#i do not know what to tell you other than to stop using civillian deaths to justify your political beliefs

[locrianking]

am yisrael fucking chai.

[thetraingotsetonfireonmidnight]

IM SORRY I ASK SO MANY MARVEL CROSSOVERS I JUST LOVE THEM.

Bakugou x spiderman reader who doesnt show his face :3

DONT APOLOGIZE, I LOVE THEM

AND I LOVE THIS UGH

𝔅𝔞𝔨𝔲𝔤𝔬𝔲 𝔵 𝔪!𝔰𝔭𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔯-𝔪𝔞𝔫 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯

Warnings: mentions of death, the reader is kinda an asshole at the end my bad, angst cause I got carried away

Let me start this off by saying that he did NOT mean to fall in love with you.

You had crashed into his room while handling a villain.

The villain of course decided to use Katsuki as a hostage, because he was just there, and your villains never seem to give you a break.

You saved him, thankfully.

You dropped him off at his house, quickly telling him to stay safe as you tried to run off and go change

"WAIT!"

You stopped, worried that the blonde angry guy had been hurt.

No, he just felt the need to go on a long rant about how you didn't save him and how he didn't need your help.

Not everyone in the city liked you exactly, but never once had you saved someone and get this as a response.

You found it entertaining for a moment

You kinda tuned out for the most part

Just more Spider-man slander, the usual that you had to deal with

Until he said

"So that's why you owe me!"

You raised a brow, your cartoonishly huge mask eyes following the movement, "I owe you? I think I repaid you by saving you."

The spikey man scoffed, "Yeah and you destroyed my house. And you were the reason why I was in danger in the first place. If you hadn't crashed into my house like a dumbass, we wouldn't be here!"

You stared at him

Was he being serious???

"So," he continued, "make it up to me by checking out my designs."

"Designs?"

"Yeah. I made...designs...for gadgets. They aren't for you, but I guess you could find them useful."

You did in fact check out his designs.

You soon learned that Katsuki Bakugou, the same man who cursed you out, was an absolute genius who had been designing gadgets for you in hopes you two could partner up some day (though he never would admit it).

You visited him regularly to test out his latest idea, web bombs.

You visited him so often that you often forgot that you were supposed to be a superhero, and he was supposed to be a civillian

You both had grown so close. Equals at this point because he did demand that he'd also become a vigilante.

He also demanded that he'd learn on his own and that he would surpass you.

Bakugou was insane, but you loved that about him.

You loved him in general, you soon realized.

And that was bad.

You couldn't do that.

Using his gadgets was bad enough, but to date him?

You'd be putting him in danger.

You tried to hide how you felt as much as you could.

And thankfully, Bakugou was more of a fighter than a lover, so he made things easier by not reciprocating.

At least that's what you thought.

Until Mr. Tough guy started blushing whenever you got too close.

God forbid you compliment him, then he curses you out.

Other than his embarrassed outbursts, you realized that he was...different around you

He didn't yell as much.

He was calm...it was weird.

You tried to ignore the signs, but you couldn't.

Not when you both had been sitting on his bedroom floor, fixing up a few pieces of equipment that had gotten damaged.

"Why won't you take it off?"

You nearly choked, "Excuse me?"

"The mask. Why won't you take it off? That shit can't be comfortable." He wasn't looking at you, instead focused on fidgeting with his tools. He tried to make it seem like he was fixing it, but he wasn't. You could tell.

"I don't get a date first? Jeez, chivalry really is dead."

"Shut up, I'm being serious." He finally looked at you, with those blood red eyes of his. "How come you won't show me your face?"

You frowned. You knew eventually this would be brought up, you just wished you could stall it a little longer.

"It's too dangerous. You know that, Bakugou-"

"Katsuki. Call me Katsuki, damn it. Stop acting like we're just business partners or something! I know how you feel about me, so why won't you show me who you are?"

You froze in place.

So your worst fears had been true.

Bakugou Katsuki fell for you.

Just as you had fallen for him.

It was a shame that Spider-man couldn't afford to fall.

It was a shame that Spider-man had already promised his commitment to his city.

It was a shame that you had to promise your commitment to the city.

"It's not that simple." You set the tools down and stood up. "It's too dangerous."

"And coming to my house everyday isn't? I don't see you giving me a speech about how a villain could follow you here? My safety isn't what you're worried about!"

Perhaps he was right.

Maybe his safety was a scapegoat.

Something you could blame to avoid the underlying problems you had

But if there was anything you hated more than seeing Bakugou upset,

It would be to see Bakugou dead.

Dead like a past lover who you had stupidly thought you could protect.

"I'm sorry, Bakugou."

You turned around, heading to his window.

You opened it, pausing

You wanted to take it back

But you couldn't

You had to do what was right

Bakugou cursed you out.

That was fine

He had every right to

You'd rather him be mad at you than see him get hurt

So you left

And you hoped he'd forget everything the next time you'd need to get gadget updates.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

While it's understandable why they are telling him to stop the Todorokis including Shoto never make it seem like they want Toya back but only ever project the family's problems onto him. Like even when Endeavor finally sees Toya it is only when Toya can't really see him anymore and is in a delusional state due to his fire frying his own brain. I know they are finally releasing their pent up feelings but why is Toya always on the receiving end?

BTW I feel they see Shoto as the family hero because he actually puts in the emotional labour into actually reuniting the family and NOT looking away while the rest of them always looked away until now.

I hope Toya gets a happy ending and not simply seen as the family scapegoat/regret.

@rainygirl2399 Yeah.

Though, i think they all want Touya back, i think Shouto and Rei are the only ones who actually have hope for this. Fuyumi and Natsuo love their brother and they clearly were traumatized by his death. Thats why Fuyumi said she doesnt want to lose anyone else and thats why Natsuo felt guilty for not listening his brother even after all those years. For them, Touya is still dead.

I do understand why they couldnt help Touya in the past though, Rei was loosing it because she was treated as baby making machine and kids were just kids. They did their best in their own way at that time but i hope they can start seeing that Touya being Dabi is hope for them to become a family again.

But for Rei and Shouto, its different. Which makes sense. For Rei, she is not Touya's sibling, its his mother. She had a mentalbreakdown and hurted Shouto without meaning it so she know what its like to loose yourself. She knows that she let him down, and she wont make the same mistakes again. Thats why she still refered him as his son and apologised for his actions. Thats why she is here to save him.

And with Shouto, one because he was Earlyroki before so he knows that 'dark, revenge feeling' personally. He is hero who has job to save people so for him dealing with villains is part of the job, especially if it his brother. And once again, he is hero because he is familiar to the world of villains more than his family. Meanwhile his family are just civillians, normal people.

I think they all want Touya back, even Endeavour but they dont seem to have much hope, except Shouto and maybe Rei too. And once again, he is the black sheep of the family.

'Dont take them away too, big brother because you are dead anyway'.

'Stop causing any more trouble, brother!'

'You are not gonna hurt any more people!'

'Just kill me, Touya, make me the only one you kill'

Like, if they really want to stop him, they should use better words to reach out to him, instead of leaving him behind again.

And Rei's Shouto is our hero speech....even though, Fuyumi and Natsuo did their best to help their mother all of those years....they should be considered as hero too. Touya is the only one who stand up to Endeavour and the world that Endeavour get away so he is a hero in a way too. Not only they are putting the burden on the 'golden child of the family' but also, making others seem less heroic only because they didnt become hero as job or because they didnt born with right power. This is why Rei and others going to help Touya together is a lot meaningfull than Shouto's doing everything alone because anyone can be hero.

[classified-bluerose]

WANDAVISION S1E5 SPOILERS ( & COMICS SPOILERS TOO ) !!!

—

here we go. this is very long, so. buckle up.

my original theory had wanda trapped within westview unknowingly - later episodes disproved that. however! i believe now that parts of my original theory are true. wanda is not in control. someone else is. she can alter certain aspects of her reality, and probably believes she’s in total control. she isn’t.

she notes that she can’t remember how it all began. she seemed taken aback during some of the episodes when the sitcom faltered and allowed reality to blink through. she didn’t summon pietro/peter - so who did?

behind every show is a writer, a director. wanda may be starring in her perfect sitcom, but who is directing it?

- agnes? is she mephisto? or perhaps she’s agatha, married to mephisto. her husband is mentioned several times but never shown.

- pietro/peter himself is mephisto in disguise. though why he would choose this particular iteration of pietro is uncertain.

- dottie is mephisto.

1. the sword director is shady a.f. why not share the information about wanda’s break in when he first sent monica out into the field? and, if part of vision’s will was to not be ressurected OR made into a weapon, then what the hell was sword doing with his corpse in the first place?

consider: the security footage from wanda’s break-in. vision’s body was disassembled. sword director immediately labelled wanda a terrorist. which was always going to happen - i mean, pre-endgame/infinity war, wanda was a wanted felon on the run from the government. which gives sword exactly the right ammunition to use against her. of course, monica was having none of it, and stepped up to defend her. hayword decided to use monica’s drone to launch an attack on wanda. he had no qualms about killing her - and potentially her children. he also chose to keep this information from monica, because he knew she would never have agreed. he is not to be trusted; and i think monica knows that now.

2. onto vision’s enlightening moment with norm. now, norm doesn’t ever name wanda as the one inside his head. instead, he refers to this person as ‘’her’’. not naming her has to be intentional. which means he may not be talking about wanda. of course, vision is going to assume it is wanda, having noticed how strange his life with her is. monica was shaken when she began to remember her life before westview. herb, when trying to tell vision about why monica was there, is visibly terrified. norm grows agitated and upset when vision lifts the manipulation. even dottie becomes freaked out when woo’s voice comes over the radio. who in the town doesn’t act disturbed or scared when the sitcom falters? agnes. she acts like a professional actor on a soap or sitcom. she looks to wanda for direction; but could it be she is the director of this whole thing? or perhaps she is an agent of mephisto, (or master pandemonium) who could very well be her unseen husband, ralph. that is, if she’s not mephisto herself.

3. now. the twins. the twins, whom i do not trust. they know too much. their powers and wanda’s powers combined could explain the aging up process. but i believe the twins are a product of the same thing as the comics: fragments of mephisto’s soul. while this storyline was rewritten to swap out mephisto for master pandemonium, it’s more likely that it’s mephisto behind this. regardless of mephisto’s identity within the show, it the twins were created using fragments of mephisto’s soul, they may be more like him than wanda or vision. i know in the comics they get reabsorbed into mephisto/pandemonium. i lowkey want that to happen because i don’t like them lmao. sorry wanda! but, we know that wanda is using whatever is around her to rewrite reality. so if mephisto is nearby, his soul would be powerful enough (even fragmented) to create two (semi) human children. agnes says you can’t control kids. maybe that’s why there’s no other children in westview?

