#i imagine he sees him as a secondary father figure but like.

[dangaer]

listening to posthumous forgiveness after ages of not playing shins playlist really reminds me of just how complicated shin’s relationship with his own father is.  

both him and his mother were strongly isolated by the town because people assumed that either shin would grow up the same way his father was or simply that his mother had been the one to instigate / create such a happening. a lot of their old friends left them, the neighbourhood kids picked on shin and his mother found it difficult to keep any form of social life. the only people who actually decided to keep by their side being both heroine and toma’s families ( though shin’s mother had guessed that more to be out of their childrens friendship for shin out of anything else, but kept such thoughts to herself ). such a situation had damaged his parents relationship to the point where his mother ended up divorcing him, and shin the majority of his childhood angry and upset towards his own father for creating such a situation, where he became cold and viewed as a monster for something he’d definitely never make himself do, and to see his mothers once happy expression become strained and ultimately haggard. 

despite this, it would be a lie to say he hates him. not to the standard he’d like people to, and definitely not in the way his mother had felt following such a situation. all of the memories shin holds of his father before the incident show him to be your average kind and loving man, who truly encouraged and wanted shin to do well as his own person. so much so, that despite the rage he felt, as shin grew up ... came to terms with attempting to understand the law, his friendships and those around him, it became clear that part of him still held a bleeding heart towards his father. so much so, from age 15, he ended up taking bi-monthly visits to his old man in prison. and while there was a lot of rage, negative and angry feelings, part of shin has come to terms with the situation, and began to try and create a sense of forgiveness towards the events that have happened. 

[ride-a-dromedary]

Half-formed headcanon that the previous Archdruid Halsin replaced was the one that advised his village's council and elders when he was an elfling. Maybe he was even from a similar branch of the High Forest originally, so he made the trek to visit their specific areas when his grove was situated closer.

He would make time when he wasn't busy to speak to the village children and learn their names and show them little tricks and give blessings and share stories and lessons with them. He became much like another adult in the community - a teacher and a guiding hand, but special because he only came around once in a while. It became pretty routine of them all (Halsin included) to anticipate his visits even though they weren't incredibly frequent. There would be excited little whispers on the breeze and giggles in the rustling bushes when he was expected, his telltale shadow stretching on the forest floor, the lot of them hiding underfoot and impatiently waiting for business to be finished so he would come out to play with them.

His visits became farther and fewer in between as Halsin got older due to needing to focus on things elsewhere, until he was eventually unable to come anymore, and was replaced by another druid in his stead.

Halsin years later reflecting back on him and thinking to seek the druid out again to be trained under his guidance after Halsin reaches his maturation epiphany, since he had nothing left keeping him in High Forest. Solely because he remembers looking up at that man and thinking: "I want to be like him when I grow up". So why not give it an attempt? And - on a wing and a prayer - with only a vague idea of where he might still be situated, he packs up and pursues.

[alisonwritesimagines]

Baby Fever ~Simon Ghost Riley Imagine~

Summary: Your niece gets attached to Ghost during a family reunion. And luckily for you and Ghost, you two want a future together.

Author’s Note: This won the poll survey I did so here it is!

Part Two

Reader’s Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: a couple brief sexual mentions, mostly fluff

Side Note: This is a secondary blog. If you comment a question down below, I will not answer since this is not the main blog. Please send the question to my inbox if you want a response back!

Do not repost this anywhere!

Before meeting you, Simon didn't like leave. He didn't have anyone to go home to, no one waiting for him to come back to, or anything to do even if he did go home. Before you, going on leave was miserable for him.

Then you came along. When you found out the first time that Simon didn't have anywhere to go (nor did he really want to go anywhere), you invited him back over to your place.

"You sure you want me to join you?" Simon asked you.

"I don't see why not. Plus, you can meet my plush toys," you joked. Simon wished you were joking until he actually saw one of your stuff plushies out on the couch when he joined you.

You invited him again on the second and third time you two went on leave. Simon wouldn't admit to you that he liked you. But you knew and he knew that you knew. And everyone knew that you two were together after Simon almost sent one of the newbies to medical after they said that they would tap your ass.

"You two spending leave together again?" Price asked you.

"I don't know. My family invited me to a family reunion and I don't know if Simon is comfortable with that," you tell your Captain.

"True. But yet again, do you really want Simon to be alone during leave?" Price asked you.

"No."

So you ask Simon to join you on leave again to head to your family reunion. He says yes to your surprise.

You tell your family that Simon can be quiet and that he wears a balaclava but that's mainly because of some issues he's had in the past. Your family understands but still tries to make some small conversation with him.

"So, you're the lieutenant she's talked about many times," your sister teases.

"She likes to talk about me?" Simon asked, humored over the fact that your sister had just ratted you out.

"Many times. Oh he's so big and handsome even though he wears a mask," your cousin mocks you as they join in on the teasing.

"Leave Y/n alone please. They just got back," your mother tells the two.

"Glad to know you talk about me," Simon smirks under his mask as he looks over at you.

"Oh shut up. I'm going to help out with the stuff," you tell him as you walk away embarrassed.

Simon sat at a chair, sipping the beer your father handed to him. It wasn't the type of beer Simon would normally drink but he didn't want to be rude.

Simon watched as your family chatted as they got everything set up. He felt a tug on his sleeve, making him look over. He saw as a young girl, no older than five, standing next to him.

"Um, hi," Simon said, unsure how to react.

"My ball went up the tree," the girl told him.

"Okay. Where is it?" Simon asked her as he got up. Her eyes widen from his tall figure. She reached her arms up, motioning him to carry her. Simon let out a sigh before picking her up.

"It's over there," she said as she pointed over at the bright yellow ball on the tree.

"How'd you get it up there?" Simon asked as he walked over to grab it.

"They tossed it up there," the girl said as she pointed over to the older kids.

"Isn't there someone your age to play with?" Simon asked her. The little girl shook her head at him.

This must be Y/n's niece, Simon thought. You had mentioned you had a niece and that she was your first niece in your family.

"What's your name?" Simon asked.

"Lana," your niece told him.

"Nice to meet you Lana. I'm Simon."

"Why do you wear a mask?"

"I just like it."

"Can you play with me?" Lana asked him.

"Alright."

As you helped with getting the party set up, you felt a nudge. You looked over at your aunt who motioned over at Simon and your niece.

"Isn't that cute. Have you two thought about getting married and having kids?" Your aunt asks you.

"Here and there but I think we've been so focus on work, we don't think about domestic life as much," you tell her.

"Well if you two ever decide to have a kid, just know you have free babysitting with us here," your mom mentioned. You smile before looking back at Simon and your niece.

When you both got back to your house, you sat on the couch with Simon.

"Have you thought about having kids?" You asked Simon.

"I don't think I'd be a good father since my father was shit," Simon tells you.

"Well I think today you proved that wrong," you tell him.

"What do you mean?"

"With my niece. You two got along pretty well," you tell him.

"She's a good kid."

"Yeah. But I'm just asking," you tell him before getting up to take a shower.

"Have you thought about having kids?" Simon asked you.

"A couple times. But when I saw you with my niece, I thought it'd be nice to have a mini us. But I don't want to pressure you," you tell him before heading to your bedroom. You turned on the water before stripping off your clothes.

You stepping into the shower before relaxing a little under the water. You heard the door open before the shower curtain opened. You watched as Simon join you in the shower before closing the curtain shut.

"I don't remember asking you to join me," you joked.

Simon shook his head at the joke before pulling you in for a kiss.

"I want it with you."

"What?" You asked confused.

"The whole marriage and kid thing. I want it with you," Simon tells you.

"Are you serious?" You asked in shock.

"Yes. I don't want anyone else but you and if we have a kids then at least I have you to raise them with," Simon admitted you. You smiled up at Simon before leaning up to kiss him.

"I'd like that," you smiled.

"Now, let's get onto baby practicing shall we?" Simon said, smiling down at you.

[devondespresso]

FINALLY

after NINE. HOURS. (NOT including meals and sleep) ITS FUCKING DONE.

A complete floorplan of the entire Harrington house. Including too much thought about random, throw-away lines from characters and squint-to-see-it background glimpses inside.

plently of stuff in the actual house is altered or straight up ignored in favor of following the fiction logic and because I Wanted To. A lot of this is motivated by my headcanons for the Harringtons and how I'm writing them in my fic, but I'm also certainly not an architect so it's by no means perfect. It is, however, unreasonably canon compliant in the few bits we do see.

Thought Process (for context):

the darker shaded floor areas are lower than the rest, some bits like the garages having stairs and some areas like the sun and dining rooms list being like a step lower. Windows are marked with dashes along the outside, sliding doors are two thin lines slightly overlapping, stairs change color as they diverge from the level we're looking at, and furniture is eyeballed so don't look to closely a the scale.

not all closets are labeled, just the ones i figured could be confusing. Steve and the guest rooms have closets i promise.

the laundry room and pantry are not the same size but by the time i noticed i was exhausted. so pretend they're both more reasonably sized.

i don't know what the floorplan symbol for garage door is and then i forgot to look so the headlights point to where the doors are and you can see them clearly in photos so yeah.

