#is he forgiven (read: protected by the heroes) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kingkatsuki · 11 months

Text

— babysitting

Just a silly little piece about Bakugou looking after his nephew when Kirishima and his wife are both working, and him being the cutest little wingman.

Warnings: fluff!, implied!older Bakugou, Bakugou’s behaviour could be construed as stalking but it’s not really, he just proper fancies you.

Pairing: implied!Bakugou Katsuki x f!reader.

Word Count: 2.1k.

“Please, Kats. I promise it won’t be for long, we didn’t realise we were both working this afternoon and I can’t take him on patrol with me—” Kirishima pleaded on the phone.

“I’m busy,” Bakugou replied bluntly.

“Busy doing what?” His best friend almost whined, and Bakugou could tell the hulking tank of a man was pouting on the other side of the line.

“None of your damn business.”

Bakugou didn’t want to admit the real reason he was busy today. It was the same reason he was now busy every day he was off.

A few weeks ago he’d made his way into Musutafu mall on his lunch break to pick up a copy of a new romance book his favourite author had just released. And while he was checking out he noticed you filling up one of the displays near the back of the store, giving him the cutest smile when he’d passed you to leave.

Since that day he’d come back every week on one of his days off, just to get a simple “hey” from you as he bought yet another book. Bakugou was certain he’d soon have so many unread books in his house that he’d have to build an extension to store them, but he couldn’t help it.

And today was going to be the day that he was actually going to talk to you— possibly.

“Can’t you reschedule? It’ll only be for a few hours until I can get off patrol and he can spend the afternoon at the agency with me.”

“What about Mina?” Bakugou offered.

“She’s got that photoshoot with Hero Weekly today, remember?” Of course she fucking does, “And Sero’s out on patrol with me.”

“Denks?” Bakugou was certain he already knew the answer to that one though, as he ran a palm down the length of his face.

“You know I’m not allowed to leave him unsupervised with Denki anymore, Bro.” Kirishima groaned, “The wife still hasn’t forgiven me for them almost setting the kitchen on fire.”

Bakugou couldn’t help but snigger at the memory, the panicked phone call that he’d heard coming through on the central emergency line that there was a fire in Red Riot’s neighbourhood, and when Backdraft had turned up at the scene he’d found a singed Denki standing inside a murky kitchen with some burnt cookies. Kirishima had to replace two cabinet units and the oven after that debacle and it was no wonder his wife no longer trusted Denki as a babysitter.

“Please, man. I already told him, and he’s real excited to spend the day with you.”

Bakugou couldn’t deny he missed spending time with his little nephew, and Kirishima knew his best friend couldn’t deny the pleas of his son. Silently fist pumping the air in relief when Bakugou finally responded on the other end of the phone.

“Fine, I’ll pick him up now.”

“Uncle Kats, let’s get these!” His nephew picked up a water gun from a wire dumpbin of toys outside the toy store, turning around in a crouched motion with eyes squinted as he pretended to shoot Bakugou.

He put his hands up in mock surrender as he grabbed at the plastic barrel, holding it in the air as he took it out of his nephews hands to place it back inside the bin.

“Your parents don’t like you having guns, remember squirt.”

“But what if I need one for protection.”

“You don’t need that shit for protection,” He shook his head, “I’ll be there to protect ya.”

“But wouldn’t it be cool to have a water gun fight outside. It’s summer.” His young nephew whined as Bakugou began to lead him away from the toy store, noticing that your work was approaching on the right side of the mall.

“I’ll talk to them about it.” Bakugou reached down to ruffle his hair as his nephew shouldered his leg wrapping an arm around one thick thigh to squeeze him into a hug in thanks, “How about a book? You like reading, don’tcha?”

“Not really,” He shook his head, immediately making a beeline for the confectionery inside the shop.

“What? Why not.” Bakugou raised a brow before he began to search the store for you, hoping that you weren’t on your lunch break.

You were usually in one of the back aisles around this time of day, tidying the shelves as he pretended to flick through the various hero books that you sold. Like he’d ever actually buy one of them— perhaps the book Miruko had released on unabashedly being yourself despite the critics, or the memoir Edgeshot had put together before he passed away, but never the unofficial Deku books that seemed to line the shelves of your Pro-Hero section and were always on sale. Bakugou snorted when he noticed a large bright red “half off” sticker covering Deku’s face on one.

“It’s too many pages.” His nephew scoffed, picking up a chocolate bar as Bakugou placed a palm on the back of his neck to lead him away from the sweets.

“You just gotta find a book that doesn’t feel like too many pages, that’s all.” He began to walk towards the manga aisle, wondering if there might be something there that would interest the young boy.

“You like reading, uncle Kats?”

“Course I do,” Bakugou scoffed, “Way better than TV. That shit’ll rot your brain.”

He had an entire bookshelf of his favourites lined up at home. All in alphabetical order by author and spines outward facing, a few of his favourite covers turned forward to show off the artwork. Some spines were more worn than others, an indication of the sheer number of times he’d sought comfort in those stories after a long day at work, or a lonely night at home.

“What kinda books do you like?”

Bakugou chewed on the inside of his cheek before answering. It would be so easy to lie and say action or fantasy, certain that half the people who claimed their favourite book was Lord of the Rings or a Game of Thrones had never actually read them. Or the pretentious people who would pretend their favourites were non-fiction books about bettering yourself or hyper-specific topics that would never come up in normal conversation. But there was a part of him that didn’t want to lie to his nephew— the boy was always so open and honest with him, even at his young age.

“Romance.” Bakugou shrugged, leaning forward to pick up one of the new manga books that sat on a top shelf.

“Eww yuck,” Bakugou’s nephew immediately scrunched up his face, making a show of sticking his tongue out in distaste, “I didn’t think you’d like books like that.”

“What did ya think I’d like?”

“I dunno, like action or kicking villain ass.”

“Don’t say ass.” Bakugou frowned, his eyebrows narrowing as he glared down at the young boy.

“But you say it all the time, I hear you.”

“Yeah, because I’m an adult.” Bakugou grinned, “I see enough of that crap when I’m at work, don’t need to read about it too.”

“You say ‘shit’ a lot too.”

“Oi, you little—” Bakugou lost his train of thought the moment he saw you past a corner, words disappearing into nothing as he noticed the same focused look on your face as you sorted through a delivery of new books.

Bakugou was certain you were wearing a new pair of jeans today, or at least a pair he’d never seen before. You looked real good in them. He felt his heartbeat increase when you placed a book back on the shelf, stopping to talk to one of your colleagues as your lips curled in to the prettiest smile, and he couldn’t stop himself as he felt himself beginning to mimic your smiling face.

“Oh,” The kid nudged his thigh, shamelessly standing around the shelves to stare at you, “Is that the real reason why you brought me into a bookstore? Not because you want me to read.”

“What?” Bakugou wasn’t even sure he heard the question as he kept his gaze on you. Feeling his cheeks begin to heat up as you bent over to pick up more books, the angle had your jeans tightening against the curve of your ass and he felt like a pervert for ogling you so shamelessly.

“The lady you’re staring at.” His nephew snorted, pointing over at you “You’re so obvious.”

“Piss— shut up,” Bakugou caught himself, grabbing the kid by the collar of his shirt to tug him back behind the shelves, “I ain’t starin’.”

“Yeah you are!” His nephew sniggered, “You’re giving her the same look my dad gives ma.”

“No I ain’t.” Bakugou almost pouted, crimson eyes still peeking at you through the shelves in the aisle he was down as you continued to place more books onto the table in your section.

“You so are,” His tone increased, and Bakugou had to stop himself from slapping a palm over his big mouth to shut him up, “You’re so obvious. Look how red you are!”

Was he that obvious? Bakugou had done everything he could to be subtle each week when he visited your bookstore, trying to stick to the same shelves and strategically picking up books so he didn’t seem like was just staring at you all the time. Not that it was his fault anyway, you were so fucking pretty.

“Why don’t you go and talk to her?”

“She’s workin’.” Bakugou replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. He’d probably said a total of five words to you since he’d started coming into your book store a few weeks ago, and the thought of saying any more had a ferocious pit growing inside his stomach.

