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balletfilmss · 5 months

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LOVERS LAKE

✸ pairing : luke castellan x fem!reader

✸ synopsis: you & luke escape to the lake and away from counselor duties!

✸ warnings: pre-tlt, established relationship, kissing, me believing whole heartedly that i can fix him

✸ authors’s note: ignoring that it’s literally christmas & this is so summer-coded, charlie bushnell brought back my original series luke obsession so here you go 🙈

the lake was arguably the best place to be at camp half-blood, even for someone who hated the water and was all but dragged their by somebody else who loved it.

that someone was you, and the somebody else was luke.

that boy loved swimming in the lake like the stars love sitting in the sky, and the only thing that made it better was when you were there with him.

between knowing that fact and the pleading look in his pretty puppy eyes, how could you say no?

so now you and him were in the lake together, on a rare escape from your responsibilities as counselors during rec time. you may or may not have been hiding from your campers by staying hidden by the boathouse that stored the camp’s supply of canoes.

you were clinging onto the wooden dock while your boyfriend swam about, still putting on your angry facade at him after he threw you in the water initially.

was the way he scooped you up in his big strong arms and grinned like a little kid when he jumped in with you absolutely adorable? yes. did that mean you were going to let him get away with it? absolutely not.

pouting with your arms wrapped around the dock leg, you watched as the boy’s head disappeared underwater, not missing the mischievous glint that lingered in his eyes beforehand.

and just as you had expected, a wet head of dark curls popped up just beside you. just to be annoying, he shook his head like some kind of dog and laughed when you scrunched your face up at the flying drops of water.

the little loser laughed at you. now you were definitely mad, and would’ve crossed your arms and harrumphed if you weren’t still holding on to the dock like you’d die if you let go.

“are you ever gonna leave that poor dock be and actually come swim with me?” he asked, batting his pretty long eyelashes like he was pleading for you to do what he asked.

“go away.” you grumbled, looking away from him.

“aw, c’mon sweetheart.” he cooed, his tone teetering between teasing and sincere.

you felt familiar hands wrap around your waist as luke pried you away from the dock, ignoring your words of protest.

“you are literally going to drown me.” you frown as you have no choice but to hold onto him.

look, it wasn’t that you couldn’t swim, it was just that it was going to take one hell of a monster chasing you to make it happen.

“oh my gods, i am going to die.”

you were now out of arm’s reach of the shore, left with nothing but your boyfriend to keep you afloat. dam it.

“would you relax? i’m not gonna let you drown.” he chuckled, smiling at your antics as he kept both you and himself afloat.

“well you pushed me in, so you may as well.” you responded, sticking your chin up in dramatic negligence.

“hey, it was push you in or get caught and have about seventeen campers join us. which would you rather have?”

the first option, obviously, but you weren’t going to tell him that.

instead, you stuck to the silent treatment, which meant luke was left to his last and final resort.

“guess you leave me with no choice then,” he feigned a regretful sigh, even though you both knew he was ecstatic to do what he was thinking.

“wha- no. no no no no!”

luke had let go of your waist for no more than two seconds before you had screamed and clung onto him for dear life, your arms tightly wound around his neck and legs around his waist.

“i’m going to kill you, castellan.” you grumble, unable to see his reaction as your cheek was pressed against his.

there it was again, that gods damned chuckle of his that made your heart do little somersaults.

“love you too.” he said humorously. but when you didn’t reply with the same phrase, it was his turn to pout.

“hey.”

between the pout in his voice and the poke he delivered to your sides, you knew that your inattention had had just the effect you wanted.

this was the dance the two of you had done several times before. he’d annoy you, you’d ignore him and then you would relish in the way he turned into a lost puppy when it lasted for ten seconds too long, proving once again just how tightly you had him wrapped around your finger.

“hey. hey. hey.”

he poked you again and again, repeating the same word in hopes that you’d look at him, but you remained relentless.

“i’m not forgiving you that easily.” you insisted, as if your faces weren’t inches away from each other and water wasn’t the only thing between your body and his.

once again, he knew you too well to know there was little truth to your words.

he pressed a kiss to your cheek in hopes to get you to finally turn your head and look at him. again, nothing.

“hey, pretty girl.” he whispered, growing desperate and excruciatingly impatient. “would you at least look at me?”

feeling as though you’d drawn it out rather excessively, you listened and looked at him.

immediately, your lips were captured by his in a sweet kiss, the lake water seeping in between and tainting the flavor.

when he pulled away, luke wore a smirky kind of smile that made you want to kiss him again just to get rid of it and the giddy little feeling it gave you.

“am i forgiven now?”

he was, but instead of saying that, that was when you splashed a wave of water in his pretty little face.

#୨୧ love letters #｡ﾟ･ׂׂ daddy issues (kj’s version)#luke castellan x reader #luke castellan x fem!reader #luke castellan oneshot #luke castellan imagine #luke castellan x you #percyjackson #percy series #pjo show #pjo x reader #charlie bushnell #luke castellan #luke castellan pjo #pjo #percy jackon and the olympians

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runninriot · 6 months

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Love Is A Polaroid Steddie ficlet | ~2k | cw: implied/referenced self-destructive behaviour, drinking, a little heartbreak before it gets better | happy sappy steddie & platonic stobin

inspired by the insanely talented @inklessletter 's #polaroid series (go check out their art right now!!!)

"Steeeve, please!" Robin begs. Literally begs.

Like, hands folded together as if in prayer, a pleading look in her eyes, expression as if she's in pain.

"Robs, no! I don't- that's stupid. I don't feel comfortable with you following us around to take pictures for your- whatever it is." He waves a hand at her dismissively.

"It's a project, Steve. For my Photography Studies course."

He should know, she already explained that. Told him something about visualizing love in its purest form. Told him she wants to take polaroid pictures of him and Eddie. No posing, just random shots whenever she feels like it. Pictures in black and white - something about using dark tones and deep contrasts to enhance the beauty of simple moments in their day to day life.

"Whatever. I still don't get why it has to be us?"

Steve is a little frustrated. She's been going on about her wonderful idea for a good few minutes now, not willing to drop the subject no matter how adamantly Steve declines. She knows how shy he gets when he knows someone is taking a picture of him. He hates how he always looks a little off, has never felt very photogenic. So, the mere thought of Robin capturing him in possibly awkward situations with his boyfriend makes his skin crawl.

"Well, first of all, you are my best friends, so it would mean a lot to have you be part of it. Plus, we live together so I wouldn’t be around you any more than I already am. You wouldn’t even notice. And you two are the perfect motive because-“ Robin’s eyes flicker down to her own feet, unable to hold his gaze.

Her face is suddenly painted with a faint crimson blush. Steve's furrowed brows smooth out and his expressions go soft again when he looks at his best friend's bashful little smile as she looks sheepishly back up at him.

"You are the perfect motive because I've never seen two people being so in love with each other. Makes me sick how soft and cute you two are, if I'm honest."

Robin chuckles and Steve snorts loudly, both rolling their eyes at the same time because God, when did Robin become such a sap?

"What you and Eddie have is love in its purest form. It’s unapologetic, honest, and real. It's all I ever want to find for myself. I'm fucking jealous of you, Steve!"

They laugh and Steve ignores the violent tug in his heart caused by her words.

What him and Eddie have really is special. He knows it's some kind of miracle that they've ended up where they are now. It wasn't always that easy. There were times when Steve wanted to just give up. When the world tumbled down and buried him under its weight. When he thought he could never have Eddie like that, wanted to rather die than live life without him.

When Steve realised he had fallen in love with his best friend, his best male friend, he panicked. Finding out he likes boys like he likes girls wasn't even the scariest part. What really took him out was the fear of losing Eddie if he ever told him the truth. For weeks he tried to push his feelings down, tried to cage them behind his ribs but all it did was make him suffer even more. Every time Eddie looked at him, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. Every time Eddie touched him, it left a searing sensation on his skin. Every time they were alone, Steve felt like he was losing his mind, desperately trying to fight the urge to kiss the boy so blissfully unaware of the heartache he caused him. He fought and suffered in silence until he couldn’t take it anymore and succumbed to the tormenting ache in his chest. Until he fell into a dark hole.

Steve drifted apart, dulling his feelings with unhealthy amounts of booze. Hunting for warm, willing bodies to sink into. Starving for touch and affection just to feel anything other than the grief-stricken pain of losing the lover he never even had to begin with.

Of course, his self-destructive behaviour hadn’t gone unnoticed by his friends. Robin tried everything in her power to get through to him. Offered advice and help for all the wrong problems because she couldn’t have known that the real issue was his own fucking mind and his inability to talk about what kept him up at night. What made him so angry and distant and numb.

And then there was Eddie. Sweet, kind, and caring Eddie who couldn’t keep watching his friend ruin his own life anymore. Who gave him an ultimatum – stop hurting yourself or I’ll leave.

Eddie’s words felt like a pistol held to his head, the determination in his teary eyes like a finger ready to pull the trigger. Steve knew he meant it, knew this was his last chance. He would lose the one person that meant everything to him.

“I can’t lose you, Eddie.”

“Then let me love you instead.”

He said the words like it was easy. Like it hadn’t nearly cost Steve his sanity to even think them.

Love.

Love you.

“I love you!”

Steve felt like he was startling awake from a nightmare. One of those where, once you’ve opened your eyes, you instantly forget its horrors. That’s what it felt like when his confession found its way out of his mouth, making the pain of the past months disperse into nothingness.

Eddie had been right there all this time.

Eddie, with tears running down his beautiful face, smiling lovingly at Steve. Eddie, who brought his hands up to each side of Steve’s face before he leaned down and sealed his lips with a bruising kiss. Despair and pain spilling from his mouth as he licked his way inside, forcefully pushing something else in their place. Filling Steve’s insides with warmth and light and happiness. Passion running through his veins, pumping love into his heart, restarting the rotten organ to pick up its once steady beat. Its rhythm hard and fast, growing in size so big Steve felt like it would burst right through his chest.