The general layout is based on the idea that the Harringtons are or were into hosting dinner parties and business meetings in their home, especially as a young rich couple looking for respect in their circles (Mr. Harrington taking on his father's business and reinforcing that power, Mrs. Harrington climbing her own social ladder and building an image).

So the house is laid out with hosting areas towards the right with the office big and near the dining room because it's more than just a workplace, it represents him as a businessman. In canon the entryway and living room both have very high ceilings and no second-floor above them, so I'd imagine they're also aware of how the top floor looks from below, hence the fancy double/french doors to the master bedroom which is in plain view from below. Steve's room and the guest room are's nearly as visible.

As for the kitchen and sun/pool rooms, I see them more as secondary hosting areas that aren't used as the main location most of the time and are more this background setting to these events that still feel rich. The kitchen is massive and mostly for dinner-parties and Mrs. Harrington's social events.

The kitchen and main bathroom's placement is based on a line Steve said to Barb giving her directions to the bathroom: "down past the kitchen, to the left". With the massive living room on the left and wanting to keep the dining and office close by, i interpreted the "to the left" part being like "find the kitchen, then turn left". And with the rest of the area being open-concept, the bathroom would be the only normal door over there and easy to find. it's a bit of a stretch with just that line, but it makes sense to me with the rest of the context for the layout.

the basement is similar to this, though not as openly displayed so I imagine its for slightly closer friends. Theres a garage door down there so I figured Mr. Harrington might have a cool car he shows off, like he's letting people in on a personal detail about himself. There's also a guest room down there (the only one still considered 100% for guests, more on that later) for those people.

beside the basement garage, there was originally one main garage that holds two cars, obvious Mr. and Mrs. Harrington's cars. I imagine they bought the house before having kids, so a third one wasn't on the mind but after having Steve they added the front one (either turning the carport into a closed garage or they never had a carport and added a whole new addition, up to you)

Both garages lead to the same part of the house, and that area is the only one besides the water heater room that is purely function over effect. It still looks good like the rest of the house but it's not made to be fancy because guests would rarely need to be over there if at all and it's not noteworthy from other parts of the house.

In my headcanon, Steve's room used to be a guest room, staying his room from nursery to present with Mrs. Harrington renovating every now and then. Its one of those places in the house that doesn't have to look perfect for all to see, so she gets creative and has fun with it.

The upstairs guest room is also unofficially Mrs. Harrington's room, based on a line where Tommy mentions a fireplace in "his mom's room" instead of "guest room" or "parent's room" or "master bedroom". I belatedly realized this could be a solidarity thing with Steve hating his dad and calling the master bedroom his mom's room, but that was after 9 hours of this and im not changing it but there you go. In this version, I imagine she leaves the master some nights because her marriage with Mr. Harrington is failing (cheating and all, I wouldn't want to be in the same bed with someone who cheated either)

the master bathroom was an executive decision, just looking at the house in canon and not having enough space in my first attempts, i decided the triangle roof part above the dining and office could fit a master bathroom.

Feel free to use or reference this in your own fics! Feel free to block out my furniture or walls and make your own version. If you share my image please credit with an @ mention!! (again, 9 hours) (thank you fhalsfhd)

[sun-rae-lynn]

Omega!Ghost X Omega!Soap Part: One

Hear me out rq.

warnings: implied/referenced abuse, implied/referenced heats, slight angst maybe…idk what to put I’ve not written shit like this since idek when.

••••••••••••••••••••••

Omega ghost who grew up with alpha parents. Would explain abusive father because well he wanted alpha son instead got an omega son yada yada. anyways his father sent him away to a camp, where he basically learned to control himself and his “urges”. Sooner or later he would go through traumatic events that made Simon Riley into the Ghost.

Now, people know of The Ghost, a brutal killing machine, that no one knows the secondary gender of. They don’t know if he’s an alpha or a beta. They are sure he isn’t an omega. (Little do they know) People who have come into contact with Ghost and have lived to tell the tale, describe his scent to be broken, dull and bitter. Not similar to an alphas, not anything like an omegas. But not anything like a betas either. It baffles them.

Then Ghost meets Price. But not as Ghost, as Simon.

Hear me out Rq with this one too^^

Ghost allows one month every year where he goes “underground”, no contact with anyone whatsoever. This is the time when he stops taking strong ass suppressants and stops blocking most of his scent. He experiences what it is like to be an omega because despite those instincts being pushed super far into the back of Simon’s brain. They are still there and sometimes they surface.

Ghost “becomes” Simon a little earlier than expected, on a solo mission. Luckily, Price was there to take him in and care for him. Price understood the situation Simon was in and allowed him a spot in the 141. I like to believe in an omegaverse au that price had TF141 already set up. He was just waiting for the right people, omega, beta, or alpha to join. Soon they had three people in the 141. Ghost, Price and Gaz. (We will get to soap in a min.) they all worked in perfect sync.

Soon enough Soap came into the 141. An omega who immediately became close with Ghost. Get to that In a moment

Onto soap and who he is as an omega. Johnny grew up with a traditional family. Omega mother, alpha father. All that jazz. He grew up learning all about how omegas were supposed to act and how they should put themselves out there whenever they find a suitable mate/partner.

However, Johnny hated the idea of settling down with someone. He wanted to explore, go to Australia despite his fear of spiders, go to America and see sights he’s never seen.

Johnny also hated his heats, ever since he had an unexpected heat that was caused by being in a room full of newly presenting alphas and got locked in a closet to prevent him from being attacked by the scent hungry alphas, he never had a heat since then. He has flare up’s of heats every now and then since well suppressants can only do so much but they aren’t terrible.

Another things soap hates about himself is his scent. It is too alluring. Too sweet. I imagine soaps omega scent to be something sweet like chocolate, but have a bitter smell as well like the way dark chocolate has that bittersweet aftertaste to it…idk could be a me thing but there is also a hint of soap smell(hence the nickname). He hates that his scent allures alphas in. He truly wants to drive them away, so he acts as beta like and as alpha like as possible while failing miserably because he is sensitive.

Not sensitive mentally but sensitive in the way that if he catches one whiff of a strong dominant alphas scent. He is very much swooning and in love. He can get out of that mindset quickly but it could take awhile.

Now, back to 141. Soap catches one whiff of Ghost’s barely there scent and is in fucking love. He is swooning more than he ever has. He started talking to ghost more, trying to get to know him, trying to find out his secondary gender. When trying to figure it out and getting frustrated by not being able to figure it out on his own he went to price.

He basically annoyed price until price had enough of Soap’s nagging and frustratedly told Soap that Ghost was an omega.

His heart broke. All this time Johnny was feeling like he found the one, an omega that was going to treat him well and love him. Only to find out he was a fake and not really an alpha. Johnny never knew Ghost’s secondary gender anyways but he was really hoping for it to be an alpha, he believed Ghost was an alpha since he had a pretty strong scent, despite barely being there, he left for one month every other month. Same thing price would do for his ruts. He would scent soap, which was something usually only alphas did. However one has to remember Ghost ain’t no normal omega.

He has alpha traits. A strong scent, despite barely being there. A large and muscular body. Rough and large hands. Scenting. Courting. All things alphas usually would do and how they looked. Something Simon always blamed on having two alpha parents.

PART TWO WILL BE OUT SOON!! I need sleep currently. But this will be developed further. It might get smutty, it might get hurt/comfort-ish, we will see.

@8-rae-rae-8 you will be tagged in part two as well!! comment if you’d like to be tagged! This might become a series.

Also, prepare to see more headcanons and stuff for the 141 and COD characters in general as I have PLENTY of different headcanons when it comes to the characters…anyways love yall. Hope to see ya soon

[waterfire1848]

If you’re looking for prompts, I’d love to see more imagines where Hakoda adopts Azula and Zuko. If not, that’s alright. Just wanted to say I love your content(I’m new to tumblr and you were the first person I followed- a decision I do not regret in the slightest).

Thanks for the ask!!

Thank you so much for this! For the ask, for loving my content and for following me. Welcome to Tumblr! I hope you'll like it here. I don't have any incorrect quotes but here are some Hakoda adopting Azula and Zuko headcanons.

Canon:

Hakoda would know about the Agni Kai with Zuko and his father when it happens but he thinks it's just propaganda. Of course people would say that the Fire Nation is so horrible their own leader burned and banished his son. He only believes it when his son tells him about Zuko and the giant scar on his face. After the Boiling Rock, Hakoda does ask Zuko about his scar and tells him what happened.

Hakoda doesn't get to adopt Zuko officially because of Iroh, but he's okay with Zuko thinking of him as secondary paternal figure.

A few months after the war, Zuko got sick and Hakoda, being the only one in the Fire Nation, took care of him. It was the first time Zuko called him dad.