“So? If you like her you should tell her,” His nephew tried to nudge him towards you, “That’s why my dad asked my ma out.”

“That’s different,” Bakugou grumbled, “This is…”

Kirishima knew his wife liked him back, they’d been friends long before they started dating so they had a foundation to build upon. This? This was completely new to him, and the thought of being rejected, especially by a girl as pretty as you, petrified him.

“Wait, you read all those romance books and you don’t know how to ask a girl out?”

“I do know,” Bakugou sneered, “I ain’t a total dumbass.”

“So why don’t you?”

Because he was a coward, that’s why.

Not that he’d even be able to talk to you long enough to do it if he could. His throat seized up and his heart practically ricocheted off his rib cage whenever you were near, your perfume lingering in the air as it had him wishing he could bring you into a warm embrace. He’d ask you out one day, just not today—

“Because I told ya, she’s workin’.” Bakugou began to steer his nephew away from the manga section, trying to get him to leave the store.

It had been a bad idea to still come to your store on his day off even though he was babysitting, but he couldn’t help it. The routine he’d settled into on his days off no longer felt complete if they didn’t include you, the small time he’d spend in the bookstore each week were enough to become the highlight of his day. And he would ask you out— just not today.

“Don’t tell your parents about this,” Bakugou grumbled, “Your dads too frigging nosy.”

“Alright,” His nephew practically sung the word, and Bakugou knew exactly what was coming, “But it’ll cost you.”

“I’m sure it’s a crime to blackmail a Pro-Hero, squirt.”

“So I’ll just tell the pretty lady you fancy her then.”

“Fine, fine,” Bakugou snarled, the corner of his lip curling to bare his gum, “Whaddya want?”

“That water gun we saw at the toy store.”

God, Kirishima was gonna kill him.

“Fine.” Bakugou groaned, walking towards the cash register to pay for the candy that he’d picked up.

“But you have to get one too so we can play together, alright?”

Two guns. Kirishima’s wife would definitely kill him before he even attempted to sweet talk his best friend.

“I was going to say the loser has to tell that girl from the bookstore that you like her, but you’ll probably lose because you’re old.”

“Oi, you cheeky little shit,” He ruffled his nephew's messy black hair, “Watch who you’re callin’ old, squirt. I’ll kick your ass and ask her out.”

#bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #bakugou fluff #bakugou drabble #soft bakugou #mha x reader #bnha x reader

2K notes · View notes

inklore · 2 years

Note

hello hello!! congrats on your milestone and I'm stoked for his blurb week - your writing is phenomenal!! could I get "you need to wake up because I can't do this without you." with eddie please?? 💕💕

just can’t say goodbye

pairing: eddie munson x (f)reader warnings: minors dni, angst, hurt without comfort, talks of death and tragedy, reader took eddie’s place for the bat munching. etc: i told myself i’d never write anything tragic for our boy because he deserves the world, but then this happened and i was listening to sad music and i’m sorry ok!

You don’t know what happens after you die. Don’t remember seeing some bright light, no heavenly gates opening or the face of a god that's supposed to welcome you into whatever kingdom lays in the clouds. You don’t know if prayers get answered and sins get forgiven. If angels or the devil are real. All you see is black. All you feel is that void of nothing surrounding you—so maybe you weren’t dead, maybe you were just stuck somewhere in between.

Or maybe this was death. Maybe this is what happened when you got taken down by a demented creature in a nightmarish replica of your town.

Maybe.

But something tells you—a voice that's all familiar, soft, a pleading sound inside your head, reminding you that you’re still with them, that they love you—that you’re not dead. That you’re just stuck, but there’s still fighting that needs to be done.

That maybe if you listen to that voice, follow it through the darkness that you’ll be led to the light.

“You need to wake up because I can't do this without you, okay?”

The voice sounds weaker than usual; above a whisper, filled with that gravel at the back of someone's throat that only comes from hurt, from suffering, from trying to hold onto a hope that's slipping through their fingers with each passing day.

Eddie.

The voice you used to hear beside you every morning you woke and every night you slept—before you ended up in this hospital bed. Before you sacrificed yourself to protect him, Dustin, the others.

“Like an idiot.” you had heard him say. “Should have been me, not her.”

“We had a chance because of her.” Dustin’s voice had rung like a bell of reassurance through the dark. “Without her we would have lost.”

“And look where it got her.”

“Eddie, come on. She’ll make it out. She's strong, gave those bats a hell of a fight.”

He laughs, that beautiful sound that always made your cheeks hurt from how contagious it was—from how it would make his eyes crinkle, head thrown back, hair flopping in every which direction. How hard he would try to hide it sometimes as if he were embarrassed by the beauty of the sound, of himself.

“She did, didn’t she,” a sniffle, “she’s a hero.”

There's only his voice today, like most days.

His voice soft as he recounts a memory the two of you had shared, you can hear his smile when he talks about it. When the “hey, do you remember when..” slips out you know his cheeks are raised and it’s going to be a good day. A hopeful one.

Or when he reads you one of the many fantasy books you remember having to step over just to get to his bed, “I know you’re probably sick of this book, but it reminds me of you..”

But today there's only sadness. Sorrow. Fear that you might not actually come back to him. That he might actually end up alone after all of this, all because you had to go and be a hero.

#eddie munson angst #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson blurb #blurb week

1K notes · View notes

piglet26 · 4 months

Text

Reylo. The Perfect Star Wars Fairytale.

"What if your sort of soulmate in the force was your enemy? Circumstance pits them against each other, but the force bonds them together. They understand each other almost from a point of view of fate and yet fate has made them enemies"

Reylo isn't the classic fairytale, but that's a good thing! The two of them display something unique about love and connection. They both provide the other one with an opportunity to move past their trauma and heal their pain by relating to someone, being accepted, being forgiven; ultimately having a true connection which makes you a better person. That's Star Wars! Yes, Star Wars is about friendship, adventure and the hero's arc, but's also about the power of love. That's what drove Anakin to the dark side and what brought him back to the light. Embracing love and attachment was the lesson Luke had to teach the Jedi. Romanticism isn't a mistake of horny Reylo fans, it's a rejection of the lessons Star War had to teach by young and old men who claim to want to protect it the most.

Kylo Ren is aware of Rey before Rey is aware of Kylo Ren, but both recognize the other one immediately. Rey has dreamed of Ben, when Ben killed the head of The Knights of Ren, Rey felt a chill on Jakku. Kylo Ren feels her awakening in the Force and senses that they are connected somehow. (I wanna know what the full scene was cause he is like studying her)

Reylo is not abusive, but I do understand why people are hesitant to endorse them. However, people tend to project their own problems and situations on other people and that's probably what's going on here. THEY ARE AT WAR! It's not personal. First thing Rey tries to do is shoot him (natural reaction) so he froze her (natural reaction). He's trying to get information for his side of the war and attempts to do this without making her experience too much pain. He pushed her into a tree... she did try to shoot him. Again. She tried to shoot him three times now that I think of it. He invaded her mind! Luke did the same thing to Kylo Ren. Is Luke abusive? Any time any of the Jedi have peaked inside someone's mind has been abusive then. "You know I can take whatever I want." Yes, I can access your mind you know that so why not just give me the information I require....that is what he is saying. People read so much into everything and yet did so with no logic. The only thing I can say is the movie goes out of it's way to show a parallel experience between Rey and Poe in their interrogation. Moving on.

As Ren studies a sleeping Rey he can sense their connected somehow. Rey isn't just some resistance fighter, like Poe, she's more than that.

While Rey is initially fearful of Ren, the moment he reveals himself she just confused, curious and attracted (as we all were). It's significant that the first person he reveals himself to is Rey. Kylo Ren wears the mask to idolize his grandfather and project not only strength but dehumanize himself. He reassures her that he doesn't know where her friends are,

In the sound mix is a heartbeat. You hear a heartbreak when she is connecting with Ren in the Interrogation scene. Rey remember this moment in the novel, "Even as [Kylo] callously rifled through her mind, he had somehow revealed his own. Rey found herself in his mind even as he invaded hers. She felt his rage...But she also felt his hurt, and his loneliness. And his fear...Kylo had retreated at finding Rey in his head - had practically fled from her. But that had not been the end of that strange, sudden connection. She had seen more - far more...It was as if his training had become hers, unlocking and flinging open door after door in her mind"

Reylo is a pairing where both the hero are villain are given a bond where hurting the other is as good as hurting yourself. Even in their duel on the First Order base, Kylo doesn't want to kill her and she's defending herself for the most part.

