#cruel guards

[sunnynwanda]

Could you do a story where a guard of a Supermax prison befriends a supervillain, because he treats him like a genuine human being instead of an animal; and later, all the power-dampeners suddenly fail; and all these villains just revolt against the guards; but supervillain makes sure he’s safe since he was always kind to him?

I understand if you don’t wanna write this!! 💜

Soulitary

It was silent. Excruciatingly so. Supervillain could hear his own heartbeat, the rustling of the fabric over his chest that accompanied every exhale, the strained motion of his eye ticking. He could almost feel the darkness surrounding him.

At first, it was painful. Supervillain was so reliant on his powers that getting deprived of them physically hurt him. His limbs were too heavy, his chest too stiff, and his body too weak. He couldn't move for a fortnight and barely ate anything until he had lost enough weight to be able to lift his body off the floor. Movement, as limited as it was in his cage, seemed to keep him sane. 

The pain subsided, drifting into the back of his mind over time. 

He adapted to the constant darkness of his cell, too. The initial nightmares of horrible creatures lurking in the dark no longer occupied his shattered dreams. There were no monsters with long claws and cold, slimy fingers reaching for his neck, looking to choke the last breath out of him. No, there were no monsters in his cage. The monsters were outside. Patrolling the corridors, mocking the beasts they were ordered to guard, spitting at them and laughing like hyenas, beating up anyone who dared to answer. Supervillain learned to tune out their voices and ignore their sneering remarks. 

But human nature is a terrifying thing. Supervillain got used to the weakness weighing him down. It was not as difficult to lift his head or hold a spoon to eat whatever animal food he was getting fed anymore. He came to terms with the absence of sunlight as his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness. He even went so far as to condition himself to tolerate inhumane treatment.

The only thing he could not adjust to was the isolation. Solitary confinement. The actual worst they could have done to Supervillain, who adored the confused commotion of his big family. He thrived in chaotic environments, where people talked over each other, laughed out loud and always had something to add to the conversation. 

Conversation. That was what Supervillain was bereaved of. And he felt it - the need, the yearning of human connection. As little as a hello would be enough. Just a word that was truly uttered – not conjured by his frenzied consciousness. 

When he first hears the gentle knock on his door, he doesn't believe his ears. The guards never ask for permission, they barge right in, not dignifying the captives with boundaries. Animals deserve no respect. Thus, Supervillain waits, allowing his eyelids to drop again. He doesn't know why he bothers to open them in the first place when it's pitch black around him, regardless. 

The knock comes again, this time louder. Then he hears a hushed voice. "I'm coming in." 

When no reply follows, the Guard (Supervillain assumes it must be a new one) turns the key, pushing the door halfway open and entering the cell. 

"God, why is it so dark? I can't even see where I'm stepping... Ouch!" He springs back upon stepping on Supervillain's foot and crouches down to place the bowl of food on the floor. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't see."

With his hands now free, the Guard reaches for the flashlight on his belt and turns it on. Supervillain has to cover his eyes - he did not remember light hurting this much - squinting despite his hand obstructing it. It takes him a few moments to adjust, then he wipes the tears off and focuses his gaze on the Guard in front of him. Too young for this miserable place, he thinks to himself while his captor studies him. It's only when their eyes lock, that the Guard comes to his senses, apologising profusely.

"I am so sorry! I did not see you there. I mean, it's hard to see anything in such darkness, but still. My bad." Supervillain is too stunned to react for a number of reasons. Since when did the guards apologise? It was part of the job to inflict suffering on their subjects. Did this one not complete the training? Or was this a trap? Was he acting deft to catch Supervillain off-guard and wound him unexpectedly? 

The Guard, however, keeps rambling. "I thought you would be asleep when you did not answer. It's not an excuse though. I should have checked. That's part of my job, is it not? Ah, you probably wouldn't know." He runs a hand over his face, clearly distressed. Supervillain is amused and too shocked to react. That's the most talking he has heard in months, and a part of him desperately demands to answer. The Guard rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Anyways, here's your food. I don't exactly know what that is, but you're so skinny, you should eat it."

Supervillain's mind is screaming at him, begging his mouth to talk, to say something – anything. God, move! Talk, god damn you, a word, any word!

But before he can squeeze out said word, the Guard waves him goodbye and locks the door, leaving him alone. 

He never touches the food, too consumed by the incident to think about anything other than the ray of light – literally and figuratively –that walked into the solitude of his cage. He spends the next several hours in feverish dreams bordering reality until the morning arrives, poisoning him with a blood-curdling idea that the Guard was nothing but a figment of his own imagination – a chimaera created by his delusional mind. Yet, despite his best efforts to convince himself it was an illusion, his memory opposes, bringing forth every detail of the interaction – albeit one-sided – that he managed to engrave in his brain. 

Supervillain is still deep in deliberation when a knock on the door attracts his attention. He freezes, breath hitching in his throat as he waits with desperation for it to come again. It does not. Instead, the key turns in the lock, and the door screeches open. 

"I'm going to turn the light on, if you don't mind," the Guard warns. Supervillain is dumb enough to nod in the dark. "Here we go." 

He flicks the switch outside the cell door; the bulbs buzz worriedly, and light floods the ascetic room. Supervillain looks around, seeing his dungeon for the first time. He notices his blanket in the corner and the untouched bowl from yesterday. 

"Hey, you didn't eat at all! Is everything alright?" The Guard chimes into his thoughts. His voice is laced with concern that feels foreign in this place. When Supervillain shakes his head, the Guard smiles – the room, somehow, becomes brighter. "It's bad, isn't it?" 

Supervillain nods, and the Guard chuckles, placing a new hot bowl in front of him. He looks up in surprise and is met with a shrug. "Figured it might taste better hot." 

The expectant gaze of the Guard is the only reason he reaches for the bowl. It's as shitty as before, but it warms his insides. He hums in appreciation, taking another spoonful. The Guard smiles again, now more cheerful. "Should I leave the lights on? Or do you like it dark?"

