#this wasn't supposed to become a full meta !

[blackopals-world]

Pen to Paper

Writer!femYuu and NRC students

(+Grampa Trein)

Yuu didn't have much to offer this world. There wasn't much she was good at. All she had were loose stories she vaguely remembered from her old world. She just wanted to remember that world. (Bare with me. I'm trying to convey this as best as I can with a kind of meta subject)

Trein made his assignment easy for the week. Just write about an interesting event from their homeland.

But Yuu didn't know much about this world and while it might have been interesting stories within it she could help that she had no connection to it. She felt it when she thought about her world. Or worlds to be exact.

She had asked Trein to help her due to her lack of knowledge.

"I simply asked for you to write about the lands you come from. If you come from another world it's all the more reason to write about it." rein said gently. He could probably see how much the assignment troubled her.

Yuu wondered what her classmate would think about her home and her old life. Still, she decided to write.

It was hard to explain but she started where she began.

In a land, in a kingdom, in a city, in the heavens. This was where she was born. In the land of gates, Halos.

The floating city was the center of the many realms that bordered it, it was also called the Nexus. It was a given that it's people were called "Travelers", those who dedicate their lives to seeing worlds unknown.

The young girl loved her home and never wished to leave. Even though she watched her friends come and go, she couldn't bear to.

But staying had a cost. Unlike the others, she never gained abilities bestowed on them as rewards for journeying into the unknown. She didn't even have wings to fly like the others.

One day she was given no choice but to leave. Life in Halos was becoming dangerous. To escape she was forced to jump through a gate and sent to another realm.

Trein skimmed the pages again. Was that it? That's not even a full story.

"Miss Yuu. You put alot of thought into this I'm sure but this isn't even a complete story." Trein only glared skeptical when Yuu smiled meekly.

"Well that's the thing. This story is called "The unfinished ballad" it's one of the first stories of my people. It's also the first story children learn." Yuu shyly rubbed the back of her head as she spoke. She knew this story the most considering how popular it was.

"It's supposed to be unfinished then? What kind of story is that? Not to be rude but I've never heard of something like that." Trein had seen many things but never heard of a culture like that. It certainly sounded like another world.

"Yeah, some stories are left unfished for a reason. One, to remind people that not everything has a conclusion, and two, so that we can write our own endings. For thousands of years, my people have rewritten and remained the story and what happened next. Everyone has their own version." Yuu reasoned. She had never thought of it as strange. This world was different so they had different ideas.

Trein while he understood still wasn't satisfied. He let it go regardless but encouraged Yuu to tell her stories regardless.

Though he wondered if her story was true or a fairy tale.

"And Molly turned to the giant after she crossed the bridge the wight of a single hair and yelled. Oh, and Molly could yell!" Yuu took in a deep breath. "Never more churl, I'll come to Spain! I've come and I've bested you thrice."

All the children cheered as Yuu waved her hands around.

"The giant still angry at the little thief shook his fat fist and yelled, 'I'll get you Molly Whoopy! Never you terry here again or I swear I'll eat you from tips to toes'!" The children jeered and laughed at Yuu giant voice.

A little later story time was over and the kids had left the library. Yuu dusted off the chalkboard that had read "Tales from the Other World: Damsels causing Distress." It was her biweekly presentation of stories from her homeland.

As she cleaned up her props she heard a shifting behind her. When she looked up it was a few of her classmates "Rook, Kalim, and Cater" an unexpected but understandable combination. They hung out apparently. The strange part was why they were here. They weren't exactly library types nor had kids to take here.

"You didn't think I'd find you here huh freashie?" Cater teased holding up his phone to show her the library's magicam promotional post with her in the picture.

"How did you manage to find this place?" Yuu asked sheepishly.

"I'm very good at finding you." Rook smiled wryly.

"I just tagged along," Kalim added.

"And now that I posted your adorable little show everyone will know!" Cater teased holding his phone up to show her.

Yuu flushed in embarrassment. Everyone would see her talking in silly voices and waving puppets around.

"Carter you should ask to post stuff like that." Yuu's nose crinkled in frustration.

"That's not fair. The library has videos of all your shows, why can't I?" Carter argued.

"That's different, it's for the kids who can't come to all the shows. Besides no one at school could find them unless they already knew about it but everyone knows your socials." Yuu crossed her arms.

"Yuu. It's time to go." A voice interrupted.

Trein stood behind the group with Lucius trotting behind him. He had been the one to help Yuu set up the show with the library after Yuu expressed an interest in telling stories. It was after she started staying with Trein and babysitting for his granddaughters.

"Oh, sorry. I need to grab my props and I'll be right there."yuu said before waving goodbye. "Can we stop at Ana's bakery before we get home?"

"Only if you don't give any to Lucius. Even if he begs." Trein warned.

The video circulated over the weekend. Almost everyone in school had seen at least one of the storytime videos. Everyone wanted to hear more about this world with stories they had never heard. Each story had a preface about the region and the history of its origin and even if unintentional it was educational.

Next week's show was "Over the Hills and Through the Woods"

Yuu held her breath when she realized how big the crowd was with families faces watching.

She pretended not to notice Ortho sitting up front with the kids who sat criss-cross applesauce on the colorful paymat.

Riddle also sat close to the front since the rules stated that the shortest goes to the first. The parent usually hung back at the tables so no to get in the way.

Even Leona was present though he appeared to not really care along with Ruggie. Jack on the other hand was laser-focused on Yuu as she moved her props. Perhaps he knew that the first story was "The Wolf".

"Gather around children and listen to my tale, of a little girl who walked through the woods," Yuu said mysteriously as the lights dimmed on queue. "Stories about children getting in trouble then they wonder beyond their yard are common across the world and it's no different in mine. But today's tale comes from a storyteller I once met."

Yuu tapped a button and suddenly music began to play.

The music was light and festive like a carnival.

"It was the folktale festival held in town and everyone young and old was there to share and tell their tales. From encounters with kings to meeting the fea everyone had a story." At the fea line the dragon and bat fea perked up a bit.

"I was eager to hear a certain teller and was running late because I just had to get the last turkey leg before anyone else got it. Unfortunately the crowd was so big and not even a mouse could squeeze by." She emphasized the word by squishing her cheeks.

The teens in the crowd wouldn't admit it but one of the reasons they were there was seeing how cute Yuu was when she acted for the show. From the funny voices to exaggerated movements.

"There was only one path that cut through the grass but the sign said no walking on the grass. And well I didn't walk. I dashed. But soon enough I learned how important rules are. Just like someone else in our first story." With that Yuu picked up a small basket and inside was a a red scarf. She wrapped it on her head and began .

"Once there was a girl from a village of people who only wore fine red clothes. Scarfs, hats, coats and hoods. The little girl was packing her bag to visit her grandmother who lived in the woods but her mother pulled her by her hood. The mother wore a beautiful scarlet scarf that she never removed and told her daughter. Don't travel in the woods after dark. The wolf will snatch you by the head and nothing will be left. But Red shook her head. I won't mom I promise. It's still light and I will be quick." Yuu clicked her tongue and the crowd knew what to expect next.

"You see Red didn't believe in the wolf. A wolf hadn't attacked in many years and certainly not during the girl's lifetime. So she had no fear but she didn't want to worry her mother. And off she was. Over the hill and through the woods to grandmother's house she went, but as she went further the woods got darker and quieter. Until she could only hear the sound of blood in her ears and her own heartbeat. As if time had chosen to spite her and rush forward the sun was setting faster. And faster. " the story had begun to take a darker turn and everyone was on edge. "But the night was lovely. She smelled moonlit flowers and hopped over bubbling streams. The air was crisp. Fireflies dotted the air. She wondered why her family hated the night so. What beauty it held."

"The shadows grew longer and the moon had taken the sun's place. And yet she heard nothing. Not even the snap of a twig. The bath grew longer and twisted unfamiliarly. Yet the girl was enchanted. What fun! What adventure! Then she heard it. Breathing. Like puffs of air on her neck. Hot like the lick of flames. Red didn't stop walking knowing that hesitation meant death." Yuu paused.

The audience stared in breathless expectation. Trying to figure out what comes next. Does the girl die? Does she live?

" Then it was gone. The air was cool and all was calm. Then she saw the hazy light of a little cottage in the woods and she ran to the door that opened to a kind old woman in a red scarf. She called to her grandmother and they hugged. They ate dinner and Red washed up for the night. And as she lay and bed she spoke. What a night I had. I traveled through the woods at night and there was no wolf this time. I knew that it was nothing. But as she turned to sleep a shadow in her window spoke. It's red piercing eyes gaping maw open in a sneer." Yuu held a breath before continuing in a deep voice "Oh, but you must travel through those woods again and again... said a shadow at the window... and you must be lucky to avoid the wolf every time... But the wolf... the wolf only needs enough luck to find you once."

The room was silent. The children looked on in shock, fear and amazement. Parents nodded along in amusement knowing a good scare could stop their child from doing something wrong.

Jack liked that story, alot. In fact the Savanaclaws found the story to be something worth hearing and hilarious. Leona would have liked it better if the girl got eaten.

Riddle liked the lesson most.

Floyd and Jade also liked it and compared it to the "Wolf eel" a mer version of the tale. It was far more bloody.

"That's why you must listen to rules my dears. Something I learned as well. When I tried to cross the grass as I dashed and scampered. But every step didn't get me any closer to the tent I wanted to go to. It was as if I was going in circles as I heard the singing from the music tent I felt like I had just passed. Suddenly I saw myself walking toward a different tent a bright red one with yellow trim, green ropes, and blue stakes in the ground that was on the grass. I didn't realize it at first but as I sat down for the show everyone else in the tent was not people like me. They had bright colorful hair, hooves, horns, wings, and other non-human traits. I was in fact among the fae. Not totally uncommon in my realm but usually the stuff of storytellers only. Hardly unusual here but the fae of my realm are different from yours plus that's hardly the most unusual people I've met. I once got invited to a banquet of demons and angels just to settle an argument but that's another tale. I stayed and listened to their stories as they welcomed me. We laughed, danced, and shared more tales still. When it was time to leave I said my goodbyes and left the tent. And the festival grounds were empty even though it would be three more days until was over. I should have known better than to party with the fae when I had plans. I never got to listen to the storyteller I wanted to meet. That's another reason we follow the rules." Yuu said finishing the first round of stories.

The crowd laughed seeing that Yuu was more concerned about missing an event then being trapped with the fae.

Another reason to come to these shows is Yuu's personal stories were so wild. No one knew if they were true or not. If you asked she'd say the same thing "Truth is stranger then fiction."

(I finally freed it from my drafts after months. And I swear my dyslexia is getting worse.)

#writer!yuu #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland yuu #mozus trein #twst trein #twst jack #jack howl x reader #jack howl #cater diamond #twst cater #twst kalim #kalim al asim #twst leona #leona kingscholar #riddle rosehearts #twst riddle #rook hunt #twst rook

[percheduphere]

honestly I'm more at a loss when people say sylki is canon. I am...very confused by what people mean by that. they were never anything romantic together? I honestly feel like I've missed a whole season of the show when that gets said. that's not from a shipping standpoint; that's from nothing happening that'd make them "canon"

like, to ship sylki is still to ship something that isn't and didn't become "canon". it's still wanting something that didn't happen between them

like, even if sylvie was an intended "love interest" (was she? even? on the basis of her being a woman that loki connects with?), I don't call that alone a romantic relationship between them being "canon". Like, if elizabeth bennet and mr darcy never became anything, they're not "canon". that's just something that could have been but wasn't.

they were never actually anything?

LET'S TALK ABOUT "CANON" & BISEXUAL REPRESENTATION, THE SERIES' MIDPOINT & THE THEME OF BETRAYAL, AND THE SUBJECTIVITY OF ROMANCE

I've been sitting on this inbox comment/ask for a long time because I wanted to make sure I respond in a way that feels productive, kind, and doesn't step on other fans' joy. Having said that, as a Lokius shipper, I think it's really important for Lokius shippers and Sylki shippers to unite on at least one subject and that's positive bisexual representation. This isn't meant to be a harsh reply--I understand what the anon is saying from their point of view--but I also want to delineate between canon and personal interpretation/taste.