Azula would be a little more complicated. It's only after months of therapy that she finally accepts Ozai's abuse and starts to heal. She returns to the palace about a year after the war ends and that's when she meets Hakoda again. Similar to Zuko, she has no clue how to act around father figures. Because of this she often flinches when she thinks Hakoda is angry at her which makes him more careful not to raise his voice.

A few months after she returns to the palace, Azula continuously has nightmares because, while being her home, this place would still be a constant reminder of her abusive father, neglectful mother and her biggest failure. One day, when Hakoda is returning to the South Pole, he finds out that Azula snuck aboard and she asks him if she can come with him to the South Pole.

Of course, Hakoda can't turn her away so he invites her to the Southern Water Tribe. She learns to love the village, despite the cold, very quickly. Katara and Sokka are a little uneasy around her, but Hakoda asks them to give her a chance. Hakoda does send a letter to Zuko telling him his sister is in the South Pole so he can call off the search part. Zuko comes down and spends a week there to make sure Azula is comfortable. Not only do Azula and Zuko spend time with Katara and Sokka, eating Water Tribe food, getting into snowball fights and helping them rebuild the village but they also get to spend time with Hakoda and find out how a real father treats his children. When Zuko leaves to return to the Fire Nation, Azula thanks Hakoda for letting her stay and calls him her dad.

AU:

It's important to note that @ilikepjo24 came up with this AU which is that Hakoda finds out about Azula taking ADHD pills to help her study and takes them away. I'm just helping them expand it. Ask if you want to know any more.

Azula and Zuko are in foster care when they turn 11 and 13 (for obvious reasons) and are tossed around from family to family (some good and some bad). Ursa is out of the picture so she can't take them and Iroh wasn't granted custody by the courts so he can't take them. When Azula and Zuko are 14 and 16 they're placed with Hakoda and Kya.

Hakoda and Kya love them both but Azula and Zuko are hesitate about trusting them because of so many bad foster parents and they start betting on how long they'll last.

Slowly, Hakoda and Kya prove themselves to be good foster parents. They take the two on vacation, buy stuff for them, let Iroh come see them, and comfort them. Sokka and Katara also act as good foster siblings who try to help Zuko and Azula meet more people and get situated in their home.

However, Hakoda finds out Azula starts taking ADHD pills to help her study. He takes them away and Azula fails one of her finals. Terrified of how he'll react, Azula hides away at Ty Lee's house while sends Hakoda and Kya into a panic because they have no idea where their daughter is. Finally, Ty Lee tells Zuko she has her and Zuko tells Hakoda and Kya where she is. Kya goes to pick her up and takes her back to the house. Azula expects to be kicked out, for Hakoda to hit her or Kya to say she doesn't love her anymore, but her only punishment is no phone for a month and she had to come home right after school everyday.

Zuko and Azula both still worry that Hakoda and Kya will one day get sick of them and send them back to foster care so the parents decide to adopt them and officially make them their son and daughter.

[tangerinethecat]

King and Rouxls NOT in a Relationship Masterpost

The spiritual successor to my King and Queen Divorce Masterpost. Similarly to that post, this will all probably be common knowledge to most of the fandom. But apparently, some people still exist out there who think King and Rouxls are a couple (or in some interpretations, that they used to be one, making them exes now), so I guess I gotta make this post to explain to you all why that is incorrect and they were never a thing together in the first place.

(Once again, apologies for the not-so-great screenshot quality. It's easier to grab it from YouTube videos rather than having to play the whole chapters over again for the dialogue, lol...)

Starting off with some shop dialogue from Chapter 1...

Rouxls is very insistent on not being related to Lancer. If he and King were romantically involved, that would make Lancer his stepson (or soon to be one), and therefore related. Then, the line "I placate you for your Father's sake!" refers to the fact that the King makes his subjects take care of Lancer. This makes Rouxls much more like a babysitter than anything, specifically one that Lancer latched onto as a secondary father figure because Spade King can't spend enough time with his son himself. In a way, you could see it as Lancer "adopting" Rouxls as a new dad, rather than the other way around!

And to clarify, the fact that King makes his subjects care for Lancer is established a bit earlier on, with this leaf-fanning Rudinn NPC.

Notice the use of the word "obligatory" here... The original definition of this word is "required by a legal, moral, or other rule; compulsory." So in other words, it seems that they are (quite literally) legally required to take care of the King's son, whether they want to or not.

And then, this last line from the Rudinn about Lancer is actually rather sad... But, looking at Rouxls Kaard's full dialogue about Lancer, we can see that he does genuinely care about the kid deep down. (The following screenshot is taken from the wiki.)

Perhaps this could be at least partially why Lancer latched onto Rouxls in particular over any other subjects.

Now, my next point... In-universe, Rouxls has some fans.

This specific Rudinn NPC, as well as Clover (or at least her friendly middle head), both appear to have crushes on Rouxls, referring to him as a "hunk". If Rouxls was already taken, I'd imagine that they would have mentioned this in their dialogue, since dating the King would probably be hard to keep a secret (especially when Rouxls seems like the type to brag about dating someone in power)... So, to me, this dialogue seems to imply that Rouxls is single.

Bonus fact: Clover's fondness of Rouxls is referenced in Chapter 2 as well, with "Rouxls" being one of the correct answers for choosing a thing she likes during her rematch challenge in the Party Dojo. (Screenshot taken from the wiki again, with Rouxls highlighted for clarity since, uh, there's a lot of options listed, hahaha)

And on the topic of Chapter 2, it also has its own evidence to share.

Throughout Chapter 2, Rouxls is shown to be very fixated on becoming Queen's minion. A post of mine compiling all of these moments can be found here. While it's not entirely confirmed yet to be with romantic intentions, it really seems to me like it is implied as such. Especially with Rouxls thrusting a flower vase bouquet onto Tasque Manager because he thought she was Queen. If this is the case, then it should be safe to say that he is not already in romantic relationship with anyone else canonically when he is going after someone else in this manner.

Now, time to address some potential counterarguments...

A small number of people seemed to have interpreted this line as King and Rouxls being exes as well, instead of just King and Queen. However, I believe Rouxls Kaard's choice of words here is only meant to be in reference to King and Queen's divorce, rather than implying that he had a past relationship with King himself (aside from simply working for him). Describing himself as Queen's "nyew (new) Man about Towne (town)" implies that King was her "old" one. And although Rouxls apparently never met Queen back when she was still a part of Card Castle (since he mistook Tasque Manager for Queen as mentioned before, and Queen certainly doesn't recognize Rouxls either), I imagine it wouldn't be difficult for him to figure out on his own that King and Queen are exes, assuming he was eavesdropping on their conversation before butting in during this scene.

Then, King telling Queen that Rouxls is Lancer's "Lesser Father"... This implies that Lancer has referred to Rouxls as Lesser Dad in front of King. I can only imagine how awkward and embarrassing that must have been for King to hear his son let that nickname slip. And he certainly does not look happy about it here, most likely annoyed by the fact and by Rouxls Kaard's antics in general. So, why would he introduce Rouxls this way to Queen? Well, the answer is simple. If Lancer let the nickname slip in front of King, then it is very possible he could refer to Rouxls as Lesser Dad in front of Queen, too. Remember, Queen came here in the first place to tell Spade King that she is going to take care of his son from now on. So this explanation by King provides her with context in case Lancer starts talking about "Lesser Dad" to her.

Now, I'm almost done here, but I'd like to go over one more thing: Why King and Rouxls are simply not compatible with each other.

Starting with Rouxls, he is not a very loyal person. He constantly switches sides throughout the game so far. From King, to the player, to Queen, to the player again (when all the NPCs help you create the giant mech to fight Giga Queen), then back to Queen in Castle Town.

His shop dialogue is a great example of this. After completing the second K. Round fight, he starts sucking up to you, brags about always being on "the winning side" (gee, I wonder why /s), and even claims that he planned to overthrow the King all along. And even before the K. Round fight, Rouxls's dialogue about King isn't exactly respectful, calling King "cruel and terrifying" and noting how he only got to become the Duke of Puzzles because every other option was fired and/or imprisoned.

Now, moving onto Spade King... He has some pretty bad trust and abandonment issues, to say the least.

His entire reason for hating the Lightners in the first place is because they abandoned him and his kingdom, and when he is overthrown by his own subjects at the end of Chapter 1, he gets very upset and even starts shouting death threats at them.

Although King is much calmer in Chapter 2 (at least towards the Lightners, ironically enough, as he still loses his temper at Queen), he still isn't exactly fond of you. So it's safe to say that he would still not take kindly to traitors, either, even if he might not react as extremely as he did in Chapter 1's ending.

So, considering both characters' details here, I can only conclude that they would make a terrible match for each other. Rouxls is the exact type of person that King is known to despise, and trying to claim otherwise would require stripping away some very significant traits of both King and Rouxls in order to make this disaster pairing "work". It would either be an extremely unhealthy relationship, or an extremely out of character one. And in cases of the latter, at that point I think you should just make your own OCs instead. This ship is not canon, it never was canon, and it never will be canon.