I. Love. You.

Three simple words were all it took.

All the pain, the suffering, the loveless nights, and dreadful days – they all vanished in the seconds it took to say them out loud.

Three simple words, that seemed so frightening in his mind, so loaded with too much meaning and not enough weight to truly express what he felt.

What he still feels.

Loving Eddie and be loved by him in return is so easy. It’s easy because it just comes naturally. It’s what makes their love so pure, so honest, and true. They have one heart beating in two separate bodies. They are a two-piece puzzle, their curves and edges shaped to fit. A perfect match.

Steve holds out his hands, waits for Robin to take them in hers, and pulls her into a hug.

“Eddie already said yes, hasn’t he?” Steve says through a defeated smile.

“Well, his exact words were ‘You’re gonna regret it, Bucks.’ And then he said something about being extra nasty and insufferable just to wind me up. But yeah, he’s on board.” Robin huffs out a laugh.

Steve pulls her tighter, laughs when he practically hears Eddie’s voice in his head, sees his mischievous grin before his inner eye.

Eddie loves to be the centre of attention. Loves to be in the spotlight. Of course, he would be happy to provide himself as vessel for Robin’s artistic outlet.

The things you do for love, Steve sighs before he agrees.

Polaroid #1

Movie night. The three friends are watching some old, trashy horror movie. Steve had a very stressful day at work, can barely keep his eyes open when they’re not even 15 minutes into the movie. He falls asleep on the couch, unbothered by Robin and Eddie’s bickering and laughing. When the movie comes to an end, Eddie leans down to Steve’s resting body, foreheads touching as he takes a moment to just listen to the other man’s calm breathing. ‘Hey baby,’ Eddie whispers softly, ‘time to get up.’ He kisses the tip of Steve’s nose, waits for him to slowly drift out of his deep slumber.

Steve smiles sleepily when he opens his eyes and sees Eddie’s face hovering over him, accepts the gentle press of Eddie’s lips against his own.

‘C’mon, darling. Let’s get you to bed.’

‘I’m not even tired anymore,’ Steve says, his face scrunched up when he yawns loudly.

‘Hmm, I know a way to tire you out, baby. Don’t worry,’ Eddie answers smugly, brushing their noses together before he kisses him again.

Robin makes a gagging sound, but smiles as she takes a picture to capture this soft little moment.

Polaroid #2

Sunday morning. They are all a little groggy from Robin’s early birthday celebrations last night. They’ve been out dancing, downing shot after shot, having an awesome time. Now, the buzz from the night before is gone and makes way for headaches and hangover munchies. Steve promised Robin pancakes in the morning and she’s desperate for him to finally get up and make them. She knocks on their bedroom door and steps in without waiting for an answer. The boys are still in bed. Eddie looks like he just woke up with his frazzled hair hanging into his face, lying half on top of Steve, rubbing his eyes. ‘Just five more minutes’, Steve grumbles, refuses to turn and get up.

It’s her Birthday, sure, and he promised her food she absolutely, definitely needs to soak up the remaining alcohol in her system – but she can give him another five minutes.

When she returns (exactly five minutes later), she captures Eddie and Steve still in bed. Eddie’s lips grazing the skin on his mole-speckled back with a dreamy look in his eyes, while Steve sighs in defeat ‘Alright, Robs. You win.’

The shutter clicks just before he turns around to throw a pillow at her head, causing Eddie to tumble to the side and nearly topple off the bed.

Polaroid #3

Robin sorts through the pile of polaroid pictures she’s taken over the last two weeks:

Steve and Eddie dancing in the kitchen to some dorky love song.

Steve resting between Eddie’s thighs where they lie cuddled up on the sofa, Eddie reading his favourite book to Steve.

Eddie trying and failing to make a handstand, Steve beside him, holding his belly from laughing so hard.

A picture of all three of them on Robin’s birthday, faces covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup after devouring their pancakes like starving animals.

Eddie with his guitar in his lap, Steve sitting on the floor across from him. They share a loving look, eyes full of desire and devotion.

And then- Robin startles in shock. How did that get in here?

She knows she didn’t take that picture. She couldn’t have. Not with the way she already feels the deep blush creeping up her face because- Jesus! That’s entirely too personal. She feels like she’s invading their privacy just by looking at that. This surely isn’t meant for anyone’s eyes but theirs.

It’s not like they’re visibly naked but the position of their bodies leaves literally no room for speculations. One of Eddie’s hands wrapped around Steve’s throat and Steve looks like- well, he looks absolutely fucking blissful. Robin can practically hear the soft moans escaping his parted lips (How she knows what he sounds like, you ask? They swore to never ever talk about that incident ever again).

It looks like Eddie is kissing him. Or maybe he licks his skin. Maybe he whispers some dirty words into his ear, tells him how he’s going to wreck him – who knows? The point is, Robin doesn’t want to know because as much as she adores them, as much as she’s been prying on their sweet moments over the past weeks, there are things that should be kept between them.

She’s going to frame it and surprise them with it. (What she doesn’t know, is that Eddie sneaked that picture into her folder just to tease her. What she also doesn’t know is that there’s a whole collection of more of these kind of pictures hidden in a shoebox under their bed.)

#steddie ficlet #tumblr fic #inspired by #inklessletter #polaroid series

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moongothic · 6 months

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We all know how a lot of Luffy's opponents have been in some ways premonitions of the type of person Luffy could end up as if something went wrong in his life. For example Moria is what Luffy could've become had he truly lost his entire crew at Sabaody if Kuma had not saved them

And we know Crocodile is what Luffy maybe could've become had Luffy given up on his dreams and become jaded after losing to him. But like, when you think about it, that's not the only dark reflection of Luffy in Crocodile, is it

'Cause Crocodile, despite employing people for Baroque Works, did not trust anyone around him and did not considder anyone to be anything else but an employee to him. And we know he had been planning on taking over Alabasta for like 14 years (at the very least), BW being a thing for only the past four (pre-timeskip)

So like. Did Crocodile spend the last 14 years alone

Like yes he had his workers at the Casino and Robin etc, so he was like, around people, he wasn't like Brook who was in Total Isolation. But on an emotional level, has he not spent the last 14 years all by himself, completely detached from anyone, unable to trust or rely on anyone else?

That is sad as fucking shit, holy hell

'Cause then you compare him to like Luffy and like

Our sweet baby boy was so afraid of being alone that Luffy literally went through hell just to gain Ace's approval despite Ace trying to signal to him he wasn't interested befriending him

And through out the whole series Luffy reiterates time and time again how he needs and wants his friends around because he literally can't live without them, both on a literal "he can't cook or navigate or have fun by himself" level but also on that emotional level

And Crocodile just. Spent 14 years of his life, if not longer, alone.

Sweet jesus what happened to this man

And that just makes me further wonder, what the absolute fuck were Crocodile's Rookie Pirate days like?? Like did he have a crew or was he just yolo'ing it by himself???

Like. Mihawk's never been on a crew as far as we know. Kuma was a Revolutionary, not a pirate, but he wasn't like alone still. Doflaming, Hancock, Jinbei and Moria however have/had crews of their own. So what was Crocodile's deal? Did he have a crew before? Was he a captain or was he on someone else's ship? (Although surely the Government wouldn't offer the position of a Shichibukai to a cabin boy or the first mate, right)

And if he did have a crew, the hell happened to them??

Like we know Crocodile got his ass kicked by Whitebeard, I just find it unlikely Whitebeard would've pulled a Kaidou on Crocodile's crew and slaughtered them, that's not a very Whitebeard-y thing do, right?? ...Unless Whitebeard was just different 20+ years ago and was willing to annihilate entire crews. We don't know. Or maybe Crocodile and his entire crew were like Turbo Rotten from the beginning and Whitebeard figured they deserved to get wiped out, much like how we saw Shanks wipe out Kid's crew at Elbaf. Or maybe Whitebeard saw no reason to have mercy on someone affiliated with the World Government.

That all said, if we wanted to assume Crocodile had somekind of trauma that lead to him viewing people not only as disposable but also untrustworthy, then maybe losing people dear to him like that wouldn't lead to that mindset. Like Moria witnessed his beloved crew die and that caused him to want to create a crew he couldn't die, so he wouldn't go through that emotional trauma again.

Which leaves me to wonder. If something caused him to lose his ability to (emotionally) trust people, and if Whitebeard broke his dreams... Maybe Crocodile had a crew. And maybe they abandoned him when he lost to Whitebeard. Figuring they didn't need a weak captain who was probably going to bleed to death anyways. Or maybe the crew tried to take his head (after Whitebeard kicked his ass), after all, he was already a Shichibukai, anybody who took Crocodile's head could maybe attempt to take that title for themselves if the Government allowed it, and if not, at least gain more fame for themselves.

Either of these scenarios would certainly result in you losing your ability to rely on others. And leave you willing to spend the rest of your life alone. Who would have in them to go through that again.

