#I didn’t know Gil was capable of hate

[bucket-barnes]

Even more things I learned about the sea 3 from Uma’s wicked book

Which I bought with my own money despite being in high school and very much not the target demographic

Uma:

- the feather in her hat is a raven’s feather

- punched a shark and lived to tell the tale

- got a love letter from a goblin once…she rejected him

- her D2 jacket is made from an armchair

Harry:

- got put in the stocks for two days after committing grand theft auto (he stole Cruella Deville’s car)

- the proudest his father has ever been of him was when he got a C average on a report card as a kid

- started the “scammers and pickpockets club” at serpent prep, he is also the president of the club

- wrestled a crocodile and won

-Cruella waited an indeterminate amount of time to send her henchmen after Harry to put him in the stocks…sort of just freaking Harry out as a threat

Gil:

- likes listening to his dad’s stories

- it took him five hours to rig up the fairy lights on the lost revenge

- got in trouble for shooting arrows into the wall of his father’s shop

- holds at least some actual malice towards former king beast

Again, do with this information what you will

#disney descendants #harry hook #gil descendants #disney #descendants 3 #I didn’t know Gil was capable of hate #I find the image of Harry in the stocks rather numerous #uma descendants #sea three #gay pirates

[disorganisedautodidact]

You know that one post that's been going around about how Morgoth hated elves most but Sauron hated men more, and both of them feared and hated the peredhil most of all?

Ok so: Based on that, I now headcanon Elrond and Elros had massive targets on their backs from the moment Morgoth found out they existed. (Elwing would have, too, but I think in her case Morgoth was waiting for the oath of Fëanor to do its thing. It's so much less work if the elves are killing each other, and so much more damaging to their morale.)

Just. Maedhros and Maglor having to run and hide in a different part of Beleriand every couple of years because their strongholds, camps and hideouts kept getting attacked because Morgoth wanted the twins. Them not sending Elrond and Elros to Gil-galad before the war of wrath started because a small, easily hidden band of the most capable warriors left in Beleriand was the safest place for them to be, or because they didn’t want to provoke a direct attack of Morgoth on Gil-galad. Maglor having to talk Maedhros down from killing the twins because Maedhros in his despair was convinced Morgoth would capture them otherwise.

The tension of it being the Fëanorions' fault that Elros and Elrond didn't have their home or their mother any more,* and Maedhros and Maglor and everyone in their camp risking their lives repeatedly to keep them safe...

* because I don't think they were able to not commit the third kinslaying, but I do think it's their fault for swearing the oath in the first place

#kidnap fam

[bitterarcs]

Reno blinked and a year passed. An empire crumbled, the scramble for survival truly began, and the bonds of loyalty were tested — so, it had not actually passed as fluidly as the blink of an eye, yet time held that strange plasticity of passing like the greatest limiting factor on Gaia. The Turks were suddenly granted one task and one task alone ( generally ), to keep order in the emerging chaos of ShinRa’s destruction, be it in the sniffing out of information or building temporary civilization in Kalm.

Luxurious undercover missions around the globe were memories of the past. Flashy entrances using the company helicopter, bar hopping at Sector 8 bars after a long work day, interrogations which allowed him to discard the fabrics of morality . . sweet memories which held the strong and painful capability of remaining just memories. Time, time, time; he hated when it piled around his knees like grains of sand lining the coast. The other Turks who had proved their loyalties were still within reach yet entire disposable, too, had lives of their own.

They did not need Rufus, Tseng, Rude, and Elena . . they were all Reno had. In the midst of the Turks and the President being cast down from their ivory pedestals, Reno was thankful for one thing and one thing alone — the absence of Cloud Strife. He had not realized how sick and vile he had become under the influence of rage until the source of it left their lives. Had Midgar been restored to its former glory, life could not have been any sweeter. Why couldn’t have Cloud left years ago? However when Reno thought about the timeline, the stressor of having Cloud around while it was just the Turks keeping ShinRa alive would have been too much.

The relationship between him and Rude had not healed entirely but progress was being made, chipped at little by little. Nothing positive lasted forever; history said as much. Cloud returned to the only people who would have him, and Reno, had he been as energetic and snarky as in the past, would have made an audible remark about a dog coming home to its master. Did he grow as a person? Reno thought not, but the time away from Cloud was therapeutic in a way he did not immediately hurl insults or snarls at the blonde man. Reno did, however, indulge in the former rarity of smoking . . the proverbial muzzle he applied to himself.

Weeks of silence passed between the two former enemies as the redhead was determined to live as though Cloud had never reappeared. Whenever Cloud was around, Reno was away, on some errand or another. What little gil he had to his name was also used on the expenditure of alcohol. For the sake of his sanity, he indulged regularly on the rooftops of one of their Kalm properties. A cigarette end was squashed and suffocated on the rooftop, joining the other two, before Reno poured himself half a shot in a chipped shot glass which had seen better day.

He heard the footsteps behind him and knew immediately it was not Rude’s nor Elena’s approach. For a moment, he almost thought the body was Tseng until Cloud’s hair entered his peripheral vision. The redhead tensed for a second, then physically forced himself to relax. Jaw muscles relaxed when he swallowed back half the shot, afterwards he reached for a third cigarette. Just watching the smoke disappear into the night was therapeutic in a small way. I didn’t know it was this bad. Reno could have snorted something ugly. What, the world, the Turks, or the President with his Geostigma?

                                  (  ❛  Yeah. Where were you, living it up on the beach? It’s been peachy . . we’ve been surviving. ❜  ) 

Reno’s words were void of emotion. Slightly bitter, yes, but overall he did not want to fight. He didn’t want it. Reno did not want a lot of things. No, he did not believe he grew as a person, yet certain things need to stay buried in the past.

                                 ‘  i didn’t know it was this bad.  ‘   @cloudvii​                                                                           (   is this a love confession, cloud ??  )  

#[ ⁰⁰⁵ ; READING YOUR CONFESSIONS LIVE ON AIR ] #cloudvii #[ ᵛᵉʳˢᵉ ; strings ft cloudvii ]

[light-yaers]

All Too Well - Chapter Six

Ko-Fi | Fic Masterpost | Chapter List

Warnings: Rated M for swearing, alcohol and mild sexual content. F!Reader.

A/N: This is my favourite chapter. For good reason. Enjoy it. 

Word Count - 1.5k

Chapter Six

By the late evening, festivities were underway. It was only right for stories to be recalled as anecdotes after such a strange few days. You hated to admit it, but after so long without your fellow Eternals, it was nice to be around them like this. 

You’d always enjoyed their grand parties before, the after battle libations and celebrations. They’d been in short supply over the past thousand years, but now—sat around a table with your family, jogging memories of the past and actually talking to each other was a welcomed change to what you’d used to encounter. 

You were all the same age, but your looks definitely proved that to be subjective. Sprite got it the worst, that was for certain. With the looks of a child, but the mind of someone much more ancient, you couldn’t imagine the struggle it’d been. 

She seemed to take the jokes well. 

“At Gil’s, he didn’t even give her alcohol,” Kingo quipped, sparking chuckles around the table. 

“It’s not like any of us can get drunk, anyway,” Sprite said bitterly, sipping at a beer. You sent her an amused smile.

“Still fun, though,” Kingo began. “Being alongside drunk humans is always an adventure. You know, it’s somewhat of an aphrodisiac,” 

The table went quiet immediately, but smug smiles were littered everywhere. You were trying everything within your power not to broadcast the word sex in your mind when Druig was sat right next to you. 

Phastos coughed awkwardly, prompting Kingo to slam his glass on the table. “Oh, come on, people. Eight thousand years and we can’t talk about sex?”

“We’re all more than capable, Kingo,” you spoke up, taking a sip of your drink. “Maybe certain things should go unsaid,” Kingo huffed immediately, sending you wide eyes with raised brows. 

“Well, maybe that’s just you,” he hit back with, and you knew exactly what he was thinking without needing Druig’s power. You opened your mouth slowly, trying to find the words, as your gaze skimmed the other entertained Eternals. 

You turned to Druig. “Is he...?”

“Calling you a virgin? Yes, he is,” Druig smirked, and the table erupted into giggles. Ikaris almost spat his drink out, prompting Sprite to grab a handful of napkins. Sersi was holding in her laughter, her cheeks red from beer. Phastos was biting down on his tongue and Thena pursed her lips in amusement, but the open faces of Kingo and Druig lit a fire in your gut. 

It’s like we’ve just been born, Arishem. 

You turned back to Kingo, tongue tied but raging. “Kingo—,”

“Oh, come on! I’m just teasing, I don’t actually believe that,” he tried to defend himself. 

“He’s lying,” Druig said immediately, swilling his drink in amusement. 

“Kingo!” you snapped. He raised his hands in defence. 

“Hey! Hey—I’m sorry. It’s just, you’ve always come across so sweet and naïve,” you sent him a death stare. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,”

“Unbelievable,” you muttered. 

“Look, even goody-two-shoes’ Sersi and Ikaris did it in the dirt—,”

“Kingo,” Ikaris warned. 

“Hey!” Sersi yelled simultaneously. 

“Did it? What are you, twelve?” you said, scowling, but you couldn’t deny you were finding the entire ordeal funny. “You all believe this?” you asked suddenly, looking round at the red faces of your fellows. “You all believe I haven’t? After eight thousand years?” you hated that word. 

Their sudden silence was enough of an answer. 

You stood abruptly. “You assholes!” you yelled, slamming your hands down on the table. Their laughter was probably the best sound you’d ever heard. The real kind—the kind that made your chest tight and your breath stutter, the pain of trying to hold it in, only to have it pour out in cackles and waves and redness. 

You smiled down at them all, laughing alongside them despite you being the brunt of the joke. The only person not laughing—

Druig. 

“Druig’s not laughing,” Phastos said quickly, pointing to the Eternal in question. Druig raised his beer to his lips mysteriously. 

“Don’t bring me into this,” Druig protested, shooting a smirk at Phastos. 

“You brought yourself into this well before now, pretty boy,” Phastos explained. You finally sat down, tucking your chair in questioningly. 

“What do you mean?” you urged. 

“Phastos is right,” Sprite said mischievously. “How do you think we found you in New York?” 

Your heart dropped suddenly, but not badly—you were intrigued. 

“You Eternals and your blabbering mouths,” Druig said, leaning forward and running a hand through his hair. His face was still unbothered, but you could feel the tension coming off him in waves. “So trivial,” he turned to you, sending you an intimate stare. 

“We came to Druig after Sersi and I realised you left London,” Sprite continued, talking only to you. Druig let her speak, not trying to stop her, as if he’d accepted that this was going to be told to you at some point. 

“What’s your point, Sprite?” you said flatly. 

“You really think it’d be that easy to find you without Druig?” Sprite said with a smile. You sent a questioning stare at Druig, asking for confirmation. He raised his hands up lazily. 

“Guilty,” he said forwardly. “Your thoughts are like a beacon to me. I could find you anywhere in the universe,” 

“Couldn’t have said no to finding you even if he’d tried, either,” Ikaris chimed in lowly.  