4. and finally, the big moment. the introduction of evan peter’s peter maximoff. she calls him pietro, of course, as this is the name he used in this universe. there are plenty of theories to explain his sudden appearance. if mephisto is a resident of the town, and controlling wanda, they may be using her desires to keep wanda in westview. her mentioning him in the past 2 episodes would have had him in the forefront of her mind. mephisto may be aware that vision is beginning to fight the reality he’s in, that he’s ‘’waking up’’. so he/she/they bring in her brother to solidfy wanda’s fight to remain in her new home. what good does this do for vision, though? how will it convince him to stop fighting? he doesn’t even remember his own universes’ pietro. perhaps mephisto is hoping that with wanda now having her family complete will urge her to fully control vision. perhaps mephisto had to bring this version of pietro over from the x-men universe due to an inability to revive the mcu’s pietro? and another big question; is vision alive? if wanda was reanimating his corpse and making it seem as though he was alive, wouldn’t he just be whatever she made him be? surely he would have no independant thought, no capability to question the world around him. if he is alive - how?

working theory: wanda discovered that sword had taken vision’s body. heartbroken that the man she loves won’t get to rest in peace, she breaks into sword and ‘’rescues’’ his corpse. whatever her plan was following that, something happened that we haven’t seen yet. mephisto appeared, drawn to wanda by her pure grief, rage, and loneliness - and made her a deal she couldn’t refuse. bring vision back to life, place her in a familiar, comforting world where nothing changes (ex. a sitcom) and they can live a normal, happy life together. mephisto does not go into detail about wanda’s new reality; when she agrees, she isn’t entirely aware of what she’s signing up for. mephisto wipes her memory (and visions?) of the deal, and sits back in wait. the more wanda starts to realise that she can control aspects of her reality, she does what she can to protect it, not fully understanding what’s going on. only knowing that she isn’t willing to let go of her home. sword are panicking, because they’ve lost vision to a woman with exceptional abilities (who happens to be labelled, unfairly, a terrorist). hayward uses this to turn all heads in wanda’s direction, desperate to vilify her and keep the attention off of sword’s vision project. back to the deal - what would mephisto get in return for this exchange? my best bet is the children. although why he would want that, to lose 2 fragments of his soul for their creation. unless his soul was already in fragments and lost, and wanda’s creating her kids was one way for him to retrieve them? agnes is there to either help wanda, to take care of her, or to keep her in line.

the parts in italics and bold are linked to the evidence in the first paragraphs.

THE COMMERCIALS:

each commercial seems to link to wanda’s past; essentially retelling her path through the mcu.

1. first up, the toaster by stark industries. it was stark weapons that destroyed wanda’s childhood home and left her and her brother orphans. this is the inciting incident in wanda’s story.

2. the vonstrucker watch. following her parents demise, she is radicalised and volunteers for hydra, alongside pietro. she is experimented on by a hydra scientist named von strucker.

3. hydra soak soap. this could be another reference to her history with hydra. it could always be a hint that hydra is somehow involved in wanda’s current situation.

4. lagos paper towels. with no commercial in episode 4, episode 5 advertises paper towels by the brand name of lagos, the tagline is ‘’for when you make a mess you didn’t mean to.’’ at the beginning of civil war, wanda is part of an avengers mission in lagos. the mission goes wrong when wanda accidentally redirects a bomb and kills civillians. this incident is partially responsible for the sokovia accords - and we should also remember that wanda’s intentions with ultron were not the same as his. she didn’t mean for sokovia to be destroyed, or for her brother to die. she most likely blames herself for all of that.

the commercials are, essentially, a shortened walkthrough of her trauma, and there is plenty of it.

note: wanda is the defintion of traumatised. she has lost everything. she is alone. she has had no time to process the death of vision; those five years post IW never happened for her. she blinked, and five years had passed. she was then immediately thrown into a battle against thanos. for her it’s been about five minutes since she witnessed thanos crushing vision’s head for the mind stone. she then finds out natasha and tony have died, and that steve is out of commission for good. everything has been ripped away from her. there’s no avengers. no family. no boyfriend. no one. i want to see what happened in the three weeks between endgame returning the dusted and the beginning of wandavision.

[evevoli]

BNHA phantump!izuku AU

i decided to write down the premise for my Izuku Is A Phantump Taken In By All Might AU bullet-fic style instead of leaving it as a million scattered asks--so here we are! 

a lil background:

so Basically it’s BNHA But There's Pokemon. it's like detective pikachu in that most normal people have 1-2 partner pokemon, including heroes because i'm too lazy to make full teams for everyone. :D heroes and pokemon trainers are two different things; these broadly overlap but the distinction matters to some people and that's okay. 

heroes use their partners to assist with their work; be it pokemon with abilities related to their own quirks or ones that are good at specific things like disaster control or combat (and yes i have an entire list of bnha characters’ partner pokemon, why do you ask?)

all might's partner is a lucario that was given to him by nana as a riolu. the two were close right from the start; losing nana only brought them closer. lucario watches all might's back during fights and uses aura both to predict opponents' moves and help out civillians caught in the crossfire 

now onto the phantump aspect!! TW for child death

so one day izuku, katsuki and the other local children were out playing in the forest. they went in rather deep, the forest was large, and sooner or later izuku found himself separated from the others. bakugou "he may be quirkless but he can't be THAT stupid, he'll find his way out eventually" katsuki and the others go home, hardly bothering to look for him

izuku can't find his way out and can't find any pokemon who will help him escape. days pass; inko is worried sick and izuku is reported missing. more days pass and izuku, dehydrated with untreated injuries, curls up beside some old stumps and dies with the company of no one but a few caterpie

cue all might and lucario using their day off to take a very plot-convinient stroll through the woods. lucario senses rancid vibes and runs off to investigate with all might running after him, and they stop in a little clearing. there's a tiny body on the ground, slowly rotting away, with a phantump curled up and crying close by. all might puts two and two together and oh my god

wasn't there a notice for a missing child in the area? with freckles and green hair and oh my god

he calls the police and they take his body away and leave to inform his family. all might and lucario comfort the phantump who just kind of. latches onto them. he's scared and can't seem to remember a thing and it breaks all might's heart

all might decides to leave the phantump out of the story he gives to the police; surely, the kid's family seeing him like this would only break their hearts more, wouldn't it?

(they have to find out eventually, of course. he keeps the name "midoriya" in his mind for years afterward, just in case he can find the courage to tell them everything. the guilt eats away at him) (i might change all o’ this because i don’t really like it ghksdlgj)

all might tries referring to the phantump as izuku, the name of the missing child that was most certainly him, and the phantump accepts it. it sticks

izuku is fluffy by tree stump standards, with plenty of leaves that he happily gives up to be used as medicine, even more so after all might's injury, because if his sickly disaster dad won't worry about his health izuku will worry for him

izuku doesn't do hero work like lucario does because he's lowkey just Baby and everyone knows he is. the world still more or less knows of his existence, though; at some point or another all might announces having caught a non-battle phantump and everyone is like ??? what would he want with a phantump?????

as Resident Baby izu is rather close with lucario and later nighteye and mirio! mirio becomes the 9th holder of one for all and the two are like besties. mirio's espeon is nice too

(nighteye's face went through like, the 5 stages of grief when he walked into all might's office and saw him with izuku because what the hell toshi but he's come to accept it. he's fond of the lil guy)

bakugou "i don't know what a healthy coping mechanism is" katsuki is lowkey more of an asshole than in canon due to a decade of Unresolved Guilt over what happened to izuku being left to fester. 

when all might starts teaching at UA and gets to class 1A with izuku joined at his hip, katsuki immediately notices the phantump, notices how something in it shifts the second they make eye contact

izuku doesn't remember katsuki or what he did, and yet he still feels just as weak and vulnerable as he would if he could remember. he's cowering next to all might and looks so sad and afraid, and it's such a familiar expression, and katsuki knows

and he doesn't know how to feel

[polandspringz]

What do you think would Ozpin do in the current situation, he's been a king of a kingdom and stopped a war before at least once.

I’m super sorry I’m months late getting to this ask! I legit forgot to finish answering the RWBY asks I requested for! Well, I’m doing it now I guess, lol.

I think, based on how we saw Ozpin present himself early in volume 1 during the orientation speech, he would likely be acting very similar to how he did in volume 6. If Ozpin had not died, and reincarnated into Oscar, and instead was journeying along with the main cast, he would still be trying to shoulder the burden of Salem being “unbeatable”, but he would have more respect than he is getting in Oscar’s body. He also wouldn’t be able to hide from the problems Team RWBY argued with him about unless he physically fled, which he wouldn’t do, unless he decided to do so and challenge Salem head on again.

In terms of the war that’s about to be unleashed in Atlas though, regardless of if he still had a seat on the council (if I remembering that right? Was Ozpin on the council? I know James mentioned having 2 seats during Volume 4), I could see him firmly fighting with Ironwood about his actions. It seems obvious, but if Ozpin had been in his old body and not in Oscar’s, I think neither Qrow or Ironwood would have ever picked a fight with him or laid a hand on him. Part of the reason Qrow shoved Ozpin in Volume 6 and Ironwood shot Oscar in Volume 7 was because they don’t see him as Oz, and he’s a child, and therefore they can easily overpower him. If Ozpin was physically there, besides Ironwood’s slow mental breakdown over the course of the volumes, I believe both would hold their tongues and eventually concede/stop arguing with him. James, however, I could see still working in the shadows to continue his plan, leading to the events of the end of Volume 7, ordering for all of the main cast to be arrested.

Now, that I’ve got that out of the way, I can actually answer your question! If Ozpin was present to confront James after he disobeyed him and started a war with Salem, here is what I believe Ozpin would do: Ozpin is self-sacrificing because he knows he will reincarnate, but also because he blames himself for letting Salem get this far. I think to reverse the mistakes, he would charge towards Salem (as she comes to Atlas) on his own, leaving Team RWBY and ORNJ behind. When Ironwood declared martial law, to calm the public, Ozpin would find a way to get into the broadcast system to deliver a reassuring message. He would be the one to calm them and prevent them from, or at least lessen, rioting against the government. He would do so in a way that doesn’t force compliance though, I’m not saying he would advocate against being silent against James. He would likely instruct them on where to go, maybe direct them all to go towards the Amity Tower for evacuation, and he would definitely work with Robyn to do so. This would all be set up to broadcast with Robyn leading the evacuation, and the rebellion for those who would stay back to protect the city and fight against Ironwood (who I imagine would send others to stop them from following Ozpin’s orders). Above all else, Ozpin would first prioritize the safety of civillians.

However, this broadcast would be prerecorded/broadcasted from a remote location (maybe the Tower itself), and while this is happening, and James is at a loss for how to stop Ozpin and trying to find where he is, Ozpin would be working his way towards Salem. I definitely believe Ozpin would not tell the students about this either, because as he told Glynda, he hoped they would never have to fight a war. He would have them travel with him and help him in collecting the relics, but by the time this all went down in Atlas, with Salem so close, I truly believe Ozpin would believe the only way to temporarily stop Salem again would be to put his life on the line. He could easily get the staff of creation because I imagine he has access to all the vaults, but he would have to do it while Ironwood is distracted. I can just envision the city falling as Ozpin charging is to fight Salem and sacrifice his life once more to give his students another day to fight. As the king, he was obviously stronger and led his people well with a sword (that appears to be the relic of destruction), I could see him using all of his power again to just get Salem to retreat. 

Based on the conflict in the story right now, I don’t believe he would have any other option. There’s no way to stop the war with how the story is at now, and Ozpin would know this. He would likely entrust to Ruby a note of instructions following his death, and James upon finding out he was the reason Ozpin died because he didn’t listen and brought Salem straight to them, would be completely broken and a mess, but Ozpin would do enough to give his students time to pick up the pieces and move forward. Then, he would reincarnate, and hoping Ruby followed his instructions, would rush to meet them again (if he reincarnated soon enough, that is).

[crqstalite]

archives, deceived. [vza’haria.]

To introduce in the extended universe of the famed Havoc Squad, I introduce Vza’haria (Vza, pronounced Viza) Atiya. Her brothers will be introduced in time, but for now, here we are. I also wanted to explore the idea of the original Havoc Squad more than in-game, especially since they aren’t touched again after Chapter 1 in-game. I, obviously had a soft spot for Vanto (Fuse), because I’m a sucker for double agents. So they were romantically involved on the down low.

Also technically takes place before the events of Shadow of the Sith. The Mayhem Squad (all Havoc Squad OCs beyond Hakio) will return?

Published: 12.15.19 Words: 2,317.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Atiyas are big. They're strong. They're the conquerors, the winners that always come out on top. Being the recognized, prized, medal-worthy sniper of the esteemed Havoc Squad was what Vza'haria was known for. That was her, this was her. She wore the colors proudly, never letting her own morals get in the way of getting the job done. Alongside a Jedi Master as her brother and a Tythonian Defender as the other completing their family, she had her work cut out for her as the only triplet fighting the Empire without the Force.

