Tumgik
#preferably the weakness to be more hidden. part of the appeal
littleprincepaladin · 6 months
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#ramblingpaladin#god i hate how im so easy to fall for arrogant evil men#its from the “i strahd memoirs of a vampire” fyi. im going insane over him today#funnily enough im not into#e.g ascended astarion or cazador (or gortash. but gortash is different here:)#i think it has to do with how Raphael and Strahd are just genuinely good at whatever the hell theyre doing#vain. arrogant. flawed? oh absolutely they're total jerks#but their so beloved patheticness for me comes from the fact that their weakness lies hidden behind their strengths#which can be both literal strength or can be an intellectual thing. tbf both have both. manipulative bastards that also can whoop your ass#and oh lord im about to get the worst ass whooping of my LIFE#while ascended astarion is honestly just sopping wet pathetic to me straight away. hes not really fun. but i get the fantasy ig#its been said multiple times i believe but as.astarion really just has the Vibes. not the actual thing#sure hes now some cool never seen before vamp. but hes broke off his ass and turns into a stupid lil bat#cazador definitely has his strength oh that's for sure but ultimately his weaknesses are wayyy too obvious#raphael also has them obvious but he has the charisma to make you forget hes got them#cazador is just sopping wet too#so really i believe its a matter of having the character be genuinely strong + ratio between weakness and strength#preferably the weakness to be more hidden. part of the appeal#im not putting gortash in together with as.astarion and cazador because hes also a good one imo#but for some reason im just. not into him. even tho hes literally my type#is it the anime ass hair?#its the anime ass hair.#this got long...
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Vergil NSFT alphabet
18+ for filth. If your blog says you're a minor then you're gonna get blocked
It hit me that I never wrote one of these for Vergil and I needed to fix that
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A = Aftercare
Bathing is what he prefers. Being able to touch you casually and show affection without feeling awkward is an absolute joy for him. Since it's usually the end of the night, it's also time for the two of you to relax together
He actually needs aftercare, he won't admit to it easily, but he needs the closeness. Leaving him alone for too long after sex hurts him, he starts feeling used and ashamed
He doesn't want to come across as needy or weak in your eyes so he won't mention it under normal circumstances
B = Body Part
He's not picky in either case
C = Cum
Always inside unless you want something else. He stays buried in you until he has to pull out or he's hard enough for another round
Hates condoms, but he'll wear them if you prefer them
If he's in his devil form, he cums way more. Enough that it rushes out around his cock
D = Dirty Secret
He's just as filthy and depraved as Dante, it takes trust to bring it out of him though
E = Experience
Vergil has had only one or two partners before you. He has an idea of what to do and what he likes in theory but not much practical experience
F = Favourite Positions
Wrapped lotus and full nelson. Missionary is fine, but he does worry about accidentally crushing you and it keeps him from fully relaxing into it
G = Goofy
Surprisingly, not as serious as you'd figure when he gets comfortable in the relationship. He keeps his snarky sense of humor and quick wit
H = Hair
He's not hairless like V is, but his hair is so light and thin, it's hardly noticeable
I = Intimacy
Once he gets comfortable being fully vulnerable he'll fully admit to loving you and showing tenderness
Even during rough sex, he retains a hidden sweetness. He trusts you to tell him if you're uncomfortable with something, but he still checks in just in case
J = Jack-Off
Not often. He prefers to come to you to take care of any needs that might arise
K = Kink
Edging, orgasm denial, shibari, bondage, domination, overstimulation
L = Location
Anywhere private, where no one can hear or walk in
M = Motivation
Being bratty towards him gets him going pretty fast. He'll fuck the attitude right out of you until you're good to him again
N = No
Doesn't enjoy pain play or blood play. He won't let you collar him either. Anything that reminds him of his time as Nelo Angelo is off the table
He doesn't want to use his sin devil trigger. There's just too many risks involved for him to feel comfortable
O = Oral
He'll hold your hips down to keep you from going anywhere until he's through with you. He'll moan against you if you pull his hair
You're not gonna be able to fit him in your mouth and he knows it. He'll laugh at you if you repeatedly try it
P = Pace
Rough and slow
Q = Quickie
Not into it. He can wait til later and he expects you to be able to wait too
R = Risk
Down to experiment, even willing to bring out his lesser devil trigger if you think you can take it
Doppelgangers too
S = Stamina
There's no chance in hell you'll outlast him, even on your best day. If you challenge that then you're not leaving the house any time soon
T = Toy
Doesn't really care for many of them especially vibrators. It's not jealousy or anything like that, they just don't appeal to him
He's fine using cock rings if you'd like him to
U = Unfair
Like V, he can tolerate being denied for a long time, but he can outlast his other half. He can handle being edged and denied for over a month before he has to tap out. The downside is near the end, he starts getting agitated towards everyone that's not you
If you choose to make him wait like that, know turnabout is fair play and he doesn't show mercy
V = Volume
Pretty quiet until he starts getting close to cumming. The exception to this is if you're blowing his back out, then he gets loud quick
The louder he can make you get, the more amused he is
W = Wild Card
He's very interested in predator/prey play. Vergil gives you a head start, but there's no escaping him. He doesn't care about playing fair, he'll gladly trick in front of you just to mess with you
X = X-Ray
Uncut and thick as hell. His cock clocks nine inches easy and curves upward slightly
Y = Yearning
Vergil has a sex drive to rival Dante. Until fairly recently, he's had no reason to use it so he mostly ignored it
Z = ZZZ
He stays awake long enough to read a couple chapters in whatever book he's currently reading. He has a hard time sleeping even when he's tired, it's a way to help him wind down
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nocturnalazure · 21 days
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Character Focus: Chikage
Chikage and her mother Tamaki Umeda were made upon my request by @yorithesims. ❤️ I needed a yakuza mother and daughter to be allies to Laurie and the gang, and I couldn't rely on my poor Sims making skills. And so the Umeda-gumi was born! Aren't they pure badassery? 😎
But because Chikage is one of the most recent additions to the story, she doesn't have much of a backstory yet.
In her very first appearance, she acts as a translator between her mother and Laurie, Omar and Romeo. Tamaki-san understands (and even speaks) English but by pretending not to, she reminds her guests of their position: they are very firmly in her territory, asking for help. Her house, her rules. Chikage and her mother keep glancing at each other throughout the conversation. There is a lot going on that is unsaid...
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The Umeda-gumi is a small, cautious matriarchal clan that had always stayed out of the syndicate. But Laurie's proposition is appealing: they would get rid of the Hei clan (their natural enemy) and would win a free seat in the syndicate.
Chikage's first mission is to find out if Laurie has a hidden agenda. Now, while Chikage seems subdued in front of her mother, whom she obeys without question, she is actually a free spirit and is obviously given free rein to achieve her clan's objectives. So she sneaks into Laurie's room at night and well... they have a rather sexy fight. ;) It sets the tone of their dynamic: a power game about who is alternatively in control.
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Following their conversation, Chikage concludes that Laurie is actually sincere and she gets curious. While Laurie finds out that the only way to truly do business with Chikage is to be quite literally naked.
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His condition that they do not kiss does not put her off but it puzzles her. When he tells her that he prefers kissing someone he actually has feelings for, she is not offended. Their intercourse was nothing more than the fun part of business to her.
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Because he's being so transparent, she decides to be clear about her clan's motives. She confesses to being the biological daughter of the one who calls himself Bao Hei and who is actually a former member of the Umeda clan and a lover of Tamaki's.
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The Umeda-gumi may be small but they have obviously their spy within the Hei clan. And when Bao Hei gets killed, they are the first informed. So they add a condition to their help to the syndicate.
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At this stage, all they know is that 1) rumor says the assassin was working for Laurie Golzine, and 2) that it was an immortal (read: a vampire). With Jie now also an immortal himself, Tamaki sees that the only way to protect her clan's interests and have an edge on the rest of the syndicate would be to employ vampires herself. Particularly a powerful assassin who has just proved that Jie could be defeated (as a human, at least).
Chikage is sent by her mother to the strategic meeting organized by Laurie between all involved parties. But the night before, Chikage and Laurie get together in a hotel room to... exchange information. This time, he lets her take the lead and seems detached from the whole process, acting almost robotically.
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To her, that's his business so she doesn't pry. He willingly agreed to those "transactions" between them and he outright told her there were parts of his life that were out of bounds. Chikage's main goal is to get information about Eloise, the supposed assassin. Laurie denies having ever ordered Bao Hei to be killed, and sees right through Tamaki's objective to hire Eloise. And he warns Chikage that things may not be as they seem.
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At this point, I think it must be said that despite her confident attitude, Chikage is not entirely comfortable with being seated at a negotiation table with the whole syndicate, vampires and who knows what else. She doesn't know the history between them all, and she's very aware of being in a position of weakness. Entering the room together with Laurie is a calculated act from both of them.
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It is an assurance that the Umeda clan is a "close" partner of the Golzines. And they want it to be noticed.
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And Chikage finally meets the so-called terrible "assassin"...
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Obviously, Laurie is withholding information. Maybe he thinks that Chikage wouldn't believe him if he told her that Eloise has a dissociative personality. And maybe he would be right. Chikage will get proof in due time... but for now, she truly doesn't understand how that harmless girl could have achieved what no one in her clan has managed to do.
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Also, in answer to doubts issued by some of the invitees about her motives, she reveals having a legitimate claim as heiress to the Hei clan.
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Chikage's caution is still very visible in the most recent scenes, when they all prepare to attack the Hei HQ. With Laurie gone, she has lost her most reliable ally who knew exactly what she was after. She clearly doesn't trust Eloise and Tristan, and desperately wants to assess Eloise's capabilities.
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Thankfully, Erik's arrival will allow her to chaperone the two vampires.
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Stay tuned if you want to know how this whole mess turns out! ;)
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carolinanadeau · 2 months
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In Praise of Sally Ann Howes
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As I've made it one of the purposes of my blog to share photos and songs and general positivity about the wonderful English actress Sally Ann Howes, I thought I'd make a post to talk in much more detail about all the great things about her and why I adore her so much!
This classy English beauty possessed a highly expressive face and eyes, an astonishingly powerful soprano, a great sense of humor, and the world's most charming laugh. One thing I cannot stop saying about Sally Ann is that she did not and does not get nearly enough credit and recognition for her immense talent and prolific career, and it's precisely for that reason that I'm here to do my part in giving it to her!
This overlong rambling post is a combination of biographical information and my personal fawning over her performances... whatever I felt I most wanted to put out there in the world and what I'd like people less familiar with her to know.
Click on Keep Reading and I'll take you on a journey!
As she preferred to work on the stage and didn't really pursue a film career, the catalog of Sally Ann's work that can still be viewed today is unfortunately small - though you can find almost all of her early films on the internet if you look hard! In her early film days, mostly made before she was able to pursue her true passion of musical theatre, her extraordinary singing talents weren't utilized by the producers at all.
However, we were fortunately blessed with exactly one musical film role from her, and it's an iconic one: the aptly-named role of Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), the golden-haired, golden-hearted candy heiress who falls in love with and eventually marries Dick van Dyke's character Caractacus Potts after joining him and his children on a madcap adventure. She's a sweet, intelligent ingenue with hidden depths and one of my favorite sorts of character arcs - the uptight, lonely woman who becomes more and more warm and open as she discovers newfound freedom and joy in life and falls in love.
There is something about Sally Ann that just glows in every scene of Chitty, and it's not only that bright blonde hair! The way she widens her eyes sometimes, the way she raises her eyebrows, her gentle and soft presence in the happiest scenes, and the particular airy lilt she has to her speaking voice are all so distinctive and appealing, and I can't take my eyes off her. And her smile! When I say she glows it's barely even a metaphor, the woman just emits light. 
(Funnily enough, I started to realize that many of the laudatory quotes I've found about her also refer to her in this way, like this quote from a 1965 TV Guide article, from playwright Sidney Kingsley: "She's luminous as an actress. I mean that literally. In Brigadoon she really lit up the stage.")
For me, I'm weak for any actress who can do the defrosted-ice-queen trope so incredibly well. Truly starts out as closed-off and prim, and nearly reverts to that state when she and Caractacus have a Big Misunderstanding near the end, but in the scenes where she's happy and carefree, the warmth just radiates off of her.
She also has the most adorable chemistry with Dick van Dyke in an annoyances-to-friends-to-lovers relationship that absolutely shaped my young brain. Whenever Sally Ann and Dick glance at each other, whether with irritation and frustration early in the film or with warmth and affection later on, their chemistry is obvious and natural, and there's so much expressed in each one of those glances. One has no difficulty believing that these characters are going to be very happily married.
(Here's a cute on-set interview where she talks about, among other things, how easily she and van Dyke clicked.)
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While I acknowledge that the character of Caractacus Potts was absolutely originally planned to be an actual Englishman, Dick van Dyke played him with an American accent, and to me they will always be an adorable English-American couple. It's a whole part of the charm of this pairing to me!
Sally Ann also had a great relationship with child actors Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley who played Jeremy and Jemima Potts, and did her best to help make them more comfortable and happy during the many very long days on set. Having been a child film star herself, she knew a great deal about how difficult and alienating it could be. The genuine affection the three of them shared is obvious in their scenes together, especially in the extremely adorable "Truly Scrumptious" number, and it really makes the developing mother-child relationship between the characters so believable.
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The beach scene, where so much of the relationship between Truly and Caractacus and the Potts children is developed, is incredibly cute and heartwarming, and a lot of that rides on Sally Ann's performance and how her previously prim-and-proper character shows herself to be warm and loving, once she (literally) lets her hair down. We've already seen how happy the Potts family is together; now we see how Truly fits in perfectly and makes them all even happier.
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Look at her! Literally glowing!
(One thing I should mention: I think both the plot and the love story of CCBB are greatly improved if one just treats the "dream sequence" as real events, which was possibly the original intention anyway, so just note that is always the perspective I'm coming from here. It's the only way to make some things make sense and for the characters and their relationships to fully develop.)
"Lovely, Lonely Man" is Truly's big solo moment, and was probably the least comprehensible part of the movie to me as a kid (lol), but is now indisputably one of the very best parts to me as an adult. It's an exquisitely beautiful love song, especially the bridge, and I somehow love it more and more every time I rewatch it. Sally Ann's dreamy, graceful movements and the way the whole scene is shot make her look like a princess, and the slow build of the song is masterfully done. She has this distinctive crisp way of articulating her words while singing, especially the closing consonants like N and M, that I just love to listen to. The string section and the building countermelodies are so beautiful it makes me want to weep. Everyone involved in creating this scene and song deserved an award, I'm being so serious. While it's not the highest of soprano songs and doesn't fully show off Sally Ann's astonishing range, she shows an incredible amount of vocal control here through the many diminuendos and crescendos, and she's mesmerizing to watch and listen to. One of her "glowiest" scenes, for sure!
While I've seen people call this song irrelevant to the plot, I strongly disagree - the romance is part of the plot, of course, and while I didn't fully understand the meaning as a kid, this song establishes how much Truly's outlook on life and hopes for the future have already changed since meeting Caractacus, and how much happier she is with the poor Potts family than she's ever been in her life of luxury. Plus, now we know for certain that she's head over heels for Caractacus, but he doesn't know... increasing the dramatic irony of the pining and yearning to follow!
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In the reprise of "Hushabye Mountain", which was sung in a much earlier scene by Dick van Dyke alone, Caractacus loses the will to continue the song because he's overwhelmed with emotion thinking of his children being held captive. Truly comes in to aid him with the final verse - another pivotal moment in the developing romance - and Sally Ann's singing here is nothing short of breathtaking.
And of course, I can't neglect to mention the "Doll on a Music Box" number, where Sally Ann, who was not a trained dancer and in fact considered herself to be "appalling" at it, performs an incredibly precise, incredibly impressive clockwork song-and-dance number while on a spinning turntable! She practiced it so well that she managed to successfully complete the shot in a single take, prompting the stage full of extras to burst into applause.
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This is another important character moment for Truly, though it's disguised in a diegetic performance: though it's another thing that went over my head as a child who only got to see the movie once, the lyrics about being trapped up on a music box and longing to be freed by love pretty clearly symbolize how trapped the real Truly's high-society life makes her feel, and how she yearns to break free from class restrictions and live happily-ever-after with Caractacus, as it's only with him and his family that she really feels free.
Then there's that incredibly warm romantic look that Truly and Caractacus share at the end of the song when she silently acknowledges the love confession he's just made while singing in counterpoint with her, though they're still in a dangerous situation and can't give themselves away by appearing too human and breaking their disguises... sadly this vital moment is cut off on all the Youtube videos of the scene I can find, because none of the people who clipped it understand that that's the whole point of it all, apparently. But here's a gif!
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The character of Truly doesn't exist at all in the original (quite different) book by James Bond author Ian Fleming - surprising, I know, given her name! - and, honestly, the fact that Truly and the romantic subplot of this movie exist are why it had such a strong impact on me as a child, and very much why I fell in love with it again as an adult. Even though the score is wonderful anyway and the story is charming and magical, I can confidently say that I would not have become as completely enchanted or had such a strong desire to revisit it again and again if there'd been no Truly and no love story. The fact that Sally Ann's performance makes Truly so loveable is, obviously, a pretty crucial factor there.
Sally Ann's delivery of "Well, Mr. Potts... now you'll have to marry me!" after Caractacus kisses Truly... that slide from prim mock-outrage to the playful, warm, you-can-hear-the-smile-in her-voice conclusion is flawless. Not even exaggerating when I say that this was the moment that made me into a hopeless romantic as a 9-year-old child. Sure, this wasn't the first movie I'd seen where two people fall in love and live happily ever after, but I distinctly remember that this was the first romance story that had me in a giggling, kicking-my-feet, "I ship it so hard" state of mind. And after revisiting it as an adult for the first time last year, I have confirmed that yes, child me already had great taste in fictional romances!
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Oh, I could say so much about the difference in her body language between the two scenes where Caractacus carries Truly out of her car that's become stuck in a pond. The first time, Truly is affronted and extremely embarrassed by the situation, holding herself so stiffly and awkwardly to avoid an accidental embrace that she causes him to nearly lose his balance and drop her. The second time, when they're in love and they know it, she snuggles right up into his arms without hesitation and it's the cutest thing ever. Sally Ann was 5'6" but looks so tiny in that scene!
(And that kiss! Maybe I'm getting off-topic here in terms of strictly focusing on Sally Ann's contributions, because Dick van Dyke deserves tons of credit for making this kiss so good... but wow, the kiss. Several times I have called it "the Most Kiss they could have gotten away with in a children's movie." Again, giggling, kicking my feet etc.)
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While Truly's costumes and hairstyling are rarely historically accurate (the film is set around 1910), the stylized nature of her fashion is iconic and memorable in itself. Sally Ann also completely pulls off playing a fresh-faced ingenue who is 12+ years younger than her actual age - and I do wonder if the aging-down of Sally Ann is at least part of the reason why Truly wears her hair loose throughout most of the movie! Either way, it works perfectly and I was shocked when I first learned how much older she was than her character. (If you watch her in The Admirable Crichton, where she is also in Edwardian costume and was closer to Truly's actual age, she really doesn't look all that much different. If anything, I think she looks even more glowingly beautiful in Chitty!)
Also, as for Truly wearing her hair down... it may just have been an intentionally anachronistic stylistic choice, but in-story, I think it actually contributes to her character by showing a willingness to flout convention and pursue whatever will make her happy instead of what's expected of her, which happens to be a key theme of her character arc.
Another thing that led me to adore Sally Ann as a person as I learned more about her over the last year: in the 1960s, she appeared as a panelist in quite a few episodes of the game show To Tell the Truth (as well as a few episodes of Password), and these can be found on Youtube. I really adore how her personality shines through - she's unfailingly bubbly, witty, self-deprecating, and a bit quirky. Just listening to her speak is a delight and she has one of the best laughs I've ever heard. Here is one of my favorite little moments that I clipped. 
