by HIPPA, What Spinal Implants?" Shuuhei demanded, calmly but firmly grabbing her by the shoulders to stress the seriousness of the situation.

"I- um, well- When I was being attacked by Mayuri-Taicho, um, Mr. Tousen stepped in and- well frankly, he saved my life!" Orihime mumbled. "But- he lost his um, what do you call it-? The white jacket? and the back of his uniform had been ripped open so I got a pretty good look at his spine and honestly I thought it was some kind of weird body piercing thing at first but when I asked he got really cagey for a bit and said something about 'spinal implants' but MAN, they looked like they had to have HURT, not to mention the big scars on his shoulders..."

The assembled shinigami shared wary looks.

"...Okay, you're not in trouble. In fact, you might be doing us a big favor." Rangiku gently put her hands on Orihime's. "-But I need to you be totally honest about what you saw, or didn't see, or what you think you might have seen but aren't totally sure about, okay?"

Orihime nodded.

"-Did you, at any point, see Aizen's sword, or think you saw one of it's attacks?" Rangiku asked, eyes focused on the girl in a way that reminded her uncomfortably of being stalked by a leopard at the zoo as a small child.

Orihime thought carefully. "I- um. I saw the big Kido spell he launched right before he and Mr. Gin and Mr. Tousen went through that portal- he was really far away, but I don't think he had his sword out. I couldn't actually see what he looked like, just where the light was coming from? It's kind of embarrassing, but I still don't know what this Aizen guy actually looks like?"

"Oh my god." Realized Rukia. "He didn't take Kyoga Suigetsu out the whole time he was at the execution grounds. If Orihime hadn't seen him before then, she was never under his illusion."

"Rukia, sketchbook." Rangiku demanded, hand out and Rukia rifled through her pockets for the book and a handful of pens. "Alright Orihime- do you think you can draw what you saw on Tousen's back?"

"Oh! yeah, I think I can do that!" She nodded.

"Remember, only draw what you're really, really sure you saw- no adding details!" Rukia prompted, remembering The Orihiminator form her art midterms.

"Right! Um- well, if this is his back-" She drew an outline of a human back, noting were his spine and shoulders were. "-there were these like? Little iron nails? Going up in pairs on either side of his spine. I'm not totally sure, but I'm like... 98% sure there was one pair for every vertebra. His hakama and scarf were in the way so I don't know how far up and down the went, but it looked like his entire spine? and then there was this bright red thread woven and tied in really elaborate knots between them- Um. I'm not sure how exactly, but it was something like this- if I saw pictures I'd be able to point the pattern out again." She explained, continuing the illustration.

"-And then on his shoulders there were a pair of Kanji that had been like- carved into his skin? They were bright red, like they were infected or maybe that's what they look like when he'd been running? but um- yeah, it was "Silence" on his left shoulder, and "Obedience" on his right- Like this!" She said, holding up the drawing.

The shinigami, as a group, turned white. Rukia slapped a hand over her mouth that only sort-of stifled the scream she let out. Kira started to shake and Shuuhei got up and leaned out the window like he might be sick.

"...They weren't medical implants like he said, were they?" Orihime winced.

Rukia reached over and gently pushed the drawing down so it was facedown on the table. "That's. um. That's a Curse Orihime. That's a really, really nasty curse." She explained gently.

"Shuuhei-" said Rangiku, frowning. "You said that Tousen had finished the Payroll, right?"

"Yeah, out to the middle of November." Nodded Shuuhei, still looking green. "Weirdest thing- he ended it on the thirteenth, a Teusday. Totally not like him."

"-Its also really weird for a guy who is allegedly planning on committing treason to make life easy for the people he's leaving behind by finishing out the payroll." Explained Rangiku, taking out her communicator and Dialing. "Shuuhei- I want you to go back to the Ninth and see what other work he finished that doesn't make sense, and keep track of the dates he finished them out to, Kira- you do the same for the Third Division. That Teusday thing is bothering me. Rukia- I need you to go find someone from the Kido Corps and meet me at the First Division. Orihime- you're with me."

"Yessir!" The three lieutenants jumped to their feet and took off as Rangiku finished placing the call.

"-Sasakibe-San?" She asked when the line clicked on. "Sorry to disturb you, but I think Miss Orihime has discovered something of critical importance. Can I meet you and Yamamoto-Sotiacho at the first division? Now?"

[babyrdie]

I'm really used to the idea of gremlin Achilles in the fandom, but you're really making me consider the idea of a Pat who is also annoying!

Oh yeah, my Patroclus is really kind of annoying in a sweet way. I give you this! He really wasn't the cutest kid (as I said here) and I constantly have him purposely bother Achilles for fun (as I said here: 1, 2) or have a moment of "oh, now I understand why he can handle Achilles. It's because he's also annoying" in other characters (like in these posts: 1, 2). I did this because I wanted to avoid having him and Achilles fit into too specific roles. "That's the mature one, that's the gremlin and that's it", things like this. You know, Patroclus and Achilles have that whole similarity thing and not fitting into strongly established roles in terms of their relationship.

I really don't think that terms like friend, family or lover alone are enough to define their relationship. Not because, for example, other couples weren't friends and lovers or that there weren't complex friendships and families. It's simply you can't decently explain their relationship status without having to offer at least 2 or 3 terms. For example, when talking about Penelope and Odysseus, you can say "Odysseus is Penelope's husband" and that is enough. Yes, they were friends too, but you don't really NEED to clarify that to be understandable, that's a bonus. Yes, Helen was friends with Menelaus yet was his wife, but if you say their relationship is that they're husband and wife, that is enough to be understood. The rest is bonus explanation, it isn't completely necessary for understanding. Peleus and Telamon are portrayed as having a friendly relationship, but if you say that they're brothers that is context enough. You don't NEED to say "brothers and friends". Antilochus was Achilles' companion, but if you say he was Achilles' friend, that's context enough.

However, if you say that Patroclus is Achilles' cousin, that isn't enough. I don't think that saying "they're cousins" clarifies the relationship in the same way that saying "Achilles and Ajax are cousins" can clarify, for example, Ajax's reaction to Achilles' death. In theory, Patroclus and Ajax are cousins ​​too, but no one would describe their relationship that way, you'd more likely mention that they're both in the army or something. If you say "Patroclus is a friend of Achilles" that isn't enough. Achilles had friendships with other Achaeans, is his relationship with Patroclus similar to that with other Achaeans? Not really, the closest we have to that is Antilochus and generally the relationship gets stronger precisely after Patroclus dies (it existed before, but got stronger). If you say "they're lovers" that is also not enough, it isn't the same as saying "Deidamia and Achilles were lovers" and that is enough. The fact that Patroclus serves Achilles is central to the relationship, but you can't describe Patroclus as a "servant" and think that justifies the story enough. Automedon also served Achilles, is it the same thing?

