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#either the one who sacrifices themselves or the one who gets so scared they run right into the killer
skyeslittlecorner · 4 months
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Chains of love | Hades
This title sounds so proud considering the fact that below it is a terribly stupid shitpost lol
Let's see how much the devils from Hades are willing to sacrifice themselves for you. Let's strip them of their honor and dignity. What is their reaction when you make chains out of pasta, like kids make necklaces, and hang them on their horns?
꧁:・ ✡ ・:꧂
Barbatos will smile brightly and get down on one knee, as if you were crowning him. "I'm honored, my sunshine" he winks. You did it as a joke, but you melt with tenderness when you see that he took it seriously. He's ready to walk like that all day. What a gentleman!
10/10, you're his little ray of sun. This devil runs around naked, do you think a mere noodle can scare him?
PS. If the pasta was in the shape of roses, he is leaving it permanently.
꧁:・ ✡ ・:꧂
When you reach out to Glasyalabolas' horns, he lifts you up on one arm. "So, it's a gift? From you? Interesting…" He let you put on the chain, and he wears it as long as he carries you in his arms. He hopes that the pasta is colorful, extravagant, and that other devils will ask about it. Then he can boast that it's a gift from you. Maybe even some jealous devil will get into a fight…
7/10, he loves you, but he loves fights just as much. Which doesn't change the fact that he's ready to wear a noodle chain for you.
꧁:・ ✡ ・:꧂
Foras is surprised and suspicious at first. What is it about? Is this some kind of trap? Or perhaps the mating habits of human beings? Either way, he can't say no to you. You can do whatever you want with his horns. It would be best if you grabbed them and shook them… but let's find a quiet place first, shall we?
…back to the chain, he will be the most embarrassed of all the nobles. Maybe sometimes he will disappear to avoid comments. And near Leviathan, so that he doesn't tear off his head. Still, he won't take it off.
8/10, we appreciate that he is aware of what a stupid situation you have put him in, and yet he is willing to humble himself out of love.
꧁:・ ✡ ・:꧂
Leviatan thinks this is moronic. Of course, he doesn't want that. Hang- wait. ...hey. Hey. Why do you give these chains to other devils? Who let you? Who do you think you are? Give it to him.
He won't wear it, he's not an idiot, but he likes to take it out of the cabinet and look at the gift you gave him.
3/10, he keeps it, but won't let you put it on him. Also, if the string is strong enough, you can choke him with it. I actually don't know if it's a sign of more or less love.
However, if you make real jewelry for him, not as a joke, he will wear it constantly. Even if you have no skills and the pasta one looked better. Let's double the points, it's a real sacrifice for him. 6/10.
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emojellyace08 · 10 months
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If Lookism Characters (and Y/N) were in horror movies
WARNINGS: mentions of death (not too graphic/explicit) mentions of paranormal/disturbing stuff (mentions with the word killer/s), cursing/swearing
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Daniel Park/ Y/N
Would probably be the main protagonist (lmao)
Plot armor 100%
Will tell everybody to calm down when things go wrong "C'mon guys calm down! It's probably just an animal or something".
Will 100% scream and have a mental crisis if one of their friends died.
Zack Lee/Eli Jang
That one motherfucker who's always loud (especially Zack when things started going wrong, Eli's calmer though)
Will have a mental breakdown when his friends (Mira for Zack and Yenna for Eli) was put into danger.
His vengeance will get in the way and they'll seek revenge and has the balls to fight off the killer.
"I don't give a shit Daniel! They're in danger and you're expecting me to chill the fuck out! You're so pathetic I'm killing that little d*ck!"
Jay Hong
If someone's always the quiet one in horror movies, they're probably the killer.
Lol kidding he's not he's just being framed (either by Samuel, Ryuhei or Goo those mfs.)
Tired of everyone's bullshit but still willing to help for the sake of everybody.
Will risk his life to protect everyone especially Danny, I need this boy so much.
Vasco/Warren Chae/Jerry Kwon (add in Alexander Wang)
The dumb one lmao
Will probably die first if they're not careful enough (NO VASCO/WARREN/JERRY/ALEXANDER STOP)
Or, he'll be the one who will be seeing abnormal/paranormal stuff (monsters/killers/ghosts). "Did you see that?" "Wait is that a white lady?" "GUYS I JUST SAW SOMEONE WEARING A WEIRD LOOKING MASK HE'S RUNNING LIKE A MAD MAN!"(will talk and ask a lot).
Zack and the others will probably not listen to him since he thinks they're so "dumb" (bitch listen to them they're being honest).
Goo Kim/Samuel Seo/Olly Wang/Vin Jin/Kuroda Ryuhei (add in Gun Park and James Lee: well a little bit)
The fucking menace who won't listen.
You said to not open the door? Bitch he'll kick it down.
And will pick fights with the others (especially with Zack or Eli). Wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice somebody lmao.
Believes ghosts are stupid, yet thinks killers are cool (they're probably the killer).
Crystal Choi/Sally Park/Jace Park/Mary Kim/Xiaoleoung/ Gun Park/James Lee/Johan Seong/Jake Kim/Hudson Ahn (add in Daniel Park/ Y/N)
Another one who's tired of everyone's crap
Will make the escape plans for the team
Calm outside, angry and scared inside
"Why did I get into this position?" type
Zoe Park/Mira Kim/Yui Kim/Mitsuki/Vivi/Doo Lee/Alexander Wang (edited: add in Heather)
The ones who will cry af (or pretend they're not scared: Doo Lee and Alexander)
Will have a mental breakdown bc they're scared that they'll be dying later or be the first one to die (it's both scary for them).
"I just wanna go home!" type
Will be so worried about themselves and their friends.
Jake Kim/Johan Seong/Kwak Jihan/Hudson Ahn/Sinu Han (add in Zack Lee, Kuroda Ryuhei, Doo Lee and Vin Jin)
"Wtf just happened" type.
Would not believe anything that's happening is real (Fuck this shit I'm out type).
Will curse a lot when the killer/ghost is coming.
"Oh shit, shit, SHIT RUN!" type.
Gun Park/James Lee
This mfs
Will smirk or laugh when somebody dies (I swear to God)
Everybody will probably ditch them for being a sussy baka thinking they're the killer (can you blame them?)
Doesn't give a sh*t since he can either solo the killer or he is the killer (if it's a ghost they just won't care or accept their fate lmao).
A/N: For Y/N you can be anything you want since we all have diff. personalities and ways to handle problems and situations and yeah hope you like it :).
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lloydfrontera · 5 months
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Now that Javier experienced Lloyd sacrificing himself do you think he will still want him to go and sacrifice himself and save others or will he be now fine with Lloyd wanting to runaway especially with what he heard through the door?
that's such an interesting question.
to start with javier never wanted lloyd to sacrifice himself. just to be clear. that's not something javier ever wanted of him. he hoped he would try to help others even if it meant risking his life which is different but i guess the difference can be a little tricky.
that being said.
i don't believe javier would ever want lloyd to put himself in danger ever again, not for him, not for the estate, not for anyone else. but. i do think he would subconsciously expect it from him. you get what i mean?
like. he'd never want or think to ask lloyd to risk his life again, he'd do everything in his power so lloyd is never in a situation where he would have to, just like he swore to do in ch 384
And on the other hand, he made a promise. He was determined. I will protect that stupid friend even more firmly. No matter what happens. No matter what situation comes. I will protect that coward who pretends to be calm. ‘So don’t whine that you don’t want to die. Because that won't happen. If that moment comes, I will be the one who dies. for you... I'm willing to do that.'
so like. as far as javier is aware he would never let lloyd do something like that.
but. he would expect it. because that's what lloyd got him used to. which is,, very important to remember imo. i don't think it's fair to get upset at javer for feeling disappointed when lloyd says he won't put his life at risk for the sake of others when time after time lloyd has shown that he's very much willing to do so. and has explicitly said he will do so. like!! talk about giving mixed signals here!
remember the mastodons incident?? that time javier got upset precisely because lloyd kept putting his life in danger?? and lloyd was the one that told him that sorry but he would keep doing it anyway??
"I fully get what you are saying," Lloyd continued. "And I know you have good intentions. You're telling me to run safely and don't take things into my own hands when danger arises. Right?" "Yes," Javier confirmed "But you're upset because I always get winded up in this situation by risking myself, totally ignorant of my place. I'm right on this one, too, right?" asked Lloyd. "Yes, that's right." "But what else can I do? I don't think I can be more careful in the future." "Why is that?" asked Javier. "There are people that trust and work for me." Javier wanted to refute and fight back. But he couldn't come up with anything, so he stayed silent. Lloyd continued to speak amid his silence. "Of course, I don't want to be in danger, either. I'm scared. And I hate dying all the more. But you see, everyone has their own responsibilities," said Lloyd.
like?? i don't think it's unfair for javier to expect lloyd to try to help others even if it means putting his life in danger when this is an actual conversation they had.
the misunderstanding here was that when lloyd said he had a responsibility to others, he meant the people that worked for him, the ones under his care, the people he's in charge of. he owes them that protection because they put his trust in him and he's not gonna betray that even if it means his life.
but javier thinks they have that responsibility with everyone. he thinks it's their duty to protect those than can't protect themselves, even if they're not part of their estate or territory. he believes they owe them that protection because they are stronger than they are and it's their responsibility to do their best to help even if it means their lives.
and guess what! lloyd always ends up coming back to save everyone anyway! despite his fears, despite his protests, he always ends up risking his life for strangers anyway!... okay, mostly for javier but still! javier doesn't know that! he doesn't know that the major reason lloyd disregards his safety is because he cannot stand the idea of javier dying while being a hero! why would he! they're both very stupid when it comes to the other!
as far as javier knows lloyd always ends up doing the altruistic thing despite his words to the contrary. why wouldn't he expect him to do it again even when he doesn't want him to.
so like. yes javier would be okay with lloyd running away but he wouldn't actually expect him to and it would be a jarring surprise to him if lloyd did.
and the thing is. i think if lloyd suggested running away and javier accepted, it would even more jarring for lloyd, because that's just... not what he would expect from javier. which i believe would then send him down a spiral of anxiety and mixed feelings about being the reason javier gave up one of the things he most admired in him that would end up with him deciding to stay and help. thereby confirming exactly what javier expected of him. again.
but again. that's just what i think ajskdjskdfds
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phantom-fleetways · 2 months
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I loved your neo chaos sonic au
If it's okay to ask could you tell us more about it👀👀
Oh! Of course!
Frankly I haven't done much world building for it, since I have other AUs who are utter attention whores and life just LOVES to make me unable to draw for some stupid reason or another. But I do have some simple concepts I would love to share! If you feel like you can bare my aimless rambling, feel free to read the rest under the cut.
First off, setting. Generally speaking, Neo Chaos Sonic's timeline takes place after the events of Season 2's finale and the early portion of season 3's episode one.
But instead of Building Alpha Grim Sonic after a lot of dilly dallying on Nine's part, he decides to fight fire with fire. (And maybe he's a little scared of being alone, although he would never admit it.)
So he rebuilds Chaos Sonic instead. And to insure that he'll be able to beat Sonic, Nine decided to give him untethered access to the Paradox Prism.
This of course leads to Chaos Sonic deeming his normal build being to... Easy to deal with. And he is allowed a modicum of freewill by Nine. So who is he if he does not ascend to godhood to ensure the plan's execution? It's gonna be a temporary upgrade. And Nine did give him full access to the Paradox Prism.
Leading to this beautiful outcome!
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It's a MAJOR upgrade. And it comes with a hip skirt! And who is she to go against a hip skirt?
After choosing a new form of befitting of his newly born Goddess status, NCS decides to make the Grim their perfect little paradise. Their powers are simple, as she is all powerful but not all knowing or anything.
