#search breakdowns to follow when trial is over but:

[hazard-and-friends]

HAZARD TO SOCIETY NW1

[magiarec]

🆘🏠 WE NEED SAFE HOUSING.

We moved across Canada last year to escape severe medical abuse, but our living situation rapidly degraded. Our next door neighbour is a violent racist homophobe who has dedicated the last year of my life to harrassing us. More details will be under the cut. After months of searching we finally found a new apartment an hour away, and can have it any time in the next two weeks as long as we have the money. We do not have that much money. We can cover moving costs, the remainder of rent on our current place, and all our normal medical/etc bills. We've asked family for help and gotten a resounding "bootstraps" from them. Mutual aid is my only hope.

Our triad is LGBT (what, all at once? yes!), severely mentally ill, two of us are disabled, and one of us is latina. I'm currently still trapped waiting on a reply from immigration, legally can't work yet, and I don't feel safe doing sex work here when an arrest could mean deportation.

🌈 ♿ £0/2000

total cost: deposit (600), rent (1200), eating this month (200)

Here’s what we’ve been trying to get away from for a year. TW for racism, homophobia, slurs, child abuse, assault, graphic violent/sexual threats, sexual harrassment, fatphobia, the police having to get involved, and anything else that I can add if you need. I’m going to list these in the order they happened.

• Tried to break into our house during a four hour long extended breakdown. Hammered on the door til it dented. Threatened all of our lives multiple times. This went on until 2am. First police report.

• Spent a week hammering on our door or window and screaming “WAKE UP” at any time between 4-6am if she heard us using the kitchen the night before.

• Followed me up and down the road when I ran errands calling me a disgusting pig, the d slur, and a pedophile. Followed all of us down the road more than once screaming at us for being worthless [d slur]s while she was a mother.

• Told her children I was a pedophile, and that I might kidnap them one day. Loudly. In front of their friends. Described in graphic detail what she assumed I would do to them if I did.

• Waited on our doorstep for me and pulled out a fistful of my hair when I tried to push past her to get inside. I have not left the house alone since. Second police report.

• Multiple months of her waiting until after midnight to begin blasting religious sermons or the same fucking eminem song six times through our conjoining walls.

• Began weighing our fire escape grates down while screaming at us that she’d burn us alive to ready us for hell.

• Waited until I was home alone and then came up to the door and began calmly telling me that she’d, quote, “cut my clit off” before offering to bring her guy friends over to rape me straight.

• Taped naked photos of herself to our bedroom window.

• Brought a fucking ant infestation into the basement apartments we split and tried to punch me in the face when I told the inspector we’d been putting down traps and all of the bugs came from her side of the building.

• Chased my husband down the side of our house, spat on his face, and tried (almost succeeded before we both tackled it shut) to kick the door open. Third police report that they actually bothered to come out for, and the first one where the officer who arrived took the genuine threats and physical assault seriously.

It’s going on trial tomorrow. Our landlord has had months to evict her for the assults, or not paying rent, or the harrassment, or the way she keeps threatening to shoot his family and calling them the N word. He has told her instead that we’re “probably” moving out soon for the past year and she insists she’s staying until that point - a thing we found out this week when confronting him about her still being here. We also found out that his plan to rent us her bigger unit is contingent on us furnishing it and leaving it for two months when his family comes to stay for a wedding in August.

We also also found out that when the baliffs said they can’t evict her until he does [basic legal step that she could contest] [... that he could have done last year] he decided it wasn’t worth it. So he’s going to illegally evict her. By waiting u til she leaves next week, unlocking her unit, loading her belongings into a van, changing the locks, and installing a gate. His plan is to have her arrested for tresspassing when she tries to come back to her house.

This is insane. It is not legal, it’s deeply unethical even if I hate her ass, and there is no way in hell that she will not just blame us for it when it happens. My husband leaves for work at 4am. She knows this. I am dead fucking certain she will attack him or us before the week is out if we remain here. I am terrified and traumatized and need your help. Please, please help.

[kcyars19992]

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10 CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE SONGS

photograph by Lindsay Brice/Getty Images

Follow Rage Against the Machi… 

on Bandsintown 

text ELI ENIS

July 11, 2022 

Rage Against the Machine don't have a bad song to speak of. Throughout their four-album catalog — including 2000 covers record, Renegades — the band's winning formula of righteous, riff-slingin' rap-metal and bird-flippin' attitude aimed toward the powers that be hasn't yielded a single cut that truly feels underwhelming. Still, there're definitely several that don't get their deserved amount of time in the spotlight.

Beyond "Bulls on Parade" and "Killing in the Name," these are 10 incredible, catchy, hard-hitting, lyrically nourishing Rage anthemsthat feel criminally underrated within the general discourse about this iconic band.

"Fistful of Steel"

Rage Against the Machine's 1992 debut is their most universally beloved release, so there aren't too many songs on this front-to-back masterpiece that truly don't get their shine. "Fistful of Steel," however, is one that gets sometimes lost in the outstanding shuffle. It doesn't have a signature one-liner or an animalistic breakdown — just a great riff with plenty of meat on its bones and a groove that swings like a pickaxe hitting cold, hard dirt. 

"Township Rebellilon"

"Township Rebellion" is another overlooked deep cut from their self-titled album that's every bit as heavy and incisive as the celebrated bangers that precede it. Its instructive refrain — "Why stand on a silent platform?/Fight the war, fuck the norm" — is a salient retort to anyone who questions the band's productive feistiness. And that screamed climax is chilling. 

"Down Rodeo"

Rage's second album, 1996's Evil Empire, boasts one of their most iconic anthems, "Bulls on Parade," but overall, the record is less immediate and more cerebral than their debut, with instrumentation that's built to serve de la Rocha's increasingly dense rapping, and therefore features less of Morello's hard-rock riffing. It can get glossed over for that reason, which is unfair to a funky all-timer like "Down Rodeo," featuring what's perhaps de la Rocha's deepest-cutting lyric — "These people ain't seen a brown-skin man since their grandparents bought one." 

"Wind Below"

"Wind Below" is an even more criminally overlooked piece of gold from Evil Empire. Morello's ringing lick sounds like John Carpenter murder scene music, while Tim Commerford's bassline sounds aqueous, bubbly and melt-in-your-speakers sexy. Of course, de la Rocha is up there rapping presciently about trade deals that fucked over workers and calling out corporations like "ABC's new thrill rides of trials and lies." 

"No Shelter"

Beyond being a kickass song that sits nicely between the elastic funk of Evil Empire and the hair-whipping rock of the Ballad of Los Angeles, "No Shelter" might be the greatest protest maneuver the band have ever pulled off. It was written for the soundtrack of the 1998 Godzilla film, but rather than submitting a vapid banger to soundtrack reptilian carnage, the track is a vicious takedown of corporate cinema, decrying "the thin line between entertainment and war" and even going so far as to call out the film cutting the check — "Godzilla, pure mothafuckin' filler/To keep ya eyes off the real killer." Righteous.

"Born of a Broken Man" 

On 1999's the Battle of Los Angeles, Rage's third and final album of original material, they leaned into many of the more accessible hard-rock elements of their debut, penning stadium-ready rippers like "Guerilla Radio" and "Sleep Now in the Fire" that understandably became fan favorites. "Born of a Broken Man" should be, too. The way de la Rocha's whispery verses explode into full-throated yells when the main riff detonates is utterly thrilling, and the dynamics of this song overall are some of their most subtle and musically rewarding. 

"New Millenium Homes" 

With a front half as energetic and anthemic as the Battle of Los Angeles', it's no wonder that the album's more subdued side B gets overlooked in the grand scheme of their catalog. That's too bad, because a track like "New Millennium Homes" has the funky-ass riff, catchy-ass delivery, and incendiary lyrics — "Violence in all hands/Embrace it if need be" — to compete with the likes of "Testify" and "Know Your Enemy." 

"Ashes in the Fall"

The next song on Battle might be even better. The freaky delay on Morello's squeaky lick gives it a psychedelic, alien-like effect, and the drumming has a jazzy freeness to it that isn't common in Rage songs of this era. Morello goes full Hendrix as the song builds with a jittery unpredictability, and de la Rocha offers up hip-hop meta-ness with his repetition of, "This is the new sound/Just like the old sound." It's a bit experimental, and it pays off. 

"Street Fighting Man"

While Rage Against the Machine and the Rolling Stones certainly emanate similar levels of swagger and have a shared love of the blues, the former were always more interested in providing a soundtrack for property destruction than the sex-and-drug-filled parties of the latter. Therefore, it was the Stones' protest jam, "Street Fighting Man," that Rage gravitated to for Renegades. Of all the heavy transformations on the covers LP, the band are content to just boogie here, resulting in one of their most purely fun rippers.

"Darkness"

Before Rage Against the Machine reworked and re-recorded it for the soundtrack to Nineties goth touchstone The Crow, "Darkness" was known as "Darkness of Greed" and appeared on the L.A. political firebrands' 1991 demo tape. But even before that, it was played live in a rawer, more uptempo form by de la Rocha's O.C. hardcore-punk band Inside Out. While still characteristically scathing and seething, Rage's version features a uniquely mellow and jazzy verse instrumentation, making for a true standout.

Rage Against the Machine

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[xhusu]

Specific Fairy Tail hcs I had for years (and still do) that are based on absolutely nothing :')

Jellal's mom got him young, his father was way older

His tattoo is a cultural mark from his mother's side

Ended up in the ToH as a toddler, remembers nothing from his life before because of infantile amnesia (which isn't pathologic), same happened to Milliana, Sho and Kinana

Ultear never met her dad

She's ~4/5 years older than Jellal and adopted Meredy around 17yo when the girl was 5

Her bangs on Tenrou are short because she didn't want to look like her mother and cut them during a breakdown

Used to yell a lot at Meredy when she'd have tantrums as a kid because that's all she knew; calmed as the kid got older

Meredy was rather quiet around 10 because of that

She wasn't comfortable with Jellal at first but consider him family now

The magic council destruction (during ToH arc and when Ultear broke Jellal out of prison) involved casualties. People died.

Erik had two moms

He also wore a yellow coat as a kid

Sorano comes from an abusive household, a rich one too

Her silver key, caelum, comes from the ToH and Jellal is the one who gave it to her when Brain was searching for powerful kids

Sawyer had two little siblings, twins

Macbeth's mother died in childbirth, he had an older sister

Both Sorano and Macbeth were 16 during the nirvana arc. They also knew each other the longest as they shared a cell, they already were friends before Brain appeared

Richard and Wally's cubic faces are the consequence of a genetic disease; inherited from their mother

The ToH's monsters used to be slaves that the cultists transformed

The Trinity Raven comes from the ToH too

Just like Kinana, Owl used to look like a normal kid - the cultists did experiments to find ways to build the R-System faster

Erza and Simon arrived together at the age of 9. Order of arrival of the ToH gang: Rob > Jellal > Milliana > Sho > Erza & Simon > Wally

After the revolt, things were very different from what is told. The slaves were treated with respect and a lot of them worked willingly, agreeing with Jellal. The atmosphere was weird, almost familial but rather violent. Around the tower were built houses for everyone, and some even had the chance to start families. Nonetheless, manipulation was used a lot and I wouldn't say that it was a healthy environment at all. People were willing to join Heaven, meaning to die

The guards that Fairy Tail fought were the slaves that worked as, well, guards

Few slaves survived both the Etherion blast and its explosion; because they fled on boats. But a lot died (drowned or from the explosion). Out of hundreds, less than 100 survived. They testified in court during Jellal's trial along with Sho, Milliana and Wally

Jellal's sentence was a life sentence as the magic council believed killing him would be too simple, it also was a perfect sentence for someone who enslaved people

The magic council's carceral system doesn't respect human rights and prisoners are treated as lesser than humans. Since the magic council rule all over Ishgar, the prisoners lose their citizenship once they're imprisoned, whatever country they come from

The magic council also has a cemetery dedicated to the people sentenced to death, to avoid conflicts over where to bury someone considered a criminal and to make things easier, administratively, since the person isn't considered a citizen of any country anymore

Even after their pardon, Crime Sorcière encounters problems with the magic council. Their bad reputation follows and its workers don't appreciate them. Life also isn't easy as they aren't used to having a normal life, following social norms, etc. And some people still resent them

[chinedu2002]

The Full Crunchyroll Breakdown

When it comes to anime streaming services, Crunchyroll stands head and shoulders above the competition, providing avid fans with access to the latest releases and beloved classics. Originally established in 2006 as an illicit anime site, Crunchyroll has since transformed into a dominant force within the genre as a result of a series of strategic deals, partnerships and mergers. Following its official merger with the industry giant Funimation in 2022, the platform has become a global destination, delivering viewers in over 200 countries a remarkable collection of more than 40,000 episodes. With an impressive user base of 100 million registered individuals, Crunchyroll continues to captivate anime enthusiasts worldwide.

