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bookuce · 3 days

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Fools Rush In (Roman Reigns)

SUMMARY: Nessa wasn’t looking for love, neither was Joe, but when you know, you know. Isn’t it funny how fate work?

*DISCLAIMER: This is a multi-part series. I do not own any of the characters in the writing except for the OCs. The book uses actual names of wrestlers. Josh is Jey, Jon is Jimmy, Trinity is Naomi, Joe is Roman. The book is not realistic and does not take place during real events, but some actual events (matches, storylines) could pop up in the story eventually. I DO NOT GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE OR REPOST MY WRITINGS ANYWHERE. THAAAAAANKS. *

PAIRING: Roman Reigns x Black OC

TROPE: Love At First Sight

WARNINGS: N/A

WORD COUNT: 1904

CHAPTER ONE

It was supposed to be a Girls’ Night for Nessa and Isabel. The plan was dinner and a movie, but now they wanted drinks. So they found themselves in a popular nightclub here in Miami. They approached the well-lit bar, their eyes visually drinking up the mountain of alcohol in front of them. “So,” Nessa breathes. “What do you want? The first round is on me.” The brunette turns her attention to her best friend. Her fingers excitedly tap the counter. “Are we feeling darks or clears?” She presses.

“Yes,” Isabel answers with a breathy laugh.

“Girl, I can’t drink like that anymore.” Nessa giggles. The statement wasn’t far from the truth. The last time she mixed her liquors, she woke up to potentially blackmailing videos on her phone. Never again. Nessa hums softly, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. “Let’s play it safe with clears. Vodka?” She asks. Isabel grimaces.

“Tequila?” She answers with a question.

They exchange stares in silence for a moment before putting their fists out. They shake them four times. “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” They say in unison, throwing out different hand gestures. Nessa’s fist remains tight while Isabel’s hand is open. Paper beats rock.

“Lo siento, mi amor!” She exclaims while closing her hand around Nessa’s fist. “Maybe next time.” She turns her attention toward the bartender passing off shots to some nearby clubbers. “Two shots of Teremana, please!” The bartender nods at her request and turns to grab the bottle from the alcohol mountain. “With lime,” she adds with a smile. “Yeah.” she nods slightly.

Nessa shakes her head at the petite Latina. It was never a dull moment with her lively best friend. She turns over her left shoulder to grab her wallet from her back pocket but is halted by dark eyes watching her a few feet down. A smirk curls onto the lips of this bearded man once caught. Anxiety would rush through Nessa’s veins like electricity, causing slight chest pains for her.

Oh, he is handsome, she thought.

The bar lights lit his features well, the shadows chiseling out his bone structure. His hair laid against his head flat, pulled up into a bun, the sides shaved. He looks groomed—at least from here, he did.

“Ness,” Isabel calls, snapping Nessa out of the trance she was in.

The distracted woman turns her attention back to her friend, forgetting all about grabbing her wallet. “Yeah?” She asks. Isabel gestures towards the two shots in front of her. The bartender standing before them waited impatiently for a payment. “Oh shit, sorry.” She mutters, reaching into her back pocket for her wallet. A tan hand appears in front of her, a black credit card between two large fingers.

“Put it on my tab.” A deep voice says right above her ear. “I have their drinks all night.” He adds. The bartender eyed the black card in the man’s hand before taking it.

“What’s the name?” She asks.

“Joe.” He answers. Just as Nessa turns to look at the man, he lowers his hand for her to shake. “Nice to meet you.” He says to her with a half-grin. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of approval from her best friend at the tall man.

Ness takes the warm hand, shaking it slightly. His hands were rough, a sure indication of a hardworking man. She now wonders what he does. Construction? Maybe. Architect? Possibly. “Vanessa—Nessa for short.” She says finally. He presses his lips into a thin grin and nods his head once at her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nessa.” He says, opting for the shorter version of her name. Mentally, she was happy he did. She preferred it over her full name. She felt more like a Nessa than Vanessa. They would continue to shake hands slightly while gazing at each other, both not realizing that they were still doing it. Isabel would watch them curiously from behind Nessa. She gawked over the man’s size. In height, he towered over her and her friend. She could tell he was very fit. She’s now wondering if he has a regimen he’d be willing to share.

“It’s a pleasure,” Nessa says, finally looking away from the chocolate-brown eyes that entranced her. Her eyes find their hands still wrapped around each other’s, and she drops it. She would peer up at him from the side, noticing his eyes still on her. Her heart began to soar at the sight. My, this man was overwhelmingly attractive.

“Thank you for the drinks!” Isabel would say suddenly. Nessa clears her throat and nods.

“Yeah, thanks. You didn’t have to do that.” She says, chiming in.

“Well, I had to find a reason to come over here.” He explains with a shrug. “It’s no problem.” Silence would fall between the pair, causing Nessa to look ahead. She wasn’t too good at talking to men. It was only a matter of time before she said something to chase him off, or he realized she was not what he was looking for—whatever that may be.

“So…” Isabel chimes in. “Joe, what brings you here?”

“My cousins. Nightclubs aren’t really my thing, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer.” He confesses. “What about you two? Here with anyone?” He asks. His second question is for Nessa. Joe hoped to God she wasn’t here with anyone. If she was, his efforts to know her would be in vain.

“It’s a Girl’s Night,” Nessa says, opting out of his second question.

“But are you here with anyone?” He asks, now directly asking her.

Isabel smiled at the interaction, mentally hoping Nessa would take what he was giving. Meeting guys in the club wasn’t the safest idea, but he seemed pretty sober to her. At the moment, she sees no warning lights flashing above his head. “I’m married,” Isabel says, jumping in again. If she could do anything for her best friend right now, it would be to set her up with this fine specimen of a man. She leans into her best friend, nudging her to speak up.

Nessa turns to Isabel briefly, her eyes widening before returning to Joe. “I’m not.” She says finally.

“A lucky guy at all?” He asks.

“No.”

“Lucky me.” He smiles, revealing perfectly white teeth. “Bartender,” He calls out, waving his hand. The same one that served us earlier approaches us. “Another round for us, please.” He says, whirling his index finger in the air.

Joe spoke with a swagger Nessa had never heard from a man. He radiated so much confidence. If he looks like that, how can you blame him? She’s now cycling through possible professions again. Lawyer, maybe. Doctor, no. Athlete, strong possibility. The poor girl was guessing everything but a serial killer. Nessa would take a glance down at his right hand. No ring, no ring tan. He was an unmarried man himself.

“Lucky girl?” She asks suddenly.

“Hm?” He hums, his thick brows lifting.

“I said, is there a lucky girl?” She repeats, leaning in towards him. Joe looks at her, quickly shaking his head.

“No, not for a little over a year now.” He answers, giving her more info than she was seeking. He reaches down to grab one of the three shots before them. He tosses it down the hatch, his jaw clenching and unclenching at the taste and burn. His last relationship wasn’t one he preferred to talk about. Though he should’ve been mad at his ex, he couldn’t blame anyone but himself. He’s gone most of the year; who’d want to stay with someone they barely see?

“Are you from here?” She asks.

“No, I’m from Pensacola.” And there it was. Joe was from another city. One that happened to be six hundred miles away from here. He was here for vacation, here for fun. She was not interested in that. “What about you?”

“I’m local.” She breathed, her shoulders shrugging as she spoke. “Been here my entire life.” She adds now reaching to grab her shot. She tosses it back slowly, her eyes closing slightly. She places the glass on the counter.

“That—.”

“Look,” She says suddenly. “I’m sure you’re a great guy and all, and I really hate to assume, but I’m not looking for a hookup.” She looks around. “Especially here.” She looks at him with a shake of her head. “Not a smart idea.”

Joe’s eyes venture away from her face, his eyes now on the bar counter. His large fingers would curl against the surface while he chose his words. “I understand.” He says, nodding. He lifts his hand, his palm up and open. “I’m not much of—of a hookup person myself.” He explains looking over at her. “I barely know how to do that kind of stuff—the pickup lines and whatnot.” He explains, leaning towards her slightly.

“Right,” Nessa nods.

“My cousins tried to teach me, but I’m not really feeling it, you know what I mean? I’ve never been one to do that.” He was now rambling, his anxiety starting to spike. Maybe he shouldn’t have come out. He can already hear Jon and Josh teasing him for not being able to pick up women. It should come easy to him with the way he looked, but how he looked and who he was were two completely different people. He stops himself, a slow blink to follow while he gathers himself. Just talk, Joe, he thinks. He takes a breath. “I just figured I’d come over and introduce myself, maybe find a reason to come back to this place. Miami is a bit scary after a certain hour with all of the…colorful people.” She chuckles at that, receiving a grin from him in return. Maybe he was winning her over again. “Maybe I can get your number instead?” He proposes.

Nessa watches him for a moment, her eyes searching for ill intent she’d never find. He did seem like a sweet guy; at least she was hoping he was. Isabel was staring a hole in the back of Nessa’s head. Surely this woman has some sense. If she didn’t give this man her number, she was going to give her a piece of her mind after (and maybe sneak her number to him behind her back).

“Uh,” Nessa starts.

