#on the role of leader when they really shouldn't have had to yet

[orobty]

Family Tradition

[woso-dreamzzz]

Captain

Hardersson x Daughter!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: Sweden's new captain

The decision comes out of nowhere to Pernille.

It shouldn't but it does.

She thinks it blindsides Magda too but her wife will not admit that.

You're twenty-five now, having just come off your best season at Barcelona yet. After the summer is over, you're off to Wolfsburg finally and Pernille couldn't be prouder.

But, you need to get through this summer first.

You're off at camp, having spent a short few days with Magda and Pernille before heading off to meet up with the rest of the Swedish team.

Pernille's flicking through the channels aimlessly when Magda nudges her, directing her to the channel that's playing Emma's press conference.

The captain of the team retired earlier that month and everybody had been speculating who would replace her and Pernille has to admit that she's got a fair bit of money on it being the woman that plays for United.

She's one of the older players on the team and is a vice-captain at club level.

Magda had disagreed with her, saying that United player was still a newer call-up than those who were younger but had been on the team longer. Magda wasn't quite sure where to put her money but she thought it was a toss-up between the forward from PSG and the midfielder from Gotham.

"-Younger side, don't you think? Surely there are a few older players who could have worn the armband."

"I mean, I'm sure there were," Emma says," But the decision was quite unanimous. I didn't make it by myself. I spoke to the players. I spoke to the staff. Our previous captain mentioned her by name. I'm confident that she'll be a very good leader on the pitch."

"And what kind of qualities do you think she'll bring?"

"Well, I'm sure you all know by now but I'm quite brash. I say it how I see it and, yeah, maybe I'm a little too tough sometimes. I think she'll balance that out and lift up some of her teammates. Just having her on our team is...Well, it's amazing. Sometimes I look at what she's won and how she's won it and I'm just in awe. You can load her with pressure and she just takes it. She's always improving and I think she'll instil that upon the team."

"The Gotham girl," Magda insists, nodding her head at the screen," For sure. Didn't she win the Ballon D'or last year?"

Pernille rolls her eyes. "The year before, which I know you know because Natalia won last year."

Magda grins, teasing. "Did she? I can't quite remember."

Emma's still talking though so they both pull their attentions back to the tv.

"I mean, it's not the first time she's had responsibility like this. She's captained her club a few times. She captained her youth team."

"The United girl!" Pernille says triumphantly," I knew it! Didn't she captain the youth team at some point?"

"So did the Gotham girl," Magda reminds her," And the one from PSG."

"There's obviously questions about bias?" One nasty reporter probes," From you? Seeing as her mother-"

"I really invite you to look at her trophy cabinet," Emma interrupts plainly," And all that she's won and all that she's going to win. She's played for some of the top clubs in the world. You don't get that just on connections. She's a talent. She was a prodigy when she was younger. She's been on the senior team since she was seventeen."

"Called up during an injury crisis, yes," The reporter says and Emma rolls her eyes.

"And proved herself during it. She was called up during the injury crisis, yes, but she never left. She's consistently been called up. There's a reason she's who we turn to."

"But-"

"She was recommended by our previous captain. Actually, I believe her words were something like 'Emma, she's ready'. I don't think you can give a more glowing recommendation than that. Listen, the fact of the matter is, I can't think of anyone more perfect for this role than her. She has the passion, she has the drive. She has connections with the rest of the team that people dream of."

The door to the conference room opens and Pernille holds her breath, ready to cheer her triumph at predicting the United girl becoming captain.

"And," The moderator says," Captain Harder-Eriksson."

You look a little nervous but you hide it well, sliding into the seat next to Emma and adjusting the microphone.

Suddenly, everything Emma has said falls into place for Pernille.

Your list of accolades were impressive. WSL titles, Champion's League, Liga F. Somehow, over the years, you've won practically everything with your clubs. You'd won World Cups on top of that. You were probably one of the most decorated goalkeepers in the world.

You'd worn the armband a few times for Barcelona, sharing duties with one of your teammates when Natalia wasn't on the pitch. You'd captained Denmark when you still played with them too.

The smoking gun should have been the reference to your mothers, to Magda and Pernille who had both captained their countries and Magda, who had served as Chelsea's captain under Emma. Of course, there was reasoning for potential bias.

Everything else should have just made it more obvious.

Being called up at seventeen during the injury crisis for the Swedish keepers.

Playing for the top clubs in the world.

You'd practically been taken under the wing of the previous captain since you first arrived.

Magda had joked once that it was a little like you were being groomed to take her place...

Pernille's awestruck as she stares. You hold yourself well as you talk, articulating your words perfectly even though she knows that you're probably shaking inside.

She's always thought that you turned into a different person when it came to football. You were strictly professional and confident when she knew you were a mess of anxiety sometimes. You seemed to be able to put it all aside for your football.

She'd seen how you command your back line during games, somehow making sure they knew exactly what you wanted them to do and how you wanted them to do it.

Pernille wonders, briefly, if she had been blind to put the United girl forward instead of you.

"I'm really looking forward to this summer," You say into the microphone," I'm grateful for my teammates for believing in me and Emma and the staff for giving me this opportunity. I'm hoping that I can help support my teammates so we can keep getting better and better."

[isa-ghost]

phil and cellbit hcs?

VESPER YOUR MIND...

qPhil headcanons masterlist

When Phil needs answers on something, he goes straight to Cellbit (at least pre-Purgatory, he's switched to Bagi over the months bc they've gotten much closer).

Another reason he's so pissed abt the reset is bc the Feds took them the fuck away from The Order, which had all of Cellbit's tools for figuring out the weird new shit they encounter on QI

ANOTHER reason Phil hates the reset is bc there's not much weird shit going on over here? It's just?? Capitalism?? There's nothing to take pictures of for Cellbit. And he really misses dropping an entire goldmine of new pictures for theorizing on Cellbit and watching how excited he gets about it :(

See, Phil and Cellbit were close prior to Purgatory; look at the Order, Phil picking his domain (idr their formal names), etc. But Purgatory did.. something. I mean, it did something to all of Bolas, but something extra to these two's friendship. The leader role, the way Cellbit fell into a sort-of second in command & substitute when Phil wasn't around, Phil (was meant to be) rescuing Cellbit & Baghs. It was teamwork and brothers in arms shit to a degree they'd previously not reached. It's permanently intensified their bond and trust in each other. Which I can't wait to see unfold if Cellbit keeps getting worse. >:D

It's a 50/50 if Phil is concerned about Cellbit's (re)rising murderous tendencies and potentially "resurfacing" cannibal habits or if he's just like "Haha, friend is stabby, lookit him go. :)"

I have a hot take. Roier to Etoiles in Purgatory is Cellbit to Phil. Loyal attack dog more than happy to create bloodshed for their equally scary leader. The authority aspect has kinda gone away post-Purgatory but Cellbit will still kill a man if Phil says do it. Phil wouldn't ask that of him if he didn't have a good reason.

Phil is super awed and inspired by Cellbit's building skills. Idiot will be like "damn, wish I could build like that" as if he can't. Bitch you just refuse to!!! (I want these two to build something big and sick together so bad)

I don't know how things would've played out if Cellbit was present for EK possession things but I know it would've been fucked up and intense. And I can't explore it in AMFMN because Cellbit & Baghera are still missing in it. 😔

That said, Cellbit gets told Phil was possessed by some old piece of shit he used to know and is immediately like "Phil I will fight god for you, I don't give a FUCK"

Phil absolutely loves watching Richas take on more and more of Cellbit's unhinged traits. He's a bit worried he's gonna become a little ball of murder too, but Richas has like half the fucking island as parents, he'll be fiiiiiine.

I don't remember if qPhil knows about the Purgatory 2 murder spree stuff but I like to think he doesn't yet because boy would his reaction be spicy :) If he does know and I've forgotten, he 100% didn't entirely process just How fucked it was.

As close as they've become and as,, kinda chill? Phil has been about the whole murder thing?? He's still deeply worried about Cellbit in other ways post-Purgatory. Dude's seemed withdrawn, he can't remember the last time he saw him with Roier, and just overall things have been different to a degree Phil is sure isn't normal or a slow bounce-back period. But every time he has a free moment to check in, Cellbit's never around.

Actually, as Cellbit gets worse, I think Phil will go from chill with how things have been worsening to Oh Fuck because he's gonna see a lot of his Antarctic self in him. It's not like Phil isn't proud of that era or anything, but. Mentally and emotionally? Being cold and merciless like that takes a toll. One Cellbit shouldn't subject himself to.