Upon my initial use of Crunchyroll, I found the app’s navigation and UI to be exceptionally reliable and smooth. The search engine is intuitive and simple to use, which is essential given the vast array of content available. Plus, the platform operates seamlessly as it barely ever glitches. One of the app’s biggest features is its well-curated content. This is because movies and TV shows are perfectly curated by genre, which makes browsing satisfying and straightforward, while also facilitating the discovery of new shows. Additionally, Crunchyroll offers HD options in 720p and 1080p, with automated streaming at the best quality appropriate for your device. The picture quality is excellent, and the anime looks fantastic even in standard HD.

Crunchyroll stands out as one of the top streaming services, thanks to its 7-day trial option. This allows users to test out the app without any financial commitment. Once the trial period ends, users can make an informed decision about whether or not to continue using Crunchyroll. Additionally, Crunchyroll’s price subscriptions provide more than simply basic streaming services. The fan subscription, which is the cheapest, is priced at $7.99 per month. This plan provides so much like ad-free, unrestricted access to the Crunchyroll collection, new episodes immediately following their Japanese launches, and digital manga. While giving over 1,000 series available, Crunchyroll caters to both seasoned anime enthusiasts and newcomers, making it an excellent choice for any TV watcher. One standout feature of Crunchyroll is its broadcasting of new anime episodes on the same day as their Japanese broadcast, which allows viewers to stay up-to-date without the fear of spoilers.

Crunchyroll, despite its merits, does fall short in terms of providing a complete collection of classic anime that viewers often seek. Popular titles such as Death Note, Sailor Moon and Bleach are notably absent from its library. Just to name a few. Another limitation is that it’s purely an anime streaming platform , so it doesn’t have the diversity of a streaming platform like Netflix, which has regular TV shows, movies and anime.

The experience and the amount of features you get for the price, makes crunchyroll an absolutely bargain. It’s by far and away the best anime streaming service and it’s not even close due to it beating its competitors in pretty much every category. Furthermore, it is one of the best streaming platforms available, competing in every way with the juggernauts like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

Overall, despite being predominantly an anime streaming platform, Crunchyroll stands out as one of the top choices for streaming. This is due to its extensive range of diverse programming, a vast catalogue and a wide range of genres, all delivered at an unbelievably low price. Making it undoubtedly one of the most meticulously crafted platforms available. So, if you are already an anime enthusiast, there is no need for us to convince you further. However, if you have yet to experience the world of anime, we highly recommend giving Crunchyroll a try because it caters to a wide spectrum of interests.

[rana356]

Tugo TV review: 100+ HDTV Channels For $29.99/month

Best Iptv Service Provider 2024 With 40k+ Channels And 100k+ VOD . 24/7 Suppport . Paypal Supported

An Evaluation of Tugo TV: 100+ HDTV Channels for $29.99/Month

Best Iptv Service Provider 2024 With 40k+ Channels And 150k+ VOD . Hurry Up

This in-depth IPTV breakdown highlights Tugo TV which offers 100+ live channels, VOD, a single connection, and more at $29.99 a month. Tugo TV is a streaming solution that allows users access to 100+ HDTV channels with a variety of live TV content, including news, sports, entertainment, family, and religious channels.

Recommended IPTV Service Providers

IPTVGREAT – Rating 4.8/5 ( 600+ Reviews )

IPTVRESALE – Rating 5/5 ( 200+ Reviews )

IPTVGANG – Rating 4.7/5 ( 1200+ Reviews )

IPTVUNLOCK – Rating 5/5 ( 65 Reviews )

IPTVFOLLOW -Rating 5/5 ( 48 Reviews )

IPTVTOPS – Rating 5/5 ( 43 Reviews )

It can be viewed across a variety of devices including your cell phone, tablet, and television. A single subscription allows streaming on three devices simultaneously. A three-day risk-free trial is also offered. Additionally, 168 hours of catch-up streaming is available. It charges $29.99 for both its annual and monthly plans. Let’s delve further into this IPTV service provider.

What Constitutes Tugo TV?

Tugo TV is a streaming solution that delivers users access to over 100 HDTV channels with live TV programming, including news, sports, culture, family, and religious content. Tugo TV can be viewed across many devices, including phones, tablets, computers, televisions, and set-top boxes.

Advantages of Tugo TV

Tugo Media offers you the unique opportunity to launch your own live TV channel on Tugo TV using our all-in-one cloud solution.

Tugo Media equips channel owners with all the necessary tools to flourish, enabling broadcasters to focus on content creation, broadcast scheduling, and generating revenue via online advertisements, while growing their brands.

Tugo TV Pricing Structure

Following a three-day free trial, Tugo TV costs $29.99/month.

Without a trial, Tugo TV’s annual subscription is $299.99/year. 

Is a VPN Essential for Tugo TV?

Using a VPN is crucial when watching content via an IPTV Service Provider. Unanticipated streaming of copyrighted content could lead to legal problems. Therefore, utilizing a VPN prevents anyone from tracking your IP address. Besides, Tugo TV will assist you in bypassing any location-based content. For enhanced security, consider using VPNs like IPVanish and PureVPN.

Steps to Subscribe to Tugo TV

(1) Go to Tugo TV’s official website (https://tugotv.com/).

(2) Then select the subscription plan you prefer.

(3) Click on either the Select Plan button or Start your 3-day free trial.

(4) On the next page, fill in the required information.

(5) Proceed to make the payment to get your IPTV service provider subscription.

(6) The username and password will be sent to you via email.

Channel List on Tugo TV

With a Tugo TV subscription, you receive access to these channels:

TBN

NBC

ABC

Food Network

Animal Planet

Bloomberg

Trvl Channel

Daystar

How To Install Tugo TV On Your Android Device?

(1) Open the Play Store app on your Android device (phone, tablet, or TV).

(2) Search for Tugo TV and click on Install in the app description page of the Play Store.

(3) Click Open to launch the app once it’s installed.

(4) Enter your login credentials on the app’s welcome screen.

(5) After logging in, allow some time for the content to load.

(6) And that’s all. You can now stream and enjoy Tugo TV on your Android device.

How To Stream Tugo TV On Firestick?

(1) On your Amazon Fire Stick device, hit the home button.

(2) Navigate to Find > Search.

(3) Type ES File Explorer on the search screen.

(4) Select the app from the search results.

(5) Click on Download to get the app on your streaming device.

(6) Return to the home screen and click on the Settings option.

(7) Go to My Fire TV > Developer Options, then highlight Install Unknown Apps.

(8) Activate the ES File Explorer app and launch it on your Firestick.

(9) Click on the Tools button.

(10) Click on the Downloader option.

(11) Hit the New (+) button.

(12) Input the APK URL of Tugo TV in the Path field and choose a Name.

(13) Click Download Now and once the app is downloaded, install it on your device.

(14) Launch the app and sign in with your username and password.

Procedure to Chromecast Tugo TV On a Smart TV

If your smart TV supports Google or if it’s connected with Chromecast, you can cast Tugo TV from your phone to your TV.

(1) Set up your mobile phone and your Chromecast device to connect to the same WiFi network.

(2) Launch the IPTV Provider app on your Android or iOS device.

(3) Log into your account.

(4) Start a video and click on the Cast icon in the top-right corner of your screen.

(5) From the list of available devices, select your Chromecast device’s name.

(6) Finally, the video you selected will be cast onto your TV.

For additional information, Click Here.

[bishopclimate]

Step into the Supernatural: Super Sunday Service Revealing the Mystery of Living a Purposeful Life

  LIVING A MYSTERIOUS LIFE! Child of God, did you know that it is our purpose to live a life of mystery? As we see When Samuel the prophet was looking for God’s next king to reign, a king after God’s own Heart, he searched for a hidden one. The one who was busy with his Fathers business. 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives. 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” 1 Samuel 16:11-12 Some of us may have had the feeling that we are the chosen of God and some of us may think you cannot be the one chosen because all your life you didn’t feel good enough, or you’ve been rejected throughout our life or just had too many unfortunate circumstances happen. But that is the mystery. The cornerstone that the builder rejected ended up being the chief cornerstone. It is the same for us Child of God, that through our trials and tests we begin to understand that there is a purpose for the testing. In our tests is where we truly build our identity and true nature of Christ as we walk with the Holy Spirit. Child of God, now is your time to look deep within yourself and seek the Lord’s face for who you are to serve. It is in serving in humility within your Fathers house that the Lord will begin to exalt you. As we read in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Satan always strives to put a wall of separation between us and Our Heavenly Father but we must remember that we are coming up against these forces because there is something that is being hidden from us, and that is the life that we are purposed to live. We are the chosen people of the Most High. I invite you to attend our Super Sunday service with us to learn more about this mystery in living a life in Christ and the great breakthroughs that are awaiting all who follow these principles. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, To be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Ephesians 1:9,10) Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. Come and expect a fresh infilling of the power of God to take you to the next level of your life. COME EXPECTING SOMETHING GREAT TO HAPPEN! Here is a breakdown of tomorrow’s Super Sunday Services: 09:00AM - P.U.S.H Prayer -  Join us as we Pray Until Something Happens. You can bring your documents as a point of contact  10:30AM - Prophetic Hour - This is your opportunity to see the Man of God for a quick Prophetic word over your life. 11:30AM - Family Word Service - A time for Praise, Worship and a powerful word from the Man of God. 3:30PM - Prophetic Service - Receive prophetic instructions from Heaven from God's General, Bishop Climate Wiseman. PLEASE REMEMBER, in the time of your greatest breakthrough the enemy will try to deceive you in order to stop your breakthrough from coming to pass. Do not let doubt set in, press in and you will truly see the power of God move in your life! See you there,  MEGA TKC Miracles House, 93 Camberwell Station  Road Se5 9JJ  Tel: +44 207 738 3668/3476   Always Praying For You  Prophet Climate Read the full article

[ruby-whistler]

the difference between static and dynamic characters on the dream smp

Hi, hello, it's Ruby, back with another PSA because this fandom (specifically the people on Twitter) keeps getting worse.

/dsmp /rp

Recently, people started claiming c!Techno was boring because he never had any character development.

Now, this may come as a surprise to some of you, but if you in any capacity decide to study the ins and outs of creative writing, you'd learn that characters don't need to have character development to be compelling, loved by the audience, and have a complex personality.

This is what is called a static character. Not to be confused with flat characters. What's the difference?