I also want to note that it's unfair to disavow Mobius and Sylvie's impact on Loki, Loki's impact on each of them as a result of his individual relationships with them, and thus the impact Mobius and Sylvie have on one another separate from Loki. Doing so really halves the overall richness of the story, and taking this into account is why my metas are so annoyingly long. This one, in particular, is a mess but hopefully I've managed to wrangle it into some kind of coherence that addresses the anon ask that is respectful to Sylki. Fear not, Lokius shippers, I discuss Lokius in this post, too. But first, let's talk about canon and bisexual representation ...

CANON AND BISEXUAL REPRESENTATION

Canon is often defined as: 1.) what is actually written in text (as opposed to subtext), AND 2.) what the creator(s) verbally confirm.

I've said before and I'll keep repeating: the most important aspect of art is art's relationship with the reader/viewer. Individual interpretation is what escalates a medium to a deeply personal and, at times, spiritual level. Art is supposed to make us think and feel. We're supposed to interact with it and do with it what we will. This is particularly important when we consider that much of consumable art is hampered by the demands of capitalism. Fan-interpretation democratizes what people without power want to see and hear, whereas canon (especially mass media canon) often self-censures to sell to the widest audience.

From the creators' standpoint, Sylvie has always been intended to be Loki's romantic interest, and Loki was always intended to have romantic feelings for her. This is what the creators tell us. Whether or not one likes Sylvie and Loki together is subjective.

As for the text, the plot between Loki and Sylvie has the markers of a romance, albeit one that doesn't come into full fruition. By full fruition, I mean a happy ending with each character affirming one's love for the other and committing to being together. Now, a relationship doesn't have to be successful or reciprocal to be considered romantic. Heck, it can be absolutely toxic and still be romantic. Whether or not the plot is convincing in its execution of romance, however, is also subjective.

What romance requires is: 1.) at least one of the characters desiring the other, and 2.) at least one of the characters willing to sacrifice for the other. Sacrifices don't have to be big, either. They can be small and cumulative.

Canonically, Loki fulfills both of these romantic requirements for Sylvie. (More on Sylvie below).

Subtextually (that is, not canon as defined above), Loki and Mobius fulfill both of these requirements for one another.

I'm gonna soap box for the next two paragraphs, so you can skip over this if that's not your jam. Both romances, canonical and subtextual, can exist concurrently without erasing the existence of the other. Even if Loki and Mobius had miraculously become canon in S2 (it's Disney, this never would have happened but let's explore the hypothetical), that doesn't erase Loki's former romance with Sylvie in S1. To erase that history is bisexual erasure, which isn't okay. Likewise, quashing the importance of queer subtext in order to "kill the other ship" isn't okay either, as it reinforces optical heteronormative romance in mass media and is also a form of bisexual erasure.

What's more important than either ship "winning" is the positive portrayal of a bisexual character. This means a character who demonstrates genuine love and devotion to people of more than one gender. If we accept the canon AND the subtext (we don't have to like it; Sylki's not my cup of tea personally, but I accept it as real), Loki fulfills positive bisexual representation, however restrained that representation may be. The social goal is to get to the point where a media juggernaut like Disney allows its franchise characters to experience relationships with more than one gender canonically and positively. We're not there yet and I'll probably be dead before Disney ever gets there, but Loki can be seen as a historical stepping stone distinct from Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens) and Steve Bonnet and Edward Teach (Our Flag Means Death).

(NOTE: Polyamory is a whole separate subject matter, which I'm won't get into here.)

ON SYLVIE

There's fan dispute over Sylvie's interest in Loki. I've previously written meta on Sylvie's sexuality and how she responds to Loki's romantic advances here. In S1, while she starts off frustrated, I think Sylvie slowly develops interest and was cautiously hopeful that she and Loki could figure out their futures together. Loki has been consistent about wanting to be with Sylvie and supporting her up until the necessary plot conflict of the series midpoint (S1E6; the S1 finale). This midpoint is the root cause for why Loki and Sylvie's relationship becomes strained. Again, this doesn't mean that the romance never existed--the plotpoints are there--but it does mean Loki's character development got in the way.

So let's talk about the series' midpoint and the interplay of Mobius, Loki, and Sylvie's mutual impact. The three are so deeply entangled that it's worth untangling their cause and effect on one another.

THE SERIES' MIDPOINT & THE THEME OF BETRAYAL

I keep stressing in my other metas that the series' midpoint (S1E6) is the most critical. Structurally, midpoints are where the story turns. Midpoints occur on multiple scales: at the episode level (typically in acts 3 or 5, depending on how the screenwriter divides their screenplay), at the season level, and at the series level. Midpoints are what provide the overall narrative and character arcs with movement.

As a whole, there are 3 key midpoints in the entire series:

1.) S1E2/E3 - When Loki betrays Mobius for Sylvie (midpoint of S1)

2.) S1E6 - When Loki betrays Sylvie for the "bigger picture" (midpoint of the whole series)

3.) S2E3/E4 - When it's revealed HWR betrayed Renslayer; Victory Timely is brought into the mix, and Sylvie reluctantly joins the TVA (midpoint of S2)

There is another betrayal that runs near-concurrently with #2, which is Mobius's betrayal of Renslayer (it begins in S1E4 and continues into the S1 finale). Thematically, we can take Loki's betrayal of Sylvie and Mobius's betrayal of Renslayer as mirrors of one another because these are the only betrayals that are motivated by good rather than selfishness. The selfish betrayals of #1 and #3 bookend betrayal #2 to highlight the beginning Loki's readiness to become a hero in S1E6. Where S1 focuses on Loki exploring who he is, S2 focuses on the hero Loki will become. S1E6 therefore serves as Loki's turn, his launching point to get to where he lands in S2E6. The story is really well-structured!

The poetic irony is that Loki's S1E6 betrayal was not an act of villainy, but an act of character growth.

There is plot set-up for Loki's betrayal of Sylvie, and that set-up is 2-pronged: 1.) from Sylvie's end, her misinterpretation of Loki's intentions, and 2.) from Mobius's end, the provision of unconditional friendship. Building up to these prongs are S1E1 - S1E3, in which Loki's self-interest and impulsivity are emphasized. S1E4 pivots Loki from self-interest and impulsivity to consideration for others and caution. Sylvie did not bear witness to Loki and Mobius's interactions in S1E1-S1E2 and S1E4 in the time loop chamber. She has no context for why Loki would hesitate killing HWR. I'll discuss this more under "Prong 2".

PRONG 1: SYLVIE'S MISINTERPRETATION

In the scene below (S1E5), Sylvie makes an assumption about what Loki wants and Loki admits via subtext that ruling a timeline actually won't make him happy.

Sylvie smiles in response, implying she understands what Loki means, however Loki often speaks in double-meanings (he cannot be trusted) and Sylvie has doubts (she cannot trust). From Sylvie's point-of-view, Loki has discussed the desire to rule with her 3 times (writers' magic 3s again). Above is the third. The previous 2 are:

1.) In their first confrontation in S1E2, when Loki offers Sylvie the opportunity to be his lieutenant. (Can't find the gif of this. Grr ...)

2.) On Lamentis (S1E3) in the scene below:

By S1E6, Loki has no interest in rule.

He's honest when he says he's worried about the greater ramifications of killing HWR. Sylvie doesn't believe him. The question is how did Loki arrive at this point in his character arc? Why slow down now? Why worry about the consequences now?

The answer is in S1E4.

PRONG 2: MOBIUS'S UNCONDITIONAL FRIENDSHIP

It's established in S1E1 that Mobius knows Loki better than Loki knows himself and consequently better than Sylvie knows Loki. A lot of Mobius-haters despise Mobius's cold confrontational tactics but it is those same tactics that force Loki to self-reflect. And to be clear, Mobius uses cruelty in S1E1 because 2012 Loki would not believe in, let alone listen to, softness and compassion. Cruelty is a language 2012 Loki understands, therefore Mobius communicates with him on that level to get him to listen and start thinking about the answers to the hard questions.

Not exactly the gif I wanted, but close enough. In this scene, Mobius wonders why Loki, who "has so much range", wants a throne. He then asks Loki, what's next? The implication of these questions is that Mobius knows Loki will never be satisfied. He knows, deep down, a throne is a poor substitute for what Loki really wants: love, acceptance, and companionship.

Mobius's tone is mocking, his note that Loki has a wide range is complimentary, and the question is serious. Further, and this important, Mobius gives Loki respect in conjunction with his cruelty, his compliments, and his seriousness by acknowledging Loki's intelligence ("I am smart"; "I know") and his potential to be more than a villain ("That's not how I see it"). Understandably, this strange, dizzying mix of seemingly contradictory truths puts Loki off-balance.

Their tenuous allyship becomes a friendship in Mobius's eyes near the end of S1E2. Mobius is practically squeeing about Loki's multiple breakthroughs and how well they work together to Renslayer:

And Loki genuinely looks excited to help Mobius. Look at that fist-pump. Mobius doesn't see it, he's ahead of Loki, so his enthusiasm isn't an act. The seeds of mutual trust (rather than doubt) have been planted.

Unfortunately, Loki's poor impulse control and need to hedge his bets out of self-interest lead him to betraying Mobius. Both Sylvie and Mobius take Loki's betrayals poorly.

The key difference is that Mobius cannot resist the desire to trust Loki, to want to be his friend. This desire creates Mobius's doubt in Renslayer, which in turn leads to his betrayal of her.

Forgiveness isn't easy. It requires the ability to accept disagreements and another person's shortcomings. It requires good will, faith, and a willingness to move on. It requires compromise and, at times, letting go entirely.

Mobius torturing Loki with the Sif memory loop was awful. His personal hurt is directly tied to the below admission, which informs Loki what Mobius thought of their relationship:

And that revelation startles him. It forces him to evaluate his actions that led to Mobius saying such a thing (impulsivity; self-interest). Loki, who doesn't want to be alone, desires Mobius's friendship.

So when Mobius returns to Loki with an olive branch ...

Loki offers Mobius an olive branch of his own by affirming the friendship Mobius believed in but felt betrayed by.

Thus, Loki and Mobius accept each other's olive branches. They forgive each other and repair their relationship from there. This is critical thematically because Loki and Mobius each extend olive branches to Sylvie and Renslayer respectively, both of whom reject those olive branches more than once. Sylvie and Renslayer represent opposite ends of the chaos versus order ideology, for which neither is willing to compromise. Loki and Mobius also start out at opposite ends before meeting in the middle.

Sylvie unfortunately does not know anything about Loki's interactions with Mobius and how those interactions have impacted Loki's motivations. She doesn't know that Loki wants to "slow down and think about this" because the last time he acted on impulse, it turned out he almost threw Mobius's friendship out the window without realizing he had his friendship in the first place.

For her, the seeds of doubt have already been planted: Loki betrayed the TVA to pursue her, Loki expressed shock at Sylvie's desire to "walk away" rather than taking advantage of the "ultimate power vacuum" once the TVA is destroyed, he expresses the desire to rule 3 times. Therefore, it's perfectly reasonable for Sylvie to assume Loki would betray her for power even though she had hopes to the contrary. Romantic tragedy? Absolutely. Believable? Depends on who you ask and what your personal taste is.

There must be some kind of sentiment on Sylvie's part, however, because she chooses not to kill Loki. Instead, she kisses him goodbye and throws him through a time door.

Mobius's friendship is therefore the catalyst for everything that unravels between Loki and Sylvie in S1E6 (the series' midpoint). I think it's safe to interpret Sylvie's tearing into Mobius in S2E4 as not only due to being in the TVA and having all her traumas brought to the surface, but also due to experiencing jealousy. This level of anger matches Mobius's outrage about Sylvie in S1E4! Note, however, that this interpretation of Sylvie's interaction with Mobius is subtext. Subtext goes many ways!

THE SUBJECTIVITY OF ROMANCE

Are Loki and Sylvie a believable romance? It depends on your taste.

A fictional couple's overall successful reception by the audience (which is rarely if ever 100%) is contingent on a few things:

1.) Character development

2.) Story execution

3.) Chemistry between the actors

Reception and interpretation of the above are all subjective. In addition to these elements, another important factor is couple trope. Depending on your preference, some tropes might be nope while others are yum. You might even like most tropes but the actor chemistry, character development, and/or plot are just not doing it for you.