This was her legacy. Saving people, and doing a damn good job while she was at it.

But this...this would haunt her for all her days to come.

They're surrounded by Imperials, Havoc has officially defected. We've been abandoned by the Republic, the Imperials will make this better, she remembers Vanto saying in the dim light of the crew quarters after everyone else has gone to bed, Maybe it won't be the best, but it's better than now.

Seeing the troopers on the opposite side of the war milling about nearby as she recalibrates her weapon, she's wondering if this is the right decision. If Garza thought this was the best idea for them. Had she known? Does she know?

Deep down, she knows the answer is no. She knows this isn't what she would've wanted. This isn't what is right. Vza'haria is about to start quaking in her boots as the bomb is lowered onto the supply ship. Her head is spinning, all she can think about is Ando Prime. Being left behind and surrounded by soldiers who flew the Emperor's flag. They had been abandoned, she later learned after they returned to the Core Worlds, battered and bruised. She'd nearly been past repair herself, had Needles not injected her with a sedative that left her feeling just about nothing and being unable to even move on the ride back to Coruscant. Vanto had to carry her back on planet, the pain was beginning to ebb back into her consciousness and she passed out shortly after she saw the Republic insignia over the military hospital.

They'd been reinstated into the military, but they weren't without their reservations, her especially. For months she couldn't walk on her own, much less even shoot in the shooting range. It was ages before her hands stopped shaking, or phantom pains shot up her spine. Ando Prime had been the straw that broke her.

Ord Mantell had simply been the first place they could defect properly from. They'd awarded her, trying to cover it up before it came out in the media. Harron had never been rightfully angered, Bex, Zora and Ryler weren't far behind. She and Vanto had been on the fence about carrying out the mission. They knew first hand how dangerous it could be to those inhabiting Avilatan.

At the beginning, Vza'haria had gone along with it. She'd nearly died, and all she got was a measly medal and promotion. Vza'haria had, yes, signed up for this, but not abandonment. Not to be forgotten for an unsanctioned mission. She believed in the cause until she really met the Sergeant, a feisty cyborg woman from Coruscant with a cause. Vza'haria hadn't met anyone who'd so willingly stood up to Lieutenant Jorgan (and lived to tell the tale), and her morals were in line. She really believed in what they were doing on Ord Mantell, and never bat an eye at their requests. Hakiojkl (as she later learned while sifting through files to cover up any suspicious missions that could get them caught) fought for the Republic through and through, nearly dying in a mission on Corellia for the cause. She'd suffered so many injuries she had been labelled as honorably discharged for a while before she simply picked herself back up and was redeployed to Ord Mantell.

It made her feel horrible to lie to her. It made her sit up at night instead of sleep just because of how absolutely guilty she felt. Vza'haria made a pledge to serve the Republic, fought alongside her brothers to make the Republic a better place.

And here she was, awaiting the finalities of exchange. Ready to change her entire identity for another faction. Was she really ready to give up years and years of training for one squad? This wasn't who the Atiyas were. But she needed to survive, and the Imperials might've been able to help. Vanto puts a hand on her shoulder, a strained smile. An attempt to cheer her up and that ultimately failed.

She doesn't even have to shout. Her presence is loud enough on it's own. The Sergeant has arrived, stalking her way through the stronghold. Still bleeding scars adorn her face and her uniform is torn in unarmored places, "Sergeant. I thought my orders were very clear. You're not supposed to be here."

Wraith, Zora, moves to point her rifle into the back of the Sergeant, who throws a glance over her shoulder but otherwise doesn't move her steeled gaze from their CO, "I'll take her."

"No, Wraith. The Sergeant deserves to know the truth." Vza'haria can't bear to meet the other woman's eyes. She's shivering, though it's baking in the volcano turned Seperatist base. They'd never been friendly, but she still feels horrible. At least Harron has chosen not to murder her outright. At least that part of him hasn't changed, "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. I harbor no ill will towards you. You're everything a warrior should be. But I'm afraid the Republic no longer values her warriors-even the very best among them."

"That's insane! Havoc fought the Empire for years, and now you're just going to give it all up?" A fire burns beneath her dark eyes, standing as tall and as rigidly as she can. Pain is showing throw the cracks though, and Vza'haria is painfully reminded just how deep they are in the stronghold. It was not an easy climb, she knew that much, "You were the shining example in the Republic, and now you've turned your back on it."

"The Empire respects warriors, Sergeant. The Republic's top officials, on the other hand, have decided to cast us aside." He says. In some ways, he's right. Even she has to admit just how painful it is to be treated as canon fodder, "The truth is that no matter what they may say, the Republic senate doesn't actually believe it can win another war against the Empire. That makes you and I a threat. Every Havoc Squad victory fires up people's imaginations, fills them with pride-which means the bureaucrats can't afford to let us keep succeeding."

As slowly as she can, her hand nears the blaster attached to her hip. It seems natural, as she had her arms crossed previously, "We can win. The Republic has done it over an over again. You say the bureaucrats can't let you keep winning, but elite groups like us are what keeps the Republic's heart beating. You're really willing to see your faction go under as soon as you leave Republic airspace?"

Harron sighs, "If only you'd been with us longer, Sergeant, you would understand. You might've even come with us."

It's now or never.

"The Republic abandoned us. During a mission on Ando Prime, they simply left us to die. But I won't try to persuade you. Honestly, I hope you die with your ideals intact. The rest of us will never have that luxury."

It's now.

"It didn't have to be like this." She whispers, her blaster trained on a spot right in-between his lungs, "I admired you, Harron. I really did."

There's a click of a rifle, Zora has the barrel of her's trained on her back in the nearly exact same spot. The Sergeant is surprised, eyes wide as she tenses, "If only you'd been able to hold on a little longer."

"I'm surprised, Shadow." Harron doesn't move, but there's a sad chuckle to his voice. She can see Vanto's own disappointed face out of the corner of her eye, but she steels herself for whatever he might say to try and convince her, "I knew you had your reservations, but I thought you were with us until the end."

"Do you know what the Empire will do with that bomb? The Republic hurt me, but I won't give a bomb to them knowing they would kill innocents. That's on your conscience, that's on every single one of your consciences," She says. She's giving up the squad she's always been part of, but killing civillians is where she draws the line. The Sergeant, Hyperion, has pulled her own rifle out and the Imperials are swarming her, "I though you were better than the monster I saw you become."

"You were with us for just as long." In a flash, Harron has her disarmed, holdout blaster skidding away on the durasteel and she falls on her chest, hard. The wind is knocked out of her as she looks up, coughing, "You saw what the Republic was capable of, and yet you still fight for them. If this isn't what you want, then leave."

She struggles to get up, before Wraith shoves the butt of her rifle down her spine and she cries out in pain. It's long enough that everyone has boarded the shuttle, and she can't get up fast enough to follow after.

"Time we were off. Colonel Vorr? Please give the Sergeant and Shadow the warrior's death they deserve." And in a flash, her squad is gone, transport shuttle flying away before her eyes. All the memories, the long nights, the battles, the fights. They're gone. They've abandoned her as much as the Republic has.

Blaster shots. Hyperion has taken up cover behind a stack of crates, and faster than even she can she's sniping heads and taking out soldiers. She's snapped back into reality herself, pulling her rifle out herself and shooting through blurry eyes. Vza'haria had never been emotional, in fact most labeled her as cold. Most recruits were scared of her. But this struck a chord, hard. She was alone in the galaxy, again. Someone else had turned their back on her.

There isn't a word exchanged between her and the Sergeant on the way back to Fort Garnik. She can't bring herself to speak, and she figures that Hyperion doesn't exactly have a lot of good things to say to her either. Vza'haria is going to be labelled as a traitor to the Republic, even if she hadn't left with the rest of Havoc. She still carried out the missions leading up to the capture of the ZR-57.

The General is at Command when they return. At first, the betrayal isn't outright discussed. For a fleeting moment she thinks it's been forgotten. Jorgan has been demoted to a Sergeant, but Hyperion has been promoted to Lieutenant. It's nearly laughable, had the previous events not just occurred. The man wasn't happy, though there's a sense of pride in the new CO of Havoc Squad. For another moment, she's just a tad jealous. It should've been hers. She'd served in Havoc longer than either combined.

It's a glorified chewing out once both of them leave. Vza'haria Atiya is dishonorably discharged from the Republic military. That's fair, she's to be transported to Coruscant and tried by the Senate on the other members of Havoc. But, she'll be held in prison until then. Vza'haria refuses to call her family because of the shame that comes along with it. She doesn't want to see the disappointed faces of her brothers, of her fathers. She doesn't even know how long it will be until she sees any of them in person again.

She's frustrated. Not just with Harron, but with the Republic. She can see their perspective, and can even agree with it. Maybe she should've gone with them in the end, become an Imperial soldier instead. No one said she couldn't be a beacon of hope for the other side.

But in the end, the guilt would eat away at her. At least now, she's still part of the Republic.

-

"Vza'haria Atiya, you are hereby reinstated as a Sergeant of the Republic to Infantry Squad 326, code name Havoc Squad."

She never thought she'd hear the day. When she'd be regarded again as a soldier instead of a traitor by Command. She swells with pride, though she salutes instead. Hyperion, Jorgan, Dorne and Forex are with her as the holoprojector shuts off. To be able to fly the Republic's flag again is a blessing in itself. She's a sniper again, legally this time.

The mission to get here still hurts. To see Vanto one last time before he's carted off to prison, right where she'd just been. It took a piece of her, and out of sight of the others she finally gets the kiss she was promised. Just...in the worst way possible. With the worst timing.

Once they retired, they were supposed to be together for the rest of their lives. It was supposed to be her and Vanto against the rest of the galaxy. Once the war was over, they would never see the Empire again. Vza'haria Bazren was supposed to be the beacon of hope in the galaxy.

But now, she was never seeing him again. Not without a holoscreen between them.

"I love you, Vanto."

"I love you too, Vza."

"Well, I think this counts for a congratulations. One for the promotion, and the other for finally getting off that dustball." Hyperion says, a smile on her face, "Dorne, there's nothing against that is there?"

"Not that I know of." She responds, though there's something that tells Vza'haria that there probably is and she's trying not to bring down the mood, "I'll prep the ship for take off."

She's Havoc Squad again.

But at what cost?