Most articles seem to agree on this;

"Static characters should not be confused or mixed up with flat, one-dimensional characters. Though neither changes as the story progresses, if a character remains unchanged, it does not mean that he is one-dimensional like a flat character. A static character can be perfectly interesting, like Sherlock Holmes, who is completely ingenious, eccentric, and sometimes jerky. He never changes, but the audience still loves him. Thus, a static character could be the protagonist too, and a flat character, on the other hand, only plays a side role in the story." - ( link to definition )

Static characters are ones that don't experience any personal growth during the span of the story. They're often used in writing, because they're realistic and can be interesting if well-written. This article provides examples such as the aforementioned Sherlock Holmes, Captain America from The Avengers, and TommyInnit from the Drea- [gunshots]

But in all seriousness, c!Tommy is very easily a static character; a lot of the criticism of his character is about the fact that he doesn't change. He does gain experience and new relationships, he does suffer and becomes more and more traumatized, he does make choices out of impulse or emotion, but none of that is character development - he never overcomes his character flaws, including selfishness, stubbornness, and a lack of compassion or empathy for others. And I do not blame him for it as a person, and I do not consider him a badly-written character, even if he's a little frustrating to watch sometimes.

c!Tommy has two main reasons why he remains a static character.

a) he doesn't live in a constructive environment

It is normal for boys Tommy's age to be low on empathy. It's completely normal for them to be chaotic, immature pricks, because that is part of their growth. All of this would be just fine if c!Tommy was growing up in a highschool; however, he in actuality grew up on a land ruled by politics, wars and conflict.

I do not like using the age excuse, because I do not believe it makes his bad choices any more justified, but it's easy to realize why him being in such a position could stunt his personal growth.

At that age, you need guidance, whether it be from teachers, parents, or whatever other figures you're able to find around you. Usually, it is not difficult to find good people to look up to in today's world, but for c!Tommy, that isn't true.

In the pre-L'Manberg, post-Tommy era, there was moderate peace. Yes, there were conflicts, but none of them were damaging in the long term for anyone involved, and they were chaotic scuffles more than fights of ideals.

Once c!Wilbur came along, c!Tommy latched onto him. We all know how that went.

None of the adults Tommy had looked up to were in any capacity helpful to him growing or becoming a better person. He helped lead a revolution to help Wilbur gain power, he was lead to help Wilbur lead and unfair election, and witnessed the breakdown of the man he trusted shortly after. He was subjected to emotional manipulation by Dream, and then came to the wrong person for help. None of these things are reasons for positive change.

b) it's his major character flaw

Even in the few chances he had at genuine change, at forgiveness, at letting go, all provided by the environment or people around him, he didn't take them. Tommy doesn't like change, he fights it, and that is why he always loses. He doesn't want to change for the better, and he despises himself when he changes for the worse.

He looks for peace in a lack of activity, growth, or development. He searches for happiness in not letting go of the past, but hanging onto it for dear life, terrified that the people around him might change because he doesn't want to. And that is why, as long as he keeps this mindset, he'll never find it.

While other characters, such as Tubbo, Dream, Wilbur or Quackity seek to change the world around them, for the better or the worse, to rewind or to progress, and are willing to change themselves accordingly, Tommy does the opposite, because his biggest fear is people drifting apart and leaving him behind.

Let's get back to the point, then; what makes Technoblade a static character, and a good one at that?

His motivation is simple; he is a lawful character who sticks to his morals through thick and thin, follows a strict inner code, and is loyal to people above all.

On top of that, he is given no reason to change his morals.

No one's arguments against c!Techno have ever made much sense, let's be honest, and ever since he'd entered the server, Techno's been proven right over and over and over again.

He saw Wilbur face the consequences of having power over other people and then losing it, seeing the influence of corruption on the man he worked with. He was forced by the government to kill another person, to kill an ally, to kill an innocent. He was betrayed and used by the Pogtopian revolution, which knowingly kept things from Techno and fought to seize power, rather than destroy it. He was unfairly executed without a trial by corrupt politicians just absolutely demolishing the Geneva convention, holy crap people call Techno a war criminal, just in that one stream New L'Manberg commited so many war crimes-

Point stands that people say one thing and then do the other. Talk of freedom and then force people to do things (and no, forcing people not to force other people to do things doesn't count nor does it make Techno a hypocrite, get a better argument). Techno was never manipulated or swayed to someone's side against his ideals because he's not a man of words; he believes in what he sees, not what people tell him, especially since he's been repeatedly lied to.

That is the first thing a good static character needs; a strong motivation. Through everything that's happened, I'd say without a doubt that Technoblade has the strongest motivation out of everyone, which is to emancipate people from the tyranny of their rulers - not just sing about it and then establish a dictatorship - but to in fact do it, no matter the cost.

He's a very Paragon-type character, which is a common type of static; his moral code is too strong to allow emotional change.

Another thing a static character needs is personality. And Techno - if you watch his streams, not just others' perspectives - has a lot of that. From his bond with Phil and Ranboo to fondness of animals to sense of humour, the character is entertaining to watch and follow. You know what to expect of him, you know he won't betray, and that despite the flaws he has he will not let personal issues hold him back. He wins because he trains, and he puts hours into pulling crazy stunts, and he's persistent - it's satisfying for the people watching his perspective to see his efforts pay off.

His interactions with others are characterized by an attempt at kindness, no matter how many times he might fail at separating his personal life from the ideals he's pursuing.

And that is compelling! To draw parallels to Tommy again, the kid has so much personality that other characters could borrow from him and he'd still be fun to watch!

Neither Tommy nor Techno are flat characters, and I think that is the mistake a lot of people make when misinterpreting both the characters; Tommy and Techno are amazing examples of great static characters in fiction, and I'd like to applaud cc!Tommy and cc!Techno for being brilliant writers.

[bestworstcase]

I like your thoughts on how Rapunzel was handling things wrong in “Rapunzel: Day One.” The episode tries to imply that Cassandra is wrong for not sharing her feelings with Rapunzel, but is a Rapunzel really the person Cassandra should be opening up to? Rapunzel never respects Cassandra’s boundaries. Cassandra’s a private person. Rapunzel doesn’t respect that. And just because Cassandra doesn’t want to open up to everyone doesn’t mean that she’s bottling things up.

ok so this is gonna be a long one bc tbh i like. fundamentally disagree that RDO, the narrative of RDO, in any way positions cassandra as the one at fault for the emotional conflict between her and raps.

to digress a bit - while tts is not immune to Aesop Episodes (e.g. rapunzel's enemy or you're kidding me) wherein the characters close out the story by talking about What They've Learned, ultimately i don't think tts can or should be read as a morality play. it's a story where sometimes characters just... fuck up and the narrative doesn't waste its time on hand-holding or spoon-feeding us the moral.

anyway, i submit that RDO is what i'll call a False Aesop Episode. it follows the basic structure of an Aesop Episode (protagonist acts badly -> protagonist learns a lesson) but the lesson rapunzel learns is a bad one. it's like if you took... say, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" as an aesop, the False Aesop here is rapunzel confidently eating a rotten apple and then being blindsided a few months later when the doctor who kept begging her not to eat food with maggots in it steals the moonstone from under her nose and runs off into the night with her new demon pal--

and that metaphor got away from me a little bit but you get the idea.

#1: constructing the conflict

the episode opens with cassandra. she's training; we see the sword fly out of her injured hand; lance suggests she take a break, and she answers, "thanks to rapunzel's little trick at the great tree, i have to relearn everything using this hand, so breaks aren't really an option."

she isn't harsh about it. her demeanor isn't all that different from her normal self—she even segues into a very typical concern (that the woods are dangerous and they should all be on their guard) and banters with lance a bit.

what this communicates, immediately and succinctly, is that:

1. cassandra's injury is severe. it's disabling. she's either in immense pain or she's lost all the strength in that hand or both.

2. cass is really upset about this, and not happy with rapunzel.

3. nevertheless cass is keeping her feelings more or less in check; the worst anyone could say about her is she's being a bit more curt than normal.

which is to say, she's acting quite reasonable. she's not taking out her hurt feelings on anyone else or being mean or lashing out, and she's not hiding her injury either. the most concerning thing about her behavior here is actually that she's focused on training so she can do her job instead of on healing or resting or taking care of herself.

then there's a pan over to rapunzel, who is angrily watching this play out while venting to pascal. "i get why cass is mad at me," she says. "she told me—" huge disdainful rolling of eyes here "—not to use the decay spell back and the tree, and i did, and she hurt her hand. but if she had just listened to me and stayed out of it, this all could have been avoided! and i feel like we could work things out, but she refuses to talk about it!!"

line this up against cassandra's behavior and spot the differences.

cass is focused on her injured hand. cass is upset because rapunzel accidentally mutilated her in the great tree. that's what this conflict is about for cass; her injury, and how she feels about being injured.

by contrast, rapunzel thinks the conflict is about them not listening to each other. she does acknowledge that cass was injured, but 1. she puts the blame on cass, and 2. has shoved the fact of the injury to the periphery of the conflict. it's not important, it's just a natural consequence of the real conflict, which is cass being mad and petty and refusing to talk to her about how she's unfairly blaming rapunzel for something that wasn't rapunzel's fault.

[i will add here that this behavior from rapunzel is 100% not knowing how to handle guilt and externalizing it as anger, and this thread of rapunzel burying her guilt gets picked up again in rapunzeltopia; it isn't that rapunzel doesn't care that cass is hurt, so much as she's just not emotionally equipped to process these feelings in a healthy way so it mutates into...this.]

and where cass handles her feelings in a pretty reasonable way, rapunzel rants and raves and draws cass as a literal monster with fangs and claws—she's stewing in her out of control emotions and concludes that she just has to find a way to force cass talk to her, which she does shortly thereafter by ordering—not asking—cass to come with her to search for parts to fix the caravan.

#2: the breakdown of communication

i've said it before but it bears repeating: cassandra might not be perfect, but she's a good communicator. in s1 and the front half of s2, she shares her feelings with rapunzel readily and frequently. when she tries to set boundaries with rapunzel, she's able to be clear and specific about what she needs. when she expresses frustration with eugene or her dad or rapunzel, she's very articulate about exactly what she's frustrated about. she can recognize when politer, softer refusals are being ignored and become blunter and more specific to ensure the message is getting across.

the moments when cass struggles to communicate are noteworthy because they're not normal. they signal that she's in acute crisis. think of how her unhinged rant about adira in RATGT heralded a complete emotional breakdown. she clams up in RDO because it's the only thing she can do to protect herself. because rapunzel is an inexperienced nineteen year old who learned all her social "skills" from a manipulative, egotistical abuser and nowhere in the series does that show more than in RDO.

rapunzel knows cass doesn't want to talk about the great tree, so she isolates cass from the rest of the group with the intention of forcing her to talk about it anyway. she's passive aggressive at first: chattering about inanities and trying to bait cass into 'opening up,' and acting vexed and guilt-trippy when she finds out cass brought owl along. she broaches the subject by going "too bad there's not an open-up-to-your-best-friend-about-the-thing-you-guys-are-fighting-about wand, huh?"

then she leads with "i know you're mad at me, but i did the right thing. i didn't have a choice," which... what can cass even say to that? she acknowledged cassandra's anger in one breath and followed up with "but you're wrong tho" in the next. that statement makes cassandra's feelings about her debilitating injury into an argument about Who Was Right.

this is a game that cass tries very hard not to play. "look, if you feel that way, then it's fine. we're good," she says, which is a statement that is not true at all on its face but - what it means is that if rapunzel wants to turn this into a debate about Who Was Right, cass will concede because that's not an argument she's invested in. cass does not want to put her feelings on trial so rapunzel can pick them apart and decide whether she deserves to have them or not.

so she disengages. the sun sets. they camp. rapunzel pokes her again, this time with a more direct approach: "cass, i need to talk about what we both know is going on between us."

and that's when cass throws up a WALL. prior to RDO, when cass is pressed on her feelings, she either: 1. opens up and explains to the extent that she's able (e.g. under raps or RATGT), or 2. flatly shuts the conversation down (e.g. cassandra vs eugene). but in RDO?

"there's nothing to talk about."

"i never said i was upset."