Loki and Mobius follow the tropes of:

Opposites attract/Complementary set

Sunshine and cynic

Enemies to allies to friends to lovers

Sherlock and Watson

Slow burn

Ride or Die

Loki and Sylvie, on the other hand, follow the tropes of:

Exceptionally similar but with key differences/Matching Set

BAMF duo

Enemies to allies to lovers

Bonnie and Clyde

Fast and passionate

Ride or Die

Loki and Sylvie's romantic dynamic may be compared to the following couples in other media:

Batman and Catwoman

Jack Sparrow and Angelica Teach

Benedict and Beatrice

If you notice, they all have very similar personality traits. They also fight and fight a LOT. It's part of their charm and can add to their chemistry.

Personally, I didn't feel any chemistry between Loki and Sylvie, I didn't feel like there was enough warmth between them, and I really wanted Loki to be loved by someone who makes an effort to understand him rather understanding his core traits off the bat by being the same entity. Loki and Mobius hit all the right story beats for me. Tom and Owen's chemistry as actors is remarkable. I'm also a sucker for ball of sunshine and cynic dynamics.

But that's just me. That doesn't mean I don't see what the creators tried to do with Loki and Sylvie in terms of plot, character development, and couple tropes. Some people felt chemistry between Tom and Sophia, others (like me) didn't. Whatever the case, the canon exists and the romantic tropes are there. I just feel the subtextual romance between Loki and Mobius is stronger and that, again, is my subjective judgment.

#loki #lokius #mobius #loki series #loki season 2 #loki meta #my meta #asks #sylvie #loki analysis #my analysis

[namichanth]

Everything stays (Twins AU)

Summary: There was a song that only Damian and Danyal know.

Note : This is my first one short write in English. There will be incorrect words.

..................................................................................

Damian is looking for his brother.

It's dark now, which is their bedtime.

After a few minutes of searching, he found his brother sitting and relaxing on the grass under the tree.

He was humming.

Let's go in the garden

You'll find something waiting

“What are you doing?” Damian walked up to him.

"I'm making a song"

“For what?”

“For us”

"I want a song that only we know." Danyal raised an eyebrow at his twin.

“Do you want to listen?”

“tt, don't disappoint me.” He sat down next to Danyal and shut his eyes to listen him humming.

Right there where you left it

lying upside down

“Danyal!!!”

In front of him, Danyal was lying in a pool of his own blood.

The League of Assassins came under attack. While they were fighting, Damian didn't notice that someone came behind him. He was about to be stabbed by the sword, but Danyal used himself as a shield for him. Causing him to be seriously injured.

And he didn't even have time to go check his twin's body. Because his mother took him in order to escape first.

He could only yell his twin's name. As Danyal's body gradually moved away from him.

When you finally find it,

you'll see how it's faded

It has now been two years since he moved in with his father.

He still missed Danyal.

He would softly hum a song from memory when he was alone or drawing.

Damian will sometimes be found humming and looking up at the stars from the rooftop when he patrols with one of the Batfam.

They were very surprised to see Damian doing something like this. But no one questioned him.

And tonight was another night they went on patrol.

According to the report, a meta has appeared in town. So they're going to check.

Damian now saw the figure of a boy who was supposed to be the meta they were looking for.

From behind, he had white hair and was wearing a black helmet suit.

The underside is lighter

when you turn it around

When he turned his head to him, Damian was stunned when he met Lazarus' eyes.

He has the same face as Damian.

It must be Danyal. But why did he become like this? What happened to him?

"Danya--"

Damian was about to call the boy's name, but he ran away before he could finish.

Everything stays

right where you left it

Since that night, he has been looking for him every day.

He was pretty sure that was Danyal. When he called the boy's name, he made a shocked expression when he saw him.

But Damian didn't want to hope. because he doesn't want to be disappointed.

What if that wasn't Danyal? What will he do next?

Track down that boy and bring him here for questioning? Was he a clone of him or not?

No, there is another way to verify.

Everything stays

But it still changes

Tonight is a full moon.

He sneaked out of the manor in his Robin suit.

He kept running through the rooftops. Until he again sees the boy. He hid behind a wall and watched the boy as he sat enjoying the stars.

The boy then opened his mouth and began to sing a song that only he and his twin knew.

It's really Danyal.

He came out of hiding and walked behind the boy.

Ever so slightly, daily and nightly

In little ways, when everything stays

The boy stopped singing before standing up. Then turn around and smile softly at him.

"Danyal..."

"Damian"

They stood silent for a while. before Danyal moved closer to him and gave him a light hug.

"I'm back"

He raised his hand and hugged back. He hugged Danyal tightly to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Welcome back"

He finally got his other half back.

#dc x dp #dp x dc #danny and damian are twins #secret song #damian miss his twin very much #Spotify #DPxDC

[dairy-farmer]

I have the first chapter of the Civilian AU done, it's just going through beta slowly, and I decided I wanted at least half of chapter 2 done before I posted since it's gone from 3 chapters to 4 somehow TT

But! In the meantime, do you remember the multi verse AU aside? Where canon or Canon adjacent BatFam meets Civilian AU BatFam? Well, currently I'm thinking about the reverse, for full Drama (tm).

A villain attacks a fancy gala event, a fundraiser for children's literacy programs in Gotham, planned by Tim, at Gotham oldest hotel, in the ballroom. The villain takes the building hostage kind of situation, but a child there is a meta kid whose powers of time and space manipulation, and manages to transport all 173 people to a new universe, where there is a hero named Red Robin.

Batman responds with Superman since a whole building being consumed by light and suddenly being replaced by a similar building, one without any snow and whose lights are all lit. He ends up calling Diana and Superman, plus a few other league members because he quickly realizes there's multiverse travel involved.

News channels abound by the first hour, interviewing scared guests, alternate versions of Gotham's elite and some underprivileged children and their parents. Among them is Bruce Wayne and a strange woman none of them recognize on his arm with a baby on her hip.

The woman is beautiful despite being chubbier then most socialites, but would be just curver anywhere else. She does wear the Wayne Family jewelry however, a keen Vicki Vale notes, cornering her while Superman talks with this new Bruce. And then she manages to get one of her most viewed clips

"Tim Wayne, but Mrs. Wayne is fine Ms. Vale."

"And who finally tamed Bruce Wayne? What's your maiden name, Mrs. Wayne?"

"Drake, Timothy Drake." And so the world (mostly gotham, goes fucking insane." Oh, of course they find out Tim was just his secretary but it calls everything else into light. New light is shone on Red Robin and Bats both in and out of cape, while people keep trying to save Tim Wayne from his bad situation. Jason Wayne is also there, trying to defend his step mom and Dad, while everyone else thinks they're like in a cult or something. The cult of Bruce as it were.

Red Robin is so into DILF Bruce and his wife and soon gets seen making out with Mrs. Wayne of course 🤭🤭🤭

-Lady Lilac aka ♡♡♡

😍😍😍😍😍!!!! i LOVEE canon-verse/canon adjacent interacting with the multiverse!!!!!!!!!

i love the idea that tim in the civilian secretary au is a real martha wayne type socialite! because even in red robin and batman's universe this sort of expected way that married socialites are supposed to behave and act. no matter how progressive society becomes high society very much has deeply patriarchal values and failing to adhere to them gets you excluded, shunned, and bad mouthed. so everyone, bruce too, needs to adhere to it. and as much as the whole 'playboy' thing may have been entertaining and funny for much of high society, the older he got meant more than a few people started...wondering why he wasn't settling down. it's not like he was short of choice. and him turning down their daughters and such would be alright with them if he brought around women of equal or better standing but instead he'd bring about the likes of miss....selina kyle. well then at that point more than a few people start getting offended. angry even. bruce has a lot of money and has done a lot of work to make sure civilians never perceive him as more than a harmless idiot and that's great. that helps a lot for his work as batman. but it damages the work he can do as bruce wayne. bruce's actions are seen as disrespectful towards people with very deep pockets, deep pockets who can do a lot for the city. while the batman of one universe has a lot of charitable endeavors and does well...he doesn't do nearly as well as the batman of another universe. a batman who got married to a wonderful, darling little wife. who had plenty of rosy cheeked babies that all the wealthy grandmamas at galas and balls would coo over and pinch. a batman who managed to not step on any toes with tim there to apologize for him and grease squeaky wheels, who worked with him as a well oiled machine to make sure every ambitious goal they had in mind for the city came to fruition (because it turns out that bruce is more at ease at those events if he has someone holding his hand). tim takes the reins of the good will and projects for a 'better gotham of tomorrow'. being held in high regard means more solid connections, ones that bruce doesn't have the luxary of like of the newest mayor who is listening very intently over hor d'oeuvres about improved city planning so all those abandoned factories that are all around the city can re-enter production (sure it will make some people are a lot richer than they need to be but it will also ensure that a boom of jobs occurs in gotham with it's struggling market). so tim has his "little projects" that the other wives and ergo their husbands attend.

because tim is VERY well received by high society and all its stuffiness because he plays dutiful, loving wife who supports his husband.

tim and bruce's eldest child is just starting elementary school and it brought out stories from jason about his first day in first grade and about how he'd been one of only three kids who had been able to read a handful of words by the end of the year. and tim...well he thinks of all those children in his step son's place who still don't have the resources. the gotham media eats up how tim always has a new project coming out. a few of the crueler journalists make a joke about how he almost pops out as many charities and benefits as he does kids. that particular online newspaper gets blacklisted from all WE events.

tim does a good job and its the first of his projects he's undertaken with jason helping him on. having jason around helps especially since tim is very far along with jason's latest baby sibling. the program for literacy is a success. it's also the biggest task they've undertaken since in their research they realized a significant portion of adults from the lower income bracket in gotham were also illiterate. jason is the one who comes up with the idea for making the program run on a tv channel. unlike when he was a kid, nowadays most people had tvs. and since there were no playgrounds or places to play that didnt have broken bottles or dirty needles lying around that meant most kids watched tv.

having the kid's program be on tv meant that other information like job resources, night schools, and other programs could be spread to the parents of the child who were either in the room or watching with them.

it's a success. jason is the happiest that bruce has ever seen him as he gets ready for the one year celebration at a nice vintage hotel that is popular with the older crowd of socialites. normally jason hates these events but he's more than willing to shake a few hands in order to see the looks on kids from his old neighborhood's face when they see that the night's goal for the benefit is converting some of those condemned apartment buildings into a multilevel afterschool care center.

damian is relieved he doesn't have to go and has volunteered to stay the night with his younger siblings (no one mentions about how dick is upstairs and could easily babysit).

tim is cooing to their sweet one year old that they're taking (with them because the baby can be a little fussy) and beautifully filling out the silk halter dress he's in. their poor baby is whining and pawing at his mother for milk even though they're trying to wean him.

bruce is happy and content to accompany his wife and sons to the event. that changes very quickly when some masked gunmen show up because of course something has to happen when they're doing something for the underprivileged part of gotham.

jason is furious and carefully shielding tim and his baby brother across the room while bruce is in agony having to watch them as they're ordered on their knees with their side of the room.

but then...something pops.

there's no other way to describe it. it's like a big shiny soap bubble in his ears inflate and...pop.

bruce recognizes the sensation. it'd be hard not to recognize the sensation of dimensional travel though....he doesn't recall it ever happening with such a massive group before. in fact it might be the whole building because the front doors suddenly let in a gust of icy gotham winter wind even though bruce knows for a fact it's july.

normally bruce would be on alert. an entire building of people suddenly appearing must've set off every large energy monitor in the cave. if there's a batman in this dimension then...he must already be on his way.

the lights in the ballroom cut out for a moment but flicker back on. the gunmen are hunched over alongside many other guests who are in pain from sudden popped eardrums. many of the young children are crying including bruce's youngest child who is sobbing and burying his face in his mother's neck. the lights flicker again and bruce's knuckles throb from knocking out the gunmen as he crosses the ballroom to reach his family.

bruce is right about there being a batman in this universe and it appears this batman has wisely requested the justice league come help. and he does arrive. but not as fast as the gotham media who descend on this event like bloodhounds.

