#it's about leaving doomed timelines because you can't save them all

[ministarfruit]

day 27: did it for you ♡

(prompt list for femslashfeb)

[sarshles-cheescake-li]

I wonder if Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi's rule around past and future was about protecting the timeline and the future, or about protecting Cheng Xiaoshi?

After all, on a universal, metaphysical scale of things, physics shouldn't care about whether a change to its pathway is observable to humans or not. It shouldn't care whether someone changes the timeline enough to have noticeable changes on the human level, or just on the micro level -- one second late here, a few centimetres too far here.

Besides, I would presume that for the sake of the universe's peace of mind, it wouldn't give people reality-breaking powers for the fun of it.

But what we do know is that changing the past drains you. It tires you out, wrings the smile from your face and the crinkle from your eyes. After all, if someone got murdered, to you, it's a tragedy. If someone got murdered because of something you did or didn't do, then to you, it's sin. And if they weren't supposed to die in the first place, but you went back and changed something, and now they are? That's practically your crime, isn't it (to clarify, this is a literary hyperbole)?

But you can't just not change the past. Because if someone gets hurt and you could've saved them, then that's no different, really, from dooming them yourself. Does inaction not carry the same consequences as action? Does the crime of omission not weigh on the scale just as heavily as the crime of commission?

Cheng Xiaoshi learns. Cheng Xiaoshi cares, about everyone and everything, deeply. Whether it be because he dives in and inherits their emotions, or because he is too full of love for every single living thing, Cheng Xiaoshi is the type of person to see everyone whom he can reach as his responsibility. But that is a horrible, horrible mindset for a time-traveler, isn't it?

So -- imagine. Lu Guang, in the first few loops, without his rules, changing the past with his partner, watching Cheng Xiaoshi fall apart again and again, drowned by his own perceived sins. And we don't know who Lu Guang was, at this point. Was he perhaps more stilted, less able to be Cheng Xiaoshi's psychologist, as director Li once joked? What would've happened to a Cheng Xiaoshi who carried more burdens and whose Lu Guang was not yet practiced at bringing him back up from his lowest points?

So Lu Guang learns. The first rule is a time limit, and the second rule of obedience. Maybe this was their own rule to begin with, to make sure Cheng Xiaoshi remained within Lu Guang's reach. Maybe it was made later, so that Lu Guang could guide Cheng Xiaoshi and shoulder more responsibility. If he could make himself the gunman and Cheng Xiaoshi the gun, maybe the latter would not feel so guilty over whom gets caught in the crossfire.

Maybe later he learns that that doesn't work, that Cheng Xiaoshi still feels deeply guilty about the people hurt by the new histories they create. So then the third rule: Past or future, leave them be. I had always found it strange why this rule included the future, in addition to the past. If it's about timeline stability, wouldn't it just be about the past?

But maybe it's for Cheng Xiaoshi's sake. If Cheng Xiaoshi thinks that he isn't allowed to change the past for some higher, nobler reason, if it's Lu Guang making him follow the rules and not he himself, then the choice is out of his hands. It's not that he's "leaving someone to die." It's the timeline which demands they must die. He cannot change it, so he will not. And if it's for that same higher, nobler reason that he cannot try to track the changes that he created, then that choice is out of his hands, too. Then it's about him "not wanting to know what happens" it's that he "shouldn't know what happens."

Cheng Xiaoshi, left to its own devices, flies too high and burns himself out, trying to care for too many people too deeply, all at once. But what if Lu Guang chains him to the ground? Here are the rules, Cheng Xiaoshi. You must stay for only twelve hours (So I will know where you are and you will not lose yourself living infinitely in the past). You must listen to me (so you can punch me and blame me if things go wrong instead of yourself). You cannot change the past (So please don't try to, because once you do, it will suffocate you) and you cannot ask about the future (you don't need to know what your actions have wrought). And Cheng Xiaoshi remains, unburnt, unscathed. If anyone asks him why he won't fly higher, it's a simple answer -- Lu Guang asked me not to.

Lastly, this one is purely speculation, and I don't think it's true, but -- do we actually get confirmation, at any point in the story, that Cheng Xiaoshi can't dive into photos that he's already dove into? Did he ever actually try and have it fail, or did Lu Guang simply tell him that?

Maybe there is no diving limit. Maybe Cheng Xiaoshi can dive into the same photo as many times as he wants. But then why would Lu Guang tell he couldn't?

It's simple.

You must not get caught up trying to change a past that doesn't want to be changed.

After all, Lu Guang knows very well what happens if you do, doesn't he?

[fiyero3305]

the world was literally ending, him and diego were the only ones to show concern for klaus at all. he went to check on klaus and then found out about the breifcase, which would obviously piss him off because they couldve used it to their advantage to save them. if he failed, klaus was going to die in a few days anyway

a lot of fives actions throughout the series can be explained by the fact that the entire show literally takes place across like 20 very stressful days for him, instead of years like the others. yet, he still makes time to be there for his family

hes obviously not perfect especially his past (murdering people) but i dont think you can spend 40 years isolated in an apoctolyptic wasteland without coming out like. a little bit messed up.

if his actions are not motivated by his love for his family, genuinly, what is he motivated by? thats like, the entire point of his character. hes willing to do anything, literally anything, to get back to his family and save them (and the rest of the world, but that always seemed like a lesser priority to me) from the apocolyspe.

the only time his shows what looks like a lack of concern for his family is when they are going to die either way. im pretty sure he counts victor as too far gone towards the end of s1 but thats because victor will die in a few hours either way, and he has too count his losses to save the rest of his family

if he just wanted to save the world, why involve his family so much? from his point of veiw, they only seem to slow him down. the first thing he does arriving in the 1960s is try to find his family. hes already abandoned 2 timelines for their sake. the first time is out of necessity, but the second time he decides to take his family and leave, instead of fixing the 1960s timeline.

his love for his family is like. the entire crux of his character im afraid. hes kind of a neurotic, unpleasent mess most of the time *but* he loves and will do anything for his family. thats what makes him a compelling character

I want to start by saying, I'm not here to convince you that my interpretation of Five is right or that yours is wrong. The love you have for the character is yours and I'm glad you have it :)

Since you asked, his consistent belittling of his family and dismissal of their opinions and concerns, even if for a good reason, is not a show of love. There are many abusive relationships that have affection in them, but are unhealthy because one person in the relationship believes that whatever they have going on is more important than the other's, or that the other person(s) can't help them because they aren't smart or skilled enough.

Re: Klaus and the briefcase, he doesn't really have a right to be angry with Klaus for destroying the briefcase when he never respected Klaus enough to include him in his plans or share his knowledge with him. Remember, Klaus destroys the briefcase before Five tells them the apocalypse is coming. He has no idea there is an impending doom that time travel would be crucial to helping, <I was wrong here, see comments> nor does he have any reason to believe this briefcase does anything but transport someone into the middle of the Vietnam War.

As I said in my post, I believe Five cares about his family, but his disrespect for them prevents this care from maturing to actual love, at least at this point in the series. He wants to save them the way someone may want to save a pet. He doesn't see them as equals who can contribute to the mission, but as precious things he has to care for. As you mention, from his perspective they only slow him down. If there were people in my life who I saw as nothing but impediments to my goals, I don't think I could in fairness say that I loved them above all else.

I don't think we can accurately say that he will do anything for his family because there are a few things he won't do for them. He won't slow down his Apocalypse mission to listen to and get to know them. He won't be completely open and honest with them about the severity of their situation from the beginning. He won't include them in his plans if he's already deemed them useless. He won't hear their input and make any changes to his plans based on what matters to them.

I will grant you that these things make him a compelling character, but I don't think I've ever argued against that. What I've said is that I don't like him and even while making a conscious effort to have more empathy for him, I still find a lot of his actions to be worthy of critique.

[ellipsiseffervescent]

Homura supremacy/Rebellion is fantastic

I think that the dissatisfaction with Rebellion and dislike of Homura come from a misunderstanding of some of the series themes, most importantly, the evil of self-sacrifice that we as a society demand from our girls and women. Even in the timeline where witches no longer exist, magical girls still must fight wraiths until they one day disappear forever. Still, even before then, the system of magical girls always exploits the girls through their sacrifice. Girls are taught to sacrifice themselves for the things that are important to them, and it is that teaching that is imperative to Kyubey/patriarchy exploiting said girls.   Secondly, let’s look at the taboo around wishes. Throughout the series, it is stressed that making a wish for someone else is a doomed endeavor for which both Kyoko and Sayaka suffer. The nature of the taboo not only reinforces the doomed nature of self-sacrifice of girls, but also sets up the curse of Homura, and to an extent, Madoka’s wishes.

Now with that in mind: people seem to mistake the ending of the anime series/movie 2 as a good one. Why? Simply because girls are no longer transformed into witches? Yes, this takes some power from Kyubey, but as we see in the Wraith arc, it’s not a solution to the overall issue of the systemic use of girls and women. The girls are still destined to vanish from the world before reaching adulthood. Furthermore, MADOKA BEING ERASED FROM THE TIMELINE IS NOT A HAPPY ENDING!!! Why do people think this?? Yoh she mattered. She had a family that loved her, friends who needed her, and just because most don’t remember her at the end doesn’t mean that it’s okay. It’s crazy to me that people will see a girl erase herself from the universe in order to protect all other girls and not see the ultimate tragedy and unfairness of it. It's expressed in the Wraith arc that Homura carries the tragedy of Madoka with her and is almost maddened by being the only one in the universe to have memories of her. Additionally, Homura’s wish was made to save Madoka at Madoka’s request. So not only has she been living 100s of timelines trying to save her friend and love, but she’s also had faith in a person that no one else remembered and was determined to protect the world and order Madoka sacrificed herself for.  She tried to live the way people wanted from her- she tried to just protect the world Madoka erased herself for after already suffering for years trying to stop Madoka’s demise.  But I argue that because of the nature of both Homura and Madoka’s wishes, both based on helping others, that “quaint” ending where Madoka can easily erase herself from the universe and leave Homura and her family behind was always doomed. Their wishes are tabooed, made for others and not themselves, so it makes perfect sense to me that Madoka ascending to godhood through sacrifice would not be enough to satisfy the themes of this story. I don’t think there is a universe where that wish is enough to protect magical girls like Madoka intended, and this is reinforced by the Kyubey’s attempt to create a witch from Homura anyway.