Or maybe he came out of the womb unable to trust people and he was just yolo'ing it by himself like Mihawk right from the begining, who knows

Regardless I'm just

#Moon posting #Sir Crocodile #OP Meta #Me @ Crocodile: Who hurt you #No fucking wonder Crocodile was absolutely deranged in Alabasta #Dude just spent like 14 years speaking to a wall by himself. Or maybe not who knows the walls could betray him too #This man has so much unresolved trauma #BTW if true this would also make Crocodile a dark reflection of Robin. Which is a different layer of sad on its own #Like. Both expecting the other to be the one to betray them. And in the end it's Robin who shot first.#Break week in the middle of Kuma Backstory. I am in pain.#When will our husband return from the war #I need to know what his deal is so bad. I must study him under a microscope #My derangement will not know end until then #There could've been a counterargument that Crocodile couldn't trust anyone lest his Utopia Plans got ruined #And to be fair if the Government had found out his plans would've been screwed. Shichibukai Rights REVOKED #But he still seems to carry those trust issues since Mihawk is on relatively thin ice it seems #So me thinks. This smells like trauma.#The real conclusion to this post is that the Crocodile x Daz shippers are RIGHT

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sadboytournament · 7 months

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ROUND ONE

Propaganda

Ja'far: My favourite sad adult man. He is physically unable to catch a break. There are so many things I could give here, his tragic backstory as an assassin which is sadly never explained in much detail (but this is magi and I’ve learned not to expect too much), despite this it clearly has a strong impact on his character thought the series. Like the persistent self worth issues, and how that relates to his unhealthy work-life balance, he’s never really not had a job. There are occasionally points when good thing happen, only for them to be immediately followed up by tragedy. Rurumu is the perfect example of this, she genuinely cared so much about him and ended up adopting him and it was so sweet, but god forbid he’s allowed to be happy so everything goes wrong and she end up dying (which makes him two for two in the dead mom department). Not to mention his relationship with Sinbad and how their last conversation was Sinbad lying to his face and leaving him. The poor guy doesn’t even get a happy ending, he’s just waiting for Sinbad to come back, he has no personal goals or hobby’s, Sinbad was quite literally his home and reason for living, but now he’s gone. I’m so bad at expressing my feelings about this guy, just because there are so many and it’s so complicated. Magi honestly sucks in a lot of ways but the way Sinbad and Ja’far are written is absolutely fantastic, they were always destined to end poorly but it still hurts to watch their relationship fall apart the way it did. I haven’t even mentioned the fall of the first Sindria which was a whole thing, two of his oldest die in front of him, only form him to find out afterwards that his adoptive mom and another close friend have also died. He was 14 at the time, he had so much going on and just had to pick up the pieces afterwards. It’s such a shame we were never shown the aftermath of the whole thing it would have been so interesting! But again this is magi, most thing are pretty disappointing. There are probably other things I could go on about, but I can’t remember them and this is a bit long.

Marius Pontmercy: I'm still sad about him losing round 1 last time.True sadboy behaviour. The Les Mis = Sadboys argument still stands, and also uh. His friends die. You know how it is. In the musical he sings a whole song about how empty the chairs and tables are without the homeboys. Truly a travesty.

#tumblr tournament #the sadboy tourney #ja'far #magi: the labyrinth of magic #marius pontmercy #les miserables

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sparklyeevee · 2 years

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Sorry I'm still thinking about how the ability to trust and obey a head of state, wholesale take on her priorities as your own, and do what's asked of you even when you don't have the full picture, is a huge part of the First Prince of the Sword's job, is something Gawyn was trained from childhood to do, is probably a big part of why the princes of Andor train with the Warders in the first place, and after what Elaida did to him, what she tried to do to the Younglings, he can't do it anymore. She literally traumatized him into being unable to do his damn job. He can't be Egwene's Warder, not effectively, when his instincts won't let him stop looking for what she isn't telling him. He can't serve Elayne when he sees a trap in her every order, for him and the men under his command.

It's worth noting here that what Elaida did with the Younglings, deliberately sending them into impossible situations because she didn't like them and no longer had a use for them... That's not what you might call a thing, in this setting. My partner remembers Carridin and Valda doing it once each, but Carridin is a darkfriend and Valda is...Valda. They're also both men, and neither is actually the head of an entire government. Other leaders, other heads of state, including Rand, are sometimes careless with their military forces, and the Light knows the Seanchan see people as disposable, but it's a long fucking step from carelessness to malice, and if the Empress, may she live forever, or one of the High Blood, found the continued existence of a specialist unit inconvenient and unaesthetic, they would be ordered to kill themselves, straight out. I don't think Gawyn ever actually tells anyone what she was doing, which suggests to me that either he didn't expect to be believed, even by Elaida's direct adversaries, or he didn't know how, he didn't have the language for it. Certainly Gareth Bryne didn't understand it, but that's no fault of Bryne's - Gawyn didn't even really try to explain, and Gareth Bryne isn't Lan, he can't just intuit what's really bothering someone. I think Rand might have gotten it - he knows a thing or two about not wanting to be used, and about not being able to trust people when they won't tell you what's going on - but circumstances conspire to make it impossible for them to talk to each other.

I'm not trying to blame anyone for not getting where Gawyn's head is at. It was actually kind of narratively important that someone just straight up fall through the cracks. It was kind of important that someone be refused language for what was done to them. It was kind of important that, in a series where the most common way to look after a suicidal person is to offer them a more useful, but also more time consuming, way to kill themselves, and just keep doing that until they stop wanting to die, that someone not get any help with that, and fuck up catastrophically trying to do it for themselves.

And this is kind of the context on Gawyn's desire to like, be more protagonisty than circumstances really allow him to be. There's a completely offhand observation in Eye of the World, when Rand and Mat are on the way to Caemlyn, about how farmers have only themselves to answer to if they sleep late. Gawyn doesn't understand how Rand is so comfortably able to exercise personal agency, to just do things without being told to or even getting permission. His limited understanding of the way the world is ordered, his very hierarchical way of thinking, suggests to him that a random sheepherder, all the way down at the bottom of the social strata, should feel more constrained, be more afraid of acting without external direction, and he can't for the life of him figure out how Rand does it, and he's jealous, which makes him angry, because Gawyn, due to the psychological damage he's taken, is no longer fitted for the life of service to which he was raised, and desperately needs to be able to do what Rand is doing. Not the Dragon Reborn thing, not initial caps Changing the World, but seeing what needs to be done and doing it without the direction or approval of any greater authority. And none of the people he tries to talk to about it even understand what he's asking, partly because they're all a little less clueless about how the world is arranged, and understand without explication that a farmer, who is empowered to just notice that a fence is breaking down and set about repairing it, is not going to face the same challenges in this area as the First Prince of the Sword, who commands armies but is always answerable to the Queen.

#gawyn trakand #wheel of time book spoilers #wheel of time

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din-djarins-riduur · 1 year

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The Bad Batch Episode III : Solitary Clone & Republic Commando Parallels

*Spoilers for the books*

—————————————————

I really loved this episode, not only because it revolves around Crosshair, but because it parallels so much with the clone trooper Darman from The Republic Commando Series.

First, not only was this memorial striking and also a replica of the Vietnam War Memorial, but for those who read the RP books, this can also be a homage to the Mandalorian tradition of saying a dead loved one’s name every day in order to keep their existence alive even after death. In the books, Darman does this for two brothers that he had accidentally killed in self defense. It tortured him, but he knew saying their names everyday was the right thing to do. There is also a scene in the books where Walon Vau and Kal Skirata say the names of every dead trooper that they had trained. If I remember correctly, the list takes them about two hours to say, but for Mandalorians it is worth it.

Now, I can’t say this was the creators’ intention when designing this memorial, but the mood and the list of names that go on and on really reminded me of that.

Next, I wanted to talk about the similarities between Crosshair and Cody and that of Darman and Niner. In the books, Darman wants to stay with the Empire and kill every Jedi that he can in order to avenge his dead wife. This scares Niner and without needed time, Niner quickly realizes that the Empire is not what it seems. Like Niner, Cody also sees the true intent of the Empire and wants to go AWOL.

In the RP series, Niner and Darman even attempt to escape Coruscant, but right before they can board the ship, Darman chooses to stay, believing that his duty is to rid the galaxy of all remaining Jedi. Like Darman, Crosshair also feels compelled to stay, feeling that his only purpose in life is to finish his missions and prove himself to his superiors.

Also the freaking depression that both Crosshair and Darman go through literally rips at my heart. When I was reading the books, I felt so devastated for Darman. The poor man literally watched his wife die right in front of him and he was so traumatized by it that he would mentally tell himself that it didn’t happen to him but to someone else. He would act like a completely different person, referring to himself in his mind as “Not-Darman” all while wanting to die, unable to stand the thought of living his life without Etain. He even forgets that he has a son for while, knowing that if he acknowledged the fact that it would only cause him more pain because it reminded him of the life that got ripped out of his hands.

Like Darman, Crosshair is also going through depression. He looks as if he barely sleeps, stares up at the ceiling, mind racing with thought and reflection. His room is dark and small. He eats his meals alone, but chooses to sit with others because subconsciously he’s desperate for brotherhood. He feels as through everything has been ripped from him and therefore acts like a complete shell of himself to try and get rid of his feelings of regret, anger, and betrayal.

The truth is though, is that neither Darman or Crosshair are able to fool themselves. Eventually, they realize what has happened to them and soon enough start to doubt the Empire that they’re serving and the meanings of their lives.

In the RC books, this revelation comes to Darman when a squad brother of his shoots himself in the bathroom. The suicide shocks him so much that he starts to realize that he can’t continue life the way he had been. And for Crosshair, his revelation comes from Cody’s words, being told that unlike the droids, they’re able to think and make choices, and as consequence have to live with said choices.

Anyways, that’s what I was thinking and feeling while watching this episode and I hope that for the fans of The Republic Commando books that this satisfies your quench and niche thoughts and parallels.

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luimagines · 1 year

Note

*Runs in like I have a lynel on my heels, hands you a basket filled with warm drinks and sweet snacks with a note, promptly passes out without elaborating* Greetings, first of all, how have you been doing? Also, Happy Late Tears of The Kingdom release date. Second of all, finally an excuse to ramble about your works as much as the Tumblr word account limit will allow me in an extensive way like a greek orator holding assembly like Plato talking about Atlantis. Or well at least some, cause if I were to ramble about everything you've posted so far we'd be here all day (SPECIALLY if I were to gush about Time and Twilight), so I'll limit myself to an arguable top six for today.

Ahem. *Clears throat* Anyway if I have to pick any works that are my favorite of yours, my very first pick would likely be the Fear Room.