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By all accounts, she was a delightful person to know and work with, witty and clever, very professional, and very serious about her craft. She also always maintained a great affection for and pride in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and her role as Truly, which is always a wonderful thing to know about an actor in a beloved role.
Another bonus: here is a super charming interview with her after a backstage disaster at What Makes Sammy Run? on Broadway.
She was also, along with Twiggy and Diahann Carroll (as Julia Baker), one of the first three celebrities to have her likeness made into a Barbie doll.
Two of her earlier films I recommend are the comedies Fools Rush In (1949) and The Admirable Crichton (1957), if you can find them (hint-hint, you can.) You may also be able to find the 1966 TV movie of her reprising her Tony-nominated role of Fiona in Brigadoon with Robert Goulet, and although I feel like the oddly close-up way the film was shot kinda does a disservice to the actors at times, it's still amazing to be able to see and hear her in a role she performed on Broadway.
Richard Rodgers once called Sally Ann "the greatest singer who ever sang on the American musical stage." Now, I don't quote this to claim this superlative as some kind of objective fact. If you know anything about me, I am very, very strongly opposed to pitting women against each other and all the Golden Age sopranos are absolute queens who deserve crowns, no matter how much mainstream success or present-day name-recognition they have/had. I just think it's phenomenal that she received such high praise from a man who worked with many of the best musical theatre singers who ever lived... and to think, many people today have never even heard her voice. Without her performance as Truly Scrumptious, it's possible almost nobody would in the future! I am so glad that Sally Ann's lasting legacy was ensured by such a beloved film role.
Sadly for us, many of the theatrical roles which she originated (and thus, for which cast albums featuring her exist) were in shows that either flopped quickly or at least did not enter the theatrical canon, so she never achieved the level of mainstream recognition she clearly deserves. But Sally Ann also played such legendary and challenging roles as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon (for which she received a Tony nomination), Maria Rainer von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, and, much later, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. She received great acclaim for all of these performances and, judging by what we know of her process on My Fair Lady, was excellent at making roles distinctly her own and never merely imitating another performer.
Even in her iconic original role of Truly Scrumptious, you don't get to hear the true full power of Sally Ann's extraordinary soprano. For that, I highly recommend listening to "Another Time, Another Place" from Kwamina (1961), and "Something to Live For" from What Makes Sammy Run? (1964). I'm always sad that we don't have any recordings of her in her "fiery" star turn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, but you can at least hear her do a Cockney accent, be silly, and sing "With a Little Bit of Luck" with Bing Crosby here!
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If it weren't for the enduring success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, few people might have even heard of Sally Ann Howes today, and that would be a terrible loss. I cannot overstate that I am so grateful that we all know who she is because she played this role and we get to see her give this radiant performance of a character that's all her own. Maybe this sounds strange, but I think the fact that this was Sally Ann's only musical film role (and the ONLY role most people will ever see her in) makes it even more precious, and makes everything she brings to the character that much more distinctive and unique and special.
Both for all of the talent and charm she brings to the role itself, and everything else that I and many other fans have been able to learn of so much of her otherwise-obscure work because of it, the world is incredibly lucky to have the lovely Sally Ann Howes immortalized as our Truly Scrumptious, and I wouldn't have it any other way 💖
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#*mic drop*#sally ann howes#chitty chitty bang bang#and that's why you should vote for... wait there's no poll involved? I may have gotten carried away ;)#ok so I doubt anyone will even pay attention to this post but if you are going to tag or comment on this BE KIND AND POSITIVE ABOUT HER#like this is obviously a labor of love on my part here... don't be weird or backhanded. I don't need to hear how you disagree or whatever#and no pitting women against each other on my posts I am so serious#this is a fan post! this is a stan post! this is a celebration! do not derail!#I feel like I need to sprinkle holy water on this post before I release it out into the world#oh Sally Ann we're really in it now#also parts of this are poorly written I know. it's literally just an infodump about my Special Interest English Lady what do you expect lol#the switches between formal tone and informal fangirling are intentional btw#this is what I'm using my degree for apparently#I know I mixed in a lot of character/story analysis here and maybe that's slightly off-topic from lauding her performance but hey#it's not like I'm getting graded on this. and I mean you can see these things in her character BECAUSE of her performance#take my hand. love her with me. life could be a dream#you know the lyric in Hamilton - 'I wrote my way out'? that's what this was for me. I wrote my way out of a mental health crisis with this#when I came up with this idea I was going to save it for her birthday but that is sooo far away. so I'll post now and reblog it then!#I'm shocked tumblr can even handle whatever I'm trying to do here#I wouldn't have put SO many photos except that I needed to use multiples so I could make them smaller!!#my original post#long post
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Draw your swords
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Summary: In order to keep Ravka intact, general Kirgan, the Darkling, must marry. Needless to say, he’s not happy about it, but neither is his bride.
Warnings: indicating smut, slight angst
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Standing at the altar, wearing his black kefta, the Darkling grinds his teeth at the closed door at the end of it.
Any moment now, the door will open and his bride will appear as an angel in white. Except, the Darkling preferred to think of her as devil incarnate.
Although her beauty is without faults, her mind is sharp and her tongue can be sweeter than honey, Y/N Y/L/N is everything the Darkling hates.
She's entitled, bratty, arguably manipulative and downright cruel. She's all that and more, at least to him. But the one thing he cannot forgive her for is her lineage. As a daughter of a man he sought to destroy, Y/N became general Zlatan’s bargaining chip.
“You must marry her and she must be included in all decisions concerning Ravka on my behalf, or we will declare independence.”
General Zlatan gave the emperor no room to argue on the matter, forcing the marriage onto them. As the emperor had no male descendants to marry off, the next in line was general Kirigan. And while the Darkling fought the emperor on this instance, he was given no choice – either marry Zlatan’s daughter or someone else will be ascending as a leader of the Second army.
"Is it too late to run?" Ivan turns to Kirigan and Fedyor with a breathless chuckle, earning a dirty look from the official Y/N insisted marries them. She caved on the Palace setting, but no one could bend her will on who it is that seals their marriage contract.
"You promised." Fedyor reminds him and Kirigan closes his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Maybe some promises are best broken. She'll be the death of Ravka." Licking his lips, the Darkling glances at the door as a faint noise is heard on the other side of the door.
‘Of me’, he thinks to himself, ‘She’ll be the death of me.’
“She is Zlatan’s daughter with no special powers”, Ivan scoffs, “What could she possibly do?”
"I'll make her just as unhappy as I am now. She's never going to love me and I most certainly will never love her," the Darkling huffs, straightening his back as his eyes narrow at the door. “Unhappy women are always dangerous.” He pauses, pursing his lips, “Even if they are just human.”
"You said this is a business deal, so think of it as such." Ivan raises an eyebrow, wondering why is love even on Kirigan’s mind. In all his time serving his general, Ivan never heard the word pass his lips before now.
"I will”, the Darkling rolls his tongue, focusing on Ivan and Fedyor again. "Tell me you’d fight with me to preserve Ravka if I walk away."
"Do whatever you want, but you better be fast because your bride is coming", Fedyor nods toward the grand opening of the grandiose door, revealing a vision in white and the veil covering her face.
"Fuck", the Darkling mutters under his breath, his heart jumping at the sight.
He watched her walk, his nerves gnawing away at him and all he could think about is why his heart is beating so fast. Why would he be nervous? She should be the one drowning in nerves instead of walking so confidently. Why is she not afraid of him?
Folding his shaky hands behind his back, the Darkling could have sworn every step she took closer made his heart drop further in his chest. It was only a matter of time before he had nothing left but to accept his destiny and take an ordinary woman such as Y/N as his bride. Oddly enough, he found comfort in her mortality. She would die eventually and he’ll be free of her. If she angers him or her father stirs up trouble, he’d make sure he’ll be free much sooner.
Finally in front of him, Y/N holds her breath as the Darkling reluctantly pulls the veil up, revealing her face.
When she first met him, it was on a field of scattered, mangled bodies. He looked at the sky like a man would look at a withered flower in which he no longer sees the beauty he plucked it for, thus destroying it.
And when he looked at her, Y/N forgot to breathe.
There are no traces of doubt, no evidence this isn't the happiest day of her life. If anything, the Darkling is in awe of her and her ability to maintain composure without showing the slightest inkling of her disdain for him. He’s looking for a weakness, studying her in order to find something, anything he could use to make her submit to him, but she’s not flinching. Her stare is unyielding, fierce, and she is unbowed, like a rose in the eye of a hurricane.
"You should have worn the white kefta. Black is for funerals", she notes, her voice low and cold and the Darkling can't help but scoff.
“Black is my color. Besides”, he leans in, pressing his lips against her cheek before whispering, "It is a funeral."
While the crowd whispered and awed over the little exchange, Y/N's lips twitched into a brief smile. Reaching out for his hand, she tilts her head to her left, hiding her face with the veil as she scowls at him.
The ceremony begins, but neither the Darkling nor Y/N can truly focus on a single word said. Y/N is busy wondering what she could do best to make his life hell. This isn’t exactly what she had in mind for her future either and being exchanged like a broodmare to delay a war is unforgivable. She couldn’t forgive her father for giving her over to a known monster, nor could she forgive her seconds-to-be husband.
He is cruel, manipulative, a beast hidden under a handsome built and he may be appealing to the eye, but she can feel he’s rotten inside.
The Darkling’s eyes are fixed on her, examining every single inch of her rather small sized body. Though her curves are undeniable, her height would leave him with a craned neck and back pain in the future. Inhaling sharply, he tried to understand why his thoughts of all the things he hates about her include ripping that wedding dress straight off her. She looks far too appealing in a dress for him to ignore and it sparks a fire to further fuel the flames of hate he’s tended to.
Either way, quicker than imagined, the Darkling found himself saying "I do", forcing a smile that matched the one she displayed. Unlike his cold smile that didn't reach his eyes, Y/N was capable of making her smile believable, enough for him to envy her acting skills.
"You may kiss the bride."
Licking his lips, Kirigan's eyes flicker to Y/N's lips. He never kissed her before, the human who perfectly portrayed an ice queen. It would be a lie if he said kissing her never crossed his mind, but it didn't feel like he'd willingly do so even if he had a chance. He didn’t desire her at all. He refused to allow himself as much.
Y/N glanced at the crowd, seeing their little whispers about how long Kirigan is taking and how they pity her for marrying someone like him – a dark shadow, an abomination even in their world.
She felt a shuddered breath pass her lips as Kirigan leaned into her, torturously slow and the worst part? He smells good, intoxicating kind of good. And whether she liked it or not, her heart fluttered as his lips grazed hers and his hand cupped her cheek.
The Darkling's heart quivered, his mind overflowing with frustration. He couldn't comply and kiss her wholeheartedly, but he found himself wanting to turn her over, to have his way with her.
She's infuriating, unlawfully cocky and unjustly stunning. No wonder hell is where most mankind would go considering the beauty of its tempting demons that poise as naïve angels.
Snapping out of the daze, she pulls back first, whispering against his lips. "Hope you enjoyed it, because it will be the last time you’ll ever taste my lips in your lifetime."
Blinking slow, the Darkling smirked, genuinely entertained. "We will see about that", and he took her words as a personal challenge. 
He would melt the ice queen and have her on her knees, begging for his love before the year is done. He will demean Zlatan by turning his own daughter against him and he will do so with pleasure.
Part two
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olderthannetfic · 2 years
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the conversation surrounding heartstopper going on in this blog is so interesting. for full disclosure, ive been keeping up with heartstopper for over two years now, i think, and was super excited for the adaptation. i haven't finished it yet, but im fully aware that i look absolutely insane while im watching it. i physically cannot sit still. there's something about it that just brings me joy.
also for full disclosure, im not usually one for overly sanitized ships and i do often prefer mlm ships. i ship batman and the joker in all their fucked up and complicated glory; i was reading harry/voldemort fanfiction on ffnet as early on as 14 years old, and it was smutty fic too. so i can definitely say that the main couple in heartstopper is not my usual jam and that it does not evoke in me the same type of fixation the aforementioned ships do.
BUT that doesn't remove any of the enjoyment for me. as much as I see my queerness in the Other and the Weird and the Freakish, there's also a part of me that sort of aches for the soft, young, queer experience I didn't get to have when I was in middle school or high school. And Heartstopper soothes that ache really well. Maybe it just speaks to my inner child that desperately wishes they could have had THAT image of queerness in their life, rather than it being something hidden, something bad, something that had to be confined to my computer screen and websites I was too scared to tell my parents about.
There's a conversation to be had, of course, about purity culture, overly sanitized media, the voluntary blind eye turned to the sexual aspect of teenagehood. And I agree that Heartstopper is guilty of all those things. But, I suppose that what I want to say is that there's more to it than that handful of problems, and different reasons as to why it seems to appeal to so many people
--
It looks well lit and shot with some cute actors. It's live action m/m that many people can get access to. I don't think it's mysterious why it's popular even aside from the exact merits or weaknesses of its writing.
I'm not interested in it because I didn't like or relate to this kind of thing when I was a teen either and nothing about that has changed.
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ddarker-dreams · 4 years
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Yandere Behavior: Risotto Nero
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→ Yandere MBTI type: RAHS. (Reverent, Aware, Honest, Strict).
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Risotto toolset of abilities make for the perfect storm. He has the experience of stalking targets, connections to get information from, and lots of patience. Interacting with you head on always feels like such an appealing concept. In the end he prefers to observe from a safe distance, still indecisive on what exactly his relationship with you is. You have no idea he exists. Then there’s Risotto, who knows everything there is to know about you, creating an imbalanced dynamic from the start.
For a long time he simply doesn’t know what to do with you. He sees the world through a realistic lens, and is hardened through years of working in a dirty business. Pursuing a romantic relationship with you feels impossible. It’s a thought that shouldn’t frustrate him, but it does, he’s not used to feeling this indecisive. Your life would be in danger the second he involved himself with you too much. So Risotto tries to forget about you. To be distracted by work, bloodying his hands without so much as blinking an eye. 
It doesn’t work. Risotto grows obsessive, going through bouts of paranoia that he’s missing out on your life. That you’ll slip through his fingers all together, never to be seen again. When it starts effecting his performance is the moment he knows he needs to do something about this new weakness of his. He takes his job very seriously. Endangering the lives of his teammates is unacceptable to him, so makes up his mind. 
He’ll keep you someplace far away from the reaches of society. Living off the grid is a lifestyle he’s already adapted, but it’ll take some time for you to get used to it. Risotto leaves no traces for anyone to come and find you. His plan is to keep you far from the dangers his association with you could bring. That information won’t likely be revealed to you. From your point of view it might seem as if this man came out of absolutely nowhere, having no idea he’s been stalking you for months if not longer. 
For the most part, you’ll be able to do what you please, as long as it doesn’t involve any scheming. You’re free to wonder around the compound he’s placed you in. He’s curt in his interactions with you, not one to give away his thoughts and feelings freely. Which makes it even more difficult to believe when he says you’re here for “your protection”, since his presence is so menacing. 
Risotto considers himself a realist. With what he’s doing, it comes as no surprise you despise him, or actively try to spite him. You’d never be able to tell from his body language but it does have a negative impact on him. He does care for you. The manifestation of his own soul gives away these hidden feelings, Metallica taking delight in doting over you. His Stand will content themselves on your shoulders. Even if you can’t see Metallica, the little bouncing apparitions pop out whenever you’re around.
Tries to make himself scarce since you find his presence so upsetting. It’s bittersweet how he’s able to get physically closer to you when utilizing his Stand, seeing every aspect of you while you’re none the wiser. You’ll have this gut feeling that someone is watching you... from somewhere, shivers running down your spine. Risotto does enjoy watching you in a peaceful state, not used to being close without earning an adverse reaction. It’s a welcome change of pace. 
He doesn’t see the point in manipulating you. If he truly wanted something he’d take it, all the other roundabout methods feel like a waste of time. Risotto is so blunt that you sometimes wonder if he really is being honest, as it seems too easy.
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Quotes.
“You’re wasting your energy when you beg. I have no intentions of letting you leave this place.”
“No, I don’t have cameras installed, not that I expect you to believe me. If you feel like I’m watching you, it’s your own paranoia.” 
“You want to know where I was at last night...?  Hm. Some things are better off remaining unknown.” 
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takonei · 2 years
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Never posted Beta AU concepts and doodles (Volume 1)
Just stuff that I never posted, for a reason or another. More info about all of this under the cut.
Warning: Long lmao
A trio of cousins
The Saihara family. A family that is only mentioned briefly, but that I had so many ideas for. A family of elite musicians through the generations thanks to a mysterious music gene. Because of that, every child has to master an instrument. Not that anyone has minded (yet?). Youta, Kaida and Yuuma are distant cousins of Shuichi, each being experts in their own field. I took Shuichi being 16 years old as a reference.
Youta Saihara - Master drummer
Age: 20 - Gender: Male (He/Him)
Design notes: He has a tattoo on the back, not represented here. He always uses drumsticks to tie his hair. The punk-ish bracelets are always hidden during family meetings. The choker he wears is a gift from Kaida.
A brash man who doesn’t show affection a lot. His heart of gold can only be seen by people he completely trusts, such as his little sister (and perhaps a secret lover). Despite being a Saihara, the elders of the family don’t seem to like him as much as the rest of them, though it’s very clear in his eyes why they don’t. After all, drums aren’t about grace and finesse. He likes a music genre that the elders don’t, and he doesn’t bother trying to satisfy their petty tastes. Youta is an unofficial outcast because of this, and yet he doesn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, he even went as far as getting a tattoo on the back after the elders pressured him yet again with their dumb expectations. What he is worried about, however, is the possibility of getting disowned for his fiery temperament. This dread has caused an emotional distance between him and his siblings, Kaida in particular. The two could ruin his already decaying reputation and say things behind his back for all he knows. But despite this unconscious distance, he cares a lot about the two of them and will always help them in whatever way they need.
Kaida Saihara - Master flutist
Age: 15 - Gender: Fuck around and find out (Will respond to anything, but prefers they/them)
Design notes: The skirt works like a curtain. Kaida can adjust it to cover half of their waist, just like it can cover everything like a normal, long skirt. Of course, they always wear pants below just in case.
People tend to have a lot of mixed feelings about Kaida. Some describe them as someone reliable, some describe them as a snake. And indeed, a snake is the best word that would define them. What was once a defense mechanism is now a part of their personality. They dread the thought of getting betrayed so much that they constantly search enough dirt on people to make sure the person would never back-stab them. Kaida is seen as a powerful figure in the school they go to -as well as with their siblings-, someone to never mess with because they always seem to know your weakness and won’t be afraid to use it against you. Their relations with the family are tense because of their androgynous/feminine way to present themselves, but unlike with Youta, they never outright stated their disappointment. It’s not like the elders could admit out loud they hate them for it, but they make their opinion known with “gentle nudges” in the “right” direction. Once thought to be the miracle who would represent the family in its glory -unlike their older brother-, is now getting left in the dust. They still try to appeal to the elders, but is questioning the worth of it. Despite the cold exteriors, there is still a deep love in their heart for the siblings they shared happy memories with.
Yuuma Saihara - Master gong player
Age: 13 - Gender: Female (She/Her)
Design notes: I may not have represented it clearly, but Yuuma is on the chubby side. Also, she wears tights, not socks.
Yuuma Saihara. The only one meeting the expectations of the elders. The golden child. The one who will outshine her siblings. A wonderful instrument of power and grace. A polite, kind personality for an elegant young girl. A genuine desire to be what is considered the perfect idea of a musician in the elders’ eyes. Everything they hoped for after the two siblings before her. So indeed, what could go wrong? Well... The amount of pressure she got from it. She always lived in fear of not meeting the elders expectations. She never hated any of them for it, but the constant stress has consequences on her, both mentally and physically. And because the elders seemed to only give praise when she did what was exactly asked of her, she got the idea that love had to be earned, and not just when it came to the elders. She is kind to her siblings because she thinks they would turn their backs to her the second she does something wrong, and would leave her to confront the expectations the elders have on her all by herself. Perhaps one day she'll be able to take the time to discover what she truly likes. And even if this would eventually lead back to the start, she would at least have taken this mental journey. And perhaps one day she’ll understand that her siblings will always love her, and they don’t need a reason for it.