“Perra, dale tu número.” Isabel hisses, pinching her side. Nessa shrinks away from the pinch, looking back at her friend who was glaring at her.

“Sure, why not.” She says, looking at Joe. A large smile would spread across his face as he fished his phone out of his coat pocket. She’d take the warm phone, putting in her info as a contact. She passes the phone back to him. “Don’t make me regret it.” She warns him.

“I won’t.” He says, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Thank you,” He nods, looking between her and her friend. “I’ll let you ladies get back to your Girls Night. Remember, your drinks are on me. Be safe.” He says, walking off to find his cousins. Nessa and Isabel both watched as he vanished into the crowded space that was the dance area.

“I can’t believe you almost fumbled that!” She exclaims. “That man is fine, fit, and looks rich, mi amoré, okay? Alex is lucky I love him, because that one would’ve gotten fu—.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Nessa snips.

———————————————————————————

A/N: so…fancy seeing you here LMAO. Should’ve seen it coming tbh. This is the first chapter of another little fanfic I have tucked away. I hope you like it!

#roman reigns fanfic #roman reigns #roman reigns fanfiction #roman reigns fic #roman reigns fluff #wwe fanfiction #wwe fic #roman reigns x oc #roman reigns x black oc

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izvmimi · 7 days

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summer masquerade - yuuta x reader

cw: long-distance relationship. canon-compliant. one mention of underage drinking. reader without cursed technique but can see cursed energy. reader implied to be of african descent. assumption that yuuta speaks limited english. a/n: a masquerade is the act of spiritual performance, often to chase away spirits or for political commentary. this starts in the time yuuta spends overseas in africa traveling the continent

A hot summer afternoon, years now in the past, Yuuta Okkotsu first sets eyes on you through the veneer of dust kicked up by frenzied footsteps, soulful ululations and the beating of drums that seemed to never cease, but you’ve been watching him long before he notices you, or at least demonstrates that he’s noticed you. Out of a clay bowl, you’re sipping on palm wine despite being clearly underage, but your parents are far at the other end of the crowd and will not notice, and once you’re deep in the brush, in the less strictly governed remote village where superstition and ritual reign, you’ve decided those kind of silly rules don’t really apply to you anymore. After all, you never want to come to these events, but you come from a family that honors tradition despite living in an ultra-modern mansion in the capital, and thus your presence at the masquerade is indispensable.

But Yuuta Okkotsu’s is not.

The two of you find yourself locked in an unspoken standoff of some sort. It’s difficult to read his expression, but his large dark blue eyes are looking straight at you, barely squinting in the hot overhead sun. You try to discern what he’s saying with his look, if it screams Stop looking at me versus I invite you to speak your mind, before deciding your next move, but it’s quickly evident that your only chance to answer the question is to ask. You hope you don’t look hostile because that’s not your intention in any way but he sticks out terribly, like a sore thumb, with his slightly bronzed but still pale skin, straight dark hair and his hoodie despite the sweltering heat.

He’s clearly a foreigner. It’s not good for foreigners to be at these types of masquerades. Bad juju, you think.

You tut to yourself then sip your drink one more time and decide to approach, wondering if the two languages at your disposal including English, will be sufficient to communicate. Most foreigners understand some English, after all. Yuuta doesn’t learn this from you until years later, but the first time you met him, you’d started wishing you were more worldly, so that you could speak to him in his native tongue, and he would tell you that he wished he was better at yours.

The then-teenager watches you approach with the type of curiosity one offers a person who is not yet a threat but can potentially be. From the way that you’re looking at him, you’re not hostile, and your smile is polite, but it’s not all the way warm, although he can imagine that you do have the capacity to smile warmly, to the right people.

“Hi,” you start. Your voice is honeyed sweet, and he doesn’t reply immediately but his facial expression goes from disaffected to flustered quickly, as though he didn’t actually expect you to walk up to him despite your visual exchange. You tilt your head slightly, wondering if he doesn’t speak English, but quickly you hear another voice next to you.

An older man, African but clearly not your countryman, and he raises an eyebrow at you. You’ll learn later that his name is Miguel, despite being from Kenya, and you won’t ask more details past that.

“Can I help you?” He’s also speaking in English, with a slight British lilt to it. You blink, surprised, then look back at your age-mate then back at him.

“Are you two together?” you ask.

The two of them immediately appear to not be on the same wavelength - one says yes, and the other says no - and you anticipate that it’s like this often. You soon find out that you’re right - Yuuta recounts that those years touring Africa with him were sink or swim, where he was more of an unwitting, hapless intern, rather than a lauded apprentice.

The way Miguel says no at the same time Yuuta says yes makes you giggle loudly, probably due to the warming of your skin from palm wine and your appropriately low tolerance, and Yuuta’s face seems to warm as though empathetically, the blush in his own cheeks less subtle.

Yuuta blushes often, even now, and it will forever be one of your favorite things about him.

“Are you from this village?” Miguel asks. You technically are, but you’re technically not, in some ways as much of a foreigner as they are. He’s information-gathering, clearly, and it intrigues you, but it’s not the only thing that does.

Your eyes draw quickly to the younger person’s hands.

“Yes, but remotely,” you reply to Miguel, then point to Yuuta’s left ring finger.

“You have a contract, don’t you? With a spirit.” you ask, and that simple question is where it all begins.

At the time you knew nothing about cursed energy, nothing about the world Yuuta lived in, that Miguel lived in, that you were just on the periphery of, but one thing was true. You could see spirits, ever since you were young and you could see a particularly strong one, emanating from that ring. Formless, but present and unmistakable. Yuuta looks at you with surprise.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lies in accented English. You don’t argue with him, instead turning to the dancers. The masquerade in their elaborate costume has started to whip at people’s feet and many are clearing the compound in fear and laughter. The three of you do not move. There are no real spirits here, aside from the one that is linked to Yuuta Okkotsu.

“I always knew they were frauds,” you joke as you watch the being that’s supposed to dispel evil spirits not turn one glance in your direction. Yuuta doesn’t understand your joke from the furrow in his eyebrow but when he looks at you now, it’s with curiosity rather than apprehension but you’d rather know more about him. He’s the real deal.

—

Miguel doesn’t get as much useful information as he can about your clan as he hopes when your family welcomes him like long lost brethren in your compound in the city just a week later. Yuuta listens intently and speaks carefully, and you wonder how much of it is his personality and how much of it is a language barrier. Miguel drinks all of your father’s finest beer and asks you to fetch groundnuts like you’re his own daughter and it annoys you, a joyous reprieve when your parents ask you to take Yuuta out on the city and come back in a couple of hours. Trailing a Japanese boy on the timid end whose heart and soul is impossibly linked with a monster is not what you’d intended on this summer, but it remains one of the most memorable summers of your life.

He tells you about Rika over skewered suya from the street merchants, and you don’t bat an eyelash as you chew, and tease him about her.

“Will she eat me if I’m too nice to you?”

“Rika doesn’t eat people,” he defends. The spooky monsters of your country are always hungry - eating adults, kids, children, the like. You nod, popping the cap of a bottle of soda on the edge of a table. You miss and pout, and Yuuta, to your surprise, takes it for you, repeating the motion but successfully.

You look at the underside of the cap and lament the lack of prizes. Yuuta watches you drink the soda, and neglects his own malt drink.

“You can keep being nice to me,” he mentions before the night ends, as though the reminder is crucial, as if it hasn’t been hours since you made your joke. Miguel doesn’t hear him, drunk and boisterous, thumping your father’s back a little too hard. Yuuta’s attention is back to his companion before he can notice that your cheeks are warming again, and this time not from the alcohol.

—

Yuuta leaves your country, then soon your continent and you don’t think you’ll ever see him again, just wisps of him every time you see a vengeful spirit in the distance and pray that it behaves before you call onto your family to dispel them, but months pass and you receive that first email.

He’s awkward with his words, a few of his phrases don’t make complete sense and you can tell the thesaurus is up in another internet browser as he asks you how you’re doing, but you reply kindly just the same, and he’s better through text, better still through video chat.

Yuuta starts off telling you little, but soon he doesn’t skimp on the details of his frankly terrifying life and in some ways you wish he would, but Rika protects him and he’s strong in his own right. You learn of all his friends, deaths and not; you learn of all his triumphs and his failures. Your heart flutters with every email, mostly because you're glad he's still alive.

That's just part of it.

Yuuta comes to see you again when you’re on the cusp of turning 21, and it’s the second time he’s come to see you, but the first time he’s come alone, without Miguel flanking, without the pretense of dispelling spirits and getting stronger.

He’s there for you, and only you.

You no longer live in West Africa but instead in Europe, in a small apartment that you’re lucky to afford while furthering your education, and your Japanese is now middling but enough to make him laugh.

He still speaks to you in English, improved over years of vid and voice chat.

“Happy birthday” is whispered over lit candles and followed by your first real kiss.

—

Rika doesn’t eat you, regardless of how kind you are to Yuuta over the next few years.

The day before your wedding, you press your forehead against hers and thank her for protecting him all this time, you thank her for meeting him first. She doesn’t make a single sound, but as you press your hands against her monstrous face, you can feel the wetness of her tears before she vanishes. You’re unsure if she’s just as thankful for you as you are for her, but you love her just the same.