Meanwhile, Ren’s emotions begin to fixate on Rey. Though they could not predict them, the two begin to gain insights into each other though these strange connections, and Ren lowers his guard. Their forceskypes are a safe space for one another. It's established very quickly that they can't hurt each other. Rey wakes up in her hut on Ahch-to while Kylo is in his own quarter. The Force connects the two and both panic. Rey tries to shoot Kylo, who tries to manipulate Rey via mind trick. They now have to deal with one another in ways that weren't their first instinct. What’s happening here is something extraordinary even within the logic of the Star Wars universe it seems, and Kylo recognizes this. His behavior and observations betray a sense of innocent fascination rather than an ulterior motive.

Feeling somewhat safe with Rey, Ren no longer tries to hide his feelings of pain and misery, and, in turn, their Force-bonding intensifies in strength and rawness. Rey being increasing disillusioned by Luke and his feelings of the Jedi begins to open herself up to understand the person she wants to just hate.

This stylistic choice crops up plenty more times throughout the movie, communicating that they are one half of each other.

Kylo Ren has something to teach Rey as much as he is taking these moments to try to be understood by her. Rey is similarly stuck by her childhood. Stuck in the idea her parents could come back, stuck in the idea that she was wanted or not wanted. As Kylo says to her “Your parents threw you away like garbage.......It’s your greatest weakness," Ren call Rey out in a way no one else can because he's been inside her head. Yes, Ren is harsh, but he wants her to grow up in this scene. His logic is flawed but in pulling away from your past, your identity and your parental figures you can become a fully formed individual. Ren tries to kill it, slash it and cut himself off from it when he needs to make peace with it.

We still crave affection not matter the pain we experience. Kylo’s many years of loneliness and reaching out to an inanimate object show just how desperate he is. He is desperate for a connection. And right now, Darth Vader is all that he has. He's never had a peer.

Rey is resilient, independent, a hard worker, intelligent, passionate, dedicated and yet she too is desperately lonely.

Ben sees apart of himself in Rey and they identify with one another. Rey, in Kylo's mind, is more than just a romantic interest. Rey is a refuge and purpose. Rey is a chance to be unglued...... to progress past his parental figures.

What's interesting though is that Ben/Kylo Ren is nurturing to Rey. When she is at her most vulnerable, listening to Rey’s confession of her greatest weakness, her fear, her attempt to confront this fear, her disappointment in finding no answer and finally her acute loneliness; he just listens to her and then let's her know that he's there.

"Luke should be the one nurturing Rey, and it's actually Kylo that is” - Daisy Ridley

Rey and Kylo are once again in their own carved out, ‘isolated’ auditory space, (and the audience is sucked in with them) while the outside world is again blocked out. In this moment both characters are free from light, dark, war, conflict, sides, enemies and they are safe with one another. When the force theme plays over their connection (as they share visions of one another), they and we the audience, feel that this union is right, desirable and destined.

What's interesting is when Uncle Luke catches the naughty teenager "having sex" He was no longer just a vision in Rey’s mind eyes. This looks like a beautiful image to the audience and yet Luke’s reactions are disapproval and anger. Rey displaces a lot of her own anger regarding rejection/abandonment onto Luke. She identifies with Kylo and now she's aligning herself with him. It's understanding. I understand your pain, I can actually feel it and now I'm going to defend you from those who hurt you. She get's so much agency in defending someone else. This was step moving past her own trauma.

Rey's belief in Kylo does pay off. Her faith and belief, to the point she puts her life in his hands empower him to finally stand up to his abuser in a way he was never able to do for himself. He kills Snoke not only to only protect her, but protect her from being abused and corrupted as he once was. They both are able to confront the others childhood trauma and find strength in doing so.

Where their scene in the hut is an emotional union which brings a sense of peace, their scene in throne room, when they’re teaming up physically, signifies a sense of power. The film in so many ways tells us that Rey and Kylo's union creates balance, peace, power and beauty.

What Kylo proposes in the Throne Room is balance, which is what Rey and Kylo/Ben are meant to represent. Neither of them are simply the light or the dark, both have elements of those symbols within them. After he kills Snoke it's like he said, "Right. That's done. Everything I've inherited.... the light vs the dark......everything I've struggled with.......let's just move on."

Kylo knows that he and Rey are different because he has a better understanding of the past and the Force. Kylo knows he and Rey are the future. Adam Driver says this, “The center of this story is Rey and Kylo Ren. They stand on the opposite sides but the boundary in between is very thin. There are light and dark inside both of them. Actually, they are not far apart. They are the other side of each other.”

They are the most powerful two in the universe. He creates an “us vs them” dynamic Ren’s proposal, however, is appealing—and logical. Let's be honest it's a system so dichotomous and one that has never been balanced.

Rey rejects this because she has healthy attachments. Rey loves Finn, Rey has a connection to Leia/Luke and Rey has romanticized the Resistance since she was a little girl. She feels compelled to fight for these things. Even if she didn't have those attachments, she wants Ben. She wants to stand in the sun with him.

This rejection hurts him, but he's confused by it. He can read her emotions, they're so connected mentally, he knows she wants to take his hand. He doesn't understand why she didn't. He doesn't understand why when he was knocked out she didn't kill him.

Adam Driver -"Then he had been forging this maybe-bond with Rey, and it kind of ends with the question in the air: is he going to pursue that relationship, or when the door of her ship goes up, does that also close that camaraderie that they were maybe forming?"

If anything he doubles down even harder into his sense of belonging with her. What they have he has longed for this since childhood. Rey doesn't give up on him, she makes a point of saying she'll wait for him in the novels. She can't be with him as is. He needs to come to terms with his childhood, work through the trauma and accept it.

Kylo does indeed act out on everyone around him. He is cold, hostile, anti-social and pessimistic. But who does he change for? Rey. She's going to be patient, but she put boundaries on him and it's what he need to grow further. He respects her - this is the key. He admires her and he has compassion for her.

“That’s all she is, yes. A scavenger from that inconsequential Jakku. Completely untrained, but strong with the Force. Stronger than she knows.” His mask off, Ren replied with what seemed to be his usual assurance. No one else would have sensed a difference. Snoke did.

The Supreme Leader’s voice was flat. “You have compassion for her.”

Rey is forgiving, which is important, she has a kind heart. Don't underestimate the importance of forgiveness - the power of it. Forgiveness is the path away from shame. Because Rey, Leia and Han were able to forgive Kylo Ren, he was able to forgive himself and as such Ben was able to come back.

Let's also be clear Kylo Ren in a relationship.....He would worship her. He would never intentionally hurt her. He would adore her. He is surprisingly patient, calm, and understanding when it comes to their talks. By the end of The Last Jedi he's supreme leader, but it's a hollow victory. It doesn't mean anything to him because Rey isn't with her. However, there would be obsession and possession. Rey on the dark side, would give into her worst impulses with him and her worst impulses usually end violently. It doesn't mean she doesn't want to be with him. She's very hurt that they are not together and that's clear in the novelization.

Kylo wants to tell Rey who she really is – a truth he believes will make her stand by his side and fight with him. That’s been his goal since the end of the last movie, and all he desires is to be with Rey. In his head, the only way that’s possible is if she turns to the Dark. This time she's even more like him; a grandparent on the Dark Side.

Kylo and Rey are the only people in each other’s lives with whom they are fully open and honest all the time. For better or worse, they are each other's home and redemption. Rey is scared of the power inside of her. Rey feels like she has to hide the darkness inside of her - with Kylo she expresses and lashes out at him - he takes it pound for pound.

Ben Solo is back and boy is it good! When Rey healed Ben Solo, she ended up healing the very same scar she gave him. The scar symbolized his scarred heart because of his decision to kill his father. More than that he looks . He faced his past and overcame it. That scar was no longer holding him back, and the healing of his scar is a physical change that shows his transformation and healing.