I'll use Wikipedia as an example. Not because Wikipedia is the center of the world's knowledge, but just because it's interesting to see how editors have handled relationships.

On Antilochus' page, they described he was a friend of Achilles. He was also a battle companion, but "friend" explains it well.

On Ajax's page, they described him as Achilles' cousin. He was also a friend and a battle companion, but "cousin" explains it well.

On Deidamia's page, they describe her as one of Achilles' lovers (depending on the version, wife. But this is still connected to the idea of ​​romantic interest). Considering they spent time together, she was probably also a friend, but saying "lover"/"wife" explains it well.

On Automedon's page, they describe him as Achilles' charioteer. He was also a battle companion, but "charioteer" explains it well.

On Patroclus's page, they felt the need to, in a single section, clarify that he is a childhood friend, intimate war companion and lover.

This is literally the introductory part of Patroclus' page, it's not even a "Relationship with Achilles" or "Early Days" part, it's the introduction. And by the way, the "Relationship with Achilles" part really exists precisely because it is something that needs more text to be explained. You don't have a "Relationship with Achilles" explaining contexts and possibilities in the case of Antilochus (here as an example of a friend), Ajax (here as an example of a family), Deidamia (here as an example of a lover) and Automedon (here as an example of a subordinate ).

Modernly, perhaps the most comprehensive term could be "partner", as this can refer either to a close friend, to a trusted person in a professional sense, to a person on the same team and to a lover. To be a partner with someone means to be trusted in some way, to share with them. So I think "partner" is the broader term for them. There is "companion", which is actually used in the texts, but I feel that it refers to an idea more linked to the army while "partner" extends beyond that.

So when I write about Patroclus with Achilles, I try to cover as many types as possible. I use them being cousins, I use them being childhood friends, I use them being subordinate and leader, I use them being lovers, I use them being companions. In the interest of further moving them away from specific labels, I don't avoid Achilles' interest in other people, such as Deidamia. To me, they aren't monogamous. They don't fit into this idea exclusively associated with the "lover" sphere because they aren't just lovers. Patroclus isn't worried about losing Achilles to a woman for the simple fact that he does not see himself competing for the same position. For example, what position does Deidamia occupy? Wife, maybe (depends on the version). But what then? It's not as if Patroclus was Achilles' husband in the strictest sense of the word or strongly desired it. He isn't losing his position to Deidamia nor is Deidamia losing her position to him, they're in different positions.

So that was it. Firstly, I started not seeing them as a specific relationship. I still use terms like "dating" because, honestly, there is no other word to describe when it started in a more romantic context per se. And then I did the same with the roles in the relationship, which, because it doesn't have a specific label, doesn't have restrictive roles. And so I did that with the personalities.

Yes, Achilles is more immature than Patroclus. But Patroclus isn't always a wise, patient hermit (for example, he isn't immediately against what Achilles does in The Iliad. Only later does he show disagreement. When talking to Nestor in Book 11, he talks quite sharply about Achilles too. His last words to Hector in Book 16, when he says that Hector only killed him because Apollo and Zeus helped and that he could have defeated Hector several times if it weren't for that). Yes, Patroclus is kinder than Achilles. But Achilles still cares for those who are close to him and is capable of kindness (e.g. the kylix in which he heals Patroclus, how he treats Antilochus, how Ajax is allowed to go to Leuke, how he asks about Peleus and Neoptolemus to Odysseus, how he courts Deidamia by praising her weaving ability, etc). Yes, Achilles is more recognized for violence than Patroclus. But Patroclus is still capable of being violent (e.g. he was angry enough as a child over data that he accidentally killed a boy. He did everything he did in Book 16).

For this reason, in my other headcanon post, initially they had switched roles. Patroclus was the most angry, Achilles was the calmest. Later, as life went on, the roles changed due to external influences. And when it was time for Patroclus to "be Achilles", what he did was basically return to his old self, still a part of him. It was a way to show that they're so similar that, in fact, both have the potential to play similar roles. I make it so that, even though Patroclus is the one who plays the subordinate role, Achilles is the more emotional one. Because, thus, Achilles has power over Patroclus in the hierarchical sense and Patroclus has power over Achilles in the emotional sense. They're balanced, they can both have the power and both can lose it, it just depends on the context. I try to do this in the simplest things because not everything needs to be dramatic, so in my post where I have Patroclus obey or serve Achilles I have Achilles change his mind about something/go off topic because of something sentimental he wants from Patroclus. And of course, being similar is not being identical. They still have their own differences and identities. There are things that one has that the other really doesn't have, that's also why they're complementary.

I want the other characters to see Patroclus as the most approachable person (as they really do in The Iliad), but at the same time notice why he and Achilles get along (I've only done this in small things like Patroclus being friendly annoying to Automedon and Ajax).

So that's basically why I like the idea of ​​a Patroclus being at least a little annoying hahaha but of course, it's all headcanon, so you always have the option to use another approach!

[dovalore]

i bought a pair for stock the pond recently and decided i’d make a badge for them and their kids

lore under the cut

aruktai, the 'fae'

he's actually a guardian! he ended up turning into a fae after he was slain in battle while protecting ransetsu

it's pretty weird for him to be in such a small body now, but at least he's still alive...

the reason he's a fae right now is that he's the descendant of a guardian who's charge is a phoenix and their bloodline's been blessed (or cursed) so that a guardian can't die unless their charge does

normally they'd stay as guardians, but he was wounded badly enough that only a scrap of him remained

aru's still very much a guardian in spirit, ransetsu is still his charge even if he no longer has his old body

well, he tells everyone that, but his true charge is actually ransetsu's freedom, his ability to live his life as he pleases, which naturally comes with the man himself

it's easier to tell those unfamiliar with the concept that his charge is another dragon instead of something so... theoretical?