NCS can change their appearance however she sees fit. Although due to his vanity, he mostly stays hedgehog robot shaped. And generally before war is brought to her doorstep, she just stands about as tall as NMS would. So they definitely Tower over Sonic and Nine easily. They also can pool liquid metal off of them and when the liquid metal touches the ground, they become Grim Sonic Troopers. All of which seem to reflect different small aspects of her personality. Also she has glitter beams and shit. He's a magical girl, they gotta have their glitter attacks.
After a while of their new arrangement, NCS stops referring to Nine as either "Best bud" or "Sir". And starts calling him Martyr or Prophet. Treating Nine as a prized possession and less like a friend or even someone they wish to protect and keep happy.
Nine isn't initially concerned about this though. Since he's certain that they are still loyal to him. Which is true, he is. But ultimately that loyalty does not outweigh her natural selfishness.
I believe that inevitably, there will come to pass a point where Neo Chaos Sonic decides to "sacrifice" Nine to herself. If only to make Sonic run a fool's errand. If you know ANYTHING about the ending of KH3 and the whole "Save the 7" segment with Riku? Like that. (For those who don't know, imagine Nine floating above an altar of some sort with his body partially transparent blue.)
I don't really know if Sonic and Co from prime would succeed, since I really just designed Neo Chaos Sonic for the sake of designing him. But I would say that in order to take down Neo, Sonic would need to brace the abyss™️ to find Shadow's missing Chaos Emerald. Since I'm a wedger a bet that Shadow would be logically able to use Chaos Control in the prism that Neo Chaos is using to power themselves. Buuut in order to do that, Shadow would have to get close enough.
There is the possiblity that allowing Sonic to shatter himself would fix everything too. But ultimately I have no clue cuz I just haven't thought far yet.
Overall, the AU is very shallow at the moment. And seeing as I have other far more complex AUs I'm working on, it might be this way for a while. So, I'm sorry about that! But I did enjoy rambling a bit, albeit a bit aimlessly.
I just really love this design and I really love how pretty they came out! Neo Chaos Sonic is a treat of a concept to me, since I adore Neo Metal Sonic. Favorite flavor of Mets to be honest. And I figured a Neo form for Chaos Sonic would do them good!
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latinocas · 1 month
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If you think about all the people the show coded as Dean's friends or lovers, you'd see how often they'd be sacrificed for getting better and trying to get out of the script written for them.
They'd either have to go back to the script one way or another (Benny staying on purgatory or Cas going to th Empty) or were outright killed or turned into something they hated (Jo when she became a ghost, Lee when he worked with a monster and was later killed by Dean).
Then you'll notice how must of the time, they'd sacrifice themselves for a bigger cause that ends up as vain. Not because of their hope, but 'cause the way the game was played, it was erased by some new crisis in the end.
Chuck created a multitude of mirrors for Dean and shattered them one by one. It's like when Naomi created many Deans for Cas to kill, except Dean didn't have to kill clones by accidentally set people he loved on death paths if he wanted to survive. He had to kill a part of himself over and over and over and over again.
His experience in hell? Breaking other people.
Dean grew up wanting to save, because his first act in the whole show is taking his brother in his arms and running out of a burning house to keep him safe. His presentation as a man gives you the clue that he can be a threat when needed, but the key is that he doesn't want to.
Serious matter? His instinct was playing a prank on Sam to soften the blow. He's there because he is lost and scared and his dad went missing, but he puts on a brave face to soften the blow for his little brother.
Idk, is the way love haunts him like a curse. All those people died for him because he was the favorite toy of a cruel god and they unknowingly rebelled by fighting for Dean Winchester.
And yet—
It really was all in vain. Dean dies in the end. He who was saved so many times by human and monsters because he deserved to live, dies in the saddest way even after god is gone.
Feeling violent about this.
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ask-serendipity-sky · 7 months
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That thing with Holland is so sick. I've been seeing armys do bs for a long time but this genuinely made me ill.
Harassing a queer idol because the fetishizers in your fandom won't stop harassing him? Of course he named them, he's obviously getting requests from one group the most. They're so proud of being the biggest kpop ship - they should own this too. Why act innocent and naive now? And they all managed to completely ignore the point he was trying to make about how insane it is that these people are trying to forcefully out their faves even if they were actually not straight.
I just unfollowed every army I used to follow. They're either shifting the blame onto him or staying silent. They'll speak about a bunch of things when they need to virtue signal and it costs them nothing, they'll get into fights about the most stupid stuff with other fandoms, but the moment you can actually use your clout for something and speak on how awful it is that your fandom is essentially bullying a gay artist who we know has gone through so much - literal hate crimes - because he came out, you're completely silent? ARMYs have lost all sense of proportion, logic and morality.
The hypocrisy also strikes me because they'll go around naming pjms every day of the week. They always drag Jimin into fanwars. I don't see anyone saying let's not use his name then other than by solos themselves. But this isn't even the first time they've shielded tkkrs. They'll drag up random accounts with hardly any followers and a handful of likes and talk about solos infecting the fandom but god forbid anyone talk about tkkrs unless it's in the most general way so that you can sweep it away as a shipping thing.
And this discourse about namedropping is also ridiculous. They have 70K+ Jimin anti tkk shipper and 300K+ tkk shipping porn accounts running around freely. They tag JK in all their gross edits on Tiktok. We all saw them waving around the tkk banner during Jimin's bday event. Nobody had much to say about it except Jimin biased.
Plus do they actually think Tae and JK don't know? They just need to look at their comments during their lives to find out what tkk is. What are they even talking about? They've nursed these Jimin anti delusional shippers in their fandom for years but the problem is when others point that out?
I actually prided myself on following a variety of people so I'm never too enmeshed in any one group think. I used to follow ARMYs, shippers, solos and other KPop fandom accounts from my main but I'm done now. I was actually so proud that the fandom was being so active in speaking up about the Palestine cause but if your sense of mortality can't tell you how wrong what is happening now to Holland is and if you are too scared to sacrifice clout to speak up for him, then I can't take anything you say seriously. Sorry to bring up a serious real world issue in the midst of all this but what happened yesterday just tells me that if you can't stand up for a queer idol for petty bs fandom reasons or because you don't want to get involved when you know it's wrong (because I was very careful in curating my tl so I know the armys I used to follow at least have that much sense) then there's no way you'd actually do anything if were to cost you something in real life.
So yeah I still listen to BTS, I still like all the members but I'm done with 'army'.
Hello,
This was a tough read.
I can feel your anger and dissapointment and the only thing I can say is that I feel the same way.
It's "small" things like these that tell you who people really are and they are a sign of the person you could become. It may seem silly because it's kpop but it's real people with real struggles with real hate.
You don't have to be army or pjm or a shipper. None of those names mean a thing at the end of the day. Support what you want and stand up for what you believe.
I get you 🫂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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faebhaal · 4 months
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The party has, needless to say, come to a premature close.
The beautiful tiles of the ballroom are stained with sanguine, probably never to be scrubbed completely away. She herself is covered in just as much viscera as the floor she's currently kneeling on.
The sigil of the murder God, her father, has been drawn, and with a tender reverence repeats the usual offeratory prayer required for their sacrifices. “Bhaal awaits thee. Bhaal embraces thee. None escape Bhaal.” Her eyes stay trained on the symbol waiting for confirmation, for approval from her father. When the insignia flashes, relief washes over her.
The high of euphoria courses through her veins even now, leaving her skin flushed, heart thumping and wings a flutter.
Ithaca stands up to get a better view. A smirk crosses her lips as she admires her handiwork. Of course the other members helped bring her vision to life, yet it was just that: hers.
The woman searches through the body parts that lay scattered about like mixed matched puzzle pieces. An arm here, a torso there. And -ah! There it is.
Ithaca snatches up what she was looking for; the head of Lord Daniel LaBreaux. The expression on his face is the same one he held when his eyes met her across the dance floor. Recognition turned to panic as she danced with his eldest son right before death claimed them all. Infact this lush gathering had been to celebrate the boy's twenty second birthday. At least that's what her sources had told her. The look of horror the lord had fixed her when she dropped her disguise was priceless but not as much as what followed. In the blink of eye, Ithaca had slit the lordling's throat which served as a signal to her crew.
A snap, the whizzling and whirling of razor wire did the rest. Like butter it sliced through the snooty nobles. And the few that didn't suffer an instant fatality? A simple fix with a blade. Otherwise it all went according to plan. And she can't wait to smugly brag about it to the Primates that had tried to argue with her plot. 'It won't work,' they had said. But who's laughing now?
Not Lord LaBreaux. Not the mortal that thought he could escape her father's grasp. Previously the worm of a man had made several tithes to Bhaal's church. And sure, it bought him some time. However, rumor goes that he had grown too restless, too scared and was looking into seeking protection from a devilish patron. That wouldn't do, oh no!
So he had to pay. And all the others that paid along with him would serve as a lesson and a warning.
“Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal.” A light kiss is placed upon his cheek before his cranium in unceremoniously dropped back onto the gore covered floor. That is, after she's plucked a couple of teeth from his jaw.
Ithaca motions to everyone to wrap it all up. The others gather themselves and any belongings and start taking their leave. She takes on last satisfied look around, eyes lingering on her god's symbol then making her own exit.
Nary a person in attendance had been left of alive. None except for the youngest of the lord's brood; a child of twelve years that had been feeling ill enough to be excluded from the festivities. The fey's purple ringed eyes meet the peeking, fearful gaze from upon the stairs. The child freezes, yet runs away when Ithaca offers up a snark-like smile and wave. Some would argue the choice to leave the whelp alive is a mistake. But someone needs to live to tell the tale --- to spread the magnificent horror of Bhaal. And who knows? Perhaps this will inspire a new follower.
Either way there will be no more sweet dreams in this abode. Only nightmares, which can be just as delicious.
Blood and carnage are licked from her fingers, the taste savored as if she had just enjoyed the sweetest cake. The rush in her veins has cooled, leaving her with a feeling of peaceful bliss equivalent to laying in a field of flowers on a warm, sunny day.
One of her assassins offers her a ride, going as far as to even assist her onto the steed. Arms wrap around the torso, head lays against their back. The hunger has been sated, leaving her wishing to sleep now. If nothing goes awry, they could be back home within a day.
Home. The word always brings solace to her heart. For as demanding as her father might be, at least he favors her. He has never abandoned her in all her years. He gives her power. He gives her n purpose.
Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal.
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High Priest, Pt. 9
From “The Many Akumatizations of Luka Couffiane”
AO3
Rose didn’t like this plan. As Chat Noir and Harmonia argued, she kept turning the idea over in her head. Sacrificing one person so that everyone else would be okay… But what if they turned over the wrong person? What if someone tried to give themselves up as the culprit and was killed because of it?
It made her shutter. 
“We still can’t escape, even if we use someone as bait, right?” Kim asked. “We’re trapped.”
Max nodded. “Correct. And given the nature of this akuma, it won’t stop until we are all punished, so it wouldn’t distract him for long.”
“But it might be long enough for us to get the upper hand,” Harmonia said. “We already know his akumatized object, so it’s just a matter of getting it off him.”
“You mean the knife? He’s not just going to hand it over-”
Harmonia gave Chat Noir a withering stare. “No, it’s his necklace. Marinette made it for him as a present and he was protecting it throughout our fight with him.”
How did Harmonia know that? Rose had noticed Luka wearing a new necklace during band practice, especially since he never seemed to take it off, but he hadn’t answered when she asked where it came from. Did… did she really miss the start of Marinette and Luka dating?
Rose had been all for Adrienette since Alya had filled her in on Marinette’s crush. She and Juleka had gone to all the meetings aimed at getting the two together. But once Marinette and Luka met, and they seemed to hit it off, she’d switched teams. After all, wouldn’t a double date between the two couples be super cute? Not all the time, obviously, Rose still had plenty of things she wanted to do with Juleka that they didn’t need her older brother hanging around for, but she loved the idea of maybe one day being sisters with Marinette. 