Adam Driver “He has to let her know that they’re together. But he doesn’t entirely know what’s going to happen from there, nor do I think he cares. As long as he’s with [Rey], he’s on the right path.”

TROS just doesn't stick the landing.

There are beautiful moments, but Ben being chucked off a cliff? Rey dying as a way of opening up a way for Ben to die (when he's only been on screen 5 minute) When he revive her..... it's more than my heart can take. The way Ben looks at Rey is precious: he looks so happy, in love, and treasuring every single second of being with her. Her kiss leaves Ben in wonder as he expected her rejection.

After Ben died (ugh) Ben is still able to communicate with her through the Force and he assures Rey that he'll be always with her, and she is comforted in realizing that in some way he is not actually gone and that they would always be together. Guess that's why she looks unbothered as she flies off.

In the end, their connection, like with Anakin, love was able to bring the person lost home. That's a beautiful lesson the world needs to be reminded of---- not forgotten.

#reylo #star wars #ben solo #rey star wars #rey skywalker #kylo x rey #finnrey #kylo ren #ben solo deserved better #ben solo x rey #sequel trilogy #rey #reylo art

46 notes · View notes

fernsnailz · 7 months

Note

OH ALSO. ik you said something abt how some aspects of your feelings on the shth game have changed - what would you say is different now? (again feel free to ignore this)

oh yeah! overall, most of my feelings about shth2005 have remained the same - that game is a contradictory mess and i adore it. i mostly have a few minor grievances with my big shadow 2005 analysis essay. i'll talk under the cut about some specific moments that i think a little differently on - if you haven't read the big shadow essay, i'd say read it first and then come back to read this post.

grievance #1: The Doom

"being Good or Neutral around Maria makes WAY more sense than taking the Dark path. The game’s morality system breaks so badly in [The Doom] that things start to make sense again."

i still mostly agree with my thoughts on The Doom, and the game's failure in design affecting the morality system is something that i think could prompt further discussion. but a couple of people pointed out that the hero mission is still an interesting indicator to shadow's emotional state on the darker paths, and i don't want to completely discredit that concept because i like it a lot.

The Doom's hero mission is grueling. 60 gun soldiers to defeat in a maze level is not something most players would be willing to do. but it may be something that shadow is willing to do on a darker path - rage leading him to hunt and eliminate every single human he can find is harrowing, and it's a malevolence that the darker paths of this game fail to really show. so as much as i dislike the morality missions in this game, i do think they're an interesting measurement of the lengths shadow is willing to go to if it means defeating his enemy. the guy just doesn't stop.

grievance #2: boy what on earth is that take about the hero cast

"They want Shadow to work for them because of a desire to prove their side of the cycle is the right one."

i'll be real with you i think there was a bit too much analysis going on here lol. the heroes want shadow's help because there's a literal alien invasion threatening to wipe out all life on earth. are they manipulative towards shadow? i mean sometimes, but i don't think most of them do it out of malice or intentionally, and i definitely don't think they really care about proving their side of the moral compass right during the Fucking Alien Armageddon.

the only hero character that i think would be deliberately manipulative (minus eggman) is sonic, and i don't think he would consciously realize it. best example i have of sonic's occasional manipulative attitude towards shadow is the whole "if he can't be forgiven, can you?" bit from the mr tinker arc in IDW. and this is really only something he does to shadow - sometimes he just wants to get under shadow's skin without realizing what he's actually saying. sometimes sonic's just an asshole! and i like that, it's an interesting aspect to sonic that i wish was explored a little more in shth2005, the game about his rival. idk that's all i have to say here

grievance #3: who is shadow even?

"to him, doing what’s “right” means giving as many people as possible that same chance at life. It’s not a justification of morals or a desire to be heroic that leads Shadow down this path - it’s just what he wants to do."

i've circled around my final opinions in my shadow 2005 essay a lot because honestly. i don't really know where i stand on these thoughts currently lol. shadow is inconsistent enough that i struggle to really pin down what exactly he deems as "right" or what he even wants to do most of the time - it's especially difficult to pin these things down when trying to cover shadow as a whole across the entire franchise, which is what i was trying to do here. because man, does this guy feel all over the place when you look at everything.

i think there's truth in the idea that shadow doesn't really care about protecting the people of sonic's world (this sonic channel story explores that concept a bit). at the same time, i think it's also entirely possible that this "i don't care what happens to others" attitude is a bit of a front he puts up (especially around sonic). and as silly and non-canon as i think the sonic twitter takeovers are, i do think they were kinda cooking something when they made shadow work at a soup kitchen. these are all somewhat different ideas and interpretations of shadow, but i think they're all plausible for this character. personally, i'd rather embrace the inconsistency then try to limit him to one worldview.

the only solid "truth" i can formulate about shadow's motivations right now is this: whatever he deems right, or whatever he wants to do, he decides for himself because it's his life. he doesn't do these things for maria, or for gerald, or for the rest of the world. his choices and actions are his own - maybe inspired by others, but not for them. and the things he decides to do are often inconsistent because he's an immortal, traumatized, teenage hedgehog - a paradoxical creation that's still learning how to live. he might be the ultimate life form, but it's more important to me that he's just shadow.

#fernasks #sonic loreposting #FINALLY i can get these very specific critiques i have of that post off my chest lmao

49 notes · View notes

saintsenara · 1 year

Text

the war of the roses - the masterpost

sirius black does not die.

but this does not mean that it is easy for him to live.

sirius black/severus snape explicit

read from the beginning here

chapter summaries

authors notes

moodboards

this is a story about the long, destructive shadow of a schoolboy rivalry.

the wars of the roses was a civil war which took place in england in the fifteenth century, involving a dispute over legitimate succession to the crown between the duchies of lancaster and york - so named because the houses and their supporters made use of the red rose - for lancaster - and the white rose - for york - as political symbols.

the wars took place in and around the reigns of several of medieval england’s most famous kings. some - henry vi, edward iv - are remembered as heroes, others - richard iii - as villains, and this period of history is, therefore, one of the most frequently depicted in british art and culture, above all in the plays of shakespeare, who leans into the petty rivalries, futile violence, glamorous intrigue, grief and atonement, love and sin, and struggle for power during the wars.

the term, then, made perfect sense as the title for a story about sirius black and severus snape - their similarities and their differences, their heroism and their villainy, their schoolboy rivalry and its adult manifestation, their grieving and their quests to be forgiven, their undeniable vibe in canon…

and the question of what happens if they do not die.

it is a story about surviving, and how surviving is sometimes more difficult than dying.

the war of the roses begins with sirius not going to the department of mysteries, and continues through the two difficult years which follow, ending with harry’s defeat of lord voldemort at a version of the battle of hogwarts, which both of our central pairing survive.

it is set at a time when sirius is crumbling - trapped in the childhood home that he hates, increasingly distressed by his inability to keep harry safe - and when snape is close to snapping under the pressure of his mission against the dark lord.

it shows both of them doing anything they can to help harry in his quest against voldemort, even as they fear they are not doing enough.

it shows both of them unable even to picture what their lives will be like should they not die in the attempt.

it shows both of them reckoning with the heavy weight of their shared history, and the wrongs each committed against the other.

it shows both of them sinking ever further into grief over their roles in james and lily’s deaths, and wielding recrimination and rage against the other to soothe their pain.

it shows both of them finding comfort in each other all the same.

it is a story about the fragility of beauty, the gentleness of hope, and the value of choice.

woven through the story is sirius’ struggle with the things he has lost in azkaban - his teenage beauty, his expectation that he would live happily in a world in which voldemort was dead, his trust in the people who were supposed to protect him - and the things which he can never lose - his love for harry, his devotion to james, his commitment to atone for his mistakes.

snape, too, is someone for whom beauty and happiness seems a pipe-dream, with his love for lily the only thing sustaining him on the journey he assumes will end with his death.

but they both discover that sometimes there is a shard of beauty - and of pleasure and hope and joy - in a place which seems otherwise devoid of it, and that this is what can help you choose to keep going when all else seems lost.

it is also a love story.