[awkwardplantwrites]

I haven’t written yet, but I do have a lot of ideas to go off now. unfortunately, a lot of involves re-writing stuff. on the one hand, I don’t want to be stuck on the same chapters, but on the other hand, I just Won’t be able to continue unless I add it in. I know a lot of people say “just write, don’t edit” but those aren’t the rules bc there is none and I can do what I want. (pls fix? no being stuck!!! only edit!)

here’s a long post about things I’m planning on adding, as well as headcanons about my own damn story because I’m stuck in fanfic mode forever.

lots of spoilers ahead! 

a horse motif for Renato: I remember when namme-e made the posters, one had a horse on it, which I reckon is a common association with knights. so far there have been 2 horses (well, one is a Kelpie, but it’s a water horse shh. I also found out Northumbrian folk/where Llantry is based call them Brags!) and there will be more horses later in the story. they’re recurring anyway, so why not use it. 

and upon looking at it’s symbolism, I realised that horses are very duty bound creatures, like Renato is to the people of Llantry, they symbolise war/battles - which can bring in memories of his dad, and in comparison to the first horse (which dies in chapter 5... some unintentional symbolism there) Isbeil the Kelpie is much more free and independant and they’re at the Fun part of the road trip, and the Nukelavee (even more dangerous than kelpies) later on will be wild/untamed right about when Renato’s emotions will be in turmoil... you see where I’m going with this :D :D other contenders for motifs include: hands, mirrors/reflections, his shield/armour, dragons. swords are more of a precision tool for magic than a weapon in this universe so that wouldn’t work as a motif.

a candy motif for Pepi: you thought I made him a candy merchant intentionally? no. not at all. except now it is. candy represents good memories, childhood, rewards, pleasure, reminds him of his dad’s business, responsibility in maintaining the business, his family, his lack of magic/inability to make candy, having to do Tammy’s chores for her, and just Tammy in general I guess. 

in the beginning I remember him being enthusiastic about it (if he’s not I’ll add it in lol), singing about it and complaining about being “a candy delivery boy turned overworked squire” and even from that you can tell he already has a complicated relationship with candy. he can’t make it but he sells it and hates selling it but when he talks/sings about it it attracts people, especially children.. perhaps engaging his own inner child too... in chapter 3 Pepi mentioned he was down to two bags, which means he held onto them despite selling out the rest... representing that he’s still holding onto his past even though it’s in the past and gone... and one day he’ll run out and it won’t be in his control and he won’t be able to get any more unless he goes home... which means FACING HIS PAST. so I’m thinking, if he becomes more neutral to it that’ll show how he views his past more healthily? then eat fruit instead?? idk.

magic based on senses: kind of ATLA inspired, but with the 5 physical senses (and a spooky 6th). as I started writing this I realised I probably based their powers depending on which god chose them, for example Lidion is the god of protection, so Renato gets protection based powers. but y’know, I had another idea as I wrote this lmao, what if the regular civillians/people born with magic have sense based magic? not sure if it’s a little ambitious to have 2 entirely different sets of magic. maybe the god powers can be based on senses too. initially the magic was based entirely off of DND classes (Renato’s a paladin and Pepi’s a wild magic sorcerer) but I think I’ve found something more original haha. or perhaps I accidentally moved onto Greek god/Percy Jackson-esque powers. crap. research says scottish mythology is kinda like Greek myths anyway: that’s a win in my book. 

changing Finlay from a floating crystal ball to a bird: introduced in chapter 2, and EVERYTIME I WRITE I FORGET ABOUT FINLAY. it’s like a personal meme at this point. so anyway I took a “what core type are you quiz” a while back and Pepi got adventurecore after I chose bird as his inner animal. making this change will make sense because a) Pepi can talk to animals and this will foreshadow it, b) he likes music and this might be his magic type..? c) Disney needs a mascot character if they’re going to make FM a movie

I just read some bird symbolism and GOD I want to make Finlay a chicken, since it symbolises finding inner power, getting over fear and also it’s very funny to me. or a duck since that symbolises decisiveness and leaving the past in the past. see there’s a lot of things I can do here. but is there such a thing as having too many motifs? I just read that you CAN have more than one, so yes, Finlay will now become a duck. 15 year old/duck obsessed me would be very happy.

empahsizing the illness: plural illnesses actually. Llantry’s illness is actually depression - which they didn’t know bc this is set around the 15th century and the gods forgot to tell them about it or something - caused by overusing their magic, the death of Renato’s dad (public morale figure), poverty, and y’know the middle ages in general. I feel like Renato’s way too upbeat, especially in chapter 4 when they’re running away from the Wakefield Knights. before now I was trying to weave in mood swings which would affect his behaviour and therefore the story. admittedly it’s very difficult, as what they’re doing generally requires a lot of energy and the tone is usually light. someone suggested having his depression be worse when the situation is worse, which I probably will do, but I still feel he could be more low-key. I really, really didn’t want to use the “happy and sad duo” trope, I wanted them to be more or less equal in demeanour. though if I want to portray his depression and distinguish them both it’ll have to be exaggerated I suppose. 

the second illness, Pepi’s anxiety. or well, it was initially anxiety but it’s starting to look more like OCD (that’s self projection for ya). some of my readers already figured out he can do magic, however it’s not that he doesn’t realise it. he casts spells in his sleep and thinks it’s his “evil self” (that idea is still TBC), and he sneaks off in the morning because he remembers sleepwalking and cleans up his mess. and to avoid making it look like schizophrenia, I’m planning to write it so it’s obvious he’s just very in denial about being able to do magic, because later it’s revealed he’s scared to use magic, because he doesn’t want to end up like his sister who became possessed by an evil being and abused magic, which for him is both a rational and irrational fear. avoiding magic could be considered a compulsion since he has intrusive thoughts about becoming evil. 

so I did already plan for him to gradually get more restless and uneasy, he’s supposed to be seem energetic bc he runs solely on anxiety. in my head I was thinking of quirks, and realized him hoarding stuff in his pockets “in case he needs it later” and his insane amount of GUILT, and all that felt pretty OCD. so why not: he’s got OCD. possibly PTSD too.

the idea for Finding Magic began as “magic takes part of your soul, 2 wizards search for help as their magic stops working”. I still have the exact post it note I wrote the first idea on. for this story I have 2 countries, 13 semi-developed towns, over 30 characters. (yes, not Tolkien numbers, but I’m not Writers George) and the reason I wasn’t able to write about ANY of them for the past 2 months is because my brain spirals and ruminates over miniscule details that readers will never know. also because I lost passion, was too tired to develop characters I needed to develop the story to finish the first draft... but now that the passion is back: I’m writing this at 5am, which is reminiscent of the first day I came up with FM, back then called Journey to Magic, where I couldn’t sleep since I was bursting with ideas. 

I guess this is what I find fun, analysing and improving and brainstorming. so while I might not have chapters written down, they’re pretty damn clear in my head and as you can see, I can talk up a storm about my story despite it not existing :D

[airanke]

I can't remember, but i think it was you who said you were changing Wows storyline (not that I blame you lol) but I'm curious what it is? I'm mostly writing excerpts for my characters during Legion and I've been thinking a bit on what they'll be up to during Bfa. I'm debating changing some things to fit my version of bfa lol

Yes, it WAS PROBABLY ME.

I’m changing it specifically for Amita’s “canon” story (Lascivious Ophidian, as I’ve named it). She follows WoW storyline pretty closely up until the beginning of Legion.

Umm because I’m long winded, I’ll put it all under the cut!

[Pre-post Edit]: Also I’m really sorry, I JUST finished typing it all and uh. It’s long. Ahahahah;;;;

Some of my points below are subject to change but I’ll give you the gist of the differing things that happen in Lascivious Ophidian vs. Canon WoW.

Vol’jin and Varian not dying (now, I know Varian dying is important to Anduin’s development, but you don’t need to kill a parental figure to push forward a child. BNHA is a very good example of not needing to KILL the mentor to push forward the student, same can be applicable to Anduin and Varian). Sylvanas actually uses her quick reflexes and her experience as the previous ranger general of Quel’thalas to fire an arrow at the fel guard before it can stab Vol’jin (also I won’t go into how BS it was that he died of Fel Poisoning, but I won’t do that here LOL). If Blizzard wants to write “strong women”, they can start with actually having them use their skills to help their allies (cuz don’t get me started on how Jaina just disappears from the Alliance cinematic along with Mekkatorque so that Blizz can milk the whole Genn / Varian scene).

Quickly following this, Varian and Vol’jin fight the Fel Reaver together while Sylv / Jaina more or less team up to evacuate all Horde / Alliance fighters. Some ofc refuse to leave their High King / Warchief, and both women also provide long range support. Baine has to carry Thrall off battle because Thrall is completely spent. Eventually Vol’jin and Varian take down the Fel Reaver, but not before both of Vol’jin’s tusks break (he loses one to some trash mob that he needs to dodge with little time to think about it - the other he loses because Varian notices that Vol’jin is now off-balance with one tusk missing and listen, Vol’jin has big tusks, bigger than how I draw them, so he’s off-center because of that. This leads to Varian running toward Vol’jin with a hand out, Vol’jin nicks his tusk and in a moment of absolute trust, Vol’jin lowers his head enough to let Varian grab, and snap his tusk. And then kill something with it. Because that’s badass).

Varian unfortunately gets either his spine broken or knocked out (haven’t decided yet) and Vol’jin has to carry him to safety because he’s down for the count, and right before Gul’dan can Do Some Bad Shit the Aspects show up with a large force of dragons. Gul’dan nopes the fuck out. Khadgar manages to make it over to and teleport the remaining people to safety (not sure what entirely happens to Amita during this yet, I originally had her scripted to throw her all into making a wall of roots and get left behind, but I already have a plot similar to that with her disappearing for three years and Vol’jin Will Not Lose Her Again so… that’s still up in the air. She’s present during Broken Shore, though).

Then, instead of leaving cuz she’s Angery at the Horde, Jaina instead recognizes that she still has trauma / pain from what the Horde did to Theramore, and then Dalaran (kinda sorta) during Garrosh’s reign. So she leaves Dalaran to Khadgar because she’s like “y’know what, I can’t bring myself to trust the entire Horde again yet, if you want them in Dalaran, then I can’t be here, in Dalaran. I still need time to heal” something like that. Everyone is understanding of this and doesn’t try to make her stay, and Amita does what she can to help her BFF find some solitude. Something along those lines. Cuz y’know Jaina’s anger and distrust toward the Horde is still valid and understandable, but Blizz REALLY needs to do better with nuance instead of having characters Rage Quit every ten seconds.

Most of Legion stuff otherwise is normal, with the whole class hall thing (the Dreamgrove, in Amita’s case), Genn still pursues Sylvanas into Stormheim but instead of destroying her chance to enslave Eyir, Vol’jin pulls a hard stop on that plan. She rage-vents at Vol’jin about it and he claps back that she never actually asked him if she could go off on this little personal mission of hers, and so robs Genn of the closure he needs in regards to Liam’s death (this is important for another plot point I have further down). Vol’jin promises that he’ll help her find a way to sustain her people through more natural means (l i t e r a l l y). So Vol’jin and Sylv have a pretty strong bond, and also because Sylv actually follows the development Blizz was giving her up until Teldrassil happened, which was her developing past her obsession with keeping ONLY the Forsaken alive (re: “we are the Forsaken, we will slaughter anyone who stands in our way”), and starts to care about the Horde and wanting to keep the Horde alive (which was still hinted at until, y’know, recent shit which I don’t understand).

Argus related stuff is pretty much the same.

Sargeras still stabs Azeroth, and so there’s Azerite everywhere, and Vol’jin is entirely unamused by Gallywix because the Azerite shows Vol’jin a vision that Bwonsamdi has shown him before, so he just shrugs it off, because Vol’jin doesn’t care about becoming the ultimate legendary saviour all-powerful all-mighty whatever the fuck. Silithus is pretty similar but after some ACTUAL TALKING, Vol’jin and Anduin agree to split who harvests Azerite from where so that Horde miners aren’t being killed and Alliance troops aren’t being killed in retaliation (Vol’jin sends Sylv to “deal with” the problem at first, and then has a chat with Anduin to p much show Anduin that “every action has a reaction, did you really expect me to loaf around while you killed my miners?”) Yeah. Learning moment yay.

As for BfA, instead of Teldrassil being burned down by Sylvanas (because she obvs CAN’T do that since Vol’jin is warchief and he would fucking never), Genn is the one behind it. So Sylv WANTS to march on Teldrassil because she doesn’t believe the peace between the Alliance and Horde will last. Vol’jin, while agreeing that it would, in fact, be smart to attack Teldrassil, tells Sylv “no, we can make this work. Sure, peace might not last forever, but so long as I’m in charge, I can make it work. We’ll start with Ashenvale. We’ll start with having our druids restore what we’ve taken”. Sylv eventually agrees that this is a good idea, so then stuff between the Horde and the Nelves is a bit better.

Now, I haven’t ironed out EXACTLY how I get to Genn making the decision to burn down Teldrassil, but he’s very consumed by his anger toward Sylvanas (re: him not getting his chance to ruin HER chance at getting a future for her people because Vol’jin both ruins that chance and proposes an alternative - more or less leading into Forsaken learning druidic magic so that they can use plantlife to sustain and heal their bodies, and we get the orcs of Draenor, so there are other rituals that can be put in place of… FUCKING VALKYR. Please note this is also something else that I’m still working on, but I find it frustrating that we just always forget that the Horde has druids and shamans and there are other ways to preserve the Forsaken than the Blight. Because perhaps Sylv is just going to have to make due with what she has, and IDK ACTUALLY TALK TO HER PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM A CHOICE AND SHIT. Sylv is p much driven by fear of death when you think about it LMAO).