Alien B!Kokichi AU...?
I was once offered the idea of an alien B!Kokichi AU with B!Himiko as the astronomer who found and befriended him. Because I was listening to Mario Galaxy music at the time, he ended up being some geode spider-like alien inspired by Space Junk galaxy itself.
B!Ryoma splash art
Pretty explicit. I once did several splash arts of the cast, and as it turns out I never finished Ryoma. Shame. He was supposed to be sitting with weapons and different materials, smoke rising behind him.
Some Monster AU concept
It’s a classic AU to do in any fandom, and because I was unoriginal at the time, of course I chose the most basic shit for them. The concept was centered around the ship Tojosaimota, with Kirumi as a vampire from a noble family (who left for a reason I don’t remember), Kaito as a recently-turned-werewolf, and Shuichi is a human (who may or may not have gotten the blessing of a god of the night).
It’s pretty easy to tell this was done months ago (June 2021 to be specific) because if I had to give Kirumi and Kaito monster species now, it would be an omukade and a western dragon respectively.
The pseudo love triangle fankids
It started off as a dumb discussion about Beta AU shipping, and it ended up like this. Just me designing fankids for I guess what I would call the pseudo love triangle of Beta AU? I made none of these ships canon in the AU for several reasons, but since I like both Tojosai and Saimota (and by extension, Tojosaimota) in a non-despair AU context, I thought it would be a fun thing to do.
Shion Saihara - SHSL Organist
Saw an instrument 5 times as tall as her and said “I’m gonna play it”
Will mentally scar someone twice her age before happily eating her Hello-Kitty shaped strawberry cheesecake
Shion is a master of psychological manipulation
Tsubaki Saihara - SHSL Chorister
Talent: Screaming, but with beauty and grace
“Yes dad I’m wearing a fancy suit, see there’s a little bowtie on my necklace”
Probably half a disgrace to the Saiharas but as long as he’s not disowned it’s fine
Fujiko Momota - SHSL Firework master
Firework master and fire work master. Probably indirectly contributed to criminal activities at some point in her life.
Respects half of lab safety rules and will dismiss her recklessness with “I’m still alive so it’s fine”
Has like 5 rainbow hoodies each with different patterns. Dies a little inside each time she has to take it off to wear her lab coat.
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malfoymanortings · 4 years
Text
fluorescent adolescent PART 2
summary: Fred Weasley has been drawing the eldest Malfoy daughter since his third year of Hogwarts. Elara Malfoy has fancied Fred Weasley since her fifth year at Hogwarts. It is during their final year, that the two of them do something about the mutual attraction.
pairing: Fred x OC older Malfoy sister
not related to flames and snow!! just a different perspective on Fred x older Malfoy sister.
let me know if you guys want a part three. also, this was my first time writing smut so hopefully it was good!
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Elara Malfoy had a thing for Fred Weasley. 
She wasn’t quite sure when it had started, maybe in third year when he had stumbled into her path reeking of gunpowder; he had taken that opportunity to bow to the “Slytherin princess” and apologized profusely before being dragged off by his twin. Daphne Greengrass, her closest friend, had scoffed and told her the blood traitor was mocking her. 
But although Elara agreed, she secretly felt it wasn’t a joke to Fred. 
So yes, it was her narcissism that made Fred Weasley seem so appealing to her, as the thought of the boy calling her the Slytherin Princess (I am so sorry I knocked into you, goddess, it won’t happen again, I swear it!), made her liking of the boy grow. Of course, that was a secret she would have to take deep to her grave with her, unless she wanted to be disowned and removed from the Malfoy family. Elara had already worked hard to be part of that family, as her father was a rotten man with disgusting ideals and the worst view on punishments for a child. She didn’t spend her childhood taking beatings for both her and her brother to prove her worth just to throw it all away over a boy, a blood traitor nonetheless!
It was hard, though. Especially when she knew he stared at her all the time. Especially during the Yule Ball, when he had looked so delectable and had taken the gorgeous Angelina Johnson as his date, it was ever so hard for Elara to swallow her jealousy. Theodore Nott may have been handsome, but he was nothing next to Fred Weasley. Fred Weasley was stunning, and had the personality that was rare to find.
Fred Weasley was annoying and witty, hilarious and clever. George and him were the best pranksters Hogwarts had ever seen, in her opinion. Of course, they normally targeted Slytherin’s as their intended victims, but usually it was well deserved, Elara had to admit. The man was so open yet closed off, as Elara had never dared speaking to him. 
Her brother Draco had a big mouth, and the last thing she needed was for him to gossip with father and tell him that Elara was even speaking civilly with a Weasley.
Yet when the opportunity in Potions class presented itself, Elara agreed upon meeting Fred Weasley at the astronomy tower around midnight. She dressed carefully that night, her best matching lace set, covered with fishnets and a black skirt, white blouse combo. She left her hair down, rings on her fingers, and applied a generous amount of her perfume to tie it all together. 
Elara headed for the astronomy tower exactly at midnight, taking care to make sure no one saw her leave. She kept her wand up the sleeve of her robes, at the ready just in case she ran into any sort of trouble. Like that idiot Umbridge, what a nasty woman. If it weren’t for her father being so close with the Ministry, she would spit at the woman. Instead, she had to play nice and act like the disgusting toad wasn’t vile.
Fred Weasley seemed impatient, pacing back and forth and glancing at the watch on his wrist.
 Elara stood in the doorway for a moment, admiring him openly for the first time. He was dashing, there was no doubt that the Weasley’s had impeccable genes. He seemed to have gotten a haircut over Christmas break, as it wasn’t as long as she preferred it. He kept flexing his fingers around his wand, and Elara wore a smile as she imagined those same skilled fingers wrapped around her throat.
“You didn’t think I would forget our engagement tonight, did you?” Elara came out from the shadow of the stairwell, smirking when Fred jumped.
“Well, it’s bloody past midnight, innit?” scoffed Fred, stilling his pacing and crossing his arms. 
Elara walked into the room slowly, glancing around the tower and keeping her tone light. “You just said around midnight. I don’t recall you specifying what exact time you wanted me here.”
“Next time I’ll be more clear, then.” Fred took on the same tone she had, and he smirked back at her when her eyes narrowed at him.
“Who said there’s a next time?” quipped Elara, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall farthest from Fred.
“Oh darling, by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be begging me for more.”
With that rather bold statement, Fred walked over to Elara who watched him appraisingly. 
“I rather doubt that, Weasley.”
Fred harshly placed his arms on either side of Elara’s body, his body heat warming her. “Beautiful, if you could just shut that pretty little mouth of yours, you wouldn’t piss me off so much.”
Elara raised an eyebrow, slightly embarrassed that she could already feel wetness between her legs. “Where’s the fun in that, Weasel?”
Fred slammed his lips against hers then, and Elara snaked her arms around his neck. His lips felt like fire against hers, spreading a heat through her body as quickly as a brushfire. His hands ghosted down her waist, sliding behind her hips to grip her bum. Elara bit down on Fred’s lip, harshly dragging his lower lip through her teeth, and Fred moaned audibly, slapping her bum with one hand while the other squeezed harshly.
He trailed his lips down her neck, nipping softly at the skin he had lusted over for so long, dusting kisses across her collarbones. His teeth grazed her skin, making her shiver and let out a moan against her will.
“That’s it darling, be loud for daddy.” encouraged Fred softly, his hands ghosting her inner thighs.
Elara’s breath caught in her throat, and she tugged at the hair at the nape of his neck. She would be damned if she called Fred Weasley daddy.
“Do you want me to touch you, love?” asked Fred, moving his hands up to unbutton her shirt. It fell to the ground, and Fred stared at her creamy breasts hidden from him with a lace bra that seemed to be teasing him.
“Yes.” Elara was breathless, almost embarrassed at how desperately she wanted him to touch her.
“Yes, what?” Fred kissed her jaw, his hands moving down to play with the hem of her skirt. 
She knew he wasn’t going to go further until she said it. “Yes, daddy.”
Fred grinned at her then, and her skirt came down along with her fishnets. He knelt down, pressing sloppy kisses to her thighs as he forced them open. Elara’s legs grew weak, something Fred took notice of.
“Lay down, love.” with a wave of his wand, Fred had conjured up a soft blanket for them to lay on. Elara sat down, before Fred had pushed her down to continue his onslaught against her cunt.
Once again forcing her thighs open, he snapped the waistband of her panties. “Darling, I appreciate the thought you put into these, but next time, come ready for me, alright?” 
He tugged off her panties without waiting for a response, and then ran his hand across her bare pussy. Elara gasped, bucking her hips up, and Fred laughed.
“You look delicious,” Fred ducked down, his breath fanning across her delicate skin. “Good enough to eat.”
He gave her a teasing lick, and again Elara’s hips bucked up on their own accord. Fred placed a large hand on her lower stomach, holding her in place. His other hand held her legs open as he licked and sucked her clit, his tongue sliding in and out of her pussy. Without warning, his mouth left her, and his fingers replaced the warmth of his tongue. First it was one, and then he slowly added another, curling his fingers as he made eye contact with her.
“Fuck,” Elara whimpered, pleasure flooding her body. It was almost too much for her to deal with, the way Fred Weasley was going down on her.
He increased his speed, and Elara arched her back, moaning loudly when he began nipping at her hips, sucking on the soft skin and placing harsh kisses as his fingers pumped faster and faster inside of her. He placed his mouth on her clit, keeping the fast pace with his fingers, and Elara gripped the blanket as a stream of moans left her mouth.
She could feel herself getting close, a coil in her stomach as Fred kept sucking on her clit. As she felt herself nearing the edge, her legs clenching around Fred’s head as she was about to cum, he suddenly pulled away, giving her a cheeky grin with lust filled eyes.
“Why the fuck did you stop?” Elara asked breathlessly, brushing away at the strands of hair that stuck to her forehead.
“Darling, if you want to finish, you’re going to need to beg daddy.”
“You’re unbelievable!”
Fred trailed kisses up her stomach, skillfully reaching behind her back to unhook her bra. Her breasts free, Fred took a hard nipple in his mouth, the other one he explored with his hand.
“Bite me,” Elara said breathlessly, bucking her hips up to the erection that was pressed against her bare pussy. “Bite me daddy.”
She felt Fred smile rather than saw him, and let out a loud moan as Fred Weasley bit down on her hard nipple, pinching the other one with his fingers. He started grinding his hips into hers as he bit and sucked at her tits, and Elara once again had to grip the blanket in her hands.
“Please, daddy,” Elara gave in, running her nails down Fred’s back. “Make me cum.”
Fred paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers. He gave her a quick grin, before quickly ducking back down to suck at her clit again. Once again, the familiar feeling was building up in her lower stomach, and as Fred pumped his fingers in her pussy and his lips sucked on her bundle of nerves, she finally found release, her legs shaking as she came on Fred Weasley’s face.
“You taste so sweet,” his voice was low, his tone cocky. “Now, my turn.”
Fred slipped his boxers off, and the bare skin of his hard dick brushed against her pussy as he teased her entrance with his head. Elara dragged her nails down his back, and Fred thrusted into her with a groan and made Elara gasp as he began pumping in her.
He spread her legs to the side, resting each hand on either inner thigh, causing him to stroke deeply within her. He went softly at first, letting Elara adjust to his massive size, and then began thrusting his hips deep inside her faster and faster. He soon moved his arms on either side of Elara, and she wrapped legs around his waist.
“Fuck, Elara, you feel so damn good around my dick.” Fred moaned out, burrowing his head into her neck.
“Choke me.” said Elara in reply, letting out a moan as Fred hit a new spot inside of her.
Fred complied, much to her surprise. He wrapped one hand around her throat, squeezing harshly, the other hand propping himself up. The force of his thrusting made her tits bounce, and Elara parted her mouth in a silent moan as Fred’s fingers clenched around her esophagus. 
His thrusting became more sloppy, and she knew he was close to coming. Elara could once again feel the build up in her lower stomach, and she knew she was going to cum once more.
“Daddy, I’m gonna cum.” the words came out a moan, and Fred pressed a harsh kiss to her neck as he picked up his pace once more.
Her walls clenched around him, and his name fell from her lips as her toes curled and her vision went white. She felt his dick twitch before he came inside her with a loud moan, pulling out his dick and laying next to her on the blanket.
Elara kept her eyes shut, feeling the odd sensation of her pussy twitching. It had been her first time, and it had been with a Weasley. 
After a moment, Fred propped himself up next to her, looking down at her still form. He admired her naked body, committing it to memory for later when he would be alone and drawing the way she looked as he made her orgasm. 
“You could stop staring anytime now.” Elara remarked lightly, her eyes still shut.
“You’re gorgeous.” replied Fred, pressing a featherlight kiss to her temple. 
Elara opened her eyes then, shoving Fred away from her and standing. “Alright, that’s my cue to leave. This was fun, trust me, but I really ought to be going.”
“What, you’re just going to leave?” Fred protested, tugging on his boxers as he got up. He kept his eyes on hers as she quickly redressed herself.
“We just needed to get that,” she waved her hands. “Out of our system. Now, we can go back to our separate worlds.”
Fred shook his head, grabbing her hands as she was doing the last button on her blouse. “Elara, we can’t just go back to quietly fancying each other after that.”
Elara’s eyes flashed, and she yanked her hands out of Fred’s grasp. “Watch me.”
Elara tugged her robe on, and after making sure her wand was tucked away, she stormed out of the astronomy tower, leaving Fred Weasley standing alone.
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trashlord2020 · 3 years
Text
Adam Smasher (Cyberpunk 2077) 18+
          A-Z NSFW Headcannons
 WARNINGS: dubious consent (suggested) Necro (only mentioned in passing) and a callous disregard for partners enjoyment and wellbeing. 
I provide these warnings so if any of it bothers you at all you can choose to not read this. If you disregard this and get upset by what you read, you've forfeit your right to complain, fight me. These are of course my own interpretations, in no way is this a 'end all be all'
A = Aftercare 
What, letting you live isn't enough? But seriously, don't expect anything resembling 'care' outta this guy. At the absolute most if you happen to be in a room he owns you could get real lucky and he'll leave you to sort yourself out...just don't be there when he gets back.
B = Body part 
He's a full body cyborg, every part is his favourite. He's almost constantly having things tuned or updated whether it's through Arasaka or his own hard earned eddies, But if he had to pick? His Hands, they're the thing that could end his partner in the moment with just one strong squeeze and having their life literally under his hands does something primal for him. His favourite body part of his partner? He might disguise it under mocking comments and insults but deep in there somewhere there's a man still and he's a thigh man for certain. Thicker they are, the better grip they provide and if his partner is able to pay enough attention they might catch how he almost caresses the skin...
C = Cum
Bodily fluids? disgusting. When he got his ah, 'upgrade' he most certainly passed on that. Sorry ! Sections provide required lubrication (don't forget to bring your own!) for the sake of avoiding friction but his own brand of 'popping the cork' is more of a build up in static and electricity. One he can control the build up of by adjusting 'sensitivity'.
D = Dirty Secret 
He's not a shy kinda guy, he'll have his partners against the window just to brag if there's one available. No, this is more of a vulnerability than anything? Under the metal casing of his chest on each side the tubes and connectors tucked away are very sensitive. The purpose is so he knows if something is amiss or stuck and needs tending too but this has provided a sort of erogenous zone, one he's not at all keen to share with another.
E = Experience 
Before his full body conversion you could say he was quite experienced, if paid partners counted of course. It's always been about him though, even when he (rarely) chooses to provide a helping hand it's been more of a show of dominance than anything. Now with his full Cyborg body and working for the worlds most powerful Corp he rarely finds himself having to pay, most people are either curious enough...or too scared to say no.
F = Favourite Position 
Anything where he can shove his partners head down and bend them across something be it the floor, bed, table or counter He'll use it. As mentioned before walls and windows make a good substitute too. He prefers to be above his partner and them in a position of vulnerability where they have no control, he's in charge here and he takes every opportunity to prove that. It's very rare to find one self facing towards him, often too 'intimate' for his liking.
G = Goofy 
If a partner has the guts they might be surprised to find that a little back and forth sarcasm and snark is enjoyed, even respected. Just be mindful not to insinuate any insults on his behalf, he won't take that lightly and if (when) he grows bored of the talk he'll make that known none too gently, better catch the hint sooner rather than later. So I'd say about 85% serious and 15% Snark.
H = Hair
 He's got a slappable head, bald as a plucked chicken and well...he's all metal down there. No surprise.
I = Intimacy 
If you really squint and tilt your head you might be able to trick yourself into believing the way he may cage his partner in from above as almost 'intimate' but it's really not...Just a show of pure dominance, nothing about enjoying the heat pouring off them at all... In all honesty this isn't making 'love' he's simply not capable of that, likely never was. He may lower his voice till you feel it more in your bones than hear it to whisper awful, dirty things only your both privy too but there's no true intimacy in his actions or words.
J = Jack Off 
Araska didn't provide him with his 'tool' no, that's something he chose to indulge in with eddies from his freelance years and when the work was done he certainly took time to test things out. Nowadays he rarely indulges, why would you need to if he could have almost anybody that happens to spark his interest.
K = Kink
Breath play, no of course not his. The act of cutting somebodies life line off, holding them in suspense and watching the fear grow in their eyes as they wonder if he's even going to bother letting go...it really gets him riled up. The only reason he does bother to let them go instead of squeezing a little harder is that a corpse hardly has the same appeal, don’t mistake it for mercy.
L = Location 
While Adam owns his own room he often has little use for it, spending at best an hour in there a day. You'd be lucky to be taken back there. He often finds himself in hotels/resorts instead, not his issue if it gets trashed then and nobodies going to barge in to investigate all the noise, not when mutters of 'smasher' quickly spread like wild fire. Enjoy your walk of shame back home. :)
M = Motivation 
Often it's just a a general build up that leads to him indulging but a bloody fight will always leave him with some built up 'charge'. Many of his partners in recent years have been people he's done a recent job with, something about watching the blood steam off their cybernetics as they catch their breath really does it for him. Basically a callous and shared disregard for life is what would really catch his interest, otherwise it's purely down to cosmetics in which case don't expect a repeat.
N = NO 
Making love...you probably saw this coming a mile away. As mentioned he's not shy, he knows what he wants and has little issue with obtaining it but if you're expecting a tentative partner who takes care of your needs? Keep looking, he'll never be that.
O = Oral  
He's got no means of which to give oral, his jaw is made out of metal and there's no tongue hidden away. A small (very small) part of him laments not being able to taste what's he's enjoying but again, it would of been more for his enjoyment than anything. On the other hand he certainly enjoys the sight of somebody figuring out their way around him with hands and tongue, the tremor in their hands is something he picks up on without fail but this is never how he achieves his end goal. Attempting to blow Adam Smasher is the closest thing You'll get to foreplay.
P = Pace 
A constant rough pace from start to finish, as mentioned somewhere above he can control his sensitivity so if he finds his charge building up too quick for his likening he doesn't have to slow down, just dial things back a little. There's no stuttering or slipping either as it's all controlled due to years of working with his cybernetics and yet, somehow it never fails to feel so raw and animalistic.
Q = Quickie 
He likes for things to be 'to the point' as he's certainly not here for tea and biscuits... If he's free for the whole day and just finished a big job you might want to look into hiring a wheelchair for the next week but on average he's here to get his jollies and move on. Make sure to undress yourself though, it's an obstacle and we all know how much he enjoys tearing through those.
R = Risk
What your everyday joytoy may consider a risk he may simply see as a little spice to make things more interesting. He doesn't care if somebody was dumb enough to walk in on him but they sure as hell better be quick about leaving, he doesn't share. If his partner has (foolishly) made it obvious they don't want to be caught? He might find that a little insulting and make it a point for them to be caught or seen, again, it's about the dominance he has over them.
