#sacrificing himself to an INCREDIBLY painful death

[x-gon-give-it]

Headcanon, theory, prediction, whatever you want to call it,

but I think the reason that the universe Miquel hijacked collapsed, and not Miles, despite them both being “anomalies” is because Miquel was trying to change someone else’s story, as opposed to Miles who inspires other people to change their own stories.

Like, Miquel tried to force himself into a universe that wasn’t his. He took the place of his counterpart and pretended to be him, he was playing a part that wasn’t meant for him, he was changing a story that wasn’t his. And the universe rejected that.

Whereas Miles inspires people to change their own stories. His universe didn’t collapse because that’s HIS universe. It’s HIS story to tell, and sure the plot changed along the way, but he’s still telling it.

The same with 42-Miles. His story was drastically changed because he wasn’t bitten by that spider, but his universe isn’t collapsing because he’s the one still telling the story. He’s still shaping his own future.

And like how Miles inspired Peter B to have Mayday at all. Without Miles, Peter wouldn’t have gone back to his and he wouldn’t have had Mayday. But his universe isn’t collapsing because that’s a decision PETER made. No one forced him to make up with MJ and have Mayday. But Miles gave him faith and inspired him to go back and give life another try. (Don’t even get me started how Peter would have literally DIED if not for Miles. He was going to stay in Miles dimension. He was fully ready to deteriorate. He literally would have died if not for Miles saying “NO BITCH YOU GOTTA GO HOME” much less inspiring him to have Mayday, I’m just saying I’m just saying.)

And the thing is I don’t think Miquel realizes that. He’s so caught up in his grief and anger that he’s completely consumed with following canon and my never disrupting ANYTHING. He doesn’t realize that that universe collapsed because he tried to change someone ELSES story. He tried to become someone else to live their story. He didn’t try to make his own and that’s not how it works.

Idk just thinking thots tonight, And ATSV is always at the top of my brain

[cemeterything]

i would love to hear more of your thoughts on michael shelley!!! 🌀🚪✨

you're in luck because i've sat on thoughts about him for years and i finally feel like i can articulate them. because michael shelley is such a well written case of tragic horror in the horror tragedy podcast. and, despite my criticisms of season 5, it really did do an excellent job in concluding his character arc with the gertrude backstory episode. in a podcast where a common in-universe theme is that knowledge, and the pursuit of knowledge, is dangerous, michael is a subversion in that his ignorance of the horrors of the world he lived in not only didn't save him, but was intentionally engineered to make him vulnerable to exploitation and harm (which, on a broader scope, emphasises the futility of the world of the magnus archives - regardless of whether you participate in or turn a blind eye to the systems at play, involved or uninvolved, you are not safe).

furthermore, i really appreciate the subversion of traditional tropes of the sacrifice as a typically female figure taken advantage of by a male father, brother, or lover, whose tragic and horrible death is used to motivate him (whether to greatness or self-destruction), with michael being a son sacrificed by his mother (or grandmother) figure, who never actually loved him and whose 'frail' and 'nurturing' qualities were weaponised incompetence used to gaslight and manipulate him - and who continues to operate successfully (at least in terms of what can be said to be 'success' in a world like the magnus archives) without being haunted by any apparent doubt about the decision she made, or any hesitation to use others in similar ways, following this betrayal. which makes the fact that he's sewn into the fabric of a being that represents lies in their most insidious form, used as a weapon to devour people and destroy their lives, all the more abhorrent in hindsight - he is forced to not only relive his trauma in an endless loop (or spiral, if you will), but to become the mechanism which enables it. michael is taken to the edge of something evil (at least from a human perspective), and pushed over the threshold with no hope of recourse. there's almost a reverse orphic quality to it - he descends into terrifying other world, one which exists side-by-side with but fundamentally seperate from his own, against his will, and looking back will only cause him pain as he's assaulted by memories of a life he will never be able to reach.

i think a lot of people forget to look past the surface with michael, despite there being an entire episode dedicated to doing so. which is understandable, he's a very outwardly expressive character - but this is intentional obfuscation to hide an incredibly damaged victim whose hatred of this part of himself is integral to his entire reason for being, and which the rejection of causes him to be unmade, incapable of existing as this contradictory nightmare any longer. it's a mercy killing, and yet it is violent and painful, because michael cannot and should not exist, and excising that graft used to muzzle the distortion is as agonising as latching it into place was in the first place. when michael-the-distortion says about michael shelley "he was born. he was pointless. and he should have died." there is an implicit longing there, a rage at the way he was used, his decisions made for him and used to imprison something else instead of ever being allowed to exercise any measure of free will. because michael shelley probably would have died for the archivist, given the opportunity, but he never got the choice.

[roodles03]

The First Kiss

Things have been rough for them for pretty much their whole lives, but especially recently.

For Willow, being trapped in the human realm separated from her fathers, not knowing if they're okay, having little to no hope of ever returning home, and knowing the Boiling Isles might be in ruin due to the Collector was a lot to deal with. Flapjack's death, Belos still being alive along with seeing the Isles in a apocalyptic state confirmed so many of her fears.

Boscha was the icing on the cake, sending her into a boderline panic attack/mental breakdown that nearly ended with her suffocating not only herself, but also her best friends.

Meanwhile, Hunter has lost his beloved palismen, Flapjack, after having his body controlled and getting possessed by his abuser, who he thought he was finally safe from. He had died after sacrificing himself to save his friends, and Flapjack is the only reason he's still alive to tell his story, but in order for Flapjack to save him, he had to give up his life essence to revive Hunter. Hunter now has to continue living on without Flapjack. He misses him every single day. He thinks about him all the time. He wishes he was still here every waking moment. But Flapjack is never coming back, and that is almost impossible to handle at times.

But what Willow and Hunter do have is each other. They love each other and want to get through things together. They can help each other heal and give each other comfort through their pain. And Willow wants to assure Hunter that no matter what, she'll be there.

Hunter feels the same way, and he assures he'll be there for her too. Half-a-witches like them always stick together.

The half-a-witch statement is what Willow needed to hear her whole life.

In that moment of love, without thinking, Willow cups Hunter's cheeks and pulls him in.

Hunter, meanwhile, has no idea what's about to happen until their lips meet. He's shocked at first before quickly embracing the kiss. His emotions overrun him almost instantly.

When Willow separates, she immediately realizes what she just did, and she freezes. Hunter feels like he has to say something, but his overwhelming emotions make that incredibly hard. He has no idea what to say. He's too shocked for anything comprehensable to leave his mouth, and even if he could formulate a sentence, just one word would make him burst into tears.

Willow can hardly scoundure up an sentence herself, but just saying one word causes Hunter to be overwhelmed with joy. He's never felt so loved before. It feels amazing. He starts happily sobbing as the two pull in for a hug.

(Wow, my inner fic writer came out, didn't it-)

Pretty much everything went right for this comic and I'm really happy with how it came out. It definitely took a very long time for me to finish this due to uni, but it was worth the time and effort.

[owlight]

my request:

Ace, Zoro and Kaku with a partner who is afraid of almost everything (like Usopp), but one day in a battle, the reader puts their fears aside for the first time and fights bravely to protect them.