ransetsu, the ridgeback

he's from a filthy rich family of merchants that deal in goods produced in the ashfall waste

he's not interested in inheriting this 'empire' at all, the thought of it stressed him out to the point of him running away, which is exactly how he met aruktai

which was a massive boon for him because he's absolutely awful at trying to take care of himself, he's the kind of guy who's walk directly onto a rake and introduce his forehead to its handle. it's bad

he's always liked aru from the start because y'know he's quite literally the only person who listened to his reservations about being in the family business and went, "okay, let's go far away from this place then." instead of immediately trying to return him for well, a dragon's ransom

their relationship

ransetsu's without a doubt head over heels for the mysterious man that literally appeared out of the blue and whisked him away from his old home. he's... not experienced when it comes to romance, but his efforts to impress aruktai are nothing if not from the heart. he still clumsy as ever

aruktai... is flattered. he's not playing 'hard to get', he just genuinely doesn't know what to do in this situation because he's never thought about being in a relationship with anyone. the search for his charge all but consumed his every waking moment and now that he's found it, he's free to pursue one

lucky for ransetsu, aruktai does find his attempts to court him incredibly endearing. unfortunately for both of them, he also feels like he doesn't really deserve to be the center of his attention, not after he failed to protect ransetsu from getting captured to be used as a bartering chip

aruktai did manage to free him again, but the incident left him way more shaken than he'd liked to admit. if it wasn't for his blessing, he wouldn't be alive at all and would've died a failure

this isn't something that has escaped ransetsu's notice and while he can never know the depths to which aruktai feels the way he does about what happened, it's plainly obvious to him that this is something that's constantly weighing him down

the whole ordeal was incredibly unpleasant for both of them and aruktai doesn't know that he's not the only one who feels personally responsible for it. ransetsu doesn't know how to fight, why would he? he's never had the cause to do so since he's been pampered his entire life

their offspring

they aren't canon lol i just wanted to make cool lore for a pair of dragons

if you do happen to receive one of their offspring you don't have to follow anything i say here or even keep them connected at all, do whatever

-----

SURPRISE BONUS LORE

you thought i was done? wrong! i have ffxiv lore for them too because i love lizards, mild spoilers for stormblood?

aruktai buduga

he's from the steppe

and he would've happily spent the rest of his days there if he didn't absolutely hate magnai's guts, he vehemently opposed his brothers' decision to join hands with the oronir, but alas his voice fell on deaf ears

he fought daidukul about it and lost, so he packed up his bags and left entirely

from then on, he became a travelling mercenary around the far east

ransetsu final fantasy

sorry i don't have a surname for him yet LMAOO

he comes from a family of blacksmiths and armourers who are obscenely wealthy

his family quickly found out that while he was absolutely awful when it came to metalwork (clumsy), he had a gift for selling their wares to customers simply by talking about what they could do

so he basically became their ambassador

one day he got jumped in a backalley after leaving a restaurant, aruktai happened to be there so he sent ransetsu's assailants packing

ransetsu immediatey decided to buy his services permanently by hiring him as his persona guard

their relationship

ransetsu absolutely decks aruktai out in the finest armour he can get his hands on, to him a warrior such as him absolutely deserves the best of the best

aruktai's honestly a little starstruck by how this all played out, all because a guy was grating to the point of him leaving the steppe...

anyway ransetsu's basically aruktai's glucose guardian now (they're roughly around the same age) and he gets whatever he wants because he's so good at fighting

spending money on aruktai brings ransetsu immense joy

[exstasyplague]

Just wanted to say, I have loved reading you jjk analysis while I hyperfix on the fandom. I have one question that I hope you can give me some answers to. Regarding Geto, do you believe that he's earned the title of special grade like Gojo and Yuki? I fully believe that he could reach a monster level like Gojo but I also think plot didn't let him grow more. Because people call him weak for losing against Toji (someone who also beat Gojo) and he wasn't at his prime yet bit then they also say Yuta was able to easily beat him and I think while the jjk 0 was good, it didn't utilize Suguru. Because it felt like he didn't do anything for the 10 years he defected and I think it's just because 0 was made so early on. Hope this isn't a bother, I just really like how in depth you are.

hiii. thank you for your kind words <33 it's time *cracks fingers* for a little...

Analysis on Suguru Geto's Powers

first of all. let's remember together what a special grade in jujutsu kaisen means~!

— a power so unpredictable that it's labeled as a calamity

— somebody powerful enough to overthrow a country on their own.

so far so clear? great.

let's also look a bit into what suguru's abilities are.

CURSE MANIPULATION

as the name implies, he can absord curses and manipulate them according to his needs/ desires, with no limit on how many at a time.

doubting him comes easy now that we know what gojo suguru's full strength is, but back in their highschool days they were called the strongest for a good reason: they were on par. on balance. gojo's birth caused cruses to go crazy and the one with the most efficient skill against curses was geto. he was so powerful in a way because gojo caused so many curses to exist, widening his range of possibilities. beautiful parallel imo.

MARTIAL ARTS

no secret that my man can throw hands. not only does he have good curses, he can also fight alongside them/use them as a distraction since unlike most shikigami users, he goes into full offensive mode. that poor old man was DONE. you've also seen how well he handles cursed weapons in jjk 0 and in general how high his battle iq is. geto was a menace.

he beat this dude so hard his literal life flashed before his eyes. and look at how casually he does that 😭 i can't. kenjaku ain't ever gonna excude this type of MAJESTY.

even if his fight against toji wasn't as flashy as gojo's, let's not forget that he actually did have a moment where he caught fushidaddy by surprise.

considering the fact that toji is literally a battle genius, that's very much something.

*clears throat.*

anyway.

the destructible power of his curses is also insane. he killed a whole village like it was just play time, no advanced plotting needed. you can say whatever you want, but being able to act on a whim like that... this absolute freedom of choice only comes from strength.

tell me that shit's not scary af.

and let's not forget that he got deemed so dangerous by the jjk society that he got put on par with a curse and even in the jjk 0 movie 'he had to be exorcised'. you know how in the manga they talk about saving riko and how because they're the strongest it doesn't matter what aftermaths they get? yeah. that's the perks of having power, the perks of being 'the most powerful'.

geto wasn't in hiding mode after his silly spree— he was easy to find at his temple and he was sentenced to death on sight yet in 10 years no fkin sorcerer was able to kill him.

they fr knew his whereabouts.

gege also shows him in his full splendid strength through his art.

geto was more than powerful— he was a low-key beast.

his only holdback was the world in which he lived, all the anguish and misery it brought him. he started doubting himself. he started losing faith in himself as human and a sorcerer and so he sought other paths through which he could find meaning, dooming himself beyond salvation. (his cursed technique is so shitty he can't live without giving it a meaning and clinging onto a meaning, let's not forget that manga panels about the awful taste and everything).

mentally he reached stagnation and from that point...he was meant to die.

that doesn't make him weak. he definitely deserved his title and definitely was the strongest along with gojo. hope this helped

[wolfyaka]

Has anybody else been overanalyzing All Might's hallucinations? Because I have and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this:

All Might has literally said twice that they are hallucinations and that those are things he's telling himself, so either for some weird reason he just can't and won't accept these are actually Nana and Nighteye talking to him (which would be weird but it would explain how Nighteye knew that was the actual vision) or they are indeed representing his own mind, which is clearly divided. I'm not saying he's two different people, of course, All Might and Toshinori are one and the same, but he does have a complex and contrasting personality and he can oscillate, just like he shows different aspects of himself as All Might and Toshinori.