Supervillain finally finds his voice. "Light. Thank you." 

The Guard nods before exiting, and Supervillain curses himself for not saying more. He should have talked, for god's sake. This is the first person to treat him like a human being for the past eight months, and all he could muster were three words. 

He feels pathetic. This wasn't him, not really. The true Supervillain was voluble, articulate with his words and emotions and loud. Very, very loud. He loved the attention it earned him, loved being on stage. Performance was part of his persona, his public image of a supervillain. The presentation was what gained him the fame. The same fame that led him here. Alas, he sighs, leaning his back on the wall. 

At least he has light now. 

***

It's been almost four months since Supervillain's confinement changed - the granted light and occasional conversation made his exile from society feel less strenuous. His Guard would come in once a day, as per the rules. Aside from that, he gained a habit of sitting outside his door after the evening rounds, telling Supervillain about his day or the news. His cheerful voice would catch Supervillain off-guard at first, but he grew accustomed to it, as well as to the daily dose of prison gossip. The people in the city were dejected - mass arrests that were supposed to bring peace to the streets had a reverse effect. Supervillain couldn't help the foul smile this knowledge brought to his face. He did not comment. 

After two weeks of talking to the wall, the Guard was ready to give up. He had promised himself he would stop trying after the fourteenth night, which ended up being the night Supervillain replied. It was a short comment on the newly installed power dampeners that were to substitute the old ones. Supervillain pointed out that the old ones were more than efficient, leaving him drained of strength and energy. The Guard then asked if that was the reason he was so skinny, and so the conversation flowed. Supervillain told him about the thorny months of his captivity, how it took him countless days and nights to submit to the unfamiliar weakness. 

During one of the many conversations that followed, they talked about his past, the origin of his unnatural power and the reasons for his incarceration. Supervillain never denied being dangerous – he embraced it gladly, though he never used his power against innocent civilians. Sure, he had committed his fair share of crimes, as regarded by the authorities, irrespective of his cause. But there were worse things he could do.

The Guard told him of his past dreams and aspirations, all of which were crushed when he lost his parents and had to step up to provide for his younger siblings. He came from a household where no one got left behind, and Supervillain finally understood where his kindness stemmed from. 

One day, when the Guard came from the last round, Supervillain was the first to speak. They sat on the opposite sides of the door, back to back and separated by thick metal, yet connected stronger than before. 

"So, will you be leaving soon?" Supervillain fails to mask the melancholy in his voice. So much for being supportive!

The Guard pauses for a long moment before shaking his head no. Supervillain can't see him, but the reply is clear as day. "Your brother's graduating next month, is he not? You can stop working here and search for a new job. More suitable for you."

"I can't," his voice comes softer than a rustle. He presses a clammy hand to his forehead to calm the burn beneath his skin. 

"Why?" In all honesty, Supervillain does not want him to answer. He doesn't want him to go either, but keeping him here feels blasphemous. Despite the cell draining his life force and loneliness ravaging what's left, Supervillain would rather be forlorn again than allow his friend to waste his youth here.

"I can't, Supervillain," the Guard repeats, even lower now, not trusting his voice to speak louder.

Supervillain curses under his breath. "Why not?

Do not say what I think you're going to say, they plead. I don't think I have the strength to alienate you or push you away to make you go. 

"Because I won't leave you here alone." The Guard gets up, walking away to avoid being lectured on the stupidity of his reason. He lacks the nerve to be any bolder. 

He doesn't return until later at night. Supervillain is stiff against the door when he hears approaching footsteps and shuffling. Then comes the soft voice. "I'm sorry."

Supervillain sighs, rubbing his eyebrows to ease the tension. "You did nothing wrong." The claim is met with silence, so he adds. "Apart from getting attached to the wrong person, that is."

The Guard chuckles, shaking his head and bringing his knees to his chest. "Are you the wrong person?"

"I'm a convicted criminal." A fact he had to remind himself daily when he first got here. You are a convicted criminal, and the guards will treat you as such. Except the treatment was far worse than that, until his new friend showed up.

"Doesn't mean you're evil," the Guard chimes into his thoughts, dragging him back to the present. 

"You don't know me," he notes, though it's not entirely true. 

The Guard smiles, leaning forward and placing his chin on his knees to rest his neck as he mumbles. "I think I know more than anyone else."

***

The wailing of the sirens forces Supervillain awake in the most unsettling way. The alarm lights under the ceiling flicker red, alerting him further. He springs to his feet with a speed he hasn't had in a long time and then stops in his tracks because it strikes him. The overwhelming force that hits him right in the middle of his chest, spreading all over his body, obstructing his lungs with suffocating constrictions, rushing through his veins and reaching the tips of his fingers and toes to erupt in sparkles of sheer unrestrained raging power. It's surreal. All-consuming. Galvanising. He revels in the agitation that washes over him, wave after wave. His senses are overstimulated and raw. 

He feels lightheaded as he attempts to focus his eyes on his prickling fingers. It takes him a moment to identify the cacophony of sounds outside. 

And then the realisation dawns on him. 

The power dampeners are off. 

In a prison with the worst criminals of the damn century. He closes his eyes to tune out the noise and think, but his mind is too frantic to concentrate. The moment the inmates realise their powers are back, all hell will break loose. Supervillain knows they will revolt. He would, too – after spending months being treated worse than an animal.

The Guard. The image flashes through his thoughts so fast it almost burns him. With renewed anxiety, he bangs on the door. There's no response, and the ideas running through his head coat his stomach with dread, hot and muggy. He knows it's about to get dirty, and, in all honesty, those guards deserve it. But not his Guard. Not him. Anyone but him. 

He presses his palms against the door, channelling all his fears and worries into heating the metal till it melts under his fingers. It drips down to his feet, forming a pool. When the lock is soft enough, he whips the door open, but as he is about to step outside, someone crushes into his chest, pushing him back and shutting the door behind them. 

