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gremlingottoosilly · 10 months

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"If you need to be mean"

Konig just got his promotion to colonel. It also came with deployment in a terrorist-ridden country, but at least he would get an adorable, civilian you as a prize. TW: Konig being a huge pervert, Canon-Typical violence, Dub-Con, Innocence kink, Age difference(Konig in his yearly 40, Reader in young 20)

Pairing: Konig x fem!Reader Tags: Fluff, Power Imbalance, Hurt/Comfort, Size Kink, Possessive Konig, Yandere Konig, Creepy scary stalker Konig, written mostly from Konig perspective Word count: 5213 My AO3

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

König hates this fucking country.

Shithole in the middle of nowhere, with literally nothing going on – some border quarrels with some terrorists that are desperately trying to settle into the big war on terror that won’t achieve a thing and would be meaningless anyway. No one wanted to actually station here – this is why they promoted him so quickly, just so they could send him away like a pack of garbage they can’t give two shit about throwing out.

He never even wanted this promotion. Too much work, too many people, never enough time to relax. Payment is sweet, of course – if he only had time to use any of this. He is too old for new titles, you can’t teach old dog new tricks – and, quite frankly, he does feel terribly old while doing nothing but pushing papers and listening to some useless fucking recruits with their reports.

Job is simple – stay on the base, make sure that the locals won’t become too villifed to the soldiers that are supposed to protect them, even though he already knows how people would feel about the PMC stationed in their city. Fights with occasional resistance from the outsider force that decided “Hey, let’s just annex our neighbor, what could possibly happen?”. He doesn’t know a lot about this country – but if they have enough money to hire KorTac to help the local forces, he might be quite interested. If he only had energy for that anymore – between relentless paperwork and occasional yelling at his stupid fucking nonsense of rookie – seriously, it feels like they hired a bunch of edgy 12 year olds instead of normal soldiers.

Job is simple and he finds himself bored to death because this isn’t what he enlisted for. He wanted to fight, to kill, to burden this urge to hurt people who once wronged him with someone who is – probably, maybe, somehow – deserve it. Not really a noble cause, but he stopped playing knight in shining armor once they used him as an infiltration weapon instead of what he actually wanted. All hopes and goals in his life were buried deep with his first sniper rifle – and rude comments about his inability to sit still, even though he is still as good at being a killing machine as a human being possibly can.

— Sir! We, uh, have a problem to report.

Gut.

A problem – this sounds as exciting as it can be. Last time his brigade got a problem, it was about some new recruits falling down with stomach ache because of the forged alcohol they were drinking. Also that one time someone tried to burst their way into the base – not fun, since officers took care of him, but it was at least something to do except for reading and scrolling through various housing options like he actually has a use of buying something with more than one bedroom. Like someone would look at him and love him – enough to pass through some easy fling and start living with him. No one would do that – even his parents couldn’t.

Still, the problem sounds exciting. Maybe, he could actually go on a mission instead of feeling useless. They promoted him just to pin on the wall like a trophy.

— Repost immediately, soldier. What is it?

— A civilian, well…a civillina woman…lady, broke the curfew.

And here it is. Not an unexpected attack from his enemies, not even a drunken fight that someone from his subordinates decided to join and ended up getting their asses kicked. Is this what years of service come to? Watching over some stupid club girls broking the easiest fucking rule to follow, like getting home at midnight is a completely alien experience for them. One of the things he hates about his rank – he is used like a public figure, giving speeches, trying so hard to come up with something other than “Ja, we will kick asses of everyone who tries to infiltrate your country, don’t worry” and then he has to act like he knows what he is doing. Which he obviously doesn’t. If there was a way to just give up his rank and become a shadow again, a monster under a terrorist’s bed, he would do it. Without even a second to think.

— Send her to the police. We aren’t supposed to deal with…

Then comes the second guy – he doesn’t even remember his name, fuck this, he is supposed to be a father to his troops, or big brother at least, but he couldn’t give less of a fuck to someone weaker – inferior, smaller, someone who will die within a week or so in his first battle because apparently, higher-ups just love recruiting spineless teenagers now.

Second guy comes to the room, holding someone very firmly by their hand – and König isn’t religious, he isn’t even sure when was the last time he was at any church, the little prayers his grandma used to sing is long forgotten for him, but he sees your face and almost believes in angels.

König is too old for this shit, again, he hates this country, his team, his rank – then he looks at your face, the way it twists with fear and nervousness because of course, one of his dumb subordinates is holding you too tight and the softness of your flesh – why in the world you are wearing such light clothes, it’s night outside, you will catch a cold and he would give you his jacket, but that would drown you under the weight of it, and he don’t want you to smell the alcohol he has on his clothes, terrible coping mechanism with boredom, and he might just give you something else, maybe, like his shirt or a…

Wait a minute.

He doesn’t even know your name, even though he is sure this is something gorgeous and would look perfect next to his last name, but he looks at your face and all the years of his military training is suddenly washed away because he can’t even muster a thing out of his mouth. Thank god no one is forcing him to stop wearing his hood – he wouldn’t be able to survive otherwise, not with how hot his face feels right now. You are nervous, this is obvious, since you broke the curfew and went on the streets past 11 pm. He should just bring you to the police, he isn’t even sure why his soldiers would bring some random civilian to the base. He immediately wants to give this private a raise – for bringing him a goddess walking on Earth. Angel, succubus, all of the fancy names and…it feels like he is going crazy. And he should compose himself. Be a good example of a rotten mercenary commander.

— Why were you breaking the curfew, miss..?

He hates how squeaky his voice sounds, even after all the years in service he can’t get rid of that boyish tone and nervousness every time he is talking to women. All the fear is immediately washed away after you tell him your name – and it’s gorgeous, perfect, feels like something he can devour, something he can moan in the depth of the night while using his hand as a poor substitute for the warmth of your body.

The pause lingers too much and he already suggests just…taking you. To further investigation. to see if you are really just an innocent person caught up in breaking the rules or an enemy spy – which would give him the perfect opportunity to interrogate you and hold you for a bit longer. He wants you to be a problem, actually – that would give him the authority to hold you here, to think about you in a way that won’t immediately make him a bad person.

— Went to the pharmacy. Forgot about the time, I’m…I’m sorry.

You look guilty and weak and nervous obviously – a good girl caught up in the reality of her home country now implementing new rules just so it won’t get annexed by their neighbor. He wants to protect you – or give you the real reason to be scared of him. He wants to be good, but you look too cold in those clothes and he wants to give you something more. Or warm you up in a different way – which makes him feel horrible, his skin crawls and hands are fidgeting again even though he is almost sure he forgot about that habit after a few trigger-happy moments with the enemies.

— Pharmacies should be closed by this time. Why were you here so late?

Soldier that brought you here left you with König – colonel, you saw him in the newspapers and on TV, some public speeches while concealing his face in various ways. You don’t trust him, don’t trust the mercenaries – how can you believe that they are going to save you if they don’t even dare to show their faces? He is even scarier in person – big, hulking, too muscular to feel safe, with something like a sack thrown over his head. You want to forget about the medicine you bought and just run away, but that would only mean outright saying that you are guilty.

You brace yourself and try not to feel too small, but König just wants to wrap his hands around you and throw that weak body of yours on his shoulder. Not letting you go away. Ever.

— I…got lost. Sorry, I know what this looks like, but I just changed the apartment and…look, this is a bog misunderstanding. I have my documents, I’m local! Not some spy or anything, I promise.

Too bad – you would have the opportunity to escape if you were an enemy. Some evil and wicked femme fattal that is here to seduce him and get the important information out of him – but if you are telling the truth and nothing, but a civilian, he isn’t sure that he could save you from…falling to his hands. It’s stupid, he should really just find someone to fuck, he is getting desperate over the first cute and gentle girl he saw in this place – but really, do he has a chance with a soldier if just a helpless weakling like you can make him kneel? He needs to compose himself.

— You really shouldn’t be out so late. There is a reason the curfew is upheld. It saves you from the danger.

— For now the only danger after midnight is your soldiers, apparently.

Your breath hitches as you understand what you just said – god, who was holding your tongue and making you blurt this in front of the fucking commander? You might have had the chance of just escaping before, you weren’t doing anything wrong, you know that some of your friends were breaking the curfew after a party or late visits, but they were never held to the police or martial law – soldiers are understanding of the situation, no one from the young people actually wants to stay in their houses no matter the threats war can bring. You might have the chance of going out with nothing but some harsh words about those stupid younglings ignoring the rules – but now you insulted his men and this will probably bring you to jail for the night at least or something even more…

He laughs. And the sound of it makes your cheeks warm.

— Ja, I can understand why you would say that. But you shouldn’t break the curfew.

You feel like winning a lottery, but the prize isn’t money – it’s the chance of getting out of this creepy building and going home to your warm sheets and slight smells of devastation and loneliness.

— I’m really sorry, sir, I won’t do this again. Promise.

You look guilty, and König loves this expression. The softness of your face, the way your eyes are filled with tears when you think he would actually make you goto jail or do something even worse. He relishes in this power over you – even though he doesn’t mingle with civilians, always keeps a safe distance with women around him, never dares to even give them a careful look. He wants to take you away – protect from the world around you, from this fucking place, from all the dangers. The only thing that is dangerous to you seems like him – because he is the only one with power here, the only one who can decide whether he wants to behave like an asshole and lock you away or…

— I can’t just let you go. Let me…I can escort you to your residence so I can make sure you actually went home. And not somewhere else.

He looks at your pharmacy bag – it's a shitty plastic one, transparent and see-through. He understands immediately why you would decide to run to the pharmacy so abruptly even within the vicinity of the curfew – and the fact your bag contains pads and pain medicine only makes him want to scoop you in his arms and get you to his quarters. Government gave them a pretty nice location for the base and he, as the commander, got a bedroom that won’t even make you think about the military. Perks of quartering outside of base, even the barracks are nicer than the ones at home – and he would love to introduce your sore body to the comforts of warm sheets.

You look at him, surprised and nervous, your adorable lips twists in a pout as you think about your options. You can’t really say no, this can make him angry and resentful – and these aren't emotions you want the local military personnel to feel about you. He is also scary, and stares too much – you don’t want him to look at you like this, both surprised and depraved, but something in his figure still makes you trust him. Maybe it’s that weird propaganda about them protecting your country – he is a public figure, he can’t be evil, right? Maybe it’s just the way his hands fidgets as if he is nervous about your answer – or little cracks in his voice that makes you blush just a little every time you hear it. Or you are simply too tired to not comply.

— I, um…are you sure? You must have some other things to do. I don’t want to be a bother, really.

— I want to protect you from harm. Nights are dangerous.

You want to say that it’s okay, you spend more time in this country than he is – and you know every little corner of the city by this point, no matter the military outposts and destruction. You also want to say that this is creepy as fuck and you don’t want a random guy to just know where you live – but you can’t say that, you are already almost buried yourself with that long tongue of yours, and the only thing you want to do right now is just drink your ibuprofen in peace and get teleported to your bed.

You want to say no, but it almost feels like something romantic and even though he isn’t showing his face, the view of his muscles, bursting out his clothes and body armor, enough to make you agree. You can regret that decisions later – but with the way his eyes light up like he is a puppy, you probably won’t.

— Okay. I…I mean, if that’s okay with you, sir.

— I live to serve. Und ich diene gerne jemanden, dir so bezaubernd ist wie du.

— Sorry?

It sounds like German, and the way he pronounces it makes you feel like it’s something important – but you don’t want to ask for translation, he mutters it under his breath, Maybe some curses about stupid girls getting caught by his soldiers and how he needs to escort them to make sure they are not enemy spies ready to put their knives in his back.

— Just show the way.

He is awkward, he doesn’t know what to do with his hands, he looks at you and fights the urge to just squish you with his hands. You are pouting, your hands are trembling, and you are shaking – maybe from the cold or just from fear. König hates himself for not understanding whether he wants you to be scared of him or not. There is something dark, predatory almost, in having someone as adorable as you shaking like a leaf – but he also wants to just scoop you in his hands and make sure you will never be afraid of him.

He is awkward, silent, he goes on the open side of the sideroad like protecting you from any vehicles that may cross the road at this hour – even though the only ones who are allowed to move at this time of day are hospital workers and his soldiers. His hand looms over your side, like he is not sure whether he wants to just grab you by your shoulder or allow you to lead in a more simple way. You feel protected in a way – you can’t even read his expressions because of that weird mask he is wearing, but his eyes are strangely warm every time he looks at you and thinks you are not looking at him.

König wants to talk, but he isn’t sure what he even can say to you. The weather is nice? It’s the night, a cold one, and he doesn’t want you to catch some weird illness, but he also doesn’t want to seem like a creep by giving you his jacket. He would do so in a blink of an eye, he would die seeing your smaller body wrapped in his clothes like a nice little gift – but he knows who he is. Monster, giant, always too much and never enough, zero experience with someone who is one his one night stand in some lousy pub when he hates himself a bit less than usual. And you smell clean, civilian, sweet almost, he feels like a dog by just looking at the way your cheeks are blushing from the cold weather.

He wants to initiate the conversation, know what you like and dislike, maybe learn your opinion about the situation – many locals dislike military presence, he understands this, KorTac isn’t known for being the best guys around here, but they get the job done, however bloody this might be. He would give away anything to just be able to talk – to speak like a normal person, without scaring you or making you think that he is weird. It’s borderline embarrassing, over the many years of his life he was thinking that he would outgrow his anxiety somehow – and here he is, fidgeting with the stupid anti stress toy in his pocket that his therapist gave him, not knowing how to talk to a girl in his grown up years.

— You’re local.

It doesn’t even sound like a genuine question, it’s more like a threatening statement and he doesn’t like the way it sounds. He can’t gave it back now, it would be even weirder, he just wants to calm down and breathe, but even this is fucking impossible when every time he looks at you, it seems like you are only getting prettier.

— Lived here all my life, sir.

You’re nervous, and he at least finds some comfort in this – he is not the only one who is scared here, even though he understands that you will surely be more scared than him. But it still comforts him just a little, knowing that you are in roughly the same boat – he can smile under his hood and attempt to at least pretend to be normal. Even if this would be literally impossible for someone like him.

— Where do you work?

It sounds like an interrogation and you are not sure if you want to answer truthfully – he isn't trying to force you right now, he isn’t even touching you no matter how closely you are walking, but you are smart enough to understand why telling a random man you just met where you live and work is a bad idea. Even if the man itself is a prominent figure in protecting – or not – your country and literally walks you home because you got lucky to not be sent to the police for breaking the curfew. You would just lie to him about where you work and, hopefully, never see him again – but it’s not just a random guy you met on Tinder. He probably has the resources to check if you really work in said place and if you didn’t and just lied to him then, well…he isn’t threatening you, but your overthinking is enough to make you scared.

— Just a waitress. Cafe I work at isn’t very far from my apartment.

You even tell him the address, all while praying he won’t visit you at work. He has the right, of course, especially if he would leave a good tip, but military personnel staying at your cafe probably won’t be good for business. Clients may go away, and that would mean leaving you without tips – and then you can kiss your shitty apartment goodbye. He probably won’t visit you, he is just asking this to fill the awkward silence and check whether you are a spy or not – how confident your answers are, if your story checks out or not. He is a colonel, he must have a lot of other stuff to do instead of chasing over some rule breakers.

— Hm.

König already knows where he will be eating every day from now on. But…hell, can he do this, really? It would probably be very awkward for both of you, and you may think that is stalking you, which he definitely is, but doesn’t want to show it yet. He can give you a nice tip every time, he sure as hell has money for it, but then you would think that he is trying to buy you, which he would of course try to if you would be fine with it because honestly, girl as adorable as you should get all the nicest thing she wants to, and he can provide for it, but his damned awkwardness would never let him outright say this, which would lead to a very uncomfortable situation and…

— We might need someone local to help with operations.

Nailed it. Right?

— Wh…what do you mean, sir?

You look scared, nervous, he doesn’t want you to be scared, you’re supposed to feel safe around him! He might hate higher ups for giving him this rank and sending him to this fucking country, but he will protect you no matter what. He wants to be useful, for people to stop being scared of him – to start liking him instead, even if some cold, dismissive way of just stopping bothering him with stupid stuff. He would allow you to bother him all the time, he would protect you and make sure you are alright – you just have to let him, that would be really easy and…

— We’re strangers here. Lots of operations crossed because locals refuse to cooperate. We might need a guide out here.

He sounds nonchalant, like he doesn’t really care about your answer, but the grip of his hands is stating otherwise. He throws you nervous looks, cold eyes flickering with anxiety as you take your time to answer, secretly hoping that you would get home before you’d had to state this. It doesn’t feel like a genuine question, more like a statement again. More like you don’t really have an option to say no, since he still has the power over you. Since he still looks and sounds like someone who can and will throw you over his shoulder and use it as a cannon folder.