It’s also nutty to me how people see Homura trying to give Madoka the life that she made her wish for as something malignant or any form of bad. I won’t argue that it’s entirely squeaky clean ethical, Homura did take the “records” of Madoka that were a human girl, thus splitting her, but it’s hard not to see Homura’s point. Madoka’s fatal flaw is her tendency to jump to self sacrifice- it’s why Homura blows up on her in ep 8 of the anime: “Why must you always sacrifice yourself? Don't say you can't help anyone, or that you're worthless. Don't say such things that depreciate yourself! Think about the people who care about you! Stop it already! There are people who would be sad if you're gone. Why can't you realize that?! What about the people who wanted to protect you?!”  

It's obvious that this is what Homura is trying to give Madoka. Homura seems to be the only person who sees Madoka as the teenage girl she deserved to be, not just the god that changed the world, and I don’t understand how anyone can see that she is actually evil. Homura refers to herself that way, but I don’t think she really is. She’s not cruel, she’s not splitting Madoka to hurt her. She calls herself “evil” because she is finally no longer able to uphold Madoka’s world order. Homura’s actions aren’t squeaky clean, they may even be considered selfish, but to just paint her as entirely toxic/bad and to think the ending of movie 2/the anime as the “good ending” is super wrong to me. I'm so glad Rebellion exists to elevate the story beyond "kind girl who feels she has no skills or purpose finds it through sacrificing everything about herself, including the memories people had of her".

Anyway, we love Homura here.

[just-some-guy-joust]

Doomed by the Narrative: Side A - Round 1

Xena and Cardamon are my own OCs, which you can read about briefly under the cut. Please do NOT feel obligated to vote for them, they're just here because I thought it would be funny :)

Xena and Cardamon live in a fantasy universe ruled by four kingdoms: Heart, Spade, Diamond, and Club. Cardamon belongs to all of them at once, while Xena belongs to none of them. Xena has been traveling through time, endlessly going back to the same past over and over again. Though Cardamon has started following them as a joke just to be irritating, they let her stay. No one can figure out why.

Xena is from an alternate timeline of the same universe, one where Cardamon died and it was their fault. Unable to live on in a world without their best friend, they traveled back in time to save her. Unfortunately, no matter what they do, it's always their fault that she dies in some new way farther down the line. Even worse, they're not going back to the same past. Each jump in time sends them to a new alternate timeline, leaving hundreds of thousands of distorted-beyond-repair worlds in their wake. Their presence in these universes is causing these catastrophes, but they can't stop until they find one where they can be with Cardamon again. Even if every other timeline has to die before they find it

[sapphire-weapon]

Hey Sirea! How's your Sunday going?

So, I know you're not really into discussing the whole Aeon community thing, but I'm curious about your take on it.

Do you think they've kinda turned into this entitled part of the fandom because of the OG timeline and Capcom pushing Aeon? (I haven't been mingling with the fandom for long, even though I've been a fan for ages, and maybe I should've stayed away from this drama, haha). Orrrr, do you think they've just misunderstood a lot of what happened in the OG events and cling to their own ideas about the characters? Personally, even when I was a teenager and leaning towards liking Aeon, I always thought, "Sure, they've had some intense moments and saved each other's skins, but are they really all that transparent with each other? Nope. Does Leon trust her unreservedly? Not really and he never will." And I thought that was the whole point of their relationship; it was doomed even before it started and it was just teasing and more of an frenemies situation. I never really believed they'd ride off into the sunset together; I thought their "romance" was more of a fan service thing, to be honest. But now I see not many folks share that view in the OG RE crowd and shippers are very intense.

And with the remakes, the changes to Aeons dynamics are significant, but I'm seeing the same attitude (a lot worse, actually), as if Aeon being canon is a given and they're destined to be together, and any other woman interacting with Leon is irrelevant and he has no chemistry with anyone else who isn't Ada, and the other ships are trash because they're not canon and only Aeon has that benefit in the franchise. Not sure where all that entitlement comes from. Was it always like this, or is it generational?

Anyway, feel free to ignore my ramblings if I'm being annoying, haha! Have a fantastic day/night!

hello friend

so, for clarification's sake, i'll answer stuff about fandom history. i just can't stand it when people come to me like "did you see what they're doing? did you hear what they're saying?" no, i didn't fucking see what they're doing, because i don't care what they're doing or saying, and neither should any of you. don't seek them out. leave them alone. don't look for reasons to make yourself mad. if they come to you, block them.

but in this case, like

vigorously rubs face

okay so like

this is actually a really difficult and complicated series of questions, because fandom was just... different back in the day. it didn't function the same way it does now. there was no passive engagement; there was no like button, there was no reblog/retweet option. if you wanted to engage with fandom back in the day, commenting on livejournal or participating on a forum were your only options. you had to TALK TO PEOPLE. yes, even people you disagreed with, yes even people who shipped other things.

and there was no algorithm; there was no curated feed. on livejournal, you joined a community dedicated to resident evil, and you played nice with the other people in it or they banned your ass and you got cut off from a huge portion of the fandom. sure, you might have your ship community on the side, but the general fandom communities always had more people and were often the best place to get news.

so you would have aeons and cleons and valenfields and everyone under the sun sharing this community together. so you literally COULDN'T be obnoxious about your ship, because chances are, that was against the rules.

that didn't mean that tribalism and ship wars and shit didn't happen. of course they happened. but it was just... different. the discourse was more nuanced. people would write essays back and forth at each other.

and it was fueled by the fact that there was a significant period of time in which RE canon could've just as easily gone the way of cleon as it did aeon. there was a push-and-pull there constantly. sure, aeon had the on-screen kiss in RE2, but SD Perry shipped cleon and people were under the impression that she knew what future canon held. but then RE4 happened and "she's like a part of me i can't let go" happened. but then degeneration happened and it was leon and claire, with no ada in sight. and then darkside chronicles happened and aeons were pissed that claire and leon were co-op partners, but then the aeon kiss was in there and cleons got mad about that.

it really could have gone either way.

basically, cleon existed as a hard check on aeon fandom for years and years, back in the day. they had the numbers and the standing in canon to do it, so they did it.

but then damnation happened. and when damnation happened, a huge portion of cleon fandom surrendered. there was no comeback for "canonically leon and ada most likely fucked."

and then when RE6 happened and leon's campaign was framed as the culmination of the aeon love story, whatever cleons that were still hanging onto hope then also laid down their arms. the war was over, and they'd lost.

and when aeon won, they were sore winners. they'd been in this fight for over a decade, and they wanted everyone to know that they came out the victors. especially since their victory was actually kind of precarious. yes, leon and ada likely fucked, and yes they had whatever the fuck was going on with RE6, but... leon and ada still weren't together. the ship was canon... but it also wasn't. and i think they knew just how easily it could be taken away from them again.

so, fast forward to modern day fandom, and i think what we're seeing is the result of an insecure aeon fandom clinging to their victory, which then got amplified in an echo chamber when fandom moved to social media, until they all basically became radicalized.

and there was no cleon fandom there to body check them back to reasonable levels anymore. not to say there were no more cleons; just that cleon fandom had lost their will to fight.

so the aeon fandom of today came into this frenzied WE'RE CANON WE'RE CANON EVERYONE ELSE FUCK OFF WE'RE CANON, not even knowing why the fandom was like that or where it was coming from, and they just parroted their elders, and now it's a cancer spreading through wider RE fandom.

because what didn't happen was: the fever never broke. there never came a point where aeons calmed the fuck down and took a step back and looked more objectively at the canon. and because they were so loud, no one else did, either.

so, to answer your questions:

Do you think they've kinda turned into this entitled part of the fandom because of the OG timeline and Capcom pushing Aeon?

yes.

Orrrr, do you think they've just misunderstood a lot of what happened in the OG events and cling to their own ideas about the characters?

also yes.

the OG timeline came to favor aeon. there's no disputing that. and because of that, people started to make assumptions that aeon was endgame, and they never let go of those assumptions. this has caused them to misinterpret the ending of RE6 and completely miss the fact that leon rejected ada in the end.

aeon fandom doesn't want to believe that aeon was a journey, not a destination.

so they don't.

and no one challenges them anymore. even though cleon fandom still has the numbers to do it, they don't. and even though eagleone has the canonical standing to do it, they won't.

and it's because fandom is just set up differently now. we don't talk to each other anymore. we're not forced to play nice with each other anymore. in fact, we're incentivized by social media to be cunts to each other, because that earns us clout within our own echo chambers.

and it sucks, dude. because you can't have a conversation about the story in good faith anymore without people wringing their hands and going "b-but aeon..."

even though it's abundantly clear that remake is different and aeon is different in it, people are still too afraid to challenge the status quo. so we're left going around in circles with the same fucking shit over and over again, and just

sigh.

that's why i say just ignore them. block them. because the discourse has basically cemented itself in place, and there's no reason to put yourself through the misery of dealing with it.

[electroniccollectiondonut]

Monthly Rec Lists In 2024: New Year's Day

For the last four or five years my New Year's resolution has been to get fit but I keep not doing that so this year my resolution is one I know can complete: making rec lists! So for the first rec list of the year I'm reccing some fics I read for the first time in 2023! I've tagged the authors' Tumblr if I could find one, otherwise I've just linked their Ao3.

Regularly Scheduled Miracles by TheSingingHoneybee (@starshinemaiden)

The thing about soulmates when you are a royal is that you don't get to keep them. Wu's mother's was shipped to the Outer Ring. His father's, never spoken of. His great aunt's was imprisoned if you believe the rumors. Wu believes the rumors. And when Wu becomes Prince Wu, heir to the Earth Throne, over night, his chances of finding and keeping his soulmate drop to zero. But despite that, when a soulmark appears on his arm the very evening of meeting his new, hot, firebending bodyguard, Wu can't feel anything but joy. The thing about soulmarks when you have a job that frequently leaves you bruised to hell and back is that sometimes you don't notice them until days later and now you don't know who caused them to appear. And the thing about being Prince Wu's newest bodyguard is that Mako has met so many people in the last week that his soulmate could be half of Republic City. The other thing about being Prince Wu's newest bodyguard is that half of Mako doesn't want to think too hard about his soulmate might be because there is no way someone like him would get so lucky as to have the next Earth Monarch as a soulmate no matter how lofty Mako's taste in people runs.