He lets out a sigh of relief as the Guard presses his back to the door, holding it closed. 

"That's not going to work." 

"Please don't go out there!" 

They speak at the same time, and Supervillain can't help the smirk that fights its way to his face. "Scared I'll harm your friends?"

"I'm scared they'll hurt you." His eyes are enormous as he stares up at Supervillain, who looks much healthier now. He looks alive. His skin is no longer grey, his lips and cheeks are coloured in pink hues, and even his eyes sparkle with new vigour. He takes hold of Guard's shoulders, pinning him further against the door to stabilise his shaking form. 

"Stay here. Be quiet." The Guard shakes his head no, grasping Supervillain’s arms with an unspoken plea. Supervillain softens. "It's okay. I will keep you safe. I promise." 

With that, he moves the Guard to the side and exits the cell, sitting down against the door – roles reversed from hours before. From time to time, the Guard hears people come and run the moment they spot Supervillain's menacing form.

It's only four hours later that the military arrives, clearing the area and arresting the surviving prisoners. As they bring order to the facility, checking floor after floor Supervillain opens the door. He is met by a tear-stained face and hard stare of his Guard. Supervillain huffs out a laugh and draws him into an embrace before pushing him out the door.

"Try not to forget me when you leave," he jokes half-heartedly, but the Guard shakes his head with surprising firmness. 

"I will get you out of here no matter what it costs me."

He never steps foot in the prison again but manages to keep his oath three months later. When Supervillain exits the gates with release papers in hand, he does not expect to be met by a mixed bunch of his siblings and strangers who all seem to be acquainted. It's moments later that he notices another familiar face he failed to spot for lack of the usual uniform. He shakes his head with a cheeky smile and rushes towards the kindest people in his life. 

Supervillain never has to endure silence or solitude again. 

Alright, there's a lot to unpack here :) First of all, thank you for the wonderful request. It turned out longer than expected, as well as took me longer to finish, but then again, the idea deserved to be worked on. I enjoyed crafting this story immensly. So thanks for that as well. I know other writers have been doing the request too but avoided reading their stories to keep mine clear of influences.

I hope you enjoy this despite the delay. Once again, thank you! xo Sunny

Masterlist

#supervillain #guard #supervillain and guard #prison #captivity #isolation #solitude #malnourishment #sensory deprivation #whump #dark vibes #cruel guards #powerful supervillain #morally grey characters #mental health #imprisonment #creative writing #writeblr #writers on tumblr #requested #requests open #sunnynwanda #enemies to friends

[teaboot]

(I'm a security guard.)

#There is an overwhelming number of traumatized people who work in security #So many of us have histories of abuse #Or other things #And I wonder so often #I'm good at my job #But am I attracted to power? #I like helping people #I don't like hurting people #Or picking on anyone #But it's hard to know what the right answers are sometimes #Part of my job is working with police #Even if I disagree with them #I tell myself it's better that I'm the guard here #And not someone malicious #Or cruel #But how much am I really changing? #And am I using my power correctly #Or will I become the unreasonable authority that made me the scared person I am #Is it already too late? #What if the calls I'm unsure of are the warning signs #Maybe I'm already too late #Maybe my sense of morality and justice is eroding #To fit the hole I've placed myself in #Maybe I'm not chipping at the walls fast enough #Maybe I'm being reshaped #Just being here #Maybe my conflict of conscience is the internal monologue of a sympathetic villain #Maybe I'm the bad guy

[pileofsith]

Nameless

Part Eleven - Boy Page 8/8

Tion Medon intends to offer comforting words; hits a nerve instead. The comic is also available here on AO3.

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#nameless comic #pau'an inquisitor #tion medon #jedi temple guard #star wars inquisitor #that's the temple guard's symbol and blurred mask in the background #uhhhhh just in case I am tagging this as #tw self harm #self harm cw #I mean it's not exactly purposeful but I imagine a hand clenching real hard with those claws would break the skin #the pinkish scarring on the hand is from previous fights and stuff... #any inquisitor character probably has a bunch of reminders of their cruel training... at least that's my thought

[thtupidity]

Babe wake up my favorite Subsurf pair is finally getting recognized

#subway surfers #(f)art #frank subway surfers #guard subway surfers #//i have fanart of this pair from like 2021 but i never posted it bc this world is cruel #//ty SYBO because now I can be like 'haha that fanfic am i right'

[thelustybraavosimaid]

Another thing I hate: the idea that Arya is tOo fAr gOnE and Jon would be disgusted by her now.

Buddy the man nearly beat a man to death because of a memory, wants her to murder her husband on her wedding night with a sword he had custom-made for her, and wants to strangle the husband himself.

What part of any of that makes you think he's going to love her any less, especially when she was literally surviving? Jon would be fucking proud.

#love how her experiences cruel as they certainly were didn't lessen her loving heart actually #the tOo fAr gOnE shit reeks of Jonsa insecurity ngl #let's not pretend like jon doesn't have a dark streak lol come on now #and also he was losing his mind over val nearly killing a guard dude #but yeah he's gonna be sO uPsEt at arya #BRO FOR REAL? #asoiaf

[hella1975]

tams azula is sooo fascinating bc while canon azula doesn't really show her age at all like she's completely desensitised to so much shit 'she is fourteen' is not a justification for ANYTHING both in her own mind and in other people's, in tams she has zuko. and yes the world has been abundantly cruel to her but zuko hasn't. he's basically raised azula and he's done so in a way that she's allowed to show her age, but she still only shows her age in very azula-esque ways. there's no reluctance to see violence like you'd expect from a fourteen-year-old, and like ive said before, that means zuko can't play on that reluctance in order to shield her, but he still wants to shield her from that violence because regardless of what SHE feels about it, as the eldest he knows fundamentally that she shouldn't be seeing certain things no matter how well she can handle them. and seeing zuko effectively PLAY azula in order to protect her is so interesting and complicated and fun