— I…I’m not sure, sir. I have to work at my actual job.

Can he blow up your cafe? That would greatly diminish the chances of bumping into you on a romantic Sunday morning, ordering coffee just the way you secretly like it, and then leaving you a very generous tip that would immediately show you what a sophisticated and loaded gentleman he is. He can say that enemies did it, and then he would execute those poor people for ever messing with civilians. He can also get some people from the government to close it, so you wouldn’t have any place to work and then you would be simply forced to work with him – and help him get out of this country as soon as possible. He would pay you well, of course, and being your boss would be a very…interesting experience for him.

— Are you sure?

You bite your lips and it's proven to be a horrible idea in such terrible weather – your skin breaks easily and you feel the blood in your mouth. Nice – now you would have to invest in lip balms again even though you are sure as hell that even yesterday the weather was nice. Colonel – König, you remember his callsign, no names of course, some twisted secret identity over protecting people who can literally kill you and won’t have consequences – look at you and you can swear to god that his eyes are narrowed, studying your features a bit more. Is he going to kill you for refusing the…job offer? Demand of working with mercenaries to protect your country?

— Sorry, I…I really need to think about this. And get at least two weeks notice from my job.

He is too focused on the way blood is glistening on your lips. He wants to lift the lower half of his hood and lick every little drop lingering in your mouth. Kiss this little wound until you would turn into a moaning, crying mess under him. Hold you so tight, he would leave bruises in places his fingers were – all while you are allowing him to. He isn’t delusional enough to think you like him the way he adores you already, but he is delusional enough to imagine you would comply with him mostly – he is a great person. Except for almost everything, of course.

The road to your home is lonely, no one around, obviously. People aren’t breaking the curfew on the main streets – except for you, apparently, they are tending to do stuff in the shadows if they need something to go out at night. He looks at every street light with suspicion, almost wanting for someone to try and attack you – that would allow him to be your hero, protector, to put out all of his pent-up aggression on someone else while being praised for it. He wants someone to try and kill him just to feel a bit more alive – but then you stop in front of the house, and it only takes one look for him to decide that no, he isn’t going to let you go that easily. He may not be a good or even decent person, but he is not allowing an adorable little thing like you to live in that fucking rathole.

— You live here?

— Yes. Thank you for, well, looking after me. I know that I broke rules, I won’t…won’t do that again. Sorry.

— No.

— What do you mean “No”?

Is he going to inspect your apartment? You are pretty sure that you left your bed in a very chaotic state and there is more than one pair of panties lying on the couch. Not even speaking about how horrible your living conditions are – tiny apartments, barely enough space for one person fitting in 20 square feet with all of their stuff inside, and an overwhelming desire to blow something up each morning when one of your neighbors is fighting again.

You don’t have anything to hide, but you are getting pretty tired of people who just think that because they sold their bodies to the military, they can do what they want.

— It’s a horrible place for a girl to live.

Hey! You might hate your place, but even that rathole of an apartment doesn't deserve something like this.

— Well, it’s not a castle, but…I manage.

— Don’t you have another place to sleep?

He is fighting with the urge to invite you to the base instead. Far greater place for a little goddess like you, much nicer than…this. He has to physically restrain himself from throwing a hand on your shoulder. He just stared, hoping that you would pull a prank on him and actually has some better living conditions – he can’t bear thinking about you in that kind of life instead.

— It’s a nice one, really! At least I don’t have to live with roommates.

He can be your roommate. No, not even like this. He can buy you a freaking house if you would want, just pick a place, preferably in Austria, and that would be easy. He would love to just provide for you, to get to live with someone as adorable – as in need of protection as you. He understands that being this delusional is off brand even to him and his wild fantasies, but he spends too much time hating his work lately, and he needs some outlets, breathing room to just drown himself in fantasies about a nice girl who can actually like him. Who can be his everything, a cure to fix him even though his therapist says such expectations from your partner are toxic and codependent.

He knows that he can’t say anything to you right now. If anything, you would dismiss any of his worries and just call him a psycho – would be right, probably, he doesn’t even know why he is so obsessed with your safety all of a sudden. He is only self-reflective enough to understand that he can’t act right now, no matter how much he would want to. He can only sigh and let the situation go, for now. He can always just show up at the place you work at. Totally not creepy at all, definitely, completely.

— Be safe, hase. This time is very dangerous for a girl like you.

— It’s…okay, really. You don’t have to worry about me, sir.

Oh, but he wants to.

Oh, but you want to run up the stairs and close the door behind you as fast as you possibly can. And maybe, just maybe, give him your number – definitely for consultation about the safety and how you can forfeit from breaking the curfew later in life.

He puts a hand on your shoulder, large fingers tracing over your thin shirt, and goosebumps that are running on your skin aren’t from just the cold weather. You feel ashamed for kinda liking the situation – you are creeped out by him, you are curious about him, and you kinda want him to do something else. But he squeezes the soft flesh of your shoulders, rolling a bit lower, to your back – and then lets go. You breath hitches as he takes a step back, clenching his hand as if fighting the urge to do something else.

— We’ll meet again.

You just nod, not sure if you want it or not. König makes a point to determine which apartment is yours based on the window placement and pay you a visit in his leave time.

#call of duty #cod x reader #cod x you #cod #konig mw2 #konig x you #konig cod #konig x reader #konig #reader insert #yandere cod #yandere x reader #yandere konig #yandere male

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hollowed-theory-hall · 1 month

Note

Hello! I have seen this question debated many times and I wanted to know your take on it cause I find your theories very compelling. Do you think harry should've been in Slytherin? Does he have what it "takes" to be a Slytherin? Is it because of voldemort's soul in him that lead the sorting hat to even suggest he could be in Slytherin? I know this is not one question but I would like to know your opinion on this topic in general!

First of all, thank you for the kind words! 😊

As for the questions, well, you've asked more than one question, but this ask kinda gives me a good reason to talk about how Harry isn't some golden Gryffindor. He actually has some anger issues and he most definitely has what it "takes" for Slytherin.

I'll start with the last question and then go backward, actually.

Did the hat consider Slytherin house just because of the Horcrux?

I don't think so.

I mean, Harry is incredibly clever, magically powerful, and has a cunning streak a mile wide all on his own. I'd actually go as far as to say he's more cunning, ruthless, and resourceful than many of the Slytherins we see in the books. So his own traits definitely are in line with a Slytherin sorting, Horcrux or no Horcrux.

We can try and discern if the Horcrux has an effect on Harry's personality then, and if its influence is seen like that. I'd say that I don't think so either.

Tom and Harry, while they have their similarities, are very different people. They both have a bad temper (although they react to anger differently), but Harry has low self-esteem whereas Tom thinks he is the best (while still hating himself). They're both stubborn, but Tom is much more obsessive than Harry in pursuit of his goals. Harry cares for justice and isn't willing to hurt innocents, Tom doesn't really care about any of that he cares for efficiency. If the Horcrux was influencing Harry's personality, I'd expect to see more similarities between them that go deeper than that.

So, I don't think the hat only offered Slytherin because of the Horcrux. Harry is a Slytherin in his own right.

Does Harry have what it "takes" for Slytherin?

So, I honestly got really excited at the sight of this sentence. See I love Harry, that's no secret. But one of the things I love about him is that he isn't the perfect noble hero. He can be angry, and cruel and ruthless. But he has a sense of justice, he wouldn't wish harm on someone innocent, but someone who did harm to him, or was mean to him or someone he cares for... then Harry can be terrifying when he wants to be.

So, now I'm going to go through some (I have so many more examples of this, and the examples here are mostly books 1-5 since that's what I had on hand) of my collection of quotes showing Harry Potter's vindictiveness and anger.

Harry's response to "have a good summer" at the end of his first year:

“Oh, I will,” said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. “They don’t know we’re not allowed to use magic at home. I’m going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer.…

(PS, page 221)

This is Harry's (very justified) vindictiveness we see towards the Dursleys many times in the books. He uses the idea of magic to scare them and is gleeful at the thought of Dudley's fear. Harry is very much chill with vengeance.

“…He likes to keep in touch with me, though . . . keep up with my news . . . check if I’m happy. . . .” And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon’s face, Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.

(PoA, page 435)

Same as above, just Sirius Black as the threat instead of magic.

Yes, thought Harry, that looked all right. There was no point putting in the dream; he didn’t want it to look as though he was too worried.

(GoF, page 25)

Harry can and does lie and conceal information, even from people he trusts (like Sirius) if he thinks it'll be better not to tell them something. Whether that is for his own image or for what they would think.

“Potter! Weasley! What are you doing?” It was Professor McGonagall, and her mouth was the thinnest of thin lines. “We were — we were —” Ron stammered. “We were going to — to go and see —” “Hermione,” said Harry. Ron and Professor McGonagall both looked at him. “We haven’t seen her for ages, Professor,” Harry went on hurriedly, treading on Ron’s foot, “and we thought we’d sneak into the hospital wing, you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry —” Professor McGonagall was still staring at him, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to explode, but when she spoke, it was in a strangely croaky voice. “Of course,” she said, and Harry, amazed, saw a tear glistening in her beady eye.

(CoS, page 259)

And he clearly can lie well, even at 12.

But Harry wasn’t going to stand for this. Gone were the days when he had been forced to take every single one of the Dursleys’ stupid rules. He wasn’t following Dudley’s diet, and he wasn’t going to let Uncle Vernon stop him from going to the Quidditch World Cup, not if he could help it. Harry took a deep, steadying breath and then said, “Okay, I can’t see the World Cup. Can I go now, then? Only I’ve got a letter to Sirius I want to finish. You know — my godfather.” He had done it. He had said the magic words. Now he watched the purple recede blotchily from Uncle Vernon’s face, making it look like badly mixed black currant ice cream.

...

He stopped there to enjoy the effect of these words. He could almost see the cogs working under Uncle Vernon’s thick, dark, neatly parted hair. If he tried to stop Harry writing to Sirius, Sirius would think Harry was being mistreated. If he told Harry he couldn’t go to the Quidditch World Cup, Harry would write and tell Sirius, who would know Harry was being mistreated. There was only one thing for Uncle Vernon to do. Harry could see the conclusion forming in his uncle’s mind as though the great mustached face were transparent. Harry tried not to smile, to keep his own face as blank as possible. And then — “Well, all right then. You can go to this ruddy . . . this stupid . . . this World Cup thing.

(GoF, page 33)

Again, vindictiveness and manipulation of Vernon through fear. Not only that, but Harry can keep his calm and keep his face blank even at 14 for the sake of getting something he wants.

“Get stuffed, Malfoy,” said Harry. “C’mon, Ron. . . .” “Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren’t you, Potter?” sneered Malfoy. “So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?” “You know your mother, Malfoy?” said Harry — both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron’s robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy — “that expression she’s got, like she’s got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?” Malfoy’s pale face went slightly pink. “Don’t you dare insult my mother, Potter.” “Keep your fat mouth shut, then,” said Harry, turning away.

(GoF, page 204)

Harry has a bark (all of the above quotes are Harry having a bark). He can and does shoot back as good as he gets.

Harry isn't all bark though, he's got a bit. Harry's anger is palpable and so very real and I love seeing it:

just as Uncle Vernon burst out of the dining room, his trouser leg in bloody tatters. “COME BACK IN HERE!” he bellowed. “COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!” But a reckless rage had come over Harry. He kicked his trunk open, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Uncle Vernon. “She deserved it,” Harry said, breathing very fast. “She deserved what she got. You keep away from me.” He fumbled behind him for the latch on the door. “I’m going,” Harry said. “I’ve had enough.”

(PoA, page 30)

Again, Harry has his vindictive strike. (Obviously, Marge had it coming, but that's also what Harry is thinking).

A boiling hate erupted in Harry’s chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack . . . to kill.

(PoA, page 339)

“You killed my parents,” said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady.

(PoA, page 341)

Harry, at 13, was fully willing to kill who he believed led to his parents' deaths. And more:

So what if he had to kill the cat too? It was in league with Black. . . . If it was prepared to die, trying to protect Black, that wasn’t Harry’s business. . . .

(PoA, page 342)

He's willing to kill Hermione's cat if it stands in his way.

Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn’t done it. His nerve had failed him. Black was going to be handed back to the dementors.

(PoA, page 343)

Harry Potter, at 13, laments that he didn't have the nerve to kill Sirius himself. He thinks he should've killed himself. He sees it as a failure that justice would be served by someone other than him.

Harry sat there staring at Snape as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to him. . . . If only he knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse . . . he’d have Snape flat on his back like that spider, jerking and twitching. . . .

(GoF, page 300)

Harry felt oddly separate from everyone around him, whether they were wishing him good luck or hissing “We’ll have a box of tissues ready, Potter ” as he passed. It was a state of nervousness so advanced that he wondered whether he mightn’t just lose his head when they tried to lead him out to his dragon, and start trying to curse everyone in sight.

(GoF, page 347)

The above quotes are both situations Harry was willing and wishing to curse people. Even Crucio Snape. He's not as noble and righteous and golden as many fans and characters in the books make him out to be...

If Dudley’s friends saw him sitting here, they would be sure to make a beeline for him, and what would Dudley do then? He wouldn’t want to lose face in front of the gang, but he’d be terrified of provoking Harry. . . . It would be really fun to watch Dudley’s dilemma; to taunt him, watch him, with him powerless to respond . . . and if any of the others tried hitting Harry, Harry was ready — he had his wand . . . let them try . . . He’d love to vent some of his frustration on the boys who had once made his life hell —

(OotP, page 11)

And sometimes, Harry wishes for an excuse to fight. An excuse to take his anger out on someone. (He has a lot of anger in him)

Smirking all over his pointed face, Draco Malfoy leaned across Harry and seized the largest bowtruckle. “Maybe,” said Malfoy in an undertone, so that only Harry could hear him, “the stupid great oaf’s got himself badly injured.” “Maybe you will if you don’t shut up,” said Harry out of the side of his mouth.

(OotP, page 260)

He's threatening and witty.

“Oh no,” said Hermione, quaking so badly that her knees gave way. “Oh, that was horrible. And he [Gwamp] might kill them [the centaurs] all. . . .” “I’m not that fussed, to be honest,” said Harry bitterly.

(OotP, page 759)

And when it comes to people he doesn't consider innocent, or ones he doesn't care for, even if they never harmed him, Harry is still vindictive. The centaurs mistreated Firenze and Hagrid, so Harry doesn't really care if Gwamp kills them all.

That being said, he is more concerned about Sirius in the above scene.

And he can and does cast unforgivables easily by the later books:

Hatred rose in Harry such as he had never known before. He flung himself out from behind the fountain and bellowed “Crucio!” Bellatrix screamed. The spell had knocked her off her feet, but she did not writhe and shriek with pain as Neville had — she was already on her feet again, breathless, no longer laughing. Harry dodged behind the golden fountain again — her counterspell hit the head of the handsome wizard, which was blown off and landed twenty feet away, gouging long scratches into the wooden floor.

(OotP, page 809)

Harry raised the hawthorn wand beneath the cloak, pointed it at the old goblin, and whispered, for the first time in his life, “Imperio!” A curious sensation shot down Harry’s arm, a feeling of tingling, warmth that seemed to flow from his mind, down the sinews and veins connecting him to the wand and the curse it had just cast. The goblin took Bellatrix’s wand, examined it closely, and then said, “Ah, you have had a new wand made, Madam Lestrange!”

(DH, pages 152-453)

As Amycus spun around, Harry shouted, “Crucio!” The Death Eater was lifted off his feet. He writhed through the air like a drowning man, thrashing and howling in pain, and then, with a crunch and a shattering of glass, he smashed into the front of a bookcase and crumpled, insensible, to the floor. “I see what Bellatrix meant,” said Harry, the blood thundering through his brain, “you need to really mean it.”

(DH, page 502)

So, I think Harry definitely has what it takes. He's clever, he can be ruthless, and he's capable of lying and hiding secrets when he feels it's the best option. He can hide his emotions when he really needs to, even if he rarely does. Actually, only in book 6, Harry starts sharing everything with Ron and Hermione on Dumbledore’s advice. Up to that point, he kept quite a bit to himself. And when someone wrongs him, he can and often will swing back.

And last but not least, should he have been in Slytherin?

So, this is an interesting question, because "should" can have two meanings.