You touch down to the country where you first met just hours later to begin the traditional portion of the wedding and your father asks Yuuta to bring his ‘village’ - Gojo, Miguel, Maki, Toge, Yuuji, Megumi and Nobara, among others, touch down before the end of the night.

Yuuta does not like the taste of palm wine but chases it down with the taste of your lips by the end of the ceremony, which he finds much sweeter.

—

Your wedding band sits in the same spot as Yuuta’s childhood promise ring, one enveloped by the other. You hiss as your ring finger slips and you accidentally drop a box, Yuuta’s faster reflexes catching it before it makes it to the ground.

“Shit, sorry,” you pout and he smiles, patting your cheek gently.

“Just be careful okay, sweetheart?”

You’ve lived in Japan for three years now, settling in two years before you got married and now moving from your first home to this new one. Housewarming gifts abound and are waiting to be unpacked, and you and Yuuta have been working tirelessly to organize everything before your friends burst into your house and ask you why there are boxes settled as high as the ceiling in one corner of your living room.

You glance at Yuuta as he tries to decide the best position for his katana, holding it in his right hand. Finding your way over to rest your chin on his shoulder, you whisper in his ear,

“Let’s take a break, actually.”

Yuuta turns and looks at you, a gentle tilt of the head appraising how serious you are before he chuckles to himself.

“You know, Maki will literally not let us hear the end of it if this place is messy when she gets here.”

Despite this, he’s following you to the couch which is the only piece of furniture you have set up now. The two of you plop down and Yuuta sighs in relief, and soon you’ve rearranged your positions, and your head now lays in his lap as he pets your hair.

A moment passes where the two of you relax, your breaths synchronized as your pulse slow, and then suddenly Yuuta speaks.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” you ask. Your eyes flicker up to his, and he leans down to look at you more closely, a soft smile on his face.

“For approaching me first.”

You blink, then laugh.

“It’s been over a decade.”

“Still thankful,” he replies. You stop, your gaze steadying as you look at him, your heart rate picking up in speed, your soul calling out to him again. There’s an unspoken standoff of some sort, once again, but Yuuta moves first this time, his lips pressing to yours.

If you hadn’t approached him that day, the ten years of your life would have been different. Your chin tilts upward as you kiss him more, your hands cupping his face, then wrapping around his neck.

“I love you.”

Neither first nor in any way expected, but true nonetheless.

#yuuta x reader #yuuta okkotsu x reader #daydreams: jjk #mimi's notes

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literalite · 7 months

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character/story influences tag

rules: write up a blurb or make a visual collage of the people or characters (from books, TV shows, movies, etc.) that inspired your story and/or OC, either visually, personality wise, or just a general vibe

thanks for the tag @tricoufamily :DD i am tagging @gunthermunch @lucidicer @itsmariejanel @orphyd @goldenwaves this is FUN u should do it. thank u

medias/characters meet me in the woods: man in the dark (paul auster), orlando (virginia woolf), lord huron's entire discography, specifically meet me in the woods and the ghost on the shore, the godfather 1972 (barely), age of adaline 2015, the old guard 2020, this specific cc cross, and reading homer's the iliad in my final year of high school. somehow don't go where i can't follow: the raven cycle (maggie stiefvater), his dark materials (philip pullman), adventure time 2010-2018, mitski’s bury me at makeout creek album, next of kin by alvvays, bite the hand by boygenius, matilda (roald dahl) (jokingly), horrible no good homoerotic teenage friendships, the chosen one trope, and this post by tumblr user @/louisegluckpdf. also my life which explains why the aesthetic is completely disjointed RIP violent affairs (with @lucidicer): nbc hannibal, bones and all 2022, arachnids, ethel cain’s preacher's daughter, sir chloe’s i am the dog album, mine and olli's deranged combined mental energies mutually focusing on t4t cannibalism vinny reign: matt murdock (netflix daredevil), joel miller (tlou), the fallen angel painting by alexandre cabanel, caravaggio paintings, catholic guilt, arsonist’s lullabye by hozier caleb vatore: those italian twinks that renaissance artists kept referencing to paint religious figures, dorian gray, orlando, timothee chalamet (LMAO), the reveal that the noo don’t kill yourself you’re so sexy guy is a twink [redacted] morrow: gojo satoru, howl pendragon (studio ghibli), jay gatsby, kageyama shigeo and also a bit of reigen arataka (mp100), ronan lynch and gansey (the raven cycle), eden's entire discography, birdcage by novo amor, mercy by sir chloe, myself ophelia griffin: ophelia painting by john everett millais, blue sargent (the raven cycle), clairo, phoebe bridger's discography, strawberry blonde and your best american girl by mitski, clairo’s immunity album, the first crush i ever had manny pluto: yotasuke takahashi (blue period), tbh a lot of blue period in general, alhaitham (genshin impact), adam parrish (the raven cycle), a hint of geto suguru, working for the knife by mitski nayef al karim: spiders, abel AND cain, julian slowik (the menu 2022), hannibal lecter (yes obvious i know but moreso the focus on fine dining as opposed to the psychology), stewy hosseini (succession), inbred by ethel cain

#this is the THIRD version of this post because v1 got posted by accident while it was half finished so i hastily privated it #and then the second got erased because my tumblr decided to save the wrong version and wiped all my progress #this literally took me days to think through please appreciate LMAO #dgwicf outtakes #meet me in the woods #violent affairs #vinny #caleb #a*#ophelia #manny #nayef #seph.txt

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dalekofchaos · 2 months

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Context

Hux. Short version, Hux reveals Kylo killing Snoke to the FIrst Order leadership. Hux ousts Ben and becomes Supreme Leader. Now Hux plans to exterminate The Jedi, force sensitives everywhere and lead to the death of the force. Long version read here.

Kylo as the villain. Adam Driver said the plan was never to redeem Ben Solo, that was a late change to appease everyone. So my big pitch for Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. To me Kylo Ren is what Vader could’ve been had he reached his full potential. A Vader who was never wounded on Mustafar, a Vader who killed a close family member and his master. He is the villain they were looking for, but no they had to course correct.As for what his motivation could be, exactly what he said. Finish what Vader started. Destroy the Light and reign over the galaxy as Supreme Leader. Long version. Other look at Kylo as the villain

Snoke's essence transferred into Kylo Ren the moment he killed Snoke.

Darth Plagueis was a powerful Sith Lord who could influence the midichlorians to create life and also save others from dying. He taught everything he knew to his apprentice, Sheev Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious), but he eventually lost his power and young Palpatine killed him in his sleep. How could Plagueis not foresee his own demise at the hands of his ambitious apprentice? Why did Plagueis suddenly “lose his power”? The truth is, he didn’t lose his power and he knew Sidious planned to kill him. It was part of the plan. By dying, I believe Darth Plagueis was able to transmit himself into Sheev and assume control of his body, almost like an infectious disease. Ever notice his name? Darth Plagueis. Plague, as in an infectious disease. Darth Plagueis unlocked the secret to immortality by moving from one body to the next, continuing his lifespan through multiple hosts over countless years. Ever wonder why Palpatine was so obsessed with training a powerful young apprentice? Surely he knew that one day the apprentice would want to overthrow him, so why train his own murderer? In Return of the Jedi, Emperor Palpatine continually provokes Luke to strike him down. Why would Palpatine want to be killed if the goal is longevity? Because Emperor Palpatine was assumed by Darth Plagueis and, through his death, he would then be able to transmit himself into a new host body. He wasn’t just looking for an apprentice, he was looking for a new body since Palpatine’s body was growing old. Luke Skywalker was meant to be the next host body for Darth Plagueis. But unfortunately for Plagueis, Darth Vader had a change of heart and defeated the Emperor. Snoke was Plagueis. It’s the only way to make things work. StarWars.com describes Snoke as a seeker of arcane and ancient lore, and the Last Jedi Visual Dictionary shows that he is a collector of rare memorabilia. At some point, Snoke must have found the wreckage of the Death Star on the forest moon Endor, and was infected by Darth Plagueis when he came upon the corpse of Palpatine. Did you ever wonder why Snoke thought it was so important to complete Kylo Ren’s training? It’s because Snoke was Darth Plagueis and he was training his next host body. Plagueis didn’t have a choice but to infect a really old political influencer like Snoke. Kylo was being groomed to become the next host body. Remember the infamous scene in The Last Jedi where Snoke is “predicting” how Kylo Ren will kill Rey? Wasn’t it a little too obvious? Wouldn’t Snoke have been able to foresee Kylo’s treachery? See through his conflict? It’s because he wasn’t predicting Rey’s death, he predicted his own. He knew Kylo would kill him. He deliberately bullied and provoked Kylo in order to stir his anger into hatred to further fuel his dark side and lead him to completing his training.

So Darth Plagueis goal would be to transfer his essence into Rey and in failing in that. He will drain the life force from the Dyad to satiate his own life force.

Thrawn. Cardinal West's Sequel Trilogy rewrite has the best take of Thrawn as the villain

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Rae Sloane.