#and also a little heartbreaking bc it's the 'you protect azula but who protects you?' #like in order to shield azula from these things zuko is metaphorically standing in front of her and seeing them himself #as if he's not only sixteen and a child too #but yeah taking azula's canon traits and manipulating into the tamsverse is soooo fun #like the example that inspired this post is how canon azula is logical NOT cruel #like time and time again she follows only the logical route and even actively avoids the cruel route #e.g calling off torture in the boiling rock bc she knew that he was telling the truth and therefore continuing to torture him was illogical #im not saying azula is averse to/incapable of cruelty i just hc that she genuinely just thinks it's stupid #just like any other unnecessary act would be considered stupid. if it's not logical or being used for a greater plan then what's the point? #and tams azula STILL HOLDS THIS TRAIT except because i lean more into her age in tams bc she's been given the freedom with zuko #to liberally be a CHILD without any consequences as a result of that simple thing #her intense logic actually becomes a certain naivety on azula #like she cannot comprehend other people NOT coming to the conclusions she comes to #and that expands to needless cruelty. like she wont factor a person's cruelty into her calculations #because in her head all she needs to dismiss that calculation is 'excessive cruelty here would waste time which is illogical' #she assumes everyone is as smart and to-the-point as she is so when they ARENT and will actively waste time just to do dumb shit #it catches her off guard and she DOESNT PLAN FOR IT so it can really fuck them over sometimes #so this is one instance where zuko has azula beat despite it being STRATEGY aka azula's strong point #bc zuko's immense cynicism and assumption that Everyone Is Awful doesn't hold up against logic 9 times out of 10 #but the one time it does is the time azula gets caught out #i just think tams zuko and azula's dynamic is so fucking interesting im so clever for that tbh #twice as many stars

[mwolf0epsilon]

Maladjusted Motivation

Fox, arms crossed as he stares up at Olly with clear disappointment: I don't think I need to tell you why I've called you into my office.

Olly, looking miserable from both having to crouch because he's far too tall to stand straight inside Fox's office, and because he knows perfectly well why he's been summoned: No, sir.

Fox: Then you know why I'm currently not very pleased with you.

Olly: Yes, sir.

Fox, sighing: You should have deleted that cam footage Olly. We have procedures and contingencies in place specifically to avoid these kinds of situations.

Olly: It wouldn't have mattered sir. He would have found a way to recover the footage sooner or later. He's their brand of stubborn.

Fox: ... Why did you tell him about what happened that night?

Olly: ...I was hurt. And instead of addressing it properly, I buried my worries beneath my work. So when he confronted me about it, I lashed out...

Fox: ...

Olly: It shouldn't have happened. I should have been a better brother to him.

Fox: I think a lot of his vode before you, should have been better brothers to him. But my opinion on the matter matters little in the end. Just... Make sure you tell him you're sorry.

Olly: ...I will.

Olly, backs out of the office and goes back to work while trying not to think about how Dogma's been obsessively rewatching his cam footage of 79's from the night prior to the Guard rescuing him:

Fox, sighing and going back to signing flimsywork: There has to be a better way to deal with all of this heartache...

#star wars #the clone wars #commander fox #clone ocs #riot trooper olly olly oxenfree #this takes place after the warehouse incident so Olly doesn't fit in Fox's tiny office anymore #it took Fox a while to realize Dogma's been watching footage of some rather cruel insults thrown his way while he was in a prison cell #insults that were thrown at him by very drunk freshly traumatized 501st vode #insults which sparked an ugly bar fight mind you #but Dogma only knows one side of the story and Fox wishes he never found out #needless to say Olly fucked up trice on the matter and regrets it terribly #alas the damage is done #forceful intervention au #coruscant guard dogma #might as well mention: it was Slick who told Fox about Dogma's maladjustive coping mechanism

[neverendingford]

along the same line as the whole "why do you need to know someone's autistic before you stop bullying them for their autistic traits?" thing I've seen floating around

apologizing for it once you know is meaningless. it doesn't change the fact that you deliberately mocked someone for their behavior.

.

a customer mocked my stutter and I've lost all patience with that so I looked him in the eyes and said "I have a speech disability" and he immediately got all apologetic and was like "I wasn't making fun of you". Bro yes you were. you didn't realize you were making fun of a disability I've spent my entire life struggling with, but you were nonetheless.

just because you don't know you're being an asshole doesn't mean you're not being an asshole. you can apologize but I'm not going to forgive you.

#text post #stuttering #disability #ableism #color says shit #it's nice that my stutter mostly disappears when I'm angry because it lets me immediately put on my stony and guarded demeanor effortlessly. #anyway. most customers are at least condescending to me when I have trouble speaking. not outright rude #I've had a few customers that do genuinely mock me and then I just walk away from them and call a manager. #but like... apologizing when you've chosen to engage in asshole behavior doesn't change the fact that you've engaged in that behavior. #I'm not going to go “oh it's alright 😁” because you've realized that I don't think you're at all funny for that. #I'm done taking shit from anybody. treat me with respect or fuck off. #it's not my fucking fault I can't get a sentence out some days. #I don't care if it was done in ignorance you're an adult you don't get to be cruel like that. #like. haha yeah I know it's so funny when I start making noises and breathing funny but I'm not a spectacle for you to laugh at. #I'm not some side show. I'm not some curiosity. I'm not a roadside attraction to laugh at. #sometimes I forget I have such a hugely internalized reaction to being objectified in this very specific way #and then it happens and I want to leave a fist shaped dent in my locker. #I care too much about my hands to fuck them up again so I'll just vent on tumblr dot com instead

[worldofbalance]

green

#kefka #kefka palazzo #ffvi #ff6 #im the only green kefka truther in this cruel world #hes so cool you dont get it. dont let the nomura/dffoo/dissida interpretations catch you off guard. hes so real #final fantasy #xgiworks

