#yes technically its a different name BUT ITS CONNECTED

[lordny-of-the-lake]

“Roxanne, we cannot keep giving you new protege animatronics.” “Well, this one is broken.” She shoved the bot forward, its lifeless body falling to the floor. The management representative took a hurried step backward, unease crossing his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and used his foot to slide the ruined bots head away from him.

“We talked about this. You need to not destroy Pizzaplex property, it’s costly and then you’ll have to be shut down and scrapped. After this, no more new bots. Okay?” The representative turned to a STAFF bot behind him, watching as it picked up the robotic corpse of what had once been a very small dust-orange fox. Its limbs were barely held together by a mismatched mess of wires that looked ready to snap.

...

“I have a bot for you to fix. Try a cat model. If it breaks again, scrap it.” The representative watched as the techie on duty turned around, bright blue hair a mess of curls and grease. “And get rid of that mess on the table.” The representative motioned to the pink bot in the ‘fix-it box’. The techie nodded and cleared a space for the bot's body to be placed.

“Right, let’s take a look at this…”

  New fic y’all 👀

[tofixtheshadows]

Hello, op! While I do find your reading of Kabru’s self sacrifice and how little he eats really good, im curious why you consider him the deuteragonist? He is a foil to the protagonist yes, but still a supporting character.

I think its pretty clear Marcille is the second most important character in DM, and her story has much more weight than Kabru’s.

Hello! I've mentioned this on my blog before, but I actually consider Marcille and Kabru to both be deuteragonists to Laios's protagonist. I just wasn't talking about Marcille in that post.

Technically this term is meant to be used in playwriting, and the Greek tradition at that, so I'm playing a little loosey goosey with semantics and my argument would sound different if I were writing an academic paper. But this is tumblr dot edu and I'm trying to get a point across on my little blog, and part of the idea of a deuteragonist is that they support the protagonist. "Secondary main character who has their own importance in the narrative while bolstering the protagonist" works well enough for my purposes.

I think Marcille and Kabru are both playing specific and complementary roles to Laios. Marcille is at his side, facilitating the A plot: namely, "save Falin", which requires Marcille's magic, and then Marcille's method of resurrection ropes Thistle in, so the continuation of "save Falin" necessitates confronting the Dungeon Lord and conquering the dungeon (the B plot).

Kabru only intersects with Laios, but he is tied from the beginning to the B plot- and with dragging basically everyone else into it. Actually, the fact that he brings in this extremely loaded B plot despite only having brief face time with the protagonist should be seen as significant. In a sense, Kabru represents the surface world and all its concerns.

Before I talk about that more, I want to continue with the complementary line of thinking and point out that Kabru and Marcille have very similar background motivations.

Laios wants to save his sister first and foremost, and it's only along the way that he starts to consider what he'd do with the responsibility of Dungeon Lord. Coming to the conclusion that he wants to create a home for disparate peoples to live in harmony has connective tissue to both Kabru and Marcille's desires.

Marcille is the only one in their party who starts out with a greater motivation other than saving Falin (Izutsumi is a special case, but she's ultimately along for the ride), one that she keeps hidden for a long time. Because she is a mage, and because she is driven by a very personal tragedy (my dad died; I am terrified of outliving everyone), she is looking for a miracle to bring the different races closer together.

Kabru comes from a background of personal tragedy as well, but it's also a far greater, more political tragedy than just the death of a parent. It is not a coincidence that Kabru is a brown boy from an exploited region that suffered despite and because of military intervention from a first-world power, nor that he was adopted by a white woman whose coddling/dehumanization of him represents the paternalistic oversight of these world powers.

Thus, Kabru's motivations are both personal and political: if they, the short-lived races, can finally access the secrets of the dungeons, then not only can they have agency in stopping tragedies like Utaya's, but it will also give them a greater power of self-determination.

Marcille and Kabru have both correctly identified and set themselves against a problem that is greater than saving the life of one girl, greater even than sealing this one dungeon.

Despite Marcille's hopes, there is no grand magic solution to this. Only small, slow, backbreaking, ordinary solutions, the kind you labor over in kitchens and bedrooms and throne rooms and meeting houses and hearths and negotiation tables. The kind you run a kingdom with.

There is a reason why Dungeon Meshi ends with Marcille and Kabru on either side of Laios's throne.

Okay: back to Kabru (under the cut).

I've talked about this a little before, but I'll reiterate here: I consider Kabru to be the counterweight to the back half of the story. In a very literal sense too, as he pulls the focus up from the depths to the surface not once, but twice. Dungeon Meshi builds itself on the premise that the traditional "dungeon" must function as an actual ecosystem, and the monsters in it are biological actors in that ecosystem and not merely magical obstacles independent of their environment. The first couple dozen chapters are focused on this. Like regular animals, monsters have needs and instincts and unique behaviors, and they can be killed and consumed as part of a food chain.

And then Kabru comes along and he reminds us that humans are also part of their own special ecosystem, with their own needs and instincts and unique behaviors, and that beyond the biological drive of the literal food chain there are also complex social issues influencing these behaviors (like capitalism). Tansu's visit with the governor introduced us to these ideas, but Kabru is the one who carries them.

The way he and his party break down Laios's party also serves an important function. I think most readers are so busy being shocked that Kabru is "so wrong" about our goofy boy Laios that they don't realize that he isn't actually wrong about anything (he's only missing the context of what drives Laios, which he admits to and is part of the reason why he pursues him). We've gotten only Laios's view of things so far, and Laios is pretty tunnel-visioned. The narrative, through Kabru, is telling the reader this is how our protagonist actually comes across to his community.

We like Laios because we are following his story from his inner circle. We know he's naive and struggles with people but that he has a good heart and is ultimately just a big silly guy who won't harm anybody if he can help it. But we only know that because we're seeing him with his inner circle, in his environment. Outside of the dungeon, Laios is anti-social to the point of rudeness; he misreads situations and misjudges people, he acts in ways that cause friction, and he accidentally aligns himself with people who make his whole enterprise look suspicious: a prominent half-foot community leader, a mysterious foreigner literally surrounded by spies, the disgraced daughter of a criminal who now has to shoulder the burden of her father's reputation, and an elf in a land where there are no elves. And they seem to be very good at what they're doing. Yet this whole time, Laios acts as if he doesn't care about profit or taking the kingdom, the only logical reasons why anyone on the Island would gather up such a party and throw themselves into this death pit day after day.

Yeah of course Kabru finds this suspicious and interesting. Of course people don't know what to make of Laios. This all reiterates the question that Zon the orc already raised: What will you do, Laios, if you defeat the Mad Mage? If you gain control of all of this? Can you be a leader? Laios himself doesn't know yet.

This is all necessary context for our protagonist and the journey he has to go on, and it's fittingly brought up by the most socially adept character, who is so concerned with human ecosystems and the bigger picture of the dungeon. There is a reason why Kabru, as a character, is connected to large webs of people as he moves throughout the narrative: his own party, Toshiro's party, the Canaries, the denizens of the first floor of the dungeon.

Kabru is responsible for bringing Toshiro down to Laios's party. Toshiro is not a big mover and shaker in the story itself, but his confrontation with Laios is a huge part of Laios's character arc. His detour down to the lower levels also allows Izutsumi to escape and join Laios's party later.

We also have this very important moment:

It shows the first inkling- to the audience, to Kabru, and to Laios himself- that Laios is willing to do a painful, necessary thing to protect other people, that he won't just allow them to become collateral for his sister/monsters. That he can listen, and that he can assess a situation beyond his personal feelings. Again, fittingly, big-picture-thinker Kabru is the catalyst for this.

And then, not content to leave him as merely a device for Laios's character growth, the focus slingshots back up to the surface, and we follow Kabru.

The Canaries were going to go into the dungeon soon anyway, and they were always going to stir up the crowd in order to lure Thistle to them. Unless Thistle had given up right then and managed to slip away, the story could have very easily ended here:

Falin, immobilized and surrounded by Canaries, would have certainly been killed, and there would have been no way to ever resurrect her. Thistle would have been neutralized. The dungeon would have been taken by the elves, and anyone they could get their hands on would have been imprisoned at best. And maybe the dungeon would have been managed safely ... or maybe something would have gone wrong, and more lives would have been lost. Remember: the Canaries arrived in Utaya one year before the tragedy.

This is a huge moment that changes Laios's life forever, and he doesn't even know it. Kabru single-handedly keeps the story on course by sabotaging the Canaries, and he does it not just for Laios's sake, but for everyone's sake. For his friends and companions in the dungeon and everyone else outside it. Laios is a part of his motivation, a key player in Kabru's hopes, but Kabru has his own desires, his own agenda. He's trying to change the world. In a way, he succeeds. And while the Canaries might wish it were otherwise, as an entity in the narrative they are always anchored to Kabru's character. The two forces collide because of Kabru. The unsealing of the Winged Lion and Marcille's emergency ascension to Dungeon Lord happen indirectly because of Kabru.

While I have talked so much already that I don't want to give a detailed breakdown of it, I do want to mention Kabru's unique interiority as a character. That is to say: we see the inside of Kabru's head more than anyone else. Every character in the main ensemble gets their own moments of inner monologues or fifteen minutes in the limelight, but for Kabru, it's constant. He's always thinking, talking, narrating. His POV chapters always stand out for how first-person they feel compared to most others.

Notably, the only other character I could compare that to is Marcille, specifically during the dungeon rabbit debacle and her ascension afterward, which is when she really takes center stage as a character.

I hope I've explained my reasoning without becoming too insufferable.

To cap off my thoughts with a nod to my original post, I cannot stress enough how significant it is, thematically, that Kabru's relationship with food is the inverse of Laios's. It isn't just that Laios is the main character in a story about cooking monsters and Kabru happens to be his monster-hating foil. The artistic choice to deny the reader the visual of this character ever enjoying food, and only ever putting it in his mouth in situations where it hurts him, in a manga that gives so much attention to eating and the pleasures of meals, cannot be understated.

[pumpkinsy0]

MLP OUTSIDERS AU????

yknow what,,,ill take a stab at this one and air out what i wanna say☝🏽☝🏽

•im actually debating making the shepards actual like ponys and not a different species, like a zebra which ik was like supposed to mean that theyre like from africa but like damn near everyone from haiti has descendents from africa so its not that far fetched man, also bc of the way ppl treated zecora when she came into town???yea,,,,the shepards,,,,

•the shepards do have powers technically btw, maybe they use something inspired by haitian vodou or somethin

•what if,,,,pony didnt have his cutie mark yet and thats part of him just being a late bloomer

•speaking of the curtis bros, theyre all different types of ponies, ponys an earth pony, sodas a pegasus, darrys an unicorn, their mom was a pegasus and their dad was a unicorn, ponys the mlp equivalent of having a mermaid mom and minotaur dad but only getting the human bits of both

•pony feels a bit upset being an earth pony cause wym mfs can do magic and fly and all he got is strength??? mannnn fuck off, BUT, steve,dallas, two bit n johnny r also earth ponys so hes not lonely

•he doesnt get made fun of for being an earth pony in the GANG, but being an earth pony beside his BROTHERS??? LMFAOOOOO, i wouldve been so heated 😭😭

•ik ponys teased for being a pony called pony bc ppl think his parents just didnt have a name for him, thats like a human being called human, so his name isnt used much and he has a nickname instead

•the way soda flies is like a dragonfly, his wings can flap rlly fast and he can fly a lil close to ur face while talking so u hear him better

•ok im not gonna say his cutie mark is like cars or whatever bc its NOT, hes that pony where yes he has a cutie mark, but hes more into his hobby

•johnny doesnt have his cutie mark bc hes just hasnt had that opportunity to explore himself yet</333, but i do think pony and johnnys lack of a cutie mark does get them to connect in a way nobody else in the gang rlly can!!

[cosmererambles]

Kelsier and Anti-Social Personality Disorder: An Essay

Thank you sooo much for editing this @ladyartichokie! You were a massive help!

Kelsier Essay

I hope the dear reader will forgive my use of a proper noun as I write this essay; it removes somewhat of a formal aspect from its words but I must admit, it does come from a personal place of my heart. While this essay is meant to be persuasive, it’s also meant to be constructive and to drive a point home that I have been musing on for quite a while. This essay has major spoilers for the entirety of the Cosmere. If you haven’t read up to SP3, please refrain from reading this.

In the endless expanses of the Cosmere, there are hundreds of characters whom many hold dear and just as many whom people hate. You could say this is due to the brilliance of the author, who, despite his busy schedules and near constant time spent behind a keyboard, finds time to sign sheets and answer questions. Why is signing sheets and answering questions relevant to beloved and reviled characters? Read on.