a few guests make calls on their phones, which apparently still work, asking for ambulances because a few of them panic at the blood leaking from their ears. ruptured eardrums are hardly something to panic about but bruce's heart aches at the sound of his baby sobbing. jason is helping comfort the other children while bruce carefully checks over tim, pressing firm fingers to tim's soft, pillowy sides.

bruce pulls himself from tim's side for only one reason and its at the sight of superman. his family might have thought he's turned into a softy ever since tim entered his life but if this is a universe with a hostile superman...well he'll deal with it.

it's not. clark is just as he remembers him. despite his firm voice in questioning and wary gaze as bruce approaches, dodging other reporters, there's a...softness...a relaxed sort of fondness that bruce hasn't seen in a while.

things had been awkward for a while after bruce married tim. and although clark may have come around there was an awkwardness between them. clark may not have said lois disapproved of their continued friendship- and maybe he did it to spare bruce's feelings but...he knew.

with this clark, once he figures out bruce isn't a threat by listening to his steady heartbeat, there's no...tension. no small lines of stress between his brow.

it's while he's talking with clark that the batman of this universe shows up and starts harshly interrogating him in low tones, quiet enough that surrounding guests being interviewed or attended to by paramedics don't hear. it's while theyre occupied that vicki vale makes her move.

bruce really shouldn't be surprised by the sharpness and readiness of the media. especially vicki. after all, it was those drama ridden articles she published about him and tim that was what landed her a talk show spot on good morning gotham.

the clip is circulating barely three hours later but within minutes of vicki finding out tim is his wife other reporters similarly descend and bruce has to leave the conversation to protect his wife from all their probing while dismissing their questions with tense words that they're frightening his wife and child.

jason swoops in for a rescue but grows hostile at the accusational questions about bruce and his and tim's relationship.

jason's harsh demand that they leave his mom alone elicits even more buzz. elicited and bloodthirsty buzz.

it reminds bruce a lot of how the media acted right after his surprise wedding announcement.

bruce is stuck dealing with a repeat of that so that means that fixing the whole dimensional mess falls to the batman and justice league of this world. thankfully keeping track of the guests is easy since they're in a hotel that had been on the decline for awhile and there are plenty of open rooms to house all the guests and families that attended.

turns out that in this universe this hotel was boarded up and shut down ages ago. that at least lightens concern about the hotel that is now in bruce's dimension.

it's been a while since bruce was enveloped in a media storm but thankfully, once they get over their shock, this dimension's batman and the justice league start gathering all the reporters up, trying to limit their probing into the situation given that the average person has no experience with alternate dimensions.

bruce appreciates it even if he catches a few of their grimaces and pursed lips. a few of the bats remain at the hotel to oversee and monitor the situation.

bruce recognizes all of them except one dressed in red and black wearing a cowl.

he catches the name. red robin. but can't quite pin the name to the suit.

until a few reporter photograph open windows and both he and the rest of gotham are treated to the sight of red robin and his tim wetly making out. black gloved hands squeeze his tim's plush waist and full tits and oh how bruce would recognize that pretty blush painting the visible part of red robin's face anywhere.

and well...bruce must admit he's only human. and given the stress of the situation he's certain that he's allowed a moment of weakness.

#answered asks #asks #anonymous #brutim

[mollysunder]

Was Seraphine Supposed to be Piltover's Jinx?

I think it's really interesting that on a meta level, Jinx and Seraphine are near complete opposites. I'm not even talking about the punk/pop, blue hair-pink eyes and pink hair-blue eyes contrast they've got. Both champions follow similar development beats that led to very different results. Let's compare the debut of these two champions. Jinx releases with a music video, the first of its kind done by Riot/Fortiche for a champion, just because they could. Before Jinx's official release, her debut was teased a with a clever marketing campaign where she vandalized the pages of related champions like Vi with her graffiti. With Jinx’s release was also a cleaner introduction of Zaun's aesthetic shift into punk street fashion that later champions like Ekko and Zeri would take on as well, without it being too jarring. By now it's inarguable to say that Jinx has not just been well received as a flagship champion for the region, but through Arcane, has become critically acclaimed.

Seraphine has a much messier history. You can argue she was created to be an idol champion before a Piltovan champion, hence why her design doesn't really match with Piltover's aesthetics. Seraphine debuted as a part of KDA, a pre-existing LoL virtual band, and her release was marketed with a months long interactive social media campaign. In the end, all it did was give Seraphine's character more negative attention to how tone deaf Seraphine's story actually was. Seraphine as a champion had to have her story rehabbed and slowly gain more positive attention from lol fans over time.

Even on a narrative level Jinx and Seraphine are trying to accomplish two very different things coming from divergent backgrounds. Now that Arcane's canon, we can say that Jinx is an orphan whose parents died for better conditions for Zaun. Years later Jinx ensures the full separation of the two city-states by kickstarting the war between the two.

In Seraphine's original story, she's born in Piltover to Zaunite parents that sold everything to make sure their kid has a chance for a better life. Seraphine wants to use her music to unite the two cities, but to do what exactly? What does unity mean when it's not between equals? Zaun broke off from Piltover for a good reason, and I can't see many eager join hands with them.

After all these years Jinx's character and story became further elevated and enmeshed in Riot's lore and Zaun's worldbuilding, but Seraphine's in limbo as her story will have to be reworked again to account for Arcane (tho thay might be welcome because it wasn't that great to begin with).

#league of legends #arcane #jinx arcane #jinx lol #seraphine lol #it really does feel like riot tried to do the same beats jinx had with seraphine #but just with piltover instead of zaun #they just missed bcuz the writing for piltover tends to be biased towards them so it has glaring blindspots in execution #they probably wanted to make seraphine the new face of piltover #but it didn't work out for her like it did jinx

[hush-writes-preg]

This blog needs more enby pregnancy I think, so here's something that's been on my mind lately:

Being in the very early stages of labor for a multiples pregnancy, triplets maybe, and being in the stage where you're supposed to rest and save your strength for the impending birth. So I'm resting on a comfy bed at the birthing center with my partner (or partners, I'm polyamorous and I've always thought that I'd prefer to parent as a group of more than just two). I've already stripped down to just a shirt and boxers to make things easier later and everything is already uncomfortable, tiny breasts sensitive and leaking with what milk I'm able to produce, hugely gravid belly strained with the movement of my brood and the occasional contraction, and the somewhat shameful arousal between my legs. I can't help it though, the fact that I'll soon be a parent is a turn on and my little meta dick is painfully hard and my cunt slick. It's okay though, because my partner is there to hold me and sooth my discomfort and coax me through a gentle orgasm to help with the arousal and offset the labor pain and reassure that we'll be good parents, that the birth will go smoothly and they'll be there to support me throughout everything.

Just overall very soft pre birth things. I wanna be that full and uncomfortable and have someone take care of me, it sounds nice

I'll never say no to soft enby pregnancy. ❤️

Your pregnancy hasn't been the easiest, but when you've been hauling around three new lives in your belly, it's kind of understandable why.

But despite the challenges, despite the scares and aches and just plain discomfort, you can't really complain-- because you've had your partners at your side every step of the way.

Especially now, at the birth center and in the early stages of your labor. It's been a few hours since the contractions started, and the two of them have been coddling you even more than they have over the past few months. There's always a hand on you somewhere, lovingly rubbing your restless body, and soft words and softer lips constantly caress you.

Your shirt is damp with milk and sticking to your chest, while your boxers are scrunched low beneath the massive swell of your pregnant abdomen. Your belly is constantly moving, whether from the tight clench of a contraction or from the agitated movements of your babies-- they know that something's about to change, but they don't yet know what. They don't understand that your body is moving them into position for the upcoming birth.

You, however, are incredibly aware.

Every sound, every movement, every sensation is a reminder that you're about to become a parent, and fuck if that doesn't have you painfully turned on. The slickness between your thighs has nothing to do with your broken water, and you're sure that you'd be able to see your meta dick straining through your boxers if your belly wasn't in the way. You never expected to be so uncomfortable yet so unbelievably horny at the same time.

But your partners know. They know, and they're helping you through it just like they've helped you with everything else. One of them is behind you in the bed, cradling your laboring body against theirs, while the other is at your side with a gentle hand between your legs.

"It's okay," they whisper, and you can't help but believe them as their fingers stroke. "You've got this. The birth is gonna go nice and smooth, and once it's over, we are gonna make the best parents. All three of us."

Already struggling to bite back your sounds of pleasure, all you can do is nod.

"And we'll be here to help you with everything," your other partner says as they splay their fingers over your tight middle. "Just like we always have."

The love and the comfort and your partner's clever touch are finally enough to coax you through a soft orgasm. It's not earth-shattering by any means, but it's enough to take the edge off of your frustration and the labor pain.

You've got this. All three of you do.

#hush answers #birth kink #nb birth #enby birth #nbpreg #nb pregnancy #enby pregnancy #transpreg #trans pregnancy #trans preg #trans birth #polyamorous birth #polyamorous pregnancy #hush writes preg

[moontheoretist]

This moment when you learn that Adventurine is Romani and that his entire planet is named with a word that in both english and slavic are considered slurs against Romani people... I guess the galaxy at large is anti-Roma if they called that planet Sigonia-IV. If Hoyo doesn't give us info that this planet was actually named differently by the people living on it that wasn't named a giant slur, then I'll have to assume that Hoyo is ok with naming a whole ass planet full of Romani-based people with a slur used against those people. And it's bad. At least Adventurine's clan is named somewhat nicely, but what does it change when every single one of them was killed and Adventurine is the only survivor?

I can't shake the feeling it's a very racist portrayal, because the meta message basically assumes that a Roma-based character can't have anything akin to a normal life. That they have to suffer, lose everybody, and become a tragic character "working" for a huge space corporation that couldn't care less about people. Only to ultimately "die" for the sake of said corporation and possibly never be able to come back from the state of spiritual death. And even if he managed, he knows that all his achievements were monopolized by that corporation and that he has virtually nothing to his name and nobody to come back to. The only positive is that he is supposedly blessed with luck by Gaiathra.

Don't take me wrong disgussing the tragedy that happens to minority groups is important and should be done in media, but there is also a point often brought up that if your group is constantly represented as struggling to get by and opressed and nothing else then people start to internalize the idea that this is the only way those characters and people they're based on can live. That there is no normalcy that they have in life, so no normalcy is expected from their portrayals. This happened to queer people. We all grew tired of being constantly only represented as a group whose only point in the story is to be visibly opressed and that we never got a chance to have normal lives as well.

If he comes back, will Hoyo give him a better life? We will see.

Still... the implications are so ugh. I can't speak more about it as I'm not Roma and I definitely don't understand the stuff enough to say anything substancial, but this just looks kind of bad as it is now.

Fortunately there are Roma creators I can direct you to for better insight in regard to Adventurine and his roma-based heritage:

In addition to the video: When I learned that Adventurine (Kakavasha) is supposed to be Romani his design stopped being ok to me. Because it means Hoyo appropriated a real life oppression of a group so they could then stick it to a white guy in a video game. It says a lot about Hoyo, who already had similar issues in Genshin Impact before. It feels like Hoyo fears melanin, because there are other Chinese video game studios who don't stray from using dark skintone on their characters and those characters are selling pretty well, so what's the issue?

#honkai star rail #adventurine #kakavasha #anti-roma #romani people #roma people #character design #media studies #hoyoverse critical #racism #fantasy racism #honkai star rail spoilers

[firendgold]

Pk now I want to hear tour rant about how Harrydore is bettter than Grindeldore. Bring it 🤣❤️

ohhh, this one's easy. I've been in this fandom on and off since 2006, and seen how Harry, Albus and Gellert were written pre- and post-'Dumbledore closet interview'. cracks knuckles

got to hit you with that readmore though. and it's going to be in two parts. I rambled again. ^^

🗲

//

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

//

(...'rambled' is perhaps an understatement.)