Phil cannot for the life of him Not laugh whenever Pac brings up the whole. Leg eating thing. Pac is so out of pocket about it nowadays bc it happened so long ago and Phil gets whiplash from the casual jokes every time. I think if Cellbit made jokes about it Phil would keel over.

Just out of spite and for the sake of clarity: Phil is not Cellbit's fucking parental figure. Cellbit is not his son. They are grown ass men. They are friends. Colleagues. Confidants if we wanna stretch things a bit. There is nothing familial about their bond.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I don’t know if you’ve been asked this but I wanted to ask your opinion on something regarding Fellow Honest and Gidel.

So, we know that at the end of the “Stage in Playful Land” event, Kalim pretty much offers Fellow a spot as a student in NRC, but Fellow declines citing that he doesn’t want to go to a school with a bunch of brats AND he wants to make his own school that admits low magic users and non magic users.

I think this fits him perfectly and I won’t say that it’s dissatisfying for Fellow and Gidel’s story to end this way, but do you think that - had the events been more intertwined with the main story - Fellow could’ve potentially started going to NRC at some point? Like do you think it would make sense for him to both want to create this school AND prepare himself via getting a proper education?

The ending was so fitting for the type of person Fellow is and what he dreams of accomplishing. He’s trying to carve out his own path in the world with Gidel at his side! There’s both a bittersweetness and hope in that kind of a finale.

Now, to the question. This may sound a little cynical (please stick with me for a moment!!) 💦 but I don’t think studying at Night Raven College would help Fellow in opening his own school. Of course, getting an education is important—however, I firmly believe that NRC is not the right place for Fellow to get that education. (This won’t stop TWST from probably making a playable Fellow card for Halloween 2024 though, I suspect that it’ll be a temporary or non-main story canon situation like Rollo.)

The first hurdle to overcome is actually convincing Fellow to enroll. I don’t believe him turning down Kalim’s invite was just for convenience or to keep event characters separate from the main story; it genuinely makes more sense for his character to not want to go right back into the system he despises, the system that tossed him out to begin with. He has not only distrust in the elite (and literally just came out of a hard situation where the elite controlled him), but too much pride in himself to allow for that. Another issue is that even if it is Kalim extending the offer, he actually has little say in whether or not Crowley will let Fellow in. (I’m not counting monetary bribes here yet because that’s an unfair advantage for Kalim to get literally anyone in.) If we’re being pragmatic, Kalim is oversimplifying the solution to Fellow’s issues, just the same as Kalim offering an overly simple solution for Jamil’s woes in book 4. We have no idea how realistic this enrollment would be for Fellow.

Assuming Fellow is convinced to give it a shot and does get into NRC courtesy of a large donation from the Asims… then what? Sure, Fellow does stand to gain from an affiliation with NRC but that's pretty much ONLY if he manages to earn that coveted diploma and formally graduates. Many of the classes beyond year 1 demand a substantial amount of magic in order to complete the coursework. Fellow canonically does not have a ton of magic to spare, so it's doubtful whether or not he would be able to pass those classes or make it to fourth year internships (which is when you can really take advantage of NRC's connections in various industries). It's a similar situation as Yuu, who has no magic at all and wouldn't be able to even participate in the higher level courses without Grim doing all the magical tasks for them. We know it's very possible to drop out of these magic schools (as Riddle references that no student has dropped out since he took on the role of dorm leader + a NPC in book 5 is stated to be a magic school dropout). Who's to say this wouldn't be Fellow's fate if he can't handle the magic curriculum? Yes, he can certainly give it a try if he wants to and his efforts shouldn't be insulted. However, the fact of the matter is that he most likely would not be able to physically keep up with his peers (through admittedly no fault of his own, it's not like he can control his genetic makeup).

Another thing is, what exactly does NRC have to offer Fellow that would actually help him with getting the knowledge to set up his own school? NRC is meant to specifically train mages (and mainly for jobs which demand magical capabilities). Fellow wants to establish his own school, which in of itself does not require a magic degree or any sort of magic education. Furthermore, he details that his school would admit non and low magic users, and will focus on teaching "true life lessons". None of this inherently requires any knowledge or training in magic, which, again, is NRC's specialty. The only practical skills classes that NRC offers seem to be electives like Culinary Crucibles/Master Chef (which, conveniently, do not require magic), and those can be learned anywhere, not exclusively at NRC. I guess my question would be... What is the point of Fellow studying at NRC if he 1) would have a hard time with the magic demands of several classes, 2) most of what NRC teaches is not applicable to his long-term goals, and 3) he could easily learn the practical skills he values so much elsewhere? It's a time sink that doesn't benefit him as much as he needs it to.

If Fellow wants to attend school or to get the knowledge he needs to set up his own learning institution, I think he should ideally pick a mixed public school that does not have a focus on magic. Plenty of those must exist to accommodate the 90% human population without magic. NRC is a restrictive environment mainly composed of the upper echelon and the gifted, and is thus the antithesis of what Fellow seeks to create. Public schools are overall more accessible and offer a more diverse population which Fellow can for sure learn from. It would also be useful as there may be low magic users (that aren't strong enough to qualify for magic schools) mixed in with non-magic users. Fellow could hit up his exact target demographic and mingle with them, get to familiarize himself with their wants and needs, etc. At the same time, he would be theoretically pursuing a specialized degree in education or whatever it is he would need to establish his own school and become an educator himself. That route makes a lot more sense to me than just lumping Fellow in at NRC because that happens to be where all the other major characters go.

Again, it's definitely possible for Fellow to get an education while having his dream. (That's also the case for lots of us fans that go to school while also having our own hobbies and personal goals on the side!) The issue is that I don't see Fellow "fitting in" or learning well at any magic school, especially not one as privatized as NRC is.

[bonefall]

could fern leaf be a former park cat or something that clear sky sends to spy on tall shadow & then defects? or, since she’s important to the rescue of star flower in the books, maybe she could be involved with one-eye somehow…? even though star flower is totally different now, so she doesn’t really Need rescuing from any situation she’s in that you’ve talked about so far. guess it depends on which aspects of the character best serve the story, and whether she would work better as part of DOTC proper or thunder’s SE

i also genuinely can’t remember if bb!clear sky’s original M.O. for his group is Tribe Cats Only, or if he is willing to take in anyone who kisses his ass enough. could make sense if fern leaf (or more accurately, any tom willing to vouch for her) appeals to clear sky enough. hell, maybe she could be a mole on one-eye’s behalf instead?

(Follow up ask to this post)

The new rub to the formation of the groups in BB is that there is two distinct cultures in the forest: Park Cats and Tribe Cats. They're divided by a language barrier, with the Park Cats speaking Parkmew and the Tribe cats speaking what we now call Old Tribemew.

So Clear Sky doesn't have the same "options" like canon. These ""rogues"" don't speak his language and he simply would not learn even if the chance was offered to him. It doesn't even really cross his mind that these are full people to reach out to; in his mind they're intruders. The flavor of bigotry in the modern era hasn't quite evolved yet, so he has the most straightforward kind of xenophobia you can imagine.

He only starts changing his mind after the First Battle, after his revelation, when he's back on his bullshit in Thunderstar's Justice. In my head it's kind of like... a mockery of Thunder Storm's way of life, that allowed him to live in defiance of him for so long. "See, now I do what you do. Since Gray Wing approved of you so much." kinda thing

There's two park cat groups; The River Kingdom, and The Wind Coalition.

The first conflict the Sun Trail Pioneers run into is with WindCo up on the moor, who chases them down into the forest! The Park cats who lived in the forest weren't united, just various individuals that had little "homestead" territories.

The conflicts with them start after the Shadow/Sky split that follows the death of Jagged Peak. Shadow's Clan moved eastward into the caves at Snakerocks, where no one bothered them, but Sky's Clan started getting hostile towards the little homesteads and pushing cats westward, back to the River Kingdom.

SO with that recap out of the way...

I have two and a half-ish cats already that I'm heavily interested in using to turn on Clear Sky for Thunder's Clan. So I'm not sure how to slot Fern Leaf in there.

1: Snake. Snake is the only cat in-canon who said that maybe Clear Sky shouldn't be their leader after letting One Eye into the Clan against all warnings, and then he gets DOGPILED for it, and the very next book shoves him into the arms of Slash to undermine the fact that they accidentally gave him a good fucking point.