Hope u have a good day ❤❤

Thank you for requesting,this is short so m sorry ,but I love this 💖💖💖 poured my heart out to cope

Tags: spoilers for Marineford ,saboday, Ennis lobby ,angst (idk why but..they ended up angst), character death,some comfort, GN!reader insert can be read by Anyone<3

Note:sorry for any bad Grammer or..plot wonky , last time I watched Any pre time skip arcs was years ago

Short Scenarios of coward s/o! Protecting Thier man(with Ace ,Zoro Kaku)

Ace

(Y/N) trembled with fear, As the battle raged on, Ace's life was in grave danger. The enemy aimed to strike him down at every chance possible ,you couldn't stand by any longer, watching Ace fight alone and everyone fighting to save him,you loved him dearly he was your lover,you couldn't..just not do anything Summoning every ounce of courage, (Y/N) took a deep breath and charged into the fray, wielding your weapon with newfound determination. "I won't let them harm you, Ace!" (Y/N) shouted, surprising even themselves with their boldness , able to grab ace out of slippery situation from few soldiers Ace's eyes widened in amazement as he witnessed (Y/N) facing their fears head-on, standing tall beside him. "You're incredible, (Y/N)!" he exclaimed, filled with admiration and love "I own you my life" he mummers to you as you both continue fighting in hope to find ace a way out of this battle without him begin harmed But as the battle intensified, (Y/N) found themselves in a perilous situation. They had drawn the enemy's attention away from Ace, but it came at a great cost ,she saw ace trying to reach for Luffy to protect him Akainu, usually you would have frozen in fear ,but today wasn't the day,it wasn't the day or the time for you to be a coward,you loved him,he saved you by always Begin in your side ,he never once called you a coward,even though you were a bloody coward in every way possible,you didn't think before you ran with all your might, pushing both Luffy and ace out the way,but putting yourself in the way instead to buy them time, even for a little bit "I'll protect you, no matter what," (Y/N) whispered with a smile, gazing at Ace one last time before collapsing to the ground, your life slowly fading away, Akainu standing before your corpse, a harden look of disgust over him Ace's heart broke, witnessing the sacrifice you made to protect him was the Tears streamed down his face as he grab you Luffy drag him and you away from Akainu fast using his devil fruit to drag you both from Infront of Akainu, as chaos continue,ace couldn't think straight,it was a blur as they escaped ,it was a blur as he witnessed how many people sacrificed themselves for him As he stand Infront of your grave next to white beard grave, he stand with a brand fresh letter on his arm ,the first letter of your name, In that moment, Ace vowed to carry (Y/N)'s legacy with him and honor your bravery. Your love would live on in his heart forever, as he continued to sail the seas along the one who survived the battle,never forgetting the one who had taught him the true meaning of courage and selflessness...and who taught him that his life was worth something,that he should fight to protect it to honor everyone who lost Thier lives saving him

Zoro

In mid of chaos and as the strawhats are trying to fleet the threat of the admiral and the people trying to hunt them down for what happened earlier,Kuma appears, threatening to end the Straw Hat Pirates' journey. Zoro stepped forward to protect the crew as always as he had assigned himself as the crew main line of defensive and to always try to keep them safe from danger,he was in absolute pain , injured and unable to stand but he kept going in hope to keep everyone safe till they can reach back the ship (Y/n) witnessed that and couldn't bear the thought of seeing him more hurt, Determined to keep Zoro safe, (Y/N) mustered the courage they never thought they had and bravely stood in front of Zoro,Zoro looked surprised but determined "What are you doing, (Y/N)? Get back!" he shouted, worried for their safety ,(Y/N) took a deep breath and replied, "I won't let you face this danger alone, Zoro. I may be afraid, but I can't bear to see you hurt, let's face him together,we need to get you to chopper to get help!" With resolve in your heart, (Y/N) faced Kuma alongside Zoro, who fought fiercely but remained mindful of (Y/N)'s safety Kuma, was unshaken but he was for sure bit stressed that the crew is not aware of the danger you are all in now, he decided to do what he should have done the moment everything broke loose,He unleashed his Devil Fruit power, pushing (Y/N) away to a destination of his choosing , somewhere safe and somewhere where you will be able to recover from this battle As (Y/N) disappeared before Zoro's eyes, Zoro believed that Kuma had killed you The pain of losing (Y/N) crushed him, and he vowed to avenge their sacrifice but he was not fast enough to save you or save the others ,Zoro was filled with grief and guilt, blaming himself for not being strong enough to protect (Y/N) and the crew, He was determined to get stronger during the two-year time skip, hoping to never let such a tragedy happen again,During those two years, Zoro trained tirelessly , He honed his skills, pushing himself to the limits and beyond. The memory of (Y/N) and the crew's sacrifice fueled his determination, and he swore to be ready for any challenge that lay ahead After the time skip, the Straw Hat Pirates finally reunited on Sabaody Archipelago. As Zoro stood before their beloved ship,the thousands Sunny, Zoro's heart raced with anticipation and a mix of emotions. He had longed to see (Y/N) again, to know if you had survived and grown stronger like him To his surprise and relief, there stood (Y/N), looking stronger and more confident than ever. You had managed to survive Kuma's attack and found themselves in a land that challenged them to grow, just as Zoro had done ,As their eyes met, both (Y/N) couldn't hold back the tears. You rushed toward Zoro embracing him tightly "it's so good to see you again " Zoro whispered as he pat your back ,(Y/N) smiled through tears, "I promised myself to be stronger, just like you, and find my way back to you,I will never be afraid again for as long I fight for you and the crew" Zoro nodded, knowing that (Y/N) had proven their bravery and determination, The two shared stories of their experiences during the time they were apart, and Zoro admired your newfound strength and resilience and With the crew finally reunited, they set sail once again, ready to take on the challenges of the New World, Zoro and (Y/N) will find themselves facing new challenges though now but at least now ,you can trust yourself to always be able to be brave for the one you love

Kaku

Kaku, a skilled member of the CP9, found himself deeply enamored by a fellow agent named (Y/N),(Y/N) was charming, kind-hearted, and possessed an exceptional talent for gathering intel. However,you had a crippling fear of nearly everything that perhaps made you a more gathering Intel kind of Agent,one day, you had to be sent to a mission that had a risk of a fight,you were anxious but Kaku assured you you will do just fine,beside he will be there to have your back in case something happened As you made your way way through the base alongside kaku, your fears began to intensify. Guards patrolled the corridors, and the tension in the air was palpable. Kaku's heart ached seeing (Y/N) struggling,but he vowed to keep you safe anyway,In a critical moment, a guard spotted them and raised the alarm. Panic surged through (Y/N), but instead of cowering, you stood your ground. "Kaku, I'll handle this! You get to the data room! You are faster than me!" You tell him as you stand your ground ,Kaku hesitated for a moment, torn between leaving (Y/N) and completing the mission. But he trusted (Y/N) and rushed forward, leaving them to confront the guards. (Y/N) mustered courage, trying to quell your fears as you rush forward to stop the guards and buying kaku more time Meanwhile Kaku reached the data room and extracted the information you born needed to gather, But in his heart was with (Y/N), worried and yet proud of your courage and doing his gathering quickly to go join you before you get overwhelmed, not realizing you were holding your own against the guards,With each strike, your confidence grew, and you realized you were capable of much more than you had believed ,Just when it seemed they might be overwhelmed, Kaku arrived, finishing off the last guard. He looked at (Y/N) with admiration, "You were amazing, (Y/N)! Your bravery saved us ,you were so cool my dear,you kicked ass!" (Y/N) blushed, still trembling but with a newfound sense of accomplishment, "I-I couldn't have done it without you too! Thank you for trusting me!" From that day forward, (Y/N) started to embrace Thier fears, acknowledging that it was okay to be afraid sometimes and With Kaku's unwavering support, they continued to grow stronger and braver with each mission you took, (Y/N) learned that courage isn't about being fearless but about facing those fears head-on to protect the ones they loved. And in Kaku, they found a love that empowered and inspired them to be the best versions of themselves – fearless in their love and in the face of adversity

[fridaypls]

AND I'M BACK WITH MORE ANGST AND PAIN.

Purely for the pain; a gif-dump analysis of Gale sacrificing himself to defeat the Absolute in Act 3.

The brave face. That soft smile of affection and sadness as he begins. That tiny nod of goodbye to all of you. The way he vanishes you all as quickly as he can. This is the moment he's been dreading, has been dragged towards relentlessly and it's here. All he can do is face it bravely, so he does.

---

2. The instant anguish and sadness when he's alone. Again. For the last and hardest time. The way he steels himself instantly to do what must be done, physically turning away from the spot you vanished in.

Putting what he could have had behind him to save the world.

To save you.

---

3. Facing the daunting task before him, literally looking up at the challenge ahead of him. For a man who craves companionship on a subatomic level, he's got to face the hardest action and greatest sacrifice he could ever make entirely alone.

---

4. The determined stride.

He knows what he's about to do and he's accepted it. Embraced it, even because he's had a long time to fear this outcome and he knows why he's doing it.

It's not for his goddess, not anymore. It hasn't been for some time.