Wind and his intense trauma about losing Aryll? His desperation as an elder brother who was supposed to protect her and thought he failed again? Wild and all of the ghosts of his kingdom that haunts his steps because he died way back when because he failed and the feeling of survivor's guilt being in full display? That if he could he'd trade his life for theirs so he wouldn't need to live with the most intense feeling of failure out of all the Links and to look at Hyrule and Zelda and everything like the pages of an old faded book? To say goodbyes to people he doesn't know anymore? Sky and his feelings over never being enough? Of always being just a second too late while the people he cares for are in danger and out of his reach, further made worse by the fact Demise's Curse took hold because of his actions/inaction in Skyward Sword and that feeling further exacerbated by Impa through the game? Hyrule not wanting all that he went through to be for naught and not wanting to be all alone again, specially given that without Zelda he wouldn't be able to keep Ganon at bay alone? Twilight's pure anguish and desperation of seeing bad things happen to his loved ones and losing them again and again and being unable to do anything about it? Time being so afraid of losing control over the Fierce Deity and being so, so, so tired. Tired of being strong, tired of being thrust into adventure after adventure and having his agency denied again and again on wether or not he wants to continue on or not? That he has been strong for so long that he not only just cracks, but BREAKS. Warriors pulling his punches because even if it looks like his shield brothers betrayed him and he's tired of traitors he doesn't want to believe it and doesn't want to hurt them? Four failing to save Dot, his childhood friend and in turn likely losing not only Ezlo but the colors and Shadow, literally pieces of himself after he jigsaw puzzled them back together and likely can't see himself living without them? LEGEND WITH THE KOHOLINT TRAUMA? Not to mention all of the other people he lost over the years, his parents, his uncle, technically Sir Raven of we go by the manga who was basically like a brother to him (also know as an incredibly gorgeous man I am itching to write for after the Fairy Tale series is done), Marin, technically Ravio and Hilda if Ravio doesn't go to live in his house after LBTW's, and finally Reader's reaction and lingering trepidation after it's all said and done, it's really well written horror and the horror enthusiast in me delights in it even if it's pure pain and my dog will never not be startled when I giddily cackle over it, 1000/10, would absolutely read again. Plus it inspired stuff for certain parts of the Fairy Tale au.

Tending Temptations, First and Reader are "Just Friends", calling them by their name and Prince Twilight- *takes a deep breath* What it I just die? Those are also a one shot and drabble that will need their own post, but let's just say that the frequency I reach when I read any of them and makes me way too soft and should probably only be heard by small mice, because I adore the way you portray Time and Twilight and First specially given there's maybe only one other author who writes them as well (shout out to Dreaming of Lu and their impeccable Time and First takes) and I love the way you write Twilight with all my heart, I don't think there's anyone who's come as close to delighting me when writing him so really, thank you so much for all your work in the fandom!

And finally, if predictably, the Fairy Tale and Dragon au, Dragon au will have to be it's own thing but I feel like the Fairy Tale au is probably a bit self explanatory since I'm writing a series based on it xD, but also I really like seeing the Links throw into a sudden situation and how they'll adapt and react to it and a great way to do that is to throw them into Fairy Tales we know or even in myths (*cough cough* Just saying, Twilight would kill it as Tam Lin and Time would make an amazing Odysseus) and you have some really unique ideas, so definitely a must read and what inspired me into trying to expand on it in greater detail (when life isn't kicking me in the ribs that is).

Overall, you're a great writer, and reading your stuff after bad days is an almost sure fire way to brighten my day and to make anyone's day, so thank you for all your work in the fandom! Hope you're doing well!

-Just an Anon on a Stroll 🐚/WintertimeStoryteller.

Dreaming of Lu is truly a master of their craft.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Fear Room so much! I don't write horror! Hardly ever! XD I thought I would have botched it.

And I'm sure you'll be happy to know that an expansion of Legend's segment for Fairytale au is queued up for later this year and that Dragon au is also getting a full sized fic expansion beginning in August. (Warrior centric, but I digress. XD)

I'm glad you enjoy the way I write Twilight though! He's one of my favorite so I'm happy to do him justice. :D

#pinky replies #thanks for letting me know #<3 #always happy to hear from you :D #i like your thoughts

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lake-archive · 3 months

Text

Track 2

Fandom: Hypnosis Mic

Series: Secrets & Trust

Characters: Ann Wolff (OC), Gentaro Yumeno

AO3 Link

Track 1 - Track List - Track 3

It would hit him out of literal nowhere, especially since he had not expected to see them anytime soon. The days have been busy for them and the crew they have been part of, to the point that they barely even showed up at Ramuda’s studio. He had been complaining a little, unable to see his partner in person, yet calmed down just as quickly. The days had been busy and Gentaro himself could only guess what work had been piling up. Balancing it all out with the regular life was a tough call, or so he imagined. So it was best to leave them be for the time being.

And yet, he didn’t know how to react when having come across them that time. It was conveniently timed, though at first Gentaro had just assumed that this was a coincidence. Visiting hours had been over by then, forcing him to take leave and head home for the day. The condition had not gotten any better, he was not closer to waking up from his current slumber. Then again, he wasn’t surprised either. There was no improvement in the patient’s condition yet also no signs of it becoming worse. Hold on hope for now… Hoping for his brother’s return. It was agony yet he had to hold onto this… Just a little longer. Keep up with everything just a little longer… For his sake. It will be worth it in the end… It will be worth it. Yeah.

But back to reality. Taking self pity was not going to get him anywhere. He had to head home for the day, it was about to get late. But when he was about to turn around and take the opposite direction he had been called out. “Ah! Yumeno–Sensei! I finally found you!” He heard Ann’s voice, loud and clear, calling him out. That in itself was already a surprise. ‘found you’? Usually they would not seek him out. And yet, not responding and pretending to not have heard them would have been rude. He couldn’t just walk away now. So he turned back, seeing how quickly Ann themself had approached Gentaro.

“Good evening. Art thou on thy way home?” He asked, pretending to be clueless. And yet, maybe he had been co— Ah no, he knew better than that from their wording alone.

“No, not at all. Again, I was looking for you.” They responded, their tone calm yet… Awfully serious? Yeah, something was going on here now. Cer— “I’ll just cut to the chase since I don’t want to take up your time… Do you remember when you mentioned something about The Demented? I was curious if you happened to have more information to share!”

Gentaro wanted to become a little pale when hearing that. And maybe he did. Regardless, he had a pair of wide eyes the moment he heard the name drop. The group, The Demented…

It would be a lie if he said he didn’t. After all, he had been somewhat involved. No, not working for them or anything like that. He was not going to step down on their level nor was he willing to do so. Even if they were to find and offer him a miracle, he would still reject them. He couldn’t stand them… Or at least, their leader. Because much to Gentaro’s own dismay, the leader knew more than he would like… And he was trying to use this as an advantage in every negotiation they had. Negotiations he was forced to go to or else ‘something might slip through the cracks’, blowing his cover in an instant. As long as he showed up, the secret was safe. And yet, the dirty tricks never stopped there… Having to bring up his own brother…

“ So boy? How about it? For your brother's sake. ” The leader would always ask, full of himself.

“ Apologies to thee but I'd rather die than team up with you Karl . ” Gentaro would always throw at him, not even hesitating to stab the old man with his own words when needed.. No, scratch that, Gentaro would punch this guy right then and there. “If you think my brother will sway me, think again. I will do it my way. But I applaud this old man for finding out about my circumstances.”

And this guy? He had the nerve to laugh, smile even, keeping up his cheerful tone. And yet, said tone would contradict his words all the same. “ Haha, you haven't changed. You're the same brat as always. ”

“ Why thank you, oh so good Sir. ” Did Gentaro mean it though? No, of course not. But he didn’t leave it at that. “ By the way, how are your wife and daughter doing? ”

It would be met with silence. Oh the face of shock and perhaps near anger was always amusing to see. Seeing this guy close to boiling when touching this ever so sensitive subject… It was a low blow, even the young man had to admit that. As much as he hated Karl’s guts, he still seemed to deeply care for his family. But the old man had dragged in Gentaro’s own brother, using him as a negotiation tool. So in the end… No, he wasn’t going to be sorry.

“ You should watch your mouth around your elders. ” He then heard from Karl’s mouth, him forcing a polite tone, nearly breaking his ‘pathetic old man’ character.

“ You bring my brother into this, I will drag your wife and daughter into this conversation. It’s as simple as that. ”

Long story short, the two always ended up at each other’s throats, turning it into a back and forth until one got sick of it and left. The old man tried it every single time, believing that he could sway Gentaro. But no, it was just an endless cycle of attempted manipulation. Hit where it hurts, or is supposed to. But only a fool would fall for something like that. He was not going to be that fool and listen to empty promises like these. And yet, he was stubborn to recruit Gentaro. Was it because they essentially had a ‘common goal’? Ah, just another lie. It was not that. It was his Ability, wasn’t it? Wanting to put it to use, blackmail him into joining forces… The old geezer can wait until he bites the grass! And even then Gentaro would not even consider joining to begin with! Ironic coming from someone who is known to lie, isn’t it? But he was not going to play these games…

So he knew more, way more. But having been asked this directly? Ann seemed curious and he didn’t know what for. So he was hesitant in the end, not sure if he should… Should he? It was not something he was too comfortable touching upon. The Demented as a whole may as well be fools led by a desperate old man. Hah, then again, could he blame anyone but Karl? No, not really…

It seemed that Ann had at least noticed Gentaro’s hesitation, first just looking at him before starting to speak up again. “I know it might be too much to ask for but… Please, hear me out.”

They were pushing it, or trying to. But knowing them, they would be at least ready to be honest with him. So he nodded in the end, at least hearing them out. “Very well. Proceed.”

“Our leader decided to do some research on the group but came out empty handed. We have reached a dead end and don’t know where else to get information. And then I remembered what you said before so I thought that maybe you have information.”