Brandon Sanderson answers hundreds of questions, many of whom are inane, innocuous, or silly. Some are deeper, others delve into the basis behind some of his choices while writing. Still others pertain to characters. We get to the meat of it. This particular character is known, through the writing, as a brutal man, who let nothing stand in the way of his goal, who, while cleaving the noble class of his society in twain, uplifted the peasants and upended the thousand-year reign of his deity and ruler. Yes, we’re talking of Kelsier, the Survivor of Hathsin, hero of the Final Empire, and a character that leaves many people puzzled.

Reddit forums are frequented by questions about him. r/Mistborn and r/Cosmere alike have had their fair share of debates, and there was one thing I noticed in many of these: they take the words of Sanderson very, very seriously. Why shouldn’t they? He’s the author, is he not? Back in 2013, Sanderson had a Q&A session where someone asked him who his most disturbing character was. The WoB is as follows:

I_are_pant

1.Which of your protagonist characters do you dislike the most as a person? Taking in account that you know all of their inner secrets and motivations. 2. On the flip side, which of your antagonists do you connect with the most? The Lord Ruler seems an obvious choice as he was misunderstood by everyone for so long. But still, I’m curious.

Brandon Sanderson  This is a tough one, as while I’m writing, I HAVE to like everyone. However, the most disturbing of them is probably Kelsier. He’s a psychopath—meaning the actual, technical term. Lack of empathy, egotism, lack of fear. If his life had gone differently, he could have been a very, very evil dude.

 This Word of Brandon has had a decided effect on the fandom, namely in the fact that critical thought surrounding Kelsier, his motives, his struggles, and his successes, has all but been erased. He has been branded a psychopath, and there is nothing anyone can say against it.

The word “psychopath” is a very negatively charged word. To preface things, I want to be clear that this essay is going to refer to “psychopathy” as Antisocial-Personality Disorder. The term psychopath is very old, and largely refers to individuals with this particular disorder. The traditional definition of psychopath is someone who both lacks a conscience and lacks empathy.

Through this essay, I plan to painstakingly showcase that Kelsier fits neither the outdated term nor the criteria for the actual disorder, through canon book citations. I will break down each diagnostic criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (Henceforth shortened to ASPD) and Kelsier’s character traits at large. I wish to not only prove Brandon wrong (It is a very old WoB and I doubt very much he still believes this.) but to prove to the fandom at large that Kelsier is a good man. A flawed man, but a good man. I will also note specific character traits that I feel are of note in discussing him, his motives, and his current ideologies.

(Please note that there are plenty of individuals with ASPD that are not bad people. Your actions make you bad, not your mental health. I will be using terms such as “bad” and “wrong”, but this is in regards to a fictional character, NOT a real life human being.)

Antisocial Personality Disorder is a disorder characterized by the DSM-V as a Cluster-B personality disorder. It shares its family with Narcissistic, Borderline, and Histrionic disorders, and is characterized by a “continuing disregard and violation of the rights of others, occurring since the age of fifteen. To be diagnosed with ASPD, you must show a pattern of three or more of the following characteristics:

·         Failure to Conform with Laws and Social Norms

·         Deceitfulness (Repeated lying or conning of others for personal profit or pleasure.

·         Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.

·         Irritability or Aggressiveness (Repeated physical fights or assaults.)

·         Reckless disregard for the safety of others.

·         Consistent irresponsibility. (Failure to keep a job or honor financial obligations.

·         Lack of remorse.

Psychopathy is a term that was coined before this disorder was identified and refers specifically to a person lacking in both empathy and a conscience. The term is still widely used today, along with the term Sociopath, often interchangeably. For this essay, I’ll be largely relying on the psychiatric standards set in the DSM-V.

With this in mind, let’s jump into the criteria necessary for one (In this case, Kelsier) to be diagnosed with ASPD. While Kelsier waits in the waiting room, rather annoyed, let’s overview his case file. I will be pulling The Final Empire (TFE), Secret History (SH), and Eleventh Metal (EM). To make things clearer, I am using the Arcanum Unbounded version of SH and EM.

Failing to Conform with Laws and Social Norms

“Yes, he pocketed the gemstones in the vault, but that was more out of pragmatism than anything else.” (SH)

“Individual must show a pattern of Failing to conform with laws and social norms.” This one is tricky, as we are speaking of a fictional character in a brutal society hell bent on slaughtering those like Kelsier. Him becoming a thief was his way of surviving. While a thief, he was known as trusting, fair, just, and great to work with. When speaking to Vin after saving her from Camon’s beating, he explains just what sort of thief and crew leader he is, which puzzles her for quite a few pages as she notices the level of trust he places in other people.

“…Well Dox and I, we’re scavengers too, we’re just a higher quality scavenger. We’re more well bred, you might say-or perhaps just more ambitious.” (Chapter 3, page 56, TFE). After Clubs leaves in a huff, Yeden exclaims that he has to be dealt with, and Kelsier shuts him down.

“You’re just going to let him go?” “…I don’t work that way, Yeden. I invited Clubs where I outlined a dangerous plan-one some people might even call stupid. I’m not going to have him assassinated because he decided it was too dangerous. If you do things like that, pretty soon nobody will come listen to your plans in the first place.” (chapter 4, page 80, TFE).

Clubs, upon his return, remarks he’s heard that Kelsier would never use emotional allomancy to sway someone to his side. “You’re a smoker Clubs. He couldn’t do much to you, not if you didn’t want him too.” “I don’t like Soothers…Men like that…well you can’t trust you aren’t being manipulated when they are around. Copper or no copper.” “I wouldn’t rely on something like that to get your loyalty.” “So I’ve heard.” (Chapter 5, page 87, TFE).

If we mark his thieving and conning as a pattern in this trope, we also have to mark it against Doxson, Hammond, Breeze, Vin, and Clubs, not to mention hundreds of other Skaa and half-skaa that are just trying to live. Thus, this particular criterion is being ignored due to the outstanding circumstances of the Final Empire and how it was run.

Deceitfulness for Profit or Pleasure

“And the third…well, that was Kelsier’s favorite. It involved a tongue coated with zinc. Instead of a knife it used confusion, and instead of prowling it worked in the open.” (SH)

As a con-artist and thief, Kelsier throughly enjoys his trade. He made it a mission in life to con his way to the top of the thieving world, becoming the most “Infamous crewleader in Luthadel” (Chapter 5, page 89, TFE). He loved terrifying the Ire out of their possessions and the orb of Investiture. The man enjoys his profession in life; he didn’t fall into it out of necessity or trick. He even states, in narration of his own in the Eleventh Metal, that when he Snapped as a Mistborn, he immediately gravitated towards Zinc and Brass, as they could “manipulate other people’s emotions.” (Eleventh Metal, page 159). “We’re thieves, gentlemen- and we’re extraordinarily good ones. We can rob the unrobbable and fool the unfoolable…” (Chapter 4, page 75, TFE). That being said, he doesn’t lie to his crewmembers. (Ghostblood’s are a bit different, and I’ll get to that later.) He is upfront and honest with his crew members, never expecting them to go into something without all the information. He has never used emotional allomancy to manipulate his friends. “Despite what Breeze says, it’s bad manners to use emotional Allomancy on your friends.” (Chapter 11, page 212, TFE).

His dealings with the Ghostbloods get a little trickier. I do not think lying to them about having powers has anything to do with profit or pleasure, more, it has to do with his position and what he is. A little mystery aids his position, and I’m sure those closest to him know quite well he lacks powers. 

To sum it up, Kelsier does meet this criterion. He enjoys the con, lives for it.

Impulsivity with a Failure to Plan Ahead

“Oh hell,” Kelsier said. “There’s actually a God?”“Yes.”Kelsier decked him. (SH) Impulsiveness, in regards to ASPD, is described as someone who is not only impulsive, but also fails to plan ahead. To quote the exact text. “Impulsivity with a failure to plan ahead.” They lack any way of preparing for large tasks or what they are going to do in the future. In regards to Kelsier, he can certainly be impulsive. Heat of the moment decisions is one of his major strengths, along with one of his major flaws. He’s fond of brash decisions against those he deems slighted him or others (Punching Leras/Ruin in Secret History.) He will jump headlong into danger in order to save those in helpless situations. (Running to save the army, only to be stopped by Vin.) His foray into Kredik Shaw could be called impulsive, though I read it as him believing that since he didn’t plan at all, there was no way he could be betrayed, as had happened last time. Him taking Vin was certainly a foolish choice, though I wouldn’t call it impulsive.

Speaking of his impulsiveness, other characters are aware of it as well. Vin, inspecting the crates that will be shipped to the caves, says that “Even the new, more responsible Kelsier was an impulsive man.” upon learning he planned to go to the caves with Yeden to inspect the army. (Chapter 20, page 331, TFE).

His slaughter of the noblemen and women in the town of Longsfellow after they murdered a young girl could be seen as impulsive. He did it without regard for their plan,  which angered Mare.

That being said, Kelsier does not fit this criteria, despite being an impulsive man, as he does not fail to plan ahead. All of Kelsier’s life as a thief was nothing but planning; job after job, all planned out and discussed with his friends/crewmates.

“It was an unfamiliar experience for him. [faltering/indecision] He’d always had a plan, before. Plans upon plans…” (Eleventh Metal, page 152).

“…all those plans, all of those heists, all of his grand visions.” (Eleventh Metal, page 164).

Beginning in Eleventh Metal, Kelsier forms his plan that we see enacted in The Final Empire. Specifically, this line. “Nobody fights, he thought, Nobody thinks they can fight. But they’re wrong. We can fight…I can fight.” (Eleventh Metal, page 165). “A plan began to bud, a plan he barely dared consider for its audacity. Vengeance. And more.” (Eleventh Metal, Page 169).

This plan carries us into the main narrative of The Final Empire. Every major event, barring a few hiccups, is fully orchestrated by Kelsier. He planned for the House War, long before he sat down with his friends and discussed it in Club’s Shop. The beginnings of it were at Trestings Plantation, where he “stirred up a little trouble.” (Prologue, page 12, TFE).

His death, at the end of the novel, was part of a plan; hidden deep under other sets of plans, a hidden leaf of paper among many: A plan to get the Skaa to rise up.

I doubt I need to fully list all of Kelsier’s planning and plotting throughout the books; it’s extensive and would fill several sheets of paper. While we can all agree that Kelsier is an impulsive man, I believe a suitable picture has been drawn up that proves that he doesn’t fit this particular criteria.

Irritability or Aggressiveness

“He’d been in street brawls before, but not many. He’d tried to avoid them-brawling had been an old habit of Dockson’s. For once, he wished he’d been less refined in that particular area.”

Kelsier’s anger throughout the first novel, and indeed Eleventh Metal, is mostly internal. In Eleventh Metal, he doesn’t lash out at Gemmel, despite the man deserving it. He instead focuses that anger on other, more deserving targets. Through most of the novel, he’s rather numb, incapable of any emotion, until he finds the Skaa, hanging up and nearly flayed from the experiments at Shezler’s hands. He murders Shezler brutally with a shard of glass punched to the throat. (Eleventh Metal, page 167). His actions with Hoid in the Well of Ascension could certainly be touted as aggressive, however I disagree with this line of thinking, for reasons I’ll outline in greater detail later in the essay. (Part 2, Chapter 1, page 231, SH)

“Kelsier kept smiling. He’d do so until it felt natural. Until that numbness, tied in a knot within him, started to unravel and he began to feel again. If that was possible.” (Eleventh Metal, page 149).

“…the only thing he could feel these days was rage, and that rage couldn’t guide him.”

Irritability generally means lashing out at those around you. Kelsier doesn’t do that. He gets his angriest towards “friends” in the caves, when manipulating Bilg to speak of his doubts. Diction is very important here. Kelsier wanted Bilg to die for speaking against him. (Something that was, unfortunately, very common in military groups in prior eras (of Earth). It was labeled as treason, and execution was the usual punishment.) “Kelsier paused. This man should die, he thought angrily. On the ground, Bilg groaned quiestly. Kelsier could just barely see his twisted arm, its bone shattered by the powerful strike. It was bleeding.   No, Kelsier thought. This is enough.” (Chapter 21, Page 351, TFE).

Note that, despite his anger and irritation, he changes his mind quickly. The heat of the moment, the trauma of being back in caverns similar to the ones he was tortured in, the looming threat of their deaths drawing ever closer, got the better of him, and he stoppered it.

Despite Vin disobeying him many, many times, following him, and contradicting him, Kelsier never snaps at her. When he catches her following him to Kredik Shaw, he sits down and speaks to her. Yet more evidence is seen in his speaking with his brother. Marsh gets angry; Marsh snaps; We can’t deny him this. Yet Kelsier, despite his inner monologue saying that Marsh is the only one that can get under his skin, keeps his relative cool.