1. Should've for the story — as in what is best for the narrative.

2. Should've for the character — in universe, which house the sorting hat should've picked.

So, for the first one, my answer is no. Gryffindor was the right choice for Harry for the narrative of the books as they are. Gryffindor is essentially the opposite of Slytherin and represents a choice more than just the traits and values the house represents. It represents Harry's choice even though he could've been a Slytherin he chose Gryffindor. And it's a constant choice with every heroic act. (personally, I'm not the biggest fan of equating school houses with morality, but it's effective in creating a clear narrative)

And while not all Slytherins are evil and not all Gryffindors are good, a Slytherin Harry Potter would've resulted in a very different story than what we have. So, for the story we ended up getting to happen the way it did, yes, Harry needed to be a Gryffindor.

For the second, maybe. Personally, I believe people (even if they aren't hatstalls) have more than one house they can fit into. Harry is both a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, and neither of them is more wrong or right for him as a person. I think deciding which one of them is best for him is up to a coin flip (and when in his life the question is asked).

He can be ruthless and cunning like a Slytherin. Selfless and courageous like a Gryffindor. He values justice like a Gryffindor. But he also has the selective loyalty of Slytherin to their own.

Point is, there isn't really a "should", because both suit him and he would’ve done well in both. Do I think Slytherin Harry is an incredibly fun concept to consider? Yes. Did I read way too many fics with this premise and would read more? Yes. Do I think he might've fit into Slytherin better than Gryffindor? Well, not necessarily.

Harry is much quieter than most in Gryffindor, but I think the constant scheming and image-keeping in Slytherin would be exhausting to him. He just doesn't care about all the gossip and politicalizing (something that occasionally leaves him out of the loop also in Gryffindor). So, again, both suit him about equally. The difference is that we get a very different story depending on his house.

#harry potter #harry potter thoughts #hp #hp thoughts #hollowedtheory #harry potter analysis #harry potter meta #hp meta #harry james potter #asks #anon asks #anonymous #slytherin harry potter

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twistedwonderlandimaginesblog · 2 months

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Can I ask for something rollo x demon-ish male reader?

(I never specified but i imagine reader was just also a dragon fae which can be considered similar enough to what we think of demons)

Rollo Flamme:

As a man of routine, Rollo should have understood.

You had simple pleasures in life and as such, you had to see that your needs were being fulfilled. Greeting Rollo with a fanged smile each morning, getting a grimace in return, it truly brightened your day to know that you had ruined his. His dislike of you had only drawn you even closer to him, intrigued by the man who brazenly hated your entire existence but who hardly knew your name.

He wasn’t the first to address you as ‘demon’, and surely wouldn’t be the last as long as the curved onyx horns remained on your head. It was hardly a bother to be stared at these days, and you certainly were aware of the vicious rumors that had swirled about Fleur City daily since your arrival. Rollo likely wasn’t the cause of the rumors, idle gossip didn’t suit him as he’d surely be loud about protesting your existence if he had the time to do so, but you knew he listened carefully to every word.

“Truly the same lunch every day? You’re a man of strong principles,” You teased, as you did every day since you discovered where he ate lunch. You seemed to have a built-in radar for people you wanted to torture as, even when Rollo moved from his daily spot to somewhere much more isolated, you had still managed to find him with a smug grin on your face. It had infuriated him even more when your teasing was taken a step further.

“Did you simply want to lure me somewhere we could be alone, sweet Rollo? How considerate.”

He had felt rage course through his system at the implication he would ever regard you, you, of all people in that manner. Why would he ever want alone time with you, unless it was because he had a plan to end your wretched existence for good? He had seen you tease others but never with the consistency of him, always pestering, always questioning, never giving him a moment to think. His head was aflutter with why he had been cursed to attract a being such as you, a true demon sent to prey on him and find his weakness so he could never achieve his true goals.

It bothered him more to see your attention focused on other students at Noble Bell College, sharing idle conversation as though you actually cared for their well-being. You had never seemed a person intent on making friends, rather, you just existed to make Rollo’s daily life difficult. You were always within his sight even when you didn’t notice him, with Rollo convincing himself he was keeping tabs on you purely to assure you weren’t harassing other students. No one had ever raised a real complaint about you before but it was better safe than sorry.

It had been a little over a month since you first rudely crash-landed into Rollo’s life, inserting yourself into his daily routine, which on this fateful day had finally gone back to normal. He sat with his lunch in his normal spot and you were nowhere in sight, his heart skipping a beat at the thought he might finally have peace again at last. But you had become part of his routine just as he had become part of yours, which meant his day was now filled with curiosities he had not asked for.

What were you doing instead of pestering him?

Who were you spending time with instead of him?

Rollo couldn’t say there was a part of him that wasn’t relieved but there’s another side that’s annoyed, as if you had somehow snubbed him. Was he not a good enough adversary? Was he not giving you the reactions you desired so you left to find someone more suitable for your tastes? He doesn’t know why these questions continue to float through his head, why he even cared about what you were up to. If you had caused no harm so far to him, a person openly hostile to you, then it was likely no one else would be feeling any of your wrath, which meant his excuse to keep tabs on you had crumbled into little pieces.

Another day passes, and now he’s irritated, because once again his routine no longer feels right.

He glared at the grapes and considered crushing them beneath his fingers but that would mean you won, and he couldn’t allow you more power. He can see in his head one of the first days you had bothered him, how you had invaded his personal space, snatched a grape, and held it tantalizingly between two fingers. You had gestured toward him, motioning for him to open up, that striking smug smile of yours becoming a commonly recalled memory for him after that. He had not allowed you to feed him the grape despite it throwing off his routine, and since that day you had been committed to assigning him a new one despite his protests.

And now you simply expected him to go back?

You truly were a demon.

#Twisted Wonderland #TWST #Twisted Wonderland Imagines #Twisted Wonderland x Reader #TWST Imagines #TWST x Reader #Rollo Flamme #Rollo Flamme x Reader #Scenario

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jounosparticles · 3 months

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this feels really odd to ask but but what do you think the hunting dogs' thoughts are about death? specifically if they die and how? cause I feel like all of them share a variation of "I will go down guns blazing and with glory"

fukuchi definitely feels it and I feel like jouno as well. they've both had rough and violent lives so I feel like they've always thought death was just right around the corner.

I don't know about the rest of them though. teruko I feel shares the thought but not as intense as the other two, and I dont know about tecchou and tachihara.

anyway. it's a neat thought to me :3

ohhh i’ve been thinking of the best way to answer this for DAYS. this analysis will be long so ill put it under a readmore.

the hunting dogs and death - analysis

overall, it is shown that they can die. i assume due to their abilities and bodily enhancements that they do not die of injuries very easily. it makes me wonder how disease hits them? partially mechanical bodies may not respond to illness as well as natural bodies would? or maybe the opposite and they can heal more so internally? anyways here's my thoughts on how each hunting dog perceives dying!!

fukuchi

i see fukuchi as fairly self-preserving up until the end. he can't die in battle because he needs to make sure the decay of angels plot carries out.

remember that he was warned of this at nine years old. he had to spend his life preparing for this. he likely grew very wary of living recklessly and became great at fighting very fast and young; i assume that's why he went through dojos to fight as a child.

under no circumstances could he die until the world was safe.

i imagine he put on a selfless face and was willing to take serious harm in order to protect the peace, but i highly doubt he was ever willing to sacrifice his life until his plan worked out.

here we see his thought process and how things need to fall into place. his participation was essential because in no other situation would fukuzawa be the one able to get access to the one order. if fukuchi had died beforehand, the war would play out as the amenogozen warning claimed.

he had to leave the world to fukuzawa, the man he could trust most before facing his own demise.

of course, at this point in the series he has been killed since that was the final goal of his plan. a noble death for a fantastic hero.

jouno

im actually a little conflicted on his perception of death. i believe jouno is willing to sacrifice his life if absolutely necessary but is probably more self-preserving than the others. i believe he likely uses his confident and slightly arrogant attitude to hide this self-preserving mindset. someone who comes off as intimidating or nonchalant during battle is more likely to throw off the enemy whereas appearing nervous or angry will make them seem vulnerable. i believe jouno also sees himself as very strategic and able to get out of situations easily if needed. he's a quick thinker from what we've seen thus far.

lets look at when he confronted fukuchi.

he starts off very confidently accepting the offer. we know this is a facade but him immediately trying to throw fukuchi off guard seems so show he's pretty confident in his next move.

but when this doesn't work, he immediately tries to flee. this is fairly unique for a fight in bsd, many characters will often fight until they either get what they wish or they're too injured to move. despite jouno having an ability that could dodge fukuchi's, he still chose to try and escape instead of continuing to fight. this is a very normal human reaction to have but not one you see as often.

and at a disturbance, he begins to panic and needs to ground himself by reassuring himself instead of fighting back. he's not willing to put his life on the line to stop a global terrorism and his own escape is seen as a victory, which i see as him being more self-preserving. this all took place before the sword was set on fire, so it wasn't as if he had that threat to escape yet.

however, there's a chance he just didn't know how to fight the amenogozen; but his ability was definitely one of the best to fight against fukuchi with.

still, he's smart and made sure to plan adequately in case he was injured in the battle against fukuchi. he wants to keep himself safe, but he's still smart enough to take precaution.

i think jouno has probably been through a lot in his life and wants to spend a while living happily, making him more afraid to die than the others. this is even shown when he took teruko being angry as a threat while fukuchi laughed over it.

(as a small note, fukuchi's line in the anime was "haha. it seems our gremlin is angry today" which makes more sense in this context).

so tldr i think jouno would only go down if absolutely necessary and otherwise is fairly self-prioritizing.

tecchou

i believe tecchou would sacrifice himself if it brings justice.

however, he seems to see himself as one responsible for judgement, so i imagine he gives every single fight his all.

regardless of him acting as judgement, it's been shown that tecchou is willing to die if he fails at his work.

here he promises that if he were to fail he would commit seppuku (killing oneself via slicing through your stomach--an honourable death for a samurai fighter (which lines up with irl tetchou coming from samurai lineage)), which is an incredibly agonizing way to die. regardless, he is fully willing to do it if it is for peace. this shows a confidence in death and commitment to his sense of justice to an extreme manner.

and when he found himself in a situation where he was in the wrong, he immediately admitted defeat and asked his opponent to kill him.

he admits defeat, says his wrongs and is willing to accept the consequences.

he even jumps to the harsh conclusion that he isn't worthy of his title as a hunting dog. the stark white in his eyes show that his mind isn't corrupted and that he is doing what he believes is proper justice. incredibly noble.

luckily he was spared-and likely learned a lot about justice not always being as black and white as things appear.

overall, tecchou is a very noble fighter and is willing to put his life on the line for justice. he doesn't seem to fear death and will embrace it if he feels it is earned or deserved.

tachihara

i have less to say about tachihara than the others. i see him as the type that will go down over what's right and that's shown during his fight with fukuchi.

he isn't willing to fear death or beg for forgiveness. he will go down if it is worthy.

we also see that he keeps a argumentative spirit towards the enemy despite the circumstances. he will put down his opponent even in the moment of death, he just has the confidence to.

this panel also shows that he's more willing to die than to be defeated. he doesn't want to harm anyone and be controlled so he tries to kill himself first.

overall, he's a strong fighter who isn't afraid to sacrifice his life for what he believes in. his orders make him who he is, and if the orders are to win he either will or he will die trying.

(of course that last part doesn't really count when he was posing as a mafioso because he couldn't blow his cover by easily surviving everything).

teruko

much like tachihara, teruko seems to be very willing to put herself on the line to keep people safe. this is shown almost immediately in her introduction.

if ordered, she is willing to die. she's incredibly dedicated to her job and would go down if it saves people.

she's willing to go to drastic measures to keep herself alive as well, destroying her eardrum and continuing to try and fight sigma despite being under the directed resonance guns (which were made to destroy people like her). she didn't run, and she did absolutely everything she could have done in order to win.

she seems to also pride herself in fighting and being hurt in battle, likely to show her resilience and ability to do whatever it takes if it saves people.

she even goes on to call the hunting dogs "society's servants" and refers to the enhancement surgeries as "searing order into their own bodies."

this immense dedication makes me strongly believe that she would have no problem sacrificing herself if it is for the best. she killed fukuchi despite really caring for him, so i can see her being willing to put herself into that situation as well.

tysm for the question!!!!! this was super fun to read through the scenes again and try to piece together a logical guess on them all.

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7-wonders · 3 months

Text

Between Wrath and Mercy

Sith!Ankain Skywalker x Rebel!reader (gender-neutral)

Summary: Finding yourself in a fight with Darth Maul, you quickly realize that you're way out of your depth. Unfortunately, no one's coming to save you. Aha, unless?

Word Count: 2.0k

A note from the author: Remember how I was like, "I'm having a lot of trouble writing the words aren't coming like they used to"? I think this helped to unclog a bit of the writer's block I've had. Maybe I just need to write for a different fandom for a bit. This takes place in my Rebel!reader fic-verse (gender-neutral reader!), but before What You Stand to Lose. As always, likes, comments, and reblogs make my world go round (especially the latter two), and I hope you enjoy!

How do I keep ending up in situations like this? you wonder as you dodge yet another Sith Lord’s lightsaber strike and immediately counter it with your own.

That’s a stupid question, because you know how. You decided to join the Rebel Alliance, to fight for a noble cause, and now your life is pretty consistently put in mortal danger. Still, when a mission to try and convince the head of Crimson Dawn that you were all fighting for the same goal was proposed, you were the first to volunteer. Maybe it’s a desperation to prove yourself as useful that made you do it, or maybe you need to remind yourself that you’re working for something good. Regardless, you had been stupid and self-assured, enough so that General Kessyk had given you a small team to command and sent you on your way to Corellia.

Said small team is now incapacitated, rendered useless almost the moment you had ambushed the Crimson Dawn leader who had turned out to be none other than Darth Maul—a surprise to you all, since Dryden Voss is the public face of the syndicate. This revelation completely turned your game plan on its head, as you’re now left to face his wrath alone.

And he has a lot of wrath.

“Look, if you would just listen for a moment,” you yell at him over the sound of electricity humming, “I think you would see that we all want the same thing!”

“And what thing is that?” Darth Maul snarls, raising his blade above his head and attempting to crash it down on top of you.

You meet it with your own, gritting your teeth under the strain as you attempt to hold him back. “The end of the Galactic Empire!”

He bears down harder in response, and your arms begin to shake. Knowing when to give up some yield is half the success in battle, so you adjust your strategy and drop to your knees, doing a quick roll to get some space in between you. He turns to face you once more, his yellow eyes so filled with hatred that it makes a frightened whimper get stuck in your throat.

“Please, we only came to talk. We can be allies!” you plead.

“What happens after the Empire is defeated? We part on good terms and go our separate ways?” Maul shakes his head, twirling his saber and stalking towards you. “No. At the end of the day, the Sith will always be an enemy. I will always be an enemy.”

“I’m sure that—woah!” He renews his attacks with vigor, clearly done talking. Unfortunately for him, you’re not done. “I’m sure that the Rebel Alliance would be happy to negotiate some sort of treaty.”

“I have had enough of arrogant little Force users thinking that they can change the galaxy with ‘the power of goodness,’” he mocks. “You are not the first to approach me with your misguided ideals.”

Maul kicks the center of your chest and sends you falling to the ground, a position you never want to find yourself in when fighting for your life. Attempting to scramble backward is made extra difficult with the lightsaber in your hand, and it’s only delaying the inevitable as Maul follows you slowly, a predator stalking his prey. With a firm smack, your saber goes flying out of your reach.

He holds his lightsaber to your chest and smirks down at you as it burns a hole through the fabric of your shirt. “But you will be the last.”

You raise both hands up in a last-ditch plea, though you know it’s for naught. This is it. You’ve lost. You’ll become just another name on the long list of lives lost as sacrifices for the fight for a better tomorrow.

Though you’d like to say that a sense of peace comes over you as you stare your impending death in the eyes, that’s not the case. You’re scared out of your mind, actually, and the only thing comforting you is the fact that it’ll be a quick death. With that in mind, you close your eyes and await the inevitable.

But the inevitable never comes. Where you were expecting pain and darkness, there’s simply darkness from screwing your eyes shut. After a couple of long moments, you hesitantly open your eyes. Darth Maul no longer looms over you. Instead, he’s a few feet away, engaged in battle with someone else.

“It was foolish of me to believe that Kenobi could actually finish the job and successfully kill somebody for once,” he spits, twirling his saber in his hand as another red saber clashes with his.

“You said it, not me!”

Belatedly, you realize that you know that cocky, annoying voice. Sure enough, Darth Vader is now Darth Maul’s opponent, and he’s faring much better than you had. His helmet is off, allowing you to see the arrogant grin he’s sporting, and his blond curls fly around his face as he swings his lightsaber through the air.

“Vader?” you call, still feeling like your eyes are deceiving you.