“Now now, Ikaris,” Druig said in warning. “Don’t forget I can spill your darkest secrets, right here, right now,” Ikaris’s jaw clenched. 

“Can you also spill whether or not she’s a virgin, too—,” Kingo interrupted. 

“Kingo!” you screeched, whacking him around the head. 

“Proof or it never happened!” he joked back, fighting against your slaps.

All tension was resolved back to normal, despite the way Ikaris’s stare lingered on Druig’s for just a tad too long. It was covered by the laughter though, and by the smiles and subtle mutterings of your family. 

You downed the rest of your beer as Druig sat back in his chair. His eyes immediately found yours. In your mind, a wall was erected. There was part of you that didn’t want him to know what you’d done, but part of you that wanted to see the satisfaction on Kingo’s face wiped away. 

Who cares. We all know each other. 

“Evidence? Fine,” you said, with a finality that made Kingo almost freeze. You kept your gaze on Druig. “Druig, just this once, I give you permission,” 

“What?” he perked up, sitting up straight in his chair and widening his eyes. 

“I give you permission to rifle around my mind,” you said plainly. 

“You gotta be jokin’,” he let out breathily, alongside a few chuckles. 

“I’m not,” you confirmed. 

Phastos leaned into Sersi’s ear. “I’ve never seen him this excited,” he whispered to her, but it wasn’t exactly a quiet transaction. Sprite’s giggles echoed Phastos’ words, and Druig took the comment on the chin. Perhaps, his cheeks rouged just the tiniest bit. 

“You wanted evidence, Kingo,” you reiterated. “Druig can get it,” 

A calculating silence followed your statement. You were secure in your decision, and the wandering gazes of the Eternals showed their curiosity as well, now that Kingo had brought it up. 

 “You men and your wilds, just like children,” Thena mused, cutting through the silence, but there was a glint in her eye. “But still—I’d quite like to know,” 

“See?” Kingo said, prompting nods of approval from Sprite and Phastos in Druig’s direction. 

“Collectively, we have the power to potentially take down a Celestial, but you all want me to look into her mind to see whether or not she’s shagged someone?” Druig asked for confirmation. You almost laughed. Kingo was the first to nod. 

“Absolutely,”

“Yeah,” Phastos joined in. 

Druig turned to you then, sending you a soft look. He angled his face down, as if to ask are you sure? 

I’m secure in myself now, Druig, you thought. 

He nodded in response. “Fine,” he said lowly. 

You waited for the feeling of his fingers filing through your thoughts. You waited for the sensation of another, rifling through your every thought and quip and memory—waited for him to let himself into your skull and close the door behind him. 

But he never did. 

The silence was deafening once more; Eternals were slipping on the edge of their seats. You only had eyes for him though, as he paused for dramatic effect, as he lied to a room full of the oldest people on this planet. 

“No,” he said softly, croaking out the words gently and swallowing down a feeling in his gut. “She’s not a damn virgin,”

“I knew it,” Sprite said with crossed arms. “Sweet and naïve my ass, Kingo,” 

“I stand corrected,” he admitted, sitting back in his chair and finally dropping the subject. 

Only yourself and Druig knew that he hadn’t looked though. You were having a silent conversation with him then, as everyone else went back to different conversations. His eyes were scanning your entire face, your cheeks, your nose, your lips. 

You liar. 

He tipped his head to the side, sending a smirk your way. “Didn’t need to see it to believe it,” he whispered. “Didn’t want to, either,”

You sent him a quizzical look. “Why?” you whispered back. 

He let out a long breath, smiling to himself. He shrugged. “Rather see it in person,” 

Your heart skipped. Druig stood, picking up his glass. “Who needs a refill?” he asked, leaving you sat there; speechless; and maybe—

A tad turned on. 

#druig x reader #druig x you #druig eternals #druig #barry keoghan #marvel eternals #eternals #ff #druig fanfiction #fanfiction #lightyaers #writeblr #mini series #x reader #reader insert #angst and fluff #wattpad #ao3 #mcu

[lal-ffxiv]

Red Hands || The Gridania AU

The night was warm with the clouds hid a whole moon. Everything was good as Luca watched as the man came to the meeting place. He was dressed like  wealth with a coat, rings, and he was already shouting if anyone was here. Luca liked this place. Far off the main road, but not enough to get lost, away from any bandit hovels and the shadows hid everything. The man was fussing about as he tried to decide to wait longer or leave before he was robbed or killed. Luca dreads working for people who don’t know what they are doing, but they looked at how the rings shined, little stars on his hand. Luca came to their decision before the other did. 

The man doubted his mind for a  moment as Luka appeared in the night's weak light. However, he had no doubt this was the Miqo’te he was told about. The one who could make all his schemes come true.

“I’ve heard you are capable of anything?”

“You haven’t heard wrong, but only if I hear the right price.” 

“I have heard that too, and a bit more even.” The man changed from the fussy ilk who paced as he waited to the noble born that thought by standing upright he became in control of the whole Twelveswood. “I’ve heard, your family is worth more than anything?”

“I’m still not hearing the price.” Luca spoke evenly, but involuntarily turned to hide in the trees’ shade. 

“I can promise your family all the riches mine has,-” Luka scoffed at that, “-yet I believe more than anything you want to buy their safety, and with one item I will need you to acquire, I can promise that safety.” The man felt safe in Luca’s silence. “Your brother and you have a remarkable resemblance, and to your parents too if there is any likeness to how their promulgation depicts them. ”He came closer to the shadows, and the rings lost their shine

 Luca kept steady in the shade while they cursed themself for underestimating the situation, and cursed their brother for good measure. Lucian could never catch his mouth once it started running.  “Promises are only words, and I don’t take anyone’s word as payment.” 

“How about these words as the payment? I may not be able to promise your family’s freedom now, but I can certainly guarantee their arrest. For your brother as well as I am sure there are crimes related to everything he puts on show.” He came closer as he spoke, and Luca let him. 

Luca spoke their words carefully and slowly. More than Luka dreaded a useless employer, they hated the ones who were so desperately hungry for power. These kinds of people didn’t need anything from Luca. These people only wanted control, and are desperate for a taste of it over anyone. However, promises and threats are only words. And what are words to gil or a blade.

Luca couldn’t hear anything, everything was black, but there was no numbness. Luca felt cold as they spoke, “You know a lot. Everything you heard about me was right as is your price.” Everything was so cold. Except for Luca’s hand that was warm and wet. “I will let you know one last fact  too. Of the ‘anything’ I can do for some gil, I will do even more for my family. My family is priceless.” 

Everything went from black to red. Luca’s hand was red as they pulled the spare pike-head from the body. Then, Luca’s hand became cold. Luca didn’t know when the night had become so cold. 

Luca’s hand was dripping red when they raised it to greet their family at home. Only M’arianni noticed. She raised her own red hand back. Luca asked a voiceless question, and there was no hesitation in M’arianni’s answer. A silent agreement. Still with red hands, the embrace of their family was warm. Anything was worth this embrace, anything at all.

#Own writing #The Gridania AU

[sailorgreywolf-german]

Meeting Preparation

Summary: Prussia and Russia rehearse the talking points for a meeting with America. Set around 1961-62. For @ruspruweek for the prompt ‘Hurry.’

Characters: Prussia, Russia

Word Count: 1.1K

Russia adjusted his tie, making sure that it was straight. Looking professional was important when he came face to face with America. This meeting had been planned for weeks, and the world certainly would be watching. If he could make his enemy look like the fool that he was, then it would bolster his cause.

He was looking at himself fixedly in the mirror while he made sure that nothing was out of place. Once he was satisfied, he turned to see Prussia standing in front of him with a file in hand. It was almost uncanny how prompt and prepared he was.

Prussia spoke in the curt way that he did when he was discussing business, “This is everything you might need today.”

Russia opened the file and flipped through it. Prussia explained, “It is documentation of everything that might come up with the relevant parts annotated and underlined.”

He sounded like he was hiding an edge of pride under his matter of fact delivery. And he had every right to be proud. No one else prepared notes that were this thorough, or was patient enough to preempt every possible topic. But, Russia could not help but find it cute that he was trying to hide his pride. It was adorable to see him try to be the dutiful soldier.

He snapped the file closed and said, “Thank you, but I will not need all of this. I know what I am going to say, and I doubt Alfred is capable of this much foresight. He is an impatient child.” He would have been greatly surprised if America had thought of any of the points he would raise. The man seemed to say whatever came to mind in the moment.

Prussia raised a pale eyebrow and said, “Are you sure you remember everything? We didn't go over it last night. You kept me quite busy.”

Russia couldn’t help but chuckle. He remembered what had taken up all of their time the night before, and he could see the marks from it discretely tucked under Prussia’s collar. He had enjoyed it far more than revisiting the talking points ad nauseam, especially when he knew he would use very few of them. His best strategy was to let America talk, and prove himself to be reckless.

He answered, “Of course I do.” He paused for a moment and put his hand gently under Prussia’s chin so that he could look directly into the man’s eyes. He said, “I understand your concern, Gil. But I really am prepared. Alfred won’t get the better of me today or any other day.”

Prussia's eyes already told him that it was not the end of the discussion. Charming as he was, Prussia was too stubborn to drop a subject if he thought it was important. He simply said, “Prove it to me. What is our most important part?”

Russia sighed, but decided to humor his partner with this little exam. He answered, “Cuba. He has chosen our side, and America should not interfere.”

They had spoken about it for weeks, so it was not difficult to remember the important parts. It was the perfect topic to use for an offensive, since it was clear that Cuba was a sensitive subject for America.

Prussia prompted him him, “And if he tries to defend his conduct?” Russia gave him the right answer immediately, “I will tell him that his attempts to repress the revolution show him to be a hypocrite. He’s a capitalist and he only cares about the income it has lost him.”

He couldn’t help but smile at that, because he could imagine the look of outrage on America’s face when he said it. The man did hate being presented with the reality of his actions.

Prussia was smiling, and he could tell that he was impressed by how precise Russia was being. He said, like he was asking the most important question, “And then?” Russia smirked, “And then I mention the Bay of Pigs and watch the fireworks.”

America was so reckless that he would immediately launch a defense of himself, and that would show how poorly he controlled his tempter. His failures were all too easy to point out, and a reaction followed like clockwork.

Prussia smirked in return and replied, “Exactly, wind him up and let him make himself look bad.” Russia returned his smirk, “See, I am not such a bad student. I appreciate all of the work that you do, bunny.”

Prussia blushed and looked away. He was trying to maintain his professionalism, but the nickname had knocked him off balance as it always did. The way he turned pink from his chin to the roots of his hair was too cute to resist.

Russia leaned in and spoke directly in his ear, “In fact, I think we have enough time for me to show you how much I appreciate you.”

He kissed Prussia on the neck softly. That got him an adorable little groan. Prussia answered, “I suppose we could if we hurry.”

That was exactly the permission that Russia needed to pull him into a kiss. The moment their lips met, he felt all pretense of business melt away. Prussia pressed his body against him, making it perfectly clear that he had no objections to a little distraction.

Russia found it amusing. Such a needy bunny.