““Oh?” Marsh asked, tapping the word atium on the board. “Why the games, Kelsier? Why lead Yeden along, pretending to accept him as your ‘employer’? Why act like you care about the skaa? We both know what you’re really after.”             Kelsier clenched his jaw, a bit of his humor melting away. He always could do that to me.””(Chapter 7, Page 130, TFE).

During Secret History, though technically before the events of Eleventh Metal and The Final Empire, Kelsier kills seven people in retribution for murdering a girl for spilling tea. He remembers this as he wanders into the town of Longsfollow. You could definitely argue aggression in this case. (Part 4, Chapter 2, page 282, SH).

Kelsier does not fit this criteria. Random acts of aggression spaced throughout a lifetime of traumatic events and death at every corner are to be expected, and throughout it all, he’s a wonderful man to those around him; supportive, charitable, and loyal.

Reckless Disregard for the Safety of Others

“The best practice is doing.” Vin said. “My brother trained me to steal by taking me on burglaries.” Kelsier shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

Kelsier is shown to care, deeply, for the safety of those surrounding him. We don’t see much of it in Eleventh Metal, but we can assume, based on him helping the Skaa get out of the city at the end of the novella, that he cared for their safety.

In TFE, he is constantly aware of not only his crew’s safety, but his army’s as well. They walk a very fine line; one that, if broken, would result in their immediate deaths. Multiple lines of safeguards and protections, of smoke and mirrors, goes into making sure there is no chance of betrayal or accidental mis-step. 

“...Renoux nodded. Ostensibly we’re sending this all via canal barges to my plantation in the west. However, the barges will stop to drop off supplies–and many of the canalmen–at the rebellion caverns. The barges and a few men will continue on to keep upon appearances.” “Our soldiers don’t even know that Renoux is in on the plan,” Kelsier said, smiling. “They think he’s a nobleman that I’m scamming.” (Chapter 20, page 329, TFE)

The security of his troops, and indeed, all of their heads as well, was paramount. The three guards at the entrances at all times, were stationed to keep everyone in that cavern safe from potential betrayal. After they find Marsh “dead”, Kelsier sends the entire crew to the bolt lair before leaving for the Pits of Hathsin. He also tells them to send for Renoux, to tell him to pull out. This happened after a night of thought; it wasn’t an impulsive act.

Upon the attack on Vin’s former crew…

“Should we move our base?” Ham asked. Kelsier slowly shook his head. “When Clubs came to this lair, he would have worn a disguise to and from the meeting, hiding his limp…We should still be safe. (Abridged, Page 208, 11)

Upon finding Vin tailing him as he observed Camon’s hanging…

“What are you doing here?” “I wanted to see what you were doing!” “This could have been dangerous! What were you thinking?” (Abridged, 211, chapter 11)

Upon Kelsier catching Vin tailing him, beginning a back and forth about Kredick Shaw, and Vin deciding she’ll tail him regardless of what he says, Kelsier reads her thoughts. “I’m serious, Vin! You can’t go with me.” “Why not?” she asked, abandoning pretense. “If what you’re doing is so dangerous, wouldn’t it be safer if you had another Mistborn watching your back?” “You still don’t know all of the metals,” Kelsier said. “Only because you haven’t taught me.” “You need more practice.” “The best practice is doing.” Vin said. “My brother trained me to steal by taking me on burglaries.” Kelsier shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.” (page 241, 13)

Upon Vin awakening from her coma the second time…

“Vin,” Kelsier said hesitantly. “I owe you an apology. I nearly got you killed.” Vin snorted quietly. “It’s not your fault. I made you take me.” “You shouldn’t have been able to make me,” Kelsier said. “My original decision to send you away was the right one. Please accept the apology.” (Page 268, Chapter 16, TFE).

“I don’t want to be responsible for something happening to you, Vin. Not again.” (page 287, Chapter 17, TFE).

  Are there instances where he disregards the safety of others? He doesn’t care for noblemen. He certainly doesn’t care much for the Ire, though they were trying to forcibly take his God. Many people may argue he doesn’t care for those on Roshar, but this has never been explicitly mentioned in the novels; we hear from players that are literal lightyears away from Kelsier, operating under his orders but without his oversight: they can bend rules and hurt people without being chastised.

 Kelsier does not fit this criteria, as the above examples clearly illustrate he cares deeply for the safety of those under his wing.

Consistent Irresponsibility (Inability to hold a job, etc)

“A successful crewleader needs to know how to divide labor, especially on a job as big as this one.”

Throughout the novels, Kelsier has shown consistent responsibility. Before the novels take place, we know he led a successful crew of thieves to the point of massive wealth and infamy. After the Pits, he takes the downfall of the Final Empire under his wing, organizing and spearheading the entire operation on largely his own dime and merit. (It was a multi-headed approach, yes; without Dockson, many things would not have gotten done as well as they had with him, but this just showcases Kelsier’s ability to organize work well.) If we’re getting into the more psychological definition of responsibility (the feeling of being responsible for a person, place, or thing(s) wellbeing) he takes responsibility for the entire planet in Secret History, going so far as to cheating final death, taking up a shard for safe keeping, and giving it up, all to keep his planet, and those he loves, from Ruin.

Leading the Ghostbloods is similar to him leading his crew, only on a far wider and grander scale.

As for him being consistently irresponsible, it’s safe to say he doesn’t fit this. There are a few times when he makes brash decisions that could be labeled as irresponsible, but they fit being impulsive better, which is a trait we know he has.

Lack of Remorse

“Kelsier stood up, turning his back toward the sight. For all his cleverness, he’d gone and broken the poor girl’s heart. I must be the smartest idiot around, Kelsier thought.”

Probably one of the most contentious topics in the fandom is Kelsier’s feelings towards the nobles he kills. Chapter 5 into the beginning of Chapter 7, we are confronted with how he feels towards the men he kills in pursuit of his goal.

It is very safe to say, he doesn’t feel remorse for these men. It’s explained as he descends from the roof, pushing two guards off the balcony to their deaths. He’s angry, he’s determined, and has no pity for those who hold up the Final Empire, especially if their skaa. He does, however, feel remorse for hurting those he cares about; those he wants to protect. The best example of this is Vin: he feels terrible when she’s nearly killed because of his stunt at Kredick Shaw, he feels bad for how he spoke to her before he died, and he’s stricken by his actions in “killing” Elend in an effort for her to keep the power.

“Vin,” Kelsier said hesitantly. “I owe you an apology. I nearly got you killed.” Vin snorted quietly. “It’s not your fault. I made you take me.” “You shouldn’t have been able to make me.” (Chapter 16, page 267, TFE).

Note the actions at the beginning of this scene: “Kelsier was there when she awoke. He sat on the stool by her bed, hands clasped with his elbows on his knees, watching her by the faint light of a lantern.” (Chapter 16, page 267, TFE) Based on Sanderson’s word choice, it is safe to say he’s been watching her for hours, agonized. This is further cemented by a later observation by Vin. “What did one make of a world where a crewleader agonized over his people?” (Chapter 16, page 269, TFE).

He’s also broken up by how he spoke to the army, leading Yeden to “test” the army by striking against a nearby garrison. The entirety of page 419 showcases Kelsier’s thoughts and emotions about this, but I’ll break it up.

“He sat with hands clasped before him…” Remember when he was watching Vin? Similar behavior. “Kelsier shook his head. So many dead. They’d gathered nearly seven thousand troops before this fiasco, but now most of them lay dead. Yeden had apparently decided to “test” the army by striking at night against the Holstep Garrison. What had led him to such a foolish decision?” “Me, Kelsier thought. This is my fault. He’d promised them supernatural aid. He’d set himself up, had made Yeden a part of the crew, and had talked too casually about doing the impossible. Was it any wonder that Yeden had thought he could attack the Final Empire head on, considering the confidence Kelsier had given him? Was it any wonder the soldiers would go with the man, considering the promises Kelsier had made?” “Now the men were dead, and Kelsier was responsible…But, he couldn’t get over the twisting in his gut…the fact that they’d likely died expecting some sort of divine protection from Kelsier…that was disturbing.”

Kelsier fully feels the weight of hubris here, of the secret plan he’s been working on by himself the past few months, that we get a window into during his time in the caves. He feels terrible for what he caused, he fully understands that this was because of him. Safe to say, he feels remorse. You could say this is the comeuppance for his actions with Bilg.

 When witnessing the executions, Kelsier opens up about his remorse, as well.

 “I wish to the forgotten gods that those boys hadn’t died. Unfortunately, we can’t change that now—we can only use the opening they gave us.” (Chapter 26, page 439, TFE).

Kelsier does not want remorse; he’s full of it. He knows when to put it aside, however, and not let it flood him. Kelsier does not fit this criteria. 

Deep Dives Specific scenes in Mistborn are contentious, especially with Kelsier. I have gotten into many arguments with people whom I feel miss the point of the books, and because they have a grudge on a character, fail to see things from their perspective. Therefore, I’m going to go into these specific scenes, break them down, and lay them flat. Imagine it’s a UV Map of a 3D model; all little edges exposed so we can get a good look!

Kelsier and Bilg: Chapter 20 of TFE

Kelsier’s manipulation of Bilg is a key point in the evidence FOR him to be a psychopath, and I want to point out that while Kelsier had very good reasons for doing what he did, I am by no means saying he was moral in doing it. With that out of the way, let’s discuss WHY Kelsier manipulated Bilg into doing what he did, and the emotions that brought him to this point.

It’s not explained outwardly in the text, but Kelsier has some pretty major PTSD surrounding his time in the pits. He pauses before entering the crack, and uses this moment to impress the men; but inwardly he’s not enjoying having to enter this thin crack in the earth and delve into darkness. We get to hear his inner thoughts, but to all others, he’s putting on an act of confidence and bravado. (Pages 346, 347, 352, 353 of Chapter 21, TFE).

During the first tour of the caves, Kelsier is thinking of Mare, her betrayal, and it gets to be so much he asks Hammond to tell him “what he’s thinking about.” Hammond proceeds to ask him a question that seriously disturbs him.

The question, which was if Skaa are meant to be ruled over by the nobility, stayed with him the rest of the week, along with his darkened mood. He realizes, as he’s eating the feast at the end of his visit, that the skaa don’t really believe they can succeed. They need a symbol, a sign, and Kelsier decides to use himself as that symbol.

The reason he chose Bilg and his friends at the table was to scapegoat them into taking the proverbial L for the army. It was all to use his allomancy to empower Demoux and show them they can and will overpower the Final Empire. The reason BIlg had to die was the keep up appearances; those who question their commanding officers were executed. You can argue we don’t know enough about how a militia is ran in the Final Empire, or that it’s nothing like Earth’s military, but as it’s written by an Earth bound man with Earth bound references, I believe it’s a safe thing to assume. Kelsier, whom we’ve already discussed is an impulsive man, got caught up in the moment: his anger from the week spent cooped up in a cave that reminded of hell overcame him. He truly wanted Bilg to die in that moment. He superseded this thought process, reigned himself in, and let him live.

The morality of his actions here can be discussed, and no, it wasn’t ok to manipulate Bilg and Co’s emotions like that. It wasn’t ok to use them as a scapegoat. But I can sure see how it was necessary for a single man to be sacrificed in order to bolster several thousand.

Hoid in the Well: Secret History

When it comes to this scene, I won’t argue that Kelsier was being extra here. The man has been cooped up in a 5x5 spot for a long time, with no answers and seriously questioning his logic at becoming what he’s become. His only companion is an insane, unraveling god who barely speaks most times he “visits.” So when an actual man comes by, floating on what looks to be a corpse, Kelsier is immediately on edge.

All quotes are taken from pages 228 – 233, of Part 2, Chapter 1, of Secret History.

“ “Who are you?” Kelsier asked, stepping to the edge of his prison, eyes narrowed. “A spirit?” “Alas,” the man said, “death has never really suited me. Bad for the complexion, you see.” He studied Kelsier, lips raised in a knowing smile. Kelsier hated him immediately.” “

Seen from Kelsier’s perspective, this is a man that knows things and is holding back. This is a schemeing, conniving man, that is similar to the nobles he’s dealt with all his life. It doesn’t help that Hoid and Kelsier have similar personalities. Note Hoid’s words, “bad for the complexion.” A similar line is used by Kelsier at the very beginning of TFE. 

“Fieldwork hasn’t ever really suited me.” Kelsier said. “It’s far too hard on my delicate skin.” (Prologue, page 6, TFE).