Thanks for coming to my second TED Talk.

[fortuna-et-cataclysmos]

On Adrien/Chat Noir and control

Good news is, I finally figured out why Adrien seemed depressed af in Jubilation. Bad news is, I had to write an essay to explain why.

I have previously explained how Marinette is desperately trying to control everything because she knows that else, things may turn out bad (be it an akuma or her romantic relationships).

Now, I think that Adrien is basically a foil to Marinette in that sense: he is desperately looking to let go of control.

See it from his perspective: Adrien's life's every detail is controlled by Gabriel. He is expected to be always fully in control of himself and his desires as so that he can fulfil the rigid expectations of his father. This is not only in terms of his schedule, but also relates to the fact that he represents the Agreste brand. Gabriel himself says that his son is "perfect." All this perfection implies Adrien having perfect control how he looks and how he acts. Imagine how exhausting that would be.

So obviously, Adrien is looking for a way to let go of that control. We can argue that there are two types of control for Adrien: Gabriel's control on him, and by extention, Adrien's control over himself. And how does he blow off all that steam (especially in seasons 1 to 3)? By becoming in Chat Noir.

Being Chat Noir allows Adrien to let go of both types of control. His is doing something extremely dangerous - something that surely his father would not condone independent from his personal beef with the superheroes. In a way, being Chat Noir is Adrien's way of rebelling to Gabriel's control.

But there is also the secondary emancipation of control: when Chat Noir, Adrien gives up control of himself. He is acting all goofy, free, flirting right and left with Ladybug, expressing his feelings freely. He doesn't have a brand image to uphold and he is naturally noble enough to not do anything that would tarnish the superheroes' image anyway.

Him giving all control over extends also deep into his relationship with Ladybug. He gives full control to her, but not the same way he does with his father: he does it willingly, trusting that Ladybug would do the best. And she always does (again, s1 to 3).

But then in season 4, we start to see that change. Ladybug urges him to have a control over his feelings and his loving outbursts to her. Other heroes come to play, shifting their duo's dynamics. Ladybug is more controlling than ever, which makes him feel like he is now not giving up control, but losing it. Then he realises that Ladybug wants a responsible partner, someone who can be in charge when she is wrong (see Kuro Neko, where she keeps insisting that the sentimonster is akumatised Chat Noir, an error that is rectified thanks to Cat Walker taking the lead). And he decides to be that responsible hero.

This loss of control also is mirrored in his civilian life. While Adrien agrees to letting Felix tell Gabriel his desire to stop modelling, at first he believes that he is letting go of control. But quickly he realises that Felix has his ulterior agenda and that he has in fact lost control over his life.

We see him reclaiming control at the end of Strike Back and in Multiplication. Now control isn't something that is forced on him: he is willingly taking it because he wants to support Ladybug. He wants to be a good hero.

By the way, it is no coincidence that Ladybug starts falling for him at the same moment. See in Strike Back how the moment he extends her his hand, there is a lightening behind. The "coup de foudre" aka "the lightening", which means falling in love in French. Because for the first time we see Ladybug yielding control to Chat Noir, both in terms of their hero work (how he builds up her courage back) and romantically.

And from that point onward, we see Ladybug yielding more and more control and Chat assuming more and more of it. In Multiplication, she confides him the Bunny Miraculous. And throughout the season, as Ladybug loses control falling for Chat Noir, she also loses the control over their superhero operation. At first, Chat Noir fills that gap by saving multiple times (Determination). Then, in Passion, he finally asks to control the situation:

How many times have you made complex plans from objects like a heater or playing cards, all the time never telling me anything? Today, it is your turn to trust me. Will you?

We finally see a Chat Noir who is willing and able to assert control over the superhero activities nearly as much as Ladybug. He finally slips into the role of equal partner.

And this parallels Adrien's home life. In Multiplication, Adrien finally tells his father that he doesn't want to be a model anymore, which Gabriel agrees (for obscure reasons that deserve their own post). Following this period, we see Adrien completely let go of himself even if for a brief scene in Jubilation, where he is sitting in his messy room surrounded by junk food and shopping bags, indulging himself quite depressively in a video game.

Suddenly, Adrien has lost one of the two forms of rigid control over him: the self-restraint of being a model. To a certain extent, Gabriel's control also decreases, given that his schedule isn't as busy as before.

So what does he do? He abuses this total lack of control by letting himself go fully, eating junk food, shoppin till droppin, playing video games for hours. And likely after few days (maybe weeks, the timeline isn't too clear) of pure bliss, he realises that not having a minimum of control over himself sucks. Hence, the depression. But I think he will pull through: he will learn to assert control in his personal life not because he must, but because he wants to. Just like the way he learned to do it as Chat Noir.

While throughout the seasons Marinette grows increasingly controlling to the point of snapping at the end of s4 and starting to yield some of it, we see Adrien do the exact opposite: in the first three seasons, he is seeking to let go of control, which leads to him losing control over his life at the end of s4. So starting from the end of s4, he starts to reclaim control over his superhero and teenager life.

In a way, you could think that Marinette's control curve (increasing, peak, decreasing) is a total opposite to Adrien's (decreasing, rock-bottom, increasing). And now as season 5 proceeds, as Marinette learns to let go of control and Adrien learns to assume it, they are equalising.

And the most beautiful part? Marinette encourages Adrien to take control over his life, Chat Noir teaches Ladybug that she can yield some control to him. It is the perfect circle square.

[mejomonster]

some reasons Love Between Fairy and Devil is good:

the music. we got a lovely opening/theme song, a Liu Yuning secondary song, and a nice mix of traditional romance xianxia sounding stuff (think Eternal Love soundtrack etc) and rock music (which I personally love when xianxia do this - Love and Redemption and Men with Sword did this, and The Untamed did this with Meng Yao’s theme song). Just overall a solid soundtrack

the looks. while still distinctly fitting the usual romance xianxia aesthetic (think Love and Redemption, Eternal Love, Ashes of Love), its also got some individuality. Its partly taking some western fantasy elf aesthetics, which may be why it reminds me of Ice Fantasy so much (Ice Fantasy’s costumes felt very much like xianxia and western fantasy mixing with the design choices). As a result, some outfits really uniquely stand out, different locations have more distinct looks both set and Clothing wise (and its nice to see different regions have their own distinct looking culture and identity to a degree). Haishi city, Cangyan Sea, Shuiyuntian, and Lucheng all look like their own places with their own clothing. Stand out costumes are worn by our boy Qingcang who has some very cool horn-wood-piece looking crowns, and the Shuiyuntian headpieces remind me in a good way of Ice Fantasy a Lot. This show looks distinct enough to have its own identity.

the writing. consistent, straightforward, with meaning. While the meaning isn’t particularly deep, very much like Love and Redemption the main love is partly attractive because he respects consent (which when its lacking in a romance xianxia i tend to hate it - however the second love interest is also fairly nice in this, in contrast to Love and Redemption’s quite horrifying Bai Lin). Consent and abuse are definitely themes in this - just look at Dongfang Qingcang’s dad and him. Also, themes of compassion. While Love and Redemption really hammered home you should figure out right and wrong for yourself, and make your own fate? This show goes with similar themes but in a much different way. Destiny is much more set in this show - and YET we open early on with Lanhua purposely going against Fate to go save Changheng, so her entire relationship with Qingcang is a result of her breaking fate. While that hasn’t come back to bite her yet, it definitely puts her on a path outside fate - despite fate seeming much move inevitable in this show. Likewise, in the mortal arc, both Lanhua and Qingcang immediately change the ‘necessary fate’ of the people they’re trying to keep ON fate’s path. So I imagine this isn’t the last fate versus personal choice will get highlighted. Meanwhile goodness is somewhat critiqued in the sense of hypocrites (like Love and Redemption). But instead, its more like there’s genuine goodness to all the regions populations, and genuine suffering they’ve all been through. While showcasing all areas as equally capable of good and evil is very Love and Redemption, the way this show does it is more on a level that reminds me a bit of Goodbye My Princess. We get to know each area, care about them, and see why its so hard for the characters to decide what to do that would be best for their people and the world at large. Its not so simple as LaR - the god of war Changheng is genuinely good and kind, with good goals (unlike Bai Lin in LaR), meanwhile Qingcang’s father was awful to him, but the ultimate goal his dad (and he has) to help their Cangyan Sea is understandable and also an attempt to help their people. 