He looks over at you, his grin somehow getting bigger. “C’mon, get up and help me out!”

You stumble to your feet and call your lightsaber back to your hand using the Force, but remain back. Vader doesn’t need your help, because he’s very clearly winning. You would only be a hindrance if you were to join, so instead, you watch.

Even if you didn’t know that the two Sith lords had been trained for a very long time, their fighting styles would make it obvious. The way that they move, so fluidly and deadly, is an art form. It almost looks like a dance, if a dance could end in somebody’s death.

“Darth Sidious won’t be pleased when he finds out you’re helping out the Rebel Alliance,” Darth Maul taunts, bending over backward to avoid a swing.

Darth Vader curses at the near-miss. “Oh, but I’m not.”

“Then what do you call this?”

He looks over his shoulder and winks at you. “Helping the one particular Rebel that I have a vested interest in.”

“Pathetic!” Darth Maul spits.

Vader’s lightsaber makes contact with the palm of Maul’s hand, and he yells out in pain. He catches his saber with his other hand before it can fall to the ground, but he’s unable to grip it with both hands now. Though he could fight one-handed, against somebody as talented as Darth Vader, he wouldn’t be very successful. The light from his saber disappears as he extinguishes it, giving one curt nod before he backs off.

“This is not the end,” he promises.

“No, I don’t believe it is.”

Though Vader could very easily finish him, there are rules to a battle. When one willingly concedes, the fight is over, no matter how much the other wishes that it wasn’t. You and Vader both watch as Maul makes it to his ship and escapes, flying high above your heads and away from Corellia.

Vader turns his attention to you, wrapping his large hands around your upper arms and looking you up and down. “Are you alright?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“You were the one about to die.”

“I had it under control,” you claim, even though you very much did not have it under control. “And I didn’t need you to save me.”

“Oh, you didn’t? That’s not what it looked like to me.”

His fingers move to the open hole in your shirt left by Maul’s lightsaber above your heart. The skin there is shiny from a light burn—it’s nothing that will hinder you in the long run, but it does sting a bit, especially when Vader lightly touches this wound. You hiss through your teeth, but he doesn’t move.

“Your heart is beating so fast,” he notes, his voice soft from concentration.

Your cheeks burn at this because you know there are a couple of reasons for your racing heart, and only one of them is from the exertion of battle. Wiggling your hands up, you get enough of a space that you can lightly push yourself away from Vader.

“What are you—how did you know that I would be here?” you demand, having been under the assumption that everybody had done very well in making sure this was a top-secret mission.

“We received some intel that the Rebel Alliance would be making a rather stupid attempt at reaching out to Crimson Dawn. I was going to just let Maul have at it, but then I thought, ‘What are the odds that my Rebel would be involved in this?’”

“I am not your Rebel.” The way that he looks at you, like you mean something to him, makes your heart clench in a way that you don’t want to consider right now. Onto the next subject, then. “Why did you help me in the first place? You could have let him kill me. You should have let him kill me, actually. Would have saved you a lot of trouble.”

“I don’t want you dead.”

You roll your eyes. “Of course, you just want me to join you and go against every one of my morals.”

“I still have morals, Rebel. If you were willing to listen, to be open-minded, I think you’d find that the Dark Side is not evil. Where the Light Side wanted their Jedi to shirk all of their emotions and attachments, the Dark Side encourages those emotions. Anger, sadness, passion…love. Sith believe in a world where we’re all free to feel what we want, to allow that which scares us to be out in the open so that we may overpower it. You can’t tell me that this sounds evil.”

You remain silent, because you don’t know what to think. With how Vader puts it, the Dark Side doesn’t sound all evil. Actions speak louder than words, however, and you’ve seen the terror and devastation that the Empire and the Dark Side have unleashed on the galaxy. You’re not willing to dwell on it right now (or ever, really; just thinking about the possibility of Vader’s words having some validity makes you feel like you’re betraying the Rebel Alliance), so you force it to the back of your mind and refuse to think about it any longer.

“Well, I think my work here is done,” Vader declares with a sigh, clipping his saber back onto his belt.

You look at him in confusion. “Wait, you’re not…going to force me to be your apprentice? I mean, now’s kind of the perfect time.” You don’t want him to do so, but you were sure you knew what his end goal was, since he’s made it clear every other time you’ve encountered him.

“It is,” he agrees. “But I’ve decided that it does no good to have you join me against your will. When the time comes, you’ll give yourself to me—to the Dark Side willingly.”

He sounds so sure of this, like it’s a foregone conclusion. You’re about to argue, to insist once more that you’ll never join him, when you hear groaning behind you.

“Looks like your crew is starting to come to,” Vader notes. “I’ll see you soon.”

You don’t doubt that, but you won’t let him know that. “I sure hope not.”

He laughs, already walking to his own ship. “Make sure to get that burn checked out so that it doesn’t get infected!” he yells to you.

The groaning gets louder before you can tell him to not tell you what to do, and somebody calls your name sluggishly. Your pilot is trying to roll over onto his hands and knees, and the others aren’t far behind him in waking up. You get ready to help, as all good Rebels do—because that’s what you are, someone good and helpful and nothing at all like the Sith Lord that increasingly occupies your thoughts as of late.

You’re not like him, you tell yourself, and you’ll do everything in your power to ensure that you won’t ever be like him.

#anakin skywalker x reader #anakin skywalker imagine #sith!anakin #sith!anakin skywalker #sith!anakin skywalker x reader #anakin skywalker #star wars imagine #star wars #rebel!reader #sith!anakin x rebel!reader #rebel-verse au

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cherllyio · 15 days

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Is Nüwa good, morally grey, or evil? - A lmk season 5 theory/analysis

Now, since this is such an open question, with the very little we know about, I’m not going to give you only 1 answer, I’m going to give you 4:

Nüwa is a Hero

Nüwa is an Anti-Hero

Nüwa is an Anti-Villian

Nüwa is a Villian

Nüwa is a Hero

Now to understand how Nüwa would work with each of these roles, we are for each role going to look at what her motivation, methods and goal would mean for each of them.

If Nüwa was a hero her motivation, based on my past theories (here), would be that she would want do prevent destiny. More specifically the predetermined destiny’s that were meant to happen like LBD destroying the world. Destinys that would kill the humanity she herself created and still loves to this day.

Her method would then be creating MK, aka. The Harbinger of Chaos, to prevent these predetermined destinies to happen. And her goal would then be fulfilled, aka saving humanity in the best way possible.

Nüwa is an Anti-Hero

For this to be true her methods would have to be bad, but at the end of the day, her goal would end in something good.

So, let’s say instead she created MK in a sort of “bad way?” She made him based on Sun Wukong after all, and even though he is good now, if she was an anti-hero, she would have based it after pre-JTTW Wukong. Aka, the heaven rebelling, “I will push away all the ones closest to me”- Wukong.

This would make the methods bad, since MK would just end up causing a lot of chaos in both heaven, earth, but also to his friends, and himself. Yet in the end, her goal of preventing a very grim destiny to happen, would still be fulfilled.

Nüwa is an Anti-Villian

Now, for Nüwa to be and Anti Villian, there would be two options possible, since their also exist two kinds of anti-villain.

There is the “Noble Anti villain”, which is an evil character but with a sort of “code of ethics”, like they don’t hurt children or something.

If Nüwa was this type of anti-villain, she might not hurt people like MK, creations very close to her. But then her motivation for creating him, might be that wants to use this “chaos” part of him, aka. His power to somehow deny destiny again and again and his just general very strong powers, to take over the universe.

Maybe she would even use MK to gain The Jade Emperor powers herself, since in some stories Nüwa is The Jade Emperors daughter.

The other type is the “well-intentioned anti-villain”.

Here the motivation is good, while the method and the goal are bad. A instance of this could be a character like Azure Lion: someone who wants to help humanity, but does it through killing and terror, with the goal of becoming the emperor himself.

If this is the case for Nüwa she would have a noble motivation (stopping this predetermined destiny from happening) but her method would be to team up with “The Traitor” (guy from The Underworld) to destroy the normal status quo by destroying the celestial realm, killing all the gods, and then fulfilling her goal to become the god of EVERYTHING.

A god who would be able to protect humanity forever and ever, and she might even betray “The Traitor”, and become a king (or queen) of The Underworld herself. Therefore, making sure humanity would never experience death again. And in the center of this goal would be MK, who would help her with this, and hopefully stand by her side at the end.

Along with this, there is this theory that Nüwa didn’t even want to abandon MK alone, and that she wasn’t even done making him yet. You can find RV Sketch’s video about it here, but basically, while Nüwa was making her “Harbinger of Chaos” something went wrong, and MK came into life too early (hence the cracks in his stone mentioned in the picture underneath), and Nüwa never saw him again.

Maybe this was even MK´s weirdly changing destiny powers kicking in early and changing what Nüwa had originally planned (which is honestly very fitting). So now Nüwa and The Traitors goal would instead be to learn how to manipulate MK´s to, yes, change Fate, but in a way that benefits them.

Nüwa is an Villian

Now if Nüwa was a Villian, she would have both an evil motivation, method, and goal. So that would mean Nüwa would either be a very silly villain, like Yin and Jing, or just an INCREDLY evil person.

So, let’s just say that Nüwa is INCREDBLY evil(aka her goal).

She doesn’t care for anyone; she just wants POWER.

And MK�� MK would only be a toll in her eyes get to her goal (like Emperor Belos´ relationship to Hunter in the series “The Owl House”) She might even team up with The Traitor to manipulate Azure into killing her own family, The Jade Emperor. Evil motivation, evil method, evil goal, and holy sh@t she would be terrifying.

Conclusion:

We will first truly know what Nüwa will be like, when she finally shows up in the show, but in the end, we do know one thing: Good or evil, she is going to be on hell of character.

ALSO, This video helped me A LOT, so go watch it, its amazing

youtube

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demodraws0606 · 6 months

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I do want to say it is kind of terrifying from an RP standpoint how much q!BBH has devolved as a character.

When I mean devolved, I mean he has completely thrown away what little morals he had that defined him.

I made a joke about it but it is quite unsettling hearing him before Purgatory. While he was certain that he'd hurt his friend if he had to, he was still unwilling to revel in it. Comparing himself to humans who succumb to bloodlust, raising himself above it.

But now here he is, boldly proclaiming that he enjoys tourmenting the Red team, that he is finally cutting loose as though this wasn't a mission to bring his kids back but a fun little murder trip (now this isn't me trying to say his main goal isn't bringing his kids back but i'm pointing out how it conflicts with his bloodlust).

We've never seen q!BBH this meanspirited and vicious against the other islanders. Him taunting q!Slimecicle making it clear that he doesn't respect him and him laughing while stabbing q!Philza with a chainsaw.

He's completely fallen from what little morality he still had, the little sliver of morality of him just doing this for the eggs and not from any kind of malicious intention.

It's not like all of his destructive acts against Red either have been particularly helpful in winning either, some of them were with that mindset but some of it really just ended up being a distraction.

Now this isn't me saying q!BBH has completely lost his wits, cc!BBH confirming that during the tie situation, q!BBH was playing a lot more smart but he definitely has gotten more sloppy in his approach.

What is more particularly scary to me is the aftermath, I don't think q!BBH is gonna able to just switch his mindset back to normal or at least not completely. The only way for him to ever go back is if he ends up feeling guilt which...we know will not happen considering his character.

He has to deal with the fact that he enjoyed hurting his friends, that he had fun. You can't just switch back from that mindset once you're so deep into it especially when you once thought finding enjoyement in it would be the last thing you would do.

He is gonna have to look at himself when he starts reminiscing fondly of him hurting the ones he loved for what he thought once was a noble cause. A noble cause that devolved quickly into pure bloodthirst.

He is fighting for his kids, yes, but it didn't just come at the cost of his friends happiness but also at the cost of who he was.

#qsmp #qsmp purgatory #q!bbh #q!badboyhalo #bbh #badboyhalo #considering purgatory is soon coming to an end i thought i'd put my thoughts about q!bbh in purgatory #cause like i made jokes about his regression as a character but it is like #slightly unsettling watching him just completely fall into bloodlust

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sunshine-overload · 1 month

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[BSTS] April Fool’s 2024 ‘The Hero, Reincarnated in Another World’ Event Story - Part 1

I hope all the names don’t get too confusing!

Chapter 1

-inside castle-

storyteller (aogiri): —This is the Starless Kingdom. The strict king that rules over this land is currently in a state of disarray. Why? Because the princess who is loved dearly by this nation, was kidnapped by the wretched and evil Demon King. And so, the king has summoned a hero in order to see her returned home safely...

haseyama: ...Huh? Where am I?

??? (kei): —Was the ritual successful?

haseyama: Huh? Kei? What he hell is going on here?

king (kei): I am the king of this land.

haseyama: ...What?

king: The princess of this kingdom has been kidnapped by the deplorable Demon King. I have called upon you in order to save her.

haseyama: What are you going on about? ...Actually never mind that, what on earth am I wearing? When did this gaudy outfit get put on me. You damn bastard, is this your doing?

king: I have summoned you here from another realm to subdue the Demon King. Once you defeat him and return the princess to me, I shall allow you to return to the world of which you came from.

haseyama: Huuh? ...I must be dreaming.

king: Whether this is a dream or not is a moot point. Either way your task remains the same.

-kei points his sword at haseyama-

haseyama: Hey now, put that blade away. You wouldn't want to put a hole in my throat would you?

king: If you do not intend to carry out my order then I have no qualms in sending your head flying.

haseyama: Shouldn't you be the one going to defeat the Demon King? Why are you relying on someone else?

king: There are countless other scoundrels aiming for my throne. A king cannot leave his castle unattended. Now answer me, will you carry out my order or not? You may only accept or refuse.

haseyama: Threatening me huh? That's not very noble of you. Do you think I'll listen to you just cause you've got a sword pointed at me?

king: If you do not wish to cooperate then I will just summon a different man after I've executed you. So, once again, answer me.

-kei points blade closer to haseyama-

haseyama: Ok, fine fine! I'll play along with your little world of make believe... Jeez.

king: Splendid. In that case, Hero, I shall bestow you with this legendary sword to use in battle.

haseyama: Hero this legendary sword that, this isn't a video game you know? So I just need to stab the Demon Kong with this then, right? Where is he?

king: You must ascertain that yourself.

haseyama: ...Are you kidding?

king: Gather your own party of companions as well. As for any funds you may need for your journey, acquire it by your own means. The currency we use here is called ‘yell’.

haseyama: Whaaat?

king: A Hero should be able to handle that much without issue. With that, I wish you luck on your journey.

haseyama: Wh... What the hell!?

—end

*yell - same name as the currency in-game

Chapter 2

-inside castle-

haseyama: What was all that about? He barely explained anything to me. Was that not actually Kei...? Jeez, he could've at least told me where I should head to first.

-time pass, grassy field, day-

haseyama: Let's see, what should I do...

??? (rindou): Oh, could you be the Hero?

haseyama: Huh? —!?

??? (rindou): You are the Hero, right? I share the same goal as you, let us go together.

haseyama: You're Rindou ain't you?

nameless swordsman (rindou): I do not possess a fine name such as that. I am merely a nameless swordsman. My sword skills are of a competent level, I promise I'll be of use to you.

haseyama: (That bastard Kei did tell me I should gather companions...)

haseyama: Sure thing. I'd rather not travel alone either, let's team up.

nameless swordsman: Really? Thank you very much!

haseyama: So, how do I gain even more companions?

nameless swordsman: We should head to the tavern. That is usually where parties are formed.

haseyama: Parties...?

nameless swordsman: I think we should try recruiting some members in Umbrella Village.

haseyama: Ok, let's do that. Heroes in video games always gather a team after all.

nameless swordsman: Video games?

-mokuren appears-

??? (mokuren): I've got you!

-rindou jumps in front of haseyama-

nameless swordsman: Watch out!!

-mokuren attacks-

haseyama: Woah!?

??? (mokuren): ...Hmph, you guarded him.

nameless swordsman: Kicking people out of nowhere is quite rude. What do you want from us?

??? (mokuren): That guy's the Hero isn't he? Wouldn't it be fun to knock him down a peg?

haseyama: What are you saying? Have you gone insane, you bastard?

??? (mokuren): You're a Hero yet this other guy had to protect you. It's laughable. Could it be you're not actually capable at all?

haseyama: As if. Who the hell do you think you are?