“Got stuck there, did you?” the man said. “In Ati’s prison…” He clicked his tongue. “Fitting recompense, for what you did. Poetic, even.” “What I did?” “Destroying the Pits, O Scarred one. That was the only perpendicularity on this planet with any reasonable ease of access.” Kelsier has no idea what a perpendicularity is. Yes, he destroyed it. Did he know what he was doing on a grand scale? No. He was, to his knowledge, destroying the Empire’s main economic driver. Hoid treats him like a criminal when Kelsier was fighting against an unjust Empire, one that Hoid is very familiar with, having been to Scadrial before. Calling him names doesn’t help.

“Who are you?” Kelsier said. “I?” The man said. “I am a driver. A miscreant. The flame’s last breath, made of smoke at it’s passing.” “That’s…needlessly obtuse.” Well said, Kelsier. Hoid plays games, this we know from dealing with him in Stormlight. However, with Kaladin and Shallan he gives half answers, or none at all, in a playful, non-demeaning way. Here he’s laden with vitriol and spite, for no good reason. It gets worse.

“And you claim to not be dead?” “If I were, would I need this?” the Driver said, knocking his oar against the front of his small loglike vessel. [Kelsier notices Spanky for the first time, not knowing what a cognitive shadow just is yet.] “A corpse,” he whispered. “Oh Spanky here is just a spirit. It’s damnably difficult to get about in this subastral—anyone physical risks slipping through these mists and falling, perhaps forever. So many thoughts pool together here, becoming what you see around, and you need something finer to travel over it all.” “That’s horrible.” “Says the man who built a revolution on the backs of the dead. At least I only need one corpse.” Hoid is being ridiculous here. Yes, Spanky is a cognitive shadow, but as I’ve stated, Kelsier has no idea what that is. To his knowledge, this man is riding a corpse around. Hoid is also forgetting that the people Kelsier murdered were far less than innocent; Kelsier can make distinctions here. A rapist and murderer who regularly abuses his peasants is different from a corpse used to wade down a lake of thoughts.

Kelsier folded his arms. This man was wary—thought he spoke lightheartedly, he watched Kelsier with care, and held back as if contemplating a method of attack.

Note the diction here; Kelsier is reading Hoid’s body language as he should; Hoid is planning to use the well to gain purchase in the spiritual realm and take that bead of Lerasium. He isn’t planning anything wrong per se, but Kelsier has no way of knowing that. All Kelsier sees is a man preparing to attack.

“He wants something, Kelsier guessed. Something that I have, maybe? No, he seemed legitimately surprised that Kelsier was there. He had come here, intending to visit the Well. Perhaps he wanted to enter it, access the power? Or did he, perhaps, just want to have a look at the thing Beyond?”

Wrong guesses, but good ones all the same for an ignorant man. Hoid does want something. So far, Kelsier’s waryness is completely justified. He tries to be polite, asking a simple question. “Well, you’re obviously resourceful,” Kelsier said. “Perhaps you can help me with my predicament.” “Alas,” The Driver said. “Your case is hopeless.” Kelsier felt his heart sink. “Yes, nothing to be done,” the Driver continued. “You are, indeed, stuck with that face. By manifesting those same features on this side, you show that even your soul is resigned to you always looking like one ugly sonofa—" “Bastard!” Kelsier cut in. “You had me for a second.”

Instead of even offering Kelsier a crumb of help, he instead insults him, for…very little reason. Hoid rarely kicks people when they’re down; he instead punches up. We notice this with the Rosharan nobility. He doesn’t insult the peasant waitstaff. Why is he insulting Kelsier? There is no reason to do so; he’s just being an ass to be an ass. Kelsier hasn’t even mouthed off yet.

So far Hoid has treated him like an inferior, insulted him and been “needlessly” obtuse, all while showing suspicious body language. Is it any wonder Kelsier is on edge and ready to defend the Well? He knows it’s for Vin; he means to protect it until she can have it.

The two go back and forth for some time, speaking of Kelsier’s bastard nature, skaa versus nobility, and Hoid applying some (I believe it to be dor, but I’m not sure) glowing stuff to his oar. (in an effort to prevent it from de-manifesting). As they speak, Hoid edges closer to the well. Kelsier has been watching him this entire time.

He begins to ask a question again, despite Hoid’s rudeness. “Is there a way to escape this prison?” Kelsier asked. “How about this?” the Drifter said. “We’ll have an insult battle. Winner gets to ask one question, and the other has to answer truthfull. I’ll start. What’s wet, ugly, and has scars on it’s arms?” Another insult to an innocent question, and now Kelsier is very on edge. He’s obviously deflecting. So Kelsier decides to be as extra as possible in an effort to scare him away. Now, a cognitive shadow would, realistically, be as scary as an earthworm to Hoid if it’s not on Threnody, but Kelsier doesn’t know this. Which is why he brings out his “I’m-going-to-murder-you” routine that goes into lurid detail and leaves Hoid speechless. Kelsier even throws in a shrug.

Hoid then dives for the well, and Kelsier grabs him, determined to disable him, kill him, or just prevent him from doing whatever he wants to do in the well. Which leads to their fight, where Kelsier does zero damage to Hoid and Hoid proceeds to torture him incessantly as a “lesson.” He did not need to go as far as he did. If Hoid had been truthful with who he was, what he was after, and perhaps offered explanations, Kelsier would have been less inclined to act rashly. Instead, Hoid is needlessly obtuse, rude, mocking, condescending and tortures him.

It makes his words at the end of RoW amusing to me, as Hoid cheats in this fight and was the aggressor in every definition of the word. Hoid strikes first by the very fact he jumped for the Well. Kelsier was merely defending it.

“Deal with your own stupid planet, you idiot. Don’t make me come there and slap you around again.” (Chapter 115, page 1238, RoW).

To tie this long, rambling, and somewhat insane essay up, Kelsier is not a psychopath. He fits only one of the criteria, and only somewhat fits another. Since one needs to fit three of the traits in order to be diagnosed, the man is free from ASPD. Through the essay, I have showcased his empathy, his understanding, his patience, his trust, and his love of those around him. Hell, he says as much in Secret History when wandering, his soul cracking from loneliness. He’s a flawed man; he can be arrogant, egotistical, and impulsive, but he wants what is best for his people. No one can deny that.

[lazerswordweilder]

What, those aren’t in the same universe- yes they are. <<<the thoughts running through my head when I made a crossover of Marvel, Star Wars, Danny Phantom (Dannys stays in Amity and never leaves though, he literally just happens to become a halfa) and DC.

(Its important to note this was written in 2024)

A fact known to Anakin and Anakin alone is that Obi-Wan was reincarnated to take part in Star Wars. He was born in the year 1849 on earth, it was the earth we exist on today, only the future differs. His name was John Kyle, an archeologist who is a retired medic from a long forgotten war but also had unofficial diplomatic and fighting training from various tight spots. Years ago John found a child lying in the desert.

Anakin however has simple been alive all those years. He was born in a desert to a human mother captured by scientists ahead of their times, the experimented on her, and he was born from it. He lay on the desert dying for years, his unwelcome powers keeping him alive and suffering, this sparked his hatred, of the desert, of the sand, of the scientists. The only thing he remembered were his mother’s dying words “Anakin, you’ll- you’ll be so great, you’ll walk the skies.” as she succumbed to her wounds after giving birth, at least he remembers his name Anakin.

Anakin grew up under John, John becoming the father he never had. By the time he was 20 the war had ended but it scarred him, he never forgot the screams. By the time he was 25 he had stopped aging, blaming the scientists and not explaining his past to John out of fear of rejection. By the time he was 34 and John was 52 John thought he had connected the dots, his apprentice had stolen an artifact they’d both been hunting for and it had carried an ancient plage or power that slowed him down from aging! One day while exploring a volcano it turned active, John saw his chance and pushed the boy in and ran.

Anakin burnt alive, his anger roaring up inside of him the same time a natural portal to the ghost zone opened up in the volcano. Anakins eyes turned fire red, the blood in his veins turned to lava, his rage burnt hotter than the lava ever could. Anakin becomes an oxymoron, even beyond the fact he’s half alive half dead, he died in lava yet his weakness is water (guy never learnt how to swim, after being held underwater and nearly drowned he never really got over it), all ghosts hate what killed them and have weaknesses to it, Anakins death is his power. He takes on an apparence which is basically what he looks like normally but with fangs, sometimes his eyes reflect light or glow though, and when he gets mad his skin heats up, turning charred and what should be exposed flesh turns into lava below the charred skin, also his hair starts to turn to flame. Anakins obsession is revenge and his core is permanently stained with rage.

By the time Anakin gets out a grip on his powers World War 1 starts drafting with the year being 1914, Anakin (despite technically being dead) immediately decides that’s a good idea for blowing off steam and also a way to get actually military experience to murder John with. He hacks a comuptor and signs himself up, putting in his photo, his medical stuff, experience, and everything else on the form, then as he stares at the name box he remembers he’s meant to be dead, he choses a fitting name, Achilles. Achilles wrath matched Anakins rage, Achilles heel matched Anakins weakness to water, and hopefully Anakin will be able to bring the name Achilles some more modern glory.

He gets his dog tag and as sits in a cart heading to war with the rest of his team, Anakin runs his finger over the ingraving in it, careful not to melt it, Achilles. As bordom sets in he remembered other stories of ancient greek, more specifically Aphrodite Areia, Areia was an epithet meaning war like and it seperated Aphrodite Areia from her more commenly known version Aphrodite. He supposes he needs one to if there are to be two great Achilles, in his head he starts referring to himself as Anakin Achilles.

After 4 years at war and another year spent wandering the contry Anakin comes back to where he knows John is just to find out he died of old age around the time the war ended at 68, despite this being quite impressive despite modern medican Anakin promptly decides to go jump into another volcano. It is like a warm bath. But it cheered Anakin up- seriously, who knew volcanos were so nice when you weren’t burning alive?

After this he grabs the blackest clothes he can find and knows will be easy to move in, some fabric which he wraps around his face from nose to chin, tucks his dog tag safely into his clothes, and walked into the nearest bar he knew had shady dealing going on. He promptly intoduced himself as an assasin looking for training and gets pointed to a table full of tough looking people.

Two years later he’s been an assasin apprentice for years, under someone he thinks is called Ra Ah Ghoul. Anakin serves the guy for another 4 years despite thinking he’s kind of an asshole, then runs away. He’s learnt enough to avoid most of Ghouls traps and makes it out with a minor stab wound, he doesn’t really have organs anymore so he’s not worried.

He does take a moment to sit on someones roof top and stare at the stars, he thinks back to his first memories and remembers with a small laugh, the one you give when you’re shocked and in awe and a little breathless but happy, he knows his full name now, his birth name, Anakin Skywalker. He thinks fondly about it and feels like a child for the first time in years, staring up the the stars with the last thing his mother gave him, his name, just for a moment Anakins rage is fully forgotten.

Suddenly he feels to small, he looks down a sees the chubby hands of a baby, he actually physically blinks at that. He can work with this, his life is over due for a bit of normal anyways, he stores his dog tag (the only thing he has attachment to) inside his rib cage using a helpful bit of intangibility and floats down to the door step. He can hear a young, kind, childless couple inside.

Anakin- now named William, danced with his wife, Julia Lotis. He was so truely smitten with her and for the first time in so long he loved the domestic life style, Julia had finally quited the rage always simmering in his core, she was his Angel. He brought Julia in for a kiss and admired her, her long chocolate hair, her warm brown eyes that seemed like cozy fires during the winter rather then his uncontrolled rage. He swung her around in a circle and reached out to catch her when her eyes went wide, he caught her lifeless- pulseless- breathless- body and stared.

He stared at her for a long time, trying to hold back the cracks in his core, but it was like reading a book when the ending was so obvious. He conculded he was going to kill everyone within the city once he got out of shock, Anakin dropped his Angel to the floor, moving to the cupboard on autopilot, he grabbed his darkest clothes and put them on, the knifes he had hidden away just in case were quickly hidden in the folds of his outfit, he pulled out his dog tag, letting it’s reasuring weight lay heavy on his chest.

He walked all the way to Gotham, he didn’t even move as it hailed and stormed, as the ground shook and trees collapses. He walked to Metropolis, it was 1975, anyone who knew anything knew the Justice League was looking for new hires, he wasn’t looking for a job but if he could get to one of the interviews then he’d be immediately be recognised as a threat and subdued.

He stormed into the daily planet building where he knew at least Superman was holding interviews, he scared everyone out of the elevator with a death glare and walked straight into the room he could hear Superman talking in, he pushed open the door “Uh, interviews are over.” Superman abruptly paused, probably taking in Anakins disheveled and disassociating self, Anakin ignored the knife that dropped to the ground “Are you- here for an interview?” Superman asked. Anakin glared at him and jumped Superman as red over took his vision.

