#maes is also a war criminal
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I’m glad Maes Hughes died.
He’s a fan favorite character and I enjoy him a lot too, but I think fundamentally he’s a character who has to die. His role in the narrative is to haunt it.
I might be even more of a weirdo because I enjoy his manga characterization over his Brotherhood or ‘03 portrayal, but I love the idea of Hughes being someone the Elric brothers barely know - someone we, the audience, barely see.
Until he dies.
Because suddenly he’s everywhere. He was Roy’s friend and Armstrong’s superior officer and Winry’s acquaintance and Elicia’s father - and he was the soldier both Ed and Al knew, but didn’t actually know, that got killed because of them anyway.
In the manga Winry stays at Hughes’ place, but Ed and Al enter his house for the first time after they found out he died. For them, it’s not about losing a friend (though I am sure they liked him just fine) because that story is already Roy’s - for them it’s about realizing that this plot they’ve involved themselves in kills people that aren’t actually directly involved at all to begin with. It makes sense for their allies and friends and loved-ones to be targeted by the antagonists - but a soldier who mostly joined in because he was at the right (or wrong) place at the right (wrong) time? That’s not supposed to happen. And that’s what makes Hughes’ death so hard on them.
(and poor Elicia - abandoned children without their fathers were always a weakness of Ed’s)
But Roy? Yeah... he suffers. From the moment of Hughes’ dead on, Roy is haunted by it. By him. His best friend follows him everywhere. We see it in the way Roy only involves himself in the plot because Hughes figured something out and Roy is desperate for answers. He hunts down the homunculi to save this country, sure, but mostly so he can burn his best friend’s murderer to the ground. When Riza talks about winning against the Führer and their military dictatorship, she talks about all of them, not a hint of revenge coloring her vision - but Roy? It is telling that it isn’t a greater ideal that makes him torture Envy, but the agony of his best friend’s death.
The thing that almost breaks Roy is Maes.
No.
It’s Maes’ memory haunting the narrative.
And isn’t that beautiful?
The tragedy of it all, the horror, and the realization that Roy Mustang never really recovered from the War, that his friends are the only think keeping him in one piece, the fact that Roy Mustang is a Hero and a Monster and a fallible human capable of love.
Maes Hughes has to die to remind all of us of what Roy Mustang is capable of: love, loyalty, devotion.... and the slaughter and torture of numerous people.
His ghost is haunting the narrative - and for that I love him.
#fma#fmab#roy mustang#maes hughes#fullmetal alchemist brotherhood#fullmetal alchemist meta#maes is also a war criminal#just want to point that out#and in contrast to Roy not even one with a whole lot of morals#just fyi#but this post is about roy and his love for maes and how much i love that he died in canon
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espresso with a side of depresso
series masterlist
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maejonesverstappen just wanted to put out a little song before coachella 🤎 espresso 4/11
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rhysjones i fear for my mental sanity every time you drop a new song.
estebanocon please no more songs with inuendos
↳ maejonesverstappen 🤭
↳ lancestroll we are so fucked.
user82 i too am also praying no more songs about max jones-verstappen's dick.
↳ user45 she has us all traumatized
isabellaperez what's the point in dropping music if i'm no longer around to terrorize jos?
↳ maejonesverstappen now whose choice was it to leave?
↳ isabellaperez THAT FACT IS IRRELEVANT!
alex_albon ma'am we are begging please stop singing about max's dick or your sex life.
user51 okay but she looks so hot? can max verstappen fight?
↳ maxjonesverstappen1 *max jones-verstappen does not condone hitting women but point me to the nearest track in your area and we'll settle this on the track like real men.
↳ user51 i'm a woman?
↳ maxjonesverstappen wasn't aware gender mattered on the track? but fine *we'll settle this on the track like real people.
danieljonesricciardo as long as it's not another nonsense or nonsense christmas we'll be fine guys. so fine.
↳ user30 this is the embodiment of the dog in a room on fire saying 'this is fine'
georgerussell63 no doubt she's getting ready to further traumatize us. twice just wasn't enough.
lewis hamilton my blood pressure has suddenly skyrocketed. anyone want to tell me why?
alex albon why do you always have to assume it's our fault?
lewis hamilton it's always you people
isabella perez mae's dropping a new song.
lewis hamilton that explains so much. please tell me there's no references to max's dick.
mae jones-verstappen i can't promise that.
george russell WHEN WILL THE TORTURE END??
daniel jones-ricciardo probably when they have children to embarrass.
charles leclerc if max keeps winning everything, that'll probably be soon.
rhys jones woah! gross! child here!!
lando norris that's the circle of life baby jones! well, maybe not soon.
logan sargeant i think she enjoys torturing us with mentions of max's dick in songs.
max jones-verstappen can we stop talking about my dick please?
zoya torres TELL YOUR WIFE TO STOP WRITING SONGS ABOUT IT!
mae jones-verstappen 🤭🤭
daphne jones-ricciardo oh she is so proud of herself.
rowan todd of course she is. it's like pierre making a tripod joke.
fernando alonso sebastian i am begging you, please come back. put these animals under control.
sebastian vettel aren't you the one extending his contract to become the oldest driver in f1 histroy?
lewis hamilton hey, i'm still here!!
sebastian vettel he's older!
isabella perez i'm still going to torture jos. he's not get away from me simply because i no longer work for red bull.
rhys jones THE TORTURE JOS VERSTAPPEN CLUB HAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED A NEW MEETING!!
max jones-verstappen stop torturing my father!
dulce perez but you two make it so easy for them
daphne jones-ricciardo children. all of you.
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maejonesverstappen triple shot...espresso out now ☕️
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user63 how the fuck did max verstappen end up with her?
isabellaperez oh wow. ditch the husband and marry me please!
↳ maejonesverstappen we can run away, ditch the husband and the boyfriend!
↳ isabellaperez say less baby girl
↳ oscarpiastri no, please say more.
↳ maxjonesverstappen i agree say more.
user09 oh she's so hot. please marry me.
user56 good thing your daddy made you get a boating license when you were 15.
nataliaruiz woah, how did verstappen ever end up with you??
↳ maejonesverstappen his insane yapping rizz somehow woo'd me.
user79 you're so pretty. i love you.
rhysjones how did you release a summer bop but daph is releasing the world's most depressing album?
↳ maejonesverstappen it's called versatility baby brother. you play a war criminal, daphne is depressed, and i sing about things i shouldn't.
↳ isabellaperez like max's dick!
baileywinters you gorgeous, gorgeous girl.
↳ maejonesverstappen 👩🏼❤️💋👩🏻
user61 it will always surprise me that daphne and mae are related. it's no surprise that mae's related to rhys but witch daphne's it's a shock.
liked by maxjonesverstappen1, rhysjones, tatemcrae and others
maejonesverstappen espresso btsoo ☕️
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maxjonesverstappen1 woah. marry me??
↳ maejonesverstappen maxie, we're already married.
↳ maxjonesverstappen i am one lucky man.
maxjonesverstappen1 that smile 🥰
maxjonesverstappen1 i love you
↳ user42 max jones-verstappen, certified simp for his wife.
↳ user28 he's never beating the trophy husband allegation. this is why he and daniel get along so well, they were made to be trophy husbands.
user56 good thing your daddy made you get a boating license when you were 15.
coreyfogelmanis how did that man end up with you??
↳ maxjonesverstappen1 stop bullying me!!
↳ coreyfogelmanis oh as her best friend it is my job to bully you
user10 i have never been more in love with women than i am now.
dulceperez that's one pretty girl. marry me?