He let his hands roam, and the careful tailoring of Prussia’s suit made it easy to feel the shape of his body. With a well-trained instinct, Russia loosened the other’s tie and collar with one hand. It gave him easy access to kiss the marks he had made the night before. He loved the way that it made the other squirm.

He glanced past Prussia to the desk, which was certainly close enough for convenience.

But, before he could put his plan into action, Prussia glanced at his watch. He said, alarmed, “We’re already late. We do not have time for this.”

Russia did not particularly want to stop, especially not to be in America’s unpleasant company. Being a few more minutes late would not change anything.

He planted another soft kiss on the soft skin of Prussia’s neck and said, “Let Alfred wait. Perhaps it will teach the child to have some patience.” The thought of America waiting for him to appear gave him a heady sense of power.

Prussia wriggled out of his grasp, and said, “No, it would be irresponsible for me to let you be late.”

The statement would have sounded more convincing coming from someone who looked flustered and red. But, Prussia took a deep breath, and brushed his hair back. He looked like someone trying very hard to restore order.

Russia decided it was better not to push. He said, “Very well, but I want one more kiss.”

Prussia nodded and stepped forward. He carefully straightened Russia’s tie. Only once he was satisfied with the state of Russia’s suit did he lean forward and kiss him once more on the lips. Then he smirked and said, “I love you. Now go crush Alfred.”

#RusPruWeek2021 #hws russia #hws prussia #ruspru #i'm a bit proud of myself for how many of these I've done

[gorgagne-viperidae]

#10 heady

Power is a heady thing, my pretty lord says, and I have to agree: it really is.

He’s given me so much already, my pretty lord has, so much that I should rightly be thanking him on bended knee, but he hates to see it of me particularly. Says I shouldn’t be bowing to anyone, like that isn’t the basis of my job, like a maid isn’t the very epitome of subservience to a higher power. It’s his guilt talking, is what it is; you’d think a sharp sinner like him would be above such petty things as feeling bad about his crimes (and there are many under his pretty girdles , there are), but without fail I’ll still find him moping about the estate, bemoaning the atrocities staining his elegant fingers sennight after sennight like he was the diva of his own personal opera. It would be funny if he still didn’t also think I’m his big mistake.

And maybe he’s right, but it still makes me want to scream.

Thinks he ruined me, he does, like there was any lower a country serf like me could go, but he doesn’t know the half of it. All the gil in Eorzea can’t compare to the greatest gift I’ve ever received all my life, delivered personally by his ruinous hand, more precious than any of the shiny little diamonds scattered in his jewelry boxes. I reckon he doesn’t fully understand that the day I got to pick out which plots in the garden would hold my three sisters, the tears I wept then weren’t horror or grief or what-have-you. It was joy. It was the best day of my life. The entire time, all I could think was: Now I was eldest, now I answered to no one but the lords themselves. No more squabbles, no more having my nose ground into the dirt based on who was most senior in the manse, who made more gil, who had the more prestigious duties, or who kissed the most ass the best. I was elevated. I was freed. Eleanor’s good shoes and Lenore’s stash of stolen baubles were all mine for the taking.

I put those shrill harpies in the sallowest corners of the garden where nothing lovely would grow, and even now nothing still grows in those corners but nettles and thistles and all the ugliest of the weeds my pretty lord allows for. Whenever I need a pick-me-up now, all I have to do is look out the window and my heart’s soaring, without fail.

Where was I? The laundry needs taking in, the fires need lighting— oh, that’s right.

Just last eve he- my pretty lord, I mean to say- gave me a basket of funny little orange mushrooms to pass off to the cook, said they were hard earned, to make sure not a one was wasted, assured me they weren’t poisonous. Now, you’d think, why didn’t he just hand them off his own bedamned self? Surely it’d have been easier than hunting me down halfway across the estate grounds like he did, dirty and disheveled and feverish with his particular madness. You may even ask, why Cerise, what has this to do with anything at all? I’ll tell you what.

This is where the power lies here beneath the shadow of the Great Lord. Hold the confidence of His husband and the manse is all but yours, like it is mine. He trusts me, my lovely lord does, places in my capable hands the tasks he can’t perform himself but dares not entrust to any other. I dare say he needs me. Relies on me. Who else would peel him off the atrium floor when the Great Lord is done with him? Who else knows how to do up his hair without setting off his terrible little temper? As sure as the hells it wasn’t Bea with her clumsy sausage hands.

To my lords, I am indispensable. I am the glue holding this great household together. The gifts and perks afforded me are nothing less than my well-earned payment, my due compensation for my unerringly loyal service.

I may be no Lady of the house, but I am powerful.

#ffxivwrite2021 #sweet cerise #no editing we post like gremlins

[homeinchaldea]

FGO 2021 Recap (+ 2022 Goals)

2021 is a pretty…shaky year. Things still go on, a life of stability seem rather distant. The game itself does not promise well; the current situation + direction it’s taking gave a much more pessimistic picture of its future

Nevertheless, I do find parts of the journey enjoyable, and perhaps I may no longer have much expectations, I may at least stay as a visitor until I have better things to do.

TW Server

To update, I have pretty much finished all (5) of the available lostbelts this year

It’s one thing to go through all of them via gameplay, it’s another things to read the story through and through. It felt rather new, to adopt a new identity as a destroyer of worlds when I spent the last year playing as the saviour of humanity.

The end of the journey may not be entirely pleasant, but it’s something I’m curious to witness.

Rolling Result + Goals

About the rolling, I did get all the 2021 servants goals. Which is great.

During this year, I simply wish to aim for SR + non gold servants, but eventually I got several powerful SSRs (both limited and permanent) and at least one premium support (Skadi) in both accounts, which is unexpected for a (GSSR only) minnow like me.

Perhaps because of this, the gameplay seem more like a breeze compared to last year.

Now I guess I felt dangerously bolder in my goals (plus not a lot of non gold servants I could get next year), here are some servants I wish to get next year:

Voyager

When he first came out, I didn’t care much about him (I’m more interested of the event SR servant). Then I got him in the JP Server, read about his dialogue and everyone’s meta about him, and now I just want to bring this star child home.

Even for someone who is pessimistic to fellow humans like me, his presence and symbolic meaning does bring me hope about humanity others fail to capture.

Kijyo Koyo

The very F/R servant that I aimed to get to begin with (and fail to get). When I first saw the servant, it was love at first sight. The unusual design of being a completely animalistic looking female servant, plus a tasteful looking human design appeals to me a lot.

Getting her + Voyager is one of the next year goal for me

Castoria

People were not kidding when they said Artoria Caster broke the game. Her entry to had brought many changes in the game environment, with her starting the Arts Farming + a way to trivialise Ignore Invulnerability. Overall a must roll according to most sources.

For me, I wish to get her, not just for gameplay meta, but so my favourite Arts servants can get the support they need. I did get Skadi for the quick servants, it makes sense for the Arts servants to get the same treatment.

Shi Huang Di

I know that they are not a new servant, but to wit, the last banner featuring them insofar is in the 21M Download Campaign. If I wish to get them, it’s now or never or the GSSR.

To wit, they have proved themselves to be an awesome servant, both in story, character and gameplay. They proved to be one of the best Lostbelt Kings that came out from the game, both cruel and charismatic, stubborn yet capable for change.

At least to my main account, I already got a bunch of Larger Than Life Monarchs (eg. Iskander, Ozy, Gil) in my ranks (plus Suzuku Merlin + CC Hokusai). It makes sense to get Lelouch another Monarch to join them as well.

Oda Nobukatsu

Nobukatsu being a limited bronze servant is a surprise for me. I already liked him back in the GudaGuda 2 event, and from what I can tell, his actual debut event continues to flesh him out. I do feel pity for him, and wish him well.

Plus he came home to me in the first event when others did not. That is a plus for me.

Ashiya Douman

Before LB5.5, I am inclined to hate his guts for his deeds, especially what he did in Shimousa and LB4.

Then LB5.5 came out, and the more I learnt about him, the more I can appreciate him in terms of character and design. A character with much depths beneath the surface, his own existence causes much speculation on the overall themes of Fate and fulfilling the thirst a bunch of monsterf***ers. Being an actual original character with a fantastic character design (so good that he rewrote most of the Pseudo Singularities + Lostbelts) and powerful gameplay function pretty much helps.

That will not stop me wanting to subject him to Chen Gong once in a while.

Other servants I wish to get would include Himiko (a fellow Ruler servant that facilitates Castoria Stalling), Summer Brynhildr (for Sigurd), Summer Kiara (for powerful gameplay), Nemo + Van Gogh (for character + gameplay potential), Vritra (for Arts Lancer Farming). But consider of my main goals, it is more likely I would prioritise the main ones over the side ones.

JP Server

I wouldn’t call this year a good year for FGO.

In fact aside of some highlights (LB6, the Ryoma event), it felt like that the game is going in a downward spiral, what’s with the male servant shortage + increasingly lazy design for female characters + lopsided schedule + subpar non-LB6 content and alike.

I did heard there will be a change in the company structure next year, but from the news I heard, it does not suggest an optimistic future.

But still, there are parts where I do enjoy the journey. I got most of the new servants this year, some of them being the ones that I liked and saved for. Thanks Taira + Oberon + Percival.

New Servants I got this year.

LB6, though not entirely perfect (eg. see the ending of Beryl + some parts), absolutely blows everything out of the water, simply by the sheer scale of not just the writing, but also the presentation (eg. Music, Boss Intros, Worldbuilding) as well. It is a journey I would find unforgettable.

Conclusion

What will happen in next year? Will the game have something better than this year? Or will it get worse? I may never know.

Anyhow, regardless what happened this year, and what will happen next year, happy new year to everyone!

#fate grand order #fate/grand order #fgo #koala plays fgo #about the TW server #there is no news for ​the 1900DL + 2000DL campaign #which is a little bit worrying since that means no free Waver yet #perhaps it may come soon so I shall wait #edit: just checked the schedule…it seems that the TW server would include the Tengu + Grail Live event in next year as well if I’m not… #…mistaken #so I guess I’ll add Taira + Muramasa + Miss Crane in my main goal as well #recap

[vinatintasupernovita]

I felt like making relationship charts for my Descendants ocs and Persephone is first!

Auradon:

- Ben: Best friends! They’ve known eachother since they were little kids and have been inseparable since- but they’re polar opposites. Ben is a good boy, and Persephone is always in trouble. Ben was her first friend in Auradon and helped encourage her to start acting more mature.

- Audrey: Childhood Frenemies. Audrey would tag along with her and Ben to try to get close to Ben and Persephone has to admit she has some respect for her. Post-D3 theyre more friends than frenemies. They used to go to eachother’s birthday parties

- Jane: Would Kill For Her. Jane reminds her of her brother Hadie’s friend Claudine Frollo and how timid she is and it activates a “protect” instinct in her.

- Chad: If she could get away with murdering him she would. Persephone fuckin hates him, always have. He tripped her once in the 3rd grade and she swore vengeance and it did Not help he got progressively worse with age. She thinks Ms. Cinderella is dope tho

- Lonnie: She and Lonnie have had arm wrestling matches for as long as they can remember. They’ve also been tied forever and both of them are determined to break it.