"what makes you so sure that you know how i'm feeling?"

this is cass falling off the end of her rope. this is a cass who spent the last year and a half with rapunzel running roughshod over every boundary cass exhausted herself trying to set. this is cass maybe a few weeks out from rapunzel screaming at her in front of all their mutual friends and then telling her "i am going to make decisions you don't agree with and i need you to be okay with that" when cass tried to open up about her deepest insecurities. this is cass spiraling into despair because she's seen that her best friend cares more about assuaging her own guilt and exerting her authority as a princess than she does about cassandra's feelings.

this is the moment when the friendship dies.

#3: the memory wipe, cassandra's apology, and the false aesop

the details of the tangled-but-cass shenanigans are not super important for the purposes of this discussion. suffice it to say that cassandra lashes out in the heat of the moment, seriously harms rapunzel by mistake, and spends the rest of the episode trying to repair the damage, then apologizes to rapunzel for hurting her. this is, obviously, the correct thing to do when you hurt someone, even if it was an accident.

you see the parallel here, yeah?

rapunzel hurt cass with magic by accident, and then made cass's hurt feelings all about her, blamed cass for the injury, twisted the facts to justify her own indignation, picked a fight about Who Was Right and invalidated cassandra's feelings, and pushed and pushed and pushed until cass blew up and lashed out at her.

cassandra also hurt rapunzel with magic by accident, and then she set aside her own hurt feelings from the argument they were having before to focus one hundred percent of her energy on brewing a cure and keeping amnesiac rapunzel safe, readily admitted her fault, and offered an earnest apology for losing her temper as soon as she could reasonably do so.

if RDO were a true Aesop Episode, this would be the lesson, and rapunzel would of course learn from cassandra's good example and reciprocate by apologizing for the accident in the great tree and her abysmal behavior afterwards—and in a reflection of how cass shared how bottling up her anger allowed it to erupt in a catastrophic way, rapunzel would probably confess that her demanding, selfish behavior came from a place of feeling awful about what happened and terrified that it would ruin their friendship.

but RDO is a False Aesop Episode. rapunzel isn't emotionally equipped to handle the intensity of her guilt, and she lacks the social insight and empathy to draw comparisons between what she did to cass and what cass did to her, so she can't connect the two situations in her head to understand what she's doing wrong. the true aesop flies right over her head, and instead what she learns is this:

1. she was right about cass being upset

2. backing cass into a corner fixed the problem

3. friends really do "just know"

4. being pushy and forceful was the right thing to do.

because the thing is, when cass apologizes for the accidental memory wipe, she truthfully explains why she acted the way she did—she's furious and she didn't want to talk about it, so she held it in as long as she could and then exploded when the pressure became too much—and for rapunzel, i think the explanation and the actual apology get conflated. meaning, cass says "i'm sorry for what i did out of anger" and what rapunzel hears is "i'm sorry for being angry."

and because of that misunderstanding, from rapunzel's perspective her own indignation has been validated and her behavior justified, because she was right all along and cass shouldn't have been angry with her in the first place and now everything is fine--

but it's not fine.

we're not supposed to share rapunzel's perspective here, because she's flat out wrong. nothing is really better and nothing has really changed, except that rapunzel got the talk she wanted and stops putting this intense pressure on cass. so as we enter the house of yesterday's tomorrow, rapunzel is taking it for granted that things are fine with cass, and meanwhile cass is still injured, still angry, still as aloof as she can be without getting rapunzel breathing down her neck again... and then she meets zhan tiri, who gives her everything she needed and couldn't get from rapunzel.

like, to my mind, this is the entire point of RDO, that rapunzel makes this catastrophic mess of trying to patch things up after RATGT and comes out of that mess wrongly thinking she succeeded. the episode is presented through the lens of rapunzel's perspective, but the lines are very wide and i absolutely think the intention is for the audience to read between them and understand the reality that rapunzel has sort of blinded herself to.

[abandoned-ax]

Welcome to hell

Summery: UA student joins the league

When I joined the hero course I thought it would be fulfilling, I thought I would find the conviction to help people the way I never was, but the more I sit there watching all these kids learn how to protect people, all I can ask is why wasn’t I. They don’t really want to help people, they can’t really help people, we shouldn’t rely on hero’s who can’t do their job. I thought becoming a hero was the only option to help protect people like me, people who were hurt, but no, no one hero can change the world.

It was during the USJ incident that I first saw them, the league. They aren’t like anything Iv ever seen! They weren’t there to hurt just anyone, they were there to do exactly what Iv always wanted to. To breakdown the idea of hero’s, starting at the top.

After that there was stain. He seemed to understand better, hero’s and the big egos they have, some of them show up only for the money, people like Uraraka all they want is make big bucks. Or someone like Bakugo who’s just in it for his ego. But what stain doesn’t understand is that there all bad, that even the ones who wanna help people make all of us weaker, there probably the worst of them all.

It was when they broke into the training camp that I had finally decided.

I was out in the woods when it started, as the night progressed I started following them, chasing the girl, the magician, but in the end it’s the burnt guy that I followed the most. They had grabbed bakugo and tokoyami and were about to go through a portal when I came out and yelled out to them “take me with you!” And the guy with the burns looked at me curiously, caulking his head but then announced “do it!” To the magic guy and suddenly, I was in a marble!

I finally came too lying on a couch in a bar, I look around seeing the league facing the other way as a few of them are chaining someone up. I try to get up but realize Iv got handcuffs on my hand and feet.

“Ugh hello.”

“Oh so you’re awake now.” Shigaraki says

“You should be carful with that one you know, he bites.” The guys look back at the passed out teen and start restraining him better.

“So what’s the game kid, Mr. flames over there says you wanted to come with us. I won’t lie and say your quirk isn’t impressive from what I know of it, but your in the hero course kid, what are you doing following the villains.”

“I’m bored of hero’s, and Iv come to realize my goal is one that can only be achieved from this side of the fight.”

“And what would that goal be.” Shagraki

“To destroy the hero organizations. To destroy all hero’s. They make us weaker, and I, I want us to be strong, because they don’t really help us. They never helped me.”

“Oh I’m gunna like you! Dabi take the cuffs off them!”

The guy with the burns moves to take the cuffs off my hands and legs.

“Welcome to the league kid.” He says patting my leg before getting up. Now free of the cuffs I rub off the irritation on my arms and legs before moving to stand with the rest of them, watching bakugo as he sleeps.

“So tell me, why do you have bakugo captured.”

“I like him, I think he might be a good asset.”

“Ha! Bakugo! The only thing he cares about is his ego, and what his ego has decided is that a hero is the top.”

“Well maybe I just play into that ego a little bit and make him understand that the villains go down in infamy.”

“Oh we’re going to be good friends aren’t we Shagraki.” I say smiling over at him. But Dabi slings one arm around my shoulders from behind me bending down a bit to loom a bit closer to my ear. “Oh but don’t forget about me tho, the guy who brought you here to us.”

“Could never forget about the burnt chicken nugget who decided I was cool enough to save.”

“Save? Interesting choice of words.”

“Well you see, you did,” I drop the jesting tone of voice and repeat myself “you saved me.” I look him dead in the eye.

“So,” Shagraki moves behind the bar to get something to drink “I know a part of your quirk is the ability to copy someone’s quirk but there’s more to it isn’t there?”

“There is more to it, I’m also starting to learn how to control someone. But I can’t just do it by looking at a guy- any of it. There’s a process.”

“And that process is?”

“I must be able to touch you, when I touch someone I can search through your head, I can watch all your memories in 60 seconds right now, but the only one that really counts is the worst one...” I slow down my speech for a second, every time I describe it is awful, “ your most traumatic memory hold the shape of what you are, and as long as Iv seen that, I can pull it up and access your quirk.” Everyone pauses for a second, looking at me with disbelief.

“Wow, that’s fucked up” The myst guy says.

“Jesus kid.” Dabi says, I don’t think Iv ever seen a look of empathy like that in my life, I’m fact there all giving me that look, like all they can see in my is pity.

“Fuck! Stop staring at me!” I yell out making everyone turn back around and start talking about bakugo randomly, i think I heard someone say something along the lines of “why is his hair so spiky, like does he use products or does it just exist that way?”

I chuckle a little, to think all I did was yell at the most feared villains in the world and there all jumpy already. It almost cute, I can tell they trust me just by that, they didn’t get angry or feel like I might actually hurt them. It’s nice to feel accepted already.

But Dabi moves back to talk to me.

“I’m sorry about that side effect there kid. It pretty nasty.”

“Yeah but, I’ll live”

“If you ever need to talk, it just, I’m always here.”

“Thanks Dabi. You know I wouldn’t expect you to be good at these kind of things.”

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”

“60 seconds is all I need to know everything Dabi.”

“We might be villains but I hope you don’t do anything like that.”

“I know I know, a joke in poor taste I’m sorry. I don’t really like doing it anyways, all I can see sometimes are those memories the bad ones, those stick in your mind for a while.”

“So what quirks do you have?” Dabi gives me a curious look. This was conversation I was waiting for!

“Oh a lot!!! Iv got most of 1As, a few of the others! I mean I really only use the useful ones, I might have lost a few... I can forget memories and that loses the quirk for me. But Iv got a few pro hero quirks too!”

“Like all might?” Shagraki asks

“No. I was never able to get his.”

But the conversation is cut short as Bakugo starts to stir.

“Alright kid, leave most of the talking up to us, but see this as a trial run alright.” Shagraki says moving to a stool by bakugo to wait for him to wake up, Dabi nudging me arm to tell me to follow him over to where he’s standing.

And Bakugo wakes up officially starting my time in the league of villains.

[lilallama]

For adul cc, what would their reactions be when they suddenly found Y/N after losing contact with them after high school? How would they approach her?

Ever since highschool ended and your ways parted, Hoseok has been reflecting on his behaviour, his obsessive and positive tendencies. Believe it or not, he actually decided to leave you alone and not search for you. He realised how messed up his feelings were and tried figuring out if he actually loves you or if it's just an obsession. His business was blooming, his tendencies seemed to have come to an end, yet he wasn't a step further when it came to his feelings for you. Whether you were his love or obsession, he didn't know. But when he saw you, everything came flowing back. He forgot how good his obsession felt, how right. He didn't care anymore, he needed you with him. So he would approach you and pretend to have a casual conversation with a former classmate. He was already planning the best way of getting you to fall for him, maybe Stockholm syndrome doesn't sound so bad.

Seokjin wouldn't believe his eyes. There stood his Prince/Princess, looking even more beautiful than he remembered. There was no way he'd not immediately rush to you. If anyone's talking to either of you he'll brush them off. His entire focus lays on you as he tries charming you with his stunning beauty.

Yoongi would freak out. He didn't know if he should be scared or happy. Finally his love was back, he just couldn't let her go now. So he quickly fixed himself, tried looking as cook as possible and leisurely strolling over to Y/n. His cool guy act will be lost once he sees their beautiful smile once again. He will ask for your number and will do anything to stay in contact.

You were like a dream that plagued Namjoon's day to day life. He couldn't stop thinking about you. Every day he would fantasize about meeting you, falling in love all over again and starting a family together. But never would he have expected to see you while he's just out on a walk. He would immediately approach you and ask if you wanted to go get a coffee together. He was only on break and shouldn't have asked you out, but merely looking into your eyes gave him shivers and left his skin ablaze. He couldn't resist you.

Life as an idol would've been stressful enough, but living it without you was killing Jimin. He almost gave up on trying to find you, he almost realised how absurd his obsession with you is, but then he saw you. You looked angelic, gorgeous, he just couldn't not talk to you! He didn't care anymore, as long as you're with him, he doesn't care about anything other than you.