Anakin woke up in a cell, a wary Superman stood in front of him dripping his lava “If- you could’ve just said you had fire powers.” Superman said, Anakin sagged down into the chains and Superman looked at him for a second before realisation hit him “You weren’t here to show us your powers, you’re here so we could stop you.” Superman was suddenly no longer hesitant “Sounds like a hero to me, I think we’ve got your powers down, but if you want a spot in the League I only need your name.” It doesn’t take him a second to answer “Achilles.”

By 2002 it was doomsday, for the third time this month. The hero thing certainly wasn’t boring, and various other heros had helped Anakin gain an appreciation for technology, he was a technopath. Any

This is getting way too long, also I accidentally queued it so I’ll just reblog with more.

[wixelt]

Btw, I've been working to flesh out characterization and worldbuilding for the Player Culture AU but, due to that technically being a mostly completely seperate AU from Hermitphibia, I'm probably only going to update you where it's relevant as to not flood your inbox with unrelated lore. I've been mostly going through SMP's to see if they have anything lore relevant and seeing where it would apply.

...

So anyway, Pirates SMP Scar is almost explicitly HC8 Scar and also shares the name of his previous sailing ship with New life!Scar's plane and I think The Hermatrix may have done essentially the same thing to the Hermits' memories The Core did to Marcy's memories to ensure they were for the most part versions of themselves that wouldn't catch on to being in a simulations, with the exceptions of Doc and Ren, who were made into versions of themselves that would catch on quick. Yes, this is rather the big assumption to make based just on Scar having continuity, but it's either this or decanonising The Hermatrix.

It also goes to explain some of Season 8's weirdness as a whole and opens the season's lore up to be used again... just not in it's surrounding context. Mumbo is probably a formless shapeshifter with half a soul, but it probably isn't Grian's and he's probably been that way since before joining Hermitcraft. The reason The Hermatrix accounted for Pearl's connection to the moon is because of the subconscious memories she still had but hadn't recalled. Impulse eats rocks because he both is and isn't a dwarf due to existing in like two or three points of his life simultaneously. Pearl's megabyte resembles the human settlement in S9 because, well,

Tl;Dr: either The Hermatrix is explicitly noncannon or it was fucking with the hermits' memories to make them relive moments of their pasts because otherwise I can't see how the entrepreneur who traveled by wagon went on to become a pirate and possibly later an air pilot.

Also Pirate!Scar's pirate hat is in Scar's room in Scarland and Pilot!Scar's head is in Cub's meuseum if I'm remebering correctly, both shown in Sausage's world tour.

(Glad to hear your culture interpretation's going well. Always interested to hear about it in relation to the Hermitphibia AU.)

I like the idea that the Hermatrix fundamentally shifted the Hermits' inherent selves to keep them safe (& that it echoes Marcy in canon/False in the AU), though I imagine its less making them different in personality & more unconsciously nudging them away from certain lines of thought they'd usually have.

The idea that this process embellishes or reinterprets certain traits of each Hermit is fun, too.

I don't know if some of the specific interpretations line up with the way I view things, though, but lets work through them one at a time:

Scar's timeline in my mind happens as released & I don't think too much Hermatrix shifting would be needed, nor would it be non-canon. The Hermits take on personas all the time (RenTheKing, etc.), & Scar of all people is very inclined towards that.

I don't know where the interpretation of Mumbo as a half-soulless shapeshifter comes from (aside from the potato thing, maybe), but I'm not sure if I buy it over, say, the view of him as a vampire. I'd be interested in hearing more, though.

Pearl's connection to the moon in the sim - name aside - stemming from her past lives is something I like. Makes it more than just a symbolic connection, & that'd be especially important in the AU as unless Pearl chose her name (which is plausible), Grian's surname would also be Moon.

Impulse eating rocks coming form his dwarf phase is something I'm going to steer clear of, unless we interpret that the Hermatrix was somehow predicting the future as well, since that was still a season away.

[fictionfixations]

corporate needs you to find the difference between these two pictures /hj

(from this post translating the departure ova, or basically the prequel to world heroes mission bc idk where to find it normally)

screenshot from this video cuz i cant replay cutscenes lmfao

like. okay so i started thinking about hawks and aventurine in the same thought train and i just. couldnt let it go. and then i remembered that departure ova where he had those sunglasses(?) (IDK The name of stuff. im just gonna call them glasses.)

didnt realize that they're kind of doing similar poses. thats because hawks had the glasses on his eyes but he pushed them up, and here aventurine is about to remove his glasses during the cutscene

MAJOR MHA & HSR spoilers

(if it gets confusing im begging you to read parts of it with the other character's part because im trying to connect them but it might get confusing reading it first)

no but listen me thinks of two boys with not great childhood in greedy corporation who h as. probably wronged them-

well in all honesty i dont remember shit about if the hpsc has done horrible things. scratch that they have because literally nagant. sorry ive forgotten so much mha story its been awhile (i was gonna go on a rant about how its just another thing the fandom considers canon because yes. like. i dont think tsukauchi has ever been confirmed to have a lie detector quirk, its just that his sister who appears in the vigilantes(?) manga does)

hawks cozying up to the league to get secrets (i almost said league of assassins im crying. batman go brr.) backfires

forced to reveal shit (remember dabi revealing in like his video in Dabi's Dance Hawks' backstory?? also portrays him in a negative light, viewing him as a murderer)

he also tries to make himself seem righteous like 'i couldnt let these injustices stand!'

(from wiki. also his wings get damaged, they can regrow but not to what it was before) ALSO fakes death (temporarily. LMFAO tokoyami)

also this is kinda weak but gets hit while hes down

(technically) hawks is still alive but his quirk is still kinda gone forever i think

anyway i think he appeared in the latest chapter. he seems to be doing well. tbh i have such a shit memory. uhm spoilers for that chapter but i just got so distracted by the todoroki family and dabi like holy shit

FHSOIfh i think hes the HPSC president now.???? DAMN good for him ?

bACK ON TRACK. aventurine cozying up to the family to find out the 'truth'

sunday does his weird shit to force aventurine to say the truth or get punished (asks him about his past and personal shit like 'do you love your family more than yourself' or something, asks about him being an avgin, if hes the only survivor, if he wants to destroy the world) (also sunday thinks of aventurine as like a liar?? like. like. i forgot what it was but he viewed him as like an ill-intentioned person he needed to get rid of. thinking of him in a negative light and probably partially because he was associated with the IPC.)

he calls him a villain. i. DAMN (from the wiki) so like. you see what i mean? also acts righteous acting like aventurines the bad guy while hes the one in the right

bruh gets told he has seventeen system hours to live

cheeses through it (nihility able to cut through it if you were confused during the story on how he lived) but fakes his death (temporarily. he can come back out around 2.3 lOl but it still took a strain on him)

gets threatened while hes still recovering from the aftereffects of the nihility and everything

genuinely dont remember hawks getting hurt during afo fight (and toga) but i also got so confused on what was going on reading the manga cause it was a lot. i dont think he got saved tho

aventurine survived but the cornerstones gone forever

also while im here since yall probably dont know

also he bet that he'd get a promotion but we dont know whats going on about that (and it doesnt seem like we will. or. theres implications that that the xianzhou(?) war dance is connected to the IPC cause of the special program where owlbert said he was gonna quit and that he got a better offer for the wardance. and it was revealed that actually it was them who gave him that better offer?? so maybe we'll see in next update(?))

like. like. hah ha hawks getting promoted? eh?? eh?? you see????

tbh i didnt think i could connect them at all but here i am now finding more and more

also off topic

i thought this was a mistake or jab at mineta im CRYING his names GRAPE JUICE???

your brain when you want to go to sleep because you have something you're looking forward to to do tomorrow (or today because its THREE AM) but you need to not be tired for it but then it pulls this thing out of nowhere to fixate over knowing you cant ignore it because they're characters you love and that the idea wont go away until you express your thoughts so you get the keyboard out to make a short post but then you keep thinking about it and it gets longer and longer cause you keep remembering more shit to add:

[skyfall8600]

Sucked In. Chap 29: Together Again

Summary: You wake up in the world of Stranger Things before the events of Season 4. Are you able to help in the fight against Vecna, and save the man of your dreams?

Pair: Eddie Munson x fem!Reader

Series Masterlist

Previous: Chapter 28

Next: there is no next 😭

[1.8k words]

Happiness was a tricky thing. Celebration of one life, ignorance of the other. The next few days that followed felt unnatural to you. Having memories of two separate lives was starting to take its toll. Constantly on edge, nervous around your parents who raised you, overcome with happiness for the return of friends you didn’t even know you had lost, and sadness with knowing there was still one life you could never return to. The biggest downfall of it all was being stuck in the 1980s; knowing exactly what was to come in the future.

You tried your best to ignore it, to not link fact from fiction. The only issue was that now ‘fictional’ Hawkins from Stranger Things WAS your new reality. Which meant that all future events weren’t even certain to happen in this reality.

You felt a sense of anxiety over knowing all the possibilities, but it wasn’t your job to help. You have already done your purpose, and saved thousands in the meantime. Yet you couldn’t play off the guilt that you HAD to help. Just, with what exactly?

One thing was for certain though, having already graduated in the future meant passing your ‘senior’ year in 1985 was proving to be a breeze. If anything you were a valuable tool to the rest of the older gang, a personal fact machine if they ever got stuck. The study group consisted of Robin, Steve, Nancy, Johnathan, Barb, Eddie and You.

Eddie didn’t want to admit it, but having the companion and study group to help was making it easier for him. You were just the encouragement he needed, besides… he was very easily persuaded when it came to you. One quick smile, bat of the eyelashes, kisses with promises of more for later…. You had him in the palm of your hand. You knew Eddie was destined for more than what Hawkins had to offer, more than the ‘senior year repeater’ name he got for himself. And so if he needed a little help you would give it to him.

Life after Vecna was strange. Not wanting to keep your parents out of the loop, with El—Jane’s help, the two of you showed and explained to them of the horrors that should have unfolded. Ever since getting your memories back you suddenly had a better control of your powers and they could notice something different about you.

“You're saying we— we died?” Your mother said, gloomy as she accepted the cup of coffee Joyce offered.

“Yes, but technically so did a lot of people. If it weren’t for the kids, life would have been uh… rather difficult.” Jim said.

“So our then three year old killed this….Vecna person because of her memories in another timeline…. Where she, along with the rest of you, also killed him.” Your father said, rubbing at the pressure point between his eyes.

“I know it’s strange— but for a few weeks— no, a few years… these people were my family. It’s hard for me to explain but that’s why I was so drawn to Hawkins,” you spoke softly, your mind clouding with memories of life with and without them. “This is where I’m meant to be.”

“Years?” Your mother cried.

You nodded, “It’s ah… I was alone a lot and found comfort with them. When everything happened and I found myself living with them, I’d never felt any care or kindness like it. They trusted me, they protected me… the two of you will always be my parents, I still have all my memories of THIS life…. But I can’t forget who I was in the other. That’s why I wanted to share it with you.”

It was hard for them to fully understand. Even after learning everything, they looked at you with new eyes. You were part their daughter, part stranger. Occasionally you’d spew fun facts about what life was like in the 21st century, or how you befriend monsters in the Upside Down.

The one thing that eased their worries was seeing how easily you connected with El. The two of you shared a unique bond. ‘Sisters by choice’ as Eddie liked to put it, just as Dustin was the closest thing to a little brother he had.

Then came the time of breaking the news to them about Eddie. Your boyfriend. That was probably the most unsettling for them; seeing how quick the two of you formed such a tight relationship. After all, you had loved Eddie a year before meeting him in person, just as he loved you during the three years of waiting. Hence, the relationship wasn’t new for the two of you, but it was a lot for your parents to handle.

The two of you were inseparable, Eddie rather enjoyed the feeling of being the one to know everything for once. You had missed three years of his life, and he was taking his sweet time filling in the details.

You sat folded on his bed with popcorn in your lap, letting the entertainment of his storytelling play out.

“The spray paint was only the tip of the iceberg, we had to carefully move his truck back into his driveway so he couldn’t tell we took it for a joyride. I swear the entire town could hear his high pitched scream when he saw it in the morning,” he exclaimed, walking from one side of his room to the other.

“And why did you do that to Tommy?”

He paused in his tracks, “he teased Will. It was horrible— the poor kid was traumatized. Called him a fa— I can’t even say it.”

“He called him that in front of everyone?”

“Yep, I could see it in his eyes he was trying so hard not to cry. Steve and Johnathan decked him straight away, but Robin and I planned something much more permanent.” Eddie said proud of himself.