- Doug: She stole his pudding cup once and he cried but she made it up to him by giving him her pomegranate cookies. That’s the extent of it.

- Herkie: LEAST favorite cousin. Calls him Jerky Jr. At the last family reunion she pushed him into the lake. Keeps trying to convince his mom to divorce his dad out of spite

- Extended Family (Most of Olympus): Tries to keep up appearances for her mom- knows it doesn’t work

- Hecate: Oh it’s the aunt who she would run over if possible. Fuckin Fantastic. She better be feeding Cerberus enough.

- Demeter: Ah! Mommy Issues!

- Reina: Persephone cries whenever she thinks abt the fact she missed out on most of Reina’s early life and growing up together and Reina like comforts her like im here now it’s ok and they go and do sibling stuff like get ice cream or throw water balloons on unsuspecting passerby

The Isle:

- Mal: IT IS ON SIGHT. IT HAS BEEN ON SIGHT SINCE THEY WERE OLD ENOUGH TO SPEAK! Mal knew that they were sisters but thought Hades just chose Persephone and Hadie over her and Persephone Hadie and Hades didn’t and that miscommunication manifested into Persephone and Mal’s life long rivalry. Even after learning they’re sisters Persephone will not hesitate with her.

- Evie: Shes Always confused how someone who seems so sweet ended up Mal’s best friend. Only really ever met her once before Auradon bc the whole banishment shit happened

- Jay: Mild respect based solely on the fact Jafar and Hades are cordial. She does try to out-thieve him as a sign of dominance.

- Carlos: She rarely would go to Hell’s Hall bc Cruella De Vil is a crazy bitch but she heard her son’s ‘ok’ which.. fair enough. But he runs w Mal so that’s automatic negative points.

- Uma: She likes messing with her and calling Uma her baby cousin even though they’re only like third cousins cus it annoys her- but Persephone respects her and they tend to keep to their own sides of the isle

- Harry: “Oh look it’s the simp” Persephone knows she could kick his ass and the only thing stopping her is the fact he’s Uma’s first mate. Thinks his older sister Harriet is hot

- Gil: There is not a Thought behind those eyes and Persephone knows it just as well as anybody. He’s nice though.

- Celia: She used to babysit her and Freddie when their dads would have poker night. Thinks she’s a great errand girl now

- Heidi of Hearts (Queen of Hearts’ Daughter): Bimbo Solidarity, Heidi is the only one allowed to do her hair bc she does not trust Dizzy with scissors near her.

- The Gaston Twins: Threatened them with a broken bottle when they wouldn’t stop harassing her after school. Made Gaston Jr cry.

- Hadie: Baby brother!! She would do anything for him and that is not limited to burning the whole world down.

- Hades: She cares about her dad a lot and even though she recgonizes he’s definitely done some really bad things she thinks he’s capable of being better- maybe not Good, but better.

- Pain and Panic: They’ve been her nannies for thousands of years and they mean a lot to her

#WOW that’s long #i’ll make one for Hadie and Reina and maybe Heidi too soon #Reina is the hardest since she never grew up w these people she just got inserted into the drama #descendants ocs #fresa is talking about her ocs

[neriad13]

Because I had so much fun writing about it yesterday, have a few more (hopefully interesting) minor antagonist characterizations that I spent way too long coming up with based on tiny amounts of available canonical information on what they were like before Rapture fell.

Gilbert Alexander is organized, efficient, self-disciplined and passionate about his work. The money is nice, but it definitely isn’t his main reason for being. What he was really interested in when he came to Rapture was pushing the boundaries of his field, as well as those of his own talents. 

To other people, he’s soft spoken, overly polite and a bit of a bore at parties. As his sense of his own social skill is somewhat inflated, this last bit frequently escapes him. He feels personally slighted when his overly eager to please tendencies fail to gain him friends and will ruminate on the smallest slights for much longer than they deserve. But ultimately, he’ll just keep stewing in his discontent and will likely never say anything to the colleagues who give him headaches. He does have an allergy to confrontation, after all. 

You’d think one so sensitive to how other people think of him would be a bad fit for a job which involves a long line of test subjects who hate his guts and do not tire of saying so while they still have the faculties. But that’s where his self discipline comes in especially handy. Between him, his test subjects and the prison they come from, there is a meticulously crafted wall. On one side of it is him, his peers and his superiors. On the other side are those he simply doesn’t see as human at all. They’re just “animals” or “criminals” to him or in the case of the little sisters, production units. 

It’s a bit embarrassing when an experiment goes awry and the boss has to wipe all the evidence lest Ryan find out that Rapture’s security has been compromised by a big daddy who’s gone too far out of city bounds to covertly get back. But he feels no true anger towards any of his test subjects when they “misbehave.” How can he, when they’re just animals doing what their nature demands they do? Thus, though his methods are by definition cruel, he does not indulge in cruelty for cruelty’s sake and leans toward seeing every failure as an opportunity for learning, rather than regret. 

The only thing that was ever capable of knocking a hole through such a well built wall was a direct confrontation with an angry mother. When Lamb and the little sisters became human to him, his people-pleasing instincts went into full, self-destructive swing. 

Sinclair’s problems are the inverse of Gil’s, which is why the two of them don’t like each other much. 

Sinclair very much cares about the money. It’s a self defense mechanism. As long as he has enough of it, he can buy escape pods, bodyguards, all the luxuries that put a protective barrier between him and the outside world. But mainly, it’s so he can have all the security that his father never had. He’s told himself that this isn’t the case so many times that he almost believes it.

Like Gil, he too has a wall between whom he considers human and whom he does not, in order to do what he does in his line of work. But his is considerably more shoddy and easily knocked over. What works better for him is simply not looking too close at the consequences of his business plans. 

In the book “Against Empathy”, there’s an anecdote about a woman in Nazi Germany who once lived within sight of a concentration camp and at a certain time every day, could see the people inside being tortured from her window. It bothered her immensely. So she rang the officers there and demanded that they torture their prisoners where she couldn’t see. The presence of empathy is not necessarily coupled with the drive to do right. 

That’s where Sinclair is at, a decade before the start of the second game. He takes care not to spend a whole lot of time in his own slums and only visits Persephone in person several times a year. The vast majority of his time is spent in high class establishments and gilded boardrooms, a world away from the misery he’s built his fortune on. As long as it’s happening where he can’t see, he has no qualms about it at all. 

What trips him up are the rare occasions in which he is forced to confront the consequences of his actions up close and personal. Even so, the remorse usually only lasts until he’s comfortably sheltered in his home or office or at a ritzy gentleman’s club filled with other people who don’t think his business tactics are a problem at all.

During the war, he sheltered in a luxury bunker filled with expensive liquor and top of the line prepackaged meals. For a while, he thought it would run its course and then the rebuilding would commence. He made a few bucks in the meantime and did a good job at keeping his head above water. 

But when he emerged, his money was barely worth the paper it was printed on and of the empire he had worked so hard to build, nothing of worth remained. When his supplies ran out, he had to resort to scavenging like all the other common survivors. He frequently found himself working with people he had once considered beneath him and doing the dirty work he was in the habit of handing off to underlings. More than anything else, it was this experience that changed him. There was no longer anywhere he could run to escape his regrets. He couldn’t block out the reality that he now lived in the thick of.

Not that he didn’t try, though. In the beginning, Delta was merely a tool for securing his own exit out of the city. Or so he told himself. But as time went on and he got to know who he was working with, the pull of his newly installed moral compass grew stronger. Until finally, he found himself betraying the principles he’d swore he’d never give up.

#bioshock #bioshock 2 #augustus sinclair #gilbert alexander #meta #my writing #a thought

[set-phasers-to-whump]

“i wish i had never given you a chance”

prompt: “i wish i had never given you a chance”

whumpee: malcolm bright

fandom: prodigal son

hi hi hi! i hope you like this fic! it is set before jessica finds out about ainsley killing endicott, so earlier this season. it’s a bit different to the stuff i have written before and idk how i feel about it but tbh i had a fucking fantastic time writing it, it’s literally the first time i have ever written martin and he was super fun to do but maybe ooc bc i havent written him before. idk. hope you enjoy!

“I…got rid of Nicholas Endicott.”

“You what?”

“I mean, not got rid of him got rid of him, he was...all I did was chop up his dead body and get it shipped away.”

“But someone else killed him?” He nods, swallows roughly. 

“Ainsley?”

Another nod. He looks at Gil carefully, waiting anxiously to see some kind of reaction on his face. 

Gil just stares at him. “You hid a body for your sister. You covered up a murder.” 

“Y-yeah. I didn’t...Gil, I didn’t know what else to do!”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe call the police? Say, hey, my sister’s a murderer? But no. That thought never even crossed your mind, did it? I bet the only thing that crossed your mind was that you were jealous Ainsley got to kill him, and not you. Is that right? You wish you’d killed him, don’t you? You wanted to do it. To feel his blood on your hands while it was still warm. To -”

“No!” Malcolm interrupts, feeling his hands start to shake. “No, I didn’t want to be the one that killed him! I’m not a murderer, Gil, and I have never wanted to be! You know that.” 

“I do, do I? And you’ve never wanted to kill anyone?”

“No. Gil, I swear I’ve never -”

“I don’t believe you,” Gil interrupts, and he walks in a slow circle around Malcolm, like he’s evaluating him. He comes to a stop in front of Malcolm’s face after making a few circuits. 

“I think you did want to kill him. I think you enjoyed butchering his dead body. Do you know what I really think, Malcolm?”

Malcolm shakes his head, helpless against the onslaught. 

“I think that you’re just like your father. I think he should’ve killed you when he had the opportunity. I think I never should have taken you under my wing. I wish I had never given you a chance. Look where it’s gotten you.”

Malcolm’s crying now, hands trembling at his sides. It’s not true, none of it’s true, I did it to protect my sister, I did it for Ainsley…why can’t you understand?

Gil reaches out and pushes him away, and Malcolm feels himself falling, falling, falling, hears his voice echo above his head with a scream that seems to last forever and - 

And then he’s jerking awake in bed, his wrists pulling at the restraints as he flies up into a sitting position. He spits out his mouthguard and fumbles with shaking hands to undo his restraints. 

When he’s free, he doesn’t move, just sits curled up, chin to knees, in the middle of the bed. He tries to take deep breaths, tries to get his mind into some semblance of order, but he’s terrified, and the worst part is, it’s a completely logical, possible fear. Gil is going to find out, going to find out that Malcolm is an accomplice to murder, that he’s hidden it from everyone for all this time, that he really is no better than his father. 

He doesn’t know who to turn to. Obviously Gil is off the table, as is anyone else connected to the police. His mother doesn’t know, Ainsley thinks he did it, his father...he doesn’t really want to talk to him about this. But he can’t stop shaking, can’t stop the tears pouring down his face, can’t control his ragged breathing, can’t do much of anything on his own. 

He calls his father. 

“My boy? It’s nearly three in the morning. Not that I’m not always glad to hear from you, but - Malcolm, are you all right?” He takes a shuddering breath, sniffs, speaks quietly, in a shaking voice. “I can’t...I don’t have anyone else to call.”

“What about your mother? Or one of those people at the police station? Ooh, wait...is this about the...the thing?”