---

5. A tiny moment of wishful regret and despair, the moment his hands touch what he has to climb and the cold reality of the situation really sinks in.

This is it.

So much beauty, so much wonder in the universe... and his part in that is about to be over.

Gale Dekarios the Ambitious, gone in one last blaze of unwitnessed glory.

---

6. The anguish. The memories. The dying flicker in his eyes of dreams that could have been.

A last goodbye to the happiness he found on the journey, with all of you.

With you.

---

7. Shoving all that hurt and broken hope down inside because he's got a job to do. One last task, one last mission. Knowing his reward is death.

---

8. And climbing anyway, just radiating defiance of self. Wanting to live, choosing to die. Weighing the sacrifice and making it willingly.

---

9. The little foot slip and determined way he keeps going. The sheer scale of what he's facing down, alone and afraid, but doing it anyway.

---

10. Standing up and looking around. Perhaps a little dazed by the height, I know I would be. I got sweaty palms just making the gif.

---

11. Getting his bearings and heading for his goal. No time to marvel at the genuinely incredible sight, only a relentless march towards the end.

---

---

12. AND HE'S STILL FUNNY. The dialogue happens while he's tiny on the screen, but can we acknowledge he's still objectively witty in the face of his own kamikaze death?

---

We're just gonna spend a little time here.

Look at mingled effort and anguish, that mixed relief and well there's no stopping now on his face. (GODS Y'ALL TALENTED LARIAN)

---

The sadness fading into cold resolution.

---

That last look at the point of the dagger as he brings it towards himself, every instinct fighting to do the exact opposite.

One last hard swallow. Raising the dagger in defiance. Turning his eyes upward, looking up at the target, at the goal. At the reason he's here, now.

He's an ant before a giant. But an ant that's going to win.

---

Winning - defeating the Absolute - at the cost of everything he's ever wanted. Everything that was so close, even that morning when he woke up.

This wasn't how he thought the day would end. Wasn't how he thought his life would end. This was not supposed to be the ending to his story.

There's sadness and hurt and mourning on his face as he steels himself and drives the dagger home. The scream of defiance shifting to one of pain and so much anguish.

---

Pain and anguish being driven off his face momentarily by defiance, mixed with anger this time.

Angry at the Absolute, angry at fate, angry that this is the end...

---

Sadness and pain ripping back control, the tears in his eyes as he squeezes them closed. A silent moment of mourning for everything that could have been, all the possible futures he'd dreamed of for himself winking out.

No more Gale Dekarios or Gale of Waterdeep. No more Tara in his lap, his beloved tower. No more bantering around the campfire while he makes dinner for the party. No more you.

---

The exhausted, despairing relief as the end starts to claim him, as the burning of the orb in his chest starts to spread. We know the orb glowing like this usually means he's in pain... between the dagger and the orb, he's got to be in agony.

But it's almost over.

He has nothing left to do now, all that's left is to wait for it all to be over. It's done. There are just seconds left to him, but the pain makes them feel like eternity.

Last thoughts, last memories. A last image of you flitting through, perhaps a sweet caress or a remembered parting goodbye.

and then...

it's all over

[mikami]

"Did Light love his family?" Anon - Catch-All Answer

Since these are six asks that are all about in the same vein, I am gonna just put the responses into one post for organization's sake.

Light begs his father to kill Mello because he wants his father's death to have been good for something. Nothing pains him more than the idea of having let this happen without it even accomplishing his goal.

Light is the physical manifestation of the lost cost fallacy: he needs to keep going because he sacrificed too much to stop and allow those sacrifices to be rendered meaningless.

And Light rationalizes. It's one of his most prominent character traits: instead of acknowledging his own emotions, he tries to filter his thoughts into nothing but emotionless pragmatism.

This is consistently portrayed through the 'hidden eyes' visual key - Light is excellent at lying to himself, in his own thoughts, which is why Obata gave us this clever way of seeing when this is happening even as Light's own internal monologue doesn't reflect it.

I have an incomplete list of these instances here, especially as pertaining to his family.

Ultimately, if we disagree that Light rationalizes his feelings rather than allowing himself to fully feel them, then none of my arguments are ever going to make sense to you and vice versa.

As a short addendum, here's Ohba's own words on this chapter (HTR13 p.80): "Even if there was acting involved in Light's tearful performance, I don't believe the tears are 100% an act." (も し月の涙に演技入っていたとしても、100%演技の涙では到底ないと思います。)

Soichiro already made the eye deal, which is an absolutely horrifying sacrifice to have made. Light wanted it to be as useful as it could possibly be, in order to justify the magnitude of the price.

I hate to say it, but you're really gonna have to take this one up with Ohba himself. On Page 65 of HTR13, he literally says that he picked Sayu as a kidnapping victim because Light loves his family and wouldn't kill her. (Unlike Misa, whom he would have just killed in this scenario rather than letting the plot progress.)

The panel you are thinking of is this one, where he is panicking, but you're not putting it into perspective.

In a previous chapter (62) Ide was about to inform the whole police force that Sayu Yagami was kidnapped. Soichiro was about to agree to this.

If Light had let this happen, he could have killed Sayu without narrowing down the suspect pool at all. They already know that Kira has ties to the police. He would have removed the leverage the mafia had held against them and gotten off entirely scott-free.

He does decidedly NOT do that. It's LIGHT personally who stops Ide from giving him the perfect alibi. EVEN RYUK CALLS OUT HOW ODD THAT WAS AS A MOVE.

And sure, Light says 'oh yeah, now nobody will suspect us!!' but nobody was really suspecting them to begin with.

This is what I mean - Light never allows himself to just feel things, he always rationalizes himself to justify his actions to himself.

His father dying. Dude.

.... literally why would he? Like, even if they don't accept Kira they also pose absolutely no threat to Kira.

I've covered all of this above, but I am including the ask to say that yes, I've seen it. The core issue here is that we disagree on Light's relationship to himself - you take his internal monologue at face value, while I think there is ample evidence that Light manipulates himself most of all. (As made completely manifest in the Yotsuba-Arc where he literally mindwipes himself into an incredibly emotionally and physically painful experience just to use himself as a pawn.)

[kagoutiss]

So I am having SO MANY thoughts about the twinrova and how they’re a couple centuries old and so would’ve lived through multiple rulers before “serving” ganondorf.

Like they raised him, what was their agenda? Did they have plans spanning multiple sovereigns to secure their power over the gerudo? Did they have the Omni man “what’s another century we’ll just raise the next one” kind of feelings towards him if he didn’t become their puppet or weapon?

So much thot not enough brain space this rot is taking over me

ooooooogh twinrova brainrot is strong in me too…..yeah because if they’re ~400 years old and OoT ganondorf was still just in his twenties at the time, and a male gerudo child is born every century, then presumably they could’ve been in the position of raising said children multiple times? i think i remember seeing a take somewhere that considered the idea of twinrova’s role in the gerudo being similar to that of impa serving as an attendant/mentor to zelda, and i think that’s a really cool idea. there’s probably also a lot of potential angst to be found in these little old witches who may have cared for previous gerudo princes, and would have had the incredible responsibility of keeping them safe in childhood, while also training them in witchcraft and war strategy, and advising them in their kingship as adults. because if that’s the case, they would’ve seen those princes live and die multiple times too

it kinda makes you wonder if their love for ganondorf is so obsessive in part because they know firsthand how painful it is to lose a child, to live long enough to outlive to your children multiple times. tbh, i feel like them using ganondorf as their proxy for everything, and trying to make him an all-powerful being at any cost, is more a product of their love for him, than it is a litmus test of whether they‘ll love him or not? and by this i don’t mean they’re like,,, a healthy family by any means, like you can still easily apply terms like abuse and trauma-bonding to parts of their dynamic, imo. i think kotake & koume love ganondorf genuinely, and always have, and that the sentiment is mutual. it’s just that they’re willing to go to very extreme lengths to protect/empower ganon in the ways they believe are necessary, because they are very aware of how important he is, to them and the gerudo as a whole. and ironically, a lot of the time, this desperation ends up being not at all conducive to his safety, or sanity, or happiness

like…raising him with expectations and standards that are completely unreasonable for any human being, that turn him into an ambition-driven nutjob who invents lightning magic & masters all types of weaponry & plays a pipe organ, while also having virtually no ability to form genuine relationships with people other than his mothers. or them trying to make him into an impervious, all-powerful being by trying to take divine power, which sometimes inadvertently turns the rational parts of his brain into soup and sets them on fire. or them trying to revive him after death in the downfall timeline by sacrificing themselves, inadvertently bringing him back wrong, and sentencing him to an existence he never would’ve originally wanted

idk. they’re really fun and also heartbreaking to think about. he engraves their names into his weapons, they willfully die just for the possibility of allowing him to live again. their familial relationship seems to be the most important bond in the lives of everyone involved in it, at the expense of any other kind of connections in their lives. he’s their figurative puppet in a few ways, and will break himself over and over if it means meeting their expectations, but i doubt any of them see it that way. everyone involved gets extremely hurt in one way or another, no matter what, often in an attempt to do the opposite, out of love and fear. little fucked up witch fambly……it’s so much