-qu appears-

??? (qu): My apologies. This one is the type to attack an opponent they're interested in the moment they see them. They're a dancer and I'm a priest. We were travelling together but...

dancer (mokuren): Travelling with the Hero sounds like fun. Let me join you.

priest (qu): There you have it.

haseyama: Hey, this sword I've got is pretty amazing. Just by carrying it on me everyone's recognising me as the hero. Killing time in this world ain't half bad, everyone here is depending on me.

nameless swordsman: Indeed. The fate of this realm is in your hands.

haseyama: Alright then, I'll take you two in as companions. In exchange, escort me to this so called Umbrella Village.

dancer: Don't stand behind me.

-mokuren almost kicks haseyama-

haseyama: ...!? That was close!

nameless swordsman: Amazing, you evaded their kick so gracefully. You really are the true Hero then, how excellent!

priest: Still, it's best you avoid walking behind Dancer. We wouldn't want to have to go looking for a new Hero.

haseyama: They'll throw a kick at me the moment I step behind them? Since when are dancers such violent people!?

—end

*Umbrella Village - reference to the song umbrella/amegasa

Chapter 3

-inside tavern-

haseyama: Hmm, so this is the tavern where I can gather team members?

nameless swordsman: Yes. All sorts of people visit here, so you can try and recruit whoever interests you.

haseyama: Hmm, all sorts of people huh...

drunkard (akira): Bartenderrrr, hurry up and bring me more booze~ I placed my order ages ago didn't I?

haseyama: ...Geh, that's Akira isn't it?

drunkard: No need to apologise to me sir, if you know any cute girls just introduce me to them, ok?

priest: ...Appears there are some drunk customers here as well.

dancer: Don't tell me you're planning to make him your companion? He's beyond drunk. Pick your friends better, Hero.

haseyama: Shut it you. I don't wanna have to make a team full of faces I recognise either. Is there no other options here?

bartender (hinata): Ah, welcome! Would you like to order?

haseyama: Oh, someone I don't recognise actually showed up. Are you the bartender...?

bartender: Yeah, what about it? That's one impressive looking sword you've got with you sir ♪

haseyama: Yeah. I, as the owner of this sword, am looking for some suitable companions to travel with. You're... a bartender so you'd be no good in a fight. Is there anybody that's strong in this place?

bartender: Ah, there is there is! That guy drinking alcohol over there! He called himself the 'Strongest Sorcerer'.

haseyama: Ooh, the strongest huh?

strongest sorcerer (lico): (drinking) Whew that's good...

haseyama: What, him? That's just Lico though?

nameless swordsman: The strongest sorcerer? It's true that I can sense he isn't just your average person.

haseyama: You can? Well... I guess I'll try talking to him then.

-haseyama walks over to lico-

haseyama: Hey, you.

strongest sorcerer: Hm?

haseyama: Join me. It's an honour to be on the Hero's team, no?

strongest sorcerer: ...Excuse me? What are you talking about. I doubt a decrepit old man line you could defeat the Demon King.

haseyama: What did you just call me!?

strongest sorcerer: I can see why you'd wish for the help of I, the strongest sorcerer. It's obvious you'd need my power. If you'd like for me to join you, then bow to me first.

haseyama: Excuse me!?

strongest sorcerer: My abilities don't come cheap you know. Are you going to hire me? How much money do you have, can you even afford it?

haseyama: Bastard, how about I go ahead and double the debt you owe me?

strongest sorcerer: Debt? What are you talking about?

haseyama: Never mind! Besides you're talking all big but are you even a sorcerer like you claim to be? Reeks of bullshit to me.

strongest sorcerer: Shall I show you my skills then? —There.

-all of the bottles on the shelf burst-

haseyama: Woah!?

priest: All of the alcohol bottles exploded at the same time...! What an impressive spell.

haseyama: I see, I see. So you being the strongest wasn't a lie after all. Got it. If it's money that you want I'll pay you later, however much you want. So join me.

strongest sorcerer: However much I want? Do you really expect me to believe that?

haseyama: No, but once I beat the Demon King that arrogant king of yours is sure to give me a handsome reward right? Once I return to my world I'll have no need for this place's currency, so you can have it.

strongest sorcerer: Return to your world?

haseyama: Ah... Just don't sweat the details! The point is I'll give you whatever reward that unpleasant king coughs up for me. Deal?

strongest sorcerer: ...Well, that offer doesn't sound so bad. If that's the deal then I don't mind joining you.

haseyama: Perfect, the contract is decided.

—end

Chapter 4

-riverbed, night-

cat beastman (maica): Argh... Disappear!

mob class demon (kasumi): Guh, he got me!

wolf beastman (ginsei): These bastards... go away already!

mob class demon: Uwah, they're strong!

cat beastman: (heavy breathing)... So? Is it gone now?

mob class demon: Nope, there's still more of us~!

-three kasumi's appear-

cat beastman: What!? Even more appeared!

wolf beastman: No matter how many we defeat there's no end to them...! Shit, if only it was a full moon I'd be more powerful...!

cat beastman: Aah damn it, my charm skill isn't having any effect! Even though it's just a mob class...!

mob class demon: My apologies~ I'm going to keep attacking you now!

-the three kasumis leap forward-

-scene cuts away-

haseyama: I heard at the tavern that the Demon King's castle is in the north... but isn't that a bit too vague? Where in the north?

priest: Well, let's just continue heading north for now.

haseyama: I don't want to just aimlessly walk in a direction with no idea what's ahead. One of you find out where—

wolf beastman: Someone please help us! Anybody!

priest: Oh my? It appears those two are being attacked by a demon.

haseyama: (smirking) Oh are they now...? In a situation like this we have no choice but to help them out hmm? All of you, help them.

strongest sorcerer: Sure thing, that amount of demons is child's play.

nameless swordsman: Are you not going to fight, Hero?

haseyama: Hm? Well, I suppose I could at least try this sword out. Alright, here we go.

-haseyama swings sword-

mob class demon: Gyahh! That hurts!

mob class demon: Kyaaa~! Ouch!!

mob class demon: Retreat~!

nameless swordsman: ...How surprising. That sword really is just as powerful as it looks.

haseyama: Never mind that, those guys dropped some money when they ran right? Hurry and pick it up.

wolf beastman: Um, thank you for helping us. We were in a real pinch.

cat beastman: You're strong. I'd expect no less from the Hero, you have my gratitude.

haseyama: Hey now, don't tell me you think words alone will pay me back for deciding to help you?

cat beastman: !

priest: What? Um, Hero? Why are you pointing your sword at civilians...

haseyama: C'mon, pull out all the money and items you have on you. Small price to pay for us saving your lives, no?

wolf beastman: Huh? S-sure. Sure thing, here's what I have.

cat beastman: Then... Here's what I have too, take whatever you'd like.

haseyama: Thank you~ Alright let's get going guys, north we go.

priest: ...Yes.

-hero party leaves-

cat beastman: ...He took literally everything we had!?

wolf beastman: Are they really the hero party...?

—end

Chapter 5

-village-

haseyama: Look, I'll say it one more time. What I want is for you to prepare me some weapons and a full set of armour.

weapons dealer (aogiri): Yes, I understand that sir. That is why I am trying to arrange an appropriate price with you.

haseyama: I'm the hero that'll be defeating the Demon King. Shouldn't I be getting whatever I need for free?

weapons dealer: Are you saying that you'd like for the common folk to die from uncompensated work, Hero-sama?

haseyama: The heck is up with that attitude of yours. Tch, whatever, who needs equipment anyway. Oh well... I guess I'll take a look at the map we stole from those beastmen.

??? (sinju): Hello there, Hero-san. What have you got there?

haseyama: Huh? Oh, Sinju?

villager A (sinju): Who? I'm a villager. I live in Umbrella Village.

haseyama: Tch, doubt you'd be very strong in battle then. This is a map with directions to the Demon King's castle.

villager A: Oh wow! As expected of the Hero, that's one cool map.

haseyama: Cool how? Look at it, it's no better than those scribbles Unei calls drawings. I don't even know where to head other than north, does no one have any clearer directions? Hey, do you know how to get to the Demon King's castle?

villager A: Uhh... Nope, I have no idea. Ah but, on the outskirts of this town there's a fortune teller who has a reputation of always being correct. Why don't you try asking him?

haseyama: Fortune teller huh... Well, if he gets it right then that'll be beneficial. I guess I'll give it a try.

-haseyama walks to the fortune teller-

fortune teller (heath): ...Welcome. What would you like?

haseyama: ...It's Heath, huh? Anyways, I want to go to the Demon King's castle. Tell me how I should proceed to get there.

fortune teller: Ok. In that case, I will turn over my tarot cards... I have the result.

haseyama: Oh? And?

fortune teller: North. You should continue to proceed north.

haseyama: I know that much already! You're just a damn conman ripping everyone off ain't you? Good for nothing, what a waste of my time.

-haseyama goes to leave-

fortune teller: Wait.

haseyama: What now?

fortune teller: The cards also say that disaster will befall you. I recommend you be careful.

haseyama: Hah, what a joke. Coming to this world was already a disaster in itself.

-haseyama's office-

??? (unei): It appears that a man calling himself the Hero is in search of my castle. Hmm, ‘hero’ he says... Kuku, no matter who they are all someone is capable of doing in the presence of my dark magic is grovelling on the ground before me. I suggest you watch closely, Princess! I'll send that Hero to an early grave!

saki: Umm, who is this Hero you’re talking about? And... Where am I exactly...?

??? (unei): It is none of your concern, Princess. Now then, let us get ready for supper.

saki: (Why is Unei-san wearing that outfit? Where am I? What is going on...)

—end

Chapter 6

-forest, night-

dancer: Hmph, the sun's completely set.

haseyama: Where on earth is that damn Demon King's castle! There's nothing but forest here!

nameless swordsman: It's best we find somewhere to set up camp and rest. The forest is a dangerous place at night.

strongest sorcerer: Huuh? I didn't sign up for camping.

nameless swordsman: We have no other choice, there aren't any inns nearby.

priest: Let's sleep in shifts and rest our bodies.

haseyama: I'll leave keeping watch to you lot. I'm sleeping till the sun comes up.

-time pass-

haseyama: Zz... zz...

nameless swordsman: Hero, are you awake?

haseyama: Nn... Huh? What is it? I'd finally gotten comfortable.

nameless swordsman: My apologies, but I must tell you something very important. I don't want the others to overhear so let's move somewhere more secluded.

-they move deeper into the forest-

haseyama: So? What is it?

-haseyama stumbles-

haseyama: Wh— Woah!? Ouch, the hell is this? There’s a rope—

nameless swordsman: Appears you're caught.

haseyama: Hey, bastard! Don't touch my sword, what are you planning to do with that?

nameless swordsman: Sir Hero who is very much only a hero in name. I'll be taking this sword from you.

haseyama: Excuse me? You asshole, are you betraying me!?

nameless swordsman: Fufu, from the very start my aim has been to— !?

-kokuyou appears and attacks rindou-

??? (kokuyou): You... You're the man with a bounty on his head known as 'Gentian' aren't you?

gentian (rindou): I don't know who you are but it appears my covers been blown, hm?

haseyama: Bounty? That means you're villain doesn't it!?

gentian: No, I am simply part of the resistance. That doesn't make me a villain. This sword of yours should be in the hands of someone more deserving. The person who corrects the wrongs of this world does not have to be a subordinate of the king.

warrior (kokuyou): Shut the hell up already. I'll be taking your head!

-kokuyou attacks rindou-

-rindou dodges-

gentian: Woah there!

-screen goes white with a smoke bomb-

haseyama: Argh!? (coughing)... The heck, I can't see anything!

gentian: Appears the odds are not in my favour, so I'll be taking my leave here. Let us meet again someday.

-smoke clears-

haseyama: Dammit, that bastard! He's damn quick at running away.

warrior: He was after your sword... Are you the rumoured Hero?

haseyama: You're... not Kokuyou. Who are you?

warrior: I'm a warrior, I work as a bounty hunter.

haseyama: Ooh? You're strong enough to make a swordsman turn on his heel and run. Join me. If you come with me then as compensation I'll um... Oh I know. Once we defeat the Demon King I will grant unto thee dominion over half the world.

warrior: I don't need something as absurd as half the world... But I am interested in beating that Demon King to a pulp. You got me at a good time, I'm free right now so sure, I'll come along.

haseyama: Nice. Oh right, by the way, would you happen to know where the Demon King's castle is?

warrior: I have heard it's in the north.

haseyama: Is that all any of you can say!?

—end

*gentian - 竜胆 can be read as ‘rindou’

*half the world - this line is a dragon quest reference

Chapter 7

-forest clearing, day-

haseyama: I don't see any castles in the distance... Could we at least hitch a ride on a horse and carriage or something?

strongest sorcerer: I was thinking the same thing. Why does someone as magnificent as me have to do all this walking?

dancer: Oi, Hero. We're out of food too. I'm hungry.

haseyama: Oh shut up, do you see any grocery stores around here?

priest: I'm sure if we just endure for a little longer we'll stumble upon a town or village.

-dark mist appears on the path-

-mizuki and two kasumi's appear-

??? (mizuki): Hey, you over there!

haseyama: Huh?

??? (mizuki): You're that shitty ass Hero that's going after the Demon King yeah? I'm gonna kill you dead!

haseyama: ...!? Who the hell are you?

mob class demon: He is one of the four great leaders of the Demon King's army! His name is 'Mad Dog of the East'!

mob class demon: I'm merely an ant compared to his unbelievable power~!

warrior: Four great leaders? He doesn't look that tough to me.

mad dog of the east (mizuki): Kyahahah, attack 'em!!

mob class demon: Yes, sir~!!

-they attack the hero party-

-time pass-

strongest sorcerer: Haa... That's it, I'm at my limit. I can't walk another step.

warrior: We managed to defeat that great leader guy but I'm all out of stamina...

haseyama: Despite being a dumb brat he was dang strong.

-gui appears-

??? (gui): ...Hero party.

haseyama: Wah...!? Shit, another assassin? This is a terrible time...!

??? (gui): Eat this. It is fryryce fruit.

haseyama: What? Is that even edible?

dancer: I'll take it.

priest: It may be poisonous, be careful.

dancer: This is... delicious! What an amazing fruit, give me more.

??? (gui): Here.

dancer: Delicious...! I can feel my strength coming back to me...!

haseyama: Really? Let's see then... !? Why does this fruit taste exactly like fried rice...?

strongest sorcerer: Woah you weren't kidding, I feel much better. I'll be taking seconds.

haseyama: What's up with this fruit? This world makes no sense.

??? (gui): My wish is for you to rescue the Princess.

-gui disappears-

strongest sorcerer: ...Huh? He just disappeared?

warrior: What was up with him?

priest: He may have been a spirit of the deceased that watches over this land.

haseyama: I have no idea, but he helped us out. Now we can keep heading north.

—end

Chapter 8

-beach, day-

haseyama: Why do I have to be the one to find some food... Jeez, it stinks of ocean.

-menou appears with eyes closed-

haseyama: ...Hm? There's someone collapsed on the ground over there. Is it a corpse?

??? (menou): Yawn~ You're finally here... I got so tired of waiting that I fell asleep. You're the Hero, right? Excuse me.

haseyama: What, you were alive? GAH!?

-menou stabs haseyama, screen flashes red-

??? (menou): One and a two~

-red flash-

haseyama: Wh... You bastard... what are you... Gah!

??? (menou): And a three and a four~

-red flash-

??? (menou): There we go, five stabs. That should be enough right? I've done what I was told to do.

haseyama: Argh...! You... Who are you...?

??? (menou): Me? I'm one of the four great leaders of the Demon King's army~ My name is... Um, what was it again? I forgot. Oh, you can just call me Yu. It's my favourite combination of letters. But well, it's not like we'll ever see each other again anyways. See you.

haseyama: B-bastard, don't you run away...

-mokuren appears-

dancer: Rejoice, Hero. We found a whole bunch of shellfish over... Hm?

yu? (menou): Oh, your companions are back. How troublesome.

warrior: The Hero is all messed up, just how powerful is that guy?

dancer: Oi, we should attack him. From this distance magic will be fastest.

strongest sorcerer: Sure, but I might hit the Hero as well. Is that ok?

dancer: Who cares, shoot.

strongest sorcerer: Fine fine, here I go~

-lico shoots a magic blast-

yu?: ...Hm? Was I just hit by something?

haseyama: That attack didn't effect him at all! Strongest sorcerer my ass!

strongest sorcerer: Shut up! I really am the strongest in that village!

yu?: Sigh... You're all so weak, I'm bored. Maybe I'll just retire from being a great leader and live in an onsen somewhere...

haseyama: Hey, wait...!

yu?: Oh right, I should take your money first.

haseyama: Huh!? My money!

yu?: Bye bye.