the romance. 1. absolutely love the acting (and they did great doing body swap scenes!) 2. the romance setup of ‘Big Bad’ guy as romantic lead i LOVE, of the commoner fairy who isn’t particularly strong and is not the ‘right noble class’ i LOVE (she might turn out to have some Important Identity but for the bulk of this story she’s very low power and treated as a nobody which I really like). They get along in a very nice way, its very “how do these characters interact” rather than feeling like tropes are forcing them together. The setup is literally just: orchid fairy accidentally saves Big Bad Type Character, and then Big Bad type due to a spell feels what she feels and more importantly HURTS if she hurts, so Big Bad has to care about her/help her for a little while. A very cool set up that reminds me of some big bad being forced to care for spiritual pet and learn life lessons as a result. But he’s not that bad, and she’s not threatening to him despite her control-option over him, so for the vast majority of time they just seem to have become ‘friends’ who mainly are caring about each other.  I just. I can’t express how cute they are, how they just Work together. I am real picky about my xianxia, and my romance, and my Romance Xianxia, so all i can say is if I like it then they are doing a Lot right in how they write the characters.

the characters. Like Love and Redemption this show is doing some new stuff with some character types, although less in a ‘lets subvert these obvious expectations’ and more in a ‘lets keep what parts of the types we liked and leave the rest.’ which is very cool. I can see elements in these characters that i’ve seen in other xianxia, and also unique bits special to them in particular. The god of war has some characteristics i expect (he reminds me a bit of God of War in Eternal Love) but then he’s also a younger brother, also very emotional and kind, just very individual. Meanwhile the original God of War reminds me of Xuanji-god-of-war in Love and Redemption (but without the abuse and trauma making her) again but with some very unique characteristics. Orchid reminds me a bit of the lead heroine in Love and Destiny, but Orchid is very genuine in a way that almost feels down-to-earth Everyday person in a way xianxia heroines don’t always feel. She really does feel like a Nobody in her realm, instead of someone Somehow Most Beautiful and Talented and Amazing. Our ‘big bad type’ mold is not so mean at all, on paper he’s fulfilling the ‘Devil/Demon Emperor’ mold, but he’s also genuinely emotionless to start like Xuanji in Love and Redemption (just emotionless but does care for his people and want to do the Right thing as best as he understands), and like Xuanji he is gradually getting his feelings back. In part I think this show reminds me of Ice Fantasy to such a degree, because the realms and characters do feel a bit more individual and less perfect maps onto the usual molds i expect in romance xianxia (and even Love and Redemption, while very much subverting and flipping molds, used a lot of expected Traits to comment on the molds in the first place - whereas in this show they just don’t really neatly fit the mold Ever). 

pacing. i just... cannot tolerate slow pacing for more than like 4 episodes max... and usually i give up if a cdrama gets paced slow for more than 2 eps. this show is so well paced im flying through it and never bored, which is always great in cdramaland where some dramas just Tend to Have a slow period of 5-10 eps at some point. 

[rollercoasterwords]

☕️ sirius’ relationship w his parents. ive seen so many dif takes w orion being a somewhat loving but passive father, to being even worse than walburga, or walburga being very physically abusive, to her being only emotionally abusive, etc. did they ever find out about sirius’ queerness, when, how

oooh this is another subject that i could see. so many different interpretations for!! obviously all we really know in canon is that sirius's parents were shitty in some way shape or form, to the point that he ran away from home and got disowned. i think people tend to focus in on walburga more just because we have more of a character for her in canon--like, we don't see orion's portrait yelling at everyone, y'know? and i think that's why he tends to get read as more passive than walburga.

personally when i'm interpreting sirius's relationship with his parents i tend to view. orion as essentially more distant and emotionally neglectful, rather than loving and passive--but still a bit secondary to walburga in terms of their dynamic with sirius. i still tend to interpret orion as very much like. the patriarch of the family, and like the person who got the final say on shit, and the person walburga answered to--because i do usually imagine pureblood households as intrinsically patriarchal. but i imagine that orion would sort of leave the disciplining to walburga, and that she was the parent who was much more involved in her children's lives. (gonna put the rest under a cut since i'm gonna be talking abt abuse + homophobia so! tw)

in terms of like. what kind of abuse sirius was suffering. i mean i really think that is very broadly open to interpretation. i think i tend to imagine that emotional abuse was like, the biggest aspect of it, and that to the extent that it was physical it was very much hidden and like. the sort of thing that may have walked the line between people brushing it off versus people taking it seriously--i.e, some people will get really upset if they hear someone hit their kid, others will think that's a legit form of discipline. and i think magic was definitely part of it as well--like walburga using silencio on sirius to steal his voice, etc. i think that as sirius grew older and started to act out more the abuse started to get worse as his parents attempted to "discipline" him or just to punish him for acting out, and i usually imagine that all of this built up until there was some very extreme instance of like. physical (or magical--i.e, crucio) abuse that caused him to finally feel like he had no option but to leave.

as for them figuring out he was queer. i like the hc that alphard was gay, and i imagine walburga growing up and seeing her brother get outed and like. horribly disowned from the family and driven out, and really internalizing this sort of vitriolic hatred towards queerness, feeling like her brother had been corrupted and led astray, etc etc. and i imagine her sort of...picking up on some of the signs in sirius as he's growing older and hitting puberty, even as he himself is still figuring it out. like i imagine walburga and sirius fighting about his hair a lot, for example, with walburga feeling like him imitating the hairstyles of muggle rockstars is queer, and sirius thinking he's just copying these cool guys that he likes a lot for...some reason. no reason in particular. it's probably nothing. y'know?

so i imagine walburga essentially "realizing" about sirius before sirius has even come to terms with it himself, and i imagine him really struggling with internalized homophobia because of this. like, because his first introduction to queerness is essentially his mother accusing him of being dirty and corrupted and wrong, i think even after he leaves home and has a healthier environment to figure himself out, he'd still have this very deep internalized fear that his mother was right about him, and i think it would take him a long time to come to terms with queerness as something that is not wrong, the way he was taught to think of it.

that is how i usually interpret sirius's relationship with his parents--but, like i said at the beginning, this is a subject i've seen taken in many different directions, and i'm not like. super attached to any one narrative. i think there's a lot of different possible ways to write the black family dynamic!

[zonaenthusiast]

One Piece 100 Days Challenge!

Day 95: To support RoleplayRevived, make an oc.

I don’t know what that is and I don’t play rol so I’m going to talk about whatever I want and that would be the ocs I created for the One Piece fanfics I never wrote (except for some scenes I never published)! Yay!

In the question about writing a short story I mentioned (in Spanish) that, back in 2014/2015, I created three ocs that were going to be the protagonists of three fics, each one with a One Piece guy (the guys in question: Zoro, Kidd and Law) and those fics were going to be connected to each other. My horrible imagination was never able to create a plot as such and those fics were never written.

But my ocs are my kids and they have personalities and, although the main characters are three, I actually have three other secondary ocs. The idea of my fics being connected came because these six ocs are related to each other in various ways. They also have in common that, in one way or another, they are all a menace.

My first oc, the one that opened the door to this madness, is Shina. Of course, her partner is Zoro:

She is 21 years old (she was born the same day and year as Zoro), her height is 165 centimeters, her zodiac sign is scorpio and her mtbi is INFP.

She was a marine, not anymore.

The only father figure she has ever had in her life who has behaved like one is Mihawk, her biological father was a piece of shit.

She officially met Zoro the day both turned 13.

She has had some sort of intimate relationship with three of my other ocs. I will not say with whom, just in case.

She is extremely observant and intuitive, more so than Zoro himself because she is not an idiot and really understands human emotions, and you can't hide practically anything from her.

The second oc I created was Fuu and her partner is Kidd:

She is 24 years old (one year older than Kidd), her birthday is August 5th (she is a leo), her height is 175 centimeters and her mtbi is ESTP.

She is the child of marines but her biological parents died when she was just a baby, she doesn’t remember them at all. She was raised by pretty much the entire Marineford, where she was born, but the main parental figures for her are Sengoku and Tsuru.

She ran away from Marineford when she was 15.

She met Shina when she was 20 and Shina was 17 and she met Kidd when she was 21 and he was 20 (this was before we knew of Kidd’s past so now the past I created for them doesn’t make sense, oh well).

Unfortunately for everybody, she will keep doing whatever she wants. But, while I say this because this woman will not listen to or take orders from anything or anyone, she is incredibly good and loyal to the people she loves and it is not in your best interest to have her against you because she can be The Menace.

My third and final protagonist is Hoshi and her partner is Law:

She is 27 years old (one year older than Law), her birthday is June 1st (she is a gemini), her height is 181 centimeters and her mbti is ISTJ.

Both her parents are alive (shocking, I know) but she hates her father with a passion because /reasons/ and she hasn’t seen him in years. Her parents were never a couple and she considers her stepfather as the only father figure she’s ever had.

She was born in Mariejoa. No, I will not elaborate any further.

She met Fuu when she was 11 and Fuu was 8, she met Shina when she was 24 and Shina was 18; and she met Law when she was 25 and he was 24.

She is one of the most beautiful people most people who have had the pleasure of meeting her have ever seen in their entire lives. Like... Hancock/Hiyori kind of beautiful. Her biological father and one of her brothers are this level of gorgeous too (if you know who Red Velvet are, she gives off the same aura as Irene. Although, if she were real, I imagine her more like Jisoo from Blackpink). She is also incredibly intelligent and the glasses are there because she can't see shit without them. 