[initforthelolzz]

Luffy’s tendency to self-sacrifice and the way he responds to loss are both incredibly telling aspects of his character. They show his level of love and dedication to other people, but most importantly they show his selflessness. Now, selflessness isn't necessarily a bad thing, but due to the level of selflessness that Luffy displays, it reveals a major character flaw.

Now, I’m not criticizing Luffy’s character, but what I am doing is pointing out something that I’d categorize as a negative character trait. And one that I find particularly fascinating.

Luffy may seem like the typical shonen protagonist on the surface (flawless, stupid, and selfless to a tee). However, if you take a look past surface level then you will find that Luffy is an incredibly complex character. Because while he is incredibly stupid, he possesses a certain multidimensionality that sets him apart from other typical shonen protags.

In regards to that multidimensionality, I’ve noticed that Luffy measures his own self worth exclusively through other people. By his value in the eyes of others. How he can serve them and how much worth he holds in their lives.

Okay but... what the fuck does this mean.

First of all I’d like to discuss Luffy’s tendency to self-sacrifice. Have you ever stopped to notice that every single one of Luffy’s specialized gears has a negative side effect of some kind? Second Gear puts so much strain on his heart that it is said to shorten his lifespan the more often he uses it. Third Gear makes his body shrink. Fourth Gear exhausts his Haki so terribly that he becomes immobile for ten minutes. And I feel like Fifth Gear speaks for itself...

Clearly Luffy has no qualms about sacrificing his body, but why is that? The answer, at least in my interpretation, is that Luffy’s self-sacrifice has entirely to do with the value he places on himself. The catch is that he doesn’t place any value on his own life. Luffy has proven on multiple occasions that he is more than willing to throw his own life away for the sake of others.

We see this in Udon prison, when Luffy was actively poisoning himself to death to make a point, even though it’s difficult to notice how close he was to getting himself killed because Toei decided that if Luffy was dying he was going to look Hot while doing it

We see this again when Luffy climbed the mountain in Chopper’s Arc, destroying his fingers and risking freezing to death all to save Nami and Sanji.

We see this when Luffy fought Magellan in Impel Down, which was the closest Luffy came to killing himself for the cause.

Then again on Whole Cake Island when he tried to let Sanji kick him to death to prove a point. And when he tried to starve himself to death to prove a point. And when he tried to rip his own arms off–

And of course we can’t forget about Thriller Bark. The entire point of Zoro taking Luffy’s pain was to show just how far Luffy was hurting himself in order to protect the crew. There was an entire conversation between the Straw Hats about how unhealthy that behavior was, and how they needed to protect Luffy from himself by getting stronger.

These are all shining examples of Luffy taking selflessness just a little too far. And while placing high value on the lives of others isn’t a negative quality, doing so to this degree isn’t exactly healthy. I say that Luffy holds no value in his own life because he cares this much about other people. He cares more about other people than he does about himself, and is more than willing to die in the process of protecting/saving his loved ones.

I came to this conclusion by looking at the way Luffy handles loss.

And the simple answer is that... Luffy doesn't handle loss. (The entirety of Whole Cake Island was just Luffy outright refusing to lose another loved one)

And when he does... he doesn’t.

Which is exactly what I’m talking about. Whenever Luffy loses people that he deeply cares about he immediately flips his lid. Water Seven and Thriller Bark seemed like all fun and games after watching Luffy grieve the loss of his crew on Sabaody. Seeing him break down like that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to watch... You can feel just how much this loss has impacted Luffy, and it hurts.

Amazon Lily was largely comedic, which served as a well needed break in between Sabody and all the Horrors of the Summit War. Because of this, the delivery of Luffy’s behavior after the events on Sabody is easy to brush off as a gag joke... but you can’t deny the fact that he overdosed on poisonous mushrooms. And while, yes, Luffy is a fucking idiot, not moments beforehand he was digging through the forest and talking about how many species of mushrooms he knew and all the wacky side effects of eating them. So clearly Luffy knows his stuff, and I think it’s just a little too convenient that he “accidentally almost died of a drug overdose shortly after losing everyone he held dear” after Oda explicitly stated that he knew his shit when it came to eating plants in the woods.

And then, of course, we have Luffy’s breakdown after Ace’s death. Which was even more difficult to watch than Sabody had been.

Are we beginning to see a trend? Luffy will try his damndest not to lose the people he cares about, but it’s impossible to save everyone. On the rare chance that he does lose someone he cares about, he immediately has a suicidal breakdown and gets extremely violent towards himself.

I’m certain that we can all agree that trying to kill yourself as a result of grief is NOT a healthy coping mechanism. Luffy is a completely happy-go-lucky character, with a suspicious tendency to over-sacrifice, yes, but the moment he fails/loses his friends he has a psychotic break. Without other people around him, Luffy suddenly loses all sense of self worth. Because he is nothing without his nakama... right?

It’s so easy to miss this detail about Luffy’s character, and it’s because he’s so good at concealing his negative emotions. Luffy puts on a brave face for the people he cares about, and he doesn’t want people to see him as anything less than a ray of sunshine and a symbol of joy and freedom. His conversation with Jimbei after Marineford was about how he needed to bury his grief for Ace even though it was unhealthy, because Luffy needed to remain strong.

Clearly he’s taken this to heart, because he hasn’t talked about how Ace’s death has impacted him even once. Luffy refuses to show emotional weakness in front of his crew, he is doing all in his power to be strong and support them while asking for nothing in return. Even now Luffy can’t hear Ace’s name without tearing up.

Luffy puts on a strong facade, and it is what makes his self-sacrifice seem so heroic, and what makes it so easy to miss how unhealthy it is. Luffy always saves people at the expense of his own life. He takes his battles incredibly too far, always ending up horrifically injured and using abilities that are detrimental to his body and his health. But he always recovers so easily, so quickly, and it is easy for the viewer/reader to move past Luffy’s self-sacrifice because he moves past it easily.

But why is he so nonchalant about nearly killing himself in almost every battle he places himself in? Simple, it is because he is not afraid of dying. Because in his eyes, he has no worth as a person unless he gives his EVERYTHING to the people he cares about.

Hence, Luffy measures his self worth entirely through other people, and therefore will stop at nothing to protect and fight for others. Because otherwise he is nothing.

I like to think that he developed this mindset as a result of his early childhood. Dragon didn’t want him. Garp didn’t want him. Dadan didn’t want him. Ace didn’t want him. Luffy was only accepted and cared for by others once he proved his worth to Ace and Sabo. Remember? They only started caring about Luffy and accepted him into their group after he got beaten violently for hours to protect their treasure stash. An act of violent self-sacrifice. It earned Luffy two brothers, but it also instilled the idea of his worthlessness unless he serves other people.

Remember when Luffy asked Ace to promise him not to die? I like to read between the lines a little. (Don’t leave me behind, Ace.) (I’m nothing without you, Ace.)

Luffy is a clingy person. He cares so much about other people, and will go to incredible lengths to keep them close. He can be happy, but only with other people. Because he needs other people in order to value his own life. He doesn’t care about himself, he only cares about others.

That is a very unhealthy mindset in this context, and is a major character flaw because of the impact it has on Luffy’s mental health.

But it also shows an incredible duality.