Or she had, until Marinette had turned mean. Or Lila framed her into being mean? Rose didn’t want to think poorly of Lila, they were friends, but… Luka really seemed to hate her. Even if everything they’d seen so far was Luka’s opinion, she couldn’t ignore the fact that so many people she cared about didn’t believe her. Luka was furious enough to want to hurt them. Juleka had left because of them. Surely… they’d done something wrong, right?
If Marinette really was innocent, then that meant Rose-
“There’s only so many of them, and more of us,” Alya interrupted. “What if we all attack him at the same time? He can’t stab us all at once, and it would give us enough time to grab the akuma!”
“Or we could just give him Lila,” Alix added bitterly. “He’d probably take his time with her.”
Rose gasped, horrified. Her eyes instantly darted to Lila, ready to comfort her friend… and that was the only reason she caught Lila’s fearsome glare at Alix before she wailed. Rose rubbed her eyes. Did she really just see…? Alix’s comment was harsh, but that glare…
Max coughed into his hand. “Anyway, we should assume that anyone who isn’t here is on the High Priest’s side, just in case. If we didn’t see them disappear, then they could have been brainwashed by now.”
Rose gasped. Juleka… Nathaniel wasn’t here either, and they’d gotten separated from Mylene and Ivan while running away. It was like Horrificator all over again, only this time they might find their friends brainwashed instead of trapped in pods. 
Lila sobbed. “Please… please don’t give me up! He’ll hurt me if you do; Luka’s always been so mean to me!” Rose froze. As far as she knew, Lila had never been formally introduced to Lila. Lila usually missed Kitty Selection’s band practice–Rose couldn’t remember if she’d attended one, actually–and Luka didn’t pick Juleka up after school since Jules claimed she was old enough to walk herself. When had they met?
Rose had assumed that most of what the akuma said against Lila was biased, since they’d never met. But if Luka did know Lila… or maybe Rose was right, and they’d never met, but then why was Lila lying now? Is she really so scared that she’d think they’d actually sacrifice her? 
“No one is sacrificing anyone!” Chat Noir shouted. “I wish Ladybug was here…”
“Well, she’s not!” Harmonia snapped. “Sorry I’m not perfect, but what else can we do? We tried fighting him, but he’s too strong!”
“Have you used Lucky Charm yet?”
“No, but do you seriously think we can beat him in five minutes before I transform back?”
“I carry some cookies on me for Tikki to recharge.” Harmonia shot Chat Noir a confused look. “Me and Ladybug switched Miraculous once, and… it’s just in case. What I mean is, you can transform back quickly once you use it. And since this is going to be the only time you get the Ladybug Miraculous, then you don’t really need to worry about your secret identity.”
“Well, that’s reassuring,” Harmonia scoffed, and then sighed. “But you’re not exactly wrong. Lucky Charm!” Harmonia threw her yo-yo up into the air and caught… a flower. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“A flower?” Alix complained. “We’re in a garden, we could have just pulled that off a bush!”
“Maybe it means we’re supposed to fight the High Priest in here?”
As her class chatted about the lucky charm, Rose’s face grew pale as she stared at the rose in Harmonia’s hand. It was about her. 
She was going to have to tell them that she’d been the one to push Marinette.
@bee-a-garbage-shipper  @gabbie-gabbs  @yamagotchii    @larasilvestris   @vixen-uchiha    @kittysuicoffee @toodaloo-kangaroo
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mbabol · 9 months
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HOWWOW KNIGHT 3?
ok. ao. ive unlocked most of the map now. and i think im getting into endgame territory. based on the storyline and the op items im getting now.
uh. so i killed that first dreamer. so im just going to stick to the path and keep killing dreamers even though its making me really sad :( i just got to the top of watchers spire and. this one rlly hurt. at least spiders were scary. watchers is in the top of my fav city and theres a little telescope where u can see where she looked thru. and then you see her lying peacefully on the bed which is what freaked me out last time too. and to make matters worse they stuck one of the little scared guys up there to make you really feel like a monster bc its a reminder that some of them dont even want to fight you why are you fighting them? i think i was always destined to be the villain of this story
AND ON THAT NOTE. CONFIRMATION ON ALL THE LITTLE HINTS ABT HOW YOURE NOT EXACTLY THE GOOD GUY HERE. OR AT LEAST YOURE CAUSING A LOT OF PAIN IN THE MEANTIME. UH. DREAM NAIL. SO I GOT A CHARM THAT CHARGES DREAM NAIL FASTER. im like huh. what the hell is that for. all the things i use the dreamnail on are stationary? but im like oh of course! i need it to charge faster if i can use it on normal mobs. so i excitedly equip the charm to go see what cool tech this dream nail does on mobs.
the tech is psychological horror. i can now read everyones thoughts. hooray. so far ive had two results for mobs: 1) horrible pain 2) horrified confusion and immobility. cause. turns out. the coreopsis point. was actually. going to get answered. theyre. the orange eyes and aggressiveness is partially Planned. theyre all asleep. the sleep wasnt just the dreamers. its all the citizens of hollownest. to contain the infection they wove some sort of spell that put all infected in a pseudo slumber that repels anyone from trying to come in. theyre unwitting defenders of outsiders who may venture too deep and unknowingly spread the disease. either intentionally or by accident, theyre the perfect defense. agonized and aggressive because of it they lash out to anyone and keep curious wanderers away.
this was at least part of the sacrifice. i havent dream nailed everyone yet but i know thwts part of it. my next step is to dream nail the unnerving beast in the dusty underground area. the area with the pale king. who is the pale king? i donated at least. there were inscriptions that described a sacrifice. what sacrifice? there were corpses everywhere of bugs wearing robes id never seen before. what did they do? who is the white knight corpse that i cant stir with the dream nail? whats behind the door? they were instrumental to containing the plague. what did they do?
ALSO I BEGAN TO SUSPECT THE ORANGE DUST WASNT JUST INFECTION RUNNING WILD BC THE FIGHT I GOT STUCK ON IN THE SPIRE WAS SUSPICIOUS. THE ROLLY DEFENDERS? THEY WERE BEING SPECIFICALLY REANIMATED BY THE CLOUD OF ORANGE DUST ABOVE TO DEFEND THE DREAMER. THAT WAS SUSPICIOUS. THEY WERE BEING CONTROLLED, POSSESSED. THATS NOT JUST ILLNESS. THATS CONSCIOUSNESS AT PLAY
im feeling so guilty discovering the dream nail :((( even the littlest mobs have thoughts like "hungry....scared.....dark safe..." AND IT MAKES ME SAAAAAAAAD IM SORRYYYYYYY
ALL THE GHOSTIES WHO TRIED TO TELL ME FIGHTING AND GLORY ISNT WORTH IT WERE RIGHTTTTT
oh yeah i unlocked the spirit tomb or whatever a while ago. dope. theres just a bunch of random characters who tell u cool stuff abt themselves and someeeeee world building. dope
im also so op its so funny how i can still die. ive had to upgrade nail twice and i have a zillion masks. im also on the hunt to collect all the charms. i believe. i can do it
UH ALSO WHAT ARE THE SEALS FOR...? am i just supposed to sell these?? i thought i could use them for something eventually
er also idk where im supposed to get the skill i need to get into fog cavern. is it in the sewers ? i cant find it
UGH DREAM NAILING EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE SO SAD. RHE LITTLE MOSS GUYS IN GREENPATH WERE FUCKING DEFENDING THE PATH OF UNN. IM LOSING IT. IM THE BAD GUY
OH MY GOD ALSO I ACCIDENTALLY KILLED TWO GHOSTIES I THOUGHT I COHLD TALK TO THEM MORE WITH DREAM NAIL BUT THEY JUST TURNED INTO FUCKING ESSENCE???????
I FELT SOOOO BAAAAAAD I WANTED TO QUIT THE GAMEEEEE MY LITTLE GRAVEYARD BUDDY IM SO SORRY I DIDNT KNOW
ive unlocked some crazy zones also. why the hell was there a zone where i came from beginning of the game. howling wilds was it? howling cliffs? whatever. hey also im suspicious of all the unmapped areas that are high up. am i gonna get a skill to fucking fly straight up. why is the entirety of above dirttown unmapped. whats going on up there.
also i know theres something thats gonna explain what shades are but i wont lie thats not even on my radar rn im not gonna be able to guess it on my own theyre keeping it pretty well under wraps. i know im strange and i know im not the only one. the dreamers that first time kept talking abt how i "returned" and what i "wanted". so. yeah.
also my shade soul is literally an entry in the beastiary. so.
I FORGOR I UNLOCKED NEW MOVES. I NEVER REMEMBER TO USE THEM
i have fucking spin attack. i havent tried it once
uh also i made it to the roof of the world...? there was a pale ore there. snagged rhat
ive got some predictions abt whats gonna happen next. not wven predictions just potential guesses. 1) theres branching endings and im on badroute bc i killed dreamers OH YEAH WHY DID I SUCK THEM UP TOO? EW? WHY DID I EAT THEM. this is a sad ending ill just be sad and rhen immediately boot up for the good ending 2) im not yet on bad ending its not Great that i killed dreamers but it was all a fakeout to say sike ! u needed to break the stasis rhe kingdom was in bc this wasnt a sustainable solution. so the real decision comes later <- WISHFUL THINKING 3) this is the bad ending but also is there gonna be a twist where ghost and the soul are at odds ? no way right. thats too easy. maybe it is tho. hwy am i still gonna try to recapture the infection in myself that sucks 4) who the hell is the final boss. like i know ill fight the vessel but am i gonna have to fight my soul? the king? rhe queen? like what is up with that.
the random tidbits im learning abt npcs with dreamnail are ruining me. did u know map lady used to be a nail warrior like me. i do now. whimper. and shop fly has three kids. whimper
#HK
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po-pulari-tics · 1 year
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AO3 Hobbit Fic Writers,
Please do not tag your fics Hobbit Book and Hobbit Movie, unless it is a genuine blending.
This is not an elitism thing- they're simply different stories. Here are some examples just from Smaug to the Battle of the 5 Armies:
1. In the movie, they fight Smaug and...cover him in gold for some reason???
In the book, Bilbo is sent out alone multiple times. They never go themselves. The final time, his light goes out, and he gets so scared that he screams his head off. The dwarves decide, "certainly it is not the dragon, or he would not go on squeaking." They still wait, listening for dragon noises, before going to him.
Quite frankly, it is an incredible display of selfishness and cowardice, and completely opposite that movie scene. It emphasizes how they did not deal with Smaug at all, letting everyone else handle it for them.
2. In the movie, they say something about, "if the aim of men had been true that day..." This is not said in the book. The elven king is blamed for things, like refusing to help people, but there are no magic arrows in limited supply.
3. In the movie, they try to attack the dwarven fortress, but are surprised by the reinforcements. In the book, they don't. Thorin shoots an arrow into the shield of the negotiator. They reply:
"Since such is your answer, I declare the Mountain besieged. You shall not depart from it, until you call on your side for a truce and a parley. We will bear no weapons against you, but we leave you to your gold. You may eat that, if you will!"
Which is probably the most sensible and funny line in the whole damn book. Why attack a handful of people when you can just starve them out? (The reinforcements don't show up yet.)
4. The dwarves don't agree with Thorin in the movie. They do in the book, "except perhaps" Bomba and the twins.
4b. I think the ravens don't have much speeches in the movies? Correct me if I'm wrong. Book ravens are like, this is a bad, bad idea.
5. Bomba lets Bilbo out in the movie. He gets tricked in the book. He falls into deep sleeps more easily after what happened in Mirkwood. Bilbo feels really bad about this.
6. The movie dwarves look disapproving as Thorin orders them to hurt Bilbo, and make Thorin do his own dirty work. Book Thorin grabs Bilbo immediately and, "shook poor Bilbo like a rabbit." He curses Gandalf, and prepares to throw him to the rocks. Stuff happens, and he tells Bilbo to get down before he is thrown down.
It is only after all of this where Tolkien adds, "more than one of the dwarves in their hearts felt shame and pity at his going." They say nothing, even as Bilbo says his goodbyes and Thorin threatens to sting his feet with arrows.