↳ maejonesverstappen i would rather not be chased down by a rabid leclerc
↳ arthur_leclerc i am not rabid mae!
↳ louis_graham you chased me through the streets of monaco with a rolling pin because you thought i had a crush on dulce.
↳ arthur_leclerc that's not true!!
freya vettel me? you? beautiful blonde babies?
↳ maejonesverstappen i'm sure we could find a way
↳ maxjonesverstappen1 okay, mickschumacher come get your girlfriend before i block her.
↳ mickschumacher oh but this is so funny.
user06 SUMMER BOP RIGHT HERE!!
user17 oh mae jones-verstappen sure knows how to write a summer bop.
sebastian vettel why did you have to speak of honeybees that way?
mae jones-verstappen seb, please.
mick schumacher you might actually make him cry.
freya vettel he's definitely going to cry.
sebastian vettel i don't understand why we had to speak of honeybees that way?
rhys jones WHAT ABOUT THE NINTENDO? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RUIN THAT FOR US TOO??
alex albon she ruined christmas now she's ruined honeybees and nintendos
mae jones-verstappen okay, now you two are being dramatic. i didn't ruin anything.
daphne jones-ricciardo how to you look sophie in the face? because it took me months to look grace in the face after i released dress.
penelope trevino it's a talent!
lando norris okay mayores, calm down
rowan todd and this is why i'm glad i never wrote a horny song about a french man.
bailey winters or me about a british man
pierre gasly wow imagine what it would be like if my girlfriend loved me.
rhys jones maybe she'd love you more if you stayed at red bull considering she's a red bull fan.
pierre gasly daniel, i swear to god, keep that kid away from me or i'll strangle him.
daniel jones-ricciardo okay, rhys, maybe we shouldn't attack the driver.
rhys jones he drives an alpine. i'll be safe.
logan sargeant lmao!
lance stroll who pissed off the pipsqueak?
arthur leclerc my guess is pierre.
pierre gasly all i said was percy jackson would get beat up by harry potter and now he's all pissy.
rhys jones BECAUSE YOU'RE LIKE YOU CROISSANT! PERCY GREW UP IN NEW YORK!! HARRY GREW UP IN FUCKING ENGLAND!
isabella perez yeah, i agree with rhys. there's no way harry beats percy.
charles leclerc but harry has a wand?
dulce perez and 9 times out of 10 he only uses expelliarmus.
logan sargeant have none of you read the percy jackson books? percy controls water, he 100% beats harry.
lewis hamilton this is just another way for you people to do the whole uk vs usa argument.
isabella perez WHAT'S A STICK GOING TO DO AGAINST A GLOCK?
fernando alonso i beg, please god give me strength to deal with these idiots
esteban ocon why are we having this argument?
rhys jones because i'm right and pierre is wrong. he just won't admit it.
mick schumacher i fear our brains need to be studied for science.
carlos sainz i think katniss beats them both.
rhys jones STOP CARLOS OR I WILL NOT HOLD BACK!!
daphne jones-ricciardo he's very passionate about this carlos. please don't make him attack you.
carlos sainz i retract my statement
rhys jones I'M RIGHT AND EVERYONE WHO DISAGREED WITH ME IS WRONG SO SHUT UP!
natalia ruiz never a dull moment with you people. never.
sebastian vettel i seriously question my life whenever someone sends a text that starts an argument in this group chat.
isabella perez YO NICO ROSBERG'S GOING TO BE IN CHINA!!
george russell BROCEDES REUNION INCOMING!!
rhys jones more like nico yapping about lewis
charles leclerc you can sit i my garage for the race weekend?
rhys jones LET'S GO!!!! A WIN IS A WIN BITCHES!!
max jones-verstappen traitor
daniel jones-ricciardo traitor
rhys jones I AM A TIFOSI FIRST AND BROTHER-IN-LAW SECOND!!
fernando alonso i don't have the strength to deal with this.
isabella perez remember to stream espresso!!
taglist: @burningcupcakefire @arkhammaid @applopie @sunflower-golden-vol6 @lorarri @bb-swift @thewannabewriter @mypage-myfandoms @stopeatread @hobiismyhopeu @lilsiz @alessioayla @niniluvsainz @au-ghosttype @six-call @justtprachisblog @nichmeddar @landonorizzz @unluckyyoshi @cool-ultra-nerd @kami10471633 @1nt3rnetgf @fernandoswarcrimes @arieltwvdtohamflash @brekkers-whore @natcha888 @camdensreg @mycenterfold @dear-fifi @georgeparisole @dan3avocado @nikfigueiredo @bella-1 @namgification @jensonsonlybutton @weekendlusting @trouble-sistar @lesliiieeeee @leclercsluv @33-81 @theseus-jpg @sarah-thatstings-ann @minmira95 @casperlikej @formulaonebuff @hopenshaw @ijustgomessitupx @hwalllllllelujah @doodlehunz @prongsvault
¡leclerc-s speaks!
i'm not going to lie, i've been watching grey's anatomy for the first time and that's why i haven't been posting much. but today's the day guys!! i also don't know how or why this devolved into what it did towards the end.
¡disclaimer!
this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!
#leclerc-s#the honest series#formula 1#formula 1 fic#fanfic#fanfiction#f1#f1 smau#f1 social media au#f1 instagram au#f1 fic
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𝑀𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉
｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡
Not me having to do this twice because tumblr ate the first one
The single character are just the only character I will write for in their fandom because I only find them attractive (no I don't take question for my choice) But feel free to convince me otherwise with nice prompt
𝒟𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑜𝓃 𝐵𝒶𝓁𝓁
The Tyrant and His Pet (Yandere Frieza x Reader)
^ art to go with that story I said no oc but im also a hypocrite
Mine (Yandere King Cold x Adopted Reader) <- I will fuck his entire family excluding chill who look like a purple and orange dildo and kuriza whos a literal child
𝐵𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝐵𝓊𝓉𝓁𝑒𝓇
Contract (Alpha Sebastian x Omega Reader) I want a demon buler
𝒫𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓃 (𝐼’𝓂 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔)
Trainer and Pokémon are both okay (final evolution and grown up only)
Rage (Yandere Human Gyarados x Reader) no thought mind blank
Sacrifice (Yandere Human Volcarona x Reader) why did i write lava cum
Forbidden (Yandere Greninja x Reader) i will always love forbidden ninja love
Mate (Serperior x Reader) favorite starter no regret
Virus (Various Pokémon x Reader) no comment
Worship (Arceus x Reader) go big or go home
Fire (Arcanine x Reader) dog
𝐼𝓃𝓊𝓎𝒶𝓈𝒽𝒶
Heat (Sesshomaru x Half Demon Reader) <- first anime crush
𝒟𝒮𝑀𝒫 (𝒞! 𝒪𝓃𝓁𝓎)
I’m here (C!Philza x Cat Hybrid Reader) Im so fucking sorry
𝒜𝓈𝓈𝒶𝓈𝓈𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒞𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓈𝓇𝑜𝑜𝓂 (𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒’𝓈 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒷𝑒 𝒶 𝒶𝒹𝓊𝓁𝓉)
Prey (Koro Sensei x Reader) Adult need special care
𝒪𝓃𝓂𝓎𝑜𝒿𝒾
Treasure (Yandere Tamamo no Mae x Reader) fluffy tails
𝒟𝒞
Criminal (Yandere Batman x Criminal Reader) I might have a type
Taboo (Brother Batman x Sister Reader) i was so fucking excited for this ;-;
𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝒫𝑜𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 (𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝓊𝓅)
Purpose (Lucius Malfoy x Reader) I have some daddy issue
𝐻𝒶𝓏𝒷𝒾𝓃 𝐻𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓁 + 𝐻𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓊𝓋𝒶 𝐵𝑜𝓈𝓈
Deal (Alastor x Reader) not me remembering Alastor doesn't brush his teeth
Lust (Asmodeus x Succubus Reader) I love mister rooster guy
𝒞𝑜𝑜𝓀𝒾𝑒 𝑅𝓊𝓃 𝒦𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒹𝑜𝓂 (𝓈𝒽𝒽𝒽𝒽𝒽𝒽)
Cookie & Cream (Yandere Dark Cacao x Reader x Yandere Pure Vanilla) It's definitely call cream, I don't take argument
𝑀𝒾𝑔𝓊𝑒𝓁 𝒪’𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶 (𝒴𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝓊𝓂𝓃)