Either way, if that's the case, I believe Nana represents his heroic, self-sacrificing to a fault self, always pushing him to keep going no matter what, which we saw in the two fights with AFO actually, and which makes sense because that's what she represented as well; and then, there's Nighteye, which represents his humanity, his fragility and in the end, his inherent value as a human being, his right to live; which is beautiful considering Nighteye is probably the first person that actually cared for his life and worried enough to have an argument with him, mind you, I don't agree with the way he handled it, but his heart was in the right place and he did what he thought was the best.

Which leads me to All Might's mindset when acting. I believe in this whole arc after he retired, he struggled with those two sides:

At times understanding his life was worth protecting and wanting to do so. Pushing himself to believe he could change his destiny and thinking of ways to do so, that is, when he promised to live to Izuku's mom, when he told AFO he'd keep living, when he made the promise to bend his destiny with Izuku, when he talked to Aizawa and said he had decided to live, when he decided to ask Melisa for help, when he used his student's quirks as support, when he started streaming his battle and just being aware of people asking him to live.

But at times, there was also the feeling that his life made no sense without helping as a field hero, mourning how weak his human body was, falling into depression, still craving to hold on to his dream, to his heroic core, and in that, doubting that he'd be able to bend his own destiny because in the end, he'd go as far as it was needed, and that, ultimately, it was fine because that was the heroic thing to do.

I believe he went into the fight with AFO with both mindsets at the same time and that's why in his hallucination he jokes about the mentor being meant to die, just for himself to answer back that no, that's just for comics, heroes are human too.

Also, as a side note, I love that the way Izuku's and All Might's destinies changed, wasn't because they stopped being crazy heroic (which yeah probably don't do that in real life, but hey, they did risk their lives for a very huge, good reason), it was because they allowed other people in, to be inspired, to care, and to help and save them, be it with their wishes and will or directly like Eri in Izuku's case and Bakugo in All Might's case. It seems so beautifully poetic, just like someone else said with the wordplay of the Three Musketeers, they gave "One for all", and everyone gave them "All for one" back, which is what society needed to begin with; the fault wasn't in All Might carrying everything on his shoulders per se, it was that he felt the need to do so because a lot of people didn't care enough to move one finger, like we saw with Shigaraki.

By the way... this expression is everything I ever wanted T^T

[peemanne]

rgg game osts ranked Yeah.................

LONG ASS POST AHEAD!!!!!! BAH!!!!!!!!!!!

for context awhile back a yakuza discord server i'm in had a music discussion thread open up and we were invited to make simple little tier lists for the game osts to start it off. it was supposed to be just the tier list but i eventually spiraled into a whole ramble. whoops. so i might as well just paste it here with a few additions so the rest of you can see it yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!

will be providing my reasonings and then my highlight tracks. i'm gonna provide convenient youtube links to all the songs mentioned so if you wanna check one of them out feel free to just click the hyperlink

and yes this is ordered in tiers. the personal highlights aren't though

>Yakuza 5 is my personal top 1 OST overall, but it's seriously close. I can't tell you enough how much of a nut I am for this series and its music. Yakuza 5's ost is, in my eyes, the most consistently hard-hitting amongst all of RGG's catalogue. The street fight themes are all amazing, the boss fight themes hit hard and pump you the hell up, and this also has the one of the best B-sides out of all of them, with stuff like Baka Mitai (fun fact, Saejima's is actually considered the original version, Kiryu's "Taxi Driver Edition" actually uses a different key to fit Kuroda's voice), the songs from Haruka's section, and even the jazzy bar themes. 5 hits that perfect balance of quantity and quality, and also happens to fill like half of my workout playlist.

Personal Highlights:

The place where I used to be

Daigo's western theme

Victory Road

and of course The Battle for the Dream

>I am such a sucker for Yakuza 4's music direction. As Tehsnakerer said in his Yakuza 4 video, this is the first truly GREAT soundtrack, and I'd have to agree. The jazzier style of music on showcase here fits this series- and this entry ESPECIALLY- like a glove. This is such a quality collection of sounds. Featuring the best panic themes, the best chase themes, and some iconic street battle themes. 4's direction makes it stand out even more amongst RGG's catalogue, and I couldn't be happier about it. Also, this game gave us Machine Gun Kiss and Pure Love in Kamurocho, which are two of my favorite karaoke tracks in the whole series.

Please bring back Pure Love in Kamurocho for a modern title, RGG. I'm begging you.

Personal Highlights:

Solitude

Receive and Bite You

Infinite Handcuffs

yeah yeah fine For Faith

Why couldn't they use this for the actual cover instead of the weird one we have now like come on this looks so much better

>Is anyone gonna disagree with me when I say Lost Judgment is easily the best out of the more techno-focused soundtracks? They handle it perfectly here, with tracks that grab you by the throat like K.O.G. and Dig In Your Heels, utilizing the electric sound with effortless grace, while still having enough variety throughout to keep it from getting stale. I also found the B-sides here surprisingly strong alongside the main game, with the school stories giving us a nice variety of music to work with. The boxing ones and Toward To The Skyline are what I'd highlight in that selection.

Personal Highlights:

In the Groove

Unwavering Belief / Dig in Your Heels

Final Destination

1811

>Gaiden oh my gah......... Despite the shorter game, I seriously dig the tracks on display here. It's so consistently amazing, and does a great job of servicing both the legacy of Kiryu, and giving us some Good Shit™️ for the newer faces. This is also when I really came to appreciate the cutscene tracks: Wounded Beast is such a kickass track that you'd be forgiven for thinking it plays in an actual fight, and Psycho's Prelude is an amazing hype-up track for an even more amazing boss theme. Also worth mentioning there's like a gajillion coliseum tracks in this one. Have no idea why but y'know I appreciate it. It's cool.

Personal Highlights:

Psycho's Anthem

Deadly Struggle / Fleeting Dream (HAKANAKI YUME)

Bring It On (best street fight track to date i'm not taking notes at this time)

Un altro appassionato

>0 has One-Eyed Assassin so it automatically goes here. The rest of the tracks are decent too ig 🙄 There are a few sort of those "eh whatever cool skip it" tracks in here which hold it back a teeny bit in my eyes, but this is still a really solid collection overall, and also gets props for being Kiwami's soundtrack if it was good. I'm kidding of course but 0 handles it pretty well for the most part. I find 0 is at its best music-wise when they either go all-in with the techno, or shy away from it almost entirely.

Personal Highlights:

Make You Free

Both Receive You remixes (The Subtype and ~Tech Trance Arrange~)

Interplanetary Spark

Reign

>Yakuza 6 has Lots of Lights so it automati I think 6 does a really good job at telling a story through its music. You have tragedy being painted in Fist Law and DESTINY, you have sheer anger and brutality being portrayed in Body and Soul, and you can even find it in the street themes with the feeling of "I am completely done with all of this bullshit" in KAMURO again. I also wanna say this has some of ZENTA's best work, which I really really REALLY appreciate.