A dead end regarding… Research? “Why have thou decided to research this group of terrorists?”

“Well, we have already been involved more than we like. So to sit down and do nothing would not be fitting for CATZ either.”

“Thou three are trying to face such an organization on thy own?” He… Had no response to that except that the trio sounded like fools. Now, he was not going to disregard their abilities but that sounded insane. But then again, who was he to talk?

“Better than doing nothing…” They said, a little more quiet however until speaking up again. “Regardless, we can’t do that if we don’t know who we are up against. So… I’m begging you! If you can’t speak up about them, then at least someone who knows as much as you do! Please!”

They seemed desperate, aiming to get this information no matter what. They were ready to probably add that they ‘will do anything in return’. He knew them well enough by now, they would not hesitate. This was serious. They were desperate. They had nowhere else to turn to at this point. So… As much as he wished to avoid this…

“I understand. Give me a little while to get into contact with someone. I shall contact thee once the time approaches.”

Track 1 - Track List - Track 3

#Nimue's Lake #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #hypnosis mic #hypmic #hypnosis mic oc #hypmic oc #gentaro yumeno #yumeno gentaro #hypmic gentaro

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k0eter · 1 month

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On the concept of immortality as a punishment

So a few days ago, I read a series of fan fictions by an incredible author over on AO3, and I took to the comments to express my appreciation for them. Lo and behold, we talked and rambled about the characters and the challenges they're facing, as well as the implications this all has for their mental health. I've already written a shitload of stuff on that in the comments, but now that I've revisited our comments, I've got even more thoughts on that. And since I don't wanna be overbearing or something like that in a fan fiction's comments, I'll just continue rambling here. I didn't title my blog "random reblogs and thoughts" for nothing lol

For context, one of the core topics of our discussion was immortality and the personality of Alucard from Hellsing.

The author quoted Doctor Who:

"that’s your punishment, you live”

And it's scary how true that statement is.

If you've committed a serious crime, your punishment usually is a jail sentence, or in severe cases, execution/death penalty (by more humane means nowadays). Your punishment, at its core, is that you have to live with the guilt for a few years, and if you're not too far gone, you can actually learn to forgive yourself for what you've done. Usually by, or rather during serving your jail sentence specifically. On one hand (and in a perfect world), it's meant to keep you away from society so you're not enticed to commit more crimes, and to keep society safe - from you. On the other hand, it takes you outta society and deprives you of most luxuries so you can't do much else but dwell on whatever you did or didn't do. It forces you to confront your past mistakes. Of course, it doesn't always works out that way, because most prisons nowadays still focus on punishment rather than rehabilitating and resocializing. We're not living in a perfect world after all.

In an immortal's case, however, it's not that simple, regardless of whether or not they've served a jail sentence. Their sentence is literally their neverending life. They can't look forward to growing old and dying and never having to bother with their mistakes again, which in my opinion definitely (albeit subconsciously for most) contributes to being able to forgive yourself in the first place.

As a mortal, your life is finite, so if you can't forgive yourself at some point, you're just gonna make yourself miserable over and over again. You're gonna make your own life worse.

To avoid that, your subconscious hopefully nudges you towards forgiving yourself, because there's so much to enjoy about life still, it'd be a waste to spend your days obsessing over your flaws and guilt. If you work towards redemption in whatever way, your reward - at some point - will be your death. Because death is inevitable for you. And if death comes for you, you've either forgiven yourself or you haven't. Once you're dead, it doesn't matter that much anymore, from a realistic point of view at least. In my humble opinion, it's the time leading up to your death that matters the most.

Immortals like e. g. Alucard from Hellsing don't get that kind of mercy. They know they can't die, so they don't get to look forward to the sunset of their life where they can just go "oh well, I did some seriously fucked up shit in life, but that's in the past. Best not dwell on it and enjoy my remaining days". They KNOW they'll have to carry their guilt and flaws forever. There's no "end of their days" they can look forward to even if they're unable to forgive themselves. Sure, eventually, their memories of the atrocities they've committed will fade and lose their meaning, but it won't erase the scars it's left on their psyche and soul. In a way, I think, death is the highest level of resolution and mercy you can be awarded. You spend your whole life working for or towards something, and whether or not you've achieved that specific, you will eventually always be rewarded with an end - death. It's up to you whether that end is good or bad to you.

Immortals have essentially robbed themselves of ever achieving that resolution, at least if they've chosen immortality (like Alucard from Hellsing did). Their unlife essentially equals a rat race. They keep going and going and going, always moving, but never reaching their final destination that absolves them of all their guilt - death.

When I was a kid/teenager, I wanted to be immortal, too. I wanted to live forever. Nowadays, I don't want that anymore, because I know that immortality isn't a blessing, it's a neverending curse that just makes you more miserable with each passing year. Not to mention that you'll outlive everyone you've grown to like (unless they're immortal, too).

#k0eter rambles #k0eter's thoughts #does that count as philosophy #alucard #hellsing #mentions of at least #just my two cents #I'm not even sure if that's remotely coherent #immortality #punishment #redemption #forgiveness

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joe-the-english-otter · 1 year

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Cerebus The Aardvark: Issues #101-#200. Continued Thoughts (Repost)

This is the second part of the three part saga of my opinions on Cerebus The Aardvark. I suggest you read the first part that I posted a few days ago, if you have no idea what’s going on or need some context. (Originally posted to FA on January 17th 2023) So I've continued reading Cerebus and yeah, the previous flaws that might've shown a bit in the previous issues really start to ramp up here and get worse the closer we get to issue #200. (I did mention in the previous journal about Dave Sim's anti-feminist views and I'll get into even more of his... Interesting views later on) Issues #101-#113: This is a continuation of the previous arc, though more story elements are added in as previous echoes, that were hinted at earlier in the story arc, start to build up properly and add weight to the story as Cerebus ascends (In a literal and metaphorical sense) to where he meets the Judge who.... Well, judges the many people of the world. After a long speech which developes the world building a bit more, he tells Cerebus that he's destined to die "alone, unmourned and unloved", that his empire has collapsed to an invading army and that the vast majority of his followers are dead. Issues #114-#150: After Cerebus literally falls back down to earth, he walks around the mostly ruined city that he once ruled, before eventually running into Jaka and her new husband Rick. Cerebus stays with them for a bit as a houseguest and there's a bit of tension as Cerebus does his best to try and split Jaka and Rick up, still showing that he loves her deeply and is heartbroken that she's found someone else. This part of the story is lightly pushed down as the character Oscar is introduced, who is 100% written as Oscar Wilde, he plays a major part in the story as he starts writing a story based on Jaka's life, without Jaka knowing. Cerebus leaves to go do a basic errand and while he's gone, Jaka, Rick and Oscar are captured by the new dictatorship controling the region (The dictatorship being mostly big burly women and one of the higher ups being Margaret Thatcher... Seriously). The latter half of this arc deals with the last days of Oscar's life, after being severely scarred by his time in prison. It also deals with Cerebus who is deeply shell shocked, believing that Jaka is dead. Issues #151-#200: This is probably one of the longest arc's in the series. In is part, we get more details on two other aardvarks that exist in this world; Cirin (Leader of the new dictatorship) and Suenteus Po (An extremely powerful philosopher who has lived through several incarnations of himself). There's a lot of mind games as Cerebus, Cirin and Astoria (She's back now) try to change things to their own ideologies, with Po trying to prevent things from going to complete shit. In the third part of the arc, the viewer is shown parts of an in-universe essay, which basically describes a theory on the sexes using a female void (Which focuses on feelings and emotions) and a male void (Which focuses on reason and logic). This honestly reads like it's Dave Sim's thoughts and it mostly comes out of nowhere, like it holds a bit of relevance to the story arc but it just feels very tacked on in my opinion and it's one of the first major times Dave Sim would throw his thoughts and opinions into the story. This story arc starts to reach it's end as Cerebus, Cirin, Astoria and Po finally meet together. Po is able to talk Astoria out of fighting Cerebus and Cirin, helped by the fact that Astoria is worn out by the constant violence. Astoria and Po then leave after they're unable to talk down Cerebus and Cirin, leaving them to fight and good god is their fight violent as hell, leaving them both covered in blood, but alive. Eventually they're both shot up into space by "god" (Who turns out to be called Dave and is 100% a self-insert of Dave Sim) and they're slowly split apart, this leaves Cerebus alone with his thoughts and we get a good look at some moments from his past. (Caution warning: Censored Homophobic Slur Mentions) It's also during this time that Cerebus is left alone with his thoughts and he starts praying to Tarim (The none Dave Sim god), at first being thankful for being saved and then out of nowhere, starts thanking Tarim for not minding him being a f*ggot, while also loudly trying to drown out those thoughts by chanting "Shut Up" as he unintentionally brings up a few moments of him being aroused by men, while also repeatedly using the word f*ggot, mentioning that he hates f*ggots and that being a f*ggot is a sin. Now this is all brought up because it's mentioned in the third part that Cerebus is a hermaphrodite and has or had the ability to reproduce by himself if need be, that really troubles Cerebus and is what caused his outburst. I understand that in medieval fantasy, there is some carry over of what the laws were in the irl medieval era, but there are way better ways to handle it and doing it in such a way where the character is disgusted by these thoughts and saying that they're morally wrong, is really hard to take, especially considering they're the main character. But anyway, back to the story; Eventually Cerebus meets "god" who is shown in word balloon text as he changes various things while speaking in Cerebus's mind, proving that he is a supreme being in some sense. "god* then shows Cerebus the destiny that he was supposed to have followed, but that he screwed it up royally and is now set on a path of self-destruction, he then shows Cerebus two possible realities in which he lives with Jaka, neither of which end well for either of them. The arc ends after Cerebus is stuck on a small planet for a while, as a type of penance, before he is sent back to earth. So, here are the good bits: The art is fantastic, both Dave Sim and Gerhard (He was the main background artist from issue #65 onwards) did a brilliant job. The writing can be very good at times, like the converstations between characters as they argue and discuss topics can be really interesting. Now for my main gripe: Dave Sim's thoughts and opinions bleeding into the story. It's now reached a point where it's gone from being fairly balanced, into just full on "This is what I think and you're going to have to deal with it" and it's really hurting the story. Nearly every female character is now an antagonist or is really watered down character-wise (Even more than before). It's also clear that his anti-LGBTQA+ opinions are showing and it's only gonna get worse from here as he goes deeper into has ramblings in the comments section, which at times takes up more space than the actual story he's making. I will continue reading this series as there's only 100 issues left and a few extras that I might comment on. Overall, I stand by that Dave Sim is a fucking arsehole and someone with some serious personal issues that he didn't resolve. He's talented, but that does not excuse the hate he spews from his gob. Thank you for reading. As before, if I'm factually wrong or have said something you disagree with, do let me know via a comment or DM on either here or on Twitter. Cheers.