Princesa (Miguel O’hara x Reader) I love writing hate sex
Needs (Alpha Miguel O’hara x Beta Reader) I want this man to do so many illegal shit to me
Washing Machine (Miguel O’hara x Reader) help me stepbro
Needs and Wants (Omega Miguel O’hara x Beta Reader) this man has so many things that can do so many things to me
Protection (Bodyguard Miguel O’hara x Reader) I will pay big money for this man
Aphrodisiac (Miguel O’hara x Reader) he totally gaslighted you lol
Good Boy (Hybrid Miguel O’hara x Reader) the title has little to no correlation with the story
Mi Diosa (War God Miguel O’hara x Reader) The amount of Miguel i’m writing is getting ridiculous
Secret (Best Friend Miguel O’hara x Hero Reader) I want miguel so badly
Villain (Yandere Villain Miguel O’hara x Hero Reader) I need to remember this is a smut
Hatred (Various Miguel x Reader) i love angst
Killer (Ghostface Miguel O’hara x Shy (?) Reader) very thin line between shy and psychopathic
Little Spider (Stepdad Miguel O’hara x Reader) stepdad miguel lets goooooo
𝒥𝓊𝒿𝓊𝓉𝓈𝓊 𝒦𝒶𝒾𝓈𝑒𝓃
Leash (Wolf Toji x Reader) Bark bark
Master and Slave (Toji x Reader) No thought want Toji to [bleep] me
Discipline (Proffesor Nanami x Student Reader) Look at this beautiful mature responsible man
Liar (Sukuna x Reader) I think regular people will die if they fuck him
𝒮𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇
Jealousy (Ice Bear x Reader) *insert How bad can I be
Despise (John Wick x Reader) <- this is favorite will recommand
Wine (Thranduil x Reader) Im into some freaky shit
Game (707 x Reader) My beloved
Love (Yandere Kururu x Reader) I dont know why I love him I just do
Captain (Levi x Reader) You can break my neck
Pet (Slenderman x Reader) daddy long leg
𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓂𝓅𝓉
Pearls (Yandere Sea Monster x Mermaid Reader) I had to cut it because I was dragging it on for too long
Intertwine (Genderbend Parallel (?) x Reader) its just a little weird okay
Don't Leave (Yandere Dragon x Reader) Dragon, my love
Obsession (Yandere Wolf x Reader) I have no thought just head hurt, also want a wolf. Doesn't have to be a man just a wolf
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Was Maes Hughes a good man? Was he a bad man?
Consider the evidence we have.........
Loaded question! I feel like the obvious answer is “yes!” because who doesn’t like Hughes? Who isn’t gutted by his death? Who doesn’t get sad thinking about his daughter growing up without the father who loved her so much?
But we also have to consider that Hughes canonically took part in the Ishval extermination—in other words, war crimes. The man’s a war criminal and a murderer. Even in the 03 version, where he states he took a desk job rather than participate in the massacre, he knew about the killings and did nothing to stop them. Complicity.
So then our answer should be “no,” because he Does Bad Things in canon. And—so does Roy Mustang. So does Riza Hawkeye, and every state alchemist and almost every enlisted soldier at the time of the war. They’re all part of a machine that steps on people. Slaughters then mercilessly when it’s deemed necessary. And anyone who follows those orders without question is, by definition, a bad person.
I’m not breaking new ground by saying this, and I’m far from the first to talk about the Amestrian military being almost entirely comprised of war criminals. But honestly? Whether or not someone is a “good” person is…such a boring question to me. The far more intriguing question is “Is Maes Hughes a good character?” And the answer to that is yes.
He’s a good character because he haunts the narrative. Because his death causes more ripples than his life. Because his friendship to one man helped cause the downfall of the regime he served, the regime that made him culpable in a genocide.
He’s a good character because, in the Conqueror of Shamballa movie, he makes us as viewers uncomfortable because he’s a Nazi. He’s complicit in that system of oppression as well, one that we’re far more familiar with. It might make viewers angry, make them decry the movie as bad because “ugh not my boy Hughes he would never!” Uh…he did. In his world, he did. In fact, in CoS, he is better than his Amestrian counterpart, because he denounces and leaves the party before they do anything more than shoot up a beer hall. Not a completely bad person, after all, so it seems.
#asks#anon#mymeta#i hope i articulated my thoughts well enough#like make no mistake i LIKE hughes#and i’m not gonna denounce him because he does bad things#but the bad things are connected to the narrative themes!#i have to talk about them!#fullmetal alchemist#maes hughes
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roy mustang and riza hawkeye and maes hughes. they're presented to us as good, kind, compassionate people, and then we learn that they've done terrible, terrible things. every single one of them is a war criminal. they all actively participated in genocide.
and they are so fucking guilty, and trying their goddamn best to make reparations. they understand what they did was wrong, they understand how to make sure it never happens again, and they devote their lives to doing so. why do they want to reform their government? because they know firsthand that it is cruel and unjust, because they have been the executors of cruelty and injustice. they're not standing around making excuses for their actions or trying to justify what they did. they are actively trying to make amends.
it brings me so much comfort. that u can fuck up so horrendously and still be a good person. u can still be full of love and compassion and empathy, and u can do better.
also. that sometimes we are do bad things bc of the system we live in. and the answer is to overhaul that system. it's not just about personal growth and development. that means nothing unless u can strive toward a better society.
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for the character ask thing: jake the dog perhaps ?
YAY jake my friend ok
First impression: im gonna pull from 11 year old me for this i didnt think about him often but he was like. you know. cool presence like spencer from icarly. very funny character very chill guy
Impression now: hes probably the single most generally important character to understanding the overall Vibe of adventure time holisitcally. hes so important. he sucks. hes incredible. he struggles intensely with the fight between his spirituality and denial of pleasure and his fleshly desires. and he has so much flesh
Favorite moment: How to fucking pick. gut reaction is just most of the episode 'No One Can Hear You' because while that episode is famous for the deer with hands its famous to me because during my most recent rewatch of the show it was really where i went. oh. thats a psychotic break. this is a noticable pattern with him where he decides to not confront reality when its scary to him. its so fascinating. i think its the most frightening he ever is in the show, partially cause we are having this realization at the same time as finn is. that jake may not always be stable. second choice is princess cookie, as it comes well before jake's criminal past is strongly established and yet his empathy towards someone unstable in a rough situation comes Full Force. ill talk about this more in relationships because..
Idea for a story: I want to put him in resident evil 7 and 8 situations ive talked about this before. i want to put him in ethan winters situations. my current largest story idea for him is him slowly losing his sanity over a period of time trying to find finn while playing both sides in a war and losing sight of trying to stop it. I also want to write my own story kind of exploring his like. gestures vaguely unresolved feelings about his alien form. i dont think he should have ever gone back to complete normal it feels cheap.