🗲

grindeldore vs harrydore

grindeldore

the tl;dr of the below is the following sentences, and then I'll get into it. My philosophy on gr*ndeld*re extends to all other ships in all other fandoms, especially HP: if it's not an AU and you have to excessively mischaracterize Character A to get them to 'fit' with Character B, then it's not a good ship, canon or not. Albus Dumbledore is quite often mischaracterized in order to 'fit' or 'keep' him with Gellert Grindelwald.

here's my problems with how gr*ndeld*re is most often portrayed:

Inconsistency within canon. JKR is partly mostly to blame for this (because she has contradicted her original 2007 statement in the present day with more interviews in the 2010s and with the Fantastic Beasts movies), but the first problem is: gr*ndeld*re was originally an unrequited ship. The original statement was that Albus was dazzled by Gellert's power, his presence, their similarities, their shared ideals... but That Woman wasn't explicit on whether Gellert ever returned his feelings. But based on her quotes where she says "falling in love can blind you to an extent" and that [Dumbledore] was "terribly, terribly let down" by the result of that whirlwind relationship, I think it's safe to assume that her original idea of Gellert cared far more for seeing his grander plans realized than for the needs and feelings of his 'equal'. And yet... in fandom, they are most often portrayed instead as star-crossed lovers torn apart by 'conflicting ideals'.

The second problem is that in the avalanche of fics and art that have come from The Reveal, the original lesson (/moral...?) behind the reveal of gr*ndeld*re, and how it shaped Albus as an adult, leader, and progressive, just... got lost. Completely lost. The whole point of it was to show that even Albus (supposed 'paragon of goodness' until book 7 showed the fandom that he is a regular human being) can make 'relatable' mistakes like... you know... being friends with a fascist. Being in love with a fascist, even. Thanks to said retcon interviews and the new movies (and even before that tbh) the fandom has since: overexaggerated Albus' new clay feet to the point of bashing him, idolized Grindelwald's red flag traits and ideals to the point where he has become the new "Tom Riddle was just misunderstood!" guy, and twisted that lesson/moral/whatever to mean that actually Albus and Gellert were tragically kept away from each other by an itsy bitsy little difference of opinion. A minor little fight. Casual death of your sick sister. Haven't we all been there?

The fandom diminishing the real reasons why Albus and Gellert eventually clashed, were destined to clash, is bad enough. What's worse is the opposite end. Some Dumbledore-bashing fans go the other way and paint present-day Dumbledore with the same brush as Grindelwald, even going so far as to say he still supports The Greater Good even though his entire character is literally built on being the opposite of the pro-magic, anti-Muggle philosophy. Albus has also been painted in some fics and even meta discussions as someone who 'regrets' his past not because his sister died and his brother is estranged from him, but just because his ex-boyfriend is in prison and he maybe kind of regrets not going full fascist with him. Like... bruh. NO. There are people who ship gr*ndeld*re just because they feel like Grindelwald, the worst dark wizard in the world, the reason why Voldemort is only a minor league little lord in comparison, is an appropriate "punishment" for the character they already dislike and thus misinterpret. (Side note: I'm not sure if I'm in a worse hell watching Albus' character get whitewashed for fascism or demonized so he can be a miserable lonely gay.)

Albus diminishes himself to meet Gellert's needs. An in-universe problem this time instead of a meta/RL one: Albus and Gellert were lovers, yes, but in order to be so, Albus had to actively start neglecting his siblings (since in Aberforth's words he was 'doing all right' taking care of them before Gellert showed up) and leaning more into anti-Muggle sentiment. He put all his energy into what for most of the magical world was a wild goose chase after some fairy-tale items. (Remember, most wixen don't give a shit about the Deathly Hallows, or think they're even real.) He became the person Gellert needed/desired most. Albus became a version of himself that he despised later in his life and after his death.

Relationships often include the members changing, and it's easy for even the most devoted partners to fall out of love if they change and are now too different from one another, or one person changes and the other... doesn't. After Ariana died, Albus chose to become a different person and champion the same people he and his family once despised. He chose to stay away from Gellert, whether he called it cowardice or principles or whatever else. And his choice put him in conflict with Gellert, who at sixteen refused to change course or rethink his ideals even when his choices led to the death of a magical person (the type of person he supposedly prizes above all others). His magical boyfriend's magical sister, even. And we see no sign that Gellert changed, repented, or considered Albus until decades later, at the very end of his life—far too late.

Healthy relationships require give-and-take, sacrificing for your partner in things big and small. For high-stakes relationships like Albus and Gellert's (queer in the 1800s, sweet Merlin), that is even more true. During that steamy summer of 1899, it was Albus who did all the sacrifcing/giving and Gellert who did all the taking. Gellert may have entertained the idea of bringing Ariana along on his quest with Albus (we don't know), but Aberforth was right to say that it would have been torture for her—and no alternate idea was brought up that would prioritize the wellbeing of Albus' siblings while he was away. And in the moment of required reciprocity when Albus was at his lowest, Gellert left him behind and went off to go rule the world. Not even the most diehard shipper can argue against the fact that when Ariana died, Grindelwald left.

This problem is even more personal/biased than the other ones. Albus and Gellert parted ways in 1899. They didn't see each other again until the duel in 1945 (because fuck Fantastic Beasts, the scripts don't even make fucking sense). Albus defeated Gellert, put him in prison, and then went on living for another fifty-two years. And That Woman expects me to believe that Albus never had a relationship with anyone before Gellert, and never even looked at another wizard afterward? In 52 years, he was one-and-done? He never once fell in love with other people, whether or not he fully trusted them/let them in? Be serious. Pull the other one. It's not realistic, and it doesn't speak to the kind of man Albus Dumbledore is. He may not have found a man to check the same boxes Gellert did, but he wouldn't arguably be looking for someone too similar to his old flame. He might not trust them unconditionally or be the Perfect Partner for them (bc whew traumaaa), but there would be other people for Albus in a realistic Magical Britain (even discounting time travel shenanigans). Before the reveal, the most popular people to ship Albus with were Minerva, Alastor, and Elphias Doge; these options are still arguably more valid. Albus Dumbledore loves love, he champions love, and he doesn't think he deserves it after his sins, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't go looking. It's mind-boggling to me that with all the well-deserved disavowing of JKR following her anti-trans hate (and her shameless pandering to the same people calling her a witch poisoning their children's minds decades ago), that some people still treat her words about Albus and Gellert's relationship and its effects on Albus in particular as gospel. I sure don't. (Especially because she said he became "asexual" after His One Gay Experience when like. That's not. What asexuality is??? And ace gay people exist???) Whether you count the FB movies or not, there are still decades of Albus' life that are a mystery, and I refuse to believe he closed his heart and caged his dick for all of them.

IMPORTANT END NOTE: These observations obviously do not apply to all gr*ndeld*re shippers. Some people genuinely do like both characters, characterize them correctly, and still want to see them together for reasons. I'm not going to judge them. I ship a frigging time travel age gap ship, how the fuck could I. And I'm also aware that a lot of fics/art are made to color in between the lines of what we don't know in the fandom, bringing Albus and Gellert together during the mystery years, or making one wizard better for the other to address all the ship baggage. I just can't join them because of how rarely that occurs (and, admittedly, how much I personally can't see it). You would not believe how many fics and discussions I've seen that lionize Grindelwald and treat Dumbledore like an accessory, or completely mischaracterize Albus' motivations, intentions, and actions, and then put him with "the other Big Bad". UGH.

Most of the time, I see gr*ndeld*re the ship hurting Albus the individual. It's very rare to find an iteration where Albus is not bearing the consequences of Gellert's choices, Gellert's actions, Gellert's mistakes and harm done. I think Albus deserves better than to be Gellert's accessory just because he loved him deeply long ago.

okay. whew. that was a lot.

a character limit prevents me from continuing here, so the second half of this versus will go elsewhere, sorry!

#fireandgold #fireandgoldposts #kazuza-art #thanks for the ask! #tried to make it *non*-bashing but... eh I just really don't like most iterations of That Ship #I also put 'relatable' in quotes bc as a POC I simply could never be knowingly connected to a fascist. couldn't be me #it's WORSE bc Albus' mum is implied to be Native American and he just hooks up with wizard HITLER I cannot... I just can't... #granted. I have read really really good grindeldore fics. I just could never ship it/write a fic for them myself. perhaps it's my flaw lol #I tried to censor the name as often as possible so sorry if it ends up in the other tag #time travel harrydore #harrydore #dumbledore meta #potter meta #why not grindelwald #<- that tag is for later #...I have to split this post in half. damn you tumblr ''character limit''

[the-badger-mole]

Hi,

Wishing you a happy new year answering the question on Aang and Katara. This query will dip slightly into Legend Of Korra.

I saw a few post on the parenting similarities on Ozai and Aang, I think you might have explained this earlier. But, it wasn't until I came across a meta on Zuko and Azula's dynamic as the Golden Child/Scapegoat, did it make me realize in a sad way that Bumi and Kya share a possible similar dynamic with Tenzin. Except the difference was that Zuko's anger at his father and sister was acknowledged, while Bumi and Kya's anger was shown as wrong and they just reconciled with Tenzin over a photo of their past, I am pretty sure that is not how reconciliation works.

I would like your thoughts on this.

I have discussed Aang as a father here , where I compare him to Ozai as a father, and here where I compare him to my dad.

I will add- and I think I've said it before- that I have never seen a show go so far out of it's way to gaslight it's own characters before. That resolution wasn't a resolution. It was an end to that particular conversation, but there's no real reckoning for Kya and Bumi about their relationship with Aang or the way he clearly put the full weight of keeping the Air Nomads alive on Tenzin. Bumi sort of gets closure, but he only gets it by becoming what Aang always wanted him to be. In his 60s. After building a life and successful career on his own terms. And it's supposed to be a good thing. Kya doesn't even get that much. Her issues are never even touched on again.

Bryke's biggest issue as creators- as Aang's creators- is that they never go far enough humanizing him. They'll introduce some of his worst qualities (lying to get his way, putting his friends' father at risk because he doesn't want them to leave, his carelessness about the people who put their lives on the line to protect him, his blatant favoritism with his kids, etc.) but then either pull back and make them not a big deal, or just outright ignore that they introduced those flaws to begin with. They need Aang to be perfect, and in making him perfect, they lowkey made him one of the worst villains in the ATLA universe. I have no doubt that they introduced the idea of Aang not being a good father to "humanize" him, but they couldn't have him actually be a bad father and tell the story of how his kids were able to reconcile their imperfect father and the hero Avatar. That might actually have been an interesting story to tell, and we can't have that can we?

#atla #anti aang #anti kataang #aang was a terrible father #he was also a terrible leader #let's be real #aang and ozai are parallels #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

[knowlesian]

your meta is so amazing, and I was wondering if you had any thoughts about how Stede wakes up in the beginning of ep 8? jolted out of a sound sleep by cannonfire, the first thing he says is "I'm just a stowaway!"

it's an odd line, and it's so out of character to how we see him behaving in the rest of the season.

thank you! also, you bet i do.

(disclaimer: i'm just sort of freewriting while i mainline coffee before dnd and don't have the episode at hand, so forgive the inevitable lack of paragraph structure and some forgotten precise details.)

in terms of really solid tv writing, you want to play around with connections with characters and compare/contrast them— and your a and b (and c) plots— through a shared general theme each episode.

e8's throughline could probably be summed up as people who feel (or are!) disconnected/out of place.

stede's "i'm just a stowaway!" is on the surface a funny line, delivered hilariously, and in terms of practical effect in-world it's doing some work to show us stede's not exactly ready to throw himself into fighting for the ship and getting stabbed for it again quite yet.

take it down a level to the thematic guts, and you get some cool shit.

first: stede's first instinct, rattled out of sleep and afraid, is to disclaim any responsibility or right to be on the ship. it's just full-on he wasn't be supposed to be here today at all mode. which is understandable and if you're only looking out for yourself, the sensible course of action: it's just not what you would want from anybody in a leadership position.

aka: the buck is not yet stopping with stede, at this point.

stede's desire to run from taking responsibility for his actions is one of the biggest areas of growth he shows during the season; it takes a near-miss with that skewer! in the earhole! to really get the party started in earnest, but he's getting there.

but then we get to that second part, the right to be there at all implications. that tells us that stede (just like ed) is unsure of his ultimate place on the ship.

he knows he owns it, and physically does not doubt his literal right to stand on the deck like ed does, deep down; stede's access to wealth has given him a level of confidence on 'should i have things', but none on 'are the things i have the RIGHT things to have, and am i wrong because i want them anyway????'.

instead of doubting that he has the right to buy a fancy ship (even if it's the wrong kind of fancy) stede doubts that he belongs at sea at all, that the buck will never stop with him because he's not a pirate or a gentlemen, and he is definitely not fit to be a leader or head a pirate family. he's a soft little rich boy, and that's all he'll ever be.

so that line ties him to ed in terms of emotional state and the general similar-not-the-same overall emotional and life journey they're on; ed is afraid stede will see he's been a stowaway on the revenge all this time, that the worthlessness he sees in himself will become clear and stede will send him packing just like he sent jack packing.

i guess in a way, beyond setting the emotional themes for the episode, stede is echoing something ed hasn't even said yet and establishing yet another way they could intimately understand and relate to each other if only they would HAVE THE CONVERSATION AHHHHHH USE YOUR MOUTHS. TO TALK. ALSO KISSING MORE. AND OTHER PURSUITS AS YOU LIKE. BUT THE T A L K I N G please make up soon. i am begging.

i lost the thread there for a second but yeah! hope that helped on why that line is lowkey a banger.