Cruising for a Bruising by kalechipbuoy

Crozier makes Fitzjames cry and cry and cry. Eventually, they reach something like an understanding.

Warm Sun, Fine Jade by DummyDipl0d0cus

Lan Xichen’s hair is up in a simple bun, careless. It’s a change from his half-tied hair. It uncovers his shoulders and neck, and Wen Ning gets a sinking feeling that they look more delicate now than ever. “Please stay warm, and eat well,” Wen Ning adds softly. Lan Xichen doesn’t say anything, just bows his head. Wen Ning turns to leave after a few long moments, as much as he doesn’t want to. Then hears the quietest request. “It’s raining. Please stay until it’s over?” - How Wen Ning helps Lan Xichen heal, and how Lan Xichen does the same for Wen Ning.

The Severing of Webs by chlodobird (@chlodobird-creations)

After Jon kills the world, he travels back in time. Once there, he gets ready to change the future, to save his Assistants, and to watch as everyone learns to hate him again. Unfortunately, the tapes wrap around him like a fly caught in a Web—he can't move. He's trapped reliving the original timeline, stuck acting out his past actions like an actor rehearsing his lines. Sasha will die. Tim will die. Martin— (Jon screams inside his mind, and someone hears him. Fate is not as immutable as he fears.)

Chameleonic by recrudescence (@re-crudescence)

When River finally takes a fall, the result of an ill-conceived equation and a screwdriver on the cargo bay floor, Mal gives her a knowing look and totes her to the infirmary.

7 rings by butterflywings6

random people watching kanej be rich and in love <3

Look into the Mirror (Tell Me What You See) by Drag0nSt0rm (@sweetteaanddragons)

His best guess for what had happened was some kind of head injury, given that he recognized almost nothing and had no idea what was going on. With few clues to work with, he was either going to have to confess the truth or bluff frantically. Gil-Galad had never in his life decided to confess anything.

A Little Mishap by Asidian (@asidian)

When the dust clears – and it is a frightful amount of dust, all told – Astarion is marginally surprised to see that no one has been left a bloody smear on the cave floor. Really, he can't be blamed for assuming the worst. The boulder is the size of the tunnel, nearly, the sort of impending doom that ranks with gale-force winds and approaching dragons on the list of things that might inspire a man to pray to any gods kind enough to lend an ear. Astarion isn't that sort – any god who might have granted him a boon has had centuries of prayers they might have chosen to answer before this, after all – and yet here they stand, miraculously intact, as though some deity just so happened to have glanced their way at just this moment. Perhaps Wyll is a religious man.

Underwater by euromagpie

About him, the world swam in dizzying degrees, pulsated with the throb of the veins at his temples. Beneath him, his legs, protesting against the movement like a couple of libertines, had gone frustratingly jelly like, and Hodgson stumbled, a landsman at sea, and crashed into the wall opposite. The wood was so cool, and he sank his burning forehead against it gratefully, for once gladly accepting of the biting freeze that prowled the desolate landscape. Booted feet clomped past his door and he jerked his eyes open, not having realised he'd closed them. Christ alive, but he wanted to stay there - in fact, he'd love simply to crumble and wait out the end of his days in a tidy pile of gormless flesh and lazy bones right in this place. Above them, Terror's bell rang in the turn of the watch, and Hodgson realised his plans of embracing mortality would have to wait. He had things to do.

That's 'Cause I Got People With Me by Castlewood_Bard (@r1ver-6)

Mal has to be sure he knows his crew

Beyond the Reaches of a Long-lost Life by elvntari

Feanor is reembodied at long last and Elrond attempts to reconcile the image that he has of him in his mind with the image of the man standing before him.

Fever Dreaming by dramatispersonae

Gerry encounters a plot by a nascent avatar of the Corruption. It should be straightforward enough to deal with, especially considering his apparently ongoing… "alliance" with Michael. But when have things in his life actually been as simple as they appear?

The World Was Young by Drag0nst0rm (@sweetteaanddragons)

This was not what Maglor had expected when he retreated to his brother's stronghold.

A Taste of Home by Twice2Ennien

"It's good, right?" Koveyook grinned all the way to his eyes, watching John's matching expression. This was the feeling that had drawn his family to restaurants: the warmth, the radiating comfort of a good meal, shared. John made a satisfied sound in the back of his throat, nodding. He covered his mouth as though tempted to speak but thought better of it. Still chewing, he took hold of Koveyook's right wrist and squeezed his thanks instead.

Refiner's Fire by JediRobertHogan

The men knew Hogan looked after them—more than was typical of a commander and his crew. It was in the little things, the details of everyday life, yet sometimes it struck them in undeniable ways. They saw Colonel Hogan as more than a commanding officer, and knew, somehow, that he saw them differently too. - or - Four times Colonel Hogan took care of his men, and one time they took care of him.

Wanted: Dead and Alive by Astereae (@astereaes)

“Hey, I do I... Do I know you?” Danny asks, a hand coming up to brush something off Tim’s cheek. “No,” Tim says. “We haven’t met.” “Oh, no, I do.” Danny says, and he smiles, teeth white and sharp. “You’re that guy who rearranged my guts!” Rearranged his- Tim glances at the knotted scars on the boy’s abdomen. He can see the shine and shadow of haphazard stitches that weren’t meant to hold forever, that tore and healed over. His- This- “WHAT!?” Nightwing shouts, equal parts confused and delighted. Tim’s fucked. OR Danny Fenton's been in GIW captivity for 4 months. Tim Drake gets kidnapped by the GIW one Tuesday evening in May. Considering how many of the Bats and the Birds have died and come back to life, it was only a matter of time for some people interested in the afterlife to come poking around. The detectives can't seem to uncover any information about the mysterious white vans, however. And they keep losing the mysterious boy who seems to be the one person in Gotham to know anything at all.

Like Melting Ice by pointyshades (@oughtnots)

Francis Crozier dies. Turns out he can't even do that right.

You missed a spot by Lookingkindofdumb (@lookingkindofdumb)

It is just like Dean, Sam thinks, to befriend the man who has chased them across the US in hopes of bringing them home in cuffs. AU where Victor survives and decides to become a hunter. He doesn’t stick around with them for long but they bump into him on occasion.

A Shot's Distance by Blue_Sparkle (@asparklethatisblue)

After digging the bullet out of James Fitzjames’ ribs, Dr Stanley kept it as a memento. A man needs something to hold on to while quietly pining after a friend after all.

we know nothing (so we hope) by TolkienGirl (@thelonelybrilliance)

Sometimes, Neal wonders if Kate loves him. (Mostly, not in so many words.)

A Pavlovian Approach to Honesty by Stratisphyre

“Are you feeling compelled to tell us anything?” Lan Xichen asked. “Not precisely. It does feel nice. I hadn’t associated honesty with anything pleasant before now.” “I don’t think you’ll appreciate this in the morning,” Nie Mingjue muttered. “Do you want us to leave you be? Or gag you?” “I’m finding this entire affair curiously enjoyable, actually,” Meng Yao stated.

Now Sure As the Sun Will Cross the Sky by providing_leverage (@providing-leverage)

Dean Winchester wakes up in his car quietly, heart racing. He reaches for his stomach where the metal bar or pipe or whatever it was had been but there’s nothing but flannel and leather. Leather he’d long ago lost. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and digs a phone from one of the pockets of his Dad’s jacket. Flips it open to check the date. “Well shit.”

Zapped by unholygrass (orphaned)

Gavin Reed used to think androids couldn't feel pain. He's proven wrong. He may hate Connor's fucking guts, but he wouldn't wish this on anyone.

[viewedooc]

saw a comment on a youtube video about how the time aspect wore dave down and a DIFFERENT comment on a DIFFERENT song about how hes giving up time travel good (which i did not read before having him give it up i swear. i feel vindicated) and someone linked the page / read through that a little

so supposedly the beta session lasted a day but dave played at least three days going through time loops, and thats just the alpha dave, not counting all the ones that died or were doomed

i think it works as a parallel for his anxiety and tendency to overthink, probably leaning into some obsessive compulsive issues

like i think that's how his brain worked. he's able to throw out paragraphs of rambling because the spigot from which his stream of conscious flows is smashed permanently open so he's always in his head, distracted, thinking of things to say and possibilities and fears and doubts. running through it in his mind trying to give himself the best chance at success to overcompensate for his deep, deep, deep insecurity it's not the dead part of the dave that scares him. he's used to dead things (in jars) it's the failed part.

(someone remind me to talk about the parallels between his time aspect and interest in wet specimens later)

having to weigh all those decisions and outcomes and decide which ones were more favorable really took a toll on him. like letting jade shoot him (he wasnt afraid of his death he was afraid of jade being hurt)(having to leave his sister behind alone in a doomed timeline to save her in another.)

it's too much knowledge and executive power. the human brain is not built to experience life that way (which is why caliborn makes such a potent lord of time - his brain IS wired to work that way - vicious and cyclical)(whereas for aradia it was like a second chance that was genuinely hers and not taken from her or controlled by a weird horny freak)

i think the moment he gives it up is the moment he realizes he can do more for everyone just being present in the moment. both in terms of time and his maladaptive daydreaming. or his internal panicked searches for the Correct thing to say which is also Very Cool and Funny (which he'll never fully give up but he can learn to say something beautiful and true or even cringy and silly once in a while)

i think it also contributes to his deep unabiding love for his brother because he knows dirk is weighing all the options too. he knows none of them seem great or possible. he knows they're gods who are going to live to see black holes die. he knows that on the graph of the timeline between the birth of the universe and the death of the final black hole, he hasn't moved a nanometer. theyre not even babies theyre zygotes.

the cruxite egg was such a good metaphor because itll hatch when its ready. it takes time. let it do what it does.

davebot experiences all points in time simultaneously so where we would see a moment, followed by a moment, followed by another moment, it's like he has the whole picture in his head from start to finish and enough quiet time to ponder it all and he's cheerfully nihilistic. assigning "good" and "bad" to any moment is pointless because you stretch out the whole tapestry and it's beautiful. you can't just cut out the upsetting parts. find beauty in the threads and the hands that wove them

[dave2olkat]

Hey, are you up for receiving an entire freaking essay about how you write Dirk and how fucking incredible it is? That was a rhetorical question, YOU'RE GETTING IT ANYWAY.