To Taehyung not seeing you was another trial he'd have to face. While it was draining his life force, he found piece in his art. Often drawing you from memory and praying to finally be allowed to see you. His public artwork are merely representative of what he feels for and without you, every part of him aches to see you again. When he finally did he immediately took photos. He followed you around all day, all the way to your apartment. God decided to bless him with his Y/n, how grateful he is.

Now it was official, Jeongguk was going insane. He lost you once again and it took a toll on his mental. His aggression doubled and outed itself in destructive and brutal behaviour. One moment he's knocking tables over, breaking chairs, smashing in his TV, the next he's having a mental breakdown over you. When he finally saw you again there was nothing holding him back. He sprinted forward and wrapped his arms around you, sobbing. He never wanted to let you go.

If you liked my work please reblog.

[iceshard1011]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Sanders Sides (Web Series) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders Characters: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Additional Tags: Post-Episode: Putting Others First - Selfishness v. Selflessness Redux | Sanders Sides, Post-Episode: Flirting with Social Anxiety, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, mentions of manipulation, mentions of breakdowns, ANGST TIME, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Protective Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, no plot head empty, forgiving and moving on, the dark sides as they crush on the light sides: okay so chose your emotionally damaged bf, the babies are sad, but they're getting better, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Deceit | Janus Sanders Angst, everyone's sad okay Summary:

Roman wants to cuddle. Virgil doesn’t want to move. Sharing the couch doesn’t seem so harmless.

Until it kind of does.

(And then it doesn't again.)

3k story below the cut, too :)

Virgil had thought he was the only one still awake. Really, it wasn’t an unreasonable thought to have, at one o’clock in the morning with a family full of individuals who seemed to follow the unspoken rule of Highly Energetic During The Day Yet Dead To The World At Night.

So when movement caught his eye by the staircase and he fumbled with his phone so vigorously that he dropped it to the carpet with a mute thump, he was glad there was only one witness of his undignified actions.

Regardless, that one witness, aside from his sleepy expression and slumped posture, seemed pretty amused.

“Tell anyone about that, and I’ll—”

“Relax,” said Roman around a yawn, “I won’t.”

“Don’t tell me to relax.” Virgil scowled.

Roman grinned, clearly entertained, and shuffled across the living room to the couch. “Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked and picked up Virgil’s phone. Virgil took it when it was offered and fiddled with the case between his fingers.

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Roman nodded. “Me neither.” Virgil tilted his head in a silent question, but Roman then shook his head. “Just one of those nights, I suppose.”

Virgil shuffled further up the couch and curled his legs, allowing space on the far side of the seat for the prince. Roman decided to bypass that spare space completely and flopped down along the couch.

A breathy oof huffed from Virgil, but he didn’t shove Roman off him. “I thought it was a well-known fact that I don’t like cuddling.”

Roman jolted, the first emotion aside from 'tiredly amused' crossing his face, and looked up in panic. “I— I just thought— I can go—”

Virgil shut him up by reaching up to cup the back of Roman’s head and pull the creative side back to his chest. “I’m teasing.”

Roman struggled against Virgil’s hands. He didn’t look convinced. “But... if you don’t feel comfortable—”

“You know that I’m okay with this,” Virgil interjected quietly. He was already scrolling his phone again.

“Yes, but— even with Patton, you don’t—”

“Good thing it’s not Patton stretching himself across me like an overgrown cat, then, isn’t it?” Virgil said.

Roman huffed with a chuckle, and Virgil felt him relax again. Virgil found himself absentmindedly carding his fingers through Roman’s hair as he kept his eyes on his phone.

Predictably, after recent events involving Thomas, the pair had gotten a great deal closer. Incidentally, they’d both drifted from the rest of the sides. Neither of them was fond of Janus, nor had Virgil found himself unwilling to be as affectionate with Patton as he was used to. The day Roman had staggered into his room, trembling, eyes brimming with tears, Virgil had decided he wasn’t too fond of anyone involved with causing the creative side pain.

(Himself, included. He’d been so relieved when Roman had ordered Thomas to attend the wedding. If he was feeling bold enough, some days he would consider the feeling breaching proud. But the aftermath of the wedding, the shouting, the lecturing, the— everything that had come with that redux... Virgil realised he hated himself just as much as he hated Janus.)

But then the creative side had chosen Virgil, over Patton, over Logan, over his own damn bedroom, to come to and trust and seek comfort, and Virgil privately decided to himself that he was never going to let anything hurt him again.

Roman had never questioned it, but he had never complained, either. In fact, he’d always seemed quite pleased whenever Virgil didn’t pull away from any affection Roman offered. And maybe it was guilt, the first few times Virgil plainly accepted a friendly nudge or cheeky hair-ruffle without a glare, but gradually he found he actually enjoyed being embraced, or poked in the ribs, or on occasions like the one currently, being used as a giant body pillow.

“It’s kind of unfair how comfortable you are,” Roman mumbled randomly into the silence.

Virgil moved his phone to raise an eyebrow down at the prince. “You’re lucky I haven’t booted your ass off, yet.”

“No,” Roman whined. “I am but humbly seeking your presence, a mere beggar searching for comfort—”

“Okay,” gently interrupted Virgil, “no poetry this early in the morning, Princey.”

“That wasn’t really poetry,” Roman mused. “It was kind of... fancy complaining.”

“You said it, not me,” Virgil said. He placed his phone down and entertained himself with playing with Roman’s unruly bed hair.

“I did,” Roman agreed sleepily. His eyes were already closed, his nose buried against Virgil’s chest. Against his wishes, Virgil’s own eyelids were beginning to droop.

Just a couple of hours, Virgil thought.

His last thought was figuring that it was the dead of night and he wouldn’t have to worry about any of the others seeing them until morning.

 Hours later, he startled awake to find a pair of dubious, mismatched eyes blinking down at him.

Virgil almost jolted so hard he feared he would’ve not only woken Roman up, but probably thrown him onto the floor, too.

“What the hell do you want,” he hissed. He would have been writhing and spitting like a furious cat if he wasn’t so conscious of waking up Roman, who was heavy across Virgil’s torso, inhaling breaths that were so deep they were almost snores.

Janus didn’t look impressed, nor even slightly intimidated. It was infuriating that he could guess Virgil wasn’t going to lunge at him if he said something Virgil didn’t like.

“I thought you didn’t like being cuddled,” Janus said, and he sounded far too damn amused.

“Maybe I just didn’t like you,” Virgil growled.

“Scathing as always, little spider,” Janus hummed.

Virgil bared his teeth. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Janus raised an eyebrow. “Getting breakfast.”

“Ha-ha,” spat Virgil, “it’s not like it’s...” He looked around. Sunlight was trickling in through the window. The clock on the wall above him was reading... six o’clock?

Shit.

Roman was still snoring away, showing no sign of moving or waking. Virgil looked to the top of the staircase, wondering if he was going to see the rest of the sides traipsing down, ready to spot him and laugh.

“Relax.” Janus said it with a flippant flick of his wrist. Virgil felt another spike of irritation. He was surprised Roman hadn’t woken up from how tense Virgil had gotten beneath him. “I volunteered myself to make breakfast this morning. No one is going to be up for at least another hour or two.”

“Oh, good one,” Virgil said scathingly. “Enjoy telling 'helpful' lies, now?”

“Oh, goodness.” Janus ran a gloved hand down his face, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. “It’s far too early.”

“What, to deal with me?” Virgil asked.

“Yes.” Janus said it so bluntly Virgil actually stopped, wondering what he was trying to achieve. “And to try and remind you, once again, that I don’t constantly speak in lies.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to trust everything you say,” Virgil snapped.

Janus sighed again, but he didn’t have a chance to say anything before a yawn interrupted both of them.

Virgil looked down, locking gazes guiltily with Roman.

“You guys argue awfully loud,” he rasped, voice scratchy with sleep. He yawned again, squinting, and stretched. He promptly buried his face back into Virgil’s shirt. “S’early.”

“It is,” Janus agreed. Virgil was almost ready to let it go and allow Janus to do what he wanted in the kitchen, but then he felt Roman go rigid at Janus’ voice. Virgil almost didn’t know why, but then remembered the way the creative side had sobbed, keeling in on himself in the middle of Virgil’s floor, wailing about the trial, and the wedding, and compliments and lies and smirks and mistakes—

And he remembered how Roman had escaped every room Janus had appeared in, and how he never looked Janus in the eyes, and Virgil’s arms tightened protectively around his prince. He glared up at Janus, who was watching Roman with round eyes. Virgil knew how perceptive he was. He wasn’t particularly sorry to see the stricken expression on the snake’s face.

But then Janus looked away and took a step back, and Virgil spotted his fingers tapping rapidly against his leg. It was a fidgeting habit that Virgil hardly ever saw; mostly because Janus was too proud to ever let anyone see him fidget.

Virgil didn’t know how he felt about that, but it must have been a show of something when he didn’t snipe at Janus again when he moved to the kitchen.

Instead, he focused on rubbing his hands up and down Roman’s back, feeling him slowly relax again, but from the way he gripped Virgil's shirt in tight fistfuls, he was far from calm.

Just Roman’s luck, that he was stuck with the side who was next to useless with affection.

Acting on instinct and impulse and the distant memory of Patton doing the same thing to Virgil himself in the aftermath of a particularly bad panic attack, Virgil moved to stroke Roman’s cheek with the back of his knuckles as gently as he could.

Roman startled and looked up at Virgil. He finally smiled, his eyes twinkling, and Virgil gave him a small smirk in return.

“Coffee, either of you?” Janus asked from the kitchen, followed by the sound of mugs clinking. His tone would have sounded pleasantly smooth to anyone else, but Virgil could hear the distant strain in his voice.

Virgil glanced down at Roman, who stretched (and he really did look like a cat, then) and shrugged. “We should probably get up for the day, anyway.”

Virgil wouldn't have considered getting anything from the snake, but if Roman was thinking about having a coffee...

“Two,” Virgil said to Janus, for Roman’s sake, because Virgil wasn’t about to ask Janus for anything if he could help it. “Cream and three sugars.”

Roman was busy sitting up and stretching his back, so he probably didn’t hear — or rather, feel — the sudden pause that came from the kitchen. Virgil didn’t look over his shoulder, but he did wait for Janus to say something, because he was obviously thinking something.

“I thought you liked your coffee straight black,” Janus said finally.

That was how Virgil liked his coffee, and although he was expecting Janus to remember, it was still a little startling to hear. He wasn’t about to do something stupid though, like say that out loud. “If you know how I like it, there shouldn’t be a problem, should there?” he said over his shoulder, instead, and felt vaguely like he was Logan instead of Virgil. That wasn't a very Virgil-like thing to say.

There was another pause before the sound of mugs moving water running resumed.

Virgil wondered about the exact moment when Janus realised that Virgil hadn’t ordered for himself and had assumed him to remember Virgil’s own preference as well.

The coffee was ready by the time the pair made it over to the dining table. Virgil eased himself into the seat carefully, rubbing the back of his neck. Falling asleep on the couch in that position, no matter how appealing in the moment, was not comfortable to wake up to.

Roman seemed to have no trouble with how he slept, looking content as ever to slouch in his chair (Virgil hoped he wasn’t passing on the habit) and sip at his drink.

Virgil hadn’t really believed Janus, but he was still startled when Logan walked down the stairs much before seven o'clock. He whirled to glare at Janus, who was still shuffling around in the kitchen.

“Thought you said no one else would be up,” he grumbled. Janus looked up and saw Logan. He looked startled.

“I... suppose I lied,” he said, but he sounded surprised. Virgil almost scowled, but he saw a hint of a smile at the corners of Roman’s mouth, and he was stunned into forgetting to be angry.

“Good morning,” Logan said. He looked a little weary at Janus’ presence, but then Roman grinned sunnily at him, and Virgil watched as his shoulders loosened slightly.

“Morning, Specs.”