Rae Sloane founded The First Order! Sloane was loyal to the Empire, so much so, rather than allowing it to cease to exist, she recruited other loyalists and they fled to the Unknown Territories beyond Jakku. She founded the First Order. Together with Hux, she could usurp control of the First Order and become Supreme Leader, which would start a civil war, those loyal to Sloane and those loyal to Kylo. We can have someone who could be a great antagonist to Leia. The founder of The First Order and the mother of the Resistance. What makes Rae a compelling character is the fact that she believes what the Empire is doing is right. In her eyes, the Empire is doing the right thing, purging lawlessness from a galaxy overrun by bureaucrats that care little for the common people. She’s wrong, but like great villains before her, audiences can see where she’s coming from even if they don’t agree with it. Throughout her many appearances in the supplemental Star Wars narratives, she is constantly pushing for the Empire to be “just.” When things start to fall apart after the Battle of Endor, Rae struggles to keep the remnants of the fleet playing by the unspoken rules of warfare and is frustrated to see the Empire careen into backstabbing and incompetence. You can see Rae’s influence in the First Order with its strict hierarchy and minute by-the-books stringency that makes Palpatine’s Empire look positively laissez-faire by comparison. Supreme Leader Rae Sloane would make The First Order a force to be reckoned with and what better way to end it than with the First Order’s founder?

The Grysks.

The Grysks were introduced in the new canon novel Thrawn:Alliances. They are what brings Thrawn to the Empire in hopes of co-existing to fight this threat in the Unknown Regions. Grysks are a species living somewhere in the Unknown Regions. Creatures half of myth, whom few have ever seen. It is said that they are nomads, with no fixed home, traveling in spacecraft so numerous they blot out the stars. They are said to be terrifying warriors, overwhelming their opponents by sheer numbers and ferocity. The fact that these intergalactic conquerors are not the main threat in the Sequel Trilogy is baffling. You could’ve had Ben Solo sense they were coming during his Jedi days and made the ultimate sacrifice to become Kylo Ren and join The First Order because he knew the New Republic was not ready to face such a threat. It wouldn’t make what he was doing the entire trilogy right, but it would make explain why he turned and what his motivations are.

I don't really have a explanation for Qi'Ra, but she was trained by Maul, took over the Crimson Dawn and you don't waste Emilia Clarke on one movie that never continued. So Qi'Ra as the villain could've worked.

A Mandalorian invasion lead by Fett writes itself.

I know it's technically Palpatine, but it works better because we don't stupidly retcon Anakin's sacrifice. This was planned, but the idiots that be decided it would be better if Ian played him. So instead this is the perfected clone. The Clone Wars were a test for Palpatine to perfect cloning. Throughout the reign as Emperor, he tinkered with cloning force sensitives, created a lot of failures(Snoke) but prior to Endor, he perfected it and kept it as a fail safe should he die. And after Kylo Ren killed Snoke, he awakened. Palpatine reborn. The movie opens at the end of the war. Finn successfully consurs up a Stormtrooper Rebellion and all the FO officers are executed, Hux is captured and Rey beats Kylo Ren for the umpteenth time. The First Order are on their last legs. Until a message is delivered to the galaxy.

“People of the galaxy. Your Emperor has returned after thirty long, lawless years. To the Sith and the Jedi; follow the Holocrons. We have much work to do. Those who remained loyal to me shall be rewarded. For those who relished in my demise, who celebrated what they thought the end of the Empire and believed their treachery had won them the galaxy…only death and suffering await. The great error shall be corrected. The day of victory is at hand. The restoration of the Empire! The Final Order! The Day of the Sith!”

And it's a race. Rey and the Resistance hoping to stop The Emperor, while Kylo Ren is hoping to kill Palpatine, obtain the power of the Sith Eternal and an infinite fleet that will win the galaxy, but in the end, Rey and Kylo are forced to work together. Matt Smith as Palpatine could've fixed the movie

The final contingency of the Emperor. Cloning Luke Skywalker. Palpatine had foreseen either Luke will kill him and Vader or Vader will betray him. So Palpatine orders that Luke's hand be brought to him. Luke is cloned, but imperfectly. He is just a husk of power, so Palpatine has the greatest minds of the Empire indoctrinate this malleable clone to being the heir and the eventual savior of the Empire. This clone. Let's refer to him as Luuke. Luuke learned everything there was from Palpatine. His Machiavellian cunning mechanisms. Mastery over the dark side and fully believed in his master's will and plans for him.

Luuke foresaw that there would be problems if he revealed himself. SO he created a puppet, Snoke. Through Snoke, he turned Kylo Ren to the dark side and puppeteered The First Order. Masterminding everything from the shadows and after Snoke and the real Luke Skywalker's deaths, it was time to reveal himself.

Luuke's motivations are to bring Kylo Ren to heel or cast him aside, turn Rey to the dark side or kill her and rule the galaxy as his master intended for him. This dark side Luke would unite both Rey and Ben against him and would give Mark Hamill the opportunity to play a dark side Luke Skywalker.

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philosophicalconservatism · 8 months

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Observation.

The fact that the ideas of the far Left do not work from a practical standpoint is yet another reason that the Left seeks federal power. Federal power mitigates the damage that these ideas do. Control of the money "printing press" means the ability to continually offset and delay the negative consequences of your decisions. When far Left ideas are simply left to function on their own, in cities on the local level, things quickly go awry. Federal power masks the harm. It was actually more federal money (not suitable border policy) that local Democrats like Mayor Eric Adams of New York were looking for recently from the President; money to support their sanctuary city policies. President Biden fortunately opted for a more realistic solution this time, after initially setting the welcome mat which encouraged the original crisis.

The fruit of Left-wing social policies and crime policies can be seen locally in blue cities across the country. But I think that New York is one of the most fascinating examples because there we can see the cause and effect more vividly than we can anywhere else. Each time the city has changed hands politically we have seen the tangible results. Liberals reigned over the city for over 20 years straight throughout the 70's and 80's, presiding over the worse crime wave in its modern history (we're talking murder rates 5 times higher than today). Many of its inner city neighborhoods visually resembled third world countries; President Ronald Reagan was left speechless upon visiting the South Bronx. They are conditions that would not even be tolerated in the city today.

The seismic shift came about when Mayor Rudy Giuliani was elected in the 1990's and remained in power for 8 years. He was followed by Michael Bloomberg who ran as a Republican and kept most of Giuliani's policies in place. The city soon became unrecognizable, but in a good way. New York eventually obtained the reputation of one of "America's safest big cities". Times Square which was once a no man's land after dark became a family spot. But ultimately the first Democrat in years was elected as Mayor in 2014. In just 4 years people were already discussing the deterioration of the city. Today it is a topic of discussion outside of the city.

Why would we turn our national government over to policies and to ideologies that we have seen we cannot turn our cities over to?

#local government #federal government #left-wing

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midwestmade29 · 5 months

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Imagine Request ✨

To anonymous: I hope this is everything you hoped for! I'm not sure if I did it properly, but I can assure you I did my absolute best to follow your request. Thanks again for the request…I loved it 🖤

Original anonymous request: "Can I send a Christian Cage x Female!Reader imagine? So what is we have Evil Dilf Christian, The Patriarch, The TNT Champ, the Face of AEW in a serious long term established relationship with a loving America’s Sweetheart, Sunshine Baby Face reader. Is the kind of relationship they’ve never played up on TV and even though they don’t post about each other too often, the fans and everyone is well aware they’re together. Maybe the reader is in a high stakes contender ship match and she ends up injuring herself somehow. This causes Christian to break character and come out to help get her out of the ring and loaded into the ambulance to get checked out and it ultimately ends up with her having surgery and Christian being the best boyfriend/fiance/husband (you can choose that!) he can be and takes care of his woman while she recovers?" Word count: 950 GIFs are not mine. Credit goes to their original creators. I selected each GIF to further help visualize the things happening in the story 🙂

Disclaimers: Some cursing, injury sustained (broken bone), pain due to injury, ambulance ride, mention of hospital and surgery. Read at your own discretion.

“After tonight, we will be the TNT and TBS champs. You’re going to do great baby,” Christian whispered into your ear. You had dreamt about having the shiny belt around your waist ever since you arrived in AEW. You worked your ass off to get this title shot and you’ll be damned if you don’t give the match your all! “You’re going to be watching, right?” you asked while Christian embraced you. “Of course! They need me for a pre taping in a minute, but my eyes will be glued to the monitor the entire time.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, this contest is set for one fall with a 20-minute time limit. It is for the TBS Championship!” Justin Robert’s announced, your music blasting through the speakers immediately after. Excalibur hyped up the match, “And here comes everyone’s ray of sunshine, Y/N! She’s looking to take down our reigning TBS champ Julia Hart after securing a title shot last Saturday on Collision. Let’s watch as these two fierce competitors take on one another!” You smiled and waved at everyone while you stood in the ring waiting for Julia to make her entrance. “We love you Y/N!” one fan cried out, and smiled when you blew them a playful kiss. You stood in the darkness when Julia’s music hit, nerves calming a little when you thought about celebrating your victory with your favorite temperamental Patriarch later.