You smiled, “I’m glad the kids have you guys. Sure makes them less of a target. I still can’t believe how weird school is. No jock bullies, no teasing of the nerds… I gotta say, Steve did well at bringing down the structure.”

“Steve!?” He screamed, making his way over your body on the bed. “Why does he get all the credit?”

You giggled under him, ignoring the mess from the popcorn spilling. “Oh so you’re saying it was you who did it?!”

He tickled at your sides.

“Say it.”

You pressed your lips together, holding in the laughter.

“Say it!”

Deep inside you, you enjoyed him bossing you like this. Making a mental note to encourage him to be more in charge the next time you two were tangled inside the sheets.

“Fine! It was you.” You broke, “Eddie the Wondered charmed his way out of the social hierarchy and successfully saved the nerds of Hawkins high. There, you happy?”

He smirked at you, taking advantage of the position the two of you found yourselves in. You flat against the bed, him hovering above you with his hands holding your waist.

“Almost. Keep going.” He teased.

Rather than toying with you, you kissed him. Thereby forgoing any other conversations for the rest of the night. All there was were kisses between the two of you, finally enjoying the universe keeping you together.

When the school break came around, you and Eddie were curious. You brought along with you only the best precautions to let the plan unfold. A replica of his makeshift shield, and the legendary spiked bat in hand. Somehow you managed to convince Robin, Steve and Nancy to join the two of you. With Vecna gone and you in full control of your powers, they figured it would be the best for everyone in Hawkins to check for yourselves. Before anything bad can happen.

You branded yourselves as Hawkins’ secret heros.

Sneaking into the woods, the only things that could be heard were Steve and Eddie swearing. Cursing at ever having been convinced that this was a good idea.

“She’s mad. I told you back when she went to ride the fucking dragon, and here we are… trying to get BACK there. Fucking crazy.” Steve muttered.

“Hey!” Eddie said defending you, but the look Steve gave him made him realize that you did have a bit of a danger seeker vibes. “Okay maybe a little, but don’t you think it’ll be good to know if there is anything down there?”

“Oi!” Robin called out, “Scooby and Shaggy! Come toughen up and join us, Y/n thinks she can make an opening.

Eddie laughed at the remark but Steve was personally offended.

“Oh no, we all know I’m Fred!” He screamed back.

“Nah man, I think Nancy is more like Fred.”

“Wha— why are we even discussing this? Let’s just go follow your girlfriend down the goddamn rabbit hole.”

You sat in silence and focused; you could sense the Upside Down and it was just out of reach. It felt different. Holding out your hand, your fingers waved through the air and it was as if imaginary strings were being pulled.

And there in the darkness of night, the first opening to the alternative dimension. The light coming from the opening wasn’t what you expected, there were no red hues and floating particles. It was bright yet translucent.

“Hey guys?” You called out, “You all seeing this?”

The four of them crowded behind you, peering into the opening near your hand. In the small crack was only lights.

“Okay, looks less evil. Let’s leave it at that.” Steve said, trying to get everyone to leave the scary supernatural world alone.

“Perhaps you are right.” You huffed, “it’ll be fun to see what it is like there now. If my little babies are okay.”

Eddie smirked at you, but Steve still refused to test it any further. “Did you just refer to the dragon and baby demogorgon as your babies?!”

“Awww, you know… the little one was kinda cute.” Robin added.

“You wanna know what else will be cute?” You said softly, “Everyone in their graduation caps tomorrow! Come on, let’s go.”

And so the supernatural world was left just like that. The opening was tightly secured but the memories were never forgotten. Together the group, along with their friends, walked that graduation stage. Everyone alive and happy.

As everyone threw their caps up into the air, Eddie pulled you in for a kiss.

“Here’s to the rest of our lives.” You said, linking your arms around his neck.

“Let’s hope it’s a very uneventful and long one.”

“I have a good feeling about it,” you smiled at him. Kissing him once more and whispering against his lips, “I love you.”

He returned the smile, “I love you, thank you for saving my life.”

You’ve told him off before about saying that to you, since technically he’s saved yours just as much as you have his. But you thought it’ll be best to let it slide this one time. Besides, he still had to flip off the Principal before he excited the ceremony.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————-

This is it 😭 the final chapter. I wanted to take the time to thank everyone for the support, love and interest in my little story. It’s crazy to think that I originally only had 10 chapters planned and it just exploded into all of this. I love you all, and even though this story has ended, I hope you all stick around to see what else I have planned.

- love Nikki xx

Ps. For those of you who know me best, should know that I don’t do well with fully closed endings.

Missing this series? Check out my new Steve Harrington x Munson!reader thriller romance fic here! Chapter 1 out now.

Eddie Taglist: - in reblog because series Taglist was too long.

Sucked In Taglist

@assassinsasha23 @dreamingsmile @introvertedmouse @thegirlwhohides @gobringmemyfood @munchabunch @empty-and-nameless @el1997 @gooblerstan @bigbundabucket @theprettyandthereckless @earthtokace @ifellinlovewithawarsblog @secretsicanthideanymore @blueberryhitosh1 @maryan028 @bakugouswh0r3  @loliakeoghan23 @gamorxa  @stardustworlds @bakugouswh0r3 @taeddybearkim @azaleaforsure @eddiemunsonslips @awhoreforeddiemunson @strangerthingsstories5255 @queenotaku23 @sweetberry47 @sammararaven @anothermunsonsimp @megumimind @zephyrs-world @thegirlwhohides @lem0nb0iii i @whoreforhowl @kaitebugg03 @preciousbabypeter @snapped-chopstick @cutiecusp @sl-tfor-joseph-quinn  @crescent-moon-palace e @silky-luxe @resident-gay-bitch @anonymousstoryteller2000 @ches-86 @dreamingsmile @introvertedmouse @ick90

[mysteriouslover1516]

IMAGINE:

I need your help

The young mechanic's breath quickened as his lock screen showed a text from MC, help with what? Was she starting to suspect him?

Uhm, you do remember that we have a paying customer in here?

Technically he wasn't lying, but maybe if he delayed the conversation she would forget? Highly unlikely.

Yes, I know

Richy sighed, might as well get this over. She wasn't gonna let up.

He is actually in the restroom right now, so if you hurry up...

Thanks Richy

A small smile tugged on his lips, as always sweet and polite. Ugh.

Can you think of anything to tell me about a "Jennifer" from Duskwood?

The phone nearly slipped from his hands as he read the text, how did MC know about Jennifer? And why was she asking HIM? Did she know his connection to the case? Oh god, this could be potentially bad and very catastrophic.

Quite a few things

I think I know three people with the name Jennifer in Duskwood.

He was bluffing, of course he was bluffing. He could feel the sweat on his hands starting to accumulate, how did she know about Jennifer???

It has something to do with the Duskwood Forest

Richy tugged on his hair, he knew EXACTLY what MC was talking about. And he was horrified, terrified, completely PETRIFIED.

You couldn't be talking about the girl that was found dead in the forest back then

Taking a deep breath, he reread the text he sent, honestly it sounded pretty calm, he hoped MC wouldn't be able to see through it.

To be honest I don't know yet

Okay, so MC didn't know everything about the circumstances involving Jennifer. This wasn't so bad after all, maybe....

I totally forgot about that. The whole town of Duskwood was up in arms at that time, as I am sure you can imagine.

He shook his head as if it would rid the awful memories from his consciousness, the guilt, the pain, it was inescapable.

What else can you think of?

As far as I know the killer was never found. They soon came to the conclusion that he wasn't from here and it didn't take long until Duskwood returned back to a state of normalcy.

Killer. He wasn't a killer, and neither was Hannah or......Amy. He hesitated as his inner demons waged war inside him, was he a killer though? Did he ultimately kill Amy by bringing her to the brink of suicide? He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the thought to release him from its torment.

Was there anything that indicated where the killer was from?

No, there was nothing. The three teenagers had buried the only form of evidence, the body. Richy had stolen the paper on the AMC Gremlin all those years ago, made it disappear. There was Nothing.

Well, I guess I don't know that much about the old case after all

What a piece of bull crap. He knew everything about Jennifer's death, as much as he wished he didn't. He wasn't innocent, the invisible blood on his hands still tormented him. Jennifer was dead.

But you know how people are. There are nicer things to think about than the thought of living next door to a murderer. And Jennifer wasn't from Duskwood either. So this makes the theory even more plausible.

Richy paused, the beginning question once again entering his mind. Why was she asking about the incident? About Jennifer?

But you don't think that Hannah has something to do with what happened back then, do you?

Unfortunately I do

He swallowed hard, if MC made the connection between Hannah and Jennifer, she would ultimately discover Amy's involvement, which would place him closer and closer to the burning flames.

Well I hope not.

"I wish not, I wish she didn't. I wish none of us did." He whispered underneath his breath, fist suddenly colliding with his desk. He didn't ask for this, why was this happening to him?

That happened at least ten years ago. Mmh, I think that's it. I don't know anything else.

I don't know anything else, that was one of the most bogus statements he had ever made in his whole life. He knew a lot about the incident, he knew too much. He wished it could have been different.

That was actually more information than I expected.

Chewing on his bottom lip, his eyebrows furrowed. Wait a minute.

Talk to you later.

Hold on real quick, why did you ask me that?

Was MC asking him this because she already suspected him? Or was she asking him this because of her subtle but at the same time obvious growing feelings for the mechanic?

Because I have a hunch that it might be getting me closer to Hannah

A small chuckle managed to escape his lips, was she messing with him? Or did she really not understand what he was getting at?

No, no, that's not what I meant. Why ME?

I like you

Richy's heart skipped a beat, she had finally said it. His mind raced, it was both a dream come true and a nightmare at the same time, what an oxymoron. MC had fallen for the culprit, for the man behind the mask. And he had messed up, by falling for her as well. Damn it.

I like you too, MC. A lot. Adios

He quickly logged off, needing time to think and reorganize his thoughts. The plan had to work, it was GOING to work, and then he would shoot his shot with MC, it would all work out.

[tkblythofficial]

Continuing because it was getting huge.

Part two of the tarot 🍊.

I asked how T thinks R is seeing him now and she said:

The biggest part of him knows she cares about him, but the insecure part of him saw that picture of R with J and he got a bitter taste on his mouth.

She said it's like T was under a spell for a while, like he forgot how much younger R was, that despite of the fact she's very mature on some aspects, she still has a lot to learn and it's like the veil has fallen and he sees that she's just a girl, that she truly does love J and he has no chance.

He sees her as someone beautiful not only in appearance but within her soul, he finds her character much better than his own (as she should - not my words, don't come for me) and he loves how deeply she loves and he wonders how it'd be loved by her. (I'm just now realizing this is the deepest reading my friend made of them, it's like she was channeling a lot of his energy)

We asked for another song to clarify how he feels about he seeing now (its different from how he feels, it's his perception of reality) and we got Belle of The Ball by Matthew Mayfield and I shit you not, when I played to her she said she could see how any time R gets prettied up it'd apply, like he sees her as the most beautiful woman in any room, ever). Check out the lyrics because they're insightful af.

About how R is seeing things:

She's too busy now, so she isn't worrying yet but she's doing to. If T doesn't get a grip she'll realize in the next days that something is up because she hates when they don't talk (I'm serious here).

She might think he's lying about something or keeping something from her (well, technically she isn't wrong) and that's going to hurt her because they aren't supposed to keep things from each other (they come off as high schoolers, claims orange).

When we asked for a song about the current state of their connection, we got Andrea Doria from Legião Urbana, which was names after a sunken italian ship. The song is about a failed relationship (of any kind) and the possible fallout.

But now all it's lost because my friend said they'll probably work it out, it's like they can't stay away from each other for long and R might seek him out this time to clarify things between them and since he's a slut for her big doe brown eyes (not my words) he's gonna cave faster than sinkhole.

“The biggest part of him knows she cares about him, but the insecure part of him saw that picture of R with J and he got a bitter taste on his mouth.”

He’s lurking on her twitter then. Does she know?

“She said it's like T was under a spell for a while, like he forgot how much younger R was, that despite of the fact she's very mature on some aspects, she still has a lot to learn and it's like the veil has fallen and he sees that she's just a girl, that she truly does love J and he has no chance.”

No, this reading hurts 😭 but yes, I can see him thinking this and he’s not wrong…

“He sees her as someone beautiful not only in appearance but within her soul, he finds her character much better than his own (as she should - not my words, don't come for me) and he loves how deeply she loves and he wonders how it'd be loved by her. (I'm just now realizing this is the deepest reading my friend made of them, it's like she was channeling a lot of his energy)”

“How it’d be loved by her.” Oh now this is tea because she loves so deeply and cares so much about people. Boar doesn’t deserve her love. Yes, a lot of T energy but I’m here for it!