Selflessness is a highly valued characteristic. But in Luffy’s case, he brings it to an extreme. What could be considered his greatest strength is also his greatest flaw.

Luffy is a very admirable character because of this, and I love him a totally normal amount

[in-danmei-hell-send-help]

I think what kills me about Jiang Cheng antis is that a lot of their talking points reek of anti survivor rhetoric. As someone who is a survivor and has done a lot of advocacy for victims and survivors of power based personal violence, I want to be the first to inform you that the narrative of the “pretty survivor” (which is steeped in cishet normative, white supremacist, and ableist ideas) is an extremely rare case. Trauma survivors are rarely pretty. The Wei Wuxian’s of the world are incredibly uncommon. 

Trauma--especially intense, horrific trauma like what Jiang Cheng went through--often leads to intense issues of anger and hatred. It makes you deeply emotional and can often lead to you becoming unstable. Jiang Cheng lost his entire family and community in the span of a few years. He didn’t have access to therapy (something that literally anyone would need to heal from that), he had to rebuild his entire sect, likely had to fight an uphill battle in order to be a significant part of Jin Ling’s life, all while cleaning up the mess that Wei Wuxian left behind.

This is not to hate on Wei Wuxian, he’s my third favorite character (after Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji) and I love him deeply, but he left behind a legacy that Jiang Cheng had to clean up. Whether or not he realized this would happen, Wei Wuxian created a cultivation path (gui dao/ghost cultivation) that is extremely dangerous and horrific. While I still don’t know if I believe that Jiang Cheng killed every demonic cultivator he came across, I don’t know that it was necessarily a bad thing that he did kill them. We’ve talked a lot in the cxc server about gui dao and demonic cultivation and just how much it harms the mind and body. Wei Wuxian is the exception to the rule in having such control over it and even he eventually succumbed to it. If demonic cultivators are causing great harm, then a cultivators job is to stop that harm and the source of it. That may mean killing the demonic cultivator. I think people get mixed up when (I think it was Jingyi) said that Jiang Cheng kills the wrong person. I believe it was @twilightarc-gm who said that “wrong” doesn’t imply innocent but rather the fact that the person isn’t Wei Wuxian. We know that Jiang Cheng spent thirteen years trying to find Wei Wuxian and when he does find him, he doesn’t kill him despite having literally every reason to.

Like idk y’all, if the guy that got my entire clan wiped out, my sect burned down, and caused the deaths of my sister and her husband died and came back from dead, I wouldn’t just threaten him with a dog and yell at him. I would kill him. But he doesn’t he has every opportunity to in multiple instances after confirming that it’s Wei Wuxian, but he never does. He seems more interested in dragging Wei Wuxian home (literally stating that he’s going to bring Wei Wuxian home to Lotus Pier to kneel before his parents’ graves). Like that doesn’t imply that he’s going to kill Wei Wuxian, but rather make him repent. 

I think it’s telling that despite a lot of Jiang Cheng’s hurt and pain, he still chooses to not severely hurt or kill Wei Wuxian, it would be within his right to do so, but in the end after it’s all over, he let’s Wei Wuxian go. He doesn’t tell Wei Wuxian that he sacrificed himself for him, because he knew that Wei Wuxian would feel guilty and obligated to him, just like Wei Wuxian knew Jiang Cheng would feel guilty and obligated. That to me shows a survivor choosing to break the cycle of hurt and pain and I have to question why Jiang Cheng antis so often choose to ignore the side of him that does love Wei Wuxian (it’s up to the viewer whether they see that love as romantic or platonic), enough so to let him go and not burden him with pain.

Jiang Cheng’s story and character arc is at it’s core about trauma, survival, and rising above dire circumstances despite the odds. He attempts the impossible and manages to succeed in it. And to ignore that is a disservice to his character, survivors of trauma, and the effort MXTX put into creating such a complex and interesting character.

[stealingyourbones]

Bruce isn't the best parent, but a chunk of the issue is that he's an only child. Should he stop Jason and Dick from throwing Damian back and forth like a human ball? Is Tim threatening to bite Cass an issue? Are those death threats serious or not? The poor man is an only child trying to run herd on at least a half dozen feral siblings. He exists in a state of constant confusion.

I.

This isn’t to be mean, but that is simply not the case.

I keep getting bad parent bruce takes and it sucks because all of them aren’t even proper reasoning for his character.

I’m just using you as an example, but hear me out.

Bruce is an extremely smart person, Homie has watched movies and read books, he can learn from situations around him that things are sibling things. Sure, he was excluded as a kid, but that isn’t nearly the main issue why he isn’t the best parent.

homie has so much shit wrong with him, he’s emotionally just not there, he keeps himself stuck in a perpetual state of grief and mourning for his parents of a thing that happened when he was a child, he has been trained by assassins and has experienced loss and pain to an insane extent, he has such an insane extent of paranoia and trust issues that it affects his daily life, is definitely autistic, and has issues with social cues.

I’m trying to properly articulate just why that’s not the case but my brain isn’t working with me so I’m handing this over to my twin @bonebrokebuddy who is far more articulate than me.

———

Hi, it's Billy, Bones's twin writing because Bones had a hard time putting this into words and I'm more of a canon nitpick than her.

Uh- have you ever. And I mean even once, met an only child.

I promise, if you read even a singular comic, you could tell this take is incredibly out of character.

Bruce isn’t a good parent. He’s also not a bad parent. He loves his kids. He literally could not stop them from pulling dumb shit if they tried and putting themselves into danger.

Bruce is the worlds greatest detective. He knows how to spot and detect emotions and trouble in his kids. He’s The Worlds Greatest Detective.

His issue with being a parent likely comes from having Alfred as a father figure. Imagine having a dad that you can fire at any time, you pay so they can stay with you, and can just leave at any moment if they don’t approve of the person they work for. That will severely fuck up a kid.

His issue isn’t that he’s an only child, it’s that it’s every Robin’s god given right to go against and defy Batman’s orders whenever possible because kids are viscous little buggers who don’t like being told “you can’t do that” even if it’s for their own health, they’ll do it anyway.

After you’ve taught your kids how to exist in deadly situations, they think they’re invincible when it’s because Bruce is doing all he fucking can to make sure his kids don’t get hurt. If they feel like they can make the world a better place, they’ll do it, regardless of the risk because they’re inherently self sacrificing and good people.

Bruce’s issue with parenting is due to his relationship with his kids. Again, it isn’t that he’s an only child, it’s that the kids he adopted are their own people and they are even more stubborn and bad at communication as him.

Even more so, it’s due to the dang narrative.

Conflict between Bruce and his kids that cause them to separate has been the backstory for plenty of solo batkid runs to endure Batman isn’t as involved or the main focus of the run.

Narrative tension is literally the cause of all the bad parent decisions for Bruce, because conflict drives narrative or miscommunications cause the story to lengthen and complicate itself

it’s not as easy as “Bruce is bad dad” because he’s Not. Bruce is good with kids! He has a pouch in his utility belt specifically with suckers for kids!

But Bruce isn't a great world star dad either. He definitely inherited his ability to communicate with people outside crisis situations largely from trainers around the world and his arms-length-distance-at-all-times distance relationship with the butler who raised him.

Despite him being good with kids, his kids have lives of their own with morals and opinions of their own that conflict and clash constantly. It’s not a simple case of “Bruce is a bad dad.”

It’s a case of “everyone has slightly different opinions and approaches to situations so occasionally conflict happens when they clash or interfere with each other” because it’s a comic that tells a story!

Anyways, my recommendation? Pick up a comic. And preferably? Read it. Or watch BTAS if it’s more accessible to you. either works. This opinion isn't your fault most likely, just the quality of the DC fan-content you've been consuming that are incredibly removed from the comics. If you want, DM me at @bonebrokebuddy and I can send you some good quality DC fics with in-character Bruce.

————

Bones here again,

That basically sums up the exact stuff I couldn’t properly describe. I was using you more as an example because I have dozens of bad parent bruce takes in my inbox and I am 90% sure that the cause of them is that they simply haven’t read anything about the character.

Read a comic, read some strictly DC fanfiction, watch some of the many many TV shows and animated movies, there are even motion comics free online to watch that have voice acting and everything!