“That’s it baby, don’t ease up! Show her who the real champ is!” Christian yelled at the tv monitor while he watched you. “Don’t count Y/N out guys. She’s holding her own against the champ very well!” Taz praised. “Smart man,” Christian laughed to himself, but his laughter stopped abruptly when he watched you attempt to use Julia’s new finisher against her, landing awkwardly on your feet before your leg buckled causing you to fall. You sat in the center of the ring writhing in pain while you grasped at your ankle. Everyone in the crowd cringed while they watched the replay on the big screen. You tried to stand, wailing in pain when you put pressure on your ankle. “Bryce, my ankle! Something’s wrong with my ankle! I felt a snap and now I can’t move it!”

“Something isn’t right. What the hell happened?!” Tony Kahn’s voice crackled through Bryce’s earpiece. Julia leaned against the turnbuckle, laughing in delight at your pain as she stayed in character. “If Y/N can finish the match, wrap it up and change the finish. Julia will retain!” Tony Kahn called the audible, Bryce sighing in defeat because he knew tonight was supposed to be your night. He bent over and asked if you were able to continue, you grimaced and nodded yes. You stumbled to your feet, trying to hold back your tears as you hopped over to Julia on one leg. She read the situation correctly when she gave you a thrust kick that knocked you back down, instantly locking you in her submission hold Heartless. “Could this be it for Y/N folks?!” Taz shouted as everyone was on the edge of their seats, hoping that you weren’t going to tap out.

“What the fuck was that?! Y/N was supposed to win! Shit!” Christian roared when he saw you laying in the ring with your eyes skewered shut. He bolted through the backstage area and down the ramp and into the ring as the cameras captured his every move. “Christian Cage?! What the hell is he doing here?” Tony Schiavone questioned. Everyone was surprised by Christian breaking character as he knelt by your side while Doc Sampson examined you. No one knew if this was a part of a storyline or if it was real since you and Christian kept your relationship out of AEW. You were placed on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance while everyone watched. Christian held your hand the entire ride to the hospital, assuring you that you were going to be okay. The sirens wailed in the night as you rode in the back of the ambulance. You were delirious from the pain that was consuming you, and your body was slowly coming out of fight or flight mode.

“I’m right here, baby! Take it easy, try not to move your legs. The doctor said the surgery went well!” Christian sat next to your hospital bed holding your hand, rubbing his thumb across your knuckles, and kissing them. Your engagement ring caught his eye, making him smile and chuckle to himself. You were still groggy from surgery, but coherent enough to notice his bright smile. “What’s that smile for?” you murmured as you stroked his cheek with your hand. “I was just thinking about our upcoming vows. In sickness and in health. I guess we’re practicing that part now, aren’t we?”

Recovery was difficult, but you had the best caregiver by your side! Christian waited on you hand and foot making sure you never had to lift a finger. He never missed a doctor’s appointment and made sure to do whatever he could to comfort you after a physical therapy session. As he helped you get situated in bed, an overwhelming sense of gratitude washed over you as you watched the man that most people viewed as evil and cantankerous cover you with a blanket and kiss your forehead. Christian really is the best fiancé!

“Thank you, baby. For everything! You risked a lot when you ran to the ring to help me. You’ve been by my side through this whole ordeal and loving me through it all. It means so much to me having you in my corner.”

“I know you’d do the same for me Y/N.”

“In a heartbeat, Christian.”

#aew #all elite wrestling #christian cage #jay reso #captain charisma #instant classic #christian4peeps #christian cage fanfic #christian cage fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #christian cage x y/n #christian cage x female reader #aew imagine #imagine #christian cage imagine

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hartlessqueen · 6 months

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forever grateful for those who matter above all else. those who saw something in me and mentored me to where i am today. my family. my guys. the house of black, we always win.

@gcdshxte @dvtchdestroyer & buddy.

#darkness reigns;; visuals

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twinsunstars · 2 days

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Wherever Your World Is - Chapter 1

Fanfic Summary: A young mermaid filled with hope discovers secrets about her past and seeks to reunite with her family at many costs, getting her chance to be with the land dwellers she had grown so fascinated of. The mermaid strikes a deal with dark magic and begins her mission of becoming a human again. (A Bad Batch + Little Mermaid AU)

Chapter 1 Summary: A group of brothers remember the little sister they had lost, a sprinkle of hope igniting during a ritual of loss.

Notes: Hey friends! Back in early May, many of you had liked my idea of a Little Mermaid AU with the Bad Batch, and it is finally beginning! I can't promise weekly chapters or anything like that, so chapters will come out whenever I finish them! Thank you to @kurlyfrii for being my mutual partner throughout this project and for other mutuals always patiently listening to my ideas! I hope you all enjoy the ride this fic is in for! Read Chapter 1 below either on here or on AO3! Reblog to share!! divider by @stars-n-spice !

taglist: @kurlyfrii @orion-tyche @magicandmundane @biancadiangelosghost @sntofbirbs @half-truths-and-hyperbole-louk @fritoley @omegafett99 @bossboudicca @amalthiaph (let me know if you want to be tagged for future chapters!)

Oceans hold many secrets. The waves crashed against each other while sea creatures swam freely, playing their part to survive among the actions of land dwellers. The depths of the sea were dark, hiding away all those secrets.

Tales often sprung from those oceanic secrets that became rumors and myths on land. Krakens, sea killers, aquabeasts, the sea leviathan, and even mermaids. The stories of mermaids became the most loved tale, land dwellers either visualizing them as the most beautiful kind of creatures or the most dangerous. No one knew the true pain a mermaid could suffer under the sea. Their lives were stripped away from living freely on the surface of land. If they were to shed tears, each drop would simply just carry on with the waves.

Many sea creatures able to reach the ocean’s surface happily relished the soft ocean breeze. They squealed and chirped at each other, enjoying their travels.

A large sea ship painted in the dark colors of black and red moved swiftly across the waves. A large red skull was painted on the ship’s body, the signature emblem of the royal family. Sea creatures quickly swam away from the ship’s path, watching it pass by under the water.

Sailors reigned the sails high into the air. The mast could be visible to any who would be coming nearby. The wind passed through strongly, matching the cloudy weather of the day.

“My princes.” A tall middle-aged man approached four young men positioned in the center of the ship together. “We are approaching the ritual site.”

“Thank you, Shep.” Shep Hazard bowed his head, giving the men room to prepare.

One of the men, who had a tattoo matching the view of a sniper located over his right eye, glanced over at a man standing over the ship’s edge, looking out at the horizon. “Hunter.”

Hunter looked over at his brother. “I know. I’m coming.” His brother gave him a small nod, following his other brothers towards Shep.

Hunter held his red bandana in his hand, allowing the wind to make his dark brown hair fly. He watched the waves move violently, a few small sea creatures hopping up to the surface before falling back into the water. Hunter’s mind remembered how the waves acted the first time his brothers escaped to Pabu, making a new life for themselves.

His family fought as soldiers, a batch of enhanced clones proving themselves useful in the fight. Escaping the war was a hard decision, especially when they were bred specifically to fight one. But things were taking a dark turn. Many clones were disappearing, worlds were becoming more corrupt, and trust was starting to become something nonexistent around others. The enemy was advancing much rapidly and many more lives were being lost every day.

When Hunter and his brothers found out that there was a little clone created for the purpose of destruction, it got them thinking. The clone would be raised and used as a vital weapon for the enemy’s needs once the clone had grown old enough. It was something that could not happen.

After many debates, the clones made the decision to steal the young clone away from their creators to prevent the enemy from getting their hands on the clone. Finding out the clone was a female instead of a regular male was another shock. She was genetically engineered differently and was never going to be a simple soldier thrown into a war. She was meant for much more, and the Batch was not going to let the enemy take advantage of something that could make them win.

The little unnamed female was only a year old, frail to the touch while tubes and injection needles treated her like an object. Hunter remembered holding the clone in his arms gently while they made their escape.

A female clone. Their young sister.

She was safe with them where they were heading, but that didn’t last for long. Someone had taken her away from them, and she was unable to be found for the next thirteen years. The brothers looked as hard as they could with help from others, but there was no sight of their little sister.

Today was the day she had gone missing. The little youngling was ripped away from the family’s hands one dark night on their new home island, her cries echoing in the night until they dropped dead silent. Hunter remembered crying out for his sister, but he couldn’t remember what words came out of his mouth.

A bark broke Hunter’s trance. He tied his bandana around his head, fixing his hair. A large border collie looked up at him, and she appeared to be smiling up at one of her owners. Hunter knelt to give Batcher a scratch behind her ear.

Batcher was rescued by the family when she was found to be one of many creatures being experimented on for her strength and capabilities. Batcher had helped the brothers protect themselves while escaping with their sister, and the young dog had taken a liking to one of his brothers. She always went wherever her family moved, following along and being there whenever she was needed.

Hunter looked over at his younger brothers, who were gathered near Shep. He walked to his brothers, while Batcher followed behind. Shep smiled at Hunter, handing him an exotic golden flower. His brothers also held the same flower carefully in their hands.