“Yes.” This was not a good idea. What in the world is Martin Whitly going to be able to do for him? It’s not like he’s an expert in feeling guilty about murder. 

“Did someone find out? Oh, was it Gil? Please don’t say it was him.”

“No, no one found out. Yet.”

“Ah, so it’s the yet that’s worrying you.”

“I can’t - I don’t think I can keep doing this. I mean, Ainsley’s starting to question it. What happens when she finds out? What happens if someone else finds out first? What if Gil finds out -”

His voice breaks on the last question, and he stops talking, considers hanging up completely. 

“Nobody has found out yet. That’s not saying they won’t, but between you and me, I am something of an expert at this. But, look, Malcolm, we’ll figure it out, okay? No matter what happens. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Of course there is, Malcolm thinks desperately. It’s killing him, being alone with his father in this terrible secret. But there’s quite literally no one else to turn to, and it’s horrible, this neverending fear that the next thing someone says is going to be about Endicott’s murder, and him, and then Gil is going to say those words from his nightmare, and he is going to lose every single person he loves because he was trying to protect one of those same people…

“Malcolm, you’re sounding a little...hyperventilate-y there. Try and take some deep breaths, nice and slow…”

Despite himself, Malcolm obeys, trying to breathe in the pattern his father demonstrates over the phone. It helps more than he’d like to admit, and soon his breaths are evening out, and his heartbeat is slowing to a more normal speed, and the trembling in his hands is abating, and the tears are drying in cool tracks down his face. 

“I have no one to talk to about this,” he says, after a few minutes of breathing, his voice scratchy and low. “And if I do tell anyone, they’ll arrest me and never want to see me again.”

“You have me,” his father says, sounding a bit offended. “I’ll always want to see you.”

“But everyone else - how do you deal with that? With keeping something from everyone, knowing it would change everything if they found out.”

His father sighs. “I don’t know, Malcolm. We are...different people in that respect. For me, it was very easy to compartmentalize the different aspects of my life. Family, work…murder,” he says, lowering his voice on the last word. “I could keep thoughts of one separate from thoughts of the other. I know it’s going to be difficult for you to do that, but you need to try. You need to keep this from being discovered, but you cannot constantly think about the outcome if it does. You just need to keep the secret, is all. Push it to the back of your mind.”

I’m trying, Malcolm thinks. My mind keeps pushing it back at me. But he doesn’t say that, knows his father won’t be able to offer much more help than what he’s already given. 

“Thanks,” he says, instead, really wishing he was capable of following his father’s simple advice for more than just disposing of a body. 

“Of course, my boy. Now, how is your new case going? I hear there was a body -”

Malcolm hangs up, sets his phone down on the nightstand with a loud thunk, and flops backwards onto the bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and tries to compartmentalize, tries to shove thoughts of murder and everyone he knows hating him into a box in the back corner of his mind. He then forces his thoughts on to happier topics, like the case his father had tried to bring up, and opens his eyes, shuffling out of bed to start his day at - he checks the time - three-thirty in the morning. 

His hand starts to shake again as he brews some coffee, and he curls it into a fist until it stops, forcing thoughts of Gil hating him back into the box from which they are already beginning to escape. He can’t think like that - much as it pains him to admit it, his father had had a point. There isn’t anyone Malcolm can go to, save him, and he’s just going to have to learn to live with that fact. If not for his own protection and safety, then for Ainsley’s. He has to keep her safe, even if it means putting himself through hell. 

He has no choice but to live with this secret.

thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed this fic :)

#febuwhump2021 #febuwhumpday27 #prodigal son #malcolm bright #i wish i had never given you a chance #emotional whump #nightmare #crying #comfort #not the happy ending i usually go for lmao #but idk how they are going to deal with this in the show yknow? like i have no idea. so there's not much i can think of for how to approach #it like. idk whats gonna happen. i think they may just have to keep this secret #because if they dont at the least ainsley's getting arrested and malcolm's life is falling apart and jessica suffers through another loved #one turned murderer and on and on and on #so yeah idk #that got long lmao #my writing #i say things

[myownwutheringheights]

I really loved your prodigal son Malcolm x reader fic! Can I request a jealous Malcolm x reader where she is a detective on Gil’s team too and a new rookie cop keeps hitting on reader and he is like wtf and Gil is like “kid your jealous” and he’s all surprised Pikachu face

Super excited for this one! I went for the humor here, and then total fluff. There is absolutely a call back to my first posted fanfic with Malcolm x reader, and as far as I’m concerned this is the same girl and how they ended up getting together. Part of it is completely inspired by T Swift’s Daylight. Here you go! 

“Since when do you grab lunch with the new kid?!” People were starting to stare now in the precinct as Malcolm’s voice rose. 

“Dude, you don’t have a leg to stand on, you’re STILL the new kid,” JT shot back, even though Bright hadn’t been speaking to him. 

“I can grab lunch with whoever I want, Malcolm. He’s new and I wanted to welcome him!” You shot back, perfectly capable of speaking up for yourself. Malcolm was being unreasonable. “O’Neil is part of the team, you accept that or…” 

“Or what? There’s something about him…the way he was talking to you. He winked, (y/n). Killers wink. Creepy bad guys wink! He pretty much asked you out, having just met you… and his eyebrow did a thing.” 

“His eyebrow did a thing? You learn that at Quantico?” You roll your eyes. He was being ridiculous. Yes, Malcolm had his quirks and he could be possessive over the team, but this was taking it to a new low. Besides, you had been flirting gently for MONTHS and the man had picked up nothing. And you had seen and knew the worst of him by now; night terrors, the restraints, the trembling and the panic attacks. And still, you wanted to try with him. You thought you could handle Malcolm Bright. But he was blowing it. “I’m allowed to date whoever I want, Bright.” He flinched as she used his last name, and not his first. 

“Yes I DID learn about eyebrow movement in Quantico!” 

“This conversation is ridiculous,” JT said under his breath, watching beside Dani who just nodded, her eyebrows lifted in shock at it all, and kept drinking her tea. 

“I’m telling you,” Malcolm continued, his voice more desperate “he’s no good for you. And his behavior…just don’t do it (y/n)” 

“How the hell do you know what’s good for me?” You knew the words stung. He barely knew what was good for himself. But you’d had it with Malcolm Bright. If he wouldn’t date you, he sure as hell wasn’t going to keep you from seeing other men. “He’s an internal transfer, not an evil mastermind! And don’t make up profiles. And why do you care anyway? I’m meeting him for drinks, and that’s it!” This had gone far beyond the realm of professional office banter. Everyone is staring now. Gil comes out of his office, and you announce you’re leaving for the day. it’s just after lunch but you don’t care, you’re taking the rest of the day. And you promise yourself you’re not going to cry over Malcolm again. You don’t even want to meet O’Neil for drinks, but maybe it would make the idiot wake up. 

“What just happened?” Dani said under her breath.

“Malcolm, my office, now.” Gil’s words were final and left no room for debate. 

“Dude, you’re jealous,” JT said sitting down at one of the conference table seats. 

“I’m not….I’m not jealous.” Malcolm defended, adjusting his jacket as he headed to Gil’s open door. 

“Totally jealous,” Dani repeated as she took a sip of her Earl Grey. 

“We need to have a chat,” Gil said as Malcolm reached the door. 

“Gotta have a father son talk?” JT said, not even thinking about it, but it was enough to make Malcolm lunge back at him. Gil caught his arm in time in a firm hold. Malcolm was on edge, breathing heavy, jaw clenched and jutted out, ready for a fight.

“He didn’t mean it. I’m incredibly close to having to fill out a report on you, and I’m not a fan of the paper work. Don’t make me have to do the paper work, Malcolm.” Gil’s grip tightened, and his words were firm, but yet somehow also kind, trying to get him to relax. “JT?” Gil prompted an apology. A bunch of kids, his team. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“I’m sorry…you know I didn’t mean it that way. Honestly…I’m sorry.” JT’s apology rang true and Malcolm straightened himself up and nodded before making his way into the office. Gil closed the door. 

“Take a seat…Kid, you’re jealous.” 

“What? Why is everyone saying that? I’m not jealous, certainly not of O’Neil…and (y/n)? No. I’m not jealous.” Malcolm said sitting back in the chair the opposite side of Gil’s desk, crossing his right ankle to his left knee in a show of relaxed posture, but truly he was anything but relaxed. “Besides, we’re on the same team, it’s not like we could date….or….anything.” 

“You’re not technically NYPD, you’re a consultant. And neither one of you is the superior of the other in job distinction. So technically, there’s no rules being broken. I just think you are looking for an excuse not to ask (y/n) out.” Gil said sitting back and relaxing in his chair, feeling like this was going to take awhile. 

Malcolms eyes narrowed in confusion. “Are you…trying to help my love life?” 

“Professionally? No. Absolutely not. As a fellow concerned friend? It seems in desperate need of some help so yes, yes I am. Malcolm, she’s been in here before asking about relationships with team consultants. She’s basically walked in here and asked for my permission to see you outside of work.” Malcolm’s eyes went wide, and then his mouth opened. 

“She….(y/n) really did that?” Gil’s heart went out to the boy. He was a man who couldn’t imagine anyone wanting him. 

“Yes, she really did. You’re both good people. You both have seen some shit, to put it bluntly. She’s a strong person, I honestly think you don’t give her enough credit. If you just don’t feel the same way, it’s a different story, But if you do…” 

“No I…oh god, I am jealous.” He lifted his hands up to cover his face and he groaned. “Can I have some whisky?”

“Yes, yes you are. Very jealous. Causing a scene in the NYPD and nearly attacking a cop jealous. And it’s 1 in the afternoon, you may absolutely not.”  

“Fair point.” Malcolm ran his hands through his hair. “I really like her, Gil.”

“Shocker.” He retorted. 

“No, Gil…I….I really, like her.” He stopped there but he was leaning in more, and Gil could tell there was more he wanted to say. Gil rolled his eyes. 

“Fine, go get the whisky, it’s 5′clock somewhere. Just a little bit for both of us! If I lose my job over this it’s all on you.” Gil was the one to stand and he brought the drinks over, pouring about half an ounce for them both. Malcolm leaned back in the chair, and his eyes grew wistful, and he looked out the window a bit, and then back to his mentor. 

“Have you ever seen just…an amazing sunrise?” He began. Gil quirked an eyebrow. Oh where in hell was this going? 

“I’m a cop Malcolm, I’ve seen plenty.” Get to the point Malcolm, Gil prayed. 

“No, I mean…an amazing sunrise. Look, I hate them. It means I’ve gone through another night not sleeping. It means I have to get up and struggle through another day. The light gets too bright, and the city can get too loud. But I mean…an incredible sunrise.” He paused, collected his thoughts for a moment. Took a sip. Continued. “It was right after I got back to New York. I was still staying with my mother. I got up about an hour before dawn…couldn’t sleep. Tossing, turning…the whole thing. I’d hit myself because my restraint bed wasn’t finished yet. I was in pain, tired…I went to Central Park. It was closed but…anyway. I walked around. The temperature was perfect, the leaves were just starting to change. It was quiet. I got to one of the small bridges and the sun started to come up. And I don’t know what made be stay but I did, and I just watched it…and it wasn’t too bright, or too harsh. The colors were really soft. Pastels. A painter would have really liked it. It was beautiful…and there was something…” he grasped for the right word, “gentle about it. It was soothing somehow. There were some birds there and they woke up with the sun and it…it felt healing. People say a sunrise means a new beginning, and I never believed that garbage till that morning. That morning felt like something special. I know, that all sounds crazy weird, and I don’t even really know why it came to me it’s just that….(y/n) feels like that for me. She’s like daylight….” He took a deep breath as he finished and Gil just gazed back at him. 