So. Dirk Strider. The absolute moron who sends himself back every iteration, gets increasingly splintered as a result, and is way too emotionally compromised to do anything about it at this point. I've noticed a lot of the characters draw inspiration from beyond canon, so we can refer to this Dirk as a sort of Ultimate self if I am not mistaken. The guy has memories from all past iterations rattling around his skull after all, and it is MESSING HIM UP BIG TIME!

Like, the man is going by a script at this point. Do this, and this happens as a result. Say this to a person and they'll react that way. Let Roxy leave so you can stay with Dave alone, stab him in the back, and leave him for dead so he gets off the empire's radar, make sure he doesn't actually bite it, and then he'll end up in the position most advantageous to him. He has a ship! A crew! A small support system! He's living his best life this iteration, and he has DIRK to thank for that! Never mind that most of his relationships were completely destroyed in the fallout. Never mind that he has accumulated major trauma from the carapacian war, and was betrayed by someone who he thought he could count on for anything, that's not important. Oh yeah, he hates Dirk's guts now, but he always calculated with that loss. He sacrificed his brother's trust in him and it sucks, it sucks and nobody understands, but it was to give him a happy life, so at the end of the day Dirk's the selfless hero!

And with that, I've accumulated my thoughts on what I think went through his head when he went through with this batshit awful plan. Dirk's literally so wrapped up in himself, that he can only think in terms of other's gain versus personal cost. I don't think he's selfish, no, from a certain perspective, he's far from it, because he's sacrificing the few things he holds dear for the few people he actually gives a shit about in all these loops. His relationships with said people. It's just that he is INCAPABLE of seeing how his decisions and attempts at helping them cause more pain and anguish, and eventually, the doom of the timeline. It's like at one point, he stopped seeing them as real people, with psyches that can be damaged, and feelings that can be things beyond 'I hate you now because you hurt me', and instead thinks of them as merely... puppets.

Because he's the only one who remembers. He's the one who can see the bigger picture, while his friends and family are caught up in the mundanity of each loop, living lesser lives, being lesser people. If only they knew, if only they understood like him, maybe they could be on equal footing, but no, he'd never wish this existence on anyone, and besides, even if they had all that intel they'd never really get it, because they aren't him. So it falls on him to save everyone, him and only him, no Grimmage, just because you have a handy helmet that spouts bullshit about the loops at you does not mean you have all the answers. This is Dirk's mission, Sollux would just fuck it up. Everybody needs to stay out of the goddamn way, you're saving this goddamn timeline. All those previous ones you doomed? They were just test runs, you know what you're doing now.

I just... LOVE how AUTHENTIC he feels in your fic. Like, I look at this guy and say 'Ah yes, that right there is textbook Dirk Strider behavior,' but you wrote him with motivations and a mindset that I can see combined with his Ultimate status. He's an incredible antagonist, and I can't wait for him to show up again, because I need Dave to go up to this guy and somehow slap some sense into him. Unlikely but hey. I want a happy ending for him too, let me hope.

 Okay, first of all, I loved this ask! I've put a lot of time and effort into writing Gold Pilot so if anyone has other essay-length asks or comments about the fic, go ahead and submit them, this monster AU deserves the attention. For anyone who hasn't read the fic, it's a Davesolkat Rebellion/Time Loop Au but it also will go deep into the other characters as well, particularly the Strider-Lalondes, so if you're into that, give it a read!

Okay, now onto Dirk- he's one of my fav characters in Homestuck okay, he's so complex! And I felt like they did him dirty in Beyond Canon and the Epilogues but at the same time they explored some hella interesting aspects of his character that have been in the main comic there all along, same with everyone else. Gold Pilot is MY take on how everyone's true 'Ultimate Self' would work and also them reaching their 'fullest potential' in a way? The situation is much different than in canon, of course, but overall I will try to deconstruct both, the Ultimate Self thing AND the classpect of their God Tier selves. This will happen to everyone, not just Davesolkat, though we WILL focus on those three because I have Davesolkat brainrot and Dave WILL be the only POV character because ‘unreliable narrator who might not have an idea of what’s going on’ is the best trope.

But Dirk- it's funny that you call him an antagonist because he's not that in the story. An antagonist opposes the hero/protagonist in some way, they're there as an obstacle to achieve their ultimate goal, but here's the thing, Dirk WANTS what everyone else wants. He wants an end to the Time Loops, he wants to protect his family and friends and help them reach the best version of themselves, and he also wants to kill the Condesce. Mainly because she's the one who kills Dave, Roxy and Rose, but also, because he recognizes that she's the TRUE threat in this AU (as far as we know). So no, technically, Dirk ISN'T the villain and he's helping everyone else fullfill their own goals, the role they will play in the Rebellion as it is, and he knows full well that they WON'T achieve that unless he's there to provide support.

You're right that he's sacrificing everything else to achieve this. He sacrificed Dave's trust on him, and Dave IS in probably the best position he can be because of it. Does Dave realize this at this point of the story? Probably not. There's hints that Dirk's actually going to be working with them further in on the timeline, but right now? Right now Dave thinks his brother is the person who ruined his life.

You're right in saying that Dirk's so completely wrapped up in himself, but I don't think he's incapable of seeing how his attempts at helping everyone are actually hurting them. I think he's well aware of this, and a part of him is well-aware that none of them will ever forgive him, but he's fine with this because this makes him an even more selfless hero. He does treat them as puppets, but I think he knows that he NEEDS them to be certain versions of themselves so they can properly fight the Condesce. Also, he's aware that even in this, they have a certain level of personal choice. Would he have been forced to stab Dave on the back if he HADN'T become a Treschutioner? We know Dave could have become an entertainer guy instead, and he would have STILL ended up with the Rebels. We've explored this with the Iteration Logs of the Solluxes, but the timelines are less a straight road where everything always happens the same way and more a collection of choices that give out wildly different results while still ending in the same way any way because the Condesce is such a menace, with everyone dead.

And he's another fun thing, Dirk doesn't ACTUALLY know about the helmet. Sollux has specifically kept him in the dark about it because he's convinced Dirk would exploit it if he knew about it, especially because the helmet's not only a device that spouts info about the timeloops. It's a goddamn database containing the research that EVERYONE Sollux has been able to contact has done in the past, what? 286 years or so. So yes, it's quite a powerful tool, but you're right, Mage doesn't have all the answers. And you can say that Mage's actually some kind of cheat code. It allows Sollux to have access to the memories of the loops WITHOUT all the trauma and emotional baggage that come with them, so if anything, I suppose that Dirk would think of it as the coward's way out.

Sollux quite literally decided to divide himself into two different people (or as different as two people can be when one does have all the memories of the other one) and has basically locked the part of himself that DOES remember in a digital prison/dimension, where it cannot harm anyone or control anyone else. What this has done to Mage, well, I think we’ve seen it already, so yes, one could argue that this is an incredibly selfish thing that Sollux did, meanwhile Dirk isn’t afraid to live with the consequences of his own actions, which automatically makes him the better man/hero.

As far as Dirk knows, Sollux DOES remember, he's just, you know, someone who will not do what is necessary to save the timeline. He's soft, he spends so much time trying to get along with everyone that he allows the people he loves to get killed every single time (though Dirk's doing the exact same thing, one could argue). They're more foils to each other that they're enemies, and it will be a lot of fun once we actually see them interact, because while Dirk does think Sollux is as easily manipulated as everyone else, and that he doesn't have what it takes to save everyone which is why it falls on HIM, Dirk does know that Sollux is the only person who knows him in a way. Who can recognize the sacrifice he's making and just what's at stake here, if he doesn't take exactly the same path he's taken every time to ensure everyone will be able to fight for as long as they can.

You're right on the money on the 'Dirk thinking all the other iterations are test runs for the real deal', because Dirk HAS found pretty much the 'best path' for everyone to take. We'll see more of it when we meet Rose, who IS still a very powerful seer in this AU and who also takes after him in a way, but yeah, the fantastic thing about Dirk is that he IS helping everyone and he does care. He's on Dave's side. He just, you know, also Dirk. That's why I've always found fascinating about his character, and what I liked about him in the actual comic. I feel like Beyond Canon let go of that fundamental part of him (the fact that he DOES care) and I'm using Gold Pilot to basically fix that? Basically how I think it should've been handled.

As for the happy ending- I don't think it's much of a spoiler that Gold Pilot WILL have one, because it's in the tags themselves lmao. 'Earn Your Happy Ending', they will get there, but it will take them a long time, and it won't happen in this iteration even. Dave WILL slap some sense into Dirk, but who knows, maybe it'll be Dirk who slaps some sense into him too before he does.

Once again, thank you for this analysis! I wouldn't say I'm the authority on how to write any of the Homestuck Characters, but I'm glad I at least got Dirk's character right :) as I said, he's one of my faves and his relationship with Dave will be explored and milked for all of its angst and comfort in this fanfic.