Anyway, Genn burns down Teldrassil but also does it in such a way that the Nelves still blame the Horde. Malfurion has an inkling that Vol’jin wasn’t behind it because he / Sylv / Saurfang show up when they get wind that this is happening and apparently it was Horde troops and the LOOK VOL’JIN WOULD GIVE SYLVANAS AND THE PANIC IN HER FACE LMAO anyway, Genn had made the mistake of capturing a druid, who quickly escaped Worgen eyes and went right to the Dreamgrove, and then immediately went to Amita to tell her what was happening, so Amita immediately goes to Darnassus and starts evacuating people and basically she barely manages to escape in her dragon form and Sylv and her Forsaken pull Amita and a lot of the civillians out of the water yaddyadda fun stuff.

Sylv immediately knows that Genn did this because he wanted an excuse for the Alliance to march on the Undercity, and yeah, kinda goes from there with Undercity plot, and Vol’jin allows Sylv to use the last of the Blight to Blight the Undercity, because there’s no way Sylv will let the Alliance take away her people’s home from them, esp not since they WERE the humans who had lived and died there.

Anyway, my BfA stuff is still kind of a mess becuase while I absolutely loathe Genn’s guts, I don’t want his decision to burn Teldrassil to be on a whim, or to seem non-tactical (personally I thought it would be interesting if Teldrassil was an inside job because then it would be taking away the Horde’s chance to turn it into a Horde stronghold, kind of like how I interpreted Sylv’s choice to Blight the Undercity as her taking away the Alliance’s chance to turn UC into an Alliance stronghold, y’know?)

ALTERNATIVELY I CAN ALWAYS THROW THE TWILIGHT’S HAMMER IN THERE BECAUSE I WANT TO GIVE THEM MORE PROMINENCE ANYWAY BECAUSE BLIZZ ALWAYS FORGETS ABOUT THEIR OTHER VILLAIN FACTIONS IN FAVOR OF RED VS BLUE FOR SOME REASON THAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND and I already have an incredibly high ranking Twilight’s Hammer lady in the works, she’s v horny and frisky all the time but she will destroy you make no mistake.

Cuz then Genn could just try to pin it on the Horde anyway, and like… what you gonna’ do bout that, it’s a fire, it will burn all the evidence anyway. Genn’s word against Vol’jin’s. Depending on who you talk to, will depend on who they’re more inclined to believe, no?

I’d go into more but it’s SO MUCH, so I’ll just list a few other things (this is only Horde side related because I STILL haven’t finished Alliance side, my apologies):

Shadra does not die.

Rezan does not die, but is out of commission for a while, therefore still allowing Zul to take over the city.

Mythrax is killed before he can destroy the third seal.

Rastakhan does not die in the Raid on Dazar’alor, for multiple reasons I won’t go into.

He does however step down as king so that he can mentor his daughter, and because he’s ready to let himself die if that ends up being the case.

Katherine and Rastakhan may or may not have a few years together before Rasta finally dies peacefully.

Probably some other things that I forgot, but before anyone comes after me about “reversing” these deaths, listen. From a story only standpoint, they are pointless. In regards to Shadra in particular, the ONLY REASON she even dies is because we, as the player character, cannot attack Yazma. You can bet your entire ass that Amita would go charging down there and bite off Yazma’s head (which is foreshadowed earlier in Amita’s story after Vol’dun stuff but I don’t want to spoil EVERYTHING haha!).

However, these deaths make some sense in regards to the way that Blizzard has plotted their dungeons / raids. They need Yazma to be empowered for a dungeon, just like they need Rezan to die for that same dungeon. Mythrax needs to break the third seal and live for the Uldir raid. Rastakhan needs to take on a deal with Bwonsamdi because there’s a whole death plot aspect thing in BfA and so Bwonsamdi needs to be in that position of power.

For Amita’s story, however, these deaths hold no merit, they DON’T need to happen. Technically you don’t need them to happen in game either, but I digress, I understand the decision that Blizzard made in regards to them even though I obviously strongly disagree with these decisions. 

That’s kind of all I’ve got for now. I need to finish Alliance stuff because Amita DOES spend a lot of time on Kul Tiras as Jaina’s support, because Jaina just needs her BFF there to lean on, since going back to a family that thinks you were the cause behind your father’s death is not easy my dude.

[pinkletterday]

Oh thank God they aren't waiting till shit goes down to brief Team Flash.

LMAO Iris "what the newspaper says some shit? That's like Tuesday for us, bro."

Seriously though I'm tired of Iris being "tough". The best thing, maybe the only good thing, about Season 3 was that she was allowed to be soft and vulnerable and scared and sad. We badly need to roll back on this stoic tough chick trope. LET WOMEN BE EMOTIONAL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

I miss Soft Princess Iris. :(

SINGH. I missed Captain Singh. He's like Barry's number one stan. "You got an intern working a crime scene without going through any hiring protocol whatsoever, Allen? Good job!"

Incidentally how can you "hire" interns if you don't pay them?

So. Now that we've seen a man become compressed into a block of meat, can we have some PG 13 post-coital Westallen nookie? This show's attitude to sex is so fucked up. Shishkebab people 96 times per season but zero hints of a sex life between a loving, committed couple.

Nora, I love you but you may actually be worse than your Dad at showing up to crime scenes with flimsy excuses...*flashes back to introductory episode on Arrow 2x8* nvm

That block of meat is making me hungry. Need breakfast.

"Please stop caring about me" LOL

Ralph is sort of growing on me. Granted, so could fungus.

Okay that was mean.

I really hope Barry also tables his family drama for five minutes to be there for his best friend. Caitlin and Cisco keep being deprioritized since S2 - S3 and its grating on me. Be there for your friends too, Barry.

Excuse you, going to Thailand and painting your toes is a great way to get over a break-up. However, I strongly advise against any drastic hair decisions.

Oh. Poor guy. Be gentle, Mad Dog West-Allen

(Get it? Mad Dog Lane? TNAOS? Ok then)

I do like when they show civillian casualties. It makes what they do seem more impactful.

Is Joe on paternity leave?

I like these West family subplots. Joe and Cecile are v cute.

Cecile reading the mind of your child without their consent is the opposite of being the perfect parent. Wait till she's out and raid her room for drugs like everyone else.

Barry is like me with teenagers. "When I was your age it took five minutes just to connect to the internet and your search history turned up on your phone bill shut your gob."

Oh Nora. *facepalm*

Idk why Barry always calls his villains out. He's a speedster with the advantage of surprise. Its stupid.

"Denser than people who still believe in love." I feel you so much Cisco.

I see the CW is still forcing us to be minutely acquainted with people's chins.

SERIOUSLY just let Barry take five seconds out to give Cisco a comforting pat on the back Im so tired of this.

LOL Barry you're giving Nora math homework? That's just harsh.

Lmao Cisco is getting Anne Hathawayed HANDS OFF THE HAIR BRUCE. **proteccs lush beautiful Cisco curls*

"Does that mean you think there's something wrong with me?" NO BABY YOU ARE THE MOST PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL

"You cut my hair I cut you" YOU TELL HIM

Oh. Oh my. Oh.

I have never been so attracted to Cisco Ramon before. Clearly I have been a fool.

Heee she raised her hand. "But Dad, I wanna punch stuff!" Most precious bean.

Errm pretty sure your Dad killed the Sand Demon, Nora. I don't care about DC's no-kill rule but that was not his finest moment.

Lmaoooo welcome to fatherhood, Barry.

Maybe a stern little talking-to wouldn't hurt at this point.

Whenever she says "Dad" my insides melt a little more.

Okay, Barry and Iris need to draw some hard lines between their professional lives. The investigative journalist cannot just waltz into her husband's CCPD lab and look through his laptop. Literally you could have done this at home instead of the lab. One day they're going to be accused of evidence tampering.

Shit like this takes me out of a scene unnecessarily.

Barry: "NORA ISN'T LISTENING TO ME SHE THINKS SHE CAN DO ALL THESE THINGS BUT SHE CAN'T, NEMO!"

Joe: *internally laughs himself stupid*

So this is why parents want their kids to reproduce. The sweet, sweet karmic payback. xD

(Fourth grade? Barry came to live with them when he was eleven. Also pretty sure Barry kinda hated Joe for a while what with having arrested his Dad and being traumatized. I can see him hero-worshipping Joe a couple of years later maybe.)

I can't get over how hot Cisco is. Bruce better not have burned his iconic t-shirts tho.

Aww, Caitlin. That sucks. :( I know the theme this season seems to be fathers and daughters but you should really talk to Iris about absentee parents who faked their deaths.

No seriously this is a great bonding opportunity for them! I need to see a solid friendship between the two main female cast members so bad it's been four seasons please throw me a bone

Oh, step twenty seven is hitting me hard too. I think I might actually like Ralph soon.

Okay, real talk. Yeah the superficial stuff can't distract you from the truth that your relationship tanked. But that whole cry on your couch for two weeks, get away to a seaside with friends, getting a makeover, buying new clothes, redecorating your living space - these are also rituals of grief and helps you cope till you get enough emotional distance to deal with reality. Superficial stuff is what makes life bearable, okay?

The other thing is to give relationship advice nobody asked for

Moving on.

I love that Cait and Cisco are always there for each other.

Awww Barry's showing Nora what a fuck up he truly is loool.

Oh my God. Season 1 Barry. "Sometimes for people with our abilities the most impressive thing is restraint." WE HAVE COME SO FAR. I'M LOVIN' IT! *prouds*

Yessss Iris being as smart as the nerd herd!

GO TEAM WEST-ALLEN!

Young lady, you roll your eyes at your mother one more time and we're gonna have words.

Kinda hate that in order to give villains a chance against speedster powers you gotta significantly bring the latter down several IQ points.

Baby got moves! Nice!

Barry! What about those moves you used to lay out the ARGUS guards??

This fight would be more impressive is I could see jackshit. Lighting, people!

Hmm. Did Cicada just have a "Save Martha" moment?

Nora is so scared and worried for her father, poor babb.

YES MARVEL REFERENCE!

Wait, so they got their powers back?

Y'know he didnt have to vibe that to realize the obvious next step is confronting Caitlin's mother.

Actually that sounds like respiratory problem. New villain - Halitosis.

Oooh Future Spoilers Girl knows who Cicada is

Aaand that's a wrap folks.

Ngl I had hoped for more "West" in Team West-Allen but this was a solid ep.

Please have Nora call Barry "Dad" as many times as possible k.

[nightcityhqs]

case  file     ;  Xiomara Carmen Luna

nicknames     ;  Xio.

associations    ;  The Civillians

occupation    ;  Intern at St Vicent's Hospital.

birthdate    ;  January 15th, 1996

hometown    ; Los Angeles, California

current  location     ;  Darling Buff

pronouns     ; She/Her

mirror image     ; Gigi Zumbado

IN CHARACTER INTERVIEW

the record stops, the player tape states, and the radio static is replaced with voices;

 — And our dear listeners are eager to know, how long have you been in Sunset Port? — Most importantly, why do you stay?

“I’ve only been here for about a year. Why do I stay? I have the opportunity of a lifetime here, I’m not about to give up my dream for anything.”

 Of course! We can all identify with the sentiment. Well, at least some of us. [LAUGHTER] What do you do in Sunset Port?

“I’m currently an intern at the hospital. Which basically means I  have no social life.”

 Admirable! Now, I'd have left this question last to finish with a bang, but our listener is impatient, oh my! Have you heard of our little organization?  

“Your organazation? I’ve heard whisperings, but this place is so weird, you never know what to beleive.”

 Oh my! — And if Isabella Castello came knocking at your door, what would you do?  