“Get out of my office right now, and go ask (y/n) out. That’s a direct order.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Malcolm got up and pretty much ran out of the precinct, tripping over almost  everyone, and leaving the rest of his whisky on the desk. Gil picked it up and chuckled to himself as he sat back at the desk. He lifted the glass to those two crazy kids, and he silently wished them luck. 

#malcolm bright #malcolm whitly #malcolm bright imagine #malcolm bright x reader #malcolm bright headcanon #malcolm bright x y/n #malcolm whitly x reader #malcolm whitly imagine #malcolm whitly x y/n #gil arroyo #request #answered #fanfic #fanfiction #reader insert #dani powell #jt tarmel #prodigal son #prodigal son fox #prodigal son imagine #prodigal son headcanon #prodigal son fanfiction #prodigal son fanfic #y/n #prodigal son show #tom payne

[silke-doomflare]

Meet the character: Ainu

BASICS

► Name ➔  “Ainu”, the tiny lalafell answers politely and bows. “Ainu Wanyuudo. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

► Are you single ➔ “What an odd question.” She eyes you up and down, her eyes slightly narrowed. “Why are you asking? Are you up to something?”

► Are you happy ➔  She rolls her eyes. “’Happy...’ One of those words I’ve never truly understood. Oh well, I guess I’m happy enough. I have a job I like and steady income... Actually I’m making the most gil of our family, apart from my mother.”

► Are you angry? ➔  Ainu smiles widely. “Funny that you asked, since I haven’t been this angry in ages. It takes quite a lot to make me angry. This certain thug tried to murder my mother not too long ago, and I’m plotting a vengeance worth of such a deed”, she states casually, like she’d be talking about weather.

► Are your parents still married ➔  “I only have my adoptive mother, and as far as I’ve understood, she prefers to stay alone. Which I, of course, perfectly understand. Romance would only be a risk and hindrance in the criminal underworld.”

EIGHT FACTS

► Birth Place ➔ “Kugane. I stayed there for the first half of my life, and the second half I spent traveling and training around the far east.”

► Hair Color ➔ “Black?” she asks slightly confused, and glances upwards at her bangs. “Yep. So it’d seem.”

► Eye Color ➔ Ainu rolls her eyes again. She marches closer, looks up to you and pulls her lower eyelid slightly downwards, so that you can see the blood red orb clearly.

► Birthday ➔ “I have no clue about the exact date. I only know it’s sometimes around spring.”

► Mood ➔ “...bored. I am so... bored! You see, I was given this interesting assignment a couple of months ago, but my target has done nothing. Nothing! Either he chickened out just because he’s a coward, or somebody told him I was after him, and he chickened out because... well... he’s still a coward.” Ainu lets out a frustrated sigh. “I do know I have quite a reputation, but I wish people wouldn’t back off from the game because of it. How shameful. One should finish what one starts.”

► Gender ➔ Ainu raises her eyebrows. “Seriously, have you considered glasses?”

► Summer or winter ➔ “Summer absolutely. Working is easier in summer. No footprints.”

► Morning or afternoon ➔ “Afternoon. Most of my work consists of night shifts, and I’m more of a night owl anyway.”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

► Are you in love ➔ She snorts and looks at you scornfully. “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced any kind of love. I grew up in an environment where such a thing didn’t exist. Besides, as far as I’ve been observing people around me, who are in love, it seems more like a nuisance than something worth pursuing.”

► Do you believe in love at first sight ➔ “I don’t believe in love at all.”

► Who ended your last relationship ➔ Ainu lets out a frustrated sigh. “It should be obvious at this point, but I have never had that kind of relationship. First of all: I would be insane if I let another person that close to me. And secondly: even if such a miracle happened, it would eventually fail, because the other party couldn’t handle everything a pact like that with me would bring with it.”

► Have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔  “I think I... maay have broken my mother’s heart at some point. She’s been trying so hard to save me. Though, I’m not quite sure what she’s trying to save me from. She should know by now that I’m not one of those people who need saving.”

► Are you afraid of commitments ➔ “Commitments? Do you mean my pacts with my customers? No, I’m not afraid of commitments. If I had to name one of those few things in this messed up world I find meaningful, it would be my reputation and bringing honor to the shinobi who trained me.”

► Have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ “Do hugs received from others count as me hugging them? They do? Then I’ve been hugged, yes.”

► Have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ “If I have, I’m not aware of it. However, in theory it could be entirely possible. People - well, mostly my family - keeps telling me how cute I am, so I wouldn’t be surprised if others would’ve noticed my charm as well.”

► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ “Hm. You nosy little cockroach just had to remind me, just for the sake of some interview? ...yes, I have broken my own heart. By believing that if I just was a good girl, she’d love me. If I just tried hard enough, I’d eventually gain her acceptance. And after she had left, I kept believing she’d come back for me. I wasted too many years telling lies to myself. Should’ve realized sooner the only living thing you can trust is yourself.”

SIX CHOICES

► Love or lust ➔ "Lust. Not that I’d be interested in it, but definitely lust rather than love. I think I already made my opinion about love clear earlier, yes?”

► Lemonade or iced tea ➔ “Iced tea, absolutely. I don’t know about you people here, but we drink quite a lot of tea in the east - both hot and cold.”

► Cats or Dogs ➔ “Cats. In general, I don’t like animals, but the less trouble they are the more I could say I like them. Besides, do you have any idea what a pain badly trained dogs can be especially to us smallfolk?”

► A few best friends or many regular friends ➔ Ainu repeats the word ‘friend’ and sneers. “Now there’s another thing I never learned to understand. People talk about friends like they’d be a good thing. I don’t call them friends, but backstabbers. I’d rather not have any of them.”

► Wild night out or romantic night in ➔ “Wild night out - alone.” Ainu smiles charmingly.

► Day or night ➔ “At night I feel most alive. Almost everyone else is asleep, and I’m free to do whatever I want, to whoever I want.”

FOUR HAVE YOU EVERS

► Been caught sneaking out ➔ “In the beginning of my training. I wasn’t used to suddenly having so much different rules to live by, so naturally I rebelled. I couldn’t understand why my mother... - Asagi at this point - would dare to leave me there. Anyhow... I soon realized one couldn’t be a good shinobi without discipline, so I never did it again.”

► Fallen down/up the stairs ➔ “I don’t think I have. My balance is unparalleled.”

► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ “Love”, she answers without thinking. Right after her mouth is twisted into a slightly creepy grin. “But that was before realizing it’s not necessary.”

► Wanted to disappear ➔ “Oh, a couple of times actually, mostly back when I was still in training but had just started practicing with real targets. Not to brag, but nowadays I’m quite good at what I do. Nevertheless, even I can’t completely avoid mistakes. My area of work is one of those were mistakes will likely cost you your life. So, yes... after being sloppy I’ve had angry targets chasing me. Without my training I wouldn’t have had a chance escaping them with these tiny feets of mine.”

FOUR PREFERENCES

► Smile or eyes ➔ “I don’t care about either, but if I had to choose one... smile. To be honest, I don’t like to look people in the eye. From their eyes it’s fairly easy to tell are they lying or not. It annoys me, when people are saying something, but their gaze tells they don’t mean a single word.”

► Shorter or Taller ➔ “Shorter. I hate it when people look down on me like I’d be some piece of shite they accidentally stepped on.” Ainu falls silent for a moment, and after a while, shrugs. “Then again... it’s also quite hilarious when people have to bow or kneel before me, when they want to whisper or give me something. I guess being a stump also has its’ boons...”

► Intelligence or Attraction ➔ “Attraction of course. The more intelligent people are, the more trouble they usually give me. I prefer situations where I’m the smartest one around.”

► Hook-up or Relationship ➔ Ainu’s unimpressed expression hints she’d probably rather watch paint dry or grass grow than talk about this kind of subjects. “Well... if I had to choose... hook-up. That wouldn’t tie me to anyone in any way. The less I have people around me the better.”

FAMILY

► Do you and your family get along ➔ “My current family? We get along just fine. ...Apart from some minor disagreements usually considering work and how it’s supposed to be done. Sometimes it makes me wonder would they listen to me more if I had born roegadyn instead.”

► Would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ Ainu giggles, but there’s no genuine amusement in her voice. “Well, at least it hasn’t been normal, if that’s what you mean. It... could’ve been better. I admit seeing happy families and people having fun with their friends tend to make me somewhat bitter, even angry. But perhaps those things just weren’t meant for me. I’m capable of things those regular people are not, and I believe the Kami have bigger plans for me than some boring everyday life.”

► Have you ever ran away from home ➔ “No, but I probably should have.”

► Have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ “Yes, and that’s the exact reason why I should’ve ran away. If I had just realized sooner what was going on... But meh... I guess it’s unreasonable to expect a five-year-old or younger to understand your parent is actually a piece of filth you would be better without.”

FRIENDS

► Do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ Ainu lets out a frustrated sigh. “Since you seem to be unable to grasp the concept of not having friends, I’m just going to answer your friend-related questions by using my family members instead. Does that sound good? Good.”

► Do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ Ainu pouts while shifting her hands behind her back. “Mostly. My adoptive sisters are both as... tolerable as siblings can be, I think. I’m not so sure about Bella, though, and what she’s going to do with her life. Same with my aunt, Silke. Those two are the only law-abiding citizens of our family - as far as I know at least - so that kind of forces me to keep my eye on them. If a betrayal were to happen, they’d be my main suspects.”

► Who is your best friend ➔ “Aya”, Ainu answers without a moment of hesitation. “If I had to name one thing I truly appreciate in people - besides not stabbing me in the back, obviously - it would be their ability to return my friendly bantering and not get offended by it.”

► Who knows everything about you ➔ Ainu smiles sunnily, before answering: “No one. Though mother is probably quite close to it.”

#ffxiv #ffxivrp #ffxiv rp #final fantasy xiv #dunesfolk lalafell #meet the character #ainu wanyuudo #character info

[green-spear-of-causality]

You got any spicy Green Cu- I mean Achilles headcanons?

My friend, Achilles will forever be known as Green Cú, he cannot escape his fate -

Achilles Headcanons (FGO)

Yes, he has stolen Proto Cú's AND Fsn Cú's spears before (numerous times, too)

And yes, they would have beaten his ass for it if he wasn't so quick on his feet

He usually wakes up early, or hasn't even gone to bed in the first place. Whoever the chef of the day is (usually EMIYA), in the quiet mornings of Chaldea he'll sit down and ask anything that comes to mind while watching them cook

"Can our feet just be regarded as another pair of hands, just on the ground? Ground hands??"