Logan didn’t wait for Janus to offer him anything and instead went about making himself his own coffee. Virgil hid a smile. He wasn’t sure if he was oblivious to Janus trying to help, or making a point by ignoring him, but regardless it was still one of the things he loved about the logical side.

“Oh!”

Virgil winced at Patton’s voice from the landing of the staircase.

“I see everyone got up before me, for once!”

Virgil watched Roman out of the corner of his eye, and something twisted in his stomach when Roman’s smile dropped, and he went tense.

“Anyone have any preference for breakfast?” Patton asked as he crossed the living room.

“I was planning on making pancakes,” Janus said cautiously, and wasn’t that just a ridiculous image. “It seems to be the... family favourite.”

Patton practically beamed. “Good thinking!” He paused at the dinner table and grinned at Virgil and Roman. “Mornin’, kiddos.”

Virgil grunted in reply. Normally he’d make more of an effort for Patton, but something still didn’t sit right with him about the moral side. He sensed Patton’s crestfallen look but forced himself not to react. He kept his gaze on the dark surface of his coffee.

“Good morning, Patton,” Roman said quietly. Virgil looked up and thought he and Patton must have had matching astonished expressions.

Roman wasn’t rude (most of the time) — on purpose, at least — but Virgil couldn’t blame him for being hurt after... everything. He certainly hadn’t had an issue with the creative side being unusually quiet around Patton. Usually, he’d only smile — brittle and forced and so painfully fake — whenever Patton greeted him, and politely decline if Patton ever offered something.

This had to be the first time in... at least a few weeks where he greeted back. Objectively, Virgil figured this wasn’t and maybe shouldn’t be a big deal, but his damn heart seemed to think otherwise, swelling with... either pride or affection, or maybe both, because Roman did that to him.

Patton recovered quicker than Virgil and smiled gently down at the prince. “Can I get you guys anything?” he asked. Virgil shook his head slowly, but Roman hesitated.

“Um...” he said, and Patton tilted his head attentively. That seemed to be encouragement enough, because Roman said, “Chocolate chips in the pancakes?”

Logan sighed from the kitchen, but Patton clapped his hands together. “Oh, me too. I think it’s a chocolate day, today.”

“Patton,” said Logan, borderline petulantly, “you know how unhealthy that is for—”

“Hush.” Virgil’s eyebrows skyrocketed up his forehead when Janus waved Logan away with a smirk. “One day of chocolate chip pancakes is not going to be detrimental to our health.”

Patton clapped again, delighted. Logan rolled his eyes, grumbling something like, “taking Patton’s side, as usual.”

“Oh, you know you like chocolate chip,” Patton said as he bounced over to nudge the logical side unapologetically and throw his arms around Janus' shoulders. Virgil huffed in amusement and turned back to his coffee, but Roman caught his eye.

The prince was looking between the group in the kitchen and Virgil, gaze impossibly soft and warm. Meeting Virgil’s gaze, something akin to mischief flickered in his eyes. With a subtle twitch of his fingers, a pair of black-rimmed glasses, identical to Logan’s and Patton’s, appeared on his face, and he made a sulky expression.

Virgil, who had gone to take a sip and was only now realising Roman was imitating a grumpy Logan, snorted coffee from his nose.

Roman eyes almost popped out of their skull as he choked on his own laughter. There was snickering coming from the kitchen, but it was overridden by Patton’s scolding and Logan’s offended rebuttal.

“What’s all this?” Remus asked when he popped into existence atop the table. Virgil was too busy scrubbing at his nose and trying to wipe the coffee from the wood surface, so he didn’t bother with casting Remus any dark looks.

Roman, however, didn’t seem to have an issue with confronting his brother, as usual. He swatted at Remus, shoving him. “Get off the table, you hulking gremlin.”

“Are you guys snorting stuff without me?” Remus sounded genuinely offended as he tipped off the table and landed with a thump on his back, legs still cramped in the air like a dead cockroach.

“Not quite,” Virgil grumbled under his breath and he wiped the last of the coffee from his face.

“Shame,” Remus said, standing. He looked around, planting his hands on his hips. “You should live with a little excitement for once in your lives.”

“Remus,” Logan called from the kitchen, and Virgil waited for him to scold the dark creative side, but instead the next thing Logan said was, “Catch.”

Remus went rigid, his pupils blowing up as something was flung through the air. Remus lunged for it, caught it between his teeth like some kind of deranged dog, and landed in a crouch, sitting back on his haunches to gnaw at... was that raw meat?

Virgil looked at Logan in horror. The logical side looked merely bemused as he shrugged in response. “I’ve found he enjoys steak.”

“Raw?” Virgil uttered.

Logan peered curiously over at Virgil. “How else?”

Roman choked on his own laughter for a second time, and Virgil wouldn’t be able to hide his smile even if he tried.

So, Patton and Janus continued to maneuver around each other to make breakfast, Logan talked with Remus who had to speak awkwardly around the chunks of meat he tore into, and Roman and Virgil shot amused grins at each other.

And, as strange of a life as it was, life nonetheless in the mindscape continued.

[prismatales]

Comfort

All my love and gratitude goes to @sugacookiies, @pixxiesdust and @hawks-senseis for beta-reading this, you guys were some of the greatest help I've ever had! ❤

Pairings: Bakudeku x Reader

Warning: Tw:Depression, Tw:Suicidal thoughts, angst, fluff and comfort.

Fingertips slam a frantic yet steady pace against the keyboard, your eyes go back and forth between each paragraph with a growing sense of panic. All your senses are running on nothing more but pure anxiety and stress, not even the thought of eating something crosses your mind as the one and only thing to worry about seems to be this specific assignment.

Neither of them can remember the last time they saw you in another spot of the house that wasn't that chair before the computer, sure sometimes you take a break to go to the bathroom, but sleeping? That word doesn't seem to have a meaning in your vocabulary.

Except for that one time you fell asleep on the couch for less than 30 minutes before startling yourself awake and jumping away from the plush cushion to keep working.

Both Midoriya and Bakugo knew how important it was to complete your thesis, but was it worth it when your health and body is on the edge of giving up? They both know how badly this kind of routine can end up affecting your health.

The last time you got this stressed it ended up fucking up your stomach all the way from the esophagus to the intestines. The whole digestive system was so affected it started to feel like your stomach was literally burning itself into nothingness from the gastritis you developed. You had to get treatment for two whole weeks, which was right before your high school finals, and it was one of the worst experiences you've ever had to go through.

There's a reason a huge portion of people going through College ends up feeling dead on the inside, the overwhelming amounts of work, spending so much time in the library one could literally claim they live there, assignments and impossible amounts of field work, all of that could be more than enough things happening at the same time to cause plenty of people to go insane. And if that was bad enough, preparing your Thesis was like one of the deadliest of trials.

Just from the look on your face, it was obvious you're starting to develop another health trouble just like that time, the tips of your fingers start pressing right on the spot above your stomach with a face full of discomfort.

Deku's the first one to see that and in less than five minutes he's already outside on his way to get some medicine, he doesn't think twice about using One for All to go faster. 

Everyone in the apartment was more than used to hear mumbling during the day, courtesy of your beloved Deku, but not even Bakugo was prepared to hear you of all people mumbling such dark things the very next day, when the stress began taking a harder toll. He could hear every single word loud and clear even when he's standing near the kitchen counters at the other side of the house.

"Why do I even bother?...It's not like anything I do even matters..." He can hear the the long sigh followed by more self hatred while he's stirring the noodles for dinner. "Sometimes I wonder if people would even notice that I'm gone...hahaha...I wanna die"

"...! That's it!" The wooden spoon gets slammed roughly against the marble counter, searching through his pocket Bakugo pulls out his phone to text Deku, who's already on his way home from patrol.

It takes less than an hour for the two of them to be there right besides you trying their best to comfort their shaking and panicked S/O, it makes them feel useless seeing how much you're struggling to hold on to the remains of your mental stability.

And when they hear the next course of muttering they know things are just about to get worse unless they do something about it.

"I can't do this anymore...I just can't," The tiny voice coming out of your mouth was heartbreaking. Your whole body is trembling uncontrollably as Midoriya walks up behind the chair, he lifts your whole body so he can take you to the bedroom, that way you could finally get some well deserved rest and calm down, in the meanwhile Bakugo goes back into the kitchen to fetch you something to drink.

Their dynamic was simple and yet effective, most of the time Izuku tends to be the one calming both of you through words, if that's not enough to help he's trying to find another solution to the problem through physical actions. Katsuki on the other hand tends to prefer being the one letting his actions speak for themselves first, even through the smallest of gestures he's always looking out for the both of you, in a reverse context to Deku, when his actions are not enough he's trying to make an effort to comfort you with his words.

Everything came crashing down inside your head like a landslide in the middle of a storm, bringing chaos and despair from every direction. It's easy to recognize the signs of your depression kicking in due to all the work piling up at once, and they're aware you're one of the most dedicated and passionate persons when it comes to your studies.

Midoriya tried to lay you down into the soft mattress and walk away to get that blanket they bought specifically for this type of occasion, but his shirt is quickly clutched into a tight grip, the broken sobs are barely audible to someone not paying enough attention have him on high alert as he realizes you've already started crying.

He has no other choice but to ignore his quest for the blankets and sits back on the bed. His back rests against the headboard while you're laying on your side, face resting softly against his well-toned chest, your body surrounded by his own arms that hold your shaking body against his with the hope that it can help you relax.

Bakugo comes into the room shortly after, carrying your favorite cup steaming with some nice and warm drink, your favorite judging by the glorious smell coming out of the cup in small puffs.

He carefully passes the cup to the green haired man sitting in bed before walking to the corner of the room and towards a dark gray, medium sized basket where the additional blankets are kept, rummaging through the furniture he finds one of the biggest, fluffiest and softest blanket of them all before walking back towards the bed. 

It takes you awhile to process what's actually happening because of the storm running through your head. But eventually, between the reassuring words and sweet whispering, the shaking and the crying slowly, but very slowly starts toning down until nothing but a small whimper can be heard every now and then through your bedroom. 

In less than a few minutes you've already been wrapped in that beloved blanket while resting between two warm and fit bodies, leaning back against the headboard with a comforting drink in hand.

"Are you feeling any better?" Izuku's voice is soft and sweet, just in case there's something still bothering your mind, at the same time one of Katsuki's hands is busy rubbing circles in the section between your shoulders in a steady rhythm, the feeling of his calloused and scarred hand touching that portion of skin helps relaxing your exhausted self at an almost exaggerated level. The last thing they want is for you to have another breakdown.

You want to reply but your mouth quickly opens and closes, so all you can manage to do is give them a soft nod in response, too tired to even try and talk to your sweet boyfriends. 

Sometimes the negative thoughts come during these kinds of moments to try and bring torment. It makes you wonder if one day they'll get tired of this and leave after realizing you're nothing more than a hindrance.

"Don't even think about it, Dumbass," Katsuki growls from his spot at your left side "I recognize that look on your face when I see it, you think you're worthless don't you?" That hand behind you makes its way to your shoulder, pulling your whole body towards him and positioning you in a way that makes your head rest on top of his well toned shoulders. For someone who's body is so nicely sculpted, the place where your head lays is one of the most comfortable places where somebody could rest.

"You are one of the strongest people I've ever met. You've always been someone who rarely allows small shit like this get the best of them" Katsuki's hand had long ago left your back to run his fingers through your hair, the friction against your locks of hair and scalp has a soothing effect that relaxes everything from your whole body to your mind.

A small tear manages to escape, but this time is out of relief and happiness for literally having two of the most wonderful lovers by your sides. The exhausted smile that spreads over your face sends the both of them into a state of relief.

"What did I do to deserve you both?" 

Deku lets out a soft laughter while Katsuki just smirks in satisfaction.

"Existing." 