I'm RIDICULOUSLY fond of him because of this. I love him out of spite. I've spoken before about how I plan for him to be a Tribe-descended cat, and a lot of that is because I want to keep his goon roles serving Clear Sky. One of which is that he is going to badly injure Sunlit Frost in the First Battle.

So thinking about it... it makes the most sense for Snake to turn on Clear Sky in Thunderstar's Justice. Still unsure when. But if I have any roles where a cat needs to get help, stop a battle, or call Clear Sky out for making a really bad decision, it's gotta be him.

I'll keep him in my hand for a while; this feels like a piece that will fall into place.

I'm also unsure of what family he's going into. I keep waffling on it. I'm leaning towards the Claw family and possibly the son of Fox, since he's going to be living a bit longer. He's going to be about the same age as Thunder Storm, maybe a bit older.

2: Red Claw Since Acorn Fur is now Acorn Swoop, and she's not nonsensically going to go join the guy who killed both of her parents because it would be too sad to go home where they're not alive, her love interest has to end up in Thunder's Clan.

I'm already pretty committed to making Petal into Petal Claw and Fox into Fox Claw, so it follows that Red Claw would be in the family. Thinking about it, maybe Red should be the son of Fox instead...

Especially because he could defect earlier. Moth Flight's Vision is totally overhauled anyway and I'm planning to shift a lot of the original plot to something for another character anyway...

Plus, enemies-to-lovers is fun and I haven't really had a chance to do it yet. Acorn Swoop is absolutely the kind of punk who would nab one of her worst enemy's best soldiers, and the type of nerd who would frame it like her biggest catch yet.

("OI THUNDER!! LOOKIE WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN")

And most relevantly... this is leaving Fern Leaf's backstory up in the air. Him leading a dog pack into the heart of camp and getting Beech and Frog killed is what kicked off the Bunny Bones plot of the original MFV that I like so much, and I feel like it's an important part of Fern Leaf.

So not only am I here planning Red Claw as a high priority for being someone to turn against Clear Sky, but also, he complicates Fern Leaf a bit.

Maybe I should step back a bit on the two and start from scratch with them, and replace their backstories with new ones that preserve the "emotional core." I'll have to think about it.

That 1/2 Cat: Alder or Birch The kits that are stolen from Misty, that queen who was murdered by Clear Sky and whose kits are given to Petal. In BB, that's something I want to examine for how fucked up it is. It becomes the basis of Kit Stealing later, an awful practice that the Clans will struggle with for many generations.

These ones are SUPER important, but I say 1/2 because it doesn't have to be Thunder's Clan they turn for. But I do want one of them to eventually learn their origin, and end up finding their family in River Kingdom or the Wind Coalition.

I mention them because I keep going back and forth on if they're going to get combined with other characters. Basically imagine me next to a big conspiracy chart and I'm connecting a big red line between possible plot threads back to Fern Leaf. Maybe her? Maybe she can be one of the stolen kits?

I could even make it so Birch is actually an older sibling, or a half-sibling, or one from the same litter who was saved... maybe even end up making it a litter of 4. Slots in well with her canon story, too, where she mentions her mother abandoned her.

The truth can be that it was a lie. Her mother didn't abandon her. One of them was murdered and the other was chased off.

And, of course, I could save her to be a "One Eye Cultist." None of my drafts so far have brought in any extra followers of One Eye who will follow him from place-to-place besides Star Flower herself. I would like to add some, and that's a fine place for Fern Leaf, but somehow I feel like I can do her better.

[romatique]

˚₊‧ ꒰ choi san's ideal type ꒱ ‧₊˚

gif by @bblsan

updated september 2023.

hello! i'm lina, your new ateez tarot reader. i decided to make my first post about san since i connect with him easily, so i hope you enjoy it and give me some feedback too <3

(this is tarot based and for entertainment purposes only. all alleged and shouldn't be taken as 100% truth).

am i allowed to share this? the fool; "sure, go ahead."

01┆physical appearance (the hanged man rx, the chariot, the emperor rx, king of wands rx)

when i tell you my cards literally FLEW. he's pretty much into anything and everything, just like he's said in the past. still, since this is the idealization of a person, here's what i got:

i'm getting a lot of mysterious vibes. like watery traits. san's very open minded and he likes people that dress differently. someone who stands out in the crowd. maybe an alternative style? could be even a person who dresses like they're from another decade. a LOT of presence. athletic slim shape but body positive towards everyone. uses strong and dark colors. red lipstick. deep eyes. he said "androgynous", so i believe someone who balances out what we, as a society, call "feminine" and "masculine" fashion. or maybe it's just the fact he doesn't mind what that person looks like at all. also very out there but still deep.

star signs energy: aquarius or capricorn venus and scorpio mars/moon.

02┆emotional traits (the moon, the empress, death, knight of pentacles rx)

you see, san's been going through a private time, so this is definitely an introverted person. it is important to understand how his energy also affects the type of person he's into.

emotional. mess. but this person is such a control freak, so as much intense as they can be, they won't let it show easily. they've had a pretty intense past and has a hard time letting go of it, even if they don't know it yet ("i can't let go of what happened"). worried about social status. money is an important subject here. mother-like nature: kind, giving and caring. but still demands so much respect. like they wanna be seen as someone bigger. as fragile as this person is, they wanna have a good and strong reputation.

also, we're definitely talking about an artist.

song i heard: butterfly - bts.

star signs energy: cancer sun/saturn, capricorn mars, scorpio mercury.

03┆career (king of wands, lovers, page of cups, page of wands rx)

proactive. "makes a lot of money". leader position. really controlling. could be a lead role actress/actor or a film director. artist. passionate about their job. "do what you love, love what you do". flies around a lot so probably someone with a big influence. busy life but definitely creative. i can also picture drawing as a hobby here.

is this person an idol? (page of cups rx).

no. "i don't wanna cause drama in the industry."

star signs energy: capricorn or pisces midheaven.

[empressgeekt]

Trolls - Amnesia-Rock-Prince!Branch in An Arranged Marriage Au - Role Reversal Au (part 2)

Okay, so I highly suggest reading the first part. Underneath the same title, just make sure it's labeled "Role Reversal Au (part 1)"

Char = Branch

And Creek hasn't betrayed anyone...yet...

Char has complicated emotions, about letting the Pop trolls on board. On one hand he wants to help them, but he isn't sure if it's because they were in trouble or because he's a pop troll too. He's always had issues with his genre identity, always worried about what people would think if they knew about his bio-genre. He's not sure if helping these people is a way of his instincts finally coming back...he decides he'd blame it on the fact that the Princess had a little kid with her. He's soft on kids.

On the other side of things, Poppy and the others are getting looked over by a field medic/nurse, an oddly shiny dark blue troll named Jovi, who is much more talkative then the rest of the crew on board. Poppy decides she likes him, even if she felt a little weirded out when he bowed to her, and addressed her formally. The others tease her slightly, about her reaction to it. Creek comments that it was odd. Jovi asks why shouldn't he be respectful to a Princess, as he had no right to address her casually, and also takes a chance to warn them about addressing Char or Barb in such a way. They all have minor burns from the hot ground, but Guy continues to get travel sick. Jovi leaves to call his aunt about an incoming patient, making everyone worried about Guy. And Val walks in to take Poppy to Char.

Poppy's worried about meeting the Prince again, but Val calms her worries, saying that Char only really gets violent in public settings, and that he's much more chill with private ones, besides Poppy was equal rank to him so she didn't have to worry much about getting hit with a guitar. This doesn't comfort Poppy in the slightest. They arrive to a room with a bunch of ripped up couches and a sloppy throne on the far side of it.

Char is in there talking with Demo, but he dismisses both him and Val once Poppy is there. Letting his guard down, and relaxing, then offering her a drink. It's a shift that Poppy wasn't expecting. They talk. Char said he doesn't approve of her choice of diplomat when he mentions Creek. Poppy apologizes for him, once again stating that they truly do need help. Char said that he understood, but he needs more context. Poppy tells him all about the Bergens and Char, is trying really hard not to freak out, by connecting a lot of dots between his childhood nightmares and the current sitaution these Pop trolls are in. Poppy asks for help trying to save everyone from the bergens.

Char: you mean all the people who are most likely eaten? You honestly think their still alive?

Poppy: I don't think their alive. I hope their alive and that's enough.

Char thinks she's crazy for this, but he says that it isn't his call if they storm the bergen kingdom, and that Poppy will have to plead to his sister for that, but he has connections that he can use to look for other pop trolls, and he'll keep her friends safe in the city.