"Achilles, for the love of god - "

"I didn't hear a no!"

If he's ever adventured on his own to places he thinks are good spots for picnics (read: romantic outings), he'll never tell another soul

He usually just takes the Servants who look like they want the day to just not exist in the first place there, whether they want to or not

"Yo! I found this place the other day and I think you'd like it - What? You don't want to go? Too late, you're going!"

Has a massive soft spot for Atalanta and the children Servants

Nursery Rhyme wants him to read out loud? You bet he's dropping whatever he's doing to go read

Jack is feeling a little stabby? Sparring session in T-Minus 30 seconds, with the added bonus of tips to improve fighting styles

Atalanta is questioning her capabilities? Movie marathon in her room, coupled with reassuring pats and hugs that she is doing just fine

"Y'know I look up to you, Ane-san. You're more than enough."

Will also deny that he has a soft spot for them

"What? Me? Never." (Proceeds to learn how to cook foods foreign to him so that he can make them their favorite dishes whenever they feel down)

It's kind of obvious at this point, but a favorite hc of mine is that Achilles has a high EQ. He just...knows when someone is feeling even a little bit off, and will do what he can to help

Yes, he still challenges Chiron to sparring sessions whenever he can

(Chiron usually beats him, but there are some notable times when Achilles one-ups him using skill alone and not pure strength)

Merlin gives him the worst ideas, like stealing Cascú's staff next

Green Cú only has one braincell and prefers to go with the flow, so you betcha he took that staff

"Hm? Where did- ACHILLES!!!"

Achilles usually hands the stolen goods to Merlin and is off like a whirlwind, the mage just smiling in amusement when the Servant Achilles stole from barges into the room a minute later

Stealing from Cascú was a bad idea because then Merlin plants the idea of stealing from Alter Cú next

...Achilles did not show up to dinner that night

Atalanta and Chiron are the first to notice. Admittedly, if it weren't for Jack and Nursery Rhyme asking for her to get Achilles to tell them another story from his past (which, yes, he does censor his swearing for them), she wouldn't have noticed

"Where's Achilles?"

Alter Cú chose that moment to walk by, a red substance that suspiciously looked like blood splattered on his front

"He's not coming."

...And that was that

Surprisingly, though, Achilles comes to be friends with even the most unapproachable of Servants

(Yes this includes Alter Cú)

King Hassan says that he's going somewhere alone? Achilles is volunteering to go with him, even giving him a friendly pat on the arm as they walk together

Can somehow decipher Hercules' roars

*Roar of the damned* "Oh, you want some lemonade? Coming right up, my man!"

Usually has nicknames for people he cares about (which is nearly everybody)

Proto Cú? "Yo, Bolt!" (He watched Bolt with the kids and thought it fit, he knew how much Proto hated being called "Kid" and plus, both of then were, well...dogs)

Fsn Cú? "Oi, Blue!" (Yes he stole Robin's nickname for Cú), sometimes "Blue Me" even though we all know he's the Green Cú

Cascú? "Mage-san, come take a look at this." Also calls him Grandpa whenever he wants to annoy him (gets whacked on the head with a staff for that one without fail)

Alter Cú? "You doin' alright, Big Guy?" (Overtime, Alter Cú just accepts the name because once Achilles likes you, you're stuck with him and his antics)

King Hassan? He's just called Grandpa outright. "Hey Jiji, how've you been?"

Nope nope nope, does not like Archer Gil or Ozy

They both rub him the wrong way, and he tries to not be stuck with them for long periods of time

He just...doesn't understand Mephistopheles

Oh, Mordred got summoned? It's Bro Time

To be honest, he was a little hesitant about Mordred, but once he saw that Mordred frankly didn't give a damn what side you were on before, the two became fast friends

What better way to hang out than to spar?

...Achilles likes fighting, it's why he gets along so well with the Cús

Pranks? He's in, as long as nobody gets to hurt in the process

(He's secretly a worrywart because he's all-too-familiar with how he was nearly invincible, save for his heel)

Despite that tendency, he's very laidback with everyone and is a honest as he can be

"Honesty's the best policy, don'tcha think?"

Asterios has a big spot in Achilles' heart

Achilles is just...soft for him, Asterios is so pure and innocent and fills Achilles with the need to protect him (despite Asterios being perfectly capable, he can take a hit and dish it out just as well)

This friendship is one of the purest things to ever occur in Chaldea

It started out when Asterios was fretting over breaking one of Master's glass animals. It had been a collective gift to show their appreciation for Humanity's Last Master, and they had exchanged tearful hugs with everyone (it took hours, there were a lot of Servants)

Achilles happened to come across him first, unafraid to approach and calming him down with reassuring words that "No, Master won't hate ya or kick ya out; they care about you too much. Let's hurry and buy another one, alright?"

Achilles also calls Asterios "Big Guy", it just...fits

They've become such close friends that whenever they see each other in the halls, Asterios gives him a wide happy smile while opening his arms to catch the sudden green blur that was close to moving at Mach speeds

And, finally, the nickname everyone has decided for Achilles is Carrot Top; Green Cú is what the Cú's call him

#this is all over the place but i love green cú so much #it's all fluff and probably not even accurate #thank you for the request! #oddnub #fgo headcanons #fgo thoughts #fate series #fate go #fate/grand order #fate/go #fgo #fgo achilles #fgo atalanta #fgo cu chulainn #fsn cu chulainn #proto cu #alter cu chulainn #caster cu chulainn #lancer cu chulainn #prototype cu chulainn #fgo gilgamesh #fgo robin hood #fgo merlin #fgo asterios #crazy to think about how robin and asterios (both from fgo) share the same va too #fgo king hassan #king hassan #achilles can and will be friends with everyone change my mind #...except archer gil and ozy #fgo mordred

[silver-wield]

(1/3) Agreeing with the 🌼 anon. That blogger didn’t use “woman empowerment” but she did use “female assertiveness”, and she’s actually an abuse victim herself. Only problem is that she seems to invalidate people who’ve had different abusive/uncomfortable and toxic experiences with behaviors like Aerith’s. I think she raises some good points about the use of the word “abusive” in fandom spaces, but her assumption that the people speaking out haven’t suffered abuse is what makes me critical.

(2/3) She’s recently talked about how Tifa forced Cloud to do things as well. I’m of the opinion that the two situations are largely different for a variety of reasons. Cloud never outright tells Tifa “no” and has it ignored. His grumping is often just a front. With Aerith, on the other hand, he’s consistently uncomfortable. Forced to take little to no pay for his work, faced with people who don’t take no for an answer, and is prevented from leaving by Aerith intercepting him.

(3/3) I said “prevented from leaving” when I should have said she exhibited some truly stalkerish behavior and jumped out at him in the darkness from an alley as he was trying to go. It’s not exactly shining behavior on her part. Especially when she then delays his leaving even more. I think it’s strange to grasp for a lot of people because Cloud doesn’t put up more of a fight, but I also think some manipulation tactics were put into play.

(4/5) Anon who agrees with 🌼 again. The issue has been bothering me a bit because she does raise a good point: why doesn’t Cloud ask anybody else for help? I was wondering if you could answer that question (no pressure, of course). What bothers me the most is that this blogger keeps assuming people are mentioning this as a way to justify hating a character. She implies that the people speaking up haven’t experienced abuse and that they only know it as an abstract concept.

(5/5) That’s incredibly damaging to a lot of people. I myself liked Aerith as a character once I got to know her better, and actually ship her with Cloud (I’m a multishipper), but there’s no ignoring that Aerith acts very strange in chapter 8, at the detriment of Cloud’s consent, comfort, time, and stability. The fact that so many people have spoken up about this isn’t a coincidence. People with bad experiences are coming out and getting disregarded. That shouldn’t be happening.

Apologies for the long post 😅 I hope you don’t mind. I’m pretty impassioned about this issue, honestly. Because I do actually agree with the blogger on multiple points, but find that she seems to keep missing the issue and hurting other people in the fandom. Cloud doesn’t need to be held at gunpoint to be put into an uncomfortable (and possibly dangerous - he doesn’t know Aerith all that well) situation. She’s right about how certain words are misused, but she’s dodging the heart of the issue.

Honestly, it’s exhausting how these people take concepts they don’t understand and slap them on shit that’s the exact opposite like if they scream they’re right enough people will believe them. 

It takes as long as your browser and typing speed to look shit up.

Assertiveness is the quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive.

WITHOUT.

Assertiveness is not gender oriented, so what the fuck even are people blabbing about now? Female assertiveness? Gimme a break. Being assertive is a character trait. Some people are naturally assertive, while others need to learn how to stand up for themselves. Like a particular spiky haired protagonist.

Aerith’s not assertive, she’s pushy because she doesn’t respect Cloud, and respect is part of being assertive. Being able to get your point across without being a douchebag about it. Like how certain people are constantly screaming how they’re right and dragging everyone else through the mud. Those people aren’t assertive because assertiveness is a positive trait. It implies confidence in oneself and one’s ideals. There’s no need to be a dick to people because they believe in their viewpoint and see no reason to pull others down. 

Ex: I’m both assertive and can be a dick because one of my other traits is petty bench, but on the whole I’m assertive without activating that petty bench mode until people piss me off because I operate on a respect and respect alike policy. If people come to me and give me shit then they shouldn’t expect flowers in exchange. 

Back to the thing.

Aerith talks over Cloud, ignores his opinion, bullies him into doing what she wants “this is the plan, Cloud, and you’ll learn to love it” and deliberately ignores the fact he says no. That line creeps me tf out and it obviously does Cloud too because he literally steps up to her and says “what?” in an aggressive voice. Cloud has a limit and Aerith was very close to going over it. 

Cloud. said. no.

And guess what? Cloud’s not assertive. Not for himself. Not until he’s pushed beyond normal means.

He couldn’t say no to Jessie, despite not being happy about the job. He couldn’t refuse to help Aerith, despite not wanting to fight Reno -- he knows how tough Turks are, he’s not an idiot -- and then he got compensated with a date that made Reno call him a weirdo (and he never accepted it either, so Aerith’s yet another person in sector 5 who took him for a fool). So, yeah, no goddamn wonder Cloud’s reluctant to argue when Aerith could ruin his hard won reputation inside of an afternoon. He says “That wasn’t the deal” when she tries to force him to stay, but can’t keep insisting when that doesn’t work. Because Cloud is shy af. Were people not paying attention to the promise? To CC? That’s real Cloud and real Cloud makes up the core of soldier Cloud. He’s a shy, awkward boy who could barely speak to his crush. He didn’t get along with others because he’s introverted. He’s quiet and reserved. Just because he kicks all the ass doesn’t change that about him. 

Cloud isn’t a talker. Everyone knows this about him. It’s a canon fact. So, not being a talker, being reserved, quiet, introverted, unable to speak up for his own sake when he wants something that together showcases someone who isn’t good at standing up for himself. He tries. He tried so hard to refuse Aerith, but he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He either got lost trying to get home or he put up with the pushy girl who keeps making him do shit he doesn’t want to. He sighs and pulls faces and doesn’t look happy. He wants to go home. He still said no several times to her whenever she tried to waylay him further. She didn’t care about what he wanted. That doesn’t make her assertive. It makes her the asshole because she has no respect for him.