MASTERLIST

@t-amajiki @undead0relived @shoobirino @bnha-ra @godtieruwu @mysticalite @bnhabookclub @gallickingun @unbreakableeiji @savagetrickster

[sardinesandhumbugs]

i would be very interested in learning more about horwood (derogatory) if you're interested in explaining?

okay so

so William Horwood was is (apparently he’s still alive and kicking in his 70s) a writer who wrote perhaps the best-known sequel to The Wind in the Willows in 1993: The Willows in Winter. (He wrote three more following after it: Toad Triumphant, The Willows and Beyond, and The Willows at Christmas, but the first one is the one most will be familiar with due to the 1996 movie.)

(He wasn’t the first person to write a sequel to WitW; that honour goes to Dixon Scott in 1983 with A Fresh Wind in the Willows although that had some funky copyright issues) 

The Willows in Winter does its best to mimic the style of the original book, and to some extent it does succeed. It is, however, still essentially published fanfiction and, as such, it has some wonderful ‘misses’ that I will mock this 27-yo story for. (I admittedly kinda love the movie it was adapted into, so this is all done with the same kind of ribbing my friends lovingly bestow upon me after I walk into glass walls or eat notably dodgy apples like some modern-day snow white)

These misses include but are not limited to:

awkward character decisions 

These Characters Are Aggressively Not Gay 

But Sometimes It Will Read Very Gay Anyway 

hilarious character names

I Will (Almost) Kill Mole Multiple Times

Sometimes Twice In The Same Book

you will read “The Water Rat” more than you ever did in witw

Rat has river-speaking abilities now  

Badger has one (1) response to “someone has vanished” and it’s to organise a funeral

Rat sees heaven for, like, a moment

Toad nearly gets hanged 

Anyway, because I have A Lot of thoughts about the book, here’s a spoiler-inclusive breakdown of the plot for your enjoyment below the cut: 

The story starts with Mole’s nephew who we will call “Nephew” for the sole fact that Horwood never deigns to give him any other name. (I have been reliably informed that the next story has Badger’s grandson creatively named... Grandson, just in case anyone thought this might be a one-off.)  

It has been... an indistinguishable number of years since the original book, and Horwood decided the natural character development for the polite and loyal Mole is for him to have become a grumpy old soul who has been passing his recently orphaned Nephew around his friends because he doesn’t like company. 

The biggest issue Mole has is that he erroneously told Nephew that he could stay “as long as [he] wants” and, well, you have to see this for yourself: 

...for ‘as long as you want’ soon feels like a life sentence to a bachelor like Mole, unused to sharing his home with another for more than an evening at a time. 

(Mole is a Bachelor, okay? He’s definitely not accustomed to living whole seasons with Ratty, to the point that he nearly forgets what his own home looks like.)

So Mole is beginning to think that perhaps Nephew isn’t The Worst Thing Ever when Portly turns up in the middle of a horrible snow storm and, in attempting to warm him up, Nephew gives him too much alcohol and promptly sends Portly off to sleep, but not before he imparts that he came running all this way because Rat said that he needed Mole. 

So Mole heads out into the terrible snow storm, gets to the River, and carves his will into a tree because this is Horwood’s fanfic and he can write angst if he wants to, dammit! And, naturally, everything goes wrong. a la Don’t Carry It All style.

You may be saying, oh plot! This sounds dramatic! I regret to inform you that Rat was not, in fact, in danger, but was actually just snowed in with Otter and drunkenly remarked that it’d be so much jollier if Mole joined them (no homo), and then carried getting so drunk that neither of them realised that Portly was gone until three days later. 

[A helpful comic illustrating Otter’s parental abilities]

(This is, of course, the same Portly for whom Otter spent days trying to find in The Piper At the Gates of Dawn chapter of the original book. Turns out his  parental approach has drastically changed since then.)  

After some searching, they find Mole’s will carved into the tree and deduce that Mole attempted to cross the frozen river and failed and they decide to leave off searching until it’s light again. In the meantime, we get this lovely passage that I actually adore for how tender it is: 

The Water Rat knew a night of shadows and half-dreams, memories of Mole in the hot afternoon sun of summer, reflecting upon life. Such remembrances tormented the poor Rat till dawn came once more and he stared bleakly out of the window, tears trickling down his face, listening to the quiet bustle of the other three round the corner in the kitchen. 

During all of this, Toad has discovered a love of flying machines (biplanes, to you and me) and the Riverbankers claim use of his newest one to search for Mole. Long story short, Toad tricks his way into being the pilot, flies so badly that he unseats Rat (who manages to deploy his parachute in time, but has a near-death experience beforehand) and then crashes the plane into a greenhouse in town. 

The other Riverbankers find Rat, who has survived his fall (even if he has seen Beyond the Veil) and he’s currently Talking to the River (Horwood decided to take the “water” part of Rat’s name as a personality trait) and Rat assures the Riverbankers that Mole isn’t dead because the River Said So.

Badger is like, cool, cool, okay he’s suffered a mental break from losing Mole, and possibly Toad too, so we’re going to do the sensible thing and host a funeral for Mole. (Have I mentioned how much they are definitely straight?) 

Anyway, in a move that would make any soap opera green with envy, Mole manages to find his way back to the Riverbank just in time to crash his own funeral, scaring everyone witless until they realise their mistake. (I did say this was published fanfiction.) Everyone is happy, Mole is not dead, and life goes merrily on. 

Meanwhile, Toad has had a few misadventures, that include: 

crashing into a greenhouse that belongs to the judge who sentenced him in the original book

somehow no one realises he’s Toad, so he stays in bed as the heroic pilot who risked life and limb to stop his plane from crashing into the town

escaping disguised as a chimney sweep

turning up to a wedding that the judge was attending and getting arrested

being accused of murdering the missing chimney sweep 

being sentenced to be hanged for murdering the missing chimney sweep

being acquitted from the crime when it turns out the chimney sweep is still alive

(Yes, Horwood really went, hey I should raise the stakes from the original, and then put Toad on trial for murder under threat of hanging.) 

(If what I’ve heard about the later books, Horwood decided that what the Extended WitW Universe was missing was an overarching antagonist, which he rectifies by having the judge return several times.)

Toad is set on his way and he slowly returns back to the Riverbank, mostly because he’s under the impression that not only is Mole dead, but that he probably killed Rat too (this is a Fun Kid’s Book) whereupon he eventually discovers that, uncared for, Toad Hall has fallen into flooded ruin. He mopes and drinks and lights candles before toddling off to Badger’s home, where Badger is having a thoroughly miserable party that has pretty much turned into a Mourning Toad party and they all celebrate Toad’s return. There’s even a sweet moment:

Toad, very drunk and sad: What am I, Badger? Badger: You are home, Toad.

And then in the last two minutes of the book, Toad Hall burns to the ground because Horwood couldn’t resist a last-minute sprinkling of drama into the story.

(Also, also, the last few lines of the book seems to imply that the name of “The Mole” is something that’s inherited like the title of Caesar was, and Nephew will one day be The Mole and I can’t get over that.)

The End. 

Anyway, Horwood is evidence that fanfic writers have always gone, “I can add angst to this,” and that you really shouldn’t feel so bad about that edgy OOC fanfic you wrote when you were 13 because it turns out some people go and get theirs published.

And that’s why some of us have “Horwood (Derogatory)” as a meme. 

[multiversecarnavep]

Her role in Harvey Dent's past was updated into the currently prominent Two-Face origin: Batman Annual #14 (1990), a story called "Eye of the Beholder."[9] In this story, it is revealed that Dent's father was an abusive alcoholic who would nightly play a game with his young son: "I'll flip a coin: if it's heads, I beat you. Tails, I don't." Dent spends a lifetime burying his rage and resentment, only to discover that the coin was two-headed all along. While Dent is torn between loving and resenting his father, Gilda clearly despises him; she scoffs that after a lifetime of abuse and cruelty, the only thing Dent's father ever gave him was a coin.

Gilda tries to comfort Dent as his sanity deteriorates. She pleads with him when, upon awakening from a nightmare, he races out of their bed in the middle of the night and goes to his office, "where it's safe". After Harvey is disfigured, Gilda visits him in the hospital to try to give him back the coin. It was in his pocket during the trial, and was also hit by some acid, scarring one side of the coin. She last appears in this story right after Two-Face murders his corrupt former assistant, Adrian Fields, tearfully explaining Dent's abuse history to Batman.

Gilda does not reappear until Secret Origins Special # 1,[10] where she (here named Grace) appears on a TV talk show focusing on Gotham's villains. She talks about a time when one of the criminals Dent put away as D.A. returned for revenge by taking her hostage. Two-Face eventually rescued her, beating the ex-con to the point of death, but holding off because Grace demanded he stop. This represents a rare case where Two-Face is not influenced by the coin, but rather by someone else's welfare. She tries once again to appeal to his "good" side, but fails. At the end of the interview, she professes her belief that, one day, Dent would return to her.

Gilda returns in Batman: Two-Face Strikes Twice.[11] Here, she finds herself at odds with her now-ex-husband, as he believes their marriage failed because he was unable to give her children. She later marries Paul Janus, a reference to the Roman god of doors who had two faces, one facing forward, the other backward. Two-Face attempts to frame Janus as a criminal by kidnapping him and replacing him with a stand-in, whom Two-Face "disfigures" with makeup to make it look as if Janus has gone insane just as Two-Face had. Two-Face is eventually caught by Batman and sent away, and Gilda and Janus reunite. Years later, Gilda gives birth to twins named James and Luke, prompting Two-Face to escape once more and take the twins hostage, as he erroneously believes them to be conceived by Janus using an experimental fertility drug. The end of the book reveals a surprise twist; Batman learns from Gilda that Janus is not the father of Gilda's twins - Dent is. Some of his sperm had been frozen after a death threat had been made against him, and she used some of it to get pregnant. Batman uses this information to convince Dent to free the twins and turn himself in.[12]

Post-Zero HourEdit



Gilda Dent destroying incriminating evidence against her husband Harvey Dent in Batman: The Long Halloween. Art by Tim Sale.

After the events of Zero Hour: Crisis in Time, Gilda's entire history has been revised. She has a larger role and story arc in The Long Halloween,[13] a maxi-series that is part of Two-Face's origin in Batman Annual #14. During the nearly year-long story, a serial killer called Holiday systematically murders prominent gangsters. During the series, Gilda's marriage to Dent shows signs of strain; she wants to settle down and start a family, while he is obsessed with capturing Holiday. In a private monologue at the end, Gilda states that she was the original Holiday killer, having committed all of the murders up until New Year's Eve. Gilda indicates that Dent murdered Alberto Falcone on New Year's Eve, taking her place, and that he was the one responsible for the crimes from that point on. The confession is only known to readers, since Alberto confessed to all the Holiday murders upon his capture. Gilda destroys the evidence of her crimes and leaves Gotham City.

Due to the success of The Long Halloween, the events of the story have generally been accepted into continuity as the "official" story of Batman's early years, given that Zero Hour retconned the events of Batman: Year Two and rendered them non-canonical. In Batman: Dark Victory, the Calendar Man is about to reveal Holiday's true identity, but an enraged Two-Face cuts him off.

In Greg Rucka's novelization of Batman: No Man's Land, Dent thinks that Gilda is dead.

Post Infinite CrisisEdit

In the "One Year Later" story arc Batman: Face the Face, Dent mentions Gilda when recalling his past life, but the Two-Face persona states "No, Harvey. She's gone now".