S = Stamina
There's no refractory period, none. If he wants to go again he can, the only thing that's going to stop him is the potential heat build-up from too many overcharges in too short a time. This right here is why you'll want to bring your own lube, things are going to get sore and quickly otherwise.
T = Toy
What he's got going on down there could be considered a 'toy'. Lots of interesting features he enjoys tormenting his partners with. That's not enough for you? He's not going to pretend to be thrilled about it but if you somehow got your own toys on hand then so long as they don't get in the way of his enjoyment, use away. Likely the only real chance you have at getting your own enjoyment to be honest, just don't try using them on him. He won't be amused.
U = Unfair 
He enjoys demeaning and talking down to his partners, talk about how 'easy' they were or laugh at how weak they're proving to be. Might physically tease, bring them to the edge if he's super into the moment but he's only going to push you over if you really beg for it...not often he will though, he's in charge and he gets to decide how this plays out.
V = Volume  
Besides all the inner workings of his cybernetics powering away and the times he decides to speak? Practically silent. No moans or gasps as he has no need to breath. If a overcharge proves to be particularly powerful (usually due to a lengthy build up) his Voice emitter may play some static feedback, closest thing you'll get to a groan. Besides, his partner will be more than making up for the silence.
W = Wild Card 
He's bisexual but straight leaning. It's leftover from the gang he ran with once long ago when he was a everyday nobody. Nowadays he's simply not bothered what others think, incapable of considering it even. Women and more feminine leaning partners will have an easier time garnering his attentions but anyone's game if they prove themselves interesting enough.
X = X-Ray
Custom Hardware baby. Don't ask me what unlucky gonk had the job to make this but it's kitted out. The shape is as expected but the length can be retracted and extended at will. When in use the shortest it can go is 6 inches (he will never keep it this short though, that's below him) and the maximum length is 14 inches although ‘yikes’ lets be real, not a lot of people are going to be able to handle that, it's bragging rights and intimidation factor more than anything. His common use of range is 8-10 inch. He can move individual sections, vibrate and even cause minor shocks at will.
Y = Yearning
If no outside factors are taken into account it can take several weeks before he considers a roll in the hay. A lack of hormones means a lack of natural drive. But a busy week of fighting and killing will quickly land him in a private 'meeting'.
Z = ZZZ 
Sleep? you're kidding right. Every few days (or weeks if it's a boring month) he has to have a system scrub and recharge of sorts. He has a private station for this so nobody is going to catch him unaware. Once the deed is done he's over and out, no pillow talk or sweet nothings. If you've managed to really leave an impression he might throw you a contact for seconds. It's run through a security system of course, can't have just anybody being able to contact him.
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madlymiho · 4 years
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Headcanon for smoker, mihawk, and zoro: they have a short s/o who always wants to be picked up or given piggy back rides— how do they react and what not
They kill them inly...
Joke aside, it’s a very cute headcanon! 🥺 I didn’t go for Mihawk on this headcanon because it’s similar to what I could have already written there
Otherwise this is adorable and I’m super happy to write about Smoker and Zoro again! 😤
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Smoker:
• For Smoker, his duty is probably the most important thing in his life, and he can’t act like a fool when he has the flag of the Navy above his head all the time. He’s already surprised to allow someone to share his life, so you should be grateful he’s already making quite an exception with you around 
• Honestly, Smoker finds you utterly cute and lovable, your small size always a good reason for him to peer down at you, serious and icy eyes staring at your soul, before he would just slightly expose a more tender nature through a wink or a quick smile. You have something appealing, something he can’t fight... and somehow, he curses himself because he’s the one who gave you this stupid idea in the first place
• Perhaps because you were tired, injured, or too slow for him, Smoker one day agreed to carry you on his back, and since when, it’s like he has opened the Pandora box, releasing your needy nature and the very fact that you just love to climb him like a tree, despite his harsh words and his general cold attitude when he’s outside 
• If the first time was an absolute exception, each time you’re giving him those pleading eyes, asking to be carried on his back, he just rolls his eyes and snaps that he doesn’t have time to play around. He’s a rear admiral after all! You can’t expect him to show such a tender side, while he has the entire G-5 to order around... He can’t simply lose his credibility while he has built this serious and severe reputation through sweat and blood 
• Most of time, your request are answered either with a cold silent, or either a big no, Smoker definitely flustered because you can’t help yourself being so needy, and desperate because he feels embarrassed one more time ; you have too much power upon his poor and weak soul. He prefers to leave you right where you are, pretending that you’re acting childishly and wouldn’t oblige to such a pathetic behavior 
• Even though, you know him enough to already be sure he would lower his guard at some point, and if he would yell at you to get down if you ever dare to climb on his shoulders, he has this reflex to wrap his strong arms around your legs to make sure that you wouldn’t fall... and if you make him notice that he doesn’t seem reluctant to carry you, you will have to deal with a mumbling smoking mess, teeth clenched on his cigars 
• Because inly, deeply, and secretly, Smoker is concerned about your health... if you ask for a piggy back ride, perhaps it’s the results of some hidden pains? Maybe you’re tired? His chivalrous nature tends to only appear when you’re around anyway, and even if he tries his best to control himself, he usually fails... 
• Though you better be sure that he would never agree to carry you if he has his men around, or any other member of the Navy. He’s not a romantic partner, and if he exposes his most sensitive nature to you, it’s only when he’s certain no one would ever bust the two of you. He doesn’t like to lower his guard so easily... but it doesn’t feel so bad to have you on his back whenever you’re walking with him to head somewhere
• So with time, he would just eventually roll his eyes and nod his head, inviting you to jump onto his shoulders, the ghost of smile floating on his lips while he will surely pretend that you’re just a pain his ass for him... 
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Zoro:
• Just! Get! Down! He hates it! He hates whenever you’re exposing your neediness like this, especially when there are curious eyes around. Dammit, he’s not a horse! You have legs, why don’t you use them in the first place? You get under his skin, because Zoro doesn’t know how to deal with your attitude! 
• First of all, it has been quite a ride for him to accept his feelings for you. He has never been truly opened and aware of his emotions, and he doesn’t like to dwell on romantic feelings because he’s certainly not like that disgusting cook. Falling in love with you wasn’t a wanted part of his adventure as a pirate, but now that he’s stuck with his own romantic feelings, just... don’t push it too much? 
• Physical touch and attention are turning this giant pile of muscles into a barking puppy, and surely you’re not helping whenever you’re staring at him with that particular look on your face. He knows you enough to believe you’re up to some mischief and he doesn’t have time for your childish little whims! Just don’t play with his nerves! 
• Surely the first time you climbed your grumpy boyfriend, he has been utterly impatient and close-minded to your behavior. Growling like a beast, calling you an “idiot” and so on while he would have put you down in the minute, cheeks turning redder than usual, and his only valid eye sending death threats if you ever wished to come up again... Seriously, why does he have to deal with so many babies? 
• Somehow he hates the fact that your new little trick has been a sort of everlasting new thing among the Straw Hat, Chopper, Luffy and even Nami sometimes asking for the moss-head to carry them the way he does accept to carry you from time to time... because yes, with time, of course he has lowered his guard, to the point that he only throws some casual insults when he feels your weight on his back, accepting your presence in the end 
• Though, despite his grumpy attitude, he’s a weak man with you, and slowly you manage to turn this nasty habit into something he wouldn’t even pay attention to anymore. After he made sure that no one else among the crew would mistaken him as their new ride, Zoro just sometimes invites you to come up with a little smirk, patting the top of his shoulder with one his sword 
• It’s also quite convenient if you need to escape a dangerous situation, and rather than waiting for you to carry on with his pace, he simply squats down and waits for you to jump on him, so you would be able to be safe and sound and he wouldn’t have to worried about you too much... it’s a good way to put you somewhere far from the danger, and he appreciates the idea that he’s your savior (and not that damn swirling brows...) 
• Though you’ll have to expect for some uncomfortable and unexpected ride with him... you signed for this, after all, the first time you decided to have a piggy back ride with him! If Zoro wants to carry you for some reason, whether you’d be turn as a potato bag or anything else, head down, legs in the air, you’ll have to deal with you... because no one of your arguments would be valid, Zoro will simply smirk and answer “I thought you like that when I carry you, name...” 
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The Hero that was never meant to be
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I’m going to ask you guys a quick question. Think back to the volume 2 season finale in 2014. Or before Salem's debut. Once all of the antagonists are defeated and you're now left asking; Who's going to be the next antagonist for the series?
Before we proceed with this inquiry let's take a look at what exactly distinguishes a hero, from a villain.
Hero/Villain/Anti;who knows?
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Below are multiple examples/definitions and meanings of heroes and villains as well as their anti sub groups.
Hero
a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
the chief character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize.
“a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities." Heroes come in many forms in life, ranging from one's family and friends to athletes to movie stars. A person's heroes can change over time.
Villain
(in a film, novel, or play) a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.
 a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel. 
a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.
Anti-Hero
a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.
is 'a central character in a story, film, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes'. These missing attributes include idealism, courage, and morality. Anti-heroes can sometimes do the right thing, but it is usually because it serves their interests to do so.
Anti-Villain
is the opposite of an Anti-Hero — a character with heroic goals, personality traits, and/or virtues who is ultimately the villain. Their desired ends are mostly good, but their means of getting there range from evil to undesirable.
Now that we have some measure of clarity about this let's get to the point.  Basically Ironwood is a Anti-Villain character
If you think back to the things we have learned throughout the series, all the people we have met, you will find that all of Ironwood’s traits align better with Salem, Cinder, Jacques, and Adam.  All of them have this hunger for power and/or control, all of them are trying to protect themselves and increase their control.  
All of them use a level of manipulation and none of them really cared about the damage it would do to others.  Ironwood might be a little better because, at first, it was something he kind of thought about.  Kind of. He had trouble relating to the idea that protecting more was better than protecting less, and it seems that he had been struggling to find his heart since the beginning. 
Ironwood is a well intentioned and desperate man who wants to protect Atlas against Salem, but he can reach extreme means to do so. By the end of Volume 7, he's willing to abandon both Mantle to die and throw away humanity's best chance of survival by leaving Amity Tower; he also falls far enough to shoot a teenager for comparing him to Salem.
Going hand in hand with his Never My Fault tendencies. Ironwood hates anyone bringing up how his ways don't work, with extreme annoyance being the best reaction possible. It doesn't matter if someone is simply stating the objective tangible negatives of his actions, he will not hear it. He gets into a shouting match with Nora when she calls him out on how much damage he's doing to Mantle and only stops when she points out his proposed solution to deal with the current unrest (martial law) is just going to cause far worse problems if he goes through with it.
While he demands complete loyalty from others, Ironwood has repeatedly betrayed the trust of others in the name of the greater good. If someone is an obstacle to accomplishing what he believes is necessary, he will use political or even military power to enforce his will.
Ironwood has helped Ozpin fight Salem for years but they disagreed over the best way to defend Vale; Ironwood secretly convenes a meeting of the Vale and Atlesian councils to report Ozpin's behavior, resulting in Vale removing Ozpin from overseeing the Vytal Festival security in favor of Ironwood. Qrow later tells Ironwood that he has a strange idea of showing gratitude if he responds to Ozpin bringing him into the fight against Salem by betraying him. Even after being confronted, Ironwood insists that he had no other choice.
Ironwood spends most of Volume 7 promising that the Kingdom of Atlas is safe and that Mantle can count on him to protect them. However, when he discovers Salem is arriving in person to attack Atlas, he decides to abandon Mantle to the Grimm in favour of raising the floating city of Atlas higher in the atmosphere where the Grimm can't go. When Ruby tries warning her allies about Ironwood's plan, he disables her scroll, and has Teams RWBY, JNR, Oscar and Qrow arrested.
Ironwood's a man with good intentions, but he seems to believe the best way to handle any sort of situation is if he is in full control of it. This is seen as early as Volume 2, where he both brings a large fleet (composed mainly of machines) along with students for security and later has the Vale and Atlas Councils transfer security control of the Vytal Festival from Ozpin to himself. 
After the Fall of Beacon, James continues to tighten Atlas' defenses with a Dust embargo and closing of its borders, and by the time the heroes arrive in Mantle, there are broadcasts of the general practically saying that as long as they cooperate with his laws, he can and will keep them safe. 
As Salem's forces continue to sow discord and increase his paranoia, and when he discovers that Team RWBY has consistently hidden important information from him, Ironwood decides to invoke martial law and raise Atlas out of Salem's reach, under his control. When Ruby warns the others of his plans, he shuts off her call with his own Scroll.
Ironwood is noted for being a man who never gives up pursuing his vision of how people should be protected. When his attempts to convince Ozpin that they're on the wrong path fail, he convinces the Atlesian and Vale councils to override Ozpin's authority and give him direct control of protecting the Vytal Festival Tournament. 
In Volume 7, he is willing to pursue his goal of protecting the Kingdom of Atlas against Salem no matter how bad his public reputation becomes with the citizens.
To be clear Ironwood is an Anti- Villain type character in the RWBY story. He may have good intentions but it is unknown as to their extent of what they are. His methods to achieve those methods have only made things worse.
I couldn’t let you breath, cause I didn’t wanna Die
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We all say we would die for something but do we actually mean it?
“I would die without regret I offer up my life”
It is hypothetical but not in the way you suggest. The difference between using would or will is not about whether the speaker is being disingenuous about their offer, it’s about whether the speaker knows if they are ever going to be in a position to fulfil their promise
It is hypothetical because the speaker does not know whether there will ever be a situation where they would be in a position to give their life to save you. If they were to use will, it implies they are anticipating that they will be in a position to give their life to save you 
When someone says “I would die for you if you need it,” is it just a hypothesis that's never going to happen,  the subject doesn’t want to die at all, otherwise they’ll use “will” instead of “would”?
Kill or be killed
All the weapons in rwby appeal to the audience as they have options when it comes to fighting. Ironwoods does not. His weapon is only designed to kill as a reflection of his inability to see reason. As opposed to other characters that show that when they kill it would be a last resort option.
(Think of the Jedi's preference for lightsabers instead of blasters)
Ironwood has a revolver  -  reliable, never jams. high attack power, similar to his mentality on robotics in general and how he values them focusing on the characteristics of the revolver is the important part, and you see it in another Atlesian character--Weiss Myrtenaster is a Rapier and a Revolver as well, and revolvers are still used nowadays because of their reliability. They'll never jam, and when it comes to a gun all that really matters is hitting the target on a pragmatic mindset at least, and ultimately in the show the weapons used by characters say a lot about them. For example;
Qrow has a scythe - not a weapon, a farmer's tool, alluding to the scarecrow. The actual weapon would be the sword mode, and is inspired by the grim reaper, who uses a scythe because he reaps souls like one would reap what was sown(or harvest)
Jaunes shield and sword are both offensive and defensive weapons which offers a variety of options as to handle conflict
Ozpin's cane symbolically conveys the message that it's okay to be weak and its normal to accept help and support from others
Yang's gauntlets are basically Bruise but don’t kill type weapon as such they give her  more control of the damage that is inflicted on her opponents
As ruby put it the Weapons in the show are an extension of the characters. The extent of Ironwoods weapon is that it conveys his blunt, and cold methods that he can’t or won’t embrace alternatives solutions or anyone else's ideas to problems
This can also be seen with his use of militarized Huntsmen and the use of mindless android soldiers. As I stated in I am power Ironwood’s personnel combat abilities are mediocre to non-existent with his true power stemming from the consent of the people to die for his cause instead of him since it's guaranteed that he will die instantly due to his lack of unique or special combat abilities. 
(Pretty self explanatory considering he had to sacrifice an arm to beat a nerd)
Fear of death is basic human instinct
Ironwood believes that he is this chosen savior and can’t die and he believes his life is more important than others and would instead sacrifice everyone else instead of him if it would mean victory
Now you're probably asking why does Ironwood not want to die when he said he would? As stated before he doesn’t trust anyone but himself to do the job right. His narcissism and ego prohibit him from trusting others and having faith that people besides him can win. 
This has been hinted as early as his debut in V2 where he asks Ozpin;
“Do you honestly believe that your children can win a war?”
Because of this and his Nihilism for rejecting the truth, he believes that he is the most important piece on the bored and everyone should listen and die for whatever he needs if it would mean victory
Ambitions and desires of a broken kingdom
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A character without motivation is a really boring character as opposed to one who does. But to realize what their motivation is or what it is truly is another. Ironwood is no different but what exactly is his personal motivation that is unique to him one must wonder?
That's just it, he has no real personal motivation. Like what does he have to lose? What does he have to gain? What is so important that he is willing to go to such lengths that clash with the ideas of Ozpin and the heroes? To answer Atlas. After all, what is Ironwood without Atlas?
 It is important to know the effects of a characters home and origins to better understand a character's personality. Ironwood's plans have always been in line with Atlas, whose intentions are that of Ancient Mantle. Now what exactly are the intentions of the former capital that would live through Ironwood.
Atlas as I stated before is more or less a Technocratic Conservatives society led by Authoritative totalitarians with a focus of becoming an Extreme Militaristic Oligarchy that had originally started out as a Resource driven Empire out of necessity and without restriction 
To clarify, Ironwood is a byproduct, and enforcer of Mantle’s(later Atlas) Philosophical Ideology and Culture. The effects of one's origins can have a very lasting impact on one's life. Ironwood’s life has been heavily affected by his homeland to the point that he will die for it, and sacrifice whatever he deems necessary for it. 
Because of this Ironwoods alignment is that of Lawful Evil because of his Atlas ideology
A Lawful Evil character is an evil character who either tries to impose or uphold a lawful system on others without regard for their wishes, and/or adheres to a particular code. They believe in order, but mostly because they believe it is the best way of realizing their evil wishes.
In other words Ironwood will always be the loyal son of his Kingdom and will do anything to save it.
Now that clears his main motivation and the scale of what he is willing to do to achieve it but what motivates him personally?
Well that's just it there is none. His primary motivation is pretty shared by most of the heroes and main characters and as is the common clause of save the world stories everybody knows they can’t let that happen as peter quill would say;
“Why do you want to save the Galaxy?”
“Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it.”
So with that in mind what's in it for him that he can’t lose or let the world be destroyed?
You overstepped your boundaries
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To help understand his character it is important to understand what exactly his role in the plot was originally and how he ended up biting off more than he can chew when he broke away from it.
Essentially Ironwood was meant to be the overseer and guardian of the relic of creation as well as the trainer of the next generation of huntsman/huntresses. Meaning the only position of power that he should only have is Headmaster of Atlas academy. As I stated in I am machine Ironwood's heroism stems from a lack of trust and in doing so has burdened him with more responsibility than he can handle.
The catalyst 
All of the events and conflicts that plague remnant at the shows present can all be traced to Ironwood. An argument can be made for Salem but to me she seems more of an opportunist instead of an actual evil master mine. Being the opportunist she is she needs ammo for which she is otherwise incapable of making on her own. Thanks to Ironwood she has plenty of it to enact her plans and reach her goals 
Below is a list of events and conflicts as well as characters that have been affected by Ironwood
(Whether Directly or Indirectly)
The Schnee Dust Companies Immoral and shady practices
I know Jaques is mostly to blame for all of this but one must ask; Why didn’t anyone stop him before V7? 
It's already been established in the show that the S.D.C. and Atlas Military have a corporate alliance to mass produce Weapons and ammunition. The most prominent weapons to come out of this alliance was the paladin assault mechs. Now how important was this alliance to Ironwood?
In short, they are the best choice to provide for his needs for war. As long as he gets weapons and all that he needs to sustain a war he doesn't care what the giver has to do to meet his demand. As such Ironwood had enabled Jaques and allowed him to continue his immoral ways so long as he gets what he needs. On the other hand Jaques seems to be at least a decade older than Ironwood so there is a possibility that the corporate alliance has already been there long before Ironwood ever came to power.