-menou leaves-

strongest sorcerer: What the heck, he just ran away? Pisses me off.

priest: Are you ok, Hero? I'll cast some healing magic, please hold still.

haseyama: Godammit! All of you are useless!

dancer: ...I didn't think the Hero would be this weak and pathetic. How boring.

-mokuren goes to leave-

priest: ...? Where are you going, Dancer?

dancer: I'm going to go find someone more exciting to fight under. I'm done with him.

strongest sorcerer: ...They really just do whatever they want huh.

warrior: It's just a fighters instinct.

priest: We all must search for our own true strength...

haseyama: Isn't that person just a dancer though!? ...Hey, that hurts! I thought you used healing magic on me? Why am I not healed!?

priest: I'm terribly sorry, but I've used up all my mana. This is as much as I can heal for now. There should be an establishment where we can get you proper treatment further along this path. Let's head there.

—end

*Yu - ゆ meaning ‘hot water’ is the hiragana used on the entrances to onsens

To Part 2

#bsts translation #event story #bsts haseyama #bsts unei

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autumnmobile12 · 9 months

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D. Gray Man: Morality vs Victory (and Survival)

D. Gray Man has a unique situation as far as conflict goes. The enemy is an army of millions of demon machines that are commanded by a race of humans that are virtually immortal from the perspective of ordinary people...and they can only be harmed/killed by a weapon that is so selective that only a handful of people in the world can use it. This isn’t a situation where anyone can just enlist and train to become an exorcist nor can the Black Order simply conscript new soldiers; this is a world where the chosen few and only the chosen few are physically capable of fighting the enemy.

This is the reality. This is the shit hand humanity in this world was dealt. So from from the perspective of ordinary folk who have no power against this fate other that to rely on the exorcists, many of whom are children, it's easy to see how and why they got desperate.

The other thing to consider is this isn't a normal war. The Black Order isn't the aggressor and the Earl and Noah Clan's ultimate aim is complete and total annihilation of humanity. So there is no hope of a ceasefire. There is no treaty the Order can sign, no way to negotiate, no way to appease the enemy. The only outcome that can happen is the destruction of one or the other.

In the grand scheme of things, the Order has nothing to lose. Lo Fwa recognizes the barbarity of the Third Exorcist Program and says what a ‘good person’ would say, “This is not how I want to win.” That is a noble thing to say, but for the above reasons, the unspoken (and even spoken) outlook of the Order's leaders seems to be, “Do we win or do we die?”

In spite of his photography 'hobby' and unhealthy obsession with Lenalee (cause that part of this character is really fucking creepy when you look past the fact it's supposed to be a joke,) Bak is actually one of the better leaders as far as morality goes.

When the Third Exorcist Program was unveiled, Bak was the only one verbally against it. He's the only one to called out Epstain for her part in the project.

Taking his background into account, this is understandable. His parents both martyred themselves in order to shut down the Second Exorcist Program and to hopefully prevent any similar experiments from taking place in the future. On top of that, when the scandal of what Lab 6 was doing got out, he probably took the brunt of the backlash in his parents' place.

Adding to this, when the Level 3 attacked the Asian Branch, his primary goal was keeping Allen safe. He acknowledged he couldn't fight and refused to throw him into the ring with a 'figure it out' mentality. So Fou took Allen's place. Even at the cost of her life, neither she nor Bak were willing to sacrifice a child. (He was even willing to risk blackmail with the aforementioned photos.)

We've already seen that Komui's the one who put an end to the human experimentation and he actively advocates on behalf of his sister and the other exorcists. He's also the odd one out as far as the other leaders of the Order go as he's the only one who doesn't have a generational obligation to be there, as both Lenalee and himself came from outside the Order and are the only surviving members of their family. Which in an organization where nepotism seems to be the commonality, that makes his position in the Order pretty impressive. He's the Alexander Hamilton of the Order.

During the attack on headquarters, Komui mobilizes the remaining exorcists to repel the akuma and made the practical decision to destroy the Egg in order to prevent the Earl from reclaiming it. But with the Level 4's appearance and the unknown status of their fighters, he chose to retreat. Like Bak during the Asian Branch crisis, he chooses not to endanger the lives of the exorcists who couldn't fight.

However, during the Third Exorcists arc, this standpoint of his starts to waver. Like Bak, it is to Komui's credit he didn't know about the Third Exorcist Program, but there is still the undeniable fact that he did not oppose the project when it came to light. He's uncomfortable about it, for sure. You can see he is not at all okay with any of this.

But he still says nothing.

The likely consolation in his mind is the Thirds were willing volunteers for the project and are honored to sacrifice themselves if need be, but this is still undeniably a slippery slope that can blow up in their faces. Which it does, resulting in the loss of the Thirds and four exorcists.

A silence of Komui's that speaks louder, though, is the treatment of Allen during his last days at the Order. Komui was in a bad spot here. On the one hand, he still views himself as an advocate for the exorcists. On the other, one wrong word and he might be the next one they lock up. So rather than speak out, he stays quiet in order to protect the others, which effectively means abandoning Allen. He doesn't even seem to be advocating for the Science Division's efforts to help.

There's already conflict between him and Lenalee over this. She's shown arguing with him in Night 204. We don't know what about, but given the context of the chapter, this probably isn't a petty sibling disagreement. Furthermore, where the current chapters stand, she and Marie are refusing to give him any information about Kanda and Johnny's whereabouts. This goes to show that while he does have good intentions, he no longer claims the same level of trust he used to, and that is likely killing everyone on the inside.

There is a distinct divide between 'Komui is Lenalee's brother' and 'Komui is Lenalee's commanding officer.' All the way back in the Fallen One arc, he is rather withdrawn in his instructions for her to recover Suman's Innocence and telling her point blank that he is beyond saving. There is also the post-Barcelona funeral where he strictly adheres to the Order's policy of cremating their dead and refusing to allow the finders to contact the families. Later on, he is even telling himself he can't afford to be sentimental even though we can clearly see how much the losses have affected him.

After the disaster of the Second Exorcist Program, Bak and Epstain both swore they would never be a part of any experiment like that again. They lost their parents, Epstain owes her life to the Changs for shielding her from Alma's rampage, and they were left picking up the pieces of the disaster. It was her testimony to Central that put an end to the program.

So why does she go and dredge up all that bad blood to create the Thirds?

Bak, Komui, and Epstain all definitely went through a period of recovering mentally from the attack on headquarters, the appearance of a heretofore unheard of Level 4 akuma, and had to contemplate what this would mean for their organization going forward. It's not entire clear exactly when Komui became the branch chief, but he was 23 when he and Lenalee reunited, so it was around that time. (Lenalee would have been eight when word of the Second Program got out, so he definitely would have heard about it.)

So these three made their promises when they were in their early 20s at the most. In Bak and Epstain's case, they were handed responsibilities that should have remained with their parents for a few more years. Komui was still a teenager when his parents died.

They weren't children, but they were barely adults. In the face of tragedy, they all said, "No. We can be better than this," and they upheld those ideals admirably.

However, after nine years, hundreds of casualties, and catastrophic loss of life later, the Level 4's attack called back everything into question. It's the brutal reminder of their situation and of the three, Epstain is left questioning the stance she took a decade earlier. In short, the appearance of the Level 4 and the prospect of near annihilation scared her.

It definitely scared Komui and Bak, too, but as stated above, only one of them verbally opposed the Third Program. And even Bak gave in eventually.

Fear fueled desperation and desperation blurs where the line should not be crossed, and all three of them are now grappling with the idea of surviving and hanging on to their morality.

And unfortunately, there are the members of the cast that say, “Victory no matter the cost.”

Which brings us to this guy.

Leverrier is definitely in the category of 'Characters you hated more than the villain' and his character design definitely didn't help things. From his first appearance in the series, he's callous and cold-hearted towards the exorcists, regarding them as less than people and more weapons and property of the Church. During the Level 4's attack, when Komui gave the order to retreat, Leverrier disagreed and said they should stand their ground in spite of the fact they had a one in a million chance of winning the battle.

However appalling as this decision was, though...it still worked. Sheer, dumb luck that it was, but we still have to acknowledge that Leverrier's decision and Lenalee's resolve were the main catalysts that, for better or worse, led to the discovery of the Crystal Innocence.

Unlike Komui, Bak, and Epstain, we don't have much in the way of backstory for Leverrier's character. There is definitely an element of family pride behind his motives. That is apparent by the vague storyline of the 'daughter that was offered up as a saint' as well as his rant to Link in Night 213 about using Allen and the 14th to win the war and that it's his victory, not Central's.

But there are two moments for this character that I think are telling. One is Link's statement in Night 247. "I have someone whom I wish to save...someone who lives his life restrained and filled with nothing but hatred." Link is pretty biased, so it's hard to gauge exactly what is genuine loyalty vs blind brainwashing, but the point is Link still has some reason to stand in his employer's corner. However, the other key moment is the very brief flashback we get in Night 150 where Leverrier, as a child, is calling out Hevlaska for her part in the human sacrifices, telling her she is murdering her own people.

This is a really odd stance for an otherwise harsh character, which does maybe indicate there was a time where even Leverrier thought the extreme actions of the Order were wrong? If this is true, what happened? If he used to be like the others and did once regard the exorcists as people instead of weapons, why the change?

There's a bittersweetness to the events of Lab 6 and the perpetrators of the Second Exorcist Program.

What's important to keep in mind is that even though Alma and Yuu were lab experiments, the scientists didn't treat them that way at all. They didn't keep them locked up in cages, the pair had free range of the lab as we can see them wandering all over the place unsupervised. The scientists gave them gifts. Alma knew what winter was despite having never been outside, so that means someone had to have told him about snow. When they had to 'dispose of' Yu, Tui and Epstain are openly weeping, and even Sahlins looks affected.

It's not a stretch to say the scientists loved those two, and so the entire lab did not hesitate to say, "No more." They put an end to the project and martyred themselves.

I think there also was an element of fear in this decision. Tui and Edgar Chang also probably had a line they thought they would never cross, and then they did. Once you commit something you previously thought was unthinkable, the question then becomes, "Where is the line now? How far are we going to go?"

Were they afraid of what they could become?

Finally, we come to the last character we're going to examine:

On his deathbed, Zhu Mei Chang confesses he is the one who began the human experimentation, that he was 'proud and cruel' and sought only the glory of his clan as he trampled on the lives of hundreds. This was an unexpected point of development for a character who's first appearance was a joke. When he first shows up, he's humbly chopping cabbage in the kitchens completely oblivious to Fou yelling directly at him through a megaphone. This introduction is hardly indicative of a heartless man who possibly tortured and killed many innocent people to have the 'honor of winning the war.' So the humor of him working as a lowly cook in the kitchens takes on a quality of possibly him trying to repent for everything he'd done.

So I'd like to acknowledge the age gap again:

Komui, Bak, and Epstain are still young adults. In their early twenties, they drew a line and stayed firmly behind it. Now they are 29-30 years old and they are toeing the line they themselves drew. That's a nine year difference. Nine years of hardship and a hopeless war that's been going on for a century already. As the audience, we have the benefit of assuming this war is going to end within their lifetime; they don't have that luxury. If nine years, and the prospect of carrying on through this the rest of their lives, did that to them, what did twenty or more years do to Zhu Mei Chang and Leverrier. Tui and Edgar were 39 and 43 years old respectively when they were killed, so their sacrifice may also have been viewed as an escape from a lifetime of warfare.

Allen and company have lost Suman, Daisya, the other Barcelona casualties, Tapp, countless members of the Science Division, General Yeegar, and many others through the course of one year.

With that kind of odds, it's tragically understandable how characters like Zhu Mei Chang and Leverrier may have ended up where they did. I don't like the idea that a character is inherently evil. D. Gray Man is a series full of many characters who are complex and nuanced, so writing off some of them as 'just cruel for no reason' is kinda out of place. Especially when the main villains are just as detailed. With the way things are going for Komui, Bak, and Epstain, I do genuinely wonder if Zhu Mei Chang and Leverrier once drew their own line of morality (as the Night 150 flashback may imply) and then decades of losses led them both to ask, "Survive as sinners or die as saints?"

Personally, I think every last one of the characters listed above who are still alive are headed for a Thanos-esque, "What did it cost? Everything..." tragedy.

Further tragedy has the potential to push even Komui, Bak, and Epstain, further down an ever darkening path. D. Gray Man is not a normal war. Whether they fight for vengeance or pride or to protect those who are left or they feel winning the war no matter the cost is owed to the countless people who have already died, it's still victory or death in the most literal sense for the Order.

That said, for the characters who have already gone too far and crossed the line, there's no redemption nor should there be redemption.

Castlevania Dracula says it best:

There comes a point where even the most determined of soldiers have to ask, "Does the victory justify the atrocities?" and "If this is what it takes to win the war, then maybe we deserve extinction."

Honestly, I really hope Leverrier's character arc ends with him getting yeeted out a window like it's a Prague regime change.

So where's it all going for the younger generation of the Order?

While they don't have the audience's benefit of knowing the war could end within their lifetime and there is in fact a light at the end of the tunnel, they do have the hindsight of knowing what the Order has done, all the mistakes that have led them to this point. Similar to Komui and the other branch heads, they doubly have the stance, "Our predecessors fucked up. In spite of the odds, we can be better. We can break this chain of generational trauma and win the war without the abhorrent methods."

Wanting to be destroyers that save people.

Hanging on to hope.

#d gray man #komui lee #allen walker #lenalee lee #yu kanda #howard link #lavi #bak chang #renny epstain #zhu mei chang #tui chang #edgar chang #d gray man analysis #character analysis #character development #speculation #victory vs morality #akuma #millenium earl

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clarabosswald · 2 months

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"Win all the Battles, Lose the War" by Yuval Noah Harari

Who wins the Israel-Hamas war? It depends, of course, on how you define victory. In a soccer game, the side that scores more goals wins. In a war, the winner is not necessarily the one who kills more people, takes more prisoners, destroys more houses, or conquers more territory - the winner is the side that achieves its political goals. In the Iraq war, for example, the Americans won all the battles, occupied the entire country, captured Saddam Hussein and completely toppled his regime - but the war ended in a crushing political defeat for the USA and Iran becoming the "proprietor" in Iraq and the most powerful country in the Middle East. The existential threat that hovers over our heads today is partly a consequence of the American "victory" on the battlefields in Iraq. It could happen again. If we don't get our policy goals right, we could win all the battles and lose the war. So in the current war, who is closer to achieving their political goals? To answer this question, one must first know what the political goals of the parties are. Hamas' goals are quite clear. In the immediate term, Hamas's goal on October 7 was to sabotage the agreement that was being forged between Israel and Saudi Arabia. It's a bit hard to remember, but in the weeks before October 7 it was reported that Israel came very close to the possibility of a historic peace with Saudi Arabia, which would normalize relations between Israel and most of the Arab world and fundamentally change Israel's position in the world. Hamas stopped that.

In the longer term, Hamas' goal was to sow seeds of hatred in the minds of millions, to ensure that for generations to come there would be neither peace nor normalization between Israel and the Arab world. Hamas planned to carry out a particularly cruel massacre, and even took care to photograph and document the atrocities, in order to cause the Israelis as much pain as possible. Hamas assumed that Israel would respond to this massacre with tremendous force, which would also cause immense pain to the Palestinians. This was all a conscious part of the plan. The name that Hamas gave to its attack indicates its intentions. The attack was called "Tupan" - the flood. Like the biblical flood that destroyed humanity, Hamas intended to wreak havoc on a biblical scale. Does Hamas not care about the suffering that this war has inflicted and continues to inflict on Palestinian citizens? Hamas supporters certainly have different feelings and opinions, but the organization's basic worldview does not attach importance to human suffering. The highest goals of Hamas are dictated by religious fantasies. For Hamas, Palestinians who are killed in the war are martyrs, who now enjoy heavenly pleasures in heaven. As more people die, there are more martyrs who enjoy heaven. And as far as our physical world is concerned, from the point of view of a fundamentalist organization like Hamas, human society on earth can have only one goal - uncompromising loyalty to heavenly principles of purity and justice. Since in order to make peace one must always compromise on justice, organizations like Hamas reject any opportunity for peace, and demand that people will fight at any cost for absolute justice and absolute purity.

This, by the way, explains the apparently strange phenomenon of radical left-wing organizations in Western democracies that absolve Hamas of any responsibility for the atrocities in Israel and the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and lay the full blame on Israel alone. The connection between the radical left and Hamas is the belief in absolute justice, the unwillingness to accept the complexity of this world, and the division of the world into pure good facing absolute evil. Justice is a noble goal, but the claim to absolute justice inevitably leads to endless war. There was not a single peace treaty in the history of mankind that did not require compromises, and that provided absolute justice.