#thanks for the ask (and the compliment!!!) #ugh i love this show so much #okay now to get my Forbidden Candy in neat piles by type #the adhd/ocd crossover life is strong with this one & etc

[incarnateirony]

Is it like, Dean's re-creating his parent's meeting to process his own story in a new universe he has created in heaven? and so the akrida are actually birthed/caused by Dean creating this new universe, and so they're going after Dean and the universe he built for himself? Are the akrida able to hop from the 1972 universe to the road where dean is? Does he know they're able to hop? From the bits of meta I've understood, is that going in the right direction? I like the question, why is dean wearing purgatory clothes. I'll have to mull on that one. He's stuck between going back to earth and going forward towards the garden/the place where all souls are created. In order to get to the garden the garden has to be in him--which I guess is about being unapologetically who you are? Probably Dean's whole thing is learning to love himself. ?

Everyone is so close. And not wrong. but not right. Remember my old blog tag, "it's all about the souls" before it became "goddamnit kids, get off my lawn" or whatever.

OK. Wipe away everything in your head you think you know about canon. It's the narrative Chuck wrote over it (we can break down What Earth Is later). But our souls are little slices of heaven.

There wasn't supposed to be a snake in the box. There was nothing, and it had a thought and asked if and why it existed, and chuck dreamed up barbies from there. But there was this fucking snake. Because there was something greater than his pride or Ego (lmao) waiting to be born, that just is, like he and amara just were.

So ok, people, families, souls, we are. that's real. But who we become is the experiences this slice of heaven had inside the brainbox. And it met other people that all had their own stories. Just he who had control of the most souls was god or whatever, in a narrative of control.

So chuck shoved all the slices in an eco system of heaven slice distribution because we were the one thing he couldn't control, and he feared us. He made the angels to make lesser beings, to make him BIG, like sealing Amara. But the throne didn't ever really belong to him. Angels were just. Colonizers. But there were billions of us, and we were here first.

What jack did wasn't evil, but the absence of good; the soul is the one true good, and simply, the one true thing, everything else is commentary.

But there's one thing that separates life from stillness. It's that we die. And we're afraid that's all there is. And even then uh, well I talked about berens plot failsafes in season 15. Why did death seek the garden.

Death is neither hostile nor malevolent. Why did she need to be sealed, after all that time without? ...and why was the empty in Death's Library?

Jack made it loud. The generational trauma, dean seeing this part of himself hs feared that went down to the bones of the abuse he endured and his terror of being left alone as people were ripped from him, again and again. of saying he was poison, that people that get close to him get killed, or worse. Akrida. Ticks and leeches. All this regret and shadow without the light is like a gnat in my HEAD and its BUZZING and YOU MADE IT LOUD. Rockin Roxxy coming through the cracks--

All of it was because of Mary. And all of it was because of Cas. They were a family and Cas didn't want to lose that because they became his whole world. He used to just mindlessly follow the plan but he became a father and rediscovered who he was. And he let the sun shine on his face, of that soul, and let it in and that moon became full and showed the way to the garden.

And that's it. That's the discord we were left at the end. Pieces that almost hit boxes and. Is this nihilism? depression? what even was this?

Why the world now again, why the trap, why the truth, the original 15x18 name. why through the cracks. That generational trauma is still rippling. But it was. When your life loses meaning, death can seem kind of comforting. Most people in the world at some time touch it in their hearts. Dean did, and he walked that path pledging to seal himself away into emptiness and boxes and space and oceanic abysses. Like a rugaru, by any other language or dub.

Heh.This seems like an aside, but it's necessary. Dean's leading narration is separate, that's him already finished the process. The Dean narrating is the dean that already faced his truth, hence his confidence, his tonal smile, and the story about how complicated family ties can be as he begins to take us there. The Truth. And the final door. The Trap. And The Truth--did dean lead them into another trap?

Would you do it over again if you could.

Dean's telling of John and Mary comes from a different angle of the writer. Right now, the corporate TV is unplugged (lmao TBS timeline inbound apollo dodgeball) but the stations are sort of picking up the stuff in the cracks that wasn't part of the package. That's where the Akrida and trauma hide. There's no change to the story, they're always there and always knocking, and were even knocking when Death went mad.

The locusts of the garden. What do you hate. Who do you love. What do you fear. Dean of the Infinite vs Dean of the Empty are singing two different songs right now, and it's time to start listening. The details of whether they lived in bumfuck Normal Illinois as chuck lazily googled or if as far as dean could read, it was probably lawrence, a lawrence formed the last he knew it was established. These details don't matter. That's just sorta the reader filling in the gaps.

Why do you love this world/hate this world enough to risk your life/burn it to the ground. Akrida. Must crucify the ego before it's far too late I pray the light lifts me out before narcissus dean pines away. The moon tells her secret, a green lit confidant. As full and bright as she is the light is not her own and a million light reflections pass over her.

But. This is the stuff that's important. The people stuff. The soul stuff. And the paths they chose when in this life.

Cupids never love roofie anyone. They play the right commercial, they trick the right skater. Chuck may have set the obstacles but John and Mary ran their own race, and made their own rules. What we see as inescapable destiny is only because we look back with despair. It's about celebrating life's grandieur, its magnificence, and finding who you are before you can go home to the garden. man's beginning.

And yeah. Dean of the Infinite already telling that story. He already opened that door. And now he's telling it again for us. Consider it Dean of the Empty. The liminal space at neither Being or Oblivion. He found his truth, and then he wrote it down.

He just cared about different things than Chuck did in what he made sure to highlight.

The people.

All of it's real. In their life, and in their death, past the final door. The rest is the legacy we leave for each other.

the cards are the slices

and theres never enough slices

Tollow the path of One towards Heaven. [insert funky spiral math riddles] I will always find you here.

#winchesters codex

[tealeavesandthorns]

OOC Post | How the 'tism affects my rping!

// I wanted to create this post to try and help people understand how autism and to an extent adhd can affect my RPing abilities.

In the past both of these things have negatively affected my ability (though to be fair I wasn't aware that either of those were problems I suffered with).

To be entirely honest, I'm still figuring out a lot about autism, about the way it affects my brain, about how it's both hurt and helped me in the past. I suppose the biggest thing I'm asking for is patience and mostly direct speech.

This post got long and a bit rambly. So the long and short of it is:

I sometimes struggle in group settings, especially where the focus becomes on the personal rather than a specific subject

I sometimes struggle with communication, including setting boundaries.

Due to masking I sometimes struggle with setting boundaries

I sometimes struggle (not autism this one but anxiety), with expectations I perceive people to have built up around me, especially when I am having a hard time.

Under the read more though there is a rambly post about struggling with rping and realisations I've had.... for those who want to read or are interested. If you have any questions too please feel free to message me.

Communication and masking are the biggest two things I have seen affect my roleplaying in the past, hence focusing on these.

Like many autistic people though I have things that run alongside my autism - anxiety, OCD, occasional depression and there's a high probability of ADHD. Whilst these have also contributed to certain breakdowns over the years I feel like the autism has been the biggest cause and now understanding it, I think, will stopped me getting burned out as easily.

COMMUNICATION & MASKING

Roleplaying is a communicative hobby - I know this, you know this. RPing requires communicating and building intricate relationships for characters with worlds and partners.

Where I struggle is when the focus switches from story to personal lives. I'm going to be direct here because it's the only way I know how to say this; I have loved every organic friendship that has come about because of tumblr and the tumblr roleplay community. However because of masking I have often put too high demands on myself or cultivated relationships where I feel I need to be available at all times. I have quickly burnt out. Because I didn't understand why I was so frustrated and upset with those relationships when they have broken down. I have disappeared or ended up alone.

I'm not just blaming my autism here, I hope that comes across. I take full responsibility for those breakdowns but the fact is I didn't understand what was happening to me.

Due to masking all my life I was unable to set proper boundaries and I began to struggle when people were talking to me about personal problems more than we were ever writing or talking about writing.

That probably sounds harsh. Writing is my special interest though and in some ways I guess it could be considered a stim. I love writing, it's all I want to do and plotting and talking about characters and headcanons and meta brought me so much joy.

I really struggled too because I felt like I wasn't being fair to people who were actively, clearly, trying to befriend me. I struggled in group settings when people tried to organize socials and even more so when there were chaotic games of cards against humanity.

Part of it was me not wanting to miss out and I absolutely could not keep up with a shedule of nights being up til 4am and then back awake for my job.

And this is where the potential ADHD comes in because inspite of all those things I LOVE a million threads, I love a million threads with different partners and with one partner. I love a million universes, I love building little universes in our corners of the internet. I love making friends and talking to people and my god if I like your character and you I will go to the ends of the earth for you. I'll help you and love on you and suggest a million threads.

That's intense right?

But see the problem is I then can't keep up that level on intensity and I burn out.

I also struggle with a strong sense of justice. I never thought I would say those words but it is now becoming abundantly clear to me that my strong sense of justice, that moral compass inside me has bitten me on the ass a few times for things that were relatively minor and that normal people can brush off.

Like I said I'm still figuring out a lot about my autism and how it impacts me in all areas of my life. Rp and writing is one of those areas I need to tease apart. It's not been as easy, as say, understanding how it effects my senses.

#;out of teaandplants #ooc #//post about autism got long and rambly so there's a top short bit and a long rambly bottom bit

[duefaith]

ON THE EFFECT OF ANTARCTICA ON CAM'S MINDSET ; also known as: a meta on "babylon".

cameron should have died on the ice. you’ll never get him to say those words ( unless you are very very close him and his determination not to think about such things cracks ), but he takes it as a statement of fact. he should have died.

his doctors tell him while he’s still slipping in and out of consciousness, drugged up on pain meds and still not entirely certain if he’s alive or dead, that he’ll likely never walk again. this, too, becomes a statement of fact in his new reality. he should be dead. he will never walk again.

he’s not dead, and he walks. he not only walks, but he recovers enough to join the sgc.

in many ways, cam, especially in season 9, is a mess of contradictions. he has little self-esteem and his insecurities are so dramatic sometimes that I never know whether to laugh or cry ( “what if the world needs saving because I screwed up 'cause you weren't here in the first place?” ). he also seems to have all the confidence and self-assuredness in the universe ( for instance, the fight with the holographic knight and “I took a little fencing in college” before getting his ass kicked and having to concede that maybe he flunked fencing).

stargate, being the show that it is, never lingers on cam’s recovery or what antarctica means to him. the place where I see it most actually isn’t in flashback scenes, but in "babylon," in his conversations with jolan with haikon. in the way he speaks of death and of faith.