Personal Highlights:

Lots of Lights

DESTINY

Bloodstained Philosophy (coolest name for a track i can't lie)

Theory of Beauty

>Judgment immediately does a great job of differentiating itself from the Yakuzas, and it's apparent as soon as you get into the street fight tutorial. The OST does a great job of painting Yagami and the overall bleaker picture of the game. Where some battle themes in the main series feel like a victory lap, JE instead sometimes has you feel like you're on the backfoot. Lambda, Hyenas Wheezing, and Rake Your Inside are all tracks that make you feel like an underdog, and give you that strength to power through what seems like impossible odds. It also has Flower of Chivalry so it aut

Personal Highlights:

Encounter ~ Keihin Alliance

Hyena's Wheezing

Penumbra

Destination

>Like a Dragon (/7) is another heavily techno leaning OST. If you asked me about it a few months ago, I probably would have put this higher. But now with IW out, I've started to see more of 7's OST's flaws. There are few tracks that are either weirdly low-energy, or feel a little generic and mesh together with the rest of the soundtrack, or at worst, both. But 7 still has quite the number of solid tracks, and those that stand out REALLY stand out. Shoutout to one of the most unique long battle tracks in Enter the Tiger.

Personal Highlights:

Brutality

Receive You The Hyperactive

REIWA LABYRINTH

ism

>Yakuza 3 acts as a sort of bridge between the rough, almost grunge-like sound of the PS2 era and the cleaner compositions of later entries. And I think it does both of those styles pretty well! It also starts to experiment with electric sound a little more, while still keeping the heavy guitars 1+2 are known for. The best are obviously composed of the tracks that do both. They even keep the unintelligible English lyrics in some tracks, what's not to love?

Personal Highlights:

Lyricism Without Tears

Clay Doll On The Cradle

Fly

D2A BABY YEAH BEST THEME EVER MADE D2A D2A D2A D2A

(2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

>Atmosphere is a large part of the PS2 era of Yakuza games' identity, and the music is a pretty large part of that. Yakuza 2 has an aggressive, grungy sound that pairs perfectly with the brutality of the game. You'll find some of the most of the most rough sounding songs in RGG's catalogue in here, and it's just so good in a way that isn't really replicated in the more modern entries. Also one of the tracks (Block Head Boy) samples Wu-Tang for some reason and I find that very funny.

Personal Highlights:

Evil Itself

North Menace

Hit & Kill

Outlaw's Lullaby (I still think the Kiwami 2 remix is the better of the two but this one's still SO good please listen to it if you haven't already)

whatcho beautiful ass staring at kaito my king >Kaito Files has like 6 tracks. They're all pretty good tracks, but that's like 6 tracks. Come on. Anyways, it's basically just more LJ music, so uhhhh yeah peak

Personal Highlights (plural would be like all of them)

Blood-Drunk Master Theme

>Kiwami 2. Yeah this one falls into the same trap as 7 does, but with less of those "This is the greatest thing to grace my ears" tracks. It still has some of them, though. The best remixes here are the ones that touch up and make completely sure that what the original has is intact: Lullaby of Outlaws and A Scattered, Eternal Moment are both fantastic in that regard. This also has a decent chunk of completely new tracks, presumably because they couldn't get certain composers back. You have stuff like the amazing triple-part track that plays in the Kamurocho Hills segment, Rebellious Phase which is decent, and the randomly amazing Break Off. Still a crime Evil Itself was snubbed like that smh.

Personal Highlights:

Lullaby of Outlaws

A Scattered, Eternal Moment

Kamuro Hills

Update with Gunfire

(1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

>Unfortunately, like with most aspects, Yakuza 2 does everything the first game did better. Still though, some quality tracks here. Yakuza 1 doesn't have too much to work with, but it still does utilize its few track slots well. From long-standing iconic tracks like Receive You, to Funk Goes On, and even the off B-side tracks like Singin' Bass, there really isn't a miss in here, just moreso a lack of super standout tracks. There's still quite a few to love despite that, of course.

Personal Highlights

son of a gun

Turning Point

Receive You The Prototype

Funk Goes On

>kiwami 1 ost snorkkkkkk mimimimimimimim snorkkkkkk mimim Alright I'm exaggerating, but I still think it's pretty weak in comparison to the rest. There's a lot of tracks that just feel kinda butchered to me? And it's not like the new tracks are particularly standout or anything. The tracks that do work are genuinely really good: Ideal For Violence is uhhhh perfect, Get Over It is a really strong long battle theme, Pray Me ~Revive~ is on par, if not arguably better than the original, and For Whose Sake Kiwami matches the sorrow of the original pretty well. But then you have stuff like Funk Goes On 極 which feels weirdly weak, Receive You the madtype which feels sorely outclassed by like, every single other Majima Receive You, and what would be arguably the strongest track, Receive You Reborn, doesn't even show up outside of Japanese versions. Kiwami isn't all bad, hell, there are some really good standouts here, but it just can't really compare to the rest in my eyes.

Personal Highlights:

Ideal For Violence

Get Over It

Amusing Octagon

Everlasting Spirit

>Infinite Wealth sits in haven't listened enough of solely because I haven't finished the game and thus haven't touched any track past Kooky (UPDATE: now any track past Impregnable Triangle. I'm planning to do the finale by this weekend). By any other metric this would have shot UP. I ADORE this OST. The cutscene tracks, the generic battle themes, the boss themes, the B-sides, they're all so excellent. This inadvertently made 7's OST worse for me because of how much better it handles the techno.

Personal Highlights:

Brutality ~Rebuild~

Impregnable Triangle (Fun fact: this track uses the time signature of 3/4, which is a waltz. I'll let you fill in the blanks for what that means for the theming.)

Kooky

Slugfest (Yamaniacs stay winning what can i say)

ok so uhhh apparently i hit the character limit lmao. didn't even know this site had one. uhhhhhh will continute in a reblog it's just kurohyou and ishin anyways

[everyneji]

What's your opinion on the Hyuga clan slavery aspect?

Well, I can't say I'm a fan, but I assume you're not so much asking if I think it's horrible but about the place it has in the narrative.

In text, the Hyūga system is only called a matter of 'main' and 'branch' families. This reflects many real life noble clans -- but in real life, cadet branches were not so rigidly restricted. If a bunch of people dropped dead, for example, a random cousin could end up inheriting a great deal of wealth and power, which we know is a no-go here:

What makes the Hyūga clan unique is that it's really more of a caste system. It's hereditary discrimination that sees them as inherently lesser because of the situation of their birth. Then we get into the slavery by the fact they are branded and are forced to assume a subservient role under threat of death or torture.