But I ask again why didn’t Ironwood who was aligned with a man like Ozpin didn’t stop him? As the Volume 7 commentary stated Ironwood doesn’t care for Ozpin's rules and sees being efficient is more important than being morally good. Because of this Ironwood had been more focused on starting a war first and caring about people second thus he has only spread misery by enabling Jaques’s greed just to have his war. The crimes of the S.D.C. are also Ironwood’s 
The family strain of the Schnee family and Winters abandoning
While we’re still on the subject of the Schnee's let's talk about how essentially Ironwood made Winter the Blake to his Adam
As I stated before in “You had me with your words”  we don’t exactly know why Winter would be so loyal to Ironwood to the point of saying that her life doesn’t matter in V7 and why she would be so against her family to the point that she makes no effort to see Weiss, and Whitely included and only bothering to be apart of Weiss’s life only because she seems to be following the same path of defiance against their father. In other words she only chooses to interact with her sister only if she is rebelling against their father. If she is not, then Winter wants nothing to do with her. 
Now who or what exactly would cause Winter to have this unhealthy mindset in regards to her own personal existence and relationships?
The answer being Ironwood. 
If we were to consider Jaques words being serious than it is more than likely the truth. Ironwood did steal Winter, not just from her father but from the rest of her family. I don’t know what exactly Ironwood said or did to turn winter away from her family but it wasn’t out of the kindness of his heart. He did this  just to have a loyal subordinate with incredible power( her hereditary semblance) & status( her grandfather's legacy and accomplishments) just to give his power and status more legitimacy.
By doing so Ironwood made Winter  believe that her family as well as herself is beyond redemption due to the actions of her father thus leading her to abandon them and only believing Ironwood can redeem her hence why she values her life so little and is willing to die for whatever Ironwoods says.
I understand that winter joined the military to get away from her dad but she had options besides the military and like weiss she could have went to the other academies to get away from her dad but she didn't which i consider Winters greatest flaw is that she has no idea of an actual healthy relationship
The White Fang
This is also speculative but not unlikely as the show has clearly shown; Faunus and Atlas don’t mix. 
Same thing with the S.D.C. this can really be seen as indifference on Ironwood’s part and lack of care  but still Ironwood didn’t do anything to settle the racial inequality in Atlas even though he is allied in a secret circle that's supposed to keep the peace.
Especially when that inequality was being used to help legitimize a terrorist organization that can be used as a disposable army for Salem which it did.
Watts’s Defection & the P.E.N.N.Y. Project
Ironwood commissioned 5 scientists including Watts and Pietro to make Weapons for war.
Even though Watts is an egotistical bastard it really makes you wonder how someone as smart as him would work for a literal demon lady hell bent on conquest. The same can also be said about why he chose Penny instead of any other actual and practical projects ideal for war.
One thing to note is the possibility that Ironwood did not tell the 5 about the real reason as to why they’re making these weapons in the first place. For example would Pietro really want Penny the closest thing to an actual child that he may have had to be used as one of Ironwoods militarized assets?
We’ve seen what Pietro is like and that he really cares about Penny and if it were his choice Penny wouldn’t be in the situations that Ironwood would place her in. Ironwood had basically taken and drafted Penny without her or Pietro's consent and made her a tool for war and much more.
In semi canon sources(Amity Arena) the general consensus is that the Paladins were Watts’s idea and project. One of the misconceptions is that it was a contest for whose idea would be made but since we see both the Paladins being used and Penny that's not the case. All 5 projects were going to be used but only 1 would take top priority first before others and that project was Penny. 
This might actually explain why the paladins were ugly and incomplete in V2 as opposed to their slicker and finished versions in V3. The Penny project took both praise and priority first before the others. Once penny was finished the other projects would begin that may also explain why the Paladins weren’t first revealed until the events of V2 even though Pietro said that the commissions for the projects including the Paladins were almost a decade ago as of  V7 ep 7 
To Watts he felt insulted that his (to him) practical project was being postponed for a sad man's personal self indulgent pet project. This and due to not really knowing as to why these projects were going to be used for. Because of this and Ironwood’s lack of concern for people He had essentially driven Watts to Salem and made him one of her most valuable assets that she ever had. Salem herself even states that she should have employed his services years ago that alone tells us how valuable an asset Watts was and Ironwood discarded it. Which led to the fall of Beacon and the civil unrest in Mantle With Watts out of the way let's move to the next question
Why the Penny Project?
We all know at this point that Penny is the Pinochio for Pietro’s jopedo. So why would Ironwood approve a project that seems the least efficient and effective for war? There have been many theories as to why but two of them stand out the most; Potential vessel for the maiden powers and Espionage
It has been made clear that Ironwood has been readying for war against other people Salem specifically but how does one go about that? The first of which can be explained as Ironwood trying to make the ultimate artificial warrior with incredible power. As Ironwood has more faith in machines than people he would see Penny as the ultimate super soldier that he can use in his war
The second theory as to why he chose penny could be for spy and espionage purposes. As stated by cinder in volume 3 where this theory originates from; why would Atlas make a robot look like an innocent little girl? We know why Pietro made Penny look human but why would Ironwood go along with making a T800 complete with realistic skin and hair?  Besides Pietro there was no logical reason to make penny look as humanly as possible. Like the Terminators who were designed for infiltration and assassination missions and Ironwood being a paranoid individual who sees the world as one of two things; you’re either an asset or a threat / Penny or similar models would have been used to spy and eliminate potential threats in the other kingdoms. With the possibility as to what Ironwood would use penny for before her reveal in V3 clear let's move on to the last part of this bullet point
Why didn’t Ozpin know about Penny?
Prior to the truth of her origins being revealed via her death by Pyrah the only people who knew she was an android are cinder’s team, Ruby, Pietro, and Ironwood. The villains knew that truth after being fortunate enough to have Ironwoods scroll infected by the virus and Ruby found out by accident from penny. 
So officially the only people that were allowed to know the truth about Penny were Pietro and Ironwood. Winter and the Ace-opts don’t count as Volume 7 confirmed that they were brought into the fold after the fall of beacon along with penny so by the time of the fall of beacon they had no idea about salem or that was the sole purpose as to why penny was made.
 The same can be said for Watts too since Penny was still an idea being developed along with being assumed dead and not seen in atlas for years. Thus Watts never even knew what penny looked liked. Had he known i'm pretty sure he would’ve revealed that to Salem who would have given it to cinder for use in her mission. But as V3 shows Cinder finds out after getting access to Ironwood's personal scroll. Meaning that Ironwood kept Penny so secret that he never even bothered or considered to tell Ozpin.
By the end of PVP Ironwood sounded like a terrified child who got caught while trying to explain to a pissed off Ozpin about Penny only to be coldly told in a threatening tone to use the army that he brought to clean up his mess or else. That alone is proof enough from Ironwood that he never told Ozpin about Penny and was scared of what Ozpin would do to him for catching him on his secrets and lies.
So why didn’t Ironwood tell Ozpin about Penny? Short answer Ozpin would never approve the use of Penny. It was already established in V3 ep 6 that Atlas has been doing unethical experiments with Aura. Ozpin and most of the inner circle don’t really approve of such practices but can tolerate it  and use it if they have to. But most likely not to the extent of using it to make artificial living beings just to be soldiers.
This would be a similar moral dilemma as the clone troopers from star wars who were bred and mass produced at an accelerated rate to fight  in a war that they didn’t even understand or have a choice to fight in with the mindset and innocents of a child. The Umbara arc from season 4 of the clone wars series perfectly depicts the unhealthy amount of abuse the clones faced and the length of being taken advantage they were forced to endure
Now apply that to an army of pennies with the same childlike innocence and naivety and sentience being deployed into combat without much preparation and are expected to die just to buy time for the real heroes to win.
Now who is more likely to use a clone army without concern for the morality and ethics about making it let alone not care for the well being of those clones
A key important factor to remember is that until V7’s end Ironwood was pro war as he thought he could win against Salem if he had the largest army at his disposal. Penny was no exception and Ironwood only saw her as a potential part needed for his war machine. Because of the war centric views of Volume 2 & 3 Ironwood and lack of concern for the safety of others Ironwood had set the stage perfectly for volume 3’s finale
The Fall of Beacon
The points above actually help validate and contribute to the Fall of Beacon, but it's true Beginning for its fall started when Ironwood arrived at Beacon in Volume 2. As stated by Oz in Ironwoods first appearance Headmasters don’t usually attend the vytal festival with their students. Given what we now know about the importance of the academies, Ironwood pretty much abandoned his post and risked the safety of the relic under his charge.
All in what appears to be an effort to make a power grab against Ozpin and promote Atlas.(That’s probably speculative but not far off the bat given Ironwoods doubts and actions by the end of V2).Ever since his debut Ironwood has always been a character that contradicts the main characters that are suppose to be the heroes
He seems to only believe the best way to handle any sort of situation is if he is in full control of it. This is seen as early as Volume 2, where he both brings a large fleet (composed mainly of machines) along with students for security. Ironwood has helped Ozpin fight Salem for years but they disagreed over the best way to defend Vale; Ironwood secretly convenes a meeting of the Vale and Atlesian councils to report Ozpin's behavior, resulting in Vale removing Ozpin from overseeing the Vytal Festival security in favor of Ironwood. 
 Volume 2 also has Ironwood reveal to Glynda that he thinks Ozpin is hiding something from them. Glynda points out that he's part of the inner circle that's hiding things from the rest of the world and that he needs to stop talking about trust and learn how to trust others. Ignoring her advice, he secretly collaborates with the Vale Council to strip Ozpin of his control over the Vytal Festival security, then tells Ozpin to trust him.
This also brought up the possibility that Ozpin would be removed as Headmaster of Beacon academy. Not only was Ironwood willing to depose the leader he was following from his position of power but also remove an important ally from safeguarding one of the most important and crucial places in all of the world that also holds probably the most important relic of all of them(The Crown of Choice)  
I already talked about how Penny’s secret had contributed to the fall so I’ll be talking about how Watts contributed to it since I forgot to include in the last bullet point. Its a very small Easter egg but on Cinders scroll as she was rigging the vytal tournament for CVFY’s match and discovering Penny’s android nature there is a small cursive W at the corner of her scroll. The small W that Watts uses as a holographic icon when he calls Leo in V5. RT has said that they had WTCH in their back pocket for years until they were revealed taking that into account it is clear that the virus that infected Beacons CCT Ironwoods scroll and forcing the droid army to commit order 66 was made by Watts.
The virus and the cyber warfare aside the next final contribution on Ironwood’s part was the imprisonment of Roman Torchwick
It's pretty much been clear that Torchwicks' imprisonment was an improvised plan on the villains part to get an inside man aboard a warship. Basically it was like Heath Ledger's joker in the dark knight; he wanted to get caught. Torchwick himself said that he is where he wants to be to Ironwood at the end of V2. As V3 showed Torchwick and Neo took over what can be assumed to be Ironwood’s personal flag ship and used it to destroy the rest of the air naval section that was brought for the Vytal security team. 
This could have been avoided had Torchwick not been released into Ironwood's custody or at the very least kept somewhere else that should he escape he couldn’t have done so much damage. The Airships aside it was also possible that Roman had used the onboard artillery on the city as well that means that innocent civilians weren’t just being mowed down by hacked robots but being carpet bombed as well increasing the death toll at the fall of Beacon.
The Dust embargo and closing of borders
Since the fall of Beacon Academy, Ironwood has become increasingly unstable and paranoid, making more and more ethically questionable decisions that he repeatedly justifies as the greater good; by his own admission, he will do anything it takes to stop Salem. 
This however does not fare well with the rest of Remnant though.
As Atlas is the primary location for most of Remnants Industry as well as having a monopoly on Dust; Remnant’s most crucial resource that everyone needs in order to survive, the other  kingdoms rely heavily on Atlas for technology, resources and weapons. By placing an embargo he has cut off everyone in the world from their most valued resource. Though he did this to stop the enemies chain of supply he is still letting people suffer and die by with-holding the one thing they need to live and survive. 
Which brings us to the borders
Though it could have eased tensions after the fall of Beacon it just lasted too long as well as the fact that Ironwood had essentially turned his back on the world and refused to help the other kingdoms in their time of need. In the CFVY book spin-off all of the Beacon students either went to Haven or Shade academy to finish their training. As well as the Vale refugees going to other kingdoms as well. But due to Atlas closing its borders none of the students or the people went to Atlas for help. Basically due to Ironwood’s orders the Kingdom of Atlas was forced to not help the other kingdoms when they needed it the most.
And it has only gotten worse due to the events at Mistral in V5 as not only are the students of both Beacon and Haven going to shade, putting a strain on the academy but leaving the entirety of the worlds largest kingdom unguarded and undefended as it now lacks able huntsmen to protect it due to Ironwood’s refusal to help 
It should also be noted that when Ironwood closed the borders he had failed to inform any off his subordinates of who can and can’t enter the kingdom especially in regards to allies like Glynda or Qrow who again are allies against Salem and Ironwood made little to no effort in keeping contact with the other Oz members. This is made evident in V6 when the Argus soldiers refused to believe Qrow about being an ally to Ironwood. you could say that he was waiting on the amity project to make contact with the other members but  he had to have realized that they needed to get into atlas at some-point. But did he make it easy for them or any other ally to reach him? No he did not. 
The Mistral Huntsmen Genocide and the Battle of Haven
Second verse, same as the first, he had put them in a hearse. Another example of Ironwood’s indifference and hypocrisy that led to the death of allies and innocent people.
Due to the events of the Fall and it being broadcasted the enormous state of panic had spread throughout all of the kingdoms. The negative emotions in mass had attracted the Grimm and caused much havoc and loss throughout all of them and the worst to suffer from this mass hysteria was most likely Mistral due to its larger population and territory.
In V5 Lionheart had confirmed that Mistral losses were heavy and many of the local huntsmen including the Professors from Haven were killed in the initial grimm invasion that plagued Mistral following the fall of Beacon. After the initial panic had settled down the Mistral council had been employing Huntsmen in mass and restricted their activity to crucial and vital missions in high profile areas to ensure the safety and stability of the Kingdom.
Now the real question comes in where was Atlas?
In the world of remnants shorts  its confirmed that Mantle and Mistral have an alliance that eventually carried into Atlas. With that being said, where was Mistral’s ally during the fall out and what were they doing. We know in V5 that all Military Assets were recalled within the month prior to the battle of Haven. I know that the kingdoms are weary of Atlas at this point but given the state of the world after the fall, Mistral needed all the help they could get. As such Mistral would have to call upon the old alliance and have them honor their word and offer aid. 
Or at the very least transfer some assets over to Mistral to use it as needed. We have the base in Argus sure but that was just a forward border control base  that didn’t really help anybody. Prior to the recalling Ironwood had Winter gather intel on potential activity that would lead to a second fall of a huntsmen academy and he chose to do nothing. This is further proof of his hypocrisy and arrogance. Ironwood at this point is reading the military for war and with holding aid and support that was actually needed. 
His V4 self is a stark contrast to his V2&3 self as that version of himself was willing to manipulate and intervene in the affairs of other nations under the assumption that the ends justify the means and would see himself above the rules so long as it's for the greater good and stop the threat before it can escalate. That was exactly what Ironwood did at the end of V2 by stealing power from Oz and tried to enforce his own set of rules if it would prevent a disaster.
Now why did Ironwood not do the same thing with Mistral and try to prevent the potential fall of its academy regardless of the bad publicity that it would warrant? It's already been said by Ironwood that he doesn’t trust Leo to handle the situation at Mistral and based his dissection to close the borders on Winters report and decided to prepare for an potential attack on Atlas rather than sending a small task force to handle the threat at Mistral. 
Taking into consideration his plan for Amity it's quite possible that he wanted Leo to fail and Mistral to be ready to eat from his palm. In other words unless there is something to gain and benefit from he’s not going to do it.
Ironwood all the way till he was told the truth about Salem in V7 had a War is the Answer mentality and was hoarding everything and anything that would help sustain a long campaign as well as increasing the size of that force with the intent that  that the large numbers were enough to intimidate Salem and her faction into surrendering and eventual destruction. The only problem is that the people he needs were born in a time of relative peace.
Because of the 80 year age of peace that followed the Great War the Modern world of Remnant has had zero to no conflicts as large or damaging since that one war. There were small conflicts sure like the faunus war, the White fang terrorist cell, and the criminal underworld but they weren’t that much or a threat or concern to a majority of remnant it wasn’t until the Fall of Beacon that the foundation of this peace was shaken so intensely that the cracks started to show but it was still together if only held by a thread.
With the Peace in mind and the peoples faith still with the huntsman as their distrust for Atlas Military lingers no one in the world of remnant outside of Atlas would have any motivation or desire to mobilize for war let alone a war for a foreign leader of a foreign land that has recently come under suspicion. Ironwood was never going to be able to unite the Kingdoms and mobilize their people for his war after the fall of Beacon with Atlas being painted as the bad guy. Unless the situation went from worst to extreme.
Like if another academy were to fall with the same or greater results like Beacon. Then maybe people all around the world would consider following Ironwood’s lead and wipe out the threat before things can get even worse.
Because of this Ironwood had allowed Mistral and possibly the other Kingdoms to exhaust themselves so much that they would be unprepared for the next major Grimm invasion should they come after the next major hysteria induced panic. Panic like Ironwood’s original plan to unite the world and tell them about Salem causing the kingdoms to fall into further disarray only to be saved by the flying grace of Ironwood and his Military. And the only repayment for his help is that you join his fight.
I know this is all speculative and you can say Lionheart was the one who was responsible for mistrals problems after the fall, but remember Leo was the only Faunus on the council of a racist kingdom and only had one seat over the huntsmen and can only give out and approve mission assignments that would get them killed thus he had no real authority or power in Mistral  besides siding with the majority and even if he tried to talk the council into refusing Ironwoods help their racism wouldn’t listen to Leo and they would do the opposite and call for aid. 
But again Ironwood prior to the fall was willing to stop the threat at its source regardless of politics. But after the fall he had put all of his focus on preparing for war instead of helping people that needed his help at that moment. This may be due to his semblance(still dumb BTW) but ultimately he was focusing on his own needs first than the needs of others. Because of this he had ignored the issues of Mistral and failed to see the truth of what Lionheart was doing and had allowed Most if not all of the well trained and experienced huntsmen of that kingdom to die leaving the kingdom defenseless and unprepared for any conflict that would come.
 Like the Battle for Haven for example. Had Ironwood not recalled everyone back and had Winter and whatever Atlas personal that were with her its quite possible that the battle may never had happen, the truth about leo would have been discovered sooner and the genocide of Mistrals huntsmen wouldn’t have been as bad had Ironwood actually chose to help, Instead he  started to fall back and focus on the Amity Project and Atlas instead of spending any resource outside of them, due to a narrow focus to and putting everything on it just so he can have his Victory.
The Civil unrest in Mantle
A loved and respected leader will die by the side of his people: A feared and hated one will die by their hand. Short term closing the borders cloud have helped ease tensions between Atlas and the rest of the world but long term it had made things worse
Due to the fall of Beacon it's quite possible the initial attacks that came after can explain why Mantle's defensive wall was so destroyed and ruined by the time of V7. That means that potentially for almost over a year that wall has had no repairs or maintenance  and has had the bare minimum leaving the citizens in a state of constant peril and danger since the fall of beacon
This is further made worse when Ironwood closed off the borders and cut off the chain of supplies and trade not only to Atlas but also to Mantle as well making the kingdom suffer more than it had to. As the original capital, the rise of Atlas reduced Mantle to a shadow of its former self. Streets are run-down, technology is old, security defenses haven't been updated in years, and smog from the mines hangs heavy over the city. People struggle to eke out an existence, depend on dangerous mines for work and experience regular Grimm attacks that the city increasingly struggles to repel. Meanwhile, Atlas hangs in the sky above their heads; a constant reminder of the wealthy elite that is failing to share the wealth that Mantle creates, and a target of Mantle's growing resentment and anger at having been left so far behind.