People think that because he called Jessie desperate that it meant he wanted to stay with Aerith. That he’s capable of speaking up for himself. Nope With Jessie, he’d had a long ass day of work and longer ass night, been excluded by both Barret and the Avalanche trio, made to break into Jessie’s house (which doesn’t sit well with Cloud’s actual moral compass), then did a bunch more difficult shit fighting off Shinra and then literally jumped off the plate. Okay?! Cloud had a long ass day and it was like 4am by that point and he was tired. Anybody tries to say after that much work they’d be nice Imma call them a goddamn liar. 

Aerith refused to tell Cloud the way home, absolutely prevented him from leaving, made him do a bunch of work for shitty or no pay, belittled and insulted him, then barricaded the hallway so he couldn’t escape and stalked him to the exit when he escaped. He literally pulls a yessh face after reluctantly agreeing to let her show him how to get home. And then when they get there she withholds vital information for how he can actually get into the sector (or did people not notice him saying the giant gate was shut too?) until she gets what she wants out of him. And he sighs. Again. He has no say in anything because Aerith doesn’t listen to anyone but herself. The only reason he starts being nice to her is she tries to get info about Zack out of him and Cloud’s a nice guy who feels sorry for her. He knows he’ll never see her after this (or did people also misinterpret that reaction to Elmyra? Probably, since the only person he’d want to make a normal life with is Tifa, so being told he can’t is gonna get a reaction duh), so why be a dick to a girl who’s obviously upset about her boyfriend? Literally the second he saw Tifa -- barely even saw her because he knew that was her from the back of her head, her shoulder and hands -- he ran to her. He forgot Aerith even existed. But, sure, please do focus on the fact that he respected Tifa enough to do as she asked after an entire goddamn day of being disrespected by someone else. He’s not gonna treat Tifa the way he was just treated by Aerith. He actually cares about her.

And what did they think the message in Stand Up was? It’s not about dancing ffs. Andrea’s telling Cloud not to be afraid to be himself. That means speaking up for himself too, not about being real Cloud, which is a message he wouldn’t even understand at that point because he’s soldier Cloud and not aware of real Cloud. Andrea figured out Cloud right away. He saw a boy who’d do anything for the woman he loved, even let himself get pressured into something he’d be embarrassed by. That’s what stand up means in relation to Cloud. 

Tifa never forced Cloud to do anything. She asked him to go with her to collect filter money, then immediately backtracked when she realised she’d have to pay him for that too. Cloud agreed and smiled at her. She also let him keep all of the money they got, which in the end gave him a grand total of 2150 gil, not the 2000 he was promised, so they overpaid him to make up for the delay.

She also asked him after the first quest “what do you want to do now?” and he said “Dunno,” so she made a suggestion. There’s no force behind that. He could refuse and go take a nap or something. She spent the day getting him work and helping him with that work, so much so that he was fully prepared to split the fee with her. Unlike with Aerith. 

I could go on and on about this because I’ve gone over that chapter so many times. I don’t just replay odd chapters to get stuff, I replay the entire game, so I get to see the development of everything as it unfolds and see those connections between things that I overlooked before because I was too busy looking at something else. People think because they spend umpteen hours in sector 5 that Cloud did too. Nope. Cloud was there for around 11 hours before he left.

It was morning when he woke and since in December the sun would rise around 8am, that’s the earlier possible time that it could’ve been. In fact it could’ve been later. Cloud and Aerith spend several hours getting back to the sector so that it’s close to dinner time when they arrive. She then makes him do odd jobs for a few hours and then they eat and Cloud has a nap -- because he literally has a dream. You know, that thing people keep clinging to. He can’t dream if he’s not asleep. When he wakes up it’s dark and since it’s past dinner time, it’s around 6-7pm when he escapes and makes for the sector 6 exit. And that’s chapter 8. 

Chapter 9 takes around 4 hours for them to complete. They spend a couple of hours fighting in the coliseum, then Cloud messes around while Aerith’s getting ready, which from Madam M seems to take around an hour. That leaves the rest of the time for the honey bee inn show, getting Cloud changed, walking to Corneo’s and the bit in the dungeon. Then they get dropped in the sewers. 

Do you see how little time Cloud actually spent with Aerith? He’s known her for like 15 hours total before he reunites with Tifa. And people think he fell in love with her? Ew. Even Disney knew better than to try that. 

#ship war #for common sense #long post #for the cinnamon roll

[lesbian-bird-talks]

On: Appare-Ranman

This is my first official post, so hello and welcome! My name is Pidge, pronouns in the bio. 

This blog is entirely for me to just rant and rave about the anime I’m watching, probably long after they’ve finished because keeping up with seasonal anime would take much more out of me than I am willing to give. 

I don’t know how to work Tumblr well so don’t mind me too much if things look shitty! I’ll figure stuff out eventually.  Also, everything will be going under the break for people who’d like to avoid spoilers! Appare-Ranman came out in April of this year, but I know there are people like me who like to wait until a series is fully out before you go back and binge it. There will also be a TLDR at the start if you’d just like to read that!   

TRIGGER WARNING FOR MENTIONS OF RACIST IMAGERY

TLDR; The anime is okay. My favorite part was the relationship between Kosame and Appare, but I really wish they had done more with the interpersonal relationships between the other characters. The fight scenes are lackluster, there are large plot holes that aren’t ever explained, and most importantly one of the more important side characters is a black man with a noose around his neck. I’d give the anime a 2.5 - 3/5. 

STORY

Lets start this off with a basic summary of the narrative. Appare-Ranman centers around the duo Appare and Kosame. Appare is a genius inventor with big dreams and a lot of ambition, but less than great social skills. Kosame, on the other hand, is a cowardly swordsman who’s tasked with the job of looking after Appare. Due to a series of events, the pair end up in the middle of the ocean, stranded on a steam ship Appare built, and have to be rescued by a freight ship. The pair end up stranded in America, and enter a cross-continental race to earn the money to head back home. 

When I first saw the plot synopsis of this show I was super excited! I really like the idea of having such a contrast between old-school Japan and 1700′s America. On that aspect I wasn’t disappointed. What DID disappoint me were some of the more gaping plot holes in the story. The first of which being how in the HELL are two Japanese men fresh off the boat communicating with Americans? 

A freight ship captain might be able to speak Japanese since his business is overseas, although him having a translator would be more realistic. But what about the other citizens? Why can Appare walk right up to the owner of a car shop and ask him for a job? Eventually I let it go while I was watching, but it irritated me that it was never explained.  The plot itself doesn’t have too many big twists and turns. And when it did, I can’t say I cared about them all that much? 

Jing’s race helped to reinforce the themes of doing the impossible and not letting others define what you’re capable of, but it felt very hamfisted in it’s message about femininsm and “girls can do the same things boys can”. I got tired of them repeating that so much, and I really wish Jing had been the one to punch that smug bastard at the end of the race instead of her boss. He doesn’t get the right to defend her after not even giving her a chance until she nearly crashed. 

Kosame killing the person who killed Hototo’s family felt,,,very rushed. And something that should have been used as an experience to develop Hototo’s character, who I believe stayed pretty static along with the rest of the cast, was instead used to develop KOSAME, who apparently lost his mother as well.  Speaking on that - I laughed at the scene that showed Kosame’s mother getting killed. I giggled at that shit and you wanna know why? Because the way it was set up was ridiculous. 

The murderer hops out of the bushes, he slashes his sword across the mother’s back, and then just... runs away down the street. 

We do not learn why he does this, we just see it happen. It’s meant to be a dramatic reveal about Kosame’s past and yet it’s almost comedic in it’s suddenness. But I also laugh at a cockroach singing scat so what the hell do I know? 

The latter half of the story doesn’t really contain any huge flaws, and most of it’s weaknesses come from the fact that the cast itself is fairly weak and I just couldn’t get invested in the stakes. When Sofia got kidnapped I just didn’t care all that much. The only two things I knew about her character was 

a. she could drink a lot 

b. she took up her mother’s role as Al’s caretaker

That was virtually it. If she lived or died I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. Which is really bad when this is meant to be the climax of your show, this is when I should be the most invested. 

CHARACTERS

Most of the characters are fairly one note, with none of them having anything that makes them particularly stand out beyond their odd choice in fashion. 

Speaking of odd choices in fashion, lets talk about Crazy TJ

The singular black character in the show, and you put a noose on him? Your singular black character, and you decide that you want to make him violent with questionable morals? Your singular black character, and you make him as unempathetic as you possibly can?  I love anime god BOY HOWDY do I hate how racist anime can be. 

Crazy TJ isn’t the only one-note character, though. Most of the supporting cast don’t have much going for them. What can I say about Jing? That she’s a feminist who likes to race? And what about Al? The only three words I can think of to describe his personality are “rich white boy”.

I’m unsure of how I feel about Gil, though. On the one hand I think he pairs well with the idea of “the only limits you have are the ones you set for yourself”, with Gil being the immovable object to Appare’s unstoppable ambition. But at the same time he just felt very...over the top. And there was never any time given to explain just how he rose to power or why he may be the way he is, or even why he’s doing what he is. He’s just an indiscriminate killer, and those sorts of characters can be fun, but it’d be nice to know a bit of his history so we can know more about why he is the way he is. 

All in all, there wasn’t much that stood out to me character-wise. They were all fairly bland, although there were a few interactions outside of the main three that I found to be really cute, like the relationship between Tristan and Hototo. But for the most part none of these characters would be all that interesting for me to watch go on an adventure outside of the happenings of the anime. 

The exception to this being Appare and Kosame. Mostly Appare. 

Out of all the cast I really do think these two have the most character development, with Appare learning how to care for and rely on other people more and Kosame learning how to take risks and opening his mind up to new possibilities. I really love their dynamic, and seeing them interact was probably the best part of the show for me. Kosame and Appare are like an uncle and his weird nephew who have a really wholesome relationship. If these two didn’t play the lead roles then I don’t think I would have even finished this show. 

And I especially love Appare. He is my son. My little baby boy. I love him with all my heart 

CLOSING REMARKS

All in all Appare-Ranman is an okay anime. The concept is interesting, and I did enjoy watching the characters race cross-country, but a majority of the cast is fairly bland, the plot and writing fall short in areas I feel are important, and there’s literally a black man with a noose around his neck. It has quite a few problems, but I like the overall message of not letting other people define your limits for you, and I really enjoyed watching Appare open up to Kosame and the other people taking part in the race.

 If there was another season, I’d like it to possibly be done with a different writer. And for Crazy TJ’s design to lose the noose. That shit is gross and I don’t understand what the character designer was doing when they put it on there. 

This rating is pretty arbitrary and not based on any scoring system, but I’d give Appare-Ranman a 2.5 - 3/5!

This isn’t the best review by a long shot but it’s just my personal experience while watching the anime over a three-day period. At the end of the day, these are all my opinions! If you disagree feel free to tell me, or maybe point out something you think I overlooked, just please keep it respectful~

#appare ranman #appare-ranman #anime #animeblr #spring anime 2020 #anime review