[balladetto]

major arcana headcanons / accepting / @nihlkahn

the fool: what are link's thoughts on new beginnings? does it frighten him or excite him?

he tends to take new beginnings as something old ending. when applied to himself, as someone who has a part of him that wishes to leave the past behind more than he'll ever actually be able to, the idea of them certainly gives him hope! or at least something like encouragement? "even people like me can move on."

faced with an actual one, i'd say his feelings would depend on the circumstances — with where he's at now, he's at once eager to create something new for himself and very afraid to let go of what he might already have. he's lost a lot! even if it might be better to let go of in the long run, he can't so easily put anything familiar down for good. it kind of all relates back to his issues with identity, vulnerability, intimacy, and the act of essentially Unshelling himself.

in the more general sense, i think he'd be wary of them because he's already tried making a whole new beginning for an entire timeline. it certainly worked, but not without a cascade of consequences...yet i can't even call it a lesson learnt right now because he'd still go back and try to make a fresh new beginning if he secured the opportunity to.

the magician: how does link feel about fate? does he believe he can change his own destiny?

he has a mixed bag of takes on this. one: he sees fate and/or destiny as something he can definitely change for others by way of being the chosen one — just not for himself.

two: he thinks of himself as so entangled in destiny that anything that happens to him is as much a product of something predetermined and his own fault ( as the "fated" one, the one with the means to alter it in the first place. he doesn't quite see the ill logic or unintentional arrogance in this ).

three: there's a sort of security in feeling that everything happens for a reason and no matter how hard you try, fate will lead you to a set outcome anyway. it's a damaging safety, for sure, but link doesn't want to acknowledge so when the damage brought by the opposite — that things didn't have to end up like this, that there was even the sliver of a chance for something different, something better — would hurt so much worse. like. he can be brave about so many things! letting it get worse in order for it to get better is not one of them.

the high priestess: how does link make decisions? does he trust his instincts or would he rather trust his heart/his logic?

his journeys have shaped his decision-making process to revolve almost entirely around how it would impact or make others feel. sometimes, that comes from his instincts. other times, it comes from the heart! most of the time though, particularly if they're Important decisions, he'd follow the logic first — then try to make room for anything else. some of this comes from oot, most of it comes from mm.

oot's time-travel system fucks with him, yeah, but the time-travelling in mm is just. on a different level of taxing. i do think he spent the first few cycles trying to do everything — clear all the curses, help all the people — despite knowing the impossibility of it with the limits ( counting the time limit, his physical limits, his emotional limits, etc. ) placed on him, and ended up tormenting himself so bad there was a whole cycle where he didn't do anything meaningful. or anything at all.

between wanting to give in to the pointlessness of saving a world he's beginning to suspect isn't even real ( is this a dream? is he even here? has he even woken up from his sealing sleep with the master sword, or has this all been some elaborate nightmare? ), fighting with well, it feels real and that's enough ( it has be enough ), and being paralysed by the shame and weight of, like, everything — his logic is what gets him into the rhythm of i will do what i can without letting him fixate on feeling like he's dooming a world of people to their ends over and over again.

( and tatl. tatl is a huge help. )

the hanged man: how open is link to new opportunities? does he constantly look for them or does he simply take whatever comes his way?

depends on their nature. like new beginnings, he can be wary of these. too good to be true, there will always be some form of consequences, etc. etc.

also depends on what is meant by "opportunities". he isn't exactly the most driven person outside of what few concrete goals he's strung together ( see: finding navi ) or that've been given to him ( see: saving the world ). he's inherently curious, just not. ambitious? i think that's the word? he's not the most ambitious kid around when it comes to personal development. at least, not anymore! i think he's experienced Enough from the world that he's often just happy to take what he can get or whatever opportunities come his way nowadays. plus the whole thing he's got with fate/destiny.

the moon: what does link long for? is it a realistic desire?

oh gosh. as i write him in his main verse, a lot of things! sometimes contrary things. he wants navi, he wants a home, he wants to belong, he wants to go back to the past where he didn't have to be the hero of time, he wants that past to have never happened entirely because of what he now knows about it, he wants to rest, he wants to never need to rest because this is all he knows and what will he be without it...a common thread for almost all his desires is that they're not framed as realistic in his eyes. and the ones that are are so far removed from feeling actually attainable for him that he's subconsciously set himself up in a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.

he's still got his whole life ahead of him though!! he's still got so much time to heal. and with the dynamics i've got going on in so many places, there are canons where he does, even if his life ultimately ends in tragedy. augh. where's that post. "the love was there. it didn't change anything, but it was there. it mattered that it was there." he just can't see it right now :')

[denimbex1986]

'Doctor Who writer Phil Ford opens up about "The Waters of Mars" fourteen years later and reveals why David Tennant's penultimate Tenth Doctor story remains one of the show's scariest episodes to date. The 2009 special starred Tennant as the Doctor, alongside Eternals' Gemma Chan, Dune's Shanon Duncan-Brewster, and Andor's Joplin Sibtain as member of the crew on the first Human colony on Mars. In "The Waters of Mars," the Doctor arrives at the doomed Bowie Base One, forcing him to question what he can do as a time traveler.

While Tennant's return is imminent for Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary specials, Ford sat down with RadioTimes.com to reflect on his contribution to the actor's initial run and why it features one of the Tenth Doctor's most terrifying moments. When discussing what makes the show scary for audiences young and old, the writer stated that many viewers had spoken to him about their appreciation for "The Waters of Mars" before citing it as a personal favorite and explaining how showrunner Russell T Davies aided him in achieving a perfect level of terror for young audiences. Check out Ford's full explanation below:

"I'm not so sure that it's moved away from that so much, I have no doubt that there will be another Doctor Who story coming down the road that will be every bit as scary, if not more than The Waters of Mars. I think scaring kids is what I've always enjoyed doing! Whether it's in Doctor Who or Sarah Jane [Adventures]... I think Russell put it to me a long time ago that it's OK to scare kids, what you don't want to do is terrify them and scar them!

I've met at conventions an awful lot of kids that admitted they were scared by The Waters of Mars, but not so much to traumatise them! They loved it because it's scary.

The Waters of Mars, from my point of view, was always going to be scary because that's what I like to do. I think the team around Doctor Who then and now is just so good at what it does, I think we all have confidence in each other in knowing just how far we can go.

And certainly, whenever I went too far, I knew Russell was going to pull me up on something... my memory of Russell is not so much hauling me back on The Waters of Mars, but on other episodes, him pushing me harder to make things even scarier and even bleaker in some cases! Which is just wonderful, because he has this amazing opinion – and talent to back it up – that really there is no story you can't tell for kids. It's just a question of how you tell that story."

What Makes "The Waters of Mars" David Tennant's Most Scary Doctor Who Story

Tennant's initial Doctor Who tenure had no shortage of standout terrifying episodes that still rank high among the franchise's darkest moments. These episodes range from the Weeping Angels' terrifying debut in "Blink," the unstoppable mimicking menace of "Midnight"'s still an unseen entity, and the gradually worsening bleak what-if scenarios of Donna's alternate timeline in "Turn Left". Despite these story moments, "The Waters of Mars" stands out as the already-overpowering Flood virus is superseded in scariness towards the end by the Tenth Doctor himself, as the show's main hero loses himself.

After grappling with his role in the universe, the Tenth Doctor casts aside every lesson he learned and changes history by saving them, declaring himself as the sole being who could change the Laws of Time. Left with the knowledge that these events should have never happened and would impact her loved ones' fates, Bowie Base One's captain, Adelaide Brook (Duncan), sacrifices herself despite the Doctor rescuing her, leaving him emotionally shattered. "The Water of Mars" isn't just a scary Doctor Who story because of its monsters, but for how far the Doctor falls, as well as showing the negative impact his actions can have on the universe should he ever give in to his darker sides.

While the following adventure, "The End of Time," may overshadow Tennant's other 2009 Doctor Who specials, "The Waters of Mars" stands out for how far it pushes the show's leading character. Rather than relying on monsters, the Tenth Doctor going too far leaves a greater impact by breaking the hero and twisting him into a barely recognizable figure. As such, it is understandable why Ford and viewers continue to rate the Tenth Doctor's penultimate adventure as one of the character's darkest stories.'

[i-left-my-room-tidy]

I saw you mentioning that you are making Arcane DR script in one of your posts. I was wondering if you would be comfortable to share a bit about your script. That is if you're okay with that.

A second thing I wanted to ask is how you deal with the possible consequences and outcomes of altering canon events or timeline, and them having the potential to hurt and negatively impact the people around you.

A very personal example here, I'm also planning to shift to Arcane and I scripted out the explosion that killed Vander, Mylo and Claggor and lead to Powder being taken in by Silco. Keeping Vander alive will probably result in him still being the leader of the Lanes. And as much as I admire Vander, I have to admit his unwillingness to take more direct and violent approach against the Piltover's opression of Zaun, caused by him witnessing the bloody realities of fighting for freedom and it's cost in blood and innocent lives, will almost certainly harm the Undercity in the long run.

Also in my DR the Shimmer does not end up flooding the Undercity with drug addiction, which while that change saves many lives from being destroyed, it takes away the chance to save many others with Shimmer's medicinal benefits or the means it gives the people to protect themselves.

In my DR, Vander is very much a father figure and adoptive father to me, which results in my conflicting emotions. On one hand, I don't want any harm falling upon my found family, but on the other hand I don't want my need for comfort to become the cause of doom of people of Zaun.

Anyways, I'm ending this here cuz it's getting too personal. Sorry for venting and eventual spam it caused. Also sorry if my rambling doesn't make any sense.

[thanks for this ask!]

first off, i just want to say that the rambling didn't feel like rambling at all, so no harm done ((:

as for your question; there are two ways that i usually do whenever things get butterflied away. the first is to do active scripting, and the second is to rationalise with myself. I'll explain this a bit.