#asenora fics #starprince #snirius #sirius black #severus snape #the war of the roses #twotr masterpost

33 notes · View notes

ouatsqincorrect · 7 months

Note

hey i saw your headcanons about david/snow/regina and i was wondering if you have any about regina and coras mother/daughter relationship and/or regina and rumples twisted father/daughter/mentor relationship

sure! (but a real quick disclaimer: if you like cora, don’t read this. if you think rumple did not harm regina in any way, don’t read this. do not get mad at me for having my own opinions on them, please and thank you) ALSO tw for abuse.

i am a firm believer in the fact that regina needs therapy. this woman has been through hell and back and you can’t convince me that forgiving herself in 6x14 was all it took to “move on” from everything

she starts going to archie, even though it’s not ideal. (he’s still the only therapist in town and one day, regina will fix this, but for now he’s the only option she’s got) and she begins to work through her past for the first time

this involves accepting that cora harmed her much more than she’s ever been able to admit to herself

she still feels like she’s forgiven her, but forgiving your abuser doesn’t take away the years of trauma they caused

this goes the same for rumple. he may be an actual member of her family now, but he did manipulate her when she was just 18 and broke her down until he could use her to do his bidding (not to mention the whole “no one will ever love you” and “you’re weak when you’re not evil” mindset he introduced to her)

cora is gone. regina has to deal with that trauma without her because there is no bringing cora back, but rumple is still here

and he’s an active part of her life in a very different way then he used to be

rumple never becomes a hero, not really, but he’s also no longer a villain and even though he’s not necessarily getting any professional help anywhere like regina is, he is learning how to articulate his thoughts about his past and what he did

and rumple, just like regina, is willing to admit there are some people who are never going to be able to forgive him and that’s ok

he knows he hurt regina. he’s always known that. even back in the EF, he knew what he was doing to her was wrong

which is why when they actually end up being a part of the same family, he doesn’t pressure her to forgive him or start treating him like they’ve been good friends forever

instead, he shows he cares for her in little ways. he’ll magic over some coffee on rainy days because he knows regina hates when the weather’s bad or he’ll put an extra protection spell around her house when there’s a villain in town because even though he knows she can take care of herself, he still wants to protect her (and henry and emma)

they never talk about these things he does and rumple knows they probably never will

also, he never touches regina without her permission. (i can go on for years about how regina feels about close contact with each member of her family but anyway)

more so than almost anyone else, he understands what she went through back during her “marriage” to the king and he refuses to break any boundaries she might have

(this is different than what happened between him and the evil queen. and he regrets that immensely)

regina, for her part, knows rumple is trying and although she’s certain a part of her will always be a little pissed at him, she does slowly start to forgive him

they never won’t butt heads though. there will always be a lot of unnecessary sass between them but that’s just who they are as people and they both know that, at the end of the day, they’re there for each other if they need it

#regina mills #rumple #regina/rumple #headcanons #once upon a time #ouat #tw abuse

38 notes · View notes

mary-magpie · 1 year

Text

hot take: media ruined some of your’s perception of bakugou

i know it’s a bit far fetched and requires a bit of explaining but the reason so many of you treat bakugou like shit is because media ruined your perception of teenagers.

now let me explain it. with teenagers being portrayed by actors in their 30s and writers projecting their weird fantasies unto underage people (i’m looking at you sam levinson) people now can’t tell apart what’s normal behaviour for children in media and what is just bad writing.

and the thing is, bakugou’s behaviour is normal for teenagers. he’s abrasive, doesn’t know when to shut up, can’t really express his care for others and a whole bunch of other things, but for god’s sake he’s only 17. he barely lived, he doesn’t know any better. especially in a society that has been encouraging him for his whole life. and he’s trying to change. he sees his weaknesses, he’s trying to be a better person. he’s apologised and he’s been doing so much to be a better version of himself. (some of you just can’t see it because hori didn’t erase his whole personality just to fit some standards).

and yeah, i do believe that some of you were almost brainwashed by media, that thrives on violence and disturbing things, and believe that the only way out for him is to be brutally punished (which by the way he was a few too many times) or just never be forgiven (which is plain stupidity). but i remind you that in real life this would be just a child, that made a mistake, and tries to make amends with the person he hurt.

and if you think that children in real life deserve the same treatment, that you project unto bakugou, then you’re sick people, and i don’t have anything to say to you, except don’t go near children ever.

and by the way. please, learn to fucking read. midoriya is a victim, yeah, but these days are all behind him. he’s capable of protecting himself (was before and even more now), he can decide for himself whether he wants to forgive someone or not. he’s a good person, that wants the world to become a better place. izuku wants everyone to live happily with smiles on their faces. so of course he’d forgive katsuki, because that’s what heroes do.

and if you still do not agree with me just read batman comics, that’ll satisfy your weird desires for someone beating shit out of other people. just saying.

#bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bakugou #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #midoriya #midoriya izuku #izuku midoriya #deku #dynamight #bakudeku #dekubaku #dekacchan #bkdk #dkbk #meta

119 notes · View notes

bayofwolves · 3 months

Text

The Return — King (rewritten)

you guys know about path of the heroes. (probably. it's the name of an original fourth spirit animals arc i'm writing.) but what you might not know is that another part of the project is to take the existing three arcs and rewrite them. not entirely, but tweaking and modifying for continuity's sake. there are some Pretty Big canonical divergences in path of the heroes (shane is alive, for one), and since my writing starts after canon has ended, i have some explaining to do. not to mention there being some plot points in canon that i am simply not a fan of.

this may take ages, and the new arc takes priority, but that's okay. since the original course of events stays mostly the same, i can easily just do rewrites of pivotal chapters for now.

such as this one.

i completed this a while back in the summer. i guess i just never posted it, despite being so proud! this is the last chapter of the return, where we get the long-awaited reveal of who the mysterious redcloak is. personally, i wish that the author had given this chapter to abeke instead of rollan. i needed to see what was going on in her head! that was really what motivated me to redo this one.

this sets things up for the next development of abeke and shane's relationship. in the brief timeskip between the return and the burning tide, the two inadvertently end up in the same vicinity, leading to some talks and growth in their relationship. they're healing. abeke hasn't forgiven him yet, but she's noticing more and more how he's changed for the better. i noticed that abeke's attitude towards shane changes between those two books -- she seems to think better of him in the burning tide. something had to have happened. so i took it upon myself to find out what :)

but that's getting ahead of myself. for now, here's the rewritten final chapter of the return!

content warning for themes of suicidal ideation and dissociation.

quick notes:

the title of this chapter has been changed from 'redcloaks' to 'king'.

anda is with abeke, rollan and tasha! he has been given a much bigger role in this arc. he and tellun, who has not been infected for the time being, were left at greenhaven while abeke and rollan journeyed to stetriol. however, zerif's conquest of the castle forced anda to flee. he narrowly escaped and tellun led him to the evertree, where they found lenori. she believed they would be safest with his old friends, as there were no more greencloaks to protect them; thus, the boy and elk started out for nilo and were reunited with abeke, rollan and their new charge, tasha. anda and tellun were therefore present throughout the events of the return and the burning tide.

tasha calls shane cousin. why? they are indeed paternal cousins! king irwyn had another brother and tasha is said brother's only child. thus, with drina deceased, shane mia and gar leaving no children, tasha is effectively lined up for shane's throne. (abeke and rollan can add kidnapping a royal person to their list of accomplishments.) there's a lot more to this but i'll go into it some other time.

this will go through some more edits before being fully published as part of path of the heroes' lore! i have some more cleanup to do.

okay enough preamble. read it under the cut!

Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts

Book 3: The Return

Chapter X — King

.𖥔 ݁ ˖☾𖤓☽.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The chill wind that rose from the sea seeped into Abeke's bones. She shivered and pulled her cloak more tightly around her shoulders, but made no move to leave her spot at the ship's rail. Her gaze, fixated on the fading shape of Zourtzi in the distance, remained unbroken.

She felt hollow. She had no desire to move, to speak, even to think. She doubted she'd be able to if she tried. It took all that remained of her willpower to draw in shallow breath after shallow breath. All the life had been drained out of her, the very moment Zerif's black spiral had begun to pulse on Uraza's brow. So there she stood, watching the conquered fortress grow smaller.

Perhaps the tears would come later. So far, she didn't have it in her to cry.