#cerebus the aardvark #dave sim #80s comics #90s comics #cerebus #comics #aardvark #opinion #critique #comic review #review

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inukag · 1 year

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Ignoring the anime, didn't Inuyasha start going off to find Kikyo after he found out Naraku was trying to kill her again? I think before he found out, and he had that discussion with Kagome at the well, he wasn't actively searching for her on his own during their travels, but it's been a while since I sat down and read the story so I could be wrong. If I'm right, I would understand his actions, since the person you claim died because of you getting killed by the same guy twice is messed up

I’m going to make a longer compilation one day but yes literally every time Inuyasha went to see Kikyo it was either because she was in danger/injured or because he wanted to know what she planned to do against Naraku. This narrative that he runs off to have romantic meetings with her behind Kagome’s back is just completely disconnected from reality, lol.

Early on in the series he went to see her after she fell from a cliff so he thought she was mortally wounded.

^ notice how he says he wants her soul to rest / be free and he doesn’t actually want to die with her.

He went to see her when he was furious that she gave the shikon jewel to Naraku and wanted to know if she really wanted him dead.

He went to see her when she was (again) pushed off a cliff on Mt Hakurei by Naraku and again when there were rumors that she was still alive and Kagome encouraged him to go look for her.

And later when she’s actually alive:

And then the rest of the series it was just meeting up to ask her what she planned to do to fight Naraku (here it was when he found out that she was using Midoriko’s soul).

(and she was still injured)

The thing you referenced about finding out that Naraku wanted to kill her again is what happens in chap 171-176, which is the only time in the series that Inuyasha thought of “choosing” Kikyo over Kagome but he couldn’t actually do it. He said it’s not what he wants but he feels he has no choice but to risk his life for her because she “died to follow him” (which isn’t even true).

Inuyasha never ever wanted to rekindle his relationship with Kikyo. He just wanted her soul to find peace.

Because nothing scream “I love you so much and I want to be with you” like “You have to go back to being dead so I can have your reincarnation back” 💀 If Inuyasha was “hung up on Kikyo” like some people think he is, his reaction should have been “Kikyo we will make things right! You’re here now, I will find a way to bring you back properly so we can be together!” but nope, that never happened.

I’m not saying he didn’t love Kikyo but his relationship with her pre-betrayal was shallow (they only had a few “conversations” which were mainly just Kikyo talking about herself and the jewel) and 99% of what we see in the series is just him being guilt tripped by everyone. First by Kikyo herself by telling him that she would not rest until he died and that his life belongs to her, and then by Naraku claiming that KIkyo “died to follow him” (which makes zero sense). Even Sesshomaru worsened Inuyasha’s guilt by mocking him and telling him that he failed to protect Kikyo.

And the sad thing is that Kikyo’s deaths on Mt. Hakurei and her final death are his fault in a way... He promised to protect her from Naraku but he did very little to actually protect her. He left her alone and only checked up on her AFTER something bad happened. Logically Inuyasha should have ditched Kagome because Kikyo needed him and Kagome didn’t. But because Inuyasha was unable to let go of Kagome, Kikyo paid the price.

#ask #Anon #inukik-critical #i don't even think the anime is different in that regards

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tokiro07 · 1 year

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Undead Unluck ch.149 thoughts

[The Boys Just Call Him “Camouflage”]

[Foreward: So it’s occurred to me that the format of my chapter reviews has pretty much been page-by-page (or sometimes even panel-by-panel) summaries with a little bit of commentary, and honestly that’s not really what I want to be doing with these, so I’m going to try to be a bit more freeform with it this week if I can and see if that’s preferable. Please let me know which style you prefer! On with the review]

This chapter is exactly what I’ve been waiting for! I knew Tozuka would make me like Sean, and I knew he’d do it by leaning into EXACTLY who I thought Sean would be! Sean’s my poor little meow meow now, my cringefail son

It’s really appropriate that Sean views himself as being typecast as a side character when he’s literally the one who’s had the least screen time in the entire series. I think that Lucy’s even had more panels than him by this point, though now that he’s had an entire chapter dedicated to him, that’s probably either just changed or is about to change. Either way, it really reframes his previously minor contribution to the story in a new light, as his inferiority complex for being irrelevant, forgotten, and unseen stretches beyond the ink on the page and into the real world, with his only full bodied appearance prior to this being in his character profile. Man, even by omission, Tozuka is great at characterization!

It’s also interesting that Sean’s tragedy is the first to not actually cause a death (aside from Lucy’s). Yeah, his dad died, but there’s no indication that Sean or Unseen had anything to do with it. The tragedy is more that he’s now barred from living the life he wants as an actor taking center stage and instead is roped into living a life of crime. Of course, this unfortunate path in life is what leads to his untimely demise, which I think may be meant to be his true tragedy: aside from Shen and Rip, he’s the only Negator we ever saw die prior to Ragnarok and the only one not to be in some way revived. He had zero agency, always being dragged by the ear into horrible situations by people who were in charge of their lives, and ultimately died in obscurity, the person who killed him and who he tried to kill not even realizing he was there until he was already bleeding on the ground. Unseen in a supporting role to the very end, and he couldn’t even do that right

Even in this loop, nothing has changed: he’s still unable to perform like he wanted, he still gets dragged into a dangerous place where he can’t seem to do anything of value, and even cosmically the guy can’t even be born when he was supposed to! Sean is the ONLY Negator so far who was “born early” like Fuuko said, at least as far as we can tell, which may or may not be because even Tozuka himself forgot that Sean’s age wasn’t right for fitting him into the story he wanted to tell. Or maybe he did that on purpose to show Sean being batted around even more, who knows

Now, I do really love the confirmation that Fuuko wasn’t actually planning to use Sean in this mission initially. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, it seemed odd that Fuuko stated she wanted two more recruits and ended up with three, so knowing that Fuuko only intended on sheltering Sean so he wouldn’t get hurt helps the logic fall into place. And of course, just like in the previous loop, it’s Sean’s narcissistic need to take center stage that ultimately lands him in hot water, as he insisted that Fuuko bring him along to make use of his Unseen just like he insisted on disobeying Rip when he tried to kill Fuuko previously. Even after worming his way into the mission, he ends up being insubordinate and tries to wave the white flag to save himself, which only pisses off Creed

It’s really appropriate that Sean ends up being a major player in the fight against Creed for a few reasons. For one, they have similar ideologies: both strongly value their team (Creed with his men, Sean with is blood brothers). Second, the context they’re fighting in puts those similar ideologies completely at odds: Creed is trying to protect his men in this moment, but Sean isn’t with his blood brothers, he’s with his captors, and doesn’t want to associate with them, but to Creed, either Sean is a no-good deserter or the Union is rag-tag group who aren’t taking this battle seriously. Third, Sean is incredibly weak by Negator standards, and Creed is definitely on the higher end: this was the same set-up as his battle against Top and Chikara, wherein the two of them had to creatively use their Rules in conjunction with each other in order to overcome Creed’s. The way he’s defeated is even the same, with Top and Sean both using their abilities to come up behind Creed and disable him

The deciding factor for Sean this time, what differentiates his final moments as a member of Under and what are now his starting moments as a member of the Union, is that someone on his time actually sees him for who he is. Rip (and by extension Billy) just saw him as coworker at best and a tool at worst; they didn’t do anything to foster loyalty or to really bring out his potential, they just ordered him around and made him feel even smaller than he already did. Fuuko, however, sees how he can contribute and what insecurities are stopping him from meeting his potential, and tells him the words he needs to hear, that he isn’t just a side character. From a purely narrative standpoint, objectively he is a side character in this series, but thematically Fuuko’s words ring true: Undead Unluck follows Fuuko and Andy, but the two of them are only able to accomplish what they do because of the contributions of others. Everyone gets their time to shine, everyone gets to contribute, everyone has the opportunity to take center stage and become beloved in their own right, even if it takes some time

Isshin seemed uninteresting when she was first introduced because she was just a big faceless lug with no lines, but thanks to Fuuko, Isshin was dragged out of her shell and showed not only what she was capable of, but who she was and how she could grow and change, something that it seems Juiz just wasn’t capable of for whatever reason (that’s something I may go into eventually, but not here). Fuuko has now done the exact same thing with Sean, taking another character I was simply not interested in and made them an instant favorite

I also just really love the symbolism of “take another look at yourself,” and “I tried to turn a blind eye to them.” Unseen’s activation is closing one’s eyes, removing one’s own ability to see so that others cannot see them: Sean wasn’t just hiding from others, he was hiding from himself and refusing to see anyone else. For all his efforts to stand out and be someone important, all he ever managed to do was isolate himself further and further, preventing him from learning the true extent of his ability

As Sean said, he can only make things he views as essential to him invisible; previously we thought it was limited to “things he owned,” but now we see that he can view people as essential as well, going so far as to refer to Fuuko as one of his blood brothers. What’s really fun is that with the ability to turn a teammate invisible, he can now rely on their eyesight to navigate, eliminating his original weakness through the evolution of his ability rather than by finding a shortcut like he did last time. Instead of obsessively trying to surpass his cohorts, he now relies on the support of his friends so that he can in turn support them!