“Should I know who that is? Apparently so, if you’re bringing her up. But like I said, I don’t get out too much, unless it’s a food or wine run, I’m either at the hospital or in my house. I guess I’d invite her in, offer her a glass of my 13$ red wine?”

 Interesting. Well, I think I've kept you here long enough! Thank you for speaking with our public! Which song would you like me to play for you, now?

“I’ve been really into bad bunny these days, do you have that in your rotation?”

BIOGRAPHY

Xiomara Carmen Luna was born on January 15th, 1996 in Los Angeles, California. Her parents, Josephina and Edgar Luna, two first generation immigrants from Cuba, owned a restaurant called PAPAYA.  It was rather popular, and they did well enough in their community, even being featured on the news. Xiomara, and her two sisters all grew up fairly normally and happily because of the life their parents were able to give them.  

For a long time, Xio was destined to work at the restaurant like her parents, her older sister wasn’t interested and her youngest was clearly destined to work as an actress, a goal she had been chasing since she could talk, but even though Xio worked at the restaurant all throughout high school, she came to find out that her heart just was not in it. But how was she to tell her parents? She was kind of the perfect daughter, she did well in school, she went to church and sang in the choir there, she was a cheerleader. But the restaurant just wasn’t her passion, and she didn’t want to go on forever pretending it was.

It was her scholarship that changed everything for her. Her parents made good money, but with three girls to put through college, the scholarship was more than helpful. Her grades were good enough to get her into Stanford’s undergrad biology program, and from there, she had to break it to her parents that she wanted to be a doctor. They were equal parts disappointed and proud; they of course wanted their daughter to pursue her dreams and be happy, but the idea that none of their children were going to run the family business hurt them.  Xio tried not to let that affect her, she knew deep down that she had to live for herself.

Xio did well throughout college, excelling in her chosen studies, but finding a balance between studying and having a life was difficult, especially when she had lived such a different life prior to college, a church girl, a dedicated student, and daughter, she didn’t have a lot of time for partying before, but now it seemed it’s all people wanted to do, and she just wanted to fit in.  It was all new to her, but she eventually found her groove through it all.

Xio doesn’t know how she ended up in Sunset Port other than, after graduating med school at UC San Francisco, she got an offer from the hospital there to do her residency, and since they seemed to have on of the best Neurosurgery units she had ever seen, she decided to accept.  

The thing about moving to Sunset Port that Xiomara didn’t know was just why the hospital was lauded as one of the best in the country. With bodies dropping in, gun shot wounds and drug overdoses and everything in between, they had to be the best to keep their residents alive and kicking for another day. Xiomara isn’t sure what is causing all the death and destruction, and she knows she should be just a little bit more worried, but truth be told, it’s kind of exhilarating, even if she is kind of scared to walk home alone at night after a long shift.

[furederiko]

The era has changed, so the ways of the past can no longer be applied to solve the same problem! That's the essence of Kyuranger episode 23. The 'Rivalry of the Reds'...

- LOL at that opening intro speech. Spada's blatantly saying that Tsurugi is "so arrogant"! So what's going on with our bossy 'Sleeping Beast'? He is hungry. But instead of stopping down for some chow down, he takes his 'team' (Chef and assistant? Duh!) to... a TV Station. Wait, HUH? Is this a company visit to... TV Asahi? Nope, he's taking over Jark Matter News, and broadcasts a news about his heroic triumphant over Don Armage in the past to the... whole universe. Yes, using his Phoenix Station as the satellite. CONVENIENT! - Lucky is still mulling over Tsurugi's words that they should stop fighting. Of course, the livefeed announcement about Don Armage's secret surprises everyone in the Orion. Fortunately, Balance and Champ have discovered Eris, so hopefully that means they can clarify Tsurugi's bold statement. As soon as they can get her to talk, that is. LOL. Worried that Tsurugi's action might endanger the crew at the TV Station, Commander Xiao immediately dispatches an away team to the Station. - Clearly, Tsurugi's action is pissing off many people. Including Don Armage himself! The Shogun immediately commands his Vice-Shoguns to eliminate him, and the long-necked Tecchu is the first to head out. But publicity-hunter Malistrate Mediatsuyo-Indaver steps in to steal his spotlight before hand, attacking Tsurugi's team, as well as putting the civillians in danger. Precisely like what Xiao has feared. Trivia: Tecchu might be the only one speaking for now, but these three can be considered as 'Special' antagonists. How so? They are voiced by former Sentai heroes! Tecchu is voiced by Hiroshi Tsuchida, a now-regular VA for the franchise who debuted as Saizou/ Ninja Blue in the 1994 "Ninja Sentai Kakuranger". The female one, Akyanba (direct katakana romanization for now, not Over-Time's version), is voiced by Arisa Komiya. Fans would easily recognize her as Youko Usami/ Yellow Buster in the 2012 "Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters". And last but not least, Kukuruga (also, direct katakana romanization) is voiced by Naoya Uchida, the most 'veteran' of the three. He was Tatsuya Midorikawa/ Denzi Green in the 1980 "Denshi Sentai Denziman". Now a prolific stage actor, with "Les Miserables" and "Sakura Taisen V" as some of his most memorable performances. "It's SHOWTIME!!!" XD... - Tecchu's arrival changes thing. The fact that a Vice-Shogun, a higher rank than Menaster is joining the battlefield, means Don Armage is getting serious. But instead of focusing on rescuing the civillians, Phoenix Soldier gets all riled up to fight him. He's hinting that he and Tecchu have a history. They have battled before! But oddly, the latter doesn't seem to have ANY recollections of that. First Don Armage, now Tecchu? What's really happening here. - Tsurugi's action is placing everyone in jeopardy, and Aquila Pink ends up getting injured for shielding a crew member. Obviously, Lucky can't accept his reckless behavior, putting innocent lives in danger. Yet the older Red insists that "You won't be able to save the universe without some sacrifice". OUCH! Basically, it's the 'trolley problem' of saving the greater number of lives. Intriguingly, Tsurugi then tells the story of his old allies, who once acted as 'shield' for him before. One ended up never able to fight again, and another died. Now I don't know about you, but I'm more than certain that one of these two people he's referring about, has since become the new face behind 'Don Armage'. It's almost always, those closest to the hero, right? - Avoiding confrontation (Lucky almost punches him), the gang decides to walk away and return to the Orion. Thankfully they arrive just in time. After going through a bit of... 'situation', Balance and Champ are finally able to convince Eris, and ask her to extract some information to the team. At the same time, Tsurugi opens up about what happened in his past to Raptor and Spada (Yes, Xiao DID send them to do this after all). And well... - Tsurugi is telling the truth. It is confirmed that after gaining immortality from the Phoenix Kyu Globe, he indeed united the universe. He then led 88 Warriors (from each Constellation system) aboard the Argo, to defeat Don Armage whose Jark Matter began disrupting the peace. A battle hard fought that took the lives of almost everyone, Tsurugi ended up sacrificing his immortality by turning it into power to kill Don Armage. Eris then added, that Sir Olion was a surviving member of Tsurugi's force. This is likely the information she wanted to share before, but then the team got distracted by Scorpio. Judging from the silhouette, I think Olion is the one standing on Phoenix Soldier's right. Can we assume that he's the one who could never fight again then? Hmmm... intriguing. Eris assumes that Olion realized Don Armage's revival, and thus entrusted the Carina Kyu Globe in her safekeeping. He was also the one who put the badly injured Tsurugi to cold sleep prior to that. NOTE: Over-Time is still using the romanization 'Sir Orion', but I've decided to use the name 'Sir Olion' anyway, even if to set him apart from the Rebellion's ship. - This is where things get a little... melancholic. Turns out, Tsurugi is telling the Kyurangers to stop fighting, so that they won't suffer the same fate to his 88 Warriors. That's why he wants to handle things on his own. In a way, Tsurugi's harsh attitude is basically meant to protect the Kyurangers! Hold on, is this some kind of... a lone survivor's syndrome then? Aaaawww. But Lucky has a different ideal. He says it out loud to Tsurugi, that the Kyurangers are fighting together, simply because neither one of them can do it alone. An acknowledgement to why all these time, the entire team is needed to take down one Menaster. One is stronger with friends, he means. The power of UNITY!!! Of course... he somehow missed the point that it's exactly what Tsurugi did before with the 88 Warriors. And that it... didn't work. But let's save that discussion for another time... - Interestingly, Lucky's point is then put into solid proof almost immediately. Metal Death Worm that Tecchu sends out, is defeated through a rough co-op of him and Phoenix Soldier. While the other Kyurangers take down Mediatsuyo-Indaver in a very impressive (and neatly choreographed) group effort. Even the giant battle, requires all mechas because a Consumarz is added into the fray. In the end, it's about teamwork all along! WITH Phoenix Soldier among them. LOL. - Just like Ryutei Kyuren-Oh with 3 members absent, this time we're not seeing a complete set of Kyurangers at the battlefield either. Balance and Champ are still in Planet Keel, and Stinger stays behind on the Orion. So Ryutei-Oh heads out with Ophiucus as Scorpius replacement, while Kyuren-Oh with Aquila as Taurus' substitue. And speaking of Aquilla, the long awaited has come. The pink Voyager detaches as arm, and forms... a WING! Giving Kyuren-Oh aerial ability to chase the flying Consumarz. This gimmick was possible from the start, but was never used in the show until now. NOTE: By the way, Ryutei-Oh's combination in this episode with its LightBlue-Purple-Gray color scheme, could be a strong nod to those Extra Heroes on "Kyoryuger". As for Gigant Phoenix... I got very excited about the "Thunderbirds" nod, and the BGM song last week (which is NOT used in this episode... bummer), that I forgot to point out something. Its design is very similar to the style of a Machine Robo Rescue. And if you're looking for a more global comparison, it looks a lot like Transformers, instead of a Super Sentai robo! - Post battle, the friction isn't getting a solution just yet. Tsurugi still goes on his separate way (along with Spada and Raptor, of course). The Rivalry of the Reds is pretty much ongoing, due to their different point of views. However, it seems Lucky begins to warm up to needing the Phoenix, while Tsurugi himself is slowly warming up to having other people around. In fact, the latter's having a sweet 'Legendary Curry' moment with his team! Knowing this, I doubt it'll take long for them to work out their differences...

Overall: Tsurugi's presence continued to disrupt the balance of the show! Not only he's bringing a heft of altered history to the fray, he's also attracting scarier and more powerful enemies. As the kids nowadays are saying, "Things just got REAL". Despite the occasional attempts at humor, this episode felt tense and serious in general. The friction between Tsurugi and the Kyuranger felt loud and clear. But that's exactly why I think it's a great episode! As I've always said, conflict makes people grow, and in this case, it helped the Kyurangers to realize that they are nothing without each other. Next week: Rumble of the Reds. The 12 Stars are alligned... PS: A new trailer for the Summer Movie is shown after the episode. The opening sequence has already included scenes from it too. Not a surprise, because the movie is set to premiere this weekend, on August 5th, 2017. I think this movie looks fun and epic, so if you happen to be in Japan, don't miss it out, okay!

Episode 23 Score: 8,2 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: July 29th, 2017 - Version 2.09. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[dyingwill]

reborn, colonello and fon falling for a civillian s/o

REBORN

He’s a regular to the coffee house that you work at, working the front and tending to tables.

You’d be lying if you didn’t take notice of him―you have a habit of watching your customers, remembering the ones that come by regularly.

And one of them happened to Reborn. He doesn’t pay much attention to you until he’s been there for a week.

He comes in every day, sometimes for an hour and sometimes for a few more. He has a space that he always sits in and you tend to find your eyes gravitating towards that spot, searching for his magnetic presence.

You serve him a few more times, and he’s already taken an interest in you. He treats you like you’re fragile sometimes, and to him, you are.

You’re innocent, completely unrelated to the mafia but he has so much blood on his hands.