Unpopular opinion: im the only one on this goddamn earth who understands the point of why he was kind of a deadbeat dad. i.e HE WASNT it was a messed up situation with no true irl counterpart. he wanted to be a mother. he has fantasies of being a mother up through the twilight of the series, and the fact that he was not present in his children's life while they were children is something that was completely out of his control because they grew up so fast. the fact he was not Allowed to nurture them is the tragedy of it!! ocarina is as much about kim kil whan reconciling the idea of his father being the way he is as it is jake trying to reach out for any connection that anything he cares about means anything
Favorite relationship: Finn and jake's relationship is quite literally the most important thing in the show and its so easy to flatten but its so so so so so so so complex and also. they love eachother. the depths of that love are unfathomable. simple as that. its a kind of undefinable relationship i find so compelling.. its. jake and finn rely on eachother so much youd think itd be unhealthy but it ISNT and its because they never expect anything from the other that they arent. jakes feelings about finn though related to that are so fascinating because he has a kind of consistent.. discomfort? whenever faced with the fact that finn can hurt people in a meaningful serious way. he doesnt like it. he doesnt like when finn, panicking in the water, attacks him. it makes him wanna shut down and not deal with the situation and its so interesting to think about. and this doesnt detract at all from how much jake depends on finn in a real, loving, genuine way. he loves that kid. hed get sick and die if he thought finn was turning out bad/like him. they protect each other (I AM FORCEFULLY DRAHHED OFFSTAGE WITH A CANE
Favorite headcanon: he loves any depressing indie game protag he has a plushie of mae from nitw and brad lisa at LEAST. I am also incredibly fond of jake and his fam being jewish but i consider that less of a hc given that in one title card art hes literally wearing a kippah
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About me
Hi, I'm Mae! I'm a writer and editor. But not officially. I just write fanfiction and make icons/edits. I like to support fellow creators on here so I reblog a ton of Taylor swift gifs and edits. I like to post easter eggs and swiftie tweets I find on Twitter and Pinterest. I also, love to participate in tag/ask games!
My hobbies are...
writing
editing
Reading
singing
I also like playing video games in my spare time
About personality
I'm a hufflepuff
Virgo
esfp aka entertainer personality type
hopeless romantic
Swiftie (But you might already know that!)
My favorite tv shows and movies/fandoms are
Star Wars
Harry Potter
The Flash
Green Arrow
Criminal minds
Teen Wolf
The Vampire Diaries
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
My favorite artists are
Taylor Swift
Ed Sheeran
5sos
Conan Grey
Paramore
Lewis Capaldi
Sabrina Carpenter
Katy Perry
My favorite Taylor Swift song are...
if this was a movie or enchanted.
My Taylor Swift era(s)
Speak Now or Red.
How I discovered tswizzle
As of right now I've been a Swiftie for about 3 years, I started to listen to Taylor during quarantine. The first album I really listened to was Speak Now which I'm now hooked on. I did hear about her in the past I always thought her name was iconic, to me she's amazing! The first real-time I heard of her was in her 1989 era I remember everyone talking about Shake it off which I loved! And I thought it was cool! I later heard more about her during Reputation when my friend went to her concert which I wanted to go to like I said before I always thought she was cool. I remember I started to slowly to like her music my brother thought I would like her and put some Fearless, 1989, and reputation songs on my MP3 player. Then I started watching her music videos and I watched when ME! first came out. I may have been late to the game but her music really helped me get through quarantine. So yeah that's how I discovered Blondie!
Ships I love
Stelena (Elena and Stefan)
Anidala (Anakin and Padmé)
Hinny (Ginny and Harry)
Westallen (Barry and Iris)
This blog does not support hate in any way! This includes homophobic and racist comments! I would also like to point out I'm under 18 aka I'm a minor so please be appropriate! Also, don't ask my age I'm not telling anyone! 💜
Love, Mae!
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This photo has been stuck in my head for like. Ages. Hope you like this quick rough sketch that tumblr of course destroyed the resolution of. I titled it The Triumph but an alternate title is "Don't Defend Any of Us" lmao. That line has also been stuck in my head. It's a good line. Can you tell which one I've drawn the most
DUDE!!!! This is so cool! I'm in awe <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
It's the gang, all together! Look at these pretty war criminals lmao, they're all posing. Lmao Maes in the background with the wine is KILLING me, you've done so well drawing him in the background. Made my day entirely.
This is a really interesting interpretation of the Triumph where both Riza AND Mustang are with Kimblee and Maes here. Initially it was only Maes in the background with Kimblee and some Central soldiers with him in the forefront. Though, having the entire veteran squad embody this photograph does make it wholly different, more gut-wrenching specifically I suppose. If Edward saw this one, ooofffff. Oooooooofffffff, my boy would be even more fucked up.
I really like how you drew them!! Kimblee's totally happy to be in his spotlight, the man's having such a fun time.
You're a much more patient person than I am, I can't draw people at all. This is magnificent! Thank you so so so much! Also cannot tell at all, they all look so well drawn. Mustang maybe?
R.I.P. for the ishvalan man, he didn't even make the cut photograph.
Definitely hard agree that with all four of them in this photograph the better title would be Don't Defend Any of Us. These are war criminals. These are heinous people. And they're self-aware of it enough not to ever confuse themselves with anyone more morally sound.
The reason why Kimblee gives that talk to Edward about never defending any of them is because a) Edward's a kid trying to go up against adults that say mean but true things against the veterans b) they're adults and don't need a child to defend them c) they are fully aware that they don't deserve to be defended because they did all of those things in ishval of their own free will and that's forever going to be on them.
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Idk if youre still doing the bingo meme, but maedhros?
they are sooooo cool looking: tall redheaded elf with one hand and badass scars and FLAMING EYES??? HELLOO??? PEAK SEXY
i didn't mark down "everyone but me is wrong about them <3" but only because I have several treasured friends who also get him <3 that being said with a character as popular as Maedhros of course you're gonna have a bunch of bad takes too.......
if they were real i would be afraid of them: hello??? giant war criminal with glowing eyes ???????????? SCARY
if they were real i would marry them: but like. the soft valinor version of maitimo. actually i don't want to marry him at all i want him to be my dad
they're like a blorbo to me: the ULTIMATE blorbo <3333
they're deeper than they seem: which is saying a lot bc he already has SO much depth
i like them enough to project my own issues onto them: (laughs in Eldest Sibling)
they got done DIRTY by fans: this is mostly @ people who write straightdhros.....hettimo.....🤢sorry fellas no matter how you slice it this fella is VERY queer <3
i want to carry them in a handbag like a tiny dog: he needs it. emotionally.