During Dick Grayson's tenure as Batman, she appears standing over a wounded Harvey Dent. The Riddler reveals that she faked her death and was institutionalized following The Long Halloween, where she met Mario Falcone, who suffered a similar breakdown following the event of Dark Victory. After getting involved upon their release, Falcone kept Gilda like a prisoner, and she conspired with the Riddler to steal Two-Face's coin and entice him to rescue her. Knowing that Falcone was on Dent's tail, Gilda faked Harvey's death by appearing to shoot him at point-blank range. When they were finally reunited, she explained how much she missed him, and that she now believed in Two-Face as well as Harvey Dent. Feeling betrayed and manipulated, Two-Face tried to kill her, but hesitated, only to be stopped by Batman. To save Harvey, she shot Batman with a .22, knocking him out and allowing them both to escape. Her ultimate fate remains unknown, and Dick even expressed doubt that she was in fact the real Gilda Dent.[14]

New 52Edit

In the New 52 reboot, Gilda is a socialite that Bruce Wayne introduces to Harvey at a graduation party. She is killed in front of Harvey by Erin McKillen.

Other versionsEdit

FlashpointEdit

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Harvey Dent has a wife and twin children. When the Joker kidnaps Dent's children, Mrs. Dent is emotional while her husband asks Thomas Wayne (the Batman of this timeline) for help in their search.[15]

In other mediaEdit

FilmEdit

A Victorian era version of Gilda appears briefly, without dialogue, in the animated adaptation of Gotham by Gaslight.

Gilda appears in the two part animated film Batman: The Long Halloween, voiced by Julie Nathanson.[16] In this version of events, Gilda takes the blame as the Holiday Killer, motivated by her anger at the Falcones after she had a past relationship with Alberto that ended with Falcone ending the marriage and forcing Gilda to get an abortion of her and Alberto's child.

TelevisionEdit

A character analogous to Gilda, Grace Lamont, appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Murphy Cross. In the episode "Two-Face", she is D.A. Harvey Dent's fiancée. Alongside Dent's best friend Bruce Wayne, she watches helplessly as Dent loses his grip on sanity while going after gangster Rupert Thorne. After Dent is disfigured and becomes Two-Face, Thorne plots to use Grace against his new rival. A couple of Thorne's men disguise themselves as police officers and offer Grace a handheld tracking device, in case Two-Face ever approaches her. Two-Face eventually does, bringing her to his lair and wearing a scarf to cover his scars. She nearly succeeds in persuading Two-Face to reform, when Thorne's men show up, revealing that Grace inadvertently betrayed him. Nevertheless, Grace helps Batman and Two-Face fight off Thorne's men, and remains by his side as he is taken into custody with Thorne.

MiscellaneousEdit

Grace returned to animated continuity in the comic series The Batman and Robin Adventures issues # 1 and # 2, where the Joker manipulates Two-Face into thinking that Grace and Bruce are having an affair.[17] Two-Face abducts her and tries to kill Robin, but is ultimately thwarted when Grace jabs the jagged edge of the scarred coin into the disfigured side of his face. The story ends with the implication that their relationship is now damaged beyond repair.

Grace appears again in The Batman and Robin Adventures issue #22, in which Two-Face's life is thrown into chaos when he loses his coin during an unplanned breakout from Arkham Asylum, and is forced to replace it with a quarter. Little Jonni Infantino, the mastermind behind the breakout, threatens to hurt Grace if Two-Face doesn't provide information on one of Rupert Thorne's thugs, Weird Tony Hendra, whom Two-Face prosecuted as Harvey Dent.

[your-frenchblondgirl]

Marvel's Loki: 12 Easter Eggs, Hidden Meanings, & Plot Details From Trailer

The God of Mischief is up to no good again.

Marvel President Kevin Feige unveiled the first in-depth look into Tom Hiddleston's debut solo series, Loki, which will follow the consequences of the 2012 version of everyone's favorite horned anti-hero as he makes a timeline-disrupting escape. From references to other Asgardians to apocalyptic alternate futures, Loki's trailer is full of hints to the show's mysterious plot.

Without further adieu, let's break it all down. Here are 12 things from the Loki trailer — including Easter eggs and hidden references — that you (probably) missed.

Endgame Effects

The first 25 seconds of the trailer contextualize where we are, and how we got here.

To recap, Avengers: Endgame's time heist was not a perfect mission. When the team of Tony Stark, Captain America, Hulk, and Ant-Man travel to the events of 2012's The Avengers, they successfully obtain the Soul and Mind Stones without problem, but fail to capture the Space Stone. After being knocked aside by an irate Hulk (stairs!), the Tesseract pops out of its briefcase, landing at Loki's shackled feet. Behaving like a true God of Mischief, Loki picks up the cube and dips through a portal.

From there, our solo series begins.

Iron Man Callback

Loki crash lands in a desert, located in what appears to be Mongolian-era China, considering the attire of the three people that approach him. Desert crash landings are no stranger to the MCU, as fans will recognize this moment as emulating Tony Stark's crashed escape from the Ten Rings' cave in Mark I of the Iron Man suit.

Owen Wilson

He may not have looked like him, but he sure sounded like him.

Owen Wilson makes his first appearance as a character that goes unnamed on-screen, but closed captions reveal him to be Mobius M. Mobius. What a name! Mobius does not have a rich comic history, but he has been involved in the prosecution of the Fantastic Four before. Interesting timing, don't you think?

Mobius takes a shackled Loki down an elevator, saying he's bringing him somewhere to talk. Loki, donning a Time Variance Authority prison jumpsuit, claims he doesn't like to talk, but Mobius immediately calls his bluff.

Here, Loki is a prisoner of the TVA for his time crimes. This group of timeline FBI officers are tasked with ensuring that everything operates as planned. When 2012 Loki escaped with the Tesseract, he essentially broke the timeline laws, and is now being remprimanded for it.

The Minutemen Meet Mysterious Figure

The TVA's cybernetic police force make their first appearance in what looks to be ancient China. Known as the Minutemen, these guys are tasked with carrying out TVA laws and directly deal with individuals that have interfered with the flow of time.

Here, the Minutemen are searching for someone, or something, in a past time period. If it is indeed ancient China, this would put it at the same location Loki crash landed into at the beginning of the trailer.

While the Minutemen execute their search, a mysterious cloaked figure drops a lantern on surrounding grass, and the smoke brings at least one Minuteman to his knees. There's no telling who this mystery man is, but if reports are to be believed, it could be Jonathan Majors's Kang the Conqueror debuting ahead of his lead antagonist role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Kang has been rumored to be introduced in Loki for months, and there seems to be more tangible evidence of his existence in future frames.

More on that later.

"Glorious."

The MCU is stacked with notable quotes, but there's no one that delivers a Shakespearean line quite like the God of Mischief.

In just one word, Loki calls back to his character-defining statement from 2012's The Avengers: "I am Loki, of Asgard. And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Oh, and this line is uttered in Stark Tower. Evident by the particular mirror design, it looks like Loki will return back to the timeline he escaped from.

The Three Faces of the TVA

Twice in this trailer we see three figures displayed in an area of prominence.

The three faces first appear behind Gugu Mbatha-Raw's high-ranking TVA executive, who is presiding over Loki's trial. The faces appear once again a couple of frames later, this time attached to full-scale bodies in the form of massive statues.

The faces have been speculated to belong to the Time-Keepers, three time-travelers who head the TVA. The trio, and the TVA organisation, have had disputes with none other than Kang the Conqueror, often fighting over temporal territory across the universe. Loki's timeline meddling might have disrupted Chronopolis, Kang's metropolitic city of conquest that combines all eras of the Conqueror's rule. If Kang is indeed an enemy of the TVA and Loki meddled with his city, Loki's may be in for a whole world of hurt.

Flashback Failures

Wilson's Mobius shows a shackled Loki footage of the God of Mischief's 2012 failed conquest of Earth, to which Loki disapproves. This could begin Loki's identity stuggles, which will be a central theme of the series.

Similar to how General Ross showed the Avengers their past destructions in Captain America: Civil War, it's likely that Mobius is taking Loki on an unpleasant trip down memory lane.

What will be particularly interesting is if Mobius shows Loki future events that he is unaware of. Remember, this Loki has only lived up until 2012's Avengers, so he has not experienced anything from Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Infinity War, and beyond. What if Mobius shows Loki that he did in fact get the Asgardian throne at the end of The Dark World? How will Loki react to watching Thanos choke the life out of him in Infinity War's opening act?

Roxxcart... Roxxon?

Loki is seen with the Minutemen embarking on a mission inside a supermarket.

'Roxxcart' is prevalent throughout the aisles and entranceways, making this location all the more intriguing. Fans will recognize the 'Roxx-' prefix as attached to the Roxxon Energy Corporation, a company that is prevalent on the Marvel comic page. Roxxon has been engulfed in some shady business in the comics, and has been teased to appear in live-action before. If this supermarket is under the Roxxon banner, Loki might have just gained a massive conglomerate adversary.

Upon entering Roxxcart, the Minutemen hold a man at taser-point, though it's unclear if he's their target or simply an innocent shopper. All the while this is going on, the cloaked figure from earlier in the trailer watches from security footage.

Mephisto

Mobius and a Minuteman approach a young boy in a church. The boy offers an object to Mobius, which he accepts. As the two speak, a notable stain-glass window sits behind them. The window depicts a devil-like figure sitting royally, with many speculating this could be the extra-dimensional demon, Mephisto.

Let's start deep diving into speculation.

Considering Loki takes place in a branched timeline and will utilize time travel as an integral plot device, it's fair to assume we will not only visit the past, but also the futures.

Dystopian futures.

We speculated in the WandaVision trailer breakdown that Mephisto would play an integral role to Scarlet Witch's series. Let's run with the idea that Mephisto is not only in WandaVision, but is defeated. Could this tribute-like window indicate this takes place in a future where Mephisto wins?

In the comics, Mephisto spans centuries, popping up in the earliest days of Marvel lore. What if this scene is in the past, when Mephisto was worshipped as some form of god-like figure? There is no telling how Mephisto will factor in to any MCU projects, but if he does indeed debut in WandaVision, this mural becomes a lot more interesting.

Avengers Tower in Ruins

Remember what I said about exploring dystopian futures? This frame gives us our strongest indication that that is a tangible possibility.

Here, stands alone in what is presumed to be Central Park. Around him are jagged ruins of collapsed skyscrapers, complete with overgrown grass indicating that some time has passed since this destruction occurred. Still standing somewhat upright in the skyline is none other than the Avengers Tower in rough shape.

These ruins likely take place some time after Avengers: Age of Ultron, considering the famous Marvel tower has a closer resemblance to its Avengers' style than its original Stark model. Could this be a future where Thanos wins, and humanity gives up on solving it? Or better yet, what if this is Ultron's success story?

Clean-Cut Loki

A suit and sunglassed Loki boards an aircraft looking a lot more like Tom Hiddleston than the God of Mischief we're used to.

Loki is likely undercover here, or at least does not want to be recognized. From here, he jumps out of the plane, calling for Heimdall to time the Bifrost just right to prevent him from falling to his death, like Black Widow (too soon?).

His appearance resembles that of D.B. Cooper, a mysterious man that held a plane hostage, took its passengers' money, and leaped from the plane, never to be found. Could Loki be placing himself in key historical moments?

It is unclear if Idris Elba will return as the Bifrost's gatekeeper in the series, but it is worth noting that Elba has expressed interest in portraying Heimdall again.

Vote for Loki

The final shot of the trailer features a suited up Loki complete with a new horned crown and a 'LOKI FOR PRESIDENT' pin.

The God of Mischief is joined by armed warriors from different time periods, who quickly turn their weapons to the titular character. It is possible that Loki has been gathering some form of an army every instance that he travels through time, and this is the band of misfits he came up with.

Let's talk about that presidential pin!

It remains to be seen whether or not Loki is running a legitimate campaign or if the pin is just for show, but sign me up for an alternate future that sees Loki in the oval office.

While we covered as much as we caught, there's always more information to be found. Speculation has run wild about a possible Black Widow appearance in the trailer, and new findings are surfacing seemingly by the minute.

Loki is set to stream on Disney+ in May 2021.

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