Just out of reach
Can’t get this thought out of my head— Mammon’s too damn adorable. And the Kings’ relationships with one another and their antics is just aghhhhhh.
Mammon and Satan, bickering endlessly as you look on, watching the spectacle unfold— knowing full well that even if you deigned to interfere, it wouldn’t stop the Kings from continuing. So you look back and forth as they go on, wholly embarrassed with each claim that you ‘owned’ them more thoroughly. That one was closer to you than the other. That you were theirs.
Mammon’s tone was playful and amused, a smirk on his face as he stood with utter confidence, arms crossed over his broad chest, while Satan grew more agitated by the moment, smaller frame practically vibrating as his teeth gnashed in frustration. At times the duo would look to you, but they would interrupt themselves before anything fruitful could come of it. As embarrassing as it was, it was also quite amusing— you knew that even if it did come to blows, it’s just how they were. Yet Mammon suddenly paused.
Satan’s complaints died off as Mammon smiled, tilting his head to the side as he seemed to contemplate, golden gaze drifting to you. It happened faster than you could comprehend it— large hands on either side of your middle, lifting you effortlessly, as if you weighed no more than a kitten. Protests died on your tongue as you found yourself settling atop his shoulders, seated behind his head with legs on either side of his neck, one hand grasping at his remaining horn for balance. “Mammon!” You squeaked, taken by surprise and unsure of what he could possibly be thinking.
Yet when you settled you found yourself staring down at Satan, still grinding his teeth and glaring up at the other King with narrowed, rage-filled eyes. And you realized it all at once:
Mammon had essentially done the equivalent of taking a toy from a toddler and putting it out of reach— and only by using his massive, intimidating stature.
And, similar to a toddler, there appeared to be an incoming tantrum, as well.
Yet Mammon seemed unbothered, his laugh bubbling up as he watched the other’s expressions twist— and then he simply walked away with you still atop his shoulders, ignoring the protests of Satan and all of his insults and threats. He knows Satan could reach you if he wanted, but he wouldn’t risk your safety by simply pulling you off, either.
Rather than give Satan attention, he simply asks you what you would like to do that day— after all, you’re his and he is yours, and he will give you everything. Yet all you can do is sigh, accepting that you wouldn’t be getting out of this anytime soon. Though, being carted around by Mammon himself really wasn’t such a bad thing.
Perhaps not the best way to end the bickering, though— you were sure it would only escalate later.
1K notes
·
View notes
Time loop fic set during season 2 when Jamie’s back around but Roy isn’t coaching yet where it takes Jamie and Roy an embarrassing amount of do-overs before they finally realize they’re both caught in it because for days Jamie goes over to Keeley’s place and antagonizes Roy in basically the exact same way because he thinks making the same stupid old man jokes all the time is funny anyway and any slight changes in conversation he just assumes is because he showed up at a different time or worded his own end of the conversation a little differently but Roy’s still basically saying the same grumpy old man shit anyway
And Roy makes basically the same retorts every time because he stands by it and he assumes Jamie shows up at slightly different times looking for Keeley as a butterfly effect of his morning with Keeley being different but that there’s no escaping him showing up to be a little bitch at some point
And like they both sometimes tell people but not the same people on the same version of the day so Keeley individually thinks that both of them are losing it on different versions of the day before eventually they both mention it
And then on like day 5 of the same day over and over Jamie doesn’t show up and Roy is irrationally angry about it but thinks it must be somehow connected to the fact that he was acting absolutely insane with Keeley trying to explain what’s happening while she thought he was fucking with her and somehow that made her brush off Jamie and him not show up or something?