wow! they are a horrible person: and i love him for it :)
im mentally ill about them: I am ALWAYS emo about maedhros and the amount of Mae fic I've written is a shining example of that :)))
wow... they are LITERALLY me!: i mean not really but again (laughs in queer mentally ill eldest sibling)
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BSD!OC! Vincent Marco Allan P1
Rework of my RAU! Poe
--
Kanji: ヴィンセント・マルコ・アラン
Rōmanji: Vu~insento Maruko Aran
Also Known As: The Evil Librarian, Mischief (mouse miraculous)
Namesake: Vincent Marco Allan (American fantasy writer)
--
-:Personal Information:-
Status: Alive
Gender: Male (He/Him)
Sexuality: Straight
Birthday: 19th January
Age: 47 (BSD), 45 (Persona 5), 36 (Gifted War), 29 (Haikyuu!! Arc), 28 (Tower/Casino Arc)
Height: 182cm (6'0")
Weight: 64 kg
Blood Type: AB
Likes: Fantasy novels, raccoons, butterflies, carrot cake
Dislikes: Heights, large group conversations, not being evil, Atsushi Hinata
--
-:Professional Information:-
Ability: Curse of Toshokan
Reference: The Curse of Toshokan series
Occupation: Author, School Librarian, Anti-hero, Accountant (former)
Affiliation: Shujin Academy, The Resistance, Unnamed Corporation (former)
--
-:Metaverse Information:-
Name: Vincent Marco Allan
Location: Shujin Academy Library
Distortion: Evil Lair
Treasure: Cursed Tomb → Notebook
--
-:Relationships:-
Family:
Unnamed Wife,
Edgar Allan Poe (son)
Pets:
Kit (female Raccoon),
Carl (Kit's son)
--
-:Appearances:-
Manga Debut: Lost Souls, Kamoshida arc
Anime Debut: Bungou Stray Dogs: Lost Souls, Kamoshida arc
Light Novel Debut: Curse of the Shujin Toshokan
--
-:Portrayal:-
Japanese Voice: Toshiyuki Marikawa
English Voice: Todd Haberkorn
--
"
Vincent Marco Allan to Takeo Kagami
"...evil..."
Vincent Marco Allan (ヴィンセント・マルコ・アラン,, Vu~insento Maruko Aran) is Shujin Academy's librarian and holder of the Mouse Miraculous. He is a member of The Resistance, and his ability is Curse of Toshokan
Personality: Chuunibyou, Social Anxiety, Crafty, Clever, Antagonist Chuunibyou, Villain Complex, Protective
Confidant/Arcana: Priestess
-:Ability:-
Allan's ability, Curse of Toshokan (東照館の呪い,, Tōshōkan no noroi), can transport readers into the setting of any book that hasn't been written by Vincent. However it will work if someone else writes it for him. The book must be open.
Curse of Toshokan (東照館の呪い,, Tōshōkan no noroi)
Color: Dark Green
Manga Debut: Lost Souls, Casino arc
Anime Debut: Bungou Stray Dogs: Lost Souls, Casino arc
Light Novel Debut: Curse of the Shujin Toshokan
Ability: Book Imprisonment
--
-:Etymology:-
• The name Vincent is a male given name derived from the Latin word vincere meaning 'to conquer'.
• The middle name Marco is primarily a male name of Italian origin, meaning 'Warlike'.
• The surname Allan is of Irish origin meaning 'handsome'.
--
-:Namesake:-
Vincent Marco Allan
He was known for his fantasy novel series, The Curse of Toshokan, each being their own fantasy world but with the same villain who always loses. The series is set in a cursed library that traps all who enters into each novel as the heroes. Except the narrator/librarian who is cursed to wander the library without entering any books.
--
-:Trivia:-
His raccoon, Kit, is Karl's mother
He and Louisa are part of a totally evil organization!.. They're petty criminals
He gave his son Edgar his old black coat, the boy is very protective of it
Vincent has an Antagonist Chuunibyou Syndrome (Villain Complex), his student Kyouba being his henchman
He has extreme social anxiety and will hide behind those he trusts, even with his tall height
He suffers with selective mutism, struggling to utter a word to most people
He can easily talk to those he's closest to, such as his Wife, Son, Tarou Edogawa, Louisa Mae Mars, and Kyouba Satsune
Vincent Marco Allan (Criminal)
-
--
A Chuunibyou with a Villain Complex and extreme Social Anxiety
Ability: Curse of Toshokan* Book Imprisonment
Confidant: Priestess
--
(Fantasy Bartender)
Victor (Vincent M. Allan)
-
--
A Bartender and the owner of The Raccoon Tail
Magic: Magicless (Teleportation, Purple)
Weapon: Anything
--
[Continued in P2]
#aiden's aus#bungou stray dogs#rau#oc#persona 5#miraculous ladybug#ml#bungou stray dogs: lost souls#edgar allan poe#evil librarian#vincent marco allan#takeo kagami#kyouba satsune#louisa may alcott#louisa may mars#mischief#mouse miraculous#haikyuu!!
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yeah that one
ah, ok!
his name is maes hughes, hes from fullmetal alchemist! one of the things hes known for is how much he dotes on his family! also hes a war criminal!
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Hm! Made myself sad!
#fma#roy mustang#riza hawkeye#maes hughes#me: time to chill out and draw some!#also me: how about a nice relaxing sketch of some war criminals#my art
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Exceedingly Long Rant About Redemption Arcs
Zuko’s arc was amazingly written, innovative and solid and sympathetic... but the thing about it is that it’s not CHALLENGING to the audience. They weren’t writing a redemption arc in the sense of “redeemed from the price of his own evil,” they were writing a rescue/escape arc of an abused child overcoming and breaking free of his abuser. The writers wanted us to be able to like/root for him from the start without feeling bad about it, and they wrote him with that in mind.
The worst thing he ever does, really, is betray Iroh—and yes, I know he helps Azula at the same time, but he still has several strong reasons to help her. It’s WRONG, but he’s following early teaching and his father’s wishes, and he has no concrete, clear reason that he ought to help Aang. He does, however, owe Iroh his loyalty and love, and he knows it. This means that what we feel he’s most culpable for, his worst offense, is the offense against Iroh. This also means that his worst offense can, and will, be forgiven by the actual victim—and we know it will, because we know Iroh loves him unconditionally and all Zuko has to do is turn back to him. This means we also don’t have to worry about what Zuko owes in terms of justice, because Iroh will give him mercy.
A real, challenging redemption story does have a price to be paid... and generally, with a real bad guy, it’s a price that they cannot humanly repay.
Darth Vader is an example. We don’t see a lot of his evil onscreen in the original trilogy, but we know it’s happened—he’s been serving the Emperor and the Empire Luke’s whole life! The fact that we don’t see it in person, and also that he suffers death as he turns to the Light, makes this story less challenging than it would be otherwise, but... he’s still an Actual Bad Person, and Luke offers him forgiveness. Mercy. And the story tells us that this, and his One Good Choice, is enough. That’s kinda challenging.
OR. In terms of fire-users... Roy freaking Mustang, of Fullmetal Alchemist. This guy committed actual war crimes—no, worse, because that was never a war. He participated, extremely effectively, in a genocide. And yet, because he’s repented—after the fact—and is trying to atone, he’s one of the story’s heroes. Again, his crimes are largely offscreen, and our one major flashback comes late in the series... But, through Scar’s retribution, and the recurring presence of the Ishvalan Genocide and its effects, we know very consciously that he (and Hawkeye, and Hughes!) did horrific things. And they can never pay the full price—can they return the lives they took, or undo the trauma of those who survived them? NO. They can’t even seek forgiveness from their victims, because their victims are dead. And they know this, and we know this... and yet, we’re still fans.
I love and admire Roy Mustang for who he is, and I also believe he 100% deserves the death penalty, regardless, for what he did. I don’t want him to get the death penalty, but I cannot possibly argue that anything less would be just. That is a challenging redemption story, even if it’s still offscreen.
A redemption story isn’t “how to make an antagonist who has a right to a happy ending, and then build his character to the point that he switches sides so you can give it to him in a way that pleases the audience.” A redemption story, at its best, is “how to make a character who deserves to suffer for what they’ve done, be very clear that they deserve to suffer regardless of future actions...and then have them receive, at minimum, the mercy of becoming a good person, and build their character well enough that the audience is happy to see them receive said mercy while still knowing it is better than they deserve.”