Once inside the city, Char takes Poppy to Barb and Thrash. Poppy is a bit thrown off at how violent the Rock queen is, and how formal the siblings first appear to each other, but she likes Thrash, finding the old man sweet. She also likes Riff, dude just happily there.

Barb doesn't know what to do in this situation, never has a genre nearly gone extinct. (with exception of disco, but they never had a string so it didn't matter) Thankfully, Thrash is mostly conscious that day, and is able to advise, telling his children to consult with the the Black Sabbath, the Rock Troll's religious leader/historian on options. The Black Sabbath, asks Poppy about the state of her people's string, but she has no idea what he's talking about triggering a history lesson by the elder troll, eventually revealing the Rock string for the princess to see. Poppy asks what does she do, and the Black Sabbath says the first step is to secure her people's string, the second is that they find a place/way to establish a place for any survivors to flock too. Char can tell that the older troll has a way to do the second part and asks that he spills. The Black Sabbath tells them that the most obvious, way would for the Prince and Poppy to tie the knot. And even after he explains how this would unite both genres ensuring the safety of both groups, it doesn't change the awkward atmosphere he's created.

Later, Poppy rejoins the rest of the Snack Pack at the hospital, where they were sent to recover. Everyone is happy to see her, all of them now clade in boots and gloves to protect their hands and feet. Keith practically climb up her leg. Guy's teary eyed on a gurney, but it for a good reason. The doctors confirm he's pregnant, and even if Guy wishes his partner was here to know about it, its the first bit of good news they have in a while. Creek says that despite their rather unsettling appearance Rock Trolls are good enough hosts, and then he asks what happened with the Queen. Poppy simply, says "I'm getting married" much to the confusion of everyone.

However, once she explains what the plan is going forward. Everyone is rather upset. With exception of Keith. Creek especially. After all his work to befriend and charm the princess would be for nothing if she married someone else. Poppy, says that she doesn't want to do this, but it's their only option going forward, if they wanted help restoring everything they lost to the Bergens then this needs to happen, and as princess it's her job to make it right. Creek turns up the silent treatment, and it makes Poppy feel bad, but she's too busy with help her friends settle, and they are more then will to help with her wedding, the twins volunteering to make her dress and Biggie wanting to be the photographer.

Living in Volcano Rock City is certainly an adjustment. the city is nearly five-times as large as Pop Village, and its baffling to not know everyone around you as a friend. Rock trolls are also more quiet and stoick, at least not when their raving. There aren't three holidays a week, no one breaks out into song and dance. There are concerts but it isn't the same, they have instruments on stage and there music is far more expressive, with emotions such as sadness and anger being expressed rather then just joy. Creek calls them barbarians, and it makes Poppy upset. Could he not bite at the hand that's feeding him? The twins, find work at a seemtress' shop, but they are a little upset with the lack of color choices. Biggie also finds work at a photo shop. Smidge and Fuzzbert are probably the ones thriving most, construction requires a lot of strength and smarts with dealing with a large city of made of metal and rock. DJ, ends up as a stage hand due to her knowledge of music equipment, working with a nice rock troll named Demo. Guy stays at the home with Cooper and Keith, waiting for his egg to arrive and keeping the others out of trouble.

Poppy has no idea was Creek is doing, but her days are filled with study and planning. Apparently, getting married to a prince of rock is a lot more complicated then it seems. She needs to understand the inner workings of the rock tribe, as well as what they know of the other tribes, because Barb has ordered that they start reaching out to the other genres to ensure stability. Not to mention she's looking for any surviving pop trolls. Ironically, she's completely forgotten to get to know her new fiancé.

So, Poppy askes to follow him around for a day. She learns a lot, apparently, deep down he's really sweet and considerate, but he puts up a harsh front because that what's expected from him, and he's not comfortably showing himself to strangers. Poppy also feels very touched, when she meets the K-pop gang and Reggaetón trolls and learns that Char asked them to find other Pop trolls. By the end of the day Char invites her over for dinner. She accepts and finds herself in a much more casual setting then she anticipated. Char and Barb both cook dinner talking with their father in the kitchen, Poppy tries to help, but she doesn't know half of the ingredients. After the meal, they gather in a game room, and play through out the night. She laughs at the competitive sibling banter between Barb and Char. She also laughs at all the pictures of little Char doing kid things.

After Barb takes Thrash to bed, Char takes Poppy to his room to talk. Poppy asks why they didn't have any pictures of him as a baby, and teasing asking if he burned them all. Char shook his head and began explaining his adoption, and that they didn't know where he came from. Poppy takes this info in and is suddenly even more impressed with their family dynamic. It also reminds her of how close she was to her dad, and how she will most likely never see him again. She tries not to break down, but Char allows her to sob and grieve. She wakes up in his bed the next morning, with Char sleeping on his sofa nearby.

The others were worried about her when she didn't come home that night, but the girls coo over how sweet Char had been with Poppy. Creek comes in, still annoyed about Char, and says that her father would want her to be happy. Poppy thanks Creek, but something about that statement doesn't sit right with her. The others decide that it's a good idea to invite Char over for dinner to repay the favor.

Char accepts the invitation, after Poppy said it was casual event. And arrives early, Keith greeting him at the door. Poppy would find, Char and keith inthralled in a conversation, and Char even makes the trolling laugh, which is astounding to Poppy. Keith was always blank to her. Char shrugged when asked how he managed that, saying that he knew what it was like to be that weird kid and sometimes they just needed to be heard for who they are. Dinner is an odd mix of joy and slight discomfort. Char's dry sense of humor isn't really what they understood as jokes, but they eventually get into the swing of things. Especially when Biggie mentions issues with his boss, apparently the old troll was letting pre-justice towards pop getting to his head and hasn't been paying biggie equally. Char says that shouldn't be happening and says he'll take care of it, but Biggie needs to learn to stand up for himself. Creek chimes in saying that fighting a work place won't help the situation, Biggie would be better off befriending his boss. This strikes up a tense conversation where Char and Creek shoot quiet jabs as they discuss...which is bought to an abrupt halt when Guy Diamond suddenly goes into labor. Tiny is born on their dinning room floor, not even 15 minutes later, barely enough time for Biggie to rush Keith out of the room, much less call a doctor. When Barb asks Char how the even went, he'd forever relish the expression she made when he said, "It went great, talked a lot, ate good food, made a kid laugh, and delivered a baby."

Eventually the Reggaetón Trolls would stumble upon a golf-course full of near feral pop trolls. Viva welcomes them in, Clay by her side. Tresllio asks that they speak in private, and then explains the situation about the Pop genre to the Puttputt leaders, and the offer that Queen Barb has to start a new pop settlement near by the Rock kingdom. Viva starts freaking out her PTSD kicking in when she hears that and entire village, the friends and loved ones that they all thought lost years ago, had been found again and most likely eaten. However, Clay listens more closely and learns about the type of weapons and protection that the Rock trolls offered and how it was better then anything the golf-course had. it takes a lot of convincing, and one mention of Poppy for Viva to agree to meet with Queen Barb, and the condition that Clay comes with her for moral support.

Meanwhile, Floyd is kidnapped off the streets by the K-pop gang. He wakes up in a van and giftwrapped to the point of being paralyzed. He doesn't get as well of an explanation other then that they were told to find pop trolls to preserve the genre from near extinction and that doesn't make him feel more safe. While traveling they pass through the Neverglade trail and kidnap one John Dory, who also is giftwrapped and sat next to his brother like a little pile of presents. He's less annoyed with the situation then Floyd, because it means that one of his brothers is alive. Now Floyd has to deal with being kidnapped and a brother who's trying to hug him despite his arms being tied down.

The day of Char and Poppy's wedding comes all to soon. It's a grand event, the entire city in attendance and televised for those who couldn't make it. Cooper would walk Poppy down, and Keith is the ring bearer. He and Char had grown really close since the night of the "Eventful" dinner, becoming a big/little brother duo, Barb getting in on the action even joking about adopting the kid. The ceremony goes smoothly, but all three royal (+keith) are all called away from the reception, because other Pop trolls have been found and are waiting to meet them.

Viva and Clay arrive the same time and JD and Floyd do. Clay and Floyd have a happy reunion with Viva clapping on the side lines. JD's happy to see clay alive, but his younger brother is still mad at him. Barb greets them first, thanking them for coming. Viva jumps straight to the point wanting to know if her sister is here. Barb tells the guards to bring in Poppy, and that leads to a freaky reunion where Poppy learns about Viva. The wedding is brought up in convo, and Viva feels awful about missing it and making Poppy leave in the middle of it. Poppy reassures her that's its fine and then Viva asks to meet her husband. Char walks in holding Keith.