To remember their young sister every year on this day, the Batch performed a traditional Pabuian memorial ritual which was commonly used to remember loved ones who were lost. It was a way of blessing their loved one’s soul and honoring their life, as the flower was a symbol of protection and said to be the flowers blooming in the afterlife. The ritual was mostly done in silence to allow those who grieved loss comfort, along with some Pabuian words said to initiate the ritual.

Hunter’s tallest brother, Wrecker, looked down at his flower with a pout. He could remember their sister’s tiny laughs she would make whenever Wrecker tickled her small tummy or Batcher licked her cheek. Hunter put a hand on Wrecker’s shoulder, managing to light a small smile to comfort his brother. Wrecker smiled back. They both missed their sister dearly.

Shep began reciting words in Pabuian almost like a song, beginning the ritual. One sailor kept the ship steady while the ritual began, saying a prayer to themselves. Batcher sat on the ship’s floor, listening to Shep and watching the ritual.

This part of the ocean was said to be the most sacred near the island according to Pabu’s legends. It was often used as a spot for rituals and other traditions for generations. Today it would be used once again to remember a loved one.

The brothers walked over to the ship’s right side where Hunter stood earlier, holding the flowers carefully in both of their hands. The Batch had become fluent in Pabu’s native language over the years with the help of Tech’s studious nature. They waited for Shep to pause, listening to every word being spoken. Wrecker stood next to his older brother, Echo stood in the middle, and Tech and Crosshair stayed with each other.

Hear us, oh dear soul

May our prayers reach you

We remember your memories

Let us call to you

Watch over us with all the love we give you

Listen to our blessings

Shep came to a stop, holding his hands together and closing his eyes in prayer. The Batch began the next step of the ritual, reaching out their hands that held the flower. They closed their eyes, mentally saying a prayer for their sister’s soul. They wished for her to be safe and full of hope, wherever she may be.

Shep and a few other sailors muttered a few words in the native Pabu language as the Batch lowered their heads, finishing their prayers. They allowed their hands to become loose, the golden flowers falling out of their hands. The flowers landed on the ocean’s surface, floating away as the waves carried them. The Batch opened their eyes, watching the flowers leave their ship. They spent an extra minute in silence after the ritual was complete.

“Should we head back to land?” Shep asked. He noticed Hunter growing more drowsy. “I think you all need some rest.”

Tech adjusted his glasses, turning to Shep. “Yes, that would be adequate.”

Shep instructed the sailors to return to the island. Wrecker wiped some tears away, deeply missing their sister. She was so small and innocent. They failed to protect her. Batcher pranced over to her family, giving them some needed comfort.

The ship turned around slowly to head back to land. Hunter remained standing, resting his arms on the ship’s side. The flowers disappeared from view, heading to wherever they were meant to go.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder, looking over to meet eyes with his youngest brother, Crosshair. Hunter could see the concern in Crosshair’s eyes. Crosshair knew how painful it was for Hunter when they had lost their sister. They both didn’t utter a word, but Hunter took in the sympathy he was getting from his brother.

Crosshair let go of Hunter’s shoulders, standing next to him and leaning on Hunter’s shoulder. He used his tongue to move the toothpick in his mouth to his left side, still staying silent. He felt like using words to comfort his older brother, though he also felt it was better to remain in silence in terms of the ritual.

Hunter didn’t move. Crosshair had always performed this act of silent consolation whenever he saw Hunter needed it the most. Crosshair knew he wasn’t the best at trying to make people feel better, but he did whatever he could.

Hunter exhaled. Thirteen long years. Years spent safely away from the war. Years with his brothers. Years without his little sister.

He couldn’t help but feel that their little sister had to be out there somewhere. Alive. He didn’t even want to think about the possibility that she may be dead. Hunter and his brothers spent years searching as hard as they could, and Hunter never stopped trying while they had the chances.

It would likely take a miracle and the Force to bring back their little sister to them. Hunter spent nights secretly praying to himself and sometimes with his brothers. Wherever she may be, she would find her way home to her world.

End Notes: I know I began the fic on an emotional note, but next chapter will be more enjoyable! I hope you all like it so far, please share with others if you want, comment your thoughts, and also check it out on AO3! You all may have a lot of questions but answers will be revealed as the fic carries on and more characters come in! This is just a prologue! Can't wait to see you all next time!

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galengames · 11 months

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DEMO RELEASED!!!

PLAY DUAL CHROMA: ITCH / STEAM

“For centuries after the Ashen War, the Empire has lived in peace under the protective power of the reigning Galens line. Tales of the dark era—of vile monsters and the heroes that vanquished them—fell into legend and myth... until now. “

Dual Chroma is a fantasy Visual novel that follows a talented mage, and newly appointed advisor to the Second Prince of the Galatean Empire, Keldrannon Aurel Galens. What starts out as a fairy tale dream-come-true transforms into a nightmare when ancient evil forces threaten to destroy the peace that has lasted for centuries. Solve mysteries, cast spells, and fall in love?

You might’ve seen it on our page or website before…for years we developed. And now the demo is finally here!!

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

Get notified when the Kickstarter is ready: bit.ly/dckickstart

Get on our mailing list: bit.ly/3PLECwK

#oelvn #DualChroma #otome #english otome #female protagonist #datingsim #medieval #fantasy #indiegame #visual novel #otome armada #interactive fiction #Youtube

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doomed-jester · 1 year

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TOTK Ganondorf is really cool and all but after everything I still think my favorite incarnation of the character is the one we see in Wind Waker.

I don't like Wind Waker very much. I think the later dungeons (the escort missions) get tedious and the ocean exploring (especially in the original or without the swift sail in the HD version) is very slow and repetitive. But Ganondorf? Oh he's great.

The Ganondorf of Wind Waker is the Ganondorf who was defeated at the end of Ocarina of Time. The one who reigned over Hyrule as the Demon King, who became a monster in pursuit of power, and who ultimately failed. The Ganondorf of Wind Waker is one who held power and lost it, and it shows. He's not as smug and power hungry as the Ganondorf of Twilight Princess, who never saw his plan fail, or as outright monstrous as the Ganon of the downfall timeline who lost every shred of his humanity.

Wind Waker had a Ganondorf who had been humbled, brought back down to humanity after standing as a god. He was still evil but he was introspective, he was measured, he was patient. He even explains his motivations! He wasn't just evil for Evil's sake, he wanted a better life, for himself and his people. His monologue at the end of the game is such incredible writing and it's honestly seared into my brain. He got corrupted by his desire for more and more power, but he genuinely did have the best interests of the Gerudo at heart at some stage.

This line is tattooed into my cerebrum I stg.

Meanwhile, the Ganondorf of Tears of the Kingdom is, without spoiling anything, just kind of a massive cunt who's evil from day one and his goals amount to plunging the world into darkness because he's evil. Seriously, I collected the dragon tears, I saw the memory cut scenes, I spent days in that game and I feel like I must've missed something because Ganondorf's motives felt absolutely paper fucking thin.

That's not to say it's a bad game! I loved Tears of the Kingdom, more than Breath of the Wild even. The champions get more to do, the side quests are numerous and very fun, the visuals and gameplay are amazing, and it has what every Zelda game deserves: really good, unique boss fights. But... Well I just find its villain lacking. He gets a lot of screen time, apparently more dialogue than any past incarnation of Ganon has had, but even with all that it just feels like he didn't have reasons to do what he did.

#Zelda #loz #legend of zelda #tears of the kingdom #totk #ganon #ganondorf #wind waker #Nintendo #gaming

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racefortheironthrone · 1 year

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Any chance you have seen and/or have thoughts on Across the Spider-Verse?

I literally just got back from Across the Spider-Verse and sat down at my computer, so this is about as fresh as a take as I can manage.

Short version: it's an astonishingly and relentlessly ambitious film that aims to outdo every other Spider-Man movie, every other multi-verse movie, and even its own first entry in the Miles Morales trilogy. And it succeeds.

Full spoilers below the cut. You have been warned.

The Visuals

Before I get into anything about the story, I want to first give full credit to the directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemo Powers, Justin K. Thompson, and the entire team at Sony Pictures Animation. If you saw the first Spider-Verse movie and aren't an animation nerd, you probably were impressed but didn't realize how revolutionary it was. I'll let Movies With Mikey explain the details, because it's easier if you can see what people are talking about:

youtube

When your first entry wins an Academy Award by thumbing your nose at Pixar, the reigning king of animation, and the principles of animation set down by the Nine Old Men, you have every right to sit back on your laurels.

For Across the Spider-Verse, the Sony Pictures Animation team clearly decided: fuck that. If the first film had wowed audiences by combining a half-dozen styles of animation on the screen at the same time, the second film would drown you in dozens and dozens of Spiders-Men and -Women (and -Animals) drawn in every style imaginable: Da Vinci's yellowing parchments and sketchy penicls, harsh cell-shading, punk rock collage art, 90s-style comic panels full of impossibly rippling muscles, crappy hand-drawn animation from the 1967 tv show, and then for a tip of the hat to Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the man who should have been Spider-Man - live action.