It’s such a perfect evolution for Sean’s character, and as usual, better than I ever dared to hope for! Tozuka always finds a way to surpass my expectations while still giving me pretty much exactly what I asked for. It makes for such a satisfying experience for me in a way that I don’t think any other series has ever done. Medaka Box never even gave me what I asked for this consistently! No wonder Undead Unluck so easily became a favorite on par with Medaka Box for me...

I suppose next week will be the falling action for the Creed battle and will lead into his recruitment, which I suspect will lead to him being an ally for the upcoming recruitment of Billy. I thought it was going to be the other way around, recruiting Billy to overcome Creed, but this definitely makes more sense: Billy was the leader of Under, so he should be the final boss for the Buroja conflict, possibly even finding Disc first. I wonder how exactly the fight with Billy will go...will everyone view him as an enemy except Fuuko, inadvertently giving him a ton of powers all at once? Will Tella master Untell at the perfect moment and protect Billy from the Union? Whatever happens, it’s not going to be an easy fight for the Union, and we’re definitely going to get a lot of interesting insight into his mentality and his past

As always, I’m super excited for next week’s chapter, I just can’t wait!!!

Back to what I said at the beginning of this post, I think I did a good job avoiding simply summarizing the chapter, but man it ended up being just as wordy anyway! I definitely had a lot more fun doing it this way since I feel like I got to express my actual thoughts a lot better than usual, but what do you think? Did you prefer having a recap of the events so you could better understand what actually happened, or do you feel you understand the story itself well enough and appreciate having a deeper dive into the themes instead? Let me know!

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #4y1a reviews

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straightbaittournament · 9 months

Text

only the option with the LEAST votes will be eliminated. propaganda under the cut (and more always welcome!):

akko kagari and andrew hanbridge:

Very typical hetero-love-interest introduction, rival vibes, aloof rich boy & headstrong "commoner" girl, learning to see each other's point of view, she dresses up for the first time in the series to sneak into his party to try to talk to him. Just classic 'ugh they're clearly gonna get together' but... they don't. Nothing romantic is ever explicit, and by s2 they're friends and that's it. there's no discussion or drama. they're good friends. literally shocked me. apparently a guy and girl who fit a bunch of romantic tropes... can just be friends

sam winchester and eileen leahy:

The last season set them up to be together, and then in Sam’s finale flash-forward, they replaced her with “blurry wife” literally a random blurred out woman rather than having him end up with Eileen Eileen is the coolest Supernatural character: she's deaf and also formerly dead (like Sam)

asuka tenjoin and yuki judai:

The ship name (fianceshipping) comes from the episode where Judai *accidentally* duels some guy to become Asuka's fiance (said guy never asks Asuka how she feels about this, ugghhh greater Duel Academia student body be normal about ladies challenge). Turns out that he *didn't know what a fiance was* and just wanted to have a good ol' time cardgaming. I think that this says more about this ship than anything else I could tell you. During the final season, Asuka almost confesses to him but cuts herself off & they then thank each other for giving each other some clarity of mind because they're both going through pretty rough times at that point in the plot. Looks concerningly like they're about to do a whole "ohh we need to make the main girl and boy romance out of obligation" bit and then they just don't do it. It's great. judai is the gayest guy of all time (subtext) and im like 80% sure asuka was experiencing comphet bc he's the only guy in their grade that treats her like a person. besties 4ever!!!!!!!! [straightmod has been informed that judai is also textually queer because he is canonically attracted to a non-binary character.]

kurosaki ichigo and kuchiki rukia:

Oh man, where do I even begin? So, for some context, Bleach starts when Rukia (a shinigami) gets critically injured saving Ichigo from a monster, and she transfers her powers to him so he can finish it off. Instead of transferring half her powers as planned, however, she transfers all of them, which forces Ichigo to take over her job as a shinigami. During this time period, Rukia... lives in his closet. Yeah. The entire first arc of the manga is dedicated to their relationship, and while a lot of it is playful banter, Rukia's presence in Ichigo's life fundamentally changes it for the better. Rukia then gets kidnapped by the rest of the shinigami who aren't at all happy she gave her powers to a human, and the main plot ensues from there. Throughout the story, Rukia and Ichigo constantly save each other when they're at their worst. When Rukia thinks she deserves to die, Ichigo is there to tell her she deserves to live. When Ichigo is in a funk about his superpowered evil side, Rukia is there to snap him out of it (something his canon love interest explicitly realises she was unable to do). They share a sun/moon motif for crying out loud, and yet like that last sentence said... they don't end up together, but with other people instead. Yeah. No shade to the canon ships, but Ichiruki is peak straightbaiting, honestly. They have a lot of banter/chemistry, fundamentally change eachother's lives for the better, save each other when they're at their lowest, and have a very deliberate sun/moon dichotomy... but they both end up paired off with different characters instead asdfghkl

izuku midoriya and ochako uraraka:

It’s the classic main character x friend who is a girl ship. They have no actual romantic interactions outside of their friendship. Ochako has “feelings” for Izuku, but they are clearly feelings of friendship until one of her friends insists that she must have a crush on Izuku, making her feel confused and embarrassed. Izuku clearly sees Ochako as a good friend, but when they first meet, he blushes and thinks “I can’t believe I just talked to a girl.” On the same day, he also blushes when he sees that a famous male hero is proctoring their exams. It’s literally so boring as a romantic ship. They have no chemistry as a couple.

edward elric and winry rockbell but SPECIFICALLY in the 2003 anime:

literally in different dimensions by the end! they still have a lot of the hallmarks of "ohh endgame childhood best friends" or whatever but fma 2003 just said. naah. winry got the shortest end of the stick and i feel so bad for her!!! continuity specific straightbait. in every other universe they get married and have kids but screw you two specifically 🙏

mako, korra, and asami:

it's that one meme where the guy ignores his girlfriend to check out another girl, only the two girls get to know each other and get together. S1/2 has love triangle drama between who Mako will be with (Korra or Asami). S3 no one is together but Korra and Asami become really close friends. S4 Korra and Asami are together. Mako is single. Like the only example of exes being good friends and Not getting back together, as well as giving the middle finger to heteronormative assumptions when after the love triangle is over, the two girls get together Shipping the two girls in a love triangle together but it actually happens

pat and ink:

Pat has a crush on Ink early on, and it seems possible at first that she may feel the same way. However, it is later revealed that she actually has a crush on his sister and is a lesbian. It's okay though because then Pat realizes he's in love with his childhood rival and they become wlw mlm solidarity! Everyone wins!

maka albarn and soul evans:

Throughout the series, they have a deep friendship with each other which is consistently extremely important to the story's narrative. In order for them to be able to fight, they must get along and resonate with each other, and due to the mechanics of their world, fighting independently of each other is extremely difficult. In multiple instances, they are shown to be willing to put themselves in harm's way to extreme degrees to keep each other safe. They are even shown to live together. They are The Singular Straight Ship I have ever shipped and I love them. Also they are really cool and Soul can turn into an awesome scythe weapon that like only Maka can wield. And they fight really awesomely together.

luke skywalker and leia organa:

The idea of Luke and Leia was used in advertisements but they obviously decided not to do that. IT’S SO FUNNY. Like, I think this is the closest white straight people will ever get to ‘they were cousins’ing a couple. I looked up advertising to see if it was just in the movie proper or it WAS used to sell it and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5z1SziDPKQw&t=118s&pp=2AF2kAIB ‘Luke and Leia: in danger, in love, in Star Wars’ is going to be one of the things that rolls around in my head for ages. It’s not just the whole ‘het love triangle advertises 2nd pairing that everyone knows won’t happen’ like Twilight, it’s the backpeddaling ‘no no it can’t happen, they’re actually siblings! It’d be weird! Ignore the ‘good luck’ kiss and the ‘I’ll be back’ kiss in the medbay and of course the full on make out session scene that happened! And even our own advertising’ Of it all.

good luck everybody! now go vote!

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misscammiedawn · 1 year

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What are some of your best/favorite/most memorable media moments/segments you've experienced recently? Why those moments?

I'm just going to gush about the Emelan/Circle of Magic books by Tamora Pierce for a while.

This post contains full spoilers for the Emelan series, particularly Circle Reforged and Will of the Empress.

@daja-the-hypnokitten (name not a coincidence) got me interested in reading Tammy's work after we started dating last year and I burned through all of Tortall in a matter of months.

I haven't read this much in my life. Normally 2-4 books a year was me at my peak. So far I am on 25 and I'm still working on another 2 at the moment and am preparing to tackle another 3 if I have time before the next Numair book.

In recovery I have read Shatterglass, Will of the Empress and Melting Stones.

I also just finished Cold Fire days before the surgery.

I'll focus all my thoughts on WotE though. Because it is the culmination of the series (and also it's been a few months since I read Briar's Book).

The Circle of Magic series is about 4 traumatized children who for reasons are without family and are raised in a monastery dedicated to natural magics. Each of the 4 have ambient magic and after the first book a deep psychic connection to one another that causes them to bleed in to one another.

One of the 4 is as blatant of a BPD allegory as can be (albeit Daine is still my BPD projection character for Tammy's works) who was expelled from her family and overheard conversations where she was treated as an unwanted *thing* to be gotten rid of and one grew up in extreme poverty and is defined by the class divide between his roots and his current circumstances.

So I see a lot of myself in them. I'm not always one for reading books as a mirror, but if they're going to show me a character who has deep seeded abandonment issues because her parents literally kicked her out then I'm not going to turn my nose up. Especially if she has red hair.