And it takes Jamie showing up at 100 and just tearing Roy apart and going on about what a dick he is (which isn’t unusual but isn’t how this routine goes) and weirdly fixating on how he was excited to meet Roy but then he ended up just being an old washed up prick that never even gave him a chance because Jamie figures he can just show up, yell at Roy for all the reasons he’s so fixated on being a little asshole with a grudge against Roy in particular to get it out of his system, and then never have to deal with any consequences of Roy finding out about the whole embarrassing having been a big fan and expecting it to be so cool to play on a team with him just to immediately get offended that Roy didn’t give a shit about him and his bullshit and so Jamie ended up hating him thing
But instead Roy just scowls at him and is like “that’s not what you’re supposed to say” and Jamie’s like “…what.” And Roy’s like I’ve done this day like ten times already and either I make Keeley think I’m certifiable first thing in the morning and you don’t show up or else you show up looking for her and then make the same completely uncreative old man jokes at me and Jamie’s like what the fuck I’ve been doing this same day over and over and you’ve been making the same shitty jokes that weren’t funny the first time over and over again
And Keeley’s just sitting there watching this like “Are you two fucking with me? I can’t believe you two got along long enough to plan whatever the fuck this is.” And honestly, the fact that she couldn’t imagine them ever getting along to plan this stupid joke and agree on it is the main reason she actually starts to believe them that time in an okay either I’ve completely lost it or you two are stuck in a time loop kind of way and when she starts going on about how every time loop movie there’s like a moral the person has to learn and maybe they’re both caught in it because they’re supposed to learn how to get along and be friends and Roy’s supposed to take Ted’s offer and that’s how Jamie finds out about the Ted trying to convince Roy to coach thing
But they’re both like fuck no absolutely not, that’s not it and I’d rather be stuck in this stupid fucking loop forever than voluntarily spend time with him let alone get along (as if Jamie hasn’t shown up to annoy him practically every version of the day and Roy hasn’t just been sitting there waiting for him every time) and then they actively avoid each other for like a week’s worth of versions of the same day before they start considering that Keeley might have been on to something but it still takes three more days of pointedly not seeking the other out and waiting for the other to give in first before they run into each other at Ted’s place anyway and finally start actually swapping information they’ve picked up from their loops and what they’ve tried changing to try to get out and discussing ways to try to get out of it while Ted’s just sitting there cracking jokes and making annoyingly similar to what Keeley said comments about how in time loop and body switch things it’s always that you have to learn to see things from another perspective and be nicer to someone you don’t usually see eye to eye with before you can get out (Ted doesn’t actually believe they’re stuck in a time loop though, he’s just going well weird hypothetical but I’ll play along if this almost certainly made up scenario is what it takes for them to have an actual conversation with each other)
188 notes
·
View notes
Probably not gonna match with when this comes out translated, but still—just a few things I liked about BNHA 423
WE GOT TO SEE THE VESTIGES AGAAAAINNNNN!!! HI BRUCE!
I think Bruce gets a lot of bad angles. This is an example (but it's okay honey, you're still hot stuff)
Unfortunately, I have a favorite. It's Bruce. The most Normal Guy™ in the vestige line up. And the special-est sopping wet cat for Kudo ever (Yoichi is a dry cat because at least Kudo remembered to take Yoichi inside).
The vestiges were all gearing for a punch, but Tomura/Tenko is reaching out.
The rest of the users usually use OFA to punch, is the general idea we see. But Tomura/Tenko's Quirk isn't that.
Tomura/Tenko reaching his hand out to grab, and the vestiges readying a punch—it's their ways of putting the hurt on.
And Tomura/Tenko knows what happens if he puts his fingers on someone. He was aiming for AFO's head too. Guy was pissed.
I like that the vestiges look like they're crawling out of hell (or the depths) here. Technically for OFA itself, which they embody, being in AFO's realm was hell. It meant they failed their collective goals to win against AFO, and keep OFA [Yoichi] out of his possession
Also, they're all embers of who they once were. If Factors embodied their personalities, these embers are the leftovers of that embodiment. Their eyes are blank.
And even when they're only shattered fragments of themselves, they came for AFO to take him down.
They really embodied that purpose. Even as husks of themselves, or sad leftovers that scattered from their destroyed Factors, they still reached forward to clock AFO one last time.
They were that determined, and that determination was all that was left of them.
Meanwhile, with Yoichi, his itty bitty remains continued trying to talk sense into his brother till the end.
Yoichi has such a bleeding heart. But he also loved his brother.
AFO is standing in the dark. But in that dark, there's a light. It's Yoichi, as if he were the light at the end of the tunnel.
AFO chased OFA for decades, and ruined a lot of lives, just to have Yoichi by his side again.
Joining hands with Garaki; killing Banjo, En, Nana; forcing the creation and upbringing of Tenko; the whole Shimura incident; everything he did to UA and the Aoyamas to get close to the wielder of OFA [Yoichi]. He did all that, and more.
He just wanted the chance to have Yoichi with him again. That was his purpose in obtaining OFA this whole time.
Yoichi was AFO's light at the end of the tunnel.
Too bad for AFO, the light at the end of the tunnel was an oncoming train.
Yoichi is telling AFO what happened, but I love that in front of Yoichi, AFO became himself. I mean, not a mass of scar tissue, but who he originally looked like
Idk, there's just something symbolic about it?
Midoriya calls AFO a lonely man. And Yoichi comes to him, and AFO says he wants Yoichi by his side. He wouldn't be lonely if that were the case. Yoichi could make him not lonely anymore.
And the lonely man, a bundle of scar tissue from his warpath to see Yoichi again, reverts to a time he had no injuries or scars. He looks like the period of time where he and Yoichi lived in the same era.
In front of Yoichi, he's just.. himself, I guess is how to put it. Not a mass of scar tissue, or the evil villain everyone feared: he's literally just Yoichi's "Nii-san".
It's like, the scar tissue shed itself to reveal AFO's true face.
He wants to see Yoichi's face, and ended up showing his own without even meaning or thinking to.
He's finally looking straight at Yoichi, trying to see his face. It's not like when Yoichi was alive, when AFO always looked down on him, and just waited for him to bend to his will.