My other ocs are Satoru, Ryu (both are Hoshi’s brothers and they both have the same age, 24 years old, but they are not related to each other: Satoru is her brother on her father’s side and Ryu is her brother on her mother’s side) and Suoh (he is the main villain of the first fic I came up with, the one with Shina as protagonist and he actually has heterocromy, one of his eyes is dark blue and the other one is light brown but this picrew didn’t let me choose the color separately).

So here they are, my main ocs. I have more, but these are the ones who had more relevant roles in those fics that never were.

Picrew used: this one for the girls and this one for the boys.

[manygalaxiesinone]

What if Goku and Adell Swapped Places (Adell's Side: Pt. 1)

((Hee ho dood! Prinnyfrost reporting for duty! Well, it's the moment some of you guys have been waiting for! Time to start covering how Adell fairs in Goku's shoes in the Dragonball series. Now as I said, like with Goku in Disgaea, this is just going to be a summary of everything I think might occur in this new timeline instead of an actual dialogue filled story. There are actually 2 reasons for it this time around. First, there's a lot more to cover here in contrast to Goku's side of things and second...I'm not really completely familiar with the original dragonball.

I've never seen the original show before, but I did get quite a bit of information about what happens in it thanks to Masakox's videos. While he never did a complete summary of everything in dragonball as he only reviewed the current dragonball super chapters and episodes, some of his content, like his What Ifs do provide some context in certain situations. That being said, if something seems a bit too of where I need to make edits, please let me know before I get too deep into this. Just a heads up, this whole first part is going to cover all of dragonball. As much as it might be easier to just start off at Z and say the time patrol just let things progress normally until then, if I started Goku off as a baby before the events of Disgaea 2, then I have to do the same with Adell. It's only fair. So let's get started.

Just like before, Old Man Gohan one day accidentally stumbles upon a ship that landed nearby his home. He decides to investigate and when it opens, he sees 3 figures. They appear to be...strange masked creatures, and one of them is holding an infant. The figures were rather...a tad startled at first, but Gohan gave them a warm welcome and invited them into his home since they currently have nowhere else to go. After eating, the two older ones introduced themselves as demons from a far away planet. Their names being...Shura and Selion.

Yeah. In case if some of you forgot, both of Adell's parents went with him when they escaped their home Netherworld, unlike Bardock and Gine who were left behind during Planet Vegeta's destruction. And since there's no Overlord Zenon or anything that's going to threaten the world at this point, Adell's going to have both his parents as well as Gohan to raise him before he even sets out in his journey. And I can totally see them letting Gohan in the family because in Disgaea 2, their closest companions in Veldime won them over with their kindness. This means, I get to have a little fun with how he gets trained early on.

Not to worry, I'm not getting rid of his fists. Gohan probably won't be able to teach him everything, but he would give Adell some early training, probably even more so than what he gave Goku since we don't have to worry about Adell turning into great ape and accidentally killing him. He would still need to hold back quite a bit though. I'll explain later.

His father, Shura, will teach Adell swordsmanship. While we don't know too much about Shura, we do know that he does use a sword to at least a decent extent given his unique skill in Disgaea 2. This would be Adell's secondary weapon to his fists instead of the power pole that Goku took in Dragonball.

Selion will be teaching Adell some magic. I say some because in this timeline, I don't imagine him using too many spells. Maybe a few buffs and healing here and there as well as fire enchantments. She would also be the one to teach Adell how to appear more...human like.

While there IS a version of Adell in Disgaea RPG that's a magic user, this one isn't so much the case. I can see him use it every now and then, but only for when situations call for it and not all that much in direct combat.

Now we get to where Bulma shows up and DOESN'T shoot Adell in the head because she wasn't caught by surprise. This is going to be similar to MasakoX's "what if Gine went with Goku" story where Bulma explains the reason for coming her with Adell, Gohan, Shura, and Selion, that she wanted to collect the dragonballs to make a wish. Sensing no ill will from her, they willingly gave up the ball under the condition that Adell accompanies her. Not for the lack of trust, but this would be an opportunity for Adell to travel the world around him. As I said before, I'm not really going to go into EVERY detail about OG Dragonball, but I will summarize the best I can.

First off is Roshi and Krillin. Things would start off as usual as Roshi would give the dragonball to see Bulma's panties. This time, he would get the actual panty shot and not Bulma's bare privates. This is because Adell wouldn't be as curious as Goku was and wouldn't...you know...steal them in her sleep. That being said, he's also not going to stop Roshi from getting that panty peek because well... Adell's still a kid at this point. His parents likely didn't teach him anything about the birds and the bees yet so when he hears this, all he's going to do is ask "panties??? What are panties??? Is it a toy?". Of course, when he gets older, he'll fully catch on that this isn't okay and would get Roshi to back off a little. Then there's Krillin. While Adell would get some training from Gohan, Roshi would probably take the time to up Adell's skills a little. Stuff that Gohan didn't get to teach him yet like the Kamehameha. He's also going to teach Adell a lesson in humility after defeating him in his first tournament, because as powerful as he is here, he's still inexperienced in combat and isn't used to certain tactics that Roshi can pull from his sleeve. As for Krillin, this one's actually going to be a bit of a toss up, because I can tell you right now, these two are NOT starting off as good friends. Remember, in OG dragonball, Krillin used to hate Goku for a while and tried to trick him on multiple occasions during training. While Adell is a forgiving person, one thing you gotta remember is that he's less laid back than Goku. It's going to take even longer for them to actually be able to bond together. I'd say the best bet would be after Krillin dies by one of King Piccolo's minions later on and then brought back to life.

Speaking of Piccolo, yeah sorry, we're gonna have to say goodbye to the grumpy green guy that we know and love in Z. Why? Well, remember what I said about the average power level of demons in Disgaea? And the fact that Adell's been training with both of his blood related parents for years before setting off on this adventure? Yeah, Adell's pretty much going to be Saitama for the remainder of this series. He's going to one-shot every major villain he comes across. This isn't to say he's going to go around killing every antagonist like Tien, but if he knows that you're like off the walls evil like King Piccolo, you're not gonna survive. Adell is much less fond of holding back his strength compared to Goku, and will go all out if he knows a situation is very drastic. This means that after Krillin dies, Adell's going to be coming for blood against King Piccolo and he's not going to have the time to shoot out an egg before he gets murked.

Next is Chi Chi. As you guys have voted, she and Adell won't end up together in the end, despite her likely having a crush on him when they meet up. I already explained why I DO think this relationship would actually work out potentially even better than the one she has with Goku before, but at the same time, there's no guarantee that Adell would seal the deal here. He would at least have some idea what a marriage is since both Shura and Selion are around in this story and would refuse to promise to marry her in the future. This would be heartbreaking, but I can see Adell letting her down just gently enough for her not to get too upset about it. It would sting but she would recover.

Now we get into the big one, Yamcha. You guys have voted that Adell will eventually end up marrying the saiyan woman that he raised after she crash lands nearby him. As a result, he does seem more confident around women, which will certainly attract Bulma, but not all that much until he spends some time with her. And no, I'm not going to kill him off because of the Great Ape form. He will experience it once, but would be able to barely dodge the rampage until she gets stuck on some rocks, forcing Yamcha to cut off her tail to set her free. As much as it's fun even for me to poke fun at Yamcha from time to time, I'm not going to do him dirty here. Finally, we have his adopted little saiyan named Shoumei. Sorry, the art for her isn't ready yet. I want @smourice-toastygraham to take as much time he needs with it. Anyway, she would learn how to fight from Yamcha, wolf fang fist and all and even learn some moves from the rest of the gang as the story progresses. However, unlike Yamcha, Shoumei never really fully escapes the bandit life. She often steals valuables every now and then, friends and foes alike, especially Bulma given her status.

This gets even worse when they meet Launch, specifically her blonde form. These two would likely get along swimmingly. If it wasn't for the fact that she's attracted to Tien, I can see her and Yamcha getting together as a couple in this timeline. A family of thieves spreading larceny in the genes. This does not sit well with Adell, as even though he's not really a hero, he does have a more righteous heart. The two would be at odds pretty often, as Shoumei would love nothing more than to tease the little "pure hearted devil boy" and the two would end up fighting from time to time, both with swords and fists. You can basically imagine them being like Knuckles and Rouge from Sonic or Batman and Catwoman from DC, especially the latter in the romantic sense, because I prefer Rouge more with Shadow than with Knuckles. Naturally, Shoumei won't be much of a challenge to Adell when it comes to physical combat, but she does toy with him in the mind category and overtime, Shoumei does get stronger and stronger from fighting Adell, especially during times when she pushes him a little too far and she gets a zenkai boost from it. They do mature as they get older, and you know saiyans, they're attracted to strength and feistiness, so it's only a matter of time before Shoumei starts asking Launch for advice (because she knows she's not going to get any from Yamcha) and the two end up hitched after one final tournament fight. And that pretty much covers OG Dragonball. Once again, if there are some important details I left out, please let me know so I can make edits before I get into the next part, where we go over Z. Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you next time.