≿❈≾

(1) active scripting

it is as the title of the action suggests. shifting is a limitless concept, meaning, anything that you want to happen, no matter how inconsequential or nonsensical it may seem, will happen if you decided to make it so. you don't need to worry about upsetting the 'balance of the universe' (or whatever it's called), because the universe will right itself on its own. that is not your responsibility. actively scripting things in or out for your DR doesn't necessarily mean they will stay that way forever, because again, you have the option to change their outcomes. if you feel as if what you're doing will yield negative results, then you can go even farther and script something to counterbalance that. it's not a cycle of certainty, because every action and event is spontaneous. as an example: the explosion. like you've already pointed out, if it doesn't happen, it would likely lead to vander staying the leader of the place. however, it's important to note that this was a pivotal moment in the story. you can leave it as is, but plot-wise, it creates a vaccum of sorts: what event takes place, if not the explosion? otherwise, nothing else would change. unless you could think of other possibilities (such as: ways the enforcers go about their investigation with the incident, the kirammans deciding not to take action in the end, jayce's explusion + vi's arrest going differently, etc.), i can't think of any other way things progress if the explosion/s never happened. in the other event that vander and co. do stick together, though; how would you plan to make him change as a person? vander's unwillingness for further action would lead to the undercity stagnating even more. so, you have the option of scripting something in. that's one of the major reasons why reality shifting is such a big deal. you can change outcomes. just to quote this reddit user from a thread with a similar topic; vander and silco's conflict is a classic case of the 'does the end justify the means or do the means justify the end' argument. but that doesn't mean you have to strictly follow either, in this case. you can compromise. you can even alter it entirely. vander and silco's approaches leadership both have merit, but you can still counterbalance them.

- - -

(2) rationalising

I'm going to admit that i initially began shifting just for the hell of it, simply for experiencing other worlds. more often than not, i do it just to see and live through what my favourite characters do. often times, it can be boring, unexpected, perhaps even disenchanting. the reason i continue shifting is because I've grown attached, and because, admittedly, i don't want my happiness and experience(s) to end. i can get very...well, selfish. most of the things that i do and want in my DR's are born out of my own greed and need for validation. as long as I'm not actively harming anything or anyone, I'm able to come to terms with myself. that's not to say the experience would be the same for others. my way of rationalising with the things i deal with is different from most people's, not to mention a tad bit too hedonistic. that's how i cope with the ability and knowledge i have. omniscient does not equate wise. i deal with consequences in my DR's the way i do my own CR—spontaneously, and all along the way. i don't want to continue being stuck in the past nor do i want to hope for the future too much, even in any other reality. i can make conditions (again, scripting) to make my life easier, but otherwise, i always try to savour the present. if it happens, it happens, and if i don't like it, then the option of rescripting is present. this is also different from the existential crisis that is infinite realities. there will always be a world where everything is much worse than the worst you can imagine. there is an undercity where the explosion happens but the parties involved live, there is an undercity where ekko never founds the firelights, there is a piltover where hextech never comes to be, there is a piltover where viktor never works under heimerdinger. still, the one thing you can do is to script. and shift.

≿❈≾

as for my script...well. ok. i will admit that, to start, know that there is no script at the moment 😭😭 lmao it's really just this:

it's not detailed as of yet—I'm actually planning to wait for season 2 to be released/finished for the sake of further context. however, i do have some ideas on how to approach this script. the previous post i made about shifting to arcane (i assume you meant the one where i mentioned firearms and explosives) was mostly for familiarising myself a bit with the enforcers' weapons, as well as try to understand jinx's skills as a fighter. i scripted to be viktor's sister here, and while we both run vastly different jobs in zaun/piltover, i made it that we have a relationship of equals as siblings. it's...well, I'm essentially a whore in this DR (crass, but you get the point), and I'm shifting to the time when viktor's still an assistant to heimerdinger. if nothing else, i actually do want to research some things in this DR. it's a passing interest, but i want to see how healthcare operates here, especially during the period of time where viktor's illness affected the better of him. I'm also planning to combine lol!vik and arc!vik [dunno how I'm going to, but I'll figure it out].

[hellonoblesky]

hi dovie im writing that fanfic where albatross sneaks into soukokus bed. i need to know what his terrors would be about (im giving you a "PLEASE GIVE ME A CHARACTER ANALYSIS IM BEGGING YOU" look rn btw)

LOVe. LOVELOVE LVOE PEACE AND LOVE MWAH MWAH

SO. So. In the Trainwreck Trio au Albatross is the sole survivor of Verlaine's killing of the Flags, yeah? So he has nightmares n stuff from That alongside survivor's guilt, and a feeling of inadequacy because he couldn't save Doc who was the one person he really did think he saved there, and also bc they teased him for not being very smart all the time so he's like "AUGH why do I get to survive but all the smarter people died?? I'm not worth this, god DAMMIT" <- Which feeds into his nightmares and terrors, really sending him into a silly doom spiral of The Horrors

BUT ALSO the only reason Albatross even SURVIVES Verlaine's onslaught is that in this au Wollstonecraft was on standby for repairs for Adam, so Adam calls her and is like "HEY I THINK VERLAINE JSUT FUCKING MAIMED ALL OF CHUUYAS FRIENDS GO?? CHECK ON THEM PLEASE AND THANK YOU" so she goes in there with a team and they re-stabilize Albatross literally by having to move the majority of his organs and internal functioning system into a metal vessel and then working circutry and robotics through him so he's functional enough to pass as a normal person (given that no one pays attention to or makes contact to any part of him lower than his chest because it is Metal you knock on that man's stomach you hear Clanging)

^ This is important because alongside the Terrors and Horrors of watching pretty much his entire found family get torn apart right in front of him, Albatross begins a spiral into a state of questioning his personal humanity, the thought of "I should be dead I should be dead I'm not dead because of these machines in me I'm part of a machine now am I a Person anymore??"

Which feeds into a self-isolation that was originally fueled by his survivor's guilt and probably PTSD, because now he's like "Oh. oh those are normal people I don't think i. i deserve that. ok. hm. ok i'm leaving now."

AND TO HIM. TO HIM?? CHUUYA AND DAZAI BOTH FALL UNDER THE CATEGORY OF HUMAN. HE LOOKS AT THEM AND HE'S LIKE "Yeah... there they are,,, just normal guys..... not exactly the normallest of guys but they're more people than I am i think,,"

So, you remember that one post about dead albatross symbolysm? The kin awakening one? Yeah so the frantic sobbing-so-hard-he-can't-breath breakdown I mentioned he probably had at the end of that? That's like, within the AU timeline, so it's like

>SB Events >The Horrors (Self-Isolation Version) >Breakdown/Tipping Point (Catalyst for him being able to Begin to return to regularly interacting with people, starting w Chuuya) >The Horrors Pt2 (Adjusting to everything) <- This is the stage where the drawing I did takes place in! He's too unstable to just be able to Ask to stay over but he figures if he can Sneak in then it's fine >Dark Era (He's a lot better at this point but also he has an episode about Dazai leaving because Losing People Doesn't Go Over Well With Him) >Current day (Epic Gamer moment)

ANYWAY so the Terrors and Horrors you want to go for for ur fic are probably feelings of like. Feeling lost and struggling to find closeness but also being so close and Needing that closeness to someone, an unhealthy dose of anxiety but specifically the anxiety you feel when it's mixed with depression so it's anxiety but somehow?? Slower. Like it's definitely Anxiety but mixing it with Depression made it's constancy thicker so it's less a "fidget nervous gotta run gotta go fear fear fear" feeling and more of a "the swamp is swallowing me and the branch is just out of reach but if i can just move a little to the side here jsut a little", if that ??? Makes sense??

TL:DR: Survivor's guilt and a feeling of displacement. Horrors and terrors of the Depression stage of grief mixed with Anxiety

AND if you have other questions I can answer them :)!!!!!!!<333

[witnessourescape]

On Omega's origins

I'm trying to make some posts on Omega so I don't lose track of what I think about the funny robot. :) What we know about Omega's planet:

It was in a war against the Dragonstar;

It considered Midgardsormr a threat;

It completely destroyed the Dragonstar;

It's presumably gone, having seen a Calamity.

I'll talk about each point. I believe there are already clues to what Omega's original planet is in the game.

1. It was in a war against the Dragonstar

Contrary to common belief, what happened in the Dragonstar was not that Omega alone randomly attacked it for no reason (or to get stronger) -- Omega and its planet were locked in an interplanetary war. We don't know why -- yet.

Midgardsormr: Foolish machine. What hast thou to show for all the years that have passed since the culmination of our war? Naught save thy continued existence. Hast thou no thought for what befalleth thy home star…?

2. It considered Midgardsormr a threat

Omega's objective was to kill Midgardsormr. Not to enslave, not to colonize the planet: to kill the Father of Dragons, paragon of wyrms, because it was a threat.

Omega: Prepare to face Midgardsormr--red-maned wyrm of the Dragonstar, and nemesis of my world.

3. It completely destroyed the Dragonstar.

"By thee and thine was my home laid waste". The Dragonstar as we see in Alphascape 2.0 seems devoid of life, aetherically unbalanced. If those are aether geysers, then something must have gone really wrong. Omega's planet didn't enslave the dragons or something like that -- they killed the Dragonstar itself.

4. It's presumably gone, having seen a Calamity.

Let's get back to this piece of dialogue.

Midgardsormr: Foolish machine. What hast thou to show for all the years that have passed since the culmination of our war? Naught save thy continued existence. Hast thou no thought for what befalleth thy home star…?

What did befell Omega's home star, after all? Why does Midgardsormr knows of it and why does he uses it to try to provoke Omega? Could it be related to their war? Could Midgardsormr have been responsible for Omega's planet's destruction?

The answer probably lies in From the Heavens, Final Omega's theme.

Our shadows lost in light, this life A fleeting kiss Hark! Temptation rings! Virtue slips through hands a-clenching wicked fruit Passion festers, black’ning sinless souls to root Sink’neath dark waters Drink deep, we suffer Drowning, drowning, drowning, drowning Irons sundered Paradise plundered Come welcome this Come welcome this Destiny Virtue slips through hands a-clenching wicked fruit Passion festers, black’ning sinless souls to root Sickles grate on heaven’s gate their fields ignored Seeking sinners deathlessly they reap discord As two become one Here ends this, our journey Never-ending, onward march! Witness our escape This our escape, this our escape This our escape, this our escape This our escape, this our ascension

From the Heavens tells the story of a society falling to hubris, temptation and sin, their paradise destroyed. Isn't that familiar?

Still on From the Heavens, it's strange that the first sentence is "our shadows lost in light": ascian means literally shadowless -- this is why the Heroes' Gauntlet set is called the Shadowless set. Then, "[sink] 'neath dark waters" is literally Amaurot's theme.