[craycraybluejay]

i miss them.. they made me feel so excited and hurt and scared and things.. i fucking hate them its been years and i miss this stupid motherfucker suddenly again

#all the degrading and control god take me back #the cruel indifference #do all dreams have to end? #i dont know if ill ever feel so indulged again #so allowed to be feral. animal. nothing but instinct and sensation #it was complete chaos and it was 'morally corrupt' but by god it kept me so happy and satisfied #i dont think ive felt anything but fleeting (minutes) joy since it was over i didnt have that crutch anymore #i was right. it left me untethered. #untethered much like a balloon i will float float float away #and im still angry still impulsive and pain seeking and hungry #whenever i felt i was going to explode out of my skin i had an outlet #without one i get physically sick with it with all the energy and feeling and impulse #its like my whole body is wrapped in live wire #worse was that i trusted them and it wasnt just a clean cut and dry its over #it was ugly and fucking awful and completely caught me off guard #i still have the memories saved i could go and look #i shouldnt. not tonight. not this impulse #i will become so much angrier it isnt worth the pleasure

[gorteaus]

Possibly one of my favorite things about the royal guard pre-palace invasion is, despite both Pitou and Pouf being seemingly aware of the fact that Youpi only ever appears to possess half of a functioning brain cell on even the best of days…

They never give him any shit for it.

It would have been terribly easy to have the other guard shun or demean him or deride his opinion because of his lacking intelligence. Any number of pages into the arc however, we see none of this behavior on display.

And why not? Objectively, Youpi poses as the intellectual weak link of the group and presents a glaring blindspot should matters of defending the king be brought to question. With all three particularly devoted to their king's safety, it might've been imaginable that either Pitou or Pouf might be shown to be exasperated or even somewhat concerned with his apparent idiocy and the inconveniences it could bring- especially considering we're frequently given insight to their inner thoughts- but Togashi never gives us this with any of the other royal guard’s pov, while by contrast, it’s a topic occasionally ragged on by outsiders (think Welfin and Knuckle/Morel).

If Pouf and Pitou found little point interacting with Youpi, or least of all found his intelligence (or lack thereof) irritating, social ostracization would be on the table. While it would be great to acknowledge that keeping Youpi up-to-date on current going-ons might be a must considering his status as a royal guard and an additional force to protect Meruem regardless…

…they're regularly seen interacting with him of their own volition in idle situations of which neither require an urgent exchange of information or for Youpi's presence to be wholly necessary.

(i'm sure Youpi's attendance was extremely essential to Pouf's impromptu violin concerto. they're literally just hanging out.) The fact that they do seek each other's companionship should be noted here; the guard frequently coalesce together despite the fact that 1. Gortaeu’s palace is big and 2. There are other ants they could share their company with if they so wish. With this in mind it's safe to assume that Youpi's clumsy understanding of... well, anything, really, is never really an issue for them.

Pitou for example, seems perfectly content with answering in extended detail any questions Youpi may pose (even if they appear to be all the most obvious ones).

And further beyond all of that, there's reason to assume they actually… value his perspective and what he may have to contribute to a given matter despite his lacking wisdom. Segwaying to that bit...

(Pouf gets booted from the throne room, and with the rest of an entire palace at his disposal, the next spot he chooses to sit next to is… Youpi.) 

Had Pouf not seen anything of significance in talking to Youpi or viewed his opinion as meaningless in the slightest, I can’t imagine he’d genuinely engage him in an earnest (albeit cursory) dialogue regarding Komugi (even going so far as to confide in his fear about her evolution) as opposed to just brushing him off and leaving their discussion at that.

It's interesting to see that we get this sentiment from Pouf, one of the more mentally-acute of the guard (and someone who arguably prioritizes critical thinking the most), in disparity to Welfin, a virtual stranger who was loath to interact with Youpi or (understandably) share any sensitive information with him after discovering how useless he'd be.

It might be easy to figure the royal guard like each other beyond some vague sense of tolerance with surface level reading, but I find the implication of Youpi’s dynamic with the other two not often addressed.

#menthuthuyoupi #youpi #shaiapouf #pouf #pitou #neferpitou #only the other royal guard can handle youpi @ his worst (aka his dumbest) #will i read super hard into every rg interaction? yessirrrr #using my powers of observation 2 point out the obv: but i maintain things like this between the rg r overlooked #objectively sure. this post speaks to how well they work as a unit pre-palace invasion before the intensity of the future situation #combined with their own individualism comes along and makes a mess of things #but i also think this is rlly just a Sibling moment for them #dismissive & cruel 2 literally everyone else except for those within their clique #good job guys #rg

[cyberpunk-20xx]

about masc!V's VA

cw for general spoilers and mentions of typical-canon violence

I always find it strange that people find masc!V's VA emotionless, or even annoying or plain bad. I'm not gonna say anything about fem!V's VA because I don't pay attention at all to it cus if I do it gives me dysphoria.

I don't, on the other end, find it that strange that most people I've seen with this opinion are in fact cis men.

To me masc!V's VA is actually super emotional, but not in the conventional likeable, heroic way. Jaded and reserved at the same time. I like the VA a lot for doing what I consider great work at presenting us a character who has lived from 2050 to 2077 in a deeply fucked up world where hope is so sparse. A world that we have no idea how fucked up is, even reading about the ttrpg because to me Cyberpunk Red is much less fucked up even if it is already a dystopia.

Just as a reminder, in CP77's NC society:

Amputation without actual health concern is highly encouraged all for the sake of pure performance. And nothing else. Your physical body is socially just disposable. The only way to keep up with the world that keeps eating itself is just to upgrade, and if you don't have the money for it? Fuck you, fuck your ideals, fuck your dreams.

You get suicide baited on the regular by the fucking street advertisements.