Finally, Hamas' actual grand plan was that its surprise attack and the Israeli countermeasures would set the West Bank on fire, lead to an uprising of the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and also drag Hezbollah, Iran and other forces into the war, who together might land a blow on Israel that would shock and perhaps even destroy the country. This is the flood that Hamas wishes for. So how close is Hamas to achieving its goals?

As far as preventing an Israeli-Saudi agreement and destroying any chance for future peace and normalization between Jews and Arabs - then Hamas is very close to victory. As a matter of fact, Hamas has already achieved far beyond what it hoped for, because it has succeeded in sowing hatred not only in the minds of millions of Israelis and Palestinians, but also in the minds of hundreds of millions more people all over the world. Antisemitism is on the rise, while Israel's international standing is at an unprecedented low, even in the Western democracies that have been our allies for years. Every additional day in which Palestinians are killed or starved in Gaza advances Hamas another step on its path.

As far as dragging more forces into the war, so far Hamas' success is much more limited. But time plays in their favor. Hamas has already bet the whole jackpot, and even if so far they have not won the big prize, the roulette is still spinning. Every day a battle between Israel and Hezbollah, and every confrontation on the Temple Mount, are another round of the roulette. One wrong decision or a rocket that hits the wrong place may realize Hamas' grand plan and bring forth the flood.

And what about Israel? Do our tremendous sacrifices and the IDF's achievements on the battlefield bring us closer to our political goals? Even if Hamas has achieved some of its goals, perhaps we have also achieved some of our goals, so that a draw can be declared? These questions are very difficult to answer, because the Netanyahu government manages this war is without defining political goals. The government repeatedly says that the goal is to eliminate Hamas. Israel of course has a full right and even obligation to protect its territory and its citizens. The elimination of Hamas' military capabilities is also essential in order to open the way to future peace and normalization, because as long as Hamas possesses significant military power, it will use it to thwart any serious attempt at an arrangement. Whenever we get close to an agreement, Hamas will attack, as it did on October 7. But even if Israel succeeds in disarming Hamas, that is a military achievement, not a political goal. As stated before, the Americans in Iraq eliminated all the military power of Saddam Hussein and collapsed his regime, and still suffered a crushing political defeat. In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon to eliminate the threat of Fatah. The threat of Fatah was successfully removed - and in its place we got the threat of Hezbollah. Does Israel have an orderly plan that explains how defeating Hamas leads to saving the peace treaty with Saudi Arabia, to a sustainable arrangement in Gaza, to the restoration of our international status, or to some other desired political goal? Without such a plan, it is impossible to make military decisions such as whether to attack Rafah or to cease fire.

When we have to choose between an attack in Rafah and a ceasefire, it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland who came to a crossroads and wasn't sure whether to turn right or left. She asked the Cheshire Cat which way she should go. The cat said to her: "Where do you want to go?" "I don't know," replied Alice. "Then," the cat decided, "it doesn't matter which way you choose." If we don't know where we want to go, how do we know if the road there leads through an attack in Rafah or through a ceasefire?

So does Israel have political goals in the war? It seems not. Some of the members of the government are captive to their own biblical visions and dreams of divine revenge and absolute justice. The prime minister, for his part, has not given a single speech since the beginning of the war in which he articulates his political vision, and it seems that this vision is summed up in one and only one goal: to retain his seat. The October 7 War extends by a month and another month, and the Hamas-ian flood threatens to drown the entire region in blood. It is impossible to wait until after the war to establish an alternative government that does have a political vision. The war is only a tool to achieve political goals. Letting a policy-less government lead a war is a sure recipe to defeat. No matter how many victories are achieved on the battlefield, and at what cost, it is impossible to translate a military victory into a political achievement if there is no policy.

Political goals are also essential for Israeli hasbara. If Israel chooses to initiate a certain military action, there are three main ways to justify it. It can be argued that this is revenge for October 7. That won't convince anyone but ourselves, because even our greatest friends think we've had enough revenge. It can be argued that everything we do is to free the hostages. It no longer convinces even the families of the hostages, certainly when only three were released militarily. The alternative is to present a political plan to the world, and explain why additional military operations are necessary to realize it. As long as the Israeli government does not present a political plan, Israeli hasbara has no chance of convincing world public opinion. And who knows, if we finally define political goals, maybe we will discover that there is no need at all for more military operations to fulfill them?

For all these reasons, it is necessary to immediately establish a government that has a political vision, based on striving for a sustainable compromise and not on biblical fantasies and demands for absolute justice. And if you insist on some biblical fantasy, then here is one: at the end of the flood, a dove with an olive branch in its beak arrived. Of course, after the October 7 massacre, compromise and peace seem completely impossible. But such things have happened before.

30 years ago, in 1994, a terrible massacre took place in Rwanda reminiscent of the horrors of October 7. In one day the Hutus tortured, raped and murdered thousands of Tutsis - men and women, elderly and children. Entire families and villages were wiped off the face of the earth. It was a horrifically brutal killing spree, with machetes, hatchets, hoes and clubs. The next day, it happened again. And the next day, it happened again. And the next day, it happened again. What the Israelis experienced on the terrible Saturday of October 7, the Tutsis experienced for about a hundred consecutive days between April 7 and mid-July 1994. It is estimated that during these hundred days the Hutus murdered about 800 thousand people and raped hundreds of thousands of women. The massacre ended when the Tutsi resistance movement defeated the Hutu army, and took control of Rwanda. About two million Hutus fled the country. 30 years later, peace reigns between the Tutsi and Hutu. The Tutsi leadership led a process of reconciliation and healing, and accepted back to Rwanda the vast majority of Hutus who fled. Today Hutu and Tutsi live together in peace in Rwanda, which is considered one of the most peaceful and prosperous countries in Africa. Recently it has even become a popular tourist destination. People fly on vacation to Rwanda and visit picturesque villages in the hills where Hutu and Tutsi live together, and the tourists are unable to believe what happened in their vacation spots just 30 years ago. If they succeeded, maybe we have hope too.

Jewish history can also teach us similar lessons. On October 7, many Israelis, including several members of my family and friends, experienced horrors reminiscent of the darkest moments of the Holocaust. But eight decades after the Holocaust, Germans and Israelis are now good friends. It is important to emphasize that healing processes such as those between the Tutsis and the Hutus and between the Jews and the Germans are not based on achieving absolute justice. How is such justice possible? Can anyone bring the corpses back to life, or put the scream back into the throat? As a historian, I know that the curse of history is the attempt to save the past. This attempt stands no chance. We cannot save the past. We must focus on the future. We need to heal the wounds of the past, instead of using them as an excuse for more and more new wounds.

After hundreds of thousands of Palestinians lost their homes in 1948, Arab countries expelled hundreds of thousands of Jews from their territories. Since then, wound haunts wound in a seemingly endless cycle of blood. But we don't have to continue this cycle indefinitely. There is a possibility of stopping it, as can be learned from the behavior of Palestinian citizens of Israel. When Hamas gave the signal for the flood, it hoped that the Israeli Palestinians would join the circle of blood and attack their Jewish neighbors. Many Jews - and quite a few Arabs - lived in fear that this was exactly what was going to happen. In practice, the behavior of the Palestinian citizens of Israel since October 7 is a ray of light in the darkness. On October 7 itself, some of the Palestinian citizens of Israel were murdered by Hamas while trying to help the Jews, such as Abd al-Rahman Al-Nassara of al-Kasifa, who was murdered by terrorists when he came to rescue survivors from the [Nova] party, and Awad Musa Darawshe of Iksal, who was killed near Kibbutz Re'im while helping the wounded. Every day that has passed since then, tens of thousands of Palestinian citizens have continued to serve faithfully in all the institutions of Israeli society, from hospitals to government offices, while their friends and relatives in Gaza face death, refugeehood and hunger. The chairman of the Joint List party, Iman Odeh, denounced the October 7 massacre, saying that these were "horrific scenes that cannot be described. I cannot accept that in the name of the Palestinian people innocents are being killed in this way," and Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas called the massacre "an inhumane and unjustifiable act that goes against the values of Islam," and said that "the armed Palestinian organizations should lay down their weapons" and strive for peace with the State of Israel.

In order for all of us to have a real chance to get out of the cycle of bloodshed, the first step is to define a clear political goal for this war. Hamas has such a goal: to eliminate any chance of peace between Israel and the Arab world and the Palestinians. Israel's goal should be no less clear: to maintain the chance for peace. If Israel succeeds in disarming Hamas at the military level, but is left without a political horizon, then Hamas has defeated us.

#ישראבלר #been sitting on this opinion piece for a couple of days and finally got around to translating it #once again i'm glad that i don't waste time on writing my own pieces here #first and foremost because nobody cares as i've come to learn #but secondly because israeli peace activists just do it so much better than i ever could #anyway here's the daily prayer that bibi and his coalition end in prison as soon as possible a fucking men

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lostcauses-noregrets · 7 months

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Hi, Lost, I was just wondering if you could answer something about Erwin that I've been struggling to understand for a while! Why is Erwin's dream considered as corrupted and not innocent anymore? Why did he have to be "freed" from his dream? And why was he feeling guilty? How was he trapped between his dream and being commander? Why did he have to choose between one of them? Sorry if this ask is a little confusing! Im not very good at putting together words haha!

So, there are a number of ways to answer these questions. In the manga, pretty much everything we know about Erwin’s dream comes from Erwin himself, and the point that some readers consistently overlook is that he is an extremely unreliable narrator, particularly in the chapters leading up to Midnight Sun, where he is in the depths of despair and sees his every action in the bleakest light.

Erwin deludes himself into believing that he is a liar and a conman because he thinks that he alone is fighting for his own selfish reasons, and not the pure and noble goal of Saving Humanity. This causes Erwin enormous guilt which exacerbates the guilt he carries over his father’s death and the deaths of all the soldiers who have died under his command. To make matters worse, he believes he has conned his soldiers into dying for the sake of his own dream, rather than to save humanity.

In the depths of his self-loathing, Erwin is deluding himself of course; he is far from the only character fighting for his own dream. Many other characters have their own dreams and reasons for fighting; Eren wants to be”free”, Armin wants to see the ocean, Ymir wants Historia to live for herself, Annie wants to return home to her father, etc. Also the tragic irony of all this is that Erwin’s dream is fully compatible with the cause of attempting to save humanity. It’s Erwin’s dream that acts as the catalyst to uncovering the truth of the world and of course, as it turns out, his father’s theories were correct.

Sadly Erwin never lived to see his dream fulfilled, however the thing about dreams in SnK is that they have a tragic tendency to turn into nightmares when they are fulfilled. Look at Eren’s dream of “freedom”.

Isayama is explic about this in the Character Guide:

When he faces the sea, Armin takes a seashell a representation of something that can only be found there and tells Eren to look at it. But Eren, the all-important character, doesn’t even look at it. The sea shell that Eren doesn’t even glance at as it sits awkwardly in Armin’s palms is meant to symbolise their dreams coming to an end, or maybe their childhood coming to an end.

By contrast, when he’s talking about Erwin’s final moments he says

You hear people saying that dreams are better left unfulfilled. As I was drawing Erwin’s last moments, I took this to mean that one’s life is better lived if they chase their dreams until the very end.

So the fact that Erwin’s dream remains unfulfilled is not necessarily a bad thing.

As to why Erwin’s dream is regarded as being “corrupt”, rather than “pure” like Armin’s, I suspect this is primarily a result of Erwin’s monologue in chapter 76, with some readers failing to realise that he is an unreliable narrator. If you believe everything Erwin says here, then yes, I guess you could come to the conclusion that he is a selfish conman who sacrificed the lives of his soldiers for his own corrupt dream, but of course that’s very far from the truth.

I'm not sure if I've answered all your questions here Anon, but hopefully this helps to dispel some of the confusion.

#asks #erwin smith #erwin meta #snk

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miwhotep · 2 months

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A theory on the reason behind Milverton's motivation as a villain

@diveintovortex 's recent Milverton deep dive analysis posts gave me a sudden idea about what can be the actual reason behind Milverton's motivation as becoming the true evil personified, but I didn't want to flood the reblog with what is only a theory from me, so I decided to make a post on my own.

Milverton views tempting people to sin as true evil what is above society's morals and laws - that's why he took on his hobby of turning people into villains, because he wanted to be the THE true evil force. But what if his goal of becoming the devil is just a fake motivation - what Milverton makes up and lies about to HIMSELF? What if it's a motivation not mainly to ramble to other people about, but a motivation he convinced himself to be the reason for his actions... when actually, it's just a way for him to get away from his human self.

I know I said this lot of times, but again - we don't know Milverton's age, but based on the manga's artstyle of representing different ages, Milverton is quite young, maybe in his mid 30s. (Just look at Lestrade for contrast - he is 40, and he defintely seems older than Milverton. Based on his look, Milverton is in the same age league as Mycroft who is in his 30s). And despite this, he has completely white hair. YuuMori might have fun sometimes with unnatural eye colors (William, Louis and Milverton), but the hair colors are always natural. And we are in the victorian era, so it's highly unlikely that Milverton dyes his hair to be white (why would he do it, really). But another reason why someone can have white hair at young age - is trauma.

Remember: Milverton is no noble. We don't know what life he had before becoming a successful businessman (what he achieved by blackmail and not with money) - but he has a background of a commoner.

Also remember, Milverton treats Ruskin with respect and care - so he is capable of caring, he is not soulless no matter how hard he likes to make it look like that. This means he wasn't evil from the start - before becoming a villain, he was a totally normal human being.

Here, I don't want to theorize on what happened with Milverton, but whatever it was, was most likely deeply traumatic for him and turned him to be evil. And the reason why he chose to becoming the force of true evil, a personification of evil instead of a person who does evil because this way, he thinks he is able to get away from his human self what only caused him pain. He wants to become the devil to stop being human, to stop suffering, to stop having trauma, to stop feeling. He lies to himself about his motivation: he thinks he tempts people to sin because he is true evil and that's what true evil does - but he actually turns people evil as an act of revenge against society, to get more people through on what he went through and get more people to become like him. That's why tempting people to evil - like in Whiteley's case (what seems to be Milverton's usual method based on what one of the bodyguards said to him "you are sure fond of this method, Mr. Milverton") - is through causing them trauma - like he most likely became evil because he was unable to deal with his trauma and it ended up corrupting him, too.

So tempting people to evil actually comes from pain, anger and thirst for revenge - but Milverton would never admit this, because in that case, he needs to face with his human side - so he made out for himself a Bible explaining session as the reason behind his actions.

It is purely a theory, but I really like this idea: it wouldn't make Milverton less evil, of course - but it would make him a more understandable character. Someone who is evil, who is deeply messed up - but in the end, just a human.

#moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #charles augustus milverton #this is not an analysis this is a theory

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stromuprisahat · 1 year

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https://twitter.com/benbarnesfancom/status/1634286699470639160?s=46&t=PepXh-FKtL9Cg05jJ52elw

Do you think this is fair? Or ben trying to hide how much of a darkling defendwr he is because he also was asked “who’s more badass: kaz or the darkling?” And he responded “kaz is more badass. Darkling is just bad.” Which we KNOW he doesn’t believe

Well, we don't know what's he gonna do this season, how far will they have him go. Plus on some level the Darkling does believe he's anything but irredeemably bad. If nothing else, he's had that godsawful bitch of his mother ram it down his throat for decades at least... He's quick to accept the role of the villain, but what I love about him, others' perception of him doesn't stop him in his efforts to make the world better.

I can't speak for Ben, but you have to thread carefully these days. Verbally acknowledge "villain" has some humanity is one thing, claim he's not wrong, because he's the only one actively fighting genocide is unacceptable. Just look how many antis bother us, mere fans.

Another POV is more philosophical approach. Who's worse: a person, who commits crimes to fight injustice, or idle bystander? Are you bad, when your goal's noble, but you'll end up with blood on your hands? Are you good, if you somehow cause some good, but it wasn't your intention?

So yes, the Darkling is bad in a way. But he's a fighter, he loves his people, he never asks for more that what he's willing to do himself and he always puts others before his own good or reputation.

If we insist on comparing Kaz and the Darkling. Ben's answer isn't wrong either. Kaz is presented as this cool kid, who lost everything, clawed his way up, gained friends and won against greedy capitalists. He has some conscience in form of Inej, so he can act more nicely than you'd expect eventually. That's badass.

On the other hand we have the Darkling, who's presented as the villain, drags with him the baggage in form of his awful abusive mother, watches all people he cares about die again and again, so he hardens his heart and focuses on the goal. He's resilient, patient and determined, but mostly alone. He doesn't have anyone to remind him of humanity as a quality. He might grow fond of people, but not too attached, because he'll lose them anyway. Bad is the opposite of good and good people have heart soft enough to let others in. The Darkling doesn't. But being "bad" doesn't make him less human, quite contrary. He keeps going and never gives up on humanity as a whole, even after centuries of loss he has hope, and what's more human than that?