The absence of Uraza was like a wound, the ugliest wound she'd ever been dealt, throbbing with every dismal beat of her heart.

She was so lost.

So alone.

Abeke brought shaking hands up to her eyes and pushed until she saw stars. She willed her heart to simply stop. What life was worth living without her spirit animal?

Soft footsteps sounded behind her. Abeke didn't need to swivel around to tell that it was Rollan. She knew his footfalls, his voice, his face, better than she knew her own.

She didn't turn as her friend walked over to her, his steps measured and unsure. It was unlike him to move so carefully around her, Abeke thought. She could feel the pity radiating from him without even seeing his face. It all made Abeke want to jump over the side of the ship.

Rollan made no sound when he reached her side, only wrapped an arm around her shoulder. At the contact, a little warmth bloomed through Abeke's body. It almost brought tears to her eyes.

"How are you doing?" Rollan spoke. Concern was etched into the familiar curves of his face. Abeke wanted to lose herself there, in the steadying weight of his brown eyes, but she couldn't hold his gaze. She glanced away.

"Empty." The sun-tipped waves of the sea rolled below them. Abeke found strange solace in their neverending flow. "Lost. Alone." Her voice didn't sound like her own. It was as if someone else was commanding her body, as the real Abeke hovered above and watched everything play out. Like a ghost.

Rollan was silent for a moment, before he spun her towards him and pulled her into a tight hug. Abeke let herself be pulled and positioned in his arms, like a doll. But as the hug stretched out, she felt the cold sheet that covered her heart begin to melt away.

"You're not alone," Rollan mumbled into her neck. Abeke dropped her head to his shoulder and hugged him back with all the strength she had left.

When they finally pulled back, Rollan's eyes were wet. Abeke's own throat had started to close, so much so that she didn't trust herself with words. She returned to leaning over the rail, but this time, her arm brushed Rollan's.

"She was there, and then in the space of a heartbeat, she was gone," Abeke recounted. She lifted her eyes to the smoke rising from Zourtzi – the last place she had seen Uraza. "She looked at me like I was a stranger. It was as if our bond had never existed." Abeke forced herself to keep her eyes on the horizon. She knew that as soon as she closed them, she'd see nothing but the moment Uraza leaped for her throat, replaying over and over.

"We'll get her back," Rollan said fiercely. "I promise."

Turning her head, Abeke regarded her friend through a film of tears. The love and worry in his expression was almost overwhelming.

Abeke sniffed and swiped at her face before the tears could fall. She didn't know how to respond – couldn't – but Rollan seemed to understand, like he always did. They stood side by side in the silence Abeke needed.

Awkward footfalls met her ears not long after, and Abeke felt Rollan turn through their connected arms. "Hey," came Tasha's voice. Her pale hair and green cloak came into Abeke's peripheral vision as the smaller girl stopped at her other side.

"How's Kirat?" Rollan asked softly over Abeke's head.

"Fine," Tasha murmured back. "Anda's tending to him." The exchange fizzled out, and Abeke soon felt the weight of both her friends' gazes.

Abeke blinked down at Tasha's hand, covering her own on the rail. When had that gotten there? "Abeke," the Stetriolan girl was saying. Unlike Rollan, who was always in sharp focus, her voice seemed to come from a long way off. "We're here for you."

Abeke pulled her head to the side. It was all too much.

A third set of footfalls sounded on the deck behind the three. Two short steps, strong and curt.

Curiosity compelled Abeke to look. As one, the three Greencloaks turned to take in the newcomer.

It was the Redcloak.

Abeke's eyes flicked over his sweeping scarlet cloak, his black leathers, the smooth wood of his mask. She had seen plenty of Redcloaks, even on this ship, but only one wore a mask so strange. Only one of them had no face.

Some of the fog that had settled over her body since Uraza was taken seemed to lift. Who really was this mysterious warrior that had saved them time and time again?

Something deep in her heart told her she already knew.

"Is everyone in your party all right?" the Redcloak asked. His voice was deep and raspy, almost reptilian in quality. Abeke tried to compare it to the voice she remembered from her past, the voice that still sometimes spoke in her dreams, but recognized nothing.

She realized after a moment that his gaze hadn't strayed from her.

"We'll survive," Rollan said for all of them. Abeke glanced to either side of her, noticing the wariness in Rollan's face and the way Tasha nervously clung to her wrist. "Now, how about explaining what's going on here? I think it's about time for some answers."

The Redcloak tipped his head to one side as he considered Rollan, his oddly pale eyes glinting under his mask. "Soon," he said simply. "Be patient. We're taking you somewhere safe."

"Yeah, and where is that?" Rollan countered, bitterness lacing his words. "If you haven't noticed, nowhere is safe anymore. Zerif can get to us anywhere. In Zourtzi, in Stetriol and even at Greenhaven."

Tasha drooped beside her. A distant part of Abeke wanted to comfort her, but what comfort could she give?

Strangely, the Redcloak seemed to droop as well. "So the rumours are true," he said with a sigh. "Greenhaven has fallen as well."

There was something so intrinsically familiar about his stance, his speech, his whole bearing. Abeke had mulled this over for many nights, but now, with him standing a mere ten feet away, she felt everything in her threaten to spill out. Her heart ached, and she had the strangest urge to reach for him. Could it really be him? After so long?

The masked figure stared out to sea for a brief moment. "You should rest. There are more battles to come."

Then he turned and made to stride away. With her heart in her throat, Abeke pushed away from her friends and staggered forward. "Wait," she called hoarsely. "At least tell us your name."

The Redcloak turned around and fixed Abeke with his uncanny eyes.

"You've saved our lives again and again." The pounding of her heart was deafening. She could barely hear herself over it. She stepped forward again, then gripped onto Rollan's shoulder for support; he had hurried to her side. "Tell us who you are," she repeated, "so that we might thank you properly."

The Redcloak hesitated. "I'm called King," he said at last. Was it her imagination, or had his posture softened a touch? "I am the leader of the Redcloaks."

King. A hush fell over Abeke's mind. King.

As he watched her with wide eyes, Abeke heard Tasha speak from behind her. "Thank you," she said quietly. "We are forever in your debt."

King only spared a glance to acknowledge her. He tilted his chin again, then moved to walk away once more.

Abeke watched as he stopped still, his back to them. She watched him slowly turn back around. And with her heart thundering in her ears, she watched him fix his eyes on her.

His next words came soft, low. "I used to be known by another name."

Not of her own volition, Abeke found herself shaking her head from side to side. No. No.

The Redcloak drew back his hood, revealing light blond hair. Then he reached behind his head and unfastened his mask. "You knew me as Shane."

The mask fell away.

Abeke couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. She didn't react to Rollan's gasp of shock and Tasha's startled cry of "Cousin?" Her surroundings melted into waxy darkness. All she saw before her was Shane.

Though it was unmistakably him, the boy she used to know was barely recognizable. His normally tanned skin was pale, like he hadn't seen the sun in months. Knobbly green ridges had replaced his eyebrows, giving him a fearsome, monstrous look. Worst of all were his eyes. Gone was the keen blue stare that Abeke remembered so well. Instead, she was met with glowing, reptilian yellow-green. They were twice as large as they should have been, and bordered by pebbled scales. Slitted pupils stood out at their centres, holding her captive. A shudder of revulsion rolled over her.

"What happened to you?" Rollan's voice came in a horrified whisper.

Abeke hardly registered the words. Her breathing was coming in ragged gasps, and she felt the prickle of sweat all over her body. Her hands were already slick with it. She clenched them into tight fists, ignoring the way they trembled.

Of course.

It was him all along.

He and his Redcloaks had fought for them in their every hour of need – but now they were at their mercy. They were still in the dark about their motives, and now they were surrounded by them. Abeke's heart seized with panic. Her thoughts flew to Tasha, Shane's rival for the throne, and Anda and Kirat, belowdecks with the rest of the Redcloaks. Would they be safe with Shane? What if his only reason for helping them was a twisted desire to collect the newly reborn Great Beasts for himself?

The memory of the mysterious red-cloaked figure coming to her defense in Amaya sprang into her mind. He had saved her life from Arax. In Zourtzi, too, he had protected her from Zerif. Was it possible he still cared for her?