Ironwood who is again allied with and a member of a secret circle that is supposed to keep the peace and prevent any social unrest that can cause a conflict.  Thus he should have tried to ease the tensions and made the conditions of Mantle better in order to maintain peace. Now I know it's not solely Ironwood’s fault for the state that Mantle is in as he hasn’t been in a position of power for long but still he should have focused on the people instead of preparing for a war that may have never come. A stark contrast to Ozpin’s way of preserving peace and handling threats
Because of his narrow focus and indifference he made things worse as he was only focusing on potential threats that have yet to come instead of focusing on the issues and preventing them before they escalated. After the fall, the embargo and closing of Borders Ironwood concerned himself with preparations for an assumed winnable war instead of trying to restore peace and keep the people on his side. Which is ironic as he was doing this to rally a large force and stop the threat but did not consider that he may have been pushing away potential troops and allies that he would have needed. And only stoked the people's frustrations 
This is mostly due to Ironwood never giving an estimate of time for how long the embargo and the borders would last as well as not giving a clear and believable reason as to why he was doing all of this in the first place. I know he was going to tell Mantle and the world about Salem eventually and he did in V7 but that was only because he was forced to and used it to take out potential threats by baiting them. This is also added with the fact that he really didn’t have any solid proof that would make the people believe him about Salem as well. Due to the frustration of the people it would just sound like made up propaganda and Ironwood shifting blame onto a fake enemy to drive people's attention onto something else. And yes the people believed it but remember they were being evacuated so i don’t think they were buying Ironwood's statement but were just glad that they were being saved.
And in the end it doesn’t even matter as ultimately Ironwood caved in to fear and decided to leave Mantle for dead. Which could have been avoided had Ironwood focused his attention to the needs of people rather than the needs of war. One of the constant themes of the show is that victory is not in strength or in mass numbers but within the small and willing hearts of those that will fight no matter what.
In conclusion Ironwood had played a pivotal role in contributing to all of the conflicts that plague the world of Remnant at present, even if it were minor role he nonetheless helped set the stage for the villains and Salem   
The reason why I say that; as stated in earlier sections: Despite all of his talk about the greater good for the world he really means the greater good of Atlas and by extension himself. He is prioritizing his kingdom above all else at the expense of the other kingdoms and exploits of their people for his kingdom's own personal gain. As well as with holding beneficial technology that could actually benefit and improve the living conditions and way of life of the other kingdoms.
Ironwood’s inability to trust and have faith in people and others to keep the peace ultimately led to him intervening in affairs that he had no right to and with his own belief that his way is what is best had caused the Fall of Beacon and the events and conflicts before and after it.
It was over before it started
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Now the Question must be asked what was Ironwood’s plan?
Ironwood throughout the series believed that he could win against Salem, and by the end of volume 7 he still believed that he could win, but in reality he had already lost the moment he tried to start a war.
To quote Ruby as she asked Ozpin: what was Ironwood’s plan to stop Salem if he ever had one to begin with? As far back as Volume 2 to Volume 7 Ironwood’s ideas and plans to handle Salem seemed to be; gather a large force, blitz run her stronghold, and destroy her with WMD’s. Most of his plans stem from an appeal to force and intimidation tactics via large numbers with heavy armament. In any other circumstances this could have worked had it been a different kind of villain that wasn’t immortal. As V6 has revealed Salem can’t die through traditional means such as modern warfare thus making Ironwood’s plans and solutions moot and pointless. Once he is told the truth in V7 he still continues down the same path of thinking that has not only failed but enabled the villains goals as well. So it must be asked why does Ironwood not see that his way is flawed and that he was never going to win if he continues down this path?
 Ironwood's numerous conflicts throughout the series occur because he feels he does not need to follow the standards he sets for others; He demands people trust him while showing them none in return. He forces others to sacrifice much for the cause while giving up very little in return. He insists on loyalty when he has turned on others solely because they disagreed with him.
As Volume 7 progresses, he becomes willing to commit increasingly dubious actions in order to oppose Salem. He starts off by imposing a military embargo on Mantle despite the economic hardships said embargo is causing for the civilians on the ground and diverting resources that Mantle needs to rebuild its infrastructure to build a comm tower at Amity Colosseum. By the end of the volume, he's degenerated into declaring full martial law, abandoning Mantle to die, and either attacking or having arrested anyone who opposes him.
Salem and her faction were a tumor that can only be handled with the surgical precision of a scalpel not with the bulk of a fleet or large armies. The Huntsmen were that scalpel and to be specific the Huntsmen that Oz had chosen as they were meant to protect all people and prevent conflicts without personal bias or desire. Ironwood only acted in the self interest of Atlas and the benefits that he would gain from it
Ozpin’s priority had always been the people, no matter where they came from. However, I think he was once in Ironwood’s shoes.  I am pretty sure he tried everything, including the same things Ironwood did, and saw it fail horribly. Ozpin or at least the soul, has had centuries to millennia's of experience in fighting Salem and managing the world. The delicacy of the human mind and heart are something he is well acquainted with, and I think he already knew what type of person Ironwood was, or at least was becoming.  Near as I can tell, the big reason he kept Ironwood on at this point was because Ironwood had the resources and technology he needed to keep his plan moving forward and wouldn’t relinquish them.
Ozpin worked hard to maintain the peace and goodwill of the people.  Ironwood, so far, has not.  Having robot sentries on every corner without the concept of morals and stopping trade for a kingdom that can not easily generate its own resources, as well as hoarding those resources and preventing necessary repairs and aid to those people–those actions all show that he is not keeping this important aspect of leadership. He is not making sure that the people are on his side so when he needs them because he does not consider their needs as important unless they are in line with his own
Even with the Knowledge of the truth of Salem’s immortality he is still sacrificing everyone and everything else for nothing just to keep up the illusion that he is the hero and to keep his source of power high in the clouds away from anyone who really needs it
I may have been a little harsh on Ironwood for his actions, especially V7 and I understand the circumstances that led to escalation by the end of the volume.  He was making dubious decisions but he was trying to do better, he listened at times and tried to show an extension of trust, the kids with giving them the lamp back, and later with Robyn at the dinner. These were due to the positive influences of Oz.  He just fell back to old habits hard and turned to extremes when it became clear he had non control of what was happening by V7 end. He was struggling with old habits and opening up and was doing better that first part of the night a prime example of what the creators meant if Ironwood had been more open and trusting of others but when everything went down he was pushed over the edge in the latter half of the night cementing his fall and decent into an antagonist further making the problem worse as he has always done. This is mostly due to his primary source of influence; Atlas (which we can agree has been the biggest source of conflict in the show so far) and probably his lack of understanding and planning for what comes after all is said and done.
What did you think would happen?
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The question must be asked; What happens after Salem? The fandom has pretty much each their own idea of what might happen after Salem is finally defeated. But do the characters know what happens after the war especially Ironwood? As the end of the hero’s journey goes; Nothings the same after you become a hero. And given Ironwood’s behavior and actions before his fall in Gravity, Ironwood seemed to have ambitions and plans in the works for the long run after Salem was no longer a threat. As stated before in I am Machine no one is truly altruistic to the point that they do something that doesn’t benefit them. So what exactly did Ironwood want after Salem was gone to the point that most if not all his actions and decisions were in the effort to reach and make those plans come true?
As stated in Broken Kingdom Ironwood doesn’t really have any personal desires or motivations that aren’t related to Atlas or the Heroes common goal to stop Salem. As far as we can tell Ironwood has no current family members at present and there's very little that tells us that he has anything in mind outside of either Atlas or Salem ,so what does Ironwood have to gain from this conflict?
All hail the conquering Hero
Ironwood’s biggest issue is that he has to be the center of everything, that he has to be in control. First he’s going to try and gain control with his army, while trying to wrangle anyone else back under his control. Then, when it becomes clear that anyone who has a plan that better and could work, he’s going to get competitive, come up with new and crazy superweapons to throw against the enemy in an attempt to prove that he can defeat Salem before the heroes can gather allies from across Remnant. He believes that He is strong, that He is brave, that He doesn’t need to run to anybody for help! He believes that he is the hero and is letting his self entitlement cloud his mind and it has gotten the better of him
 An In-Universe example of this false belief comes from RWBY: Amity Arena as it  gives bios to every character in the game compiled by the In-Universe developers. While many try to be objective, the ones representative of the Atlas Elite tend to demonstrate a notable bias, most prevalent with the General's. His bio is very defensive of him, calling him the "hero of our time" and that he wears the burden of the world on his shoulders, talking him up as a Hero with Bad Publicity. The bio goes as followed;
General Ironwood. The hero of our time and Atlas' greatest protector. Under the general, we have advanced to incredible heights, discovered new technologies, and created the world's first artificial intelligence. Though horrifyingly revealed at Amity Arena, Penny is our proud foray into sentient AI, and Ada is the culmination of the machine learning we have long developed in our labs.
As reviled as he was for his misguided attempt to protect Vale, how can the world fault our General when the culprits are out there? How can the victims be blamed for the sins of the perpetrators? Is incompetence somehow a greater sin than premeditated evil? Our General may have failed to protect Beacon, but he's not the one that hacked our weapons into hurting the innocent.
Yet... he wears that burden on his shoulders like he is alone in the world...
Ozpin, missing. Lionheart, dead. Theodore, uncertain. We say Atlas is the greatest, the mightiest... the city in the clouds, but what is first place when there is no competition? Yet, our kingdom and our General... we're the best chance that humanity's got... which scares us to death.
Menagerie?
...what about it?
After reading that you can probably see through the propaganda, hypocrisy and ego that are written in the bio. A key factor to note is that this was possibly made after the main heroes arrived in Atlas and before the election night. And since there's been no contact or travel between the kingdoms and Ironwood was aware of Leo's status by worst case scenario  it tells us that the heroes have shared everything with Ironwood in regards to those events concerning Haven.
 Since Ironwood is looked up to as a god by his subordinates and since he was the one of the only few to have known about them as well as to have the status to make any key choices since the app is made by atlas scientists contracted to the military. Thus Ironwood had used it and the blind loyalty of his loyalists to make propaganda and shift the blame from himself to something else as well as try to emotionally manipulate the people by making them sympathize with him while ignoring the truth.
He is not Remnant's only hope nor is he the best choice.
This is another example of his never my fault montra and he does things right and its further shown in the bio as it not only continues to discredit the other Headmasters(I am well aware of leo) but ignores all the good and actual heroism of other people like the Faunus of Menagerie as they are to the primary reason as to why Haven didn’t become the next Beacon and as stated before in an earlier section the opportunity for the Battle of Haven was in a way created by Ironwood who had chosen to flee and protect his city instead of preventing an attack like he had originally intended with Vale.
It may also show how much Ironwood believes in his own hype as it does paint him as some sort of de facto king of Atlas. Again he views himself as the chosen savior of the chosen people and that it is his destiny to rule and change the world as he sees fit. Or as Watts puts it the Giant that stands above all
I’m the Captain now
I think it's safe to say that almost everything he does is a twisted version of Ozpin's ways as well as to place himself as Remnant's ultimate leader as he believes he is the one that can ensure a safe and secure world. Ever since his debut he has undermined everything that Ozpin has done and stood for because he believes his ways aren’t efficient ( Or beneficial) to him and has been systematically taking power and control away from him and placing himself as the new big good.
He wants to be the New warrior king and change the world as he sees fit as he only sees Ozpin as either a failure or a hindrance to him and his plans. Combine that with his Atlas ideology and a lot of things make sense. I mentioned in the False chosen one that Ironwood may have been influenced and tried to emulate the Warrior king as to better rise and gain power and correct the supposed mistakes of Ozpin. Even though that he has claimed to be doing it for the greater good of all of Remnant but  he really means only Atlas and himself
A world Reborn in my image
A major factor to consider is that Ironwood is a by-product of Atlas that was a by-product of Ancient Mantle. Ironwood is essentially a living mouthpiece for Atlas. He pretty much the living embodiment of the kingdom if it were a character. That's the sad truth of Ironwood is that he is simply an extension of this toxic environment and tricked into believing that its this ideal society when  in truth it never was.  In other words a legacy of tyranny lives on through Ironwood
We’re all aware of the origins of Atlas and its rise to prominent power. It started out as Mantle that began with a handful of people that prospered by adapting to the harsh conditions by making advanced technology faster than the rest of the world. It eventually formed a trade  alliance with Mistral trading tech for food. A grimm  incident occurs and Mantle thought being cold emotionless robots was a perfect solution. It tried to force its toxic ideology onto other civilizations and was met with mixed results. The Great war happens they lose and all of their resources are spent forcing it to rebuild its economy that eventually gives way to Atlas
Now how does this affect Ironwood?
Well Mantle through its alliance with ancient Mistral possibly adopted their ideals of imperialism and expansion as Mistral was the world's largest territorial economic empire of its time. When it comes to the rise of an empire and the type they are as well as their need for expansion it can be summed up to these 3 
Economic empire
Ideological empire
Territorial empire
Due to Mantle's lack of essential resources like food and energy, its early days were more or less focused on establishing a strong economic trade empire in order to get the essential supplies needed to sustain life in solitas. After its great depression period after the War the kingdom's economy began to grow at a rapid rate that by the time the kingdom shifted to Atlas it had Remnants largest economic empire.
This is also an important factor to consider since the sad truth of it all is that as long people can make a stable income and support themselves, they are more than likely to turn a blind eye to any shady or immoral activities so long as there's something to gain. What does this have to do with Ironwood you ask? Well as his bio card said Ironwood has pretty much been proclaimed as the kingdoms benefactor for its prosperity. This may have been due to his Corperate alliance with The Schnee’s since it was Mostly Nicolas and Jaques as far as we know being the most prominent reason as to why Atlas has prospered. 
When Ironwood formed that alliance with the SDC it gave him at least half of the power and influence of the company that was truly responsible for the kingdom's wealth and claiming it as his own. Once he had gotten some control over the economy it was time to move onto the next step and increase the empire from economic to Ideological or Political expansion.
Empires change and adapt in order to satisfies their needs now that Ironwood is the de facto head of that empire and given what we know about him and Atlas it is quite possible that he has been indoctrinated to have this desire to create an empire for Atlas as the politics and ideologies of its people have given it a false sense of entitlement and need to have everything under their control.
When looking at it from V1 to V3, it looks as if Ironwood was trying to occupy without resorting to force then you're left asking the real questions like "Why is ironwood selling the people of Vale on Atlas military Technology?" "Why is it that when a breach happens in vale, Atlas Bots rush in?" "Why did Ironwood make a power play to become the security of the Vytal Tournament?" It all seems to point to the same thing, Ironwood wanted control over Vale
A section of Lyrics from the song “When it Falls” may help reveal Ironwoods true intentions since his introduction and to be honest they seem relevant only to him and given his actions this is mostly likely the truth as they go like this; 
“They play the part of allies
Claiming peace their only goal
But once the fight for power starts
They'll eat each other whole
Their iron gloves point fingers
They'll wage a war of blame
And mankind will wilt in pain”
As of V7 aren’t those words mostly relevant to Ironwood? After all, what has he done recently? He claims to be an ally with intentions of peace but he’s really trying to control those who buy that lie and escalates the situation to the extreme for no logical reason other than to set the stage for the next part in relation to the lyrics.
After all is said and done the fight for power will start and he wants to win and consume everyone before they can consume him. And as things go wrong he points his metal hands blaming everyone but himself as he tries to gain control and power, the world suffers.
Ever since his debut he has been trying to amass  Political power which would lead to a territorial empire under Atlasian control. Playing into the theory that he does want to be a better version of Oz he wouldn’t make the same mistakes that he assumed the king  did by letting the kingdoms remain independent instead of being under the control of one.
A king has his reign and then he dies
To continue on with the theory that he is essentially a bastardized version of Oz, Ironwood may have been trying to find ways as to make himself immortal 
Another reason as to why he would see Ozpin as inferior is due to the fact that for all his power he can’t stop himself from dying, or at least maintain the same amount of world power and status from his last life. This may have given Ironwood ideas and ambitions to pursue any methods that may yield results that may make him a true immortal version of Oz hence why he most likely authorized the research and development of the aura transfer technology as a means to artificial reincarnate till proper immortality was achieved.
This could also be another reason as to why he may have chosen the Penny project. As it could lead to a way of extending his life as a means of transhumanism; immortality through technology
To reiterate Ironwood doesn’t trust anyone to do things right so he micromanages everyone under his control and makes them dependent on him. This is best seen with Winter and Clover as Winter would side with a madman as opposed to siding with her sister and clover’s inability to think for himself led to his death. 
Due to his lack of faith in people Ironwood makes them less independent and make them rely on him as  he may believe if everyone is dependent on him then the more control that he will have over them as to better determine who is a threat as the people he controls are more or less robots now without a conscious or sense individuality and are less likely to commit evil acts. Similar to ancient Mantle’s anti life policies before the war.
If he believes that to be the case and since he only trusts himself to see it through he’s going to try and find ways to make him live as long as possible until his methods become autonomous. Because of his lack of faith for others Ironwood doesn’t understand or refuses to understand the fact that he is going to die one day and everything that he has ever accomplished will be undone by the ultimate victor; TIME.
This is sadly the likely outcome as everything changes through the passage of time. As time moves so does the advancement of decay upon the world. Ironwood is already dying by aging and all that he has achieved will be undone or outdone by others that will come after him. The same thing can be said for everyone else in the show as they already lost. 
Ruby, Oz, Cinder, even Salem herself have already lost to time. Everything they have or will achieve will be undone as well and one day they will all die. It’s just a matter of how and when. 
To better explain let's take a look at Epsilon’s final speech from RVB season 13;
“There are so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after. But the hero... never gets to see that ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith.”
Does Ironwood have faith in anyone that's not under his control? 
People only do wrong when the perceived benefits outweigh the cost in that moment. Ironwood doesn’t just see an opportunity to stop Salem he also sees an opportunity to bring the world under Atlasian control with him at the top. Since he has amassed so much power and authority he sees himself above the rules that everyone respects and follows. Because of this Ironwood tries to hold unto that power because without he is nothing and would become a lesser and weaker being which would be an affront to his perfectionist ideologies
If your nothing without it then you don’t deserve it
Take away Ruby’s Silver eyes and what is she? Someone that will continue to fight no matter what
Take away Atlas from Ironwood and what is he? Nothing but a broken man who had this coming for a long time.
As I stated in I am power Ironwood by himself has nothing to contribute to the fight against Salem. Let's face it the only thing that he had going for him was the fact that he lead the Military and as we later find out that Military isn’t going to be useful against Salem since the key concept of the show since V1 was that there is no victory in strength but in the simpler things in life that start with simple and honest souls. 
How does this concern Ironwood? 
Well that's just it Ironwood was never going to win with his methods and he was never going to get the benefits that he wanted if he followed someone else with theirs. Again Ironwood had plans and ambitions after Salem that saw him as the ruler of the world instead of her, and controlled it so that a threat like her or any threat to his power would never come again. This is probably what he thought would happen before being told of her immortality. 
Now with the knowledge that he can’t destroy her and that she’s coming he decides to cut his losses and settle with ruling the city instead and leave the rest of the world in her mercy instead of accepting the fact that he is wrong and relinquishing power to someone that can handle the situation better. Remnant doesn’t need Ironwood to survive. This is the biggest problem with Ironwood that he thinks he is the hero so long as he is in control of Atlas. Because without it he is truly nothing and has defined his whole existence around it. And will continue to make whatever plans to keep himself in power and is willing to pay the price at the expense of others.
“What if all the plans you made,
Were not worth the price they paid?
Even with the lives you stole,
Still no closer to your...
Goal.”
He never cooled the fire but he still incites the crowd for he can't see what he has  become a crown with no kingdom
Ironwood had only played to win and he would laugh at the ones who lose while millions are shouting out for him to stop but he Still lit the fuse
He says he wants to fight but Then he always runs because he doesn't want to die yet he Still shoots the loaded gun escalating things for the worse
His refusal to see the faults in his own actions. Ironwood continually defaults to and relies on methods and actions that have repeatedly been proven to not work because he refuses to see the error in using said methods to begin with.