Why do they do this? That gets into more speculative territory. We have the generalized answer (people enjoy power and having a stratified social system allows them to better exploit that power in a way they feel creates 'order') and the in-text explanation from Hizashi:

Neji further explains to Naruto that the branch family are to "shield the main branch ... and never disobey them."

This comes down the real issue which is: the branch families may have always existed for reasons of clear inheritance, but the sealing practise (and the dominance of the main family it represents) can't be accepted at face value of 'protecting the family's techniques' -- and so we get into a chicken/egg thing about the function of oppression and the seal in the clan's hierarchy. In other words, what came first: the oppression, or the seal?

The sealing practise is illogical as we see it applied. After all, main family members become shinobi and go on missions without a protective detail of branch family members or a seal to protect their eyes. I discuss it more at length in this post here, but to sum my view up: I believe the branch family's duty is to take on the most dangerous or difficult work the village demands of their citizens so the clan can retain its honour, without risking people of the main family as often or as thoroughly.

So, in this more speculative territory that combines our real life explanation and the in-text explanation, the answer to "Why do they do this?" seems to be "Because the main family wants to feel powerful and important without doing any of the actual work, using the branch family as a prop and a resource."

Now, I wouldn't say their fears about their kekkei genkai being stolen aren't valid -- between them and the Uchiha, we see how desirable dōjutsu in particular are. This is where the second question of 'what came first' crops up again. Perhaps the seal started life as a genuine desire to protect their clan, but the whole 'brain melting' aspect make this suspicious. Neji's phrasing here is interesting:

You have to ask yourself, Does the the way the seal interact with their brain/eyes just naturally result in death and pain, but sealing the eyes on death was the only original purpose? Was it intended only as a killswitch (which could have a pragmatic purpose in wartime, if a battle was lost and an enemy nin was about to go for the eyes) and the torture was later discovered as a bonus perk? Was it developed for punishment and control and then they realized "Oh, the horrific brain frying can also kill if we push it far enough! Neat!" Were all of these applications discovered and/or developed together?

We don't know, but while in the first scenario you can see the seal existing outside a rigid oppressive structure, it only gets more telling from there. It's also telling that another person could ever even have the ability to activate or manipulate someone's seal.

My headcanon is that in the long warring eras before the villages were founded, the cadet branches were the vanguards of the Hyūga, and did the fighting while the main family hung back and handled things of a more political or financial nature -- like, Kishimoto doesn't really get into it, but there's a daimyō and a capital where he presumably lives and more going on in this world than just shinobi politics. We know that the warring countries hired shinobi clans to fight their wars for them, and that the Land of Fire was established as a political power well before the village:

Where were the Hyūga before the forming of Konoha? Who did they fight for? Who were their major enemies? How old is the sealing practise? We don't know any of this, but whatever the case, life was dangerous, and like most clans, they were likely either a militia or PMC. A lot of my theorized structure -- the idea of having 'forward forces' who are more expendable, accept orders without question, and who can conveniently have their most valuable secrets destroyed on death -- tracks with them being a militarized outfit.

Consider also that the kaiten is stated to be only taught to the heir of the clan. The idea that only the most important person in the clan would learn this incredibly useful defensive jutsu -- it suggests both that others are disposable, and that the clan head and heir need a panic button if an enemy ever did get too close. If it was purely about being a field ready combat technique, why keep it so secret? It's not like it's an incredible offensive power like the trigrams. The cadet branch and the kaiten are both shields, and that says a lot about how the primary concern of the Hyūga was not their clan head being some kind of ninja war god, but someone who stays protected.

This creates a divide between 'protecting the clan head' (i.e. the main family) and 'protecting the clan itself', despite some Hyūga main family members trying to link them:

Like, okay gramps, if protecting the Byakugan is so important, why don't all of you go get sealed right now?

It's interesting to consider that maybe once upon a time, everyone in the Hyūga family did have such a seal -- but regardless, the eventual evolution of its use to brand only part of the family tells us that it's about control. It's depressingly realistic to have a powerful social caste invent excuses to oppress another caste, and then when those of that lower caste become angry at this treatment, suddenly their resentment and potential for lashing out is also reason to need to control or suppress them.

Bringing this together, I would say my instinct is that the divide in 'main branch' and 'cadet branch' happened naturally to maintain the line of inheritance, but the oppressive caste system was a result of needing soldiers as vanguards while retaining a strong, protected core of the family. The seal was a wartime strategy to protect family secrets, but deliberately not given to every member of the family in order to reinforce the caste system and keep their soldiers in line -- that the Hyūga deliberately left themselves vulnerable as a whole just because that hierarchy of main family supremacy matters so much to them.

Neji, of course, challenges the main family's assumption of superiority: even Hiashi, who tells Hanabi "The Hyūga blood flows thicker in [Neji's] veins than anyone else's" is shocked by the great heights Neji has reached. Neji proves them wrong; Neji proves that the Hyūga family is weaker for the rigid hierarchy they have implemented.

It would have been nice to get some resolution for this clan beyond just "Don't worry, dead brother, Neji and Hinata are besties now 😊" -- in an ideal world there are reparations for the cadet members, but more realistically, I guess that Hiashi in his soft old age finally outlawed this practise and told everyone to deal with it and they were all riding high on Naruto TnJ peace juice post war so they were like "k."

I'll end this by saying that though we mostly all call it the 'Caged Bird seal', this isn't the name in the manga, only being using in any official respect in the anime. Saying it represents a 'caged bird' is Neji's view of it, and it's just so heartbreaking how he couches it in this poetic imagery. What can the caged bird do? It can't fly -- it can't break its bars -- but it can sing, sharing its pain with the world. This is, unsurprisingly, imagery you see a lot in writing by marginalized peoples. The bird sings until it can't anymore, or until it escapes (if escape from such oppressive social forces is even possible.)

Neji sees his treatment by the clan as an inevitability of fate, and fate is a cage, but I think once he came to feel more in control of his own destiny, he was likely able to more directly confront the real source of his pain. Or, at least, I think it makes for an interesting topic to write on ... the combination of 'the home as source of terror' and 'how do you reconcile your desire to be strong in the way of your family with your family's abusive treatment of you' and 'it's hard and demanding, to love the ones above you.' It's all interesting! I only wish the story of the Hyūga's internal oppression had a more concrete resolution.

Thank you for the question! ♥ I hope I answered the particular aspect you had in mind somewhere in this.

[pain-is-too-tired]

Am I the only one who's kinda getting bored of the "haha Percy is blonde like Will, the you're not my type scene is gonna be so funny" or whatever?

Specifically because Walker looks nothing like how I imagine Will?