Now, AFO has little time left with Yoichi, and he's lost his composure for it, wanting to see Yoichi as more than an ember. But maybe he got to the point he only ever saw Yoichi for his Factor, rather than the Factor for Yoichi: how often has he said he was chasing One For All, instead of his younger brother?
AFO wanted to see Yoichi's face, but when he saw Yoichi next to Kudo... yeah, he lost his mind a bit there. Probably (Definitely?) because he saw Kudo's Ability, and Kudo with Yoichi. And Kudo is "to blame for everything".
Maybe he lost it seeing Kudo and Yoichi together, because it was a repeat of the past, I suppose?
(Technically, he did see Yoichi's face one last time already. Just that he also saw the bastard Kudo's face again too. And AFO did not like that.)
99 notes
·
View notes
Yall should go read @avatarkurukdefender's fic 'A Literal Team Avatar'
Wanted to draw some moments from the first chapter and it's been forever since I drew these characters, so it was nice to be inspired to do so again
[id: a digital illustration. The image depicts 3 doodles of teenage Roku, Kuruk, Kyoshi, and Yangchen; each in monochrome colours of red, blue, green, and orange respectively. Top left shows Kuruk holding up his animal pelt above his face with a joyful expression. Next to him is Kyoshi. Her headwear is crooked and she has a hand raised to her face. She is smiling with Kuruk. Above them reads 'affectionately bullying a 14 year old'. Top right has Roku looking up at Yangchen with a peeved expression as he is now the shortest. Yangchen has a sympathetic smile as she looks at Roku. The bottom drawing is of Roku hitting Kuruk's pelt over his face with the latter making an aggravated noise. /end id]
138 notes
·
View notes
The more I learn about Civil War politics, the more I'm convinced that Lincoln's most impressive and useful leadership trait was that he never let his pride get in the way of doing his job.
Other people in Lincoln's position would have come to Washington with something to prove. They'd have resented the insults and tried to disprove them. They'd have tried to seize power and credit, rejected help, spent a lot of time trying to reach a certain level of respect.
Lincoln's response to, "You're just a backwoods lawyer with no executive experience who makes too many dumb jokes," was pretty much always, "Yeah. And?" He had no interest in petty personal power plays. He had a country to run. There was a war on. It didn't matter what people thought of him so long as the job got done.
He was aware of his personal shortcomings and was always willing to accept advice and help from people who had more knowledge and experience in certain areas. He presided over a chaotic Cabinet full of abrasive personalities who thought they were better and smarter than him, but he kept working with them because they could get the job done. For example: Stanton was absolutely horrible to him when they were both working as lawyers. Just incredibly mean on a personal level. But when Lincoln needed someone to replace Cameron, he swallowed his pride and appointed Stanton as Secretary of War, where Stanton proceeded to be mean to everyone in the world, but he whipped that department into shape and kept it running efficiently through a very chaotic war. Pretty much no one except Lincoln would have been able to put up with that. He could put up with people who were personally difficult if they could do the job he needed them to do--which he was only able to do because his own ego didn't get in the way.
Lincoln's example is a prime demonstration of how humility isn't underrating yourself--it's being so secure in your own abilities and identity that you don't need to attack anyone or defend yourself to prove your worth. He knew his shortcomings, but he also knew his strengths. He was willing to give other people credit for successes and take blame upon himself for failures if it kept things running smoothly. He was secure enough in his own power that he could deal generously--but firmly--with people who tried to undermine him. In a city full of huge egos, in a profession that rewards puffed-up pride, that levelheaded humility is an extremely rare trait--which is what made it so impressive and effective.
215 notes
·
View notes
I was rewatching episode 5 and the way Mimzy was interacting with Husker made me think. There wasn't a lot to go on besides Husker distrusting Mimzy and Mimzy clearly knowing that Husker is on Alastor's leash and has been 'slinging booze' for the Radio Demon for quite some time (maybe Al has had Husker as a spy in various bars to keep on top of Hell's gossip and information? Everyone wants to talk to the bartender, after all). But she did seem to take some joy in ordering Husk around.
I know we've all been coming up with theories as to why Alastor would bother to spare Husk when he came to Hell and wiped the board clean of Overlords (minus Zestial who Alastor seems somewhat wary of). Maybe he didn't want to go throught the bother of reshuffling the power structure again by killing off a recently risen Overlord or maybe he saw an opportunity for a powerful thrall.
Or maybe Mimzy, the woman who stole 50 grand from loan sharks presumably to pay off more imminent debts, got herself stuck in a contract with the Overlord of Gambling and Alastor had to go bail her ass out by playing for her soul in a poker game.
A game that went so well for Alastor that he ended up completely cleaning Husker out and then having the fallen Overlord sign his soul over as well.
I just really love the idea that Husk hates it when Alastor helps Mimzy because the last time he helped her his entire life went to shit.
71 notes
·
View notes