This isn’t your story James
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One of the important aspects to remember is that this isn’t Ironwood’s story. His entire character and story revolves around the main protagonists and how he interacts with them and more importantly what role he played in it. Ironwood started out as a side character that ended up getting a lot of focus because the story of  Team RWBY and the show in general is to show how the last generation can fail the next and how that generation has to learn and grow so it can avoid the mistakes of the past. 
Before we delve further into Ironwood’s true character in the show let us explore whether or not he was an antagonistic or protagonistic force in the story. Keep in mind these terms are different from hero and villain. Below are several definitions and meanings for the 2 narrative characters types;
Antagonist
a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.
a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary. the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work
Protagonist
the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.
an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea.
In modern literature, the protagonist drives the story forward by pursuing a goal. 
The protagonist of a story is sometimes called the main character. 
Since this is RWBY’s story and to an extent Oz’s, Ironwood(and Atlas to an extent) was always meant to be an antagonistic force in opposition to the show's true ideals of  heroism and saviors. 
The antagonist is the principal source of conflict for the protagonist. Often, the antagonist is a bad guy, a villain, but he doesn't necessarily have to be. He may just be someone who has a different agenda. Antagonists might be one person, a group, or even an animal.
Due to the beliefs that his methods are for the best even though they contradict the intentions that were thought to be shared by the heroes Ironwood was always going to become an Antagonist for the series at some point
Volume 7 slowly sees him fall into this, as his paranoia and determination to stop Salem cause him to perform increasingly questionable decisions for the greater good. While Qrow, Oscar, and Teams RWBY and JNPR support Ironwood, they increasingly debate the merit of doing so, given how concerned they're becoming with his behavior. When Cinder breaks into his office and plants a black queen, Ironwood sends Winter to forcefully take the Winter Maiden's powers, and he begins to question every decision he's made and speculate whether he's played right into Salem's hands. His confrontation with Team RWBY over their decision to leak intel to Robyn triggers the appearance of a Seer Grimm, forcing him into a verbal confrontation with Salem. With the discovery that the conflict with Watts and Tyrian distracted them from realizing they'd lost long-range sensors and that Salem is already on her way to Atlas, Ironwood snaps. He orders the arrest of Qrow, Oscar, and Teams RWBY and JNPR, and decides to abandon Mantle to die in an effort to prevent the two Relics and the Winter Maiden from falling into Salem's hands. Volume 7 ends with him and the protagonists actively opposed to each other, as his refusal to acknowledge that his methods are flawed and his opposition towards anyone who might stand in his way solidifies him as an antagonist.
The events of Volume 7 slowly but surely tear away at the positive aspects of his character as he succumbs to fear and paranoia, and questions whether Salem's strength comes from her ability to strip away her humanity. By the end of the volume, he has degenerated into a paranoid tyrant who abandons Mantle in favor of saving Atlas, is willing to kill a dying Winter Maiden to protect the Relics from Salem, and arrests the heroes for disagreeing with him. At the end of the volume, Oscar even points out that Ironwood's actions and current mentality make him no better than Salem.
 His character deconstructs the mindset of the Necessary Evil character archetype. He declares his willingness to sacrifice his reputation and humanity for the greater good by forcing others to sacrifice for his cause. Characters constantly question the morality of his choices and his own actions create consequences that later bite him in the ass. His lack of concern over his image and the negativity his actions generate serve only to assist Salem's plans and increasingly alienate him from the heroes. He appoints himself the judge of what counts as the "greater good", he neglects Mantle's security and makes it increasingly vulnerable to attack by viewing it as less important than Atlas. Oscar lampshades the deconstruction by pointing out that being willing to sacrifice all of Remnant just so "a few can live" is making him just as dangerous a threat as Salem.
In a way Salem and Ironwood are also foils to each other as they appear to be dark lords from their respective genres 
Ironwood being the syfy equivalent clad in white to convey the false message of order and peace while masking evil intentions and crimes 
Salem being the Fantasy equivalent clad in black to emanate a sense of Mystery and fear of the unknown while using it to her advantage
Discussed between Ironwood and Oscar. Ironwood spends Volume 7 utterly haunted by how Leo's fear of Salem destroyed him and endangered Mistral and Haven. He is so determined not to end up like Leo, that he doesn't realize what mistakes his own fear of Salem is causing. While Leo completely submitted to Salem and became her puppet, he has full self-awareness and knows exactly how far he's fallen and why. Ironwood cannot accept that he has any fear of Salem at all and interprets the problem as possessing "humanity". He believes Salem is a threat because she has none and speculates that the solution is to become the same. He becomes increasingly controlling over his kingdom and his allies; regardless of how much suffering his methods cause, he persists in believing it's for "the greater good". While Leo is willing to give up the Relic of Knowledge and his kingdom's Huntsmen, Ironwood is so determined to prevent Salem getting the Relics, his Huntsmen and the Winter Maiden, and thereby avoid Leo's mistakes, that he travels in the opposite direction, becoming a dangerous authoritarian instead of a spineless coward.
Ironwood has made it clear that he will use whatever means necessary to defeat Salem. When Team RWBY calls out his decision to raise Atlas out of Salem's reach, he calmly says he's aware that he is essentially damning Mantle to her wrath. He later tells Oscar that he is done letting others' opinions hold him back from doing what he thinks is right. The boy warns him that he'd become as dangerous as Salem herself like that; the general simply nods to himself but doesn't deny it.
This is who he has always been. The only difference is the more desperate he becomes, the more extremes he goes to to maintain the illusion he is strong and in control of the situation.
During Ozpin's speech, notice how this unique line of dialogue is purposely inserted over Ironwood's last scene of  Volume 7.
“Or will the person staring back at you be the very thing you should have feared from the start? I suppose we all find out... sooner or later.”
As the other parts of the speech are relevant to the other characters shown in the montage This specific line cements the Truth of Ironwood's character being a threat that was planned for a very long time. Going with the show's themes of Grey morality and the balance of light and dark, we are to learn of the possibility that with the potential to do great good also comes with the potential to do great evil. 
As we were focused on the obvious threats in the show like the grimm, the white fang, Cinder, and Salem we are tricked to neglect the obvious signs of evil intent that are hidden and growing  among the heroes. The real monsters of the world aren’t the ones with fangs and red eyes hiding under your bed, No the real monsters of the world look just like you and me. After all if we assume everyone is like us then how can we tell who the real monsters are, that are hiding in plain sight. 
Ironwood’s evil nature and antagonism  was subtle and growing under the skewed perception that he was the hero and that he was right. But this comes down to the fact that he is only in it for himself and what he has to gain from it. 
I understand that James Ironwood was a tragic character even from his introduction, and the seeds for his volume 7 turn were planted in volume 2. I eventually recognized that RT was setting up this pivotal plot point way back in the day and now they are harvesting what they had sown.  
Ironwood didn’t snap when he found out RWBY lied to him. He was content, even after he defeated Watts. He snapped as soon as he saw Cinder’s present. The Queen piece. He unraveled immediately and, sure, the discovery of RWBY’s lies didn’t help,  but it wasn’t the cause for Ironwood’s descent.
 He genuinely means well in opposing Salem and her forces, but his severe paranoia complex, exacerbated by the stress of being one of the only ones in the know about Salem and having to explain his actions to the skeptical populace and council, cause his decisions to degenerate over time. By the end of Volume 7, he becomes willing to abandon everyone in Mantle to die, violently lashes out at anyone who opposes him, and manages to undo all of the hard work he's accomplished by second-guessing his own actions.
James Ironwood is undoubtedly a fascinating character that has this certain appeal to most people. I  can understand Ironwood's viewpoint but it is not the same as forgiving or condoning as good. Sure, I thought him intervening in affairs that he had no right to was a skewed perception, but I understood where he was coming from. I thought him ignoring the concerns and advice of people was reckless, but I also kind of understood  his limitations and his upbringing. But in all honesty I was neutral about Ironwood ever since he debuted and didn’t think he had much to contribute to the story besides being the guy with an army along with the pride and arrogance that comes with.
Because of that Ironwood was always an antagonistic force in RWBY with ideals and plans that contradict the established ideals and motivations that are already shared with the world of Remnant. He just simply couldn’t fit in and when he tried he didn’t like it. When he tried to change it and take charge he only made things worse. Ironwood had potential to be good and a proper hero due the influence of Oz but his pride and ego that he got from Atlas got the better of him and now the show's true heroes will have to fix the problems that he has caused.
Summary
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ushiwakaa · 4 years
Text
𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐄
𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : you’re a pre-med student working the closing shift at your part-time job when you find an injured gangster by the dumpster.
𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : ushijima wakatoshi x gn!reader
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 : fluff
𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 : gun induced injury, ( potentially ) graphic description of said injury
𝐚/𝐧 : sometimes idk if i do this fic thing right !! anyway !! this is dedicated to the brave captains of my ushijima harem , @from-left-to-write​ and @bubbleteaa​ 
While your parents give you what they can, it’s barely enough to pay tuition and living expenses while you’re off at school. Picking up a part-time job gives you some pocket money and something to take your mind off of studying.
The coffee shop you work part-time at is a tiny, yet bustling spot in the heart of the financial district. As one of the few university students that work there, you get the privilege of working morning shifts. This means, you plaster on your brightest smile at six in the morning to laugh kindly with business men who deign to pick up their own coffee and grouchy interns who are dissatisfied with getting their boss’.
On instinct, you smile brightly at the chime of the door.
“Good morning, Washijo-san! How are you?”
The regular at your store was grumpy old thing with a stubby nose and bushy brows. His suits were befitting of his location: impeccably pressed. While he appeared to be perpetually unhappy, you knew that was a lie. You swore to all your coworkers that there was a heart underneath his gruffness.
The elderly gentleman gives an endearing huff, ignoring your question. “Small black.”
You don’t let it deter you as you beam at the man. “Anything else, Washijo-san?”
“Ushijima—” the man grunts— “do you want anything?”
The man on his left silently shakes his head.
“That’s all.”
“Coming right up!” You chime.
Washijo hands you crisp bill — significantly more than his total. When you hand him the change, as he does with every visit, he promptly dumps it into the tip jar. Your heart jumps in guilt but, as a struggling student, you swallow your tongue.
“Thank you!”
Washijo waves you off flippantly as he takes a seat. In his stead, the young man waits stoically by the counter. As you ready the man's coffee, you watch his companion from the corner of your eye.
While you had many questions for the old man, the most interesting mystery of all was the string of bodyguards who followed his every whim. While you’d gotten used to the anxiously eager Goshiki and his oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, your interest was piqued by latest guard by his side. He was strong jawed with a stern look to him — broad shouldered and serious. Like his boss, his well-tailored suit was befitting of the bankers in the area.
“Ushijima-kun, right?”
His eyes are far more intense than you anticipate. Lightning runs up your spine when he raises his head. He nods.
A second is lost on you as you try to compose yourself. “Um… Do you work with Washijo-san?”
“He’s my boss.”
Your heart almost stops. His voice is a deep timber, gravelly from lack of use. His words leave a resounding echo in your ears despite the low volume.
…Is this love? The dopey grin on your face grows.
“You must work around here then!”
He nods.
“Very nice!” You place the steaming cup of coffee on the serving counter before wiping your hands on your apron. “It’s a great place to walk around during your lunch break. Before I got a job here, I worked at the hospital around the corner. I could never decide where to go for lunch.”
Reaching for the coffee, he asks, “Why did you leave the hospital for a coffee shop?”
“It was just a summer internship program!” You reply as you begin plating a pair of sugar cookies. “I’m studying pre-med, actually.”
He gives a hum and you place the cookies in front of him. He frowns.
“We didn’t order those.”
“Don’t worry about it.” It was a feeble attempt to balance out the ridiculous amount the elderly man had supplied to your tip jar over the last year. “You should come by with Washijo-san more often, though! It’s nice to see new faces.”
It’s sort of like speaking a curse aloud. You don’t see Washijo, or the young man for a handful of weeks after that. While your tip jar remains fairly healthy thanks to your charming customer service, you do miss the endearing demeanour of the grouchy old man.
Shamefully, you can’t say that you don’t hope to see Ushijima, though. While you don’t share the same rapport with him yet, you would like to. There was something endearing about his quiet personality. He was like a sleeping volcano. There was something hidden just below the surface.
Without noticing, you find yourself grinning into the pages of your anatomy textbook.
After cleaning steadily throughout the night — all you have to do at this point is empty the pastry case and take out the trash. With nothing else to do, of course you spend your free time studying. It’s a boring way to pass the time, but it trickles away quickly.
The clock uneventfully strikes one and you flip the welcome sign.
As you’re looking out of the glass, watching a cat cross the sheet — two men run past the storefront, one taunts their tail with a daunting tune barely muffled through the glass. It sends a shiver up your spine.
Quickly, you lock the door before retreating further into the store.
You definitely prefer morning shifts, but with the younger part-timers out of school for the time being — you had no choice but to pick up the closings for fairness sake.
A sigh escapes your lips as you lament your tragic life as a university student. You push open the back door with your shoulder, lugging along a large garbage bag. It’s a struggle with your weak arms, but you manage to heft it into the garbage dump in the back alley.
As you give yourself a congratulatory pat on the back, you find yourself jumping six feet into the air.
Tucked behind the dumpster is a man, his long legs barely hidden behind the length of the trash heap. While you’d really like to run back inside, shut off the lights and lock up for the night, your morality wins.
“Are you okay?” You ask, coming to his side.
He groans in response.
“Do you think you can stand?”
He shakes his head.
You help him into the back of the store and lead him to sit at your makeshift break table. In the light, you can finally see his face.
“Ushijima-kun,” you gasp, kneeling at his side.
You can see two bright spots of poppy-red blossom into the white of his dress shirt. You stiffen your gasp with the sleeve of your sweater before inspecting his wound. The buttons of his shirt come undone with a touch of your nimble fingers. You swallow back a second gasp. Though you saw a hint of his wounds through the poplin fabric, you’re not ready to stare directly at the angry pucker of red skin in his red pectoral.
“I—” you pull away, patting at your pockets in search of your phone— “I need to call the ambulance. This… This is more than I can handle. Well, actually this is — this is entirely more than I know how to handle but—”
You’re startled out of your panic by the warmth of his touch on your arm. He says nothing to you but shakes his head instead.
“No ambulance,” he appeals.
Your hands drop to your sides. “Okay. No ambulance.”
When you move to your feet, he tights his grip on your sleeve. His sharp eyes, previously wary, watch you desperately.
“I’m just going to wash my hands.”
His grip goes lax.
With the first aid kit hung on the wall and your mediocre knowledge of dressing a gunshot wound, you do your best to treat his wounds. You’ve yet to learn how to clean a gunshot wound specifically but you’ve always been good at guessing games. Applying what you know from the pdfs you stole off the online library: you clean, you dress, and you bandage.
When the silence of it all gets unbearable, you croak, “You know. This isn’t what I meant when I told you to come by more often.”
“Sorry,” he mumbles.
“It’s okay,” you reply, disinfecting the wound. You offer an apologetic smile when he winces. “I’m just glad to see you, really. I haven’t seen you in weeks.” A weak laugh escapes you. “I mean, you and Washijo-san, obviously. He’s one of my favourite regulars. I was worried.” You can’t seem to look away from the gunshot. “I mean… I guess it was for good reason.”
He says nothing, lulling the two of you into another bout of silence. You mask your disappointment as you move away from him — reaching for a dressing pack in the first aid kit. As steadily as you can, you apply the dressing to his chest wound.
Perhaps you’re distracted by his chiselled pectorals, or maybe you’re exhausted past the capabilities that your brain can handle at one in the morning — regardless, your startled gaze meets his intensity when he grunts.
For an infinity confined within the limits of second, you can feel his heart beat within his chest.
“This is an occupational hazard.”
They’ve said that lightning doesn’t strike twice, but here you are: silent in an aftershock.
“…This?”
He stares at you for a hard moment. “This.”
“Getting… Shot?”
“Yes. Similar to how an athlete expect injuries, I too expect injuries.”
Your lips press into a frown. “I don’t know many people who would take a bullet for their job.”
“As I mentioned, this is an—”
“Occupational hazard,” you cut him off with a roll of your eyes. “I heard. I guess this means that finding men hiding in my trash is also an occupational hazard.” As you fix him with your sternest glare, you simultaneously smooth down his dressing. “Should I expect more injured men outside my store at one in the morning? Because you should know that I rarely close and I should really pass along the message.”
He has the sense to look embarassed but it doesn’t look quite right on him.
“I couldn’t go anywhere else.” Then, quietly, he adds, “I hoped it would be you.”
A list of places come to mind, but rather than chew him out, you fix him with a stare. You stare at him until you’re sure he can see the questions overflowing from your ears. One glaring question stands above the rest, but for some reason, you can’t manage to ask it. Instead, you stand, putting a comfortable distance between you two.
“Do you want a cookie? I forgot to empty the pastry display.”
Other than a handful of students huddled on the couch in the back corner of the café, the store is virtually empty in the last fifteen minutes to close. After that encounter with Ushijima ( who a couple weeks later grunted and said, “Call me Wakatoshi.” ), you began to pick up closing shifts more often. While Washijo lamented this fact to your manager, you decided you liked having Wakatoshi walk you home after your shift more than the tips. 
As you doodle absently in the margin of your textbook, the café door slams open. Wakatoshi isn’t usually so flamboyant, but you’ve learned to control yourself when startled.You look at the clock pointedly, then at your boyfriend. 
“Toshi,” you whine, “you’re — oh. What happened to Tendou?”
The redheaded man hangs limply, upright only thanks to your boyfriend’s support.
“I — believe it or not — got shot!” In spite of his pale face, he’s scarily gleeful.
“Crazy,” you cheer weakly, coming to support him on his other side. “Why don’t you tell me more about it in the back.”
On noticing the injured redhead, the group hightail it out of the store — leaving behind their dirtied plates and mugs. 
“Have a good night!” You call after them.
Tendou rolls his head back. “Have a good night~!”
Over his head, you give your boyfriend a pointed look. He meets your look. While his eyes still smoulder, you can see the tiredness in his movements as well. You give a sigh. 
Biting the bullet, you decide not to chew out your boyfriend for letting his injured friend bleed allover you freshly swept store. Instead, you apply the same care to Tendou as you do when you do when treating your boyfriend.
“You’re better at this than Shirabu,” he says with a contented sigh, munching on the sugar cookie you had set aside for Wakatoshi.
You smile at the compliment. “Thanks, Tendou. Really, I’m still in school though.”
“Don’t diminish your talents,” Wakatoshi proclaims, pausing in his sweeping.
You give him a glare. Without a word, he continues. 
“Rest here for a bit, okay, Tendou? I just need to finish closing up the store and then we’ll figure out what to do after.”
Tendou’s already humming under his breath as you walk back to the front. Wakatoshi, apparently finished sweeping, is behind the counter taking out the trash. He stops when he sees you, coming to your side. Immediately you pout.
“I’m sorry for bringing Tendou.” When your pout doesn’t go away, he takes matters into his own hands and draws you carefully into his chest. “I know it was supposed to be just us, but—”
You sigh. “It’s okay, Toshi. I’m not mad.”
While you’re still encircled in his arms, he pulls away to peer at your face. “You aren’t? You look mad. And, you’re not saying anything. That is an indicator that you’re not okay—”
“I’m upset because that could’ve been you, Toshi. You’re still healing from your last injury. You’re in absolutely no shape to be getting in more fights!”
You smack him lightly on his chest but he quickly catches your wrist. You try again and he catches you, again. You glare at him. He stares at you. You wind back your leg. Before you get a chance to kick him, he wraps his arms around you and hoists you off the ground.
You gasp, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Put me down!”
Rather than listening to you, he hugs you tighter. 
“Babe!” 
Now, he’s walking.
“Toshi!”
When he releases you, the both of you fall into the worn pleather of the back corner couch. The fall is sudden enough to surprise you out of your anger. Still, encaged in his arms, you look up at your boyfriend moodily. 