Like yeah, he's blonde. But not the blonde I see for Will? It's a darker tone. Plus He does not have lanky cat stretched out in sun vibes sorry y'all

That, and Nico never specified he meant looks when he said Percy wasn't his type.

Cause if we compare Will and Percy they're different in a lot of ways.

Will's a healer, Percy's a fighter.

Will is described as laid back and appearing a lot more harmless then he really is. Why Percy is constantly being described as frightening and even godlike. He's a whole storm why Will's a cat stretched out in the sun.

Both are stubborn,but Will is a lot better holding in his more extreme emotions. It takes a lot more for him to be loud when going back and forth with someone. He can sound annoyed but he hardly ever sounds angry.

That and Will can calm down others like Clarisse, why Percy ends up matching them in attitude at some point.

Like I said, Percy's a fighter which often leads to impatience as usually in a fight its so quickly placed. You have to strike first before your enemy gets you. His adhd is a lot more hyperactive.

Will on the other hand has to balance patience and speed. Rushing can be dangerous, but you also can't be too slow or else chances of your patient dieing grows. It applies to how he interacts with others too.

And I honestly think that might be why Nico clicked more to Will. Will just has more patience to get through to him. He gets upset but he keeps his cool. Literally,iirc, they were in LITERAL HELL before they had their first true out right fight.

Idk why it urks me so much now. It was funny at first but it feels it's been beaten to the ground.

I think a lot it is also I feel Will is way too often chopped down to Nico's "hot therapist boyfriend". That y'all literally think of Percy was blonde that's all was needed to be Nico's type again. Like that's all that makes Will his type.

Heck, think about the fact Percy hardly ever defenseless. If he doesn't have his sword he has his powers.

Nico's thoughts on Will why he was literally going on about him in boo is that despite his harmless figure. Despite being a healer and not a fighter. Will rushes in to battle, even volunteering to scout on a enemy right after DELEVERING A BABY AT 14.

I think Nico found Will a lot more welcoming because Percy is just too much like him in some ways.

Sure, they can outsmart opponents, they're not dumb or completely dependent on their weapons and abilities. But without them they're a bit more unsure of their next moves. We see that Nico,despite being on the verge of dieing, still instinctively relies on his abilities. Though we don't see a similar case with Percy, his abilities is what makes him great enough to go toe to toe with literally gods. Nico's connect to death related abilities radiating from him was enough to scare back monsters.

Both need someone who isn't as use to being able to depend on weapons or godly powers strong enough to topple armies. They need someone to keep them grounded.

It's why Will and Annabeth click so well with their respective boyfriends. Annabeth constantly coming up with plans, she has only really her wits and a small blade to get her the upper hand. AND SHE DOES SO. I'm sure if Percy was in a situation where he couldn't use any of his abilities and either without his sword or couldn't depend on it as well, she would easily think of a plan and keep him from over doing it.

Will,like Annabeth, doesn't have the same powerful aura that his boyfriend does that keeps others literally backing away.

But he still managed to walk past Gemini without being stopped. I refuse to believe that he can't handle himself in battle like TSATS tried to say.

Anyway, really excited to see baby Will in the show in a few years fhdh

[countlessrealities]

@nebula-drcams from HERE

   She's sure Vaggie knows the answer to that question, considering how the princess could be. Always putting others before herself, she can handle it, it's no big deal! Others first and then herself. That was how she worked more often than not, and would probably continue to do so.

   There's silence as she listens, expression unreadable as Charlie slowly processes everything she's told. So Alastor was acting strange too .. she had noticed his absences but chalked it up to silently recovering on his own. There's a slight change of expression to hint that she's hurt, just a little bit because more secrets are being kept. Yes, it is a big difference that she's hearing this directly from Vaggie this time instead of an outside source but still.

   There's a cracked smile, forced, not wanting to indicate that she's hurt by all of this and while it hasn't been years .. No matter. They're talking about this now. It's fine, it'll be sorted out. Neither of them will be leaving this room until they do so. She won't run and avoid it like she did after the hearing due to the incoming battle. She'll face it head-on. 

   There's a deep breath as the princess grips at the fabric of her pants, easy does it, be patient and calm. 

. At least he's not dead .. dead. I .. didn't want him to die. I specifically stopped my father because I wanted to show mercy. I wish Niffty hadn't done that, but it's already done and over so we have to put that behind us now. I'm .. surprised to hear that you're talking to him. Vaggie .. you knew I would've tried to offer him a place in the hotel and a chance at redemption. Why'd you keep that from me? Never mind, we'll discuss that later. But I'm glad to hear he has someone to talk to. Especially since .. "

   There's a pause as she shakes her head, perhaps Vaggie already tried to bring Adam to the hotel for all she knew, it's not like she'd purposely hide things from Charlie .. right? Maybe there just wasn't the chance to bring it up with everyone being so busy. 

" I don't .. know what to say about Vox and Alastor, and I'll talk to him about that later. But what's this thing you're talking about? Please, don't hide things from me, if it's something I can help with, tell me. "

Vaggie knows that she's hurting Charlie a little bit more with every word she speaks. The princess is putting on a brave and understanding facade, but she knows her well enough to be able to tell. The awareness tears her up from the inside, makes her sick in the stomach, but she forces herself to ignore the feeling.

She has already disappointed and failed Charlie enough. She has no right to unload her own distress on her. She needs to prove herself worthy. She needs to make up for everything. She needs to earn every second her girlfriend will allow her to spend by her side.

The former Exorcist opens her mouth to say that she, instead, had been glad when Niffty had killed Adam, but she quickly shuts it once again before a single word can leave her lips. Her confused, contradictory feelings for her former best friend aren't something Charlie should be bothered with. They are for her to deal with. Alone.

"I...That's what I'm trying to do. Uh, convincing him to come live with us," Vaggie ends up saying instead, still not meeting the princess's gaze. "I thought, if he can be redeemed, then that's pretty much proof that almost everyone can, you know?"

One of her hands creeps in her hair and she pulls at her white locks hard enough to hurt.

"I was going to get Alastor to make a deal with him, so he'd have to stay once he moves in, even if he changes his mind. And yeah, I know that we can't force people to stay, because it kills the whole point, but he needs...I can't..."

Her voice trails off for a moment. Great, she's rambling again.

"I will not abandon him out there. I won't do to him what he did to me."

It's Vaggie's turn to suck in a calming breath, letting it out slowly as she struggles to collect herself. She hopes that Charlie won't ask her about her true reasons, because she isn't ready to open that can of worms.

"Uh, good luck getting Al to talk. I'm not sure what he's up to, but he's suspiciously tight-lipped about it." Something she likes less and less with every passing day. "As for the...thing, I...it's about getting Adam to stay at the Hotel, but Vox was trying to grab him too, reason why I asked Al for help. And I might might have made a bet on who's getting him. With Vox."