Clay, Floyd and JD freeze, all of them believing at some point that their little brother was dead, and now ere being presented with an adult around the right age and having the exact same eyes as their baby sibling. JD not reading the room, starts calling to "Branch" and greets him with rather confusing and inappropriate gestures. Barb grabs him and gets him off of Char before he either falls over or drops Keith. Clay tries to greet Char too, but quickly realizes that he doesn't recognize them. This makes JD goes straight into denial, not wanting to believe that his brother would forget them. Floyd comes up and asks Char if he knows them. He's the only one that Char vaguely recognizes, but he doesn't know from where. The stress of the situation makes him collapse, only barely handing Keith over to Poppy before going down.

While waiting for word from the doctor, confrentations happen between the families. Brozone is shocked to hear, Barb call herself and Keith, Char's "Brother and sister" and Barb gets pissed at them when she learns why Char was left alone at such a young age. Poppy and Viva watch the drama from the side-lines until Cooper shows up wanting to check on his sister and new BIL, leading to Viva learning about her own adopted brother...and what happened to her dad. When Char wakes up only Poppy, Keith and Barb are allowed in the room.

They contemplate the situation...and I'm out of plot ideas from here.

Probably their would be interactions with the other tribe leaders in a way to create stability, and try to patiention for creature rights with other giant beings. And of course reuniting the Funk family, but I don't really have a major plot for this right now. Hope yells enjoyed.

[scottsummersbingo]

For the Sexy Days of Summers Event happening right now we've invited Scott Summers (Cyclops) fans to take part in spreading more love for him out there on the internet by creating fanfiction, fanart, fan works, etc. to celebrate our favorite X-Men leader and the possibility of what if. For the duration of this challenge so far we've received some really incredible submissions with super rare pairings that are new to us. For the month of September we'd like to share some of those and also share some various fandom creations along the way in terms of content. Some might be an old favorite pairing while others might be something in terms of shipping you've never considered before.

Today's spotlight pairing is another a fun rare one that's got a lot of potential!

Below under the cut you can take a look at this pairing and see what fun it could prove to be!

Also if you have a favorite Scott pairing and a fanfic that you've written or that you love, then feel free to drop us a note and let us know so we can showcase it in the future!

Stay tuned for more duo spotlights coming soon!

If this is what we've got, then what we've got is gold by StormXPadme  (Rated E) In which Kurt comes back to the X-Men just in time to stop Scott from going to Alkali Lake and the two of them discover, they have a lot more to in common than a shitty family background.

Pit•y by Skelskeleton (Rated G) He assumes Scott is just taking pity on him when he makes the first move, but is it really that?

With you, without you by Skelskeleton (Rated T) Scott had tried to make an effort to not stare whenever he passed him, he tried to never speak to him. He tried everything his parents had told him to do, but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to see, wanting to talk. AKA: Scott joins the circus

Narthex by orphan_account (Rated T) But none of them are as awe struck as Scott when Kurt takes the stand. He watches the blue man as he steps onto the podium preparing the sermon on the sheets of paper in front of him. And the only thought that Scott has is that ‘he is so beautiful’

Reflections and Resolution by fanboi214 (Rated E) Kurt Wagner wakes up naked and alone in a bizarre wintery candy shop. It soon becomes apparent the sweet treats have the ability to alter his mind and body because unbeknownst to the fuzzy blue mutant he's nabbed the staring role in Mojoverse's new exhibitionist ratings bonanza

Where is it? by Neorulez (Rated M) Scott hasn't been the happiest person around so Kurt decides to mess with him but when Scott car goes missing he immediately assumes Kurt. Requested by: Vampygurl402

Missing You by actualkoschei (Rated G) Kurt travels with Mystique, and writes letters home.

Smile, The Worst Is Yet To Come (Rated E) Once upon a time, a nineteen year old kid traveled from the cold shoulder of Germany to the baking heart of America to find his love. His name was Kurt - and his name was Scott.

Christmas Party Blues by BotchedExperiment (Rated T) Kurt regretted letting Scott drag him downstairs for the party.

You Hold Moonlight in Your Hands by orphan_account (Rated T) Scott asks Kurt to the school dance, or at least he tries... it's a little more complicated than intended.

Colours by h311agay (Rated G) This story is based off of Halsey's song, Colors.

Gifts and Mementos by xenosaurus (Rated G) There's a lot of love in every physical thing Kurt owns.

Cream Soda by xenosaurus (Rated G) Scott worries, even when he doesn't have to.

first (and last) time for everything by Enterprising (Rated G) Kurt's never been on a Ferris wheel before, and as it turns out, there's a good reason why he shouldn't.

A Brittle Light, but A Light Nonetheless by fandomtothethirteenthpower (Rated M) Kurt and Scott's adventure out to the festival turn horrible, and it takes Scott's tender loving to help Kurt through it.

A Drive Home by BotchedExperiment (Rated G) Kurt starts feeling sick at school so Scott brings him home.

contrition by orphan_account (Rated M) and what is your sin, kurt wagner?

Different, But Beautiful by DaveCumstaine (Rated E) Kurt's not the most confident person when it comes to appearance, so when Scott shows him the smallest bit of interest, Kurt thinks its a joke. Scott, however, proves him wrong.

Clothes Make the Man by froggidy (Rated G) ScottKurt fic about Kurt wearing Scott's jacket. It's a start to a beautiful thing.

Boys of Summer by ekgc (Rated E) "Let me just start by saying that i, Scott Summers, had never been naked in front of anybody before. Well, besides in the showers at my old school, but that's different. I mean like, i never had been the naked center of attention of somebody else, and it was a lot stranger than i could have imagined. I also couldn't have imagined that the first person ever to see me naked would have been a boy, even less that it would have been a blue boy. But the strangest part of it all is that i was kind of enjoying it, and it was starting to show."

filled my heart with a kiss by Enterprising (Rated T) It had been Kurt's first kiss, Scott realises with growing horror. He'd stolen Kurt's first kiss during spin the bottle, of all things.

Take the Long Way Home by orphan_account (Rated T) Kurt's feeling lonely and ugly, and other bad things, so Scott decides to take him on a nice long drive, to show him how special he is. There's nothing Scott loves more than Kurt laughing as he speeds down the highway, nothing he loves more than seeing Kurt's eyes reflect the moonlight, as they stare at constellations, and Kurt teaches him the German words for them :)

German Rain by vintagealaska (Rated G) "Scott manages to study him but not make him feel like a lab rat or a freak show and yet Kurt still can’t just let go. Let himself be in love with Scott. Kurt looks like a demon - tail and all. His skin is strange. His hands are stranger. Even after all these years, he catches himself feeling as though his skin is glued to him and all he wants to do is rip out of himself and look like a normal person. Like Scott. Like Scott Summers who looks like a normal teenage boy, who can simply put on glasses and no one is none the wiser to his mutant nature. Kurt could never do that, all the disguises in the world can’t help him. People will always stare. They will always pull faces or whisper disparaging comments as they pass him in the street. He doesn’t want that for Scott."

Brownies by Wolfsheart for scottxlogan (Rated T) One of the teens going on a field trip to the city with all the other teachers and students accidentally leaves behind her pot brownies meant for later that night at the hotel. Scott finds them instead and not having Logan's or Hank's extraordinary sense of smell, just thinks they're really tasty.

And others up at AO3 here.

[itsclydebitches]

When I think of how dangerously irresponsible it was of team rwby to drop Atlas on Mantle, I think back to FF7 Remake/ Intergrade when Shinra drops the Sector 7 plate and you see the absolute havoc of people running for their lives and their homes being crushed by debris. Just this terrifying, claustophobic experience which makes it all the more jarringly casual it's portrayed in rwby.

I don't know anything about Final Fantasy, but hard agree about how casually all this was portrayed in Volume 8. Though we're obviously missing pieces of the upcoming Volume 9, we currently have a timeline that reads:

Decide to destroy an entire Kingdom

No one questions, discusses, tries to prevent, or freaks out about that

Civilian horror is tied primarily to the Vacuo grimm attack -- an event the heroes set up -- not the fate of their Kingdom

Really, none of them should even know that Atlas is gone yet. They were shuffled through magical portals (which, from their perspective, shouldn't exist) and I have little to no faith that anyone will respond emotionally to learning, "Hey, did a bunch of barely licensed teenagers just destroy our home with magic?"