“We asked for another song to clarify how he feels about he seeing now (its different from how he feels, it's his perception of reality) and we got Belle of The Ball by Matthew Mayfield and I shit you not, when I played to her she said she could see how any time R gets prettied up it'd apply, like he sees her as the most beautiful woman in any room, ever).”

Belle of The Ball? Oh he’s down bad. Time for him to stand up and do something about this 👀

Check out the lyrics because they're insightful af.

Link to song.

“About how R is seeing things:

She's too busy now, so she isn't worrying yet but she's doing to. If T doesn't get a grip she'll realize in the next days that something is up because she hates when they don't talk (I'm serious here).”

She hasn’t realized yet? Prepare for a meltdown 😭 good luck everyone!

“She might think he's lying about something or keeping something from her (well, technically she isn't wrong) and that's going to hurt her because they aren't supposed to keep things from each other (they come off as high schoolers, claims orange).”

“They aren’t supposed to keep things from each other” R, girl, that man is miserable and she knows why like 😭 he was fighting for his life to call her friend during the press tour. He almost throw up every time he said that word. She is so unserious.

“When we asked for a song about the current state of their connection, we got Andrea Doria from Legião Urbana, which was names after a sunken italian ship. The song is about a failed relationship (of any kind) and the possible fallout.”

Link to song.

“But now all it's lost because my friend said they'll probably work it out, it's like they can't stay away from each other for long and R might seek him out this time to clarify things between them and since he's a slut for her big doe brown eyes (not my words) he's gonna cave faster than sinkhole.”

“They can’t stay away from each for long” 🙄 then don’t stay away from each other omg. He’s doing all of this running from her and he’s just running in circles atp 💀 doing all of this just to go back and become miserable again when reality hits that she’s still with the boar

Thanks for the long and excellent readings!

No one has asked this yet but I’m feeling hilariously messy… what does everyone (R, BB, their associates and T or J if they know) feel about the boar nickname 🤭

[tears-of-amber]

The Top 3 Books And A YouTube Channel I Recommend For Starting Out As A Crystal Witch!

1. “Crystal Wisdom” By Shannon Marie

This is not technically a book on witchcraft, but it explains and explores the metaphysical properties of crystals AND gives you ideas for how to connect to your crystals. Shannon is both a gemologist AND a crystal healer. So she sees things from both perspectives (science and spirituality). It isn’t a hard read or a long read, but it is probably the most interesting and informative books on how to meditate and set intentions etc with your crystals. A must have in my opinion!

2. “The Crystal Bible Vol. 1” By Judy Hall

Now this is the sort of book you consult when you need to reference the correspondences of a large variety of crystals. What I love about it is the way Judy often explains the “why” behind the correspondences and properties. While this book doesn’t include every crystal known to man, it includes the more accessible ones that you’ll run into as you start shopping and exploring crystals as a witch.

3. “Cunningham’s Encyclopedia Of Crystal Gem & Metal Magic” By Scott Cunningham

Ok, so now we get into the witchier side of things. The past two books I recommended aren’t solely focused on witchcraft and aren’t written from a witch’s perspective. This book is great! Yes yes, some of its very Wiccan (and as a non-Wiccan practitioner the intro is a bit annoying and outdated) but once you get to the meat of the book it gives you ideas for utilizing the different crystals in spells and magic. I recommend this over “The Crystal Witch” by Shawn Robbins & Leanna Greenaway because Cunningham’s book doesn’t have the audacity to assume you must be Wiccan if you’re a witch. They both are Wiccan influenced, but The Crystal Witch is drenched in it to an unavoidable extent that’s annoying to non Wiccan witches. If you want a completely non Wiccan related book on crystal magic, I suggest Ashley Leavy’s books. But in general, I think Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic is a helpful read in addition!

THE YouTube Channel To Subscribe To:

So, this channel is a GOLDMINE of info. And it’s free to access! There are videos on crystals and their metaphysical properties, the ancient history and gemology of crystals and gemstones, and guided meditations for countless crystals that I use every day. Is it a perfect channel? No. Shannon does reference chakras occasionally (which is a bastardized and appropriated version of eastern practices). But that’s the thing about the crystal world. It’s practically impossible to find info where they don’t (on occasion) reference the 7 chakras. Shannon does it a lot less than the other channels etc out there, which I appreciate. And she’s (as I mentioned in the description of her book) a gemologist and crystal healer! She’s super smart, and very fun to listen to. Most of the other crystal channels literally copy her videos and her explanations of things, but I prefer going to the source because Shannon Marie is the best!

-Velvet Rose 🌹

[fictionkinfessions]

https://www.tumblr.com/fictionkinfessions/761113796370710528/open-question-to-any-fictives-out-there-who-have?source=share

oh smth i can respond to. hey, im an introject of two seperate characters mostly. i remember both timelines, both are me. started out as dirk strider (yes from homestuck) and somehow ended up in fortnite (rift strider, technically drift i guess). generally, i go by just strider these days. i can accept dirk, as well as a few other names. strider is somehow the one part of my name thats shared among the two sources, which may make a difference. some others in my system that are somewhat mixes of sources generally go by the one source they feel is more impactful for who they are, whether visually or just emotional connection. or they just. make up a new one. largely, its up to the individual for that kinda stuff

s

[tippystreasurebox]

Sudden Stop

Chapter 1

Summary:

Change can happen in the blink of an eye or the slamming of a brake. Gordon discovers just how different his world can become after one heart-stopping moment.

A/N: Holy moly its been a whiiiiiile! This fic took way to long to write XD So much thanks to @gaviiadastra for cheering me on! Hope yall enjoy it!

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The problem with sudden stops had always been in their name. They're sudden and impossible to prepare for. Sure, a seat belt or safety harness can provide a more desired outcome, but that doesn't lessen the heart pounding effect that comes from the unexpected shock. Gordon had neither of those safety measures from his place on top of the runaway train, so when power began flowing back through its systems and hit the emergency brakes that were already initiated, the resulting screech was his only warning.

[Read on Ao3]

No call from above, no time to shout. Gordon was airborne with the sound of the train coming to a stop under the thundering of his heart in his ears. The world tilted as something in his mind told him to prepare for the crash. Protect his head, his neck, arms are expandable, legs can be fixed.

He hit on his right side, lungs losing the breath he'd been holding. The world spun as he bounced and pain took over conscious thought, arms splaying outward to stop his next impact. It came nonetheless, hard with the remaining momentum from the train and this time knives dug through his back until they reached his head. The rest of his fall was into sudden darkness and Gordon couldn't hear his heart anymore, or the calls coming through his comm, or the VTOL as Two landed way too close. He was gone for all of it and later he would consider that a good thing.

Gordon couldn't remember the first time he woke up, but there was a vague echo of groaning and words spoken through a tunnel that sounded more like a memory than consciousness. The first true moment of awareness, though, he wished he could go back under, away from the masked faces that kept asking him questions he didn't have answers for. Where were his brothers? They would know where he was, what day, can he feel that? Feel what? His head hurt too much to concentrate on anything more than breathing in and out. In and out until the fog rolled back in and he slept.

Awareness came back in waves, blurry images, fingers in his hand, low voices talking about technical things, simple things… about him. There were smells that connected him to faces, one of which he wanted to see, but the fog remained and the coffee faded.

Full awareness came not with a blinking away of bright lights or a dry throat that wouldn't let him talk, but with excruciating pain that radiated through his back. Gordon groaned out a whimper as tears sprang to clenched eyelids.

"Easy, kiddo," his father's voice was soft as his fingers laced into his son's. "Are you in pain?"

Yes… but all that came out was another groan.

"Alright, I've got you," the sound of a button clicked next to his head and he waited, breathing in and out as little as he could until the ache dulled and the fog sat at the edge of his mind. Gordon didn't fall back to sleep, though. Instead, amber eyes peeked out from behind heavy lids, blinking to clear away the haze across his father's face.

"D'd…"

"Hey, Fish. I'm here. Your brothers will be back soon."

"Wha'h'ppened?" Gordon whispered past a tongue that felt too big.

He father's smile wavered as he considered the answer, "Do you remember the train?"

"Mmhmm… outta c'ntrol."

A nod and Jeff continued, "There was an accident and you fell off. Hit your head. You cracked some ribs."

"Ah… that's why… it hurts," the pain medication was doing its job well enough as Gordon found it easier to focus on his words. "Anything else?"

At this, his father paused, lips thinning as his eyes shifted to the window. It was a simple tell, but it carried an uneasiness with it that Gordon felt in his gut. Jeff Tracy didn't falter often and, if he did, it wasn't for long. "The doctors have you scheduled for a few more surgeries if they think they're necessary."

"Necessary? Why can't they… tell now?" The thought of going under for any reason sent his nerves on end.

"They have to wait for the swelling to come down. It shouldn't take long." A glint of moisture sparkled in the light coming through the curtains, his father's tone lowering with the thick emotions, "We almost lost you, kiddo. Whatever happens, I'm just glad you're still with us."

A warm hand pushed back the blonde hair hanging over Gordon's forehead where bandages hadn't kept them in check. It was a comfort against the muted ache and groggy haze that was taking over. There were more questions to be asked, he knew, but his body was still tired, his father was there, and everything would be fine.

Gordon's eyes opened, but his company had changed and he realized he must have fallen asleep. Back was the smell of coffee and the image of Virgil gradually came into view. He looked as tired as Gordon felt, but the moment their eyes met, the weariness evaporated and his co-pilot was grabbing his hand.

"Hey, Gordon," the gentle squeeze of his fingers conveyed more emotion than Virgil's steady voice could. His brother was trying to be a comfort in a place Gordon hated. "Dad said you'd woken up earlier. How are you feeling?"

"Tired… hungry…" for the first time, his stomach rolled with a need for sustenance that an unconscious man couldn't get.

Virgil had the decency to look apologetic, "Sorry, little brother. Just water and ice chips for now." A pat of his arm and the raven-haired pilot moved across the room to grab a pitcher and cup. As he came back to sit, his finger pressed the call button, much to Gordon's confusion. "The doctor wanted to know when you woke up again… do some tests." A second later, a voice sounded from his bed and Virgil conveyed the message before returning to offer care to his brother, "Want some water?"

"If by water… you mean a hamburger… then sure…" Gordon smirked, taking the straw as it was offered to him. The cool liquid was a relief, nonetheless.

"Soon," Virgil chuckled. "I'll go get it myself."

Staying awake seemed easier this time around, either because of the water or something Gordon wasn't privy to, but it didn't take long for a knock on the door to reveal a white coated woman being followed by a few medical students. That had to make him special, at least.

Too bad that would be the end of his pleasant thoughts for the day. Week. Year, possibly.

Dr Brantley's tests had started off simple enough. Pain levels, memory questions, standard mental health stuff to make sure he hadn't hit his head hard enough to lose his baseline personality. Everything checked out as standard, meeting expectations after trauma.

The physical exam came last and Gordon hadn't been ready for the outcome. The doctor had been, however. She spouted off the next steps, possibilities for his future given enough time to heal. Virgil had sat quietly nodding along, not as prepared for the answers as the doctor had been, but he wasn't surprised. That's what happened when a person was given time to process bad news.

Gordon hadn't known… hadn't expected to fail such a simple task, so when it happened, it took all of his optimism, every ounce of resolve not to burst into tears. Not to dissolve into anger and yell at the people who knew and didn't warn him.

But… deep down, Gordon had figured it out and hadn't allowed himself to question why only his back hurt so much he could feel it in his fingers, his head… just, not his legs. He couldn't feel anything past the ache in his ribs. He should've known the first time he woke up and definitely the second. Denial - or stubborn will - was just too powerful.

"Gordon?" Virgil's voice was barely a whisper in the silent room, the two brothers left to discuss the aftermath of a failure to wiggle your toes for me. His name was still too loud in his ear and it shook free the first drop of moisture. Another joined it as a strong hand landed on his arm. "Hey… it's okay. You don't have to hold it all in. It's just us."

It was permission to do whatever his insides demanded - cry, scream, hit, throw something - but all that came were more tears and a humorless laugh that still made it easier to smile. His answer was gruff with emotions all the same, "Coulda been worse, right?"

Leave it to his wingman to pick up on the need for a mood shift, his lip ticking upwards as dark brown shimmered in the artificial lighting. "Yeah… could've been a lot worse... You fell off a train."

"Not a lot of people… can say that, huh?" Because anyone else would've probably died. Anyone else wouldn't have a high tech suit to hold them together. It could have been worse… but… it's still so bad… Before he could stop the thoughts, they hit him, the smile crumbling under the weight of realization. His prognosis was sinking in faster than he could catch it and the flood gates opened.