JOLAN: you may provide a challenge to your opponent after all, mitchell. MITCHELL: followed by my violent death, of course. JOLAN: of course. MITCHELL: [holding up the bag of tea for a toast] to my inevitable demise.

there’s not a single moment in all of “babylon” where cam actually appears concerned for his own survival. he’s told on the day he wakes up that he’s going to face one of their warriors in combat to the death. he knows he’ll never survive it, and yet what does he do? he jokes about his impending death, he tries to help the people who will be his executioners. believing that he should have died on the ice, cam considers himself on borrowed time. it’s not a belief that imbues him with any sort of bitterness. instead, he has no fear of death — it’s inevitable, he’s already been granted these extra years. cam’s impulsive at best and reckless at worst, and while I think that’s just his nature, I think that lack of fear, and the lack of a self preservation instinct that it creates, contribute to it as well, exacerbating the behaviour. it’s not that he wants to die — there’s nothing suicidal in him; he loves life — but the things he prioritizes ( the safety of his team, the safety of the people they meet and the worlds they visit, the defense of others in general — whether against physical threat or the loss of all they stand for ) do not include his own life.

yet, it’s not a full acceptance, because early season 9 cam almost seems to believe himself to be invincible. having survived what should have killed him once, death does not quite real to him, as if it can’t touch him.

JOLAN: why do you do this? MITCHELL: do what? JOLAN: train this hard. these are the last days of your life. I would think you would spend more time in reflection. MITCHELL: well, all I know is, the moment you accept your fate, that's when you're as good as dead. till then, all bets are off. JOLAN: you cannot survive kel shak lo. MITCHELL: well, no offense, but I've endured things I wasn't supposed to survive before, and I'm still here.

it’s not flippant. there’s none of the brazen bravado that you’d expect from someone who feels invincible. it’s so much more subtle, and it comes out most in his stubborn belief that he can do anything. one of cam’s defining characteristics is a relentless determination. he needs it to recover after antarctica, to pull himself through the mental and physical challenges. he applies it to sg-1, refusing to accept no as an answer. because if he wills it hard enough, he can survive death. if he wills it hard enough, he can bring the team he wanted back together. if he wills it hard enough, he can save dying friends. if he wills it hard enough, what can’t he do? hence his words above to jolan about accepting fate. cam almost never accepts the hand that’s dealt to him; he stubbornly digs his heels in until he bends the universe to his will and gets his way.

but the other thing that kills me about “babylon” is cam’s interactions with the sodan faith, his reckoning with his own. cam was raised with a “bible-thumper” grandmother, by his own description, yet also admits to sam that he never actually paid attention to her. ( though, he clearly did; he’s constantly quoting her ).  cam does not believe in god, but with the sodan the show comes closest to touching on what faith means to him.

HAIKON: I know that the ori are not the ancients. but can there be any doubt that they are gods? and if they can lead us to the path of enlightenment, how can I refuse them? MITCHELL: you're making a big mistake. these ori are not what you think they are. they are not even close. HAIKON: perhaps, when you face your death, in your final moments, you'll understand. MITCHELL: I've already been there. I understand.

and later

MITCHELL: you want to believe my people are godless and inferior? go right ahead. but we have never needed proof of our gods' existence in order to believe in them. faith. it was your faith that sustained you for five thousand years, not the ancients themselves. don't throw your history away for a bag full of magic tricks.

cameron cares so much about the preservation of the beliefs the sodan have maintained for thousands of years, and he’s so strongly against the ori imposing themselves over that faith. but that interaction with haikon, that “I understand”... I think cam, until antarctica, dismissed faith as an important aspect of his own life. he’d seen what it meant for his grandmother, but to him it had no relevance to his day to day life. until he nearly died. until he spent months wrangling with the possibility of never walking again. antarctica did not give cam faith, but it carved out a space for it in his life, took what was subconscious and dismissed and gave it value. he recognizes the importance of believing in something ( even if that something is not his grandmother’s god ) as a source of strength. he focuses so strongly, instead of on his own survival,  on the preservation of the beliefs and way of life of the sodan.

#— file / characterization.

[tearsofgrace]

turns out i’m not done with this !!

@wanderingcas i love you but i do blame you for this 

the seven sonnets of michelangelo, written by benjamin britten for his long-time partner peter pears (who later described them as the best thing britten had ever given him) are a song cycle written for piano and tenor. besides like the real world implications of this making me go feral because GOD (for context, britten died in 1976) they FIT DESTIEL REALLY DAMN WELL OKAY????

so here’s the link 

the lyrics come from translations (done by pears) of michelangelo’s sonnets if that wasn’t clear

im not gonna do a musical analysis, even though like god that also fits destiel perfectly, but ima look at individual prose (coming from the translations of michelangelo’s original work) below the cut, feel free to scroll darlings

sonetto xvi

Just as there is a high, a low, and a middle style in pen and ink, and as within the marble are images rich and poor, according as our fancy knows how to draw them forth:

so within your heart, dear love, there are perhaps, as well as pride, some humble feelings: but I draw thence only what is my desert and like to what I show outside on my face.

Whoever sows sighs, tears and lamentations (Heaven’s moisture on earth, simple and pure, adapts itself differently to different seeds) reaps and gathers grief and sadness:

whoever looks on high beauty with so great a grief reaps doubtful hopes and sure and bitter pain.

okay so the best part of equating all this to destiel is that for the most part, the sonnets they chose to translate deal with the bad parts of love, the unfulfilled rejection and Despair (sorry) if you will

the last line in this one really REALLY kills me. “high beauty” being cas and dean being the one looking and reaping only pain. 

also just the heaven imagery in general and the bitterness of it all... kill me now? 

sonetto xxxi 

Why must I go on venting my ardent desire in tears and melancholy words, if Heaven that dresses the soul in grief, never, soon or late, allows relief?

Why should my weary heart long for death since all must die? So to these eyes my last hours will be less painful, all my grief being greater than any joy.

If, therefore, I cannot avoid these blows, nay, even seek them, since it is my fate, who is the one that stands always between joy and grief?

If to be happy I must be conquered and held captive, no wonder then that I, unarmed and alone, remain the prisoner of a Cavalier in arms.

the complete hopelessness in this one gives me all kinds of feels. the idea that maybe the reason cas couldn’t have dean is because all the hurt and pain and grief that fills the small space between them overwhelms the happiness they could have in being together

and then of course the last line.. is SO cas. “if to be happy i must be conquered” hahahahahhaa this is fine

sonetto xxx

With your lovely eyes I see a sweet light that yet with my blind ones I cannot see; with your feet I carry a weight on my back which with my lame ones I cannot; with your wings I, wingless, fly; with your spirit I move forever heavenward; at your wish I blush or turn pale, cold in the sunshine, or hot in the coldest midwinter.

My will is in your will alone, my thoughts are born in your heart, my words are on your breath.

Alone, I am like the moon in the sky which our eyes cannot see save that part which the sun illumines.

finally a happy one !

“with your wings I, wingless, fly” ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???

plus PLUS the whole “with your BLANK i BLANK” is just soooo reminiscent of cas learning how to feel from dean. i’m. going. to. scream. 

“my will is in your will alone” ................. “i always come when you call” 

AND! THEN! THE! MOON! AND! SUN! THING! THAT! WE! ALL! TALK! ABOUT! WITH! DEAN AND CAS! (looking at marlo) @heller-jensen

sonetto lv

Though know’st, beloved, that I know thou know’st that I am come nearer to enjoy thee more; and thou know’st that I know thou know’st that I am still the same. Why, then, do I hesitate to greet thee?

If the hope thou givest me is true, if true the strong desire that is granted me, the wall between us crumbles, for secret griefs have double force.

If I love in thee, beloved, only what thou lovest most, do not be angry; for so one spirit is enamoured of another.

That which in thy lovely face I yearn for and seek to grasp, is but ill understood by human kind, and he that would see it, first must die.

the hesitation in this is key. the whole, if we know we’re in love why then are we waiting that just perfectly encapsulates dean and cas

and then. and THEN. the whole ethereal-ness of the second half. the whole next-to-godliness of those lines. the whole he’s AN ANGEL I DON’T KNOW IF HE CAN FEEL THAT WAY HE’S UNTOUCHABLE. kinda thing. 

sonetto xxxviii

Give back to my eyes, you fountains and rivers, the waves of those strong currents that are not yours, which make you swell and grow with greater power than is your natural way.

And thou, heavy air, that dims the heavenly light to my sad eyes, so full of my sighs art thou, give them back to my weary heart and lighten thy dark face to my eye’s keen sight.

Earth, give me back my footsteps that the grass may sprout again where it was trod; and Echo, yet deaf to my laments, give back thy sound; and you blest pupils give back to my eyes their glances;

that I another time may love another beauty, since with me you are not satisfied.

this one isn’t actually destiel per se... this one is cas. this one is a broken afraid cas who’s just turned human and doesn’t know how to live and who is realizing he is in love with dean. 

and he knows (thinks) dean could never love him back. everything, everything has changed for him since falling in love with dean. but he still thinks that dean will never be satisfied with him

sonetto xxxii

If love be chaste, if pity heavenly, if fortune equal between two lovers; if a bitter fate is shared by both, and if one spirit, one will rules two hearts;

if in two bodies one soul is made eternal, raising both to heaven on the same wings; if at one stroke and with a gilded arrow love burns and pierces two hearts to the core;

if in loving one another, forgetting one’s self, with one pleasure and one delight there is such reward that both wills strive for the same end;

if thousands and thousands do not make one hundredth part to such a bond of love, to such constancy, can, then, mere anger break and dissolve it?

hehe this one makes me cry. like. fulllllll on cry. 

highlights

“bitter fate is shared by both” “one will rules two hearts” i mean... i MEAN. don’t think i need to explain that

and then the next part. “in two bodies one soul is made eternal” with only dean having a soul and him drawing them together but then the VERY next part “raising both to heaven on the same wings” with only cas having wings i’m literally going feral someone take my keyboard away from me before i ASLDJFHA

“can, then, mere anger break and dissolve it?” 

“i don’t know why i get so angry. i just know it’s always been there. ... and i forgive you. of course i forgive you.” 

because no matter how angry dean gets at cas, no matter how much he batters and abuses him, the bond between them will always live through it. 

sonetto xxiv

Noble soul, in whose chaste and dear limbs are reflected all that nature and heaven can achieve with us, the paragon of their works:

graceful soul, within whom one hopes and believes Love, Pity and Mercy are dwelling, as they appear in your face; things so rare and never found in beauty so truly:

Love takes me captive, and Beauty binds me; Pity and Mercy with sweet glances fill my heart with a strong hope.

What law or earthly government, what cruelty now or to come, could forbid Death to spare such a lovely face?

so the last one is happy again (yay!!) and also basically just described the righteous man like i am not kidding. 

like this is literally just cas telling dean how much he deserves and how everything he’s ever done he’s done because of love and i’m screaming. 

and then. the SECOND half. is the second half of cas’ confession. really fitting that this is the last sonnet, huh? the end of their love story at least as we see it on screen. 

this is just cas saying he loves dean. before he’s ripped away from him. 

#this wasn't supposed to become a full meta ! #but it has ! #spn meta #my writing #classical music #oops #didn't mean to write 1.5k #...

[gofancyninjaworld]

OPM Manga Update 206 Review: That Sinking Feeling

Yes, I've changed to updates rather than chapter number. Update numbers change much less frequently.

So, onto the review!

Story: I feel like I'm forgetting something

We backtrack a tiny tiny bit from where we last left off, with Garou thinking of what happened immediately before this bald guy asked what he was supposed to be. There were no heroes in sight; he surmised that they'd all decided to stay down after the thrashing they got. He's gotten everything he needs and there's no one who could possibly be in his way now, nothing to fear... so why does it feel like something's not quite right? And what's with this loser of a hero presumably sent out to try rescuing people? He decides to answer.

"I'm Garou... the one who will become Absolute Evil."

He's disconcerted by finding Saitama not only less than impressed by his declaration, but also pointing out that he saved a helicopter full of people and destroyed a centipede monster, which leaves Garou doing some hasty dissembling (but we see you, Garou!). He declares that the Hero Association building itself is his next target and that Saitama should just go away and change careers.

...And Saitama starts to leave, to Garou's surprise. The bald man says that since Garou's not a monster, he's not got anything to do here, so he's going to go try looking for his things. Whatever Garou's playing at, it'd be best for him not to overdo it.