The emotional impact of this event for the heroes is nonexistent because the writers were so focused on crafting Ironwood into the 'perfect' villain. The mood of that scene is somewhat celebratory because the fate of Atlas and Mantle is simultaneously the fate (death) of our villain of the Volume. Putting aside the absurdity of Ironwood filling that role when Salem is right there, walking away with even more power, it's really mind-boggling that with the exception of Qrow's horror specifically for the girls -- note that the audience knows they're safe in whatever reality they've fallen into -- the takeaway is, "Yay, the evil rich city is destroyed, evil Ironwood is dead, and most of the citizens have escaped. They'll be fine because they're with the heroes. So this is a win!" Like, don't get me wrong, the finale is super depressing for plenty of reasons the story intends (like Penny) but that emotion isn't tied to the Kingdom's destruction. The story does not care that Atlas is lost. In fact, it presents it as, if not an overtly good thing, than an inevitable necessity with a bunch of unintentional upsides. Which is a mess of an ethical claim in a story that's trying to be all, "There are Good People and Bad People and that divide is actually very easy to determine despite us pretending that there's gray."

Then our leader and protagonist cries for a few seconds before, and I cannot stress this enough, getting distracted by a talking mouse.

Sure, there are indeed straightforward reasons why we don't get a scene like in FF (the residents are already evacuated when their home is destroyed. At least, all the residents that matter to the show's ethics have been evacuated), but the real question is why RWBY crafted a scenario in which the obliteration of an entire Kingdom and the horrific death of a former hero is something that the residents of that Kingdom aren't a part of and the heroes, our responsible party, shrug off. "They'll definitely tackle the impact of this in Volume 9!" I don't think they will and even if they do, it doesn't matter. The show failed to have the character weigh (and justify) the significance of that action when they were making it, so any follow up of, "Wow. What we did was kinda serious, huh? :/ " is going to read as hollow at best, infuriating at worst. Oh, now you're considering the impact of your actions. Now you're feeling remorse. Now when it won't do any good (because, let's face it, we're not getting an arc involving the girls changing their behavior. I'm all for characters making HUGE mistakes and learning from it, but RWBY doesn't let the characters learn anything anymore) and the impact of having this in the past will encourage everyone to respond with a, "It had to be done." Yang's speech in Volume 8 about how every mistake they've made was Completely Justified and Heroic gives me no hope that the show will do anything other than continue to treat Atlas' destruction as the inconsequential necessity it absolutely was not.

[randomnameless]

@zevfern replied to your post “@zevfern replied to your post “If i may provide a...”:

A whole post to reply to my comment? You shouldn't have 🥰 I wonder if it's possible with magic to replace organs in people's bodies, because in that case Sitri could have been developed like an IV baby and then at some point during her gestation she would have the Crest Stone implanted into her. Buy left does have a heart, it's just not being used, so maybe it's the same case with Sitri? I don’t know, I just don’t want to believe the homunculus theory because it makes Rhea look really shitty (and gives Edelgard serious ammunition to use against her)

​it's because i have many thoughts and the comments aren't long enough lol

TBH the homonculi theory could be a bit fucked up... but then, again, to Nabateans who were also "created" by someone and not "born" (as in Sothis didn't meet a Mr. Sothis and they held hands and what not) I do not think the sheer idea of creating life from scratch is that taboo (or maybe it is since only Sothis is supposed to do it?).

In the most charitable reading, Rhea makes a "being" using her mother's recipe but since she's not her Mother Rhea's "creation" isn't a "full nabatean", then when the "being" wakes up and has a different consciousness than Sothis's, Rhea feels like she failed but, if Citrus is any indication, gives them names and let them live like random humans (or even as her own children).

I think the most "grey" factor could be Rhea's reasons and motivations to create "artificial beings", but someone already pointed out how, irl, we know some people have a baby for, at first, some sort of selfish reasons, like giving a playmate to a first born, rolling for a boy/girl, wanting to have a kid to bring a couple closer, wanting to have a heir, etc, etc.

And yet, wanting to create "a being" to be a vessel for the Goddess isn't, imo, an acceptable reason to, well, "create a being" (maybe that's what Rhea meant by breaking taboos? Or it was the sheer act of mimicking Sothis?) and yet, regardless of the reasons behind those beings's existence, as far as we know for Citrus, when they do not fulfill the role they were created for, instead of throwing them in the trashcan, Rhea loves them as their own beings, supports them as they live in her home and interact with people : aka live.

I'd find this argument rich coming from "devoted fans" especially as it is heavily implied Ionius had children either to get one with a major crest, or said children were a "consequence" of his philandering - dude had 11 I think - and who could "only watch" and close his fist (if you follow the theory that he wasn't the one who foddered them!) when said children were experimented upon.

In a series where sleazebag dads at least had one exposition line about "being good dads to their kids before possession/following an evil cult" (FE7, FE14 and FE17 iirc?) Supreme Leader has nothing of the sort to say about her dad...

Which ultimately leads to the question about what is worse, creating a "tool" and considering "it" like your own child after its birth, or fathering children to use them as tools ?

[pcrtgasdace]

I genuinely love what they did with Bo Katan this season. Her entire development, feeling united among Mandalorians. But the very fact that Din is an orphan, with "no Mandalorian blood" as was pointed out, no status of royalty, but still Mandalorian at his very core and being a perfect leader with all his attributes and connections, even if he doesn't want it, made Din actually the very best candidate for that position and I wanted that for him. It would be challenging for him to be in that position actively when he's been in it already the whole time without acknowledging it. Kinda bothers me because blood shouldn't matter and I know Din trusts Bo with his life and he makes compelling arguments as to why Bo should step in, but Din keeps making himself small when he has so many good features on him and is perfect for both types/worlds of Mandalorians. I guess I just find it a little disappointing that royalty seems to be in favour again and we never really saw Din get challenged yet except for Paz. Of course, he doesn't want the responsibility, but it would have been nice to see him struggling with it and being pushed into a role he doesn't want, but needs to pick up. Like, the Darksaber had no real meaning for Din's entire arc and it's just so many wasted opportunities. Idk, I'm just kinda bummed about this result, maybe it will still change, but I am getting tired of getting baited and expecting a different direction each episode. Again, I love Bo Katan and I am happy for her and her accomplishments. But I thought she didn't want to lead and Din was supposed to be pushed into the reluctant leader role as mentioned by cast members before? Just my thoughts to this. Overall, I still enjoyed this episode a lot. Din's dislike for droids, letting out his frustrations at them for the childhood trauma their attack caused on his homeland, the good cop/bad cop dynamic he had with Bo, enjoyed it all. The funny little cameos were surprising, but enjoyable too. It was great, but it was also not outstanding in terms of writing because I was also at the edge of my seat waiting for them to finally meet the Mandalorians and get back to the... plot? Just hoping the last two episodes actually answer these questions and we get to see Gideon.

[shinymisty-blog]

Am I the only one who feels like the episode "Six is a Crowd" was such a missed opportunity for so many things?

For those who don't remember, "Six is a Crowd" gave us this glorious gif:

The episode involves Sonic, Sonia, and Manic going to an Alternative Universe where Robotnik is the leader of the Freedom Fighters while the triplets are evil dictators. (Sonic is a glutton, Manic is money-hungry, and Sonia likes throwing mobians into jail...)

We never see Aleena. I don't even remember her being mentioned. And don't get me started on how pissed I was with not seeing the Alternative, Freedom Fighters Sleet and Dingo in this episode. It was AlL I WANTED out of an episode like this.

So...this is what I would have done with this episode if I could change it.

First off, the Royal Trio's role as the heroes trying to save Mobius would be replaced with the Robotnik trio. This would mean Dingo, Sleet, and Bartleby take the place of Sonic, Manic, and Sonia. (And yes. I am saying Dingo would be the leader of the group). They are searching to find Robotnik, the leader of the Freedom Fighters, to help overthrow the young tyrants ruining Mobius, Sonic, Sonia, and Manic, all while keeping the spirits of the mobians high with jazzy music.

Dingo's the most level-headed of the group, similar to Sonic, but tends to take on more than what he can handle. He also handles the drums (a different kind from Manic's drums). Sleet has street smarts and trusts issues like Manic, always snatching things he feels are needed...or that he feels they (the mobian he'd be stealing from) Shouldn't have. He plays the Double Bass. Bartleby is the one with the highest status but became wanted for crimes he couldn't control, like Sonia, being the one who's able to communicate the easiest with other mobians but has some...issues with adjusting at times. He plays the PianoSAXOPHONE!