7. There is simply more talk of logistics and more negotiation in the books. When Dain approaches, the Elven King says, "long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold...let us hope still for something that will bring reconciliation."
To be fair, Bard does want to attack. But he does not. The dwarves shoot first. All to emphasize the unreasonableness of the dwarves in the narrative, and to emphasize that the Elven King, while a miserly bastard who won't help dwarves starving in the forest, is a reasonable guy who won't unnecessarily attack, either.
But there is no true fighting. Darkness falls upon them, and Gandalf announces Bolg, son of Azog, is coming. Everyone immediately stops what they're doing to strategize.
"The Goblins were the foes of all, and at their coming all other quarrels were forgotten."
Fun fact- they came because they heard Smaug died. Once again, Thorin's little quest ruining so many lives. (I love him, I do, but...my dude. You have flaws. The narrative practically hits us over the head with it.)
Everyone runs to the mountain, scrambling for higher positions to shoot down from. A brave vanguard sacrifices themselves to buy time.
Compared to the movies, where they attacked each other and weren't even sure if they could fight together. And then the elves jumped over the shields instead of using archery first.
8. While we're here...wargs are "the evil wolves over the Edge of the Wild." So it says in chapter 6, out of the frying-pan and into the fire, page 146 of The Annotated Hobbit. Note 9 says, "Tolkien [wrote to a guy named Wolfe (lol)]...it is an old word for wolf, which also had the sense of an outlaw or hunted criminal. [...it] had a good sound for the meaning, as a name for this particular brand of demonic wolf in the story."
I'm not sure if he intended the movie look, but I like it. Movie wargs look cooler than the book wargs in my head.
9. So the battle is raging, and Book Thorin possibly didn't know until later? He was waiting for his reinforcements and there is no mention that anyone called him in between. The last message was when they tried to collect the tribute, and he shot at them. (Really don't blame them for noping out.) The book even says they had forgotten him.
So he has his hero move and he comes out of the gates swinging, when everyone is flagging. He takes down many goblins and calls everyone to his side. But the goblin horde is simply too much. Bilbo is observing all of this in misery. War ain't glamorous. His hope is raised when he spots the Eagles. He screams this, renewing everyone's hopes, and is targeted by the enemy. He is knocked out.
Of note- he slipped his ring on when the goblins first arrived, and stood near Gandalf and the Elven King the whole time. Gandalf was meditating at the end, possibly to do one final bit of magic.
I don't remember how this compares to the movie scene, but I don't think he spent the entire time invisible and in relative safety.
...
This is only a small example, based on my strongest movie memories. I did not mention Good Morning or Mirkwood or Beorn or... If I did a rewatch, this would be as long as the color of the sky post. As you can tell, they are completely different stories. Not better or worse, just different. Please tag accordingly.
PS: If you want to read The Hobbit but not with your eyes, there is an amazing audio book version by Andy Serkis.
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death-ward · 2 years
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I GOT TO PLAY DND TONIGHT THE SECRETS OUT OF THE BAG I CAN TALK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!
So the gang went back to Patchouli’s (grave clerics) home village in hopes of figuring out how to resolve the issue she has where demons are attached to her and chase her down eventually possessing those she cares about and either kills them or permanently posses them.
While there the villages ritual was starting which involves sacrificing someone to what is known as the “chasm” which is a pit full of demons and leads to another plane. The group saw what they assumed was the sacrifice fleeing from the temple and followed. Turned out it was Patchouli’s childhood friend. After chatting a bit, and running into Patchouli’s father the gang learned of Patchy’s curse and why.
Patchouli was still born and her father called upon a friend who belongs to a race of ancient undying wood elves to preform a ritual to bring her back. At the same time this was happening the sacrifice was happening as well. When two big magic rituals happen at the same time things can get a little funky. The demons latched onto Patchy and her father sacrificed himself. In turn the friend he called upon took up his form and lived his life as her father so no one in the village knew. This resulted in Patchouli being what’s known as a ‘deathless’ (reborn) 
The demons tried to spring a surprise attack on us and the realm we were in changed. The group split in random directions due to not being able to see and Road (bard) and Dori split off together. Due to an unfortunate dice roll from each of them they ended up deep within the plane in which the demons come from their souls hanging onto their bodies on the material plane by a thread. 
The two of them had moments of reliving parts of their past that hurt them most before through will power and perseverance were able to navigate their way back to each other. The two were then faced with the mother of all demons. No where to run or hide, the two marched forward towards is and then Liliths (Doris patron(?) arch devil of the 9th lvl of hell in homebrew) spoke to her and Road. She asked of their plan and Dori said they didn’t really have one and she as scared. Lilith explained that their souls were hanging by a thread and there was a chance that even with her help, there wasn’t a guarantee that they both would make it back. 
Dori started to offer up her body as a vessel whole and true for Lilith in exchange for safe passage back to the material plane for Road, in which Road absolutely shut down and after some back and forth Road decided that if anyone were to go back it’d be Dori and they were set on that. Dori still hoping that the two of them would make it out she agreed. Unfortunately again due to bad rolls from me a demon latched onto Dori’s leg and Road ended up sacrificing themselves to kick it off of her and take it down. Their soul and tie to the material plane severing in the process. 
At the same time this was happening their bodies had been transported to the sacrificial site next to the chasm their bodies ready to be thrown in. Patchouli and Groop (kobold barbarian) had made their way down there and Groop was actually mid run with Road’s body not knowing they were dead. Dori woke, eyes redder than normal as Liliths influence coursed through her with the mission to eradicate the demons. 
The fight that happened was sick ngl i made some big brain plays and im happy w that and i counter spelled the fuck out of this cult leader.
TLDR; Our bard passed and I am very sad and Dori now has survivors guilt. I cried for three days after the fact and sobbed on call when it happened and cried again tonight. 
Also my stats were so busted temporarily due to Lilith it was sick...took 2 lvls of exhaustion though after the fact due to a busted con save
If u read all of this ur a trooper i just needed to scream about it bc i have been sitting on this for two weeks due to people being out of town LMAWOEGIHAWOEGHI
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I need to share soft sign language buddies ninogami headcanon because they’re taking over my brain always:
(This got so long, so youre welcome if youre also starved for ninogami content)
Nino’s mom is Deaf , so he grew up signing as much as speaking. When he was younger he always signed as he talked.
It turned out he’s also Hard of Hearing, so sign language is way easier for him to understand most of the time.
However, though he’s great at making friends, he’s very awkward when it comes to talking about himself. So never comes up in conversation.
It’s not a self-deprication issue. It’s just a “thinking of things to say is hard and I’d rather have someone else do the talking” thing. He’d rather talk about anyone except himself.
Additionally! He’s great at helping other people, but he’s terrible at asking for help. He does not EVER want to be like “hey i cant understand what you’re saying, my ears dont work great,” its his worst nightmare
And it doesnt help that there have been a few cases of people being rude about it when he doesnt hear them after they repeat themselves. And possibly worse, there have been even more cases of people giving over-the-top apologies instead of just,, telling him what they said. So it’s not worth the trouble in his mind
with his few close friends who still dont know, it feels like its too late and it’d be awkward to bring it up, so he just… doesnt. He’s procrastinating on telling them he cant hear them
He stopped signing as much as he talked in middle school because strangers would always be like “woah thats so cool, how do you know sign language” and he’d just panic because he was an awkward tween, and he didnt know if he was comfortable telling them he was HoH, but ALSO just saying his mom was Deaf and not mentioning himself felt like directly lying by hiding information, so he just took the “lazy” way out and signed less in public.
Sometimes fighting the anxiety was not worth it so he just let it win in that case.
Nino is so nice and energetic and loves people, but he is way more introverted and anxious than his friends think.
But when they start to get closer, Kagami who is ever-observant, notices him signing a little bit, (not ever to her, not ever on purpose, but he’d sometimes sign a word he needed to remember while speaking or sign along to emphasize something)
and she luckily for his anxiety, she doesnt know how to have a normal conversation either.
Her (platonic as well as romantic) love language is studying and research, and Nino seems very cool and she likes him, even if she is awful at holding a conversation with him or doing anything to show it.
She thinks he’s so cool and such an amazing talented kind friend. She has so much love for him that she doesnt know what to do with it. So she channels that energy into learning to sign through the internet and whatever tools she can find
And then after a while of this, she’s like “oh no, he’s gonna think that’s so creepy, I cant tell him I know sign language or he’ll be so uncomfortable”
So, like a whole idiot, she hides that she’s learning sign language from anyone. Because OBVIOUSLY if word got back to Nino, he’d assume it was because of him and that she was a weirdo he shouldn’t be friends with
But also Kagami accidentally falls in love with sign language because she has undiagnosed autism. She always assumed that communicating was just going to be impossible no matter what, but as she gets proficient in sign language she’s like,,, oh,,, OH,, this is very nice
Even just signing while she talks makes it so much easier to keep words and sentances straight, but she only does it when she’s alone with her mother, who is literally blind and would never know.
They become closer friends in late high school, and by that time a lot of Nino’s anxiety has worn off and he’s become completely comfortable letting teachers know when he needs to hear somthing, and middle school feels like a distant dream
At some point, Nino invites Kagami to his house a few times, and he signs with his mom. Nino is like “I can interpret for you,” and Kagami is like “wow thanks, I’m so lucky, because I obviously do not know any sign language, why would I have learned it, and also for the record it is brand new information to me that you can sign,” and Nino is like “cool? Its not a secret but im glad i told you if you somehow didnt already know,” and Kagami is like, “yep :)”
But then eventually as they become really close, they are texting one night, (Kagami can still barely get out of her house, so they need to communicate remotely. And both of then HATE phone calls bc its so hard to understand whats happening, but neither of them have admitted this to anyone)
Nino admits that he likes using sign language better than talking, and he wishes he could use it with his friends, but he’d feel so guilty asking them to learn an entire language just to make him slightly more comfortable. He can talk and hear OKAY so he shouldnt put the pressure on them.
and Kagami is like “you could always ask, worst case scenerio they say no, and i dont think thats an unreasonable demand” and nino is like “it is though,” and kagami’s like “ok so haha funny story, please dont hate me” and nino is like, “…what.” And kagami confesses everything and nino is like “why… why would i hate you for that?” And Kagami is like “oh wait youre right im stupid,”
And then Nino’s also like “hey if YOURE more comfortable signing too, then why dont YOU ask your friends to sign for you. Do you see what i mean? It’s hard to ask-” and kagami is like, “as your friend i will prove it is not.”
So then Kagami ends up confronting Adrien and Marinette the next day and is like “Hi. This is a sign language dictionary. Learn from it.” And they’re both like “what?” And she’s like “oh wait sorry. Backing up. I’m autistic. I decided like three years ago. Forgot to tell you. And I need you to learn to sign a little bit so you can understand if i sign something at you. If you want, of course. Please :D.” And theyre like “ok sure yeah i can do that.”
(Theyve already learned and accepted that shes extremely direct in asking for things)
So then she texts nino and is like “i did it. Youre welcome.”
But anyway both of them are uncomfortable in crowds and parties: Nino cant hear anyone and Kagami tends to get sensory overload, so they start signing mostly in those situations, and then it starts to sink in that they’re allowed to sign whenever and that the other really IS also comfortable with it.
(Both of them are much more willing to make sacrifices for others than to try something new and intimidating for themself, so this is the perfect situation to trick them into getting out of their comfort zone, ironically by trying to be more comfortable in the long run)
so they will just sit together and hang out and have long conversations while just chilling somewhere in a park or at cafes or whatever. Both of them become chattier than they’ve ever been because talking and understanding is so much easier, and its addicting
And their close friends all become proficient enough in sign language to have simple conversations.
But also Nino and Kagami start sitting together automatically even in group hangouts, and they start hanging out more with just the two of them, and soon neither of them feel bad about asking to hang out in quieter places, because they can justify it knowing that it will also help the other one, and together that makes both of them also more comfortable asking for little accomodations from other friends, if only to prove to the other that they can do it too.