“I’m sorry, baby,” he murmurs. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” 
The gentleness of his words relax you and all you can hear is his heartbeat. 
“I know it’s an occupational hazard, but I can’t help but worry about you.”
His hand moves from your waist to gently pat your hair. “Thank you for caring about me.”
You melt in his arms — there’s something beautiful his softness. 
“Toshi?” You murmur, squirming in his arms to look into his eyes. “You know I love you, right?” 
He gives you a gentle smile, leaning in to give you a soft peck on the lips. “I love you too, baby.” 
𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 : @akaashichigo​ @drainedjaz​ @haikkeiji​ @annalyn-annalyn​ @mlkytobio​ @sosugasweet​ @cali-writes-sometimes​  @simping4ratsumu​ @shishinoya​ @ushiwakaa​ @from-left-to-write​ @akaashit-baeji​  @kxgeyamasmilk​ @agaassi​ @hanibuni​ @cupofkenma​  @kawanisshi​ @milkandc00kiez​ @thiccbokuto​ @shinsukestan​ @sufiawrites​ @wakaitoshi​ @skyguy-peach​ @fern-writes-ig​ @briswriting​ @airybby​ @kawaiikraykray​ @bubbleteaa​ @miyuswriting​ @raevaioli​ @ouikarwa​ @hakueishirei​ @pineapplekween​ @estherwritess​ @keiji-n​ @achoohq​ @badlywritten-hq​ @mochibeaa​ @hanzwrites​ @chxrry-wxne​ (  cheese cult taglist  )
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justpottytime · 2 years
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I posted 809 times in 2021
13 posts created (2%)
796 posts reblogged (98%)
For every post I created, I reblogged 61.2 posts.
I added 29 tags in 2021
#not omo - 8 posts
#xd - 3 posts
#yes! - 3 posts
#omo on ice - 3 posts
#yeeeeeees! - 2 posts
#yep... - 2 posts
#so good!!!! - 2 posts
#awwwwww! - 2 posts
#...interesting... - 2 posts
#what is that accent though?! - 2 posts
Longest Tag: 131 characters
#especially when a character knows it's coming because they know they've been stressed lately and the knowledge only makes it worse!
My Top Posts in 2021
#5
💝 and 💛 for the ask game? (MrsLittleleaks)
💝 - both wetting and just made it have their place, I'm not quite sure which I like better - though I will say, just made it has to be because someone else was helping them make it!
💛 - weirdly enough this is something I so rarely think about! But I think I prefer weak bladders, there's just something cute about it!
Thank you for asking!!!!!
3 notes • Posted 2021-04-16 22:00:18 GMT
#4
💚 (from that ask meme) (weirdolydiaprower)
Oooooh, thank you!
OK, gonna be completely honest - my favourite character to write omo for is definitely my OC, because I'm completely weak for her. Favourite character to read about is a little more varied - my Yuri On Ice obsession refuses to die, so ANY character from that (please give me more omo of the secondary characters, there's so much good victuuri stuff but I need my faves...), and I also have quite a weakness for Miles Edgeworth from Phoenix Wright!
4 notes • Posted 2021-04-29 17:05:59 GMT
#3
Peeing outside for the ask game. (MrsLittleleaks)
Ahhhhhh, I love this one! A classic really, and so much to be done with it! The chill character who doesn't care and will just hose down the nearest tree with no shame, the desperate character who has to be persuaded to resort to such an embarrassing thing by a friend or partner, the painfully shy character who spends so long looking for somewhere completely hidden to go that they almost have an accident anyway - actually, why don't more people write that one? Get on it everyone! XD
ALSO the difficulty difference depending on which body parts said character has - being able to pull yourself out and just let go makes peeing outside a LOT more appealing than for the poor character who has to get their clothes out of the splash zone, find somewhere to squat, and hold themselves in this awkward and unnatural position the whole time... Would be a shame if someone's bladder locked up because their body knew they weren't supposed to pee in such a position (although you can actually work around that by having your character sit with their feet flat on the ground, knees spread apart and up - this is considerably easier than squatting *coughcough speaking from experience*) 😳
Aaaaaaanyway, enough rambling! TLDR: peeing outside is very good and full of fun opportunities!
12 notes • Posted 2021-04-13 19:56:06 GMT
#2
could you have a soft 'show me' in an omo context?
Hmmmm, ok, I think I could manage a few! Although credit to @dont-percncieve-me and the tags they left on another post I reblogged, a lot of these are inspired by their ideas! God, this is such a cute idea...
"Uh-oh, you're leaking? Show me, I'll make sure it isn't noticeable to the others"
"Hang on, show me- no wonder it hurts, your bladder is bulging out..."
"Show me how bad you had to go... Wow, that's quite a stream, I'm impressed!"
"That's it, show me how good it feels to get relief at last..."
And a bonus show me from the desperate person's point of view, because this one has been bouncing around in my head since I saw your ask this morning:
"I really have to go, but there's nowhere to- you have an idea? I... OK, show me. I... I trust you..."
Hope these were what you wanted! Thank you for the ask, this was super fun!!!
16 notes • Posted 2021-12-17 00:05:23 GMT
#1
Random omo prompt that decided to make itself known at work today:
So two characters, A and B - they can be anywhere from total strangers to somewhat friends - are both bladdershy. They both go into the bathroom at the same time, but upon realising the other has the same intention as them, they both go into stalls and figure they'll wait the other one out... But now A can't pee until B has left, and B can't pee until A has left, and neither of them know the other is struggling...
Bonus: C (who is extremely NOT shy) then enters the bathroom, goes into the empty stall between them, and has the loudest, most relieving piss of their life. A and B are SUFFERING...
Bonus bonus: A manages to pee quietly while the sound of C relieving themselves is loud enough to cover any noises they might make... But now B is stuck waiting while they have to listen to both A and C flush, wash their hands, and quite possibly waste time talking if they know each other before they'll leave B in privacy...
48 notes • Posted 2021-08-06 16:03:33 GMT
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belphegorbillickin · 3 years
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Tell me about it, Medi!!(Medi, was it?) I really like the thought of an antagonist, one that actually makes the storyline juicy by adding conflict. And can't we have a female character as a friend or something?.. Imagine mc having friends OTHER than the mains, I like that thought. Adds more detail and depth into the story.
But you're right about the personalities. It irritates me how they're literally just simping for mc now? Everyone has their own thoughts, but I'd prefer if they STILL had those demon instincts. They're WAY too soft for my liking. At least make them A BIT more demonic? Like Asmodeus. He doesn't only specialize in lust. The actual Asmodeus was responsible for breaking relationships, making people have selfish desires that led to their doom and those who succumbed to their lust became his prey. This actually happened with that one painting in obey me? The witch, Helene? And how asmo didn't even show A BIT of shame. But now he's back to "uwu I love myself and mc". Don't demons corrupt others though? My thoughts.
Maybe I'm thinking way too dark, but like, what if the demons actually kept a facade of loving you? Believe me I didn't trust Lucifer until lesson 18, or any of the brothers till 16, and I liked the feeling of dread when I used to be like, "Oh wait is he gonna do something to me now?" BECAUSE THEY ARE LITERAL DEMONS I DON'T TRUST DEMONS. It's disappointing. I guess now I gotta turn to fics that portray them as ACTUALLY being selfish like how a demon should be.
Yeah, don’t get me wrong I’d love to have a female character as a new datable option or friend, I just don’t have much faith in how they’ll write a female character into what’s pretty much an established romance. And yup, Medi is right.
Same, I loved the tension and hating Lucifer was so much fun. It's a shame I’m not really into Lucifer that way because he has the most character development out of all of them and stayed a bit more intact. Like even when he loves MC he’s still prideful. 
Meanwhile Satan is just a crazy cat lady with an occasional love of books/pranks and a rare reference to being “tamed.” He could’ve been so much more interesting, I loved their take on wrath and wanted to see more about demons vs fallen angels. It doesn’t help that I hate when they make “I can change you with my love” a reality, like at least get him to a therapist or something.
This might be controversial, but I think part of it is also due to Mammon’s success. From how things played out it seems like they expected Lucifer to be the most popular by far, but eventually they realized Mammon was pretty close and started focusing on him as well.
One thing that always bugged me about Mammon is that we never really face any consequences from it. Like Lucifer’s pride gets in the way or causes him to lash out, all of the brothers do, but Mammon’s sin never actually harms the player. I know half the people saying no one should ever be mad at him for stealing would be pissed if he regularly stole sentimental/rare/expensive belongings and never apologized or at gave them the money he made.
He never steals from them or screws them over, and even his early behavior gets ignored or brushed off as him being stupid. Because personally I have a hard time believing Mammon’s resentment from being forced into a pact and humiliated disappeared just like that. Sure occasionally MC gets punished, but the player doesn’t take any part of it and usually people that like Mammon want to do stuff like that anyway so it isn’t really his fault.
Anyway TLDR I think the fact that the softest and least dangerous demon with no real drawbacks or serious accidents being the most popular set the tone for the devs too. All of it started way before the attic arc too, he was a fan favorite from the beginning and I think he still would be even if he did attempt to get rid of MC tbh.
I could definitely see an argument for them pretending, especially since they fell “in love” so quickly and yet reacted to MC dying like they do to losing an object. I highly doubt they’d do that in a romance game though tbh, but tbh I always kinda pictured it as them being temporarily infatuated with MC instead of intending to be with them for the rest of MC’s life, at least until the whole attic arc and Lilith reveal.
I can see the appeal though, and imo Asmo already kind of does that. A lot of his “compliments” in the beginning have double meanings or hidden insults and his whole inspection thing after the labyrinth was looking for the source of power stronger than Solomon's in what’s supposed to be a pathetically weak mundane.
 He also indirectly tries to get you killed because you’re annoying him and actively threatens you if you say you don’t like him at all. If it weren’t that late in the game or it had routes I’m sure he actually would’ve tried.
The game would’ve been a million times better if they were routes tbh, actual routes and not the moneygrubbing keys mechanic, even if it was a common route until after the attic arc. Dark characters really shine when you can actually mess up and see their nasty side or what they’re like when truly and completely rejected. 
As it is now Mammon and Lucifer get all the attention even when you actively avoid them. Meanwhile Asmo stans get nothing even on his birthday. They could do a harem route too for all the people that want it, but it’s not like you can’t replay the game and go through all of them in a true otome. The wide as an ocean, but deep as a puddle thing isn’t working out imo. As much as I love them the side characters becoming datable didn’t help either.
They could’ve done some really interesting things with Diavolo and Barbatos too, having them as sinister and untrustworthy like they were in the beginning if not more while still having them be romancable. I love the hints of cultural/moral differences they give us and the many hints that Diavolo isn’t quite as “wholesome” as he acts even in the more recent things, but I doubt we’ll ever see that because it’ll alienate everyone who hates darker things and people who like darker things but not Diavolo.
I think that’s a small part of why it’s harder for me to write as well, because they’re all so much different now it’s harder to imagine them like I did before. There’s only so many times you can go back and read the beginning, although it’s always a bit of a shock how different they are. 
Even for fan content it’s hard to find the sweet spot between identical to the average sugary sweet human and super dark ooc t0rturep0rn imo. Like don’t get me wrong there’s still a lot of good stuff from way better authors than me, but there’s only so much and a lot them quit ages ago or are starting to now.
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queenofallwitches · 3 years
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Why I hate people who spend their adult life arguing online;
1. Well it’s juvenile , I personally prefer to leave any and all pseudo intellectual social discourse in my 6th grade debating class...
2. You aren’t anyone important and not saying novel things, you are using people who have put information that is novel and trying to spin it into your own agenda.
3. Waste of time, fools will be foolish, and if you enjoy the discourse, toastmasters or academic debating would be more productive uses of time
4. You lack self insight
5. You are self aware and doing it due to your own egotistical, sadistic, cunning desires. (Trolls, deep fakes)
Why I never take anyone who loves to argue on menial topics seriously: (spiritually or mentally)
I am high iq and high eq. I am also “attractive by the conventional measures of society” I deal with the most pathetic and malicious idiots who cannot understand a woman who has aesthetic appeal, that can also hold a stimulating and intelligent conversation.
I don’t argue. I problem solve. Arguing online was faded out when I was 14 years old.
But people who are almost 40, ar still out there pretending that they are the most unique and authoritative source of blogging bullshit. When the world media and journalism is where we are today. The academic literature speaks a plethora more than an adult in the hamster wheel, unable to see they are playing checkers in a left vs right, design by social engineering and the think tanks of Tavistock, you play the part they put you to be.
A dialectic of irrational and repetitive arguments is never productive.
It lacks a solution or a higher order of resolution, why are you behaving to destroy when you are claiming to want to create a world better?
So unconscious and unexplained lack of self awareness in adults who are obviously insecure and ignorant becomes old quick.
I comprehend why it’s important but the level of the argument is basic, and been recycled 1000000 times.
Why am I writing this? Free speech is not free. If you can discourse over the same shit and never find a solution you are part of the same fucking problem.
How I know?
Life experience. Learning.
Love of learning and living and devouring the higher level of what if, how can we, let’s move into a better solution.
I have many years of experience that is beyond the understanding of most people and I have gone through things nobody understands.
One time I was a young teen, but was already too smart, too sassy, too aware and that left my life a wreck after I went too far.
I DID get expelled in the 11th grade. I’m no idiot, I am actually genius, by measures of conventional iq.
So I was academically talented without effort, not to boast, because I hated being smart.
But I did get the internet social discourse I needed to say; on things that we should be all knowing are social engineering in a designed dichotomy to divide and conquer.
I was in a program in high school called cum laude. I cannot recall the meaning. But we were advanced academics, not only skilled at learning but sports, extra curricular things like musicals, choir, crusade survivor camps (duke of Edinburgh), debating, tutoring/mentoring younger students & more. I won many awards without trying. Mostly for geography (social science), design tech, visual art & creative writing. I was learning university level things in year 8. And examining and analysis to debate in scholarly discourse about topics that were familiar when I was in 1-2 year of my bachelor degree. An example is philosophy, as this was mandated in the GT program. Smart is my sense of knowing how to balance the logical and the emotional. This is ONE percent of my life but one I did not follow through on and as a result I walk this path now, and I put up with the educated and intelligent “idiots” (like conformity, bullying, bitching kids in the same class) and refuse to stoop to low iq, low eq and low level idiots.
You waste time. I am not saying I am only exclusive to educated or academic professionals, that is not what this is about. This is about me being underestimated and undermined and never taken seriously because I get the most inhuman torment if I do start to speak my truth.
Lucky I found comfort in solitary rebellion. So. Let’s see what I am that is always going to be a work in progress but what my enemies forget all the time.
To remind you:
I am a born, intuitive empath, psychic and ancestral lineages of many esoteric paths play into my natural ability. I used to hate feeling, knowing and perceiving things that I could see happening, in my dreams, visions and “gnosis” before they happened. I felt powerless.
But now I know how to harness it, things change.
And yet still I have to sit back and observe, as I did for years in school, and then in the fucking shithole employment situation that was my consequence of 2 expulsions from schools. (They value conformity over fucking intelligence) I had a gang of kids in my last high school sign a petition to have me expelled and that is one example of how people in my life come to attack, hate, misunderstand and spit venom for no reason.
I never push that energy myself. But I call things as I see them. I am real , and my perception is primed to pierce the veil on those who lack authenticity, who are bullies, cunning, cruel, conformists, deep fakes, fraudulent, following orders for the sake of fear, or just narcissistic or psychopathic “organic portals” who carry out the agenda for the black lodge.
I have no issue if these people want to live a life away from me and what I protect. But when my sphere is crossed into on a repeated basis, I will study the situation in silence. I won’t speak of what I see, without objective and subjective factors weighed in a careful, cautious but not closed minded, way. See you and I are probably not the same because I’m the kind of human who always gives people the benefit of the doubt and believes that people are better, that is my detriment and my strength. I see the good and hope that others carry a genuine heart and soul. But my experience shows me that I am not wrong when I feel off, or intuitive feelings are ignored due to my “dismissal”.
When I find the truth, I always say, I knew I needed to listen to my heart and head.
That’s why I can never be broken, or betrayed, or backstabbed worse than before. It is always a learning lesson I am open to growing from.
I am always open to being wrong, or told how to be better, my flaws are on open display and I am not scared of that. I want to be more helpful to grow and nourish the people and places I interact with.
In my world, arguing online was a dying medium by my 18th birthday. For many reasons. But the enemy is a sucker for this divide and conquer, drama bred social and political bullshit that’s all just opinion and speculation. It creates a negative tone and teaches nothing of novelty or wisdom. It just shows how weak, insecure, paranoid, and self obsessed people who are too old for the high school bullshit, by miles, are. my enemies could even spit out the first longing to follow the death cult of the black lodge, I was already aware of what 95 % of you found out in 2020. I don’t mean to be pretentious or pompous, I’m not. I’m actually the most passionate, loving and open minded human I know. But the people who come into my spaces to play to prey. Imposters and the immoral, A siphoning sickness in a role to ruin, how could anyone do that but someone who is a soul-devoid parasite? That’s real fucking discourse. Let’s talk about morality, moral principles and how they are applied and actualised into the metacogition of your own microcosm.
Suggestions and solutions?
How about discourse on the metaphysics of mystic, magick, the mind and the method to mend the mundane world into a manifestation where a symbiotic system of mutually beneficial prosperity, peace, collaboration, creation & harmony can be lived on a daily basis?
How about solutions and sitting with your own shadow in the darkness to see your flaws.
how they only give me a free pass to watch the shit show. when push comes to shove and patterns that are seen in your behaviour, cyclically, are the key that unlocks the truth of anyone’s hidden motivation.
Why is deception and destruction never noted by the deceived, unless someone like me comes to break the wall of ignorance to say “hey this is the truth and it hurts and looks vile but fucking wake up”. No I don’t like the ripple impact this has but at the same time I am aw woman of strength. I will stand up for the real, authentic and genuine truth and speak my mind.
I don’t sugar coat this bullshit.
Nor will I indulge it.
Let alone be a person who lets it seep it’s tendrils into my life and what I love.
Not ever. Never.
As someone wise once said “despair ends, tactics begin”
You cannot claim any authentic path without putting your soul, blood and spirit to the test of facing your demons, slaying the darkness. I am not sure that comes with what I and others see these action and behaviour presenting to be.
I rarely write things like this, and only want to address this because i walk on a path of “rose and thorn”. My thorn will eventually slay whatever is a threat, a charlatan or a sheep in wolves clothing. By accident. Because what you are lacking is always looking to attack, I am always having to protect and defend my life from the evil.
I see you. I know the hidden hand x64. I am always open to forgiving people if they are sincere but will play reflection of the adverse if passive people are coming to what to me, is a beautiful and amazing thing, and to be acting as agents of sabotage? Shame on your lack of soul, and it’s lack of seeking to steal, stain and shit all over the things of substance, spirituality and sincerity will always be seen when I am the seer seeing the undertones.
So where is the moral compass?
Find yourself, and then you can find something real that is yours to be into and love. Maybe even this. But to fuck with what is real, while being fake, and following orders, is by far, fence sitting and fraudulent, insidious & infantile activity. Why not spend time looking inside to see why you are following this order from who for what? What is your genuine purpose? Soul mission? Higher self ? Or are you all still stuck in the love is the law is the law love under the will of the guy who wrote a book last century.
Fucking even Crowley lived his great work, and he has flaws and did things many would dispute to be “evil”. But he didn’t copy another clone from 100 years prior, following the mantra that someone else made up. That’s the stupid thing, the whole “do what thou wilt” was not do what you want but that is not a strong point for the sheep of the worst. I know as I see both sides, and as a child in the 90s I saw the dark, evil and insidious. To see that again, here, 3 decades later, playing coy but really carrying rancid intent.. is my call to commune what many will never see, because you all are complicit, and tell these fucking lies and divert productive progress by your stupid discourse. These people LOVE senseless debating. Semantics. Solutions, self awareness or seek a soul inside the empty cavern that the black lodge will set inside your sadistic serpentine, slimy soul.
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