So, when OUR triplets arrive in this universe, they are very stunned to see the Buried Hunters finishing a show hidden in a small, back alley within Mobotroplis, and even more shocked to see it being Sleet, Dingo, and Bartleby were the ones playing.

The two groups meet up and some shenanigans happen. Manic and Sleet bond over a shared interest in stealing shit and making the other members of their group have to pull them out of trouble because of it, while Bartleby and Sonia have a strange bond over their childhood friend ending up doing some really bad things. Sonic and Dingo bond over having to step up as leaders when they felt they weren't meant for it.

It'd give us the only episode where the triplets aren't the lead singers, but the "Buried Hunters" instead giving us the song. (I just want an episode where Sleet sings, damn it).

The Royal trio ends up meeting Robotnik, who reveals that, in this universe, he is the leader of the Royal Guard. We'd also learn that, apparently, Sleet and Dingo were very close friends with Bartleby. He then tells them why he hadn't reunited with the Robotnik trio, as all four of them still had to finish through their own paths, but that he felt unsure that they would even accept him back into their lives due to all the damage he had done, not warning the Queen about how poorly she was raising her children could cause issues down the line, blaming himself for the downfall of Mobius. He parallels Aleena and is foreshadowing a reason why Aleena hasn't reunited with them yet.

The Royal trio reassures Robotnik that the Robotnik trio are still fighting BECAUSE they believed in him and that they were trying their hardest to reunite with him, realizing that it may be the same with them and Aleena. With that, they are sent back to their own Universe with the notion that Robotnik is planning to reunite with the Robotnik trio and thanks the Royal trio for helping regain his confidence.

We wouldn't get the same ending we did in the original episode, as the Royal trio were only sent there to learn some simple lesson. They are left wondering how THAT Universe can restore peace to Mobius if they even can, similar to how we wonder if THIS Universe can be restored. The Oracle asks if they believed in the Buried Hunters and Robotnik to do the right thing, which then turns to him asking if they believed in themselves and Aleena to do the right thing when it came to it.

BOOM!

Better lesson than the actual episode...I don't even remember what it was. It could let us see a bit into the villains of the universe in another light, the trio can learn a bit from their journey, giving us some foreshadowing in specific places. Like how the trio would eventually reunite with their mother. WHY she's been avoiding them for so long, teaching the trio that they should do the right thing.

...

AND WE'D GET AU SLEET AND DINGO! WHAT MORE CAN YOU WANT?!

[deathdxnces]

He had been determined to kill her. The worst thing was, he wasn’t the first. Irelia’s blades now hovered at her shoulders, following the graceful, circling movements of her hands. One simple gesture, and it could all be over. He spat blood on the ground, his eyes burning with hatred. “If you will not lead Navori, the Brotherhood will.” He tried weakly to raise his dagger against her. This man would never be taken alive. “I believed in you,” he said again. “We all did.” She sighed. “I never asked you to. I’m sorry.”

i think a lot about this in irelia's color story. it's like, right at the beginning but i have so many thoughts.

"the worst thing was, he wasn't the first" implying after she left the brotherhood the assassination attempts just. sort of became a repeated occurrence (because if she won't lead they will — and, honestly, there's even deeper lore implication if we consider zed's comic suggests kusho was also commanding the brotherhood from the shadows, and the fact he intended to lead ionia to civil war to take the power; the idea irelia is a very powerful symbol, and if she refuses to play her part as a figurehead she must be eliminated. and then there's the fact she was still really young when she left the brotherhood too, before it was even called that; there's no set point in the timeline when the story takes place, that i know of, but it's suggested it's been some time since the war ended. have they been trying to kill her since she was a teenager?)

and that's without even getting on how simultaneously tired and sad about it the line is — she doesn't want to kill her people, but he's not the first, and he likely won't be the last, and still she takes the time, waits, hopes it won't come to that, though she could've killed him immediately "one simple gesture, and it could all be over"

and then the "i believed in you, we all did" like?? i know i say that like every other day but she was 12 when she first joined the resistance, 14 by the time the battle at the placidium happened, and there was an entire nation following her then, from people she had never seen to people she had followed before. everyone put so much on her shoulders, to be some sort of savior and perfect leader, in a way that honestly no matter what she did after, people would have been disappointed, because she's only human. she wouldn't have been the leader everyone wanted. her refusal to lead earns the ire of others, either way. there is literally no outcome where she wouldn't be punished for not being what other people projected on her.

something she never wanted to be. the "i never asked you to" isn't antagonistic, it's sincere. she never wanted any of that, she didn't want to lead or for people to look up to her, or to be any sort of symbol or to have anyone's faith. she was fighting because it was literally the only thing she had left to do, because she wouldn't just stand aside and let noxus take everything, because she was so angry and hurting about everything she already had lost. but it's the fact even then she still apologizes that gets to me. this man just tried to kill her. he blamed her for a disappointment she really had no way of preventing, because they expected her to be a messianic figure that may have served as inspiration during the war but would never hold up after that, a role she never wanted in the first place, and she still feels responsible. irelia says she never asked for it, and yet acts like that is inconsequential as much as those who resent her; she definitely carries the blame, still, even if it shouldn't be hers (but that is in part because she accepts to carry it; because she feels she failed her people, that she disappointed them, enough to apologize for it even when facing someone intent on taking her life).

the apology is, in part, also because she does kill him after but like. even then. he was trying to kill her because she didn't turn out to be what the brotherhood expected! and she still hopes she won't have to kill him until she really has to, and even after that she says “May the Spirit bring you to peace,” and makes sure he gets a proper burial, something she does herself. the amount of grief and guilt she carries gets to me

[everyurlithinkofistoolong]

The Jason quote bot twitter account is going to be the death of me because it's shoving into my face book moments that I was Simply Too Young to really understand when I first read it the first time but then now I'll see something like

“Poor child.” Her voice resonated across the landscape, shaking the bedrock under Jason′s feet. “Your father is first among the gods, yet you are always second best—to your Roman comrades, to your Greek friends, even to your family. How will you prove yourself?”

And it just hits me like a ton of bricks because. Just. All Jason even wanted was a family. People who put him first. People who cared about him beyond his heritage or abilities.

And that "prove yourself" line is particularly harrowing. You shouldn't have to prove yourself to the people who unconditionally love you. But that's how Jason's abandonment issues manifested- he's constantly trying to prove that he's worth enough to be cared about. That's how he was raised, people waiting on him to be a leader and to be brave, and he internalized it. A lot of it also involves taking on a lot of burdens on himself and repressing his emotions as to not make others uncomfortable, because before Jason had nowhere else to go. No other home other than Camp Jupiter. It wasn't until Jason learned that there was also CHB that he realized he had a choice and began to open up.

I mean, take a abandoned child, give him to a wolf goddess that demands he have to prove himself in order to stay alive, put him in a camp where he's put into a role that makes him uncomfortable but gives him the home he yearns for. You're making a kid who's accustomed to being conditionally loved, whether it's on purpose or not.

And it's just... In everything. Hazel angrily asks Jason's casket why he didn't come to any of them for help... Jason was so alone when he sacrificed himself, and it's not hard to see how someone like him would jump immediately to dying for the people he cared about without even consulting anyone first. He was already vulnerable: Piper broke up with him, Leo was "dead", he wasn't at either Camp CHB or Camp Jupiter. He took everything onto his shoulders because that's how he always proved he was worthy, worthy of love in particular.

You see though afterwards that they all did care about him so much. Frank, Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Reyna, Thalia, Nico... They all were heartbroken. Which isn't surprising from the standpoint of the reader, but you're left wondering... would Jason himself have been surprised?

[dexpairs-blog]

"Don't go"

Pairing: Yuumi Black (oc) x Riddle Rosehearts, Yuumi Black x Curtis.

Characters: Riddle Rosehearts (twisted wonderland), Yuumi Black (original character), Curtis (Pokémon Black and White 2), N (Pokémon Black and White),

Genre: angst

Warnings: this night suck because it's my very first attempt at angst!! Also, it's HEAVILY inspired by @trappolaces piece so go check them out!! It's also inspired by the song "ikanaide".