And Kagami has the lesser-known autism side effect where she makes WAY TOO MUCH eye contact. She’s aware of it but that doesnt make it go away. Normally she feels so awkward about it, and overthinks her gaze because she doesnt want to scare people away. But when signing, you literally HAVE to be watching the other person constantly, so she has an excuse to just be herself, and its so relieving
(and also its kind of fun to look at Nino anyway because he can get so animated and his smile is really nice and oh no she is in love a little bit)
And Nino always struggles because he emotionally ALWAYS needs to be the nice polite one. His anxiety sometimes gets the better of him and he’s constantly worried about sending the wrong signals to his friends and coming off as rude somehow. But with Kagami, he can literally just ask?? And she will tell him her honest opinion without making it weird. And its so comfy and so good and he really loves hearing her unfiltered opinions on so many things because she sees the world in such a unique way and she gets so passionate about such little things and then oh no, he is fallen for her before he can realize it
And they also learn that they’re both artists, they both love to just observe the world because even if they;re awkward, people are actually pretty great most of the time, and its fun to observe them and try to capture the world, and they just sit together and sketch, or they watch each other sketch, and the thing is, both of them draw ONLY FOR THEMSELVES, its not a ‘skill,’ and they don;t want it to be, its just private art for relaxation. Somehow, though, its okay if they share their art with each other. They can just sit in comfortable silence for hours while one of them sketches something and the other watches patiently
And they start to get more comfortable with one of their heads resting on the other’s shoulder as they watch them doodle, and sitting so close their legs press together, and soon enough their hands start brushing against each other’s as they walk next to each other and then all of a sudden they’re casually holding hands whenever they’re not signing because it’s nice
They try to share headphones so Nino can share some of his favorite songs and his compositions with Kagami. But try as she might, Kagami can not handle the sensory of only having one earbud in. Nino knows her tells by that point, and he’s not about to let her suffer for a stupid reason, but she REALLY does want to hear his music. They somehow end up with Kagami putting a pair of headphones around her neck and turning up the volume a little bit so she can hear, while Nino rests his head on her shoulder so he can hear just enough to know where she is in the song
And then he has to sit up and scootch away just enough to see her hands so they can talk about it, and they both pretend not to notice how nice it was to snuggle as they sign. Its fine, though, because now they get the excuse to just look at each other again and sign overdramatically with exaggerated facial expressions, and no one else around can overhear their conversation, and Nino likes to go a little over the top when signing onomatopoeia and acting out particular parts of the song rhythm that he likes, and Kagami laughs, and they both mentally save the image of each other in this moment the same way that they look at reference images for artwork, memorizing the lines of each movement and the things that make each smile unique,
and Nino also shows up at every single one of her fencing tournaments, and he sits as close as he can and signs encouraging messages to her from the crowd whenever she’s not actively competing, (that her blind mom can never catch, which is somewhat of a bonus to Kagami, because every element of their friendship that her mother cant interact with makes this more personal and special and HERS). Every little sign she sends back at him, even a simple thank you, always feels so good and rebellious and free because shes supposed to be focusing on fencing but shes deciding to care more about friendship. And even if she’s expected to leave immediately afterword, she’ll find every excuse possible to find him and give him a hug, which he’ll always accept even though she jokingly warns him shes sweaty and gross
And eventually they are special best friends and it brings them instant joy to see each other and theyre able to interact for no reason other than that they want to and like each other
(And then they kiss)
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whentheynameyoujoy · 4 years
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Yup, Sure Was a Finale
I had an epiphany. The reason why I never re-watched the final two parts of Sozin’s Comet even though I’ve popped in episodes at random many times over the years isn’t that I can’t bear the sadness of seeing one of the best, most engaging narratives out there come to an end.
It’s simply that the finale isn’t all that good.
Some honorable mentions of what was enjoyable.
(+) This
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Just this.
(+) The Church of Zutara has another convert
“Are you sure they don’t get together?” Hubster, 2020
(+) The tragedy of Azula
And the fact that it’s acknowledged as such. I hope Zuko will do his best to get her help and have a relationship with her…
(+) Sokka being a big bro
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And the whole airship sequence in general. It’s wonderfully paced and plotted, with moments of humor, real stakes, Toph being both badass and a scared crying kid, Sokka strategizing and protecting, Suki saving the day, and non-benders being instrumental in thwarting the bad guy firebender’s plans. Would be shame if Bryke never portrayed them this capable ever again…
And now for the main course.
(-) Blink and its over
The wrap-up feels too quick (hashtag Needs More ROtK-style False Endings). A part of this is due to how fast the story goes from the thick of the action to hastily tying up a bunch of loose ends, but the larger issue is how Book 3’s uneven pacing comes home to roost. After spending half a season on filler episodes that at best subtly flesh out established characters while dancing around a huge lionturtle-shaped hole, and at worst contradict the theme of “no one is born bad” with “you’re a hot mess because your great-grandfathers didn’t get along too well”, the frantic “go go go” rush of the second half screeches to a halt with “they won and everyone was happy because now the right people have power and it will be all good from now on yup nothing more to deal with baiiiii”.
Yes, I know, it’s a kids’ show. But goddamn, this particular kids’ show has proven so many times it can do better than the expected tropiness. Showing the characters in their roles as builders of a new world was the least that could have been done.
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Oh well!
(-) Ursa
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We’ll never know. There will never be a story that delves into this. Yup. Shall forever remain but an intriguing mystery. Is good, though. Mystery is better than a story where Ursa shares her son’s penchant for forgetfulness. Imagine how embarrassing that would be. Speaking of which…
(-) What does Mai see in this jerkbender?
Look, I like to harp a lot on the mess of inconsistent writing that’s Mai but let’s unpack this scene from her perspective, shall we?
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Zuko forgot about her! It totally slipped his mind that the one person who prioritized the safety of his dumb ass was rotting in the worst prison in the Fire Nation—because of him! And she was rotting there long enough after the final Agni Kai for the news of Zuko’s upcoming coronation to spread and her uncle to feel sufficiently secure to release her. But then the coronation scene is attended by every single member of Gaang & Friends that was imprisoned?
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So what this tells me is that either a) the invasion force had the ability to break themselves out the whole time and for some reason decided not to exercise it until after the war was over, b) Zuko forgot about them as well and no one thought to remind him there were prisons full of POWs until Mai arrived, or, and that’s even better, c) Zuko took care to free every single resistance fighter while making sure Mai would be the one to stay behind bars.
Never thought I’d say this but Mai? Honey? You deserve so much better.
(-) “What does Katara want?”
Asked no one in the writers’ room ever, apparently.
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This is not so much anti Cataang as anti romance stories that pay attention to the needs, opinions, and wants of only one partner in general. Over the previous 60 episodes, Katara actively expressed romantic interest in Aang exactly, wait for it,
Once.
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And it got retconned out of relevance by the following two interactions where the possibility of a romantic relationship came up, making the Headband dance pretty easy to reclassify as just one of those examples where Aang “teaches” Katara to have fun (as if one of the main obstacles to her having fun wasn’t him constantly fooling around and offloading his duties). And because the writers not only didn’t succeed in portraying Katara’s internal state of mind, but also failed to root her reluctance to pursue a relationship in outside circumstances that could change, her sudden state of unconfused once Aang steps into the spotlight has a single canonical explanation that as much as approaches coherency.
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The fact is, though, that trying to interpret canon Cataang from a Watsonian perspective is an exercise in foolishness. Because there is no Watsonian justification for the ship and never has been. Bryke simply conceived of Katara as nothing but a tropey prize for Aang, never saw her as anything beyond that, and were perfectly happy to go on and immortalize her as a passive broodmare for the rest of her life.
And I fully intend to die mad about it.
(-) Iroh dips
OK, it’s been long apparent that the show doesn’t intend to do anything about Iroh’s complicity in AzulOzai’s regime in any meaningful way, and that his sole motivation for doing anything whatsoever is Zuko whom he views as a replacement son which is supposed to be good for some reason. But the finale has him abandon even that, and instead turns him full-on YOLO, idgaf anymore. It really throws Iroh’s supposed love for Zuko into doubt when his last act in the entire show is to take a half-educated 16-year old with no political savvy or an heir to secure a dynastic continuity and plomp him on the throne of a war-mongering imperialist regime where the entirety of the militarist and ruling class is guaranteed to fight him tooth and nail for power.
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(I sure hope Mai’s ready to start popping out babies by tea-time otherwise the whole country is fukd in about a week)
Christ, how hard would it be to have Iroh keep the throne warm for a few years while Zuko is getting ready to succeed him? Not only would it make the whole FN reformation bit quite likelier to occur, it would require Iroh’s hedonistic ass to actually sacrifice something for once. And not having Zuko ascend to power, instead spending some time bettering and educating himself first, would be a wonderful message that no matter what you endured and overcame, you never stop growing. A kids’ show, remember?
(-) The conquering of Ba Sing Se
Gee, I feel so blessed to have my attention diverted from battlefields which actually matter to an old dude vanity project I would have been perfectly happy to assume resolved itself off-screen.
The White Lotus in general just bugs me. I was fine with the individual characters and their overall passivity when they were portrayed as lone dissenters living under circumstances where it wasn’t really possible for any single person to mount a meaningful resistance. But as members of a far-reaching shadowy organization that’s left the real fight to a bunch of kids for 59 episodes straight and didn’t turn up until a perfect opportunity presented itself to take control of the largest city in the world and bask in the spotlight?
Yeah, no.
Similarly to the lionturtle-ex-machina, the White Lotus represents a huge missed opportunity for a season-long storytelling. Here’s just a brief list of what they could have been doing throughout Book 3:
orchestrating a Fire Nation uprising;
gathering those directly persecuted by AzulOzai’s regime to help Zuko keep his hold on power once he’s crowned;
establishing themselves as a viable alternative to Ozai;
sabotaging Fire Nation’s war efforts from the inside;
countering Fire Nation propaganda (Asha Greyjoy’s pinecones, anyone?);
running a supply network to alleviate the suffering of Earth Kingdom citizens.
Instead, they sit on their asses until the time comes to claim personal glory.
You know what, good on Bryke for making me conclude that in comparison, the Freedom Fighters were perfectly unproblematic, actually.
(-) Fire Lord Dead-by-Dawn
Yes, a kids’ show, I know! But ffs, this is the same kids’ show that came up with Long Feng and portrayed courtly intrigue, kingly puppets, secret police, spy networks, and information wars. Was it really too much of me to expect something other than “enlightened despot solves everything”? Especially if said enlightened despot has persisting anger issues, no personal support system, no base of followers, and no political experience whatsoever?
If Zuko’s actually serious about regaining the Fire Nation’s honor (i.e. by dismantling the country’s military machine, decolonizing the Earth Kingdom, paying reparations to everyone and their lemur, and funding any and all cultural restoration projects Aang and the SWT come up with), then there is no way, no way in the universe that he doesn’t face a civil war, deposing, and execution within a month.
One reason why his future as a Fire Lord seems rather bleak is that little’s been shown about the actual subjects of AzulOzai’s regime. While we get a vague reassurance that “no Toph, they’re not born bad” (le shockings), they largely remain a voiceless uniform mass of brainwashed clapping seals. What is their view on the Fire Nation’s crimes? Do they associate their condition with their country’s war-mongering? How will they react when Zuko starts dismantling the country piece by piece to rebuild it, bringing it to economic ruin? What will they do when noble Ozai loyalists come out of the woodwork and begin rounding them up under the banner of “Make the Fire Nation Great Again?”
I have no idea, and Zuko doesn’t either because he’s unironically more qualified to rule the Earth Kingdom than his own people.
You know what would have been better? Fire Lord Iroh, White Lotus pulling the strings to maintain the regime, and Crown Prince/People’s Champion Zuko travelling the Fire Nation with Aang and an army of tutors to promote the new boss, only to realize that absolute monarchy is kinda crap for the people he’s one day supposed to rule and gaining their support by ceding some power to them.