Not her smartest idea.

[thedawningofthehour]

I just had a morbid thought. But, what if Galois die? Either by an anti-mutant Yokai group, in a kidnapping attempt by the mercenaries or by members of the resistance? How would the characters react?

Well, that would be an incredibly unfulfilling end to the story, for one. And don't get me wrong, character deaths that are by design unsatisfying absolutely have their place, (Finnick's death in Mockingjay comes to mind) but I feel like it would be more frustrating here than make a point.

Honestly, I could see it going either way for Draxum. He could either give up right then and there and die with him, or he could go total Rhaenyra after Luke's death. Total liquidation on his enemies, and no mercy for his allies who object. Once that was over, though, he wouldn't really have any direction and would eventually end up destroying himself. He means it when he says he can't lose Galois. He could handle losing anyone else, everyone else. Even Cass, he'd totally go Angry Murder Dad for her as well, but it wouldn't destroy him like losing Galois would. (it might have been different if he was lying to himself about Cass's origins as well, but he still lies to himself and says she isn't his daughter)

If Cass is still alive and Galois is dead, then the world would end. Instantaneously. She'd explode like the birth of a star.

It would also kill Splinter. Not right away, he'd live long enough to get revenge on Draxum and everyone who contributed to his son's death, but he'd end himself not long after. He wasn't lying when he said he couldn't lose another kid. That also applies to losing the same kid twice. Losing Donnie the first time almost killed him as it was.

(Leo ramble under the cut because I went way off the rails-but fuck it I wrote the end scene of the next chapter in one sitting today I am allowed to go a little insane)

I'm hesitant to go all 'two halves of the same whole, twins can't live without each other' because we literally have proof that Leo can live without Donnie. We don't know how long Donnie's been dead by the point the movie starts-Leo having his bandana wrapped around his sword implies that it wasn't very recent, while Casey's familiarity with Donnie and the fact that his gear is certified GeniusBuilt shows that his death must have happened when Casey was old enough to remember him, or even after Casey started training and Donnie built weapons to suit his fighting style. So Leo's probably been without Donnie for at least a couple of years at that point. And he is still kicking ass and serving cunt, in his very homosexual way-though he does kind of have a whole-ass kid to raise and the resistance to live for, which he doesn't have in doth. And even in the movie, Future Leo throws himself into a Krang incineration beam rather than return to the past with Casey and live without the family he's lost. And there's the whole deal with Leo sacrificing himself so there's no chance whatsoever of living to see his brothers die.

I just don't see Leo being able to move on from something like that. Knowing his brother died pointlessly, maybe even painfully, never remembering who he was. There would be no closure, no point to start moving on. I talked about this with another fic author, the whole thing about fulfilling vs. unfulfilling deaths in media, and I think Future Donnie's death is as good as any to talk about that.

Like, let's talk about Replica's Donnie. He died epicly. In the midst of battle, sacrificing himself to plant a spy probe, and even got in some snappy comments to Prime (and maybe killing him too? I'd have to reread) before ending his own life. From his family's perspective, yes, it felt pointless and awful and they would much rather Donnie back than whatever bullshit he sacrificed himself for. And it's tragic for the audience, but it still feels satisfying. Donnie went out on his own terms, for a cause, in a literal blaze of glory. We see his family mourn, but we also see Leo receive some measure of closure from Omega telling him how proud Donnie always was of him. And crying right after-but as he tells Casey a frame later, he felt just a little better.

Or a more subtle example in Cass's series. Donnie's (temporary) death is none of that. He dies weakened to the point where he can't even stand up on his own, he dies quietly and he dies slowly. It was heartbreaking-like, bitch, I cried, but I don't think a single person would call it unsatisfying. Even with his quiet, demure death, so undeserving of him and his awesomeness, there was still a sense of satisfaction in the fact that he was such a threat that the Krang had to resort to such tactics to kill him. (and that he stuck it to them one final time, outliving their expectations and coming back to fuck them up when they thought they were safe, he had to be dead) And in the end, he's accepted his death, he tied up all his loose ends and feels ready to go. He dies peacefully, spending his final moments feeling his brothers' love for him. His brothers get to hold him and say goodbye. Yes, they're in mourning, but they show hints of healing and moving on-until Mikey finds out that Donnie's spirit isn't with their ancestors. That pulls the wound right back open, and Leo doesn't really seem to move on from there.

Having Donnie die as Galois I think would be a lot like that for Leo. Raph, Mikey, and even April would find ways to move on-after getting their revenge, of course, but they would use Donnie's memory to drive them forward. "Plant this tree because Donnie would have liked that." "Buy only produce from sustainable farming practices for my restaurant because Donnie would have approved." "Get that degree because Donnie would have kicked my ass if I didn't."

I don't think Leo would be able to do that. I think he'd feel very lost, with a lot of rage and sorrow and no real direction for any of it, no drive to find an outlet and get his life back on track. Maybe he wouldn't outright shoot himself, but he'd stop caring about keeping himself alive.

[taptrial2]

i've had to put together this whole theatrical show of being simultaneously very put together and just helpless enough to be deserving of sympathy and outreach. i have a folder and notes prepared, yes. but i won't share all of my notes or thoughts because the staffer will be too impressed with my capability and assume i have myself handled and don't need them. i can't show up unprepared or be too vague because then it will be assumed i am completely incapable and thus unable to handle myself (stuff like scheduling and driving comes to mind).

if i explain thought processes or trauma responses in too much detail, the other person's eyes glaze over and they don't listen to me or absorb any of the information i'm giving them. if i don't say enough, they'll think it's not a big deal and safely ignorable. finding the right amount of information to disclose and when is an ongoing battle.

if i talk about my narrow interests, i might very well get caught up in a diatribe about them and the other person is already tuning me out by sentence 3, so i can't really do that. and cartoons are all i want to talk about. so it gets exhausting FAST trying to socialize about anything other than art supplies and the animation industry and the horrors of capitalism and it makes me want to SCREAM but if i'm my authentic self i will find exactly 0 other people i am compatible with because my interests are so narrow and intense. even if someone is patient with me about them it is very rarely a reciprocal relationship. i have trouble taking interest in other people's interests and it makes me feel like an asshole

its so much easier to go "ha ha im a bit of a homebody ^_^" instead of explaining Why being out in public is so stressful. and even if i DO explain, the explanation is so alien to a neurotypical person that it changes nothing except how they see me (which is more odd than they thought at first).

like, i would love to just be my full autistic self but there are societal and interpersonal challenges that prevent me from doing so without wanting to kill myself. just ask middle school me when i was being my full authentic self and all it did was drive other people away and make me want to kill myself. 👍