Words filled his ears as Gordon's hands came up to cover his face and smother the overwhelming sense of loss. Virgil was there, telling him it was okay. It was okay to be angry… upset… Gordon could flood the room with tears and it would be okay. For a moment, he thought he just might, but as his brother's hands squeezed his arm and rested on his head, the urge to let someone else be brave won out. He didn't have to pretend to be okay.

"Wha'do I do?" The question cut through a sob, muffled against his palms.

"You rest," Virgil answered. "You heal… and you stay as stubborn as you've always been." The engineer leaned forward, his forehead resting on Gordon's as he whispered with as much conviction as he could muster, "You've got this, Fish. I know you do."

***

That day had just been the beginning. A start to the unknown future. Gordon had gone into surgery the next day - a specialist that Dad had contacted - and a week later, he was being moved off the ICU. No, he still couldn't walk. He could barely feel the sweatpants against his skin… but he could feel them. That alone was a good sign. The surgeon had been surprisingly optimistic, citing Gordon's health and fitness level prior to the accident as a precursor to him being able to improve greatly with physical therapy. When Gordon had asked if that meant he would be able to walk again, the doctor had faltered for only a moment. He'd seen others achieve fairly normal function, but he didn't want to present false hope. Time would tell. It was a safe answer, but Gordon could appreciate some truth within the hope.

Someone was always with him in the following weeks, listening, keeping notes, keeping him company, and for a little while Gordon made a game out of seeing who stayed the longest or visited most often. He knew everyone in his family would have stayed if they could, but International Rescue hadn't stopped being needed. Eventually, Gordon stopped keeping track, mostly because he was fairly certain Dad had everyone beat, and the PT was leaving him too exhausted to think beyond the aches and pains.

He did have a favorite visitor, however. Of course, he was please to have anyone around to keep his mind occupied, but Gordon would be lying if he didn't admit that Penelope's visits were the best. When she wasn't working some top secret assignment, she would soundless glide into his room, set the gourmet pastry from whatever country she'd been in onto the side table, lean over to place a kiss to his forehead before peering into his soul. Gordon was pretty sure that's what she was doing, reading his every thought until she had her answer. That answer would result in one of two things, always ending the same. She would either tell him in the simplest of terms to move over, which he gladly did with the assistance of the bed equipment, or she would tell him to just relax before assisting him to shift just enough for her to climb in next to him. Then, they would lay there, watching shows or talking about whatever came up. Penelope always made the room feel and smell so much less like a hospital room. Just the two of them, cuddling like nothing was wrong.

Gordon adored her for that.

Four months later, the hospital room disappeared, replaced by the walls of Tracy One, until they landed and every inch of home hit him in the chest. Four brothers were there to wrap their arms - their support - around him as emotions took hold and he wept in a chair he was unfortunately becoming accustomed to.

"Welcome home, kiddo," his father offered his own embrace as the group released Gordon in order to grab his bags from the jet.

"No where like it," the blonde grinned through tear streaked cheeks. "When can we go to the beach?"

"Ah, so I guess the cats outta the bag," Jeff chuckled.

"Kinda obvious when Alan and Scott take turns asking me questions about the island and what food I miss and all that." Gordon smiled at the memories, some of the few pleasant ones. "Should I expect a chocolate fountain and those little cocktail weenies covered in barbecue sauce?"

"I'm afraid not," and this time it was Dad's turn to grin triumphantly. "Penny was much more covert than your brothers. She's brought in quite the spread."

"Ah, smart. Send the spy for Intel and the bros as decoys. Were they in on the plan?" Said brothers were currently exiting the plane with hospital bags full of gifts and letters from fans.

"Unfortunately, no. We thought it might be good practice for them. Thankfully, I was able to cancel the fountain before it shipped, but you've got about twenty pounds of mini sausages in the freezer." A pat on the blonde's shoulder and Jeff moved around to the back of the chair, guiding it with intent. Gordon was happy to indulge the help, knowing full well his family knew he could manage it on his own. He was home, legs be damned. That was an ordeal to face when the tropical sun, warm breeze and crash of the ocean waves faded. When all he had were his thoughts. Thoughts that dove off cliffs of rage and despair.

Those moments would come, but for now, Gordon was going to have some fun.

[pinesfamilyguidetotheweird]

There's something I wanted to share, something that kinda saved me from my several burnouts with Cipher's Will.

The existence of Expy characters.

Basically characters that are either loosely or (usually) deliberately based off an already existing character.

I have technically made one already for a Hazbin Hotel fic. I say technically because the character design was not mine, but was shown briefly in the pilot: a hispanic looking demoness who was present during Charlie's interview. I loved her design and decided to make a fic based around her even though she didn't really have...anything to write about. So, I based her off the La Llorona legend with a bit of Blue Diamond in terms of feeling great lament and making other sinners cry in her woe.

When I remembered this, I decided to write characters based on ones that I liked.

I figured if I did this, I'd have a bet more freedom because I felt so much pressure with the crossover characters as I wanted to add basically everything that was connected to that character and it was part of the reason I was burning out.

The beauty of expies to me is to take these characters and kinda give them a new breath of fresh air, especially since they're based off my favs.

I'm not really sure if you can call them OCs...then again, originality is kinda hard to come by.

Plus, I've been wanting something specific and those specifics fit the already existing characters, buuuut...(reasons above). Not only that, but I was gonna be upfront about it anyways, sooo...

Really though, I'd like to use these characters outside of Cipher's Will and I'm gonna do just that.

Rimona Ethon-Jess

She is a singer and supermodel and daughter of a lesbian couple. I've based her on Garnet from Steven Universe. Really, the only differences between these two is Rimona's lack of Gems on her hands, future visions (or rather she might have some level of clairvoyance, just not the level of Garnet), and a third eye (though she does wear a bindi at times for meditative purposes).

She has two adoptive kids, Twig and Molly Westwood.

Yes, those are the names Anne used for her 'Shut In' story. As for the surname, its a reference to Humphrey Westwood (who's basically a human expy of Hop-Pop...shoot, remember the Curator?). Now, whether or not these characters are related is up to you. Twig is set to be Dipper's new friend usually with his return to the Falls (whenever that happens) whereas Molly kinda does her own thing, though she does become a fan of McGucket labs.

Next up is another character based on a character in Steven Universe, Glenn Finnegan.

He's a robotics prodigy from Ireland and a four-limbed amputee. He's also a freelance hacker and a gamer and has built a little robotic companion, plus a few pet plants.

Yet another character based on a Steven Universe character, plus others, Alexei Akoyevich Agapov

A slightly effeminate Russian-Japanese retired ice skater now cafe owner. He has a bit of Pearl's personality and body type and a bit of Fai D Flourite’s personality and fences as a hobby. He lives with his long term boyfriend.

The next character is interesting: Marilyn Rosenstein.

Yes. THAT Marilyn Rosenstein mentioned in Journal 3. I started to generate an idea that Marilyn was already an existing character and just so happens to share a lot in common with Eda (hell, I think Eda is an expy of Ryoko Hakubi), even with how she looked and that's how Eda was able to blend in. Heck, Marilyn also just so happens to be a witch too (albeit of the Earth variety). She lacks a golden tooth and curse, though. Now...Did Stan meet Marilyn first or was it always Eda? You decide!

Similar to Rimona, Marilyn has also two wards, two anthropomorphic wolves named Fenny and Yue.

Fenny is the youngest of the two, being slightly younger than Gideon, and Yue is around the same age as Wendy and her friends. Fenny and Yue aren't related to each other, though Yue was found with Fenny. Fenny is physically similar to King Clawthorne and can be demanding at times and likes to go on adventures. As for Yue, they're like a mix between Loona from Helluva Boss and Amethyst, though a little more on the brooding shy side, similar to Loona.

---------------------------------------

Annnnd, that's about it!

I do have original characters that...I'm not entirely sure if they could be expies too, lol.

Here, let me share a few.

Seiko Habutai

She is shown in the first chapter of Back in the Falls. I kinda wanted her to be almost the opposite of Wendy (more ladylike and proper, the Ojou-Sama, if you will), but that doesn't stop her from getting dirty if she has to be.

Ashe

A dark skinned elf, who is also set to be a friend of Dipper. Speaking of elves, they are different here from what is shown in media. First off, the tribe Ashe is from is kind of a hippie type of group (basically how I would imagine elves could be portrayed in Gravity Falls.) The other is actually something that isn't used often in any media, the elves (or at least Ashe's race) are hollow inside. Like, there is nothing in their bodies. No bones, no organs, no soul. Nothing. ...I'm sure that not a lot of angst will come about this for Ashe...

Professor Esther Ratselgast

She's mentioned in the second chapter of Back in the Falls. She was Ford's Quantum Physics teacher back in college. Somehow still alive despite her advanced age. She's also dressed in clothes that seem out of the Victorian era. She is currently working for a man named Adair Samler. Speaking of...

Adair Samler, the last OC I'm willing to share right now (this has gone on long enough as it is)

He appears to be a middle-aged man with silvery hair and small glasses. He's the current director of the Oregon branch of the ALMA Foundation (GF equivalent of the SCP Foundation. I will say that some of his inspiration is that of Ozpin from RWBY, by being a little bit mysterious.

----------------------------------

And there we have it! Similar with the Expy characters, I'm gonna use these OCs outside of Cipher's Will if they are needed in that story.

[thewiddershinsme]

Finished Once Upon a Broken Heart! So about Part III: Chaos…

-deeeep breath. First things first, gonna get this out of the way. My opinion on OTPs is this: it’s silly to expect anyone to have one OTP ever, it’s like only picking one type of flower to ever smell. I think of it more as “what is the pairing that speaks to you the most in this specific work”. One OTP per fandom if you will. That being said, I liked Scarlett/Julian…I liked Tella/Legend…I liked Tella/Jacks in the unrequited kinda way. But Evangeline/Jacks is officially my OTP for this fandom. The mausoleum scene sealed it for me. Them just talking to each other about Tella and Luc, Evangeline knowing Jacks well enough to KNOW that he is leaving some disreputable details out, but making sure he doesn’t turn into a vampire cause he had said how much he would hate being one, Jacks getting between her and Luc and fighting not to drink her blood and holding himself back….there was tension and emotional connection and I am all here for it. They may not be in love yet but I am going to enjoy this. I want them to become a bit feral for each other, not gonna lie. Cause at the end of the day, you know what they both want? To love someone and be wanted by them in return, and both have (and probably still will) take it to extremes. And yes, Jacks has been manipulating Evangeline. Evangeline is 100% correct to not trust Jacks. It’s a great enemies to lovers set up.

-is there a collective name to refer to this Caraval/Once Upon a Broken Heart universe?

-I did not expect vampires to show up in this series, but it worked better than I would have expected. Again, I feel like the author just wanted to throw Jacks in different genres and AUs. But this universe runs on vibes and aesthetics, and I’m enjoying it, so not gonna nitpick world building or cohesion.

-LaLa being a Fate was a surprise! I remember the Unwed Bride being mentioned before, but never would have connected it to LaLa. It was nice to see a pleasant Fate working around her compulsions (by designing wedding dresses!). And it brought up the very important point of magic things or people being compelled to do what they are made to do.

-I feel like there is a lot to unpack from Jacks’s study that could be caught on a re-read. An encyclopedia on “E” (Evangeline?), a study about the color blue (he dyed his hair blue), the time travel books (reason for the Valory Arch?), and the fairytale of the Archer and the Fox. That story and its lack of ending is obviously gonna be real important later.

-I hate Marisol. So. Freaking. Much. As soon as she called for the guards to arrest Evangeline….gahhh that girl needs to fall off a cliff. But feeling vindicated on Evangeline’s behalf cause SHE WAS RIGHT LUC WAS CURSED. Trust your instincts Evangeline…sometimes (like maybe not telling Marisol the truth right then and there). Evangeline’s empathy is one of the things I love best about this character, even as it sometimes leads her to make foolish decisions (but honestly, rarely too stupid ones, there’s usually logic or emotional reasons behind most of her choices which I appreciate).

-oh yeah, we finally saw Luc. Liked him about as well as I thought I would, which is not. But he’s a full vampire now, so bound to show up again.

-why can Jacks and Evangeline communicate telepathically? Is it a connection due to their deal? I don’t remember Jacks talking to Tella like this.

-Apollo is only mostly dead! Nice. So Evangeline is still technically married which adds another layer to things.

-I like the callback to the prologue with the bell ringing to help Evangeline find a place to hide

-got The Ballad of Never After today!

[reviewgatorsusa]

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Continue reading https://www.reviewgators.com/how-web-scraping-tripadvisor-reviews-data-boosts-your-business-growth.php