#reply #Shadow and Bone #The Darkling #General Kirigan #grishanalyticritical #Shadow and Bone cast & creators #Ben Barnes #about #Kaz Brekker #Grishaverse #Grisha #Ravka #anti Baghra

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pooka167 · 2 years

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PLA Dad Ingo and Uncle Emmet Au Part 3

So here we are at part 3 of my still yet to be named au. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here. Right now to continue where we left off.

Akari is on her way to meet Volo, alone except for her pokemon team and Lady Sneasler, who had refused to leave Akari as she made her way to the Temple of Sinnoh. She didn't tell anyone where she is going or what she is doing, under the impression Volo was just going to give her another of his many history lessons and tell her how to get the last plate.

Upon reaching the temple, Volo is there to greet her but something seems off. His smile is all teeth and there's a dangerous glint in his eye. It sets alarm bells off in Akari's in head but is too blindsided by such a drastic change in character. to do much of anything as he starts to monologue about his plans to meet Arceus how it'd been him who'd opened the space time rift with Giratina, how Ingo's misplacement was caused by him, how he watched and waited for the people of this region to tear themselves apart. Just so he could get the chance to meet the so called God of pokemon.. What breaks the damn and opens the floodgates however is Volo spitting cruelly "Warden Ingo only ever saw you as a means to an end, no one ever truly cared about you."

This hits home for Akari and without Ingo here to reassure her and her current distance from the villagers and the clans only further driving the untrue point home in her mind Volo is able to do one of the things he set out to do. Throw Akari off her game.

Akari's reaction is immediate as she's overwhelmed by emotions, her deepest insecurity since the events of red sky has be voiced by Volo, someone who she thought was her friend who was one of the handful of people she could trust now Ingo is gone. Volo only ever used Akari to further his own goals and if Volo who'd been so kind and open had used her who's to say he was wrong about Ingo. Ever since she got to Hisui everything she's done has been for the benefit of someone else. There's always been an ulterior motive of some kind, so maybe what he said was true. Ingo probably hadn't given her a second thought now that he was back where he belonged.

She sinks to her knees tears streaming down her face as she sobs brokenly. Sneasler who had been growling at Volo moves to stand protectively in front of the girl her claws raised threateningly snarling a warning. Volo merely laughs and continues taunting Akari.

"Does it hurt little hero, knowing that all the people who you cared for couldn't give a single damn for you, that the man you viewed as a father has never felt an ounce of affection for you. That he put up with you just so he could go home. I'd imagine he was quite grateful to leave you behind."

Akari covers here ears as she breathes raggedly between sobs trying desperately to block out Volo's words. Even if what Volo said was true about Ingo using her at least he had been kind about it, had never thrust the expectation on her just let her chose her own course about it, because he knew it was her nature to help and ultimately that's what she would do.

Soon her despair gives way to anger, anger at being thrust away from a home she cannot recall, at being forced to work tirelessly to even be given basic necessities that she deserved just for being a human being, necessities that shouldn't have had to earn. Anger from being betrayed time and time again from the people she thought she could trust. Enough was enough.

Akari moves to shakily stand on her feet and steps out from behind Sneasler motioning for the noble to stay back, Samurott's pokeball ready in her hand and a defiant expression set on her face. She was so tired of dealing with one crisis after another, Volo wasn't going to taint the few good moments of her time here anymore than he already had. Volo smirks and releases his Spiritomb giving a mocking bow. Samurott materializes moments later ready for a battle, reacting to Akari's own charged emotions. The battle begins.

It goes on for what feels like hours. Akari's emotions guide her through this battle and its obvious Volo was expecting this outcome. He has a full team. What he was not expecting was for Akari to gain her balance again so quickly. The more they battled the more Akari came to her senses. Ingo did care for her in some way she saw the anguish look in his eyes when she sent him home, how he reached out for her as Dialga and Palkia's power whisked him away. She will not allow Volo to cause her doubt. Ingo had cared for her.

Samurott chips away at Spiritomb, then blasts through Volo's Arcanine before she withdraws him. Her beloved Zoroark takes down the Lucario with one well aimed flamethrower and her Garchomp goes toe to toe with Volo's own, falling to Togekiss' moonblast after a well timed switch but not before valiantly getting off a powerful poison jab. Gardevoir swoops in and finishes it off and Volo's final pokemon a Roserade falls to a few powerful psychics. Her team is a bit battered, with only her own Arcanine and her Luxray still at full health and down one but she is victorious. Or so Akari thinks. Volo calls fourth Giratina and it is a monster.

Gardevoir doesn't even have time to dodge before the legendary dragon fells her with a shadowball. Luxray comes out and paralyses it but that seems to nothing and he goes down to Earth power. Akari has gone down from one pokemon down to half her team in mere moments. She is terrified. Giratina exudes a powerful aura and it seems to bring all her negative emotions to the surface. Arcanine comes out and faints in a similar way to Luxray only able to pull off a single rockslide before doing so. Zoroark comes out with a vengeance, snarling ferociously as it barrages Giratina with as many shadow balls as it can but he too goes down when Giratina hits him with a ghost move Akari has never seen before. Now its just her and her beloved starter left.

Samurott while battered does not hesitate to stand between Akari and the beast of the distortion world. By some miracle her first companion tanks a dragon claw that at his current health should have fainted him and with a mighty cry manages on last night slash to finish Giratina off before he too goes down. Akari runs to him and cradles his face petting his snout then returns him to his pokeball. "Thank you Samurott, Thank you everyone." she whispers.

Giratina lies on the ground unmoving and then suddenly it isn't. A blast of air throws Akari back and she lets out a cry of pain as she collides with a pillar. She can see Sneasler driving her claws into the stone to hold her own body in place and when the dust settles. Giratina is up and moving again having taken on another form and it's advancing towards her. Sneasler immediately intercepts, claws glowing purple an indication of dire claw being used. Giratina sends her sprawling but the noble pokemon lets out a guttural snarl and scrabbles to her feet, determined to stand in between Akari and the dragon.

"Sneasler please, get out of here!" Akari begs. The noble ignores her pleading and pays the price, with a flick of its new appendages Giratina once more is bats Sneasler across what remains of the temple put of sight, her body hits the ground with a thud. Sneasler lets out small whimper and doesn't get up again.

Akari finds herself unable to move as Giratina advances once more, her entire body aches and blood slowly trickles down the side of her face from a shallow cut. Similar cuts litter her arms and there's a sharp pain in her right ankle. This is it, she was going to die. She was never going to get the chance to see if her dad made it back to his brother, she would die here in the past and he'd find out about it through whatever historical record if any mentioned it if he ever went looking. Akari closes her eyes and waits trying to block out Volo's cries telling Giratina to finish her off. The Pokémon's massive shadow falls over her and Akari tries to fold in on herself in a feeble attempt to protect herself. She hears the sound of a move being charged and takes in a deep breath. The move never connects. Instead there's a sound like thunder and a blinding light consumes the temple. Before two voices ring out.

"Chandelure use shadowball!"

"Eelektross thunderbolt!"

Giratina roars in pain and rears back the combination of two moves unexpected and Volo shouts in outrage. Akari opens her eyes to see two figures in billowing coats of black and white accompanied by pokemon she's never seen before standing in front of her. She'd recognize one of those voices anywhere. "D-dad?"

Ingo at the sound of Akari's voice swivels and crouches down his frown deepening eyes ablaze as he takes in her prone form. He gently props Akari up against the pillar and cradles her face with his hands, thumbs brushing away tears she didn't even know she was shedding.

"I'm here Akari, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere without you." Ingo reassures. Akari lets out a choked sob, and leans into his touch. Emmet who had been keeping an eye on Giratina and Volo glances back and takes in Akari's state. His smile turns vicious, eyes razor sharp as he returns his focus to their opponents. Both Chandelure and Eelektross ready at his side. This was a fight Emmet would happily take on by himself.

"I am Subway Boss Emmet, I am Ingo's twin brother. You hurt my niece I am going to make you regret that verrrry much. Prepare for defeat my destination is the station of victory whiles yours is the station of defeat."

Giratina doesn't stand a chance after that. Emmet uses all his frustration and anger and hurt at having his twin ripped away from him and the niece he's never formally met getting attacked into the battle. It's a laughably short battle. Giratina goes down and then flees as Volo curses it. Emmet uses this chance to approach Volo and crack him square across the face with his fist. Before he can do anymore damage Volo makes a run for it jumping off the cliff and flying away on his Togekiss.

Emmet bemoans the chance to truly make him pay but quickly hurries over to Ingo and Akari. He takes note of the pokeballs scattered around and gathers them up on his way as well as a weird purple plate and holds them out to the exhausted, still crying girl who despite her injuries has latched on to Ingo. Ingo to his credit doesn't look like he'll be letting her go anytime soon either.

"I am Emmet I believe these are yours, not to worry when we reach a safe station, I can fix your partners right up."

Akari nods hiccupping slightly and reaches for them letting go of Ingo briefly to clip them onto her belt. Emmet can tell that his niece is overwhelmed. There will be time for proper introductions later. Maintenance must be scheduled for his niece first. Emmet spots her bag and places the mysterious plate in it. Questions can be asked later for now as always the safety and well-being of their passengers come first. Emmet watches over his brother and niece until Akari has managed to calm her sobs and pulls slowly away from Ingo. Her eyes widen after a few moments seemingly remembering something and all of a sudden the girl is trying to haul herself to her feet panicked.

Ingo doesn't let her get very far, rising to stand himself and then sweeping into a princess carry careful not to aggravate her injuries. "Akari its okay" he soothes. "Volo and Giratina are gone."

This is not what is wrong evidently as Akari begins to babble about Sneasler and how the noble was thrown out of the temple by sheer force when trying to protect her. Ingo rushes out the temple with Emmet close behind and they find Sneasler laying on her side eyes closed. Emmet immediately reaches for a max revive and carefully feeds it to the fainted pokemon. Sneasler's eyes snap open taking in her surroundings. She lets out a cry of delight at seeing her beloved warden again and sniffs at Emmet, nodding slightly before letting out a low keening sound at the state of Akari in his arms. Akari raises an arm weakly to pat the noble. "Thank you for trying to protect me." Ingo says his own thanks to his noble for protecting his child and Sneasler huffs and places a clawed hand on his head and pats it.

The group make their way down the mountain and heading for the summit camp. Unaware of the morphed azure flute and the insistent message flashing across Akari's arc-phone buried deep in her satchel.

"Seek out all pokemon, then face me"

#dad ingo propaganda #dad ingo #akari #pla #pokemon legends arceus #uncle emmet #pokemon akari #submas #so this kinda evolved into a weird headcanony/fic format I'm sorry if it confuses anyone.#this part is a bit shorter cause I'm in the middle of college repeat exams'#I did this instead of studying cause I'm anxious and this helped clear my mind.#Hope you enjoyed it #there is more to come #this idea has just run away from me but honestly I'm not mad about it #Emmet got to go feral against giratina and volo #Ingo will be going feral against arceus #Akari is not dawn

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venticuliao · 1 year

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the role of the fatui in teyvat

is childe evil?

the opinions on this are always split. i dont think it matters whether he's kind to his family or whether he wouldn't hurt innocent people, characters can be multi dimensional and still be evil.

childe is a nice guy, he treats his subordinates respectfully and follows his own orders while still having his own agenda. he says he believes in the tsaritsa's goal, whatever that is, and that he thinks of himself as a weapon. because of this, he lends his strength to her cause while at the same time using those instances as her harbinger to improve in the battlefield.

when shiki taishou asked him if he had an end goal in labyrhinth warriors, he said he didnt. he'll sharpen himself as a weapon for as long as he can, there's no goal mark.

a new star approaches

in liyue he was tasked to lure the geo archon out to get his gnosis. since he couldnt get it peacefully with the initial scheme (exuvia was empty), he had to turn to plan b. this wasnt a last minute desperate trick, because he had to prepare the sigils to awaken osial in the first place. but like he said, he didn't intend to involve innocent people and he tried not to use this plan.

speaking objectively, harming people was not the goal of the whole thing for childe, the threat of harm was. and we know he was supposed to do all this, in accordance to zhongli's own plans. the city was never in actual danger, whatever childe did.

so, in terms of actions, he didnt do shit. the results is he did no evil deeds, and what he thought he did was planned by zhongli. and in terms of intention, he didnt mean to harm the innocents either. he had no intentions and did no actions that cause harm.

so is he evil?

it all relies on hypotheticals with him as a character. could he have done harm? is his awareness that he could have done harm what matters here? does he justify it to himself with the tsaritsa's goal? do the ends the tsaritsa promises justify the means?

the tsaritsa's goal

we dont know what the tsaritsa's plan actually is. if we choose to believe it is noble enough to justify the sacrifices, it's only blind hope. the organization gets down to really shady stuff, they use their soldiers as tools without much care, both the lower ranks and the harbingers themselves: signora's death remains unaddressed, despite her thinking it would cause a diplomatic issue with inazuma, and pulcinella's reaction was pretty tame. arlecchino is the only one who resented it, and they themselves arent a harbinger out of loyalty to the tsaritsa, since childe tells us they would betray her in a minute.

there's harbingers like childe and signora who do speak of the tsaritsa's goal highly, but there's others like scaramouche and arlecchino who were in it exclusively for self gain (the fatui use them as tools in return either way).

evil in teyvat

those who do cause harm purposefully in teyvat are usually motivated either by the pursuit of a form of power (archon war, childe seeking to improve himself, scaramouche attempting to become a god, etc) or by karmic resentment (osial after being defeated, azhdaha who was abandoned, scaramouche taking revenge against the raiden gokaden, dvalin being forgotten by the people of mond, etc).

azhdaha and osial were both imprisoned to prevent the harm they would cause, and zhongli understands their resentment. he treats both as old friends, not as enemies. liyue is filled with gods that zhongli killed, and xiao still has to deal with the resentment that outlives their physical death (and demons he himself carries karma for). but neither the killing or the imprisonment were intended as a moral punishment for those involved, they're measures zhongli took to protect liyue. and he doesnt resent or morally condemn azhdaha or osial.

in sumeru, the dangerous pursuit of knowledge is treated like something inherent in human nature. alhaitham compares them to organisms that live out of light. and cyno says the rules of the akademiya are meant to protect the scholars from themselves.

rather than tied to morals, evil in teyvat seems more of a force of nature that has to be dealt with. but if it's killed, it still remains.

how exactly did the harbingers end in the fatui?

we only know of childe, signora, scaramouche and (allegedly) pierro's origins.

in general terms, they're characters whose nature became incompatible with teyvat.

signora became the crimson witch to destroy monsters that were ravaging the nation, but her own form is dangerous, so people hunt her back. this is a kind of "evil"/harmful force that needed to be either killed or contained for the survival of teyvat's people.

scaramouche was deceived into believing he didnt have a place among humans. when his creator says "hes too fragile as a human and a tool" in HoOD, she means using him like a puppet is too cruel due to his humanity, but he has more value to people as a puppet, so others will end up using him. niwa could have proved otherwise, but alas. either way, scara's nature was pretty much incompatible with humans.

all we can theorize is that pierro is a khaenri'ah survivor, which speaks for itself

but what do u do when you no longer can be a part of the world you live in? where do you hide?

the fatui might be using the harbingers as tools, but they're also sort of containing them as a refuge. in signora's case is much more explicit, since the cryo delusion contains her dangerous form. the power that they have would otherwise run loose in teyvat without a place like this to channel it.

given that the only other solutions are imprisonment or death (or in cases like scara's, emotional pain), do they really have a choice in where they end up?

which brings me to childe

childe cant undo his experience in the abyss. and he carries a part of it within him (not just foul legacy, but the change he went through itself).

of all things in teyvat, the abyss is the only one that cannot coexist with its natural world. it's feared and rejected, the very existence of it is harmful to the continent.

childe's own family put signed him up in the fatui because they could no longer handle him after coming back from the abyss.

childe himself, like the other harbingers, has a nature that is incompatible with the rest of teyvat. and his is in a darker pit because it comes from the abyss itself.

if he wasnt in the fatui, where hes provided enemies to channel his need for battle, could he really exist somewhere else? it's not like he can undo falling into the abyss or its repercussions. he didnt choose it in the first place.

on the question, "is childe evil?", the answer most people come to is he isnt, but he does choose to do evil for the fatui.

but regardless of if he actually believes in the tsaritsa's goal, after all this, does he truly have a choice?

#genshin lore #childe #genshin thoughts #ramblings #please dont be a catholic in this post

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