Being an only child doesn’t make you a bad father.

[lackablazeical]

🖤🎏Gennosuke Miyamoto🎏🖤

Specific Trigger Warnings -

Death of a sibling, child neglect, guilt, toxic relationship, domestic abuse, physical torture

General info -

Gennosuke's birthday was January 4th. He is a Capricorn ♑️

Gennosuke's love language is Words of Affirmation.

Gennosuke is bisexual.

Personality traits -

Gennosuke is stoic, caring, romantic, self-sacrifical, sentimental, loyal, rebellious, and withdrawn.

Gennosuke rarely shows emotion, often appearing stone-faced, even bored. He doesn't talk about himself either, only ever jobs that need done or curt responses.

Gennosuke cares deeply for his family, wanting to protect them and let them be happy. He's also incredibly loyal to them.

Gennosuke is a hopeless romantic, always being thoughtful with gifts and his actions.

Gennosuke is self-sacrifical, willing to suffer for the good of the clan and the people around him.

Gennosuke is sentimental, often thinking more about the past then staying in the present.

Gennosuke is secretly rebellious, going against traditional clan rules wherever he can (such as ignoring naming conventions, marrying Tomoe, etc.)

Important details -

His beliefs -

Gennosuke's element is earth.

Gennosuke feels a strong connection to Lion Dogs.

Gennosuke prays at statues/idols of Lion dogs when they guard the entrance of buildings.

Gennosuke will sit on a stone mat instead of a woven one at clan meetings.

Gennosuke exclusively eats out of stone bowls/off stone plates.

His beliefs about Usagi's death -

Gennosuke believed Usagi was dead, and mourned heavily.

Usagi looked similar to Gennosuke's dead brother, so Gennosuke felt extra guilt as he felt he just let the cycle of death continue.

Gennosuke pulled away from the rest of his kids after Usagi's death, becoming even more absent as he threw himself into his work/duties.

How he became Chuunin -

Originally, Gennosuke had no intention of becoming Chuunin. He even stepped down to allow his brother to take the role instead.

When his brother died, Gennosuke was forced to take the role instead. He resents this.

Because of how sudden the change was, Gennosuke got his Chuunin tattoo in just about a week, when the tattoo often takes about 6 months. This causes him extreme pain.

His relationship with Tomoe -

Gennosuke was head over heels for Tomoe since the first time he saw her. It took a few summers before he worked up the courage to talk to her.

Even after multiple rejections, he stayed steadfast, eventually slowly making Tomoe warm up to him.

He wanted to run away with her, away from the strict rules of the clan and horrible biases, so they could get married and be happy.

Because Gennosuke had to take the title of Chuunin, this did not happen.

In present day, Gennosuke is still in love with Tomoe, but years of resentment and guilt make it... complicated.

Fun facts -

Gennosuke experiences intense chronic back pain.

Gennosuke enjoys enoki mushrooms.

Gennosuke's jacket was originally owned by his brother.

Gennosuke loves folk-tales.

Voice claim [Tony Leung] -

Tags that include Gennosuke -

#addams! Gennosuke, #addams! Tomoesuke, #addams! Miyamotos, #addams! Destiny Duo

[azrielgreen]

TOUCHED - Chapter Six Opener (be warned for heavy angst)

April 24th 1986

He’s marked for death.

Has it inside him.

He’s carrying it as far from the others as he can.

And it makes him heavy, like he’s got all the water of the world in the hollow of his bones; staggering beneath the weight, he has to wrap his arms around his middle and do everything he can to stay upright because once he goes down, he’s not getting back up again.

It’s dark and it’s late but the moon above is full, she’s rounded and bright and she alone shows him the way because it’s been a very long time since he came here.

The path is treacherous, every step causes pain and the death inside is slowly eating him from the inside out, determined to get free.

He won’t let it.

Eddie Munson is going to save the world.

Save everybody he loves.

He’s going to save Steve.

The incline looms and he wants to cry because it’s too steep, it’s massive and dangerous. On a good day, when he wasn’t riddled with death come calling, he’d scale it easily. He’s the Alpha, after all.

The strong one.

The protector.

But right now, the pain is such that it shortens his breath, lungs not daring to fully expand, skin tight, muscles locked. He can’t think straight, he can’t do anything but go where his instincts tell him, with only the moon and his natural sense of direction to guide him.

The first time he slips, he falls hard. Rolls all the way back down where he started and tears his fingertips trying to hold on. He can’t do it like this, he fucking can’t.

Oh god.

Eddie grits his teeth, blinks hot tears from his eyes and swallows the urge to scream as he slowly unwraps his arms from around his middle.

The fucking thing inside him leaps at the opportunity, clawing for freedom from the inside. Scratching and biting, Eddie fails to contain the symphony of his agony and screams as loud as he can, screams so hard he’d be hoarse for days if only he was going to live to see another sunrise, which he won’t.

There’s no way, either way.

He climbs as quickly as he can, legs trembling, muscles searing into his bones like they’re welded there. Every exertion feels like single use, final use. The last time he’ll climb, the last time he’ll jump, the last time he’ll land so hard he gets winded.

Experiences he took for granted.

Oh god, he took so much for granted.

The pain of landing from the small jump to level ground has him on his knees, nausea rolling through him as the thing claws and bites and tries to eat its way free.

Eddie wraps his arms around his middle again, eyes tight shut. The trees above are thick, incredibly dense and even though the moon is bright, so lovely and full tonight, there’s barely any of her light here in this place.

He looks up, blinks hard to see.

The lightning tree.

He’s here, he made it.

The place where all things come to die.

And Eddie doesn’t really know why he chose this place. He knows and he doesn’t. His Alpha knows it. The wild wolf inside him wants to be alone when they die, to spare their love the pain of simultaneous loss, to prevent their mate from taking this evil and sacrificing himself.

Eddie knows that’s exactly what Steve would do.

He’d take it, trap it and kill it by killing himself.

And there’s no fucking way he’s letting that happen.

Eddie crawls over the earth, one arm around his middle, feels like he’s being slowly cut in half. His heel presses into the ground; mulch, leaves and dirt. He thinks of Steve that night in the snow, how he’d buried his hand, unconsciously seeking the source.

Eddie sobs weakly, presses the heel of his palm there now and utters, ‘Look after him for me,’ to the mother.

The dead tree looms.

Even now he remembers the angry bumblebee sound that struck joy in his heart. So many years ago and he never saw another snake like that in Indiana.

The death almost has him.

It’s gnawing, ripping, devouring him to get out.

Free from the meat and bone cage.

Probably the dumbest fucking thing he ever did.

Maybe the bravest, too.

He reaches the tree, panting and gasping, spit running from his parted lips in a thick line. He’s juddering, not trembling and the agony now has surpassed his ability to process it. He remembers reading about animals in the jaws of a predator, how their body shut down, how their nervous system released dopamine so they wouldn’t be afraid. So they would accept it.

Eddie can accept death if it means saving his pack, his mate, his love.

He can be the fucking hero for once.

Back against the tree, he reaches into his jacket for what he stowed there hours before, what he stole from Nancy.

It’s a revolver, six bullets.

And it’s small, but it feels heavy.

Eddie tries not to think of how it’ll be for Steve to find him. For anyone to find him, but especially Steve and it will be Steve who finds him, he knows.

Cruellest of fucking ironies.

But he can’t let this loose.

And it’s still tied to him, to his life force.

Umbilical cord of grotesque violation, he’ll use it against the fucking thing. If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.

Eddie looks up at the sky.

The moon is so lovely.

It’s a Pink Moon, Chrissy had told them yesterday.

Steve is obsessed with the moon. It makes Eddie smile, even now, to think of all the nights they spent outside together, wrapped up warm, cuddling on the porch swing, just watching her.

Nights in the woods, following her light.

‘You watch over him for me,’ Eddie tells her, draws back the hammer on the gun. He hopes it’s quick, he hopes it doesn’t hurt. He hopes Steve forgives him one day. ‘Tell him I n-never loved anything the way I love him.’

There’s a thud, then a crash co-mingled with a punched out exhalation of voice and Eddie goes still, instincts flaring to life. The thing inside blinks, feeling around, daring to touch the bond it seeks to corrupt.