Notes: i'm writing this at 3:30 am and now it's 4:50 am JAJAHAHAJAGAKAG SUFFER

Also this takes place AFTER ch.7 so major spoilers for my au (i'm aware that it's not out yet BUT i have stuff planned k?)

I couldn't help but to tell you I'd be alright When, to be true,

"We need to break up."

Yuumi could not believe what their boyfriend just said,

"W-why? What did i do?" The trainer asked in confusion, Zoroark, one of their beloved Pokémon who he had the pleasure to see grow, also raised her head in confusion.

"You've done nothing but being a distraction over the past year, i cannot let this continue any further. You're a dead weight on my role as a dorm leader, Yuumi." The red head simply replied, not even sparing them a glance he turned his heels around and left, leaving both the ravenette and the illusion Pokémon speechless.

The only sound in the heartslabyul hallway being Riddle's heels echoing in the distance.

it was tearing me apart inside but it didn't matter since you're walking away so swiftly in front of me and your figure is the only thing I see

Weeks had passed since their break up, Yuu hasnt been going out of Ramshackle dorm ever since.

"Why?", "What did i do wrong?" And "it's all my fault", were phrases that repeated themselves constantly in their mind. No matter how much they tried to shake off those thoughts, they would just appear again and again.

The only moments of relief being granted by Serperior's comforting "embrace", as much as a Snake pokemon is capable of hugging that is.

However, Yuumi did not care, they nuzzled closer to their beloved partner and tackled her in a bone crushing hug as they cried their heart out.

Plane has arrived, now is the time you're going away again as I try to run, it seems like the ground is slipping from underneath me

"W-what!? You're leaving twisted wonderland!?"

"Yes Ace, i found a way home." Yuumi said in a bittersweet tone, they turned to Ace and Deuce and smiled sadly at them,

"I'm leaving in a week, i wish could stay longer but i have a lot of things to do back in Unova." The ravenette added as Serperior nuzzled her cheek on theirs.

I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't cry

"What!? You're not even gonna say goodbye!?" Ace said in shock, he could'nt believe what his dorm leader just admitted.

"Yes, Trappola. You heard that correct." Riddle simply stated,

"now go and do your tasks for the unbirthday party or it'll be off with your head!"

But I can't seem to hold it in

As soon as Ace left Riddle fell to the floor,

Was Yuumi really leaving...? The one he loved him for who he was, with all of his strenghts and flaws, the one who made him feel so... Loved, was leaving this world?

"Oh, please don't leave me"

The week passed rather quick, too quick for everyone's liking.

Yuumi was currently at the gates, Arceus, a Pokémon deity who created the universe waited for them on the other side ready to take them back to where they belong.

All of the friends Yuumi made along their crazy journey at NRC gathered around them, each of them sad seeing their dear friend leave.

"Tsunotaro, please take care of Grim for me" they smiled at their fae friend,

"Of course child of man" he replied.

"A-are you sure you won't be coming back?" Kalim asked between sobs,

"Not anytime soon, i have a lot of things to do." Yuumi said hugging the boy closer to them causing him to cry even louder.

Your silhouette is fading away

After saying goodbye to everyone Yuumi started approaching the deity at the other side of the gate,

Arceus took his human child with him and after that disappears as fast as he came, leaving the crowd of students in a broken silence.

too quickly for me to bear just as the wind, you blow by again, and suddenly you're not there

"So they really left huh...?" Floyd said putting his arms behind his back.

Slowly the students started making their way back to their classes with a feeling of emptiness inside.

All but one that was hiding behind the colums,

Riddle.

I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't cry

He felt horrible.

He sent the person who loved him more than anything away, and now they won't ever come back.

It was all his fault.

But I can't seem to hold it in

Tears streamed down his rosy cheeks,

Between his sobs and hiccups he mutters

"Oh, please don't leave me"

...

It's been a month since their departure, everyone seemed to have moved on to an extent.

Of course they missed their friend dearly, but they had a life to get back to.

Riddle however, he started spending more and more time in the hall of mirrors.

Perhaphs in hopes they'll come back to him, or he finally manages to apologize.

Either way would make him happy.

When the fun is over it' ll always seem to end the same, though I know it's coming, i can never seem to stop the pain, in this very moment, you look even more amazing and I can't avoid your gaze

Once again, I can see

Suddenly the mirror started lighting up the room.

As Riddle got closer he could see his ex-lovers reflection.

He assumed they were just coming back from the last gym, he remembers how they often mentioned that they wanted to complete their journey once back in Unova.

nothing but your face

Another moment flashed before him, It was Yuumi battling a green haired man with a Pokémon similar to Zekrom, but in white and much softer features.

"He must be N" he muttered, remembering the description Yuumi gave him.

Time's ticking by, no matter how I try

At the end of the battle, Yuumi ended up being victorious.

Then another man came in, he also challenged them to a battle, which he lost of course.

I'm struggling to keep up, night's taken hold as I'm walking home iwonder if I'll be okay alone

The green haired man he assumed was N was now leaving on the white beast's back claiming he wanted to see the world for himself.

Lights on the street glow at my feet my shadow is all I've got to keep me company

After that another scene emerged,

Yuumi finally became the champion of Unova.

Their biggest dream finally achieved, the red haired young man could'nt help but feel a wave of pride in seeing this moment happen.

Your silhouette is fading away too quickly for me to bear just as the dark, it tears me apart, my surroundings blur once again

The next moment was what shattered his heart completely.

They were on a ferriswheel, smiling, at a gentle looking boy with a mole on his chin.

"The Unova region sure is pretty, isn't it?"

He smiled at them, Yuumi smiling back and nodding at him in agreement,

"But it's not the only thing that's pretty around here." He blurted out making Yuumi shily blush.

"No..."

"No...!"

"No, no, no, no!!" Riddle cried.

I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't cry

"Please, come back!!" he sobbed as the two trainers in front of him got closer and closer.

But I can't seem to hold it in,

Oh, please don't leave me

Riddle felt powerless as he watched the two's faces meet in a sweet kiss.

"That should have been me...!" He yelled at the reflection.

I shouldn't cry, I shouldn't cry

But I can't seem to hold it in

"Oh, please don't leave me".

[sylvaridreams]

3 and 11 for Alba? :D

GW2 asks -- I have no idea how to do readmores on mobile anymore oops.

3. What person impacted them the most?

I think it's impossible to take this role without being constantly changed by the people around you, so there's a piece of everyone in Alba at this point. But as far as who had the biggest impact on Alba, it's either Trahearne or Forgal.

Awakening from the dream and being told "Hey, your destiny must be to kill an elder dragon, off you go!" is something that's so tragic for sylvari commanders--being literally born for this war and sent to finish it from the moment you open your eyes. Trahearne initially served as a mentor figure to look up to, a guide of how to chase your Wyld Hunt. But with time and as they grew closer, he also taught Alba balance and grace, how to complete your quest without letting it consume you--ironically, because he often saw Trahearne completely consumed by his own Hunt. And now Alba has followed in his footsteps in forgetting that there needs to be balance in your life, and now he himself is consumed by being The Commander. Oops!

Forgal was initially dismissive of Alba, making him prove himself time and time again--but having to work for his approval, while frustrating and confusing at first for him as a sapling, kept Alba humble and overall taught him to earn everything. You don't ever just get to walk into some new place and announce "I'm the commander, I'm in charge, you have to respect me" and be taken seriously. You have to work for respect, and work on love, every single time and forever and ever after that too. Forgal was also his first big feeling of loss, which he blamed himself for and thought "oh I'll never feel as bad as this again" AND YET...

11. How accurate is their reputation/image compared to how they really are?

His reputation precedes him as this very serious leader, as a genius strategist and a charming smooth talker. Any person that's actually met him has probably seen a hint of his skills at some point, i.e. "he had some crazy plan that shouldn't have worked but it did" and "somehow he talked us out of this situation, idk how because we should have been killed!" --in other words, SOMEHOW he did something mildly impressive and survived, and these firsthand accounts of "I guess he was good at this" gets turned into second and third hand accounts of dashing charm and wits. Alba was Vigil first and foremost; his strategy most times is "Let's go in and hit that thing until it stops moving and see where we stand then." Having to sneak strategically through the front lines of Joko's army was the worst thing ever for him, Canach practically had to hold his hand and walk him through that shit.

People also tend to think he's stoic in an interesting, mysterious way when really he's just kind of shy. He withdraws from social situations when possible. Often he just feels he doesn't "belong" in these situations, or being involved with groups socially.

So um. Not accurate at all lol.