So, is there any other evidence Omega could be an Ancient machine?

Lots of them.

1. Omega and the Ascians got similar designs: both heavily use black and silver, and gold and purple as accents (Omega has a purple undertone and Final Omega has gold accents).

2. Omega and the Ascians share abilities: creation magicks and interdimensional travelling. It's not because they're both unsundered beings: I can't remember dragons having creation magicks or travelling interdimensionally. Midgardsormr enters Omega's rift in his Big form at the cost of his life energy. It isn't something that he does naturally and with ease.

3. Omega and the Ascians share a neighborhood at the Aetherial Rift, which is where ascians hide when they need to.

4. The Passionate Amaurotine NPC has weird dialogue about death-defying autonomous figures.

Passionate Amaurotine: Oh, did you want to ask me about my latest concept again? The autonomous figures I told you about before? They are utterly without feeling or fear, and will without hesitation or objection carry out their master's orders regardless of any injury or death they may suffer as a result. Truly magnificent, wouldn't you agree?

5. Both Amaurot the Dungeon and Omega quote the biblical Book of Revelation. This one may be the most important yet: the Final Days are akin to the christian Apocalypse as seen in the Book of Revelation. In the end of the Book of Revelation, Christ makes His Second Coming, saying:

12 Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Meanwhile, Final Omega's dialogue in O12SP2 is:

Final Omega: Experiment concluded. I am the Alpha. I am the Omega. Final Omega: <blip> <bleeeeeep> Witness...my coming... I bring...reward...and retribution...for all!

The dialogue in Japanese makes it even clearer that Omega is quoting Revelation 22:12 and Revelation 22:13. I'll make a post on it later. Why would the Ancients develop a war machine like Omega? Weren't them pacifists? Everybody is a pacifist until eldtrich abominations start banging at your door!

Research Report on the Akadaemia Anyder: High-ranking phantomologists have since been dispatched to afflicted areas, where they conducted the capture and transport of a single entity. This specimen, characterized by a disproportionately large maw, was dubbed “Archaeotania,” and investigations into its aetheric composition are ongoing. A theory posited by the esteemed Lahabrea suggests that the shape these fiendish beings assume is not random, but rather an amalgamation of the fears which lurk beneath our rational minds. As of this writing, researchers have begun pursuing methods by which potent guardians of deliberate design might be engendered to stand against this mounting threat.

Emet-Selch says Zodiark was summoned to rewrite the laws of the star because they went haywire with the creation magicks going wild, not to halt the monsters themselves. The Ancients also took time to develop the concept of Zodiark. Something must have been keeping the monsters at bay while the Convocation worked, and as we see in the Passionate Amaurotine NPC, there is some precedent that the Amaurotines could develop a death-defying autonomous figure ready to sacrifice itself for its masters if needed. How does the Dragonstar War enters the scenario, then? First, let's go back to Archaeotania. Archaeotania is a dragon.

It looks like a dragon-dinosaur mix, it attacks with Megaflare and Gigaflare, it has lots of Shinryu's -- who is a Midgardsormr-based primal -- attacks like Tidal Wave and Ice Boulder. Archaeotania, being one of the original fears that were birthed by creation magicks going haywire, must have been influenced by a dragon. Meanwhile, Omega ignores other primals on Hydaelyn but only bleeps and bloops when Primal Bahamut appears:

Magitek Terminal: Even with its stasis systems activated, Omega retained a measure of autonomy. Deprived of mobility, the weapon continued to scan the world around it, searching for a threat to engage. It was at the time of Bahamut's resurrection when Omega emitted a unique signal -- a signal which appeared to indicate the acquisition of a target -- and we first discovered that the machine had retained some degree of awareness.

So, for some reason, when Sophia, Zurvan and Sephirot appear, Omega ignores them: it only bleeps and bloops when Primal Bahamut is born. It could be that its aetherical signature is so similar to Midgardsormr's Omega thinks it got its original target. But it could be that Omega was built to hunt beings similar to Archaeotania: artificial, dragonlike and presumably drawing aether from the ambient like even Midgardsormr does. Now let's take a look at this dialogue in the lvl 50 The Rising Chorus quest:

Lucia: Last night, the dragon star burned with an intensity not seen in fifteen summers. Not since the Dravanians engaged the Empire in the Battle of Silvertear Skies. Urianger: "The northern sky doth burn full bright upon the wyrm lord's call. The red behemoth beckoneth, and flame consumeth all." Lucia: The old Coerthan rhyme, aye. The brighthening of the dragon star is said to accompany the roar of a great wyrm. The astrologians believe that it was Midgardsormr himself who cried out in this occasion.

So we know that the telepathic roar of a great wyrm can, from Hydaelyn, activate and make the Dragonstar shine bright in the sky. As the Dragonstar is a dead rock floating in space now, we can only imagine the roar messed with its aether enough to physically make it shine. Could the Sound be an echo of Midgardsormr's roar? Why would Midgardsormr roar? We still don't know. But Midgardsormr is in some kind a harbinger of doom. I'll make a post on it later. What could be the timeline? The [?]s are because I don't know when or the exact order it must have happened.

Midgardsormr, for some reason, roars.

The Ancient's planet gets destabilized, the Sound starts.

The Ancients get scared, leading to their creation magicks going haywire.

The Amaurotines capture Archaeotania and develop Omega to halt the monsters and to give the Convocation time to act.

Zodiark is summoned, rewriting the laws of the star.

Omega leaves for the Dragonstar.

Hydaelyn is summoned.

Midgardsormr flees from the Dragonstar.

[?] Hydaelyn sunders the planet.

[?] Hydaelyn calls upon Midgardsormr.

Omega, while hunting for Midgardsormr, loses both its homing coordinates and contact with its home star.

Omega crashes onto Hydaelyn and doesn't realize it's back home because it is lost and the planet is way different than it was when it left.

I don't like that even Omega and the Dragonstar would be "Ancients/Ascians again". That's okay. I get it. But it would explain a lot of things, such as: 1. Why would Hydaelyn accept Midgardsormr but ignore Omega? Because Hydaelyn saw an opportunity to neutralize the greatest threat to Herself, Midgardsormr, but recognizes Omega as native from the pre-sundering Planet so doesn't see anything wrong with letting a wayward child come back. Omega was wrong in trying to go back home: it was always home, but it doesn't realize it. 2. How would the Allagans have found Omega? It's very interesting, even Deus ex machina (hehe) like that the Allagans coincidentally found a super-advanced, ready-to-be-reverse-engineered, easily-turned-off machine that was the basis for their technological revolution that led to at least two calamities. But we know Emet-Selch was responsible for influencing the Allagan Empire. What if Emet-Selch, or even Lahabrea, or both, were working together on this? They would know Omega was back, how to activate it, how to work with its technology and, most important, how to turn it off so that Allag would never be threathened by it. Why wouldn't Emet-Selch talk about Omega, then? Because Omega is a symbol that his people weren't as perfect and pacifist as he wants to believe. The fact that his people could only be saved by a violent war machine, and not by their peaceful, elegant creation magicks and debate, must be abhorrent to Emet-Selch. This is why he must have chosen, like Mitron, to leave Omega to suffer at Allag's. In the end, Allag triumphed both against the Dragons -- the Ancient's planets nemeses in this scenario -- and against Omega -- the stain in the Ancient's peaceful history. Anyway, isn't Final Omega non-canon? Not exactly, not as I see it. For some reason, Alphascape Savage is the only Savage tier that isn't the Menestrel making things up: it's Omega itself that gives you the data it messed with. Final Omega is a form of Omega made by Omega. Is there anything else about this crazy theory? Both Omega's and the Ancient's planet's name have been mysteriously omitted. Omega physically cannot speak the name of its planet in any of Hydaelyn's languages, and Emet-Selch never gives us the original name of the planet. I think this is it. I'll keep updating this post and doing more posts as I think about more things about the robot. Thanks for reading.

[spacesuitsforemergency]

The Rise Of Iron Maiden

Chapter 7: The Time Heist

Word Count: 2.5k

Originally Requested by: @amateurwriterbigdreamer

Previous Chapter: Whatever it Takes

A/N: pretty short chapter, but shits about to go down. Also literally everyone’s adopting Tye, he just keeps getting passed around

You blink, and you’re somewhere in New York City. You look around, recognizing what was happening; this was when the Avengers first became a team. You looked to Apache Chief, Iron Man, Captain America and Ant Man for orders.

“All right, we all have our assignments. Two Stones uptown, one Stone, down. Stay low. Keep an eye on the clock.” Captain America said.

“Alright, you two know how to get to the Sanctum from here?” Your dad asked as he retracted his helmet to look you both in the eye.

“Got it, dad.” You nodded, retracting your own helmet.

“Isn’t this so cool? We just time traveled!” Scott whispered to you two.

“Easy there, Marty McFly.” Tye pat his shoulder.

“Focus please?” Tony snapped at you.

“We’ll get the Time Stone, don’t worry.” You reassure him. “You gotta remember we can handle ourselves, dad.”

“I’m well aware you can handle yourselves.” Your dad said before opening his mouth to add a snarky comment.

“Go.” Steve ordered you.

You nod and turn to leave, then rushed to your dad and tackled him in a hug. He was surprised at first, thinking you were still angry with him about the past couple of years. Your hug was an apology, which he graciously accepted and held you close.

“I love you, dad.” You whispered.

“Love you too, kiddo.” He squeezed you slightly before letting you go. “Now get out of here. We’ve got our reality to save.”

You nod before following Tye, looking back one last time. You run along the streets, chaos surrounding you as Chitauri attack civilians. You don’t worry about them though, your only goal being the Time Stone.

“So you know how to get there right?” Tye asked as you both ran. “Cause I don’t know where I’m going!”

“It’s just up ahead! I can see the cafe Eduardo...” you trail off, remembering the date you went on when this all started.

“Hey, don’t worry.” Tye told you as you both ducked when a truck was thrown your way. “Think about how close we are. We are so close to seeing everyone again.”

“I know, I know.” You nod as you both stand back up.