[denimbex1986]

'Perhaps on the day of the Oscar nominations you heard the echo of a cinephile scream. Andrew Haig's latest, All of Us Strangers , did not receive a single nomination. To alleviate this misdeed, we hope that you will flock to the cinema for this gripping drama.

Answers

Fortysomething Adam (Andrew Scott, Pride , Sherlock ) is working on the most difficult writing assignment of his career. In his new scenario he wants to use his past. And so he wants to dig into it for answers. About why he is who he is. Withdrawn, even lonely, unable to commit. He reminisces about his youth, but that proves difficult. Adam has also just moved, but only a few apartments have been occupied in the new apartment building. He is isolated, both literally and figuratively. Yet a different environment quickly bore fruit. In the elevator he meets twenty-something Harry (Paul Mescal, Aftersun ). There is an instant spark, but because Harry is drunk, Adam doesn't respond to his advances.

To break his writer's block, Adam visits his parents' house. His parents died in a car accident when he was a child. That loss of support had a huge effect on his development and self-acceptance. All of Us Strangers is partly described as a fantasy film, specifically because of a brilliant story element that allows us to delve into Adam's personality. In his former home he sees his parents again, as they were when they died. The same age as he is now, and overjoyed to see their 'little' boy.

It does not stop at an encounter, in both parts of the story. Adam opens up somewhat due to the 'return' of his parents, and also allows Harry into his life. They get to know each other and themselves better. Because Harry also does not have a good relationship with his family. They build a life together. But gradually Adam seems to lose touch with reality. When he takes Harry to 'his parents', it is a turning point in their relationship.

Personal

Director and screenwriter Andrew Haigh adapted the story from the book Strangers by Taichi Yamada, of which Nobuhiko Obayashi also made a Japanese horror version in 1988. Haigh turned it into something very personal. The relationship between Harry and Adam makes a lot of sense to people who see the film, but I actually thought that bond was secondary to Adam's dive into the past. Haigh made a film for the generations of queer people who never fully accepted themselves because of the times they grew up in. A time when parental support was rare, because those parents rarely knew about their child's orientation. A time when they had to permanently hide a part of themselves.

That also keeps Adam very busy. When he finally tells them, it's neither harder nor easier than he imagined. These scenes combine the personal with reality: a lot has changed in thirty years. Adam talks to his father about their bond and what he should have done differently in the past. His mother asks him whether his 'lifestyle' is the right choice and whether he is not making things unnecessarily difficult for himself. These are nuanced scenes, which become even heavier when you consider that Adam projects his own thoughts onto his parents. All of Us Strangers is also a compelling portrait of parents and children. Even when they are gone, we must reconcile their mistakes with the good memories.

Just a look

If you don't know actor Andrew Scott yet, he will stay with you after this film. Like no other, he can convey loads of emotion with just a look. There is something endearing about the Brit, even when he plays the less sympathetic sides of a character. The vulnerability he shows as Adam is sometimes even too great to watch. In the great Pride he already played a character similar to Adam, but this is a level higher. This Oscar snub left me most disappointed, even though Best Actor is an overcrowded category.

Paul Mescal's character remains somehow a mystery, even though he is so prominent in Adam's life. But the young actor's performance is again very impressive. His role is smaller than you might expect, but it sticks with you afterwards. The same goes for Claire Foy ( The Crown ) and Jamie Bell ( Rocketman ), who are endearing and heartbreakingly good as Adam's parents. All four actors deserved more industry recognition for their near-perfect performances.

Despite the emotional themes, the film is bathed in warm colors that feel nostalgic. Cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay (of our beloved Living ) also brings an appropriately dreamlike effect to the scenes with Adam's parents. He and Haigh also keep the film visually interesting with dynamic and diverse camerawork. Another Living crew member is Emelie Levienaise-Farrouch, who presents a score that is not that noticeable at first glance, but adds an ethereal and mystical atmosphere to the film and thus emphasizes the fantasy aspect. But the focus is mainly on a few prominent songs such as The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood . You will never listen to that song quite the same way again.'

[maprues]

Growing up from an exceptionally unfortunate family, unfortunate foundation can make one's life hard or delicate as they call it these days.

I go by Reasonability and I woul like to impart my story to you.

I experienced childhood in a family where by we were just recongnised for being poor of which I think it was great since I gleaned some significant knowledge from it,and how to reside with ither individuals.

This is a result of how I grew up that I wish to assist others with having a superior life and help others. At the point when my mom couldn't bear to deal with me she chose to take to my grandma. My grandma who then, at that point, saw me as a slave and began mishandling me.Little did she had any idea that she was making me a solid, bold lady.

I was simply 5years when I began to bring water from the stream. I didn't comprehend everything by then, I believed it's the manner by which life is assume to be.I recollect when my dad visited us in the rustic regions. I was separated from everyone else and like each guest we need to plan something to eat. By then. I was doing grade 1.I needed to make fire and began cooking utilizing those pots with 3 legs.

He was astounded to see me cook, I don't have the foggiest idea what he was thinking yet am certain he was glad to see me do sothing that different children of my age couldn't do.

Days went by schools open, I would get up promptly in the first part of the day to warm water for others to shower, I wolud cook then whn they are done I begin setting myself up to go to school.My most exceedingly awful bad dream happened when my uncle's little girl lost her pencil and took mine then let my granny know that she heard a few children at shool saying that I lost my pencil.

I was nibbled like a jackass then, at that point, pondered internally yet why, for what reason did my mom live me here to carry on with this life, for what reason was I brought into this brutal world. Things where deteriorating every single day.

On one occasion I became exceptionally ill, I was made to hydrate with salt and I was not taken to the center. Neighbor saw me and illuminated my mom in the city. At the point when she came everybody imagined they gave me love yet no they were simply imagining.

A few neighbors let my mom know how I have been dealt with and that she would yet garments for and the garments were given to my sisters (uncle's girls). She then, at that point, chose to return with me.

I went in the city and began my grade 3 there and I figured life will be better. I saw my dad nibbled my mom every single time he become inebriated. Sooner or later I was youthful yes however my mom drained and was taken to the clinic, it was then that we found she was pregnant.. It was miserable on the grounds that my father didn't show that he was grieved.

I grew up with outrage and told myself I won't ever get hitched. Years went by and my auntie shared with my mom when I was in secondary school, she planned to take me to remain with her in South Africa and finish my examinations there.

Things changed when I arrived, I needed to search for a task with the prospect that assuming I get compensated I will study and working.First installment I was told to purchase food and pay lease. I saw my reality pulverizing as I naturally suspected I had seen everything presently am beginning to live like an ordinary youngster however I was off-base.

I met this fellow and guaranteed me the world. We dated I moved out when I figured out I was pregnant. I was frightened my auntie was going to tore into me. Everything was going great when I moved until one day when he slapped me since I went to see a companion.

after 11 years with 3 children and wedded I concluded its about time I moved out on the grounds that the person would messed with me for things that I didn't have any idea and wouldn't let me go except if I concur with him that I did what he would be blaming me for. It was the point at which he nearly broke my ribs and my 5 years of age saw all that even following 5 years in the wake of breaking up(divorced) my child actually gets some information about it..

I have gained some significant experience about this life despite everything realizing all I wish for is to help the people who are head over heels and those children that face GBV in their homes.

I bless your heart!!!

[portraitandplaylist]

Side A: Malachi

What does music mean to you? How does it make you feel?

Music is I think - in the most cliche way possible - it's a part of me. It's who I am. I don't think I'd be the person that I am without it. I think that it's shaped me into the man that I am today and I think it's been like a sort of father figure to me, I guess. It's raised me to be the person I am.

How big of a part does music play in your life and career?

I'd say it's pretty much my entire life, 'cause it's my job. It's what I do. I think everything that I do revolves around music, I quite simply just couldn't imagine doing anything else but that, so again - as cliche as it is - music's my life.

What's a song you know word for word, bar for bar?

It's either gonna be Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe by Kendrick Lamar or Only Love by Ben Howard.

Do you collect vinyl? If so what do you enjoy about it? And if not, how come?

So I do, but not on a regular thing. It's more like when I see a vinyl that I like, I'm like "you know what let me grab that real quick." But I'm not an avid collector, just every now and then.

Tell me about your favourite concert that you went to.

It would probably be a festival that I went to - the Great Escape festival this year - I went to go and see Bawo. And that was incredible for me. I'm a massive fan, so yeah that was cool.

Your favourite lyric?

Favourite lyric I think is "If shit hit the fan, is you still a fan?" It's on Mortal Man by Kendrick Lamar.

Give me the name of a playlist you made with no context.

Rest In Peace iPhone 4S

What are your desert island disc albums?