Abeke swiftly banished those thoughts from her mind. Shane was the enemy. He would always be the enemy. And this reveal was proof he would never stop lying.

I'm called King. Abeke shook with barely repressed tension as she remembered his words. An image of Shane with the Devourer's crown atop his head and a wicked smile on his face flashed through her memory. I am the leader of the Redcloaks. She saw him at the head of the Conqueror army at Muttering Rock, almost obscured by their black masses, seated astride his giant crocodile. How did she not see it before? How could she be so foolish?

She knew who the Redcloaks were.

They were enemies.

Shane's eerie eyes bored into her. Abeke recognized them now as crocodilian. How could she believe, even for a moment, that he might have wanted to change for the better? The symbol of his betrayal was branded over his once-handsome face.

But Shane wasn't the only one who was different now.

Abeke was done taking chances.

And she had nothing more to lose.

Whipping the bow off her back in one swift motion, Abeke brought an arrow to the string and pointed it straight at her former friend's heart.

The world came back into startling clarity the moment she did so. She heard a scream from Tasha, heard Rollan grab the girl’s wrist to hold her at bay. Abeke kept her eyes locked with Shane's. Was it the rocking of the ship that was causing her aim to waver?

"I had hoped it wasn't you," she rasped. "I had hoped you weren't tricking me again."

Shane was silent, slowly bringing his clawed hands up.

"Abeke, he just saved our lives," Tasha said urgently. "Maybe we should –"

Abeke stared at her in blind fury. "Do you know the last time Shane saved my life?" she snapped. "He used it as a way to sneak into Greenhaven and betray us. He used me. I was nothing but a tool to him." Tasha flinched in the face of her anger and shrank a step back. Guilt flickered through Abeke, but she had no time to apologize. Resolutely, she turned her attention back to Shane and tightened her hand around her bow. "It'll be no different now."

"That's not true," Shane protested, with such force behind his words that it surprised her. "You were never a tool to me." His raised hands lowered and spread in a pleading gesture. "Much has changed since we last spoke openly… as I'm sure is obvious. Everything I've done with this mask, this cloak, this name, was not to deceive you, but to start anew and atone for my mistakes."

Abeke tilted her head to the side, steeling herself. She wouldn't let Shane's honeyed words ensnare her again. She was past this. She was stronger than this.

Her sweaty hands were making it hard to keep a firm grip on her bow. Could she shoot him, here and now? Did she have it in her?

With every passing second, she was less and less sure.

Behind her, she heard the worried voices of Rollan and Tasha. They were calling her name, trying to summon her out of her trance. It reminded her painfully of the last time she'd confronted Shane – the duel they'd fought in front of Kovo's empty prison. That time, too, she hadn't been able to finish him off. Something almost like instinct wouldn't allow her to.

She felt it now, some deep force within her, causing her arrowhead to tremble as she looked into the haunting face of her former friend. She let out a short scream, hoping to dispel some of her rage and pain. Sudden tears obscured her vision. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you," she challenged. Her voice came out raw and broken.

Shane stared at her for a long moment, and though it was impossible to read any emotion in those slitted eyes, Abeke thought she sensed immense sadness from him. "Let me speak plainly. The end is near."

Abeke gave a wry, husky laugh. Indeed, Erdas must be in her final days for the two of them to reforge an alliance.

"I know this is difficult, but I need you to trust me. To trust us," the boy said gravely. "There's something you need to see. It may be the key to saving Erdas, and perhaps the key to saving Uraza as well."

Abeke's eyes widened in shock. Hesitantly, she lowered her bow a few inches.

Shane wanted to help Uraza?

His slitted yellow-green eyes tracked her movement, unreadable, before they returned to hers. Something almost like hope lit his face. "Give me this chance, and I promise you, I won't let you down."

Abeke considered him for a long moment. Once, Shane had been a friend to her, a steady comfort even across opposite sides of the war. He had traded that all away for victory, using her as a pawn in his schemes before tossing her aside. He had made promises, and he had broken them. But now he stood before her, after saving her and her friends so many times, with a vow to save her spirit animal as well. Abeke looked at his changed appearance and felt horror. But now, she wondered if a better change was brimming below the surface.

Her bow fell to her side as the fight suddenly went out of her. She stared blankly at it for a moment, then took the arrow from the string and slipped it back into her quiver. She had thought about shooting it across the waves to release some of her tension, but decided against it. No need to waste an arrow. After all, she thought, turning dark eyes up at Shane, there are more battles to come.

She would place her trust in him for now. But for the sake of her friends, for Rollan, for the children they were tasked with protecting, she would be on her guard.

Slinging her bow over one shoulder, Abeke glanced over to Rollan and Tasha. Rollan, who knew her so well, must have read something in her hollow gaze that she herself was oblivious to. He was at her side in a heartbeat, touching her hand with his. Tasha followed in his wake, fitting herself against Abeke's other side with more uncertainty. Abeke slipped her arm around the other girl, surrendering the worst of her pain and anger to the ocean wind. Surrounded by the best things she had left in her life, she could breathe.

Abeke looked down at her friends, giving a weighty nod. Tasha returned it, then Rollan. They were with her. They would face this together. The thought renewed her strength.

With a deep breath, Abeke locked determined eyes with Shane. "Where to?" she asked.

Shane took a step forward and looked out across the water. "We sail for the Place of Desolation."

#hope you enjoyed :)#text #long post #spirit animals #spirit animals books #spirit animals series #spirit animals rewrite #path of the heroes #abeke #shane #rollan #tasha #shaneke

11 notes · View notes

dynamightmite · 2 years

Text

It's my own fault for going on reddit to read people's opinions about the manga (I'm sorry in advance, this is gonna be long) but I swear to God if I see one more half-assed hot take about someone hating Bakugo that effectively boils down to "overt violence being casually dismissed bad" I'm going to start smacking people over the head with a newspaper.

Like. Yeah, bro. That's literally it. I mean, it's kind of hard to talk about the violence inherent in the system without, y'know, showing you the violence inherent in the system. It's almost like Bakugo was being used as a vehicle to get that message across from an early point (Deku vs. Kacchan 1, specifically) in a way that is mitigated by circumstance so that it can later be dissected and eventually forgiven.

The entire purpose of characters like Bakugo and Endeavor is to show the audience the cracks in Hero Society's shiny facade that will eventually lead to its downfall. In fact, it's framed as being inevitable; hero society actively selects for competetive, ambitious, powerful people, and the obvious end result is heroes like Endeavor. Like what Bakugo could have been without intervention. The implication, however, isn't that characters like Bakugo and Endeavor are inherently evil, but began from a point where their actions and goals were understandable, if not admirable, but eventually devolved based on the encouragement they got from the system.

The big difference between them is Endeavor is a character who didn't recognize the flaws in hero society until it was too late, whereas Bakugo did. Unlike Endeavor, Bakugo is designed to be forgiveable. He's a child, he's placed in a situation that frequently encourages violence between unpracticed children who have questionable control of their quirks, he's got a quirk that can almost exclusively be used as a form of excessive force, and he has a lot of personal issues that stem from the society he grew up in.

Like it doesn't strike you as relevant that Bakugo attacking Midoriya was put in the context of them being in a facility designed for children to fight in, at a school specializing in teaching children to fight as part of their future career? Under supervision of an adult hero who chose not to stop them from fighting when he could have? When Midoriya and Bakugo both have equally destructive quirks and, if they had actually wanted to kill each other, they absolutely could have, considering Bakugo's control of his quirk and Midoriya's comparative lack? You don't think maybe, just maybe, there was an underlying purpose to that?

Now, Bakugo is supposed to be like Endeavor in the sense that you see how, from a young age, these types of people can appear and become heroes despite their flaws and the dangers they can pose to the people around them, and why it is so important that they have some kind of early intervention to prevent them from taking advantage of a position of authority for their own gain. Can you imagine if there was no Midoriya for Bakugo to measure himself against, and find himself lacking? If nobody showed him how to hold himself accountable? He probably would have ended up being the kind of hero who only cares about winning in the sense of coming out on top, rather than doing so to protect people. Instead, the manga basically provides a step-by-step instruction manual on how to evaluate your life choices and appropriately atone for past misconduct. It has Bakugo choosing to work towards compassion and empathy as a motivator, as opposed to following Endeavor's path towards attempted greatness, which is framed as being the correct choice, because, well—it is.