The backgrounds show the same love: from the off-set printing of Miles' world (my favorite detail is that you know that Miles gets sent to the wrong Earth when the color scheme shifts from purple to green), to the dripping painterly pastels of the Gweniverse, to the riotous greens and yellows of Mumbattan, to the clean Pixaresque light blooms of the Spider-Society's technological utopia (which looks a hell of a lot like something out of Brad Bird's dreams).

I am thoroughly in awe of the mentality behind the animation in this film, the absolute determination to challenge one's own limits and exceed one's past accomplishments.

The Story

If there is a single world that defines Across the Spider-Verse, it's "canon." The moment Miguel O'Hara uttered that word, my spidey-senses started tingling and I realized that Lord & Miller came to this film with a sermon. See, if there's one message from the first Spider-Verse movie it's that "anyone can be Spider-Man." But if there's two messages is that "you can't save everyone" - the idea that the thing that unites all Spiders-Folk from across the multiverse, it is a common understanding of loss, a tragic origin that drives each hero to impossible efforts to never let it happen again.

Across the Spider-Verse's message is: "why?" I cannot begin to explain the absolute vibranium balls it took to question not just a core premise of your previous movie, but one of the core premises of the entire multi-media multi-corporate franchise. And yet, Lord & Miller show nothing but confidence executing this turn.

FULL SPOILERS OF THE BIG TWIST AHEAD in 3:

At the beginning of the film, which makes the brilliant move to start by telling Spider-Gwen's story since we already know Miles, we are introduced to Miguel O'Hara (the Spider-Man from 2099) as a badass who leads a secret organization dedicated to protecting the mutliverse...but who secretly is also here to protect "canon."

At the turning point of the film, when Miles is finally invited to join the Spider-Society, we are let in on a dark truth: the safety of the multiverse depends on the suffering of Spiders. Just as Uncle Ben must die, so must a gallant police captain - although almost subtextually, Spider-Gwen hints that so too must the Gwen Stacys who "fall for Spider-Man" - to keep Spider-Man emotionally isolated and solely dedicated to his mission of protecting New York. Trying to avert this lonely fate, to live a happier life, brings about the destruction of all that is.

Through an act of unabashed heroism in Mumbattan - saving the life of a gallant police captain and an innocent child - Miles has inadvertently endangered an entire universe. And unless he allows his own father, the gallant captain, to die as well - the same fate will befall his own. Miles, being a good son and a good person, refuses to accept this and takes on the entire Spider-Society to get home and save his father.

In the chase, we are let in on a second, dark truth: Miles wasn't invited to join the Spider-Society because he is one of the anomalies they hunt, because he was never supposed to be Spider-Man. (You see how this builds on both the speech from Miles' mom about not letting white society tell him he doesn't belong AND the message from the first film?) The Kingpin's collider experiments allowed an Alchemax spider to cross over from Earth-42 to Earth-1610...and as a result, Earth-42 never got a Spider-Man.

When Miles accidentally is sent to Earth-42 instead of his actual home, he learns what that meant. Without Spider-Man, Captain Jeff Davis (Brian Michael Bendis is a real mensch like 99% of the time, but man did he fuck up with that one) died instead of his brother Aaron. Because the intended Spider-Man of Earth-42 was...Miles Morales. Instead, he has become a dystopian Brooklyn's Prowler, a living reminder of the damage the accident of Earth-1610's Miles' creation has caused. This is why you don't violate "canon."

Except...as we learn, Miguel O'Hara is wrong and our Miles is right. When Gwen is sent back to her own universe, which she has been running away from because she knows that it means confronting both her father the gallant captain and the inevitability of his death, she learns that George Stacy quit the force rather than take his promotion: Captain Stacy doesn't have to die. Nor did Captain Singh. Nor does Captain Davis. (For that matter, Miles doesn't have to lie to his family and live a double life as Spider-Man, as we see from his accidentally-misdirected confession.)

We are not the prisoners of the "canon."

Ever since Amazing Fantasy #15, "with great power there must also come great responsibility" has been the indisputable truth of Spider-Man. At this point, it's become a meme: "the Parker luck." Over and over again, Peter Parker must suffer for our sins - Uncle Ben dies, Captain Stacy dies, Gwen Stacy's death ushers in a whole new era of comics and the phenomenon of "fridging," his marriage to Mary Jane has to be done away with because the Spider Office are apparently psychological eternal adolescents, Aunt May has died and almost died so many times everyone's stopped caring.

And that's the problem: we've been playing the same hit for 61 years and it's gotten old. In the process, creators and audience together have condemned Spider-Man to a Sisyphean existence of eternal backsliding, unable to move on, build a life for himself, mature, die and give way to new Spiders. Hell, the best thing that's happened to Peter Parker in the last several decades was an AU in which he has a super-powered wife and daughter and can settle into a middle age of teaching at the Xavier School.

That's the sermon that Lord & Miller came to preach: just as in 2018 it was time for a new Spider-Man, now it's time for new stories that have the courage to try something different.

A Side-Note About the Multiverse

As with the animation side of the story, Lord & Miller could have sat back on their laurels when it came to the concept of the multiverse. After all, they were the ones who made it cool and sent Marvel Studios scrambling to catch up (still haven't succeeded at that, by the way). I don't think Everything Everywhere All At Once needed the creative help, but it absolutely helped sell the movie to producers that a multiverse movie could make millions and win Oscars. (Funny how that works.) Instead, Lord & Miller took it up a notch by asking "what is the purpose of a multiverse?"

Hot take: I don't like the Spider-Verse events. For all that they've given us some amazing Spider designs - and we saw them all up on screen in Across the Spider-Verse - no one cares about the stories. That's because the naked purpose of the comics was to market test Spider designs, see which ones generated buzz, and then make spin-off comics about those Spiders.

Across the Spider-Verse uses the concept of a multiverse, the shiny Macguffin that multi-billion dollar corporate conglomerates will hope will the ticket to riches, to strip Spider-Man down to the essentials by showing every conceivable variation and asking us what they all have in common. Is it suffering, or a commitment to doing the right thing?

Conclusion:

Holy shit, is firing Lord & Miller the biggest mistake Disney has made since Walt refused to recognize the animators' union in 1941.

#marvel #marvel meta #into the spider verse #across the spider verse spoilers #across the spider verse #miles morales #peter parker #spiderman #spider-man #spider-man meta #spiderman meta

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pinootgu · 22 days

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i have a lot of incoherent game of thrones thoughts but most center around the importance of mad kings in the story.

we start begin the story with the death of a mad king, hearing about his reign of terror as opposed to seeing it. targaryen madness is mainly characterized as a product of their incestuous line, a burden/curse of their limited "blood" so thus their line is inbred to hell and gives them all sorts of issues.

however, what i find interesting are mad kings constructed outside of this targaryen line. in a way, stannis is his own mad king. he is a cultish, religious zealot that views his reign of terror as a means to an end. a normally nonreligious man, stannis' belief is gained through proof--no matter misidentified or attributed. to me, this characterizes his illness through the perspective of the mad. there is a perception of a disconnect from reality and psychosis as something without reason and cannot be explained---madness is disorder and disfunction made human. however, in the perspective of the mad, the experience of psychosis or disconnect from "rationality" is with personal logic. you believe what you believe for a reason. it doesn't need to be truthful or right or rational but you see this irrationality as rational. others see it as illogical but it is because they do not see your perspective; they are often times right but that is something you won't be able to reckon with in ur delusional state bc that's the whole thing. while the other mad kings are characterized as mad without reason, the perspective of stannis' story forces us to at least empathize and understand the steps he is making. we are holding his hand as he falls into "madness." of the 5 kings, stannis is thus the "mad king" of the lot.

we are left hanging with his madness. is it targaryen madness, his blood claim to the throne not visually apparent (he doesnt look targ) but characterized through his actions and beliefs ? is it simply that the concept of kings is madness ? all that power but also the burden of responsibility too much to consciously be given ?

or is it more simple ? more personal ? more individual ?

maybe it was a natural disposition---an outlier that kept diverging. the less favored middle child, in the dark shadow of his brothers. pressured too young and put in a terrible situation he bore no responsibility for getting into, simply was bound by familial ties. starved to the point of near cannibalism and then cast aside. barely second fiddle, more a forgotten double bass---keeping the rhythm but unsung and barely noticed. unhappy in his lot but also doomed by it. unliked to such a degree, maybe at times justifiably, bc of how he is. he pulls every short stick given.

"stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. he'll break before he bends."

this observation sits with me. is this breaking something we witness throughout his arc ? he chips and cracks as things happen, as things go wrong. will he break when he has gone too far; unreachable in a deep-end; unforgeable and unrepairable? is it triggered by killing renly, does that drive him mad ? is it killing shireen that is the last straw ? or instead did he break before the events of the main story---best understood as mentally unwell from the beginning ? we are seeing him broken under the pressure of everything; even shards can be weapons and breaking isnt the end, he doesn't have to end by breaking, he can instead become something different.

maybe his actions simply symptoms but not the cause; these deaths just make his decline worse but the ball is already in motion.

tl;dr: something something modern aus stannis' character NEEDS to cut off davos' fingers to be stannis in the same way he NEEDS to kill (or try to kill) renly to truly be himself as well.