Violence against marginalised people is at an all-time all. Sex workers have it even worse than in the real world and that's saying something on how women and queer people are treated in general.

Acid rain is normal.

The majority of the animal population is extinct in the whole world. The cattle industry has collapsed and unless you're Kerry Eurodyne levels of rich, meat is either made of worms or insects and it's not even something hidden or taboo. In fact, it's shown explicitly in ads. Real vegetables and organic food in general is scarce as well. We might, irl 2023, start to be desensitized about it because we're on the brink of the ultraliberal hell that the game is portraying, but human's civilisation started with agriculture, and cattle culture was a big fucking part of that, regardless of one's ethics and morals about meat consumption (do not clown about veganism on this post, people are allowed to value animal life regardless of this video game blurb). In various quests, namely Panam's and River's, we can see firsthand how the collapse of that industry has rotten individuals and left the land in ruins.

Even a mondial star like Kerry or a fixer queen like Rogue are just, in the end, the bitches of the corps they sold out to, and unable to fight back. In fact, they've both given up entirely until V comes crashing into their life, with Johnny in tow. The fandom paints them as charismatic individuals but I really just think that's the rose-tinted glasses effect of us knowing what they used to be, when they tried, and them just being... Pretty conventionally attractive, quippy and sarcastic. But really even those two people who we are presented with as Succesful Individuals TM just... Man they just fucking suck, okay? They're miserable, they don't like themselves, they don't like who they are anymore, they don't have any speck of joy left in their lives, they're both estranged from their kids, alone, and just going on because death is scary. They're so human. They're at the top of the world and in the end they're still nothing in the face of it. Love them both so much but they're heartbreaking.

V always starts the game after having lost everything. Any other fucker in their place would have most likely finished just like a certain Heywood kid with spikey brunette hair. V is an exceptional individual for even having a chance at a second life.

V pretty much has brain cancer and is promised a painful, slow agonising death unless they basically kill themselves, and the less painful way to go is to gobble down medication but then that means giving the body up to Johnny. Johnny's first interaction with them is: violent physical assault and suicide baiting. It's hell. V is in hell. It could not be me if I were honest, I would not bother fighting it and I would not only alt+F4 from life, I would do as Johnny wishes at this point and erase us both at once.

V's so traumatized that when they lose Jackie, they're still able to function, but not enough to see a blatant trap coming. And when they have to carry Evelyn's corpse out of that tub, they don't have a breakdown, they just tank it. Which is not badass by the way, if you frame this as anything positive you need therapy yourself tbh boo you deserve better.

V's also a cold blooded murderer very easily if you want to take that path, and I'd even argue that the game makes it very hard for them to not be a killer honestly. Even the "non-lethal" optic mod doesn't work that well past a certain point. I've yet to try my hand at a pacifist run.

If you want V to be a good person, a hopeful person, someone who does not sound deeply suicidal and terribly fucked up, someone who's not used to death and treason as their daily lot, someone who's going to make you feel good about yourself when interacting with the world... I don't think you understood the game you were buying, nor that you were paying much attention while you were playing.

I'll be the first to admit have my own biases and gripes with the game's bleak looks on life, at its pretense at being "cyberpunk" when it truly only has the "cyber" part down, but at the same time I gotta give it to it, it's cohesive within its own universe and tone. V's canon, vanilla character makes perfect sense in the settings we are presented with. Masc!V's VA just does a good job of translating that.

But I guess that's not all of it, the difference between my interpretation and the one I made this post about makes sense because it is true that masc!V's VA does not act like the normal hero archetype at all, but like an anti-hero, except without the whole "charismatic leader" bullshit tone and bravado, unlike… Well, Johnny himself.

Masc!V's voice is not only not the voice of a good guy, it also fails to be the voice of a leader, of someone who's got it all figured out, of, well, the alpha male. It commits the crime of not being Good and not being Manly, at once! It even dares to be human and vulnerable at times! No wonder it gets haters lmao.

And the people I see bashing on masc!V's VA are always fucking kissing Johnny's ass for being who he is in the flashbacks, in the legends and at the beginning of the game. And that, to me, is pretty self-explanatory why I cannot relate with their opinion on masc!V's VA.

#cyberpunk v #cp77 v #v cp77 #thoughts #cyberpunk 2077 johnny silverhand #cyberpunk 2077 johnny #masc!V's VA does a good job acting someone guarded but aching for a better life #honestly I gotta check out Gavin Drea's stuff sometimes. #lotsa words to say it's a typical gamergate dudebro mentality problem i know i know #not every video game exist to make you feel like you're THE hero and THE good guy and HOW DARE THEY not cater to that! #like i get being upset about not being able to be kind. but that's not what these people are upset about #they're fussy about not *feeling good about themselves* #that's different from not wanting to be cruel. cus they don't mind being cruel these fuckers are real quick to hate on evelyn and judy #and it's NOT an accident

[llycaons]

perhaps my fault for watching an older gay movie without checking but it contains sexual assault that's never recognized as such and that ends with just. being a big happy family I guess and it's really weird to see that boiled down to 'discourse'

#it also had such a miserable third half I thought #the characters ended up fine but if the remake doesn't include the main female lead #essentially forcing a very drunk gay man into having sex #on their lavender wedding banquet night which HIS parents insisted on #then I'm not going to conplain! fuck! I was really caught off-guard and upset by that scene and I feel like #calling critique abt it 'discourse' is so dismissive and cruel #cor.txt #rape tw

[langernameohnebedeutung]

horrors/horrors being turned into banality/banality being the real horror is such a fascinating dance to me, don't make me explain, round and round they go.