REDEMPTION is about MERCY. It is UNDESERVED. And the redeemed party’s role is to CHOOSE TO ACCEPT this mercy, and the ONLY characters who are “irredeemable” are the ones who would not believably MAKE the choice to be redeemed—it rests not on what they’ve done, but on who they ARE.
#long rant#redemption arc#again#i LOVE zuko#but he's not a hardcore example of redemption from evil#and i'd also like to say...#i feel like no one talks about the fact that maes hughes is a war criminal?#I should be in bed#like REALLY#but i'm gonna post this anyway and then go to sleep#sometimes you gotta late-night rant i guess#long post
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Maes Hughes is really a fantastic example on how to write a character whose sole purpose is to die.
Arakawa is good at all aspects a writer could want to be good at, but I think her character work is especially fantastic, and it shines in her minor characters. Writing compelling mains is one thing, but having characters with barely any screentime or plot relevency feel like real, living people? That takes real skill.
Hughes is probably the best 'ur only here to die' character I've ever seen, because Arakawa managed to make him a fully flashed out human being with flaws and complexities while at the same time knowing to craft jis character in such a way that it would HURT when he died. Because lets not forget: that was his only purpose. To die. That's the sole reason he was created.
And yet, it doesn't feel like it. Hughes is a character whose lived a life of his own, and who would have continued living that life if Envy hadn't shot him. It wasn't a flawless life; you could even debate if it was good at all. While it's easy to forget, Hughes was a war criminal who openly aided in a genocide. This fact isn't downplayed, and it's not something to ignore. Yet, most people don't remember him for this, because a war criminal wasn't who he was when he died.
He was a father, and a loving husband. That's what people remember him for. But how many other 'doomed to die' characters are family men? It's the cheapest trick in the book; a soldier starts talking about how much he misses his wife, and you roll your eyes bc yup, he's dead. And yet Hughes never felt like a cliche. Why is that?
It's because he's a war criminal. He's a bad person trying to be better, and it shows in how he acts, how he behaves. He's incredibly smart and very good with his knives. He is a leading detective and doesn't flinch at mutilated corpses. Even before you are told he's a war criminal, you know, subconciously, that this is a man whose lived a full life, and a harsh one at that. He's more than just one liners about how much he loves his family. He's more than just the one who gets shot so that his friend can angst over it.
Only he isn't, and that's exactly what happened.
The reason Hughes' death comes as such a shock for a lot of first time FMA watchers, despite him being pretty much the dead soldier stereotype, is because he feels so real. Arakawa wrote Hughes as a real person, and it infuses every action he takes, his behaviour. It luls you into a false sense of security that makes you ignore the warning signs.
And yet, his character is so perfectly tailored to induce the maximum amount of pain when he dies. He ticks off almost all the boxes on 'how to write a painful death scene'. It's ridiculously perfect.
He is a family man, and with the time to get to know him and his family, this actually matters. It hurts when he dies, because you're thinking of little Elysia, who's gonna grow up without a dad. And it hurts double extra hard because his family was what did him in; the photos he always carried around gave Envy the idea on who to shapeshift into, and seeing his wife hold the gun made him hesitate just long enough for it to be his doom. His love for his family got him killed, their portrait soaking with blood.
And that would be bad enough, but you know what makes it SO much worse? He died because he, the detective, probably the smartest person in a cast that includes multiple geniuses, figured out the plot DOZENS of chapters before everyone else. If Maes Hughes hadn't died, or at least if he'd managed to call Mustang before he did, who KNOWS how much easier the plot would've been to solve! How many peoplecould have been saved! Hughes' death hurts not just because of who he is, but also what he knows. He had unfinished business; business that could have saved everyone quite a bit of headache.
In short, Hughes is the perfect 'doomed to die' character because he's an extremely well written character on his own, but all of that is in service of making it hurt more when he gets axed. (Plus, it makes us more invested in Mustang's revenge struggle, too.)
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ILLEGIBLE’S TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE FAVORITE EORZEA COLLECTION DESIGNS: MELEE DPS
NOTE: This was originally going to be a collection where everything was in one post, but it legitimately got so big that the post couldn’t save. And doing by halvesies broke all the links. So instead, I’m going to try and separate it into smaller chunks and see if that works.
I’ve mentioned in the past, the main thing that made me start playing FFXIV properly was seeing people’s character designs. I’m still blown away by the creativity and range of approaches people bring to this game, so I’ve decided to be an absolute madwoman and break my favorites into subcategories to share with anyone curious.
And to be clear. I’m not going to do something so broad as “oh top ten in-general :3″ because that would be sensible.
No, I’m going to do it for all the current combat jobs. And all the current races. And different genders within the races and combat jobs as things stand. And I’m going to make a face-focus subcategory. And there are gonna be LOTS.
Because I seriously cannot understate how inspired I’ve been by this community, and after however many years I just feel the need to vomit some incredible visuals I’ve encountered at you guys lol.
ANOTHER NOTE: In an abundance of caution, I want to stress this list isn’t a value judgment on anyone but a fragment of things that blew me personally away. Looking at the DRK sections it will be immediately clear that I Illegible really like that edgy dark knight aesthetic lmao, but there are plenty of non-edgy dark knights that I also love to bits. Other people might not like edgy dark knights.
Due to a combination of size and search constraints plus trying to keep gear somewhat varied, these glamours are just what wound up on this particular list of mine. I could make another list one day. Other people can make lists too that are totally different.
Without further ado, let us begin.