Garou can't. Can't stand being belittled or ignored. Few people can but it's been one of his berserk buttons, so of course he rushes up to the bald man from behind (et tu, Brutus? Yes, Garou's a hypocrite, but we knew that already) and gets sent flying.

As he's sent spinning like a badly-balanced top, the penny finally drops. Ever since he started his hero hunt in earnest, every day, somehow he's ended up knocked out. It's been this guy. This guy who looks so stupid and yet emanates this weird pressure has been the one who just takes him out like it's nothing.

The Hero Association and the miserable remnants of the heroes will have to wait for now. There's this source of his sinking feeling that Garou has to definitively defeat in order to take up his true role.

Meta below the cut.

Meta

Pretty

Many astute readers have noticed that Murata based the cover page in part on Pablo Carlos Budassi's illustration of the observable Universe. NASA has a very nice write up on it, which I encourage you to check out here

Between humour and horror lies a fine line indeed

On the one hand, I am greatly pleased to see the heartening sight of the passengers in the rescue helicopter have survived. There's the kids beneath a blanket. Sekingar still on his feet, his hand still bandaged (man, this man is tough!). There's Mumen Rider, Snek, and a couple of the other heroes who escaped from hospital picking their way over the watery rubble to meet them. That's the happy part. And yet, on the other hand... all you need is to think of what's under the water and it's a horror scene with the few survivors clinging on above the water line. We saw how many people were buried under rubble whom the heroes were trying to haul out and get evacuated. There's going to be thousands who just drowned in the dark. Because there wasn't a hero to reach them in time. Interestingly, that very point is something Garou would be likely to latch on, what with his using his outrage that there was no hero to notice and help him when he was being bullied as a reason to do what he's doing. Even more interestingly, say he could make every hero surrender and every bully stop bullying through sheer force of will, how would that help anyone overwhelmed by a sudden disaster? I don't think Garou's thought that far.

So this is terror

In the webcomic, Saitama grumbled about the way his evening had gone, thinking he'd end up destroying the world if his day got any worse, it had the air of a guy grumbling about noisy kids on his lawn. This Saitama in the manga, this scared me. He's just done with his day... and just ending the planet would be easy. Very easy.

Way back when, a.k.a. this morning, Garou crossed arms with Monster King Orochi and declared that strong as the monster was, he lacked terror.

Well, now he's met Saitama properly. And if we didn't jump a little at the thought of Saitama destroying the world, the sweat beading on Garou's face tells us he got the message, all right.

Saitama does look like a plain-faced, slightly depressed guy who rarely freaks out over anything, but nearly from the very beginning there has been a side of him that is deeply unsettling. A certain rage, a certain promise of total annihilation that chills anyone who sees it to the bone.

Genos got that weird pressure that Saitama emanated, and not only that, but he's been the first to put his finger perfectly on what separates Saitama from any merely strong person: his other-dimensionality.

If monsters, as Bug God put it, are beings who have separated themselves from humanity, then Saitama is a being who has separated himself from reality.

Garou hasn't been slow to pick up on what it means: Saitama, well, the overpowered baldy as he knows him, is *the* target. The one he absolutely has to beat down if he's to achieve his goal. With Saitama looking like such a menace, there's even a bit of impetus to do so for the sake of the world. A non-existent world is pretty peaceful but there's no atmosphere. Literally.

But how? This is going to get fascinating. Is Garou going to try to provoke Saitama into attacking him by doing something that's convincingly monstrous? Is he going to attack him first rather? Try to talk it out? The only thing that's certain is that Garou's not going to be able to let it go.

Gimme popcorn and a time machine to make the days fly faster!

#OPM #review #reviews #meta #manga #Garou #Saitama #update 206 #ho ho this is going to be quite the showdown #a clash more of philosophy than of fists #fist wise Garou doesn't know it yet but he has no chance #it's all about the why now #mmmm conflict #One Punch Man

[localcactushugger]

Is anyone else amazed that Hawks was only "undercover" with the Leauge for 6 months at the most.

Not only that, one and a half of those 6 months were spent just trying to gain enough trust to infiltrate.

I know it seems like much longer since Hawks made his Manga debut 2 years ago. But he had such a short amount of time on this mission. Hawks was introduced in the manga with his role being the "double agent". We literally have not seen Hawks outside of his "spy" role. Even when he is interacting with other characters outside of the Leauge, his "mission" is still happening in the background.

It seems Hawks made contact with Dabi right before the Hero Billboard chart, this is when he starts trying to infiltrate. His interaction with Dabi in the warehouse begins immediately after Endeavors fight with High-End:

During this time, Dabi is testing out a High-End Nomu for doctor Ujiko. Which means by the time Endeavor fights High-End, the My Villain Academia arc is already happening. Hawks is assumed to be one of the "members" Dabi is trying to recruit:

The Leauge has already made contact with doctor Ujiko, and the Doctor sends Dabi to test his High-End Nomu out on Endeavor (even though Dabi didn't know it would be Endeavor) while the rest of the Leauge battle Machia. At the time, Dabi still doesn't trust Hawks at all and he keeps the hero at arms length. While Dabi and Hawks are sharing ominous phone calls, the Leauge is hauling ass and it take's Shigiraki a month and a half to finally beat Machia. (The MLA is "defeated" too):

After a month and a half of phone calls (while the Leauge gets their asses handed to them by Machia in the background) Hawks is finally allowed into the Leauge when the battle of Dekia City is finally over. Dabi let's him in because Hawks "kills" Best Jeanist.

But there's a problem. By the time Hawks is let in, The Leagues numbers have drastically increased. They have an army at their side, multiple High-End nomu, and are now called the MLA:

Hawks blames himself, saying that he was "too late". That so many civilians would be alive now if he had been faster. He couldn't round up the Leauge when they were a small group, and now they have an army. A powerful one:

He's in too deep now. And you can see the stress on his face. I bet he never expected to be part of an army. He was simply tasked to round up the Leauge members while they were a small group, but the MLA was completely unexpected. Still, he decides to improvise and do the best he can with the shitty cards he's been dealt. It's not like he has another option at this point.

So he slips a coded message to Endeavor ASAP. Basically saying "yo, in four months shits about to go down. Ttyl I'll keep you posted lol". He can't tell the guy in person now, because to make things harder, he has camera's on his wings. (and even though he's being watched by camera's, he also gets followed by guards at the mansion):

After Hawks relays the massge, he stroles around the mansion with his bodyguard and heads towards the cafeteria. With a little eavesdropping (courtesy of his feathers) he also finds out that the Leauges plan is to "Destroy Everything" in four months:

After he relays the massage to Endeavor, he listens to the Leauges plans of destruction as his thoughts run a thousand M.P.H.

Because now "capture the Leauge" has turned into "Holy shit I now only have 4 months to take down a full fledged terrorist organization/army from the inside-out by myself while I'm being monitored 24/7 with absolutely no privacy & also a full time job as a hero + a public image to maintain. And I can only contact my fellow pro's about this mission through code because if the villains find out I'm a double agent I could be killed and Japan could be destroyed. Also some heros have even joined the MLA so who on my own side can I trust? Only a select specific few for now I guess."

If you thought things couldn't get worse your wrong.

Because around 2 months before the raid Hawks' heart (that wants to be free & has a genuine desire to help people) takes shit a bit too far when it makes him get attached to a certain powerful villain.

Hawks quckily finds out that Twice is easily the second most powerful villain in the Leauge after Shigiraki. He's an S ranked villain and he'll kick your ass with the power of friendship anyday. He's a great guy, but him and the Leauge are still planning on doing horrible things within the next 2 months. Twice is going along with it because he wants to stick by his friends, which y'know, is a cool motive. But considering that fact that the people Hawks is trying to protect ALSO have friends, and family's, this makes shit difficult and sends Hawks on some major guilt trips. (I would show all the panels of Hawks sadly smiling as Twice calls him a "good guy", but alas- Tumblr has informed me that I've reached my 10 image per post limit)

And tbh who wouldn't feel bad about suddenly getting attached to such a golden retriever of a man and then realizing you'll have to double-cross him at some point! I'm not surprised Hawks would feel this way, especially considering the fact that he never wanted to take on this mission in the first place.

Hawks is very much a people person, and he HATES lying even when he has no other option. This is a man who got "shivers up his spine" when he had to put on a serious face while handing Endeavor a book with coded messages inside. He literally felt icky and thought "this is low even for me" just because he had to use a deadly expression so that Endeavor would get the gist.

And when the Commission made their "proposal" about this mission, Hawks' first reaction was to call them out on their B.S. for asking him to put civilian lives at risk. He even admitted that he was feeling bad about sending Tokoyami away while talking to Deku, Shoto, and Bakugo. Hawks felt guilty about not being able to spend more time with his student, but considering that things with the MLA were starting to get riskier, and that Hawks literally handed Endeavor a book with a coded message inside about an uprising 2 seconds later, I can see why he wouldn't want to risk Tokoyami being around him. The fact that the camera's on Hawks' wings caught his interactions with Endeavor & the students also makes the creep‐factor worse. The MLA saw everything AND talked about it in a meeting later. Continuing to train with Tokoyami would put him at risk.

I love the complexity of Hawks' character, he's incredibly intelligent, logical, and intuitive. But at the same time throughout this entire mission his heart is constantly battling with his mind. Even when he knows he has to grit his teeth and do something shifty, his heart never fails to put up a fight with his logistics. Honestly it's been a pattern for a while that Hawks' sympathy always "Trips him up" in some way, so idk why I didn't see it coming around to bite him in the ass later.

(Tbh it's hard for me to see Hawks as a this super "Morally Gray" person that the fandom likes to paint him as because of a mission that he only spent 6 months on. I personally, kinda see Hawks as a "good person" who works for a "morally gray" agency. But that's a whole different meta)

Basically, Hawks getting attached to Twice wasn't a surprise. But considering how powerful Twice was, along with his role in the League's destructive plans (He was a lieutenant in one of the MLA's "Units") the discourse going on in Hawks' mind makes sense. By this point Hawks has already figured out all of the MLA's "Units" along with the three "bosses" that support the lieutenants of those "Units". It's noted that those "bosses" are extremely powerful and can match the strength of the heros as well. It took Hawks an entire month just to figure out all of the "Units" members. (I would show the panels explaining all of this but I'm at my photo limit)

All of these members were tasked to follow their lieutenants and bosses, and the plan was to attack all of Japans major cities at the same time. Once the cities were destroyed and chaos had set in, Redestro and feel good inc. Would distribute support items to the remaining citizens in the name of "self-defense". It would create a country full of discourse and destruction where Redestro and Feel good inc. Would rule from the shadows. But Shigiraki would be the main leader. He would become "king" and sit upon a "throne of rubble". (At least this was the MLA's plan, Shigiraki himself just kinda wants to destroy everything. But I suppose this would make things easier for him to do that.)

needless to say, the stakes have been upped excessively. But it took Hawks an entire month to gather this info.

This post is honestly just me marveling at what an M.V.P Hawks is

My guy literally only had 4 months to take down an entire terrorist organization for the inside-out. AND he was being monitored during that entire time. He figured out the MLA's intentions within the first month of being there. And it took him another full month to go into detail and figure out all the members, bosses, and lieutenants, for each of their "Units". Hawks even went as far as to immerse himself in the MLA's ideology, and he had in-depth discussions with the MLA's members. HELL HE EVEN FAKED HIS CO-WORKERS DEATH JUST TO GET IN.

AND HE PRETTY MUCH IMPROVISED ALL OF THIS SHIT!!! The original plan was to capture the Leauge when they were a small group! But by the time Hawks managed to infiltrate, The Leauge already had an army! They were a full-blown organization! And Hawks just kinda rolled with it??? He just kinda bullshitted his way through??

Like, "okay I'm now apart of an army I guess. The Leauge is now an entire organization and they're planning on destroying Japan in March. Let's see how this goes. I'll just have to make this work"???

LIKE HOW THE FUCK IS HE NOT DEAD! WHAT A FUCKING MADLAD

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #hawks #keigo takami #takami keigo #bnha hawks #hawks mha #mha hawks #hawks bnha #bnha spoilers #bnha meta #hawks meta #pro hero hawks #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #mha manga spoilers #bnha spoiler #mha spoiler