"But the narrative sometimes still glorifies violence—" for fuck's sake, yes, I know. And guess what, it does become convoluted by the narrative's mixed attitude towards violence. I am not the first person to acknowledge that a lot of BNHA's worldbuilding and general themes contradict each other, nor will I ever be the last. Horikoshi is not exactly a master class on writing critiques of society, okay, and a pacifist superhero story has some fundamental problems that aren't really addressed or worked out in the manga. None of that negates how important it is to have a main character like Bakugo, who visibly and consistently struggles with trying to learn how to be a good person in a system that is set up to allow him to succeed without having to make any real changes to himself. That matters. Not only because it shows the flaws in hero society, but because it helps acknowledge how baked-deep societal ideologies can become, and how incredibly difficult and unrewarding it can be to break out from them. If all the characters were like Deku—ready to throw himself out of the mold at a moment's notice and be aggressively compassionate all over everyone—there wouldn't really be a conflict for the story to deal with. Just because Bakugo's character development can be painful at times doesn't mean it's not important for it to occur the way that it does.

#bnha #bakugo #bnha meta #bkdk #i guess

204 notes · View notes

night-rise · 1 year

Text

I think the biggest issues I had with the Owl House series were centered around two specific characters:

Alador and Hunter

One character’s story wasn’t as great as it could’ve been and the other character’s story was more great than it needed to be.

I’ll break it down separately:

(Once again as always with these negative posts before choosing to read know that these are my own personal thoughts and feelings on the show and don’t speak on the behalf of the Owl House community or its creators. If you have any negative feelings towards what you read I sincerely apologize and know it wasn’t meant as an attack or slander to you on a personal level. That being said feel free to comment what you like, I just ask you please keep it as mature, calm and civil as possible) That being said on to the post:

Alador! The Head Blight of the prestige Blight family household. Praised as a brilliant Abomination user and inventor. His work has earned him not only fortune and wealth, but reputation and respect.

With all of these facts in mind, how was his story UNBELIEVABLY underwhelming?

From the moment he was “debuted” we can already feel the power radiating off of him. You could hear it in his tone, his word was LAW and his ambitions focused and clear. He was the rule maker in the family. Plain and simple. He decided what his family does or doesn’t do.

He sounded like the type of man that wouldn’t even do what Belos would tell him to do.

The type of man and individual that Belos would want to keep close to him at all times. Which is why it PAINS me to this day that Alador wasn’t a Head Coven Witch.

Him and Odalia! Think about it.

The Blights were a BIG DEAL in season 1. Amity was looked upon and praised as the most important witchling on the isles because she was a Blight. She had expectations and special treatments because she was a Blight. Because she was also born with talents and skills of a Blight.

I mean come on! How does a “common” family be able to afford and provide Amity the Head of the EMPEROR’s FREAKIN COVEN as her personal mentor?! THE HEAD! Lilith was the right hand FIST of the Emperor. The Darth freakin Vader! And the Blights were able to get Lilith to teach their daughter!

A daughter that wasn’t part of the emperors coven yet. Still in school. That is incredible. Amity got to be Lilith’s student-

RAVEN MOM! YES!

…

(I am so sorry… I’m still recovering from that ending hug, please excuse me) ANYWAY

With such special treatments and fame around Amity wouldn’t it had made sense for her parents to be higher up the food chain than what they were in the actual show?

Alador and Odalia should’ve BOTH been Head Witch’s. One for Abomination and the other Oracle. Being the only witches in history to be of the same family but both climb to Head Witch status.

This storyline not only would’ve been more interesting but it would’ve saved sooo much more time.

Think about it, we have two Head witches we know NOTHING about because there simply wasn’t any room for them.

Alador and Odalia being head witches would’ve given our heroes a reason to interact with them and given more depth to Amity’s story. Something she DESPERATELY needed. Her being ANOTHER character who’s story wasn’t as great as it could’ve been.

And I mean we don’t have to make him the abusive controlling parent. Just stubborn and neglectful.

Odalia is the still the abusive controlling one. But Alador is in full control of it. Allowing it, as long as it makes his kids stronger for it.

Alador would’ve made an amazing villain. A complex villain. Someone that was a HUGE threat to our heroes but could easily turn around and do the right thing whenever he felt like it.

Alador could’ve at some point choice to protect his family rather than do what the Emperor wanted him to do. It wouldn’t make him forgiven, but more respected and seen as an ally instead of an enemy.

Alador’s story, it was nice, but we ALL know it could’ve been a thousand times better.

HUNTER! The Golden Guard… The personal guard of the Emperor of the Isles. Of all witch and demon kind. …this guy had an aura of power around him since the day we met him… literally…

When we first saw him in season 1 we were ALL convinced he was going to be this top tier spy/villain. But instead we got… well, a child in a mask.

Before I go any further I feel the need to say I freakin love Hunter. He’s a sweetheart. A badass. And overall amazing character that I’m happy they brought onto the show.

HOWEVER. His story was way “more” than it needed to be. Way more complex. Way more deep and involved. I’m happy we have him, I’m just bitter of how much of him we GOT.

I love his (original) origin story. A powerless witch with no powers since the day he was born. That could’ve been taken in so many directions.

First off it would’ve thrown us off the “spy” scenario. I REALLY wanted a spy to infiltrate the Owl family and sabotage them.

Hunter being introduced as the new kid at hexside. Everyone picking on him because he’s a “no witch” orphan, from a long line of “no witches”. His being the ONLY witch family on the Boiling Isles with no powers. Luz also having no powers and Willow being the “half a witch” sympathize and befriend him. Just like he planned.

Willow developing feelings for him overtime and Hunter conflicted starts feeling the same towards her. Which would make his reveal all the more heartbreaking and devastating.

Amity, being the ONLY one suspecious of him, investigates him. Causing a rift and tension from an already shaky bond with Willow, and problems between her and even Luz, when she tries to warn them about her suspicions.

Amity eventually figuring out who Hunter truly is and “betraying” the group by joining the Emperors coven and being a spy of her own. Hunter giving her early access to the coven in hopes of keeping her quiet. But really she’s only in it to protect her friends from him. Going as far as to pretend she hated her friends for not believing her.

A moment of redemption for Lilith as well when she tries to get her former student out of there by begging Amity not to make the same mistakes she did.

All leading to amazing fight scenes between the group.

I’m talking Amity vs Willow, Luz vs Amity, and then eventually:

Luz and Amity vs The Golden Guard

That would’ve been an AMAZING fight! Hunter with his artificial magic staff, mask and all vs Lumity on the day of Unity! Around the same time Harpy Eda and Harpy Lilith were fighting Belos on top of the Isles head! It would’ve been beautiful. Romantic! Symbolic! A master piece! Everything going down under blood red skies…

Hunter not wanting hurt Willow or the new friends he made, and discovering Belos orphaned him by murdering his family (via information provided by Amity who found The Emperors journal while remaining a spy) betrays the Emperor and joins the group.

A quick and easy turn that keeps his character the same and makes Huntlow canon.

None of this Grimwalker/Caleb stuff. Caleb doesn’t even exist. Philip was the ONLY human to ever be on the isles before Luz. And Hunter is a descendent of him.

Philip wasn’t even evil. He just became evil by being corrupted and possessed by the spirit of an evil Titan. (No collector either)

Belos plan was to revive himself by transporting his remains to the human realm and combining the two suns.

Short and simple. Not overly complicated. Not overly dramatic. Simple and Clean that gives more time and development to characters that were already introduced in season 1.

That’s the BIGGEST issue I have with Hunter, his story took ALL the limited time we had on the show. All the time we could have had on Lilith’s redemption story and Amity’s development.

Amity’s story could’ve had WAY MORE DEPTH if Hunter’s story was cut in half.

His story did NOT need to be as big or as deep or as complex than it needed to be.

It’s actually unbelievable looking back at it now… these were the two I was most afraid of besides Belos :/

#the owl house #long post #alador blight #toh alador #hunter the golden guard #toh hunter #hunter toh #hunter the owl house

26 notes · View notes