DRAGOON
FEMALE
- Leviathan’s Envoy by Ihon Nuzhysa
- Durium by Mihna Nhokiri
- Crimson Dragoon by Kotone Khatayin
- Heavenly Knight by Ciel Leblanc
- Gold Dragon Knight by Makenshi Dragonsbane
- Athena - The Goddess of War by Lohia Aihol
- Ryubi Warrior by Korkana Ryubi
- Native Warg by Schan Starfall
- Stranger from Across the Ruby Sea by Vederah Kilmister
- Onion Knight by Tess Tickle
MALE
- A Slumbering God’s Herald by Lud Wachtel
- The Elder Primals - Neath Dark Waters by Cassius Toledo
- The Occupied Drow City of Skalla by Leon Aquitaine
- Dravanian Viking by Sarafina Vadre
- The Wolf by J'roric Citlalloh
- Tribal Hrothgar Dragoon by Noxelus Virmire
- whitewind by Chiceneaux Selechant
- Edensguard by Kyo Ise
- Dragonblood Knight by Sylvaire Catrevaut
- Mercenary in Mixed Metals by Filibert Lilibert
SAMURAI
FEMALE
- Of Crimson Plumage by Cyrene Devana
- Crimson Wanderer by Sierra Delacroix
- Warmonger by Ethelin Aldren
- Yoroi of the Black Dragon by Mog Champ
- Cute war criminal by Nunui Nui
- Sirens Beckon by Adeline Grace
- Black Tide by Ihon Nuzhysa
- Kotetsu by Leisha Aysheen
- Neo - Universe’s Echo (SAM) by Goelia Sarantia
- Samurai Vagabond by Tranquil Rain
MALE
- The Dragon of Doma by Ky Tanimura
- Shadow of the Shifting Sands by Dai Tachibana
- Homura by Remearus Maes
- Monster Slayer by Kaien Shimazu
- Good Hunting by Remearus Maes
- Jury by Remearus Maes
- Ronin of the Steppe by Remearus Maes
- Dominicus Secutor by Remearus Maes
- Warg Samu by Fena Mizu
- White Dragon by The Solideizer
NINJA
FEMALE
- Midori no Ninja by Dezel Windriders
- Phtonos by R'yo Aderyd
- Neo - Flower Bowknot by Goelia Sarantia
- Church Assassin by Ien Torr
- Little Bat by Messenger Pigeon
- Birdkeep by Nya Nya
- Astrological Sign - Taurus by Leisha Aysheen
- The Nothing by Vederah Kilmister
- The Trickster by Little Toussaint
- Bloodborne-inspired Rogue by Valentyne Louvier
MALE
- Armored Ninja by Ludger Magniar
- Desert Scar by Magnus Wolfwood
- Righteous Assassin by Lys Aludra
- Classic Shinobi Traditional Ninja Garb by Mog Champ
- White Dragon by King Resh
- Deadly Emissary by Lys Aludra
- night’s blessed by Chiceneaux Selechant
- Umbral Blade by Arik Nergui
- Ascianssin by Dragoon Scythe
- Wolf of Twelveswood by Punch Mage
MONK
FEMALE
- Night Walker by Madoras Yorigami
- Elegant Scavenger by Mia Fletcher
- Wild Rose by Ihon Nuzhysa
- YAOI HANDS FROM HELL by Cool Mom
- Astrological Sign - Cancer by Leisha Aysheen
- Neo - Fist of Suzaku by Goelia Sarantia
- Sting Like A Bee by Arsibra Therion
- Orochi no Kaze by Liesel Mahora
- Heavensent by Ren Sakurai
- The Burn’s Wraith by Arsibra Therion
MALE
- Fists of the Sun by Alois Lefleur
- Inner Beast by T'yan Ardeo
- Vathliege Samurai by Austen Bloodspatter
- Ala Mhigan Monk by D'jango Dojango
- Bozjan Brawler by Sahl Suh
- Liberator by Thriced Talon
- Flightless Hawk by Remearus Maes
- Firebrand by Lys Aludra
- Debugging in Process by Uskhal Dalamiq
- Falling Eagle by Feather Relanah
#final fantasy xiv#eorzea collection#final fantasy 14#gpose#ffxiv#ff14#melee dps#ffxiv melee dps#DRG#NIN#MNK#dragoon#samurai#monk#ninja
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Mae
Summary: I am Emma, the invisible sister of Danny Whizz-Bang: the ordinary man who passionately believed I was extraordinary
A/N: Anon requested: I’ll star saying this :I love your writing! , so I had an idea for an original character, like imagine if Danny Whizbang had a younger sister (around thirteen years old) who is always been near to the shelbys and it's really close to them all, after her brother comes back from the war she steps up to take care of him but she is not really succesful at it, when her brother dies she is absolutely broken hearted and tommy takes her under his wing. This could be an imagine or a longer fic btw.:) I love this request sooo much, thank you for this wonderful and original idea! I kinda got creative with this character, hope you don’t mind ;)
Words: 2586
***
My name is Emma, but I go by Mae. My mum likes to tell the story of my birth and how Danny was sitting in the hallway with dad, both smoking frantically. Mum had already had a few children, but I was her last one, the unexpected one. When I was born, Danny rushed in and demanded to hold me. When he asked mum what my name was, she told him, “Emma.” But Danny shook his head and said, “No, she looks more like a Mae.” So, I go by Mae.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Danny used to call me. I’d sit on his shoulders and he could walk for hours, until you could no longer hear the factories or smell the smoke. He’d show me the grass and the trees and used to say, “See? The world is bigger than you could ever imagine!”
I cried when he went off to war. He tried to make me feel better by telling me that he was simply traveling the world. “Are you going on one of our walks again?” I asked, full of childhood innocence. “A bit further than that, sweetheart,” he said. “All the way, outside of Birmingham?” “Yes, I’m crossing the ocean. And when I come back, I’ll tell you all about it.” And with a kiss, he left.
But he was different when he came back. He tried to act like the brother I knew, always softly spoken en as gentle as a giant can be, but when he was on his own, he often changed. The war had damaged him beyond repair and even though I tried to bandage the internal wounds as much as I could, he remained emotionally unstable. So I started following him around and whenever he went mad, I was at his side, when I could. Suddenly, Danny Whizz-Bang had a shadow and everybody knew it. It was almost like it’d had been before the war: my favourite brother and I, inseparable. But still, he was different when he came back.
***
One day, I followed him after school, because he wasn’t acting like the Danny I knew and loved. I lost him halfway so I went into the Garrison, thinking he might go there next. As I walked in, I saw Mr. Shelby sitting at the bar, so I faltered a little.
He looked up and noticed me. “Hello, Emma,” he said in that husky voice of his, “How’s your mother?”
“Very well, Mr, Shelby,” I replied meekly, even though she wasn’t, “Thank you for asking, sir.”
He took another sip of his whiskey, “No need to call me ‘sir’, Emma.”
“Sorry, Mr. Shelby,” I replied, without noticing the discrepancy. The Shelby’s were like royalty around here and every child grew up learning they were to be feared and respected at all times. I’d known Tommy since I was little, but I wouldn’t dare to call him ‘Tommy’.
“And where’s your brother?” he inquired in a low voice.
I was scared that he could sense the worry in my voice, so I feigned fear and let my shoulders drop. Pretending I was even younger than I was, I mumbled, “I thought he might be here.”
And then Thomas Shelby turned and looked me right in the eye. Shivers went down my back and I turned away involuntarily. I couldn’t have been more grateful when another man stepped up from a table and walked over to Tommy to talk to him, freeing me from all inquisitive looks.
Slowly, he lit another cigarette and tried his best to ignore the man who was talking to him, but I could see the interest in his eyes. He was like a horse, with ears suddenly standing up. I love horses. Meanwhile, I’d disappeared into the shadows of the Garrison. I was good at that: disappearing. See, I’d realised that girls of my age have that talent. We are still cute, if we want to be. Not quite adorable anymore, but sweet and innocent we can still be, to others. Luckily, I wasn’t pretty, or I’d lose my advantage of invisibility. But we see everything. People think we’re just children but our minds are beyond that stage already, so we observe. The secret is this: we are not yet women, but no longer little girls either. The strange result is that we are invisible to adults, because we fit in neither category. We pass around unnoticed.
Suddenly, my brother came crashing through the doors. He was having one of is episodes again and I rushed out of my hiding place towards him, only to be thrown backwards into the chaos. Tommy and the other man reached Danny first and even though they didn’t seem to like each other before, they worked as one now. With a few exchanged glances, they both knew what to do and they tackled my brother to the floor swiftly, while offering him calm words.
Danny didn’t stop screaming and I became numb from the pain I felt for him. I would share it all, if I could, but there was nothing I could do. When silence followed, Danny quickly apologized to Tommy, cap in hand, muttering the words I had spoken moment before: “Sorry, Mr. Shelby…”
I ran after my brother when he left again and took his hand in mine. That always seemed to help. No one else had noticed my presence at the scene, though I could feel a pair of eyes burning in my back when we left.
***
I come from a large family. I had more brothers than I could count and there wee always too many mouths to feed at home. Most of them worked at the factories. They were just ordinary men, living ordinary lives. But Danny had always been my favourite. He wasn’t anything special, but he asked after me every day, even when he got back from France. I never talked much, not in school and never in the streets, but I did speak at home. But me and Danny, we actually talked. Also, he had kind eyes, like my mother has.