I’d laser holes into my TV due to how much I’d enjoy watching that.
(-) All hail Avatar Rock
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Literally and metaphorically. Aang doesn’t sacrifice anything, gets everything, and the clever solution of going about getting said everything is handed to him on a silver platter, requiring no active participation on his part whatsoever.
He doesn’t work to unblock his chakras, spiritually or physically.
He only speaks to his past lives to get a pat on the back and a bow-tied solution he could mindlessly follow.
Energy-bending doesn’t require any sacrifice from him, leaves no lasting marks, and only serves for the narrative to praise him as the rare individual that’s unbendable and thus so very very special.
The most infuriating thing is, however, that Aang is clearly shown as being able to beat Ozai without either the Avatar state, or energy-bending.
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And he chooses not to. From this moment on, Aang no longer fights to save the world. He fights to preserve his beliefs, going directly against the instructions of his past lives and effectively reneging on his duties as the Avatar.
Again.
It’s not like you can’t portray Aang’s faithfulness to his spiritual beliefs as the key to beating Ozai and saving the world. But that’s not what the show did. There is no link between Aang sparing Ozai and securing a better future, quite to the contrary—Ozai’s survival ends up being a massive problem for the continuation of Zuko’s rule, and consequently a threat to the world at large. His survival benefits Aang and no one else.
Aang’s spiritual purity and his status as a savior of the world are allowed to coexist only due to a deliberate stroke of a writer’s pen.
And I hate it.
Welp, nothing to do about it now except to bury myself up to my tits in fix-it fics I guess.
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Bookends
(This story was originally written for and published in the DeanCas Anthology back in 2018. )
Word Count: 2223 Rating: General ao3 link
Cas pulls as close to the door as he can, checking the rearview mirror to make sure he isn’t blocking traffic as he waits for Dean to get out of the car. Before heading inside, Dean ducks his head back in to smile at him. “I’ll get us some coffee.”
Instead of driving away, Cas stays there, watching until Dean pulls open the diner door. Leaning heavily on his cane, he shuffles more than walks, his bow-legged gait made stiff by the arthritis that wracks his joints. Cas waits until he’s safely inside, then pulls past the open handicapped space Dean stubbornly refuses to use, and finds an empty parking spot.
Cas’s car is boxy and utilitarian, and Dean often proclaims that he wouldn’t be caught dead behind the wheel of something so ugly. Cas plays along because giving up driving had been Dean’s toughest concession to age, but as his vision deteriorated and his reflexes slowed, it had become an unavoidable sacrifice. With replacement parts for the Impala harder and harder to come by, Dean had finally agreed to keep her stored safely away in their garage. Cas knew it pained him to see her shrouded under a tarp, her motor idle and useless, but Dean would rather enshrine her in pristine condition than risk one more run-in with a light pole or curb.
With his ugly car parked, Cas crosses the lot to join Dean inside. While he’s aged as well, aged to the point that nobody questions the two of them together, he’s been spared many of the maladies that Dean’s combat-wrecked body has endured, and he moves with relative ease. The best they can figure is that the grace he’d had on and off over the years left his body with a certain resilience to the passage of time. Cas can’t cure Dean as he once could, can’t ease the aches or slow the aging process, but he can use his own comparatively good health and mobility to take care of him.
Inside, Cas navigates past the hostess stand to find Dean at their usual booth, chatting with their usual waitress. The two of them go to this diner religiously each Sunday morning, where the pews are scuffed burgundy vinyl booths and the altar is the breakfast buffet with the generous senior discount. As always, Dean has maneuvered himself across the bench seat to make room for Cas to sit beside him. His cane rests against the wall in easy reach, the simple carved wooden handle belying the fact that the base unscrews to reveal a bayonet-like tip. It’s never been wielded as a weapon (although Dean uses it, still sheathed, to poke at aggressive pigeons who muscle in around their favorite park bench), but that potential made it “badass” enough to overcome Dean’s resistance to using it.
To Sam’s everlasting chagrin, Dean has kept all of his hair, and it’s turned a stunning silver. The crinkles around his eyes have deepened, meeting the roadmap of lines that cross his face. His shoulders are stooped, his joints are stiff, and Cas thinks he’s never been more beautiful. After so many seemingly certain ends, so many years assuming Dean would die young and bloodied, the fact that he’s living out a full, lengthy life is an unparallelled blessing. Cas marvels at the gift of days that have unfolded into decades, granting them time he never dreamed they’d have together here on earth.
As Cas settles into the booth, he smiles and greets their waitress.
“Two for the buffet?” she confirms as she pours their coffee. Cas doesn’t even have to check to know that she’ll leave Dean’s at a little more than half-full so he can lift it without the tremor in his hands sloshing it over the brim.
They drink their coffee quietly, simply enjoying the ritual of being here. Dean peers at the laminated card that lists the specials, even though he never orders off the menu.
“Shall I?” When Dean nods, Cas gets to his feet. “Any requests?”
“You know what I like,” Dean says, leaning over to swat at Cas’s butt.
Picking up two plates from the warmer, Cas slides them along the metal counter, filling them in tandem as he traverses the buffet. Pancakes are too difficult for Dean to get on a fork, but the crisp waffles are good. Bacon he can pick up and eat, and Cas uses the tongs to place precisely two strips on his plate. If Dean wants more, he can get up and get it himself.
Dean can argue with Cas’s choices, but they’d had a hell of a scare a few years back. Cas will never forget the look on Dean’s face when their phone rang in the middle of the night, alerting them that Sam had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance. They’d rushed there themselves, Cas driving in silence, knowing that nothing short of seeing Sam with his own two eyes could reassure Dean. Thankfully, it had been a mild heart attack and, after spending a few days in the hospital, the discharge plan called for cardiac rehab and an appointment with a nutritionist. With Sam’s release imminent, Dean had relaxed enough to crow at the irony. “Don’t either of you try to tell me what to eat ever again. Mr. Organic Produce is the one lying in the hospital bed while my pork-rind-fueled ticker is going strong.”
Still pale, Sam’s brow furrowed with resignation. “I’m beginning to think you can’t die.”
Dean jabbed a finger in his direction. “You don’t get to go first. We have a deal.”
“Yes, sir.” Sam lifted the hand without the IV in a mock salute.
“That’s more like it,” Dean said. “Speaking of which, I need a snack.”
Cas helped him up and they walked to the elevator that would take them to the cafeteria. As they waited for it to arrive, Dean pulled Cas into a hug. Cas left a hand on his shoulder when they stepped apart again. “All right?”
Dean nodded, his green eyes shining with tears. “I’m glad you’re here.” Cas started to respond, to remind him that there was nowhere else he would be, but Dean cut him off. “I know you know. But I wanted to say it anyhow.”
Cas noticed a change after that. Dean was still the same stubborn mule Cas had fallen in love with, but he gradually became more willing to let Cas help. And somehow, Cas loved him even more for it. He loved seeing the slow-blossoming acceptance that came when Dean stopped seeing Cas’s help as a sign of weakness.
Now, standing in front of the steaming trays of food, Cas considers what else to add to their plates. He bypasses the cauldron of oatmeal (they eat that at home most mornings) and continues along the buffet. There’s a tremendous satisfaction in being allowed to care for this man who has done so much for so many and asked for so little in return. In fact, Dean has now embraced this new role so fully—no longer questioning what he deserves, or grudgingly accepting help, but full-on enjoyment of being doted on—that Cas has to be careful he doesn’t get lazy. There’s nothing Cas would rather do than settle Dean in front of a sunny window, snug in the recliner for Cas to wait on like a pampered cat, but he knows that sort of inactivity would do Dean’s joints and his heart no favors. So he watches Dean’s diet and insists on them taking slow walks after breakfast when his energy is highest.
Their neighborhood is a mix of young and old and everyone knows the two Mr. Winchesters who circle the block on days when the weather permits. The kids on bikes and scooters know to give them a wide berth, their parents warning them that the old men need the entire sidewalk, but they call out their hellos as they go by. They’re friendly with everyone except the woman who lives on the corner. Dean is convinced she’s a demon, but Cas suspects his distrust of her stems more from the fact that she seems immune to his charm. (Whatever the reason, he’s had to talk Dean out of chalking a devil’s trap inside her mailbox more than once.) They chat with their neighbors about the weather and the score of last night’s ballgame, and it’s so painfully normal that Cas sometimes feels his throat tighten up at the wonder of it all.
When Cas returns to their booth, Dean examines his plate. “They outta bacon?”
Cas cuts the waffle into manageable pieces and peels the wrapper from the muffin before sliding Dean’s plate over. “You know the deal.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dean says. “You just like to look at my ass when I get up.”
They eat in congenial silence with Dean methodically working his way around his plate, eating everything heartily, even the fruit. Sitting next to him, Cas can easily scoop up any bites that miss his mouth, plucking them from Dean’s lap or his shirt.
“You two good?” The waitress asks when she comes to refill their coffees. “Need anything?”
Dean swallows the bite of muffin he’s working on, and rests his hand on top of Cas’s. “I’ve got everything I need right here. An actual angel, this one.”
She nods agreeably. “I can almost see his halo.”
Cas has learned that an old man can say just about anything and receive an indulgent smile in return. When Dean references angels or demons or the apocalypse, people assume he’s speaking in metaphor and they’ll nod pleasantly. Sometimes he’ll do it purely for effect, telling rambling tales from their past for the sheer enjoyment of being able to speak openly. He can’t always keep the details straight, but Cas is there to remind him. Some days, though, he seems to lose where he is in time, and there’s nothing Cas can do for that. Cas has taken to keeping a watchful eye on him in the late afternoons when he likes to doze on the couch with their one-eyed black cat curled up on his chest. Cas stays close in case he wakes from his nap agitated, calling for Cas, wanting to know where Sam is. Cas helps him to sit up as the cat springs down and scurries away.
“Don’t go,” he says again and again, and Cas takes him in his arms, assuring Dean that he’s here and reminding him that Sam is safe at his own home. He holds him until Dean shakily dismisses it all as just a bad dream.
The unfairness of it overwhelms Cas, and each time he’s left filled with wrath. These final years should be spent in well-earned peace, but instead Dean seems cursed with reliving his most frightening memories, traumatized anew by old, familiar fears. If Dean’s mind is destined to slip, why can’t it be toward blissful forgetting? What Dean has endured goes beyond what any human should; to ask him to bear it again is nothing short of cruel. But it’s a torture chamber created in his own mind, and all Cas can do is sit helplessly by, doing his best to ground Dean and bring him back to the present.
Cas looks at Dean’s empty plate. “Did you want to get some more?”
“Nah.” He’s full and happy and it’s time for their walk.
The waitress arrives to clear their plates. As he does every week, Dean asks if she needs to see his ID for the senior discount. As she does every week, she pretends to consider it before leaving the check. “You boys take your time.”
“Tip her well,” Dean says, leaning in to supervise Cas as he signs the bill.
“I always do,” Cas assures him.
When they’re ready to leave, Cas stands next to the banquette, waiting for Dean to retrieve his cane and slide himself to the edge. Using a combination of the cane and Cas’s extended arm, Dean hoists himself upright, groaning a little. Cas keeps a firm hold on him until he’s steady on his feet. Dean still dresses in layers, but these days it’s because he gets chilled easily. He favors heavy knit cardigans and as long as Cas gets the zipper started for him he can tug it up or down as needed. Cas checks him for crumbs then together they walk through the other tables crowded with families. They continue by the hostess station where a woman is wiping down menus. “See you next week,” she calls as they pass.
Cas steps forward to push open the door, and stands holding it. “Watch your step,” he says as he always does, pointing toward the raised metal threshold of the doorway.
Using his cane to steady himself, Dean shuffles his way over it, then stops to lay his hand on Cas’s cheek. His knuckles are gnarled, the skin of his palm is dry and warm, and Cas feels the same flare of awe go through him as he has since the moment he first found this glorious soul in the depths of hell.