Reborn finds himself taking more breaks during the day to visit the coffee house, sitting there, watching you, dismissing other waitresses that flock to his table and ask for his order.

He keeps an eye out on the other customers who try to get close to you, asking for your name when you haven’t introduced yourself yet, asking for your number when you ask them for their order (he doesn’t refrain from rolling his eyes because they’re so obviously lacking tact and you’ve heard that line one too many times).

He orders bags of espresso beans every month, and while he used to consume them, he’d rather visit the coffee house now. His purchases keep the house running, so your boss doesn’t complain.

Neither of you make a move, really, to develop what relationship you could have. You don’t think you’re worthy and he knows his hands will never be clean. You both think you’re content watching from afar with your hearts aching.

He gives in one day, asking if you have time off. It’s been a little more than half a year and you can’t help the smile on your face as you agree to a little date (but you don’t go out for coffee. You’ve had enough of it for one day, you decide).

COLONELLO

It’s a simple protection program that he’s tasked with because he’s an affiliate of CEDEF. As part of the outside advisory team, there’ll be less suspicion when he takes up the protection role because most people shouldn’t know his face.

Your father has handed over a great deal of information about his activity with an enemy Family in return for immunity and immediate protection of his remaining family―you.

The Mafia have close to zero information on you because you aren’t involved with them.

Much like Iemitsu, your father kept his dabbles in the Mafia away from his family, and your mother had long divorced him. He was only allowed supervised visits but that didn’t stop the two of you from developing your father-child relationship.

Despite his distance, when there were rumours that he was going to rat out his ‘friends’, they came after your mother. He immediately went to the Vongola for help and now you’ve been ushered away, not having enough time to grieve or even attend your mother’s funeral.

Colonello isn’t allowed to talk to you and when he first received the mission, he was fine with that aspect.

Until he actually saw you. Saw how broken you were. Saw the kindness that was masked behind the hurt. The rain inside him ached to heal you―bring you peace.

He found it hard to stay away―he pretended to be that guy-next-door and talked to you about trivial things.

You reminded him of a life that he never thought he could have―it was a tiny paradise, separated from the rest of mafia relations where he could spend time with you.

Small smiles he would give when you both happen to be in your yards at the same time. Small conversations he would have when he turned up at your front door, asking for milk or sugar because he had run out. There were a few times that he came asking you to take care of his bird and boy, you were definitely surprised when the bird turned out to be a hawk.

You’re grateful that it’s tamer than you imagined it to be.

The illusion is shattered when your father turns up dead―murdered for his treason. The enemy family have killed him and left the Vongola as a mess. They have to quickly contact Colonello, get a vehicle to him to get you to HQ and explain it all to you. They have to scavenge for the remaining info while trying to figure out how the enemy family found your father’s whereabouts.

You are heartbroken when you learn of your father’s untimely death―of his murder. Same as your mother, you aren’t given time to grieve before you’re whisked away. Colonello stays with you and despite your confusion you didn’t speak to anyone. You don’t even cry. He explains everything to you in the car―your father’s involvement and the fact that you’re being protected by him. You don’t know how to react but you’re already approaching HQ so you don’t have to talk since you’re in and out of meetings discussing your safety.

They’re running out of plans, and their last ditch effort is to let you live in the HQ. The best way for them to take care of you is to have you right under their eye (they don’t tell you that you’re bait).

But Colonello knows and he’s livid―fuming because he thought better of the Vongola (it doesn’t matter that it’s their only option. He doesn’t want to see you get hurt. It’s not until Reborn reprimands him for getting attached that he sees that it’s the truth. And boy, what a walking cliche he’s become―falling for his mission).

FON

You got hurt during a raid―one of the few innocent civilians that got caught in the crossfire. But despite the fact that you were scared and had gotten a few cuts and bruises, you neglected to protect yourself and prioritised the safety of others.

When an ambulance comes and you insist the paramedics take care of everyone else first, Fon decides to take care of you himself. He’s not a paramedic so he eases your concerns of someone else needing his skills. He sits you down and tends to your cuts, hands and voice gentle.

Guilt simmers in his stomach because he’s a part of this mess and the only thing he can do is help clean up the aftermath.

When you’ve assured him that you’re fine and that he should look after himself first, he lets you leave but keeps tabs on you. It’s not his intention but he finds out where you live (he saw you walking around a bad neighbourhood and got a little worried. He followed you to make sure nothing would happened but saw that you entered a house).

He admires you from afar. Watching you live a normal life fills him with ease, with peace.

It takes a while before he works up the nerve to talk to you without seeming like he followed and memorised your schedule. He was out in the park when you saw each other. You were the one to approach him, thanking him for his help while he quelled down the guilt because it was his fault you got in the mess in the first place.

He’s glad you’re doing well, and the sincerity in his voice, the intensity of his gaze leaves you flushed, overwhelmed by a sense of security and something that flutters your stomach.

You seem to meet up every week, the first few weeks were hopeful―you came hoping that he’d be there and him the same. After that, the both of you knew that the other would be there―that you were waiting for one another.

He offers to walk you home one night and you agree. You place a kiss on his cheek and flee to the confines of your home before he can see your red face.

It makes him smile as he walks home but that’s just when things go wrong.

Someone―he’s not sure who, really; the Triads and Mafia aren’t too happy with one another and he resolved to be a middle man. Quite a few people aren’t happy with his stance, calling him a traitor―found out about your connection with him and believed they could use it against him.

But God, you’ve never seen the man become so angry before; you’ve never seen such a harsh expression mar his beautiful face until now, but you can’t help but feel safe because you know he’s here for you.

Fon promises to leave you alone after he finds you a safe place to go to―“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I never meant for this to happen”―but you don’t accept his offer because your emotions have taken a life of their own and you’ve fallen far too deep.

And he can’t exactly complain when you agree to stay at one of his safe houses instead, this time with regular, daily visits.

[breziarchive]

The Black Butterfly Crimes

Miraculous Ladybug crime scene AU

[NEXT - Ladybug and the Heart of Stone (chapter 1.1)]

i posted this as just an idea like an hour ago and here we are...

Detective Ladybug and Chat Noir, P.I. are on the case, well, they will be...