This book involves the 4 of them returning from their travels in the prior quartet, bearing scars of further trauma as each of the Circle Opens books involves them being up against literal murderers and being forced to grapple the ethics of justice. Daja brutally incinerated a man she thought of as a friend *as a kindness*, Sandry performed corrupted magic and killed 3 people who may not have deserved to die. Briar's trauma runs so deep that we do not even get to learn about it for another 2 books. I still haven't read what hurt Rosethorn's boy so badly, though I can imagine it pretty well after seeing him grapple with his PTSD.

They are wounded. Hurt and defensive.

And the home they wished to return to, a monastery cottage, turns them away for being over 16 and no longer pupils. 4 orphans out on their ass, hurting deeply and feeling completely abandoned in their suffering-- worried that their Family, the 4, would reject them should they open up about their experiences.

Which brings me to the first of the 4 scenes I wish to talk about.

The first chapter of the book was hard for me. Daja was the first to find out that she was no longer welcome at the place she called home. Her teacher was foolish about how he handled it and Daja went cold and stoic. I've been Daja in moments like that. I'm not proud of it, but sometimes when something you cannot process is coming you simply don't think about it and reject it when it comes about.

Daja ends up buying a house, something her mastery of Smith magic allows her to do, because she needed to have something... some*where* that couldn't be taken from her. She expected her siblings to live with her when they returned. Over the course of 2 years Tris and Briar do return but Sandry remains with her uncle-- all 4 of them have closed off their psychic connection from one another. Sandry is being emotionally immature because she felt abandoned by her Family and expected them to go back to How It Was. Tris, who has found herself unable to make money, hates the idea of charity and insists on acting as a maid and Briar is dealing with trauma and keeping everyone at distance and cannot handle the chaos of the household and the flying green thing is creating constant chaos.

The events of 6 Cheeseman Street broke my heart in the most beautiful way because for a chapter of this book I saw all these people I cared about broken beyond the ability to reconcile. I understood all 4 of them deeply and wanted them to feel better but knew it just couldn't happen. The first chapter takes place over 16 months and the dysfunction doesn't improve because none of them are capable of working on their issues or bonding closer together and the more any of them pushed the more broken things became. 3 of the 4 were living together, they had freedom, agency and respect but in the end it just was a proud and closed up artisan, an anxious and mentally unwell plant boy and a bitter red head who felt like an imposition (with flying green cutie) all suffering within a bond that couldn't open up again.

I contrast that with the ending.

Through the book's events Sandry and Daja opened up their connection and Briar opened up to Tris. The scene where Tris dryly opens up to Sandry and reminds that they are family actually had me crying.

The end of the book is when all 4 are finally connected and they go in through Briar's connection to the roof of the house they all grew up in together, Discipline Cottage. Briar says that he had spent time in a brutal war being tortured and he created this place in his mind to escape to and he was now inviting his siblings to be there with him.

The four just opened up. Shared their traumas, their fears, their pains and they reforged the connection which had been broken and felt one another's presence inside their hearts and minds again and became whole. Which just.

I cry easily, okay... and I just got back on Estrogen 2 weeks ago!

I joked to Daja afterwards that the dysfunction, the opening up, the safe space and all 4 of them sharing a common mind and needing to feel their connection to be able to be a better whole while still maintaining their individuality kind of made it accidentally better DID representation than 99.9% of the stories I've read that actually are about the condition.

Anyway...

I've been enjoying the books a lot. They helped me survive the rough half of my recovery cycle.

#camden asks #tamora pierce #odds bobs

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dawnstruck · 2 years

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Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....

I'm probably super late to answer, but this is such an interesting question. The following list is in no particular order; I'll also mostly disregard what I think of the franchises in general, any shipping stuff, and whether or not I think the character was done justice in canon. With many series, I kept reading/watching beyond what I truly enjoyed, because I adored the characters. A good story is important, but I won't truly get invested unless there is a person or dynamic I wholeheartedly love. Also, this got way longer and more poetic than I intended.

Levi Ackermann (Attack on Titan): Love him. Love him to bits. Love that he is technically an overpowered character, but so fallible. Always falling short in a lot of way, often unable to save those he loves. Still trying to do what's right, trying to make the world a better place. He is so full of hurt, and love. I love how everything about him is a contradiction; he is tiny but Humanity's Strongest, a literal son of a whore and the commander's right hand man, a thug with a potty mouth and a cleaning fetish. Levi cares and he cares so deeply. He is such an iconic character

2. Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist, particuarly 2003): Another tiny boi. Full of genius and heart and grief and rage. Edward is intriguing because he learned a really hard lesson when he was just a child. The story literally opens with him making the biggest mistake of his life, and then follows him trying to make amends. I love how is a spunky teen, and a major in a corrupt military, and a big brother, and a prodigy. A loud protagonist like him could easily have been a caricature, but instead he has a lot of facets and depths, and seeing him grow was a delight.

3. Ronan Lynch (The Raven Cycle & The Dream Trilogy): Ronan. Ronan, Ronan, Ronan who is capable of the most fanciful dreams and the most garish nightmares. Whose greatest gift is the worst burden anyone can possibly imagine. He is so tough and so vulnerable. Ronan is bruised knuckles and black boots and sprawling tattoos; he is Sunday mess and hand cream and raven chicks hand-reared in his palm. Ronan grows an entire forest out of a dead language, he would die for his family and friends, and kill for them, too. He prays and dreams and does not talk about his feelings. Ronan is barbed wire: he hurts and he protects, and sometimes he gets all tangled up in himself, only few people dare get close enough to try and unravel him again.

4. Dean Winchester (Supernatural): Hurt boi #4 because they are my favorite flavor. I love that he had to grow up way too quickly. From the beginning of the series, he was such an interesting juxtaposition, hyper-masculine but also geeky, a maternal figure to his brother and a failure in his own eyes, chosen by God and hunted by Hell. He went through so much and still always tried to put other people first. Self-destructive to a fault, insanely quotable, stupidly handsome, and beautifully 3-dimensional.

5. Tanaka Ryounosuke (Haikyuu!!): The joker, the idiot, the loudmouth, the perv even. The backbone of Karasuno that never breaks. Tanaka has such beautiful contrasts in him. He could be such a one-note character (if haikuu had any one-note characters), but instead he is what the team desperately needs. Where everyone else has their moments of weakness and despair, Tanaka is so reliable on the court, which makes the one match where he hits a wall feel so daunting. I love that he messes around a lot but, ultimately, he is always there, from the very beginning. I love his posturing and how he is ultimately just a boy from a small town. I love that he gets the girl. I also love that Saeko is his sister, but she didn't quite make it onto this list.

6. Fa Mulan (Disney, animated original, ofc): Mulan was my crush and my rolemodel and my pre-teen bisexual awakening. She embodied genderfluidity in a way that was way ahead of its time. Mulan is soft and feminine and caring, she is tomboyish and klutzy and wicked-smart, she is strong and manly and suited for war. Mulan's decision to join the army was not born out of a need to run away or prove her worth or to kill the Huns. She did it out of love, to protect her father, her family, her country. She knowingly put herself in grave danger, either by dying on the battlefield or by being found out. To me, the moment she is pulls herself up the pole to get the arrow is one of the most iconic in film history; that shit shaped me. She also managed to bag Shang, and boy, was he the other half of my sexual awakening.

7. the Unicorn/Lady Amalthea (The Last Unicorn): The whimsical fairy tale setting allows for such interesting story setting. The idea that she is the last of her kind, that she didn't even know because she was living in her eternal forest, that she left the sanctity of her home to look for the others, with no idea what she would find... I love that she, too, is ultimately a terrible and ancient thing, much like the harpy. I love her arrogance and ignorance, her wisdom and naivety. I love that she is turned into a human and hates it, and hates it more when she falls for Prince Lear. I love that she has to be brave and fight to save the other unicorns, that she succeeds but is forever changed. She is the last unicorn, and the first that learns to love. It's such a bittersweet ending, such a painful parting, and cherishes it nevertheless.

8. Brienne of Tarth (A Song of Ice and Fire): A tall woman. An ugly woman. A woman who is ugly and stays ugly, who grows strong because and in spite of it. The world has been so terrible to Brienne, many times over, but still she chooses to be kind. She devotes herself to Renly because he danced with her once, to Caitlyn because she showed her kindness, to Jaime even because he finally looked and truly saw her. I love how, especially in the books, we get to see a lot of Brienne through Jaime's eyes, how she grows more beautiful and precious the more he gets to know her. Brienne does not have to change for a man to love her; a man is changed because he loves her. Brienne is valor and strength and hard work through and through. She is a knight and she is a woman and neither has been a easily won.

9. Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter): Do I even need to say anything? McGonagall, especially as portrayed by Dame Maggie Smith, is an icon. She is a badass. She cares for her students, even if she doesn't openly show it. She is easily the best teacher at Hogwarts, for quite a number of reasons. She is loyal and good and true. She does not pull her punches. She's witty and visceral and the kind of grounded mature character that HP needed, without turning into a caricature like some of the others. Many of the most memorably moments from HP canon, imo, involve McGonagall. From her welcoming the first-years over her feud with Umbridge to her stepping up against Snape and finally desperately calling Harry's name when she believes him dead. I was never a true Potterhead, but God, do I adore her.

10. Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf): The sidekick that was the protagonist to most. Dylan O'Brien brought so much to the table here. Stiles is the everyman amidst a sea of monsters, and yet he is the true force to be reckoned with. Stiles was the heart of the show and the brain. He was the snark and the ace up their sleeves. I love my quiet, tormented boys, but I also love my loud-mouthed idiots who are actually crucial for the group to succeed. I stopped watching TW a long time ago, but I still often think about Stiles.

Some honorable mentions:

Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Keith (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Sailor Mars/Rei (Sailor Moon)

Madame Adelaide (Aristocats)

Elle Woods (Legally Blonde the Musical)

Thor (MCU)

Spock (Star Trek)

Newt Scamander (Fantastic Beasts)

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (How to Train Your Dragon)

#asks #me

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