#ok ok I will try. take some horrifying horrible monster that haunts a village and torments the people. It feeds on dreams and nightmares. #pretty scary! #now - for the sequel you COULD make it buffer and more cruel and whatever. Or add more of them or something. Easy-peasy. #but the real next step of horror would be...to see its limbs and legs wrapped in cellophane and sold at the butcher's and no one comments. #oh oh I know: think of the Destroyer in Borderlands 1. Ancient creature guarding the mysterious vault and only appearing every 100 years #now adding more and more vaults and creatures...it's okay (looking at you Borderlands 3) but the real horror? #that was seeing its eye harvested and used as a weapon in the Pre-Sequel. The real horror is no longer this strange bizarre creature #but the act of sacrilege that is reducing it to its parts as a tool #BUT THEN if you have a banal setting - then the horror lies in the banality gaining its own life. #working in a storage job and being sent to retrieve something and realising the storage rooms never end and realising you've never left #the internet as a hivemind. years and years of living in an apartment complex and hearing steps and noises - #until you realise you've never SEEN any of your neighbours. and you start to pay attention and the only signs of life are the house itself. #the fly-realising-it-is-sitting-in-the-venus-fly-trap-ness of it all #and the jaws are closing around you. #the horror of the untamable being tamable vs the horror of the tamable taming you. #is this something? am I saying something?

[linagram]

[𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚜𝚊𝚔𝚒 𝚊𝚒𝚖𝚒'𝚜 𝚝𝟷 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊] 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛

writing her vd was kinda hard tbh.. i'm still trying to figure out what i want her character to be like, at first she was supposed to be, like, a cute and cheerful girl who is also kinda creepy, but here she's more.. quiet, i guess? i like her vd a lot though! i actually got chills while writing the last sentence and one thing she says to eiji

also, after this vd i will post akio and aimi's interrogation! so again, you can send them questions if you want!

(divider link)

Aimi: ♪~

(door opens)

Miki: S-sorry for being late!.. We, um.. had some problems to deal with..

Aimi: Ah, it's okay, don't worry about it! I haven't even noticed that you're late actually.

Aimi: May I ask what happened though?

Miki: Um, I'm not sure that I'm allowed-

Eiji: Akio passed out right after we extracted his song.

Miki: Eiji-san, you're gonna scare her!

Aimi: Oh, really? Is he okay?

Miki: Y-yeah, it just turned out that he was, um.. m-more "fragile" than we thought.

Eiji: He's just weak, that's all.

Eiji: I don't think it happened because of the machine, he most likely just had some health problems before he even came here.

Eiji: Or he just knew that we will vote him guilty and got too scared, haha.

Aimi: I see..

Miki: But don't worry, I'm sure you're gonna be fine after we extract your song!

Miki: At least I hope so..

Eiji: Anyway, enough about that guy.

Eiji: So, Prisoner 002, Hanasaki Aimi. 16 years old, first year of high school, just like Prisoner 001.

Eiji: By the way, what do you think about him? Prisoner 009 is also still in high school, if I'm not wrong.

Aimi: Hm.. Akio-kun is a good guy! I can tell that he's.. well, not the most friendly person, but I'm sure that he just needs some time to get used to this place and other prisoners!

Aimi: And Kuroki-san is so nice to me! He treats me well and he always listens to me no matter what I say..

Aimi: Overall, I like this place a lot! I'm having so much fun with everyone!

Miki: You're surprisingly relaxed for a situation like this..

Aimi: Well, this is just some kind of game, isn't it? Oh, maybe this is a theme park or something like that? I've never been in a prison-themed park though..

Eiji: *sighs* When will you all accept that this is a real thing and you can actually die if we vote you guilty?

Miki: D-DIE?? Eiji-san, they won't actually get executed, right? RIGHT??

Aimi: Die, huh..

Aimi: Well, it's not like I mind.

Miki: .. What?

Aimi: If it means that I won't be executed alone and other prisoners will be with me too..

Aimi: I would be happy to die with my best friends by my side.

Eiji: ...

Miki: ...

Aimi: Ah, sorry for scaring you like this! Please, ask me anything you want. I will answer as honestly as I can.

Eiji: .. Right. So, about your crime.

Eiji: I'm looking at you right now and I'm trying to figure out what you did.

Eiji: .. You sure have a lot of injuries.

Aimi: Haha, yes, I do.

Aimi: I'm just a little bit clumsy, that's all.

Eiji: We just started and you're already lying.

Aimi: Huh?

Eiji: You got these injuries because of someone else and not because of your own clumsiness, didn't you?

Aimi: ...

Aimi: Haha.. Speaking from experience, Guard-san?

Eiji: !

Eiji: You-

Aimi: Sorry, sorry. It's just that you also look like you had to go through a lot.

Eiji: How.. HOW DARE YOU?!

Miki: Eiji-san, stop! She's already hurt, don't make it worse for her!

Eiji: .. Fine.

Eiji: (to Aimi) Give me your hairclip. The candy-shaped one.

Aimi: W-why do you need it?

Eiji: If I can't punish you physically, I'll just do it this way.

Eiji: And something is telling me this hairclip is important to you.

Aimi: .. W-well, if Guard-san says so..

Aimi: I would be okay with getting beaten though.

Miki: Eiji-san, please, leave her alone!

Eiji: SHE CAN'T JUST GO "OH, I WONDER WHY YOU HAVE TO WEAR ALL THESE BANDAGES"!

Miki: .. P-please, just give him the hairclip, Aimi-chan. You don't deserve to get hurt even more.

Aimi: !..

Aimi: "Aimi-chan"..

Aimi: I've never been called that before..

Aimi: Okay! Here, have my hairclip, Guard-san!

Eiji: ...

Eiji: You gave it to the wrong guard.

Miki: Why did you-

Aimi: Because you wouldn't look good with it, Guard 001-san!

Eiji: You did it just because she was nicer to you, didn't you?

Aimi: So, about my crime.

Eiji: Hey, don't ignore me!

Aimi: I.. can't tell you much about it. Sorry.

Miki: Why? Are you scared?

Aimi: Not really. I'm not scared at all actually.

Aimi: It's just that I'm not even sure if you can call it a crime.

Eiji: You're in Milgram and that means it is definitely a crime.