“I am the luckiest man who has ever lived,” Dean says.
Cas kisses his palm, then takes his arm to help him on his way.
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phantomphangphucker · 3 years
Text
Phic Phight: If Only You Had Compassion
Prompt Creator: @summerssixecho
The bad blood between humans and ghosts was going to come to a head eventually, and when it did everyone was going to get hurt.
Danny sighs, runs a hand through his hair, and leans back against the wall; staring at the news disbelievingly.
They had lost.
Lost the entire goddamn case. Because the American government had officially decided: Ghosts were not sentient. Ghosts were not beings. Ghosts did not have rights. And ghosts were a threat to the country. Meaning any and all instances of ghosts and anything -excluding weapons or other items used to combat, control, or harm ghosts- were illegal to exist, possess, or help.
Danny, they, had gone about this the human way. Had been respectful. And nice. And friendly. And it didn’t fucking work. They extended a hand and got fucking bit.
And of course, anyone who had been fighting for ghosts and their rights and safety were the first ones to come under fire and scrutiny. And with nearly all of Amity Park being on that list, it was no surprise the G.I.W. were coming here and banging on doors at record speed.
What’s worse? Danny had been the loudest voice. Of course he had. He had to be. He was fighting for his own goddamn rights after all; not that the government or his family knew that. But it wasn’t just that. No.
Danny Phantom was King. THE High King. This was something he had to deal with, had to handle. And well... the cards hadn’t landed in his favour. In their favour.
But that wasn’t the end of it, because on top of it, his parents couldn’t understand what he was doing, to the point that Danny had to just get out of that house.
Technically he was homeless now, but well, being a ghost rather negated that. He had a whole dimension if need be and could get by just goddamn fine on the streets.
In the end, Danny had lost pretty well all his respect and love for his parents. They had become the enemy too and he just couldn’t afford room to old sentimentality and dwelling on ‘what could have been’ if they had been better people and parents.
At least Danny had listened to his gut and firmly ordered all the ghosts back into the Infinite Realm. He didn’t have to worry about any full ghosts getting captured, tortured, dissected, and destroyed.
Elle was safely with the residents of the Far Frozen too, so no worries there.
And Vlad... Vlad could look after himself. Last he heard the man fully intended to blow up his entire mansion and lab should the case fall through, purely to stop the G.I.W. from getting their hands on anything. Money only went so far in protecting yourself and your assets after all. Danny didn’t doubt the man’s willingness to do it either.
So that just left Danny. The one who was really the most at risk. He was damn near the face of the case, of the campaign. He was a minor still, limiting his rights even further. His ‘parents’ were hunters, hunters that idolised the G.I.W. and worked with them gladly and eagerly.
And he was a true halfa. Exactly half and half. He couldn’t even hide himself from the Fenton’s janky scanners, hiding wasn’t an option.
But then again, hiding had never even been an option for him. Hiding wasn’t Phantom’s thing, wasn’t the Kings thing. For now though? He lays low. He watches. And he waits. Waits for the Observants to finally back him proper. For FrightKnight to rally and ready. And finally for ClockWork to give him that melancholic face that says there is no other option.
Because Danny played this like a human. Because Danny gave humanity a chance. Because Danny wanted to have faith in people. Because Danny had hoped his goddamn half-beating heart out.
Because Danny was scared. Because he was still a kid. Because he shouldn’t have to pick one or the other. Because he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.
Well now there wasn’t much of a choice. He picked ghosts the day he took that crown. The day he agreed to apprentice under ClockWork instead of the Fenton’s. The day Danny Fenton became just a fabricated mask for Danny Phantom to hide behind.
And now everyone was going to have to play their part. Fulfil their role. Dance out repeating history on the world’s stage. Everyone was going to have to pay a price.
Because when you take away someone’s rights in your own eyes, then they take away yours in theirs.
Because when the government decides someone doesn’t get to exist, and then every other government falls in line because the military powerhouse that is America has decided, then that someone is going to thrash and bite and scream to get to exist.
That’s how its always been.
Survival of the fittest.
And humans? Humans weren’t the fittest by miles.
Because humanity had been given coexistence on a paper. Had been given peace on a paper. And had drawn weapons and scalpels and hate instead.
And for that, this means war.
And not just a skirmish or dispute. No. An all-out bloody war. A massive war. A war beyond anyone’s wildest imaginations or worst dreams.
Because what humanity didn’t know is there were laws that existed. Laws that already governed dead and mortal interaction and travel between the realms. The Oaths and Seals. Older than most of the Ancients and predating nearly all mortal life in the universe.
And one of those Seals states simply that any being of death or life could traverse between Realms freely without harm, threat, or unwilling containment from ruling bodies or any species as a whole.
To say ghosts couldn't exist here. It was such a direct blatant violation. There was no way around that. There really wasn’t. If it wasn’t acted on then it could be overlooked as someone making stupid laws and ignored. But that just wasn’t the case. Wouldn’t be. In that sense it was both blessing and curse that Amity would be targeted first. He had a chance to stop them. To hedge them at the gates.
To cut the Gordian knot.
To meet them at the doors to his lair and tell them what awaited them should they choose to pass. Should they choose to continue a damned and forsaken path.
It would mean revealing himself. Would mean ending the lies and double life. It would mean definitively and finally choosing a side. Choosing ghosts. But it was what had to be.
And if they choose to cross him?
Then it’s game over.
Because Amity was Phantom’s lair. The High Ghost Kings land. His people. His subjects. His. It would be treason. Would be a crime against the High Crown. Against not only the Seals but the Kings Decrees and the Law Of Ages as well. There would be no going back.
The punishment was death. Was absolute subjugation. Was the end of humanity's reign upon the earth.
Because in the eyes of the universe, humanity would have forfeited the right to stand as equals to the dead. They would become lesser and treated as such. Any human who refused to kneel and bow to the Infinite Realm, to him, would be summarily cut down and disposed of.
He didn’t want this. He truly didn’t.
But it wasn’t his choice to make.
It was humanities. The G.I.W.’s.
Danny had very little faith.
But at least he could try. He was a determined bastard to a fault. Even when he should probably give up. When it was probably a lost cause.
This was hopeless now. He knew it. But he had to try and when that failed... then he’ll fight. He’ll fight with a frown and tears screaming down his face. But he’ll damn well fight.
Because that’s who he is. What he is. Because if he doesn’t do this for the ghosts then he’ll do it for the humans he protects.
For Sam and Tucker, both nearly halfas themselves due to UnderGrowth and a past life lived.
For Star, Paulina, Dale, Brittney, Kwan, Ashley, Emilie, Todd, James, Dash, Mikey, Nathan, Rosalia, Jasper, and Carrie, so horribly contaminated by Spectra’s and Bertrand’s experiments.
For Jazz, who’s opinions and field of study made her a ‘threat to humanity’ all the same.
For Valerie, who’s nanobot suit ran on ectoplasm that she could never be separated from without her death.
For Lancer, and Trent, and Remi, and Testlauf, and Ishiyama, who all just knew too much.
For every citizen of his home, his lair. Because the G.I.W. would wipe them all out.
Because he was King.
It does not matter how a king cries nor mourns nor wishes things could be different. Because a king sees his people free before he grasps his own. Because a king knows his people safe before he dares relax. Because a king does not belong to himself but to the people he rules. Because they are the kings children dear and he must see them well. Because it is his duty to do what they can not and pay every price. Because a king can never fall unjustly. Because he is their hopes and dreams.
And though he cries and begs and weeps, his blade hand must stay steady and his sword must strike swift without mercy. Even if he wants to run, every friend and family dear he must be willing to sacrifice if the need arises. Even if that leaves him alone and in pain.
Because that is the cost of the crown.
And now Danny has to pay his dues.
Has to see himself a conqueror to the human world he once protected with everything in him.
He doesn’t want this but this is what the world has given him and he must walk with it.
Into a future that may be filled with hurt and pain. That’ll make him hate every breath he takes or the things he’s seen. Or maybe something beautiful will grow from the ashes. One can only hope.
He sighs and stands. What must be, must be. Running a messy hand through his hair and shaking a spray can. He may as well tag the place where he found things changed before he goes.
Goes to wait on the road.
Wait for the men in white suits to make their arrival.
Wait for the end result of the pain the mortal government chose to wrought.
Wait for Danny Fenton’s ending.
The spray cans psssshh is oddly loud. It hurts his ears.
The FrightKnight meets him outside the alleyway. He nods and Danny nods back. It is done. His army awaits him.
He wishes it didn’t.
He knows the humans have armies of their own. Awaiting retaliation or strike back perhaps. But those armies won’t see war. They won’t do battle or struggle to win. This won’t be two forces meeting to oppose each other. No. It will be more akin to an exterminator coming in with his toxic fumes and spraying down annihilation.
The Dread Army stood four billion strong.
That wasn’t a force humanity could face.
And the Dread were truly non-sentient. Casualties on their side was not of issue or concern. And should humanity somehow persevere and fight back. Then there would be so many more ghostly armies ready and waiting for his regretful and pain-filled command.
He senses the pulse from the Observants, sent out through the Infinite Realm’s ectoplasm and across the threshold of life and death.
They approve. And inside, he weeps.
He traces his fingers on the bricks, walls, and trash cans. Everyone is tucked inside. They know what’s coming as much as he does, just not what comes after. They see this as their end. Danny does too, but for different reasons.
He knows Sam, Tucker, Valerie, and Jazz are all hovering over the extractions waiting for his signal. Waiting to pull his lair into the Infinite Realm. Waiting to save them and leave him behind.
Amity will always be home. But it just won’t be the same. Not for him. He won’t be able to just be another citizen in their eyes or to them anymore. And his friends, they’ll have to look at him knowing that he’s was ultimately directly responsible for the demise of at least thirty percent of humanity.
And he’ll have to get used to that being reflected back at him in the mirror. And refusing to look at all was a weakness he couldn’t allow himself to have.
Stopping at the fountain, its waters reflecting gears and cogs and swaying necks of clocks. As it always had since everything began. As if the water was counting down to the end itself. Only Danny knew that was more fact than fiction.
Water flows like time after all. And no matter what it must continue on. For the sake of life. For the sake of growth. For the sake of time itself continuing on. For the sake of everything.
Danny sits on the edge and it is not his own reflection that greets him, a small mercy, but ClockWork’s.
They look old and tired and worn. Aged by the faults of humanity's actions and inactions. Aged by the weathering storm that is change and its cruelties. But above all else, aged by what they know must be and what they must ask of him.
All is as it should be.
And isn’t that an awful thing.
Danny can only look to the sky tinted faintly green and nod, carrying on his way. Changing everything with every step he takes. Aching more with each breath he takes. And becoming more king than hero with every inch the city limit grows closer.
A hero can fall and rise a king.
But is still a fall all the same.
Because a king does not do what is right. He does not do what is good. What is just. What is kind. He does what he must. Decides what is best.
Humanity decided what was best and lost the bet. They gambled against death.
But death...
Death always wins in the end.
It’s the house we all must rest on. It is the debt collector at the end of every tax season. It is our last breath or a snap of the neck at the end of the noose of our own creation. It is the bullet in the gun that we forged ourselves. It is the black screen left after the credits roll, only ghosts going home.
It was always going to be this way.
What will his ‘parents’ do. Will they die. Will they live. Will they force their way back to the mortal world and seek to strike him down. Will the town or ghosts see them hanged as an example. Will they accept reality and learn. He doesn’t know. In a way he doesn’t want to.
Regardless the town’s edge approaches and he finds himself standing on the precipice of everything he has ever known, everyone he has ever loved, every place that has ever housed him.
And now he steps forward to leave it behind. Says goodbye with resounding footsteps. Mourns the loss as the G.I.W.’s armoured vehicles and containment trucks drive toward him.
Toward death.
He wished they’d stop. Turn back. Change their minds. But knows they won’t.