I wasn’t there when he stabbed the Italian. I’d been in school because I’d been the first one in my family to go and so I went, every day. I remember that one day, Tommy came into our house. Danny, another brother and I sat hunched over a book. Tommy asked my mother, “Are they teaching your girl how to read?” Mum had laughed a little, “I think she’s teaching them to be honest.” And so I went to school, because Danny told me I was the brains of the family and that was all the encouragement I needed. Meanwhile, my brother unwittingly killed a man with criminal ties, and so Danny’s death was demanded in retaliation.
When I heard, I rushed out of the school building and sprinted through the streets of Small Heath. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind.
“Shhh,” someone whispered in my ear. But I struggled for my life and kicked the invisible assailant, because the only coherent thought in my head was Danny.
“Let me go!” I said angrily.
“Emma,” he pleaded, and only then did I recognised the voice, “It’s done. Your brother killed a man.”
I turned around to face Thomas Shelby and I spoke more words than I’d ever had to him, “He didn’t kill a man. After the war, Danny was already dead.”
“We all are,” he nodded.
“Where is he?” I demanded.
“Safe.”
I narrowed my eyes, “And for how long will he remain safe?”
Tommy cleared his throat and looked away.
All the shyness had fallen from me, “Tell me. I’m not a little girl anymore.”
“The Italians deal with death by death. Either they kill Danny in the cruellest way imaginable, or I do it. Quickly.”
“You’re going to shoot Danny,” I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t feel. I couldn’t see.
“Emma. Look at me, eh?” he crouched down to my level and forced me to meet his eye, “I will find a way. Do you hear me? I will find a way. Trust me, eh?”
I didn’t. So for the first time in my life, I reacted on impulse alone and lunged forward. In a flash, I had grabbed the gun from his waist, knowing where he carried it on him. Then I pointed it at the Peaky Blinder in front of me.
“Emma…” he sighed, “Don’t make this difficult.”
“Difficult for you?” I grunt out through clenched teeth.
There was another thing I had noticed about Tommy. When he was stuck or found himself in a position of disadvantage, he changed the subject. He reacted to absurd situations with even more absurd questions or suggestions. This was how remained in control, by catching the other off-guard. And he was trying it right now, “How did you know I carried a gun, right here?” he pointed at the spot on his suit.
“I pay attention,” I merely commented, not taking my eyes off of him or the gun.
Tommy nodded slowly and stated matter-of-factly, “Give it back to me. If you shoot me, I can’t help Danny.”
Something inside me knew he was right, so involuntarily, I lowered the gun a little.
He held up a hand in a surprisingly comforting manner, “You need to let me help Danny, eh? Those fucking Italians are brutal. You can’t get in my way. Stay here. Emma, promise me: stay here.”
Completely numb, I nodded. I had no idea why I trusted this man all of a sudden, but I did. Maybe because I grew up with the Shelby’s, the worst family imaginable, but at least we knew them.
“Good girl,” he said softly, “When I come back, I will need your help. Just stay here, alright?” And then he vanished.
Minutes felt like hours and I couldn’t bear waiting. Silently, I retreated into an alleyway and slid down the wall. There, I hid my face in my arms, which were resting on my knees and just sobbed. I couldn’t lose Danny. After everything that had happened, the brothers I had already lost in the war, I needed him. He came back from France and everything went fucking sideways, but he came back. I needed him to stay.
When I heard the gunshot, my heart dropped. The world stood still and my ears were ringing. It was done.
Slowly, I got up and walked. Where to, I had no idea. I no longer noticed the people around me and it felt like I was stuck in a glass container, separated from the rest of the people. Apparently, I had walked for hours and when my mind came back to me, I saw trees. I felt exhausted suddenly and let myself fall down in the grass. Within minutes, I was asleep.
***
Danny Owens: the man who died twice. I had done my grieving already, outside of Birmingham, under the trees, in the grass. The second time hurt less, or did it? At least it didn’t shock me as much as it did the first time. He was the toughest man I know, because fighting yourself is so much harder than fighting any enemy. I would forever remember him as the kindest, bravest and best man I ever knew. The ordinary man, as he used to say, who told me every day that I was extraordinary. He deserved better.
In those months, I never saw Tommy again. He was busy fighting a war with London, the communists and the rest of the world. But still, I trusted he had done all he could for my brother. After everything that had happened, I felt like I finally knew the man behind the peaked cap a little. But then, suddenly, he showed up at our house.
“Emma,” he greeted, his eyes soft, “I won’t ask you how are, but I want you to know I tried…”
I quickly cut him off, “I know.”
His gaze turned glazed all of a sudden and I knew he was thinking of France. Danny used to have that same look about him.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Shelby?” I asked politely.
And back he was, “I told you the day Danny went off to London that I needed your help.”
I frowned, “Why me? How could I be of use?”
“You’re special, Emma,” he emphasised.
“I’m just an ordinary girl,” I responded, in surprise.
Tommy smiled a little, “That day, you said two things to me,” he paused a little and met my eyes, “Two things I remember clearly. One: you told me you weren’t a little girl anymore. And two: you told me you pay attention.”
I kept silent and waited for what came next. Truthfully, I felt a little called out by his words.
“I’ve noticed you, Emma,” he continued, lighting a cigarette at the same time.
“No one notices me,” I said quickly.
Again, he smiled. I’d never seen him smile, but this was the second time in mere minutes, “Exactly. You are invisible and you know how to use it. Danny always said his little sister was the smartest little girl he ever saw, and I now believe he was right. Behind that timid façade of a little girl, you observe, analyse and see everything.” He paused for a moment, “Tell me, Emma, what is it that we Shelby’s do?”
I cast my eyes down and answered vaguely, “You run Birmingham, sir, everyone knows that.”
“Don’t be afraid,” he said in a low voice, “And stop pretending. You know exactly what we do.”
So I spoke frankly, “Yes.”
Suddenly, Tommy stood up and walked over to the other side of our small room, “I will make sure you can go to school, for as long as you want to. If you want to go to another school, you will. If you want to go to university, you will walk into that university with your head held high. I will make it happen, alright?”
I blinked a few timed rapidly.
“I want to ask you for a favour in return,” he continued in his business-like tone, “Keep an eye out for me on the streets. If you hear anything that might be of interest to us, tell me. You’re clever; you know what we would like to know. It’s not a condition; I will take care of your education no matter what, so you’re not obligated to do as I ask. That much I owe to Danny. I’m just asking for your help.”
I shrugged and my pigtails flipped into the air with the gesture, “I’m honoured, but…”
He pointed at me, with a twinkle in his eye, “That’s good: the innocent act, but with the cynical thoughts behind it. No need to try it on me though,” he cut me off.
“Alright,” I let the façade slip for a moment and held out a hand, “I’ll do it. But I do have a condition.”
“What’s that?” he asked, walking towards me.
I narrowed my eyes, “Don’t ever treat me like a child that needs protecting. I need a friend, but no replacement for my brother.”
Tommy shook my hand carefully, “I’ll be your friend then, eh?”
“Yes.”
“Come to me when you need anything,” he said softly, almost lovingly, “Even if you just need some company. I’ll look out for you, Emma.”
And for the first time, I smiled at him, as I contradicted him:
“I go by Mae.”
***
Masterlist
#Peaky blinders imagine#Danny owens#Danny whizz-bang#Tommy shelby#thomas shelby#tommy shelby x reader#thomas shelby x reader#peaky blindes season 1#peaky blinders fanfic#mae#the shelby clan#peaky blinders season 1#peaky blinders#peaky blinders headcanon#cillian murphy
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