Eddie stares ahead. ‘No. No.’

Steve Harrington rubs his grazed hand on his knee, catches his breath and then looks at Eddie.

Suddenly the trees don’t seem so thick anymore, the moon’s brighter than ever and all the dark of the night cannot obscure the man Eddie loves in blinding, beautiful detail.

Steve is sweaty, he’s breathless and ruddy cheeked. Hair all fucked up, it’s got leaves and shit in it and he absolutely fell a few times, Eddie can just sense it.

With the vile thing inside gone still, contemplating, the bond is almost functioning normally again.

They can feel each other.

Sense, scent, taste, see, seek.

Nowhere on earth I wouldn’t find you.

Always and everywhere.

Eddie should have known.

‘No,’ he says again, doesn’t want to believe it.

Steve’s eyes flare bright gold. It’s the most gorgeous shade of warm, melted metal combined with the final moments of a summer day. Eddie never gets to see Steve’s colour the way he sees everyone else. The faint halo of empathic shade around each human and even some animals, but they do not scent and perceive one another the same way. As Steve cannot scent himself through Eddie (more’s the pity) so Eddie cannot see Steve’s light, though he already knows it would be that colour.

That colour he sees the barest flash of in their dark places, where the bond meets and he can melt into Steve.

‘You motherfucker,’ Steve hisses, voice trembling, hand over his heart. Eddie’s senses let him feel every inch of his failure to keep his mate away. Steve is too fast, too smart and they are too closely intertwined. ‘Give me that right now!’

Eddie shakes his head, swallows bile and puts the gun to his temple, finger on the trigger.

‘Get the fuck out of here, I’m not gonna warn you twice.’

‘Give it to me.’

‘Steve.’

‘Eddie, I’m not fucking around. Give me that gun, you’re out of your mind and you’re not thinking clearly, OK? Give me the gun. GIVE ME THE FUCKING GUN!’

Despite himself, Eddie flinches.

There is no command Steve could make to override his autonomy, bodily or otherwise, but it goes against the very grain of who he is to deny Steve anything.

He rasps, ‘No,’ with what little breath his body can spare. Even sitting is exhausting. The sly death inside grins wide, vicious. It senses the better vessel to emerge from.

The superior body.

‘Fine, walk me through it then,’ Steve says, would-be calm, approaching slowly. ‘You’re gonna kill yourself in front of me rather than let us help?’

Eddie’s vision is faltering. ‘M gonna save the world.’

‘Fuck the world. Put the gun down, I can help, you know I can.’

‘That’s why you can’t get near it, baby,’ Eddie wheezes, lungs tighter than ever. ‘You’re too powerful. It wants you. Wants…’ He screws his eyes tight shut, won’t think about it, won’t even let himself contemplate it. ‘Please go.’

Steve shakes his head and Eddie smells the salt, knows his boy is crying.

‘Where the fuck else would I go? You’re here, so I’m here. Give me the gun. Trust me, please.’

‘If it gets inside you, there’ll be no stopping it.’

‘I won’t let it in.’

‘You won’t even know it’s happening. Stay back,’ Eddie warns, going rigid with anticipation as the thing within grins and hungers. ‘Steve, stay back, I’m not kidding.’ Steve doesn’t listen though, he’s edging closer with every passing second. Eddie’s panic is like a livewire, it’s giving him strength in the moment at a cost he won’t be around to pay for later. ‘Stay back!’

It’s the Alpha baritone.

It’s sound from a place created for the sole purpose of control and it’s the first time Eddie has ever used it without Steve’s express consent.

The command strikes the air, strangles the bond and forces submission into the Omega, who stills instantly.

Steve’s mouth falls open, astonished at the betrayal. ‘You…’

‘I’m sorry,’ Eddie tells him, tries to swallow but his mouth is too thick, it’s all fucked up. ‘Baby, I’m so sorry, but you gotta stay back. Please. This thing wants you more than it wants me, it’ll get inside and eat you alive.’

Both of you.

Steve tries to move forward but he can’t, he can’t.

Like a glass wall has been erected between them, the Alpha did one last good deed, however much the loss of autonomy hurts their Omega.

Eddie’s wolf is bleeding to death, drowning in sorrow for all that they will miss. Mistake after mistake and now, here they are again.

The place where all things come to die.

‘Take it back,’ Steve utters, stricken.

‘I can’t.’ Eddie grunts, sobs thickly when his lungs contract hard enough that he thinks his insides are breaking. ‘You shouldn’t have come here, Little Fox.’

[crowncrown]

MORE GENLOSS BRAINROT LETS GOOO

!!!MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!!!

Generation loss’s ending is so incredible I can not STAND IT OH MY GOD I need to write out my thoughts before my brain explodes because I haven’t been able to think about anything else since.

The first episode was an absolute curveball to everyone who’s been keeping up with the spooky ranmail and everything and I’m not gonna lie I was a little nervous about what this show was really gonna be when I was watching it. But the thought process it took behind every detail to make something so goofy actually be horrifying once you understand the context of the next two episodes WAS BRILLIANT. Every piece of the puzzle just adds more and more to the storyline and it makes me want to dissect every detail of the vods for hours.

But I think the most bone chilling part of this-very intentionally I must add- is the final sequence. We witness every one of the characters sacrifice themselves for GL!Ranboo and GL!Slime isn’t any different spending his last breaths being killed by the wire creature (for lack of better words) to make sure Ranboo hits the finish line. But as soon as you feel any level of triumph you realize that Slime is just like Sneeg in the episode before sacrificing himself to ensure the show goes on.

Because it was never about the hero.

Ranboo isn’t special. He’s just another pawn in the game with the illusion of being the protagonist to make it more interesting for the desensitized viewers watching these people die over and over.

He was never meant to win.

And then that leads to us.

The audience.

Given the illusion of choice.

Do you publicly execute this man? Or do you let him live to be tortured the rest of his miserable existence until he is inevitably killed by Showfall for breaking the rules. If you spare him, is it a fate worse than death? We fight with this moral dilemma, trying to decide if it’s our decision whether people live or die.

But he’s a murderer! He killed people and showed no remorse! Showfall metaphorically whispers in our ear that he earned this fate for the terrible actions he committed. But was it him? Did he have any control over the actions he committed throughout the show or is he a victim?

He begins begging to be let go. To just escape from this snare he never asked to be trapped in the first place. The audience heavily leans towards letting him live because maybe being alive in this horrible show is better than the execution. But he knows that was never an option for him. He watches as a cartoony figure jokes about his demise and a audience poll decides his fate. And in that moment he realizes his choices were never his own.

So he gives up.

Begs to just be put down because being part of the cast means he will hurt more and more people the way he’s been hurt. That he will be the cause of more and more pain, and very likely more murderers.

And the audience decides death is the best route for him to take.

Maybe he died believing this is his fault. That the audience decided he should be dead for the horrific things he chose to do. But did he ever really choose?

His story was a tragedy before he could even pick up the pen.

And then there’s Showfall. Once again the ever present voice in our ear. Whispering that we are just the same as he is.

You just chose to murder a man. Is that not any different than him killing the innocent to progress in this game? Showfall now has the audience in the same grip as the man in the guillotine.

Your story as an audience is a tragedy long before you will ever pick up the pen.

[scarlet-streak-rambles]

Honestly, Gale and Astarion's Romance routes feel very Hozier-coded?

For Gale specifically, I'd put Sedated, Cherry Wine, Almost (Sweet Music), Wasteland, Baby!, Francesca, and Who We Are. There's that implicit understanding that Mystra broke him on some fundamental level that he feels like he'll never recover from and, even with that pain, he's still chasing her forgiveness and acceptance because that's where he found worth as a person. However, on top of the literal bomb in his chest, he finds himself with an illithid tadpole in his brain, completely abandoned by his goddess under a SECOND, much faster death sentence. Then he meets the player character who gives him a reason to try to live and love again (even in this horrible, fucked up situation) and find worth in himself beyond Mystra and her gifts. Initially, he feels like he has to treat the player like he would his past lover, specifically when it comes to their physical relationship, but the player can help him past that easily. The echo of that relationship is going to haunt him, probably for the rest of his life, but it isn't the only thing in his life, and he's choosing to love the player even in this hellish apocalypse he's found himself in.