Ignorance would be bliss.
The most decorated vehicle stops barely feet from him. The officer inside hoping out with a smirk that Danny hates down to the bottom of his guts.
“Well how nice for the worst of them to come greet us. What. Here to turn yourself in for your disgusting crimes against humanity“.
Danny honestly doesn’t care about their words. Not how they’re said nor what is said nor who says them.
It’s meaningless.
Danny shakes his head disappointedly, “I tried. I really tried. So sorry about this. But you leave me no choice”.
The man squints at him. Not that it matters.
Danny looks up at the sky, if he didn’t know better he’d say the clouds were swirling all centred around him and waiting for him to do as he must. As the crown commands. Sighing, “I don’t know why humans must make things so hard for themselves”, and lets his human form melt away without any flashy light show. Green energy pulsing out of his feet and shooting skyward like flaming arrows lighting up the funerary ship seeing a fallen warrior off.
The reaction is immediate. They open fire on him, pausing only when every single high anti-ecto round merely bounces of his green shield; the town behind him shimmering green before vanishing like wet oil wiped off canvas.
Danny shakes his head, “that isn’t how this is going to be. Sorry”, and takes one single step forward. Voice bellowing and sturdy though he feels like shaking apart into sand, “the American government, on behalf of the entirety of the human race, has designated that the ghost species is no longer allowed amongst them or on earth. As such, they, alongside the rest of humanity, have broken the True Kept Equivalent Co-Existence Fault Line Seal of the Exterial law of the Realms. Your options are as follows: revoke your illegal actions and halt your approach or continue on as you are knowing that your actions are an act of war and punishable by the immediate annihilation of thirty percent of humanity followed by the forced subjugation of your entire species. Furthermore, any actions of violence or harm taken against Amity Park, her citizens, or Daniel James Janus Fenton Phantom, will count as an act of treason and war against the High Ghost Sovereign, king of the entirety of the Infinite Realm; and is punishable by immediate death and I do mean your death”.
He stands there and stares. Waits for a response. The men take their time, but eventually...
One of them fires.
“There’s your ‘answer’, you lying ectoplasmic scum”.
Danny bats away the weapon, not even bothering with a shield. They would need nukes if they wanted to so much as scratch him.
He had all the Infinite Realm’s ectoplasm at his fingertips after all. And it sings to be used. To defend its lands and king. To strike down those who must be, for the prosperity and safety of its people.
And Danny gives it that.
He must after all. It is his place.
With merely a flick of his fingers the Dread Army make their debut. Some are here, some are elsewhere. But where ever they may be they bring down destruction and chaos and punishment.
You may think Danny wrong for placing all this on one man’s response, but in truth he, as Phantom, had informed every government of this reality already.
The decision was already made. The choice already set in stone.
He just thought that maybe...
Maybe.
These men before him would have some heart. Some soul. Some sense. Some compassion.
And choose to say no. And refuse to follow orders.
He would rather team up with humanity to stage a coup d’état against their respective governments than what has to transpire now.
The FrightKnight appears and gores the man who dared to fire at Phantom knowing the consequences of doing so. Danny forces himself to watch the man fall, knowing his orders and words and actions were as much the sword that killed him as the one his High Dread Knight wields.
The FrightKnight turns back to him and he knows there is sorrow in his helmeted eyes, for he knows his Knight knows he is not a hardened man nor a man at all.
Just a child with too much weight. Too much hope. Too much asked of him. Too much power at his fingertips. And too much of both life and death.
“Go”.
Danny does as he’s told, as he’s asked. Thankful to have even an ounce of personal responsibility lifted off his shoulders.
Humanity was never going down a good path. Never doing the right thing.
Damning the water they drank with oil and plastics.
Damning the air they breathed with tar and fumes.
Damning the earth that fed them with pavement and poisons.
Damning their fellow neighbouring mortal species with overhunting and stolen lands.
It was only a matter of time before they damned themselves with their ego and actions.
Nothing can survive if it burns every bridge around it.
Especially if the bridge it sets its sights on to burn is the bridge with death.
For only nothing lies where death can not be.
End.
Prompt: After a fierce legal battle to end experimentation on ectoplasmic entities, it's determined that, no, ghosts can't have any rights in the human world and possessing ghostly artifacts, materials, or organisms is illegal. With the GIW enforcing the new laws, starting with Amity Park, how will Danny avoid scrutiny?
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cecesunshine · 3 years
Note
Hi!
Could you please write 7 with Axel
Thank youuu ^^
Hi, here it is! I decided to take an sad turn to the story because I didn't know how to make this fluff lmao. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
MASTERLIST
UNFAIR | AXEL
Summary → Axel and Scholar discover that people can be unfair to each other, even when they both love each other.
Pairing → Axel x Scholar
Warnings → Allusion to cheating but no actual cheating + doesn’t have a happy ending
Word Count → 1495
Prompts used → 7. You never had a problem with it before.
A/N → English is not my first language, so I’m sorry if there are mistakes or if something doesn’t make sense!
No matter how long Axel and Scholar had been together, there was something that was always in the back of the couple’s mind. Distance. They had been together for nearly a year now but every time they were away from each other due to Axel’s schedule. He was always at the studio, touring or busy with something else, which affected his time with his significant other.
Scholar stared at their laptop’s clock, looking at the hour. 2 am. He was going to miss their weekly video call. They sighed, running their hands through their hair. The call was scheduled for 1 am. He promised that he was going to show up. They hadn’t really spoken to each other since the beginning of the winter break.
Feeling sleepy, Scholar closed their laptop and left it at the desk.
The only thing that was going to comfort them tonight was their bed.
The next days were filled with Scholar packing their things, ready to go back to Arlington after the winter break. Somehow their room didn’t seem like it was theirs anymore, which gave Scholar more motivation to pack their things. Besides all the pressure, Arlington felt more like a home than their childhood house.
Carrying their bags downstairs so they would be all set for tomorrow, Scholar saw their father sitting on the couch with a worried look on his face. He was watching some type of gossip program, which was odd.
“Since when do you like this type of show?” Scholar said, sitting next to their father.
“Jesus kiddo, don’t scare your old man like that.” He replied, putting his hand over his chest. “I was switching channels but saw this.” He pointed at the tv, which was playing a video of Axel on a loop. “Isn’t this your...uh...boyfriend?”
The video was of Axel with his hand over a girl’s shoulder. The girl in question being Gianna Portinari, a famous Italian model. According to the show’s host, the video was taken by a fan of the show who was on vacation in Italy and saw the “couple” walking through the streets of Milan in the early morning.
Scholar quickly connected the dots. There was a six-hour difference between their city and Italy. 2 am where they lived meant 7 am in Italy. Axel ditched them so he could hang out with a girl.
Scholar ran to their room, grabbed their phone and hit call. Nothing. They called seventeen times until they were finally tired of calling. It was going straight to voicemail.
The teen felt like throwing their phone across the room, but they knew it wasn’t worth it. They would also not have money to replace it.
The day they were desperately waiting for finally arrived. It was time to go back to Arlington. The flight had gone well, as Scholar slept during the entire trip. As they landed, anxiety started to grow on them, they would have to face their boyfriend and probably the end of their relationship.
At the airport, Scholar got in a taxi that would drive them to Arlington. Car drives aren’t as relaxing when your mind can’t stop creating scenarios of how your relationship will end.
After paying the driver and taking their bags from the taxi, Scholar found themselves in front of Arlington Academy, ready to start another semester. They spotted Claire and Raquel talking near the dorms and walked to them.
“Scholar! Nice to see you again! How was the break? Did you and your dad have fun?” Raquel said warming her friend into a tight hug.
“Yeah, we had some fun. The break was normal I guess, I had time to recharge batteries.” Scholar replied trying not to sound sad.
“We saw the thing about Axel.” Claire announced. “And we’re here for you if you need us.”
“Thanks girls.” Scholar thanked their friend, wanting to end the conversation there.
The cold wind of January made Scholar hold on tight to their coat. They said goodbye to their friends and walked to their room.
The room seemed empty, as they weren’t there for a month. Scholar opened their bags, ready to unpack their clothes and put things where they belonged.
As they were going to start to put their jackets in the clothes hangers in the wardrobe, someone knocked at the door.
Opening the door, Scholar was greeted by their boyfriend, who was holding a rose bouquet.
“Hi.” Axel said, ready to enter the room.
“No.” Scholar closed the door on his face, not wanting to deal with that in the moment.
“Oh come on! Don’t be like that, corazón!” He yelled from outside, knocking at the door again.
Scholar rolled their eyes. They knew how their boyfriend was and knew that they weren’t going to give up until they had want they wanted. Scholar opened the door again and motioned for him to come in.
“First of all, thank you for letting me in.” He said, earning a bored look from his lover. “And second, I bought you this.” He gave Scholar the bouquet, not receiving the energy he was expecting. “You look nice.”
“You’re not getting out of this with flowers and compliments, Axel.” Scholar said putting the bouquet in the desk.
“What did I do now?” Axel said, massaging his temple with his fingers. “It’s about me and Gia, right?”
“Gia? God, you even have a nickname for her.”
“Scholar, baby, Gia and I are just friends.” Axel walked to his partner, who stepped back. “And why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“Why? Because I’m the one dating you! I shouldn’t have to compete with your supermodel flings!” Scholar screamed, grabbing their phone and searching for photos of Axel with other people. “Look! If I search Axel the suggestions are either your songs or you with other girls and guys! Axel and Gianna Portinari, Axel and Taylor Covington, Axel and Rowan Harvey, Axel and Peyton Easterling...do you want me to go on?”
“I get it, I get it, I go out with a lot of celebrities, so what? I’m not even friends with them! It’s called a publicity stunt!” Axel yelled back. “You never had a problem with it before.”
“I didn’t, but now I have! You are always seen with someone new acting all lovey dovey and…” Scholar felt their eyes get watery. “and I get jealous. You ditched our last video-call.”
“Because I was busy! I have a career, Scholar! I’m sorry can’t dedicate all of my time to you!”
“Busy walking down the streets of Milan with a supermodel? Give me a break!” Tears fell down Scholar’s cheeks, exposing their vulnerability to their significant other.
“Scholar, come on. You know that I love you. And what does it matter if I spend time with other people? I don’t kiss them, I don’t even know their names sometimes! I’m a performer, I perform to the paparazzi.” Axel himself was starting to cry.
“It’s just hard. You’re never here. I’m competing for your attention with other people all the time and I keep losing. It’s unfair.” They confessed.
“Unfair? Scholar, I always come back to you.” Axel put his hands over Scholar’s shoulders. “You don’t need to compete with anyone, I’m yours. I’ve always been, since day one.”
“You’re mine when it’s convenient to you. You’re mine when you have the time.” Scholar pushed him away gently. “It’s tiring. I can’t keep pretending that you having dates with other people doesn’t affect me, even if are just publicity stunts.”
“I’m sorry. I’m going to stop, I promise.” The words escaped Axel’s mouth almost instantly. Even himself knew he was lying. He had no control over his public relationships.
“Don’t lie to me, please don’t lie to me.” Scholar whispered, their heart beating faster and faster every minute. “I think you should leave.”
“Corazón.” Axel tried to reach for his lover, who couldn’t even look him in the eyes.
“Leave. Just leave, Axel.” Scholar muttered, not wanting to deal with him or the situation.
Axel sighed, walking towards the door. As the door closed behind him, he knew that he had lost them. He wanted to scream at them, for not understanding his side but deep down he knew Scholar was right. Axel should have thought about they felt. That didn’t matter anymore, he had already lost Scholar. He had nothing to lose now.
Scholar fell to the ground as they realized what just had happened. They wanted to blame Axel for being selfish and prioritizing his career over his lover, but if they were in his place, they would do the same. He had much to lose.
Both of them could say that they were unfair to each other, but at the end of the day, we all make sacrifices, either for our careers or for our feelings and mental health. Unfairness is part of the world, neither Axel nor Scholar could run away from it.
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