Eiji: And not just any crime, but murder.

Aimi: Murder..

Aimi: You're right. I did commit murder.

Eiji: I wonder who you killed though.

Eiji: .. Did you kill someone to get revenge on them?

Aimi: .. Haha, who knows.

Eiji: Was it one of your classmates?

Aimi: NO!

Miki: Aimi-chan??

Eiji: Finally, I was worried this interrogation will be boring.

Aimi: I was friends with all of my classmates! They loved me! We always had so much fun together!

Aimi: I.. I loved them.. I really did.. And they loved me..

Aimi: It.. It wasn't one of my classmates..

Eiji: .. Weird.

Aimi: What's weird?

Eiji: You see, sure, I can just say you killed someone because you were bullied and you wanted to get revenge on that person.

Eiji: Reminds me of that last prisoner.. But I doubt that he really was bullied, he was just mad that people loved someone more than him.

Eiji: But you just.. don't seem like that type of person.

Aimi: What do you mean by that?

Eiji: I can imagine you snapping and finally showing your bullies how angry you are at them, but something just doesn't add up.

Eiji: Did you notice it too, Guard 002?

Miki: No, I didn't.

Eiji: ...

Eiji: *sighs* Fine.

Eiji: In short, you're too weak to actually kill someone yourself.

Eiji: I can't think of anyone who could be your victim except your bullies, but again, you say that your classmates loved you.

Eiji: So that means you either killed someone from a different class or a different school..

Eiji: .. or someone helped you realize how bad your situation really is.

Eiji: Hey, Aimi..

Eiji: Did you also have an accomplice, just like Prisoner 001?

(bell rings, machinery sounds)

Eiji: I'm waiting for your answer.

Aimi: ...

Eiji: Aimi!

Miki: Eiji-san, she needs a minute-

Eiji: Prisoner 002, Aimi, sing your sins!

Aimi: I was told that it would be nice if they all just died.

═════════•°• ⚠ •°•═════════

#so. how are we feeling about the last part :) #god i am so insane about akio and aimi parallels. the popular boy and the girl who was hated by everyone. #their crimes being so similar but also so different. their backstories both having something to do with bullying. #(one prisoner will join them with their backstory too haha <3) #i also love how both of them have like.. muu songs energy. akio is inmf and aimi is after pain (yes it's kei's cover but who cares) #also if you're wondering why miki doesn't have that many lines compared to eiji #she's still getting used to her new job! she's a little confused! #and also i imagine her being an “audience surrogate” type of character kinda like es meanwhile eiji is an actual protag #i still love her so much #but man. eiji is so funny like yes i feel so sorry for him and he also can be very cruel but. #“don't ignore me >:(” and “is it because miki is nicer than me”. literally babygirl material #🗡️guard 001: sanada eiji 🗡️ #🌼guard 002: andou miki 🌼 #🌸prisoner 002: hanasaki aimi🌸 #milgram #milgram project #milgram oc

[ambrostikal]

⟡ ⫽ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆.

— The survivors were split into two different groups. Those who remained on the planet became the "Land Walkers", while those who were trapped on the newly-formed Angel Island when it ascended became the "Sky Dwellers". Both sides were unknowing of the other's existence, and never interacted with one another. Potential contact became impossible after a certain point, as Angel Island gradually drifted away across the globe.

— The Land Walkers attempted to return to as normal of a lifestyle as they could manage, making one of their own the new chief and repairing what they could of their home. The Sky Dwellers however were directly exposed to the M.E. and its intense energy. Knowledge of the gem had already existed in the Knuckles Clan, and many members being able to stay in close proximity to it for the first time (as Chaos was no longer present) allowed them to study & learn more about it.

Namely, the prayer that their chieftain prior to Pachacamac (his mother & Tikal's grandmother - Mesoa) shared with the clan long ago slowly became better understood as time went on. The Chaos Emeralds also remained on what still stood of the Emerald Shrine. As a result, the Sky Dwellers became more connected to chaos energy and spiritual as a whole.

— Due to a vision of the past received by one of the echidnas utilizing chaos energy, the Sky Dwellers learned that Pachacamac's planned theft of the Chaos Emeralds was to blame for their clan's fate now, and that Tikal saved the world by sealing Chaos and herself within the M.E.. Tikal was regarded as their savior, and deemed a type of patron deity who watched over them now. (She did in fact maintain some sense of sentience while in her dormant state, and was aware that echidnas still lived.) A rumor formed and was passed around that the reason why their floating island was created in the first place was because Tikal wanted the rest of her people & the emeralds to be as safe from outside forces as possible.

— Over the next 3,000+ years, the Knuckles Clan's population suffered from terminal decline. New children born and raised only prolonged the inevitable. Eventually, all of the Land Walkers disappeared and left what is now known as the "Mystic Ruins" behind. The Sky Dwellers remained on Angel Island for longer overall, living off of the lush ecosystem nurtured by the M.E.'s energy & unplagued by natural disasters, but was not spared in the end. Knuckles is the last living member of the Sky Dwellers (and the Knuckles Clan overall - excluding Tikal's special status), having become orphaned, alone, and was delegated the role of guarding the M.E.. at a very young age.

#🎔 ( meta. ) #knuckles clan. #/ ive likely made a post of this already in the past; but consider this the updated version \ #/ i really like this premise here. ive seen other ppl in the fandom share their headcs abt the echidnas over the years \ #/ never jived with most of the them since they just...never made much sense imo? \ #/ the ''knuckles is a creation of the m.e. through tikal'' theory in particular. i mean no shade but hmm no thanks \ #/ i like the idea of tikal being the ''creation'' half compared to chaos' ''destruction'' half \ #/ but she wouldnt create an echidna just to leave them perpetually alone in guarding the m.e. lol. she aint cruel like that \ #/ this is how i personally view the latter half of the knuckles clan's history & its what my take of tikal will follow by default \