#long post #jesus fuck this is too long #my new cart makes me yappy AF #just some thoughts #mad king #stannis baratheon #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #renly baratheon #shireen baratheon #house targaryen #game of thrones #got #pinootgu

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lavampira · 3 months

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OCKISS24 — DAY 2

prompt: rain [@ockissweek] pair: swtor ocs; cadrien x minaiph [belongs to @hythlodaes] word count: 1050

The first morning back on Dromund Kaas, it rains.

And not just a simple shower, but a downpour that spatters heavily across the balcony, thunder rumbling through his bare feet as Cadrien stands beneath the awning. He’s heard others complain of it endlessly over the years. Too dreary with all the rain, too humid with its untamed, sprawling jungles, too dangerous should the spires fail, but to him, it’s home.

A home where Min and he have finally returned.

Cadrien sips from a steaming mug of tea, taking in the rhythmic sound and flits of energy through the Force as a crack of lightning strikes a distant spire. It reminds him of a conversation with Jaesa as an apprentice years ago, how beauty can be found in the Force, too, that it isn’t all that the Sith say. That the manner he perceives as a Miraluka is no less than the way others may see and experience awe.

But none of the morning’s beauty comes close to capturing his attention like the vibrant figure that materializes behind him.

Familiar hands easily wind around his bare waist, palms rough from a life honed in battle yet gentle as they slip across his skin. Equally familiar lips press to his nape with a breath that ghosts down his spine, and he tilts his neck in anticipation of another kiss there, but instead, those same lips meet the gnarled scar of his shoulder.

“You know, it’s much too early,” Min says, his deep voice still thick with sleep. “We could still be in bed for another few hours.”

Cadrien resists the urge to laugh. “You could’ve stayed if you wanted, Min.”

“The problem with that is you weren’t there to keep me warm. You left me, cold and alone, to brood in the rain.”

“I’m not brooding,” Cadrien grumbles.

A quiet breath huffs against him as Min shifts, draping a soft fabric around both of them. A blanket, Cadrien thinks distantly, one that he must’ve dragged off of the bed in his drowsy search for him. The idea threatens to pull his lips into a hint of a smile, and he can’t suppress it once Min hooks his chin over his shoulder to rest, comfortably fitted as if he belongs there, always, like every slope of Cadrien has been shaped for him and him alone.

“It’s… peaceful,” Cadrien adds, leaning into the taller man. “I’ve missed mornings like this.”

Min hums. “It has been a long time.”

“Too long.”

Bitterness seeps into the low rumble of his own voice, more than he intends. Min assuages him with a sweep of his thumb on his abdomen, still holding the blanket around them, careful not to jostle his tea, but a comfort all the same. Cadrien reaches for the arm around him, giving a grateful squeeze before threading their fingers.

At least when Korriban had fallen, when even the remnants of the Dark Council had bowed to Zakuul’s reign, they still had each other. The Claws had stood in defiance and were hunted across the expanse of stars both charted and uncharted, so much time wasted to the pride and foolishness of others, but their partnership has always been their greatest strength, and so they still live.

Min draws him from his thoughts with a kiss that finally meets the slope of his neck, his lips curling in a smirk against his tender skin. “Now you’re brooding, Cade.”

“Perhaps,” Cadrien concedes.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. We’re home now. That’s all that matters.”

“Then tell me about home,” Min says, slipping into that genuine curiosity that always brings him back to two boys among Korriban’s sands, one trailing after the other with an endless supply of questions. Once it had pestered him, but Cadrien has grown to love it more with each day. “What is the rain like to you?”

Yet another familiarity, this one. A habit they’ve forged in seeking the galaxy in each other’s view. Cadrien pauses with his mug halfway to his lips, considering the words to paint the visual for him. Min is patient, rubbing small circles into his skin with his thumb, as he grants him that time. Rarely so patient with others, but always with him.

“Faint, but… flickering. Brief flashes of the Force with each drop. The lightning is brighter, but more distant.” Cadrien ducks his chin, the dangling jewel on his mask brushing his temple with the motion. “You drown it out, though.”

“Me?” Min blurts with a startled laugh.

“You’re the brightest, most vibrant part of everything, Min.”

It’s ridiculous, really, how his heart races in his chest. Cadrien has sworn his love to this man a million times over by now, and the same in turn, but still, his admission leaves him raw, so exposed under the gaze he knows has found him, even if he can’t see it. And yet, never has he felt more safe than he does with Min’s arms around him and his heart in his hands.

“Get rid of this,” Min demands as he reaches for his mug, leaning away only briefly to set it aside somewhere, anywhere. “I need to kiss you now.”

Cadrien fully laughs this time, low and rough, but turns to face him more fully. A moment barely passes before Min crashes into him, palms cupping his face as their lips meet. The blanket flutters away from them, faint from their residual touch on it before it vanishes, his entire perception nothing but the glowing man in front of him. His own hands reach for Min’s hips for purchase, letting one slide beneath the hem of his shirt and up his warm torso to feel for the jagged scar that once saved his life.

Min’s urgency melts with the touch. It’s a simple understanding, their mutual devotion and how far each would go to ensure that the other continues to breathe, and the fact that they can savor this moment on the world where they built their names together is a reminder of the worth. There’s no need for rush when they have the rainfall and thunder crashing around them, and their languid touch with each kiss, and the promise of more mornings like this one, an entire future ahead of them together.

#dani writes things #ockiss24 #ockissweek #oc: cadrien tirai #minaiph #cadrien/min #swtor #swtor fic

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vladdyissues · 6 months

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Listen, listen, what if in the middle of the recovery in the hospital Vlad would lack of money and NOT try to steal them, but decided to go "ghost life" (ye, technically he's still halfa but go to his weak human form when he's beaten or needs to have some sleep)? Danny wouldn't know for long time why that ghost is so interested in him and why he can't scent Vlad or his scent is totally different than other ghosts, it would a plot twist of Vlad being halfa, too. I don't think Plasmius would try to seduce Maddie. Revenge from Jack? Yes.

Do you think Vlad would have more ghost friends (like a popular hc of Skulker+Ember+Technus+Spectra+Vlad) or still stay same miserable way?

That's a fascinating alternate universe scenario! Instead of staying in the human world and robbing his way to wealth and power, Vlad flees to the Ghost Zone and tries to eke out an existence there. We already saw in Masters of All Time that his ghost half doesn't suffer (at least not visually) from the effects of the ecto-acne, so maybe it hurt less to be in his ghost form, and that was the impetus for him to flee to the Ghost Zone. It's something to think about.

I honestly don't see Vlad making any actual friends in the human world or the ghost realm. He likes having pawns and minions, people he can use, often ruthlessly*. (See: the townsfolk he overshadowed to vote him in for mayor in Eye for an Eye.) He works with Skulker and employs the vultures and ectopusses to do his dirty work, but he isn't actually friends with them. All he seems to care about is their use to him. He has no desire for friendship or companionship with other people or ghosts who aren't Maddie and/or Danny. And if he can't have what he truly wants, he'll accept no substitutes. It's all or nothing when it comes to Vlad.

*Of course, this could be a defense mechanism; Vlad has been hurt emotionally and physically. He's been traumatized, had his heart broken, he feels betrayed, and perhaps he's afraid to let anyone in now. Deep down, he's so tender, so desperate to love and be loved (see: Maternal Instincts and Kindred Spirits) that he has to guard himself well, otherwise his next heartache might destroy him. He's like a crab: tough exterior but extremely vulnerable on the inside.

I imagine he views ghosts like Ember and Technus and Spectra as incompetent or beneath him. Canon examples: in Torrent of Terror, he only helps free Vortex so he can manipulate him, and when he loses the means of controlling him, he lays on the charm to save his own skin (and then jets, leaving Danny to clean up his dirty work). Same with the Fright Night and Pariah Dark in Reign Storm. He wouldn't deign to actually befriend these ghosts, and he certainly doesn't respect them. To him they're merely obstacles to be overcome, threats to be neutralized. Upon his arrival to the Ghost Zone, I bet he set up a lair somewhere especially hidden and worked on developing his powers until he could easily wallop his competition—and maybe that's how he ended up recruiting Skulker and the vultures, by holding the threat of destruction over their heads.

As for Danny, I'm sure he would be stunned and intrigued to find another ghost hybrid like himself, and if this first meeting were to happen organically in the Ghost Zone, it would put Vlad in a position of power. He could lie to Danny, make up any tragic backstory he wanted, and Danny would have no reason to doubt him; after all, in this universe, Vlad Masters disappeared from the hospital and was never heard from again. Vlad could prey on the boy's curiosity, luring him in with either good or nefarious intentions, and if he played his cards just right, Danny would soon become his first true and loyal friend in 20+ years, and together they could go on to conquer the Ghost Zone.

With a crown on his head and a companion at his side—not to mention the fear and obedience of the inhabitants of the Ghost Zone—Vlad would at last have everything he ever wanted: love, power, and an eternity to enjoy both.

#asks #danny phantom #vlad plasmius #meta #alternate universe #different first meeting #this was a great ask thank you anon #it definitely got me thinking

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