To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar, Melt My Eyez See Your Future by Denzel Curry and KTSE by Teyana Taylor.

Tell me about music your parents played while you were growing up.

So my parents played an awful lot of - a very diverse mix of music. It went from songs by Aaliyah to Marvin Gaye to Luther Vandross, just loads of music like that. I think that's sort of what shaped me into the music listener that I am today.

Briefly talk me through the songs you put in this playlist, what do they mean to you.

So two of the songs on my playlist: Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe and No Role Modelz by Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole are the first two songs that I'd listened to by those artists, 'cause my friends were showing me them back in secondary school, but I'd never listened to that sort of music before so I think those two songs are a massive part of me listening to rap, I guess.

Starts with a Text by Bawo was the first song that I listened to by him and then immediately fell in love with all of his music.

I've got Golden by Tyler, the Creator, because I was going through it in college.

Close To You by Frank Ocean, because that sort of gave me an idea of what sampling was like, because the original song is by Stevie Wonder that he performed live on a TV show but I can't remember what one it was.

I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye, 'cause it was the first song that I learnt on guitar.

There's a song by Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody, because my mum used to play that song religiously in the car whenever we were driving around anywhere.

Good Life by Kanye West and T-Pain because I just can't get enough of that song and I was listening to it all the time as kid.

Serious by JME was the first song that introduced me to Grime. So that's - I gotta love that song.

And last but not least Only Love by Ben Howard, because it's the second song that I learnt to play on guitar.

[hahahahblahblahblah]

My friend Kian

My father spoke, repeating what he always does: “How’d it end up like this?”

For all the times my father boasted about Persians and their accomplishments in the sciences - Pointing out storied astronomers, or going so far as to carry on their spirit of exploration by venturing to remember the last name of that one woman who won “a few Nobel Prize” - -

For all the times my father boasted about Persians and their accomplishments in the sciences, it was the mathematicians I was most proud of. The mathematics are almost secondary to the Iranian experience.

Recall the disgruntled Persian’s formula:

“X years ago your aunt and I were like siblings. I can’t even stay at her place anymore without feeling like a stranger. How’d it come to this?”

“Your grandmother was the glue, Amin. X sisters, she kept together. Each one had, what, Y and Z kids each? How’d it end up like this?”

———

“Can I just, stop - Can we stop for a second?” Kian interrupted. I’ve only had about two seconds to piece together some sort of feeling in response to this interruption. Four seconds have now gone by - “Hurt” is how I can best describe it. I hesitate saying that. That’s pathetic. Hurt. His “Stop” suggested - Why the fuck is he not talking? It’s been, like, eight seconds.

“It’s been, like, eight seconds. Are you going to say anything?” I interjected the deadest air imaginable.

“Yes. I just - Sorry.” He bumbled.

“You interrupted me.”

“Yes. Your thing is weird. This thing is weird.”

“My piece?”

“Your ‘piece’ is fine,” he scrunched his pair of index and middle fingers, as if he’d been calling out to a sickly dog. “the piece is fine, this is just weird. Like, you reading to me. Who is this for?”

“I’m asking for a critique.”

“I don’t know. It’s fine. It’s your life, I guess. It’s weird for me to even judge. But this is weird. Is this what life is now? Two grown adults reading to each other? Like I’m your kid?” The idiot proclaimed. That dull knife of insecurity he’s digging into my back is starting to pierce me, though.

“What are you, like - Is that gay to you? Or something?”

“No! Not gay. Gay people would probably be out doing other stuff instead of reading to each other. Like, more fun stuff. This is just weird. You got the gay thing yourself. Not me.” Kian went on. I fazed out. So much so that his face smoothened out into faded streaks, his stupid pencil mark of a face rubbed out by my thumb.

I’ve tried to do this about seven times in my life, something’s pushing me to try again. Ya Abol Fazl, Ali, Hossein or Allah. Whichever one of you is here, let me understand who this moron truly is.

———

I met Kian about four years ago. I had just moved to New York. In some pathetic attempt to feel at home again, I seeked out a kitschy bar on St. Marks - Dodgers and Lakers memorabilia and all. This review was enough for me:

“one of the more lowkey spots in the city. My friends and I went here for a work outing because we heard the al pastor tacos are good, lived up to the hype! Bouncer can be a bit rude, but ill never complain about cheap drinks in lower Manhattan.”

There was no bouncer and the beer was nine dollars. I crammed myself next to a Filipino man, finding links between Tagalog and Spanish with a person I could not see. I didn’t care much. Still, I leaned back to get a better view, and knocked my head on a glass drink.

“Sorry! Shit.” I quickly exclaimed. “How come his glass is glass and my cup is plastic?” I thought in parallel.

“No worries! I was coming to you, actually. Sorry - This is very weird, but I’m with a table of four and…” the man I now know as Kian went on. I don’t even remember what he said. I didn’t really care. He needed me to sit with his group to be seated for whatever.

His friends treated me like the logistical technicality I was and ignored me all night. The bar was low, in this instance, but he talked to me like a human being. He was Persian, too. I figured. From LA. Yes.

His parents never took him back to Iran like mind did, but they taught him Farsi. This was good. I was particularly sour about the taste Persian ex-pats acquired for cultural suicide around this time in my life, New York is lonely for newcomers.

I always tried to sneak in Farsi into our conversations. I always wanted to go get Persian food with him. I invited him for backgammon all the time. In hindsight, I shudder thinking about how desperately I tried to connect with someone I was already friends with.

Each attempt I made to surface our culture washed over that straight face he effortlessly carries. He wasn’t contemptful, he just didn’t care. I would double down at times and go on these frivolous rants about what “real” tea is - How Americans wouldn’t know “chai” if it burned them alive. I remember he whispered a “Jesus” to himself when our train got delayed, and I made a ridiculous quip about how he should say “Ya Ali” instead.

“That’s weird.” he said, as he dug his palms into his gaze and resurrected his dead eyes.

Months later, I gave up. He was just a guy. I was fine with that. We played tennis together quite often, which was nice. I made some friends at work, which is rare. He invited me to Queens on a Wednesday afternoon, claiming he found a free court we could play on.

He was right. We played for a bit and sat down.

“Any plans for the weekend?” He asked with that Department of Motor Vehicles fervor.

“Visiting my parents back home.”

“Nice.”

“My aunt is sick, I guess. I feel like I should be there for my dad” I replied, expecting a nod.

“I’m sorry.”

“I think she’s depressed. She just lays around her house in Iran all day. It’s depressing.” I started to babble. At this point I was too stubborn to reanimate the pithy cultural connection we had, but he could be there for me as a friend.

“They’re all depressed.” He said. Sharply. I snapped my head up.

“Who?”

“Persians. They’re all depressed. Your aunt is definitely depressed if she’s living that way. That’s a Persian way of living.”

I’m the interviewer, and I’m almost positive I’m dealing with a Lou Reed type here. Either way, I shut my mouth for the chance that he continues. He grabbed a loose tennis ball, tossed it, and cued his words to the first bounce.

“Our parents are just schizophrenics who hear the voices of Eid’s past. Look at every family event that’s thrown in our culture. They doll themselves up for the Iranian ex-pat showcase that takes place in Orange County one year and White Planes the next - They turn on the radio on the drive there so their hour of shit talking is accompanied by a faint score of some Pointer Sisters song.

Once they see the very people they were calling “fat” and “sad” they pull those facial muscles back like Mr. Olympia and say the same shit: “Hossein jan! Salam! Khoobin Shoma?” Hossein’s stupid kids are there right next to him. “Eh! In kiy hast?” The kid doesn’t even speak Farsi cause’ God knows Hossein is going to teach his kid the very language he associates with all the traumatic bullshit he’s been through - Or maybe he’s just lazy. Who knows? “You remember me? I knew you when you were just a baby!” They’ll ask with that thick ass accent. The kid doesn’t remember you.

And throughout the whole get together, you’ll hear the same faint, drunken rumblings in every pocket of the party: ‘Chi shod?’, ‘What happened?’, ‘Vaghan oon vaktha behtar budan, bavar kon.’ ‘How did it end up this way?’

Some will attribute it to the day that one matriarchal figure died.

Most will venture no further. Because maybe what happened was a bunch of under-diagnosed maniacs got together and called themselves a “family”, when in reality they were a collection of married people who were too young to understand the consequences of their actions, and too stubborn to ever leave one another. And so they birthed their husbands’ second or third sets of kids and let them repeat the cycle in front of them like exhibitionists do, until the instability revealed itself and forced a quarter of them to leave everyone and everything behind.

Most who left never came back, and let their parents become the strangers they always were. They’ll have their normal kids and, luckily, kill about four generations’ worth of trauma at the cost of mangling their culture itself. Yeah, I’m sure your aunt is depressed, dude.”

I couldn’t speak. I tried and I couldn’t.

“Wanna’ play another set?” He bounced up and ran to his side of the court, already knowing the answer.