Just a little rush, babe, to feel dizzy To derail the mind of me Just a little hush, babe; my veins are busy But my heart's in atrophy

Her fight and fury is fiery Oh but she loves Like sleep to the freezing Sweet and right and merciful I'm all but washed In the tide of her breathing And it's worth it, it's divine I have this some of the time

You and I burned out our steam Chasing someone else's dream How can somethin' be so much heavier But so much less than what it seems? Darling, we sacrificed We gave our time to somethin' undefined This phantom life sharpens like an image But it sharpens like a knife

I'll tell them put me back in it Darling, I would do it again, ah, ah If I could hold you for a minute Darling, I'd go through it again, ah, ah I would still be surprised I could find you, darling In any life If I could hold you for a minute Darling, I would do it again, ah, ah

The same kind of music haunts her bedroom I'm almost me again, she's almost you

And I love too That love soon might end And be known in it's aching But shown in the shaking Lately of my wasteland, baby Be still, my indelible friend You are unbreaking Though quaking Though crazy That's wasteland, baby

Astarion gets Take Me To Church, Jackie and Wilson, Someone New, Work Song, Nobody, Talk, First Time, All Things End, and First Light. He spends two hundred years feeling like an inhuman monster, twisted into a tool for Cazador only worth his body and honeyed words. Unlike Gale, Astarion sees the tadpole as a gift, saving him from the life of a slave that he never wants to return to. When he meets the player, he recognizes weakness and repeats that same pattern of securing safety with what Cazador taught him. In the end, the right path for the player to take with him is to teach him that he can be accepted and loved as the mess he sees himself as with worth beyond what Cazador broke him down to, and it's an incredible experience for him. They are the first person he truly cared for besides himself and he'd do anything to stay with them.

Every Sunday's getting more bleak A fresh poison each week "We were born sick", you heard them say it My church offers no absolutes She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom"

Onе bright mornin' goes so easy Darkness always finds you either way It creeps into the corners as the moment fades A voice your body jumps to callin' out your name But after this, I'm never gonna be the same And I am never going back again

Don't take this the wrong way You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you Only blue or black days Electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose

I won't deny I've got in my mind now (Hey, yeah) All the things I would do So I try to talk refined for fear that you find out (Hey, yeah) How I'm imaginin' you

A two-tonne weight around my chest feels like It just dropped a twenty-storey height If there was anyone to ever get through this life With their heart still intact, they didn't do it right

Remember once I told you about How before I heard it from your mouth My name would always hit my ears as such an awful sound? And the soul, if that's what you'd call it Uneasy ally of the body, it felt nameless as a river Undiscovered underground

She blows outta nowhere, roman candle of the wild Laughing away through my feeble disguise No other version of me I would rather be tonight. And, Lord, she found me just in time

Boys, when my baby found me I was three days on a drunken sin I woke with her walls around me Nothin' in her room but an empty crib And I was burnin' up a fever I didn't care much how long I lived But I swear I thought I dreamed her She never asked me once about the wrong I did When my time comes around Lay me gently in the cold dark earth No grave can hold my body down I'll crawl home to her

I'd be appalled if I saw you ever try to be a saint I wouldn't fall for someone I thought couldn't misbehave But I want you to know that I've had no love like your love

[deathbirby]

It’s literally so funny bc I would argue that empathy is one of THE dividing factors between El and Dimitri’s characterizations. Edelgard struggles to empathize with the people of the church and the Nabateans and sees sacrificing the lives of her citizens as worthy for achieving her goals. Like previously discussed she doesn’t seem bothered by using black beasts that were clearly once people to fuel the war effort, even though they were experimented on in ways just as brutal if not more so than she was. She single-mindedly pursues the church without putting thought into why Rhea may have done the things she did and whether she’s actually culpable for all of them. Her lack of empathy is what allows her to START the war, otherwise there’s no way any of the previous things could’ve happened.

Dimitri, on the other hand, goes into his nose dive spiral BECAUSE his sense of empathy is so strong. Even though Duscur was blamed for his family’s death, he refused to allow for Dedue to be killed. Much of his worldview is painted by his revulsion around undue suffering- because he knows war hurts the common people and can’t abide by that. It’s what makes him hesitate to act, which ironically is what a lot of edelstans criticize him for. Even his “monster” arc is a direct result of his empathetic nature, because only monsters would kill people. So he goes all-in on it, because that’s the only way he can rationalize being okay with taking other people’s lives. He wants to take all the responsibility for bloodshed onto himself because he doesn’t want anyone else to have to deal with the pain and burden of killing. Hell, a massive part of his route is that he LIVES AMONGST THE COMMONERS for years and sees just how much the war has harmed them.

Just. It’s incredible to me how people can play this game and miss the point of the text so hard just to justify the actions of their fictional fav. And to pre-empt anything: actually no, despite what I say here I don’t think Dimitri’s actions being a result of empathy excuses them. That would be ridiculous, he still kills people and that’s like, fucked up. But I think it’s worth saying since it’s yet another thing that people somehow don’t get and that’s a massive shame.

It’s incredible to me how people can play this game and miss the point of the text so hard just to justify the actions of their fictional fav.

You hit the nail on the head, anon. That's pretty much the issue when it comes to edelgard discourse. You got people who think she's not so great because of her many flaws, and then you have her stans who refuse to accept that their Ladle is flawed.

[wishing-stones]

Reapsss is a interesting character ye 🥺 dont imagine with reaps? Curious as to how u imagine he

Readmore for potentially upsetting content. (Tags)

Don't imagine how your heart sinks as you're walking home and see the flashing lights of an ambulance pulled off to the side of the road. There's a mangled car in the ditch-- a crumpled, twisted frame of steel-- you couldn't tell the original make or model if you tried. They have the road blocked off, but you can pass on the sidewalk, and step carefully along, only chancing a glance at the scene.

Don't imagine watching the gurney being loaded into the ambulance with a white sheet spread over it, or how the ambulance slowly pulls away without lights or sirens. Don't imagine how your stomach sinks, knowing that someone died here today.

But...

It that the literal Grim Reaper? Standing there with his scythe leaning on his shoulder and...

...Chewing on bubble gum and checking his phone?

Don't imagine how he looks up from the screen, somehow blowing a bubble and meets your gaze, a shiver jolting down your spine. Don't imagine how he... holds it for a second, and in the next he's gone.

Don't imagine the voice coming from behind you, causing you to leap sky-high while he laughs so hard he has to clutch his sides. Don't imagine how he finally introduces himself--in complete seriousness-- as Reaper, and how, if you can see him, you must have had a very close run-in with death.

Don't imagine how he observes you for a moment, his features softening, empty sockets relaxing, and a sympathetic smile as he explains that, while it was a tragic accident, he was there to make sure the person didn't suffer. They wouldn't have survived their injuries, so he only expedited the process to save them the pain. It's his job.

Don't imagine how he indicates the reason for the crash-- a small black and white cat sitting nearby a lamp post, a little puffed up, but still alive. Don't imagine how he gains a gentle seriousness as he explains that the human sacrificed themself for the life of the cat, and how that cat probably just used up one of its nine lives-- which is real, he confirms-- and might need someone to make sure it stays out of trouble.

And really don't imagine how he isn't afraid to get close to you, but is incredibly careful never to touch you or the cat as you scoop it into your arms and it starts purring immediately, or how he procures a collar for it that he deftly lets fall from his phalanges into your open palm.

Especially don't imagine how he stops by every now and again to visit both you and the cat, and how you warm up to him and his presence. Sometimes you even forget that you're friends with Death Himself.

And for all that's holy, do not imagine how he seeks you out after having to do a very difficult job, how he knows that he can come to you to be able to rest without judgment, how you'll understand that, while he does this every day, sometimes it's difficult to see a life cut short, and how you drape a blanket over his front, stuff oven mitts on his hands, and hug him for all that you're worth, because you aren't in contact with any of his bones, and how he only hesitates for a moment before he returns it and presses his cheek (through the blanket) to the top of your head and thanks you in a whisper.