future chapters will be named as corny as a nancy drew novel i swa’am to ja’am

prologue

rating: PG-13/R content warnings: homicide victims, grisly situations, blood, gore, etc about/summary: a little fantastical but otherwise straightforward: a crime scene au involving Marinette as a famous homicide detective and Chat Noir as an annoying “i’m your sidekick now!” private investigator in the start of a string of murders committed by people who should have had no way of committing murder as well as little to no motive. each crime scene has one thing in common though: a singular butterfly, spray-painted black... disclaimer: i’m sorry about the fedora

~~~

At one time, Marinette had wanted to be a fashion designer.

She had always found solace in sewing and making new things, but (embarrassingly so) she pin-pointed the idea of fashion designer to a boy in her high school class. Adrien Agreste, top teen model and son of famous designer Gabriel Agreste. A sweet and gorgeous boy who always seemed a little too quiet for his status—humble and genuine. Drawn in by him she began to design clothes with great fervor, hoping, wishing one day she would see him wear them down the catwalk. Wear them all the way to where she was waiting, then bend down and kiss her on the cheek.

Or lips, she wouldn't complain about a kiss on the lips.

It felt so strange how all of that was in the past. She still found that sewing and creating calmed her down after particularly harsh days and some deep jubilant part of her still screamed that fashion design was her true passion. Part of her agreed, but there was a higher calling she was answering first. First. Such a strange word to use, because most days there seemed no end to her career. Other than the voice, Marinette did not much think about things outside of bringing justice to Paris' homicide victims.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, daughter of two bakers, grew up atop said bakery, hobby seamstress: the homicide detective.

She could still see the split-second look of shock and concern on her parents' faces when she told them what she had decided to be, quickly replaced with gentle support as they pulled her in for a tight hug. Marinette wondered if they knew that'd be the last hug they'd ever receive from their daughter before she grew up.

Around the office she gained the title of Ladybug, first out of spite and disgust. Her talent at solving cases must have been due to sheer luck, not that she spent late nights pouring over tossed files or that she attacked problems with creativity and cleverness that should've been found in life-or-death situations, not gripping a cheap paper cup full of office coffee hunched over her undersized desk. The more time she spent there, the more time she ignored being passed over, the more cases she solved, the more her friend Alya egged her on to speak up and take credit for her work, the more the nickname Ladybug became sincere instead of spiteful. Ladybug is here, luck is on our side. Call up Detective Dupain-Cheng, we could use Ladybug to help us. Give this to Ladybug, she'll know what to do. So she climbed the ladder.

And here she was now.

The base of the Eiffel Tower had been roped off; hundreds if not thousands of tourists were ushered away while the whole strip was closed down. Police scattered over the place like ants, desperately searching for clues before the heavy rain pushed them all into the gutter. Marinette stared down at the body, thrown from the top of the Tower after several rocks ranging from the size of her head to the size of her torso were strapped to the poor girl. Rain had washed away much of the splatter, and she overheard that forensics would have to rely on civilian photographs of the scene in order to do blood spatter analysis. Marinette considered that more of a formality, looking at the crushed body, but anything to help the case.

Anything.

“Detective Dupain-Cheng?” an officer popped into her peripherals. In his hand was an open umbrella. Marinette took it without looking, although she thanked the officer. Her voice was sweet, her expression was concentrated. The patter of rain above her head became all she could hear.

How barbaric. It looked like the perpetrator had shoved her from the top after already tying rocks to her. How the rocks had gotten to the top of the Tower, how strong the perpetrator must have been in order to even push the girl—maybe he rolled her off the edge? But that couldn't be possible. Marinette tipped the umbrella upwards to turn her gaze to the top of the Tower. The lights were on in the dusk, aiding officers investigating the top. Occasional flashes from cameras blinded her for short moments as forensics photographed the scene as it laid. Marinette narrowed her eyes to compensate.

“Detective Dupain-Cheng?” the same officer called behind her. Marinette blinked, getting the impression that he had been trying to get her attention for some time. She shook her head.

“I already had coffee—,”

“Ah, no,” the officer corrected, coughing slightly, “There's uh, someone here to see you, but he won't give his name, says to call him uh...,”

At the officer's hesitation Marinette turned and gave him a quizzical look. The officer was frowning, looking to her as if she could help him in any way shape or form. Finally he sighed.

“He calls himself Chat Noir?”

Marinette scrunched her face up. Chat Noir? What kind of theatrical joke was that? Her eyes flicked to the body. Almost as uselessly theatrical as this murder. Was it a prank, or a link to the killer? Before Marinette could open her mouth to parse out what to do, a tall dark man shoved a line of officers aside and sauntered forward. He wore all black—a black fedora, straight from the 1920's, with a band that was shaped to cast a dramatic shadow over his face. One side was turned upwards, and a small triangular piece of felt was tucked between the brim and the dome. A cat ear, she presumed it was supposed to resemble. The rest of his get-up was just as ridiculously over-the-top. A long, leather trench coat, perfectly tailored, smooth black waistcoat, black suit, leather shoes and gloves, and a neatly tucked black silken scarf at the base of his neck? In a fashion show or in a movie this man would be top billed, in real life Marinette could only look down on him, even though he was substantially taller. All of his costume definitely cost him a pretty penny. She had to stop from sneering as he raised a hand to tip the hat at her.

“Chat Noir, at your service.”

Marinette opened her mouth to tell what was clearly a civillian to leave, but as he raised the brim of his hat she suddenly realized why his face seemed darker than usual even in the dusk, rainy light.

He was wearing a mask.

A mask!

Her mouth hung open without making a sound, dumbfounded.

“Private detective, privately hired—don't worry, m'lady, I won't impede on your investigation, I am here to help.”

“H...H...,” Marinette stuttered before immediately going on the defensive, “Help? I've never heard of you in the private circuit. Who hired you?”

“Oh,” Chat Noir's smile trimmed down to dainty pursed lips, “I cannot tell you that, all I know is that he's of high status and has personal interest into this case,”

“High status,” Marinette echoed, “I suppose you used his down payment to purchase that ridiculous getup?”

“You don't find it fashionable?” Chat Noir expertly twisted a heel upwards, showing off the heavy weight of his trench coat as raindrops danced off of the leather, “I happen to think it's purrfect.”

For the love of...

Marinette felt her face grow hot, and she knew at once that her skin was betraying her once again. Always going red at the drop of a hat, no matter the situation. Embarassed? Red. Angry? Red. Surprised? Red. Scared? Red. Incredulous to the point of barely being able to believe what was standing right in front of her was real? RED.

“Well, alright then, Mr. Chat Noir—you may have a look at the case, after the police are done cleaning up this area. Go to your office and I'll contact you there, shoo!”

“But m'lady!” Chat Noir gasped, “You don't even have my contact information!”

Marinette shot a look to the poor officer bearing witness to this catastrophe—cat-astrophe, and pushed out her lower lip, “Give it to this officer—Officer Pendrell, is it? And I'll be sure you'll be contacted.”

Chat Noir shook his head despite the fact that Marinette had turned on her heel and had already bent down to investigate the remains, pulling out gloves so she could gingerly touch what was left now that forensics had finished up photographing the initial scene.

“I don't think you want to brush me off so quickly, Detective,” Chat Noir appraised, spreading his arms wide, “You haven't yet seen how I could be of use to you.”

Marinette let the rain drown him out as she began turned over rocks, going over an invisible list. Rocks will have to be turned in for mineral analysis; where they came from and if they have any significance. Moving the body was going to be harrowing, she'd have to make sure they got every last piece into the bag which was going to be hard with the fading sun and the pounding rain. Et cetera, et cetera—wait...

“I'll have you know, I've been investigating for a grand portion of my life,” Chat Noir continued, “And I have a vast network of knowledge. For example,”

Marinette turned the palm-sized piece from the larger boulder around in her gloved hand. Crushed onto the rock was once a delicate insect, a butterfly, mangled beyond any recognition. No colors from its smashed wings shone in the beam of her small flashlight—just thick, caked on black paint. Marinette frowned.

“Did you know that the killer's name is Ivan Bruel?”

Marinette turned to look over her shoulder at Chat Noir, dead butterfly falling apart in the rain.

[pink-valkyrie]

Lance and Catherine Summer siblings

Disclaimer I do not own One piece. Lance Summers One Piece OC :Messy dark hair an bright green eyes like his father.Thought to be dead by his sister, which was the only other survivor of the house fire so long ago. Lance Is a few years older than Catherine. He was taken by one of the staff members who conspired against his father. The staff member was going to do the same with catherine but she had fled the mansion long before he could get to her. Seeing it being the best choice.  He knocked out Lance and escaped the fire . Promptly dropping him off at a Marine base with a note that his family had died in a fire and he aspired to be a marine.  All this time Lance trained and fought on the side he believed good. The shock of his life came a few years later when he saw his younger and very much alive sister on a wanted poster, with a high bounty serving as the captain/navigator of a small pirate crew.   Lance sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair. He was thinking over what his commander had said about all pirates. HE was alittle disqusted. To him not everything had a black and white view. Not all of them were bad. He knew for a fact where his sister beliefs lied. When sent to aphrend pirates he always desired to bring them into justice of the marines alive. Lighting another cigarrette sighing into it. Being a marine hadn't been what he'd thought it was. They only thing it did was hone skills and make him strong. An gave him a chance to find his sister.  He was gonna have to find her first. Her safety was of upmost importance. He went out on a huge limb to convince the his superiors she'd be a asset. Make her a warlord he pleaded. She may be a free spirit but she's not a bad person. Fairly reasonable. They said theyd look into it for his sake. Finally after much pleading he made some head way. He set sail to the new world where Catherine and her crew had been spotted. She just had to go an pick a dangerous profession. He had taken his time to read upon his sister, her crew, her conquest. Catherine he smiled. If she'd denied his request he'd leave the marines and join her crew. They'd spent so long apart. An he owed it to her. Looking at her poster if given the choice between his career/life and his sister he throw it all away for her happiness. He remebered bits of his life with her before the fire. He had always a soft spot for the girl. He knew if she'd lived her life would be a great one. As a child she was smart, pretty, possesed charm, was ambitious, wanted to see the world more than anything and had a bubbly personailty. She was younger than him, had so much to live for. He'd catch up, offer the request wait for her answer. Go from there, he just hoped she knew what she was doing. Trying to catch her was something in itself. She was like the wind itself.Here and then gone just like that. Calm/gentle and violent and angry. Her skills and powers had got her very far indeed. -------- Great his fellow marines  just had to complicate things. It was gonna be hard to convince her to join now.  The reaction to fire fist ace's death caused her activity spike. He'd heard rumors about the two pirates meeting up frequently as good friends.While she had refused to harm civillians an wreck towns. She had gone out on a limb to just cause unnecessary conflicts within the world government itself. Finally he'd finally reached her. Sending a messenger bird he'd waited to recieve word back. Boarding her ship they'd hugged. She was fairly cautious of him. He asked where everyone was. SHe'd alway had a hard time lying t him at least. They left its only me, Ray, and Issac now don't worry though we do just fine on our own.They discussed everything from the fire up until now. He extended the offer. But warned her to decide quick. She confided in him her fear of dying but vocalized that she couldn't fight along the side of people who had taken the life of someone dear to her heart. Thats when he asked who exactly is/was fire fist Ace to you Cathy. Smiling at the nickname for her long ago. "Ace, He was a friend, albeit an attractive and captivating person. He was someone who looked at me.  We'd grown to respect each other in brief passing. She hadn't known about his father or anything else. I just knew who he was as a person and he helped me out more than once. "I told him a few things while we were sharing drinks. "It wasn't romantic feeling that I felt for him, at one time it might've been. But we both had to many issues and responsibilities to indulge in that. I don't believe he deserved what happened to him, the real reason behind it, how the whole thing went down. Everything went too far. I don't wanna die but I can't exactly side with them now. I'm sure you understand that. I could always wait for another oppurtunity. What will you do now brother? Don't think I'd wanna fight you." You came onto my ship under the pretense of truce and cooperation. Sighing he'd figured it'd come to this. Her eyes were averted waiting for him to say he'd already chose which side he'd wanted to be on long ago. Eyes widen when he decalred. "Guess I'll join you, Cathy, you could use my help right. My dream wasn't all I thoughted it'd be so. Don't think you'd mind my new one. Goes without saying I wanna stick with you. Make sure your happy and you reach your goals. I'll report back to headquarters say I'll be staying with you undercover while you think it over. An I'll stop you from doing anything too crazy.I'm sure they'll figure me out soon enough though. So what about it sis?  A journey with your big brother won't be so bad right?" Sighing but trying to fight the smile." Yeah, just don't try an take over though or interfere into things to much. I don't want the marines on a immediate manhunt for your head. So reckless. Just decding to for go everything you worked for just to..to." Her green eyes had began to water and her voice stating to crack before she could get it out. "To protect my lovely little sister. What kinda of brother would I be if I chose the little things over someone as important as you." He finished and hugged her, she had dissolved into a sobbing mess, the marine part of his mind told him it was a dumb decision and now would be a good time to strike. But the brother part of him knew he'd never hurt her, or betray the trust she'd placed in him. He noticed two guys emerging on deck and were regarding him with narrowed eyes. Seems they were protective of her. He took his eyes off them, and went back to soothing his sister, finally her cries subsided and exhaustion took over. Going lax in his arms, he swept her off her feet. "Care to direct me to my sisters room?" At that the mens eyes widen, and while they still seemed weary, looking at Catherine, they begrudgingly showed him the way. The second he placed her in bed with a kiss on the forehead and tucked her in like him and his mom used to. He noticed the smile in her sleep as she turned over. As he exited the room he was met by Issac and Ray. "Lets go have a chat." Following them upstairs to the dining hall/kitchen. Ray fixed some coffee, and set down three cups. That surprised him. He didn't expect that but he didn't trust them completely not to posion it. Noticing his reluctance Issac grinned and switched all three drinks. Ray I trust you didn't do anything to our guest drink but if you did, your going to be the one drinking it. Nodding they all took a drink at once. "Whats your business here marine?" He had to hand it to them, they got straight to the point, he didn't dislike it. He answered the reason, and then that when she denied the offer he decided he join her." They shifted in their seats  "Why now?" Ray spoke up. "I've actually been trying to find her since her wanted poster came out, I was told everyone died in that fire. But when I saw the poster there wasn't the smallest bit of doubt. She may have grown up, but the thing that never changed about her would be that smile.  She looks like mom. But that smile has always been her own. Its always reached her eyes, its always been an assurance that its going to be okay. No matter what she'd seen or whats happened. I always told her to never lose that smile."  He smiled sadly. "I was worried that the events of marineford would take that away so I wanted to hurry. I don't plan on leaving her sight. Her recent activty has caught the attention of marines, bounty hunters, and pirates alike. Just three of you isn't gonna cut it anymore. We actually need alot more than for people to operate." Issac cut him off. "I know that, her decision though, I was going to ask her if we gather a whole new crew or find another stronger one to join. She'd wanna ally herself with Ace's little brother if she had the chance but I doubt she could do that right now." Ray went to strike a cigarette but Lance had already held out a lighter. "Thanks." It was gonna be a long night. When their captain awoke she was surpised to find them at the table talking civily. Her laugh brought them out of their conversation. "Don't suppose you have room at that table for one more?" Moving out of a chair Issac stood and went to reheat the breakfast he'd made that was starting to go alittle cold placing it and her orange juice at the table she'd got the message. Sitting down she bega to eat, noticing the stares of the man around her after taking a drink. "Not going to kill me are you, the silence and the fact im the only one eating as you stare holes in my head is a tad bit unnerving. Anyone wanna speak up and tell me whats going on?" What came out as a bright scarcasting remark turned into a grumble toward the end.  Ray glanced at the other two who had averted their gazes. Son of a b..."Ray?" Gulping he knew since he'd automatically been volunteered to talk to her by the older guys in the room he'd have to address the matter the best we could. " Well actually the guys and I were discussing what you'd do next. Things are getting to dangerous for just the four of us to take on everyone and everything at once. I was wondering if you had a plan for our nex course of action." Her intense and caculated gaze turned into a beaming smile that had him and the others wondering if he'd finally said something tactfully when talking to her. "I do indeed have a plan, but I was hoping to discussing it with everyone last night however everyone decided to go to bed early and Lance showed up. I recieved a letter a few days ago and I've thought it over, you noticed our ship changed course correct?" Waiting for the nods to go around. "A very well known pirate in need of a navigator. Has extended an offer to me to become part of his crew, you've been made an offer as well but I will not speak for you." Her voice seemed firm, but unsure. "Whos the pirate?" Ray asked. Noticing her unsure gaze. "I believe we are well informed of him, Its captain Eutass Kidd." After finally choking out the words she noticed the wide eyed stares. " Thats why I said you'll have to answer for yourselves. A supernova made me a offer I couldn't refuse, I've already decided to ignore the marines offer." She looked around the room. "Can't change your mind I'm down" Ray looked to Issac. "To think I was gonna retire soon, Marie would kill me if i let you do something so reckless alone." Issac and Ray glanced at Lance. The former marine actually stood against everything the Kidd pirates did. Noticing Catherine didn't even look his direction he watched her, she knew how he felt, She actually disapproved of the unnecessary bloodshed as well. If she thought she could stomach it, he'd join her. "Already told you Hope, not leaving your side. Lets go meet him. If he goes back on his word or does anything you don't like. You could become a warlord by taking his head." Issac and Ray definetly liked that idea. After that discussion they branched off to their jobs at the ship. WIthin a day they'd be meeting the infamous captain Kidd. Catherines last thought as she docked the ship was. "I hope this meeting goes well."