“Now lets go get that Stone.” He holds his fist out to you, and you fist bump before darting off again. You activate your helmet and grab Tye’s hand, then fly up when you see the Sactum. The door had rubble all around it, but you figured there would be a roof exit.

You land behind a bald lady in yellow robes, fending off Chitauri with the same magic you saw Doctor Strange using.

“I'd be careful going that way.” Your and Tye spun around when she spoke. “We just had the floors waxed.”

“Uh...ma'am, we’re looking for Doctor Strange.” You day awkwardly.

“You're about... five years too early. Stephen Strange is currently performing surgery about twenty blocks that way. What do you want from him?” She asked calmly.

“That, actually.” Tye pointed to the Eye Of Agamotto around her neck.

“Ah! I'm afraid not.” She shook her head.

“Sorry, but I wasn’t asking.” Tye said as you both moved towards her.

“You don’t want to do this.” She smiled, not even moving back.

“You’re right, we don’t.” You say as you make a grab for the Eye of Agamotto. “But we need that stone, and I don't have time to beat it-“

She swiftly shoved you back, and you watched as you floated out of your body. You stared in shock, horrified that she just did that. Tye watched with his jaw dropped, backing away from the lady.

“Let’s start over shall we?” She asked.

Your astral form looked at Tye’s regular one, then down at your body lying on the floor.

“Um, why didn’t you push his soul out of his body?” You sassed, irritated.

“His astral form is different from yours. I simply can’t.” She shrugged.

“How’d you know that?” Tye’s eyes widened, now thoroughly creeped out.

“Look, lady, we need that stone.” You glared at her.

“Please.” Tye added.

“I'm sorry, I can't help you, Y/N and Tye. If I give up the Time Stone to help your Reality, I'm dooming my own.” She sighed as she started to walk away.

“With all due respect, I'm not sure the science really supports that.” You said as you followed her.

She looked at you for a moment and raised an eyebrow, before creating a projection to represent the flow of time.

“The Infinity Stones create what you experience as the flow of time. Remove one stone and that flow splits.” She flicked the Time Stone projection away and showed a black stream, indicating a point of divergence. “Now, this may benefit your reality, but my new one…not so much. In this new branched Reality, without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world will be overrun. Millions will suffer. So, tell me, child of Stark, can your science prevent all that?”

“No, but we can erase it. Because once we are done with the stones, we can return each one to its own timeline at the moment it was taken. So, chronologically,” you grab the Time Stone projection and put it back. “...in that reality, it never left.”

“But you are leaving out the most important part. In order to return the stones, you have to survive.” She said, still not convinced.

“We will.” Tye said sternly. “We promise.”

“I can't risk this Reality on a promise. It is the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to protect the Time Stone.” She shook her head again.

“Then, why the hell did Strange give it away?” Tye raised his voice in frustration.

She finally turned around to face both of you, eyes wide in surprise.

“What did you say?” She asked.

“Strange, he gave it away. He gave it to Thanos.” Tye told her.

“Willingly?”

“Yes! I watched him!” You insisted.

“...why?”

“I have no idea!” You shrug.

“Maybe it was a mistake.” Tye said. “But he did.”

“Or I did.” She sighed, then pushed you back into your body.

“Oh, that’s much better.” You sigh as Tye helped you up. You watch as she opens the Eye of Agamotto, the Time Stone glowing green.

“Strange is meant to be the best of us.” She mumbled in thought.

“So he must have done it for a reason.” You nodded.

“I fear you might be right.” She said as she gave you the Time Stone.

“Thank you.” You smiled at Tye in relief and victory.

“I’m counting on you, Y/N and Tye. We all are.” She said, watching you take the Time Stone like a first time mother giving her child to a babysitter.

“Ready?” You asked Tye as you both prepared to go back.

“Hell yeah.” He grinned.

You grabbed each other’s hand in a handshake then pulled each other into a one armed hug, patting each other on the back. Then you hit a few buttons on your watches, and you were sucked back into the present day. You both retract your helmets and look around, seeing everyone also doing the same.

“Did you get them all?” Bruce asked as he rushed up to meet you guys on the platform.

“You telling me this'll actually work?” Rhodey asked happily.

“Wait...where’s mom?” Tye asked, staring at the spot where she used to be standing between him and Clint.

“Clint? Where’s Nat?” Bruce asked as everyone stared at him for an answer. He didn’t say anything, his eyes clouded with mourning. Tye fell to his knees and you tried to catch him, and you stared at him in shock when you saw a single tear fall down his face to the floor. You had never seen him cry, hardly ever show emotions at all. Your own sadness also dragged you down, but you had to s strong.

“We should...get out of these suits.” Rocket mumbled after awhile.

You all got out of your time suits and handed them off to Rocket and Scott, and you, Tye and the remaining Avengers were led out to the lakeside by Tony. You hugged your dad and silently cried, everyone else standing and staring at the water.

“Do we know if she had family?” Your dad asked as he rubbed your back to comfort you.

“Yeah. Us.” Steve mumbled.

“What?” Thor asked, confused.

“I just asked him a question–“

“Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together.” Thor snapped.

“We can’t get her back.” Clint shoot his head.

“What?”

“It can’t be undone.”

“I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And "can't" seems very definitive don't you think?”

“Yeah, look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?”

“No, that's my point–“

“It can't– be undone. Or that's at least what the red floating guy had to say.” Clint became angry and started shouting. “Maybe you wanna go talk to him, okay? GO GRAB YOUR HAMMER, AND YOU GO FLY AND TALK TO HIM!”

Clint’s face fell, grief clouding his judgement. You blinked away tears and let go of your dad, moving to stand next to your friend, who’s eyes never left the water.

“It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone. She bet her life on it.” Clint’s voice cracked.

Bruce grabbed a bench, and in a burst of anger, he hurled it clear across the entire lake.

“She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to.” Bruce clenched his fists.

“We will.” Steve reassured him.

During another long stretch of silence, Tony motioned for you to follow him. You left the dock with him, Thor, and Steve, leaving Clint, Bruce and Tye alone. They need more time than you, since they were all closest with her.

Flashbacks of Natasha raced through Tye’s mind, his brain still hardly comprehending she was gone forever. He thought about the first time he called her mom. The day she taught him how to shoot a gun. When they watched old football games together and cheered, despite already knowing the outcome.

“You called her mom?” Clint said as he stood next to Tye, Bruce still pacing behind them.

“Yeah. She said I could.” Tye said quietly.

“Didn’t know you two were so close. Even before the Snap.”

“You were gone.” He said bitterly. “You wouldn’t know.”

Clint was about to retort, but shut his mouth. The kid was right. He was gone. He left them. He left Natasha. He left Tye.

Before the Snap they were close, Clint always helped Tye work on his speed and accuracy. They were sarcastic together, and would play pranks on the rest of the team together. Clint accepted Tye into his own family, since the kid never really had one.

“I’m sorry, Tye.” Clint said after awhile. Tye didn’t answer, but didn’t protest when Clint draped an arm around his shoulders.

•

You watched as your dad and Dr. Banner start to place the Stones in the new gauntlet, carefully and and nervously.

“Boom!” Rocket shouted from beside you, Tony and Bruce both jumping and whipping around to glare at him. Rocket and Tye snickered to each other, then laughed loudly when Tony threatened them.

They bring the gauntlet to another room, where everyone gathered in their usual superhero suits.

“All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?” Rocket asked.

“I’ll do it.” Thor said.

“Excuse me?” Scott asked.

“It’s okay.” Thor shrugged, and moved towards the gauntlet.

“No, no, no, whoa. Stop. Stop. Wait a sec. Hey, hey–!” Everyone shouted at him.

“Wait, wait, Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet.” Steve held him back.

“I'm sorry. What, we're just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?” Thor asked.

“We should at least discuss it.” Scott said, Rhodey agreeing with him.

“No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty.” Thor insisted.

“Thor, this isn’t about that-“ you start.

“It's not that– Stop it! Just let me!” Thor started to tear up. “Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right.”

“Look– It's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition.” Tony explained to him.

“What do you– What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?” Thor asked.

“Cheez Whiz.” Rhodey mumbled, Rocket elbowing Tye as they both snickered.

“Lightning.” Thor snapped at them.

“Yeah.” Tony sighed.

“Lightning won’t help you, pal.” Bruce said, everyone turned to him. “It’s gotta be me.”

Everyone stared at him.

“You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive.” Bruce told you.

“How do we know you will?” Steve asked.

“We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma.” He moves towards the gauntlet. “It's like...I was made for this.”

“Good to go, yeah?” Your dad asked.

“Let’s do it.” Bruce nodded.

“You remember– everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years.” Tony instructed everyone.

“Got it.” You nodded.

Everyone suited up and prepared, you held up a shield for you and Tye as Rocket hid behind both of you.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol. Will you?” You asked the AI system.

“Yes, boss.” She said and the facility goes into lockdown.

“Everyone comes home.” Bruce whispered to himself as he puts on the gauntlet. He grunts in pain when the power surges through his veins, making them glow.

“Take it off! Take it off!” Thor shouted.

“No wait!” Tye shouted.

“Bruce, you okay?” Steve asked.

“Talk to me, Banner.” Tony said calmly.

“I’m okay. I’m okay.” Bruce nodded.

You kept the shield up when he snapped, screaming in pain. He passes out, the gauntlet falling off his hand, and Clint kicked it away.

“Bruce!” Steve shouted.

“Don’t move him.” Tony ordered.

“Did it work?” Bruce asked weakly.

Scott walked to the window, seeing plants and birds. A smile makes a way to his face. You followed Clint when you heard his phone ringing, joy overwhelming you when you saw his wife’s name. Your phone was on the counter next to him, and a moment later you saw ‘Lalo’ on the screen.

“It’s Jaime.” Tye pulled out his own phone from his pocket.

“It’s Eduardo.” You smile, and you both answer your phones.

“Y/N? Y/N!” Eduardo shouted in panic.

“Eduardo? You’re alive?” You smile, tears pouring down your face.

“Guys...I think it worked.” Scott alerted you all.

“Princesa, tell me you’re okay!” Eduardo shouted.

You didn’t get the chance to answer, when suddenly, the compound exploded.